Rome

Paris has been referred to as being 'a garden' and Rome 'a forest' and after spending the past 5 days there we have to agree. Both magnificent and brutal at the same time and the center of the ancient world, it is mixture of chaos, people (mainly smokers) a fair number of beggars, illegal street vendors, constantly 'in your face' but always 'on the run' from the police. And then you get to the stupendous sights ... like an onion, one layer after another peals away to reveal beautiful art and unfathomable wealth.

Competition for the restaurants is fierce, and depending where you sit for a cool fizzy water or beer, the price can be a bargain or out right rip off.

SO, where to begin, we did not tear around, rather, saw less sights, but really 'took them in' doing justice to the sightseeing of, "Ancient Rome"- The Colosseum, The Forum and Capitol Hill - I'm hoping my photos will give an idea of our experience among the littered and evocative remains.

The Italians refer to The Victor Emmanuel Monument (or Wedding Cake) as an 'eye sore' however, the tourists love it!

Then there was the "Pantheon" a church dedicated to martyrs after the fall of Rome, which had Europe's biggest dome until Michelangelo completed the one on Saint Peter's!

One cannot, of course, come to Rome without seeing Saint Peter's Bacillica and The Vatican museum...... WOW, we were impresed with St Mark's in Venice, but St Peter's Basilica, just left us open mouthed. It is of course thought of as "The Greatest Church on Earth" --- The undeniable wealth and grandeur of this amazing place is too much for my humble narration, you will just have to go there and see it for yourself! All I can say is that Michaelangelo's "Pieta", "The Dome" and "The Sistine Chapel" were the grand finale!

We limited ourselves to just one other museum... The Borghese Gallery, where we had the most wonderful guide, who's passion for the works of Bernini rubbed off on us..... it was truly amazing.

We took an evening stroll from Piazza Del Poplo to The Spanish Steps, incorporating The Trevi Fountain, while enjoying Rome's more fashionable shops and alfrecso dining. Being August we were naturally not alone and enjoyed overhearing snippets of conversations such as, 'Would you have ever believed you could do so much in one day!' Another was, 'THIS HAS to be the most amazing thing in the universe' --- she was eating gelato!

We escaped the crowds and found the quiet colorful neighborhood across the Tiber River, called Trastevere, which, in a one mile walk, showed us the best look at medieval Rome, also known as Rome's Left Bank.

SO, there you have it ... our 5 day Rome adventure in a nutshell.
We enjoyed a small but adequate apt, just a 30 min metro ride out of the city where we mingled with the locals, all friendly and helpful, plus some home cooked meals and siestas.

Photo of the stained glass window in St Peter's at the far end of the Nave.








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SIDENOTE: Over Night Train.

Our only bad experience thus far, was our overnight train from Venice to Rome.

We started off being very tired, not pulling out of the station in Venice until nearly midnight. We shared sleeping quarters with a Canadian couple (mother and daughter). The berths were not much better than a bench and very cramped. Stifling initially, followed by freezing a/c with only a thin sheet provided (as we exited the train we later saw all other berths had thick blankets). The toilets were none functional and the taps in the sinks must have been for decoration only.

OK Patrick you said you would be interested to see what we thought of an overnight berth, that should have been a clue I guess as what to expect. However, we are none the worse for this experience.

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Venice

VENICE







How strange to be travelling around by boat, not a car one to be seen. We arrived mid afternoon, thankful for our detailed instructions on how to reach our room, which we rented in an old residential neighbourhood from Linda, a lady in her 70's. She spoke no English, and we, no Italian .... but it's amazing what smiling and nodding your head can convay. We finally found the heat, - showers gave brief relief, but we missed not having a/c. We drank litres of water, savored many a lemon gelato, ate the best pizza and discovered that a 'fried fish' plate was in fact, squid and octopus, however, quite palitable and tasty.

Venice is just charming, and getting lost is certainly all part of the charm. Ron who normally has no problem with directions, was as baffled as I am normally (scary) and this I might add, was a regular occurance throughout our stay. There are said to be 400 bridges throughout Venice, and it certainly felt as though we walked over most of them, at least once! The most famous and beautiful of all being "The Rialto."

St Marks Basilica, built in the 11th century, was overwhelming with it's gold mosaics and colored marble, not to mention the paintings, it was literally
crammed with untold wealth. But we found a small, beautiful church called the "Farri" which had a simple beauty all of it's own. Much precious art work and sculptured marble statues graced this simple church. It was as though the regular tourist did not know of this almost insignificant church, for there were no long lines typically found elsewhere.

Yes, getting around via Va Poretto (fleet of motorized bus boats) was an unforgettable experience, from 'The Grand Canel' on the overcrowded large barge type boats, to the tiny backwaters, where one almost sees the gondolas "suck in and hold their breath" is a memorable place to visit, and one I recommend for everyone to do, at least once in their life.





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Varenna, Lake Como

From the Swiss Alps to an old fishing village. Our accommodation right in the heart of the village, overlooked the Piazza San Georgio alongside the old church which announced the hour with resounding bells (they did give us a break between midnight and 7 am.

It took only 20 mins to stroll from one end of the village to the other. The charm lay in it's many steep cobbled alleys displaying laundry lines strung high over the narrow alley ways, and geranium pots ( which seem to be the favourite flower) hanging everwhere. On each door step, we noticed 2-3 large bottles of water- said to deter the cats from urinating! apparently it works.

We took a short boat ride to Bellagoi, a larger more developed, and lots of upscale shops, it was fun poking around. My normal tendency for buying souvenirs is definitely curbed due to containing all I own in a backpack - Ron is delighted!

Our Anniversary dinner was spent in a small, tucked away, family run restaurant - the chef was also our chaufeur! who picked us up before taking us on a 15 min hair bending ride up the mountain. Rick Steves did not exaggerate ... the food was perfect.

So, once again, another memorable experience being strung together like pearls on a string.




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Switzerland

OK .... It only took twelve hours, four trains, two buses, and one cable car to reach Gimmelwald - this idyllic hamlet in the Swiss Alps. The last train being via the Golden Pass Panoramic route from Luzern to Interlaken.

Walter's modest hotel, clings to a mountainside, with pastures on one side and 10,000 foot glacier peaks across the valley (yet it seemed I could just reach out and touch them with my finger tips). We spent 2 nights in this area known as "The Top of Europe."

Walter's menus, though limited, were delicious - he was once a cook for Swiss Air, before retiring in 1990!! He then opened this rustic hotel in the mountains. Now in his late 80's he is right up to date with politics, world events, and tells many a good story.

The only sounds to be heard from our bedroom windows were waters cascading down the mountainside to the fast flowing river in the valley, musical bells on the cows/goats grazing on the nearly vertical slopes.

Both days, in the late afternoons, the clouds come rolling in... quite dramatic and spectacular.

We took the cable car up the Schilthorn to the revolving restaurant made famous in the 007 movie "On Her Magesty Secret Service."

At 10,000 feet the views were spectacular of the mountain range between the Jungfrau and the Eiger. We took our time coming down, hiking, picnicing and just enjoying the views. Each little chalet, perched on the hillsides, proudly displays proflic flower boxes, neat gardens and stacks and stacks of firewood ready for the winter.

This is THE place to get away from it all, and if hiking is your passion, there is none better.

We completed our Swiss experience with an overnight stop with a new couchsurfing friend, Jackie, in Chateau d'Oex. Jackie graciously showed us around her lovely little village and accommodated us for the night.

As it turned out we took the Golden Pass route again from Interlaken to Montreux...spectacular scenery the entire way!

We are off to Italy!!




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Location:Gimmelwald

Germany

OBERWESEL

After a 5 hour train ride, we arrived at the sleepy, Celtic town of Oberwesel, which has been here since 400 B.C.!! (yes, that's right, I DID say four hundred B.C.) which later became a Roman military station.

After depositing our back packs, the proprietor of our very clean hotel gave us a map of the town with tips on the best route to walk to explore our immediate surroundings. So we set off on a 5 miles 'around and on' what is described as "the best Roman-wall and medieval towers remaining on the Rhine"..... the views were lovely and I had an urge to start yodeling and we are not even in Switzerland yet!

It did not take long to poke around the town, before enjoying a beer on the sidewalk watching the world go by, followed by a simple inexpensive meal of fresh pasta. As with Anna Maria Island, when the sun goes down, the sidewalks roll up .... we were ready to relax in our room, read our books ...... sure would like a foot massage!


ST GOAR

So our first day in Oberwesel we decided to tour the castle Rheinfels (meaning the mightiest on the river) in St Goar, just 7 km away (St Goar is named for a 6th century hometown monk) So our choices for getting there were a 6 min train ride, 45 min bike ride, or a 3.5 hour hike. We decided that since our legs are as young as they are ever going to be, we would hike!! ... So off we set, through the vineyards, through the forest, virtical ups and downs (ladders in some places) more appropriate for goats as we came to discover, but my ...... what glorious views... looking down on the river, surrounded by vineyards hearing only the birds and insects, it was worth every step.

As for the castle, I/we were like a couple of 10 year olds, soooo many nooks and crannies, so many places to explore, ..... we had the greatest fun. Thank you once again Rick Steves for your excellent guided tours. While in these castle ruines, we met a delightful German couple who live in Northern Germany, and when they learned we like to house swap, were very eager to exchange addresses for future adventures!

So much for saying I needed a foot massage, my poor feet have carried me a further 10 miles today! The weather by the way was perfect for hiking, and we are not in the least sorry that the temperatures are below normal for this time of the year.

BACHARACH

In this third charming town along the Rhine, we find ourselves surrounded by multiple towers, castle ruines, higgledy-piggledy squares and houses dating back to 1368. This grand medieval town for 300 hundred years (1300-1600) was home to 4,000 of the rich and politically powerful. Later, plagues, fires and the Thirty Year's War, reduced the population and the town slumbered for several centuries. Today they have 40,000 overnights annually by the youth hostelers!

It is from this location we took our 4 hour Rhine Cruise experience, which was along part of what is known as "the romantic" stretch of the Rhine. It is noted there are 60 castles dotted along this 35 km area, of which we must have seen at least a dozen. The previous day we had enjoyed manificent views looking down on the river, but, as always, seeing things from the water gives things a different perspective.......another lovely day. We dined later that night on traditional German fare and Riesling in the geranium filled, cobbled stoned courtyard of the oldest house in Bararach ... all very romantic.

We are finding everyone to be so helpful and friendly, even if we are unable to converse in the same language. One occassion, while waiting for our 5 min train ride back to Oberwesel, I joined in whistling "the flight of the bumblebee" for a few sec, along with a young man traveling with his parents .... we all smiled and stepped into our seperate carriages.

So, with bags packed, we will set off at 6:30 am for Switzerland.

Auf Wiederhören!




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Falling in Love with Paris

PARIS! .... what a week, where to start?

The history, the culture, the food and the people, all has been good. Ron did an amazing job pulling it all together. Of course it is impossible to see everything, but we immersed ourselves in the highlights, slowing down to 'BE in the moment,' and absorb as much as we could.

In order to get our bearings, our first day we took a bus ride for a couple of hours, later returning on foot to explore more closely. The 'Left Bank' area is intriguing, but from mid July to mid August the Parisians turn the Right Bank (normally a road that runs parallel with the River Seine) into a beach! tons of sand is imported, lots of occupied deck chairs, with adults observing children playing with their buckets and spades, truly and enchanting site.

It would be impossible to pick a favourite highlight ..... here are a few..... twilight views of the Champs-Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe (which was commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate his victory at the battle of Austerliz). There were 284 steep steps to climb, but well worth the effort, for the mesmerizing views down onto the traffic which swirls around the Arch.

The Eiffel tower though impressive by day, was magical by night, on the hour from sunset to 1am there is a 5 mins 'sparkling display' that draws thousands of tourists - perfect for the pick pocket professionals who surely make a living despite the area being well patrolled by police, however one is forwarned, so best to visit with empty pockets and a camera only.

We managed to visit three museums, - the d'Orsay, the Rodin and the L'Orangerie, each unique and steeped with it's own special art. Through these visits we now have a better appreciation for these famous artists.

Another highlight, which some may find morbid, but intrigued us, was a visit through the Catacombs, situated beneath the metros and sewer lines ... I forget the exact depth. It is a tunnel walkway, with the bones of six million people which were removed from caving in grave yards through out Paris in the late 1700's. There are plaques with poetry, philosophy, and religious text intertwined throughout this memorial site.

We found ourselves in the largest cemetery, 105 acres, and during our wanderings came across the graves of Jim Morrison, and Chopin (though I feel I should not mention these two famous musicians in the same breath!)

The locksmiths must do a wonderful trade selling their pad locks, to the many young lovers, who, after pledging their undying love for one another, write their names in permanent ink, plus,date/year, before securing the lock to one of the many mesh railings that cross the River Seine, toss the key into the murky waters, the deed then sealed with a kiss!

A whole day was spent in Versailles, that magnificent 'country get away' for King(s) Louis XIV, XV and XVI (and others). The opulence was breathtakingly beautiful, but truly 'over the top'. No wonder there was a French Revolution.

We attempted to not be the frantic tourist, as we enjoyed long lunches in places recommended by Rick Steves, our own made picnics on steps while listening to various musicians, strolls along the Promenade Plantee - an old disused railway track which now resembles a beautiful 3-4 mile long park with walls and archways of ivy, bamboo, roses and fountains. By picking up a local paper, we discovered a free piano recital in an obscure church, it was quiet recharging of our inner souls.

So we come away from Paris with sore feet, stronger legs, after walking many miles along cobbled streets....... but oh the memories.... sigh.

Composed while on the train to Germany.







Outside Versailles

Vive la France

Late nights, early mornings ... not to worry, we can rest up in Sep when we reach Nice!

We have fallen in love with France, from the small fishing village in
Saint Suliac, to the opulence of The Versailles Estate, a 30 min train ride from Paris.

Our first landing on French soil was Aug 4th where we spent a long w/e with Eileen/Bill, good friends from Bermuda days in the 70's. We were enchanted with their local medieval town of Dinan, with it's cobbled streets, surrounding ramparts, and port on the river Rance.

We spent a day at one of the most signifcant attraction in the north of France ....Mont Saint Michel. This historical monastery built hundreds of years ago, slowly developed a town around it which now completely fills the island it occupies.

Like excited school girls, Eileen and I relished some time poking around a local market in Cancale, while Bill and Ron patiently waited as we purchased treasures such as wooden olive spoons and the like!

An unexpected treat found ourselves in the quaint fishing village of Saint Suliac on the day of their annual fete. This traditional celebrition involves the entire village, where everyone is dressed in costume from the early 1900's. The music had us clapping, tapping our feet, and dancing in the street completely oblivious to the rain, which in no way spoiled the event.

All in all, it has been a wonderful start to our European Adventure.




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Location:Paris

'Jolly ol'e England

I am writing this on our 7 hr ferry ride heading for St Malo, France, there are a few white caps and gentle listing of our boat (I'm not reaching for the anti nausea meds yet, but it's a consideration).

The weather and temp this past week in England could not have been more perfect enableing us to eat outdoors in the garden. It's been many years since I was "home" during the summer and it has been just delightful.

The 'cousins' annual gathering started this year with getting together on Sat for an evening meal, and progressed through till 11am Monday, encompassing country walks, visits to the chickens that belong to Barbara's co-op. I can't thank Barbara enough for her amazing hospitality and haute cuisine.

We took the coach to Poole, Dorset, where we spent a couple of nights with friends from Bermuda days. Isn't it wonderful how 'old' friends just pick up where they last left off (none stop chat, much laughter).... we took a lovely 6 mile walk along the cliffs with great clear views of The Isle of Wight, definately shorts attire was needed, Ron even suffered from a little sunburn. The intention was to walk back also, but Ron and I need to work up to the 10 mile hike, it was a breeze for Sue and Mike.

The beaches were packed with deck chairs, surf boards, fish and chips and ice cream vendors. There was even the old puppet, 'Punch and Judy' show, playing throughout the day. However, the cutiest sight was the young children shoulder to shoulder along the quay side with their fishing nets and lines, ever hopeful to be the one to reel in a 'catch of the day' .... it reminded me of Donovan and Patrick when they we first went to Kwaj, with their little snoopy rods.

So to summarize, our time back in 'Jolly ol'e England' was just perfect.

P.S. Very behind on the blog....hope to catch up soon!




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Location:Poole to St Malo Ferry