The Sunday night concert of the Bach Cello Suites performed by Joshua Roman was amazing beyond any imagining. It was a quite remarkable tour de force just to do it in one concert, but musically and depth-wise it was incredible. He played 1 and 2, we had a 15 minute intermission and he played 3. Then there was a two-hour dinner break. Larry came and picked up me and our friends Lynn and John Williams and we went to Cafe Presse on 12th and Madison. (A great place if you're pining away for France!) The concert resumed with 4 and 5, again followed by a 15 minute intermission, and then 6. Although he must have been way tired (even for a 27-something) at the end, the whole performance was riveting. I realized in the middle of the 2nd that I had better move my head or my neck was going to freeze in place! We are very glad we were there for what will be remembered as one of those very special musical evenings. There are several young performers who are finding great meaning in playing Bach, and doing it beautifully. It was often considered the realm of the "mature" musician. But Mr. Roman certainly proved otherwise Sunday night. And Hilary Hahn is just the best for the unaccompanied violin pieces. And I particularly like Simone Dinnerstein's recording of the Goldberg Variations. They all have such great energy to bring to these profound and complex works. Mr. Bach would be very happy, I think. Maybe he is!
I am still reading my way through Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins books - just can't help myself! They get better as he goes along. His historical stuff is so well researched that I also learn a lot as I go. I love novels where you learn things - then you feel just fine reading fiction. (I wouldn't need to learn things to do that.) Anyway, the good news on the fiction front generally is that Hilary Mantel's sequel to Wolf Hall is coming out in the Fall. Yippee! The title is Bring Up the Bodies. Sounds cheerful. But what a writer!
I did take a break from Merrily Watkins to read The Help. (Downloading ebooks for my Kindle from the library is way cool!) I thought I should read it because it has been so popular, but that also makes me skeptical. It was very good. It dealt with such painful topics with fluency and grace. And it is a great story. It was nice to learn that the author had similar experiences. But I think she could have told the story - or stories - even without that extra life foundation. I just heard of a book (non-fiction) about African-American women moving north after the Civil War. The title is The Warmth of Other Suns and sounds quite compelling. Do comment if you've read it or heard about it.
Tomorrow we can open our Advent calendars! If you don't have it, check out the Jacquie Lawson online version. All happens in London! Hooray!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Advent 1
Here it is the first Sunday in Advent. Seattle wears its normal Advent garb: rain, rain, rain. But the first candle is lit and we pray for Immanuel to be God-with-us once again.
At the end of worship at Phinney Ridge today we sang this verse:
Can it be that from our endings,
new beginnings you create?
Life from death, and from our rendings,
realms of wholeness generate?
Take our fears, then, Lord and turn them
into hopes for life anew:
With this light, and with our witness,
through us let the world see you.
-Dean W. Nelson
This is a nice Bach day as well. It started, as I have on this Sunday for 40+ years, with listening to Bach's Cantata 140: Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying. Now this afternoon I'm going with friends to hear all six of the cello suites. Joshua Roman, the young former principal cellist with the Seattle Symphony is doing them. He'll play three, then we get a break for dinner, then come back for the other three. It's a little too much Bach for Larry, so he'll come and join us for dinner.
Happy Advent!
At the end of worship at Phinney Ridge today we sang this verse:
Can it be that from our endings,
new beginnings you create?
Life from death, and from our rendings,
realms of wholeness generate?
Take our fears, then, Lord and turn them
into hopes for life anew:
With this light, and with our witness,
through us let the world see you.
-Dean W. Nelson
This is a nice Bach day as well. It started, as I have on this Sunday for 40+ years, with listening to Bach's Cantata 140: Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying. Now this afternoon I'm going with friends to hear all six of the cello suites. Joshua Roman, the young former principal cellist with the Seattle Symphony is doing them. He'll play three, then we get a break for dinner, then come back for the other three. It's a little too much Bach for Larry, so he'll come and join us for dinner.
Happy Advent!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Tofino
We're on the last day of a two-week stay in Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. This is our 17th year staying at Chesterman Beach Bed and Breakfast. When we first came in 1995, it was a back-up plan to an earlier attempt to stay in another Vancouver Island town. We were looking for a remote ocean-side area, and it looked like somewhere around Barkley Sound would be ideal. Looking through Northwest Best Places (no internet searches or Trip Advisor then!), we saw an interesting lodge in Bamfield, on the south side of Barkley Sound. I tried calling a few times and got no response. Finally, shortly after Christmas, we got a call from the new owners of the place. He said that he and his partner had just bought it, they were doing some remodeling, and they hoped to be up and running by summer. And they were pretty sure they'd have food. Well, if you take a look at where Bamfield is - here's a link to a map: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl - we thought we might want to try something a little more secure in the food area. So, going back to Northwest Best Places, we checked out the other options. We read about Chesterman Beach Bed and Breakfast and thought it sounded pretty good. We called and made a reservation. For these 17 years now it has been our ideal vacation place.
This is the first B and B on Chesterman Beach. The original owner, Joan Dublanko, came to Tofino with a backpack from her home in Michigan in 1972 and stayed. She had various jobs, including commercial fishing. She was briefly married and had a daughter, Angela. She bought this property on Chesterman Beach - miles of beautiful, sandy beach - and first built a small house. This is now the Garden Cottage, and is where we are staying on this visit. She then built a house nearer the beach, eventually turning that into another guest accommodation (Ocean Breeze) and building on top of it for her own residence. In 1984 she started her B and B business. She added another building, a garage with another smaller accommodation off the top floor of the house. That's Lookout, and is the place where we normally stay. Lookout doesn't have a kitchen, so when we stay longer than a week we rent the cottage with a full kitchen.
In 2003 Joan sold the business to a couple from San Francisco, Todd Byrnes and Lynda Kaye. We were worried when Joan told us she would sell, fearing the place would change too much under new owners. But they have been just perfect, updating the facilities in character with the whole place. From the get-go they have been active and supportive members of the Tofino community, which we greatly appreciate. So it is still a delight to come here year after year.
This year Larry has been writing a book about the history of the Environmental Test Labs at Boeing where he worked for his career. We usually bring work and projects, and find this to be a fine place to do focused things like write. This trip I've been doing computer file clean-up (ugh) and totally immersing myself in Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins novels. (See previous post.) Very dangerous books if you want to accomplish anything else!
We enjoy Tofino for still being a small fishing/timber/First Nations town, and the way those things have accommodated a burgeoning tourist industry. And there are lots of lovely places to eat - there is great cooking in Tofino! We always eat once at The Pointe, an excellent place at the upscale Wickanninish Inn. This year we've enjoyed Spotted Bear for breakfast, the really good food at the take-out Wildside Grill (owned and run by the two guys that catch the fish!), and the new Red Can Gourmet which has fab pizza and the best Nanaimo bars I've ever eaten! We collect Northwest Native art, and Tofino (especially the House of Himwitsa) has been a wonderful source for our collection.
Most times we've done hiking and kayaking and a boat trip or two, and sometimes golf at the Long Beach Golf Course with its deer and bear rules! We enjoy watching the loads of surfers on the beach (this is big surfing territory), and every day has at least one beach walk, whatever the weather. Sometimes we've coordinated our stay with the tide table to make sure we're here for very low tides so we can really explore the ocean life. We haven't been able to do that this year (one low tide was +6 feet!) but we enjoy the beach every day. Here's a beach sunset picture Larry took on this trip:
This is the first B and B on Chesterman Beach. The original owner, Joan Dublanko, came to Tofino with a backpack from her home in Michigan in 1972 and stayed. She had various jobs, including commercial fishing. She was briefly married and had a daughter, Angela. She bought this property on Chesterman Beach - miles of beautiful, sandy beach - and first built a small house. This is now the Garden Cottage, and is where we are staying on this visit. She then built a house nearer the beach, eventually turning that into another guest accommodation (Ocean Breeze) and building on top of it for her own residence. In 1984 she started her B and B business. She added another building, a garage with another smaller accommodation off the top floor of the house. That's Lookout, and is the place where we normally stay. Lookout doesn't have a kitchen, so when we stay longer than a week we rent the cottage with a full kitchen.
In 2003 Joan sold the business to a couple from San Francisco, Todd Byrnes and Lynda Kaye. We were worried when Joan told us she would sell, fearing the place would change too much under new owners. But they have been just perfect, updating the facilities in character with the whole place. From the get-go they have been active and supportive members of the Tofino community, which we greatly appreciate. So it is still a delight to come here year after year.
This year Larry has been writing a book about the history of the Environmental Test Labs at Boeing where he worked for his career. We usually bring work and projects, and find this to be a fine place to do focused things like write. This trip I've been doing computer file clean-up (ugh) and totally immersing myself in Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins novels. (See previous post.) Very dangerous books if you want to accomplish anything else!
We enjoy Tofino for still being a small fishing/timber/First Nations town, and the way those things have accommodated a burgeoning tourist industry. And there are lots of lovely places to eat - there is great cooking in Tofino! We always eat once at The Pointe, an excellent place at the upscale Wickanninish Inn. This year we've enjoyed Spotted Bear for breakfast, the really good food at the take-out Wildside Grill (owned and run by the two guys that catch the fish!), and the new Red Can Gourmet which has fab pizza and the best Nanaimo bars I've ever eaten! We collect Northwest Native art, and Tofino (especially the House of Himwitsa) has been a wonderful source for our collection.
Most times we've done hiking and kayaking and a boat trip or two, and sometimes golf at the Long Beach Golf Course with its deer and bear rules! We enjoy watching the loads of surfers on the beach (this is big surfing territory), and every day has at least one beach walk, whatever the weather. Sometimes we've coordinated our stay with the tide table to make sure we're here for very low tides so we can really explore the ocean life. We haven't been able to do that this year (one low tide was +6 feet!) but we enjoy the beach every day. Here's a beach sunset picture Larry took on this trip:
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Starting Again
Well, it always seems as if I'm starting again on writing this blog. I promised myself I would do it on 1 September, and I'm glad to keep that promise, at least to myself!
I'll have to work backwards through the summer, with many things that made the season interesting: people, books, travel. This last Sunday night and Monday we were with our friends the Steebers at the home they are building in Leavenworth. It was a beautiful evening, with a lovely meal with other old Holden friends Ron and Nancy Vignec, Barb Rossing and Lauren Johnson, and Barb's youngest sister Mary, who is the mayor of Northfield, Minnesota! We sat out on the deck over a terrific dinner of lamb done on the grill, and had wonderful conversation about life and faith and church. Here's a picture from our time together:
On Monday Greg and Mary and I went tubing on the river, which was really fun! We got a bit wet, but it was well worth it. Here's a photo from our expotition:
The red and green paddles are frisbees. Works pretty well.
Larry had been to Holden to do some museum work. He went up last Wednesday. Pat went with him and they did a little hiking for a couple days. So the complicated car exchange went like this:
Pat brought the Checker to our house and rode over with Larry. Pat came out of Holden on Friday in time for his 20th high school reunion and for Nico's 4th birthday on Saturday. He drove the green van back to our house and took his car. On Sunday I drove over to Field's Point to pick up Larry, and we went to Leavenworth. We finally both arrived home on Monday evening. It was an action-packed and eventful few days!
I am currently reading the fourth novel in Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins series. Merrily is an Anglican priest who is also the diocesan exorcist! The first novel, Wine of Angels, didn't really impress me very much, and I thought the Rev. Watkins was a bit "wet" as the English say. But the second volume, Midwinter of the Spirit hooked me, and I find the whole series quite engrossing. Although they are big books, they are quick reads with fast-paced story lines. The ecclesiastical stuff makes a lot of sense. It all takes place in Hereford near the Welsh border, and he uses real places and real stories of those places, which I like a lot. So I'd recommend these novels. The third is A Crown of Lights and the one I am currently reading is The Cure of Souls. Merrily also has a 16 year-old daughter, Jane, who is a very good character. After The Cure of Souls there are six more. They are not very easily available, although they are recent. Not many printings, I guess. I had hoped to pick up a few when we were in England in May, but even at Foyles they didn't have any, and the few they had had been ordered from America even though they were printed in England! The weird anomalies of book publishing. Rumor has it they are all about to be reprinted.
Speaking of England, I did pick a great new author there. The name is Nicola Upson, and her three mysteries are An Expert in Murder, Angel with Two Faces, and Two for Sorrow. These take place in the 1930's in England, and the protagonist is Josephine Tey (pen name of Elizabeth Mackintosh), most famous for her mystery The Daughter of Time. They are well done, although a touch pedantic at times. They are also based on real cases of the era, and the historical setting is excellent. I have always been interested in the women of that time (Dorothy L. Sayers being one), and these novels give another perspective in that context.
More coming up on the adventures of the summer! Happy September.
I'll have to work backwards through the summer, with many things that made the season interesting: people, books, travel. This last Sunday night and Monday we were with our friends the Steebers at the home they are building in Leavenworth. It was a beautiful evening, with a lovely meal with other old Holden friends Ron and Nancy Vignec, Barb Rossing and Lauren Johnson, and Barb's youngest sister Mary, who is the mayor of Northfield, Minnesota! We sat out on the deck over a terrific dinner of lamb done on the grill, and had wonderful conversation about life and faith and church. Here's a picture from our time together:
On Monday Greg and Mary and I went tubing on the river, which was really fun! We got a bit wet, but it was well worth it. Here's a photo from our expotition:
The red and green paddles are frisbees. Works pretty well.
Larry had been to Holden to do some museum work. He went up last Wednesday. Pat went with him and they did a little hiking for a couple days. So the complicated car exchange went like this:
Pat brought the Checker to our house and rode over with Larry. Pat came out of Holden on Friday in time for his 20th high school reunion and for Nico's 4th birthday on Saturday. He drove the green van back to our house and took his car. On Sunday I drove over to Field's Point to pick up Larry, and we went to Leavenworth. We finally both arrived home on Monday evening. It was an action-packed and eventful few days!
I am currently reading the fourth novel in Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins series. Merrily is an Anglican priest who is also the diocesan exorcist! The first novel, Wine of Angels, didn't really impress me very much, and I thought the Rev. Watkins was a bit "wet" as the English say. But the second volume, Midwinter of the Spirit hooked me, and I find the whole series quite engrossing. Although they are big books, they are quick reads with fast-paced story lines. The ecclesiastical stuff makes a lot of sense. It all takes place in Hereford near the Welsh border, and he uses real places and real stories of those places, which I like a lot. So I'd recommend these novels. The third is A Crown of Lights and the one I am currently reading is The Cure of Souls. Merrily also has a 16 year-old daughter, Jane, who is a very good character. After The Cure of Souls there are six more. They are not very easily available, although they are recent. Not many printings, I guess. I had hoped to pick up a few when we were in England in May, but even at Foyles they didn't have any, and the few they had had been ordered from America even though they were printed in England! The weird anomalies of book publishing. Rumor has it they are all about to be reprinted.
Speaking of England, I did pick a great new author there. The name is Nicola Upson, and her three mysteries are An Expert in Murder, Angel with Two Faces, and Two for Sorrow. These take place in the 1930's in England, and the protagonist is Josephine Tey (pen name of Elizabeth Mackintosh), most famous for her mystery The Daughter of Time. They are well done, although a touch pedantic at times. They are also based on real cases of the era, and the historical setting is excellent. I have always been interested in the women of that time (Dorothy L. Sayers being one), and these novels give another perspective in that context.
More coming up on the adventures of the summer! Happy September.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wedding Road Trip, Day 3
We drove from Billings to Fargo - a long day, but a good one. We followed the trail of river flooding throughout eastern Montana and North Dakota. The amount of water everywhere is incredible. It is like North Dakota has become the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes instead of Minnesota. And the wind! 40 mph everywhere. We stopped at one place to switch drivers, and when I opened the driver door it about blew off! Fortunately the wind was at our back the whole time. The car clocked some pretty heady mpg scores - 63 once!
Today was the 40th anniversary of the first time I went to Holden Village. I went to be on Volunteer Staff for three weeks and stayed for eleven. It was a simple idea by a friend in Tacoma, and it shaped the rest of my life. Amazing to think about for me.
Tomorrow we head first to St. Paul where I have a meeting re: candidacy work, and then down to Stockholm to Paul and Carol Hinderlie's Should be fun!
Today was the 40th anniversary of the first time I went to Holden Village. I went to be on Volunteer Staff for three weeks and stayed for eleven. It was a simple idea by a friend in Tacoma, and it shaped the rest of my life. Amazing to think about for me.
Tomorrow we head first to St. Paul where I have a meeting re: candidacy work, and then down to Stockholm to Paul and Carol Hinderlie's Should be fun!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wedding Road Trip, Day 2
We had a beautiful drive today through western Montana, albeit a wet and rainy one. The amount of mountain run-off into the main rivers is huge. The flooding, particularly along the Yellowstone River is significant. We kept commenting about the amount of water. Although it had compromised the roads from time to time (not so much on the freeway, except for one place east of Livingston), it was mostly the water just standing in fields and forest. It was everywhere. Due to the floodinng, we have had to change our travel plans. Instead of driving US 212 through northern South Dakota, or even US 12 (just slightly farther north) we'll have to stay on I-94. There are too many closures due to the flooding. But this is lovely country, and we've enjoyed the scenery and the animals - wild and domestic! Lots of deer, cattle, and sheep.
Tonight we're in Billings. We tried twice to go to local restaurants but they were both closed for Memorial Day! That's nice for their employees. So we ended up having burgers at Fuddruckers. They were very good.
That's it for today.
Tonight we're in Billings. We tried twice to go to local restaurants but they were both closed for Memorial Day! That's nice for their employees. So we ended up having burgers at Fuddruckers. They were very good.
That's it for today.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
On the Road Again
It's been almost three weeks since we returned from our Europe trip. (What trip? Did we go on a trip? ) They've been busy days, and now we're heading east for Minnesota/Wisconsin. I'm presiding at the wedding of my goddaughter Annelisa Steeber in St. Paul next Saturday. We'll be staying with Hinderlies down the river in Stockholm, Wisconsin, and driving up and down the Mississippi to do all the wedding stuff. Should be lots of fun.
Tonight we are in Couer d'Alene, Idaho. A favorite restaurant (The Wine Cellar) is not open on Sunday, so we tried a place called Scratch. It was very good! We had a lovely meal. The only downside was that they can't spell. The menu was full of misspellings! I might be being too picky here, but it kind of shows a lack of attention to detail. The food was terrific, and there was no detail deficit there. But they could spell the items correctly - just adds a nice touch, don't you think?
Tomorrow we drive through flood-ridden western Montana. If you've driven this route, you know I-90 crosses the Clark Fork something like 14 times. From the news it sounds like that river has run over its banks almost everywhere. Parts of West Missoula have been evacuated. Should be an interesting drive.
Tonight we are in Couer d'Alene, Idaho. A favorite restaurant (The Wine Cellar) is not open on Sunday, so we tried a place called Scratch. It was very good! We had a lovely meal. The only downside was that they can't spell. The menu was full of misspellings! I might be being too picky here, but it kind of shows a lack of attention to detail. The food was terrific, and there was no detail deficit there. But they could spell the items correctly - just adds a nice touch, don't you think?
Tomorrow we drive through flood-ridden western Montana. If you've driven this route, you know I-90 crosses the Clark Fork something like 14 times. From the news it sounds like that river has run over its banks almost everywhere. Parts of West Missoula have been evacuated. Should be an interesting drive.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
London to Seattle
Our day started with breakfast and breakage - while (or, as the English would say, whilst) putting a small drinking glass in the dishwasher, it slipped from my hand and landed on the tile floor and shattered into a thousand pieces all over the small kitchen. What a mess! So we spent the next 15 minutes getting that all cleaned up. Amazing how many places it went!
We finally got to breakfast and to packing. The packing got done, some thank-you notes were written, and I went out to post the cards while Larry did the hand dishes. When I came back, I heard a cry from the kitchen. Larry had broken an egg cup whilst doing the dishes! No bleeding, but a knuckle cut. We put a band-aid (plaster) on it, and got on with our departure preparations!
About a half hour before the car to the airport arrived, there was a knock on our door and our landlord (lives in the flat above) came and introduced himself. (He had been gone for several days, and the flat arrangements are through an agency.) His name is Charles Bingham, and we are very glad we met him. A very nice man. We told him about the breakage, and besides it being no problem at all (we assumed that to be the case), when we showed him which glass broke he told us they had been his grandmother's martini (make that gin and it) glasses! She must have liked her gin! The glasses aren't that small!
The driver took a lovely back route to Heathrow, so we were able to enjoy some more of London streets on a beautiful day. Now we are awaiting our flight. We have had an amazing and wonderful trip, and at the same time it will be very good to be home.
There will be more blog posts in the next few days - lessons learned, travel tips, some more pictures, and books. Stay tuned!
We finally got to breakfast and to packing. The packing got done, some thank-you notes were written, and I went out to post the cards while Larry did the hand dishes. When I came back, I heard a cry from the kitchen. Larry had broken an egg cup whilst doing the dishes! No bleeding, but a knuckle cut. We put a band-aid (plaster) on it, and got on with our departure preparations!
About a half hour before the car to the airport arrived, there was a knock on our door and our landlord (lives in the flat above) came and introduced himself. (He had been gone for several days, and the flat arrangements are through an agency.) His name is Charles Bingham, and we are very glad we met him. A very nice man. We told him about the breakage, and besides it being no problem at all (we assumed that to be the case), when we showed him which glass broke he told us they had been his grandmother's martini (make that gin and it) glasses! She must have liked her gin! The glasses aren't that small!
The driver took a lovely back route to Heathrow, so we were able to enjoy some more of London streets on a beautiful day. Now we are awaiting our flight. We have had an amazing and wonderful trip, and at the same time it will be very good to be home.
There will be more blog posts in the next few days - lessons learned, travel tips, some more pictures, and books. Stay tuned!
Monday, May 9, 2011
London, Day 7
This morning we went to the home of my old King's Singers friend Alastair Hume for coffee. We had a wonderful 2.5 hours of conversation - and a lot of coffee and chocolate digestive biscuits!
We walked back toward Angel Tube Station along the Regent Canal, which is a block or so behind the Hume's Islington home.
We took the train to Waterloo and walked to Lambeth, where Larry was able to talk to someone from the Library about the best way to find out more information about his putative archepiscopal ancestor. (Thought I'd use putative in a complete sentence once more and then throw in archepiscopal!)
We walked back to Westminster Bridge along the Southbank Embankment with its great views of the Houses of Parliament and the boats on the Thames. (It's the place where all the US London reporters stand!)
We took the Tube back towards the flat. When we arrived, Larry went to Holland Park to try to find the head gardener to get some iris names while I went to the computer to check us for our flight home. I went out and did a couple errands, and now we are organizing and packing to go home!
We walked back toward Angel Tube Station along the Regent Canal, which is a block or so behind the Hume's Islington home.
We took the train to Waterloo and walked to Lambeth, where Larry was able to talk to someone from the Library about the best way to find out more information about his putative archepiscopal ancestor. (Thought I'd use putative in a complete sentence once more and then throw in archepiscopal!)We walked back to Westminster Bridge along the Southbank Embankment with its great views of the Houses of Parliament and the boats on the Thames. (It's the place where all the US London reporters stand!)
We took the Tube back towards the flat. When we arrived, Larry went to Holland Park to try to find the head gardener to get some iris names while I went to the computer to check us for our flight home. I went out and did a couple errands, and now we are organizing and packing to go home!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
London, Day 6
When we talked about going to worship this morning, we had thought about heading out to St. Paul's for one of their wonderful orchestra masses, but we opted instead for the local church, St. James Norlands.
We're very glad we did! It is a small but lively community, and the liturgy and preaching were very good. It was wild with children! Lots of energy. I had looked at their website and was really drawn to the place. Their them is Breaking bread, sharing God. Perfect for this day with the Road to Emmaus text. You can click here to look at their website.
After church we came back to the flat for a while, and then went out for Sunday lunch at a place called Chimes of Pimlico. We'd heard about this being a good place for English food, and we enjoyed our glasses of cider and West Country Cidered Cod and Haddock. Very good.
After lunch we walked looking for flowers. It really is in between blooming seasons! We saw lots of dead tulips in St. James Park and the Embankment Gardens! We did find a statue of William Tyndale, which was pretty cool.
There is a really great book about Tyndale: God's Bestseller by Brian Moynahan. It is out of print (only published in 2003) but you can find it used at amazon.com and probably in libraries. It is well worth reading.
And, speaking of books, we caught the Tube at Embankment and went to Leicester Square to go to Blackwell's and Foyles. (For those of you in the know about London, the Tottenham Court Station is closed until 2012 for a huge remodel.) We bought a couple books, and walked along Oxford Street to the Oxford Circus station, and then back to Holland Park. We stopped and picked up a couple things for our last two days. We also decided we needed ice cream to go with the strawberries we'd bought on Saturday at the market! The local gelato shop was swamped! But we had fun standing in line with parents and children and grandparents and young adults and teenagers from all over the world, all just hungry for delicious ice cream on a warm Sunday afternoon. We finally got our ice cream and headed back to the flat. Another fun and interesting day in London.
We're very glad we did! It is a small but lively community, and the liturgy and preaching were very good. It was wild with children! Lots of energy. I had looked at their website and was really drawn to the place. Their them is Breaking bread, sharing God. Perfect for this day with the Road to Emmaus text. You can click here to look at their website.After church we came back to the flat for a while, and then went out for Sunday lunch at a place called Chimes of Pimlico. We'd heard about this being a good place for English food, and we enjoyed our glasses of cider and West Country Cidered Cod and Haddock. Very good.
After lunch we walked looking for flowers. It really is in between blooming seasons! We saw lots of dead tulips in St. James Park and the Embankment Gardens! We did find a statue of William Tyndale, which was pretty cool.
There is a really great book about Tyndale: God's Bestseller by Brian Moynahan. It is out of print (only published in 2003) but you can find it used at amazon.com and probably in libraries. It is well worth reading.And, speaking of books, we caught the Tube at Embankment and went to Leicester Square to go to Blackwell's and Foyles. (For those of you in the know about London, the Tottenham Court Station is closed until 2012 for a huge remodel.) We bought a couple books, and walked along Oxford Street to the Oxford Circus station, and then back to Holland Park. We stopped and picked up a couple things for our last two days. We also decided we needed ice cream to go with the strawberries we'd bought on Saturday at the market! The local gelato shop was swamped! But we had fun standing in line with parents and children and grandparents and young adults and teenagers from all over the world, all just hungry for delicious ice cream on a warm Sunday afternoon. We finally got our ice cream and headed back to the flat. Another fun and interesting day in London.
London, Day 5
After a leisurely morning getting caught up on logs and blogs and continuing to do some of the things that need doing at the end of the trip, we headed out for Portobello Road and the famous antiques market that has happened every Saturday for a very long time. It is quite close to where we are staying. We walked up the road to Notting Hill Gate and followed the massive crowds to the market street. Even with the crowds, it was a lot of fun, with lots of good people-watching!
After going to the market we went to a shop in Sloane Square, and then headed back to the flat via the meat market in our neighborhood. We bought two meat pies - one with lamb, one with chicken. We heated them in the over and ate them - well, half of them - with fresh asparagus we'd bought at the market. Yum! We'll repeat with the leftovers on Monday night.
London, Day 4
We got up early on Friday and headed out to Hampton Court. I had been there in 2008, and Larry really wanted to see those kitchens up close and personal! And they are indeed impressive. It's the first place you go on the tour of this magnificent palace that belonged to Henry VIII. And Henry and Anne Boleyn were there to greet us!
It's interesting to learn about the real efficiencies of 16th century cooking - they really knew how to turn out food for 1000 people! There are food historians that specifically work here to determine what the patterns and benefits of Tudor cooking, and see what we can learn about it. One commentator on the audio said that this Tudor "stove" was terrifically efficient, with places for storing wood and receiving ashes under the cooking pots, so that the whole thing could be in continual use.
Here's the big fire for roasting meat:
We did the kitchens, Henry the VIII's apartments and the William and Mary apartments. In the middle of it all there was a fire alarm and everyone had to evacuate! We were impressed by the smooth and non-excited way in which it was all handled.
We really wanted to get out into the gardens to see if anything was in bloom. We tried out the famous maze and never found the center. We did, however, get out again! Larry did find irises in bloom and took lots of pictures. But the real bonus was finding the real name of one of the Holden irises - he was ecstatic! Here's the iris called Sunset at Holden and really called Harriet Holloway.
We took the train back to London after a wonderful day. We made another effort (there had been others) to find an Indian restaurant somewhere near our flat. One of the fun things about London is great Indian food. But we seem to be in an Indian food challenged zone in this great city. So we went to M&S Simply Food (Marks and Spencer, Marks and Sparks) to get some stuff to heat up for dinner. And, lo and behold, there was a whole Indian food section! So we got our Indian take-away after all. It was pretty good!
It's interesting to learn about the real efficiencies of 16th century cooking - they really knew how to turn out food for 1000 people! There are food historians that specifically work here to determine what the patterns and benefits of Tudor cooking, and see what we can learn about it. One commentator on the audio said that this Tudor "stove" was terrifically efficient, with places for storing wood and receiving ashes under the cooking pots, so that the whole thing could be in continual use.
Here's the big fire for roasting meat:
We did the kitchens, Henry the VIII's apartments and the William and Mary apartments. In the middle of it all there was a fire alarm and everyone had to evacuate! We were impressed by the smooth and non-excited way in which it was all handled.
We really wanted to get out into the gardens to see if anything was in bloom. We tried out the famous maze and never found the center. We did, however, get out again! Larry did find irises in bloom and took lots of pictures. But the real bonus was finding the real name of one of the Holden irises - he was ecstatic! Here's the iris called Sunset at Holden and really called Harriet Holloway.
We took the train back to London after a wonderful day. We made another effort (there had been others) to find an Indian restaurant somewhere near our flat. One of the fun things about London is great Indian food. But we seem to be in an Indian food challenged zone in this great city. So we went to M&S Simply Food (Marks and Spencer, Marks and Sparks) to get some stuff to heat up for dinner. And, lo and behold, there was a whole Indian food section! So we got our Indian take-away after all. It was pretty good!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
London, Day 3
On Thursday we had a leisurely morning. Larry went out and took some pictures of the Royal Crescent Gardens that go with the row of houses that includes our flat.
On Tuesday we had walked through Holland Park, the local big park, and had seen lots of irises. So Larry went there and took some more iris pictures:
He found some other lovely things along the way.
In the afternoon we went to the Foundlings Museum near Russell Square. This tells the story of the Foundling Hospital that was started in the 18th century by Thomas Coram with the assistance of the painter William Hogarth and the composer G. F. Handel. It is a wonderful story, and has carried on over all these years in the Coram Foundati0n. You can read more about it here. When the original hospital was destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century, the people of London put up such a fuss that the site was made into a children's park called Coram Fields. There is a sign on the gate that says no adult can enter without a child.
From there we walked to St. Paul's Cathedral. (Yes, Larry it's only 15 minutes - well, 45!) This day would have been my mother's 100th birthday. She was a church organist, and there was an organ recital at St. Paul's that evening. The organist was Henry Faris from the University of Birmingham, and his program was four fantasies by Alain, Franck, Boely, and Liszt. It was really fine. There is also a special connection with my mother and St. Paul's that will have to wait for another posting!
Here is a great shot of St. Paul's from the midst of the new Temple Bar buildings:
We stopped for dinner in Notting Hill Gate on the way home. Another nice day.
On Tuesday we had walked through Holland Park, the local big park, and had seen lots of irises. So Larry went there and took some more iris pictures:
He found some other lovely things along the way.
In the afternoon we went to the Foundlings Museum near Russell Square. This tells the story of the Foundling Hospital that was started in the 18th century by Thomas Coram with the assistance of the painter William Hogarth and the composer G. F. Handel. It is a wonderful story, and has carried on over all these years in the Coram Foundati0n. You can read more about it here. When the original hospital was destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century, the people of London put up such a fuss that the site was made into a children's park called Coram Fields. There is a sign on the gate that says no adult can enter without a child.From there we walked to St. Paul's Cathedral. (Yes, Larry it's only 15 minutes - well, 45!) This day would have been my mother's 100th birthday. She was a church organist, and there was an organ recital at St. Paul's that evening. The organist was Henry Faris from the University of Birmingham, and his program was four fantasies by Alain, Franck, Boely, and Liszt. It was really fine. There is also a special connection with my mother and St. Paul's that will have to wait for another posting!
Here is a great shot of St. Paul's from the midst of the new Temple Bar buildings:
We stopped for dinner in Notting Hill Gate on the way home. Another nice day.
London, Day 2
Today we went to visit the Royal Botanical Garden at Kew. The Director of the Herbarium, Library, Art, and Archives section is Dr. David Mabberly who was, for about four years, Director of the University of Washington Botanical Gardens where Larry volunteers. (When he's in Seattle!) Larry had contacted him before we left, and he graciously invited us to lunch and tour of his domain.
We met him at 12:30 and saw the amazing collection (where the 8 million plant specimens are housed ) in the Herbarium. They are in the process of updating everything from the 19th and 20th century storage to 21st century protocols. It was fascinating to walk through it all with him and get such a concise and clear history of everything. It is quite a complex, and a complicated process. They get 50,000 new specimens each year!
He took us to lunch at the local pub, and we had a lovely conversation about Seattle, England, and Sydney Australia where he is headed in August. He then took us into the gardens and introduced us to the Kew iris expert, Richard Wilford. He was a very nice man who took us all through the places where irises are planted and shared lots of information with Larry. Sadly, England had a very early Spring, so we are here in between bloom times for just about everything. Here's a picture of Richard Wilford and Larry in the rock gardens:
He also took us into the greenhouses where we saw how they care for each specie bulb. They've also been part of a bulb conservation effort as part of the global effort to monitor bulb marketing. Here they are in the greenhouse:
We did a few more things in Kew and then headed back to Holland Park. It was a unique and informative day!
We met him at 12:30 and saw the amazing collection (where the 8 million plant specimens are housed ) in the Herbarium. They are in the process of updating everything from the 19th and 20th century storage to 21st century protocols. It was fascinating to walk through it all with him and get such a concise and clear history of everything. It is quite a complex, and a complicated process. They get 50,000 new specimens each year!
He took us to lunch at the local pub, and we had a lovely conversation about Seattle, England, and Sydney Australia where he is headed in August. He then took us into the gardens and introduced us to the Kew iris expert, Richard Wilford. He was a very nice man who took us all through the places where irises are planted and shared lots of information with Larry. Sadly, England had a very early Spring, so we are here in between bloom times for just about everything. Here's a picture of Richard Wilford and Larry in the rock gardens:
He also took us into the greenhouses where we saw how they care for each specie bulb. They've also been part of a bulb conservation effort as part of the global effort to monitor bulb marketing. Here they are in the greenhouse:
We did a few more things in Kew and then headed back to Holland Park. It was a unique and informative day!
Burgundy to Lille to London
Our journey out of Cluny was a bucolic drive in the rich and beautiful Burgundian countryside. We saw lots of cows, and the villages along the way were planted everywhere with irises. We pulled over often so Larry could take iris pictures.
We finally had to leave the country roads and get on the freeway to continue our journey north. It was a long day, but the scenery, ever-changing, was interesting and full of the wonderful greens of spring.
We eventually arrived at Lille, just in time for rush hour! We made our way (with some GPS struggles - mostly operator error) to our hotel. We found a good local place for dinner - although Larry found the Belgian/Alsatian meats in aspic (cold) to not be quite what he had in mind!
In the morning we did some reconnoitering at the train station for our car drop-off. This was not particularly smooth as the people who were supposed to meet us to pick up the car spoke almost no English. French baffles me (we often wished we could have channeled Kathy Brandstetter!), even with some language skill. We finally had the clerk at our hotel translate for us on the phone. In the end we successfully parked the car, met the local agents, said good-bye to our little Peugeot.
We waited a bit in the station before they started the check-in for the Eurostar to London. The train trip was uneventful. When we first went through the Channel Tunnel in 1998, they made a big deal about announcing when the train was entering the tunnel and when it had come out. Now it's done without comment.
We arrived at the new Eurostar station at St. Pancras and got a cab to our flat. We arrived at just the right time, and were very pleased to see the place where we would spend the next week. It's a flat off the normal tourist routes. (When I gave the cab driver the address, he asked if we had family in London - good indicator of our location!) It is in Holland Park, and very pleasant indeed. We had heard that there was a London Whole Foods nearby, so we set off for there just for the fun of it. It was a lot farther than I thought, but we had a lovely walk in the whole area, and I am always happy to have London pavement under my feet! We returned to the flat with our food, got organized there, and in the evening found our local pub for a pint and some good English food. (It really is good!)
We finally had to leave the country roads and get on the freeway to continue our journey north. It was a long day, but the scenery, ever-changing, was interesting and full of the wonderful greens of spring.We eventually arrived at Lille, just in time for rush hour! We made our way (with some GPS struggles - mostly operator error) to our hotel. We found a good local place for dinner - although Larry found the Belgian/Alsatian meats in aspic (cold) to not be quite what he had in mind!
In the morning we did some reconnoitering at the train station for our car drop-off. This was not particularly smooth as the people who were supposed to meet us to pick up the car spoke almost no English. French baffles me (we often wished we could have channeled Kathy Brandstetter!), even with some language skill. We finally had the clerk at our hotel translate for us on the phone. In the end we successfully parked the car, met the local agents, said good-bye to our little Peugeot.
We waited a bit in the station before they started the check-in for the Eurostar to London. The train trip was uneventful. When we first went through the Channel Tunnel in 1998, they made a big deal about announcing when the train was entering the tunnel and when it had come out. Now it's done without comment.We arrived at the new Eurostar station at St. Pancras and got a cab to our flat. We arrived at just the right time, and were very pleased to see the place where we would spend the next week. It's a flat off the normal tourist routes. (When I gave the cab driver the address, he asked if we had family in London - good indicator of our location!) It is in Holland Park, and very pleasant indeed. We had heard that there was a London Whole Foods nearby, so we set off for there just for the fun of it. It was a lot farther than I thought, but we had a lovely walk in the whole area, and I am always happy to have London pavement under my feet! We returned to the flat with our food, got organized there, and in the evening found our local pub for a pint and some good English food. (It really is good!)
Provence Day 6 into Burgundy
We headed northwest from Nice, going through some now familiar territory by Avignon. The route north took us out of Provence through farmland and mountains, and we eventually came to Cluny in Burgundy. Cluny is the site of a very famous medieval abbey with influence all over Europe. Only a few walls of the abbey are still standing. The historical museum was closed as 1 May is a national holiday in France, so we enjoyed the simple medieval church.
After a good French sidewalk cafe dinner (steak frites et salade), we drove a few km to the community of Taizé for Evening Prayer. For those of you who may not know about Taizé, click here for more information. Here is a picture of the bells that begin to ring 5 minutes before worship:
You sit on the floor on steps in the large but very modern and simple worship space, surrounded by thousands of young adults. (People over 30 cannot visit there more than a week year.) Rick Steves calls the worship space "the place where Lutherans can get over their fear of icons!") We sang new chants and familiar ones in English, French, Latin, German, and Romanian. It was great to have this opportunity to worship at Taize in the Easter season. I had good memories of when I first visited there in 1992 with my friend Joan and her daughters (then 12 and 10) Erin and Annie.
After a good French sidewalk cafe dinner (steak frites et salade), we drove a few km to the community of Taizé for Evening Prayer. For those of you who may not know about Taizé, click here for more information. Here is a picture of the bells that begin to ring 5 minutes before worship:
You sit on the floor on steps in the large but very modern and simple worship space, surrounded by thousands of young adults. (People over 30 cannot visit there more than a week year.) Rick Steves calls the worship space "the place where Lutherans can get over their fear of icons!") We sang new chants and familiar ones in English, French, Latin, German, and Romanian. It was great to have this opportunity to worship at Taize in the Easter season. I had good memories of when I first visited there in 1992 with my friend Joan and her daughters (then 12 and 10) Erin and Annie.
Provence, Days 5 and 6
On this day we said good-bye to Venasque and headed southeast to Cannes. We drove cross country over some amazing geography - high passes, more beautiful roads lined with Sycamore, amazing views and vineyard after vineyard. We had great pizzas for lunch in a little town along the way.
We dropped down into Cannes from Grasse with beautiful views of the sea and all. We found our B and B in the town of Vallauris in the area known as Golfe Juan. It's run by a couple - he's French, she's South African - who for many years did yacht charters in Greece and Turkey, and later in Cannes. They have since sold their boat and have this beautiful spot for a B and B. (And they have great security! Right along the road coming into their place are three big palaces that belong to the King of Saudi Arabia, one of his sons and one of his brothers!) Daniel and Gillian are delightful, and we spent a little time just lounging around by the pool before heading down into Cannes to find dinner. Here's a sunset picture from Port d'Attache, the B and B:
We drove down the hill to Cannes, and spent an hour or so walking around looking at GIGANTIC yachts. Amazing. Here's a picture of Walleen picking their new boat:
Illusion is a good name for it! We had a good dinner and then back to our super secure beds!
The next day was our last traveling with Wally and Eileen, and it was all lots of fun. We took a "group" picture before leaving to take them to the airport in Nice.
We left them at the airport at 11 a.m. for their trip for a week in Lisbon.
We dropped down into Cannes from Grasse with beautiful views of the sea and all. We found our B and B in the town of Vallauris in the area known as Golfe Juan. It's run by a couple - he's French, she's South African - who for many years did yacht charters in Greece and Turkey, and later in Cannes. They have since sold their boat and have this beautiful spot for a B and B. (And they have great security! Right along the road coming into their place are three big palaces that belong to the King of Saudi Arabia, one of his sons and one of his brothers!) Daniel and Gillian are delightful, and we spent a little time just lounging around by the pool before heading down into Cannes to find dinner. Here's a sunset picture from Port d'Attache, the B and B:
We drove down the hill to Cannes, and spent an hour or so walking around looking at GIGANTIC yachts. Amazing. Here's a picture of Walleen picking their new boat:
Illusion is a good name for it! We had a good dinner and then back to our super secure beds!The next day was our last traveling with Wally and Eileen, and it was all lots of fun. We took a "group" picture before leaving to take them to the airport in Nice.
We left them at the airport at 11 a.m. for their trip for a week in Lisbon.
Provence, Day 4
We had a leisurely start to the day, going for a walk after breakfast to see some more of Venasque. We went into the church, which is lovely. It had the most gracious words of welcome any of us had seen in any church that deals with tourists. They made us feel like they wanted us to see their church and learn the history. We then bought a ticket to visit the baptistery, the origins of which are pre-Christian. It was a very simple and quite moving building, where the parish's baptisms are still held. It is also one more tribute to the genius of the Romans in terms of plumbing and engineering! Here is a picture from the baptistery:
After our walk we went back to our B and B and then watched the Royal Wedding in real time! We started with the little TV in Wally and Eileen's room, or "Walleen," as we have come to call them. Then someone discovered that our hosts were watching on a big screen downstairs. They invited us to join them and we had a nice time conversing with them under the incessant French commentary on the television! We learned that Martine had been to London with her family on June 2, 1952 for Elizabeth II's coronation. She was 9 years old, and remembers it well.
After the wedding, we headed out to see some more of the landscape. We drove over a pass through our own local gorges, and dropped down into the town of Gordes where we had a little lunch. In Gordes we saw another "royal wedding" Provencal style.
We then headed out across the opposite valley. We were in the region made famous by Peter Mayle in A Year in Provence. (We learned from Blue Guide Provence that people in the area were so tired of seeing tourists walking about clutching a copy of the book that one local wrote his own book debunking Mayle's claims!)
We headed west a bit to find a couple examples of the local ancient hut, called a borie. These are dry-stone buildings unique to Provence that date back to 4000 BC! Here's a good example not too far southwest of Venasque, outside and in:
We drove back to Venasque through the neighboring village of St. Didier, where we had walked around a little bit the afternoon before. And we ended the day with another fabulous meal at Cafe Fontaine! Yum!
After our walk we went back to our B and B and then watched the Royal Wedding in real time! We started with the little TV in Wally and Eileen's room, or "Walleen," as we have come to call them. Then someone discovered that our hosts were watching on a big screen downstairs. They invited us to join them and we had a nice time conversing with them under the incessant French commentary on the television! We learned that Martine had been to London with her family on June 2, 1952 for Elizabeth II's coronation. She was 9 years old, and remembers it well.After the wedding, we headed out to see some more of the landscape. We drove over a pass through our own local gorges, and dropped down into the town of Gordes where we had a little lunch. In Gordes we saw another "royal wedding" Provencal style.
We then headed out across the opposite valley. We were in the region made famous by Peter Mayle in A Year in Provence. (We learned from Blue Guide Provence that people in the area were so tired of seeing tourists walking about clutching a copy of the book that one local wrote his own book debunking Mayle's claims!)We headed west a bit to find a couple examples of the local ancient hut, called a borie. These are dry-stone buildings unique to Provence that date back to 4000 BC! Here's a good example not too far southwest of Venasque, outside and in:
We drove back to Venasque through the neighboring village of St. Didier, where we had walked around a little bit the afternoon before. And we ended the day with another fabulous meal at Cafe Fontaine! Yum!
Provence, Day 3
When we were driving back to Venasque the day before, we approached Avignon from the west and saw the beautiful view of the old papal city. We decided to make Avignon our destination on this day.
Modern Avignon is a big city, but we did a pretty good job of finding our way to the west side of the old city wall, and even found a free parking spot! We went in through a small portal in the wall and walked through the quiet old streets to a long set of stairs that took us to the top of the essentially big rock where the old city is. From the top there are wonderful views of the Rhone and the surrounding area.
From there we walked into the cathedral, and then stood in line for quite a while to go into the Papal Palace - Palais de Papes. Armed with the requisite audio guides, we toured this amazing building with its long history, and the interesting stories of the seven popes who resided here from 1309 to 1378. (If you want some more history, click here for a Wikipedia article.)
After the palace, we saw a few fun things in the square in front, including this merry-go-round and a terrific elephant sculpture.
We next went to the famous Pont d'Avignon on the Rhone. Here are pictures of the bridge and the view back to the city.
When we got back to Venasque, we eventually went to dinner at one of two possible spots in the village. We had eaten at the hotel the night before and had a good meal and fun time. This night we went to the other place, Cafe Fontaine. It was fabulous. Amazing cooking and a wonderful small menu. It was great. We determined to eat there again the next night, which we did!
Modern Avignon is a big city, but we did a pretty good job of finding our way to the west side of the old city wall, and even found a free parking spot! We went in through a small portal in the wall and walked through the quiet old streets to a long set of stairs that took us to the top of the essentially big rock where the old city is. From the top there are wonderful views of the Rhone and the surrounding area.
From there we walked into the cathedral, and then stood in line for quite a while to go into the Papal Palace - Palais de Papes. Armed with the requisite audio guides, we toured this amazing building with its long history, and the interesting stories of the seven popes who resided here from 1309 to 1378. (If you want some more history, click here for a Wikipedia article.)After the palace, we saw a few fun things in the square in front, including this merry-go-round and a terrific elephant sculpture.
We next went to the famous Pont d'Avignon on the Rhone. Here are pictures of the bridge and the view back to the city.
When we got back to Venasque, we eventually went to dinner at one of two possible spots in the village. We had eaten at the hotel the night before and had a good meal and fun time. This night we went to the other place, Cafe Fontaine. It was fabulous. Amazing cooking and a wonderful small menu. It was great. We determined to eat there again the next night, which we did!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Provence, Day 2
On this day we went northeast of Avignon to the Gorges l’Ardéche and the Vallon Pont d'Arc. It was beautiful drive through the Cote de Rhone region. We didn't stop at any wineries, but we certainly saw tons of vineyards, and they were all being fruitful. Well, starting their springtime leafing out anyway. All the colors and the flowers in Provence were just gorgeous.
We drove along the rim of these gorges which are amazing in their variety. The landscape is quite spectacular. There are several of these valleys throughout Provence (the most famous being the Gorges du Verdon, the "Grand Canyon" of Europe), and each one has its own drama and beauty. We had picked up some sandwiches in a little town nearby, and found a great spot for a picnic on this sunny day. Here are pictures of the gorge and the lunch spot:
There were some goats of the region on the road and they were pretty cute! This one was the clear leader:
After we left the Gorges at Vallon Pont d'Arc we headed slightly southwest to go the the famous Roman acqueduct, the Pont d'Gard. It's the second tallest Roman structure (the Colosseum being 6 feet taller), and it was really something to see. (The second picture is Nancy and Eileen waving to Larry and Wally!)
We had another beautiful drive through forests and farmland. The geography of Provence is very diverse, and each turn of the road brings another wonder.
We drove along the rim of these gorges which are amazing in their variety. The landscape is quite spectacular. There are several of these valleys throughout Provence (the most famous being the Gorges du Verdon, the "Grand Canyon" of Europe), and each one has its own drama and beauty. We had picked up some sandwiches in a little town nearby, and found a great spot for a picnic on this sunny day. Here are pictures of the gorge and the lunch spot:
There were some goats of the region on the road and they were pretty cute! This one was the clear leader:
After we left the Gorges at Vallon Pont d'Arc we headed slightly southwest to go the the famous Roman acqueduct, the Pont d'Gard. It's the second tallest Roman structure (the Colosseum being 6 feet taller), and it was really something to see. (The second picture is Nancy and Eileen waving to Larry and Wally!)
We had another beautiful drive through forests and farmland. The geography of Provence is very diverse, and each turn of the road brings another wonder.
Provence, Day 1
Leaving Moneglia took us through another series of one-way tunnels. When we finally emerged, we made our way to the autostrada for our trip into France. We zoomed out of the Italian Riviera into the Cote d'Azur. We didn't get off to stop in Monaco, so we can't add that to our list of countries visited! (Or...can we? We certainly saw it!) The car quality all around us increased significantly as we drove through the area. But it certainly beautiful, and even from the autoroute you get a sense of why this area has been so popular. (Please note language change for the freeway from Italy to France! Pretty cool, huh?)
After we left the autoroute we headed off into the Provence countryside to the town of Venasque. Just east of Avignon a bit, Venasque is an ancient town up on a hill, facing the slopes of Mont Ventoux, the highest mountain around. We managed to negotiate our way (with some local help) to our B and B, La Maison des Volets Bleus. It is a charming old place, run by the same couple for 26 years. She does dinner a couple times a week, and that night our meal was right there with two other couples staying there. It was very good, and a pleasant way to begin our time in Provence. Here are pictures of the entrance to the place, of Venasque, and the view:
After we left the autoroute we headed off into the Provence countryside to the town of Venasque. Just east of Avignon a bit, Venasque is an ancient town up on a hill, facing the slopes of Mont Ventoux, the highest mountain around. We managed to negotiate our way (with some local help) to our B and B, La Maison des Volets Bleus. It is a charming old place, run by the same couple for 26 years. She does dinner a couple times a week, and that night our meal was right there with two other couples staying there. It was very good, and a pleasant way to begin our time in Provence. Here are pictures of the entrance to the place, of Venasque, and the view:
Moneglia, Italy
When we left the villa, we headed northwest, eventually following along the Italian Riviera. We drove along the high road that runs above the beautiful Cinque Terre. It was amazing in many ways. First, it was a glorious day. The sun was shining, the water was calm and blue, and the views were spectacular. Second, it was quite a road. It twisted this way and that way, carving itself (literally, so it seemed) into the hillside far above the sea. Third, this was Easter Monday, or Pasquetta, as the Italians call it, and it was also 25 April, which is the Italian Fourth of July - Liberation Day. (The "liberation" is the end of World War II on 25 April 1945.) So this was a super-duper long weekend for the Italians. In the Cinque Terre, people were everywhere! So dodging cars, people, motorcycles, bicyclists and everything else made the whole drive a very beautiful and very sporty course! Here's a picture from the road. You can see the road in the left of the picture.
We finally made our way towards the town of Moneglia, on the sea just north of the Cinque Terre. That road along the sea had its own amusements in the form of old one-way tunnels. You wait in line for 15-20 minutes (the times are posted) and then go with everyone else through these tunnels that line the seaside. There were three sets of 3-4 tunnels!
We finally arrived in Moneglia and found our hotel. We set off to explore the city, which had a fair and dancing and other things happening for the special day. It was a lot of fun. We eventually found a place to eat that looked good. While we were sitting there, an Easter procession came by, much like the Good Friday ones elsewhere. People were dressed in different colors for their contradas, or neighborhoods. In this procession they carried three big crucifixes with ornate, very baroque gold and silver radiating suns. Others pushed on a cart (not carried) their local patron San Giorgio (St. George) complete with sword stuck in the dragon, and the requisite statue of Mary. The band was pretty good, and some people carried their own personal sound systems for chants along the way.
We had a pretty amazing dinner with a big platter of local fresh seafood for the four of us. After dinner, we wandered back to our hotel through the beautifully lit streets. By chance Eileen popped her head into the church and came out and got the rest of us. It is a baroque wonder. It was very lovely to see. Here is a picture of the altar:
So all in all we enjoyed Moneglia and were glad to get some views and a little taste of the Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera.
We finally made our way towards the town of Moneglia, on the sea just north of the Cinque Terre. That road along the sea had its own amusements in the form of old one-way tunnels. You wait in line for 15-20 minutes (the times are posted) and then go with everyone else through these tunnels that line the seaside. There were three sets of 3-4 tunnels!We finally arrived in Moneglia and found our hotel. We set off to explore the city, which had a fair and dancing and other things happening for the special day. It was a lot of fun. We eventually found a place to eat that looked good. While we were sitting there, an Easter procession came by, much like the Good Friday ones elsewhere. People were dressed in different colors for their contradas, or neighborhoods. In this procession they carried three big crucifixes with ornate, very baroque gold and silver radiating suns. Others pushed on a cart (not carried) their local patron San Giorgio (St. George) complete with sword stuck in the dragon, and the requisite statue of Mary. The band was pretty good, and some people carried their own personal sound systems for chants along the way.
We had a pretty amazing dinner with a big platter of local fresh seafood for the four of us. After dinner, we wandered back to our hotel through the beautifully lit streets. By chance Eileen popped her head into the church and came out and got the rest of us. It is a baroque wonder. It was very lovely to see. Here is a picture of the altar:
So all in all we enjoyed Moneglia and were glad to get some views and a little taste of the Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera.
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