Arne and Pave's Amazing Adventure

First Annual (only!) Best and Worst List

2008-10-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

Dispatch: Paris, October 26, 2008 - 21:30 hours - With only five days left we felt the need to paint some kind of culminating picture of what has been an incredible six months. We've had enough experiences both wonderful and weird to fill both our suitcases several times over. But out of all of that we managed to winnow out few gems and a (very) few rough bits.

So, drum roll please..... please find below in no particular order and with the full and complete knowledge that they are just the perceptions of two over-stimulated Canadians we give you....

"Our Best and Worst of Six Months Travel List"

Best Salon experience: (what could be more important?!)

Male - Granada - 9 euros - He simply said, "Not too short please." And it was done. He didn't even have to say that he was going to a wedding or a funeral the way he usually does in Canada. Good thing since our Spanish was limited to ordering beverages.

Female - Fetiyah, Turkey. The "Full Meal Deal." Went in for a colour and was treated to colour, cut, pedicure and every single superfluous hair removed from my face (that was a bit scary) for 70 Turkish lire (YTL's) we called them "yittles," that was about $25.00 Can. Amazing. They were so fast and fun to watch. The fellow who worked his magic on PJ's hair had an enthusiastic assistant who held the hairdryer while the master did the twirling. All of this took place in an uber chic salon tucked away down a back alley in this small port town.

Car Rental Experience:

We rented cars all over Europe - Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece so we had lots of chances to compare and contrast.

Best:

National Car Rental - anywhere in Europe that you work with them they are fast, fair, and efficient. These are not always words synonymous with car rental companies.

We did rent cars from other places like a really small, Opel, Panda we rented in Greece from Papa John's. And only once because the other car broke down, a really big car -some kind of four by four that practically drove itself in France. But by far our favourite was the Citroen C5 - midsized, big trunk and diesel so it was great on fuel.

Worst:

Europcar in Nice, France. S-L-O-W, and confused and slow and disorganized and slow and..... We ended up with a really small car for the same price we had been paying for mid-sized.

Public Washrooms:

When you are living your day to day life you rarely give a thought to the lowly public washroom. But take yourself out of your normal routine, eat weird food, drink lots of water, feel nervous sometimes and voila suddenly toilets are all you can think about. Where are they, do they cost anything, will there be paper...will I make it!

Best:

Represol Gas Station in Lanjaron, Spain. We were high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Alpujaral region. Nothing around for miles (except bushes of course) and then it appeared in the distance like a dream. It was clean, there was enough toilet paper to make a dress, there was hot and cold running water, a mirror made of glass not polished metal that when you look in it makes you all distorted and scary looking. It was everything you could want in a washroom and more. I think I said "Gracias", 10 times to the attendant.

Worst:

Any public washroom in Turkey. They all make you want to weep. Those washrooms were especially troublesome for someone with not yet quite up to snuff in terms of butt and thigh strength trying to fit your feet into the two marked spots perked ever so precariously over the hole. The muscles quivered and shook as I attempted to maintain balance, not do myself and injury, not end up with anything unwanted anywhere on myself and all of this while trying not to touch a surface. A note: We LOVED Turkey (more later about that) but oh those public washrooms - a true test of a tourist's stamina.

Sangria:

This fabulous drink deserves a category all of its own. Having now drunks gallons of it we feel qualified to make some judgements on this most sunny of beverages.

Best:

Motril, just outside of Granada on the Costa del Sol. Mmmmm, nectarines cut into little bits, firm but not crunchy. Tart fruit but not mouth puckering. A wonderful blend of wine and juices. Nectar of the gods.

Worst:

Valencia. OK it was cool outside and we were sitting outside on a walking street and we were just a bit tired after driving all day from Cartegana but still... it was like Kool Aid masquerading as Sangria. Two or three tired bits of apple floated sadly in the jar. They looked as bad as we felt. (More about Valencia later too)

Form of Transportation:

Getting around fifteen (15!!) countries in six months requires a bit of imagination, a lot of money, stamina, a good sense of humour, a many, many forms of transportation. We used planes, boats, trains, cars, ferries, hop on hop off buses, taxis, but by far our favourite way to get around was the....

Best:

Pedal car in Pescarisolia in the Abbruzzi mountains with Anita and Lui. You've seen those little cars. This one had room for four, two in front two in back. It has a steering wheel and a thing on the wheel that acted as a brake. (See AJ's pictures in a previous post.) It was not something we had planned to do and looked so darn touristy but what the heck we were all in the mood and off we went. Really! Down, down the hill we flew completely out of control and everyone laughing so hard we hardly cared. We careened down narrow streets making little old ladies dressed all in black jump out of the way.

It is such a great memory of a time with family even far away from home.

Worst:

The return train trip from Rome to Pescina. Maybe because we had just had one of the hottest, hardest days we had experienced so far. We had spent a really hectic day in Rome battling crowds of tourists (we will ever forget the hordes at the fountains) or the "Christian Bus tour?" Whatever the reason we were all exhausted, cranky and wondering "Are we there yet?"

Mussels:

OK it's true not everyone loves mussels but if they are a favourite bivalve and you get good ones, well, it's like a little piece of heaven.

Best:

Cassis is a story book village in the south of France. It is almost too perfect with its gorgeous blue water, boat trips out to the Calanques, chi chi shops. But then to make it even more perfect on the waterfront we ate the plumpest, fattest, juiciest mussels served simply with white wine and lemon juice. Ambrosia! And as if it couldn't get any better they were served with what was then my favourite side - crispy, hot frites. Since then we have been served enough french fries to sink a ship (and put padding where it doesn't need to be.) At home they were always the once in a blue moon treat. But having them sit staring up at you with every meal has taken off their special aura.

Worst:

There was a terrible storm the day we drove to Cartegena, Spain. The rain came down in rivers making driving a test of stamina and nerve. Passengers simply grip the door handle bar and close their eyes. Somehow we made it to Los Lomas Village a surreal Hyatt resort/golf haven/old folks retirement villa just outside of the city. We had rented an apartment which was part of this behemoth of a property development which was a big as a small town. Our space was huge with a bed big enough for five, flat screen TV (and an English movie!!) with views (when the rain stopped) of the golf course. All very lovely. We were told it was best to make reservations for one of the on-site restaurants. We chose a Spanish themed one and hoped for tapas. We got their version of. The mussels (no I haven't forgotten them) we stringy, chewy, cold and gritty. Everything you don't want in a mussel. We had to drink of lots of wine to drown our sorrows at such poor shellfish.

Value for Money in Accommodation:

Best:

Quinta Serra Monte - in the Algarve, Portugal - sixty (60!!) euros a night. It was huge! A gorgeous fully equipped kitchen (it had everything you could ever want in a kitchen and more) a great living room (AJ says they were the most comfortable chairs he had sat on in Europe) BIG bedroom, glorious tiled bathroom and the best host ever. This little house was part of Jean Jacques property which was large and full of fruit trees. We ate pomegranets and oranges from his trees.

If you read my post about Portugal you know I had a few gripes. But you will also note that they never included the Algarve. Our only complaint was that we didn't have enough time in that area. We are definitely going back.

Worst:

For most of our six months we planned our route, our time, where we wanted to be, what we wanted to do and when we wanted to do it. All except for Ireland. We thought with only two weeks to spend on that Fair Isle we would let someone else organize our accommodation. Our first mistake. We spent two weeks touring Ireland. What a beautiful, magical place it is. And at the end of each day we had to find ourselves at our next B&B. All began well enough with a satisfactory hotel in Dublin but then things began to go sideways. On average we paid about 90 - 100 euros/night. Now this isn't actually bad in Europe but as we found out the places that we had been booked into were only receiving around 30 euros a night. So, you can imagine what you get for 30 euros a night. The worst of the lot shall remain nameless to protect the two, elderly befuddled folk who were running the place. They welcomed us in good Irish style and showed us to our room. Up the creaky stairs you go to a musty old room with two shaky little beds. It must have been (still was?) someone's bedroom because all their clothes were still in the cupboards. The damp room had that special musty smell that comes from lack of air. It was a sad, little place made sadder by the fact that the washroom was down the hall.

Meal:

Best:

Aix en Provence - Anyone who knows AJ knows how much he likes to cook. You can take the kitchen away from AJ but not the urge. We rented apartments throughout most of our trip primarily so we would have more space and could cook some of our own meals. This worked for the most part. Our most successful adventures in cooking came in France in particular while we were staying in our little pigeon house in Aix. It was a sweet place with a fairly well equipped kitchen. The best part however was the availablity of inexpensive, delicous fruits, vegetables and meat. There was one particular meal of lamb chops which AJ prepared which still makes us smile. We ate countless meals in restaurants while we've been away but that meal which combined the tastes of home with a dash of the exotic remains a favourite.

Worst:

Aix en Provence - yup, it wins in both categories. It was late, we were tired (it's a theme) we saw a light in a restaurant (I use the word loosely). We ordered the plate de jour - this is usually supposed to be the best deal. We didn't really know what we were ordering - we thought maybe it was some kind of meat. It came. We looked. We still do not know what it was. They were oval like a butterfly pupa (three per plate) and white. They were covered with a red sauce (ketchup?) and a scoop of rice. At first we thought that maybe something was encased inside the white stuff. Cutting into it revealed nothing, except more whiteness. It had the consistency of glue and tasted like it too. We chalked it up to experience. We have eaten other strange meals but those ghostly blobs were the extreme in awful.

Transportation Systems:

Underground train transportation in most European cities is amazing. It is fast, cheap, effective and efficient. Why can't we get it right in our beautiful city?

Best:

Athens hands down, no question. Its underground stations are beautiful examples of mixing art and technology. There is music playing all the time - soft and soothing. It cost 80 euro cents to travel from the heart of Athens up onto the train line outside and on to the coast. It is a ride that takes about 40 minutes. The seats are comfortable, the signage actually is understandable, the air inside is clean and fresh. The calming voice tells each station as it is coming in Greek and English. Loved it.

Worst:

London's Heathrow:

What the h---! Oh sure they brag about their multicoloured lines and how they go everywhere you want to go all you have to do is get to them. No elevators or escalators. You (read AJ) have to drag your monstrous bags up several very steep steeps and then down very steep steps. It was our first experience when we landed and we were not happy campers. If it is just you and your brollie then your OK you can run and dodge and duck and weave with the rest of them. There are lifts but only at some stations. Too bad if you have mobility issues.

And we could go on and on....

If you want more stories and hey who doesn't, you could always come over to our house and we could show you our pictures... all six thousand ( 6000!) of them give or take one or two.

AJ is actually going to try to post a few pics now that we have purchased all this internet time. Wish him luck. See you all soon. Five days and counting!

Smile and the World Smiles With You, Cry and....

2008-10-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

The title for the blog usually comes first but for now here's hoping the title makes itself known. some possibilities:

Portugal - once is enough

Portugal - Ten reasons to come... once

Portugal Problems

We've been in Portugal about twelve days now. Sammy has joined us and just having her here for a week has brought us so much fun and laughter. And a good thing too because the Portugese are just about the most serious, non-fun loving people you can imagine. No wonder Fado music is such a hit here. It is all about longing, and loss and a great sense of sadness and it certainly shows in the peoples' faces. The only happy person we have met so far was a waiter at an amazing restaurant, he was Tunisian! People walk down the street head down or if they are talking to someone it always seems they are planning the overthrow of the government. Furrowed brows, pursed lips and definitely NO laughter.

AJ and PJ spent a week in the Algarve before we came to Lisbon and probably should have ended our trip in Portugal there. We stayed in a gorgeous little house out in the country about 30Km from Faro. As usual we took day trips here, there and everywhere. The beaches were a favourite destination. Miles and miles of soft, white sand with barely a soul in sight. The shells begged us to pick them up and practically threw themselves into our hands. The sun sparkled on the clear, blue water...heavenly. Our host Jean Jacques (a misplaced Belgian) who has lived and owned his huge property in Portugal for a very long time warned us. "The Portuguese are not an outgoing people." Well that is definitely the understatement of the year. But quiet and non demonstrative is one thing, distrustful, wary and downright rude is another.

Several cases in point:

• tonight after a day of touring outside the city PJ went off in search of food for dinner. AJ said he would come down and help her back with the bags of heavy things (mostly wine).** I finished my shopping and still couldn't see the man. I left the store - my first mistake. Then I trolled along the outside perimeter of the store (it is a huge store inside an even bigger mall). I spotted him down a very long aisle. I headed back into the store - at least I tried to. The cashier wagged her finger at me "No, you must go back and come in through main door." OK.

I am not happy, the bags are getting heavier by the second. But I do it. I get to the main entrance and head into the store. "STOP!" Two store employees yell at me, they look like they are about to tackle me. I look at them dazed. "What?" You can't take those bags in there," they both shriek at me. OK. "But my husband is in there I just want to go find him." "NO you must let me check your bags," says a woman who looks like one of those woman prison guards from the second world war." OK. "I will just leave them here and go find him." "NO, she shouts, that is not the way we do it here." Everything in her tone said, "Stupid tourist you think you can come in here and try to push your way around and get what you want, hah, we will show you." I can't understand what they were trying to protect. They didn't ask to see my bill, I had offered to leave the bags behind but no. It was clear they just couldn't believe that someone might just want to go back in the store to find someone. It just shows how important imagination really is.

I told her what she could do with her store and her store policy and stormed off. I sat panting on a bench in the mall muttering to myself. People moved away. Then I realized I had to go back. AJ was still wandering around the belly of the beast they call Continente. I go back. I troll again. I spot him, I yell to him. Of course he doesn't hear. I try another approach. I go up to the "Customer service representative." I think that is what the sign above his head says. I smile a big, broad Canadian smile. "May I please leave my bags with you and go in to find my husband?" "NO, you must go to the main entrance and have them check your bags." They are nothing if not consistent. D---. @#$%^ Fortunately at that moment AJ turned up. After giving the helpful clerk a few choice comments we left. Now I am very red in the face, sweating and the closest to crying I have been in six months.

Now that I can breathe again I realize how really sad and telling the whole experience was. Poor Portuguese. They still think Salazar is looking over their shoulders after thirty four years. The lack of trust here is like a religion. Far reaching and very, very invasive. I am sure they have me on video camera - they are everywhere - and will arrest me if I try to go there again. I won't.

** A note on Portuguese wine. Ah, excellent and so inexpensive. You can get a really good bottle of white for 1.89 euros. I think the Portuguese should drink more of their wine and lighten up a bit.

•when we went to pick up Sam at the airport we did the usual buy a ticket, take the ticket with you pay before you leave thingee. Except that when we got to the spot to feed your ticket in it just kept spitting it back. We tried several times. The line up behind us grew. Then several young men came and did lots of unhelpful things with the ticket. Finally one of them signalled that we must follow him. It is now about ten minutes that we have been trying to get out of the airport parking. We dutifully follow him to the parking ticket office. He indicates to AJ you must get out. AJ goes in and stays a long, long time. All we want to do is go home with Sammy. In frustration I go into the office. A mistake. I am ignored. This is not a good thing. I demand to speak to the manager who is refusing to make eye contact in his office behind glass where he is staring at his computer screen. I bang on the window. He waves distractedly at me. I bang on the counter. "What is going on here!" The woman behind the counter continues to ingore me. A mistake. I leave (read storm) out. I return to the car where I begin to honk the horn, again, and again and again. It feels good but does no good.

We are now about twenty minutes in the parking lot. The bottom line is they say the ticket was stolen. How or why AJ would steal the ticket is not made clear. He repeats, "I took the ticket, I paid the ticket when we were leaving." Now they want identification..... It went on and on. We finally got out. They probably have us on video camera there too.

All this ridiculous high drama that achieved nothing but aggravation and more mistrust. Something about all these incidents reeks of misplaced priorities. Maybe these are all make work projects or maybe that is it. They just don't trust. All that wasted energy.

•Driving back today from a trip into the country (lovely by the way - glorious vistas from the top of a Moorish castle) I noticed graffiti painted on the old stone walls. Graffiti is everywhere in Europe no more here than anywhere else. What stood out was the message. It had originally said "Nazis, go home." Someone had used more spray paint to black out the word Nazis and now it just said, "Go home." The message was repeated several times along the walls.

I am composing this from the solitude and safety of the seventeenth floor of a glorious apartment building. From here the lights of Lisbon shine in all directions. It all looks so peaceful. A thin strip of lights marks the arch of the long, lean bridge which crosses the Targus river making everything seem right and tranquil almost peaceful. Oh to just stay up here away from the intensity and uptightness of the people in the street.

It is absolutely possible that there are lovely, warm people in Portugal I just wish we could have met a few.

Communication - and a French Quiz

2008-09-30T03:43:00.000-07:00

If this was 1932, or even 1962 the following blog wouldn´t even be an issue but it isn´t it is 2008 - a time of internet and email and blogs. If AJ and I had taken this trip in a bygone time we would have sent written missives across the ocean and folks would have expected to receive them once or twice the whole time we were away. As it is we have set up expectations for ourselves to keep in touch often and with aclarity. And there in lies the rub.
We brought along a little ASUS computer, no bigger than two passports. Lightweight, loaded with programmes like SKYPE, a built in mic and camera and the ability to use European voltage without a convertor. Awesome. Yup, for the first month. Then, things went down hill and Eddie as we came to call it, just wouldn´t perform. Then we began our discussions with the ASUS folks back home. Well they said there are no dealers to fix it in Europe and if you take it somewhere else to get it fixed it will void the warranty. Ok we said, how about if we send it home and you fix it there? Sure they said, just send it in the original packing but we won´t send it back to you unless you pay of course. Sooooo, of course we don´t have the original packing and anyway what good would it do to fix it if we can´t get it back. We will be dealing with ASUS (rhymes with Jesus) when we get home. In the meantime....
We have been forced to ferret out internet cafes like a couple of little hound dogs sniffing out a little action. It has often proved to be unsuccessful. All these cafes are built around the same plan - you would think that there was some kind of corporate design but of course there isn´t - just a general willingness to use the smallest amount of space stuffed with the greatest amount of computers. The computers are usually satisfactory if not always packed with programs. Most often there is no SKYPE so that always makes us sad.
Internet cafes don´t just attract travelers. In many of them very overweight young boys play noisy, scary killing games. Others seem to draw dark skinned men with hoods sitting very close to computers with pictures of girls doing a variety of interesting things. The sound track for all this humanity ranges widely. This morning there was some kind of Arabic music, a bit like a dentist drill - on and on it went. Often it is hip hop, but sometimes it is just the local pop radio station playing the same three songs over and over. Just like home except in a language you can´t sing along with. And then, like a cloud wreathing the entire little room is smoke and lots of it. Smoking, the real religion of the people. It is ubiquitious and absolutley unavoidable. So you end up with this magic mixtures of smoke, heat, noise and strangers bodies just way too close for comfort. It all combines to make being eruidte a huge challenge. Anyway, that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

I didn´t really intend to winge about internet access I intended to dispel some French myths. And now that I have my rant off my chest maybe I will. Take the following true or false test. Four or more correct and you are a real Frenchophile. No looking ahead for answers!

1) French people are rude. T or F
2) French food is the most fantastic in the world. T or F
3) All French people have great clothing sense. T or F
4) The really interesting parts of France are its cities. T or F

Answers: (well our answers)

1) Surprise, they weren´t. They sometimes sighed the long suffering sigh of those who can´t believe everyone hasn´t mastered their lovely language but they always tried to help us. They smiled indulgently at our pathetic attempts at francaise and muddled along with us. They were kind as could be when helping sort out the menus (which often were bilingual thank God). They gave directions with wild waving of hands and big smiles. They encouraged us to try and clarifiy when we were confused and filled in blanks when we just couldn´t find a word or action. In fact their generosity of spirit was one of the lovely surprises of our time in France.

2) Well, food in the grocery stores is inexpensive and fresh. We often cooked at home and AJ continued his tradition of fine cuisine even far away from home. Eating out in restaurants was not the soul enhancing experience we had hoped for however. It was certainly more than edible - especially compared to Ireland - but then we could write pages about the food in Ireland but that is for another time. But we aren´t coming home with a meal that we will always remember except the one of lamb chops that Arne cooked in our little house in Aix.

3) True. Even the old men and ladies have some kind of special way of wearing their clothes that looks effortless and yet elegant. They wear scarves in a thousand different ways and always look just chi chi. They always seem dressed for the occassion whether its shopping in the early morning market or dining out. I am so jealous because although we can dress well in Canada we just don´t. Go to the ballet anytime or wedding or a funeral for that matter. Canadians never seem to be wearing what the occasion calls for even though we could. It seems as if we have taken casual to mean crappy. It makes me sad when I think how much we have on offer and how little energy we seem to put in to it.

4) The beautiful cities take your breath away but for sheer amazing, ¨we will never forget that¨memories¨you just gotta ¨get out of Dodge.¨ The colours of the French country side are so soothing. Pale mauve, soft pink, and every shade of green imaginable. Sunsets that make you weep, vistas small and spreading to make your soul leap. These are things we will always hold close.

Of course if our &/(=(/(%$ computer had worked we would be sending you all those great photos but you know......

Pescina, to August 16th

2008-09-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is the town of Confetti, Sulmona. Only thing is the confetti is candy wrapped up to look like different things, flowers, lady bugs, corn etc

Getting ready for the big August 15 Festa and a partial family BBQ

Aqua duct in Sulmona

The boys around the campfire Aug 15

The girls around the campfire

Draining the Pasta, you need a big fork in Italy

The moon rising over the BBQ

Italian Bush Road rash

Introduced three-legged races to Italy, Pescina anyways

Enjoying the fun of the moment

IS the pasta ready yet?

Nothing goes to waste especially when there are no plates left

Getting the fire ready

There were hundreds of these Rosteccni's (?) served at the picnic

This was a small bottle of wine going around

Getting set for our heat of 3 legged racing, bit of a height difference but what the hey

We rounded the clubhouse turn and centrifugal force through us off stride, although I still say there was a push from behind, Road rash was after this

A beauty of the night, note the shawl

we got caught in the middle of the procession on the day of the Festa in Pescina

Anita after the procession at the apartment they were staying at

The Night Before the Festa

Quite a show for fro such a small town

We were at a town function and these are the ROTECCINIS being prepared for sale, wine was 3 euro and that was for a bottle, beer was 2 euro for a .5 L bottle

Ok is there enough smoke, the fires in the back provide the coals for the Roastticcinis

The dinner was pasta with wild boar sauce, Roasticcini and WINE
A nice doorway on our pedal bike trip

Finally got Arnesto to smile, this was the dance with the town dinner

A marching band going past Lui & Anita's apartment

Another good lunch with family

A church roof and some of the detail in a small church, Pescina
look out here we come, 4 pedal spots but only 2 working up hill and when we went down no work at all. That stick shift is the brake and you really really need to reef on it to stop in some cases. Great fun and we never laughed so much on the entire trip. wait unitl you see the movie Lui took.

The ride was a bit bumpy but beautiful

this was pizza night in Pesciana, you could have plain or with jewels of the sea, Anchovies.

we had had the pizza and watched the show

Lui, Antia & Venccezo

A few of Liu's relatives in town for the Festa

Pave' & Angelina., the pasta maker for the town and it was fantastic, had to slap the money down and run with her chasing because she did not want to be paid.

Cavtat & Dubrovnic, Croatia (some not all) No. 2

2008-09-16T01:22:00.000-07:00

PLEASE REMEMBER THE PHOTOS ARE NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AS THE POSTINGS OF THE PHOTOS MOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT

Thx AJ

Napoleon's fort above Dubrovnic

Just a street photo

Pave' & John on their way down to the water but to get there you have to go through a restaurant.

At the bottom of the stairs

Some war damage from ~1992, we were told they are just starting to repair this damage

Our balcony through the trees, maybe this was already posted

John & Pave' at our entrance, see our balcony

Luka helping pack but a little uncertain how to dress for the next day

A balcony shot after a great dinner

A museum in Dubrovnic

A view from the sidewalk along the water

Pave' trudging up yet another set of stairs, to think she had the hip replacement just over a year ago

Start of Pescina time

2008-09-16T01:15:00.001-07:00

Luka having Ice Cream Spaghetti

One of our fabulous lunches, Pave', John, Deb, Lui, Anita

ONE of Lui's aunts & Uncles they lived next door of the apartment Anita & Lui had for their use

OK, We were headed tot he train or bus station after being picked up at the hotel in Pescara to goto Pescina, Lui's home town. Just as we got tothe station our driver, Ronaldo, asked were we were headed, Pascina we answer, I will take you for 100 Euros. Sold on the air conditioning and off we go.

Can't say why but Ronaldo loved having a conversation with me, Do I look Italian?

Some more rellies, Aunty and Cousin Arnesto who visited Canada a couple of years ago

Pescina, Italy (and area)

2008-09-16T00:35:00.000-07:00

Festa time in Pescina, Pave' & Lui in A 1953 Fiat

A forno oven, Ivana Anestos wife, where our dinner is being prepared

A side street going up

The castle overlooking Pescina

John & Lui looking for the way in

AJ in the 1953 Fiat, Who says I' a bit big

A street market stall

Ok Maybe I am just a bit bigger than most folks, Vinccezo one of Lui's many cousins
Arnesto retrieving a bottle from 1964? or so for Anita and Lui to take home

Here is the leader of a big old band, Captain Fruit Loop Crunch just had to pose, you should have seen him prance. WE were taken to see the toilet bowl player but they were cancelled or something and CFLC was who we got instead

Pescina castle from afar

The church just down the road from our hotel

Ok which way did he say to go

WE both got our hair done, nice eh

In fact everyone got their hair done

Roman ruins turn up everywhere, even in St Bernedeto on the back streets

Vis, Croatia

2008-09-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

Oh what a little wine will do to the heart

As I said a little wine, not all bottles showing

Pave' & Luka with their floaty things of the Island of Vis. Vis was a military installation up to 1992 or so.

Luka with an electric jeep

In Hvar, waiting for our bus to take us to the ferry to Italy

Luka In Luka Vis

A wine establishment in Vis we found the first evening

A peebly beach on the far side of the island, you can't see her but there is a gorgeous topless young woman facing the water who you couldn't not look at regardless of which way you were looking. In fact Luka asked me what I was looking at while we were floating in the water and I told him he said "Oh Gross, Yuk". Oh well to each their own

A lemon tree just outside out balcony but you had to cross the roof to pick any

A view of the back side of Vis

Rome in a day

2008-09-16T00:13:00.000-07:00

Vatican Swiss Guards

Some ruins

Trevi fountain

Remember"Three Coins In The Fountain" well here are two coins in the fountain

Can you believe the crowds and this was just one place in Rome

By the Coloseum (?)

The Vatican

We just dropped in to have tea with Pappe' but he was up in the mountains

Lui & AJ noting the directions in the stones, those light lines are compass points

In the cool of the shade, must have been at least 40C, Lots of water drank this day, Rome is full of drinking fountains to replenish your water bottles.

OK, in ROme you can take three different coloured hop-oh hop-off busses, Red, Green or Yellow. We are on the Yellow Christian tour bus. Oh yes they stop at all the main sites in Rome but by a church some where and the commentary was something like, "on your left you will the the CHURCH of ...., down the street to the right is the CHURCH of....."

WRONG BUS TO TAKE if you are not into CHURCHES

Inside the war memorial site

Someone left a big mess here

Oh the beauty of it all

The Coloseum (?)sp

THE END

Cavtat & Dubrovnic, Croatia (some not all)

2008-09-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

Pave' & Anita (sister) at a visit with last remaining direct relative of their father

The brood Lui, John (brother), Melita (relative), Melita's husband, Anita, Deb (John's wife), Pave', Luka (John & Deb's son) This is in Cavtat about 40 minutes from Dubrovnic by boat

Water polo court(?) were Pave's Dad played

Anyone for fire dancing, as other potos will show we had this street festival going on for three days/nights

Belly dancers doing a mesmerizing show

There are actually two people supported by those one set of arms

Back from a shopping expedition, note that it is only food & drink as the guys went shoppping

The street festival going past our balcony, we didn't even have to move to view it all

More parade

One of the small boats in town for the festival
Deb & Luka with some gifts

Awesome band, unfortunately they did not have nay CDs with them

A side Street in Dubrovnic

Look Mom no hands, if he water was any saltier I would be flat on my back

On the rocks around Dubrovnic

Cavtat from the water taxi coming home

A photo of our place, you can see the balcony through the tree opening

On the wall around Dubrovnic

A beautiful sight on & from the wall

THought of taking this home but it was a bit big for the suitaces

All the red roofs of Dubrovnic

This fountain has been in operation from the start of the city and as it come from an underground spring far away helped supply constant water during sieges. It still tastes pretty good as well

Listening to the commentary about the replacement of the roof tiles, something like just under 5,000,0000 tiles were destroyed and replaced
The cistern and fountain from above
Roof tops of Dubrovnic, the bright ones were replacements and you can still see some original tiles

Part of the defences of Dubrovnic Part of the defences of Dubrovnic

The wall and ramparts

Our Balcony in Cavtat

Cavtat from the water taxi going to Dubrovnic

The water side entrance to Dubrivnic

Main square, one of them, in Dybrovnic

The Stradoon, main walking street in Dubrovnic, named by the Venitians as a derogatory
comment

Italia Impressions

2008-09-04T02:26:00.000-07:00

The thing is when you're surrounded on all sides by beauty - the landscape, the people, the art... it makes you a little desperate. You just want to slow it all down so you can have it seep in deep. I remember a sci/fi film where the guy is able to be still and quiet in the center of things as they slowly moved around him- now that would be just the ticket.
A month in Italy (two weeks in the Abruzzzo region and 18 days in Tuscany) have left us both feeling really grateful and, like a wonderful meal, really, really full of images and impressions, experiences and even at points explosions of feelings.
We move on to France tomorrow, but before all this fades away a few humble impressions.
In no particular order...
- I know, I know it's a cliche', it's been written about a thousand times but I need to add my weak and shaky voice and say, "Italians in Italy drive like maniacs." I actually feel lucky to be alive to write this. Yes, they drive fast, too fast for the narrow, twisty, turning roads but it's more than that. It is an attitude. It says, driving is both fun and a very quick way to get where I want to go. Why would I slow down when I can go fast, why not pass on that curve on that hill with a semi-trailer approaching it will be fun. We will just miss each other by a hair and we will silently congratulate ourselves on our superior driving skills. In Canada if we see someone driving like they have a death wish we assume a) their drunk b) their young and inexperienced. Not so here. The young beautiful men, the old guys all hunched over the wheel, the old lady with the disconcerting look of someone who may not know where they are, the young mother with three kids un-seatbelted talking away and waving her hands, looking back over her shoulder to shout at someone...they all drive the same way. You come around a corner (there are lots of them on these windy roads) and there they are on your side, always on your side and a the last minute they swerve just that tiny bit out of your way so you don't both die. I have been a passenger for most of this, that is why we are both still alive. AJ is calm and cool as always, only once did he do that famous Italian gesture where you sweep your hand under your chin in the general direction of the person you are angry at, this of course means a lot of things. "You're and idiot, why don't you look where you're going, are you crazy!?"
There is a special breed of road warriors here; they are the motorcyclists. Again it is not just the young guys who think they can rewrite the road rules. I have yet to see a motorcyclist wait behind a car they ALWAYS and without exception pass on the right. Roaring up the middle of the road, scooting in at the very last possible moment before that semi hits them. I wish I had time to look up fatality statistics for these folk. I do know that when we were in a church in Sienna in a small side chapel there was a whole wall covered in motorcycle helmets. Now either these are all the lucky ones who fell off and survived or the ones who tempted fate one too many times. Enough, you get the picture. It's insane, it is Italy.

- They have the most wonderful libraries here. In the medium size town of Certaldo (Sher -taldo) where I write this the library is big, well organized, and has amazing, fast, accessible and cheap internet access, quiet and unlike many of internet cafès we have frequented NO smoke. We have used it as much as we can and will miss it when we go.

- Again tomes have been written about Italian food. Just to say that you would have to work at eating poorly here. Everything is fresh, available and relatively inexpensive. We have had so many delicious picnics with fresh bread, sliced meat, cheese, a few tart, green pickles, chilled wine. Because we can we have cooked most of our own dinners too. We shop every day for fresh produce and have eaten (too much) like royalty. We will remember the risotto cooked in champagne ( a recipe we picked up in Pescina) pasta will olive oil and garlic, grilled pork chops with fresh rosemary. All good, all simple, all Italian.

- Talk is not just communication here it is connection. People take time to stop, "Ciao, ciao." Hug, hug, kiss, kiss. You see them everywhere the groups of old guys wearing undershirts, baggy pants and suspenders sitting in groups laughing, pointing, waving their arms around in big circles, slapping the newspaper down on the table, laughing... the old gals in the street with their long black skirts, flowered blouses and big shopping bags stand very close to each other, leaning in the better to hear, the better to show interest? Everyone stops and talks as they shoot back their burning hot espressos, their lemoncellos, or their beers. There is a place and a space made for talk time. We need that, not just meetings, not just time specially set aside (Saturday night dinner parties) just time to talk without feeling like you should be doing something else.

It has been an amazing time and notice that there hasn't been a mention of the Uffizi, Pisa, Florence, the cathedrals, the museums. Oh we did all that too and when we look at the pictures we are still amazed. But what lingers, like the lavender in the air here are those people moments, the kindness, the warmth (the people and the sun) and the sense of well being. We are taking that with us on to France and hopefully home.

-

Greece Travels

2008-09-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

View of Poros, an island and we are on the mainland

A view of our hotel from the water taxi

Lena, Kaare, Andrea and Pave' before we depart back to Athens (end of the stay, photos not in chronological order)

This is actually Cavtat, Croatia (?)

At the Castle of Agamemnon, on the Pelaponese peninsula

A burial pit or something

The roof of a tomb

Awestruck with the construction.

The rear of the main gate into Agamemnon's castle

The Lions gate into the city

The rear of the Lions Gate

Some of the ruins

Pave' taking a break on the walk up

A view from the top

A different city ruin (need my notes but already sent them home)

The same

A cover passage within the city walls

A view from afar

Close up of the Lions Gate, the heads were taken at some point for the value of the stones

Hiking up to a Volcano, how did we get here? Well we were driving around an area close to Galatas, which is where we were staying on the mainland, and saw a sign post . So let's see what there is to see

A view on the way up

The end of the trip, but not the V photos, and having a nice like warm one, even though we tried to maintain some ice cold ones

We were out to dinner one night and really liked the house wine. we asked if we could get our water bottle filled (1.5 L) to take home. The answer that bottle will only last you one round so we got the economy size, 5L for 7 Euro. It cost 2 Euro for 1L at the table. Go Figure. The food was fantastic just to let you know.

The other ruins entering the city

Back at the volcano looking in at the core.

Inside the core, one of thise places you have be there to feel it.

If I step back a few paces I can touch the bottom or was it the top of the cone

On side was straight up and the other was curved, Oh What A Feeling

Just follow the arrows and keep on going it must be here somewhere.

At the Baptismal Party

They sure know how to baptize a child in Greece

Back on the trail to the volcano

Look Here It IS. Come up a little further it isn't far now

That was a zoom shot of the indicators, see then way up there.

At the Baptism

The God Father

Clean Dress and Sunday hat with GF

Daddy & the baby (1 year old)

There goes the Priest and the Baptism font

Poros from a different angle

Just a beautiful setting looking away from Galatas and Poros

Coming home from dinner, probably about 12:30 AM, water taxi to the mainland

GF again

Two Priests at this baptism

Another night Ferry or maybe it was the same one

Enjoying a cold one, they stay cold about 2 minutes, even when you have an ice bag, ambient heat or some such thing

Diving off Poros Island
AJ & Kaare after the dives

A lunch place by the sea, there weren't many not by the sea

Katinka & Andrea, Lean & Kaare's Daughters on their recently purchased property ib Greece

Kaare, Lena, AJ & PAve' at the property also

The swimming area down from the property, Kaare got a few Sea Eurchin (?) spines in his foot. One must be careful when entering and exiting the water

Poros again

saw this one already

We visited a monastery and had to be completely covered up, so to speak

Inside the Monastery, absolutely beautiful icons, of which a few can be seen. Service was being conducted so tis was taken from outside
Kaare & Pave' discussing the dress code

Surveying the property, Don't fence me in, Just let me roam

One of the many olive trees on the property

Our hotel from afar, the Salmon Pink one.

A night shot from our balcony

Pave' and Andrea, who gave PAve' Danish lessons rather than Greek

On the ferry to Poros

Our First dinner with friends in Galatas

same dinner

Where we ate breakfast every morning
Is there room for one more I wonder

Ok last one out has the warm drink, wait a minute they're always warm

Athens

2008-09-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

From the National Museum

We went to Piraeus for dinner but couldn't find any thing so we came back got off a stop before we normally did and ended up here and watched life go by.

Is it hot enough do you think, 10:00 PM or later, new shirt every day or rinse this one out and it is dry by morning

A night shot of the Parthenon from our hotel roof bar area

National Museum

A different view

National Museum

National museum

A private collection donated to the National Museum, the one previous also

National Museum

NAtional Museum

Pave's Egyptian name

National Museum, about 4 metres high

Zeus, NAtional Museum

NAtional Museum

Anyone for a golden crown, the private collection again

Private collection

Had to come all the way to Athens for Pave' to discover she enjoyed Amstel the best

How many litres of wine does that hold again?

One might call this a bum view

such a happy face

National Museum

Waitng for a Ravel concert on our anniversary

Note the earrings, all the way from Vienna, the are called Sissy Stars, unfortunately they are not the same quality of diamond that the originals are. In fact they are not diamonds but they sure look great.

The concert which I was not supposed to take photos of, from Paris they were, fantastic accoustics

Photo of the illegal photo takes before we were asked to leave, good thing the concert was over

All I wanted was a Gyros but I had to settle for a panini and a beer. This one goes with pave's Amstel photo.

Zeus' Temple, Acropolis in the background

Zeus' temple

some of the stonework from 2500 years ago(?)

The beach we went to on our anniversary, rent the umbrella and the lounge chair with the entrance fee to get in.

It was a great day for a celebration.

Zeus's temple area

Zeus' temple are with Acropolis in the background

I guess GW Bush isn't liked everywhere.

Small church in Athens

A street stall

The Parthenon

A column as it fell, note the alignment holes

Zeus' temple

Some of the workmanship

Another view of the temples remains, in fact I think this was all that was erected

The Acropolis

A street restaurant that had many dishes which you chose from for a set price including wine and desert.

Another small church in the city centre at night

Different view of the church

Acropolis from our roof top bar area

Zeus' Temple area from the Acropolis

One of the theatres below the Acropolis

The Parthenon, which is under renovations, has been for 4 years and probably will be for another 4 years, really took away from the magestic splendour of the site

Where we heard the Ravel concert, view from the Acropolis

Acropolis detail

Parthenon detail.

You can't see but as we had this picture taken a group of Japanese students broke out their school (?) banner and were about to have a group shot with Athens in the background not he Parthenon. Well I never saw so many fast moving Greeks in all my life, you would think they were capturing Al Capone or some other notorious figure. Everybody up, away and no longer in a group, checking all the cameras for photos just taken, deletion of any not suitable in the eyes of the guard. I should have captured all that on film

The parthenon with an outstanding beauty in front

View from the Acropolis

Ephesus, Turkey

2008-09-01T08:20:00.001-07:00

Rumour has it that this is the foot print of the Madame of the local bawdy house. If you were new in town or small this was the entrance to the house. You put your foot inside the outline and if your foot was smaller than the outline you were told to go grow up and try again next year.

In the theatre, the size of ancient towns was partially determined by the theatre as the rule of thumb was the theatre held 10% of the town population. As most cities were completely destroyed or not fully uncovered the theatre gave a good idea as to whether the site was worth further excavation at that time.

Some of the stonework in a capital

The main street with a different view of the theatre

A reconstructed column

The precision of the workmanship and the fact that it is still standing without retrofitting is amazing

The men's loo, attached to the public bath house. If you were wealthy a slave warmed the stone up for you. When the heck was it cold here, the ice ages?

The library, once again an amazing building. The bawdy house was across the street. So if new in town you asked for the library, which everyone knew (man, women or child), and then rather than proceeding to the house of mental enlightenment you were drawn to the house of physical pleasure instead.

Another view of the library and its square

One of the beautiful ladies greeting you as you enter the library

Some of the ruins. Zoom in if you can for the detail

Some of the mosaic tile work uncovered. Most of the city was fully covered over and these tile were just uncovered as we were only seeing about 20% of the estimated site.

A little bit of water brought out the detail of the tiles not easily seen right away.

A entrance way to some temple or other official building

saw this one before

A view from part way up the theatre seating area, about half way I think

Some of the ruins as they lay after being uncovered

Again zoom in for the detail

Ok, my joke wasn't that funny where you all had to stop for a second rendition

The goddess Nike, note the swoop

Part of the main street

Inside the staircase to reach the upper parts of the theatre

Ok, I think this was a tight squeeze

Some of the beauty and detail found in Ephesus

one last look

Fethiya, Turkey

2008-09-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

See the Sea Turtle in the water

Ok I booked a two dive trip, little did I know it also included 20+ novices such as you see now. What a F___ waste of time. First dive I used up half a tank then I had to wait for 5 Stinking hours to get the second dive in. Oh ya, we were only 20 minutes max from the port. Shit I would have rather had my hair done or my ears pierced for the pleasure I got out of those dives.
A nice meal in the hotel we stayed at right by the marina with the halyards slapping against the masts with the waves. Annoying to some and a sweet sound to others.

the view out over the marina

A partial view from our balcony

Antalya, Turkey

2008-09-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

After an all night bus trip all we did was get crispy by the pool, this is prior to our boat trip

The harbour just a small distance from our hotel

A street into the harbour area

the promenade

the city at night

House of Mary, the location John took her after the resurrection

2008-09-01T03:37:00.001-07:00

The last resting place of the Virgin Mary, of course once you are dead you usually only have one resting final place, legitimacy comes from the visiting of 3 different Popes to the location.

Baptismal spot

make a wish and place it here for it come true

Pave' with a Saint

A photo of a photo of the inside of the small church

The place to get your holy water, three types Money, Love, Health. Made a cocktail and tasted pretty good.

P,M,D, three ancient sites in Turkey

2008-09-01T03:29:00.000-07:00

The single stone in the middle weighs over 70 Tonnes, engineering feat or what.

We went to three towns from the Roman era, again just to be there and see the extent of the building and systematic layout of the cities, what can be said?

some of the detail in the marble

the columns are 18 metres high and the cost of one column was equivalent about one workers wages for 4 years, if I remember correctly

there were only three of on this tour and this is the temple of Zeus

The important people got to sit in the real front row for the shows, think there have been a lot of bottoms in these seats because for stone they were quite comfortable.

Columns left to lay where the fell in different earthquakes. note the holes to assist in lining up the sections of columns

peek a boo I see you

This tub was supposed to have the eternal flame going in it so anyone who needed fire could alway get one started

Samos, Greece, museum mostly

2008-09-01T03:25:00.000-07:00

Fabulous detail from the Grecian era

Griffen after griffen and each one slightly different

This fellow was 4.8 M high, incredible workmanship

such a happy feeling

Leaving Turkey to Samos, Greece, an island where we caught an overnight ferry to Athens

Selcuk, Turkey

2008-09-01T03:21:00.001-07:00

Should have been in with Pamukkale but Look I fit the bed

Rug weaving at a Co-op, she is cutting the pile for consistent length

Downtown Selcuk, there are storks nesting atop the water duct

Great little street restaurant maybe 50 - 60 Turkish Lire and we were stuffed, liked it so much we came back for a second go.

Inside a mosque

Pamukkale, Turkey

2008-09-01T03:12:00.001-07:00

A view of the flats from up top

Roman ruins that cannot be seen from the bottom of the site.

One of the pools we waded through

been standing for over 2,000 years and probably fro another 2000

unbelievable but true

A few of the township ruins

no shoes allowed while walking in the pools, we found this out after we climbed up from the bottom and got to the top where the whistles never ceased

A view of the old Roman city and the calcium deposits left from the water flowing down
up top in Pamukkale

this was our room and believe it or not the bed was very comfortable
OK just a bit over exposed
Is it bright enough with all this calcium around

Turkey Boat trip

2008-09-01T03:01:00.001-07:00

The Captain and AJ after another backgammon battle

I don't know how he kept count but the score would change by more than two points just about every game and sometimes the points would go down and the dice would disappear before I could recognize the numbers. one set of dice which where very small

A fellow boat traveller resting in shade after hard day in the Sun.

Turkish Shave and Massage for 10 YTL (Turkish Lire) 5$ CND. We should ahve these back home

Atop a stopover from the boat

The sunset from the same spot

A lit up watermelon for dessert

After the lights came back on

Can you say Titanic ?

Pave' loved her floaty thing

Other travelers trying to understand Backgammon

Another 5 YTL stopover

All the gang from the boat

our first stopover and an very hot one.

It was a long way up & then we had to go down

Hard to see but these are remnants of a sunken city, no diving, swimming or snorkeling
Time for another dip and cool off

Anyone for spices

Istanbul

2008-08-28T02:42:00.000-07:00

View from our Hotel Empress Zoe rooftop, note the loudspeakers on the minarrett(?), let's say you cannot miss the call to prayer

The Blue Mosque, the only one with 6 minurets (?), one upmanship to be better than the Hyaf(?) Sofia across the way

Inside the Blue Mosque
One must be covered, male & female but sans shoes

Some of the detail in the mosaic tile work

The Grand Bazzar, where you can get anything you want, just like Alice's Restaurant

It is so big that it has its own street map with specific districts, gold, leather, rugs and so on

Our Turkish rug purchase, Pave' has stories about this adventure

Where we didn't buy our rug because of the upsale to a Silk and trying to combine two rugs in the overall price, served nice tea though

Blue mosque again

Contemplation in the moment, one of those places you need to see for yourself

Mosaic in the Hyaf Sofia, church turned mosque turned museum

Inside HS

Empress Zoe mosaic

Single piece of stone for this urn

Inside HS

Oour resting spot after a co-ed turkish bath
Ok let em explain this is my birthday and we were supposed to go to a special restaurant, after at least an hour and a half in hot stinking traffic we arrived at this place on the Bosphorus Straights. Open up the wine menu and the first price I see is, wait now, 1,590 Euro and the prices get even better after that. this is after we got moved due to ridiculous cigar smokers right next to us. needless to say we were unimpressed because we have better views back home in the Granville Island area and elsewhere. this is across the street from our hotel and my third Raki, Turkish ouzo or something. I paid for it the next morning. PS I like my B'day at home better.
Some Turkish coffee interspersed with the Raki

Inside HS

Inside Blue Mosque

Our street, is a very fine street especially when Turkey scored on the Germans first, won the battle but lost the war

OH yes a very interesting dinner this was, note the food warmer in the middle of the plate

need a table no problem just put it out in traffic, you can't see it but the bush moves. I don't think the Valkiree(?) was impressed. she did have nice legs though

Anyone for a puffy papadam

Nessebar, that is OLD Nessebar, on the Black sea

2008-08-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

Our hotel hallway, power saving devices that had the lights come on as you approached but turned off as you passed certain points

the museum and look you could actually touch the items if you felt like it

Wasn't supposed to take these photos but I could not resist.

One of the 25 ruins that were around Nessebar

The entrance to old Nessebar, it is actually a windmill

Another sunset from the restaurant we were at this evening.

Our meal of the night. Lots of fried things very hot and inexpensive for the value.

Ruins at night, after a talent show that we just stumbled upon while waking home

The view from our favourite peebly beach, beer and a snack for 2, maybe 10 Livre, Bulgarian cash (~$2)

The view from our room and guess what another ruin

An old anchor

this kid was singing Tom Jones "I'm a sex bomb" in Bulgarian and did he have the moves

Another evening out by the Black Sea

Sit and Blog or is that Blob in Tuscany

2008-08-26T02:54:00.000-07:00

The other day we set out for small town about an hour away from where we are staying in Certlado. We were off to see the barrel rolling competition (read massive wine filled cask), at least the prelims, which we read about in a magazine on Tuscan festivals. That was in Greve-in -Chianti, the book not the the barrels, in a wine tasting cellar. Get yourself a 10, 15, 20, 25€ card and go at it. Only a few whites but about 7 red stations with about 20 bottles per station and one for Grappa. Sample to your hearts' content or until your card runs dry. We got a 10€ card and were refunded 1.20€, getting old, can't handle it or something. Each glass was from 0.60 to 7.00 € depending on the quality of the wine, I stayed around the 0.80 to 1.40 € due to my well trained palate.

Anyways, back to the barrel rolling, wrong town, wrong date. We were at the Watermelon festival instead. What To Do??? What Else but buy WINE, meat, cheese, olives, bread, fruit and have a picnic. As we headed back to our parked chariot we noted a sign, Tombe Eutruscan. What can this be we say in a questioning manner. Let's find out! releasing the horses or maybe it was a burro, up we climbed after a sharp (not slight) right out of the parking lot. We succumbed to a stop at the gates to the Tombe and the fence surrounding it. Look inside one entrance (there are 4) and what do we see? Dark and more dark and the feel of cobwebs which are more at my height than Pavé's. Enough of that, let's eat.

Perched at almost the summit of the Tombe we plunked ourselves down on the deadly dry grass and began our picnic. Once we settled in, the view was astonishing, We overlooked the town (watermelons and all) and the different valleys & hills surrounding the town. It was partially cloudy so the temperature, when we had sun blockage, was only in the mid 30's C (felt a bit chilly actually after the 40+ previously). The view was constantly changing and the shade was non-existent but the vista rolled from the subtle golden reds of the soil & wheat floating in the breeze to the brilliant & vibrant greens of the grapevines and trees. There is really no way to describe or capture the hues or subtleties of nature here. Not even our photos do it justice.

Looking down on the town we note not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. The main drag is a ghost town, not even Englishmen or mad dogs are out. That's because it is 14:00 hr and everything is shut from 13:00 to 16:00 hr with maybe a few oddballs of shops that stay open later because someone is still inside or open early for the fun of it.

Well out of paper, must stop now, need Wine or is that doughnuts?

NEWSFLASH !!!!!!!

We may be able to post some photos as we are in the Biblioteca and there is a DVD & CD reader. Will be trying this later on

AJ

Elastic Time

2008-08-16T03:35:00.000-07:00

It's true - time bends, stretches, elongates, shortens and then snaps back - depending it seems on where you are, what you are doing and of course who you are doing it with. Since the last post we've been caught in all of times twists and turns.
For three and a half months now we've been messing with the time/space continuum thingee. It feels like both a lifetime and a nanosecond have passed. We are saturated with sights, sounds, smells, textures, tastes and experiences and we're still thirsty for more.
Our time in Greece with our dear Danish friends reinforced for us the fun of being with friends in foreign places. We loved our time in that sunny, hot, blue-skied place. We determined to slow down the pace to a human scale. We started our days with a late Greek breakfast of spoon-stands-up-in-it yougurt with honey, fresh bread and the ubiquitous Nescafe coffee powder with hot milk.
We filled our Grecian days with beaching (not bitching) big lunches, and late, late dinners and fun drives to ancient sites in our little Fiat Panda. Long after the sun had set we took the little ferry across to Poros. We slowly the climbed the steep streets which still radiated with heat to Elsa's place tucked away in a back road. We dined on her specialties like "Grandma's Pot" - tender chunks of lamb in rich gravy topped with cheese. The surprise was the "chunks of potato" described in the menu turned out to be french fries. We pushed them aside and dug in. As delicious as the food was it was the wine that kept bringing us back. Made by Elsa it was definitley meant for the food. We liked it so much we asked if we culd buy a litre to take home in our plastic water bottle. Her reply, " Only a litre, that only go around table once!" So we bought 5 litres for 7 euros. Deeply chilled, delicious.
Seventeen days in Greece all passing in the wink of an eye. When it was time to go we all stood on the ferry slip with barely controlled tears - another trick of time had made our experiences fly by. We all wanted to grab those moments and hang on but that was it. Time to move on.

The only thing that made leaving less sad was the fact that we were soon to meet up with family again this time in Cavtat, Croatia near our father's birth place of Dubrovnik. In a great stone house on the main street we all joined together - brother, sister in law, nephew, another sister, another brother in law, AJ and I. Can you say FUN! We cooked for each other, drank more delicious wine that we thought was possible, watched as the local festival took place below our balcony and of course visited Dubrovnik. A twenty minute ferry ride away. For some of us it was a revisiting from many years ago. We were worried that things would disappoint - they didn't. As crazy as busy as it was with tourists (it's a very popular cruise ship stop) it still maintains it beauty and charm. It is "the jewel of the Adriatic." The water is still that unreal blue, the wall still stands and the lovely red tiled roofs still glow. Of course it has undergone massive restoration after the 1991 war which did extensive damage the many buildings and parts of the wall. We mentioned the crowds of tourists to our last remaining cousin in Dubrovnik and she said, "We don't complain - we need them, the money allows us to fix our town." Sadly, no amount of money will mend the pain and suffering of the people who, if my cousin is any measure, are deeply scarred from the experience.
After our time in Cavtat some family left for Italy and the remaining travelers moved on to the island of Vis (pronounced Wees) the western most island in the Croatian archipeligo. A supposedly unfound treasure. Well we found it and so had hundreds of others. We had expected to finally find a place without too many tourists but we despair that there are any places like that left. I think what the guide books meant when they said unfound was really undeveloped. While there were lots of tourists there weren't a lot of services. At first we were a bit disappointed but then we realized how lucky we were after we visited the very chi chi island of Hvar (pronounced Whar) - all fancy resorts and 100 euro massages on the beach. That is a highly developed island and really we think maybe we are more Vis than Hvar people.
We were all sad to leave lovely Croatia behind but the fact that once again the trusty travelers would meet again in Pescina, Italy made the leaving bearable.
We have been in Pescina for ten days that once again have sped by filled with food, fun, wine with side trips to Rome and Pesscarolia. So much has happened, so much has been done that it doesn't seem possible that it has only been ten days. We feel so blessed to have had a true Italian experience thanks to our trusty Italian guide, interpreter, and general all around great guy/brother in law Luigi. So much has happened in fact that it will require another post another time. Unlike the fabulous food, and awesome wine which is plentiful and inexpensive Internet access in Pescina is not. This post comes to you from a nearby town of Avezzano. We leave in two days for the Tuscany region of San Giamagno where we are staying a a little villa which will be our base for trips to Venice, Florence and little towns nearby. We hear internet is more readily available there and will post more often if possible.
We are soooo sorry that we can't post our pictures from our times in Greece, Croatia and Italy. Sadly our nifty new computer broke down and can't be fixed here in Europe so no photo transfer is available. Don't worry - we1ll bore you with them when we get home.
So, speaking of time that is it for now. Caio for now.

Goreme, Turkey

2008-07-24T09:31:00.003-07:00

Fairy Chimneys, incredible rock formations and this was just the start
Cave houses, homes dug out of the stone

Inside a cave Church, amazing frescos through this tour.

Just want to take a religious history course when we get home, the information & history was very interesting to say the least.
These have survived for over a century and if I had my notes it might be 2 centuries

I think I will take up potery when I get back there is god money to be made I hear

A pro at work after he got a quick lesson from me

Just before we had a walk through of our potential new cave. unfortunately there was no ensuite so Pave' said no to this one

Can you see the hand?

How about the Camel or duck or ?

Some more rocks looking like mushrooms

How this for a balancing act of nature

It was a bit difficult to get up here. in fact our guide said anyone want to try, no takers except me and then the flood gates opened and all the jocks had to do it as well because once I got through anyone could make it. Another of those big person in a small person world good thing the lard helped grease the walls.

I don't know what it is but the men can't stay away from Pave'. Pave' got a gift from tis artist because she could not break one of his vases by standing on it. It didn't brake when he dropped it either. He would not let her leave until she made a purchase and kept reducing price until she said OK. MAybe we should have got a 500E bowl and sent it home but we didn't just a small olive bowl that we will use often.

this is an ancient wine carafe design, you put your arm through the centre and then pour. It will take this person about 2 weeks to complete the design with all the different colours. we were told this is the only shop that is allowed to reproduce this design, two pieces each year.

Early condo settlement

A ghost town of cave homes

A little belly dancing at a meal out.

The head is actually the persons arms and the eyes are at the mouth level very odd dance this was

Just enjoying our meal and the show.

A passage way from one home to another

Ok There were cave houses but this was an underground city and we only saw about 20% of the colony. Our tour group down under
Is it small enough?

Hell I let someone bigger go ahead of me although if he got stuck I wouldn't have been able to back up

Size difference again at the front door.

Our room for our last meal in Goreme. what a meal it was very simple and plain, the spice are in the little pots on the table for personal seasoning

the view from our Cave hotel where we had breakfast

Our room is just below us

the view once again from the room

Pave' took the challenge and thought this might be the one for us but without railings our grandchildren would not be safe.

Hot IS Cool

2008-07-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Common theory says that coming from a hot climate somehow affects your personality. Well., that was what Dad always said. He used his warm place of birth, Dubrovnik, Croatia as the reason he was so damn hot-headed. And to tell the truth I tend to use that sometimes too. I mean I wasn't born there, but you know heritage and all that.
After two months in very warm places though I am beginning to wonder about all that.
The coolest, most laid back people I have seen have come from Bulgaria near the Black Sea, Turkey (all over) and currently Galatas near the Island of Poros, Greece.
Everything is slow and happy here. People stop and chat no matter what. They smile slowly, eat slowly (and very, very late) and just take time.
I still think it is the sun's influence. It makes you mellow, it makes you happy, it says, "Slow down man, there's lots of time and sunshine." In Canada those fleeting days of sun and warmth have the opposite effect. Instead of taking it easy and chillin' we rush about taking advantage of every ounce of brightness. We know it could be days before we see the sun again.
When you know the sun is going to shine every day it gives a cooling effect. The sunshine is like an extra room in peoples' lives. They live and breathe the sun. And at least here in Greece they ride about in it, mostly on motorcycles.
Every morning as AJ and I take our morning coffee on the patio opposite from Hotel Papasotiriou and this is what we see...

Weathered old men on bright green, skinny bikes,
Very large men with their tummys hanging onto their waists carrying little kids chairs over their arms
Gorgeous young women with thick, black hair flying, carrying three shopping bags, talking on their cell phones
A family of four the youngest eating an ice-cream ( no one hanging on or wearing helmets)
Old, old men on three wheeled motos blightly scootering along, never stopping, pausing, or looking to left or right. Just smiling, and waving.

This is what the sun does to you. It makes you mellow. We certainly are. After ten days in Galatas (on the Greek Pellonpenis penninsula)just a one minute ferry ride from the island of Poros we are "Getting Greek." We sleep late, eat an unhurried breakfast, and then make the tough decisions about what to do with our day. Today we just drove and found an old sign it said "Volcano." "Really, we both said. We followed the arrows and arrived at a dead end with an arrow pointing up, up, up. We were of course a bit suspicious. We've been misled before by signs. We scrambled straight up for about 30 minutes (elevation about a 200 meter gain) in 40 degree heat. "Damn, we both said, "hope it's worth it. IT WAS! We followed arrows, and sign posts and eventually arrived at the crater. The pictures (which we hope to eventually post) tell the whole story. Absolutely, amazing.
And what was truly remarkable was that there was no one taking tickets, charging you anything, no guides, no booklets for sale, no one telling you history of the volcano no one saying, "No flash!!" Just this amazing collection of volcanic rock, huge boulders and stunning, picture-perfect lava flows. Off in the distance was the brilliant blue Med, dotted with unreal looking little white sail boats.
We stumbled down after taking about 40 shots of him and me in the crater, on top of the crater, beside the crater.... The warm beer we drank at the bottom was the best I've had for a long time.
There is something about the sun and its hot,hot glare that just makes me feel better. In my other life I know I was a gecko.
We are off soon to Croatia, then Italy, France, Spain and Portugal and we hope lots more of Mr. Sol.
I definitely want to be cremated - the hotter the better!

2008-07-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

A Tall Person In A Small Person's World

OK, to put some perspective in this we need to return to the Land of the Wee People, Ireland.

Now I have never really considered myself that tall or large but then back home we have been able to purchase items that fit much better than I have encountered over here, in most cases.

In Ireland we experienced doors that you had to get on your knees to find the key hole, beds that felt like not just my ankles were over the end but most of my calves as well. Head & foot boards to ensure you don't fall out or some dumb thing like that. Some of the rooms we so small that you couldn't even swing a cat let alone a rat. Hell it would be hard to put your arms out and twirl around without hitting a wall. Nearest thing in NA that came close these environs was in Boston when I got bumped due to a big due with the Kennedy's or some bloody thing where there was no room at the Inn. So off we go to another hotel, room at the end of some snaking corrridors and if it was 6 ft wide I am exaggerating. Anyways some of the places we went I had to turn sideways to move through, just about wedged myself in the entrance to the Newgrange Burial tomb but luckily my senses said TURN NOW and even then I just passed through with lowering myself down to knee level. OK it was built 5,000 year or more ago but excavations indicated they were relatively tall people.

At the end of our Ireland trip I was not sorry to see our vehicle fading into the sunset as we were driven away to the airport. Lots of headroom but legroom was at a premium even driving from the back seat. The baths were of such dimensions that you got goosed by the toilet handle if you bent down to pick up the soap. I thought that only happened in prison.. There is a photo of Pave' in a bath/shower that I cannot post but I will post the tub in Prague and then imagine ust how small the Killarney spot was. I was able to get both feet in at once it ws so tiny.

Once we left Ireland I thought the space issue was over and in most cases it was but here is our tub in Prague.

At least the beer was OK

The bike I used in Praha was also small and getting a larger frame consisted of raising the seat. Helped a bit but again I was not sorry to see or feel the end of the ride.

Ok then there have been the flights and the seats well let's just say that it was a good thing the flights have been so short. The last one I could not even move my legs as they were wedged into the seat in front. Eating out, as we must do, and having tables rest on your quads makes junk food all the more appealing except for the fact I like good food too much to deprive myself like that.
Anyways time to stop and just smell the roses as we are on the Black Sea sunbathing or in my case shade bathing listening to the water lap against the shore and view the briliant blue waters as we go for another beer.

Back again after a number of bus rides. The busses are quite different than those back home as they have stewards coming up and down the aisle offering water, coffee or tea. They are Ok but after an overnighter let's say it was great to get off and stretch. Now there are thee small busses, we just finished a 4.5 hour one from Pamukkale to Selcek. I had to take my shoes off to get my feet under the seat in front. Enough of this line of thought because I am going to find it difficult no matter where we go except home.

One last comment or I will never get this posted. On our boat cruise we slept on deck mostly because of the heat and limited ventilation. Sleeping under the starry skies was absolutely wonderful. But if I tried to lie down in our bunk my feet were wedged against one bulkhead while my head was against the other. Let's just say it was nice be able to be outside.

Budapest

2008-07-07T09:49:00.001-07:00

A concert in St Stephans Cathedral, absolutely gorgeous sound

Going native on a hop on hop of tour

Statue of founder of Buda not Pest. Budapest is actually two towns joined together. Pest is the low area of town while Buda was on the hills and had the fortification
The Danube from up high
Pave with her own shop just waiting for her

Music whether you want it or not and with their tone I didn't want it but they pinned me in and Pave' goaded them on for more.
Heros Square, see me as a hero pinned in on the right side of the monument beside those two wonderful musicians

Pave' just happened to note the size of the feet and fingers on this fellow and thought a good luck rub could bring happiness

Ceiling of the spa we went to, unfortunately we did not take the camera in and had to do with the set of photos sent to us by a friend.

St Stephan's Cathedral before the concert

Momento Park, the place where old statues go to lie in peace?

Lenin & Marx, story goes that the two names were said so much together that a generation thought it was one person, Leninmarx

OK, the remainder of a statue of Stalin, the boots were the only thing left after the statue was hauled down and at that time he powers that be thought it might be a good idea to get the other communist statue out of Dodge and create a tourist spot with all of the reaming pieces, Above and Below.

Rumour has it that a bottle of this wine, drank by the royalty of Hungary, would produce a Boy child. Must have been a dud bottle because we did try.

The restaurant street just down the steps and around a couple of corners from our apartment. So many to choose from and not enough time. We had the wine somewhere here.

Now this place was even closer than the restaurant street only one corner to go around. You want to eat Ok meat or no meat. wine or no wine. Music you get, like it or not. We liked it great final meal in Budapest and not far to crawl back home to.

The spa again, fantastic art work if you looked beyond the grime nad dullness of the city.
Shush don't tell any one but the entrance to Momento Park is only a facade.
Ok so after taking the tram to the outskirts of Budapest we had to get onto another bus for about 30 minuted to take us to this historic spot maintaining the important art work of the Communist regime. I forgot to mention that all important officials HAD to have their photos taken at the base of Stalin's boots, say what?

Anyways it cost 10 Euro a piece to get in so we just walked around the site outside and took photos for free. Damn Capitalists.

I think this was a tribute to Janis Joplin, Oh Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz.

Clothes Woes

2008-07-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

When your senses are assaulted on all sides sometimes it is just easier to focus on one small thing and examine it in depth. In this way you can focus the full might of your intellectual powers and examine an issue in depth. So, for me this time it's clothes.
Packing for our trip caused me more anxiety than anything else. What to take, what to leave behind, what would I miss. I read all the packing books and tips about colour coordinating, fabric choice, rolling versus bundling. “ Choose a few basic pieces and build around them...” I ignored all that. It took we two weeks to pack. Each day I went back and revisted the mountain of clothes I had piled in the guest room. My intention was to take away half each time I went in. With gritted teeth I took out favourite tops, pants, blouses. I wept because I knew what would happen. I would come to hate the clothes I did take. I do already and we have four months to go! Besides missing my favourite clothing the major challenge was packing for the different seasons we were going to encounter. The two sweaters, vest, raincoat and hat, jeans and scarf really came in handy in Ireland but have become something of a burden here in Turkey. Every time I lug (or I let someone else lug my luggage and feel embarrassed) I curse those bulky items.
Everything I have with me right now seems all wrong. Starting in Prague I said to A J, “Maybe I should be looking for one or two cooler dresses. I only brought one with me. "Why don't you wait until you get to Turkey?” was his most common response. So I waited...through Prauge, Vienna, Budapest, Nessabar, Bulgaria and then we were in Istanbul. After spending several glorious days in the mosques and museums I said in my most confident voice, “It's time, a dress is needed” Then the fun began. You know I'm a fairly observant person and what I've noticed is the Turkish women who are not draped in long dresses/coats/headscarves and general burka-like attire are not the skinniest women in the world thank Allah. They seem to enjoy their food and the many that I saw were as rounded as me. So imagine my horror, depression, chagrin when all the stores I went into had dresses made for sticks. Funny shaped sticks. Some of the stick dresses had lots of room for boobies and no room for the rest and the others were the reverse. But the really startling thing was the proportion of mens' to womans' clothing stores..they were ten to one for the men. It seemed a huge conspiracy all these great clothes for guys and either the stick dresses, or super sparkly, froo froo dresses for women. “Where were the cute little summer dresses,” I wailed. We left Istanbul and I was still dressless. I write this from the lobby of the Yacht hotel in Fetiyhe,Turkey. We have just completed a four day trip on the Turkish Med. We met a wonderful Turkish couple and she, with the aid of a Turkish/English dictionary told me that there were places to buy clothes we just weren't in the right spots. Hmmm, but what kind of dresses I thought? I wore my bathing suit during most of our sea time but now we are back on dry land the need for a dress has returned and having been denied so long has reached crisis proportions. AJ is off for a day of blue water diving and I when I have finished this blog am off to get a pedicure (my feet look like camel hooves)get a dress, if I'm feeling brave find a hairdresser and get a trim and maybe a colour correction.
It's hot out there. I am only going into dress shops that have AC. Trying on dresses when you are dripping is not only hard, it's dangerous..you could pull something. Wish me luck. Soon AJ will post more pics and I think he has a blog in the works too. I promise my next submission will be just a tiny bit more esoteric.

It's My Birthday and I Can Cry If I Want To

2008-06-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

Well here it is my B'day and this the third one away from home. Istanbul has surprised us with the openness of the people. Even though in some cases it may just be for show. Istanbul is the first place in our travels where the reception has felt very different. For those of you pinning for the Fjords of my usual birthday celebration you can contact Samantha as there are two bottles of the "Water of Life" in the freezers at home. I can Hear them calling right now in fact.

Anyways back to my day and thoughts. I have been very fortunate to have a supporting family, especially my Mom who is still living but in a care home. She may not have agreed with everything I did but never denied me the opportunities to find out for myself what consequences lay ahead for me. Thanks Mom for my life and the good and indifferent memories.

I have also been lucky or fortunate to have married two different women that believed in my potential and provide(d) me with unwaivering support. I was with my first wife Linda about 6 years although our marriage was only a month before Linda died of cancer. This trip has conjured up up some deep memories and at some points a bit hard to think about the today. Linda and I started a similar trip 23 years ago and I guess it has taken me that long to accept my fears of doing it again. A bit of a broken record plays keeps playing of the ending of my last trip here. This trip will be different and has been different.

Pave', my partner and love, allows me my silent time while propping me up when the world seem so dark. I am actually a pessimist at heart, Pave' brings me out the doldrums and removes the Albatross that I constantly hang around my neck and mope around like Eyeore.

Pave' has and still believes in difference I can make to other people or situations. She supported me in my return to school when I had no direction and then further studies while she completed her Masters. Through job or work changes I have always been able to discuss what those change could bring. Our life together has not been easy but not that difficult either. We celebrate our 21st Anniversary In Athens in couple of weeks so I guess we are doing OK and I look forward the next 21 and more years. Not to say that it will be easier but it certainly will not be dull. In the shorten words of 'Stan Rogers" 'I want to see your smiling face 45 years from now'.

The power is dropping, so I should finish quickly. I have also been given the pleasure of gaining, no having a daughter, Samantha. Samantha always bring a smile to my heart even thought it may not show on my face. Thanks for all the great Father's Days and B'days & Xmas' where you have always brought the joyful things to the forefront. Good thing for cloth hankies as I would have gone through at least a couple of boxes of Kleenex by now.

From the LIFE Of BRIAN

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life

Th', Th' That's All Foks

Wien

2008-06-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

St Micheals Cathederal

Nicholas in his shop were he lured us in and I ended up bying a tie after telling him 4 times "I don't need a tie" and he continually dropped the price

Prague , everything and more

2008-06-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

I think they are trying to get all the rats out of town

Charles Bridge entrance at night while we are going for provisions, ie Beer & Wine
Lesser Square fountain, a short roll down the hill from our apartment

St. Vitas Cathedral spires, Praha Castle

Our underground station into town

our street at night, note the hill we were at the top almost

Praha Castle roof design

On wet days they brought the horses in here to joust

Praha Castle, Basilica
Basilica Crypt

St Vitas Outside

St Vitas Outside, roof drain
Changing of the guards Praha castle

St Vitas Outside, main entrance

St Vitas cathedral inside

St Vitas cathedral inside, should be another one following showing the crowds but I didn't get it right again

Rooftops of Praha
St Vitas cathedral outside

St Vitas cathedral inside

St Vitas cathedral inside, fantastic biulding techniques

Oh here it is again, can't delete it

St Vitas cathedral main entrance

Won't this photo ever go away

Beauty everywhere in Praha

Beauty everywhere in Praha

trying to get free internet by hanging out the window

What we saw across from our apartment windows

Looking down the street from our window

Pave' on the Charles Bridge

view from the watch tower on the bridge

iew from the watch tower on the bridge

Just another nice building

Astrological clock at the town square

Praha town square

Rubbing St. Vitas' plaque for good luck, note how shiny the two sections are

Praha Castle at night from the Charles Bridge

there it was in the middle of the country side LG1 or its sister or brother

fields and fields of wild poppies

karlstein Castle, outside Praha

We got there by bike, 32 km one way

The view from Karlstein Castle

Last night in Parha, trying to get the elusive wireless signal

a little Sudoku to pass the time while I wait for photos to upload to Blogger, if lucky

Praha City Hall

Just another nice building, actually it was a major theater like the Orpheum

Jewish cemetery, many graves have 12 or 13 bodies in the same plot

2008-06-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

Nessabar, Nessebur, Nessubor – And the Te of Travel

There are as many ways it seems to spell Nessebur as there are tourists on the beach. Take your pick (of names I mean – not tourists.) I am writing this from a lounge chair next to the “OMG I can't believe it is that colour blue” Black Sea. The waves are lapping, the seagulls are chatting it up and high up on the cliffs the tiled roofs of a thousand delicious, inexpensive restaurants await. Sounds ideal doesn't it? It is and it is nothing like we were expecting. If you've been to Mexico you get a bit of that feel but because we are in Eastern Europe there is that spin on things – kinda wary, sort of tolerant of tourists. Still, we have had more smiles here than in most places we have been. And compared to Ireland for example it is very reasonably priced.
And to think that this leg of the trip began so badly.

We started out from Budapest early (2:00 am) and caught a crowded flight to Nessabar. One and a half hours later we were in Varna, Bulgaria – surely the ugliest Post Communist town we have seen so far. We were met (at the time we thought it was great) by a taxi driver with our name on a card. Off we went in a very nice van for a two hour drive to Nessabor (note I am using all the spellings just to be fair.) We both did the head-nod sleep thing, occasionally waking to look around with dismay at the thick fog which hung over everything. NO, NO we need sun, lying by the beach etc...
When we drove up to the Sol Royal Nessabur Palace (note the name) we were both very pleased. By now the sun was gleaming off the glass walls of the very new looking hotel. The driver dragged our bags out and then waited while AJ went to make change for Euros. He insisted on Euros rather than Bulgarian currency which was unusual – it gets better. We rolled inside to register only to be met with bemused looks and “You say you have a reservation?” Yes, AJ insised. No they said you are at another hotel – The Nessabar Royal Palace Hotel. It is in old Nessabar. It was at this point I think that I lost it. I could feel my Gojevic blood rising – a combination of sleep deprivation, and just too much damn “dealing with things.” Up until now I have always reverted to smiling Canadian when difficulties arose now I became the “Angry Woman.” While AJ Skyped Out on our computer and talked to the booking agent I kept shouting things like, “Idiots, what the hell is wrong with you etc..” I was abrupt with the new taxi driver sent to take us to the right hotel and so it continued. The new taxi driver said very helpfully, “Why you leave this hotel, it very nice other not so nice.” Well it turns out he didn't know where “other” was. We drove around Old Nessabur and he kept asking very uninterested people where the hotel was. No one knew, lots of shrugs. He muttered to himself - “where it??” We were relieved when he finally drove up to a very new hotel with a Lamborghini parked in front. Always a good sign. Like lots of Chinese people in a Chinese restaurant – you know it must be good. And it is. There are a few funny bits. No elevator – we are on the third floor – lights that shut on as you approach and shut off the minute you pass them by – piped in early 80's bo band music in the bathroom and some of the strangest breakfasts we have ever had. Yesterday, after our difficult arrival we just wanted a bite to eat. Breakfast is included in the deal. I ordered french toast – something I know and like. It arrived – is was two piece of hot bread sandwiched together with blue cheese. I guess the blue cheese was the the french part. I wanted to weep. This morning I ordered fruit and got a plate with a whole bananna, a not quite ripe kiwi, an orange and an apple. “There you go, knock yourself out.” The wee melt down yesterday was really me being was mad at myself. I coulda, shoulda read the hotel voucher which had the correct hotel name in very small print. But sadly as in most cases I just defered to AJ. The truth is the whole vacation was jointly discussed and planned but ultimatley AJ did the bookings. We have always done it that way and 99% of the time it works. It works because we have a tacit agreement that AJ chooses and I don't bitch. As I said it has always worked. I broke the rules. You breaks da' rules you pays da' price. In this case really high blood pressure that took a few hours to dispel and a drink of white wine by the waters edge.

Many times, in many churches we have read about the years it took for such and such a guy or gal to receive sainthood. So many miracles, so many cured lepers. I am personally suggesting sainthood for AJ after yesterdays “situation” and the countless other times he has assuaged, calmed, and generally cared so well for me.

'Nuff said. We are here in Nessabur. AJ is beisde me reading the final pages of A Prayer for Owen Meany. The two large ladies beside us are doing Bulgarian crosswords and all the little blue and white fishing skiffs are bumping gently against each other tied up to the restaurant we will probably go to later for a little refreshment. What a difference a day makes.

Which brings me (yes finally) to the Te part of the travel. I have been re-reading The Te of Piglet (by the fellow who wrote the Tao of Poo.) And then it struck me –AJ and I need/want to be more Te like in our travels. Taoism is about an individual's relationship to the world. The Te part of Taoism (my interpetation) is about virtue in action. Sounds religious – isn't – we are both generally anti-religion. It is more about alllowing oneself to be transformed. That's what we are hoping for. An opening up, and a letting go. There is so much to hang onto that sometimes gets in the way of truly enjoying life. Maybe, as we are away from all things familiar we will “transform.” Not that you won't recognize us on our return but changes are bound to occur – we are both hoping they are good ones.

Dublin return

2008-06-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

What happens when you get too much Guinness

Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin

Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin

Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, not much room

Stilletto in the Ghetto

O;Connell statue, Pave;s Grandparents name

Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, execution yard for the 1916 revolters

The Tart with the Cart, Molly Mallone, named our nat sav after her

St. Patricks cathedral floor tile

St. Patricks cathedral

St. Patricks cathedral, Jonathan Swift was a Decon here

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle

Jameson grinding wheel, now a good luck charm

Pave' with her Certificate of Whiskey taste testing

Double fisting just get through it all

well maybe it wasn't so bad after all

nice ceiling in a drinking establishment, maybe it was so nice because of the number of people on their backs?

Christ Church Cathedral

Dublin Castle, something I did not buy

Dublin Castle, but Pave' jut about got this

Dublin Castle, the original way into town

Glendaloagh and a bit more

2008-06-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Glendaloagh monastic site

Glendaloagh monastic site

Glendaloagh monastic site, now which grave was it anyways

Glendaloagh monastic site, old and new

Glendaloagh monastic site

Glendaloagh monastic site, some detail of church ruins

Glendaloagh monastic site, after all these years and still standing

Glendaloagh monastic site, waterfall

Glendaloagh monastic site, we really did walk all the way up

Glendaloagh monastic site

Glendaloagh monastic site

Peat farming
The church Pave's gandparents were marrried in, Edenderry

Muckross house

2008-06-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Muckross House, this fire escape and other improvements bankrupted the Lord because Queen Victoria Came to stay one night and was scared S---less of fire. So there were 2 fire birgades on duty 24 hours.
The gardens, the house was built for 30,000 Pounds and the preparations for Queen V took 6 years and cost 90,000 Pounds for the one night stay.

The gardens again.

Do you know what the greatest threat to Irish Forrest is? Rhodos, look at the size of these bushes

Muckross house, purchased by the wanker that owned all of the LA water rights and gave it to bis daughter for a wedding gift. Npw it is the largest National park in Ireland

Pave's drink of Choice, Bulmers Cider. I must admit it tastes pretty good even better than the Guinness or its imposters at the right time of day of course.

some wilderness photos

2008-06-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

The Wicklow mountains, we drove around looking for a spot on the map that indicated a picnic spot

We did not find it but we found this spot instead.

Guess what else we found
That's right you remember

That f'ing bicycle race. How did they know were we were???

They call this the "Vee" for some reason or another

Cork and some other places

2008-06-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle, Pave' Kissing the Stone

Blarney Castle, AJ Finishing up was that stone moist or was I imagining?

Blarney Castle, yes it really is that far up or is it down

Pave' going up the wishing staircase, must go backwards with the eyes closed to make it work

Blarney Castle grounds

Did I mention the stone bit me

Burial Tomb, top stone weighs 150 Ton or so, the largest in Europe

A little morning work out

Now just where did this stone come from and how did they lift it up onto the other smaller stones ?

Those of you with good eyes can read the small print.

thoughts on ?

2008-06-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

OK, I forgot to mention last time that if you are going to GB, London at least, DON'T purchase any duty free booze. It is hard to take when you get off the flight to see lower prices for what you purchased, lugged on the plane for 9 hours and through all the airport halls just to be able put it in your bag before you clear passport control. Now maybe Ireland could be different.

Apart from the Guinness conspiracy, that being of course that Guinness is cheaper than anything else to buy in the bar. Since Guinness has been around since whenever, 17??, and Arthur G. was a Lord in the British House, I think it was just another weapon against the Irish aiding the British to hold them in a subservient culture. Put a few pints of the dark stuff in your tum and you will not be running off to battle very soon. Not because your wasted, Alcohol content rivals American swill (4.2%), but because your so heavy and bloated you cannot move. Well maybe wattle a bit. Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa, I think I just slagged the Big "G".

Now in NA when you travel 100 KM and the speed is 60 or 100 you know it will take you 1 to 1.5 hours. In Ireland make certain you have emptied your bladder and have at least two meals packed. Manual transmission, roads that might let two goats pass, no place to turn around if you miss the one and only turn to Donnegal because all the signs are in Gaelic , if you can find them, and half of them still give distances in Miles rather than Km (look for the rust to tell the difference). Gas stations are plentiful in towns, or on a Motorway but if you go out in the woods tonight your sure to get a fright. I don't know how the wheels stayed on sometimes, all of a sudden some free wheeling Irish sod comes flying at you at breakneck speed over a hump bridge (you know the kind you go up so you only see the sky and then you come down to see at 90 degree turn waiting for you on the other side) and you have to move into some hedgerow praying like a demon that you don't lose a mirror on either side or your life. Pave's combated these encounters of by closing her eyes and not opening them again until I would say something like 'well would you just look at that now'. Oh what did I miss this time would be the reply. I have driven in Rome, Paris and other places around the world but I can honestly add Ireland to a place I might leave the driving to someone else, should we return. Oh ya if you stop for directions get ready to listen to them 3 times just in case you didn't get them the first time. Which you won't because before the directions are finished they start telling you about another way but then no better stick to the first way. Not to mention the accent, and if you think my explanation of getting directions in Wales was bizarre double it at least twice for Ireland and get ready to see the same round about a couple times from different directions.

Ireland is a great place to visit for its natural beauty and a lot of history. The oldest Neo-lithic site in the world is just outside Dublin, at least 4,000 years old and possibly close to 6,000 years old. Just to experience the construction of the Burial Tombs make you realize how intelligent those people where not just wandering around being hunters or gathers. One of the tombs is about 10 Metres high with stones in the roof angled away from the centre while the roof decreases in diameter creating a sort of upside down cone shape. the tomb has stayed dry over all these centuries, maybe some of our architects could take a design lesson from these ancient civilizations. As well the entrance was build in such a way that the tomb is lit up by the sun on the winter equinox and that a special light box (opening) was built to accomplish this feat.

The Giant's Causeway and the Rope Bridge must see places to go. The first of things Pave' never thought she would do was cross the Rope Bridge. The 1st of things she never thought she would do is Kiss the Blarney Stone and become an Irish Whiskey taste tester (with a certificate to prove it) from the Jameson & Son distillery. Who knows what else she will do that was never on her list of things to accomplish.

We had lots of fun in Ireland and certainly glad we bankrolled ourselves to higher amount that we originally started out with.

Ta Ta for now AJ

Bunratty Castle, Ring of Kerry

2008-06-17T00:25:00.000-07:00

Ring of Kerry, stopped for major road construction which would be a minor job back home. Maybe the rock is harder like their heads, or is that dense?
Oh it feels good to get out and stretch and have a hug

such a lovely view

Can you believe the colour of the water for the North Atlantic?

Bunratty Castle Garden

Bunratty Castle, just a nice table for the King

Bunratty Castle, detail of the Royal Bed
Bunratty Castle, detail of the Royal Bed
Look up, Look way up, I just go around the back and lower the drawbridge so you can come in and curl up by the fire. OK Friendly

other Ireland photos

2008-06-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

Our trusty carriage, parked for our 1st picnic
Connemara park from afar

Busy Highway on the Dingle penninsula, don't try and stop to ask for directions here
the view from the top of the pass

Remarkable view on the way up. Oh yes now we start to see the signs,

Giant YELLOW ONES
"ACHTUN, NO FURTHER FOR BUS OR VEHICLE OVER 1.6 M WIDE"
"TURN BACK NOW"

Croagh Patrick, Innisfree,

2008-06-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Famine Monument bottom of Croagh Patrick

Pave' eating an ice cream cone at the Famine Monument
All this and more can be yours with a midnight pilgrimage, barefoot and raining while ascending Croagh Patrick

the start of the 2 - 3 hour trek, one, way, if you re in good shape, see the people at the top of the hill, just behind the small knowle they are almost there
Pave' And St Patrick. This is where he drove the snakes out of Ireland. I think he just chased them up the Croagh (mountain) and then ate them because there is not a thing up there.

Lake of Innisfree, google Yeats for more info

The Ilse of Innisfree, see Yeats agaiin

more irealnd

2008-06-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey

Murrisk area

Yeats' Memorial

Yeats' Grave