In Konya we visited the wonderful Mevlana Museum, with Rumi's tomb, a very spiritual place. We also went to several Seljuk medresse and saw beautiful doorways and tile work. Also the Alettin Mosque, up on the hill, and surrounded by beautiful tulips.
Tuesday evening we boarded the Blue train to Izmir. There were only a couple other people in the sleeping compartments car, so we basically had it to ourselves. We drank wine and snacked and slept more or less. Tom, Ali, and I had breakfast in the dining car, the only ones there. We arrived in Izmir about 8 AM and were picked up by a driver who took us to Ephesus. We had a lovely visit there and then went to Seljuk for lunch and shopping and seeing storks. After lunch up to Sirince for a rest and a chance to explore that charming mountain town. We had drinks on the terrace and then a wonderful dinner in the restaurant there--we were practically the only people, and they put out a wonderful spread, including lots of meze, slow cooked lamb, and delicious firin sutlac (baked rice pudding).
Next day to Didyma, wonderful Temple of Apollo, and the theater of Miletus, and more shopping and stork watching in Seljuk. This time we had told the restaurant we would eat there, but we wanted to eat light. So he "only" had about 4 cold mezes, a hot shrimp dish, and then fish cooked in salt! Two whole fish covered in a half inch of salt, hardened and baked, and then flamed up the middle. Very dramatic and tasty, though far too much food. A special cake for dessert too.
Next morning a quick stop in Seljuk, then on to Izmir Airport to fly back to Istanbul. We got settled at the Sirkeci Konak, and then Tom worked while I took the others on the ferry to Kadakoy. We found the wonderful market and walked through the fascinating streets--teeming with people--and even found some good street musicians. Ferry back, beautiful views, and dinner at the hotel.
Saturday morning Gamze came to take us to see the main sights of Istanbul. We went to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi, mostly in the Harem. Because we all move slowly, we didn't get everywhere, but it was great and she is so knowledgeable and fun to be with. The Topkapi tulips were amazing! Lovely views and a fun day.
That night we had dinner at Cooking alaturka, run by Eveline Zoutendijk, who also runs a cooking school. Lovely meal of soup, imam biyldi, vine leaves, and stuffed figs. Ali's last dinner with us. Fun walk back, seeing Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia all lit up.
Sunday to the Chora Church with its wonderful mosaics. I love the story of the childhood of Mary, and apparently it's the only--or one of very few--depictions of her life. Walking down to the Edirnekapi mosque we happened on a pigeon market--all sorts of guys with pigeons in cages, buying and selling and talking. A real scene, fascinating. They were very welcoming, and Pam and I were the only women. On to the mosque, which was lovely, and then lunch on the sidewalk at a little place. Visited a bit of the city walls, then on to the Greek church of St. Nicholas. Highlight of that was a group of young singers, from England and all over, who sang a few lovely songs in various languages. Part of orthodox youth, also called Mosaic, they were beautiful singers. We then proceeded to run into them several times more in the next few days!
On the way back we went to the beautiful Rustempasha mosque, with its amazing tiles, and the spice market. Back at the hotel we enjoyed the view of Gulhane Park from the roof deck--beautiful, with storks in the trees and tulips and people everywhere.
Monday we headed to the Grand Bazaar and spent some time shopping and looking around, mostly at scarves. We then took a Bosphorus cruise, which was very nice but also very cold--I even ended up going inside for half of it! On our return we had fish sandwiches on the Galata Bridge, something I've been wanting to do for years, and then went to the Yeni Cami, which I love.
Tuesday Joe, Pam, and Kevin wanted to go back to the Bazaar. I opted to go for a lovely walk in Gulhane Park, where the tulips were amazing! Then I went up to the Arasta Bazaar and to the Great Palace Mosaics (6th century) which I also love. In the afternoon we went across the golden horn to Beygolu and walked around, mostly trying to find the mosque lamps that Joe and Pam want for their house in France. We saw Tom's apartment that he stays in, and also the Armenian church, Istik Lal, etc. We had dinner at Otto, a place near his apartment. Outside, a little cool, and slow service, but fun.
Wednesday back shopping, looking for some material for Kevin's mother. Didn't succeed at that, but we did find a place to get Joe's belt fixed and my watch band repaired (in the US I was told they couldn't get a band for it. Tom said "take it to Turkey and they'll fix it" and he was right). So we were in market areas, but not touristy market areas, all interesting.
In the afternoon the others did more shopping, and I opted to return to Gulhane and have a drink at the lovely tea house overlooking the Bosphorus. It was a beautiful place to sit and stare and take it all in and reflect.
In the evening a car picked me up to take me to have dinner with Tom and our old friend Ersan, who hosted us so wonderfully when we came with Lydia. He of course knows all the best restaurants, so he took us to Borsa, way up high on the hill, with gorgeous views of the Bosphorus and the city. We sat outside (they brought me a shawl and a heater) and had lots of mezes, including eggplant, of course, and delicious hunkar beyendi, smoky eggplant puree with slow roasted lamb shanks--delicious. And then 3 desserts--kunefe, which I had been wanting to have, a quince dessert, and a pumpkin/squash one. We drank raki and watched the full moon rise over the city. It was a lovely ending to a great trip.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Turkey 2013
Since I last wrote about Turkey (March 2012),
we've been back to France twice, to Montana, and a couple of times to Florida.
Somehow blogs never got written. For the record, France in June 2012 was a week
in Provence, living in the tiny town of Fontvieille for a week, in a tall tower
of a house, and going out each day to visit places like Arles, Avignon, Aix,
Orange, and more. Then a week in Paris, in a great little apartment just off
the Place St. Michel. Lydia joined us for a week, which was fun, and then we
spent a couple of days in Champagne country.
Montana in September was a week with college
friends Ann and Dail, Diane and Ken, and Barbara and Larry at Barb and Larry's
wonderful house near Glacier. A wonderful week of hiking, cooking, eating,
laughing, catching up, and enjoying spectacular scenery.
Trips to Venice, Florida, in July, November, and
February...nice breaks all, and progress on the house--new water system,
painting the bathroom and kitchen, clearing out stuff, buying and riding bikes.
So now back in Turkey, this time with old
friends Joe and Pam and new friends Kevin and Ali. Tom and I spent a few days
in Istanbul doing not much, due to the combination of my having a cold and the
weather turning lousy. We did take a ferry ride to Asia and had lunch, and we
also visited the Suleymania mosque and a couple of others. Thursday we met the
4 others at the airport and flew to Kayseri, where a van met us and drove us to
Esbelli Evi. It was fun seeing the looks of amazement and happiness on
everyone's faces as they saw the suites and appreciated the place. Walked down
to Ziggy's for dinner, which was great--lots of mezes--and then back home.
Friday a leisurely morning on the terrace, then visits to Uçhisar (climbing up
to the top for the lovely views), Pashabag with its camel, penguin, and other
wonderful formations, and Dervent, gorgeous views.
Friday evening we had dinner at the Old Greek
House with Suha, all of us sitting on the carpets and cushions on the floor
around a big round table. Lots of mezes and main dishes with eggplant,
wine flowing, very fun.
Saturday we were up early for our balloon ride.
We flew with Butterfly Balloons and pilot Mufasa, who is a fabulous pilot with
a wonderful sense of humor and lots of knowledge about Cappadocia (he's also a
guide). The flight was lovely, though the winds were pretty weak so we didn't
go too far, but Mustafa took us up high and then low down in the valleys and it
was spectacular.
After breakfast at Esbelli Evi we headed to the
underground city of Kaymakli. Unfortunately it was very crowded, so after
seeing a bit and standing around in crowds of people, we decided to leave. From
there to the small village of Gulshehir, with its mosque church, interesting
old buildings, and nice town square.
Then on to the Ihlara Valley, an amazingly
beautiful canyon with a lovely river, and many painted churches along the way.
We had a great hike of about 3.5 KM, with visits to a couple of churches and
plenty of gorgeous scenery. When we came out at Belisirma and had lunch at the
Aslan restaurant. Our table was a low round one on a platform covered with
pillows and carpets, and in the middle of the river! It was very cool and we
had a great lunch sitting in the sun.
Back to Esbelli Evi for a quick rest and then
back to Ziggy's for another wonderful dinner. It's so great to be able to walk
to such a nice place.
Sunday was our day of leisure, or at least part
day. Slept late, had a long breakfast, and then read, relaxed, did laundry, and
in my case, had an acupuncture treatment! (lingering cough, stubbed toe, knee).
At about 3 we went to Goreme Open Air Museum, which was also packed with
tourists. We ended up only seeing the Black Church, which is the best and quite
amazing with its paintings. But then we picked up Mustafa and he took us to the
St. John Church, about a half an hour away. We were the only visitors there,
and Mustafa was a wonderful guide, and the church was amazing. Beautiful
paintings, many of which had not been defaced like so many have. Mustafa was
able to explain all the bible stories, and we had plenty of time to really
study the paintings. An amazing and unique opportunity to see a real treasure.
Back to Goreme to walk around a bit, and then to
Seten Restaurant at the Kelebek Hotel with Mustafa and owner Ali. Ali was
delightful and we had drinks on their lovely terrace overlooking Goreme and
then another delicious dinner in the restaurant. We all ate and talked and
drank red wine until 11 PM.
Monday we packed up and left at 8:30 AM to go
back to the Kelebek and join Ali's "Breakfast in the Valley." About
16 people sitting in a whiskey barrel that he converted to a carriage, pulled
by a tractor, through Goreme and then into the valley, through gorgeous
countryside. When the ride stopped we then walked down a long staircase that
had been cut into the rock, and then along a path to the little farm. Ali, who
runs Kalebek Balloons and the hotels/restaurants, came up with the idea of
doing these breakfasts. It is very special because it's actually on his
family's farm, and he told stories about working in the fields as a kid and
showed us his grandfather's pigeon houses and told stories about the area.
Really interesting.
Then we hit the road for Konya, stopping at two
caravanseray along the way: Azgikaravansaray and Sultanhani. Beautiful examples
of Seljuk architecture with monumental doorways.
On to Konya through some rain, and arrived at
the Hilton, only to find about 40 Iraqi mufti in the lobby! Apparently the
Mufti of Konya had invited a group of religious people, and they all showed up
just as we did. Finally checked into our rooms and had some wine and lots of
laughs. Just as we headed out to dinner it started raining, then pouring, so we
took shelter near a mosque and chatted with the Imam and the man who ran the
washing place/WC. Had lightning, thunder, rain, and even hail. Eventually we
managed to walk to the center of town and had dinner in a nice little
restaurant in the market area.
To be continued...
Friday, April 6, 2012
Springtime in Turkey
I'm just back from a great couple weeks in Turkey. Lydia is spending the semester there, at Bahcesehir University, and of course Tom goes a couple times a year, so this time I went along. Great trip!
We spent long weekends in Istanbul and the week in Antalya, leaving Lydia free for her schoolwork. Everywhere we were hosted by Tom's wonderful friends, and I learned a lot about tourism in Turkey. Istanbul was full of tourists from all around the world, speaking many languages. It's a huge, confusing, and fascinating city, always something new to observe and take in. The streets seem to be constantly packed and include lots of Turkish men, Turkish women in everything from "normal" street clothes to full black coverings, with a lot of headscarves in the middle; tourists in a variety of garb, including quite a few Arabs; and of course street vendors selling everything, particularly in the tourist areas.
Our first day we had lunch with Lydia at a little restaurant on the Bosphorus, right near her university. To get there from where we were staying in Istanbul we took 2 ferries, a great way to get around. Fortunately Istanbul has excellent public transportation, so even though we were staying fairly far from Lydia we could connect. We later visited Dolmabahce Palace, a beautiful ornate palace also right on the Bosphorus, near the university. Its largest chandelier weighs 4.5 tons!
Saturday we took a cruise up the Bosphorus. It was a beautiful sunny day and a great chance to get views of Istanbul from the water. We had lunch outside and then visited Rumeli Hisar, a fortress from the time of Mehmet the Conqueror. On the bus on the way back we discovered that all of Istanbul was out driving, enjoying the warm weather after a long, hard winter. Traffic was terrible and made our day long. But we got back in time for a fun dinner with an interesting group of people: Tom's Peace Corps friend Heath Lowry, who is professor of Ottoman Studies at Princeton and currently teaching at Bahcesehir, and his Turkish wife; and four Norwegians, two of whom Lydia had gotten to know when she was in Oslo (and Tom and I also met). They're great fans of Turkey, and we had a delicious dinner and a great multi-cultural evening.
Sunday Lydia left for Antalya to join her school group, and Tom and I visited beautiful Aya Sofya, with its amazing mosaics. Built in 537 as a church, and converted to a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror in the 1500s, it is now a museum. For the first time in 17 years there is no scaffolding in the interior, and it was great to see it all open. From there we went by tram and metro to the city walls, walked along there for a while, and had a typical Turkish lunch of rice, beans, salad, and kebobs at a tiny restaurant right next door to the Mihrimah Mosque, built for the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent. We visited this lovely mosque, recently restored, with its beautiful windows and light and airy feel. From there we went to the Kariye Museum, with the most amazing Byzantine mosaics. We had gone there the last time I was in Turkey and I wanted to see it again. Amazing mosaics, incredibly detailed.
Monday morning we were off to the airport to head to Antalya-a total coincidence that we were there the same time as Lydia's school group. We stayed at the lovely Tuvana Hotel, where Tom's friends Nermin and Aziz were wonderful hosts. Antalya is a beautiful coastal town, and our hotel was right in the center of the old town, with its super-narrow labyrinth of streets. The hotel converted several old houses into beautiful rooms, surrounded by lovely gardens. They also have an excellent restaurant that we enjoyed a couple times. Their signature dessert, Sultan's coffee, is an amazing coffee crème brulé served in a Turkish coffee cup. It has been known to fool even experienced travel writers who lift the cup expecting hot coffee...
Lydia and some of her friends came to the hotel and we visited Antalya together. It was fun to meet some of the kids and hear of their adventures. They all seem to be loving Istanbul, and they also all wanted to stay in Antalya, so it seems things are going well.
The rest of our time in Antalya was spent doing one of my favorite things--exploring ruins. We spent a day at beautiful Termessos, climbing up and up through the hills, past amazing ruins including a huge necropolis with hundreds of sarcophagi, all the way to the top of the peak, where we got a gorgeous 360 view of the surrounding mountains and hills. The theater there is also incredible, with more gorgeous views. I may have done in my knees on this climb, but it was worth it.
Next day to Phaselis, a site right by the sea, with 3 small ports, a beautiful viaduct, a small theater, and more, all nestled in a pine forest. On the way home we found a great restaurant that had patlajan kebob--skewers alternating chunks of eggplant and ground lamb. Yum! I try to eat eggplant at least once a day when I'm in Turkey, and this definitely satisfied my craving.
Next day we were off to Aspendos, which has one of the best preserved theaters in Turkey, and maybe in the world. There were lots of school groups there and it was fun to see the theater full of bare-legged young people. We hiked around some more and enjoyed the sights, the views, and the wildflowers. On to Side, the first place Tom and I went in Turkey on our honeymoon in 1985. It has grown tremendously, but is a lovely town that is really built around the Roman ruins, and with long, beautiful sandy beaches. We even managed to have tea at a place where the owner was a life-long resident and knew some of Tom's old friends from 40 years ago!
Next day back to Istanbul and the Sirkeci Konak. The hotel offers cooking classes, so I took one that evening. A group of 8 of us learned how to make kisir, an appetizer made from bulgur and various vegetables and spices; and kuzu kavurma, a meat and vegetable stew. Lots of fun and a delicious meal afterwards! Since the chef threw in the spices by the handful, I'm not sure how successful I'll be at replicating the dishes!
Saturday Tom and I walked across the Galata Bridge and explored some of Beyoglu, traditionally the European center of Istanbul. That evening we took Lydia and her 5 roommates (4 Americans, 1 Turkish) to dinner, which was a lot of fun. Really nice group of kids and all doing interesting things. As we walked down the hill to the tram, we were amazed (again) with how many people were out walking around the city. Every street was full of people!
Sunday I ventured off on my own to the Blue Mosque (beautiful but full of tourists). I decided to continue mosque explorations and enjoyed the equally beautiful and peaceful Yeni Cami (which means new mosque...it was new when it was built in the 1600s) and the exquisite Rustem Pasha Mosque, near the Spice Bazaar. The Spice Bazaar was a flurry of activity, with shop keepers and shoppers all busy. Later Lydia joined us and we took a ferry up the Golden Horn (water that splits the two European parts of Istanbul) to the small town of Eyup. It was packed! Another beautiful Sunday brought everyone out. We had a great lunch in a traditional restaurant. Our plan was to visit the mosque, but as prayer time approached it was too crowded. So we went to take the cable car up to the Pierre Loti café, for views of Istanbul. Long lines put us off, and then we realized the wind was picking up. We ended up taking the ferry back to Istanbul in the middle of a thunderstorm and high winds--quite a change from earlier in the day.
My last day in Istanbul was spent dealing with computer problems (don't ask). We finally packed it in and went for high tea at the Pera Palace Hotel, built originally for passengers arriving on the Orient Express. Tea is served in a beautiful Ottoman domed hall, and it's quite an experience. To top it off, Lydia did her room draw for next year at Mac in the lobby of the Pera Palace--I think that's a first. On the way back we made a quick stop at the Grand Bazaar to pick up a couple of things.
Turkey is a fascinating and busy place with so much to see and do and take in. We're already planning our next trip.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Normandy
Normandy!
We spent about a week in Normandy in September, a great time. After flying to CDG, we rented a car and fought our way out of the Paris area in Monday morning rush hour traffic. Not recommended! We were very happy to arrive in Rouen and find our room at the Hotel de l'Europe. The hotel was just minutes away from the Place du Vieux Marché. The Place has a checkered past, as the place where Jeanne d'Arc was burned at the stake. Today it is the site of a large, modern church Jeanne d'Arc, and also a daily market. In addition, the square is lined with restaurants and is a popular spot with tourists and locals alike.
We had a great lunch at Restaurant Gill, in the Place du Vieux Marché. Great food and ambience, a good beginning to our stay. After jet lag naps we set out to explore lovely Rouen. Lots of medieval half timbered houses everywhere, great pedestrian walking areas. And of course the huge and beautiful cathedral, made famous by Monet, who painted it multiple times in all different lights. We walked around the town, saw the Beaux Arts Museum and a lovely little park across from it, and generally enjoyed getting to know it. We began to realize how significant World War II was in all of Normandy, and the huge damage that so many places suffered.
The next morning we walked some more, visiting more churches, including St Maclou and the Aitre de St Maclou, a courtyard surrounding half timbered buildings, with carved motifs of death--skulls and crossbones, sickles, and other symbols of death. It was for many years a cemetery for plague victims. Today it houses a fine arts school-go figure. But it does offer fascinating art.
Later we drove to Caen (with a flat tire as we were leaving town--definitely not recommended!), stopping along the way to visit the ruined abbey at Jumièges. We drove along the Seine through beautiful countryside to this large and impressive set of ruins, in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. After our visit we took a small ferry across the Seine to continue our trip.
In Caen our hotel was just around the corner from the Château, a huge complex with ramparts and towers. It's a great place to walk around the get views of the city. It also houses the fine arts museum and the Musée de Normandie.
We spent most of one day exploring the D-Day beaches and surrounding communities. We started in Ste-Mère-Eglise, made famous when the US paratroopers missed their target and landed there. Many were killed as their parachutes drifted toward town. One, John Steele, caught his parachute on the tower of the church and hung there for several hours, pretending to be dead, and thus saved his life. Today there is a parachute and a mannequin representing Steele on the church tower. Many people come to see this and to express their thanks in the church guest book for the Allied soldiers. The tiny town also has a military museum.
We drove from there to Utah Beach. It was sobering to see the bunkers still in place and to walk on the dunes and try to imagine what it was like. From there to Colleville-sur-Mer, site of the largest US World War II cemetery. We've all seen pictures of this, with the rows and rows of white crosses (and occasional stars of David), but it is very moving to see in person. It's a solemn place, where people come to honor and respect those who died there. It is on a hill overlooking Omaha Beach, where so many died, and a beautiful spot of remembrance. Even in late September it was full of visitors. We went from there to Omaha Beach. It looks like...a beach, in a small French town. Hard to imagine what all went on there.
Caen has built a huge memorial museum, dedicated not just to the history of the war but also to future peace. It's very high tech and comprehensive and provides information about events leading up to the war, the war itself, and post war/future.
We celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary in Caen, having a great dinner at a very nice restaurant there, Le Bouchon du Vaugueux.
Next stop, Bayeux, home of the amazing Bayeux Tapestry. It's actually an embroidery rather than a tapestry, 70 meters long, displayed in a u-shaped case with appropriate lighting. It tells the story of the Norman Conquest and William the Conqueror. Really amazing--how often do you get to see something from the 11th century that still is intact and beautiful! The town itself was charming too.
We took a little detour to the town of St-Lô, which has the dubious distinction of being the "Capital of the Ruins." Some estimates say 95% of it was destroyed in 1944, as it was a crossroads and communications center. The church has been rebuilt, but the tours remain as the were after the destruction as a reminder. Another example of how significant World War II was to this region.
Next to Mont-Saint-Michel, where we had arranged to stay on the island for two nights. That was really cool. We arrived about 5:30 and the place was mobbed. We fought our way up the narrow main street that was full of people, and after walking up the cobble stoned Grande Rue we got to the Vieille Auberge. Our room, however, required walking up 66 more steps! Definitely worth it, as we had a big terrace with a great view of the bay, and a view of the abbey if we looked up. Cool. It was also great to watch all the cars and buses leaving the parking lot! When we went back down later in the evening the street was quiet. We got to walk around the abbey at night and enjoyed a great dinner of Moules frites (mussels and French fries) in a little restaurant overlooking the Bay.
The next morning we got up early for the sunrise and enjoyed seeing Mont-St-Michel covered in fog--very atmospheric. We walked out onto the grassy areas and saw some of the famous sheep grazing. The Mont-St-Michel lamb is supposed to be particularly tasty because the sheep graze on the salt marsh hay.
After breakfast we toured the Abbey itself, again climbing up lots of stairs to get there. As you approach the entrance, the left side is for groups and the right side for individual travelers. The groups side had a huge line, and there was no one on the individual side! We walked right in but of course were surrounded by groups. We had gotten the audiotour, and after a while we figured out how to pace ourselves so we could enjoy some of the beautiful spaces in between the groups as they made their way through. It made us even more grateful that we had the experience of staying on the island and experiencing the peace and tranquility of the evening and early morning.
By this point the 66 steps felt like nothing, since we had been climbing all morning. So I picked up some sandwiches we popped back "home" for lunch on our terrace before heading out again.
Our visit happened to be at a time when the tides were not high, which meant that we never actually saw the island surrounded by water. Huge sand flats went on for ages, and offered great views. In addition, that meant that we could walk all the way around the abbey on the sand at any time and get great views from all angles. Some people actually waded through various places where there was some water, and headed out to little islands and more distant spots. We were happy hanging out nearby.
That evening we once again enjoyed the tranquility and the sunset, and from our room heard the quarter-hour bells of the small Église St-Pierre, which we saw from our terrace.
The next morning we stopped at the Portes of Mont-St-Michel, basically an area of hotels, shops, and restaurants just across the causeway. The places there advertise themselves as having the view of MSM you don't get if you stay there. And the views were great. Most interesting was the dam that has been built to control the flow of water in and out of the bay. There have been problems over the years with silt building up, and MSM is in process of replacing part of the causeway with a bridge, to allow for greater water flow. The dam is part of the process of allowing water from the river in and out, to prevent the silt build up. It's very high tech and is another spot with great views.
From here we moved on to Brittany. Next blog entry coming soon!
We spent about a week in Normandy in September, a great time. After flying to CDG, we rented a car and fought our way out of the Paris area in Monday morning rush hour traffic. Not recommended! We were very happy to arrive in Rouen and find our room at the Hotel de l'Europe. The hotel was just minutes away from the Place du Vieux Marché. The Place has a checkered past, as the place where Jeanne d'Arc was burned at the stake. Today it is the site of a large, modern church Jeanne d'Arc, and also a daily market. In addition, the square is lined with restaurants and is a popular spot with tourists and locals alike.
We had a great lunch at Restaurant Gill, in the Place du Vieux Marché. Great food and ambience, a good beginning to our stay. After jet lag naps we set out to explore lovely Rouen. Lots of medieval half timbered houses everywhere, great pedestrian walking areas. And of course the huge and beautiful cathedral, made famous by Monet, who painted it multiple times in all different lights. We walked around the town, saw the Beaux Arts Museum and a lovely little park across from it, and generally enjoyed getting to know it. We began to realize how significant World War II was in all of Normandy, and the huge damage that so many places suffered.
The next morning we walked some more, visiting more churches, including St Maclou and the Aitre de St Maclou, a courtyard surrounding half timbered buildings, with carved motifs of death--skulls and crossbones, sickles, and other symbols of death. It was for many years a cemetery for plague victims. Today it houses a fine arts school-go figure. But it does offer fascinating art.
Later we drove to Caen (with a flat tire as we were leaving town--definitely not recommended!), stopping along the way to visit the ruined abbey at Jumièges. We drove along the Seine through beautiful countryside to this large and impressive set of ruins, in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. After our visit we took a small ferry across the Seine to continue our trip.
In Caen our hotel was just around the corner from the Château, a huge complex with ramparts and towers. It's a great place to walk around the get views of the city. It also houses the fine arts museum and the Musée de Normandie.
We spent most of one day exploring the D-Day beaches and surrounding communities. We started in Ste-Mère-Eglise, made famous when the US paratroopers missed their target and landed there. Many were killed as their parachutes drifted toward town. One, John Steele, caught his parachute on the tower of the church and hung there for several hours, pretending to be dead, and thus saved his life. Today there is a parachute and a mannequin representing Steele on the church tower. Many people come to see this and to express their thanks in the church guest book for the Allied soldiers. The tiny town also has a military museum.
We drove from there to Utah Beach. It was sobering to see the bunkers still in place and to walk on the dunes and try to imagine what it was like. From there to Colleville-sur-Mer, site of the largest US World War II cemetery. We've all seen pictures of this, with the rows and rows of white crosses (and occasional stars of David), but it is very moving to see in person. It's a solemn place, where people come to honor and respect those who died there. It is on a hill overlooking Omaha Beach, where so many died, and a beautiful spot of remembrance. Even in late September it was full of visitors. We went from there to Omaha Beach. It looks like...a beach, in a small French town. Hard to imagine what all went on there.
Caen has built a huge memorial museum, dedicated not just to the history of the war but also to future peace. It's very high tech and comprehensive and provides information about events leading up to the war, the war itself, and post war/future.
We celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary in Caen, having a great dinner at a very nice restaurant there, Le Bouchon du Vaugueux.
Next stop, Bayeux, home of the amazing Bayeux Tapestry. It's actually an embroidery rather than a tapestry, 70 meters long, displayed in a u-shaped case with appropriate lighting. It tells the story of the Norman Conquest and William the Conqueror. Really amazing--how often do you get to see something from the 11th century that still is intact and beautiful! The town itself was charming too.
We took a little detour to the town of St-Lô, which has the dubious distinction of being the "Capital of the Ruins." Some estimates say 95% of it was destroyed in 1944, as it was a crossroads and communications center. The church has been rebuilt, but the tours remain as the were after the destruction as a reminder. Another example of how significant World War II was to this region.
Next to Mont-Saint-Michel, where we had arranged to stay on the island for two nights. That was really cool. We arrived about 5:30 and the place was mobbed. We fought our way up the narrow main street that was full of people, and after walking up the cobble stoned Grande Rue we got to the Vieille Auberge. Our room, however, required walking up 66 more steps! Definitely worth it, as we had a big terrace with a great view of the bay, and a view of the abbey if we looked up. Cool. It was also great to watch all the cars and buses leaving the parking lot! When we went back down later in the evening the street was quiet. We got to walk around the abbey at night and enjoyed a great dinner of Moules frites (mussels and French fries) in a little restaurant overlooking the Bay.
The next morning we got up early for the sunrise and enjoyed seeing Mont-St-Michel covered in fog--very atmospheric. We walked out onto the grassy areas and saw some of the famous sheep grazing. The Mont-St-Michel lamb is supposed to be particularly tasty because the sheep graze on the salt marsh hay.
After breakfast we toured the Abbey itself, again climbing up lots of stairs to get there. As you approach the entrance, the left side is for groups and the right side for individual travelers. The groups side had a huge line, and there was no one on the individual side! We walked right in but of course were surrounded by groups. We had gotten the audiotour, and after a while we figured out how to pace ourselves so we could enjoy some of the beautiful spaces in between the groups as they made their way through. It made us even more grateful that we had the experience of staying on the island and experiencing the peace and tranquility of the evening and early morning.
By this point the 66 steps felt like nothing, since we had been climbing all morning. So I picked up some sandwiches we popped back "home" for lunch on our terrace before heading out again.
Our visit happened to be at a time when the tides were not high, which meant that we never actually saw the island surrounded by water. Huge sand flats went on for ages, and offered great views. In addition, that meant that we could walk all the way around the abbey on the sand at any time and get great views from all angles. Some people actually waded through various places where there was some water, and headed out to little islands and more distant spots. We were happy hanging out nearby.
That evening we once again enjoyed the tranquility and the sunset, and from our room heard the quarter-hour bells of the small Église St-Pierre, which we saw from our terrace.
The next morning we stopped at the Portes of Mont-St-Michel, basically an area of hotels, shops, and restaurants just across the causeway. The places there advertise themselves as having the view of MSM you don't get if you stay there. And the views were great. Most interesting was the dam that has been built to control the flow of water in and out of the bay. There have been problems over the years with silt building up, and MSM is in process of replacing part of the causeway with a bridge, to allow for greater water flow. The dam is part of the process of allowing water from the river in and out, to prevent the silt build up. It's very high tech and is another spot with great views.
From here we moved on to Brittany. Next blog entry coming soon!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Paris and the Loire, June 2011
Back to France, finally! I had so looking forward to this trip, and seeing Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris a few weeks ago just made me want to go even more.
We took an 11 PM flight, a new experience for us, and sat upstairs in a 747, also new. The section was fairly empty, and we had lots of legroom and even the chance to stretch out. Not a bad start! Arriving at CDG, we were swept along with the crowds, took the RER and then the métro, and eventually reached our apartment in the 7th, across the street from UNESCO and a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. Quite a residential area, different than where we've been before. After lunch at a corner café and a brief nap, we met friends Pam and Dick for a lovely dinner on Rue St. Honoré. Walking back, we just kept being thrilled to be in Paris.
Next day I took on one of my web site challenges, to explore the many covered passages of Paris. Built mostly in the 1800s, these early "malls" are today home to various shops, restaurants, offices, etc. Many were destroyed over the years, but 17 remain, and their architecture and structure are beautiful. Topped by glass roofs and sporting various tile floors, some like Passage Vivienne, are beautiful, while others are more work-a-day. Passage Brady has lots of Indian and Pakistani restaurants, and nearby Passage Prado has more of same, plus hair salons, shoe stores, telephone stores, and more. They're all interesting and I managed to visit 16 of the 17 that still exist. I will be writing about them on www.paristravelplanner.com, but haven't gotten that done yet.
On Thursday I went to our local market on the Avenue de Saxe. I love French markets! Beautiful produce, meats, cheeses, flowers, fish, and then clothes and hardware and various other things. Bought a few things for meals and snacks at home--we had a great salad lunch on our tiny balcony.
Our friend Stephanie arrived that afternoon and we walked around our neighborhood, enjoying the various views of the Eiffel Tower at each corner. A single leg here, just the top there--always something different to see. She and I continued to visit more of the passages the next day and went back to the Printemps by the Opéra Garnier for lunch in the beautiful restaurant under the dome there.
On the weekend we checked out the famous flea market (marché aux puces) of St-Ouen, near the Porte de Clignancourt. Amazing number of shops and stuff. We managed to get away without buying anything, but with lots of pictures and info for the web site.
Sunday we decided to go to a church service at the beautiful Église de la Madeleine. It turned out to be a special service honoring Scouts, so there were a lot of kids, which was nice, and the sermon was mostly understandable. Afterwards we were invited for refreshments on the terrace of the church. Unlike the coffee hours I am used to, which feature coffee, I was handed a very large paper cup of wine. When in Paris...
That afternoon Stephanie and I decided to visit the Grand Palais to see Anish Kapoor's Leviathan. Here's the story: "Each year the French ministry of culture and communication invites a leading artist to create a work that responds to the exceptional architectural space of the Grand Palais in Paris." The space is 13,500 square meters, and the work was a huge four-armed inflatable structure, the color of eggplant, that filled the space. Most interesting of all, you could go inside one of the big balloons, where you were bathed in red light and saw the structure from the inside. Very cool, but after that we were happy to walk outside for a while. Just before the Invalides we suddenly saw a huge group of roller skaters. Talking to one of them, we learned there is an open skate each Sunday in Paris, for 22 kilometers, that attracts a couple thousand people! Who knew?
Monday--our last day in Paris already? Zut alors! We spent some time writing and working on the site, and had dinner in the Rue de Buci to check out that area.
The next morning, off to the Loire. Train to St. Pierre des Corps (near Tours), pick up a rental car, then lunch and some visits in nearby Vouvray--lovely little village surrounded by vines. On to Amboise, where we found our apartment on the aptly named Rue de la Concorde, just at the base of the amazing Château d'Amboise. We looked out our living room window at one of the grand towers, and looked way up to see the ramparts--it is situated high above the Loire and the town, and towers over all, a beautiful and dramatic building. And what a fabulous location for our apartment--we loved having our neighborhood château!
We arrived on the night of the Fête de la Musique, a celebration of music held on the night of the solstice. Amateur and professional musicians perform everywhere--in tiny Amboise we must have seen and heard at least 6-8 different groups. And because it stays light until after 10 PM in France at the solstice, it was great fun wandering around the streets and finding different music. (And I just learned by looking on line that the fête was first proposed by Boston musician/conductor Joel Cohen, started in France in 1982, and has spread to many other countries.) This was a great introduction to Amboise.
Next day we visited the amazing and beautiful Château d'Amboise and the nearby Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci lived his last few years, at the invitation of King François I. It was a fabulous place, with a large exhibition of Leonardo's inventions and a large park filled with models of his inventions that you could play with! And by the way, as we drove through Amboise looking for the Rue François Ier, we also learned that our American GPS had a bit of difficulty with French pronunciation. He will always be "Fran-soys One-er" to us!
The next days were filled with château visits--Cheverny, Blois, Chenonceau, Chaumont, Villandry, Langeais, Azay-le-Rideau, and Ussé (supposed model for Sleeping Beauty). You can read about them on the web site when I get them written. All different, all lovely, all great visits. We continued to enjoy exploring the restaurants of Amboise and visited the wonderful local market (held in a large parking lot right next to the Loire) twice. We got very attached to "our château" and enjoyed seeing it from various vantage points, most dramatically from across the Loire at sunset, when it glowed golden.
One evening I went to the Château d'Amboise for the Sound and Light Show. Fabulous! I have described it as about 70% Revels and 30% Smirkus, with horses and fireworks thrown in. It is performed two nights a week in the summer and includes over 400 volunteers from Amboise and the nearby villages. Costumes, music, lighting effects, and dialogue, all in the beautiful setting of the château, combine to make a wonderful show. And I even got my picture taken afterwards with François Ier! A great evening in a magical setting.
All too soon it was time to head home. We drove through the vineyards on our way to return the car, even ended up back in Vouvray for our last picnic, and then took the TGV direct to CDG airport. For reasons I don't understand but don't question, I was able to get us frequent flyer tickets with a return flight in business class. So our last couple hours in Paris were spent in the lovely Air France lounge, sipping champagne and enjoying snacks, and then in our comfortable seats on the flight home, with continuing champagne. I could get used to this...but I can't!
So another trip comes to a close, and we have a ton of work to do on the website. This was our first venture to expand francetravelplanner.com beyond Paris, so there's plenty to do and it will take a while to pull it all together. But we're already thinking of our next trip...As one friend commented, "Paris never disappoints," and I have to agree.
We took an 11 PM flight, a new experience for us, and sat upstairs in a 747, also new. The section was fairly empty, and we had lots of legroom and even the chance to stretch out. Not a bad start! Arriving at CDG, we were swept along with the crowds, took the RER and then the métro, and eventually reached our apartment in the 7th, across the street from UNESCO and a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. Quite a residential area, different than where we've been before. After lunch at a corner café and a brief nap, we met friends Pam and Dick for a lovely dinner on Rue St. Honoré. Walking back, we just kept being thrilled to be in Paris.
Next day I took on one of my web site challenges, to explore the many covered passages of Paris. Built mostly in the 1800s, these early "malls" are today home to various shops, restaurants, offices, etc. Many were destroyed over the years, but 17 remain, and their architecture and structure are beautiful. Topped by glass roofs and sporting various tile floors, some like Passage Vivienne, are beautiful, while others are more work-a-day. Passage Brady has lots of Indian and Pakistani restaurants, and nearby Passage Prado has more of same, plus hair salons, shoe stores, telephone stores, and more. They're all interesting and I managed to visit 16 of the 17 that still exist. I will be writing about them on www.paristravelplanner.com, but haven't gotten that done yet.
On Thursday I went to our local market on the Avenue de Saxe. I love French markets! Beautiful produce, meats, cheeses, flowers, fish, and then clothes and hardware and various other things. Bought a few things for meals and snacks at home--we had a great salad lunch on our tiny balcony.
Our friend Stephanie arrived that afternoon and we walked around our neighborhood, enjoying the various views of the Eiffel Tower at each corner. A single leg here, just the top there--always something different to see. She and I continued to visit more of the passages the next day and went back to the Printemps by the Opéra Garnier for lunch in the beautiful restaurant under the dome there.
On the weekend we checked out the famous flea market (marché aux puces) of St-Ouen, near the Porte de Clignancourt. Amazing number of shops and stuff. We managed to get away without buying anything, but with lots of pictures and info for the web site.
Sunday we decided to go to a church service at the beautiful Église de la Madeleine. It turned out to be a special service honoring Scouts, so there were a lot of kids, which was nice, and the sermon was mostly understandable. Afterwards we were invited for refreshments on the terrace of the church. Unlike the coffee hours I am used to, which feature coffee, I was handed a very large paper cup of wine. When in Paris...
That afternoon Stephanie and I decided to visit the Grand Palais to see Anish Kapoor's Leviathan. Here's the story: "Each year the French ministry of culture and communication invites a leading artist to create a work that responds to the exceptional architectural space of the Grand Palais in Paris." The space is 13,500 square meters, and the work was a huge four-armed inflatable structure, the color of eggplant, that filled the space. Most interesting of all, you could go inside one of the big balloons, where you were bathed in red light and saw the structure from the inside. Very cool, but after that we were happy to walk outside for a while. Just before the Invalides we suddenly saw a huge group of roller skaters. Talking to one of them, we learned there is an open skate each Sunday in Paris, for 22 kilometers, that attracts a couple thousand people! Who knew?
Monday--our last day in Paris already? Zut alors! We spent some time writing and working on the site, and had dinner in the Rue de Buci to check out that area.
The next morning, off to the Loire. Train to St. Pierre des Corps (near Tours), pick up a rental car, then lunch and some visits in nearby Vouvray--lovely little village surrounded by vines. On to Amboise, where we found our apartment on the aptly named Rue de la Concorde, just at the base of the amazing Château d'Amboise. We looked out our living room window at one of the grand towers, and looked way up to see the ramparts--it is situated high above the Loire and the town, and towers over all, a beautiful and dramatic building. And what a fabulous location for our apartment--we loved having our neighborhood château!
We arrived on the night of the Fête de la Musique, a celebration of music held on the night of the solstice. Amateur and professional musicians perform everywhere--in tiny Amboise we must have seen and heard at least 6-8 different groups. And because it stays light until after 10 PM in France at the solstice, it was great fun wandering around the streets and finding different music. (And I just learned by looking on line that the fête was first proposed by Boston musician/conductor Joel Cohen, started in France in 1982, and has spread to many other countries.) This was a great introduction to Amboise.
Next day we visited the amazing and beautiful Château d'Amboise and the nearby Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci lived his last few years, at the invitation of King François I. It was a fabulous place, with a large exhibition of Leonardo's inventions and a large park filled with models of his inventions that you could play with! And by the way, as we drove through Amboise looking for the Rue François Ier, we also learned that our American GPS had a bit of difficulty with French pronunciation. He will always be "Fran-soys One-er" to us!
The next days were filled with château visits--Cheverny, Blois, Chenonceau, Chaumont, Villandry, Langeais, Azay-le-Rideau, and Ussé (supposed model for Sleeping Beauty). You can read about them on the web site when I get them written. All different, all lovely, all great visits. We continued to enjoy exploring the restaurants of Amboise and visited the wonderful local market (held in a large parking lot right next to the Loire) twice. We got very attached to "our château" and enjoyed seeing it from various vantage points, most dramatically from across the Loire at sunset, when it glowed golden.
One evening I went to the Château d'Amboise for the Sound and Light Show. Fabulous! I have described it as about 70% Revels and 30% Smirkus, with horses and fireworks thrown in. It is performed two nights a week in the summer and includes over 400 volunteers from Amboise and the nearby villages. Costumes, music, lighting effects, and dialogue, all in the beautiful setting of the château, combine to make a wonderful show. And I even got my picture taken afterwards with François Ier! A great evening in a magical setting.
All too soon it was time to head home. We drove through the vineyards on our way to return the car, even ended up back in Vouvray for our last picnic, and then took the TGV direct to CDG airport. For reasons I don't understand but don't question, I was able to get us frequent flyer tickets with a return flight in business class. So our last couple hours in Paris were spent in the lovely Air France lounge, sipping champagne and enjoying snacks, and then in our comfortable seats on the flight home, with continuing champagne. I could get used to this...but I can't!
So another trip comes to a close, and we have a ton of work to do on the website. This was our first venture to expand francetravelplanner.com beyond Paris, so there's plenty to do and it will take a while to pull it all together. But we're already thinking of our next trip...As one friend commented, "Paris never disappoints," and I have to agree.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Norway 2010
Lydia decided to spend six weeks this summer studying Norwegian at the University of Oslo International Summer School. Tom and I decided we couldn't pass up the opportunity to travel in Norway with her, so we spent about 10 days in Norway in August. Another great trip! (Note that this will be a long post because I'm writing it all at once. Also I've posted three sets of photos on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=203277&id=712816956&l=5b9924dc4d
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=203270&id=712816956&l=44cc36fa30
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=203260&id=712816956&l=00453a2eec
We flew to Oslo via Amsterdam and then took the wonderfully convenient train from the airport to Oslo Central Train Station. From there it was a short walk to our hotel down the main street, Karl Johans Gata, which is mostly a pedestrian street. Along the way we saw the Oslo trams, the Royal Palace at the end of the street, the Oslo Cathedral, a variety of shops, stores, and restaurants, and a depressing number of McDonalds and Burger Kings! Our hotel was well located on a side street, walking distance to everything. After our usual jet lag nap, Lydia joined us for lunch. We ate outside, on the upper balcony of a restaurant with the un-Norwegian name of Mona Lisa. But I was introduced to Smor brod, an open face sandwich in this case piled high with small shrimp, which were very prevalent in Norway. After lunch we walked around the down town area and went to the harbor, which was lovely and fun. That evening Tom and I dined at a sidewalk cafe on Karl Johans Gata, finding ourselves surrounded by mostly young Norwegians having a beer or a bite to eat after work.
Next day we set out to see Oslo. We first visited the City Hall, a 1930s severe brick building with two towers, near the harbor. The building itself isn't much, but its decor is great. Outside there are a series of carved wood murals, depicting scenes from various Norse folklore. Inside is the great hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded--and where Lydia's summer program had their opening ceremonies. It is decorated with very 1930s murals of scenes from Norwegian history, pictures of workers and others. Very interesting. You can wander through the various other ceremonial rooms as well, with their portraits of kings and other works of art. A very interesting building.
From the peoples' building to the king's--the Royal Palace. The guide kept apologizing for the fact that the Norwegian Royal Palace was very small--only something like 175 rooms! We saw where the King meets with his cabinet, every Friday at exactly 11:00 AM (but not in summer...), ball rooms, ornate guest rooms, the chapel, and more. Since Norway's history as an independent country is short, just a little more than a century, they've only had 3 modern kings--Haakon, Olav, and Harald. Norway didn't have a history of royalty, so they "imported" a king from Denmark, after first getting him to agree to change his name from Carl to Haakon, because they had been ruled by so many Swedish Carls they wanted a change.
We had a picnic outside the fortress and then visited the very interesting Resistance Museum and learned about the active resistance movement in Norway during WWII. We wandered the grounds of the fortress and enjoyed the great views of the harbor, with ferry boats and cruise ships moving in and out. That night we opted for dinner at an outdoor restaurant in Aker Brygge, the renovated wharf area which has become the center of restaurant and night life. We had a delicious dinner and confirmed what we had read in the guidebooks: wine is really expensive in Norway! But it was great, I got to eat more shrimp, and we had a lovely evening.
Tom had had enough by then, but I still wanted to explore, so I hopped on a tram just to see more of Oslo. When I realized that one of the stops was the Vigeland Sculpture Park, I hopped off to visit that fascinating place. With several hundred sculptures by the same artist, it is unique. The fact that all the sculptures are of nude humans also contributes to its uniqueness. It was wonderful to walk through the park in the evening light and to admire the works of art and some of the fascinating poses. It's a large and inviting park, with lots of beautiful flowers, trees, and paths. (BTW, Lydia went to a 4th of July celebration in Vigeland Park--pretty cool!)
The next day we spent the day on the BygDoy Peninsula, a part of Oslo best reached by a wonderful short ferry ride. This area boasts a number of "must see" museums and really justifies the Oslo Pass. We started at the Norwegian Folk Museum, an open air museum that consists of about 100 buildings representing farm life and culture over several hundred years. Most impressive was a stave church from the 1200s, with its fascinating architecture and beautiful hand painted interior. We enjoyed walking around and in and out of the various buildings. Interpreters in appropriate costumes were available to answer questions and provide information. There are also a number of museums, including one devoted to the Sami (Laplanders). All very interesting.
From there it's a short walk to the Viking Ship Museum, which houses three amazing Viking ships and some of their contents. Compact and fascinating, my favorite was a sled that had been rebuilt from over 1000 pieces!
Next up, the Polar exploration ship Fram, which made several voyages in the early 1900s. Amazing history and descriptions of these trips.
Finally, across the street to the Kon-Tiki Museum, home of Thor Heyerdahl's crafts. Fun to see them and be reminded of his voyages.
By now we were exhausted and it was raining. We took a quick ferry boat back to the main part of Oslo, picked up some sandwiches and chips at one of the ubiquitous Deli de Luca and some beer at a nearby supermarket, and had dinner at our hotel before collapsing into bed.
Friday was Lydia's last day of school, so we went to Blindern to meet her and see her dorm. It's near the Vigeland Park, so we visited that again. Although the weather wasn't great, we had fun photographing Lydia doing handstands or mimicking the various statues. From there we went to Sognsvann, a lovely lake nearby, and met Bodil and Torgeir, two Norwegians whom Tom had "met" when they were going to Turkey. Lydia had had lunch with them earlier in the summer (speaking Norwegian the whole time), but we opted for English. After a wonderful walk around the beautiful lake, they took us to Holmenkollen, a huge ski jump which will host the world championships next March. We went to the top of the lift for gorgeous views of Oslo and visited the Ski Museum--who knew? Bodil and Torgeir took us to their home for a wonderful dinner of elk and various side dishes. Their house is high on a hill, with more beautiful views of Oslo.
Next morning bright and early we headed back to the airport to fly to Bergen. We lucked into gorgeous views of the fjords and the city as we flew in. We headed for the colorful and busy Fish Market for lunch and then walked through Bryggen, the old Hanseatic town. Bergen was once Norway's largest city, and very important as a shipping center. The old town of Bryggen has been wonderfully restored and maintained, and we spent a lot of time wandering through its narrow streets and admiring the architecture, and in particular the variety of roof lines and tiles. We also visited the fascinating Hanseatic Museum, showing Bryggen's history as a fishing and shipping center. We climbed up the Rosenkrantz Tower and visited Haakon Hall and ate outdoors at an old restaurant in Bryggen before going to an organ concert at the church. Another full day!
Next day we took the train to Voss and there rented a car to drive to Lofthus. My great grandfather was named Peter Lofty, and he came from somewhere near Bergen. We thought it might be Lofthus so decided to visit. We still don't know much about Peter Lofty, but we were very glad to have the excuse to visit Lofthus. What a beautiful little town, right on a gorgeous fjord. We visited the church (was Peter baptized there?) and dipped our toes in the fjord and mostly just enjoyed the beauty of the area. We stayed that night in nearby Kinsarvik, which boasts a Viking port, one motel, and little else--except for more gorgeous fjord views.
The next day after returning the car we took a bus to Gudvangan where we got on a ferry for several hours on the beautiful Naerøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord. Gorgeous views everywhere--fjords, mountains, waterfalls. We got off at Aurland, where we spent the night in a tiny cabin right on the edge of the fjord. It was magic--I slept on the living room couch because I couldn't stand to be away from the view for one minute! We bought food at a nearby store and had dinner overlooking the fjord. Wonderful. The next morning we went to Flam, where we boarded the Flam-Myrdal scenic railroad, which climbs 865 meters and has 20 tunnels and lots of switchbacks. Very dramatic and fun. And then the train ride back to Oslo, with more great views.
Our last day in Oslo Lydia and I went to Kongsberg, where my great grandmother Helvina Sorenson (who married Peter Lofty) came from. We did some research in the archives, finding records of her brother's marriage and other family members. The best part was visiting the nearby Hedenstad Church, where Helvina was baptized. It's small, in the middle of beautiful countryside. The interior has a lovely painted wooden ceiling. Although we looked in the church yard, we were unable to find the graves of any relatives, though we know some were buried there. From there we visited the Kongsberg silver mines, where Helvina's oldest brother Ole worked for 50 years. A fascinating tour, going 2300 meters inside the mine in a small and noisy mine train, and then a walking tour of the mine.
Back in Oslo for our farewell dinner, on the water where for the first time there was evidence of a sunset. Mid August and the days were starting to get shorter. Time to head home...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=203277&id=712816956&l=5b9924dc4d
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=203270&id=712816956&l=44cc36fa30
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=203260&id=712816956&l=00453a2eec
We flew to Oslo via Amsterdam and then took the wonderfully convenient train from the airport to Oslo Central Train Station. From there it was a short walk to our hotel down the main street, Karl Johans Gata, which is mostly a pedestrian street. Along the way we saw the Oslo trams, the Royal Palace at the end of the street, the Oslo Cathedral, a variety of shops, stores, and restaurants, and a depressing number of McDonalds and Burger Kings! Our hotel was well located on a side street, walking distance to everything. After our usual jet lag nap, Lydia joined us for lunch. We ate outside, on the upper balcony of a restaurant with the un-Norwegian name of Mona Lisa. But I was introduced to Smor brod, an open face sandwich in this case piled high with small shrimp, which were very prevalent in Norway. After lunch we walked around the down town area and went to the harbor, which was lovely and fun. That evening Tom and I dined at a sidewalk cafe on Karl Johans Gata, finding ourselves surrounded by mostly young Norwegians having a beer or a bite to eat after work.
Next day we set out to see Oslo. We first visited the City Hall, a 1930s severe brick building with two towers, near the harbor. The building itself isn't much, but its decor is great. Outside there are a series of carved wood murals, depicting scenes from various Norse folklore. Inside is the great hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded--and where Lydia's summer program had their opening ceremonies. It is decorated with very 1930s murals of scenes from Norwegian history, pictures of workers and others. Very interesting. You can wander through the various other ceremonial rooms as well, with their portraits of kings and other works of art. A very interesting building.
From the peoples' building to the king's--the Royal Palace. The guide kept apologizing for the fact that the Norwegian Royal Palace was very small--only something like 175 rooms! We saw where the King meets with his cabinet, every Friday at exactly 11:00 AM (but not in summer...), ball rooms, ornate guest rooms, the chapel, and more. Since Norway's history as an independent country is short, just a little more than a century, they've only had 3 modern kings--Haakon, Olav, and Harald. Norway didn't have a history of royalty, so they "imported" a king from Denmark, after first getting him to agree to change his name from Carl to Haakon, because they had been ruled by so many Swedish Carls they wanted a change.
We had a picnic outside the fortress and then visited the very interesting Resistance Museum and learned about the active resistance movement in Norway during WWII. We wandered the grounds of the fortress and enjoyed the great views of the harbor, with ferry boats and cruise ships moving in and out. That night we opted for dinner at an outdoor restaurant in Aker Brygge, the renovated wharf area which has become the center of restaurant and night life. We had a delicious dinner and confirmed what we had read in the guidebooks: wine is really expensive in Norway! But it was great, I got to eat more shrimp, and we had a lovely evening.
Tom had had enough by then, but I still wanted to explore, so I hopped on a tram just to see more of Oslo. When I realized that one of the stops was the Vigeland Sculpture Park, I hopped off to visit that fascinating place. With several hundred sculptures by the same artist, it is unique. The fact that all the sculptures are of nude humans also contributes to its uniqueness. It was wonderful to walk through the park in the evening light and to admire the works of art and some of the fascinating poses. It's a large and inviting park, with lots of beautiful flowers, trees, and paths. (BTW, Lydia went to a 4th of July celebration in Vigeland Park--pretty cool!)
The next day we spent the day on the BygDoy Peninsula, a part of Oslo best reached by a wonderful short ferry ride. This area boasts a number of "must see" museums and really justifies the Oslo Pass. We started at the Norwegian Folk Museum, an open air museum that consists of about 100 buildings representing farm life and culture over several hundred years. Most impressive was a stave church from the 1200s, with its fascinating architecture and beautiful hand painted interior. We enjoyed walking around and in and out of the various buildings. Interpreters in appropriate costumes were available to answer questions and provide information. There are also a number of museums, including one devoted to the Sami (Laplanders). All very interesting.
From there it's a short walk to the Viking Ship Museum, which houses three amazing Viking ships and some of their contents. Compact and fascinating, my favorite was a sled that had been rebuilt from over 1000 pieces!
Next up, the Polar exploration ship Fram, which made several voyages in the early 1900s. Amazing history and descriptions of these trips.
Finally, across the street to the Kon-Tiki Museum, home of Thor Heyerdahl's crafts. Fun to see them and be reminded of his voyages.
By now we were exhausted and it was raining. We took a quick ferry boat back to the main part of Oslo, picked up some sandwiches and chips at one of the ubiquitous Deli de Luca and some beer at a nearby supermarket, and had dinner at our hotel before collapsing into bed.
Friday was Lydia's last day of school, so we went to Blindern to meet her and see her dorm. It's near the Vigeland Park, so we visited that again. Although the weather wasn't great, we had fun photographing Lydia doing handstands or mimicking the various statues. From there we went to Sognsvann, a lovely lake nearby, and met Bodil and Torgeir, two Norwegians whom Tom had "met" when they were going to Turkey. Lydia had had lunch with them earlier in the summer (speaking Norwegian the whole time), but we opted for English. After a wonderful walk around the beautiful lake, they took us to Holmenkollen, a huge ski jump which will host the world championships next March. We went to the top of the lift for gorgeous views of Oslo and visited the Ski Museum--who knew? Bodil and Torgeir took us to their home for a wonderful dinner of elk and various side dishes. Their house is high on a hill, with more beautiful views of Oslo.
Next morning bright and early we headed back to the airport to fly to Bergen. We lucked into gorgeous views of the fjords and the city as we flew in. We headed for the colorful and busy Fish Market for lunch and then walked through Bryggen, the old Hanseatic town. Bergen was once Norway's largest city, and very important as a shipping center. The old town of Bryggen has been wonderfully restored and maintained, and we spent a lot of time wandering through its narrow streets and admiring the architecture, and in particular the variety of roof lines and tiles. We also visited the fascinating Hanseatic Museum, showing Bryggen's history as a fishing and shipping center. We climbed up the Rosenkrantz Tower and visited Haakon Hall and ate outdoors at an old restaurant in Bryggen before going to an organ concert at the church. Another full day!
Next day we took the train to Voss and there rented a car to drive to Lofthus. My great grandfather was named Peter Lofty, and he came from somewhere near Bergen. We thought it might be Lofthus so decided to visit. We still don't know much about Peter Lofty, but we were very glad to have the excuse to visit Lofthus. What a beautiful little town, right on a gorgeous fjord. We visited the church (was Peter baptized there?) and dipped our toes in the fjord and mostly just enjoyed the beauty of the area. We stayed that night in nearby Kinsarvik, which boasts a Viking port, one motel, and little else--except for more gorgeous fjord views.
The next day after returning the car we took a bus to Gudvangan where we got on a ferry for several hours on the beautiful Naerøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord. Gorgeous views everywhere--fjords, mountains, waterfalls. We got off at Aurland, where we spent the night in a tiny cabin right on the edge of the fjord. It was magic--I slept on the living room couch because I couldn't stand to be away from the view for one minute! We bought food at a nearby store and had dinner overlooking the fjord. Wonderful. The next morning we went to Flam, where we boarded the Flam-Myrdal scenic railroad, which climbs 865 meters and has 20 tunnels and lots of switchbacks. Very dramatic and fun. And then the train ride back to Oslo, with more great views.
Our last day in Oslo Lydia and I went to Kongsberg, where my great grandmother Helvina Sorenson (who married Peter Lofty) came from. We did some research in the archives, finding records of her brother's marriage and other family members. The best part was visiting the nearby Hedenstad Church, where Helvina was baptized. It's small, in the middle of beautiful countryside. The interior has a lovely painted wooden ceiling. Although we looked in the church yard, we were unable to find the graves of any relatives, though we know some were buried there. From there we visited the Kongsberg silver mines, where Helvina's oldest brother Ole worked for 50 years. A fascinating tour, going 2300 meters inside the mine in a small and noisy mine train, and then a walking tour of the mine.
Back in Oslo for our farewell dinner, on the water where for the first time there was evidence of a sunset. Mid August and the days were starting to get shorter. Time to head home...
Egypt 2010
Tom, Lydia, and I went to Egypt in January, during Lydia's winter break. We had a magical time cruising the Nile, seeing amazing temples (including Abu Simbal), pyramids, and art, suffering through Cairo traffic, photographing Lydia doing handstands in various places, eating Egyptian food as much as we could, and appreciating the fascinating history and culture of ancient Egypt. It was the height of tourist season and there were occasional cruise ship traffic jams on the Nile and crowds of people at the temples, but somehow we were able to look beyond all that because the sights are so amazing.
However, I didn't write up a blog at the time, and so I'm opting for the easy way out by referring you to Lydia's wonderful descriptions in her blog, http://lydiaandtheworld.blogspot.com/.
However, I didn't write up a blog at the time, and so I'm opting for the easy way out by referring you to Lydia's wonderful descriptions in her blog, http://lydiaandtheworld.blogspot.com/.
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