Sun spilled onto the carpet this morning this morning making a puddle of warmth for the first time in days. As I went to get the car a warm breeze carried the scent of mown clover and dare-I-say summer!? Summer was, however, short-lived since a front was moving in and it would be raining later. Cold maybe even gale-force winds from time to time by tomorrow morning the news said.
We drove into York and parked in the Shambles Car Park --- Got out the chair and headed into the old city. Our first stop was Jarvic Museum built on the spot where a remarkable archaeological dig was begun in the 1970s. Due to construction a treasure trove of artifacts from 900 B.C.E. was discovered. This was the time when York was occupied by Vikings from just across the channel in Denmark. Most of the artifacts were preserved in a peat bog-like conditions which made the fine even more rich and significant. Feces could be analyzed for diet, skin and bone preserved in near perfect condition!
The museum built over the site is a combination of Disney and experiential learning. There is a village that replicates the one of the time. It has been duplicated down to the fact that the people represented are reconstructions based on remains found in the bog. Not only are the buildings reconstructed --but the smells of the place are used to make the whole experience more real. Instead of Pirates of the Caribbean, we have Vikings of York......
We were ushered into a "time machine" that uses the same technique as a simulator --- a clever film of a young couple take us back through time --- initially it is decades-- through changing costume, but then it moves to centuries. When you arrive at the village --- you move through it (a la Mr. toad's wild ride) in monorail gondolas and see each workshop or home described in detail through speakers.
The people speak to one another in a language Jarvic (a language that sounds remarkably like Danish). The smell is acrid and somewhat unpleasant --- especially as you pass near the privy! There were 10,000 people living in York at that time -- which is a really astounding number ---if you consider the conventions that would have been in place for hygiene.
Trade was going on regularly in the area --- in Amber and other precious materials, as well as pottery, skins, and food. The docents were dressed in period costume and seemed to enjoy interacting with the visitors who after the journey through the village --- encountered them throughout the actual museum. One, a woman who was a "healer---witch," was especially interesting to talk to as she explained her costume and particularly the jewelry she wore which had a great deal to tell about who she was.
She said that at that time, she would have been important even to the lords for her powers with the Gods, and often would have been with an army during its campaign. Her personal God was Lokey, but she also worshipped Oden and a number of the other Norse Gods. Not only were the original artifacts displayed, but there were also replicas that kids could handle. It was a great museum to get kids interested in history...and archeology.
After the Jarvic experience, I left Kathy in a courtyard having coffee and headed over to the Castle museum. As I learned, it was never actually a castle, but was truly a prison. Part of the museum was closed since a new exposition was opening about the prison itself and was having final preparation for opening the next day!
One of the most interesting things in this museum was the preserved Victorian street including a horse and carriage hastening along. An entire day and night pass on this street, so as you walk along you can experience it at any time of day or night. It included a thunder shower in the evening. There were real stores along the lanes where you could buy reproduced articles from the time period. I went into the toy store and chatted with the proprietor. Every detail was accurate --even down to the Victorian cash register. The toys in the store he explained would only have gone to the wealthy --these would not have been toys for ordinary children. In fact children of the time would be working as apprentices in real world shops or on farms.
The second floor of the museum had homes from British history from the Georgian period forward. These were like windows into the past. They didn't have the depth of material that the Victoria Albert Museum had, but they made up for it in the realistic way in which things were displayed.
I also went into a small church which had been partially restored and had a huge piece of art work as its centerpiece. Then I picked Kathy up and began the walk toward the Minster where we were going to attend Evensong. We stopped and shared a sandwich and soup at a local eatery, and then continued out walk up the Shambles, a very well preserved Medieval street on which some of the buildings actually almost touch as they reach skyward. The "daub and beam" construction has moved over the centuries leaning out over the street as if to look down on and observe what is happening. The sidewalks all tilt in toward the center of the narrow street which functioned as a natural sewer. This tilt makes keeping the chair on the walk difficult, but the hill leading to the Minster is not too steep and the walk was quite pleasant as we encountered many things that are unique to this part of England.
The Minster is so big you cannot really take it in... You can't get far enough away from it. The square in front of the cathedral (though a Minster is the term applied here since it was a missionary church) is called Dean's square --- while I am sure it refers to the Dean of the Cathedral --- I like to think of it as My DEAN'S square! I wish he were here to see this place. When you enter the church you clearly see why it holds such importance.
There are volunteers who serve as docents everywhere --- the choir is clearly very active, entirely composed of men and very young boys, it sings every day at evensong and probably participates in a number of services in addition to this one. Upon entering the eye is immediately drawn upward to the Gothic arches high overhead. The weight of the structure is the equivalent of 40 jumbo jets on each pier.....it is an astounding feat of engineering that this place could have been completed in the 13th century.
The windows soar skyward as well with many panels of painted and stained glass telling the biblical narrative, but they are too far away to read clearly --- they only read as color for the eye. At the end of one transept is the rose window which clearly has the Tudor white rose and the Hastings red rose together in each section. The organ pipes are ornately decorated and there is a great organ console in the main part of the church with a smaller one in the quire (choir). Along the outside of the choir are the most important of those entombed in the cathedral, along with a list of all of the organists, and Deans.
The stone at the entrance indicated that the structure dates to 627 A.D. But when I toured the Crypt and understory of the church I learned that it was even older than that. The original building was a Roman Basilica (these were originally not holy buildings -- but were public buildings used to garrison roman troops. The Normans built over this basic structure, and then again it was rebuilt as the current Gothic Minster in the Medieval period. The museum below had artifacts from each structure and most interesting of all it was clear to see how the original piers were reinforced to make sure that they continue to support the weight of the stone for many years to come. There are stone rods and pilings that were added to each pier to help carry that immense weight and you see all these remarkable architectural details in the crypt. Many other interesting things reside there.
A Roman sarcophagus is on display showing that the burial customs of the time included a hole in the bottom of the burial chamber to allow gases and fluids to drain away during decomposition. Ingenious --- I guess the lid of the sarcophagus could pop off if there were no where for the gases to escape. Other interesting details --- that one would not know from above --- things like when the Normans conquered the area -- they took the remains of the Anglo Saxon saints out of the church....so after the Normans were gone, they put them back but this time in a used Roman Sarcophagus and they left them in the crypt. (St. Andrew -- I believe).
Also there was an exposed drain from Roman times that still functioned, figures and parts of the exterior which had been completely removed and replaced in 1998 -- due to the corrosive elements of air pollution, the chalices and silver used by the church over the centuries, and then of course the crypt itself -- with places to mediate and pray provided.
After we finished exploring the rest of the church we queued up for Evensong. It was a beautiful service, however, it bothered me that there were no women represented in anyway in the service --- It also bothered me that there was no place for the congregation to be part of the service (except in the recitation of the creed) NO HYMN, NO shared reading...everything was done for you....by clergy or choir....so as far as worship goes this would not have been worshipful for me. It was beautiful music and I must confess that I loved the psalms that were sung === (84&85) BUT worship cannot be done for you......I am a child of the reformation.
Another peculiar thing for me was (I assume they were sextons----) that men robed in black preceded and followed the procession of the choir. The carried a brass post with a ball on the end and a crown on the end of that.....they closed the doors and also preceded the clergy to the Bible for the reading of the scripture. The Bible sat on a brass stand in the center of the choir it was a great eagle that supported the scripture.....I personally like having a human hold it for the reading.
I kept thinking of Andrew and Don--knowing that this really is the sound and experience they both love in worship....The choirmaster even looked like Andrew but wore his robes and a hood (I do not know the significance of that either) It was strange to hear only men's voices --- and boys of course on the soprano and alto parts.
People did not sit for the postlude --- but of course I did --- I must say however, that Andrew is a better organist than the one who played for the service I attended. I am sure, however, that this was not the Big Cheese Organist!
When we left the Minster --- they were closing up the shops and it was starting to rain so I rushed us along the streets back to the car park.
The gentleman who helped us find the handicapped spot was still there. He greeted us and wanted to know if we had a good day --- I said FABULOUS.....he asked if I got lots of good photos. When I said I had, he said, give me your camera --- I know you didn't get this one -- I handed him my camera and he literally ran up the ramp ...and disappeared. For a moment, I thought, you idiot.....you just gave your camera to a stranger ---- we had been warned not to do that in Egypt and I thought for a a split second that maybe he was going to take it and keep it!
But in a minute or two he was back handing it to me --- with shots of the river Ouse with a boat on it and some of the city in the distance. What a kind thing to do for two strange old ladies! We headed back to the hotel stopping on the way to pick up some chips and sandwich meat. I was raining and pretty cold by the time we got back so instead of picnicking outside on lovely picnic tables, I picnicked in our room and we went to bed promptly-----though I read some more of the murder mystery that Kathy had finished which was placed in Cornwall in the village we had just passed through!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Cotswolds to York
Monday, the third day of our road trip --- was mostly hard driving. We took the M5 (equivalent to I 40 or 10.) Most of the way we could go 70mph. So we made good time. We stopped and bought food in Glastonbury and then went to see the Abbey. This is a charming British village --- which has been taken over by new age people --- seemed a natural fit since this ancient site was a holy site before Christianity.
Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea came with 11 disciples in 64 A.D. and brought with him the grail. It is the legendary burial place of Arthur and Guinevere...and was the site of a magnificent abbey until the Abbey's were destroyed under Henry the 8th's reign in 1500's There are shops on every corner --- Man, Magic & Myth, Fairies Fun and Crystals! A young man dressed like a a peasant in the time of Arthur takes people through showing them the Abbey and saying things like the virgin birth is about the astrological sign Virgo and that the Christian holidays are really about the solstice......hmmmm...somehow I think the Benedictine's that established the abbey might have a thing or two to say about that. Too soon it is time to leave since we have to make our appearance at our bed and Breakfast in the Cotswolds by 5:00 p.m.
The countryside gave way to more densely forested terrain and we went through several small rain showers --- nothing like the other night though! We arrived in a village, Mickleton, near Chippingham Camden. It is difficult to find a place to eat --- they do not serve until 7:00 p.m. so we got out our picnic supplies and fixed a meal at the B&B. We ate at a picnic table in the garden. It is by my standard a bit cold to be eating out, but Kathy likes it on the cool side. Most of this trip I have been a bit cool....except of course in Egypt, Turkey and the Mediterranean. Tomorrow we will just journey around enjoying the villages of the Cotswolds.
Tuesday found us traveling from village to village. Bibury was my favorite. There are public gardens at a trout farm there which are stunning, and a magnificent old church building. Stanton and Witcombe stood next in favor. All of these places rely on tourism and this year, tourism is way down. So the streets were really quiet early in the day. We stopped at a bookseller to buy a book for me to read, and then had tea with a scone and strawberry jam at a little tea shop which was delightful .
These places are so old that many of them pre-date Christianity --- which came to the island via the Romans in the 1st century. It seems incredible that the buildings still stand and are occupied, not as museums, but as working, living places still. The rocks were well worn and had a yellow sort of liken that seemed to destroy the rock where they were growing on them. The old church yards surrounding the village churches have many markers too weathered to make out names and dates. The towns have buildings which were framed in timber and used some sort of material perhaps like adobe between. These are the row houses of Shakespeare's time and when we returned to Mickleton, I asked Stan about how they keep these buildings in repair. It is an expensive labor of love, and some things must not be touched -- like the timber houses --- as he said, "they have taken their shape naturally over the centuries and to disturb them or try to repair them would be like putting new wine in old wine skins --- it wouldn't work." Many of the roofs are thatched and they are covered with netting to keep the birds from nesting in them and pulling the thatch out. These often have a decorative design in the thatch just below the point of the roof and often have ducks or pheasants as decoration on the peak.
The sun passed behind clouds just as I found a Sainsbury's to buy more super glue for my sandal, and as I crossed the parking lot the sky opened up. I could not do without these shoes--but I have completely worn the bottom out --- I found the glue and walked out of the store whole again!
Because the temperature rarely goes much above 70 here -- the gardens and the plants are stunning. Foxglove, hollyhocks, honeysuckle so thick it is like a tree, geraniums, lobellia that grows like a vine out of hanging baskets, and Dahlias inhabit the gardens. As we drove along we saw many people in the act of tending their gardens. Truly, next to walking this seems like the national pass time. There are highway signs that are warnings for drivers to watch for the elderly! No kidding, and for the disabled as well.
We went across and had dinner at the pub -- the Kings Arms and found the food to be quite good and hearty. The place was packed. People were dressed up nicely and having good conversation. Something Stan warned us about ---- yes, these people were present in the moment! They didn't need Internet! I had a piece of steak --with a mushroom and tomato grilled and two onion rings. ...and the ever-present Chips! Kathy had a Chicken and pasta dish --- which she said was made with fresh pasta....so much for the stereotype of British food!
One of the interesting things about being in a B&B is that you get to visit with local people who tell you (if they like to talk) local history, their personal histories, and bits of what it is like to live in a country which is so much like our own, yet so different in many ways. Stan our host was one such man. He obviously loved his wife, Jenny, very much and missed her company. She has been gone for seven years and he speaks lovingly of her as though it was just yesterday. He is more than willing to answer questions and tell tales. He also dried my "pants" that is what they call panties here. Since we were going to be here two nights -- I figured it was now or never if I were going to have clean underwear! When it is this humid and cold -- it takes more than one night for things to dry. I carefully hung them in the bathroom, and when I got home --- he told me gleefully, "I dried your pants." --- and then he went the rest of the extremity and said (with a twinkle in his eye and hoping for a reaction), "I didn't sniff them though!" We had a really good laugh --- but I think my mother would have been mortified! I on the other hand was just glad to have clean pants (panties)! So many words here are different.....tires is tyres, boot is trunk, lorry is truck, loo is bathroom, dual-carriage way is a divided highway, bnagers(sausage) and mash (potato) but I have also see mash mean peas mashed up, biscuit is a cookie, bonnet is the hood of a car, Biker Crash Area --- means a spot where people on bikes (real ones not motorcycles) meet problems on the roadway, and that is just the beginning.....there's crisps for potato chips, and prawns for shrimp.....and hundreds of other words as well.
Wednesday morning we left for York, where we had hoped that we would find internet access, perhaps at wayside Costa -- coffee houses. These are a bit like Starbucks and are often at the off-ramps at service areas. However we learned today that when they are at a service area --they do not have free wi-fi! Only when they are in towns do they have wi-fi free!! Internet access here gets you coming and going. Libraries here also have internet, but you have to be there when the library is open, and so far our times have been after closing.
We got an early start and drove on to York --- where we had more difficulties with the B&B. After a LONG day (with only one touristy stop -- at Chatsworth -- a magnificent manor house) We arrived at our B&B. When I walked into the entry --- I noticed there were 12 steps up to the 1st floor --- where I assumed our room was. When I went up to check out the room --- I discovered there were another 7 steps to the room waiting on the landing ...Then there would have been a total of 14 more to and from breakfast and then 19 down to get out!! This just was not doable for Kathy. The kind man at the B& B did his best to get the travel agency to find us another place --- and when that failed --- he found us accommodations at a Ramada Inn with a Disabled room on the ground floor --- he even got us a special rate for the two nights which included our dinner the first night --- which turned out to be very elegant in the hotel dining room! Blessings on Mr. Lowrey! Without his help, I fear we would not have done well tonight. ........tomorrow we will see ancient YORK and attend evensong at Yorkminster!
Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea came with 11 disciples in 64 A.D. and brought with him the grail. It is the legendary burial place of Arthur and Guinevere...and was the site of a magnificent abbey until the Abbey's were destroyed under Henry the 8th's reign in 1500's There are shops on every corner --- Man, Magic & Myth, Fairies Fun and Crystals! A young man dressed like a a peasant in the time of Arthur takes people through showing them the Abbey and saying things like the virgin birth is about the astrological sign Virgo and that the Christian holidays are really about the solstice......hmmmm...somehow I think the Benedictine's that established the abbey might have a thing or two to say about that. Too soon it is time to leave since we have to make our appearance at our bed and Breakfast in the Cotswolds by 5:00 p.m.
The countryside gave way to more densely forested terrain and we went through several small rain showers --- nothing like the other night though! We arrived in a village, Mickleton, near Chippingham Camden. It is difficult to find a place to eat --- they do not serve until 7:00 p.m. so we got out our picnic supplies and fixed a meal at the B&B. We ate at a picnic table in the garden. It is by my standard a bit cold to be eating out, but Kathy likes it on the cool side. Most of this trip I have been a bit cool....except of course in Egypt, Turkey and the Mediterranean. Tomorrow we will just journey around enjoying the villages of the Cotswolds.
Tuesday found us traveling from village to village. Bibury was my favorite. There are public gardens at a trout farm there which are stunning, and a magnificent old church building. Stanton and Witcombe stood next in favor. All of these places rely on tourism and this year, tourism is way down. So the streets were really quiet early in the day. We stopped at a bookseller to buy a book for me to read, and then had tea with a scone and strawberry jam at a little tea shop which was delightful .
These places are so old that many of them pre-date Christianity --- which came to the island via the Romans in the 1st century. It seems incredible that the buildings still stand and are occupied, not as museums, but as working, living places still. The rocks were well worn and had a yellow sort of liken that seemed to destroy the rock where they were growing on them. The old church yards surrounding the village churches have many markers too weathered to make out names and dates. The towns have buildings which were framed in timber and used some sort of material perhaps like adobe between. These are the row houses of Shakespeare's time and when we returned to Mickleton, I asked Stan about how they keep these buildings in repair. It is an expensive labor of love, and some things must not be touched -- like the timber houses --- as he said, "they have taken their shape naturally over the centuries and to disturb them or try to repair them would be like putting new wine in old wine skins --- it wouldn't work." Many of the roofs are thatched and they are covered with netting to keep the birds from nesting in them and pulling the thatch out. These often have a decorative design in the thatch just below the point of the roof and often have ducks or pheasants as decoration on the peak.
The sun passed behind clouds just as I found a Sainsbury's to buy more super glue for my sandal, and as I crossed the parking lot the sky opened up. I could not do without these shoes--but I have completely worn the bottom out --- I found the glue and walked out of the store whole again!
Because the temperature rarely goes much above 70 here -- the gardens and the plants are stunning. Foxglove, hollyhocks, honeysuckle so thick it is like a tree, geraniums, lobellia that grows like a vine out of hanging baskets, and Dahlias inhabit the gardens. As we drove along we saw many people in the act of tending their gardens. Truly, next to walking this seems like the national pass time. There are highway signs that are warnings for drivers to watch for the elderly! No kidding, and for the disabled as well.
We went across and had dinner at the pub -- the Kings Arms and found the food to be quite good and hearty. The place was packed. People were dressed up nicely and having good conversation. Something Stan warned us about ---- yes, these people were present in the moment! They didn't need Internet! I had a piece of steak --with a mushroom and tomato grilled and two onion rings. ...and the ever-present Chips! Kathy had a Chicken and pasta dish --- which she said was made with fresh pasta....so much for the stereotype of British food!
One of the interesting things about being in a B&B is that you get to visit with local people who tell you (if they like to talk) local history, their personal histories, and bits of what it is like to live in a country which is so much like our own, yet so different in many ways. Stan our host was one such man. He obviously loved his wife, Jenny, very much and missed her company. She has been gone for seven years and he speaks lovingly of her as though it was just yesterday. He is more than willing to answer questions and tell tales. He also dried my "pants" that is what they call panties here. Since we were going to be here two nights -- I figured it was now or never if I were going to have clean underwear! When it is this humid and cold -- it takes more than one night for things to dry. I carefully hung them in the bathroom, and when I got home --- he told me gleefully, "I dried your pants." --- and then he went the rest of the extremity and said (with a twinkle in his eye and hoping for a reaction), "I didn't sniff them though!" We had a really good laugh --- but I think my mother would have been mortified! I on the other hand was just glad to have clean pants (panties)! So many words here are different.....tires is tyres, boot is trunk, lorry is truck, loo is bathroom, dual-carriage way is a divided highway, bnagers(sausage) and mash (potato) but I have also see mash mean peas mashed up, biscuit is a cookie, bonnet is the hood of a car, Biker Crash Area --- means a spot where people on bikes (real ones not motorcycles) meet problems on the roadway, and that is just the beginning.....there's crisps for potato chips, and prawns for shrimp.....and hundreds of other words as well.
Wednesday morning we left for York, where we had hoped that we would find internet access, perhaps at wayside Costa -- coffee houses. These are a bit like Starbucks and are often at the off-ramps at service areas. However we learned today that when they are at a service area --they do not have free wi-fi! Only when they are in towns do they have wi-fi free!! Internet access here gets you coming and going. Libraries here also have internet, but you have to be there when the library is open, and so far our times have been after closing.
We got an early start and drove on to York --- where we had more difficulties with the B&B. After a LONG day (with only one touristy stop -- at Chatsworth -- a magnificent manor house) We arrived at our B&B. When I walked into the entry --- I noticed there were 12 steps up to the 1st floor --- where I assumed our room was. When I went up to check out the room --- I discovered there were another 7 steps to the room waiting on the landing ...Then there would have been a total of 14 more to and from breakfast and then 19 down to get out!! This just was not doable for Kathy. The kind man at the B& B did his best to get the travel agency to find us another place --- and when that failed --- he found us accommodations at a Ramada Inn with a Disabled room on the ground floor --- he even got us a special rate for the two nights which included our dinner the first night --- which turned out to be very elegant in the hotel dining room! Blessings on Mr. Lowrey! Without his help, I fear we would not have done well tonight. ........tomorrow we will see ancient YORK and attend evensong at Yorkminster!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Cool breeze and cloudy skies greeted us as we left early for St. Paul's Cathedral. Younger and less impressive than the Gothic Cathedrals we have seen in other countries it has a completely different feel to it. It is only 300 years old ---having burned down several times. (However, the age issues is really not exactly true since it was first built in 603 A.D. and became ultimately ultimately a Gothic cathedral --taller than the current structure. It was burned in the great fire of London in 1666.) Christopher Wren designed the cathedral and considered it to be his monument. It is also the resting place of many British heroes from a host of wars.
The chapel behind the choir is dedicated to the U.S. servicemen who died in defense of Britain. It is perhaps the most beautiful part of the church with lovely stained glass windows dominating it. The crypt includes the remains of Lord Nelson among other heroes. It felt very military. Perhaps because it was mostly military heroes that were buried here. Of course John Dun and Samuel Johnson rest there -- two real word warriors!
I climbed the stairs up into the dome ....276 steps--- I am certainly better at clmbing than when the trip began, I found that I was not completely winded by the trip up only pausing at the 100th step to rest and catch my breath -- We left the Cathedral and caught a bus across town to St. Martin in the Fields (just next to Trafalgar Square) They have a restaurant in the Crypt where we grabbed a sandwich. I don't thnk most of the folks buried here much expected to be sharing lunch with people in the 21st century!
This was probably my favorite place in London on this trip. I made a brass rubbing and then we went upstairs for the noon concert. It was absolutely lovely. A young soprano performed, Bach, Handel, and Strauss. Then we caught a taxi to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The museum's focus is art and design and it does a fabulous job of displaying things. Its exterior a testament to the bombings of WWII. We went through the British section featuring articles of design and life in Britain from the 17th-19th century. The display was ingenious --- taking entire rooms from manor houses and castles and recreating them in their entirety. You can literally walk into a room and feel as though you have stepped into that time period. I was surprised to see the glass sculpture by Chihuly that hung in the Frist on display there in the entry! http://www.chihuly.com/installations/v%2Ba/chand02.html
At about 3:30 we walked over to Harrods and had tea. The room is a bit fancier than Fortnam and Masons was and there was a wonderful pianist playing soothingly wonderful tunes while we had tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and of course a wonderful assortment of dessert items. We walked through Harrods after tea and looked at all the amazing things that we would never buy, but perhaps some folks afford such extravagances. Gowns for 6,000 pounds.....hmmm.....
Then we caught a bus over to the general area where we could walk the rest of the way to the theater. It has been cool and mostly overcast and that makes the walking very easy. Kathy knows London pretty well, so she can navigate the streets and we located the theater with no problem. Tonight's delight was The Lady in Black. It has been playing for nearly 20 years, so she figured it had to be good.....and it was....very satisfying mystery/horror! There were a large number of young people in the audience--attending as a school group and they really made the evening....shrieking in all the right places and just bringing the whole thing to life quite nicely. It was a great choice. After the theater --- Kathy hailed a cab --and we rode back to our hotel in luxury.
London is a big place and perhaps not as well designed as Paris with things strung out all over --- it is harder to get to everything. I was thinking that in Paris --- St. Chapelle is just a few blocks from NotreDame....the Musee De Orsay is just across the Seine from the Louvre which is next to the gardens and not far from ....well you get the idea....it is mostly walkable...
London also has tremendous traffic problems --- and Paris was busy --- but not jammed up...It seemed that maybe there were more tourists in London than in Paris....or maybe it was just that we had encountered more of them. An unbelievable day!
The chapel behind the choir is dedicated to the U.S. servicemen who died in defense of Britain. It is perhaps the most beautiful part of the church with lovely stained glass windows dominating it. The crypt includes the remains of Lord Nelson among other heroes. It felt very military. Perhaps because it was mostly military heroes that were buried here. Of course John Dun and Samuel Johnson rest there -- two real word warriors!
I climbed the stairs up into the dome ....276 steps--- I am certainly better at clmbing than when the trip began, I found that I was not completely winded by the trip up only pausing at the 100th step to rest and catch my breath -- We left the Cathedral and caught a bus across town to St. Martin in the Fields (just next to Trafalgar Square) They have a restaurant in the Crypt where we grabbed a sandwich. I don't thnk most of the folks buried here much expected to be sharing lunch with people in the 21st century!
This was probably my favorite place in London on this trip. I made a brass rubbing and then we went upstairs for the noon concert. It was absolutely lovely. A young soprano performed, Bach, Handel, and Strauss. Then we caught a taxi to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The museum's focus is art and design and it does a fabulous job of displaying things. Its exterior a testament to the bombings of WWII. We went through the British section featuring articles of design and life in Britain from the 17th-19th century. The display was ingenious --- taking entire rooms from manor houses and castles and recreating them in their entirety. You can literally walk into a room and feel as though you have stepped into that time period. I was surprised to see the glass sculpture by Chihuly that hung in the Frist on display there in the entry! http://www.chihuly.com/installations/v%2Ba/chand02.html
At about 3:30 we walked over to Harrods and had tea. The room is a bit fancier than Fortnam and Masons was and there was a wonderful pianist playing soothingly wonderful tunes while we had tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and of course a wonderful assortment of dessert items. We walked through Harrods after tea and looked at all the amazing things that we would never buy, but perhaps some folks afford such extravagances. Gowns for 6,000 pounds.....hmmm.....
Then we caught a bus over to the general area where we could walk the rest of the way to the theater. It has been cool and mostly overcast and that makes the walking very easy. Kathy knows London pretty well, so she can navigate the streets and we located the theater with no problem. Tonight's delight was The Lady in Black. It has been playing for nearly 20 years, so she figured it had to be good.....and it was....very satisfying mystery/horror! There were a large number of young people in the audience--attending as a school group and they really made the evening....shrieking in all the right places and just bringing the whole thing to life quite nicely. It was a great choice. After the theater --- Kathy hailed a cab --and we rode back to our hotel in luxury.
London is a big place and perhaps not as well designed as Paris with things strung out all over --- it is harder to get to everything. I was thinking that in Paris --- St. Chapelle is just a few blocks from NotreDame....the Musee De Orsay is just across the Seine from the Louvre which is next to the gardens and not far from ....well you get the idea....it is mostly walkable...
London also has tremendous traffic problems --- and Paris was busy --- but not jammed up...It seemed that maybe there were more tourists in London than in Paris....or maybe it was just that we had encountered more of them. An unbelievable day!
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Kathy with the Knife in the Louvre Peidmont
Weary from travel and arguing with the taxi driver about the scenic route to our hotel -- BW Louvre Piedmont..We dragged our baggage into the waiting room. All European hotels have teeny-tiny eleavators and this one was no exception. We folded the feet on the chair to make it smaller and pushed the elevator call button. It arrived and the steel door opened (usually there is a regular door that you must open before the elevator door slides open....but this one looked more like those we are familiar with). The shiny steel door opened in regular fashion. We were not quick enough and the door began to close --- I put my arm in to tell the elevator that someone was trying to enter --- but the door closed on my arm. Luckily no one called the elevator just then or I might have been missing my right forearm!!! The desk- guy fresh from the experience of yelling with the Arfican Cab driver and our chaotic entrance came to my rescue and got the elevator to open....I withdrew my hand and we tried got the wheelchair on before the door slammed shut --- I realize that not all elevators have safety features. He once again succeeded in getting it open and I climbed in. When we arrived on our floor I tried to get the wheelchair off quickly --- but it got stuck and no matter how I tried I could not dislodge it. I finally had to go to the stair case and call down to the desk for help...He once again came to our rescue and got the wheelchair out of the elevator --- there were the two bags I had thrown off earlier and when we looked down the blue bag had a knife blade protruding from its side.
I burst into laughter --- as did he when he saw what I was laughing about. I said, "It is for the fromage." Then we both got the giggles....we giggled until I cried. I said to Kathy --- You know he is probably wondering if he has the old ladies from Arsnic and Old Lace in his hotel!!!
We were up and had breakfast and waited to change rooms....because the other issue with our room was that once I wrestled the lugged up to our floor --- and found 105 -- it was down 6 steps through a narrow hallway to the room....
When I went down to get Kathy --- as soon as the door began to open I jumped on so that Kathy would have time to get on the elevator without getting crushed by its hungry jaws --- and she decided to take the room --- because we were tired--- but in the morning we asked to take another room on the 1st floor without steps. We have learned that people think a place is accessible as long as there is an elevator --- but as you can see--- it is not always true. In fact, though American hotel rooms are all alike --- in Europe -- since many of these places were built long before they became hotels -- the rooms are all very individual.
We walked down Rue Cardinal Richeleau to the Lovre, (maybe 3 blocks) crossed the Seine and went to the Musee de Orsey. I left Kathy in line and went to the head of the line to ask about access. When I got back a handsome young man had her wheelchair and when he saw me said, " a present for you" We saw him later on the top floor and thanked him again for his help. Sometimes when Kathy is in line people will just cut in. I don't know if it is just that they do not see her - since she is not at their eye level or if they are just rude. As before--the museum was spectacular, but it had many paintings different from those that I saw last time I visited.
The sky was gray and there was a cold breeze -- it reminded me of the last visit to Paris in 2003 when it was hot, but after rain it was actually chilly. I remember the rain came while we sailed on the Seine and how beautiful the Eifel tower was lighted against the darkening sky. The clouds ocassionally spit rain, and as we crossed the river the poplar leaves were dancing in the wind and glittered on their own -- even without the sunlight.
We left the museum and went to the little sidewalk cafe where we had onion soup the last time. Kathy has been back there several times, but for me -- this is only my second visit. After lunch we caught the bus to St. Chapelle. Like the Mussee we had to go in a different route that took us into the Justice Building which is built all around the chapel. In fact it may have been a palace. The Chapel sits down as if it had sunk maybe 10 feet --- and you must go down the ramp to reach the bottom floor of the chapel. This room was impressive --- but nothing could have prepared me for what we were about to see. The second floor -- or main chapel required us to go on a lift up into the justic building. Then a staff person came and opened the door to let us out onto a galcony which had huge blue doors which opened onto the chapel.
As we were escorted through the young attendant who helped us said, "this was the queens private entrance to the chapel. I thought it was especially appropriate that the entrance for those with disabilities was the queens personal entrance. As the doors opened I was literally stunned by the beauty. I was not alone. A few minutes later a group of school children came through the public door and one of them cried out "Oh," making audible what I felt. I began sorting out the stained glass --- looking for the stories in the windows from Genisis through the passion and ressurection of Christ. It was all there in minute detail -- the Bible for the illiterate! At one end of the chapel was the passion window and oposite was the rose window with the story of John the Baptist. I sat trying to take it in for a very long time. And when I pushed Kathy back through the queen's entrance I was completely overwhelmed by its beauty. Imagine building this chapel in the 13th century and how long people have worshiped here. It is such a small chapel and to me much more meaningful than the magestic Notre Dame.
We left the chapel and started walking toward the Eifel tower then caught bus 69. The day was filled with unusual events. As we rode along the Seine a large passenger jet was flying very low over the river escorted by two military jets. This was followed by two more military jets and a third group of planes including a large prop. Shortly after the planes passed a team of wheel chair athletes from Mexico got on board the bus, and when we actually wanted to get off, we had trouble getting the wheelchair past all the wheelchair athletes. Along the way we passed a number of streets that Rick Steves mentioned as good locations for tourists.
We got off near the tower and then began to work our way back to the Musee De Orsey. We walked along in the neighborhood just east of the tower and south of the Seine. A cool breese and gentle rain dominated the walk. The rain kept me cool and made the day much easier than the walk about in Nice (which was quite hot). It was wonderful to just be in a neighborhood and see how people live and interact. Old women dressed with beautifully matching shoes, and purses walked along with their canes, business men in suits, and people on their way to and from meetings. A man in the street --- was telling his friend that there was no time for a cup of coffee. Pointing to his watch and then making that "air kiss" to his friend. Kathy was able to find the little coffee/tea/kitchen shop that she had visited before. There were many European coffee pots and accompanying items. There were pastry shops, pharmacies, european versions of the container store (of course on smaller scale), a supermarket, Real Estate shops, and every few spaces there were little bars (not just for alcohol --- but for coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice.....and sandwiches.....), perfumeries and flower shops.
It was a wonderful day, and as it got close to dinner we headed back toward the hotel and the restaurant where we had reservations for dinner. It began raining harder and the wind picked up so we ducked into a bus stop where we met a young woman whom Kathy asked for her suggestion for the easiest path to our desitnation. Not only did she tell us how to go --- she was heading the same way and helped us get to our destination and then exit the very busy bus. We came up on the back of the museum and then found our restaurant, Le Frigate.....enjoyed our dinner and headed for hotel. The sun peeked in and out on the walk back and found ourselves in our new large room getting set for the journey tomorrow to London.
I burst into laughter --- as did he when he saw what I was laughing about. I said, "It is for the fromage." Then we both got the giggles....we giggled until I cried. I said to Kathy --- You know he is probably wondering if he has the old ladies from Arsnic and Old Lace in his hotel!!!
We were up and had breakfast and waited to change rooms....because the other issue with our room was that once I wrestled the lugged up to our floor --- and found 105 -- it was down 6 steps through a narrow hallway to the room....
When I went down to get Kathy --- as soon as the door began to open I jumped on so that Kathy would have time to get on the elevator without getting crushed by its hungry jaws --- and she decided to take the room --- because we were tired--- but in the morning we asked to take another room on the 1st floor without steps. We have learned that people think a place is accessible as long as there is an elevator --- but as you can see--- it is not always true. In fact, though American hotel rooms are all alike --- in Europe -- since many of these places were built long before they became hotels -- the rooms are all very individual.
We walked down Rue Cardinal Richeleau to the Lovre, (maybe 3 blocks) crossed the Seine and went to the Musee de Orsey. I left Kathy in line and went to the head of the line to ask about access. When I got back a handsome young man had her wheelchair and when he saw me said, " a present for you" We saw him later on the top floor and thanked him again for his help. Sometimes when Kathy is in line people will just cut in. I don't know if it is just that they do not see her - since she is not at their eye level or if they are just rude. As before--the museum was spectacular, but it had many paintings different from those that I saw last time I visited.
The sky was gray and there was a cold breeze -- it reminded me of the last visit to Paris in 2003 when it was hot, but after rain it was actually chilly. I remember the rain came while we sailed on the Seine and how beautiful the Eifel tower was lighted against the darkening sky. The clouds ocassionally spit rain, and as we crossed the river the poplar leaves were dancing in the wind and glittered on their own -- even without the sunlight.
We left the museum and went to the little sidewalk cafe where we had onion soup the last time. Kathy has been back there several times, but for me -- this is only my second visit. After lunch we caught the bus to St. Chapelle. Like the Mussee we had to go in a different route that took us into the Justice Building which is built all around the chapel. In fact it may have been a palace. The Chapel sits down as if it had sunk maybe 10 feet --- and you must go down the ramp to reach the bottom floor of the chapel. This room was impressive --- but nothing could have prepared me for what we were about to see. The second floor -- or main chapel required us to go on a lift up into the justic building. Then a staff person came and opened the door to let us out onto a galcony which had huge blue doors which opened onto the chapel.
As we were escorted through the young attendant who helped us said, "this was the queens private entrance to the chapel. I thought it was especially appropriate that the entrance for those with disabilities was the queens personal entrance. As the doors opened I was literally stunned by the beauty. I was not alone. A few minutes later a group of school children came through the public door and one of them cried out "Oh," making audible what I felt. I began sorting out the stained glass --- looking for the stories in the windows from Genisis through the passion and ressurection of Christ. It was all there in minute detail -- the Bible for the illiterate! At one end of the chapel was the passion window and oposite was the rose window with the story of John the Baptist. I sat trying to take it in for a very long time. And when I pushed Kathy back through the queen's entrance I was completely overwhelmed by its beauty. Imagine building this chapel in the 13th century and how long people have worshiped here. It is such a small chapel and to me much more meaningful than the magestic Notre Dame.
We left the chapel and started walking toward the Eifel tower then caught bus 69. The day was filled with unusual events. As we rode along the Seine a large passenger jet was flying very low over the river escorted by two military jets. This was followed by two more military jets and a third group of planes including a large prop. Shortly after the planes passed a team of wheel chair athletes from Mexico got on board the bus, and when we actually wanted to get off, we had trouble getting the wheelchair past all the wheelchair athletes. Along the way we passed a number of streets that Rick Steves mentioned as good locations for tourists.
We got off near the tower and then began to work our way back to the Musee De Orsey. We walked along in the neighborhood just east of the tower and south of the Seine. A cool breese and gentle rain dominated the walk. The rain kept me cool and made the day much easier than the walk about in Nice (which was quite hot). It was wonderful to just be in a neighborhood and see how people live and interact. Old women dressed with beautifully matching shoes, and purses walked along with their canes, business men in suits, and people on their way to and from meetings. A man in the street --- was telling his friend that there was no time for a cup of coffee. Pointing to his watch and then making that "air kiss" to his friend. Kathy was able to find the little coffee/tea/kitchen shop that she had visited before. There were many European coffee pots and accompanying items. There were pastry shops, pharmacies, european versions of the container store (of course on smaller scale), a supermarket, Real Estate shops, and every few spaces there were little bars (not just for alcohol --- but for coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice.....and sandwiches.....), perfumeries and flower shops.
It was a wonderful day, and as it got close to dinner we headed back toward the hotel and the restaurant where we had reservations for dinner. It began raining harder and the wind picked up so we ducked into a bus stop where we met a young woman whom Kathy asked for her suggestion for the easiest path to our desitnation. Not only did she tell us how to go --- she was heading the same way and helped us get to our destination and then exit the very busy bus. We came up on the back of the museum and then found our restaurant, Le Frigate.....enjoyed our dinner and headed for hotel. The sun peeked in and out on the walk back and found ourselves in our new large room getting set for the journey tomorrow to London.
The last time I saw Paris
Light filtered in through the window at our balcony this morning and the cool breeze belied the heat of the day to come. Our little home in Nice will be a memory tomorrow in Paris. I opened the window and pulled the last things in which I had hung out from the laundry yesterday. Our balcony looks out onto a courtyard. The building opposite is partly renovated --with some apartments clearly occupied and with some which have windows broken out and clearly untouched. Our balcony leads to a fire escape (a comforting thought) which most people use to smoke -- it appears from the number of butts!
As we prepare to leave Nice I am thinking that people of kindness are everywhere -- the little differences that flavor culture are just that --- herbs de provance. It is this difference that makes a place interesting to visit. It is not the physical beauty of a place like the Cote d' Azur (though that is clearly there) it is the people and their customs that make it so wonderful...like the woman at the cafe. or the people who lifted Kathy from the train, or Constanza who wanted us to wait for her to find her friend for a good dinner recommendation for us.....people make places special.
I picked up the Kite Runner in Frankfurt (difficult to find English Books here) and had a difficult time putting it done. It certainly illustrates the point. Its people, though the culture was totally foreign to us, were so universal in nature that you could have placed them in Chicago and the story would have been believable. The novel was intense and so real that I am anxious to read the sequel.
The little street tram that took us everywhere for a euro one way also took us to within three blocks of the train station -- For all its wonderful features, Nice does not have a good train station for mobility impaired people. So we checked in and asked what we would do if our train were not going to be on platform one -- (any other platform would required crossing tracks! We were told to wait until the platform was posted (20 minutes prior to departure) Then we would need to get help if we found the train to be on any platform other than A.
We promptly sat down and began eating our lunch --- baguette with ham and cheese and chips. I had bought a coke as we left the hotel and we had just met an American couple from Huntsville Alabama, the Fortenberrys. They have been coming here for years apparently and have their purchased their own apartment on the Promenade (an efficiency). Suddenly from nowhere two men appeared and started to take Kathy away --- I barely got her luggage with her before they disappeared. I shouted where do I go (they would not let me accompany her) the platform still was not posted and I could not understand their French directions --- I was standing there with half of our lunch and my bags wondering what to do next ---I gave my lunch to the birds who were quite happy with it and went back to find the young woman I had spoken with.
Apparently these gentlemen just look for people -- they do not wait to be called -- (another example of the many ways to handle things) The young woman found that they had taken Kathy to platform E--- I ditched my coke and carried my luggage down the stairs --- then found the stairs leading to platform E and trudged back up.....The french trains look sleek -- but they do not post the car number on the exterior of the car. It appears in a digital display once you pus the button and open the door -- it is at the top just inside. I found the correct car and peered in --- there was the wheel chair --- and further down the car sat Kathy. I would have been up the proverbial creek with no paddle --- if we had been separated since I did not have the name of the hotel in Paris with me! Luckily I had my ticket for the train --- I will not let that happen again!
The train was nice and clean --- it was not however very cool -- and there was nothing to be done about that. The countryside flew by at an amazing rate. Beautiful fields divided by poplar trees -- fields of lavender and rape --- fields of hay interspersed with views to the mountains in the distance and scruffy trees that look a bit like pinon now and then. The further we journeyed the more like central California this looked with the spine of mountains running to the East. The sky grew darker and we pass through several downpours. This must have left the farmers rejoicing.
The French train is also very quiet. The people spoke in hushed tones to one another. Most did crosswords or read. There was a family in the seats ahead of us. The young girl had black fingernails and one of those wooden skull piercings in one ear as well as two in her mouth. She read a graphic novel of some kind. The boy was playing computer games -- which I was treated to a view of through the seats. They are war games --- that feature lots of gore. Most of the others are older folks with the exception of the young man next to me who probably was on holiday in Antibe ---
We have left the clouds behind for a time but as we neared our destination the sky once again filled with cumulus clouds. We passed many French villages that looked as they might have hundreds of years ago -- with little village churches which appear to be the center of each village. We have also passed a nuclear power facility with four cooling towers all appearing to be in operation.
We were supposed to arrive at 7:20, but the time we spent on the tracks waiting for the stones to be cleared made us late. We took a little tour of Paris again to get to our hotel and Kathy had to defend all tourists interests with the cabby who was so deeply offended that he almost didn't take her money!!! (grinning)
We had a delightful dinner near the restaurant --- again --- you can't have a bad meal in Europe.....and retired for the night.
As we prepare to leave Nice I am thinking that people of kindness are everywhere -- the little differences that flavor culture are just that --- herbs de provance. It is this difference that makes a place interesting to visit. It is not the physical beauty of a place like the Cote d' Azur (though that is clearly there) it is the people and their customs that make it so wonderful...like the woman at the cafe. or the people who lifted Kathy from the train, or Constanza who wanted us to wait for her to find her friend for a good dinner recommendation for us.....people make places special.
I picked up the Kite Runner in Frankfurt (difficult to find English Books here) and had a difficult time putting it done. It certainly illustrates the point. Its people, though the culture was totally foreign to us, were so universal in nature that you could have placed them in Chicago and the story would have been believable. The novel was intense and so real that I am anxious to read the sequel.
The little street tram that took us everywhere for a euro one way also took us to within three blocks of the train station -- For all its wonderful features, Nice does not have a good train station for mobility impaired people. So we checked in and asked what we would do if our train were not going to be on platform one -- (any other platform would required crossing tracks! We were told to wait until the platform was posted (20 minutes prior to departure) Then we would need to get help if we found the train to be on any platform other than A.
We promptly sat down and began eating our lunch --- baguette with ham and cheese and chips. I had bought a coke as we left the hotel and we had just met an American couple from Huntsville Alabama, the Fortenberrys. They have been coming here for years apparently and have their purchased their own apartment on the Promenade (an efficiency). Suddenly from nowhere two men appeared and started to take Kathy away --- I barely got her luggage with her before they disappeared. I shouted where do I go (they would not let me accompany her) the platform still was not posted and I could not understand their French directions --- I was standing there with half of our lunch and my bags wondering what to do next ---I gave my lunch to the birds who were quite happy with it and went back to find the young woman I had spoken with.
Apparently these gentlemen just look for people -- they do not wait to be called -- (another example of the many ways to handle things) The young woman found that they had taken Kathy to platform E--- I ditched my coke and carried my luggage down the stairs --- then found the stairs leading to platform E and trudged back up.....The french trains look sleek -- but they do not post the car number on the exterior of the car. It appears in a digital display once you pus the button and open the door -- it is at the top just inside. I found the correct car and peered in --- there was the wheel chair --- and further down the car sat Kathy. I would have been up the proverbial creek with no paddle --- if we had been separated since I did not have the name of the hotel in Paris with me! Luckily I had my ticket for the train --- I will not let that happen again!
The train was nice and clean --- it was not however very cool -- and there was nothing to be done about that. The countryside flew by at an amazing rate. Beautiful fields divided by poplar trees -- fields of lavender and rape --- fields of hay interspersed with views to the mountains in the distance and scruffy trees that look a bit like pinon now and then. The further we journeyed the more like central California this looked with the spine of mountains running to the East. The sky grew darker and we pass through several downpours. This must have left the farmers rejoicing.
The French train is also very quiet. The people spoke in hushed tones to one another. Most did crosswords or read. There was a family in the seats ahead of us. The young girl had black fingernails and one of those wooden skull piercings in one ear as well as two in her mouth. She read a graphic novel of some kind. The boy was playing computer games -- which I was treated to a view of through the seats. They are war games --- that feature lots of gore. Most of the others are older folks with the exception of the young man next to me who probably was on holiday in Antibe ---
We have left the clouds behind for a time but as we neared our destination the sky once again filled with cumulus clouds. We passed many French villages that looked as they might have hundreds of years ago -- with little village churches which appear to be the center of each village. We have also passed a nuclear power facility with four cooling towers all appearing to be in operation.
We were supposed to arrive at 7:20, but the time we spent on the tracks waiting for the stones to be cleared made us late. We took a little tour of Paris again to get to our hotel and Kathy had to defend all tourists interests with the cabby who was so deeply offended that he almost didn't take her money!!! (grinning)
We had a delightful dinner near the restaurant --- again --- you can't have a bad meal in Europe.....and retired for the night.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The beuty of the mundane - laundry and the kindness of strangers!
Very humid and uncomfortable unless there was a breeze. Our arrival in Nice was late and we took a taxi to the hotel. After checking in we started looking for a place to eat. It is a bit of a struggle in a place where sea food is the most abundant of anywhere we have been....almost every place offers it in vast variety. Since Kathy is allergic we passed a number of places. We also must be careful since many places in this part of the world cook with peanut oil -- another major no-no.
Ironically we came back to the hotel and settled on the place next door. We ordered a pizza and a salad and shared the two. It was 9:15 by the time we sat down to eat and I was utterly exhausted. The walk in Como, the long day in the Milan train station and little sleep had caught up with me. When we finished the meal which was as usual --delicious (we had not had a bad meal in Europe) We were about to leave when the proprietress came to offer us a drink (free) we declined --but I asked if I could have a coffee to go --- Not only did she accommodate -- but she refused to accept payment for it....sending it in a little basket with some biscuits to go along with it.
After a good nights sleep we rose at 6:00 in order to be at the shore for our trip to St. Tropez. There is a wonderful tram system here --- easy to buy tickets, and it goes every 5 minutes. A young man approached us and began speaking -- I said we don't speak French and he went on. Suddenly two bullies on bikes began chasing him. It was a bit frightening. He got away and the two circled back on their bikes --- feeling their power! The tram took us to a central square near the old town, Garibaldi Place, from which you could find most streets leading to the old section of Nice or to the port where we would catch our boat. We used the map to get to the port passing the Chateau and the street of antiquities where shop after shop was filled with antiques.
The streets were quiet at this time, and as long as you stayed in the shade there was a cool breeze that made pushing the chair easy. The curbs were mostly designed for the chair but just as we reached the port there was a long steep hill. Kathy used her feet to break and I just hung on in case I was needed to halt our progress. We arrived at almost the perfect spot to buy our ticket.
The line was long and the sun hot. A woman next to us was in her 60s but she had a lot of work done --- her face was unlined, her arms when she lifted them showed the scar where the old lady flaps had been removed, her hair was impeccable colored a sunny blonde, but it was her lips that really fascinated me --- they were obviously injected to make them look pouty, sultry---they just looked so silly on this lady. She wore a filmy spaghetti strap top and pants and her bikini underneath matched. Her husband stood near her. I wondered how he felt about all this work she had done to make her feel younger.
On the other side was a woman of about the same age. She had on a long flowing cotton frock to hide the bulges. Her gray hair was pulled back and she made no attempt to cover up her obvious wrinkles---two women --- two vastly different concepts about what is important. It is interesting to see how people are dressed for this. some wear spike heals or wedges that have at least an inch platform (I wonder how they will do on the boat). Many of the young girls have garish tattoos. One has a large tattoo on her leg of a nearly naked girl (vargas like). Another has a large spider web on her calf. Many of them also have piercings in unusual places. Some on the face through the cheek. One of them has a wooden piece that goes through his ear enlarging the hole to something on the magnitude of an inch or more.
The captain with his unusual sailor hat with the red pom pom on top took Kathy on first and we got settled before the mob joined us. The boat is full this Sunday morning of people who are looking for a good time. They started out buying boxes of wine and drinking right away even though it is only 9:00 a.m. The group of them get a bit loud. It is interesting to see who is the leader. The boat is traveling at 20 knots which is the same as our big ocean liner --- of course on the liner it seemed slow, but on this boat it feels very fast! Kathy is in the stern and I joined her where we regularly were doused by sea spray. It was very cooling!
Once on S. Tropez we walked to the plaza. It is a large dust park with mostly restaurants all around. We had lunch at one which had fans and a spray of cool water to help with the heat. By noon it was very hot. You could for a set price choose to have the entree (which means salad here) the main or the main and a dessert. I chose the main and desert and had a great beef salad (really the best I have ever had) and a lemon tart for desert. Kathy chose the tomato/mozzarella salad and a ravioli in basil sauce. When I asked about the bathroom, I learned that it was up 18 stairs. I asked where there would be a handicapped restroom and was informed that all the bathrooms were upstairs.
We headed down through the maze of little shops toward the port again. These shops were mostly for very rich people featuring fine art, and designer clothing. Each shop was very small, with the merchandise in artistic arrangements -- really beautiful to look at even though we could not buy. When we got to a pharmacy we went in to buy yet another converter for electricity --- and I asked about disability arrangements. The pharmacist said that she only new of one bathroom on the entire island --- it was at the port office. We went there and found that we had to get an attendant with a key --- There was also no where we could roll up to the ocean we learned. Basically there were no accommodations on S. Tropez.
We stopped at a very expensive place by the beach for lemonade and water...did I mention it was hot? Once again the key is to stay in the shade as much as possible and pace activity. In the shade next to the yachts it was cool and the lemonade was refreshing --- except that it was really something like Sprite --- so many things are just a little different when you are in a country that is not yours. The water reflects like pieces of broken mirror dancing on the side of the yacht in the harbor. Glittering pieces here then there on the white side of the boat.
The return trip was equally beautiful. The water as it is churned up by the boat is turquoise and white, while further from the boat it is ultramarine. We got even wetter on the return voyage. The captain came down and suggested that we move so kathy would not get so wet -- I told him we did not get to swim in the water at S. Tropez, but at least on his boat we were going swimming!" We laughed and he went back upstairs.
The closer we come to the shore -- the more the clarity was obvious and if the water is not churned up you can look to the bottom. Two exhausted,hot travelers returned to the hotel at about 8:30. We had dinner at the same restaurant, but a sudden thunderstorm forced us to move mid meal closer to the building under the awning. Then we were off to shower and bed.
Our 2nd day in Nice began at the laundry --- or more properly at a restaurant nearant near it. You see God is good -- all the time! The lavomatique is complex. Like everything it is easy if you know how it works--it is easy, but things as simple as laundramats can be very differently designed in other countries! Thank goodness there was a woman there who spoke fairly good English. She explained, you must first find a machine that works (three are broken and there are only six) then you must find how to select the temperature --- where to put the powder (the powder machine is broken so it is good that I have brought some from our foray to the grocery in Como) -- then to start the machine there is another machine (that looks like it makes change) on the wall where you tell it which machine you use and it tells you how much money to put in and then (It doesn't take any bills -- so I found a restaurant where the owner is a Muslim --- who of course exhibits hospitality ---and gave me change so I could go back to the lavomatique and finally make the machines work.) In the meantime the restaurateur had made my coffee so I went back for it while the wash ran.
Here is is so much more expensive to sit outside (because outside there is a breeze) and inside there is no air conditioning --- but the kind man seated me outside and I prayed that I might bring him good traffic while I was there --- after all he provided an act of kindness. And just like that the tables filled up next to his restaurant. I wished him Salaam Aleichem and he returned the greeting -- originally from Algeria we chatted a bit and I thanked him before returning to the laundry. The lady who helped me learn to use the machines was still sitting waiting for her clothes to dry --- I told her she was wonderful and thanked her. I said, "today the world is filled with kind people." She responded....it is because you are kind.....something to ponder.
We spent the afternoon walking the old town in Nice and buying stocking stuffers for Kathy. We went into the Abbey which was a beautiful church with an interesting looking organ. Clearly this was a working church. There was one near the laundromat that looked very interesting --- but clearly was not open. Vagrants were on the steps at each entrance and as I walked past one of them got up and relieved himself in the bushes next to the church steps. A tree was growing from the spot under one of the windows above the main doors. It made me sad to see that here the church is largely irrelevant. We need to be sending missionaries to France not Africa. I have lighted candles at most of the old Cathedrals and at least sat and prayed, thinking how many prayers have ascended from the spot where I sat over the centuries was comforting to me, but also realizing how sad it is when people do not make a place in their lives for the practice of faith.
On the last leg of our trip to Nice we sat with and visited with a woman, Constanza, who was truly delightful. She was on her way to a retreat for a week with an Indian mystic. After talking with her -- I earned to ask if she had an exposure to Christianity, but I am not forward in the way that many evangelicals are --- I would not have invaded her privacy by asking when we only were going to have this one conversation.....but clearly.....the church has failed here....to capture...I wonder if that is happening in our country. How long did it take for the church to become irrelevant in Europe?
We spent a good deal of time trying to orient ourselves -- as Kathy said, it is always amazing when you come back to the same spot how different it can look. We spent a lot of time trying to find the way that she had used to get around the last time she was hear just a couple of years ago. She succeeded and we even found the restaurant where she had dinner last time. We ate nearby this time. I had the melon and ham salad (this doesn't do it justice --- I took a picture of it it was so large and beautiful....she had a chicken and rice dish that looked very good and she had the tomato and mozzarella salad. I had a dessert ---I don't know what it was called but it was fabulous --- sort of a caramel custard with merangue and cream....yum!! Then we found the same road we cam in on and were up in no time to the tram station and back at our hotel in good order. After a shower --- bed was most welcome.
Ironically we came back to the hotel and settled on the place next door. We ordered a pizza and a salad and shared the two. It was 9:15 by the time we sat down to eat and I was utterly exhausted. The walk in Como, the long day in the Milan train station and little sleep had caught up with me. When we finished the meal which was as usual --delicious (we had not had a bad meal in Europe) We were about to leave when the proprietress came to offer us a drink (free) we declined --but I asked if I could have a coffee to go --- Not only did she accommodate -- but she refused to accept payment for it....sending it in a little basket with some biscuits to go along with it.
After a good nights sleep we rose at 6:00 in order to be at the shore for our trip to St. Tropez. There is a wonderful tram system here --- easy to buy tickets, and it goes every 5 minutes. A young man approached us and began speaking -- I said we don't speak French and he went on. Suddenly two bullies on bikes began chasing him. It was a bit frightening. He got away and the two circled back on their bikes --- feeling their power! The tram took us to a central square near the old town, Garibaldi Place, from which you could find most streets leading to the old section of Nice or to the port where we would catch our boat. We used the map to get to the port passing the Chateau and the street of antiquities where shop after shop was filled with antiques.
The streets were quiet at this time, and as long as you stayed in the shade there was a cool breeze that made pushing the chair easy. The curbs were mostly designed for the chair but just as we reached the port there was a long steep hill. Kathy used her feet to break and I just hung on in case I was needed to halt our progress. We arrived at almost the perfect spot to buy our ticket.
The line was long and the sun hot. A woman next to us was in her 60s but she had a lot of work done --- her face was unlined, her arms when she lifted them showed the scar where the old lady flaps had been removed, her hair was impeccable colored a sunny blonde, but it was her lips that really fascinated me --- they were obviously injected to make them look pouty, sultry---they just looked so silly on this lady. She wore a filmy spaghetti strap top and pants and her bikini underneath matched. Her husband stood near her. I wondered how he felt about all this work she had done to make her feel younger.
On the other side was a woman of about the same age. She had on a long flowing cotton frock to hide the bulges. Her gray hair was pulled back and she made no attempt to cover up her obvious wrinkles---two women --- two vastly different concepts about what is important. It is interesting to see how people are dressed for this. some wear spike heals or wedges that have at least an inch platform (I wonder how they will do on the boat). Many of the young girls have garish tattoos. One has a large tattoo on her leg of a nearly naked girl (vargas like). Another has a large spider web on her calf. Many of them also have piercings in unusual places. Some on the face through the cheek. One of them has a wooden piece that goes through his ear enlarging the hole to something on the magnitude of an inch or more.
The captain with his unusual sailor hat with the red pom pom on top took Kathy on first and we got settled before the mob joined us. The boat is full this Sunday morning of people who are looking for a good time. They started out buying boxes of wine and drinking right away even though it is only 9:00 a.m. The group of them get a bit loud. It is interesting to see who is the leader. The boat is traveling at 20 knots which is the same as our big ocean liner --- of course on the liner it seemed slow, but on this boat it feels very fast! Kathy is in the stern and I joined her where we regularly were doused by sea spray. It was very cooling!
Once on S. Tropez we walked to the plaza. It is a large dust park with mostly restaurants all around. We had lunch at one which had fans and a spray of cool water to help with the heat. By noon it was very hot. You could for a set price choose to have the entree (which means salad here) the main or the main and a dessert. I chose the main and desert and had a great beef salad (really the best I have ever had) and a lemon tart for desert. Kathy chose the tomato/mozzarella salad and a ravioli in basil sauce. When I asked about the bathroom, I learned that it was up 18 stairs. I asked where there would be a handicapped restroom and was informed that all the bathrooms were upstairs.
We headed down through the maze of little shops toward the port again. These shops were mostly for very rich people featuring fine art, and designer clothing. Each shop was very small, with the merchandise in artistic arrangements -- really beautiful to look at even though we could not buy. When we got to a pharmacy we went in to buy yet another converter for electricity --- and I asked about disability arrangements. The pharmacist said that she only new of one bathroom on the entire island --- it was at the port office. We went there and found that we had to get an attendant with a key --- There was also no where we could roll up to the ocean we learned. Basically there were no accommodations on S. Tropez.
We stopped at a very expensive place by the beach for lemonade and water...did I mention it was hot? Once again the key is to stay in the shade as much as possible and pace activity. In the shade next to the yachts it was cool and the lemonade was refreshing --- except that it was really something like Sprite --- so many things are just a little different when you are in a country that is not yours. The water reflects like pieces of broken mirror dancing on the side of the yacht in the harbor. Glittering pieces here then there on the white side of the boat.
The return trip was equally beautiful. The water as it is churned up by the boat is turquoise and white, while further from the boat it is ultramarine. We got even wetter on the return voyage. The captain came down and suggested that we move so kathy would not get so wet -- I told him we did not get to swim in the water at S. Tropez, but at least on his boat we were going swimming!" We laughed and he went back upstairs.
The closer we come to the shore -- the more the clarity was obvious and if the water is not churned up you can look to the bottom. Two exhausted,hot travelers returned to the hotel at about 8:30. We had dinner at the same restaurant, but a sudden thunderstorm forced us to move mid meal closer to the building under the awning. Then we were off to shower and bed.
Our 2nd day in Nice began at the laundry --- or more properly at a restaurant nearant near it. You see God is good -- all the time! The lavomatique is complex. Like everything it is easy if you know how it works--it is easy, but things as simple as laundramats can be very differently designed in other countries! Thank goodness there was a woman there who spoke fairly good English. She explained, you must first find a machine that works (three are broken and there are only six) then you must find how to select the temperature --- where to put the powder (the powder machine is broken so it is good that I have brought some from our foray to the grocery in Como) -- then to start the machine there is another machine (that looks like it makes change) on the wall where you tell it which machine you use and it tells you how much money to put in and then (It doesn't take any bills -- so I found a restaurant where the owner is a Muslim --- who of course exhibits hospitality ---and gave me change so I could go back to the lavomatique and finally make the machines work.) In the meantime the restaurateur had made my coffee so I went back for it while the wash ran.
Here is is so much more expensive to sit outside (because outside there is a breeze) and inside there is no air conditioning --- but the kind man seated me outside and I prayed that I might bring him good traffic while I was there --- after all he provided an act of kindness. And just like that the tables filled up next to his restaurant. I wished him Salaam Aleichem and he returned the greeting -- originally from Algeria we chatted a bit and I thanked him before returning to the laundry. The lady who helped me learn to use the machines was still sitting waiting for her clothes to dry --- I told her she was wonderful and thanked her. I said, "today the world is filled with kind people." She responded....it is because you are kind.....something to ponder.
We spent the afternoon walking the old town in Nice and buying stocking stuffers for Kathy. We went into the Abbey which was a beautiful church with an interesting looking organ. Clearly this was a working church. There was one near the laundromat that looked very interesting --- but clearly was not open. Vagrants were on the steps at each entrance and as I walked past one of them got up and relieved himself in the bushes next to the church steps. A tree was growing from the spot under one of the windows above the main doors. It made me sad to see that here the church is largely irrelevant. We need to be sending missionaries to France not Africa. I have lighted candles at most of the old Cathedrals and at least sat and prayed, thinking how many prayers have ascended from the spot where I sat over the centuries was comforting to me, but also realizing how sad it is when people do not make a place in their lives for the practice of faith.
On the last leg of our trip to Nice we sat with and visited with a woman, Constanza, who was truly delightful. She was on her way to a retreat for a week with an Indian mystic. After talking with her -- I earned to ask if she had an exposure to Christianity, but I am not forward in the way that many evangelicals are --- I would not have invaded her privacy by asking when we only were going to have this one conversation.....but clearly.....the church has failed here....to capture...I wonder if that is happening in our country. How long did it take for the church to become irrelevant in Europe?
We spent a good deal of time trying to orient ourselves -- as Kathy said, it is always amazing when you come back to the same spot how different it can look. We spent a lot of time trying to find the way that she had used to get around the last time she was hear just a couple of years ago. She succeeded and we even found the restaurant where she had dinner last time. We ate nearby this time. I had the melon and ham salad (this doesn't do it justice --- I took a picture of it it was so large and beautiful....she had a chicken and rice dish that looked very good and she had the tomato and mozzarella salad. I had a dessert ---I don't know what it was called but it was fabulous --- sort of a caramel custard with merangue and cream....yum!! Then we found the same road we cam in on and were up in no time to the tram station and back at our hotel in good order. After a shower --- bed was most welcome.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Como where Tsars and Kings vacationed
We slept in --- I awoke at 8 and came down to the breakfast room. I asked at the desk for a converter for my computer --- the one I have doesn't work. Europe needs standardization of their electrical plugs -- my converter has worked in many places and in some not at all...so...I plugged in to get recharged. It is frustrating that the hotel charges $7.50 for an hour Internet connection and you must use it all in one sitting. No logging in and out to post a blog and quickly check email to see if there is a message from home. I wouldn't mind paying for the connection if I could use part this morning and part tomorrow morning. It shows a distinct change in Internet access attitudes between Northern Europe and Southern -- it seems in the North -- there is a belief that it is important for individuals to have access --- here not so much.
Along with dirtier conditions generally there is also much less familiarity with languages other than Italian. In Germany the announcements for train connections are often given in English, Spanish, French and German....same for Switzerland.....and in Scandinavia we found that almost everyone spoke English--here not so much. We walked to the supermarket and purchased Kleenex, fruit, cheese and some salami and turkey.. We had secured our lunch which we consumed in our hotel room a bit later. We stopped at an "banque automatique" for Kathy to pick up some Euros and returned to our hotel room...It is a best Western and certainly nice enough and within walking distance of everything.
The Duomo opened at 3:00 p.m. so we left the hotel about 2:30. Walking down the hill in the shade was not so bad, Today was much hotter than yesterday, and unfortunately there appeared to be no rescue in the form of a bit of rain. The Duomo was very nice indeed. Built prior to 1500 it was much plainer than the Duomo in Florence but it had it own charms. First, it had the feel of a real church rather than a museum. The interior was very dark and much cooler than the outside. People spoke in hushed tones and two men seemed to be setting up for a service of some sort as they discussed chair placement in a quietly animated fashion. The side alters were of greater interest than the main alter where the huge candlesticks stood and the influence of Bernini was quite clear. This copy of St. Peter's was not nearly as interesting as the side alters which had local character. The chapel was was quiet except for the gentle footfall of passersby and the occasional whispers of others awed by this place. I lit candles for my parents. These cathedrals all smell of melting wax, ancient incense and mold.
A carved wooden alter chronicled the apostles and Jesus at its base, but commemorated local saints and miracles of those saints raising people from the dead! The centerpiece is the virgin and child and on either side are patron saints. It is a very large, elaborate and beautiful piece with a lot of gold leaf covering the carvings.
After we left the Duomo we hunted up an Internet Cafe. Kathy remembered where it was from the day before and she got some gellato. I ordered an iced coffee and sparkling water. I tried to convey --- that I wanted it with the ice -- just in a glass. What I got was the coffee in a martini glass, a glass of ice on the side...I then poured the coffee (Italian coffee is very strong) over the ice and added my small bottle of mineral water. It was hot and I ordered a second one. This time the waitress said, --- you don't want the martini glass --- I smiled and said, no.
After I posted the blog and checked and cleared out some email, we walked on down around the lake to the 'villa de Olmo. This was a beautiful villa on the waters edge which was donated to the state and turned into a museum. Along the way we stopped in a park in the shade of a sugar gum tree. There on a bench next to us sat a father. His son was riding his bicycle. In the distance another father was trying to teach his young son to ride without training wheels. The boy was tired and fearful. Each time the father would run along side the boy and finally let go of the bicycle --- the boy would put his feet down become unbalanced and nearly fall. Then there would follow tears and anguish and recriminations....Finally the child sailed along unaided for maybe 50 feet! There was joy now, and great pride of accomplishment.
The father next to us could tell we were following the boys progress with interest and though he spoke no English and we no Italian we did exchange greetings and a shared moment that every culture --no matter what language---clearly understands---a rite of passage observed, shared and cheered by two old Americans in Como. Like so many in Europe -- when the man realized we were Americans -- he mentioned Obama with a thumbs up.
We journeyed on to the villa and sat watching another Italian gentleman fish. His pole was unlike any I had seen before....about 30 feet long. There was a lure at the end which had an orange needle-like top that floated -- signalling where the line dropped into the water. I could see from the bridge that there were many very small fish -- perhaps like minnows and some that were intermediate in size and then a few that looked like they could have been a small meal. I do not know what kind of fish he was fishing for, but the water here is clean enough that I would not have hesitated to eat fish from the lake. He would through food into the water near his line (I assume to feed the little fish to attract the larger ones) I will never know --- since I could find no one around who spoke English. As evening began to close round us we took our map and went another way home. It was still very warm and we rested in the relative cool of our room before we found a local Trattoria.
Again, no one spoke English. I ordered something and the older man who seemed to own the establishment ---just refused --- I don't know if he thought I would not like it or if there was some other reason --- but he said NO --- I indicated he should just choose something for me -- - which he did. It was a ravioli stuffed with a pesto in a Parmesan-olive oil sauce --I had the prosciutto and melon for salad.....I had not had the prosciutto --- it was very salty --- but the melon was delicious --very sweet and clearly grown locally. The wine was red and dry and quite good as well. It didn't taste like any of the wines I have sampled at home...I decided on our last night in Italy I would splurge --- but the wine was only 2 euro ---a bout the same as water!
The little trattoria sat at a busy corner --- but the tables were outside and the area was completely covered by a wisteria vine that must have been at least 100 years old judging from the size of it base. Along the fence grew Star Jasmine --- so it was very fragrant and a cool breeze was beginning to move the leaves slightly. We were the second customers of the evening, but as we finished our dinner -- the tables were filling up with local couples -- who had come home from work freshly showered and dressed for a Friday night out -- almost like at home --- except that we just hit the trattoria before we go home --- I would be too tired to go back out --- on Friday night when I get home around 6:30 or so exhausted from the week. I think Italians pace themselves a bit more than we do at home!
The wake up call came an hour early....at 6:30 the next day. It is difficult to communicate accurately --- when you don't speak the language. I did not sleep well last night. Perhaps it was the expresso that I had after dinner at 9:30 or perhaps it was the discomfort that I was feeling in my lower back --- I injured it actually before I left Nashville --- when one of the students sitting in line before school thurst his feet out into the hallway just as I passed -- toppling me. Nothing broken, but something twisted, and it has bothered me on this trip occasionally when I have somehow irritated it. Bunny gave me her emergency Prednisone when I first arrived in Germany and that took care of it for a while.
Still it has bothered me off and on during the trip to varying degrees....but I may have pushed a bit too much up hill here in Como, and the side walks all slope toward the center of the street making it more difficult to control the chair --- in any case I aggravated it. I hoped to rest it....because we will want to do a lot of walking in Nice.
We were in Italy after all --and so the train was late! When we finally got on --- there were papers in the way of the lift --- so he moved us to the other end of the car where there were people piled into the isle like so much baggage. Getting the wheelchair past the people and their bags was challenging. Actually Kathy had to lift it up and over, but eventually we put the chair in a spot that was not blocking the isle. Then came the baggage and finally Kathy and I found seats in the car.
We spent our 3-hour lay-over in the waiting room of the Milan train station. The room is quiet for an Italy! The light is subdued and people generally (excepting small children) speak in hushed tones. At least in Milan there is a waiting room. Many of the train stations in Italy do not have these --- nor are there places to sit and wait very much along the platform.
Pigeons nest here, and the smell of old wood, people, paper, sandwiches, and perfume, crowd the nostrils. The benches are of a design that does not support your back. They are singularly uncomfortable-- The remind me of Mussolini --- Stiff straight back with wooden arm rests between each person which make it impossible to lie on them. The arm rests look like eagles (art deco eagles). The room had a divider which was stretched with white blankets of the type moving companies use to cover furniture. I suppose they are renovating the other side -- but I have learned not to make to many guesses about things -- since my cultural understandings do not apply here. At one end of the room was a beautiful old fountain which no longer worked. It is a pity. It could have provided relief for the heat if it were functional. I leaned back against the hard wood and imagined how this might have looked in 1930....Perhaps there was a greater pride of place then and it might not have been so dirty.
Next to me on one side sat an elderly lady who was feeding the ever-present pigeons small crumbs of bread. They seemed indifferent to the feast....Then one lifted itself to the three television screens overhead at the entrance. They do not function --- but were probably intended to deliver information about arriving and departing trains.
There apparently the pigeons are raising a family....the mother settles ackwardly as if on a nest and it appears that there are smaller birds there --- I do not know if this is the case--since I do know that pigeons nest in this way --- only that it appears that this may be what is happening.
Finally at about 2:40 a train attendant appeared to help us to the train.This is a godsend --- not so much for getting Kathy to the train --- but for finding the right car and then making sure we are able to get everything on before the train departs. This gentleman had glasses -- but pulled a second pair on over the first to read the instructions he had for our journey. In Milan the lift for the chair was entirely motorized and he just guided it along the platform (biniere) --when got to the car ---I climbed up with luggage and helped get the chair off.
It was clear that this is an Italian train -- it was dirty --You wonder when this is the primary mode of transportation why this is. The gray upholstry is stained there was paper over the headrests that was meant to be changed frequently --- but looks like it has been here for a very long time. The window is covered with handprints, noseprints, forehead prints, and a film of dirt.
The car is hot --- even though there is cooler air coming out of the vent (that seems to be the air conditioner). Ah --- Italian Trains. The Train captain came and we learned that there may be a problem -- some sort of strike in France and instead of this being a through train to Nice we will need to get off and take another train when we reach the border. The Italian Captain throws his hands in the air and rolls his eyes when we inquired about the strike. "The French," he says, "they always strike!" This made the rest of the trip too tense for sleep. A Swiss couple were our companions in the compartment. Kathy and the old gentleman had quit a lengthy discussion about the world economic situation.
We got transferred and arrived in Nice where several kind young men lifted Kathy in her chair to the ground since the guy who was supposed to met us was not there and trains do not wait for anyone! We encountered such great kindnesses all along the way.
Along with dirtier conditions generally there is also much less familiarity with languages other than Italian. In Germany the announcements for train connections are often given in English, Spanish, French and German....same for Switzerland.....and in Scandinavia we found that almost everyone spoke English--here not so much. We walked to the supermarket and purchased Kleenex, fruit, cheese and some salami and turkey.. We had secured our lunch which we consumed in our hotel room a bit later. We stopped at an "banque automatique" for Kathy to pick up some Euros and returned to our hotel room...It is a best Western and certainly nice enough and within walking distance of everything.
The Duomo opened at 3:00 p.m. so we left the hotel about 2:30. Walking down the hill in the shade was not so bad, Today was much hotter than yesterday, and unfortunately there appeared to be no rescue in the form of a bit of rain. The Duomo was very nice indeed. Built prior to 1500 it was much plainer than the Duomo in Florence but it had it own charms. First, it had the feel of a real church rather than a museum. The interior was very dark and much cooler than the outside. People spoke in hushed tones and two men seemed to be setting up for a service of some sort as they discussed chair placement in a quietly animated fashion. The side alters were of greater interest than the main alter where the huge candlesticks stood and the influence of Bernini was quite clear. This copy of St. Peter's was not nearly as interesting as the side alters which had local character. The chapel was was quiet except for the gentle footfall of passersby and the occasional whispers of others awed by this place. I lit candles for my parents. These cathedrals all smell of melting wax, ancient incense and mold.
A carved wooden alter chronicled the apostles and Jesus at its base, but commemorated local saints and miracles of those saints raising people from the dead! The centerpiece is the virgin and child and on either side are patron saints. It is a very large, elaborate and beautiful piece with a lot of gold leaf covering the carvings.
After we left the Duomo we hunted up an Internet Cafe. Kathy remembered where it was from the day before and she got some gellato. I ordered an iced coffee and sparkling water. I tried to convey --- that I wanted it with the ice -- just in a glass. What I got was the coffee in a martini glass, a glass of ice on the side...I then poured the coffee (Italian coffee is very strong) over the ice and added my small bottle of mineral water. It was hot and I ordered a second one. This time the waitress said, --- you don't want the martini glass --- I smiled and said, no.
After I posted the blog and checked and cleared out some email, we walked on down around the lake to the 'villa de Olmo. This was a beautiful villa on the waters edge which was donated to the state and turned into a museum. Along the way we stopped in a park in the shade of a sugar gum tree. There on a bench next to us sat a father. His son was riding his bicycle. In the distance another father was trying to teach his young son to ride without training wheels. The boy was tired and fearful. Each time the father would run along side the boy and finally let go of the bicycle --- the boy would put his feet down become unbalanced and nearly fall. Then there would follow tears and anguish and recriminations....Finally the child sailed along unaided for maybe 50 feet! There was joy now, and great pride of accomplishment.
The father next to us could tell we were following the boys progress with interest and though he spoke no English and we no Italian we did exchange greetings and a shared moment that every culture --no matter what language---clearly understands---a rite of passage observed, shared and cheered by two old Americans in Como. Like so many in Europe -- when the man realized we were Americans -- he mentioned Obama with a thumbs up.
We journeyed on to the villa and sat watching another Italian gentleman fish. His pole was unlike any I had seen before....about 30 feet long. There was a lure at the end which had an orange needle-like top that floated -- signalling where the line dropped into the water. I could see from the bridge that there were many very small fish -- perhaps like minnows and some that were intermediate in size and then a few that looked like they could have been a small meal. I do not know what kind of fish he was fishing for, but the water here is clean enough that I would not have hesitated to eat fish from the lake. He would through food into the water near his line (I assume to feed the little fish to attract the larger ones) I will never know --- since I could find no one around who spoke English. As evening began to close round us we took our map and went another way home. It was still very warm and we rested in the relative cool of our room before we found a local Trattoria.
Again, no one spoke English. I ordered something and the older man who seemed to own the establishment ---just refused --- I don't know if he thought I would not like it or if there was some other reason --- but he said NO --- I indicated he should just choose something for me -- - which he did. It was a ravioli stuffed with a pesto in a Parmesan-olive oil sauce --I had the prosciutto and melon for salad.....I had not had the prosciutto --- it was very salty --- but the melon was delicious --very sweet and clearly grown locally. The wine was red and dry and quite good as well. It didn't taste like any of the wines I have sampled at home...I decided on our last night in Italy I would splurge --- but the wine was only 2 euro ---a bout the same as water!
The little trattoria sat at a busy corner --- but the tables were outside and the area was completely covered by a wisteria vine that must have been at least 100 years old judging from the size of it base. Along the fence grew Star Jasmine --- so it was very fragrant and a cool breeze was beginning to move the leaves slightly. We were the second customers of the evening, but as we finished our dinner -- the tables were filling up with local couples -- who had come home from work freshly showered and dressed for a Friday night out -- almost like at home --- except that we just hit the trattoria before we go home --- I would be too tired to go back out --- on Friday night when I get home around 6:30 or so exhausted from the week. I think Italians pace themselves a bit more than we do at home!
The wake up call came an hour early....at 6:30 the next day. It is difficult to communicate accurately --- when you don't speak the language. I did not sleep well last night. Perhaps it was the expresso that I had after dinner at 9:30 or perhaps it was the discomfort that I was feeling in my lower back --- I injured it actually before I left Nashville --- when one of the students sitting in line before school thurst his feet out into the hallway just as I passed -- toppling me. Nothing broken, but something twisted, and it has bothered me on this trip occasionally when I have somehow irritated it. Bunny gave me her emergency Prednisone when I first arrived in Germany and that took care of it for a while.
Still it has bothered me off and on during the trip to varying degrees....but I may have pushed a bit too much up hill here in Como, and the side walks all slope toward the center of the street making it more difficult to control the chair --- in any case I aggravated it. I hoped to rest it....because we will want to do a lot of walking in Nice.
We were in Italy after all --and so the train was late! When we finally got on --- there were papers in the way of the lift --- so he moved us to the other end of the car where there were people piled into the isle like so much baggage. Getting the wheelchair past the people and their bags was challenging. Actually Kathy had to lift it up and over, but eventually we put the chair in a spot that was not blocking the isle. Then came the baggage and finally Kathy and I found seats in the car.
We spent our 3-hour lay-over in the waiting room of the Milan train station. The room is quiet for an Italy! The light is subdued and people generally (excepting small children) speak in hushed tones. At least in Milan there is a waiting room. Many of the train stations in Italy do not have these --- nor are there places to sit and wait very much along the platform.
Pigeons nest here, and the smell of old wood, people, paper, sandwiches, and perfume, crowd the nostrils. The benches are of a design that does not support your back. They are singularly uncomfortable-- The remind me of Mussolini --- Stiff straight back with wooden arm rests between each person which make it impossible to lie on them. The arm rests look like eagles (art deco eagles). The room had a divider which was stretched with white blankets of the type moving companies use to cover furniture. I suppose they are renovating the other side -- but I have learned not to make to many guesses about things -- since my cultural understandings do not apply here. At one end of the room was a beautiful old fountain which no longer worked. It is a pity. It could have provided relief for the heat if it were functional. I leaned back against the hard wood and imagined how this might have looked in 1930....Perhaps there was a greater pride of place then and it might not have been so dirty.
Next to me on one side sat an elderly lady who was feeding the ever-present pigeons small crumbs of bread. They seemed indifferent to the feast....Then one lifted itself to the three television screens overhead at the entrance. They do not function --- but were probably intended to deliver information about arriving and departing trains.
There apparently the pigeons are raising a family....the mother settles ackwardly as if on a nest and it appears that there are smaller birds there --- I do not know if this is the case--since I do know that pigeons nest in this way --- only that it appears that this may be what is happening.
Finally at about 2:40 a train attendant appeared to help us to the train.This is a godsend --- not so much for getting Kathy to the train --- but for finding the right car and then making sure we are able to get everything on before the train departs. This gentleman had glasses -- but pulled a second pair on over the first to read the instructions he had for our journey. In Milan the lift for the chair was entirely motorized and he just guided it along the platform (biniere) --when got to the car ---I climbed up with luggage and helped get the chair off.
It was clear that this is an Italian train -- it was dirty --You wonder when this is the primary mode of transportation why this is. The gray upholstry is stained there was paper over the headrests that was meant to be changed frequently --- but looks like it has been here for a very long time. The window is covered with handprints, noseprints, forehead prints, and a film of dirt.
The car is hot --- even though there is cooler air coming out of the vent (that seems to be the air conditioner). Ah --- Italian Trains. The Train captain came and we learned that there may be a problem -- some sort of strike in France and instead of this being a through train to Nice we will need to get off and take another train when we reach the border. The Italian Captain throws his hands in the air and rolls his eyes when we inquired about the strike. "The French," he says, "they always strike!" This made the rest of the trip too tense for sleep. A Swiss couple were our companions in the compartment. Kathy and the old gentleman had quit a lengthy discussion about the world economic situation.
We got transferred and arrived in Nice where several kind young men lifted Kathy in her chair to the ground since the guy who was supposed to met us was not there and trains do not wait for anyone! We encountered such great kindnesses all along the way.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Trip to Como...what a trip!
We left the ship around 10:00 a.m and caught a taxi to the train station. This Taxi charged us only 5.20 euro and took us by a direct route --- a refreshingly honest person!
The gangplank to the ship exited on the 3rd deck and was remarkably like that you usually have on a plane. We crossed over into a modern building and took the elevator down to the ground floor where our cabin porter left our bags and we hailed the taxi. It is warm here...I no longer need my jacket! It is hazy and the sun is shining brightly. As we left the ship our porter again commented on what fine weather we had experienced on our journey. Indeed he was right. All last night, however, there must have been fog for all night I could hear the sound of the whistle every few minutes. I don't think Kathy could hear --- her good ear was buried in the pillow.
On our last night aboard this ship, I was waxing philosophical--thinking that cruising is its own subculture. On the Royal Caribbean ship we were at a slightly lower class. The people on this ship are a bit better healed on the whole --- not rich exactly, but well healed. The amenities speak to this difference. Larger suites, better mattresses and pillows, Food that is always prepared while you wait, More specialty dinning rooms in addition to the formal seating and the Lido(general eating). The bathrooms have real towels to be used when drying your hands, the salon appears more elegant and their are saunas, and special places for the massage and acupuncture to take place. Even the shops were upscale --- their sale night featured articles for $20.00 not $10.00 as in the first cruise. There were special places where the real purchasing of fine jewelry and art took place away from the mundane shops. Last night I even had lobster and steak for dinner! Both of the ships have been exceptional in their cleaning. The crews polish everything inside and out. When the ships dock their are crews outside painting them -- I guess always trying to stay ahead of the rust.
Inside when you leave your cabin the crew makes it up in the morning and then checks throughout the day to be sure everything is quite nice -- they create intricate creatures made from the towels and they turn down our bedding and put chocolates on the pillow while we are at dinner. This is a whole different class of travel. There were also many venues for musical performance on this ship that were of greater diversity and perhaps better quality than the ones on RC, though I did not take advantage of these --- I was quite content to spend the remains of the day writing or reading.
I finished John Dean's Broken Government just before we left the ship. Interestingly enough Kathy picked up a copy of USA Today and there were all the major court decisions by this fundamentalist court -- including one that suggested you justices need not remove themselves from a decision even if they had a vested interest in it! These justices are as far to the right as the fabled Warren Court was to the left. We watched another movie of Pride and Prejudice (one of our favorite novels from our youth, but agreed that the best so far is the remake that was on last year on PBS --- It ran the full depth of the book -- though Kathy thought that some of it might have been edited out, it really did justice to the time and text that Austin's work represented.
There was a bit of excitement at the train station. While Kathy was in the pharmacy the police arrested a young man who had been wondering around looking like he was waiting for a ride. His left hand was bandaged severely and I wondered what his story was as he paced about in front of me. Suddenly two police in khaki and green uniforms appeared and forced him spread eagle against the opposing wall. Then two police in black uniforms appeared and handcuffed him. Soon their were six police surrounding him. I wondered what he had done to attract such attention, he looked no older than 16! There have been police everywhere in evidence at the hauptbanhoff---including the German Shepherd that has been patrolling with his person.....
We found the service point and had made the necessary disability arrangements so we had the lift for the train...and were quite comfortably ensconced on an ICE train once again traveling along the German countryside. While we were in Scandinavian we saw that many parts of Europe had rains and flooding and as we looked out the clouds were still heavy with moisture. I told Kathy that we would bring the good weather with us. It did rain intermittently beginning as we neared Hamburg. The further we traveled the more we found that we were in a sea of strollers and wheelchairs --- all parked here where we were sitting. Beautiful children ran up and down the aisles ---very much like American Children do--mostly fascinated with each other's presence! The landscape of this country is very much like home and feels quite natural, except of course that everyone speaks German here. In the train station in Keil we found that many of the train people spoke very little English. The Scandinavian countries on the other hand spoke very fluently.
We took our dinner in the dining car - We are back in Germany so it was Pork chops with a paprika sauce with potato dumplings. I would not do well with German cuisine as a constant! My mother's use of Red sauce is certainly clearer now that I have eaten in the land of her ancestors. Along the tracks are many little garden plots with very small houses -- I asked the waitress if people lived in the houses. She said that they did on weekends or holidays. I am not sure she understood what I was asking....but perhaps it is true that people from the city come out and live in the little well-maintained huts and tend their gardens on the weekends....maybe.....
Once we left Bonn we journeyed along side the Rhine. I remember when I took the cruise in 2003 the boat captain pointed to the train track we now rode along and scoffed because the people riding the train did not have time to appreciate the history that surrounded them. Now I am the one on the train trying to catch quick photos of the past and remembering the taste of the Rhine wine on a beautiful warm day in June of 2003. There was Lorelei, the place we boarded our boat and journeyed along the green waters. The sun is beginning to sink behind the hills and the light is wonderful. There are many stunning old churches in the little communities that lie at the foot of the castles. There were the train tunnels that were designed by the Nazis to look like castles so that the Allies would not bomb them. Clever those Germans. Germany is certainly a beautiful country, but then I have yet to visit a place that lacked beauty.
The countryside levels out a bit as we move away from the river and now and then the vineyards are interspersed with orchards and fields of various crops.
We traveled to Frankfurt where we boarded the sleeper to Lake Como. Riding the sleeper was like riding the camel.....a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was in the top berth -- a little concerned about the way the train was bouncing and moving from side to side as it moved along the tracks. The ladder to climb up was on the other side of the cabin -- and I couldn't make it go round the bend in the pole at the top -- so I was prepared to sleep in a seat. The cabin attendant came in and fixed that showing us the fine points of controlling the lights and temperature setting. It was open to the bunk below --- which meant that if I dropped something --- it would land on Kathy --- but there were net holders to keep this from happening. There was a small night light -- that once on was covered up by my pillow -- just as well, I should probably try to sleep. There were two bathrooms --- one so tiny that a person barely fit in it and one at the other end of the car that was big enough to have a small shower --- Though I felt like I needed a shower -- I decided to wait for a hotel --- I did not have shoes for in the shower and honestly am uncertain about how germ free these rooms were. I decided not to drink before retiring --- I didn't want to have to climb up and down the little ladder much. It seemed a bit flimsier than the ladder I used to paint the 18 foot ceilings at home last summer. Kathy, sensing my reticence said, "you said it wouldn't be a problem."
I climbed up. Got as comfortable as space allowed --and looked for a "seat belt"" only to discovere that they just had a net by the bed and some belts that were supposed to catch you if you fell out. I noted that one of the belts had been tied back together where it was broken -- indicating, I thought that some hapless traveler before me had probably fallen to his death in this very compartment. I just said a prayer that I would not role out of the bed --- what a story that could have made!
The night passed fitfully waking when the train bounced around more violently than usual and falling back to sleep in between. We were awakened by the train attendant at about 7:00 and moved to a cabin next to our sleeping quarters. There we were served a breakfast of liverwurst, a hard role, a croissant, with butter and grape jelly, a cup of coffee and a tin of orange juice ---- a far cry from the eggs benedict that we had with fresh squeezed orange juice on the cruise!! Just a little return to reality.
We disembarked at Milano Centrale -- found the cliente assistenze office and learned that we could not count on any help in Como --- we will be on our own for creative problem solving to get Kathy from the platform to the city and on to our hotel.
The station in Milan is old and has many mosaics and chiseled marble---the floors are covered with these mosaics maybe from the late 1800s --- It is the busiest time of the morning -- with people heading out toward work in all directions.....They are dressed very well --- but I am stunned to see that while the Italians are very careful about their own persons --- they spit their burning cigarette butts out on the floor. The station would be beautiful if it were clean....but it is sadly not.
There were huge crowds gathered around the electronic bulletin board where the platforms would be listed. Out of about 40 trains --- only two have platform listings. I remind myself that this is Italy --- not Germany where things run like clockwork --- and just settle back to wait for the assignment. Our train is finally posted and we headed to platform three --- then down the length of the train to 1st class. As I write this I am watching the attendant stock his cart like the attendants on the planes --- I hope that this guy has a cup of good strong Italian coffee and maybe a bit of cheese or fruit.....my mouth waters at the thought of it.
It was a short trip to Como -- When we got off the train --- I saw a place to cross and headed that direction. A security policeman showed up and though he spoke no English and we no Italian it was clear he would help us across. He took the chair and I carried bags ---- When we were save on the station side of the platform he indicated where we could find a taxi to our hotel (which though it is walking distance -- is down a great hill -- which I do not do well with chairs and luggage and it is difficult for Kathy to walk down a steep incline --- so we hailed a cab.
The man refused a tip -- what a rarity. We unloaded our bags at the hotel --- but it was too early to check in so we left our bags at the hotel and went on a little explore to find a place to fix Kathy's glasses which she had bent --and was afraid to try to straighten out for fear of breaking them entirely. ...and a little sidewalk pastry shop where I had a cup of real coffee --- actually I ordered it iced --- and here that meant taking the coffee, milk, sugar and shaking like a martini until cold and pouring it into a glass (no ice) -- but it was cold and was delicious.
We are back to summer and humidity! We then went back to the hotel, checked in and I showered --- what a joy! Simple things like a shower can be so wonderful in their absence! After we were refreshed we got directions to the center of the old town and the lake. The sidewalks here are cobblestone, but they are the kind that are made of brick so not so many places for the wheels to get stuck -- though there are always some waiting to humble me!
Along the way we stopped at a cafe that had it's menu posted outside at 5 Euro. Once inside we realized that it was probably a local bar/cafe. They did not give us a menu -- so Kathy ordered the spaghetti -- and I ordered something else that sounded interesting (they did not speak English). When our meal arrived mine was a penne with asparagus and hers was a spaghetti with many kinds of seafood. I could recognize, squid, octopus, shrimp, and mussels......needless to say we switched and realized that we would have to be much more careful since we didn't recognize any of the names of the things that would have signalled sea food! I did my best with the some of the more unusual looking items and managed to eat a good deal of it....but must confess.....I wondered what exactly I was eating!
We found that the patron saint of Como is Volta -- the famous Italian scientist and his statue stands one of the Piazzas. Someone with a sense of humor has placed a large tie around his neck! We found the bigliateria (the place to buy tickets for the various cruises around this lake. Kathy bought the tour on the largest of the boats that stops at many of the little villages along the shore. We boarded the ship at 2:30 for a four hour trip. The lake is very beautiful. It lies between mountains --- almost like the lakes in Tennessee which were river that were dammed up and just fill in between the mountains. These mountains are the foothills of the alps are go up almost vertically so if you visit a town you must walk up many stairs to reach the various streets which seem to be cut out of the hillsides.
In some ways this place looks like a younger Venice. The steps go down into the water where people have their transportation --- boats-- not cars. The water is clear and beautiful a green blue or blue green depending on the way the sun strikes it. The homes follow the Italian style with the big shutters and the warm colors of terracotta, pink, yellow, lavender, or blue and many have window boxes filled with geraniums or petunias. There are bougainvillea growing up the sides of the buildings, and wisteria covered walkways along the lake's edge. The sky began to fill with clouds as the afternoon progressed and we passed village after village. Some of the names were famous and clearly the rich and famous had taken up residence there. Some were just old villages that had not much improvement, but how long will that last? Everywhere there were the cranes that signal development, and in the streets of Como were real estate shops which displayed properties for millions of Euro.
Suddenly the thunder and lightening began, "should we go in?" Kathy asked. "It depends on how we might choose to die, I responded, We could go in and die in our beds or stay here to watch this glorious display on this beautiful lake." In my head I was thinking the same thing about the sleeper --- I could die falling out of bed on my way to Italy or in my bed in Nashville ---- I choose the sleeper!
We stayed slightly under the cover so that we were not drenched but could enjoy the full range of wind, rain, light, and sound! After the squall passed the sun tried to peak timidly through the clouds and occasionally it warmed the deck for a time, but most of the way back to Como the cool wind felt almost chilly. It was welcome after the heat and humidity of the day.
The ship returned us to port at a different location far around the shoreline, but using the Duomo we found our way back to the piazza from which we knew the way home. We began our search for a place to eat dinner almost immediately, but discovered that Pollo (chicken) was almost an unknown dish in these parts and fish and seafood or plain Italian cuisine was the order of the day. We also found it difficult to communicate about Kathy's allergy to peanut oil --- so we interviewed many places before we found one that claimed to be a Texas Cantina --- which had a grilled chicken breast for Kathy --- I ordered the signature pizza which arrive on long wooden platters about 18 inches long. I ordered what I thought was cheese and four meats --- but got ham and a bunch of different mushrooms, artichokes, peppers, and some other things I didn't recognize. Of course it was way to big for me --- and without Matt --- I must confess I always feel guilty when I leave food behind. Kathy also ordered a vegetable (grilled) which mostly consisted of grilled radicchio --- We thought it would have asparagus, zucchini, and several other things, but mostly it was radicchio --
Actually what we have discovered is that the menu sometimes bears little resemblance to what appears on the plate.....probably especially for foreigners who do not speak Italian --- I can hear the kitchen staff now. "We need to use up these mushrooms -- let's put them on this American's pizza -- they won't know the difference. AND of course we do not......
The walk back to our Hotel (halfway between the train station and the lake) was pleasant --- Many Italians were out walking, riding their bikes and visiting with friends and the slope of the hill made it possible for me to push Kathy successfully albeit slowly...we passed shops and monuments to important people, the local post office which had magnificent sculptures atop an edifice that was meant to look baroque. Once back at the hotel it was easy to fall into bed and drift off to sleep quickly......
The gangplank to the ship exited on the 3rd deck and was remarkably like that you usually have on a plane. We crossed over into a modern building and took the elevator down to the ground floor where our cabin porter left our bags and we hailed the taxi. It is warm here...I no longer need my jacket! It is hazy and the sun is shining brightly. As we left the ship our porter again commented on what fine weather we had experienced on our journey. Indeed he was right. All last night, however, there must have been fog for all night I could hear the sound of the whistle every few minutes. I don't think Kathy could hear --- her good ear was buried in the pillow.
On our last night aboard this ship, I was waxing philosophical--thinking that cruising is its own subculture. On the Royal Caribbean ship we were at a slightly lower class. The people on this ship are a bit better healed on the whole --- not rich exactly, but well healed. The amenities speak to this difference. Larger suites, better mattresses and pillows, Food that is always prepared while you wait, More specialty dinning rooms in addition to the formal seating and the Lido(general eating). The bathrooms have real towels to be used when drying your hands, the salon appears more elegant and their are saunas, and special places for the massage and acupuncture to take place. Even the shops were upscale --- their sale night featured articles for $20.00 not $10.00 as in the first cruise. There were special places where the real purchasing of fine jewelry and art took place away from the mundane shops. Last night I even had lobster and steak for dinner! Both of the ships have been exceptional in their cleaning. The crews polish everything inside and out. When the ships dock their are crews outside painting them -- I guess always trying to stay ahead of the rust.
Inside when you leave your cabin the crew makes it up in the morning and then checks throughout the day to be sure everything is quite nice -- they create intricate creatures made from the towels and they turn down our bedding and put chocolates on the pillow while we are at dinner. This is a whole different class of travel. There were also many venues for musical performance on this ship that were of greater diversity and perhaps better quality than the ones on RC, though I did not take advantage of these --- I was quite content to spend the remains of the day writing or reading.
I finished John Dean's Broken Government just before we left the ship. Interestingly enough Kathy picked up a copy of USA Today and there were all the major court decisions by this fundamentalist court -- including one that suggested you justices need not remove themselves from a decision even if they had a vested interest in it! These justices are as far to the right as the fabled Warren Court was to the left. We watched another movie of Pride and Prejudice (one of our favorite novels from our youth, but agreed that the best so far is the remake that was on last year on PBS --- It ran the full depth of the book -- though Kathy thought that some of it might have been edited out, it really did justice to the time and text that Austin's work represented.
There was a bit of excitement at the train station. While Kathy was in the pharmacy the police arrested a young man who had been wondering around looking like he was waiting for a ride. His left hand was bandaged severely and I wondered what his story was as he paced about in front of me. Suddenly two police in khaki and green uniforms appeared and forced him spread eagle against the opposing wall. Then two police in black uniforms appeared and handcuffed him. Soon their were six police surrounding him. I wondered what he had done to attract such attention, he looked no older than 16! There have been police everywhere in evidence at the hauptbanhoff---including the German Shepherd that has been patrolling with his person.....
We found the service point and had made the necessary disability arrangements so we had the lift for the train...and were quite comfortably ensconced on an ICE train once again traveling along the German countryside. While we were in Scandinavian we saw that many parts of Europe had rains and flooding and as we looked out the clouds were still heavy with moisture. I told Kathy that we would bring the good weather with us. It did rain intermittently beginning as we neared Hamburg. The further we traveled the more we found that we were in a sea of strollers and wheelchairs --- all parked here where we were sitting. Beautiful children ran up and down the aisles ---very much like American Children do--mostly fascinated with each other's presence! The landscape of this country is very much like home and feels quite natural, except of course that everyone speaks German here. In the train station in Keil we found that many of the train people spoke very little English. The Scandinavian countries on the other hand spoke very fluently.
We took our dinner in the dining car - We are back in Germany so it was Pork chops with a paprika sauce with potato dumplings. I would not do well with German cuisine as a constant! My mother's use of Red sauce is certainly clearer now that I have eaten in the land of her ancestors. Along the tracks are many little garden plots with very small houses -- I asked the waitress if people lived in the houses. She said that they did on weekends or holidays. I am not sure she understood what I was asking....but perhaps it is true that people from the city come out and live in the little well-maintained huts and tend their gardens on the weekends....maybe.....
Once we left Bonn we journeyed along side the Rhine. I remember when I took the cruise in 2003 the boat captain pointed to the train track we now rode along and scoffed because the people riding the train did not have time to appreciate the history that surrounded them. Now I am the one on the train trying to catch quick photos of the past and remembering the taste of the Rhine wine on a beautiful warm day in June of 2003. There was Lorelei, the place we boarded our boat and journeyed along the green waters. The sun is beginning to sink behind the hills and the light is wonderful. There are many stunning old churches in the little communities that lie at the foot of the castles. There were the train tunnels that were designed by the Nazis to look like castles so that the Allies would not bomb them. Clever those Germans. Germany is certainly a beautiful country, but then I have yet to visit a place that lacked beauty.
The countryside levels out a bit as we move away from the river and now and then the vineyards are interspersed with orchards and fields of various crops.
We traveled to Frankfurt where we boarded the sleeper to Lake Como. Riding the sleeper was like riding the camel.....a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was in the top berth -- a little concerned about the way the train was bouncing and moving from side to side as it moved along the tracks. The ladder to climb up was on the other side of the cabin -- and I couldn't make it go round the bend in the pole at the top -- so I was prepared to sleep in a seat. The cabin attendant came in and fixed that showing us the fine points of controlling the lights and temperature setting. It was open to the bunk below --- which meant that if I dropped something --- it would land on Kathy --- but there were net holders to keep this from happening. There was a small night light -- that once on was covered up by my pillow -- just as well, I should probably try to sleep. There were two bathrooms --- one so tiny that a person barely fit in it and one at the other end of the car that was big enough to have a small shower --- Though I felt like I needed a shower -- I decided to wait for a hotel --- I did not have shoes for in the shower and honestly am uncertain about how germ free these rooms were. I decided not to drink before retiring --- I didn't want to have to climb up and down the little ladder much. It seemed a bit flimsier than the ladder I used to paint the 18 foot ceilings at home last summer. Kathy, sensing my reticence said, "you said it wouldn't be a problem."
I climbed up. Got as comfortable as space allowed --and looked for a "seat belt"" only to discovere that they just had a net by the bed and some belts that were supposed to catch you if you fell out. I noted that one of the belts had been tied back together where it was broken -- indicating, I thought that some hapless traveler before me had probably fallen to his death in this very compartment. I just said a prayer that I would not role out of the bed --- what a story that could have made!
The night passed fitfully waking when the train bounced around more violently than usual and falling back to sleep in between. We were awakened by the train attendant at about 7:00 and moved to a cabin next to our sleeping quarters. There we were served a breakfast of liverwurst, a hard role, a croissant, with butter and grape jelly, a cup of coffee and a tin of orange juice ---- a far cry from the eggs benedict that we had with fresh squeezed orange juice on the cruise!! Just a little return to reality.
We disembarked at Milano Centrale -- found the cliente assistenze office and learned that we could not count on any help in Como --- we will be on our own for creative problem solving to get Kathy from the platform to the city and on to our hotel.
The station in Milan is old and has many mosaics and chiseled marble---the floors are covered with these mosaics maybe from the late 1800s --- It is the busiest time of the morning -- with people heading out toward work in all directions.....They are dressed very well --- but I am stunned to see that while the Italians are very careful about their own persons --- they spit their burning cigarette butts out on the floor. The station would be beautiful if it were clean....but it is sadly not.
There were huge crowds gathered around the electronic bulletin board where the platforms would be listed. Out of about 40 trains --- only two have platform listings. I remind myself that this is Italy --- not Germany where things run like clockwork --- and just settle back to wait for the assignment. Our train is finally posted and we headed to platform three --- then down the length of the train to 1st class. As I write this I am watching the attendant stock his cart like the attendants on the planes --- I hope that this guy has a cup of good strong Italian coffee and maybe a bit of cheese or fruit.....my mouth waters at the thought of it.
It was a short trip to Como -- When we got off the train --- I saw a place to cross and headed that direction. A security policeman showed up and though he spoke no English and we no Italian it was clear he would help us across. He took the chair and I carried bags ---- When we were save on the station side of the platform he indicated where we could find a taxi to our hotel (which though it is walking distance -- is down a great hill -- which I do not do well with chairs and luggage and it is difficult for Kathy to walk down a steep incline --- so we hailed a cab.
The man refused a tip -- what a rarity. We unloaded our bags at the hotel --- but it was too early to check in so we left our bags at the hotel and went on a little explore to find a place to fix Kathy's glasses which she had bent --and was afraid to try to straighten out for fear of breaking them entirely. ...and a little sidewalk pastry shop where I had a cup of real coffee --- actually I ordered it iced --- and here that meant taking the coffee, milk, sugar and shaking like a martini until cold and pouring it into a glass (no ice) -- but it was cold and was delicious.
We are back to summer and humidity! We then went back to the hotel, checked in and I showered --- what a joy! Simple things like a shower can be so wonderful in their absence! After we were refreshed we got directions to the center of the old town and the lake. The sidewalks here are cobblestone, but they are the kind that are made of brick so not so many places for the wheels to get stuck -- though there are always some waiting to humble me!
Along the way we stopped at a cafe that had it's menu posted outside at 5 Euro. Once inside we realized that it was probably a local bar/cafe. They did not give us a menu -- so Kathy ordered the spaghetti -- and I ordered something else that sounded interesting (they did not speak English). When our meal arrived mine was a penne with asparagus and hers was a spaghetti with many kinds of seafood. I could recognize, squid, octopus, shrimp, and mussels......needless to say we switched and realized that we would have to be much more careful since we didn't recognize any of the names of the things that would have signalled sea food! I did my best with the some of the more unusual looking items and managed to eat a good deal of it....but must confess.....I wondered what exactly I was eating!
We found that the patron saint of Como is Volta -- the famous Italian scientist and his statue stands one of the Piazzas. Someone with a sense of humor has placed a large tie around his neck! We found the bigliateria (the place to buy tickets for the various cruises around this lake. Kathy bought the tour on the largest of the boats that stops at many of the little villages along the shore. We boarded the ship at 2:30 for a four hour trip. The lake is very beautiful. It lies between mountains --- almost like the lakes in Tennessee which were river that were dammed up and just fill in between the mountains. These mountains are the foothills of the alps are go up almost vertically so if you visit a town you must walk up many stairs to reach the various streets which seem to be cut out of the hillsides.
In some ways this place looks like a younger Venice. The steps go down into the water where people have their transportation --- boats-- not cars. The water is clear and beautiful a green blue or blue green depending on the way the sun strikes it. The homes follow the Italian style with the big shutters and the warm colors of terracotta, pink, yellow, lavender, or blue and many have window boxes filled with geraniums or petunias. There are bougainvillea growing up the sides of the buildings, and wisteria covered walkways along the lake's edge. The sky began to fill with clouds as the afternoon progressed and we passed village after village. Some of the names were famous and clearly the rich and famous had taken up residence there. Some were just old villages that had not much improvement, but how long will that last? Everywhere there were the cranes that signal development, and in the streets of Como were real estate shops which displayed properties for millions of Euro.
Suddenly the thunder and lightening began, "should we go in?" Kathy asked. "It depends on how we might choose to die, I responded, We could go in and die in our beds or stay here to watch this glorious display on this beautiful lake." In my head I was thinking the same thing about the sleeper --- I could die falling out of bed on my way to Italy or in my bed in Nashville ---- I choose the sleeper!
We stayed slightly under the cover so that we were not drenched but could enjoy the full range of wind, rain, light, and sound! After the squall passed the sun tried to peak timidly through the clouds and occasionally it warmed the deck for a time, but most of the way back to Como the cool wind felt almost chilly. It was welcome after the heat and humidity of the day.
The ship returned us to port at a different location far around the shoreline, but using the Duomo we found our way back to the piazza from which we knew the way home. We began our search for a place to eat dinner almost immediately, but discovered that Pollo (chicken) was almost an unknown dish in these parts and fish and seafood or plain Italian cuisine was the order of the day. We also found it difficult to communicate about Kathy's allergy to peanut oil --- so we interviewed many places before we found one that claimed to be a Texas Cantina --- which had a grilled chicken breast for Kathy --- I ordered the signature pizza which arrive on long wooden platters about 18 inches long. I ordered what I thought was cheese and four meats --- but got ham and a bunch of different mushrooms, artichokes, peppers, and some other things I didn't recognize. Of course it was way to big for me --- and without Matt --- I must confess I always feel guilty when I leave food behind. Kathy also ordered a vegetable (grilled) which mostly consisted of grilled radicchio --- We thought it would have asparagus, zucchini, and several other things, but mostly it was radicchio --
Actually what we have discovered is that the menu sometimes bears little resemblance to what appears on the plate.....probably especially for foreigners who do not speak Italian --- I can hear the kitchen staff now. "We need to use up these mushrooms -- let's put them on this American's pizza -- they won't know the difference. AND of course we do not......
The walk back to our Hotel (halfway between the train station and the lake) was pleasant --- Many Italians were out walking, riding their bikes and visiting with friends and the slope of the hill made it possible for me to push Kathy successfully albeit slowly...we passed shops and monuments to important people, the local post office which had magnificent sculptures atop an edifice that was meant to look baroque. Once back at the hotel it was easy to fall into bed and drift off to sleep quickly......
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
24,000 Islands
Sunrise was at 3:30 this morning. I wonder how people adjust to this. The sun was below the horizon, but not by much so that the horizon and sea never really grew distinct from one another. I now know when those two Kroyer paintings were executed --- It would have been just this time of year when the horizon, sea and sky seem to blend into one magnificent and ethereal color somewhere between cerulean blue and ultramarine. We had begun to pass through the archipelago of islands (24,000 of them to be exact) that make up Stockholm harbor. Stockholm is a series of Islands as so many of the cities we have visited on this cruise have been.
I woke up several times before I finally crawled from bed at about 8:00 a.m. It was warm and sunny in Stockholm. Everyone said we were blessed with incredible luck to be here when the weather was so good. I posted the blog and checked my email since it apparently is speediest early in the morning, and then went to breakfast. Kathy got up and joined me and we went down to catch the hop-on-hop-off bus. Once we arrived in town we headed to the Royal Palace (the official residence of the monarchs). It seems to be very different from the castles we have seen so far. The interior is much darker, with lots of highly decorated ceilings. The ceilings, however are done in relief around the edge and then the figures seem to reach out and support the central part of the ceiling on which the standard fresco is painted. The decorations are much darker with less gold leaf or perhaps just gilt -- whatever the reason, the effect is less ostentation. Some of the rooms have marble walls with intricate brass patterns over them giving the effect of square columns. The rooms seem a bit smaller or at least narrower, but many of the affectations of the French Court just before the revolution were in evidence here as well. Not quite as opulent as the French court, but certainly beautiful in a slightly more austere and restrained way. One of the rooms was redone in 2001 by current architects and designers to celebrate the monarchy. It is bright with modern Scandinavian design. The carpet is white with large designs of wild flowers and leaves scattered in what seems to be no pattern. The chairs are mid-century modern design with bright red coverings and the walls are the blue that we think of as Scandinavian blue --- that sort of robins egg blue. Many of the carpets have the cabbage roses that Eric and Isodore Sojoquist put in their home --the coloring of which now makes complete sense, though to me at the time (I was 14) it made no sense at all --- it was like something out of the mad hatter's tea party --- with blue and pink walls and lace curtains and those carpets!
The city was very clean and mostly modern, with the old town and its medieval streets, one of which was only 35 inches wide! There were of course, the cobblestone to contend with, but the palace was well designed for access. The elevator we rode in was a royal elevator which had been in use for 140 years. The interior was polished wood with floral designs inlaid ornately into the wood. After our tour of the palace we went for a tour of the city seeing the city hall, and a number of other sites. and arrived back at port by around 2:00 in the afternoon. Hot and thirsty we went in and had lunch and then found our way to the crews nest. It is such a beautiful day it was a pleasure to sit out on deck and read or write or simply watch the other boats come and go.
At around 5:00 p.m. the deck began to fill up with people who wanted to watch the spectacle as we left Stockholm. Few people got up to watch us come into port at 3:30 a.m. to see the archipelago. There were children gathered feeding the sea birds who hovered to catch any scrap of food. They shrieked with delight as the birds came right up to take the food from their hands or catch it in mid-air. These must be children of privilege. I know that it costs thousands of dollars to do a cruise and I honestly have difficulty imagining having enough money to take a family vacation in this way. Not only is there the cost of the cruise, but then there are the souvenirs, the cost of tours at each port of call and the cost of extra food and treats. A cup of European coffee costs about $2.80 at the moment. (that is also true for coke)
Across from our ship was a Swedish Amusement park. There are two monstrous giraffes that look like they were made from erector sets and were rides from long ago. The ship began to move away from Stockholm. It took more than three hours to progress through these islands that lead to the open sea. All ships must be through the archipelago before sunset--or they may come in after sunrise. Of course at this time of year --- that means there are only a few hours when large ship traffic is halted. The guide told us that most homes along these islands are multi-million dollar homes. They often belong to T.V. stars, rock stars or BANKERS. They must conform to rigid building codes that adhere to standards from the last century. NO glass modern structures here! It is hard to imagine what this is like when it is raining and foggy..... or frozen over during the dead of winter. I wonder what all this light does to plants and then what all the equal amount of darkness does to them during the winter months. Perhaps they store large amounts of energy for the dark time.....it would be a question worth finding the answer to. It finally dawned on my why I burn so much worse here --- it is because the sun stays higher in the sky -- for example it is now 6:30 but the sun is about where it would be at 2:30 at home! I home I simply don't go out between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 -- But here that would be impossible.....
A seagull sailed past using one leg to scratch himself --- a funny sight since I don't usually think of birds as itching or scratching themselves! I went to bed early as the fog was closing in around the ship. Kathy got up around midnight to photograph the sunset -- such as it was then headed to bed herself.
Sea Day -- June 30th
I awakened early with a sinus headache (my first since coming on the trip) and sneaked out to have breakfast leaving Kathy sleeping! I met two women at breakfast who were members of a large church group from the Atlanta area. They travel together quite often. It is a Catholic congregation and their priest is traveling with them. One retired early and does a lot of volunteer work with children. She has helped get books for her local school library. She also has had Japanese exchange students and described a touching story about her father who fought in World War II meeting one of the students. He went into his office and took out a diary -- from a Japanese soldier who apparently was treated on a U.S. ship but died and was buried at sea. The sailors were instructed to destroy any diaries -- but for some reason he had kept this one all these years. The young girl read from the diary and described conditions that this young Japanese boy had faced -- hunger and battle and she began to weep. The family contacted someone at the U.N. and ultimately the diary found its way back to the family of this young soldier. His Mother had died just the year before this time in her 90s, but his sisters found comfort in knowing at last what had happened to their brother. I told Fran that this would a great story and deserved a telling to an audience of children. I got her name, address and email. Perhaps it would make a good children's book.
It is no longer foggy, but there is a haze and the sun is not bright as it was before. The waters of the Baltic are different -- long fingers of brown (maybe sediment stretch out around the ship. Between them are the deep blue waters of ocean. I wonder if these are areas where the bottom is nearer the surface or if there are merely streaks of water that come from rivers and deposit mud into the water. The water in the Baltic is brackish which means it is neither salt or fresh.
I connected with Kathy a bit before lunch. She was busy trying to reconcile the bill for this cruise before we leave tomorrow from Kiel. We depart the cruise early so that we can catch a train to Frankfurt and then on to Lake Como.After we took care of business, including leaving our passports with the purser's office I came back up to the explorations lounge. It is my favorite part of the ship. There is a large lounge where people can drink --- and look out on the sea (it is at the fore of the ship) It also houses the library which has also games, a large computer lab where very wealthy older folks come to email 3-4 lines to a relative or friend for 12.00 a whack!! In the evening there is a stringed quartet and pianist who play lovely gentle music....classical classics ---Chopin etc. Very peaceful.
Tonight, I will pack and organize for the train travel coming in the morning. It is difficult to realize that we will be traveling for nearly another month before we go home!
I woke up several times before I finally crawled from bed at about 8:00 a.m. It was warm and sunny in Stockholm. Everyone said we were blessed with incredible luck to be here when the weather was so good. I posted the blog and checked my email since it apparently is speediest early in the morning, and then went to breakfast. Kathy got up and joined me and we went down to catch the hop-on-hop-off bus. Once we arrived in town we headed to the Royal Palace (the official residence of the monarchs). It seems to be very different from the castles we have seen so far. The interior is much darker, with lots of highly decorated ceilings. The ceilings, however are done in relief around the edge and then the figures seem to reach out and support the central part of the ceiling on which the standard fresco is painted. The decorations are much darker with less gold leaf or perhaps just gilt -- whatever the reason, the effect is less ostentation. Some of the rooms have marble walls with intricate brass patterns over them giving the effect of square columns. The rooms seem a bit smaller or at least narrower, but many of the affectations of the French Court just before the revolution were in evidence here as well. Not quite as opulent as the French court, but certainly beautiful in a slightly more austere and restrained way. One of the rooms was redone in 2001 by current architects and designers to celebrate the monarchy. It is bright with modern Scandinavian design. The carpet is white with large designs of wild flowers and leaves scattered in what seems to be no pattern. The chairs are mid-century modern design with bright red coverings and the walls are the blue that we think of as Scandinavian blue --- that sort of robins egg blue. Many of the carpets have the cabbage roses that Eric and Isodore Sojoquist put in their home --the coloring of which now makes complete sense, though to me at the time (I was 14) it made no sense at all --- it was like something out of the mad hatter's tea party --- with blue and pink walls and lace curtains and those carpets!
The city was very clean and mostly modern, with the old town and its medieval streets, one of which was only 35 inches wide! There were of course, the cobblestone to contend with, but the palace was well designed for access. The elevator we rode in was a royal elevator which had been in use for 140 years. The interior was polished wood with floral designs inlaid ornately into the wood. After our tour of the palace we went for a tour of the city seeing the city hall, and a number of other sites. and arrived back at port by around 2:00 in the afternoon. Hot and thirsty we went in and had lunch and then found our way to the crews nest. It is such a beautiful day it was a pleasure to sit out on deck and read or write or simply watch the other boats come and go.
At around 5:00 p.m. the deck began to fill up with people who wanted to watch the spectacle as we left Stockholm. Few people got up to watch us come into port at 3:30 a.m. to see the archipelago. There were children gathered feeding the sea birds who hovered to catch any scrap of food. They shrieked with delight as the birds came right up to take the food from their hands or catch it in mid-air. These must be children of privilege. I know that it costs thousands of dollars to do a cruise and I honestly have difficulty imagining having enough money to take a family vacation in this way. Not only is there the cost of the cruise, but then there are the souvenirs, the cost of tours at each port of call and the cost of extra food and treats. A cup of European coffee costs about $2.80 at the moment. (that is also true for coke)
Across from our ship was a Swedish Amusement park. There are two monstrous giraffes that look like they were made from erector sets and were rides from long ago. The ship began to move away from Stockholm. It took more than three hours to progress through these islands that lead to the open sea. All ships must be through the archipelago before sunset--or they may come in after sunrise. Of course at this time of year --- that means there are only a few hours when large ship traffic is halted. The guide told us that most homes along these islands are multi-million dollar homes. They often belong to T.V. stars, rock stars or BANKERS. They must conform to rigid building codes that adhere to standards from the last century. NO glass modern structures here! It is hard to imagine what this is like when it is raining and foggy..... or frozen over during the dead of winter. I wonder what all this light does to plants and then what all the equal amount of darkness does to them during the winter months. Perhaps they store large amounts of energy for the dark time.....it would be a question worth finding the answer to. It finally dawned on my why I burn so much worse here --- it is because the sun stays higher in the sky -- for example it is now 6:30 but the sun is about where it would be at 2:30 at home! I home I simply don't go out between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 -- But here that would be impossible.....
A seagull sailed past using one leg to scratch himself --- a funny sight since I don't usually think of birds as itching or scratching themselves! I went to bed early as the fog was closing in around the ship. Kathy got up around midnight to photograph the sunset -- such as it was then headed to bed herself.
Sea Day -- June 30th
I awakened early with a sinus headache (my first since coming on the trip) and sneaked out to have breakfast leaving Kathy sleeping! I met two women at breakfast who were members of a large church group from the Atlanta area. They travel together quite often. It is a Catholic congregation and their priest is traveling with them. One retired early and does a lot of volunteer work with children. She has helped get books for her local school library. She also has had Japanese exchange students and described a touching story about her father who fought in World War II meeting one of the students. He went into his office and took out a diary -- from a Japanese soldier who apparently was treated on a U.S. ship but died and was buried at sea. The sailors were instructed to destroy any diaries -- but for some reason he had kept this one all these years. The young girl read from the diary and described conditions that this young Japanese boy had faced -- hunger and battle and she began to weep. The family contacted someone at the U.N. and ultimately the diary found its way back to the family of this young soldier. His Mother had died just the year before this time in her 90s, but his sisters found comfort in knowing at last what had happened to their brother. I told Fran that this would a great story and deserved a telling to an audience of children. I got her name, address and email. Perhaps it would make a good children's book.
It is no longer foggy, but there is a haze and the sun is not bright as it was before. The waters of the Baltic are different -- long fingers of brown (maybe sediment stretch out around the ship. Between them are the deep blue waters of ocean. I wonder if these are areas where the bottom is nearer the surface or if there are merely streaks of water that come from rivers and deposit mud into the water. The water in the Baltic is brackish which means it is neither salt or fresh.
I connected with Kathy a bit before lunch. She was busy trying to reconcile the bill for this cruise before we leave tomorrow from Kiel. We depart the cruise early so that we can catch a train to Frankfurt and then on to Lake Como.After we took care of business, including leaving our passports with the purser's office I came back up to the explorations lounge. It is my favorite part of the ship. There is a large lounge where people can drink --- and look out on the sea (it is at the fore of the ship) It also houses the library which has also games, a large computer lab where very wealthy older folks come to email 3-4 lines to a relative or friend for 12.00 a whack!! In the evening there is a stringed quartet and pianist who play lovely gentle music....classical classics ---Chopin etc. Very peaceful.
Tonight, I will pack and organize for the train travel coming in the morning. It is difficult to realize that we will be traveling for nearly another month before we go home!
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