We have made it through the Drake Passage and are spending 4 days on the Antarctic Peninsula before heading to the South Georgia Islands.
Here’s the visual that I frequently consult, because I’m already losing track of time.
Fortunately both my iPhone and camera date stamp all my photos so if I ever need to tell what I did when, I can always consult my photos.
One of our landings, at a gentoo penguin colonyPhotos of me by my new friend, Sue
There are 140 passengers aboard our ship. Because Antarctica only allows no more than 100 people ashore at a time, half of the group is on land, while the other half cruises around in the zodiacs looking for wildlife.
For efficiency in boarding and disembarking, the passengers are further subdivided into four groups of 35. I’m in the albatross group, which will be kayaking at 10:30 today. Because the kayaks hold two people, we all needed to buddy up. As luck would have it, my partner has his own kayaks back home in Massachusetts, so his skill level far exceeds mine. We all know THAT particular bar is REALLY low. Because he’s in the Gentoo group, he was all too happy to trade his 8:30 departure for my later one. As a bonus, I’ll bet it will be warmer then.
I hope to be able to take a video of that experience, but while I am trying to work off the great food and even greater wine on the gym’s exercise bike, I’ll share some of prior days photos.
We spotted this seal on one of our zodiac cruisesThe view from the bridge. Passengers can hang with captain and crew whenever they want
Well, I TRIED to insert videos of the whales that we saw from the bridge, the penguins and birds from our zodiac cruises, but WiFi isn’t cooperating, so I’ll do that when I get home.
It’s pretty amazing that I’m able to have ANY connectivity here at the bottom of our planet.
Every evening we gather in the lounge for a recap of the day’s activities. Of course, because the talk is in the lounge, we are a very jolly audience, because we can have whatever beverage we desire, and quantities are not limited.
There are so many screens scattered throughout the lounge, every seat is a great seat!
I have time to share a couple more shots before I need to gear up for my kayak adventure.
I SO wanted that seal to pick his head up!
Bones from a blue whale from back when whalers were hunting them
Our flight to Ushuaia took off at 11:20, an hour and a half late. Okay, so maybe we got off to a bit of a rocky start.
Did we really need to leave the hotel at 7AM, to spend over 3 hours in a domestic airport that only had unappealing snacks? After we landed in Ushuaia, I realized it was truly a minor inconvenience, soon to be forgotten.
The above photo was taken on our 2011 trip, but the experience hasn’t changed at all. It was every bit as harrowing as the first time. We popped through dense clouds, in between the mountains, to make a bumpy, rather exciting landing.
But enough about the downside of travel. The Endeavor, our ship is exquisite!
While it was being cleaned and readied for our arrival, we had a late lunch, while we cruised thru the Beagle Channel on a catamaran.
I didn’t take any photos, because I knew I couldn’t top the ones from 2011. Today, 15 years later, I didn’t see a single seal, which made me sad. I hope climate change didn’t do them in—perhaps they were just frolicking elsewhere.
Everyone that I have met so far, both in the hotel and on the ship, is really friendly, interesting, and well traveled. I am delighted that I will have time to get to know many of them over the coming weeks.
The ship’s management very thoughtfully arranged for us single travelers to meet for dinner. Marc from Boston is the only man traveling solo. He doesn’t seem to mind being outnumbered.
So many people have asked me “ what do you do on a trip like that”?
Well, there is no shortage of activities. So far, I’ve missed the 7AM stretching class, and I haven’t made it to the gym or sauna, but I plan to take advantage of all of them really soon.
I HAVE attended the very informative lectures, such as this one on Seabirds. This lecture focused on petrels and albatross. Quite honestly, I don’t really care about the 126 different species! Fortunately, meither did the lecturer.
I won’t bore you with the details, other than to tell you that the way to differentiate between those two species is by the number of nostrils they have. If you want to know more, you have to either come on an Antarctica cruise or ask me yourself.
Tomorrow we expect to be clear of the Drake, and will be able to enjoy our first landing on Antártica.
When we traveled to Antarctica in 2011, we went via Santiago. This time, I am flying to Ushuaia through Buenos Aires.
My journey started in Newark. I was amazed at how empty Newark’s airport was. I left home slightly before 11 AM; by 11:50 I had checked my bag, been through security, changed into my Houston/Buenos Aires clothes in the Polaris lounge bathroom and was enjoying the excellent buffet.
My first flight was to Houston. Because I used miles and points to book my flight, I traveled business class for both segments. Let me tell ya, domestic business class isn’t worth it. International business class, however, DEFINITELY is!
I normally sit on the aisle, but for the Houston flight, I had a window seat. Sadly, when the flight attendant attempted to pass me my lunch tray, I managed to knock a full glass of red wine over myself and the very gracious man sitting next to me. But in my defense, the passenger in the seat in front of me had his seat all the way back, so the clearance was really tight.
As luck would have it, my friend Sharmon’s younger daughter, Sol flew from San Francisco to Buenos Aires and we both had a stop in Houston around the same time. We were on the same flight from Houston to Buenos Aires, so we hung out in the United Club. The time went by MUCH faster because we spent the two hour layover catching up.
I almost didn’t recognize Sweet Sol, because the last time I saw her, she had long blondish hair, no glasses, and wasn’t wearing a mask. She pretended not to notice I smelled like the frat house the morning after a wild party. But then again, stale wine doesn’t smell as bad as stale beer.
Because Sol holds dual citizenship, she was able to whisk thru passport control WAY ahead of me. It took over an hour for me to get thru. HELPFUL HINT: if you’re coming to Argentina, visit the bathroom BEFORE getting in the passport control line. Don’t ask how I came to that conclusion. Let’s just say I was jiggling a lot.
I’d been to Buenos Aires twice before, so I didn’t feel compelled to see Evita’s grave or the Opera House. Instead I figured I’d enjoy the beautiful hotel, and I certainly did.
Check out the rooftop pool:
The view was so spectacular, and the pool was so glorious, I used it on Friday AND Saturday.
My son Greg clued me in to the wonders of ChatGPT. So, when I was unable to find any cafes full of people having lunch outside near Alvear Art Hotel, I asked ChatGPT.
I ended up choosing a delightful cafe about a mile away, which allowed me to stroll thru some very interesting streets.
Waiting for the elevator before tonight’s information session, I met Leslie, another solo traveler. Like me, she’s a widow who is comfortable traveling alone. Her cabin will be across the hall from me.
We had a lovely cocktail “hour”. I’ll admit that our table was having so much fun, we had to be asked to leave! And yes, we closed the place down.
Probably a good thing because we have to be on the bus by 7AM tomorrow. I had hoped for a later departure because Buenos Aires is much closer to Ushuaia than Santiago. But nope. Same departure time as it was in 2011.
Who knows whether I’ll have connectivity once I board the ship, so I’m sending this off now.
Yes, indeed, I’m excited and thrilled that I have already discovered such congenial travel mates.
The first time I went to Antarctica was in January of 2011. At that time, my friends thought Mike, Greg and I had completely lost our minds. “WHY in the world would you want to go THERE?” was the most frequent comment we received from friends and family.
Although Mike was retired, Greg and I were employed, so we were limited to a 15 day journey, 10 days with the National Geographic tour and 5 days on our own traveling to and from Santiago via Lima.
THIS time I’m retired, going solo, so I am able to spend 24 days traveling beyond the Antarctic peninsula to the South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Instead of meeting the group in Santiago, I’m traveling to Buenos Aires. As with last time, however, we are flying to Ushuaia where we will board the ship, then sail through the dreaded Drake Passage. (Yes, my doctor gave me an adequate supply of seasickness patches. They worked well last time for me and Greg, not as effective for Mike.)
Photo from 2011, taken at the end of our voyage Another view of Ushuaia
So why in the world am I going again?
Where else can you experience creatures so unafraid that they follow YOU?
Where else can you see so many different shades of blue and white?
Or learn about the different seals and penguins living in this frozen wonderland?
But won’t it be cold?
Yes, sometimes it is cold, but National Geographic’s trip cost includes matching parkas for those times. (Laura,one of my trip leaders said “there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing choices”.)
Sometimes it’s warm enough to have a cookout on the back deck wearing just a sweater (and a smile) over your tee shirt.
The best part was traveling with National Geographic experts: Photographers, naturalists, geologists, penguin and whale experts. We would gather in the bar every evening for presentations by those experts, showing us how they spent their day.
The walls of the bar/lounge were covered with big screen TVs so no matter where you sit, you still would have a great view.
Fifteen years ago, our ship was the Explorer. This time, I’ll be sailing on the Endurance, a newer ship serving 126 passengers, with 8 cabins for us traveling solo. I’m not sure how effective the internet is at the bottom of our planet. 15 years ago, I didn’t have a smart phone or a blog so it wasn’t an issue.
I hope you’ll join me on this adventure; I’ll be posting when the spirit moves me and the internet grants me connectivity.
I’ve had several friends ask me to compare and contrast these two travel companies.
Full disclosure: I have only taken one Tauck tour, to India, in late October, 2025.
I have taken over 20 OAT tours, to every continent except Antarctica, with the most recent one being to Costa Rica. Obviously, I’m far more familiar with Overseas Adventure Travel.
Having said that, BOTH are excellent companies, and you won’t go wrong choosing to travel with either. It was either Socrates or Elvis ( maybe both) who said “Know thyself”. And that’s the most important factor in determining which travel company to select. It all boils down to what kind of experience will make you happiest.
Let’s start with what BOTH companies have in common.
Both offer small group options. OAT’s maximum is 16; Tauck’s is 25, however I have been on OAT trips with only 9 travelers. There were 17 on my only trip with Tauck.
Both offer large group options: OAT uses its sister company, Grand Circle, which maxes out around 44. Tauck’s big groups are similar sized.
Both have excellent trip leaders, whose job is to oversee all aspects of your experience. They choose the local guides, the restaurants, and add additional experiences that are not on the published itinerary. If an OAT trip leader doesn’t get high ratings on the customer survey, they are not rehired. Not sure whether the same applies to Tauck.
Both allow for free time and meals on your own, with the trip leader available to offer suggestions.
Both include cultural activities.
Both take care of tipping, except for trip leaders. Tauck also takes care of tips for hotel housekeeping; OAT does not. OAT tips the bus drivers, Tauck does not if you have the same bus driver for most of the trip.
Both will handle airfare, however both will allow you to make your own flight arrangements. OAT includes the cost of the flight in their quoted prices on their website, Tauck does not. If you choose not to use OAT for your flight, you simply deduct the airfare cost from the total price.
So what’s different? The biggest difference is the cost of the trip. Tauck is significantly more expensive. However if you only take one or two trips per year, and you want to have your every need taken care of, Tauck is an excellent option.
I’m not at that point yet. My preference, RIGHT NOW, is more trips, less luxury.
PRE-TRIP INFORMATION
I really like the booklet OAT mails out a couple of weeks before the trip starts. It includes helpful hints, the full itinerary, the hotel names and addresses, and a list of the group participants.
With Tauck, you won’t know how many are traveling with you until you get there. At our introductory meeting, our trip leader gave us a piece of paper with the names of our fellow travelers and would email (and print out) info about the following days. I strongly prefer having the booklet because all of the info is in one place, which makes it handy for taking notes.
Being slightly obsessive compulsive, I like being able to plan in advance for free time.
The trip leaders from both companies send travelers a welcome email, full of helpful information but OAT travelers who have taken more than 3 trips, also get a phone call from the trip leader who can then answer any questions one might have.
WEBSITE
Although both companies offer websites from which you can print out your itinerary, I find the OAT website far easier to use. I thought it was because I was more familiar with OAT’S website, but Joann, one of my favorite fellow travelers, said she felt the same way about Tauck’s website—that it wasn’t easy to find what you were looking for.
ARRIVAL
If you buy your airfare from OAT, you also get transfers to and from the airport included. If not, you can either pay OAT for transfers or arrange your own.
With Tauck, transfers are automatically included in the price of the trip. Because I made my own flight arrangements, I can’t comment on flight services Tauck provides, but I CAN say that they do everything possible to make sure your arrival goes smoothly.
HOTELS
Both companies select clean, safe, comfortable hotels, but with Tauck, replace the word “comfortable” with “ luxurious”, at least that was my experience in India.
OAT and Tauck, however, were using the same hotel during my stay in Halifax. For the Egypt trip, both used the exquisite Aswan’s Cataract Hotel.
On the whole, however, I believe Tauck tends to use the best hotel in the area, generally 5 star, while OAT usually choose hotels by location, normally within walking distance to restaurants and sights.
I think the best comparison I can come up with is Four Seasons (Tauck) versus Marriott or Hilton, except OAT tends to choose local, non chain lodgings. Because I have taken so many trips with OAT, I know that the hotels vary greatly from one country to another. In Morocco, for example, the riads were over the top gorgeous,
While in Costa Rica, they were more rustic.
FOOD
Based on my sole experience with Tauck, I would say that the food on their trip is truly outstanding. The buffet breakfasts offered an amazing array of choices,
while the OAT breakfasts tend to offer the basics, with little variety.
Tauck, like OAT, had some included meals at which we were all served the same.
Generally for OAT, there are lots of buffets.
For some of Tauck’s included meals, on the India trip, at least, we were offered a choice of restaurants, and were able to order whatever we wanted from the menu.
Although OAT’s included meals offered limited choices, the group always dines together at the same time and at the same restaurant. For solo travelers this could be a huge plus, particularly if the other travelers prefer to dine with their travel companion(s)
BEVERAGES
Both companies offer some included alcoholic drinks, but you are free to purchase whatever you want.
LOYALTY PROGRAM
This is an area in which OAT excels. People who have taken multiple trips with OAT are recognized with pins, gifts, and special perks (which vary by trip leader), plus a host of other financial incentives.
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES – OAT
All travelers get a percentage of the cost of the trip if they take another OAT trip within the following two years.
If you recommend OAT to someone who has never traveled with them before, you each get a $100 credit. The friend saves $100 immediately, and the “recommender” gets $100 toward a future trip.
After 10 OAT trips, if you take more than one trip in a given year, you save $350 per subsequent trip. Before your 10th trip, you save $250 per subsequent trip in a year, but I have forgotten if you need to take a minimum number of trips for that credit to kick in.
It all adds up. Especially for someone like me, who LOVES to travel.
OTHER TRAVELERS
The group on the sole Tauck trip I’ve taken was wonderful! That was also the case with most of my OAT trips. (As one would expect, occasionally you get one or two clunkers, when you take over 20 trips with the same company).
If I had only taken the Costa Rica trip, I would be exclaiming how outstanding OAT travelers are.
That’s all I can think of. Feel free to correct any misconceptions and add your experiences with either company in the comments section.
Remember when I said yesterday’s travel challenges were a minor inconvenience? Well, my new friend, Betty, experienced a MAJOR inconvenience. Last night she fell, broke her right wrist, is having surgery today, and has to return home tomorrow. It’s unfortunate for her, very sad for me, because I liked her instantly.
MY luck began to change as soon as I arrived in San Jose. I was able to join the group for the 3 PM tour of the National Theater because Alex, my wonderful taxi driver, was able to calculate how long it would take to bring me to the hotel (in bumper to bumper traffic), allow me to check in and drop my bags in my room, and drive me to the theater. I arrived 3 minutes before the theater tour started.
If anyone is ever in San Jose, and needs a driver, here’s Alex’s contact info.
Alex’s phone number. I highly recommend him!
Along the way, Alex pointed out interesting buildings. He also confirmed my memory of San Jose as being a city without high risers. These skyscrapers were all built within the last 8-10 years.
Our group is super friendly and welcoming. THEY all had to learn ONE name, but I had to learn 13. Yes, originally our group numbered 15, but one person canceled before the tour started, But I digress. Back to the Theater tour.
Our National Theater guide explained that this statue was originally on the roof of the theater, but was brought inside to protect it from the ravages of weather, which was causing the marble to become discolored.
The top floor houses this salon, where the rich and famous hung out after enjoying the evening’s production. It isn’t obvious from the photos, but the marble on this interior statue is pristine and glowing.
The National Theater was built in the 1800’s when Costa Rica was rolling in coffee profits. Back then, rich coffee growers sent their offspring to be educated in Europe. When their children returned, they brought with them memories of the art and culture they had experienced. These memories culminated in the creation of the National Theater.
Our second day began with a tour of a small coffee finca (farm). To be honest, after staying at the Colombian coffee plantation for three nights, I wasn’t as interested in the production aspect, so instead I took photos. Here’s a shot of two members of my group picking beans
Mike and Jo-Lynne
Edwin was born in El Salvador, but grew up in LA. Because Malo was up most of the night helping Betty, Edwin stepped in and translated for us.
Edwin is on the right. This is an “antique” piece of equipment
We are lucky to have Edwin with us. He and his wife, Cindy are much younger than the typical OAT traveler. That’s because Cindy’s mom, Esther, invited them to accompany her.
After lunch at the finca,
we headed to Sarapiqui, which gave us the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Costa Rican countryside. It is impossible to capture the grandeur of our drive, but that didn’t stop me from trying.
Supposedly, it was a three hour drive, with a couple of stops, but the time went by very quickly.
One of our stops was for a photo op by a waterfall.
This one’s for YOU, Jean.
I’ll end with a video of our other stop where we enjoyed sampling Agua Dulce while we watched the birds.
Just when I thought “this trip couldn’t POSSIBLY get any better”, it does!
Our hotel, the Oberoi Rajvillas is even more magnificent than the Leela Palace in Delhi. How is that even possible? Well, check out my room.
That’s nothing. The bathroom is even more spectacular.
I was the only woman who chose to return to the hotel rather than shop for jewelry during our free afternoon.
Display at our hotel—a bit too ornate for me
Why? So I’d have time to take a bath and use the pool.
Although it LOOKS like a maharajah’s palace, the Oberoi Rajvillas is actually a luxury hotel that was built to resemble a palace.
The Rambagh Palace, where we had dinner, was the REAL deal. Built in 1835, it became the principal residence of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and his wife, Maharani Gayatri Devi. After India became independent in 1947, the Maharaja converted Rambagh Palace into India’s first luxury “palace hotel”.
Check out how we were greeted and escorted in for dinner.
As one might expect, dinner was incredible. The wine flowed freely, so freely that when Jennifer asked for a volunteer to dance with the professionals, I rose to the occasion, thinking other members of the group would join in. They didn’t. Instead my friend Bill, took this video.
This style of dancing is called Kathak and it is extremely difficult to follow, because the foot stomping pattern changes unexpectedly. I gave up trying and instead decided to go “free style”. At least my travel companions were amused.
Jaipur was noisy, crowded, chaotic and beautiful.
Crossing the street was even more hair raising than crossing in Hanoi, because in Vietnam the streets are not as wide.
I’ll confess to being challenged to find just a few photos of the many incredible things we experienced. This is my attempt to give a feel for the wonder of Jaipur without posting so many photos that your eyes roll back into your head.
Before our dinner at the Rambagh Palace, we took a jeep to the Amber Fort.
Every time we went over a bump, Jeff and I hit our heads on the jeep’s ceiling. We were glad it was made of cloth instead of metal!
On our way, we visited this water source.
The Amber Fort is a popular site for wedding photos. This was actually a “practice shoot” pre-wedding, to make sure the real thing turns out perfectly.
The “fort” contains a gorgeous garden with fountains.
Check out the mirrored designs on the fort’s walls.
You could get a panoramic view of Jaipur from the fort.
We toured the Jantar Mantar Observatory and the City Palace Museum on our second day in Jaipur. The photo atop this post is of the throne room in the palace.
Our lunch at the Raj Palace was extraordinary. My only regret was that I didn’t know the names of these wonderful dishes so that I could order them again.
We ended the evening by visiting the 18th-century Shiva temple, where this group photo was taken.
We didn’t know the impact of the Air Canada strike until we left Halifax for Baddeck ( Pronounced ba-DECK). Our group has shrunk from 40 to only 26.
I know, I’ve completely skipped over Halifax. It’s not that I didn’t love the city. I did. It’s because we are spending our final two days there, so if time and energy permit, I will post about Halifax when we return there.
Laurie, our amazing trip leader, has devised a very creative way to break the ice and to keep us entertained during our bus ride. We are going to be playing “Passenger Bingo” for PRIZES! I don’t care if the prize is a rusted tricycle, with a wheel missing. If it’s a contest, I’m in it to win it. That’s just my nature.
Since I started this post, we have completed THREE different games, and I’m quite proud to say I was the winner of the first, which was a challenge to name all of the 14 people that did NOT make it to Halifax. Nailed it!
Laurie, our hard working, creative trip leader
But back to Baddeck. As usual, our drive to the next city was broken up by interesting stops, starting with the Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Center.
Glooscap, a mythical figure
There, we learned about the indigenous people who had inhabited the land for over 13,000 years, ( according to archaeological digs) the Mi’kmaq (pronounced mig-MAH).
Apparently, the French and the indigenous had a positive relationship; not so, with the British, which was probably why we fought the French AND Indian War.
The indigenous were given identity numbers by the Canadian government, with the final number indicating how many children were in the family. That made it easier for the government to find the children, take them from their families and force them to attend government run boarding schools. The schools were designed to wipe out the indigenous language and culture. Over 176,000 children between the ages of 4 and 16 were taken from their families. Of that number there were over 6,000 recorded deaths from disease, abuse and suicide. Before anyone thinks that the mistreatment of indigenous children happened centuries ago, I need to inform you that the last school closed in 1998 in Manitoba.
This speech was given during Canada’s 100 year anniversary.
We learned that the Mi’mkaq language is a tonal one.
Depending on how you elongate the vowels, the same word could mean:
I love you OR I want to hurt you OR I want to throw you in the fire. THAT word could start some serious misunderstandings!
We spent our three nights in Baddeck at the Silver Dart Lodge, which overlooked a beautiful lake.
Laurie was initially concerned that we would find the Lodge too “rustic”. Instead, we all agreed it was absolutely charming. Because of the volume of business Grand Circle does with the lodge, we all got rooms facing the lake.
This spectacular view is what I saw from the lovely deck outside my room, the perfect place for happy hour. How great was THAT? It took all three nights for me to finish the wine that I was not allowed to drink on the bus.
The area is so beautiful that Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel built their summer home in Baddeck. Their “castle” wasn’t visible from the museum bearing his name, but there was plenty of other “stuff” to see.
I had no idea that Alexander Graham Bell taught deaf students in Boston or that Mabel became deaf at the age of 5 after a bout with scarlet fever.
I also didn’t know that Bell’s parents immigrated to the USA from Scotland after two of their sons died from tuberculosis. They didn’t want to chance losing their last son.
We all know about his invention of the telephone , but I wasn’t aware of his interest in aviation and hydrofoils until I visited the museum.
We spent the next day touring the fortress at Louisbourg, where I was once again reminded of my educational deficiencies. Why did I never learn that in 1745 a group of untrained “ soldiers” from New England successfully took the fortress in 6 weeks time? You see, the French had expected all attacks would come from the sea, so that area was heavily fortified and protected. But the 6,000 ragtag New Englanders didn’t know the rules of engagement, and they were undaunted by forests or swamps, so they attacked from the land, which was unprotected.
The entrance to Louisbourg
The crown decided to return the fort to the French in 1749 exchange for Madras, India which was a source of extreme irritation to the New Englanders. They had lost about 900 men capturing the fort.
In 1758, the British determined that they wanted Louisbourg after all, so they laid siege the “professional” way, by sea, without the help of the New Englanders, and guess what? It took them a WHOLE lot longer.
This time they completely destroyed the fortress, so what exists today is a reconstruction, based on documents and plans that were preserved off site.
The view from the protective wall
Like Williamsburg, Sturbridge Village, and Plymouth Plantation, re-enactors in period costumes demonstrate what life was like in the 1700s.
I particularly enjoyed watching a prisoner being marched through town to the iron collar.
All of the neighbors were invited to ridicule the prisoner as he made the “walk of shame“ to the center of town.
Our final day was to be spent traveling along the Cabot Trail. Because of climate change ( yeah, the Canadians don’t think it’s a “hoax”), all the trails are closed to hikers. The risk of fire is too great. So, instead we were going to drive the entire route, after stopping to visit a church and a hooker museum. Don’t get excited. It was a museum for RUGS not ladies of the night.
You might think that rug on the right is supposed to be a young Liz Taylor, but the sign next to it explained it was actually a youthful Jesus.
While in the museum, Josh discovered there was a problem with the bus, so we had to hang out long enough that the full trip along the Cabot Trail was impossible.
We were lucky to have Laurie as our trip leader, who decided to treat us all to coffee and pastry at the shop up the street. Instead of doing the full route, we ended up stopping at a beautiful little beach
Our last night was spent at a ceilidh (pronounced Kay-Lee).
Although there is so much more to say about Baddeck, this post is already quite long, so I’ll stop.
Well, we were SUPPOSED to fly from Montreal to Halifax today, but the Air Canada flight attendants decided to be rebellious and ignore the “back to work” orders from the Canadian government.
Instead, we are rolling along the highway with our Croatian driver for the next 13 hours.
Our two nights in Montreal got off to a promising start. Although we experienced torrential rain as we were leaving Quebec City, it was less of a downpour by the time we got to the “Sugar Shack”. At that stop along the way, we learned about the intricacies of maple syrup creation and got to sample maple taffy.
The taffy is made by drizzling very thick maple syrup on ice or snow, then wrapping the hardening substance around what looks like a tongue depressor
By the time we arrived in Montreal, and finished lunch, the rain had stopped. Our lunch was a Canadian specialty – delicious smoked meat (it tasted like corned beef).
The sandwich was so huge, I had to take it apart to eat it! Before I had finished half of what was served, I was full.
Before we arrived at the hotel, we had a bus tour of Montreal’s highlights. Good thing we were on a bus, because after that huge lunch, I was ready for a nap. Walking was out of the question!
Even if we’d had enough time ( we didn’t) and even if Barbara, my travel buddy had been with me ( she wasn’t), there was no way I was going to climb those steps to see the interior of yet another cathedral! ( So I didn’t).
Originally, I had booked a dinner with Chef Rob for my first night in Montreal, at the recommendation of my Canadian friend, Nancy. Unfortunately, Chef Rob had a family emergency, and had to cancel, but Laurie, our tour guide provided us with multiple attractive alternatives for dinner on our own.
I liked the Universel Déjeuners et Grillades, (especially the Mimosa Margarita, which is one of their specialty drinks) so much that I had dinner there BOTH nights.
I know, how boring. Here I am in one of the great “foodie” cities, and I go to the same restaurant TWICE? What can I say. It was close to our hotel, and the wine pours were generous.
Our one full day in Montreal was unstructured, but Laurie provided options for us.
After 15 minutes, I’d seen enough of the market.
Although I have seen plenty of markets, I decided to join her, mainly so I could get the hang of Montreal’s metro system. It is EASY! Color coded lines ( like Boston) and oh so CLEAN! I have to admit it. Americans are SLOBS.
There was no graffiti, no trash, no urine smell, just artwork. How do they DO that?
Do they ban spray paint? The buildings and highways were clean too. We’ve been driving along the highway for hours, without my spotting a single piece of trash. Trust me. I’ve been looking.
But back to my day in Montreal. When Mike and I were there in 2019, we visited the biosphere, which is located close to the Botanical Gardens. Had it not been a cold, cloudy day, we would have spent it wandering through that gorgeous place. It took 6 years, but FINALLY I got to spend about 4 hours enjoying the greenhouses, exhibits and special gardens.
My favorite was the Chinese Garden. I loved the fantastic sculptures in the pond.
The greenhouses were equally impressive, with waterfalls and orchids.
We ended our day with “Aura”, a light and sound show in the Notre Dame Basilica.
I felt like SUCH a big girl, finding my way via metro from the Botanical Gardens to the Basilica all by myself!
While awaiting the rest of my group to arrive, I enjoyed the musicians and performers in the square. there was a little of everything: dancers, violinists, singers.
The show started at 5:30PM and lasted for 30 glorious minutes. I highly recommend it! Please keep in mind, I’ve seen enough churches, cathedrals and basilicas to last 5 lifetimes! But this was truly special.
These two statues are supposed to represent the cultural divide between the French and English Canadians.
The snooty Englishman is turning his nose up at the Basilica, which represents French Catholicism and the French lady on the opposite corner of the square is gazing scornfully at the symbol of English power, the Bank of Montreal.
UPDATE: We arrived in Halifax a little before 1AM, so it actually took almost SIXTEEN hours by car. I don’t recommend it.
What? You never hear of Slavonice? Neither had I, until this trip. Centuries ago, however, Slavonice was a “happening” place. On the road between Prague and Vienna, it was a popular overnight stopping point for travelers.
Check out the “graffiti” that still exists on the buildings in “old town”.
One of the reasons I keep choosing to travel with OAT is because of hidden gems like Slavonice, places I would NEVER have discovered on my own.
We were able to visit a beautiful restored building that was once used as a gathering place for the Lutherans. Supposedly this artwork illustrates that Jesus’ word is more powerful than the sword. Clearly this artwork was done well before both world wars.
Can you believe the ceiling in this building? How did they DO that?
We were the only guests in a lovely little hotel in old town, complete with a restaurant and wine cellar.
Here is Pavel, the owner, chef, wine merchant, cleaning crew, sommelier, ( he’s EVERYTHING!) greeting Tomas, our guide and welcoming us to his hotel.
Our first evening was memorable indeed. The town lost electricity during a hailstorm and with roads flooded, Pavel had to figure out how he was going to feed us. Fortunately, his wine cellar was very well stocked, so in addition to soup and bread we were offered unlimited beverages. SOME of us took FULL advantage of what life had thrown our way.
I took these photos of posters outside my room especially for my favorite sommelier (he knows who he is).
We were lucky that the 13th century wine cellar didn’t flood. The water from the storm that DID make it into the building had receded enough for us to enjoy a wine tasting on the second night of our stay.
The fact that the ceiling was dripping on us didn’t dampen our spirits one bit.
Yes, we are all bundled up— it was COLD in the centuries old basement.
But once again, I’m getting ahead of myself, talking about dinner before describing our “day in the life” experience at a farm about an hour’s drive from Slavonice. Olga, our host, runs a horse farm.
Like my wonderful cousin Kristy, she provides a home for horses that can no longer be ridden. Her oldest horse is 30, which is significantly more than the average life span of a horse.
In addition to breeding horses, Olga also works with horses that are thought to be “difficult”. She demonstrated how she communicates with them using only her eyes and fingers. When she asked for a volunteer to learn the technique, I thought I was going to have lots of competition. I thought wrong.
Could the amount of water and mud have been the reason for my companions reluctance?
Being the ONLY volunteer, I got to get up close and personal with this magnificent creature, who was once thought to be “difficult”.
Olga is demonstrating the proper shoulder technique to get the horse to follow you. Nailed it!
Yes, our day time activities were fantastic, but there was even more awaiting us.
That night, we had the PLANNED dinner at the hotel,
complete with local musicians who got us singing along to “Country Roads” and “Roll out the barrel”.
Of course, the wine flowed freely, but the show stopper was when our host used a sword as his bottle opener.
On to Bratislava. Yes, I know. Add Cesky Krumlov to the list of places I’ve skipped over.
Destination NOW 