photography – Destination NOW

Komodo Island

Labuan Bajo was OAT’s home base for four of the post-trip’s five nights.

Wouldn’t you know, THIS hotel doesn’t have a lounge, and is located quite a way from where the action is. It’s a half a mile to the closest ATM, but the sidewalks are unbroken, so the walk wasn’t challenging.

On the plus side, it DOES have a gorgeous pool, and it is alongside the ocean. Unfortunately the beach had more than its fair share of trash, which I unwittingly added to. (read on for details).

Despite that, the beach sunsets were pretty spectacular.

The day we arrived we went to the center of town to watch the sun set from a different vantage point.

Okay. No more sunrise/ sunset photos. I promise.

It’s probably good that the trip is ending tomorrow, because I’m rapidly approaching sensory overload. The days are getting jumbled together. It has become apparent to me that photos help me remember where I’ve been and what I’ve done (thank you, Steve Jobs). Oh, the memory is a terrible thing to lose.

And it’s not the only thing I’ve lost. See that Yellowstone cap? It has joined the flotsam and jetsam of the Indian Ocean.

I lost it after our trip to Komodo Island, where we were fortunate to watch MANY of these prehistoric looking creatures, strutting their stuff.

Next, our motor boat whisked us to a pink coral beach

where some of us snorkeled and swam, while others decided to collect copious amounts of sand in our swim suits, while we watched the Chinese young ‘uns record their TicTok videos and Instagram shots.

The hardest part was getting on and off the boat, which helps if you have long legs, but the downside is you could smash your head if you aren’t careful. ( I wasn’t and I did).

It was not ALL water sports. We also visited Cecer, a remote village to learn about the Manggarai culture.

Talk about a warm welcome! The entire village turned out, including the rooster who was handed from person to person. ( It’s their traditional welcoming ceremony).

The community gathering room had a list of rules that none of us had any difficulty following.

After imbibing arak ( that’s what’s in the gourd —the Indonesian version of moonshine ),

we chatted with the tribe, and then exited to watch dancers “ shake their booties”

Time for a group photo. Even with our tribal garb, it isn’t hard to distinguish the villagers from the OAT travelers.

We had our share of nighttime adventures. Our first night here, Laurie, Davis and I joined Widi to walk the mile back to our hotel after dinner. We decided we needed a way to work off all the great food we’ve been inhaling.

One of our dinners was at this picturesque restaurant with an “OMG” view.

I chose to forgo the trip to the night fish market, because growing up in Fairhaven familiarized me with the smell of fish (fresh and otherwise). Davis and his sister Jeanne opted to join me at “Made in Italy” restaurant, which had been recommended by a friend on the OAT Facebook page. My dinner was very good—waygu beef, grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes and Chilean red wine — all for about 40% of what I’d pay for a similar meal in the USA.

Our last full day in Labuan Bajo was spent on a large(r) ship,

slowly cruising to Rinca Island. Visiting this smaller site gave us another chance to encounter Komodo dragons. We also saw water buffaloes, and macaque monkeys.

Had I been more alert, I’d be posting a video of a macaque attempting to grab Davis’ bag. Fortunately, our guide and Davis were paying attention, so Davis got to keep his purchases. Was it his swift reaction, or did the monkey smell that the bag contained nothing edible? .

We weren’t used to such a well constructed boardwalk!

Our last night here in Labuan Bajo was supposed to be “ on our own” but six of us decided to dine together, with Widi and Gusti, at Alma. Quite honestly, I MUCH preferred Alma to Made in Italy. Both restaurants sent a car to pick us up and bring us back to the hotel, but Alma had a much better view, and a far better menu.

This is a photo of the VIEW…not of the sunset!

Here are the islands we visited.

Komodo Island, where we were lucky to see TEN different dragons (via speedboat)
Pink beach
We got on a dinghy at this pier, then motored out to our ship
The second viewing of Komodo dragons, water buffaloes and monkeys
Our last beach, which we had almost completely to ourselves

We are flying to our last hotel, near the Denpasar airport. I managed to catch Ruth’s cold which will make the trip home “ interesting”.

East Bali -Salat

Sanur, I initially thought, was chosen because of its location close to Denpasar airport. Once again, I was so very wrong. Sanur was actually quite interesting, if you know where to look. And Widi certainly did!

I have no idea how long it takes to get from Candidasa to Salat, because as is the case with OAT trips, the drive was interrupted by interesting stops along the way.

Ever wonder how Indonesian Sea Salt is “manufactured”?

Wonder no more, because I’m going to share a photo describing the process:

How heavy are the baskets filled with sea salt, you ask? And how hard is it to do?

It is VERY hard and they are VERY heavy. Widi asked me to demonstrate, so I speak from experience.

For many group members, the following day’s Hindu Purification Ceremony was the most memorable and meaningful part of the trip.

After a short ceremony during which we thought about why we were there, we entered the pool, where we wet our hair, face and mouth three times (the brave—or foolhardy— DRANK the water) under each of the eleven spigots.

Although that experience completed the “official” part of the day, as usual, Widi offered options for our “free” time.

After we learned that the turtle sanctuary is located by the beach, we didn’t care that the turtles were kept in tanks. Walking along the beach to get there, feeling the cool ocean breezes was heavenly!

Four of us took Widi up on his offer to meet him the next morning at 5:45 AM to watch the sun rise over the Indian Ocean.

Laurie, Davis (the chick magnet) and Micki ( pretending that she doesn’t know us)

Our final day of the main trip was spent visiting the cliffside temple of Uluwatu. What made THIS particular temple interesting was the very scenic location,

and the aggressive monkeys, who are known to steal cellphones, sunglasses and hats from unwary tourists.

Widi hired three rangers to protect us from these cute criminals. I regret not being fast enough to get a photo of one of the Rangers using his slingshot to scare away a couple of monkeys that were ready to “interact” with our group.

Next stop:Komodo Island for 8 of us!

East Bali – Candidada

Our main Indonesian trip started in the most congested city (Jakarta) then became less and less crowded, as we progressed to Bali. We were all happy to learn that the Eastern area of Bali is far less developed than Ubud. That’s where we spent the last four days of the main trip, before 8 of us headed to Komodo Island for the post trip. The remaining 8, including Micki and Jeanne, headed either for home or for independent travel.

Initially, I thought I’d do one post for Candidasa and Sanur, but that was before I got there and discovered how amazing both places were. They EACH deserve their own post!

THIS was the first time we didn’t have to fly to our new location. Traveling by bus allowed us to enjoy the view of the countryside.

But it wasn’t ALL palm trees and rice fields. We also encountered the occasional traffic jam.

So what did the group think of Candidasa? O.M.B (which means “oh my Buddha”), what a glorious hotel! Despite being right on the ocean, it has two beautiful pools, both allowing easy access to the poolside bar.

Although our hotel offered on site spa services, we chose to ease on down the road to the Malini Day Spa, where we enjoyed a foot massage and a pedicure lasting NINETY MINUTES, for less than $20. ( I checked my credit card on line, because I didn’t believe the exchange rate app could have possibly been accurate! ). Of course, we all gave a hefty tip in Indonesian currency.

Notice the equipment being used to dry my toes.

As with all OAT trips, we visited local craftsmen, like these blacksmiths who demonstrated the traditional way to create a Kris (dagger)

Followed by a stop at a women’s weaving cooperative, where our group made several purchases of the beautiful fabric.

Our final stop was at a salat farm, where we toured the property. All of us, except Cheryl, were careful to avoid the sharp barbs of the salat fruit. Her arm became Exhibit 1 of the damage those barbs could inflict.

The hard outer shell is removed, to reveal the light edible part. The inner seed is discarded. Can you see those sharp barbs on the tree?

I absolutely LOVED our visit to the water palace.

It was impossible to take a bad photo of this glorious palace.

The hotel offered early morning yoga, which Jeanne, Micki and I decided to take advantage of. We were surprised by this photo Shoshana took; she was equally surprised to see that she could identify participants in her “random” photo.

On to Salat!

Ubud, Bali

Did Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Eat, Pray, Love” ruin Bali? The jury is still out. She definitely increased the number of tourist visits, especially around Ubud, which depending on your point of view, could be good or bad. The city sprawl appears endless; the main streets are jam packed with shops. Uneven doesn’t begin to describe the “sidewalks” and don’t get me started on the traffic! Crossing the street deserves a “profile in courage” award. To me, it is actually scarier than Hanoi.

I read Gilbert’s book about 20 years ago, when, while on a business trip, I was as stuck at Providence airport because of bad weather.

Because I knew this adventure would include several days in Bali, I packed the book to reread the Indonesia section. This time, my focus was different from my first reading. I was FAR more interested in the cultural and historical information than her description of her romance with the man who became her second husband. What a difference 20 years makes!

The Broadway play, South Pacific, was my only other source of info about Bali. I was too young to see the play, and I don’t think I ever saw the movie, (which was filmed in Hawaii, NOT even in Bali) but I remember the songs: “ I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair” and “Bali Hai”. We are definitely not experiencing Bali HIGH, because on the flight to Bali, we were informed that if we trafficked in drugs they would KILL us by invoking the death penalty. That announcement came right after we were exhorted to fasten our seatbelts, and it was stated in exactly the same matter-of-fact way.

So what did we do during our three days in Ubud? EVERYTHING worth doing.

We visited the dance school that the OAT Foundation supports, where the adorable children performed for us. After their excellent show, none of us had any desire to watch a “professional” performance.

After they finished, we were invited to join the children, so we could experience how hard it is to do the traditional dance correctly. I’ll be honest. It was definitely a humbling experience!

We did far better doing “Happy Yoga” with the seniors, where we all learned the five different ways to laugh, and which part of the body each particular laugh strengthens.

We also learned how to make little containers from palm leaves for the daily offerings to the Hindu gods.

OAT has three unique features: dinner with a local family (home visit), “A Day in the Life” (usually a local village, farm or winery) and “controversial topics”. For THIS trip, our controversial topic was supposed to be the caste system. We met a man from the lowest of the four Indonesian castes ( a farmer) who married a woman of the highest caste (Brahmin, comprised of priests and scholars) and were able to learn about their secret courtship and elopement. Their marriage caused the woman to be estranged from her family for years. To this day there are rigid rules the wife’s parents have to follow, such as they can’t visit their grandchildren until after sunset.

But that was not the only “ controversial” topic! It seems the Balinese believe all sexual activity ceases after age 60, which is why THIS room has been designated as a “sex free zone” , used by only those over the age of 60. EVERYONE in our group has long passed that particular milestone, and that pronouncement was met with bursts of laughter. Maybe we were practicing what we learned during our “happy yoga” session, maybe it was because of this alcoholic beverage we shared? Who can say for sure?

Remember how I started this post with the NEGATIVE aspects of tourism? The Buddhist in me feels compelled to offer this yang to offset that ying.

Tourist money allowed this beautiful vista to be preserved.

For a fee, you can zip line or swing across the rice paddies.

We didn’t have time for either, so had to content ourselves with the free photo ops,

because we had more wondrous things to view, like the volcano’s crater, and more photo ops to experience.

Luckily the lake wasn’t too choppy, so we were able to visit the tiny ancient village located a half an hour away by boat.

The ancestors of the current 1,000 residents have lived in this isolated village for about 1,000 years. They like being cut off from the rest of the world.

Average life expectancy is approximately 67 years, but the chief told us the oldest villager made it to 120(?!)

What makes the better carrier? Backpack or head?

Shoshana took this photo of these cute village boys.

Our final stop, before heading back across the lake was to the cemetery, where we read the rules before entering.

I don’t know whether the locals talked dirty or were impolite, but they sure ignored the rule against littering! There was trash all over the ground.

One rule they keep is not posted. THAT rule prohibits more than 11 people at a time from being “buried” in the cemetery. When the 12th person dies, then whoever has been in the cemetery the longest is removed and their skull (if decomposition occurred ) is placed on the altar. Until the skull can be easily detached, the body is dumped aside till ready.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped to crash a wedding.

Widi travels with a supply of sarongs, just in case he encounters a local opportunity like this. (Is he an amazing trip leader, or what?)

The traffic we encountered on the way back to the hotel forced us to be flexible. Rather than returning before 3 PM, we arrived around 5 PM. Thanks to Steve Jobs, I am never without a book, camera, and access to email and texts, so delays are never a problem for me.

We wanted to have an early dinner anyway, so we left for the fabulous Herb Library, (a restaurant recommended by Laurie’s nephew), shortly after our return.

Yes, chicken and beef options are on the menu

Finally, leaving Ubud, on our way to Candidasa, we stopped to visit a mask maker’s studio, where we watched the masks come to life via dance.

On to Southeastern Bali!

Four Nights in Yogyakarta—Part 2

I had NO idea that Yogyakarta had so much to offer. I THOUGHT I’d be able to fit everything into one post. I was so very wrong.

We have been careening from one fabulous activity to the next! Widi, our trip leader, has been delighting us with lots of choices for our “free” time.

Our third day in Yogyakarta started with a trip to the local market, where we were each given 20,000 rupiahs and the name of an Indonesian item to locate and then purchase. My item was kacang pangang (which turns out to be very long string beans). We also needed to learn the vendor’s name, take and post a selfie with the vendor, on WhatsApp. We ALL rose to the challenge and had so much fun doing so.

Our purchases were brought to the village of Jambidan, where they were magically incorporated into the many delicious dishes that we consumed for lunch.

But first, we were escorted through the village by its chief, where we participated in various daily activities, like separating the rice from the chaff using the traditional method,

The child in the foreground is holding mom’s cell phone, while mom processes rice

creating a printed fabric using local plants and a mallet,

feeding the livestock,

seeing the village sights,

and finally visiting the chief in his home, where he proudly showed off his kris (ceremonial dagger), which was given to him by the sultan.

After lunch, we had a lively discussion with members of the village, during which we questioned each other about our cultures. Not surprisingly, given the composition of the group, our focus was on changes in women’s lives.

Saundra decided to sit with the villagers, right in front of the chief’s wife.

What an interesting experience!

Although Widi and Anjit (our local guide) had suggested activities for the afternoon, I chose to chill out by the pool until it was time to meet up with Micki, Jeanne and Laurie for dinner.

Being somewhat lazy (okay, maybe it is more accurate to describe myself as really lazy) I enlisted the help of ChatGPT to find us a reasonably priced restaurant with something other than fried food, within walking distance of our hotel. Within seconds, I was presented with two choices, one of which Micki had walked by, and thought it would be suitable. We had dinner at Paprika, the restaurant in the glorious Phoenix Hotel.

What, you were expecting photos of food? well you all know what pizza, pasta, fruit, fish, veggies and dessert look like. For $27, we had a choice of every food item imaginable, plus an alcoholic beverage — we all chose a glass of wine, because it is incredibly expensive here! If we wanted more wine, we could get it. We just had to pay for it, but the buffet was “all you care to eat”. So we did. We weren’t sure what we enjoyed more—the delicious food or the tour that the restaurant’s hostess so graciously provided.

Another day, another UNESCO site. But THIS time, we visited a Hindu temple, Prambanan.

You know that old saying “God takes care of fools and children”? Well, some people say I fit into BOTH categories, (especially my sisters, when they were being mean) but it actually is true—at least in my case.

Remember the walking stick that caused me to check a bag? Well, I forgot to bring it with me. (At least I’m consistently spacey). Fortunately, God ( or the force) was looking out for me, because although the stairs were uneven, they weren’t as many or as steep.

I was able to visit Shiva, the Destroyer’s, temple, including all four shrines, although I only photographed my two favorites.

The wall carvings told the religious story of Ramayana for those unable to read, just like the Catholic cathedrals and the Buddhist temples visually represented those religious beliefs.

When we had had our fill of the temple experience, we headed for the bus, but were stopped by this young woman who wanted a photo so she could show her friends how HUGE women grow in America.

Jeanne and I look like we are able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, standing next to these petite Indonesians!

According to our itinerary, we were supposed to be heading for lunch “on our own”, but Widi had yet another surprise in store for us. Instead, we visited his friend, where we were treated to enough Indonesian snacks that lunch later was unimaginable.

But wait, there’s more! after a brief rest, we headed to a batik institute, where we learned how these intricate designs are created. What a laborious process!

How could we leave without making a purchase? Of course, I needed a photo with the woman who created what will become a gift.

Our stay in Yogyakarta is rapidly coming to an end.

Our very fashionable guide, Widi, preparing us for airport check-in

Another beautiful, modern airport, with fantastic artwork.

Thanks to the Somerset Hills YMCA, I can hold this pose. We are boarding shortly, so you know the drill. Published without proof reading!

Last Stop- Innsbruck, Austria

This is the second time I visited Innsbruck. The first time was with Mike, on our honeymoon, 50 years ago, during the summer of 1976. I recall driving around in circles, seeing our hotel, but we were unable to figure out a way to get to it. Finally Mike said “The hell with it, I’m going the wrong way on that one way street.” And he did, which was very unusual for such a rule follower. The only other memory I have of Innsbruck was the two of us walking one night after dinner to see the “Golden Roof”, commissioned by Emperor Maximilian I around 1500 to celebrate his wedding. These days, it isn’t the only “gold” landmark.

What a difference 50 years makes!

Mike only took slides with his film camera (Yes, we watched slide shows way back then— but not frequently), so I don’t have any then photos to compare to now— only very vague memories. Let me assure you, I’m positive there were NO McDonald’s Golden Arches back then!

So let’s return to the present, shall we?

Because of the rain, we were unable to visit the scheduled waterfall, on our drive to Innsbruck. Instead, Luca arranged for us to tour a copper mine. Once again, the substitute activity turned out to be phenomenal. Much better, in my opinion, than a waterfall. Besides, our route took us alongside this raging mountain stream, so we saw plenty of water!

The copper mine, no longer operational, is now an attraction, led by another guide that my sister Sandy would have fallen madly in love with before the tour had ended. Can you tell how much I miss her?

Luckily, we were given hard hats and rain jackets. The ceilings in the mine were so low that I would have cracked open my head at least one of the many times I bumped it. Man, people were short back in the day! Mike and Greg would have been very uncomfortable on this tour.

The mine was extremely cold, so I was grateful for that 4th layer. ( yes, I was already wearing THREE layers and I was STILL cold!)

The little train whisked us to the start of the tour, where we were greeted by one of the seven dwarfs ( or was he the Travelocity gnome?)

If it has to rain on vacation, what better time than when we are riding on our bus? Luca always chose music appropriate for the day, and this day was no exception. As you can hear, some of us chose to sing along.

The weather has been absolutely crazy. That old New England saying “you don’t like the weather? Don’t worry. It will change” certainly applied to this trip. We had sunshine, torrential downpours, then sunshine…heat, then cold all in the same day.

Once again, Susan and I were safely tucked under an awning, having lunch, when the rain hit. Our delightful and engaging waitress demonstrated a novel use of a menu!

What did we care? We had great company, our favorite beverages, food on its way, and a free show!

By the time we had finished lunch, the sun had come out, so Susan and I decided to go on a reconnaissance mission to check out the 360 view at a bar Luca recommended.

As usual, our one full day in Innsbruck started with a tour by our excellent local guide, Tina.

We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the palace, but that’s okay. It was like all the other palaces I’ve seen, except it was filled with portraits of Maria Theresa’s 16 kids (including her daughter, Marie Antoinette). The church across the street was far more interesting.

Although Maximilian 1’s body is located in Wiener Neustadt, near Vienna, his grandson, Emperor Ferdinand 1, decided that Grandpa deserved a tomb in Innsbruck. And what a tomb it is!

Surrounding the cenotaph are 28 larger than life bronze statues.

I was particularly taken with the figures of women, especially the one with the long braids.

According to the brochure, she was Elizabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol, mother of 21 children, wife of King Albert, and “first ancestress” of the Hapsburgs. And I thought Maria Theresa was prolific!

Before our farewell dinner, I had time to visit the Swarovski store. I DID make a purchase, but that outfit wasn’t it.

One final photo of our schnapps toast in the square between the police car on the left and the marijuana dispensary on the right.

I head to Munich tomorrow morning, then I fly home the next day.

San Candido and The Dolomites

Before we boarded our bus to drive to San Candido, I couldn’t resist two last Bolzano shots. The Grief Hotel had the very best breakfast of the trip (at least so far). I LOVE fresh fruit.

I also enjoyed the beautiful poppies in front of the cathedral, almost as much as the bees did.

Our first stop was at the stunning Lake Carezza. On the ride there, Luca told us the story of a beautiful fairy who was looking for a handsome man (aren’t we all?). The ugly old wizard, who was quite smitten, changed himself into a handsome suitor, but the fairy figured it out, changed him back, then pushed him into the lake, which became a veritable rainbow of colors.

She didn’t even bother to determine whether he had redeeming qualities! I was ready to write her off as a superficial witch until I saw this at the lake, which offered a very different perspective. Maybe there are multiple sides to every story!

Which legend do YOU prefer?

The twisty mountain ride through the Dolomites ensured everyone on the bus got an excellent view. If the view was on the left, no problem, because around the bend, it will be on the right. I’m very glad I don’t suffer from motion sickness!

Believe it or not, I took the next two photos from a moving bus with my new IPhone 17.

Well, at least I am impressed by the phone’s capabilities!

Our hike gave us plenty of “Kodak Moments”, like these:

For THIS hike, we were offered options: a short hike and a long one. Susan and I got outvoted, so we took the short hike, which was still very picturesque.

The photos can’t possibly do the vistas justice. You just have to come to the Alps to see for yourself. (Or watch a PBS special).

San Candido is another glorious village that I never would have found on my own. Thank you, OAT, for this little gem.

We occupied every single room in this boutique hotel. Because every room is decorated differently, it feels like you are staying in someone’s home.

The main attraction of the area is hiking. That’s what we came for, and that’s what we did. This time, we all did a short hike around the lake, then those of us who wished could continue around the lake for what Luca described as “more challenging”.

Because Susan and I have been the speediest hikers, Luca looked directly at us when he said “whoever gets to the beach first needs to find us a picnic table”. As you can see, we took the assignment very seriously.

For the challenging part of the hike, we were joined by our buddies, Dan and Jodie.

Once again, for our final day in San Candido, we lucked out with the weather. Fortunately for us, the weather forecast was much worse than what we experienced. But the forecast resulted in the optional ($220 per person) hiking trip in the Dolomites to be cancelled.

Instead, Luca substituted a (free) beautiful morning hike by the river, and it was GREAT!

Susan and I decided to take the forecast of rain starting at noon seriously so we hightailed it back to the ski lift. No way were we missing the chance to ride up to the top of the mountain and take the “fun bob” down. It was every bit as AMAZING as we anticipated!

Dan and Jodie surprised us by positioning themselves so they could capture our descent.

I was so focused on my path under the bridge

I didn’t even notice Jodie standing on it with camera readied for us!

Admit it. You didn’t spot her either!

The rain DID fall, but by then Susan and I were seated under an awning, enjoying our lunch.

What does one do on a rainy day in a ski/ hiking town? Well if “one” is me, you invite your favorite travel companions to a party in one’s suite. The local grocery store carried Franciacorta wine, which is not sold in the USA. What’s special about it, you ask? Ms Google describes it this way:

“Franciacorta is a premier Italian sparkling wine from Lombardy. Crafted using the Metodo Classico (identical to Champagne’s bottle-fermentation), it is the first Italian wine to earn DOCG status. It offers incredible complexity, fine bubbles, and rich tasting notes of brioche, citrus, and toasted nuts. “

Dan discovered yet another( very practical) use for my bidette.

After that, we were more than ready to walk through the hailstorm to dinner !

Next stop Innsbruck!

Bolzano

Although Mike and I visited Bolzano in 2018, I had absolutely no memory of anything except Otzi, the Iceman. And because I wasn’t traveling solo back then, I didn’t blog as often, — Mike tended to distract me —so I couldn’t even consult my “on-line” trip journal.

So, I’ll just have to wait till I get back home to see whether the photos on my computer jog my memory. Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose.

This time, the trip to Bolzano included a morning stop in the lovely village of Monza where the Carabinieri were having some sort of a convention.

The main attraction was supposed to be (what else?) the Monza Cathedral, which houses the iron crown that was used for Charlemagne’s coronation. The Italian policemen were an unexpected bonus.

This is a replica. The real deal is locked up below.

So what makes this crown so special? Well, in 324 AD, St Helena, mother of Charlemagne, traveled to the Holy Land. The enterprising locals quickly recognized an opportunity to make a few shekels, so they told this gullible woman that they found a nail that was used to crucify Jesus (in their grandpa’s attic, no doubt). Oh, and by the way, if she wanted—and had enough money—she could also purchase a piece of the cross on which Jesus hung. (She did. It is a relic someplace else—I forget where).

The centuries old nail was melted down and made a part of the interior of the crown. No photos of the relic were allowed, but that’s okay, because the crown made it into the cathedral’s brochure.

Must have been a really big nail to circle the interior of the crown. Something tells me it will never be carbon dated.

Theolinda’s chapel was totally covered with visually impressive frescoes, but photos were only allowed to be taken at a distance, outside the chapel.

Who was Theolinda, you ask? Well the frescoes tell the story of her life. She was a Bavarian princess, who outlived her two Lombard husbands ( no small feat, back then). There is more to her story than that, but I’ve forgotten the details. Supposedly, she is buried in that chapel.

It wouldn’t be a Catholic house of worship without an image of a gruesome death, and this cathedral was no exception: John the Baptist’s severed head was prominently displayed.

We had time between our cathedral tour and lunch, to explore Monza. Here are a few of our sights.

It’s a good thing that the morning was so delightful, because we spent the remainder of the day stuck in traffic, arriving at our hotel around 9PM.

We were lucky that our bus was super comfortable, we all had our entertainment centers (otherwise known as cellphones) and all bus seats had charging ports. Plus, we pulled into a comfort station to load up on snacks when it became apparent that we needed to cancel our dinner reservation. Fortunately, everyone rolled with it, without complaining.

As usual, we started our day with a local guide who pointed out what makes Bolzano special. Our tour ended at the archaeological museum, where we could visit Otzi. Although the iceman was fascinating, Susan and I had already seen him, so we chose to roam the streets of Bolzano instead.

Though we only two nights in Bolzano, we packed a lot into our brief visit, including a hike on the Freud Promenade. To get there, we had to take a train that strongly resembled NYC mass transit during rush hour, which was definitely not a highlight. Like everything else in life, when you travel ya gotta take the good with the bad.

But the NEXT part of our journey more than made up for the crowded train ride. This fabulous gondola provided 360 degree views of the beautiful countryside.

The walk was lovely, the weather was perfect, and by the time we finished, we had worked up quite an appetite.

Once again, Luca chose a fantastic restaurant, where we were served our choice of three courses. I had delicious barbecued ribs, and ended up so full, I began to wonder whether I’m going to exceed my usual five trip pounds gain!

Our next stop will be in San Candido. I sure hope the weather report continues to be wrong, because it is predicting rain for all three days that we are there.

Goodbye France, Hello Italy

OAT made the right decision to start this adventure in Chamonix! Our hotel, the Lykke, was ideally located. We could walk to the many restaurants, bars, trails and attractions. And we DID.

Not only that, but if you needed down time, the hotel’s pool/ whirlpool /sauna complex was the ideal spot to relax and recharge. I visited there twice during my four day stay.

The MAIN attraction of Chamonix, however is the mountains in general, and Mont Blanc in particular. During our stay, we rode the classic cog train to view the glacier which either starts or ends at Mont Blanc. I forget. But really, who cares?

Unfortunately, the gondola was not accepting passengers, but we saw its practice run.

We were SUPPOSED to ride the gondola to an ice cave, but because of climate change, the cave was closed. A new ice cave had to be built nearer to the glacier. Because the pace of warming is escalating, our guide told us over the last few years, a new ice cave had to be constructed every year.

I find it hard to understand how someone cannot “believe” in global warming and climate change. Yes, I know, our planet has been through ice ages and warming trends, but those changes took centuries to occur, not years. But enough on that topic. For those of you who will never visit Chamonix, here’s what you would have seen.

The vertical arrow shows the current position of the glacier. The horizontal arrow near the bottom of the photo marks where the glacier ended four years ago.

And if you were lucky enough to get Luca as your guide and Francois as the local guide, this is who you would have seen it with.

It wasn’t a problem that we missed out on the gondola ride, because the next day, we rode two huge gondolas to get to the Mont Blanc viewing platform.

60 of us were jammed into the gondola. It felt like a NYC subway, minus the hanging straps.

The photos can’t possibly capture the grandeur of the mountains. But those of you who have been following this blog know I’m going to try!

Yes, those ARE clouds in the photo below. That’s how high we were.

Although WE rode the gondolas, others chose a different method for getting to the top.

None of us had a death wish, so that’s why we chose the safer, more boring option. We DID manage to walk through an ice cave, AND we made it to BOTH viewing platforms shown in the header of this post, which required us to mount several flights of stairs.

Luca, our guide, emerging from the ice cave

If we wanted, we could stand in line for about an hour to step into “the void”, which was a transparent cube that allowed you to see to the bottom of the mountain. I imagine that on one’s instagram feed, it would look like the poster was suspended in mid air. The photo taking was undoubtedly why the wait to enter the cube was so long!

One of the MANY photos this couple took!

Since none of us have an instagram feed, we skipped that experience.

Instead, we used our eyes to take in the spectacular views.

The views from the gondola , on the way up and down

Before we leave Chamonix, one last photo of almost all of the single ladies at dinner at the Rose du Pont

Me, AB, Stephanie, Susan and Kay. We are missing Gail, the photographer

Although we ended up in Brielle, like most OAT trips, our bus ride was broken up by a stop in Aosta, a charming town along the way. Mike would have LOVED Aosta, because it was chock full of ancient Roman ruins. Back then, it was called Augusta Praetoria, shorten over the ages to Aosta.

He heard there was gold in them thar hills, so he decided to “ veni, vidi, vici”.

The original arches are 32 steps below the surface of the modern city. I don’t recall why or how they were preserved, but I’ll bet you don’t care either.

After sharing a half a bottle of this

with my new friend Sarah, I decided to press send without proof reading.

Biella deserves its own post, and once I sober up, I’ll get to it. But until then, happy reading and thanks for coming along.

The Falkland Islands

Whoever said “All good things must come to an end” was certainly right about this trip. It has been abso-bloody- lutely FANTASTIC. Every time I thought it couldn’t possibly get any better it DID.

Our four days in the Falklands were magical!

Here are some highlights, not in any particular order:

Eating in unusual spots:

Tea in the ship’s laundry room, and in a beautiful little cottage after a hike,