I've been home since I got back from Greece - almost 10 day snow - and it has snowed at least half that time. That alone has been an adjustment. The temperature isn't all that cold - hovering around zero - but it is colder then I have been used to. Funny how quickly you can acclimatize to a different climate so quickly, that going back to what is normal for you is such a struggle.
I head back to the UK for my final week 5 Dec. My friends have some fun, post meeting day events lined up: leaving drinks on Thursday, "Winter Wonderland" in Hyde Park, with skating; a true Brit pantomime on Friday. It will be hard to leave them all "forever".
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Impressions of Athens
- Hills
- So many ancient sites, you get overwhelmed
- cats & dogs
- whitewashed houses with red tiled roofs
- friendly people...but...
- ...sometimes they talk to each other like they are yelling and arguing - but they aren't
- very confusing streets, not helped by inconsistant English translations...
Day 4 - Things Do Not Turn Out as Planned
I wake up to another sunny day in Athens. I decide that today I will take the tram down the coast a bit to see some of the famous beaches around Athens.
Except:
Except:
- it starts to rain while I am on the tram
- most of the beaches are pay beaches and closed for the winter
- the public beaches have no amenities - but at least the water is sort of clear
So I decide to come back and go to the Benaki Museum, which I'd missed before. I get to the Benaki, and the ticket counter tells me it is closing early today "because it is 17 November". I tell her I don;t know why that is important. "well", she says, "today is the day we celebrate our release from the dictatorship, except that it always gets out of control and riots start. Everything is closing early, including the metro and the trams and buses."
Hmmmm.....the hotel didn't tell me that when I told them I was going to take the tram down the coast - in fact, they told me how to get there! If it:
- hadn't been rainy; and
- the beaches had been open
I'd have been stranded down there because the trams would have been shut.
The lady lets me go up to the restaurant for some food before they close, so at least I get to see some of the collection on my way up. I then make my way back to the hotel to ask them what I should do about dinner - on my way, I pass increasing police and military presence, all equipped with riot gear. It was not a pleasant feeling.
The hotel assures me that I will be alright, as the street we are on is blocked off at both ends by the police. And, they tell me, the Plaka is usually not impacted by the riots. Given how the day has gone so far, can you blame me for not be reassured by this?
I grab a book and go read. And while I am reading, the heavens open up and the rain comes down for 5 hours solid. It turns out this is a good thing, because it dampens the rioters spirits (sorry - pun fully intended). I am able to go get some food about 9:00 p.m., stopping at the Internet cafe for a bit and then packing up for my return flight to London the next day.
Day 3 - The Hills of Athens
Today was bright and sunny. I took my breakfast out on the terrace and let the sun warm my bones. I decided today would be a good day to visit the hills of Athens.
Athens, near as I can tell, is built in the basin of number of hills which surround it. The 2 most popular hills are Filapaplou [Fill - a - pop - low] and Lykavitos [likka - vi-toes]. But first, I wanted to visit another ancient site that was closed the first day I toured the ancient area, Kerameikos [kera -me-koes], the ancient cemetery. The walk to Kerameikos takes me through the open market on the big day - the Sunday flea market. So the walk was very interesting, and very busy - I think all of Athens was there. I cannot imagine what it must be like in the high season, with the hundreds of thousands of tourists as well as all the Athenians. The flea market has a little bit of everything there; stalls have everything from old used car parts to antiques.
I finally made it to the cemetery. It wasn't quite what I expected. I knew it was in ruins and had been heavily excavated, but I had no idea it held public buildings and the main gates to the city as well. It makes sense, in many ways, because traditionally, the dead were always buried outside city walls. Two main gates into the old city were here and very important gates they were, too. The Dipylion Gate was the start of the Panathenaian Way, an annual procession honoring Athena. The Sacred Gate marked the entrance to the sacred city of Eleusis (hence, the Eleusian Way). What I liked about this area was that nothing was blocked off, so you could really wander into the ruins.
There is a little museum on the grounds, which holds the different types of stele found during excavations in the area. These are basically the different types of tombstones. The area is also known for the tortoises that roam the ruins - and I was luck enough to see two - a larger one and a very small one, warming themselves in the sun.
From the cemetery, I walked to Filapapou Hill, the ancient "hill of the muses". The archaeological grounds are also home to the Pnyx, which anyone who lives in a democratic society should be fascinated to see - it is the original democratic meeting place of the ancient Greek representatives. Pericles used to speak here from the Orator's bema. Today there are 2 retaining walls and the Orator's bema, but the rest is hard to interpret - I wasn't sure if there were seats carved out of the rock, or if the reps just sat on the ground. But it was the birthplace of democracy and that's pretty cool.
From here, you climb a series of confusing paths and switchbacks until you reach the summit. At the summit is a tomb with a huge frieze depicting one Carius Julius Antiochus Philoppous (hence Filapapou), who so loved Athens that he was granted honorary citizenship - this allowed him to build his tomb here. It dates from 116 AD. The main reason to climb this hill is to see the breathtaking views of the Acropolis, and that's why I climbed the hill. Today, because the pollution wasn't too bad, I could see straight out to the sea - the Saronic Gulf.
I hiked back down the hill, walking towards my hotel, where I drop off more shopping I had done on the way. Then I head the opposite direction to Lykavitos Hill.
The walk there took me about 1/2 an hour, past the Parliament buildings and National Gardens. I knew the approach would take me up one of the famous "stair streets" of Athens, but I was still unprepared for what this actually meant. What it meant was easily another 1/2 hour climb up terraced steps. I have to confess, I had to stop and take a break more then once. I nearly gave up, but I'm glad I didn't.
When you get to the top of the steps, you still aren't at the summit of the hill - you are only about 1/2 way. From here, you can continue to walk up winding paths or you can take the funicular. I took the funicular.
At the summit, there is another small Byzantine church (have I mentioned that there are literally hundreds of these in the city?) and the views are spectacular! I arrived as the sun was setting on the sea and out over the city.
I walked back down, then down all those stairs. I met a retired couple at the bottom, who decided after speaking with me not to climb to the top. They told me about a famous restaurant, called Psaras, which means fisherman in Greek. It was perched on the side of the Acropolis. So I made my way there and had a really lovely meal. It was only 7:00 by the time I finished dinner, but all that fresh, sunny air and walking made for one tired girl, so after reading a book for a while, I went to sleep.
Athens, near as I can tell, is built in the basin of number of hills which surround it. The 2 most popular hills are Filapaplou [Fill - a - pop - low] and Lykavitos [likka - vi-toes]. But first, I wanted to visit another ancient site that was closed the first day I toured the ancient area, Kerameikos [kera -me-koes], the ancient cemetery. The walk to Kerameikos takes me through the open market on the big day - the Sunday flea market. So the walk was very interesting, and very busy - I think all of Athens was there. I cannot imagine what it must be like in the high season, with the hundreds of thousands of tourists as well as all the Athenians. The flea market has a little bit of everything there; stalls have everything from old used car parts to antiques.
I finally made it to the cemetery. It wasn't quite what I expected. I knew it was in ruins and had been heavily excavated, but I had no idea it held public buildings and the main gates to the city as well. It makes sense, in many ways, because traditionally, the dead were always buried outside city walls. Two main gates into the old city were here and very important gates they were, too. The Dipylion Gate was the start of the Panathenaian Way, an annual procession honoring Athena. The Sacred Gate marked the entrance to the sacred city of Eleusis (hence, the Eleusian Way). What I liked about this area was that nothing was blocked off, so you could really wander into the ruins.
There is a little museum on the grounds, which holds the different types of stele found during excavations in the area. These are basically the different types of tombstones. The area is also known for the tortoises that roam the ruins - and I was luck enough to see two - a larger one and a very small one, warming themselves in the sun.
From the cemetery, I walked to Filapapou Hill, the ancient "hill of the muses". The archaeological grounds are also home to the Pnyx, which anyone who lives in a democratic society should be fascinated to see - it is the original democratic meeting place of the ancient Greek representatives. Pericles used to speak here from the Orator's bema. Today there are 2 retaining walls and the Orator's bema, but the rest is hard to interpret - I wasn't sure if there were seats carved out of the rock, or if the reps just sat on the ground. But it was the birthplace of democracy and that's pretty cool.
From here, you climb a series of confusing paths and switchbacks until you reach the summit. At the summit is a tomb with a huge frieze depicting one Carius Julius Antiochus Philoppous (hence Filapapou), who so loved Athens that he was granted honorary citizenship - this allowed him to build his tomb here. It dates from 116 AD. The main reason to climb this hill is to see the breathtaking views of the Acropolis, and that's why I climbed the hill. Today, because the pollution wasn't too bad, I could see straight out to the sea - the Saronic Gulf.
I hiked back down the hill, walking towards my hotel, where I drop off more shopping I had done on the way. Then I head the opposite direction to Lykavitos Hill.
The walk there took me about 1/2 an hour, past the Parliament buildings and National Gardens. I knew the approach would take me up one of the famous "stair streets" of Athens, but I was still unprepared for what this actually meant. What it meant was easily another 1/2 hour climb up terraced steps. I have to confess, I had to stop and take a break more then once. I nearly gave up, but I'm glad I didn't.
When you get to the top of the steps, you still aren't at the summit of the hill - you are only about 1/2 way. From here, you can continue to walk up winding paths or you can take the funicular. I took the funicular.
At the summit, there is another small Byzantine church (have I mentioned that there are literally hundreds of these in the city?) and the views are spectacular! I arrived as the sun was setting on the sea and out over the city.
I walked back down, then down all those stairs. I met a retired couple at the bottom, who decided after speaking with me not to climb to the top. They told me about a famous restaurant, called Psaras, which means fisherman in Greek. It was perched on the side of the Acropolis. So I made my way there and had a really lovely meal. It was only 7:00 by the time I finished dinner, but all that fresh, sunny air and walking made for one tired girl, so after reading a book for a while, I went to sleep.
Day 2 - Museum Day
I woke up to aching feet and rain - a perfect day to visit the museums. I had 2 key museums on my list: the National Archaeological Museum and the Benaki Museum. I decided to go to the National museum first.
I was overwhelmed.
There was so much to see and all of it dedicated solely to Hellenic artefacts. I saw Cycladic, Mycenaean, Minoan; vases & pottery from all eras, gold masks, frescoes from Akritori - before I knew it, 4 hours had passed. this meant I had no time to go see the Benaki.
It had stopped raining by then, so I wandered the streets of Monastiriki (a famous flea market) and the Plaka to buy souvenirs - mostly small bronzes - and Christmas gifts.
At dinner, I made a new friend - a small cat, maybe 1 year old. A light brown tabby. I fed it some of the meat from my plate (I couldn't eat it all anyway) and while sipping my wine, kitty crawled into my lap and went to sleep. What interested me most about this was the reactions of the people around me. the Greeks - including the staff - did not care and smiled at the scene. but other North Americans were not impressed. The couple behind me kept pushing it away when it had come up to them earlier, and the woman said - upon seeing the cat in my lap that I'd "catch fleas". I told her humans don't actually catch fleas (we get bit, but not infested with them) and no one had actually died from it. Sadly, I had to let kitty go - being a Greek kitty, I doubt he'd have adjusted well to a Canadian winter.
I was overwhelmed.
There was so much to see and all of it dedicated solely to Hellenic artefacts. I saw Cycladic, Mycenaean, Minoan; vases & pottery from all eras, gold masks, frescoes from Akritori - before I knew it, 4 hours had passed. this meant I had no time to go see the Benaki.
It had stopped raining by then, so I wandered the streets of Monastiriki (a famous flea market) and the Plaka to buy souvenirs - mostly small bronzes - and Christmas gifts.
At dinner, I made a new friend - a small cat, maybe 1 year old. A light brown tabby. I fed it some of the meat from my plate (I couldn't eat it all anyway) and while sipping my wine, kitty crawled into my lap and went to sleep. What interested me most about this was the reactions of the people around me. the Greeks - including the staff - did not care and smiled at the scene. but other North Americans were not impressed. The couple behind me kept pushing it away when it had come up to them earlier, and the woman said - upon seeing the cat in my lap that I'd "catch fleas". I told her humans don't actually catch fleas (we get bit, but not infested with them) and no one had actually died from it. Sadly, I had to let kitty go - being a Greek kitty, I doubt he'd have adjusted well to a Canadian winter.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Day 1- The Ancient City
I do right away what I came here to do - go to the Acropolis. It isn't far from my hotel, maybe 15 minute walk, taking me through the back streets of the Plaka. The little shops are all just starting to open (they open later here, some not until 11:00 a.m.).
I buy my ticket and start my ascent. I know now this won't be a quick hike up, and it will be steep in places. After all, I saw the night before just how high the hill actually is. The lower part of the hill that you start at is the South slope, and it is mostly under excavation. I see two theatres, the smaller, the Theatre of Dionysos and the larger Odeon of Herodes (the Herodion). Next, a bit further up the slope is the Temple of Asklepios (the Asklepion).
After a somewhat gentle and winding path up, there is no escaping the final ascent up to the top. They try to grade it as easily as possible, but I am sweating a bit by the time I get there and my legs are screaming at me. I tell them to shut up and push on up the steps which come after and take me to the main entrance, the Propylaia. It is under conservation, but you still get to see the basic layout. It must have been an awesome sight to the ancient Greeks - it still is, even under scaffolding. It is essentially a gateway, with triple rows of columns on each side of the walkway. Tough looking girl guards are posted here to make sure you pay attention to the signs not to stray from the path and not to touch the ancient marble.
Once through the Propylaia, you come to the Temple of Athena Nike, which was completely covered in scaffolding, as it is also being conserved. Despite my disappointment at not being able to get a clear view of the temple, I have to confess it was very interesting to see the work that the conservers are doing. I was fortunate to be able to chat with a few of them - they were quite happy to talk to me. Most of the work involves stabilising the buildings, filling cracks, etc, as well, of course, as cleaning them of the infamous Athenian pollution that is eating away at them. Another conservationist was carefully piecing together bits that had come off a large marble block, like working a giant puzzle.
The next big building you come to is the Parthenon, the largest structure on the hill. It is another temple dedicated to Athena, patroness of Athens. The largest ever known statue of Athena used to be in this building, but it is long gone. I can only imagine what it must have been like to enter this space: sadly, you can't enter any of the temples on the Acropolis any longer, so my imagination will have to suffice.
On the north side of the hill is the Erechtheon, which is best known for it's porch with the Caryatids - statues of women who support the porch roof. Originally, the building was built to house and protect immovable objects:
- A snake pit
- a rock that Poseidon struck with his trident
- a saltwater well
- an olive tree, supposedly from Athena herself as a gift to the people of Athens
Finally, I leave the hill completely and walk to the ancient Agora (the marketplace). It's a little difficult to interpret this now, as it is a jumble of stones, but at least you can get up close to them. There is a lovely little Byzantine church on the site, too. The overall space is massive. The Stoa of Attalos has been rebuilt as truthfully as they think it was, and it now houses the tiny Agora Museum, which is filled with artefacts and statues found in the agora excavation. It is arranged chronologically, so it was fascinating to see how small items, like oil lamps and vases, had changed over the centuries.
Next, I walked down a street called Adrianou to the ruins of the Roman Agora and a building called the Temple of the Winds. The Roman agora seems alot smaller then the ancient agora, but is easier to interpret. The Tower of the Winds was once a complex building that had a massive weather vane, sundial and water clock, but none of these seem to be in existence any longer and sadly, you can't even see into the tower any longer.
One of the things that struck me as I walked around were all the cats & dogs roaming. I have come to refer to them as the temple cats & dogs. They were all over the Acropolis, and both Agoras. They didn't pay most people any attention - except me - I must have a face animals like. I didn't have any food, so it wasn't that. In the Roman Agora, two of the dogs came up to me and nuzzled my hands. I decided to let them be my guides and they seemed happy to be the guides, as I followed them on their tour of the agora. The animals are obviously cared for by someone - I saw a small cave in the Roam agora with a blanket and bowl with water in it; there was a wood structure that had been built for the cats with a soft covering on the floor and some water nearby, too. They are very well tolerated.
I decided to locate two more sites: the Anafiotika and the Bath house of the Winds.
The Anafiotika was settled by Aegean craftsmen, despite a ban on building in that area in 1834. Previous to that, it had been declared holy ground by the Oracle at Delphi. Today it is a picturesque part of the Plaka, quite well maintained, with whitewashed buildings set on the side of the hill.
The Bath House of the Winds is a Turkish bathhouse (hamman). Apparently, it is in very good repair and you can see how it operated when it was built. sadly, it was closed the day I went to see it and I never did get in.
So I continued to wander in the Plaka, taking in the atmosphere, until I found my way back to the Hotel - easier said then done. For dinner, I located an Asian noodle house. yes, yes, i know, this is hardly taking in the Greek culture, but it was cheap and quick and very yummy. Then I located an Internet cafe and sent emails to my husband to let him know I was safe & sound.
Athens, Greece - Arrival
I'm here. And I'm not sure what I expected, so I can't be sure if my expectations have been met or not.
Let's start.
On the plane, I read up on my history of Athens. What interested me were the words...for example, in Greek, tyrannos meant a person who grabbed power rather then inheriting it or being appointed by his peers. They may well have been a benovelant leader and brought about many positive changes, as happened. Of course, this is the root of the English word tyrant, which pretty much has a negative connotation.
Prague was a challenge to read signs in - Greece is almost impossible! The character sets are completely different - I can now truly say "It's all Greek to me". There is alot of English - I credit this to the Olympics.
Visually, it's a complete mix of ancient and modern. The metro from the airport was very mod and very clean. I get off at Syntagma Square, where Parliament sits and very close to my hotel in Plaka, the old town, which sits at the foot of the Acropolis. The square around Parliament is a bustling center of activities and people, even well after 8:00 p.m. when I arrive. It has buskers and hustlers and dogs chasing cars on the busy streets. Yes, dogs. They didn't seem to belong to anyone, but they were macho dogs, not the small toy dogs you see in London. I must have smelled foreign, because a few decided to follow me for a while. No one seemed worried about this, so I decided not to either.
My hotel is tucked inconspicously on Mitropoleous street, right across from the Athens Cathedral, which I later learn is the seat of the Orthodox faith in Greece. This is something else I see alot of - Orthodox clergy in their long black robes and some wearing tall, squared hats on the streets all around. My hotel promises some rooms with views of the Acropolis, but as I expected, mine is not one of those. This turns out to be a good thing, because it means I am protected from the street noise, although I am still awoken every morning from the sounds of church bells starting at 6:00 a.m. The room itself is clean and basic. The building it is in is a historic 19th century former home, so I have 15 ft ceilings and the window faces the central courtyard. On the top floor is the breakfast room with a terrace, and it does indeed have spectacular views of the Acropolis lit up for the night.
So, it's my first day - what to do first? Well, eat, of course. I ask the hotel receptionist to point me in the direction I need to go and then promptly get lost, because this is the Plaka area, and the streets may be the most confusing I have ever come across. But it also means there is no shortage of restaurants and I find one with a pleasant and spacious outdoor patio. The house white is good and the lamb souvlaki is good, too.
Let's start.
On the plane, I read up on my history of Athens. What interested me were the words...for example, in Greek, tyrannos meant a person who grabbed power rather then inheriting it or being appointed by his peers. They may well have been a benovelant leader and brought about many positive changes, as happened. Of course, this is the root of the English word tyrant, which pretty much has a negative connotation.
Prague was a challenge to read signs in - Greece is almost impossible! The character sets are completely different - I can now truly say "It's all Greek to me". There is alot of English - I credit this to the Olympics.
Visually, it's a complete mix of ancient and modern. The metro from the airport was very mod and very clean. I get off at Syntagma Square, where Parliament sits and very close to my hotel in Plaka, the old town, which sits at the foot of the Acropolis. The square around Parliament is a bustling center of activities and people, even well after 8:00 p.m. when I arrive. It has buskers and hustlers and dogs chasing cars on the busy streets. Yes, dogs. They didn't seem to belong to anyone, but they were macho dogs, not the small toy dogs you see in London. I must have smelled foreign, because a few decided to follow me for a while. No one seemed worried about this, so I decided not to either.
My hotel is tucked inconspicously on Mitropoleous street, right across from the Athens Cathedral, which I later learn is the seat of the Orthodox faith in Greece. This is something else I see alot of - Orthodox clergy in their long black robes and some wearing tall, squared hats on the streets all around. My hotel promises some rooms with views of the Acropolis, but as I expected, mine is not one of those. This turns out to be a good thing, because it means I am protected from the street noise, although I am still awoken every morning from the sounds of church bells starting at 6:00 a.m. The room itself is clean and basic. The building it is in is a historic 19th century former home, so I have 15 ft ceilings and the window faces the central courtyard. On the top floor is the breakfast room with a terrace, and it does indeed have spectacular views of the Acropolis lit up for the night.
So, it's my first day - what to do first? Well, eat, of course. I ask the hotel receptionist to point me in the direction I need to go and then promptly get lost, because this is the Plaka area, and the streets may be the most confusing I have ever come across. But it also means there is no shortage of restaurants and I find one with a pleasant and spacious outdoor patio. The house white is good and the lamb souvlaki is good, too.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Last Weekend in London
So, it's my last weekend in London. What a whirlwind 20 months!
I have been so fortunate to have had this opportunity, but I confess, I am looking forward to coming back to Canada. I realize each time I come back how much I miss the open spaces, the sound of crickets in summer, the colors of the seasons.
London is great in many, many ways, but there is no getting around the fact it is a busy city. The good things about this are that there is always something to do. the bad thing about this is it always feels crowded. I've discovered that I am a Canadian big city gal, not an international sized big city gal. I would never have guessed that prior to this experience!
I am so looking forward to:
I have been so fortunate to have had this opportunity, but I confess, I am looking forward to coming back to Canada. I realize each time I come back how much I miss the open spaces, the sound of crickets in summer, the colors of the seasons.
London is great in many, many ways, but there is no getting around the fact it is a busy city. The good things about this are that there is always something to do. the bad thing about this is it always feels crowded. I've discovered that I am a Canadian big city gal, not an international sized big city gal. I would never have guessed that prior to this experience!
I am so looking forward to:
- sleeping in my own bed
- looking out into my large back yard and watching the birds and rabbits and squirrels and chipmunks
- watching spring bloom
- NOT getting on a plane anytime soon!
- Reconnecting with friends and family in the same time zone
I won't miss:
- hearing drunken people shouting on the streets after they've left the pubs,
- the seemingly constant sound of sirens on the streets
- the constant crush of people, people, everywhere
- Oxford Street & Oxford Circus - insane
I will miss:
- Being able to stop for a drink on practically any street corner and being able to take my drink outside if there are no seats inside or of it is too loud and no one cares
- Wandering through Covent Garden and into Soho
- Drinking coffee and talking and walking with friends along the Albert Embankment
- Seeing a play in Shakespeare's Globe
- A really efficient subway system (although I won't miss the crowds and the frequent delays and breakdowns)
- being so close to Europe (I wish I had been able to take further advantage of travel there)
So, it is with mixed emotions that I prepare for my return to Canada - but first - Athens, Greece for 5 days!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
5 November - Musings
Today is the 5th of November - Bonfire Night in the UK. This is also known as Guy Fawkes Day - the day the English celebrate that Guy Fawkes did not successfully blow up parliament and the day the Scots - so it told - celebrate that he at least tried.
It is celebrated by fireworks and bonfires and traditionally, the burning of an effigy. I was suppose to go with some gals from work, but we all cancelled, because it is that chilly, wet weather London is known for. Besides, I can see the fireworks from my flat, across the city.
Today there is also happiness at the results of the US presidential election, so part of me thinks it seems the fireworks are in celebration of this, too.
I just have to say, as a native born American, I feel proud again to be reminded of what makes my birth country great.
It is celebrated by fireworks and bonfires and traditionally, the burning of an effigy. I was suppose to go with some gals from work, but we all cancelled, because it is that chilly, wet weather London is known for. Besides, I can see the fireworks from my flat, across the city.
Today there is also happiness at the results of the US presidential election, so part of me thinks it seems the fireworks are in celebration of this, too.
I just have to say, as a native born American, I feel proud again to be reminded of what makes my birth country great.
Chester, UK
I decided to spend the weekend in Chester last weekend (1 - 2 November). I heard it was a lovely Tudor town. In my mind, it was north of Manchester, so I could't figure out why websites often mentioned going into Northern Wales. I finally set myself straight - Chester is SW of Manchester and almost due south of Liverpool.
Part of the reason I chose Chester was because I wanted a small town that was easy to do in a day and a half, and because I had never been to this part of the UK before. Chester seemed to fit the bill.
Chester is best known for it's Tudor "Rows". "The Rows" are Tudor and Tudor styled (Victorian built) galleried buildings which are filled with shops. I'd read that there were a number of independently owned shops, but I found mostly high street shops that are found everywhere in the UK. The few independent shops I saw were good, though, and I confess, I left with 3 new pieces of jewelry.
My train didn't arrive until early afternoon, so I only had a few hours to wander the Rows before I my scheduled spa appointment. Three hours of quiet bliss! I had intended to go on the Ghost Walking tour, but 2 things prevented this: one, the location to meet the tour and pay was not where it had been advertised, and two, after 1 hour of a full body massage and 1 hour of reflexology, I was a puddle of goo. I ate dinner and slept well.
The next morning, I wandered down to the Roman amphitheatre, which was once 4 stories high and large enough to seat 70,000 people. It is only about 25% excavated. Next was a walk around Saint John the Baptist church - a lovely Norman Church, part of which is in ruins. One very interesting feature of the eastern ruins is a wood coffin set high in the stone walls, with the words Dust to dust written in it. I don't think it was ever used, but there doesn't seem to be any known reason why it was put there.
Next, a walk along the Walls. The Walls are the original walls of the old Roman city and are the most complete anywhere in the UK - about 2 miles of walls. I didn't walk the entire circumference, but enjoyed the views of the Welsh hills and the River Dee. Finally, a tour around Chester Cathedral, which used to be a monastry.
I continued to wander and then walked to the train station to go back to London.
Part of the reason I chose Chester was because I wanted a small town that was easy to do in a day and a half, and because I had never been to this part of the UK before. Chester seemed to fit the bill.
Chester is best known for it's Tudor "Rows". "The Rows" are Tudor and Tudor styled (Victorian built) galleried buildings which are filled with shops. I'd read that there were a number of independently owned shops, but I found mostly high street shops that are found everywhere in the UK. The few independent shops I saw were good, though, and I confess, I left with 3 new pieces of jewelry.
My train didn't arrive until early afternoon, so I only had a few hours to wander the Rows before I my scheduled spa appointment. Three hours of quiet bliss! I had intended to go on the Ghost Walking tour, but 2 things prevented this: one, the location to meet the tour and pay was not where it had been advertised, and two, after 1 hour of a full body massage and 1 hour of reflexology, I was a puddle of goo. I ate dinner and slept well.
The next morning, I wandered down to the Roman amphitheatre, which was once 4 stories high and large enough to seat 70,000 people. It is only about 25% excavated. Next was a walk around Saint John the Baptist church - a lovely Norman Church, part of which is in ruins. One very interesting feature of the eastern ruins is a wood coffin set high in the stone walls, with the words Dust to dust written in it. I don't think it was ever used, but there doesn't seem to be any known reason why it was put there.
Next, a walk along the Walls. The Walls are the original walls of the old Roman city and are the most complete anywhere in the UK - about 2 miles of walls. I didn't walk the entire circumference, but enjoyed the views of the Welsh hills and the River Dee. Finally, a tour around Chester Cathedral, which used to be a monastry.
I continued to wander and then walked to the train station to go back to London.
Glastonbury
When I mentioned that I was going to spend the day in Glastonbury to some work colleagues, I got various wrinkled noses and negative comments about it being just a big field. And certainly, nowadays, it is best known for the grand-daddy of all UK outdoor festivals, the Glastonbury Festival. "Glasto" as we know it today has been around since the early '70's, but as early as as 1914, there was a classical music festival in or near Glastonbury.
Over the years, Glastonbury has developed a reputation for new age/pagan/wiccan tolerance, but the truth is, it has been a place of spiritual significance for years. It is the intersection of several ley lines and the Tor - a steep hill - has been used a place of worship since early man.
Knowing all this, I wasn't sure what to expect, but Catherine, my friend from work (and probably a distant cousin, we have determined!) used to work near the town, and offered to drive there. It's a bit of a pain to take trains and buses there, which is why I hadn't gone before - so I happily took her up on the offer. She came to get me at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and off we went.
Catherine & I like to talk, and so it shouldn't be a surprise that the combination of that and my poor understanding of the atlas' finer details, meant we ended passing the turn off to Glastonbury. This took us about 1 hour out of our way, but it took us through tiny hamlets where the walls of gardens were literally inches from the passenger side of the car.
In Glastonbury, we walked up the steep steps to the Tor, where only the tower of a former church remains. It was built on the site of an ancient worship site. the Tor is one of the most iconic symbols of Glastonbury and the views - despite the cold wind - were wonderful. Back down the hill, we next went to the Chalice Wells Gardens, a beautiful 4 acre garden, where sulfur springs bubble. It's a a lovely space and very peaceful. We filled our small containers from the Red fountain, which is reputed to have healing properties.
Next, we went to Glastonbury Abbey. The Abbey is now in ruins, as it was torn down in the reign of Henry VIII in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The ruins show a Abbey that must have been a significant sized place of worship - I think it might rival the size of Westminster.
We had something to eat and after walking up & down the streets, filled with shops dedicated to wicca, druids and other spiritual beliefs (North American Indian was oddly popular for this area), we went back to the car and drive back to London.
It doesn't sound like much, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable day and all the walking and fresh air did my soul a world of good. One thing I don't like about London is how crowded it always seems - so spending the day in a quieter part of the country was beneficial to me. I think it helped me in the mental shift to prepare to come back to Canada.
Over the years, Glastonbury has developed a reputation for new age/pagan/wiccan tolerance, but the truth is, it has been a place of spiritual significance for years. It is the intersection of several ley lines and the Tor - a steep hill - has been used a place of worship since early man.
Knowing all this, I wasn't sure what to expect, but Catherine, my friend from work (and probably a distant cousin, we have determined!) used to work near the town, and offered to drive there. It's a bit of a pain to take trains and buses there, which is why I hadn't gone before - so I happily took her up on the offer. She came to get me at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and off we went.
Catherine & I like to talk, and so it shouldn't be a surprise that the combination of that and my poor understanding of the atlas' finer details, meant we ended passing the turn off to Glastonbury. This took us about 1 hour out of our way, but it took us through tiny hamlets where the walls of gardens were literally inches from the passenger side of the car.
In Glastonbury, we walked up the steep steps to the Tor, where only the tower of a former church remains. It was built on the site of an ancient worship site. the Tor is one of the most iconic symbols of Glastonbury and the views - despite the cold wind - were wonderful. Back down the hill, we next went to the Chalice Wells Gardens, a beautiful 4 acre garden, where sulfur springs bubble. It's a a lovely space and very peaceful. We filled our small containers from the Red fountain, which is reputed to have healing properties.
Next, we went to Glastonbury Abbey. The Abbey is now in ruins, as it was torn down in the reign of Henry VIII in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The ruins show a Abbey that must have been a significant sized place of worship - I think it might rival the size of Westminster.
We had something to eat and after walking up & down the streets, filled with shops dedicated to wicca, druids and other spiritual beliefs (North American Indian was oddly popular for this area), we went back to the car and drive back to London.
It doesn't sound like much, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable day and all the walking and fresh air did my soul a world of good. One thing I don't like about London is how crowded it always seems - so spending the day in a quieter part of the country was beneficial to me. I think it helped me in the mental shift to prepare to come back to Canada.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Impressions of Prague
- Architecture - Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, plus a good dose of 1950's communist neo deco revival..and a few Cubist buildings, too!
- Bridges
- Mosaics on the side of buildings
- Churches, churches everywhere
- Contemporary art on buildings and on the streets
Monday, September 29, 2008
Amy's Good Travel Karma Goes Bad
I have always considered that I have "good travel karma". I travel alot - in the first 6 months of this year, I travelled 62,000 miles - and I rarely am plagued by delays, lost luggage or cancellations. In fact, I was just talking to a colleague last week about my good travel luck, while she complained about hers.
So you can imagine how frustrated I was Thursday night as I tried to get to Prague.
My flight was scheduled from Heathrow's Terminal 5 at 6:20. I arrive in plenty of time and treat myself to Gordon Ramsey's Plane Food restaurant. After that I go into the nearest bookstore, for my usual supply of a magazine or book. At Heathrow, the gate is not assigned right away, it is published on a screen about a 1/2 hour before you need to go to the gate. At the time my gate should have been displayed, the message displayed instead is "See Airline for information". I make my way to the suggested area as an announcement declares that all flights between 5:00 and 6:30 have been cancelled! It turns out the central Air Traffic Control, which directs the flights for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead has had a systems failure.
I make my way to the directed point for customer service to rebook my flight. I stand in line for 2 hours and move maybe 10 ft. We are finally given a sheet of paper that provides a phone number to call, which i take advantage of.
I have to make it to Prague that night. You see, my niece, Emma, was in transit by car pool from Dresden to Prague to meet me for the weekend. I had no way to contact her, she has no mobile phone to call me. I explain this to the reservations agent and eventually, after 1 hour, she manages to book me on a flight on another airline that might leave Heathrow that night. By this time, all flight sup to 8:00 p.m. have been cancelled - this flight is scheduled to leave at 9:30. I decide to take my chances and take it, knowing that if that flight is cancelled too, my chances of leaving before Friday afternoon for a weekend trip are slim.
I call the hotel and explain my situation - and tell them my overriding concern is to ensure that my niece is let into the room they have for me. I have to say, they were exceptional.
I have to make my way, in less then 1 hour, from Terminal 5 to Terminal 2, get my new boarding pass and find the gate. I didn't need to rush, however, because it turns out that flight is delayed by another hour and a half.
the flight finally takes off about 11:00 at night - which gets me into Prague at 2:00 a.m. This is bad, because all the public transport stops at 2:00 and taxis are notoriously bad in Prague. So I call my exceptional hotel and they send one of their staff to pick me up. By the time I check in, it is after 3:00 a.m. and I have been travelling for 11 hours for a trip that ordinarily takes 2 hours.
I've mentioned the hotel was exceptional. Turns out they booked me into a suite on the club floor, which provided us access to a free breakfast each morning in the stunning lounge. Now, I'm not talking presidential suite here, but it was two separate rooms - living and bedroom, as well as a bathroom bigger then the one I have at home (London or Ottawa), a king sized bed (unheard of in Europe!) plus views over the hillside. I have no idea if this is because they took pity on me or if it was just a part of the corporate plan I booked the hotel through. I've checked in though, and so my weekend is not ruined.
___________________
But does my bad travel karma end there? No - remember, I still have to get back to London at some point.
Due to a comedy of errors, I end up having no idea what airline or what time I am flying out on on Sunday. So Saturday night, I use the free Internet access to get the local number for the airline I think I am booked on, based on the last information I had. I ask the lounge concierge to help me, because I'm pretty sure the English on this airline's customer service might not be great and I expect to need an interpreter. She calls - and the airline says they have my name but no other information. I need to call the original airline. But here's the problem - it's a British airline, and has no local number in Prague on weekends, and the only number available on weekends is good only if you are in the UK - which is hardly helpful when you aren't in the UK on a weekend.
So I have a brainstorm - I'll call my husband in Ottawa - they are 6 hours behind, and surely there will be weekend service in North America for this airline. Colin agrees to call them, et voila! calls back to tell me my booking reference number and departure time. Which, considering it was three hours earlier then I had thought, was a good thing I managed to get it sorted out.
Of course, that flight ended up being delayed by an hour. And then - after the quickest trip ever through UK customs - I get on the Heathrow Express train into central London. Usually, this trip takes 20 minutes from Terminal 5. Tonight, of course, it took over 1 hour, due to a faulty train on the track in front of us.
__________________
I sincerely hope this ends my bad travel experiences for awhile....I much prefer my previous good travel karma - Come back! I miss you! I'll never take you for granted again!
So you can imagine how frustrated I was Thursday night as I tried to get to Prague.
My flight was scheduled from Heathrow's Terminal 5 at 6:20. I arrive in plenty of time and treat myself to Gordon Ramsey's Plane Food restaurant. After that I go into the nearest bookstore, for my usual supply of a magazine or book. At Heathrow, the gate is not assigned right away, it is published on a screen about a 1/2 hour before you need to go to the gate. At the time my gate should have been displayed, the message displayed instead is "See Airline for information". I make my way to the suggested area as an announcement declares that all flights between 5:00 and 6:30 have been cancelled! It turns out the central Air Traffic Control, which directs the flights for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead has had a systems failure.
I make my way to the directed point for customer service to rebook my flight. I stand in line for 2 hours and move maybe 10 ft. We are finally given a sheet of paper that provides a phone number to call, which i take advantage of.
I have to make it to Prague that night. You see, my niece, Emma, was in transit by car pool from Dresden to Prague to meet me for the weekend. I had no way to contact her, she has no mobile phone to call me. I explain this to the reservations agent and eventually, after 1 hour, she manages to book me on a flight on another airline that might leave Heathrow that night. By this time, all flight sup to 8:00 p.m. have been cancelled - this flight is scheduled to leave at 9:30. I decide to take my chances and take it, knowing that if that flight is cancelled too, my chances of leaving before Friday afternoon for a weekend trip are slim.
I call the hotel and explain my situation - and tell them my overriding concern is to ensure that my niece is let into the room they have for me. I have to say, they were exceptional.
I have to make my way, in less then 1 hour, from Terminal 5 to Terminal 2, get my new boarding pass and find the gate. I didn't need to rush, however, because it turns out that flight is delayed by another hour and a half.
the flight finally takes off about 11:00 at night - which gets me into Prague at 2:00 a.m. This is bad, because all the public transport stops at 2:00 and taxis are notoriously bad in Prague. So I call my exceptional hotel and they send one of their staff to pick me up. By the time I check in, it is after 3:00 a.m. and I have been travelling for 11 hours for a trip that ordinarily takes 2 hours.
I've mentioned the hotel was exceptional. Turns out they booked me into a suite on the club floor, which provided us access to a free breakfast each morning in the stunning lounge. Now, I'm not talking presidential suite here, but it was two separate rooms - living and bedroom, as well as a bathroom bigger then the one I have at home (London or Ottawa), a king sized bed (unheard of in Europe!) plus views over the hillside. I have no idea if this is because they took pity on me or if it was just a part of the corporate plan I booked the hotel through. I've checked in though, and so my weekend is not ruined.
___________________
But does my bad travel karma end there? No - remember, I still have to get back to London at some point.
Due to a comedy of errors, I end up having no idea what airline or what time I am flying out on on Sunday. So Saturday night, I use the free Internet access to get the local number for the airline I think I am booked on, based on the last information I had. I ask the lounge concierge to help me, because I'm pretty sure the English on this airline's customer service might not be great and I expect to need an interpreter. She calls - and the airline says they have my name but no other information. I need to call the original airline. But here's the problem - it's a British airline, and has no local number in Prague on weekends, and the only number available on weekends is good only if you are in the UK - which is hardly helpful when you aren't in the UK on a weekend.
So I have a brainstorm - I'll call my husband in Ottawa - they are 6 hours behind, and surely there will be weekend service in North America for this airline. Colin agrees to call them, et voila! calls back to tell me my booking reference number and departure time. Which, considering it was three hours earlier then I had thought, was a good thing I managed to get it sorted out.
Of course, that flight ended up being delayed by an hour. And then - after the quickest trip ever through UK customs - I get on the Heathrow Express train into central London. Usually, this trip takes 20 minutes from Terminal 5. Tonight, of course, it took over 1 hour, due to a faulty train on the track in front of us.
__________________
I sincerely hope this ends my bad travel experiences for awhile....I much prefer my previous good travel karma - Come back! I miss you! I'll never take you for granted again!
Prague Day 1
I wake up about 9:00, despite my late arrival. But I want to get started and see this city. Emma & I get ready and go upstairs to the Sky Lounge, the special area for club members (I am one of these with the Holiday Inn chain). It is stunning, two levels at the top floors of the building, with panoramic views of the city. From here, we can see the hills nearby covered with the trees just starting to turn yellow and red. We have a good breakfast before we set out for the day.
A few words about the hotel. It is one of the Crowne Plaza hotels in Prague (not the one near the castle) and was built in the 1950's for the communist elite. So it is quite elegant, decorated with polished marble and tapestries. It is built in what I can only describe as a neo art deco, if such an architectural style exists. The roof of the tower is topped by a star budding from what looks like a lotus flower.
We walk down to the nearest metro station, Dejvica, which is about 10 minutes walk away. The day is sunny and warm. We take the very clean subway down to what ends up being Wenceslas Square, although it takes a couple of days to realize this. In case you are wondering, yes, this is the same Wenceslas referred to in the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas".
We head for the Old Town Square, walking through an old open air market filled with typical Czech crafts - wooden toys and marionettes, painted eggs, etc., until we reach the Old Town Square. The square is crowded and a feast for the eyes. I see buildings with exterior painted frescoes, sculptures and the famous Astronomical Clock. We wander around the square, into little side streets and stumble across one that is truly delightful. This street had the most incredible marionette shop in it. Each marionette was hand made by different artists and were stunning. See the photos I took inside the shop. Next was an artists shop, the major attraction of which was a Pinnoco marionette that the owner controlled so Pinnoco painted! It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The artist is also an art restorer, and he directed us down the street to the basilica he is involved with restoring. It is closed during this restoration work, but we could peek through the windows and are astounded by how beautiful the Baroque interior is. Next we wander up another street back towards the square and pop into an antiques store, where I buy a piece of jewelry - a copper art nouveau concoction that I know I'll never find a twin of.
I have to explain some of the typical Czech crafts that you are likely to find and Czech is known for: (1) Eggs - you may associate these with the Ukraine or Poland, but they are traditional across Eastern Europe. Truly traditional eggs are made of hollowed out eggs, but now you often find them made of lightweight wood. (2) Marionettes - I've mentioned these before, and if you only ever saw the toy ones made for kids, you wouldn't quite get it. But, as we saw in the artisans shop, when you see how they can be, you will be truly amazed as well. The ones used for collecting - and these can run into thousands of dollars, really are works of art in their self. (3) Crystal - all kinds. Colored, cut, traditional, modern art glass. (4) Glass beads - really lovely, you can find these in most bead stores anywhere now. (5) The nesting dolls - you know, the kind where one is inside of the other and so on and so forth. The average number is 5, but you can get some with as few as 3 or as large as 10 or higher. (6) Beech wood boxes, delicately carved so they almost look like lace. Apparently, these were traditional gifts to lovers.
So now that I've told you about the traditional crafts, you can imagine my delight to find the merging of some of these traditional crafts - eggs and nesting dolls - married with the art styles of Alfons Mucha and Gustav Klimt, both Prague sons (although Vienna likes to claim them both too). I debated and finally bought a wooden egg decorated with one of Klimt's iconic redheaded ladies. I probably spent more then I should have, but it is, after all, a special memory. I feel justified by my purchase as I never saw those particular decorations anywhere else at any other store.
Next, we walked into Joesfov. This is the traditional Jewish Quarter of Prague and is very important to the Jewish faith. It dates back to the 1200's. The oldest synagogue in Europe, the Old-New Synagogue, has been in use since 1275. There are several sites in this quarter, including the Old Jewish Cemetery. It was in use from 1439 to 1787, and has over 12,000 headstones and an estimated 100,000 graves, stacked sometimes 4 or 5 deep. The sad history of this quarter is that in WWII, Hitler planned to keep this quarter as evidence of the extinct Jewish race. The good news is that this has preserved the quarter and today it is still a moving and vibrant place.
After a long day of walking, Emma and I have an early dinner and go back to the hotel. I think we are both asleep by 9:00.
A few words about the hotel. It is one of the Crowne Plaza hotels in Prague (not the one near the castle) and was built in the 1950's for the communist elite. So it is quite elegant, decorated with polished marble and tapestries. It is built in what I can only describe as a neo art deco, if such an architectural style exists. The roof of the tower is topped by a star budding from what looks like a lotus flower.
We walk down to the nearest metro station, Dejvica, which is about 10 minutes walk away. The day is sunny and warm. We take the very clean subway down to what ends up being Wenceslas Square, although it takes a couple of days to realize this. In case you are wondering, yes, this is the same Wenceslas referred to in the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas".
We head for the Old Town Square, walking through an old open air market filled with typical Czech crafts - wooden toys and marionettes, painted eggs, etc., until we reach the Old Town Square. The square is crowded and a feast for the eyes. I see buildings with exterior painted frescoes, sculptures and the famous Astronomical Clock. We wander around the square, into little side streets and stumble across one that is truly delightful. This street had the most incredible marionette shop in it. Each marionette was hand made by different artists and were stunning. See the photos I took inside the shop. Next was an artists shop, the major attraction of which was a Pinnoco marionette that the owner controlled so Pinnoco painted! It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The artist is also an art restorer, and he directed us down the street to the basilica he is involved with restoring. It is closed during this restoration work, but we could peek through the windows and are astounded by how beautiful the Baroque interior is. Next we wander up another street back towards the square and pop into an antiques store, where I buy a piece of jewelry - a copper art nouveau concoction that I know I'll never find a twin of.
I have to explain some of the typical Czech crafts that you are likely to find and Czech is known for: (1) Eggs - you may associate these with the Ukraine or Poland, but they are traditional across Eastern Europe. Truly traditional eggs are made of hollowed out eggs, but now you often find them made of lightweight wood. (2) Marionettes - I've mentioned these before, and if you only ever saw the toy ones made for kids, you wouldn't quite get it. But, as we saw in the artisans shop, when you see how they can be, you will be truly amazed as well. The ones used for collecting - and these can run into thousands of dollars, really are works of art in their self. (3) Crystal - all kinds. Colored, cut, traditional, modern art glass. (4) Glass beads - really lovely, you can find these in most bead stores anywhere now. (5) The nesting dolls - you know, the kind where one is inside of the other and so on and so forth. The average number is 5, but you can get some with as few as 3 or as large as 10 or higher. (6) Beech wood boxes, delicately carved so they almost look like lace. Apparently, these were traditional gifts to lovers.
So now that I've told you about the traditional crafts, you can imagine my delight to find the merging of some of these traditional crafts - eggs and nesting dolls - married with the art styles of Alfons Mucha and Gustav Klimt, both Prague sons (although Vienna likes to claim them both too). I debated and finally bought a wooden egg decorated with one of Klimt's iconic redheaded ladies. I probably spent more then I should have, but it is, after all, a special memory. I feel justified by my purchase as I never saw those particular decorations anywhere else at any other store.
Next, we walked into Joesfov. This is the traditional Jewish Quarter of Prague and is very important to the Jewish faith. It dates back to the 1200's. The oldest synagogue in Europe, the Old-New Synagogue, has been in use since 1275. There are several sites in this quarter, including the Old Jewish Cemetery. It was in use from 1439 to 1787, and has over 12,000 headstones and an estimated 100,000 graves, stacked sometimes 4 or 5 deep. The sad history of this quarter is that in WWII, Hitler planned to keep this quarter as evidence of the extinct Jewish race. The good news is that this has preserved the quarter and today it is still a moving and vibrant place.
After a long day of walking, Emma and I have an early dinner and go back to the hotel. I think we are both asleep by 9:00.
Prague Day 2
Day 2. It is a sunny day and will be warm. Emma & I enjoy another great breakfast in the beautiful lounge at the hotel and map our day out.
We decide today we will go to Prague castle and Mala Strana (Lesser Town). I am well over the allure of metros, tubes and subways, especially when it so lovely out, so we decide to take one of the trams to the castle. We jump off (not literally) in Hradcany and walk through quite streets and leafy parks until we end up - quite by chance - at the Royal Gardens. This is a nice way to walk to the castle proper.
Prague castle is the largest castle grounds complex in Europe. It isn't really a "castle" as we would think of it - it is actually a complex of buildings, churches, palaces and nobles houses. It was built as a defensive fortress, as castles are (this is what defines a castle from a palace) as early as the 800's. The Old Royal Palace was built in the 1000's, originally as the home for the Bohemian Princesses. In the Great Hall of the Old Royal Palace, there is a painted date of 1029, but I don't know if that was the date it was built or a date commemorating something else.
Also in the castle grounds are two churches, the Church of St. Vitus and St. George's Basilica. One is Gothic and the other Romanesque. We visited both. St. Vitus has lovely stained glass, and when we were there, the sunlight was coming in at just the right angles to scatter the colors across the church walls. One thing Emma and I noted that the churches we visited all had clear glass towards the rooflines, so that more natural light could come in. I liked this feature.
Next, we wandered to Golden Lane. This has the original houses and looks outs of the 16th century castles servants and/or marksmen. The houses are tiny and all still host their original beam work and stairs. They were occupied as late as WWII. Now they host souvenir shops that are not too exciting, but at least it means you have a reason to wander in and get a sense of what it must have been like to live in one.
After we finished touring the castle and grounds - which took most of the day - we walked down to Mala Strana. We were pretty tired by this time, so we sat outside in a sunlit courtyard and had a drink....Czech beer, of course, light and flavorful. Czechs love their beer and are very, very proud of it. The average consumption in CZ is over 170 litres for every man, woman and child - by comparison, the Australians and Germans - considered to be the worlds most prolific beer drinkers - only average about 130 litres each, so clearly, the title rightfully belongs to the Czechs.
We wander towards the river again, and Emma gets very excited by the little tour boats on the rivers and the canals. So we decide since our feet hurt anyway, we'll take one of the boat tours. It was a pleasant way to see the city and even more so, since we weren't on one of the big boats. The canals are lovely, too. We would have loved to have taken dinner along the river, but it was out of our price range - the most expensive restaurant in the city, Kampapark, is located there and you would be lucky to get away with spending less then $150/per person for dinner there. So after the boat, we walk across the famous Charles Bridge back to mala Strana and look for a more reasonably priced restaurant which also suits Emma's vegetarian diet.
We decide today we will go to Prague castle and Mala Strana (Lesser Town). I am well over the allure of metros, tubes and subways, especially when it so lovely out, so we decide to take one of the trams to the castle. We jump off (not literally) in Hradcany and walk through quite streets and leafy parks until we end up - quite by chance - at the Royal Gardens. This is a nice way to walk to the castle proper.
Prague castle is the largest castle grounds complex in Europe. It isn't really a "castle" as we would think of it - it is actually a complex of buildings, churches, palaces and nobles houses. It was built as a defensive fortress, as castles are (this is what defines a castle from a palace) as early as the 800's. The Old Royal Palace was built in the 1000's, originally as the home for the Bohemian Princesses. In the Great Hall of the Old Royal Palace, there is a painted date of 1029, but I don't know if that was the date it was built or a date commemorating something else.
Also in the castle grounds are two churches, the Church of St. Vitus and St. George's Basilica. One is Gothic and the other Romanesque. We visited both. St. Vitus has lovely stained glass, and when we were there, the sunlight was coming in at just the right angles to scatter the colors across the church walls. One thing Emma and I noted that the churches we visited all had clear glass towards the rooflines, so that more natural light could come in. I liked this feature.
Next, we wandered to Golden Lane. This has the original houses and looks outs of the 16th century castles servants and/or marksmen. The houses are tiny and all still host their original beam work and stairs. They were occupied as late as WWII. Now they host souvenir shops that are not too exciting, but at least it means you have a reason to wander in and get a sense of what it must have been like to live in one.
After we finished touring the castle and grounds - which took most of the day - we walked down to Mala Strana. We were pretty tired by this time, so we sat outside in a sunlit courtyard and had a drink....Czech beer, of course, light and flavorful. Czechs love their beer and are very, very proud of it. The average consumption in CZ is over 170 litres for every man, woman and child - by comparison, the Australians and Germans - considered to be the worlds most prolific beer drinkers - only average about 130 litres each, so clearly, the title rightfully belongs to the Czechs.
We wander towards the river again, and Emma gets very excited by the little tour boats on the rivers and the canals. So we decide since our feet hurt anyway, we'll take one of the boat tours. It was a pleasant way to see the city and even more so, since we weren't on one of the big boats. The canals are lovely, too. We would have loved to have taken dinner along the river, but it was out of our price range - the most expensive restaurant in the city, Kampapark, is located there and you would be lucky to get away with spending less then $150/per person for dinner there. So after the boat, we walk across the famous Charles Bridge back to mala Strana and look for a more reasonably priced restaurant which also suits Emma's vegetarian diet.
Prague, Day 3
Today is day 3 in Prague - mine & Emma's last day in the old city. We decide that we will follow a walking tour in the Lonely Planet guide book of Prague. This walk will take us through the old fortress, Vysehrad.
It is another lovely day, sunny and warm. The leaves are just starting to turn. Emma, nature girl that she is, is in heaven, and I have to confess, so am I a little bit. After the hurry and crush of the crowds, it is wonderful to go off the beaten track and see lovely vistas of Prague along the Vlatava river and to see the old walls of the original fortress of Vysehrad. The walk takes us along the southern battlements and into an old cemetery by the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul. The cemetery has been the resting place of many Czech composers, artists, sculptors, writers and intellectuals since 1869. It is filled with Art Nouveau tombstones and ringed by an absolutely lovely arched pantheon for the elite of the era. The mosaics on some of these are astounding. The best known Art Nouveau artist and Prague native, Alfons Mucha is buried here, but I didn't find his grave site.
We continue the walk to take a peek at the beautiful Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul. We couldn't go in, as they were setting up for a concert - or so it seemed - we couldn't quite make out what we were being told, but the exterior doors were lovely. Then we walked through some of the gardens and nature trails to go down to the river side. We walked by one of the few cubist villages, which really just looked like more angular buildings then normal (I guess I was expecting a building that looked like a Picasso or Braque painting). Then we continued along the river up to one of the best known of the old coffee houses in Prague, Karina Slavia, which has been home to writers and radicals (Vlaclav Havel was a frequenter of this coffee house before he became President of the Czech Republic). We enjoyed a great dessert with coffee. Then we had to part - I back to London, and Emma to wait for her share ride to Dresden.
So ends my weekend in Prague.
It is another lovely day, sunny and warm. The leaves are just starting to turn. Emma, nature girl that she is, is in heaven, and I have to confess, so am I a little bit. After the hurry and crush of the crowds, it is wonderful to go off the beaten track and see lovely vistas of Prague along the Vlatava river and to see the old walls of the original fortress of Vysehrad. The walk takes us along the southern battlements and into an old cemetery by the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul. The cemetery has been the resting place of many Czech composers, artists, sculptors, writers and intellectuals since 1869. It is filled with Art Nouveau tombstones and ringed by an absolutely lovely arched pantheon for the elite of the era. The mosaics on some of these are astounding. The best known Art Nouveau artist and Prague native, Alfons Mucha is buried here, but I didn't find his grave site.
We continue the walk to take a peek at the beautiful Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul. We couldn't go in, as they were setting up for a concert - or so it seemed - we couldn't quite make out what we were being told, but the exterior doors were lovely. Then we walked through some of the gardens and nature trails to go down to the river side. We walked by one of the few cubist villages, which really just looked like more angular buildings then normal (I guess I was expecting a building that looked like a Picasso or Braque painting). Then we continued along the river up to one of the best known of the old coffee houses in Prague, Karina Slavia, which has been home to writers and radicals (Vlaclav Havel was a frequenter of this coffee house before he became President of the Czech Republic). We enjoyed a great dessert with coffee. Then we had to part - I back to London, and Emma to wait for her share ride to Dresden.
So ends my weekend in Prague.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Impressions of Seville
The color is yellow.
The Virgin Mary everywhere.
Twisty, tiny streets
A relaxed pace.
Birds
Tiles
The sound of bells.
Ladies fanning themselves.
Eating very late at night and taking naps in the afternoon.
The Virgin Mary everywhere.
Twisty, tiny streets
A relaxed pace.
Birds
Tiles
The sound of bells.
Ladies fanning themselves.
Eating very late at night and taking naps in the afternoon.
Seville - Arrival night, 17 July
I arrive in Seville about 7:30 at night. I take a taxi to the Hotel Alminar, on a pedestrian street in the Barrio Santa Cruz. It is after 8:00 when I arrive at the hotel and still hot.
The hotel is very friendly and small - only 12 rooms - and I am the last single guest to arrive, which results in a warm "You must be Amy, welcome to Seville" from Francisco, the receptionist. I have room 2, on the ground floor at the end of the hall. It overlooks a lovely Sevillian townhouse with wrought iron balconies and lush plants.
I unpack and go out to talk to Francisco, who identifies some excellent tapas bars nearby. He tells me that I might get some food at 9:00, but this would be "optimistic" and not to expect much before 9:30 or even 10:00. He identifies a small bar called La Estrella, which I recognize from some of my research.
I am the first customer in for the night and I'm not sure what they said exactly to me, but I was sat down at a table and given a menu that I managed to order off of. Failing to identify the correct word for "beer" por favour, I managed "sangria" and this seemed to work. The food is delicious.
After dinner, I walk down near the Cathedral at night and take some photos of the buildings lit up at night. It is a very different experience, I know, then what it will be the next day in the heat of the full sun and the tourists.
My first 4 hours in Seville are complete and I am in love.
The hotel is very friendly and small - only 12 rooms - and I am the last single guest to arrive, which results in a warm "You must be Amy, welcome to Seville" from Francisco, the receptionist. I have room 2, on the ground floor at the end of the hall. It overlooks a lovely Sevillian townhouse with wrought iron balconies and lush plants.
I unpack and go out to talk to Francisco, who identifies some excellent tapas bars nearby. He tells me that I might get some food at 9:00, but this would be "optimistic" and not to expect much before 9:30 or even 10:00. He identifies a small bar called La Estrella, which I recognize from some of my research.
I am the first customer in for the night and I'm not sure what they said exactly to me, but I was sat down at a table and given a menu that I managed to order off of. Failing to identify the correct word for "beer" por favour, I managed "sangria" and this seemed to work. The food is delicious.
After dinner, I walk down near the Cathedral at night and take some photos of the buildings lit up at night. It is a very different experience, I know, then what it will be the next day in the heat of the full sun and the tourists.
My first 4 hours in Seville are complete and I am in love.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Seville, Day 1 - 18 July
I woke up to the sound of the Cathedral bells ringing and breakfast being prepared down the hall at my hotel. I decide over breakfast that today will be the big sites: the Cathedral & the Reale Alcazar (the Royal Palace). But first to find a cuandera (notebook). Despite Francisco's directions, I never do find the store that sells notebooks and get hopelessly lost on the narrow streets of Seville. But I'm not scared, because there are so many interesting things to see, like the tapas restaurant that tells you what they are serving that day by the items displayed in the window, like the whole fish in ice and the ham legs hanging. And I do find where all the shoe shops are! I head towards the Plaza Nueva and realize it is the wrong direction, figure out where I am and head back towards the cathedral - where I find a little notebook in the Cathedral shop.
The Cathedral & El Giradella - The cathedral actually life as a Mosque. The Moors ruled in southern Spain for 800 years. When the Christians "conquered" Seville, they did so peacefully, and so they came into a "clean" city which had not been damaged by war. As a result, they retained many of the original buildings and re purposed them to new uses. In Seville they were so impressed by the art and architecture, that they merged it into a new artistic style, the Mudejar (mood - ha- jar). The cathedral was consecrated as such in the mid 1200's and construction began in the 1300's and essentially was continually added to until the 1800's. It is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, and apparently was the largest in the world until St. Peter's in Rome was built. It is filled with stained glass from the centuries, finely detailed plasterwork, silver & gold. The silver alter is absolutely astounding, and the gold leafed High altar an awesome site.
The only remaining Moorish structure is La Giradella, the Tower. You can climb to the top of it using a series of ramps - no stairs, as they used to ride their horses to the top of the tower for some reason (I never found out why). From here, you have the most spectacular views of Seville.
From here, I went to the Reale Alcazar, which is still used as the royal palace for the King & Queen of Spain when they visit Seville. It was started as the al Caliphe's royal palace in 844, and extended by the Christian kings, Pedro the I and Carlos the V in the styles of the day. And so you have the most wonderful blend of Moorish style with Renaissance ceilings, Gothic arches and Baroque plasterwork, tiles from the 800's to the 1800's and gorgeous gardens. It is huge and it is beautiful.
I took many photos and then...the camera battery died. I wandered some more and decided I would come back the next day after I resolved the battery issue.
After I cooled down and located a new battery and a charger, I bought tickets to a Flamenco show right next door, at Auditerio Alvaraez Quintaro, right next to the hotel. Then I meandered down to Calle Sierpes, one of the pedestrian shopping streets. I went into a store selling art and crafts from around Seville and walked out with a hand painted fan and a necklace. I watched the artist, Concha, finish off the fan I wanted and we chatted in a combination of her good English and my very rudimentary Spanish. She told me the necklace I purchased was made by her sister, and had been used in several of the articles and advertising campaigns (and so it was, as I saw). I spent far more then I intended, but these will remind me of Seville each time I look at them or wear the necklace.
Just a word about Spanish fans. Do you think these are mere tourist trinkets? No, ladies in Spain use them frequently. If you ever experience the heat, you will use them, too.
Next, I went to the Flamenco show. This is a small venue and not one of the large Tablaos that have 2 or 3 professional shows a night and cater to the tourists. There are more and more smaller venues popping up and they have very good shows as well, often with the performers coming from the penas - the clubs and schools of flamenco. In Seville, the Tablaos are not considered real flamenco, because the whole story of flamenco is about passion, and they feel that after 2 or 3 shows a night, you lose that passion. Flamenco is the Andalucian country dance and song. It is not just the dancing, but the whole package. The singer and the guitar player are integral to the story, usually a story of longing for love, or a lost love, so kind of like American Blues, in some ways. There were several locals in this place, which I like because you get a different flavour for the performance. Tonight, the singer would start, and sometimes, you'd hear comments from the audience (in Spanish, of course), like a "right on" or "I hear you", encouraging him on with his story. Then comes the dancer, adding visual interpretation to the song.
The dancer was great, of course, but I have to confess, it was the singer who completely blew me away. I should have turned on the video of my camera to capture both the sights and sounds of this show.
After the show, I walked around the corner to Robles tapas. Casa Robles, the parent restaurant, is very famous in Seville, as the king & queen eat there when they are in town. I can't afford the meal prices there, so the tapas bar next door is better bargain. I sat outside, drank sangria, ate tapas and enjoyed the night.
The Cathedral & El Giradella - The cathedral actually life as a Mosque. The Moors ruled in southern Spain for 800 years. When the Christians "conquered" Seville, they did so peacefully, and so they came into a "clean" city which had not been damaged by war. As a result, they retained many of the original buildings and re purposed them to new uses. In Seville they were so impressed by the art and architecture, that they merged it into a new artistic style, the Mudejar (mood - ha- jar). The cathedral was consecrated as such in the mid 1200's and construction began in the 1300's and essentially was continually added to until the 1800's. It is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, and apparently was the largest in the world until St. Peter's in Rome was built. It is filled with stained glass from the centuries, finely detailed plasterwork, silver & gold. The silver alter is absolutely astounding, and the gold leafed High altar an awesome site.
The only remaining Moorish structure is La Giradella, the Tower. You can climb to the top of it using a series of ramps - no stairs, as they used to ride their horses to the top of the tower for some reason (I never found out why). From here, you have the most spectacular views of Seville.
From here, I went to the Reale Alcazar, which is still used as the royal palace for the King & Queen of Spain when they visit Seville. It was started as the al Caliphe's royal palace in 844, and extended by the Christian kings, Pedro the I and Carlos the V in the styles of the day. And so you have the most wonderful blend of Moorish style with Renaissance ceilings, Gothic arches and Baroque plasterwork, tiles from the 800's to the 1800's and gorgeous gardens. It is huge and it is beautiful.
I took many photos and then...the camera battery died. I wandered some more and decided I would come back the next day after I resolved the battery issue.
After I cooled down and located a new battery and a charger, I bought tickets to a Flamenco show right next door, at Auditerio Alvaraez Quintaro, right next to the hotel. Then I meandered down to Calle Sierpes, one of the pedestrian shopping streets. I went into a store selling art and crafts from around Seville and walked out with a hand painted fan and a necklace. I watched the artist, Concha, finish off the fan I wanted and we chatted in a combination of her good English and my very rudimentary Spanish. She told me the necklace I purchased was made by her sister, and had been used in several of the articles and advertising campaigns (and so it was, as I saw). I spent far more then I intended, but these will remind me of Seville each time I look at them or wear the necklace.
Just a word about Spanish fans. Do you think these are mere tourist trinkets? No, ladies in Spain use them frequently. If you ever experience the heat, you will use them, too.
Next, I went to the Flamenco show. This is a small venue and not one of the large Tablaos that have 2 or 3 professional shows a night and cater to the tourists. There are more and more smaller venues popping up and they have very good shows as well, often with the performers coming from the penas - the clubs and schools of flamenco. In Seville, the Tablaos are not considered real flamenco, because the whole story of flamenco is about passion, and they feel that after 2 or 3 shows a night, you lose that passion. Flamenco is the Andalucian country dance and song. It is not just the dancing, but the whole package. The singer and the guitar player are integral to the story, usually a story of longing for love, or a lost love, so kind of like American Blues, in some ways. There were several locals in this place, which I like because you get a different flavour for the performance. Tonight, the singer would start, and sometimes, you'd hear comments from the audience (in Spanish, of course), like a "right on" or "I hear you", encouraging him on with his story. Then comes the dancer, adding visual interpretation to the song.
The dancer was great, of course, but I have to confess, it was the singer who completely blew me away. I should have turned on the video of my camera to capture both the sights and sounds of this show.
After the show, I walked around the corner to Robles tapas. Casa Robles, the parent restaurant, is very famous in Seville, as the king & queen eat there when they are in town. I can't afford the meal prices there, so the tapas bar next door is better bargain. I sat outside, drank sangria, ate tapas and enjoyed the night.
Seville, Day 2, 19 July
Today I resolved to go back to the Reale Alcazar to finish taking the photos I missed after my camera battery malfunction the day before. I reasoned if I went first thing in the morning is would be (a) cooler and (b) less busy and I was right on both accounts.
When I walked into the Patio de Leon, I found a white dove's feather, so I knew it would be a good day. Doves are everywhere in Seville (joke: What is the difference between a dove & a pigeon? A: Doves have better PR.). The day before, I saw a small cat who had caught a dove and was carrying it across the Patio de Banderas - the dove was almost as big as the cat! Anyway, I like doves and pigeons and I have always believed that when you find the feather of a bird you like, it means good things, and this was true today. When I needed someone friendly to be nearby so I could have my photo taken, there was someone there. When I didn't want anyone else in the photo, there was no one to disrupt my view.
I spent another 2 hours at the Alcazar and still didn't manage to see all of it. Truly a massive space.
After a brief cool down - have I mentioned it was about 44 C every day??? (That's close to 100+ F) - so I took a fair number of those cool down periods - I walked down to the river, the Rio Guadalquivir to catch the bus for the city tour. it lasted about 1.5 hours. Sadly, it spent more time then I thought necessary at the site of the 1992 world expo, which has not been well maintained. When I completed that tour, I went on a short tour of the Plaza de Toros - the bullfighting ring and museum. the short tour was interesting and thankfully, out of the sun. The Plaza de Toros is very famous in Spain, mostly for its acoustics. I always pictured a bull fight to be a loud, noisy affair, but apparently this is not the case. They are generally quiet, and in the Plaza de Toros, you can hear the bull snort and the swish of the matador's cape. There was also a museum under the ring which concentrates on the history of the fight, and that was quite interesting too.
I hadn't eaten much during the day & the ever helpful hotel staff recommended tapas at a nearby place that actually served large portions, Habanares Colonanies. Good tapas, large portions, happy staff. Then I wandered around the Barrio Santa Cruz area towards Santa Teresa.
Seville on a Saturday night is a vibrant place! People out in the evening, enjoying the cooler air and each other's company. All the little bars and restaurants packed. Young men dressed up in costumes busking on the streets and smiling and laughing. People enjoying life. This is what I enjoy about Seville - the simple pleasures of living.
When I walked into the Patio de Leon, I found a white dove's feather, so I knew it would be a good day. Doves are everywhere in Seville (joke: What is the difference between a dove & a pigeon? A: Doves have better PR.). The day before, I saw a small cat who had caught a dove and was carrying it across the Patio de Banderas - the dove was almost as big as the cat! Anyway, I like doves and pigeons and I have always believed that when you find the feather of a bird you like, it means good things, and this was true today. When I needed someone friendly to be nearby so I could have my photo taken, there was someone there. When I didn't want anyone else in the photo, there was no one to disrupt my view.
I spent another 2 hours at the Alcazar and still didn't manage to see all of it. Truly a massive space.
After a brief cool down - have I mentioned it was about 44 C every day??? (That's close to 100+ F) - so I took a fair number of those cool down periods - I walked down to the river, the Rio Guadalquivir to catch the bus for the city tour. it lasted about 1.5 hours. Sadly, it spent more time then I thought necessary at the site of the 1992 world expo, which has not been well maintained. When I completed that tour, I went on a short tour of the Plaza de Toros - the bullfighting ring and museum. the short tour was interesting and thankfully, out of the sun. The Plaza de Toros is very famous in Spain, mostly for its acoustics. I always pictured a bull fight to be a loud, noisy affair, but apparently this is not the case. They are generally quiet, and in the Plaza de Toros, you can hear the bull snort and the swish of the matador's cape. There was also a museum under the ring which concentrates on the history of the fight, and that was quite interesting too.
I hadn't eaten much during the day & the ever helpful hotel staff recommended tapas at a nearby place that actually served large portions, Habanares Colonanies. Good tapas, large portions, happy staff. Then I wandered around the Barrio Santa Cruz area towards Santa Teresa.
Seville on a Saturday night is a vibrant place! People out in the evening, enjoying the cooler air and each other's company. All the little bars and restaurants packed. Young men dressed up in costumes busking on the streets and smiling and laughing. People enjoying life. This is what I enjoy about Seville - the simple pleasures of living.
Seville, Day 3 - 20 July
Today is my last day in Seville. It was destined to be a quiet one, because pretty much everything in Seville is closed up on a Sunday. careful planning of your visit is important if you will be here on a Sunday.
I woke up about 9:00 - late for me - and wandered down to the Sunday art market in the Plaza de Museo, right in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. the art market had an interesting mix of art styles, but sadly, nothing I could buy that would fit into one carry-on bag.
Next stop: the museum itself. It is suppose to be on of the best in Spain, with art from the medieval to early 20th C. The University of Calgary's Art History programme doesn't spend much time on Spanish artists, apart form the biggies like Goya & Picasso, so the fun thing about this museum for me was discovering names I've never heard of that are clearly famous in Spain. Most of the collection was religious art, so I did find it repetitive after a time. Sevilla is the city of the Virgin, so there were alot of paintings, reliefs and sculptures of the Virgin, certainly more then I have see in one place before. later art periods did focus on more every day themes: flamenco dancers, vistas of Seville, etc, and I enjoyed those as "snapshots" of Seville's past.
Next, it was time to get ready for my treat - 2 hours at the Banos Arabes - the baths. These are timed appointments and take you through 5 diferent baths, as would have happened not just in Roman times but also in the Muslim Hammans, and as is still done in countries like Turkey. 1st- the tepid bath, like a warm bath. You stay in that as long as you like. 2nd - the hot bath, recommended for 10 minutes. Ok, I could do that. 3rd - the cold bath, recommended for another 10 minutes. Yeeeee-ah, just a dip for me, please. 4th - the salt bath. Stay in that as long as you like. It was lovely to float in the water. 5th - the jet bath, essentially a giant hot tub. Stay as long as you like. Then you can go into the steam room if you want, as I did. And finally, a 15 minute massage....then some time in the quiet room drinking cold tea and water....
After drying off, I went up to the tea room and struggled with the menu. Nothing on that menu was in my little Spanish-English dictionary, so I was about to give up and to the point and hope for the best option. A gal who was in the tea room asked if I spoke English and if I needed assistance with the menu, and of course I did. We ended up chatting for awhile and I showed her photos of the Alcazar, which she hadn't been to yet. I offered to walk her by it, since it wasn't too far from the bathhouse. We ended up having tapas together at Las Teresas and wandering the near deserted streets of Seville on a Sunday night. Her name is Nikki Rowley and she been travelling for 4 months.
Finally, back to the hotel to pack. I leave Monday from this wonderful city - it has been a trip to remember!
I woke up about 9:00 - late for me - and wandered down to the Sunday art market in the Plaza de Museo, right in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. the art market had an interesting mix of art styles, but sadly, nothing I could buy that would fit into one carry-on bag.
Next stop: the museum itself. It is suppose to be on of the best in Spain, with art from the medieval to early 20th C. The University of Calgary's Art History programme doesn't spend much time on Spanish artists, apart form the biggies like Goya & Picasso, so the fun thing about this museum for me was discovering names I've never heard of that are clearly famous in Spain. Most of the collection was religious art, so I did find it repetitive after a time. Sevilla is the city of the Virgin, so there were alot of paintings, reliefs and sculptures of the Virgin, certainly more then I have see in one place before. later art periods did focus on more every day themes: flamenco dancers, vistas of Seville, etc, and I enjoyed those as "snapshots" of Seville's past.
Next, it was time to get ready for my treat - 2 hours at the Banos Arabes - the baths. These are timed appointments and take you through 5 diferent baths, as would have happened not just in Roman times but also in the Muslim Hammans, and as is still done in countries like Turkey. 1st- the tepid bath, like a warm bath. You stay in that as long as you like. 2nd - the hot bath, recommended for 10 minutes. Ok, I could do that. 3rd - the cold bath, recommended for another 10 minutes. Yeeeee-ah, just a dip for me, please. 4th - the salt bath. Stay in that as long as you like. It was lovely to float in the water. 5th - the jet bath, essentially a giant hot tub. Stay as long as you like. Then you can go into the steam room if you want, as I did. And finally, a 15 minute massage....then some time in the quiet room drinking cold tea and water....
After drying off, I went up to the tea room and struggled with the menu. Nothing on that menu was in my little Spanish-English dictionary, so I was about to give up and to the point and hope for the best option. A gal who was in the tea room asked if I spoke English and if I needed assistance with the menu, and of course I did. We ended up chatting for awhile and I showed her photos of the Alcazar, which she hadn't been to yet. I offered to walk her by it, since it wasn't too far from the bathhouse. We ended up having tapas together at Las Teresas and wandering the near deserted streets of Seville on a Sunday night. Her name is Nikki Rowley and she been travelling for 4 months.
Finally, back to the hotel to pack. I leave Monday from this wonderful city - it has been a trip to remember!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Upcoming Trips!
I decided to use some of my travel in lieu of trips, since I realized that I have not used all my entitled leave trips home. So I booked a trip to Seville, Spain! I am very excited - I have never been to Spain at all, and it was hard to choose a destination. I knew I wanted to be in Southern Spain, so I could see some of the history of the Moorish influence - and once I settled on Seville, and started to do some research, I am pleased to see the choice looks like a good one: It is suppose to have the best tapas in Spain, the best Flamenco & is the home of bull fighting (although I will probably give that a miss....)
My husband and stepson, Colin & Kristian, are coming out for a visit at the end of July. It's Kristian's first trip outside of Canada and he is very excited - well, as excited as a 16 y.o. will express. I've booked us a trip to Paris for the first weekend in August. We are going to take the chunnel over - so we will be in downtown Paris in just under 2 hours! I haven't been to Paris since my honeymoon in 1998, and it is one of my favorite cities, so I am very much looking forward to that.
Finally, I have two trips in the fall on plan: one, a weekend in Dublin with my Canadian colleagues, travelling with an Irish colleague of ours; the second is a trip to Marrakesh, Morroco. I've been wanting to go to Marrakesh since I've got to London, and after some research, decided to go alone, since no one else seems too interested in going with me.
Stayed tuned, as I publish my away trip logs!
My husband and stepson, Colin & Kristian, are coming out for a visit at the end of July. It's Kristian's first trip outside of Canada and he is very excited - well, as excited as a 16 y.o. will express. I've booked us a trip to Paris for the first weekend in August. We are going to take the chunnel over - so we will be in downtown Paris in just under 2 hours! I haven't been to Paris since my honeymoon in 1998, and it is one of my favorite cities, so I am very much looking forward to that.
Finally, I have two trips in the fall on plan: one, a weekend in Dublin with my Canadian colleagues, travelling with an Irish colleague of ours; the second is a trip to Marrakesh, Morroco. I've been wanting to go to Marrakesh since I've got to London, and after some research, decided to go alone, since no one else seems too interested in going with me.
Stayed tuned, as I publish my away trip logs!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Taxi Drivers in London
Tonight I took a taxi home from Southbank, after meeting some friends after work for dinner. I decided to take a taxi home.
London taxi drivers are interesting characters. My favorites are the ones who can tell me some history of the area we are driving through. Tonight the cab driver told me that he had grown up in the area I now live in, the Borough area, in WWII. .
He was just 6 when the bombs started dropping over this part of London. He remembers hiding in the Underground stations during the bomb raids. His father was in the service, an infantry man, and his mother worked in the neighborhood armament factory, making tents. He was only in school for 3 months when a bomb destroyed his school, and because there was no money to repair it, he didn't go back to school until after the war ended.
He told me that if I walked down Great Dover Street, right next to a pub called the Robuck, which still stands, you could see a building that still had old brick work. There is an archway, built in now, which is where he & his siblings used to go wait for their mother to get off work. Sometimes, he said, she was too tired to cook and as a treat, she'd take them for a pub meal at the Robuck.
I felt privileged to have this man share his story with me. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to experience living through that war as a little boy. I wonder sometimes if other passengers even bother to listen to what he has to say.
London taxi drivers are interesting characters. My favorites are the ones who can tell me some history of the area we are driving through. Tonight the cab driver told me that he had grown up in the area I now live in, the Borough area, in WWII. .
He was just 6 when the bombs started dropping over this part of London. He remembers hiding in the Underground stations during the bomb raids. His father was in the service, an infantry man, and his mother worked in the neighborhood armament factory, making tents. He was only in school for 3 months when a bomb destroyed his school, and because there was no money to repair it, he didn't go back to school until after the war ended.
He told me that if I walked down Great Dover Street, right next to a pub called the Robuck, which still stands, you could see a building that still had old brick work. There is an archway, built in now, which is where he & his siblings used to go wait for their mother to get off work. Sometimes, he said, she was too tired to cook and as a treat, she'd take them for a pub meal at the Robuck.
I felt privileged to have this man share his story with me. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to experience living through that war as a little boy. I wonder sometimes if other passengers even bother to listen to what he has to say.
Monday, June 2, 2008
First post from London
(Originally posted 19 March 2007)
Hello all. Greetings from London. I am slowly acclimatizing to the UK. The spring flowers were out in full force in Hyde Park on the weekend - and then we got hit by a freezing rain storm today. Probably the same one that hit the East coast of N. America on the weekend. I was just confirmed last week that I will be here until the end of the year. My new schedule will be 3 weeks here, one week at home and then back for another 3 weeks. I currently "live" in a hotel and although I have the option to find rental accommodation when I return in April, I probably will elect to stay in hotels again - I have become used to someone cleaning up after me on a daily basis - and when you work 10 - 12 hour days, this is needed.
The first weekend here, I went to the British Museum and walked along the Kensington High Street (anything called a "High Street" in the UK is a shopping area). This may not sound like much, but if you have never been to London, the Museum alone is a few days effort to see all there is to see! Last weekend, I was recovering from a head cold, so I took it easy on Sunday and got caught up on reading the newspapers. Saturday, I went to Oxford Street, host of any and all types of stores one could desire. I found the one I needed. The one really sad thing about being in London is being a shopaholic in London when the exchange rate is so cruddy. If the Sterling pound symbol was just replaced by a $ symbol, Amy would be a much happier gal. Oh well.
Hello all. Greetings from London. I am slowly acclimatizing to the UK. The spring flowers were out in full force in Hyde Park on the weekend - and then we got hit by a freezing rain storm today. Probably the same one that hit the East coast of N. America on the weekend. I was just confirmed last week that I will be here until the end of the year. My new schedule will be 3 weeks here, one week at home and then back for another 3 weeks. I currently "live" in a hotel and although I have the option to find rental accommodation when I return in April, I probably will elect to stay in hotels again - I have become used to someone cleaning up after me on a daily basis - and when you work 10 - 12 hour days, this is needed.
The first weekend here, I went to the British Museum and walked along the Kensington High Street (anything called a "High Street" in the UK is a shopping area). This may not sound like much, but if you have never been to London, the Museum alone is a few days effort to see all there is to see! Last weekend, I was recovering from a head cold, so I took it easy on Sunday and got caught up on reading the newspapers. Saturday, I went to Oxford Street, host of any and all types of stores one could desire. I found the one I needed. The one really sad thing about being in London is being a shopaholic in London when the exchange rate is so cruddy. If the Sterling pound symbol was just replaced by a $ symbol, Amy would be a much happier gal. Oh well.
London, First weekend (1 of 2)
(Originally posted 24 March 2007)
Today, 24 March, I went on a walk on the Southbank, which is so called, because, well, it is the south bank of the Thames. This area has become quite built up since my last visit to London, on my honeymoon in 1998. This part of town is where you will find the best views of the House of Parliament, and is where the "London Eye" - that giant Ferris wheel that dominates most cityscape's of London now, is located. I haven't been up the Eye yet - saving that for visitors.
I actually work on Southbank - both the IBM offices and the client offices are right in the heart of Southbank - so it felt strange to be there on a Saturday. But I'm glad I did, because now I know what's around. For example: the Tate Modern.The Tate Modern is the offshoot of the Tate, and houses their massive collection of all art since 1900. It is housed in an old Turbine factory, and is really geared towards families, with lots of activities for kids, which I think is just great. I saw Claude Monet's "waterlilies" (one of them anyway), Alexander Calder's mobiles, Giacometti, Miro, Arp, Dali, Rothko, etc....all the artists I grew to love and appreciate when I studied art history (I confess I still don't really "love" Dali - but I've grown to appreciate him). It was packed. I must go back one evening after work to look more in depth with fewer crowds...
The next thing I did today was go on a tour of the Shakespeare Globe Theatre. That was very interesting! This Globe theatre was a work of love for Sam Wannamaker. It was researched and built as close to what they believe the original looked liked. It has the first thatched roof in London since the 1660's - properly fireproofed, of course - and has an open roof (the thatched roof covers the balcony seats only). Even the costumes are created as originally as possible, using as much nature materials and construction as possible. The tour was very interesting, as it explained what the atmosphere was like in the 1590's England entertainment scene. Certainly not "Theatre" as we know it now. The stage sets all use the same backdrop, as it would have been done in Shakespeare time. The guide explained that this was part of the reason that William always set his plays' location in the first line or two - so that the audience could imagine in their own mind and not be distracted by details from the actual play. The season starts in May, with "Othello". You can get buy a ticket for as little as 5 GBP (about $10.00) to stand in the pit right in front of the stage - but if it rains, you get wet - no umbrellas allowed! And no sitting down either.
Today, 24 March, I went on a walk on the Southbank, which is so called, because, well, it is the south bank of the Thames. This area has become quite built up since my last visit to London, on my honeymoon in 1998. This part of town is where you will find the best views of the House of Parliament, and is where the "London Eye" - that giant Ferris wheel that dominates most cityscape's of London now, is located. I haven't been up the Eye yet - saving that for visitors.
I actually work on Southbank - both the IBM offices and the client offices are right in the heart of Southbank - so it felt strange to be there on a Saturday. But I'm glad I did, because now I know what's around. For example: the Tate Modern.The Tate Modern is the offshoot of the Tate, and houses their massive collection of all art since 1900. It is housed in an old Turbine factory, and is really geared towards families, with lots of activities for kids, which I think is just great. I saw Claude Monet's "waterlilies" (one of them anyway), Alexander Calder's mobiles, Giacometti, Miro, Arp, Dali, Rothko, etc....all the artists I grew to love and appreciate when I studied art history (I confess I still don't really "love" Dali - but I've grown to appreciate him). It was packed. I must go back one evening after work to look more in depth with fewer crowds...
The next thing I did today was go on a tour of the Shakespeare Globe Theatre. That was very interesting! This Globe theatre was a work of love for Sam Wannamaker. It was researched and built as close to what they believe the original looked liked. It has the first thatched roof in London since the 1660's - properly fireproofed, of course - and has an open roof (the thatched roof covers the balcony seats only). Even the costumes are created as originally as possible, using as much nature materials and construction as possible. The tour was very interesting, as it explained what the atmosphere was like in the 1590's England entertainment scene. Certainly not "Theatre" as we know it now. The stage sets all use the same backdrop, as it would have been done in Shakespeare time. The guide explained that this was part of the reason that William always set his plays' location in the first line or two - so that the audience could imagine in their own mind and not be distracted by details from the actual play. The season starts in May, with "Othello". You can get buy a ticket for as little as 5 GBP (about $10.00) to stand in the pit right in front of the stage - but if it rains, you get wet - no umbrellas allowed! And no sitting down either.
London, First Weekend (2 of 2)
(Originally posted 25 March 2007)
Today, 25 March, I went to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square (right next to Canada House, incidentally!). It has been cleaned up considerably since I was last in London - for the better - as no traffic runs right in front of the building any longer. There are still some pigeons, but not as many as I remember. I got a great photo on my camera-phone of people amongst the pigeons. I have a soft spot for those birds.
I have always loved the National Gallery. It is filled with art from the 1200's to the impressionists and just after. I didn't even try to do it all today - I focused on Italian art from the 1500 - 1600's, mainly so I could see Caravaggio, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, etc. My absolute favorite painting in this collection is by Sassoferrato, titled "The Virgin in Prayer" (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=NG200) . It is luminous and clear; the colors jump out on this dark background so all your eye focus' on is the Virgin Mary. It made an impact on me on my first ever visit in '94 and it still does. Photographs/web sites do not accurately represent the intensity of the color and its impact.
I also went to a special collection titled "Manet to Picasso" of Impressionist art up to early Picasso, with all the greats, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Degas, plus Seurat & Pissaro. Impressionist art was what first captured my heart and ultimately led to my college major, so it was like visiting old friends again. And you know what is best about it? IT'S FREE!!!!!! Can you believe it????
Today, 25 March, I went to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square (right next to Canada House, incidentally!). It has been cleaned up considerably since I was last in London - for the better - as no traffic runs right in front of the building any longer. There are still some pigeons, but not as many as I remember. I got a great photo on my camera-phone of people amongst the pigeons. I have a soft spot for those birds.
I have always loved the National Gallery. It is filled with art from the 1200's to the impressionists and just after. I didn't even try to do it all today - I focused on Italian art from the 1500 - 1600's, mainly so I could see Caravaggio, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, etc. My absolute favorite painting in this collection is by Sassoferrato, titled "The Virgin in Prayer" (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=NG200) . It is luminous and clear; the colors jump out on this dark background so all your eye focus' on is the Virgin Mary. It made an impact on me on my first ever visit in '94 and it still does. Photographs/web sites do not accurately represent the intensity of the color and its impact.
I also went to a special collection titled "Manet to Picasso" of Impressionist art up to early Picasso, with all the greats, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Degas, plus Seurat & Pissaro. Impressionist art was what first captured my heart and ultimately led to my college major, so it was like visiting old friends again. And you know what is best about it? IT'S FREE!!!!!! Can you believe it????
London Bomb Scares, summer 2007
(My mom, after the summer 2007 bombing in London at the night club, posted a thread on the family website asking if I was OK. This was originally published 7 July 2007)
It's been mostly uneventful, actually. The first bomb was north of me, in "the City" and was aimed at a nightclub, which opened two days later. The Glasgow car bombing was the worse of the events. The Brits pride themselves with "getting on with it", and the papers have been rife with "we won't let them stop us from going about our business." The most I've been inconvenienced is that the pedestrian bridge between my office & Waterloo station is closed, so I actually have to cross the street to get to the shops in Waterloo. Most distressing. Apart from an definite increase in police presence, armed with bullet proof vests and big, mean looking guns, life is pretty much the same as always in the old town. Today is the last day of Wimbledon, and the start of the Tour de France, which this year, starts in London, not far from my flat. My flat, mum, is between Victoria station and Houses of Parliament/Westminster Abbey - south of Piccadilly Circus, where the first car bomb was found.
It's been mostly uneventful, actually. The first bomb was north of me, in "the City" and was aimed at a nightclub, which opened two days later. The Glasgow car bombing was the worse of the events. The Brits pride themselves with "getting on with it", and the papers have been rife with "we won't let them stop us from going about our business." The most I've been inconvenienced is that the pedestrian bridge between my office & Waterloo station is closed, so I actually have to cross the street to get to the shops in Waterloo. Most distressing. Apart from an definite increase in police presence, armed with bullet proof vests and big, mean looking guns, life is pretty much the same as always in the old town. Today is the last day of Wimbledon, and the start of the Tour de France, which this year, starts in London, not far from my flat. My flat, mum, is between Victoria station and Houses of Parliament/Westminster Abbey - south of Piccadilly Circus, where the first car bomb was found.
Le Grande Depart
(Originally posted 8 July 2007)
This weekend is the start of the Tour de France - and for the first time in its history, it started outside of France, in London.I missed it.Not because I wanted to. No, I had great ambitions to go down to Westminster Bridge and see them scream by...and I did make it to Westminster Bridge - but missed them by 10 minutes.But sometimes things work out. Because I discovered I missed it by another tourist asking a policeman...she & I got to talking, and discovered we were both here on extended business, and decided to spend the afternoon together. A very nice young woman named Amanda, living in New Jersey, but originally from Haiti (I told her about your time in Haiti, Aunt Joanne).We decided to take the ferry down to Greenwich, which takes about an hour, then wandered the village of Greenwich, straddled the Meridian - so for that brief moment, I was one foot on both the Eastern & Western hemisphere (I'll try to post a photo) - ate at a nice pub and chatted... .So, I missed Le Grand Depart, but made a new friend, which is probably a more lasting memory anyway.
This weekend is the start of the Tour de France - and for the first time in its history, it started outside of France, in London.I missed it.Not because I wanted to. No, I had great ambitions to go down to Westminster Bridge and see them scream by...and I did make it to Westminster Bridge - but missed them by 10 minutes.But sometimes things work out. Because I discovered I missed it by another tourist asking a policeman...she & I got to talking, and discovered we were both here on extended business, and decided to spend the afternoon together. A very nice young woman named Amanda, living in New Jersey, but originally from Haiti (I told her about your time in Haiti, Aunt Joanne).We decided to take the ferry down to Greenwich, which takes about an hour, then wandered the village of Greenwich, straddled the Meridian - so for that brief moment, I was one foot on both the Eastern & Western hemisphere (I'll try to post a photo) - ate at a nice pub and chatted... .So, I missed Le Grand Depart, but made a new friend, which is probably a more lasting memory anyway.
My Hubby Visits!
(Originally posted 17 August 2007)
Just to say that Colin came to visit me for two weeks in London. He just left today, so I'm a little sad, but have posted some photos of our 4 day weekend (I took the Friday & Monday off work to spend more time with him).On the Friday, we went to Bath, which I first visited 15 years ago. The city has changed a bit, and not for the better, I'm afraid, but the Roman Baths still entice, as does the Abbey with some lovely sculptures, such as angels climbing up & down ladders.Saturday we stayed in London and did some touring. I managed to awe Colin by navigating the tube system like a pro and we did a walking tour about the "lost" Fleet river now 18 feet under Fleet Street.Sunday we went to Hampton Court Palace. Again, I had visited 15 years ago, but the lovely gardens were being reconstructed, so I had never seen them.Monday we made an last minute change of plans and went to Canterbury instead of Brighton. We didn't regret it. We were both fascinated by Canterbury and the Cathedral there is truly spiritual. The town itself is full of history and old, 17th century buildings that one tends to think of when you think of an old English town.
Just to say that Colin came to visit me for two weeks in London. He just left today, so I'm a little sad, but have posted some photos of our 4 day weekend (I took the Friday & Monday off work to spend more time with him).On the Friday, we went to Bath, which I first visited 15 years ago. The city has changed a bit, and not for the better, I'm afraid, but the Roman Baths still entice, as does the Abbey with some lovely sculptures, such as angels climbing up & down ladders.Saturday we stayed in London and did some touring. I managed to awe Colin by navigating the tube system like a pro and we did a walking tour about the "lost" Fleet river now 18 feet under Fleet Street.Sunday we went to Hampton Court Palace. Again, I had visited 15 years ago, but the lovely gardens were being reconstructed, so I had never seen them.Monday we made an last minute change of plans and went to Canterbury instead of Brighton. We didn't regret it. We were both fascinated by Canterbury and the Cathedral there is truly spiritual. The town itself is full of history and old, 17th century buildings that one tends to think of when you think of an old English town.
Hamburg, DE, Post 2
(Originally posted 8 September 2007)
Day one, after I was finished at the client's, I changed hotels and then walked down to the Art Museum (the Hamburger Kunsthalle). The building was started in 1869, and has been added on to and rebuilt after damage during WWII. I didn't go in, because it was closing in an hour and I hadn't exchanged my British pound notes for Euro's. I regret this, because I never did get in - and it is suppose to have the best collection of art in Germany.
The walk to the art Museum took me along Leine Ringhe, though a district called St. Georg. This is a trendy little area filled with cafes and small independent shops. I stopped in a few, including one called "Everest", which I went in to purely because my pet rabbit's name is Everest. It was filled with Amy type trinkets (read: silver semi-precious stone jewelry), so I was doubly happy with my decision. I walked around the Kunsthalle and back to the hotel via the Aun der Alster, a footpath along the Aubenalster (pronounced Aussenalster, or "Outer" lake Alaster). The path is 7 km around the lake and goes along some of the most expensive real estate in Germany. It is said that there are more German millionaires in Hamburg then anywhere else in Germany, and they sure do have some lovely houses! I stopped on a park bench to watch all the water activities: rowers, scullers, sailors and commuters of all sorts on the path going places after work.
Day 2, I decided to take a city bus tour, the kind that allows you to hop on and off at key places of interest. I find these are generally a good way to get to know the lay out of a city and soak up some history of the place, too. The tour first went north along the Aubenalster, through the wealthy neighborhoods along the lake. Even the mansions seemed dwarfed by the sheer number of trees everywhere and the parks that are all through the city. Then the bus took us through other neighborhoods, like Eppendorf, which is the artistic area of the city, before turning back to go into the city proper, past the Hamburg Alster-Arkaden, a lovely colonnaded area overlooking a...pond? lake? filled with swans and other water fowl. Swans are the symbol of Hamburg, because in the 1400's, the "Free Hanseatic State of Hamburg" allowed private citizens to own swans, usually only allowed by royalty to own, as a symbol of their freedom. Consequently, there are alot of swans and they are well cared for and protected. The tour then turned into the Rathaus area, which is the traditional market and the town hall center. Next, we took a turn for the worse, as we entered in to the infamous Reeperbahn, which looked pretty tame at 2:00 in the afternoon, but only because it was still asleep. The Reeperbahn is the pleasure district and filled with shops of a dubious nature and a red light district with ladies of easy virtues. It is also famous because the Beatles first received international attention by playing in one of the clubs in the Reeperbahn, which today is one of the "theatres" featuring, at it's most tame, table dancing. I will say no more on a family website. From the seedy part of town, we went to Altona, which was once a Danish state! As such, it has and always has had, a tolerance for freedom of religion and culture that still exists today. We went past the oldest Jewish cemetery in Germany, dating back to the 1600's. Today Altona is still ethnically and culturally diverse. The town hall (it is still officially a separate city, although now German) was once the train station which linked Altona to Copenhagen. Next, we went south to the port area, still a busy place. Of special interest is the Speicherstadt, or shipping warehouses, which are all built with their lower levels right against the water of the canals to store all sorts of goods, usually spices, oriental carpets, etc. It is still in use today. I got off the bus here and wandered around the area. I walked up to the Deichstrasse, which has the oldest houses in Hamburg left remaining, then back up to the Rathaus, where I did some shopping before catching the tour bus again to finish the tour. The tour took us past St. Michaelis, considered to be one of the most important Protestant baroque buildings. The steeple is over 132 meters high, and is also on one of the highest points in the city. You can walk up 432 stairs to the tower to have fabulous views of the city (but I decided not to).
The last day was this morning (Saturday). I only had a few hours, so I decided to take a boat tour of the lakes Alster (Binnenalster, or inner lake, and Aubenalster). It was a lovely cruise and the waterfront properties and numerous sailing and rowing clubs dotted the shore lines. When the tour was done, I tried to find some souvenir shops, but there didn't seem to be any. I would ordinarily think this a good thing - but it sure isn't so good when you want to buy souvenirs! I walked back to the hotel and caught a taxi to the airport.
Overall, I think Hamburg is a lovely city and well worth a visit. There is alot of business in Hamburg, so if you ever go for business, spend an extra day or two if you can to tour. You won't be disappointed.
Day one, after I was finished at the client's, I changed hotels and then walked down to the Art Museum (the Hamburger Kunsthalle). The building was started in 1869, and has been added on to and rebuilt after damage during WWII. I didn't go in, because it was closing in an hour and I hadn't exchanged my British pound notes for Euro's. I regret this, because I never did get in - and it is suppose to have the best collection of art in Germany.
The walk to the art Museum took me along Leine Ringhe, though a district called St. Georg. This is a trendy little area filled with cafes and small independent shops. I stopped in a few, including one called "Everest", which I went in to purely because my pet rabbit's name is Everest. It was filled with Amy type trinkets (read: silver semi-precious stone jewelry), so I was doubly happy with my decision. I walked around the Kunsthalle and back to the hotel via the Aun der Alster, a footpath along the Aubenalster (pronounced Aussenalster, or "Outer" lake Alaster). The path is 7 km around the lake and goes along some of the most expensive real estate in Germany. It is said that there are more German millionaires in Hamburg then anywhere else in Germany, and they sure do have some lovely houses! I stopped on a park bench to watch all the water activities: rowers, scullers, sailors and commuters of all sorts on the path going places after work.
Day 2, I decided to take a city bus tour, the kind that allows you to hop on and off at key places of interest. I find these are generally a good way to get to know the lay out of a city and soak up some history of the place, too. The tour first went north along the Aubenalster, through the wealthy neighborhoods along the lake. Even the mansions seemed dwarfed by the sheer number of trees everywhere and the parks that are all through the city. Then the bus took us through other neighborhoods, like Eppendorf, which is the artistic area of the city, before turning back to go into the city proper, past the Hamburg Alster-Arkaden, a lovely colonnaded area overlooking a...pond? lake? filled with swans and other water fowl. Swans are the symbol of Hamburg, because in the 1400's, the "Free Hanseatic State of Hamburg" allowed private citizens to own swans, usually only allowed by royalty to own, as a symbol of their freedom. Consequently, there are alot of swans and they are well cared for and protected. The tour then turned into the Rathaus area, which is the traditional market and the town hall center. Next, we took a turn for the worse, as we entered in to the infamous Reeperbahn, which looked pretty tame at 2:00 in the afternoon, but only because it was still asleep. The Reeperbahn is the pleasure district and filled with shops of a dubious nature and a red light district with ladies of easy virtues. It is also famous because the Beatles first received international attention by playing in one of the clubs in the Reeperbahn, which today is one of the "theatres" featuring, at it's most tame, table dancing. I will say no more on a family website. From the seedy part of town, we went to Altona, which was once a Danish state! As such, it has and always has had, a tolerance for freedom of religion and culture that still exists today. We went past the oldest Jewish cemetery in Germany, dating back to the 1600's. Today Altona is still ethnically and culturally diverse. The town hall (it is still officially a separate city, although now German) was once the train station which linked Altona to Copenhagen. Next, we went south to the port area, still a busy place. Of special interest is the Speicherstadt, or shipping warehouses, which are all built with their lower levels right against the water of the canals to store all sorts of goods, usually spices, oriental carpets, etc. It is still in use today. I got off the bus here and wandered around the area. I walked up to the Deichstrasse, which has the oldest houses in Hamburg left remaining, then back up to the Rathaus, where I did some shopping before catching the tour bus again to finish the tour. The tour took us past St. Michaelis, considered to be one of the most important Protestant baroque buildings. The steeple is over 132 meters high, and is also on one of the highest points in the city. You can walk up 432 stairs to the tower to have fabulous views of the city (but I decided not to).
The last day was this morning (Saturday). I only had a few hours, so I decided to take a boat tour of the lakes Alster (Binnenalster, or inner lake, and Aubenalster). It was a lovely cruise and the waterfront properties and numerous sailing and rowing clubs dotted the shore lines. When the tour was done, I tried to find some souvenir shops, but there didn't seem to be any. I would ordinarily think this a good thing - but it sure isn't so good when you want to buy souvenirs! I walked back to the hotel and caught a taxi to the airport.
Overall, I think Hamburg is a lovely city and well worth a visit. There is alot of business in Hamburg, so if you ever go for business, spend an extra day or two if you can to tour. You won't be disappointed.
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