No one knows for sure who lived in the Villa Romana del Casale. Some think it might have been the country home of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius; others theorize a provincial governor lived and conducted administrative duties here.
It was constructed in the middle of the 4th century AD, and owes its remarkable preservation to the mudslide that covered the villa in the 12th century. The building remained hidden until the 1950’s excavations.
Katya, our local expert, explained that we were going to view some of the finest examples of Roman mosaics in all of Europe, with scenes ranging from Homeric escapades to depictions of daily life, at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Katya was excellent, and that was true of all the local guides on our trip. We learned that our main guide, Daniel, had a choice of 4 or 5 different local guides for each site, and I have to say, he chose very well. Katya was interesting and so informative, a delight to listen to.
We began our tour by the aqueduct, which was the source of water for the baths–starting with the hot bath, and ending with the frigidarium, the cold bath.
The slaves kept the fires going in these ovens so that the baths were at the proper temperature.
I wasn’t taking notes, so don’t hold me to it, but I THINK this was the frigidarium. Or it was something else. Whatever. It was impressive.
The main attraction of the villa is the floor mosaics, and they are absolutely magnificent.
Probably the most famous room, the 10 maidens are exercising, wearing the ancient version of bikinis. And look, someone appears to have won the swimsuit competition, earning her a crown and a palm leaf to wave around.
Not quite so famous, but certainly as intriguing were these: one example of the many scenes of a hunt.
This woman’s clothing indicates she was from the eastern empire, possibly Muslim. There is another mosaic of a similarly attired woman, being carried off by soldiers. It isn’t hard to imagine what that mosaic was illustrating.
No commentary necessary for this one.
I particularly liked the depiction of the theater. Looks like the legend of the Cyclops was being featured.
Those white squares on the mosaic–I thought someone had been littering, but no. They were placed there intentionally to absorb moisture.
Here’s a close up of Cyclops. I really DID like that mosaic! Isn’t it amazing what the craftsmen were able to do with little colored stones?
One last look at the countryside and we’ll be on our way. Our timing was fantastic. We were leaving, just as hoards of tourists were arriving!
What an island! Strategically placed between Africa and Europe, the east and the west, Sicily was home to successive waves of conquerors, and for our second day, we visited one of the conquering heroes’ settlements. The Phoenicians, originally from the area that is now Lebanon, were among the first waves.
But first, we took a close look at the commodity that gave us the word “salary”. Sal (salt) was once used by the Romans as currency. Unlike other parts of the world, where salt is mined, the salt here is extracted from the sea. The water evaporates from shallow beds, leaving behind a substance that is low in sodium, high in potassium and magnesium. The Trapani salt is practically a health food! The sea, the wind, the sun all work together, with a little help from human workers, to create this miracle ingredient. Doesn’t get more natural than that.
After learning more than I ever thought possible about salt, we boarded a boat for the little island of Mothya, where almost 3000 years ago, Phoenicians built a fortress and a settlement.
There’s not much left on Mothya, just some walls, (header photo) and a museum that once was the home of Giuseppe Whittaker. Whittaker, in fact, owned the entire island. Fortunately, he was interested in archaeology and history, left his home and property to the public.
The salt museum contained this rendition of what the settlement was imagined to be.
It’s not a big island; we were able to walk from one end to the other, working up an appetite for this amazing feast!
Our last stop was at the place the Arabs called “Marsa Allah”, the Port of God, now known as Marsala, for wine tasting. Check out the size of those barrels. That’s a whole lot of Chicken Marsala!
It is rare indeed that my wine glass is still full after a wine tasting. In fact, I would say that this was a first. To me, Marsala is way too sweet. Okay for cooking, but definitely not my choice for drinking.
Mike and I stopped giving each other “stuff” years ago. We already have more than enough future yard sale items. No more birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s, Christmas or Groundhog’s Day presents for us. Instead, we mark life’s milestones by making memories, mostly through traveling. Refusing to succumb to the tyranny of the calendar, we are free to celebrate whatever we want, whenever we want. If we happen to be traveling during an anniversary or birthday month, well then, that’s just a bonus. THIS year is one of those bonus years.
We will be in Sicily during May, our anniversary month, hoisting our glasses to toast 41 years of wedded bliss. Okay, full disclosure. Those years haven’t ALL been blissful (my sisters would add ” especially for poor Mike” ) but on the whole, it’s been pretty darn great!
We will be embarking on an OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) trip with our good friends, Shirley and Owen. Two years ago we spent two weeks wandering through Tuscany and the Amalfi coast with OAT’s sister company, Grand Circle. They had never been on an organized tour before, but had such a wonderful time, it was not difficult to persuade them to come along again. What’s especially exciting is that Shirley’s grandfather hails from a small village two hours from Palermo. She and Owen plan to make their way to the village on one of our “free” days.
This is what our OAT itinerary looks like. As you can see, we are covering quite a lot of ground.
We will be staying for three nights in four of the cities: Palermo, Mazara, Ragusa and Catania, with a single night in Piazza Armerina. At the end of the OAT tour, the four of us will head to Malta. From Catania, we will fly to Valetta and will use that as our base during our five days in Malta.
As usual, I’ve been learning the history of the places we’ll be visiting, and I have to tell you, theose poor inhabitants of Sicily did not have an easy time of it. Here’s the Cliff’s Note version: There was a lot of fighting and conquering going on–with Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Arabs, Normans, and Spaniards taking turns raping, pillaging, plundering and selling inhabitants into slavery. Sicily isn’t at the bottom of “the boot” for nothing. It sure got kicked around a lot!
Augustus, Hannibal, Constantine, Archimedes, and several Williams, Charles and Fredericks all had starring roles in Sicily’s narrative. (Don’t you just hate it when the rulers all have the same name and you need to remember their numbers? At least for the Williams there was William the Bad and William the Good.) Throw in a couple of popes, an emperor or two, some knights plus a couple of earthquakes and an active volcano and you are guaranteed some interesting stories with even better ruins.
What fascinates me more than the political history is the mythology. Unlike the kings, whose moms sorely lacked imagination when it came time to name their offspring, the mythological figures have double names: Zeus and Jupiter, Ulysses and Odysseus, Venus and Aphrodite. So confusing to an already confused American, but that’s what happens when Greek and Roman cultures share the same territory.
For now, that’s all you need to know about Sicily’s history. More will be forthcoming, and there’s always the possibility of a pop quiz or two.
Preview of coming attractions:
Lots of cathedrals, temples, palaces, amphitheaters plus a dancing satyr
Eye popping mosaics, fit for an emperor, like maybe Marcus Aurelius?
an educational encounter with a member of the Mafia
a cooking class (hope we do better than the last time we tried this!)
“Come with me to the kasbah, where we will make ” whatever they make there. (If you got that reference, you are probably as old as I am!)
wine tasting at a Marsala vineyard
a day in the life of a Sicilian dairy farm family
a visit to Mt Etna to watch the volcano do its thing
Please join us for some armchair traveling. I’ll be posting whenever wi-fi and my energy levels allow. But I have to warn you, I plan to be toasting those 41 years a whole LOT! Expect typos.
Oh yeah, about that photo at the top of this post. It’s actually Sorrento, from our 2015 trip. I just wanted a little visual to start us all off.
On our first day at UTEQ, Julio, our coordinator greeted us with “Welcome to Flexico”. We were way ahead of him. We had already demonstrated our ability to ‘go with the flow’ on the day before. You see, although the National Holiday (February 5) fell on a Sunday, Mexico, like the USA, celebrated it on Monday. We were all ready, willing and eager to work on Monday morning, but we had to cool our jets and practice patience, because school was closed.
Some were under the impression that we were commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 2-15-1917 signing of Mexico’s constitution, but WE knew the holiday was REALLY to rejoice in the Patriot’s unprecedented overtime win on Super Bowl Sunday.
Either way, we ALL were celebrating an historic event!
Pam arranged for a Super Bowl party in La Llave, the hotel’s restaurant. We gathered there to watch TV, stuff ourselves with Mexican AND American snacks and hoist more than a few beers and margaritas.
My sisters and cousins would have definitely approved of Susan’s attire!
What to do with our unexpected free day? Pam and the University very thoughtfully arranged transportation for us to visit San Miguel de Allende, which is about an hour and a half from Queretaro. We spent a very pleasant day in this lovely colonial town, wandering through the narrow streets, poking into little shops and galleries. Check out the staircase in this pottery shop.
Jeanne, Sally and Kristy
Kristy was fascinated by the exquisite carved doors, so Monday’s quest was to find a photo book either of the doors of San Miguel or of all of Mexico. Despite chalking up some pretty impressive numbers on Fitbits, we ultimately had to resort to Amazon.com to get what Kristy wanted.
Something tells me that she might be making her OWN book. She sure took a lot of door photos.
Here is proof of Kristy’s door obsession. She took this photo of me, sitting outside, trying to unobtrusively polish off a granola bar. Doesn’t look like I succeeded with the unobtrusive part.
Although San Miguel was lovely, I don’t understand why anyone would prefer it over either Queretaro or Guanajuato. We had originally planned to spend the weekend in San Miguel, but after Monday, decided that one day was sufficient, so we cancelled our hotel reservations for the following weekend. Still, to do the city justice, here are a few more photos.
Sally was determined that we all experience the heavenly delight of jicama tacos, so we embarked on yet another quest to find the one restaurant that makes this exotic dish. A very kind young Mexican man overheard us struggling to find the restaurant, stopped what he was doing, then in perfect English gave us directions. Unfortunately I didn’t take a photo of the restaurant’s name, but did get a shot of the beautiful mural on the back wall. So, if you happen to be in San Miguel, and you spot this mural, be sure to order those tacos!
Art is everywhere, so although the uneven sidewalks make it prudent to watch where you are going, it is important to occasionally stop and look up at the top of buildings.
I’ve decided that this violinist is none other than St Michael the Archangel. After all, we ARE in San Miguel. I especially liked it because it reminded me of my very own violin maker. I’m not commenting on the angel part, but his name IS Michael.
As with most colonial towns in Mexico, churches and religious art are everywhere.
Look at the indigent person, so very grateful that the Spanish padre arrived to take his gold and save his soul.
I’ll end with a little contemporary humor from our lunch spot, a panoramic view of the city and a group shot, just in case the featured photo doesn’t post.
With so many fantastic places to visit, it is highly unusual for me to return somewhere, but that is exactly what I am doing next week.
I visited Querétaro in February, 2015 as a member of a Global Volunteers’ team. Was it the work, the city, the food, the students, or our wonderful leader, Pam, that is drawing me back? Short answer–all of the above. What will make THIS trip even more special is that my cousin Kristy and two friends that I met on other Global Volunteer projects (Jeanne and Sally) will be joining me.
At first, I was going to just write an email to my travel buddies, sharing what I remembered from my prior experience, but then I thought why not blog so that the information is available to anyone contemplating volunteering?
In getting ready for the trip, I also realized just how much I had forgotten–and how helpful it was for ME to go back and look at my old posts to see what I was wearing, which luggage I took etc. When the space between my ears fails me, which happens quite frequently these days, I am glad to have an electronic memory to supplement the “organic” one.
Getting Ready
The Hotel Hidalgo was once the finest lodging in Queretaro. It was so grand that in 1848, Santa Anna stayed there prior to signing the Treaty of Guadalupe with the USA. As one might expect of a hotel built in 1825, there is no elevator. There is also no staff to carry your luggage up the 31 stone steps to your room. (Yes, I DID count them the last time I was there).
I actually LIKE having a built in stair master. It’s a great way to work off all the excellent Mexican food I’m looking forward to eating.
Fortunately, there are only two floors! Still, you can get quite a workout climbing up those stone steps multiple times a day.
It is always wise to travel light, and this trip is no exception. The good news is there is a laundry right around the corner from the hotel. You drop off your clothes one day and pick them up the next evening. The bad news is you may experience all three seasons in ONE day. So, the tried and true travel advice works here: Dress in layers. One clear advantage of being older–your days of making a fashion statement are a VERY distant memory. Clothing is chosen for comfort and utility.
In case you’re wondering what I am bringing, here’s a visual:
I will wear the heavy tan sweater and blue fleece on the plane, but everything else goes in my bag: Hair dryer (they are not supplied by the hotel), toiletries, long underwear (can double as pajamas when the one pair I’m bringing is at the laundry), 5 pants, 4 long sleeved cotton shirts, 1 long sleeved knit top, 3 short sleeved shirts, 1 long skirt, 1 windbreaker with hood, enough underwear for 8 days, hat, small purse, and travel meds (Airborne, Neosporin, motrin), 1 pair of sandals. I will wear sneakers on the plane.
My routine (as you can see) is to lay everything out on the bed, then determine whether I can get it all into my carry on. Total weight: a manageable 24 pounds
Yep–it all fits, with room to spare. for any last minute toss ins, like scarfs and jewelry.
My backpack will hold my iPhone, iPad, chargers, money, credit card, passport, index cards, tissues, hand sanitizer, erasable markers for white boards (Pam tells me she has a good supply from volunteers leaving them behind, so no need to bring more), pens, notebook, facecloths (used to erase the white board), tea bags (water coolers on each floor of the Hidalgo dispense both hot and cold water) water bottle, and snacks for the flight.
There is no heat, so the rooms get a bit cool at night and in the morning. You can request an extra blanket for sleeping, but you need something warm for when you get out of the shower. A bathrobe is too bulky to pack, so I buy an inexpensive one in Queretaro, and leave it behind when I head home. That’s one of the advantages of being in a city. You can buy just about anything you need at either Del Sol or Woolworth’s (Yes, Woolworth DOES still exist. Just not in the USA). For me, the problem is I am WAY bigger than the average Mexican. This time around, I’m going to try shopping in the men’s department!
The stores carry just about everything, including products that you would never in a million years buy!
The high altitude dries your skin, but lotion is available everywhere, so I didn’t bother packing it in my toiletries bag. There is no need for insect repellant. I never saw a bug the two weeks I was there. A hat is important, because the sun is strong.
The hotel uses the same kind of plug and the same current as the USA, so no need for an adapter and converter. Even so, I’m bringing my trusty little gadget that I bought at Staples, because most rooms only have one electrical outlet. Notice the two USB ports, plus one regular plug? This little treasure allows me to charge iPhone, iPad and camera all from one socket!
USB slots , with the C adapter extended.
Arrival
If you are arriving at the start of the program, Pam will arrange for your transportation. I like to go in a day or two early, so I handle my own transportation to the hotel. It was 350 pesos to get to the historical center, (about $17 US). There is a booth in Queretaro airport, just outside immigrations and customs that helps with getting a taxi. I recently learned that Queretaro now has Uber service, but I think I’ll stick with the taxi to get to the hotel.
Money
You don’t need to bring much money with you. There are ATMs at the airport and in town, so it is easy to use your debit card to get pesos. For those that want to exchange dollars, there is an office around the corner from our hotel, but ATMs are so abundant, I find it more convenient to just tap into my checking account.
Because the program fee covers room, board and transportation, you only need cash for shopping or if you plan on traveling on the weekend. Even then, credit cards are widely accepted.
The Project
Pam, our terrific leader, contacts all volunteers in advance of the trip. She explains that we will not be working with the same group of students every day. Instead, when we arrived at the school, we go off with whatever teacher we are assigned to. The students could be beginners, intermediate or advanced. Some teachers will tell you what they want you to work on–others will tell you to do whatever you want. This is where an iPad comes in handy. Last time, I took photos of common household objects so we could practice “what is this”, “this is a —“. For the more advanced students, we were able to talk about what was important to them: dating, family, work, food, entertainment, travel.
One of the photos on my iPad used for a beginning lesson.
Because there are also evening classes, our hours vary. Some days we start early and end early, with a nice break before we get back together for dinner. Other days we have our mornings off, but pack food for dinner and arrive back at the hotel around 9 PM. I thoroughly enjoyed the varied schedule. It gave us a chance to experience the city of Queretaro, although I have to tell you — not much is going on before 10 AM!
I bring my backpack to school every day. It holds my meal (lunch or dinner), extra layers of clothing, teaching aids, hand sanitizer and toilet paper (there are no paper products in the ladies’ room) and water bottle. It also serves as my luggage for my weekend excursion.
backpack and carry on
Free Time
Global Volunteers have their weekends free. You can book trips on the Primera Plus bus at the travel agency around the corner from the hotel (in 2015, it was open from 10-2 and 4-7). Last time, we took the 8 AM bus on Saturday to Guanajuato, returning on Sunday’s 3:30 bus.
This time, Jeanne, Sally and I plan to visit San Miguel de Allende on the weekend between our two work weeks. Pam, the GV team leader, warned us that we needed advance reservations in San Miguel if we wanted to stay in the town center at a reasonably priced hotel. Good thing she did! There weren’t a lot of choices left when we made our reservations a few weeks ago. Once again, we will head out early Saturday morning and be back in time for dancing in the town square on Sunday night. Maybe Uber will be a good choice for getting between the bus station and hotel.
Wonder if I’ll run into my dance partner again?
That’s all I can think of. I hope it is helpful, especially for my travel buddies Sally, Jeanne and Kristy.
Imagine waking up to THIS spectacular scenery! Ahhhh…
If you did, you would be just outside the little village of Flam. It is peaceful, majestic, quiet and breathtakingly beautiful.
There isn’t much in the center of town–just a few shops and a train station, where you can buy tickets for one of the most scenic rides on this planet.
Viking offered a combined bike/train experience for $179 per person. You take the train up the mountain and part way down, then get on a bike and glide the rest of the way into town.
I tried repeatedly to enroll us in that excursion, but the website consistently listed it as sold out. Damn, I was deeply disappointed. That disappointment lasted about 15 minutes. Then I decided to do something about it, so I took to the internet.
Eventually, after much hunting and more than a few pokes around Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic, I discovered Cafe Rallaren. Located in Myrdal, the last stop for the Flamsbana train, it not only supplies food (that’s the cafe part), but also offers bikes for rent. You can ride the 12.5 miles down the mountain, then leave the bike in town. No need to lock the bike, you just leave it there. In town. What a concept. Try THAT in Boston or San Francisco!
Total cost for the train ticket plus bike (and helmet) rental for both of us was $161.50. Sold!
A closer look at Flam
We chose the 11:05 departure, which gave us time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the ship, and wander through the town. We would arrive in Myrdal at noon, just in time for lunch at the cafe. We were the only ship in port that morning, so Flam wasn’t crowded at all. That was about to change.
When our train pulled into Flam, literally thousands of tourists came rushing off–perhaps heading for the bathrooms? To get a window seat on one of the tour buses in the parking lot? Who knows? It was a Chinese tour group, so we weren’t able to ask anyone why they were in such a hurry or where they were coming from.
The good news is OUR ride up the mountain wasn’t crowded at all, and we all had our choice of seats.
The train makes a stop at a waterfall, so the obligatory photos can be taken. That spray was COLD and powerful, so after about 10 seconds spent admiring the falls’ grandeur (and getting damp), I quickly reboarded the train to photograph the waterworks from the doorway. I know. I’m a wimp. I just hate discomfort of any kind. Especially when it is self inflicted.
What I didn’t see, but Mike (who is made of much stronger stuff) did, was the water nymph who appeared alongside the falls, waving her arms to the tourists. He took the next two photos.
Can you spot her?
How about now? Don’t you love a zoom lens?
Getting our bikes and helmet at the cafe was easy and uneventful. Not so for the rest of the trip. So how was it? It was incredibly beautiful.
It was incredibly steep, and rather rocky, for the first mile,
One of the many hairpin turns on our rideWe are smiling now, because we are standing on one of the flatter stretches during that first mile.Check out the rocks and ruts. Hitting one of those the wrong way while hurtling down a steep slope could be quite uncomfortable. See the drop on the left side of the road?
Best strategy? Walk your bike down the steep sections of that first mile. Unfortunately, Mike didn’t, and took a bad spill. He injured himself enough to made him uncomfortable for the rest of the cruise. To make matters worse, shortly thereafter, his bike got a flat tire. He soldiered on, NOW walking the bike. What else could he do? You don’t see any cell towers in these photos, do you? No houses or cars either. Put it all together and you end up with no bloody way to get help. It was bad, but it would have undoubtedly have been far worse if the drama queen member of our duo had gone down. (That would be me. Mike, on the other hand, never complains…)
Eventually we reached a more inhabited area, where both Mike and the bike were rescued and given a ride back to the ship.
The ship sponsored bike trip started at the flatter, paved section, about half way down the mountain. That’s something to keep in mind for the less adventurous. Unfortunately, I can’t give future Flam visitors any information on how THEY could get in touch with that particular bike vendor. I just spotted a trailer by the side of the road, with lots of bikes loaded onto it, but no signs or identifying information.
Of course, if you decide to do it on your own from the top of the mountain, you DO have the option of walking your bike down and around the hairpin curves. That worked quite well for other bikers (such as me).
I was in a bit of a hurry to get back to the ship to make sure my guy was doing okay, so I didn’t take many more photos.
In the US, we have speed bumps. Here in Flam, they have speed goats.
Although we didn’t encounter any Trolls, we met more than three Billy Goats Gruff
This guy either took a shine to me, or thought I was the “other” character in the fairy tale. All I know is he was repeatedly butting against my leg and followed me a while!
Beautiful flowers and clean water along the way. The perfect photo for a happy ending
Yes, there was a happy ending. Mike visited the ship’s doctor, who after determining that nothing was broken, sent him on his way with some happy pills.
No, we are NOT still on that Viking cruise we embarked upon last July. I am just a very lazy blogger, who only puts fingers to keyboard when the spirit moves me, and there clearly hasn’t been much movement lately. But this epic narrative will end shortly. Only one more country — Norway — and three more ports left, starting with Stavanger.
This lovely town features a Maritime Museum which could possibly be spectacular. I have no idea whether it is or it isn’t, because we didn’t get around to visiting it.
The port area is very pleasant for strolling and people watchingThe port of Stavanger as seen from town
Can you make out the white tents around the harbor in the above photos? They were booths for the food festival that was in full swing the day we were in port. Given the abundance and the quality of the food on the ship, eating was the last thing on our minds, so we didn’t experience THAT either. What we did instead was climb the hill into town to get a better view of the harbor (seen from above) and the tower (seen from below).
Every town needs a lookout tower.Is this a sculpture? Or is it a loaner for anyone in need of transportation? I think the latter, given the lack of locks and another identical bike in the background.
As usual, Viking offered an array of excursions, including a free walking tour of the port. Our choice was one of the other options: cruising Lysefjord and seeing the famous Pulpit Rock.
I had briefly considered hiking up Pulpit Rock, but was dissuaded by the comments from bloggers that had gone before. And boy oh boy, I’m so grateful they convinced me to sit this one out. Take a look!
That rectangular outcropping? THAT is Pulpit Rock. And that sucker is WAY high!My telephoto lens was able to confirm that there WERE some successful climbers
Here’s a tip for future cruisers visiting Stavanger. The Viking sponsored cruise to Pulpit Rock cost $149. per person. Instead, before leaving home, we booked directly with Rodne for $60 per person. (Clicking on the blue link will get you directly to their website). The ferries were identical, the routes were identical, only the price differed. I don’t mind a cruise line making a little money on the trips they put together, but this mark up seemed a bit excessive. I was a little concerned about the distance from our ship to the ferry, but the port is so small, it was a short distance to the boarding area, which was clearly marked.
We discovered we would have been able to buy a ticket at the Rodne office in the harbor, however even if I had known that, I probably would have bought the tickets in advance. We were only in Stavanger one day, so I wasn’t willing to take a chance that the time we wanted was sold out.
During our trip, we passed several Rodne ships identical to the one we were on. This photo gives you an idea of the ship’s size.Get in line early if you want a seat on the top deck, or a prime spot for photographyLots of waterfalls!Did I mention that there were lots of waterfalls?
The great thing about cruising? You get to sample lots of different places without having to pack and unpack. The downside? Your stay in a fantastic country like Denmark is way too short. Not only that, but you are doing so much and seeing so much, your blogging gets delayed till you get home. Then, if you are me, months later you start looking at photos and trying to decipher your notes only to realize how much you have forgotten.
Our Viking itinerary included two stops in Denmark–a full day in Copenhagen and a half day in Alborg. For both stops, we opted to take the included Viking tours, and we were quite happy with our decision.
Of course, we knew we HAD to see the iconic Danish landmark, The Little Mermaid, which was within walking distance of our ship.
What was surprising to me was how close she is to the shore. It was possible to climb out to join her on the rock, an impulse our guide requested that we resist. Other tourists, however, did not feel so constrained. I’m thinking that I probably shouldn’t have waited till they cleared off to take my shot. It might have been a far more amusing photo to see them cavorting alongside her.
Our guide mentioned that the mermaid has a less famous sister down the road a bit, who is affectionately known as the “Dolly Parton version”. Hmmm, wonder why Walt Disney didn’t include HER in his movie?
Also alongside the harbor is the Opera House, a gift from Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller, the Danish shipping magnate. The building design has been compared to a spaceship, the grill of a 55 Pontiac and a fly. Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller’s response to suggestions for modifications? “I’m giving you a gift, not a gift certificate.”
The Danes are rightfully proud that the harbor is so clean that you can swim in it. In fact, someone used the roof of the opera house as a diving board to prove that very point. (Was it Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller? Unfortunately, I don’t remember — but I DO remember that Maersk lived 98 years, so maybe. I certainly had fun envisioning the old guy balancing on the roof’s edge. )
Copenhagen is a lovely city with the requisite number of palaces, towers, forts, churches and statues. Here are just a few of the images from our city tour.
This horseman is surrounded by four identical buildings, all housing members of the royal family.Notice the three crowns atop the tower. If my memory is accurate (and that is a pretty big “if”), they represent the three countries of Scandinavia.A profound quote from our former president, is as relevant today as it was a half century ago.
We were getting close to experiencing sensory overload, so after the tour concluded, we returned to the ship for lunch. The fortress was within walking distance of the ship and was the perfect place to spend the rest of our time in port.
Who knew that a fortress could be so peaceful?
Another beautiful departure, as we headed for our next stop: Aalborg.
Berlin showed up on our Viking itinerary as one of the ports of call. Geography never was my strong suit, but even I knew that Berlin has no oceanfront property. Although Viking arranged free transportation by train to Berlin, we decided that we didn’t want to spend approximately 6 hours traveling back and forth. Besides, we will probably never get back to Rostock and Warnemunde, but a few days in Berlin may indeed be in our future.
We did not regret our decision. Our day started with a German breakfast of pretzels and “liquid gold”, the German invention we Americans call beer.
Our brewery tour included a choice of light or dark beer.
Our guide, Enrico, shared lots of fun facts about 9th century beer consumption:
Beer was given to children because it was cleaner than the available water
It was drunk warm, like soup from a bowl
The monks consumed beer during their fasts; apparently it didn’t count because you didn’t chew it?
Beer was also thought of as liquid bread.
Fast forward to modern times:
Germans consume approximately 30 gallons of beer per person per year.
You can buy beer anywhere and consume it anywhere. It is okay to be intoxicated in public, just as long as you don’t do something stupid. (A drunk person doing something stupid? How often does THAT happen?)
Beer isn’t taxed, and the drinking age is 16. Sorry kiddies–that’s the down side of having access to clean water.
The last two weeks of September is Oktoberfest in Munich, where the locals don their Bavarian costumes and yodel a lot. If Enrico explained why Oktoberfest occurred in September, I have completely forgotten it. That’s what happens when you write a post months after a trip occurred!
The beer labels at this brewery were quite interesting
Clearly this beer is not one that would be a huge success in the USA
Next stop was the lovely little town of Rostock, formerly part of East Germany. Enrico told us that on November 9, 1989, the citizens of Rostock danced on the wall in celebration of the peaceful revolution. Germans commemorate October 3rd, 1990 as their reunification date, with a festival at the Brandenburg Gate.
We didn’t see the Brandenburg Gate on THIS trip, but we DID see Rostock’s Stone Gate.
Enrico pointed out that there are no pigeons hanging out in this particular tower. The reason? The bricks were drenched with bulls’ blood. Why that makes a difference, I don’t know. I also don’t know whether cow’s blood–or any other animal’s blood would also do the trick. After my beer breakfast, my mind wasn’t sharp enough to ask such insightful questions.
Other highlights of Rostock were its public University
Enrico in front of Rostock University, which was established in 1419.
Its lovely town square, surrounded by beautiful medieval buildings,
and playful fountains.
Kids enjoying the fountain in the town square
The Germans, like many Europeans, have a more open attitude about bodies and sexuality, as demonstrated by this bench in the fountain. (Yes indeed, it was IN the fountain)
What better way to follow up our time by the fountain than with a visit to St. Mary’s Church? Construction of this church initially took place in the 13th century, with renovations and restorations repairing subsequent damage that war and religious differences wreaked.
This was the first time we saw a ship dangling from a church ceiling, but it wasn’t the last.This clock inside St. Mary’s Church is incredible. The craftsman ship is amazing. So much detail!
We were fortunate to have a guide who is getting his degree in education. And what a wonderful teacher he will be. He shared information about German culture and society. Food in German is inexpensive, education is free and health care is free. The state pays 185 Euros per child per month to parents. All this is funded by a 35% income tax, with additional funding from taxes generated by exports.
One of the advantages of travel is learning how different societies address their problems. Enrico’s thesis is on what he termed America’s fascination with guns. As a contrast, he explained that 95% of the German police never fire their guns during their entire career. When they do, they aim for the culprit’s leg.
Our return to Warnemunde was via a ferry. Although the weather wasn’t the best, we wandered around this little seaside town, enjoying the sights.
WarnemundeWith skies like these, we decided not to linger
The best part of our decision to stay local was we had the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the beautiful Viking ship. We were welcomed back with open arms, and with glasses of champagne.
Another bonus? It was easy to get a reservation at The Chef’s Table, our favorite specialty restaurant.
Okay, just ONE food photo. This first of five courses, beef carpaccio, gives you an idea of the artistry of the Chef’s Table’s offerings. And yes, that red goblet by the plate is indeed a paired wine.
Because we weren’t exhausted from a long trip to Berlin, we had enough energy to visit Torshaven, Viking’s cozy little nightclub. Here’s the band belting out some Gloria Estevan songs that they learned at the request of our friend, Jeanne.
Our Viking tour had us scheduled for only a half day in Poland. We docked in Gdynia, which just happened to be the departure port for my husband’s grandmother, who was pregnant with his mother when she left Poland in 1923, searching for a better life in the USA. So that was kinda cool.
The tour choices were limited–a free city tour of Gdansk, or the optional tours to Stutthof Concentration Camp or Malbork Castle. Given that we had never been to Poland before, we chose the Gdansk city tour.
I’ll confess that I didn’t expect much. Squished between the two warring superpowers of Germany and Russia, it had been a battleground more times than I cared to count. Here’s what Gdansk looked like in 1945, after the Russians got through with it.
First surprise was the 45 minute ride to Gdansk. The main road was clean and green, with lovely trees, flowers and public buildings along the way. We stopped briefly at the Oliwa Cathedral, (which didn’t much impress me), drove by Lech Walesa’s house (I don’t think he was home), then arrived at the city that for a brief period was known as Danzig. (Until we arrived there I hadn’t made the connection. I really should have paid closer attention in World History, Freshman year.)
“Amazed” doesn’t quite capture what I felt when I saw how this city had been restored to its former glory. It is incredibly beautiful!
I love the pedestrian walkways in the old section of the city.
It was not too crowded, because it was relatively early on a Sunday morning
I also wasn’t aware that Daniel Farenheit was born in Gdansk– are we starting to see a trend here? In my defense, however, he lived most of his life in the Dutch Republic. Still, Gdansk is where he got his start and the city is rightfully proud of him.
Tribute to Farenheit in Gdansk
Another of Gdansk’s claims to fame is the 14th century human powered crane that was used to load and unload cargo, and is still in working condition. If you walk along the river, you will come to the brick building that houses the crane and its giant treadmill.
Here’s a scale model of the crane, the way it would appear from the river, a vantage point I didn’t have for my photographs.Workers would be strutting their stuff, inside this giant wheel shaped treadmill, which powered the crane. Am I the only one that sees a great opportunity for an exercise video? Just add music and spandex!
I loved the architecture–the attention to detail. Check out these beautiful buildings.
The building fas seen from a distanceA up close viewThe scales of justice appear atop several buildings
Everywhere you looked, you saw something beautiful. Even the sewer covers were artistic! If you click on the individual photos you should be able to get it to enlarge.
This restored building was originally built in 1605.
One of several gates to the city
And if you don’t think all of this is pretty bloody amazing, take another look at the 1945 photo to see the city after the Russians got through bombing it to kingdom come. The Poles have a lot to be proud of. (And I have a lot of Polish friends and relatives!)
Despite being well fed on the ship, we stopped in a little outdoor cafe, where I had the most incredible hot fudge sundae EVER. Now I’m regretting not taking a picture of it — it was so gorgeous, not to mention delicious. Oh well, you’ll just have to trust me on that one–till you can visit Gdansk and experience it for yourself.
One last sight before I end this post. Neptune’s fountain. It is definitely worthy of multiple views.
One thing about the free Viking tours–it truly is the luck of the draw. We drove right by the Solidarity Monument without stopping. Friends that were on a later tour were able to get off the bus for a closer look, something that I would have liked to have done.
The take away? I have a much greater appreciation for Poland and all it has to offer. The great thing about a cruise is it helps you identify the places you want to visit again and linger.
Katya was excellent, and that was true of all the local guides on our trip. We learned that our main guide, Daniel, had a choice of 4 or 5 different local guides for each site, and I have to say, he chose very well. Katya was interesting and so informative, a delight to listen to.
The slaves kept the fires going in these ovens so that the baths were at the proper temperature.
Destination NOW 