tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14291226663250895292024-03-05T16:56:51.687-08:00The Shaw AdventureShaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-81544635449261240752012-06-05T08:33:00.005-07:002012-06-05T13:27:33.687-07:00The Last Tango - Update from Paris <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, May 26, 2012 – </b>We are off to Paris today. We left the gite by 10AM, however, as we were leaving T realized she did not have her prescription sunglasses – so we returned and searched, but they weren’t anywhere. We then decided to head back to the restaurant to see if they are there, luckily it’s not far out of our way. Lucky for T, they were safely at the restaurant!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The drive to Paris is on a motorway that has no toll – bonus - and takes us past Alencon again and then heads northeast. Our road ran parallel to, but slightly north, of the autoroute we took last weekend. We pass many towns and the traffic in the direction we are traveling is light until we get close to Paris. Different story though going the other direction today, the traffic is really heavy as it’s yet another long weekend with Monday day off in France – glad we’re not traveling in those lanes. It’s smooth sailing until we’re close near Paris where we find some stop and go traffic for a few km. A drag, but we did amuse ourselves watching planes land, one to the front and one to the rear, crossing just above the highway to land on the grass runway adjacent to where we were “parked”.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Our route turned fortuitously right after a while so we left the traffic troubles behind and continued on our way to Charles de Gaulle airport where we had an appointment for 2PM to drop off our leased vehicle. It takes us a bit to find the place, T asked for directions and we drove the last few hundred yards and found the place. It only took 5 min. to get the paperwork done. The guy was surprised at the number of km driven – yes I confirmed, we’ve had the car for 4 months. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We took a cab to our hotel, Pullman Montparnasse, took about 30 min or so. We passed a number of great landmarks – reminding us of how many cool places we’re going to be able to check out in this city. We checked in, we have been upgraded to a deluxe suite – lots of room and J was very pleased with his cool Murphy bed in the other room. We left our hotel and walked down the street and found a brasserie to have something to eat. We so enjoyed the snacks as well as people watching. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We saw several great ‘sights’ today, the first being a bride dressed in her wedding dress and veil driving alone in her decorated wedding car – made M and T do a double take – concluding she was driving herself to her wedding! We had some great laughs – and our second great sight for the day at a café in Paris - seeing a guy walk down the street with a blow-up doll sitting on top of his shoulders! He was with a few buddies – J drew our attention to him! Tonight while eating our dinner at a nearby restaurant we watched a tourist couple take a picture of their 12.50 Euro tomato mozzarella (caprese) salad. We thought they must have never been to Italy, as this had one tomato sliced with thin layers of mozzarella (not even any buffala). We figured it had about 1 Euro of cost – not a bad profit – and the customers even seemed satisfied! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We enjoyed our dinner out on the terrace with a guy playing on a keyboard and some lady singing some oldies – lots of fun to watch and listen to. Tonight we went in search of Magnum ice cream bars and found them to finish off our meal. We returned to our room to enjoy a bottle of Cremant Limoux that we had chilling on ice – delicious!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, May 27, 2012 – </b>Today is moving day to our last apt. We don’t have to check out of the Pullman until 12, so after breakfast M and T go out for an hour’s walk to enjoy and explore some of Montparnasse. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We headed along a road that ran along the cemetery that’s been around for along time and apparently has some famous writers of times past buried there. We walked along a street that dissected the cemetery and wandered the streets, crossing Boulevard Montparnasse and Boulevard Raspail and found Jardin du Luxembourg that led to the Palais du Luxembourg. It is 25 hectacres of manicured lawns, sculpted trees, fountains and sculptures. Today the French Senate sits here in the palace. The park is busy with joggers, ping pong players, people doing yoga, tai chi, lawn bowling, children playing on the huge playground. There are many huge old trees providing great shade for the Parisians to enjoy the warm weather. Today it is warm rising toward 25. The palace area was beautiful.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We found a café along the street near to our hotel to have a coffee and enjoy the neighborhood, then returned to the hotel to checkout. We hailed a taxi to get to our apt on the other side of the Seine. We passed the Louvre, Place Concord, the Opera house, and up Boulevard Lafayette to Rue Bellefond. We arrive just before 12:30 and are pleased the agency rep is already here and the apt is cleaned, we are able to unpack and get the lay of the place. It’s roomy and has everything we’ll need and really close to the metro and Gare du Nord where we can catch trains. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We went in search of a restaurant, found an Italian one, not far from the apt. It was very good and enjoyable with a true Italian owner – it was nice to hear him speaking Italian to some patrons. After lunch, we were able to find a grocer open to pick up some things for dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast smoothies. We’ve seen boulangeries in our neighborhood, so we’ll wait until the morning to go and pick up something else. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Later in the afternoon, we walk to Gare du Nord, one of Paris’ main train stations and locate the tourist information shop to buy a six day museum pass that we will be able to use during our stay here, allowing us to go in without having to wait in line – worth its money indeed! It’s a few blocks away from our place and we pass countless cafes and bistros – they are certainly a way of life in this city. It’s right up our alley – we’ll be enjoying the café scene while we’re here. The tables along the sidewalks are full of people enjoying the day. With the errand and exploration done for this afternoon, we head back to our place.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Even though the apt doesn’t have air conditioning, with windows open, there’s a good breeze going through, helping to cool the place down, it’d be pretty uncomfortable. T whips up a nice dinner, a nice change from eating out. Our apartment has a phone that we can make free calls back to North America we make a couple of calls to chat with family. Then we find an English language movie on TV to end the evening.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday, May 28, 2012 – </b>After a good night’s sleep, M and T went out to a local sidewalk café for café crème and a croissant. We stopped at a bakery to get a couple of things to enjoy and headed back to the apt for fruit smoothies and to feed J breakfast. We’re off to Gare du Nord to catch the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus to tour the Montmartre area. It’s beautiful and promises to be hot today and we opt to sit on the top open-air deck. We listen to some of the info via earplugs and enjoy seeing the sights. Gare de l’Est is near Gare du Nord – built because it was thought that Nord wasn’t suitable for the arrival of the Queen back in 1847. It’s where the first Orient Express departed from. We drove through Place de Republique with it’s many converging streets and statue of Marianne, representing France as the state and its values. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We drove along the street that had the Hard Rock Café Paris. J wanted to go there, but we nixed that idea! We get off at the Plaza de l’Opera and do a bit of walking around and take some photos of this magnificent opera house referred as Palais Garnier (designed by Garnier) and its opulence. It was built between 1861 – 1875 – it’s breathtaking!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We found a Portuguese restaurant on a side street and enjoyed a delicious lunch. Once finished, we found the bus stop and hopped back on to continue our tour of Montmatre area. We rode up boulevard Clichy that was the original road that led from Paris to Rome. We turned to continue down this street past Moulin Rouge dance hall as well as establishments of similar ventures. We got off the bus a few blocks later to walk up to Basilique de Sacré Couer. We had to walk through a super busy street filled with tourists and people hawking wares, guys trying to con people with the object under one of the three disks, guys trying to tie bracelets around your wrist and then asking for money – sensory overload.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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A French couple in classic French clothing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBYnbUqcWQPNGnCwwWvJ8Z8ZVvW_J1xVIJ26DhcjkYnJDTSyTe-0Vr9lnI2NN3DGDBdjjz35LF8yaW9xU9R_y_vzMbO2utQAGSK0MXJf9E6Of3qnwrrG9Z1_Ik2Y9SS6quOjuI1dHD2I/s1600/P1140274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBYnbUqcWQPNGnCwwWvJ8Z8ZVvW_J1xVIJ26DhcjkYnJDTSyTe-0Vr9lnI2NN3DGDBdjjz35LF8yaW9xU9R_y_vzMbO2utQAGSK0MXJf9E6Of3qnwrrG9Z1_Ik2Y9SS6quOjuI1dHD2I/s400/P1140274.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Sacré Couer is located on the highest point in Paris and is quite stunning, both outside and in. It was started in 1875, but not finished until 1914. We walked up the staircases leading up to the church. There were many tourists milling about inside and out. We decided to sit and enjoy the beautiful mosaic ceiling above altar as well as a number of mosaics on the side walls (no photos allowed). The stain glass windows were wonderful too. The view from terrace outside the church was a panorama of the city. We went back the apt for a cool one, and chilled for the rest of the day. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, May 29, 2012 – </b>Day 2 of our Hop On Hop Off bus excursion. We took the metro down to Place Opéra and caught a different bus for a different route. Today’s journey would take us past many of the major historical landmarks of Paris. We caught the bus on Avenue de l”Opera and headed past the beautiful Palais Royal, through the archway of the Louvre wall to stop within the Louvre walls to enjoy the view and take some photos. We’re told the Louvre was at one time a palace, with various royalty adding on to make it the beautiful structure it is today. It was eventually no longer used, which led to it being turned over to be used as a museum. It’s collection began with just 12 paintings and today it is one of the world’s largest collections. The buildings are beautiful and in the centre of the park, it the museum’s pyramid entrance. We were stopped at the Arch de Triomphe de Carrousel a smaller version than the Arch de Triomphe at the other end of Avenue de Champs Elysees.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We proceeded to drive onto Ile de la Cité, passing Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle and other cool buildings. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We crossed onto the other bank of the Seine to drive along the quai to get off at the Musée d’Orsay so we could to view the top floor that had a collection of impressionist art by Renoir, Monet, Manet, Sisley, Degas, and Cézanne. The d’Orsay was a former railway station and it was beautiful both on the exterior and interior. We also had a chance to see some wonderful sculptures by Rodin. There was a collection of paintings by Van Gogh that wowed us. What an experience to see a collection of paintings from each of these masters and see why they are considered masters. It was a feast for the eyes. We each chose a favorite in each room to talk about. We enjoyed wandering amongst the masters. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLraLhRNRoxh-xrpyZY-zWwZcDaHoPNDv-bagNBWdYPX0UZU_xTu0R-u6SsVyH2cpKLpPyaBJT_YiJtaq2fjsnohQGrcOYQG-uauLdw6XfsEF3jWPDxplShrbTa7UksoavGWOx3JMVXA/s1600/P1140320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLraLhRNRoxh-xrpyZY-zWwZcDaHoPNDv-bagNBWdYPX0UZU_xTu0R-u6SsVyH2cpKLpPyaBJT_YiJtaq2fjsnohQGrcOYQG-uauLdw6XfsEF3jWPDxplShrbTa7UksoavGWOx3JMVXA/s400/P1140320.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We found a brasserie outside of the museum to enjoy lunch. Once finished, we proceeded back to the bus stop to “hop on” to continue our tour of the sights. Just as we were seating ourselves on the top level, our friends Mario and Marion from Kelowna recognized us. What a small world it is (they had just come over to Paris for the day, from the cruise the are doing)! We hadn’t seen them since the summer of 2010. We sat and chatted and laughed at the chance meeting. The bus drove by the Palais Bourbon Assemblie Nationale, crossed over the Pont de la Concorde into the Place de la Concorde with its towering obelisk. We said goodbye to our friends, agreeing to call them to see if we could meet up later. We proceeded down the Champs Elysee that became busier with tourists and commercial businesses as we neared the towering and impressive L’Arc de Triomphe. It is fabulous, built between 1806 – 1836, to honor the French soldiers who fought during the Napoleonic era. Names of wars fought and generals were inscribed on and under the arches. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We drove around the Eiffel Tower – massive and impressive. Onward we drove past Hotel des Invalides, the veterans hospital, another impressive structure. Alongside this is the beautiful Eglise St. Louis, with its beautiful gold guilded dome. We ended our tour near Place d’Opéra, and Maxim’s (one of Paris’ most expensive restaurants) then we caught the metro back to our apt. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We managed to get a hold of our friends and agreed to join them on an evening dinner cruise on the Seine. We quickly fed J, who opted out of adult company, to stay at the apt to watch movies. We boarded the metro and found our way to their hotel. We enjoyed a glass of wine together there and then caught a cab to the Bateaux Mouches to board our dinner cruise. We had an excellent meal, lots of great chats and some great views of people hanging out, groups dancing, others sharing a bottle of wine enjoying the beautiful evening along the river walls. As we were nearing the end of the evening, sunset arrived and the Eiffel Tower as well as other buildings were alight, making for a great end to the evening.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, May 30, 2012 – </b>Today’s excursion is to the Eiffel Tower. We were out the door shortly before 9AM to walk to Gare du Nord to catch the train down to Notre Dame-St.Michel and then transfer onto another regional train to get to the stop Champs de Mars near the tower. This was our first time using the regional trains versus the Metro, and it’s always an adventure trying to figure out a new system and what to look for, but we did succeed! There is only one elevator operating for all the tourists. Advanced tickets are not available on line, so our only option is to stand in line. The line to the ticket booth took us just over an hour and quarter, weaving our way along the grounds, the line moved quite quickly. It was another 15 min. wait to board the elevator. This took us up to the second level and then boarded another elevator to take us to the top.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The view is amazing from way up top at 300 m. It’s a clear hot day with just a bit of haze, so we are easily able to pick out landmarks we visited the last couple of days. It meets and exceeds our expectations and it makes the wait worthwhile. It’s one of the places J really wanted to visit. It took a while to get back down to level one as we had to wait for the elevator. We decided to walk from level one to ground taking about 300 steps. The structure is magnificent and imposing. It weighs 7000 tons and has 3 platforms. Another wonderful memory made this morning!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We found a café nearby to have lunch. The lineup at the restaurant on the 1<sup>st</sup> level was too long to bother waiting. We had had enough of waiting in lines for today. Lunch was very enjoyable. We made our way back on the train which was not nearly as busy as coming out this AM. Once we returned back to Gare du Nord, we wanted to buy train tickets for Versailles. Some boys tried to scam us at the kiosk several times. Gotta give it to them for being persistent – three different guys, three different ages approached us to “help” us - No, we didn’t want their help. This is a major train station in Paris, and one really has to watch for the con artists! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We did manage to finally get our tickets, and then we returned to the apt. J hung out while we walked up the street to the local Carrefour market to buy groceries for the next few days. We returned for a cold one and some relaxation. It’s certainly hot out today!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday, May 31, 2012 - </b>Today was our trip to the Palace of Versailles. We had to take the regional train as Versailles is located outside of the city of Paris. We were up early today, since we wanted to be at the gates for when it opened at 9AM. We had a quick breakfast and left the apt at 7:45 and were boarded on the train by 8. We had taken this same train connection yesterday, so we knew where the platform was located (two levels below ground). Having figured out the train connections yesterday, took a lot longer, we were able to make our connection easily and we were on the train to Versailles. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We arrived at the station Versailles Rive-Gauche by 8:45 and we following Rick Steeve’s directions, were at the gate at 8:55 and quickly entered the security check and were on our way across the Royal Courtyard to enter the Palace. As we wandered the rooms in a one-way direction, we listened to our audioguide and took lots of pictures. The ceilings in each room are works of art, often telling a story and were related to the name of the room. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> King Louis XIV’s bedroom was the grandest room were toured, with it’s massive artwork and beautiful fireplace. We walked through Marie Antoinette’s room and saw the door by which she escaped during the uprise in the Revolution. The paintings on the walls were incredible and some were immense. The two-story chapel was the first room we viewed, both from level 1 and 2. Louis XIV had this built late in his 74 year reign, after his wife and children had already died and be became religious - must have known his time was near. It was exquisite. There was a dining room that they had where they ate regularly with a public audience – things people did for entertainment in those days!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> As our tour progressed, it became busier and we were glad to have come early. Once we finished the chateau tour, we went out to view the extensive gardens – that cover about 800 hectares. The gardens are in true French garden format, mostly greenery and not flowered. The number of marble statues and urns within this area could have filled a museum! They were beautiful and in fabulous shape. It’s amazing the detail the artists were able to portray in their works. There was a grand canal (in a cross format) within the center by which paths and sectioned gardens and fountains radiated from. During the summer months, the park fountains are operated on the weekends, a pretty sight that would be. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We stopped for a coffee and snack break at a café within the gardens and then continued on our walk to the to the Grand Trianon, Louis XIV’s “escape from it all chateau” as well as Marie Antoinette’s estate and hamlet, inclusive of her perfumed sheep! Small compared to Versailles, but very grand nevertheless. They were not open as it was before 12, so we decided to pass on waiting and headed for a restaurant near the canal for yet another very good lunch. We headed back to the apt and slacked off for the rest of the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Friday, June 1, 2012 </b>– On the touring schedule for today, the Louvre. This used to be one of the royal palaces and from the looks of the outside and the interior ceilings, it still retains the magnificence today! We arrived at the entrance just before opening at 9AM. We used our museum passes to bypass most of the line and then split to get audioguides and a map of the place. Its actually three connected buildings and huge! There’s no way we’ll see the whole place. A sense of the size is given by something M read – that if you spend only 10 seconds on each piece in the Lourve then it will take more than a month to see the entire museum!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Armed with the map and audioguide, as well as T’s research from last night, and each of us having already said what we want to see (J picked Egyptian pieces, while M wants to see more of the Masters paintings, and T added seeing some of the great sculputes that are here), we’re off to check out this wonderful museum. Since there’s not many people here yet, we decide to check out the room that houses the Mona Lisa (when we were in Madrid we had a chance to see what some say is the best copy of the Mona Lisa ever, believed done by one of Da Vinci’s students at the same time he was doing the original). We find it easily and have a look and then spend time checking out some of the other marvelous works within the room, such as the Wedding Feast of Cana by Paola Caliari, the Louvre’s largest painting. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Through our 2.5 tour we enjoyed seeing works by Ruben, Rembrandt, LeBrun, Delacroix, and Gericault. As well as some of the museum’s Egyptian collection that J had asked to see. There were so many wonderful sculptures, including the Venus da Milo, and a number of Michelangelo sculptures. We learned a few things about art as well as enjoyed ourselves. One of the things we really enjoyed was that the audioguides would only tell about a few paintings in a section, but told a lot about those few. That way we learned much more about a few and did not feel overwhelmed trying to see hundreds! Its actually quite fascinating to learn about the background of what the artist was trying to achieve, and how the artists used their work to ‘speak’ their views.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We decided to take the metro up towards the end of the Champs Elysees to have lunch somewhere. We got off at George V station and found a restaurant by the same name and enjoyed lunch on the sidewalk terrace. M and T had some wonderful beef bourgignon and vin while enjoying the atmosphere, J chose pizza. We left the restaurant and wandered amongst the crowded sidewalks toward the Arc de Triomphe . We crossed the avenue and proceeded down along the busy street to the Franklin D. Roosevelt metro station. It was cool to walk this famous street, people watch, and just enjoy the atmosphere. We returned back to the apt to enjoy the afternoon and evening.<br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, June 2, 2012 </b>– A beautiful sunny day today and we’re headed to Ile de la Cité to tour Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle. We did go down to a café on the corner of our street for a coffee and enjoy some people watching. It is definitely quieter on the weekend. Both the sidewalks as well as the streets are quieter. We don’t see nearly the number of cylists dressed in work clothes humming down the street enroute to work.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Later in the morning, we took the metro down to the stop right across the Seine from the island. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">So with a short walk across one of the many bridges that span the river we began our way toward the cathedral. The square in front of the church is very crowded. The line to get into the church is quite long to enter, but it moves fast. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The church is beautiful on the exterior with many statues on the façade as well as twin bell towers. The church will be 850 years old next year and took some 200 years to complete. The stained glass rose shaped windows are fabulous with the light shining through them. It is very crowded, so it’s not as enjoyable to admire the interior. There are some wonderful carvings with Mary in the center cradling Jesus, surrounded by the halo of the rose window. It has the typical basilica floor plan; a long central nave lined with columns and flanked by side aisles. It’s designed in the shape of a cross with the altar in the intersection. This church can hold up to 10,000 people. Behind the altar area in the choir area with wood carved walls featuring scenes of Jesus’ life along it’s perimeter. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The interior is not as elaborate as basilicas we have seen in other European cities. The exterior is very elaborate and beautiful. We enjoyed wandering through the park alongside of the cathedral. It’s enjoyable to sit on a park bench and enjoy the view of the church and surroundings. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We left Notre Dame to head over to the Concierge Buildings where the Legislative Assembly meets. It was long ago that there was a former jail here, where Marie Antoinette was beheaded. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_9zOA8IYYqKHQFuDF4pUjwNwH_Woxi7jwPbvZmMK32lM5BHqCo4Ua0wlI_8INJnq0U8G6EeJoxj9vUPlmXciX91K1jMynbXeWgfq-q4sxVd576YsXhyphenhyphenbwngQr_qrhFMrf03NdeLrVVU/s1600/IMG_2673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_9zOA8IYYqKHQFuDF4pUjwNwH_Woxi7jwPbvZmMK32lM5BHqCo4Ua0wlI_8INJnq0U8G6EeJoxj9vUPlmXciX91K1jMynbXeWgfq-q4sxVd576YsXhyphenhyphenbwngQr_qrhFMrf03NdeLrVVU/s400/IMG_2673.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We didn’t go through any of this area, but went to look at the Saint Chapelle. This church was built by Louis IX to house the supposed original Crown of Thorns from when Jesus was crucified he had purchased for 3 times the cost of the church’s construction (M noted his disbelief that this was the original crown of thorns some 1200 years later). The church has 1100 stain glass window panes telling the stories of the Bible. They were beautiful and made up the walls of the top floor of the church. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We left Ile de la Cité and wandered across the Seine and walking past a couple of blocks of flower/plant shops and found a great little café for another leisure lunch! Awesome. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We made our way back to the metro and to the apt. Tonight we decided to check out a restaurant nearby for dinner. Yet again, we had a wonderful meal and enjoyed wandering within the area nearby our apt. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, June 3, 2012 – </b>Today’s tour began about 1 o’clock. J said he was art-ed out, so M and T went out on their own to check out a few museums. But, first, we had to stop for lunch. We took the metro down to the Louvre and found a café to have a glass of Chablis and a salad.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We enjoyed walking through Parc Tulieres, outside the Louvre to get to Musée Orangerie where we were delighted and in awe of 8 mural sized paintings by Monet titled les Nymphéas, water lilies. From here, we walked over to Musée Rodin and toured the beautiful rose gardens as well as other greenery and again were amazed with the talent of this remarkable artist whose works include the “Thinker”. He convinced the Parisian government to save a grand hotel in 1916 and in exchange he left his extensive collection for public display – a fabulous place. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We took the metro back to Ile de la Cité to return to Notre Dame as we thought there might be a an organ concert at 4:30. There is a massive pipe organ and we were looking forward to hearing it as the acoustics would be awesome here. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one. However, we did spend more time checking out the front façade that has many sculptures. We returned to the apt to relax and kick back for the rest of the evening. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday, June 4, 2012 – </b>We’ve been planning this day for a couple of month’s now. The French Open Tennis tournament is going on and we bought 4<sup>th</sup> round tickets for the day. We are scheduled to see two women and two men’s games. We took the metro out to the Roland Garros Stade, it took a half hour. We managed to find the complex, which is huge, after one wrong turn. It is quite well laid out and we know the gate where we need to enter. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> There are three main courts in stadium format and then many other courts with much smaller stands. We have tickets for the Philippe Chatrier Court. M scored us fabulous seats, at the service line, first section, third row. We are just above eye level of the players. All three of us are amazed at the skill of the players we see. The schedule has an addition of a men’s tie breaker match from last evening as it couldn’t finish because of darkness. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> So, we watched 3 matches for men and 1 women’s match (about 8 hours of tennis). We had hoped to see Raphael Nadal, however, he has been switched to Court 1 (we think because there is a French player Richard Gasquet playing Andy Murray today, so that match has been scheduled to play where we are as this is the centre court). We’re a bit disappointed as all three of us really like him, but we were treated to some wonderful tennis action throughout the day. We were able to watch Andy Murray (4), Jo Wilfried Tsonga (5), David Ferrer (6) and Maria Sharapova (2). What a fantastic day we had. Of course, we each had to get a shirt to commemorate our visit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91oF7SdMkjRroEk8FIhpZrIWA3Aj5nS0b7Us39f-4gJLB24EkE7nZ-IiNMwC090jTwym0UjtXI083gOK3JGM4npMRsg6q6-q47UiB-yTfRjym26hKDAixyHF2WYH6Msl54KFcJ1-9TgA/s1600/P1140812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91oF7SdMkjRroEk8FIhpZrIWA3Aj5nS0b7Us39f-4gJLB24EkE7nZ-IiNMwC090jTwym0UjtXI083gOK3JGM4npMRsg6q6-q47UiB-yTfRjym26hKDAixyHF2WYH6Msl54KFcJ1-9TgA/s400/P1140812.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday June 5</b> – The last day before we fly home. We have already done all the things we planned for Paris, so today is a relax and pack day. We sleep in, then M packs and finds room for everything that have not already shipped home. J watches his favorite TV shows and plays Internet games. T decides to do some Paris shopping as there is a clothing store she is fond of here in Europe, so she opts to see what deals she can find. We have our last dinner out, then go back to the apartment to share our last bottle of Blanquette de Limoux, to celebrate all the wonderful experiences we have enjoyed, and that we are now going home where we can see family and friends.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday June 6 </b> - We get up in time for T and M to have one more coffee in a Paris café complete with almond croissant, then back to the apt to have our last French quiche while J has the breakfast he has been enjoying regularly (pan fried potatoes with lardon – French bacon pieces). Then we jump in our cab and head to Charles de Gaulle airport to catch our flight home. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Shaw Adventure #1 complete – will there be a sequel??</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b> Epilogue</b> - We have enjoyed keeping the blog as a way for folks to follow our adventure, and for a written and pictorial record for J to have. We appreciate all those that have checked out what we have done. Thanks for ‘joining’ us!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">For those of you that like statistics T said that M had to keep the numbers, so dutiful as he is, here are some of the numbers that we counted up summarize the adventure.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Days we traveled = 392</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Countries we visited = 19</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Apartment stays = 42</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Hotel stays = 59 </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Distance traveled (excluding within cities on public transport) = 95240 km </div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 39.35pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>By airplane = 41300 km</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 39.35pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>By car = 39000</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 39.35pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>By tour bus / van = 8200 km</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 39.35pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>By train = 6000 km</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 39.35pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>By ship / ferry = 740 km</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Pictures taken (after deleting the ones we did not like) = 16967</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Journal pages typed = 320</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Blog posts = 63</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Cost of the adventure = not reportable</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Things we found to buy and send home = way more than we expected </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Wonderful experiences had = too many to count</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Memories = almost enough to last a life time</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Effect on our lives = Priceless</div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-53268360643111426832012-05-27T08:10:00.000-07:002012-05-27T08:10:16.927-07:00Update from Normandy France<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Saturday, May 19, 2012 – </b>Got things packed, had a quick breakfast and we were on the road by 9AM as planned. Today’s journey will take us all the way across France, over 800 km to near Bagnoles d’Orne, Normandy. We left Munster and the vineyards in the sunshine that made the drive more enjoyable. We drove south to Belfort, then instead of reversing our route from last week from Burgundy, we headed northwest to Langers. It was quite rural and not highly populated along this route – mostly farming.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Once in Langres, we joined up with the autoroute system. We found an autocafe along the route to grab a quick bite to eating before heading up near Paris and skirting around it. We continued down past Chartres and then north at Le Mans to Alencon. We made a stop in Alencon to pick up groceries for a number of days. We’re going to use up the rest of our supplies that we’ve kept on hand the last few months as we’re getting near the end of trip, and we give back our car on Saturday. Traffic was much less today than we anticipated compared to our prior drive along the autoroute in this part of France a few weeks ago. The rain began to fall near Alencon and continued on to our destination of La Colougne, a tiny hamlet outside of Haleine, about 6 km from Bagnoles de l’Orne. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, May 20, 2012 – </b>Really raining today, so after our 800 km drive yesterday, we decided to hang out in our gite we’ve rented for the week. The owner is actually from Calgary, an interesting coincidence. It is large and very well equipped, fast Internet, British satellite TV, and a great quaint location! It’ll be a great week. We went for a walk to check out the rural roads around this little hamlet of about 5 houses. The rural road is fine, but once we met up with a more utilized road, we chose not to walk on it as there was no shoulder, its wet out, and the cars seemed to be going fast. Later we Skyped a number of people and caught up – it was great to chat. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday, May 21, 2012 – </b>It’s still raining today – everything is very vibrant green. From reading the guest book, it does rain fairly frequently here, but it is beautiful – very much like Brittany. Finally stopped raining after lunch! We went for a drive to check out the spa town Bagnoles de l’Orne - a pretty town with thermal spas, quaint and well-maintained old buildings. There’s a nice park system where we went for a walk around the pond within it. We walked along some of the streets, enjoying the gardens and buildings. On the way back to our car, we came across a chocolatier where we purchased some yummy morsels to enjoy over the next few days. We also stopped at a bakery to pick up a fresh loaf of bread to enjoy back at the gite. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We went for a drive out in the rural areas and through some villages nearby. One thing we will remember about France is the quaint villages we have come across. We return back to the gite where we have a great dinner and enjoy some TV.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6j-XgXmnmLd79EwDOh3pjSmO5mLPMyFb7mJbIkyrUAFXIQpV3KyMxGyNOYgEoXeIh98eHPJUkbOKVpZ5TiCXdHWF7RXSGH2qDnH-K3gLnoK2feU8EXaiklJt5pmDDPB-xf0M1-p19Kh0/s1600/P1130919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6j-XgXmnmLd79EwDOh3pjSmO5mLPMyFb7mJbIkyrUAFXIQpV3KyMxGyNOYgEoXeIh98eHPJUkbOKVpZ5TiCXdHWF7RXSGH2qDnH-K3gLnoK2feU8EXaiklJt5pmDDPB-xf0M1-p19Kh0/s400/P1130919.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, May 22, 2012 – </b>Today we decided to head north up to the Canadian DDay landing beach, Juno Beach, as well as the Canadian Museum. It is about 130 km of here. We drove from our little hamlet through Domfront, another medieval city. We passed a fortress, William the Conqueror era, that overlooked parts of the town with some walls crumbling. There are also some narrow streets only accessible by foot. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We then drove through numerous towns until we reached Caen, a city destroyed by WW II bombing, and rebuilt since then, so now a modern city of 115 000 people. We talked how it looks bigger than the stated population. Our destination is to a little seaside town Courseulles sur Mer where Juno Beach and the Canadian built museum are located. We spent about 2.5 hours here and likely could have spent more, but the French lunch hour was nearing an end. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The museum was built by donations to commemorate Canada’s contribution to France’s eventual liberation from Germany. When veterans came to DDay commemorative ceremonies and noticed that Canada’s story wasn’t being told, they took it upon themselves to present it. It’s a great museum as well as park that locals and tourists can enjoy and learn from. There was a wealth of information that all three of us found interesting and informative. It was well worth the drive and J had just learned about these events in his social studies curriculum this year. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> After the museum, we headed for lunch at an outdoor café near the marina. After a delicious leisure lunch, we headed north to the city of Honfleur, located across the harbor from Le Havre. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We found a parking spot right down by the picturesque harbor. It is here that we found the commemorative plaque of the site/building where Samuel de Champlain left to discover Quebec in 1603. The harbor is lined with tall slim buildings, built this way because long ago, buildings were taxed based on width on the street front. So, the buildings were slim but built with 5 or 6 stories. The harbor has all sorts of cafes lining it on three sides. We walk by artists painting the scenes and all sorts of tourists sitting at a table enjoying the view, sunshine and some libation.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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How's that for a low bridge? I wonder how all the sail boats get under it?<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We chose a different return route through Liseaux, with a great looking cathedral, as well as some little villages that led us to our quick stop in Camembert. This town, the namesake of that wonderful creamy cheese is about 10 buildings, including the maison du fromage. We read about the history of the cheese, introduced to the farmers by a monk who left Brittany and taught them a new cheese making. We bought a small wheel of Camembert as well as a small bottle of VSOP Calvados, apple brandy, another specialty of this region.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Our short detour led us along narrow roads alongside individual farmyards. We traveled through several towns including Argentan, for about an hour before we arrived back at our place. We had a quick dinner and enjoyed some TV while catching up on some emails. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Wednesday, May 23, 2012 – </b>Today, we enjoyed the sunshine and warmth, it was 25C. J and T played paddleball outside, and enjoyed a rousing game. After lunch, we went for a ride along one of the many countryside roads with a stop at a Super U to pick up some groceries for the remainder of the week. There are many farms raising cattle mainly dairy - no wonder Normandy is known for its cream and cheese! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We drove through the town of La Ferté – Macé with and detoured along a street to take a picture of its cool church, the use of bricks on the exterior was something that we hadn’t seen anything like this. Actually we have seen some wonderful churches and especially in northern France. It seems that almost every village, town, or city has a church with a towering spire. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday, May 24, 2012 – </b>Today, we were up early and on the road by 8am for our road trip to go to Le Mont-St- Michel, another pilgrimage site like several other places we have visited on this leg of our journey. It’s one of the most visited landmarks of France. According to our tourist book it’s crawling with tourists between 11 and 4 pm, so we’re up early. Even though it’s only 100 km away it takes about an hour and half because we’re traveling on roads that go through many towns. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We have no trouble finding the parking area. However, it’s somewhat foggy, so we can’t see the top of the spire with Archangel St. Michael. We’re dressed in shorts, and we hope it’ll get warmer later. Mont St Michel is an abbey, still inhabited with monks. It’s currently attached to the mainland by a causeway. However, the French are doing extensive work to re-establish the island. When we arrived around 9:30 the parking lot was near empty. We walk about a km, crossing the causeway, to arrive at the entrance. While walking, we noticed there were shuttle buses running to the village city. Oh well, we can use the exercise. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> With our trusty Rick Steeve’s book we plotted out our trek up to the abbey entrance avoiding crowds of the people. We walked along the ramparts climbing stairs in relative isolation. There were some wonderful views of Bay St. Michel. Tide is going out, apparently it’s second to the Fundy tides in strength and size. Once we reached the entrance, the singles line was empty while the groups line had many people in it, likely 4 or 5 buses. We bought our tickets and picked up an audioguide and bypassed the line of “group” tourists and headed in. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The first place we passed through had models of the Abbey. The original, a modest sanctuary built atop of the rock around 708 AD, eventually morphed over the centuries into the huge edifice it is today. The architecture and engineering are amazing. Typical of an abbey, everything is plain inside. We spent a couple of hours here. When finished the tour, we walked down through the one narrow street into the village below. It was busy with tourists walking up to the abbey or browsing in the myriad of tourist souvenir shops, restaurants. There are a few little hotels on the island as well. We were pleased with our decision to skirt around the village on the way up. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We noticed the crowds of people arriving as we were leaving. We did take advantage of the shuttle bus as it pulled up just as we were getting ready to leave. J was very happy about that. The parking lot was filling up now – with more people arriving. It must be insane during the summer! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We decided to drive over to Cancale, Brittany to have lunch. It’s along the “Emerald Coast” and known for its oyster and mussel farming. We had a wonderful lunch with cooked oysters as well as fish mains. It was wonderful sitting in the sunshine, 22 C, along the coast and enjoyed the atmosphere. The tide continued to go out while we were eating. On the way back to the car park, we could see the local fisherman checking their oyster/mussel farms. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The drive back to our place was enjoyable and enjoyed the beauty of the flowering shrubs as well as the sights. When we returned inland to our place, it was 25 C, so we chilled until dinner and then watched TV for the evening.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, May 25, 2012 – </b>Today’s another beautiful day in Normandy, it’s again 25 C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re getting organized to head to Paris tomorrow to drop off our trusty Peugeot that’s kept us company for almost 4 months now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did a few errands and went for one final drive along the Normandy country roads – we have enjoyed doing these drives. Certainly the Normandy area reminds M of eastern Canada, with many many roads, farmland, and quaint villages. We decide to go out for dinner at the Café du Paris in Bagnoles de l’Orne which overlookeds the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a nice evening out and we did a little tour of the town looking for ice-cream, but everything was closed except for restaurants – oh well, we’ll survive. We head back to the apartment to catch another episode of NCIS before heading off to bed. </div><!--EndFragment--></div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-84920531552157157682012-05-23T00:08:00.000-07:002012-05-23T00:08:21.563-07:00Update from Alsace France <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, May 12, 2012 </b>– Today we are leave the beautiful region of Burgundy to head to the town of Munster, in the Alsace-Lorraine region. Again our drive will be around 4 hours. We decided to stop in Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy as it was on our way east and it was one of the places T had wanted to see. Most of the drive up to just outside of the city is farmland. As we are just a couple of km outside of the city, the land becomes a series of vineyards. Pinot Noir is the best known red wine. Once we enter the city limits, we can see many caves of different wineries, some have been around for a long time.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We found a parking spot not far from the city centre. It’s busy today and we find out that it’s market day, and its likely the best market we have attended in France. Our destination is the Hotel Dieu, the hospice begun in the 1200’s as a husband and wife wanted to provide a hospital for poor people. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We wander along the streets, enjoying the views and eventually come to the town center where the streets are cobbled, pedestrian only. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> After a great lunch of bouef bourguignon at a little wine bar we headed back to the car and continued on our route slightly northeast along a major route past Besancon, Belfort, and then turn north before we get to Mulhouse toward Colmar. As we furthered our drive, traffic became heavier. We passed many transport trucks from all over the EU. As we got closer to Besancon, the landscape began to change with many more treed areas and pasture land. The hills were larger too, but nothing like the Pyrenees or Alps. We also noticed the names of the cities in this region began to reflect the German influence. If we didn’t know it, if we only had the road signs to go by, we’d think we were in Germany or perhaps Switzerland! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">This region switched hands between the French and Germans several times in history. The Germans figured the Vosges Mountains was the border and the French figured the border was the Rhine River, so there is section about 20 miles wide that both countries thought they owned. We see this valley appears quite different than other parts of France we have visited – which is great. As we arrive into the Rhine Valley – we again see loads of vineyards and by now, the vines all have leaves on them, filling out nicely. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We stopped in a town called Guebwiller to buy some groceries to get us through the next few days. This town was about 20 km south of Munster. Navi has the address for our accommodation for the week. We are in a small apt. block that has a great view of the Munster as we are on a slight hill in a lovely setting. All three of us think we’re going to enjoy this week. After a nice dinner, we went for a walk to check out some of the town – a quiet place with the Bavarian look. We are pleased to learn that Munster is hosting a jazz festival (25<sup>th</sup> year) this week that we’ll want to check out. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, May 13, 2012 </b>– Mother’s Day at home, so the boys are going to cook dinner tonight – YES! We have fast and reliable Internet this week, so we all begin to get caught up on the news. Interesting how not having it for the last couple of weeks, coupled with only French language TV, has been somewhat of a hassle. Not long ago we would have never thought anything about not being in touch with the daily happenings and would have used the old fashion way of the telephone and letter writing as well as simply do without…</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> As usual after our traveling / moving day on Saturday, today will be a down day to relax and enjoy ourselves. It is a bright sunny day, so we take advantage of the terrace and sit out in the sunshine, enjoying a coffee and reading. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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We find there are storks that nest here.<br />
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The village of Munster.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Later in the afternoon we decided to check out the walking trail that passes in front of our place. It led up into the hills to a couple of tiny villages with some great gardens, birds chirping and wonderful surroundings. All three of us enjoyed the hour and a half walk that allowed us a great view of the valley </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">before turning around and returning to the apt. M and J made T’s requested meal and we enjoyed a nice champagne type wine from Burgundy to celebrate. Later we Skyped some family members to catch up.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday, May 14, 2012</b> – Today we are off to ‘bag’ countries 18 and 19, Luxembourg and Belgium. J concluded that we should do this while here in Alsace as we are only 3 hours south, so figured, why not? We drive north to Luxembourg to check out this small duchy. Our drive took us along a major and busy autoroute past Strasbourg, up to Metz and then directly north into Luxembourg. Not long after driving north of Colmar that we leave behind the vineyards. We could also see remnants as well as still standing fortresses from long ago on hilltops. We recall going through this valley on our train trip last year at this time when we went from Naples north to Hamburg, Germany. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> It’s amazing the number of transport trucks on the highways. As we drive we notice that some parts of this region are not very populated and quite wooded. Luxembourg is small, under 1000 sq km with about 500 000 people. Once we entered the country it wasn’t long before entering the city of Luxembourg. We easily managed to find parking in an underground parkade, as it seems that is the best option here in the city. We came above ground into a plaza next to the pedestrian only streets where many locals were. We had no trouble finding a restaurant in this area for lunch – an excellent fare. After lunch we wondered some of the streets and took a few pictures. It was very picturesque and very clean. We wandered along the top of one of the rampart walls and enjoyed our surroundings in the sunshine. It was a little cooler here than in Munster about 18C. There were many buildings with lots of character. We wandered for a bit, before heading back to the car to continue our drive. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We head into Belgium for a short time. We see some cows in the fields and T wonders if they produce chocolate milk. We find a town to stop in and T and J head out to find some Belgian chocolate. They had no luck and concluded just because we came into B elgium perhaps not every store will sell their famous chocolates. Oh well, we hop back on the car and having set foot in country #19, head back into France and on our way back to the apartment. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Along our drive we passed a number of WW cemeteries with hundreds and possibly thousands of crosses remembering those soldiers who perished. This area that we drove through saw much devastation during the wars.<br />
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As M had chosen a different route back than we had taken this morning we drove due south from Luxembourg, past Metz and Nancy until we cross over the mountains to arrive back in Munster. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> T magically whips up one of her many fabulous dinners and we find the IIHF (world hockey) tournament on TV, so we watch a little hockey. Its not Canada playing (Switzerland vs Slovakia) but it is hockey and J is pleased to watch.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, May 15, 2012</b> – Down day today. Not great weather, with on and off rain. Caught up on a few emails and some other stuff. Watched a cool you tube about tiny houses. It sure gave us something to think about and we had recognized a few cities from our recent travels.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, May 16, 2012</b> – Today we drove over to Freiburg, Germany, about 50 km from here to send a parcel home via DHL, Deutsche Poste. We found that it was the most economical way of sending stuff home, and we’re not far from the border. As well, we wanted to once again have a wonderful German meal before heading back home. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We had to travel through Colmar to catch the autoroute into Germany, actually didn’t take long to be in the other country. Once we cross the Rhine, we are in Germany.<br />
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The area along here is quite flat with some terraced vineyards and other crops. Freiburg is a fair size city<br />
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and we easily found Deutsche Poste (with Navi’s help) and luck would have it the Kartoffenhaus – a restaurant that served wonderful food. J had his wish – schnitzel and fried potatoes. T had potato au gratin with salmon and spinach (like a lasagna) and M had a local speciality – Alsatian sausage and cheese salad. One thing about German portions, you never go hungry, food is wonderful and prices are very reasonable! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Our trip back we continued south on the autoroute in Germany and crossed near Mulhouse and drove along the other side of the Rhine. However, we soon found it was very industrialized and not at all what we were hoping for. We did cross over into Germany yet again to see if we could find some German bratwurst – we finally did after driving through a number of little towns (about 40 min) that we weren’t able to find the grocer on the main road. We finally found a grocery store just inside the border! Oh well, we got to see some great little villages. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Thursday, May 17, 2012 </b>– We awake to blue sky and sunshine! Laid back morning then did laundry. This afternoon we went for another walk into Munster to take some photos of the town. The sun is shining and a slight breeze, fairly warm in the sunshine, but in the shade it’s cool. We walked down into the town center, took pictures of the storks that have set up nests on over looking the center. M even got christened by one – good thing the wind was blowing and T had a Kleenex to wipe up the little mess. As we were wandering about and enjoying the town, we noticed many shops were closed. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We did manage to find a great patesserie that was open to pick up some treats for our morning coffee as well as dessert – Yum! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We found a outside table at a bar on the corner of the main square and enjoyed a beer and watched the world go by the center of Munster. The town was humming today with motorbikes and cyclists as well as vehicles passing through town. We both surmised there must by a holiday – Googled it - it’s another French national holiday (they have 4 in the month of May) – Feast of the Ascension. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We returned to the apt, dropped off our treats and picked up J to return to town to go to a concert at 5pm at the Protestant Church in conjunction with the Jazz Festival. The artist is Sydney Ellis from Cleveland, Ohio, performing gospel/blues. The place was full and even though she sang everything in English, the audience appreciated her vocals and her band. We returned home to have our brats, roast potatoes and veggies for dinner. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Friday, May 18, 2012 – </b>Another laid back day.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Got things organized for tomorrow’s departure, worked out, and read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to go out for dinner tonight, restaurants don’t open until 7pm and serve until about 9:30 pm (be sure to be there not too late, or they may not serve you).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M thought he had seen a restaurant advertising fondue, but when we arrived, it wasn’t offered on the night’s menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, we chose to eat here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were very pleased with our choice and it was a busy place, so we did well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cuisine here is German influenced and the choices on the menu reflect this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of things are served on choucrotte (Saurcraut) as well as schnitzels to name a few things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J ordered escargot (he has acquired a taste for these little guys since arriving here) as well as grilled pork escallope with amazing pomme frites!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M decided on a local dish, ham hock served on choucrotte, while T ordered cordon bleu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three of us had huge portions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M and T decided to try a local Pinot Gris – a little too sweet for our tastes, not at all like the one we had the other day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We reminisced of how in our first couple of years of dating we actually drank Reislings regularly- Yikes oh how our tastes have changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a great time enjoying the atmosphere and then waddled back to our apt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great week here, enjoying the beauty of the countryside, each morning hearing the birds chirp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed watching the locals fish in the pond down below our place and see the occasional fish jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The valley is very green, we even saw fresh snow high above in the pass we had traveled down on Monday, that elevation was just over 1100 m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><!--EndFragment--></div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-46431889061565094182012-05-13T11:55:00.000-07:002012-05-13T11:55:39.472-07:00Update from Burgundy France<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Saturday, May 5, 2012 – </b>Today we are leaving the lovely Loire Valley for the Burgundy Region. Apparently lots of good wine to be had in this region, I guess we’ll be forced to try a few to see if what is said is indeed try. Our drive was about 240 km. It was interesting to see the transformation of the landscape from leaving the Loire valley that’s relatively flat to the more hilly and at times forested lands of Burgundy. With M driving, T began to read aloud <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Call of the Wild</i> by Jack London. Although M has already read it he enjoys listening almost as much as J likes to be read to. We quickly learn what a wonderful story this is.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Not only did the landscape change but so has the architecture of the older buildings within villages. Again, we are treated to seeing wonderful “back in time” half timbered houses and buildings similar to what we had seen in Brittany. Reading about the history of this region, we learn it didn’t become part of France until the late 18<sup>th</sup> century, often lending its support to the English kings in battle against France. This is probably why we see this type of architecture in the old medieval cities. Religion also played a huge role as the villages all have beautiful churches, many with tall steeples so everyone would be able to find where the church was, often in the center of the town. Similar to other European cities – Spain, Italy and Portugal, the churches are beautiful. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> As we were traveling through the small town of Aubigny-St-Nere we noticed the weekly market was underway. We decided to stop and see what was available. We decided to buy poulet roti, et pommes de terre rotis as well as some fresh veggies and fruit. We made our way down the pedestrian only street bordered on either side by old half-timbered buildings, some in great shape and some with a bit of a lean. As we make our way down the street, the market stalls are starting to pack up, so we went in search of a bakery for some fresh bread as well as some treats. The street near the bakery was humming with the locals sitting out enjoying drinks, conversation and lunch. We found the needed bakery, bought our goodies and then headed to a picnic table we had seen and had a picnic. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjG4irBn4CGt9eeKRku_ogPl2FtfyEXBlOAusGLWakxzYLInBXtBfCS6M-_fEJaLmIExvDjaQgY13aR0KrHGRzZCstoUZToF7Zn1wc6y6qmLQRM3WvtzU495RS5sB1iOutAPHBWFx4yw/s1600/P1130291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjG4irBn4CGt9eeKRku_ogPl2FtfyEXBlOAusGLWakxzYLInBXtBfCS6M-_fEJaLmIExvDjaQgY13aR0KrHGRzZCstoUZToF7Zn1wc6y6qmLQRM3WvtzU495RS5sB1iOutAPHBWFx4yw/s400/P1130291.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">While driving we have noticed that there are plants that seem to grow alongside the trees that make the edge of the forest look like a sculptured wall, all natural.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We drove over to Auxerre where we picked up some groceries for the next few days. It’s the capital of this department, Yonne (department being the French term for what is likely called a county at home). We had to drive about 30 km to arrive in Noyers. Our accommodation, La Petit Poche, is a part of an old building, which has been renovated. We had experienced a torrential downpour when we were coming out of the store and later in the evening, the sky opened up to another deluge of rain. The gite’s ceiling in J’s room leaked – resulting in some damp clothing! We’ll do some laundry in the morning. We’ll have to let the management company know about the leak – don’t think it’s the first time based on what we see in the gite’s guestbook.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, May 6, 2012 – </b>Today we decided to kick back after yesterday’s drive. We had a late breakfast. After lunch we went for a walk to explore the village of Noyers. We had no idea that the center village was from medieval times. This village is small with many old buildings – lending to the thought – do people live in all of these or are a bunch empty? We really enjoy wandering the old cobbled streets and checking out the old buildings. We’ll have to do some checking of the age of this village – as we don’t have any history on the place. There’s a gateway into the old centre with a clock tower attached. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> There are a number of shops and restaurants that are in the old town for people to enjoy. Many places are closed as today is Sunday. We wander around for a while and check out some of the alleys and old pathways. The clouds are moving in, so we decide to head back before the rain begins yet again. We could see as we are walking how high the streams and waterways are around here. We made it back in time before the rain started. We read another chapter of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Call of The Wild </i>a great story that we are all enjoying. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> While prepping for dinner, T looked down on the floor and saw a bunch of ants near our bag of supplies that was on the floor. Quickly finding some bug spray, M went to work killing the ants – not the first time we’ve encountered ants, but the first time they’ve gotten into our stuff. Counter space is a premium in this place, so we resorted to leaving a bag of supplies on the floor. So after the ant battle (making M think back to fairy tale stories “killed 7 with a single blow”), he washed our supplies that the ants had walked on and sprayed around to try to prevent any more ant invasions. Later, we found a TV channel which ket us change Hawaii Five 0 to English for the evenings entertainment.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday, May 7, 2012 – </b>On our way to Geneva today to see our friend, Marc. We decided this would be the closest we would be to him, the last chance for awhile to see Switzerland again, and some time to see more of Geneva. Our drive would take just over three hours. We chose to do the auto route as it was the fastest way and most direct. Noyers is 10 km off A6 that took us southeast past Beaune until Macon, where we basically headed due east. The Bourgogne countryside is beautiful rolling hills, with beautiful statuesque churches, some chateaux, mostly agricultural and some forestry. We could see many large wineries and industry related to wine passing by Beaune. The topography changed to tree covered mountains soon after Macon. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> As we traveled through the pass toward Switzerland, we recognized the valley as we had traveled the year before on the TGV from Paris to Naples (via Geneve/Milan). The highway was perched on viaducts along the mountainside for quite a distance and we had taken pictures of this road system from far below whole sitting in the train. Cool to be doing this pass again – which is very beautiful. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpFTSrw5bopZamwEFBdGVS-T2PaqggK7c5FlnondG4ZIjx5dPZNEPwg4-E0wZmFI3kMAfgMYpFSRqfHt8QgQyR6JTrHvkWKrxI_Af3_QJrUTQNaVDPcfFePpjwYktAZFTeCWYlBLvT10/s1600/P1130372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpFTSrw5bopZamwEFBdGVS-T2PaqggK7c5FlnondG4ZIjx5dPZNEPwg4-E0wZmFI3kMAfgMYpFSRqfHt8QgQyR6JTrHvkWKrxI_Af3_QJrUTQNaVDPcfFePpjwYktAZFTeCWYlBLvT10/s400/P1130372.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The French border is basically on the edge of the city of Geneve. This time we made sure we purchased the year pass for the Swiss autoroutes – 40CH. We had traveled through this country last year many times without one and had never been stopped. (Had no idea at the time that a pass was required). However, after our nasty surprise of being fined big time leaving Austria for not having one, we wanted to make sure we were law abiding!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The weather was great today, with broken cloud and no rain – even though it was forecasted for some – YES! We drove to our hotel, Novotel in the centre of the city and after a rather interesting drive through the city core we parked until we left the city. The streets are lined with various lanes: one for bus and taxi, another for bikes, yet another for cars all having arrows with various directions – making for visual overload, and added to that the taxis and buses seem to have different rules for traffic lights! We did manage to find our way and had to ignore Navi a couple of times to follow the signage painted on the roadways. It was quite something.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Our hotel was right in the midst of the core, not far from the lakefront. We enjoyed a stroll around and found a restaurant for lunch. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwQISCjWTS3WUmiuuBtPKVSP_KO2Wlx2Rty_0_4VGCnhuF61gGmbPE0fLBI9ZtCojoRvrAG-OhnQrZgK8fWs_Hcw8jpLa0tbUn3E39IbGc1UMm9Weot0q09TofPFuy5uqW44SULez0os/s1600/P1130373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwQISCjWTS3WUmiuuBtPKVSP_KO2Wlx2Rty_0_4VGCnhuF61gGmbPE0fLBI9ZtCojoRvrAG-OhnQrZgK8fWs_Hcw8jpLa0tbUn3E39IbGc1UMm9Weot0q09TofPFuy5uqW44SULez0os/s400/P1130373.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">A great lunch we had – and oh yes, we were back into the land of ridiculous pricing! A bottle of water at the table 11CH (about 12 Can). Oh well, we were celebrating J’s birthday. Lunch was a delicious affair and then we headed out to find the tram. Our hotel had a free transportation pass and we took advantage of it. Our aim this afternoon was to go to the United Nations site here in Geneva. The tram took us right near there and we managed to find the buildings where we could go for a tour. Along the walk we saw some cool stuff, including this "high" chair.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCifbtyf9za2sKuLB4a2Q0iGMxFFWx-Jot1CFfP-ZbXIOSly4fsNVZkvnUzxzeWkf9VVX_mhJCjMV97E1MpYnR3AaYswgIpokaNrZFk77Upm_KfgM-fYSQDaGTo7fAKFtgc1XBwbhKaGM/s1600/P1130379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCifbtyf9za2sKuLB4a2Q0iGMxFFWx-Jot1CFfP-ZbXIOSly4fsNVZkvnUzxzeWkf9VVX_mhJCjMV97E1MpYnR3AaYswgIpokaNrZFk77Upm_KfgM-fYSQDaGTo7fAKFtgc1XBwbhKaGM/s400/P1130379.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">It was 3:15 and the next English tour was at 4 – so we were in luck. We got our visitor badge and proceeded to the building where the tour was going to take place. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> It was a very informative hour and half with a great tour guide who explained the functions of the UN in Geneva. Basically it is the headquarters for four factions – human rights commission, world health, disarmament, and refugee services. We were able to visit various chambers including the human rights commission with its fabulous ceiling, as well as the 1939 League of Nations chamber where today peace talks take place. The hallways were like an art gallery with various presents or art from member countries – some magnificent pieces to admire. Pretty neat to walk amongst the halls and chambers where some important world matters have been discussed and settled. A very informative and well worth visit for all three of us.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-f-xQ_TOwmq3a4rT11SQVpTmeC89W_jNTLeBr6f3jv4a5NfMtf-ugvATu9eGaTdM2IB-diUUdcSjggFgzAzkpHCDetFskK4Tasni1rP_djAGs-8PiC-HKGLRP9hCNTn8yIFhEbd027k/s1600/P1130377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-f-xQ_TOwmq3a4rT11SQVpTmeC89W_jNTLeBr6f3jv4a5NfMtf-ugvATu9eGaTdM2IB-diUUdcSjggFgzAzkpHCDetFskK4Tasni1rP_djAGs-8PiC-HKGLRP9hCNTn8yIFhEbd027k/s400/P1130377.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Check out the cool ceiling, done by a Spanish artist to represent the sea floor.<br />
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Nice view, that's Mont Blanc shrouded in cloud at the end of the valley.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We caught the tram back to the stop near the hotel and got some work done on the net before meeting Marc for dinner at 7:30. We went for dinner at Restaurant Duo and had a wonderful evening telling tales of our adventure as well as catching up with him - great to see our friend. We headed back to the hotel just after 11pm.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tuesday, May 8, 2012 </b>– Today’s J’s 11<sup>th</sup> birthday. Not being home to have a party with his friends and cousins was a bit disappointing for him, but he was a trooper about it. We met with Marc again this morning and got a bit of a tour of Old Geneva. M had his first encounter with someone trying to pickpocket him with the “drop the ring on the ground trick”. It was not hard to see what the guy was trying to do, and we quickly moved on as did the crook! Our host was quite disgusted. We visited the commemorative wall on the grounds of the University of Geneva of the history of the city of Geneva as well as important historical events – very interesting. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We had lunch with our friend then said goodbye, as it was time for us to head back to France. Taking the cab back we found out it was a national holiday in France and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>hence the streets in Geneva are much quieter than usual. We were told 75 000 French residents come to work in Geneva<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>daily, this was not surprising to us as Marc had said was very expensive to live in (he doesn’t live there either, just works there)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </b> The drive out of the city was much less confusing today. We decided to take a different route back so we could see a different area. We headed along the lake toward Lausanne until we reached the town of Nyon. We made sure to stop in Nyon for groceries since everything will be closed in France. J asked for Pizza for his birthday dinner, so we needed to pick up a few things we needed for J’s birthday supper. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We headed over the pass climbing quite a distance up to 1150 m<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>through a series of switchbacks up into the hills high over Lake Geneva. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We traveled through some great little villages, like St. Cergue and La Cure into France. It was very wooded and as soon as we crossed the border the Swiss alpine house architecture changed to the typical tan/beige plaster of France. The road was windy and fairly narrow, but with little traffic. We enjoyed the drive down into the valley below. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We drove north along an autoroute through Dijon onto our village. We didn’t stop in Dijon as it was getting close to dinner-time, it was raining, and we already had some Dijon mustard in the fridge. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We had a great dinner of thin crusted pesto salami, ham, mushroom, cheese pizza – tasty and of course we had a small chocolate birthday cake. Later we sat around and J picked the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marley and Me</i> to watch as our evening movie and enjoy a bowl of popcorn. We had never seen Owen Wilson act in anything but comedies, and were pleased to find this a wonderful family movie. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, May 9, 2012 </b>– Today’s adventure was to go check a few towns out around Noyers to see what we could see. It’s sunny today and the temperature is climbing as the day progresses. We drove to Chablis (about 25 km from here) to enjoy a glass of Chablis and a delicious a lunch (including escargots bourgogne) at Le Bistrot de Grand Crus. There were numerous wineries (some quite large) we could have stopped to visit and gone for a tasting, but decided not to. We did however really enjoy our glass we had with lunch. After the typical long French lunch, as we left Chablis the hills were full of vines for the Chablis wine industry in this little town.<br />
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Oh and we checked, all the yellow fields are canola (not mustard).<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We decided to head to Auxerre to check out an art gallery, as well as the cathedral, and take a drive through the center of town. Yet again, we find it’s a great city to check out, lots of old architecture, narrow streets, and picturesque. Definitely could see there’s history here. Also there are three wonderful gothic churches that oversee the river that flows through town. We parked the car and enjoyed walking through a couple of streets to check out the largest cathedral. It’s huge gothic arched interior is quite bare in décor, with the exception of stain glassed windows way up high. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The exterior has some wonderful stone sculptures and carvings, however, a number of the heads of figures have been broken off. Not sure when that happened. There was an awesome pipe organ that someone was playing – a great sound – not long enough. We checked out the art gallery, but it didn’t have anything we were interested in. We stopped at the Intermarché to get some groceries for the remainder of the week. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We left Auxerres to head 54 km southwest to Vezelay. It has a UNESCO designated church, that is at the top of this hilltop village. It’s a wonderful combination of rampart walls, narrow cobbled streets, walled homes, old buildings, lilac trees in full bloom giving off a wonderful scent in the air all adding to a wonderful atmosphere. The church, Basilica of Ste. Madeleine, built by the monks , saying that the remains of Mary Magdelene were buried here (we both questioned if that would have actually been true – yet that is the story). It was a major pilgrimage church similar to Santiago Compostale in Spain that we had been to in March. The exterior of the church was very elaborate while the interior of the church was very austere – common for abbeys. The stone sculptures and statues were stories of Jesus’ life. Again, the ceilings were really high in gothic style, the altar area was well light naturally. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We found a great art gallery just outside of the cathedral. The artist Denis Canut, was present and his oil paintings were wonderful. It was wonderful to enjoy looking at all of his works. We found an oil painting that both of us really liked and decided to buy it. It’s a wonderful view of a scene within Vezelay. It reminded us of so many wonderful scenes we have come across on our travels through this beautiful country. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Arrived back home to see more ants on the floor! Good thing there’s some insect killer spray that we put to good use to rid ourselves of today’s pests!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Thursday, May 10, 2012 </b>– It’s a beautiful morning, temperature to reach up to 28 C. Today’s drive didn’t take us more than 50 km, but we checked out a couple of sites as well as enjoy another great lunch, this time we were able to eat bouef bourguignon – a regional specialty that we wanted to try and were very pleased that we had. We stopped for lunch in a small village prior to heading onto the Fontenay Abbey, another UNESCO site. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Fontenay is out in the country without anything else around. Founded by St. Bernard in 1118, it’s one of the oldest Cistercian abbeys. Before they could settle here, they had to do a great deal of work to prep the land as it was quite water-logged. Their monastic life observed strict Benedictine Rule – especially virtues of poverty and solitude. They survived on a daily loaf of bread and some wine. Today the abbey is privately owned and some of the buildings and grounds are open to the public for viewing. The whole atmosphere is very peaceful and serene. The grounds are meticulously maintained, yet devoid of any colour other than green shrubs, trees, vines, and grass. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The Church was very basic on the exterior as well as inside. It had the huge gothic arches and dirt floor. Connected to this we wandered through the dormitory where the monks slept on straw mattresses separated by low partitions. Next we entered the arcades of the cloister with an impressive courtyard, here the monks prayed and read. Walking through the archways, one could feel the serenity of the place. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> They were quite industrious, as we saw the first hydraulic hammer ever made, this monastery foundry is said to be the first European metallurgic factory built in the early 1200’s.<span style="color: black;"> They also farmed fish in the pond right outside the foundry. Across from the fish pond was a plantane tree dated back to 1780 – now over 35 m tall. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We left Fontenay to drive onto Alise Ste. Reine where Alesia, the battleground where Julius Cesar and the Romans defeated Vercingetoris and the last of the Gauls. On the hilltop site, there is a massive statue of the Gaul leader where the Gauls had held camp for so long. One can imagine Cesar and his troops down below, having built two walls around the camp, waiting until the Gauls had run out of food and supplies before the battle ensued. The actual battle lasted 5 days. Vercingetoris was taken captive. According to stuff we read, this led to the change in French destiny. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Driving along we commented on the quaintness of the French villages, with the appearance of not much happening. It appears life is quite sedate in the small towns. Another thing, in this region, the color of the houses are 99.9% of the time a shade of beige/tan, with color being added by the doors and window shades/shutters. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Denis had stopped by this AM to invite us to his home for a glass of Chablis tonight. We had dinner early this evening, by 6pm. We drove to the little village of Moulins en Tonnerrois about 5 km from Noyers. We found his place easily, thanks to his map and Navi. His home was behind a high rock wall along the road. When we walked through his open gate, we stepped into a wonderful setting for his home, workshop and gardens. It was a true treasure for the painter who designed his yard to have color year-round. From the road one would never guess at the hidden haven beyond the walls. This led us to believe there are many places like this in France.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We enjoyed a couple of glasses of Chablis, met his wife Teresa and chatted. He took us around his yard, home and studio – a true delight for all of us. His works are lovely. Although he may have been hoping we would find another painting we liked, and we did, but as we’re not sure how many walls we have left in our homes we chose to hold off buying. We spent an hour conversing as best we could as we speak more French, than they do English. It was a great opportunity to connect with another couple. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We chose to take a drive through a couple of villages not far from Noyers. There are so many little established settlements within the vast agricultural fields and many of these villages have been around for a long time. The sun was beginning to set adding additional beauty to the drive. There are so many little paved roads to explore here!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Friday, May 11, 2012 </b>– This morning we organized for tomorrow’s departure. By this AM we somewhat amused at the “invasion of the ants”, although M was not all that pleased he had we had battled them every day. Today’s arrival was through the crack under the front door. Managed to kill at least 20 – 30 little guys and spray to entrance area – that’ll do for today’s episode!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Sunny again today, temps reaching in the high 20’s and lovely. We decided to go for a drive through the countryside within 75 km from here. Again it’s enjoyable to explore this area, not very populated with many tiny villages some, only a dozen buildings. A great way to finish off our last afternoon in the area. <br />
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When we returned to Noyers, we went to a local bar to use their Wifi, catch up on emails and of course have a beer on the patio within medieval Noyers. It was very warm, and enjoyable. The spot was busy with various tourists stopping by for a drink. </div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-25666641581082033732012-05-07T22:14:00.002-07:002012-05-07T22:16:25.343-07:00Update #2 from Loire Valley France<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Saturday, April 28, 2012 – </b>We’re on the move today, we are headed east of Tours, in the Loire-Cher valley area. We’re probably about 100km or so east of where we were two weeks ago. That’s okay though as there are many sights to check out on the eastern side of Tours, without having to drive very far. Our drive will be about 5 hours, however, we planned a stop in the town of Dinan, about 150 km from where we had been staying. We decided to go here today as it’s along the route to our next locale. We were pleased with our decision to visit Bretagne for the week. We saw a lot of territory and enjoyed the drives. There is much more business / industry in this area than we had seen so far on our travels in France. Bretagne also has less wine industry and much more agricultural crops and farming. They raise lots of pork, chickens and cattle here. The architecture was different here too, adding quaintness to this region that the others don’t have. The houses tend to be smaller than the large farmhouses we had seen in the south of France. It’s wonderful to see the different nuances of the country as we travel to different regions.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Dinan is a wonderful town of about 10,000 and it still retains that old city charm within its center. It’s a fantastic layout with ramparts, towers, and cobbled streets. This medieval city managed to escape the bombs of World War II and has a fabulous quaintness to it. We wandered through the narrow streets enjoying the views of the half-timbered buildings and marveled at the stained glass windows and towering arches within Eglises St. Malo and St. Sauveur. We had a wonderful couple of hours wandering around this town, picked up a kebab each for lunch and then it was time to get back on the road. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Once back on the road, it’s not long before we encounter rain that continues at a steady stream for the remainder of the drive. We drove along the main route east towards Paris and the traffic was heavy. Here the vehicles don’t have mud flaps like we do, so every vehicle threw back lots of water spray, making visibility difficult at times. Once we passed Le Mans and headed south toward Tours, the traffic became much lighter as did the rain. We passed through Tours on our way to the little village of Pouille about 80 km east. This week’s accommodation is part of a remodeled gite near fields of vines. We stop for the next couple of days of groceries at Blere (a few minutes from Pouille), then arrive at the gite. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> T gets the standard rundown of things at the apartment and local sites to see, while Jand M unload the car. We have French TV here, but as M had previously found the “audio” button that sometimes changes the language back to the original version we tired this and found some shows that we could watch in English this evening. T made another great dinner and we chilled for the rest of the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, April 29, 2012 – </b>Another down day today, just relaxing after the drive through the rain yesterday. We have all the groceries we need and it continues to rain off an on today, so we’re hanging out and reading. We did manage to get a walk in between rain showers – the area around this week’s gite is quite flat with fields full of grape vines. This area seems to have many fields of vines, with the rest planted in grain. We don’t see too much in terms of farming animals this way. However, we did see an interesting sign that we had never seen before. Along the side of the road we find a new sign, a warning to motorists of wild boars as well as what looks like to sizes of deer. There is a good mixture of wooded areas and fields in this vicinity. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Tonight we find a few shows on the satellite TV that we can change into English. We end the evening watching one of our movies on the TV / DVD player here in the gite.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Monday, April 30, 2012 – </b>Today we have our typical morning; coffee, reading, leisurely breakfast, workout, and ready to start exploring by about 1 PM! This afternoon we ventured to check out the town of Amboise, about 25 km from here. Our gite’s Internet does not work! So, not only are we going to check out this town, we are on the lookout for an Internet café to do a couple of things. Our drive takes us through a number of little villages, some advertising local vinobles – wine makers. We traveled along the Cher River, flowing quite fast and high due to all the rain of late. We definitely noticed this as we passed through Montichaud and walking along the ramparts of Amboise. Thanks to our trusty Rick Steeves book, we found an Internet café and completed our business. While there, we met another family from Calgary who are traveling for three months. Small world it is, we noticed them because their son had a Calgary speed skating track jacket on. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> It stopped raining for us when we were ready for our walk about the town. T stopped at the TI (tourist office) to purchase tickets for some of the chateaux that we want to tour around this week, that way we won’t have to wait in line to purchase tickets. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Amboise has a chateau, from the Roman times that overlooks the Cher River and the town below is quaint. The walls of the fortress tower over us as we stand below. We wandered around the pedestrian only streets. It was in Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci lived out his final years in Chateau Clos-Lucé set up by King Froancois I. We chose not to check it out as we had seen several da Vinci exhibits while in Italy. We stopped to have a coffee and J a snack, before we finished our tour. There were no art galleries around to check out – too bad. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> After a late dinner, we went for a walk, noticing how much water was flowing along the ditches and lying amongst the vines in some of the fields. The sky has cleared, making it a pleasant evening for a walk. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p><br />
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We got a good shot of how they 'train' the vines to grow.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tuesday, May 1, 2012 – </b>This morning<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>all three of us went for a walk amongst the country roads bordering acres and acres of vines – some farther along in leaves coming out than others. It is a beautiful sunny day and we are enjoying the sunshine – the first in a number of days. We have started to have some races between power poles while walking with J, sometimes just J and T, or J and M. Today all 3 of us participate, it’s a great way to add to our workouts while just having fun.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> After lunch we headed down to see Chateau de Chenonceau located about 18 km from here. The drive is pretty and we notice some troglodyte homes along the way. We drove through Montrichard once again, but this time in the sunshine, so we took a couple of more shots of the fortress overlooking the bridge that we crossed </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">and then heading along the shore of the river to reach the village of Chenonceau where the chateau is located. However, when we arrived at the parking lot we could see a huge throng of people, and decided that today was not the day to visit this famous chateau (the second most visited after in France, Versailles being first), we’ll go somewhere else. Today is a national holiday in France, so it is very busy with not only tourists but likely other French citizens. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We decided to head east to Chateau Cheverny about 25 km on the other side of where we are staying. When we arrive in the town, we find a spot in the parking lot and walk to the entrance of the chateau. This chateau was built as a get away in the country for the gentry, a place for a little hunting. It was built long ago as well, with very little of the original fortress that had been built here still surviving. This chateau has been in the same family for more than 6 centuries with the exception of 2 times they lost it, once when Diane de Poitiers bought it so she could stay there while here castle at Charmont was being renovated after she got the boot from Catherine de Medici from Chenonceau. The second time when one of the daughters of the founder decided she didn’t want it anymore…. This chateau has been open to the public since 1922. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> While here we enjoy the grounds complete with orangery (building they grew oranges to be protected in the winter),and kitchen gardens. We check out the rooms open to the public styled with lavish tapestries that cover the walls, very impressive. We even stop to see about 100 hunting dogs at the kennel. They are a certain breed that we’ve seen pictures of before. It was interesting watching their keeper dealing with them in the kennel. They still use this place for hunts on the extensive forested grounds that are near the chateau. We decided this could be an acceptable summer place, but we’d need to hire out the yardwork! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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They even had a stained glass window showing the hunt.<br />
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The dogs looked glad to see us.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Wednesday, May 2, 2012 – </b>Today we are actually out of the gite by 9:15 to head to Chateau de Chenonceau to beat the crowd. There’s lots of history for this fabulous chateau that spans the Cher River, making it a very unique building. Like many chateaux, it had been added onto over time and restored to its former glory several times since it was built in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. King Henri II actually gave this to his mistress Diane de Poitiers in 1547, to reside in and she had the bridge built over the River Cher. Once King Henri died, his wife Catherine de’ Medici gave the mistress the boot and added the rooms and floors above bridge so she could host parties. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Both ladies and subsequent ladies added their touches to the chateau, giving it the nickname “chateau of the ladies”. The garden areas are beautiful and some bare the names of the ladies who resided here in the past. There are splendid with spring flowers and tulips just near the end of their life for this spring. They must have planted thousands of bulbs around the gardens. We were too late to enjoy the tulip display in one area as we saw them digging up vast areas of finished tulips. There are fresh flowers abound in the public rooms supplied by their own gardens. There are a couple of full-time florists to keep these looking wonderful. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Within the chateau are amazing displays of furniture, tapestries and paintings in the rooms we were allowed to tour. It must have been brutal yesterday trying to see things within the rooms with the amount of people we saw. We had an opportunity to tour the kitchen areas down in the lower level of the chateaux, with access to the waterway to have deliveries made. The copper pots, butchery area, wall bread oven and other utensils were an impressive display. Many of the rooms have large fireplaces and a number of them were lit today. It was wonderful to see the magnificence of this place – no expense spared here! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> It managed to survive the French Revolution, WW I, acting as a hospital in the galleries above the water and some damage during WW II. It is a fabulous place to visit and a busy place. We were glad we had arrived early as it was fairly busy within the chateau with school groups, bus tours and tourists like us in our own vehicles. Yesterday must have been very crowded with the chateau – glad we decided to forgo the visit until today. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We enjoyed walking amongst Diane’s garden and Catherine’s garden as well as spending time at the maze and timing J how long it took him to reach the middle at the raised pagoda and then take a different exit out. We spent time wandering the grounds and taking some shots before calling it a morning. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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Louis XIV even dropped by for a visit and then gifted his portrait to the chateau.<br />
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Check out that rotisserie system.<br />
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How is this for a chest of drawers?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLYritX9IlNDSezdbwBg0IcpujZJcNyZSQpbLntkB4_BQUypN6OfeU2gU7AFq6W-2lS7lAkXL_IHlHrBIve29HBWProXpuOk20DgL7UddEfeqDXxyAGPG_3Jk5dVJ4QS_FfPW3rnuxGs/s1600/P1130134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLYritX9IlNDSezdbwBg0IcpujZJcNyZSQpbLntkB4_BQUypN6OfeU2gU7AFq6W-2lS7lAkXL_IHlHrBIve29HBWProXpuOk20DgL7UddEfeqDXxyAGPG_3Jk5dVJ4QS_FfPW3rnuxGs/s400/P1130134.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> On our return to the gite for lunch, we stopped at the Carrefour to pick up some groceries for the reminder of the week. As we were finishing up our shopping an announcement came over the store, it was closing – at 12:30 (it’s 12:27)! Wow, we had never been anywhere in France where this happened on a Wed. It is a small village – mid day closure never occurred to us here. Good thing we were finished, so we high tailed it to the till and were the last ones to have our groceries checked through. We returned to the gite for lunch and J and T played some paddleball with the equipment they picked up the other week. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We had dinner early so as to make our 6:30 departure time to go on a hot air balloon ride. Last night as we were out for a walk we noticed the balloons and decided to check out availability this am. We were able to secure spots for the three of us, meeting back at Chateau Chenonceau. Pretty cool watching the set up and preparation for taking off. They checked out wind direction, with a simple balloon, the once that was conferred on, we drove in the Landrovers to a farmer’s field. It took about 45 minutes to unload the large basket, that could fit 12 people plus the operator. The balloon itself was massive and they used gas powered fans to generate to fill the balloon with cold air, then he started up the blower on the balloon to heat up the air (10 000 m3). It didn’t take long for the air to heat and we gently took off, up and over trees to see the beautiful farmland below. We did see some stately homes, had a great view of the surrounding area, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">and got a fairly decent aerial view of Chateaux Chenonceau and its gardens.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">Unfortunately the wind was not cooperating (the nerve of it!!) and we weren’t able to fly right over top.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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We even got an ariel shot of what they do with their gardens here in France. We certainly have some ideas for Wycliffe now!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We also learned a bit about balloning. Our pilot / guide Charles said he got interested in balloning when he was 6 years old. It was a delightful hour or so floating as high as 350 metres admiring the colours of the landscape in different hews of green announcing spring’s arrival and growth. Our landing was very cool, Charles, after a conversation about how often farmers complain about ballooners landing in their fields, spotted the road highlighted in the photo below from further out than this photo was taken. Then with only his experience at judging the wind, landed RIGHT ON the access road into the field without damaging any of the crop. Very cool as he’s at the mercy of the wind – all the passengers were duly impressed. We enjoyed an after flight drink of champagne or juice – of course, M and T didn’t pass up the wine! By the time we returned to the gite it was 10pm. All in all, a great day!<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Thursday, May 3, 2012 – </b>Today we went for an hour walk along some of the roads bordering the vineyards. It’s a beautiful sunny morning and we’re taking advantage of it as it is supposed to cloud over and possibly rain later today. It’s about 20C – warm enough for shorts and t-shirts, the first time we have been out walking in shorts in months! This afternoon’s excursion took us to Chateau Chambord, about 45 km northeast of us. We enjoy the drive in the same direction and some of the same roads as to Cheverny and proceed further past. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We enter the Chambord Forest that comprises of the chateau grounds – 5500 hectacres surrounded by 32 km of stone wall apparently teeming with wild boar and deer (although we did not see any). This is probably the most elaborate exterior architecture of them all in the Loire Valley. The roof line is an impressive collections of towers, turrets, spires and chimneys. Unfortunately some is covered as they have had to do some restoration work to prevent total decay of part of the chateau. This place has over 400 rooms with nearly 300 fireplaces. Apparently this was considered a winter chateaux, hence all the fireplaces – because it would certainly be chilly amongst all this stone! The ceilings are really high, actually something like 40 + stairs required to be climbed between each floor. Actually, it seemed that way when we were climbing from floor to floor! Now this building is owned by the state actively preserving it for generations to come. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The chateau has about 80 rooms that are open for viewing as well as somewhat furnished, but the vast amount of it is unfurnished, lending itself for a great hide and seek venue! One could easily get lost within the many rooms and passageways that lead out to the terraces that surround the upper floors. There is a remarkable double helix staircase within the main hall that leads to the upper floors (said to have been inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci It was designed such that two people could climb the individual staircases, see each other through certain openings in the main column, but never meet each other along the way. We had great fun checking this out. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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They even had ceilings with sculptures of these - M said they were the monster crocodiles that lived in the moat - J did not believe him and said they were the salamander that was in the King's motif.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Friday, May 4, 2012 – </b>We drove to Blois (pronounced Blah) this afternoon to check out the city. It is much larger than other villages east of Tours that we have checked out. It has lots of history behind it in regard to many counts, kings and queens making their home here. They used the chateau that sits atop of a hill overlooking the river and now city below. The tall rock walls support the large four building complex that has architectural features of various chateaux we have visited over the two weeks in the Loire Valley. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Across from the chateau was a magic museum that we happened to come by “on the hour” and saw the monsters pop out of the windows – lots of people were hanging out to see the sight. The walled garden outside of the chateau was beautiful and allowed for a view of the townsite below. Again, we are surprised and pleased by what a pretty city this is, with lots of great architecture, gardens, and pedestrian only streets to enjoy. Looking around one can easily see the past aristrocratic importance of this town was to the Loire Valley, just by looking at the buildings around. Of course like all cities and towns we have visited, there are newer sections of development as well, however, they don’t hold the charm as the well maintained historic centers of the cities. It has been wonderful to see how well preserved European countries have preserved their historic village centers allowing people to enjoy a step back into the past.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaMyv5rXUmu-QoBSJZMuvGnvqU6YK4y_Z9LANM1OG0uSfa2ENVcV-wTxCpsH1Bj-Cgi78d31ulbU4EIjnd0kLk8v2E9c66_lhKMA8HZpIFOwysnlUcGYfWRK_uRprtVQ1lv_L32L4ad8/s1600/P1130282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaMyv5rXUmu-QoBSJZMuvGnvqU6YK4y_Z9LANM1OG0uSfa2ENVcV-wTxCpsH1Bj-Cgi78d31ulbU4EIjnd0kLk8v2E9c66_lhKMA8HZpIFOwysnlUcGYfWRK_uRprtVQ1lv_L32L4ad8/s400/P1130282.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div></div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-81117219510613976872012-05-01T09:58:00.000-07:002012-05-01T09:58:45.001-07:00Update from Brittany France<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, April 21, 2012 – </b>We are leaving the Western Loire Valley today to head up to Brittany to a rural location just outside of Callac. Basically we’ll head northwest passing Angers, Rennes, and St. Brieuc (very close to the English Channel) and then southwest to Callac. Samantha and Lionel arrived at 10:30 to collect the keys and return to us the remainder of our damage deposit after having to pay to replace the washer. A drag, but these things happen. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We’re on the road by 10:45, driving through Verantes, shortly later getting onto the autoroute to take us along the outskirts of Angers eventually into Rennes. The landscape changed north of Angers to be basically crop and cattle. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The housing materials of the older buildings also changed from the tarfeau rock (smooth cream/caramel color) to darker round rock. The architecture of the newer homes is quite similar wherever we’ve traveled through France. Usually the newer homes are one story with a peaked roof, no basement and not big in size. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We decided to stop in Rennes for lunch. Having no idea where restaurants were, we drove around until we found something promising. The parts of the center we saw had some wonderful old buildings and gardens. It made us wonder about this city – why were there so many? Going down one major street we saw some pedestrian only streets that had restaurants along them. We found a place to park and headed for one of these streets. We came across the Café Bains Restaurant and had yet another fabulous leisure French lunch. All three of us enjoyed our selections. The restaurant had a bath décor, the restroom came complete with a shower system on the wall – definitely a first. On the way back to the carpark, we stopped at a boulangerie to pick up a treat for tomorrow morning’s coffee. We’ve become enamored with the little sweet in the AM with espresso.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Just over an hour and a half later, we are on our way out of town to St. Brieuc where we stopped to buy some groceries for the next few days. We had a hard time finding the Super U, we were trying to follow the signs, but instead of an address, it states how many minutes ahead. Somewhat confusing for us, as there are not always signs saying where to go when you reach a roundabout. Eventually we did find another set of signs that helped finding it. Back onto the highway we drove another 40 min and we found our way to the little village outside of Callac. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We are staying in a gite (former farm building) that was totally restored by our hosts. They are originally from the UK but moved here fulltime in 2005 after they restored this place and then restored the former barn attached to this gite to have a beautifully designed place. They did a wonderful job restoring, we’ll be very comfortable this week. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> After a taco dinner (with real beef), we sat in the lounge with a fire lit in the woodstove and watched satellite TV. An enjoyable evening for the three of us. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, April 22, 2012 – </b>Today was a mixed day of weather. We spent time figuring out where we wanted to visit while we were in Brittany. We had a late breakfast and then we went for a walk. It began to rain heavily, so we turned around. It wasn’t long after we returned that again it cleared, so went for a second walk, this time the rain holding off. Our gite is located in a rural area with individual homes alongside fields of crops as well as some pastureland. The views are wonderful with rolling fields with stands of trees bordering fields. We enjoyed walking along the country roads. Windy and wet weather in Bretagne is not uncommon for this time of year. So, we won’t let that hinder our exploration! Later after dinner we went for another wonderful walk, enjoying the fresh air and great scenery. We even saw some wholly sheep, my their coats looked heavy!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday, April 23, 2012 – </b>We’re going to explore some of the southern parts of Bretagne today. There aren’t any toll roads in this area, so we’ll be traveling on some rural two lane roads as well as some double lane. It rained off and on during our drive. Lost track of how many times we exchanged our sun glasses for normal ones!<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Our travels took us from our gite, south east of Callac to Pontivy through dairy and cattle territory as well as some hog farms. It’s a very nice drive. We continued south to Vannes, a fairly big ci<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ty near the coast. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We turned west to head to Auray for lunch and a walkabout. Auray is a pretty city with it’s older section with one laned cobbled streets and timbered buildings, some dating back to the 16<sup>th</sup> century. It is very picturesque. We found a restaurant to have lunch, all three of us chose the merlu with</span> a provencal sauce (tomato) with amazing mashed potatoes and carrotes vichy along with the prerequisite verre du vin. We went in search of Eglise St. Guliana, made of granite, walking along in the blustery wind. This church was from the 16<sup>th</sup> century and had benches that looked that old as well! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We made our way back to our vehicle and headed back onto the autoroute to Quimper. Another fairly large city with its old center preserved. It’s really cool how European cities have preserved the old sections. They often provide a wonderful step back in time. It took us a while to find a parking spot, finally finding one at a theatre complex near the old section. It drizzled at first, then, it poured. We walked amongst pedestrian only areas lined with a number of buildings that had timber frames and shops. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Along the way we encountered a really big crowd, bearing Hollande signs – he’s running for French President, and is here today. This is a rally commencing the first day of campaigning leading up to round 2 of election. M told J to go ask him a question, but J declined.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We made a detour up one block and hardly any one was walking along this street. We came out at the plaza outside of Cathédrale St – Corentin. We found our way through the assembled crowd waiting for the rally to begin and entered the church. The exterior is incredibly ornately carved granite – amazing spires that tower over the surrounding buildings. History of the church says it was started in early 1200’s but was added onto several times during later centuries, the last being the 19<sup>th</sup> century. When we arrive inside, we see right away that the nave doesn’t line up with the main aisle of the church, it’s said to be because of construction issues. It is quite apparent as we gaze down the main aisle. The ceilings are domed and very high. The windows are all 15<sup>th</sup> century stained glass and they are wonderful. There are many scenes depicted in the windows. Some are up high, and some are lower and we don’t have to raise our necks to look at them. It was a wonderful visit. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Since the sky opened up even more with water streaming down, we took cover at a café for a break and coffee. Once the rain subsided, we made our way to the car. It took us about an hour to return back to the gite. We returned after 6:15 and had a late dinner, then J completed some school work before watching some TV. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, April 24, 2012 – </b>The rain in Spain is falling mainly in France it seems to us! Another day, when one has to look up at the sky to go out for a walk in between the next shower arrives. The creeks are beginning to swell with the amount of rain that has arrived in the last week or so. We had to retreat inside before we had taken 10 steps as the sky opened up just after we had lunch. We returned inside for 10 or so minutes and the rain stopped and low and behold blue sky was beginning to emerge. Not to be defeated, we quickly put on our gear and headed for a walk to Callac, about a km away. The sun graced us with its presence so we took off our raincoats and enjoyed the warmth. We enjoyed walking by the beautiful gardens and picturesque homes along the way. We are certainly getting lots of ideas to try at our place in BC. The French people take great pride in their yards – it’s truly a treat. We’ve decided that France has the prettiest countryside of the countries we have visited, then Switzerland and Germany. Rural France has these wonderful farmhouses distinctive to the regions we were in. We managed to get our 50 minute walk in before the next shower arrived. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, April 25, 2012 – </b>Today we wanted to check out the western coastal city of Brest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was about 100 km from here, basically west then north along the coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s windy today, supposed to have gusts up to 85 kph and at times while we’re driving, we can feel the wind moving the vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one time, the rain becomes so heavy, everyone on the highway put their hazard lights on (Europeans do this for an slow down in traffic on roadways to warn driver behind you - a safe practice we have adopted) and slowed right down – somewhat nerve wracking!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brest is a modern French city, having been rebuilt after WWII because it was almost totally destroyed by Allied bombing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Germans had captured this area during that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did a great job rebuilding the city with wide boulevards with lots of greenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a very busy port city with naval ship building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fortress overlooking the waterway survived and has a prominent spot housing a maritime museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a restaurant to have some seafood as fishing is big along the coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The wind and rain deterred us from wanting to get out to explore the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove around and took some shots and then headed out of town to a couple of little villages that had 15<sup>th</sup> century religious carvings out of wood and granite unique to Brittany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back then, community life centered around the parishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped in Lampaul-Guimiliau to check out the interior of the church that was awash with colored religious scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the passion of our Lord, with 80 characters carved, scenes of the beheading of St. John as well as the history of the rosary with painted carvings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even one of the main support beams of the church was carved and decorated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exterior of the church is granite, aged over the centuries with some carved granite statues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our next stop was to the quaint village of Guimiliau to see the calvary depicting the life of Jesus and from His Passion with 200 characters carved into the arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also sculptures carved of the twelve apostles as we are getting ready to enter the church. The time and effort that went into these two sites is amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was their way of relaying the teachings of the Christianity to the illiterate populace at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What fabulous works of art!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While visiting the weather changed a few times, allowing us to get shots with different lighting and background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we first arrived the wind was incredibly gusty, we were fighting to keep our hoods up, not get ourselves wet and trying to catch a few photos without getting the cameras too wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the visit within, we arrive outside (maybe 10 minutes later) to sunshine and no wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took a whole new round of photos as the lighting was improved. The weather certainly influenced the mood of the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We left here and traveled to the city of Morlaix in search of an art gallery to see if we can find another French painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived at this city that is at the bottom of a river valley back dropped by a towering viaduct with long arches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The viaduct was built in the late 1800’s for a route spanning the valley enroute to Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again the old part of the city has buildings dating back several hundreds of years like in some of the other towns we visited in this region of the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The river has a number of boats moored along the banks ready to be used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We struck out in finding the art gallery, but enjoyed the diversion just the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned to our gite via a new route enjoying the rural landscape.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday, April 26, 2012 – </b>Today we hung out at the gite in the morning – worked out, listened to music and did laundry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went for a walk in the sunshine today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took yet another route into town and took a few pictures of quaint houses and gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have noticed how well the people care for their places and love to garden.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This afternoon T got the boys to agree to head north to Cote de Granit Rose to see one of France’s beautiful coastline. Sun was shining, so no time like the present to check out the coastline. The drive north to the resort town of Perros-Guirec took about an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our route took us along the outskirts of Lannoin that was 9km from the coast and then onto the coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was low tide so a number of the boats were beached on their sides or keels, waiting for the return of the tide. There were some great beaches as well as some wonderful red granite rock formations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the coast are the Sept Iles, a reserve for puffins, seals and gannets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a delight to get out of the car and enjoy the views of the beaches, rocks and enjoy the smell of salt air in the sunshine!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were also some pretty amazing rock faced homes with incredible spots to enjoy the seascape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenes must be quite spectacular when there’s a storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a spot that is different from anywhere else we’ve been on our trip.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p><br />
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Talk about a cool place overlooking the sea.<br />
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We saw some ladies that sure knew how to make designs in the sand. They were FAST!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, April 27, 2012 – </b>Down day today, just hanging out and getting everything organized for tomorrow’s departure. We recognized that the places we have left on our list to see in Brittany are to the east, so to avoid retracing our steps twice, and spending even more time in the car this week, we will adjust our drive back to the Loire valley. We go for a walk to enjoy the countryside, then we go for a drive to pick up a couple things at the grocery store. J officially finishes his schoolwork for the year today, so a celebration is in order! </div><!--EndFragment--></div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-76207504568767224882012-04-22T13:02:00.000-07:002012-04-22T13:02:45.812-07:00Update #1 from Loire Valley France<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, April 15, 2012 – </b>We’re on the move again today, driving to our next accommodation in the Western Loire Valley to “La Bagatelle” in the village of Vernoit de Fourrier, north of the city of Samur. We had a 440 km drive from where we were staying. Basically we drove the autoroute past Bordeaux, up in the direction towards Paris. We stopped for a very expensive lunch along the route at one of the rest area stops. No wonder we see many people sitting around picnic tables eating a bagged lunch. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We noticed driving north, the exit to Cognac – M suggested we make a side trip to check it out. We missed the first exit, but we were able to take the next one, at Saintes, to drive the 30 km or so to check out Cognac. On the way towards Cognac we saw this picturesque lane, and this wonderfully manicured roundabout.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Being Sunday, there was very little traffic within the city centre. We had no trouble at all negotiating the narrow one-way cobbled streets in the vieux ville. Some neat old buildings, many have bleached stone exteriors. We were able to see the headquarters of J Hennessey – our cognac of choice we enjoy back in Canada! T said “M you don’t need to buy any cognac in Cognac as we were already well stocked with 2 bottles in the trunk!” Took a few photos and then continued on our merry way. This had to be one of the quietest towns we have been through – maybe everyone was at home having lunch! After all, it was during the usual French 12- 2 lunch break. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The landscape becomes hillier with more crops grown than vineyards. We see numerous fields in brilliant yellow – we’re thinking mustard. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We left the autoroute near Niorte , to begin our drive past Parthenay through Samur onto our little village. We catch the odd glimpse of stately chateaux that we might want to check out. The Loire Valley is known for grand chateaux, so we’ll likely be checking out a few places. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Our accommodation turns out to be a one level home, quite nice. It has a pool that has been heated, however, not too sure it’s going to be warm enough to enjoy it. Tonight for dinner we have canard confit – duck that has been encased in its own fat/grease, and available in the stores in a can. When we opened the can both M and T marveled at the amount of grease/ fat surrounding the pieces of duck. We warmed it in the oven causing the grease to melt away and we thoroughly enjoyed this French dish. We’ll be having this again, delicious! M noted he is becoming quite fond of duck and finds the canard dans une boîte – trés magnifique. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> J decided that it was his night to Skype some of his family, so he made a number of calls and we found several at home. It was great to chat with those home. We even have some great scenery out our back door.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Monday, April 16, 2012 – </b>Our first day in the western Loire Valley. All three of us went shopping at the local Super U in the town. The shopping expedition took a while as we decided to check out the DVD section. This week we don’t have English TV, and an evening movie is very enjoyable for us. We picked up a number of things for the week and returned back to our place to have lunch. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The Loire Valley is known for its chateaux and this afternoon we’re off to check one out. We did a bit of research and decided to check out Chateau Villandry located about 40 km southeast of us.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>The drive to Villandry was along country roads with beautiful scenery.<br />
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At one point, we could see a large chateau through the trees along the road, so T had M pull over so she could hope out and wander along the lane to get a shot (there was even an ariel view on the sign so we could see the entire layout).<br />
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Along some of the drive it was heavily wooded and had what looked like hunting stations/stands stationed along each side of the road. M had read in a magazine that hunting takes on a whole new meaning in France. The guideline from the article said “Hunting rules are a little different in France than elsewhere, so as a general guideline, one should not go for a walk in the woods on Sunday anywhere in France from Sept. to May.” That got M’s attention.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The chateau is located on the edge of the village of Villandry and blends in well, right along the main road. Once our entrance fee is paid – to tour the gardens and T acquires an audioguide, we are off to explore the immense gardens.<br />
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This chateau was built in the 1500’s, yet has been in the Carvallo family since 1906 and they wanted to make it available to the public to enjoy, both the chateau and the gardens. Overtime, the family has worked to restore the grounds as well as the chateau. As J said, “it’s the grandest gardens I’ve ever seen”, grand being the word. It was an impressive sight looking down on the gardens from the belvedere on the adjacent hillside (as the sign said we were near the belvedere, M wondered if this was him).<br />
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There were three levels of gardens supported by a natural spring: the top water gardens, the second tier ornamental gardens and then the kitchen gardens. Even though it was fairly early in the spring, there was great color provided by tulips and pansies as well as many plants of varying colors.<br />
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We spent over an hour wandering the grounds. J and T even found a maze to wander through to see who would reach the raised center platform. J beat T. The chateau even had a moat surrounding part of it that they now use for recycling their water. It was a fabulous experience and we look forward to seeing other ones in this region.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Our drive home, we took a different route with some more great scenery, taking us near the entrance of the village of Langeais. We crossed one of the coolest bridges we have ever crossed.<br />
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Kind of reminded us of medieval times, with four towers – very cool. We had pizza for dinner then watched one of our newly purchased DVD’s, “The Green Hornet”, not the world’s best plot but good for a few laughs. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, April 17, 2012 – </b>Rainy day off and on. We went for a walk, but had to bundle up as it was blustery! Had a problem with the washing machine today – it wouldn’t open after the cycle. We had to leave a message for Lionel- managed to get the message across in French and he arrived after work. He wasn’t able to fix it, didn’t have his tools, so he’ll return tomorrow. Good thing we didn’t have this happen to us on Friday!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Since we had the issue with the machine, it was raining, and waiting for Lionel, we didn’t go out exploring. We did however, have a day of reading, homework. We decided to try cooking tandori chicken – J had a couple of helpings and said it was good. Decided to watch the movie “Loup” about a Siberian family who herds reindeer. It was a great story with amazing footage of the tundra. Of course we shared our prerequisite microwave popcorn that we have found over here – it’s very good. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, April 18, 2012 – </b>Another mixed weather day in the Loire valley, but we’re going out to explore just the same. After getting organized we are off to Tours to buy an external hard drive for our Mac as we have a ton of photos of the adventure that we want to back up. We chose a different route to get to Tours – it’s not hard to find a different one as there are tons of paved secondary roads all over the place in this country. We arrived in Tours around 1pm and decided to find a restaurant to eat. We found a great local eatery full of locals and had a leisurely “French lunch” leaving at 2:30! When we left some of the patrons that had been there before us, were still there! It was a great experience, as many of the diners seemed to know each other as well as the owner of the bar/restaurant. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We chose from the menu of the day posted on the blackboards, each having three courses. Of course, we had to sample a glass of the local Loire wines. T had some kind of sausage, but had no idea what was inside it, but it tasted good. Even though we know many French words, we had to laugh at the number of ones we still didn’t know that were listed on the menu board. Sometimes it’s fun to just go with trying a local dish. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We drove along the shore a bit before crossing the Loire to find the computer store. We quickly found what we needed and then headed out back across the river to travel along the shore to Langeais. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We checked out Chateau Langeais, which is located in the centre of the town, so its hard to get good photos. It was once a fortress, then became a residence added onto over time. It was owned by royalty at one time, eventually it was purchased by a Frenchman who restored it in the late 1800’s- early 1900’s and upon his death left it to the Institut de France that ensures it’s well looked after for people to enjoy. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> After leaving Langeais, we crossed the bridge we had traveled over yesterday and traveled along the banks of the Loire yet again</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> to the town of Ussé. It was in this small town that Chateau Ussé is located. It is said that Charles Perrault was inspired by this chateau to write the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. This chateau is built just on the outskirts of the village and is built overlooking the road and the river. It has similar features to Chateau Langeais, but has some terraced gardens. We got out to take some photos and the sky decided to open into a deluge. Good thing there were some big trees to help shield us. A quick dash to the car saved us from getting too wet. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Our drive back was along another route, past a nuclear energy facility. We had a chance to see the reactor building and cooling towers up pretty close. France uses nuclear power to provide most of its electrical needs. We enjoyed the afternoon drive. After dinner, we decided to watch the movie “Gone Baby Gone”.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Thursday, April 19, 2012 – </b>Another take it easy morning, J continued working on his last LA unit – study of the novel “The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe”. We’ve been enjoying reading the story, then J does his assignments, while we did a few things around here. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> After lunch, we went off to Saumur, the home of France’s national equestrian school as well as Chateau Saumur. We enjoyed the drive through this pretty town with the Loire flowing through it. Overlooking the river is Chateau Saumur, now owned by the city and it houses a couple of museums. We found a parking spot to check out the town centre as well as do a couple of errands. We came across a number of cafés, something that we haven’t seen much of in the smaller towns. It was a well laid out place, enjoyable to tour around. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Next we went in search of a spot on the opposite shore of the Loire to take some shots of the chateau and surrounding buildings. There’s the Notre Dame des Ardilliers with its rotunda, Eglise Saint-Pierre with its tall steeple.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> From Saumur, we were off to the village of Rochemeiner where there is a Troglodyte village to tour. There are many examples of these villages within the Loire valley as well as a few other spots in France. It’s an underground village. This village has been dated back to the late 17<sup>th</sup>, early 18<sup>th</sup> century and had up to 250 underground buildings at one time, housing people that had about 40 farms. Basically, the farmers dug out a courtyard first, then dug out their buildings under ground. They kept their animals underground at night and had their gardens up above the buildings. The ground is soft, so it was very easy to dig out. They would sell the dug out rock to further develop and support themselves. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> We spent about an hour touring the village. It was fascinating to see the various facilities they built underground as well as the old types of equipment they used for farming, food processing, and daily living. T bought an English guidebook that explained all of the 20 underground buildings we toured, and a general explanation of what life was like for the inhabitants. All three of us enjoyed this very interesting site. Another really neat place we experienced. People lived in these villages up to the first third of the 20<sup>th</sup> century. However, farming this way wasn’t economical, so they abandoned this type of farm. In other parts of the Loire Valley, we have seen troglodyte homes that people continue to use – some for living in, some for storage, car garages along hillsides, etc.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Once back at the gite, we had a late dinner and watched “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” for tonight’s entertainment.<br />
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</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, April 20, 2012 – </b>We woke to sunshine, so we walked into town to get some fresh pain campagne for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The round trip walk is about 15 min.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing like fresh bread!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve bought ourselves a little espresso pot, so M having perfected his technique, is preparing a rather delicious espresso in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, in rural France, the coffee bars are not as prevalent as what we had gotten used to in Italy, Spain or Portugal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bakeries, however, make up for this misfortune.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This afternoon we drove to Chinon to check out yet another chateau, Chateau Chinon, actually a fortress at first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was used by numerous English royalty, Henry II and his son Richard the Lion Heart (was born here) and Dauphin Charles VII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also where Joan of Arc was received to deliver her message to Charles to reclaim his kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a fortress that had been added onto over time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It overlooks the river that offered a strategic position long ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is on the cliff overlooking the medieval town that still exists today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a protected site, so careful work has been ongoing to preserve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove around the village and got some cool shots, and took another leisurely drive through the French countryside on the way back to the apartment. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This week we are switching moving days from Sunday to Saturday, as we are getting closer to the high season and in France the rental week in from Saturday to Saturday, so we need to switch over. For our last movie of this week T has chosen Casino Royale, another Bond flick. </div><!--EndFragment--></div></div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-15897283938508796932012-04-17T06:59:00.003-07:002012-04-17T13:39:59.144-07:00Update from Bordeaux France<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, April 1, 2012 – </b>We’re leaving Millepetit and the Languedoc- Rousillon region today to head to the Bordeaux region. We are up earlier than our normal day and are on our way by our desired 9:30 departure. We are heading to the city of Bordeaux to pick up our friends Ron and Paula who arrived yesterday from Calgary.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The drive to the city of Bordeaux took about 3.5 hours along a major autoroute that took us diagonally from Carcasonne up to Bordeaux, past Toulouse. J was on the look out for Toulouse’s Airbus factory – as he’s interested in planes, but we didn’t see it. It was an uneventful drive past farms, villages, and lots of vineyards. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we approach the city center and having read Ron’s most recent email, we figured that their hotel was in a pedestrian only area. Apparently we have some how managed to burn through the entire 50 euro T had just put on her Iphone a couple of days ago – not sure how, but we are unable to use it for anything. So, we found the nearest parking stall to where we thought they were staying, and began walking. Along the way a young gentleman saw T looking at the Bordeaux map and asked us if we needed help (he must have overheard our conversation) and offered direction assistance. A number of streets were closed off by the police, so we figured since this area is near the cathedral this may have had something to do with today being Palm Sunday. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The hotel, located on Rue Ste. Catherine, was indeed on a ped-only street, but was quite easy to find. R and P had apparently checked out, according to the desk clerk. R and mentioned Grand Theatre in his email, so upon inquiring, it was only a block away. Once we reached the theatre area, we came across them as they were on their way back to the hotel, although they almost did not know it was us with M and J wearing their Basque beret and sunglasses. All was good. We decided to get a bite to eat at a restaurant in the sun across from the theatre. Pretty overpriced for the food we got, but the company, wine and sunshine was good. Ends up that we were eating on the terrace of the only 5 star hotel in the city.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We retrieved their luggage stored in the closet of the hotel – apparently they didn’t have concierge service and off we went to the car. Once all the bags were stored in the back, we were off on our drive to Margueron where Les Moudains (our apartment for this week) is located. The drive took about an hour and half through mostly secondary highways, bordered for the most part along both sides with fields full of vines, just waiting to begin the budding process. One thing we notice about the fields is the precision of planting and pruning.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We arrive in Margueron, M can’t find the driving directions (had mistakenly saved the file in the wrong folder), so we use M’s backup phone to call Tonya. She came to meet us, as it was quicker for her to do so than try to explain the directions. In actuality, we were only a few minutes from the gite, but along a few country roads. Once we unpacked the vehicle, we joined Tonya on the terrace for wine and talk. The sun was shining and we enjoyed glasses of chilled rosé while finding out about the area. Not being rosé drinkers, we were pleasantly surprised at our enjoyment of the chilled wine – another new experience for us. Tonya and Shane have been here for 3 years, from Ireland. They came for a year, and have been for 3. They have 2 children, Isabella, 9 and Max, 12. J was pleased to have someone to chat with and bonus, play on the trampoline that is in the backyard. There’s a pool, but it’s too cold and not ready yet. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We had a great chat and then all headed into our respective places. R, P and T made dinner while M took care of refreshments. After dinner, M did the cleanup, his usual evening task. We enjoyed the evening of chat, while J found a movie on the computer for the guys to watch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday, April 2, 2012</b> – A bit foggy this AM but as the time passes, the ceiling lifts and its blue sky. The adults are off to Duras </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">for coffee, croissants and the weekly market. This market is similar to ones we’ve been in elsewhere in Europe, and we thought R and P should experience one. We picked up some fresh veggies, and meat, a roast chicken and potatoes for lunch while R bought sheep cheese, even though Tonya gave advice of don’t buy cheese at the market… We laughed when we saw he had caved into sampling and then buying. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> After purchasing what we wanted, we found a café to have our croissant and coffee. Actually couldn’t get a croissant there, but the waitress suggested going to the bakery to get one. P and T found the patisserie, bought the croissants and returned to the guys. T ordered a café crema (like a latté), M an espresso short and P and R ordered cappuccinos that ended up being a tall espresso loaded with whip cream and no steamed milk – we all agreed not to order that type again, but to stick with café crema in the future! There were a lot of English speaking people we could hear having conversations – the most we have come across since we were in Malaga, Spain. Apparently there are quite a few Brits who own properties around here. Tonya tells us that there are many old farmhouses available, and that most French residents aren’t interested in restoring them. Those that have bought here enjoy the scenery, price and climate as well. It is very picturesque. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We stopped by a Carrefour to pick up the remainder of groceries we needed for the next few days before heading back to the gite for lunch. We enjoyed a great lunch of roasted chicken and potatoes, fresh baguette, cheese, and some wine – fabulous. J wasn’t feeling too well as his sinus’ have been suffering from the arrival of spring and chose to nap, so M stayed behind for the afternoon. R, P and T returned for a tour of Chateau Dumas. Like many chateaux or fortresses we’ve visited/toured, it was added onto over the years/centuries. A regional organization bought the chateau in the 1960’s, and has done a great job of restoring it for the public to enjoy. We wandered amongst the rooms, even found the secret passage, now motion activated. We even learned that the Prince of Monaco is a direct descendent from the House of Duras. We wound our way up to the top of the tower that gave us a wonderful view of the surroundings.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our next stop was for wine tasting at Duc de Berticot, located on the road between Duras and Margueron. We sampled a couple of whites and reds and bought a few bottles to enjoy over the next couple of days – they do not ship to Canada. One can even come into the shop and get a refill of your 5L plastic jug (we witnessed a local doing this, and had a good laugh). Never seen this before – we had a good chuckle. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once back at the gite, </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">we continued with enjoying the terrace and sunshine. We met Shane, the owner, who just arrived from business in Ireland. He brought over a chilled white and enjoyed another great chat. A local farmer was in the yard trying to clear some fallen trees while we were out. We all shook our heads at the lack of safety equipment. R was holding himself back from offering his advice. It did add some entertainment for the evening – T nicknamed them “Jacques and Fifi”. After dinner we once again enjoyed the evening with the wines purchased today, ‘when in Bordeaux’, and then J found another movie for the boys to watch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, April 3, 2012</b> - After breakfast we were off to a local chocolate factory, Mainson Guinguet, that Tonya had told us about. Getting there was half the fun – with our trusty navigator, Ron trying to interpret the hand-drawn map and then giving excuses for the misguided directions – always good for a laugh. Reminds us of our excursion in Barbados in early 2001. After trying several samples, and giving our approval/or disapproval, we bought some chocolates. This region is big for prunes – tried some chocolate covered prunes – not bad. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Armed with our purchases, we were now ready to go in search of a restaurant with a menu du midi, 2 or 3 courses for a set price. We decided to head to the larger town of Ste. Foy de Grande. Well, most businesses close for lunch 12 – 2, so the town seems quite deserted. We do find Lucides, a pizza shop that also had a menu. Three of us had the set menu, too much food, but delicious. A tuna salad, a white fish in cream sauce baked within foil and wild rice – delicious! And of course, wine! The other 2 had pizza and they enjoyed theirs as well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once well fed, we were ready to head off to St. Emilion. J wasn’t interested in a wine tasting experience so we returned him to the gite to kick back (as this week with R and P here is his ‘spring break’ with no school work until after they leave). The drive to St. Emilion took about 30 min. – on the road to Bordeaux. The landscape around St. Emilion is a landscape of vineyards! The town is quite small encircled by chateaux. We had no idea of the number of wineries in St. Emilion until we saw the local map. We knew about the wines because we buy them in Canada, but the number is mind boggling – which chateau should we buy from? We stopped at the tourist info shop, while M and R tried to find out info about wineries, P and T read about the year-long cultivation to wine-making process – very interesting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNzZefCE0kUy56s2u21327JOg508qlFzayEFsStynxLoU1mrKsS83lpHPwU7PzJjwpXJ69gVYJ_h1vnZf0LdBBpseoF2io4wzFXxbK-rxAVv0Ax87RdhcgUA6jsYFM6Gm6qJk8QYIxBk/s1600/P1120120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNzZefCE0kUy56s2u21327JOg508qlFzayEFsStynxLoU1mrKsS83lpHPwU7PzJjwpXJ69gVYJ_h1vnZf0LdBBpseoF2io4wzFXxbK-rxAVv0Ax87RdhcgUA6jsYFM6Gm6qJk8QYIxBk/s400/P1120120.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We were warned not to eat here, as it’s too expensive and tourist fare. We did however, check out a wine store that provided tastings and shipped worldwide. Shipping is an issue with wine, as many individual chateau do not deal with shipping worldwide. We learned about the differences of Grand Cru, Bordeaux Superior, Grand Cru Classé, and other classifications of wines from this region. We tried several wines, both red and white and arranged to have it shipped back to Canada. It’s fun trying and tasting the differences between grapes and combinations. We all have our favorites. We returned back to the gite about 4 hours later. J headed to the trampoline again as he has each day since arriving here.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Dinner was another combined effort and enjoyed wine we picked up this week. After dinner, we decided to have a port tasting – vintage, tawny and a 30 year 0 which we had been saving since Porto for R and P’s visit. We all had our opinions and enjoyed some sweets and some of the sheep cheese from the market (excellent). Actually had no trouble putting a dent into that 400 gr slice. Lots of laughs and all were ready for bed by evening’s end.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Wednesday, April 4, 2012</b> - We drove over to Chateau Pierrail, the winery nearest to Les Mondains, only about 1 km away. The chateau has beautiful grounds, including a French garden (like a maze), gardens are open in June to the public for touring. There are areas full of hydrangeas, but they are not in bloom yet. The proprietors have owned this since 1970. The buildings are Louis XIV style – two towers with the flat roof, we have seen some of this architecture in Paris as well as in the city of Bordeaux. We were given a brief history of the place and they have worked to restore the building built in the 17<sup>th</sup> century.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It was interesting listening to the owner’s story of arriving here, newly married, and having lived her life up until then in Paris. We laughed at her comment of being dismayed at having to drive each morning to go get her fresh baguette! Seeing people with a fresh baguette in their hands is a frequent sight in the large city as well as in the smaller towns – especially in the morning. It was great to be able to ask questions to get an insight into the marketing aspect of the winery business as well. Even J got into asking questions about the winemaking process. We had an opportunity to taste three wines – a white and two red. All were nice tasting and we left with a few (more) bottles to enjoy this week. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We left the chateau to head to the small town of Garonne, about 15 km away to check out a pizza joint that Tonya and Shane frequent and highly recommended for lunch. We managed to find the place and park at the rear. It was busy with the lunch crowd, so we were asked to wait 15 min. for a table. We went for a walk around the village, while J stayed behind to get the table (actually he was thrilled to get to use P’s Ipad to play games on, so this was no issue for him). </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We each ordered pizzas except J who decided on spaghetti carbonara. All of us were pleased with our choices, although R didn’t really care for the potato slices on his pizza. Next we drove over to Bergerac and found a WIFI café to have a coffee and for R and P to connect with their Ipads before they leave for Paris tomorrow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUx29ms57_i3jGQjZ3sojTnkE8Bzmc14Pvb4yt9G0rt_6ma4zcYNULpM-Z8GpbZXdoJoWzGJ04F4WhnIO2JoEU_4dR0Tu-Zu4PvhytGSzD50KgTp1_EGV0PUoStrxsCS_EjVRPsGu5Bq4/s1600/P1120150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUx29ms57_i3jGQjZ3sojTnkE8Bzmc14Pvb4yt9G0rt_6ma4zcYNULpM-Z8GpbZXdoJoWzGJ04F4WhnIO2JoEU_4dR0Tu-Zu4PvhytGSzD50KgTp1_EGV0PUoStrxsCS_EjVRPsGu5Bq4/s400/P1120150.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After another enjoyable drive through the countryside, we arrive at the apartment, J heads for the trampoline while T and P make dinner. We enjoyed some more wine, tonight from the chateau we had just visited, and then T and R decided to see if they could finish off the remaining port (and did an admirable job of it), while M and P enjoyed another bottle of wine from the chateau. Another great evening of fun.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Thursday, April 5, 2012</b> – Uneventful morning, we’re off to Bordeaux this AM as R and P are leaving on the 3:15 train to Paris. We left at 11 for the 1 hour 30 drive. Once we arrived in Bordeaux we found a parking spot along the tramway to find a pharmacy for J’s sinus affliction. Once that was taken care of, we found a quaint bistro for lunch. All five of us had a wonderful meal, more than we needed, but enjoyable nevertheless. We went for a walk to check out more of the old section of Bordeaux, we came across two cathedrals, St. Michel and St. André, both many centuries old also pilgrimage churches for the Camion de Santiago. Unfortunately the bell tower of St. Michel was closed, because it would have been neat to climb the 240+ steps to catch a view of the city. The exterior of St André is very elaborate and represents the gothic architecture. It’s interior is quite sparse compared to the exterior. Bordeaux has many restored buildings showing the splendor of the city along the Garonne River. Lots of cafés along this stretch, that makes it a great place to walk and enjoy. Not sure it’s such an important port as it used to be. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We couldn’t find parking readily available anywhere near Gare St. Jean to see R and P off, so we had to do the “pull over” at a spot near the station to say our goodbyes. They had about 30 min to find their platform and validate their ticket. Once we saw them off we drove back to near Rue Ste. Catherine to find the Orange store. Tried to rectify our Iphone Orange card, however, were warned by the rep that it is really expensive to access data through the Iphone – so indeed we did burn through that 50 Euros in less than a week!! So all data roaming is off now!! Just shows what an awesome deal of 9 Euro a month by Wind in Italy was !!! We stopped by the cathedral before leaving the city.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We really enjoyed our visit with our good friends from home and are so glad they decided to come and visit. It was fun touring around with others and having great chats over various samplings in the afternoon or evenings. We now have 2 more months of adventuring on our own before returning home. The drive back to Margueron was uneventful and traffic was somewhat heavy as it was near the end of the workday. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We stopped at the large L’Clerc grocery store and picked up some things – a large newly opened grocery store. The selection is substantial – massive selections of patés, cheeses, cold cuts, and prepared foods – thought our N.A. selection of processed foods was large! We were surprised at the small produce section, but then again, maybe in the growing months there are so many market gardens, that many people don’t buy at the supermarché? We were even able to get J a haircut, as even he admitted he was getting a bit shaggy! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We had an enjoyable dinner and evening and J got more time on the trampoline. He has certainly been enjoying trying out his super stunt moves as well as his soccer scissor kick! A great amount of different exercise this week! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Friday, April 6, 2012</b> – A relaxed morning and J was back to schoolwork, last science project, designing and building a burglar alarm. The sun came out later in the morning, so after lunch we went for a walk along the country and village roads. We could definitely see how much greener the trees are becoming as well as the spring flowers coming out. Tonight we enjoyed making our own pizza and polished it off. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, April 7, 2012</b> – A rainy morning, lending to the feeling of relaxation. We are leaving tomorrow, so the usual plan of execution, take stock of groceries, fold laundry, pack suitcases, plan dinner and breakfast for tomorrow. We returned to L’Clerc, to buy whatever else we needed to take us through Easter Monday. We’re not sure what is open and what is closed around here. It would seem some things are open Easter Sunday morning but closed Easter Monday – this has us scratching our heads.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We also stopped off at a local wine dealer that Shane recommended to check out the wine inventory. We decided to return next Wednesday to find out about shipping as well as perhaps try out some wine. The clerk spoke very little English; so hopefully on Wednesday we’ll have someone who speaks more English as T doesn’t always fully understand all the French spoken. We had a quite evening, with T and J on the computers and M reading.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, April 8, 2012</b> – We are up around 8:30, the Easter bunny had arrived so J was on the look out for eggs. Then we had breakfast before packing the car. We had another chat with Shane – who gave J a map of Europe for his room and he gave M another bottle of wine for us to enjoy. Our drive to our next accommodation, La Rose in the tiny village of Barie, is less than an hour’s drive from where we spent the last week. Our drive takes us through Duras and south about 35 km to the village. As we cross the river at La Reole,<br />
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we notice that now we have left the wine growing region and we see predominantly fields awaiting planting. It is a pleasant drive through this pretty area of rolling hills, bushes and areas of planted trees. The towns are not very big and vineyards are not as prevalent here.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Easter dinner is an unconventional dinner – tacos. We found all the fixings of Old El Paso in the grocer, and that’s what J wanted. We have satellite TV and the Masters Golf Final Round is on tonight beginning at 8 PM French time. We have been following the results on the Internet and we’re all ready to watch the final round. Finally at 1:40 AM Bubba Watson (US) makes an amazing shot from a bad spot in the woods (as a result of a terrible drive) to within 10 ft of the pin to best Louis Oosthuizen (SA) on the second hole of the play-off. We all enjoyed the great round of entertainment and we look forward to getting back into golf.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monday, April 9, 2012 – </b>Slept in today. There is the weekly market in Duras today, so we decided to return there to buy something’s we enjoyed from last week’s purchases. As well, there is a fabulous patisserie that we decided to stop at. When we returned, J was up and ready for lunch. We enjoyed the still warm baguette we had picked up along with French cheese and salami – delicious! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We’re back into our routine of workout and J is back to working on finishing his last science lessons. Later in the afternoon, we head out for a walk along the rural roads to enjoy the countryside. The sun comes out and warms us; we are enjoying the slow pace of the French countryside. There are many old farm holdings here, some restored and some in disrepair. We take a number of photos of the countryside views along our 1.5 hr walk. On this side of the river, the land is used for crop farming, while on the other side its vineyards – must be the soil.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> When we returned, we decided to sit out on the lovely terrace in front of the gite<br />
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and sip on a bottle of rosé that Tonya and Shane gave us. We chatted with Tim about the plane trees that appear butchered along the roads. We find out that he lops off about 1.5 meter long branches each year. Tim spent time explaining the Canal Midi to us, as he used to run boats with tourists before he retired. He told us there are 101 locks , the water comes from the mountains east of Toulouse to fill the canal, 100 000 gallons of fresh water is needed every time a lock is used. This understanding gives an even better appreciation of the engineering feat to build this is canal, completed in 1681 AD.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> With the sun shining, J decided to see if the pool was warm enough to swim in, however, the water was too cold for him – must be cold! There’s a badminton net out on the lawn, so T took on J. A close match, but Mom was the victor today. We had a delicious late dinner and then watched some English TV – enjoyable.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tuesday, April 10, 2012 </b>– It’s raining this morning, so it’s ideal for J to finish off his science for the year. He’s not thrilled to do have a number of assignments today, but with the rain, we’re not planning on touring today. We had a low-key day and a roast pork dinner to end off the day. Science is done! So before dinner, M took J to the store to buy some celebratory ice cream!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We watched James Bond “The World is Not Enough”, where the opening scene takes place on the street outside of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao – how cool is that we thought. We were right at the building where it was shot. We’ve now find that some movies we watch on our trip have a more personal experience because we’ve been there and recognize some movie scenes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, April 11, 2012 </b>– Today was a road trip day. We are off to the Dordogne River Valley to check out the Cro-Magnon caves and their artwork (for those that wish to accurate the people that made this art are now called Early Modern Humans). Our drive was wonderful – filled with beautiful farmland, fabulous refurbished cottages and farmhouses, certainly living up to the term “beautiful French countryside”. We could definitely understand why many people come to this country. It has a quaintness we have not seen before in our travels. It reminds us a bit of Tuscany, but different still. Here there are many more trees and more hilly. As we progressed east, the roads became narrower and more winding, entering some hills. For the most part the landscape up to Bergerac has been quite open, with rolling hills.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We were told by Andrew (from Millepetit) a couple of weeks ago, that France has great roadways north to south, but lack good west to east. Today was a testament to that for sure. We drove through countless rural dwelling areas and French towns, often with the speed limit 50 kph making a fairly short distance a long drive. One of our aims was to see the Grotte de Font-de-Gaume in Les Eyzies de Tarac on the Dordogne River, however the allotted daily entrance was sold out by the time we arrived. The number of visitors is limited each day to help preserve and maintain the cave art. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our other choice was to go to Lascaux II located about another 30km up the river in the town of Montignac. As we were driving T read in her Rick Steeve’s book that tickets for Lascaux II had to be bought in the town of Montignac, so upon arrival we were on the outlook for the tourist info office. Parking, of course, was at a premium, so T hopped out at the curb and went in search of tickets, while the boys went to park. As luck would have it, the next English guided tour was in 25 minutes! We had time, with tickets purchased, T went in search of the boys. It took us a further 5 min. drive out of the town into the hill above Montignac to the location. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Now, this area of the Perigord region is famous for cave drawings dating back 17 000 years ago. We thought we had seen old in many countries on our tour, we had no idea this was in this area until we read about these caves this week. Lascaux II is a replica version of the original cave just yards away. In 1940, some local boys were out walking about and their dog fell in a hole. Through checking out the hole, they encountered an amazing collection of animal artwork (reindeer, horses and bulls) on the cave walls that were dated to prehistoric time. In the 1960’s, the cave had been opened up for the public, however, climatic changes happened within the cave due to the visitors that began to affect the paintings. It was decided to construct a replica that when finished was within one cm of accuracy to the original, with the replica painting done by the original techniques by a professional French artist. It took them more than 10 years to do this. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> If we hadn’t been told, one would never know. The paintings were stunning and incredibly detailed with modern-looking techniques and a beauty that caused us to be in awe. Scientists believe these people lived from 18000 to 10000 BC and would not have looked any different from today’s mankind. We were taken through a number of galleries that we thoroughly enjoyed. All three of us were so glad to have found about this wonderful area to check out. We picked up a couple of postcards (as photos are not allowed within the cave, so see some of the post cars below) and a book about the area, to take with us. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> By the end of our visit, it was now 1:30 and we went in search of a place to eat back in Montignac.<br />
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We found a parking spot by the river and found a small creperie to lunch at. J and M had crepes – presented not like we’re used to (rolled) but flat and folded inward to make a rectangular shape on the plate. Both of them enjoyed their choice, however, J’s came with a raw egg in the center, we quickly removed that! M enjoyed his canard fumé (smoked duck). T had a chevre chaud salade (warm goat cheese) – delicious. One thing we’ve been enjoying throughout Europe is trying the different regional cheeses. For the most part we have not been disappointed. Although there has been the occasional “not to buy ever again” choice! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our trip back was slower as we encountered more traffic, stuck behind slow trucks with no passing for long stretches, made the journey back seem to take forever. We reversed our journey as T wanted to get a picture of a foie gras farm – where they force-feed ducks and geese for their liver, meat and lastly down. We were able to see one from the road and saw the animals at various stages of growth. The ones getting ready for the final day were separated in a pen and were really big.<br />
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One thing we read it’s like they have a loaded diaper on. Their livers grow from a normal maybe ¼ lb. to being 2 lbs. We have grown a fondness for foie gras, but it’s not to everyone’s liking. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Along the drive we saw some really cool openings – making us think what an amazing place that would have been to play in, or even hunt from.<br />
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We passed La Roque St. Christophe that has 5 terraces carved out by the Vézere River and provided shelter to people long ago. Right near here was Maison de Reignac, built right into the rock face built by some powerful lord who ruled the surrounding land some 700 years ago.<br />
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Looked like a cool place, but we were on a mission to return to St. Emillion to purchase more wine to send home. M had done more research and was in contact with a good friend at home, whose son knows a ton about wine and he sent names of Chateaux to check out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> When we arrived in St. Emillion, having been there last week, we knew where the wine stores were, so we found a parking spot is a very opportune spot, right across from the shop we wanted to visit. M went armed with the laptop with names of wines and began the search. Mathieu, the gent in the shop was very knowledgeable and helpful. We tried a number of wines and upon his recommendation purchased some to be sent back to Canada. Yet again we learned more about the Bordeaux region wine industry and vineyards. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our drive back to Barie was on a different route than we had been on before and it was really enjoyable traveling through the town of Sauveterr-de-Guyenne. We passed by fields of vineyards and numerous chateaux. Some of the chateaux were beautiful, kind of magical looking. T never seems to get tired of looking at them. We were all ready to kick back after the long day of driving.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCLGEwgCZXGlUan17JogOIQAkOyBQiP7DU_HbAoTiLQsc0GnAqgwPGj2fF1foqgddG_Q5OGvuZzU4x7pHdAixUG3DnM4vc75uTFISvPZT9w1LGMCMe3pbNfp7_8dHM5MZT3uoagav4K8/s1600/P1120298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCLGEwgCZXGlUan17JogOIQAkOyBQiP7DU_HbAoTiLQsc0GnAqgwPGj2fF1foqgddG_Q5OGvuZzU4x7pHdAixUG3DnM4vc75uTFISvPZT9w1LGMCMe3pbNfp7_8dHM5MZT3uoagav4K8/s400/P1120298.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"> T had prepped spaghetti and meatballs yesterday, so tonight’s dinner was quick to prep – a good thing as we had returned near 7pm. After dinner, we sat down to watch “Coach Carter” a great movie that we all enjoyed and one of those teaching moment movies. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Thursday, April 12, 2012 – </b>We wake well rested after sound sleeps and the weather promised some sunshine but as the morning passed, there were showers. One consolation, the farmers need the rain as the rivers around here are very low. After all, it is spring. That’s okay, we’ve decided to do some of our weekly chores. J is working on his Language Arts story – in which he has decided he’s a spy. We’ve been watching a few action movies lately, so the plot could be interesting!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> While J was busy creating his story, we went in search of the elusive Intermarché grocery store to pick up a few things. We knew it was in La Réole, 7 km away from us, but after several passes and trying to decifer the signage, we had yet to find it. We decided to try Navi, and so with help from our “friend”, we were successful! We went in for a few things, came out with half a cart! We’ve learned to take advantage of the larger store selection when we can. We were both laughed in agreement - no wine or beer as we have more than enough in our stash, some bought and some given to us. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Walking down the aisles one wonders just how many different varieties of foie gras, paté, mousse can one country make? Kind of the equivalent of just how many kinds of pasta can Italy make? Price ranges too, from around 2 Euro to 25 Euro for the same size – but alas, not the same quality or combination. We also fueled up as the price for gasoil (diesel) was 1.41 Euro/litre about $2 Can – that’s nearly the cheapest we’ve seen around here. We find it quite different in France, the same town can have prices differing by up to 15 cents per litre. It definitely pays off to shop around and be on the lookout for the prices. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Another Bond film tonight, Die Another Day – our host this week has numerous Bond DVD’s so we thought we’d have a Bond fest this week.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Friday, April 13, 2012 – </b>We waited until today to drive to the Atlantic coast to Arcachon, southeast of Bordeaux. Shane had recommended coming here. After looking at the weekly forecast on Monday, today was the best day. Our trip was about 100 km. A good portion of the trip was along country roads. Both times around Bordeaux we encountered traffic issues, especially on the way home, it was very slow – adding at least an extra half hour . </div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we neared the exit off the autoroute (that goes to San Sebastian, Spain), the landscape changed. There was quite a bit of forestry activity. Actually along our drives we have often seen stands of non-fruit trees planted in rows. As we neared the Bassin d’Arcachon, we could definitely see the signs that this area is a summer holiday destination spot. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We headed for the centre of Arcachon in search of somewhere to eat. We came across many shops, and some cafés. The roads didn’t really allow us to drive along the coast, but that was ok. We found a spot to park and found a creperie to have lunch. After his second creperie experience, J has decided that he’s not overly fond of crepes. However, M and T enjoyed their choices – T had duck gizzards with foie gras, champignons, fromage and a chutney that was a fabulous accompaniment. M had a crepe with scallops St. Jacques, lagostinas, fromage and of course, Bordeaux Sauvignon to drink and enjoy. We sat out on the terrace and the sun decided to stay.<br />
While driving along the road near the water, one could see a mix of old and new architecture. Actually, it didn’t seem like France at all, and Shane had hinted at that. There is boardwalk all along the ocean, but only for pedestrians, as cars are at least a block back. Houses and the odd condo complex line the waterfronts. Every block there is a road that leads to the beach area/boardwalk. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpQnwbarheiSjwMQIQ_Kwv7i8RML9nEvUUVzvti9bgBdQA0iGpENvYjgTYdBvFceGvpb261rtJP9ElrR-ziO1zKid4-yWQTqOPzX7Iq8HOGvnGB7PN48w1VPk1BRvccXAd60FFr_-OSY/s1600/P1120309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpQnwbarheiSjwMQIQ_Kwv7i8RML9nEvUUVzvti9bgBdQA0iGpENvYjgTYdBvFceGvpb261rtJP9ElrR-ziO1zKid4-yWQTqOPzX7Iq8HOGvnGB7PN48w1VPk1BRvccXAd60FFr_-OSY/s400/P1120309.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNf6NB0LvasuRThUihYfpMcdBIFLkB4Qr7Ro67dkZqB5t-7LS8-SMi5G1v_UdiA26VlwaFalqMLsQ5IeB1QS_DJ2NnUxTiwc2AUUYtkYe9GXCgLYCjJ6179aLEE18__E0HkTyXqaenzWI/s1600/P1120308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNf6NB0LvasuRThUihYfpMcdBIFLkB4Qr7Ro67dkZqB5t-7LS8-SMi5G1v_UdiA26VlwaFalqMLsQ5IeB1QS_DJ2NnUxTiwc2AUUYtkYe9GXCgLYCjJ6179aLEE18__E0HkTyXqaenzWI/s400/P1120308.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Driving south along from Arcachon, we were destined for Dunes de Pyla. Along the way, we pulled over when we saw – yes, a gelato shop. Much to our delight, it was the best gelato since leaving Italy. We enjoyed our wonderful treat while checking out the pier. We could definitely imagine this place crawling with summer vacationers. The beach looked very inviting with its fine sand – lovely. Today however, it’s a little too cool for beach time. T had read about the dunes, so we thought we’d check them out. No one knew what to expect when we arrived at the parking lot. There were lots of little kiosks, cafés making it look a bit tourist trap like, but what the heck, we continued past these along the path the led to the dunes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Well, we round the corner and walk through some trees and see before us this immense hill of sand. Actually, the highest is said to be 117 m high. There are steps that lead up toward the top, but not reaching there, we had to climb the remainder without the help of the stairs. J decided that he would scale the dune from the bottom – good workout for those hockey legs that haven’t seen any ice time lately. M and T climbed the stairs to near the top and then climbed the rest of the way up to gaze at the beauty below and around. There were many people here, enjoying the sun, breeze and sand. It was a fabulous view of the basin, could even see where we had been earlier for lunch. From here we could see how steep the dune was as well as see much of its 3 km long length. It is said to advance about a metre per year on the forested inland per year. What an incredible site. The place was full of laughter as school children raced and paragliders played in the thermals. Made for a wonderful memory on our Bordeaux chapter.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our return trip was slow leaving the area – it was after 4:30, so it must be quitting time for some. We’ve decided that later in the day many people are out and about – makes for slow movement. Once we reentered the autoroute near Bordeaux truck traffic picked up - sometimes traveling in convoys, Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland – knew where these came - San Sebastian route. After crawling along the autoroute for about 30 min. M decided to get off and find our way along secondary routes to get back to the gite. While driving through Langon, J got to see an Airbus 380 factory – “the biggest commercial passenger plane in the world” he told us with some components outside. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> By the time we return home it was nearing 6:30. On the menu tonight – hamburgers! We have a BBQ and picked up some charcoal – charbon de bois as they call it here. Not the same as at home, and not exactly to M’s liking – but we’re going to have a Q. Things turn out well, but they aren’t quite like at home. Again, the meat is different – M didn’t realize he had picked up hamburger that had tomato and some other spices. Just shows how we need to read the packaging – at home ground beef is just what it says – ground beef! French bacon doesn’t match the taste of Canadian bacon. It’s funny how we have become particular on certain tastes. Now we can sympathize with ex-pats who crave certain things from their countries that they can’t get in their new homeland. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Another Bond film we found here – “Diamonds are Forever “– Sean Connery 1971. J had only seen Connery in Indiana Jones, so seeing him 30 years earlier was different for him. We were comparing the stunts of the early Bonds to the more modern ones – quite the difference in complexities.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, April 14, 2012 – </b>We had another mildly chilly day here in southern France, the sun shone briefly, but then disappeared for the remainder. We went out for a walk amongst the lanes in and around the small village of Barie. It was great admiring the work people have gone to in their yards and homes. It is not uncommon in this area to see large, tall farm homes that have the barn/shed attached to the home. Many of the buildings are vine covered that must look fabulous when the vine is in full leaf. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We organized our bags and the blog, photos and computer work today, and made a couple of Skype calls to family at home. J and T managed to get in another rousing game of badminton before dinner. M BBQ’d steaks for us tonight. There was no mistaking that it was beef this time! Like any good engineer, tonight he was improving upon last night’s technique to provide us with top-notch Q’d steaks! Last night here, we decided to watch another Sean Connery movie, “Entrapment” that we found in the stash of DVD’s in the gite. </div></div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-11486844927422374602012-04-06T01:41:00.000-07:002012-04-06T01:41:15.203-07:00Update from Carcassonne France<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sunday, March 25, 2012 – </b>Today we leave Spain to begin our stay in France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to adjust our route so that we intentionally go through Andorra, because, we could and it’d be country 17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It added additional driving time. But it was worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We drove on a secondary road that was quite narrow and with many curves through the Broto valley, so top speed was 70 km or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed the drive through the valley’s small villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk8SuC20a-X8HtOGDVKB5MiAff5HMfMO1JLJpy74SO9Vz7_X3rbH8-A9JXUuhB3bkLBEaQ4ZOHwghAmVGn2v1mZEg8-Ksv4OzzrM4F4EKLcziVEhov3rbW-FZEZwYkh8w_CsE7kD_C1Q/s1600/P1110675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk8SuC20a-X8HtOGDVKB5MiAff5HMfMO1JLJpy74SO9Vz7_X3rbH8-A9JXUuhB3bkLBEaQ4ZOHwghAmVGn2v1mZEg8-Ksv4OzzrM4F4EKLcziVEhov3rbW-FZEZwYkh8w_CsE7kD_C1Q/s400/P1110675.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSM6ljrkgMax2AxhjWVbd4Ey3STKhHudSWP8e0BtTYivKi4RY6e6LcIGB4ysxnqdODV1W_rqC-QVLcjx0imqpeqoXEeTOz0JN5sTforR15Ox5n2bq2Xkc0emUfm0w0FsveowGSyYtFXTE/s1600/P1110692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSM6ljrkgMax2AxhjWVbd4Ey3STKhHudSWP8e0BtTYivKi4RY6e6LcIGB4ysxnqdODV1W_rqC-QVLcjx0imqpeqoXEeTOz0JN5sTforR15Ox5n2bq2Xkc0emUfm0w0FsveowGSyYtFXTE/s400/P1110692.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our route led us through the mountain area heading to the town of Barbastro, takin us along a dam reservoir that clearly showed the lack of precipitation over the last 5 months – we couldn’t believe how low it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the locals are right to be concerned about what will happen this summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We passed a number of towers, some in good state and others in disrepair along some of the ridges of the valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been fabulous to see so many ancient castles and fortresses over our tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we got down to the city of Barbastro, the landscape changed and now it was grape and other fruit growing area again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There some wonderful fields with trees in full bloom announcing the arrival of spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also past a valley with the ridge lined with wind turbines, spaced every 100 meters or so there must have been over 100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have certainly seen quite a few here in Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had also seen in our travels fields of solar panels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We traveled south to Lleida to catch the highway to Andorra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The drive northeast was beautiful and very enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we neared Andorra, the road had more curves and traffic picked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We went through a series of tunnels up to the Spanish/Andorran border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We climbed from about 650 m at the border up to 2060 m to the top of the pass where we entered into France once we traveled through a 2.8 km long tunnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andorra is a tax-free prinicipality with countless shops that the Spaniards and French like to go to. Besides the main road leading through this country, there are countless condo units both near the road as well as perched on the mountainsides. We stopped for gas and saved about 25 euro-cents per litre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped in Andorra La Vallee and found a Sushi restaurant and had a wonderful lunch – something we haven’t had since leaving N. Am. M took the opportunity to stock up on some Cognac as well, saving 8 euro per bottle versus France.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we climbed higher, we could see where the snow still was and skiers riding the lifts and gondolas to get to the runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you get past the condo and commercial overbuild, the surroundings are very rugged and picturesque.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a beautiful sight to see, blue sky and crisp white snowcapped peaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had all three of us thinking of skiing back home and looking forward to doing that next winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> Once we crossed into France, we pulled over and M and J had a snowball fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Must say, M got the better of J in that one (finally getting some payback for the time J and T both got M in Morocco when he back was sore and he could not even bend down to make a snowball let alone throw one)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our drive took us down through a series of switchbacks to take us to a much lower elevation, through the town of Ax – les T hermes, a funky spa town, past Foix then along some secondary roads past Carcasonne to a little settlement Millepetit where our next week’s accommodation is located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we hit the four lane highway is France we had climbed 1500 m and then come back down 1500 m.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our accommodation is in a 400 year old gite, former farm building, actually ours was part of the barn system, turned into flats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in the midst of a working farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one time all this land belonged to an aristocratic family who due to various circumstances now only own an immense chateau on the edge of the holding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Canal Midi runs along the shore right in front of the gite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the world’s oldest working canal (meaning it has locks).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boats meander up and down during the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has just been opened up this weekend and we saw one boat go by today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTabhZOyZypacCNqrhXKZZoqZX0XI2CWA-3qmcinkIhycvwpYiF5YbQ23LVzYfr-WTveW9-t4JTJPPa-vtRNoxZ3tK7uWF4ts2VywSsXldODUpFrKcbCpqcprr-rgE6HVX06tQBAlfVfU/s1600/P1110906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTabhZOyZypacCNqrhXKZZoqZX0XI2CWA-3qmcinkIhycvwpYiF5YbQ23LVzYfr-WTveW9-t4JTJPPa-vtRNoxZ3tK7uWF4ts2VywSsXldODUpFrKcbCpqcprr-rgE6HVX06tQBAlfVfU/s400/P1110906.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Andrew, the owner, took us around the property and gave us a tour of the place along with the history of the holding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are buildings 900 years old in use here as well – this week will be yet a different experience from what we’ve had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their neighbors, who work part of the farm have a donkey who thinks he’s the family pet dog – as Andrew referred to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday is his day off his leash, so he is indeed wandering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He came right up for a nuzzle with T.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’d never been up close to a donkey before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were other guests staying here and they were warned not to let him too close to their food as they were sitting at the picnic table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite funny watching the antics of “the pet”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxWfqmQCjuTE1vAZ4ZvpFAVtJYPhTSMcnyVi1gGTDiNF-6EBzGh-PXew_8MYVysnJm618DCo70a9jxPCWZ1j1JXrxj5N6qDtru5ekmkBPguG6Hm_w1eIPBRsJY5g1QbBXLDHzOLnFM60/s1600/IMG_1114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxWfqmQCjuTE1vAZ4ZvpFAVtJYPhTSMcnyVi1gGTDiNF-6EBzGh-PXew_8MYVysnJm618DCo70a9jxPCWZ1j1JXrxj5N6qDtru5ekmkBPguG6Hm_w1eIPBRsJY5g1QbBXLDHzOLnFM60/s400/IMG_1114.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nothing is open in the towns today – we had learned this our first time in France – last May when we picked up our car in Lyon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it’s even difficult to find a gas station open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good thing we had a few staples with us, to get us through dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have good Internet this week – finally, so we were able to Skype a few people as well as begin on our list of things to get done to finalize our return home journey in June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There is a fireplace here, so we made use of it to heat up the main floor where the kitchen and living area are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upstairs there is no central heat, so we have another heater like the other places we’ve been to as well, there appears to be ample bedding to keep us warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Monday, March 26, 2012 – </b>Today was our usual first day in a new place day – check out the town/village and get groceries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun was shining and the birds chirping, we could see the leaves beginning to bud on some of the trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Across the canal are fields of fruit trees, apricot and apple that are all in bloom, it’s very pretty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are migrant farm workers picking asparagus with a massive field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They pick for about 10 hours per day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are from Portugal, no work at home, so they come and work in France, moving from crop to crop until the fall apples are picked and they return home for a few months, before returning.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>The canal outside our door is 155 km long, built in the time of Louis XIV or “Louis Quatorze” as Andrew called him (a name for the French king that we never heard in any school we attended!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The canal outside our spot is several km long of huge trees bordering either side, making a canopy of green once the leaves arrive<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The trees are very old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went for a walk several km along the far side of the canal where both cyclists and walkers are allowed on a public path system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spring is beginning to show around here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M is in shorts today, we can feel the warmth in the air.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We returned to sit outside on the terrace in front of the gite after T put a roast in the oven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooking can be a challenge at some of the places we’ve rented as there aren’t always ovens or the cooking pot and pan supply is often meager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooking for a week with only a 2 burner cooker was the most challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week we have oven and microwave, that can be used at the same time without blowing the circuit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we’ll be trying out some things we haven’t had a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, we are in a new region/country, so they’ll be new things to try anyways!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, March 27, 2012 - </b>Today we decided to go on a road trip to one of the world’s tallest bridges, Viaduc de Millau, in Millau.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to travel along a main autoroute instead of through a series or narrow windy roads that will add at least another hour onto the trip and perhaps a nauseous stomach – so T and J vetoed the secondary route!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We traveled east along vineyards and farms to the city of Narbonne before heading north and then slightly west up into the mountains along a plateau to where this 2.5 km long 343 m high (to the highest point) and 270 m from the valley bottom to the bridge level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They built this bridge to improve traffic flow from the north (Paris) to the south east coast, (Marseilles).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great drive up and quite the sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at the rest stop and had a look at the display concerning construction – quite interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After our photo ops, we drove into Millau (with the viaduc it is now by-passed by the through traffic), in search of a restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a brasserie in one of the main squares and had a wonderful lunch on the terrace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chose local dishes to try and were not at all disappointed with our choices – a wonderful experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun is shining and its about 24 C today.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We returned to the gite by around 4:30 and enjoyed sitting outside near the canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dinner, we went for a walk along the canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun was beginning to set and the lighting was great to take some photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M is beginning to exercise his artistic side with his camera!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, March 28, 2012 -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Today’s trip was to Carcassonne – a truly magical well restored and preserved medieval city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we arrived in this area we had never heard of this place, but after today’s visit, we’re very pleased to have had the chance to visit it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arriving at the Narbonne Gate took us back in time, crossing a crooked drawbridge to enter into the double walled city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets are cobble and narrow ascending into a courtyard that has the cathedral, Saint Nazaire and Saint Celse Basilica, then branching off to other parts including the castle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This place has history dating back 2500 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s probably the coolest walled city we have seen on this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reminds of us of the magical castles that are talked about in kid’s fairytale or knight books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This first picture is of a postcard so you can see the La Cite from the air.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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We stopped in at the cathedral that had wonderful stained glass windows telling various biblical stories as well as design representing the area.<span> </span>It is no longer used as a parish church as very few people live within la cite anymore.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We had a wonderful lunch at the Renaissance Restaurant, one recommended in our Rick Steeve’s book and had a delicious meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both M and T had the cassoulet- duck, sausage and white beans baked in a clay dish – it was terrific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch we continued our wander through ‘La Cite’ cobbled streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We toured the castle/fortress (where “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves” scenes from the Nottingham Castle were filmed) learning about and seeing the different lines of defense the soldiers used to protect the fortress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walking along the high walls, you can almost imagine yourself as a soldier peering through the slits to shoot your arrows at the enemy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T stopped into an art gallery and found a painting she liked of the canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately it was already spoken for, but the artist is going to paint one for us and it will be shipped home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s be a great reminder of this area and the walks we took along the canal. Lower cite established in the 1300’s is quite populated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">All three of us had a wonderful afternoon in this “fairytale-like” village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a great place to be able to check out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday, March 29, 2012</b> – This AM was like every other morning lately, get up around 8:30 – 9, make a coffee (M bought a small espresso pot as we’re out in the country and the cafes are further away).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably pay for that pot this week in amount not spent in cafes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now being the true engineer, he wants to perfect the timing of the brew… fine by T.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s a leisure day with all three of us enjoying the warm 27 C weather and a great walk along the canal for over an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can tell the workout program is helping J, as not once did he complain about the walk – this wouldn’t have happened earlier in our trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a great chat with Cleide, the owner,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>finding about what it’s like to live in Southern France as a foreigner – not so easy to break into things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After three years, they still feel not at home….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, March 30, 2012 – </b>After baking quiche for breakfast and folding laundry, and J completing his final math exam, we decided to go for a drive to the little village of Minerve, about 40 min from here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not so far in distance so much as narrow windy roads and having to travel through a number of small villages before getting there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon arrival we are greeted to a wonderful of the gorge that this small village is near – a wonderful surprise!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgp0zP2Oka5ju6lhvuZ5K8kRsHqTtiPihMnn8wLtwbP5_lGyNnKvtqePYjadE7Wegvl3Ls627rDmrcAg_OGMIfOB_YCUey5c2IOCdrn5Qz6nYtCR9LVWYWc9jj7xr6S8pomorTVIsgkXg/s1600/P1120028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgp0zP2Oka5ju6lhvuZ5K8kRsHqTtiPihMnn8wLtwbP5_lGyNnKvtqePYjadE7Wegvl3Ls627rDmrcAg_OGMIfOB_YCUey5c2IOCdrn5Qz6nYtCR9LVWYWc9jj7xr6S8pomorTVIsgkXg/s400/P1120028.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This little village was home of the Cathars who built their village into gorge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did act as a deterrent for attack, but the Romans got to them just them same!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nowadays, it’s a quaint village, welcoming some tourists to wander the couple of narrow streets with a couple of museums, art gallery and one small hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are remains of the tower<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>that existed during the Cathars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We parked above the village and walked down into it, as only locals are allowed to drive on the couple of streets that exists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no place for parking within.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We had a wonderful lunch at a restaurant yet again recommended by Rick Steeves at the Relais , and had a fabulous menu du jour which had us try different foods and enjoying each course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was J’s first “nouveau cuisine” experience and he did well trying each course and enjoying most things, some more than others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our way out, T bought a couple of cards from the art gallery to keep. We drove along the crest of the gorge for a while and then meandered along secondary roads through fields of vines, most well tended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some had workers in them pruning the vines for the new growth season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed a couple of large chateaux amongst the fields of vines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great afternoon of seeing some of the rural spots in this region of France.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-PmS1t0CxEMKLVu2YTde3tRCeGY_8GXtvyakLilfnjUGjLnnmIfB5z7kDuzIULUHdIDVt5bHAvtr5E7zTLBET68mUCs0fy2p_05ZQYbFzyoCmJpw4Varwao4WVkHrmBP-jmC9zk9m9g/s1600/P1120032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-PmS1t0CxEMKLVu2YTde3tRCeGY_8GXtvyakLilfnjUGjLnnmIfB5z7kDuzIULUHdIDVt5bHAvtr5E7zTLBET68mUCs0fy2p_05ZQYbFzyoCmJpw4Varwao4WVkHrmBP-jmC9zk9m9g/s400/P1120032.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ELyHe4BDZQjugbWPnekLErpwQGblaeRaR0DUmE7O11Mumtj6BjduKl9KtClnCVjruqynOF7fPnmlLmgKiRXyR6O9aYk9SU2Die5_r-MCSJhjfwy6KgpBdbM1GSHN7XEAZoJg5M-BUM8/s1600/P1120041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ELyHe4BDZQjugbWPnekLErpwQGblaeRaR0DUmE7O11Mumtj6BjduKl9KtClnCVjruqynOF7fPnmlLmgKiRXyR6O9aYk9SU2Die5_r-MCSJhjfwy6KgpBdbM1GSHN7XEAZoJg5M-BUM8/s400/P1120041.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Saturday, March 31, 2012 - </b>We<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>had a slow morning, had J finish his last math assignment for the year (Hurray!) One course down and high fives all around!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went for food supplies for Sunday as well as went out to get J a treat for his hard work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When finished his work, J went with Henry in search of lizards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They managed to catch a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a beautiful day, yet again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While J is hanging with Henry, we decided to go for another walk along the canal to Trebes, the town where we’ve been going for groceries. It’s about a 45 min walk along the plane tree lined canal to the lock system right outside of the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We checked out the three leveled system then retraced our track to return to the gite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By the time we returned, everyone was ready for a late lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the day was spent hanging out, enjoying the sunshine, and countryside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trees have begun to bud now, it’s a change from earlier this week. We Skyped a few family today and enjoyed all the conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re leaving tomorrow AM, so some of our time is spent packing and organizing to make the departure stress-free and on time. We end the day by all watching one of our CDs, the movie Bridge to Terabithia, a wonderful family story and a great way to end the week.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-2183561486858923152012-03-28T14:46:00.000-07:002012-03-28T14:46:05.846-07:00Update from Broto Spain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> Sunday, March 18, 2012 - </b>We’re up early enough to go out for a coffee. M gets the headache if he doesn’t get his caffeine, and let’s face it we enjoy our morning jaunts. Atiol arrived at the apt while J and M were out retrieving the car from the bowels of the parkade. M parks nearby our place so we can load everything up and then we are off. Today’s drive will take us to Broto and then on to the tiny village Oto, north of Huesca just outside the Ordessa National Park. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We travel along a different route to Pamplona than we did the other day, likely the next valley over to the west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again it is a great drive past some smaller Spanish villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhW2Zq2i1rqO3oN5BnINuyq_9uSF9AFEGOoHI86nP3H_i-pA97QUnC2xpiYDuDhNTcaCdy9vBscAEd0dY8KrhyhJ5Pi2bdipDIHJKPQe-reblwadqvskhfB1fgbyAveumy4OejY4OSq8/s1600/P1110533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhW2Zq2i1rqO3oN5BnINuyq_9uSF9AFEGOoHI86nP3H_i-pA97QUnC2xpiYDuDhNTcaCdy9vBscAEd0dY8KrhyhJ5Pi2bdipDIHJKPQe-reblwadqvskhfB1fgbyAveumy4OejY4OSq8/s400/P1110533.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We drive near the outskirts of Pamplona and we notice how industrial it is, even passed a couple of German company factories, namely VW and Liebehrr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we are leaving the Pamplona area M was talking with J about something and did not hear Navi tell him to take an exit. So we drove along while Navi recalculated and next happened upon this amazing aquaduct structure, the best we’ve seen on our adventure – awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5340Rxv88_sc9k5nOzxy1oLbzl_oegdhjmzKAY1NPid2NDMb13E-IBO_ckorqcQ9zbcCABmIVllFyIphYIAIeFHgU3Gjtnp1nEI4oRErBrA-GZQJL3SjKIOkgKgKE82urgU4BRTk4t4/s1600/P1110546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5340Rxv88_sc9k5nOzxy1oLbzl_oegdhjmzKAY1NPid2NDMb13E-IBO_ckorqcQ9zbcCABmIVllFyIphYIAIeFHgU3Gjtnp1nEI4oRErBrA-GZQJL3SjKIOkgKgKE82urgU4BRTk4t4/s400/P1110546.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">As well, we’re on the Camino de Santiago once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We read that there are two routes that converge near Pamplona, one that actually starts in Paris the other St. Jean Pied de Pont from the other day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we left this area, we traveled along winding roads through more small rural villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenery was great, it’ll even be nicer in a couple weeks when the leaves come out on the many deciduous trees that cover the mountainsides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed the drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We stopped for lunch in a town called Beischa – it reminded us of Canmore, with all its stone exteriors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except here, the rock is real stone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wondered what brought people here to this area, and we found that there is skiing in the area, about an hour away, lots of nordic skiing and mountains to enjoy hiking, and roads for biking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This area would be a great escape from the heat in the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had some great tapas and refreshments before our last 30 km drive to the village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We climbed up a winding road to about 1200m before decending along an equally windy stretch to the valley below that hosts Broto and Oto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This week we are staying in a 16<sup>th</sup> century medieval tower, Torre de Oto, that was totally restored and has been available since 2008 to rent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The owners have had it in their family for several hundred years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually it was owned at one time by a duke who purchased it from the village in the 1800’s when the village needed money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Across the lane the owners also have a 21room building where her father had grown up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This little village is full of homes built of rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view from this former defensive, communication tower is awesome, overlooking the valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were expecting rain and cold, however, today it was partly clouded and warmer than anticipated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we talked to Elena, she told us this area has not had rain or snow this winter, very unusual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They now are worrying about water rationing for the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this time of year, it is usually greener.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There usually is snow from Dec. until March.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were supposed to have rain today, but its not here, so we get to admire the valley view.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The tower has four floors, the lowest having a kitchen/dining area and a half bath with a cool rock sink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second is the sitting area with TV and stereo, the third has the master bedroom, with a queen bed – a luxury in Europe and an ensuite bathroom. The fourth is where J is sleeping outfitted with twin beds, a desk (convenient for his schoolwork time) and his own ensuite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a published book on the restoration of the tower, that showed the before and after shots and all the work entailed to bring it to the wonderful condition it is in now. We hang out for the rest of the day, they have satellite TV here so M finds the other semi-final of the tennis match we watched yesterday, so we end the day watching Federer in excellent form defeat Nadal. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Monday, March 19, 2012 – </b>We wake to blue sky with a few clouds, great, as we weren’t expecting it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temperature is in the early teens, so we’re pleased at the forecast was calling for 3C for the highs for the first half of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re hoping to make use of the bikes that are here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind is a bit brisk so we’re going to have to locate some gloves before heading out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We went into Broto, 1km away to check out the grocery store to pick up a few things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There wasn’t a huge selection, but we’ll manage instead of driving back the 30 km or so to Bescias to a larger shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even found a bakery to buy fresh bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This town is very small as well – really dealing with the outdoor pursuit tourists, or the residents who farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right below our place is a farm, bringing forth its occasional mooing, sheep bell ringing as well as that fresh cow smell!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brings back memories of when we stayed up in Northern Germany last May!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Elena had told us of a hike up to an abandoned village that we could see from the tower that we wanted to see if we could reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J opted to stay behind to work on a project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Off we set in search of the trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first 35 min or so we searched, walking through the campground, then a number of farmer fields with a fairly good coating of dried manure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It brought back memories for M, he wasn’t enjoying the dried dung – “back then I had clothes and boots especially for this kind of thing”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Even though there were numerous treks and a couple of tractor trails, we still couldn’t find the trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to follow a forestry road, that led us along side a dried up creek bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By now we had been out walking for over an hour, and still no trail, so, we continued up the valley along the creek bed and decide to just enjoy the outdoors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The creek bed walls are loaded with layered rock – not hard to see where the supplies came from for the many homes and walls made from rock!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We eventually decided to call it quits and backtrack and return home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had been gone for about 2 ½ hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt great to be in the mountains once again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We enjoyed dinner and a movie before retiring for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tuesday, March 20, 2012 – </b>The campground, less than 10 min. by foot has WiFi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tower’s system went out last week and Elena told us being Spain, and then being rural Spain, it could take a while to get it fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we will make do with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had checked the place out yesterday morning when we went for coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Armed with the computers, Ipod and Iphone, we were off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone of us had an agenda – update on sports, hockey as well as March Madness, emails to friends and family, download schoolwork related material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up being there for a couple of hours, but managed to accomplish what needs to be done.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the way back to the tower for lunch, J and T take a detour to check out a sign she saw on the way down, perhaps it might be the trail head we were looking for yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure enough it is!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right on, after lunch while J again opted out of the hike to do more schoolwork, we were off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun is shining – another bonus day with the temp around 12C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind is brisk again today, but as we begin the hike, we become sheltered.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The trail takes us between 2 levels of farmers’ fields to begin a climb that continues for the next 1 hour 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We only got off track once, having misinterpreted a sign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Way up in these hills are rock-terraced fields as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again we wonder – what caused these people to decide to settle way up here with nothing around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have been a ton of work to terrace the mountainside to provide grazing and cultivated land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elena told us when that before the village was abandoned, kids would walk down from this village barefoot (as they were poor) to attend school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While hiking up the steady incline both of us thought that life was certainly tougher back then.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we finally reached the location of the village, we wondered among rock walls, ruins and partial remains of buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far below we could see both our village Oto, as well as Broto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could also see the bare and snow covered peaks of Odresa National Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After taking some photos, resting and quenching our thirst we were off on our downhill trek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to be careful along the way as there were many spots with lose rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our descent took us more than an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of us were pleased with the excursion for the afternoon and were looking forward to sitting down and having a cold one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our bodies were telling us we had a good hike today.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wednesday, March 21, 2012 - </b>We’re low on a few staples and needed to get some gloves so we can go out biking, so we decided to check out the other town, Torla about 4 km from here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the town at the entrance to the national park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driving through we didn’t see a grocery store, but decided to keep driving to check out some of the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to drive about 10km before the road came to an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenery was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were rugged sheer rock faces, reminding us of home and the scenery near Banff. We could definitely see how this area became designated as a national park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we returned to the town, we found a shop to buy gloves and a grocery store, but it had even less than the one in Broto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We picked up a few things here and then returned to Broto to buy some meat for dinner for the next two nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our fridge in the tower is only bar-sized so we’re limited to space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we stepped out of the shop, the mist had turned into rain and as the day progressed, so did the steadiness of the precip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually it turned into snow but didn’t stay at this elevation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where we had hiked yesterday is now snow covered. So we enjoyed an afternoon in, reading and relaxing, with J doing some more schoolwork. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thursday, March 22, 2012 – </b>It’s overcast today, although not as low ceiling as yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ground is still too wet to go out cycling, we’ll likely go tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our workout and breakfast, we went to the local campground restaurant and lounge to do some more Internet work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we were there, several locals came in for a drink, must be their mid day break – or chat time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Later in the afternoon, T walked back into Broto to see if the bakery was open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wandered the narrow walkways of both villages and enjoyed the feeling of stepping back in time along the cobbled laneways amongst the stone houses, some restored and some still standing but in disrepair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She could certainly see why some people would chose to come up here to spend time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The villages have been here for a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one time Broto had a prison tower as well as communication tower for defensive purposes as well as the place we were staying in.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRE-mACT3CkivIgDKApHOQPYL66GTGcUNS0mFZbYAoh_WGS5pXZH1-1CU5qaHE8bb5b22e2XdRO3RJqzvR6fUDMJ6TEfh-7NNd1EsAM93qCi8gCCzTuqpi1jxCwYfMNfvk_h_NBYY27R0/s1600/IMG_0109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRE-mACT3CkivIgDKApHOQPYL66GTGcUNS0mFZbYAoh_WGS5pXZH1-1CU5qaHE8bb5b22e2XdRO3RJqzvR6fUDMJ6TEfh-7NNd1EsAM93qCi8gCCzTuqpi1jxCwYfMNfvk_h_NBYY27R0/s400/IMG_0109.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tonight after a warm meal of great beef stew, we sat down to watch “Where the Wild Things Are” and watched some TV with English (M had found an audio button on the satellite remote that actually let us change the language back to its original version, so we could watch shows in English - we do not know if we could have done this at any of the other places we have stayed that had satellite TV but we will try this once we get to France).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even managed to watch an episode of “House”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have missed a year of episodes so we were wondering what happened to a couple of the main characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess we’ll find out when we return home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, March 23, 2012 – </b>We wake to some mist in the valley that quickly burned off to reveal blue sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The valley is beautiful with snowcapped ridges and after the morning schoolwork and WiFi work at the nearby cafe, we decide to try out the bikes that are in the storage room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIOrA0IitS3XCvGpuHNL7qDCl4AQU8y-bTQWBZOsqQ5ZHBwuYVHhvfmB6xKWStWA9l-o_WCoYdFn2TmGlUX-KbWW7TKojCuEpuNz15QS2rH2U4RQKUtDdqU-B4xthJHlXreKd7NN3rqI/s1600/IMG_1094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIOrA0IitS3XCvGpuHNL7qDCl4AQU8y-bTQWBZOsqQ5ZHBwuYVHhvfmB6xKWStWA9l-o_WCoYdFn2TmGlUX-KbWW7TKojCuEpuNz15QS2rH2U4RQKUtDdqU-B4xthJHlXreKd7NN3rqI/s400/IMG_1094.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
And here are three successive views from Oto of the abandoned village we hiked to the other day.<br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We rode along paved road for a bit and then along gravel that was fairly rough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As J’s bike did not exactly fit him he found this somewhat challenging and quickly all our butts were getting sore. Still we enjoyed about an hour ride in the sun, it feels great to be biking again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was ironic that the day we finally have good weather to ride the bikes was also the day that it was so warm we did n ot need the gloves we had bought. Oh well, perhaps they will be needed when we get a chance to bike in France. We enjoyed dinner and watched more of our shows in English, then<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M found one of his favorite shows NCIS on and watched back to back episodes until about 1:30 AM (before he decided to stop although there was another one that started then too). One of the thngs we have come to like about TV here in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Europe is that in several countries all the commercials for a show happen at once for like 10 – 15 minutes, so you can do something else during the commercials and then watch the entire show uninterrupted.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Saturday, March 24, 2012 – </b>We slept in today and again went to the WiFi spot just in case the one next week is not as fast as this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s much busier around the campground as it’s the weekend and likely people who keep their trailers here are up for the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to walk into Broto to pick up a couple of things at the grocer as well as to the bakeshop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the warmest day this week and none of us wear jackets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We found what we needed in the shops and then went for a walk along the river and found a restaurant to sit on the terrace and have lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J went down to the river shore and played on the rocks and got a bit wet, while we waited for our orders to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> While sitting at the restaurant we think we saw Anthony Quinn (?).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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And we enjoyed the views of Broto.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had wonderful croquettes con jamon<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(ham and cheese) for a starter and then hamburgers that were delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The burgers were a mix of beef, mushroom and pancetta – a wonderful combination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we finished lunch we walked to check out the waterfalls that carved its way through the cliffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could see where the climbers set up to practice climbing the cliffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great sight!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ambled back to the tower to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a wonderful week enjoying the outdoors and this beautiful part of Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"> It has been a wonderful time in Spain over the weeks spent in the different parts. We traveled along some historic passes and roads, through different regions and cities, all adding to a very enjoyable and memorable time in this country. We have had a chance to see a great deal of the country and experience the different cultures within the various provinces or regions. We’re so glad to have had the opportunity to experience Spain! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-19398158984948498452012-03-24T04:35:00.000-07:002012-03-24T04:35:58.447-07:00Update from San Sebastian Spain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sunday, March 11, 2012 – </b>We are off to San Sebastian – on the northeast coast slightly into Spain from the French border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our drive is just over 620 km long, basically taking us ¾ of the way across the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first hour we backtrack out of the mountains and hills, and we see this cool place that Canadians may notice (although we did not stop to learn about it)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> to Ponteferra where the valleys open up and widen. At one point we reached 1220 m before descending to drive along about 700 m for a good portion of the rest of the drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are all sorts of routes to take to get where we want to, but we choose the fastest with tolls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all the autoroutes are tolls, and we’re not sure how they decide which of the many are and are not. On our travels today we really get a sense of the line “the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain” as we have seen from west of Madrid to the north and now to the east there is a very large plain in Spain which reminded us somewhat of the prairies or US mid-west. As we drive east we can see the northern mountains that seem to separate the plain from the coast. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our route takes us due east where we see many signs pointing to the El Camino de Santiago, the pilgrimage route people would take to walk/drive to the Cathedral, several hundred km west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That route is long, starting in St. Jean, France south through the Pyrennes, heading west over the plateau and then into Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove east until Burgos, then we began our diagonal north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see many wind turbines along the way and in some places the valley is continually dotted with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At our lunch stop in Burgos, the wind blew briskly – confirming why so many turbines were in this area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we drove past Vitoria-Gasteiz, the surroundings changed to very mountainous with the road snaking its way through the valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We traveled through several tunnels, some over 3km.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hard to believe that we were so close to the Gulf of Gascogne with how mountainous it was surrounding the roadway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdRUPNh7GGxZcxcM0wyNw9TFlG-eTD8rHNPvJKkR8nW63zed7I2EKIYzmU3zE0UzdwhvlIqIpo9xQVOTwiAd8NcrqByljMxzaMd2mfponUd5Ed8fWaU08XG0JOg3P4uAxrBM0XrUh1z4/s1600/P1110405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdRUPNh7GGxZcxcM0wyNw9TFlG-eTD8rHNPvJKkR8nW63zed7I2EKIYzmU3zE0UzdwhvlIqIpo9xQVOTwiAd8NcrqByljMxzaMd2mfponUd5Ed8fWaU08XG0JOg3P4uAxrBM0XrUh1z4/s400/P1110405.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Finding our apt is relatively easy, however, it is located in a no vehicle zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After contacting the owner, who didn’t speak any English, and through a couple of phone calls we figured out he wasn’t going to be available for an hour, so we found a parking spot nearby to wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like all Spanish cities we’ve been in, parking is a premium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of apartment buildings, but many do not having parking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We decided to walk around to find the actual apt building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We believed we had found it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our directions had the English name, Santa Maria while the Spanish street sign said Calle Magdalena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An hour later, Aitol met us in front of the apt and we unloaded our stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using our trusty translator app, T was able to find out pertinent info needed for the week (ie. WiFi spots, good cafes, and a good restaurant to try for dinner as long as we were willing to wait until after 9PM or so to eat).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our apt is in the old part of this suburb of San Sebastian and thus it is old – at least a hundred years old, judging by the infrastructure of the building, and the worn staircase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reminded us of our building in Lisbon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hadn’t been in the apt for an hour when we blew the breaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fairly dark in the apt. M went in search of his headlamp he keeps in our emergency kit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Searching all over the apt, in closets and behind cupboards, he finally located the circuit breakers behind a painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is the apt has no central heating, just a plug-in radiant heater to heat the whole place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when we wanted to use the oven, the breaker blew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok. It’s going to be like last week when we had to monitor appliance usage to avoid having to continually venture to the breaker box. M found another spot for the painting for the week. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>T whipped up dinner, and M checked out the TV. We have no English channels this week, only Spanish. So tonight we watch one of our movies and learned about the life of Mohammed Ali. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Monday, March 12, 2012 – </b>We are in the town Errenteria, located up the river from San Sebastian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today we enjoyed getting to know the neighborhood where we will spend the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M and T are out and about around 9:30 to check out a coffee spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have come to enjoy our morning jaunts to various spots, they are a great place to get a glimpse of life wherever we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s place has a great bakery as well, so we decide to have a treat to go with our café con leche. (coffee with steamed milk), similar to a latte but with no foam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After our coffee, we walk along the pedestrian only streets and notice they are teaming with people out and about doing their morning errands, buying fresh bread and of course having coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Near our apt there are enough cafes that we can visit a different one every morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the morning we go further afield and come across a fresh meat and fruit market place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are numerous small lady shops beckoning T to come inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We purchased a few things at the market place and then we found a grocery store about 5 min from our accommodation for some more supplies. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch, we found that the freezer wasn’t working on our fridge, so the Magnum ice-cream bars we bought were not going to last, and neither were the frozen peas…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we ‘forced ourselves to eat all the bars that should have lasted for several days’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You gotta do what you gotta do!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We contacted our landlord, he came by, and was going to contact a technician.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While J was working on school stuff, we went for a walk along the river on a great pathway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shallow water was full of fish swimming in schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was neat to watch them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Late in the afternoon we found a WiFi café where we had refreshments and we played a few games of checkers while waiting for M to finish his Internet searches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music in the café/bar was fabulous, so we ended up spending a couple of hours there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – </b>We experienced the morning town life while having coffee at a different café and stopped to pick up a fresh baguette before heading back to make breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the morning we went in search of clam chowder ingredients and managed to find most things for it.<span> </span>T prepped the soup before we all went out for a walk.<span> </span>By now it is around 2 and the town is very quiet.<span> </span>It is siesta time, between 1:30 and 4:30, so the shops are closed down.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We decide to go walking in the opposite direction from yesterday, yet again, along the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a beautiful day, sun shining and about 19 C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The walkways here are beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since most people live in apartments their green spaces are the parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lots of places for people to sit down and enjoy the views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walk for about an hour passing many people out walking.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once back at the apt, the soup is finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T decided to go check out a couple of the shops while the boys work on a couple of science experiments. While out T finds this store which is somewhat a reminder of shopping at home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8B91DWq_5HvBZrkJU52BYfFfP-nUgqxFSz9ZtXACILMpfSsfF2-XC38DMYWItqXfbeG05UAox3_8N_fJJeIKqK3cXJfyXAngWfJhNj1XpfvZZZ8Uj5JOtjypWNQZyhd_Vmg3t9ZY7zg/s1600/IMG_0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8B91DWq_5HvBZrkJU52BYfFfP-nUgqxFSz9ZtXACILMpfSsfF2-XC38DMYWItqXfbeG05UAox3_8N_fJJeIKqK3cXJfyXAngWfJhNj1XpfvZZZ8Uj5JOtjypWNQZyhd_Vmg3t9ZY7zg/s400/IMG_0044.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We enjoy a “taste of home” dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dinner M and T go out for a coffee and a walk, and again noticed the bustle of the neighborhood, but come 8 o’clock, the cafes and shops closed, the place became quiet once again. It seems that after 5ish everyone comes out in this town and chats, has coffee, or shops until about 8. We conclude that as they have their large meal during siesta they likely use this time to visit and then have a light meal later on, very different than at home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wednesday, March 14, 2012 – </b>We are off to Bilbao today, about 90 km east of San Sebastian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our “Wonders of the World” book at home showed the Guggenheim Museum in this city, so we had to go check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our drive takes us along AP-8 a toll road along the outskirts of San Sebastian, which is on the Bay of Biscayne to arrive in Bilbao about an hour later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing at the number of apt complexes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually it appears that unless its rural, people do not live in individual homes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We notice that this area of Spain is much more populated than we thought we would find. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see from the road signs that in Errenteria we are only about 10 km from the French border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highway that we are traveling on is the main one leading into France up near the west coast to Bordeaux and beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of transport trucks heading in each direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along this corridor there is quite a bit of industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it’s due to the close proximity to France, but likely also to do with the natural resources of mining, transportation and forestry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later as we read about this Basque region we understand that it has been industrious for a long time. We only get a glimpse of the coast, once on our drive on this freeway.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Arriving in Bilbao, we are again surprised at the size of this city. There are 500 000 people who live in this biggest city of the Basque region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a mix of old and new architecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are impressed with the beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding the Guggenheim museum is easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also find a parking spot easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All we need to do is see if we can find the parking payment terminal, since we checked cars around and some had passes on the dash, while others had what appeared to be parking tickets encased in plastic under a wiper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The machine was only in Spanish and Basque known as Euskara, but we did manage to figure out how to operate it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The architecture of this museum, designed by an American, Frank Gerhy is amazing. As J said, it’s like we don’t even have to go inside – this building is a work of art all by itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was so right – probably one of the amazing modern designed buildings we have ever seen – Phenomenal!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked around the building to appreciate its various facets and dimensions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later we actually watched a video presentation on the design process and were fascinated. Originally this was industrial land no longer used, so what an awesome addition to the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also wonder what made them put such a museum in this city.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The museum interior is wonderful as well, many niches, natural light and different levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a very large facility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The collection is contemporary art, some we enjoyed and some, not so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all enjoyed Richard Serra’s huge steel art pieces we could walk through and experience first hand the effect manipulation of angle can play on one’s mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also were very impressed by the “puppy” sculpture at the entrance of the museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically a huge sculpture (42 feet in height) covered in flowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was marvelous – men were completing the planting of the flowers within the body while we were there, so we understood the makeup of this art piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We laughed at the gag how we Goggled the glorious gargantuan Guggenheim gallery, thought is was no gamble when it replaced the galling gamut of former industrial garbage, and almost went gaga gazing upon the glamorous well groomed Guggen Pooch (J has been studying alliterations in poetry).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We also took the time to wander one of the main streets and admired the architecture as well as the some of the shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had to find an Orange store to put some money on our account so we could continue to operate our Iphone while in Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at a bar for some tapas and refreshments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were very tasty, and then a stop at a gelato shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While outside the gelato shop waiting for M, we watched the Manchester United Soccer team getting on their bus. Apparently they are playing Bilbao tomorrow evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were police vans and cars there managing the crowd that was chanting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool to see!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Near this city is the town of Guernica, the town that Franco allowed Hitler to use as target practice in 1937 to test out his new weapons on the Basques that lived here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Franco didn’t have much use for this group of people who were causing him headaches, so felt justified in getting rid of them…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Picasso painted the mural depicting the atrocities that happened in Guernica that we went to see in La Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We found out there was an outlet mall nearby, so we drove to check that out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We each found something to our liking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J is beginning to enjoy shopping for himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we returned and M negotiated the many tight turns within the parkade we went to check out the two take-away shops that sell prepared food dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We figured it’s a great way to try some of the local cuisine. On the menu tonight, breaded pork cutlets stuffed with cheese and ham, meatballs in a sauce and mixed peas, beans carrots and bacon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was very tasty and very reasonably priced!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll likely do this again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thursday, March 15, 2012 – </b>It’s a typical morning, T and M go out for coffee, then we have breakfast and workout, and J starts homework. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Today we decide to hang out, get laundry done, go for a walk. While J and M did science experiments, T went for a pedicure and manicure for the lofty price 20$ Canadian (the price was too good to give up the chance for a little pampering and it was right across from the apt).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T did a little shopping. Later we went back to our WiFi spot and spent a couple of hours downloading stuff, sending emails, and enjoying the music. Tonight we watch the Man U versus Bilbao game on TV and are pleased that Bilbao wins (plus J cheers for Man City so Man U losing is a good thing).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, March 16, 2012 – </b>We went for a drive today through the Basque mountains and countryside both in Spain and France, the Pyrenees Atlantiques region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we could go on the drive we had to negotiate the turns within the parkade where our car is parked, 5 levels below the street. T walked ahead of the car making sure that on each of the 8 ramps M had to negotiate he had enough room to do so without rubbing the bumper on the concrete walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is plenty of evidence of others having done that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While doing this, one of the locals came in driving his car at such a speed that both J and T said “Wow, did you see how fast that car was going around these turns?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>amazed he could negotiate the turns so fast. To be fair, his car was smaller and older than ours and he’s had lots more practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We left Errenteria intentionally taking a secondary highway to drive south through the valley to Pamplona and then we headed northeast through the mountain pass across the Pyrenees to St. Jean Pied de Port in France. The roads are in great condition; sometimes there were hills, some times extremely twisty with some wicked switchbacks and above all great scenery. We actually went from less than 100m elevation to just under 1100 m at the summit in Spain, before once again descending into France. St. Jean Pied de Port is the town those going on the Camion de Santiago begin their journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were surprised at the number of bikers and hikers we saw along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The valley we drove up was bordered by hills/mountains lots of trees and there were lots of farms, located on the hillsides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There weren’t the flat pasturelands like we had seen in other places in Spain. Crossing into France is of little notice, as the buildings are similar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove over a little bridge in the middle of a town and we were in France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were curious what the border crossing would have been like in this town before the visa free travel of Schengen. As both sides use the Basque language Euskala, road signs are similar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we reach St. Jean, the valley opened wide and we came across more farms with lots of fuzzy sheep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shearing time must be near and their coats were really thick and heavy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also saw signs for ‘route du fromage’ as we made our way through both sheep and cattle farms, although, there were definitely more sheep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The homes on both sides were often white stucco usually 2 stories with red or green shudders (Basque colors) and are well kept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were all kinds of signs to show where we could by farm fresh cheese. There were many quaint villages we passed through on our rural drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The colors and architectural style reminded of houses in Switzerland – all they were lacking were the window flowerboxes. As we have seen many similar style houses in mountainous areas across Europe it makes us wonder if people that lived in the mountains with snow found similar designs that worked.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our destination was to coastal town of St. Jean de Luz in France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In actuality it was about 20 km from where we are staying, but we likely drove 270 km before we reached this place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a parking spot and a place to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J had a burger while T and M had tartine basque – basically a large toasted piece of bread, with a tomato salsa type sauce, chorizo sausage, melted cheese and a sunny side up egg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We thought we’d be adventuresome continuing to trying the local cuisine, however, both of us decided that this will be the one and only time we’ll be eating this combo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After lunch we went in search of a shop to buy an authentic Basque beret for M, as he had seen the men wearing them here and had a fancy for one. We also stopped at a bakery and bought some amazing treats that tasted even better than they looked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy, that doesn’t happen often!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our drive back didn’t take us long at all, although we did have to go through 2 toll stations, one on each side of the border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also noticed that gas is at least 10 – 15 cents more per litre in France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T had read that the French do come over to Spain to buy things, and we could see why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We decided to go to the take out shop again to buy some different prepared food to have in the apt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There aren’t many restaurants around here and we don’t want to have to drive to get to one, as getting out of the garage is not worth the hassle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people here again don’t go out to dinner until 9 or later, and that doesn’t go over well with J.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Saturday, March 17, 2012 –Happy St. Patrick’s Day – </b>We had forgotten about this until we saw something on the an email about a St. Paddy’s Day deal<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Today we decide to enjoy the town we’re staying in, walking amongst the locals in the marketplace as well as grocery store as we prepare for tomorrow’s departure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going even further into rural Spain, and it being a Sunday, we are being prepared – like the boy scouts!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We had a wonderful coffee cake with our café leche this morning – these places have such wonderful coffee cakes to chose from and we decided to indulge ourselves this AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at the ready made food shop and picked up something for dinner tonight as well as for tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As our freezer does not work here, we had to find a different method than we have been using to bring our fresh supplies in the car for several hours without spoiling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They really don’t charge that much more than what it would cost to buy it at a grocery store and then have to go home and prepare it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, we’re enjoying trying the different local dishes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We returned back to the apt to workout, have lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J has a science test to do, and we went for another walk along the river pathway system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is quite warm today, even though it is overcast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have enjoyed our week in the Basque country, and we have even seen banners that we believe have a political message on it, although their does not appear to be much political action going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something is happening around here on the 29<sup>th</sup> of March… (but we will be in France by then). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We wanted to get a couple of things done on the Net, so we went to our WiFi bar, however, it wasn’t open yet (at 5:15), so we went to another place we knew had WiFi, however, it was dreadfully slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t going to be fast enough to upload J’s assignments, so we finished our coffees and then decided to go back to see if the bar was open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure enough, it was and it was full of people, mostly men, watching the soccer game of the day on TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was great to get a chance to have another local experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now in bars, children can come in as well, so J was right in their watching with the other local fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was he who informed us that the team on TV was the local team, Real Sociedad – we didn’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ordered a couple of drinks and while listening to the game, finished our work on-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We returned back to the apt by 7:30 and warmed up our dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> On our way back we again see how the town comes alive in the early evening, the bust times are mid-morning and then from 5 - 8 PM.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was delicious once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finished our packing to get organized for our 10 AM departure. Then we found a tennis match on TV and watched Isner the 11<sup>th</sup> seed beat the world number 1 Djocovic, a great match and the first time Isner has won a semi-final.</div><!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-4747544524598722802012-03-20T05:25:00.000-07:002012-03-20T05:25:36.618-07:00Update from Monforte de Lemos Spain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sunday, March 4, 2012 - </b>We are out of the apt with the car packed by 9:15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes a bit to get out of our neighborhood, because where Navi wants to take us, the road is closed due to the weekly market<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>After a couple of detours, we find our way around the closed off streets and soon we’re on the main route we had come in on when we traveled here from Porto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 80 km west of Madrid, we leave last week’s route to head north to today’s destination near Monforte de Lemos in the Galicia province.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We again travel through cattle grazing land and some crops, then on to fruit trees and last vineyards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we leave the main autoroute nearer to our destination the landscape becomes more mountainous and less populated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lots of hills/small mountains covered by trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The soil is quite orange/red and some of the rock too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was another very enjoyable drive that took us about 5.5 hours to reach our destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We manage to find our next accommodation, Campo Verde,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in a tiny village (about 5 homes) along some narrow country lanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good thing the directions are precise, because this place would have been brutal to find otherwise!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The place is wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a stone farm building totally renovated and beautifully refurbished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-PCfbTnSYJxwBY7UAmfCNQy0gWz1PcA5zCjI2mL2MBxLbuku5o9fZmvmP4PEyS7-3qXOYcJlZvRH62vZD3auHjG7kYBLlP5bIlRPZszSzxlvJHxcpX2I_KpaaQTREPOdKJ80ttnROfI/s1600/P1110208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-PCfbTnSYJxwBY7UAmfCNQy0gWz1PcA5zCjI2mL2MBxLbuku5o9fZmvmP4PEyS7-3qXOYcJlZvRH62vZD3auHjG7kYBLlP5bIlRPZszSzxlvJHxcpX2I_KpaaQTREPOdKJ80ttnROfI/s400/P1110208.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We were well prepped with groceries, good thing as we’re out in the middle of “no where” (obviously written by T as the nearest town is only about 4 km away, so we are actually a long way from the ‘middle’ of no where). The owners were kind to leave some staples for us, which added to our stuff we have more than our typical Sunday evening dinner and Monday morning breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We settle in, T makes a nice dinner while M and J check out the satellite TV programmed for UK channels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power availability out in this rural part is limited and so we quickly found that we couldn’t use the stove while the heaters were on, tripping the breakers twice before dinner was ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were going to need to limit the number of electrical things on at one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find an old Clint Eastwood movie on TV that is fine entertainment for the evening.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Monday, March 5, 2012 – </b>This morning the owners of Campo Verde, Craig and Melanie, stopped by to collect our rent and chat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a great conversation, learning all kinds of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They moved here from the UK and have lived in the area for about 10 years, semi-retired. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>We learned about the life style of the people in this region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People speak a different dialect here than anywhere else in Spain.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Family and family time is most important to people in this area (and perhaps more of Spain).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mid day meal, during siesta time, has the extended family eating together, often including grandparents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People have no interest in working on weekends (even if offered double or more) as that would take time away from the family – something that many North Americans have forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it’s still very much a cash society, with people of different skills paying each other (or doing work trades) versus using banks or credit cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though unemployment is at 23% they’re not that worried in this rural part as its about 10% in good times, and many work for cash only so stats may be pessimistic (we heard once again, that like in Greece and Italy, avoiding taxes is a national pastime). Our accommodation was an abandoned building that they picked up for a song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through careful reconstruction, they have created a great little hideaway with the only big surprise was the need to drill a 200 m deep well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today we hung out, got familiar with the village and the nearest town, Montforte de Lemos as we decided to go in and pick up groceries for much of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we found a good size grocery store with lots to choose from, so we pick up some different things for dinner that we haven’t had lately.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we’re back and things stowed away, J continued with schoolwork while we went walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a dichotomy from last week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This area is the complete opposite of last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we are in the middle of rural Spain, far removed from city life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our neighbors have a flock of sheep wandering their yard today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">No satellite dishes (except for our accommodation).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went for a walk along the road, it took us by several small farm holdings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often the fields were separated by rock walls build long ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We checked out a field planted and mature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was some kind of root vegetable – a cross between a carrot, parsnip or turnip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was white in color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d had eaten it earlier in the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very pleasant to walk along the rural tree lined road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the trees were covered in lichen adding to the charm of the old rock piled farm homes, buildings and walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our little village/settlement has the buildings fairly close together, with narrow walkways amongst the buildings made likely of granite and had clay tiled roofs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We end the day watching another old Clint Eastwood WWII movie.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, March 6, 2012 – </b>M and T go to town to find our coffee stop for the week. It’s a café that has WiFi so we will be back several times this week.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We’re off to explore some of the area around here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a booklet in the house suggesting some ‘out of the way’ drives and we decide to check one out.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Our drive takes near Monforte and then east up into the hills/mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After we drive along a fairly winding road for 12 km<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, </b>we<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>leave this paved road to take a little lane leading us to a parking lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked about 600 m and arrived at the miradoiro Pena de Castelo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What an amazing view from this small chapel built into the mountainside, overlooking the Sil River canyon. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below and beyond us we see terraced vineyards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The number of terraces and the amount of effort to achieve this is mind boggling.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolXAr2mw5trqzm5nipBAzycY2PVnfItwEdMrQcupIoGH5fN3miOSqYDmAY-K8Pzpx2d8JDxthR-2EW-LZG6vGxcEOTzB8ndsmHyJs2nnDULpGUlSwbTZur58hey2AmpSvTI84rVRYNbs/s1600/P1110176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolXAr2mw5trqzm5nipBAzycY2PVnfItwEdMrQcupIoGH5fN3miOSqYDmAY-K8Pzpx2d8JDxthR-2EW-LZG6vGxcEOTzB8ndsmHyJs2nnDULpGUlSwbTZur58hey2AmpSvTI84rVRYNbs/s400/P1110176.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We left here and continued along a road that took us down one side of the Sil River, crossing it and then proceeding up the other side. Driving right through some of these terraced vineyards we got an up close view of the generations of work that went into these vineyards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our drive takes us past many switch-backs, through small villages, along roads with individual farms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a great drive to see this part of Spain.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wednesday, March 7, 2012 – </b>It’s misty out with the odd sprinkle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hang out and go to the local café for our coffee and to use their WiFi and M gets a blog posting done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than a workout and J doing homework it’s a lazy day all in all, enjoying reading, music, and hanging out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thursday, March 8, 2012 –</b> We are located outside of the village Escalion, population likely under 500 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a main street where various services are located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found the panaderia to by a loaf of wonderful thick-crusted bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy the Europeans know how to make the bread!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also had to stop at the local hardware store to pick up some science supplies so J can do his experiments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The store is a conglomeration of appliances, hardware supplies, kitchenware and other household supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M did manage, with the help of our Iphone translator, to find what we needed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This afternoon it’s around 19 C so M and T went for another great drive exploring the countryside around here (J said he would do school work and just hang out).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove along country roads, through a few villages, passing vineyards terraced similar to Tuesday’s drive this time along the Minho River. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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We have also seen these really cool shaped trees in this part of Spain and northern Portugal - we do not know how they get the limbs to grow together to make this shape but its neat to see.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we drive along the river we realize that we have found a very isolated area of the region and wonder what it must be like to live here now and especially years ago when we would be well over a day away from the nearest village by horse. We pass several hydroelectric dams and some pretty sights high overlooking the river valley below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> On our drive we pass this really cool shaped bridge (we note that we have seen many more architecturally beautiful designs here in Europe than we see at home).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We enjoyed a nice meal, T has become proficient in being able to cook without blowing the breaker and sending M downstairs with his trusty headlamp to find the reset switch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another skill learned on this trip…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, March 9, 2012 – </b>It’s warmer today at 21 C and the skies are again clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a beautiful day for a drive to explore further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove about 120 km to the village Tui, it is just across the river Minho from Valenca Portugal – very near to the Atlantic Coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This town was first inhabited during the conflict between the Moors and the Christians during the mid 700’s AD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a small historic centre with the typical narrow streets and pedestrian only area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We realize that when we drove up to Braga a couple of weeks ago, we weren’t too far from the Spanish border. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We left Tui to drive to the Atlantic coastal town of Baiona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a neat medieval centre with narrow streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a wonderful spot to have lunch at a café in the old section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was the fortress Monterreal positioned to protect the bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was where Columbus’ Pinta landed on March 1, 1493 announcing the discovery of the New World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a replica of the ship in the harbor and during the summer one can tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This town was pillaged by Englishman Francis Drake in the late 1500’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was finally dealt by soldiers and navy sent by King Phillip II of Spain.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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Although we notice the replica of the ship we see there re also a few newer boats in the marina.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After a walk around the fortress area and harbor, we were off northeast to Santiago de Compostale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This city is a pilgrimage destination for Christians 3<sup>rd</sup> in line after Rome and Jerusalem, especially in the medieval times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They say the remains of the apostle St. James are buried here. Legend holds that St. James’s remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to Northern Spain where he was buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela (the cathedral).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pilgrimages were done as a way of retracing the Master’s steps, it was also used as punishment for crimes committed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today people continue to walk the El Camino de Santiago from France winding their way across the Pyrenees across Spain to here.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We found our way through the city to a parking spot near the Franscican Convent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>There are a number of beautiful buildings dating back several hundred years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The cathedral is beautiful and an awesome sight as we come into the courtyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmCQmj9eDxf4-1WQck7sB3UV9yttJBcnWVczxBDfvbjJvuZRivXn8Ldz3LqMhCT1A6Sz2v-ut5OTHrEc1w-B08FuPNTy-sFYuQb9DQ0STKkU2ntipztUwfQ3R377cx91scEcccW7cR9s/s1600/P1110322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmCQmj9eDxf4-1WQck7sB3UV9yttJBcnWVczxBDfvbjJvuZRivXn8Ldz3LqMhCT1A6Sz2v-ut5OTHrEc1w-B08FuPNTy-sFYuQb9DQ0STKkU2ntipztUwfQ3R377cx91scEcccW7cR9s/s400/P1110322.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">There is the bishop’s palace, San Jeronimo’s College and the Hotel De Los Reyes Catolicos built by Isabelle and Ferdinand to operate as a hostel for pilgrims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it is a 5 star hotel, supposedly one of Europe’s finest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the buildings are built from granite. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKW8ZMTnZa31Bjl3NJ90XfXdXMDH5lOF_pM5bbMQi0_xk7rC-yKmmBR-kMMOERtcEH8i0sDA6gNpcF6-sdC1FInGo1b3bs0gJ_LVQL1KeYScTXuZIq0YpMeHnSYTvYdBoUE7vviPvYPw/s1600/IMG_1037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKW8ZMTnZa31Bjl3NJ90XfXdXMDH5lOF_pM5bbMQi0_xk7rC-yKmmBR-kMMOERtcEH8i0sDA6gNpcF6-sdC1FInGo1b3bs0gJ_LVQL1KeYScTXuZIq0YpMeHnSYTvYdBoUE7vviPvYPw/s400/IMG_1037.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We spend about a half hour wondering through the church, walking through the aisles, admiring the impressive pipe organ, the incredible ornate altar, see St. James’ tomb, and check out a number of other altars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This church has an enormous incense burner, botafumeiro, suspended from the transept dome keystone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On special feast days a half dozen men are said to cling desperately to the other end of the rope to swing it above the congregation and all the way up to the eaves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, we saw the incense burner and how far down it is hung.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must be quite the sight to see them pull and swing it back and forth!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdTnRfY93P27hnxs2dwFPHAZA6vxseeUTPKPVnMaNSEpT1MMWabACuyGst1eFN7FH-Mw87KmK-cu0YwPNbPLg2NofU6g4R4Wy001z8Tp39Ie68sAayrckEX_I3z6cAXSDWmReh0W9TNc/s1600/IMG_1028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdTnRfY93P27hnxs2dwFPHAZA6vxseeUTPKPVnMaNSEpT1MMWabACuyGst1eFN7FH-Mw87KmK-cu0YwPNbPLg2NofU6g4R4Wy001z8Tp39Ie68sAayrckEX_I3z6cAXSDWmReh0W9TNc/s400/IMG_1028.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our drive back to the house is just over an hour, so we take yet another new route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again we travel through rural farm area as well as some decent-sized towns. T creates another great meal and we find some pro soccer on TV to end the day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe7F3twNjMkljvIDWjqZ5MEZNN0y6njWN0008XovEEofVxgsRPcs-vJoHKZwKrBc9dD_TNVLkt5ydATexyRW1W83Vydtg6_r2eQNfF-trL1kig3BuMQHC6s82p7FlB_aIQGqujJMiCzs/s1600/P1110359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe7F3twNjMkljvIDWjqZ5MEZNN0y6njWN0008XovEEofVxgsRPcs-vJoHKZwKrBc9dD_TNVLkt5ydATexyRW1W83Vydtg6_r2eQNfF-trL1kig3BuMQHC6s82p7FlB_aIQGqujJMiCzs/s400/P1110359.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnCN3YIKtZLBaGI-C994c0mCgPdVVxU_8Qw1yRLKNUs2Z8l9P57D6qfsccsrSZCiXlAJG0yMqiWubD2G34Wt8lqqYW53nCy4cUDQlavWZfKM-xzuW7SOSSvX1VcIwAfIm6eSr4knHwfk/s1600/IMG_1053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnCN3YIKtZLBaGI-C994c0mCgPdVVxU_8Qw1yRLKNUs2Z8l9P57D6qfsccsrSZCiXlAJG0yMqiWubD2G34Wt8lqqYW53nCy4cUDQlavWZfKM-xzuW7SOSSvX1VcIwAfIm6eSr4knHwfk/s400/IMG_1053.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, March 10, 2012</b> – Another beautiful day to enjoy the outdoors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided on a laid back day to get organized for our departure tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The birds were chirping and the sun shining, we were thinking that the leaves aren’t long from budding and coming out here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve seen some trees full of pink blossoms and some full of white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also saw some tall trees ablaze with yellow blossoms, adding some great color contrast, but we haven’t any idea what they are called. We go to the store to get enough groceries for the first day or so in our next spot. We spent some of the afternoon lounging on chaise loungers and enjoying being outside in the sunshine, pack-up for tomorrow’s drive, and lounge for the evening.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeoFoAqpympsJuPkz9a5eDE_GHEcXJN2twQglXeT95I2_gs8_-LOUrU6VPEz4UGJSt6B_KSEIJnF5kVuYflA924WGS9yzJnuANmUdtvjTTYa7gbF-mN6H_gU9WrI7AnpkVt3lUqXyk0U/s1600/P1110363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeoFoAqpympsJuPkz9a5eDE_GHEcXJN2twQglXeT95I2_gs8_-LOUrU6VPEz4UGJSt6B_KSEIJnF5kVuYflA924WGS9yzJnuANmUdtvjTTYa7gbF-mN6H_gU9WrI7AnpkVt3lUqXyk0U/s400/P1110363.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-74845953039736264822012-03-07T08:22:00.000-08:002012-03-07T08:22:34.429-08:00Update from Madrid Spain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, February 26, 2012 - </b>Today we leave Portugal for Madrid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our drive will be about 500km and the route we’re taking will take us easterly across the central part of Portugal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We retrace our route south for about 80 km before we head due east for Madrid several hundred km away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The route takes us through areas with villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not really big cities, but it seems that there are houses/villages interspersed along the way with not a lot of space with not settlements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do come across agricultural areas for grain and cattle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in the mountains now, and as we near the Spanish border the topography changes to more rugged landscape and looks like lots of granite and scrub verses the forested areas we had seen about an hour earlier. In Portugal we had left sea level, and we climb to a high of 880 m before we get to Spain. It seems hazy today, so our pictures are less clear of this area than we would like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we entered Spain, again the topography changed almost immediately, here we see lots of cattle grazing amongst partially treed fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The land definitely flattens out and the elevation in this area is about 800 m above sea level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The soil changes to red color with farming of some crops, and then changes back to cattle ranching for the most part. There are likely hogs too and some of the holdings are much larger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t see nearly as much sheep in this area. This is clearly cattle country, and although Minnesota may have Babe the Blue Ox, this part of Spain has Toro the black bull.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We arrive in Madrid at this week’s apt by 3:15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Virginia is there to let us in, she caretakes for the owner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in the north part of Madrid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really hard to find an apt that had parking for our vehicle, so we were happy to find this place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She leads Mark over to where the underground parking is located and after negotiating the entranceway, it is fairly easy to park relative to some places in Rome and Athens (although this parking lot did remind us a bit of the one in downtown Rome).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We won’t be using the vehicle this week, instead, we’ll use the public transportation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>T and M went for a walk around 4:30 to check out the neighborhood, J said he just wanted to chill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked over to the square to find the supermarket (although as its Sunday its closed) and check out the possible eatery for a meal out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some people sitting out on the café terraces and some kids playing in the play area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We turned a corner to leave the square and come face to face with a large crowd of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are police on the street and double-decker buses with people and flags waving and music playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see signs about the Dominican Republic and throngs of people now begin to file into the square we just came out of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazing, we just stand against a wall of a building and watch the action for 10 min or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide to retrace our steps and find a seat at a café and have a drink and see what’s up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turns out it celebration of the Dominican Republic day and the place is crawling with people of this nationality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The locals are having a great time, there are some individuals dressed in Carnaval costumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a great time watching the people, and listening to some music that finally begins to be played after all the speeches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s 9:30 and we can still hear the music being played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our apt. is located not far off of the square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Monday, February 27, 2012 – </b>Today we explore the neighborhood and find that easily within a 5 min. walk there are a half a dozen cafés for our morning coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a butcher, bakery, fruit and vegetable shop as well as a well-stocked grocery store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spend time going to each to get some groceries for the next few days.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While J is doing homework, we go for a walk a couple of hours to check out what’s around the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stop at the metro and purchase 10 trip passes for each of us for our adventures this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nearest metro stop is less than a 5 minute walk away, and the key bus stop is not much further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s beautiful and warm today, so we end up walking around in shirtsleeves this afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the locals are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a bustling neighborhood and we walk quite a distance and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in all a laid back day. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We have another great dinner courtesy of T, and as this week we do not have satellite TV we just put the TV on music channel we find listen to some tunes, and J watches some of our movies.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tuesday, February 28, 2012 – </b>After our normal morning routine, except for J doing homework, he stayed up late again so he slept in until after 10:30, so that will come later. We have decided that as Madrid has some great art opportunities, this week we will take some of them in. Today we go to the Prado Museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bus station is just over 5 min. from the apt and we arrive to see our bus is there already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We follow the routines of some locals to know what to do about our pass once we enter the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travel down one of the main boulevards of this section of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very wide with trees alongside of it, similar to what we saw in Barcelona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually it divides even further so there is a treed walk promenade down the centre of the thoroughfare for pedestrians to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This adds to the beauty of the place, instead of a straight 6 – 8 lane roadway.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Along the way we see Estadio Santiago Bernbeu – home of Real Madrid soccer, seats over 85000 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No game this week unfortunately!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of well-preserved and very large government buildings as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every so many blocks, there is a fountain or statue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoy our ride down Paseo della Castellana giving us a tour of this busy part of Madrid which takes about 20 minutes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Prado Museum is reputed to have one of the largest collections in Europe, with over 7000 pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not everything is on display due to limitations of space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is on display is wonderful and featured Spanish, Italian, Flemish, French, German and British artists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some names are Goya, Velazquez, Reuben, Rembrandt and Raphael.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of us had our favorites and some pieces were not so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great way to spend time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We viewed Velazquez’s most famous piece, Les Mineras, and even got to see a copy of the Mona Lisa – J liked that the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a very close copy of the original.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After several hours, J had his fill and our feet were telling us it was time for a break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We left the museum and enjoyed a walk around the beautiful buildings and grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J being influenced by all the masterpieces he saw, decided to show us a few of his own artistic poses!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The sun was shining and it’s warm enough again for shirtsleeves!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go in search of an outdoor café to have something and enjoy the city. One of the things we quickly noticed is how drab the buildings are in Spain - M said they should have tried to make the buildings nicer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For dinner tonight, we thought we’d try to make a dish like at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had found a package of taco seasoning at a shop so all we needed were the other ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We couldn’t find taco shells, so we resorted to nacho chips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a package of mixed cheeses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We picked up something resembling salsa but in a can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A stop at the butcher across the road netted us with some “hamburger”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it was time for dinner, the salsa ended up being something sweet and not like our salsa, the meat actually never browned and had a different taste even before the seasoning was added.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well even though it didn’t quite taste like home, we ate it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wednesday, February 29, 2012 – Happy Leap year</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- We went back to the butcher this morning, no wonder our meat wouldn’t brown and it tasted different last night in the tacos – it’s pork, and as we read the Spanish and see the picture we realize we may have, for the first time ever, experienced actual ham - burger! Now we understand why some of the stores here have beef burger as well as hamburger - the latter is made of the famous Spanish Iberian ham!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both laughed how we had missed the picture of the pig.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now we know.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today we’re off on the metro – a block from our apt to travel to Puerta del Sol – one of the main squares of the city.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The trip takes about 15 min and as we emerge we find the square is full with people and we see many security and police, we have found our first protest! We have come upon the end of a university student protest against a hike in fees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently it is one of 20 cities in the country doing this today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The country is in financial trouble, so austerity measures are being put in place. When we read the paper the next day (to the extent we can as our Spanish is limited to day the best) we learn that the protest is Barcelona had many thousands compared to the couple of hundred that were still in the square in Madrid when we got there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our destination today is the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) about a 10 – 15 min walk from the square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoy the walk along busy streets with wonderful architecture, residential, commercial and governmental.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMJupyEZ5t3D1wNyRW8IabNES22x4SDSVsuPELXNTtE1ScW0ThbEm2D57hwtvdM1bpQ350hR73gEuYn-7fxlOKbnrMSoYxR_cS1s8kSeW0kcKakgNAEeZXf7bqcG_HHbfqP1RTL8WVYY/s1600/P1100907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMJupyEZ5t3D1wNyRW8IabNES22x4SDSVsuPELXNTtE1ScW0ThbEm2D57hwtvdM1bpQ350hR73gEuYn-7fxlOKbnrMSoYxR_cS1s8kSeW0kcKakgNAEeZXf7bqcG_HHbfqP1RTL8WVYY/s400/P1100907.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We even stop at a shop to pick up J a Real Madrid jersey – he has collected a few jerseys along the journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Football (soccer to us in NA) is Europe’s passion!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We also found the Museum of Ham - they sure love their ham here in Spain!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before we reach the Palace, we visited the Cathedral Nuestra Sra De La Almudena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This church is huge and beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way it was built has loads of natural light that enhances the interior through beautiful stained glass windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The architecture is different compared to many others we have seen, as is the interior embellishments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ceilings are painted with designs, instead of scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has the largest pipe organ we have seen so far on the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J remarked it’s too bad we couldn’t hear it play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have been magical we’re sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming to these huge churches is like going to an art museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Next door to the Cathedral is the Royal Palace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we come out of the cathedral there is a police escorted motorcade that goes by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We approach the palace gates to find out that it’s closed today due to a state function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently we just saw the motorcade carrying King Juan Carlo I away from the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We looked at each other and said “I didn’t know Spain still had a king…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we can’t visit today, we’ll come back tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We left here and walked along the boulevard and crossed over to a garden area dedicated to soldiers of long ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a nice place to wander and there we found today’s café to stop at, have refreshments and enjoy the sun and this part of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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While there J found a street performer who seemed to have lost something.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Walking back to the metro stop doesn’t take long and we locate our platform for our train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easier now to understand the metro systems, having taken a few in the big cities now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back at the apartment its time for J to do homework again, then we have dinner.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thursday, March 1, 2012 – </b>Today we returned to Palacio Real de Madrid where we spent a couple of hours wondering this amazing palace, apparently one of the top 3 in Europe (the others being Versailles and one in Vienna). Having read up on it, billed as a must-see in Madrid we could certainly understand why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three of us were blown away by the size and beauty of the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s reported as the largest palace in Europe having 2000 decorated rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The audio guides we had gave us info on 22 specific rooms, and it total we likely walked through perhaps 40, so we saw 1/500<sup>th</sup> of the palace! The rooms we walked through were luxurious and breathtaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the rooms could have been in art galleries! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We weren’t able to take photos, but did pick up a few post cards of some of our favorite rooms, although these photos of the postcards do not so the palace’s beauty justice.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The palace dates back to the mid 1700’s with incredible art, tapestries, sculptures, entire ceilings done in frescos, as well as wonderful antique furniture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On display were 4 Stradivarius stringed instruments valued at over 100 million euro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are still played by world-renowned musicians today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an amazing visit today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we exited the palace grounds we were shocked at how long the line up was to get into the gates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T and J high-fived each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we were wandering the halls of the palace there were only a handful of people and now there were all kinds of people lined up to enter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely not having to jostle for a spot or navigate the crowds certainly added to the enjoyment of the afternoon tour.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, March 2, 2012 – </b>Another cultural experience for today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took the metro down to the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (the Queen Sofia Modern Art Museum).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This museum houses late 19<sup>th</sup> century to modern day contemporary art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw many works of Dali, Picasso, and Muri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within the museum is Picasso’s masterpiece Guivera depicting the anguish of the bombing during Franco’s reign of northern Spain, by the Germans and the Italians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a long time it was not allowed to be in Spain, so was in a kind of exile in New York, but has been brought back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we wondered the halls, with an audioguide for explanations we came to have a better understanding of cubism and the effect daily life had on the presentation of art (ex. Black Spain – everything done in dark colors reflecting the time of despair in Spanish history compared to the White Spain, more colorful and happier times).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though we had explanations and some artists are considered masters, we still would say we don’t appreciate their work or why some artists have become so famous, since sometimes a piece is a couple of squiggly lines on a painted background!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was the first time we had seen so many of Picasso works and we could say, some are out there! We saw a couple that we have seen pictures of in art books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also saw more Dali’s than we have seen before, and recognize that the three Dali’s that M bought many years ago are among his less out there works. All three of us enjoyed the visit, but have come to the conclusion, that some of the styles presented in the museum today, aren’t what we enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, it’s an education, nevertheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After dinner and J’s movie, as we will not have Internet for the next two weeks at our apartments, M stayed up late and did another blog post before heading to bed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Saturday, March 3, 2012 – </b>Our last full day in Madrid and we’re off to check out one of the main parks in the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took the metro down to yesterday’s stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked in the opposite direction and soon came to the area bordering the botanical gardens and then along a pedestrian only road to the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"> There are all kinds of people sitting on the grass or on benches, exercising, and just enjoying this huge green space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This park, Buen Retiro, has been around since the 1800’s when it was a park for the Spanish monarchy and then later made available for the public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a wonderful haven within this Spanish capital of 3.3 million people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped to watch some soccer being played by boys about J’s age, as well as admired the beauty of the grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are fountains, statues, flower gardens, and a maze of walkways within this city refuge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Must be quite something in the summer with the gardens in bloom and all the trees with leaves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within this park is a memorial of 191 trees for the victims of a terrorist attack at a number of subway stations in March 2004 – their memory lives on….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We had to make a stop at a mall to see if M could get his glasses repaired – a bit of a mishap with J…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at El Corte Ingles, a department store the likes of Macy’s or Nordstrum’s and were fortunate to find an optical shop that put them back together free of charge – crisis adverted!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great store, with six floors of merchandise, from the budget to higher end designer wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alas, it’s not the day to shop for T…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We walked back to the apt, a 40 or so min walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We stopped for a coffee break near our place and enjoyed getting off of our feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After getting ready for tomorrow’s departure, we went out for dinner. Even though it was 7 pm we were too early, dinner wasn’t going to be served until 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We debated and decided to go to the Mercando supermarket, around the corner and pick up a couple of things and return to the apt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Groceries cost just over 6 Euro, dinner at the restaurant would have been 45, so saved time and money!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This week we didn’t have any English TV, but did have a music video channel for entertainment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the week we listened and commented on songs we liked, and tonight, M downloaded a bunch of tunes to add to our collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have come to realize, we really are not up to the current music scene and who is popular, before this week we weren’t really familiar with Coldplay or Snow Patrol, Bruno Mars or Adele, although we recognized their songs but could definitely not have identified the artist’s name. </div><!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-29592098637156808122012-03-01T15:34:00.000-08:002012-03-01T15:34:39.195-08:00Update from Porto Portugal<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, February 19, 2012 – </b>Manuela picked us up at 9:30 to take us out to the suburb of Lisbon where they live and our car is parked. Nearby is an open grocery store (something we have not found on a Sunday in Spain) so we pick up some water for this week (we had avoided getting much water to not have to carry it up and down those 92 steps). We are on the road to northern Portugal by 10:30. Our trip north to Porto took us about 3 hours. We drove along the main toll road that had all kinds of settlements and cities along the way. It is very picturesque with rolling hills and lots of greenery. We saw farmland, vineyards, orchards, and both coniferous and deciduous forests. There were lots of areas that were reforested often with eucalyptus trees.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>It was a beautiful drive through some very pretty landscape. We also see some beautiful trees along the way that appear to be in bloom.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"> We arrive at our apt for the week by 2:00. We find it is across from the beach on the Atlantic Ocean. The apt is spacious and well equipped, this will work out well. We noticed that a grocery store is open, so we decide to go stock up for the next few days. We can’t travel up the street we came down so, we end up meandering through roads and actually come across another store. All loaded up, we reversed our way, and encountered all kinds of traffic along the main road along the beach. There are all kinds of locals out enjoying the beautiful day and walking along the beach, or visiting one of the many bars/coffee shops.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We read that last week there was a protest in the Lisbon in Praca Comercial with 100 000 people the day before we arrived. We all notice that there was no evidence to us that this large demonstration had occurred when we arrived only one day later, had we not read about it we would not even had known it happened. Then we read of a huge protest in Valencia this week. Traveling in this part of the world has certainly made us much more aware of the recession here in Europe, and the challenges in northern Africa and the Middle East. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Monday, February 20, 2012 – </b>It’s a beautiful day today as we look out to the Atlantic Ocean. We see a number of large ships passing and J wonders where their final destination may be. There is a coffee shop literally a minute from the apt, so that’ll likely be our morning haunt for the week. There’s one across the street on the beach, but why venture that far when we don’t have to. Besides, this place has a wide variety of treats to try if we feel so inclined, and we can see by the crowd of locals it’s the place to go. As per our standard morning routine, we workout and have a good breakfast, then J does homework until lunchtime.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Today we decide to venture along the waterfront promenade that is designed for pedestrians as well as for cyclists. We don’t know how long the promenade is but we walk on it for several kms just enjoying the sun and the views. The beach is beautiful with soft sand with the occasional large granite boulder formations as well as some sand dunes. It kind of reminds T of some of the beaches in Eastern Canada. We enjoy walking in the sun, the wind blowing gently. J and M have a football with them, so they are busy with the occasional toss along the way. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We are located near Vila de Nova Gaia facing the Atlantic Ocean and just south of where the Duoro River enters into the Atlantic where Porto and Vila de Nova Gaia face each other across this river. Today seems to be a holiday and a number of children in costume, walking along the walkway with their parents. It must be related to Carnaval. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We make our way back later and stop by Bar Azul along the beach across from our apt for some cool refreshment. We enjoy sitting in the sun and soaking up the rays while enjoying the scenery. This evening T makes another great dinner, and as we have satellite TV this week we watch some National Geographic and then some Discovery Channel shows. T finds a book by an author she likes and becomes engrossed in it while the boys watch TV.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tuesday, February 21, 2012 – </b>After coffee, working out and J completed his homework, we drive into Vila Nova de Gaia. It is along the waterfront across from Porto and the home of the world-renowned Port cellars and lodges (headquarters) are located. Along the promenade are flags representing the different port producers and there are about 20 lodges here. Most are no longer family owned. Most have been around for a couple of centuries producing and selling port like Sandeman, Ferreira and Taylor (M’s favorite).<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We found a spot to park and walked down to the waterfront where most of the port producers have their shops for the public. As we walk down the hill we can see stretched out the lengthy clay tiled buildings/cellars. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The view down by the water is great, there are the traditional boats, rabelos, that were once used to transport the barrels of wine from the upper Duoro down to the cellars, moored along the quay.<br />
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There are a number of cafés along the way to enjoy the view and atmosphere. Actually we were offered a chance to go on a boat ride up the river, but declined. We enjoyed the view of Porto across the way as well as the old bridges that were designed and or built by Gustav Eiffel.<br />
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These bridges are iron and picturesque and appreciated by the locals. Actually they do not appreciate the more modern designed bridges as they don’t quite add to the character of the place like the iron ones. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We walked into the Sandeman shop that has the towering Dom figure overlooking the entrance. We had a chance to look at their museum with copies of the old labels and bottles used at one time. The labels are posters that we’ve seen in bars and décor in other places – now we know the origin. We couldn’t get into their English tour and tasting for a while, so we decided to walk down the road to the Calem cellars. Here we signed up for a port and chocolate tasting as well as a tour of the facility. We learned a few things about port today. First, there are white as well as ruby and tawny ports. Port is made when grapes are fermenting and brandy is added about 3 days later that stops the fermentation process, making it a sweet wine. Then the wine is put into oak casks. White port is used as an apperatif while the others are for desert or after dinner with cheese. The ruby is put into casks for up to 3 years, tawny is kept in smaller oak casks for up to 7 years before bottling. There are also vintage ports that represent the year of optimal growing and harvesting conditions producing a crop that is top notch according to the regional tasting board (who really control the quality of the product from the region).</div><div class="MsoNormal">After our tour of the cellars, we taste a white, ruby and a 10 year tawny along with some chocolates. We enjoy the three, and have a chat with a couple from the UK.<br />
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After we have finished, we find out that they do not ship to Canada, so we are out of luck here. After a short walk around, we head back to our vehicle and then the apt. On the way we find a mall with another grocery store and get a couple of things for breakfast. Then back to the apartment for another evening of reading, Internet surfing, and satellite TV.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Wednesday, February 22, 2012 – </b>After our usual daily routine, we are off to drive into the interior along the Duoro River valley to see the vineyards and Quintas (wineries). The Duoro valley has been a protected wine growing area since the late 1700’s with the Marquis from Pombal recognizing the need for this. Our drive will be about 250 km altogether. The first part of our drive takes us along a motorway that has concentrated settlements close to Porto, but about 20 km out, we begin to see farming and some smaller vineyards. As we move inland, the landscape becomes mountainous and more treed. Once we leave the motorway, we are on a windy road that leads us up into the hills where people have carved out, terraced and toiled for years to set up vineyards. There are many places where the slope is so steep that machines are not used here (even steeper than we found in Italy), everything is done by hand. There’s a saying in this valley “God created the earth, but man created the Duoro Valley.” Looking around we are amazed at the amount of effort that has gone into the area over the centuries to make this a premier grape growing region. Once the wine is ready, it is shipped down to Gaia in the spring to begin the aging process in the cellars. We find a place for lunch and enjoy the view of the Duoro valley. Lunch is a truly classic price event, we each get a 3 course lunch with wine (water for J) for 6.5 euro (about 9$ each). <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drive back to the apt, T and M go for a walk along the beach while J checks out Discovery Channel. The wind is really blowing today so our walk is not as long as we would have liked, still we enjoy walking along this wonderful beach. As we get back to the apartment M catches a few shots of the sunset where the next thing to the west is North America. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday, February 23, 2012 </b>– Today we are headed for old Porto, yet we returned to Gaia first to find Taylor’s the port producer that we are familiar with at home. Taylor’s is not located on the waterfront, but up the hill. As there is a wine producer in the US with the name Taylor, they have to use one of the old family names in NA, so we know it as Taylor Fladgate. Since the products we could buy here have the name Taylor (their world-wide name outside NA) they cannot ship their ”Taylor” port to Canada for us. Oh well, we buy a couple of nice bottles so T can get her fix of port now that she has experienced it. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We walked back to the vehicle and then drove across the low level of the Don Luis Bridge to find a parking spot along the other side of the river in Porto. We spend some time wandering the streets, passing a tramcar, it’s here where they were first used in Portugal. Our first stop is Igreja de Sao Francisco, started in the early 1200’s and finished by the Franciscan friars in the early 1400’s for their monastery. It is a beautiful ornate church that has wonderful gilded baroque-style woodcarvings. Like many of the other churches in Europe, it has a number of altars. The one that held our attention the longest was the Tree of Jesse, carved and gilded wood and exquisite work of art. Unfortunately we were not allowed to use our camera inside, so we bought a few postcards of the interior as a remembrance. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> From the churches we have seen in this country, the craftsmen at the time carved wonderful altars from different woods and then they were painted, often gold gilded adding opulence to buildings that often had austere exteriors. We enjoyed wandering through the streets of this city, some of which are perched on the hillsides leading to the river. The buildings are of different colors, sizes and many with wrought iron balconies and patterned tiles. This is a UNESCO site and we can see where exterior facings of buildings are being retained and interiors totally removed and being replaced. The weathered look of the buildings certainly adds character to this place. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We wander through some narrow walkways through some areas where life looks harder for the locals (this is clearly not the rich section of town) en route to the Sé (Cathedral). The view from here is great of the surrounding areas. It was built on a former mosque site (like a number of churches we’ve been to and seen).<br />
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Our walk back to the waterfront area was through one of the oldest areas of Porto and cars are non-existent here. A combination of narrow winding alleys and descending levels make vehicle traffic challenging (impossible for us with the station wagon and desire not to scratch it). <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We enjoy walking through the streets and seeing the sights. We head down to a café along the waterfront for a refreshment and enjoy the sunshine and view before heading back to our parked car.<br />
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On our way back to the apartment we stop by the mall we had been to earlier this week as we need to find a replacement for the vase that M broke during our first night here (he decided to get up from bed in the middle of the night but not turn on the light, T was awakened by the crash as the vase shattered on the floor). We find a home décor store with a vase like we needed, so back to the apt for the evening. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Friday, February 24, 2012 – </b>Today the beach and the Atlantic Ocean beckons. This morning we could see the waves forming at a distance away from the shore, making for wonderful curled waves, the kind that surfers love. <br />
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With the temperature reading around 21C and calm winds, after our normal morning activities we forgo our planned road trip north of Porto to walk across the street and hang out. What a wonderful afternoon we had, J trying to outrace the waves washing ashore and playing in the sand. T and M reading their books in the sun. J and M throwing the football even with some tackles where (mostly) J would land in the soft sand. Just chilling in the sun with the sound and sight of the fabulous waves. An evening dinner with sautéed salmon and veggies topped off with a marvelous sunset finished off a great day!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, February 25, 2012 – </b>Today we drove north to the town of Braga. This city is known as a pilgrimage city and has this amazing<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>prayer sanctuary<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>about 5 km away up in the hills. This is the home of the archbishop of Portugal. There are gates that lead to the entrance of the 1000 steps. Along the series of steps and walkways there’s a series of hexagonal chapels dedicated to the Passion of Jesus. Within each small building is a scene and burning candles. Later on there is a series of fountains dedicated to the five body senses. There are statues and the top three staircases are dedicated to the three virtues, faith, hope and charity. Overseeing the zigzag staircases are evangelists. This wonderful site was built over time from 1722 and finished with the church at the top in 1834. The gardens surrounding the area are immaculate and beautiful. In the summer when everything is in full bloom, the site must be spectacular. All three of us enjoyed visiting here and spending time in this peaceful sanctuary. Now there is also a park area above the church that families enjoy regularly for weekend outings. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> From here, we traveled along some backcountry roads through a few small villages to the city of Guimaraes. <br />
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This city is known as the birthplace of Portugal, in 1128 it was site of the Battle of Sao Mamede, which led to the formation of the country. We enjoyed a walk around the castle and palace that was built around 1100 AD. The fortress was free to tour and allowed us to walk up stone staircases with no guardrails as well ledges high above the ground with no railings, needless to say, we were careful not to get too close to the edge! M and J went up the watchtower clambering up stairs and narrow staircase/ladder that allowed them a great view of the surroundings. On the way down, they backed down the ladder section because it was safer that way!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The drive home was enjoyable and takes about nearly an hour. We decided to go out for dinner at Barazul across the street from the apt. We get help with the menu from the owner’s son (45), who has returned from the UK after living there for 8 years, to help his mother out with the restaurant. We chat with him and he fills us in with details of how things are not going well in Portugal at this time. Not much is happening in terms of growth, and he says many are discouraged. We enjoy getting out and return back to finish our packing for tomorrow’s departure, while J watches a couple more episodes of the Simpsons. </div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-13403216327955594032012-02-24T14:08:00.000-08:002012-02-24T14:08:17.189-08:00Update from Lisbon Portugal<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, February 12, 2012 - </b>Today’s road trip is to Lisbon, Portugal where we’ll stay for the next week. The distance is around 710 km. We were all packed and departed right on M’s schedule of 8:30. After a brief stop for caps to go, we are off to Seville about 3 hours away. We back-tracked to Malaga and north until we left the same route we came in from Valencia to head northwest to Seville. Again we passed mega amounts of olive trees. We had no idea that olive oil production was so big in Spain. After traveling through the mountain near the coast the landscape flattens out with lots of farmland as we progress towards Seville. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Navi takes us into Seville and our destination is the Cathedral in the “Old Seville” that is reported to be the third largest cathedral in the world. We find out that many streets are traffic limited, and as we make our way closer to the old section, some are very narrow and parking is non-existent. After traveling down a couple of very narrow streets, we happily find our way to a larger street area and to our pleasant surprise a public parkade. We quickly conclude that we are within walking distance of the cathedral. Although it’s a tight squeeze for the Peugeot, M manages to make it down and later out without any fender scraping. A couple of times he needs to stop and backup to complete the tight curves. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We catch the lift back up to street level and begin to make our way toward the steeples of the cathedral. We pass a number of neat buildings, some contemporary and some old as we make our way into the heart of the older section. We walk along cobbled narrow streets between apartment blocks with restaurants, shops, and hotels at street level.<br />
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It takes us about 15 minutes to walk to the square that opens up to many beautiful old buildings as well as the massive church. It is very elaborate on the outside, but the inside is very plain compared to many other churches we have seen. We spent time wandering the large square, checking out the architecture of the old fortress.<br />
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As we are in Seville M says we should look for the “Barber”. M and J searched and found one, but as its Sunday no one could confirm if this really was THE “Barber of Seville”. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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We made our way back toward the car park, had a bite to eat at a little café, then with Navi’s help worked our way out of the city center. It took a bit of maneuvering, but we were successful. There were a number of wonderful places, wide boulevards and parks we passed as well as the local bullfighting ring. This is a city that would be worth a longer visit another time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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We left Seville and continued onto the Portugal border.<br />
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We pass into Portugal about an hour later and then we had another 2.5 hour drive. The landscape changes to more brush and greener than west of Seville. We drive inland on a great highway system. It looks like the roads in Portugal have benefitted from being part of the European Union. We drive through the Algave region, known for its beaches and resorts, although we can’t see these as the freeway takes us inland. There are many small villages and many more roads that in the western part of Spain we have just left. We see a number of smaller farms and loads of cork trees. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we drive north the landscape flattens again and we see farmland and trees. We arrive in Lisboa at 4 – we gained an hour when we crossed the border into the country. We have to pay a toll to get across the Tejo River (Tagus River) and the car lines are long at every gate. As we drive across the 3 km Ponte 25 Abril bridge (named for the date in 1975 when the 45 year dictatorship came to an end) we can see Cristo Rei apparently a ‘mini’ version of Rio de Janeiro’s statue of Christ (although Lisbon’s is over 90 ft tall atop an 270 ft tall base).<br />
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It was a gift to the people from Salazur, Portugal’s ruler from 1932 - 1968. If that’s the mini version we can only imagine how huge the original in Rio is. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We follow Navi’s directions for about 6 km to reach our destination. Our apt for the week is located in “Old Lisboa” down by the riverfront.<br />
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Directions were to drive through the arch under the orange building once we reached Rossio square. We did find that and drove through finding ourselves on a one-way narrow street. Having driven three blocks, Navi told us we were near. The rest had to be done by foot. It ends up our apt is on a pedestrian only street. M parked where he could, and we hauled the luggage the half block to the building. Miguel and Manuela met us at the front door. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> He had his friend Max come down to help with the luggage. Meanwhile he went with M to move the vehicle because he wasn’t parked in a proper spot. The building is old, likely built after the destructive 1755 earthquake that destroyed a great deal of the city. Our apt is on the top floor and no lift. Hauling a suitcase up the stairs was quite the workout for T, while Max carried the other. The end of the narrow steep staircase finally ended and both were out of breath. Good thing the cases weren’t really heavy! The hallway certainly showed the age of the building, but the apt is well lit, and modern. We have 2 floors and the view from the windows is wonderful. We’re right in the heart of the city! <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> M made arrangements with Miguel to park our vehicle for the week near his place to prevent anything happening to our “foreign car”. We’re central enough that we can use public transport if we want. We find out that Lisbon has a population of about a million, but about another million people live in the surrounding areas due to cheaper housing and come daily into the city to come to work, thus doubling the population during the day. Traffic can be fairly congested, so using public transport will be handy and much less stressful. We have an array of movies to choose from as well as a heap of CDs with some great music that we’ll likely use this week. All appears to be just great!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Monday, February 13, 2012 – </b>On the way out in search of this week’s coffee café, T decided to count the stairs – 92 narrow steps varying in degrees of depth and height. This doesn’t surprise us anymore, as we’ve had exposure to many kinds of steps in a number of places we have stayed. We certainly wouldn’t see this at home. There are a number of cafes along Rua Augusta (the main pedistrian only street in the old section of Lisbon) and we go to the one closest to the apt today, a stand up bar type where many locals stop in on their way to work. An enjoyable jaunt and we try a local custard tard (pastéis de nata)– a Portugese speciality and enjoy it with our caps. It would appear the locals love their pastries, as the coffee shop windows are full of all kinds of goodies to tempt those passing by.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The street outside our apt is busy by 9 AM and will remain busy for the remainder of the day.<br />
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It is busy with deliveries until the shops open, then the vehicles are gone. There are a number of shops along this route both for tourists and locals. While J does school-work, M and T go find a grocery store for supplies for the next few days. Then after lunch and once J is finished his schoolwork for the day, all 3 of us are off to explore the neighborhood and surrounding area. It looks like we’ll be able to do a fair amount of exploring by foot. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> At the end of Rua Augusta, across from the waterfront, we walk through a beautiful arch, Archa da Rua Augusta finished in 1873 to commemorate the rebuilding of Lisbon after the earthquake. It towers over the street with figures of Marques de Pombal and Vasco da Gama who played huge roles in formulating Lisbon’s history. Pombal oversaw the rebuilding of this area of Lisbon that is set up in a grid formation compared to other parts of the city that definitely are not. Da Gama was the famous Portugese explorer who first opened the trade route to India around the bottom of Africa past the Cape of Good Hope. We walked into Praça do Comércio a beautiful arcaded square that once was a royal palace square along the riverfront within a former palace. It was here that King Carlos 1 and his son were assassinated in the early 1900’s. There’s an imposing statue of Don Jose, the Portuguese king at the time of the 1755 earthquake that devastated the city. Looking around one can certainly see the remains of the palace setup. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The square was busy with locals as well as tourists. There was a band set up playing some great tunes that we enjoyed listening to.<br />
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Once we were finished listening we began walking along the some of the streets and headed up toward a church stained glass window we saw from the waterfront. We check out the wonderful buildings lining the streets. There are many buildings that are faced with azulejo tiles – painted ceramic tiles. We wandered along streets with narrow sidewalks past three old churches Santa Maria Magdalan, Igreja de Santo Antonio – the church that was built on the spot where Lisbon’s most popular saint was born and where his parents lived. Later St. Anthony moved to Italy, Padua and became St. Anthony of Padua. The church M and T were married was named after this saint. Our last stop was Se Cathedral, built in the 11<sup>th</sup> century and managed to survive the earthquake. It was built to commemorate the re-conquest of the city from the Moors. It was the site where they had their mosque. The churches were beautiful, basic exterior with incredibly high ceilings inlaid with marble. There were some wonderful ornate altars alongside the walls for various saints, each unique in itself. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once we were finished our touring for the afternoon, we headed back down toward the apt. We stopped at a shop selling port. Portugal is known for its port, so why not learn more about it from someone who knows more than us? After getting some info on the different vintages of port as well as trying several kinds, M chose a bottle to take back to the apt. As usual, T makes a great dinner, and then we watch one of the DVDs from the apartment to end the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tuesday, February 14, 2012 – Happy Valentine’s Day. </b>Our usual routine, coffee although we decide to walk another couple blocks and find a different café this AM where we can sit down. Then we do a workout and J completed homework.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We decided to go out for lunch today and chose a restaurant that is in Rossio square, one that is frequented by the locals. It is in the opposite end of Rua Augusta and is just hopping. We found a table outside on the terrace in the sunshine.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>All kinds of people selling all kinds of stuff, and approached you whether you wanted them to or not. There’s definitely a mixture of ethnicities here and it’s attributed to immigration from Portugal’s former colonies – Brazil, Mozambique and Angola. The view of the square with its fountains and monuments is busy with cars and people.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>After an enjoyable lunch, featuring baccala, cod, we decided to wander/explore Alto Barrio area that is a neighborhood overlooking<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>the area we are staying in.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It was a delight to walk through narrow streets with sidewalks barely wide enough for one person along some busy streets. Buildings varied in character, some having been refurbished and others have definitely seen better days, but this all adds to the delight of the afternoon’s walk. The sidewalks are mosaic throughout the old city – it is really adds to the appeal. We wander the streets looking for Convento do Carmo that we could see from our apt window and with some cool Gothic arches. At one time it was the largest church in Lisbon, but was partially destroyed by the earthquake. It gives quite an effect.<br />
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Right beside this landmark is the Elevador da Santa Justa as the tourist book says “Lisbon’s answer to the Eiffel Tower”, built by a locally born architect who apprenticed under Eiffel. It is quite a sight – all ironwork, but kind of seems out of place…. yet does give a great view of the river and the old town. We chose not to ride on it as we weren’t interested in ending our afternoon exploration of this area yet. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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We continue to explore the area with T leading as she actually reads the brochures and has a Lisbon book she found at the apt. Next we find the Igreja de São Roque, the earliest Jesuit church in the Portuguese world, and one of the first Jesuit churches anywhere. It served as the Society’s home church in Portugal for over 200 years, before the Jesuits were expelled from the country. The Igreja de São Roque was one of the few buildings in Lisbon to survive the 1755 Earthquake relatively unscathed.<br />
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Later we are treated to a wonderful viewpoint from Miradouro Sao Padro De Alcantara of where we were staying and east. This city seems to have many squares with benches to sit down and admire the life of the locals.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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As we approached the apt, we picked up some almond tarts, another specialty of Portugal to have for dessert with the port. The boys bought T some roses from a street vendor and we headed back to eat in for our Valentine meal. All three enjoyed it and then we watched a movie while catching up on emails.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Wednesday, February 15, 2012 – </b>Again, our usual routine. We went back to yesterday’s café and this time we decided to try a different one of the local delicacies; a tasty shredded chicken center with mashed potato covering that is breaded and deep-fried. Today’s exploring takes us up behind our apt to where Castelo de Sao Jorge still stands. We walk along the route we took on Monday afternoon, past the cathedral and followed the signs. Within about 20 minutes through a maze of streets, we are at the entrance to the castle. We pay the entrance and then begin our exploration of the site. The view of Lisbon is wonderful, as we enjoy various vantage points and we explore the fortress. It was for military use and along the walls overlooking the city were numerous cannons. It was enjoyable to sit and admire the view. J enjoyed watching the planes approaching the airport to land. The castelo at one time belonged to the Moors, but was overtaken in the 1100’s by crusaders. In the 1400’s Portuguese kings resided within the walls but they stopped using the castello because they moved down to the area by the waterfront where we walked on Monday.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It was another beautiful sunny day, around 19C. We took a slightly different route walking down into the section of the city we were staying in, along narrow cobble roads as well as long staircases to reach the lower elevation. We decided to head back to Rossio Square to find a table to sit at, have a refreshment and people watch. The square has a huge towering statue of Dom Pedro, who became king of Portugal in 1826, as well as a couple of fountains.<br />
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It’s one of Lisbon's main intersections. Some of the same characters were out and about today as well as the street performers. It’s a great place to watch “Lisbon”. Before heading back, we stop at the local grocer and pick up a few things for dinner. The shop is busy, but in no time we are through the lineup and heading back for dinner. We decided to watch “Catch Me If You Can” with Leonardo di Caprio and Tom Hanks after dinner, a great story we all found interesting.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><b> Thursday, February 16, 2012</b> - J completed homework while we went for coffee. We decided to buy a 2 day pass on the open top Yellow Tour Bus that allows us to hop on hop off at various spots within the city as well as make use of other city transportation systems. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> After lunch J didn’t want to come along with us, so he had some alone time while we decided to see some of the city using the tour bus. We sat up above in the open air. The sun was shining brightly at 19C again. When not in the shade it is quite warm. Our tour of an area of the city takes about 2 hours and we see some of the 20<sup>th</sup> century development as well as areas that host many important monuments and buildings commemorating important events in Portugese history, some dating back to the 16<sup>th</sup> and 17<sup>th</sup> centuries like Torre Bélem, Parque Eduardo VII, Mosterio Jerónimos, and Monument to the Discoveries (Padrao dos Descobrimentos). This last one was erected in the honor of Portugal’s Prince Henry the Navigator in 1960. It commemorates Portugal’s many famous explorers and adventurers. <br />
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Although not part of the tour itinerary (we think) we even saw a submarine entering the area.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Tonight we decided to go out for dinner at one of the nearby restaurants. We enjoyed seafood, cod is the local fish, so M and T enjoyed dishes with that while J enjoyed clams and calamari, both with a Portugese twist. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b>Friday, February 17, 2012</b> – Cool thing about the location of this place is there is always something happening out on the pedestrian walk below us. This morning, we are being serenaded by a string quartet playing classical music and they are really good. <br />
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Yesterday it was a mime guy posing as a statue,<br />
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down the block an accordian player, the day before a saxophonist. Around noon, we went to the Mercado da Riberira, Lisbon's most popular food and fish market, about a 15 min walk from where we are staying. It has existed in this locations since the 1930’s. We picked up some veggies, some meat as well as some fish fillets for tonight’s dinner. There was quite the variety of fish to choose from. Some we had no idea how they would taste and some were downright nasty looking!!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> After lunch, J decided he wanted to hang out at the apt yet again, while we took the local tram car to tour some of the old neighborhoods that have narrow streets such that they are only one car wide with no room for parking! While touring we had audio explanation of the areas and learned about the history. It was through these neighborhoods that we saw local life with no influence of the tourist shop. The trams date back to the early 1900’s and are run through various neighborhoods in Lisbon – a great tourist and local means of transportation. Now they are run on electricity and are a great means of reducing pollution. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We stopped at our usual spot, Rossio Square to have a beer and watch life on the street. It was a fine warm afternoon to soak in the atmosphere. T decided to go through a few shops while M returned to the apt. Today’s big crowd drawn outside our apt building was a performer passing flames over various body appendages. He didn’t appear to have much hair left on those arms he was passing the flame over! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b>Saturday, February 18, 2012</b> – Another beautiful warm day in Lisbon. We’ve been very lucky this week with great weather to explore. We decided to take yet another Yellow Bus Tour of another section of Lisbon we haven’t checked out. However, by the time we got there, they weren’t running anymore for the day due to Carnaval parade celebrations and some of the streets were going to be closed. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We were disappointed, but decided to head back to Rossio Square to see what was up, sure enough the place was filling with people for the parade. All kinds of people were dressed in costumes – it was great entertainment. We could hear the parade approach with drummers and chanting. What a way to spend the rest of our last afternoon in Lisbon. There is a stage set up and as soon as the parade finishes, the band starts playing. The place is now full of people, dancing, singing along and bopping to the music. The atmosphere is rocking with great music although loud enough to make conversation difficult, so we sat in the sun, took photos and had some refreshments and soaked up the scene – fabulous! <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We went back after dinner, thinking the band would play again, but unfortunately, they only play for a couple of hours, perhaps because it does cool off once the sun goes down. So we took a few night shots of the city. We then returned and packed things up for our departure tomorrow morning.<br />
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</div></div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-26085079040050153972012-02-18T01:51:00.000-08:002012-02-18T01:51:15.030-08:00Update from Marbella Spain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, February 5, 2012</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- We’re up and in search of a coffee just after 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our usual stop is not open, but “our” little bakery is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great, as M needs his morning caffeine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a quick breakfast, M went for the car, we did see a couple of spots this am fairly close to the apt so we can load up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J and T dealt with the luggage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J’s job after the first trip down was to keep an eye on the stuff while T made 3 more trips up and down those 62 steps!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite the workout today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By 10, we’re off to the south coast of Spain, near the city of Malaga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Graham, our landlord suggested a new highway, taking us inland instead of the coastline to Alcante, saving us some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have around 600 km to drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our route through Valencia takes us past the bull fighting ring, the beautiful train station and several other old buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaving the city we pass through more orange groves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Today’s journey takes us up as high as 1380 m then back down to sea level before staying in the hills that overlook the coastline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We traveled through areas where there we fields of vegetables, apple orchards, really dry arid land where not much grows except some trees that produce nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were quite a few of these trees in bloom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we passed Granada, the hillsides became one continuous olive grove, for many km, pretty neat to see the neat rows climbing up the hillsides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We stopped for lunch around 1, in a little town off of the main highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was about 7C outside and windy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place we stop at is quiet with a few locals having coffee at the bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the corner of the restaurant section there is a fireplace with a fire lit in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three of us stand by the fire to warm as the place is cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ordered soup and had a good laugh that we could see the steam rise from the soup as well, we could see our breath in the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our hot lunch, we head out for another 3 hours of driving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we descend toward the coast, we can see how built up this region named, Coastal de Sol really is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are countless condominum complexes – not so much high rises but 3 or 4 story sprawling complexes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could be in any number of warm holiday destinations around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all remark how this week is going to be a yet another different experience from any we’ve had on this trip.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We arrive at our meeting place early and wait for Peter to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had met him in Cranbrook in Dec. while he was over visiting his daughter in Fernie for a month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small world it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our accommodation is in a condo unit up in the hills overlooking the coastline of between Malaga and Marbella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The condo is quite large, 2 baths, 2 bedrooms, however, it is cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heat’s not working too well – we huddled under an extra blanket we found in the closet. As M has a bit of a cold he is all huddled up and not impressed with the heating system.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s SuperBowl Sunday and the boys want to watch the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our new place near Marbella, we have Sky TV out of the UK, so we can get the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only thing is, it’s at 12:30 AM here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, we can all sleep in tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J is disappointed in the Patriots loss, but was happy he could still catch the game in Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys went to bed around 4 AM!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Monday, February 6, 2012</b> - T is up before the boys due to their late night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While J is still asleep, we head out to go in search of a grocery store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes a while to find a place to shop as we are not familiar with the area and we don’t know the names of grocery chains in this area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We end up finding one about 10 km away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrive back at the condo, unpack the supplies and have a bite to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our landlord arrived with a technician to check the heating system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He left us an oil heater to help compensate in case the heating system continues to operate inadequately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Internet isn’t working very well either, somewhat frustrating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter says he’ll check into it for us. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This condo complex has a 9-hole golf course, so for the price of some rentals, we’re able to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place isn’t very busy so it’s easy to get on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This afternoon it’s sunny and around 19C, so we’re taking advantage of the warmth and play on this par 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First time we’ve picked up a club since last June and we enjoy the walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool condo system, but wouldn’t buy here if you’re a golfer, as the longest hole is only 120 yds with most only about 70. Still it’s a fun opportunity for us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While watching some English TV, after dinner, we check the Internet and it’s working much faster now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We think maybe it’s like in Italy, that as the number of users decreases the speed of the system for downloading increases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looks like the evening will be the time to do Internet stuff. M uploads some of J’s homework assignments while the system is working. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - </b>While J is still sleeping, we go in search of a new coffee haunt for the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we drive along the windy road in the hills to go down to the coast, we can see the Rock of Gibraltar as well as the coast of Morocco.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pass along side a nature reserve protecting a large area of cork trees – a good thing or a large portion of that area would have likely been developed as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Mediterranean glistens in the sunlight, it’s a beautiful day, supposed to get up to 19 C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully warmer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our coffee, we take a quick drive around to find parking access to the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to come down later and have lunch along the beachfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s a beautiful afternoon, reaching around 20 C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found the Beach House restaurant right on the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not too busy at 1:30 and we’re able to find a table next to the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s wonderful to have the sun shining, surf pounding the beach and the breeze blowing through the palm trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lunch is a long affair, as it gets busier once we arrive and there are only 2 ladies waiting/serving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food is delicious and we enjoy it immensely. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we are finished, we walk down to the water to test the temperature – it’s cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J decides to put on his swim trunks just the same so he can play amongst the waves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J and M throw the football around for a while, before we walk along this expansive beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a few people braving the cold waters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We left the beach and went looking for a farmacia for M who’s suffering from a sinus issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also found a grocery store that is much closer to us than the one we went to the first day – actually at the highway entrance from our exit! Once we’re back at the condo, we kick back, have dinner and watch English TV finding one of the shows that T and M like NCIS with back to back episodes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - </b>Today’s really windy, could hear the wind blowing the palm trees big time outside our bedrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a fair bit cooler today, even though it’s sunny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found another coffee shop with great pastries, so we pick up a few for dessert tonight. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Later in the day after J’s homework, we went in search of an electronics store for a new 12V adapter for charging J’s Ipod and T’s Iphone in the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We managed to find a mall and were able to pick one up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well, there was a huge grocery store, similar to our huge superstores where we picked up a few things, including some cognac (something M and T had been missing, as we find the Spanish brandy not to be nerly as smooth) that had proved difficult to find in the places we had checked so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both remarked how different this week’s experience of grocery shopping has been from last week’s where we were shopping in the typical inner city Mom and Pop local shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This area of Spain is very “western” society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we drive along, it is amazing at the number of condo complexes around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems they far outnumber the individual homes in this area. We head back to the apartment, T and M enjoy a nice walk while J gets another dose of English TV.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thursday, February 9, 2012 – </b>Today is sunny and much less windy, it is supposed to reach 14 C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed for Marbella to check the place out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding parking in the area turned out to be quicker than we thought, although we did hav to hunt for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve learned to search out the white marked spot as they are free, while blue are pay, and yellow means not at all or with a special permit only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our vehicle is slightly larger than most others, so it’s not always easy to find a spot to fit it in without someone nudging it on their way out of their spot…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many vehicles have scars to show for that technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We were able to find a spot close to the waterfront, so in no time at all, we were strolling along the wide pedestrian walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the right of us was the Mediterranean and on the left loads of restaurants – one after the other pretty much with the occasional condo unit or shop tossed in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Must be tough business in the low season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed the walk along the water, passed the Port for Marbella, as well as some great beach sand. The wind was blowing fairly strong down here, so we were zipped right up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We went in search of a tapas bar that Peter recommended right along “restaurant row”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found one not exactly the one he named, but one which fit the bill and was enjoyable - especially under the patio heater to add warmth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we were finished there, we walked through a beautiful park with replicas of Salvador Dali sculptures (he was born in Spain).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked across the main road into “Old Marbella” with narrow cobbled walkways and white stucco and wrought iron galore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could definitely see the different architecture representative of the time it was built, in the 16<sup>th</sup> and 17<sup>th</sup> centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed a quick walk through the old section before heading back to the apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After dinner we all watch a couple episodes of Friends and then Two and a Half Men, then M and T once again tune into NCIS, we have found there are two back to back episodes everyday, and today there are four. J doesn’t like this show much so he goes and watches one of our movies on the computer. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Friday, February 10, 2012 – </b>Road trip today to neighboring Gibraltar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was definitely on our list to check out this week and today’s temperature of 18 C was perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no clouds in the sky, and we can see across the Mediterranean to Morocco today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes clouds and humidity obscure the coastline and the Atlas Mountains from the viewpoint near the apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We left the condo at 8:30 and stopped at the usual coffee bar for some breakfast before getting on the highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is going to take us just over an hour to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drive is uneventful and as we pass Marbella, the coastal development lessens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we see much less populated areas and some agriculture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travel along the toll road and talk about the great quality of highways that are in existence in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Here we get a good view of this famous rock.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrive at the border city of Conception and find our way with GPS to the border area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see that the border lineup to get in with the car is very long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From reading on the Internet we know that there is limited parking available in this 6sq km UK territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we appear to be in the wrong line we continue past the border entrance and turn around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide to not cross over by car but walk across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a parking spot right across the street from the border crossing area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be 40 Euro for 6 hours – YIKES!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we were driving away to get in line, we thought, why not try to find a parking spot off the main drag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re in luck, with about a 5 min walk to the border, 5 hours for 6 Euros – ah, much better!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, with backpack and passports, we walk through the border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we are on the other side, we’re asked if we want to take a taxi tour of the rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide it’s a good idea as we’re not sure how to get up to the top and besides we will get some history of the rock as well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, off we go with our cab/tour guide for about an hour and a half tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> First thing as we are in a British territory, J find a phone booth to check out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next past, the airport runway, it actually crosses the main roadway into Gibraltar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">There were a couple of planes that were at the terminal preparing for takeoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it’s time for a plane to take off, the main road traffic is halted until the aircraft takes off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are told this will change as in order for Gibraltar to have an international airport, this can’t exist, so they are currently constructing a tunnel on the other side of the rock/airstrip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now only planes from the UK can land here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We drive along one of three main roads here and this one is built atop of the old fortress walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can see Old Gibraltar, the old buildings, to the left and New Gibraltar, the area built up from land claimed from the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new area has high-rise condos, marinas and the cruise ship terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old section has the UK architecture style of buildings, with some influence from the Moors and Spanish and space is a premium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re told a good portion of the rock is nature reserve now, preventing any development other than what has occurred on the rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets are fairly narrow and in many cases hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we ascend the rock, our first stop is through Jews’ Gate to the Pillars of Hercules. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Myth has it that this is where Hercules placed his foot and separated Spain from Morocco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great view from this point, making us realize just how narrow the Strait of Gibraltar is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were all kinds of ships not far from shore. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As we continued up the rock, we are told this is the route the soldiers used to carry and transport all the heavy artillery and supplies up to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Large iron rings are still affixed to the rock walls they used for their pulley system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our next stop is St. Michael’s Cave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, a great view to the coast below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see a beautiful 200 m yacht that belongs to some rich Russian oil tycoon, who owns the Chelsea football club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This thing was huge from up above, it had two helipads, one complete with a helicopter and apparently also has a submarine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty cool to have a look at, and realize its about 3 times as long as the biggest one we measured in the Monaco marina!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We caught some of the local gossip about it from our cab driver and one of his buddies at this stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What a cool spot this St. Michael’s Cave was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was outfitted as a hospital during WWII, and now is used as an auditorium for concerts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>There were some fabulous formations within this really big grotto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rock of Gibraltar is home to 5 groups of Barbary Apes, which look a lot like monkeys but apes have no tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Moors brought them with them long ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The number of these apes are kept under strict control, to ensure them do not become too much of a nuisance and overrun the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are notorious for stealing peoples’ food when tourists are snacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They associate bags with food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we reached the top, we had a chance to interact with the apes, J decided he wanted to check one out, or should I say have one check him out!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view was awesome from up here, and we could certainly understand the military advantage of occupying this space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our last stop on the rock was to the Great Siege Tunnels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we walked into this impressive defense system that was excavated during 1779-83.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tunnels were hewn into the rock using gunpowder and simple tools such as the pick ax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually we could see markings on the tunnel walls from a pick ax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In WWII more tunnels were constructed to be like a fortress inside a fortress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact there are 50 km of tunnels within the rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bunch of the rock was used to construct today’s airport runway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some impressive displays explaining the strategy of the army and the development of the holes within the Rock face to provide outlet for the guns to shoot down on the enemy in the harbor. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We were driven through some of the older section of Gibraltar and it was explained there are strict codes for refurbishing the buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our guide told us that some of the locals (like himself) have parking spots within the rock in some of the tunnel system that had been used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great idea really as the roads are narrow and not designed for parking and through traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually this is not a place you want to have a big car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When our tour was finished, we were dropped off at the “top of Main Street”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the pedestrian walk lined with shops and restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We admired the buildings and found a spot in the sun to have a bite of lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We weren’t interested in shopping, so we walked on through the remainder of the street and followed our map walk back to the border crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were so glad to have parked on the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re told that there are times when it takes several hours to get through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes no time at all to get back to our car and we’re off back to the condo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Saturday, February 11, 2012 – </b>Another<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>sunny day today, and we are treated to a wonderful sunrise. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">As usual we head down for coffee at our local spot. While there we notice a hair salon and confirm that J can get a cut this afternoon, his first since being home so it’s due. Next we pick up some groceries to tide us over until Monday and return to the condo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After lunch and the haircut, we head down to the golf course to play another round of golf on the world’s shortest course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we return, we watch some sports and organize our bags as we are leaving tomorrow. We decide to go out for dinner and chose to return to the Beach House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a delicious meal and enjoyed the relaxing and friendly atmosphere – a great evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We returned to watch yet again another NCIS episode, likely by now we must have caught up on nearly all of last year’s episodes and perhaps some of this year’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J wasn’t thrilled we watched these, but we enjoyed it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-25499308656961236922012-02-14T01:25:00.000-08:002012-02-14T01:25:47.515-08:00Update from Valencia Spain<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, January 29, 2012 – </b>We’re up at 7:30 because we need to pick up our leased vehicle at 9 AM. Breakfast is included in the hotel price and we are thrilled with the choices and quality of the food, a fabulous breakfast buffet including made to order omelettes. Our choices were definitely more to our liking and tastes! No more powdered scrambled eggs, pink colored meat called “sausage” that we weren’t sure what type of meat it was although we knew it wasn’t pork… and loads of bread. Two weeks of the same kind of stuff, was tiresome - one of the downfalls of a tour.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"> We figured out that the place where we had to pick up our car had to be close to our hotel. So, we called and sure enough it was not far from our hotel, so the man brought the vehicle to us, saving us time. In about 15 minutes the paperwork is signed, and we have gone through the car orientation and are ready to hit the road. Learning from Lyon, we checked the fuel gage and see, it’s near empty, we fuel up and head out on the road.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> With the GPS programmed for no toll roads, we head out from Barcelona to Valencia, 480 km south. Valencia is Spain’s 3<sup>rd</sup> largest city and is located on the coast as well. We head northwest a bit then head south passed Monserrat,<br />
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through mountains and then plateau with lots of farmland.<br />
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We stop halfway along the trip for a bite to eat at a café we find open. As M’s back has not yet fully recovered (the long sitting episodes in the van are not recommended therapy for a sore lower back) he goes for a walk to loosen up before sitting for lunch and he comes back to report he has found a new favorite sign.<br />
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On Sundays most places are closed in this country. Finding anything open is great. One cannot be picky in Spain on Sundays, we learned that in Barcelona in December.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our drive took us through a variety of landscape. We pass naturally terraced farmland, olive tree groves, orchards well groomed and pruned not ready to bloom, trees blooming with pink blossoms, and miles and miles of orange trees.<br />
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Like in southern Italy with its olive trees, here we see thousands and thousands of orange trees loaded with ripe fruit. We travel inland toward Lleida , then south along the coast. As we get south of Vinaros we begin to see cities with loads of condo highrises in Castellon de la Plana. We arrive in Valencia around 3:30 and follow the directions from the landlord as well as our friendly GPS to locate the street the apartment is on. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">Once we are off the main boulevard, the side streets narrow to one lane with cars parked on either side. We manage to find a spot and call Graham on M’s cell and find out he’s laid up with a back issue, so his wife came down to bring us up to the apt. She helps us with the baggage, entering at street level we must walk up 4 floors along fairly narrow marble staircases (about 60 steps, I think T must have counted) to arrive at the apt door. The staircase experience reminded T and J of when we were in Riomaggiore. The apt has 2 bedrooms and is built in such a way that there are several internal light shafts within the building to allow for natural light even to first floor apartments. Good thing, otherwise, it would be pretty dark in here. Things look good, we’ll enjoy the location and digs for the week. While we were getting settled, J was invited over to play Playstation with Liam, 12. Even though language was somewhat of a barrier, he enjoyed himself. M drove around for about 20 minutes trying to find a parking spot, and was eventually rewarded with a spot he thought would be great for the week. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">As we had not been able to get any groceries yet we are off to find what might be open today, and luckily find a pizza place that although small is good food. We find we have several TV channels that show English shows and movies, so we enjoy a Robin Williams movie after dinner. J learns that we have the Disney Channel so he aims to get caught up seeing his favorite shows this week. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Monday, January 30, 2012 – </b>First day in Valencia and we wake at our own pace, up at 8:15. First on the agenda is to scope out the neighborhood to see what shops are nearby. Like all European cities we have been in, shops/restaurants have the metal shutters pulled over the entrance, so we had no idea what was what. We are staying near the old city of Valencia, to be explored this week. It is the classic condo/apartment setup we have seen in other larger cities. Little shops on street level with apartments above. We’re in the heart of high density housing, where there’s not a lot of wasted space. The view from one of our windows is a series of apt block balconies with laundry hanging and the occasional potted plant, typical of city apt living.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We found a café, a block from the apt, to enjoy a coffee and soak up the scene. It’s the opposite of what we’ve just experienced in Morocco, this place is full of mostly women having coffee. About 15 min. later, more men show up. We had a chuckle over this. We stopped at a few shops in the neighborhood for groceries. It was nice to wander about on our own time. Today is just hangout and get to know the neighborhood. Later on we went for a walk in the sunshine, along one of the main streets enjoying the 16 C and checking out some of the sights. Tonight we had our first home cooked meal since leaving home and all three of us welcomed it. M finds an old Columbo movie on TV as the evening’s entertainment. T decides to model her new Moroccan slippers for J and M (for the Mallettes she calls them her 'Uncle Al' shoes).<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tuesday, January 31, 2012 </b>– Today was a true Shaw Adventure day! It started off like yesterday – sleep in, go out for caps and walk about checking out some more of the neighborhood. On our way back from our exploration and picking up a couple of things, M thought we’d check on our vehicle that has been parked on the street a few blocks away from the apt. Finding parking in this city is a nightmare, so M had been really pleased with finding this spot for our vehicle. As we came around the corner, M looked in the direction of where he parked and the place where the car should have been was a weekly market stall, and T hears a “Oh this isn’t good”… As we got to the spot where the car should be, he noticed for the first time, that there was a sign saying no parking on Tuesdays 8 – 15h (although is his defence the sign did not face the driver so you could not see it as you drove up). Oh no, we’ve been towed! Well now we have to find out where it is. Once back at the apt we email our landlord and he made a phone call to his police friend, who told him where the car was. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> After lunch, around 12:30, we hail a taxi to the municipal pound to get the car – in another area of the city, about 15 min. by cab. Once there T hands a note from Marguerita to the clerk behind the counter, but it doesn’t help us out. No one in the office speaks English and we have no idea how to get our car. There’s something we need to do, but we don’t understand a word she is saying!! Good thing M brought his phone and called Marguerita, who talks to the woman at the desk. Once we talk to Marguerita, we find out we have to take the paperwork with us to a police station to pay the parking fine, and for them to clear the car as it’s foreign. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We took another cab back across the city to the police station on Emilio Baro St. We arrive there, no one speaks English here either, and apparently we are missing some other paperwork. The man in charge immediately recognizes what we need to do. He shakes his head and writes on a paper numerically the order of events we need to complete to get the car. First we need go to another location first, then come back to this police station, and finally we can go back to the pound and get our car. He recognizes we have no vehicle and is surprised we are willing to pay for taxis to get this done, versus his suggestion of the bus routes that will work. So, we take our paperwork we got from the compound, and hail another cab. Another 15 min cab ride, we arrive at a building where we find out, we pay our fine. The guy who works at the desk speaks some English and helps us out and gives us our receipt. Armed with this, we return to the police station, and meet the same gentleman from earlier. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> After about 10 min of waiting for paper processing, we are finally ready to return to the pound. It is now 3:30! Back across the city we travel again! This has been one expensive error!! Oh well, we had to look at the bright side, every time we rode in a different cab, we took a different route and saw a different part of the city, although for that much money we could likely have a private tour for the day. Boy does this city ever have some cool architecture!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> With the whopper of the tow bill paid, we drive back to the apt in about 20 min and spend another 20 to find a parking spot, not an easy feat, yet we are eventually rewarded with a spot that we each confirm has no hidden signs that might enable a repeat of this afternoon’s fun. With the car locked up, we head over to the mall nearby to get J some new runners, they have served him well although its only been 3 months and they have holes in the sides. We also take this opportunity and to set up our Iphone with a Spanish sim card. It took an hour to get the phone organized, but we now have service. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We walk back to the apt and are pleased to veg after this afternoon’s adventure - good thing we didn’t wait until Sat. to check on the car!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, February 1, 2012 </b>- Usual routine this AM. We decide to walk in a different direction this time to explore. We find a bakery and pick up some quiche and something that we hope J will like for today’s breakfast. We did stop by to check on the vehicle to make sure it was still in the same spot – we’re a bit paranoid now! All is well in that department, so we head back. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">J has to do some schoolwork and then we are off this afternoon to explore the park system that has been built along the former riverbed. This system is about 7 km long and was built on the site where at one time the Turia River flowed. The river was diverted after a devastating flood in 1957. In its place is a wonderful park system with infrastructure of soccer, football, and rugby as well as fountains, sitting areas and playgrounds for all ages. <br />
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There are all kinds of trees, that come spring, the park must be fabulous, because right now, it looks great without the leaves on the trees. Today we walk about for almost two hours here, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Then we head back to the apartment for dinner and J gets his fix of English TV.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday, February 2, 2012 </b>– It’s cool how we can just walk into the café and they get our order ready for us. This has been the case, since the second morning after the lady confirmed that we wanted what we had the day before. Of course this is a local café and we are clearly not one of the locals but its great to be treated by their service and smile each morning. We made the rounds of the shops for today’s meals and then head back to the apt to have breakfast with J. J has schoolwork to complete before we can head out to explore.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">After the schoolwork is completed, we walked over to explore the Old City of Valencia<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </b>We walked across one of the many bridges crossing over the parkland to reach the Torres de Serranos, one of the twelve gates that were found along the old medieval city wall. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Once we are on the other side of the wall gate, the roads narrow into one-way streets.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">We found a restaurant to have some local paella, as it’s something we should have while here. Then we went on a walk to check out more of the old section. We stopped by the mercato centrale, but it was already closing for the day, we’ll come back another day. We walked along streets, checking things out, then head back through the river-walk to our apt. Another typical night. T makes dinner, M cleans up, and then we find a Columbo movie.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Friday, February 3, 2012 – </b>Today we’re off to walk to the Museo de les Sciencies, L’Hemisferic, L’Oceanografic buildings as well as a couple of other buildings and bridge designed by<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Santiago Calatrava. We had seen these buildings in our Wonders of the World book and they are definitely an impressive collection of buildings. Calatrava also designed the “Peace Bridge” that is currently being built in downtown Calgary.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">Again we chose to walk along the river-walk, the Jardins Del Turia, parkway. There are all kinds of people out riding bikes on the designated paths as well as joggers.<br />
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We have a 4.5 km walk to get there. Not too far from our destination, we come across “Gulliver” playground. J was keen to check out this gigantic horizontal statue-cum-play park. We find a park bench in the sunshine and hang while he plays and interacts with some kids. Once he’s had his fill, we walked on. <br />
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We decided to walk through the Science museum en-route to the Oceangraphy center where we paid to go in. Within this center are a series of buildings, home to various aquatic animals. We spent several hours enjoying the aquarium walking through tunnels and alongside walls of fish, sharks, mammals and other aquatic life.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">We head back from the L’Oceangraphic at around 5:30 and it takes us about an hour to get back. We decided to go out for dinner tonight, and in Spanish style, we head out after 9 PM. But we find that our neighborhood is not that lively at night and have around for 20 minutes or so until we find a open restaurant (the wind was cold tonight so we did not want to walk the additional 20 minutes to the Old City where there are many spots to chose from). J and M order pizzas but T decides to be adventuresome and orders something she has no idea what it is. When it comes we are have a laugh as its this HUGE helping of grilled meat served on a hanger-type-thing where the skewer hangs vertically over her plate and she has to tenderly take the meat and veggies off the skewer much to M and J’s enjoyment before she can eat it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saturday, February 4, 2012</b> - After coffee this AM, we stopped by to pick up some groceries for tomorrow as most stores are closed and we want to be sure we have some back-up food just in case we can’t find an open shop at our new destination. We headed out around 11 to walk over to the old city to go to the mercato centrale to enjoy the market atmosphere in Valencia. Today the wind is quite cold, there is a deep freeze of temperatures going on around Europe right now, Spain is actually the warm spot. Today it is about 10 C, and that is cold for this time of year here. We’re told that it’s much colder than usual. Oh well, at least we’re not getting snow, like many of the other parts of Europe this week. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">We arrive at the mercato and see it’s just teeming with people. The building is very large and there are hundreds of stalls dealing with fresh produce, meats cut to the customer’s request, fresh baked goods as well as other food stalls. <br />
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T had read about a drink, horchata that the locals apparently really like and she found a stall that sold it. It’s made of water, sugar and tigernut (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chufas</i>). Good thing she only bought a piccolo as it was not to any of our tastes. We wandered about the aisles picking up a fresh baguette, cookies, meat for dinner, and a few other treats for our trip tomorrow. Once we’ve had enough of the crowd we left the mercato to find a place to have some lunch along one of the streets in the old city before heading back to the apt. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">We spent time organizing our bags for tomorrow’s departure and called a few family members via Skype. It was great to have a chat and catch up. </div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-75899922546212142622012-02-02T09:21:00.000-08:002012-02-02T09:21:55.240-08:00Update from Morocco<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> January 12-13 Thursday and Friday </b>Our last day at home until early June is spent doing a couple of errands, phone calls to a few, and visiting with a few friends. With things packed and a quick dinner, we are ready to head to the airport for our 8:35 PM British Airways flight. J tells us he’s not thrilled to be leaving once again – 5 months is a lot of time. We have had a wonderful month back home with family and friends, so leaving again is hard for him. The flight was smooth and uneventful – that’s a good thing and after our short stop over in London we arrive in Barcelona at 5:30 PM. Getting through immigration and collecting bags is quick. We manage to find our way to the hotel shuttle area (although we think we are in the wrong place at first) and then on to the hotel. We grab dinner and watch a movie before falling off to sleep.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> January 14 Saturday – </b>After a fitful sleep as we aren’t accustomed to the time zone up at 2:30, back asleep by 4 or 5. After arranging a late check-out, we let J sleep late. After lunch at the hotel restaurant, we check out and take the shuttle to the airport at 2:30. Check in is quick and we can certainly tell that it’s low season in this big modern airport. Having learned from December’s departure, we did not want to go through customs until closer to our 6:15 departure. There’s not much over in that section. So, we pass the next few hours walking around, doing homework and kicking back. By 4 pm. We find out our plane is delayed, estimated departure 8:05 UGH! Well, at least we haven’t crossed customs, so we can find a decent place to eat. At 7:30, we check in at information, the plane is on it’s way, so we check through customs and head to the gate. Our plane finally leaves at 8:30. We board our Royal Air Maroc plane and find the least amount of legroom between seats we have ever encountered! Nasty!! Quite the difference from the BA flight we took yesterday. We meet up with our driver Kamal and head to the van. Leaving the airport there is intense fog making driving difficult, but as we proceed toward Casablanca, it does let up somewhat. The drive to our hotel took 45 minutes. It’s late so we just drop off to sleep as soon as we get in. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, January 15</b> - Kamal will be our driver for the entire duration of our Moroccan tour. Today we toured around Casablanca. Casablanca, with 6 million people, is the economic centre and largest city of Morocco. Right away we notice the difference of this African country from Egypt. None of us knew what to expect but our first view of this country through exposure to this city is very promising: calm drivers, clean streets, lots of green space and many people out and about. It’s Sunday, many things are closed, and generally the roads of Casablanca are quiet. Due to French influence the Moroccans have adopted the Saturday and Sunday weekend concept. We can see the European influence on some of the architecture. Many families were out and about today enjoying the sun and family time.</div><div class="MsoNormal">This morning we find out that our hotel is located along the Atlantic shoreline in a popular beach club area. Couldn’t tell this last night as we arrived at 11:30 in the dark. The hotel is built along the promenade wall, entering at road level, and then descending below to access the rooms and beach – a cool setup. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drive through streets taking us along the coastline</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> to the Hassan Mosque – the 3<sup>rd</sup> largest mosque and the tallest minaret, 200m, in the world. It and its surrounding grounds are immense and built along and out over the shoreline. Constructed in 1987, took 6 years of round the clock, and 880 million US dollars – paid by personal donations and some government support. We walked around this huge structure admiring the intricacy of the detail. Through a guided interior tour we find out at Ramadan it houses 25000 worshippers inside and another 80000 outside. It was beautifully adorned with intricate concrete detail that was carved when wet and then hand painted coated with egg white to protect it, (like other intricate structures toured in other countries), granite adorned floors and pillars, mosaic tiled walls and a roof that slides open if desired all from Moroccan materials. The only things not Moroccan were the chandeliers from Venice, Murano glass. The immense exterior doors were coated with titanium to counter oxidation and salt damge. It definitely showed the forethought of the designers. We were glad to have chosen to go on the tour adding another wonderful site we visited. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drove along the walls and a gated entranceway into Old Casablanca – seeing market stalls similar to Istanbul and Cairo market places. In earlier times the important cities were enclosed by walls and had entrance gates. While wandering in the square by the Royal Palace (unfortunately we weren’t allowed up onto the grounds to take pictures of the huge structure), we walked along streets with shops when we passed without being hassled to go into the shops. This was a very pleasant surprise. Being day one of the trip, we are not interested in shopping or have any idea what we might want to bring back as a Moroccan souvenir. Amongst shops we find a café busy with locals where we order mint tea served in little silver teapots with funky cozies for the handles - delicious. We pass “diners where Moroccans eat” with animal carcasses hanging, drove through another street market, the largest we have seen on our travels selling everything and anything. We love seeing this! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We stopped by a Catholic Cathedral with simplistic design with both side whiles entire stained glass depicting Biblical stories – very different from European Cathedrals. Mass was in progress while we were there, so we stood at the back of the packed and admired the church and then quietly left. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We walked around a popular square with a fountain honoring Muhammed V one of their former kings</div><div class="MsoNormal">(and the man who negotiated Moroccan independence from France and Spain in the 20<sup>th</sup> century). Here we enjoyed watching the locals, street vendors, enjoying the atmosphere and taking some photos. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We learned from Kamal that it is only recent, 15 years, that there is inter-racial marriage in Morocco, before it was Arab to Arab and Berber to Berber – interesting. (The Berbers were the first settlers in Morocco and its not clear exactly where they came from, although its believed they arrived around 3000 BC, and were people migrating west from the eastern Mediterranean lands including Jews that had escaped from Babylonian slavery). People in Casablanca do like to go elsewhere during the year whereas the people in other big cities tend to stay put and head out when the weather is hot.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The last stop of the day before heading back to the hotel was to Rick’s Café, made famous by the film Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart. This is a great little restaurant with terrific atmosphere and food, and good prices too! From the type of people we see come in, it’s definitely a tourist destination. It wasn’t overcrowded and a great place to have our first meal in Morocco!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For the remainder of the afternoon, the boys kick back and T decides to go for a walk along the promenade outside the hotel. She pays heed to Kamal warning about where to go and what not to take from strangers … and enjoys a walk along the ocean wall enjoying the sunshine, sights, sounds and feeling of the place. A great way to end the afternoon of our first day here! Our room has a movie channel so we end the day by watching a movie that ends late – as its only mid-afternoon in Alberta staying up that late is easy as our bodies are not yet on this time zone.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Monday, January 16, 2012 </b>- After going to bed at midnight, we all sleep through the night, and wake late this morning. J sleeps the latest, catching up on the sleep he missed on the flight over. We don’t have anything planned for today, and we just want to hang and enjoy. M and T go out along the ocean seawall in search of a coffee shop. We enjoy the view and coffee as well. Once J is up, we head back along the walkway and find Luigi’s restaurant. By now, it is clouded over and the wind has picked up. The surf is high and ocean spray is in the air.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It is a different view today than yesterday’s warmth and sunshine. After a good lunch, we head back to the hotel and relax for the remainder of the day, reading, blogging, listening to the surf and wind, and in J’s case, doing schoolwork.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Due to the blustery evening we decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant. Listening to a duo playing Moroccan music, we enjoyed our Moroccan tangines – meat and vegetables (kind of like a stew) cooked within a cone shaped clay baker - absolutely delicious. We’ll certainly be having more of these while we are here. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tuesday, January 17, 2012 </b>– After breakfast, Kamal picks us up at 9:30 for today’s tour. We are leaving Casablanca and are headed for Rabat, Morocco’s political capital. Our drive takes about 1.5 hours. It takes a while to get out of the busy city streets, but we do get to see more of Casablanca. There are a number of large projects going on along the shore as we travel outside of the city. The most ambitious, a new marina development both commercial and residential, enhancing the first time view of Casablanca for the cruise ship tourists. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our drive to Rabat takes us north along the coast where we see many residential apartment complexes in what looks like the colors the locals favor, burgundy, peach, salmon, yellow and some white. We see industrial as well as agricultural, both crops and animal farming along the great roadway system. We find out that a number of projects taken place are in partnership with other international companies and countries. The fields are very green, with a number of rivers we have passed. We will have to ask Kamal tomorrow if the fields are different in the summer when the temperatures reach between 40 - 50 C.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our first stop into this modern city is to the Roman ruins of Chellah. The walls are red brick/mud representative of the soil that we have seen on our drive. The walls of this fortress are still in very good shape, although likely the exterior has been restored to protect the structure. Within the walls we see a number of ruins similar to ones at other locations, inclusive of burial sites of previous royalty. The cool thing here was the huge number of storks that were nesting here. They had huge nests and they made a sounds with their throats that sounded like woodpeckers pecking a tree. J and T did some exploring while M hung back and took photos.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our next stop was to the tomb of Muhammed V. The mausoleum and mosque were located within the walls of the old city. The mausoleum is very large and regal. There are ceremonial guards on horseback at each entrance of the grounds and a ceremonial guard at each entrance to the mausoleum. The building is intricate and gorgeous. The whole place is so ornate from floor to ceiling, we spend time admiring the mosaic walls, in-laid marble floors, domed ceiling that looks like stars in the sky, and loads of stained glass there, as well as the stark white tombs of three royal family members. Would have been cool to take a picture to remember it by, but out of respect, we didn’t take any of the interior. We also see the Hassan Tower that is in the same square that is Rabat’s greatest landmark – even J recognizes it ahead of time as it is on his Ipod “Air Tycoon” game representing Rabat.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Kamal took us along some of the new infrastructure between Rabat and it’s twin city Sale. He dropped us off at the walled city of Oudaya. We are told that the exterior of these walls are refurbished every twenty years to preserve them. Our entrance in through one of the large gates has us walking along a narrowing atrium and having us turn the corner to enter into the residential area. Wow, was this ever cool! Pretty much all the places were white washed and the lower half of the flat roofed building was a royal blue color. The streets were actually narrow cobbled walkways with graduated steps to account for the change in elevation going up or down – definitely no cars in this area! The house design is typical to Morocco where there is an external door, yet most of the house faces in, and upon entering the door you arrive in a central courtyard. We enjoyed walking along the streets. We had hoped to find a café to have a tea and soak up the atmosphere, but we weren’t successful in that. We did however come up to the north walls overlooking the ocean and enjoyed the view of the area, and some guys surfing in the waves.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After a great Moroccan lunch, Kamal dropped us off at the gates of Old Rabat to wander through the market place and check out the surroundings. There was an assortment of shops selling leather goods, jewelry, bolts and bolts of fabric, spices, shoes, arts and crafts, fresh fish and fruit. We even saw a furniture factory making ornate moldings. They reminded T of the gilded mirror or picture frames. As we wander about we are struck with “Wow, we have not been hounded at all!” Again a pleasant surprise as we had read from Rick Steeves in Spain, that Tangier was like that, so we assumed the rest of Morocco was like that. It was a neat way of seeing the locals in their surroundings. Many Moroccans wear these funky kind of shoes that have nothing to hold you heel in, so T found a pair and bargained to get a good price.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we drive along the street outside the market place we notice a number of people setting up blankets with wares to sell along the sidewalk. This has just started to happen in the last year and they are Tunisian’s that have arrived since the uprisings in that country last year. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> T’s French is certainly coming in handy to both in conversing with Kamal as well as dealing with the locals. Tonight’s hotel, Hotel Rabat, is in the centre of New Rabat and is very neatly designed. After checking in J wants to chill, so M and T go for a walk and find a coffee shop. As we are touring our breakfast and dinner is included so we eat at the hotel.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - </b>After breakfast, Kamal picks us up at 8:30 for today’s tour. The scenery out of Rabat quickly turns into agricultural holdings as well as natural reserves with cork trees as well as eucalyptus - pretty cool to see that. We really enjoyed traveling through the beautiful brilliant green hills as we left the coastal lowlands heading into the Middle Atlas Mountains.<br />
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We travel a couple of hours to reach our first stop. Volubilis, the most southern Roman city dating back to 2<sup>nd</sup> century AD, located in a beautiful green valley planted with crops today. The grounds were covered with wild marigolds (same color, but different flower head than the ones we grow) and that’s where the city got its name. A guide gave explanations of the layout as we toured. There were some great mosaics based on Greek mythology that we were given some explanations. In the distance we could see the sacred hillside city of Mly Idriss, where the first Arab who brought Islam to Morocco settled in the 7<sup>th</sup> century AD.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we continue our drive, we see fields bordered with cacti and others with huge agave plants. Our travels take us through a number of smaller Moroccan cities, busy with daily life. Some were holding their weekly markets and we could see some of the locals heading to town on their donkey led carts to attend. Kamal tells us that people who sell often arrive into the market as early as 5 AM to sell their produce or animals and then later use the money they earned to buy other things like sugar, flour or supplies they need at home. The market places were definitely bustling!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drove onto Meknis, another busy Moroccan city complete with the walled old section and the new city. Kamal tells us that they hold many festivals here and it’s a popular to live here because of that. We had lunch here, toured Ishmal’s mausoleum as well as wondered around in front of some shops seeing sacks of wool sheared from sheep used to make sheep skin rugs, another man showed us the art of silver string inlays on metal – that was neat. Yet again we passed another royal palace, basically in every large city there is one. We can certainly see where the term “lives like a king” comes from, with these huge land holdings. We also wondered within the medina (settlements within the old city walls) through another market place filled with people selling and buying. It was lots of fun checking out the merchandise and walking amongst the vendors.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We left Meknis to head to our hotel in Fes where we are scheduled to tour tomorrow. The lobby was freezing, we figured out that they don’t heat this part. We have had heaters within the rooms, but walking in the public places requires extra clothing!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Thursday, January 19, 2012 – </b>What a day we had today – probably one of the most interesting of any tour day we’ve been on during our travels. We left the hotel at 10 with Kamal and Hichal (our guide for the day) to tour Fes, the spiritual and intellectual Moroccan capital. We began with at the gates of the royal palace where we learned about the different dynasties of Morocco and its current, Atouile in power since the 17<sup>th</sup> century. It’s one of six imperial palaces within Morocco and the largest – 225 hectacres out of the 875 hectacres for the entire old city of Fes. We stood outside of the main entrance of 7 brass doors, symbolic for each day of the week. The doors appear small, but aren’t within the palace walls. We also learned all about the symbolism of the colors chosen for the mosaic gate walls. Fes is the academic and spiritual capital of Morocco.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We left the plaza outside the palace and crossed the street to walk along the Jewish quarters of the old city. In the ancient days the Jewish merchants traded in salt, and now they deal with jewelry. We could see the difference of the architecture on the buildings because they have windows facing out onto the street versus the medina homes where windows face into the courtyards. We walked along the street and mingled with the locals checking out natural products that people take home to make into shampoo, soap, and lotions. It was pretty neat to see sacks full of spices and other dry staples. It was gusty out this morning and nothing stirred from the bags. <br />
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At the end of the street, Kamal picked the four of us up to take us up to an old fortress that overlooked the area to give us a panoramic view of Old and New Fes. It was a wonderful view and with explanations by Hichal, we were able to get a good understanding of the layout of the city. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> On the way to the old city for the remainder of the day, we stopped at the pottery school where people as young as 16 enroll to learn the art of grey pottery throwing, tile making, making mosaic tables, fountains as well as tangine pots, plates, cups etc. Having learned that red clay contains lead while the grey contains magnesium and is safe for cooking. J had the opportunity to work with clay on a spinning wheel (like he did in Turkey) and also to help a young fellow placing mosaic tile pieces into a tabletop he was working on. When they work on a mosaic, they work on mirror image with the colored face facing away from the artist. It is fascinating to see them work on these. We’ve been enjoying tangines (stews) presented in red clay and found out that they don’t cook in, they only serve in these, but cook in the grey. Surprising to T it’s M that suggests we buy something here. We bought ourselves a couple of tangine pots to have shipped home – now we need a Moroccan cookbook. The food is deliciously spiced and oh so tender. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After spending time negotiating pricing and shipping, we were off to the Old city, the medina. We turned into the oldest section of the medina, established in 3000 BC, this is largest medina in Morocco, surrounded by 15 km of rampart walls. Hichal told us that it has 9000 streets and 40,000 dead ends within this walled city and there are no road signs. It’s trial by error, and locals memorize the streets so they don’t get lost. Really the only way around is to go with a local, Hichal’s our man. First stop was the chicken market and indeed there were live chickens to buy here as well as pigeon and starling, plus other foods. Here the locals can bring their bread dough to the local bakery and they will bake the loaf in its ovens. We saw a number of younger children bringing dough wrapped in cloth on a board. It was eye opening wandering through the narrow walkways, some really narrow, bend the elbows at your waist and you’re touching the walls. Some walkways were wider and some had high open ceilings and some were closed in. A fabulous experience for all of us! There were countless shops, gorgeous vibrant bolts of cloth for the women’s traditional garments, shoes, vegetable silk threads (from the agave plant), brass and bronze leather goods, drug store-like shops. There aren’t tourists in this section of the medina, but we were interested in checking it out, once Hichal asked us. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> In the old medina there are countless artisans who practice and continue with age-old traditional Moroccan crafts. Walking along a route chosen by Hichal we saw copper pots being forged, ceremonial wedding carriages being constructed, and handmade furniture being built.<br />
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We visited a rug cooperative within one of the traditional houses in the medina. We were taken aback by the sheer size of the building – the courtyard was covered to prevent damage from birds. It was 3 stories with access to the rooftop where we had a panoramic view of the medina shops and we could see some of the landmarks we had walked by on our travels through the “maze”.<br />
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M asked about how they heat the building in the winter and our host explained they move upstairs in the winter, use carpets, wool blankets, and food to keep warm. There were an amazing number of carpets in stock, with the cooperative supported by the government to help stop the exploitation of women and young girls. We learned about the different rugs from the different regions and ethnic groups. They were very colorful and different from the rugs we saw in Turkey, so we added to our new collection of handmade carpets that we started in Turkey. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Hichal took us for lunch to a little restaurant where the locals eat. We had great food and we all ate for 100 dirhams ($13) compared to our lunch yesterday at a tourist spot of 450 dirhams! That meal wasn’t anywhere near what we had today. J had a kebab filled with sausage that he thoroughly enjoyed that Hichal had suggested, while M and T had quarter chickens grilled with sides of rice and fries. Hichal also got some cooked sheep brain and M was brave enough to try it but found the texture too soft to be added to his favorite foods list. We have found we truly enjoy eating at the local eateries in countries we visit. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> A tour of a tannery along a maze of floors had us look out over the area where the locals were preparing and dyeing leather pelts in various clay vats of liquid dye that are all from natural products: indigo, mascara coal, saffron root, and poppy flower. An amazing sight to see the men stomping on leather pelts within the vats of dyes. The shop was loaded with products, but other than a billfold for M, we went away without anything! Its not that the products were not good, it’s more that we have been shopping in many countries now and really just don’t need any more leather!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our last artisan stop for the day was to the weavers shop. We were shown how they use the loom to make fabrics and scarves.<br />
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Here they used wool, vegetable silk (strands from the agave plant) and cotton. One of the hosts wrapped a scarf around J’s head for a photo op in desert head gear. T once again opened the wallet and bought herself a lovely silk, wool, cotton scarf as the wind is cool on the neck with her new hairdo… </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Before we left the medina, we stopped by the Jemaa El Karaouuying, the world’s first established university, since 859 AD.<br />
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By 5:30 we had our fill and were ready to head back to the hotel. What an amazing time experiencing the atmosphere and seeing the life within this old city! We did comment that the tours are hurting the pocketbook because we keep being brought to such amazing artisan shops! M says it’s a good thing this is the last one!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Friday, January 20, 2012 – </b>We were out the door by 8 as we have a 480 km drive to do today. As yesterday was amazing for cultural exposure, today was a feast for the eyes of the various landscapes we traveled through to reach our destination. Leaving Fes through the “new city” showed the dichotomy from the old. Driving through the new we were in a modern large city that had great roads, modern buildings and modern homes. The housing colors in Fes were mainly beige and white. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we left the city, heading to the southeast part of Morocco, its mainly agricultural land. With the ascent into the Middle Atlas Mountains the landscape changed to rockier soil and fewer and smaller settlements. We’re told that the winter is harsh on life in the High and Middle Atlas rural areas. School is offered at the primary level, with children having to travel up to 15 km to get there (usually by bicycle as there is no rural bus system). With our continued ascent we came across a village with architecture influenced by the French – roof lines were peaked and there was some wrought iron work. It was cold out for the locals, temperature dropping to -2 as we reached the summit. The locals were warmly dressed in jackets and hats. There were traces of snow along the road.<br />
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We came to the town Ifrane nicknamed “Morocco’s Switzerland” for the style of homes. The town was very pretty and popular in the summer for the Moroccans who want to escape the heat of the lower altitudes. It was a pretty place with tree lined streets and walkways, likely very pretty in the spring, summer and autumn. Kamal says that the rich have homes here and you could definitely tell by the houses. As we were driving out of the town, we could see a series of buildings reminiscent of ski/time share condos like at some of our ski hills. They actually do have a small ski hill in this area. There wasn’t as much snow as usual on the ground, must have known we were coming! <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once we left there, we were now entering the plateau of the Middle Atlas Mountains and the surroundings were quite barren. The nomads return in the spring with their flocks of sheep and goats. We reached an altitude of 2170m before descending and we drove past protected cedar forests as well as barren mountains. As we came into the valley below, the landscape changed once again. There was some vegetation, then that disappeared to barren landscape and in the far distance snow covered mountains. Off on the horizon Kamal pointed the direction to Algeria, but the border is closed between the two countries due to issues about which country owns part of the western Sahara, one has to fly there. Our journey took us through the Berber city of Azrou, then through Midelt, pass some fortified villages along the Ziz River to Erfoud.<br />
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Along the way we passed a funeral procession outside of one of these villages. In rural Morocco, the dead are often buried within a couple of hours of the death. It was a man who had died as only men were in the procession, if it had been a woman, the women would have followed the men. This gave us an opportunity to learn more about the Muslim religion and burial rites.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Along the drive T has conversations with Kamal and then she passes on the info to Mark who has been sitting in the rear of the van due to his sore back (an issue he caused by over doing it while home splitting wood for the fireplace, so he gets little sympathy from T and J). However, riding in the van for this tour each day has not done much for his back at times! He does say he is on the mend and J and T do say they are rooting for him!! T and Kamal have had conversations about religion, education, living in a kingdom ruled by a royal family, agriculture and a host of other things. It has all been very interesting and informative. As well, T has been able to practice her French, which will help us when we get to France. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our hotel tonight is a kasbah – a fortified dwelling that accepts over-night visitors from the days of the caravans on the trade route. This one has been redone into a hotel and is quite cool.<br />
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M and T join Kamal in the bar for drinks and a chat before and after dinner (while J chills in the room watching a movie). As we are in the desert now, it’s very cool at night, so when we arrive in the bar wearing our winter coats the bartender starts a wonderful fire in the fireplace to warm us all up. We thought he was quite happy to have patrons so he could warm the place up as he said he was cold too. This is the first hotel we have stayed in where we are the only guests. So we have dinner in the large hotel restaurant with only the three of us, a different experience once again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Saturday, January 21, 2012 - </b>We decided to forgo the 5:30 AM excursion out into the desert to ride a camel – J’s done that and we like our sleep too much especially J and T. We left the Hotel Chergui in Erfoud to head for the village Tinghir for our overnight stay. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we drive through Erfoud, we come across the date souk (market) where men are comparing and selling their dates. Later they will take the money they have made in their sales and buy other things that they need. Although to us the market looks disorganized, various areas of the dusty streets are organized according to products ie. clothing, shoes, vegetables displayed on tarps on the street surface. It is busy with people milling about from this village and from the surrounding areas. There are many Mercedes sedans parked nearby at the taxi stand we will see daily driving along the highways transporting people from village to village. We often see the rural people standing at the side of the highway when it appears there’s nothing around but desert, waiting for the next one to come by. The people in the rural areas definitely do a lot of walking. We also see lots of bicycles and pedal motorbikes used mostly by men and the occasional young woman to get around. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> In prehistoric times before the separation of the continents, the Mediterranean Sea existed in this area. As a result of this, the area is rich in fossils. We had an opportunity to visit a cooperative that takes mined rocks and makes tables, fountains, benches, basins, artistic statues as well as many smaller pieces to sell. We were fascinated with the different colors, resulting from different levels underground. Depending on the level, there were different fossils found. In the deeper levels, black marble, there are long squid, while in the brown, nearer to the surface level, snails, nebulites and amulites. We had a wonderful time listening to the explanations, seeing the men at work as well as walking through the showrooms. The end products were beautiful! Our hotel room last night had a basin that was made from the fossils – very cool to see the fossils within the surface of the basin.<br />
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What a treat this was for us – to be able to see the raw product and then the finished. Although we are tempted we decide not to buy a table or basin today, but they were so cool we got the cooperative leader’s card in case we change our mind when we get home as they will make it to order and can ship anywhere they tell us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our drive took us along roads bordered with palm trees (oasis) for about 10 km outside of Erfoud, then we were into desert again. Karmil says that in the summer the winds blow the sand covering the road and no doubt as we see the dunes along the road. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drove through several villages with homes and buildings of ochre or salmon color that Kamal tells us is to deal with the blowing red sand. No use having white in an area where the winds blow sand. Besides, the color of the sand around here lends itself to that color. Life is simpler in the rural parts of Morocco and depending on which village we are in, the women’s attire color is different. As well, we see that the skin color also varies. In this area with the oasis, date palms are plentiful. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Although it is desert, we see the landscape is varied and in a distance, we can see mountains of varying degrees of brown/red. Not much is growing either than sagebrush, unless there is a water source nearby, then we see some crops for animal food as well as date and olive trees. Later on as we get near Tinghir, there are also almond trees as well as other crops. <br />
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We have also noticed that North Americans could learn a few things about how much a vehicle can carry of you are inventive.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For the last part of our tour day we traveled north of Tinghis about 15 km to the Todra Gorge that is carved into the High Atlas Mountains. It goes for miles and miles, and some of the walls as high as 300m towering over us as we walked as well as drove through this. We had lunch at a restaurant built against the tall walls within the gorge. J decided he wanted to scale part of one of the walls, easier up than down, of course. Tinghis is located on an oasis that is about 40 km long. The buildings are a mix of mud color and red sand color that paints a pretty picture amongst the trees, and near the mountains.<br />
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Once we arrived at the Hotel Saughora and dropped off our bags, we went for a walk to find a bank machine. When we neared the busy intersection by the bank a young Moroccan approached us asking if we spoke English. He was extremely pleasant and just wanted to chat. It was a great conversation with an enthusiastic ambitious guy who is soon to be working with the American Peace Corps teaching them Berber. He has learned 5 languages and hopes to one day be able to visit his brother in America. He wanted to go to a café to have coffee with us, but we had already been gone for a while and we made plans to meet Kamal at the bar in the hotel. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> As like last night, we are the only guests staying in this hotel, so we have very attentive service in the restaurant. We also need to heat our room as the rest of the hotel doesn’t have central heating. This place isn’t as nice as the other places we’ve stayed in and when T sat down on the mattress and it didn’t move! M compared them to sleeping on a Therma-rest (a half-inch think air mattress he uses when over-night hiking). Oh well, despite the hardness, we did sleep well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Sunday, January 22, 2012 - </b>We had a later start this morning, 9:30. We left Tinghir for a visit to the Dades valley. This valley has numerous Berber villages, each one basically a family clan. The valley wasn’t as dramatic as yesterday’s gorge, but it had a beauty unto itself with the rocky red hills and the village homes like the red clay we used to use in pottery class. Near the small river, there were green fields with plantings for animal food as well as some vegetables. We did drive about 35 km into the valley and climbed to the high point to have a panoramic view of the valley below. The effort to build the road must have been substantial scaling the mountainside was immense, some great switchbacks! We got out at the top of the summit and took some pictures and J and M played a modified “Mantracker” as M’s back is still recovering so he is not as mobile as J would like but at least it is some playtime.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drove through the large village of El Kella Mgouna that is famous for growing roses and making many rose products. The landscape again was dramatic, it was great driving along this road that is known as the ‘Road of 1000 Kasbahs’. We had lunch at the Auberge Famille Ben Moro, a Berber family who run a Kasbah. We sat up on the terrace and had a wonderful home cooked meal by his wife: creamed vegetable soup, and kefta tangine (minced meat balls in a sauce with vegetables and eggs are placed on top to steam just before eating). A flat round bread about an inch thick is a staple at the lunch and dinner meals. The Moroccans use the bread and their fingers to eat their meals. They do not use utensils like we do. The view of the surrounding oasis was beautiful with the snow-capped mountains in the background. <br />
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We were the only customers. He spoke very good English (he told us he studied for 3 years and he likes to practice with his clients). His 4 year son saw us and came up to the terrace to investigate. J decided he would play with him so the two of them played some hide and seek, and then the boy took J downstairs so J could bring the boy’s little two-wheeler up to the terrace. Next they played a game of chase with the boy leading on his bike. It was fun for all as J got some exercise and the boy had a new playmate for a while. After a great lunch under the sun, our host took us on a tour of his family run hotel. He was very pleased to show us some of the rooms. The building is made of brick and rock then finished off with a coating of clay and straw. The finish is quite resistant to rain, although it is high maintenance, needing to be fixed up every ten years or so. <br />
Another thing we have learned on our travels is what wonderful facilities we have for sports. We have been reminded of that here in Morocco - which lead J to note that he was thankful for being able to play sports on grass. That being said, we see that kids anywhere can have fun with only a ball.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We then continued onto Ouarzazate nicknamed “Morocco’s Hollywood” where we are going to spend the night. Before going to our hotel, Kamal took us for a tour of this city that is the gateway to the desert. Immediately we could see how much more modern infrastructure there was here than in the other villages we have passed in the last few days. We drove by one of two movie studio grounds. It is in this area that they shot films such as Jesus of Nazareth, Lawrence of Arabia. Kamal drove us to a panoramic viewpoint to get a view of the river valley bordered with brown simple dirt houses. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Monday, January 23, 2012 - </b>On the road by 9 AM today. We left Ouarzazate to he out to the Taourirt Kasbah that is now a UNESCO site. On our way we passed a second movie studio that housed various sets used.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drove about a half hour until we came to the town near the Taourirt Kasbah. Kamal wanted to take us on a walking tour of this 15<sup>th</sup> century Kasbah that at one time was the home of the Sultan and his servants. Once the van was parked, we walked down a dirt lane to arrive at the river running out in front of the Kasbah. We walked across the riverbed on well-placed rocks or to reach the other side to explore the Kasbah. Here is where Gladiator and the Prince of Persia were filmed. As it is a UNESCO site, everything that was used as a set was removed and placed at the movie studios. It was neat walking through this very old collection of walkways and mud-encased buildings that some people still use today. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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After having a coffee on the terrace of a local Riad (similar to hotel), we were off to continue on our journey. We saw a sign in the Riad that showed how far it was to Timbuktu had we travelling by caravan (just another 52 days!).<br />
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We traveled through flat land with the occasional oasis into the valley that harvests saffron. They sell it at 35 d per gram about $5 cents a gram. A far cry from the cost we pay in Canada! We traveled through a couple of mountain passes consisting of only rock and sand along many twisty roads. M wasn’t enamored with the bumps and twists as this jars his back in less than enjoyable ways. After a few hours in the van, it takes him a while to get out of the back of the van and stand straight again. He is looking forward to getting better and so are we! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Eventually we descended into the valley of the province of Touradante that is where some of the original Berbers first settled. The valley is rich in agriculture with miles and miles of orange trees including the Clementine variety (that we have been enjoying so much) both for domestic and exportation. We have been thoroughly enjoying on a daily basis freshly squeezed orange juice as well as just eating oranges so fresh the leaves are still on them. We can tell which vegetables are in season as the usual accompaniments to our meals have been carrots, potatoes, and zucchini. It was a long day of driving to reach Touradante where we stayed in the Palais Salam, just inside the old city walls. It was a rambling collection of buildings set among palm trees, with a couple of swimming pools, too cold to swim in at this time. When we arrived it was 16 C the hottest we have had it since arriving in Morocco. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> T and M join Kamala in the bar where we watched the start of the Africa Cup of Nations soccer. Today Morocco is playing Tunisia so all the locals are watching and cheering for their home country. We have enjoyed being in countries to see the locals cheer for their teams – another good example that many things are the same the world over.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - </b>Before leaving the city of Touradante, Kamal drove us around inside the rampart walls. Within the walls are all the services, schools and homes of the residents of the city. <br />
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Apparently it is the mother city of Marrakesh. We are surprised at how many women we see out and about this morning – the most we have seen, other than the first day in Casablanca. The place is bustling with shop keepers opening up, deliveries and the standard groups of men standing around chatting or having coffee/tea at one of the many cafes. Small cafes, with tables strewn about at the exterior, are a huge part of this culture. No matter what village we’ve been through, all kinds of men are sitting around having chats and coffee or tea. Sometimes as we have been driving through some of the villages we wonder what all of the men do – as many are sitting or standing around chatting. Maybe its how they conduct a lot of their day to day business, although Kamal has commented several times when he sees this “no work to be had here”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we drive along the highway, we see that is being retrofitted for better drainage to deal with the flash floods that happen in this country. As we have traveled through the desert we have seen countless empty riverbeds, yet they do have flow in the spring from the spring melt high up in the mountains as well as the flash floods from the sudden summer downpours. Kamala related a tale of having to wait for 3-4 hours at a high point when a flash flood made the road impassable.</div><div class="MsoNormal">We head to the Atlantic coast to the “new city” Agadir that suffered a devastating earthquake in 1960 with much of it destroyed. Now it is a bustling coastal resort city with many hotels, the luxury ones along the very long sandy beach. Actually Morocco has 3500 km of coastline, with some great beaches. Many people who visit here year round are from Europe as well as Moroccans during the summer months. Definitely a resort town, with many stores and coffee shops lining the beach area where we stopped for a break, and of course our morning coffee. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drove up to a viewpoint that at one time was home to a Kasbah – walled fortress that had a village within. It was a great view of the city at the beautiful beach coastline. Directly below us was one of Morocco’s major ports. As well, is it home to both commercial and domestic fishery. Kamala says the Moroccan fishing industry battles similar issues as other countries with over-fishing by other countries near their territory. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our drive to our overnight stay of another coastal city, Eassouia, nicknamed the windy city. We drove along the coastline for a while seeing some great surf for the surfers in the water. Where there was beach, there were some small villages with newer condo units. Other areas along the coast were barren and rocky. Once we left the coast, we climbed up to the plateau inland passing some small villages with fields and fields of bananas and hillsides full of argan trees. Along the way we see goats up in the trees eating the nuts that grow on them. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> When we finally arrive in Essaouia, Kamala takes us to a seafood restaurant. While waiting for our food, we watch kite surfers blazing across the water. J looked on enviously, “man, there’s so many things I want to do when I grow older.”<br />
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After a tasty lunch, Kamala took us for a tour of this coastal resort town with a great beach. Again we see busy streets mixed with donkey led carts, newer cars and trucks, old cars and trucks (at least 30 years old) along side bikes and pedestrians. We have seen this in pretty much every city and village we’ve been through. We drop by an artisan shop where they carve thuya wood to make beautiful statues, various sized jewelry boxes, bowls, and intricate furniture in-laid with lemon wood and other local woods. J decided to spend some of his savings on a funky box, while we actually resisted buying anything! <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After dinner, and spending time in the hotel room, M and T went out to a local club around the corner to hear some live music, on the recommendation of Kamal. It was an entertaining evening. Kamal arrived with a friend who spoke very good English. It was an opportunity to ask questions about the Muslim culture within Morocco. We’re told that life is strict for young women. They must be home early, they don’t go out on a date in the evening with the knowledge of their parents. They visit with their boyfriend during the day. Women do not go out to the bar with their girlfriends. Actually, once the women are married and have children, they are expected to stay home with their children while their husbands go out for coffee or the bars in the evening. Some men do drink alcohol, but most of the women don’t. This accounts for why we see so few women out in the cafes or bars. Crime is low, but (like everywhere else in the world) don’t go looking for it in dark places at 3:00 AM…. Tourism is serious business in Morocco, so a crime against a tourist is taken very seriously. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Wednesday, January 25, 2012 – </b>We awake to rain today, not inviting to go out and explore in the steady rain, at times falling heavily. We enjoy a leisure breakfast at the hotel. This morning we try crepe-like Moroccan flat breads that we have with honey, strawberry and orange jam – all from local produce. They were quite delicious. The remainder of the morning we spent at the hotel with J completing some on-line course work and T doing trip planning. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> For lunch we went out in search of a restaurant along the beach. We found a great spot to have mint tea, the Moroccans love to have, along with soup and J had a fix of ravioli. The skies opened up and we had to make our way back through the heavy deluge. T’s Moroccan scarf came in somewhat handy to keep some of the rainwater off her head. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We left for Marrakech at 2 and it takes us just over 2 hours to reach the city. Within this 180 km drive, we come across green grasslands and agricultural crops and then about 100 km into the journey, we come across desert once again until we get close to Marrakech. Along the drive Kamal brings us to a Argan Oil Cooperative supporting women in a village along the way. Argan trees only grow in Morocco (apparently no where else in the world). The oil from the nut is used in cosmetics, as well as used as a food. Goats love to eat the nuts in the trees. A guide gives us an explanation of the process while women work using the same means they have always used, with no modern tools. <br />
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It is very interesting seeing the food and cosmetic products made from the nut. We purchased a couple of lemon infused argan oils to help with dryness. Once we arrive near Marrakech, agriculture is flourishing. This city is bustling, with a population of 2.5 million. It is called the red city – with the ocre colored buildings and for the sunset over the High Atlas Mountains. We have a movie channel in this hotel, so we end the day watching the movie Alexander which tells the story of Alexander the Great and his many conquests.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Thursday, January 26, 2012 – </b>Today is our day for exploring Marrakech with our guide, Mohamed and Kamala driving us around. The city has many wonderful gardens and wide boulevards copied from European cities. In the 17<sup>th</sup> century slaves from Spain were brought over to design and build similar to their homeland. In Marrakech, the buildings may not be more than 7 stories high so that they are not higher than the minaret in the center of the city nor can they obstruct the view of the High Atlas Mountains. Our first stop was to the minaret that matches the one in Rabat. This is the oldest mosque in the city with history behind it to make it historic. There are many public gardens and greenery within Marrakech, giving it it’s nickname “the garden city”, much more so than anywhere else in Morocco. <br />
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While going through the public garden across from the mosque we learn about the difference between oranges we eat and the ones used only for jam and oils. The difference is in the leaf of the tree. Sweet oranges have darker green foliage. Throughout the public areas, the sour ones are planted so no one will take the fruit as they walk by. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We toured the Palais Bahai – built for the prime minister and the courts. The rooms had beautifully carved and used natural dies to paint the ceilings. The walls were also beautifully decorated with Islamic. Our guide gave us explanations concerning the set up for the 4 wives he had, what the concubines did/did not do (meaning they were not mistresses, instead they were political emissaries from each tribe as a way to ensure the local tribes’ issues could be directly related to the head of the government). Part of the complex had a Koran school where children attended to learn and memorize verses of the Koran. Today at the age of 5, children begin attending schools at mosques to learn Koran verses. Some people know the entire Koran by heart. Kamal told his father could do this when he was still living. We walked through the garden areas seeing rosemary shrubs, orange trees, ginger plants, grapefruit trees, and all five colors of the bougainvillea plant. Mohammed showed us a male fig tree, we had no idea that there were male or female ones. He explained that pollination happens naturally or in some cases its done manually.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We walked around the old city of Marrakech, mingling with the locals, walking along the streets and narrow passageways in the Jewish quarter. It was a wonderful experience following through the streets. We walked amongst the traffic like the locals (although it was clear they could easily tell we were the tourists) – T remarked that she never would have dreamed of doing this on our own before we started our travels. <br />
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We went to a herbalist factory where we were introduced to various cooking spices, teas, creams, natural deodorants, oils for back pain, and other products that they manufacture. Mohamed said that often people in Morocco go to a herbalist before they go to a doctor. It was an interesting presentation. Amongst a couple of things we decided to buy, was something to help M stop snoring, it certainly clears the sinuses. The jury is still out on whether it works, time and uninterrupted sleep will tell.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We walked across the main square, English translation, “Good for Nothing” square with merchants selling all kinds of things, and found a spot to have lunch. In the early 20<sup>th</sup> century, during French colonization, executions used to take place here. <br />
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Mohammed led us to busy eatery where many locals eat. We paid 96 dirhams for 3 meals: lamb tangine, ¼ chicken meal and lamb chops meal ($14 Can). A far cry from the tourist restaurant Mohamed first suggested at 180 dirham each! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> After our tasty lunch, were walked along the square, coming across entertainers from various regions within the country. We came across some snake charmers complete with cobra, vipers and some snakes not poisonous. M and J each had water snakes around their necks for a photo op. No way was T going to partake in that!! J was much more relaxed with the snakes than his dad, it was humorous to see M squirm. We walked through the souk, market place of Marrakech, the largest in Morocco. At the entrance to the large souk, a few of the merchants were more pushy than we had encountered anywhere else in Morocco, but still nothing compared to Egypt. As we went deeper into the souk, the merchants weren’t pushy at all. We enjoyed wandering through this souk where we saw artisans making shoes, sandals, brass items, clothing, woodworking where the men were using very simple tools to produce products. It was the opposite of mass production! <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After our tour of a number of covered laneways within the souk, we emerged into the main square again where there had been the bombing at a coffee shop in 2011. The spot is covered up to obscure from the public. Our guide explained the bomber’s reason for carrying out this tragedy. He had wanted to be recognized and associated with the Taliban but could not cross any of Morocco’s birders so he decided to cause an issue within his own country. Marrakech is clearly the city most busy with tourists that we seen, even more than the coastal resort town of Agadir. Across the square we met Kamal in the van and we returned to the hotel. Before dinner M and T go for a walk (which is great for M’s back) to get outside and enjoy a coffee, as usual J uses this time to chill in the hotel room before dinner.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Friday, January 27, 2012 – </b>Kamal picked us up for 10 AM to begin our return trip to Casablanca. Before leaving Marrakech, we stopped at the Jardin Majorelle. These gardens, started within the city limits in the 1920’s by a French furniture maker who moved to Morocco to paint, were opened to the public in the 40’s. It was enjoyable to walk amongst this oasis within the city limits. It had a wonderful cactus garden, other trees and plants he had collected overtime. Two well-known Frenchmen, Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent acquired the property and had it restored to its former glory and it continues today because of their foundation. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisx7fRcws3G1xK9v2pp2IpjoDZiGOQVmsAGDlTMb6K8Tg2cXSHTMk5z23AWKF5FcXjXTFunzmrZJIdu0D9HnLzJankf_1e0CyUNh7Li-PNVaT48XGi7ZDI4-CzO68HTxXKBBDLq2aFLsUe/s1600/P1090418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisx7fRcws3G1xK9v2pp2IpjoDZiGOQVmsAGDlTMb6K8Tg2cXSHTMk5z23AWKF5FcXjXTFunzmrZJIdu0D9HnLzJankf_1e0CyUNh7Li-PNVaT48XGi7ZDI4-CzO68HTxXKBBDLq2aFLsUe/s400/P1090418.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our drive back to Casablanca covered more than 200 km and took us about 3 hours from city centre to city centre. We passed a few condo resorts with golf courses on the outskirts of Marrakech. Then through a short hilly pass to drive along a really flat plateau with good size land holdings for crops as well animals. It’s raining when we’re driving toward Casablanca, but by the time we arrive back in Casablanca, it has stopped. We check into the same hotel that we were in at the beginning of the tour. Once we get the room situation straightened out, we drop off our suitcases and head out for a bite to eat. We went back to Luigi’s and had pizza and chatted about our highlights of this tour. The wind’s up (yet its warm something we all notice) and the surf looks great! <br />
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We have a nice walk and then head back to the hotel as we have several English TV channels here. Our final dinner in Morocco included the tangines that we’ve come to really enjoy and plan to cook when we return back to Canada.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Saturday, January 28, 2012 – </b>Today is a beautiful day with the sun shining and not too windy. After breakfast at the hotel, we walked along the waterfront promenade to find a café to enjoy a cappuccino in the sun looking at the waves. It was wonderful! We were picked up at noon to head to the airport for our return flight to Barcelona. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The flight back to Spain was about 40 min late departing, but was smooth. Royal Air Maroc airplanes have the least amount of legroom we have ever encountered in any airline travel! We found it weird that people lined up to board the plane as everyone has assigned seats, but we concluded that it’s merely a way for those that take huge carry-ons to find space in the overhead bins. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once we arrive in Barcelona we know we’ve been through this airport a couple of times, so we’re comfortable with the routine etc. We’re staying at the same hotel as we did a couple of weeks ago, so we know where to go to catch the shuttle bus. Once we arrive, we drop off our luggage and head for dinner as it’s after 7 now. We enjoy a wonderful meal at the hotel and celebrate being back in Europe and the end of organized tours operating on someone else’s timeframe. Hurray!</div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-89096214204341797142012-01-11T20:16:00.000-08:002012-01-11T20:16:28.861-08:00Relaxing in Barcelona<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>December 4 Sunday</b> - </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Up at 3:00 AM for a 3:30 transfer to the Tel Aviv airport UGH! The drive to the airport takes about 40 min and getting through security and check-in went well and only took another 50 min.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No fooling around here, they tell you why they are searching and questioning you “want to know if someone gave you something to take on board that could be a bomb to blow up a plane”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No question about it, certainly felt very safe getting on a plane leaving here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their system is efficient, well organized, and very thorough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our flight to Barcelona on Spanair was 4 1/2 hours long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We figured it must have been one of those discount airlines as they were even charging for water....and the seats were very close together thus hardly any leg room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not one we’ll likely use again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Getting through immigration into Europe is a breeze once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we locate M’s international mobile phone we call the apartment manager who is to meet us at the flat we’ve rented for our stay in Barcelona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve off in a taxi to find the flat, he knows where he is going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes us about 20 min to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re pleased with the place - it has everything we need to make our stay comfy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we’ve checked in and dropped our bags we head off around the corner and find a great place for lunch with a deli next door, so we buy a few things for dinner tonight. Next we find a convenience store just up the street that’s open (as it’s Sunday and most stores are closed) and get the rest for dinner and some fruit for breakfast. We head back to the apartment and enjoy the rest of the day just chilling out, reading, and sitting around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having been on tours for the last month, we don’t want to spend time on a set schedule this week. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>December 5 - Monday</b> - </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Up when we want and get some breakfast in us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week J will use the time to finish up any work due next week so when we go home, he can start his school break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M and T decide to go out for a cap and check out the neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are pleased with the location of the apartment - a safe neighborhood with all kinds of shops we had fallen in love with while staying in Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh yeah we say to each other - this is going to be a great week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We love the European cities of little shops along the streets serving all kinds of stuff. There’s a coffee shop next door to our building, so with our extremely limited Spanish, order our coffees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We kind of use a mix of Italian, Spanish, and English, but are able to successfully get what we want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our tour around the neighborhood (a couple of blocks) located a couple of grocery stores that we go to stock up on groceries for part of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would appear that shops around here also close for siesta in the afternoon. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The remainder of the day is spent organizing lists for things to get done before and during our time at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a good bottle of wine and a home cooked meal, we enjoy our evening at the apt. and watch a movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>December 6 - Tuesday</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- J’s working on more assignments this am while we go for our morning cap and walk around the neighborhood to see what other shops are around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Found a bread shop, pastry and coffee shop, butcher and deli with funky stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, the place is a gastronomic feast and the windows are beckoning to us...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another day of kicking back .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During our afternoon exploratory walk, found a metro stop, checked out the map and located our address compared to the sights we wanted to check out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We aren’t too far from some of the places and we can enjoy walking around to find them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>December 7 - Wednesday </b>-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With our morning cap trip completed and J finishing up on a couple of assignments, laundry done and hung, it’s time to go out for a walk to locate the Sagrada Familia Basilica, one of the iconic buildings designed by Gaudi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having read that Barcelona is home to and known for his architecture, T was interested in checking it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well, J had seen pictures of this building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Armed with a map and a route more or less picked out we are off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Walking along the streets its a treat to loot at the wonderful architecture and many apartments with wrought iron balconies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s are many narrow one way streets with little shops and eateries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we came across beautiful wide boulevards with trees and lots of space for pedestrians, bikes and vehicles to co-exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three of us enjoyed the walk to the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As we got close to the site, we came across a Christmas market with a number of small booths selling decorations as well as live Christmas trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trees were much smaller than what we normally would see at home on a lot, however, since so many people around here live in apartments, it makes sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped and bought a Christmas ornament to add to our collection we’ve been accumulating on the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’ll be neat to add them to the tree when we get home. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This Basilica was designed and construction began in the early 1900’s and is still a work in progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through donations and admission fees, the continued construction is financed. We decided to pay the additional fee to take the lift up one of the towers for a bird’s eye view of Barcelona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to wait an hour for this, but it was so worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent time outside of the entrance reading displays and understanding the complexity of the design - what is completed and what is yet to be.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the moment there are 2 facades completed, the Passion and the Nativity. We entered at the Passion entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The detail on the outside of the church is striking, with various stages of the Passion depicted in sculpture-form. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we entered the Basilica, we were blown away at the sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gaudi’s vision of the interior as a forest is beautifully depicted in the complexity of the pillars and ceiling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stain glass that is completed was aglow with the sunrays - amazing!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Basilica is so different from the many we have been in throughout our travels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a pleasure to just sit and admire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our trip up one of the towers took us up to about 200 meters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the tower, every turn we took produced a different view of the city below. Once back down, we exited the church through the Nativity entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exterior facade is very complex with intricate sculptures of Jesus’ birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t imagine how long it took to do these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a feast for the eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The walked back a slightly different route, but had no trouble getting back just before it was dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed a nice dinner, movie and popcorn then off to bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>December 8 - Thursday</b> - Usual morning routine and this afternoon T decided we should go out exploring another area of Barcelona: Park Guell one of the many urban parks in the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We again walked along one way streets, we figure helps keep traffic flowing in the older parts of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through our walks along the way we have noticed many one way roads, things seem to be very well organized in this city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have also been really impressed with how clean it is here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often see workers with their “wicked witch brooms” sweeping the sidewalks and streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The walk took us about 40 min. and managed to find our way to a steep street with escalators giving respite to the uphill climber to the entrance of the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judging from watching people huff and puff their way up the streets, we happened to find an easier way to get close to the park entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty neat idea concerning the escalators - likely 3 blocks were this way with another 2 blocks of steep sidewalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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We saw some local performers - expressing their views via music.<br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We manage to find our way back to our apt in about 30 min. through many neighborhoods lined with apt/condo buildings as well as little mom and pop shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>December 9 - Friday</b> - Usually morning routine complete with workout and school work complete, and we’re off to lunch at this great cafe just down the street where we’ve been picking up delicious quiche for some breakfasts as well as the last couple of mornings our caps while sitting outside on the terrace enjoying the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gotta love the fact it’s Dec. and we’re sitting in light coats enjoying the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After lunch we’re off to walk along the Passeig de Gracia, check out some more modernist buildings designed by Gaudi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We admired “La Pedrera” (the Quarry) and Casa Batlló which both were busy with tourists checking out these funky masterpieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even J remarked “No doubt in my mind, that’s a Gaudi”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of his designs depict a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The use of different textures and materials for the exterior add to the complexity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">We enjoyed the walk and being in the hussle and bustle of the shopping districts of Barcelona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boulevards are wide with lots of space to walk and enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three of us enjoy architecture and atmosphere.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
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</span></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> On our way back, J has churros chocolato (deep fried cinnamon flavored pastries) accompanied by chocolate to dip them.<span> </span>Just looking at them clogs the arteries...<span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Guiliana told J about these while we were staying in Tuscany, so he definitely had to try it before we left.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We decided to go out for dinner tonight, so we walk back down to Piazza Gracia area and find a restaurant open .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a great waiter who helped us to make great choices for a wonderful meal out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finish our dinner around 9:30 and head back to the apt. a 15 min walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>December 10 - Saturday</b> - While J worked on some work, we went for our morning cap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We thoroughly enjoyed making our way through the neighborhood shops, to pick up groceries for the next few nights. We’re pretty sure that most stores will be closed Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We haven’t been here long enough to figure out when/why some shops are not open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week we’ve tried to get to a couple of shops only to find them closed while others around them are still open for business. Again we were off to explore another area not too far from where we are staying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b> December 11 - Sunday</b> - </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">J completes more assignments while T and M go out for a walk around the neighborhood and stop for a cap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide to go for another walk this afternoon to get some exercise and enjoy Barcelona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We head via a different direction to the main area Piazza Gracia and find a small tapas bar to enjoy a fabulous lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">We decided to try the meal of the day, with local cuisine and were not at all disappointed in the cuisine - delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We so enjoy walking around this part of the city, where there’s high density housing and likely most people walk or take the metro places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b> December 12 - Monday</b> - </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Our last day in Barcelona, and we’re going to do some exploring further afield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J has a science test to complete and then we’re off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We plan to take the metro to Catalunya station and then walk through the Rambo District toward the waterfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The metro station is right outside of where we’ve been enjoying our morning caps on the outside terrace for most of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s two blocks from the apt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had spent some time studying the map, so we knew which metro to take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The metro station is well laid out and a local decides to help us out for buying tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes things faster, although we ‘d have figured it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We locate our line and within 2 min. we are on the train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 10 min later, we are at the station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walk up to street level and cross to walk along the pedestrian boulevard through the Rambo District.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area is busy with people and we walk along enjoying the sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>only takes us about 15 min. to walk to a large monument of important people in Barcelona’s history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is right across from a wonderful promenade along the waterfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bunch of the area was revitalized for the Barcelona 1992 summer Olympics and they did a fabulous job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were near a marina, and not far from here are some of Barcelona’s wonderful beaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdotscNihyphenhyphenk0DyZLfV-DcXYciQLUpE9pfUM0whfzmhiTdjaKyBo_AocjH1rzJ5ZwJqfVdi0DnNdtHbarMYKNr7MNlBEGlSm2pFuIJCbNsuM_cL3GIDV9kD0QD_kKIf9yYdM3PLjHsGwY5/s1600/P1080184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdotscNihyphenhyphenk0DyZLfV-DcXYciQLUpE9pfUM0whfzmhiTdjaKyBo_AocjH1rzJ5ZwJqfVdi0DnNdtHbarMYKNr7MNlBEGlSm2pFuIJCbNsuM_cL3GIDV9kD0QD_kKIf9yYdM3PLjHsGwY5/s400/P1080184.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">us to the metro station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s a warm sunny day, about 17 C and we’re walking in shirt sleeves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re relishing this, since we know it won’t be this warm back home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been so lucky with the weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everywhere else in Spain, there’s been rain, and we’ve been having sunshine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed the walk and then stopped at a cafe for J to have a bite to eat and we had refreshments. Once fortified we were off to continue our exploration of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets are narrower in this part of the city, we could definitely see its the older area. We wandered the streets back in the general direction of the metro station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We came upon another Christmas market in front of the Cathedral.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhfCh4Gl6zoP1cCBnEjO0Bcu-G3O-y5qK5pQIdYNV65ASQp170K6-UqdERWv5wIJoYbDp2OSVFddTvGuRT1wZWS7f9hzh-tUlufugk3T-7XKaJuViqKmnYh675V-iDaQCGSf4paFhyphenhyphenemo/s1600/P1080185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhfCh4Gl6zoP1cCBnEjO0Bcu-G3O-y5qK5pQIdYNV65ASQp170K6-UqdERWv5wIJoYbDp2OSVFddTvGuRT1wZWS7f9hzh-tUlufugk3T-7XKaJuViqKmnYh675V-iDaQCGSf4paFhyphenhyphenemo/s400/P1080185.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Of course this church had a wonderful facade, we decided against paying an entrance fee to go inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead we happened along another pedestrian only street lined with shops and busy with locals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We soon reached a familiar street that led </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It took us no time at all to get our tickets and find our train platform, it was pretty easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once back at the apt. we prepared dinner as well as prepped our suitcases for tomorrow morning’s departure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> <b>December 12 - Tuesday </b>-</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> Up at 7:30, breakfast of delicious quiche from the Deli down the block - Yum!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every thing is packed and our taxi is coming at 9:15 to take us to the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our flight to London leaves at 11:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taxi’s on time and traffic moved quite smoothly, so we are at the airport by 9:50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check - in is a breeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The airport is well organized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to have our morning cap at the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are all looking forward to going home. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We had a 2.5 hr lay-over in London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we went through the security section for connections we find out we are being up-graded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool we think, as we have basic tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a decent lunch we board to find out we are in business class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh Yeah!! Right on!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J is thrilled to finally get to experience BC as often he has voiced a desire to be able to travel in this class, but T is too cheap to pay the difference in cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we thoroughly enjoy the 8 hour flight home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> We arrive on time, however, do need to wait about 20 min. on the tarmac as there is a plane at the gate where we were supposed to park. We see there is little to no snow on the ground and the temperature is 2 C - alright. When we finally park, we are through customs, fairly quickly and our good friend Paula is there to great us and take us home. It’s good to see her. The drive home is short and J is thrilled to be back at home and gives his cousin a big hug and pats the living room floor. It’s good to be home for the month.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><!--EndFragment--><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-62389839600796728712011-12-06T23:39:00.000-08:002011-12-06T23:39:49.119-08:00Update from Israel<div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 28 Monday - </b>We’re up at 7:00 to see our room has a great view of the beach at Tel Aviv,<br />
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then have a great breakfast, and are ready in the lobby on time. We drive along to several hotels to pick up the other tour members<br />
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and then we’re off to Caesarea, capital of Judea under the Romans. We watched a video about the history of the site, dating back to the time of King Herod the Great who built a fortress and deep sea harbor to impress Caesar Augustus - this happened a lot of the time when they’d build structures in honor of the ruler of the time The fortress/settlement of Caesarea was destroyed 25 times and rebuilt 25 times, each time differently depending on the victor. We toured the site which had structures similar to other Roman fortresses, aqueduct, theatre, hippodrome, market, bath house, temple and palaces.<br />
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</div>J even modelled for a Roman public toilet, although the privacy curtain no longer exists.<br />
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We even saw influences from Louis VI era, 1100 - 1200’s with walls, entrances and drawbridges similar to the one we had seen in the French Hautes-Alps in June. <br />
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Our guide showed us a portion of the plant that the crown of thorns was made of that was put on Jesus when he was crucified.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next we continued to Megiddo, identified as the site of Armageddon and visited the archaeological excavations that included a really cool underground water supply system developed long ago to capture the waters of the mountain springs. We were able to walk through this underground tunnel system.<br />
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There we also saw a date palm tree up close loaded with fresh dates.<br />
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We continued onto Haifa to overlook the Persian Gardens at the Bahai Temple.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our final stop of the day, the ancient crusader port city of Acco is a UNESCO town with excavations 1000 years old. We wandered among Crusader Halls, the underground tunnels and pathways. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our next two nights will be spent at a Kibbutz Guest House. The Kibbutz are a Jewish community who live communally originally based on agriculture but now operate on a more capitalist system. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises, and this one has the guest house (which is really a hotel) and also make furniture for synagogues. We enjoy dinner with the rest of the tour group and then head off to bed as it has been the longest day we have had on the adventure up at 7:00 AM and we finally arrived at the kibbutz at 7:15 PM.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 28 Tuesday - </b>We’re on the road at 8:15. First stop is Mount of the Beatitudes. The grounds are beautifully kept and the church is octagonal symbolic of the 8 beatitudes. It was designed and built by the Italians during Mussolini rule. It is just below this church where Jesus gave his ”Sermon on the Mount.” A great view of the northern part of the Sea of Galilee and the area.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b><br />
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</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Our next stop is to the Sea of Galilee where Jesus walked on the water, we enjoyed a ride in a wooden boat similar to the one used in ancient times in the sunshine (although they likely did not have an inboard diesel engine). Hikim, our guide explained the various landmarks surrounding the lake. <br />
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Next we were driven to Tabgha to the Church of the Multiplication, the traditional site of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes to feed the 5000 which has a stone where Jesus sat. Later this area was the third resurrection appearance of Jesus.<br />
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We also saw a great example of an ancient olive press that made cold pressed virgin olive oil.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Stop four for the morning is to the site of Capernaem, the historic ruins of the home town of the apostles Peter, Matthew, Andrew, James and John. It was here that Jesus would come to stay with Peter and his parents when in the area. Today there is the Church Of St. Peter built by the Fransciscan order over top of the ruins of the home of Peter. It is an octagonal shape built on pillars with a glass floor so we can see Peter’s parents home where Jesus stayed overnight. The site is well-preserved with many walls on former buildings giving us an understanding of the layout and life of the community. At the same area we also toured the remains of a 2nd century synagogue built upon the site of the synagogue where Jesus preached and performed miracles.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We had lunch at a restaurant serving fish from the Sea of Galilee - St. Peter’s fish (talapia). It was very good. Once we were back into the van, we had an hour’s drive to our next site. We drove by a section of the Jordan River before it runs into the Sea of Galilee.<br />
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Saw some more of the farm lands in Israel.<br />
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Our final stop for the day, we drove along the east side of the Sea of Galilee to Yardenit, the Israeli baptismal site for tourists on the Jordan River. It was not nearly as meaningful for us as the original baptismal site we visited last week in Jordan at a different location along the Jordan River. After our long day on the road, we returned to the Kibbutz for the rest of the evening of chatting with our fellow tour members, eating dinner and then watching an English movie on TV.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 30 Wednesday -</b> We began the morning with a tour of Tiberias. We stopped at a Diamond Centre to learn about the process of diamond cutting and polishing as Israel is known world wide for this, and to learn that about half of the world’s diamonds are shipped to Israel to be polished before resale. It was interesting and they had some cool inventory and smooth salespeople.<br />
We left this modern city to drive to Nazareth via Cana of Galilee. We saw the location of the boyhood home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. <br />
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We visited the Church of the Annunciation where the angel came to Mary and told her about the divine birth, built by the contributions of many countries. Each country that contributed to the cost of the church also contributed an incredible mosaic that was placed in the church depicting the occasion of the Annunciation. The Church was beautiful to go through. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After lunch, we continued onto Beit Shean, the city where Saul and his sons where hung up on the city walls by the Philistines. The Talmud mentions this city as being the 'entrance to paradise', this excavated city is not as big as Jerash, Jordan, nor is it as well preserved.<br />
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It did however, have a great reconstruction of a Roman bath house that provided great detail to workings of the caldorarium (the steam room). We hadn’t seen this anywhere else on our travels, and we’ve seen a few ruins of ancient bath houses.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Later we drove up along the Golan Heights and noticed the signs of Danger keep out! Land mines! posted along each side of the road, left over from the 1967 conflict. This was our first time seeing land that still had mines in it.<br />
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There are cleared lands now being used for farming, but other, not being used. As we drove along the road we came about 50 m from the Syrian border. We were shown where the border used to be and where it is now. The borders are well guarded and there’s serious security posts overlooking the lands on either side of the border. Once we finished the tour of these areas, we headed drove along the Jordan River to Jerusalem. We did have to go through a checkpoint leaving the West Bank area to Jerusalem. After checking into our hotel in downtown Jerusalem, M and T went for a walk and had a good cap and dessert while J watched a movie in our room. Our room had a great view of the city.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">December 1 Thursday - </b>This morning’s tour began with a drive up to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. We could see the Old and New City and the oldest Jewish Cemetery in the world dating back thousands of years. Hilik explained the layout of the Old and New City and the landmarks of various historic significance. <br />
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This dome marks the site where Abraham built the altar upon which he was willing to sacrifice Isaac.<br />
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We visited the church of All Nations. the location within the garden where Jesus was arrested before his crucifixion. In this church we saw the rock where Jesus was praying when he was arrested. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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We walked through Zion’s Gate to enter the walls of the Old Jerusalem. <br />
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We visited the area near the Temple Mount the holiest place in Judaism today, and the Western Wall, the “wailing wall”<br />
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and learned its called thus because when the Temple was still there only high priests could enter, and after it was destroyed the modern Jews cannot know where the wall of the temple stood, all the know for sure is that the West Wall is definietely outside whre the temple was, so they go no farther. A number of young Jewish boys were making their Bar Mitzvahin the square while we were there. <br />
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Our walking tour led us through tunnels (under present day buildings) as well as narrow ways amongst shops.<br />
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We even saw a mural depicting what the streets looked like in Roam times and someone who looked like J was in the picture way back then!<br />
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We passed from the Jewish quarter to the Muslim quarter. There was a definite shift in surroundings, from preserved to many shops selling the typical things we had seen in these kind of shops in other countries. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The rest of our tour of Old Jerusalem was along the route of Dolorosa, starting at the location of Jesus falling for the first time with the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.<br />
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This Church is said to be built backing onto the Mount of Calvary and there’s a spot marking where the cross was put into the ground. We saw a rock upon which Jesus was laid to be prepared to be buried as well as the tomb said to be the burial place of Jesus.<br />
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The Church is actually shared amongst 4 denominations, who seem unable to share very well. As an example our guide pointed out a ladder (used at one time to fix something) that was leaning against the wall outside the church, and apparently the four groups cannot agree which one of them should take it down at least for the last 38 years that our guide has been guiding! <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next we went to see King David's tomb and as well as the room of Last Supper on Mt. Zion. The upper room where the Last Supper was has only the floor of the room remaining, now located within a church. Our last visit of the day was to the Garden Tomb, a location that some think was the location the of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection took place. No one knows for sure which one of these two locations is correct.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> December 2 Friday - </b>After breakfast we drove to visit the Israel Museum where we saw an amazing miniature model of Jerusalem as it was during the second temple period. The model is a great representation of the layout of the buildings and sites we visited the day before, and what the Temple would have looked like.<br />
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Also there is the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. The scrolls were made by the Essenes, a small ultra religious sect, who had left Jerusalem to move to Qumran and there made copies of the Old Testament. After the Romans put down the Jewish rebellion in 66 AD the Essenes sealed the scrolls in pottery jars and hid them in caves which they sealed as well. By accident a shepherd looking for one of his flock found them in 1947.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next we went to Ein Karem to visit the Church of Visitation where Mary went to visit Elizabeth when they were both pregnant with Jesus and John the Baptist respectively. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We spent the rest of the morning at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum. The visit to this museum was not without sadness and giving us cause to ponder the atrocity of those years. Within the garden there are trees planted with names of people who were known to have helped Jewish people throughout Europe. We visited an incredibly moving exhibit at the Children's Pavilion, commemorating the death of over 1.5 million Jewish children. Also the Valley of the Communities - a man-made valley in the form of the European Map built in remembrance of where over 5000 names of communities are engraved on the stone walls, each one remembering a Jewish community that was damaged or destroyed during the Holocaust. The museum was extremely well done, and very moving. It made us think about more than just the Holocaust itself, also about how many other terrible things were done to many more than Jews during wartime, as well as how people risked their lives to save others they did not even know.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After lunch, we traveled to the ancient city of Bethlehem. Bethlehem is on the West Bank, the Palestinian side of Israel, so our guide could not bring us across, for to his safety (meaning the Israel government do not want Israelis there to avoid the risk of their capture for ransom or exchange for Palestinian terrorist prisoners). Once things were cleared at the checkpoint, we were led across (a crossing that reminder M of what crossing into East Berlin would have been like before the Wall came down) by foot to meet a driver who took us to the Church of Nativity. Our guide, a Palestinian Christian, who is in the minority in Bethlehem, led us through the Church. To enter the church we all had to bow (the door had been made small to cause this motion for all).<br />
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There was a long lineup to see the site where Jesus was born and the “manger” that we found out was actually a cave (as have many of the houses from that time in this part of the world). Both of these sites were on the lower level on the Church, shared by the Catholic, Armenian, and Greek Orthodox. The lineup to see both was really long, our guide figured about 1 1/2 hour wait. He “talked” to someone to see if we could avoid the long line. Well, half of us we taken to the exit to enter through the back and our half of the group we led to right near the front of the line. We felt somewhat uneasy once we saw what had happened, but not going to go back to the end of the line .... Getting down into the birthplace took a bit of doing, but we did manage to eventually squeeze into the opening to enter the chamber. J was able to use his crowd passing prowess to get ahead of us, we did manage to meet up with him about 5 min. later where he was waiting for us at the scene.<br />
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Once we had managed to see both spots, we left the Church to enter into the Catholic St. Catherine Church where midnight mass at Christmas is held and broadcast throughout the world. A mass was being celebrated when we entered it. This Church is much simpler in design than other Churches in our travels, yet seemed right for this spot. <br />
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Once we were finished, we were escorted to our van to transport us back to the checkpoint. Then we went back to Jerusalem and enjoyed an evening out at a restaurant - something we have missed with all this touring with the requisite hotel buffet meals. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">December 3 Saturday - </b>We left Jerusalem and began our descent through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea for today’s touring. It was interesting to drive along the West Bank across from where we stayed last week in Jordan, this part of Israel looks more like Jordan - much drier!<br />
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Today the breeze was up more, so we actually saw water movement compared to last week’s glass like surface. We also saw many posted signs warning of sink holes along the shore. We’re told that the sea loses a meter a year. As we drive along we saw where the water had been 80 years ago compared to now, it’s amazing the difference. The River Jordan no longer flows into it as most is used for agricultural purposes in Israel, so what is left isn’t a lot. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We drove to Qumran where we toured the settlement where the Essenes, who wrote the Dead Scrolls, hid from the Roman enemy, saw the main cave the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in, and learned more about their life. <br />
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We drove by the oasis where David stayed while hiding from Saul.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We continued along the shores of the Dead Sea to Massada. We climbed by cable car to the mountaintop to explore the ancient fortress built by Herod the Freat although he never used it. Here’s a short version of the story. It was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their struggle against the Romans. The Zealots held out for three years against the legions of Flavius Silva and chose to die as free men at their own hands rather than submit to Roman slavery. From the top of Massada, we could see outlines of the Roman encampments still visible far below.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After lunch we stopped at the Ahava Dead Sea Products factory. J watched a short film on how the minerals are extracted for these skin products while T did a bit of shopping. We had an opportunity to float on the Dead Sea once again, but only J went in for a bit. The salt content began to irritate his skin, so he gave up and got out. Today’s experience was so different from last week as there were about 10 busses of tourists at this private beach area, so it was very crowded. Quite different than sharing the beach in Jordan with all of 8 other people for 3 hours! As well, along the shore, the cumulation of salt and other mineral crystals at the shore made walking in and out of the water to be done with care.<br />
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We much preferred last week’s warm, sunny and peaceful experience! It was funny to see all the people coated in black mud! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Back in Jerusalem we enjoyed another evening out to celebrate our last evening in Israel and our last day touring until we get to Morocco in mid-January.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-14746301614385855692011-11-29T13:26:00.000-08:002011-12-04T09:12:20.034-08:00Update from Jordan<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> November 20 - Sunday </b>Our flight to Amman, Jordan was just over an hour and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>uneventful. We are met at the airport by the tour company rep who takes us through the visa process and customs. It costs 20 dinar each (equiv. to $35 each). Once we pick up our luggage, we pass through one more screening process before we’re good to go. Our driver for most of the week, Joseph, drove us into the city of Amman, 40 km from the airport and related a number of facts.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Amman, the capital of Jordan with 2.4 million of Jordan’s 6 million, is one of three large cities that together hold most of Jordan’s population. It is called the “white city” because most of its buildings are built from limestone. Only in the last few years have tall buildings been allowed, and as can be expected people we met did not want the landscape of the city to be altered by the high rises. Having just arrived in this country we immediately notice 3 things, traffic is much calmer, there aren’t vendors all over the place, and the surroundings are much cleaner. Joseph also told us that Jordanians have more freedom than most of the other Arab countries. Jordan is a democratic country with a King and a upper and lower parliament. Jordan’s first two major industries are phosphate and cement, tourism is third. They use only 14% of the country for residential and agriculture. It’s the 4th poorest country on earth in availability of water, and yet they export food products. They rely heavily on the rainy season and the last couple of years has only provided about 40% of the amount they need, so they’ve had drought for the last couple of years.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our hotel, Metropole, is modern, with free internet(!!!) and very clean, we are happy. We decide to give J some time on his own and we went exploring the neighborhood. It is very safe to go out and about. We also notice the buildings are quite new and well maintained. We all enjoyed a wonderful meal in the hotel restaurant, a nice treat after hotel and ship buffets. The food was excellent! Later M and T enjoyed some relax time over dessert and tea while J went upstairs to watch a movie on TV.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 21 Monday - </b>Joseph picked us up at 8:30 for our tour of Amman and some other sites outside of the city. As we drove along the streets </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">to the Citadel, to be our first stop, he explained the makeup of the city and gave us an explanation of the “camps” for the Palestinian refugees which occupies a fairly large area. The camps are actually apartment complexes they rent. It’s like government housing in a way. We find out the Jordan is a young country, established 1921 so many of the buildings we see are “young”, although the region goes back to the beginning of human civilization. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The Citadel is a fortress occupying an entire hilltop and it’s surrounded by 7 hills where the original settlements began. Amman now occupies 23 hills<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </b>The citadel is a wonderland of different eras of development dating back 7000 years to the rise of civilization of Mesopotamia. We hired a local English-speaking guide to give us the history of the site. It was very interesting to hear how they can tell what areas were developed when, by examining the building materials and techniques used. We stopped by the remains of the Temple of Hercules and a 90 m statue of him. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">All that was left were a massive fist and an elbow. There was also a mosque, and a palace with all of its associated buildings within the walls. The site is wonderfully preserved. We stopped in at the archeological museum at the site to see ancient tools, pottery and other antiquities dating thousands of years ago. The view from the citadel allowed us a great view of the surrounding hills and parts of new Amman. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We could also see a Roman theatre set in the hill across from the Citadel and were told it seats 6500. We decided not to go into this theatre because we had seen several already on our journeys. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> From the citadel, Joseph took us through the narrow streets of old Amman, into the city centre. There are many staircases leading from the surrounding hills into the centre that the locals use instead of driving as parking is at a premium in the area. We drove along the busy market place where shops had many displays outside their shops, almost equivalent to our sidewalk sales in the malls. It was fun to see all the different vendors and the comings and goings of this busy place from within our van. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We left Amman behind to head out to the Islamic Fortress, Ajloun Castle, built in the 12th century and had withstood the power of the Crusader armies. We had a great time wandering the halls and passageways within this grand place. We all agreed this would be a great place for a game of hide and seek - then J corrected us and said it would be great for the hiders but not so much fun for the seekers as there are so many passageways and rooms. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The view from the top of it was super, although its somewhat overcast and hazy today. This fortress was instrumental in the communication route (pigeon messengers) between north and south. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our drive took us into the hills north of Amman where summer fruits trees are plentiful and most of 16 million olive trees growing in Jordan are located. There are still some Roman olive trees which are a couple thousand years old still producing some of the best olives!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We can see that people are not as well off in the rural areas. We also see that it’s not as clean as the city. Joseph took us to a restaurant he has been going to since 1982. It was a great experience similar to our tasty lunches in the good restaurants in Cairo. We enjoyed the salads: tahini, smoked eggplant, yogurt and herbs, tabouli, finely chopped tomatoes and cucumbers,french fries, two massive pita breads (like large pizza crust sized) as well as a platter of grilled meats and veggies. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the price was great. We have found that costs in Jordan are quite reasonable, including snacks at the convenience store near our hotel as well as restaurants. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our last stop for the day was Jerash, also known as Gerasa, a well preserved and complete Graeco-Roman city. We’ve been to a few Roman cities and this place surprised us with how much of it was still intact and with little need of restoration. This is because much of it having been covered by soil that washed down a local hill following a large storm many centuries ago. We had another English-speaking who was quite a character and led us through the site giving explanation for various areas within the city. First we walked through the impressive south entrance gate built to honor Hadrian when he was emperor, then we walked passed the hippodrome (where chariot races and gladiator fights would have taken place) to meet our guide. We passed into the grand oval piazza, reminding us of the oval piazza of St. Peter’s Basillica at the Vatican - our guide said that this was fashioned after that one. We walked down colonnaded streets, a magnificent fountain where Byzantine citizens once annually re-enacted Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine (although the miracle occurred in Cana in Israel). There were also temples, two theaters, north and south, both in amazing shape and monasteries. At one time there were 25000 people living here. The area is very large and there is still much of the land un-excavated. Who knows what else lies beneath the surface. Today people like to make pilgrimages to here as this was one of the places Jesus travelled to. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We end the day back at our hotel for another great dinner at the restaurant followed by a movie on TV.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 22 - Tuesday - </b>Today we left our hotel at 8:30. Joseph took us through a section of New Amman with some really nice homes, and then on a new highway that he figures will have development along it in the next five years. We traveled to the town of Bethany, which means “beyond the river” where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. We had to take a bus to the site with a certified guide because it was so close to the Israel border and no private cars are allowed. We are led along a path to the baptismal site, where the River Jordan flowed at on time and where a spring flows in the rainy season. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Also at the site are remnants of chapels from the 5th century. Nearby are chapels built by various denominations which people come for pilgrimages to here and some are baptized in the River Jordan. Thoughts of “Wow, Jesus walked in this area and Johan the Baptist was here “ went through our minds while we were here. We all noticed that the area felt holy - our bodies seemed to understand that Christ had walked here!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After the tour, Joseph took us to our Holiday Inn and Resort at the Dead Sea. We were 1200 feet below sea level. The resort is quite new and has a number of fresh water pools and beach access to the Dead Sea. J and T went down to the sea and coated ourselves with mud and drying off in the sun we headed into the sea. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">WOW what a cool experience! Joseph had told Jeffrey that he could not sink here, he would not even be able to try to swim down. Both Joseph and M warned J that he must not let the Dead Sea water touch his eyes as he played. So J did try to swim down and found Joseph knew what he was talking about! No sinking here, in fact we could be in sitting position and float. It was so fun floating and not being able to sink. This is the closest any of us have been to experiencing weightlessness. M and J tried standing straight up and would still float, with everything above their armpits entirely out of the water. If they just moved their lower legs back slightly, their center of gravity would change and the would topple over and float horizontally. We had a great time enjoying the weather, water and beach. The water temperature was really comfortable having us stay in for much longer than we thought we would. Today’s swimming in the Dead Sea ranks right up there among the amazing experiences we have ever had! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We watched an awesome sunset from the shores of the Dead Sea. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaf2knLbvVPAPxN5TH3yM6c7l9ZTwi5WmC4ed4isKio95R03g-y-aah08Eni7r8XgWO9u_hPSVciRkVwxwy6WkaqxB513cAvajbyhRizcDZ2EDqwqIJEl-xrkr57OXQCNJJwwsZEsFjG1/s1600/P1070292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaf2knLbvVPAPxN5TH3yM6c7l9ZTwi5WmC4ed4isKio95R03g-y-aah08Eni7r8XgWO9u_hPSVciRkVwxwy6WkaqxB513cAvajbyhRizcDZ2EDqwqIJEl-xrkr57OXQCNJJwwsZEsFjG1/s400/P1070292.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We enjoyed a nice meal in the hotel restaurant. It’s low season, so the place is really quiet. Today’s temperature was 25 C. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 23 Wednesday - </b>Joseph picked us up again at 8:30 this morning for a drive from the Dead Sea to Petra. We left the Dead Sea and drove up</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtyj5PXkpXrrboy4a7VcDyV1Eit8cA4TMLV9f1XsI7hgVSpAobTxdzssuqJCobxlPzG5wNlsxvV4EOIye6djVi1_XXeR1elE9lxEGJPpD3lSh3RnxXqmclsxVynv7-SCvF8Eg60zyPWYl/s1600/IMG_8727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtyj5PXkpXrrboy4a7VcDyV1Eit8cA4TMLV9f1XsI7hgVSpAobTxdzssuqJCobxlPzG5wNlsxvV4EOIye6djVi1_XXeR1elE9lxEGJPpD3lSh3RnxXqmclsxVynv7-SCvF8Eg60zyPWYl/s400/IMG_8727.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Mount Nebo where Moses is said to have died. It was here that in his dying days, God showed him the lands below telling him that this was the Promised Land.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQeE5KD84RuEWsZMUqgYl2q-fM8IJQ2We7Ab36fThPm__lq1d6kJuT5RMkA1LWgqY6ArDzU3JnNJpzN9B7dC5Ut3qXZnApp-uWtH4YReuBElYlVdxHb_aTUg8xpgjH7_ExSnypqW_IrJA/s1600/IMG_8754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQeE5KD84RuEWsZMUqgYl2q-fM8IJQ2We7Ab36fThPm__lq1d6kJuT5RMkA1LWgqY6ArDzU3JnNJpzN9B7dC5Ut3qXZnApp-uWtH4YReuBElYlVdxHb_aTUg8xpgjH7_ExSnypqW_IrJA/s400/IMG_8754.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> From the view point there is indeed a wonderful view inclusive of Jericho, Jerusalem, Bethany, and the Dead Sea. Pretty neat being in these places written about in the Bible. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We walked around the area which has a museum as well as a fabulous mosaic floor that had been recovered from a church. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We left Mount Nebo to head to Madaba to the Saint George Greek Orthodox church to view the mosaic floor map of the Holy Lands. Although much of it is missing because of damage, what is there is quite representative and accurate at a time when scale cartography didn’t yet exist. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrtdt56bbw2m5hBotVJImDH_g62DnpPb7OmEc3XmvE3gQPt2lTu5CyIIaqgReD4FgfO9_n_4RVOk7WrNblLnQ4oatyf2wQ0BIfJOTY3QKxQU8qoojNr-WyDVlC7oZBdZbP9A5RNYqcxx2/s1600/P1070356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrtdt56bbw2m5hBotVJImDH_g62DnpPb7OmEc3XmvE3gQPt2lTu5CyIIaqgReD4FgfO9_n_4RVOk7WrNblLnQ4oatyf2wQ0BIfJOTY3QKxQU8qoojNr-WyDVlC7oZBdZbP9A5RNYqcxx2/s400/P1070356.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJO1jh4td0-fcF_N4sbHJQg3tyjC-fTwyvqmmydFN3IlLPPy2WUES7xC4UYCeHrlZ3UblzNkGFtPqisjgWCsLTdthWLxbNP6vENA-coESBBJtqYChAET1CWLQjZwhlLwhjRxVZh_z6SR9/s1600/P1070360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJO1jh4td0-fcF_N4sbHJQg3tyjC-fTwyvqmmydFN3IlLPPy2WUES7xC4UYCeHrlZ3UblzNkGFtPqisjgWCsLTdthWLxbNP6vENA-coESBBJtqYChAET1CWLQjZwhlLwhjRxVZh_z6SR9/s400/P1070360.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another fascinating thing was that our driver, Joseph, showed us a portrait of Mary holding Jesus which had a third hand that did not exist in the original portrait. It was in 1977 when smoke emitted from the painting and the third hand appeared, as a miracle. He was actually able to come see the painting a couple of days after this event. Now the painting is under glass and in another room out of the main church area to protect it. As in this country the percentage of Christians is small and the miracle is not believed by the Muslims. In this country we were told that the Christians and Muslims have a good relationship. Joseph told us he is Greek Orthodox, and although the percentage of Christians in the country is only a few percent, he feels and is treated completely equal to his Muslim countrymen.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We also stopped at a Mosaic workshop with trained craftspeople who have gone to school to learn the art of mosaic to keep the craft alive. It is a government sponsored program, a favorite of the Queen, where both able and handicapped people get training as well as employment. We were shown how the artisans create pottery, mosaic table tops, and wall hangings. The work is amazingly detailed and beautiful to look at. Once again T concluded we should help sponsor this amazing artwork, so you can see if you come visit us at our place in BC after we get home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We had a couple of hour drive to our next stop Karak. Our drive took us along the King’s Highway, the oldest route from north to south. The King’s Road is mentioned in the Bible when Moses asked the King of the area at the time if he and the Jews on the Exodus could walk along it on the way to the Promised Land. It was also once part of the Silk Highway linking the south and east to the north and west. We traveled through Jordan’s Grand Canyon. Going from 800 ft above sea level to 100 ft. then back up to 900 ft. The view was spectacular along this curvy highway. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Even though the land is barren in most places, it has a beauty all of its own. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0SR0yyDvbzAOw_QFEX5Z29kAEYJzgrL2-JOrj9akfYsGs6J70LqLOUfedEEzttFQw5P1mwW5R9WIewDIySLzPRIE2YDGdGpbIJYSJzZR4JM3vnvXHVrcCq75MdpPvl1g8bdt0ABPkPcy/s1600/IMG_8812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0SR0yyDvbzAOw_QFEX5Z29kAEYJzgrL2-JOrj9akfYsGs6J70LqLOUfedEEzttFQw5P1mwW5R9WIewDIySLzPRIE2YDGdGpbIJYSJzZR4JM3vnvXHVrcCq75MdpPvl1g8bdt0ABPkPcy/s400/IMG_8812.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We stop for lunch in Karak before touring another fortress, this time built by the Crusaders, although today its surrounded by modern development on one side. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Again we enjoyed wondering through many chambers and passages leading us from outside to inside as well as from one level to the next. After walking about for 3/4 of an hour we’re ready to go onto Petra, another 2 hours away, along the Desert Highway. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymmkwHB9GPWu5hGGkOj8AzrmSp1o_KQkgUgFSvQQS_pixa2Xyo3Y17booCCLlzmmnrdRvxFCQBY5UrsRjXf0RC9NbRCcBH7QoE4DQaJUp1m8kUD90mpdtM3YyrDknUtgyk1b4xLHQYoDk/s1600/IMG_8822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymmkwHB9GPWu5hGGkOj8AzrmSp1o_KQkgUgFSvQQS_pixa2Xyo3Y17booCCLlzmmnrdRvxFCQBY5UrsRjXf0RC9NbRCcBH7QoE4DQaJUp1m8kUD90mpdtM3YyrDknUtgyk1b4xLHQYoDk/s400/IMG_8822.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We arrived at our hotel, previously abandoned village homes that now are completely refurbished into a very nice resort hotel. Our room is large, in its own section within one of many buildings that make up the resort. The sunset as we drive in is gorgeous, outlining the mountains around Petra and the mountain where Aaron, Moses’ brother was buried. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> November 24 Thursday - </b>It is sunny and reaches 15C today, and we have a daytime view of Mount Aaron. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Nq_taG2Y7kHYnZ-10IMOR_BLhGILXnaC5QTZvmn-YMrprHwvO8j-SWZ2otmY1MHIQFBtrwc27heXpUqa51grDJE_VrRl0nbE9LtsYik8CHdpwRY_5rYHdWG5fJqrEmvkirHs2j7xkTbh/s1600/P1070400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Nq_taG2Y7kHYnZ-10IMOR_BLhGILXnaC5QTZvmn-YMrprHwvO8j-SWZ2otmY1MHIQFBtrwc27heXpUqa51grDJE_VrRl0nbE9LtsYik8CHdpwRY_5rYHdWG5fJqrEmvkirHs2j7xkTbh/s400/P1070400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Joseph picked us up at 8:30 to take us to the entrance to Petra. It was here that we met our guide, Mohamed. Part of our entrance fee included a horseback ride to the entrance of the canyon. J and T did this (as neither had ever been on a horse before) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKG-Fx8iVacpabE9KaFXeRkm1P3A1Vx1OkrUi0H7ieFkuquOD7yMrWL6_uvDSar7y_wQa_Pfg3oy8HKp8Z-niZIXJJ23rb2U_nielM4N90AVAPgEHhMohAiKXAQ3kekMevrATFE3fIdWUI/s1600/IMG_8838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKG-Fx8iVacpabE9KaFXeRkm1P3A1Vx1OkrUi0H7ieFkuquOD7yMrWL6_uvDSar7y_wQa_Pfg3oy8HKp8Z-niZIXJJ23rb2U_nielM4N90AVAPgEHhMohAiKXAQ3kekMevrATFE3fIdWUI/s400/IMG_8838.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">while M walked with the guide. It’s not too commercial around the entrance, although we did see an “Indiana Jones” shop selling souvenirs and “Indie” hats. The ancient entrance to Petra, As-Siq, is a 1.2 km long canyon. The opening to the As-Siq is near the bottom of a valley, yet the Nabataeans built a diversion dam and and bored a spillway through the mountain so water would not enter the As-Siq and wash into the city nor erode the sandstone walls of the entrance. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we walk along the Siq, we’re amazed at the beauty of the sandstone rocks. Erosion has certainly added a beauty to the place. Sometimes the canyon is fairly wide and other times its quite narrow, with walls reaching about 80m in height. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We even saw a few of that rare tribe the Chinese Bedouins.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We also see the best example we have yet seen of an original Roman road worm away by the chariot wheel.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We learn about the Nabataean tribe’s engineering smarts, trading prowess and religious beliefs. For example, as water is precious here, every small valley or stream was damned to hold back water during the rainy season for use later on. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">As well, the Silk Road went through their lands and the taxed every caravan and became quite wealthy as a result. This tribe arrived originally from Saudi Arabia in ruled here for 400 years, starting in about 300 BC. We’re told that only about 20% of the site has been unearthed. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our guide had us prep for the first view of the “Treasury” the iconic landmark of Petra at just the right spot in the canyon to see it basque in the sunshine. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWx2EnGywnsR8M7NJsplFRKpCaYU7SnftYEyxUOYGU3SiIMOqBunyQpF7e9HFsI0ATbZkm9fvbVVMtp08NmDHl2m0p9MSh6iDYZ9rJCKMp0uHqNXZF1aiL9SNKAANZhVnCuf_9NYpcMcQ/s1600/IMG_8850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWx2EnGywnsR8M7NJsplFRKpCaYU7SnftYEyxUOYGU3SiIMOqBunyQpF7e9HFsI0ATbZkm9fvbVVMtp08NmDHl2m0p9MSh6iDYZ9rJCKMp0uHqNXZF1aiL9SNKAANZhVnCuf_9NYpcMcQ/s400/IMG_8850.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">It is a marvel to see, although it is mis-named as the building was likely a tomb or funeral ceremony building. All of the buildings we saw today were carved directly out of the rock mountainside, starting from the top and working down (except the few buildings the Romans built later). Some of the facades of the buildings are in better shape than others depending on where they are located (protected from the elements of erosion or not). We had an opportunity to go inside a tomb along the street of facades, and see the coffin sites dug out of the ground. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssig5tUcGpacmEmcf7f2SGR2XT32wLQD9ElYSZFcXNShHrPMFX44cAIWTvMX_rs9vsUPFkGH-DCwpnsDOuC2GPaGert_vHI9-UT-5oleTpzSfLDYgXXMI9xIqnRUvyuU2v2wqNm-q_lcO/s1600/P1070451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssig5tUcGpacmEmcf7f2SGR2XT32wLQD9ElYSZFcXNShHrPMFX44cAIWTvMX_rs9vsUPFkGH-DCwpnsDOuC2GPaGert_vHI9-UT-5oleTpzSfLDYgXXMI9xIqnRUvyuU2v2wqNm-q_lcO/s400/P1070451.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The color of the sandstone within was beautiful. Actually we didn’t get tired of looking at the various colors formations within many of the rocks the entire day. There is Greek, Roman and Oriental influence that our guide pointed out because they were a tribe open to other cultural influences over time. Actually the word “Petra” is Greek for rock.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We had a wonderful time wandering through the area occasionally being asked if we wanted a camel ride or a donkey ride up to the monastery, some 800 steps, about 1.25 hr walk. We declined on this. After a tea break and getting J something to eat, we decided to walk up to the High Place of Sacrifice (only 600 steps) where the tribe performed sacrifices to their gods. We walked beside the only free standing building in Petra,the main temple for the people, many buildings were destroyed in previous earthquakes long ago. Our walk takes us about an hour up along the back hills, sometimes along narrow carved out steps and walkways along the hill and mountain’s edge. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXf6yGOSpzWFRQIhyphenhypheneSK89qTvu6OLOvpB0vWP_X8lqcz2UMWasWoWknvA73GoYDhyphenhyphen2BcBAwJgXKJekGULe7NDmVfXBl6ZxXM1VDP1sHGd1XhXgopjbcriA99I0iYr4kFdRBFTGZg5VMML9/s1600/P1070492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXf6yGOSpzWFRQIhyphenhypheneSK89qTvu6OLOvpB0vWP_X8lqcz2UMWasWoWknvA73GoYDhyphenhyphen2BcBAwJgXKJekGULe7NDmVfXBl6ZxXM1VDP1sHGd1XhXgopjbcriA99I0iYr4kFdRBFTGZg5VMML9/s400/P1070492.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At times T made sure she didn’t look down. By going this way we saw even more tombs and perhaps some homes carved into the mountain faces. Occasionally we passed a Bedouin woman who had set up a small stand selling trinkets and chunks of rock, T was thinking do they climb up here everyday? The Bedouins lived in the valley up until 1985. When it became an UNESCO site, they had to leave the area. The government provided new housing and hospital and school up on a hill overlooking Petra. Apparently it was not an easy task to accomplish. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> During our upward climb, we met a Bedouin with a couple of donkeys and customers trying to navigate an extremely step section of steps. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAHuoKJGPgfDg-_3PomcpLgxK3hEPfbuHX2qA3COT3sBa6zo_Bp_uBPsFJVUpLVUpve5ATdUON3I6smqqi4sv2i1uAHlkVww5YP0xW7oQZNoKGAFiVPdAcFvFwVJjgG8pX8usFfyi6fgg/s1600/P1070495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAHuoKJGPgfDg-_3PomcpLgxK3hEPfbuHX2qA3COT3sBa6zo_Bp_uBPsFJVUpLVUpve5ATdUON3I6smqqi4sv2i1uAHlkVww5YP0xW7oQZNoKGAFiVPdAcFvFwVJjgG8pX8usFfyi6fgg/s400/P1070495.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We thought “Wow, how does he train the donkeys to do that?” They didn’t seem like they were enjoying the experience. This path had some steps that we quite worn from erosion and use, at times more like a ramp than actually steps, but we managed just fine. Our view from atop the high place was amazing and we all enjoyed it and a rest having just spent the last hour trekking up the mountain. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our route down was on the 600 step route taking us right down into the Tomb area. The walkway led us through a canyon down onto the main “street” and then we began our walk back to the Treasury and the As-Sig canyon to the entrance. Once we get to the main gate it’s 3:30 and we’ve all had enough walking for the day. We called Joseph to pick us up and returned us to our hotel. The boys bought a celebratory ice-cream to cap off a great day of exploration. Once we’re back at the hotel, J wanted to go swimming in the warm waters of the hotel pool, while T and M kicked back.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 25 Friday –</b> We have a nice late morning today, Joseph is coming to pick us up at 11:30, so after breakfast, J spends time on-line completing his French lesson for the week.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We packed a separate bag for tonight’s overnight in the Wadi Rum desert in a Bedouin tent. As we are leaving the Petra area, Joseph takes us to a park/lookout of the entire valley. From here we could see the canyon route, it’s a beautiful sight. We could also see a portion of the Silk Road that is now a highway.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuvlka1rdSdr2_bCm02COJ_64-zO1CC18_S6ro3WndUd1-4OkyhZZ00Hr_ZrESPpGu5QIQgyQo712L1vVsgqYY5Nz2rEx9XHUPQJfjEue54_3jFftQukOQAJxddL4h4tDHsuTNzb9g7Qm/s1600/IMG_8877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuvlka1rdSdr2_bCm02COJ_64-zO1CC18_S6ro3WndUd1-4OkyhZZ00Hr_ZrESPpGu5QIQgyQo712L1vVsgqYY5Nz2rEx9XHUPQJfjEue54_3jFftQukOQAJxddL4h4tDHsuTNzb9g7Qm/s400/IMG_8877.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our drive is to Wadi Rum (which means valley of the red sand) a protected desert area. As we approach the protected area border Joseph points out the mountain Lawrence of Arabia wrote about called the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJ9p7Qcq_V6yJNVSWwcCAKCNn4ed54-EIRo3L3qCwoPg2rwIYAxmgRAJHDg0rR5x3t-qjaKTykmNJ58xuoeAPasaF6B8GUku-HCKDV2mysoAje8DUAc6f3nUYYSkN0VkNoCzbL1YmViUV/s1600/IMG_8919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJ9p7Qcq_V6yJNVSWwcCAKCNn4ed54-EIRo3L3qCwoPg2rwIYAxmgRAJHDg0rR5x3t-qjaKTykmNJ58xuoeAPasaF6B8GUku-HCKDV2mysoAje8DUAc6f3nUYYSkN0VkNoCzbL1YmViUV/s400/IMG_8919.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once Joseph pays the fees to enter the park, we continue a short drive to a rest house where we are going to meet our guide and transport to the camp. We have another good lunch typical of what we have had elsewhere in Jordan. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our guide Abdullah is waiting for us in his 4x4 pickup to take us on a tour of the desert valley before we’re dropped off at the camp, further into the reserve. The scenery is spectacular with the mountains jutting up from the desert floor to around 1700 m high. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdGBvSTKhu-kynAPWCSOnQy4hfgAPTsPPb0eMSOHU0bi02wr_-suxss1Q2FtMEE1_RAksguptUYIOZgL2BF4NGk70k5Pu935knrcnHa9g6OzfjeYPe_8hfZFL1By5KeZD-I4kbrelWvi9/s1600/IMG_8916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdGBvSTKhu-kynAPWCSOnQy4hfgAPTsPPb0eMSOHU0bi02wr_-suxss1Q2FtMEE1_RAksguptUYIOZgL2BF4NGk70k5Pu935knrcnHa9g6OzfjeYPe_8hfZFL1By5KeZD-I4kbrelWvi9/s400/IMG_8916.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The mountains are mainly sandstone, but there are also portions of the mountains base that are granite and marble. The erosion on the rocks, as well as the colors, has made some fabulous scenery. We stopped at Lawrence’s Spring, where Lawrence of Arabia frequented during the Arab Revolt. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">J enjoyed scrambling up the piles of rocks at the base of the mountains. We walked amongst narrow canyon walls with rock etchings dating back 3000 years ago. We had a great time and workout climbing to the top of a sand dune. The sand felt great beneath our feet. We sat around watching the sunset before heading to the camp for the night. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">It had a collection of canvas tents as well as a couple of common tents with low tables, cushions and rugs for us to sit around and on. A campfire in a Bedouin style metal fire pit that could be moved around the tent was lit to keep the chill away. We had a really enjoyable dinner, again the style typical of this region. Before the generator was turned off at 8:30, we made use of the running water and flush toilets before we headed into our tent. We quickly got under the pile of blankets to get warm. Tonight all three of us were sharing the same bed, cozy and warm under several inches of blankets as the desert gets quite cold as soon as the sun goes down.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> November 26 Saturday - All</b> three of us wake around 7:00, but don’t brave the chilly air until 7:30 to use the facilities. We’ll forego the showers until we get to our hotel, the Marina Laza Resort, in Aqaba. We have breakfast in the tent complete with customary tea, and await Abdullah to take us back to meet Joseph. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Aqaba City - it’s Jordan’s only port city and as we near it we can see many infrastructure facilities put into effect to ease the truck traffic congestion and volume of trucks. It’s a tax-free zone, so the place has really seen growth in the last decade with foreign investment. The resort we are booked into is part of a complex with commercial, marina, and numerous hotels and condo complexes. We say goodbye to Joseph as he drives back home to Amman today, we have truly enjoyed his company for the week. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> It was a great place, J enjoyed swimming in the pool after we had lunch on the deck. As our hotel is along the shore of the Red Sea we can confirm that the Red Sea is not actually red (its so named for the red coral that grows near here and the red mountains nearby).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 27 Sunday - </b>We are picked up at the hotel for 7:00 am as our plane leaves for Amman at 8:40. It doesn’t take long to get through the several security checks. Our flight is on time and only 40 min to get there. Our flight to Tel Aviv isn’t until 4:30, so we find a place to hang out, have coffees, lunch and J does schoolwork to pass the time. We pass through another security check before getting onto our 25 min Royal Jordanian over to Israel. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once in Tel Aviv we noticed it took a bit longer to get through passport control as everyone is thoroughly checked and we see several guys being pulled aside for further questioning. We are met by a rep from the travel agency who passes us off to someone else who gets us loaded into a van to get to our hotel Herod Tel Aviv. When we get dropped off, we don’t know any info for tomorrow’s pick-up, so the receptionist at the hotel makes some calls on our behalf and finds out we’re to be picked up at 8:15. It’s located on the shore of the Mediterranean; unfortunately it’s already dark when we get there, so we don’t go down to the beach. It looks like a great place. Our hotel is very nice and the food is fabulous. After dinner J watches a movie and then we head off to bed.</div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-85104269337929704662011-11-20T13:00:00.000-08:002011-11-20T13:00:23.558-08:00Update from Egypt <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 6 - Sunday</b> - We’re up at 8, got luggage organized for our trip and had a great breakfast before heading over to the terminal for 11. Our flight is leaving at 1:30 and getting through security is a breeze, much easier than what we thought. So much easier than at home! We end up having a couple of hours before departure. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"> Despite a bit of turbulence, the flight is pretty good, not having to pay for anything compared to the NA airlines - that’s a nice surprise. We arrive on time and there is a gentleman to take us through getting our visas- bought at an airport bank, and through customs. It takes us no time at all to get through to collect our luggage. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Because of the national feast holiday, traffic is apparently light. We travel along a bridge that is 36 km long and continues to be added onto (similar to the elevated freeways we travelled on in Italy). We cross to the west side of the Nile and arrive at the Pyramisa Hotel 35 min. later. The room is quite spacious with enough room for us for the next three nights. We are pleased with the hotel. We get ourselves unpacked and go downstairs to order a drink, we’re served chickpeas and garbanzo beans in lieu of the nuts we’ve been used to - they weren’t bad actually and get on the net.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 7 - Monday</b> - Our first full day in Cairo. We were up at 7 to meet our guide and driver at 8. It turns out that we are going to have a private guided tour throughout our time here - a different experience than Turkey. Our drive in the daylight is an eye opener for us all. There is definite disparity amongst the people. The amount of trash that is deposited along the banks of the Nile is a crying shame. Once out of the really busy part of Cairo, trucks and cars share the road with donkey and horse led carts. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our first stop of the day is Memphis, the first capital of East and West Egypt dating back to 3500 BC. It was built on the banks of the Nile and because of flooding most of it was destroyed or buried. The site has remnants of statues of Ramses II as well as an alabaster sphinx (meaning mysterious thing), with the head of a human and body of a lion. We saw the remainder of the statue built to honor Ramses II, our guide explained the various significance of the dual crowns - king of north and south Egypt, left foot in front of the right, indicating he’s still living, cobra on forehead signifying strength and cartouches which are hieroglyphic etchings identifying him. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMrajMZYC-Ruu3mgZJ6nb0VRhmxqbuuylTtQPlfCWEOXh3CLh0BU5Yk9H9VpcQpISPMEzfpGAV65sM1GT-IdY73ctEjqzluEhy7yv_tS30vzYIihTqUHQbEXENOoLyEkn0UXltUBhfldV/s1600/P1060376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMrajMZYC-Ruu3mgZJ6nb0VRhmxqbuuylTtQPlfCWEOXh3CLh0BU5Yk9H9VpcQpISPMEzfpGAV65sM1GT-IdY73ctEjqzluEhy7yv_tS30vzYIihTqUHQbEXENOoLyEkn0UXltUBhfldV/s320/P1060376.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLPIkxJz82_MnzCjSQzwd6mivYka9HPbX3ZW2Ya_6x-nITy0C7r2lO2J8pJTQo_0nFLUpXgB1dgrb09oQqlWi4ub1wNbOVDW0pkuZSfLC80iV4-7BBwXoFjVQadBLbwOTUPqsO_wXXkGG/s1600/P1060382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLPIkxJz82_MnzCjSQzwd6mivYka9HPbX3ZW2Ya_6x-nITy0C7r2lO2J8pJTQo_0nFLUpXgB1dgrb09oQqlWi4ub1wNbOVDW0pkuZSfLC80iV4-7BBwXoFjVQadBLbwOTUPqsO_wXXkGG/s320/P1060382.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next stop was to Sakkara, the City of the Dead, 2800-2200 BC, to see the step pyramid of King Zoser, the first pyramid to be built in ancient Egypt, before those at Giza by many centuries. At this site, we see the rock palace - everything is done by hand, emulating various architectural styles: columns that are ridged, similar to bamboo bundles, ridged ceiling similar to wood poles. The rock on the exterior is very smooth they used sand to smooth out the blocks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6VkrqoSgtjOGxlVvx3Wh-pfQ1roWc7Eelht7-Jxn2OhmNyh939JeFsbRfbntMk0B6uDpMYf1wWtXkuBP8Lpg51dlPalJwtpVZmUssUihh7TVAVbsKSha4sj0NGish2dYUtlCzjtRAL09/s1600/P1060395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6VkrqoSgtjOGxlVvx3Wh-pfQ1roWc7Eelht7-Jxn2OhmNyh939JeFsbRfbntMk0B6uDpMYf1wWtXkuBP8Lpg51dlPalJwtpVZmUssUihh7TVAVbsKSha4sj0NGish2dYUtlCzjtRAL09/s320/P1060395.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We see the step type pyramid, which was tried first but the design needed improvement. Off in the distance we saw the next styles where the design of the pyramid we all know so well (the Great Pyramids was perfected).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq4glG0gMIb4X1yh2NjvEiPcvxAkMcFnGSZm4HgcO6Y3ONh7xujELbTL8AOq01G6fTPtUGPZGdDCxKq3V5LagCk_NryqBGdX6nIP6JMR0Y_LfsEpOUUpDJrFMBJLNobKYC4F2Rk73Wlvb/s1600/P1060398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq4glG0gMIb4X1yh2NjvEiPcvxAkMcFnGSZm4HgcO6Y3ONh7xujELbTL8AOq01G6fTPtUGPZGdDCxKq3V5LagCk_NryqBGdX6nIP6JMR0Y_LfsEpOUUpDJrFMBJLNobKYC4F2Rk73Wlvb/s320/P1060398.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our second stop is at the Titi pyramid and the tomb. It is here that they first built small-scale pyramids to perfect the architecture. We went inside the tomb where we saw evidence for etchings, cartouches, and pictures signifying life at the time and in the afterlife. There was also colored drawings still remaining on some of the walls. We found out that the Egyptian drawings always had the head viewed from the side because it’s the best profile, torsos were always slightly twisted to amplify the best side and feet were always drawn sideways. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> All three of us walked down into the pyramid having to bend over and crouch through the passageway that led into the burial chambers. We saw all kinds of etchings on the wall and sarcophagus signifying the signs of the person buried. There were stars drawn on the slightly-peaked ceiling. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next, we head to the Ancient Egyptian capital city of the Old Kingdom, Memphis (Giza) to the great pyramids, Cheops, Chephran and Mycerinus. They’re the only surviving wonder of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Built over 35 centuries ago, they were built to preserve bodies and treasures for the afterlife. The great pyramid, Cheops' Pyramid, took over 23 years to build (the king was in power during for those 23 years) was over 400 feet high and on 13.1 acres. Each pyramid was built using 2.3 million blocks, each weighing an average of two and a half tons. We walked up to Cheops’ pyramid and were in awe of this incredible structure as it towered over us. M and J climbed up a couple of levels, while T took the picture. This is the only pyramid people are allowed to do this on and only on the first couple of block levels. Each block is huge!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"> At one time the first two pyramids were encased with limestone plaster. It was very interesting to hear how these magnificent structures were built with over 1000 slaves - some working in the quarries afar, some transporting the rocks and some assembling the pyramid. Dirt ramps were used to build the levels, the sarcophagus were placed inside the burial chambers before the pyramid was completed. That is why the sarcophagus are still in the pyramids and the mummies have been removed. Once the limestone coating was applied, the ramp was gradually removed as they proceeded down the face of the pyramid. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The place is clamoring with locals as this is the national feast lasting 4 days. The feast is when the Muslims slaughter sheep, goats, or cattle as a re-enactment of the sacrifice of Isaac,(Ishmal to the Muslims). Meat is slaughtered and then given to the poor. We’re approached many times by a local to take our picture as they ask for money having done it. J made the mistake of commenting about some thing he saw at a vendor, who continued to hound us until our guide told him to get lost. Having the guide was great because she gave us lots of info and we could ask questions whenever we wanted. She also got us through any lines very quickly. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> While up at the panoramic viewpoint of the three pyramids J had the opportunity to go for a camel ride. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFlO7rZf-6q3NLpJc2fXhBTPH-TFxKa-bYv6IZ54hu2pnGImHay5KnSdCV9e5bk16Kht_Pn9M_FNFz52JTBwhk8fW1Zl27ZlqFkvXL0zOZH7Wh_K4Qopbn0YVbSjAan4J1ZLjx7Y8bRSc/s1600/P1060463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFlO7rZf-6q3NLpJc2fXhBTPH-TFxKa-bYv6IZ54hu2pnGImHay5KnSdCV9e5bk16Kht_Pn9M_FNFz52JTBwhk8fW1Zl27ZlqFkvXL0zOZH7Wh_K4Qopbn0YVbSjAan4J1ZLjx7Y8bRSc/s320/P1060463.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was pretty cool to watch his big grin as the camel raised itself to go on its stroll. The view of the “valley of the pyramids” allowed us to see how the ancient world in now bordered upon by the new world. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXICmvTaWZlmAL4TpjOUWre7mGPPZ6Q517pQ1FuvGk2JhRTvelDYgiGBg34wKH5KdWr0QaX2-VheA5HnnuxGxwatP3P5nCdnMji9zSC4R3jiBQqhMKyovcvDIdQ46ASvUC3byXsxXTS8Z9/s1600/P1060446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXICmvTaWZlmAL4TpjOUWre7mGPPZ6Q517pQ1FuvGk2JhRTvelDYgiGBg34wKH5KdWr0QaX2-VheA5HnnuxGxwatP3P5nCdnMji9zSC4R3jiBQqhMKyovcvDIdQ46ASvUC3byXsxXTS8Z9/s320/P1060446.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We always thought that these magnificent structures were way out in the desert, and at one time that was the case, but not anymore. We also had the opportunity to visit the Great Sphinx, located very close to the three pyramids - a great sight! No one knows for sure why it was built. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii7EEjhU2t0Ydcwd2Rlmb73JFebzTm5HNcHIyzKWVMZastlUok0Pb3dZ5sLWYI1o7YA1wxDzNi-RFpz24sGtyvE7fpuGLPxA2igHMol5TuXg5l2SQ8wZ5iLpPcxiTAgeSB6o1lpcIMyfe/s1600/P1060467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii7EEjhU2t0Ydcwd2Rlmb73JFebzTm5HNcHIyzKWVMZastlUok0Pb3dZ5sLWYI1o7YA1wxDzNi-RFpz24sGtyvE7fpuGLPxA2igHMol5TuXg5l2SQ8wZ5iLpPcxiTAgeSB6o1lpcIMyfe/s320/P1060467.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtG8lVbPFv3TjnWReM-wj4_RA1ptyTTQzJsHENj9JBNHyGO9vrJXeEZT9EIiSRyU0aUObzZuvRHRpEmaPvLFrLld4f1Yh7Tw_b8s5NF3mo9YKwe12pWJFd894XIWJbmGXuc6tRG6cXnkg/s1600/P1060471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtG8lVbPFv3TjnWReM-wj4_RA1ptyTTQzJsHENj9JBNHyGO9vrJXeEZT9EIiSRyU0aUObzZuvRHRpEmaPvLFrLld4f1Yh7Tw_b8s5NF3mo9YKwe12pWJFd894XIWJbmGXuc6tRG6cXnkg/s320/P1060471.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We had a stop at a textile factory where rugs were made by hand. Children up to the age of 14 are employed to make the rugs. They use children because their hands are smaller. We’re told they earn money for their families and for themselves for further education. This is a state sponsored program to keep the art alive. The knot technique was the same as what we had seen in Turkey. We enjoyed hibiscus tea while we were being shown designs and handiwork. Even though the designs were different than in Turkey, we did not buy any.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We stopped at a great restaurant for lunch. The location surprised us, as it was this little oasis near the hustle and bustle of the dirty roadway. How looks can be deceiving! The lunch had many local foods similar to Greek or Turkish cuisine - grilled chicken, meatballs, stuffed grape leaves, abeurgine and tahini. We even saw a group of ladies making the pita bread by hand.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We went to a papyrus museum where we were shown how papyrus was made. It’s a simple process to make this strong paper. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6skt87qIdSpqdVk0_ucCUvWDyJNe4TXW2DRH4EVkVA-QLSs8LKcADPjWXveIN2_7S-N-9xCbLWw1c7oCHbS_Uhv3vyBNSfDt60jVhCn1mvPgiCBMFiHqqMZt7sGn_ThC6MRqYVPf5xOh/s1600/P1060479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6skt87qIdSpqdVk0_ucCUvWDyJNe4TXW2DRH4EVkVA-QLSs8LKcADPjWXveIN2_7S-N-9xCbLWw1c7oCHbS_Uhv3vyBNSfDt60jVhCn1mvPgiCBMFiHqqMZt7sGn_ThC6MRqYVPf5xOh/s320/P1060479.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We purchased an Egyptian calendar as a remembrance of here. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant enjoying some Indian food and J had Italian, not quite up to his Italian standards, but he ate it just the same.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 8 - Tuesday</b> - We’re out the door by 8 to see more of Cairo. We crossed back over the Nile to head to the massive walled Citadel, situated on the hills, overlooking Cairo's skyline. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNgllmXCrBjGevEEtDZPUzGFQRE8mpUnkPq8iSOZ8PW3f6-kTTb-bd1_-3gB0g1uVr9XzgF4OYwF-TL5BPS1LWErKzBw_RGUsSFHezsbdyptK5eG3fj369Vs4SodEN9qCpEwuCsagXUW2/s1600/IMG_8205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNgllmXCrBjGevEEtDZPUzGFQRE8mpUnkPq8iSOZ8PW3f6-kTTb-bd1_-3gB0g1uVr9XzgF4OYwF-TL5BPS1LWErKzBw_RGUsSFHezsbdyptK5eG3fj369Vs4SodEN9qCpEwuCsagXUW2/s320/IMG_8205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jMDK9Pf_wQqW1a-gVillMxYfNgAA2-PiTRzVLlzbC_3DmKVPr2HBHJ6AuEloA7MQArJMnJOtBFhghjg8z9PlTOgimkisuJWaG-50i90Q0NgKmUGXCZNggBinYMfO7sZ0bqnzjhOCDchyphenhyphen/s1600/IMG_8223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jMDK9Pf_wQqW1a-gVillMxYfNgAA2-PiTRzVLlzbC_3DmKVPr2HBHJ6AuEloA7MQArJMnJOtBFhghjg8z9PlTOgimkisuJWaG-50i90Q0NgKmUGXCZNggBinYMfO7sZ0bqnzjhOCDchyphenhyphen/s320/IMG_8223.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At one time it was the center of the city and Egypt for almost 700 years. Its construction began in 1176 by Saladin and completed by Muhammad Ali. Mameluke sultans and Turkish governors later on made it their residence, building palaces and mosques within the Citadel walls. Facing the Citadel is the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, built between 1356 and 1363 and perhaps the most majestic monument of Arab architecture in Egypt. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOOaZRXGzKKXa7iSjRP0RvB42hme-2mY-gq_Cq7SQeremP1f_Gr53cP3iYzkPzOmRfbi3sddsq-YujEVOtRYRs1ZQDhBz6o1ps3bgI0hunbq6x6kljSHq6FK5Sgc8mbW5v-QEbwA3EmYz/s1600/IMG_8209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOOaZRXGzKKXa7iSjRP0RvB42hme-2mY-gq_Cq7SQeremP1f_Gr53cP3iYzkPzOmRfbi3sddsq-YujEVOtRYRs1ZQDhBz6o1ps3bgI0hunbq6x6kljSHq6FK5Sgc8mbW5v-QEbwA3EmYz/s320/IMG_8209.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The interior of the Mosque was beautiful alabaster. The interior of the domes had beautiful European influenced designs. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8NwqUWTt-oOXGEMjNfuipkIZdDSRV6m_bglD5XzVle363BMz1rWy5Pv2RswzpARfCcWlh7L_1_IessxeYC9T12dIr6j2DyxffA2ZNLIgM1oHO56b9eII1ocfd0uEstMp-NesjYTz6T5t/s1600/P1060509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8NwqUWTt-oOXGEMjNfuipkIZdDSRV6m_bglD5XzVle363BMz1rWy5Pv2RswzpARfCcWlh7L_1_IessxeYC9T12dIr6j2DyxffA2ZNLIgM1oHO56b9eII1ocfd0uEstMp-NesjYTz6T5t/s320/P1060509.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">There’s another mosque across from this one where the royal family and dignities are buried. Our Muslim guide gave us the low-down on Islam both interesting and enlightening. Before leaving the citadel we walked around some and looked out over Cairo, although it was very hazy from pollution. We were told this is standard, it’s a rare day when the view is clear. Too bad as it would have been neat to see the surroundings in relation to where we were.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROZaRquhyCpmR3LmuAx_AipXL1GWp5Xfkzh6hXtZXiqT-4QnPAhXLOEevTKKfDSEEXAhx3WRMADZ-RoS1iw69TGQc_LKlxEUdeqhekptq7qyXpe08E-fHVJ0503bbwHPvgprBgmcGX2uI/s1600/P1060518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROZaRquhyCpmR3LmuAx_AipXL1GWp5Xfkzh6hXtZXiqT-4QnPAhXLOEevTKKfDSEEXAhx3WRMADZ-RoS1iw69TGQc_LKlxEUdeqhekptq7qyXpe08E-fHVJ0503bbwHPvgprBgmcGX2uI/s320/P1060518.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We took a tour to of Khan El Khalili, the famous Cairo Bazaar dating back to the late 14th century. It was just before 10 and festival time, so many of the shops were closed. It was similar to the idea of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Apparently the shops open after 10 and stay open late. The streets are uncharacteristically empty, but we didn’t mind as we enjoyed walking leisurely through the narrow streets without being hounded or jostled. We had an opportunity to visit a 13th century mosque, serving for more than just prayer - serves as a shelter, nursery, school, mausoleum, and medical facility. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStMLRHIdBGYCkKiPpHGDBtp5sz0srOFUOFQyCjX-65KUgt9n2GnhUfTQY_IxUtstn6qyJt8mrspUEoGYgCf2ge-TEfg3htK6Ip2w-VDADUqoI7tfrhX14ua_4lTn_O5WVB8Ubsj6i7jWU/s1600/IMG_8238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStMLRHIdBGYCkKiPpHGDBtp5sz0srOFUOFQyCjX-65KUgt9n2GnhUfTQY_IxUtstn6qyJt8mrspUEoGYgCf2ge-TEfg3htK6Ip2w-VDADUqoI7tfrhX14ua_4lTn_O5WVB8Ubsj6i7jWU/s320/IMG_8238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We were told that some mosques are like this today, while some are only used for prayer. We stopped for tea and coffee at a cafe and watched the locals going about their business. As time passed, the bazaar area was coming alive with more shops opening and more people coming out. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We got lucky and saw just how talented some people are at balancing things on their head.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqV_EOWkI-dJ3qc1j5-2Mw0zCkGFlQYKD2awZqy7VptV2BM7OvNCEYqitlIIj43jXK9dp-Sa44a6X-rqCHpj88xyg_X2SMD1v9L4z-1cza1uiKjiwF4FV1enuMd-ZNcdt-I6VohxUprzc/s1600/P1060557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqV_EOWkI-dJ3qc1j5-2Mw0zCkGFlQYKD2awZqy7VptV2BM7OvNCEYqitlIIj43jXK9dp-Sa44a6X-rqCHpj88xyg_X2SMD1v9L4z-1cza1uiKjiwF4FV1enuMd-ZNcdt-I6VohxUprzc/s320/P1060557.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our tour took us through Tahrir square where the January revolution took place. It’s the same square where other past revolutions also started. The burned out building of the NDP stands next to the Egyptian Museum. During our tour, we’ve asked out tour guide’s impression of the political and economic impact from the uprising in Jan. Tourism is down by about 90%, the government elections are to take place near the end of Nov. So far, according to the majority of the populace, nothing has been solved. They are in limbo, hoping that the elections will lead them forward to better times. The majority of Egypt’s population, 60% are under 30, they want change.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We visited the Egyptian Museum, the most important collection of Egyptian antiquities anywhere in the world. Even though there are over 100 000 artifacts on display, many more have been stolen or given to other museums. As well, many things are still lying under ground as that’s the best preservation method of all. There were artifacts from the Pharaonic and Greco-Roman periods. Once again our guide enlightened us about the significance of statue stance, and other ways in which to tell the different time periods in Ancient Egyptian history. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The upper floor of the museum housed mummies of ancient Egypt's kings as well as the immense collection of King Tut Ankh Amun treasures from his tomb. We had an opportunity to see the painted gold mask, placed over the mummified body, the solid gold coffin in which his mummified body was placed and the outer elaborately decorated wood coffin we’ve seen in books and thousands of other artifacts. All three of us enjoyed the visit, but after a while, it was information overload. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once again we were brought to a wonderful eatery to enjoy another delightful meal of Egyptian food. Again, the exterior of the eatery did not represent it’s great interior. Some things were the same as yesterday, but we also had some new foods. Once back at the hotel, we work out at the hotel gym and then J goes for a swim in the outdoor pool. We go to bed early, 9:30 as we have an early morning tomorrow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 9 - Wednesday</b> - Today we have an early morning start (5 am wake up call, and 6 am pickup), the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, in 332 BC with 8 million people. Here we are on the road again. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfjNs70h1fOtsCvri9rI8jiPu38Lm5G7OuoeCRiMOnEh_wvEV5p1yuounUOgWn05Rtt_AeXOaF0qTAnFVv5XZ_lKg8m4Wr4EWew360xU06OrHJj5EmmRpXzM3tu4JuC_wSZetL650t_3X/s1600/P1060574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfjNs70h1fOtsCvri9rI8jiPu38Lm5G7OuoeCRiMOnEh_wvEV5p1yuounUOgWn05Rtt_AeXOaF0qTAnFVv5XZ_lKg8m4Wr4EWew360xU06OrHJj5EmmRpXzM3tu4JuC_wSZetL650t_3X/s320/P1060574.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The drive takes us north along a relatively new highway system. In ancient time, it played an instrumental role in the development of mathematics, engineering, medicine and a center for Christian thought. Little of the ancient city remains. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our first stop is to the Alexandria National Museum, only 5 years old. It has 1800 pieces, covering the different historical periods from the Greco Roman Era onward. Visiting the museum was a different experience than in Cairo, we enjoyed an almost empty museum, taking our time with the collection after we had our guide’s explanation. It was somewhat of a review for us after having visited the Cairo museum, but there were some wonderful pieces found both on land and under water. Again, we learned more about the history of the Egypt.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We also visited our second set of catacombs on our trip. We walked down, through a chiseled out central shaft, along a circular stairway, to the main chamber. The shaft was likely used to lower the bodies for burial. These catacombs had some amazing elaborate etchings and carved sarcophagi, dating back to the second century AD, are three levels, but the lowest level is flooded by groundwater.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We visited Pompey's Pillar, a column of red Aswan granite standing some 90 feet high with a circumference of 27 feet, was erected in honor of the Emperor Diocletian, as a Greek. At one time there was a temple erected on this site, but earthquakes and using materials for blocking the harbor to prevent enemy boats from entering reduced the number of ruins in this area. They actually have dive expeditions in the eastern harbor to view the remnants from the destroyed temple There is a couple of large red granite sphinx where J posed. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoAIynoez6DwQgZSdpMAESCyqz1bzi1Cw0PdW6mWfrUu-irCn5tLa1OwczZQ0KYay-U10WlWXrFtMu8mmYLEWUed3cfisldTg4_4wFO2vJOwXdzwA416kVl03UTSu2DRpie42SFt8baAK/s1600/P1060638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoAIynoez6DwQgZSdpMAESCyqz1bzi1Cw0PdW6mWfrUu-irCn5tLa1OwczZQ0KYay-U10WlWXrFtMu8mmYLEWUed3cfisldTg4_4wFO2vJOwXdzwA416kVl03UTSu2DRpie42SFt8baAK/s320/P1060638.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> They are very proud of the very contemporary designed, Alexandria Library, supported internationally. It was closed today, so we had a walk around the outside and took a couple of photos. The library provides both the national and international researchers with collections and facilities focusing on Alexandrian, Egyptian, ancient and medieval civilizations. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We had a great lunch at the “Fish Market” restaurant of fried or grilled mullet and delicious assorted salads (which are dips with freshly made pita-style bread), and a great view of the bay. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx7dL7GHsaTR2or61dDusJVtSuqTHt2pqQ5Icmp-ghpz71wibcNnMmu0DEUySnw_y5Ih9wpNFisJg2aSyR3bPyosUgLSskLsEDbCPdWDRoRG-yaaO0uRSMGyKfV6QzLU2Yt_kN6no5CJ2/s1600/P1060651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx7dL7GHsaTR2or61dDusJVtSuqTHt2pqQ5Icmp-ghpz71wibcNnMmu0DEUySnw_y5Ih9wpNFisJg2aSyR3bPyosUgLSskLsEDbCPdWDRoRG-yaaO0uRSMGyKfV6QzLU2Yt_kN6no5CJ2/s320/P1060651.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNApCaeaAuzUk9PshP29MdlFGLhDHPPbvyDYLP0XSRyLC5f52ktV585CIuVRpug7Vc42UGvUqULt7vC35Iy7emEO8-0wad0hQnl8n-j3ZlW0rJuX-9JqRgdN1nESiTdt_ohIlObO6cWPa/s1600/P1060653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNApCaeaAuzUk9PshP29MdlFGLhDHPPbvyDYLP0XSRyLC5f52ktV585CIuVRpug7Vc42UGvUqULt7vC35Iy7emEO8-0wad0hQnl8n-j3ZlW0rJuX-9JqRgdN1nESiTdt_ohIlObO6cWPa/s320/P1060653.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once we finished lunch we headed to the Maritim Hotel Alexandria. A very nice hotel and we have a sea view. We worked out and J had a swim in their ice-cold swimming pool. We decided to watch Around the World in 80 days before we ate at the hotel’s Lebanese restaurant. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 10 - Thursday</b> - We are ready to roll at 8 for our tour at El Alamein, the place where the Allied forces of WW II gained a decisive victory over the Axis forces. The drive takes 1 1/2 hours traveling parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. Driving in Egypt makes driving in Naples a walk in the park! Hardly anyone uses a signal to indicate lane changes, they just creep in or merge in. It seems that it’s the very rare vehicle that does not have dents and scratches on it. Our guide in Cairo told us “why buy a new car, when it’ll be old by the time you drive it home for the first time!” Our driver, Memut, knows his way around and keeps us safe. We appreciate his skills. Watching the traffic from our hotel balcony is a source of amusement and amazement at the brazenness of the drivers. Although if they weren’t this way they’d never get anywhere. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our drive to and from the battlefields and museum, takes us by an oil refinery, a sea salt bed and refinery, as well as countless resort developments lining the Mediterranean with condos for rent or purchase. These facilities border onto the western desert and are the hot spots for summer vacationers from all over Egypt and likely some of the Arabic countries. They appear to be like enclosed mini towns with all the modern conveniences. They own the beach in front of their resort and so no outsiders can use them. They are like mini oasis in the midst of the desert. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once we arrive at El Alamein, we stop at the war museum explaining the 2 year battle for control over the Suez Canal. Egypt having been a former British Colony fought on the Allied side. Eventually the Allies won this back and forth battle. The museum had an extensive collection from this battle and other North African battles that we found interesting to view. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our last stop was to the Commonwealth cemetery and memorial for those who died in this battle. It is immaculately maintained on behalf on the commonwealth countries and a beautiful tribute to the soldiers. There was a registry for the buried as well as a registry for those missing with a small number of Canadian casualties. There were tombstones for about 7800. It gave us time to think about our soldiers who have died, as tomorrow is Remembrance Day. Visiting these places really brings home the devastation that war causes - so many lives lost. It’s one thing to read about it, its another to see the vastness of these cemeteries.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwiZ4AqutK9SWtRu5sDZPJnAoHY91qZC8eTLU4IYJawJNW9IK5OjVQiwy5l0FNRGnv38JhyphenhyphenZnO8S1rIaW7iwZBi0R6y2U32E2n3O8rzyXMEEC56vIbq9ZtWW1SAHltchVsWx4MYr6a5Nu/s1600/P1060718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwiZ4AqutK9SWtRu5sDZPJnAoHY91qZC8eTLU4IYJawJNW9IK5OjVQiwy5l0FNRGnv38JhyphenhyphenZnO8S1rIaW7iwZBi0R6y2U32E2n3O8rzyXMEEC56vIbq9ZtWW1SAHltchVsWx4MYr6a5Nu/s320/P1060718.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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We went back to Alexandria in time for J to have a swim in the Mediterranean and play in the waves.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 11 - Friday</b> - Today we made our way back to Cairo. Being Friday, their day of prayer and day off, the traffic is very light and at no time at all, we are on the highway. The main highways are 2 - 3 lanes, but not nearly as smooth as what we are used to - good thing we had seat belts on a couple of times to keep from hitting our heads on the roof! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we travel along, we pass wall-enclosed brick factories, enclosed big scale farms as well as some residential communities (especially closer to Cairo). If the ground is not irrigated, its desert. We were told that 90% of Egypt’s people live along the Nile and out of the 85 million people, 25% live in Cairo. We can believe it. Cairo is crowded and quite dirty. Most of the buildings are dirty from the pollution, and from the sand. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We were dropped off at the hotel. Our guide from the other day Mywah met us at 12:30 to visit “Old Cairo”. Old Cairo is a small area consisting of a synagogue, and 2 Coptic Churches and a Mosque. The synagogue is no longer being used for religious purposes, but for tourism. The Jews were expelled from Egypt in the 50’s so there are very few remaining Jews in Cairo. The Coptic Church (Christian) is where the Holy Family is said to have stayed for 3 months while hiding out from the census.<br />
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Then we went to the “Hanging Church” built upon walls of an ancient Roman fortress.<br />
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Our last stop was to the Coptic Museum, learning about the Christian movement within Egypt, again, another insight into the makings of Egypt. While walking the streets in this area, the young tweens were eyeing J, one even was bold enough to touch his cheek! This time he was soaking it in!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We returned to our hotel in the late afternoon and set about getting organized to leave in the morning for the next part of our Egypt tour. We went downstairs for dinner, enjoying Chinese cuisine with a few vegetables. We’ve found that the meals we’ve been having do not come with many vegetables, so this was welcomed! While in the lobby we had a chance to watch a wedding procession accompanied by Egyptian horns and a bagpipe type instrument with the wedding guests following to the reception hall. The Muslim bride doesn’t look much different than NA brides, she is dressed in white, with no skin exposed. Her hair is encased in a white scarf and a veil is attached to that. The male of course, is in a tux. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 12 - Saturday</b> - We left the hotel at 8:15 today to head to the airport for our flight to Luxor. Luxor, located on the Nile is about an hour flight time south of Cairo. The airport is not busy at all. Our guide indicated that the Jan. revolution has really hurt tourism in this country and the airport used to be filled with tourists, whereas now, it’s very quite. We can see this as soon as we walk into the terminal. It takes us less than 10 min to get through all of the formalities. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our 10:30 flight is smooth and we arrive on time. We are met by another Emeco Travel co. rep, Michael, who takes us to our hotel, Sonesta St. Georges Luxor. We immediately notice how much cleaner this city is compared to Cairo. We find out that tourism is the main industry here and 50% of the population works in it , so they have a stake in the well being of the place. There are flowering bushes planted along the highways and garbage is not stacked up in places and corners like what we’ve seen in other places. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> It’s located along the east bank of the Nile and it’s a very nice spot. The view from the back of the hotel is very pleasant, of the Nile, but not so nice on either side of the hotel. T wanted to go out for a walk to get a feel for the place. M decided to go with her and about 3 min into the walk she wanted to return to the hotel. The hounding from the local Egyptian men to come look, come buy, I give you good price, come for a carriage ride, “I give you good price” was quite overwhelming and uncomfortable. Staying at the resorts certainly allows for avoiding this interaction! We did walk for about 20 min. finding sidewalks was not easy, but we did manage to stay out of traffic’s way. Just before we returned to the hotel we stopped across the street to buy bottled water, an experience too. The water cooler was locked so we placed our order to one guy while the other wanted us to come into his establishment to pay, and peddle his shop wares leading us deeper into the building. Finally, he told us a price to buy the water but still wouldn’t let up... A good scheme to get people into their shop!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The hotel had a wonderful pool area to lounge around and a great pool for J to swim in. We spent the rest of the afternoon soaking up some rays. Dinner was at the hotel’s Japanese restaurant - J tried sushi for the first time and liked it!! another first for him. We ordered our first and last glass of Egyptian white wine. We had heard it was lousy, but thought we had to try for ourselves, what we had heard was not far off from our vie as well, well the Luxor beer is very nice. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 13 - Sunday</b> - Today you will embark on a full day visit to the ancient temples of Abydos and Dandarah. Both temples were well preserved and were at one time very big complexes. Even though Dandarah is only 30 miles north of Luxor, it takes us about 1 1/4 hours to reach it. The road is busy with traffic, many places where traffic is stopped /slowed down with barriers placed on the road to control traffic speed and just a down right bumpy road! The flowers along the road are wonderful, and the landscape of the farming area is enjoyable.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Dandarah is the temple where Egyptians worshipped Hathor, the ancient Egyptian goddess of love and joy, equivalent to the Greek, Aphrodite and the Roman’s Venus. It was very large and we spent some time walking amongst the ruins and getting an explanation. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next we visited Abydos, an important place in the religious history of Pharaonic Egypt. By the end of the Old Kingdom, its local god, Osiris, was the most prominent and popular of the Egyptian gods, since he was considered the god of afterlife. <br />
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We spent about 6 hours in the van today - M had had enough of being bounced around in the back. Our guide was into giving detailed explanations of the drawings and temples eventually it was information overload, M and J before T. <br />
Although the drive was long it certainly provided us with a glimpse into the life of rural Egypt. There are mud brick homes built to keep them cool in the 40 - 50 degree summer temperatures. We passed many fields full of sugar cane and many with veggie crops.<br />
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We see lots of vans and small pickup trucks with canopies on the back used as taxis for the locals to get from place to place. Sometimes we’ve been amazed and laughed at how many people they fit into the vehicles. We arrive back at the hotel for J to have a swim and to see the sun go down.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 14 - Monday</b> - We were met at 9:30 today, so J enjoyed a sleep in. We visited the Luxor Museum and enjoyed seeing a great collection of Egyptian antiques from the upper Egyptian Kingdoms. Many of them were from the Luxor Temple, with some from King Tut’s tomb as well. Many of the statues were in great shape and we even recognized a few from previous museum visits. We also stopped at a shop where they make things from alabaster as well as other rocks. There were some neat items. We bought a couple of small pyramids </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We were driven to our river cruise boat TUYA one of about 15 moored in the area. Cruising on the Nile is big business by the looks of the number of boats moored, actually there are 250 being used. Our boat is three stories high and our room is quite comfortable. The upper deck is well outfitted with lounge chairs and covered sitting areas to enjoy the scenery when we cruise down the river. There’s also a small pool to cool off it, which J might use. </div><div class="MsoNormal">We met our tour guide, Osama, for 3:00 to visit the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor on the East Bank. Luxor Temple was built by two Kings, Amenophis III and Ramses II. The Temple of Karnak is huge, covering several acres, with towering pillars, columns and a couple of obelisks. There are still great remnants of the tales of the life and afterlife etched into the walls. <br />
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The temples have four main sections, with only the rich, royalty, and high priests granted entrance into the most holy place, the sanctuary and the commoners, only allowed in the courtyards. As we are leaving the sun is going down, which only takes about 5 minutes here.<br />
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We reached Luxor Temple, which used to be the main worship centre of ancient Egypt. As the sun has set, the temple with its statues, immense columns and decorated walls are lit up adding a special majestic feeling to the place.<br />
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At one time these two temples were joined to each other by over a 2-mile avenue of ram headed sphinxes. We only see a portion of this, because the rest is buried under modern day hotels, houses and a couple of mosques. We’re told they would like to eventually be able to reclaim this land, not sure it’ll happen.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 15 - Tuesday</b> - We are up at 6 to be ready to leave the boat for 7am. We left the East bank of the Nile to travel to the West bank to where the Ancient Egyptians wanted to be buried. Today’s tour took us to the Valley of the Kings, where there were 62 tombs built into the barren hills and mountains.<br />
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They chose to build tombs here because the pyramids were being robbed so they wanted to find somewhere where this didn’t happen.... but did. King Tut Ankh Amun’s tomb was discovered here, and the only reason why he’s so famous is his tomb was the only found within the valley of kings totally intact and not emptied by the grave/tomb robbers. He was only 19 when he died, having ruled for only 10 years. Over the tours we have heard of the robbing of countless antiquities now in the hands of foreigners and museums abroad. It’s really only since 1959 that there’s been a law in place concerning the removal of artifacts. But that doesn’t stop the locals from finding things and selling them to collectors for big bucks and sudden richness. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We also visited mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, the only woman Pharaoh to rule ancient Egypt and the Valley of the Queens. Again we entered a couple of tombs and saw some great colored walls full of stories. All these areas were within the desert surrounded by sandstone mountains. Very cool place to see, kind of reminded us of an Indiana Jones movie set.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our last stop of the day was to an alabaster factory where we were shown how they make the artwork by hand, a labor-intensive process. The shop was full of wonderful works made from 3 colors of alabaster, onyx of many colors, moonstone, basalt and granite. There were some wonderful pieces and T chose a green alabaster jar to buy. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We returned to the boat for lunch and relaxation in the room and up on deck as the boat continued its cruise down the Nile.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 16 - Wednesday</b> - After breakfast at 7:30 we leave the ship to go for a carriage ride through the town of Edfu where the Temple of Horus, the Falcon God. Again the structure is huge with some great remains of color and pillars as well as walls where the ancient stories were told. J enjoyed sitting up front with the carriage driver and he took over the reins to guide the horse, with the drivers help. There were merchants galore trying to get us to visit their shops, too much of a hassle to go in! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We returned to the boat for some sun and relaxation and a BBQ lunch on the upper deck. We set sail for Kom Ombo at 10:30. It was very relaxing cruising the river and enjoying the scenery of the lush green river banks and the desert not far away. The temple of Kom Ombo is to the crocodile god and is built in the same time period as the one in Dandara. The Greeks also built this one, taking 180 years to complete. Caught another sunset...<br />
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Tonight is Egyptian night and many of the guests are dressed in Egyptian attire they’ve acquired from one of the hundreds of vendors we’ve encountered on our excursions. J wanted to go down, so when T went to check on him he was dancing with the women from Spain and doing his John Travolta moves including handstands - priceless! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 17 - Thursday</b> This is our last full day on the cruise boat. This morning we are out the door by 8:00. We are now docked in Aswan, Egypt’s largest southern city of 1.5 million. Our first stop on this morning’s tour is an ancient granite quarry with the unfinished obelisk lying on its 40 m long side.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA3Q5xGIl5tFsq20eXixKcXYifkl-o3Dc4C6vMqH7qenEMuizyexiJD5rt8J4CiU5LNsfGVfkt85nOHjQ3DqOpu5OYdzOPLDUEmFf0bwI8WChlDDvpse4nxjo9X9ixyuHIRF_Tgu0kDkL/s1600/P1070045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA3Q5xGIl5tFsq20eXixKcXYifkl-o3Dc4C6vMqH7qenEMuizyexiJD5rt8J4CiU5LNsfGVfkt85nOHjQ3DqOpu5OYdzOPLDUEmFf0bwI8WChlDDvpse4nxjo9X9ixyuHIRF_Tgu0kDkL/s320/P1070045.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
It is from this quarry and area that any carved red or black granite statues came from. We drove over the original Old High Dam spanning the Nile, built in 1898 to the Aswan’s High Dam built in 1960’s. Our guide provided us with the history and details of the project which has prevented Egypt from suffering from droughts as this dam has formed the world’s largest artificial lake, Lake Nasser (after the president at the time) 5km in width and 500 km in length. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once they built the high dam, it flooded the Philae Temple. To preserve this monument, it was dismantled and reassembled on an island about 500 m from its original place. The Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, is in a beautiful setting that has been landscaped to match its original site. Its various shrines and sanctuaries, which include a temple of Hathor, a Birth House and two pylons, celebrate all the deities involved in the Isis and Osiris myth were all moved as well. During the relocation project there were some 47000 pieces to reassemble, taking 10 years. The boat ride out to the island was accomplished in no time in one of the many water taxis lining the small harbor. We were able to see several Ibis standing along the shore.<br />
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We saw this bird depicted in all the temples we visited. While on the island we bought a book about Egypt for J as it’ll be a good reminder and reference of the many places we visited. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our last stop was an essence shop, selling oils they get from plants and flowers. We were all treated to the general sales pitch as well as a massage. T didn’t enjoy hers as much as M or J. <br />
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We did learn about the making of the oils and were able to sample a few. We came out of there with a few to bring home. Then we went back to the boat for lunch and catching some rays before heading out for our last tour with Osama, our guide, for a felucca sail around a couple of islands and just enjoy being on the water under sail. <br />
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Our sail was an hour and then we headed for the local bazaar for an hour of browsing and some did shop. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We enjoyed checking out one of the many spice shops and asking the shop keeper what some of the things were - cool to see indigo, dried hibiscus for tea, cinnamon sticks, dried lotus flowers, many kinds of dried dates - apparently there are over 150 different varieties grown here. We bought some dates and peanuts and both were very tasty. We walked the length of the bazaar and back again checking out the shops from the street. Of course, every vendor said something to us to try to get us into their shop to check things out. We didn’t buy anything and it was tiresome to continually say no. We did decide to cross the street where the locals were busy buying veggies from carts. It was fun to watch their comings and goings. When we still had time to wait for the other tour members, we found a set of stairs to sit on out of the way and people watch on the busy bazaar street. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Once everyone got to our meeting spot, we headed for the boat for our last night. After dinner, we said goodbye to our tour mates, Brenda and Jan from New Zealand, they were headed out at 7 am to catch a flight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 18 - Friday</b> - This morning we are up at 7:00 and down at breakfast for 8:00. Our luggage had to be outside our room for 8:30. We are meeting our tour rep at 9 who will accompany us to our hotel, Pyramisa Isis Island Hotel. After breakfast we said good-bye to our other tour mate, Sandra, from Perth, ON and made sure we tipped the crew of the boat, before heading off on a water taxi to travel up the Nile to our hotel. While on the tour, it’s been a continuum of tipping for services. It is on its own island and quite large. It has a couple of pools we enjoyed in the afternoon after working out and having a leisure lunch on one of the covered patios. It was very pleasant. The general manager came to greet us in the lobby and thanked us “choosing to come to Egypt at this time”. It was another indication that the revolution has really hurt one of the country’s biggest industries. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We have enjoyed the weather here, about 30 C during the day, but being on the water, there has been a breeze. By 4 pm it is being to get cooler and by 5 the sun has set. This is the first hotel in Egypt we have had free WIFI so we spent the evening trying to get some downloads done for J’s school work. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 19 - Saturday</b> - We had a leisure morning and enjoyed a walk around some of the hotel’s island. There are citrus, orange, grapefruit and date trees. There are countless birds here as they migrate here from other parts of Europe for the winter. Winter here has an average temperature of 30 while the summer hits 50! Our tour company rep met us at 11:45 to go back to the mainland so we could head to the airport to catch our flight back to Cairo. We are staying overnight at the Pyramisa Cairo, the same hotel we stayed at 2 other occasions this past couple of weeks. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-61703757804365671352011-11-20T07:46:00.000-08:002011-11-20T07:46:11.691-08:00Last Update from Italy - Turin<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 1 – Tuesday</b> - We are up fairly early, the boat is supposed to dock at 8:30, 9:30 Greek time, so we are up earlier than necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go down for a coffee and leave J to sleep, he’s up by the time we return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since they have food services on board, we decide to have breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boat docks at 10:15 and we’re on the road soon after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today we are headed to Hotel Cosmopolitan in Bologna. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As we begin the drive, we are reminded of how temperate it is near Bari as we see crops growing that were planted recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many fields full of lush green veggies still growing. Today we drive right up the east coast of Italy from Bari until Rimini and then head inland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s another lovely drive, seeing vineyards that have finished their yearly yield with leaves varying from maroon, red, orange and yellow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the plants are tall and thin, some short and stout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some cases, near Pescara and Ancona in the Abruzzo region, the leaf canopy of the vines were so thick with a mix of all those colors - beautiful!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After having driven over 600 km, we arrive in Bologna to Hotel Cosmopolitan for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a local pizzeria, not far from the hotel and had a wonderful meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We savored our Italian fare! We have missed the wonderful food of Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no English TV, we decide to watch the movie, Finding Forester before heading off to bed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 2 - Wednesday</b> - We leave the hotel by 9:45 to head to Firenze for outlet shopping (been there in Sept. when we stayed in Salsomaggiore).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T wants to get a pair of boots before leaving Italy. While T shops like a trooper, M and J shop for J and successfully find him some new walking shoes, and T finds herself a couple pair of great looking boots. With the shopping mission accomplished, we head onto Turin where we’ll stay for 3 nights.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The drive along the autostrada is busy with trucks and we pass through territory we’ve travelled and some new territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go from flat agricultural land to rolling hills with lots of trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a pretty area. This city is slightly smaller than Calgary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is the mix of old with new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find our Novotel hotel quite easily. J finishes an assignment, and drive to a recommended local restaurant, La Medusa a ten-minute drive, but easy to find.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The restaurant is busy with locals when we arrive we enjoy a great dinner<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of pizza and J has a pasta dish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pizza was one of the things we talked about wanting to have before leaving Italy once again, and J loves his Italian pasta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 3 - Thursday</b> - M posts our Turkey blog and then J completes homework assignments in the AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a bag to send home to Canada today because we are giving up our leased car <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on Friday before flying off to Egypt and traveling with the extra bag is not reasonable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a Mailbox Etc. depot and with the suggestion of the owner, sent our bag at a much cheaper rate than we anticipated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we returned to the hotel, we found a little restaurant nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Open daily only for lunch, it’s full of workers from surrounding businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s good food and super prices - likely the cheapest we’ve had in Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three of us are happy, full, and ready to catch the tram to the centro of Torino.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We pay for the tram when we find the officer onboard and look for the Girabaldi stop (about 20 min).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the stop is not announced, but we decide to get off after we pass the main train station that we know is past where we are headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Armed with a map from the hotel, we try to find our way around the old part of Torino.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The buildings are beautiful and many of them have arched covered walkways, allowing us to walk protected from the slight drizzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets in the center are cobbled and many have tram tracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see a number of fountains and bronze statues honoring historic figures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoy walking through several grand piazzas, virtually empty of tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We are definitely in the low season - the drizzle doesn’t help any either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wonder about, have a fabulous Italian cappuccino (another thing we have been missing), while J begins satisfying his fix of gelato. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We come across the Royal Palace, wander behind the castello and admire the architecture of the many wonderful buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Italy has so much incredible architecture to admire it’s a feast for the eyes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After wandering for a couple of hours, its time to head back to the hotel. We went to La Medusa for dinner again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed it last night and there were more good things on the menu.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 4 - Friday</b> - We go downstairs for a cap to start the morning, while J sleeps in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time to get caught up on some homework on-line assignments since we have great internet service at this hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide to go to the same next door restaurant for lunch - again, a good lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s raining heavier today, so we bring the umbrellas with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, we take the tram to the centro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know where we want to get off today, and do so with ease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We are headed to the Museum of Cinema, which is housed in the Turin landmark of Mole Antonelliana, built in the 1800’s originally as a synagogue, but the city of Turin bought it before it was finished to be a monument of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time it was built, it was the largest brick building in Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mole Antoneliana holds the national museum of cinema.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within this building is an elevator we took to the top of the building to have a panoramic view of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, with today’s rain, the view is limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We still get an appreciation for how well laid out this city is and the architecture style of the buildings in the old part of Turin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The elevator ride was great, it took us through the centre of the building and we had a great view of this awesome structure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The museum was really neat. It actually had been the collection of one individual who collected all kinds of movie props etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within the museum, it also introduced us to the early methods of film making which was quite interesting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could even recline on chairs and watch some old flicks shown on the walls. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An uneventful tram ride back and eventually went back to La Medusa, yet again, for another great dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">November 5 - Saturday</b> - It continues to rain heavily today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we were downstairs have our morning cap, we watched on TV the mayhem in Genova caused by flash floods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier this week flooding occurred in Monterosso of Cinque Terre. Reports say it’ll change this popular tourist destination forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had just been there in June and were saddened by the news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The amount of mud and debris deposited in the narrow streets is immense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J completed a couple of science experiments in our hotel room before getting on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are returning to Milan to drop off our Peugeot station wagon, our steady companion since June (look at the picture - can you tell which one was ours?)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As J said, “I’m going to miss this beast” and no wonder considering we put 13 000 km on the vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Counting up the mileage that M has driven, its close to 22 000 km.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve been to a lot of places!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We have no problem finding the drop off place for our Peugeot and after 15 min of paperwork, we are finished that task and are on our way to the Sheraton Hotel at Malpensa airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We explore the airport terminal to find the Egyptair for tomorrow’s flight and change some money into Egyptian pounds - $6 Can for 1 LE.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we return to the hotel, J is engrossed in NCAA football, (he’s been missing his sports broadcasts) so we go to the gym and have a workout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After M returns from getting his haircut, we head down to the restaurant for our goodbye Italy dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’ll be a while before we return to this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have had a fabulous time here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J expounds on the tremendous food the Italians make and have - we whole hardily agree.</div><!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-89210414311270064772011-11-03T01:41:00.000-07:002011-11-03T01:41:28.288-07:00Update from Turkey<!--[if !mso]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 12 - Wednesday</b> -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today its onwards into Turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we are on the road by 9:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not sure how long the process will be to get a visa and cross the border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are now leaving the European visa free travel zone (called Schengen), which feels like borderless travel - although there are borders its visa free travel with few places where you are asked even to stop when crossing a border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we travelled between, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Monaco, and Greece, which are all part of Schegen, there were no issues crossing the borders. Today we are entering a new country that is not part of that zone, and we know we need entry visas that are issued at the border for travelers from Canada (other countries as well) but we are not sure what that will entail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We arrive at the border within 30 min. of leaving the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the Greek border M gets our passports stamped and inquires about visa - after a couple of checks, we are told you have the police stamp, you’re fine to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alright we think, now we travel over a bridge which has a couple of checkpoints with armed guards on either side as we continue to the Turkish border crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is here that we have our vehicle papers checked, then passports checked, visas issued, and then all paperwork checked all over again at a third checkpoint. The border guards were very helpful advising M where to go to get things done at each step.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Alright, 45 minutes later, we are on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The landscape changes to include larger farm land holdings and bigger farm buildings and more modern machinery than what we had seen in Greece for the most part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The roads aren’t as well maintained in this area, but we can tell from the map that they will improve as we get nearer Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually about half way we come across some highway reconstruction to increase lanes and repave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is welcomed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This highway is heavily patrolled, in fact we have seen more police radar on this stretch than we have seen for the entire prior 6 months!.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We join onto the National highway (which would lead into Bulgaria if leaving `Turkey).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we get onto the newer highway, we come to a toll booth which is unmanned - not like other places in Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M tries to figure out what to about the machine and a trucker behind us beeps,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s motioning M to pull forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously he can tell by our plate that we are not from here and we don’t know what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pulls ahead and rolls down his window and shows M where to cross the motorway lanes to buy a toll pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok, so we pull over onto the side of the road and M crosses two lanes, stops at the median and crosses two more, to get to the booth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He buys a 50 Turkish Lira pass, allowing us to travel on the tolled road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He crosses back the lanes back to the vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ran back to the toll booth and scanned the pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are free to go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This highway is great and the banks along the roadway are manicured and landscaped, impressive. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s not long that we come to see the outskirts of Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The city appears endless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we have entered Turkey we notice the vast number of apt. buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of them appear new or well kept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see a sign saying population 12.5 million people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We marvel that this is the largest city that any of us have ever been to. Later as we talk with locals we learn that the current population is more than 15 million, meaning that Istanbul alone has more people than all of Greece!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We have decided to park our car at the international airport for the two weeks we are touring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that long term parking exists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having seen all the traffic, it’s a good choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not have GPS for Turkey on the vehicle, so trying to find the hotel could be difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We follow the roadsigns and easily find the airport and locate the parking with ease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find a spot and unload everything we want to take with us and go in search of a WC (bathrooms) before getting a taxi to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The taxi ride to the hotel is about 25 min long at a set price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took us along the waterfront, on a very pretty drive, past a number of monuments, partial rock walls, centuries old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see a number of mosques with tall steeples - we’ll have to ask about those.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrive at the Conrad Hilton which is the start hotel for our tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very big and has some beautiful parkland around it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we arrive in the driveway, we are stopped by a security guard who uses a camera device which he uses to check underneath the vehicle and checks the trunk before allowing us onto the hotel property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To enter this beautiful hotel we need to have our bags x-rayed before going further into the lobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, we certainly know we are going to be safe here (we learn later than these security rules came in after 9/11).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hotel is beautiful, we have arrived a day early and will hang out and enjoy this beautiful facility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J is quite impressed with this 5 star hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check in is a breeze although J is surprised that our room isn’t any larger than other hotels we have stayed in...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a time for us to teach him that just because we’re in a fancier hotel doesn’t mean we’re going to have larger accommodations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s near 3 pm and we haven’t had lunch yet, so we go down to the Monet restaurant for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our waiter Mehmet is wonderful and he takes a shining to J.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t think they see many kids in this hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a delightful and delicious lunch - J is treated to a macchiato by Mehmet and small Caesar salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He comes by and chats to practice his English, he tells us that he is taking another English course to improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We say goodbye and tell him perhaps we’ll see him tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We go explore the hotel to locate the pool, and gym facilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T sees a salon so makes an appointment for later as she hadn’t had a cut since the end of June - it was time!!! J wants to go to the pool and M and T decide to work out in the gym which we can see the pool from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all enjoy the great facilities and then head back to the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide to go down to the same restaurant for dinner and are treated very well by all the staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do enjoy chatting with us, the manager of the restaurant came over and chatted a few times, offered his card to us in case we ran into problems in Istanbul, we could call him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We asked him a number of questions and he was more than happy to answer us. We have found the people we have encountered so far as very friendly!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>J went back to the room to play a computer game while M and T go up to the summit bar at the 14th floor of the hotel with an amazing view of the river, the bridge linking Europe to Asia and some of the Istanbul skyline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat out on the terrace, with pashminas courtesy of the hotel around our shoulders and had a “Hilton priced” nightcap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The manager of the restaurant had warned us that Turkey is expensive for two things, gasoline and alcohol....<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 13 - Thursday</b> - Our first full day in Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We head down to the restaurant for a wonderful buffet breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J has a couple of things to finish on an assignment before we venture out to explore the area of Istanbul around the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked through the park next to the hotel and then ventured through neighborhoods nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a number of older buildings now housing museums, walked by some very old mosques, old rock walls, and some narrow steep roads - as this area is up on a hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some beautiful ornate wrought iron fences around parks and other properties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s high density residential here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked down several streets to get to the road along the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s very busy along the main road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some high-end hotels along the water, and a former palace which is now the highest priced accommodation in Istanbul with some really cool gates that show the Asian influence in architecture. We decided to head toward to water to walk around and watch Istanbul in action. We are near a university so we see many young students. The entrances into the university grounds are all gated with security and passes need. The waterfront is busy with people selling food, and trinkets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pass by bus and ferry terminals. The water front is busy with the coming and goings of ferries that transport people across the channel to the Asian side of Istanbul. There are a number of men fishing off the pier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also see police around patrolling on foot keeping an eye on things. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We sat down at an outdoor cafe for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ordered kebabs - which here means anything cooked on a spit, so it came open faced, donair style chicken piled on a long thin wrap. M decided to try his first Turkish coffee, brave man!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Down on the bottom third of the espresso size cup are the grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M figures he drank a little too far down, a bit gritty there - yuck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Turks love their tea, which is quite strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The proprietor of the cafe served us each a complementary cup of apple tea which is very delicious, similar to hot apple cider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continue to walk around the area and soon find a cobblestone street lined with small shops and cafes very busy with people. Its after 5PM<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>now and we can see that folks have gotten off work and are starting to enjoy the evening.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We head back to the hotel and while M does some computer work T and J head to the pool and gym area again. Then we meet up with our tour guide and fellow tourers at the tour introduction meeting. We find the tour will include two other Canadian couples, several Australians, two couples from New Zealand, some couples from the UK, and several couples from the US with 8 of the folks from New York City. We go back to the Monet for dinner and return to our room for an early evening as the tours starts early tomorrow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 14 - Friday</b> - The first day of our Insight Vacations tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to have our luggage outside of our door for 7:00 am for the bellmen to pick up and bring down to the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wakeup call arranged by the tour director is for 6:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We head down to the lobby for breakfast at 7:15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The restaurant is busy with early diners many of them likely on tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our tour departs at 8 am with the first stop about 15 min. from the hotel to catch a ferry to travel along the the Bosphorus (which separates Europe from Asia). Unfortunately it’s raining today and the cloud ceiling is low, so the view isn’t quite as spectacular as it could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We travel along the water, getting information about the buildings and establishment of Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Istanbul now has 15 million people, with 2700 mosques and about 500 churches of other denominations just in Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 4 million registered vehicles here - and no doubt as we travel about the traffic is really busy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t see the scooters around here like Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we travel along the river we see freighters coming up the channel to enter into the Black Sea which is the gateway into Russia and the Ukraine, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of ferries traveling across to Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We travelled along the water for about an hour or so and then got back on the bus and continued enroute to the “second bridge” to take us into the Asian Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bridge is very busy with traffic, there are 2 main bridges, and a tunnel as well as another bridge soon to be constructed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the amount of traffic there is, there is definitely a need.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We took a ferry across the Sea of Marmara to cut out some of the distance toward our final destination for the day, Bursa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch we head to a small Turkish city called<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iznik also known by its ancient name Nikaia (Nicaea). We drove through a number of agricultural regions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was interesting to see how in some places there were crops being grown amongst the olive groves, we hadn’t seen this before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicaea is where the 1st and 7th Ecumenical Councils met and where the Nicene Creed was written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also had a vital role in being the capital city during the Byzantine rule and the Ottoman rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped to have a look at the Hagias Sophia that started as a church, then a mosque then abandoned until about 4 years ago when the Turkish government restored to preserve this important place in history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a remnant of a mosaic floor, different from the ones we saw in Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shape of the church was reminiscent of the churches built in Ravenna. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our last stop of the day was the Grand Mosque and the Silk market in Bursa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Grand Mosque allowed women as well as men in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to take our shoes off at the door and carry them within plastic bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T had to cover her head with a provided scarf, as expected of all women as their hair is considered a distraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The women and men pray at different areas of the mosques, to avoid distraction during prayers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Within this mosque there were 20 domes, many more than usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one has so many because the sultan at the time had promised the people that if they won the war, he would have 20 mosques built for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this became impossible to fulfill as money was tight and so many people had died, so instead he had built this large mosque with its 20 domes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mosque was built at a time when iconism (having portraits or idols) was not allowed within the mosque, so calligraphy is used in fancy format to provide the decor of the interior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The centre of the mosque has a fountain used for cleansing before prayer, must wash feet, hands, arms to elbows, face, three times prior to commencing prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually the people wash outdoors in the faucets provided, but this fountain is present because originally the person who owned the land where the fountain sits, did not want to give up her house/land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woman appeared in the sultan’s dream and warned him not to build the mosque on this land or she will haunt him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, he had the mosque built around this area, and built the fountain on what had been her land. It’s Friday and today is the day Muslims go to the mosque to pray.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After seeing the Grand Mosque we went over to the Silk Market. It was here that J got a glimpse of how unusual a blond boy was in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All kinds of women kept coming up to him and touching him - smiling at him, making comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t quite sure how to feel about all the attention - he fled a couple of times!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The silk market was really cool - there must have been fifty shops selling silk scarves, ties, shirts etc. made from the silkworm that form cocoons in the mulberry trees in this area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a couple of months the silkworm cocoon can leave 1000 meters of silk-wire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazing, beautiful silk that is world renowned. There was much to choose from and see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The colors and array of scarves was amazing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, T bought herself one - couldn’t resist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also bought a silk print to have stretched and framed when we get home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bursa is one of the major industrial cities of Turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see a number of factories - textile and car manufacturing. The hotel was built around an ancient Turkish bath house which is still in operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very cool to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chose not to have one today, but will have opportunities further into the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have dinner with our tour group and get to know some of the folk better, then head back to our room where M does a blog post before we all nod off to sleep.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 15 - Saturday</b> - We are up at 7 and on the bus at 8:30 for day 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our first stop is at a 13th century village, Cumalikazik, which is where one of the 24 clans who started the Ottoman empire settled when they came to Turkey. It is one of the only surviving villages of this time period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also where the first mosque was built by the Ottoman clans in this area at that time period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s English translation is “Friday prayer clan” where the villagers would go for Friday prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like stepping back in time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lanes were small round uneven cobble stones, not re-done like some towns we have been in on our travels. Some of the buildings are two story and some are three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The buildings are mud bricks, some with mud mixed with rocks and timbers. There are some that have some paint on the exterior. If there is a third floor it is made of timber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually the lower level was used to keep animals while they lived on the upper level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wondered around this village for about 30 min. gazing at the old style building techniques - it was fascinating.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fall is beginning to arrive here as the fields are plowed and some of the leaves are turning color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s temperature is going to be about 15C and down to about 6C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travel through a number of cities full of apt buildings and quite a bit of new construction, mostly apartments and industry such as Bilecik, Again we see new road construction as they are working on improving the infrastructure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even see a few subdivisions, a couple of times we’ve seen houses designed like N. Amer. suburban homes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The majority of people live in apartments/condos. We’ve left the mountains and head into the “breadbasket of Turkey” flat land where they grow sugar beets, grain and sunflowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This central and Eastern part of Turkey gets cold up to -20 C in the winter and they get lots of snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Stopped for lunch at a university “young people’s town” Eskisehir, that had a large mall complex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went up to the food court where there was some western cuisine - Burger King and Sbarros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have found the odd N. Am. restaurant chain franchise in some of the modern shopping malls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We travel through some hills which are rich with marble and travertine marble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pass piles of crushed marble alongside of the road used for the base of the. Gordion was established in 12th century BC being a stronghold until the 6th century BC. This was also the place where Alexander the Great cut the famous Gordion Knot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stop here to visit the tumulus of King Midas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tumulus is an underground 4 walled timber room, where a corpse is placed inside with all kinds of gifts and then covered with dirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The size of the tumulus that is believed to be for King Midas is the largest one in the area, overall there are likely 50 different tumulus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mound that houses the tumulus is about 40 ft. high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a tunnel taking us into the nucleus of the burial within the tumulus where we can see the actual burial area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We travel on to the capital city of Turkey, Ankara, original name Angora - after the angora goat, whose wool is wonderfully soft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This city became the capital in 1923 by Ataturk because of its central Turkey location and good natural fortifications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time the city was very small, under 100K, but is now about 5 million people, the second largest in Turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As consequence, the city is very modern and the infrastructure is all in place for large boulevards and public transportation, and continues to expand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As its the capital city we pass many government, military and commercial headquarters for this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We arrive at our hotel, the Hilton which is in a central part of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we were checked in a luggage was delivered to the room, we went for a walk suggested by Saba, our wonderful tour director.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find the area easily and its hopping with people, streets jammed with cars, double parking all over the place, in some cases, there is valet parking where you leave the car double parked hand over the keys and come back later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked a while, noticing western store names as well as European and many coffee/tea shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed back to the hotel to enjoy ‘happy hour’ with some of our tour group before dinner. We are getting to know our group and already have several friends. We have a nice dinner then head back to our room for another early evening.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 16 - Sunday</b> We are on the road again by 8:00 am we spend the morning visiting the Anatolian Civilization Museum of Ankara exhibiting a rich collection of archeological objects found during excavations in Anatolia. Then we visit Anit Kabir, the monument and museum built to commemorate Ataturk (the first President of the Republic of Turkey, and the man Turks credit for creating their nation in modern times), and the War of Independence for Turkey which occurred after World War 1. This is very informative to many of us as we know little of the history of the formation of the nation of Turkey following WW1. The museum is done well, showing the horror of war, as well as the birth of a new nation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After leaving Ankara we are on our way to the region of Cappadocia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turkey is a vast country, and we travel through flat land with the occasional hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travel through industrial cities as well as smaller villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travelled through a city that has a plant that manufactures F16 military jets (and will convert to making the new F35 jets once ready), and others plants that assemble cars, and textile manufacturers. Along the way we stop to visit the mausoleum of Sufi philosopher Haci Bektas</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> before heading to Nevsehir in the Cappadocia region. This area has really only been promoted for tourist purposes in the last ten years, as consequence, the amenities such as first rate hotels are lacking (an although we have only been staying in hotels for a few days, we have already become accustomed to the benefits of the top notch ones).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we arrive at out hotel, M and T immediately start doing the laundry. As we stay in this hotel for two nights, its time to do the wash as everything will have time to dry before we need to pack the suitcases again. We have become quite used to doing hand washing as its really the only way to travel for so long with only one suitcase each.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After dinner we have an opportunity to attend an original Whirling Dervish 'Sema' ceremony in the nearby town of Aksaray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people practice their worship by entering a trace-like state and twirl their bodies around in circles repeatedly. M counted that the 5 men we watched twirled about 500 revolutions during the 30 minute ceremony, and yet they looked relaxed and calm at the end, no evidence they were dizzy, M was almost dizzy just from watching. Some compare this to practicing yoga.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 17 - Monday</b> We have a full day in the Cappadocia region- and what a day it is. This area has an incredible beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cappadocia is extraordinary and has bewitched travelers’ for centuries. It was formed a millennium ago as volcanic ash first settled, then hardened into soft rock, and finally eroded, forming the strange and fantastic spires, domes, pinnacles and gorges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of folks use this are as a place to go up hot air balloon as the view from above is spectacular and this morning as we begin our tour, we do see the last of the balloons finishing the journey down the valley - a pretty sight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We drive to the unique Pasabaglari Valley, where multiple fairy chimneys hewn from the earth and shaped by centuries of erosion lend a moon-like landscape and atmosphere to the valley. We walk around the area and J finds a few places he can climb up and enter the houses that were carved out from the stone. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">T finds a shop with pashminas and successfully negotiates a price she can live with (and one that is likely less than 30% of what she would pay at home).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Near lunchtime we arrive at a carpet workshop were we will be fascinated by the beauty of the carpets, a tradition that reveals the nomadic origins of the Turkish people. We learn about and watch a demonstration on how handmade carpets are made, how long it takes (from a few months up to 18 months), and the various materials used (wool threads on a wool backing, wool on cotton, and the most laborious and hence expensive silk on silk. We were amazed to learn that the wool on wool (the easiest to make and the weakest material) handmade carpets will last 150 years being walked on. M told one of the workers that our country is not that old yet. The workmanship of the carpets was exquisite as they displayed all the various kinds in the many patterns of the nation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMHbpiM0s69QU_uZ4_tSe1F4hb4FAqtyrqhqM6BynNTHQYOGkBRf-yu0q9T0W2Z8qmuviXN74u4Nwpqobfii2jWIZESaTcM8Am4VpDO_94VVQQjbbwZ_wtLN7go8H_Tl331fuPGcp0L04/s1600/P1050613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMHbpiM0s69QU_uZ4_tSe1F4hb4FAqtyrqhqM6BynNTHQYOGkBRf-yu0q9T0W2Z8qmuviXN74u4Nwpqobfii2jWIZESaTcM8Am4VpDO_94VVQQjbbwZ_wtLN7go8H_Tl331fuPGcp0L04/s320/P1050613.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During the presentation, we were also shown how they make silk string from the cocoons harvested near Bursa, which they use to make the carpets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fascinating how simple the process is to make the silk strands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They use natural products such as pomegranates to dye the string.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another cool thing we learned was that the silk on silk carpets (which apparently last over 400 years) change color when turned around when the light hits them for different angles. M walked around one carpet about 4 times and was amazed as the color kept changing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find out that this is a dying art, but it is supported by the Turkish Government in trying to keep it going. So we chose to support it too, you can check if you come walk on our floor in Calgary when we get home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Later we visit the Göreme Open Air museum. The people of Göreme realized that the soft rocks of the area could be easily carved out to form houses, churches, monasteries. This Christian sanctuary contains many examples of Byzantine art from the post-iconoclastic period. These frescoes are a unique artistic achievement from the 10th - 12th centuries. There are several fascinating Byzantine cave chapels to explore, most of them decorated with exquisite and colorful biblical frescoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were developed so that the Christians could hide and continue their religious beliefs without being persecuted.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We then drive to the incredible underground city of Derinkuyu, with some dwellings containing rooms expanding seven levels beneath ground level. The people stayed in these underground villages to avoid attackers that would come. They kept full supplies of water and food, a common kitchen, rooms for families, rooms where they kept the live animals, and would sometimes stay underground for up to 3 months, as the attackers from the west would always leave by late summer as the winters in this area were too cold for them. J follows Saba through this area and later gets deputized as the ‘assistant tour director’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All these sites we visited today were within a half hour’s drive from the town where we were staying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today we spent most of our time outside of the bus and by the end of the day, everyone was ready to relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>T made one last stop with some of the tour group to a turquoise jewelry factory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Turkey, the stone is called Turkish Quartz and it is a much deeper blue than Arizona, Mexican, or Chinese turquoises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pieces within the show room were quite ornate, not really her style. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After dinner we have another cultural surprise. We go to a local cabaret spot for a show, including a series of folk dances from around Turkey and then the highlight of the evening, a belly dancer. J was sitting near the front and was one of the audience chosen to participate in one of the folk dances. His real surprise came when the belly dancer came over and sat on his knee and game him a kiss.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRhlP_3PezmXzV4jMzO51_atDymwAuFBDpgmDY2LSh6mQgm4Cm2-CzLM-kSisaMzm53k-jHl9TxML9dyHczaxZtcQ-rCxT9W1s6W3pSGlKqWnv0pNhNXf1207LZWdWdOVBlrjtxpjoE6X/s1600/P1050649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRhlP_3PezmXzV4jMzO51_atDymwAuFBDpgmDY2LSh6mQgm4Cm2-CzLM-kSisaMzm53k-jHl9TxML9dyHczaxZtcQ-rCxT9W1s6W3pSGlKqWnv0pNhNXf1207LZWdWdOVBlrjtxpjoE6X/s320/P1050649.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It was Saba’s birthday today and we all helped celebrate while at the cabaret.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 18 - Tuesday</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are on our way to Konya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first stop is at a pottery shop, something this region is known for, both white and red clay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We attend a demonstration on the art of pottery making using the foot kick-wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man who demonstrates has been doing this for thirty years. In about 10 minutes he made a wine decanter with a donut like shape complete with stand, handle, and spout. Although its only a demonstration version (and likely not quite of the quality he makes for sale) its amazing how fast he can work with the clay to make this piece, a true artisan. We are enthralled by the delicate work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J is invited to help demonstrate the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He really enjoys himself and perhaps might like to take a pottery class once we return home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is asked to help assist in displaying some things and is rewarded with a lovely bowl to take home. We go through a number of rooms and observe the various stages of design, painting and finishing of the products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the pottery pieces takes months to paint these incredible intricate designs. They are truly a piece of art. We are told this is a dying art in Turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So T thought we should support this as well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We stopped at the museum of the founder of the Whirling Dervishes, interesting site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our other stop, in Sultanhari, was at a 'Caravanseras, which were developed along old trade routes to provide shelters and protection to nomadic traders. These centuries-old buildings were built of stone and housed Caravaneers and their cargos plus their horses, donkeys and even camels as they made their way along the old Silk Road trading route that stretched all the way from China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had to be in before sunset and all out by sunrise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were manned by the military for protection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is such history in this country - pretty neat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We have all noticed on the tour that Turkey is a modern country. On the drive today Saba tells us about the Turkish economy and how the efforts within Turkey to meet the conditions set out by the European Union for Turkey to be able to join the EU have moved Turkey from a 3rd world country a few decades ago into a much more modern and progressive country, and much of that progress has occurred over the last 10 years. Many of us remark that the Turkey we are witnessing is not what we had expected, and especially the cities are very modern and new. Yet as we near Konya we notice garbage along the route - lots of plastic bags etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saba tells us that the people in rural Turkey tend to dump garbage wherever they want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve also notice garbage piled near the roads used as fill to build up land. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Konya, known as 'Iconium' in Roman times, was once the home of the mystic sect of Whirling Dervishes and the old capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire. Konya is another nice looking city, known as the most conservative Muslim city in Turkey. We have learned that Turkey is about 98% Muslim. We see many more women wearing headscarves and learn that in this city the daily 5 calls to prayer are more adhered to. We visit the Mevlana Museum, with its beautiful fluted turquoise dome, and see the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret all related to this sect. While at the museum Saba helps manage us through quickly as he learns the Turkish Foreign Minister will be arriving shortly for a public visit and media event so we need to get away before we get ensnarled by the added security. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our hotel would be first class anywhere and has a lovely view of the area. Once at the hotel T and M go workout while J goes for a swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then T and M join others on the tour for a glass of wine in the penthouse bar with its magnificent view of the city and skyline, J opts for a movie in our room. We all have a nice dinner before heading to bed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 19 - Wednesday</b> We leave Konya and head for Anatalya, on the south coast of Turkey and on the Mediterranean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We travelled through flat farmland, foothills with quarries. golden grasslands and interspersed with trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we see places where they have planted trees for forestation - when T asked about this, we find that its to make things greener.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although around farms, farmers have planted poplar trees for his future generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In case there is a need for money, and farming is poor, the family can use the trees to obtain money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they don’t need the trees, then they are left for the next generation, kind of like a legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We leave the plateau area to travel through the Taurus Mountain range to get to the southern coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mountain sides look like the rocks were stacked, with mainly coniferous trees interspersed with some trees whose leaves are changing color. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We drive up to around 2000 m to the highest. As we go through the mountain pass the temperature changes from around 15 C in the pass, to 26 C when we arrive near the coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before arriving in Anatalya we stop at Aspendos to visit what is considered the best preserved Roman Theatre anywhere in the world. We learned how to tell a Roman Theater from a Greek one. The Greek ones were built into the hill, as we saw at Segesta. The Roman ones were built free standing. It was cool to see and a good leg workout to walk up to the top and back down. J got to do that twice as he had forgotten his headset at the top when he sat with T for a picture. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Next we went to the Hellenistic or Roman city of Perge to visit the extensive ruins, including the gate-towers leading into a street where ancient chariot ruts can still be seen. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After having crossed the mountains it has warmed up. M was ready for the 24C weather and quickly took of the pant-legs of his convertible pants to be the first one in shorts (as any warm-blooded Canadian would). Later we arrive at our next hotel, at the Mediterranean seaside resort city of Anatalya. Its fabulous here, we walk to the cliff above the water and take in the view of the sea and mountains nearby. Oh it’s wonderful to feel the warm air again! M and T have a drink with some of our new friends while J opts for another movie in our room.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 20 - Thursday</b> Today is a free day, and all of us of the tour have chosen to pay for a charter boat ride along the coastline this morning. It’s a beautiful clear sunny morning (it’s so nice to be back in shorts) and the views are wonderful. We see that these charter boats all leave from the ‘old’ harbor of Anatalya, and they are well-kept wooden boats, gleaming with varnish. We move along the coastline, which is entirely built up with the hotels and apartment buildings of the city, and really get a good view of the cliff down to the water from our hotel. The boat takes us to a lovely waterfall coming of the cliff, which must be absolutely spectacular after a big rain. After the boat ride we walk around the old harbor area some, then find a kebab place for lunch before heading back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We all went for a good workout at the hotel gym before heading to the water. The sea here is the Mediterranean so we all go for a swim and enjoy the warm sun at the waterfront for the rest of the afternoon.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After dinner, while T and M enjoy conversation with friends we have met on the tour, J goes to watch a movie and play computer games. Then it’s off to bed for all as we have an early start again tomorrow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 21 - Friday</b> Up early again and away by 8:00. Today we are headed to stay near modern day Denizli.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We say modern day, because a number of these sites we have been to go by their ancient names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pass through more pine forests and cross the northwestern side of the Taurus mountains to our first stop the Temple of Aphrodite at amazing Aphrodisias another historical city which has the best ancient stadium we have yet seen. This stadium sat 30 000 people and in its day it had reserved seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those with more money had more privilege, just like today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were even shown where a backgammon board was carved into a marble seat which showed us how long this game has been around.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After touring this amazing site which still has much archaeological work yet to do to find all that must be here, we travel to Pamukkale, also known as 'Cotton Castle' and a truly unique sight which is another UNESCO site. This magical and spectacular natural phenomenon was created by deposits from thermal waters that cascaded down the mountainside over hundreds of years, forming a myriad of pools and terraces. As the water overflows from the pools, dazzling cream-colored stalactites are formed that, from afar, resemble cotton (or snow for those of us that see more of that than cotton). The pools are filled with hot spring waters that supposedly have healing properties. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After a stop for pictures we head to our hotel, which among a few other hotels in this area is allowed to use some of the thermal water for their spa pools, so T goes for a thermal bath which she reports later was 45C. J plays some football outside before watching some homework videos on Champlain and Evangeline. Then we have dinner and call it an early night.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 22 - Saturday</b> After a great night’s sleep we are up and away at 8:30 and we go to visit the ruins of Hierapolis, which was founded by the King of Pergamon in 190 BC and by the 2nd Century AD it had become an important Roman bath centre. This area was affected by earthquakes long ago, so many of the buildings were destroyed and rocks laying about in the fields. The extensive ruins of Hierapolis are right above the ‘Cotton Castle’ at Pamukkale, so now we get some shots of this landscape from above. It was a wonderful sight that we spent touring and wandering about on our own, walking along ancient Roman roads, through remains of ancient bathhouses.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an operating thermal bathhouse and it was very busy with many Russian tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One could even have an exfoliating of the feet done using little tiny tadpole looking fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not for T! but did see some people having it done - Yuck!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view of the valley from the location of this ancient city is fabulous, we could definitely understand why they settled on this plateau. Today we pass near two New Testament cities. Laodicea, which was largely destroyed in the 6th century, currently being excavated, is near this site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are also nearby the city of Colossae where the Colossian church was that Apostle Paul wrote to. Today we travel near the Maeander River, (so full of twists and turns gives us the word ‘meander’)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After lunch, we pass Ephesus (we will tour it tomorrow) to stop at the house where supposed the Virgin Mary lived later in life when taken there by John, in the hills above Ephesus. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then are off to a very nice beachfront hotel, Carissma, in the lively coastal town of Kusadasi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have sea view rooms overlooking the lovely bay.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s about 24 C and J wants to go for a swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fairly rough off of the dock, as this resort doesn’t have a beach. J enjoyed floating amongst the waves while T watched him from the dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water and outdoors are slightly cooler than Antalya, but this doesn’t stop him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a wonderful meal and then retired early.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 23 - Sunday</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today is the day for visiting Effessus, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the eastern Mediterranean and a great example of Roman architecture. Kusadasi is a port where cruise ships dock, and this is evident and Saba warned us as we neared this wonderful site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are let off at one end of the site and we will be picked up at the other end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowds are immense, probably like Pompeii in the summer months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fall and spring are the high seasons for tourism here because the summer months have temperatures in the 40’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wander amongst the ruins, learning about the history of the settlement and it’s importance in the stories of the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Paul had spent about 3 years here and stories are recorded about he and the Ephesians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some wonderful sights and remnants of buildings and walk the marble street once used by Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. We passed a roman bath house, the library of Celsus (which is probably the most photographed building of this site), a greco-roman theatre seating about 24000, used for live performances today, and terraced houses, where the most wealthy people in Ephesus lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Always an important religious centre, Ephesus was founded by Ionian Greeks in the 11th Century BC and flourished under Roman rule. The Greeks replaced the cult of the Anatolian fertility goddess Cybele with Artemis and built a fabulous temple in her honor. With the arrival of the Romans, it became the Temple of Diana and was one of the original seven wonders of the ancient world. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After we left this wonderful site we head to a leather factory outlet where we learn about the lambs leather and sheep leather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are shown a few things and treated to a fashion show (another first for J to see) with their latest designs, all with numbers on them, in case, you would like to see and try on the product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The leather factory provides products for top Italian design houses as well as Burberry and is the largest in Turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The products are beautiful and very soft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> While there we saw a celebrity "Elton Jeffrey".</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We stopped for lunch at a restaurant that backed onto a train museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T accompanied J through the grounds that had wonderful old steam engines and some passenger railcars and a classic turntable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the engines dated back to 1867.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After wandering amongst the trains, and J climbing in and out of the engines, it was now clear why some of the old stories and pictures showed engineers with their heads out of the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had no choice if they wanted to see what was ahead!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the newer models, around 1947 had small windows that the engineer could look out ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a great break for J to enjoy himself.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After lunch we spent time in Selçuk, modern day name for the city near Effessus, at the museum that houses many of the archaeological finds of Effessus: tools, statues, utensils, etc. We left there to head to the Swissotel, our accommodations for tonight in the port city of Izmir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This city has a population of 4 million people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see both beautiful sights and modern well kept buildings as well as squalor. M and T go out for a cappuccino and then we all work-out before dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 24 - Monday</b> - Wake up call for 6:30 and bus departs at 8AM to drive to Çanakkale, located on the shores of the Dardanelles, which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea and touches both Europe (Gelibolu Peninsula) and Asia (Biga Peninsula).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After having passed a couple of port cities, a couple of oil refineries and lots of olive trees, we come to our first stop of the day. The ruins of the ancient city of Pergamon, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one of the most important cities in the development of Asia Minor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We spent an hour touring this site, where we heard of medical treatments similar to our relaxation and subliminal techniques used in spas and other meditative sessions. There was another theatre as well as underground tunnels where some of the treatments took place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way out of the site, we came across a vendor selling roasted pine nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M bought a bag - delicious! We learned where to find the pine nut within the pinecone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was neat, we’re going to see if we can get some pine nuts from some of the cones we have on our BC property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, with every stop, there are vendors selling their wares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s slogan of buy today and pay next year, made many of us laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some high-pressure sales tactics that have made us laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We learned there are few Greeks living in this area now, because in 1924 there was the great exchange where 3 million people who were of Greek ancestry in the region were deported back to Greece while Turks in Greece were taken back to Turkey, not a proud moment in Turkish history according to our guide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This happened all over Turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the way to Çanakkale, we see women handpicking cotton and see piles of the fluffy white stuff in warehouses. After our three-hour drive, we reach Troy (Truva).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It existed over 4.000 years ago and was known as a major ancient civilization. Archaeological digs found nine separate periods of settlement. (3000 BC-AD 400) on what became accepted as the site of ancient Troy. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Apparently each settlement was built atop of the previous one. We saw the remains of the ancient city walls and a replica of the famous wooden horse about 45 ft high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In times of war, they would add onto their normally 20 ft. walls with sun dried red mud and red mud bricks to make the wall 3 - 4 times higher for protection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the residents around would go inside the walled city in times of battle. Historians are still at odds as to whether or not this fable or indeed the battle itself actually occurred. Arriving in Çanakkale we have the remainder of the day to relax in the wonderful Kolin Hotel.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 25 - Tuesday</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today we are on our way back to Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We leave at 7:15 to catch the ferry, taking us across the Darnelles, the entrance into Sea of Marmara leading onto Istanbul and beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our first stop is to the 1915 battlefields of Gallipoli.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We listen to the story of the landing at Anzac Cove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The landing beach is narrow and saw how this played a huge part in the loss of so many lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we drive along the curvy road, we some trenches used during the battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are monuments and cemeteries of 31 commonwealth countries on this peninsula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It is rugged territory and the Turks definitely had the advantage as these troops landed, but both sides lost many men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The number of dead in this 8 month battle is astounding (~250,000) and so many were so young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at the Aussie, New Zealand and Turkish cemeteries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a sobering start to the day’s excursion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today there is no development in this area and likely never will be as there are so many bodies buried amongst the hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The rest of the day is spent driving to Istanbul with a couple of stops for a coffee break and lunch break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J passed the time on the bus by working on a number of homework assignments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As coincidence his religion assignment today, was about cities we had just visited in the last two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty cool!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrive at our hotel by 3:45, beating the rush hour traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The traffic in this city is brutal, every man for himself!! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tonight a group of us have chosen to go out together to a restaurant Saba recommended for a “farewell dinner”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We leave the hotel at 6, it takes us about 20 minutes to go about 2 km to another funky area of Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area is on the Bosphorous waterfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of cobbled streets, lined with little shops, which we pass by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The restaurant, Messo, is a seafood restaurant and we have a delightful meal, sharing messas (dips such as hummus, yogurt with arugula, smoked, pureed eggplant).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides calamari, some of us had sea bream while others had sea bass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all enjoyed the change from the buffet fares we had for the past 14 nights.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once back at the hotel, we settled in for an early night as we were getting up early for our last tour day in Istanbul.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our Turkey tour route (image taken from Insight Vacations website)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 26 - Wednesday</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, today is our last day with the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We leave the hotel by 8:00 to get to the area where the sites are to visit today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we drive, Saba comments that it’s going to be busy as there are a few cruise ships docked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each ship holds about 4000, so as we travel, he notices what direction the cruise ship busses are traveling, and directs our driver, Yunus to change where he will let us off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a great guide!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our first stop is the Topkapi Palace, a walled city perched above the Bosphorous and the Golden Horn, was the home of the Ottoman sultans and complete with a harem. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We arrived 15 min early and can already see people lined up to purchase tickets to enter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have our tickets and Saba knows the ins and outs, so we are the second group in line at the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allows us to get ahead of the crowd that steadily grows as we await to enter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J and T go through the halls that house the Sultan treasure collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are dazzled and amazed at the collection, including an 86 carat diamond.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We visit the 17th century iconic Blue Mosque, built for Sultan Ahmet I with its six minarets, rather than the usual four found across the rest of the Muslim world. Its interior with 20 000 wonderful blue Iznik tiles, has a massive central dome with 4 semi domes and four massive pillars to support it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Outside of the mosque, we walk into the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held and there is an Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius that is over 3500 years old. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We also visit the Hagai Sophia which was first a church, then a mosque, and is now a museum.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our guide, Saba gave us some tips for bargaining and after a nice quiet meal with Saba, in the Istanbul Bistro, it was time for some haggling at the Grand Bazaar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Grand Bazaar is an enclosed market with some 4500 merchant stalls. After a while the shops start to look the same, there’s a leather area, a jewelry area, clothing area rug area, etc but we choose not to venture too far as its like a labyrinth and so easy to get lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as you look at something, the merchant is there trying to bring you into the shop and get your attention and business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T haggled at one shop and brought the price down quite a bit, but at another, she wasn’t nearly as aggressive, oh well, you win some, you lose some!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was neat to see the place, merchants sitting outside their shops sipping tea, others offering you help to try and persuade you to come into their shops...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3O_Vbz5DOdaMIuWHPT8MaUDmk2upTBrjCxDZWEoEA6YNqamIphW0WrNE4Loh8rQR-HIHiL7iwhEeK_BWVex9vTijGknIS5fpMNu0DNRDyW_KZ_eFAajVL86Nngi7IE2QPO2TqGIwyZXP4/s1600/P1060226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3O_Vbz5DOdaMIuWHPT8MaUDmk2upTBrjCxDZWEoEA6YNqamIphW0WrNE4Loh8rQR-HIHiL7iwhEeK_BWVex9vTijGknIS5fpMNu0DNRDyW_KZ_eFAajVL86Nngi7IE2QPO2TqGIwyZXP4/s320/P1060226.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We are back at the hotel by 4 and say goodbye to Saba and Yunus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have really enjoyed the trip and enjoyed the company of many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us decide to go up to the fourteenth floor of the Conrad to have a glass of wine and enjoy the view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We have a wonderful chat and say goodbye to a few more people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us plan to keep in touch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tonight we decide to go downstairs to have dinner in the Monet restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see Mehmet, our waiter from the beginning of our tour and we say hello.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sends over a dessert for J at the end of the meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoy discussing the places we stayed at and rated the accommodations - it was a good discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before going to our room, we bring J up to the 14th floor bar and show J the view of the city and the beautifully lit bridge in the distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We are looking forward to not having to get up at 6:30 tomorrow am.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 27 - Thursday</b> - Despite the fact that we could sleep in, we don’t and are down at the buffet by 8:00 am and say goodbye to a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J doesn’t feel to well this am, has a stomachache, so breakfast isn’t a long affair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a hot bath, he feels better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M and T go down to workout at the gym while J recoups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We check out of the hotel just before noon and store our luggage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide to go for a walk to find somewhere to have lunch before we pick up our luggage and take a cab to our next hotel, the Housez Suites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wander amongst streets bustling with people and pass a fish market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stop at a restaurant and order some messas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The owner took M and J into the fish market to choose a fish and they came back with one and some prawns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the owner shows M how much the fish is going to cost, we decline the fish but keep the prawns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lunch ends up being quite expensive compared to what we have been having but again, it was a cool experience for the guys to go into the market. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The cab ride to our hotel isn’t far, but with the traffic, it takes a about 10 min.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From our hotel suite we can actually see the Conrad where we had just spent 2 nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This place isn’t as fancy as the Conrad, but since it’s half the price, we’ve booked it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This place isn’t far from walking back to the hotel to meet up with our friends, Donna and Darryl, from the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We walked over to the Conrad, which took us about 15 min. and pass a crowd of men gathered in a square and have jerseys, scarves, or hats or the local soccer club, the Black Eagles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonight there is an 8:00 game and the party has already begun!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we reach the hotel and meet D and D, we are off on foot to the first tram stop about a 20 min walk to catch a funicular to go up to Taksim Square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again we have to pass the growing crowd of chanting soccer fans en route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T and Donna notice that women are not anywhere around. There are vendors selling team gear all over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>D and D haggled for a scarf that looked very sharp with his new leather jacket he bought at the Grand Bazaar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found the station and with the help of a local, manage to buy the tokens for the funicular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We arrive at the station just as it was loading up, it is very crowded on the first three cars, but as we move toward the rear cars, there is more room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we get off the funicular at the station, we are engulfed into the crowd, almost like a wave, moving at a quick pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once up at street level, the hustle and bustle continues.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Taksim Square is a pedestrian only thoroughfare that is about a mile long. It’s lined with stores, shops, restaurants and various street vendors selling lotto tickets (jack pot 2 trillion Turkish lira), roasted chestnuts - this the time of year for the new crop and the Turks love these, they are everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a single tramcar that goes down the street occasionally ferrying people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pace and crowd is amazing - we marvel at how fast everyone is moving and the sheer mass of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reminded us of crowds you’d see going to a Flames game, but it never let up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was lots of fun to walk through the area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RjSKf9IZlYHdoAhcoxJrSjby58B7jUnYqg66ijBmgR4UFlHw8u5qZVGlW9sRJCZpNa3-6pN5MGfLds-MBfFL6mM1VSfyB5pPIy58gs46NaXB33WQ38eGYORKZX_8oZX0wV2zXzTNQenC/s1600/P1060243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RjSKf9IZlYHdoAhcoxJrSjby58B7jUnYqg66ijBmgR4UFlHw8u5qZVGlW9sRJCZpNa3-6pN5MGfLds-MBfFL6mM1VSfyB5pPIy58gs46NaXB33WQ38eGYORKZX_8oZX0wV2zXzTNQenC/s320/P1060243.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We found this cool courtyard full of restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the Grand Bazaar, each one was trying to lure us into to their establishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a beer at the first place, but then left there, and found another spot within the courtyard to have dinner within the restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like in Italy, people can smoke outside the restaurant, but not inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a very nice dinner and then walked back out onto the square - it was time to head home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once again, the pace picked up and it was no less crowded, as we made our way back to the station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a great time we had experiencing this place!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we came out of the station, down below, we made sure we were on the right side of the road to lead us back toward our hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The traffic is very busy in both directions with police presence all over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we approach the soccer stadium, late game goers are hurrying by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can hear the crowds chanting from within the stadium and the entire sidewalk is lined with policemen with shields etc ready to manage any post-game disorder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we walk we see the police in action and hurry by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soccer is big big business in Turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we traveled through the country we saw many satellite dishes that Saba said was so they could watch their beloved soccer teams. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 28 - Friday</b> - J sleeps in until 9:00 and once he’s up we head for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We change and get ready to leave by 10:15 to meet Donna and Darryl to tour the Dolmabahce Palace, located on the shore of the Bosphorous. It was built by the sultan in the 1850’s to replace the Topkapi Palace which he felt wasn’t fancy enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrive at the gate, go through security and line up to purchase tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wait takes an hour, having us relish the organized tour where waiting in line didn’t happen often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we get our tickets, we realize we have missed the 11:40 cutoff time and will have to wait until 12:40 to tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had seen some fellow tour members about 10 people ahead of us and they were fortunate enough to get into the earlier tour. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We decide to go for a walk and return before the next tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is windy along the water, so we chose not to sit there and after about 10 more min. we find this little hovel of a place to get a glass of Turkish tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sit on stools that are about a foot high around short tables, another neat experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watch the guys prepare their kiosk for the day’s crowd of purchasing sausage or meatball kebabs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judging by the number of buns one guy was slicing, they do a whopping business in a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made sure to get J a sausage kebab before we head back to the palace.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we returned to the palace grounds, we lined up near the palace entrance to wait our turn. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">While waiting to get into the palace, T saw a wonderful entrance. She told M that if he was getting the wine cellar he saw in Barolo (see the blog post from Piedmont if you have forgotten), then she should get this entrance for our place in Wycliffe. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We covered our shoes with plastic booties and followed the large group assigned to an English-speaking guide who led us through this enormous place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first part of the tour took us through the administrative part of the palace where the sultans met the public. What an amazing place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decadence is astounding - baccarat chandeliers in many rooms, the largest weighing 4 tons!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many massive crystal floor lamps made in Birmingham, London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The attention to detail is wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every room is decorated in a theme, draperies and fabrics of all the chairs and sofas match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ceilings are exquisite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 285 rooms in the palace and we see only a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last room we visit is the Grand Ceremonial hall, which is spectacular and is still used today for special state functions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was absolutely worth the wait!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donna and T went on a second tour which was the sultan’s harem, a term used for immediate family members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not as spectacular, but interesting to see and learn about the comings and goings of the sultan families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After the tour we walked back toward the waterfront ferry terminal and found an outdoor cafe to have a bite to eat, since it’s 3:30 and we didn’t eat anything since breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a great place under an awning with padded benches around tables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are backgammon games to use, which they call tavla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ordered donair sandwiches, wraps filled with meat - beef or chicken. They were very good and of course we all had a couple of cups of Turkish tea while Donna and M squared off playing a few matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it was time to go, we figured out the bill and D and D placed a couple of lira on the table for a tip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M not paying attention to what the coins were for, grabbed the couple of lira and said “We could keep these for when J needs to use the toilets.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both D and D exchange a look with each other and T just shrugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, as we walk away from there, they say, “So you don’t tip? M is oblivious to the point of the question replies “Yes but only if the service was good”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donna then asks “Don’t you think they gave us good service” and lists off the extra things they did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M - Well yeah, that was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donna - So why didn’t you leave our tip there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M - That was your tip?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah .... by now we are all laughing and chiding M. We have a good laugh at M’s expense and he vows to return tomorrow and leave a decent tip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For dinner, we chose a tiny restaurant located across the street from our hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a great meal, enjoying samples of soup as well as free desserts and some great local cuisine – a neat experience. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 29 - Saturday</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- We relax this morning and J does a couple of assignments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve agreed to meet Donna and Darryl for lunch, so M can pay for a tip this time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We meet and head over to the café from yesterday where we share tea and a couple of games of backgammon, M continues his unbeaten streak, then pays the bill and leaves a tip to make up from yesterday.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We walked across the road to a restaurant and had a wonderful meal - a platter for 4 of grilled meats and veggies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We feasted on the array of foods, really enjoying the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We said our goodbyes to D and D and walked back to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J went up to hang out while we went for a coffee at Cafe Nero, advertising Italian coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh yeah, we’ve been missing our Italian caps - no one makes them like the Italians!! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once we returned to the hotel, we worked out at the hotel gym and then prepped our suitcases for the next stage of our journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 8, we decided to return to last night’s restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet again all three of us enjoyed our meal in this little establishment.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>October 30 - Sunday</b> - We are up and ready to go for breakfast just before 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went downstairs to the restaurant but the lights were out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T asks if there’s breakfast - yes it opens at 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ok, we wait around and soon the place opens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not long after the lights go on, the desk clerk with who we chatted yesterday, informs us that day light savings time has just come into effect at it’s only 7 am now - Oohh, now we understand why the lights weren’t on yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, we’re up now, let’s eat and get on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We’re off to the airport, taking 20 min. or so to get us there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to get the car before heading for Greece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With directions from Saba, we are quickly on the right highway to take us to the border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drive is fairly uneventful, other than when M stops at the toll area to buy a card toll to get through the entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He tries to buy a 50 Lira card, which he knows is enough to get us through the tolls, however, he’s told no - he has to buy a 100 Lira one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not willing to argue, as a language barrier definitely exists, and we just want to get going, he pays for the new card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>***TIps for our Canadian friends who choose to drive to Istanbul, when you get to the first KGS toll booth, don’t take the 50 Lira card the guy offers you, buy the 100 Lira card which will get you back out of the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason, the 50 Lira card will run out on the way home, and the next guy will sell you a 100 Lira card even though you don’t need it***</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We drive back the way we had come two weeks ago to the border. Getting through the border is quick and painless, the number of trucks lined up waiting to get through is very long, likely about 50, good thing we don’t have to wait in that line to get through. ”Good Bye Turkey - we’ve had a great time!” the three of us say aloud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once in Greece, it’s smooth sailing to Thessaloniki where we are spending the night at the same hotel before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We think it’s the same room too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>J kicks back for a while, as he has done a number of homework assignments on the drive over, while M and T go explore the neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a coffee shop/bakery to have a cap and treat, giving J some time to himself as well as for ourselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our room is very cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re told there’s no central heating, but are advised to use the air conditioner to heat it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It works, after the hotel maintenance guy checks it out. We’ll definitely be snuggling under those duvets tonight!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 31 - Monday</b> - After breakfast, M makes the call to Peugeot in France to arrange for our car drop off in Milan for next weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are driving across Greece to get to Igoumentisa to catch our ferry to Bari, Italy tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drive takes us through some pretty territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It starts off quite flat with lots of orchards and then takes high up into the mountain passes about 1000m as we get into the mountainous part of Greece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide to take a detour off of the main highway to go to Meteora where monasteries are built on isolated mountaintops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drive is beautiful along a windy road. With the sun shining, the hillsides are ablaze with fall colors, reminding M of eastern Canada. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We arrive in the town of Kalampaka and negotiate our way through to climb the hills behind it to arrive where these monasteries are built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The landscape is amazing and we marvel at the effort it took to build these facilities perched on the top of these pinnacles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were very glad we had decided to check out this site - well worth the detour. What a site to cap off a great visit to Greece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We stopped at a taverna down in the town below and had a fabulous lunch before getting back on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s definitely off-season in this area, it must be crazy in the peak of high season. We enjoyed our drive back toward the major motorway through a number of small hilltop villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We arrive in Ignoumenitsa and head to the ferry terminal to collect our tickets for the car and ourselves for tonight’s sailing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find out that the ferry won’t arrive in port until 11:30 as it is coming from Patra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We won’t be boarding the ship early and watching a movie (like on the way over).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decide to go into town and sit in the park along the water, enjoying the sunny fall day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J does a science experiment in the park as well as plays at the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To while away the time (6 1\2 hours) we hang out at the ferry terminal, charge the computer, read, do homework, go out for something to eat and watch the Robin Williams movie “Jumanji” in the car (as the noise level in the terminal is too loud).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were please when we finally got to get on the ferry – it’s late by 30 min.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the car is loaded and parked, we head up to our cabin and go to bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the same ship we came over on a month ago so we know our way around.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429122666325089529.post-83925544058707212822011-10-14T12:18:00.000-07:002011-10-14T12:18:09.543-07:00Update from Greece<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">September 28 – Wednesday</b> Our wake up call came at 4:45 Italy time, but it was actually 5:45 Greece time, we didn’t realize that we lost an hour, so, M went to check with reception to see if that was correct, and it was. So, all three of us were not that well rested, tonight we will sleep well!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> It was 6:30 when we disembarked and we drove around Igoumenitsa to find a Wind store we had looked up to see if we could find it to get a Greek SIM card for the phone. Found that, then it was now 7 am and a local bakery was open, so we bought bread and a couple of breakfast rolls and went to sit in the park and watch the sun rise. Our apt. was about 50 km away and we couldn’t get in until 9:30. We decided to go find a local supermarket and buy some groceries. Buying groceries in different countries means learning what things are called. Some things it’s easy to figure out the name or what it is, but other things, not so easy. Luck for us some items have about 5 languages on the back of the packaging. Next we try the Wind store, but its not open, oh well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> With groceries picked up, we head to find our apt. for the next 4 nights. The people have given us very easy to follow instructions which is a good thing as we’re out in rural northern Greece, and although Navi knows there are roads, many of them have no numbers and there are no addresses. It is wonderful that the highway signs are in English as well, because we have no clue how to read Greek with its combo of letters. We find our place is in a tiny village in a wide open valley which is farmed. There might be 50-80 houses here. The centre of the village is where the roads cross each other. There are a couple of coffee shops and a bakery - that’s it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The view from the Eden Garden Villa is beautiful and the grounds are beautiful here, swimming pool, olive trees, orange trees and lots of flowers. The people who own the place are from the UK and fell in love with the valley 5 years ago and decided to come live here full-time. It’s not hard to see why they bought here.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The rest of the day was spent going into Kanallaki, the biggest town around, to get a few more groceries as well as get a Greek SIM card for the phone. Once that was done, we headed back to kick back and enjoy the swimming pool that had a great view of the valley as well as being quite refreshing, yet still warm in the 30 C temperature. Oh yeah, we were thinking we could get used to this weather. Here it’s warm with a slight breeze, but no humidity. In the evening, it cools down, so we can keep the windows open and enjoy the cooler air.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">September 29</b> - Thursday After a restful sleep and sleep in, making up for the short sleep the night before, we get up to beautiful sunshine. J gets down to schoolwork, M works out, while T armed with her camera, goes for a walk along the road we came in on the day before. Again, the sun is shining, promising to be a warm day, T walks along the enjoying the view of the valley. It’s so wonderful to enjoy the Greek countryside. Once back from the walk and breakfast is finished, M and T decide to go down to the coffee shop at the village crossroads (center of the village) for a cappuccino.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our hosts, Dave and Jill have shared a bunch of info about the area, and we plan to go check out Ammoudia Beach, about 20 min from the villa. We arrive at this huge sandy beach which is virtually empty now that the high season is over. There are a few caravans parked under the trees, not sure if they are there for overnight, or just the day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We decide to visit one of the local tavernas for lunch. We spot Thomas’ Restaurant, which has all its tables outside, the inside is empty. It is pretty much empty, but Thomas in his Greek accented English calls out, “Welcome my friends”. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xdQR9oLyMUc0TTZ0Njf-wgc0z8kmSx6keRgyYblpf4yuHG86wAHmQh-wZSuC3DoRr9aheHFDu8ie7cM96DSAsqpBJfNdu00OyGphNVzM2qetzRQykjatAhbdJmAtZ4p2Ia2uFxNpW1-F/s1600/P1040866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xdQR9oLyMUc0TTZ0Njf-wgc0z8kmSx6keRgyYblpf4yuHG86wAHmQh-wZSuC3DoRr9aheHFDu8ie7cM96DSAsqpBJfNdu00OyGphNVzM2qetzRQykjatAhbdJmAtZ4p2Ia2uFxNpW1-F/s400/P1040866.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We head over, find a table and T tells him we speak Italian too, and he brings us menus. The other couple there, from the UK weren’t offered menus and they commented on this.... Anyways, J orders calamari and M and T have tuna moussaka. The helpings are huge and very good, no way we could finish, but that’s ok. We enjoyed sitting under the trees, looking out to the water and introducing J to some Greek food. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> After paying, we are off to the beach. The crescent shaped beach is huge and has lovely sand. The water is quite warm and we all enjoy swimming in a protected bay out of the steady sea breeze. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We even found an umbrella and loungers to use, for the cost of 5 Euro or the purchase of a couple of refreshments which added up to the same amount. We were cool with that, as in Italy, some of the beach clubs charge 30 Euro for the day to use an umbrella and a couple of loungers. The bay is shallow, so we can go out for a long ways and occasionally we’d come across “hot spots” in the water that was extra enjoyable. We had a great afternoon enjoying the beach, sea and sand. It was like having our own private beach - a great experience.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">September 30 - Friday </b>Another beautiful sunny day to enjoy. While J starts his schoolwork assignments for the day, M works out, and T goes for another walk in a different direction, enjoying the sights, coming across a farmyard full of sheep and baby lambs, some look like they were only a few weeks old - very cute. A bunch of the fields had recently been harvested of the corn, so could see what the dried out husks looked like. The farmyards are much more simple than what’s seen at home, with great use of wooden pallets to make pens and cover for sheep to be out of the hot sun.<br />
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<span id="goog_234229763"></span><span id="goog_234229764"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"> After breakfast, M and T decide to go down into the village center to have a coffee. After a quick lunch we decide to go for a drive to check out a few places around here that we read about in the tourist binder in our apt. We drove to Glicki where we come across a gorge we could walk up along the river. It is a pretty sight and the river is crystal clear. We don’t have the proper footwear, but we do find a taverna with this sweet spot right along the river bank with tables right next to the water. We decide to stop here for a refreshment. We sit down by the water and even stick our feet in the river - reminds us of the Columbia River and its flesh numbing water! Refreshing it is, but we’re not interested in walking further up the river. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsoA7xVknNUQcZKpmiETMrOvbMIjYSTwdEFQIkrLoX25nMfClKhgaBIDjy30cIak9xaP7uuvRNZy6-5xxKhgnSYhyBEQOvNbZB4vCsCY-6VAICHyweW9-0Au_tJfkm47MI0WrOCH3UkeN/s1600/P1040884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsoA7xVknNUQcZKpmiETMrOvbMIjYSTwdEFQIkrLoX25nMfClKhgaBIDjy30cIak9xaP7uuvRNZy6-5xxKhgnSYhyBEQOvNbZB4vCsCY-6VAICHyweW9-0Au_tJfkm47MI0WrOCH3UkeN/s400/P1040884.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span id="goog_1567411350"></span><span id="goog_1567411351"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"> On we go with the exploration, through a bunch of little villages, we came upon an archeological site, Nekpomanteio (oracle of the dead) likely the oldest one we have visited this far. It is where one could get in touch with the ghosts of the dead. As we read about the site we learn that the ‘priests’ put people on a special diet and fed them herbs that promoted hallucinations, then led down to the subterranean room to talk to the dead. It was pretty cool to walk amongst partial walls from the sanctuary which was built in 4th century BC. We could even go underground to the chambers where people would go to do their talking. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> From here we travelled along the highway to go to the resort town of Pargo, about 25 km from where we are staying. It is much more of a resort town, reminds T of Positano on the Amalfi Coast, hotels, inns and restaurants stacked along the hillside. The beach is about half the size of where we were yesterday, but much busier with tourists. The couple we talked to yesterday at Thomas’ told us that it was quite expensive. Looking at the place, we could see it likely was. We found a parking spot, not plentiful in this area and went for a walk to tour the place a bit. On the agenda was to also find a little taverna to have a couple of the great appetizers that we have come to enjoy. We found a place with an awesome view of the bay, beach and part of the village and ordered saganaki (fried cheese), really good and a plate of calamari fritti, J’s favorite.<br />
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We enjoyed soaking up the view as well as enjoying some great taverna food. Neat place to see, but we prefer the little village experience. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 1 - Saturday</b> - We start the day as usual J gets some downtime and then its school lessons for him, then after have some breakfast M and T go down to the village for a cap. M goes back to help J and workout, while T starts another morning walk down a different road past walnut trees, pomegranate trees along roads beside farmland. It’s another beautiful morning, however, on the way back there is smoke in the valley as the locals are burning what’s left of the cornstalks in some of the fields. Today is our last full day in the valley. We decide to head to the beach one again to enjoy the beauty and the water. J has a water filter science assignment and we decide that the beach is the perfect place to conduct it. So armed with our supplies we head off to the same beach as the other day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Unfortunately it’s not as clear today, so it’s not quite as enjoyable, but we head to the same place, buy a few refreshments in exchange for using their lounges and umbrella. It’s even more isolated than the other day, maybe 6 people on a beach that is about 3/4 km long. All three of us get involved in J’s water filter assignment. J decided what materials to use, and goes in search of some good dirt and debris (not hard to find on the beach as smoking is much more prevalent in the countries we have visited than at home) to mix with the water to put through his filter. After a minor adjustment he is successful in getting clear water. T takes a picture of ‘science on the beach’ (and successful experiment) to send to J’s teacher and the lesson is complete!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Before dinner, M and T decide to go for a coffee at the usual spot. It’s Sat. night and the place is hoppin! (at least for a town of 100 folks). There are a couple of tables of men playing cards at the one other coffee shop in the village, and a bunch of men sitting under the tree across the road from us catching up on the village news ( probably wondering where those two strangers are from).<br />
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This is definitely a male dominated society as the women are not out with the men. Our hosts tell us this is mainly the case. There are not too many young people in the village. If people have young families, they usually have left this village to look for better work and schooling for the children. Many go to Germany, and only come back to their homes in the village for a few weeks a year. The village school closed down last year (it only had 8 students) They get transported into Kanallaki. We chat with the owner of the coffee shop a bit and learn that her mother (who doesn’t speak English at all and works the morning shift) does not know how to make cappuccinos and only knows how to make Nescafe - which then made sense to us as yesterday’s coffee wasn’t as good. So M remarked, oh, I guess we can’t get one tomorrow am. She answered, I could be here, what time will you come by? We said 9:30 and she said see you then. Cool! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The evening is spent organizing suitcases as we have found out that we are only allowed one suitcase each on our upcoming tours, so we have to reorganize our fourth bag to be sent home with things we don’t need. With that task accomplished, we spend the rest of the evening relaxing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 2 - Sunday</b> - Car’s packed and ready to roll by 9. We drop off the keys to Dave and Jill and have another chat for 10 min. or so, finding more about the area; mandarins on their trees ripen in Nov. - Dec. and don’t last long on the trees, however, their oranges will start ripening in Nov. and stay on the trees without falling off for about 6 months. They have fresh OJ for all that time, and freeze some for their use for most of the rest of the year. We were amazed at this. In this valley they only have produce that is locally produced. So right now they have grapes, but in another month or so, they will not see grapes until next Aug./Sept. If they go to some larger areas, they can get access to other stuff which isn’t brought into their area. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We said good bye and then went down for our coffees. She was there, waiting for us. A group of men were once again under the tree across the way - we greeted them with Kalimera (good morning) and they replied. Greeks typically like to be addressed before they reply. We had a couple of caps and bottled waters for 2 Euro, the least expensive we’ve had our entire trip thus far. This is one of those neat experiences we’ve had on our trip to add to the cultural side of the visit. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Today we headed to Patra, a few hundred km away. Along the way we stop at Nikopoli, (Octavius had it built to commemorate the defeat of Anthony and Cleopatra’s army) to see the walled city as well as trying to find a great example of a Greek amphitheater. We are unsuccessful in finding the theatre site, but do come across partial remains of the temple in honor of Augustus. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The drive to Patra takes us through a number of towns and villages, with farmland for grazing as well as crops.<br />
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We even came across greenhouses loaded with tomato plants and other veggies which was reminiscent of our drive through Puglia region. It’s interesting seeing the change in vegetation as we drive. We drive through the mountains and we can see where the some new infrastructure has been put in place for a better highway through this area. It’s a continuation of the work already completed across the north of Greece, from west to the eastern border with Turkey of 4 ;lane divided highway. There are a number of tunnels and bridges complete as well as some new stretches not ready for paving, but have been carved out of the mountainside. Once the highways are complete it will be welcomed as some of the stretches we travelled on were very curvy. The Greek have an interesting way of driving. On many of their 2 lane highways, there are shoulders with one lane, each direction. Unlike at home, they tend to use the shoulder lane as another lane to drive on. At first it seemed strange, as we approached vehicles, they would move over onto the shoulder and continue driving allowing us to pass. We saw this was the thing to do here! So we notice that double-line markings on the road seem to mean nothing here, except to those that are not from Greece. It was not uncommon to see 4 lanes of traffic if cars were passing slower vehicles in both directions. Oh well, once M realized the practice, he adapted. While is Greece, do as they do. As J has commented before, “Dad, once you get back to Calgary, you’re going to have to stop all those bad habits you’ve picked up here”. One must do what one must to survive in the motor rat race! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We came out of the mountain pass to drive along the side of the mountain to see Patra on the other side of the strait. We took the toll bridge, with a wonderful design - M was pointing out the specifics of the design to J, across to get to our hotel. Today’s hotel was located at Achaia Beach. The hotel was right on the beach, our room on the top floor at the end and a wonderful view of the water, bridge and the mountains across the way. We could pick out from where we had entered the peninsula.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We’re organized so that we don’t bring our suitcases into the hotel, just a couple of bags that have things we need for the next three days before we reach our next extended stay apt. It’s 2 pm so we go in search of a taverna, for a bite to eat. We find one on the beach a few hundred meters from the hotel. The menu is totally in Greek, but the waiter tells us in English what he has. We all make our choice and enjoy the sunshine and yet another great view. There certainly are no shortages of those on this trip! </div><div class="MsoNormal"> T decided to go for a walk while the boys went to check out the pool. The beach had public access from many areas, so there were a number of people sitting on lawn chairs enjoying the beach. It wouldn’t be one of Greece’s finest beaches, quite rocky, certainly not as nice as the one we had been on earlier this week. J did brave the cold water of the swimming pool, here they tend to cool the pools vs. heating like we do at home. Neither T nor M were interested in going in, much to J’s chagrin. Later in the evening, we had a wonderful meal on the terrace of the hotel. We finished the evening watching a good movie on TV in English.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 3 - Monday</b> We decide to go down to breakfast before 9 as we are heading to Elefsina which is a suburb to Athens. J told us he would like to see the Acropolis and the Parthenon in Athens, so we decided to stay near Athens and check out the situation there before going in. We had read that there is a general strike planned for Wed. so we’ve decided to go in today. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The drive from Patra to Athens is mostly on completed 4 lane motorway, with some areas still under construction. It is a fairly easy 2 hour drive. Our hotel is not located on the main road of this city, and it takes us a bit to find it. The roads are not designed to handle parking on both sides and two lanes of traffic, so negotiating the side streets take attention. We arrive at the hotel and are pleased with all the amenities. We check in, drop off our bags, as we don’t want them in the car when we go into Athens. The girl at the desk assures T that around the Acropolis, all is quiet and other clients have said all is good. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We go out in search of a taverna for a bite to eat and then head into Athens, which takes about 20 min. We decide to go right into the centre and find a parking spot as close as we can. We follow Navi and head toward the Plaka which is the area below the Acropolis.<br />
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T sees a parking sign, we head down a narrow lane to find the parking area. Athens being really old, the roads were not designed for traffic or parking lots, we come across the parking lot, which is a vacant lot, cars seven deep side by side - not what we’re looking for. Luck would have it that we found a spot at the end of that lane! Scored!! we all think. M had been expecting to search for quite awhile to find a parking spot in downtown Athens so we had lucked out here. We realize that this is right near the hotel M and T had stayed in two years ago, so we know how to get up to the Acropolis. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We have a great time walking amongst the ruins.<br />
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For M and T, it was a great time to reminisce about our trip 2 years ago and marvel once again at the effort it took to build this meeting place. J took his video clips, M and T took photos and then headed back to the car to get out of Athens before traffic got too heavy. As we headed back to our hotel we remarked about how well the trip into the city went. Things all fell into place.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Back at the hotel, we went to the pool and then had another nice dinner on the pool terrace at our hotel. We enjoyed the evening and then off to bed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 4 - Tuesday</b> - Today we are headed for Delphi which as we look at the map is in the mountains east across from where Patra is located. The drive takes us along some great motorway, not too busy with traffic. The land goes from well populated and industrial near Athens, to smaller towns and villages with marble quarries as well as farms. There are some places where it looks quite poor. As we drive along we see crops that have white fluffy tops, which ended up being cotton plants. This is a first for all of us. M stops alongside of the road and T leans out the door and grabs a piece of cotton and we all check it out. We saw lots of cotton pieces lying alongside the roads, some likely blown off in the wind. While driving, we did see some cotton being harvested, using something similar to a combine, plucking off the white balls and discharging into an awaiting dump truck. That was cool as none of us had seen this before.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We left the fairly dry valley to travel up into the mountains. We actually went as high as 1100m through a ski town with chalet style condos. Definitely different architecture than your standard Greek house. Not far from here we reached our destination, Delphi. This small mountain town has a couple of main streets, each only one way. There are a number of hotels perched along the hillside catering to the busloads of tourists who come to Delphi to see the ruins of Apollo. We find our accommodation with ease, on the second one way street. <br />
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T hops out to talk to the George, the owner of Pithos Inn. It is a small family run inn with about 8 rooms. George makes room in front of the inn for M to park the car, moving a couple of bikes as well as a planter. T flags M down who has parked down the street in the first empty spot he comes across. He comes along and parks in the newly arranged spot. We won’t be moving until we leave tomorrow AM. The ruins we plan to visit are within a 10 min walk from the hotel. We have lunch at a taverna across the street from the inn while we wait for our room to be ready. We have a delicious lunch on the terrace of the restaurant which has an amazing view of the valley and inlet from the sea below.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew the Python, a deity who lived there and to protect the centre of the Earth. This site dates back to 9th century BC. The site is huge and we walk through it learning about its history. We walk up quite a distance to see the remains of the temple built to honor Apollo, a theatre as well as a well preserved stadium the site of Pythian games every 4 years. At the stadium we could even see the start and the finish lines. We could certainly see where the modern day design of the stadium - amazing. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 5 - Wednesday</b> - We have breakfast at the inn and then head over to a coffee shop for J to do an assignment before heading out to our next destination, Volos, on the eastern shore on the Aegean Sea. As we leave Delphi, we descend into the valley below on a roadway that reminds of one of those remote controlled race car tracks. T has M turn around so they can take a picture or it. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We have accommodation for 4 nights at a home in the mountains overlooking Volos. The drive up to Volos is uneventful and a good portion of it is on motorway, so T and J do an English lesson on the drive. When we get to Volos, we find a taverna for lunch and then try to find our apartment. Finding the house we have rented is difficult because the directions the rental agent sent us has English translations for roads which are not written in English on the street signs - oh frustration! We decide to call Nikos, the guy who is supposed to meet us, and he comes to rescue us. We end up being not far from the place. As we see where we end up climbing the mountains to reach our place, we realize, we would likely not have found this place, again although Navi knows there are roads, there are really no addresses. In areas like this we learn we can plug in the GPC longitude and latitude coordinates when we have them, although we did not have them for the apartment. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We part along the roadside and walk down a cobble path, about 100 meters or so before we come to a walled entrance which Nikos unlocks and we enter a wonderful courtyard with an amazing view of the valley with Volos and the sea. <br />
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Oh yeah - this is a cool place. It is a renovated farmhouse built in the 1800’s. It’s a great place to spend the next 4 nights. The only drawback are the cats who like to prowl and meow outside the door to interrupt the peacefulness. One thing, the Greeks love their cats - they are everywhere and T not being a cat lover, they are not appreciated! We drove back down out of the hills to find a grocery store to pick up supplies for the next several days and then we headed back to settle in for the next few days. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Bonus! there is a Greek channel that carries English movies with subtitles in Greek, on tonight’s agenda, Ocean’s Thirteen, seen it, but it’s English TV, we all sit down to watch it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 6 - Thursday</b> - J wants to kick back and enjoy the place and do some of his schoolwork. We are trying to get ahead of schedule because we are heading into a 2 week tour of Turkey and don’t know how much time there will be to get the workload completed on time. So, he’s been working hard to do so, not always with enthusiasm, but he understands the push. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> While he’s doing that, M and T decide to go for a walk up to the village Makrinitsa. T sees the path which is a continuation of the one that runs along the outside of the courtyard of our apt and we decide to take it. It climbs meandering behind places and eventually meets up with the main road. Once on the road, we continue our climb, wondering if there are other pathways we may get on, but don’t come across any. We walk up the steady inclining road, with many switchbacks, admiring the view as well as wondering, what possessed people to settle up in these hills.<br />
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There aren’t olive groves, or fruit orchards. The houses are perched along the mountainside with some having access by the cobbled pathway. Many of the places are well maintained, with white stucco, wooden shutters, layered rock roof tiles, lots and lots of rock walls, some great looking gated entryways. We spent about 30 minutes walking up the road until we came to a parking lot which we figured was for the village. We decided to head along a narrow street which was lined with tourist shops filled with preserves, fresh nuts, bunches of herbs. We are both surprised at the number of shops hawking its wares where up here in the hills. <br />
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Not what we were expecting from this village way up in the hills. Must be much busier in the summer as evidenced by the number of tavernas and coffee bars along the main lane. The view of the valley and water below is even more extensive than where we are staying.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We bought a little bottle of the local grappa - tastes quite like ouzo to enjoy in the evening. We walked back out of the village to this cool little cafe near the parking lot built amongst the rocks and with lots of rock work, to have a cappuccino and enjoy sitting under these huge trees, beginning to change color. The walk back to the apt. was uneventful, and yes, shorter in time. After dinner, we are able to catch another North American movie at 9 pm - Gran Torino.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 6 - Friday</b> - Nikos suggested we drive over to the beaches along the Aegean sea side of the pennisula, so that’s what we decide to do this afternoon after J completed a bit of schoolwork and we had lunch. The drive is about 40 km and will take about an hour. We will be driving through the mountains and from the look of the map there are some serious switchbacks and curves along the way. We travelled through a number of villages on this Pelion Mountain range to get to the Aegean side. The villages are small. The ones near us and on the other side had some inns, catering to summer travelers. Sometimes we overlooked the water as we climbed and other times we were traveling through tree and shrub covered land. We even got to see a shepherd minding his flock of goats that were foraging. As we neared the Aegean side we came across a number of farms with small apple orchards. The trees were laden with big red apples and some with green. To descend to the other side, we travelled through a number of villages to Agio Ioannis. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We finally arrive down at the beach which on one side are inns, tavernas and a couple of shops and the other is the beach and sea. No problem to park as there are only a few tourists on the beach. It’s 25 C and the breeze is light, a wide expanse of beach with hardly anyone on it. We bring our beach mats down with us, but don’t really use them much. The water is crystal clear and warm - right on! Along the shoreline we see collections of small smooth white, and tan pebbles which reminds M and T of pictures we’ve seen before. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We have a great afternoon enjoying the warm water, one of the more enjoyable swims we’ve had on this trip. J spends several hours swimming and checking out the fish that are swimming amongst and below us. J shouts out that he saw several schools of fish 100 score. It’s a great way to enjoy this part of Greece before we leave on Sunday to go north.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we were traveling home we passed a number of trucks loaded down with the day’s picked apples and the workers heading home. We both remarked how this was the most curves we had ever encountered on a drive - didn’t count them, but the number was high. When we talk about curves, we’re talking about ones you have to slow way down to take because they are so sharp. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> M laughs at T when he looks over at her while he’s washing the evening dishes (he’s become very proficient at washing and cleaning up after the meal is cooked) and she’s watching an old rerun of “The Nanny”. Yes, she’s so desperate for English TV that she’s subjecting herself to the dreadful nasal sound the actress uses as her New Yorker accent!!! Tonight we enjoy another movie - The Lord of the Rings. M has to commentate somewhat because T doesn’t know the background story. J wants to stay up late tonight to watch the entire movie - no way we say. Off to bed he goes and we watch the rest, but are up till 1:30AM before it’s done. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 7 - Saturday</b> - Our last full day here to enjoy rural Greece. We do laundry and get things organized for the next three nights in hotels en-route to Turkey. The weather is starting to change and the clouds are starting to move in, we’re told its supposed to rain later today. M and T leave J to hang while they go for another walk up to Markinitsa, this try trying to find the pathways instead of using the road. We are in luck, and manage to find a second pathway not far from where the one we caught the other day. This section of the path starts at the end of a driveway and continues past many houses and after about 20 min of continuous climb we come out at the main square. This was a much more enjoyable walk, no less strenuous though. The reward - yes, another cappuccino and M orders a piece of walnut cake - soaking in honey. It is very good. We asked the owner of the cafe, with an amazing view of the valley, if Baklava is a Greek dessert as we had not been to order it in restaurants. We were informed that baklava is Turkish. At home, we often see it in Greek restaurants.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After a nice timeout, we walk back down along the exact same pathways to the apt. It’s clouded over now and we get sprinkled on, just a bit. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> As we have an outside grilling area in the terrace here, M tries to BBQ steaks for our last stay in apartments before we start 2 months of tours and hotels. M finds that working with old style charcoal is quite different than with the briquettes we get at home, so although it works somewhat he finishes off the steaks under the over broiler before serving them. Today we watch the movie about Odysseus, throwing us into the Greek Mythology world for a few hours. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 8 - Sunday</b> - Nikos meets us at 10:30 to pick up the keys for the apt and then we’re off to Thessaloniki. The drive takes us out of the mountain area through flat interior plains planted with lots of cotton as well as other crops already harvested. As we neared Thessaloniki, we drove through some hills. Thessaloniki is Greece’s second largest city and as we approach it, we can see how it sprawls with industry as well as housing. There’s also a large port . We are staying in a suburb of the city on the hills overlooking the city. The weather has changed and the breeze is brisk. We decide to go change into pants, first time in two months before we head out for a bite to eat. Next to our hotel, Nepheli Hotel, we find a taverna to have some lunch. We have our typical greek salad, which as a dressing only has olive oil and some other great eats - gyros - fabulous mouthwatering savory pork. Just writing about it, the mouth salivates!</div><div class="MsoNormal"> T had read about a science museum and planetarium nearby, so after having a quick bite to eat, we go in search of it. We are in luck as there are a couple of films that we can get headsets for English translation: The History of Flight and The Stars of the Pharaoh. The History of Flight was right up J’s alley, as he loves talking about planes. The Stars of the Pharaoh was shown in the planetarium and talked all about the constellations and how the Egyptians used the stars are their guides. We learned that we get the 24-hour day, and the 365-day year, from them. We all found this interesting as we are going there in November and so we got some more insight into some Egyptian history.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 10 - Monday</b> - We leave to continue east to Kavalas, a coastal city. When we drive along, the traffic thins out. As we drive along, the topography changes to rolling hills, probably the greenest valley we’ve seen on our Greece travels. We are not that far from Bulgaria when we drive along. The mountains that run along the north of us have fresh snow on the highest elevations. It’s an enjoyable drive and the rain has mostly stopped once we have left Thessaloniki. It’s our first truly overcast day since mid Sept. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Kavalas is built along the hills that lead down to the water. It is good size, with a number of hotels. There are a number of tavernas along the promenade. The city is busy and negotiating the streets is fairly challenging with the double and triple parked vehicles abound. Typically with the four laned city road often only the middle two lanes are free flowing. The hotel is located on the beach, however, today is not a day to walk along it as the wind is quite nasty. We thought on a bright sunny day, the walk along the water would be awesome. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"> For lunch we drove to a nearby village and had another great tasting lunch. We found a bakery next door which had some fabulous desserts which reminded M and T of the bakeries we saw in Santorini the last time we were in Greece. We picked up a couple of things to have for coffee later. T went for a walk along the water sidewalk, well dressed with rain gear, while the guys hung out at the hotel with J doing some schoolwork. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We had dinner at the hotel bar, because the restaurant was only open for pre-arranged diners, so we were directed down there. We had dinner reminiscent of home, the guys had burgers and fries (with some Greek herbs) and T had a club sandwich, with pork instead of chicken. We all thoroughly enjoyed the meals. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">October 11 - Tuesday</b> - After breakfast at the hotel restaurant with a nice view of the harbor, J and T complete some of his French lesson while M gets some paperwork for our upcoming tour printed off. Our drive to our final stop in Greece is Alexondroupolis, about 40 km from the Turkish border. It’s takes a bit to get out of Kavalas as Navi was confused, but we figured it out and we were on our way. The highway is the main motorway to lead to Turkey, it isn’t very busy today, and in great shape. We travel with flat farmland on the right of us, next to the Aegean and mountains on the left, in some cases, high ones with fresh snow. We can see a number of rock quarries as well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Finding this hotel is very easy - T has learned to copy the GPS coordinates down on the calendar to help with Navi because sometimes the street or hotel name is not included in the data base. This helped to make finding these hotels in the last few days very easy. Sight unseen and using Tripadvisor ratings, T has managed to find decent hotels when needed. Also, knowing which search engine to look for the best pricing has helped to secure some great places. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We have a laid back day - went to a local kebab shop for lunch and had some great gyros (they don’t pronounce the g). From there we went to the “Funky Cafe” and indeed it was funky. Both the tables and the seats moved when weight was applied, kind of hydraulic-lift-like. We enjoyed a cappuccino as the Greek coffee is instant - no thanks! J had some time running around on the grounds of the hotel, running his football plays and getting some exercise, M and T went to the hotel gym for a workout. Dinner was enjoyed in the restaurant at the hotel and then we had an early night, so we could be off early the next day as we head into Turkey.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Shaw Adventurershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100280801320468563noreply@blogger.com0