Sailing, sailing,

Not So Sunny Savannah

2012-01-24T10:52:00.124-05:00

The intimate dining room at Cafe 37

The larger and boisterous B. Matthews

ELE is huge but divided up into smaller rooms

Fantastic ice cream - can't believe I had them put their hot
fudge sauce on top!

Historic Clary's Diner on a unusually quiet morning

The weather report promised partly cloudy and highs of 70 degrees, but it lied. Instead we had a high of 60, thunder storms, showers and fog. Nevertheless we love Savannah and this weekend was no exception. Something kind of magical often happens to us there and this time it was the benefit concert for the Coastal Jazz Association (www.Coastal-Jazz.com) on Sunday, Jan. 22. The band consisted of the legendary Ben Tucker on bass, Quentin Baxter on drums, Teddy Adams on trombone and Kevin Bales on piano. Claire Fraizer and Val Davis chimed in with vocals. The big ballroom at the Westin Hotel was full and I'm sure we were one of the few tourists. The music was fantastic and at the break we met two charming Savannah residents, Joan Simmons and Patricia Stewart, that we had admired in the crowd. Patricia is a realtor with Southeby's and would be the person to go to if looking for a home in the area.

One of the delights of walking around
Savannah is the signs explaining the
history - in this case the construction
of tabby.

The Juliette Low tugboat chugs by the waterfront. The founder of the Girl
Scouts was born and spent much of her life in Savannah/

One of the many beautiful squares in Savannah, even on
a cloudy day.

As usual we ate very well. On Saturday night we came out of the rain to enjoy the small candle lit Cafe 37 (205 E 37th St. 912-236-8533). The chef was trained in France and the food is great. The wonderful crusty hot loaf of bread that started the meal made a promise which the Cassoulet and the Seared Scallops kept. Our salads had poached pears stuffed with rochefort cheese on them. Yum.
At our waitress's suggestion we had brunch the next morning at B. Matthews Eatery (325 E Bay St. 912-233-1319). The place was full so we sat at the bar. Unfortunately we weren't aware that alcohol isn't served until 12:30PM on Sunday and arrived too early. We were sorry as they had some great sounding special drinks. My Crab Cake Benedict and Scott's Smoked Salmon B.L.T. were very good and the ample fresh fruit served with it were perfectly ripe. That settled us until a late dinner after the Jazz Concert at ELE (7815 Highway 80E 912-898-2221), an Asian Fusion restaurant about 15 minutes out of the city. It's an unusual interior, very elegant and split into separate dining rooms, each with about 8 tables. There weren't many people eating and maybe because of that the service was attentive. The Tasting Appetizer for Two was the standout. Each of the four items were well seasoned and perfectly cooked. It would be a nice main course for one. Scott's Soft Shell Crabs were great, very crispy, but my Stuffed Haddock was rather bland. Still, it was a very nice evening. It's hard for me to believe that after all that we still stopped at Leopold's Ice Cream for dessert. There is a diet in our future!
The next morning we walked down to Clary's for breakfast. As it was early on a Monday morning it wasn't crowded - weekend mornings it often has a line. Our first trip to Savannah we stumbled into this place and immediately recognized it from "The Garden of Good and Evil" book and movie. It's where the John Cusack character has breakfast and meets the man with the flies tied to his head. It hasn't changed. The staff is very welcoming and the food is good. It still feels like the local diner every town has (or should have).
It sounds like we ate the whole weekend from this narrative. We walked as much as we ate, hopefully more. The interlacing trees overhead with Spanish moss dripping get me every time. There were flowers everywhere, even in January. Lots of pansies of course, but azaleas, Rose of Sharons, and lots of others I didn't recognize. Savannah is a city of parks, mostly squares, 22 of them at present. The architecture stars along with the greenery. We love both the historic district and the Victorian district equally. The grand building are of course awe inspiring but the smaller ones can be equally charming.
Shopping is a passion it seems in Savannah. There are huge numbers of eccentric arty shops throughout the city. Some of this must stem from the presence of the Savannah College of Art and Design which has more than 10,000 students in their four locations, most in Savannah. Their gift shop and gallery is an excellent place to pick up a present for someone. There are several theaters in town as well. We could have seen "Grease" or attended the Cary Grant Birthday Tribute. Well, we have to save something for next time. It's back to the boat for us.

General Lafayette waved to his admirers
from this balconey. We admired the solid
cast iron supports

This sign tells part of the amazing story of the co-founder
of Savannah, Tomochichi, a Mico of the Yamacraw tribe
who lived into his nineties and visited England.

Another lovely square with one of the many fountains
throughout the city

You can get a custom spice mix concocted for you at the
Spice and Tea Exchange

The Paris Market not only has a fascinating collection
of just about everything for sale, it also has a small
cafe where you can sip an expresso.

And on the other end of the scale, you can get anything
fixed at Bradley's, except a broken heart.

Just one beautiful garden after another.

Handsome wrought iron gates, this with a
beautiful emblem, and balconies grace
many of the homes.

Early morning in the fog with the gas lamps still on

Another lovely wrought iron gate, this one
with sunflowers

I can't get enough of the lush greenery and flowers in January!

2012-01-23T21:56:00.000-05:00

It was an exciting trip down to Florida. Naturally we left during the snow storm. At first we couldn't believe that the tiny Cape Air plane in Rutland, VT was going to depart. It was howling and snowing. But a burly man came in and grabbed everyone's hand luggage (all 10 passenger's at once - he was that big, not fat) and took them out. He distributed them in the wings. Then he placed us in seats according to weight. Scott was the co-pilot and the same man got in - he was the pilot. A woman mechanic was trying to de-ice the plane but the small generator kept going off. So the pilot got out, ran the generator and then finally de-iced the plane himself. I wasn't sure I wanted the plane to leave. It was so tight inside that I had to sit sideways in the seat with legs in the tiny corridor mixed with the fellow across from me. Once up in the air after a very bumpy ascent the rest of the trip was easy. Naturally there were delays in Boston and a stop over in NYC, but we did arrive that same day in Jacksonville.

The view from the cockpit while on the hard

Karen on Mustang II - she and Jim were
very helpful to us while at Green Cove
Springs

Scott Free in the water at Green Cove Springs. This is one
of the huge docks remaining from the days when this was
a big Naval facility

We arrived on Thursday and planned to put her in the water the following Thursday. Meanwhile, thank God, we're stayed in a hotel for five nights. We had leaking in our stateroom and mold. It's a mess. I've replaced the mattresses and the dry cleaners saved the upholstery and curtains. Scott's replacing the throttles and steering cables. Lots of cleaning and bottom painting was accomplished.
Amazingly the boat went into the water on time. But then the usual disaster struck. The engine wouldn't start. A recommended mechanic, Bob, arrived quickly and was a great help. The heat exchanger has been removed and is being repaired. Then Bob and Scott will reinstall it along with many new hoses. Estimated time is a week. So we're in Green Cove Springs for another week.
As we have several days while the heat exchanger is being repaired we're spending two nights in Savannah, Georgia having fun. More in another entry.

Celebrating the New Year with Aussie Cruising Buddies

2012-01-11T10:25:00.001-05:00

A dusting of snow was appreciated by our Australian friends

Celebrating the New Year in Vermont with Julie, Heather, James, Scott and Sean (Peter's taking the photo)

We did some hiking around our town of Shrewsbury

Our townhouse time share condo at the Bethel Inn.

Dinner in the Bethel Inn Tavern - two for one
entree special on Tuesday evenings

Julie and Peter at Sunday River Ski Area

The Town Green outside the Bethel Inn was lit up as were
many of the houses around it.

Rather dark shot of the entrance to the historic Bethel Inn

The formal dining room is also lit up beautifully

We had dinner there our last night

Bob and his new Sheltie "Ruff" lead the way on our walk
to the Albany Covered Bridge near the Kangamagus
Highway in N.H.

Ruff, Bob, and Scott take a break along the river.

Peter and Julie Gowan, our buddy boat cruising friends from our trip around the Bahamas last spring came for a visit. They are New Zealanders now living in Australia and spend half the year on their boat "Anything Goes" in Florida. They took AMTRAK from Toronto, where they spent Christmas with their son Kristian, to Albany, NY. James and I picked them up there on 12/27. It's about a two hour drive away.
Our sons James and Sean stayed with us through New Year's and then they drove back to Washington DC while Peter, Julie and ourselves went on to spend a week at our time share at the Bethel Inn near Sunday River. We bought week 52 there many years ago and when, every few years, we get an extra week to even things up, we use it ourselves. Otherwise we rent it out for the holiday week. We don't recommend buying a time share in general but it has worked out all right for us.
Sunday River didn't have much natural snow but we enjoyed one day of skiing and the rest of the time, used the great health club and outdoor heated pool at the Bethel Inn. It's a lovely area and we enjoyed just spending time with Julie and Peter.
On the way home we stopped to visit Bob DeFeyter in Conway and had a great hike along the river and a fun evening with him and his new dog, Ruff.

Christmas in Vermont

2012-01-01T12:07:00.000-05:00

James and Sean drove up from Washington on Friday the 23rd and stayed until New Year's day - ten wonderful days.

Our Bridge Group Christmas dinner was at our house on
the 20th of December;here are Barry, Paul, Dan and Ginny

We each brought a present and had a "Yankee Swap"
here; Chryl, Rhonda, Gerry, Jan and Linda

Barb, Doris, George, Dick, Donna and Barry

Some of the presents were very amusing. Al tries on some
"cool" sunglasses.

Joan tries on several of the great bridge
related gifts

Josh and Michal had a new daughter on December 20.

And she's a beauty!!!

Christmas morning before the rush for the presents

Sean tries on his new soccer shirt from Italy

And James his new sweater

Sean and James cook up a storm for Christmas dinner.

Leslie, Rob, Sean, James, Scott, Colin, Gail and Harvey pose with Sean's curried pumpkin soup starter.

California Bound

2011-12-22T16:27:00.091-05:00

Half Dome View House, our rental home in Foresta at
Yosemite National Park for the third year

Inside the living room where Nick and Tommy have set
up a battle site on a tropical island

As usual we flew out to California to visit our daughter Zoe, husband George and grandsons Nick and Tommy for a week. They live in a beautiful new home they built in Palo Alto, finished just a year ago. We rent a house up in the mountains for a long weekend and have some fun in the snow. Last year Nick learned to ski, so we were all really disappointed that there was no snow this year at Badger Pass. Next year we've promised to come later in the month!
We still had fun hiking and exploring in Yosemite. For the third year we've rented Half Dome View House in Foresta, right inside the park. It's a great house and lovely location. (http://lodging4vacations.com/yosemite-rentals/halfdome.html)

We hiked up to Yosemite Falls and saw a number of
deer foraging in the woods

Tommy enjoyed being a deer for awhile too.

Zoe winds up with a snowball

Unfortunately there was no snow in the valley and Badger
Pass had not opened for the season but we found some
great snow higher up in Tuolumne Meadows

Nick makes a perfect snow angel.

We walked further along the road beyond Foresta and
found a great stream with sections of ice.

And Tommy found some gigantic pine cones

The beautiful and elegant dining room at the Ahwahnee
Hotel where we had a terrific brunch.

Nick and Tommy pose before the Christmas Tree at the
Ahwahnee Hotel

Piling cushions from the couches was a fun pastime.

Tommy reads to George at bed time now!

But Zoe and George still read lots to both of them too.

Thanksgiving Festivities

2011-12-21T16:32:00.001-05:00

We stayed in Boston for several days after flying back from London visiting our oldest son Josh and his family. As we had left our car back in Vermont, Russ Wolf volunteered to drive us back and spend a day helping Scott with the solar array. He needed to finish up the electrical connections through to the public grid. Now we can monitor our energy production on line anytime.
We had Thanksgiving dinner at Harvey and Gail Smith's in Middlebury earlier in the day and then Josh and the family came up that evening and spent the weekend. So we had another holiday dinner on Friday at our house. I turned out a lot of pies this year! Scott went with everyone to Okemo to ski while I baked. There were only a few trails open but they still had fun. Daniel and Arielle managed a "expert" trail!

Daniel is learning to play bridge. Here he and Scott practice
on the computer at Josh's home in Newton.

Arielle (Cookie) and Michal

Jonathan is anxious to join our game playing
activities

Maya and Grandpa snuggle

Just one more game before school

Russ drove us back to Vermont and helped Scott finish
up wiring the Solar Array into the Network

We were quickly welcomed with some snow.

About four inches as you can see from the railings.

Josh, Jonathan, Daniel, Arielle and Maya get dressed for a day on the slopes. This was Maya's first year.

Our "bandit" grandson plays bridge. Daniel turned 9 in
December.

We all love playing games. Josh has copied our model of "no television" while the kids are growing up. I mean neither of us have/had television at all. We do love to watch a movie however.
Besides bridge, which only Daniel has picked up so far, our favorites right now are Carcassonne, Harry Potter Clue, Scrabble and Sorry.

London and All That Jazz - Part Two

2011-12-20T08:46:00.001-05:00

Scott, Tony and Hilary at St. Katherine Docks

Both old and new boats line this historic
Marina

From left to right Sue, Tony, Scott, Heather , Hilary and Tony
on board "Angel Louise"

Hilary poses alongside the Tower Bridge on the Thames

On Saturday evening we had tickets for La Sonnambula at the Royal Opera House and dinner in their fabulous restaurant. We got as gussied up as our suitcase wardrobe allowed and stopped off on the way at "Angel Louise" to visit Ed and Sue at their berth in St. Katherine Docks. They are spending the winter at this downtown marina right near the Tower of London. Their 2011 cruise has certainly been a study in contrasts; the Florida Keys, Bermuda, the Azores, weeks on the Atlantic and now in the center of a great city.

The amazing restaurant at the Opera House. Check out the "suspended bar" at the top left. It's an optical illusion. The
rear wall is a mirror.

The Opera was terrific, especially the performance by soprano Eglise Gutierrez. The glitzy set, an Art Deco sanitarium set high in the Alps, was fun although logic as usual was missing from the plot. The wonderfully musical score by Bellini was the real hit. Or perhaps I should admit it was the dinner in the fabulous restaurant. My photos here do not do it credit. We ate up in the Balconies overlooking the restored hall, formerly a flower market. The food, ordered months in advance, was wonderful as was the service, but the setting was magical. It was a very special evening.
Sunday was really our last day as we flew home early Monday morning. We decided to stay close by and visit the Maritime Museum in Greenwich. We really loved our by now familiar walk through Blackheath and Greenwich Park and this time continued down past the Royal Observatory to the Thames. This is a huge museum packed with fascinating exhibits and unfortunately we didn't have enough time to do it justice. We'll hopefully return another day.
Tony and Hilary picked us up after lunch at the museums' pleasant cafe and we drove into the Barbicon complex. We went to the matinee performance of "Louis the Movie", Director Dan Pritzker's new silent film, with a score composed by Wynton Marsalis. It was part of the London Jazz Festival and featured Cecile Acherie on the piano and a terrific New Orleans jazz ensemble. It was a fun homage to Louis Armstrong and silent films. A nice surprise was finding the young talented star in the audience afterwards. He received a large ovation.
On our last night we had a wonderful and elegant dinner at home with our hosts. It was a perfect cap to an amazing week in London and a wonderful two months in Europe. Although we were looking forward to returning home, this trip did not tire us out. We could have kept going. We believe it was due to staying in one place often during the trip. We had two weeks on the boat, and one week stays at houses in Provence, Pisa, Naples and London. Most of the time we ate at home for at least two meals a day. Staying at hotels and eating out is really wonderful but it would be tiring for months at a time. This was really the perfect combination. And last it was spending time with our great friends; Walt & Honoree, John & Brenda and Tony & Hilary. Thank you so much!

This was the balcony where we had
the most amazing dinner before the Opera
and then dessert during the intermission.

Greenwich Park leading down to the Thames

The Planetarium at the Royal Observatory

The view down to the Maritime Museum from the heights
at the Observatory

A close up of the Maritime Museum and the Queen's House,
which was under renovation.

We've been in a Force 8 storm over three days at anchor
in Curacao with Hurricane Omar.

A variety of ships are displayed in the open courtyard of
the Maritime Museum. This is a royal barge.

The fabulous view looking down the central courtyard
from the Thames

The table set for our farewell dinner at Tony
and Hilary's home in Blackheath

London and all that Jazz - Part One

2011-12-16T07:52:00.001-05:00

From left to right on Angel Louise, Ed, Sue, Tony, Scott, Heather and Hilary

The Chunnel, the fast train from Paris to London is a delight, although as expensive as flying. It took just over two hours, as we left the train at the earlier stop right after leaving the tunnel in England. Our friends Tony and Hilary were waiting for us there. Our decision to spend our last week in London was made to visit them. We met them in Curacao and have spent many wonderful times with them on their boat "Miss Charlotte". They have since sold her and split their time now between homes in London and Tuscany.

Tony, Hilary, Scott and I all dressed up for the Opera

This jaunty ship was bottled up in Trafalgar Square

It was an amazing week. They are the best hosts imaginable and had a schedule of theaters and restaurants all set up in advance. Our first evening was fun and hectic. We drove to their home in Blackheath, one of the famous "Span" houses, dropped off our luggage and took the train into London. They headed off for their Italian lessons and we to meet up with other cruising friends, Ed and Sue on "Angel Louise".
Ed and Sue sailed across the Atlantic this summer stopping in Bermuda, the Azores and the Channel Islands before cruising the south coast of England to London. "Angel Louise" is tied up at St. Katherine Docks on the Thames. We were part of the honorary crew team that followed their adventures on the high seas.

A Van Gogh painting being recreated in front of the National
Gallery in plants.

We met them at the Cruising Association House for a slide presentation on cruising through the European canals and rivers from England to Istanbul and back. It was very interesting. Then the four of us joined up with Tony and Hilary for dinner at the Prospect of Whitby, a historic pub near the waterfront (57 Wapping Way, London E1W 354, 020 74811095). The current building dates from the 19th C but a tavern stood here from around 1520, formerly called the Devil's Tavern. Luckily we arrived just before the kitchen closed. The food was typical pub food cooked better than most. My "bangers and mash" were good as was Scott's "fish and chips".
Months in advance we booked tickets for the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit at the National Gallery for the next morning. The opening had just been days before and was such a big event it was broadcast live to theaters around the country. He was not a prolific painter so most people have only seen one or two of his works. This was a historic opportunity to view most of them together, along with those of many of his students and contemporaries. His two Madonna of the Rocks were displayed opposite from each other - a rare opportunity to compare them. I found the Lady with the Ermine especially beautiful.
Afterwards we had lunch at the new cafe in the crypt of the St. Martin of the Fields church nearby. Fantastic. Whoever thought of this has struck gold. It was packed. It was cafeteria style but good interesting food at a somewhat reasonable price (it is the pound).
A walk through Covent Garden helped our digestion. Huge colorful Christmas decorations and street entertainers vied for our attention (and I thought we in the U.S. started the Christmas theme early) there. The outdoor markets and restaurants here don't close down in the winter.

We met Tony and Hilary again at the theater for a matinee performance of the Pittman Painters. This hit show portrays a group of actual miners that began art lessons in 1934, the Ashington Group. The Workers Educations Association (WEA) had had been running classes for the miners since 1927 (the first one was on Evolution). Robert Lyon, artist and teacher was their instructor and after realizing they had basically never seen any art, suggested they paint themselves to develop appreciation for art. It was a huge success with these miners and later with critics and the public. They exhibited their work many times and continued to paint as a group until 1983 when their meeting hut was finally demolished. The play was written by Lee Hall after the book by William Feaver, writer of Billy Elliot, and was wonderful.

The theme and original painting

Trafalgar Square in front of the National Gallery

The Crypt restaurant at St. Martin in the Fields
Those are "head"stones in the floor.

Giant Christmas bulbs hang in Covent Garden

After the play we walked over to the London Eye along the Thames. Tony had got us tickets to this giant ferris wheel that looms over the city. Built for the Millennium it didn't actually open until March, 2000, but it is now enormously popular with tourists and residents. And we understand why - the views from the cars are amazing. I loved the glowing blue structure of the wheel itself. We ascended at twilight.

Typical English pubs with floral decorations

The superstructure of the London Eye with the Thames in
the background

Our neighbor pod reaches the top looking like a space ship

A few of the desserts at Ottolenghi restaurant

The handsome 20 foot high Octagonal Room at the peak
of Flamsteed House

We capped off the evening with dinner at a nearby Wagamamas, an interesting restaurant with long tables and excellent asian food. This is a chain of 105 restaurants all across Europe and the U.S. The first three of them in the U.S. opened in Boston in 2007 but until this time we'd never run into one.
It was a relaxing day following; laundry, bridge and a lovely walk down to Greenwich Park. That evening was dinner at Ottolenghi, a really delicious tapas style restaurant from Israeli born Chef Yotan Ottolenghi (1968). We went to their main location at 287 Upper St. Islington, London N1 2T2 (020 7288 1454). Our little plates of food were wonderful and left us enough room for the really gorgeous desserts piled up by the front door.
Then it was off to the Sadler Wells Theater for the Taiwan contemporary dance troup, Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan. The absolute control these dancers have over their bodies is amazing. The minimalist sets, lighting and costumes focused on the designs and patterns the dancers create. Somehow we got to talking to the couple seated in front of us and enjoyed a lot in commen. They lived nearby and invited us over afterwards to see their stunning penthouse apartment - very contemporary, two levels each with it's own terrace/roof garden. Another memorable evening altogether.

Harrison's H1

Our brief walk had left us with a desire to see much more of Blackheath and Greenwich. The next morning we went to the Royal Observatory museum, mainly to see the series of time pieces created by John Harrison. He made his first proposal for a marine chronometer in 1730 and finally received his last payment for achievement in 1773. He built five clocks during that time. The first four are in the Museum. The fifth was copy of H4 that King George tested himself and upon finding it accurate, demanded that Harrison receive the final payments due him. The payment was 20,000 pounds offered to anyone who could solve the problem of Longitude measurement.
Many ships and thousands of men had died due to errors in navigation due to inability to properly map where they were. Hipparchus in the 2nd C BC had already proved that accurate time knowledge could determine longitude but no one had every been able to build an accurate clock that could function at sea. Latitude had been resolved some time previously. You just needed to measure the altitude of the sun at noon with the aid of a table giving the sun's declination for the day. All we can say is, "Thank God for GPS". This is a fascinating subject and we had enjoyed the four part movie called "Longitude" with Jeremy Irons and Michael Gambon last spring.
The Royal Observatory itself was founded by Charles II in 1675 and was the home of the Astronomer Royals. It is the location of the Prime Meridian and a "time ball" at the top drops daily at 1 PM to mark the exact time. This was once a time check for ships in the River heading out to sea. Outside there is a beautiful view down to the Maritime Museum and the Thames. We decided to come back for that the next day.

H4 - a giant pocket watch.

Astride the Prime Meridian at Greenwich

Several soccer games at a time on Blackheath

Brief Stops in Chamonix, Annecy, and Beaune, France

2011-12-06T16:07:00.000-05:00

Although the sky was still overcast we could see many of
the mountains. This taken in front of our hotel in Praz
Chamonix

The view from our window looking the other way
from above.

On the other side of the Mount Blanc tunnel although it was still heavily overcast, the mountains were occasionally visible. We found our hotel easily with our indispensable GPS and settled in. Our room was on the fourth floor and had a small balcony and view of the mountains. There was WIFI in the attractive bar so I settled in down there to send out a blog entry (of course I was way behind then as now) with a glass of wine. Not long after an American couple stopped by my table and inquired about rooms. They thought I was the proprietor! That was settled quickly and I was happy to recommend the place.
We really wanted some raclette or fondue that night and hostess was glad to suggest the La Caleche in Chamonix. It was a fantastic meal.
Scott had visited Annecy years ago on business and loved it. So we decided to spend part of the next day there. It was still cloudy but nothing could dim the charm of this town. Parks and avenues face the beautiful lake with views of the peaks. Two canals leave the lake and wind through the town. These are spanned with tiny bridge and lined with lovely homes and shops.

The next morning.

Annecy stretches out along this beautiful lake with parks
and boulevards.

We had hot mulled wine at a small shop and watched the residents going about their day. There were many students as well. A picnic lunch on a bench overlooking the lake and the canal topped off the day. Delightful.

The Thiou Canal runs through Annecy

The Palais d'Isle built in 1132 was first the home of the Lord
of Annecy and later a jail.

We loved watching the swans.

We're walking now along the Canal with the castle on the
left.

Many of the houses on the Canal have
entrances for access by boats and as you
can see are not always true vertical.

The main square and Rue St. Claire.

Daffy Duck? in France

The Chateau d'Annecy towers over the city. Built between
the 12th and 16th Century it now houses a museum.

Still in Annecy, another quiet canal lined with small boats.

A moat still surrounds Beaune on some sides
of the city

Cathedral of Notre-Dame, the last great Romanesque church
in Burgandy, built in the 12th C

Gothic additions and this wonderful porch were added in
the 13th Century after a devastating fire.

The Museum of Wine contained a large number of these
enormous wine presses.

We arrived in Beaune rather late. Our hotel the Hostellerie De Bretonniere was just a block from the old city gates so we left right away to see a little of the city before it got dark. As in most old cities the streets wander around apparently aimlessly so we got lost. The one place we wanted to see was the Hotel Dieu, a fantastic architectural oddity but although we could see the spire at times, we never made it there. Oh well, another time.
We did stop in the Wine Museum which was interesting although only the outdoor exhibits were open. Then we followed signs to a Wine Cellar and had a delightful visit with the young manager. We bought a bottle to have in our rooms and he surprised us by opening it. We had a tasting - it was good. Then he gave us a full bottle. Rather a lot of service for one bottle. We were sorry we couldn't buy more but we were turning the car in the next morning.
On the way back we saw El Manana, a small Moroccan restaurant, not yet open, with the proprietor adjusting the outside tables. We had a quick chat and decided to return for dinner. It was a memorable meal not only for the food, but we enjoyed a nice talk with her daughter, Lydia. Details of our hotels and some of the restaurants we ate at are in the "Gory Details" posts.

Small pocket parks and squares dot the old city.

We just missed an opportunity to attend an art opening
here.

The Gory Details - Italy, and a few nights back in France

2011-12-05T11:47:00.001-05:00

Scott in the center of the terrace at Matama Braceria in
Imperia just over the border from France.

Our last night at Camp Darby near Pisa we ate again at
La Squalo in Terrenia.

Marina Piccolo restaurant in Manarolo, Cinque Terre is right
on the cliff edge overlooking the harbor. At night they have
heat lamps overhead so you can eat outside if you wish.

On our drive from Arles to Pisa we stopped in Imperia, parked in the underground parking garage and walked down to the water. There we ate at Matama Braceria next to the big yachts tied up at the dock. The food was good although pricey but it was a lovely spot in the sun.
As I discussed earlier we rented cabins on U.S. bases in Pisa and Naples. This is only possible if you are active or retired military personnel. It was $60 per night - a great deal, and we were able to eat some of our meals there.
We ate 2 memorable dinners out in Terrenia outside of Pisa at La Squalo, Via delle Rose 56128 (+3905037305). Very good food and service for reasonable prices.
In between Pisa and Naples we spent 2 nights in Manarolo, in the Cinque Terra at the Da Baranin, Via Rollandi 29, 19010. They have bed and breakfast rooms as well as apartments for rent. We had 2 studios, one above the other with well equipped kitchens and nice baths. There were views of the sea from the windows. We paid $115 per night each. It was easy to get to the hotel if you were driving but a long walk up from the railroad station. We had a lunch and a dinner at Marina Piccolo on the waterfront and it was excellent. Get the vegetable "tortas" for an appetizer, 3 different kinds, all excellent. The seafood pastas and risotto were terrific. We loved the Cinque Terre wine too.
On the way from Manarolo to Naples we stopped in Orvieto and bought their excellent white wine. We wished we bought more. We had a very nice lunch at Cucina Tipica Ristorante, inexpensive and very tasty.

Cucina Tipica retaurant in Orvieto where we had a delicious
lunch. Mine was braised pork over polenta.

In Naples we had very good pizza at Lombardi a Santa Chiara retaurant, Via Benedetto Croce 59 (5520780). It's been there for a long time and was packed at lunch. We ate upstairs in the attractive small rooms. The star here is the pizza - try the eight taste, each piece a different flavor. It's just off the Piazza Gesu Nuovo and the Cloister of the Clarisse next to the Santa Chiara Church.

After a couple of tickets we usually opted for
a garage. But you have to remember to pay
at the machine before you try to exit.

We almost stopped at this lovely spot in Positano but it was
early so we continued down to the beach.

Chez Black on the beach at Positano

If you have gelato at this place on the square in
Amalfi it comes with a little cap of waffle cone.

In Capri we ate at Le Grottelle very near the Natural Arch. The view was spectacular and the food generally good but expensive. Chez Black Restaurant right on the beach in Positano was better although equally expensive. Try the "salad bar" - all the lovely appetizer vegetables (you can have the fish too for an additional price) you can pile on a plate for one price (the plate is small but I managed to get a lot on it). Fantastic!
In Rome we had a truly memorable meal at Da Nino Ristorante, Via Merulana, 74 (74,0670453458). The food was delicious and simple, using great ingredients. This was our third visit, once over 20 years ago and it's always great. This is a small place with no tourists but they're happy to work with whatever Italian you can muster.
We stayed at Albergo Morandi in Reggio Emilia, Via Emilia S. Pietro, 64 and were very happy with our comfortable room and the friendly helpful proprietors, mother and son. She recommended Ristorante Canossa, Via Roma 37 (0522/454196) for dinner and we loved it. It is the last of the local food restaurants left in the city. We had wonderful homemade pasta and then their specialty, a trolley of boiled/roasted meats and mashed potatoes. You choose your meal from that The trio of sauces served with it were excellent. It was a fun, friendly delicious dinner. Try the local wine Lambrusco. It's not like the U.S. one. Still sparkling red and served cold but not sweet.

Hotel Les Launchers in Praz Chamonix and their restaurant
Rendezvous

Scott's appetizer, a "beggar's purse" and salad before our
main course of cheese fondue which was fabulous.

Our table, just vacated at La Caleche in Chamonix

In Chamonix we stayed 2 km down the road in Praz Chamonix at Les Launchers. There is a beautiful looking trail along the stream linking the two which is well lit at night. We were tired from the long day or we would have walked into Chamonix instead of driving. It was 89 euros with breakfast (cheese and meat as well as breads etc.) We had a lovely small room with a balcony with drop dead views. The downstairs restaurant looked welcoming but we went into the center of Chamonix to have cheese fondue at La Caleche, a very beautiful restaurant filled with antiques. It's been around since 1946. We paid 29 euros each for a delicious 3 course dinner. Before dinner we stopped in the Munster bar and had some Guinness and watched the young locals.
Hostellerie De Bretonniere was our hotel in Beaune. We had probably one of the cheapest rooms at 79 euros with breakfast, small but comfortable. It was only a block out of the walled city and we ate dinner very close by at El Manana, 45 Rue Maufoux 21200. We had a great talk with the mother and daughter who ran it. The food was excellent and the decor very attractive. The mother is Morrocan so we had coucous with minced beef and vegetables. For an appetizer we had "brick", a egg and potato filled pastry - delicious. With wine, mint tea and dessert our meal was 51 euros total.

The addition to the main house of Hostellerie De Bretonniere
where we stayed in Beaune

Nadia Duqesnay and her mother in their restaurant
El Manama in Beaune, France

As I mentioned in my earlier posting "The Gory Details - France" we stayed our last night in Paris before leaving for London at Hotel Vielle France, 151 Rue La Fayette and we don't recommend it unless you're desperate for a cheap place near Gare Nord. It was clean enough although dingy. As the the reviewer said on Trip Advisor, there are no pillows, only a bolster (with no pillow case) - weird.

A day in Florence

2011-12-04T08:30:00.000-05:00

The monumental fresco of the Last Judgement begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1592 and completed by Federico Zuccaro and
others. We were able to get a close up view from the balcony that encircles it. This is painted on the insde of
Brunelleschi's brilliantly engineered dome, the largest masonry dome in the world.

First of all, a day in Florence is definitely not enough. Scott and I have been before, in my case many times, and it's worth weeks or months etc. But a day was all we had and Walt and Honoree hadn't been there before. So we got an early start and parked in a parking garage near a market on the edge of town. Our method is to take pictures of the street names and try to locate it on the map, if we have one. It can be hard to find your way back.

Scott and I pose at the top

Giotto's Campanile seen from the roof of
the Duomo.

You can get a good sense of the steep narrow stairs looking
down at Honoree descending.

Another view further down with lots of graffiti visable

The view upwards from the balcony shows the perspective necessary to
view from below.

The exterior is covered with marble in various
shades of green and pink bordered by white.

The facade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo)

Piazza della Signoria with the Palazzo
Vecchio in the distance

The Baptistery completes Piazza del Duomo

Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo
Ammannati in 1565

The San Lorenzo Market - a colorful open air market in a
beautiful cathedral like building, built of glass and steel
in 1874.

Like Lucca, leather goods are famous here.

Everyone wears scarfs in Europe. I bought four of them in
various locations and have vowed to keep wearing them
even after returning home.

The Fontana del Porcellino - You put a coin in the boar's
mouth and let go, If it falls intothe grate below on it's
own, it's good luck.

The first courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio, the Town Hall

The combination of the fall colors and the still River Arno is spectacular. That's the Ponte Vecchio built on the location
of the Roman bridge, destroyed twice and last rebuilt in 1345. It was the only bridge left in place when the Germans retreated during WWII.

We made advance reservations for both the Accademia Museum and the Uffizi by telephone - a definite must. It saved us from waits in very long lines. We also bought priority tickets to walk up to the top of the Duomo (the extra money to enter the church wasn't worth it as there were no lines when we were there). This was really fun, although not for the out of shape or claustrophobic. The staircases are very narrow dark and in some cases two way. The view from the balcony around the inside painted dome is fantastic as is the one outside on the top.
Michelangelo's David is reason enough to visit the Accademia Museum although the Bottacelli Madonna and Child and Madonna and the Sea cap off the experience.
The Uffizi really requires much more than the two hours we gave it. But honestly I prefer to go many times to a musuem rather than try to spend more time than that. The building itself was designed as a municipal office building in 1560 and later became the repository for the Medici family art collection. The list of treasures here is immense but my favorites are Bottacelli's Primavera, Rembrandt's Self Portrait as a Young Man and Da Vinci's Annunciation.
We couldn't get enough of the views along the Arno river and the Ponte Vecchio. The water was so still the reflections were perfect. Two women rowed by in their shell making complex patterns in the water behind them.
We just snacked during the day so no recommendations on where to eat, although getting away from the Duomo and museums is a good idea. Restaurants far away from the tourist area are always a better value.

The shops on the bridge were once butchers but now
jewelers.

One of the corridors in the Uffizi

I had to take these pictures surreptitiously.

We saw scullers and rowers frequently on our trip.

Basilica of Santa Croce, burial place of Michelangelo,
Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini, among others.

A riveting statue of Dante in the Piazza di
Sante Croce looking bitter at being
exiled from Florence.

Umbrellas of Lucca

2011-12-03T08:44:00.001-05:00

Neither rain or drizzle could dampen our enthusiasm for Lucca

Despite a cloudy and overcast morning we pressed on to Lucca. The drive was around Pisa and up into the hills. The city is completely walled and has been made into a park with a walking/bicycle path all around. Outside are wide green spaces separating the old city from the new. It was lovely to leisurely walk around the city. We had plenty of company even on this gloomy day.
Then we headed into the narrow atmospheric streets. Our first visit was to the Palazzo Pfanner as we had admired the beautiful gardens from the walk on the walls. The collection of antique medical instruments was very interesting and the palace very lovely.
Our stomachs were rumbling so we started looking around for a good place to eat. Honoree spied a young man running along with boxes of spaghetti and followed him. She figured there had to be some food happening soon. We entered a close by restaurant right behind him and found a really charming place we would have overlooked if not for her quick thinking. Unfortunately we can't recommend it as I forgot to write down the name - sad, as it was great. All I can say is when you leave the Palazzo Pfanner, turn left, walk about a block and it's on the corner. Still I don't believe you can miss if you eat in Italy.
Despite the drizzle we walked all over the city, really enjoying the ambiance of the place. I'd love to return here and stay for a few days in nicer weather. This and our next day in Florence were the only damp days of our trip and in neither case did it actually rain. Lucky us!

A school group leaves the Basilica of San Frediano,
Romanesque started in the 6th C with a beautiful
13th C mosiac

Chartreuse is a great umbrella color

The path along the wall is big enough for lots of people and
goes around the entire city

You can see the walls themselves here and one of the paths
that lead from the old city to the new through the wall.

Red brick and soft yellow paints make mellow combinations

The beautiful garden of the Palazzo Pfanner.

The external staircase is very lovely and offers view of the
garden and the exterior.

The Roman amphitheater was here. They paved over that to
leave a piazza but left the circular group of buildings around it.

This fashionable leather store is
headquartered in Lucca, famous for
it's leather goods.

Each of these columns is unique and beautiful.

It's interesting to see the back of the facade. St. Michael is
well propped up.

Duomo de San Martino, built over a
Roman forum in 795 and rebuilt in 1070

Close up of the top portion

I loved this lion peeking out

Heading North - Rome, Reggio Emelia and Courmayeur

2011-11-25T07:44:00.000-05:00

Our last morning together we drove Walt and Honoree
over to the Navy Supply Base to pick up their rental car.

Our great friends, Carlo on the left and Charlotte on the
right.

The living room in their new apartment in Rome

We had a wonderful dinner with them at home

We had such an amazing time with our good buddies Walt and Honoree. It was hard to say good bye. But they were headed south to Sicily and we north to Paris. Our first stop was to visit old friends Carlo and Charlotte in Rome. Charlotte was my best friend growing up and lived almost next door to me. She did a semester abroad in Italy and fell in love, with the language and people. She and Carlo are Opera singers, soprano and tenor. She also teaches English, writes sub titles for movies, and tutors. He is now a Professor. When I received an early retirement from Verizon 16 years ago I took our two youngest sons to Italy for the summer. We rented an apartment in Rome and on the beach nearby. It was a magical time.
So we decided early we wouldn't spend much time in Rome but of course stopped to visit them. They took us out to lunch at Nino's near their old apartment in Via Merulana. It's a fantastic place and if you're going with them, Nino's a great friend, the food never stops coming. Carlo always thinks of one more dish you must try. I'll try to list as many as I can remember now, all on separate plates!; fresh mozzerella, parmigiana, cured swordfish, seafood salad, bruschetta, prosciutto, baby artichokes, roasted peppers, grilled prawns, fried calamari, whole baked fish, artichoke raviolis in brown sage butter, orecchiette and broccoli rabe, eggplant parmesano Neapolitan type pastries, coffee and liquors. There was more, but I can't recall everything. We pigged out, totally. The food was fabulous.
We did some walking that afternoon and in the evening Carlo cooked us a "light" meal at home. They have moved to a lovely new apartment since we last saw them with balconies overlooking a park. After coffee and pastries at a local cafe the next morning we had to continue north, sorry we had such a short visit.

Enticing doorways beckoned as we walked
down the shop lined main street, the Roman
Via Emilia

Piazza Cavour and the 19th Century Teatro Municipale
with a computer run fountain and outside living room.

This little dragonet guarded the edge of
a church

On the north side of Via Emilia are the broad tree lined
streets of the modern city

It was definitely fall in the city and we were glad for our
jackets

Colorful flags hung above the streets. This
is the city where the tricolor flag of Italy was
first flown.

Even though it was a bit chilly people were
still enjoying sitting outside for drinks or
coffee

As the natural light faded the city lights and the color
of the buildings created a warm glow everywhere.

The Duomo in Piazza Prampolini with it's unusual single
octagonal tower.

Down the arcaded street we could see a bustling market
scene ahead.

The Baroque church of San Giorgio AND a bustling market

Our hotel gave us a recommendation to this wonderful
shop where we bought Parmesano Reggiano and 5 year
aged Balsamic vinegar. They gave us lots of tastes too.

As the night darkened beautiful entries beckoned

The next morning as we left we loved the two bridges
just out of town

They were symphonies of design and we're sorry that we
couldn't stop and take better pictures as we were on a
busy road

And it was a damp, dark morning.

Reggio Emilia, like Orvieto earlier, was a wonderful surprise. We just looked at the map and chose stops along the way to Paris that were equally distant, about 4+ hours apart; Reggio Emilia, Chamonix and Beaune. They were all perfect, even with the less than perfect weather. We arrived at our hotel around 3PM and after settling in walked all over the town. Despite it's being overcast and damp we loved it. This doesn't feel like a tourist town although it certainly is worthy of that. It is known for having numerous ballet schools demonstrated by the number of attractive young people around. There was a concert being set up for that evening in Piazza Cavour and we saw the singers around the town, all dressed in red. We discovered one lovely square, church or street after another as we wandered around. We stopped at a fantastic store to buy aged Parmigiano Reggiano and 5 year balsamic vinegar, both made here. And then, as it got darker and the city lights went on, the buildings took on a rosy glow and everything reflected in the wet streets. It was magical.
On the advice of our hostess at our small hotel, Albergo Morandi, we ate at Ristorante Canossa and had a great evening. This is the last of the local specialty places still right in town. The pastas are homemade and I had pumpkin ravioli with brown butter. Then you are served a variety of roasted and boiled meats from a trolley that comes to your table. You can choose your own selection and it comes with 3 types of sauces and wonderful mashed potatoes. Lambrusco is the local wine here and although it is sparkling and served cold, it isn't the sweet cloying variety made in the U.S. After dinner we walked back over to the Piazza Cavour and listened to the concert for awhile. It was "People Against the Mafia". Who isn't?

The fall colors in Courmayeur rivaled those in New England

Next morning we drove up past Turin towards Chamonix, stopping at Courmayeur for a walk. One thing that struck us forcefully was how industrialized and prosperous it looks in the north of Italy compared to the south. This renders the suburban areas outside the towns unattractive and very American, but there is growth and jobs here. It looks almost like another country from Naples. We spent some time in Courmayeur a number of years ago and loved it. It has grown since then but is still charming. This day it was almost totally deserted. It was Sunday and very off season, although the fall colors were beautiful. Unfortunately it was still overcast and we had only brief glimpses of the snow covered peaks around us. The Mt. Blanc tunnel is 7.2 miles long and expensive at 39 euros one way, but what an engineering feat! More in my next entry as we cross back into France.

The architecture has turned "Swiss Chalet"

The town was almost deserted. It was a Sunday and of
course, totally off season. Notice the reindeer hanging
from the early Christmas decorations

Tantalizing glimpses of distant snow covered peaks appeared

Vesuvius from bottom to top, Pompeii and the Crater

2011-11-12T12:30:00.000-05:00

The long walkway around the city and the one of the entrances with Vesuvius in the background.

Both Pompeii and Herculaneum are wonderful sites and it was hard to pick which one to see. I decided as I was at the later most recently. The others had never been to either. Pompeii is a time capsule of what life was like a couple of thousand years ago and the surprise is similar to our's in many ways. Temples, public buildings, markets, bakeries, baths, theaters and brothels - change a few of the names and it's a modern town. And the private homes from the very wealthy to the worker bees' really show the way people ate, entertained, slept and just lived their lives. As usual we rented the recorders and the narration was excellent. I particularly like being able to chose additional material on art, architecture, history and daily life.
This time of the year here is so perfect. It isn't crowded and it isn't hot. There very little shade in the town so my last visit 40+ years ago in August was scorching. Three hours of visiting was enough, although we only saw about one half of the city. That's enough for us on one day.

One of the main streets

All sculptures present today are copies but
it's nice to see them in their places.

There are amazingly a lot of frescoes left inside and even a
few outside. This is inside one of the baths.

If you click on this picture to see it bigger, you may pick
out the croissant some joker left - this was a bakery.

Vesuvius looming up behind the ruins is rather ominous.
It is still active.

Some of the few intact columns, probably reconstructed.

As usual I love these glimpses through
portals.

The private Roman villas are spacious and perfectly
designed for the climate around the lovely atriums. Only
caveat today would be small bedrooms and few bathrooms.

This was the "little" theater. Aren't these carved edges to
the rows amazing.

Thi

It's a long walk through the volcanic ash from the parking
lot to the crater rim, but we're all in good shape due to
endless amount of walking/climbing during our vacation.

Looking down into the crater is an awe inspiring experience.

We drove up to the top of Vesuvius twice, which was certainly not our plan. It's a long drive on a narrow winding road through the "Park". The mountain is only 1281 meters but it looms above Naples. Back in 79 AD they didn't even know it was a volcano until on August 24 it exploded and buried Herculaneum under mud and Pompeii and Stabiae under ash. Since then it has erupted many times, most recently in 1944, which left lava flows we could still see.
After our day in Pompeii we made the first trip. It was only 3:30PM when we arrived, but that was too late. They close the park for visitors after then. It does get dark at 5:30 so I guess they're worried about slow walkers. So we returned the next morning. It was a little brighter than the day before but still a bit misty at the top. The views of the crater were spectacular and well worth the climb. It takes about 40 minutes to climb it and then about the same amount of time to walk around and take pictures. It's faster going down.
One thing you can't help but think about is what would happen if this blows it's top again - and it probably will. There are millions of people living below and the traffic is impossible normally. What plan, if any, do they have to evacuate everyone? Modern bustling communities crowd around Herculeum and Pompeii and everywhere else. People live on the side of the mountain. It boggles the mind.

You can walk half way around the crater.

Wisps of steam rise from the many vents in the crater
reminding you it is still active.

Having taken a number of families photos for them, one
obliged for us.

This is a good shot of the walk around the crater.

Unfortunately the view of Naples and the sea wasn't that great. We could see more than the camera shows. The
dirt colored "river" below is one of the lava flows.

Capri, a dream of an island

2011-11-11T08:33:00.001-05:00

This was my third time on Capri, the second for Scott and the first for Walt and Honoree. I'm a very visual person and find this scenery irresistible. It was much too short a visit but we had perfect weather and it was a wonderful day. We took the ferry out of Naples. It was a holiday weekend so there was little traffic and there is a large parking lot right next to the terminal. On the way out we were forced to sit inside unfortunately and on the way back, when we could have sat outside, it was too cold.
Once there we mistakenly walked up to the town center rather than taking the funicular. We had hours of walking up and down ahead of us with better views. Still it was interesting to explore the narrow lanes through the town. They should be pedestrian only but we had to share them with the ubiquitous scooters.

Leaving Naples on the ferry we left behind a number of
cruise ships

Narrow "streets" or really paths lead up and
down the Capri hills between the beautiful
villas. Their gardens spill over the walls.

Glimpses of the distant cliffs and sea tantalize you as you walk

We had perfect weather during our visit,
in the high 70's

Here is the view from the restaurant we ate lunch at, that's
the Sorrento peninsula in the distance left.

This sailboat passed us and conjured up
memories of our cruises past many islands.

The spectacular Natural Arch

Scott and I pose in front of the Natural Arch.

Honoree demonstrates the size of this wonderful cave
which once had buildings within.

These winding stone stairs continue with hairpin turns
down to the water. Click to see some more disappearing
into the trees center left.

There is just one drop dead view after another.

Nations have been fighting and occupying Capri for thousands of years; the Greeks, Romans, Turks, various Italian city states, French and British. The last tried to turn this into a Gibraltar and caused serious damage to the archaeological sites. The Emperor Tiberius ruled the Roman empire from here until his death. I don't blame him for not wanting to leave.
Miles and miles of trails, mostly paved, and stairs wind their way around the island. We didn't have time unfortunately to make it to Tiberius' Villa Jovis but went directly to the Natural Arch and Matrimonial cave. There we had our long delayed lunch at "Le Grottelle", a spectacular spot overlooking the water, although the food wasn't all as good as the view. We then continued along the coast to the Faraglioni and back up into town. As always we had some gelato and wandered around the shop lined streets. I'm not a shopper and didn't go into anyplace but prefer to look at the people and the buildings. We did buy some limoncello to bring to our friends in London. Lemon trees are all over the island and this is a specialty here.

That's the Faraglioni ahead around the next bend

The Faraglioni are limestone peaks rising
up above the water.

Another view of the same

The trees in the foreground and the cliffs
fading into the mist - I could sit here and
look at this view for hours.

Like Amalfi or Positano, stairs connect most
of the villas with the town. There are few roads
and cars.

One of the few places in the world I'm tempted to spend the
money to stay in a first class hotel.

Although the rich and famous from Roman times have had
villas here on Capri (Mariah Carey now), generations of Capri
residents still live everywhere on the island.

This famous square hangs on the side of the cliffs and at
this time of the year is not packed with tourists.

The Clock tower in Capri

We took the front car down on the Funicular

The small harbor of Marina Grande is filled with boats.

As we waited for our ferry the sun came down and the
lights of the city came on.

The town of Capri spills down the slope from the center high
on the hill

The moon appeared over the island as we headed back
to Naples on our ferry.

Oohs and Aahs on the Amalfi Drive

2011-11-10T12:09:00.000-05:00

Looking back at Naples with Vesuvius smoking

Capri from the tip of the Amalfi peninsu

A tired vendor sells dried peppers and fruit on the edge
of the road.

The road is an engineering marvel built into the straight
cliffs or sometimes off of them. It was originally built
by the Romans.

Honoree pauses to take a picture of one of
the beautiful courtyards through the fence.

We stopped for cappuchinos at this beautiful spot
at the beginning of our walk in Positano

Sometimes the path down the hill goes thru
a tunnel under the homes.

A narrow valley leads up crowded with
buildings, walkways and gardens.

Steep stairways are carved through the town everywhere.
There are few roads.

Shops, restaurants, boats line the beach and lots of people
strolling along

Many artists love painting these colorful
hillsides and towns.

Looking up one of the hillsides in Positano from the beach

Walt and Honoree pose as we leave after a fabulous lunch
at Chez Black in Positano

Shops line the streets and flowering vines grow overhead
lending shade during the summer heat.

The pottery here is wonderful and I could have bought
at ton, but out of my price range.

There are beautiful signs like this all over

The view as we ascend the road back up to our car. The
vine covered "meadow" below is a trellis over the car park.

As we climb the hill we look back at the Church and beach below

Another view down the coast from the center of Positano

Tiny shrines dot the cliffs, although that's a public phone
on the right (they still have them).

Looking back down the road, beautiful villas cling to the
hillsides below, built into stone terraces.

You can see a few of these villas in what
looks like impossible places.

The gorgeous Cathedral in Amalfi - once a thriving naval
empire that rivaled Venice, with 80,000 inhabitants. Most of
the town slid into the sea during a storm and earthquake
in 1343 so it's much smaller today with 5,000 residents.

You can see the "Arab-Norman" style
illustrated here.

This ornate crypt holds the head of St. Andrew, recovered
from the sack of Constantinople in 1204.

Only one of the beautiful chapels inside the Cathedral and
decorated with thousands of pink and white roses.

We ate SO much gelato, couldn't resist it, could you?

This fairy tale kingdom was constructed in a small fountain
and was captivating.

In this fountain, in the Piazza Flavio Gioia in Amalfi, the
nymph in the center is lactating very freely

We lingered on the waterfront until the sun went behind the
mountains, hating to leave this beautiful place.

Orvieto to Naples - Admiral Robert Carney Park

2011-11-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

Orvieto is built on plateau set on volcanic tuff cliffs above the plain. Unfortunately the cliffs have been crumbling and a
lot of work needs to be done to shore it up. No one is jumping to take responsibility.

We left Manarolo in the Cinque Terre very early in the morning. Our second day we found a ticket on our windshield for 120 euros. The car was supposed to be parked beyond the second gate - which Scott didn't see as it was open for the emergency preparations. So we had to stop in the police station in Riomaggiore to plead for understanding. A very professional and English speaking woman officer there agreed to reduce the fine to 30 euros, which we paid. Our car could manage 5 people but not 4 huge suitcases (and many smaller packages) so we were PACKED into the car. We dropped Walt and Honoree off in La Spezia and they took the train to Naples. We and all the luggage drove.

The beautiful countryside visible off the walls of the city.
Orvieto was once a major center of Etruscan civilization.

The Duomo, the Cathedral of Orvieto
begun in 1290

The Creation, carved on the facade

The Plaza in front of the Cathedral

A detail of the beautifully carved columns on the facade.

Typical narrow "picolo" with hanging
vines and plants

The town was bustling with activity

It was a six hour drive so I studied the map looking for a good place to walk around and have lunch, and found that Orvieto was half way. The guide book description sounded great as well. But it was magical to see the city hanging up in the sky above the flat vineyards all around. Think of a Southwest American mesa. After a very good lunch (gory details entry for Italy coming up soon) we walked rather aimlessly around the lovely city. I'm a sucker for these atmospheric narrow streets and the dramatically lit vistas at the end. Suddenly we came upon the open plaza and Cathedral - amazing. The facade is covered with Lorenzo Maitani's bas-relief sculpture and intricately carved columns and the sides are striped with green and white marble.
Naturally our visit took longer than expected and we found ourselves entering Naples at rush hour to pick up Walt and Honoree at a hotel a few blocks from the train station. This is a life threatening experience and I am NOT kidding. "Free for all" rather defines it, and at maximum available speed. It's the motor scooters that are the scariest. They come at you from every direction and fast. Thank goodness I've been here and in other crazy driving countries before. But it took both of us totally focused to make it there and out again. Later a guard at the base, upon being asked for a recommendation on where to have dinner, said, "It's dangerous to drive around here. You should take a taxi or tour bus." When he heard about our trip in and out of the city, he had no doubt about our ability to survive (anywhere).
We thought we had clear sailing once we were on the motorway (the base is about 20 minutes north) but came to a dead stop right after exiting. For the next hour we crept along the road all the way into the base, which is located inside an extinct volcano crater. It was their Halloween Party that night and every military family and Italian worker's on the bases families were coming. There were over two thousand attending. The cottages were turned into "trick or treat" houses with appropriate scary themes. Tents and BBQs were set up with food and tables. There was lots of entertainment for the kids. And the costumes were wonderful.
But after having some dinner and enjoying the show, we were exhausted and it looked like our home for the night was in the center of the party. When we couldn't find the number of our cabin, an officer ended our worries by pointing over to the other side of the crater - the dark side. "You're way over there." "Yes", we cried.
Like our previous cabin at Camp Darby in Pisa, it was log cabin with a front porch. It had only one bedroom however, a bunk bed was in the living/kitchen space, but if had loft. So Walt and Honoree moved their mattresses up there and had a cozy retreat to themselves. The kitchen, which we had been promised, was there but nothing to cook/eat with. The next day we were able to rent all of that cheaply so we had some nice meals at home the following week.
The next morning the beautiful view of the crater's rim all around was lit up with sunshine. The remains of the party were already cleared away and children were arriving for multiple soccer games. It's a beautiful spot with every kind of recreation facility including a golf course. We hiked up to the rim and around it that day and ate lunch at the golf course restaurant, watching football. It was a great relaxing day. Tomorrow we're off to drive the Amalfi Coast.

Cured meats, especially those with boars meat are a
specialty here.

Who would think to build a house on
an arch over the street - or was the
road built under?

I can't resist these views...

I love these narrow streets. Well,
obviously as I keep taking their
pictures.

Great costume and makeup, right? We
were surprised by a huge Halloween party
at the Navy Recreation Base in Naples.

I really loved Princess Leia center but all the kids had
amazing costumes

The fire blower and juggler was a great favorite

Our cabin in the volcano

Wild cyclamens in the woods

That's the rim of the volcano crater above the cabins. It's
further up than it looks!

Our fire starter Honoree cooked steaks one night and
another just lit it for atmosphere.

Sitting out on the porch in the sunshine

Drama in the Cinque Terre

2011-11-02T10:46:00.002-04:00

You wouldn't imagine from this photo of Manarolo that frantic rescue efforts were ongoing only a few miles down the
coast from us, and some from our little town.

We had made reservations for three days in the Cinque Terre a week before leaving Pisa. All four of us and extensive luggage were piled up in the car like sardines for the hour's drive. Right at our exit from the toll motorway, we found barricades and hundreds of lined up trucks. The highway was closed beyond. We should have been suspicious when even more trucks lined the exit and the streets after it. But we blissfully drove on through La Spezia and up the narrow mountainous road towards Manarolo. After passing the road straight down to Riomaggiore we found our own hair pin turns descending.
Our small Inn/B and B, Da Baranin, had given us good directions so we went to the edge of town, unloaded our luggage and then Scott parked it up the hill where he thought it was legal. We dragged our bags up the steep steps to our lovely studio apartments - one for each couple! From the charming sisters who run the place we found out what had happened. The rain of the previous day and night had been torrential just north of Manarolo and caused mud and rock slides that flooded and buried the three towns north of us, particularly the last two, Vernazza and Monterossa. They and other towns up in the hills were now disaster zones and 9 people died. Damage to these towns is so extensive that especially in Monterossa, they are not sure they will be able to rebuild.

The red boat is being rolled down the street for launching
into the ocean

Here it's being hoisted up and then will be slid along the
track to the end and lowered.

We had no idea that this had happened and in fact had arrived the morning after. The town was a staging for relief supplies and people. Many of their boats were launched and headed north. Other larger boats and overhead helicopters worked all day. We watched the activity from the lovely Marina Piccola restaurant while we had lunch and then walked as far as we could along the coast path before we found it closed (a locked gate). We could see how steep the cliffs were above and it wouldn't take much to sweep the path away.

The boats are stored right along the street like parked cars.

The narrow beautiful streets of Manarolo
have few cars.

The next day we hiked up the hill through the grape vineyard terraces to Groppo and Volastra. At the latter we checked with a park official and he said we could hike further north till be were just above Corniglia, but didn't want us to try descending as it was too muddy and slippery. The scenery was fantastic and we saw a number of people working in the terraces. A huge amount of upkeep is necessary to keep the stone walls from crumbling. This area is all part of a national park and one of their rules is that anyone buying a home in the Cinque Terre has to also own and maintain some acres of terraces on the hill.

Marina Piccola restaurant where we sat and ate a delicious
lunch watching the boats being launched and emergency
supplies loaded for the towns buried by mudslides.

A closeup of the boat being lowered

We loved walking the steep steps and roads around our beautiful town - in the day and at night. We were very sorry to have to leave after the 2 nights, but our next adventure awaited us in Naples. And as Walt dreamily exclaimed "It's ten degrees warmer there!"

It's straight down to the water. Those are fisherman below.

The path normally open for hiking down the coast is
shown above right. You can see how it's really built on
the straight cliffs. It was closed.

A lovely park at the far end of Manarolo

Looking up at the terraces of grape vines.

A bell tower across from the church in
Manarolo's main square

A stream runs right through the town and
most of the way under the town itself.

Flowers and in the distance a waterfall, on our way up the
trail

We caught up with this older woman carrying a big stick
and offered to help. She refused with a big smile and we
had a big laugh when she threw it down the steep stairs
to her house with a smile and a shrug.

The vineyards were devoid of grapes but sparkled with
fall colors

This "shrine" to Disney ? caught our eye!

A closeup at the beautifully constructed
dry walls of the terraces.

In the distance you can see the tiny town of Volastra. The
rough path is along the right of the picture.

Honore captains the vineyard express. This "railway"
goes straight up and down the steep mountain sides
bringing the harvested grapes to central places.

You can get a feeling here for our steep the hills are.

At the end of our hike we could see the small town of
Corniglia. You also see the railroad tracks along the shore.

Scott on the path behind me

Looking back we have a great view of Manarolo

A farmer carries sticks down for proping
up the vines

The steep steps leading back down from
Volastra

Looking out from our window at the sun setting

Dinner at Marina Piccola under the heat lamps - great
seafood!

The Tower of Pisa and Lots More

2011-11-01T07:28:00.000-04:00

This view from the top of the Tower shows the Duomo (the Cathedral), the Baptistry (beyond it left) and over
on the right the Camposanto Monumentale (The Monumental Cemetery)

From some directions the tower doesn't appear to lean
so much.

And from others, it does.

If you think this looks crowded, imagine it
during the "on" season.

Looking down the long side of the Duomo to the Bapistry

Nicola Pisano's pulpit, resting on fierce lions

The Romanesque facade of the Duomo

Looking down at Guido Bargarelli's baptismal
font and the inlaid floor and walls

For me, the interior is the most beautiful of any
cathedral I saw on my trip

Giovanni Pisano's pulpit, done about 1300
and disasembled and removed for about 400
year as it was too "strange" for people of
that time. The sculpture is a mixture of Greek
myth and religious themes.

One panel of the pulpit, The Last Judgement

Cimabue's mosiac of Christ rises in gold and
glittering colors above the alter

Looking up at the varied work on the roof

Looking up again, this time before the long
ascent to the top of the tower.

View down from the Tower to the Camposanto built in the
1270's and severely damaged during bombing in the Second
Word War and many priceless treasures lost

The view of the mountains beyond Pisa where we go
tomorrow to Lucca

The huge square of the Campo dei Miracoli on the northern
edge of the town, just inside the walls

Scott descending the stairs inside the Tower

Pisa without the Tower

2011-10-29T06:37:00.003-04:00

Huge yachts line the quay in Imperia

Eating lunch in the sun was a real treat in late October

Our last morning in France we were all up early as we had to pack up and clean the house before driving to Italy. It was a 6 hour drive down the coast on the Toll Highway. In France the speed limits are consistent and most people obey them (130 kilometers an hour) but once we crossed into Italy they were all over the place and so were the other drivers. It was exhausting. Despite not planning to meet up, our two cars managed to do so every time. Without coordinating for example we both pulled off the highway for lunch at the same spot, in Imperia. We walked down by the port admiring the many yachts on the quay. Scott and I stayed to have a lovely lunch at Matama Braceria by the water.

Our tiny cabin at Camp Darby - this couch was Walt's bed
as well.

Our last dinner out in Terrenia with Brenda and John.
They left the next morning to visit with John's daughter.

Walt is a retired military officer so we were able to rent cabins on bases in Pisa (Sea Pines Recreational Facility, Camp Darby) and Naples (Admiral Robert Carney Park) for a very low rate. The first place was really in Terrenia, between Pisa and Liguria and didn't have a kitchen, but we were able to fix a few things in the evening picnic style as they had a small frig. In the morning we got our cappuchinos out of a vending machine and they weren't bad, before going to the snack bar for breakfast. It was really interesting to live in a military facility - a first for us. Everyone was very nice.

Pisa is a very lovely city. It spreads out along the junction of the Arno and Sercio Rivers and was referred to as an old city by ancient Roman authors. The University has been around since the 12th Century and the town bustles with activity. We found a huge market strung out along the river one day with every thing anyone could want to buy, for sale.
We really enjoyed wandering about the city and marveling at the beautiful architecture. We started out one day to see the Picasso drawings at the Palazzo Blu and got waylaid by the Museo della Grafica (Museum of Graphic Arts). THey had two interesting exhibits - "Drawings and Etchings from Corot to Matisse" and "Southeast Synopsis - photos by Andrea Pistolesi. Both were excellent. These are both "minor" museums in Pisa but really worth visits.

The tower of the Cittadella looming over this
peaceful street

This fun building was in the Piazza dei Cavalieri

We ended up spending two days in Pisa and could have spent more. We kept coming upon another beautiful church or square all over the city and there are lots of pretty cafes with outside seating away from the Piazza Del Duomo with reasonable prices. And sitting in a cafe with a view of the Tower with a cup of cappuchino or a glass of wine is well worth the price. I'll cover that lovely spot in my next entry.

San Paolo a Ripa d"Arno Church

When we came back the second day the whole length
of this river street was filled with stalls

I have a fascination for doorways and glimpses of
"another world"

These "flying buttresses" are common

This Boulangerie was in a trailer at the market

The fourth scarf I bought on the trip -
everyone wears scarfs in Europe

This gentleman had to be called out of the local bar to
cut our proscuitto and not surprisingly, it was rather
thick and rough

The beautiful small Santa Maria della Spina church
perched on the bank of the River Arno

A back and side view of Santa Maria - a real wedding
cake of a church

Palazzo della Carovana in the Piazza dei Cavalieri

The Gory Details - France

2011-10-28T17:13:00.146-04:00

A note from the author. I'm in general getting photos up but not my narrative. It's either non existent at present or rudimentary. That will be coming soon for all my entries in Europe. Check past entries for lots of new information and in some cases new entries appearing chronologically in past months. Sorry for the confusion.

The Breakfast room at the Monte Carlo Hotel in Paris. Even
though it's more expensive to have breakfast in the hotel
we prefer it. We like to have our coffee (and lots of it) first
thing in the morning.

We stayed for 3 nights at the Monte Carlo Hotel at 44 Rue Du Faubourg, Montmartre, Paris 75009. (Expedia.com) A twin bed room with private bath was $187.52 per night. It was 8.5 euros pp for breakfast, which consisted of help yourself croissants/bread/butter/jam/coffee and juice. It was possible to get a petit dejeuner at a Cafe for 6.5 euros but that's just one cup of coffee (I mean of course French versions of this). We like several and right after we get up so we paid the extra price everywhere to eat in our hotels. The hotel was in a lively section of the city and walkable to the Louvre or Sacre Coeur. There were a lot of restaurants near by. Our room was small but attractive and with a good sized bathroom.

Paris hotel rooms are tiny - especially if they're not
expensive, although that's relative

Boulangerie's are a traveler's best friend, but not a diet's
(whose on a diet in Europe?)

The staff spoke English and were very nice and helpful, particularly Thomas who called and made arrangements for us in Toulouse. No air condioning though, only fans.
A good discovery was Le Fourchette (lefourchette.com or thefork.com in English) a website that allows you to make reservations at restaurants often with big discounts. The earlier you make reservations at hotels or restaurants the better deals you get in Paris.
At the end of the trip we spent one more night in Paris and didn't do anything until a week before. We stayed at Hotel Vielle France near the Gare Nord and it was pretty shabby. And it cost just about the same amount of money. We were stuck as we needed to be near the railway station for our trip to London. We do not recommend it.
As I mentioned in an earlier entry we leased our car from Renault Eurodrive (1-888-532-1221) and we were very happy with them. Our Renault Clio was brand new 90 hp Diesel with GPS. It was easy to pick it up and drop it off. We had it from 9/22 to 11/9 and it cost about $2,000. This was with all inclusive insurance with no deductible. We loved the car and it was fun to drive a manual again.
We had dinner at Le Bouillion Chartier down the street with mixed results. I thought my food was pretty poor but Scott's was better. It was very popular with a line forming early. Diners sit together and there were a lot of English speaking people there.

A small cheese selection! Since we didn't know the name
of most of the cheese, we just pointed.

Fresh fruit is sold everywhere and makes
a great accompaniment to your cheese
and bread

A fantastic recommendation late at night in Toulouse -
La Pergoda, just outside the city

The master griller serves up the steaks at La Pergoda

French fast food - preprepared sandwiches, casseroles,
and salads. They'll heat up things up for you if you want.

A row of restaurants line the main square in Toulouse, one
of which we had lunch in.

McDonald's, America's fast food, has
invaded France and it seems very
popular. But it serves better food than
in the US and has free WIFI.

Outside the cities the rooms are much bigger and nicer for
the price. This is our lovely place in Prades - Villa du Parc

We had two meals at Villa du Parc's great restaurant

The entrance to the compound. We were in a separate
building with 4 or 5 rooms.

The artisan baker we found in

We stopped at several "wine tastings". This
was our favorite.

Busy farmer's markets are a huge help to the picnic basket
and many serve lunch as well..

A typical picnic - bread, fruit, cheese, pate, mustard and
wine. We brought two plates, silverware, a sharp knife
and glasses with us.

The beautifully composed appetizer (entre) at "Augerge
Aux Remp'Arts" in Elne. This was a Catalan specialty with
marinated anchovies

It was worth driving to Spain for the paella in Llanca

Our large bedroom with balcony at Le Grand Bassin in
Castelnaudry

Of course we had cassoulet in it's birthplace - Castelnaudry

Every morning started with fresh croissants

In the land of gelato - here as in
Italy, it was strange to see Vermont's
Ben and Jerry's!

The fanciest and most expensive restaurant of our trip -
Chef Jean-Luc Rabanel's "A Cote" in Arles

My dessert - manufique!

Expressions aside, these were good sandwiches. Ethnic
restaurants offer good value (and taste).

We enjoyed talking to several of our neighbors at the table. The next night we got a deal at Raguereau Restaurant, 202 Rue de Honore across from the Louvre - pretty place and good food with the 20% discount. We ate downstairs in the more casual area - upstairs is more formal and we assume, more expensive.
The next day we had lunch at the Ca D'Oro on Rue d'Arbre off Rue de Tripoli, right near the Louvre. It's a small Italian place with a few outside tables and we had a very good meal for a reasonable price (15 euros, 3 courses with a 10 euro half litre of wine). That night we had dinner in our room, feasting on fresh fruit, pate, cheese, bread and wine.
We brought 2 plates, silverware, sharp knife and 2 good plastic glasses with us for these occasions and we used them a lot. We often had one meal at a restaurant and one as a picnic.
In Toulouse we stayed for 2 nights at the Residence Thibaud, 9 Rue Colomies, Toulouse 31100 (booking.com) This was an interesting place - located in an industrial park area of the city (you'd need a car) with fifty of so studio apartments of 2 stories around a courtyard. Downstairs bath, kitchenette with table and chairs and upstairs in a loft, a double bed. You need to be agile to get in and out of the bed. It worked well for us and the manager Charlotte was very nice. They serve a good petit dejeuner in the pleasant office with tables and comfortable chairs. The price was right, 49 euros a night and 6 euros for breakfast.
We had dinner our first night at La Pergoda, 262 Ave. De Lardenne 31100 about 20 minutes away - very pretty and good food.
One problem emerged as we left Toulouse, none of the gas stations we tried accepted our credit card. Europeans have a chip in their credit cards and many places won't accept cards without it. We had to go on the toll Motorway and use a gas station on it.
Our next destination was Prades, southeast of Toulouse. We stayed at the Villa du Parc, 49 Route de Ria, 66500. We booked this direct with them on their website (villa-du-parc.com) Our hostess Mineike is German, speaks excellent English and is delightful. This was the nicest place we stayed and for 78 euros per night, a great deal. We ate 2 dinners there and the food and atmosphere was terrific. We would have liked to have at least one dinner out but we were there over a holiday weekend and nothing was open (except thank goodness our hotel.
The third night we were exhausted from a long day sightseeing, hiking and driving and bought some great salads/cheese/meat/bread at a good supermarket in Prades and ate in our room. The breakfast here was worth the price with lots of cheese, meat, many kinds of breads and even soft boiled eggs.
The next 2 nights were at Hotel Auberge du Roua, 46 Chemin du Roua, Argeles-sur-Mer (Expedia.com) 69 euros a night. This was a really elegant small hotel with a very expensive but well reviewed restaurant. We were surprised our room was so cheap - it was small. They had a pretty pool which Scott managed to swim in - it was pretty cold. The breakfast was 11 euros so we walked into town and ate twice in nice cafes near the main square (about 15 min. walk).
Our first night we had a really good dinner at the Auberge Aux Ramp'Arts in Elne. Very nice service and excellent food in this walled medieval looking village. Not much else was going on in the town but we enjoyed our walk around after dinner.
The second night we had a stellar meal and experience at the very friendly "The Flowers" restaurant and we got a 30% discount through The Fork!
During the day we drove down to Spain along the coast enjoying the beautiful small towns and ate some wonderful paella
Our next 2 night were in Castelnaudry at Le Grand Bassin, Quai Edmund Combes, 11400 (booked through legrandbassin.com website. This is a lovely bed and breakfast with delightful host Giles Avinzac and his wife, located right on the Canal de Midi. We met our friends there and we all had big attractive rooms. The patio outside was a great place to sit and drink/eat. This was 65 euros a night with breakfast - our best deal. Our first night we had pizza downtown at La Gondolier - pretty good and the second night Giles make reservations for us to have cassoulet at a nearby very casual restaurant. It was inexpensive and good.
Our boat trip is covered in other entries. We had a great meal out in Carcassonne but I forgot to note the name. Walking around at night in this ancient city is a very special experience. We cooked almost all our meals on the boat. Shopping for food is so much fun in France and we are all great cooks.
We rented a terrific place for six days in Raphele-les-Arles, only 10 minutes out of Arles, with 3 bedrooms and 1 and 1/2 baths, a large well equipped kitchen, dining room and comfortable living room. It had a large terrace and a small swimming pool in a greenhouse type structure. I need to find the details on this and will post them soon. It was only 500 euros total for 5 nights. We had a very memorable luncheon at Chef Jean-Luc Rabanel's restaurant A Cote, 21 Rue des Carmes (+33490476113) in Arles. We paid $150 for a 6 course (some were small) meal with coffee and a good bottle of wine. (37 euro menu). The wait staff was rushed as is discussed in the reviews but we didn't feel a lack of service and they were friendly. In Avignon we had a picnic in the lovely park on a ancient hill next to the Cathedral and in Aix-en-Provence you can see the photo of Walt and Honoree eating chicken kabob sandwiches at a ?Turkish cafe (good). As usual we all took turns cooking in the house and had wonderful dinners.
After this we were off to Italy and I'll cover the gory details later in another entry.

We didn't often splurge on dessert. But when we did, it was
worth it. This is a Sainte-Honore cake.

A Week in Provence - Gordes, Abbaye de Serranque and Fort de Buoux

2011-10-25T12:45:00.000-04:00

The Abbaye de Semanque over their lavender fields (not in bloom now unfortunately)

The Alpilles hills going northeast from Arles

A closer view of the Abbaye

Narrow art gallery filled "streets" in Gordes

Honoree and Walt with their new purchase and the artist

A new look for Walt

Every gateway has a view

The red ivy adds a colorful touch of Autumn

Many of the structures were not vertical

Looking over the valley at the hillside and it's bricked caves

Many flowers added color

Another steep cliffside built up with houses, walls and
under them all, caves

A view of Gordes as we left town

Dramatic entry up to the Fort

That gets even more dramatic!

The caretaker's Fairy tale Cottage and garden welcomes you to the steep path up to the Fort

I wanted to move right in.

Honoree looks into the Fort's entrance

Rock climbers on the steep cliffs opposite

A close up of some of the climbers

Restoration work was ongoing

The Fort and it's surrounding walled community spread
out on the long ridge.

Looking down at the Secret Staircase

The views over the mountains showed this Fort commanded
the area

We stayed very close to the wall on the trip
down this perilous descent. We can't
imagine how they built this.

Looking up as Walt and Honoree begin their
trip down

A Week in Provence - Aix en Provence

2011-10-24T17:24:00.002-04:00

Cezanne is honored throughout the city

A pretty small church on a lovely square

Our day in Aix-en-Provence was cloudy but it didn't dampen our enthusiasm for this pretty bustling city. There aren't the huge monumental plazas and buildings we saw in many, but an overall distribution of lovely smaller spaces and beautiful buildings. In the tourist information office we got a map of the city with a route of the native citizen Paul Cezanne sites and explanations. The route was duplicated physically with small bronze disks embedded in sidewalks and streets. It was fun way to see the city although most of the "sites" had pretty contrived relationships to Cezanne (and friend Emile Zola).

Dolphin Fountain

Lots of places to sit, have coffee and watch the crowds

We only visited one museum, the Musee de Vieix Aix, and it was really fun. They have a collection of "santoro" crib figures and wooden puppets celebrating the old festival of Fete-Dieu. Another favorite of mine was a doll house with historic figures dressed perfectly in beautiful rooms and only several inches high. We also enjoyed the Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur with it's lovely cloister and 15th C organ.

Or have a little chat in the sun

Two figure heads grace this door

Charming plazas dotted the city

Fountain and the Cathedral St. Sauveur

A little Mary Poppins?

Conservative shoes -pink and aqua laces?

The best bread we ate in France!

We never did find out what this was.

The Hotel de Ville and a beautiful entry

Found a Peruvian store and a charming llama

An unusual Peeping Tom

We saw a lot of these bulging walls.

This beautiful big fountain was in the largest plaza but there
was a busy road circling it.

Rowers at Martinques-

And many lovely stores.

A Week in Provence

2011-10-22T18:41:00.000-04:00

Our home in Provence, the first half at least

Honoree whipping up dinner

Our terrace - it was warm enough one night to eat out there

Our very attractive living room

Walt clowning (and cooking)

During our time on the boat we checked around on the internet for a rental for the week following in Provence and Honoree came across a charming place listed on the internet. It turned out to be a great place with a terrific couple hosting us (details on a forthcoming blog entry detailing all of our hotels, restaurants etc.) It was just outside of Arles and allowed us to visit a number of cities and sights around the area.

Scott on the Rhone River walkway

Posing for the auto timing camera at dinner time

Arles had some interesting street art

Arles itself is very charming with a number of well preserved Roman remains, a theater, an amphitheater, viaduct and necropolis among others. It is an ancient city known to be a Ligurian community by 800 BC, then Celtic and Phoenician before being taken by the Romans in 123 BC. It was an important center for the late Roman period and continued on as a major port on the Rhone until the introduction of trains. Vincent van Gogh lived there for a time and was visited there by Gauguin.

And a bustling informal flea market

Fall colors on the ivy covered walls

Typical narrow streets

The beautiful main square with it's obelisk

The Coliseum is still used for many events

As is the theater

Scott, Walt, Honoree and myself also visited Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, both beautiful cities. The first is also set on the Rhone, further north and is often referred to as the City of Popes as they were in residence from 1309 to 1423. It is one of the few cities in France to retain it's ramparts and it is very atmospheric for sure. Like Arles it was an early Roman city and then occupied by the Goths in the 5th C, followed by the Saracens and the Franks. In 1033 it became part of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1274 it became a possession of the Popes and in 1309 it was chosen by Clement V to be his residence. This caused a schism in the Catholic Church but even after that was resolved the city remained part of the Papacy until 1709 when it was finally joined to France. The Palace of the Popes takes a hours to visit as it is enormous. Here as elsewhere we have found the audio guides indispensable.

Main courtyard inside the Palace


This bridge was destroyed a number of times and they've	given up

View up at the Palace facade from the Plaza

Looking down at the Cathedral

Honoree with friends in the Crypt

Interior of the Cathedral

Cobblestone plaza with Walt and Honoree

The Public Market "Les Halles" with it's garden exterior

The Grand Staircase in the Palace

The view of the pliza in front of the Pope's Palace from the roof

Cruising the Canal de Midi - the last days

2011-10-15T11:19:00.000-04:00

The countryside from the boat as we traveled up the Canal de Robine back to the Canal de Midi

Dancing trees accompanied us after we rejoined the Canal de Midi and passed Angeliers

Honoree and Walt cuddle up as the sun sets

The moon rose over Capestrung and the beautiful flood
lit Cathedral

Shadows playing on the stairs leading to
the Cathedral

We enjoyed having breakfast sitting in the quiet square

The Cathedral looms over Capestrung. We went into the
town center the next morning and explored.

Scott enjoying the internet with his morning coffee and
croissants.

Last look at Capestrung - notice picnic table, very typical
along the side of the Canal

You can see in this picture how far the water
descends. Scott walked from one lock to the
next to handle the lines.

The start of the Fonserannes Staircase, a series of 9 locks
descending to Beziers. We only needed to take 7 of them.

We saw several monuments commemorating
Thomas Jefferson during our trip. This was
on the wall at the Staircase.

Good shot of the roof deck by Brenda

View of Beziers over the roof tops

Beziers Cathedral at night from our boat. We moored
right on the aquaduct over the River

It was a long day evidently - John still has his drink in his hand!

Narbonne and the Ile de St Louis

2011-10-13T09:57:00.000-04:00

The Cloister gardens at the Cathedral

Walt looks over the beautifully landscaped Canal through
Narbonne - our boat is just below.

Narbonne was the site of the first Roman settlement on the other side of the Alps. It was called Narbo Martius and founded in 118 BC. It was already a wine growing region and fifty years later posed enough of a threat to the Roman wine makers that many of the fields were destroyed. It became a major port and the capitol of the region. In 413 it was taken by the Visigoths, and then in 719 the Saracens took over until 759 when it became part of the Frankish Kingdom.

Dragon Gargoyles on the Cathedral

Looking up at the flying buttresses

A section of the Domitian Way, the original Roman road,
uncovered in the main Plaza

Interesting monks line the walls

Work on the Gothic Cathedral began in 1272 and stopped in 1347 when the townspeople refused to remove city walls to finish the nave. They were right as the Hundred Year war made them later necessary. The Cathedral of Saint-Just is very beautiful but clearly truncated. It is the third highest in Europe.
The Archbishop's Palace is right next door and is a huge impressive complex of buildings some dating to the 13th and 14th centuries.
The harbor silted up and the river relocated finishing it as a port in the 14thC and it now lies miles from the sea. We came down with our boat on the Canal de Robine and tied up right in the center of the city for one free night (with electricity and water). The next day after touring the city, we continued down the canal to the Ile de Sainte-Lucie Nature Reserve. This is the beautiful flat delta marsh area where the Narbonne reaches the sea. The island was once a thriving port but is now deserted. Remains of old machines and habitations molder in the woods and there is a museum which hopefully once saw better days.

Beautiful Gothic interior of the Cathedral

The walking paths around the island are terrific. We didn't see a lot of bird life, but Brenda went out early in the morning and saw much more. It was a another spectacular night tied up along the banks of the canal.
We stopped again in Narbonne on our way back up to the Canal de Midi and enjoyed another free night plugged in and more exploration of the city. We saw hardly any tourists here, which was a nice change from Carcassonne.

Scott seems to be walking right into this lovely mural

The streets in the old quarter were very
narrow and almost deserted. Around the
canal it was very busy and cosmopolitan. The
old market place has been renovated and was
packed with lunch time shoppers and people
having lunch. We had a nice conversation with
the butcher who was chopping up our chicken
for a chicken curry (it was a very complete
chicken to start!)

Windswept trees heading down to the sea


As we approached the island only thin banks separated us from the inland salt sea, called here an Etang.


This view from the top of the island shows the canal winding it's way through the Etang - below are the only dwellings still in usable shape. The museum was open and dusty.

Carcassonne

2011-10-12T14:15:00.000-04:00

Carcassonne, the largest intact walled town in Europe, is a fairytale magical kingdom type place and in late October it sustained it's reputation as it wasn't swamped with tourists.

Carcassonne is divided into the fortified walled ancient city and the more expansive ville basse across the river. It was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century, though the Romans had fortified the settlement earlier and settled it in 100 BC. The fortress, which was thoroughly restored in 1853 by Viollet-le-Duc, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997.

Walking around the ramparts was a delight with lots of
arched gates and occasional greenery.

The roman towers are distinguished by their
flatter tops and red brick lines in the stone.

The main entrance and the only gate large enough to
allow cart to enter in ancient times.

We spent several days moored in the Canal and enjoyed both the old city and the new. One night we went in for dinner. The whole city is lit up and is a dramatic sight for sure and it was very romantic walking around the city without the crowds of tourists during the day.
It took a whole day to see most of the sights. There are two sets of walls with the former moat now a walkway/road around the city. Various sizes of towers line the walls, some Roman and others medieval and there are 52 of them overall. Inside is a large fortified castle and keep with two sets of ramparts as well. Both city and castles' entrances are protected as well by huge barbicons. This city was never taken by force, but by siege once. That was during the 11th Century Crusade to wipe out the Cathar religion, which I wrote of in my previous entry on the Cathar Fortresses.

Here the space between the two walls
allows for a "roadway"

Typical dramatic view in a narrower section

One of the most elegant private dwellings inside the city

Basilica of St. Nazaire and St. Celse
seen from the Keep

A glimpse of the city walls from the Keep

A fortress within a fortress, the Trencavel's Chateau Chavel,
is protected with two sets of walls, moat, barbicons etc. and
was built in the

These wooden walkways along the inner
wall of the Keep are reproductions and
show how the archers were able to fire from
protected positions

The Great Hall was on the second floor here (when the floors
existed) and the huge fireplace is on the left further down.

The slate roofed medieval towers were reconstructed with
pointed roofs by Violette-le-Duc. It's debatable whether this
is historically correct, but it sure is attractive.

The Basilica is quite lovely with beautiful stained glass windows and lots of leering gargolyes. We were lucky to hear a choral group of men from Romania sing chants during our visit. This Basilica was consecrated in 1096 and was formerly the Cathedral, now in the lower city. The Gothic addition is seen here with it's beautiful tall stained glass windows.

The exterior of the Basilica was also
renovated but these gargoyles look properly
weathered (and scary).

This is just the Barbicon for the Castle within the city

We were not attracted by the multiple tourist souvenir
shops but as usual marveled at the food markets.

Two views of the narrow streets within the
city. We came at the right time of year.