Casa Brindisi was the place. ( http://www.casabrindisa.com/ ) We got there terribly early and Mark a little late, so we got a head start on some of the nibblers. The large green olives stuffed with orange and sprinkled with salt and marjoram (in olive oil of course) were worth repeating another day. We had not thought much about aioli for some time, but after having nice wheat bread toasted and spread with it, Marcia has vowed to keep a squeeze bottle of it in the fridge at all times.
Actually, everything we had was great. The platter of charcuterie meats was pretty fabulous-particularly the ham and the spicy chirozo. Fritatta came with aioli, so what's not to like. It also had the chirozo in it. Mark ordered the fried goats cheese drizzled with honey. I would have it again in a heartbeat. Just a bit of sweet taste because the cheese takes center stage. There was a little plate of pork strips seasoned with a bit of cumin, garlic and salt, grilled lightly with whole scallions that were wonderful. I ordered one of the deserts-a mousse with rehydrated fruit and nuts on top in a light syrup. It came in a little canning jar and was light and interesting, but none of us could do it justice after the meal.
Mark had spotted a fishing shop around the corner, so we decided to avoid the long queue at the Natural History Museum and do the fishing shop. The guy from New Zeland was happy for a chat, so we chatted on about this and that while Marcia checked out the goods upstairs.
Though I know that it takes a day to get to Australia and New Zeland from the US, it never ocurred to me that this guy will have a 24 hour flight whether he goes east or west. Home is really on the other side of the world and down.
He also showed us many interesting looking flies and Marcia bought a couple for models. The one I like best is a Daddy Long Legs looking thing. He also had an interesting t-shirt. The Evolution of Lego person-I would call it. Starts with one little Lego piece and builds up to walking Lego person.
Since British Museums are free, we decided to have a short go at one of them. Marcia was still a bit concerned about dealing with crowds at the Nat. History, so we went to the Victoria &Albert next door. It is one of my favorites. Not only do they have a Chihuli chandalier in the entrance, they have wonderful stuff and exhibit it well.
Mark and I chose the architecture of small spaces exhibit. It wasn't what I expected, but was interesting. These archetecture students in many places all over the world were challenged to come up with a small space idea for the V&A. These space ideas were not whole building designs, but some of the beginning steps ment to inspire creativity in design. One was put together with zip ties-great big ones. The students in Western Alabama designed a space built of pine that had been harvested to thin forests. Logs cut to 15x15cm were put together with interesting joinery and pegs in the framed shape of the house and then stacked together. When the desired length was met, a hole was drilled through all the thicknesses and they were held together with a threaded rod with bolts at each end. As the wood shrinks, the bolts are tightened. The outside is charred for bug and other element protection, and the inside is left natural.
Another favorite was a wooden frame about 8ft on each of 4 sides and about 15 ft high. Inside was a spiral staircase and the whole thing was basically a bookcase. Books became the filler of the walls, though some spaces were left open. It looked like a lovely little paradise for book lovers. I didn't go up to see exactly how the inside space was arranged, but if it were mine there would be a comfortable seating space with room for a glass of wine or a pot of tea. Could be a lovely guest room as well.
I'm going back to the V&A if at all possible before we leave. There was an exhibit that linked art noveau with its Japanese influences that was quite an eye feast for me. There were chairs similar to the ones we have in the bedroom. This time I will remember my camera (though it will mean more hours of editing).
I worked on the photos from the Louvre last night and got about a third of them done. Marcia reminded me not to put them all on the blog. I'm actually very pleased with some of them.
Today is Japan for lunch, and a little village in Japan whose specialty is a pancake they make right on the hot plate on your table. You can check past blogs-last year I believe-for the blog on Abeno. Helene and baby Alexander will join us. I'll be sure to take the camera. Helene says he has "found his watch" so to speak and feeding becomes more regular. (Always a temporary situation-he's such a baby.)
I'm feeling a bit of chill coming in through the closed window at my back, and I am wearing the black hoodie over my jammies. Looking out the window I see that people are buttoned up. Yesterday I had to ditch the turtleneck after the run to Tesco-way too hot. I'm wondering about my fleece jacket for today. Yesterday the cold hardy were still in short sleeves, but sensible people had their jackets. Today even the cold hardy have sleeves. It is predictably raining or has just rained and is about to rain again. We are in London.
KG
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Weather Report
It is 18C for a high today in London-raining. Yesterday it was seriously raining with some wind and today it will be raining and tomorrow slight rain and 16C for a high. In addition to having my Marmot with me at all times, I have pulled out the turtlenecks and the black hoodie. Haven't invested in an umbrella yet, but taxis are in order for both tiredness and rain. We should get a break from the rain sometime during the weekend, but the cool temps continue.
It is the last weekend of the summer for all of Britain as well as for us. Monday is a banking holiday. It is also the weekend of Notting Hill Carnival. Notting Hill is not too far from us, and I am curious, but it will probably involve lots of walking as they shut down entrance on most of the underground lines in that area. Probably sheer maddness. Anyway, I'm sure there will be skimpy costumes and they will be freezing their exposed bits. Then again, there will probably be so many people dancing in the streets as to raise the temps several degrees and lengthen summer by a few hours at least.
Got to make a run to Tesco before lunch.
KG
It is the last weekend of the summer for all of Britain as well as for us. Monday is a banking holiday. It is also the weekend of Notting Hill Carnival. Notting Hill is not too far from us, and I am curious, but it will probably involve lots of walking as they shut down entrance on most of the underground lines in that area. Probably sheer maddness. Anyway, I'm sure there will be skimpy costumes and they will be freezing their exposed bits. Then again, there will probably be so many people dancing in the streets as to raise the temps several degrees and lengthen summer by a few hours at least.
Got to make a run to Tesco before lunch.
KG
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wicked Good Day
It rained most of the day-not too unusual here. We took a taxi to Kazar Turkish restaurant and had the two course lunch special. It was really special. I had the appetiser sampler and a lamb with veggies stew. Lots of lamb and the chili sauce was excellent-not too hot and not insipid-kinda like a salsa. Marcia had calamari-very light, and mixed grill. She also enjoyed the chili sauce.
Bathroom sinks at Kazan-copper.
It was a short walk in the rain to the Apollo Victoria Theater where we soon settled into our seats on the second row Dress Circle (Balcony). Our seats were excellent, but part of the show was the family in front of us. Mom, perhaps 9 yo girl, gram and auntie. Auntie was a shameless show off, but the little girl was clearly the apple of everyone's eye. Gram continued to lean forward during the whole performance, so I had to peer around her to see the show. The little girl was excited to hear our American accents. Her father is American-from NYC.
The show was spectacular-I'm hoping I get to see the costumes up close online. Performance well done and the house was full. Marcia read the book last year, so she was particularly into it.
We are still not hungry due to our spectacular lunch, so dinner for me will probably be a bit of muslei and Greek yogurt.
Tomorrow we have an adventure with Mark-perhaps lunch at a Spanish restaurant and some time at the Natural History Museum (think Darwin) or the V&A. Plan A was to go boating (think tourist boat) on the Thames, but it will be raining for several days, so that hardly seems the thing to do.
Saturday we might just pay a visit to our local Latter Day Saints archive. There is always something more that we want to do here-a very good predicament.
KG
Bathroom sinks at Kazan-copper.
It was a short walk in the rain to the Apollo Victoria Theater where we soon settled into our seats on the second row Dress Circle (Balcony). Our seats were excellent, but part of the show was the family in front of us. Mom, perhaps 9 yo girl, gram and auntie. Auntie was a shameless show off, but the little girl was clearly the apple of everyone's eye. Gram continued to lean forward during the whole performance, so I had to peer around her to see the show. The little girl was excited to hear our American accents. Her father is American-from NYC.
The show was spectacular-I'm hoping I get to see the costumes up close online. Performance well done and the house was full. Marcia read the book last year, so she was particularly into it.
We are still not hungry due to our spectacular lunch, so dinner for me will probably be a bit of muslei and Greek yogurt.
Tomorrow we have an adventure with Mark-perhaps lunch at a Spanish restaurant and some time at the Natural History Museum (think Darwin) or the V&A. Plan A was to go boating (think tourist boat) on the Thames, but it will be raining for several days, so that hardly seems the thing to do.
Saturday we might just pay a visit to our local Latter Day Saints archive. There is always something more that we want to do here-a very good predicament.
KG
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Ancestors Churches
There were four: All Hallows Barking by the Tower, St Botolph without Bishopgate, St Mary's Aldermarys, and St Margaret's Westminster.
It is sometimes confusing about which church to go to. All Hallows Barking might be by the Tower and might be in Barking. I went to the Tower All Hallows and was told that the Victorians had unearthed the graves and replanted them in another cemetery in London. Maybe I'll try Barking another day. I'm looking for Anthony Bassano, musician to Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I is pretty easy to find in Westiminster, but not so easy Anthony Bassano.
The Bassanos are pretty interesting. Anthony's father or grandfather was probably a Sephardic Jew from Spain and got employed in the Court of the Doge in Venice. When Henry VIII offered an invitation to join his court and the inquisition was starting in Spain, Anthony's progenitor decided to head to England where the king was defying the Pope. The family converted-pretty smart as Henry was insistent on everyone being Anglican-and the descendants, my grandmother for instance, married other converts and eventually made their way to America. One of my aunts is suspected to be Shakespere's Dark Lady-Lucretia Bassano. My grandmother married a Lanier from Rouen, France. Descendants include Sidney Lanier, poet lauret of Georgia.
Second stop was St Botolph without Bishopgate. These names confuse me. Maybe I'll find out what they mean someday. This ancestor was Harry or his father, Anthony Tonstall. It was a lovely church, but I arrived about lunchtime and everyone and his dog was either having lunch or saying prayers in or outside St Botolph. I got some photos and read all the markers I could, but no Tonstall could be found. I decided to have lunch myself at Liverpool train station. Also good for a toilet stop for 30p.
Next stop was St Mary Aldermary. It is very near St Pauls and I'm pretty sure I have photos from last year. I do have photos from this year and will eventually get them on the blog. It was not open despite the signs that said they intended to be open daily. Maybe I'll get back on Sunday. Anyway, no grave markers on the pavement for John Pike, my ancestor who might have been buried here.
A note here on where to be buried. If you want to be noticed by descendants, don't get a grave marker on the floor of an aisle of a church, and don't get a grave in a major town where the property values are likely to increase. In the first instance your marker will be worn down by the feet of the masses and in the second instance you will be disinterred and moved.
The penultimate stop was St Margarets at Westminster. Grandpa William Hatton 1605-1649 was baptised here. I just thought I would look around here as he died in London and might have been buried here. No sign of him in St Margarets or Westminster. I suspect Westminster might have been built on the burial grounds of St Margarets as they are right next to each other and some of the graves in Westminster predate the building of the cathedral. No William Hatton however. Lots of Queens and Kings and even the body of Sr Walter Raleigh (the head is in West Horsley, Surry).
Last stop, Westminster. My feet were tired but I pressed on past the tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. I got a little respite at the choir rehersal for the 16:30 (half past 4) service. I bought the little book "Who's Buried Where" at the gift shop of the cathedral, but alas it is mostly oriented to the most royal and famous.
I was able to make it home to Earl's Court and have a lovely dinner of fritatta and salad with a lovely Marlborough wine (New Zeland). More photos on the photo blog later.
KG
Earls Court and A Plan
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| A Think Livingroom |
Well here we are settled in at Earls Court for the week and have found the digs here very satisfactory. We are near several "tube" stations and not too far from the British Natural History the Victoria & Albert Museums. Both are on my agenda for this week, knowing full well that both can't be done on the same day and we will do the large British Museum on Friday after lunch with Helen and baby Alex. Another schedule has to be worked out with our remaining days.
Kay is off on her cemetery tour near the Tower of London and I'm providing coverage for the laundry duties. I have decided that the rainy weather and my sore Paris knees will not tolerate much touring at least for today and rest is in order so I can to do the other things we have scheduled. One event that I am anticipating is goning to the Apollo Theater to see Wicked. I finished reading the book before we left and have been looking for an opportunity to see it somewhere. I was reading the culture section of the Sunday paper and found that it was playing here in London and Kay was up for it as well. We are scheduled for the Wednesday matinee. It's not too far from our hotel either. I will report on our experience ther later for sure. The scene work is supposed to be wonderful.
As soon as laundry is done I will be off to the grocery with our odds and ends list that we have need of while we're here. So a short walk will be good as well as some fresh air and the air is quite fresh right now. High temps are in the low 60s and the lows in the low 50s and it will stay brisk pretty much until we leave. It's lovely but I am ready to be home again even if it is going to be a shock to our Europe adjusted systems. "There's no place like home" as Dorothy would say. And it will be good to be there and to see Stella. She's been missing in our daily routines these past weeks.
M
I've Seen London
I've Seen France-in my microfiber underpants. I did predict that I would blog this. Right now my microfiber underpants are swishing around in the washer dryer supplied with our little studio flat in Earl's Court. It was the best surprise feature of the flat. We have come to recognize that European dryers are not so dry, but this little beauty washes on short cycle and then spins like a 747 turbine, and then turns on the heat and tumbles. The clothes don't get completely dry, but come out just short of steaming and can be hung to finish drying in a relatively short period of time. At least they don't drip like when I hand wash them.
We also have wi-fi in our little flat-free and zooming. So, last night I began to sort through my ancestors for the ones possibly buried in London and have a list of 4 possibilities to search for today. Since these ancestors are the parents of the ancestors who left for America, they are of the 1500's. It might be that I just get to photograph the church. Most of these churches are in a relatively small area near the tower, but one is at Westminster.
Tesco is next door to our flat at Think Hotels. It is a marvelous Tesco-quite large and full of the things we love. Londoners live on Indian food, so the freshly made choices make my head spin. You can buy chicken bits seasoned with tika or BBQ, or just roasted. The array of cheeses is fantastic and the whole store is just brilliant.
So, we are happily housed at Think till Tuesday morning, will have one night at Gatwick Hilton and at 9:00 Wednesday will fly away to America.
We have a lunch date with Helene, Tony and Francoise's daughter on Friday at Abeno, and Mark will join us Thursday afternoon for whatever we choose.
The photos are sitting in their files-some edited, some not. I'm over making promises about getting them up on the blog. They will make it there someday, but I'm either too busy having fun or too tired from having fun, or visiting with friends or planning the next day. I'm thinking that I will have time for editing and posting when we get home. I took few photos in Budapest because we were mostly relaxing and I was editing the Paris photos, and because the blog for May 2007 is full of them. Check the archives to see what we saw in Budapest.
So, I'm off to cemetery stomp and Marcia will plan a less walkful adventure today.
KG
We also have wi-fi in our little flat-free and zooming. So, last night I began to sort through my ancestors for the ones possibly buried in London and have a list of 4 possibilities to search for today. Since these ancestors are the parents of the ancestors who left for America, they are of the 1500's. It might be that I just get to photograph the church. Most of these churches are in a relatively small area near the tower, but one is at Westminster.
Tesco is next door to our flat at Think Hotels. It is a marvelous Tesco-quite large and full of the things we love. Londoners live on Indian food, so the freshly made choices make my head spin. You can buy chicken bits seasoned with tika or BBQ, or just roasted. The array of cheeses is fantastic and the whole store is just brilliant.
So, we are happily housed at Think till Tuesday morning, will have one night at Gatwick Hilton and at 9:00 Wednesday will fly away to America.
We have a lunch date with Helene, Tony and Francoise's daughter on Friday at Abeno, and Mark will join us Thursday afternoon for whatever we choose.
The photos are sitting in their files-some edited, some not. I'm over making promises about getting them up on the blog. They will make it there someday, but I'm either too busy having fun or too tired from having fun, or visiting with friends or planning the next day. I'm thinking that I will have time for editing and posting when we get home. I took few photos in Budapest because we were mostly relaxing and I was editing the Paris photos, and because the blog for May 2007 is full of them. Check the archives to see what we saw in Budapest.
So, I'm off to cemetery stomp and Marcia will plan a less walkful adventure today.
KG
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Back in Budapest
Paris was grueling. We did everything on our list, but paid for it with fatigue and swelling. What a relief to get back to Budapest. The flat and the neighborhood are familiar, we know pretty much how to take the transport, where to shop, and how to get to the baths. We are relaxing and taking our time.
Photoblogophiles will have to wait a bit while I get some editing done. Since we are taking our time here, there is lots of editing getting done, but lots more to do. We will be at Tony and Francoise house for the weekend and have arranged a studio flat at Earls Court for the week after. Both places have free Wi Fi, so ideally posting will get done.
I am typing on a non English keyboard, so my usual bad spelling and creative use of punctuation is exacerbated. Some things I cannot even find when looking, so I have to ask more of your usual forgiveness for my composition. Also, every word I type shows up as a spelling error. Amusing and frustrating.
So, here is news that I am prettz excited about. Kristine has decided to rent her flat. Her ideal tennant would be 6 to 8 months. Someone here for an academic year or something like that. However, she would be open to renting it via word of mouth, so we can think about it for extending our stay next year, or friends could inquire.
It is a small flat. 3 people could be comfortable if they are very compatible. 4 people would be pushing it. Perfect for 2. Expansive for 1.The bathroom and kitchen have been remodled and the whole flat repainted, so it is light years from what it was our first visit. The only drawback for us is the bed. It is fine size wize, but a bit firm for us. Still, we love the flat and would come back. Its best qualities are its location. There are two supermarkets within two blocks and a Costas Coffee as well. We will never make it to Costas because there is a little espresso machine in the kitchen and Kristine has left us some Starbucks espresso grind, so with a little tej from the Tesco, we are zooming.
If you were to read the guidebooks about Budapest, they would recommend at least a part of one day in this neighborhood. It is lovely, and we think it is better for staying than the usual tourist hotels in the middle of town. There is a good feel to the building and neighborhood, with plenty of good shops. There is a tourist office about 3 blocks from the flat, so information not so far away. We love the little eateries within a blook or two of the flat. We plan our big meal at midday and snack from our refer at night. Thus far we have eaten at the little Hungarian restaurant just around the corner from us and paid less then 3ööö forents or less than 15 USD. Yesterday we ate at the big market downtown and had abundant plates of good food for about 25 USD, and today we ate at Marcias favorite Turkish restaurant about a block away from the flat. About 15 USD. Big meal.
Yesterday we made an excursion to the baths. We chose the Gellart because they have indoor pools and the sun is shining here. When we came three years ago in May, it was cool and the outdoor baths were fine, but it was warm yesterday and we prefered to be inside. They have changed their system a bit, with some advantages and disadvantages. The admission and locker system is now electronic. Im sure the women who had jobs opening doors and sending people on their way were unhappy with the new system. There are times we miss the old gals, like when men come in the ladies changing rooms, but once you get the hang of using the little electronic device that looks like a watch, it is really much easier and less confusing than being ordered around by someone speaking what sounds like gibberish to you.
One can actually forgive the men wandering in the ladies changing rooms, as the place is a maze and most people are there one time, and the signs, though in a kind of English and German and Majar may have at one time been informative but are now sort of general suggestions. I managed to find all of the pools I had visited on our last trip, and actually discovered that the best and hottest two pools are now for women only. One supposes that there are also two like them for men only as well, but being content with the women only, I was not inclined to wander.
The Gellart is not cheap. About 35USD for use of the facilities. We brought our own towells-they might even be towells we bought last time we were here-they look very familiar. This is also a place where ones flip-flops or crocks come in handy. Anyway, we were clean and relaxed and de-swelled and quite pruny when we forced our wet noodles al dente bodies to get on the tram for home.
We only need walk the two blocks to the train station to catch either the metro-two of three lines converge here- or the tram for the inner ring which takes us to the #2 tram that travels along the river and behind the Parliament building to the town center. We bought a weeks transportation pass for about 24USD each. Its easier to deal with than tickets and probably cheaper in the long run. The ticket seller validates it when you buy it so you dont have to keep validating it like tickets. There are subway police out checking, so always smart to buy the pass. Passes good for longer times require a photo. I believe we still have our photos that we had made at the mall here three years ago. Once validated, the whole of the city is yours.
There are plenty of things to do and see here. Check the 2öö7 blog entries for some of the things we did. Thus far this trip we find ourselves more interested in the baths than anything else. Thursday we will plan to have dinner with Kristina at Boglzvar, a restaurant we enjoyed our last visit.
We get your emails-usually on the BB. We may not alwazs respond right away. Check the blog, and when possible we return emails.
Almost forgot. Flat has a brand new washer with a 3ö degree and 3ö minute cycle. With the clothes drying rack we are in business!
KG
Photoblogophiles will have to wait a bit while I get some editing done. Since we are taking our time here, there is lots of editing getting done, but lots more to do. We will be at Tony and Francoise house for the weekend and have arranged a studio flat at Earls Court for the week after. Both places have free Wi Fi, so ideally posting will get done.
I am typing on a non English keyboard, so my usual bad spelling and creative use of punctuation is exacerbated. Some things I cannot even find when looking, so I have to ask more of your usual forgiveness for my composition. Also, every word I type shows up as a spelling error. Amusing and frustrating.
So, here is news that I am prettz excited about. Kristine has decided to rent her flat. Her ideal tennant would be 6 to 8 months. Someone here for an academic year or something like that. However, she would be open to renting it via word of mouth, so we can think about it for extending our stay next year, or friends could inquire.
It is a small flat. 3 people could be comfortable if they are very compatible. 4 people would be pushing it. Perfect for 2. Expansive for 1.The bathroom and kitchen have been remodled and the whole flat repainted, so it is light years from what it was our first visit. The only drawback for us is the bed. It is fine size wize, but a bit firm for us. Still, we love the flat and would come back. Its best qualities are its location. There are two supermarkets within two blocks and a Costas Coffee as well. We will never make it to Costas because there is a little espresso machine in the kitchen and Kristine has left us some Starbucks espresso grind, so with a little tej from the Tesco, we are zooming.
If you were to read the guidebooks about Budapest, they would recommend at least a part of one day in this neighborhood. It is lovely, and we think it is better for staying than the usual tourist hotels in the middle of town. There is a good feel to the building and neighborhood, with plenty of good shops. There is a tourist office about 3 blocks from the flat, so information not so far away. We love the little eateries within a blook or two of the flat. We plan our big meal at midday and snack from our refer at night. Thus far we have eaten at the little Hungarian restaurant just around the corner from us and paid less then 3ööö forents or less than 15 USD. Yesterday we ate at the big market downtown and had abundant plates of good food for about 25 USD, and today we ate at Marcias favorite Turkish restaurant about a block away from the flat. About 15 USD. Big meal.
Yesterday we made an excursion to the baths. We chose the Gellart because they have indoor pools and the sun is shining here. When we came three years ago in May, it was cool and the outdoor baths were fine, but it was warm yesterday and we prefered to be inside. They have changed their system a bit, with some advantages and disadvantages. The admission and locker system is now electronic. Im sure the women who had jobs opening doors and sending people on their way were unhappy with the new system. There are times we miss the old gals, like when men come in the ladies changing rooms, but once you get the hang of using the little electronic device that looks like a watch, it is really much easier and less confusing than being ordered around by someone speaking what sounds like gibberish to you.
One can actually forgive the men wandering in the ladies changing rooms, as the place is a maze and most people are there one time, and the signs, though in a kind of English and German and Majar may have at one time been informative but are now sort of general suggestions. I managed to find all of the pools I had visited on our last trip, and actually discovered that the best and hottest two pools are now for women only. One supposes that there are also two like them for men only as well, but being content with the women only, I was not inclined to wander.
The Gellart is not cheap. About 35USD for use of the facilities. We brought our own towells-they might even be towells we bought last time we were here-they look very familiar. This is also a place where ones flip-flops or crocks come in handy. Anyway, we were clean and relaxed and de-swelled and quite pruny when we forced our wet noodles al dente bodies to get on the tram for home.
We only need walk the two blocks to the train station to catch either the metro-two of three lines converge here- or the tram for the inner ring which takes us to the #2 tram that travels along the river and behind the Parliament building to the town center. We bought a weeks transportation pass for about 24USD each. Its easier to deal with than tickets and probably cheaper in the long run. The ticket seller validates it when you buy it so you dont have to keep validating it like tickets. There are subway police out checking, so always smart to buy the pass. Passes good for longer times require a photo. I believe we still have our photos that we had made at the mall here three years ago. Once validated, the whole of the city is yours.
There are plenty of things to do and see here. Check the 2öö7 blog entries for some of the things we did. Thus far this trip we find ourselves more interested in the baths than anything else. Thursday we will plan to have dinner with Kristina at Boglzvar, a restaurant we enjoyed our last visit.
We get your emails-usually on the BB. We may not alwazs respond right away. Check the blog, and when possible we return emails.
Almost forgot. Flat has a brand new washer with a 3ö degree and 3ö minute cycle. With the clothes drying rack we are in business!
KG
Paris Bucket Strategy
We actually only had six days to complete our Paris bucket list and it was going to be a real effort on my part since I was already fatigued from our previous two weeks of continuous travel and fitful sleep. But we both had this bucket list of things we wanted to see and do in Paris. The usual things that tourists go to that included the Louvre, d' Orsay and the de l'Orangerie museums, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower of course. The tour bus had given us a look at the lines for these items and I could see I was going to be challenging at best and I needed a strategy for parsing out the energy I had for completing our list that included a rest day in between touring days someplace.
Another helpful thing that Kay worked out was to obtain advance reserved tickets for the Eiffel Tower on Saturday that would get us in a shorter line and she also conjured up a four day museum pass that would put us in the short lines for our museums. Smart and very handy from my viewpoint. We knocked off Notre Dame and d' Orsay on Monday.
It's hard to explain the lines in terms of length other than greater than the Disney-esque versions we in the US experience, but perhaps they could be placed on a football field with the turns on the opposing goal posts for example. The Louvre was interesting to see with end reach nearly 100 yards toward the road dumping the masses down the great pyramid in the center of the courtyard. This entrance was to get into the security gate where personal items are checked as you pass through metal dection. (all museum sites do this) Then the queues start for tickets with huddled masses of people and crying children in the great foyer below milling for entrance to one of the three buildings. Denon was the most popular-- well, because of the Mona Lisa of course. One only has to pass throught the Denon gate queue with your ticket or pass and follow the crowd there. Flights of stairs carry the viewers to their most desired level then take a right into a large room where Mona hangs just above head level covered by a huge plate of glass. She is also protected by about 600+ human beings who nearly fill the room and are all holding their cameras up in the air photographing this postage stamp from the most rear row of viewers to the verz front. The museum signs say very clearly no flash but you know humans forget to read in these situations, so I am sure that some of the people in front came up with sunburns from the multiple flashes. Mona sat quietly behind her protective glass- hopefully flash reducing glass. I made my entrance and exit pretty quick but still found Denon way too crowded and promptly moved to the Richeleau building and the quiet safety of the Flemish and Dutch painters. They are my favorite anyway.
I only say these things because I put these things on my bucket list since they are things that I thought should be seen. I am not sure why they are on this kind of list since I know what the Mona Lisa looks like as well as many Rembrants and others from studying copies in books and such, where I can really see them. But, we humans often put them there with the millions of other people who line up in these queues because of some kind of mistique, curiosity or just a bucket list for some city. It all made me a bit cynical to say the least... that is until we went to the Eiffel Tower.
The bucket list is completed for these hot Parisian items but I am now wiser about putting such things on a bucket list that really may not merit being there just because millions of other people put a place or a piece of art on their list. This was supposedly the slower season since most Parisians are out of town on holiday. I can not imagine the crush of people when it is busy season but I do know to expect all of those other people to be there with me and to make the experience bring my thought process into question regardless of the season. Perhaps I should have done this when I was younger or would it have made a difference? Or... maybe the bucket list plan was just too ambitious for reality? I am still scratching my head about it. And, the Eiffel Tower still belongs on a bucket list.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Paris-Tour Eiffel
We did the tower today. It looked like rain, so after taking the hotel bus to the Opera, we got a cab to the tower. The taxi was new, a Mercedes with smooth jazz, and it was the best ride through Paris we ever had. Very relaxing and well worth E9. After getting out of the cab the bedlam began again.
Plan A was to arrive early and have lunch at the restaurant on the second floor of the tower. Our reservation for the tower was for 13:30 and since we arrived at 11:20 we figured we had plenty of time. Not so. Some helpful Gendarmes pointed us in the direction of the nearest Cafes and we took a walk. Turns out that this was actually quite a good choice. Marcia got a nice omlette sans cheese and I got the salade de jour-greens, tomatoes, harcort vert, bits of fried ham/rasher bacon, and two canard legs.
We still had plenty of time, so I took a short walk looking for le masion art noveau that I saw
from the tourbus the other day. No luck on the house, but I did get some nice photos of the Eiffel Tower and got to see a police bust done with bicycle. We made something of a plan to take the sightseeing boat after the tower, so I did research by hopping on the bus and grabbing some brochures.
Back at the tower we began our long queue. First queue was to get in the North foot-past the usual security and to the next queue. This one was for the elevator to the second floor where we queue again for the elevator to the top. This queue comes with view, for awhile at least. Then into the elevator for a long ride with the Seine falling away bit by bit. The first landing is surrounded by glass from the waist up and a nice rail to hold onto-a nice touch for those of us who appreciate such things. Then up a flight of stairs and behind a cage that one can easily stick a camera through lies all of Paris. Fantastic! The rain was coming in and we got to watch it, so some photos sorta demonstrate this. A tiny flute of champaign is available for E10, so we partook and photograped ourselves. All in all, it was pretty fabulous.
Then we joined the queues for going down and by the time we got to the ground the sun was shining and we were ready to catch another cab to the sushi place we saw near the hotel bus stop. We had lovely sushi and a Japanese French waiter who was as exasperated by anybody's behavior as any French waiter.
We were delighted to see that our favorite driver was behind the wheel of the hotel bus and got us safely home. We also met an Argentine woman who is a flight attendant on Air Emirates. She buys lovely French wines at Monoprix to supply her stash when she is in town. We have been quite interested in the various costumes of flight attendants as they parade through this hotel.
Air Emirates flight attendants wear a little red hat with a cream colored veil and look quite like Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie). The Korean Air attendants wear shiny teal blouses with cream skirts or trousers. There is a cream colored collar/scarf type thing that sticks out about 10 inches on each side, and as though this was not distinction enough, they have a pencil thin bow thing on the back of their heads. The Thai are the most sensible with traditional floral print long dresses with slits to just below the knee. They have no distinctive head gear, but most have black hair pulled into a bun. I think the airlines should have the Danish design functional work clothes and forget the Paris designers for flight atendant uniforms. They mostly look silly.
Tomorrow we fly to Budapest, so there may be an even longer blog lag than the past two weeks. Ideally I will be editing photos that will make their way to the photoblog the following week in London.
KG
Plan A was to arrive early and have lunch at the restaurant on the second floor of the tower. Our reservation for the tower was for 13:30 and since we arrived at 11:20 we figured we had plenty of time. Not so. Some helpful Gendarmes pointed us in the direction of the nearest Cafes and we took a walk. Turns out that this was actually quite a good choice. Marcia got a nice omlette sans cheese and I got the salade de jour-greens, tomatoes, harcort vert, bits of fried ham/rasher bacon, and two canard legs.
We still had plenty of time, so I took a short walk looking for le masion art noveau that I saw
from the tourbus the other day. No luck on the house, but I did get some nice photos of the Eiffel Tower and got to see a police bust done with bicycle. We made something of a plan to take the sightseeing boat after the tower, so I did research by hopping on the bus and grabbing some brochures.
Back at the tower we began our long queue. First queue was to get in the North foot-past the usual security and to the next queue. This one was for the elevator to the second floor where we queue again for the elevator to the top. This queue comes with view, for awhile at least. Then into the elevator for a long ride with the Seine falling away bit by bit. The first landing is surrounded by glass from the waist up and a nice rail to hold onto-a nice touch for those of us who appreciate such things. Then up a flight of stairs and behind a cage that one can easily stick a camera through lies all of Paris. Fantastic! The rain was coming in and we got to watch it, so some photos sorta demonstrate this. A tiny flute of champaign is available for E10, so we partook and photograped ourselves. All in all, it was pretty fabulous.
Then we joined the queues for going down and by the time we got to the ground the sun was shining and we were ready to catch another cab to the sushi place we saw near the hotel bus stop. We had lovely sushi and a Japanese French waiter who was as exasperated by anybody's behavior as any French waiter.
We were delighted to see that our favorite driver was behind the wheel of the hotel bus and got us safely home. We also met an Argentine woman who is a flight attendant on Air Emirates. She buys lovely French wines at Monoprix to supply her stash when she is in town. We have been quite interested in the various costumes of flight attendants as they parade through this hotel.
Air Emirates flight attendants wear a little red hat with a cream colored veil and look quite like Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie). The Korean Air attendants wear shiny teal blouses with cream skirts or trousers. There is a cream colored collar/scarf type thing that sticks out about 10 inches on each side, and as though this was not distinction enough, they have a pencil thin bow thing on the back of their heads. The Thai are the most sensible with traditional floral print long dresses with slits to just below the knee. They have no distinctive head gear, but most have black hair pulled into a bun. I think the airlines should have the Danish design functional work clothes and forget the Paris designers for flight atendant uniforms. They mostly look silly.
Tomorrow we fly to Budapest, so there may be an even longer blog lag than the past two weeks. Ideally I will be editing photos that will make their way to the photoblog the following week in London.
KG
Friday, August 13, 2010
Paris-more
We did the Louvre today. Morning was tense even though there was not even a queue to get in. I had scoped it out the day before yesterday, but today forgot to pick up the floorplan before we got to the floor that leads to the Mona Lisa. My plan was to get there early before the really big throngs of people, so I sent Marcia ahead and went back down to get the maps. We spent quite a bit of time and blackberry messaging to get back together again-very frustrating for us both. We had about 30 min to check out the art before trying to find each other again for lunch.
Here is what we now know. Though the signs say that you cannot bring food in, everyone does and no one polices it out. So, this morning fresh off the bus I went to Monoprix and got some sandwiches and tortilla chips and little tomatoes for lunch and packed it under my raincoat in my backpack. It got in along with the coke and bottle of water in the outside pouches. I managed to snag a table between Denon and Sully and Marcia managed to meet me there, so we had lunch. So, Sandy-prepackeged poulet in a couple of different sauc and pain of two varieties, one remarkably like Arnold's whole wheat but the other the seedy flat baguette pain. The tomatoes were quite good and we were ready for the taste of corn chips for a change. Coke is coke, thank the Goddess.
After lunch we had lots of time to explore as long as our legs would allow. Marcia now takes her cane. It gives us better service and her a seat on the train. My ankles are swelling and I have blood blisters near my swollen ankles from wearing my Pippi Longstocking socks to the Louve the day before yesterday. These days I wear my Keen sandals and the ugly angry red places are receeding. We are young at heart and in our minds, so it is always such a shock that our legs are "revolting", so to speak.
We ate at a Japanese restaurant between the Louvre and our bus stop at about 5/17:00. We thought it was great, but the waiter said it is everyday food for Asians. All relative. It was warm-had calamari and pork and rice and cabbage and was easily digestable, so it was perfect for us. Asahi bier was fine as well. Took some of the sting out of aching legs.
Did I mention that everyone in the world except Parisians are here? Total insanity!
My personal insanity was that I booked us into this lovely hotel very close to Charles de Gaulle airport-we love the staff and the arrangement mostly but for the mini-bar that smells of rotten kimchi. Tonight, as I check our flight to Budapest on Sunday I see that it is out of Orly. Taxi ride of E100 and we will have to get up and go rather than a leisurly bus ride to CDG as we had thought.
On the other hand, Kristina is waiting for us in Budapest in her newly renovated flat that we will have for just short of a week, and Tony and Francois will put us up for two nights in Reading, and I have booked a studio apartment in Kensington-Earl's Court for our week in London. I am imagining our long soaks in the baths of Budapest and free Wi-Fi in London. Budapest for photo editing and London for posting if all goes well.
The Louvre is a marvel of art, but IM Pei made it a marvel of architecture to display art. Though my ankles and feet complained, I thought of it as a pilgrimage. I hope my photos do it justice. I was often ga-ga.
We are otherwise well-well washed and fairly well organized-that is to say we have clean undergarment and over garmets and are well fed and have food and cool ice packs in the stinking fridge. Gerard, one of our favorites at this hotel-gay guy from Corsica, tells us that it is our unopened Cour de Lion cheese that is stinking up the mini-bar, but we know chou when we smell it and we can even say it in French. (Chou-pew) We also know when smoke is being blown in our nether regions, so Gerard can deal with the eau de chou after we and our unoppened cheese are gone. Our yogurt is sealed and our museli is stored in a drawer beside the mini-bar.
It's almost 21:00, so I should get ready for bed. Big day tomorrow-Tour de Eiffel en 13:30. Maybe lunch en Eiffel.
Kay
Here is what we now know. Though the signs say that you cannot bring food in, everyone does and no one polices it out. So, this morning fresh off the bus I went to Monoprix and got some sandwiches and tortilla chips and little tomatoes for lunch and packed it under my raincoat in my backpack. It got in along with the coke and bottle of water in the outside pouches. I managed to snag a table between Denon and Sully and Marcia managed to meet me there, so we had lunch. So, Sandy-prepackeged poulet in a couple of different sauc and pain of two varieties, one remarkably like Arnold's whole wheat but the other the seedy flat baguette pain. The tomatoes were quite good and we were ready for the taste of corn chips for a change. Coke is coke, thank the Goddess.
After lunch we had lots of time to explore as long as our legs would allow. Marcia now takes her cane. It gives us better service and her a seat on the train. My ankles are swelling and I have blood blisters near my swollen ankles from wearing my Pippi Longstocking socks to the Louve the day before yesterday. These days I wear my Keen sandals and the ugly angry red places are receeding. We are young at heart and in our minds, so it is always such a shock that our legs are "revolting", so to speak.
We ate at a Japanese restaurant between the Louvre and our bus stop at about 5/17:00. We thought it was great, but the waiter said it is everyday food for Asians. All relative. It was warm-had calamari and pork and rice and cabbage and was easily digestable, so it was perfect for us. Asahi bier was fine as well. Took some of the sting out of aching legs.
Did I mention that everyone in the world except Parisians are here? Total insanity!
My personal insanity was that I booked us into this lovely hotel very close to Charles de Gaulle airport-we love the staff and the arrangement mostly but for the mini-bar that smells of rotten kimchi. Tonight, as I check our flight to Budapest on Sunday I see that it is out of Orly. Taxi ride of E100 and we will have to get up and go rather than a leisurly bus ride to CDG as we had thought.
On the other hand, Kristina is waiting for us in Budapest in her newly renovated flat that we will have for just short of a week, and Tony and Francois will put us up for two nights in Reading, and I have booked a studio apartment in Kensington-Earl's Court for our week in London. I am imagining our long soaks in the baths of Budapest and free Wi-Fi in London. Budapest for photo editing and London for posting if all goes well.
The Louvre is a marvel of art, but IM Pei made it a marvel of architecture to display art. Though my ankles and feet complained, I thought of it as a pilgrimage. I hope my photos do it justice. I was often ga-ga.
We are otherwise well-well washed and fairly well organized-that is to say we have clean undergarment and over garmets and are well fed and have food and cool ice packs in the stinking fridge. Gerard, one of our favorites at this hotel-gay guy from Corsica, tells us that it is our unopened Cour de Lion cheese that is stinking up the mini-bar, but we know chou when we smell it and we can even say it in French. (Chou-pew) We also know when smoke is being blown in our nether regions, so Gerard can deal with the eau de chou after we and our unoppened cheese are gone. Our yogurt is sealed and our museli is stored in a drawer beside the mini-bar.
It's almost 21:00, so I should get ready for bed. Big day tomorrow-Tour de Eiffel en 13:30. Maybe lunch en Eiffel.
Kay
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Paris
Even less time for blogging now that we are in Paris. I seem to get my photos from the camera SD card to the USB drive, and sometimes manage to weed out the blurry ones. Then comes laundry swishing and hanging and trying to figure out how to get to where the next day.
We are skilled at taking the Hyatt bus to the city center. It runs at 10 am and returns at 18:00, and to our surprise, we fill up the day and have thus far managed to get on the bus in time to get back to the hotel by the easiest method. Knock wood.
Even though all the Parisians are gone away for their holiday, the city is jam packed. Apparently all of the rest of Europe and a good part of the US has come here. The queues to everything are quite long. We managed to get in Notre Dame this morning at about 11:30. I queued and Marcia positioned herself to join me just before entering the cathedral. Once in, and it is free, one can walk around as one pleases-except when noon mass is being said. It all worked perfectly for me as I was making my way to the transept, where the altar is located about the time they were clearing it for mass. Before that I was competing with tour groups for photos. So, when it was cleared out I just took a seat and occasionally snapped a photo during the mass. My camera doesn't flash.
We had a lovely lunch across the street from the Notre Dame. I had a crepe with ham and cheese and a salad. It turned out to be a buckwheat crepe and quite tasty, though we are both betting a bit overdosed on ham and cheese. We are getting a bit of bibb lettuce with simple dressing and it is good.
So, fortified with food and coke, we took the wrong tourist bus and had to get off at the Bastille and catch a bus back. Not too bad. We have learned that taking the double decker tourist bus for the first two days we are in a huge city like Paris is such a good idea. We get an overview of where things are and often transportation to the places we most want to see. Our list for this first visit in Paris is: Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Musee de Orsay, Louvre, and Versailles. Thus far we have crossed off Notre Dame, Musee de Orsay and we have reservations for the Eiffel Tower or Saturday afternoon.
The way to beat the lines is to make reservations. So, we have reservations for the Eiffel Tower which can be made online, and it would make great since to make them before leaving the US if you can. We got forced into Saturday and almost missed our opportunity since we leave on Sunday. As it turns out, the weather will be iffy, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. It's raining now and promises to rain tomorrow.
I searched online for quite some time last night to see what would work for us for reservations or possible guided tour of the Louvre and Versailles and the Notre Dame. It turns out that the way to beat the lines is to buy a 2 day or 4 day museum pass (thought at Norte Dame you just have to queue). There is one very long line for tickets and a short line for those who have tickets and a short line for buying advance tickets and the museum pass. Museum prices are reasonable-particularly considering what you will be seeing-but in the long run it pays to buy the pass. I paid about E100 for two four day passes. I'm sure we will get our worth out of them and we won't be standing in eternal queues.
We spent the rest of our time-after I figured out about the museum pass-at the Musee de Orsay, and though there were crowds, we were able to see lots of great art. The de Orsay is still my favorite museum in the world, but I was disappointed that the big clock with the view of LeRonde in the Tuillerie Gardens was closed off. I did get a good shot of it on the outside from the tour bus.
My first view of the morning on the very overcrowded bus was from the stairwell to the upper deck. I got great views of all the weathervanes and arch centers, and occasionally the Seine if I ducked to look through the lower level windows. Still, it was worth it to get to the Notre Dame before the line stretched down to the Hotel DeVille.
Marcia is having a rest day at home tomorrow. Our hotel has a pool and jacussi so she will probably get a nice medicinal soak. I will hit the road again-probably take the usual bus in to the city and find the Monoprix grocery and otherwise look around. We should have plenty of time to do the Louvre and Versailles on Thursday and Friday and then the Eiffel Tower on Saturday.
I'm going to bed now so that I can rest my overtired feet and put them back to work tomorrow. If you don't hear from me tomorrow night (about noon for you), it's because I am soaking my tired feet in the jacussi.
KG
We are skilled at taking the Hyatt bus to the city center. It runs at 10 am and returns at 18:00, and to our surprise, we fill up the day and have thus far managed to get on the bus in time to get back to the hotel by the easiest method. Knock wood.
Even though all the Parisians are gone away for their holiday, the city is jam packed. Apparently all of the rest of Europe and a good part of the US has come here. The queues to everything are quite long. We managed to get in Notre Dame this morning at about 11:30. I queued and Marcia positioned herself to join me just before entering the cathedral. Once in, and it is free, one can walk around as one pleases-except when noon mass is being said. It all worked perfectly for me as I was making my way to the transept, where the altar is located about the time they were clearing it for mass. Before that I was competing with tour groups for photos. So, when it was cleared out I just took a seat and occasionally snapped a photo during the mass. My camera doesn't flash.
We had a lovely lunch across the street from the Notre Dame. I had a crepe with ham and cheese and a salad. It turned out to be a buckwheat crepe and quite tasty, though we are both betting a bit overdosed on ham and cheese. We are getting a bit of bibb lettuce with simple dressing and it is good.
So, fortified with food and coke, we took the wrong tourist bus and had to get off at the Bastille and catch a bus back. Not too bad. We have learned that taking the double decker tourist bus for the first two days we are in a huge city like Paris is such a good idea. We get an overview of where things are and often transportation to the places we most want to see. Our list for this first visit in Paris is: Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Musee de Orsay, Louvre, and Versailles. Thus far we have crossed off Notre Dame, Musee de Orsay and we have reservations for the Eiffel Tower or Saturday afternoon.
The way to beat the lines is to make reservations. So, we have reservations for the Eiffel Tower which can be made online, and it would make great since to make them before leaving the US if you can. We got forced into Saturday and almost missed our opportunity since we leave on Sunday. As it turns out, the weather will be iffy, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. It's raining now and promises to rain tomorrow.
I searched online for quite some time last night to see what would work for us for reservations or possible guided tour of the Louvre and Versailles and the Notre Dame. It turns out that the way to beat the lines is to buy a 2 day or 4 day museum pass (thought at Norte Dame you just have to queue). There is one very long line for tickets and a short line for those who have tickets and a short line for buying advance tickets and the museum pass. Museum prices are reasonable-particularly considering what you will be seeing-but in the long run it pays to buy the pass. I paid about E100 for two four day passes. I'm sure we will get our worth out of them and we won't be standing in eternal queues.
We spent the rest of our time-after I figured out about the museum pass-at the Musee de Orsay, and though there were crowds, we were able to see lots of great art. The de Orsay is still my favorite museum in the world, but I was disappointed that the big clock with the view of LeRonde in the Tuillerie Gardens was closed off. I did get a good shot of it on the outside from the tour bus.
My first view of the morning on the very overcrowded bus was from the stairwell to the upper deck. I got great views of all the weathervanes and arch centers, and occasionally the Seine if I ducked to look through the lower level windows. Still, it was worth it to get to the Notre Dame before the line stretched down to the Hotel DeVille.
Marcia is having a rest day at home tomorrow. Our hotel has a pool and jacussi so she will probably get a nice medicinal soak. I will hit the road again-probably take the usual bus in to the city and find the Monoprix grocery and otherwise look around. We should have plenty of time to do the Louvre and Versailles on Thursday and Friday and then the Eiffel Tower on Saturday.
I'm going to bed now so that I can rest my overtired feet and put them back to work tomorrow. If you don't hear from me tomorrow night (about noon for you), it's because I am soaking my tired feet in the jacussi.
KG
Saturday, August 07, 2010
On the Road Again and Again
Little time for blogging these days. We are in the car and in cafes or climbing. Yesterday we toured three towns: LaChaise Dieu, Lavaudieu, and LePuy en Velay. The abbeys were wonderful, particularly the womens' cloister in Lavaudieu. LePuy is all about climbing countless flights of stairs on three seperate basaltic columns to another church and statue of the Virgin and child and such. We mostly rode in the car and got out for a bit of photographing.
LePuy is also know for black lentils. Since we still have most of the 4 boxes Francoise smuggled to us last spring, we didn't feel the need to get any.
Today we went to the lookouts around St Julian Molin-Molette and had a two hour lunch at Auberge du Vernolon-the French organic eat local place. Not counting the peanuts and dried fruit, we had the usual 4 courses. Mind you, the salad and Jambion with a few gerkins and tomatos would be a lovely light lunch, but followed by a chicken leg and thigh, new fresh peas and a potato au gratin is quite filling. Then comes the cheese, but we got fromage blanc which is a bit like cottage cheese with heavy cream sprinkled with sugar and tastes so much better than this description would bring to mind. Next comes the blueberry tart made with wild blueberries which we later saw people on the mountainside picking. Washed down with white wine and water.
Last night's dinner at the family home was cassoulet. Very French and Marcia intends to consult Julia Child, but I have to clue you in, it's what we have been eating on cornbread and cowboys have eaten out of a frying pan for forever. White beans with some pork-in our case, sausage and bits of roast duck-canard. The duck does kick it up a notch, but beans is beans, and is good food and good for you.
So, we are having such a wonderful time that we are thinking about flying to Lyon and renting a car and coming back next year. The Inn is inexpensive and comfortable. The temps are perfect for summer. And the food, c'est magnifique. Perhaps a day of eating followed by a day of fasting would work for us.
Here is the best thing of all. Tony offered to take a bag of our stuff in the car with him, and we will stay a few days at their house in Reading after Budapest. This lightens our load considerably, and we know just where the Fed-Ex office is in Reading. We have done better this year, but still have a few treasures to send home.
Perhaps we will take a day off when we get to Paris. I have a bit of laundry and quite a bit of photo editing, and we just need to digest. Last time I was at the de Orsay they allowed photography. Email your favorite artist of the 19th and early 20th century and I will try to get some shots for you.
KG
LePuy is also know for black lentils. Since we still have most of the 4 boxes Francoise smuggled to us last spring, we didn't feel the need to get any.
Today we went to the lookouts around St Julian Molin-Molette and had a two hour lunch at Auberge du Vernolon-the French organic eat local place. Not counting the peanuts and dried fruit, we had the usual 4 courses. Mind you, the salad and Jambion with a few gerkins and tomatos would be a lovely light lunch, but followed by a chicken leg and thigh, new fresh peas and a potato au gratin is quite filling. Then comes the cheese, but we got fromage blanc which is a bit like cottage cheese with heavy cream sprinkled with sugar and tastes so much better than this description would bring to mind. Next comes the blueberry tart made with wild blueberries which we later saw people on the mountainside picking. Washed down with white wine and water.
Last night's dinner at the family home was cassoulet. Very French and Marcia intends to consult Julia Child, but I have to clue you in, it's what we have been eating on cornbread and cowboys have eaten out of a frying pan for forever. White beans with some pork-in our case, sausage and bits of roast duck-canard. The duck does kick it up a notch, but beans is beans, and is good food and good for you.
So, we are having such a wonderful time that we are thinking about flying to Lyon and renting a car and coming back next year. The Inn is inexpensive and comfortable. The temps are perfect for summer. And the food, c'est magnifique. Perhaps a day of eating followed by a day of fasting would work for us.
Here is the best thing of all. Tony offered to take a bag of our stuff in the car with him, and we will stay a few days at their house in Reading after Budapest. This lightens our load considerably, and we know just where the Fed-Ex office is in Reading. We have done better this year, but still have a few treasures to send home.
Perhaps we will take a day off when we get to Paris. I have a bit of laundry and quite a bit of photo editing, and we just need to digest. Last time I was at the de Orsay they allowed photography. Email your favorite artist of the 19th and early 20th century and I will try to get some shots for you.
KG
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Rhone and Loire Valley
We are at a little Inn/B&B near St. Didier en-Vilay. We have been here two nights, but today we are staying in for most of the day. It is the 80th birthday of Francoise's mother, so much of the family has gathered and will be speaking French and family, so we are quite content to have a day of rest. Tony did take us on a little explore of the Loire River this morning and a trip to the supermarket-one of the highlights of any visit for us.
Tony and Francoise served us little sausages that come in a cellophane bag our first night, and we have been rabid to find them. They are, of course, delicious-like the Italian sausage maker on my street in SoHo, NYC-but they have the advantage of being extremely travel friendly. To top this off, I also found a little 1 liter insulated tube for E.50. Will be great for keeping cold stuff for a day, and if it gets to schmutzed, we feel OK about throwing it out.
The Family
We have been spending our days in the house of Francoise grandparents, who now rest in the nearby cemetery which I hope to visit. There are three floors above the cellar in this house, and each floor is an apartment. Tony and Francoise and their daughter Helene and her new baby (8 weeks), Alexander live on the first floor. Alexander is hardly ever called by his proper name, but has many names like "wee beastie" and "fartalotamous". He was two weeks late and weighed 9 pounds and had an infection, so his first few weeks have not been easy for either him or his parents or grandparents. His gastrointestinal problems seem to be easing a bit. I am enjoying "having school" with him. He is particularly fond of one of his baby books, so I turn the pages for him. My theory is that coming out at 9 lbs, he would want a beefsteak and a book right away. I cannot coax the parents or grandparents into the beefsteak, but they can see that the "wee beastie" becomes less beastly when being read to, so school is great fun for both of us-me and Alexander.
On the second floor live the parents of Francoise. Her mother is 80 today, and her father is probably about 90. They were both teachers of English, so no problem having conversations. They are clearly devoted to each other. In the summer they live here, and in the winter in a house in the south of France not so far from Marseilles. Until recently they were avid travelers and house exchangers.
On the third floor this week are Francoise younger sister and her husband and 4 of their 5 children. The 5th child is 19 and decided to stay in their home near Paris.
Tonight Helene's husband is flying in from London to Lyon, so the family will pick him up and add him to the mix. Tomorrow Helene and James and the wee beastie have a day alone while Tony and Francoise and Marcia and I go to Le Puy to see some sights. This is the place of the peppery lentils Francoise brought us, but there are more attractions than lentils and with any luck I will get photos on the blog so you can enjoy them as well.
We have just come back from a short excursion to the little town museum in St Didier. We saw the articles of daily living from the early 1800-1900. This little town was known for lace making and ribbon weaving, so there were looms and bobbins along with the implements of daily living and costumes and toys and farm implements.
The area reminds me of Vermont. Todays temps remind me of Vermont. 15C at midday. I pulled out my fleece jacket to go to the museum. We passed a man splitting wood with an axe, and I knew that these cooler temps were telling him that he had better pay attention to his woodpile. Standard Vermont greeting for this time of year, "Got your wood in?".
So, I got a pile of pictures on the photo blog today and will get to work on more editing for the next batch. Look for the Jungfrau and Rhone Valley next.
KG
Tony and Francoise served us little sausages that come in a cellophane bag our first night, and we have been rabid to find them. They are, of course, delicious-like the Italian sausage maker on my street in SoHo, NYC-but they have the advantage of being extremely travel friendly. To top this off, I also found a little 1 liter insulated tube for E.50. Will be great for keeping cold stuff for a day, and if it gets to schmutzed, we feel OK about throwing it out.
The Family
We have been spending our days in the house of Francoise grandparents, who now rest in the nearby cemetery which I hope to visit. There are three floors above the cellar in this house, and each floor is an apartment. Tony and Francoise and their daughter Helene and her new baby (8 weeks), Alexander live on the first floor. Alexander is hardly ever called by his proper name, but has many names like "wee beastie" and "fartalotamous". He was two weeks late and weighed 9 pounds and had an infection, so his first few weeks have not been easy for either him or his parents or grandparents. His gastrointestinal problems seem to be easing a bit. I am enjoying "having school" with him. He is particularly fond of one of his baby books, so I turn the pages for him. My theory is that coming out at 9 lbs, he would want a beefsteak and a book right away. I cannot coax the parents or grandparents into the beefsteak, but they can see that the "wee beastie" becomes less beastly when being read to, so school is great fun for both of us-me and Alexander.
On the second floor live the parents of Francoise. Her mother is 80 today, and her father is probably about 90. They were both teachers of English, so no problem having conversations. They are clearly devoted to each other. In the summer they live here, and in the winter in a house in the south of France not so far from Marseilles. Until recently they were avid travelers and house exchangers.
On the third floor this week are Francoise younger sister and her husband and 4 of their 5 children. The 5th child is 19 and decided to stay in their home near Paris.
Tonight Helene's husband is flying in from London to Lyon, so the family will pick him up and add him to the mix. Tomorrow Helene and James and the wee beastie have a day alone while Tony and Francoise and Marcia and I go to Le Puy to see some sights. This is the place of the peppery lentils Francoise brought us, but there are more attractions than lentils and with any luck I will get photos on the blog so you can enjoy them as well.
We have just come back from a short excursion to the little town museum in St Didier. We saw the articles of daily living from the early 1800-1900. This little town was known for lace making and ribbon weaving, so there were looms and bobbins along with the implements of daily living and costumes and toys and farm implements.
The area reminds me of Vermont. Todays temps remind me of Vermont. 15C at midday. I pulled out my fleece jacket to go to the museum. We passed a man splitting wood with an axe, and I knew that these cooler temps were telling him that he had better pay attention to his woodpile. Standard Vermont greeting for this time of year, "Got your wood in?".
So, I got a pile of pictures on the photo blog today and will get to work on more editing for the next batch. Look for the Jungfrau and Rhone Valley next.
KG
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Rue de Fribourg, Geneva, CH
I'm usually a good sleeper and have no trouble getting off to sleep. There are few exceptions and one of them is being on Rue de Fribourg. I guess it didn't help that the Swiss had a national holiday that was drawing big crowd of adults and children enjoying the carnivals by the river wile waiting to watch the fireworks. Rue de Fribourg is also a restaurant row (there are many, many nearby) and dinner was accompanied by a rain shower that basically delayed arrival of crowds until after the fireworks or maybe it just peaks at 11 PM like it does in some European cities.
The cacophony got started and just didn't ever stop. I was sort of like the vuvuzelas that were such a problem for broadcasters at the World Cup Soccer games-buzz,buzz, musical fanfares, clink, clang, scraping chairs and more sounds from the street. I think I dozed during a few lulls in the noise. Kleenex earplugs were some help but they couldn't keep out drunken howls or the sirens blasting by. Kay's snoring was lost in the buzz. Around 3:30 AM the street sweeper came by and basically cleared the street portion of the cafes. Watched from our 3rd story balcony and then I entertained myself by doing some laundry.
When there were about three trucks left. The first water truck came to flush the street of beer, alcohol, vomit and lost underwear from the streets. This truck was amazing with its two fire hydrant sized fonts of water mounted in the front section of the truck. The gush forced goo to the edges of the curbs and towards the waiting sewer openings. Then it moved on to the the next streets. In about 30 minutes a second pass was made followed by the street sweeper again. No walking humans were seen this time and the evacuation of two legged beings was complete. It was 5 AM and city buses were starting their initial routes in the area and were dodging the water and sweeper trucks on the main avenues.
I thought it might get quiet so I read my book for a while hoping for some sleep to come. Nope, more deliveries, two sirens and a couple of book chapters. 7 AM Kay was waking and Fribourgh got one more douche from the water truck about 7:15. All was clean for our trip to Starbucks. Ahh, such is life on Ru de Fribourg.
The cacophony got started and just didn't ever stop. I was sort of like the vuvuzelas that were such a problem for broadcasters at the World Cup Soccer games-buzz,buzz, musical fanfares, clink, clang, scraping chairs and more sounds from the street. I think I dozed during a few lulls in the noise. Kleenex earplugs were some help but they couldn't keep out drunken howls or the sirens blasting by. Kay's snoring was lost in the buzz. Around 3:30 AM the street sweeper came by and basically cleared the street portion of the cafes. Watched from our 3rd story balcony and then I entertained myself by doing some laundry.
The noise lessened some until around 4 AM. Then garbage trucks came to empty the silver trash bins at the same time the supply trucks arrived with deliveries. Words in several languages were exchanged. Horns honked, more obvious expletives were swapped, tires squealed as the service trucks backed out of the city trucks way. Guess they win the pissing match a lot here. The garbage truck finishes the loop on the street and the delivery trucks return and take out their frustration on the pallate jacks and carts used to move supplies into stores. Nothing like the clang of stainless steel carts to bring the noise up to a serious level again. Seven or eight delivery trucks were here a the same time for a while.
When there were about three trucks left. The first water truck came to flush the street of beer, alcohol, vomit and lost underwear from the streets. This truck was amazing with its two fire hydrant sized fonts of water mounted in the front section of the truck. The gush forced goo to the edges of the curbs and towards the waiting sewer openings. Then it moved on to the the next streets. In about 30 minutes a second pass was made followed by the street sweeper again. No walking humans were seen this time and the evacuation of two legged beings was complete. It was 5 AM and city buses were starting their initial routes in the area and were dodging the water and sweeper trucks on the main avenues.
I thought it might get quiet so I read my book for a while hoping for some sleep to come. Nope, more deliveries, two sirens and a couple of book chapters. 7 AM Kay was waking and Fribourgh got one more douche from the water truck about 7:15. All was clean for our trip to Starbucks. Ahh, such is life on Ru de Fribourg.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Geneva In the Rain
We found Starbucks just two blocks away and got a proper breakfast-venti. The bank was across the street, so I found the ATM by going downstairs and that revealed the Rail City that is the underground shopping complex-much like in Zurich-to the train station. This means that even if we have to schlep our stuff in the rain, we can quickly get to the train station after another good breakfast tomorrow.
We considered going to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, but couldn't find the way to get there by public transport, and it wasn't raining and the boat had more appeal, so we were off to the English Garden where we could catch the boat.
Turns out that the best cruise for us would be the 12:20 lunch cruise where we could be happy even in the rain. So, we entertained ourselves with the little electricsolar train thingie for a half hour and 8 CHF each. The ride would have been better had the carnival not been in town, but... It didn't start seriously raining till about 15 min before the boat was supposed to load, so we waited under an umbrella till they boarded and happily got a table in first class for a white tablecloth lunch. Lovely lake fish on a bed of meineir with a little seasoned rice on the side. We shared some cheeses and dried fruit for dessert. Quite good and elegant.
So, for one hour 40 minutes we were comfortably entertained in the rain. However, getting off the boat, we opted to go the three blocks to the cathedral that we had seen from afar. Three blocks uphill in the pouring rain. We also took a wrong turn somewhere and had to go an extra bit to get to the cathedral. On a lovely sunny day that would have ment little to us, but in the pouring rain it was not so plesant. We did finally come to the tribute church to Jean Calvin. What I loved most about this little chapel were the stained glass windows. They were abstract and quite lovely. I can hardly wait to get to the growing gigabyte of photos to edit and post on the blog.
So, we finally found our way to the cathedral of St Peter which was Jean Calvin's church when he and the other influiential reformers were making the Reformation. Those photos too are in the growing gigabyte.
By the time we reached the cathedral, we were both wet, but Marcia was dripping and had broken her glasses-nosebridge. She was in no mood to go in the cathedral, and did a drippy meditation on the front steps while I went in to shoot. I left my flowing backpack with her. Eventually the drippings will make it to the Rhone and perhaps catch up with us next week.
The glasses now have a temp repair using the magnetic sunglasses and a bit of my breatheright nose tapes to hold together.
Tomorrow we take the train to Lyon and on to St Etienne to meet up with Tony and Francoises. We will be glad to have a little vactaion from the vacation i.e. Tony and Francoises will drive and know their way around and speak the language like a native, so we will be glad to go along.
For tonight, I believe we will sample a bit of the neighborhood take away. Maybe some Indian lamb thing for me and some Persian lamb thing for Marcia. We ate salmon till we verged on mercury poisoning in Sweden, and have eaten cured ham till we are about cured in Switzerland. Lamb will do us some good. Perhaps we will live on cheese, fruit and wine next week.
KG
We considered going to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, but couldn't find the way to get there by public transport, and it wasn't raining and the boat had more appeal, so we were off to the English Garden where we could catch the boat.
Turns out that the best cruise for us would be the 12:20 lunch cruise where we could be happy even in the rain. So, we entertained ourselves with the little electricsolar train thingie for a half hour and 8 CHF each. The ride would have been better had the carnival not been in town, but... It didn't start seriously raining till about 15 min before the boat was supposed to load, so we waited under an umbrella till they boarded and happily got a table in first class for a white tablecloth lunch. Lovely lake fish on a bed of meineir with a little seasoned rice on the side. We shared some cheeses and dried fruit for dessert. Quite good and elegant.
So, for one hour 40 minutes we were comfortably entertained in the rain. However, getting off the boat, we opted to go the three blocks to the cathedral that we had seen from afar. Three blocks uphill in the pouring rain. We also took a wrong turn somewhere and had to go an extra bit to get to the cathedral. On a lovely sunny day that would have ment little to us, but in the pouring rain it was not so plesant. We did finally come to the tribute church to Jean Calvin. What I loved most about this little chapel were the stained glass windows. They were abstract and quite lovely. I can hardly wait to get to the growing gigabyte of photos to edit and post on the blog.
So, we finally found our way to the cathedral of St Peter which was Jean Calvin's church when he and the other influiential reformers were making the Reformation. Those photos too are in the growing gigabyte.
By the time we reached the cathedral, we were both wet, but Marcia was dripping and had broken her glasses-nosebridge. She was in no mood to go in the cathedral, and did a drippy meditation on the front steps while I went in to shoot. I left my flowing backpack with her. Eventually the drippings will make it to the Rhone and perhaps catch up with us next week.
The glasses now have a temp repair using the magnetic sunglasses and a bit of my breatheright nose tapes to hold together.
Tomorrow we take the train to Lyon and on to St Etienne to meet up with Tony and Francoises. We will be glad to have a little vactaion from the vacation i.e. Tony and Francoises will drive and know their way around and speak the language like a native, so we will be glad to go along.
For tonight, I believe we will sample a bit of the neighborhood take away. Maybe some Indian lamb thing for me and some Persian lamb thing for Marcia. We ate salmon till we verged on mercury poisoning in Sweden, and have eaten cured ham till we are about cured in Switzerland. Lamb will do us some good. Perhaps we will live on cheese, fruit and wine next week.
KG
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Geneva
We are in Geneva now and reading and speaking French (ha). However, blogger hasn't gotten the message yet and still speaks to me in German. Whatever. I know where to point the clicker.
We are digesting an excellent dinner.
I chose a little hotel called, Hotel at Home. I'm thinking it was an old place renovated by two gay guys with some cash but not too much. They have done a good job and gotten Lonely Planet to recommend them, so here we are. They are 170CHF per night as opposed to 500CHF-780CHF down by the lake. Our view here is not quite the Jungfrau view, but more like my neighborhood in SoHo + a bit more European. The street is lively with cafes and restuarants and people look out of their windows for entertainment.
We had lunch shortly after we got our stuff in our room, and had a nice Chinese meal of duck and Chinese broccoli w garlic sauce. I took a look around the waterfront while Marcia rested.
When I got to the waterfront, I was glad we hadn't splurged for a room there. The whole waterfront is a carnival-not Brazil, but rides and cotton candy and hawking and children screaming. I'm sure it will go on a long time and then there will be fireworks.
On our street there is always a sort of carnival we think. We ate dinner at the Spanish restaurant and sat outside in spite of the rain and cigarette smoke. We had a paella full of lovely seafood-not the best we have ever had, but good. The wine was really fine. We tried to peel off the label so we can get it again. Some luck with this endeavor.
The carnival on our street is more like a parade of everything. Families. People and their dogs. A man on rollerskates (not blades-the kind from the roller rink) holding a baby with a pacifier and twirling around in front of the parking ticket machine so baby can punch the buttons. Possibly some whores. Several gay men couples. A drag woman swishing hips and walking with a woman-sister? friend? Anyway, the hip action was for the Spanish men sitting at the table behind us. We can hear the drama building below us now that we are in our room on the 2nd floor (3rd floor US). Polize siren was the most recent part of the drama, but it soon went away.
We are in a language soup. Officially-on signs and ads- it is French. Defacto it is whatever. Chinese, Arabic, Italian, English, Hindi, Farsi,European Spanish, and lots of African languages and patois.
It was hot today. We count it hot when the thermometer reads 30C. The rain will cool it off tomorrow. If it rains we will find a museum. If it suns we will take a boat ride up the lake-Leman is our lake now. 60% of it is Swiss and 40% French.
We passed through Friborg and Lausanne today. The train came out of a tunnel and there was the lake, and vineyards sloping down to the lake. Someday I'll get to those photos.
For now, tired and digesting seafood and rice.
KG
We are digesting an excellent dinner.
I chose a little hotel called, Hotel at Home. I'm thinking it was an old place renovated by two gay guys with some cash but not too much. They have done a good job and gotten Lonely Planet to recommend them, so here we are. They are 170CHF per night as opposed to 500CHF-780CHF down by the lake. Our view here is not quite the Jungfrau view, but more like my neighborhood in SoHo + a bit more European. The street is lively with cafes and restuarants and people look out of their windows for entertainment.
We had lunch shortly after we got our stuff in our room, and had a nice Chinese meal of duck and Chinese broccoli w garlic sauce. I took a look around the waterfront while Marcia rested.
When I got to the waterfront, I was glad we hadn't splurged for a room there. The whole waterfront is a carnival-not Brazil, but rides and cotton candy and hawking and children screaming. I'm sure it will go on a long time and then there will be fireworks.
On our street there is always a sort of carnival we think. We ate dinner at the Spanish restaurant and sat outside in spite of the rain and cigarette smoke. We had a paella full of lovely seafood-not the best we have ever had, but good. The wine was really fine. We tried to peel off the label so we can get it again. Some luck with this endeavor.
The carnival on our street is more like a parade of everything. Families. People and their dogs. A man on rollerskates (not blades-the kind from the roller rink) holding a baby with a pacifier and twirling around in front of the parking ticket machine so baby can punch the buttons. Possibly some whores. Several gay men couples. A drag woman swishing hips and walking with a woman-sister? friend? Anyway, the hip action was for the Spanish men sitting at the table behind us. We can hear the drama building below us now that we are in our room on the 2nd floor (3rd floor US). Polize siren was the most recent part of the drama, but it soon went away.
We are in a language soup. Officially-on signs and ads- it is French. Defacto it is whatever. Chinese, Arabic, Italian, English, Hindi, Farsi,European Spanish, and lots of African languages and patois.
It was hot today. We count it hot when the thermometer reads 30C. The rain will cool it off tomorrow. If it rains we will find a museum. If it suns we will take a boat ride up the lake-Leman is our lake now. 60% of it is Swiss and 40% French.
We passed through Friborg and Lausanne today. The train came out of a tunnel and there was the lake, and vineyards sloping down to the lake. Someday I'll get to those photos.
For now, tired and digesting seafood and rice.
KG
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Interlaken and the Jungfrau-top of Europe
We are sitting on our tiny balcony-well, I am sitting on the balcony and Marcia has pulled a chair up to the French doors of the balcony. We have just finished our picnic supper out here watching the parasailers float by like butterflies.
So much to tell-so little time.We were granted a second night at the Hotel Bellvue only with two single rooms. Marcia got the palatial bathroom with bidet and I got the next floor up above her with maybe a bit better view. Sure beats the streets or riding the trains all night.
We are a bit tired. We have gotten up early two days in a row, and we spent quite a bit of time at 11,000 ft today-on the top of Europe, the Jungfrau, and it has tuckered us old frau out. It was a wonderful sunny day, and perfect to do the Jungfrau. This young woman is pretty spectacular from any angle. Being at the top requires some precautions (as previously mentioned) but we made out fairly well by following, mostly, the precautions. We did have a cup of coffee and a treat at 7,000 ft, but had to wait 2 hours for our reserved seat on the train. We met a lovely British woman on the way up and she recommended some books to read about climbers-something she had found so inspiring she was willing to use her two weeks holiday to do in spite of her fear of going up high places. When we met her later in the trip, she confessed to be assisted by a bit of Valium AND a muscle relaxant. She was a happy somebody at 11,000 ft, and her British reserve had been thoroughly medicated. I'm going to find the book she recommended and maybe even the video documentary too.
When we were ready to make our descent, we ended up in a group queue (no single lines here) of 40 minutes. Apparently there was a train stopped on the tracks and we had to wait for it to be fixed. There is one track. Three trains of three cars go up, and three trains of three cars come down. So, 40 minutes is an eternity for Marcia to stand under any circumstances, and after an hour or so of O2 deprivation and CO2 overload, it is way too long to stand-better than walking, however. So, we were in queue with lots of other people who had been up at 11,000 ft for goddess knows how long and the queue was growing by the minute and there was no train in sight. When the train finally arrived and we were allowed to board there was a mad dash. Though breathing at sea level can have it's challenges for me, I was motivated and willing to pant for awhile, so I dashed for a seat for both of us. It was worth it.
It takes awhile and several trains to get down from Ms Frau, so we were plenty over it with the day once we got "home". I know we will sleep well tonight and take our time getting to Geneva tomorrow.
Tomorrow happens to be Swiss National Day. You can Google it for more info. Our read on the Swiss is that they are pretty passionate about their country. There are flags flying everywhere and a few fireworks. Most of you know that we are not that fond of fireworks in our own country, so we are just as glad we will be going to Geneva. Our hotellier tells us that Geneva is not as Swiss as Interlaken. Indeed, Lucern is near where the first Cantons came together as a nation, but he would never tell us that.
The Swiss flag is one of two that are square, the other being the Vatican. We have purchased the special in the Swiss schlock shops, a T-shirt and a baseball cap-all red with a white cross. What a wonderful flag. Red shirt and two bandaids, and voila! Swiss! Well, maybe not bandaids. Maybe adhesive tape would be more respectful. Maybe I am thinking of bandaids because I cut my finger while washing our new traveling cutlery-Victorinox knives. Good banks, watches, knives and great flag! Great country! Two more days of Switzerland, and lots of photos to process. Could be some time before I get back to the photo blog-stay tuned.
KG (MT did photos- To Susan H, I still wish I had your big lens)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Last Day in Hinwil
Home was a good choice for today. It rained, it cleared, it rained and hailed, it cleared and the sun shone, it rained, it is now overcast, but some mountains are showing.
We are all about cleaning and packing and making reservations and editing photos. Since we know we have a printer here, I booked the flight from Budapest to London. The only thing not booked is our London hotel. That will wait a bit.
The other thing not booked is our second night in Interlaken. They are all booked up but will give us a room if there is a cancellation. We have decided to count on that, and on them storing out luggage for us for the day on Saturday and if they don't have a room for us, we will either go to Geneva or find a room in Interlaken. I'm not too worried.
We were a bit surprised to find a man working downstairs this morning. He was rather surprised to see us as well. We went about our respective jobs. He is working on the walls in the room that was a fallout shelter. Birgit wasn't sure of the exact English words, but called it the war room. It does have a window, maybe a recently installed window. It will be an office. A more optimistic room than before.
I ran the washer and hung up clothes. If they are not dry by morning, we have a fall back plan in the dryer.
I took photos of the rooms that we have used in this house for the photo blog. We always find things we like and think are good ideas for making our wonderful house even better. We think that this is one of the wonderful perks about exchanging houses. Check the photo blog.
KG
We are all about cleaning and packing and making reservations and editing photos. Since we know we have a printer here, I booked the flight from Budapest to London. The only thing not booked is our London hotel. That will wait a bit.
The other thing not booked is our second night in Interlaken. They are all booked up but will give us a room if there is a cancellation. We have decided to count on that, and on them storing out luggage for us for the day on Saturday and if they don't have a room for us, we will either go to Geneva or find a room in Interlaken. I'm not too worried.
We were a bit surprised to find a man working downstairs this morning. He was rather surprised to see us as well. We went about our respective jobs. He is working on the walls in the room that was a fallout shelter. Birgit wasn't sure of the exact English words, but called it the war room. It does have a window, maybe a recently installed window. It will be an office. A more optimistic room than before.
I ran the washer and hung up clothes. If they are not dry by morning, we have a fall back plan in the dryer.
I took photos of the rooms that we have used in this house for the photo blog. We always find things we like and think are good ideas for making our wonderful house even better. We think that this is one of the wonderful perks about exchanging houses. Check the photo blog.
KG
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Interlaken and Geneva-figuring it all out
This morning we looked at the weather and the train schedules and decided that we should spend the night in Interlaken Friday in order to take advantage of the predicted sunny day on Saturday. So, we discussed plans and I booked the hotel.
I took off for Zurich to have an adventure and get supplies to have picnics along the way. Our favorite meals have been the thin sliced pork Schwietzerfleish and Bratwurst with herbed brod and several cheeses and whatever fresh fruit is at hand. The cherries have been excellent and Marcia describes the nectarines as rose water. So why go to a cafe to have a pasta dish for 15 CHF when you can have a more delightful picnic for two for 15 CHF???
We have a particular fondness for a market in the Bahnhof underground. It has the freshest fruits and veggies and the most wonderful herb bread and cheeses and sinful sweets. What's not to like? I had to indulge in figs again today, and there was this lovely pie like pastry-one with apples and one with apricots. What would two American women on the loose in Europe do without some apple pie???
So, when I got home with my goodies and was sorting through he mess of maps on the table, it occurred to me that our initial plan to spend one night in Interlaken, come home to Hinwil and turn around the next day and go to Geneva was ridiculous. Check your map of Europe for verification. So, plan B is to leave on Friday for two nights in Interlaken and two nights in Geneva. I'm hoping our hotel in Interlaken sees things the same way. I've put in my request for an additional night. If they don't email confirmation by tomorrow morning, I'll give them a call.
Our house hosts here are in Majorca, so no contacting them, but our serious obligation here is the bunnies, and if they go without carrots for one day, it probably won't be catastrophic. Not even for two days. They have plenty of water and straw-their staple. "Eat more straw," I say, but we will leave them with plenty of carrots on Friday.
We plan our logistics. How to get the laundry done? How to get ourselves and our luggage to the train station and the car back in the garage? Which train station? We continue to discuss. On our side is the good transportation system here.
Hinwil is the end of the line. Wetzikon is a little hub. Today I discovered that I could take the express train from Wetzikon to Zurich. Driving to Wetzikon is not a problem and parking is the same in Wetzikon and in Hinwil. However, on Friday we will be unloading Marcia and luggage and I will be walking from our house to the train station (after leaving the car in the garage and doing the mad dash to make it out the garage door), so Hinwil makes the most sense. We have planned a less than hectic day of travel on Friday and cannot check into our hotel in Interlaken till 14:00, so we should be fine. Trains run about every half hour. No sense getting a heart attack over a missed train when the next one will be in 30 minutes. Just gives you time to go get another loaf of herb bread and a piece of apple pie :).
It is amazing to watch the sun play with the clouds over the mountains. As I look from my window, Pilatus is disappearing in a blanket of cloud, and the village across the Zurichsee is being lighted up by the sinking sun. The Italian Alps are all wrapped up in clouds. Like in Vermont...wait 5 minutes and something else will happen.
We have been discussing the effects of altitude. I am getting an inservice from the resident medical authority about CO2 overload. Will we be able to go to 11,000 ft or stop at 7,000? No alcohol and plenty of water. We have a 6 pack of mineral water, but really (I ask Marcia) shouldn't we be drinking still water??? If CO2 is the issue, why would we drink water with CO2 in it??? Answer: we will drink the mineral water at 2,000 ft and fill the bottles with still water for the trip up the Jungfrau.
Did I mention that the water here is quite perfect? Tap water is as fine as we have at home-tastes great. I believe I have mentioned the easy availability of water in city fountains. However, at 7,000ft+, I think we had better tote. My nearly perfect backpack has pockets for waterbottles on both sides. I'll be a two bottle toter.
For the next two weeks + we will be staying in various hotels. Interlaken, Geneva, the Rhone Valley, Paris. Some offer breakfast, some do not. We book with internet when we can. Mini-bars, which means refrigeration, are not always assumed. My breakfast might just be room temp soymilk with ovaltine. When this is the case, I pray for Starbucks. They are usually not far away in Swiss cities. Just like a Big Mac and Super Size, you can say your regular Starbucks line and be understood. Never in Italy and not so often in Sweden. Don't yet know about France, but I will be surprised if they do.
Big breakthrough here. I have discovered the 30 min. 30C wash cycle. Might be Hungary before we see it again. Kristine, our Hungarian host reports that she has a new washer. I can hardly wait.
So, don't be surprised if we are offline for awhile, or go on a photo editing vacation. We will get back when we have rid ourselves of CO2 excess.
Kay
I took off for Zurich to have an adventure and get supplies to have picnics along the way. Our favorite meals have been the thin sliced pork Schwietzerfleish and Bratwurst with herbed brod and several cheeses and whatever fresh fruit is at hand. The cherries have been excellent and Marcia describes the nectarines as rose water. So why go to a cafe to have a pasta dish for 15 CHF when you can have a more delightful picnic for two for 15 CHF???
We have a particular fondness for a market in the Bahnhof underground. It has the freshest fruits and veggies and the most wonderful herb bread and cheeses and sinful sweets. What's not to like? I had to indulge in figs again today, and there was this lovely pie like pastry-one with apples and one with apricots. What would two American women on the loose in Europe do without some apple pie???
So, when I got home with my goodies and was sorting through he mess of maps on the table, it occurred to me that our initial plan to spend one night in Interlaken, come home to Hinwil and turn around the next day and go to Geneva was ridiculous. Check your map of Europe for verification. So, plan B is to leave on Friday for two nights in Interlaken and two nights in Geneva. I'm hoping our hotel in Interlaken sees things the same way. I've put in my request for an additional night. If they don't email confirmation by tomorrow morning, I'll give them a call.
Our house hosts here are in Majorca, so no contacting them, but our serious obligation here is the bunnies, and if they go without carrots for one day, it probably won't be catastrophic. Not even for two days. They have plenty of water and straw-their staple. "Eat more straw," I say, but we will leave them with plenty of carrots on Friday.
We plan our logistics. How to get the laundry done? How to get ourselves and our luggage to the train station and the car back in the garage? Which train station? We continue to discuss. On our side is the good transportation system here.
Hinwil is the end of the line. Wetzikon is a little hub. Today I discovered that I could take the express train from Wetzikon to Zurich. Driving to Wetzikon is not a problem and parking is the same in Wetzikon and in Hinwil. However, on Friday we will be unloading Marcia and luggage and I will be walking from our house to the train station (after leaving the car in the garage and doing the mad dash to make it out the garage door), so Hinwil makes the most sense. We have planned a less than hectic day of travel on Friday and cannot check into our hotel in Interlaken till 14:00, so we should be fine. Trains run about every half hour. No sense getting a heart attack over a missed train when the next one will be in 30 minutes. Just gives you time to go get another loaf of herb bread and a piece of apple pie :).
It is amazing to watch the sun play with the clouds over the mountains. As I look from my window, Pilatus is disappearing in a blanket of cloud, and the village across the Zurichsee is being lighted up by the sinking sun. The Italian Alps are all wrapped up in clouds. Like in Vermont...wait 5 minutes and something else will happen.
We have been discussing the effects of altitude. I am getting an inservice from the resident medical authority about CO2 overload. Will we be able to go to 11,000 ft or stop at 7,000? No alcohol and plenty of water. We have a 6 pack of mineral water, but really (I ask Marcia) shouldn't we be drinking still water??? If CO2 is the issue, why would we drink water with CO2 in it??? Answer: we will drink the mineral water at 2,000 ft and fill the bottles with still water for the trip up the Jungfrau.
Did I mention that the water here is quite perfect? Tap water is as fine as we have at home-tastes great. I believe I have mentioned the easy availability of water in city fountains. However, at 7,000ft+, I think we had better tote. My nearly perfect backpack has pockets for waterbottles on both sides. I'll be a two bottle toter.
For the next two weeks + we will be staying in various hotels. Interlaken, Geneva, the Rhone Valley, Paris. Some offer breakfast, some do not. We book with internet when we can. Mini-bars, which means refrigeration, are not always assumed. My breakfast might just be room temp soymilk with ovaltine. When this is the case, I pray for Starbucks. They are usually not far away in Swiss cities. Just like a Big Mac and Super Size, you can say your regular Starbucks line and be understood. Never in Italy and not so often in Sweden. Don't yet know about France, but I will be surprised if they do.
Big breakthrough here. I have discovered the 30 min. 30C wash cycle. Might be Hungary before we see it again. Kristine, our Hungarian host reports that she has a new washer. I can hardly wait.
So, don't be surprised if we are offline for awhile, or go on a photo editing vacation. We will get back when we have rid ourselves of CO2 excess.
Kay
Rocks and Rolls
A boatride away from Lucerne is the way up into the clouds. As we rode along the lake the many rolling folds of rock were exposed for my eyes to feast upon.Hotels were perched like small versions of Shangrila for vistiors but I was looking at the layers of ancient seabed.
The ride up Pilatus was a wonder-gift for my geology hit. I couldn't stop looking and marveling at the rocks and the environmental changes with each alteration in altitude range.
Cows grazed on the side of the mountain to the sound of their clanking bells.
The sedimentary rocks of Mount Pilatus were formed in the ancient sea that stretched between the continents and rest upon granite and mantle plates that are pushing up, fracturing and erroding through out the Alps. No mountain in the long northern arc of the Alpine foothills shows such a marked upwards thrust as Mount Pilatus.
Its rock consists of cretaceous sediment and Tertiary deposits on top of several granite masses that each seemed slightly different to me as I walked around the Dragon Path tunnels carved in the sides of the mountain. The views were spectacular through the openings but I found myself falling for the changes in the rocks ans seeing the rolling layers and vertical formations caused by the up lifted rock. 
There is great concern that Swiss glaciers have lost a lot of ice in recent years due to increased melting. Estimates suggest as much as 12% of the glaciers have melted and as temperatures climb, so do the fears that the glaciers could one day disappear altogether. This could create dramatic changes for the deep glacial lakes that are so important to the major cities that thrive on the mountain views and the lakes that enhance tourism.
This morning I could look look across the valley and see where we stood yesterday on the shoulders of Pilatus. It's the dark mountain behind the hills and in front of the snowy Jungfrau range in the backround- our next destination. 11,000+ feet of fun???M
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