unBound and Pursuing Dreams

Paris – Day 1

 

We arrived at the hotel around 4:30pm, after approximately 5.5 hours on the trains (1.5 hrs Lucerne  to Basel & 4 hrs Basel to Paris) we moved in to our spacious room and put away all our important stuff. We got a little surprise from the hotel staff …… yes those are real Parisian macarons. We tried them the next day and determined that “le Macaron” in Regina has just as good if not better macarons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since it was a late arrival for us into Paris, we walked to the Eiffel tower to see what had changed in the 2 years since our last visit, and were interested in the impact (if any) since Paris was awarded the 2024 Olympics ……. well the major change is the level of security now in place – 2 years ago you could walk from one end of the park then underneath the tower right up to the bridge over the Seine river. You may have seen police or military guards with machine guns, but they were generally not conspicuous. Today, when we approached the base of the tower, there were multiple barriers and a perimeter fence and …….. we had to go through a thorough security search. Once inside you can walk around taking pictures, buy souvenirs or tickets to the top of the tower ….. when done, you exit through security.  This is the fewest number of people I’ve seen lined up at the tower in the 12 years since we started visiting.

 

……. but she still is an amazing Lady!

Afterwards we crossed the bridge to see what else had changed …… the huge fountains, Jardins du Trocadero, were partially covered over with (we couldn’t tell if they were constructing or taking apart) an enormous stage. We will probably know by Thursday  ……. plus on top of the concourse, at the center of the Palais de Chaillot, a huge set of Olympic rings faced toward the Eiffel tower.  Great for the selfie crowd, us included.

 

 

 

 

On to dinner ……. after a half hour stroll we saw an outdoor cafe, called ‘le Kleber’, that looked inviting.  We sat just inside one of the window doorways, keeping warm yet able to crowd watch. It was “*French onion soup”, salad and lasagna – washed down with red wine …… all very good for an outdoor cafe!

 

 

 

 

After dinner we walked down the street and proceeded to get lost ….. eventually we found our way back to the Seine ……. took some pictures of the tower and made our way back to the hotel.

 

All-in-all a good start to our 4 days in Paris …….

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paris – Day 2

After a breakfast at our favorite first Paris spot (2005) we decided we needed an extra luggage bag for all the catch we didn’t release ……. so we picked up a duffle bag on wheels for 22€ …… I can use it for my photo gear when we get back home. Gerda stuffed it full of the catch and it looks like we may have room for on or two more fishing expeditions.

 

 

 

 

Next stop …. Sacre Coeur Basilica, to visit it from a different angle ….. this time we take the bus so we can see the surrounding culture ….. it appears almost the same as in 2005 – just more commercial.

 

 

 

I took a few pictures for Gerda to show Christa the staircase they posed on 12 years ago.  A little more grungy but still looks the same (the staircase).

 

 

 

Then we wander through the artists enclave, looking at the amazing talent – there must be over 100 different artists. Brian picked out a lovely water color painting of a typical Paris scene.

 

 

 

 

The visit and subsequent wandering took up the full afternoon. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a cafe for ‘un grande’ beer and chips. It turns out our waiter, Clement was born in Canada but raised in France ….

 

 

We had a great conversation about where he had worked (another linguist with 6 languages), and what to expect when he comes to Canada in January 2018 ….. he plans to drive across from Montreal to Vancouver and then back from Seattle to New York. He’s in for a surprise about the weather, how quickly it can change and how cold it can get!  Best of luck Clement……. drop us a line when you pass through the prairies.

 

Back to the hotel to try to fix the blog …. #!&$?!#& my blog service provider did an update and screwed up the blog database – it will probably take a special reboot to get it back ….. while that happens we’re off again to have dinner in a different arrondissement (district). As you can see the blog database is finally back up and running.

We finally found a restaurant that had the goat cheese salad that Gerda craved …… more “*French onion soup”, braised duck with potatoes, and beer. Turns out to be another hidden gem – the soup made with white wine was delicious and the duck was excellent (it was accompanied with a pepper gravy).

After the meal, we needed to walk it off, so it was down to the Seine river …. across Pont Alexander (bridge),  over and down to the bridge that will take us to rue Rapp but dodging potholes as there is a lot of construction in this area…… then back to the hotel.

 

 

Paris – Day 3

One day behind on the blog …… it seems to only happen in France …… very poor, sporatic internet service. It took over 30 minutes to load a video to the blog database (when I could get it to connect), the same upload in Lucerne was 2 minutes, the average for all other locations was 4 minutes. So you can see why I am behind.

On day 3 we started, after breakfast, by catching some truly French fashions for the grandkids at the same shop Gerda got clothes in 2015. Afterwards, we walked along the Seine to check out the tent like structures to see what was going on ……. turns out they were setting up a venue, with multiple booths, for a cooking festival starting Friday ….. we will definitely have to check it out before we leave Saturday morning.

From there we walked to the unique bridge built for pedestrians only, to cross the Seine for access to the park in front of the Louvre museum and art gallery. Once more, the inevitable love-locks ….. with vendors selling them and encouraging people to place them on the bridge …… however, here it looks like the bridge panels can be easily removed so the weight doesn’t cause safety issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked through the park, realizing we had never visited this area in them past. It is very calming and much quieter than the surrounding city ….. we even sat by the fountain and ‘people-watched’ ….. it can be very cheap entertainment!

Our next stop was in front of the Louvre where Gerda pointed out the symmetry of the “Arc de Triomphe de l’etoile” (Champs Elysees), the “Luxor golden Obelisk” and the small “Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel” by the Louvre …… looking through the central arch, you can see the obelisk and then the large Arc de Triomphe at the top of the Champs Elysees …. all lined up perfectly.

We walked to the glass pyramid to take some pictures, but decided to move on when ten soldiers in full gear, including machine guns,  shifted position from the side of the Louvre to just in front of the pyramid entrance.

 

After stopping at one of the many cafes for refreshments, we walked back to the hotel. Doesn’t sound like we did much, however that stroll was about 10 miles ……. of dodging people, bikes and cobblestones ……. so you can understand how tired a person can get.

After all that, Gerda had a rest while I had a beer and then checked out the Eiffel tower …… unfortunately it turns out to be closed due to a strike!  No elevators or access to the restaurants today …….. bummer.  On day 1, I said that was the least number of people we had seen at the Eiffel tower, well this was even less.

 

 

 

We had dinner across the Alma bridge, near the monument to Princess Diana ……. afterwards we walked up to the Jardins du Trocedaro ….. and yes, they are definitely building a stage of some sorts. We went to the top of the stairs, took some pictures of the Olympic Rings and Eiffel tower lit up.

 

 

 

Then back to the hotel ……. and a stab at updating the blog …… still the same results …. unfortunately no surprise!

 

Paris – Day 4

Breakfast on rue Cler …. we definitely like the charm of this place ….. then some catch and release at the local shops.

 

Still trying to find a good patisserie (bakery) to get the shot of a baker ….  no such luck, they are all modern ….. few filled with culture and charm. Although I did find an interesting shop near the Eiffel tower ……. this one looks the most promising. We tried a carmel-pecan pastry, it was simply delicious! PS we did try the pastry – Gerda got one bite and guess who ate the rest! Yummy!

 

 

We moved on to the walkway by the Seine river to check out the cooking festival, unfortunately only half of the venues are setup and operating ……. we decide to come back later, if we have time, to get the full impact.

 

So it’s down the Seine, past the Eiffel tower to the Metro overpass. Lots of boathouses moored on both sides …… unusual way to live with so many tourists going by on the tour boats …. not our cup of tea.  The overpass has been a backdrop in many movies ….. interesting to see it up close.

 

 

We are now officially in “wind down mode” ……. checking the boarding passes online to ensure there are no last minute changes.

 

One last note …. the park outside the Eiffel tower has been closed off with a metal fence, it took a while to find out why  ….. sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  * Greg ….. a note about “French onion soup” the French restaurants have listed their onion soup that way on their menus.

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Journey Home – Saturday,  September 23

Up bright and early …… off to a good start ….. then we wait for a taxi …..  when he comes we wait again while he runs in to talk to the concierge. Finally we’re off, but in a different direction than our normal route to Charles de Gaulle airport.  Gerda’s worried about the route as we seem to be heading down town, but there are many roads to the same place …… so ironically we get there faster then the normal route.

Terminal A2 is our entry point …… checking in with Air Canada turns out to be the easiest and fastest part of entry. Next we line up for passport control and then security. The last time we came through,  Passport control was handled in a large hall which was accessed by a down escalator ….. where we entered a corral 100ft long and 10 rows deep, taking 40 minutes to get through. This time we line up on the main concourse about 200 m from where the escalator should be ….. taking 55 minutes to the reach the escalator ….. down in the main hall, all rows are full ….. it takes us another 45 minutes to get to the front of the line ….. and another 20 minutes to pass through the security check (analysis: too much time on passport control and not enough on security). Instead of having a 90 minute wait to board …… we have 15 minutes …… and just like 2015, Air Canada calls us by boarding zones (1, 2, 3, 4&5) ……  processes us through the gate and then …… we board a bus – to wait.  We finally were driven on the tarmac to the Air Canada plane. We overheard a passenger say that their passport control agent said it was the busiest he had ever seen. Also an American we talked to indicated his friends had been lined up earlier that morning for 4 hours!

Our general observation is the Charles de Gaulle airport is extremely disorganized or the public service was staging a “wild-cat” strike …… kinda-like at the Eiffel tower on Thursday. With Paris being awarded the Olympics they have a lot of work to do or it will be chaos!

The flight from Paris to Toronto was for the most part uneventful, other than we had paid extra for the seats in front of the bulkhead ……. unfortunately everyone, including the flight attendants used it as a walkway to move from one aisle to the other. If they are going to allow that, then don’t charge extra …… it made it extremely difficult to sleep!

Toronto has the right idea when it comes to passport control, short lines and few questions, we were through in 30 seconds, unlike the Paris experience. The flight from Toronto to Regina was our wind-down time. No passenger nor flight attendant interruptions …… we were bobbing before the plane left. Also Toronto was 31°C while Regina was 2°C …… quite the temperature swing!

Now that we are back, I think we need a vacation from our vacation.

 

 

…………... once I get the trip material sorted, I will update the blog ..……………

 

One final note on Paris:  There is a lot to love and some things that could, but probably won’t change – and that’s the charm of Paris …… you either love it or you don’t

…… besides, Paris has been around a lot longer than any of us has, combined!

 

 

Lucerne – Day 1

….. and so the next stage of our journey begins ….. we have never been to Switzerland and look forward to new experiences.

We travelled on the Milan to Basal train (exiting at Lucerne), leaving Milan at 10:15 am …. we are getting better at this form of travel, arriving at the station only 25 minutes before departure. The trip was quite comfortable, stopping 5 times in the 3 and a half hour journey. The countryside is quite green, reminding us of the Rocky mountains in Canada, with the possible exception that a lot of houses seem to have some sort of small or large vineyard around them. The BC Okanagan valley certainly has a lot of vineyards but the surrounding countryside is much drier, not as green.

 

 

When we arrived in Lucerne, we took a cab to the hotel. A slow drive with so many tourists out and about. After we registered and moved all our luggage into our room, the first thing we needed was to get the safe reset. Whoever used it before had not unlocked it when they left. Regardless, the room is very nice – lots of space in the main room; however the bathroom is probably the smallest so far – and the first without a bidet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, we went for a short walk and quickly realized we hadn’t needed a taxi, as the hotel is just across the bridge from the train station ….. bummer.

 

 

 

 

Oh well …. live and learn!

The temperature is the coldest so far on the trip (9° C /45° F) ….. so we head back to the hotel for Gerda to warm up ….. besides I’m a little cold too. We try to contact family and friends on the cell phone,  but it takes a while before I realize the numbers are being routed by the GPS to our location in Switzerland …… so I finally figure out how to route them to Canada. It works! …. but I only get in touch with a few as they are out and about doing their Saturday routines (they are after all 8 hours behind us). The one loss in taking a long holiday is missing our little buddies. Missing their chatter, hugs and smooches! Harlow just finished her baton twirling class and they were enroute to Taylan’s football game. Good luck Tay!

Dinner time …. and we chose to try an “Alpes” restaurant ….. even though it serves similar meals to Italian,  Spanish,  French and Canadian restaurants. Gerda tried the fish dish, I tried the tagalini shrimp. We wait and chat and chat and wait ….. finally they bring it – but it’s for the couple beside us …… again a bummer! Shortly afterwards they bring ours.

After the meal we struck up a conversation with the young couple (Juan and Tanya) and found out they are from Mexico. Juan is a surgeon and Tanya a trader. They travelled from Barcelona to Nice then Milan and now Lucerne by car (a lot of the same places we have enjoyed) …. much more adventurous then we are this trip. After a pleasurable discussion on destinations, food and travel we wished them safe journey. It’s always great to connect with interesting travellers ……. there’s nothing better than sharing and perhaps understanding another’s traditions and culture a little closer.

 

Final activity, go for a walk to burn off some of the food we have been enjoying too much!

 

 

 

 

 

 

…………… and one footnote …………… for Carol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guess I have to start looking for a “Gerda” shop …… maybe one that says “Gouda” changing the ‘ou’ to ‘er’ ……. hmmmmmm – Gouda wouldn’t be pleased with that nor would Gerda.

 

 

Lucerne – Day 2

The first shower can change your impressions of a hotel …… this one is mixed ….. hearing Gerda giggling and then finding out it’s because she’s having trouble shaving her legs and that the temperature is flipping between hot and cold …… raises the expectations of potential disaster.

 

All okay ….. little problem with the shower, other than it is small.

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to do the lake cruise and mountain view tour ….. leaving from pier 2, take an hour to cross the length of the lake, disembarking at Alpnachstad and take the world’s steepest cogwheel railway (5.3km at 48°) to Pilatus Kulm. Unfortunately it clouded over and about 45 minutes later it started to snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went up to Operhaupt peak (6913 ft), came back to do the “Dragon Path” a neat tunnel around the mountain.

 

We decided it was getting slippery and too dangerous, so we came back to the Aerial cableway (Dragon Ride on the other side of the mountain) and rode down to the gondolas.

Even with it being completely overcast, the feeling was spectacular …… there were glimpses of the valleys below …… you had a sense of the height.

Some views from Pilatus peak:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the gondola got to the bottom, we walked to the stop for Lucerne bus #1. Once we boarded, it took 15 minutes to get into Lucerne central station. The bus was clean, quiet and environmental friendly …..  if it can be done here, why is it so hard to achieve at home?

It rained on the gondola all the way down the mountain, on walk to the bus stop, on the ride back to the station, walking back to the cafe, walking back to hotel …….  needless to say we were tired, cold, wet but exhilarated.

 

Gerda had a hot chocolate to warm her ….. we then rested in our room before having a meal in the hotel restaurant, the oldest in Lucerne (dating from the 1700’s).

 

 

Since it continued to rain, we skipped our usual late night walk-about and retired to our room ….. Gerda to sleep, Brian to blog ……

 

 

 

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I couldn’t end this without another footnote ……  as mentioned before you frequently find “love locks” fastened to anything that will allow the lock to fit …. no exception here ….. We found them on a window wire in the “Dragon Path” tunnel !

Many local authorities try to discourage love locks because they can become a safety issue, as in Paris, where so many were added to the ‘Pont des Arts’ bridge, it became unstable – with over one million locks adding 45 tons to the structure. They were all removed in 2015 to preserve the historical bridge and ensure the safety of pedestrians.

The conflict of romance and safety!

 

 

 

 

Lucerne – Day 3

Today is animal day …… well not really, it’s more about loyalty and bravery  ……  we decided to check the “Wounded Lion” monument of Lucerne to the Swiss guards who lost their lives trying to protect King Louis XVI in 1791. It turns out to be about half a kilometre from our hotel ……. it is simply stunning – a beautiful monument to the 760 soldiers who died. The monument was opened almost 200 years ago in 1821.

 

 

 

After visiting the monument, we created our own tour to walk along the river and crossing over to follow the old city fortress rampart ….. yes ….. walking on top! Half way around the rampart we came across an opening …… upon entering, we find it’s the entrance to the clock tower …. where there is a real, ancient working clock with a massive pendulum.

 

The rampart, tower and clock shows the resourcefulness and ingenuity of people during the middle ages. It’s a collective showing of the history and charm of the region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ironically, we had to walk up a hill through a pasture of Highland Cattle to get to the rampart. Gerda enjoyed meeting the cattle as much as the rampart. They are interesting looking animals but watch out for that fence as it will give you a shock!

Overall an interesting and worthwhile afternoon. Although it was tiring, all the up and down of stairs, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

 

 

To finish the evening and celebrate Brian’s British heritage we stopped in the “Pickwick” pub for a pint and some chips (fries). The beer was excellent and the grub better than I thought it would be.

 

 

 

 

 

We left and heard some music (sounded like horns) on the historic wooden bridge, so we went to see what was going on …. it was a group playing the traditional Alpenhorn. Nice to see cultures being reinforced  and handed down to the next generation.

 

 

 

 

 

As with the past couple of days, it started to rain again, so we retired to pack and prepare for the last leg of our trip ……. move onto Paris on Tuesday.

 

………….. more to follow ………

 

 

 

Verona – Day 1

We packed and are on the move again …… to the city of Romeo and Juliet …….

The train from Venice to Verona is only 1 hour and 10 minutes  (travelling 180 kmph). This time we arrive at the Venice station only 35 minutes prior to boarding. All the trains travelling west (ie Milan, Verona) are set for platform 12 or higher, so we park beside that entrance while Gerda does some “catch n release”.

Around 15 minutes prior to departure and the platform is announced as #3 …. okay, where is Gerda? 10 minutes to departure, she saunters up, having forgotten to “release”.  We scoot down to platform 3 and get safely nestled on board, in our seats. For the first half of the trip it rains very hard, finally tapering off so we arrive to cool but dry weather.

The train platforms are above the station so you go down 30 stairs, walk to the main corridor and out through the entrance. Taxi and bus service is accessed through a different entrance …. there was a line up of about 15 people and only two taxis. Needless to say we waited 15-20 minutes before we caught a cab.

Our hotel, Palazza Victoria is located in the historical centre of Verona. When we tell the driver where to go, he says “Number one”. It certainly wasn’t what I expected …. turns out it’s a 5 star hotel ….. old exterior but very modern interior. The irony is this is probably the cheapest hotel, price wise, we’ve been in so far. As with all European hotels, they make a copy of our passports, we sign-in and get our key to the room ….. third floor, but not much of a view. The room is the best we’ve had, quite lovely.

After securing everything, we go for a walk to have a coffee and a bite to eat. It is the coolest temperature since we started, so Gerda goes back to the room for a warmer jacket ……. while Brian has another cold beer. When she gets back, we go further into the old city …. she’s obviously on a mission! After 10 blocks, the crowds become huge, so she turns left and says “We’re here!” …… I’m thinking “more food?” …… but it turns out to be Juilette’s balcony (from the movie “Letters to Juilette”).

I’m surprised she found it so quick! … but boy is it crowded.

Everyone wants a picture of the wall of notes or the statue of Juilette ……. guys included. The movie seems to have commercialized the area ….. so it has lost some of it’s charm ….. a shame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next on tap, rest and plan Monday’s activities for a local wine tour …. lots of choices. Then off to dinner at a place we had seen earlier in the day, “Osteria Sgarzarie” (in Corte Sgarzarie, 14/A – 37121 Verona). Gerda ordered the mozzarella, tomato salad and the whitefish meal, while I ordered the prawn pesto meal. The salad was very good, normally I can’t eat cheese; however, no problems with this salad. When the fish came, we were fascinated to watch (I recorded it below) how it was done ….. quite the art! Gerda said the meal was absolutely delicious, as was my pasta pesto and prawn meal.

The servers were excellent ….. thanks to server Greta and the rest!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following is a video of serving the whitefish meal ….. an art to separate the meat from bones.

 

One final note for the first day in Verona, while we were out for dinner the hotel staff came in to our room, fixed the bed for the night and placed bottles of water on both side tables …… impressive!

Must be one of the reasons they are a five star hotel ……

 

Verona – Day 2

Next ….. prepping for a wine tour. There are about 8 tours available …. the most likely looks like the one called “Soave and Amarone Wineries” where we travel through both of the famous Soave and Valpolicella countrysides. Two wineries and multiple different unique wines within a 4 hour period.

We did snag seats on the 2:00pm tour by “Pagus” …… more to follow.

Now for a stroll to the Verona Arena (old Roman amphitheatre) to walk around the site.

According to the posted signage, this one was older and possibly the prototype for the Colosseum in Rome ….. it is used quite extensively for outdoor concerts. All the lower stone seats are now refitted with modern metal seats …… the area originally could accommodate around 30,000 people but only handles a maximum of half or 15,000 (which ever is smaller) people …… a good crowd at a Rider game except the playing field would be too small.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has always fascinated me how well the Romans build their structures. Their concrete has withstood the ages.

 

 

 

 

After that we had a quick bite so we would be ready for the 4 hour wine tour, which started at 2:00pm.

 

If you forget everthing else we say, at least remember the name Sofia Zanotti (tour guide) and Pagus Wine Tours ….. simply the best!

If you ever wanted to tour wineries … this is the person and the tour to take. We had a fabulous time …. not only did she talk with passion about wines (their evolution, texture, aroma and taste), but she also talked intimately about the local history and sites (sights?) of the region. Amazing knowledge, covering wine and history from many different points of view. Always entertaining, always approachable and quick to smile & laugh.

 

On this tour we were fortunate to have several lovely ladies as companions. They were from Norway, Brita Thuv and her daughters Anita Nygard and Linda Einarsrud. It was a pleasure to share experiences and many sample-glasses of very good wine.

……… Tessari Winery ………

To start the tour, we met by the statue across from Castelvecchio. After introductions, we climbed aboard the van and proceed to the first stop – Tessari Winery – with Sofia giving us background on the wines, the winery, the vineyards in between, the styles of grape growth, the town’s in between, the past rulers of the region, the reason for (insert your own question here) …… yes – that good!

 

When we got to the winery, we were greeted by Cornelia Tessari.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a tour of the winery, we proceeded to the tasting room. Love the decor ….. obviously setup for maximum enjoyment of the wine samples and to stimulate conversation.

We sampled 5 ….. or was it 6 white wines? …. regardless they were all very good. Gerda preferred the “Bine Longhe”, and I tended to agree with her. Although it doesn’t take much for her to get “tipsy”, she does know a good wine when she tastes it.

They even had a red dessert wine – which can be paired with many foods and …… ta da ….. biscotti …… yes they really do go well together.

And if anyone knows Brian, when he has had too much wine he has trouble enunciating, so saying biscotti was quite funny!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

………… Fasoli Gino ……….

After thank-you’s and good-bye’s we proceeded to the next winery – Fasoli Gino.  When we arrived we were greeted by Paolo Zivelonghi, who proceeded to pour us a sample glass before taking us on a quick tour of the winery. The impressive part was the huge oak barrels stored below ground to control the humidity and temperature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of the wine we tasted at Fasoli Vino, Gerda liked the Amorone the best.  Each one had it’s unique quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tour group including Sofia on the far left, Brian, Brita, Gerda, Anita & Linda.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Verona – Day 3

Today we decided to take a day off ……. except how do you take a day off when on vacation? So we didn’t; however we were delayed due to heavy rain, then we went to Castel S. Pietra for a view of the city.  Below are a few pictures from the Castel (castle):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For mid-afternoon, we went shopping, I kept guard outside while Gerda did her “catch and release” and re-catch ….. several times. We will have to buy another piece of luggage to bring back all her catch.

We also checked out the Arena night-performance for Tuesday ….. apparently it’s an Italian pop star named Elisa. Since we weren’t going, we decided to eat at an outdoor restaurants beside the Arena to see what the fuss was. The show started at 9:00pm with the first song ending in a loud bang – confetti shot into the inside and outside the Arena …… the crowd obviously loved her show, judging by the applause, you can hear it and see the confetti in the attached video:

 

 

 

That was the end of our “do nothing day” …. catch us on the other side of tomorrow.

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Wednesday, September 13 – Final wrap on Verona: Breakfast, a quick walk to S. Pierre bridge for one last look and a video of the area ……. attached below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful, charming place ….. if we get a chance we will be returning.

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A note about our bathroom shower …. it’s a good thing both of us are not portly, as the stall is rather small and crammed. When you turn you can quite easily hit the shower taps ….. so not the best, we just have to remember how to move in a way that keeps us from accidentally changing the water temperature.

Everything else is great!

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Venice – Day 1

As usual, this trip, we packed and then did a final circuit through the old city before heading to the train station.

Afterwards, the taxi went directly to the station so we saw how close it was to our hotel …. we probably could have walked it quite easily! …. though we would be sweating heavily, pulling our gear. Of course we got there too early …. we had a 70 minute wait. So Gerda did a tour of their underground shopping mall. Still in “catch and release” mode.

The high-speed train #9418 was 10 minutes late leaving for Venice. We boarded through a free-for-all – everyone entering and leaving at the same time. When we got to our seats, they were occupied so we had to ask the trespassers to vacate. The man did with no objection; however, the lady (?) was reluctant to move. She finally did get up but made no effort to help Gerda, leaving her bag in the way. Gerda was not impressed. Other than that, the trip was uneventful.

When we arrived in Venice, we had to decide the best transportation – there’s water bus, water taxi or walking. Because of all the canals and bridges, walking was the worst choice. The bus (vaporetto) looks like the best bet at 7.50€ per person vs 100€ for a taxi. Well, another interesting adventure with several bags and backpacks to manage – now we know the plight of sardines.

 

 

To understand the draw, the beauty of Venice, you must take a trip on the Grand Canal to see the relationship of the people, buildings, boats and water. An interesting symmetry that somehow works. Below are some pictures of the buildings and boats, lapping up the canals:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our stop on the “bus” route was at Giglio (#12) ….. if you bring extra-large luggage be prepared to have the sides scrapped. The unloading dock was okay but quickly turned into a narrow walkway to the church and hotel square! We made it, minus some paint ……..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our hotel, Bel Sito & Berlino, is at the far end of the square, across from the church.

 

We had another surprise, an upgrade, with windows over the piazza and church courtyard. Unusual, considering the International Film Festival is in Venice.

Guess we just lucked out, again.

 

 

 

Once we were settled, it was off to explore – first stop San Marco Mall. This time around it seemed so much easier to find our way.  Of course that still doesn’t help when it starts to pour and you’ve forgotten your umbrella.

 

So we stopped in a little, up-scale coffee and liquor cafe.  Surprise, they have a small three piece jazz band …. sort of …. you can listen below:

 

 

 

Word of warning, although we loved the place and had a great time talking to a couple from Montana, it was very expensive – almost 20€ per beer and 15€ per cappuccino, plus an expected tip!

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As a sidenote: Congratulations to Christa on her promotion to Director at CGI … well deserved!

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Venice – Day 2

This will be a day of relaxation. Breakfast at the hotel, because the cafe’s and restaurants are fairly expensive and we’re not very hungry having eaten so well for the past 9 days. Also I’ve decided I’m more interested in photography than museums – there’s just as much old outside as inside.

…… and then we see a free museum to music of Vivaldi.  Just fabulous! (It brings back memories of my years playing violin.) Regardless, here are a few pictures of the instrument displays:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving on through several piazza’s, we cross the Grand Canal on an old, wide, very high wooden bridge (Pont dell’Academia) …… and as you can see from the following images, we find several more clusters of “love-hives” …..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After wandering the other side, taking lots of pictures, we decided to stroke-off another one of Gerda’s bucket list items …. a visit to a beach on Lido island. First, we need to figure out the ticket dispensing machine …. for some reason it doesn’t accept Visa …. so try again, this time with cash ….. and finally it works, but too late for us to catch the 12:15 vaporetto.  We wait again. When it comes at 12:32, it is packed. Some people get off but twice as many get on?? ….. not sure how because it was so packed. All these people you see and you do not know anyone. But it is all so incredible!

 

We have to wait again – finally at 12:45 we squeeze aboard and brace ourselves for a rockn, rollin, ride – shoulder to shoulder with all nationalities. With us so tightly packed, I can’t take picture of the shore – Gerda graciously alloss me to use her glasses as a mirror.

 

Once we deboard, we make our way down the main street and find the public beach at the end. The sand is so fine and compact, it is very easy to walk and a perfect canvas for writing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provided with several hours of relaxation, some refreshments and some “catch and release” we make our way back to the “bus” and comfortably board, with more room available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later in the evening, after a good meal at Trattoria Al Leoncini (San Marco, 352-372) and charming conversation with server Giorgio who speaks 6 languages, we stroll back to the wooden bridge and take a few pictures of the full moon over the Venice – Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.

 

 

Inspiring ……..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venice – Day 3

Up early today – 8 am ’cause Gerda wanted to visit the fish market (truly a “catch” no release experience). Quick breakfast and then on the move ….. sort of, lots of people clogging the alley and main concourses. Sometimes you feel like shouting for them to stop gawking and get moving. It only takes two people to completely stop all foot traffic!

We made another quick stop on the San Marco Mall side of the Rialto Bridge. We wanted to look at some jewelry. It all looks fine and reasonable until you realize the exchange different between the euro and the dollar (1.4 to 1).

Off again and after a lot of jostling we make the Rialto Bridge … intact and still with our sense of humor! The market was something else to see, with all the fresh vegetables, fruit and other product including many different types of fresh caught seafood. Not something us folks from the Canadian prairies often see.

Gerda buys a few items and we move on looking for photo gold …..

 

After playing “lost & found” for several hours we finally make our way back to the Rialto Bridge, crossing down the centre. Lots of bobbing and weaving through the crowd as shown in the video below:

 

Time for a liquid refreshment …… then check-out the Basilica …. quite the impressive structure.

Again lots of photo gold – be it people, buildings, boats/water or combinations. With the constant change in conditions, the scenes will never be the same. The following, as with us, will all be different when we return in two years:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following video may be the closest we come to a gondola ride. We are running out of time in Venice ………

 

After we returned, it’s another quick meal, a rest and then back to San Marco Mall for a Vivaldi concert. The Virtuosi di Venezia played Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” in Ateneo San Basso at the Piazza San Marco. What a fabulous performance! The best I’ve heard in a long time. We both thoroughly enjoyed it ….. Gerda’s introduction to live classical Baroque. She was very impressed and pleased. Unfortunately, but understandably, we could not take pictures during the concert ….. so I took a picture of the stage and bought a CD …… a small reminder of a beautiful memory.

On the way back to the hotel, we decided to have a quick pizza. After rejecting several restaurants, we found one, Tavernetta San Maurizio (San Marco 2619), that had the culture and character we like, only to have the server tell us the pizza is only available at lunch ….. decision time ….. move on or have something else …… so, we ordered seafood spaghetti. Turns out to be a very good decision …… wonderful flavor and texture better than other places we’ve eaten in Venice.

 

On a final note, we ended up having a great conversation with a couple from England who were heading home on Monday …… unfortunately I forgot to write down their information, but they were charming and the conversation was stimulating.

 

After they left, we struck a second conversation with another couple from Ireland, near Dublin. Another interesting couple, Adrian and Nicole were celebrating their 6th wedding anniversary – congratulations and many more. Our talks ranged from work to places we’ve travelled.

We enjoyed the conversations and wished both couples well on their travels. Who knows, our paths may cross again on future journeys.

……… we wake to rain, so no gondola ride – a leisurly breakfast, try on our complimentary bathrobes & slippers (for a picture or two – don’t we look cool?) – change back to normal (whatever that is) …. and on to our next destination …..…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

……… more to follow from Verona ………

 

Beginings end before they start, when you worry, is it smart ….. go with flow, or gainst the tide, make a path we all can ride

Barcelona – Day 1

Well – one thing remains constant …… neither of us can get any meaningful sleep on a trans-Atlantic flight. I’m certain that it’s because of the time change, more so than the fact you can’t lay back, the cabin air is cold and dry, and there’s constant movement around you ….. hmmmm maybe I got that backwards.

We dropped down through the Pyrenees, circling a few kilometres over the Mediterranean before touching down at the Barcelona airport. 10 am local and it’s already 30 C, with humidity in the high 80’s – it will be an interesting day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike some countries, we quickly walked through the corral maze, stood in front of the entry official who scanned our passports and we were ushered into Spain – 5 minutes, no questions, quick and efficient! 15 minutes later we had our luggage and were in a cab on our way to our hotel on the ‘las Ramblas’ ….. Half an hour later and we had our room, but decided we wanted one with a balcony, facing the street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, one was available and it would be ready in 20 minutes ….. We moved in, checked out the balcony, took some pictures, had refreshments from their all-day buffet and then crashed in our room for 4 hours of “catch-up” sleep.  ….. note, the included buffet has both beer and wine on tap!

Afterwards we went for a stroll up and then down Las Ramblas.

 

 

 

 

First, to see the remnants of the Memorial to the victims of the terrorist attack from 2 weeks ago …. very touching and powerful (the police presences is extremely high, every where) …. and next we made our way through the crowds down to the harbour. Although it’s hot, the sea breeze is refreshing.

Then it was time to stroll (it’s hard to go any faster through the crowd) back to our Hotel before having dinner, outdoors, at the same time many locals eat …… 9:30pm. Then slowly back to the hotel for one more beverage before Gerda crashes and I blog.

 

 

 

The crowds are still strolling and it is already 1:30 am local time (5:30 pm at home …. yes, 8 hour time shift).  These Spaniards (and vacationers) do know how to relax.

 

It’s been a long day for us (36 hours) – so we are tired …. stay tuned for more later …..

Barcelona – Day 2

Briefly woke up at 7:00am local, but it’s too early for a vacation day, so we sleep until just after 9am …. a luxury considering for the past 6 months my day usually ends between 1 or 2:00 am and starts again at 6:30am. I could get use to these vacation hours!

A quick shower and then breakfast at the hotel buffet. An amazing selection of coffees ….. and !!! beer of tap!!! Never noticed that last night …… something to look forward to this evening.

After breakfast it’s off to explore the area, again.  Not far from the hotel there’s a site with ancient churches and the remnants of the perimeter wall for the old Roman city of Barcino (1st – 4th century).  They are well preserved – and very interesting to walk through. Unfortunately, they appear to be trying to raise funds for preservation through voluntary donations – a slow process, as most people want everything for free.

 

 

…… and then the rain begins again – fortunately Gerda bought an umbrella, unfortunately just big enough to cover our heads and part of our shoulders, so we get back to the hotel half wet – Gerda’s left side, my right half. I guess rwo halves makes a whole person – but a weird one.

As an interesting aside, the hotel is also old, witnessed by the fact the stairs are quite well worn.

 

…….. and then a quick lunch – you guessed it – from the hotel buffet, while it rains again.

 

 

 

After a short rest, (yes … more sleep – all that walking and dodging people is tiring) we head out to the right side this time and discover more narrow streets with interesting people and shops. One street has amazingly, over 30 cell phone shops (beside and across from each other) in a 3 block line. I can’t figure out how they can survive the competition in such a concentrated area. You can get great deals, but do they really all work?

 

We cross back over las Ramblas and head east (sort of) where we see more of the architecture and culture that we have fallen in love with. Up and down, back n fore and then we run across a hidden gem.  A little oasis beside one of the ancient perimeter walls. Several small cafe /restaurants / bistros sharing an open space where we sat, had beers, chips and the best pesto/goat cheese sandwich…. ever! What a treat. A quiet space, refreshment and a simple meal with a soul mate. That’s what we like about our discovery adventures – searching and sometimes finding the gems that make travel worthwhile. We may never find the place again, but for what it’s worth it was called “C & M” at the ‘R5’ site on the perimeter wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This same area had an over abundance of art galleries and shops.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped to listen to a ragtime band of three very talented and very entertaining musicians – banjo, piano and sax players. The banjo player also did lead vocals. He had a unique voice ….

Here’s a sample:

From there it was end-of-day and back to our room, so Brian can try the hotel on-tap beer. It was actually good. We sat on the balcony, sipped the beer and watched life flow bye.

On another note, while you do feel safe with all the police patrolling the area, you have to wonder – why the machine guns? They didn’t have them yesterday, so why today?

I guess better safe then sorry. A patrol vehicle drives by on either side of the street every 2 minutes.

Stay tuned for more …….. Day 3 is only (for us) a few hours away.

Barcelona – Day 3

Much earlier start to the day ….. awake at 8:00 am showered, fed and ready to go by 9:30. After a roundabout we decided to do the Hop-on-Hop-off tour bus to find the interesting points. Years ago I use to wonder why tourists would use the service, but ever since Rome 2015, I’ve come to see how invaluable it can be to scoping out the cities you are visiting. In this case there are two routes – we decide to do the green route first, as it covers the ‘Familia Sagrada’ one of the sites we will be touring. A couple of hours later and we have a pretty good idea of what interests us from that route. A confirmation that it is the old, architectural sites, steeped in history and customs that peak our curiosity.

Around 2:45 we catch a cab to the ‘Familia Sagrada’ for a 90 minute tour that takes over 2 hours. Our guide, Amiel ….. has inside knowledge of the build ….. you see, he is the architect who will be leading the restoration of the old sites of the build.

When viewed outside for the first time, one is struck by the petina on the facades. Some parts of the exterior are 140 years old, looking very dark and grungy (this was due to the coal fired electrical generation tarnishing the stone, until the mid 90’s). Amiel’s job will be to lead the team to cleaning all that old stone (see image below – dark and old on right)

 

 

 

The current structure will be 50% higher when the towers are complete by 2026, for a total height of 176m (- 400ft). Amiel indicated that the site has 4.5 million visitors per year, giving it the sustained revenue to accelerate the completion. You get a sense of the passion all people involved feel about the church, just from listening to Amiel.

 

After touring the exterior, interior and museum, we were treated to the ultimate – a view from the central towers at a height of 76 mPeters …. take a simple elevator ride to the tower cross-bridge entry point. What a view!

 

 

 

The hard part was coming down the narrow, dark circular staircase – no inside railing …… really watch your step, all 400 of them. The attached video only shows part of the danger, as the camera automatically adjusts the light, so it shows what we can’t see.

This is one tour we will remember for a long time!

The beauty of the Hop-on-Hop-off bus is you don’t have to take it to a particular spot to get back on. In this instance Familia Sagrada is one of the main stop points ……. we took a cab from our hotel to ensure we were at the tour site on time ….. after the tour we just got on the bus and enjoyed the sights for a second time getting back to the hotel around 8:30.

Time to freshen up and dodge pedestrians to find a restaurant. Off we went down las Ramblas, keeping our eyes peeled for a ‘good’ meal – well we found a whole courtyard of 14 restaurants to dine. We gave up trying to read and compare menus, finally choosing one that we could watch people stroll by. We ended up talking to two British ladies we sat beside. It was interesting to hear where they were from, and why they were in Barcelona. We’ve always found people are more then willing to open up when they are on vacation (or not on vacation). They tend to like talking about themselves, which is where we can sometimes find the “6 degrees of separation”.  That makes the conversation more interesting.

It took our meal a while to come, but it was good. The only thing that would stop me from going back would be the waiters disposition. They hardly smiled and appeared to want to be elsewhere. At least Gerda had a good time, what with the choice of beer and wine.

After a stroll around the cathedral and area, it was back to the hotel for a quick nightcap and zźzzzzzzzz

More to come, when I sober up …….

Barcelona – Day 4

Slow and lazy today ….. we’ve ticked off 90% of our Barcelona “bucket-list”  …… just a few more and anything else is gravy. A relaxing breakfast, stroll down new streets and back to the Hop-on-Hop-off bus for the other line.

 

 

This time we got off at “Fundacio Joan Miro” to go on the gondola to Castell de Montjuic.

 

 

We walked around the site, stopping at a small outdoor “cafe?” and had a refreshing beer (no Henry not Budweiser but a delicious Spanish beer …. Moritz)

 

 

 

We also now know exactly where our flight came in across the Mediterranean when we first landed. Quite the port on the south side! At least 3 cruise liners and multipe containers. There were also many ships just outside the port.

 

 

 

 

 

After wandering the stop for several hours, we jumped back on the bus to finish the tour. When we got back to the hotel, Gerda went shopping and I went blogging. We both got some exercise – Gerda in her wallet and I in my mind!

Late dinner … again – we’re getting used to it ….. so we prowl the streets searching for tapas. Ever  since San Sebastian in 2015, Gerda has been interested in tapas, looking to try some again. So far we haven’t found what we’ve been looking but have a few leads from our strolls over the past few days. Finally we found a place that looks promising. Gerda asked a waiter to explain, which he does quite cheerfully, so that’s an immediate plus. Lots of choices …. Gerda goes for the seafood and cheese while I go for ……. the same.

Excellent! Shared with a beer even better. There was even a tapas that must be a desert …. delicious!

We will be back because of the excellent service and great food. As an example, three locals were served a fish meal. It looked and smelled great …. Gerda asked the gentleman what it was, to which he replied white fish. The manager came over while the waitress was preparing to serve the meal. He showed her the best way to divide and serve it to the customers …… excellent service and great training by example.

Yes we will be back and for those interested, the restaurant is called Orio, located several blocks north of las Ramblas (corner with KFC on one side and Macdonald’s on the other) ….. go to Career de Ferran, 38, 08002, Barcelona.

 

 

Final task for the night …… finding little gifts for the kids. There certainly is no end of choices. If we can’t find them tonight, we have 21 more days.

 

Barcelona – Day 5

Sunday …. the day-of-rest starts slow, proceeds slow, plods along and then slows down. As the song says ….. “how do you do nothing? ….. think of something to do and then don’t do it!” Great philosophy …. I could get use to that.

When we finally decided to get up, the road across the street was blocked by a caravan of construction vehicles. It appeared they were putting up a crane in the middle of an old building. We went for breakfast and by the time we came back, the crane was almost completely installed. They do work fast here …. even on a Sunday.

Next, a walk to the beach by way of las Ramblas, so of course we stop for kid shopping before we get anywhere close to the sand. Gerda has a knack for finding the little items that are great for gifts. If you didn’t want a gift …. too bad, she’ll find you one anyway.

Some new stalls were setup in the middle of the boulevard and immediately attracted Gerda like a magnet. One of the first persons there.

I’m also showing this image to explain the optical illusion that is the las Ramblas …… if you look at the tile below Gerda’s feet they look like there are dips and raises in the boulevard – but it is all flat! It can be disconcerting because your mind believes you are walking through highs and lows (waves) in the ground.

It seems to be part of a theme started in Gaudi’s time … he used a lot of wave themes in his art and architecture, as if a connection to the sea. Think what you may of Gaudi, he was a genius.

We passed by the marina and debated which boat we would want ….. for a day … Gerda thought this one would be nice.  I thought not ……

Confused?

She choose big … I choose small. They’re both in the picture

 

 

The beach lesssand was hot and inviting, but the water with it’s churning waves was calming and cool …. so much so I forgot to take picture of those waves crashing in and roiling the sand …. that and the fact the last time we walked a beach Gerda (Birratiz, France 2015) was bowled over by a wave and I couldn’t let that happen now. Unlike last time it is much harder for her to walk in the sand, although she loves it none the less. Like many beaches in Europe, especially on the Mediterranean, clothes are optional – Barcelona is no exception. There were some women without tops, the occasional one without top or bottom (no one stared or made a fuss); however, unfortunately, there were many men without tops, who should consider going fully clothed the next time they hit the beach. They obviously haven’t looked in a mirror recently.

 

We head back, stopping outside a church, not far from the harbour ,  where some buskers were performing an acrobatic routine. They were good, obviously trusting each other to preform so well.we Gerda wondered why they weren’t on the beach in bathing suits.

 

From there we went to the Barcelona Cathedral to tour the inside. It is quite the architectural jewel, albeit stained with the ages. After admiring the paintings, sculptures and motifs we rode the elevator to the roof for a panoramic scene of the tower and surrounding Vista of Barcelona.  We’ll worth the 8 euros, plus we feel we are supporting the upkeep and restoration of this historic church. Fortunately, Gerda had bought shawl because we needed to be “modest” (shoulders and knees covered) to enter – they are pretty strict, turning away more than half of those wanting to enter.

 

We usually don’t take nor post selfishy’s, but this one is special, taken on top of the Barcelona Cathedral.

 

 

 

 

 

After the 10 km walk we are back to the hotel for a refreshment before going to dinner (Gerda just wanted an excuse to watch la Vuelta — she’s really into professional cycling).

Afterwards more shopping for the kids …… Gerda has this thing for getting as many gifts as early in the trip as possible, in case the other cities run out before we get there – which usually means we have to buy a new suitcase for all the gifts …. our original ones won’t carry them all by the end of our tour!

A walk through the squares to see if any good entertainment is playing …. no – so onto the final food event at Orio. We decided Saturday to try the whitefish for our last meal of Sunday in Barcelona.

Of course while we wait, the servers keep bring fabulous looking and better yet fabulous smelling tapas …. hard to resist.

Finally …..  the whitefish (hake) arrives, covered by mussels in the shell, all smothering a bed of scalloped potatoes. We had eaten half before I had realized I hadn’t taken a picture …….  regardless it is well worth the experience – by far the best meal in Barcelona todate. Any way a picture wouldn’t do it justice – trust me, if you like fish, this meal is fabulous. Possibly the only negative is I we couldn’t make the experience last longer!

One last quick stroll, back to our room for a nightcap (actually to finish the wine our kids had sent) and one last ‘people-watch’ of las Ramblas from our balcony. ……. and a surprising, touching serenad from a band singing for the crowds at the memorial. They led the crowd in sing “Imagine” and “Give Piece a Chance” …….. a touching tribute to those who died and a great reminder why we did not cancel our visit to this beautiful city!

A great thank-you to the staff of Hotel Continental Barcelona …… very helpful, friendly and …. well, like family.

Unfortunately, time to continue our journey ….. next stop Florence, Italy.