TRAVIA---4

KGB Hangout

When in Moscow, Russia, we toured the KGB museum. Afterward we ate lunch at the Sword and Shield, the old KGB restaurant a block away. The décor was interesting, the walls were covered with KGB agent portraits, and the food excellent. It was a piece of history.

Chinese Train Ride

When in China we had occasion to take an overnight train from Beijing to Xian. Fortunately only two of us had to share a four bed compartment. The beds were little more than a wooden platform with a skimpy thin mattress. Talk about hard! I was so happy to see daylight. The train was new, having been in service only a few weeks. One good thing was the excellent thermos bottle. A large thermos of hot water was placed in out cabin just before we got under way, about 8:00 PM. The next morning the water was still hot enough to make a fairly decent cup of coffee! I looked all over China to find a thermos to buy---without success.

London’s Parks

The acres of lovely green parks are often referred to as the ‘lungs of London’. Originally many of the parks were monarchy hunting grounds. Now the green islands, in an ocean of stone and brick, are public parks which give a feel of spaciousness to the city. The crown retains title to 5,684 acres of London’s Royal Parks but the public enjoys them as much as it does the 7300 acres of the public parks. The Greater London Council administers this splendid park system.

In addition many squares and commons, usually two acres or less, are maintained by the 32 boroughs. The English love their gardens.

Mirogoj Cemetery

This cemetery in the heart of Zagreb, Croatia is a lovely quiet area where many residents come to get away from the busy city. All religions are buried here. The cemetery is large and is bordered on the front by large long arcades. These arcades provide quite a collection of sculptures. Cupolas along the arcade are topped with the religious design of each religion housed within that section. A conventional cemetery was beyond the arcades.

The unusual cemetery was a very lovely landscaped quiet place that provided a lot of shade. It was easy to understand why people might take a respite here.

Ice and my Foot

  My foot had been out of a cast only two weeks when I took off for a hiking trip in England’s Lake District. After the first couple of days the people at reception knew to have a bag of ice ready for me on my return, so I could ice a swollen foot.

While I propped myself up on the bed and elevated my foot, we had a before-dinner glass of wine in our room. The first ice went into our wine glasses and then the rest went on my foot. Something about priorities, right?

Each morning the swelling was gone, so the boots went back on and off I went to hike more of the lovely countryside.

Fantastic Salt Mine

The Wieliczka salt mine in Poland is 700 years old and is still an active mine. An elevator took us down 1100 feet and then we walked 420 steps down on a well lit and wide path. All along the walkway are little rooms containing various salt sculptures. The large chapel with its 39-foot ceiling was the highlight. Over a 30 year period 20,000 tons of salt were removed from this room. Everything in the room: chandeliers, altar, showcases and sculptures were carved from salt. The floor even looked like flagstone. It was mesmerizing and absolutely gorgeous!

Trivia---3

Pilgrims

Lhasa, Tibet is a mecca for Buddhist pilgrims. It is a common sight to see them walking the streets twirling a prayer wheel in their right hand and fingering a 108-bead rosary with their left hand while muttering a mantra. At the Jokharg Temple people were prostrating themselves at the temple as well as around the temple square. People paid them no mind. It was also common to see monks clad in their traditional robes all around the city.

A Gorgeous U S Embassy

Canberra, Australia’s capital, is a one company town. The government owns all the land. One exception to land ownership is the ten acres the US embassy sits on. Australia deeded this land to the US for its help in World War II. The Embassy sits on the highest knoll. All of the red brick in the colonial building was imported from the United States. I’ve seen some really ugly embassies around the world. This one is a delight!

Didn’t Understand a Word

In Moscow we were trying to find a store to buy bottled water. We thought we were following the directions given to us, but to no avail. We asked a young man on the street for clarity. He decided to show us and all the way down the street he carried on constant chatter in Russian, none of which we understood. We kept shaking our head and at the end told him thank you. We did find the store and made our purchase, and fondly remember that kind man.

Magnificent Tapestry

In the great hall of the parliament building in Canberra, Australia hangs one of the world’s largest tapestries. Measuring 20 x 9 meters, it weighs 400 kilos, uses 360 colors and took 2 ½ years to complete. From a distance, it appears to be an oil painting. Only on close inspection is it evident that it is truly a tapestry—a really magnificent one!

Bosnia’s Friendship Bridge

The 1556 stone bridge, spanning the Nevetva River replaced the original wooden bridge. Serbs destroyed the bridge during the recent 1990s war. The stone for the replacement bridge came from the same quarry as the original stone.

Croats live on the west side of the river and Muslims on the east side. The city is internationally known for its Old Town Bridge. It is a symbol of reconciliation, cooperation, and coexistence of diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic communities. It was nice to see the bridge replaced looking exactly as the ancient one had.

Warwick Castle

Of all the castles, forts, and palaces I’ve visited Warwick Castle in Warwick, England was one of the loveliest. A few years ago Madam Tussand bought the castle. Her life-like wax figures made the castle come alive. I actually did a double take when I saw the maid drawing her lady’s bath. Her bending over the tub and the running water looked so real.