TravelStream™ news feed for member coigreach on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/coigreach en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:10:13 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1214154180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1214154180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1214154180/tpod.html Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:10:13 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Nearing the end of my travels I decided to spend one week in Toronto, visiting my sister and her fiancée and then one week in Montreal, visiting my mum. My sister had planned a day where we would head down to the Niagara wine region for a day and that seemed to be a suitable way to wrap up this year. We visited several wineries including 30 Bench, East Dell, and Frog Pond and enjoyed a wonderful and leisurely lunch at the Inn on the Twenty. Each winery had something unique to offer. We enjoyed the Reisling at 30 Bench, but I really enjoyed the descriptive texts associated with each wine. Rather than linking the wines to various fruits, they had texts describing the type of person each wine might be. For example, they were described as bold and entertaining, perhaps the type of guest you would hope to be seated next to at a wedding. I understand that better than descriptors like citrus and plum. Frog Pond was special because they offered the only organic wine in the region. They had a lovely cellar door complete with free range chickens.
Aside from the outing to Niagara the week was spent doing 'regular life' activities like shopping for shoes, getting a pedi, and visiting the rellies...all enjoyable, but also mixed with the stunning reality that I was at the end of this extraordinary year.
One night, we headed over for a visit with Laurie's future mother-in-law. We enjoyed a glass of wine and pleasant conversation that flowed into a discussion of the Canadian government's recent apology to the First Nations people who were affected by residential schools. I was suddenly caught in one of those surreal moments as Marion asked me if I knew the novel "I Heard the Owl Call My Name" by Margaret Craven. It is a novel about an Anglican vicar who learns about life as he befriends the Kwakiutl people in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. However, it is a little more than that to me. This is a novel that I have taught several times over the last few years, a novel that inspired me to take a kayak trip around the Queen Charlotte Islands, and a novel that was the impetus for this year. And, of course, the Big Question that my students worked with over the course of reading this novel was, "Where is Home?" Marion handed me her copy of the film of "Owl" and I knew in that moment that my trip was over, that I was being reminded to head back out there to complete this jouney another time, and that my answer to my own question was so clear.
Sadly, upon my arrival in Montreal, we received the call that our beloved Matthew had passed away that day. We returned to Toronto to be together and attend his funeral. A number of family members spoke about Matt at the funeral. His sister ended her thoughts by reading his own words from the last page of his travel journal. I am so grateful to have heard Matt's thoughts on coming home. A passionate and accomplished traveller, he spoke of being sad that this part of his journey was over, but his words were filled with hope for whatever was coming next.
And so, this is the end, my friend. I will leave you with Matt's thoughts...but, as I am a teacher, you have to know that there is still the reflection entry coming soon.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1212348300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1212348300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1212348300/tpod.html Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:12:37 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Two feet. Canadian Soil. Big smile.
Having never been one to don red and white clothing on July 1st, the warm and fuzzy feeling of being in Canada caught me off guard as I stood in line to show my passport one last time. By the time I had reached the passport control dude, the feeling had passed and I just wanted to collect my bags and get on my way. I knew that I would likely be questioned because of my back pack and the time I had been away. I was unprepared for the surreal reentry.
Dude: "You've been away for a while."
Me: "Yes."
Dude: "How was Egypt?"
Me: "Great."
Dude: "There's a Tim Horton's down the hall to the left."
Me: "Great."
Dude: "Welcome home."
Me: "Thanks."
Canadian border security is serious business these days. I suppose I didn`t look so threatening.
A quick ride brought me to my old high school friend's place near W10th. I was already on the edge of jet lag delirium, but we headed out for a fabulous meal at a local place. It was about 3 AM for me, so this was a heroic meal. I was soon out for the count. Julienne graciously left me with her apartment as she had to work and I indulged in Canada AM with my coffee and just moved very slowly. When I finally made it out for a tour of her neighborhood, I was struck by the intense and varied shades of green. So many broad leafed plants and the earth was so wet. It even smells like Canada. I strolled down the road to a coffee shop called "Bean Around the World" and ordered my organic fair trade coffee and giggled to myself in the corner.
Next day, I headed out to Granville Island by foot and was amazed at how many tall shiny buildings were across the water. This was the old Expo area and it was nothing like I remember it. Of course, I haven`t been in these parts since 1986, so I guess things change. I started thinking about my own neck of the woods, knowing how much it will have changed in 10 months. Granville is a cool little area with earthy, yet friendly shops and restaurants and cafes. Again, I was struck by the beautiful gardens along the way.
My Uncle Ken...aka Ken...my dad's brother, called and invited me to meet him at the airport on his way back to the island and spend a few nights out there with him. He lives about 45 minutes north of Nanaimo across the street from the beach. We hoped that we would have some sun the next day and picked up a second kayak. We were in luck and we were able to go for a great paddle in Deep Bay on a gorgeous morning. As soon as the wind picked up, it was clearly time to head in. My scrawny arms were no match for the breeze. After we got the boats back up and all the gear in the van, we stopped at a little area called the Wacky Woods. These woods are next door to a man, part visual artist, part poet, part angry, part comic. He has taken it upon himself to fill the woods with a variety of visual symbolic commentaries on our world. Some of the pieces include text and some are simply an image, but all of them make a statement. For example, there was the handle of an old lawn mower, but the bars had been fashioned into the horns of the devil., there was an old cash register inside a little chapel, there was an old air pump from a gas station whose tube led into a dummy's head and another tube came out of the head with the plug that you put into your computer. You get the idea? From there we joined his friends for a meal at their house on the shores of the island and it was such a clear evening that you could see Mt. Baker (was it mt. baker?) on the horizon, along with seals popping their heads out of the sea. We had a great visit and hope that there are more to come
I caught the ferry over to the mainland and was met by Julienne who took her day off to show me up the coast to Squamish, stopping in at a beautiful waterfall and passing a rock face called The Chief. We also stopped at a river to see if we could see any eagles. No luck, but it was a beautiful spot to hang out for a while. We stopped in for a Tim Horton`s coffee and some Tim Bits and was served by the worst ever Timmy's employee. The poor kid was young and didn't have a clue how to deal with the public. Julienne couldn't bear to look and I couldn`t look away. It was my first reminder of what I do for a living. On the way home we drove around Stanley Park and got stuck in a little traffic resulting from road closures for the World Championship Triathalon. That night we enjoyed a great meal at an Indian restaurant. On my last day we went shopping!!! It was good!! Finally, I was able to squeeze in a visit with my cousin Cam and Dan who had just come arrived home that afternoon from a tour of their own. They treated me to a meal at a Thai restaurant in the area where they used to live.
I had origionally planned to do all kinds of other things during my time on the West Coast, but I am so over travelling and I am so spent of all energy. The fact that I did these things is amazing. The big plans will have to wait for another time. So, it is off to Toronto for more visiting, but home is almost in sight.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1211469060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1211469060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1211469060/tpod.html Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:13:08 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Dumfries, Scotland, United Kingdom

Facing my final weeks alone, I saved some of the best for last. This being my third trip to Scotland, I find it amazing that this tiny northern country with its rugged terrain still has so much left to see. The history here is rich and it is a story that the people have a strong desire to tell. The desire to tell the story has been an interesting thought that I have mulled over lately (long train and bus rides, I guess). There have been places where the history is hidden below the surface and others where it can`t be missed. I think the difference is that for some, their history is too hard to tell, and for others, the silence is too hard to bear. The Scots fit into the latter. So, I continued to listen.
I headed off to Stirling which lies conveniently between Glasgow and Endinburgh and is a quick bus trip from each. It is a lovely city with old houses and gardens and lays on the land where some of the most famous battles have been fought. I went to see the William Wallace (aka Braveheart to the fans) Monument which is a towering museum at the top of a hill overlooking Stirling and, on a clear day, with views all the way to Glen Coe. It tells the story of this famous Scot's fight to protect Freedom above all. There is a clear view of Stirling Bridge which the English crossed in single file while the Scots waited on the other side until the signal was given and the English were defeated. I also went to see the sight of the Battle of Bannockburn led by Rob Roy where his statue now sits on the land where he conquered Edward II. Under his statue it say, "We fight not for glory, nor for wealth, nor honour but only and alone we fight for freedom which no good man surrenders but with his life." Ahh, the Scotts!
I went to see Stirling Castle which sits on prehistoric volcanic rock in a strategic spot and was the setting for the Royal Court of Stewart Scotland during the reigns of James IV, V and VI and Mary Queen of Scots. Next door was a tremendous cemetary with intricate Celtic crosses as headstones. Heading down the oldest road in Stirling I ended up at the Olde Town Jail. After a quick tour, I headed for the pub for some cleansing of the negative jail energy and a beer.
In each pub in Stirling there are clear signs stating that no team colours are to be worn. As I waited to order, a couple came in and the man was asked to cover up his blue edinburgh t-shirt. He was unclear about the issue and his wife explained. He turned to the polite 'just doin' her job' waitress and gave her the finger mumbling something that was too Scottish for me to repeat here (and I couldn`t make it out anyway) and stomped off. Apparently, passions run quite high when it comes to football in Stirling and being so close to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, conflicts quickly ensue during a game when some people are supporting one team and others supporting the rival team. I was told that just the night before, grown men were weeping on the floor at the end of the match. Not my cuppa tea, but I suppose not far from the Stanley Cup for some.
Of course I have to mention food. Tiring of Scottish fare, although remarkably tasty, I discovered an amazing Thai restaurant and hung out there for three nights. They had Singa Beer straight from Thailand and the family had been there for 3 years, so the food was amazing! It is shocking though when you get your bill at the end of the night. A decent meal in Scotland is easily double what we pay in Canada.
Next I headed back to Edinburgh to meet Isla (Eye-La), my cousin once removed. We had a riot! We are so alike and had so much to talk about, but it was just a short visit this time round. From there I headed down to the Lake District to visit my Great Aunt Margaret again which is always a pleasure. Missing Scotland, I headed back to the homeland and decided to stop off for a few nights in Dumfires, the home of the Scottish poet Robbie Burns...author of my title for this blog!
I arrived in Dumfries the day after an historic football game. The Dumfries club had made the finals for the first time in the history of the club. They lost, but you would not have known it because everyone in town was out in their team colours for a parade, stores were closed, concerts went all day in the park. It was a celebration to see. I was really there, though, to follow the Robbie Burns trail, but everything was closed so it would have to wait. Next day, I visited all the Robbie Burns sights from statues in town squares to his favorite watering holes, Hole in th Wa' and The Globe, to the house where he died, the church where he prayed, and site where he lays. They say he died from hitting the bottle one too many times, but there is a lot of evidence to dispute that despite the fact that he did spend too much time at the Hole in the Wa'. He died young after following doctors orders to bathe each morning in the frigid water.
My last days were spent visiting my dad's cousin Maureen in Monifieth and meeting several more members of my very extended family. I met Sheshe and her family, brother Norman, his wife and his two daughters and their daughters. Norman has one leg, but was an avid downhill skiier back in the day and taught many amputees to ski. Finally, back to Edinburgh where I hooked up with my cousin Isla and met her partner and her sister and her husband and son. Enjoyed everyone tremendously and felt more connected to my dad's side of the family than I have for a long time.
Finally, caught my cheap flight to Frankfurt and realized I was at the wrong airport. I was actually 100kms outside of Frankfurt (Thank you, Ryan Air), so I had to catch a bus and then get to my hotel. Weary and broken, but so filled with good memories, I collapsed for my last night out of Canada. Before I headed to the airport the next day, I was flipping channels and caught a documentary about some Chinese people who had spent all their money and left their families in order to escape from China. Their journey lasted 14 days and took them through dangerous jungles where they faced obstacle after obstacle with the constant fear of being caught and jailed back in China. It made me reflect on my own trip and how lucky and safe and supported I have been. My feet will feel good on Canadian soil. A demain!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1210862340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1210862340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1210862340/tpod.html Wed, 21 May 2008 11:18:35 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Fort William, United Kingdom

You know I have too much time on my hands when I send two blogs in two days.
I headed to Glasgow where my McGowan grandparents lived, to meet my friend Annick. I had been anticipating her visit as I knew it would refuel my energy and see me through the rest of my trip. Sadly, thanks to Zoom Airlines, we lost a full day as her plane was nearly 14 hours late. Flipped a quick coin and Edinburgh won, so we hopped on a train the next morning and headed to the beautiufl old city.
We started off at the Museum of Scotland and were given a tour of the highlights of the museum by a charming Englishman in tartan pants who clearly had an English view of the history of Scotland. He was all over the union of the two cultures and how everyone lived happily ever after. That's nice for him, isn't it? Although I had lost my appetite during the tour, we found a cafe called the Elephant and sat and enjoyed the same view that...darn...forgot her name...but you'll know...the woman who wrote the Harry Potter books...where she wrote parts of her novel as she gazed over the beautiful castle. OK, in print, I admit that I have never read a Harry Potter book. So, turn me into a toad or something else witchy!
We hopped onto the sightseeing bus and were treated to a piping band marching its way to the palace. Then we walked around the castle and enjoyed the shops and a pub in the area. Before heading back to Glasgow, we stopped at a cafe and Annick took a chance on a haggis. Now, before you all make that face that you're making, it was a vegetarian haggis, and it was quite delicious.
The next morning we headed down to the train station again to catch the West Highland train to Fort William. What incredible views as we travelled comfortably through the Trossachs, along the banks of Loch Lomond and through the beautiful glens (read valleys) of Glen Coe. Upon our arrival we were met by the man with the car and I promptly found myself behind its wheel. I don't know if I was more nervous about driving on the wrong side of the road or of simply driving again. Remember I have not had control of the wheels since last August. After making Annick very nervous I finally got the hang of it and we, and Scotland, survived three days with the power of mobility! We headed straight for the Nevis Range which took us up by cable car to a beautiful walk and view of Ben (read mountain) Nevis the tallest peak in the UK. Later, we scooted over to Glen Nevis and took a beautiful hike along a river bed on a mighty fine day. We accidently interrupted a poor lad doing what comes naturally to a lad in the highlands (heads out of the gutter please), but then had to wait around the corner again while he took care of something else. Finally, when all had been released and he was comfortable he decided to have a rest and we had to walk past him without laughing.
After our outings we were all tuckered out and headed to the B and B for a snooze. I woke suddenly realizing that we were late for our reservations at the best restaurant in town. We puttered down to Crannogs on the Loch for an exceptional meal. Annick, unprompted, said that this broke all the stereotypes of Scottish food. All part of my master plan! She had red fish with smoked salmon and I had a beautiful piece of salmon on its own. I am loving the fish this year!!
The next day was the big one. We headed out just in time to catch the ferry from Mallaig to Armdale on the Isle of Skye. We stopped at the Armdale castle ruins and gardens that were quite beautiful with all the bluebells at their height. We stopped in at the shop where Annick bought a little something and asked if it was actually made in Scotland or in China or Bangladesh. The shopkeeper leaned in and whispered, "Worse! It's from England!" Now, we're talking. From Armdale we drove through continually changing but awesome scenery to Portree. We must have driven through five different ecosystems by lunch. We stopped for a bite and a little shopping and headed up to Dunvegan to see the castle and the gardens at the northern part of the island. On our way we passed so many sheep and their little lambs. We decided to stop and take some photos. Annick thought the one she was standing next to was pregnant, but it stood up during the photo shoot and we realized that he was definitley not pregnant. On our way down the east coast we passed incredible an mountain range called the Five Sisters and spotted a young buck in the glen by the road. Back in Fort William we enjoyed another stunning meal together at the Lime Tree, a local cafe and art gallery and topped it off with a great bottle of Jacobite wine...from Autstralia.
On our last day in the highlands we drove up to Fort Augustus to see Loch Ness and do a little monster spotting. We weren't really monster spotting, but strangely, the man giving the talk on the boat was a dedicated Loch Ness Monster hunter who had devoted the last 26 years to his search and claims to have spotted him 7 times. You may think he was saying this to humour the tourist, but I really think he was quite serious. Of course, when I asked him whether he gets some strange characters up looking for the monster, he was not amused. We ended our stay in Fort William by climbing Ben Nevis. Impressive, eh? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it was the Ben Nevis Pub and the climb down was tougher! We ended our day at my favorite Scottish restaurant, Cafe 115 (they should work on the name) and enjoyed more scottish salmon.
Finally, we caught the train back to Glasgow and had time to squeeze in a visit to the Botanical Gardens and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery where we saw Scottish art as well as a Dali, some Monets and a bunch of stuffed, dead animals....oh, yeah, and a shop! On our last night, we stayed at the Piper's Tryst, a guesthouse by the Piping Museum and were treated to a duet, a guitar and a fiddle, over dinner. Brought tears to the eyes, but a perfect way to end our ADHD tour of Scotland. It has been so good to see my friend and show her this part of the world that I love so much. I am reenrgized and ready to see this through to the end. Hope all the Canadians had a great holiday weekend. Failte!

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1209224700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1209224700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1209224700/tpod.html Tue, 20 May 2008 12:14:52 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Decisions, decisions. I am tired. I am missing you. Struggling with the idea of flying home on May 18th, I have decided to give myself a break and see how I feel by next Friday after spending a week in Scotland. Well, the week passed and it looks like all I needed was an English speaking country, a home cooked meal and a few less hassels on the road. So, the decision is to power through and hang out in Scotland until June 1st. I feel like the little train that could...barely!
I arrived in Edinburgh to a wonderful room in a little hotel where other such famous people as Elton John and Margaret Atwood have stayed. I wondered why they looked at me sideways when I arrived with my backpack. I spent the day in Edinburgh in slow motion, just wandering around the beautiful old city and avoiding anything to do with tourism. After a few good glasses of Australian Shiraz, I was feeling a lot closer to making the decision to stick around.
My next stop was Monifieth. A sweet little town across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh and directly across from the famous St-Andrew's university. My father's cousin and her husband took me in for a few days and made me feel quite at home. It was so much fun to listen to stories of my family and hear about the descendants of my grandmother's sisters. There are so many of them, but one of them I am still looking forward to meeting. She sounds just like me! Same age, same profession, same interests, similar views and life experiences. It is hard to believe that this is accidental. The romantic in me wants to believe that we share so much because we also share a great grandmother. I will be meeting her soon. I was taken on a lovely tour of the area by Maureen (Dad's cousin), who showed me Carnoustie where they all spent time together as children, introduced me to another cousin, Lorna, who showed us around the Museum of Fisheries and we stopped in at St-Andrew's on the way home to see the beach where the famous running scene from Chariots of Fire was filmed. The next day we went to Arbroath and picked up some smokies for supper. Smokies are smoked fish that are delicious if not salty and are the base for the equally famous Cullin Skink soup.
I continued on to Inverness where I spent several days. The first night I ate a meal at the local Indian restaurant hoping for the same great curry that I had enjoyed on my last visit. I got more than that. Each waiter approached my table one by one and asked questions about why I was there and how I had been travelling all this time. They were quite curious at how a woman would be able to travel alone, nevermind be interested in travelling alone for all these months.
The next day I picked up some new padded hiking socks in the hopes of soothing my poor feet and hit the Great Glen Way. This is a trail that you can walk in seven days from Inverness through the Great Glen to Fort William. I made it as far as the Caledonian Canal and the next town, but at least I can say I was on the trail!
I met a great woman while in New Zealand who was a phisiotherapist and spent some time working on my ankle and she was from Keith, just east of Inverness. So, I gave her a call and she invited me down to her neck of the woods. We had a fun time driving around the area which is famous for its distilleries...Chivas Regal ring a bell? Sorry, but not being a fan of the Whisky we headed for the beach and took a gorgeous walk along the north east coastline.
Then, it was back to Inverness for a few R & R days. I shopped and ate well and read and strolled. Feeling more energetic I took a grueling bus ride down to Loch Ness and saw the cheesiest museum ever. I stopped in at Urquart Castle and enjoyed the beautiful ruins of this medieval castle that has been used more than once to keep the English at bay. Of course, it was about the legend of Nessie, the monster that has put Loch Ness on the map. Why is it not enough just to be a beautiful place? I then eased my weary self onto a cruise ship and enjoyed a beautiful day on the Loch. They say it rains in Scotland. In three trips over the last 25 years, I have seen rain once!! On my last day, I took the bus to Culloden, the site of the last battle fought on British soil. For those of you who are fans of the Outlander novels, you know which battle was fought here. Bonnie Prince Charlie...who was not so bonnie in the end...gathered the clans to fight the English and restore the king of Scotland. They were miserably outnumbered and the field was flat. Scots normally attacked from above. They were crushed and the remaining Scots were captured and burned alive in a building near the battlefield. Charming. Stones had been place there in memory of those who died and, yes, ladies...and Cory...one stone was carved with the words CLAN FRASER.
From there, I headed through the Glen to Fort William and simply enjoyed spending time in a town that was so special to my dad. No big walks, ok, there was a boat trip, but I just hung out. It was good. Now, I will prepare for a great week to come because my dear friend Annick is flying into Glasgow on Monday. Annick and Allison in Scotland for a week...hmmmm, that doesn't sound like any fun at all!!! Failte!

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1208606340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1208606340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1208606340/tpod.html Sat, 03 May 2008 08:28:41 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Although the train is a brilliant way to travel in Europe and most of the places I've been, sometimes the people who sell the tickets can leave something to be desired. Perhaps it is one of those cultural differences in Central Europe, but we have not found the people who hold the tickets to be helpful in any way. What is that about? I just asked if I can buy a ticket, no need to be rude. Anyway.......
Finally, mum safely tucked away on a train, we headed for Vienna, where we immediately got ripped off by the taxi driver at the station. First time it's happened, I figure I'm doing alright! We arrived at our hotel which was lovely, but sadly far away from everything, so we headed to the mall for a mall supper. I had forgotten about malls. They are oppressively noisy places that make life very unhappy. I hope I remember that when I get home.
Brighter weather and moods, we headed into the city to visit the beautiful (there it is again) palace museum where you could see the entire royal dinnerware, crystal, silver, porcelain piled into glass cabinets for all to see. Makes my Corel dishes really look tired. We entered the next section which told the story of Emperor Josef and his Queen known as Sisi. She was a romanticized figure after her death and has become a legend in Austrian history. She had a training room with bars and hanging hoops so that she could work out. In that time the concept of athletic women was shocking to most of the upper classes. Sadly, later on she became obsessive about her looks and particularly her weight. Hmmmm? The next museum was a tour of all the rooms in their palace which was decorated with incredible antiques and rugs from the East. It was a great morning, but tiring, so we called it a day and headed out later for a Veggie restaurant which was not as spectacular as I had hoped. I was hoping for a change from the Czech/Austrian food which is heavy on the meat or a choice of fish with parsley potatoes...every time!
We eased into our next morning and caught the Lippizaner horse show at the palace. This was quite spectacular. Certainly they do a lot of the same 'dances' as the RCMP Musical Ride in Canada, but these horsies do fancy tricks. There was also an interesting booklet that I picked up which details the training and selection methods used to bring these horses and riders to the point where they perform. Quite rigorous, but the welfare of the horses appears to be the priority. Later we headed to see the Belvedere art gallery. It holds some of the most famous paintings by Gustav Klimt. The paitings that you are used to seeing in books or in print shops are always so much more powerful when you view the original work. I really thought 'The Kiss' would be bigger though. We ended our day in Le Sachre Hotel famous for its Sachre Torte, a delicious piece of chocolate cake. It was really good, but the bathrooms were amazing...each one cleaned after each use...I could have used that on the train in Vietnam!!
We were starting to slow down after the whirlwind tour we had been on, so we hopped on the hop-on/hop-off buss, but didn't really hop-off. We found the concert hall that we would head to that night and a place to eat. I dragged Mom to see the statue of Mozart and secretly just wanted to see the peonies blooming...took a picture of both. At the concert that night, we were entertained by incredible musicians, dancers and singer. The orchestra was small, 11 people, but all very talented. They were joined by two ballet dancers and at other times accompanied the beautiful voices that sang several arias. It was a very civilized night. And then the lightning flashed, the power went out in the next room, and as the firemen in full uniform walked into the concert hall we knew we were on a sinking ship. In between pieces, the lead violinist showed his sense of humour by raising his hand to see if it was raining in the concert hall yet. The band played on. The second time the firefighters came in, I caught a glimpse of the other room and the water pouring out of the ceiling. Apparently, after a particularly heavy rainfall, this old building was just not going to hold up. After the Blue Danube we were all ushered through the back doors and out of the building. The scenario reminded me of the scene from 'Titanic' (the worst movie ever) where the string quartet is playing until the water begins to swirl around their feet. Beautiful music to lead us off into a miserable night. At least we had a warm bed back at the hotel.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1208259600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1208259600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1208259600/tpod.html Sat, 03 May 2008 07:57:34 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic

At the arrival points in airports around the world, tour guides stand holding papers with the names of the people they are to meet. Sometimes, they look flustered or impatient as their tourist hasn't come out of the passport control area yet. On April 12, I stood in that herd of tour guides, but my paper had a one word name...no, not, Sting...rather, MOM! The tour guides each had a smile at that, but my face was turning to concern, until my mom finally...and last...came out into Arrivals. I had a big week planned for us, but mostly had just looked forward to the visit.
We began our tour with the big sights to see on the south side of the Vltava River. We walked along Charles Bridge and its beautiful sculptures. We stood in front of the beautiful astronomical clock and watched as it chimed the hour. We admired the beautiful Gothic architecture. We enjoyed the beautiful coffee as the beautiful people walked by. It was all just too beautiful. Something was missing in Prague. It was as if there was no story line, no plot. Yes, beautiful, I agree with all the people who told me it would be so, but it was hard to find it's heart.
The next day, we wandered around Mala Strana on the other side of the river. Beautiful shops and flats lined the street. We took a tour to the Castle and admired its beautiful cathedral that is the classic skyline of Prague. Finally, we walked up the beautiful Wenceslas Square where we enjoyed a beautiful piece of salmon for lunch...our best meal of the trip.
One night we headed out on a boat cruise which displayed the beautiful city at night. The music on board was a live jazz band that played the old American classics. They were the highlight of the cruise.
I finally got to peruse the Kafka museum, and learn a little bit about the isolation of this great author. He was part of the Jewish minority in Prague, but was a minority in his own community as a German speaking Jew. He always loved Prague, but never felt accepted there. His isolation is clear in many of his novels, my favorite being The Metamorphosis. We continued on to see the Jewish Quarter and explored the oldest synangogue in Europe.
Finally, we enjoyed our last day exploring Vladstenjsky Palace in Mala Strana where the government sits. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens that include 2 white peacocks. We enjoyed a last meal in Prague at the Big Square in a Medieval dungeon styled restaurant complete with a pig on a spit and some live Czech music. Off to Vienna!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207658820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207658820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207658820/tpod.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:33:43 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Budapest, Hungary

After overdoing the pounding of the pavement, I have been left with memories of a great day on the Buda side of Budapest in the form of grumbly ankles...a reminder that I should have done this trip in my 20s. But onward, as Pest remains to be explored and I love this city.
Always painful to drag myself out of this beautiful hotel and its fabulous breakfast and coffee, but I headed back down to the Danube to the area which used to be a Roman fortress in 294 AD, but is now the centre of retail shopping on a pedestrian street known as Vaci Utca (vatshee ootsa). Besides the big name shops, this street ends in a gorgeous square lined with coffee shops one of which has been the centre of the coffee scene since 1884. I stopped to see the beautiful Gerbeaud with its high ceilings and opulant decor, but decided to opt out of the overpriced tourist coffee. Continuing down towards the river I passed the Pesti Vigado Theatre. It claims to have perfect acoustics after renovations in the 1980s (ahh, the 80s) but only the eastern side survived years of war and revolutions. The list of people who have played here is remarkable and ranges from Liszt to Brahms. I stopped in at the National Lutheran Museum. A tiny church where a lovely couple waited for any interested tourist. I was the only one and was presented with an English booklet describing all the treasures of the Protestants in Budapest which were pointed out in Hungarian by the sweet little lady who wanted to be sure that I saw all the museum had to offer. The main attraction was Martin Luther's will from 1542.
Starting to run out of steam I headed for the Jewish Quarter and signed up for a tour of the Great Synagogue and the Jewish cemetary and memorial park. This was a brutal tour, but fascinating as the guide's parents were among the Jews that were herded up by the Nazis as they obliterated the community. Her parents survived, but thousands of others did not. A memorial park has a metal weeping willow tree and on each leaf is the name of a family who perished during that time.
The next day I only had one idea on my mind and that was to head up the beautiful Andrassy Ut, lined with museums and Baroque sculptures and architecture, to the city park. I walked into the beautiful Syechenyi Baths and spent the morning with hundreds of Budapestis sitting in a large mineral bath heated to 20 degrees. Jets spurted out water from the ground up and along the sides of the pool. The jets went for 15 minutes and then went off so that people would move and let others replace them. It was quite comical to watch all these people standing as if in a trance on their little jet, others sitting on a ledge in heaven as the jets massaged their tired old bones. My ankles took advantage, but it wasn't so bad on the back either. After my experience in lounging, I headed to see the Vajdahunyad Castle. It has been used as a set in several Hollywood movies, but I was mainly interested in a sculpture called "Anonymous" which was a hooded scribe holding his giant pen. You couldn't see his face, but they say that if you rub his pen it will bring inspiration to aspiring writers...I'll let you be the judge.
Back at the hotel, I enjoyed a great Dreher, local Hungarian beer, with some businessmen from Finland and had a laugh or two. The Fins, I have found along the way, have a great sense of humour. I was told this was due to the fact that they live in darkness for much of the year...you gotta laugh!
I would come back to Budapest in a second, but it is sadly time to move on. This next move is one I've been waiting for all year. I am on my way to Prague to meet my MOM!! She will spend two and a half weeks with me in Prague, Vienna and a Czech town called Karlovy Vary...faomous for their spas. So, I brave the train tomorrow and hope that someone speaks English...my Hungarian is pathetic! Dreaming of my daffodils blowing in the Spring breeze, A.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207055100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207055100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207055100/tpod.html Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:30:30 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Istanbul, Turkey

Crossing the border into Turkey from Syria was a mystery. No one spoke English, so through creative use of charades I was sold a visa for 60 US dollars as opposed to my Aussie friends who bought theirs for 20. How do you argue in charades? I paid. Then we boarded another mini bus, but our guide was nowhere to be found. We drove away feeling mildly uncomfortable as we were told we would meet a guide at the border. Turning onto a quiet road, I noticed a man flagging down our bus. We stopped and piled out and finally another bus arrived with a guide. We had our Syrian guide on the cell phone to make sure this was really the guide we were waiting for. Once we were assured we had the right guy, we headed off for a quick drive to our first stop, Gaziantep.
I was quite pleased with Gaziantep as it was starting to feel a little more like Europe. The conservative atmosphere of Syria was left behind and it was clear that the women on the tour had more freedom in Turkey. We enjoyed a beautiful lunch in a little spot and visited a castle and had a great coffee at a little cafe.
That night Turkey took a turn. At about midnight my phone rang and a Turkish voice was at the other end. I said he had the wrong number and then he asked, "Do you want to chat?" I said no and hung up. I received a second phone call at 1 AM..."Do you want to chat?" said the voice. "No!" I responded. And again at 1:30, "Do you want to chat?" I believe my response was, "Don't call here again!" I called the reception, but they did not speak English. So, I called my poor sleeping tour guide. He came to my room and suggested that I take the phone off the hook. I did and with Darren on my mobile, I blocked the door with a chair and waited to sleep until about 5 AM. The next morning the guide tried to find out who had been calling, but no luck. Likely a guest at the hotel had heard me ask for my room key earlier and decided to try to make friends in the middle of the night. Charming!
Off to Capadocia the next day, I caught up on some sleep in the bus. Cappadocia was beautiful. Surrounded by hills of sandstone our hotel was built into the stone and had a gorgeous view of the caves and fairy chimneys in the area. We hiked through the Red Valley and saw vineyards and carved houses used by the Christians during the time of their persucution in the region. We visited old Christian villages and Greek villages that had been preserved so well. We toured one of the underground cities where people lived during the times that they had to be in hiding. We stopped at a carpet and kilim shop to view some of the most beautiful rugs I have ever seen. And I was tempted, but at $3000 I decided a t-shirt would have to satisfy me. The next day one of the girls and I headed out for a horseback ride through the vineyards and an old village. I guess we were the first tourists on horseback of the season and we felt like a parade as people stopped and stared at the procession. The guides were quite fun as were the 5 dogs that joined us on the ride.
One night before dinner there was a knock at my door. It was a couple from the tour smiling ear to ear. "Do you want to chat?" they asked. Cute!
That night we hopped on an overnight bus to Istanbul. Istanbul was a bustling city that combined the best of the East with a European feel. We saw the Blue Mosque and the basilica of St-Sofia. The massive domes and blue tiles of these buildings were striking. It was incredible to see Christian and Moslem artefacts sharing one roof. Finally, after trying to find the best deal, we hopped on a boat to cruise down the river that divides Asia from Europe towards the Sea of Marmara.
It was finally time to say goodbye to my travelling companions and after a nice meal in an Istanbul fish restaurant, we parted ways. Some headed home, others stayed, others headed towards Gallipoli and I was on my way to Budapest.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207592340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207592340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/coigreach/one_year/1207592340/tpod.html Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:47:39 -0400 Follow me on a year of "new" as I head for Australia, SE Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific Northwest

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Budapest, Hungary

OK, so I'm gonna get back to Turkey, but I have to write about today. I am so happy to be back in Europe!!! Budapest is a place that I would highly recommend as a great place to take a holiday. I have easily walked 20 kms today and seen some beautiful sights. I started walking from my hotel (which I might add is a nice change from the 3 star Gecko tour accomodations) towards the Chain Bridge which has two huge lions at each end. It overlooks the Danube from which you can see both the Buda side and the Pest side of Budapest. I walked up to Castle Hill to see the enormous Royal Palace. Inside was a brilliant museum highlighting the reign of King Matyas from the 1400s and it was fascinating to me for two reasons. The first is that his reign ended with a takover from the Turks with whom I just spent a week and it highlighted the years leading up to that, which I spent years touching on in my history classes. Having a background in this area of history really adds to your experience when you get to hear the full story from the people that it belongs to.
Although I could have spent a day in this museum, there were other sights to see, so onward I go. I went to an area of Buda that they refer to as Old Town. Beautifully pastel painted buildings line the streets, each with special architecture dating back to the Middle Ages. I saw Mattias Church which had been partially destroyed by the Turks during their takeover, but restored over time. Outside was a beautiful memorial to the people who died during the Plague. I saw the house where Beethoven spent much of his time in the 1800s and the Vienna Gate which stands as a reminder that this was once an enclosed city. The views from this area were spectacular as you could look down upon the Danube and the red rooftops of the Budapetis houses. I saw old merchant houses from the 15th century and imagined the craftsmen that were the foundations of trade in this region during the end of the Middle Ages.
Eventually, I stopped for lunch. Budapest is famous for its cakes and I took advantage of the best chocolate cake and cappucino that I have ever had...who said cake isn't for lunch? I walked along the Danube and finally made the climb to see the statue of Gul Baba who was the inspiration for the Whirling Dirvishes during the occupation of Turkey by the Mongols. Finally, I crawled back to Pest and enjoyed my second beautiful meal at a resaurant with a glass of Hungarian wine and cried praises for Europe throughout my meal much to the dismay of the waiters who could barely understand English! I made my way back to my beautiful hotel (a splurge...deserved!) and enjoyed a couple of Hungarian beers at the bar. And my feet are aching, but my belly is full and I am left tonight with a deep feeling of gratitude for having been born in the western or developed world. We have it good! If I can still walk tomorrow, I plan to hit the trendier areas of Budapest and a mineral hot spring complete with a massage. I know, I know, I'm not backpacking anymore...but I've earned it!
And one last note. Although I am profoundly appreciative of the opportunities that I have had to see parts of the Middle East and the Islamic world, I am also so relieved that I finally have freedom again. Ladies, keep that in mind the next time you walk down the street.
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