ARLES & VINCENT VAN GOGH

Thursday, March 12, 2009 Train trip to Arles

The train pulled out right on time. We had an open car this time instead of the small compartments. The views of the snow covered mountains made it hard to concentrate on our novels that we occasionally get out to read. It was a two hour journey with fewer stops than on our ride to Lourdes and soon we were in the station at Toulouse. Found seats in the station; not an easy thing to do because of the numbers of people and ate our lunch that we’d brought with us. Mary is learning how to read the train information boards so we took turns checking on the schedule. When it was just about time for our train track number announcement we discovered a statement that our train was delayed for possibly thirty minutes. Bottom line: we were an hour late in departing from Toulouse. I called the hotel to let them know we were delayed and would arrive beyond the 7 pm limit; they said “no problem”.

Announcements were made regularly but all in French. Our train was going all the way to Marseille so Mary was a bit concerned about making sure we got off at Arles. During one of the first announcements, she turned around and said to the people around us “does anyone speak English”….sure enough a nice young man said he could translate for us. Over the next three hours he would translate and actually came up several times and sat with us to talk about our trip, himself and France. When we arrived in Arles he carried both of our suitcases off the train for us. Mary negotiated her own suitcase down the track stairs and then some Americans helped her up on the other side. We’re getting pretty good a bouncing them and then someone almost always stops to help.

Found a taxi right outside the station; it was dark outside by now and there was a marvelous sky with swirls of pink in the darken skies but we were too busy to take any photos. Arrived at our Hotel de la Muette, I stayed here in 1999, and Madam put us into a downstairs room right behind the desk.

I got Mary to walk outside a bit; we found a bakery and purchased two baguettes and a large meringue to share for dessert tonight. We ate one of the breads as we walked around; most everything is closed and it’s not even 8 pm. We found the Roman Arena with all of its light on for night photos before heading back towards the Hotel that was only a few blocks away. Just before leaving Mary found a manhole cover with the name of the town so she was a happy camper! She is trying to take a photo in each town we visit of a manhole cover with the name of the city and our shoes on it! She’s going to make a composite photo for her travel wall at home with these photos.

We do have CNN here instead of BBC and again it’s a beautiful flat screened TV on the wall. We are sharing a king size bed and using the single bed in the room as a “table” for stuff! It’s interesting; at home I always sleep on the right side of the bed and she always sleeps on the left side of the bed in Florida. Mary says this is the way we always slept when we were kids. So, we are perfectly comfortable sharing a bed after fifty years.

Friday, March 13, 2009 Arles France

Arles is famous for many things: first and foremost it was a very important Roman city in the time of Julius Caesar and many of the Roman antiquities remain; the south suffered far less damage during the wars and many original building remain. It is also famous because the artist Vincent Van Gogh spent two years here painting many of his more famous canvases of sites and buildings in the town. So today we’ll visit many of those places to compare them to the paintings that are posted on “easel boards” at each of the sites. See second slideshow and descriptions at the end.

Most of the sites were very easy to get to except for the drawbridge…we walked about an hour each way to get to that one! After we returned it was time for showers…it had turned into a very warm day and we kept shedding clothes as we walked! Afterwards we shopped at the Monoprix for dinner and meals for the weekend and then attended the 6 pm Mass at the church. Dinner was a picnic on our bed before turning on the computers. We’ve really enjoyed our stay in Arles but we’re scheduled to pick up a car tomorrow in Avignon and then head for L’ Isle-sur-la-Sorgue where we’ll stay for nine nights while exploring Provence. Our first challenge will be to discover where we can get the Internet as we know for sure that our hotel does not have the service for guests.



THE VAN GOGH PAINTINGS:

The Yellow House…where he lived…small house in front was bombed in the war but the large building behind and the railroad bridge on the side still exist.

Starry Night Over The Rhone…bridge is and many of buildings that created the shore lights are gone … bombed during the war .. but the river and ends of bridge are still here.

Les Arenes d’Arles … A painting done of the crowds in the Roman Arena

The Jardin d’Ete and the Roman Theater….

Langlois Drawbridge…a mile and a half outside of town….we walked for an hour each way to find this sight!

Café at Night…. In the Place du Forum is the famous Café that Van Gogh not only painted but was a frequent visitor in the establishment.

LOURDES FRANCE

Photo notes: Mary’s not pregnant…that’s her purse under her coat!

Monday, March 9, 2009 Traveling to France

Up at 6 am we had breakfast and easily made it to the bus station by 8 am. The weather was very overcast; we must be taking the rays of sunshine with us! Everyone on the bus had their own two seats so it was a very comfortable ride. We drove through the city of Girona just south of the border. That’s the city that the bicycle racer Lance Armstrong lives in when racing in Europe. Much of the route today takes us along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and gave us some glorious views with the overcast skies.

As we neared the boarder of Spain and France we could see the Pyrenees Mountains, the tallest ones capped with snow. At 12:30 pm we were in FRANCE. The sun came out for our crossing over the border but continued to disappear regularly behind the fast moving clouds. We headed towards Narbonne where we were all required to leave the bus for half an hour while the bus driver had some lunch; many of the passengers also ate at the restaurant.

Along the route we saw the walled city of Carcassonne from a distance, and soon we were driving along the Canal du Midi; this is the canal that we spent a week cruising in 1999 with two other couples. When we arrived in Toulouse we found that our Etap Hotel for the night is right next to the canal. A new one star hotel in the Accor System in a great area and has all the amenities.

Turned out the lights before 10 pm and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. We’ve watch CNN on the television all evening; the same program over and over and over…much like my 1992 experience except that the segment last longer before it repeats. The other alternatives are all in French.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009 Travel to Lourdes

Slept beautifully and awoke about 6 am. By 6:30 we were off to breakfast downstairs. We’d decided to pay the extra five euros each. Good decision, we had coffee, juice, bread, cereal, yogurt, jams, etc.; as much as we wanted.

Back to the room we spent the next hour or so working on our computers before heading out to walk ten minutes along the canal to the train station for our 10 am train to Lourdes.
It was a two hour train trip with a delightful French couple who knew just enough English with our broken French to communicate. My French class last summer is finally paying off. I pronounce words better, I understand more of what they are saying and I’m better about speaking the language when asking for help. The views of the snow covered Pyrenees Mountain just got better and better the closer we came to Lourdes.

We’ve got a nice studio apartment in a residential complex for two nights; complete with cooking facilities we’ll be able to make our own meals. And, it’s an easy walk to the Lourdes Sanctuary and that’s our main purpose for being here. We walked all over the complex today, lit candles, visited the Grotto and investigated everything. Tomorrow we’ll return for an English language Mass at 9 am and then do the healing baths together. There is also a Rosary at 3:30 pm that we’re attending. We’re here in the off season so many of the hotels, stores and restaurants are closed. Actually that is good as it’s not so hectic with hordes of people. I am sorry that they don’t have the candlelight vigil this time of year as that was a beautiful sight we enjoyed on my last visit in 1999.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Mass and the baths in Lourdes

Fixed our breakfast in our room, coffee was in bowls as the cups they provide are the very tiny ones for Espresso. We purchased instant coffee yesterday at the grocery store along with food supplies for three days…all for thirty euros. Left about 8 am and used the extra time to locate and see the huge underground Basilica of St. Pius X that was completed in 1958. Larger than a football field with an altar in the center for use in bad weather; something else I missed on previous trips.

We arrived early for the 9 am Mass in English that was held in the small St. Gabriel Chapel on the side of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception; the original church built over the Grotto. The priest was delightful and with a wonderful accent that was easy to understand, the chapel was full by the time Mass began. Communion was distributed by the priest walking down the single aisle as we stayed in our pews.

After Mass Mary and I walked over to the Baths which opened at 10 am. We were in the first group of eight that entered. We had no ideal of what would happen. There were three women to assist us; we were asked to disrobe completely as they held a cape around us for privacy. IT WAS COLD! Before I knew it I was in and out and getting dressed again. I was so cold and it was so fast I hardly knew what was happening. Mary followed me in and all I could say was “it’s very cold”! Those of you getting the full journals will enjoy a blow by blow description!

So, if you ever go to Lourdes and want to experience the baths…go for it….it was a wonderful experience and we’re both very glad that we went in. Afterwards we walked over to the water spigots from the Grotto and filled our bottles after drinking some of the water. I filled both of the small bottles that I’d purchased yesterday to take home.

From there we walked very fast back to our apartment, took some Airborne and fixed hot coffee for ourselves. This afternoon will be computer time until about three when we plan to go back for our final visit and the Rosary at the Grotto.

About 2 pm we dressed warmly and headed back to the Sanctuary for our final visit. We went back to the underground Basilica of St. Pius X to take photos first. We are still amazed by the size; we walked from end to end and counted 250 strides, about two and a half to three feet each. Then we went to the Bookstore and found that it holds twenty five thousand people for Mass; we found a bit of irony in our number of strides and the number of people it will hold.

Then we revisited the three churches in the original buildings over the Grotto before heading over to the actual Grotto for a seat for the 3:30 pm Rosary. The Rosary was said in French so a little difficult for us to follow but we said our own version of the Glorious Mysteries in English.

Walked over to the Baths afterwards for some photos of the outside; and then walked back to the hotel and commented that it was great that it is only cold and not raining nor is there any wind today. But, it is definitely cold outside. Hope you’ve enjoyed our visit to Lourdes with us. Tomorrow we travel by train all day to Arles.

SUNSHINE IN BARCELONA

Friday, March 06, 2009

We got up at 3 am to catch an early bus to Barcelona that took seven hours. Long story but we had a great trip and saw a good deal of country side along the way. We had snow for a long distance as we crossed the mountains and then we entered the southwest and finally saw the Mediterranean as we neared Barcelona. Bus travel has really been a wonderful way to see Spain and price wise it can’t be beat; about half the price of trains.

Our Hostel in Barcelona is very new, spacious and in an upscale area. We can actually safely walk on the streets at night if I could get Mary outside after dark! We’re in a dorm room with eight beds; all the bathrooms/showers are shared off of a common room where we can use our computers; cook meals and enjoy the company of young people from several different countries including Shelby from Boston. Took advantage of the great showers and washed our hair this evening after walking the area for several blocks. We found a Supermarket (much larger than we found in Madrid) and purchased a spinach pizza to cook for our dinner tonight. We’ve checked prices for bus vs train to Toulouse for Monday and have decided to go by bus; two hours longer and half the price. Looking forward to a quiet night; the advertisements tells kids who want to party to find a different hostel!

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Had a good nights sleep and awoke about 8 am refreshed and ready to go see the national treasure and symbol of Barcelona: Temple de La Sagrada Familia; and unfinished work that became the final symbol of Antonio Gaudi. Work commenced in 1885 and continues today. The building is only half finished. Funds for the construction are from private donations and income from tours; one of the reasons for the slow pace of building. We arrived early by way of the Metro to beat the afternoon crowds. Shelby, our young friend from the Hostel decided to go with us; it was fun having her along. We agreed from the start that as soon as she wanted we wouldn’t mind if she said goodbye. She stayed with us until after we reach the Parc del Guinardo.


We spent over two hours touring the partially completed church and museums describing the construction of the building. Gaudi used the elements of Mother Nature to design his buildings. Columns are “trees”, animals are visible on the walls as drain spouts, sunflowers and lavender plus more plants are found incorporated everywhere you look in the building. Up and down, around and then up and down again we went; stopping every few minutes to hang out of the windows or over the ledge for another fabulous photo. We could see all over Barcelona and even the Mediterranean Sea with many sailboats enjoying their Saturday afternoon.

Back on the Metro we headed for the Parc del Guinardo; home to several houses built by Gaudi and an overlook of the city that was every bit as stunning as the views from the towers of the Church we’d just visited. To get there we had to walk about 600 meters from the Metro Station; much of it straight uphill. Several of the stretches were so steep that the city has installed escalators between the blocks. We all made it; even Mary with her pacemaker!

Leaving the park and Shelley we headed back to the Metro; very slowly down all the steps…no escalators going down…for a trip to the Barcelona Sants Bus Station. There we found our way and purchased our tickets for our Monday trip to Toulouse.

The grocery stores were closed from 2:30 to 5:30 pm; so we headed back for computer time and then at 5:30 we walked to the supermarket for food. We’d planned to have eggs but could only buy a dozen; too many so we had a green pepper, yogurt, and ham and cheese sandwiches.

Shelby, God bless her, returned about 7:30 pm and I had my companion to go to see the night lights on the Sagrada Familia! I’d threatened to go by myself and Mary was so upset I’d promised not to go unless Shelby returned to go with me. We dressed warmly and got on the Metro; arrived…took some photos and then stopped for some beer on the way back to the Hostel. We took the beer back with us. Spent the evening viewing and sharing our photos of the day before calling it a day about 10 pm….life is good!

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Up about eight we were out the door by 9 am. We found the double decker Barcelona Tour Bus and signed on for the day! The loop through Barcelona takes just under three hours. We sat in the front up top and stayed on through the whole loop taking scads of photos of the Gaudi houses, the Sagrada Famila, Avinguda Diagonal where the wealthy people live, the Sports Center with the Futbol Club. They have two first class Futbol teams in Barcelona (that’s soccer in America). We saw the bull ring that is now being converted into a shopping center. The site of the 1929 World’s Fair that was later converted into the 1992 Olympic Site. It was actually converted in 1936 in anticipation of the Olympics but another country held them. More work was done in 1992. The bus climbed high into the hills and the views were wonderful of the entire city on one side and the sea on the other. We saw the Olympic stadium with the torch and another thing that we thought was for the torch but was actually a communication tower made of white steel nearby. There are several ways up to the Montjuic area of the Olympic Games: a funicular that is part of the Metro system, an aerial tramway that goes from the Port (looked like fun but not on our schedule today) and driving.

Leaving the mountain we came down on the port side where we saw all the cruise ships and the Christopher Columbus memorial monument that was erected for the 1929 World’s Fair in memory of his return to Barcelona Spain after the discovery of America at the foot of La Rambia, the famous street in the old district of Barcelona.

Shortly after we arrived at the Cathedral of Barcelona in the center of the La Rambia District where we departed the bus and attended the noon mass. After mass we headed back for the bus; stopping for a Starbucks and W.C. break. Then we enjoyed another full trip but this time we rode inside, took no photos and enjoyed listening to the English version of the history of Barcelona. Arrived home about 4 pm and now we’re getting ready for our trip tomorrow to France.

FOUR RAINY DAYS IN MADRID

 

Monday, March 02, 2009   Madrid 

Weather is holding in the 50’s and although skies are overcast the streets are dry.  We had a wonderful nights sleep; minus the half hour lost about 6 am with the taxi cab honking it’s horn below our window.  Stayed up until nearly 11 pm and then slept until 9 am this morning!  Breakfast of one coffee, one orange juice and a grande croissant in the common room is served between 8 and 10. 

Dressed warmly with rain gear in the backpack, we headed towards our first destination today:  Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid’s modern art museum that is located across the street from the train station.  Originally the first hospital in Madrid it is a large square building with a beautiful courtyard in the center.  The addition of two large glass elevators on the front adds to the theme of the museum.  Inside we showed our passports to prove that we were over 65 years of age and got into the museum FREE.  

Neither one of us truly appreciates modern art so we headed to the main exhibit:  Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica”.  A very large black and white painting that gives Picasso’s distorted view of the ravages of war.  The title of the piece comes from the bombing of a town in northern Spain in the 1930’s to test the new German Air Force planes.  Much of the second floor is devoted to this painting.  Before leaving we also found some of Salvador Dali’s work to view.

We then walked across to Madrid’s train station and were startled when we entered and found a conservatory full of palm trees that reached the glass ceilings and a variety of other green plants.  It was a very green and warm waiting area for travelers; they had misting machines operating all the time.  We took advantage and stopped to eat our bananas and some nuts.  The nuts are the last of the ones we brought from home with us. 

Out into the main train area we located the Metro System and boarded the Metro for our trip to the Ventas Metro Stop located in the eastern part of Madrid.  Only one connection at Sol and we were there in a very short time.  We came up from the Metro right in front of Madrid’s Plaza de Toros.  Saw a group of kids taking group photo and offered to take one for them…of course, they reciprocated for us!  We took lots of photos and walked all the way to the back before heading across the street to the little restaurant called Restaurant Cesar (Bocadilleria Jamoneria); inside there are at least a dozen heads of famous bulls mounted on the walls.  Jim and I ate dinner here on our visit.  We looked around, decided we really were not hungry or thirsting and walked back out to the Metro and home.  Stopped at our favorite grocery store and picked up some fruit and salad things to go with our dinner tonight…we’re cooking at the hostel.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009   trip to Lorenzo de El Escorial

Woke to light rain so after breakfast we donned our rain ponchos, put plastic bags over our socks and headed for the Metro where we purchased tickets from the machine for the first time!  Not as difficult as we thought once we found the button for English! Only one transfer but a long time on the Metro took us to the Moncloa Bus Station located on the western edge of the city near the University.  From there we caught a bus north and arrived about an hour later in Lorenzo de El Escorial; home to the Royal Monasterio famous for housing the Spanish Inquisition under Philip II in the sixteenth century.

This is a very gray and plain looking complex based on a grill shape in honor of St. Lawrence (whom the town is named after) because he was martyred on a grill…thus…patron saint of cooking.  It is the final resting place of four centuries of Spanish Kings and Queens, except Isabel and Ferdinand who are still in Granada.

We walked from the bus station to the Monastery in the rain but an hour later when we’d finished our tour the rain had stopped.

We elected to forego waiting for two hours to go out to see the Valley of the Fallen as we were chilled to the bone and ready to go back to Madrid.  Arrived back in the Hostel about 4 pm; shared an apple before turning on the computers.  The sandals and socks are an interesting experiment…Mary has bunions and trouble with enclosed shoes.  So I elected to ditch my shoes after London and join her in sandals.  We are the ONLY ones on the street in sandals.  But not a problem except with rain…we carry lots of extra dry socks with us! 

Wednesday, March 04, 2009  

We made this a Museum day and actually visited two different ones without getting wet.  It rained off and on during the day but we were inside during the storms.  Our first visit was to the Thyssen Museum:  Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection.  A wealthy German married a “Miss Spain” and this museum in located in their former home that is located very close to The Prado Museum.  There were three floors of large paintings by lesser known artists and small paintings by greater known artists.  I must admit I’ve amazed myself with how much knowledge about art that I have gleaned from following Jim in his quest to see every major work of art in every museum in the world!  I really do recognize the names but not the titles of the various pieces.  

In this museum we found paintings from the very religious to modern art.  Ruben, Dyck, Cezanne, Degas, Picasso, Dali, Chagall, Tiepolo, Caravaggio, El Greco, Refael and many more; along with two by Georgia O’Keefe, a Jackson Pollock and other well known American Artists.  And the list continued with Gauguin, Toulouse, Degas, etc. etc. etc.  There were many paintings by Anonimo Aleman who I didn’t recognize but the collection contains many of his paintings. 

And for Mr. Jim:  two paintings by Emanuel de Witte, a possible ancestor several generations ago; one was a church enterior.

We took two and half hours to tour the Thyssen.  Then we were off on another quest after we ate our bananas.  Rode the Metro to the northern part of the city with only one transfer; we’d walked from our Hostel to the Thyssen.  It took a bit of work but we finally found the Museum Lazaro Galdiano; a private collection exhibited in the collector’s home in an upscale neighborhood.  We discovered the American Embassy on our walk from the Metro to the Museum.  Wanted to take a photo but Mary wouldn’t let me!  I did take some photos of a protest march along one of the streets.

This is a wonderful Museum to visit; Jim found it for us on the Internet while searching for the birthplace of Goya (that is halfway to Barcelona we discovered).  Goya was a favorite of Mr. Galdiano but he only has seven of his paintings in the collection.  The basic structure has been preserved when it was converted to a museum.  Each room had a description of the use of the room when it was a home.  This was very important as each ceiling has a painting that depicts the use of the room.  Ie:  Music room has composers in the painting; the literary room has poets and writers.  There are many pieces of beautiful furniture in every room and the paintings were 15^th & 16^th Century; mostly religious. 

There was a beautiful collection of miniatures paintings; per the sign one of the best in Europe.  And, a collection of pocket watches that my friend Shari would died for…ie the photo I took that I wasn’t suppose to take… 

An hour later we were back to the Metro with three changes before reaching our area.  A short stop at the grocery store for dinner supplies and we were safely back by 4 pm.  Tomorrow will be a rest and laundry day.  If it doesn’t rain we may visit the park.  Friday we have an all day bus ride to Barcelona.  Adois until we meet again in Barcelona....

   

FUN IN GRANADA

Friday Evening: February 27, 2009

Friday afternoon was busy with meeting new kids from all over the world: India, Japan, Canada and the USA. The Hostel is full tonight and we have all new roommates.

About 6 pm we headed back outside and walked back to the viewing area that we’d looked down on this morning from the Alhambra. Not dark enough for the lights so we continued up through the Albaycin area, very twisting streets of old Granada, towards the hillside Sacromonte area that has Caves inhabited by Gypsies that the kids go to visit. We didn’t go that far as we’d definitely need stronger shoes to get up the hillside where they have dug tunnels that have been made into their homes.

Walked back to Plaza Nueva looking for a grocery store that has eggs for sale; we’ve both got a yen to have some. Finally found a large enough store and after some sign language we were able to purchase six eggs and a very small canned ham that we’ll use for dinner Saturday night. It was nearly dark by that time so we walked back up to see the lights at dusk on the Alhambra; the skies are cloudy so no sun setting on the buildings but the lighting was worth the walk.

Back at the Hostel we continued meeting new kids as we all waited for the common dinner they were cooking in the kitchen in the huge electric wok. Paella: rice, vegetables, mussels, calamari and prawns for four euros each. I’d never tried the mussels or prawns before so that was a new experience and very tasty after the kids showed me how to peel the prawns and get to the meat in the mussel. We also had a wonderful green salad to go with our meal. Mary stayed with the vegetables and rice!

Everyone went up to the dorm right after dinner about 10:30 pm and believe it or not…lights were out by 11 pm. All American students and getting up early on Saturday; it was a quiet night; could still hear the music and talking in the bar downstairs but we’re getting used to that background noise and it stops about midnight.

Saturday, February 28, 2009 Granada

Awake at 7 am with the kids going skiing in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and then back to sleep for an hour before finally getting up just before 9 am. We ate breakfast and then headed out the door to find a church. We’d decided we take our Sunday Missals and find one that it open so that we can do our readings just in case we don’t find an actual Mass somewhere today.

Raining lightly so we put on our rain ponchos and walked very carefully on the wet stones to Iglesia De San Gregorio Betico; a church located just up the street. They seem to have perpetual adoration twenty four hours a day; always nuns in the sanctuary that has a wrought iron wall across to separate it from the rest of the church. We’ve checked out the Internet and it says that there is a 7 pm Mass at the Cathedral tonight…we’ll see.

Right now its noon and Mary is in the kitchen cooking our eggs and ham. We’ll have part of it now and the reheat the rest for dinner tonight. It’s our day of rest as tomorrow we travel back to Madrid. By the way, we really enjoy the notes we’re receiving from many of you in response to our stories. Always nice to open the Internet and find emails to read.

Saturday, February 28, 2009 evening after a rainy day

Had a good day; talked with Jim this afternoon and also daughter Mary who is visiting for the weekend…it was early morning for them. This evening we walked out to the Cathedral in our rain ponchos; it’s a very light rain but enough to get our feet wet. We had decided to pay the fee and stay for 7 pm Mass (per the Internet) but found out that Mass was not until 7:30…too long to wait. They told us where the door is around the other side for entrance into the mass and that it would open at 7 pm. We walked around the church to find the location of the door and it was open.

We walked inside and discovered that there was a Mass being said. Found some seats in the back and then realized that it was a wedding. Everyone was very dressed up but we decided to stay and attend the Mass.

Back at the hostel we had a great story to tell the kids about crashing a Spanish wedding.
I think we’re going to have a wet trip back to Madrid tomorrow.

Sunday, March 01, 2009 On the Road Again

Up early thanks to the kids; the last one stumbled in about 5:30 am. One of the photos shows the pile of clothes they left on the floor during the night between our bunk beds. So by 7 am we had eaten our breakfast and were out the door for the four block walk to Plaza Nueva for the taxi stand and our ride to the bus station; overcast but not raining. We made the 8 am bus with minutes to spare and had a quiet ride for five hours with only one stop. I did manage to take a photo of those Don Quixote windmills that I love during the trip.

We’re back in Madrid and settled into a new room on the first floor (actually second) with six bunk beds and a bathroom only a door away in the hall. We did a load of laundry before heading out to walk, cold and overcast but streets are crowded and very festive. At Puerta del Sol we found clowns and mariachi singers and then walked to look at the Opera House before visiting Mayor Plaza again. Picked up some food at the grocery store for tomorrow and just had a great stroll for over an hour before tucking in for the night. We’re in the common room now on our computers with music videos above our heads and about thirty some people conversing around the room with each other. Yes, we’re the only ones over forty in the room but that’s ok!

GRANADA..The Royal Chapel and The Alhambra

Thursday, February 26, 2009

It was a noisy night but beds were comfortable. Best thing is we’ve got a fantastic shower in our room. The last of the roommates turned out the lights about 6 am! But then we bothered them in the morning as we got up about 8 am.

This morning we walked to the Plaza Nueva and caught the bus up to the Alhambra to pick up our tickets for tomorrow morning and also get the lay of the land. Returning down the hill by bus we got off and starting walking the area. We headed towards a church, it was closed but we saw an interesting street and headed up the narrow alley. Before we knew it we were on a bridge that offered a great view of even another church further up and we continued to walk after stopping for some photo opportunities. We used the mini tripod for a joint photo and ended taking shots of three different couples before we meandered on up the hill.

Suddenly we looked to our right and discovered that we’d been slowly walking along the base of the Alhambra and we eventually reached a plaza with fantastic views from the base. Amazing what you can find without trying!

Leaving that area we stopped at an Alimentacion (grocery store) for some supplies and food to cook for ourselves at the Hostel tonight before heading back to the Hostel. Along the way we discovered the entrance to the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel.

Took advantage of the empty room when we returned and both showered and washed our hair…wonderful hot showers! Then we spent an hour looking for Mary’s suitcase keys that eventually were found where they were suppose to be: in her purse!

Walked to the Royal Chapel and found that it was closed for lunch; used the opportunity to walk all the way around the Cathedral…it’s really BIG. Did a lot of “window shopping” for things we’d like to buy but didn’t and then enjoyed the Royal Chapel; known as the Capilla Real. This lavish chapel holds the bodies of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand, Philip and Juana their successors and also Isabel & Ferdinand’s son Michael. The main altar is one of the greatest Renaissance works in Spain.

We’re going to see if we can slip inside the Cathedral at 7:30 this evening for Mass. Otherwise it’s another fee.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Never made it to the Cathedral last night, maybe tonight; enjoyed the kids in our room part of the evening and then they headed out to enjoy the night life. One must remember that 2 am is like 10 pm to Americans so we tried to ignore the noise as the evening progressed. Everything quieted down about 2 am as they all had to leave early this morning. We were up about 7 am; ate a light breakfast downstairs (included in the package) and headed out to catch the bus to the Alhambra on the hill. It was so nice to know exactly where we were going this morning; one of the advantages of taking our time in each city is that we have time to scope things out the day before.

Arrived at the Alhambra just before opening; picked up our audio tour systems and arrived at the Palacio Nazaries (Moorish Palace) in time for our 9 am entry. This is the only building that has a required time to enter and after we completed that we spent the balance of our four hours touring both of the Museums housed In the Carlos V Palace, the Alcazaba (the original Moorish Fortress), the church and the extensive gardens.

The Lions around the base of the fountain in the Palacio Nazaries courtyard are now being restored and we only saw one of them in the Museum.

Mary agreed that this was worth the trouble to come to Granada for. The photos will also include one of the “National Bird”; slang for the large cranes found in all European cities; some graffiti that is almost modern art that is found on vacant walls everywhere and a photo of the snow covered Sierra Nevada Mountains (the original) that sit above Granada. One of our young friends here at the Hostel is leaving today with a very large backpack for a month of hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains from village to village. He is from Florida. Also met a young man from Tokyo who is on a fifty five day tour around the world to celebrate his graduation before he starts his job; his last stop will be in Los Angeles. We’ve really had fun with these young people from around the world. You will also notice one photo of Mary that I took from the top of the tallest tower; she stayed behind and I climbed that one by myself and found a wonderful view of the Cathedral in the city far below. Hope you’re enjoying Granada with us. Tomorrow is a rest day and then on Sunday we go back to Madrid.

MADRID & TRIP TO GRANADA

Madrid, Tuesday Feb. 24^th… Shrove Tuesday

 We ended up with 4 girls in our dorm room that also has a private bath inside of the room.  Both girls came in after us but were very quiet.  We both went up and showered early and called it a night well before 9 pm.

 Awoke about 8 am…we lost an hour when we came to Spain…but this is the only time change.  Breakfast at the Hostel, some computer time and then out for our daily adventure with maps in hand.  Our first goal was to find the bus station where we will catch our bus to Granada tomorrow.

 Down into the Metro we found a very friendly guard who told us where we had to go after giving us a Metro Map.  It was only one euro each way for this adventure.  We had to make one transfer; if we were thinking about using this method tomorrow…not a chance.  There are lots of up and down steps so we will definitely be taking a taxi.

 We found the bus station, looked around and discovered that it was the one we’d arrived at early Monday morning.  After much searching and asking for help we discovered the bus line we need and also where the tickets are purchased.  Then back on the Metro to return to the Anton Martin Metro Station where we’d started. 

 From there we had an easy walk to The Prado Museum where we spent several hours finding all of the different famous painting recommended by our Rick Steves Guide Book.   This was my third time there so it was fun to recognize them as we approached the different areas.  It’s a very large museum with over three thousand paintings and we did miles of walking!!!   The weather was very warm when we came out of the museum and it was a pleasant stroll back to the Hostel. 

 Wednesday, February 25, 2009

 Up early we caught the 10:30 am bus to Granada in the south east part of Spain.  It was a five and half hour drive with only one stop.  We saw many olive groves, one set of “Don Quoite” windmills, many solar panel farms; rolling plains and also mountains.  Actually saw snow covered mountains in one area.  Many crumbling deserted haciendas and large modern towns along the highway.

 Our Hostel is up a very narrow alleyway where cars cannot drive.  We walked the area and feel at home already.  One of our roommates is a college girl from Boston who is studying in France.  This is one of the oldest cities in Spain and definitely has a Moorish flavor everywhere from the architecture to the food.  They are cooking a common meal tonight, rice and vegetables in an electric wok the size of an automobile tire!  We walked and found a falafel for dinner in a quaint little shop just down the alley from our Hostel. 

 

SPAIN...Madrid whether we wanted to or not....

Monday, February 23, 2009 Madrid

Yes, I know…if you’re following our schedule we should be in Sevilla and then Tarifa for two nights. Well…as seasoned solo travelers know, the best of plans go astray sometimes.

Last night we read our bus ticket as 10:45 pm; it was military time: 20:45…and that’s 8:45 pm. We were only half an hour late as we’d arrived well ahead of schedule or so we thought. The next bus would be at 9:00 am on Monday. There was one last bus scheduled to leave: Madrid. This bus station is in the middle of nowhere and about the size of a small bedroom with only one bathroom that’s kept locked. So being good eggs we changed our ticket and boarded the bus to Madrid where we arrived somewhat worst for the wear about 7 am. No one spoke English that we could find so we went to the taxi line and took a cab to the Hostel that we were schedule to stay at on March 1st.

They are being great and giving us beds for two nights. Then we cancelled by email the reservations for Tarifa, Malaga and Cordova; and extended Granada one day on either end all by email within an hour and received confirmation back already. We’ve emailed the husbands to let them know of the changes as they’ve slept through our whole adventure. Modern technology does help. We have free wi-fi here at the Mad Hostel; that’s keeping us occupied until we can actually check in at 1 pm. Then we’re heading out to explore the town.

We got into our room….very tiny with two bunk beds but we are both on the bottom bunk which will be easier getting in and out of. So far we have one female roommate.
We’re on the third floor but there is a tiny elevator for luggage.

Walked all the way to the Palace; did the tour reading the Rick Steves’ book. Sad part was that only one of the five Stradivarius instruments that are 350 years old was on view. This is the only surviving matched set of four for a quartet: two violins, a viola, and a cello. There are only about 300 instruments made by Antonius Stradivarius in the world today. Princess Sophia loves classical music and these are used to perform for her and her guests.

After that we toured the Cathedral next door; see some of the photos that we were allowed to take inside.

Then we walked to the Plaza Mayor where people were performing for tourist, sitting on the stones on the plaza, eating at the restaurants, etc. Then on to the Puerta del Sol…the center of Spain. There is a metal plate in front of the Government building that states it is Kilo. Zero. All distances in Spain are measured from that spot.

Arrived back at the Hostel about 5 pm and will try to send this newest blog before showers and early to bed. Who knows what adventure tomorrow holds for us!

LAST DAY IN PORTUGAL...Church & Museum

Sunday, February 22, 2009 Last day in Lisbon, Portugal

Some of the photos above: Mary in our Hostel...we've got some wild wall paintings! The alarm on Mary is one of the loud things if you pull the plug...thought we'd keep it handy. Many photos of church and museum. The kids are our roommates this morning at breakfast. Enjoy!

Dinner last night was a great group of thirteen of us around the kitchen table. Pedro made garlic soup, salad, lasagna and mixed fresh fruit for dessert. We were joined by a couple from Australia and also two friends of the cook along with all of our roommates. Really a fun evening meal that lasted nearly two hours.

We barely heard the roommates and French people returning from their evening outing after dinner. Slept through the night and other than hearing the showers running early in the morning; it was very quiet. Up for breakfast at 8:30 and then packed our things for storage during our last day in Lisboa.

Valter is back on duty this morning and I again told him how great Ines, the desk clerk yesterday, had been regarding our unfortunate incident. She again assured me at dinner that she would make a complaint for us on Monday and let us know the outcome by email. We’re not expecting any money back but maybe a reprimand to the officer who would not help us purchase a ticket.

We’d decided to walk to the Cathedral for mass at 11:30 this morning. Started early to see the inside and then realizing we still had a good half an hour before mass started so we decided to walk a block to St. Anthony du Padua to see if they had an earlier mass. When we arrived there we discovered that one was starting in a few minutes at 11:00 am.

The mass was very long…we think that the pastor read a letter from their archbishop asking for money after the homily. Arrived back at the Hostel about 12:30; stored a few things and then headed for the Metro Station.

We were riding a short distance to the San Sabastian station located near the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. It was a short walk but we soon discovered that the museum is comprised of several buildings scattered across a beautiful park. The museums are free every Sunday so there were many people in the various buildings of the museum. The first building was an exhibit of very modern art. The second building we found was an Art Library so we walked past that one. The third building was an exhibit on Darwin. Finally, the fourth building held their permanent exhibit of old masters along with eighteenth century furniture, sculptures by Rodin and a unique exhibit of jeweley and glass by Rene Lalique.

In all a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon; and as we walked it was warm enough to take off our coats. About 4 pm we were back at the Hostel and picked up a pizza to share for an early dinner. They are calling a cab for us about 9 pm to take us to the InterCentro Bus Station where we will catch a bus about 10:30 for an all night ride to Sevilla, Spain.

LISBON: St. Jorge Tour & Belem

Friday, Feb. 20th Our visit to the St. Jorge Castle on the hill

Dinner last night was very lively: our three Romanian roommates and a couple that just arrived from South Korea. He is actually staying in our dorm room in the empty bunk. They are full up for the weekend with a large group from France that is here for a Seminar. Dinner was Watercress Soup, Salad and baked cod fish along with a tasty orange cake for dessert.

We were awake and ready for breakfast at 8:30 am this morning and that gave us time to do some computer work before starting our adventure for today.

We signed up for the free tour of the Castelo De Sao Jorge and the Alfama District that is offered by our Hostel. Tuesday’s tour had numbered nineteen so we were pleasantly surprised at our small group of only six people, two German couples. Everyone spoke English so we were spoiled again language wise!

First we caught the yellow trolley that took us up the hill towards the Castle and then we commenced our walk near the top. We stopped for a short visit with an artist who paints tiles. She gave us a demonstration while we watched.

From there we continued to walk uphill towards the castle. We thought that we would have wonderful views of the bridge across the bay but the bridge was encased in fog with only the very tippy tops showing. The fog did continue to dissipate and we could finally see the entire bridge before we left the top of the hill.

The castle goes back to the eighth century B.C. and is only a remnant of its former glory but was very interesting to tour; especially since we received the “senior rate” and got in free instead of paying five euros. I’m not quite sure if the policy has changed or we’re just being very fortunate because we’ve been receiving the benefits of being a “senior” everywhere even though we’re not members of the European Union.

After the tour we headed down many steps until we arrive at a small authentic Portuguese Restaurant named Restaurante Martima Das Colunas. We started with a wine, cheese and bread before ordering our food based on our guide Vanasa’s recommendations. Mary agreed to share a dish with me: I ordered the Octopus, she cringed but stayed with the program and actually agreed that she enjoyed the meal. Normally I’m served slices of tentacles; this was a whole small octopus and extremely tender and very tasty. It was served with onion and small potatoes. Our dessert was cream brulee.

We walked with the guide all the way back to the Hostel and after storing our backpacks we headed out for the Metro to purchase our tickets for our bus ride to Sevilla on Sunday night. We’ve discovered that we will save half a euro each time we purchase a ticket if we hand them our green card that is renewable. Always learning something new!

Returning to the Hostel, Mary and I got on the Skype and each talked to our husbands and then she talked with sister Betty on Skype while I talked with Shirley, our fourth sister, on my Skype. Then we headed upstairs as I think I tuckered her out today. She is already fast asleep and it’s only 9 pm. The young crowd has headed out for some dinner and fun but we both feel that it will do us good to pass on dinner tonight. We had our levis washed with our other laundry and they are TIGHT!

Saturday, February 21, 2009 Trip to Belem

Stayed in bed while listening to the large French group get up and go on their way for the day. Then we ventured out for our breakfast about 8:30 am. By 11 we were out the door on our way to Belem; a short tram ride up the coast to see the large ship shaped monument celebrating the fact that for more than a century Portuguese ships left from Belem in search of new worlds.

On the plaza just in front of the monument is a large map of the world showing the dates of all the major discoveries made by ships that left from Belem.

We reached the tram area and found many people waiting, most had a day ticket but others like us planned to purchase their ticket on the tram. We jumped on and headed for the machine to purchase our tickets as the tram started out. I couldn’t get the machine to accept my coins so I made my way to the front to ask for help. When we asked for help, with money in hand…the ticket was 1.40 euro….the conductor told us we were being arrested for riding without a ticket! When I tried to explain that the machine was not working he would not listen to us. He said we had to pay him the fine for one person of 113 euros or else he would take us to the police. We chose the police…big mistake; they did absolutely nothing to help us and stood there and watched as they demanded that we now pay 113 euros each or agreed to appear Monday (after we are gone) and possibly be fined 250 euros each and we’d need a lawyer to go to court. We asked where we could find their offices and of course they are closed until Monday!

By this time we were “royally screwed” and so we paid the 113 euros each and started walking back towards our Hostel. After a half hour of walking I finally convinced Mary to get on a tram going back toward the Hostel but only if I could get one where the entry was where the driver was seated and only if he took our money. Finally found one that would. We reached the Hostel and relayed our sad tale to the clerk who said something similar had happened to her in Spain. She was very sorry but didn’t feel that we would have much of a case. She was very sorry that the conductor would not check the machine for us. She did make a photocopy of our very expensive souvenir from Portugal…the copy of the arrest report…and said she would file a complaint with the proper authorities.

I finally convinced Mary to leave the Hostel and go to Belem again. This time we found the kiosk that sold tickets before we got on the tram. It was only about a fifteen minute ride and we walked to the different sites for photos before heading back to the Hostel for the day. Arrived about 4 pm and signed up for dinner at the Hostel tonight. Only way to look at this experience is that it was a good lesson and definitely a journal entry!

LISBON Portugal: Fatima & Sintra

I sent out the full journal to date; if you’re interested in that and didn’t receive it let me know and I’ll add you to the list.  It was about 13 pages with no photos; I attached it as a document to download.

We arrived by airplane on Tuesday morning in Lisbon, Portugal about ten in the morning and settled into The Lisbon Lounge Youth Hostel in the center of the old downtown only a few blocks from the waterfront just before noon.  It is only a few years old and very nice.  Mary and I are in a mixed dorm of six on the third floor; we decided to take out what we need and leave the large suitcases in the luggage room.  Since we were awake most of the night we decided to spend the day here at the Hostel working on our computers and relaxing.  We did eventually go out about 7 pm for a stroll around the area and a view of the beautiful bridge that stretches across the bay; it looks just like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.  We ate dinner at the Hostel with six others for a very reasonable price and also really got to know some of the people staying here.  Mary and I are the only ones over 40 years of age so it’s a young group.  We have guests from Japan, Morocco, Australia, Romania, Ireland and Great Britain.    

On Wednesday we enjoyed breakfast and then headed for the Metro to the Bus Station where we traveled by bus for an hour and a half to the Catholic Shrine of Fatima.  We spent two hours touring the site that stretches for about four city blocks from the old Basilica to the new conference center at the far end.  That building has several halls, one of which will seat over 2500 people for Mass.  The esplanade can hold a million people and is twice the size of St. Peter’s Square in Rome.   Millions of people visit this site every year that was made famous by the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917 to three small children. 

Arrived back in Lisbon and visited the church built on the birthplace of St. Anthonio of Padua who is the patron saint of finding lost things.  We stayed for the Mass that was in progress as we arrived. 

 Dinner was a toasted sandwich and then we enjoyed the evening in the Hostel with all of our new found friends.  They all get a kick out of the traveling grandmas!  By moving our webcam around we were able to show our husbands how nice this place is when we talked to them on Skype this evening. 

Thursday, February 19, 2009

This morning we left for the train to Sintra about 9 am.  Found it without too many problems saw a grocery store along the way and stopped to purchase bananas and some yogurt drinks for later.  The train took about an hour and we were soon in the beautiful mountain town of Sintra; the place the royal families used for centuries to get away from the hot summer weather in Lisbon.  We walked to the Palace National from the train station; a slight slope that took about twenty minutes.  There we discovered that this was closed for renovations.   We then found Bus # 434 that does a circular route from the train station to all of the palaces and back.  We got off at the wrong stop on the mountain and the girl said we could either wait for the next bus or walk the short five minute walk of about two hundred meters…we walked….big mistake.  But we did eventually get up the hill and enjoyed the Palace of Pena; the summer home (a former Monastery) for the royals until early in the 20^th Century.  

You’ll note in the photos I have a case of hives today…I think an allergic reaction to too much citrus acid in the Airborne we’ve been taking frequently for cold prevention.  Hopefully that will be much improved by tomorrow.   Only on my face and one hand so have ruled out bug bites. 

 Arrived back in Lisbon and our Hostel about 4 pm and now we’re in for the night; eating dinner here with the other guests.

 

OVER...OVER...OVER..

February 15, 2009

I forgot to tell you that “Mind The Gap” referred to the statement that is given over and over on the loudspeakers at the Underground and train stations because of the gap between the car and the platform!

“Over…Over..Over” refers to what Mary told me every few minutes while I was driving today to keep me from hitting the curbs and/or other cars as I gingerly drove on the left side of the road!

We were awake at 6 am this morning and after enjoying an English breakfast we caught the bus to Heathrow Airport. Arrived there at 9 am and picked up our luggage and headed by shuttle bus to the car park to pick up our rental car. I decided not to tackle the manual shift and upgraded to an automatic; a wise decision we found out! We saw a bit more of the airport than necessary but finally found the correct road to M25 and soon we were on the M40 headed north towards Stratford Upon Avon. Weather is clear and sun is out but there is still snow on the fields here and there from the recent weather.

We arrived at our Youth Hostel outside of Stratford Upon Avon in about two hours; checked in and then headed out to find Warwick Castle; a few villages over. Located parking just outside the entrance and enjoyed all of the various activities and tours available in the castle for the next two hours. Mary even agreed to climb the 530 steep steps to go up the tower and around the ramparts. She slipped coming down but caught herself and only stubbed her toe (she’s wearing sandals with three pairs of socks) and landed on her derriere! She’s fine but a reminder to us to go slow! She’s very good about always holding the rails but this was a step without a rail, dark, narrow and twisting similar to bell tower steps! But she was still glad that she made the climb with me.

This castle is one of the few that allows visitors to take photos inside. The state apartments depict a Royal Weekend Party in 1898; the wax manikins are very lifelike and are modeled after real people who attended the party hosted by Lady Warwick in honor of the Duke of Wales. A young (age 23) Winston Spenser Churchill is in attendance. It makes for a fun exhibit.

Arrived back at the Hostel about 4:30 pm; selected our bunk beds and made our beds. We each have a bottom bunk and clean sheets are provided for us to make up our beds with…that way we know they are clean. We have three bunk beds in our room so shouldn’t be too noisy. The price is great compared to our previous rooms, about half the price. London was 50£, the B&B was 65£ including breakfast and this is 37£ including breakfast. They also have a restaurant here and we were able to purchase dinner of Warwickshire Beef Stew for only 7£. We thought we’d have free wireless Internet but there is a few of 5£ so we decided to call Phil and have him email Jim that we’d arrived safely.

Right now we’re both in the common room with families with children…yes…it’s noisy…typing on our computers and preparing journals for the next wireless adventure. We may have a chance at the airport tomorrow night.

Tomorrow we’re spending the day touring Stratford Upon Avon; the birthplace of William Shakespeare and also where he spent his final days. We’re doing the bus tour, house tours and then tomorrow night we have tickets for a Shakespeare Play, “The Tempest” before departing for Heathrow Airport and our “four hour Hotel called a Yotel” that is located in Terminal Four. Our flight to Portugal leaves early Tuesday morning.

Monday evening…we spent the day exploring Stratford Upon Avon. Rode the on and off bus and did three of the Shakespeare houses. Ate dessert at The Dirty Duck and saw the Shakespeare play: “The Tempest”. A very full day and then a two hour drive back to Hearthrow Airport at night. We’re going in for a couple of hours of sleep in our Yotel.

MIND THE GAP! LONDON

February 14, 2009
Remember, you can make the photos larger by clicking on them....

Friday was spent posting a blog and photos at MacDonald’s with our breakfast before packing our bags and heading out to our new lodgings. We were awakened by the wailing of a siren hurtling down our street at 6 am; so we were off to an early start.

We discovered how to ride the bus to Paddington Train Station where we caught a train to Heathrow. There we checked our two large suitcases for the next two days before catching the bus # 285 to Hanworth located outside of Feltham, about thirty minutes by bus from Heathrow. The process took three hours! But, we arrived and found our B&B: Heathrow House; across from the Horse & Groom Pub. Very nice five bedroom home with two shared bathrooms, all recently redecorated.

Dropped our bags and headed by bus to the Feltham Train Station where we purchased round trip tickets for the twenty minute train ride to Windsor Castle. The weather has warmed a few degrees and though there are black clouds chasing us we had nary a drop of rain all day. Windsor Castle has truly been completely restored to all its glory since the fires in the early 1990’s. We were one of very few visitors as we strolled around with our free audio guides telling us the history of the items in each of the rooms, including where there was fire damage and how it was repaired. We visited Queen Mary’s Doll house, The State Apartments and St. George’s Chapel where ten reigning sovereigns are now buried.

Back on the train and headed to our B&B; we stopped at the Subway across from the bus stop and purchased Subway Salads for dinner. Just like a sandwich but without the bread. Very tasty and plenty of vegetables; something we haven’t had much of on the trip. We told the Innkeeper that we wanted breakfast at 9 am so that we could sleep in and sleep in we did; awoke about 8:30 am. Good to be in the countryside without the traffic noise.

We enjoyed a full English breakfast that is included in our room price of 65£ per night this morning. We had beans, eggs, toast, bacon and a banger with coffee! Then back to our rooms for a day of computer work. The proprietor has generously given us a passcode to use his wireless Internet right here at the house! So good to be able to sit in our rooms and use the Internet and Skype! My telephone service on Skype is also working beautifully so we’ve been able to call and talk to many friends and family. Hope to do this regularly along the trip when possible instead of sending postcards! The fee is only ten dollars a month to be able to connect so it’s truly a fabulous plus for us on this trip. We do have cell phones when the Internet is not available but that is an expensive proposition.

Since this is going to be a “day of rest” we will probably only venture out to get another Subway Salad or if we’re adventurous we may go see what the Horse & Groom Pub has to offer. Enjoyed our chat; hope that you are also enjoying them from your armchair.

ACROSS THE POND: LONDON

February 10th - 11th - 12th

Our trip across the pond was rather uneventful except when the flight attendants threatened to turn the plane around and arrest the man seated in front of me if he didn’t give them the large open bottle of vodka that he had brought on board with him. Both Mary and I were very good about wearing our surgical face mask; easy to do when everyone around you is coughing and sneezing. It also provided us with moisture in the dry air. The attendants said they thought we were very smart in using them.

We arrived in London after an eight hour flight about 10 am. We were both a bit sleep deprived but in surprisingly good shape. It was about 1 pm by the time we purchased our London Pass, used the ATM and traveled by train and then Underground Tube to our hotel located near the British Museum. The Underground proved to be a real problem with the two large suitcases plus our hand luggage and too many trips up and down stairs without escalators. Most of the time we’d be given assistance by a willing gentlemen and that helped but we were both exhausted by the time we arrive. On street level the bags are not a problem; just the lifting of them and there was no way to do them one at a time in the crowded stairwells of the Underground.

Checked into the hotel and found our twin bedded room on the second floor. It is a narrow room but in very good condition with a clean bathroom and shower just doors away down the hall. Soon we were off to see London!

Traveling by the Underground we arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral just as it started to sprinkle. We’d brought along our rain ponchos so we were prepared. We hopped on the Tube again for a ride to Westminster Station to visit Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and we walked across the Westminster Bridge to the south side and the London Eye.

What a spectacular experience. It is a large glass pod (possibly heavy plastic) that holds about a dozen people. Like the one in Vienna that was used in the old movie “The Third Man Theme”, it moves in a slow continuous circle that allows loading and unloading of passengers without actually stopping. You are only on for one revolution; but what a view we had of London at sunset from the top of the wheel. It was raining but that only added to the experience. Soon we were back down to earth and with rain gear on headed for the Waterloo Station for our ride home on the Underground Tube.

Feeling very confident when we arrived at the Tottenham Court Station we went up stairs and soon discovered I’d lost my bearings. It was pouring raindrops and I was completely lost; and I’d done so good earlier in the day finding the hotel from the Tube with absolutely no problems. There are three exits and we’d taken a different one tonight. We went around in circles; finding a MacDonald’s with free wireless Internet, the Starbucks and then finally after a good twenty minutes…our route to the hotel. There we changed our wet socks and then walked around the corner to a Fish & Chips Restaurant to enjoy our one big meal in London. Finally hit the hay about 9 pm.

Thursday morning we were awake by 5 am and decided to walk to MacDonald’s with the computers to try out the Internet and get some breakfast. Both worked fine. By 8 am we were headed out for the Tower of London Tour. It’s cold but dry; so cold the puddles have ice on them and we occasionally saw small piles of snow! We were the first ones into the Towers so enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the exhibits before walking over to tour the Tower Bridge. Then we walked along the Queen’s Walk all the way to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for an hour tour of the reconstructed copy of the original playhouse.

By 1 pm we were on our way by the Tube to Kensington Palace to begin our “Princess Diana Tour”. We toured the palace and then walked through Hyde Park to see her Water Memorial; a very moving experience. It is a circular waterway with different features representing different periods of her life. Still walking we made a short visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum before entering Harrods for the final stop of our tour to see the statutes.

By the time we left it was snowing and by the time we’d arrived at Tottenham Station it was really snowing but we continued to the British Museum for a short visit before completing our day about 6 pm. A very long day spent mostly walking in London!  

A quick dinner at MacDonald’s gave us Internet time and we were both able to use Skype to talk to the husbands by webcam. It really does work. Hope you’ve enjoyed sharing our first two days in London.

My sister Mary has a blogspot also with more photos of me and her version of our story.

Check her out at: http://the-traveling-twins.blogspot.com

For those that signed up with me, I will be emailing the full version of our story in London when we arrive in Portugal....

Family Reunion in Florida

Hard to believe that in less than 48 hours we'll be on our way to London.  The past five days have flown with working on computers for relatives, dinners with extended family and friends along with fun events.  It's been a mini reunion with my brother and sisters here in Florida.  My brother has been visiting since Christmas from Indiana; two sisters live here and another flew in from Indiana for the week.  Our first gathering in three years.

We've played cards, bingo and had fun at the annual Trash and Treasure event at the clubhouse.  Amazing what you can find for a dollar!  The weather has been on the cold side...actually 32 degrees one morning...but we put it to good use by taking a walk in our "London clothes" to see if we'd be warm enough.  You've heard they had snow there last week!  

Friday night we attended a "Stimulus Home Party" to provide feedback for the government on what our thoughts and problems are these days.   A group of about 25 people from all across the nation from California to New York and Canada to Florida!  

This afternoon we enjoyed a visit with old friends from Indiana, Dave & Jan; who drove up from Venice to see us.  Tomorrow we'll get our hair cut, do the laundry and spend some quality time with Mary's husband Phil before leaving on Tuesday afternoon.