Claire

Week 191 November 25, 2017

Published on November 25, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

Dear Dear Ones, Loren and I hope to all who celebrated Thanksgiving that you had a delicious, fun and wonderful one! A sad piece of news this week is that my Godmother has died, at 95 years of age. I am extremely grateful that we were able to visit with her recently in Florida – twice – since we left home in April, 2014.

This week Loren and I went on a Trek to Poon Hill, in the Annapurna Range of the Himalaya. We only carried what belongings we needed and left the rest at our AirBnB in Pokhara. I smiled in recognition at remembering the old George Carlson comedy routine about “Stuff,” as we pared down just what to take and what to leave…

With our expert guide, Dil, we drove in a Tourist van from Pokhara at 2,690 feet to our starting off by foot point of Naya Pul village at 3,317 feet. The village name is also spelled Nayapool – names change from maps to guide books to sign posts, likely because the Latin alphabet is so different from the Nepalese scripts. The roads our van traversed varied too – from smoothly paved to deeply gouged dusty dirt or rock, as well as having sections ravaged by mudslides from prior monsoons. I now understand part of what causes Nepal’s steep terrain. Our driver was adept at navigating it all, along with the other varieties of oncoming, passing or slower vehicular traffic on understandably narrow highways. He stopped once for us to take a photo of our favorite Machapuchhre, nicknamed Fishtail for one angle of its appearance.

The best advice I read about trekking in Nepal was, “Look when you look, walk when you walk,” another valuable mantra for life in general, and, “Stay on the uphill side when passing yak or buffalo for safety,” because a misstep on certain parts of the trails can be treacherous. As a dear friend warned, “the Himalayas are not the California Sierras.”

Here is what a guide book said about our Poon Hill trek [with my added comments]:

“Ghorepani: in the Annapurna region near Pokhara [between Greater Himalaya
and Mahabharat – Lesser Himalaya ranges]. Probably Nepal’s most famous short
hike, to the picturesque village of Ghandruk, via one of the most unforgettable views
in the Himalayas. Considered fairly easy [my emphasis], there’s a steep climb on
day two of 3,381 stone steps. … Ascend through forests of rhododendrons [trees not
bushes, unfortunately not in bloom in November; much bamboo grows here too] and
rice paddies [or winter wheat fields]. The highlight of the trek is the view from Poon
Hill [Pun Hill, Poonhill] at 3,210m [10,531 ft] of the world’s most famous peaks in one
magnificent panorama. These include Dhaulagiri, [Varaha Shikkar “Twelve Peaks,”
not Annapurna I] and Annapurna South, often the best view in the Himalayas.”

Here is another description to give you some ideas about our week:

Perfectly suited to beginners and families. One of the easier [my emphasis again]
treks, packs a major punch when it comes to views. The sunrise over the rugged
Annapurna Himalaya range is thought to be one of the best in the world. As you ascend
into the hills, the scenery is constantly changing from lush forests, to arid terrain, to
farming fiends. Lovely family-run teahouses are dotted along the route, there’s no need
to carry camping gear. After a fairly steep [me again] climb to the top of Poon Hill,
you’ll be rewarded with one of the best mountain vistas on earth.

We stayed overnight in these 6 villages: Tikhe Dhunga (Tikhedhungga, Tikhedhunga) at 5,050 feet; Banthanti at 7,250 feet (this is not to be confused with Ban Thanti that we later hiked through at 10,433 feet, but, since Ban Thanti means “in the forest” there are likely more villages with this name in Nepal); Ghorepani (GhoRepani) at 9,380 feet; Tadapani, translated literally means “hot water” at 8,625 feet – and not the similar named Tatopani; Ghandruk at 8,530 feet; and, Syauli Bajar (Syauli Bazar, Syauli Bazaar, even Syaulibazar) at 4,560 feet. We changed our original itinerary before we left to include spending the second night at Banthanti to allow ourselves to acclimate by 2,000 feet each over three days, instead of 2,000 then 4,000 feet over two days.

One highlight was when we walked those continuously steep stone steps up, up, up from Tikhe Dhunga to Ulleri (Ullery). I have found counts of the steps tallied anywhere from 3,200+ to 3,700+ and believe the discrepancy is because the choice of which irregular “step” to count when planting the next foot, whether short stone or taller rock. Dil, by the way, is 25 years old and has worked first as a Porter then a Trekking Guide for the past 10 years.

The major highlight included climbing from Ghorepani in the wee hours – because I am a perpetually slow uphill hiker, to Summit Poon Hill. I just have to stop, frequently, to catch my breath on the ukaali, uphill, never mind altitude. We were most fortunate to witness a gorgeous sunrise over the vast view of the Annapurna range – early Dhaulagiri on the left below, a little later Annapurna South on the right being the two most prominent. In fact, every day we had gorgeous weather of blue sky with only some scattered clouds, allowing for great views throughout. And speaking of altitude, fortunately our extent of sickness was mild headaches, lightheadedness for Loren, and mild feelings of nausea for me. Paracetamol (Tylenol) was helpful as we ascended.

Our plans had included to go from Tadapani to Jhinu Danda (Jhinudanda) at 5,840 feet, then to Tolka (Tolga) at 5,575 feet. The highlight would have been hiking down to Modi Khola (Modi River) for a soak in the Jhinu hot springs and back up. Unfortunately, from Poon Hill through to Tadapani entailed so many steep, stone steps that Loren’s high school basketball knee injuries flared up, requiring a change in the route. Both my uphill pace and Loren’s knees forced us to learn too well the Nepali word, bistari, for “slowly, slowly,” reminding me of the “piano, piano” I learned in the Italian Dolomite. Instead, we saw the river from above.

To our fortune we spent a lovely Thanksgiving at Ghandruk, where we met our newest travel friend, from Seattle. She and I each enjoyed a bowl of soup, Loren had roast chicken – the item closest to turkey on the menu, while Dil ate traditional dal bhat – lentils with rice. Our conversations before, during, and after the meal were meaningful. In the morning I remembered to take our photo, with Annapurna South and Hiunchuli in the background. I am thankful that we were on a “fairly easy” trek – not how we would describe it, but we are not in the shape we would like to be either. I feel fortunate for the magnificent views in person, on our own power, and from trekking in the Himalayas. We had a few stray dogs join us, saw herds of sheep on the trails, more buffalo than cow and a few oxen in the fields, and, we encountered several mule trains.

We learned that the Nepalese call what we would call a “mountain,” a “hill” if it has no snow, and, only a mountain over 5000 meters (16,000 feet) is called a “peak.” Years ago, when Loren and I had both read Jon Krakauer’s gripping Into Thin Air account of a disaster on Mount Everest in 1996, we began dreaming of hiking, excuse me, trekking to Base Camp, or at least on the Annapurna Trail. Now we are happy to have trekked a shorter – in both height and duration, part of the Annapurna Circuit, as the entire thing seems to us better left to those of younger years.

We did not reach high enough elevation to see yak, and, no, we did not see any Yeti (Abominable Snowmen). Dil first said, “There are no more,” then a moment later, “They are hard to see,” when I asked. I wonder – are they like dragons, elves, fairies, giants, leprechauns, mermaids, nymphs, pixies, trolls, unicorns, wizards, or other such legendary characters? Or is this creature so rare, like the claims of Big Foot or Nessie sightings, seem to imply? Or, is it real, like rainbows, shooting stars, and snow for those who have never seen them? It is written that the father of Tenzing Norgay – Sherpa to Sir Edmund Hillary who together first summited Mount Everest – had seen one. Some believe, others are skeptical, what do you think? I will leave you with a Sanskrit proverb: “A hundred divine epochs would not suffice to describe all the marvels of the Himalaya.”

I have not yet mentioned a common sight of men, women even youth in the Annapurna region, Pokhara and Kathmandu, carrying unbelievable amounts of weight, in large baskets or bundles on their backs, using their forehead to support the weight. Many of them work as porters.

It was interesting too how there are very few mirrors in the mountain, excuse me again, hill villages – and I mean simply one community mirror over the shared sink or in a dining hall or courtyard at our guest houses. Maybe that is why my taking a picture of a local and showing it to them brought delight to see their image.

Sadly just like in parts of Africa, empty plastic water bottles, plastic bags, potato chip bags, candy wrappers, lone flip flops, piles of glass bottles and other items of western waste, some stray, some in foul smelling mounds… There is no “away” to throw these things. The good news is that beginning at the base of the “3,500 STEEPS,” a Sanctuary Committee now mandates teahouses and guesthouses to sell only safe water from large vessels and not by individual plastic bottles. How I wish that were applied worldwide! And, unlike Africa, the free range chickens are very healthy in Nepal.

On a brighter note, we have noticed youth playing badminton, volleyball, or soccer in the cleared off rice paddies, and, everywhere cherry trees, marigolds and poinsettias were in bloom. We ended our week with our AirBnB Homestay friends in Pokhara for a couple more nights. The great news is that Loren’s knee is already feeling a good bit better!

This week too we received news from a generous friend who has hosted our blog from California, that his site had been thoroughly hacked on Thanksgiving day. Further, he had to “Park” our blog, used an image of a sleepy kitten falling awake, and, making it unavailable for us or others to access. It was a great sadness for us, and, a big mess for him. I must say that while my concern has been for the stability of electrical power and internet in some lesser developed countries on our Journey, I had not foreseen the disruptive potential of hackers. As Loren often says, “No one was hurt, no one died,” which always helps to put things in perspective. Meanwhile I continued collecting my weekly thoughts and memories. With the kind advice of other friends, creating this new blog had afforded us an opportunity to reminisce. We hope you too might enjoy the results of our efforts!

Week 190 November 18, 2017

Published on November 18, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

Namaste! This week’s blog post had to be rewritten too, since it was one of two weeks’ content that was lost due to the thorough hacking on our friend’s hosting site. My tangential thoughts and related reflections have waned, just as details of a dream so often quickly fade upon awakening… and I am feeling a sense of loss. Fortunately, our photos are a tremendous help in remembering where we were, some of the people who we met, and what we did.

Namaste means, Hello! in Nepali, as well as “I bow to the Divine in you.” This week, we left Kathmandu by Tourist bus headed 7 hours west to Pokhara, to be closer to the Annapurna Range for our upcoming trek. On the way, both the bus ride and the scenery were incredible. With just 3 stops – two for 10 minute toilet breaks and one 20 minute lunch, we wound our way around a multitude of massive, steep, green covered mountains. We then came to see enormous snowcapped peaks that tower over the green giants. These peaks are not to be confused with clouds! And, many of the cabs of the trucks we passed were brightly decorated, each as if in prayer. I later learned this glitz was “just for show,” but the Hindu and Buddhist themes in some of the decorations were unmistakable. We also passed several long pedestrian suspension bridges along the way.

We stayed a week at a Homestay AirBnB, which was quite special. Our view from the open air common area overlooked Lake Phewa, also spelled Fewa, and seeing it and all the activities in and around it each day was refreshing. We we soaked up more of the rural/village feel of our AirBnb explored some of Pokhara which was within walking distance to the Lakeside tourist area and further downtown. We also rented bicycles one day, and found some time to continue planning our travels for after we leave Nepal.

We were here during rice harvesting and over our time the fields were converted to rice stacks, day by day. Women did the cutting and laying out to dry, men did the hauling and stacking.

One day we hired a boat across the lake to hike up to the Peace Pagoda where we were additionally greeted with stunning wild poinsettias and great views of the expansive city of Pokhara, and of the “Fishtail” peak. We hiked the long way back, down the far side of the mountain and around to return to our AirBnB. On the way, we crossed Devi Falls (yes, Devi, not a typo) on a relatively short suspension bridge, but I still felt too unsteady to even think about trying to take a photo of it.

Another day we hiked the steep steps and trail up to spend the night at Sarangkot. Who knew that in such proximity to the Himalaya we would encounter monkeys, swinging jungle branch to jungle branch overhead picking fruits to eat?

We watched the sun set, had a magnificent sunrise view of what has become our favorite peak, Fishtail. Its name in Nepali is Macchapuchre – said Maht-sah-poots-tray, and it stands out among the peaks of the Annapurna Range. Loren decided to save his knees for our upcoming trek, so we took a taxi instead of facing the many steep steps back down.

Week 189 November 11, 2017

Published on November 11, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

Hello! This week’s blog post has been rewritten after the fact, as its contents were lost due to the hacking of our friend’s hosting site on Thanksgiving. We apologize if you lost a comment and welcome you to leave a new one. This writing is shorter than the original, since my practice is to write during the week fresh from feelings, experiences, and reactions, though some memories, aided by photos, are indelible.

When we left our hotel in Cairo at about 8pm for our 12:50am flight, the traffic toward the airport was as heavy as when we had arrived. Fortunately the sufficient advance departure allowed us to easily arrive in time for our flight. We made an acquaintance while going through the second security checkpoint and had a very nice visit in the waiting area as we were on the same flight. When Loren and I first left home in April, 2014, we had had great expectations to be able to use our accumulated frequent flyer miles on our Journey. However, that has not been the case very often. However, for this flight – from Cairo to Kathmandu, we were able to use our miles. When we arrived for a layover in Abu Dhabi, we were greeted with a creatively constructed control tower.

It was here that the airline was unable to confirm our seats for our next flight because Economy class was overbooked. In the end we were upgraded, which could not have been a nicer gift, both to make up a bit for not being able to use our miles much on our Journey, but also because we had not slept very well on the first flight. Later we received another gift. When we approached Kathmandu airport, the pilot announced that there was no gate available – this is the busy season to visit Nepal as the cloud cover over the Himalayas is often lifted. As we passed the time flying slowly around the area, the views of a multitude of green covered mountains, then of Kathmandu, were outstanding.

After a chaotic taxi ride through disorderly traffic driven on the left side of the road, we arrived at our AirBnB hotel in Kathmandu. The next day we moved to “the AirBnB room,” which to our delight was more cheerful thanks to its southerly facing windows. A beautiful yellow butterfly greeting us in our new room added to the charm. We first photographed it, then helped it find its way outdoors.

We rested up at our hotel for a couple of days, taking our meals in the tranquil, pleasant restaurant downstairs from our room, which at night features candle lighting.

When we finally ventured out on the streets, we found a maze of shops, businesses and restaurants on narrow lanes, decorated overhead with numerous strands of prayer flags. The challenge was and is the mix of poorly maintained pavement combined with vans, cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, rickshaws and pedestrians all competing to pass. Our hotel owner had directed us to a western fare restaurant where we enjoyed the food while listening to tunes from our youth, replete with 1960’s style black lighting.

We soon become more acquainted with our Kathmandu neighborhood called Thamel, also nicknamed the “Tourist” neighborhood, by walking more of the streets. In addition to several Hindu shrines and temples and Buddhist images and stupas, sadly we found some buildings in grave disrepair or states of devastation, reminders of the massive earthquake that occurred here in April, 2015.

We started in on planning the next couple of months of our Journey, then, we booked a trek through our hotel owner’s travel business. We wish you, those who celebrate, a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving! While you are eating turkey dinner, we expect to be taking in views of the Himalayas…

Week 188 November 4, 2017

Published on November 3, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

At Milan’s airport at the start of the week, a young man on Air Italy staff remembered “If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”, the lyrics which Loren and I well know from Scott MacKenzie’s hit song of our youth. I asked if he could sing it but he declined until Loren began. He then joined in with a lovely voice. Farewell again Italy and Europe. Grazie for these more wonderful times, we so hope to return!

We purchased our tourist Visas for Egypt at a bank on arrival in Sphinx International Airport – this is standard procedure. Then we were met by a most efficient man from our tour company who helped us whisk through customs, and afterwards helped us find our hotel transport in a much shorter time than if we had been on our own.

Cairo is a sprawling city of 25 million people, full of skyscrapers and traffic that we saw throughout our 45 minute drive. Fortunate for us traffic was moving in our direction – until we too were caught in a quagmire of red brake lights. The sheer number of small cars in narrow, poorly marked lanes contribute to the muddle between four rows or five, for example, depending on the courage of a driver to squeeze into a new fifth – even an amazing sixth, on a highway that in the States would allow for just 3 lanes of cars. Others follow, unless car horns stake claim from drivers already in the way, and we heard a lot of honking horns. What was more surprising were the parked cars and pedestrians on the sides of major highways, as well as incredible risks taken by jaywalkers – more often jay runners.

Loren and I awoke early for a pre-tour day trip to Alexandria City, and were treated to a stunning sunrise though through thick haze. We spent the day with one of our upcoming tour mates, a young woman guide, and our driver. I learned that the Egyptians celebrate two special days: 26th July, for claiming income for the Suez Canal from Britain in 1954, and, 6th October, for reclaiming the Sinai Peninsula from Israel in 1973. I also learned that the familiar name Ahmed is actually said Ahck-mehd. We saw the Giza pyramids in the not too far distance as we left Cairo by van.

In Alexandria we visited intact ancient Roman catacombs, the Alexandria museum, the site of the ancient lighthouse, and the library. The lighthouse was one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World. but is no longer standing. Built from around 300BC/BCE, it was devastated by an earthquake that hit Alexandria in 700AD/CE. Now a nearly abandoned citadel – or palace, marks the spot. The library is outstanding for historical significance, innovative modernistic redesign including the world’s largest reading room, and, advanced use of technology. Anyone can visit online: http://www.bibalex.org, worthy of a look.

Afterwards, we met up with a delightful group of 10 others and our guide for the week, in time to join in the Day 1 activity of our tour’s visit to Khan al-Khalili bazaar, then to have dinner together. One valuable benefit of our Journey is that Loren and I had no jet lag – since Italy and Egypt share a time zone, compared to some who flew from other time zones.

A bit about our travel mates includes two different Australian men, one who just finished a month working in the United Arab Emirates and the other on holiday during a year work commitment in Saudi Arabia, who both helped to increase my awareness of day-to-day life in these Middle Eastern cultures. It was interesting that many of us live elsewhere from where we were born. For example, a Canadian works in Japan with his wife of Thai descent who was raised in Australia, a Jamaican woman who lives in the US, a female American Chef who is headed to work in South Africa, an Australian who has moved some around his country and is on extended travel, and a German who has relocated within her country. A woman from England and another from Germany round out our new travel friends.

Our next day began with a fun boogie led by a travel mate to another’s phone playing Walk Like An Egyptian. We then spent part of our day at Giza to see the Great Pyramid – the sole wonder remaining of the 7 of the ancient world! Of course I have seen its images many times in my life, but to be up close, in person, is breathtaking for its sheer size and construction. It is like the difference in seeing photos of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park versus hiking the trail to its peak.

This giant manmade structure is the burial site of Pharoah Cheops, created 5 thousand years ago – around 3000 BC/BCE. Made of 2.3 million stones, each is anywhere from 1.5-15 tons of perfectly fitted limestone. We had the incredible opportunity to climb inside, taking steps partway up or nearly crawling in other parts of short, narrow passageways, to see the burial chamber. It is perhaps more magnificent and awe inspiring than Machu Picchu in Peru. Seeing this Pyramid was a long-held dream of mine come true, and to share the experience with other appreciative travel mates was a special added treat.

There are actually three giant Pyramids at Giza, each with smaller ones for the Pharoahs’ wives. The son of Cheops made the second one, nearly as tall, and the top of this one retains the sleek layer of covering that used to grace all of them. Since he did not like the huge stone blocking the view of his burial site, he had it sculpted to reduce its size. As a result we have the massive Sphinx,

which is near where our group briefly rode camels. The third belongs to the grandson of Cheops, is the smallest and seemed least well made attributing to it being last able to survive the elements.

We concluded this day with a tour of Cairo museum where we saw a copy of the Rosetta Stone – the original is in the British Museum in London, and, the many gilded and golden belongings, caskets and protective housing of King Tutankhamen’s mummified remains, amid a plethora of artifacts of the Old, Middle, and New historical Kingdoms of Egypt.

An overnight train ride brought us to Aswan, the southernmost city of Egypt. Here we took a boat to reach Philae, which is the painstakingly relocated Temple of Isis, Goddess of health, marriage and wisdom. In olden times all Egyptians were to make a pilgrimage here. The removal to higher ground was necessary in the 20th century to make way for the new High Dam.

We had time for hand laundry – and, a nap for Loren, the pool for me – at our waterfront hotel on the corniche, or promenade. Then we went for a boat ride on the River Nile, which reminded me of when Loren and I boated to see birds at the source of the Nile in Tanzania nearly two years ago. This was followed by a memorable dinner with a local Nubian Village family who shared meaningful stories of their culture. Loren even had a henna tattoo done in Arabic of the words: Loren-in-Nile. An Ozzie – or Aussie as Americans would say, had the Southern Cross done on his arm, another had the Eye of Horus, known as the Protective Eye, on his arm.

We had a pre-dawn-morning departure for our bus to tour Abu Simbel, the ceremonial temples of Ramses II and his favorite Queen. Both have four gargantuan statues of him on the facade, and the Queen’s has two additional statues of her. Both were originally carved directly out of the mountain on the west bank of the Nile, then methodically relocated to preserve them from lovely Nasser Lake, which formed as a result of the new dam. They are located just 40 kilometers from the Sudan border. So close…

We spent the next day relaxing on a felucca, “a traditional wooden boat with broad canvas sails,” on the Nile River, propelled mainly by gentle winds, otherwise the Nubian crew gently rowed us. My highlight was swimming in the Nile! I photographed Loren’s temporary tattoo while he was actually in the Nile. We saw the sun set, then I taught the standing series of a Bikram Yoga class, which was interesting for my travel mates, guide and one of the crew to balance even though the Nile is quite calm.

After a wonderful dinner that our crew prepared, we sang a little and danced a little around a bonfire while the crew sang and drummed. Then we slept on mattresses on the large deck on board. Fortunately we had our sleeping bags to keep warm as the temperature dropped as predicted overnight. In the morning a flock of egret flew overhead before we enjoyed the crew’s delicious breakfast.

It was awesome to see the Temple of Edfu, dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god, son of Goddess Isis and God Osiris, and, famous for his Protective Eye. But, afterwards both Loren and I and maybe a couple or few other of our travel mates started to “tomb-out or temple-out.” I was interested but aware that my lack of sleep on the felucca and the pre-dawn day earlier was draining my ability to fully appreciate what we were seeing. We checked in at our hotel for a refreshing shower before visiting the temple complex of Karnak, a massive expanse of open air museum displaying what was an incredible monument to the Kings of the day. We enjoyed a delicious dinner in downtown Luxor, then walked the 30 minutes to our hotel.

Our last full day began with a donkey ride – a fun, first ever experience for Loren and me, through local fields. and, then we went on to the Valley of the Kings, a massive area where many Pharaohs chose to be buried thinking to better preserve their treasure from thieves. In that day it was believed that their treasures were needed after reincarnation. I gladly paid the extra fee to see the Tomb of Tut Ankh Amun…

I felt rejuvenated after a delicious lunch with another local family – father, mother, daughter and two sons in their home, before we went to see the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. She disguised herself as a man to rule, but as she had unseated her nephew, he later reclaimed the throne and this site is known as Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple. We ended the day stopping briefly to see the remaining Colossi of Memnon, huge remains in themselves at the entrance of what was once a much more tremendous site in it’s day.

We enjoyed another dinner at the same downtown restaurant – because the food was that good, and, we had a special birthday to celebrate of a travel mate. Our guide made it extra special with a cake. I realized I had finally mastered remembering how to say Cheers in Arabic: fe sehetak – which sounds like vee seh-head-ahk. It was only on the felucca that I drank alcohol as it is rare to find it in Moslem countries, but, I gleefully toasted whatever beverage – hibiscus tea or juice, for instance, at our meals.

An overnight sleeper train brought us from Luxor back to Cairo, where we said our farewells to our lovely new friends. We had been a most compatible group, with 5 of us 50 or older, the other 7 were in their 30’s. It was a privilege to spend time with such nice, interesting, travelers!

Tonight Loren and I leave for a week in Kathmandu, Nepal. We hope this finds you well!

Week 187 October 28, 2017

Published on October 25, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

We began this week in Verona with with dear friends, on a visit to Verona’s city center. My weather app had said the predicted rain was delayed to 4pm, a change from earlier in the day. But… it was wrong. We had cloudy skies at the start of our walk but then were rained on the rest of the time. Fortunately our friend was prepared with an umbrella and we also had hoods that we pulled up over our heads.

The rain did not prevent some jocks from participating in, and enthusiasts from watching a tournament of an ancient sport called Scianco. The play is a bit like baseball, a little like football, and some like the Scottish Highland Games, and totally different.

We returned for a delicious meal with the rest of the family. The kids were preparing to return to their homes for their work/school week, while our friends took us for needed supplies. Then they offered us delicious minestrone soup and spinach quiche. We so appreciate the fun times with this lovely family, and enjoy their cooking skills too! With two of our birthdays just 6 months apart, it is a special connection. One thing our friend reminisces about is how the first English he was taught was: The book is on the table. When Loren and I were in Spain last month, and I was dredging up memories of my primitive Spanish, it dawned on me that the first things I learned were El libro and La mesa. I am thinking that points out differences between masculine and feminine objects. Now our friends have helped me learn how Il libro e sul tavolo is how it is said in Italian!

Our one friend was off to work early on Monday morning, and soon afterwards the other drove us to the train station on his way to work. I had a nice conversation with Kofi, my seat mate on the crowded regional train to Milan. I learned that in Ghana, each child is named the same as the day of their birth, then often have additional Christian names. That is why his first name is the same as former UN Secretary-General Annan. His English skills are excellent, as he grew up speaking it, the official language of Ghana, and has learned Italian while living in Italy for the past 12 years.

Kofi would prefer to live in Ghana – his parents, 3 brothers and 2 sisters all live there, as well as his son who lives with one of his sisters. Kofi hopes to return to Ghana someday if economic conditions there improve. In the meantime, he was on his way to Milan to prepare papers in hopes to bring his son, who is now 18 and a high school graduate, to Italy to study. He has previously helped another of his brothers move to Italy for work too. In Kofi’s tribal language, Fante, which is understood by those who speak the very similar Akan language (the two main tribes of Ghana), days of the week are: Kofi for Friday, and Kwabena, his son’s name, for Tuesday. In case you are interested as I was, Kojo is Monday, Kweku is Wednesday, Yao (said Eyow) is Thursday, Kwame means Saturday and Kwesi is Sunday.

On Monday, Loren and I spent the night in Milano, where Agnese and Matteo live. They met us at a Bar near the university and joined us in attending a Toastmasters meeting there. Loren and I had learned about The Milliners club from David, who we had met at the Morsasco Castle a couple of weeks ago. What a smaller and smaller world it is, as Loren had been a Toastmaster – for help developing skills around public speaking and listening, for about 15 years. I had been involved in a club at work for a few years at Loren’s suggestion. It was nice to see David again and to participate briefly in the vitality of his TM club. We said our final farewells to Agnese and Matteo – just for now we hope, then in the morning Loren and I were off again on the train, then bus to Lago di Como.

In Torno we have stayed in a little studio apartment, across the lake from Moltrasio where we had visited once before. Hermann Hesse immortalized Torno with writing about his falling in love on first seeing it by boat. We have had a couple of days of delightful sunshine after the rain, for taking walks around the steep mountainside town, and before the haze returned on our last full day here.

One day we took a hike over 4 hours, up and around the mountain and down, behind and above Torno. It reminded me a bit of our walking on the Camino!

We have caught up on some travel planning and a bit of email too while we were here. We reminisced over our walk in early September on the Camino de Santiago – thanks to receiving a batch of great photos taken by new friends who we had made while there. They are from Florida and all safely returned to their hurricane threatened homes.

Tomorrow we leave from Malpensa airport for Cairo, where first we have a one day tour planned, then an 8 day tour to see parts of Egypt – officially, the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Week 186 October 21, 2017

Published on October 21, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

This was a fulfilling, full of fun week! We began with Loren having a day of rest, because, he preferred not to join me in going to the city to do laundry. I call it my “Adventure in Acqui Terme Day.” I went there by car with il ragazzo (the young man) from Podere La Rossa, then was on my own to hunt for the laundromat. The one recommended was no longer in business, and the other on my tourist map was also not in operation, which brought me to seek out the Grand Hotel Nuove. Fortunately the front desk helped me find one. They also recommended a place to have my hair cut, once the laundry finished.

It felt quite the accomplishment to navigate with my minimal Italian for the lavanderia, una cafe (coffee), take away insalata pranzo (salad lunch to go), and especially with the hair dresser of Chinese birth who spoke no English. Coincidentally I met due ragazze da Morsasco, (two young women who live in Morsasco), at the shop where I bought my salad, who knew our cousins. That evening Loren and I had another great afternoon visit with cousins, followed by a divertiti (fun) pizza dinner in Acqui Terme.

Loren and I also visited the Morsasco cimiterio (cemetery). We were touched to find some of the family members names who we have talked about in exploring how we are all related. Then we walked to the original family home: Cascina Tomelotto in dialetto, or Casa di Tomelotto in Italiano, before we had a good hike to and from the nearby village of Prasco. Afterwards we had another fun evening with our American friends and their houseguest, first at their home, then for dinner at La Vetta restaurant in Cremolino.

It was a final, nice visit in Morsasco for pranzo (lunch) with our cousins, before leaving for the Aqui Terme train station, where we were able to meet a special friend, and say our farewells.

The train brought us through Alessandria to Asti, to see paternal side cousins. In addition to admiring their lush gardens and vineyard, and, having delicious home prepared meals, we drove one day to Cosombrato, the nearby village where Loren’s grandfather was born, and, another to see the impressive modern Salesian cathedral in tribute to its inspired founder, Don John Bosco. I would include more personal photos except it is in regard and respect of this side cousins’ wishes to not include their photograph online.

Before we knew it our brief yet memorable visit was coming to an end. At the Asti train station our cousin translated the Italian words for “All roads lead to Rome,” as “Tutti di via porto a Roma,” or “Tutti di strada porto a Roma.” What I have also noticed this week is how many cities, towns and villages have tribute roads to such figures as Vittorio Emanuele, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Antonio Gramsci and others, which is similar to how US towns and cities have roads honoring Presidents like Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Lincoln, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Kennedy, for example, as well as important figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., among others. It is still hard to imagine that Italy became a united country nearly 100 years after the US won her independence from Britain… which contributes to how much dialetto is still spoken in each Italian village.

This time the train brought us to Caldonazzo, to visit with friends. We said our first hellos to the newest member of the family over dinner. The next morning we joined in on the family mountain hunt for cinghiale – what we call boar, and camoscio – a local deer-like animal. Loren suggested that these friends, “Viva per cinghiale,” meaning that they live for the wild pig, but, their response was, “No! Cinghiale vive per mi!” with a chuckle.

That afternoon, we went to Borgo Valsugana to see ArteSella – art in nature, which is an impressive, open-air style art museum. I found a few circular pieces of special interest. On the way home we met the mother of a special friend, who advises pensa positivo, or think positive in English. That evening we met a cousin of the family who is also a hunter, with his special friend.

The next day we drove to Lago di Tovel, stopped for coffee, then walked the giro, or tour, but perhaps path is a better translation, around the stunning lake.

Now Loren and I are visiting again with our dear friends in Verona and two of their three wonderful children and their special friends. The oldest child joined us by video as he and his special friend are living and working on research in Toronto. With fun and stimulating conversations over delicious meals and a good long walk one day from Bardolino to Garda with another friend, we relish in this special friendship. While Loren continues to expand his Italian skills. I am learning to understand a little better…

Thank you to all our family and friends who have invited us into your homes and shared your lives with us with laughter and love. Those here in Italy, just as our dear ones in the US and other places in the world, you are each so beautiful and we love you. Loren and I treasure our time together, everyone, everywhere!

Week 185 October 14, 2017

Published on October 14, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

Buon Giorno! Good Day! in Italian. This week, we learned that the only way to reach Acqui Terme – our next destination from our location of Alba, was by train back to Torino, another to Asti, then one more to Acqui Terme. There was no direct bus service either, so we resolved ourselves to the train schedule. What fortune we then had in meeting an American couple from New Hampshire. We enjoyed a delightful time waiting for the train, then in riding to Torino together. The wife, like Loren, is half Italian on her mother’s side. More special people who we will hope to see sometime again!

In Acqui Terme we were amused to find that the gas station across the street from our albergo – hotel, included not only an attached cafe but a full restaurant/pizzeria, which also featured live music on Saturday night. We were the earliest diners as the performers warmed up before the larger crowd arrived. The two young men provided lovely harmony. One even sang a few American pop numbers, the other rendered Quando, Quando, Quando, beautifully. As we left, they both offered Buona Sera – Good Evening, to us from their microphones.

The next day, in an uncanny stroke of luck, we discovered that we could attend a concert inside il Castello – the Castle, in Morsasco, a tiny hilltop village where Loren’s nonna e biz-nonna – grandmother and great-grandmother, were both born. The castle is now owned privately. As we had only ever seen it from outside the castle walls, we made our way to Morsasco for the event. Unfortunately our cousins in town were down with the flu, so could not join us.

Before the concert began, a few of us were exploring the grounds where we met an Italian man from Milan. However during the course of a conversation I instead detected a native American English speaker. It turned out that he had been an exchange student to Italy some 30 years ago and has never returned to live in the US. Like Loren once was, he is very active with Toastmasters’ International, and we hope we might attend a meeting with him before we leave Italy. You can see a photo of his thriving club if you copy and paste this link into your browser: https://m.facebook.com/themillinerstoastmasters/photos/a.894564497337351.1073741827.890422457751555/1286766374783826/?type=3&source=44

Then, I was surprised during a pre-concert social time inside the Castle, to hear more English being spoken. I befriended three more Americans, and before the evening was over, Loren and I had a date to see one of them again, as she now lives in Morsasco. What was more astonishing is that we then ascertained that the friends who were visiting her and I have a friend in common in the state of Washington. The world keeps becoming smaller…

Before Loren and I left Acqui Terme which means “thermal water,” we did “take the baths.” At Lago Delle Sorgenti, the waters are combined with sound treatment, which they have named “Holistic Path in 12 Steps of 3-4 hours.” It was heavenly, especially during our second time in the “Gong Lounge,” having it entirely to ourselves with just the “Tibetan Bells and Planet Gong” therapist leading our experience.

We then took a taxi ride with our same driver who had transported us to and from the concert at the Castle. We were welcomed once again to Morsasco, this time at Podere “La Rossa” – the farm of the red grapes, by un ragazzo – a young man, who works there. We wanted to stay at La Rossa because it is remodeled from the original stone farmhouse where Loren’s great-grandmother was born. Thanks to our young host who has a college degree in Tourism and who started working at La Rossa as an intern, I now understand how the Spanish and Italian languages are so similar. It is since the Roman Empire fell, the German Visogoths settled in Spain while the closely related Ostrogoths came to Italy. Online I found that Visigoth means western Goth and Ostrogoth – what else? – eastern Goth.

We have enjoyed the silence and serenity at La Rossa. Similar to Planet Gong, we have been completely by ourselves, with the exception of the owners and staff who live offsite and have come to make our breakfasts or prepare special weekend lunch or dinner events, as we are visiting during the off season. It turns out that we are also staying where Julia Roberts once visited when she was in Morsasco for the wedding of a friend. We have been entertained too by the gazza – magpies, flitting about. I saw this bird for the first time ever in Canada on our Journey, then again in southeast Africa where they are named “pied crow.”

Most important is that our cousins have recovered from their cases of the flu enough that we have had a couple of wonderful visits already. They had us for lunch one day, and took us on un giro – a tour, by car to see several of the surrounding hilltop towns each with their individual castles. Coincidentally La Rossa is owned by in-law relatives of our cousins. As mentioned above, it was named for the red grapes in the vineyard, and we learned that their creative wine label includes an image of our cousin’s grandparents honeymoon photo!

We also had a lovely evening visiting our new friend who we met at the concert and enjoyed spending time with her, her partner and her mother. They have a gorgeous home. Our cousins called it the best house in town, and we can attest to that! It is beautiful, fully remodeled on a large tract, with a fabulous view from the back yard. We wish them all the best in settling into their new community, where they have already felt welcomed and appreciated.

Loren and I have also enjoyed walks to the nearby hilltop village of Tresobbio, about an hour each way,

then through Cremolino to the larger town of Ovada – about 2 and a half hours one way. What fun to note how each town and village have their own Via Roma, also the name of the street where Loren’s grandmother’s birth house is located in Morsasco, reminding me how at one time in history, “All roads lead to Rome.”

In Ovada, we enjoyed a very fresh pranzo – lunch, of pasta con funghi – with mushrooms, Porcini to be exact. Outstanding! We will have a ride back to La Rossa with our ragazzo shortly. What a fun week of seeing special family members and for making new friends. We have also been grateful to have had several beautiful fall days in a row – of mostly sunny, sweater-weather days, where butterflies flit in joyful play… Just lovely!

Week 184 October 7, 2017 – 3.5 years on our Journey!

Published on October 7, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

Last week I did not mention the very long walk – over an hour – with our packs on our fronts and backs from the Torino – Turin, train station to our AirBnB. This, on top of an early morning, and of walking from our Barcelona AirBnB, standing the entire way on the lengthy metro ride to the airport for our flight, and, an enjoyable though late night dinner date, all made for a long, however, memorable, day. On the bright side, I must capture how our AirBnB in Torino had the most creative use of space – with a complete kitchen in a closet! I continue to be amazed by what the world has shown me is possible.

We had hoped to visit precious cousins near Asti this week, unfortunately they had come down with the flu. We are sending them our continued good wishes, and, our thanks again to other dear cousins in the States who persuaded us to have our flu shots before we left for overseas. So, we decided to take a train to visit nearby Alba, where Nutella is made by the same family who make the Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Sadly, especially for Loren, we discovered that they do not offer tours of their factory – to protect the recipe…

When we left Torino for Alba, there was a mixup that was our fault – since the Bar, or what in the US would be called a Cafe across the street from our AirBnB had no internet, and, with no SIM cards in our phones, we are limited technologically. As a result we were unable to check into our AirBnB until 6pm, instead of at 1pm as we had anticipated. I sat with our packs in the Bar while Loren found a park near a hotel where we could have open wifi, so at 3 pm we moved with our backpacks to sit in the park for a while. Then, Loren went to find the tourist office while I stayed with our belongings in the park.

After an hour and a half, I become a little concerned, and by 2 hours, I started using Google translate to be able to say in Italian, “Please can you help with these backpacks? My husband has not returned after 2 hours from the tourist office, and we are due at our hosts’ home at 18:00 (6pm). I am becoming concerned…” Just as I had finished with that bit of translation, Loren arrived! I had forgotten that he was also taking care of another errand. We then agreed how important a backup plan is should we be separated again.

Alba was on our wish list for their upcoming Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba – White Truffel – mushroom – Festival, on the weekend. Instead of staying in town for that, we splurged on two small tartufo bianco at a tartufo shop. The nero – black ones, though less expensive, had less aroma. We were assured that they had all just been dug up in the forest in the past hour with the traditional trusty help by the keen nose of the shopkeeper’s dog! We then took them to an osteria – tavern, the one recommended by our AirBnB host, to slice over a pasta dish for dinner. Afterwards, digestifs of Grapa, Sambuca and Brandy were included, gratis. The experience was caro – expensive, literally dear, yet unique and unforgettable.

Reflecting on our recent visit in Spain, I remembered that I had written this Haiku in January, 2017, when Loren had not been interested in visiting Spain because he had been there 40 years ago:

Travels
Claire Adalyn Wright
Austin to Boston
New York to Yorkshire; Maine… will
I ever see Spain?

And now I can say that I have been to Spain! I am so very grateful for our extended travels Journey and for Loren’s change of heart. I have been working on another poem of sorts, simply titled “Places Poem” for now, which takes off on that Haiku. I hope to continue to flesh it out from its poetic skeleton, and will share it after that.

Also on traveling in Spain, my brother has suggested that I am having, “The ultimate geography lesson,” on this Journey. Yes, that is absolutely true, and, more! Like, when I see an image of the globe in Europe, it is most often oriented, not with North and South America facing me, but from the European and African perspective. Of course! But, I have had to look twice as this view seems odd, surprising, and remarkable.

Or, when at first I had seen so many references in Spain to familiar names and places — Florida, San Francisco, San Joaquin (said w-ah-keen), San Jose, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and also others in Portugal, I had been tickled. Then, it really sunk in how the Spanish had settled in Florida then California, a few centuries ago. Now, being an American in Spain I was very moved by that awareness of connection, just as I was moved by Antoni Gaudi’s expression of his religious faith at Sagrada Familia in Barcelona last week. I can only convey my experiences in mere words – how I wish that everyone could travel and see, and learn so much, about the world as Loren and I are doing on our Journey.

Back to our present week in Alba, of the Piemonte – Piedmont, region of Italy, the weather has been overcast and chilly. Despite the initial mixup, we have enjoyed this lovely AirBnB apartment, which is full of interesting artwork.

One day Loren and I decided to take a local bus to a small village nearby, called Cortemilia. Before we left, the sun appeared, making a more cheerful day, and accentuating the changing leaves. We hiked up to al Castello (the Castle) then walked around the town. We visited a couple of churches, enjoyed a picnic lunch, and strolled by the river with the fall colors evident.

Then, we were sure to have a piece of yummy Torta di Nocciole delle Langhe – hazelnut tort cake of the local area, for which this village is famous. It is made with fresh nocciolas – hazelnuts. Before our return bus ride, I also noticed the famous historic Italian poet Dante honored with his own street name here, as he is in so many Italian villages, towns and cities…

We also have been doing more future travel planning, currently having quite the time trying to understand the often contradictory information about the Visa application process, requirements, and time limits for India. Given what I am reading online, I think we will be extremely lucky if we are able to procure the proper Visas for the timeframe that we hope to be there.

Tomorrow we will take a train to Acqui Terme, near where our other cousins live…

Week 183 September 30, 2017

Published on October 3, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

I apologize for our post being late this week. Due to limited free time, Loren and I were unable to find a secure wifi spot in Barcelona… I had paid an enormous price in my time once before for using an open network, so, if our posts are late again you will please understand why.

In Madrid at the beginning of this week, we learned that more than 3 million people call this city home. And on the weekend in September it seemed that nearly all of them, plus a huge number of tourists, were out and about. We encountered them from Plaza de Espana to Gran Via, Porta del Sol to Plaza Mayor, The Prado to El Retiro Park and Puerto de Alcala. Loren and I were ultimately able to find a quiet park to have our picnic supper near the Royal Palace and Gardens one evening.

We also were able to take daily Bikram Yoga classes. It felt great to be in the hot room again. Even with the classes being taught in Spanish, I heard a very few words in English and recognized some Sanskrit names of the postures. And, I could comprehend so many of the words for inhale, exhale, hands, arms, feet, knee, breathe, stomach, and stretch, for example, all the basics of yoga. It is fortunate that the Bikram method is the same 26 postures every time, as Loren and I already know how to do them in any language.

Our greatest sightseeing pleasure in Madrid was visiting Museo del Prado with its vast collection of masterpieces, many of mythological and biblical scenes, and Renaissance works. Loren realized how these were created before the invention of photography, making the art that much more important to those living in the day. What a lucky legacy for us now. We were advised by friends to see one part of The Prado then go back the next day to see the other as it is too much to take in on one visit. We actually split our time there over three visits, yet I still missed out on all of what I had hoped to see.

The most incredible moment included that I have always wanted to see Murillo’s Immaculate Conception in person. It is one of two smaller copies that I had gazed at in my grandparents home over all the years of my youth. I had seen the other, Rafaelo’s Madonna of the Chair, some years ago in Florence. Now I have seen it too! Three other masters who brought me delight at The Prado were Carracci with his Venus and Adonis for how magnificently he captures Venus’ loving rapture, Rubens’ Birth of the Milky Way for its irreverence, and, Durer’s Eve, Adam, and Adam and Eve for their personification. There were no photos allowed, which is a good thing, because if I had taken time to make photos, I would have seen even less of the immense, both in number and in size in many cases, collection.

We then flew to Barcelona where we had 5 nights booked for the last few days of our visit in Spain. Each of them were packed full of adventure. You may have heard the news that Catalunya had an upcoming vote to secede from Spain, while we were there. At first we saw some flags and banners in favor and only a very few showing support for remaining part of Spain. Then while we were there we saw more and bigger independence flags and banners appear, and, as you may know, it passed. We wish all the Spanish and Catalunyans the best in determining what comes next.

We so appreciated seeing all that we could of Barcelona. It is hard to say which we enjoyed most. First, the historic Mercat del Born gave us an appreciation of Catalunya’s heritage. Then the Picasso Museum, showing many examples of his youthful prodigious and classical talent, was enlightening. We also appreciated that we had studied Velasquez’ Las Meninas in Madrid, as Picasso had later devoted himself to recreate it 58 times, in his most unique style.

Then we explored a bit of Antoni Gaudi’s works at the Gaudi Exhibition Center. We splurged on the virtual reality glasses option there, allowing us to watch him direct some work on The Crypt at Colonia Guell. What an outstanding creative architect and artist! We also strolled part of La Rambla – a pedestrian walkway, stepping onto a side street to see Palau Guell, designed by Gaudi for his benefactor, Eusebi Guell, with ornamental lighting on the roof. We then continued our walk back to our AirBnB near the harbor and saw the very tall Monument to Columbus.

We took a full day tour to see Girona and Figueres. We had a good tour guide in Girona who shared about how flies are sacred here for their part in winning a war with the French, and, of the well preserved Jewish Quarter after the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. Afterwards Loren and I visited the Jewish History museum here.

The tour also took us to the Salvadore Dali Theater museum. Yet again, we appreciated having seen Velasquez’s Las Meninas in Madrid, as Dali also incorporated a copy of it in some of his art. Dali is another very uniquely talented artist. While most of his art was difficult for me to appreciate, I very much enjoyed his jewelry designs. My favorite was The Eye of Time.

Then on our last full day in Barcelona, we visited both Gaudi’s intricately beautiful Parc Guell,

and, the culmination of Gaudi’s life work at Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) church. Loren had seen it when only a few of the grand spires were completed 40 years ago. Today it is a building that can be entered and appreciated. Gaudi was devout in his faith, and he had a keen sense of how nature could be woven into architecture. I was moved again and again both outside and inside this magnificent, one of a kind temple. The structure, which he took over as architect in 1883, is scheduled to be completed in the 100th year of his death, in 2026. Loren and I hope to return to see it again then.

Now we are just leaving from a too quick overnight in Torino (Turin), Italy, where we had a lovely and delicious dinner reunion with a couple who we had met in Croatia a year ago.

Week 182 September 23, 2017

Published on September 21, 2017February 22, 2018 by ClaireLeave a comment

Loren and I flew into Malaga in southern Spain on Saturday morning, when it seemed that half of Britain was also arriving. The weather is warmer than it had been along the Galician coast in the northwest, and the Basque region in the north, of Spain. Here we stopped only long enough to rent a car, then drove southwest, spending time first in Marbella, which translates to Beautiful Beach, where we also enjoyed a picnic lunch on a cool – literally and figuratively, tile bench in the shade of ancient trees and greenery.

Then we drove on to Gibraltar, currently a United Kingdom Territory, to see the Rock. We had to ask for our passports to be stamped as we passed out of Spain. I was startled at how narrow the Gibraltar Straight is in actuality – ok, it appears so on the map, but I could actually wave to the not too distant mountains in Morocco. We had views of the sunset illuminating Gibraltar from our stay that night in nearby La Linea, Spain.

This week we spent mostly in the region of Andalucía or Andalusía – whichever spelling you prefer. More important, I had to learn how to pronounce it – it is said Andaluthia. Similarly Thank You is said, Grathias, not Gracias, as I had learned from Miss Marin, my Spanish teacher in Eastview Junior High School back in grades 7 and 8. I appreciate all that she taught me, though sadly it was too little.

Loren and I stayed just the one night in La Linea de Conception where Gibraltar was beautifully visible, then we drove on to Seville for two nights. Our AirBnB host kindly oriented us to many of the old town highlights. We definitely did not plan to stay here long enough, but with the help of his advice, map and brochure, we did see a lot, feeling like we had stayed longer. We toured La Catedral (the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See), the third largest in the world after St. Peter’s Basilica of The Vatican, and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The most interesting sight here for me was the tomb of Christopher Columbus – Cristobal Colon in Spanish, or Cristoforo Colombo in Italian.

We ate vegetarian tapas both before and after indulging in two delightful hours of Roman baths that included a massage. We then had an entertaining show of intense, expressive Flamenco dancing – as there were no photos allowed I am including my photo of their advertisement.

We finished our very full day at the unique Metropol Parasol for a view of the old town lights at night. A local bar offered a drink, gratis, with our tickets. We enjoyed that had with a snack, and this is where Loren befriended a friendly young man to join him at his table as all the other tables were full. We enjoyed talking with he and his friends, one an “Italian in name only,” and the other, a German with Turkish heritage who is living briefly in Seville, who teased for us to adopt her to join in our Journey. If only we could! Both young men are studying aerospace engineering, wow!

The next morning Loren and I had an audio guide through the Alcazar, including its sweeping gardens. We ended our stay in Seville with a visit to the Flamenco museum.

We then bade our AirBnB host and his precious cat farewell, and drove to Cordoba. With only one night here we settled in then walked the veinte minutos – 20 minutes, to the center of the old town. We had a picnic supper on a bench at the river, crossed the ancient Roman bridge to the Moorish tower, and back, and, walked the extensive outer perimeter of Meqzuita de Cordoba, which was cerrado – closed, for the night.

In the morning we were all set to return to old town but, fortunately, stopped at our car first and found a note on the windshield asking us to not park where we had been directed by our AirBnB host’s teenage son. But, unfortunately Loren and I had different ideas on what to do about it. I started the car to find another spot but he refused to get in. Instead he walked around the nearby narrow lanes to look for a place. Not agreeing to the spot that he was trying to create, and with him still refusing to get in the car, I drove around “the block.”

Bad idea. I am our driver, Loren is our navigator. In these very old towns, some of the streets are one way, are often too narrow for a car and a pedestrian to simultaneously traverse, and, are anything but laid out in a grid. Thank goodness I had had the idea to download my own set of offline maps for backup, so I was able to find a place to pull over on a little wider street, activate the GPS and drive back. Meanwhile, Loren had found a more reasonable place to park. Phew! We agreed we would not do that again.

With parking solved, we continued on by foot to Mezquita Mosque/Cathedral and entered an immense gateway. On seeing the majority of the vast garden area I thought it encompassed the entire enclosure that we had seen from outside the night before. But, Loren pointed out that we had not yet seen the mosque/cathedral, whose entrance and exit were nearly hidden in the far corners. The tremendous temple behind one of the garden walls is incredibly larger than the gardens, and is most impressive. Additionally, the conversion of parts of it from an ancient mosque into a cathedral is astonishing. As with most things, our photos just do not do justice to what our eyes behold.

We returned to our car to leave Cordoba for Grenada. We drove by hectares and hectares of spectacular groves of olive trees, from saplings to mature. We arrived in time to walk up to the Mirador St. Nicolas for a view of the Alhambra and the surrounding sprawling city just before dark.

The next day we spent the United Nations designated International Day of Peace on a group tour of the Alhambra. Its Generalife – said Hen-er-ah-lee-feh, was once a summer palace with substantial prized gardens. As well we toured a few other various palaces, saw the outside of the Alcazaba – military fortress, and several ruins. It is all too much to see in one visit. But, our tour guide gave us a wonderful sense of it, along with much helpful information.

One thing we had not known is that Granada in English translates to pomegranate, and, yes, we did see some pomegranate trees here. Another is that Washington Irving, as an ambassador to Spain, lived at Alhambra and wrote Tales of the Alhambra while here. I was moved to find him honored with various statues, tributes and placards around the buildings and grounds. And, we also learned that Granada was the final place from which the Moors were ousted by the Spanish with help from the Pope in 1492, the same year when the Jews were later expelled from Spain, and, the same year that Queen Isabella subsequently funded Columbus’ first voyage.

Now Loren and I have flown to Madrid where we will be staying for a few days. Ciao for now!

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