TravelStream™ news feed for member ozziesescape on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ozziesescape en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:39:52 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ozziesescape/1/1245796568/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ozziesescape/1/1245796568/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ozziesescape/1/1245796568/tpod.html Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:39:52 -0400 Mike and Lorlinda's Excellent European Adventure

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Cadaques, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

Mike and Lorlinda after spending three wonderful days in France, decided to return to Cadeques, Spain. The easy going lifestyle of this coastal city drew them back. When they returned, there was an interesting fiesta going on. The charming village was alive with people attending the weekend festival. There were artisans selling there crafts, various vendors selling jewelry, others cooking delicious meats. During the evening there was live music, enticing the locals and tourist to listen and dance. It was the perfect ending days to a wonderful trip. Mike and Lorlinda vowed to return to this wonderful village.

THE END

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Figueres, Catalonia, Spain

One of the final days of our excellent adventure, were spent at the Dali museum/castle.
The museum is a different Dali exhibit then we visited earlier on our trip. This museum is located about two hours north of Barcelona. We would highly recommend a trip to this incredible display of some of Salvador Dali's greatest works.

THE END
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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

Hi everyone, we had a wonderful time, and had a great time meeting everyone. I hope everyone enjoys these photos, and some of the great memories of the May 31st, 2009 sailing the gem.

For those landlocked friends a little explanation. We heard about a website called Cruise Critic. Cruise Critic.com. It is a online message board, where people start threads about their upcoming trips. We sent messages back and forth through the internet, and booked trips at the port stops with our new online friends. It was a great experience, and, helped to save money for everyone. On the first sea day of the cruise, we had a get together, and met everyone for the first time. There was people from Detroit, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, Chicago and even the UK. It all worked out great, and we made some new friends.
Mike and Lorlinda
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Collioure, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

We are getting tired of writing, but I wanted to get these pictures uploaded. The graveyard was right next to the highway. It was a border town called Banyulis-sur-mar. We spent about thirty minutes photographing the city and the ocean. The graveyard were all above-ground family crypts.

The town of Collure is a great place to visit. It has a lot of local artist that paint scenes of the city. It also has a large restaurant area on the opposite side of the castle. There is also lots of shopping on this side of town. The food was pretty good. It was not really French cuisine. The food was more of the Catalan variety, similar to Spain. This town is just over the border, and not more than 2 1/2 hours from Barcelona.

THE END
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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands


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Marseille, Provence, France

French 101

Mike and Lorlinda are now in deep French country, and those French lessons better work because now it’s sink or swim. For the most part they’re staying afloat but there have been some near drownings.

To save on the Euros, they’ve been purchasing food at local supermarkets and storing it in a small ice chest, which Mike cleverly found in a boating store. However, the two did not expect that finding ice would become their daily challenge. It turns out buying ice is an American thing and not very European, or at least not French. It took awhile for them to learn this, and in doing so they encountered some very comical situations. Ice in French is "glacon" which sounds similar to the word, "glass" in English but with an "on" at the end.

One morning when they embarked out on their daily ice mission, they came across a huge supermarket/department store, similar to a Sam’s Club, called, "Carefor." When Lorlinda asked an employee in the frozen food department if they sold ice, she was looked at as if she was from outer space. So instead they purchased some staples, such as beer, etc. And Mike picked up some cheap T-shirts.

As they were checking out in the express line, Lorlinda decided to ask the checker if there was a store nearby that sold ice. The checker was very confused by her request, and assumed that Lorlinda must be asking for something else because nobody buys ice. The checker was determined to guess what Lorlinda needed, because her store sold everything, and it just wasn’t possible that there was something that could not be purchased from her store. The checker must have also seen this as an opportunity to practice what little English she knew on an American as she stopped ringing up the people who were waiting in the long line behind Mike and Lorlinda to assist them. Assuming that Lorlinda was mistakenly asking for ice, the checker started throwing out every English word she knew that rhymed with glacon or at least started with a "g." In reply, Lorlinda kept repeating in French, "No, glacon." Seeing that the line behind them was getting quite angry, Lorlinda tried to politely cancel her request. Then the checker in the next line, having overheard the conversation, decided to chime in and stop her line as well. Both checkers were determined to guess what it was that Lorlinda, "really wanted." Now there were two angry lines. When it looked as though another employee was about to join in on the puzzle game, Mike and Lorlinda made a quick exist. It was clear no one could understand each other. A bit of a Babel story.

After leaving the huge supermarket, they were both hungry for breakfast. Tired of salami and cheese sandwiches for breakfast (the typical French breakfast), they broke down and decided to go into the McDonalds (for a little comfort food), which happened to be in the same parking lot as the huge supermarket. Unfortunately, when they walked up to the front door it was closed and would not open till 10:30. Denied.

Lorlinda went back to the car and ate a salami sandwich. Meanwhile, Mike decided to wait it out till 10:30. When McDonalds did finally open, Mike without Lorlinda’s French was left on his own. Remembering all his French from the movie, "Pulp Fiction," Mike tried to order a ¼ pounder by asking for a "Le Royal." This not being on the menu, Mike then settled for the "petit hamburger." As he pointed to the rolling menu screen, Mike got confused and said, "Yes, se, oui." The clerk thought this was very funny, and when Mike pointed to the ice bin below the drink station, she gladly gave them for free. So, from that day forward, they got their ice from McDonalds.

THE END
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Beaucaire, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Mike and Lorlinda's photos from driving through the French countryside. The butterflies were awesome and were everywhere you looked.
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Cadaqués, Catalonia, Spain

The Dali House - A Surreal Experience

To enter Dali’s house is to enter his creative mind and feel the soul of his many inspirations. Stepping through his tiny, Mediterrian door you are immediately greeted by a large, imposing polar bear wearing fishing garb and holding a walking cane; just a small clue as to what surprise you might encounter next.

Dali believed the center of a house was its heart and everything else was extra. It’s clear he followed his belief, as he designed and built the center of his Spanish villa first, and then, one by one, added long narrow hallways extending from its center to act as veins into other organs of his home.

To Dali, his home was another canvas in need of painting. Don’t walk too fast, because each corner, and all nooks and crannies were to Dali another opportunity for creative expression. So, don’t take your eyes off the walls too quickly or you’re likely to miss a carefully placed egg, clock, small sculpture, a unique creation, or mirrors strategically placed to reflect the sea and garden just outside the windows. Remember, all space to Dali was a canvas including the ceiling. If you look up, you’re likely to see a creature peering down at you or an upside down umbrella above your head. And you’d better also watch your step or you might stumble over the large sea snail crawling slowing across the room or bump into the giraffe chair.

When you decide to embark down a vein from the heart of the villa be aware of the large figures waiting on the other side to welcome you into each new room, such as a statue wearing fencing gear or mannequins fashioning their exotic wears. You may also be welcomed by a portrait of Dali himself, or simply an inquiring goat. Each room an experience in surrealism. And all well thought out, very Daliesqe style.

Many of the rooms lead outside to gardens just as fantastic as the villa’s interior. Again, another canvas for a surreal experience. Large eggs precariously balanced on the roof ready to fall at any given moment. Another egg already cracked open as if to release a birth. Large touching heads perch high on the crown of the villa. Perhaps a sculpture of Dali with his wife.

The gardens are adorned with flowering plants in large pots scrupled by Dali, such as giant tea cups, animals, and other unusual pottery. In art, nothing is wasted. Stretched-out in the garden, a fallen tree and leftover building materials become a man with a pitch fork laying down and taking a nap on the mountainside.

Travel past the giant tea cups will lead you to the private patio with a penis shaped swimming pool, small fountains, and plenty of couches to lay and rest. As always, don’t forget to look in all directions, including up. There are plenty of small and large, stuffed and sculpted, creatures all around to keep you company as you lounge on the private patio, including a life size elephant on the roof with his trunk stretched out over the pool.

The house ignited and animated Michael and Lorlinda’s imagination who have always had a passion for surrealism. They were also able to spot the many inspirations of Dali’s painting and appreciate why Dali was so inspired on this coast and why he chose it to build his villa.

THE END
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Béziers, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Beziers is a medium size French town that has a large cathedral perched on a hill above the river Orb. The Cathedral is visible for miles around. It would be worth a trip to see this area, and it is quite close to the major toll roll A9.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9ziers







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Marseille, Provence, France

Mike and Lorlinda leaving the seaside village of Collioure found a charming little road with no name other than the Wine Road.

They pulled to the side of the road, and ate a picnic lunch in one of the vineyards near the railway line. (And Mike got to see a couple of local trains go by.)

Afterward they followed the narrow road and traversed up around the mountain side through more beautiful vineyards and scenery until they reached the top.

Perched high above stood a medieval castle where the local monks lived and made their own wine.

The view was spectacular. The mountainsides were covered with grape vines and flowers, overlooking the crystal blue sea.

You'll never know all the treasures that wait for you unless you take a chance and venture down the road less traveled.


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