As I read back through the blogs, dating back to 2009, I realize that there are missing pieces to the story of our journey. We've got some 'splaining to do. 2011 and 2012 are missing years in this blog, and they are the critical links between the travel and lifestyle blog of today and the blogs of 2009. These are the years that we took the lessons of 2009 and 2010 and put them into action in a lifestyle changing manner. The changes we made in those years were the forerunner to the many travels and different experiences we're having now. '09-'10 were the years we committed to learning how to live differently and more intentionally. Besides wanting to live local, conserve and be better stewards, we wanted more life and more time to explore beyond just our local community. Hence the phrase at the top of this blog, Bloom Where We Are Planted. Meaning, wherever we plant ourselves, whether for an hour, a day, a week or a lifetime, we want to bloom and thrive, not just survive or wait out the week until the weekend arrives.
We had a bit more space to work at thriving as the kids were mostly launched by 2009. At the same time I was revamping our kitchen and our eating patterns and looking at ways to cut household waste, we also began recording our expenses and getting serious about how we wanted to spend our money and our lives. We read the book, "Your Money or Your Life" 15 years ago, and the lessons of this book came back to us in our attempt to create a more meaningful existence. Joe Dominguez, the author, brings home the point that what we spend is an expenditure of units of life energy that were committed to earning the money we spend. There is a limit on how many units of life energy we each have. In deciding to spend money on something, we have to consider the exchange of value in our life units relative to what we have purchased and determine if the expenditure is worth it.
In 2010, Chuck decided that the cost in life units of remaining in the corporate world were definitely NOT worth it, and he made the leap into consulting and Hawthorne. This put us more or less on the same schedule and pattern with more freedom for both of us. This change took a good bit of energy and time to fully recreate ourselves and the business to incorporate him. By early 2011, we decided that the big house had served its purpose and was now more of a hindrance than a help in the new journey. This decision set in motion a protracted process of finding the right place at the right price to get us out from under a mortgage and into less labor and cost intensive space. A major undertaking that took all of 2011 to accomplish.
2012 marked the first year we felt we had made the necessary changes to be ready to undertake a major (more than a week) trip somewhere. Traveling to Europe had always loomed large in my mind, and we had been talking for a few years that this might be the year. But another opportunity presented itself when Ryan decided to go to New Zealand, so the Europe trip was destined to wait another year. The New Zealand experience was marvelous and broke ground on new possibilities for travel and exploration. It was while preparing for this trip (and being shocked at the cost of travel) that the last piece of the thriving puzzle was laid. By chance, I discovered that an acquaintance I formerly purchased computers from was involved in the world of travel point collecting. My ears perked up because I was facing paying thousands of dollars for airline tickets. Travel would be limited in my future if I couldn't find a less expensive way to do it, and a big part of my sense of thriving has to do with travel and exploration.
Fast forward a year from that discovery to today where all the flights in the past 6 months have been paid with points. Many of the hotel stays have also been on points. I estimate we've saved $6000 so far. We earn points from credit card sign ups and by managing our spending so that we get maximum travel points for it. This hobby is not for people who need to be able to qualify for loans for major purchases. It is also not a passtime for those who don't enjoy tracking expenditures. But we were already doing that for the past few years, so it was not a big step to add this piece.
Hopefully this post will fill in the missing pieces of the journey. I look forward to many more posts in the future about our various ways we decide to bloom where we are planted.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
I've been everywhere
I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.
In the words of Johnny Cash, I've been everywhere, in 2013.
January: Ft. Lauderdale, Key West, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, man
March: Scottsdale
April: Zurich, Pontresina, Tirano, Florence, Lucca, Corniglia, Monte Carlo, Marseilles, Cassis, Avignon, Glaros, St. Remy, Carcassone, Chartres, Amboise, Bayeaux, Caen, Giverny, Versailles
May: Paris, London
June: Vancouver, Victoria, Portland, Astoria, Hood River
July: Crater Lake, Bend, Los Osos, Neenah
Best year EVER!
and its not over yet!!!!!!!!
Friday, July 5, 2013
California
My last night in Portland was a pleasant one, with Karen B. preparing a sumptuous repast of grilled chicken with mango salsa, fresh sautéed green beans and a delicious carrot salad with sesame oil. Jordan put on soft jazz and we enjoyed a special dinner. it is such a treat for me to have others cook for me, it really feels like vacation when that happens!!
The next morning was time to say goodbye and get on an airplane to California. Jan picked me up in San Luis Obispo on Wed. late afternoon and we have been having a great time since.
Jan lives in a small costal community called Los Osos, about 20 minutes from the airport in San Luis. It is a delightful place with great scenery and even greater people. Jan appears to know ALL 10,000 residents, and we can't walk far without meeting a friend. On July 4, we went up the coast to a friend's annual block party. My first California party, woohoo. But i didn't find the people to be any different than Indiana folks, just ordinary, friendly, welcoming people. This party was fun because we went between 3 different houses, the first for ors d'oeuvres, the second for the main course and the final for dessert. all picnic style, outdoors. I ate too much!
I loved the houses near the beach, we walked around and admired them. On Friday, we took some more walks in the area, checked out some shops in the area. We had a great dinner at a local establishment, my last hurrah of seafood for awhile. Sadly, my trip comes to an end as my flight leaves tomorrow morning.
It has been a memorable two weeks of adventuring on the west coast!
The next morning was time to say goodbye and get on an airplane to California. Jan picked me up in San Luis Obispo on Wed. late afternoon and we have been having a great time since.
Jan lives in a small costal community called Los Osos, about 20 minutes from the airport in San Luis. It is a delightful place with great scenery and even greater people. Jan appears to know ALL 10,000 residents, and we can't walk far without meeting a friend. On July 4, we went up the coast to a friend's annual block party. My first California party, woohoo. But i didn't find the people to be any different than Indiana folks, just ordinary, friendly, welcoming people. This party was fun because we went between 3 different houses, the first for ors d'oeuvres, the second for the main course and the final for dessert. all picnic style, outdoors. I ate too much!
I loved the houses near the beach, we walked around and admired them. On Friday, we took some more walks in the area, checked out some shops in the area. We had a great dinner at a local establishment, my last hurrah of seafood for awhile. Sadly, my trip comes to an end as my flight leaves tomorrow morning.
It has been a memorable two weeks of adventuring on the west coast!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Oregon
We've gotten a lot of miles under our belts in the past 4 days. On Sunday we (Karen, Jordan and I) visited Astoria. A cute little town at the mouth of the Columbia River. A center of fish canning in the early days, now mostly a tourist destination. Lots of nifty Victorian homes.
Monday, Jordan and I took off for Crater Lake. it is a trip from here, about 4 1/2 hours south. Crater lake is a misnomer. if you think an asteroid created it or something, it didn't. It was created by a massive explosion of the volcano inside the mountain. The explosion made a perfect pit, 2000 feet deep, which sealed itself and filled with the bluest water you've ever seen. Jordan said it looked like jewelry, it was so deep blue. We hiked all around the area, even had to cross some snow to get to the trail. fortunately it was not as hot there as anticipated, about 79 degrees, so a pleasant day for a walk. At an altitude of 7800 feet, I could feel the exertion more than usual and had to catch my breath a few times. There are a bunch of volcanoes from British Columbia to Northern California along the Cascade mountain range.
We concluded our day by driving to Bend and staying the night. Of course, a brew pub was on the to-do list (there are dozens of them in Oregon) and then after the pub, we crashed. Tuesday, we walked around town and the park. I was disappointed to not find any rapids or kayakers, and despaired of seeing any. Not to worry, though, we were just not looking in the right place. We visited with Jordan's cousin, Amanda who lives with her husband Kyle and their two little boys in Bend, and they told us where to find the rapids. It was within walking distance of their place, so we took a trek and sure enough, rapids and kayakers.
After our walk, we took off for the return trip to Portland. The heat was rising rapidly as we left, but by the time we reached a little town called Indian Head in a valley near Mount Hood, the thermometer read 108. I didn't believe it, but a marquee in the town read 109, so it must have been true. Jordan rolled down the window and an oven wave of heat came rolling in. The air conditioning was hardly able to keep up with the mass of heat.
By the time we were on the slopes of Mt. Hood, the temp had fallen 20 degrees, thankfully. Tomorrow I leave (sadly) for California (happily), so there will be more tales to tell from there.
Monday, Jordan and I took off for Crater Lake. it is a trip from here, about 4 1/2 hours south. Crater lake is a misnomer. if you think an asteroid created it or something, it didn't. It was created by a massive explosion of the volcano inside the mountain. The explosion made a perfect pit, 2000 feet deep, which sealed itself and filled with the bluest water you've ever seen. Jordan said it looked like jewelry, it was so deep blue. We hiked all around the area, even had to cross some snow to get to the trail. fortunately it was not as hot there as anticipated, about 79 degrees, so a pleasant day for a walk. At an altitude of 7800 feet, I could feel the exertion more than usual and had to catch my breath a few times. There are a bunch of volcanoes from British Columbia to Northern California along the Cascade mountain range.
We concluded our day by driving to Bend and staying the night. Of course, a brew pub was on the to-do list (there are dozens of them in Oregon) and then after the pub, we crashed. Tuesday, we walked around town and the park. I was disappointed to not find any rapids or kayakers, and despaired of seeing any. Not to worry, though, we were just not looking in the right place. We visited with Jordan's cousin, Amanda who lives with her husband Kyle and their two little boys in Bend, and they told us where to find the rapids. It was within walking distance of their place, so we took a trek and sure enough, rapids and kayakers.
After our walk, we took off for the return trip to Portland. The heat was rising rapidly as we left, but by the time we reached a little town called Indian Head in a valley near Mount Hood, the thermometer read 108. I didn't believe it, but a marquee in the town read 109, so it must have been true. Jordan rolled down the window and an oven wave of heat came rolling in. The air conditioning was hardly able to keep up with the mass of heat.
By the time we were on the slopes of Mt. Hood, the temp had fallen 20 degrees, thankfully. Tomorrow I leave (sadly) for California (happily), so there will be more tales to tell from there.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Master Gardeners Trip Wrap
Well, RoyAnne kept us hopping so it was difficult to do much posting while on the master gardener's tour! Additional stunning sights were the Butchart gardens in Victoria, unbelieveable work by a woman who took her husband's abandoned quarry and created a sunken garden in the 1920's and the private home garden tours we took. 4 different homes, each with a different approach. some were more like jungles, others gems of perfect pairings, edgings, art. i guess before this trip i did not fully appreciate that gardening was as artistic and creative as it is. the combining of colors, textures, and taking into account seasonality of blooming, it is amazing what can be done and what affect it can have on the viewer.
A fun evening was spent at a tea house where we were served "high tea", english style. i learned that high tea refers to tea served with warm something (in this case, warm sandwiches). we all got a bit dressed up for it. very lovely, and i loved the variety of little finger foods served with it. it was actually a full meal, just in small different tastes. lots of different teas to sample, of course. i decided that Goshen needs a tea house. anybody want to start one with me?
We also went to Calipino in Vancouver where there is a suspension walking bridge across a gorge, some 200 ft. in the air. and it sways. ack! scary but fun. the last day of our outing was spent as a free day in Vancouver, and everyone was on their own. RoyAnne and I went to Granville Island, a big farmer's market area, and Gastown, a historic district.
Sad to depart Vancouver, but off to Portland, which is quite exciting too!
Jordan picked me up at the airport on Saturday at 10, then i got to tour the new homestead. and it is pretty much a city homestead, complete with three chickens and a woodworking workshop that would be the envy of any home woodworker. i was suitably impressed.
We drove through the Columbia River Gorge, and went to the other side of Hood River, which i had never seen before. it is high desert, completely different looking than the Oregon I always picture, of lush, green forests. it looks more like Wyoming to me. Dry, rolling hills. we visited a war memorial there that is an exact replica of Stone Henge! (in concrete, rather than in stone, however). Very interesting. built in 1920 by Sam Hill (what the Sam Hill?) as a memorial for WWI fighters who were from that county.
Today we are going to Astoria and the coast because it is supposed to be about 95 degrees here today and not fit to be outside.
A fun evening was spent at a tea house where we were served "high tea", english style. i learned that high tea refers to tea served with warm something (in this case, warm sandwiches). we all got a bit dressed up for it. very lovely, and i loved the variety of little finger foods served with it. it was actually a full meal, just in small different tastes. lots of different teas to sample, of course. i decided that Goshen needs a tea house. anybody want to start one with me?
We also went to Calipino in Vancouver where there is a suspension walking bridge across a gorge, some 200 ft. in the air. and it sways. ack! scary but fun. the last day of our outing was spent as a free day in Vancouver, and everyone was on their own. RoyAnne and I went to Granville Island, a big farmer's market area, and Gastown, a historic district.
Sad to depart Vancouver, but off to Portland, which is quite exciting too!
Jordan picked me up at the airport on Saturday at 10, then i got to tour the new homestead. and it is pretty much a city homestead, complete with three chickens and a woodworking workshop that would be the envy of any home woodworker. i was suitably impressed.
We drove through the Columbia River Gorge, and went to the other side of Hood River, which i had never seen before. it is high desert, completely different looking than the Oregon I always picture, of lush, green forests. it looks more like Wyoming to me. Dry, rolling hills. we visited a war memorial there that is an exact replica of Stone Henge! (in concrete, rather than in stone, however). Very interesting. built in 1920 by Sam Hill (what the Sam Hill?) as a memorial for WWI fighters who were from that county.
Today we are going to Astoria and the coast because it is supposed to be about 95 degrees here today and not fit to be outside.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Vancouver
Greetings from lovely British Columbia! I am on Vancouver Island, in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Vancouver Island has the claim to fame of the most pleasant weather in Canada. due to the pacific waters on 3 sides, it remains temperate all year round, with no snow or freezing weather. flowers bloom year round, people can golf all year. it also never gets hot here either. lots of humidity which makes the plants grow to colossal dimensions. everything is green and cool. temps have been averaging about 62 degrees. my idea of heaven. i forget i have dry eyes. no heat or air conditioning needed. alas, my big plans to move here are defeated in the face of real estate price tags. the average 3 bed, 2 bath ranch fetches $1.5M. Vancouver island is considered one of the highest priced real estate areas in the world. (I expect Monaco is right up there with them, so i've seen both pricey places in the same year). its where rich Canadians go to retire.
Vancouver Island is a 90 min. ferry ride from Vancouver (City), BC. it was a great ride, with lovely jewels of islands along the way. Vancouver Island is a gardener's dream. it is filled with botanical gardens and private homes with sumptuous gardens. apparently anything grows here. We visited 4 private gardens and all i can say is, I give up trying to garden. my pitiful attempts pale in comparison.
I have lost track of how many public gardens we have visited. The folks on this trip are die hard gardeners, that much i've learned. 31 people, most are master gardeners or at least quite dedicated to their gardening. their knowledge never ceases to amaze me.
our guide the last two days was Joan. what an original she is. she looked like a gnome, and i can picture her spending her life outdoors, loving every minute. She was a walking encyclopedia of horticulture and area history and lore. she grew up on a farm in the area and knows everyone it seemed.
I'm excited to go whale watching tomorrow morning and then to the last garden of the trip.
Vancouver Island is a 90 min. ferry ride from Vancouver (City), BC. it was a great ride, with lovely jewels of islands along the way. Vancouver Island is a gardener's dream. it is filled with botanical gardens and private homes with sumptuous gardens. apparently anything grows here. We visited 4 private gardens and all i can say is, I give up trying to garden. my pitiful attempts pale in comparison.
I have lost track of how many public gardens we have visited. The folks on this trip are die hard gardeners, that much i've learned. 31 people, most are master gardeners or at least quite dedicated to their gardening. their knowledge never ceases to amaze me.
our guide the last two days was Joan. what an original she is. she looked like a gnome, and i can picture her spending her life outdoors, loving every minute. She was a walking encyclopedia of horticulture and area history and lore. she grew up on a farm in the area and knows everyone it seemed.
I'm excited to go whale watching tomorrow morning and then to the last garden of the trip.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Day 21
Day 21 - Even though it is a short day, we still made the most of it. We got tix to Kensington Palace, which is where Princess Diana resided and now William and Kate live. you don't get to see their part of the palace, altho Chuck was looking for a door he could get into their place from. The part open to the public is focused on Queen Victoria, and some on a few other royals. Very interesting, and the grounds around it are also public parks, just lovely. We enjoyed a morning walk to Princess Di's memorial fountain as well. We picked up our luggage at the hotel and are now waiting in the lounge for our flight home. It is hard to believe, it has been the best trip ever. We are going to have a tough time topping this one!
(Chucks addition - I did look a little bit at the doors and layout. There was a door where a person was standing at all times as we came thru and then exited. Figured that could lead to the william and kates residence. Would have been nice to have dropped in and had tea and crumpets with them. Ok, maybe I'm being a little ridiculous. Ok, maybe a LOT. But anyway, it was a nice vacation. Sadly, we are on our way back!!!)
(Chucks addition - I did look a little bit at the doors and layout. There was a door where a person was standing at all times as we came thru and then exited. Figured that could lead to the william and kates residence. Would have been nice to have dropped in and had tea and crumpets with them. Ok, maybe I'm being a little ridiculous. Ok, maybe a LOT. But anyway, it was a nice vacation. Sadly, we are on our way back!!!)
Days 18-19 Paris
Day 18 - a full day in Paris. And a full day it was! We started with a bike tour of spots off the beaten trail. This tour company (wisely) assumed you could get yourself to the Eiffel Tower without them and showed us more unique sites in the city of lights. We enjoyed exploring the place Victor Hugo wrote Les Mis, the building with a cannonball still stuck in the side from the French Revolution, the Latin quarter (not hispanic, as it turns out, but near the Sorbonne and the students had to speak Latin who went there, hence the name). We had a nice lunch there from a street vendor and continued our ride. We saw the modern art museum and the interesting area filled with musicians and other creative things. Our tour guide showed us a little known entrance to the Louvre, which we used the next day but still would have faced long lines. We rode past Notre Dame, which we saw yesterday, and Sainte Chapelle, which we will try to see tomorrow. It was a great ride and our tour guide, a young woman from Holland, spoke excellent English. After our ride, we walked about town a bunch and made our way to the Arc du Triomphe, then went back to our hotel to rest before dinner. We were so tired and footsore we decided to eat at the hotel rather than hunt down a hotel. It was a good decision, because we were in a nice hotel and the dinner was good. After dinner, we took the bus to the Eiffel Tower for our 11 p.m. ride to the 2nd level. Great view, and a good time. The city is amazing at night.
Day 19 - our last day in Paris, boo. We were snookered by crowded entrance lines a couple of times in the a.m., first at the Louvre and then at St. Chapelle. If you don't have advance tickets and show up at least 30 min. before something opens in Paris, you might as well forget it. It will take hours in line to see things. The crowds are simply unbelievable, and we are not even here in the height of the season. The weather wasn't even particularly great, cool and cloudy, but the people are here. I can't imagine visiting Paris in the summertime. All you'd need to add to this is heat and even more people, and I'd have to flee for my life. I didn't have my heart set on seeing either of theses sites, so no big deal. I'd have liked to visit another art museum, but we were sufficiently annoyed at the crowds at this point that we determined to find a nice cafe for lunch and head out to the cemetery. Not to be checked in, mind you, just for a visit. There is a fantastic old cemetery here where a lot of famous people are buried. After having visited the old cemetery in New Orleans and enjoying it, we figured this would be even better, and it was. It is old and creepy and also beautiful, with the plants and statuary and the general decay of things. Moliere, Chopin, Sarah Bernhart (american actress), Jim Morrison (the Doors rock star), Oscar Wilde, the list goes on and on. Oh, before the cemetery, we visited Shakespeare and Co., a famous bookstore in Paris where Jack Kerouac and other famous authors used to hang out. It is really neat. A section devoted to beat poetry. Chuck bought a book there to read on the way home. After all our running around Paris, it is time to leave, sadly. I could do with one more day here. We get our train to Calais and on to the tunnel under the English Channel. in the US, we tend to refer to this as the Chunnel, but that is definitely "out" here. It was one of the high speed trains, you get from Paris to London in 2.5 hours. It was night time and I couldn't even tell when we were under the channel other than the air smelled different, pumped in. At its deepest point, the tunnel is 800 feet below sea level.
Day 19 - our last day in Paris, boo. We were snookered by crowded entrance lines a couple of times in the a.m., first at the Louvre and then at St. Chapelle. If you don't have advance tickets and show up at least 30 min. before something opens in Paris, you might as well forget it. It will take hours in line to see things. The crowds are simply unbelievable, and we are not even here in the height of the season. The weather wasn't even particularly great, cool and cloudy, but the people are here. I can't imagine visiting Paris in the summertime. All you'd need to add to this is heat and even more people, and I'd have to flee for my life. I didn't have my heart set on seeing either of theses sites, so no big deal. I'd have liked to visit another art museum, but we were sufficiently annoyed at the crowds at this point that we determined to find a nice cafe for lunch and head out to the cemetery. Not to be checked in, mind you, just for a visit. There is a fantastic old cemetery here where a lot of famous people are buried. After having visited the old cemetery in New Orleans and enjoying it, we figured this would be even better, and it was. It is old and creepy and also beautiful, with the plants and statuary and the general decay of things. Moliere, Chopin, Sarah Bernhart (american actress), Jim Morrison (the Doors rock star), Oscar Wilde, the list goes on and on. Oh, before the cemetery, we visited Shakespeare and Co., a famous bookstore in Paris where Jack Kerouac and other famous authors used to hang out. It is really neat. A section devoted to beat poetry. Chuck bought a book there to read on the way home. After all our running around Paris, it is time to leave, sadly. I could do with one more day here. We get our train to Calais and on to the tunnel under the English Channel. in the US, we tend to refer to this as the Chunnel, but that is definitely "out" here. It was one of the high speed trains, you get from Paris to London in 2.5 hours. It was night time and I couldn't even tell when we were under the channel other than the air smelled different, pumped in. At its deepest point, the tunnel is 800 feet below sea level.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Day 20
Day 20 (yeah, I know it's out of sequence):
Chuck posting - so we made it in last night from Paris via the Chunnel train. Here we are in London. The city and 2 days of the trip that I am responsible for. Whoo boy, big mistake to put me in charge! So, my original plan was to take a bike tour. But because we were worried about rainy weather (I know, why worry about that in London?) we did not book and pay for a tour in advance. Weather as of last night was predicted to be cool and sunny today, turning overcast in the afternoon and possibly rain. But it would have potentially started after the bike tour finished.
As we sat at breakfast this am, it started to rain. Sadly, I did not have a real backup plan should it rain. It wasn't a heavy rain, but there was quite a bit of wind, and it wasn't going to be very warm (mid 50's to 60 for a high). As we sat there and I quietly lamented the weather, I noticed 2 people in front of the hotel restaurant and they appeared to be giving out pamphlets or selling tickets, and then I saw it was for 2 different city bus tours. My problems were solved! After breakfast I would go out and check on the possibilities. But Karen noticed pamphlets in the hotel lobby, and after we talked to the concierge, we arranged a bus tour on a double decker system with an open air top. We also arranged tickets to the London Tower and our shuttle for tomorrow's trip to the airport.
The bus tour started cold (rain had stopped) but it was quite enjoyable. It was slow going (it seemed half of Europe was visiting London, and they were all on buses or on the road on bikes or in cars.) The audio tour was pretty good. We got around to quite a few sights. While we talked about one of the walking tours (Harry Potter film areas in london - free as part of the bus tour) and London Tower, as well as a boat ride, it became apparent we wouldn't be able to do everything. The bus was too slow, and traffic was huge. We stopped for the London Tower tour.
London Tower was awesome. Lots of history. Most of it from the medieval period, Built and rebuilt over the time period of 1060 or so to 1250 it was a true fortress. In those and future times, the kings and queens rarely lived in one place for a long period of time. They traveled back and forth quite a bit. It appeared that this trend seemed to end in the 1700's or 1800's. We had a guide for a short bit of time (it rained again, ending that) so we switched to an audio tour. We saw their Fusilier's museum, the infamous White Tower, their execution and chapel for interment, the torture rooms, and the CROWN jewels. Yeah, they keep some impressive Crown Jewels there. In fact, the big diamond on the end of the Queen's sceptre is about 500 carats. Cut from a raw diamond that weighed in over 3,000 carats (yeah, thats three thousand). What was funny was, at the end of the Crown Jewels building tour, there was a small offering container at the exit tour accepting donations to maintain the Crown Jewels tower and the rest of the London Tower. For some reason, I shouldn't think the royal family and the government of England would need the donations... haha.
It was a great tour. Definitely worth it. We left the tour and took the short boat cruise that was part of the bus tour and went back to Westminster Abbey. This time, we had a live guide, and he was humorous and fascinating. Then we strolled some of the more interesting areas. We had already been on the bus through the Oxford district, which is a huge shopping district. (Includes the Selfridge department store - the one that is currently depicted on the PBS/BBS show). What huge throngs of people. Anyway, we got dinner in Chinatown, walked around Leicester square and Trafalgar Square, and watched a group performing with a large street crowd. I took some video of that, pretty funny. Grabbed a large piece of double chocolate cake to eat. Yum. Some more downtown entertainment, and then an easy tube (subway) ride back to within a block or 2 of our hotel and finally, we can take a break.
Not looking forward to leaving tomorrow. We will probably visit Buckingham Palace, but cannot go in. We did watch the changing of the guard at the London Tower. It was not a faked change, but a real changing of the guard.
Well, till tomorrow.
Chuck posting - so we made it in last night from Paris via the Chunnel train. Here we are in London. The city and 2 days of the trip that I am responsible for. Whoo boy, big mistake to put me in charge! So, my original plan was to take a bike tour. But because we were worried about rainy weather (I know, why worry about that in London?) we did not book and pay for a tour in advance. Weather as of last night was predicted to be cool and sunny today, turning overcast in the afternoon and possibly rain. But it would have potentially started after the bike tour finished.
As we sat at breakfast this am, it started to rain. Sadly, I did not have a real backup plan should it rain. It wasn't a heavy rain, but there was quite a bit of wind, and it wasn't going to be very warm (mid 50's to 60 for a high). As we sat there and I quietly lamented the weather, I noticed 2 people in front of the hotel restaurant and they appeared to be giving out pamphlets or selling tickets, and then I saw it was for 2 different city bus tours. My problems were solved! After breakfast I would go out and check on the possibilities. But Karen noticed pamphlets in the hotel lobby, and after we talked to the concierge, we arranged a bus tour on a double decker system with an open air top. We also arranged tickets to the London Tower and our shuttle for tomorrow's trip to the airport.
The bus tour started cold (rain had stopped) but it was quite enjoyable. It was slow going (it seemed half of Europe was visiting London, and they were all on buses or on the road on bikes or in cars.) The audio tour was pretty good. We got around to quite a few sights. While we talked about one of the walking tours (Harry Potter film areas in london - free as part of the bus tour) and London Tower, as well as a boat ride, it became apparent we wouldn't be able to do everything. The bus was too slow, and traffic was huge. We stopped for the London Tower tour.
London Tower was awesome. Lots of history. Most of it from the medieval period, Built and rebuilt over the time period of 1060 or so to 1250 it was a true fortress. In those and future times, the kings and queens rarely lived in one place for a long period of time. They traveled back and forth quite a bit. It appeared that this trend seemed to end in the 1700's or 1800's. We had a guide for a short bit of time (it rained again, ending that) so we switched to an audio tour. We saw their Fusilier's museum, the infamous White Tower, their execution and chapel for interment, the torture rooms, and the CROWN jewels. Yeah, they keep some impressive Crown Jewels there. In fact, the big diamond on the end of the Queen's sceptre is about 500 carats. Cut from a raw diamond that weighed in over 3,000 carats (yeah, thats three thousand). What was funny was, at the end of the Crown Jewels building tour, there was a small offering container at the exit tour accepting donations to maintain the Crown Jewels tower and the rest of the London Tower. For some reason, I shouldn't think the royal family and the government of England would need the donations... haha.
It was a great tour. Definitely worth it. We left the tour and took the short boat cruise that was part of the bus tour and went back to Westminster Abbey. This time, we had a live guide, and he was humorous and fascinating. Then we strolled some of the more interesting areas. We had already been on the bus through the Oxford district, which is a huge shopping district. (Includes the Selfridge department store - the one that is currently depicted on the PBS/BBS show). What huge throngs of people. Anyway, we got dinner in Chinatown, walked around Leicester square and Trafalgar Square, and watched a group performing with a large street crowd. I took some video of that, pretty funny. Grabbed a large piece of double chocolate cake to eat. Yum. Some more downtown entertainment, and then an easy tube (subway) ride back to within a block or 2 of our hotel and finally, we can take a break.
Not looking forward to leaving tomorrow. We will probably visit Buckingham Palace, but cannot go in. We did watch the changing of the guard at the London Tower. It was not a faked change, but a real changing of the guard.
Well, till tomorrow.
Days 16-17
Day 16 - a day of great sites and impossible lines. We arrive at Giverny in the a.m., a bit crowded but no real long lines. Lovely, lovely place. The spring flowers are spectacular. I haven't said enough about them, but everywhere we go things are in bloom and we've really enjoyed spring here. The only thing that was behind schedule here was the wisteria on the famous Monet bridge over the pond (the one he painted). We have seen wisteria everywhere (purple flower on vines on sides of buildings, etc.) Next we drive a short distance to Versailles, but a world apart. From the natural, free flowing lines of Giverny to the rigid, precise overpruning of Versailles, even the weather changed from sunny and pleasant to cold and windy. The crowds were oppressive, except in the gardens because it was so cold! The line for tickets, we were told by a Versailles employee, would be an hour, and the line to enter, 2 hours. And she said we probably would not be able to see everything due to the crowds. We opted to not go in. This theme of crowds was to repeat itself a few more times in the coming days. Versailles in general was a bit off putting to me. Too big, too much gold, oppressive somehow.
Day 17 - Off to Paris! We drop the car at Orly airport and arrange a fairly easy transport to Paris. I was fearful of this because it did not appear to be a direct route, but the ticket agent gave us a ticket all the way to the station closest to our hotel with 2 transfers, so no problems. We walked to the Louvre and the surrounding areas, everything was closed because this is Labor Day (May 1) in France! Lots of happy, relaxed people, families, everywhere. The weather was pleasant till late afternoon when there was a prolonged rainstorm. We had to while away the time in a cafe, eating and drinking. What a pity....We took an evening boat cruise on the Seine, delightful. The Eiffel Tower "sparkles" every hour at night with lights for about 5 minutes. Then we took a city bus back, but it turned out to be going the wrong way and we rode the entire route. It would have been nice except that I had to pee and couldn't get off the bus as I didn't know where we'd find a bathroom anyway that late at nite!!
Day 17 - Off to Paris! We drop the car at Orly airport and arrange a fairly easy transport to Paris. I was fearful of this because it did not appear to be a direct route, but the ticket agent gave us a ticket all the way to the station closest to our hotel with 2 transfers, so no problems. We walked to the Louvre and the surrounding areas, everything was closed because this is Labor Day (May 1) in France! Lots of happy, relaxed people, families, everywhere. The weather was pleasant till late afternoon when there was a prolonged rainstorm. We had to while away the time in a cafe, eating and drinking. What a pity....We took an evening boat cruise on the Seine, delightful. The Eiffel Tower "sparkles" every hour at night with lights for about 5 minutes. Then we took a city bus back, but it turned out to be going the wrong way and we rode the entire route. It would have been nice except that I had to pee and couldn't get off the bus as I didn't know where we'd find a bathroom anyway that late at nite!!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Days 14-15
Day 14 - Last morning at our chateau lodging, boohoo. After breakfast, we are off to Clos Luce, the last home of Leonardo da Vinci. It is a cool museum site now, with numerous of da Vinci's sketches for machines turned into reality. Despite it being the 1500's, he conceived (on paper) of cars, bicycles, flying machines, military tanks, ball bearings, bridges that opened, paddle boats, boat locks, and more stuff. He was a botanist, architect, artist, and philosopher also. The rest of the day was a leisurely drive along the Loire to Bayeux in the north. After finding our hotel, we drove to Arromanches on the coast to see the WWII site where the Allies came ashore. The remnants of the floating harbor that they put in to launch their offense are still visible.
Day 15 - D-Day. Our visit to WWII history museums. It is sunny but cold, so being indoors didn't sound too bad. It's about 53 here. Supposed to be a little warmer the next few days, but not as warm as the first 11 days, unfortunately. The first museum is in Bayeux, describing the events of D-Day, June 6, 1944 when the Allies came ashore to drive the Germans out of France. It was a well done presentation. Lots of memorials and cemeteries in the area. The other museum we visited was in Caen, which went into much more detail on the reasons for WWII, and the history behind it. We got a much better understanding of the events leading up to the war. The destruction and loss of life is unfathomable. We were both pretty well drained by the end, but still felt it was something we needed to see. We just don't grasp our day to day freedoms and the luxury we live in. It is sobering to think that Chuck might not be here if his father hadn't survived the war, as so many men did not.
Day 15 - D-Day. Our visit to WWII history museums. It is sunny but cold, so being indoors didn't sound too bad. It's about 53 here. Supposed to be a little warmer the next few days, but not as warm as the first 11 days, unfortunately. The first museum is in Bayeux, describing the events of D-Day, June 6, 1944 when the Allies came ashore to drive the Germans out of France. It was a well done presentation. Lots of memorials and cemeteries in the area. The other museum we visited was in Caen, which went into much more detail on the reasons for WWII, and the history behind it. We got a much better understanding of the events leading up to the war. The destruction and loss of life is unfathomable. We were both pretty well drained by the end, but still felt it was something we needed to see. We just don't grasp our day to day freedoms and the luxury we live in. It is sobering to think that Chuck might not be here if his father hadn't survived the war, as so many men did not.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Day 12
Day 12, plus comment on 13
Chuck didn't mention that it hailed yesterday! At least we were back in the car by then. Our lovely warm weather has departed, it has been cool the last couple of days and is expected to be that way the rest of the week. Oh well, that warm weather couldn't last. We brought cooler weather clothing and rain gear. He also didn't mention that the Chateau du Pray's hotel restaurant was a 1 star Michelin restaurant. Gourmet food. He also didn't mention he spotted an RV dealership and looked at units. Funny. They are made differently than in the US, these were "van conversion" types.
Day 12 was our drive from Clermont Ferrand to Chartres, which, after more monkeying around with the GPS, was relatively easy to find. Our destination was the huge gothic cathedral in Chartres. And I mean, huge. It is filled with flying buttresses, high, tall stained glass windows, art, sculpture. It is a Mary-centered church, with very few crosses or even references to Jesus. There are lots of theories about this church, that it is a pagan representation of female power, or a Mary Magdalene honoring church (disguised as the Virgin Mary to appease the Catholics). There is a large labyrinth in the floor that is only uncovered of chairs on Fridays, which is the day we were there, so we walked the labyrinth with other visitors. Walking in the footsteps of the pilgrims of 8 centuries was awesome. The day was cold, cloudy and windy, we were cold the whole time we were there! We toured the crypt, with another worship center devoted to Mary. Very ancient and spooky. Then we raced back to our car, braced against the cold wind, and drove to our castle for the next two nights in Amboise.
Chuck didn't mention that it hailed yesterday! At least we were back in the car by then. Our lovely warm weather has departed, it has been cool the last couple of days and is expected to be that way the rest of the week. Oh well, that warm weather couldn't last. We brought cooler weather clothing and rain gear. He also didn't mention that the Chateau du Pray's hotel restaurant was a 1 star Michelin restaurant. Gourmet food. He also didn't mention he spotted an RV dealership and looked at units. Funny. They are made differently than in the US, these were "van conversion" types.
Day 12 was our drive from Clermont Ferrand to Chartres, which, after more monkeying around with the GPS, was relatively easy to find. Our destination was the huge gothic cathedral in Chartres. And I mean, huge. It is filled with flying buttresses, high, tall stained glass windows, art, sculpture. It is a Mary-centered church, with very few crosses or even references to Jesus. There are lots of theories about this church, that it is a pagan representation of female power, or a Mary Magdalene honoring church (disguised as the Virgin Mary to appease the Catholics). There is a large labyrinth in the floor that is only uncovered of chairs on Fridays, which is the day we were there, so we walked the labyrinth with other visitors. Walking in the footsteps of the pilgrims of 8 centuries was awesome. The day was cold, cloudy and windy, we were cold the whole time we were there! We toured the crypt, with another worship center devoted to Mary. Very ancient and spooky. Then we raced back to our car, braced against the cold wind, and drove to our castle for the next two nights in Amboise.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Days 13
Short post (Chuck) as we are tired. We enjoyed a fine day today exploring Chateau Chenonceau (?) a wonderful, large chateau or castle outside Amboise. (We are staying in a small chateau/castle called Chateau Du Pray, and our room is in one of the towers!) Chenonceau (the entire estate) is huge. The main structure is located on the river Cher. It is literally built on pillars on the river. Talk about a moat. We took an audio/video tour on iPods. Pretty cool. It took us about 90 minutes to tour the castle and halls. Karen enjoyed the gardens, and we walked a small maze that was like a playground for adults. ha!
Then it was driving around looking at smaller, similar chateaus/castles, and finally, clean up/showers before dinner. Dinner at Chateau Du Pray was heavenly. They sure know how to prepare food here.
Well, good night all!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Days 10-11
So, this is Chuck posting. All kinds of things to report, we had enjoyable days in Avignon and Carcassonne.
Day 10. We toured the Palais du Popes. (I think I have it right) Which was a home to some of the competing Popes during the medieval time period where there was contention over which Pope was the true Pope. Clement 5 was the 1st Pope invited by the King of France. The king tried to keep Clement to extend his own power, and after Clement died, the next appointed Pope was apparently more than happy to stay. However, a schism developed and there was a time period where "two Popes" were supposedly known to the world, until it was finally decided years later.
It was a great day for the weather. We have been so fortunate. It was in the low 70's, sunny, just perfect. We also visited the gardens there. When we were coming out of a church, however, two women working together tried to pick my pocket!!! I actually said to the one who was responsible for distracting me, "nice try". Don't know whether she knew English. Needless to say, Karen was ahead of me and didn't hear it/see it, and I told her and pointed out the 2 women. They split up immediately (the one noting I was pointing at her). However, as we walked away, they came back together and talked. I was fairly $%^&* about it. Should probably have twisted her arm behind her back and taken her down, right? One thing I have noticed, there are rarely any police around. We rarely see them. In Italy, there were several federal or military types patrolling the train stations with their automatic weapons. But I would certainly see more police at home. Almost never see them on the highway, and we've been doing a lot of driving.
We had a nice drive in the afternoon to Carcassonne. Found our place (a home stay via AirBnB) very easily. Karen has enjoyed these home stays and the chance to see how others live. This woman was very welcoming, and we had a good opportunity to see another side of French life that was outside of the normal tourist view. We went in to the main town, and found few opportunities to eat. But as usual, the wine is great! So we settled on a good pizza with nice small salads. Then we decided to go into the walled city separate from the downtown. That was a nice walk. A medieval castle/fort almost perfectly restored. And it was great to see it at night, although by the time we walked back to the car, it was getting cold!
We crashed, no email, posting, etc. All that walking and good wine has it's effects on us.
Day 11. Martine, our host, had bread, a chocolate croissant, cheese, juice and great tea for us. A nice breakfast, and not too early (9 am).
Then it was on to the castle/fort. We thought we would be arriving too late to have a good tour of the walled city. The "palace" part was opened at 10 am. and we did an audio guide tour. i have to say I enjoyed it immensely. The restoration left it appearing as if it was some point in the 13th century. We had a nice tour, taking many pictures. Lots of historical information. Then we went to the cathedral. Not only was it quite a cathedral, but we listened to a small mens choir. They were excellent.
After that, we went for our planned big lunch. And boy, it was a good one. One of us got the 4 course lunch, the other (ha, me!) the 5 course lunch. Yes, 6 courses. Now, to be fair, we have talked about how we are going to have great dinners every day, and then by the time we are ready to eat, many places are closed, and our choices are few. And then no good dinner materializes. Some days we have lunch with food from a market (and cheese, bread, ham, fruit, etc can be pretty darn good) but today, we had a great one. Karen had the traditional "cassoule" which was a baked dish of beans, beef, sausage and some chicken. I had salmon with hollandaise sauce. But to talk about all of these courses, we shared french onion soup, a great salad, bread, timbaly (seafood souffle), cheese plate, peach melba, and a dessert crepe. We were stuffed! Took some great cheese and bread with us (which we had for dinner).
Sadly, by 3 pm we were leaving. we had a great late afternoon/early evening drive to Clermont / Ferrand. We found our Holiday Inn very easily. What happened next is very funny. We parked in the gaage, and apparently took the wrong elevator!!! So, we came into the office building NEXT to the holiday inn. And we could NOT get out of the building. Once in the elevator, the button to return us to the parking garage wouldw NOT work! The floors all had offices with locked doors. Again not a situation to NOT have a phone, righty? Eventually, I found a button that would let the front door of the main floor open. And we got out!
Ah, the stories for another day.
Day 10. We toured the Palais du Popes. (I think I have it right) Which was a home to some of the competing Popes during the medieval time period where there was contention over which Pope was the true Pope. Clement 5 was the 1st Pope invited by the King of France. The king tried to keep Clement to extend his own power, and after Clement died, the next appointed Pope was apparently more than happy to stay. However, a schism developed and there was a time period where "two Popes" were supposedly known to the world, until it was finally decided years later.
It was a great day for the weather. We have been so fortunate. It was in the low 70's, sunny, just perfect. We also visited the gardens there. When we were coming out of a church, however, two women working together tried to pick my pocket!!! I actually said to the one who was responsible for distracting me, "nice try". Don't know whether she knew English. Needless to say, Karen was ahead of me and didn't hear it/see it, and I told her and pointed out the 2 women. They split up immediately (the one noting I was pointing at her). However, as we walked away, they came back together and talked. I was fairly $%^&* about it. Should probably have twisted her arm behind her back and taken her down, right? One thing I have noticed, there are rarely any police around. We rarely see them. In Italy, there were several federal or military types patrolling the train stations with their automatic weapons. But I would certainly see more police at home. Almost never see them on the highway, and we've been doing a lot of driving.
We had a nice drive in the afternoon to Carcassonne. Found our place (a home stay via AirBnB) very easily. Karen has enjoyed these home stays and the chance to see how others live. This woman was very welcoming, and we had a good opportunity to see another side of French life that was outside of the normal tourist view. We went in to the main town, and found few opportunities to eat. But as usual, the wine is great! So we settled on a good pizza with nice small salads. Then we decided to go into the walled city separate from the downtown. That was a nice walk. A medieval castle/fort almost perfectly restored. And it was great to see it at night, although by the time we walked back to the car, it was getting cold!
We crashed, no email, posting, etc. All that walking and good wine has it's effects on us.
Day 11. Martine, our host, had bread, a chocolate croissant, cheese, juice and great tea for us. A nice breakfast, and not too early (9 am).
Then it was on to the castle/fort. We thought we would be arriving too late to have a good tour of the walled city. The "palace" part was opened at 10 am. and we did an audio guide tour. i have to say I enjoyed it immensely. The restoration left it appearing as if it was some point in the 13th century. We had a nice tour, taking many pictures. Lots of historical information. Then we went to the cathedral. Not only was it quite a cathedral, but we listened to a small mens choir. They were excellent.
After that, we went for our planned big lunch. And boy, it was a good one. One of us got the 4 course lunch, the other (ha, me!) the 5 course lunch. Yes, 6 courses. Now, to be fair, we have talked about how we are going to have great dinners every day, and then by the time we are ready to eat, many places are closed, and our choices are few. And then no good dinner materializes. Some days we have lunch with food from a market (and cheese, bread, ham, fruit, etc can be pretty darn good) but today, we had a great one. Karen had the traditional "cassoule" which was a baked dish of beans, beef, sausage and some chicken. I had salmon with hollandaise sauce. But to talk about all of these courses, we shared french onion soup, a great salad, bread, timbaly (seafood souffle), cheese plate, peach melba, and a dessert crepe. We were stuffed! Took some great cheese and bread with us (which we had for dinner).
Sadly, by 3 pm we were leaving. we had a great late afternoon/early evening drive to Clermont / Ferrand. We found our Holiday Inn very easily. What happened next is very funny. We parked in the gaage, and apparently took the wrong elevator!!! So, we came into the office building NEXT to the holiday inn. And we could NOT get out of the building. Once in the elevator, the button to return us to the parking garage wouldw NOT work! The floors all had offices with locked doors. Again not a situation to NOT have a phone, righty? Eventually, I found a button that would let the front door of the main floor open. And we got out!
Ah, the stories for another day.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Days 7-9
Email access has been rather unpredictable for the past few days. We are staying in a home-stay in Avignon tonight which has wifi, hence tonight's post. getting here and to last night's B&B were two stories that will have to wait until later. Suffice to say that the French find that giving directions is an optional activity. As RoyAnne has always said, it is fortunate cars have a reverse gear. no alley I've ever been in before could be as impossibly narrow as an alley in a French city, either. A true test of marital strength if I ever saw one. Tomorrow night is another home-stay, I am braced for the search. We have had every variety of challenge, as well, with power and electronics. We discovered our GPS is pretty much non-functional, but then discovered our rental car has a GPS, albiet one that does not appear to recognize a very comprehensive level of addresses. So getting around has been more of a sport or exercise in frustration. I've decided it is scavenger hunt with a few clues and moments of good/bad luck. One side benefit is interesting discoveries, like today, with several roads lined for miles and miles with beautiful plane trees that are just budding.
Sunday April 21: Our day in transit from Monte Carlo to Marseille. After a bus ride past the rich and famous sites of Monte Carlo, we bid adieu to the wealthy and headed west. We had a transfer in Nice, so were able to walk about and have some lunch and take a look around. Nice is nice. 'nuff said. Marseille turned out to be a Tunisian ghetto, with more Arabs than I've ever seen in one place. Lots of narrow, confusing streets. We managed to get lost several times, and all the restaurants closed up and we ended up eating in the railstation at a McDonald's type cafe. At least they had Heineken. The Old Port was interesting, lots of families out for a Sunday afternoon. French people converge in a major way in town squares. I think American culture is lacking something without this habit of promenading in town squares. Also, there is more than one Arc Du Triomphe in France, we have now seen one in Marseille and south of St. Remy. The Nazi's bombed the oldest part of town (that story is becoming a pattern here).
Monday April 22: The great escape from cities. We are "city'd" out. Now the challenge is interpreting French road signs and getting out of Marseille. The first thing we do is turn down a restricted street and are approached by some officials and told to turn back. Oops. Eventually we get on the 4 lane highway and are on our way to the coastal towns of La Ciotat and Cassis, to the east of Marseille. It is once again a beautiful day. In Cassis, we (after a dozen unsuccessfull circuits of downtown) find parking outside of town and walk back. The other profound discovery of French towns is that parking c'est horrible! We take a one hour boat cruise of the Calaniques, consisting of 5 coastal bays of very unique cliffs and blue green water. Beautiful! We then take a drive down the coast over mountains and along the cliffs, also eye popping. A great day along the coast. This was laundry day and we finally locate a laundromat. We commune with the French local populace there. My French, while bumbling, is getting us by, and Chuck is learning hand signals and "merci" and "bonjour". Our day ends with a massive manhunt of Gerenomes, searching for our B&B for the night. It is finally located, turns out to be a delightful country home full of antiques, chickens, beehives, and a very nice couple who speak hardly any English. We manage to communicate and have a good night and early a.m. there.
Tuesday, April 23: Off to St-Remy. We take a quick tour through Aix-En-Provence, but it is too much like the cities we just left, crowded, busy, crazy drivers. The drive through is enough and we are off to the Provencal countryside. St. Remy is quaint and we find our way to the mental hospital outside town. No, we don't check ourselves in, we tour the ancient buildings build centuries ago that became a mental hospital in the middle ages. This was the place that Vincent Van Gogh was sent to recover from cutting off his ear. He did a lot of painting while he stayed here, and it was easy to see why he was inspired. The gardens were beautiful and in full spring bloom, and the surrounding area is also lovely. There is a lot of good information on Van Gogh's life and the history of these buildings. Nearby the hospital, there are Greek-Roman ruins of a city called Glanum. This is an area that was originally established by primitive people prior to the arrival of the Greeks, who developed it, then the Romans developed it even further. Hot and cold running water, pools, markets, homes, temples, a fortress. It was amazing. If the stones could talk, they would tell a tale. I was not aware that there were many Roman colonies in France. We will see some more ruins tomorrow. Tonight we are at the home of Janine Jammer of Avignon, from the Air B&B site. Quite an experience.
Sunday April 21: Our day in transit from Monte Carlo to Marseille. After a bus ride past the rich and famous sites of Monte Carlo, we bid adieu to the wealthy and headed west. We had a transfer in Nice, so were able to walk about and have some lunch and take a look around. Nice is nice. 'nuff said. Marseille turned out to be a Tunisian ghetto, with more Arabs than I've ever seen in one place. Lots of narrow, confusing streets. We managed to get lost several times, and all the restaurants closed up and we ended up eating in the railstation at a McDonald's type cafe. At least they had Heineken. The Old Port was interesting, lots of families out for a Sunday afternoon. French people converge in a major way in town squares. I think American culture is lacking something without this habit of promenading in town squares. Also, there is more than one Arc Du Triomphe in France, we have now seen one in Marseille and south of St. Remy. The Nazi's bombed the oldest part of town (that story is becoming a pattern here).
Monday April 22: The great escape from cities. We are "city'd" out. Now the challenge is interpreting French road signs and getting out of Marseille. The first thing we do is turn down a restricted street and are approached by some officials and told to turn back. Oops. Eventually we get on the 4 lane highway and are on our way to the coastal towns of La Ciotat and Cassis, to the east of Marseille. It is once again a beautiful day. In Cassis, we (after a dozen unsuccessfull circuits of downtown) find parking outside of town and walk back. The other profound discovery of French towns is that parking c'est horrible! We take a one hour boat cruise of the Calaniques, consisting of 5 coastal bays of very unique cliffs and blue green water. Beautiful! We then take a drive down the coast over mountains and along the cliffs, also eye popping. A great day along the coast. This was laundry day and we finally locate a laundromat. We commune with the French local populace there. My French, while bumbling, is getting us by, and Chuck is learning hand signals and "merci" and "bonjour". Our day ends with a massive manhunt of Gerenomes, searching for our B&B for the night. It is finally located, turns out to be a delightful country home full of antiques, chickens, beehives, and a very nice couple who speak hardly any English. We manage to communicate and have a good night and early a.m. there.
Tuesday, April 23: Off to St-Remy. We take a quick tour through Aix-En-Provence, but it is too much like the cities we just left, crowded, busy, crazy drivers. The drive through is enough and we are off to the Provencal countryside. St. Remy is quaint and we find our way to the mental hospital outside town. No, we don't check ourselves in, we tour the ancient buildings build centuries ago that became a mental hospital in the middle ages. This was the place that Vincent Van Gogh was sent to recover from cutting off his ear. He did a lot of painting while he stayed here, and it was easy to see why he was inspired. The gardens were beautiful and in full spring bloom, and the surrounding area is also lovely. There is a lot of good information on Van Gogh's life and the history of these buildings. Nearby the hospital, there are Greek-Roman ruins of a city called Glanum. This is an area that was originally established by primitive people prior to the arrival of the Greeks, who developed it, then the Romans developed it even further. Hot and cold running water, pools, markets, homes, temples, a fortress. It was amazing. If the stones could talk, they would tell a tale. I was not aware that there were many Roman colonies in France. We will see some more ruins tomorrow. Tonight we are at the home of Janine Jammer of Avignon, from the Air B&B site. Quite an experience.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Taste of Europe Day 5 and 6
This is Chuck's post for the trip. Day 5 was a great day in the Cinque Terra area. We took the train into Corniglia. It is a village perched against a cliff, as the villages are in this area. Italy is beautiful, but can be challenging to navigate. We hoped to hike the trail along the sea between one of the closest towns and Corniglia, but they were all closed due to safety and mudslides. Sadly. But we got into our B&B room and then set out to explore the small village, then headed to Monterossa via train and explored that village. Had a daiquiri (Strawberry) and really enjoyed the beach. We were quite entertained by very young children playing, by visitors dressed as if it was winter (felt like 80 degrees), and then by people at the same beach bar getting engaged. He got down on one knee and produced a ring. Pretty enjoyable and entertaining. Finally wrapped up, headed back to our room, and then went to a shop and bought a bottle of wine, then food to go at a local ristorante. Why? Because we had a room with a balcony, facing onto both the terraced hillsides and the ocean. What a view!!!! Best meal so far, arguably. Karen got a fresh fish (they brought it out for her to say OK) and I had pasta to die for (heavy garlic). Grilled veggies yumm... and great wine.
So Day 6, was quite a bit of train travel after getting up late. Getting up sloooowwwww. Anyway, then got on the train to head out of Italy to Monte Carlo (Monaco) . Yeah, thanks and courtesy of Starwood, we have a free night in Monaco at Le Meridian. Oh yeah. So, a long afternoon on the train. So, you think you've seen everything right? Just after changing trains in Ventiglia, the drunk in the seat behind us decided to relieve himself. Without going to the WC. He was laying across two seats, and apparently unzipped and began spraying the back of our seat. We yelled and moved quickly. Wish I had a picture of it. Karen stayed angry. I finally started laughing at the whole thing. Although, a kick to the balls would have been deserved.
Anyway, we are here in Monte Carlo. Enjoyed a free cappucino at the bar, hopped in the pool, (very nice on) then to the sauna. Cant get any better. Of course, we have a room with a balcony. Going to get a picture of her standing on the balcony in the morning. What a nice place. Won;t eat breakfast here, at least not at their prices.
Need to run!
So Day 6, was quite a bit of train travel after getting up late. Getting up sloooowwwww. Anyway, then got on the train to head out of Italy to Monte Carlo (Monaco) . Yeah, thanks and courtesy of Starwood, we have a free night in Monaco at Le Meridian. Oh yeah. So, a long afternoon on the train. So, you think you've seen everything right? Just after changing trains in Ventiglia, the drunk in the seat behind us decided to relieve himself. Without going to the WC. He was laying across two seats, and apparently unzipped and began spraying the back of our seat. We yelled and moved quickly. Wish I had a picture of it. Karen stayed angry. I finally started laughing at the whole thing. Although, a kick to the balls would have been deserved.
Anyway, we are here in Monte Carlo. Enjoyed a free cappucino at the bar, hopped in the pool, (very nice on) then to the sauna. Cant get any better. Of course, we have a room with a balcony. Going to get a picture of her standing on the balcony in the morning. What a nice place. Won;t eat breakfast here, at least not at their prices.
Need to run!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Taste of Europe Day 3 and 4
Day 3 - this blog is called Taste of Europe for two reasons; we are eating our way across Europe and we are not staying in any one place very long, so it is is literally a taste of a lot of different regions!
Day 3 is our full day in Florence, and it started with a forced march to the Uffizi (art museum). There is no public transportation that makes sense in Florence, it all circles the city too far from destinations and you are left on your own to walk pretty much everywhere. I smartly got advance tickets, as the line was huge, even at 9 a.m. on a weekday in off season. the Uffizi is only #2 to the Louvre in Paris in world renown. Some really famous works of art in this museum. Got to have a bit of culture as Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance, and a lot of the music, art, writing and architecture that set the stage for the world as we know it, began here.
We weren't so smart to figure out where to redeem our reservation for a ticket, and were chased all over the 2 adjoining buildings in search of the booth. finally, we are in the right (short) line with the ticket in hand. then we had to go through a search and seizure gauntlet like that of an airport. We learned that a crazy had smuggled in a hammer and smashed Michelangelo's David sculpture's toes a few years ago in a nearby museum, so they are taking no chances. We had to dump our water, and lost our water carrier. i forgot the map of the galleries and had to go back to the start. I think we were still jet lagged as it all began to feel like too much effort! but the museum and the building was beautiful. I was particularly struck by the 4 Rembrandt paintings, i was literally inches away from them. The rest of the day was occupied with an Ipod history walk, a visit to an old cathedral, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio (13th century bridge that was the only one in Florence that the Nazi's spared) and lots of outdoor sculpture.
In the evening, we attended a concert of operatic arias performed in a cathedral. a nice cap on our culture extravaganza day. i will probably owe Chuck at least a week of race car travel for this day alone!
Day 4 - No doubt the most fun day so far. We took the train from Florence to Lucca, and borrowed bike provided for free by our hotel and rode the city walls and all over the city. Lucca is a medieval walled city, the fortress bulwarks date back to the 13th century. Actually, the Romans built the original ramparts, but they were rebuilt at least 2 times since the 1st century BC. everything is so ancient here, its hard to wrap one's head around it. The walls are so deep, there is a park around the top of them with a wide path. We did about 2.5 laps (4 km per lap). plus a lengthy ride through the city. this is more tricky than you might think, as the streets are cobbled and rough, and you are vying for space with other bikes, scooters, cars, trucks, and apparently thousands of children on school trips.
We climbed a tower that has trees growing on top. 220 steps to the top, and a great view. We ate lunch in a piazza that used to be a roman amphitheater. We got our dinner at a market and had a picnic on the top of the wall. A great day, and perfect weather. they are having unseasonably warm weather, but are predicting a cool down by this weekend.
Day 3 is our full day in Florence, and it started with a forced march to the Uffizi (art museum). There is no public transportation that makes sense in Florence, it all circles the city too far from destinations and you are left on your own to walk pretty much everywhere. I smartly got advance tickets, as the line was huge, even at 9 a.m. on a weekday in off season. the Uffizi is only #2 to the Louvre in Paris in world renown. Some really famous works of art in this museum. Got to have a bit of culture as Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance, and a lot of the music, art, writing and architecture that set the stage for the world as we know it, began here.
We weren't so smart to figure out where to redeem our reservation for a ticket, and were chased all over the 2 adjoining buildings in search of the booth. finally, we are in the right (short) line with the ticket in hand. then we had to go through a search and seizure gauntlet like that of an airport. We learned that a crazy had smuggled in a hammer and smashed Michelangelo's David sculpture's toes a few years ago in a nearby museum, so they are taking no chances. We had to dump our water, and lost our water carrier. i forgot the map of the galleries and had to go back to the start. I think we were still jet lagged as it all began to feel like too much effort! but the museum and the building was beautiful. I was particularly struck by the 4 Rembrandt paintings, i was literally inches away from them. The rest of the day was occupied with an Ipod history walk, a visit to an old cathedral, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio (13th century bridge that was the only one in Florence that the Nazi's spared) and lots of outdoor sculpture.
In the evening, we attended a concert of operatic arias performed in a cathedral. a nice cap on our culture extravaganza day. i will probably owe Chuck at least a week of race car travel for this day alone!
Day 4 - No doubt the most fun day so far. We took the train from Florence to Lucca, and borrowed bike provided for free by our hotel and rode the city walls and all over the city. Lucca is a medieval walled city, the fortress bulwarks date back to the 13th century. Actually, the Romans built the original ramparts, but they were rebuilt at least 2 times since the 1st century BC. everything is so ancient here, its hard to wrap one's head around it. The walls are so deep, there is a park around the top of them with a wide path. We did about 2.5 laps (4 km per lap). plus a lengthy ride through the city. this is more tricky than you might think, as the streets are cobbled and rough, and you are vying for space with other bikes, scooters, cars, trucks, and apparently thousands of children on school trips.
We climbed a tower that has trees growing on top. 220 steps to the top, and a great view. We ate lunch in a piazza that used to be a roman amphitheater. We got our dinner at a market and had a picnic on the top of the wall. A great day, and perfect weather. they are having unseasonably warm weather, but are predicting a cool down by this weekend.
A taste of Europe
Trip Highlights Day 1 to 2, April 15-16
Day 1 - Arrived in Zurich at 8:30 a.m. local time (2:30 a.m. Indiana time). Not much sleep, United flights do not compare to Air New Zealand! We got changed to a smaller plane, so no option for an open seat next to us. Plane was packed with grouchy people who lost their business class seats.
We quickly moved through the entry check without incident and then on to a train to Pontresina (after missing the train at the Zurich main station, which gave us time to buy lunch).
We spent the afternoon walking around Pontresina, a sweet little deserted town. Ski season is mostly over and summer season had not begun. Had a great dinner at the hotel, bratwurst and gnocchi, wild boar (tastes like roast beef), kraut and polenta. Yum. Did a stint in the sauna then off to bed for an actual full night's sleep.
Day 2 - We had a great Swiss breakfast (never saw an individual egg poaching machine before). Then got on the Bernina Express to Tirano, Italy. This is a 2 hour ride through the Alps, lots of snow, we climbed a long way above Pontresina altitude. the train track is an engineering marvel, and the scenery was spectacular. We got to know a nice couple from Australia on the ride. Ate our first meal in Tirano while waiting for our train to Florence. Met a couple from Texas there who ate lunch with us. Unfortunately the husband made the brilliant statement that, because he went to Italy with his wife, she agreed to go on a stock and drag race car vacation with him! Now Chuck has ideas.
The train from Milan to Florence was one of the high speed trains, reached speeds up to 180 mph. Everything flew by.
We found our hotel in Florence without incident, and after a typical Italian dinner, walked the city streets until past midnight. Beautiful warm night and the city is lovely at night.
Day 1 - Arrived in Zurich at 8:30 a.m. local time (2:30 a.m. Indiana time). Not much sleep, United flights do not compare to Air New Zealand! We got changed to a smaller plane, so no option for an open seat next to us. Plane was packed with grouchy people who lost their business class seats.
We quickly moved through the entry check without incident and then on to a train to Pontresina (after missing the train at the Zurich main station, which gave us time to buy lunch).
We spent the afternoon walking around Pontresina, a sweet little deserted town. Ski season is mostly over and summer season had not begun. Had a great dinner at the hotel, bratwurst and gnocchi, wild boar (tastes like roast beef), kraut and polenta. Yum. Did a stint in the sauna then off to bed for an actual full night's sleep.
Day 2 - We had a great Swiss breakfast (never saw an individual egg poaching machine before). Then got on the Bernina Express to Tirano, Italy. This is a 2 hour ride through the Alps, lots of snow, we climbed a long way above Pontresina altitude. the train track is an engineering marvel, and the scenery was spectacular. We got to know a nice couple from Australia on the ride. Ate our first meal in Tirano while waiting for our train to Florence. Met a couple from Texas there who ate lunch with us. Unfortunately the husband made the brilliant statement that, because he went to Italy with his wife, she agreed to go on a stock and drag race car vacation with him! Now Chuck has ideas.
The train from Milan to Florence was one of the high speed trains, reached speeds up to 180 mph. Everything flew by.
We found our hotel in Florence without incident, and after a typical Italian dinner, walked the city streets until past midnight. Beautiful warm night and the city is lovely at night.
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