I left Delhi just over 48 hours ago. I so glad to be home. Coming home has made me so appreciative of what I have here in Canada: clean water that I can drink from the tap, space to move, not having to haggle every time I go into a shop.
The Delhi international airport is lovely...it is everything that Delhi is not! Spacious, clean, relaxed. I'd forgot to mention that when I first arrived in Delhi, that the customs hall was so pretty! I spend a fair bit of time in airports, so let me say that if I know one thing, it is airports! The Delhi customs hall has this massive wall with discs that are convex and concave, a copper colour. And these hand sculptures on those discs, in gestures, typically "Indian". Parna told me they are the hand movements from an Indian dance of welcome. Departing gave me the opportunity to see more and I can say - it was the most relaxed I was in Delhi the entire time I was there. Soaring ceilings, quite spaces, good food.
I'd said in my first post that people were almost deferential. Well, the longer I stayed, the less this was so. Example: I needed an ATM so I could get cash for the rest of the week. It was after 9.30 at night, so quite dark. I asked the gal at the front desk where I could find one. She didn't even look up at me - said there was just a short walk away - 2 or 3 kms "over that way" vaguely waving her hand.
Let me set the scene better, so you really understand how completely inappropriate that answer was: It was dark. There are no street lights around. The roads, as I have mentioned, are kinda crazy with drivers and stray dogs. The location of the hotel is set across from a field of garbage with shanty huts on it. And she is telling a female tourist to just walk across that field to get out cash - probably alot of it, given that most Indian purchases start with a minimum of 100 rupees - and walk back by herself.
Example #2: I tried to get internet connection in my hotel room. I called to the front desk and asked how I got this. I was told I had to buy a card. "Ok, where do I buy a card?" "Oh, around, m'am." So I asked Parna when we were out, and she had no idea what the hotel was talking about. So, when we got back that night, I stopped in person at the front desk and asked again. And they had the cards there for purchase. ??????? Why didn't they tell me that when I called and asked originally?
____________________
I ended up seeing cattle eating garbage on the side of the roads, alongside hogs and dogs. No elephants, though. Tons of those motorized rickshaws, men pulling carts both on foot and bicycles. Women in saris of all colours. Food stands on the sides of roads. How the weather impacts the traffic so dramatically, like rain and fog. The smells - not all unpleasant, but definitely a different smell.
I am thankful for the adventure and thankful for the generosity of Parna, who spent pretty much every day with me for 8 days. But I am so thankful to be home.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Delhi, Day 2
Today Parna took me to see the Red Fort, which was built by Shah Jahan in the mid 1600's. It is named the Red Fort, because, well, it is a fort and the stone used for the exterior walls and main public buildings are red. It is known as "Lal Quila" to the Indians.
There is alot of history to the Red Fort that I won't go into here. It was in use until the mid 1800's when the British used it for a Military base. In 2007 it was classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I thought I would be bored because it would all be red and fort-like. But it wasn't like that inside. The private buildings, for the most part, where all white, dotted amongst vast grounds with pools. Because the stone is so old and porous, they don't fill the pools with water and run the fountains anymore, but Parna said when she was younger, maybe as recently as 20 years ago, she visited with school and all the pools were filled and the fountains running. She remembers monkeys all over the place, too. Sadly, no water and no monkeys now.
Originally, the ceilings of the small buildings, especially the private quarters of the queens, were ornately decorated, sometimes with jewels. The carvings and tile work that remains is still beautiful - I can only imagine what it must have looked like "back in the day".
It was hot today, 28c, and by this point, I was running on three hours sleep. So I wasn't up to my usual perky self.
The drive into Old Delhi was slow. We did not see any cattle, camels or elephants. The difference between New and Old Delhi was apparent almost immediately. The streets of Old Delhi are what you'd expect from a city developed over 500 years ago: tiny. To exacerbate the already crowded roads, today was market day, so part of the road was filled with people selling stuff and pedestrians walking all over. The stray dogs, of course, added to the general mayhem. In all, it took us over 2 hours to drive the 30 kilometers from the hotel to the Red Fort, in traffic that at some points was mostly stopped. Which only gave the beggars who saw me more time to stand in the road and pound on the car window. We arrived at the Fort early, though, and once through security (full pat down by female guards and thorough purse inspections), the grounds were calm and quiet - and I needed it by then.
Observation day 2: I described Delhi as a "jumbled city" in yesterday's post. Today, I'd describe it more as a city constantly under construction, re-construction and destruction. Seriously. We were driving down one road, before we got into the old city, and there were all these large building that were clearly being deconstructed. I remarked that there seemed to be alot of building going on. Parna told me that there had been a period of illegal building going on by land owners. The particular stretch of road we were on was once the hub of Haute Couture - many of the major fashion designers had once had illegal shops and workrooms in those buildings, and because of the way the buildings were built, and where, they weren't paying taxes and were taking the free water and electricity that was meant for the small farmers right across the road. So the gov't kicked them out and started - but never competed - the process of tearing the buildings down so they couldn't be used any further. It gives the landscape a horrid look, though - as if there was a major war just recently and the buildings had all been hit by shrapnel.
I used to work with a gal on one of my projects who moved to Hyderabad - much further south - to train call center staff on North American standards of handling customers. She met and married an Indian man and now lives there full time with their 2 year old daughter. She warned me that I was in for a shock, and she was right - but I'm not sure there is any way to be prepared for the reality of it all. It was crowded when I lived in London, but this.....is a whole new crazy.
As type that last line, I realize I may be sounding negative about my experiences so far. I'm not. I am so thankful that I've had this opportunity and extremely thankful for Parna's hospitality.
Well, jet lag has hit me hard. As I mentioned earlier, I had looked forward to a full night's sleep last night - but woke up at 3 a.m. and tossed and turned after that. So I finally got up and showered, had a leisurely breakfast and read a bit. That means by now - at almost 10.pm., I am exhausted, and that includes a 3 hour nap. So, a late dinner and off to bed for me....there is not likely to be any more site seeing stuff, as it is work, work, work for the rest of the week, and then a 28 hour day of traveling back home...no business class to look to this time 'round. :(
There is alot of history to the Red Fort that I won't go into here. It was in use until the mid 1800's when the British used it for a Military base. In 2007 it was classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I thought I would be bored because it would all be red and fort-like. But it wasn't like that inside. The private buildings, for the most part, where all white, dotted amongst vast grounds with pools. Because the stone is so old and porous, they don't fill the pools with water and run the fountains anymore, but Parna said when she was younger, maybe as recently as 20 years ago, she visited with school and all the pools were filled and the fountains running. She remembers monkeys all over the place, too. Sadly, no water and no monkeys now.
Originally, the ceilings of the small buildings, especially the private quarters of the queens, were ornately decorated, sometimes with jewels. The carvings and tile work that remains is still beautiful - I can only imagine what it must have looked like "back in the day".
It was hot today, 28c, and by this point, I was running on three hours sleep. So I wasn't up to my usual perky self.
The drive into Old Delhi was slow. We did not see any cattle, camels or elephants. The difference between New and Old Delhi was apparent almost immediately. The streets of Old Delhi are what you'd expect from a city developed over 500 years ago: tiny. To exacerbate the already crowded roads, today was market day, so part of the road was filled with people selling stuff and pedestrians walking all over. The stray dogs, of course, added to the general mayhem. In all, it took us over 2 hours to drive the 30 kilometers from the hotel to the Red Fort, in traffic that at some points was mostly stopped. Which only gave the beggars who saw me more time to stand in the road and pound on the car window. We arrived at the Fort early, though, and once through security (full pat down by female guards and thorough purse inspections), the grounds were calm and quiet - and I needed it by then.
Observation day 2: I described Delhi as a "jumbled city" in yesterday's post. Today, I'd describe it more as a city constantly under construction, re-construction and destruction. Seriously. We were driving down one road, before we got into the old city, and there were all these large building that were clearly being deconstructed. I remarked that there seemed to be alot of building going on. Parna told me that there had been a period of illegal building going on by land owners. The particular stretch of road we were on was once the hub of Haute Couture - many of the major fashion designers had once had illegal shops and workrooms in those buildings, and because of the way the buildings were built, and where, they weren't paying taxes and were taking the free water and electricity that was meant for the small farmers right across the road. So the gov't kicked them out and started - but never competed - the process of tearing the buildings down so they couldn't be used any further. It gives the landscape a horrid look, though - as if there was a major war just recently and the buildings had all been hit by shrapnel.
I used to work with a gal on one of my projects who moved to Hyderabad - much further south - to train call center staff on North American standards of handling customers. She met and married an Indian man and now lives there full time with their 2 year old daughter. She warned me that I was in for a shock, and she was right - but I'm not sure there is any way to be prepared for the reality of it all. It was crowded when I lived in London, but this.....is a whole new crazy.
As type that last line, I realize I may be sounding negative about my experiences so far. I'm not. I am so thankful that I've had this opportunity and extremely thankful for Parna's hospitality.
Well, jet lag has hit me hard. As I mentioned earlier, I had looked forward to a full night's sleep last night - but woke up at 3 a.m. and tossed and turned after that. So I finally got up and showered, had a leisurely breakfast and read a bit. That means by now - at almost 10.pm., I am exhausted, and that includes a 3 hour nap. So, a late dinner and off to bed for me....there is not likely to be any more site seeing stuff, as it is work, work, work for the rest of the week, and then a 28 hour day of traveling back home...no business class to look to this time 'round. :(
First Impressions: Delhi, India
Delhi is not a pretty city. It is a jumbled city, where you find new buildings, like the hotel I am in, right across the street from empty lots filled with rubble and shanties on them.
Stray dogs are everywhere and pretty fearless. I fear for them, but my hostess assures me they are generally not killed or moved away.
Cars, cars, cars, some of the older models still spewing fumes that choke the air.
Traffic, even at 2:00 a.m., is horrid. Lanes are a just a suggestion, horn blowing is required, whether to say "watch out" "don't get in my lane" "I'm moving", or, presumably, just to say "hi". I never know why the horn, so I am surmising.
Beggars who see you in a car and literally bang on the windows so hard, you fear it might break. My hostess tells me it is only because they see a tourist in the car.
All kinds of people. Delhi has 18 million people in it. There is no escape, and the concept of personal space is completely alien to them. People bathing in the mud puddles. I only hope they don't drink it as well.
Security checks for vehicles are everywhere: to leave the airport, to cross state lines, even to get into the hotel parking lot/drop off area we had to stop, open the trunk, have a mirror stuck under the car to see if there was...what? Bombs? People? I'm not sure and afraid to ask. My hostess says this has been par for the course since the Mumbai bombings.
The understanding that you will be charged more just for being a "tourist" whether you are there on business or not. Seriously - they have separate (and mostly marked) prices for "Indians" and "Tourists". Indians will pay 10 Rupees to enter the Red Fort, Tourists pay 250. At least they don't hide it.
___________
Still.....people are nice. Polite for the most part....no, that's not the word....deferential. But there is no escaping that as a female tourist, I attract alot of attention, not all of it good. I see a few female tourists wandering about on their own, and wonder how they feel. Maybe it doesn't bother them, like it probably wouldn't have bothered me 20 years ago.
I have been fortunate enough that my India colleague has been so gracious to spend most of today showing me around, and will do so again tomorrow. Today we started late - about 3.30 - and we went to a crafts shopping area. So lovely! Beautiful cloths for saris, bed covers, table linens, silk scarves, wooden and brass Buddhas, elephants, Hindu gods and goddesses...a riot of color everywhere I turned. My colleague, Parna, loves bargaining - she says it relaxes her! and so I was able to get most things at half off the price being "suggested" - there were only a few items I walked away from. I only spent about 2,000 Rupees - that's maybe $50.00 We ate in another section of town, an area called Khan. I have no idea where the crafts market was, but it was huge.
Tomorrow, she is taking me to the Red Fort, one of the oldest settlements in Delhi, in the heart of Old Delhi. It is a Mughal fort, built by the first Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. If we have time, we may go to Humayan's Tomb, which looks like a smaller Taj Mahal (it was built about 100 years before the Taj, and is commonly believed to have served at the model for the Taj, although, unlike the Taj, it is built of red sandstone and not white marble). Parna tells me that on the road to the Red Fort, we are likely to see cattle and camels on the highway with the cars, and "if we are lucky, an elephant". Now that would be a site to see!
I am tired. It's been 15 years since I've traveled 25 hours to get someplace, and I've forgotten how much it drains you, especially when you yourself are 15 years older. If you are curious - Delhi is 10.5 hours ahead of EDT. It was odd calling Colin to tell him I'd arrived safely and going to bed shortly and it was just the start of his day...
Stray dogs are everywhere and pretty fearless. I fear for them, but my hostess assures me they are generally not killed or moved away.
Cars, cars, cars, some of the older models still spewing fumes that choke the air.
Traffic, even at 2:00 a.m., is horrid. Lanes are a just a suggestion, horn blowing is required, whether to say "watch out" "don't get in my lane" "I'm moving", or, presumably, just to say "hi". I never know why the horn, so I am surmising.
Beggars who see you in a car and literally bang on the windows so hard, you fear it might break. My hostess tells me it is only because they see a tourist in the car.
All kinds of people. Delhi has 18 million people in it. There is no escape, and the concept of personal space is completely alien to them. People bathing in the mud puddles. I only hope they don't drink it as well.
Security checks for vehicles are everywhere: to leave the airport, to cross state lines, even to get into the hotel parking lot/drop off area we had to stop, open the trunk, have a mirror stuck under the car to see if there was...what? Bombs? People? I'm not sure and afraid to ask. My hostess says this has been par for the course since the Mumbai bombings.
The understanding that you will be charged more just for being a "tourist" whether you are there on business or not. Seriously - they have separate (and mostly marked) prices for "Indians" and "Tourists". Indians will pay 10 Rupees to enter the Red Fort, Tourists pay 250. At least they don't hide it.
___________
Still.....people are nice. Polite for the most part....no, that's not the word....deferential. But there is no escaping that as a female tourist, I attract alot of attention, not all of it good. I see a few female tourists wandering about on their own, and wonder how they feel. Maybe it doesn't bother them, like it probably wouldn't have bothered me 20 years ago.
I have been fortunate enough that my India colleague has been so gracious to spend most of today showing me around, and will do so again tomorrow. Today we started late - about 3.30 - and we went to a crafts shopping area. So lovely! Beautiful cloths for saris, bed covers, table linens, silk scarves, wooden and brass Buddhas, elephants, Hindu gods and goddesses...a riot of color everywhere I turned. My colleague, Parna, loves bargaining - she says it relaxes her! and so I was able to get most things at half off the price being "suggested" - there were only a few items I walked away from. I only spent about 2,000 Rupees - that's maybe $50.00 We ate in another section of town, an area called Khan. I have no idea where the crafts market was, but it was huge.
Tomorrow, she is taking me to the Red Fort, one of the oldest settlements in Delhi, in the heart of Old Delhi. It is a Mughal fort, built by the first Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. If we have time, we may go to Humayan's Tomb, which looks like a smaller Taj Mahal (it was built about 100 years before the Taj, and is commonly believed to have served at the model for the Taj, although, unlike the Taj, it is built of red sandstone and not white marble). Parna tells me that on the road to the Red Fort, we are likely to see cattle and camels on the highway with the cars, and "if we are lucky, an elephant". Now that would be a site to see!
I am tired. It's been 15 years since I've traveled 25 hours to get someplace, and I've forgotten how much it drains you, especially when you yourself are 15 years older. If you are curious - Delhi is 10.5 hours ahead of EDT. It was odd calling Colin to tell him I'd arrived safely and going to bed shortly and it was just the start of his day...
Monday, May 31, 2010
Vatican City: St. Peter's and the Museums
I am not a religious person, but seeing St. Peter's for the first time brought tears to my eyes. It is overwhelming!
You need to time your visit early. R. and I were in the area on a Saturday afternoon, and the line up was wrapped around the piazza. This is in early May when tourism is *not* at it's highest! We had no intention of wasting 4 hours on a sunny afternoon standing in line, and so resolved to come back on a weekday morning.
The piazza is attributed to Bernini, but others, including Michelangelo, have contributed to it's design. Bernini completed it and it is his design that stands today. If you look at an aerial view of the piazza, St. Peter's is approached by a large piazza, with two semi-circular colonnaded porticoes. It was meant to be a welcome into the heart of St. Peter's. I described it as a "hug" to R. This is the outside area where the Pope addresses the faithful. It is a massive space.
We came back at 8:00 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, and this proved to be the correct timing. We walked right up to the entrance, went through security and continued up to the area where you can get audio guides. We ended up taking an English tour, instead, and I'm glad we did. The guide was able to explain things that I'm sure we would have missed otherwise.
I was really not fully prepared for the size of St. Peter's. It is HUGE. Every surface is decorated and it is a tradition of each pope to add something, be it small or large. There was so much to see. My favorite was Michelangelo's "Pieta", so beautifully sculpted. You don't have to be religious to find the subject of a mother grieving her child moving. The walls are all covered in massive art. Our guide explained that while originally, these would have been actual paintings, all the original works have been removed for conservation and replaced by mosaics. I was astonished. I like mosaic works, in general, but these were done to a standard I have never seen before. You cannot tell they are mosaics - every nuance of shading and color is so precise. Absolutely astounding.
I also loved Bernini's huge twisted baldachino, and the stained glass with the dove in the centre. Try as I did, my camera would just not capture the dove image.
What moved me the most, for some reason, was the realization that this is still a church in active use today. The day we were there, a wedding was taking place in one of the side chapels for the Swiss Guards (the area was covered off with curtains, but we figured it out when the bride and groom came out as our tour finished), and a baptism was also occurring. These two events really touched me.
The Vatican Museums are a must see. We arranged our tickets for a Friday night. I figured there would be fewer people and the lighting would offer a different perspective and I was right on both counts. When you come into the Museums (again, through security) there is a large patio that overlooks some of the grounds. Although not yet dark, they had large oil candles burning. The view of the gardens, lit by candles looking towards the dome of St. Peter's, was a serene scene.
The Museums house some of the worlds best art. As an art history major, I suspect my degree would be pulled if it were discovered that I went to Rome and did not visit the Museums. We wandered through gallery after gallery of art from all the ages. We saw tapestries from the 1500's, mosaics of what I think are the different geographies of Italy, the Raphael Rooms, the modern art collection (which I found fascinating, despite some guides which claim that it is horrendous - not true!), all on the way to the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is beautiful, it really is. To think about how this was painted by one man over 10 years - and took twice as long to clean, restore and conserve - is humbling. Most of us are familiar with some of the famous images from the ceiling - God creating Adam (the fingers touching), some of the muses (Ikea had a poster for years of one of the muses). Seeing it all together is simply....beautiful and humbling.
I did enjoy the modern art collection. Some of the art is gifts, some has been procured. All of it is religious in nature. And it comes from all over the world, so it almost serves as an ethnographic collection as well. There were some gems in there: a small painting by Salvidor Dali, a sculpture of what looked like small blobs of metal clouds, connected by one or two points, ascending upwards, a clay sculpture of Jesus leading a flock of sheep, a stained glass of Madonna and Child in black and white.
All in all, it was worth the visit no matter what your religious or spiritual background to see the jewels of Vatican City.
You need to time your visit early. R. and I were in the area on a Saturday afternoon, and the line up was wrapped around the piazza. This is in early May when tourism is *not* at it's highest! We had no intention of wasting 4 hours on a sunny afternoon standing in line, and so resolved to come back on a weekday morning.
The piazza is attributed to Bernini, but others, including Michelangelo, have contributed to it's design. Bernini completed it and it is his design that stands today. If you look at an aerial view of the piazza, St. Peter's is approached by a large piazza, with two semi-circular colonnaded porticoes. It was meant to be a welcome into the heart of St. Peter's. I described it as a "hug" to R. This is the outside area where the Pope addresses the faithful. It is a massive space.
We came back at 8:00 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, and this proved to be the correct timing. We walked right up to the entrance, went through security and continued up to the area where you can get audio guides. We ended up taking an English tour, instead, and I'm glad we did. The guide was able to explain things that I'm sure we would have missed otherwise.
I was really not fully prepared for the size of St. Peter's. It is HUGE. Every surface is decorated and it is a tradition of each pope to add something, be it small or large. There was so much to see. My favorite was Michelangelo's "Pieta", so beautifully sculpted. You don't have to be religious to find the subject of a mother grieving her child moving. The walls are all covered in massive art. Our guide explained that while originally, these would have been actual paintings, all the original works have been removed for conservation and replaced by mosaics. I was astonished. I like mosaic works, in general, but these were done to a standard I have never seen before. You cannot tell they are mosaics - every nuance of shading and color is so precise. Absolutely astounding.
I also loved Bernini's huge twisted baldachino, and the stained glass with the dove in the centre. Try as I did, my camera would just not capture the dove image.
What moved me the most, for some reason, was the realization that this is still a church in active use today. The day we were there, a wedding was taking place in one of the side chapels for the Swiss Guards (the area was covered off with curtains, but we figured it out when the bride and groom came out as our tour finished), and a baptism was also occurring. These two events really touched me.
The Vatican Museums are a must see. We arranged our tickets for a Friday night. I figured there would be fewer people and the lighting would offer a different perspective and I was right on both counts. When you come into the Museums (again, through security) there is a large patio that overlooks some of the grounds. Although not yet dark, they had large oil candles burning. The view of the gardens, lit by candles looking towards the dome of St. Peter's, was a serene scene.
The Museums house some of the worlds best art. As an art history major, I suspect my degree would be pulled if it were discovered that I went to Rome and did not visit the Museums. We wandered through gallery after gallery of art from all the ages. We saw tapestries from the 1500's, mosaics of what I think are the different geographies of Italy, the Raphael Rooms, the modern art collection (which I found fascinating, despite some guides which claim that it is horrendous - not true!), all on the way to the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is beautiful, it really is. To think about how this was painted by one man over 10 years - and took twice as long to clean, restore and conserve - is humbling. Most of us are familiar with some of the famous images from the ceiling - God creating Adam (the fingers touching), some of the muses (Ikea had a poster for years of one of the muses). Seeing it all together is simply....beautiful and humbling.
I did enjoy the modern art collection. Some of the art is gifts, some has been procured. All of it is religious in nature. And it comes from all over the world, so it almost serves as an ethnographic collection as well. There were some gems in there: a small painting by Salvidor Dali, a sculpture of what looked like small blobs of metal clouds, connected by one or two points, ascending upwards, a clay sculpture of Jesus leading a flock of sheep, a stained glass of Madonna and Child in black and white.
All in all, it was worth the visit no matter what your religious or spiritual background to see the jewels of Vatican City.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Final Stop: Rome, the Eternal City
We boarded our plane to Rome via Frankfurt from London on 6 May. R. was introduced to the wonderful world of duty free at Heathrow, but mostly just wanted hot chocolate.
We arrived in Rome about 5:30. After picking up our luggage and making our way to the train that takes you into town, we bought our tickets for the train. No one told us these had to be further validated, nor were the boxes very prominent, nor were there signs advising this, and so we ended up paying a 100 Euro fine by the very nasty conductor - who then let off all the other travellers who also didn't know they needed to validate the tickets further. There went our planned trip to Pompeii, between that fine and the extra tickets for the Eurostar, it blew any money I'd planned to use to get to Pompeii. Nice little racket, the Italian train system has going there. And not a pleasant welcome to Rome.
We made it to our rented apartment not far from the Termini train station. I'd heard this wasn't the best part of Rome to be in, but really, the only issue I saw was that it was an ethnic area. Our apartment was nice and cool and we were pretty central to everything.
We managed to find some dinner that night and tucked into bed early for our first day of sightseeing.
I'm not going to go day by day here, as quite frankly, I don't remember the chronological order of sites. I remember our first day, and then, after that, it's just a blur of archaeological sites, museums and walking, walking, walking!
We started the next day deciding to do one of the walking tours in my Lonely Planets guide of Ancient Rome. We set out with a detour to Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the 4 official churches of Rome. It has beautiful mosaics and the tomb of Bernini, which is very understated for such an important figure in Roman art and architecture. The decoration was primarily Baroque and really lovely.
Next we stopped for our first ice cream on the way down towards what is called Ancient Rome. We eneded walking past this building behind an old wall, and realized it was a museum. We decided to go in and then realized it was the museum and site of the archaeological ruins of the Imperial Forums. Not "the" Roman Forum, that came later. Click this url to read more about the imperial forums... http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/imperialforums.htm
What fascinated me about this site is that apparently, it was used as housing for people into well past WWII. There was an accompanying photo exhibit that showed kids playing soccer amongst the ruins, on ancient marble floors. All I could think was what people thought living amongst the ruins.
From there we walked around the corner and Ta-da! There is Trajan's column. Oh, there is main road to the Colosseum! Oh, there's the Roman Forums! And that was pretty much how the rest of our trip went. We essentially threw out the guide books after that, because we knew that in the heart of Rome, we were going to find something of interest at almost every turn.
The funny thing is, we didn't miss what we didn't see, because we came across such little gems along the way. One of our favorites was on our way to the Pantheon. We saw this pit with ruins in it, which was clearly still being execavated, and in it were several cats lounging around. There were (typically, I'm sad to say) no signs stating what this site was, and then another tourist told us that attached to the ruins was a cat sanctuary that was open to the public. So, R. & I had to go! We go down the stairs to a narrow area filled with plants and flowers and trellis' to offer shade. And CATS everywhere! R. had fun taking photos of the cats, and I sat on a bench under the shade - and within two minutes, a small cat came and sat on my lap, eventually settling in for a snooze. We realized this place ran on donations, and so decided that since we had enjoyed our time, we had to donate something, buying t-shirts to commerate the occasion. We ended up getting a tour of the facility, which accepts all cats, no matter what their condition. Some of the cats which are not allowed out have neurological problems, or have had amputations, or are blind. Rome has a "No-Kill" law, but sadly, this doesn't mean you have to care for the cats. The care and love these cats - all these cats - receive from the volunteers is amazing, and I have to say, in a city that often seems not to care, it was heartening to see this softer side.
The official website for Gatti di Roma (Cats of Rome) is here http://www.romancats.com/ . The diary is quite cute to read, as they talk about the cats and some of their habits.
As a matter of interest to those of you who enjoy Roman history - the ruins in which the Torre de Argentina cat sanctaury is next to is the site on which Brutus had Julius Cesaer killed. Sadly, they weren't running tours that day, but I would have liked to learn more about this site.
So in a nutshell, what did we see?
I'll post about the Vaican City and Hadrian's Villa in separate posts.
Our last day we went back to Trevi fountain so R. could take some more pictures, then we decided to go visit one of the Catacombs along the Appian Way. We found one of the hop on/hop off buses, called the Archeo-bus, which took you to some of the archaeological sites and along the Appian Way. It was hot that day, so perfect not to walk. The catacombs were interesting, but not really much to see. What was interesting was that the oldest tombs were at the top...as each layer was filled, they dug deeper for the next grouping. The bus ride took us up and down the Appian Way, and it was pleasant to see the reletive quietness of Rome. It also took us past the Circus Maximus, which I am glad we didn't go out of our way for, as all that is there now is a grassy field.
We arrived in Rome about 5:30. After picking up our luggage and making our way to the train that takes you into town, we bought our tickets for the train. No one told us these had to be further validated, nor were the boxes very prominent, nor were there signs advising this, and so we ended up paying a 100 Euro fine by the very nasty conductor - who then let off all the other travellers who also didn't know they needed to validate the tickets further. There went our planned trip to Pompeii, between that fine and the extra tickets for the Eurostar, it blew any money I'd planned to use to get to Pompeii. Nice little racket, the Italian train system has going there. And not a pleasant welcome to Rome.
We made it to our rented apartment not far from the Termini train station. I'd heard this wasn't the best part of Rome to be in, but really, the only issue I saw was that it was an ethnic area. Our apartment was nice and cool and we were pretty central to everything.
We managed to find some dinner that night and tucked into bed early for our first day of sightseeing.
I'm not going to go day by day here, as quite frankly, I don't remember the chronological order of sites. I remember our first day, and then, after that, it's just a blur of archaeological sites, museums and walking, walking, walking!
We started the next day deciding to do one of the walking tours in my Lonely Planets guide of Ancient Rome. We set out with a detour to Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the 4 official churches of Rome. It has beautiful mosaics and the tomb of Bernini, which is very understated for such an important figure in Roman art and architecture. The decoration was primarily Baroque and really lovely.
Next we stopped for our first ice cream on the way down towards what is called Ancient Rome. We eneded walking past this building behind an old wall, and realized it was a museum. We decided to go in and then realized it was the museum and site of the archaeological ruins of the Imperial Forums. Not "the" Roman Forum, that came later. Click this url to read more about the imperial forums... http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/imperialforums.htm
What fascinated me about this site is that apparently, it was used as housing for people into well past WWII. There was an accompanying photo exhibit that showed kids playing soccer amongst the ruins, on ancient marble floors. All I could think was what people thought living amongst the ruins.
From there we walked around the corner and Ta-da! There is Trajan's column. Oh, there is main road to the Colosseum! Oh, there's the Roman Forums! And that was pretty much how the rest of our trip went. We essentially threw out the guide books after that, because we knew that in the heart of Rome, we were going to find something of interest at almost every turn.
The funny thing is, we didn't miss what we didn't see, because we came across such little gems along the way. One of our favorites was on our way to the Pantheon. We saw this pit with ruins in it, which was clearly still being execavated, and in it were several cats lounging around. There were (typically, I'm sad to say) no signs stating what this site was, and then another tourist told us that attached to the ruins was a cat sanctuary that was open to the public. So, R. & I had to go! We go down the stairs to a narrow area filled with plants and flowers and trellis' to offer shade. And CATS everywhere! R. had fun taking photos of the cats, and I sat on a bench under the shade - and within two minutes, a small cat came and sat on my lap, eventually settling in for a snooze. We realized this place ran on donations, and so decided that since we had enjoyed our time, we had to donate something, buying t-shirts to commerate the occasion. We ended up getting a tour of the facility, which accepts all cats, no matter what their condition. Some of the cats which are not allowed out have neurological problems, or have had amputations, or are blind. Rome has a "No-Kill" law, but sadly, this doesn't mean you have to care for the cats. The care and love these cats - all these cats - receive from the volunteers is amazing, and I have to say, in a city that often seems not to care, it was heartening to see this softer side.
The official website for Gatti di Roma (Cats of Rome) is here http://www.romancats.com/ . The diary is quite cute to read, as they talk about the cats and some of their habits.
As a matter of interest to those of you who enjoy Roman history - the ruins in which the Torre de Argentina cat sanctaury is next to is the site on which Brutus had Julius Cesaer killed. Sadly, they weren't running tours that day, but I would have liked to learn more about this site.
So in a nutshell, what did we see?
- The Imperial Forums - one of my fav's, I have to say
- The Colosseum- It was intersting, but I preferred the iconic exterior architecture to the interior site.
- The Roman Forums - disaapointing, we didn't get audio guides, but from a friend who went just a few weeks earlier, it apparently wouldn't have mattered. The site is a just a jumble of stones with no explanation of what you are seeing - very little in Italian, even!
- The Pantheon - I was astounded at how big it was and that it is open air. Too bad some much of it's original interior decoration was removed to be used in other sites....still cool to see, though
- The Capitoline Museum - where the big bronze statute of the She-Wolf feeding the baby twins, Romulus and Remus is. And the Palazzo du Nuovo in front of the museum was designed by Michelangelo
- Trevi Fountain - ok, nice, but...is that it???? Yes, I did throw in one coin, to assure I'll come back to Rome one day. Two would have meant I fell in love and three woud have meant I fell in love with an Italian and moved to Rome - wasn't sure Colin would appreciate that, though, so hence, just the one.
- Santa Maria Maggiore
- The Vatican Museums
- St. Peter's Basicilica
- Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli
- San Callisto Catacombs
I'll post about the Vaican City and Hadrian's Villa in separate posts.
Our last day we went back to Trevi fountain so R. could take some more pictures, then we decided to go visit one of the Catacombs along the Appian Way. We found one of the hop on/hop off buses, called the Archeo-bus, which took you to some of the archaeological sites and along the Appian Way. It was hot that day, so perfect not to walk. The catacombs were interesting, but not really much to see. What was interesting was that the oldest tombs were at the top...as each layer was filled, they dug deeper for the next grouping. The bus ride took us up and down the Appian Way, and it was pleasant to see the reletive quietness of Rome. It also took us past the Circus Maximus, which I am glad we didn't go out of our way for, as all that is there now is a grassy field.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Stop 2: Paris
I like London. There is something about it's tiny, twisted streets and small alleys that beg for exploration. But, it does become claustrophobic after awhile and I start to crave wide open boulevards and open sky. And this is why I love Paris.
If these two cities were human siblings, Paris would be the glittering one, full of flair and frivolity, while London would be the practical one. Both are wonderful in their own ways, but even the most practical soul needs to get out and have some fun, and this is the role of Paris.
So, I'd decided early on in the planning stage that I had to bring R. to Paris, even if it was just a short trip. I knew she'd appreciate that glittery city as much as I do.
We left on a not-too-early Eurostar that got us into Paris Gard de Nord before noon. I booked us using my free Hilton Honors rewards at the very nice Hilton Arc De Triomphe, we checked in and thus started the fastest trip to Paris I've ever done.
What does one prioritize in a city when you have essentially one day to see it? We started by taking a walk down to the Arc de Triomphe, which was just a 10 minute walk away along leafy streets. R. took lots of very good photos, despite the dust choking her. Then we walked down the Champs Elysées, and over to the Louvre via the metro. Wandered in the courtyard of the Louvre (it was closed that day, but we wouldn't have had time to see it properly anyway).
From there, we walked along the Seine to Notre Dame. I was happy to see that the line ups I've come to associate with the cathedral were essentially non-existent. I wanted R. to see this church - sadly, most of the front exterior was covered in scaffolding for restoration - but the inside is stunning anyway. I lit a candle for Colin' parents (R.'s grandparents) and thanked them for their generosity to their children and grandchildren. Both were very devout Catholics, and I knew the family would value this.
From Notre Dame, we crossed the bridge to the Left Bank and wandered through the Latin Quarter, before we took the metro back to the hotel in time meet with my Aunt Anne.
We had an enjoyable dinner with my Aunt, and afterwards, she came with us to the Troccadero, where she left to go home and we walked to the Eiffel Tower. I've never seen it up close at night, and it was really lovely! We stood in line to go up to the main level. R. had, perhaps, harboured ideas of going up to the top level, but I've warned her all along that she would be doing that trip on her own...as I get older, my vertigo is not improving - besides, I've done it 4 times now and the thrill is gone. The decision was taken from her, however, as by the time we got to to the ticket booth (the line up was only 45 minutes!), the top had been closed and we could only go as far as level 2.
The next day, we had a date to go to Versailles. At my party in London, my friend, Anouska, said that like me, she had been to Paris several times but never to Versailles, and when she finally went, it was well worth it. So we hopped on the metro/train to Versailles and spent what little of the day we had left. We had to stand inline for over an hour to get tickets to go into the Palace, and given the time restrictions we had, opted for a guided tour later that afternoon. In the meantime, we walked though the gardens and I'm sure saw less then a tenth what was there!
We were so far away from the Palace at the far end of the garden that we barely made it back in time for the tour, but we did make it and so the palace tour started. For me, the highlight were the Chapel, which is still beautifully preserved, and the Hall of Mirrors. But the tour ran over, and we forgot that our cell phones had *not* adjusted for the 1 hour time difference...and well, to make a long story short, we did not make it back Paris in time to collect our overnight bags and make it to Gard de Nord for our train back to London. It was an expensive mistake, but what do you do? I wouldn't have traded our time at Versailles for anything, but if we'd known we weren't going to make it back in time, we'd have stayed an extra hour at Versailles instead of rushing for a train we missed anyway.
All I can say is: Kids, Don't miss your Eurostar back to London, or the last-minute 1 way fare will cost more then your return fare booked weeks earlier. You have been warned. :)
We made it back to London that night and enjoyed a lovely home-cooked meal with Cath. We packed and booked a taxi to Heathrow the next day for our next leg of the adventure: Rome.
If these two cities were human siblings, Paris would be the glittering one, full of flair and frivolity, while London would be the practical one. Both are wonderful in their own ways, but even the most practical soul needs to get out and have some fun, and this is the role of Paris.
So, I'd decided early on in the planning stage that I had to bring R. to Paris, even if it was just a short trip. I knew she'd appreciate that glittery city as much as I do.
We left on a not-too-early Eurostar that got us into Paris Gard de Nord before noon. I booked us using my free Hilton Honors rewards at the very nice Hilton Arc De Triomphe, we checked in and thus started the fastest trip to Paris I've ever done.
What does one prioritize in a city when you have essentially one day to see it? We started by taking a walk down to the Arc de Triomphe, which was just a 10 minute walk away along leafy streets. R. took lots of very good photos, despite the dust choking her. Then we walked down the Champs Elysées, and over to the Louvre via the metro. Wandered in the courtyard of the Louvre (it was closed that day, but we wouldn't have had time to see it properly anyway).
From there, we walked along the Seine to Notre Dame. I was happy to see that the line ups I've come to associate with the cathedral were essentially non-existent. I wanted R. to see this church - sadly, most of the front exterior was covered in scaffolding for restoration - but the inside is stunning anyway. I lit a candle for Colin' parents (R.'s grandparents) and thanked them for their generosity to their children and grandchildren. Both were very devout Catholics, and I knew the family would value this.
From Notre Dame, we crossed the bridge to the Left Bank and wandered through the Latin Quarter, before we took the metro back to the hotel in time meet with my Aunt Anne.
We had an enjoyable dinner with my Aunt, and afterwards, she came with us to the Troccadero, where she left to go home and we walked to the Eiffel Tower. I've never seen it up close at night, and it was really lovely! We stood in line to go up to the main level. R. had, perhaps, harboured ideas of going up to the top level, but I've warned her all along that she would be doing that trip on her own...as I get older, my vertigo is not improving - besides, I've done it 4 times now and the thrill is gone. The decision was taken from her, however, as by the time we got to to the ticket booth (the line up was only 45 minutes!), the top had been closed and we could only go as far as level 2.
The next day, we had a date to go to Versailles. At my party in London, my friend, Anouska, said that like me, she had been to Paris several times but never to Versailles, and when she finally went, it was well worth it. So we hopped on the metro/train to Versailles and spent what little of the day we had left. We had to stand inline for over an hour to get tickets to go into the Palace, and given the time restrictions we had, opted for a guided tour later that afternoon. In the meantime, we walked though the gardens and I'm sure saw less then a tenth what was there!
We were so far away from the Palace at the far end of the garden that we barely made it back in time for the tour, but we did make it and so the palace tour started. For me, the highlight were the Chapel, which is still beautifully preserved, and the Hall of Mirrors. But the tour ran over, and we forgot that our cell phones had *not* adjusted for the 1 hour time difference...and well, to make a long story short, we did not make it back Paris in time to collect our overnight bags and make it to Gard de Nord for our train back to London. It was an expensive mistake, but what do you do? I wouldn't have traded our time at Versailles for anything, but if we'd known we weren't going to make it back in time, we'd have stayed an extra hour at Versailles instead of rushing for a train we missed anyway.
All I can say is: Kids, Don't miss your Eurostar back to London, or the last-minute 1 way fare will cost more then your return fare booked weeks earlier. You have been warned. :)
We made it back to London that night and enjoyed a lovely home-cooked meal with Cath. We packed and booked a taxi to Heathrow the next day for our next leg of the adventure: Rome.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
European Vacation: First Stop - London
My stepdaughter, R., didn't really seem focused on London during our planning talks. Maybe it was because she knew that since I'd lived there, I'd take her to what I wanted her to see. Maybe she just didn't realize how cool the city is, I don't know. I confess to not really "planning" London for her...I figured it was my opportunity to go see and do the things I enjoyed and she'd enjoy them, too. And in the end, that's pretty much what happened.
After the longest flight R. had ever been on - and one during which she didn't sleep at all - we were met at the airport by my wonderful friend, Catherine, who had taken an entire day off work for our arrival. And we just about needed it to get through the morning traffic back to her East side flat! All the things I'd come to take for granted were things that amused R. : the right hand driver seats, the kids in the school uniforms, the motorcyclists zooming in and out of the traffic. And the route did take on us past some iconic landmarks, like Parliament, Big Ben, along the Thames, etc....so she managed to get some great shots from the backseat of the car. Eventually, sleep overtook her, and she curled up against her bag in the backseat.
I introduced R. to my "arrive in London" routine that I'd developed over the two years I was there: Arrive at your destination. Drink some water. Go to bed. For her sake, I eliminated the "unpack" step - as there really wasn't anywhere to unpack. Tucked nicely into our bed, we slept for a few hours, and then I dragged a weary R. out of bed to get some daylight time.
Jet-lag has several "remedies", but I've found that some combination of a little sleep, lots of water and some walking in the daylight helps immensely. So that afternoon, Catherine & I took R. down Liverpool Street, introducing R. to London buses and crowds. Big crowds.
I'm quite used to big cities now. I grew up in the Detroit suburbs, so while I appreciate small towns and quiet lifestyles, cities are what I am used to, all the good and the bad. So I cannot quite imagine how R. really felt coming from Middleton, Nova Scotia (population: <5000) to London, England (population: >10,000,000). But, she was stunned. We procured our Oyster cards (oh, how I wish I had not given mine away when I left!) and were now, I announced to R., Ready To Travel!
But remember, this is day 1, and we are still jet lagged, so we walked instead. We wandered through the Spitelfields Market. We looked at girly stuff, like the Benefit store. We found a GBK and this made Amy a happy lady. I drank cider....sweet nectar from the gods....R. found a Krispey Kreme outlet at Liverpool Station. And we all went to bed early.
I won't go through a day by day account here. It would take too much effort and space, and really, I'm not convinced anyone cares to read that much. I knew we wouldn't be able to see everything, and told R. that. Heck, Catherine has lived there for over 10 years and she hasn't seen everything. That's the way it is when you live someplace - reality steps in and you take for granted what is around you (I still have never seen most the tourist attractions in Ottawa and I've lived here over 12 years now). But I made sure R. had the highlights and I didn't go see things I've seen 100 times.
We saw - in no particular order:
Cath arranged a party at her place one night and I was able to see some of my friends again, although sadly, not again during this trip....it was great to see team J2 (Jean & Joe), Rickey-Dean, Jose, Anouska, Toni....I miss you all already!
Cath - special kudos to YOU for taking R. out that evening. Poor things was dying to see London nightlife but I was just too tired to do it. At any rate, how would it have looked if some cute guy came up to her and she had to introduce the table: ".....and this is my stepmom...." yeah, cool, huh? LOL
Next stop: the fastest trip to Paris I've ever done, and, teaching R. the value of making sure your cell phones automatically time adjust.
After the longest flight R. had ever been on - and one during which she didn't sleep at all - we were met at the airport by my wonderful friend, Catherine, who had taken an entire day off work for our arrival. And we just about needed it to get through the morning traffic back to her East side flat! All the things I'd come to take for granted were things that amused R. : the right hand driver seats, the kids in the school uniforms, the motorcyclists zooming in and out of the traffic. And the route did take on us past some iconic landmarks, like Parliament, Big Ben, along the Thames, etc....so she managed to get some great shots from the backseat of the car. Eventually, sleep overtook her, and she curled up against her bag in the backseat.
I introduced R. to my "arrive in London" routine that I'd developed over the two years I was there: Arrive at your destination. Drink some water. Go to bed. For her sake, I eliminated the "unpack" step - as there really wasn't anywhere to unpack. Tucked nicely into our bed, we slept for a few hours, and then I dragged a weary R. out of bed to get some daylight time.
Jet-lag has several "remedies", but I've found that some combination of a little sleep, lots of water and some walking in the daylight helps immensely. So that afternoon, Catherine & I took R. down Liverpool Street, introducing R. to London buses and crowds. Big crowds.
I'm quite used to big cities now. I grew up in the Detroit suburbs, so while I appreciate small towns and quiet lifestyles, cities are what I am used to, all the good and the bad. So I cannot quite imagine how R. really felt coming from Middleton, Nova Scotia (population: <5000) to London, England (population: >10,000,000). But, she was stunned. We procured our Oyster cards (oh, how I wish I had not given mine away when I left!) and were now, I announced to R., Ready To Travel!
But remember, this is day 1, and we are still jet lagged, so we walked instead. We wandered through the Spitelfields Market. We looked at girly stuff, like the Benefit store. We found a GBK and this made Amy a happy lady. I drank cider....sweet nectar from the gods....R. found a Krispey Kreme outlet at Liverpool Station. And we all went to bed early.
I won't go through a day by day account here. It would take too much effort and space, and really, I'm not convinced anyone cares to read that much. I knew we wouldn't be able to see everything, and told R. that. Heck, Catherine has lived there for over 10 years and she hasn't seen everything. That's the way it is when you live someplace - reality steps in and you take for granted what is around you (I still have never seen most the tourist attractions in Ottawa and I've lived here over 12 years now). But I made sure R. had the highlights and I didn't go see things I've seen 100 times.
We saw - in no particular order:
- A walk past Parliament and Big Ben, down Whitehall, pass the PM's pad to Trafalgar Square
- Westminster Abbey (new for me)
- St. Paul's Cathedral (new for me) where R. took covert shots of the dome from the whispering gallery...sssshhhhhh
- A London Walks tour around Rotherite and the Brunel Museum, where the entrance to the original tunnel under the Thames - the world's first underwater tunnel - has been opened for the first time in over 80 years. The technology served as the precursor to the all the world's metro and tube lines. We stopped for a drink at the Mayflower Inn - I don't think R. appreciated it as much as Cath & I did. But it did drive home the point that London is an old city and has the centuries of grime to go with that distinction.
- We did a London Walks tour of the British Museum and while waiting, saw the "May Day" Labour parade/protesters.
- We did a Ghost Walk with London Walks and at the end, took R. to see Buckingham Palace lite up at night.
- The Globe Theatre
- The Tate Modern where I gave R. her 5 minute art history lesson.
- Oxford Street shopping, down to Piccadilly Circus, via the very, very sexy Ambercrombie & Fitch store. Ladies.....worth the visit.....although I have never felt so old and fat in my life! Ah, to be young, slim and sexy again.....those shirtless boys with the abs-to-die-for would not stand a chance.....
- The Tower of London and the Crown Jewels
- Borough Market and the George, over in my old 'hood....
Cath arranged a party at her place one night and I was able to see some of my friends again, although sadly, not again during this trip....it was great to see team J2 (Jean & Joe), Rickey-Dean, Jose, Anouska, Toni....I miss you all already!
Cath - special kudos to YOU for taking R. out that evening. Poor things was dying to see London nightlife but I was just too tired to do it. At any rate, how would it have looked if some cute guy came up to her and she had to introduce the table: ".....and this is my stepmom...." yeah, cool, huh? LOL
Next stop: the fastest trip to Paris I've ever done, and, teaching R. the value of making sure your cell phones automatically time adjust.
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