I want to let everyone know that this blog will end in a few days. Over the past few years, especially as my photography has taken over my interests, I just haven’t had the time or desire to keep it going. I do invite all of you to stay in touch via social media.
Instagram: lemsfo
Facebook: St Joseph & The Penguin (This is where I hope to continue posting travel info)
On both of these sites I will also post links to my better photos. There are still amazing g places out there to see and share.
In the meantime, here are some resent phone shots from a road trip in Spain.
Greetings all. I hope those of you in the Southern US and Southern Europe are keeping cool. Here in Antwerp we are enjoying temps in the 20s (low 70s F). Not that I want to rub it in.
Getting back to the travel part of this blog…
In March of this year I did a whirlwind trip to see family in the US. The passing of an uncle in 2021 reminded me of the people I care about in the US (both blood and chosen family) and being overseas means I had to be purposeful about seeing them. It was such a wonderful trip! Exhausting, but really, really wonderful.
I arrived at SFO where I spent the night and then boarded another flight the next day to LAX. Yes, I know I should have flown into LAX to begin with, but I purchased the transatlantic part of the ticket months earlier before other plans had been finalized.
From LAX, I rented a car and drove to San Diego where I spent one night with my cousin Kevin and his wonderful wife Pat. I had such great time hanging out with them and getting to know their kids a bit better. After Kev’s house, I went to stay with my mother’s friend Susan and her husband Mike. Sue is like an aunt to me as she and my mom were as close as sisters.
Sue and Mike live in Coronado, a wonderful small island just off San Diego. We also went to their house in the Anza Borrego desert. This was such a treat. I have always loved the desert but this year, after all the rains in California, it was just incredible. The flowers created a carpet of color and, since the storms were still brewing, the skies added an additional layer of drama into the landscape and the photos. I also finally saw a roadrunner and made a new friend: Jack.
After San Diego and Anza Borrego I went back up to LA to visit with more family. I stayed with my Aunt Anne and her husband Steve. My cousin Gen also lives in LA and my cousin Lisa flew down from Washington State. We had one big family dinner to celebrate my uncle Kevin’s birthday. It was such an nice mini-reunion. I want to give a shout-out again to Auntie Anne for putting it all together. I hope we can do it again soon. I miss you guys!!!
Before leaving Southern California I went out to Joshua Tree National Park for a night. For European U2 fans, yes, there really are Joshua Trees and they look just like the ones on the album. Fun fact: Joshua Trees are not actually trees. They are succulents and part of the yucca family. The park was just as interesting and beautiful as I remembered and the snow capped mountains were like icing on a desert cake. It’s a lot more built up now but when I was going there in the 1990’s, it was just a mere “national monument.”
I finished up my trip to the USA with a too-short stay in Missouri with my friend Barb and a couple of days in SF before flying back to Belgium. It was great to see friends in SF, and the City by the Bay will always hold a special place in my heart.
TRIP TIPS
I did rent a car on this trip. If you have a foreign license, as I now do, SIXT rental car is probably your best bet. It was super easy and the car comes with the mandatory liability insurance all non-US drivers must purchase. They also have a lot of fun cars if you want something a bit more zippy than your standard sedan.
If you are flying in to SFO or leaving super early, the Grand Hyatt at the airport is a great option. Yes, they are more expensive than the ones off terminal, but here you are but a few air-train stops from your airline departure counter. If you want a hotel that’s a bit more economical, there are myriad choices within a few miles and most have free shuttles.
If you don’t have Global Entry yet, it is well worth the money and is open to some non-citizens/permanent residents as well as all US citizens. Depending on your credit card, the fee may actually be covered. Global Entry includes TSA Precheck (not vice-versa) and will have you through passport control in mere minutes. Once you are approved and your photo has been registered, facial recognition technology scans you and nobody even asks to see your passport. And before any of you conspiracy theorists say something about the facial recognition being an invasion of your privacy, do you really think they aren’t already photographing everyone that comes in through passport control? For more information and to check eligibility, click here. One note, while filling out your application, have your old passports for reference. I think I had to list EVERY country I have been to.
I am not really even sure where to begin after so much time. But, If I put off getting back on the blog-bus, I may never re-board. So, here goes.
The last few months of 2022 were pretty much a blur. I went to southern Spain in November and had a wonderful time. When I got back I messed up the editing of all my photos. Essentially, I exported all of them in the wrong format. Still haven’t gone back to fix this but hopefully the raw files (digital equivalent of a negative) are all still okay. I’ll circle back to Spain later.
After an exhausting 2022, I started 2023 like a horse out of the gate. I spent New Years in Paris with my good friend Deirdre who came to visit from the US. A couple of weeks after that I headed to the Lofoten Islands and then a return trip to Norway a few weeks later to experience Oslo. The Oslo trip really wasn’t planned in advance. I had miles on Norwegian Airlines (left over from when they still flew across the Atlantic) that were going to expire. Yes, those loyalty programs really do work.
The Lofoten Islands are magical. Unfortunately, the photographer leading the group was extremely unprofessional and pretty much a jerk, so the trip was not as great as it could have been. We also had pretty sucky weather; lots of rain with strong winds and unfortunately, very little snow. There weren’t a lot of opportunities to be outside with our cameras. On the upside, I got enough of a taste of this incredible outpost that I am already trying to figure out how to get back.
Oslo is just an amazing city. World Class. If you remember, I was there briefly before the Greenland trip with my friend Emily, so when I had a free ticket, no arm twisting was required. I loved the center of the city with Oslofjord, the harbor and the opera house. Everything in this stunning capital begs to be photographed. I think I could have spent three more days just wandering the streets and taking pictures.
The city also has this amazing park called Frognerparken. It has wonderful walking paths, sculptures, fountains and even a waterfall. Since I was there in winter, I was treated to snow and a bit of ice. In the summer I have no doubt the gardens are incredible. It’s about 30 minutes from the center on the city’s excellent public transportation and definitely worth a visit.
Norway is always wonderful and stunningly beautiful. Most people visit in summer but I actually think summer is the least interesting season here. I loved winter in both Lofoten and Oslo and several years ago I visited with my mother in spring. The light outside of the summer months puts everything in a glow that is difficult to experience at lower lattitudes. It’s like a perpetual golden hour. Move this country to the top of your bucket list now.
TRIP TIPS
The Lofoten Islands are located just inside the arctic circle in Norway. You can either fly from Bodo or take the ferry. I flew, but I think next time I would take the ferry, for no other reason than I like boats. If you are at all apprehensive about flying, this might not be the best mode for you. Small plane + high winds = bumpy ride. That said, these pilots are probably the best in the world at flying in bad weather.
When traveling in the more challenging parts of our planet, I recommend scheduling buffer days. This way, if weather or some other force majeure delays your chosen mode of transport, you have a day to figure it out.
The roads in Lofoten are very well groomed and all rental vehicles are outfitted with studded tires in the winter. That said, it is still the Arctic in winter. If you are not comfortable driving in snow, best to book a tour.
Oslo is expensive. Let’s just acknowledge that and move on. Still, it is worth staying downtown so you can walk around easily and enjoy the city. I booked a single room at the City Box. City Box hotels are one step above a youth hostel. The rooms themselves are clean and extremely basic. The common areas not so clean. I booked a single room which had barely enough room to swing a cat. Book a double if you plan to stay here more than one night. You will thank me later.
Getting to the city center from the airport is super easy. Use the Flytoget train from inside the airport terminal to the main station. Fast, clean, and plenty of space for luggage. Click here for more details: https://flytoget.no/en/
Does Dolce Vida work for all of Italy or just one part? Have to admit, I do not know the answer to that.
Anyway, last month Penguin and I took a two and a half week rail trip through north-central Italy. We started in Lake Como and finished up in Assisi. It was a great time with some spectacular scenery.
The first stop was in Lake Como, noted for being the favorite holiday spot of the glitterati. It is so much more than a playground for the rich. The main city, Como, is lovely with some nice cafes and a stunning cathedral. This is where you will probably want to be based as it offers the best connections and services. It is worth spending a half a day.
There are myriad small towns around the lake, each with it’s own character. An excellent, albeit slow, ferry system connects the towns as does a decent bus system. I visited Bellagio, Varenna and Nesso. I stopped at a couple of others, but not for much longer than a ferry change. Bellagio is the most famous of the lake towns and was my least favorite. It is really a tourist trap and very crowded. It reminded me of those towns on an Alaskan Cruise where crappy shops hit you in the face as soon as you disembark. I would suggest skipping Bellagio. The nearby town of Menagio, just across the water, is rumored to be better, although ferry times didn’t allow me to visit.
The ferry ride itself is wonderful and scenic. The lake reminds you of fjords and the views of all the different towns never cease to impress. The towns Varenna and Nesso are both wonderful. Varenna has an amazing old villa (Villa Monastero) with beautiful gardens and stunning views of the lake. There are also old villas around town you can visit and the town waterfront is a great place to enjoy lunch and the views. Varenna easily warrants a full day. It is also one of the few towns where walking around is a relatively flat endeavor.
Nesso is a bit of a different experience. It is VERTICAL. You arrive lakeside where you can see a lovely bridge and a pretty little waterfall. If you want to see the town, you must climb. So, I climbed. At the top, you are rewarded with a lovely cafe and a stunning view. Up top, I walked along the road to see more of the area and then hopped a bus back to Como. Walking back DOWN the thing I had climbed up was not something my knees were up for.
Slide show. Please use arrows to navigate.
After getting back into town, I walked along the lake back to my hotel. There was speedboat race going on and this funny duck that kept trying to scratch himself. It occurs to me now that he may not have been well. I do hope he is, and that he finally got that itch.
Lake Como and her lovely towns warrant so much more than a few days. I would love to spend more time exploring farther up the lake. Another place to add to the list of return destinations. That list may be getting longer than the original bucket list.
After Como, I headed to Verona. I chose this town not because I had an overwhelming desire to see Verona but because it was conveniently located as a place to break up a train journey between Como and Cinque Terra.
Despite not being high on anyone’s list, Verona is lovely and I would recommend a visit. The city feels like a smaller version of Florence and Venice combined, and clearly has influences from both. There are several amazing churches to visit and the walk around town is nice. It also lacks the throngs of tourists that make so many other Italian locations unpleasant these days. I did NOT visit Juliet’s house as this is something just constructed for tourists.
Cinque Terra was the next stop and I have to tell you, I was underwhelmed. The towns are lovely, but there are SO MANY PEOPLE, and this was in October. I cannot even imagine what it must be like in high season. Also, the towns really all blend together. I was there for 4 days and it was a bit too much. I was able to visit Portofino as well, so that was a plus. I would say you could see absolutely EVERYTHING here in 3 days, including Portofino. You really don’t need that much time in each town.
Cinque Terra is actually a national park, although many people live and work there. It is famous for the beauty of the five towns (Cinque meaning five) and steepness of the hills on which the people have farmed for generations. Today, most of the commercial agriculture is viticulture and the local wines are lovely. The fourth picture in the slideshow below shows a vineyard on the impossibly steep hill. It might be worth it to return one day just to watch the harvest!!!
I stayed in La Spezia on the southern end of “the park” thinking it would make it easier to get around and offer better services than the smaller towns. I was right. I would recommend staying either in La Spezia in the south or Levanto in the north and then take the train and/or ferry to the different towns. If you only have one day, take the ferry . You will get much better views from the water. The train runs very frequently and it is very easy to get on and off. Get your tickets at any station. You can buy a day pass. The ferry sells single ticket or hop-on/off tickets. They are sold at the dock in each town. If you want to do the hike from between the towns (route closed due to a landslide at time of writing) you will need a permit which is available at any tourist office in any of the towns.
As I said, the views of the towns are best from the water and they ARE stunning. I can’t decide which one was my favorite. On my first day I got to Monterosso al Mare before sunrise which was wonderful. I really liked Riomaggiore.
Slide show. Please use arrows to navigate.
Since I had time, I also visited Portofino and I think I liked it better than any of the Cinque Terra towns. It is definitely a place geared for the wealthy, but in mid-October on an overcast day, it was lovely and calm. I enjoyed the walk through town and up to the church on the top of the hill. Penguin enjoyed seeing all the boats and being close to water.
Slide show. Please use arrows to navigate.
After the coast, I headed to what was my favorite stop on this trip: ASSISI (as in St Francis of…). It is twinned with my hometown of San Francisco and is even more of a challenge to walk up and down. Assisi is best known as a pilgrimage destination and definitely has a spiritual character. However, even non-religious and/or non-Catholics will appreciate the beauty of this old town on a hill. And, if the spirit moves you, there are plenty of places for quiet reflection and to ponder what St Francis means in 21st century life.
One of my best ideas on this stop was to get up before sunrise and enjoy the little city as it started to wake up. It also made for some of the best pictures. I love to walk around cities before dawn. It is gives you a different experience and you have the place almost to yourself!
The basilica itself is truly amazing, one of the most incredible churches I have EVER seen (and I have seen a LOT). Photos of the inside are not permitted, but I did manage to sneak a couple from the doorways. I understand why they are not permitted. During the pilgrimage period, with all the crowds, it would be a selfie stick nightmare. I am so happy I got to be there in the off season.
This slideshow is the longest of this post. Please use the arrows to navigate so you don’t miss any of them.
The last stop in Italy was just a stopover: the mountain town of Domodossola. The town itself is nothing to get excited about. However, not far away is something worth seeing if you are in the area. In the town of Re there is an enormous church called the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Blood. (If you follow me on Instagram, you will remember I posted a picture of this church and said to check the blog for the story.) This is an enourmous structure in a very small town and there seems to be no reason why the church should be there. Well, it exists because of a miracle. In 1494 some boys throwing rocks at the local church when one hit a fresco of the Virgin Mary, called Nursing Madonna. The following morning, the Madonna in the fresco started to bleed and continued bleeding for 20 days. The church became a pilgrimage sight and was expanded and rebuilt several times. The church one sees today was completed in the mid 20th century. Local signage at the Sanctuary says the bleeding fresco is removed from the altar of the church every year on the anniversary of the miracle, so the faithful can experience it.
TRIP TIPS
1. In Como, try to arrive at the Como Lago train station and NOT the bigger San Giovani Station. Como Lago station is right in the center of where you want to be vs San Giovani, which is at the top of a steep hill accessible by stairs only (or car from the other side). See below map with arrow. There are direct trains to/from Como Lago and Milan.
2. The ferry company for Lake Como is the Navigazione Laghi. It operates year-round, but times differ by season. You will want to check the schedule in advance. You can find the information here: https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/risultati?lake=Como . However, times can change without notice, so only use the information as a guide. I do not recommend purchasing tickets in advance as the website is not very user friendly and information not very current. Just go REALLY EARLY (like 07:30) on the day you want to travel.
Review the map online of the route and plan where you want to go in advance. Have a backup in mind when you go to the ticket office. Your first ferry choice may be full.
As mentioned above, the ferries are SLOW. There is a fast boat which costs more. If you want to spend more time exploring the towns, the fast boat is your best option. When I visited October, 2022, you could ONLY purchase tickets on the fast boat the day-of and in person.
The buses run longer hours than the ferry. A good option is to take the ferry to the town you want to explore and then take the bus back. Bus stops are clearly marked in towns. Ask a local for help. Everyone here is very friendly and most speak at least a bit of English.
3. In Cinque Terra, you can travel by train or ferry. The train is the fastest and better for getting on and off to explore the towns. The ferry gives you the best views. If you only have one day (and you are staying in La Spezia), take the ferry and get off at one of the towns for lunch, explore a bit, and then return on by ferry. If you have two days, do both.
If you are arriving in La Spezia on a cruise, book the earliest ferry (+/- 9am) in advance if possible. The cruise terminal is about 1/2 mile from the ferry stop over very easy FLAT pavement. This could save you some euro vs booking an excursion from the cruise line.
If you want to hike between the towns, check first if they are open by going to: https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/footpaths-cinqueterre . This site also has information about train and hiking fees, so it is probably a good source of information for planning. At time of writing, the cost for hiking was 7.50 euro/day, but only one path was open.
4. In Assisi, try to stay in the actual old town up on the hill. There is a good bus from the train station which runs every 30 minutes. Buy your ticket from tabak shop inside the station. The town with the train station is not very interesting and is a bit far from the sights. If you have a car, you can stay in the valley between the new city and the old, but I would not recommend it without a car. There are no amenities there so getting food or morning coffee.
The below map shows the bus route from the train station up to the hill and old city. Look for hotels near where the red stars are. The star on the left is the first stop just outside the city walls. There are a couple of hotels close to this stop but EVERYTHING from there is uphill. The star in the middle/top is the very last stop and is at the top of the hill. Everything from there is downhill. Keep in mind that all the streets are cobblestone. Only local cars are permitted inside the city walls. No rental cars. Also, it is unclear if taxis are allowed. I got mixed answers. The other stops along the blue line are just along the city wall and not ideal locations for a hotel.
Just an update here. My hosting company is now asking for over $1,000 to renew my site. Unless I can determine what is going on, this site may go dark. Bluehost, my hosting provider seems to be trying to rob their current clients. I will also try to port my site to a different hosting company.
The title of this post became our mantra every time we were cold or were fighting with the sleeping area in the camper van. I went with my friend Deirdre (from Ireland) and we really did have a great time. A camper van is the best way to do Iceland if you want to see a lot and don’t want to spend a ton of Krona.
We started off in Akureyri, in the north of Iceland. Deirdre met me there when I got off the ship from Greenland. We walked around Akureyri for a bit and then headed out for a nine-night road trip along the East Coast of Iceland.
I am not going to write about the trip chronologically. That would be tedious and frankly almost impossible since most of the place names are (for us) unpronounceable and, when written, look like a bad Scrabble hand.
As I said, this was a road trip. The roads were generally good, but I didn’t do the driving. Every time we turned a bend, we were treated to scenery that was even more spectacular than before. The roads themselves seem to want to show you the beauty of this country.
Click on arrows to view slideshow.
Iceland is the land of Fire & Ice. We didn’t get to the active volcanoes, but we did experience the effects of the “fire” in the thermal areas. Hot steam escapes from the earth creating an other-worldly landscape. This geothermal activity also gives Iceland about 99% of the energy it needs.
And in the south of the country, the energy escapes as water in the famed Geysir.
When researching this trip, there was one place I knew I wanted to go: Studlagil Canyon. It is a shallow canyon, but the basalt columns make it different from any other canyon you have ever seen. The river that runs through it is blue in the Spring, but we had to settle for the murky brown of Autumn. It was still incredible. Getting there is an all day detour from the coast road and requires a good walk from the parking area, but is definitely worth it. It’s location away from the main road and only being accessible by foot means no big tour buses. It does not, however, mean you will have the place all to yourself. The secret of this once hidden gem is out.
We happened upon another canyon during our drives. I don’t remember the name of it, but it was still impressive. Maybe Dierdre, when reading this post, will comment with the name. She took notes.
We got lucky to be there when the light was just about perfect.
Fjords aren’t something people always talk about when they sing Iceland’s praises. But they are there and they are stunning. Different than in Norway or New Zealand, but still stunning. The drive down to them was a bit harrowing and is not something Deirdre would like to repeat. We survived and were treated to magnificence.
Click on arrows to view slideshow.
Waterfalls are what people talk about. There are a LOT of them; as many as 10,000 by some estimates. We certainly didn’t see even close to that many and I have not even included all the ones we did see. We did love them all, even the small ones.
Click on arrows to view slideshow.
Godfoss
Skagafoss
Detifoss
Now, waterfalls are generally part of rivers. Rivers generally lead to the sea. In the Land of Fire & Ice, there is a glacier that calves in to a river which then carries large pieces of ice to the sea. Where this happens is called the Ice Lagoon. Even after seeing all the ice in Greenland, it was pretty cool!
The glacier that contributes all of this ice is enormous. In the picture below, look for the black dot just off the center, to the right of the floating blue ice. That is a zodiac boat. In case you are unfamiliar with zodiac boats, they are about 12 -15 feet (3.5 to 4.5 m) and about 7 feet (2.1 m) wide. Now, think about all that ice melting.
Believe it or not, there is more to Iceland then scenic splendor. The island’s most famous and loved inhabitants are the horses. They are small, sturdy and super friendly. In Iceland, they are long lived and relatively disease free. They have never had any predators, so they don’t spook easily. They enjoy protected status and no foreign horses are permitted in Iceland to maintain the purity of the line. Also, if an Icelandic horse every leaves Iceland it may not return. Pity the poor horse that wanted to explore and was never able to go home.. (Lisa M, I tried to bring one for you but it wouldn’t have been happy in my apartment until March)
On our final night camping, the island seemed to bid us farewell by treating us to an amazing moon. I can only describe it as a half-harvest moon. I had to scramble to get the gear set up to get the shot, but a couple came out. So with these snaps, I shall bid you a good night (or morning).
TRIP TIPS
It will take you longer than you think to drive between places. Distances look close but the speed limit is low (80kmh/48mph MAX). The roads, while good, are small, country, two lane roads with lots and lots of bends. You will also be stopping a lot to enjoy the views and take pictures. Budget your time accordingly. We did nine days and 1/2 the coastal parts of the country.
Do not EVEN THINK about going into the interior of the country without 4WD and the appropriate tires. There are signs telling you what types of vehicles are permitted on what roads. They are there for your safety.
There are many campervan rental outfits in Iceland. We chose CampEasy, since they were the most affordable. I am glad we did not go for the smallest option as this one was was a tight fit. It was fine for two people, although they advertise it as sleeping 4 (no idea how that would work). Look carefully at the pictures of the van you are considering and think about how you will all fit for sleeping and/or dining in bad weather. Get the largest one your budget can handle.
Google Maps works well in Iceland. There is no need to rent a GPS. Do download the map of Iceland to your phone for the few places there is no signal. You will get a good 4G signal in most parts of the main road.
Possibly the best sandwich to be had in Iceland is available from the langoustine truck in the parking lot of the Ice Lagoon. They do a gluten free version as well by putting all the good stuff in a bowl. Who needs bread when you have a bowl full of langoustine. Here is their website: https://heimahumar-local-langoustine-iceland.food96.com/
Watch your speed in all areas. There are speed cameras everywhere. It’s how they pay for the good roads. You don’t want to get a fine on your credit card after you get home.
There are two large grocery chains: Netto & Bonus. Netto is the better stocked chain with global brands. Bonus is cheaper but I didn’t see much in the way of fresh produce. There is a Netto in almost every town. Gluten Free options are easily found in Netto.
Wine, beer and spirits are ONLY available at the government run Vinbudin. Opening hours vary by town but rarely include weekends and almost always end by 5 or 6 pm. Plan ahead.
Campsites range in quality from horrific to quite nice. Google lists them with a little “tent” icon on the map. Look at the star rating and read the reviews. Almost all have kitchen facilities which are much better than cooking on the little burner thing that comes with your van. Campsites can also fill up, especially in summer. Try to pull in early, between 5 & 6pm, and get your spot in the kitchen.
If you have all the time in the world and want to bring your own car or camper, there IS a way to do it. There is a ferry from Denmark that stops first in the Faroe Islands and then continues to Iceland. It’s not cheap, but it is doable. I am thinking about the Faroe Islands in the future. Here’s the link to the ferry company: https://en.smyrilline.fo/
The trip I have been hinting about, the great adventure, finally happened. The Arctic!!!!
My friend Emily and I booked this trip in 2019 for a 2020 departure. We all know how that story ended. After two years and a couple of re bookings, we finally got to go. Emily came first to visit me and then we headed off for two days of travel to get to Longyearbyen in Svalbard.
The first leg took us to Oslo where we spent the night and had time to visit the new MUNCH museum. What I never knew is that there are actually three versions of The Scream. One as a pen & ink, one in a blue hue and the famous one. They only show one at a time and they change on the hour. We managed to see two of the three versions. The whole museum looks amazing and is worth a return visit. We were just too exhausted to go through the whole thing.
The next morning we boarded another plane for Longyearbyen in Svalbard. The archipelago, while technically part of Norway, falls under a special international treaty giving nationals of 40 countries the right to live there. This makes it almost like another country so everyone has to go through passport control AGAIN. My EU passport allowed me to go through the fast lane but poor Emily got stuck in a nightmare queue and almost missed the flight.
Longyearbyen is an interesting place. It has two industries: coal mining and tourism. The mine is still operational and coal is how the town is powered. Given its location at 78 degrees N, that is really the only option. Wind might work, but for now it is coal.
While in the town for a quick 24 hours, we took a morning tour around the outskirts of town with a small local company. We hoped to see arctic foxes but they were shy that day. We did see wonderful scenery, some reindeer and a few birds. The husky wasn’t wild, just super friendly and curious about my camera. At the end of the long day, we were treated to an amazing sunset (at 11:30 pm).
Longyearbyen has a couple of interesting laws: you cannot leave the town without carrying a rifle; you are not allowed to die in town; AND, you can only purchase two bottles of alcohol a month. The first law is to keep you from being eaten by a polar bear and the last one is a relic from the mining years. The one about dying is because there is no way to bury you. Permafrost. If you fall ill, they evac you to mainland Norway. I wonder if you are allowed to die in Nome, AK?
Finally, after two whole days of travel, we got on the boat. We traveled with Oceanwide Expeditions and, based on their land operations, we were not expecting much. We were pleasantly surprised. The ship was small and the passengers were very international and well traveled. About ¾ of the passengers were European, about 1/8 were American and then the rest from other parts of the globe. Most of the passengers had traveled to the polar regions (Antarctic and Arctic) at least once. One major highlight of the trip was the group from the Scot Polar Research Institute, INCLUDING the guy who found the Endurance (Shackleton’s ship); John Shears.
John Shears was the expedition leader for Endurance II, which at 4pm on 5 March 2022 found the wreck of Shackleton’s Endurance, exactly 100 years to the hour after “The Boss” was buried in Grytvicken, South Georgia. He gave us an amazing lecture about the search for the wreck, the technology that was used and all the different and talented people who made the dream come true. I feel so lucky to have been on this ship to hear the lecture a year before the National Geographic documentary hits TV’s all over the world. If you remember my posts from Antarctica, you will remember us toasting “The Boss” at his grave.
We departed Longybearen about 8 hours late as weather made leaving the dock too dangerous. Once at sea, we had amazing vistas both in the water and in the sky. We stopped at another island in the Svalbard archipelago the next day and enjoyed some light hiking and photo opportunities. The little teeny plants are actually trees. They have just evolved to be tiny because of the climate and the lack of deep soil. We got to see them in all their autumnal glory!
I have been having a real tough time with the Greenland part of this post. It is an amazing place and the experience was incredible, but there isn’t much one can really write about. We were there, sailing around for about a week. It seemed every place we saw was more awe inspiring than the last. There just wasn’t anything really to differentiate the places. We did see the Northern Lights and Penguin had a ball. Have a look for yourself:
There weren’t many animals. There were a few birds but most had already begun their journey south. We did see some Musk Ox (they look a lot like bison), one polar bear and a couple of seals. The ox and the bear were really, really, really far away. One of the seals hung around for a photo shoot.
The last couple of days were perhaps the most interesting. We sailed through the Iceberg Graveyard where ocean currents push giant icebergs. The photo with the zodiac boat shows how truly immense these things are.
Our final day in Greenland we stopped in Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the settlements. I loved the multicolored houses. I like to think that these help brighten up the place during the long, dark winters.
Stay tuned for the next exciting post, since I did not go home after getting off the ship…
TRIP TIPS
The Oslo airport is lovely and getting to the center of Oslo is super easy on the FLYTOGET train. Buy your ticket at the kiosk just before the turnstiles. At time of writing, the train was 250 NOK one way or 440 return (about 25 or 40 USD/EUR). The train is really nice with plenty of space for luggage.
If you want to try to see all three versions of The Scream, time your arrival at the Munch Museum for about 15 or 20 minutes before the hour. Go straight to the fourth floor. You will see the version on display and then it will change to the next version at the top of the hour. Spend the next hour looking at other parts of the museum and return after the top of the hour.
Flying from Oslo to Longyearbyen does require going through passport control again. Keep this in mind when gauging time to make your flight. If you don’t have an EU passport, the queue can be quite long.
If you want to buy any alcoholic beverages (at the liquor store) in Longyearbyen, make sure to save your boarding pass and/or departing ticket. Locals need a card. Your travel ticket will enable you to purchase without the local card. Prices, surprisingly, are not exorbitant.
When an old college buddy rings you up and says, “I’m chartering a sailboat for a week and need a crew-member”, you try to reschedule your life to go. And go, we did. Actually, he messaged me on What’sApp and I am paraphrasing his message, but you get the idea. First time on a sail boat in over 15 years, so it was an adventure.
We went to North Holland, two large man-made bays called the IJsselmeer and the Markemeer which are connected by a loch. The bays were created in the 1930’s when the Dutch government built a dyke closing off the inlet. The bay is now freshwater as there is no saltwater coming in from the sea. Freshwater comes in from several rivers. Today, the area is a source of freshwater for agriculture and drinking as well as a home for numerous birds.
Our departure marina was in Lelystad. It’s a very nice marina but the town is not much to speak of. It was a great place to spend the first night on the boat so we could start off early in the morning. Paul and Penguin also bonded and learned about the area.
We set out on Saturday morning. Our first stop was a town called URK. It is a nice little place with a lovely walking promenade around the water. The evening was stunning. We stayed two nights here as we were just getting used to the boat and we had some not great weather.
Slide show. Click on arrows to view.
Our next stop was Enkhuisen. This is a charming town on the water with wonderful walking and pretty parks. We arrived later in the afternoon, so decided to spend two nights. I loved the harbour and all the birds. I woke up early one morning to a beautiful sunrise and lots of bird activity. The last photo in the slide show is worth a close look. The boat is a Dutch design. The large wood thing on the side is a keel. There is another one on the other side of the boat. In high winds, the keels can be lowered.
Slide show. Click on arrows to view.
Enkhuisen entrance
Enkhuisin Marina
Sunrise at the marina
Gull in the morning sky
Reeds in the sunrise
Sunrise
Baby Grebes
Wake up dance
Bad or Good Hair Day?
Momma and Baby
Baby hitches a ride
Bigger baby
Heron leaving
Heron Landing
Gull swoon
Happy Sunflower
Town Park
Wonderful Flower Garden
Large Keelboat
After Enkhuisen, we sailed to the incredible town of Hoorn. Hoorn was once an important port city and one of the major posts of the Dutch West India Company. The statues of the boys in the slide show are a tribute to the young boys who would watch and later join the ships that left from this port. Today, it is a commuter town for Amsterdam and a holiday destination. It is clearly also a sailing hub. I think it was my favorite of the towns we visited. So many areas to explore! I know it is possible to go by train, so I hope to return one day.
On our last day aboard, on our way back to Lelystad, we stopped at a nature preserve. It is a man-made island and estuary called the Marker Wadden. The Dutch are the world experts in water control and dredging. The island was made with the silt and sand that was dredged from the Markermeer lake. Today it is home to thousands of birds and was such a delight to see. There were so many Terns going back and forth, many carrying fish for the unseen baby terns. I would love to spend a whole day there, just watching all the birds.
So, that was the sailing trip. It was unexpected and tons of fun. Paul and I are still friends after a week together on a boat, which is the most important. There are more exciting trips coming up, but for now, I gotta go…..
Let me just say first, I really liked Dresden. It’s got a great vibe about it and is very easy to walk around. I can’t quite put my finger on what is so great. It’s fairly modern, since it was pretty much leveled during the war, but there are some reconstructed old buildings and churches to keep it interesting. The people are friendly and there are a ton of little cafes for coffee or wine. It’s one of those cities you could keep going back to just because…
Slide show. Click on arrows to view.
As I said, the city was pretty much flattened by Allied bombing during WWII. To add insult to injury, after war, the city was in the East, and did not get much assistance to rebuild. I’m pretty sure the GDR received no funds from the Marshall Plan and the Soviets sure as sh#t weren’t going to help the Germans. Knowing all of that, it’s amazing how far the city has come since reunification in 1990.
The stunning Dresden Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady, in central Dresden was destroyed by Allied bombs. From the end of the war until reunification, the rubble of the destroyed church lay in Dresden as a memorial. Reconstruction began in 1992 and used as many of the old, burned stones as possible. You can see them in the exterior of the church (picture in slide show below). The black stones are the old ones. When the church was rebuilt, the mangled cross from the dome was put inside as a memorial (and reminder). The cross that adorns the dome today was donated by the British. It was a British bomb that destroyed the church in 1945. Today, I think the church stands as a testament to peace, understanding and forgiveness.
Slide show. Click on arrows to view.
One of the best things on this stop was outside the city: The gorgeous Saxon Switzerland National Park. The park is on the border of Germany and the Czech Republic and is definitely worth a visit. I would have loved to have spent more time there. It is supposed to be stunning in Autumn, so I will have to make a plan to return for longer hikes in cooler temps. While Penguin did love being in nature, the heat was a little much for him. He, too, would like to return during a cooler time of the year.
Two of the days I was in Dresden were two of the hottest days of the year, 98F/36.5C and 101/38.3C. As I type this, we are in another heatwave. In Belgium, yesterday it hit 95F/35C and today it could reach 103F/39.4C. Europe is broiling, literally. I read yesterday that a runway melted at Luton airport in the UK. I am glad I bought that portable AC unit in April.
There should be some fun and interesting posts coming up in the next few weeks. Stay tuned and happy travels.
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TRIP TIPS
I used an online tour company to visit Saxon Switzerland Park. This is a good option if you are solo and don’t want to rent a car. The only problem with this approach is you have to follow someone else’s plan and you can only stay one day. If you have more time, rent a car and see more of the park. There are several options inside the park. If you want to stay in a town, Bad Schandau is a great option.
If you are going to go hiking and need any outdoor gear, there is a great shop in Dresden: Globetrotter Equipment. It is a German chain, similar to REI in the USA. The Dresden location is: Prager Str. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany
My final rail adventure of the Spring/Summer was to the Czech Republic and Dresden, Germany. When I first started planning the rail journey for June, Poland was on the itinerary. After what happened in in neighboring Ukraine, I figured the Polish people have more important things to deal with than tourists. I also didn’t want to take a bed that might be better used for someone fleeing violence. I’ve waited years to see Poland and I look forward to visiting in the near future.
After years of wanting to see Prague, I admit I was a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong. The city ISstunningly beautiful. However, like so many places, it has suffered from its own fame and over tourism. Every street is packed with tourists, many of them stumbling and yelling after too many cheap beers in the city’s myriad bars. Every other shop is selling the exact same crappy tourist schlock that was made in China. Nothing felt Czech and I often felt like I was at a frat party at Epcot.
Even with the crowds and rowdy tourists, there are some great parts of the city. The architecture is stunning. Prague survived WWII with little bombing (Allies did mistake Prague for Dresden a couple of times) so almost every building warrants a gaze and possibly a photograph.
Slide Show (Click on arrows)
The Charles Street Bridge is the famous one you see all the pictures of. The bridge is lined with incredible statues, mostly religious, and affords wonderful views of the city. There are always people there, but luckily it wasn’t jammed the day I went. This is one of the places where it would have been great to take a tour. Learning more about these statues would have been great. Can anyone tell me what the lettering on the Christ statue says? I can’t tell if it is Hebrew or Aramaic and yes, the latter would make more sense.
The Prague Castle is the crown jewel of the city and is said to be the largest castle compound in Europe. Within the compound walls there are streets, chapels, palaces of the nobility and a very impressive cathedral. The palace you can visit (separate entry ticket from the castle) is the Lobkowicz palace ( https://www.lobkowicz.cz/en/lobkowicz-palace ), which has an amazing history: twice confiscated by governments (first the Nazi’s then the Communists) and now back in the hands of the American descendants. The entire castle compound has been restored and takes an entire day to really see. You can buy your ticket online or at the ticket office on site. See trip tips, below.
Slide Show (Click on arrows)
One of my favorite things in Prague was the walk DOWN the hill from the castle. More churches and more amazing views and architecture.
After four days in Prague, I hopped a sloooow train to Cesky Krumlov, one of the prettiest cities in the Czech Republic. And, keeping in Czech form, it has a great Castle.
Slide Show (Click on arrows)
The history of the town is fairly calm, by European standards. Today, it has protected status and is truly a delightful city to walk around. Definitely spend time walking around the inside of the castle and the walled paths. If you are short on time, you can bypass the gardens. They have not gotten the same attention as the grounds. Also, close your eyes when walking past the bears. It might spoil your day.
My last stop in the Czech Republic was Karlovy Vary. I have no pictures as there really wasn’t much to photograph. I was told it was a favorite destination of Russian tourists and it has clearly suffered a lot over the past few years. A lot of it reminded me of the downtown’s of cities in the US south in the 80’s; before urban renewal. You can tell it was once a nice place to go but now it’s run down and a bit creepy.
If you are wondering about Penguin. He is fine. He was on the trip but the heat was too much for him. He hung out in the hotel and enjoyed hearing about each day from the comfort of air conditioning. He had a great time in Dresden at the Saxon Switzerland Park, our next stop.
TRIP TIPS
Buy your tickets for the Prague castle online and in advance. Click here for Castle Ticket info. The tickets are good for two days so you can take your time.
Do not use trains to get around the Czech Republic. They are infrequent and PAINFULLY slow. Connections in/out of Prague are fine but outside of that, you could ride a bike faster. I was traveling on a Rail Pass, which I now know is NOT a good plan. Take the bus. FlixBus ( click here )is Europe Wide and I have heard good things about it. My friend Cathy just took it and had good things to say about it. As on the train, keep an eye on your belongings.
In Prague, I stayed in a great Aparthotel called Orea Place Seno. Super nice staff and lovely studio apartments. The AC worked well, too. I would definitely recommend it.
The Hop-on/Hop-off bus is not worth it here. The trams are easy, efficient and cheap. You can take a trap UP to the castle and then walk down.
This may be my new favorite city in Europe. It’s compact for easy navigation, has a wonderful medieval center which has been lovingly maintained, boasts stunning scenery and has a nice easy going vibe. I spent 3 days here and look forward to going back soon.
Lucerne is on a lake of the same name straddles the Reuss river. The water in the lake is crystal clear and with the surrounding mountains, it reminded me of Lake Tahoe. There wasn’t much snow left on the nearer mountains when I was there, but the place is still strikingly beautiful. I took a boat trip around the lake which was wonderful and Penguin really had a great time. Summer hadn’t fully kicked in yet so the choices were limited. I hope that as tourism rebounds things will be back to full operation.
As you can see, the dramatic weather really made for some cool pictures.
There is also wonderful walking path around the lake which is a great way to spend a morning. The views are stunning and it is great to see locals taking advantage of their wonderful resource. I even saw several people swimming so I am guessing the water isn’t as cold as Lake Tahoe. I got very lucky with this shot on one of my walks along the lake.
Near Lucerne is a mountain area called Jungfrau; nicknamed the Top of Europe. The nickname is a bit misleading as the highest mountain in Europe is actually Mont Blanc, in France. Like the Matterhorn, reaching the top requires the purchase of a pricey ticket and several gondolas or trains. I enjoyed the excursion but it really wasn’t that different from the other mountain tops. The weather was a bit cloudier, so the photos are different. Also, Penguin had a blast inside the glacier. When he saw his cousins, he couldn’t contain his excitement!
As I said, the weather wasn’t that great the days I was there and there were some pretty heavy downpours which isn’t great for pictures. My trusty Dutch rain poncho (https://rainkiss.com/) kept me dry while walking around the town and along the old wall. The views from the wall are wonderful and I am sure really spectacular when it isn’t dumping rain.
I also enjoyed some indoor time at two of Lucerne’s very good museums: The Rosengart Collection and the Kunstmuseum. The Rosengart Collection is really wonderful if you like early 20th century modern art. They have a very good collection of Klee (of course) and a lot of Picasso. They also have a few Kandinskys, Miro’s and Chagalls. If you are in Lucerne, don’t miss the Rosengart Collection.
I really hope to spend more time in Lucerne in the future. I am sure it would be wonderful in Winter. My next stop on this trip was the Czech Republic. I hope to get that post done in the next week or so.
TRIP TIPS
Lucerne is compact and getting around on foot is easy. That said, unless you have a car, try to book a place close to the train station. Walking around with luggage is not fun, especially on cobblestones.
There is a good COOP grocery about three blocks from the train station as well as a COOP Express inside the station. It is very easy to buy items to eat at the stores to avoid spending a fortune at restaurants.
Locals warned me against visiting in November. They say it’s grey and rainy the whole month. Don’t know if that is true, but I thought I would warn you just in case.
This is going to be a quick post, since it really is just about the mountain.
Zermatt, for those who don’t know, is a mountain town at the base of the famous Matterhorn (not just a ride at Disney). I loved finally seeing the Matterhorn, but didn’t care much for Zermatt. The town is REALLY f*cking expensive and I found it to lack a soul. Or, the quote Herb Caen when he wrote about a certain CA city, there’s no there there.
The mountains are stunning and you can take a couple of expensive gondola trips to the top. One of these is worth doing. Don’t do both. If I had to pick one, it would be the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The views of the mountain are incredible and you get to go inside a glacier, an opportunity that probably won’t be available for much longer. The endless string of camera wielding tourists going through the glacier probably aren’t helping things.
I am going to leave you with a nice slide show of the scenery. Penguin really enjoyed being in the cold again.
Matterhorn view from town
Happy traveler
More mountain
I love the clouds
They move in and out all day
Color is nice too
I am probably too old to try this, but it looks like a blast
The Bernina Express train near Alp Grum in the Swiss Alps
I‘m on the top of the wor-ld, lookin’ down on creation…..That song went through my head a lot while I was in Switzerland.
After our time in Alsace (FR), we headed for Switzerland. Fresh air, Mountain views…Ahhh. We took the Bernina Expess and the Glacier Express. These two train rides are considered among the most scenic in the world and are part of a network of scenic trains. On my next visit, which will be during winter months, I can connect all the scenic trains and see all the mountains. Can’t wait!
The Bernina Express connects the towns of CHUR and TIRANO (in Italy). I got off the train in Poschiavo, still in Switzerland.
Chur itself doesn’t have much that is terribly interesting, but it is a big enough town that you can get in and out on regular trains to see the surrounding areas. One of things that is close by and fabulous is the Rhine Gorge. It is called the “Grand Canyon of Switzerland” which I think is a bit inaccurate. This gorge IS amazing, but it is alpine and the Grand Canyon is desert. Anyway, It still loved it and loved the hike around it.
Slideshow
After Chur I took the train to Poschiavo. This is a great little town. It’s in Switzerland, but the language and culture are all Italian. It is situated on a beautiful lake which made for nice walks. I loved everything about this little town and hope to visit again some day (again, when there is snow). From Poschiavo you can go back up in to the mountains to see the view you rode past on the way down. If you ever take the Bernina express, make mental notes of the towns that looked nice then go back on the local train.
Slideshow
Close to Poschiavo is the wonderful Glacier Garden at Cavaglia. The local canton (Swiss for county) have spent a fortune making this place accessible and easy to visit. It’s only open in the summer months and as you walk around you understand why. It would be TREACHEROUS in ice.
Slideshow
The mountains of Switzerland are truly amazing. I would have loved to have been there a month earlier for more snow views. I hope to return to see the areas in all their winter glory some day soon.
TRIP TIPS
Switzerland is VERY expensive. Your best option in this stunning country is self catering lodging; AirBnB or Aparthotels. Save money by cooking in your hotel. Even the simplest of lunches will run you $35/person. COOP is the local chain and I found most of them to be quite good.
Switzerland does not use the Euro. If you have a Euro debit/credit card, check foreign transaction fees before using.
The scenic trains like the Glacier Express and Bernina Express are lovely and have big, panoramic windows. However, they do not open. Taking a local train won’t have the same amenities, but you can open the windows to get better pictures. I think the best way to do this, if you have time, is to take the panoramic train and make notes then take a local train, getting on an off in the places that looked the nicest.
After my last couple of posts, I have noticed that the email you receive may not offer the best viewing experience. It’s much better to click on to the blog itself. Here’s the link: https://globetrotterwoman.net/
On the right hand side is a list of posts. Click on the most recent. For this one, it is MAY 2022.
My rail journey continues. I just spend three wonderful days in Alsace, France. I had wanted to go to some of these towns for a while now, ever since I saw pictures of Colmar and Riquewihr. Turns out, here is so much more to this area than just pretty half-timbered houses.
The city of Colmar was my base. There is good train service to this city and I had a nice little budget hotel about five minutes from the station. My first day in Colmar was pretty icky weather. I did walk around a bit and see the pretty center, but all pictures were taken with my phone. Those are posted on Instagram (lemsfo).
That afternoon, I headed off to Riquewihr on the public bus. The nice people at my hotel printed out the bus schedule for me. It was a very comfortable ride and economical at 6 euro for a return ticket.
Riquewihr is the town in Alsace that gave Disney the inspiration for the “location” in Beauty and the Beast. Now I need to see that movie. The town is delightful and definitely looks like a fairy tale. Penguin even managed to make friends with one of the locals.
You can see from the last photo in the slideshow, wine is important here. I guess I always knew that, but I didn’t really know HOW IMPORTANT. Every single one of these little towns is dedicated to wine. There are tasting rooms everywhere and the people are so nice.
On my second day, I boarded a hop-on/hop-off bus that goes to many of the local villages. I discovered it while waiting for the public bus outside of Riquewihr. It was a great discovery and I would recommend this mode of transport for anyone wanting to visit the towns and ESPECIALLY if you want to taste wine. See TRIP TIPS, below, for more detail on this bus.
I went to two villages on day two. Ribeauville and Turkheim. Both are delightful, but Ribeauville is where I wandered in to the CUTEST tasting room and met the wonderful Michelle of Maison Xavier Wyman. They make a truly spectactular Pinot Noir and a lovely Reisling. It was such a special treat to hear Michelle talk about the history of the winery, the wines, how they are made and what challenges they may face in the future. I hope to visit this winery again some day but in the meantime, I am looking forward to receiving the wine I had her ship.
Ribeauville is one of the larger villages and is a favorite of many. Turkheim is on nobody’s list but I really liked it.
Turkheim seemed to stand out a bit more, and of course, I was now on villiage number four.
My last day in Alsace was the best, I think. I almost didn’t go out for more villages, but made myself do it. When was I going to have another chance? So glad I did. The two towns I visited on my last day were the best.
The first was Kayserberg. The day I visited there was some odd festival going on that was a cross between the Renaissance Fair and Comicon. People dressed as all sorts of things, but Darth Vader and whatever the other guy was were the best. Vader just wandered about posing for pictures. I don’t know what the big guy’s plans were.
Despite the out-of-place space things, the town of Kayserberg is wonderful. It seems more real than some of the other towns…like people actually live and work here in industries other than tourism. The river running through the middle of town gives it a different feel as well. I would recommend this as a must see Alsatian destination.
The final stop on this trip was Eguisheim. Touted by many a tour book as one of the most picturesque in the region. It is nice, but let’s be honest here. By this time, these lovely little towns were starting to look the same. BUT, what Eguisheim has that no other town has is Storks. Yes, storks. The big birds that deliver babies. You see references to them everywhere in Alsace, but in Eguisheim, you see THEM; a lot of them. They are nesting on top of churches, tall buildings, even chimneys. This was a real treat.
I really did love the Alsace and hope to visit again one day soon. For my next trip, I would plan to taste the wine and be prepared with means to transport it. I would also love to do some of the hikes around the villages that lead to castles and abbeys. This was a good intro, though.
My next stop is Switzerland where I plan to take the mountain trains and look at beautiful scenery. Stay tuned. And, please leave comments. I love seeing them.
TRIP TIPS
The city of Colmar makes a great base for exploring the villages of the region. There are plentiful train connections and the city is big enough that there are numerous and varied accommodation options.
In smaller cities and towns, I like to stay close to the train station. I stayed in a great little hotel called, appropriately, Colmar Hotel. It’s just around the corner from the train station and is really a wonderful little hotel with fantastic staff. I heartily recommend it.
That little bus that does the rounds to all the villages is called KUTZIG. It’s hop-on/hop-off and runs Fri, Sat and Sun in April, May and October and Wed – Sun in June, July and August. That said, be sure to check the website. I am hoping they add service for the Christmas Markets. That would be great. Anyway, here’s the route. At time of writing, the bus runs every 90 minutes, starting at 08:30 at the Colmar train station. You can buy your ticket from the driver or on the app.
One thing that is very important to keep in mind when planning a trip in Europe: DO NOT TRY TO TRAVEL BY TRAIN ON MAJOR HOLIDAYS! Barb and I ended up having to cut our time in France short by a day so we could get to Belgium. Easter weekend is a four day holiday so our attempt to get a train with no reservation was akin to trying to fly stand-by in the US on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It wall worked out in the end and possibly for the best. But, as they say, lesson learned.
Since we had an extra day in Belgium, we went to Ghent. Bonus for Barb! She got to see St Bavos Cathedral and the famed Ghent Altarpiece. St Bavos is, in my opinion, one of the most incredible cathedrals in Europe. I love Ghent so I am always happy to go. I like it more than Brugge.
After two days and one night at my apartment, we headed off to Amsterdam. Keukenhof awaited and we were both so excited.
For those of you that don’t know, Keukenhof is called Europe’s Garden. I think this is a bit inaccurate since it is only open for about 7 weeks every spring, but it definitely impresses.. It is dedicated to bulbs and no place does this better. Every variety and color combination you can think of is here. There are 79 acres of flowers and after visiting, no other tulip garden will ever come close. Click through the slide show below and see for yourself.
Penguin even had fun tiptoeing through them.
We did other touristy things in Amsterdam, but MY STARS that city is crowded. All mask restrictions are gone so it can be a bit risky.
After 3 days there, I got Barb to the airport and took the train home. The day I got home, I tested positive for Covid. Barb tested negative that same morning so she was able to get on the plane. I spent the next 6 days in isolation in my apartment. Thankfully, since I am fully vaccinated and twice boosted, I didn’t get too sick. Sore throat mostly. Actually a froggy throat. I sounded a lot worse than I felt. A baritone Kermit.
Stay tuned for the next trip. Coming up very soon. Penguin can’t wait.
TRIP TIPS
Rail passes are a great way to get around, BUT, make sure you make reservations during busy seasons and on high speed trains. Most French trains require them and not having them can lead to disappointment and missed connections.
When visiting Keukenhof, get there EARLY!!!! It opens at 8am. Get there when the doors open. Have your ticket in hand (on your phone). To get there, go to Schipol Airport and take an Uber (yes, you can hail an Uber in the Netherlands). There is a shuttle, but it doesn’t start running until 8:30am. Taking an Uber at 7:30 will get you to the garden entrance just before opening. By 11am, the place is PACKED! Woodstock packed. To check on dates, times and ticket availability, click here. Tickets for the following Spring usually go on sale in November.
If, in Amsterdam, you want to visit the Anne Frank house, you absolutely MUST order tickets online and in advance. Tickets go on sale (and generally sell out) well in advance. According to the website, at time of writing, tickets go on sale the first Tuesday of each month for the following month. So, if you want tickets for June, you must buy them on the first Tuesday of May. We missed out. Learn from our mistake. Click Here for more details.
To visit Ghent, take the train to Ghent-St Pieters Station and from there take tram#1 to the center. You can buy a tram ticket from the machine at the tram stop and the machine takes credit cards (only ones with the chip) Buy a return ticket. At time of writing, one return tram ticket was 5 euro.
One final tip. I cannot, unfortunately, recommend the DoubleTree in Amsterdam. I chose this due to it’s proximity to the train station (about a 5 min walk). The hotel is a laundry list of mishaps and bad management. I feel for the veteran staff members, as most of them wanted very much to be able to help. Among the list of problems were non-working keys, broken safe in the room, cable tv that went in and out (mostly out) of service, broken coffee makers (so no coffee) at breakfast, and poorly trained new staff that didn’t know anything about the hotel. Many of the river cruise lines also use this hotel (again, location, location, location) so the reception area is frequently PACKED with confused, jetlagged tourists trying to get help from poorly trained staff. Points be dammed. Next time I will stay elsewhere.
Seems like the Egypt post was just yesterday. Time is just flying by. Since returning from Egypt I have moved in to a new apartment in Belgium. It’s been quite an experience going from Ireland, where all apartments are rented completely furnished, to Belgium, where not even the light fixtures are included. That said, I am happy here. I like having an apartment where it can look a bit like “me” and I love being on the Continent where I can get somewhere relatively fast and easy.
The spring started out exciting. My dear friend Barb came for a visit. What a time we had. I don’t think we stopped moving, except to sleep, for the whole two weeks.
Barb landed on Sunday and we hit the ground running. She did GREAT after her flight from the US. After dropping her stuff at our aparthotel (it’s just as it sounds) in Montmartre, we headed out for breakfast. We found a great natural food place down the hill called SEASON (singular) which not only was healthy food, they had plenty of gluten free options. We visited once more during our stay in Paris. After breakfast, we did the Hop-On Hop Off bus around the city. I find these a great way to see the sights and get your bearings in a new city. Yes, it’s touristy, but when you are a tourist you should own it. Barb had still not hit the jet-lag wall after dinner so we ran out to see Sacre Coeur at night.
The City of Lights was a whirlwind. We walked a lot, took in the Lourve, Orsay, St Chapelle, walked through the Jardin du Luxembourg and pretty much wore out our feet. Penguin enjoyed the museums, especially Orsay and teasing that polar bear.
A real highlight of the Paris leg of the trip was lunch at the Jules Verne restaurant at the Eifel Tower. That lunch is a once in a lifetime experience and we were glad to do it. Wonderful meal, amazing service, but you pay for it. As I said, once in a lifetime…for me anyway.
We made it to Versailles but weather was too awful for the gardens. The palace itself is impressive; however, but if you have been to St Petersburg or Venice, it may leave you a bit underwhelmed. It was my first time their and I am glad to have been.
After Versailles, we rented a car (picking it up OUTSIDE of central Paris) and headed towards Normandy. Barb did a great time driving as we got lost leaving Orsay. Penguin tried to help navigate.
We stopped in Giverny along the way and the gardens were surely showing off. It’s no wonder Monet loved this place so. The famed waterlilies do not bloom until later in the year, but everything else was glorious. If you are ever anywhere close, this is a must see. I would have enjoyed spending a night here, but we had places to go.
We finished our long day of driving in the charming town of Bayeux in Normandy. We really didn’t have much time to explore this town and its stunning, oversized cathedral as our mission here was the D-day beaches. Again, this place deserves a return visit and more time.
The day touring the D-day beaches, towns and museums was both physically and emotionally exhausting. At all of the sites, as we learned about the thousands of allied soldiers and French civilians who perished during the Normandy campaign, I could not help but think about today. During WWII, millions died because of a mad man. Today, another mad man is threatening the world. Looking at all of those headstones, crosses and stars both, made me realize how important standing up to tyrants is and how great we can be when we all work together. We owe a huge debt to the “greatest generation”. Let us never forget for what they all fought.
Never wanting to be too serious, Penguin decided to end the day playing on a period Jeep. Apparently you can rent these things somewhere to tour the area. Again, something to keep in mind for a return trip. Luckily for us, Penguin can’t drive a stick.
Our final day at the coast as spent at Mont St Michel. This has been on my list for a while. It’s quite an ordeal to visit now, so be sure to see the trip tips below. I also would not recommend visiting at Easter. I now know what a lost salmon in September must feel like.
Mont St Michel sits on a BIG rock in a tidal bay. In the morning, it it often obscured by mist allowing it to appear slowly as the sun warms the air, almost by magic (or Divine Providence?).
The view is stunning and the walk through the abbey an amazing journey through religious and architectural history.
One of the most amazing things we experience at the abbey was the noon service. It is not a mass or a service in which you can participate. You can only watch and feel the spiritual energy as the monks and nuns sing. Unfortunately, even after a few attempts, I cannot get the video to load here. You will just have to follow me in Instagram: Laurenglobetrotter.
This concludes the France leg of this trip. After this we did a whoosh through Belgium and Amsterdam. Stay tuned.
Trip Tips:
A new feature of these posts will be trip tips. I do not want to become a travel guide, but I do want to share tips, ideas, what was good and maybe what wasn’t so good. Where relevant, I will include links.
The first tip I want to give anyone traveling to Europe post-Covid is to make sure you have a smartphone with data. Either get a roaming package from home or pick up a sim at the airport on arrival. Everything in Europe is now contactless, from tickets to menus. You will be showing QR codes and scanning them more than you every have before. For all of our entry tickets, I printed PDFs and stored them in a folder on my phone in case I didn’t have coverage. If you are uncomfortable using your phone like this, practice before you leave your home country and get a child or grandchild to show you all the tricks.
In Paris we stayed at the Aparthotel Adagio in Montmartre. It’s an affordable hotel with a small kitchette in a decent location. However, I would not recommend it for stays longer than 4 days since housekeeping and fresh towels are not included in the rate. Also, it can be a little bit of a challenge to get around from there as the metro line which it is on is not one of the more convenient ones.
In Bayeux we stayed at a private vacation rental called La Petit Vahalla. It was very nice and I would recommend it without hesitation. The owners are super nice. The place was big with a good kitchen and we each had our own bedrooms. It also had the best shower I think I have ever used in Europe. I would stay there again just for that shower.
Both of these accommodations were booked online with booking dot com. I use them the most as they seem to have the best options in Europe.
In Paris, I recommend buying the Paris transport ticket for 3 or 5 days. Three zones gets you central Paris only. Five zones will give you the airports and Versailles. Purchase this at a ticket machine in any metro or RER (train) station. Do NOT purchase this in advance. If you are just staying in Paris, you can also opt for a 10 pack of single use metro tickets. You need to have a ticket to both enter and EXIT the station.
Almost EVERYTHING in Europe now has timed entry. This was brought in during Covid and will likely stay. The times are fairly rigid, so think about the slot you book. You do all of this online. If you have the Museum Pass, you still need times entry reservations for the Lourvre and Versailles. You do all of this online.
In Normandy, make sure you visit the Caen Memorial before going anywhere else. It gives you a great introduction to D-day and live in Normandy pre and post invasion. Purchase your tickets online in advance at by clicking here . Note: the button to get the version in English isin the top left of the screen. After that, decide which beaches you want to see. If you get an early start, you can probably fit in a town and three beaches. If you are American, don’t miss the cemetery. The Brits and Canadians also have cemeteries.
Mont St Michel, like everywhere, now has timed entry. What is not mentioned ANYWHERE is the cluster that is now the parking and shuttle system. Allow yourself a minimum of 60 minutes to get to the abbey entrance from the parking area. Even if you walk. It’s 2km from the parking lot and there is a free shuttle, but the queues are long. Google maps is, at this writing, unaware of the situation. The shuttle takes you to the causeway. It is another 20 – 30 minutes walk, most of it up the streets of the rock, to the abbey entrance. There are many sights that sell the entry tickets: GetYourGuide, Viator, etc.
At the beginning of January, a friend posted one of those silly little quiz or question things on Facebook. It said something like, “whatever was the number one song the week of your 21st birthday will be your motto for the year. Mine was, believe it or not, Walk Like an Egyptian. I arrived in Egypt a few days after that FB post for two weeks of nonstop travel with the Smithsonian. Never has a stupid internet post been so appropriate; well, at least not for me.
Cairo defines sensory overload. It is all at once noisy, spiritual, dirty, and beautiful. The never ending din of sirens, car horns and construction equipment create a kind of white noise that is somehow soothing. Over this cacophony, five times a day, the chant of call to prayer reminds you of the mysticism of this magical place. I can’t say I loved Cairo, but it did feel oddly familiar.
Old CairoMosque of Muhammad Ali
Islam is the primary faith of Egypt, but there are a number of Christians (Coptic) as well. Old Cairo shows its Coptic history with pride. There is even a significant Jewish population, but the old synagogue is currently closed for restoration.
St George’s Church in Old Cairo
But, let’s face it. We don’t visit Cairo for the beautiful mosques and churches. We come for the Pyramids. They do not disappoint. These structures, the only remaining wonders of the ancient world, were built over 4,500 years ago!!! Standing in front of them and walking around them simply takes your breath away.
Click on the arrows for the slide show.
One benefit of travel during a pandemic is we had them ALMOST to ourselves. And before you get snarky, no I did not photoshop out the other tourists. I will also say that our amazing guide knew how to get us around to avoid crowds.
After a couple of days in Cairo, we boarded a pre-dawn flight (the first of several) to Aswan. Although we were now south of Cairo, we were in UPPER Egypt. It’s seemingly backwards because the Nile flows north.
The Nile created Egypt. The fertile land around its banks and established by the annual floods allowed an Empire to flourish for nearly three thousand years. Today, it’s waters are used both for sustenance and power but also for transport and recreation.
I loved the colorful boats that ferry people back and forth.
The feluccas, still an important mode of transport, are beautiful to see and fun to sail on.
This young boy followed us on a few trips.
The birds that also call the river their home made me happy each time I saw them.
I went out one day on our Nile cruise early in the morning to capture birds and was treated to baloons.
IfI ever get back to Egypt, I’m gonna take one of those balloon rides.
Along the Nile are the temples and we visited a-LOT of them. Philea, Kom Ombo, Karnak, Abu Simbel, Luxor, the list goes on. We also went to Valley of the Kings and visited some more pyramids. I will save all that for the next post since I have to get myself organized to move in to my new apartment on Tuesday. It’s all very exciting!!!
When I posted last month after visiting Venice, travel looked a lot more feasible and inviting than it does now. In November, I had plans to take a Christmas Market River Cruise on the Danube. By early December, a holiday blending of Delta Surges and Omicron Oozes sent a death blow to Christmas markets all over Europe.
Luckily for my wallet, Ama Waterways has a decent cancellation policy. I was able to cancel the cruise and get full credit towards another cruise in 2022 or 2023. So, stay tuned for what I decide to do on that front. My other luck was making a new friend in the wonderful Sarah who lives in the Jura region of France. She invited me to spend Christmas in her beautiful town of Seyssel and explore the area.
On 18 December, I headed first to Paris. There was an art exhibit I wanted to see.
As the saying goes, Paris is always a good idea. This holds for the Christmas season as well. I did hope to see wonderful light installations and fabulous decorations, and on this, and only this, I was a bit disappointed. There were lights, but nothing that made you go “ooohhhhhhhhhh!” Walking around after dark did make for some pretty night shots.
The exhibit I saw was the Morozov Collection. It is a collection of French and Russian modern and impressionist art that, according to those who write about such things, is unlikely ever to be repeated. It was worth the trip to Paris (for me, being only 2 hours away now). There were a lot of works by people we’ve all heard of (Renoir, Monet, Matisse, etc.) and some new names I look forward to seeing in some other museums. The real jewel was one of Van Gogh’s final works, The Prisoners. Very sad when you learn he was in the asylum just before he painted it and only two months before ending his own life. It’s a powerful piece.
The Prisoners by Van Gogh
The museum, The Louis Vitton Foundation, is a work of art in itself. Designed by Frank Gehry, the style is familiar. Yes, he’s the same guy that did buidlings/structures in Barcelona, New York, Chicago, Bilbao and more. It would be great to return here to see it on a less gray day.
After a few days in Paris, I headed South and East to the Jura region. This picturesque area is at the foot of the Alps and is a great place to visit.
On my first morning, I was up early and took a walk down the hill to the town of Seyssel and the skies greeted me with a lovely picture.
Just after sunrise in Seyssel.
After my walk, the wonderful Sara loaned me her car to head off to Annecy. Four hours is NOT enough time in this special town. I could easily spend a couple of days exploring all the small streets and, yes, canals. I am looking forward to visiting this special town again. Maybe in Spring?
Church of Mary
Lake View
Loved this little patio on the canal.
Gotta show the birds…
View from the canal
Penguin loves bridges and canals. He feels daring.
Town centre
Canal
Annecy town centre
Annecy also had a small Christmas market that was fun to walk around. The rockin’ elves in the town put everyone in the Christmas spirit. Hit play if it doesn’t start automatically. I promise, it’s a short video.
These guys drove all around the town playing for the afternoon.
There is something about snow and the holidays. I know this is Northern Hemisphere bias, but during the holidays I will admit to bias. Especially when you get to experience them around mountains like this. It did not snow while I was there, but the recently fallen (and now melting) snow did create for some challenging driving at higher altitudes. Sarah’s little Opel was not designed for what we asked of it one one day and we got stuck. I should have taken a picture of the car stuck on the ice, but just walking on it was hard enough. I wasn’t about to try to walk with the camera. We eventually got out, using fallen tree branches as traction and myself as weight in the back. Lesson learned…well, maybe. The scenery was spectacular and our little adventure made for great story telling.
The fearless Opel
The Fearless Sarah
My last couple of days were a wonderful mixture of Christmas eve celebrations in Genevea and the lights of Seyssel and a quick daytrip for lunch to Chamonix. Christmas eve was beautifully clear and crisp, making night shots perfect and Chamonix is a great place to really feel like it’s winter. I got to try my first raclette (a dish of melted cheese, charcuterie and potatoes) and see some amazing vistas.
Click on the arrows for a quick slide show.
Geneva
Geneva
Seyssel
Seyssel
Chamonix
New Friend
Now, on this last day of 2021, looking back, it wasn’t so bad. I got to a few new places, made new friends and, stayed healthy. I think we all look forward to a world-wide improvement in health, welfare and travel for the new year. Please stay safe, love your family and friends, and keep looking for reasons to expand your horizons. I hope to have some interesting things to share with you, but don’t want to jynx anything now.
Okay, so I know it’s been a while since I last checked in. A long while.
In case you are unaware, there is a clinical condition called Photo Phatigue. (Lisa M., back me up on this) It commonly presents after one spends far too much time going through pictures of animals. So, while I still have pictures of Uganda and Kenya to go through, I needed a break.
After a very busy holiday season, I came to Rome in what I thought would be a slow(er) season. WRONG! Turns out the first week of January is almost as busy as summer. It was an Epiphany (pun intended). Lucky for me, I don’t mind getting up before sunrise to get somewhere before the hoardes of other tourists. Well, I don’t mind too much.
The first morning I walked at dawn to St Peters. The views in the city were well worth the early hour and chilly air.
Castelo St Angelo Dome of St Peter’s
Even The Penguin and St Joseph were in awe of the sights.
Once we all arrived at St Peter’s, we were in awe. Now, we’ve all seen a number of cathedrals and churches all over the world, but this one pretty much outshines almost all the others.
Inside St Peter’sThe Papal Altar. Only the Pope can officiate from here.
Inside the walls of the world’s smallest country, there are also the Vatican Museums and The Sistine Chapel. Here is where the crowds really appeared. Walking throught the halls of the museum was like leaving a Who concert in the 80’s. We weren’t able to go into the Rafael Hall so there is now a reason to return to Rome some time in the future (and in Februrary). The main halls were still stunning.
And, one of the halls had my favorite Roman god.
Bacchus, God of Wine
The Sistine Chapel is at the end of the museum halls. Pictures are not allowed, but I managed to sneak one with my phone as we were leaving. It’s amazing to think that Michelangelo completed this in only 4 years!
After a couple of days of religious viewings, it was time for some Italian culture. What better way to accomplish this than with a walking food tour. We started with sausages and hams, tried pizza (gluten free for me) and some tasty thistles.
I took it easy the next day but in the evening I did a night tour of Rome, on Segway! Segways and cobblestones are not the best combination and I have the bruises to prove this. Despite the crash, it was fun.
The crowds of Rome around the Epiphany made some of the sights in the center too crowded to maneuver on a Segway. But, we still got to see some great things. The Forum at night is pretty special.
Penguin had a good time, too.
The Colloseum and the Forum are more impressive in the daylight.
Colosseum exteriorInterior
Our archeologist guide gave us some insight into what went on here. Gladiator games were common events as were public executions where criminals and traitors were fed to wild animals. I don’t think ancient Rome was a very nice place to live.
We climbed to the top level on some pretty scary steep steps. I was very glad they had upgraded the ancient architecture with handrails. The views fromt the top where great.
Penguin tries to make friends with the locals
As my visit to the Eternal City was coming to an end, I did something you can pretty much only do here. I went to the Papal Audience. Since we were now past the Epiphany, and it was pretty cold, the crowds were remarkably small. We got pretty good seats.
The bottom picture is at the end of the audience when they brought a live circus on stage for everyone’s entertainment. Not kidding.
Since His Holiness blessed everyone and any religious items we had brought, Joe was positively euphoric. I know you can’t tell from his expression, but he was simply beaming.
We are all glad to be home now. The Penguin, Joe and I wish everyone a very happy new year. There are some fun trips planned for 2020, so stay tuned.
There are several challenges to keeping up with blog posts in Africa. The first is probably the more obvious: a serious lack of decent internet connections. The second, is less obvious, unless you have been to Africa: you take so many bleeping photos that it takes forever to sort through them. Both of these are the biggest reasons for my now being weeks behind in posts.
One of the most special things we saw here were the Painted Dogs (AKA the African Wild Dog). They are very rare and very endangered.
Hwange is a national park a few hours south of Victoria Falls. It is a lovely park with great animal viewing and wonderful birds. The elephants are particularly abundant and seem to have great fun.
Lions live here as well. This majestic male was far away but so exciting to see.
I am always happy to see giraffes. They are so wonderful to watch. The way they move and the their goofy faces. What is a group of giraffes called?
A Tower of Giraffes. They’re called something else if they are moving.
And of course, more Impalas. Africa Fast Food.
Zebras also abound. The stripes serve to confuse predators. When they run, the cats can’t tell where on zebra ends and the other begins. When you see a group of them, you get it. Do you know what a group of zebras is called?
A Dazzle of Zebras
Continuing with our collective noun trivia, a group of baboons is called a parliament of baboons. I think this relates to the British House of Commons’ reputation for disruptive and reckless behavior during debates, but I have no evidence of this.
In addition to the wonderful mammalian sights, there are wonderful birds. I never get tired of seeing birds. I am getting close to being a geek who never leaves the house without binoculars.
Male Ostrich. Buzzard. HawkHammer HeadLilac Breasted Roller
Then there are the birds whose names I have forgotten. Sorry birds. I still love you.
After a couple of days at the park in Zimbabwe it was time to head to our next destination, Botswana. We boarded a bush plane for the brief flight over the Okavango Delta to our next lodge. MackAir Botswana has a sense of humor.
Obviously, an adventure was avoided on this flight.
