A SCARY EVENT

MAYBE TOO ACCOMMODATING
      The last day camping with a group in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico we returned to Los Isolates for a final swim with the sea lions. Accommodating one of the swimmer’s request, the guide dropped anchor on the windward side of the island. Big mistake!
      I was the first one in the water and before I even came up for air a terrific surface current had swept me to the end of the island! One of the fellows was right behind me. We swam over to the island and hung on for awhile.
      I said, “Wow, I had visions of landing on that island over there.”
      As my roommate floated by. I waved frantically yelling, “Come over here.”
     “I can’t, the current is too strong!.”
     “The current’s a lot less here. Swim over,” I yelled.
      She did, and while the three of us clung to the rocks we watched another gal float by. She probably weighed over 400 pounds. Think blimp—as she floated on her back, feet first, toes in the air as if charting her float. She was screaming and yelling and floating just as easily as can be.
       By that time the people on the boat realized what was happening and stopped anyone else from entering the water.
       Immediately the little life boat was put in the water and the first rescue was the floating blimp. She had trouble getting in the boat so they simply towed her and came over for us. We three climbed in the skiff and then it headed back to the bigger boat.
       The three of us were able to board the ladder with no problem, but the blimp’s legs floated under the boat and she just couldn’t get her balance to manage the ladder. The crew had to lower a net into the water and eventually lift her aboard. Although this could have been a serious situation it was pretty funny after the fact. She was really very heavy and a real strain for the crew who were always most accommodating.
      Now it was apparent, and we all knew why, we had anchored on the other side of the island a couple of days earlier. It’s always better to follow the safety rules and everyone was fortunate that this situation was without incident.

NEWFOUNDLAND ODDITIES

Some Intersting Things I Learned
        Cloudberry also called bake apple is a popular berry to make jam and syrup. The berry is similar to a raspberry except the apricot-orange bumps are much larger and fewer in number. Cloudberries are found other places, but I first ran on to them in Newfoundland. The partridge berry tastes a lot like a cranberry.
       The trans-Canada highway starts in St John’s, Newfoundland with marker zero and extends 4660 miles across the country to Victoria, British Columbia.
        Ten mile pond is only seven miles long,----but ten miles from a long ago trapper’s home.
        A mug up is the expression for when friends and family get together to drink, talk, tell stories and sing. Screech is rum. Wedgies are fried potato chunks.
       Scuff means to dance, scoff means to eat so one can partake of a scuff
       In Newfoundland the word fish refers to cod, if any other fish is talked about it is identified by name.
      If you are not a Newfoundlander, you are from away. Tickle refers to a small stream of water. A deck on a house is called a bridge. In rural areas front doors frequently do not have any steps because the house is considered not finished and the taxes are lower. It is referred to as the mother-in-law door.
       Shed is a store and a store is a shop. That’s as confusing as a bar and gate in York, England.
       The Newfoundland pony was imported from Ireland and England. They weigh about 700 pounds and have strong forequarters.

        The Newfoundlander dog has a thick curly black coat and big webbed feet. The breed was brought to Newfoundland from England over 200 years ago. They are known for their loyalty and their many heroic rescues. We did not see many of them.
         Newfoundland has some funny place names. Many were influenced by the French and Portuguese and often have been anglicized. There are Heart’s Desire (1612), Heart’s Content (1700s) and Heart’s Delight (1800s), all close together. Originally the heart was hart, but was changed to the more common spelling. Then there is Joe Batt’s Arm, Jerry’s Nose and Herring Neck as well as Brigus and Cupids.

ONE BIG ROCK

ULURU

        For years Uluru was known as Ayers Rock and the big activity was to climb it. Unfortunately there were many accidents. The rock in the Outback—the red center of Australia—is sacred to the Aborigines and climbing the rock today is discouraged. We decided to honor that and got up early to walk the five miles around the rock at daybreak. We finished just as the sun got high in the sky. It was getting hot and we were glad we’d gotten up early!

       It is traditional to sip champagne as one watches the sun set on the big red monolith. It was amazing to see the color change about every two minutes. Crowds of tourist gather to witness the sunsets.
       The only hotel accommodations in the area are in a hotel complex built by the Northern Territory government that was later sold the complex to a Lin Lacy. The complex houses four hotels from a five-star to a backpacker’s hostel. The complex that can accommodate 5000 visitors a night also has a post office, moderate-sized grocery store, shops, and information and tourist center. It has its own water supply and generating plant, some of which is solar. The complex employs 4800 people.
       Uluru refers to a water hole near the summit. At 1150-feet high Uluru is the largest sandstone monolith in the world, and like an iceberg has perhaps 2/3 more lying under ground. It is one of the world’s great natural wonders. There are many caves in the rock and 75 art sites.
       In 1983 the area around Uluru was returned to the native people. However, it was not long before the native peoples realized they were unable to handle and manage the park, so a cooperative agreement was reached with the Park Service who now maintains and manages the area. Twenty-five percent of the park fee plus a $75,000 annual royalty is returned to the Aborigines
      The Aborigines take spiritual care of Uluru, as they believe gods from Dreamtime passed by here imbuing formations with their spirits. Caring for the land is how they confirm their humanity. About 300 of the Anangu tribe live on one side of the rock. We really had to look hard to find their settlement as the village is well hidden in the bush, and I suspect many people are not even aware of it. The entire area is referred to as Yulara, meaning howling dingo.

STRIPTESE

What To Do When It Gets Hot
         The first day in Yorkshire we woke to cloudy skies and considerably cooler temperatures than we’d had the week before. I decided that it would be a good idea to put on my silk long johns since the trousers I was wearing were pretty lightweight.
         I was looking forward to our first moor hike just because of the literary romance of the area. We started the day with a ride to Rosedale and a walk around the village.
        We were to hike over the Spaunton Moor to Lastingham, finishing at Hutton le Hole. Aren't English names interesting?
        What a start! The first and really only undulation that day was straight up 1000-feet to the top of the moor. The cloudy and cool day didn’t tame the steady climb upward over a narrow footpath. Many of us did a fair amount of huffing and puffing, and I, for one, thought we might never make it to the top. My mantra, I think I can, I think I can, I DID.
         Two hours later we were at the top only to find it so windy I thought it might blow a couple of the little people over! We stood in the cold wind near old railroad tracks for an explanation of the old iron kilns where the iron oar was decalcified to make it lighter for transport. It was sheltered on the other side of the kilns and a perfect spot for lunch.
         Fortunately the afternoon was all down hill, gently, over a reasonably good wide path. A couple of days later I learned that most groups are taken up  the moor over this gentle undulating route, but our group was deemed fit enough to make the climb up the moor through the pastures!
        It got warmer and warmer as the afternoon wore on. Coming down off the moor a stop in Lastingham provided a visit to the old crypt church. Built on the site of a Celtic monastery in 1078 it is a shrine to St. Cedd who brought Christianity to this part of England. He is buried within.
         By that time I was more than ready to shed those long johns! I thought about using the crypt to strip down, but decided that the church might not be quite the appropriate place to disrobe. However, the deserted church cemetery served nicely. One boot off, both pant and silky legs off, pants and boot back on, then repeat with the other leg.. In the blink of an eye my hiking boots were laced up, the silkies bunched up in a trouser pocket,  no one knew what I’d been up to, and I certainly was more comfortable.
         Down the path a way I pulled the silkies part way out of my pocket and said to Jan, "Lookie here."
        Totally surprised she exclaimed, “When and how in the world did you do that?”

SOME FUN INCIDENTS

Puskin
          Because Lake Kitzi was still frozen we had to forego our scheduled visit there, so made an unscheduled stop in Mandrogy, Russia. Mandrogy is a get away area for Russia's new rich. After perusing the  pricy gift shop we made a  short walk to a pull ferry that took us across a small river to Puskin Island. Puskin was a writer of children’s stories. It was a cold windy day but on the tree covered island we were sheltered from the wind. We walked a circular path around the island perimeter stopping to view the many wooden characters from Puskin's stories. It was a delightful walk into another culture.

Blueberries and more blueberries
       I was lucky to be in Nova Scotia at prime blueberry season. I love blueberries and unfortunately live in an area where they don’t grow. Believe me I’ve tried. The morning I went to breakfast and saw a punch bowl full of beautiful large ripe berries I was in blueberry heaven. Mumm, those cereal bows are too small, I need to find a soup bowl. I filled that bowl with blueberries, added a bit of milk and dug in. As I left the restaurant I said to the waitress, “I sure enjoyed your blueberries.”
      Smiling she responded, “I noticed.”

Singing Nuns
          One day in Poland when touring the countryside we stopped for lunch at a Bernadine Monastery. The nuns prepared and served a meal of delicious vegetable soup and fresh bread still warm out of the oven. The nuns run the equivalent of a soup kitchen serving several hungry people every day.
         The nuns were most gracious and it was fun talking and visiting with them. When we left, the nuns stood at the doorway at the top of the steps and serenaded us with their lovely voices. It was a delightful stop and a scrumptious lunch.

Water, water everywhere
        The only place where I have been delivered to my hotel by water taxi was in Venice, Italy as we stayed on the island in a local hotel, not on the mainland in a large chain hotel. The luggage was all transported in a water boat. The gondolas of Venice are for tourists. Water taxis get one around in Venice, and water boats transport all goods and supplies. There are no cars or bikes. On dry land one walks!

TURNEFF ATOLL

I Picturesque Spot in the Middle of the Sea.

I went to Belize to participate in a bottlenose dolphin research project. Arriving at Blackbird Caye on Turneffe Atoll I thought I had found paradise. The lush remote island was surrounded by clear turquoise water. The warm Belizean sun bathed deserted sandy beaches. The serenity of the unspoiled natural beauty was awesome.

My cabana, being a triple, was a bit larger than some of the others. All had thatched roofs, a complete bath, and a nice little veranda furnished with chairs and a hammock. Cool ocean breezes kept the buildings comfortable. Large screened windows had a drop down shutter for rainy or stormy days. Without the cool sea breezes it would have been very hot. It had was such a South Seas atmosphere.

Turneffe, 32 miles from Belize City, is the largest of the three atolls and contains 4000 acres of jungle. The resort has a generator to produce all its own electricity and reverse osmosis machinery to produce its water supply. All the water from the faucets is drinkable.

Clearing the jungle for the resort must have been quite a job in the beginning as there was no power for tools at the start.

All of our meals were taken in a unique dining /recreation building. At dinner it was explained, “The front part of this building is round showing an African influence and the back of the building, the kitchen area, is square, indicative of Mayan culture.”

In the center of the large room stood a multi-sided (sexton) serving table. Looking up at the ceiling, the thatched roof resembled the underside of an umbrella. The floor was made of narrow strips of different native woods and the contrast of the boards was striking.

All of our food was prepared by native cooks and included native dishes. The food was good and I had absolutely no complaints. The fresh produce was wonderful. Besides citrus we ate papayas the size of small watermelons and mangos the size of cantaloupes. Never had I seen fruit so big in those varieties and they were so sweet, juicy, and flavorful. Delicious!

One afternoon my roommate and I decided to walk into the jungle to see what we could see. We tucked in pants bottoms in socks and tales of our long sleeved shirts into our waist band. After dousing hands, face and clothing in bug juice we were off. The swarms of mosquitoes were so numerous that we didn’t get very far before deciding our curiosity could remain just that. It was a relief to get back to our cleared bug-free resort.

I enjoyed a couple of wonderful weeks on the atoll and there is a lot more to share---another day.

QUITO, ECUADOR

A High Altitude City

When we went to the Galapagos Islands, Quito, Ecuador was our first stop. A couple days in the capital city gave us a chance to adjust to the climate and time change.

Old colonial Quito is very hilly reminding me of San Francisco. The cobblestone streets are very narrow. The buildings with a Moorish influence are very close together. Many of the stucco buildings have inner courtyards. Our personal guide told us, “Spaniards founded the old capitol city in 1534.”

Street vendors were everywhere. Old men carried heavy loads in large baskets on their backs. The only thing holding the baskets in place were fabric straps. I’m not sure if the men were bent over from the heavy loads or because of age. Life had to be tough.

The new modern hotels and shops are located in ‘new Quito’, an area which came into being in the early 1970s. We were told, “Building codes here are actually earthquake codes requiring steel to reinforce all concrete.”

The streets in the new part of town were wide, the traffic heavy and traffic lights and stop signs very few in number. I’m glad I was not competing with the crazy drivers. We were cautioned to watch our wallets whenever walking the streets anywhere in the city.

Our guide continued, “Ecuador has twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours (6-6) of darkness every day all year. Mornings are sunny and rain showers arrive nearly every afternoon.

“Our country’s main income is derived from bananas and oil, 50% of the oil is exported. There are eight active volcanoes in the country.”

We learned Ecuador was a dictatorship until 1979 when it became a democracy. There are 16 political parties. Provincial senators and the president are elected for one four year term.

General Sucre fought the Spanish. An art theater and the currency are named for him.

At 10,000 feet elevation, we stopped at the site of the Dancing Virgin or Madonna of Quito. Our guide told us, “She was erected in the early 1980s and stands 100 feet tall. She was made in France of cast aluminum and shipped to Quito in pieces, and then erected. She is the only winged virgin in the Catholic Church. The virgin stands on a dragon perched on top of the world. She holds a chain in her hand that extends down and around the dragon’s neck showing that good triumphs over evil. Below the statue is a small chapel.”

It was an interesting city tour that finished right at lunchtime. The equatorial monument another day.

GERMAN CHURCHES AND CEMETERIES

A Different View

When biking from Munich to Vienna, the first church we visited was in Michaelbach, Germany. This was our trial run so was only about a 20-22 mile day.

Our guide explained, “It is the custom in this part of the world to have the cemetery within the walls that surround the church. The wall surrounding the property’s perimeter is usually concrete and about five to six feet high. Then above each grave in the cemetery is a raised bed for a flower garden. This little garden is often enclosed with a concrete ‘curbing’. Relatives often tend these mini gardens with great care. Sometimes the family hires someone to do it and there are people, often elderly women, who make an occupation of just tending these little gardens.”

I thought what a nice custom.

Inside the church there are many many angels. It was explained, “Years ago the angels were a source of contention with church officials, but the people persevered and the angels remain today. Most of them are gold. This church was built in 1728-31, but it took nearly forty years to furnish.”

“Why did it take so long?” someone asked.

“Lack of money and some wars.”

The guide continued, “In 1988 this church was restored at a cost of three million marks. The organ, over a hundred years old, dates back to 1867.”

Each time we visited a church, and there were many, a docent was present to tell us the history. Personally I liked that as we learned so much more than if we had just stuck our head in the door.

As we were leaving getting ready to bike back to the hotel our guide explained, “Outside the perimeter walls of most churches you will find a war memorial. Here, each war is listed separately and the names of all the villagers who lost their lives are listed alphabetically for that war. The date of death is beside each name.”

The church is the center of the village and the ever present memorials are a nice way to remember those who made the supreme sacrifice for their country.

WILDEBEEST

An Unusual Animal

Unplanned and unknowingly we were in Kenya during the wildebeest migration. What a bonus! The first time we saw thousands of wildebeests followed by hundreds of zebra galloping across the savanna out guide told us, “Both of these animals are migrating south to the Serengeti. There are 1.7 million wildebeest in Kenya and this migration is the largest animal migration in the world.”

On that afternoon game run my son, who thought we’d miss the migration, said, “What a sight!”

I replied, “This is what the migration of the bison across North America must have looked like before their extinction,”

Another day when we again saw herds of animals migrating our guide with a grin told us, “The wildebeest is a combination of many animals. He has the face of a grasshopper, the chin and beard of a goat, the horns of a buffalo and the tail of a horse. When it came time for a brain there was only room for an insect brain which is why the beest runs sideways, stumbles and easily gets confused.”

The young, old and sick are easy prey for hungry predators, and we saw that too.

GOOD TO KNOW

                              MORE ODDITIES AND ENDS

Stadle Stones
In the English Cotswolds I ran across a mushroom shaped stone under the barns, more or less as support. I learned the mushroom–shaped stones are called stadle stones, not saddle. They provided air circulation/ conditioning for the barn and also kept out the water as well as any varmints that might want to get in the barn. I have never seen stadle stones elsewhere.

Vodka
In Russia, we learned the five rules for drinking vodka. 1.Vodka should be chilled but never have ice put in it. 2.It should always be drunk from small shot-type glasses with food---a little vodka, then a little food to prevent a headache. 3.Vodka should never be mixed with anything bubbly and avoid bubbly drinks after drinking vodka. Vodka is sometimes mixed with fruit liqueurs. 4.Do not switch alcoholic drinks when drinking vodka. 5. One should always drink with friends.
In Mandrogy, Russia we visited a vodka museum where 2600 different vodkas were displayed. I didn’t drink a lot of vodka in Russia, but when I did I actually drank it straight!

Danish Farms
It is said there are twice as many pigs in Denmark as there are people. Danish ham is a big export item. Danish farms are built U shaped and include the main house and barns that surround a central court. Quite different from our farms.

Smorrebrod
A Danish smorrebrod, no resemblance to our smorgasbord, is an open face sandwich with any combination of thinly sliced items, usually vegetables, you want. They are made to order, usually in a bakery or specialty shop. The only limitation is one’s own imagination.

Children’s Split Pants
It was in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China that we first saw a child with split pants. As mothers held their small ones, little bare cheeks peeked through split pants. As we traveled, it became a familiar sight. As much as I would have liked to snap a good picture, I felt it was just too invasive to ask permission to take a photo of a child’s rear end!

TO MAKE YOU SMILE

CURIOUS ODDITIES
Cat and Rat

In Dublin. Ireland just before we were about to descend into Christ Church Cathedral’s crypt, the largest in Europe, I looked up and saw a sign on the wall that said “CAT and RAT” in bold letters. Moving my eyes upward I saw a shadow box with a mummified cat and rat. The written explanation stated that the animals were trapped in one of the organ pipes in 1860. I guess that cat really wanted that rat!

During the 16th and 17th centuries the crypt was used as a market, a meeting place for business and at one point a pub. Reconstruction between 1870-1878 was accomplished with monies from the Guinness brewery. Today the 900 year old crypt is open to the public. New lighting recently has been installed in the crypt floor. Several display cases hold outstanding rare church silver including the stunning royal plate given by King William III in 1697 as a thanksgiving for his victory at the battle of the Boyne. Also on display are candlesticks used in 1689.

Some Massage
Toward the end of my stay on Midway Island I indulged in a massage. The little Thai fellow who worked in the medical clinic did them for $5.00! He was physically small but had pretty good size hands which were very strong. It was one of the best massages I’ve ever had and certainly the most reasonable!

On the Go
 I’m not a big fan of fast foods, especially when overseas as I think the local food is a big part of the travel experience. However, it was a young gal in the Copenhagen airport who made a good observation. McDonald’s, which seem to be everywhere, is a good place to get a decent cup of coffee in a to-go cup, as coffee in Europe is served in real cups and tends to be pretty strong for American tastes.

Lunch in a Glass Tower
In Helsinki, Finland we chose the Café Kapelli for lunch one day. The building, built in 1860, has a glass tower on each end. In the 19th century the old fashion gazebo-like oasis was a popular hangout for intellectuals and artists. The whole building seemed to be made of glass. We sat in one of the towers and enjoyed the best ever chicken curry soup and a cloudberry dessert. We could have sat all afternoon and people watched, but we were in a new city and there was lots to see.

RUSSIA'S WAR MEMORIAL

VICTORY PARK

In Moscow, Victory Park covers 182 hectares. It opened in 1995 with representatives from 56 countries, including President Clinton, present. The metal relief 462-foot high oblique is beautiful. A Mosque, Synagogue, and Russian Orthodox Church are in the park.

We entered the main building to find a Russian band waiting for us. The director stood at rigid attention in a uniform that looked a bit big for him. After they played and sang the Russian National Anthem they swung into the Star Spangled Banner. We all stood at attention and sang loudly along with them as more than one of us had tears in our eyes. What a delight! So far from home, on foreign soil and to have such a warm welcome was wonderful.

A local, very Russian, docent then toured us though the excellent museum. The many dioramas were some of the best I’ve ever seen. Svetlana interpreted for us as we moved through the museum. The guide said, “Twenty-seven million Russians died during WW II, seven million were military and 20 million were civilians. The Battle of Moscow in 1941 was followed by the Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted 200 days killing 4 million people. That battle ended in ’43 when Russian soldiers surrounded 90,000 Germans.

“The Nazis couldn’t capture Leningrad so they bombarded it in a siege that lasted 900 days! The Russians would not surrender. People had no heat, water, or food and were given 4-inches of bread a day. One million died in the first destruction of Leningrad in 300 years.

“Kiev was liberated in November ’43. The Nazis lost 70% of their forces on Russian territory. The siege of Berlin lasted 22 days.”

In the Hall of Glory 12,000 hero names are engraved on the walls. Reliefs encircle the dome and in the center a bronze soldier welcomes and represents the drive from Moscow to Berlin.

It is an excellent war museum with outstanding displays.
At the time of my visit Moscow was in high gear for the 65th D-Day anniversary celebrations. President Bush was due in the city in a few days. Orange, yellow and red flags were all over town. Thousands of flowers---tulips and pansies, were being planted.

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Fantastic Place

One of the most recognizable landmarks in the world is the Sydney Opera House. Pictures just don’t do it justice and what a history! The 4 ½ acre building stands facing the harbor on Bennelong Point Sydney, Australia..

The guided tour was worth both the time and money. Our guide told us, “The opera house has ten ‘sails’ and stands the height of a 22 story building.”

She continued, “In 1959 there was enormous controversy and debate from the inception of the idea for an opera house. An international competition resulted in 233 entries. The dazzling and dramatic design of Danish architect Joern Utzon fired the imagination of the judges. But the technology did not exist in the 50s to build the sails that formed the roof and walls.

“The original cost estimate was seven million dollars with a projected construction time of four years. The actual cost was 102 million and construction took 15 years. However, a special opera lottery paid the additional bills, and the opera house was completely paid for by mid 1975, just two years after its opening!

“The criterion was for a multipurpose hall and minor hall. The first of a three stage construction plan started in 1959. Stage I involved the foundation and base, to the podium level. Stage II was the construction of the roof vaults. One day while peeling an orange Utzon had the inspiration to construct the shells from rib sections of a complete sphere. And so the 2194 concrete ribs, forming the skeleton of the building, were prefabricated and joined together with 217 miles of tension steel. Each section weighs 15 tons. These ribs are clearly visible in the foyers and staircase areas of the concert hall."

The ‘roof’ is covered with 1,056,000 Swedish white tiles which appear as a mosaic. Any one section of the ‘sails’ can be removed without compromising the entire structure. This is also true of the ribs and the tile coverings.

In 1966,shortly before completion of Stage II, Utzon resigned from the project. A team of Australian architects overtook the project and completed this stage in about a year.

The guide continued, “Stage III involved the glass walls, interior rooms, and all the innards, promenades and approaches. Opera House is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually an arts center. Besides the 1547-seat opera theater there is a 2690-seat concert hall, a 544-seat drama theater, and a 398-seat playhouse.

“The building houses a 1000 rooms including a reception hall, five rehearsal studios, four restaurants, six theater bars, extensive foyers and lounge areas, sixty dressing rooms, library, artist lounge, administrative offices, and extensive plant and machinery areas.

“The concert hall roof vault at 221-feet is the highest. The roofs are supported by 32 eight-foot square columns sunk 82 feet below sea level. The acoustics here are nearly perfect. It took Ronald Chap, an Australian, ten years to design and build the organ in this hall. The organ has 10,500 pipes and extends into the back 8 ½ meters.”

The first three rows in the drama theater are actually below sea level. That theater is cooled by salt water passing through aluminum coils on the ceiling.

She concluded, “Brushbox and white birch plywood, both obtained from northern New South Wales, are used extensively throughout. The 67,000 square feet of two layer glass for the windows came from France. One layer of 2000 panes, in 700 sizes, is tinted. The glass wall acts as sound proofing. 400 miles of electrical cable was needed. The power supply, adequate for a city of 25,000, involves 120 distribution boards. Twelve miles of air conditioning duct run from 26 air conditioning rooms/areas.”

I would hate to trouble shoot that electrical system!

This was a most fascinating tour of a fabulous interesting building.

ST JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND

A Charming Historic City

Known as the City of Legends or as stated on our bus as the City of Opportunity, St John’s is Newfoundland’s capital. With a population of 100,000, it is the largest city in the province and also is one of Canada’s windiest cities. Damp  and rainy, fog is frequent and can last for days. No one can believe that we had clear sunny days for our entire visit---the Gods were shining down on us!

The picturesque historic port town has provided shelter for explorers, merchants, soldiers, mariners, and pirates for over 500 years. The waterfront, located in historic downtown, is an easy stroll. Steep hills surround the harbor, but the down town area is relatively level and very walkable. Historic buildings, plaques, and parks depict the city’s history since John Cabot dropped anchor at Bonavista Bay in 1497.

My flight was delayed so when I finally arrived very late afternoon I left my luggage in my hotel room and walked the main streets of Water and Duckworth.

I photographed the 1901 stone Victorian Courthouse between Duckworth and Water Streets. Made of local granite and sandstone, the building was cleaned in 1988. I walked up the many courthouse steps, the pedestrian connection between the two major streets, stopping to observe the site of a 19th century produce market and public gallows. I tried to envision the last public hanging in 1835 when John Flood was hanged for robbing the stagecoach.

The War Memorial was erected in 1924, eight years after a Newfoundland Regiment was decimated at Beaumont Hamel, France during the battle of Somme. It is located at Queen’s Beach where Sir Humphrey Gilbert took possession of the island in 1583. The bronze figures represent Liberty, the Merchant Marine, the Army, Navy and Forestry Corps.

There are always funny stories to be found when traveling. One in Newfoundland concerns the Government House, 1824. It is one of the few buildings in North America to have a moat surrounding it. The governor was also the governor of the Bahamas, and he was building two residences at the same time. The moat was to keep out alligators! Needless to say it was soon filled in. Now the building is the private residence of the Lt. Governor and guest house for members of the Royal Family when they visit the province.

I found St. John’s a charming city and have lots more to share on another day.

PA and the JUNGLE

WHAT WAS I THINKING

Rarotonga is the largest of the Cook Islands, its capitol, and spectacularly beautiful. Shaped like a small round bean it is surrounded by a protective reef which is broken in 5-6 places. There are four atolls in the lagoon on the east side of the island. The well known white beaches nearly surround the island which is fringed with coconut palms. The turquoise blue lagoon is full of colorful tropical fish.

The interior of the island is rugged and mountainous, covered with dense lush green growth. The narrow valleys and steep hills make it difficult to populate. The Needle, a rock pinnacle, in the center of the island stands 2000 feet above the fertile valley. It is the highest point on the island and a vigorous hike over a razorback ridge, one few tourist attempt.

I took one look at Pa, the medicine man and silently wondered what I had gotten myself into. However, I did trek into the jungle with him. Pa was a 58 year old native Rarotongan whose head was crowned with blond dread locks. He wore a tie-dyed pareu around his waist wrapped sort of like a diaper. He told the 16 of us brave souls who were  waitingto follow him, “I’ve hiked into the mountain over 1000 times.”

On the walk to where the lush vegetation began we saw chestnut trees and wild pumpkin/squash vines. As we walked through the forest he pointed out the tapioca plant, a candlenut tree and the no no plant.

He told us, “Oil from the candlenut was used to light lanterns before the days of kerosene. The fruit of the no no plant with two nuts, some of the leaves and mixing it all with green coconut milk was used for prostate or kidney problems."

We passed by several old plantation ruins deep in the valleys. We followed a stream into the lush greenness. It was up and over fallen trees, down on the other side, cross the stream by balancing on rocks, then repeat it all over again. The climb was often steep and I swear we crossed that stream a hundred times. It was a pretty rugged hike.

Pesky mosquitoes buzzed in thick swarms. Long sleeves and pants completely covered me except for my face and hands and they with my clothing were doused with bug juice.

Pa got us to an ancient marae which I’m guessing was a couple of miles into the jungle. It is very hard to judge distance on this type of a criss-cross, up and down hike. Arriving at the site Pa said, “Before we can step on the marae I will talk to my ancestors and bless the marae. Since I am a high ariki (kahuna, priest) I can do this.”

The marae is an open air temple in a clearing and when Pa was finished we could step on it to rest a bit.

He continued, “Today the marae is  used only for investiture of a new chief who is carried by warriors onto the marae. He sits on a stone at the head of the temple. Then a pig is brought to him and he is required to chew the ear off the pig and eat it. Then the party of celebration begins.” (I’m not sure if the pig is alive or dead, cooked or raw.)

There was some conversation when Pa asked if we wanted to continue on. Since we had been hiking and swatting mosquitoes for several hours it was a quick consensus to not continue any further. Most of the hikers were about the age of my adult children.

We returned to the stream where we had passed a pretty waterfall and settled in for lunch surrounded by dinosaur ferns. Pa told us, “These ferns only grow in three places in the world, here, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. It was extremely quiet and peaceful with only the sound of the waterfall breaking the silence.

The hike was really tough on the knees and thighs. The next couple of days my legs and body were not very happy with the abuse I had given them. At any rate the jungle is really beautiful and I’m glad I trekked it. It was an interesting experience, although I would like to have had more information regarding the edible and medicinal plants.

CHINESE HOTELS

Hotel Surprise

A couple of years before the Olympics in Beijing we were not sure what to expect in hotel accommodations. Long story short, we had excellent hotels everywhere we traveled and wanted for nothing anywhere.

 The 100-year-old Beijing Hotel, centrally located, was a five-star hotel. Once in our room we only did minimal unpacking, showered and hit the firm queen-size beds for a hopeful good night’s sleep. It was nearly midnight. We had passed over 15 time zones but we had arrived in China!



The Garden Hotel in Xi'an

Another surprise awaited us at the five-star Xi’an Garden Hotel. I remarked, “I certainly did not expect a 5-star hotel in China to  be a truly 5-star, more like an American 3-star. This place is gorgeous, the landscaping is beautiful." We walked across a zig zag--–remember the dragons---wooden walkway over a lovely pond to get to our room.

Our Chendu hotel, JJH or Jinjiang, built in 1958, was located across from the Jinjiang River. Jin means prosperous----people’s expectation the hotel would experience prosperity like the new China.

The cabins on the American ownedVictoria Empress for the four days on the Yangtze River were small but comfortable with two single beds, a desk, hanging closet, and a small bathroom with a shower over a short tub, sink and commode. We loved the balcony and spent a fair amount of time on it. of the ships are . The 77 cabin Empress was 287 feet long.

The Tibet hotel was what I really expected throughout the trip. It would be a 1 ½-3 star hotel in the United States. We had a fabulous view of the Himalaya Mountains from our room picture window. Heat is turned on by the calendar not by the weather.

The time for heat was off during our stay. At 12,000-feet it gets pretty cool in the evening. There was no way we were going to get heat but were offered additional blankets. During the day we left the drapes wide open for the sun to warm the room and with the added blankets we actually slept well in the comfortable beds.

Our Hong Kong hotel was like any large plush hotel in any large city.

UNUSUAL CLOCK

GASTOWN

Gastown is the birthplace of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Edward Stamp took advantage of the surrounding forest and easy access to water at Burrard Inlet to established a sawmill. Growing up around the Hastings Saw Mill, Gastown, covering six square blocks, is located north-east of the downtown core and is the oldest part of the city.

An 1886 fire destroyed the original wooden city, but it was rebuilt and named for its founder Gassy Jack Deighton who with a single barrel of whiskey opened the first watering hole. Jack acquired the name Gassy because of his penchant for telling long-winded stories, not because of anything else you might think of.

Legend says that he offered free whisky during the first couple of days if the recipients would promise to fill his establishment on the weekend. That apparently was no problem, and he supposedly had lots of help erecting the first tavern in town where gold miners mingled with ship’s hands and loggers.

Boon days arrived in the 1880s after the extension of the railroad track along the waterfront. The railroad spurred the development of warehouses and wholesale traders, while passenger trains flooded the local hotels with lumberjacks, miners and speculators. Gastown became the staging point for expeditions to the Klondike during the gold rush in the 1890s.

Gastown’s prominence waned in the early 1900s as development moved westward. An extensive redevelopment project was started in the 1970s. Water Street was restored with original cobblestone paving, brick building fronts were restored and simulated gas lamps added.

In 1884 Gastown was renamed Granville, and later at the suggestion of the Canadian Pacific Railroad’s general manager renamed again---to Vancouver. Big changes came to the town with the final name change; 500 buildings sprang up in anticipation of the railroad’s arrival.

The famous antique steam clock is the first built in the world. Douglas Smith, an engineer, built the clock over a steam vent at a cost of $42,000 in 1977. Ray Saunders, a well-known inventor and clockmaker designed the 16.9-foot clock. Weighing two ton, steel weights go to the top and then drop by gravity. Every quarter hour Westminster chimes are heard, and on the hour a loud whistle belches from the clock. The steam pipes are all underground. The steam heats many of the buildings as well as running the clock.

Gastown is a neat place to visit and the steam clock is most unique.

GARNISH ISLAND

GARDEN PARADISE  

Garnish, a small island of 37 acres in County Cork, Ireland, was a most pleasant surprise. Glengariff meaning rugged glen, is tucked between the Caha Mountains and Bantry Bay and is where we boarded a small boat for the ten-minute ride to Garnish. The tide was half out so Harbor Seals were sunning and resting all over the rocks in the harbor. Garnish, the near island, is also called Ilnacullin, island of holly. The use of Ilnacullin distinguishes this beautiful tropical island paradise from another Garnish Island in County Kerry.

The island was originally used by the British as a defense against a Napoleonic invasion. A Martello Tower, thought to be the first in Ireland, is located at the highest point of the island.

In 1910 Annan Bryce bought the island and hired Harold Peto as the architect and garden designer. The Gulf Stream moderates the weather so sub-tropical plants thrive. The island is known to horticulturists around the world. It is a lovely subtropical island garden of beauty. The warm wet climate is perfect for growing such plants. The average rainfall 73 inches

Rhododendrons line the shore paths that revealed beautiful views of inlets, loughs and lounging seals. The walled garden, 100-meters long, contains many fine plants and shrubs with a Clock Tower in the western corner of the garden.

An Italian tearoom borders the southwest lawn of the formal Italian garden with its steps, terraces and pool. An avenue of Italian Cypress trees leads to the Grecian Temple The Caha Mountains are a magnificent backdrop to the Temple.

Except for the tower and tea house, no buildings are visible. Work sheds and storage areas are all hidden among the shrubbery and trees. It was a beautiful day and we had a wonderful time wandering all the gardens and enjoying the beautiful tropical atmosphere. The colors of the garden rotate with the seasons.

The island was bequeathed to the Irish people in 1953, and is cared for by the Office of Public Works

The mild climate has turned Glengarriff into a winter resort town, and as a result craft chops abound as well as boatmen soliciting business

STOCKHOMN

SPECTACULAR CITY HALL   

One of the most spectacular buildings in Stockholm, Sweden is the elegant City Hall, Stadshuset. The 395’ high brick tower is topped with three crowns. There are three explanations for the crowns. They represent the three tribes that inhabited Sweden; they represent the three wise men; and they represent Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, the three Scandinavian countries.

In 1923 eight million bricks went into making one of Europe’s finest public buildings. The brick work is 3- D in some places and is some of the finest brick masonry I’ve ever seen. More like a palace than a City Hall, each room is finer than the previous one.

The Blue Room, 1911, used for Nobel Prize presentations, was finished in 1923 with interruptions of WW I. The cost was estimated to be 6 million crowns, but actually cost 18 million crowns. All materials are from Sweden. The staircase steps are wide enough and shallow enough so Nobel winners can glide down them. There is a 10,000-pipe organ in the room and 1360 people can be seated for dinner.

The Parliament Room has high ceilings with wooden beams that represent the Viking past. The roof is V shaped. The doors are beautiful carved ones. The original Parliament had 100 members, 14 of whom were women. The women had their own red velvet room to confer in, while men would go off to the ‘smoking room’. Today there are 54 women in the 101 member parliament. There are 20 provinces in Stockholm. Members are elected for four years.

The tower is popular for weddings. The open ceiling has glass between it and the wall. Next to the tower is a room built specially to house several beautiful French tapestries.

The Prince Gallery is a long hall with large windows. On the wall opposite the windows a prince painted the reflection in pastel of what is seen out each window so everyone seated in the room would be looking at the same view. The windows were inset with top to bottom granite-type reliefs. In effect they framed the huge windows. They are beautiful and each one different.

The Three Crown Room contains 19 million 1/4 -inch pieces of glass and gold mosaic chips. The designs, done and completed in three years by a 27 year old, depict Sweden’s history. The entire walls are covered. The big eyes of the people were the artist’s desire. Its glitter is earth shattering and there are 200 color shades. About 30 tiles disappear each year, the majority of them on Nobel Prize night.

I’ve never seen a public building like Stockholm’s beautiful City Hall.

COCO CABS

A WHAT?

I was lucky to get to Cuba a month before President Bush cut off all travel to the island country. Our Havana hotel was right on the Malecon—a busy street we’d call the waterfront boulevard. We had wonderful views of the ocean, but we also had a terrific viewing position to watch all the well known 40s and 50s automobiles of my youth. Mingled among all these wonderful old cars were the cutest little yellow coco cabs.

I had been alerted to the coco cabs by a friend, so it was on top of my list to see and ride. Coco cabs are small, yellow, fiber-glass, open vehicles with a small gas engine. The top curves to cover the driver and two passengers who sit in the back. These 3-wheel ‘taxis’ are seen all over the city and the average fee for a ride to about anywhere was three dollars, US.

The coco cab is described many ways. A hollowed out coconut. Like a hat of ancient Hawaiian royalty. A circle with a bite taken out of it. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words. You can decide how to describe them. They’re cute as can be and a lot of fun to ride. They look like they’d be slow, but they actually are pretty fast and zip in and out of traffic with no problems.

One evening we were returning to the hotel after a concert. The ocean was raging throwing huge amounts of water on the Malecon as the waves broke on the seawall. You could say our coco cab was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Enough water splashed onto us to short out the engine. The driver tried and tried to restart the engine but finally ended up pushing the cab. We could see the hotel less than a block away so we paid him and walked to the hotel.

After visiting a museum in Remidos I was examining the pedicab which was our transportation in that Cuban city. After figuring out the bit different break, I asked the driver of our pedicab if I could peddle it back to the bus. He didn’t hesitate and jumped in the backseat with my traveling buddy. I mounted the bike and peddled off in the middle of our pedicab caravan. It was an easy bike ride and fun for me. I guess it caused quite a stir as everyone came out their front door to watch us. I have no idea what they were saying among themselves. I was having a good time!

INTERESTING CURIOSITIES

FUN TRIVIA

Pack Horse Bridges

While hiking in England we walked over the 400 year old Slater’s pack-horse bridge. These beautifully arched bridges over becks (small streams) are very narrow. There are many of these quaint 300-400 year-old bridges in good condition still standing in England.

Arched lumber was laid and anchored over the stream. A key stone was placed on the center top, then rocks were laid to the edges. When the wood was removed the rocks locked themselves in place. The pack horse bridges we passed over were very narrow requiring single file so it was hard to imagine a horse dragging a cart ---2 wheels vs. 4 on a wagon--- passing over them. These bridges are so sturdy I wonder if they could even be torn down.

Stile Gate
This is not really a gate, but a built-in mechanism to climb over a stone wall. We climbed over a few of them in England. We were told they were ancient stiles using cantilevered stones as steps. Large stones are left protruding out of the wall to be used as steps. A one shoe-wide hole in the top of the wall is used to place your foot and pivot to climb down the cantilevered stones on the other side to reach the ground. The first time maneuvering these stiles  was a bit of a challenge.

Coffee Shops and Cafés
In Amsterdam, Holland you might like to know that a coffee house and a café are not the same thing. You drink coffee in a café. You can legally buy up to 5 grams of pot in a coffee shop/house, but not drink coffee there.

A Bar
In Italy a bar is a sidewalk sandwich shop. One stands at a small round table, often surrounding a support pole, to eat a sandwich. By the way Italy seems to be totally unaware that we like condiments on our sandwiches. A piece of bread, slice of cheese and meat just needs a bit more to taste really good. Individual packets of mustard, ketchup, mayo and relish go with me on my next trip to Italy!

In the old ancient walled city of York, England, a bar is a gate and a gate is a bar. How’s that for confusing when seeking directions?

ANCIENT SOCAIL CLUB

THE ORDER OF GOOD CHEER

The Port Royal settlement in Nova Scotia, Canada was reconstructed in 1939 by the Canadian government from Champlain’s descriptions and engravings.

Seated on wooden benches at tables in the “meeting room”, the docent caught us eyeing the pewter tableware and said, “The pewter plates and mugs once used by the settlers contained 60% lead!”

I wonder what contribution that had on the life span centuries ago.

Grabbing a beaver tail and top hat, the young docent continued, “The prized fur in the 1600s was beaver tail. The pelts were shaved, then pounded and pressed to produce a felt that was used to make hats all around the world.

“Because of the long harsh winters Champlain established the Order of Good Cheer---the oldest social club in North America. Two or three times a week a member of the settlement was responsible for providing food and entertainment for the entire settlement of 35-40 men. This not only lifted the men’s spirits, but also provided a better diet, lessening illness. The addition of seafood---dolphin and seal, both high in vitamin C---prevented scurvy.”

The docent continued, “In those days Europeans were short, averaging just a bit over five feet, with an average lifespan of 35-40 years. Chief Membertou was over six-foot tall and was 100 years old! What was the difference? Well one was that the Indians bathed several times a week compared to the Europeans bathing only once a quarter---if it was necessary. That might have had something to do with it.”

I bet their clothes could stand all by themselves when they did take them off.

I was interested in the period dress of the college students working as docents for the summer.  Black felt, linen lined, knee-length pants were reminiscent of the knickers worn in the 1920-30s. A vest topped long-sleeve homespun white shirts.Wooden shoes, called sabot in French, were worn over knee-high woolen stockings.

When the Frenchmen would get angry at something they sometimes would take off their sabot (wooden shoe) and throw it into the cogwheel fouling things up, thus comes the word sabotage.

What a neat way for these young people to learn their history!

SOME IMPRESSIONS OF CHINA

Many Surprises

On the long airplane flight home from China I had plenty of time to contemplate about the trip and made a list of some of those things I found interesting or a surprise. There is no such thing as a small city in China, small might mean two million people. Even villages would be like a small US city.

The hawkers at all tourist sites in mainland China were annoying as they were in your face and just would not accept no. We were an oddity once we got outside Beijing. But even in Beijing one of our gals with long natural blond hair was asked numerous times to have her picture taken. It seems visiting Chinese from rural areas just were not used to seeing Caucasians.

I marvel over the fact that I managed to successfully use chopsticks eating all my meals with them, never needing to ask for a fork. Food was wonderful everywhere. Bottled water was easily available.

I also was amazed at the lack of western bathrooms. (I suspect there are a lot more now after the Olympics)

We saw no pregnant women in the big cities, but did see an occasional one in the rural areas. We did not see long hair on men. Children were almost always with grandparents. Split pants on toddles were pretty cute.

English was spoken a lot less than the literature indicated. However, it was not a problem.

Traffic was terrible everywhere. Cars went very fast and just dared a pedestrian to get in their way. In Hong Kong they did stop immediately when the light changed. Cars were small. Pickup trucks were very rare. Except in Chongqing bicycles were numerous angling for space on the road with all the automobiles. Many trishaws or tricycles were seen. In the country very primitive means of transportation and farming exist.

Tipping was expected everywhere. There was no such thing as a set price for anything---unless one was in an upscale department store, and then I’m not sure the price wasn’t negotiable even there. Bargaining is a way of life.

Airports were new, clean and nice. Cell phones were everywhere. Skyscrapers are creating new skylines. Buildings were going up everywhere. A huge grocery store in Beijing was a complete surprise with its escalators and three floors. Most often we were served warm wet towels in restaurants and in some places experienced automatic sensored hand-washing machines on entering.

Pet animals were seldom seen. Apparently it is expensive to license a dog. In rural areas we saw occasional dogs and cats. Birds were common pets in the cities.

Western dress was the norm. We saw virtually no ‘native’ dress, and on occasion that we did see any it was ceremonial.

There are many ways to spell the same word or place. The vastness of ancient sites was difficult to comprehend. They are soooo big. Interesting metal sculptures were all over the country. Billboards in the big cities had English added and some of the translations were really funny.

In a restaurant after a toast is made everyone bangs lightly on the glass turntable with his glass. A tipped teapot lid is a signal that more tea is needed.

In Hong Kong the city is full of reflecting glass skyscrapers. There are very few junks left in Victoria Harbor. The sampans are all motorized and pretty much a tourist attraction any more. Rickshaws in the city have disappeared. The subway system in Hong Kong was spotless; we used it with ease.

INNOVATIVE USE OF A PLASTIC BAG

FANTA IN A BAG

While were travelling on Costa Rica’s Independence Day we stopped in some small town to watch the local parade.

“I can’t believe how little some of the children are. They can’t be more than five or six. Look how well they march.” I remarked to my son.

He answered, “They must start music very young in the schools. These little ones are doing remarkably well playing their instruments.”

We stood watching the parade until it was over. Returning to our van one of the gals was thirsty so stopped in the equivalent of a 7-11 or Speedy stop.

She found a bottle of Fanta orange drink. When she paid for it the clerk asked, “Do you want a bag?” He spoke English so there was no misunderstanding him.

She kind of shrugged answering, “Okay.”

The clerk cracked the bottle for her and then proceeded to pour the drink into a plastic bag. He inserted a straw, gathered the bag at the top and handed it over the counter to her. How lucky she was that the bag didn’t leak!

We ran into her walking down the street a few minutes later. She and her husband were still laughing. They stopped long enough to tell us what had happened. Then I told them, “I have had to stay in a store and drink a soda in a couple of places where sodas are still only sold in glass bottles. And I’ve had a bottle emptied in a glass where the bottle never left the hand of the waitress.”

“Like you wanted to steal the bottle and take it home?”

“I guess so. They just never knew I only travel with a 22-inch roll-on and have no room for such nonsense.”

I’ve never had the experience of drinking soda from a bag, but I admit that since this incident, I never see a bottle of Fanta that this story doesn’t flash across my mind.

MONTE CARLO, MONACO

 BRING MONEY

The French call it a connish. We would call the narrow winding asphalt roadway with its hairpin curves simply a coastal road. Not doing the driving afforded me the opportunity to enjoy the marvelous views of the sparking Mediterranean below where boats and yachts were anchored in the coves. I’d be willing to bet that the people fortunate enough to live in the homes climbing up the steep hillsides take the spectacular scenery and views for granted as they see and live them every day.



The  Famous Monte Carlo

I always thought of the rock as Gibraltar, but from Nice, France we headed to Monaco, that tiny principality ruled by the Grimaldi family. We joined the crowd in front of the palace to watch the changing of the guard at 11:55 AM. Of course the guards change several times a day, but the band and all the hoopla takes place at noon.

It was a short walk from the palace to the church where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace were married and are buried. This church has a special ‘royal entrance’. However, we entered through the regular doors and joined the short line to walk around to the back of the altar to view the royal grave sites.

Jacques Cousteau’s yellow submarine, near the entrance of the aquarium that he was associated with for many years, is a popular photo stop.

Flowers were gorgeous everywhere and the parks quiet, shady and lovely. It was an interesting visit, but I think I would rather quickly develop a case of rock fever .

Monaco is probably as well known for its famous casino, Monte Carlo, as it is for being the small principality that borders France. It was a short 10 minute ride to Monte Carlo, a very small area of Monaco. To enter Monte Carlo casino one must check cameras, show your passport and pay a 10 euro ($15) admission fee. I questioned our guide about the difference between Monte Carlo and the American casino only a few meters away. His answer, “The games are European.” That didn’t tell me much, but as one who can barely cope with a slot machine, I figured I’d never make it playing foreign games with French instructions. I really was only interested in seeing it.

The American casino is totally Vegas where the lights inside are blinding. We walked in, circled the area and walked out. At the sidewalk café we visited with friends and when I saw that a 12 oz bottle of chilled cola was going to set me back twelve dollars, I decided I really didn’t need it. Two scoops of ice cream with a dab of whip cream and a tiny wafer served in a dish was $22---I didn’t need that either. So, I guess the rule is if you go to Monte Carlo take money!

FABULOUS PALACE

WURZBURG PALACE

We’d met our local docent, Victoria, at the Residenz, the Prince-Bishop’s palace in the center of the city. Prince-Bishops ruled here for 4-5 centuries, but they lived in the fortress overlooking the city. When the bishops decided they wanted out of the fortress they built this baroque Residenz in 1720-44.

We were told, “This is the last and finest baroque castle in Germany. The castle shows unity and design unusual in such large structures.”

Upon entering, we faced a beautiful grand stairway leading to the upper floor. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, our animated guide told us, “In Maria Teresa's day you would walk upstairs with your back  straight and head  held high while slightly looking down your nose. You grasped your skirt with the right hand while your left hand is bent at the elbow with the little finger in the air. Then you walked up the stairs without looking down.”

Jan and I decided to give it a try. The steps were wide to accommodate a large foot and with only about a five-inch rise, the steps were very easy to navigate. We pretty much led the pack and I‘m sure the stodgy passengers behind us thought we were crazy. We made it all the way up the long, wide staircase without tripping or missing a step, but Jan couldn’t stop giggling---all the way to the top.

The rails of the grand stairway were decorated with statuary and lanterns. The palace is typically ornate baroque, with each room being more cluttered that the previous one.

At the top of the stairs the docent continued, “During WW II 90% of the city was destroyed when in March 1945, in fifteen minutes, 380,000 fire bombs were dropped on Wurzburg. The main part of the palace survived, but the wings were destroyed. The palace has 342 rooms, a church for the Bishop and lovely gardens. The ceiling fresco in this hallway is the largest in the world. Painted in just 13 months it depicts the four continents as they were known at that time. On one side is Europe, Africa on another, and Asia and North America on the other sides.” (She kept referring to North America as the United States.)

The main room is done in rococo, which personally I found very gaudy---baroque gone mad. The ceilings were beautiful and we were told the plaster master used no molds to create any of the design. At the time of our visit some of the ceilings were undergoing repair and renovation. We viewed Flemish tapestries and porcelain corner stoves.

In the bedroom she pointed out vents in the fireplace next to a small door saying, “Vials of perfume could be placed here and then the aroma would be blown into the room when there was a fire. Remember centuries ago people very seldom bathed. Sandalwood fans also served the purpose of disguising body order.” She passed around an old fan and amazingly the sweet scent still lingered.

As she was standing by a very pretty chest she told us, “Before indoor plumbing the bishops had toilet stewards who literally carried around the chamber pot. But as time went on,”---at this point she opened the lid of the cabinet and folded out the front panels to a reveal a commode chair. What a surprise! And the seat was padded at that.

In the mirror room, which had been completely rebuilt, there were 600 panes of glass, all painted in the reverse technique. She said, “It took eight years to restore this room so this room is only 16 years old. It was a real learning process for the artists to learn and perfect the reverse painting. Using the gold was a real challenge for them also.” Just beyond the ropes in this room was a lovely inlaid card table. She added, “The bishops liked to play cards, and with all these mirrors you can be assured they seldom lost a game.” She then demonstrated how cards could be seen from just about every angle. Even the ceiling was mirrored.

As we finished touring the palace we moved on to the chapel which was originally intended only for the bishop and his guests. However, today regular Sunday services, open to the public, are held. Saturdays are popular days for weddings.

Our animated guide made this a fun visit. Since I’ve visited so many colonial homes, castles and palaces, I always look for something new and different. This was a well worth visit, and I saw several things I had never seen before.

SOME NEW RULES

Another Bike Trip

After being fitted for our bikes, we always had a safety briefing where we were informed of specific rules for the country we were biking in.

Our Danish guide started by saying, “When making a left turn in Denmark be sure to square your corners—don’t cut them. Traffic lights turn green, yellow, red, but they also turn red, yellow, green, and there are no right turns on red.

"At many intersections large white triangles, called shark’s teeth, are painted across the street that must yield, and one must yield to all traffic. At especially dangerous intersections a big red cross is painted to remind you that not everyone obeys the signs.

"Traffic entering a traffic circle must yield to all traffic already in the circle and everyone must yield to bikers who follow a blue path painted on the outer edge of the circle. Traffic circle turn offs are particularly dangerous.”

Denmark is a land of bikers, everyone rides them, kids, adults, nuns, couriers, and in all sorts of dress including business suits and female business wear.

I noticed that biking shorts were seen only on foreigners. Danes didn’t seem to wear them. I couldn’t believe I huffed and puffed up the many hills while Danes passed me leisurely peddling away while carrying on a conversation with a friend. That’s what practice does for you!

There are 160 miles of bike paths in Copenhagen and every day 60,000 bikers enter the capital city. There are also 1700 city bikes and 125 stands for them. For 25 Krona one can use the bike all day and when it is returned to any city stand the 25 Krona is returned.

We had ferried among many islands and biked on the islands of Sealand, Fuen, Areo, Langland, Lolland, and Falster over paved paths, streets, gravel, through forests, through many wheat fields, along the sea, and up and down lots of hills.

Biking Denmark was leisurely and being my second bike trip I was a lot better prepared. We saw and visited a lot of interesting things. It was a fun trip. We’ll talk more about the country another day.

A FASCINATING PLACE

THE NOBEL PEACE CENTER

The Nobel Peace Center, opened in June 2005, is housed in the old renovated 1872 western railroad station. Overlooking the harbor in Oslo, Norway, it is close to City Hall.

The center has several interesting interactive displays with loads of information. The exhibits use film, digital communication and interactive displays from the state of the art tech world. The wall paper in one room had tiny pictures of the winners in different colors. If this had not been pointed out it would have escaped me, as it looked just like some sort of a print. One can learn about various Nobel winners and their activities as well as the remarkable life of Alfred Nobel.

Norway and Sweden were one country during Nobel’s lifetime., so the peace prize is presented in Oslo, in accordance of Nobel’s will. The other Nobel prizes are presented in Stockholm, Sweden.

Five people sit on the committee. The first prize was awarded in 1901. There are three components to the prize: ten million Swedish kroners, a diploma, and a Nobel medal.

The other Nobel categories include literature, physics, chemistry, and medicine. Over the years fourteen women have won. Fifteen prizes have been awarded to organizations, two to the American Red Cross in both WW I and WW II.

Alfred Nobel made a fortune in dynamite, in a business started by his father in Stockholm. He also developed smokeless gunpowder and held 300 patents. He had 20 factories around the world. He was well read and loved literature. He never married and had no children.

A good visit to this center could easily occupy a half day. It was a fascinating and interesting visit.

UNIQUE PLACE

POLAR BEAR JAIL

Churchill, Manitoba, Canada is the place most people go to see polar bears.
Bears are not allowed in town and when one, usually a juvenile who hasn’t yet learned the rules, does wander into town, he is captured and sent to polar bear jail to wait for Hudson Bay to freeze over.

Just before the season arrives bear traps are set out on the perimeter of town, and then checked every few hours. When a bear ventures into a trap, he is tranquilized and moved to polar bear jail. When the water freezes, he is transported to the bay and released. Jail can accommodate 27 bears, including several mothers and cubs.
Polar bear jail, located north of town at the old airport, occupies a large Quonset hut left from a WW II SAC base. At that time the base had 450 buildings and 3000 personnel. Most of the buildings have been torn down.

The old fire house, now houses oil spill equipment. The 9250-foot runway is always kept cleared, so in an emergency the largest of jets could land there. For us frequent flyers it’s kind of nice to know that in the middle of nowhere there is a safe emergency landing area.

AN ORKNEY SURPRISE

Wonderful Italian Church

When in Scotland I wanted to include the Orkney Islands where 20,000 people are outnumbered by 100,000 head of cattle and sheep. There are few trees, and the major industries include fishing, silver jewelry, and North Sea oil. The Orkneys are way north and few people visit the hilly grass-covered barren landscapes. Long rows of plastic covered baled hay standing on large farm plots. Winds are harsh and strong, but the Gulf Stream moderates winter temperatures.

The Orkneys have not always been part of Britain, but were part of Norway until 1460. In that year Norway’s King Christian’s daughter married James II of Scotland and the Orkney Islands were her dowry. Of Orkney’s 70 islands only 20 are inhabited. The island chain covers 376 square miles and has a coastline of 600 miles.

During WW II, 1000 Italian POWs were confined in Orkney. About 500 men at camp 60 resided in Quonset huts. They were pretty loosely guarded, as there was nowhere for them to go. It didn’t take long for those Catholic boys to realize they wanted and needed a chapel. After making a request through proper channels, they were given a Nissen hut (the British equivalent of a Quonset hut) and the support of the camp commander and chaplain.

Under the direction of artistic prisoner, Domenico Chiocchetti the POWs embarked on creating a church. The boys then set about scavenging whatever scrap materials they could find. Scrap metal was used to create the altar and decorative archway. The walls were flat and one actually had to touch them to realize the beige bricks were all painted with a brush. The inside is of Gothic design. A lovely fresco decorates the ceiling. At least one talented artist was among them! The entrance has a lovely simple façade. It is evident that this church resides in a Quonset hut only from a side view. As the war was nearing its end and the prisoners were released, Chiocchetti stayed behind to complete the chapel. This little chapel in a Quonset hut is quite amazing.

Stepping inside we stood stunned at the beautiful sight before us. To think such a lovely chapel was created out of scrap materials is unbelievable. Chiocchetti died in 1999, but what a wonderful symbol of peace he left behind!

More about the Orkneys another day.

SINGING IN THE RAIN

Our First Swiss Hike

Our first Swiss hike started on an overcast drizzly day. We took a cog railway, built in 1889, up to Mt. Pilatus. The 48% incline makes this cog railway the steepest in the world. It took a year to build the approximately three-mile railroad. It was like going straight up the face of the mountain!

Legend says the mountain got its name Pilatus from a holy man who slayed a dragon living on the mountain.

At the top we wandered out on a walkway to a viewing area, but by then we were completely fogged in with a heavy mist. It was disappointing not to  be able to see the view, but it was still a thrill to be 7000’ above sea level. Even though we couldn’t see, it was so quiet that we could hear the serenade of the tinkling cowbells below in the alpine meadow.

Our hotel had packed us a picnic lunch, but we didn’t want to eat in the mist or in the middle of the foyer even though there were very few people about. Charly, our guide, knew everyone and his brother in the country, so he ventured into the mountain-top restaurant and talked the manager into letting us eat our lunch inside. We were the only customers in the big room. Most of us ordered a cup of soup and a hot drink. The friendly staff was very kind. We were especially careful to pick up all our mess and carry it off, as we were grateful for their hospitality.

After lunch we took the gondola down to 1415’ to Frakmuntegg where we started to hike with a destination at Krienseregg at 1026’. By the time we started to hike it was raining pretty hard. Several people had put a folding umbrella in their day pack and they went up rather quickly. I got the giggles as it seemed so ludicrous to be hiking with an umbrella. The tree canopy was rather heavy so we really didn’t get very wet. The path was well kept and fortunately not slippery. It’s interesting that in Switzerland distances are not measured in kilometers from point A to point B, but rather measured in the time it takes an average hiker to make the trek. Time, not distance, signs were consistent throughout the country.

At Krienseregg we took a small cable car to the bottom where we boarded a bus for a short ride back to Lucerne. In spite of the weather we had a grand time, and fortunately that was our last rainy day for the whole trip. Ah, make no mistake, those Swiss Alps are gorgeous!

A PLEASANT SURPRISE

A GREAT HOTEL

In Prague we stayed at the Hotel Petr located in a residential area rather than in the bustling city which meant that it was quiet, especially at night. It was a darling homey and friendly little hotel with only 35-37 rooms. We were but a block or so from a bus line. However, even though we bought bus tickets we never used them. We walked everywhere, as it was an easy walk to and from the city center. At the end of the week we left the bus tickets for the maid.

There were no bellboys at the Hotel Petr, so we grabbed our luggage and made it up stairs to our room.
Our room was lovely and the bed looks comfortable. Being on the second floor we were able to leave the window open.

In a few days we would learn from the owner, “This hotel, built in 1910 was once my grandmother’s home. During the Communist regime the house was taken, and she was allowed to remain in a small two-room apartment. Once we were free from the Communist bloc we put in for repatriation of the house. My grandmother died in 1985.

“I have been restoring the hotel one floor at a time. In the beginning we had as many employees as we had rooms. That wasn’t very profitable. We learned a lot about free emterprize so today  we have a much better ratio .”

This fellow told us how during WWII people smuggled radios to illegally listen to Voice of America and how grateful they were to our country for the broadcasts.

The hotel was well run. We were comfortable, had unexpected amenities, and had a wonderful visit and stay. I hope this fellow has continued to prosper and do well.

UNUSUAL SIGHTING

Postojna Cave's Albino Salamander

In Slovenia Postojna (pohSTOYnah), is a 20 kilometer subterranean labyrinth, making it the largest cave in Europe, but only five kilometers of the cave is open to the public. There are over 8000 caves in Slovenia with only 25 are open to the public. Like all caves, this amazing place was carved and shaped by water millions of years ago. Some of the abundant colorful stalagmites and stalactites reach one hundred feet. Translucent curtains of rock and skinny spaghetti stalactites were gorgeous.

The human fish—a long skinny salamander with fingers and toes, is the world’s largest cave dwelling animal. It can survive seven years without eating. The albino creature has both lungs and gills. They can grow to be 12 inches long and can live 100 years. Because of the total darkness this salamander is an albino. The live specimens are not fed for the four months they are on display in the cave.

The crowds were thick with many older school children. We started the tour of the cave on an electric train which took us five kilometers into the cave and then we walked another mile on well kept paths. The cave opened in 1819 and electricity arrived in 1820. The first push train was replaced with the miniature electric one in 1959. The lowest point in the cave is 163 feet below ground level. Thank goodness for electricity! The temperature in the cave is a constant 55 degrees so it was pleasant walking about. We picked up an English speaking guide when we left the train and before starting our walk.

Colors in the cave come from various elements. Red comes from iron, grey from magnesium, and green from algae.

The cave itself was gorgeous, and the albino creature added even more interest to this fantastic place.

SURPRISED TO LEARN

RUSSIAN TEA

When I think of Russia I think vodka, so I was surprised to learn that Russians are as taken with their tea as the English. In fact tea could be the national drink of Russia. A good tea warms the mind, body, and soul.

During a tea lecture we learned that universal rules for making real tea dictates forgetting about tea bags and never cooking the tea leaves. Large tea plantations are located in an area in the Cavcasus Mountain Range on the shore of the Black Sea in Georgia, but the origin of tea is of little importance. Expensive tea can be mixed with cheap tea and actually is encouraged.

Making Russian tea is a two step process. First one makes the zavarka, then it is watered  down by adding boiling water known as kipyatok.  Water is first boiled in a samovar, a large tank whose literal translation would be ‘autobrewer’. The samovar  not only is an ordinary household item but a hallmark of the Russian way of life and hospitality. Tula, a city south of Moscow, has been the major samovar maker since the 18th century. Originally charcoal burning, it was not until the 1950s and 60s that an electric version came into being and gained popular use.

The teapot, called a chainik, should be warmed before starting the process, and only a ceramic or glass chainik is acceptable for making tea. If hot water has been used to warm the pot it is emptied before adding the tea leaves. Boiling water is poured over the tea leaves, the lid replaced on the pot and the pot covered with a towel to keep it warm.

When all the leaves have sunk to the bottom, the zavarka is ready. It is very strong, and is dangerous to drink directly from the pot. The strong narcotic effect can cause a rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, and restlessness. The zavarka is diluted generally 10:1 with boiling water in a cup or mug. A chestnut color is perfect. The cup or mug is nearly always placed on a saucer before pouring the zavarka. The softer the water the better the tea.

Arguments on the pros and cons of adding anything to the tea can go on forever. However, it is common to add sugar, but never more than three teaspoons.

Making Russian tea is a time consuming process, but an old Russian proverb says: if you rush, you make people laugh---the equivalent to haste makes waste.

A Big Contrast

A NORMANDY GERMAN CEMETERY                              

   Late one day in Normandie, France our guide said, “I want to take you to the German cemetery. It is very different. Germany has to rent the land and it is less than half the size of the land grant for the American cemetery. The Germans had no choice but to bury two, sometimes three, men in a grave. And the large mound at the end of the cemetery contains body parts of many German soldiers. It is quite a contrast. Also there  are no French employees working the grounds.”

The stone markers with the names of the soldiers cut into them are set flush in the ground in straight even rows. There are many groups of 5 small black lava crosses scattered throughout the cemetery, but I could not determine any kind of a pattern. The center cross in each grouping of five is slightly larger than the other four crosses.

On top of the huge grass-covered mound stands a large black lava cross in the same design as the smaller ones on the ground. The tall cross stands between a mourning man and women. A granite stairway in the back leads to the top.

The grounds were neatly trimmed, but the whole area just seemed a bit dark. What the Germans did was dark!