TravelStream™ news feed for member fletcherclaytor on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/fletcherclaytor en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:33:43 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253492867/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253492867/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253492867/tpod.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:33:43 -0400 Italy 2009: Venezia, Firenze, Roma and Citta del Vaticano

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Chicago, Illinois, United States

We left very early on Wednesday for the train station and our train to FCO airport. Somehow, Bryan got us on a direct flight to ORD vs a lay-over in JFK...and saved us 4 hours of transit time! So we did some duty-free shopping--chocolate and single malt, and then enjoyed a last croissant, pizza slice and cappuccino before the 10 hour flight home...5,151 miles. We watched Marley and Me on the plane ride home and I cried my eyes out...and so did most of the plane. And then there were those thoughts of the Pantheon--and how very cool it would be to stand in there when it rains and hear the patter on the marble floors.Or to see Venice in the snow.Or the Pope blessing the crowds at Easter.Here's hoping those coins in Trevi Fountain do their jobs!Ciao Italy...but we'll be back!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406722/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406722/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406722/tpod.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:27:14 -0400 Italy 2009: Venezia, Firenze, Roma and Citta del Vaticano

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Vatican City, Lazio, Italy

Even though we're not Catholic, we had to experience the Vatican. We were hopeful for one of those mass audiences with the Pope...but alas, he left a few days before for Jerusalem. Nonetheless, we visited his home, his country, his fortress--the Vatican. It's only 106 acres, but it has it's own post office, currency, army (the Swiss Guard), radio station and freight train station. And it counts as another country on TravelPod! We got there early--at 7am as St. Peter's opened for the day. There is a special Pope door to the far right--and of course we noticed the Pope balcony above our entrance. Michelangelo's Pieta is just to the right of the front doors. A lovely white marble statue of Mary and a dying Jesus, carved when Michelangelo was only 25 and the only piece he signed. It is protected behind glass since some idiot tried to destroy it in 1972. Who tries to destroy a beautiful piece of artwork carved over 500 years ago? I don't get it. St. Peter's is massive. Sunlight streams in and seemingly turns corners--highlighting the marble Veronica to the left of St. Peter's altar. St. Peter himself is buried here they say, in the grottos below. Poor St. Peter's bronze statue likeness has had his toes lovingly rubbed away over the years by adoring pilgrims. And pigeons fly high above in the golden rafters of the church. We took another climb to the top of a dome. This time 320 steps (after a lift). The view was stunning of Rome and of the steep sides of the dome. We stopped midway down to buy some rosaries and postcards with Vatican stamps from the nuns and to enjoy a standing espresso while we wrote postcards to be mailed from this mini-but-mighty Country. Next, we made our way over to the Vatican Museums. Through a pack of people and a dozen rooms filled to the brim with paintings, frescos, tiles...and through a long hall of painted maps and gilded ceilings. Our goal was to get to the Sistine Chapel and spend some time there soaking it in. Finally, we entered the Sistine Chapel--the place where the papal conclave is locked until they vote a new pope, the place were black or white smoke signals the vote results to outsiders, the place where Michelangelo lay on his back on scaffolding for over 4 years painting scenes from the Bible on the ceiling, and returned about 25 years later to paint the Last Judgment on one of the walls. As we were ushered in, everyone started snapping pictures. I took 4 including ones of the ceiling, the Last Judgment and the amazing floor that no one ever looks at (all without a flash) before guards reminded everyone that no photography was allowed. We sat quietly on the edges of the room looking up and admiring the scenes and the colors--and trying to grasp the history in that room...the stories those walls could tell!Truly a highlight of our trip...Pope or no Pope!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406641/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406641/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406641/tpod.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:47:14 -0400 Italy 2009: Venezia, Firenze, Roma and Citta del Vaticano

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Rome, Lazio, Italy

Tickets to Rome from Florence were €84, again purchased from a machine in the train station. Our 2 hour journey to Rome began on 5/7 at 12:30 pm. Tuscany again passed by at 90 mph, rows of brown plowed fields and criss-crossed stripes of vines like lines of crosses over the fields. And those tall, proud cyprus trees. Yellow fields, cute little orange and yellow farmhouses with red tile roofs...it was typical Tuscany as you've always dreamed. I could almost smell the garlic and lemons cooking...We were staying at Mecente Palace conveniently located near the train station and both red and blue metro stops. This hotel had a rooftop bar overlooking to the west, the Basilica de Santa Maria Maggiore and an awesome sunset. Rome was far busier than Florence and light years from Venice. We bought 7 day train passes for €16 each to ease some of the long distance walking that we expected here. Once again, we spent our days seeing the sites. Some days, we stumbled onto the sites--the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Others, we had to hunt for--the Roman Forum, Piazza Navona. One of the first sites we visited was the Colosseum. It is spectacular to walk up and out of the subway into the shadow of the colossal Colosseum. Built in AD 72-80 to hold 50,000 people, it was abandoned 500 years later--becoming a fortress in the middle ages and a source of stone for other Roman buildings. Today, it sits there--in a round-about practically--traffic wielding around it and the subway running under it. The place is huge. All that remains are the bones of it. Only three-quarters of the outside structure still stands, with Doric columns on the bottom, Ionic in the middle and the fancy Corinthian up top. Inside, the seats are long gone and columns lay scattered here and there. The wooden floor is gone, revealing a plush green grass floor and a labriynth of stones marking what used to be underground passageways and chambers to hold prisoners, slaves and animals. The place spooked me. It's hard to understand the sheer volume of people and animals who died here in cruel shows. During it's opening 100 days and nights alone of "games", thousands of gladiators battled to the death and over 5,000 animals were slaughtered. Our next stop was Palatine and the Roman Forum. We roamed the area in the hot afternoon sun for some time before finding the forum...the streets of ancient Rome where Caesar once strolled and was assassinated. We were tired and sunburned by the time we got back on our colorful subway line and headed home. The Spanish Steps were not quite what I expected...fountain at the bottom and a series of steps to the top--where there is a French church and a fabulous view. People sat there in the sun--watching, waiting, wooing...we saw it all. A teenage boy feeding a teenage girl strawberries just after he put a spray of Cool-whip-from-a-can on them. A flirty woman with a drawer full of make-up on who had stripped down to her camisole (and rolled it up), leggings and bare feet to catch some rays (or guys?) and who photographed herself repeatedly and slowly added layers as the sun went down--including over the knee, 5-inch stiletto heeled boots. A man walking among all the people, looking at the girls. A woman with a white sweater set, turquoise scarf and matching leather bag and notebook--sitting there gazing at the domes of Rome. A guy with a guitar singing loudly and badly. An old Asian couple picking apart the petals of a rose as a friend photographed them. Another elderly couple popping a bottle of champagne and pouring it into paper cups as they sat there under their matching khaki hats. Austrians and young girls with heart shaped sunglasses on filling water bottles from the fountain. Old men sitting on the fountain side in trenchcoats talking in Italian at a brisk, yet quiet clip. And all the while, there was this smell of roasting chestnuts coming from street vendors. It was a fascinating place to sit, enjoy the sun and sites and people watch. We heard Trevi Fountain long before we found it. I never expected to see it attached to a massive building. It is the size of half a football field. Toss a coin in over your shoulder, and they say you'll come back to Rome. We each tossed in 2 coins :) We'd return to Trevi often--usually early in the morning or late in the evening with a gelato to avoid the crowds. The Pantheon was quite a discovery one day. We were sort of lost and stumbled into a piazza in front of this huge old hulk of a building. Inside it's massive bronze doors, it was quite and cool...and open to the elements from it's only source of light--a giant opening at the top of the dome. Any rain drains out via 22 small teardrop shaped holes in the old marble floor. Amazing in there. More discoveries: We found a place with blown glass ornaments in lovely blues, greens and reds, strung like Christmas lights across the alley. Tiny cars, and the sounds of Vespas. All the motorbikes would rush to the front of the traffic line at stoplights. At night, some people would sit with a single chair and a single parakeet on a stand...and a spotlight. Never understood what was going on there--but the birds always seemed to be waiting to go home...staring at their people. Rooms are cameras or stanzas, floors are pianos. It's so musical! The bells ring the hour AND the quarter hour... for example 3 o'clock is DING-DING-DING. But 3:30 is DING-DING-DING-DONG-DONG. You can imagine that 11:45 pm is a bit tiresome. "Prego" when you sit down or are ready to order. Some favorites: La Fiaschetta, Papa's Caffe and Wine Bar and L'Enotec Antica--the last being an atmospheric wine bar with delicious meals and a non-stop bowl of pistachios. The colors of navy blue and mauve purple together and mustard yellow with plum and red trims. And one of my all time favorite meals at Osteria Al Valle--a place with only 9 tables and the best meal ever--rucola salad with tomato, mozzarella, olive oil, salt and pepper...followed by cheesy gnocchi, a bottle of tasty Chianti and tiramisu and cappuccino for dessert. Sheer heaven.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1252873578/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1252873578/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1252873578/tpod.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:20:26 -0400 Italy 2009: Venezia, Firenze, Roma and Citta del Vaticano

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Venice, Veneto, Italy

We arrived in Rome in the morning and spent a long while in the airport waiting for our delayed flight to Venice. It had been a long cold night on the plane and we were in a dreamlike state--despite the sudden delight in having access to fantastic and cheap cappuccinos in the airport (we'd each had 3 within the first 2 hours on the ground in Italy). We were fighting nodding off in our cozy and lovely stretched leather chairs in the airport. I remember staring at Bryan's watch face willing my eyes to focus, while trying to listen to the announcements in Italian. "Are we delayed? Boarding?" The flight finally made it to Venice around 4pm and we figured out the water bus easily. For 13 Euro each (including luggage), we'd get transported to San Marco Square. We followed a small stream of people out into the misty, windy Venetian afternoon and boarded a floating waiting room. About 10 minutes later, a boat pulled alongside, threw down a metal bridge between the boat and our waiting room. The trick was in getting the luggage across the divide, along with yourself, in the wind, quickly cause people were waiting and both the boat and the waiting room were tossing in the waves...in different directions. I gave up on any grace, but made it over with everything in tact. Little did we know, we'd spend another 2 hours getting from the airport to the San Marco stop. The canals were choppy, so the windows were closed to prevent splashing waves from reaching us. We were so drowsy--staring out those foggy windows. We tried to make out where we were, what we were passing and yet it was like a dream. I remember seeing an island of graves, hearing and feeling the bus wash against the stops and the captain throw down the ramp, smelling the fresh sea air and a prevailing smell of mint, watching a massive tour ship cross our path, and feeling the sea's spray on my face when we opened the window for a clear view. Finally, it's as if we awoke from a dream and stepped out into a another dream--an ornate little miniature world come to life. We were in San Marco. There was the Basilica di San Marco. It reminded me of that old-timey carousel from Opryland. There was the Piazza San Marco and the long buildings with porticoes. There were the pigeons, the pillars, the tourists. I'd read in a guidebook that Venice defies description, and so it does. It was drizzling and we followed a small map. Trying to find our way, and yet in awe by the canals, the gondolas, the gelato stands... Our Hotel al Gazzettino was off a small canal, in a narrow alley. We'd splurged on a room with 2 tiny balconies over the canal--and wow what a room! Gold and blue bedspread, drapes and matching fabric wallpaper, white ornate furniture, a tiny TV that we never got to work (but who needs it in Venice!) and a bathroom as big as the room itself. We threw open the windows and stood out on the balcony watching the gondolas beneath. It would rain almost the whole time we were in Venice, but the rain seemed to suit the place. With 117 Islands, 150 canals and 410 bridges--water was everywhere. Water stood at the entrance to beautiful old San Marco, easing into the delicate mosaic floor. Elevated sidewalks were set-up to keep the tourists' feet dry. The wet streets and the sound of the rain hitting the water was becoming to Venice. There are no cars in Venice--just boats. Boats for everything--police, mail, ambulance, buses, taxis, delivery, laundry... The Grand Canal has been described as the "finest street in the world" with a parade of old buildings now in elegant decay. Hundreds of gracious, ornate old buildings tilted this way and that along the banks. The water laps at the front doors. Boats are parked, tied up like horses in the old west in front of the buildings. There is a smell of mildew and the sea, of old wood and coffee. Laundry hangs, pigeons wait, and Venetians tend to their potted gardens on tiny balconies and roof tops. Our days were filled by wandering, watching, eating. We found a number of little restaurants--some with just 5 tables--serving homemade tortellini, lasagna, caprese salads, and delicious red wines. Cin! Cin! And there was the coffee, and the gelato. Grocery stores served fresh sandwiches and tasty paprika chips. We found a place selling wine for 3 euro--siphoned out of a giant cask and put into your plastic water bottle. We would sit on the banks of the Grand Canal, or in the coffee shop, watching the world go by. One day we shopped along the double-sided aisles of the Rialto Bridge...buying leather journals in a shop so small that the workshop above had to be accessed with a cedar ladder straight up. San Marco was a highlight. No pictures allowed. The place is filled to the brim with treasures (from 1075, all ships returning from abroad had, by law, to bring back a precious gift to adorn "the House of St. Mark"): There are hundreds of relics of bones and bits in fancy glass jars, jewel encrusted walls, tiny-pieced golden mosaics on the walls and ceiling, and a loggia where 4 horses keep watch over the piazza before them. The ancient basilica's floor is incredible with thousands of tiny mosaic tiles and so warped it could be described as hilly. I'm surprised that all the mosaics stay put in the floods and warping. There was so much to look at, it was stunning. That old basilica sits there day in and day out watching the crowds go by, feeling the water seeping into it's foundation and holding tight to it's treasures plundered and received nearly 800 years ago. It is by far one of the most stuffing places I've ever seen. I bought rosaries there--old marbled glass to remind me of the colors of the floor and walls. We took a gondola ride during a clear hour one afternoon. The light in the canals was spectacular--diffused and rose gold. It's about 90 euro for an hour ride around the area--and worth every single penny. Our gondolier, Ricardo, took us out into the Grand Canal for a pass under the Rialto Bridge. He showed us how the water's high tide breeched the first floors of many buildings and described how many of the owners were abandoning the first floors of their homes--no longer using the canal-side doors. I imagined rooms with extravagant fabric wallpapers and gilded crown mouldings--standing lonely and empty now except for a few heavy pieces of furniture sacrificed to the flood waters. On one of our last nights, we stood there listening to the violins and violas play the old songs in the Piazza. There was the tinkling of champagne glasses and delicate cups. We could see the rooms above with their red velvet damask wallpaper, dripping chandeliers and fancy dressed customers. Yet, the water still stood at the threshold of San Marco's, lapping against those gold mosaics. "It's like the Titanic," Bryan said. Grand and sinking into legend.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406548/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406548/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1253406548/tpod.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:11:49 -0400 Italy 2009: Venezia, Firenze, Roma and Citta del Vaticano

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Florence, Tuscany, Italy

I wasn't sure I was ready to leave Venice. But, we'd bought the train tickets (€77 for 2) from a machine in the train station a few days earlier and we would have to leave eventually...and rain was coming again to Venice. So on a gray Sunday morning, we hauled our suitcases down to the Grand Canal and boarded a water bus to the train station. We'd packed a lunch from a grocery store (sandwiches and chips) and two wine-filled water bottles. The train was punctual and at 12:43 pm, Venice was "finito."It was 2 hours and 40 minutes to Florence. Over the Tuscan landscape filled with green fields, villas and the tall skinny cyprus trees. We listened to our iPods, seated across from each other and watched Tuscan fly by sipping our wine and smiling. We were caught up in the daydreams of Venice and of our "next" trip to Italy where we'd like to drive this Tuscan land. There were also lots of tunnels and sudden ear-pops between Bologna and Firenze, which seemed to heighten our anticipation and get us out of the melancholiness. Florence was teeming with cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, bikes...it was crazy after the Venice quiet. We maneuvered carefully to our hotel, over cobblestone streets and dodging traffic. Our Hotel Perseo is on the same street as the Duomo...and only a few blocks away. Our 5th floor is their 4° piano--and our room 407 looked west to the sunset and the bells of Santa Maria Maggiore. Breakfast and "happy hours" were served in a persimmon orange room on the lobby floor 3. The owners were kind enough to make reservations for us at both the Accademia and the Uffizi. We spent our days in Florence eating, drinking, shopping and seeing the art.First things first--we climbed the 463 steep steps of stone and some spirals to the top of the Duomo. It's a double-shelled dome and in some places it was hard to even walk straight up. But from up there you can see red roofs for miles.... Beautiful views. And to get closer to the frescoes on the inside of the dome was incredible. Bryan could even reach the frescoes. From below the drawings were small--but up close, Bryan's hand was about the same size as a toe of a man tumbling into the jaws of Hell's devil. Huge. We found the Chiesa di S.Lorenzo leather market--where we fed a sad, gimpy pigeon (and a few hundred of his friends), bought €5 cashmere scarves and postcards. I ended up buying a leather bag too--shoulder bag with both short and long straps--in the softest of cappuccino colored leather. :) Later, we found Antica Sosta--a quiet place for wine that served bruschetta with some mighty-fine, sweet, olive oil for apertivi hour. Cin! Cin! And of our 4 nights in Florence, twice we ate at an old restaurant--tucked into the back streets of old Florence, near Dante's home. Bottle of wine, and pasta until we nearly popped. Excellent atmosphere. Another day started with a visit to Accademia to see David. How do you describe a statue 17 feet tall that was so finely carved by a 29 year old Michelangelo over 500 years ago? David stands today in beautifully lit domed room in Accademia, but he was outside in a piazza for almost 400 years. No photographs are allowed of the actual David--making the postcards a must-buy. We took binoculars to look closely at his smooth face--one side innocent boyish calm, the other side tense and angry. An "understudy" David stands outside where the original used to stand. Another day began with a trip to the Uffizi. A favorite of mine was the gilded icon panels--fantastic colors of layered-on gold leaf atop reds and yellows. And that tell-tale cracking from the egg coatings. There were a number of works telling the story of the Annunciation--where Mary is told she will give birth to the son of god. In one, by Simone Martini, she holds a forgotten book in her left hand and shrinks away from the angel in her chair. We also saw The Birth of Venus and Primavera by Botticelli...both in low light rooms to save the colors. There was a map room in the Uffizi--cool and dark with harlequin, argyle-diamond windows of green, yellow, rose and clear and 11 globes as the only furnishings. There was almost too much too see. It is beautiful and each piece deserves an hour to fully absorb the colors, the faces, the gestures, the meaning--and to appreciate it's age! We spent time in the old art shops too--seemingly as ancient as the pieces hanging in the museums. Zecchi was my favorite--old, small, dusty--and a handsome colorful array of egg tempera pigments in jars behind the counter. Old books with colorful pages for artist renderings, fat paintbrushes, palette knives of wood...I spent over an hour in there looking at all the stuff and watching artists come and go. I also enjoyed the Il Papiro store--featuring the handmade traditional marbled paper and the new experiments with gouache watercolor-like papers. I also got fascinated with the inks with names like Turkish Blue and Violetta...Tiny bottles with ornate little labels and tops sealed with matching wax. They even wrapped the inks in matching tissue paper, and placed a sticker on everything. With that tiny bag of carefully wrapped purchases, I felt quite special walking around Florence! We also had laundry to do in Florence. One day we found a Wash & Dry and spent €3.50 a load to wash and €3.50 to dry jeans, socks and undies. After only 4 days, it was time to move on to Rome. Just as we were getting into Florence's groove, it was time to go.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/antarctica-2007/1194858600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/antarctica-2007/1194858600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/antarctica-2007/1194858600/tpod.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:36:26 -0400 Crossing the Equator, to Santiago, Ushuaia, and on to Antarctica.

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Antarctica, Aitcho Island, Antarctica

We are in Antarctica! After about 24 hours of motoring along through the Drake Passage, we crossed the Antarctic Convergence-which is where the water temperature drops quickly over a short few miles as the warmer northern water meets the colder southern water. The first iceberg was spotted around 9:30 am on Sunday morning. It was a big square block-about the size of 5 acres--sitting way off in the distance. Then we passed a few more icebergs very close up-one with penguins perched on the side. Bergs began to get more frequent. We saw bergs with blue, greens, lines etched, tunnels...all very beautiful. The Drake got very large swells yesterday as we were in the final few hours to the South Shetland Islands. Waves broke over the front of the bow and the ship pitched front-to-back and rolled side-to-side. Never knew there was a difference between pitching and rolling. But I know it now. And I know that they both make me queasy! Waves even washed over the dining room windows on the port side (the left side, in the direction of travel). This of course, sent me scurrying from the dining room looking for a Bonine tablet. About a third of the folks have been sea-sick. Around 1:30 pm, we pulled into a harbor and begin prepping for our first Zodiac landing. There was a mandatory meeting about proper environmental etiquette while on land: Keep 15 feet from penguins, try not to make many footprints, don't take stones or shells, leave no waste behind, move quietly and slowly. We began boarding Zodiacs around 2:30-8 to a boat. These are rubber dingies with a light metal bottom and big inflated rims to sit on. They sit low in the water-and you sit on the inner tube sides gripping a rope. It zoomed across the water to the black sand beach. You swing your legs over and jump into the waves breaking on the beach. The giant muck boots, water proof over-pants and the bright red parkas are amazing for keeping you warm and dry. We were on land for almost 2 hours and only my fingers got cold (since I had my hands out snapping pictures almost the whole time.) So, there are penguins everywhere! Gentoos with earmuff markings on their heads/eyes and bright red/orange feet/bills and Chinstraps with the identifying line across their chins. They looked at us. We looked at them. If you stop and sit down very still, they will approach you to get a better look. It's mating season, so there's a lot of pebble collecting, squawking and running about going on as they look for a mate and try to impress her. We also saw 3 seals basking in the 29 F degree sunshine and brisk winds. They seemed to enjoy it!Today, we're approaching Elephant Island--where Shackleton's men waited for rescue for 128 days. Not sure we'll be able to land-but should get fairly close to see it. There's a lot of ice this season, so landing plans change with the opportunities.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/16/1253450629/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/16/1253450629/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/16/1253450629/tpod.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:02:55 -0400 U2 at Soldier Field

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Chicago, Illinois, United States

These were their first shows in the States for the 360° Tour. What an honor that they opened in Chicago! We had tickets on the field the first night and on the 50 yard line in the high seats the second night.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1240746180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1240746180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/15/1240746180/tpod.html Mon, 25 May 2009 08:05:50 -0400 Italy 2009: Venezia, Firenze, Roma and Citta del Vaticano

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Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago O'Hare moments before a big trip is simply delicious. People watching almost at it's finest. And the excitement of the journey right upon you. And this amazing sense of peace in knowing that I'm packed (for better or for worse), I have the boarding pass and both me and the plane are at the gate. We're going!Preparing had come down to the wire. The flight was at 5pm and as of 10am that morning--I still was not packed. Couldn't decide what to take. Issue #1--How to look stylish enough for Italy and to be comfortable in what promised to be weather ranging from rainy 50-60s to sunny 70-80s? Settled on comfortable shoes (Finn Comfort flat brown suede clogs, brown Dansko clogs and black suede dressy janes), a cotton jersey dress and a few cotton jersey trendy tops with tanks, a lavender sweater, lightweight cream fleece, a white scarf, rain slicker and jeans. Done. And then there was Issue #2--Camera gear. The Nikon D80, filters, 50mm lens, Lensbaby + accessories, the Holga, the point and shoot Olymus, the Video Camera...and about 48 GB of memory cards and 5 hours of video tape. We called a cab and waited outside. Belle stood in the door staring at us--the worry wrinkles on the top of her head seemed more pronounced. She looked sad and I worried. 17 nights apart from my dear old dalmatian lady. On the way back, the airplane showed Marley and Me. Had I seen that movie on the way over, I might have turned right around for home upon landing in Italy. Reminder--exit rows on international flights are COLD. -80F outside and about 32 inside. Yow. Sleepless, cold night.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/14/1223345460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/14/1223345460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/14/1223345460/tpod.html Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:36:15 -0400 Jordan, Israel and Palestine 2008

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Petra, Jordan

We left Jerusalem early in a shared taxi. 68 NIS total and we were on the bus waiting for the final passengers. I had gotten a bit spooked at breakfast on the roof this morning--we were feeding the cats, enjoying the sunshine, the olives and the view. And I noticed a playing card laying face down on the ground between our chairs. I reached for it and turned it over as I picked it up...uh oh...Ace of Spades. Travel days already are nerve-racking enough without the death card showing up at breakfast! But then, the last 2 passengers joining our bus were nuns from Mother Teresa's order! They were accompanied to the station by several other nuns--and they blessed each other by gently holding and touching each other's bowed heads. As the last one boarded the bus, she shouted "goodbye sisters" with a beautiful accent and smile. She squeezed into the seat next to me. I noted their soft white cotton robes with the distinctive blue stripes. They both wore finger rosaries. And then I noticed Bryan smiling at me. Yep, he'd read my mind...I was delighted to be accompanied on this journey by nuns! The mini-van ride was quick...we were practically flying around the curvy roads. I noticed the nuns' finger rosaries going round and round, just as I caught the last glimpse of the golden Dome of the Rock in the morning sun. Goodbye Jerusalem. But today, I was going to Petra! A place I've wanted to see for so long. The plan was to get to Wadi Musa / Petra today and enter the Rose Red City for the first time on my birthday. With the sun, the breeze, the nuns, the memory of Jerusalem and the promise of Petra...well, I was a happy, thankful girl. The exit from Israel cost 150.50 NIS each! And the entry into Jordan was a chaotic mess. You get separated from your luggage and your passport and there are no lines for anything. It took well over an hour to go through. We found a cash station for Jordanian dinars and stumbled across 2 German girls negotiating for a taxi ride to Petra. We approached them as they turned to us to ask if we were going to Petra. And we offered them a ride in our rental car that we still had to pick up. Bryan said it's a good gesture and will surely come back to us. Travelers karma. :) Manuela and Kerstin agreed to pay for the gas to Petra. We picked up the car at Europcar...an 11 year old black economy car reserved about 24 hours ago. A bit of miming about this and that with the attendant, and some pointing to the Petra road, and we were off. We headed out towards Road 65...the Dead Sea Highway. The deep blue Dead Sea was rimmed in white. No boats out there--just an incredible blue expanse with Israel on the other side. When the sea ended, we turned left onto highway 50...that went up up up. And then turned right onto the Kings Highway 15. This was like Nolensville Road in Nashville--a major thoroughfare that passes through little towns periodically. Along the way, we stopped to get directions--roll down the window, smile and ask "Petra?" They'd smile back and begin pointing. There was a road closure and a detour that took us into the back roads of a small town. Kids ran alongside the car smiling. We joked about what they must think of Bryan and his 3 rebellious wives--all without head scarves! We stopped for a bathroom break and Bryan bought those middle eastern sweets with the pistachios and flaky pastry from a small shop. All in all, the journey took 5 hours. Much longer than we'd expected. We pulled into town as the sun was sinking, dropping Manuela and Kerstin at their hotel and driving on to find ours. The Petra Moon Hotel is very close to the entrance to Petra. They were offering a Petra by Moonlight tour that night for JD12. We signed up, showered, ate a nice pizza at Mystic Pizza, and joined about 400 other people for a 3 1/2 hour walk. That sounds like a lot of people, but it is nothing compared to the crowds during the mid-days. And the guides request walking 2-by-2 in silence to appreciate the moment. Most people abided by that...and it was a stunning experience.The Siq--the mile long entry down into Petra--was lit by candles in bags spaced about 10 feet apart. I was giddy--about to see Petra!--and by candlelight no less. It was a clear night with a crescent moon and thousands of stars. I loved the sound of gravel and sand underfoot, the feeling of the walls rising up around us as we went deeper into the canyon, and the view of the stars narrowed to a sliver above. The anticipation was building. On and on we walked. It was so quiet as the Siq narrowed and we continued down, the walls rising above us. Careful over the larger stone path. 45 minutes passed. Finally, we heard murmuring ahead of us, heard gasps, and then we too turned a curve and saw the flickers of thousands of candles right ahead...lighting up and revealing a glimpse of the massive Treasury. Finally, you step out right in front of this huge 6 columned facade ornately carved into the side of a cliff. What a way to see it for the first time! The size of it, the rosy color of the columns accented by the dancing flames of a thousand candles. The silence. The stars above. Stunning. Rows of carpets had been laid out for us to sit. We were brought mint tea on large copper serving trays. The Bedouin guide told us the story of Petra as we sat quietly in front of one of the great wonders of the world. He told us the story of the Nabataeans who carved all of this grand place over 2,000 years ago, of the Bedouins who lived in tents around here, of how the city was "lost" to outsiders and then found again in the 1800s. I couldn't help but think about Indiana Jones--and wonder about the Holy Grail. We got to hear Bedouin music that night--an oud and a flute, echoing in the Treasury. Incredible.We slept well that night after the long walk, the long ride from the border to Petra, and after 7 long, sleepless nights in Jerusalem. On my birthday, we took time over breakfast--better coffee, more hard-boiled eggs and hummus, but no olives :( We got the 3 day Petra pass and began the walk through the Siq at 8 am. The Siq is a stunning walk--so many colors and shapes in the walls. We stopped a hundred times to climb this, photograph that. We finally reached the Treasury--and were even more stunned to see this magnificent thing in the sunlight. There is only a small room actually carved into the Treasury...but the detail in the columns, in the statues on the side...amazing. We stopped for tea and a Fanta and contemplated the day ahead of us. We'd packed a lunch of some cheese/crackers, almonds and oranges.Petra during the day is crowded...and hot. During the day, it's louder and you have to avoid the horse carriages coming and going through the Siq, then the camels and donkeys in Petra...not to mention the vendors trying to sell necklaces. There can be an intense smell of urine around the Treasury. And I couldn't stand seeing the donkeys whipped or tied to stakes in the sun all day. We walked miles and miles every day--aching by the time we returned to the Treasury--only to face the 1 mile walk up the Siq to the village. All this to say--it is a physically and mentally challenging place to spend a few days. I wished I was in better shape, that I'd come when it was cooler (or when I was younger!), that I hadn't worn shoes with sand collecting mesh, that I'd brought more sunscreen and water. I wished the people would be nicer to the animals, I wished I'd seen even one person giving their horse/donkey/camel a drink of water. Regardless, the place is stunning. It is a testament to human ingenuity. There are thousands of patterns and sparkling colors in the sandstone and so many stages of erosion. We walked for 3 days there and feel like we didn't see half of it. And they say only 5% of it is excavated! Day 1, we took our time. I took about 500 pictures along the way through the Street of Facades, the theater, the Royal Tombs. We ate lunch at the Urn Tomb--overlooking the collonaded street of Petra below. On day 2, we went in around 6:30 am. There were only a few people (maybe 5) at the Treasury. We all took turns taking and getting our photos in front of an empty Treasury. And then we began the walk to the Monastery with a guy named Tony. About 10 miles round trip. Past all the stuff we'd seen yesterday and then a turn onto the trail that has 800 steps and winds up, up, up. The trail isn't hard to find, but not exactly well marked either. We walked up ancient warped steps, around narrow cliff paths looking down into canyons, up, up, up. We thought we'd never get there. Along the way, a Bedouin family passed us...we exchanged "Merhahbah" with the dad who was walking, then another "merhahbah" with the ~10 year old son, and then the little ~6 year old girl passed and said "good morning" to us before we could speak. Big smiles. They waved us in the right direction as they took a different path into the canyon. We stopped in a cool crack between the cliffs to catch a great breeze in the little wind tunnel...and the Monastery was just to our right. WOW. Another MASSIVE facade carved into the side of a mountain. Eight columns wide--not as ornate, but huge and every bit as impressive as the treasury. Only 4 of us there...not counting the Bedouins who must live out there to run a little cafe. We saw a man dressed in a suit/bedouin head scarf, talking on a cell phone and walking a donkey. We saw donkeys bringing in crates of plastic bottles of water, and firewood. We stayed a bit. Resting in the shade, taking pictures, wondering if we could get up top on the urn like the National Geographic photograph (a tourist fell to his death a few years ago, so the path is closed--"no climbing"). This was a good day. It was early, cooler. I enjoyed the smell of the Bedouin's fires, they were waking up and making tea in several of the little booths along the way. We encouraged those we met on the path as we went back--"not far now!", "about 15 more minutes!" or to those close to the start "it's worth it!" On the way back, I noticed a little boy very carefully arranging colorful pieces of sandstone on a small table near the collonaded street. He couldn't have been older than 7. But he was so cute, a proud little business man, meticulously setting up a beautiful display of rocks to sell. He even looked at the sun's direction, and moved a stone just slightly to catch the sun in the right spot. I went back. His dad came up slowly behind him on a donkey. I asked the little boy if he was selling the rocks--he replied "3 for 1 dinar, your choice lady". I chose carefully, and asked him what he thought. He again said "your choice, any". I gave him my dinar, said "showkrawn", he said "thank you" and turned beaming to his dad. I heard his dad say "Bravo" as we walked away...and the little boy laughing and talking excitedly after his first sale. We spent this night at Petra Kitchen with 7 other guests cooking an authentic Jordanian meal...lentil soup, baba ganuj, tabbouleh, galaya bandura, araias lahmah (I worked on this crispy meat quesadilla thing) and Magloubet ("upside down"). We were all having a little wine and chopping, stirring--while 3 chefs oversaw and did the heavy work. Excellent meal...and lots of it. We spent the third day walking around the Royal Tombs and sitting quietly for our final moments in front of the Treasury. And of course, a slow passage through the beautiful Siq. Bryan joked with the boys selling postcards, trying to sell his back. Good fun, they were laughing when they understood him. On the final night, we ate at Oriental Restaurant. I had mansafe with rice with almonds/pine nuts. Yum. And then we borrowed Indiana Jones from the hotel staff and watched Harrison Ford ride a horse in the Siq :) A nice ending to our Petra experience. So many places we didn't see in Petra. Such nice people in Wadi Musa. I'd like to go back someday.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/14/1223687520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/14/1223687520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fletcherclaytor/14/1223687520/tpod.html Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:28:12 -0500 Jordan, Israel and Palestine 2008

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Wadi Rum, Jordan

On October 10, we headed to Wadi Rum--leaving Petra early in the morning. We were to spend 2 days/nights in the desert, riding camels, 4-wheeling and hiking to enjoy the landscape. We began with 3 funny British tourists and 2 Bedouin guides.I learned some things in Wadi Rum. Here they are in no particular order.1) Riding a camel is no easy affair. They kneel down, and you climb up. And then they stand up--back end first, which sends you nearly over the front. And then up comes the front. Camels are tall--the ground is way down there. My camel, Lulu was a chatty five year old (Seriously, she grunted, hummed and snorted into the other camels' ears just about every minute of our time together). 2) A camel saddle is not comfortable. First of all--it begins with a piece of wood shaped like this: ^ to fit over the camel's hump. There are 2 horns to hold on to...and likely to keep you in the saddle and on the camel during the standing up/lying down process. Then a few pillows and blankets are strapped over the wooden ^. There are no stirrups. After about 20 minutes of legs dangling, you can no longer feel your legs. We learned by watching the Bedouin to put one leg up and over the camel's neck--almost side-saddle. This let the blood flow again. Alternating legs was a necessity. 3) Taking pictures from a moving camel is hit or miss. They plod along and it's a bumpy ride. Makes for interesting angles I suppose. 4) Walking in the sand is slow-going and tiring. Camels are smart to take their time--loping along in relative silence (well, not Lulu). It's actually quite peaceful. You can hear the desert silence, the breathing of the camel beneath you. 5) Climbing a sand dune is a serious work-out. 6) Wadi Rum has red sand. It's a beautiful copper color...and sparkles like snow in the sun. 7) Sand gets into everything. Inside your shoes, inside your socks, in your mouth, ears, nose, eyes, hair, food, tea, water, backpacks...and let's hope not too bad in the cameras. Two months later, and I'm still finding the red sand of Wadi Rum. 8) There are a million more stars in the desert. Holy cow at the stars! 9) I'm not a camping girl. Sleeping in a bedouin tent was an experience I'm glad to say I've done...once. The goat hair tents were beautiful and kept us warm in the desert's cold night air. Old mattresses that were like lawn furniture pads were laid out on rugs in the tents and we had an old duvet. Everything smelled old, unwashed. Bryan said it smelled like camels. Lulu didn't smell THAT bad. The old style (hole in the ground) toilets were in a small room built against the huge rock shielding camp. Four stalls and 3 sinks were lit by candles--and 2 small stained glass windows. Despite the sleeping and toilet experiences--we ate a wonderful meal (Hunger makes a good sauce as they say in Ireland), and I slept like a log. And I did enjoy sitting in the cold morning air watching the sun rise--and then brushing my teeth out in the wide open desert.10) Sitting around a camp fire just before the sun comes up and enjoying a cup of tea and a laugh is a great way to start the day. The British folks slept near a Polish couple. Apparently, the Polish guy made a variety of noises in the night that kept a lot of people awake. Their wit and sarcasm had us all rolling--"He sounded like a camel...like a dozen camels...like a pregnant camel plus birds". "Maybe it's the wife?" "I don't think she's the size to produce such a sound" When the Polish guy came over to the camp fire, the British guy asked "How'd you sleep?"The Polish guy, "Lovely". "Incredible!" said the British guy. We sat there laughing in the warmth of the sun and the heat of the fire--eating boiled eggs and drinking tea. 11) When it's time to go, it's time to go. We decided to forego another day/night in the desert and hopped on the truck when it left for the village. The Bedouin Roads guys were great about our sudden change in plans. We got in our car, joined now by the 3 Brits who needed a lift to Aqaba and headed out.
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