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.
It’s a beautiful morning in Managua, Nicaragua. What, you don’t see Managua on the map atop this post? That’s because some of the best laid plans often go astray. (Like some women I know).
Normally when I do a group tour, I go in a day early to allow time for things to go wrong. Not this time, which pretty much guaranteed that everything that could go wrong, did.
I kept channeling my friend Joann, who I met on my recent India trip, by repeating “ it’s just a minor inconvenience”. I said that a lot!
The minor inconveniences started with an hour and a half delay at Newark airport because of electrical problems. Then, we were unable to land in San Jose because of poor visibility. After circling long enough to necessitate refueling, we flew to Managua and sat on the plane hoping for a break in the weather in San Jose. We waited long enough for the flight crew to surpass their maximum working hours, and no other crew was available, so the flight was canceled.
The crew handed out immigration paperwork that had to be completed, plus a list of hotels with phone numbers, but no other information. I tried to do my own search, for hotels near the airport, but the internet wasn’t working. ( I wasn’t the only one with cell phone challenges!) when my phone wouldn’t work, a very kind man sitting behind me handed me his phone, already dialed to the Hyatt, and he told me they had available rooms.
Because the plane was full, I had gate checked my bag in Newark. It was my act of kindness for the day. BIG mistake. I suspect the luggage handlers translated “priority” to mean “grab me last”. And they did.
Although The Best Western was across the street from the terminal, United didn’t put it on the list or provide its phone numbers, so instead I took a taxi to the Hyatt, which was about 20 minutes away. Before we left , we were told repeatedly to arrive at the airport 3 hours before our 10 AM flight.
One of the positive aspects of having sleep problems is my body has figured out how to get by on much less sleep. By the time we (yes, “we” because by then I had a companion. Little Kayla was looking lost, so I invited her to hop into my cab), it was 2 AM local time, 3 AM my body time when I finally got to bed. I awoke at 6 AM, just in time to enjoy the included breakfast.
Upon arriving at the airport I discovered our flight was delayed until 12:20. No one was at the United desk, so I found myself a seat, and reminded myself things could have been far, far worse. Noise canceling headset with music loaded onto my phone drowned out the screaming kid and allowed me to mentally transport myself to my happy place.
No, this is definitely NOT my “happy place”. Don’t worry, no one will be getting a gift from here!
I’ll miss the first day of the trip, including the welcome lunch and a tour of the National Theater because I won’t arrive into San Jose until a little after 1 PM. That is, if everything goes according to plan, which it hasn’t so far.
Luckily, I’ve been to Costa Rica twice before this trip. The first time was in February, 2007, with Mike and my friend Augusta. We traveled with Elderhostel, which is now known as Road Scholar. I’ll be trodding over familiar ground – in 2007, we started in San Jose, then visited Poas, Sarapiqui, La Fortuna and Arenal. It will be interesting to see the impact time has had on the areas I’m revisiting. Of course, that’s assuming that I REMEMBER what it was like in 2007, which is a pretty big assumption indeed.
Poas Volcano from 2007 visit
The second time was in January of 2010, which is when Mike, Greg and I cruised through the Panama Canal with Oceania. We only were in Puntarenas for one day, so we hired a guide who took us for a walk through a forest, then we went zip lining. That first platform was REALLY far away and I will admit to being terrified that I would get stuck midway, and have to rely on my upper body strength to pull myself the rest of the way. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, because back then my upper body strength was non-existent.
Practicing zip liningOn my way. I was NOT moving slowlySuccess! I couldn’t even SEE the landing zone.
This itinerary includes zip lining, horseback riding and rafting. Although not specifically mentioned in the itinerary, I’m assuming we will have a chance to take advantage of the hot springs near the volcanoes. I’ll admit, if I was missing one of these activities, I’d be thoroughly bummed.
August thru October is traditionally the “rainy season”, with November being the transition month leading to December’s dryer weather. ThIs year’s 10 day weather report is predicting rain almost every day. Perhaps the rain will be gentle, cooling us off when the temperature soars into the 80’s. We shall see.
Time to see if anyone is at the United desk.
Next post will probably be from Sarapiqui. And yes, despite all the minor inconveniences, I still feel pretty damn lucky to be on this trip!
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.
As usual, I was so busy having fun that my blogging got WAY behind my travels. I’m home now, getting ready to hit the road again, and I realized that if I don’t do a post about this trip, I will probably forget where I was and what I did. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve had to look up something on my blog to jog my memory. Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose.
As I mentioned in earlier posts, the pre-trip to Berlin was fantastic. We had one more stop, in Dresden, before we joined the rest of the group in Prague for the main trip.
It was hard to believe that so much of Dresden was destroyed by Allied bombs during WWII.
As usual, Barb and I found a high point in the castle that afforded us an excellent panoramic view of this delightful city.
In addition to climbing the Castle tower, we also toured the Castle Museum. All I could think about when I saw the exhibits, was how many people must have died, either from starvation or in battle, for royalty to collect all these gold do-dads and fancy clothes.
During the two evenings that we spent in Dresden, we enjoyed people watching in the main square, where there was live music and dancing.
On our way to Prague, we stopped at Terazin, which was a Gestapo prison during WWII. It was sobering to see how widespread cruelty to other humans is.
Prague I visited Prague for the first time in 2014 with Vermont Bike Trips. Although I did see some of the same sights again, like the Charles Bridge, the astronomical clock and the castle,
This soldier didn’t move at all, which led us to question whether he was real, or a mannequin. Turns out, he was VERY real, but capable of complete stillness.
there were many new experiences, such as the delightful concert in the Mirror Chapel.
I love the blend of scheduled and unscheduled time on OAT trips.The free time allowed us to attend the concert and have dinner at the Blue Duckling, which was recommended by our dear friend Elena.
I recalled visiting the “Fred and Ginger” building on my VBT trip, and I enjoyed it enough to return. It has since been renamed The Dancing House. (Fred and Ginger was deemed “too American” a title).
When I visited in 2014, There was no elevator–but the walk up the stairs had lots of “interesting” art on the walls, such as this magazine cover.
Now, an elevator whisks you to the bar on the top floor, and if you want to go into the “hat” to enjoy the view, you now have to pay for that privilege.
The hotel that OAT chose, the K+K Hotel, was centrally located and was quite beautifully decorated, with a quirky elevator that motivated me to take the stairs.
If Art Deco is your “thing” be sure to tour the Municipal House, which is LOADED with art deco treasures.
We were lucky enough to be there to catch a fashion show rehearsal, but I found the hairdos of the three little girls on the tour equally fascinating. I can’t imagine how long it took their mom to create those designs on her little girls’ heads!
After three days in Prague, it was time to move on to Cesky Krumlov, but on the way, we had another grim stop, this time to a Soviet prison camp in Vojna. It was originally build by German POWs as a labor camp near the uranium mines, but then transitioned into a Communist labor camp for political prisoners. The poor Czech people were getting hammered from extremes on the left and the right!
I visited Cesky Krumlov with VBT, but the emphasis was clearly on biking. It was nice to have time to explore the city on foot. Because I have discovered I have a strong preference for the OAT itinerary, I’ve decided that my biking days are over.
The hotel that OAT chose, the Ebersbach was perfectly located, so that we could walk everywhere. The included breakfast sucked, but the location was perfect and my room was lovely.
OAT gave us a voucher for entry into 5 area museums and enough free time for us to enjoy them on our own. Barb and I visited four of them, skipping the monastery.
Of course, after we had visited the Castle Museum, we had to climb to the top of the tower for a panoramic view.
Let me tell ya, it was NOT an easy climb up those narrow, uneven stairs. Barb stopped to explore the dungeon and I caught my breath while I was taking her photo.
Bratislava The next country we visited after our adventure in Slavonice, was Slovakia. I absolutely LOVED Bratislava. Where else can you have tea in a bomb shelter that has themed rooms? Can you tell that Barb and I were in the “Africa” room?
Whimsical art was EVERYWHERE in Bratislava. Check out their postal box. Now THAT’S creative.
I LOVED the Slovakian sense of humor!
As usual, our drive to Budapest was broken up by an interesting stop. This time, we visited Roman ruins at Carnuntum. Mike would have been in his glory here, but since I didn’t have him to explain the historical impact of this site, I had to rely on our guide and the signage.
Budapest It is almost time for me to leave for the airport for the next trip, so Budapest will not get the attention it deserves. What a wonderful city! Not only was the Hotel President Budapest well located, but the delightful rooftop bar was the perfect gathering spot from which to watch the sun set.
Speaking of sunset, we also experienced the Danube by night. The photo atop this post was taken on our evening cruise.
As was the case with the other countries we visited, Hungarians don’t shy away from the hard lessons of the past. This shoe monument memorializes the Jews that were forced to line up along the Danube, strip naked (during the winter) and hold hands. The Hungarian Nazis wanted to conserve bullets, so they only shot the second or third person, and because they were holding hands the others were pulled into the water by the ones that had been shot.
We were able to walk just about everywhere, which is probably why I didn’t gain my usual 5 “trip” pounds.
I have been lucky to find interesting companions on all my OAT trips. And this was no exception. For one of our nights in Budapest, Barb and I had dinner at a nearby restaurant with our new buddies, Linda, Marleen and Gail.
I had expected more reverence to be shown to Ronald Reagan because of his “Mr Gorbachev, tear down the wall”speech. FINALLY, as we were getting ready to head for home, we encountered a statue in his honor.
After he stole my hat, Ron got a little free with his hands, so I had to give him a karate chop.
I’ll end this saga with a group photo. Next trip— Canada. I hope you’ll come along!
Our group: front me and Tomas Back row:Bill, Gail, Brenda, Jan, Brian, Diane, Barb, Marleen, Linda, Amy, Darlene, Patty, Lynn and Greg
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.
What a delightful surprise our lunch stop in Pisek turned out to be!
This blog is not a chronological record of my OAT itinerary. It continues to be whatever I feel like writing about. And I feel like writing about this sweet little undiscovered town.
We’ve been to Dresden, which was our final stop on the pre-trip, then we spent the first three days of the main trip in Prague. Both of these fascinating cities deserve posts of their own, and I’ll get to them eventually. There have just been far too many distractions for me to give them the attention they deserve.
Pisek is quite beautiful. Its old stone bridge predates Prague’s Charles Bridge by at least a century. Somehow, the bridge managed to survive several centuries worth of floods. The statues on the bridge weren’t so lucky. The originals were damaged and have since been repaired or replaced.
Don’t be fooled. Pisak also has MODERN attractions, like this one. I’ve seen pedal bars in Nashville, but I never have seen a Prosecco van. What a great concept!
Despite this vehicle’s obvious appeal, I found the sand sculptures even more compelling.
The header on this post describes the theme for this year’s sand sculptures — Freedom and Liberty, intended to commemorate the town’s 80th anniversary of their liberation after World War 2.
Did you recognize Gulliver, struggling to break free?
Lady Liberty has packed her bags. I’m hoping she’s not leaving the USA.
To me, the most compelling sculpture was this one, especially after being in Berlin. What a powerful demonstration of how much JFK’s words meant to the people in this part of our planet. .
Then I took a good look at the front of the sculpture. It shows Putin driving a car manufactured in East Germany by the Soviets. The Trabant had an engine that was likened to a lawn mower—about as powerful and just as smelly. East Germans would use trabants to escape to the Czech Republic, and then abandon the car in the street.
Take a close look at who is kissing up to Putin. Clearly he is not in the driver’s seat.
If you don’t recognize the iconic hair style, the sculptor has given us a hint. He has “king” written alongside his image. ( I would have added “wannabe” before the word “king”).
Why is it that Europeans can see so clearly what many Americans cannot? Perhaps because they have lived through Facism and Communism, they have a deep understanding of how fragile democracy can be and how important it is to preserve it, in every means possible, including the creation of sand sculptures.
My last post was about Berlin’s tragic past, and how frightening it is to recognize parallels to what is happening in the world now.
Today’s post is about Berlin’s glorious present and how it is making me optimistic about the future for our entire planet.
First, many thanks to my dear friend Chris and her wonderful sister Claudia for their very helpful suggestions on how to best use our time in Berlin. Thanks to them, we knew we needed to get tickets for the Reichstag tour at least a month in advance. For those of you not lucky enough to know Chris or Claudia, here’s the link for the free tour, in English: https://www.bundestag.de/en/visittheBundestag/dome/tours
The Bundestag building itself is architecturally gorgeous, filled with interesting artwork.
Our guide was a retired lawyer, who explained that although, prior to Hitler’s rise to power, Germany considered itself a democracy, it really wasn’t, because half of the population wasn’t allowed to vote. I wish I could remember her exact words because she said it far more elegantly than my paraphrase, but here’s the gist of her comments regarding women voters: They expected women to be grateful when they “gave” us the right we had been denied for so many years.
Here she is, explaining why the Russian soldiers’ graffiti in the Reichstag was preserved when the building was reconstructed after unification. (Once again, not a direct quote, just what I remembered her saying).
Imagine you are a young Russian soldier who spent the last few months being shot at and bombed. You have survived so far. You reach Berlin, but are still not safe. You want to leave your mark so that others recognize that you once existed.
The Germans left the graffiti so, to me, it has become a symbol of the compassion the Berliners felt for young Russian boys who were drafted and forced to kill young German boys.
She also gave us information about the way the German government currently operates, but because I wasn’t as interested, I promptly forgot everything she said.
I was, however, fascinated by the eagle on the wall behind her. That eagle hung in Bonn, when it was the capital of West Germany. It was installed at the reconstructed Reichstag after reunification.
I was also fascinated by the interior view of the dome from the parliamentary meeting room.
After the 90 minute guided tour, we were able to enter the dome and walk up the spiral ramp to the top.
The mirrors in the center reflect light into the building below.
I found it fascinating that the dome is completely open. What happens when it rains or snows? Inquiring minds want to know, so I asked one of the guards. He told me the top remains completely open, but rain only falls on the very top level, where drains capture it and carry it out of the building. Damn, those Germans are great at engineering!
From the Reichstag dome, we were able to see the TV tower. It was the proud creation of the Soviets in East Berlin, intended to demonstrate the superiority of Soviet construction. After reunification, however, the world had access to Stasi documents that showed most of the materials used to build the tower had to be imported from the west.
During our city tours both guides talked about the symbol of Christianity (a cross) appearing on this godless tower. We were completely mystified, because it was impossible for us to visualize anything that remotely resembled a cross. FINALLY, during our stroll around the dome, the sun was in the right position, so I hope my photo allows YOU to see it too.
If my personal astrophysicist had been by my side, he would have explained the scientific principles behind the phenomenon. Instead, I went with Barb’s explanation: it is magic.
Anyone who has read any of my prior posts knows that I cannot resist a tower, mountain, high point—anything that offers a panoramic view. Berlin has several, and we took advantage of every single one that we could find.
The view of the Brandenburg Gate from the dome
Our OAT trip leader suggested we visit the Humboldt Forum’s rooftop. In addition to the delightful cafe,
we were treated to another vantage point of the city.
Notice the roof of the Humboldt is planted with grasses and flowers.
The city was environmentally aware, which was so very encouraging to me.
None of the median strips were mowed. Instead, grasses and weeds were allowed to grow unhindered to protect and feed the bees.
From our vantage point on the roof, we could see the sustainability display. That’s the reddish tower in the photo below, in which reclaimed materials were used to fashion new structures.
We ended our night with a laser show at the Reichstag, which was created to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Christo’s art project.
With travel, sometimes you hit and sometimes you miss. The laser show was definitely a miss, but the sunset was lovely.
And the walk to the hotel gave us the opportunity to see Berlin buildings illuminated.
I’m so glad I was able to spend 5 days in this wonderful city. Those of you who have read my earlier posts may recall that initially I was not particularly enamored. Must have been because of jet lag, or the piss poor commentary on the City Circle / Gray Line HOHO. My recommendation—try a different HOHO in Berlin. There are four.
The Germans truly believe “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”
Unlike us, they do not spin, whitewash or deny their history. Instead, they build monuments to the victims, and record the monstrous deeds of the perpetrators of violence—the Nazis.
The Topography of the Terrors is a free outdoor exhibit, built on the site of the former Gestapo headquarters. One of the photos shows Adolph Hitler’s military parade on his birthday.
I was viewing this exhibit on the very day something similar was happening in the USA. Fortunately, our wannabe dictator’s celebration was not as well attended. And even more fortunate—the “no kings” protests throughout the USA had far more participants.
Once the OAT pretrip started, we enjoyed a city tour where we learned the significance of some areas we had visited when Barb and I were on our own.
Following is a photo of Anne, our guide, showing us the location where over 20,000 banned books were burned. She also shared this prescient quote from 1820:
“those who start by burning books will also burn men”
After the war, Berlin was divided into 4 sections. Russia got East Berlin; West Berlin was shared by the Americans, the French and the British. West Berlin was completely surrounded by East Germany, which was held by the Russians.
1961 was the first time a wall was built to keep people IN. That’s because 3 million people (out of 18 million) had left East Berlin after the Soviet occupation. These were “essential” workers, so something had to be done to stop the brain drain.
Sections of the wall are exhibited in Potsdamer Platz
Throughout the city, we saw reminders of where the wall once stood. This is how the marker looks if you are on the West side of the wall.
There were actually two walls, with a strip of land in between, known as “ the death strip” and “no man’s land”. Both walls were painted white, to make it easier to spot people trying to escape.
Some statistics: Along the walls’ 100 miles, were 280 guard towers. No man’s land was patrolled by 1100 armed guards and 1000 dogs.
The stories of the 140 people who died while trying to escape are memorialized in the Terror exhibit.
After the wall came down, artists painted murals on the remaining sections.
Remember how Barb and I were mystified by the holocaust monument? Well, thanks to Anne, we now understand.
The architect wanted visitors to feel something as they walked through the exhibit. He succeeded. As the stones got taller and the ground became uneven, I felt uneasy and claustrophobic.
We learned that the memorial is composed of 2711 stones, to represent the number of pages in the Talmud. Viewed from above, it looks very much like an arial view of death camps’ barracks and a Jewish cemetery in Israel.
Next, we visited the “Disney” version of Checkpoint Charlie.
Of course there is a KFC nearby.
Knowing it is a tourist trap didn’t stop us from posing behind the sand bags.
We almost didn’t take the optional tour “Allies in Berlin” tour on our last full day in Berlin, because we mistakenly thought it would be a repeat of what we had already seen. Tomas, our trip leader, encouraged us to take the tour and I’m so glad he did.
It was extremely emotional for me. It harkened back to the time when we understood how important it was to win “hearts and minds”, back when we had leaders with integrity, foresight and wisdom.
The Soviets were trying to starve the West Berliners into submission, but the US, France and Great Britain began airlifting tons of food, coal, medicines and essential supplies to the people of West Berlin. The west Berliners were surprised that the people they were shooting at, just a few years earlier were now protecting them. That was the start of the strong friendship between Germany and the USA.
One American pilot decided to make small parachutes for rations, starting the “candy bombing” runs represented by the artwork on this bear.
Because France and Great Britain had been badly damaged by WWII , most of the aid came from the USA.
Years later, when the Berliners were feeling isolated and fearful, JFK visited. Although he only spent 8 hours in Berlin, his speech meant the world to the people of West Berlin:
“Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was civis romanus sum [“I am a Roman citizen”]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is “Ich bin ein Berliner!”… All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words “Ich bin ein Berliner!”
I was surprised that Ronald Reagan was not as revered, so I asked Alex, our local guide about it. He told me that there is a plaque at the Brandenburg Gate for Reagan, but at the time he gave the “tear down the wall” speech, most Berliners thought it was an impossibility and that Reagan was just a “crazy old actor”.
At the American Museum, we saw the REAL checkpoint Charlie building, moved to this site when the wall came down. (It was one of three checkpoints: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie). These days, what was once barracks for American troops, have been transformed into condos.
To end this sobering post, here is a photo from the Sinti and Roma (Gypsy) memorial.
This child was separated from his parents, who had been employed, and had never been in trouble with the law. Their only “crime” —being born to the wrong parents.
This post is for all the wonderful OAT travelers who took the time to post on Friends of Overseas Adventure’s Facebook page. I benefited greatly from your advice and hints, so this is my way of giving back. My apologies to regular subscribers who might not find this post very interesting. BUT if others traveling to the Northern Iberian Peninsula in the spring find these hints helpful, well that’s a bonus.
I took the “Northern Spain and Portugal: Pilgrimage into the Past” trip in April of 2025. My departure didn’t offer pre or post trips so this information only applies to the main trip.
I wore a mask on flights to Bilbao, but didn’t on the return trip. Big mistake. I’m quarantining now, which is why I have plenty of time to write this post.
The OAT trip started in Bilbao, which is an absolutely fantastic city. If you are able to do so, I highly recommend arriving a day or two early.
If you are changing planes, and you are checking luggage, be sure to carefully examine your luggage receipt. I didn’t and I wasted almost a half a day tracking down my bag, which was left in Munich. I’m so very glad I used an AirTag!
Although Bilbao is a very walkable city, the bus system is excellent. Best of all, busses are frequent and easy to use. No special card is required. You simply get on the bus and pay with your credit card. Easy, and CHEAP!
The Guggenheim is closed on Mondays, however, the OAT itinerary has sufficient free time built in. If your trip has the museum scheduled on a Monday, you still can visit at another time. Even if you are not a museum aficionado, the architecture of the building is pretty spectacular. It’s also worth walking around outside the museum to view the sculptures.
All of the hotels OAT chose were centrally located, which made it very easy for anyone who wanted to explore on their own. Here is the list of the hotels we used: **Hotel Abando, Bilbao **Hotel Tres Reyes, Pamplona **Alfonso V, Leon **Hotel Compostela, Santiago **Lamego Hotel, Lamego **Turim Oporto Hotel, Porto
If you don’t want to wash your hair and body with the same soap, or you don’t like to use the bottles attached to the wall, bring your own.
Most of the hotels’ hair dryers were attached to the wall, and you needed to keep your finger on the button to get the dryer to operate. That can be uncomfortable if you have arthritis in your hands. Someone suggested bringing duct tape to keep the button down. Of course, I didn’t recall that hint until I was on the trip, staring at the button!
The hair dryer in the Lemigo Hotel died after a couple of minutes use. After resting for a few minutes, it could be used again. (Others had a similar experience). Fortunately that didn’t happen in Santiago, where I used the hair dryer on my sodden shoes.
Apparently, Northern Spain normally gets a lot of rain. During our visit, we mainly experienced intermittent showers. Keep in mind the unevenness of cobblestones results in lots of puddles, and sometimes those puddles are DEEP. Oh and by the way, those cobblestones are very slippery when wet.
We all got drenched on our walk into Santiago. Fortunately, our hotel had a heated towel bar. After being convinced that I was a complete idiot for being unable to get the heat turned on, I swallowed my pride, asked for help at the front desk and learned that the heat is centrally controlled and doesn’t turn on till 7:30 PM.
The only option our team leader gave us to do laundry was at the hotels, but it was rather expensive, especially with the terrible exchange rate. We were there when the tariffs went into effect, so what was once a strong dollar had plummeted. The heated towel bar was perfect for drying laundry. Santiago was the only hotel with that option, and it was roughly midway through the trip, so keep that in mind if you are rinsing out clothes.
The optional excursion offered during our time in Santiago was okay. If you didn’t grow up by the ocean (I did), it might be great because you got to watch locals digging up clams and mussels, something my family did on a regular basis. The lunch was fantastic and although I was glad I went, if you can only choose one optional, I would recommend the one in Portugal if you are a walker and love nature.
After the optional trip, we returned to Santiago in time to visit the Pilgrim Museum, which had been closed the day before. Unfortunately it was closed again, for unspecified “technical” reasons. Too bad, because the members of our group who didn’t take the optional, visited the Pilgrim’s Museum that morning and said it was worthwhile.
It was way too cold to use an outdoor pool, and although the Lemigo hotel had an indoor pool, you had to pay 20 Euros per person, per day to use it (and the gym). None of us thought it was worth it. The outdoor pool is free and lovely, so if you go when the weather is warm, it might be worth packing a bathing suit.
Be sure to get your Pilgrim’s Passport stamped! Mine is the header of this post.
Portugal was fantastic! Because Porto has been discovered, you may want to make dinner reservations while you are still in Spain. Check with your TL to make sure you have the correct schedule, because sometimes the TLs have plans that are not part of the official itinerary.
My post about Porto provides the name of a wonderful restaurant close to our hotel. Rather than repeat what I wrote elsewhere, just click on the link to get the name of the restaurant and other sights that you can do in your free time. It also includes a description of the optional trip.
I wasn’t able to visit the Porto Library because it requires tickets for the timed entry, and no tickets were available while we were in Porto. Two of our traveling companions stayed an extra day in Porto and were able to visit the library. Based on their photos, it was quite wonderful!
I thoroughly enjoyed the WOW Museum complex. I bought a day pass for 40 Euros because I wanted to visit three museums and separate entries were each 20 Euros.
I have done posts for each place we visited, so if you want more info, check out the post that interests you. Those posts include photos.
On our way to Porto, we were convinced our luck had REALLY run out. According to the weather reports, we weren’t merely encountering rain, we were headed into a huge storm! We were all glad the forecast was wrong yet again.
Although it rained during our bus ride from Lemigo, by the time we reached Porto and had finished our city bus tour, the rain had briefly stopped. The sun even came out during our walk along the river.
Before I left home, I had loaded photos from Mike’s and my 2003 day trip to Porto onto my iPhone. I was surprised to see how much the city had changed, and how much remained the same.
2003 Panasonic LUMIX2025, iPhone 14I only carry my lumix to places like Africa and Antarctica. The zoom is key for animal shots. Otherwise, my phone does fine.
The tower that Mike and I climbed for free in 2003 was restored and updated in 2014. Tickets are required to visit what is now the Clérigos architectural complex .
9/20034/20259/20034/2025Believe it or not “casa Oriental” still exists, but you have to click on the current photo and zoom it to see how it has changed.
Because Mike and I climbed to the very top of the tower, I thought it was the perfect spot to leave some of his ashes.
When we were there in 2003, there weren’t any “love locks”. I didn’t have a lock today, but leaving his ashes was MY way of saying “I love you”.
But I digress. Back to day 1 and our lunch stop at an interesting restaurant. Check out the large wooden object dangling over our table.
I’m pretty certain “the world’s most beautiful McDonalds” wasn’t here when we visited in 2003! Quite different from what we have in the USA, wouldn’t you say?
No, none of us ATE there, although the place was PACKED!
Instead, three of us had dinner at Almada 331, a tiny restaurant close to our hotel, the Turim. The food was incredible, yes. The menu was in English, yes. The cork walls made conversation enjoyable. But what REALLY made the experience off the charts was Fernando, the owner.
Loren, Sheldon & FernandoThe restaurant consists of two adjacent, cozy rooms.
Both “Shelly” and Fernando had lived in Pittsburgh, so we all became instant friends. But so did the Belgians, Ukrainians, Indians and the woman from Singapore (Singaporean?) who were also dining at the restaurant. It is that kind of place. When you enter, Fernando asks where you are from, and then points out all the different countries represented in his tiny restaurant. It was truly a magical night.
In case you’re wondering, yes, it was confusing to have a male Shelly on the trip, especially because his wife Loren was one of my very favorite fellow travelers, so we spent a lot of time together.
We had the option of exploring the city on our own during one of our three days in Porto, or paying $145 to visit Arouca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bet you already know which option I chose.
First, we visited the monastery. In the USA, monasteries are where the monks live; convents are for nuns. In Portugal, however, it isn’t gender that defines the naming convention, it’s location. Monasteries are built in remote areas, outside of cities; convents are built inside the city walls. So, although initially the Arouca Monastery was inhabited by men, by the 14th century the nuns had taken it over.
But not just ANY nuns. No, these were noble ladies from families of wealth and power, for whom a suitable match had not been found. What to do with your 18 year old unmarried daughter? Why, you pack the old maid (and one or two servants) off to the nearest convent, along with a very generous donation.
She will never be allowed to leave the convent. But don’t feel too badly for her, because rather than being her husband’s servant, she gets to meditate, walk around the garden, read, and boss her servants around. Best of all, she won’t die in childbirth, unless she uses one of the legendary tunnels to meet up with a friendly monk.
You can’t see them in the above photo, but the courtyard is lined with banners describing the persecution of Christians, like this one:
Surprisingly, no mention was made of the Inquisition, probably because it happened in Spain?
Although this “lazy Susan” was normally used for food and other contributions, occasionally a baby was placed on the shelf. Our guide told us that maybe the turnstile was occasionally spun 360 degrees. That way, it would appear the baby had been brought by a townsperson, even if it had originated inside the monastery. That’s the upside of wearing those bulky robes.
One noble lady, Queen Mafalda, was briefly married to 10 year old Henry I of Castille. When the Vatican annulled the marriage, she voluntarily entered the Arouca Monastery, where she is currently on display in the chapel.
My favorite part of the day was our visit to the suspension bridge. To get there, we drove along beautiful, winding mountain roads for about 45 minutes. It was a visual feast! By the time we arrived, we were all eager to walk through the woods, over the bridge and back.
Okay, so it rained off and on, which added to the adventure. It also made us really appreciate the intermittent sunshine.
Ines, our local guide, thoughtfully supplied us with white rain ponchos to put over our jackets. The bridge was wet and slippery initially, but our spirits were as high as that bridge!
It case you’re wondering, the bridge is almost 1700 feet, or about a third of a mile each way. It opened in 2021, and only cost 2.3 million Euros to build. According to Ines, it is the highest and most beautiful suspension bridge in the world. It used to be the longest, until the Czech Republic one-upped them.
If you’re afraid of heights, it’s probably better if you don’t look down.
I’m not afraid of heights, so I did. Was it thrilling? Hell, yes!
The walk to the bridge was down a very steep slope.
As you know, what goes down, must come up, but those who had had enough fun for the day were able to ride a jeep to the top. Four of us opted to walk back—the equivalent of 15 flights of stairs —according to my Apple Watch. Not bad for four people over 70!
We had worked up quite an appetite, so we were ready for our wonderful lunch by the river, where we could watch the rafts heading toward white waters.
When I went for my bathroom break, I thought I had inadvertently walked into the men’s locker room, but no. The half naked guy in the skimpy towel was very friendly and wasn’t at all surprised to see me. I guess the area right in front of the bathrooms is the where the “rafters” suit up. Sorry, no photos.
Another thing I love about OAT is the ability to customize the trip. For our second night in Porto, I decided it was too windy and rainy for me to venture out, so I enjoyed a solo dinner in the hotel. Unlike most USA hotel restaurants, the food was great and reasonably priced.
I guess at this stage in my life, I’ve completely conquered FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Instead, I only do things that I want to do.
Look at the size of that glass of sangria!
Because it was important for me to retrace the steps Mike and I took in 2003, I decided to skip the planned activities for our last day in Porto. Instead, I visited the previously described restored Clérigos complex, where I was reminded of the splendid life members of the clergy led, back in the “dark ages”.
I still had enough time to walk across the Douro River to visit three of the seven magnificent WOW Museums. And they were indeed a wow!
Even the museum’s floors are visually appealing. This floor is perfectly flat. Optical illusions in the pavement are a Portuguese “thing”. Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro have similar beautiful walkways.
I have visited many wineries, so the history of wine making wasn’t as interesting as the interactive exhibits. Where else can you stick your nose over a tube to try to identify a wine smell? I was only able to correctly “smokey” and “chocolate” scents. If I ever had any doubts that my palate was unsophisticated, that exercise dispelled them!
A corridor was lined with fun information about the different varietals. This is the artist’s vision for Argentina’s Malbec.
The wine museum’s admission price included a tasting of three different wines, with an explanation of what you are drinking, plus a coupon for a free port tonic in one of the museum’s many restaurants.
Of the cork and chocolate museums, can you guess which was my favorite? Which one had the best free samples?
I found the chocolate museum’s South American creation myth video so delightful, I stood there and recorded it for those of you who will never visit Porto. (You’re welcome)
The museum was across the river from our hotel, so I walked across both levels of the bridge…the top, with its panoramic view.
On the way back, I took the “low road” so I could deposit the remainder of Mike’s ashes in the Douro River, because we had also stopped there in 2003. Back then, we had the bridge all to ourselves, and cameras didn’t have “selfie” options.
September 2003
Barb, Pam and I are being picked up at 9 AM for our 12:30 direct flight to Newark. Because breakfast is at 7 and the market opens at 8, I figured I’d have enough time to do a quick swing through. Despite the rain, I made the 7 minute walk to Bolhão. Although the posted hours indicated the market was open, it appears no one bothered to tell the vendors.
Not a problem. I know where I can find dry clothes, and I still have enough time to change into them!
Although there is much more to say about this wonderful city, our fantastic tour and my amazing travel companions, this post is already quite long and we are on our way to the airport.
Destination NOW 