A REMARKABLE MAN

BADDECK and BELL

Baddeck, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia is a community of only 1100, but it   is one of the largest villages on Bras d’Or Lake (locally pronounced bra door). Several small low-rise hotels are inconspicuously nestled among the awe-inspiring scenery. The lake is large and from certain vantage points one can catch a glimpse of Alexander Graham Bell’s beloved home, Beinn Bhreagh.

One of Beddeck’s most famous residents, Bell built his 37-room, 11-fireplace home in 1892-93 on 450 wooded hillside acres   overlooking the lake, whose name means arms of gold.  Bell spent his last 37 years at Beinn Bhreagh and died there at age 75, in 1922, from complications of diabetes.

A visit to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, built on 25 beautifully landscaped acres on the eastern end of the village, revealed much I did not know about this famous inventor, teacher, and  humanitarian.

Known for the invention of the telephone, I had  no idea he was  involved in so many other endeavors. His mother was partially deaf and his wife was totally deaf.  It is said that his mind explored the world, but that his heart was with the deaf. His lifelong ambition was to help people communicate with each other regardless of barriers. He was a teacher of the deaf in Boston, and he met and mentored Helen Keller. Born in Scotland in 1847, he was to travel the globe during his lifetime. I couldn’t help but reflect on how arduous that would have been in his day!

At age 15 Alexander was sent to his grandfather in England for a ‘proper education’. Two brothers died of TB when Alexander was 23. He loved children and at night when he couldn’t sleep he would get up and write children’s stories.

            Bell applied for the phone patent in 1876 and spent 20 years defending it. He married Mabel Hubbard in 1877. Just before her marriage,  Bells  father told Mabel, “He is hot headed but warm hearted, sentimental, dreamy, and self absorbed but sincere and unselfish. Ambitious to a fault he is apt to let enthusiasm run away with judgement. With love you should have no trouble harmonizing. I’ve told you all of his faults and the catalog is wonderfully short.”  She was wealthy in her own right, but Bell gave her all the stock in the phone company.

He was quite involved in the airplane and conferred in 1903 with the Wright Brothers. In 1908 Bell managed to put a man in the air on a kite, and two years later got his first plane, June Bug, in the air. That same year, 1908, his second plane, Silver Dart, flew 790 meters. It was Bell’s wife, Mabel, who financed his aviation endeavors. She died in Washington, D. C. just five months after her husband of 45 years had died.

Bell also had his hand in the creation of the hydrofoil and iron lung among many other things. He was a remarkable man with a most creative mind.

Baddeck is a quiet quaint little village in a gorgeous setting. The museum is very well done and certainly worth a visit, but allow plenty of time to learn many things about this remarkable man.

NO RELIEF FROM THE HEAT

RUDESHEIM, GERMANY

While on a European river boat we arrived at Rudesheim mid-afternoon and were told it was 104 degrees in town. We knew it was hot, as it was the year that so many people died in France from the heat!  It was very unseasonal weather and I was so glad I packed a couple pair of shorts as  I ended up  living in them.

It didn’t take long to complete a walking tour of the small town. An enormous 35-foot high stone statue of Germania, the female symbol of the unification of the German Empire in 1871, towers 1000 feet above the town of Rudesheim, but it was just too hot to make the steep hike up to it.

After the walking tour, seeking a cooler place, we visited the music instrument museum. It was much different than expected but interesting. The thick walls of the old building kept it relatively cool  inside. There were many player pianos, carnival organs, and gramophones on display.

            There was no air conditioning anywhere in town. Other than the usual souvenir shops there were few shops. My traveling buddy was looking pretty hot so we found a sidewalk café to sit awhile to enjoy a chilled soda, I dreamed of ice and something really cold, but Europeans simply do not understand cold.

We were eating in town that evening. After a brief discussion we decided to spend the afternoon in town and meet at the restaurant on the cobbled wine alley Drosselgasse at the designated time. A couple of dozen people made the same decision. The restaurant was very hot with no cross ventilation. Ceiling fans would have been nice, but are not common. We were informed that because it was an historic building, such alterations as adding ceiling fans were prohibited.

After dinner we elected to walk back to the ship instead of taking the tram. As we strolled along the riverfront at 9:00 PM the temperature was a wee bit more comfortable. We found a few small stores open. Everyone was shopping for cooler clothing and a few were successful in this endeavor. Our cool cabin was a welcome relief from a very hot day.

KISS THAT STONE

  A LOT OF BLARNEY

Blarney Castle

            When in Cork County, Ireland who could resist the famous Blarney Stone located in Blarney Castle.  Its tall tower overlooks the River Lee and the surrounding wooded countryside. There are several legends regarding the stone; the most popular being that Elizabeth the First demanded the take over of the 15^th century fortress/castle and the Lord of Blarney kept putting her off. Eventually she said he was full of blarney---his word meant nothing. Another legend says the prophet Jeremiah brought the stone from the Holy Land.

            It is said that if one kisses the stone he will receive the gift of gab and eloquence. Many of us climbed the 127 narrow twisting stone steps to the top. The slow moving crowd made for an easy climb and the view at the top was magnificent on the clear sunny day. Blarney House is a Scottish baronial mansion that has been the residence of the Colthurst family since the 18^th century and was easily visible from the top of the castle.

PR release of  kissing the stone

            To kiss the stone is not all that easy for us older folk. You are warned before hand to empty your pockets and remove your glasses. I tried desperately to block out all images of people spiting on the stone,coughing or leaving gum. I wasn't too successful in this effort.One has to lie on his back, grab hand rails and bend over backwards. A fellow is present to assist and a photographer never misses an opportunity to snap a picture. This little exercise is pretty commercial and one doesn’t have a chance to tarry around the stone. However, one can linger as long as desired to enjoy the view---as long as you move away from the stone and not hamper the progress of the line waiting to kiss the stone.

            The descent back to ground level is quicker than the walk up. Walking paths wove through the lovely grounds of the castle. The paths were uncrowded and it was quiet and peaceful in the wooded areas.  I took the time to leisurely walk several paths and to admire the landscaping.  I was not looking for but came across the  Rock Close, a fantastic section of land filled with an array of trees, plants, and rocks in unusual shapes. Stones shaped like witches and rings of druidic inspired circles are surrounded with huge trees and fairy gardens. 

A friend joined me before I made my wish and walked backwards up on the 26 stone wishing steps. I even managed to do that without stumbling! The fairies did grant me my wish.

POPULAR CUBAN DRINKS

A Meal Surprise

At lunch my first day in Cuba we were served our first mojito, a well-known local drink. At that point little did we know that we would be drinking a lot of mojitos, as one was served with every meal.

We were instructed,  "A mojito starts out with the juice of a half lime, an ounce of rum, and the rest of the glass is filled with lemon-lime soda.Fresh mint is a must for making mojitos The four-prong stirrer is to crush the mint leaves/sprig to release the essence of the mint.” 

Hemingway enjoyed Mojitos. Now I know why!

One day we had lunch in Old Havana at the lovely Floridita Restaurant. The ambiance was wonderful with the gorgeous wooden walls which were real wood, not paneling. The bar at Floridita was a special haunt of Hemingway.

This day we were served a daiquiri, another drink made famous by Hemingway, but that was originally concocted way south, just a few miles east of Santiago. In 1898, shortly after the Spanish-American War, a mining engineer arrived in town to find mine workers apprehensive about drinking the water because of malaria.

Being a creative man he added a bit of rum to boiled water and then topped it off with lime juice and sugar. The concoction was soon duplicated. It didn’t take long for  the drink we know as the daiquiri to move to the ‘refined society’ in the city. The rest as they say is history, but this is where  and how the daiquiri originated.

The Floridita restaurant has been serving food at the present location since 1819. In the recently refurbished restaurant waiters hovered in tux jackets and bow ties. It all was quite delightful. It is said that Hemingway’s ghost haunts the dark mahogany bar. The novelist’s seat is preserved as a shrine while his bronze bust watches over things from where Constante Ribailgua once served frozen daiquiris to the writer.

After the tour of a sugar mill we walked across the street to another building containing the lab. There we were given guarapo de cana (sugar cane juice). The gal added a good dose of rum to each glass of the tan colored liquid. I expected it to be sticky and very sweet, but it was not. Actually it was quite good. Maybe it was the rum!

INTERESTING FLIGHT ARRIVALS

Expect the Unexpected.

Flying into Lhasa, Tibet is not an easy thing to do. Flights in and out of the city are often canceled because of sand storms and or wind shear. You fly through a narrow cut ---I believe a natural one—in the mountains. I’m sure the cut is wider than my perception, but it seemed as if I could have touched the mountain on either side if I’d been sitting on the wing tip.  It is best not to be looking out the window, but then again how can you not?

Flying into Cusco, Peru afforded a fantastic view of the Andes mountains below. The many Inca trails were easily visible, and they seemed to zig zag all over the mountains. From the perspective of an airplane they looked pretty flat, but I was to learn a few days later that  they were anything but! We off loaded the uneventful flight and per usual started to hustle into the terminal. All of a sudden, like a curtain had been dropped in front of us, everyone suddenly slowed to nearly a snail’s pace. One and all was gasping for every breath.

The smart terminal people obviously were used to this common altitude effect, because  as we entered the terminal building we found a small band playing lovely Peruvian music. We stood around while our breathing slowed and waited for our luggage to arrive. The music was a nice distraction!

Arrivals into South America always seem to be in the evening, which means one usually arrives in the dark. In Lima, Peru it was highly recommended that one secure a cab from inside the airport. Although a bit more expensive than securing a cab outside it was deemed safer.

Driving in Lima is like playing chicken. Honking horns was a constant, no one paid any attention to the few traffic lights or stop signs. Thank goodness the cab had good brakes and the driver quick reflexes!

On the edge of the city we drove through barrios where disheveled people, mostly men, were standing on the street corners smoking and drinking. I said a silent prayer for no accident, flat tire or mishap. It was a relief to leave the barrio,  but then we were on a two-lane winding, very dark road that seemed to be following a body of water. There were no lights or buildings. Were we on the right road? Would we be robbed or worse? Maybe left on the road in a country where we did not speak the language?

Suddenly the lights of Miraflores, a Lima suburb, appeared. The neat homes and well kept yards were a welcome site. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I spotted our hotel. In retrospect it was probably a very pretty ride in daylight, but in total darkness it was scary indeed!

YUMMY CAKE

COFFEE AND THE SACHER TORTE

            After nearly a full day of sightseeing in Vienna, Austria we were ready for a respite  and chose the Sacher Hotel sidewalk café. We took our time and relaxed which gave me time to read the history printed in the menu.

In 1683 fleeing Turks left behind bags of coffee beans, after their failed second attempted invasion. The Viennese soldiers thought the coffee beans were fodder for the camels and were about to burn them. However, King Jim Sobieski gave the beans to one of his officers, George Franz Kohchetsky. He roasted the beans and opened the first kaffeehaus in Vienna. The coffee, which at first they called black soup, spread rapidly and as they say the rest is history.

            In 1832 the chef to the prince became ill just before high ranking guests were expected, so young Franz Sacher, the apprentice cook, had the chore of creating a proper dessert. Thus the Sacher tort was born. Today the recipe is kept in a vault and only a few know all 36 steps involved in the preparation of the chocolate-apricot dessert. The candy-like frosting is a dark chocolate. Today 360,000 Sacher torts are shipped around the world in specially made wooden boxes.

 The Hotel Sacher dates to 1876 and was established by Edward Sacher, the son of the torte creator. In 1880 Sacher married Anna. However, Sacher was in ill health and after his death in 1892 Anna took over management of the hotel for the next 40 years. The hotel became a popular gathering place for aristocracy.  The seven-story hotel underwent a massive two-year restoration 2004-2006.

AN UNUSUAL HAT

Guess What it's Made of

While in Hungary we were visiting a little village on the way to the Danube Bend.

          Our guide stopped at a kiosk along a pedestrian shopping street to show us a hat. His question, “What do you think this is made of?”

            The hat was soft and smooth reminding me of a plush felt. All kinds of guesses were uttered but none of us guessed correctly and were stunned when he said, “Mushroom, it’s made from a mushroom.”

            He continued to tell us, “These hats are unique to this area, made in Romania, Hungary and Bohemia. It does look like doeskin, doesn’t it?  It is a special kind of mushroom that is quite hard to find and grows mostly in Bohemia. Therefore there are not a lot of hats like this on the market.

            “You start with the largest mushroom you can find, then strip the active core layer by cutting the woody top layer. Then the fibrous interior is soaked in a weak lye solution. made from ashes and water. After three days the soggy mass is mashed as flat as possible and placed on a mold to dry. Pieces can be glued together but it is best to have one solid piece.”

            In response to a question about durability he responded, “These hats can last for a long time. They do not shed, grow bugs,  harden or get brittle.”

            Later in the day I asked our guide to write down the name of the mushroom for me so I could get it correct in my journal. It is a Fomes fomentarius , often called a Fomes cork. 

            Unfortunately I live in a warm climate and in general do not like hats myself, but it was tempting to buy it anyway just because it was so unique.

SOME COSTA RICA TRIVIA

Fun Facts      

Costa Rica, about the size of New Mexico, with a population of a little over 3 ½ million people, lies on the Central American isthmus between Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the south.  It is a peaceful Central American country with political stability and an oasis of unspoiled natural beauty and spectacular scenery.

The country abolished its army in 1948. San Jose,  founded in 1737, became the capital of the country in 1823. With nearly a third of the population living there, it is the political, social, historical, and cultural center of the country. Avenues run east and west, and streets run north and south. However, the streets run in odd number numerical order on one side of the city and even numbers on the other side of the city making it difficult to get to find the address you want.

In 1983 Pope John Paul used San Jose as his headquarters while visiting around in Latin and South America.

After President Oscar Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 the world began to notice Costa Rica, and that event put the country on the map.

Intel and tourism are the top income producers followed by coffee, bananas, pineapple, fish, especially tuna, meat, and textiles. The country believes in quality coffee rather than  quantity. The country grows 150 tropical fruits! Banana paper is a new and fascinating product—I was quite taken with it.

Oil comes from Venezuela and Mexico. Kapok is the national tree of Guatemala and was worshiped by Indians.

The country has a high auto accident rate with DWI being a big factor. A yellow heart is painted in a street where a fatal accident occurred.

Hotels were super five star. The wildlife was incredible, the scenery awesome, and flowers and foliage gorgeous. The food was good with rice and beans served at every meal. Pastas  were added for tourists. The fresh fruits and fresh juices were delicious!

Tortuguero National park was a unique experience, especially watching the turtles lay their eggs at night.

             Costa Ricans are extremely friendly.

Punt Arenas means point of sand.

Ecotourism is getting to be a popular way to travel, and Costa Rica is a wonderful choice and place to begin.

REYKJAVIK

Iceland's Capital

It’s funny how when something historic happens in a place you’ve never heard of then suddenly you want to visit there. It was years after the Reagan-Gorbachev summit  in 1986 that I finally made it to Reykjavik,Iceland. There’s a lot to say about Iceland, a place that is a geology, biology and history class without a textbook, but today I want to talk about its capital, Reykjavik.

The name means Smokey Bay, no doubt from the steam coming out of steam vents around the city. Located on Faxa Bay, it is one of the cleanest cities in the world. A great salmon river runs through the city of 115,000 people. When the city was established in 1786 the population was 200.

            The airport located on a peninsula is 27 miles from the city. The area is a flat barren lava field that is 700-800 years old. It takes about 6000 years for vegetation to start growing on a lava bed. Moss is the first vegetation to appear as it requires no soil to grow, but eventually it creates soil. The roads are narrow and small SUVs and station wagons seem to be the vehicle of choice. I noticed a fair amount of horn blowing especially at buses.

The city is essentially pollution free as it has been using geothermal heat and power since the 1940s. Reykjavik is a delightful and welcoming city for pedestrians. Iceland conjures up images of cold and chill, but its temperatures are quite moderate. People are warm hearted. A country rich in history, Reykjavik is the world’s northern most capital as well as one of the newest capitals, dating only to the 20^th century.  Everything that happens in Iceland happens in Reykjavik. It is one of the liveliest, safest, most sophisticated and modern cities on earth.

Rows of brightly colored concrete houses create an air of festivity. The small capital city has quiet city streets. Old town is fascinating with much of the city’s past as well as the area where green parks and museums are located.

The building for the Reagan-Gorbachev summit sits on a lot by itself near the highway where security could be easily achieved. The white building was built by the French consulate who occupied it for two years. They sold it to the British, but they were never able to occupy it. The city owns the building now and uses it for receptions.

Although located on the water, I was surprised at the small number of boats. I noticed more clutter and graffiti here than in other cities. Smokers seemed to be everywhere. Daylight hours are extreme, so maybe that is why people stayed in the parks until the wee hours of the morning.  In summer there is little darkness and it generally occurs from 3-5 AM. In the winter the days are long and dark with light generally available from 11 AM to 3 PM. 
The city is very walkable and there is enough activity to keep one busy for 4-5 days, a bit longer if you venture out of town to other sights.

ANOTHER ECOMUSEUM

SKANSEN

           

I’ve visited several ecomuseums during my travels. Skansen was not my favorite , but it is the oldest having been established in 1891. The Swedish Skansen, meaning little fortress, is located on the island of Djurgarden, the king’s hunting ground for 400 years ago. The whole island is a national city park that includes a small zoo of sorts, a garden, playground and the open air museum, Skansen, with its 150 historic buildings.  

            We visited a farm house, school, and a church with a barrel ceiling. Paintings at the lower edge of the ceiling were original in the 1700s church. Each painting was framed with a red leaf design painted border. Men sat on the right, the sunny side of the church, women and children on the cold left side. The clock on the church tower was painted, as watches did not exist before the 1800s.

            At the school the children used chalk boards and a rabbit tail eraser. Reeds bound together with circular twine doubled as a switch and as a board pointer in the 1920s. Learning was done by memorization as there were no text books. In 1842 every parish had to provide a school and a teacher for the children. The teacher and his wife lived in a room next to the schoolroom. Because there was no electricity the school day was short. A small stove heated the schoolroom.

            There is a large restaurant on the island where we enjoyed a good lunch. Afterward we walked down to see the animals. We also saw rune stones dating to the Viking era. Rune means secret.

            Ecomuseums have become quite popular in recent years and provide a peek into the past. It was an interesting visit and as usual I saw and found a few things I had not seen before. I’m always looking for something new.

DONAUSCHLINGE AT SCHLOGEN

 A Mouth Full

            After I learned how to pronounce it, I thought it rather lyrical. Broken down Donau is German for Danube, schlinge means turn and Schlogen is the name of the village. The river takes a 180-degree turn at the village located at the tip of a peninsular jutting out into the river.

            On this day we woke to rain so delayed our departure from Passau about an hour. It wasn’t long before we were at the border where we stopped to have our passports stamped. Late morning we crossed the Danube by ferry to the German side. The rain remained relentless all day. The restaurant earmarked for lunch was closed because of the weather so we continued to bike on to some locks.

            Later in the day we crossed the Austrian border again at a place that led us directly to a nice rest stop/café where we enjoyed a hot drink. In spite of the rain it was a very scenic day. We biked through dense forest, mountain foothills, and peddled through many small picturesque villages.

            At the end of the day another ferry marked Donauschlinge at Schlogen took us across the river to our hotel. By the end of the day everyone was soaking wet, no matter how expensive or what kind of rain gear they were wearing. The new modern hotel had a hair dryer in each room that came in handy for drying shoes and   other gear.

While my roommate was in the shower, I opened the fridge in the room and retrieved a small bottle of wine and  was drinking it when she emerged from the bathroom.

“Where did you find the wine?” she asked.

“In the refrigerator.”

“Do you know how much the stuff cost out of room refrigerators?”

“Yes, but right now, I really don’t care.”

After drying out and a good dinner I was ready to retire early. I slept well and woke the next day to cloudy skies but no rain. Another forty-mile day of biking lay ahead of us.

BUDAPEST ZOO

      A Fun Afternoon

You already know Jan is an L A Zoo docent so we've visited lots of zoos as we've traveled. By our last afternoon in Budapest we decided we’d had enough museums and shopping, so decided to visit the second oldest zoo in the world. (Tiergarten at Schonbrunn is the oldest.)

This was on my first visit to Budapest when we found very few people spoke English. The subway ride down town presented no problem, as we’d been using it most of the week.

Of course the zoo map was in Hungarian, and no one around seemed to speak English. However, we were able to successfully follow the map. Twice we sort of wondered where we were, but both times I spotted a young fellow and sure enough both of them were able to confirm in English where we were.

This zoo, opened in 1866, houses some 500 mammals, nearly 700 birds, and 1500 reptiles, fish, and arthropods. The combined botanical garden has 1500 species of plants. The zoo, covering nearly 11 hectares, includes 69 buildings. The elephant house, built in 1908, resembles a Turkish Mosque. It is very elaborate and is really a very beautiful building.

We enjoyed a delightful afternoon. I saw several animals I’d not seen before and Jan is always able to explain about them.

On my next visit to Budapest I chose to see and do other things. But on this recent visit we found everyone speaking English and only once found someone who could not communicate with us or answer questions. What a difference ten years makes! So, I can only guess that now there are many at the zoo who speak English and can help one out.