Adventure into the depths of Hell (better known as Moscow)

We stayed two nights in Old Town Riga, Latvia in the “freaky apartment building” with no hot water (see last blog!) and, oh yeah… sea gulls that were perched on the roof lines of the neighboring buildings calling out to us lovingly ALL. NIGHT. LONG.   It made for some beautiful pictures, but not a lot of sleep!

Our taxi was at the door at 3:30 AM for a quick shuttle to the airport, where BalticAir was just opening.  We really had no idea what it would take to get through for our flight.  We soon found out. The visa/passport check to go to our gate was so long we were still in line to get checked as people boarded our plane.  With 10 minutes before take off, we were finally all through and I fell asleep the instant we took off until we touched down at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow.

Some General Info… When planning a trip to Russia, as an American Citizen, first you need to get an invitation. There are many different ways to do that from paying a company (if you’re traveling all over on your own), to asking your hotels, or your tour guide. There are plenty of people who will take your money to do this.  But you must have the invitation, with your names and dates and whether it will be a single entry to Russia or multiple entry, to fill out your visa paperwork.   Many websites have the paperwork available… but whoever gave you the invitation should also help you fill it out a bit.  Next, you take or mail the info with your passports and money (call the Russian embassy to find out how much) and wait for about 2 weeks.  You should be able to pick them up or have them mailed back… but again, check with your Russian Embassy for cost and time.  You must be less than 6 months before your trip.

When you arrive, you must fill out an “entrance/exit” form which they take the first half as you enter and you CAN NOT lose the 2nd half or you will be fined when you try to leave.  (Warnings of loss included confiscating your passport) So, as you stand in another  line, nightmares of someone yelling “YOU didn’t fill out your paperwork correctly” go swimming through your head as well as visions of your family being hauled out in handcuffs.   It’s easy to be thankful for little things at times like this.  We made it into RUSSIA!

“Time to get Rubles…  Then our train tix…    This was going remarkably well; Everything is in Russian AND English.  The train was quite nice with a direct transit from SVO Airport connected to Terminal 2.  We were able to get a family pass for 2 adults and 1 child (under 12) and then had to buy an extra adult ticket for our 18 yo.

The scenery was … interesting.

The train took us right to one of the main Metro stops.   And then, we got off the train and reality hit!   People.  Loads of people… Masses.  Yes, we’ve been to a couple of the top 20 most populous cities.  But, Moscow is intense.  No more Russian/English.  And, where the heck are the street names?  We looked all over to get our bearings.

We were now on a quest to get our Viva’s registered.  Yes, You must REGISTER when you get there.   According to the map, it’s just a couple short blocks from the Metro…   Russia does NOT have short blocks.  And as we’re starting to get nervous not finding street names or anything on the map, an older Russian lady comes up and says “Tickets?”  We showed her our map and she nods and motions for us to follow her… so we did.  Hesitantly.  She took us into an unmarked, grey, communist style building with a guard at the front door.  When I showed him the map and name in Russian he nodded, “Da!” (Yes!)  Our spontaneous lady guide is hightailing it up 3 flights of stairs, while we are on little sleep and carrying luggage and she disappears into the last room on the left.  So, I followed and she took us EXACTLY where we needed to be.  WHEN does that happen?   They had cold bottled water and seats for us to rest while they took copies of our stuff and we learned to say “Spe-SEE-bah”  (Thank You!)  in Russian.

Whew.  We have friends who always joke about our trips as SOMETHING always goes wrong.  But, we feel like we’ve learned how to figure out how to make things right when that something goes wrong.  We really needed that easy start though, as we had NO idea of what was yet to come.

Now, it’s time to find our hotel and it looks like just a couple blocks from the Metro stop.   So we try this again.  Got off at what we thought was our Metro and then… trouble.  No one can point us in the direction of our hotel.  It’s almost like we’re in the wrong place at the wrong time and while we were trying to get directions, our girls almost got robbed!   Yeah, we weren’t in Germany anymore!!!

After trying for almost 30 minutes to get some bearing or some direction, someone had mercy and found us an 18 year old girl from Kazakhstan who took 3 months of English lessons and was able to “hire us a taxi” which in Russia was… hiring someone with a car who was willing to take us. This young girl, who spoke 20 words of English, showed our hotel address to the driver of a 1970 Lada reeking of leaded gas and with a broken speedometer needle and no seat belts. Just so you have an idea… This is a Lada we found in St. Pete.  It’s in INCREDIBLY GREAT shape compared to the one we had the adventure of riding in!  Yes, there were 5 of us in there.  Most of whom are  close to 6 feet tall!

We shoved our suitcase into his trunk and climbed through the one working door with our backpacks.  A 15-minute hellride later which included the obligatory life-flashing-before-the-eyes attempt to pass a truck when the brakes screeched louder than I’ve ever heard;  we arrived at the hotel, the adrenaline kicked in and we all jumped out of the car, paid him his $25.00 equivalent and slept the rest of the day away.  Weren’t we just in Riga at 3:30 this morning?

The rest of Moscow needed to wait until tomorrow.   We had enough for one day!

Adventuring on…

Riga, Latvia…  Yes, we got tickets for 3 Euro each from Simple Express Bus service.  And it was organized in Tallinn; unlike like an Italian bus stop where you really don’t have a bus stop and then your bus just leaves without you! (yes, we know about that!)  And it was a nice air-conditioned, reclining-seat bus that’s on the road for 3.5 hours from Tallinn to Riga… not a little Greek Bus on back roads that you better bring a baggie.  (Yes, we know about that too!)  The major score of the whole trip!   

Considering the history the Baltics have had in the last… oh, 100 years, they are really doing well.  I don’t know that any country put under such harsh control and then being a republic on your own for 20 years, would do much better than the Baltics.  But Riga has some areas that we chose to not linger…  such as the bus stop area you are dropped off at.  Didn’t feel safe at all; however, not too many  American city bus stops feel safe either.  ( * Free Hint:  When you pay for a toilet in Riga, ask the lady for toilet paper/keep small packs of kleenex.  There seems to be a toilet paper shortage!)  You just should have your “spidey antennae” in full gear in this town.

We got to Riga about 6 on Saturday night and needed to find our apartment and food.   The apartment… was a little scary downright freaky.  The man opened the gate and it looked like we were going to a place from which we might never return.  Then, he opened the door to our building..and we started going up.  And up.  And up and up.   A Tight round spiral staircase with stairs that were tall and skinny and a railing which fell off the wall when we dared to use it.  When he opened the door, it was all good.  Lots of windows.  Wood floors.  Upstairs and downstairs bathroom.  Then, he left the keys and left without a word.  Uh oh…  Can you say “cold water?”  Oh well, just Part Of The Adventure (POTA)!  

So off to supper… and what do we find?

Yes, a medieval restaurant.  We’re good with this “theme.”  Medieval Fest in Tallinn.  Medieval Restaurant in Riga.  And, it was YUMMY.  We had our first taste of Kvass.  It’s basically a soda that is made from rye bread and is available all over the Baltics and Russia.  I think they had their own recipe as it was better here (vs. the bottled stuff) as well as the fish, the veggies, the soups, and the cidre.  The ambiance was pretty great.  It’s basically in the basement of a great building with arches, and an old well and has old wood tables and chairs, candles for lights, and the food came with stories!  This was seriously cool!

Kvass… by candlelight.  

It was a little pricey… but not horrible.  And, it was so fun!   

Drenching rain hampered our efforts to experience the town by night, but we didn’t mind the break.  So we were up and off Sunday morning to find breakfast.  Oops.  NOTHING opens until at least 10 AM.  Hmmm.  Guess we’ll enjoy the art and have a granola bar.

Pretty Cool Dragon!   Riga calls themselves the Home of the Decorated Christmas Tree… and *THIS* is the display they have.  It’s kinda cool and interesting, and looks even better in the rain!

 

We got to enjoy the Latvian Historical Museum as well as the Stationing of the Guard at the Presidential Palace as we happened to walk by right then.

The old town is amazing with a lot of serious architecture.  And, we chose to see it by bike…much fun, led by our fearless Aussie expat, Marcus  
http://www.rigabiketours.com/
   Definitely recommend them.  Since we were the only ones on the noon tour, they let us customize what we wanted to see.  It was nice.  Answered every question we could throw at them and kept us moving…

You realize, through several hints, that Riga was built by Germans from Bremen.  Much in similarity and even a statue of the Bremen town musicians which is considered lucky to touch the noses of each animal.  One of the main highlights of Downtown Riga is the Art Nouveau Architecture by Eisenstein.    Some of them have been meticulously repaired… while others are waiting for help as they are UNESCO Heritage sites and have to be put back to original form and state in a certain manner.

We also got to see the old KGB building, which is completely empty at this point.  The city has no idea what to do with it right now as it has many bad memories for the Latvians.  If people went in there, they didn’t come out.  Personally, I think it would’ve been an appropriate place to house the Latvian Occupation Museum, but they built a new one by the Town Hall (and didn’t even ask me!)

 

Couldn’t look much more communist, eh?

We also drove by the 3 Brothers, the oldest 3 buildings in Riga, and each one represents a different type of building from the Middle Ages time frame.  The trio of horn players like to stand in front and for a request they will play a song from your country and you get to sing with.  They played the 10 minutes we were there…  and usually get a donation for being so good at it!  

  The building I enjoyed the most… was the Riga Blackhead House even though it is a reconstruction.  It was originally the house for the unmarried guild members during the early 14th century.  The upper floor is a pretty decent art museum and the main floor is a total replication of what it was like.  It’s now used for parties and conferences.

 And finally, the Freedom Monument.  Anyone would think that this was for Freedom from the Russians 20 years ago when you see it,  but it was actually made way before that.  It’s from the Latvian War for Independence from 1918-1920.  When the Soviets took over in the 40′s, they considered removing it with all the other Latvian symbols.  With this, they tried to change the meanings to fit with USSR “principles,” but to the Latvians it was always a symbol of their eternal wish for freedom.

 

Next, is Moscow.  Yeah, this was the travel day that could have gone VERY wrong….

 

POTA

For four years, we have lived and traveled Europe.   It has been amazing, diverse, and… very Western.   Considering how “foreign” Europe was when our family first returned after 18 years away,  it has become the new normal for us.  Every country has had toilet paper…of some sort, and running water (most of the time.)  Food has been plentiful and even cheap at the grocer.  SOMEone usually spoke English or German…  And when they didn’t it was all Part Of The Adventure, right???  POTA!

Yeah.   That all changed a couple weeks ago, when we left for the Baltic.   We thought many times about doing this THE EASY WAY (on a cruise ship).  But, they don’t go to Moscow and they don’t stay long enough in Helsinki for us to visit friends.  

So, here went Deb.   6 months… of planning.  Reading.  Websites.  Train Schedules.  Airlines.  Bugging anyone who might have gone to Russia.   I finally decided I had to start somewhere and Ryan Air was having a sale.  So, I bought one way tix for 4 to Tallinn, Estonia and started figuring out how to get an Invitation and visas to Russia.   The best place to start was to begin.  

Reservations started piling up.  Apartments, hostels and hotels.  2 nights in St. Pete weren’t accounted for until the very end.  We decided to not buy train tix from St. Pete to Helsinki until we arrived (hahahaha… never again!)  By the time we left, I was hoping I had all the information I *thought* I did.   My folio of reservations, information, maps, tickets, and places to see was HUGE.   Seeing as how my brain was dumped into that folio, maybe I should be concerned that it was actually so thin! 

But, this time we were going to have more of an ADVENTURE!  

Off we went.  The flight was uneventful.  We got the bus into the downtown and the bus driver even pointed us in the direction of our hostel.  We dropped our stuff in our room and went out to enjoy the city.

 

It was quite visually stunning.   We had no idea how late it was and honestly, we didn’t care.  It was beautiful.

 

 

By the time we got back to the hostel, it was almost midnight, so we crashed… until the 4 am partygoers made it back and talked OUTSIDE the hostel b/c they can’t be loud INSIDE the hostel.  Good thing we had our windows open!

The next morning we were up and ready to find the medieval fest we heard was happening his weekend.  We grabbed some spinach and feta pastries and coffee in a bakery for about 10 Euro/4 people and went to the fest. It was more like a medieval market that was set up for visitors and Estonians to remember and relish the Old World craftsmanship of the guilds of this country.  Glasswork, Pottery, Clothwork, Juniper, baskets, and so much more.  It was a feast for the eyes.  There was a table of red pottery that was phenomenal.  Was it not at the beginning of our trip, I’d have been tempted to ask what he wanted for the whole lot!  I’m never tempted to do that.. EVER, but these … ugh.  I even asked if he had a website… NOPE.  I had to let it go.  Ugh.  Should have bought the Wine glasses, at least!

Love how the old (the craftsmanship) is mixed with the new (text messaging while selling your goods.)

At High Noon, we met up with our travel guide from Free Tours!!! (Love these guys)  Almost every city has one, you just look up in advance where they meet.   Mostly it’s students who will do a 2 + hour tour for tips and the hopes that you will book one of their other tours for which they charge a fee.   Due to the tip-only plan, they usually try and make it as enjoyable as possible for everyone. ( Definitely worth it when you have a bigger family and you might need to break away, due to kids… but still leave what you can for a tip.)   Some of the fun stories from the tour include… 

1.  Kiek in de Kök …   is a huge tower with 4 meter thick walls.  Ivan the Terrible was conquering all for awhile but couldn’t take Tallinn due to towers such as this.  Also, it helped when Russia did take over Estonia and the Swedes came to help.  This would be where the guards would watch over “the city” and “peek into the kitchens” of the houses, therefore the name “Kiek in de Kök”   Of course, next door is the Virgin Tower, which was the prison for prostitutes!

The Kiek in die Kok became a gathering place for anarchists during the Russian regime.

2.  There are two parts to Tallinn: the Old City  (the low area, where the commoners/guild people live) and Toompea (where the rich upper caste live on the hill).  Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox cathedral named after one of their saints, is in Toompea.  Because it was a Russian Orthodox church, the Estonians decided to put their entire National Library in their during the bombings, as they knew the Russians wouldn’t bomb a RO church!

 

3.) We had just finished studying WWII and some of the Cold War before we came, but visiting a place like Estonia which has just been out from under Russia for 20 years was extremely interesting.  Probably even more so, knowing we would be in Russia in just a few short days.    The stories were so tragic, they were almost funny.

Stories like the young boys who would do anything to get out of being in Russian Military service so they would shoot themselves in the foot, or have pretend mental illnesses.  Or the boy who had a “permanent bent pointy finger” on his shooting hand so he couldn’t shoot a gun and would be a hindrance.  No doctor could figure it out and they were about to release him from service.  Then the last psychiatrist asked “What did your finger look like before this?”  and he said “Like this” and straightened his finger!  Foiled again.

Or… if there was 2 Estonians talking they could speak their language, but they had to switch to Russian as soon as a Russian came up to them.  Or, even though the national religion was Lutheran, when the Russians came in so did the Orthodox church… but if you were found to have a Bible in your home, you would lose your job.  

4.) We got to see the President.  He was driving out of the National Sciences academy just as we walked by.  How cool is that!  He even waved at me personally

5.) The Parliament building.  Yes this one is PINK too!  (Check out my Portugal blogs and the president who lives in the Pink house).   One of the best stories was when the Russians came in with their tanks, the true Estonians knew they didn’t have much to fight with so they got out bars of soap and lathered up the streets up to Parliament HOPING that would stop the tanks from making it to the top of the hill.  That didn’t work…  So, the Estonian people line up outside the parliament and trapped the Rebel Estonians in the Parliament (who were siding with the Russians) and when the Rebel Estonians tried to come out they “crossed their arms, frowned at them, shook their fingers, and made them feel bad inside.”   Estonians like to sing and dance.  What else were they going to do?

 

 

So many more great stories and fun places…   like this restaurant hoisted by a cable into the sky.  Are you kidding me?  You place your order before and they load all the food and you are up in the air with a rollercoaster harness on!

And, the occupation museum which clued us into some things to come…  Nothing like a 6 foot head of Lenin to remind you of who used to own the town.  No wonder it’s in the basement back corner!

Our favorite was at the end of the day, we returned to a place we had seen earlier… the 3 Dragons restaurant.  Dragons are known for being pure of heart and so they had dragons around on certain buildings, such as the town hall, to keep Politicians Pure of Heart. (Guess we should start bringing some Norwegian Ridgeback’s into Washington DC, eh?)  They serve very simple food… look at this.

 

Really!  Can you see the sign?  ”Worth Elk Soup.  Full of Taste”   So we went back at the end of a long day of walking.  Grabbed some cider (YUMMY!) and soup and pies (All drinks are 2 Euro and all food is 1 Euro.  NOT kidding.)  Spinach, Carrot, Meat, Apple… about 10 different varieties of pies.  But, that’s all they have and it’s amazing!  We sat with our cards, ate, and played and watched the street performers that came onto the square!  Great way to end the day.

Bus to Riga for 3 Euro each and then we’ll continue!  Next time…

 

Lavish Loire

One of our favorite ways to travel is home exchange.  We have the opportunity to travel to so many places and the best part is… we NEVER know where the next request to exchange will come from.    Adventure is the name of the game.

How else would we get to see the true difference between a Spanish family and a French family?   Just walking through the house and seeing the furniture, the way the house is built, even the games on the bookshelf gives us such an eye-opening opportunity.  One of our “adventures” took us to the land of many castles and Kings.  The Loire Valley of France.

Our first stop was the stately Cathedral at Reims.  This is the historic crowning spot of the royalty of France, which had to be freed from the hands of the dastardly English by the young Joan of Arc so that the Dauphin could legally be named King and have the respect of the French citizenry.

As we walked and realized the footsteps of history we were enjoying, the colors changed.  The extravagant work of Marc Chagall is featured prominently in this cathedral and adds great life to this building.

 

 

And the business of life fades into the background when you stop and enjoy the solitude of a niche brightly lit by candles.

How can you not lift your eyes and enjoy when there is an astounding view?  I want to climb up to the top balcony and hide out while a symphony plays Beethoven’s Ninth for me alone.  :-)

We didn’t come to the Loire Valley for the Cathedrals (although they are amazing).  We really did come for the castles.  I know they’re all over Europe, but when you look in a Euro travel guide and see the “most amazing” castle, 9 chances out of 10 its right here in the Loire.

Look at the architecture!  Drink it in!

The beautiful spiral staircase…

All the different towers to climb up into and look out over the gardens…  I can only imagine being a little girl again and using this castle as my personal playground to play hide and seek.  What trouble I could get into!

The detail on the ceiling and the floor are intense.   I’m sure if you’re Royal it’s essential to have your first initial everywhere in your home to help you remember who you really are. ( The “H” was for Henri.)

But the view from the bedroom window, even on a cloudy day, is quite lovely.  It looks as though it’s still a sleepy village from the medieval days of France with peasants ready to come out and set up the market for the day.

The views?  Oh, yeah… let’s look at the view from the top of Chambord which is just a few minutes away from Blois.

Or, one of my all-time favorites, Chenonceau.  I know the Italians know how to put a garden together quite well.  But, the French gardens are stunning.

And, the view from the top of Villandry…  Yummy!  Even on a cloudy day, it feels sunny when looking out at the themed gardens that are meticulously maintained by the owner of the Chateau.  And to think that we were going to skip this one.  The castle was not astounding, but the gardens were luscious.

I am stunned by the patience and love that a gardener must have to create such a work of art.

So… enough castles (for now).   What else is there to do in this lavish Loire valley region when not looking at castles?   How about a canoe ride on the River Cher?

The barrels that are in the boats are actually for carrying lunch and valuables, just in case.  We had to carry our canoes over two damns on the river and we got to stop and enjoy our packed lunch on a riverside beach as well.

Considering we had one adult who had the most canoe experience and 2 youngsters who had never canoed, we were fairly happy to make our canoe ride in the “expected” amount of time.  It was really nice to have 6 hours out on the water moving lazily down the river and ending up here….

Yes, we canoed right under the Chenonceau Castle.  (I said we would take  a little break from castles!)

So, a very quick overview, of one of our very favorite trips, comes to an end.   Where will we go next?

 

Fontainebleau…and a few other French Fortifications.

Living in America, one constantly hears about the amazing castles in Germany.   About the most we will ever hear about when it comes to French Castles would be Versailles, even that would be a miracle.

However, if you –wanting to visit France — get out a French tour guide book, it better have a few amazing castles in it… as there are way more castles in France than even the most ardent  ”castle-ophile”  could ever want to see!  Just take a look at a few that are in the Loire River valley.   Honestly, I’ll be happy to not go back to Neuschwanstein (Cinderella castle in Bavaria) if I could just see a few more of these.  These French Castles were lived in, loved in, and enjoyed.

(By the way, if you want to go… consider a stay in Tours.  It is close to the home of the famous Battle of Tours when Charles Martel and the Franks turned back the Moors from taking over Europe and is centrally located to many of these amazing sights.)

Anyway… on to Blois.

This lovely little home has over 500 rooms, 100 of which are bedrooms.  It features the grand staircase and each wing of the home is in a different style.  So, if you’re an amateur architect you can see  Classical, Renaissance, and Gothic styles by simply making a slow turn in the courtyard.  Joan of Arc spent quite a bit of time in this valley, (statues and remembrances of her time are everywhere) and this is where she came to get her blessing before heading off to war to reconquer the cathedral at Reims for the French.

We thought it a bit comical that King Henri had his initials put all over on the floor.  We had a few jokes about making sure everyone knew who the castle belonged to… or maybe he was getting forgetful and needed a hint to remember his name.   Yes, it’s a sign of power.  If you stay here, you need to know who’s in charge!

But, this is just a start.    Just up the road is the magnificent Chateau, Chambord.

  Now THIS is a castle with some major turret-work and an outstanding roofline.   Just like a few other castles in this area, it was built for a mistress of the reigning King; and there are unconfirmed rumors that the great Leonardo da Vinci designed the double Helix staircase that is in the middle.   It is built in such a way that people going up do not see the people going down or vice versa…  I guess that’s a good thing when trying to make sure that you’re not seen by a mistress’s husband!  The view from the top is simple but majestic.

The staircase was massive and impossible to try and take a decent picture!

Would not want to mow that yard, but it’s not as time consuming as some of the amazing gardens yet to come.

Frankly, when I saw pictures of this next home, it convinced me that coming to the Loire Valley would be worthwhile:  I was not disappointed.

For a change of pace, we rented some canoes and spent a 1/2 day on the River Cher.   We were able to enjoy our time on the river talking with each other, eating a lunch at a park, singing “row, row, row your boat” in rounds at the top of our lungs, and quietly listening as the birds sang to us while we sometimes were spinning in circles.  But the view close to the end is worth it…

Just up the river bend…

This was another home built for a mistress who took amazing care of it.  But after the King passed on, the Queen had her eyes on this home.  She was a Medici after all and probably felt nothing should be out of her grasp.  She traded Ms. Poitiers for another little castle, but that’s just for starters.  You have history of assassinations and using it as an escape during WWII.  Definitely worth a quick read of the history as the history as almost as colorful as the garden surrounding it.   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Chenonceau

These two pictures are in the area directly around Chenonceau.  The gardens are beautiful.

And then there was Villandry.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to go… after all the castle itself was said to be “not much to look at” but it has a “magnificent garden.”  I have never been much of a gardener.   I love looking at flowers and taking care of easy plants, but I could have spent days here.  See for yourself…

This was one of the most serene and visually stunning places I’d ever encountered.  It is well worth the time to come and enjoy this work of art.

Finally,  I will end today with Fontainebleau.  This small royal hunting cottage is just outside of Paris (40 minutes or so) , but is eclipsed by the more well-known Versailles, which I will show another day.    Several treaties were signed here, but what was most fascinating to us was the display of memorabilia of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French leader and hero.  His famous jacket and hat are on display and this is where he said good bye to the royal guard before being taken to Elba.

The grand hall in Fountainebleau.

It was lovely to hear the clip-clop of the horses as they pulled the wagon up this pathway.  Can you believe this picture was taken in spring… Looks like Fall, eh?

Until next time, au revoir!

A fresh look at France

We were lucky enough to live in Europe 20 years ago.   We had very little no money (first job) and very little vacation time (2 weeks for a year), so we squeezed out every pfennig and D-Mark we could and made our 3 day weekends into 4 day weekends.  Anything, and everything, to travel wherever we could.

We made it to France twice… well, let’s say, we made it to PARIS twice and both times were disasters not necessarily as fun and romantic as we thought they might be.  Let’s say… they were Adventures!

Now…things are so different.  Why?  Hopefully, it’s because I’m older and wiser.  (Mwahaha!) Maybe not.

I adore Italy… it fits me and my family with its big plates of pasta and bread, gelato, outstanding art, loud hand-gesturing people and chaos.  But… I have had a new look at France and have found it to nourish my quiet side.   It seems like no matter what street I’m walking on… whether in Metropolitan Paris,  Idyllic Honfleur, or Cosmopolitan Cannes… I can find a park, cafe, or bench to enjoy the scene.  And, it doesn’t matter whether it’s summer, winter, spring, or fall…

Take for instance, this lovely structure.  It doesn’t matter how many people are around.  I can find a place close by to sit and take pictures or just enjoy the ambiance of the scene around me.

I don’t think there’s any way to take a bad picture of the Eiffel Tower.

(Yes, we took all these pictures!)

Here we are in Spring 2011…

Summer 2010

Even Winter…

Christmas time is amazing!

I hope you will join me on my trip around France over the next several weeks.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised….not only by Paris, but by the rest of this fascinating country.  And, wherever you are, I hope you find a time and a place to enjoy the scene around you.

Au Revoir!

Likable London

Ahhh…. the sights and sounds of London in Spring.  What is your London “moment” ?

Life seems to take on a whole different pace when you see cherry blossoms added to the yellow of daffodils bursting forth against the brilliant green of the grass.

 

How can you resist getting face to face with nature — staring you in the face — when you’re in the middle of one of earth’s most populated cities?

What’s more “London” than watching the changing of the guard?  It’s great being trapped in one of the pedestrian sections by London’s finest and enjoying the show of the week.  There’s nothing like listening to the Beatles from the Guard Band while being trapped in a crowd of (literally) thousands!

Funny… as much as I should be thinking about how to meet up with the family, the only thing I can think are the words to “Yesterday”  while they are playing.  They are SO good.  I have to say Europe has more than it’s share of fine musicians… whether it’s the Queen’s guard or the young guy who sits on the side of the road hoping for a pound or two as you walk by.

 

 

 

There seems to be a soulful melody coming from every nook and cranny of this city.   Whether it’s from the instruments in the tube lines…

 

 

 

 

 

 

…or even from the front of Westminster Abbey where we were able to hear the melody of the people chatting as the wind kicked up and howled, the flags whipped and cracked on top of every building, and the bells of Big Ben played for our lunch break of sandwiches from Tesco Express.   Is there a more truly essential London moment?

It may seem silly… but it’s hard not to think about the years of history that are in this amazing city as you stumble on each and every cobblestone.  Oliver Cromwell,  Henry VIII and his wives, King James, George III, the Magna Carta, Queen Victoria and Albert..

 

Or maybe the London “moment” is heard in the joy of  kids laughing as they climb on top of the slippery lions sitting in Trafalgar Square?

Or the quiet solitude of a couple all cozied up inside the lion’s paw?

 

 

But no matter who else I may see or

what fantastic places come my way…

MY fave London moment was my two girls

enjoying life  in London-Town.

They make my life pretty amazing.

 

 

 

Covent Garden is a riot of color in the t-shirts, ties, and personalities.

Yes, the girl on the 2nd stand is juggling knives while hanging from her toes upside down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 4 dancing violinists and a cello that were quite good and had an open air theatre with quite good acoustics.

 

 

 

And the street performer/juggler that had the unenviable task of getting the crowd excited on a cold Wednesday morning in March.   He failed.

 

 

Before I go for today, I have to give a shout-out to Ye Olde Candy Shoppe on Fleet Street.   It was quite fun to stop in and look around the crowded shelves of this little shop and such a riot of colors in such a small square of a building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…. and while we were on Fleet Street, we had to look for some remnant of Sweeney Todd

 This was the closest we could find… a barber shop with a cafe underneath on Fleet Street.  Forgot to look and see if Meat pies were on the menu!  Truly, “There’s no place like London!”

Hard to decide!   What is your London “moment”?   The one place that gives the feeling that THIS is London…