Claire's Wanderings and Ramblings

London Wanderings: Festive Greenwich Market

2011-12-11T16:06:00.002Z

There are a lot of markets around London and most of these will be putting out their Christmas best to entice Londoners and tourists alike to spend their money. One of these markets is Greenwich Market - just a hop, skip and a short boat ride or DLR ride away from central London.

The current covered market has been there since the 1800s but a market has been in place in Greenwich since the 1700s.

Greenwich Market roof

The current market is packed with lots of goodies - food stalls give way to craft stalls that display jewellery, clothes, bags, paintings and other knick-knacks you didn't even know existed. A great place to buy a Christmas gift for that difficult person or find some unique stocking stuffers.

In the Market

One of the many stalls in the Market

Something a bit different - juniper products (www.purejuniper.co.uk)

Funky glass designs (www.melodesigns.com)

The only negative aspect to the market - as with all London markets - the stalls are packed together making it difficult to move easily through the market. If you visit the market on a weekend, you will encounter the 'weekend wanderer' who seems to shuffle aimlessly and will stop dead in their tracks for no apparent reason. Mildly frustrating.

But the market's location makes up for any frustration. The market is just a few steps from the Thames as well as being located beside the Old Royal Naval College. This amass of majestic buildings is fun to wander through - and gives you the much needed sense of space after the squashed market.

Old Royal Naval College from the water

Old Royal Naval College

A note of warning - the centre of Greenwich is a building site at the moment! Works are ongoing around the Greenwich Pier and Cutty Sark. It seems they are making more of a mess than improving things at the moment (it has gotten worse in the last six months) but hopefully the end result will be worth it.

Market stall decorations

More Information ... Click here for more information on Greenwich Market and click here for more information on Greenwich.

London Wanderings: Highgate Cemetery – A hidden gem

2011-10-16T16:11:00.000+01:00

With so many places to visit in London, Highgate Cemetery doesn’t feature on most lists of top London attractions. It is obviously a cemetery – and a working one at that – and is not the easiest of places to get to, being northeast of Hampstead Heath. Most visitors will venture as far north as Camden or if they are feeling really adventurous, make it up to Hampstead. Highgate Cemetery is just a bit further and not very close to a tube stop. It’s a hike up a rather steep hill and then down another small lane not entirely well signposted.

But it is well worth the effort to get there and despite it being a place full of dead bodies, Highgate Cemetery is a gem of a place with elaborate Victorian tombs and acres of delicate fauna and flora to explore. If walking among graves gives you the creeps then it’s best to give this place a miss. But if you can put that aside, you will enjoy walking through a peaceful historical part of London.

Highgate - West Cemetery Entrance

Highgate Cemetery is made up of two cemeteries – East and West. Between the two cemeteries, there are currently about 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves. It is still a working cemetery, with burials and stone settings taking place on a regular basis.

One of the many gravestones in the West Cemetery

The West Cemetery is the oldest, established in 1839. The East Cemetery was created in 1856, due to the success of the West Cemetery. The West Cemetery can only be visited by a guided tour due to the delicate landscape – the whole cemetery is listed on the English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. But the West Cemetery is especially vulnerable, given the wooded and hilly landscape. The paths also twist and turn and with bushy greenery, it’s very easy to get lost without a guide.

The greenery enveloping the graves in the West Cemetery

In the heart of the West Cemetery is the Egyptian Avenue, a passageway entered through a giant arch that leads to sixteen vaults. The avenue then leads to the Circle of Lebanon, which consists of a further twenty vaults in a circle. It’s all very Victorian and you can easily imagine processions of sombre men and women clad in layers of black paying their respects to their dead relatives.

The Egyptian Avenue, West Cemetery

The Circle of Lebanon, West Cemetery

The East Cemetery is more open than the West Cemetery. Weekly tours are available in the East Cemetery, but you can wander through the wide avenues and leafy paths yourself. Probably the most famous person buried at Highgate Cemetery is in the East Cemetery. Philosopher Karl Marx was buried there in 1883; his grave is believed to be amongst the most visited in London now.

Looking to the West Cemetery Entrance from the East Cemetery

East Cemetery

One of the leafy paths in the East Cemetery

Karl Marx's grave, East Cemetery

If you’re up for visiting Highgate Cemetery, check out the Highgate Cemetery website for all the details.

One of the many angel sculptures in the East Cemetery

UK Wanderings ... Hitchin's Heavenly Lavender Fields

2011-10-09T14:58:00.001+01:00

When money and time are limited, you turn to your 'backyard' to see what's worth a visit. This summer travelling to exotic places was off the cards for me, so I resorted to day trips from London. On one such day trip, I had the pleasure of visiting a little known treasure - the Lavender Fields at Cadwell, just outside Hitchin.

The same family has been farming these lands for more than a hundred years, but has only been growing lavender since 2000. They currently have five different varieties of lavender growing alongside the more traditional arable crops.

I personally couldn't tell the different between the different varieties but that didn't matter. The fields were a little piece of heaven, with rolling bushes of lavender, complete with the hum of bees enjoying the flowers.

Not only can you enjoy walking through the rows of swaying lavender, you can also pick the lavender to take home with you. For a small fee, you're allowed to pick a bundle to create your own lavender bouquet.

The Lavender Fields are well worth a visit if you are in the area. Check out the Hitchin Lavender website for details on location, opening times and entrance fees.

Work, work, work and no play ... or time for writing!

2011-09-18T10:47:00.000+01:00

It's been almost two months now since I last posted on my blog. I would love to say that I've been busy travelling and seeing new places - unfortunately that's not the case!

Work has been all consuming over the past weeks, which has left very little time for writing.

But I'm determined to get back to posting something again soon ... watch this space!

New York Wanderings ... Buzzy city or just loud?

2011-07-29T18:17:00.001+01:00

I recently jetted over to 'The Big Apple' on a business trip. It was my first time in New York (NY), and as with all internationally-known cities, I had certain expectations. London friends who have travelled to NY have often compared the two cities, citing NY as a 'buzzy' city that's always on the go.

Granted I only stayed in Midtown Manhattan due to work restrictions, but my impression was somewhat different. I found the city to be loud, brash, dirty, unfriendly and just not that 'buzzy'. Maybe I'm slightly biased growing up near Vancouver, one of the most beautiful modern cities I've seen so far, but I was just not that impressed with NY. Sure, it's an amazingly sprawling city with an impressive number of skyscrapers. But there should be a lot more to cities than big buildings and shopping. People make up a big part of a city, and I found most people to be unfriendly, without humour and some were just plain rude.

I'm not ruling out NY just yet though. I know I haven't seen the Statue of Liberty or made it up to Central Park or visited the MOMA. So fingers crossed the next time I get across to NY, I'll be more impressed. Here's hoping ...!

Base of Rockefeller Centre

View from Rockefeller Centre looking towards Central Park

Empire State Building from Rockefeller Centre

View from the Empire State Building, with Chrysler building to the right

Empire State Building viewfinder

Grand Central Station

Times Square

Tanzania Wanderings: From Crater to Plains

2011-06-23T21:17:00.000+01:00

An excerpt from my travels in Tanzania ...

This morning we’re leaving the Ngorongoro Crater behind to drive all the way to the Serengeti Plains. I would be excited except for two things: it’s going to take about 5-6 hours driving to reach our destination ... and I’m ill. I’m not sure which is worse. My illness is some sniffly little bug - it’s full-on tonsillitis and laryngitis, which that I’ve been battling on and off since Ethiopia.

My guide takes pity on me so I must really look like the dog’s breakfast ... or the lion’s leftover warthog snack. He says there is a local pharmacy that we can ‘pop into’ on the way out of the Crater conservancy (park to you and me). I nod my agreement as my voice is somewhere in Ethiopia or Kenya. So we drive ... and drive ... and drive. It seems like we drive round the crater rim twice before we grind to a halt in front of a little white building that’s definitely seen better days.

My guide grins and proudly points to the building. Oh boy, this is the pharmacy? No, I stand corrected; this is a dispensary. Well, as long as they have drugs, I’m happy. I get out of the jeep and make my way into the waiting room, which doesn’t have a door and has dirt on the floor. It’s also full of local Masai. And I’m the only white person. I sit down on the rickety bench that lines the wall, in amongst the locals who are a motley crew. Some have eye patches, others seem to have missing limbs. And there’s me, with a bad throat.

I’m feeling rather out of place so I croak to my guide that we can go. He raises an eyebrow at me (in disbelief? Surely not!) and gets up to find the doctor. Within moments, my guide is back with doctor in tow. The doctor ushers me in to his office, which thankfully has a door. He is about 50 or so and speaks perfect English – hurrah, no hand signals! The doctor is very attentive, asking me questions about when I started feeling ill, what I’ve been taking and does an examination. Take note UK doctors!

He asks me to wait while he collects some medication, but he’s back before too long with an armful. He hands over antibiotics, cough mixture and paracetamol. I’m a little overwhelmed with everything – this is definitely not how treatment works in the UK. I’m also a little worried about how much all this will cost. Cringing slightly, I ask him. ‘Nothing’, he says. ‘It’s free.’ I almost fall off my chair sustaining further injury. The doctor explains it’s a government-funded facility and all medical care is free for locals. He says he’ll put me down as a local so there’s no charge. Great for me, but I really don’t think I would pass as a local!

When I come out of the doctor’s office, my guide is waiting and asks how much the appointment and medicine comes to. The doctor repeats the same thing, but my guide is not having any of it. He feels like he (I) should be paying something so he ends up thrusting some bills at the doctor, who seems a bit perturbed. I think he was actually offended, but my guide feels like he’s now done his duty and we leave.

I stupidly think that now I have drugs, everything will be fine. In my addled state, I forgot it takes a bit of time for things to work through the system. So I continue to suffer through the journey as we drive through the rest of the crater, in the direction of the Serengeti. Of course, the road is atrocious. It’s loose gravelly dirt and there are potholes galore. My guide decides driving upwards of 60-70 km means we will glide over the surface. Yup, my bones crunch with every jolt. We seem to drive for ages round the rim of the crater and then behind it. While the landscape is luscious green dotted with Masai villages, it whips by the window with the horizon bobbing up and down in time with the potholes. Ugh.

We finally peel off the main road to head for Olduvai (Oldupai) Gorge. This place is known as one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world because has been instrumental in furthering understanding of early human evolution. Louis and Mary Leakey excavated numerous fossil remains from the area, some dating back to about 5 million years ago. Based on their findings, scientists have concluded that modern humans made their first appearance in East Africa.

While it’s quite cool to visit this important archaeological site, there’s really not much to it. There aren’t any dinosaurs roaming around or humanoid bones being unearthed before your eyes. There is a rather small cramped museum, outlining what has been found in the area. But it’s hard to get a good look at everything due to the size of the museum and the amount of people that seem to doing exactly the same thing we’re doing. The museum staff do a little ‘tour’, which consists of looking out over the gorge and staring at the landscape wondering where they actually found the fossils. It’s a beautiful landscape but I’m not sure it’s worth the horrendous journey.

We head off again, moving ever closer to the Serengeti. As I know the Masai Mara and the Serengeti are one big adjoining area (the Mara in the north, Serengeti in the south), I have images of the rolling green hills that we saw in the Mara. I’m corrected very quickly. The Serengeti is known as ‘the endless plain’. It’s an apt description. Our hideously bumpy road cuts a ribbon through a very flat landscape. We seem to drive in this unchanging view for miles with nothing to see except flat ground – no animals, no features of the landscape – nothing to keep me from thinking about hurling all over the vehicle as we drive faster and faster.

Thankfully, my guide notices I’m green and turns off the main road onto a more meandering smaller dirt track. This one seems less bumpy, probably because my guide decides we can stop driving at turbo speed. And then animals! We come across a herd of elephants enjoying a dust bath. They seem to be oblivious to the jeeps around them and take their time blowing dust around each other. We watch them for a bit, and then follow a lone male to a drinking hole. He seems content enough to drink from the waterhole so we leave him to it, taking our time driving slowly through the grass.

We carry on, and then see some lions in the shade of a bush, sheltering from the midday sun. We manage to get quite close to them and watch them sleepily blink their eyes at us. It’s lovely to see them this close, but it ends up being one of the few times in the Serengeti.

We continue driving, and I realise that we’re no longer in what could be called ‘endless plains’. Rocky outcrops (good viewing places for cats!) are dotted about, and there are a number of small watering holes that sustain groups of bushy green trees and even thick mutant palm trees. These suckers are big, starting with leaves right at the bottom. While there aren’t the beautiful rolling hills and grassy plains of the Mara, there are a number of hills that rise above the plains. The features create a really interesting landscape.

We wind our way through herds of zebra, but I’m surprised by the overall lack of game. As we make our way to the camp, we pass stretches of empty landscape. But wait, there’s a line of jeeps stopped by the side of the road. We pull up and yes, it’s a cat. A leopard in fact. But it’s a speck in the tree as it’s very far from the road. And no one is making an effort to get any closer. My guide says that we’re not allowed to disturb them. Hmmm, don’t you think 8 jeeps are currently disturbing him?

Can you spot the leopard?!

But funnily enough this is exactly what we do the next day. We get up close and personal with a cheetah. After a rather frustrating morning of not being able to see animals that were hiding in the long grass, my guide spots a lone cheetah. No one else is around, so my guide takes off into the grass. The cheetah is on his own walking through the grass. We follow him slowly as he walks up onto a termite mound to survey the land.

Then he goes into feline mode as he spots two impala. Frozen, ears forward, eyes glued on potential dinner. Yummy. We watch the cheetah hunker down in the tall grass, only his ears visible, his body still as he waits for the impala to approach. They do ... then they walk by him, seemingly oblivious to the predator. But the cheetah just stays watching the impala. It’s not going to get better than that, cat.

He obviously realises the same thing, and suddenly takes off. With speed, it turns to the smaller impala. The impala jumps away and they twist and turn over the grass. It’s over in a matter of seconds with the impala hopping away and the cheetah running out of steam. It’s so amazing to see a chase happen before my eyes; TV just doesn’t capture the grace, excitement and terror of the event.

We watch the cheetah for a bit, catching his breath, but he seems especially dejected that someone witnessed his failure so we leave him to it.

Ethiopia Wanderings: Lalibela – Ethiopia’s Jewel

2011-06-12T16:51:00.001+01:00

I’ve always been interested in Lalibela ever since I heard about its churches hewn out of the surrounding rock. So it was a definite stop on my trip around Ethiopia. And Lalibela didn’t disappoint.

Lalibela is a World Heritage site that includes 11 medieval rock-hewn churches carved into the red volcanic rock of the region. The story goes that in the 12th century, King Lalibela of the Zagwe dynasty had a vision from God to build the churches, with instructions on how to construct them. The churches were apparently completed in record time because angels joined the labourers by day and in the night did double the amount of work the men had done during the hours of daylight. However the churches were built, they rank among the greatest religious-historical sites in the Christian world - and Ethiopian Christians still use them today.

The town itself clings to the side of a mountainous region reminiscent of Grand Canyon-esqe vistas. We approach the town from the airport, which is about a 30 minute drive away. The views driving up the slightly hair-raising road are breathtaking. Thankfully there isn’t a lot of traffic on the road, apart from a few donkeys. I have cramps in my hands from holding on for dear life but the driver and my guide seem fairly relaxed. (Probably has something to do with the fact they are in proper seats, and I’m sliding around in the back of the van!)

We reach the town of Lalibela, which appears to be mostly run-down country-style mud huts and dirt tracks. As with other Ethiopian towns, construction does appear to be going on and a little out of the main town, we come across some more modern hotels - one of which is mine. From my hotel, I can just make out a couple of the churches – well, their rather obtrusive awnings. The World Heritage organisation has constructed these protective coverings as some of the churches have been damaged by the elements.

The churches themselves are divided into two groups or clusters – the northwest cluster and the southeast cluster. The northwest cluster of churches comprise of Bet Medhane Alem, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel, Bet Debre Sina and Bet Golgotha. Generally included in this cluster is probably the most famous of the churches - the isolated monolith of Bet Giyorgis (the Church of St George). Bet Medhane Alem is the largest monolithic rock-hewn church in the world (see photo below).

The southeast cluster of churches is more irregular in design than the northwest cluster. Several of the individual churches in this cluster are thought to have been secular in origin and some predate the reign of King Lalibela by five centuries. The churches in the southeast cluster include Bet Gebriel-Rafael, Bet Abba Libanos, Bet Lehem, Bet Emanuel and Bet Mercurios. According to the legends, Bet Abba Libanos was built overnight by Lalibela's wife Meskel Kebre, assisted by a group of angels. Yup, lots of legends about angels in these parts!

Because we’re short on time, we see all the churches in one day. While it can be done, I found it pretty exhausting, and I would have liked to take a little more time to enjoy each of the churches’ individual characteristics.

We start with the northwest cluster. The area around this cluster has had some work, obviously trying to improve the area for tourist. I’m not sure who is responsible for the work (World Heritage or Ethiopia?) but for some reason, they decided to pave the road around the churches with cobblestones. Unfortunately, it makes for a jarring ride, bumping up and down along the uneven surface. I think they would have been better just sticking with the dirt roads!

Thankfully, we’re not on the road for long. We stop half-way down the main road to go to the main ticket office, crossing the donkey-pooh ridden cobblestones (so glad we’re leaving that behind!). After purchasing our tickets, we are ushered into a room ... to watch a PowerPoint presentation. Yup, no kidding. We’re taken through the ‘C,C,Cs’ of the churches. I think they meant the A,B,Cs! The language is a little off and the overall presentation a bit cheesy, but I guess it gets them away from handing out pamphlets and having to speak English.

Coming out of the ticket office, we have the option of going straight to the churches in the northwest cluster, which are right outside the office, or going to visit the little museum, which is underneath the office. We opt for the museum. It’s much like any other church museum around Ethiopia, with a number of priest robes, old manuscripts, crowns and other assorted artefacts. It’s interesting enough if you want to see those kinds of things, but for me, I’ve now seen several of these museums. I don’t find it all that interesting so with a cursory glance at the artefacts, we’re back to the churches.

Church worshippers wrapped in their white linens gather in small clumps around the steps down to the first church, Bet Medhane Alem. Most local people will ‘pilgrimage’ to the churches, especially for the Christmas and Timkat festivals. But there are many just walking slowly round the churches, heads bent, lips moving silently in prayer. In most of the churches we visit, there is at least one worshipper hidden away in a corner, lost in their world of prayer and contemplation.

Worshippers add a reverence to the churches but the buildings alone are still magical. While all the churches are carved out of the surrounding rock, some stand alone like Bet Giyorgis (the Church of St George) and others are still part of the rock, with their roofs connecting. There is even one church hewn out of a cave. Whichever form the churches take, they are all slightly different in shape and style, the latter becoming more elaborate in the later buildings. And all have their own majesty and beauty.

Bet Giyorgis (the Church of St George)

Because the churches have been shaped from the rocky terrain around them, there are a warren of tunnels and passageways that twist and turn on each other, plunging us into darkness one minute (you definitely need a torch!) and climbing up huge blocks of stone that appear to be stairs for giants. Some of the passageways narrow so much that we can only walk in single file.

We seem to walk back on ourselves sometimes and I can see it would be so easy to get lost in the rocky maze. I’m glad to have a local guide with me to take me round the churches. I also have the sweetest shoe watcher – yes, you read correctly! At each church, you are required to take off your shoes. The shoe watcher makes sure your shoes are safe (from thieves and those pesky angels) when you’re in the church, as well as helping you get your shoes back on again, if you happen to have lace-ups. For me, it did seem a little silly, but my shoe man was so attentive and obviously took his job very seriously. In the end, I gave him a big tip as he was so sweet!

One of the darker passageways

Traffic jam!

There does seem to be a main route to see both clusters of churches. I didn’t find that many other people in the northwest cluster, but the southeast cluster seemed much busier. Sometimes I did find I was shuffling along with a number of other tourists. It’s easy enough to escape them though. If we came across a group of people, we’d just sit down on one of the many benches dotted around the churches and wait for the crowd to disappear.

All in all, I was struck by the master of building these beautiful pieces of art out of the rock but also by the timelessness and peacefulness of it (obviously minus the tourists!). It was a magical visit.

Biet Gabriel-Ruffael

Bet Mercurios, the church with a cave at the back

Other Lalibela attractions

Not magical but equally interesting was my visit to the weekly Saturday Lalibela town market. If you’re lucky enough to be in Lalibela on a Saturday, this is a must.

Walking up the hill from Bet Giyorgis (the Church of St George), my senses are suddenly assailed with the clatter and throng of people and animals alike selling their wares. Well, ok, the people are selling the animals but the animals preen themselves and flash their best smile. I fall in love with a goat and debate whether I can fit him in my luggage. He is after all only 300 Ethiopian Birr – about £10! But sadly I have to leave him behind.

The market isn’t just for animals but all manner of things. Seeds, spices, tire shoes!, clothes, misc items. There are so many stalls with so many colours rammed in to tiny places. It’s different to the more orderly stalls of the bazaars of Syria, but I love the chaos and the colour.

The other attraction was just pure fun. I went to an Ethiopian coffeehouse to partake in a traditional coffee making ceremony. My guide picked well – we went into a little bar off that bumpy cobblestone street. Owned by a firecracker of a woman and her daughter, they smiled and laughed their way through a rigmarole of steps to make coffee from scratch: roasting coffee beans, crushing the roasted beans, boiling water and then the coffee grinds – all using an old coal stove. Yes, it took ages, but the family was delightful and so friendly. And the coffee was absolutely delicious. Dark, strong, fragrant – served in little white coffee cups. Starbucks it wasn’t – thank goodness!

Ethiopia Wanderings: Blue Nile Falls adventure

2011-05-12T17:11:00.000+01:00

I visited the Blue Nile Falls this January; the following details my ‘adventure’ getting to the Falls.

One of the many tourist attractions on the Northern Ethiopian travel circuit is the Blue Nile Falls. The Falls are known locally as Tis Issat, which translates to ‘water that smokes’. The Falls are about 30 kilometres away from Bahir Dar by Lake Tana, where the Blue Nile starts its long journey.

There are two ways to reach the Blue Nile Falls. The first is a 45 minute hike over gravel and rocky paths from the Portuguese Bridge. You approach the Falls head-on this way and have a great view from the top of the ridge. The second way is to drive from Bahir Dar to a little village near the Falls, cross the Blue Nile in a boat and then walk through rocky and grassy fields to approach the Falls from the side. I followed the second option, and it was no easy feat. The kicker was I wasn’t told what either option entailed so I found the journey getting there and back a bit of a nasty surprise!

As with many of the roads in Ethiopia, the road to the Blue Nile Falls is a bumpy, uneven dirt track, billows of dust chasing behind the vehicles. We bounce and grind our way along the track, which takes about an hour and a half to navigate due to its poor state. I’m somewhat distracted by the engaging scenery – this is farming land: sugar cane fields, maize and farmers tilling the land with traditional instruments. The views are lovely, but the dust and rough road surface are not.

We finally pull to a stop in the village near the Falls, and I’m thankful we’ve finally stopped moving. But the heat is relentless in the heavy afternoon air, making the van feel a bit like a tin can. It’s a relief to start the van up again once we pick up our local guide. The relief is short-lived though as we only drive a few minutes down another bumpy road. Our guide suddenly points out the grimy window and says ‘Nile’. I don’t know what it is about the word ‘Nile’ but for me, it conjures up lost civilisations and feluccas gliding along a ribbon of silver snuggled between strips of lust green vegetation. I squint through the smudges and take in the view. This part of the Nile, called the Blue Nile, is no small ribbon. It’s an expanse of rippling liquid.

Our van stops abruptly and I wonder why we bothered to drive the short distance only to get out again. Wouldn’t it have been better to just walk from the village? But as I step out into the afternoon sun, I realise the van had been saving us from the heat. Wow. Hot doesn’t even begin to describe it. But I have no time to ponder the oven temperatures; our local guide is off with a ‘this way’ thrown over his shoulder. We walk a few feet along a rather overgrown trail and then it opens up, with the Blue Nile meandering along right in front of us. Breathtaking.

But where are the Falls? And why are there small rickety boats bobbing low in the water, precariously filled with people? I have a bad feeling about this. Our guide says ‘we have to cross the Nile’. OK, well that’s actually pretty cool. I’m all for being on the water, but I don’t want to be in the water – and those boats look slightly unsafe. I look around for a dock but only see a rather muddy river bank. Oh boy, this is going to be fun.

Thankfully there is an option to go on a motorised boat, rather than the traditional dug-out style canoe. We opt for the motorised boat, which looks slightly sturdier. There are a number of other people waiting, but they all look like locals and they seem to opt for the ‘boat by sticks’. The motorised boat cuts a path across the Nile and lines up nimbly against the river bank. My guide hops ably onto the boat rim. I’m not as gung-ho so I carefully get my footing in the muddy bank and grab the boat’s rail.

Suddenly I’m surrounded by people pushing and yelling, and I begin to feel my feet slip down the bank towards the water. Oh crap. More people yelling, holding, pushing and restraining me, and I can feel myself sliding into the Nile. Somehow I realise in all the commotion that my guide has jumped the queue. The people waiting patiently had been waiting for the motor boat. Holding on to the boat’s rail for dear life, with the captain trying to hold me up, I say ‘ok’ several times and then shout ‘ok’, gesturing for the people to go. That seems to appease the crowd and I manage to slip and slide back up the bank to let the people get on the boat. The boat’s captain smiles apologetically at me as he prepares to take off. ‘What can you do?’ he shrugs. I shrug back. ‘Nothing.’ My guide says unnecessarily ‘we’ll wait for the next one.’ You think?

Thankfully, it only takes a few minutes for the boat to go across the river and back again. Without all the pushing and shoving this time, I find it’s not too difficult getting into the boat. So we take off without incident. I manage to get out of the boat onto the far bank without getting wet. Hurrah. But wait, the excitement isn’t over. A cow is stuck in the shallows of the river. His owner is trying to get him out but the cow is refusing to budge. The owner gives him a great big whack with a stick and the cow lurches out of the water incensed and heads straight for the unsuspecting tourists.

Holy Cow! (Well, I actually said something else but you get the idea.) Somehow the cow thunders right past us without hitting anyone. But then he looks back and decides to give it another go. By this stage all the locals are circling the cow and trying to protect the terrified tourists. My guide stands in front of me and says ‘don’t worry, I’m armed’. I look down and in his hand is a long piece of grass. Huh? He flicks it, making an authoritative whir. I think ‘ok maybe that might just piss off the cow enough for him to gorge you and not me’. But thankfully the cow is distracted by some nice looking grass under his feet and gives up the fight.

We head off for the Falls, me on slightly shaking legs. We walk ... and walk ... and walk. (It’s about a 20min walk in the end.) While it’s an interesting walk, through lava rocks, long waving grasses and animals grazing, it is unbelievably hot. It’s so hot that I’m inclined to think of Satan’s farts after he’s consumed a bagful of fiery jalapenos. There is little shade and although it’s afternoon, the sun beats down relentlessly. My water disappears quickly and so does my voice and pretty much my whole will to live. We finally come over a little rise and I can hear the distant thunder of the Falls. Thank goodness. I almost feel like getting down on the ground and kissing it but I don’t think I’d get up again.

We round the ridge and the Falls appear to our right. Half of what they are in the rainy season, they are still impressive, mist rising away into the air from the gushing water. I can see how the Falls get their name ‘water that smokes’. We walk round the rim of the Falls’ edge, taking in the various views. There are a number of locals selling drinks and different trinkets. For me, it takes a little away from the quiet beauty of the place. They also seem to take up what little shade there is so you can escape the sun but you can’t escape the constant selling.

The Blue Nile Falls plunges forty-five metres down into the river below, forming the start of the Blue Nile Gorge. Directly opposite the Falls, the ground slopes down in degrees to stop at the bottom of the Falls. It looks deceptively tame, but it is still a hike down and back up again. I spend some time just taking in the views and imagining what the Falls must have looked like before the hydro-electric station was built above the Falls and what it might look like now during the rainy season. But even in their lesser state, the Falls are still impressive today.

I reluctantly leave the Falls behind to hike back across the fields to the river and to our van, which will take us back to Bahir Dar. It’s not a pleasant journey back, particularly as we are now facing directly into the late afternoon sun through the fields. But it is well worth the misery of the journey to see these dramatic Falls.

Ethiopia Ramblings

2011-04-23T19:58:00.001+01:00

As part of my recent trip to East Africa, I spent some time travelling around Northern Ethiopia. Here are some of my thoughts from my time in this remarkable country.

Area
I concentrated on the northern area of Ethiopia, doing the ‘cultural’ circuit of: Addis Ababa – Axum – Lalibela – Gondar – Bahir Dar / Lake Tana.

People
I couldn’t get over how friendly people were, both in the cities and in the country-side. Ethiopia’s GDP per person is estimated at just $1000 USD per year and as such, people have very little. I saw many people walking as their main means of transportation; they couldn’t even afford a bicycle. Some even walked in bare feet, not being able to afford shoes. My guide told me that some women in the countryside walk several hours a day just to collect water. Despite all this, everyone I met had smiles on their faces and wanted to have a friendly chat. Even when I was the only white person (let alone white female), people were simply curious; they were not threatening in any way. People wanted to know where I was from and would offer tea, coffee or some advice on what to see. They seemed generally happy that someone would take the time to visit their country. Out of Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, the Ethiopian people were by far the friendliest.

Begging
But I hear you ask about begging. Yes, it’s certainly a fact of life in Ethiopia. I found that mostly children and the elderly would ask for money. But a firm ‘no’ stopped them in their tracks. I did try to give out some granola bars to a group of children one day. Unfortunately, they turned quite nasty, grabbing and demanding more hand-outs. That soured me to giving out anything more. I made a decision not to give out any money or further treats unless it was in payment for services rendered. I was in Ethiopia on a tailor-made holiday, so I often had a driver, a tour coordinator and a local tour guide with me. Sometimes it felt that I was employing half the country! But I was happy to pay for services rather than just give money to people.

Weather
The heaviest rains traditionally fall between June and early October, but the rest of the year is dry and can be quite warm. I was in northern Ethiopia in January, and we had fairly consistent sunshine. Clouds would drift across the sky now and then, but not so much that you would have to pull on an extra layer of clothing. In fact, the temperature averaged about 25°C so it was definitely t-shirt weather. It’s a good idea to bring a sweater for the early mornings, but I never needed a coat.

Accommodation
There are hotels in all the main towns and villages; however, standards are obviously not the same as one would find in the Western world. Some hotels will maintain they provide a 5 star service, but most hotels I stayed at averaged about the equivalent of a Western 3 star standard. There did seem to be a lot of building going on in the main towns, and certainly in places like Gondar, a number of new posh hotels were being built. So the level of service may improve in the future.

A somewhat plain hotel room in Lalibela - thankfully the balcony saves it!

The biggest challenge I faced was hot water. Most hotels had very limited supplies, so you had to get in there quick. The other challenge was unstable electricity. That’s not to say there were sparks flying everywhere! But the power would often flicker on and off. Sometimes it could stay off for several hours, so bring a torch with you, just in case.

Food
I found there was a surprising number of choices for food. Vegetable soup seemed to be the main choice as a starter and there were a number of options for the main course. Most hotels I stayed at had a fish option and a pasta option, along with the local dishes on offer. Dessert would be fruit or cake. Ice cream rarely seemed to be on the menu, which was a shame as it would have been a good option in the warm climate. But I think it’s too much of a luxury item.

I personally struggled with the local food, which I found to be a bit spicy. The dishes I tasted reminded me a bit of Indian pastes and curries. Unfortunately there wasn’t any nice naan bread or poppadoms to mop up the sauces. In northern Ethiopia, they tended to have a rather soggy cold pancake, called Injera. I opted for bread rolls after my first and last Injera!

Travelling - Scenery
I found the scenery in northern Ethiopia spectacular. The landscape was fairly rocky; in places like Lalibela and Axum, the landscape was extremely dramatic, reminiscent of Arizona’s Grand Canyon.

Lalibela's beautiful landscape

With the dramatic landscape comes some difficulty in travelling. Distances between towns are fairly long and most roads are old. Many of them are crumbling, full of potholes or just dirt tracks. There are some improvements underway (for example, a new road is being built between Axum and Yeha in the north); however, from the progress I saw, it will be some time before those improvements are realised. I opted for travelling mostly by plane. While Ethiopian airports sometimes seem to be unorganised chaos, it was still faster to hop on a small regional plane than risk the roads.

Sites
The northern Ethiopian circuit certainly has some interesting sites that are definitely worth a visit. I think top of everyone’s list has to be Lalibela, the mountain village where the UNESCO 12th century rock-hewn churches can be found. These amazing churches are scattered around the village, accessed by winding alley-ways and steep steps. Half the fun of visiting the churches is getting lost in the rocky maze.

Bet Medhame Alem

Axum is considered the holiest of towns, due to the alleged presence of the Ark of the Covenant in one of the chapels. It also has a number of large stelae (or obelisks), tombs and ruins of palaces. It’s an interesting little town as it lacks the majesty of Lalibela nestled in the mountains nor does it hold the powerful position it once did, but it still holds the mysteries of the past. Today, the town is inundated with archaeological digs, trying to unearth those mysteries. There is certainly enough to see to warrant an overnight stay.

A view of the centre of Axum

I was surprised by Gondar, or Gonder, a more modern bustling town near the Simien mountains. My first impressions were of a rather chaotic, messy and dirty town with little redeeming features. However, I changed my mind after seeing the Royal Enclosure, a large walled compound containing several castles in various stages of ruin. The most impressive castle there is the almost completely restored Fasiladas' Palace. But the other ruins are equally enchanting and you can spend a magical few hours walking round the compound. Gondar is also a good base to visit the Simien Mountains national park where you’re able to trek amongst the rocky landscape.

Bahir Dar and Lake Tana also have sites that are worth visiting. Lake Tana is home to numerous monasteries hidden away on the small islands dotted about the lake. You can visit one or more of these monasteries. However, I found the boat ride on the lake to be more enjoyable. The town of Bahir Dar is known as the ‘French Riviera’ of Ethiopia, complete with wide avenues and palm trees. While the town itself is nice enough, the most interesting site is about an hour or so away. The Blue Nile Falls are still spectacular, despite the river being dammed before the Falls. The setting is quite dramatic and if you can deal with the somewhat convoluted journey to get there, you will be awarded with a breathtaking view.

I hope these small insights into northern Ethiopia have made you get out your atlas and start planning your own trip to this amazing place!

Africa Ramblings: Kenya versus Tanzania

2011-04-18T20:16:00.002+01:00

So you’ve made a decision to go on safari. But now comes the difficult decision – where do you go? There are numerous places around the world where you can go on safari, from Africa to Costa Rica to Australia, depending on the type of safari you want.

While I haven’t been to all of those places, I have recently come back from wildlife safaris in Kenya and Tanzania. Here are my thoughts on the places I visited. Hopefully they will help you make your decision or at least give you some food for thought!

Kenya: Nairobi – Lake Naivasha – Lake Nakuru – Masai Mara
Tanzania: Arusha – Lake Manyara – Ngorongoro Crater – Serengeti

Having spent time in both countries, Kenya is my overall preference and the country where I would gladly return. Why? The places I visited in Kenya felt more unspoiled and natural – and therefore more beautiful. I was able to get up close and personal with all the Big 5. I have some wonderful memories (and photos!) of lions, cheetahs, leopards and elephants, not to mention zebras, topi and those loveable warthogs. All the staff I met there were professional yet friendly. I had two safari drivers during my time in Kenya, and they were, quite frankly, amazing. Both could spot lions, lying down under a tree's shade, invisible to the tourist's eye. Most times I didn’t see the animals until we were almost on top of them, but these drivers could spot them miles away.

That’s not to say Kenya was perfect. Unspoiled and more natural surroundings tends to come hand in hand with less infrastructure. The lack of proper roads and toilet facilities makes travelling interesting to say the least. But the animals seemed to be congregating in a smaller area, so it was easier to spot them. I didn’t feel like I was in the vehicle all day being jostled about, only to see a handful of animals.

And that was my experience in Tanzania. We covered a lot of miles on mostly horrible dirt tracks. There were days when we would drive for an hour without seeing anything bar a warthog scurrying into the brush or some lion paw prints in the dirt. I did end up seeing the Big 5 eventually but it was touch and go!

Don’t get me wrong, there were some lovely spots in Tanzania. The Lake Manyara Lodge sits on a ridge above the Lake Manyara National Park, a beautiful setting. One of my favourite holiday moments was sitting at the edge of the infinity pool taking in the view below. Ngorongoro Crater has some spectacular scenery as well. But while I loved the scenery, I found the multitude of vehicles in the small area of the crater floor detracted from enjoying the animals. At one point a rhino was spotted, and over 20 vehicles turned up like the paparazzi chasing an A-list celebrity. Poor rhino.

I am glad that I’ve been to Tanzania but I feel like I’ve ‘been there, done that’. If I was ever to go back, I would fly to each destination, rather than drive. You would still be able to enjoy the landscape from the air, but without all the bumps and dust.

But top of my list is Kenya. I can’t wait to go back.

Safaris ... the priceless memories

2011-04-10T17:04:00.001+01:00

You may have read my previous blog and thought there are too many things to worry about on safari. It's just too much trouble. You want an easy holiday, where you can relax. But despite the frustrating aspects of safaris, there are memories to be had by the bucket-full. And these memories will stay with you forever.

Here are a few of my priceless memories from my recent safaris in Kenya and Tanzania.

Going on my first hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara

Taking in the quiet beauty of the misty plains

Finding three male cheetahs surveying the countryside on a termite mound

Being mesmorised by the majestic cheetahs, who couldn't care less about us humans

Seeing a kiss between mother and baby giraffe

Laughing at the female lions playing in the savannah grass

Spending the late afternoon with the famous BBC Marsh Pride Lions

Visiting a Masai village and being amazed at their jumping skills

Checking out the snoozing rhino, complete with friendly birds perched on its back

Laughing at the grinning zebras

Watching the storm clouds build over the plains in the Masai Mara

Being lucky enough to see a cheetah chase an impala - a truly amazing spectacle

Smiling at the antics of a baby elephant

Gazing at the sun setting over the Serengeti

What they don’t tell you about safaris ...

2011-04-03T16:20:00.003+01:00

(based on safaris taken in Kenya and Tanzania, Jan-Feb 2011)

Don’t get me wrong, safaris are great fun. Coming across a pride of lions out for a morning stroll, spotting a leopard chilling out in an acacia tree, or watching the sun set over the rustling grassy hills of the savannah is pure magic.

Leopard in tree, Masai Mara

But there are a number of things that ‘they’ don’t tell you before you head off on your safari. ‘They’ are the safari websites, tour agencies, tour guides – well, they are biased, aren’t they? They want you to be lured into this bubble where everything is perfect.

So not to burst your bubble but here are a few things you should know before your safari. I would have certainly appreciated a heads-up before I embarked on my trip to Kenya and Tanzania!

No 1. Animals move around. Yup, it’s a pretty basic principle. But it means that you can visit the same place twice (even in one day) and see totally different animals – or no animals at all.

No 2. Africa is a big place. Well of course it is. Even the Masai Mara, a small area compared to the Serengeti , covers an area of 580 sq miles, equivalent to the size of Rome. That’s still a lot of ground to cover, even travelling in a vehicle. No problem you say? You have a four-wheel drive and can get around quickly? Sorry, that won’t make much difference. Most of the roads are just dirt tracks; even in the Serengeti National Park, which has a more established infrastructure of ‘highways & byways’, the roads are little more than dirt lanes. So getting round can be slow, making the spaces seem that much bigger. And yes, that brings us on to the next point ...

No 3. Travelling on the roads. Not only are the game reserves, conservation areas and national parks full of criss-crossing meandering dirt ‘roads’, the roads are full of potholes the size of London, making driving on the roads a bit like a roller-coaster ride. That may not bother you initially, but after a couple of hours of being jostled and bounced about, you may want to hurl all over the vehicle and even more importantly, your bladder is fit to burst. And bathrooms are not an easy thing - more on that in No 8.

Depending when you travel, the roads can also be extremely dusty. I was in Kenya and Tanzania in January and February. While Kenya wasn’t as dusty due to some short sharp showers, Tanzania was clogged with dust. So much so that we had to travel with the windows rolled up, and in 30+°C heat, that’s pretty uncomfortable.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

No 4. Finding the animals. This is linked back to nos 1 & 2. Because the animals travel and could be anywhere in the ‘great wide open’, you often have to travel a fair distance to find the animals. Sometimes it can resemble a game of ‘Where’s Waldo?’, searching the surrounding areas for any sign of movement. If you’re lucky, your driver will be skilled enough to pick up the smallest animals grazing in the underbrush. But you can still travel up to 30 minutes seeing little more than some sun-bleached bones.

The empty plains in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

No 5. Bugs! This is an interesting one because I was warned the bugs – particularly the flies – would be bad in the Serengeti (Tanzania). I was told to wear light coloured clothes and continually spray insect repellent on any exposed skin and quite frankly on any non-exposed skin too. While we did encounter some flies in the Serengeti, they were fairly minimal. The worst of it was on a really hot and humid day. But here’s the thing – it didn’t matter what clothing you wore or how much you sprayed repellent. The flies kept flying at you. They were just something you had to put up with (although I do admit I did start swearing at the flies after a while; it didn’t make any difference either).

What did clear up the flies was a terrific thunderstorm that evening. The following morning the air was fresher and the flies had disappeared. So my advice is not to get too hung up on wearing any particular clothes based on bugs; just be comfortable. Bring insect repellent with you but don’t worry too much about religiously spraying yourself – unless you’re concerned about mosquitoes. (And a few words on this – the only place I encountered mosquitoes was in Ethiopia. I didn’t get bitten at all when I was in either Kenya or Tanzania.)

No 6. Safaris are tiring. You wouldn’t think so as you’re just sitting in the vehicle most of the time. But a lot of safari places will suggest you get up early (before or just after sunrise) to see the animals/birds before it gets too hot. Most animals peg out during the hottest part of the day, which seems to run from about 11am right through to 3pm. This means that you end up going out in the afternoon as well, possibly staying out to watch the sunset. But you can’t rest when you get back to your accommodation. Because you’re out in the wilderness, you don’t have any other option but to partake in the ritual evening meal, which can run from 7.30pm-9.30pm.

After a few days of these activities, you may want a bit of a break. But you don’t want to miss anything. Because the problem is that if you decide to sleep in and forgo the morning safari drive, you may not see those four male lions taking down a hippo. And it’s really annoying when everyone’s talking about this ‘amazing’ thing they saw when you were catching a few extra zzzz’s. So just be aware that it’s tiring, and maybe book a little sojourn to the beach at the end of your safari.

Many people seem to head to Zanzibar for a beach holiday after a safari in Tanzania

No 7. Watch that sun. Being closer to the equator, especially if you’re doing a safari in Kenya or Tanzania like I was, means that the sun is that much hotter. Most safari websites and companies will recommend that you wear long sleeves, a hat and smother yourself with sun cream. Yes, all those things help. But what they don’t tell you is that your hands are still exposed to the elements. So make sure you lather up those hands; otherwise you’ll have very red paws by the end of the day! (I speak from experience!!)

No 8. Bathroom breaks. Ah, that old chestnut. In Kenya, I visited the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru, as well as one of the smaller soda lakes (Oloiden). Neither the Masai Mara or Oloiden had any kind of facilities, other than the camps. Yes, this means that you have to squat behind a bush. So be prepared! Lake Nakuru was slightly more civilised, but most of the facilities were fairly basic, consisting of long drop toilets. Surprisingly, Tanzania was much better. (I was expecting them to be in a similar state to Kenya.) In Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, there were permanent facilities, most with flushing toilets, toilet paper supplied. I was quite impressed! But if you’re the least bit squeamish, you basically need to toughen up. Sorry, but that’s all there is to it. There’s no point complaining because no one will be able to do anything about it!

Marsh Pride Lions, Masai Mara

So that’s my list of ‘helpful things to know’ ... even taking all these things into account, it is amazing to go on safari and experience the animals in their natural habitat. At least being forewarned means that you can enjoy your holiday that much more!

Africa baby!

2011-03-23T10:23:00.000Z

I have been lucky enough to spend a month in East Africa earlier this year. I visited Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, including Zanzibar.

So over the coming weeks, I'll be posting various views, writings, photos, etc, from my trip.

Watch this space!

Syria Wanderings - Part 1

2011-01-02T18:03:00.004Z

Damascus – Palmyra – Krak des Chevaliers – Hamma – Aleppo – St Simeon’s – Maaloula – Damascus

At the end of November, I spent a week in Syria taking in the sites of this remarkable country. While I would still rate Jordan higher, Syria has some very interesting sites and people that make a visit worthwhile. Here are some of my memories ...

Damascus

My first impressions of Damascus come via the airport. I’m ushered quickly into a hall with a number of immigration counters – Syrian passports, Arab passports, VIP and tourist group passports, and ‘foreign passports’. You need a visa to get into Syria, but luckily I’m with a tour, so I’m part of a group visa.
With little more than a ‘give me your passport’, our tour guide walks off, leaving us to mill around the hall, which is surprisingly busy for after 10pm. I wonder what I should do, looking in the direction of the tour guide, who seems to be haggling with one of the immigration officers. Interesting. Well, I can stand around with the cluster of Syrian women, who seem equally lost. Or join the queue for the ‘bank’ – a little glass kiosk in the corner that can change foreign currency into Syrian pounds. But there are no directions on how to change money; no currency exchange rates. Just a gruff man with a box of money and slips of paper already printed out with various sums in a slightly unintelligible format. What to do, what to do. A couple of us in the group stand vaguely off to one side of the bank queue, where a young Syrian woman spots us. ‘Don’t change money here, the exchange rate is bad. Go outside, you can change money in the terminal’ and she walks off. Hmmm.

As it’s now creeping on to 11pm, we agree that we should at least change some money so that we have some ‘for emergencies’. I change $100 USD, which consists of the man in the kiosk grunting at me, me saying ‘can I change $100 USD?’ showing him the money, the man grunting again and grabbing my money, before shoving a wad of notes and a yellow slip in my hand, then nodding to the person behind me. Job done. (Of course we later realise - much later as in the next day - that if you do want to change money, the best place to do it is this little kiosk. Because the banks in Damascus are generally slow, won’t take foreign currency, can’t be bothered!)

Having got our currency, we wait ... and wait ... and wait while our passports are appropriately stamped. We finally make it out of the immigration hall to meander through somewhat of a construction site to the baggage area, where a man of about 110 is unloading the bags from the conveyer belt. Before he keels over, I take pity on him and grab my bag. The rest of the group are standing around as our guide seems to have disappeared. So me being me, I take charge and follow the arrows round the building, hoping I’ll get to the exit at some point. I turn the corner and find myself staring at two bored security guards. They take one look at me and point vaguely to a door behind them, grunting. Maybe grunting is the Syrian way? I almost grunt back as I pass them.

Hurrah, we’re out! And we’re here in Damascus!! Well, not quite. The airport is about 30 minutes away from the city – not too far generally, but when it’s late, you just want to get to your final destination. We make it along the main stretch of road, bumping and beeping with rather a lot of other cars and trucks, particularly for close to midnight. Damascus has a population of 4.5 million, and it seems that everyone has their own vehicle. But finally we make it ... or at least I think so. The bus stops and we get out ... by the side of the road. Huh. Wait, the guide tells us we have to walk to the hotel. What? Well, we are staying in Old Damascus. And that’s ok as it only takes us about 5 minutes to walk to the hotel and we are ushered into a calm oasis courtyard, complete with trickling fountain. Aaah, at last.

The next day, somewhat refreshed after a late start, we’re off on foot to explore the old city of Damascus. Having been to Marrekesh, Malta and a number of Spanish cities, who all have ‘old districts’ with winding narrow cobble-stone streets, I’m waiting to be suitably impressed by one of the oldest continually lived-in cities in the world. Well, first impressions are not what I expect. There are certainly old streets and lanes, but they are fairly wide and fairly straight. We plod through a number of streets through the old city, missing out the main drag (the Street called Straight) to get a flavour of the real Damascus. It’s interesting to see the locals go about their daily lives – lots of people strolling about, cars driving in reverse down lanes (seriously), children running around, various shops chockfull of a myriad of wares.

But I’m not really feeling the ‘vibe’. Normally I love walking through the old streets of a city – I often get the sense that I’m walking in streets that haven’t changed for hundreds of years. But I don’t get that feeling with Damascus. Maybe it’s because it feels more like a North American city with its grid-layout. Our guide tells us that’s because of the Romans. Whoever it was, within an afternoon, I have the old city pretty much down pat and can navigate in and around the souks and Straight Street. I have never been able to do that with other cities like Marrakesh, which is just a warren of winding alley-ways. I think I’m almost disappointed.

Never mind, we stop for coffee at the oldest coffee house in the old town, by the steps leading to the Great Umayyad Mosque. Proper coffee here is served in little cups, with a hint of cardamom. It’s different but fragrant and quite delicious. The coffee house also offers smoking pipes, which a number of customers are using. One of our group decides to try an apple-flavoured pipe and puffs of fragrant smoke waft over the group. A few more try it, and I’m tempted until our guide tells us it’s so strong that it’s like smoking a pack of cigarettes in one go. OK, I’ll give it a miss! But the smoky haze adds to the atmosphere in the coffee house.

Too soon, we’re off again to walk past some of the little stalls running alongside the outer wall of the mosque and into the Gold Souk, which leads into the aromatic Souk Al-Bezuriye, spices jostling for space with candied sweets and brimming bags of nuts. It’s a bustling hive of activity, with many locals buying goods, hand gestures extenuating the haggling going on. But it doesn’t stop some of the older men frowning at me as I walk by. I swear one of them even calls me a western whore, his venom obvious as he almost crossed himself. Hmm, not the friendliest place ... The feeling that we’re not really wanted takes away from the fun of the market, and I’m happy to stroll back to the hotel, in need of peace and quiet.

We spend the next day visiting the National Museum and the Mosque in Damascus. The National Museum is a bus ride away, and it gives us a chance to see some of the neighbourhoods of Damascus and the locals heading off for work. The roads are crammed full of cars, taxis, buses, trucks and bikes all trying to go in a hundred directions, all beeping to one another. It makes London traffic look positively serene!

We enter the National Museum grounds to find an oasis in the chaos of Damascus, lush gardens with old stones dotted around – a museum outside. It’s a beautiful setting and as we are early, the grounds are still quiet. I’m tempted to just wander round, but we’re ushered into the museum itself to look at the many ancient wonders inside. It is certainly full of treasures, from different ancient civilisations that settled in Syria, influenced by the likes of the Egyptians, Phoenicians and Mesopotamians. The names all seem vaguely familiar to me, having read of them in school. But I am still more impressed with the grounds outside and am glad to get a chance to wander around the stone fragments and statues. By the time we do get out, it’s much busier and I find that the grounds are an inspiration for some local art students. Too soon, we have to leave and return to the Old City.

We make our way back to the Great Umayyad Mosque, and I’m excited to see the mosque. However, my excitement quickly fades and I’m sad to say, my experience was not at all positive. Western women, and only Western women, are required to wear a full robe, complete with hood to enter the mosque. I’ve visited a few mosques in my travels, and this is the first time that I’ve had to do this. What is more irritating is that Syrian women do not have to wear a robe and men can wander round as they see fit. For me, it is discrimination at its worst and it colours the whole experience for me.

But I do want to see the mosque, so I put on the robe and make my way into the main courtyard. It is a beautiful building, with shimmering white pavestones in the courtyard, surrounded by three minarets and dazzling gold and coloured mosaics covering every wall. But ...! I find the mosque does not feel like it should – sacred. It doesn’t have an air of reflection about it, even though we are there during one of the prayer times. The courtyard itself is full of screaming children running back and forth, groups of people sitting on the courtyard floor chatting. Where is the reverence? Even inside the mosque, it is all business, with the men lining up against the wall to face Mecca to pray. On top of that, it is 26 degrees in the mosque itself (I know as there is a bloody great digital board blinking the temperature at me), and it is made more stifling by the robe. I’m glad when we have to leave.

Next stop ... Palmyra!

Syria Wanderings ... Part 2

2011-01-02T17:05:00.005Z

Palmyra

Having had a somewhat less than satisfying experience in Damascus, I now lower my expectations for the rest of the trip. We leave Damascus for Palmyra, an oasis in the middle of the desert. Thankfully, Palmyra doesn’t disappoint. Actually, it is, quite simply, amazing.

It takes us about three hours to drive east from Damascus, through the sprawling city and out into the Bedouin country of semi-desert and hazy mountains. I don’t see many Bedouin though as the mountains and rocky terrain zoom past the bus windows. I catch glimpses of lonely mosques nestled in the hills and small villages in literally the middle of nowhere. It seems a harsh existence, but at the same time, the harshness has a sort of beauty about it.

As we drive closer to Palmyra, we see less and less – less cars, less villages – until we reach the outer edges of Palmyra. Stacks of crumbling stone start to appear and the tour guide informs us these are the tombs of Palmyra. And then the Roman caravan city of Palmyra comes into view. It is a sprawling metropolis of columns, arches, walls of what once must have been majestic buildings. All of this is guarded by a lofty Arabic fort, set on top of an extinct volcano.

As we drive through the ruins, our guide tells us that there are actually two sites, not including the tombs: the Roman City and the Temple of Bel. We head there first. The Temple of Bel is a 1st century sanctuary, contained within crumbling walls, concealing its treasures. I enter through the main building and my mouth drops when I come into the main area. Wow. The size of the many columns dotted around dwarf me. In the centre of the main temple area lies the cella or ‘holy of holies’ as our guide calls it. And while it is too a ruin, it is still a substantial building, which draws your eye no matter where you stand in the complex. I spend a very enjoyable couple of hours, strolling around the complex, half-listening to the guide, taking in the beautiful surroundings.

All too soon, we’re off to trek across the road to walk through the Roman city. And these ruins are just as amazing as the Temple of Bel, although not as intact. We walk down most of the ¾ mile colonnaded street, stopping at various buildings along the way. The sheer size of the city is quite staggering, and I get a real sense of how much this place must have hummed on market day when the desert caravans would sell their exotic wares to the locals.

We visit both the small theatre and the much bigger agora, or marketplace. While the theatre is in surprisingly good condition, having only been dug out of the sand in 1952, the rest of the ruins are crumbling due to a number of earthquakes over the years. But the fallen columns and scattered blocks are picturesque in the warm sun and against the blue hazy sky.

We head back to the tombs, having spent quite a long time walking through the city ruins. There are a couple of tombs that seem to be on everyone’s ‘tourist stop’. So the two that we visit are pretty packed. It jars after the emptiness and vastness of the ruins. While it’s interesting to the see the tombs, which are mostly above ground rather than below ground like the Egyptian tombs, I quickly tire of the crowds and wander back outside to look across the tombs to the ruins. It’s a nice view, but I haven’t seen anything yet!

We’re taken up to the Arab fort for sunset. Wow. We have the most amazing view of the Roman city and the Temple of Bel. It’s the perfect ending to the perfect day. I wish we had another day in this beautiful place, but we are moving on to see more of the Syrian country-side. Aleppo, here we come!

Krak des Chevaliers

On our way to Aleppo, we stop to visit Krak des Chevaliers, touted as the best preserved Crusader castle in the world. As we get closer to the castle, I catch tantalizing glimpses of castle clinging stubbornly to the side of a hill. But it takes us quite a while to wind round a number of other hills before we get close enough to see Krak des Chevaliers in all its glory.

We enter the castle and are immediately plunged into semi-darkness. I climb slowly up through the bowels of the castle, vaulted ceilings overhead beckoning me on. After a few minutes’ climb, we reach the inner enclosure. And what a marvel to behold. There are several layers or levels to the castle, and we start with the storage areas and kitchen, which are cloaked in shadow. I can almost hear the knights clanging around the storage areas, checking on supplies.

We head into the Gothic Hall and Romanesque chapel, both picturesque ruins. Everywhere I look, I see another archway leading to a passage or room, framed by mossy blocks of stone. We move out into the dazzling sunshine and up some stairs to the next level and then the next level again. I look back across the castle to glimpse the different nooks and crannies, ivy covered stone warmed and weathered by the sun and wind.

There are a number of people wandering around the grounds but there is a very peaceful feeling about the castle – amazing to think that it was the scene of a great many sieges in its heyday. We make it to the very top of the castle and while it is a hazy day, we’re afforded a view of the neighbouring town and hills. Krak des Chevaliers is so worth a visit. My guide book says ‘if you see one castle, see this one.’ I couldn’t agree more.

Hamma

Still making our way, slowly!, to Aleppo, we make a short stop at Hamma. This small town is known for its ancient wooden waterwheels. Well, I’m sure these are impressive, but as we arrive, the waterwheels are completely stationary. There is a small crowd gathered round one of the wheels, but I’m not sure how much time you can spend looking at a stationary wheel. Other than taking a ‘been there, done that’ photo, I am not sure I would have personally made the effort. What is charming is the town of Hamma itself, which is situated on the banks of the Orontes River. One of the few running rivers I’ve seen in Syria, due to the lack of recent rainfall. The river cuts through the town centre reflecting the minarets and old stacked houses. A shame that we spend our time looking at the non-working waterwheels and drive quickly through the town with only a glimpse of the town racing by the bus window.

Syria Wanderings ... Part 3

2011-01-02T17:03:00.008Z

Aleppo

And on to Aleppo. Well, I have to admit, I lose a day in Aleppo to the Syrian lurgy. Thankfully I do not have it as bad as one of our tour group, who has to get a doctor called in and have a number of injections. But I am laid low and confined to my hotel room and the hotel terrace when I feel slightly better and in need of some fresh air. At least the terrace of our hotel overlooks the citadel so I feel like I see some of the city without venturing out.

Unfortunately, I don’t get much closer to the citadel when I’m feeling better. As it’s a Friday, I’m told that the main souks are closed (Friday is the Muslim’s Saturday). If I want to do some shopping (and I do!), I need to head to the Armenian Christian quarter or Al-Jdaideh. But this does not turn out to be true. Almost all of the quarter is boarded up, apart from a few wool shops. And I wasn’t really looking to buy wool! My guide book also says that this quarter is supposed to be the next most picturesque area after the old town. But I’m not overly impressed. While the old quarter is full of winding alleyways with secret doorways and shuttered windows, the Armenian quarter is not even half as picturesque. I quickly head back to the old quarter and wander round the alleys meeting children playing football and dodging the odd car going backwards (yes, they drive in reverse here too!).

After spending time in the strolling in the old quarter, I make my way to the citadel. Unfortunately, it’s already closing. But what is interesting is that there are some shops open in the souks. Not many, but enough to wander through and make a few purchases. So much for following the guide’s advice! I think I would have given the Armenian Christian quarter a complete miss and made my way straight to the citadel and the souks if I had known.

The citadel and the souks seem to converge with two mosques so there are many locals strolling with their families, chatting on benches. It’s great to have a glimpse into the local life, and everyone seems much friendlier than in Damascus. So much so that most of the children come and say hello, and adults nod or smile at me as they walk by. I even get befriended by two cheeky young Syrian boys who want their photo taken. It more than makes up for Damascus and being ill. I’m very sad to say goodbye to Aleppo.

St Simeon’s Basilica

We take a quick detour out of Aleppo to another magical set of ruins, this time a basilica of four churches and a monastery. This massive complex was built at the foot of Saint Simeon’s pillar. Now I like to get away from the crowds, probably more than most people. But Saint Simeon beats me hands down. He had a monastic calling from an early age and decided to live a quiet, almost reclusive-like monastic lifestyle, living in a cave. For some reason, he felt the need to bury himself up to the chin in rocks in full summer. News of this slightly strange behaviour started to get round, and people decided it was worth seeing. So they started to visit Simeon. Of course, this did not sit well with Simeon – he was trying to get away from people. His solution – live on top of a pillar. Yes, a pillar. He started with a 10ft one, then 20ft, and finally got up to 59ft to get away from the now fairly large crowds. He spent the last 36 years of his life on top of his pillar, with people going on pilgrimage to see him. So he never really got away from the crowds ... and now the crowds come to see the place where the pillar stood. A little funny if you ask me.

Anyway, the setting is on top of a wooded hill and does feel like quite a sacred place – this is what I was expecting the mosque in Damascus to be like! The churches and monastery that were built after St Simeon died are now a jumble of half-ruined arches, columns and blocks due to a number of earthquakes. Rather than take away from the majesty of the place, it adds to the beauty of the place, as the sunlight pores over the pink-hewed stone.

I slowly walk round the ruins, impressed with the size of the overall basilica – a church built off of each arm of the centre of the basilica where St Simeon’s pillar was located. Each archway leads to another set of ruins and it’s easy to see what a spectacular building this must have been when it was built.

St Simeon’s pillar is no longer – it is now just a stump with a boulder. But it doesn’t matter. The place seems imbued with the thousands and thousands of pilgrims that came to pray here and I sit looking out over the countryside, taking in the silence.

Maaloula

Too soon, we’re off again, on our way back down to Damascus and on to London. We have one more stop before we reach the bustle of the city - Maaloula. It's a Christian village, just north of Damascus, where they still speak Aramaic, the language used by Jesus Christ.

Our bus winds its way through the village, up to the top of the gorge where an ancient monastery perches, watching over the village. Within this monastery is a small church, dating from some 2,000 yrs ago. The church is filled with precious icons and has a stillness about it that makes us speak in hushed tones. What is more amazing is that we are able to hear the Lord’s Prayer spoken in Aramaic. The softly spoken words in a place that may have been frequented by followers in Jesus’ time adds to the mystery and sacredness of the place. I leave feeling somewhat humbled.

Going home ...

After Maaloula, it’s back to Damascus and on to a hotel airport before our early flight to London the next morning. It feels strange to touch down in London after a week away in such a different country. Syria has certainly left its mark on me.

Elephants in London

2010-06-27T13:25:00.006+01:00

To the delight of children and adults alike, London has been overrun with elephants.

You may have spotted one of the over 250 life-size baby elephants hand-painted in glorious colours – they are not hard to miss! They have been a great tourist attraction, eliciting 'ooohs' and 'ahhhhs' from all passers-by. Adults are just as often seen climbing on them as children. The elephants have been a great tourist attraction.

But there is a serious side to these adorable temporary London inhabitants. The elephants are part of the Elephant Parade, which is a social enterprise aiming to raise support for the endangered Asian elephant, with benefits of Elephant Parade being donated to Elephant Family. The Elephant Family is small charity working to save the Asian elephant from extinction by raising awareness and funds for elephant conservation. Learn more about the Elephant Parade here.

Sadly, the hand-painted elephants won’t be with us for much longer. If you want to check out the elephants, make your way to the Royal Hospital Grounds at Chelsea, where most of the elephants will be until 28 June.

After that, the Elephant Parade is auctioning off the all elephants, hoping to raise £2 million. If you can’t afford to attend or participate in the auction, you can still support this great cause by buying something from their online elephant shop.

And if you miss them completely, here are a few photos from their time in our city.

In Trafalgar Square

One of the colourful elephant eyes

One of the elephants in Green Park

The elephants gathered in the Royal Hospital, Chelsea Grounds

One of the many 'themed' elephants - this one is Sherlock Holmes

London Musicals ... To see or not to see?

2010-06-19T14:39:00.003+01:00

One of the great things about London is that there is always so much choice. Take musicals. Take your pick! In case you’re wondering what to see (or not to see!), here are some ideas ...

Wicked
An extremely clever take on the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. One of the best musicals I have ever seen. Great music, great story. Go and see this!

Lion King
Most of us have seen the Disney film, but this musical brings it all to life. When the young lion prince Simba is born his evil uncle Scar is pushed back to second in line to the throne. Scar plots to kill both Simba and his father. Simba survives but is led to believe that his father died because of him and he decides to flee the kingdom. The costumes are amazing and the music will have you humming when you come out of the theatre. Definitely worth seeing.

Phantom of the Opera
The story and music are unforgettable. It’s a tragic love story of a beautiful opera singer and a young composer shamed by his physical appearance. It may feel slightly dated, having opened in 1986, but it’s a great ‘girly’ evening out.

Les Miserables
Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, this musical focuses on love, bravery and forgiveness in 19th century France during the revolutionary struggles. This musical has a rockier feel to it than Phantom of the Opera. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but if you’re not expecting it, it’ll take you a couple of songs to get used to it. I really enjoyed the story, but found it a tad too long. If you like a fast-paced musical, this may not be the one for you.

Mamma Mia
This is the ABBA musical with the story of a mother and daughter set on the eve of the daughter's wedding. ABBA songs are weaved into the story very cleverly. But you do have to be a fan of the music. There’s a medley at the end that will have you clapping and singing along. Time to dust off that gold lamé top!

Chicago
Chicago focuses on Roxie, a chorus girl who has murdered her lover but manages to get acquitted with the help of sleazy lawyer. It’s great music and great dancing. Just be prepared to have some of the B and C celebrities (e.g., less talented, non-actors) play the roles. Some have had good reviews, some have not!

Dirty Dancing
While the dancing is good, don’t pay to see this in the theatre. It’s not worth the money. The original is the best. Buy the DVD for a few quid and you can watch Patrick and Jennifer in the original (and better) version – again and again.

My Top Tips for an ‘Arty’ Paris Visit

2010-06-15T20:50:00.004+01:00

There’s nothing like a weekend in Paris to soothe the soul and get in touch with your creative side. Here are my top picks for an ‘arty’ cultural weekend in Paris (in no particular order!).

Montmartre
Montmartre is my favourite district; it’s in the northern part of the city, where the likes of Picasso ‘hung out’. Sacre Coeur is the main draw here, more for the views across Paris than the church itself. But if you can make it up to Sacre Coeur in the early morning, you can escape the thongs and feel some of the charm of the place. Just beware of the very grumpy priests who seem to take a perverse thrill in abusing visitors to the church.

But there is much more to Montmartre than Sacre Coeur. A short stroll away is Place du Terte, Montmartre’s old village square. Surrounded by cafes, painters set up their easels and take advantage of the light (and of course the tourists!). It’s fun to watch art being created while sipping a cappuccino.

I also love just walking the cobble-stone streets of Montmartre. You can get away from the
crowds and soak up the atmosphere meandering through the winding streets. You also get tempting glimpses of the Eiffel Tower every so often. Be warned though, Montmartre is a hilly area so be prepared to walk up and down the many steps that pepper the area.

Ile St-Louis
Another good place to walk is the island behind Notre Dame. The Ile St-Louis is more of a residential area but it does have a number of little shops, galleries and restaurants. Window shopping is the order of the day, though, unless you have a platinum card! The prices for anything other than a postcard will make you blush. Still it’s fun to stroll along with the well-to-do Parisians.

Notre Dame
Like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame is one of the must-sees in Paris. While this may not strictly be considered art, it’s one of those icons synonymous with Paris. And wandering around both the outside and inside, your senses are assailed with amazing sights. The brightly coloured Rose Windows, the beautifully-carved choir stalls, the grotesque stone gargoyles. All give Notre Dame its charm. Sometimes the charm is a little harder to find with all the milling crowds, but there isn’t really any escaping them, so you just have to put up with it.

Outside you have more of a chance to thin the crowd out by heading round the back of the cathedral. There’s a little park there, and if you can get a seat on one of the benches, you can take in the cathedral and people watch at the same time.

To get a slightly different perspective, walk along the pathway that runs alongside the Seine. You can gaze up at Notre Dame towering over you. Just watch out for the dog pooh – it seems to be everywhere!

Musee d’Orsay
My favourite ‘museum’ in Paris is the Musee d’Orsay, although I think of it as more of an art gallery. It’s chock full of impressionist paintings and sculptures. If you’re a fan of Monet (like me), you’ll be in heaven. The building itself is great too; it’s a converted old railway station.

Musee Rodin
Musee Rodin is my second favourite ‘museum’ in Paris. Again, I don’t really think of this as a museum. It’s a 18th century mansion with amazing grounds. Rodin was a sculptor and his work is dotted around the grounds and the mansion, where he spent the last nine years of his life. It’s easy to while away an afternoon here sitting in the beautiful gardens and contemplating Rodin’s sculptures.

Musee de l’Orangerie
This is a small museum that was chosen and arranged by Claude Monet to showcase his ‘Nympheas’, or water-lily, series. Whether due to a recent long closure due to a renovation or its close proximity to the Louvre, this museum doesn’t seem to get much attention. But it is definitely worth a visit, especially if you’re a Monet fan. You won’t be disappointed. You will also be able to see a few other paintings by Cezanne, Renoir and Picasso.

The Louvre
If you’re on a cultural weekend, you can’t miss out on the world’s largest museum. Don’t let the size put you off. There are more than 350,000 objects in the museum, so your best bet is to choose a couple of collections to visit. Over and above the French sculptures and paintings, there are Egyptian and Greek antiquities and Islamic art to name but a few. Just don’t try to see everything, or you’ll go mad!

Put up with the crowds and try to see the Mona Lisa. You probably won’t be able to get that close, but it is one of those paintings that’s good to see ‘in person’. You can listen in on one of the many lectures that take place all day trying to explain her expression. There are also a number of other Leonardo da Vinci’s scattered around the place.

The Jardin des Tuileries
After visiting the Louvre, take a load off in the Jardin de Tuilleries, the sprawling park next to the museum. It’s a great place to people watch, and if you’re there at the right time of the year, you can get an ice cream from one of the vendors.

And the rest ...
There is so much to see in Paris, so don’t limit yourself to my top picks above. Find your own. The best advice is to put on a decent pair of shoes, pick an area and start walking. Just soak up that Parisian atmosphere!

That damn volcano!

2010-06-15T20:46:00.000+01:00

Yes, I have been thwarted by that unpronouncable Icelandic volcano - twice! Due to the volcanic ash and shifting winds, I've had holidays cancelled to Italy and Ireland.

Thankfully, the volcano seems to have settled down ... now we're just waiting for its cousin to start erupting!

But until that happens, I can travel again ... which means more postings ... stay tuned!

Why should we listen to the critics?

2010-02-03T11:08:00.002Z

I’ve recently seen two shows that have been somewhat panned by the critics. Interestingly, I immensely enjoyed both. One was James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar (the big blue smurf film) and the other a London West End play, The Misanthrope, featuring Keira Knightley and Damian Lewis.

While on opposite sides of the entertainment spectrum, both shows had mixed reviews and, in some cases, were panned for the lack of story and wooden performances respectively. But I wonder if the critics even saw these shows or just decided to err on the side of sensationalism to sell their media. They certainly seems to miss the ‘point’ of both!

Avatar will never win awards for the best story ever told but it is one of those films (like the Matrix) that shifts the film industry in a new direction. By filming in 3D and using technology that James Cameron had to wait years to be created, Avatar breaks the mould of current films out there. And for that alone, it should be seen. Besides the fact that it is true entertainment and that is what the public want – to be entertained. Despite the shaky reviews, the public have responded in droves to Cameron’s vision of a new world, making Avatar the biggest grossing film of all time. Take that, critics!

The Misanthrope has also suffered from mixed reviews, focusing on Keira Knightley’s performance in The Misanthrope. Keira plays the part of a young, brash American actress who knows everything, has a sharp tongue and is not afraid to use it on her friends and her boyfriend, played by Damian Lewis. While the play itself gets off to a rocky start, owing more to the translation of the play to modern day than the actors, both Keira and Damian sizzle and snipe their way through the dialogue. In particular, Keira keeps up an amazing New York-esque accent and persona throughout the play, making you believe you are watching a young starlet on the edge of imploding. Her performance was so good that my companion, who had confessed she did not like Keira Knightley before the play started, turned to me after the play and said ‘Wow, she was excellent. I’m really impressed.’

So why is there so much emphasis put on these shows being ‘critically-acclaimed’? What makes the critics’ opinion valued over ours? Rather than relying on these people who may have no more qualifications than ‘the average joe’, take life into your own hands. Go and see a show / play / film - and judge for yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Still alive ...

2010-01-31T17:45:00.003Z

Yes, I’ve been quiet again. I spent Christmas and New Years in Canada and had every intention of posting a few entries during my visit. But the holiday ended up being much busier than I expected!

So while I took quite a few photographs, I didn’t write one word. Inexcusable – so one of the New Year’s resolutions is to write more on this blog. Promises, promises!

Prague Wanderings ... a city of many talents

2009-12-06T15:49:00.023Z

Prague seems to be a top choice these days for cheap getaways and stag weekends. But the city has much more to offer ... if you're looking for an interesting city that combines history, culture and beauty wrapped into a cost-effective package with an elegant ribbon on it, then Prague is the city for you. Just be aware you will have to put up with all the other people wanting a bargain, and those ever-loving stag participants ... yes, there are quite a few about!

The Old Town Square - Staromestske namesti
And they do seem to congregate around the Old Town (Stare Mesto), particularly in the main square. The main attraction here is the astronomical clock that has a procession of apostles every hour, on the hour and a rather annoying cock crowing. This comes complete with massive crowds (as seen below). It's one of those 'been there, done that' activities.

If you're lucky enough to go from end November-end December (as I was), the main square also hosts a great Christmas market, complete with huge Christmas tree, mulled wine, various eats and lots of nice and not-so-nice gifts to be purchased. Compared to home (the UK), prices are fairly competitive.

Charles Bridge

The next stop on the tourist track is Charles Bridge. I went to Prague about 12 years ago, and Charles Bridge was a beautiful bridge where you could meander along, browsing through the many artists' wares that were on display, taking in the views of the castle in the background. Not so now. It seems this is another one of those 'I'm in Prague and I have to say I've been to the Charles Bridge' activities. It's a melee of pushy impatient tourists - not for the feint-hearted. On top of that, the bridge is currently half-covered with construction work. So not very picturesque, unless you can ignore the crowds and messiness, or view the bridge from afar!

Old Jewish Quarter - Josefov

Just north of the old town square is the Jewish Quarter. Despite the crowds here, it is easier to find some quiet space and well worth a visit. The best advice I was given is to get a combination ticket that allows you to see the top attractions - the Pinkas Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetary and the Spanish Synagogue. If you want to see the Old-New Synagogue, you'll have to pay extra.

Most of the places will not let you take photos, but the one place you can (for a fee) is the Old Jewish Cemetary. While two of my companions said the place felt disturbing and frankly gave them the creeps, I found the cemetary to be a quiet peaceful place steeped in history. It's quite a big cemetary and you can take your time wandering through it. Or, like my companions, motor through in a couple of minutes!

For me, the Pinkas Synagogue was more disturbing as it lists all 77,297 names of the Czechslovak Jew victims in the Nazi concentration camps. It's definitely a somber reminder.

The little Ceremonial Hall right outside the Jewish Cemetary is not really worth the time, unless you want to find out about Jewish burial customs.

A little walk away is the Spanish synagogue, which is very lavish compared with the other synagogues. Inspired by Spain's Alhambra Palace, it is an OTT (over the top) use of gold and floral motifs in reds, blues and greens. But quite fun nonetheless!

Castle Quarter - Hradcany

For me, the castle quarter, along with the neighbouring Mala Strana district, was the best part of Prague. Lots of photographic opportunities, old lanes, views of the old Town. Fabulous.

Now the Castle, the Cathedral (St Vitus) and Golden Lane are again quite busy. But if you have the opportunity to go in the afternoon - from about 2.30pm/3.00pm onwards, you'll find it alot less crowded. I even managed to get a couple of pictures around the cathedral with not a body in sight!

Main entrance to the Castle, off Hradcanske namesti

Prague Castle - Vladislav Hall (the old Royal Palace)

St Vitus Cathedral

Golden Lane (above and below). Worth a look in the shops; some of them have some decently priced wares and it's always fun to say you bought something in Golden Lane!

Views of Prague
Off to the right of the main entrance to the Castle is the Old Castle Staircase (Zamecke schody), leading to Nerudova Street and into Mala Strana, the old aristocratic district. There are some great views sweeping through Mala Strana and over to the Old Town. A photographer's dream! It's definitely worth spending some time walking down the staircase and wandering through Mala Strana with its cobblestone streets and beautiful old buildings.

Old Castle Staircase (Zamecke schody)

One of the squares in Mala Strana

View from Uvoz, just north of the Castle

Prague is not just photogenic in the day. At night, many of the buildings are lit up and make the city sparkle.

Where to Stay and Getting Around
Where you stay really depends on what you want to do in Prague. If you are going for a cheap/stag weekend, it's probably better to stay around the more commercial Wenceslas Square or the Old Town Square.

If, like me, you're more interested in photography and the history of Prague, you can stay in the Castle district. It's great to wander around the lanes at the end of the day and not bump into a million tourists.

Prague is quite spread out, so you'll most likely have to use public transport. They've got an efficient underground, but I used the trams most of the time, which are great fun. You'll need to get a ticket before you take a tram though - and be sure to validate it when you get on the tram. If you're going to be travelling around Prague for a number of days, then buy a 1-day, 2-day or 3-day pass. If not, you can get single tickets - pick them up from your hotel if possible. Tabak stores sell them but there aren't many about.

And finally ...

If you're still undecided, here are some final photos. If they don't inspire you, then Prague is not for you!

Finally travelling again!

2009-12-06T15:17:00.002Z

After a very long year ... in fact, about 14 months long! ... I have finally started to travel again.

Prague has been the first stop in a series of trips planned over the next few months. Next stop will be Canada for Xmas and Lake Como, Italy in the new year ...

... so I promise to post more photos and blog entries in the very near future!

A picture says a thousand words

2009-09-11T11:33:00.003+01:00

Well, the new job is now transitioning into 'the job', and with that comes more opportunities for travel. Finally! My passport was starting to collect dust. Another trip to Canada has been booked for Xmas this year, and I'm trying to squeeze in an extra trip to somewhere in Europe before then. So stayed tuned for more photos and travel postings ...

In the meantime, I came across this amazing site, by way of the BBC. I'm probably the last one to know about it, but I thought it was a really interesting way of making words into pictures and capturing the essense of a piece of writing.

The site is called 'Wordle' - http://www.wordle.net/ - and generates 'word clouds' for free. Very easy to use. Thanks Jonathan Feinberg for the wonderful creativity!

I've created my own word cloud from this blog ...

Definitely hours of fun to be had!

Long time no post

2009-08-02T08:29:00.002+01:00

The credit crunch can be blamed for a lot of things, including my lack of posts! Serious cash flow problems have curtailed any type of travel for a year now ... very depressing!!

However, it's all looking up with a new job on the horizon. I hope to start travelling again in the Fall (i.e., Autumn for those Brits out there!), so watch this space ... I will be posting again in the future!!

London Wanderings ... Kyoto Garden - worth the effort?

2009-05-10T18:01:00.009+01:00

I recently read a list of the top 100 things to do in London, and one of them was a visit to the Kyoto Garden, in the West End. I hadn’t heard of this garden so I did a bit of investigation and found out that it was opened in 1991 to celebrate the Japanese festival. The garden has a ‘delightful’ pond with waterfall and is best seen in Spring and Autumn, as recommended by the Great British Gardens website. Ok, sounds worth a visit.

However, the websites and blogs that I looked at are a little ambiguous about where the Kyoto Garden is actually located. Some sites say the garden is in Holland Park; others place it outside, locating the garden in W11. Unfortunately for me, I didn't check the information in real books (yes, I made that old mistake of relying on the internet for facts!), and I found myself walking aimlessly around the Holland Park area trying to find this bloody garden. Of course there are no signs pointing the way; that would have been too easy.

It did, in fact, turn out that the garden is indeed in Holland Park, which also turns out to be not that close to Holland Park tube, and in W8! After a good 10min walk, I found Holland Park but no signs to the Kyoto Garden. By this time, I was somewhat put out. If this garden is such a gem, where are the signs? How are tourists actually supposed to find these places if Londoners can’t even find them?!

Once in the park, I wandered along tree-lined paths and purely by chance, came across the entrance to the Kyoto Garden. It’s buried just about half-way into the Park, and ... huh. Ok, this is not really what I would call a garden. Although it’s obviously beautifully maintained, the ‘garden’ really does only have a pond with a few fat fish and what looks like a waterfall, if it had been ‘switched on’. There’s a little pathway that winds around the pond and a little stone ‘bridge’ that takes you past the ‘waterfall’.

There are one or two trees that are covered in cherry blossoms, and with the blue sky, it makes for a photogenic moment. But am I missing something? It’s nice, but it’s not really worth all the effort to get here for this. Kyoto Garden will definitely not be appearing anywhere close to my top 100 things to do in London!

The pond with the stone 'bridge' and walkway in the background.

The 'waterfall' in the background to the right.

London exhibitions - Byzantium at Royal Academy of Arts

2009-03-20T11:59:00.008Z

London is a great place for museum and gallery exhibitions. Particularly worthwhile is the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) ... their exhibitions are often well-thought out and provide insights into a particular artist or era.

I managed to visit the Byzantium exhibition last week at RA, the week before it's due to finish. (It closes on 22nd March.)

As the RA website says, this is an 'ambitious exhibition ... which highlights the splendours of the Byzantine Empire, 'Byzantium 330–1453' and incorporates over 300 objects. Some of the works have never been displayed in public before.'

[One of the many pieces in the exhibition - perfume brazier in the form of a domed building Constantinople or Italy, end of the twelfth century]

When you enter the exhibition, you're greeted with a massive thirteenth-fourteenth century chandelier. Soon after, part of a mosaic pavement from the early sixth century (Thebes) is displayed. And the delights go on from there.

This is one of the better exhibitions I've been to at the RA, just from the sheer volume of artifacts included. Room upon room is filled with pieces like the perfume brazier above, glittering icons, luminious bibles and other religious artefacts.

However, as you can image, given that there are so many beautiful treasures in this exhibition, the number of people attending are staggering. And this makes it quite difficult to get up close and personal to some of the pieces. In fact, I ended up moving fairly quickly through the first three rooms as I could barely see the pieces through the throng of bodies.

While it's great that so many people want to see and experience this piece of history and culture, it's fairly irritating to pay £12.00 for a ticket and have to fight through the bodies to get a glimpse of the artwork. The RA should really look at opening up these popular exhibitions in the evenings to cater for those at work during the day. At the moment, late night viewings are only available on Fridays and are always heaving with a mass of people. RA, don't worry about the recession; just open up the exhibitions during the rest of the week. As Ray Liotta says in Field of Dreams, 'they will come'.

London Wanderings ... snow!

2009-02-08T16:17:00.007Z

Much to the delight and equal horror of children and adults respectively, London has been smothered in snow over the past week.

While we normally see a few flakes each year, so far 2009 has been a bumper year. So much so that travel in London virtually stopped last Monday with the heaviest snow the capital has seen in 18 years.

Above - looking West to Tower Bridge from Canary Wharf

Above - Canary Wharf Jubilee Park and Underground
Below - Canary Wharf park by the river

From my perspective, growing up in western Canada, the amount of snow we had in London was fairly normal. Initially, it was amusing to watch London throw up its hands in despair on how to deal with the 'white stuff'. But this gradually turned to frustration as the week progressed. How can a city - and particularly its borough councils - not make more of an effort to clean up roads / walk-ways once the snow has stopped falling? In London, at least, we had very little snow after the Monday 'dump'.

So why was I still slipping and sliding on sidewalks on Thursday? I can't believe that the excuse used has been 'we don't get snow'. How about the rest of the UK? Why not call on local boroughs in places like Wales or Scotland who seem to have regular snow-fall each year? They must have plans in place to deal with this sort of weather.

Hmmm, I think that would entail people thinking logically about these things, rather than reacting without much thought. May be asking too much at this point!

Silence is not always golden

2009-02-07T03:46:00.000Z

I realise I have been very quiet over the last few months.

Unfortunately, this is due to the financial 'downturn' / 'crisis' / 'recession' / or whatever else you want to call it!

So travel has been curtailed until further notice ... but I will try to post a little more frequently with updates on 'the London scene'.

Watch this space!

London Wanderings ... Green Spaces

2008-10-21T09:56:00.000+01:00

Central Parks

One of the great things about London is the amount of green space that can be found right in the middle of London. Did you know you can walk from Westminster right through to Kensington, using some of London’s beautiful parks as your guide? St James’ Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Park line up fairly well to create a great swath of green in the bustling city. In parts, you can hear (and see!) the traffic buzzing around the outskirts of the parks, but mostly, you are surrounded by the cultured and civilised green boulevards that London society once frequented ‘to be seen’. While the rigours of society have somewhat relaxed, thankfully the parks are still a great place to watch people strolling along, playing games or whiling the time away in the sunshine.

Hyde Park

Kensington Park

Hampstead Heath

In north London, the sprawling Hampstead Heath is a little wilder, with walks offering views of downtown London. In the middle of the park is Kenwood House, a 17th century mansion which houses a free art collection. The House overlooks a little stream; walking around the grounds, you can mistakenly think you are in the middle of the country on a spring day.

Chiswick Gardens

I ventured a little west recently to take in another stately home and gardens – Chiswick. While it is about 20mins from Waterloo station on the train, it is generally noted in tour books as worth a visit. I had never been, and on this particular day, the weather was lovely so I thought I would take advantage of having a spare day. Well, I would have been better off going to the supermarket or cleaning my toilet! The gardens are in the middle of being restored to their former glory, and the best way to describe the gardens now is a building site. While you can walk through to the little stream that runs through the park and see the house (only about a 5min walk), pretty much everything else is closed – dug up, fenced off and in general disarray! My advice is to stay away until the restoration is complete, which is not until spring 2010, according to the official Chiswick House and Gardens website.

Kew Gardens

Last week I ventured even further west to Kew Gardens, or more formally known as the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew. The gardens were originally two royal estates but were merged in the late 18th century – the gardens now cover 300 acres, the equivalent of almost 273 football fields! Be prepared to give yourself at least half a day there, as it will take some time to get out to the gardens (either via the slow District line or the overland train, which requires you to walk over the bridge). Also be prepared to have a slight heart attack when you purchase your tickets – yes, you have to pay for entry to the main gardens; some exhibitions cost more. A standard ticket is £13.00 (at Oct 08), which is quite steep, so you will want to get your money’s worth. There are a number of greenhouses that are worth a visit, including the Palm House, the Temperate House and the Princess of Wales Conservatory. And then there are the grounds, which are an attraction in their own right. I was lucky enough to catch a beautiful autumn day when the leaves were changing colours, making it a truly lovely experience. Be sure to get off the paths that wind around the park, and explore the more hidden groves of trees. Just watch out for the geese! They are fairly protective of their patch and won’t hesitate to let you know whose boss.

San Francisco Wanderings ...

2008-09-02T20:14:00.001+01:00

I have always wanted to go to San Francisco - something about being by the water, the hint of a bohemian style and a laid-back attitude to life. Friends who have visited there said it is one of the older cities in America and therefore has more of a distinct older charm not found in other cities. Unfortunately, what they neglected to mention was that a lot of San Fran burned to the ground after the devastating earthquake of 1906. So there are large parts of San Fran that were re-built post the fire and have been stamped with the American style. Sad but true.

While areas like the Financial District could be anywhere in North America, there are obviously some unique characteristics to San Fran which are worth exploring - Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, areas that weren't affected by the fire that showcase some beautifully artistic homes (such as Alamo Square). There are other tourist spots which do need to be endured - yes, they are tacky but at least you can say 'been there, done that'. This applies to Fisherman's Wharf, the tourist trams, Union Square/Macy's, and Ghirardelli. I would not recommend going to either Chinatown or North Beach - I found both to be a total waste of time. Chinatown - well, both Vancouver and London have really good Chinatowns, so I didn't think San Fran's was anything special. You may feel differently if you haven't been to other places! North Beach was a complete dump though - supposedly a good place for Italian food, I found the food to be inedible and the people to be unfriendly. Stay away!

It may seem like I didn't enjoy my visit ... I did, but I was disappointed, and I definitely feel like I've 'been there, done that' when it comes to San Fran. It's not one of the cities on my re-visit list, that's for sure!

Anyway, here are some of the highlights with accompanying pictures ...

Alcatraz ... and Bay Cruise

Did you know that Alcatraz is so popular that you have to book tickets before you even get to San Fran?! Well, I didn't. I waltzed up to my hotel reception desk and asked where I could book tickets to go. She laughed at me. Apparently the tour is so popular that it often gets sold out a month in advance. If you have a yearning to step foot inside Alcatraz, then I advise you book your tickets as soon as you've booked your flight. This was the site recommended by the hotel (a little too late obviously!): http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

I did manage to get fairly up close to Alcatraz on a cruise around the Bay, which I highly recommend. I went on the Red & White cruise, which was an hour long trip around Alcatraz and out to (and under!) the Golden Gate Bridge. Magic!! I would say this was the best thing I did, apart from driving over the GG Bridge (more on that later). Just be careful as it can be a bit windy (slight understatement) on the boat ... there was an incident where I practically flashed the whole front of the boat due to a big gust of wind. Say no more.

(View of San Fran from the Bay - Ghirardelli sign just visible to the right)

Hop-on, Hop-off Bus tour

As with most tourist cities, San Fran has a couple of 'hop-on, hop-off' bus tours. I would advise doing something like this as San Fran is not a compact city, so you need to invest in some kind of transportation other than your feet. I went with the cheesy but fun San Fran double-decker 'red bus' tour because they had a combination ticket of the downtown loop and the Golden Gate Bridge tour. I got a 48-hr ticket and the GG Bridge tour alone was worth the cost. It was amazing to drive across the bridge on top of a double-decker bus. Mind you, it was bloody cold! I felt like I was in a wind tunnel and came away with some arty racoon eyes because my eyes were watering so much. But it was great!

Depending on what combination ticket you purchase, there is also a night tour available. Most of it was a repeat of the downtown loop tour, but it is worth doing it if you have time and can again stomach the cold weather. (It does get really cold on the top of the bus, open to the elements!) The interesting part of the tour takes you up to Alamo Square, southwest of the city, where there are some great examples of Victorian houses, and I imagine, what a lot of San Fran would have looked like had the earthquake not happened.

Tacky Tourist ... it must be done!

Well, if you're there you might as well be a tourist, right?! Here's the list to the Claire's 'been there, done that' tour:

Fisherman's Wharf
Tourist tram
Union Square and Macy's
Ghirardelli chocolate store

Fisherman's Wharf is hugely overpriced and very tacky but it's a good spot to visit because the Powell Tram line starts there, along with many of the bus tours and some of the boat tours (including the Red and White tour mentioned above). Pier 39 is also located there which is home to a million and one sea lions - you can smell them before you can see them! There are loads of seafood and crab shacks selling supposedly fresh food every day - personally, I would stay away from most of them if you don't want to get sick. Try Boudin in the centre of Fisherman's Wharf. They are famous for their sourdough bread, but also sell clam chowder and other seafood-influenced foods.

The 'tourist tram' or trams are obviously a must-do in San Fran, but they are just that - touristy. Especially the Powell line that runs from Fisherman's Wharf to Union Square. If you want to opt for a more pleasant journey and less line-ups, go on the California line which starts at the bottom of Market St and goes through Nob Hill. It's a shorter, straighter journey, but you'll actually be able to breathe not stuck under someone's armpit. You also won't have to wait in a 2 hour line-up. (Tip: if you are planning on 'hopping-on/off' the trams, buy a day ticket for $11.00; otherwise a one-way is $5.00.)

When in America, act like Americans and 'shop til you drop'. If you are a shopaholic, head for Union Square. It's hugely commercialised but at least all the shops are in one place, including the big mamma, Macy's. If you have time to indulge, go up to the Cheesecake Factory, located on the top floor of Macy's. It has a terrace with a good view of Union Square and absolutely 'to die for' cheesecake. Best I ever had ... they had to drag me out of there.

Apart from amazing cheesecake, the other food purchase has to be ... no, not seafood ... but chocolate! Ghirardelli chocolate is one of San Fran's hidden gems (I've heard chocolate lovers say it is one of the best around, even rivalling Godiva), but Ghirardelli Square cannot be missed. In case you have any difficulty in finding it, there is a massive sign that can be seen from the Bay pointing the way. It is, again, a hugely commercialised touristy area, but do go and buy some of the chocolate. Your chocolate-loving friends will be in your debt forever!

And ... 'other stuff'!

There are a couple of other things that you can do if you have time to relax and enjoy the Bay views and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Bike ride - it's possible to rent a bike in Fisherman's Wharf and ride out to and across Golden Gate Bridge. The trail takes you along the Bay's edge through Fort Mason and the Marina and onto Golden Gate National Rec. Area. I didn't do this myself, but there were a lot of other people doing it, and I would imagine it is a good way to see some of San Fran ... if you can dodge the other cyclists and seagulls!
Sit and watch the fog roll over GG Bridge - my preference was to walk around the Aquatic Park area, with a view of Alcatraz, Hyde St Pier, and Golden Gate Bridge in the background. There are many benches to stretch out on and enjoy the view. If you're lucky, you'll catch the fog rolling over GG Bridge, making it disappear and reappear like some magic trick. Truly a lovely sight.

Tourist tips!

Getting to/from the city

Getting to/from the airport is not as easy or straightforward as it may seem. I decided to take a taxi from the airport to my hotel as I arrived fairly late in the evening. As opposed to the $70-80 advertised, it only cost me $36 and I was in my hotel room about 20 mins after leaving the airport.

But I decided to take public transport (the BART train) going back to the airport ... oh boy, was that a mistake! First off, can they make a more complicated system for buying tickets? I think not! You have to put in the exact amount of money for your ticket. Say it's $5.50 - the only way to get your ticket is to select '$5.00', and then select '$5.00' again and then subtract money until you get $5.50. Yeah, I know. Crazy. And there are no places where you can walk up to an attendant and buy tickets - oh no, that would just be too easy. So allow yourself enough time to waste while trying to deal with the idiotic machines they have.

Then don't listen to anyone who says that it is 30 mins to the airport. Leave yourself an hour. I almost missed my check-in time because I missed the train by about a minute (due to the crap ticket situation explained above), and then had to wait another 15 mins before the next one. We then sat stationary outside the airport for almost 10 mins for some unexplained reason. Yeah, I had a great journey.

My advice - if you can afford it, and it's not rush hour, use a taxi!

Hotels

I really struggled with my hotel. There are so many areas mentioned on places like Expedia - is it better to stay in Fisherman's Wharf, or should I stay in Union Square or Chinatown? Here's a breakdown of the key areas to help you decide ...

Fisherman's Wharf area - staying here means you're close to the boat trips, bus tours and Powell tram line, as well as being closer to Golden Gate Bridge if you want to do 'the bike thing' one day.

Financial District - the California line starts in Market St, which is in this area. You also have the Embarcadero Centre (big shopping area), along with Chinatown close by and Nob Hill (the older prestigious part of town) up the hill, funnily enough.

Chinatown and North Beach are fairly close together so staying in either area means that you can access the other area easily. North Beach is also fairly close to Fisherman's Wharf, if you don't mind walking.

Union Square - a good location for shopping trips, along with the other end of the Powell tram line. It is also close to Chinatown (south end).

Soma doesn't have much - if you are staying in San Fran for a conference at the Moscone Convention Centre, then this is a good area but that's about it.

Canada Wanderings ... Whistler

2008-08-31T17:17:00.000+01:00

Of course you can't really go to Vancouver without taking advantage of the mountains. There are the local mountains – Seymour, Cypress, Grouse – all good, but if you can spare a day (or more!), make the trip up to Whistler.

[Note: The Olympics are coming to Vancouver in 2010, and Whistler will be one of the main attractions. In preparation, there are a lot of infrastructure improvements taking place, specifically a complete overhaul of the current road up to Whistler. If you are planning to go before 2010, be prepared for the normal 2 hour journey to take as much as 3 hours.]

But persevere because if you time it right and make it to Whistler on a sunny day, the views are stunning. Even if you’re not a skier, go up either Whistler or Blackcomb mountain (I recommend Blackcomb which has Seventh Heaven, where you can watch snow boarders ‘do their thing’).

I have been up to Whistler several times, both in the winter and the summer. I prefer it in the summer, as I’m not a skier, so I can take advantage of the good weather and appreciate the amazing views, use the hiking trails (there are beginner easy trails right up to bring your oxygen mask, break a leg hikes), or mooch around the shops which are many. Yes prices are expensive, but you can window-shop in the many art galleries, or be lucky enough to find a bargain in one of the souvenir shops. (You may have more luck winning the lottery.)

However, my trip to Whistler this time was a semi-disaster due to nature flexing her muscles. And there’s not much you can do about that! Timing is definitely important when going to Whistler ...

The day we drove up was the day after a big music festival in the area, and the traffic was very heavy coming back. We laughed at the line of cars as we drove along, revelling in the fact that we were actually making good time. There weren’t any delays due to the road constructions, just some enforced speed limits. So we couldn’t go at breakneck speed along the winding roads – probably a good thing!

But once we got to Whistler, we found it absolutely heaving with weary festival goers, a little hung-over but exuberant and opting out of the parking lot on the road. So I have to admit, there's me, being the slightly snobby person that I am, a little put out that all these people are in Whistler when I'm there (didn't they get the memo?!). Hmmmm. We did manage to snag a table for a late lunch, which was actually half-way decent, and restored by food, we walked around the main square. I hadn't been up to Whistler since I left Canada (about 10 years ago), and I was surprised at how much it has grown. There are a lot more shops now, and the outlying areas have grown hugely. Our b&b was in one such residential area, and I was a little disppointed at the setting, but it was very good, if somewhat urban. (I used to know someone who had a cabin north of Whistler about 12 years ago, which was surrounded by trees and not much else. This is not the Whistler of today sadly!)

We went to bed the first night, having planned to go up the mountain the next day. But we woke up to pouring rain, and it didn't stop all day. In fact, it started to get windy in the afternoon, so even with an umbrella, I got fairly soaked. There mountains weren't even visible, and it was just downright dreary. Of course I consoled myself with shopping (although I have suggested window-shopping as an activity, I personally don't 'do' window-shopping - c'mon, if you're going to look, you might as well buy! Well, that's my philosophy anyway). We got back to the b&b in the afternoon to be told that the weather should be ok the next day, so we all agreed we'd go up the mountain in the morning before heading home.

But you guessed it - nature decided she was going to do her own thing. We woke up the next morning to hear there had been a huge rockslide on the highway back down to Vancouver, and the road home had been blocked. Initially, the estimate was the rockslide would be cleared in 24 hours*, but even that was too long for us – we needed to be back home by that evening. The only way home was to take the detour ... now Canada doesn’t do little detours – hell, no! So our detour ended up taking us 7 hours (as opposed to the normal 3 hour journey), going through mountain passes and careening along very winding roads (a bit like a rollercoaster!). Yeah ... say no more.

Actually the scenery was really beautiful, so I did manage to get a few pictures but it was fairly exhausting!

*In the end, it took four days to clear the rockslide and open the road! http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=693269

[Additional note: Looks like Whistler and Blackcomb mountains will be connected come December 2008 with a new gondola called 'Peak to Peak'. Check it out if you're there post December!]

Canada Wanderings ... Vancouver

2008-08-31T12:18:00.000+01:00

Having spent a fair amount of time shopping on Robson Street and going out to clubs in my misspent youth, I have never really thought of Vancouver as a sightseeing destination. Sure it's a beautiful city surrounded by water but what is there to see really? Apparently lots!

Gastown

If you can brave the homeless*, you can take a stroll through Gastown, near Waterfront station. There are lots of opportunities for window shopping, and if your wallet is well-padded, check out the jade shops and other assorted knick-knacks. But be warned, it is pricey! There are also quite a few coffee bars where you can people-watch while you sip a double-shot macchiato with extra foam, or some similar concoction.

(* Note: There are a lot of homeless in Vancouver, seemingly more so than in other cities - there are at least more visible, especially around Gastown and Chinatown. Don't be put off; they will generally ignore you, but if any approach you, be friendly but firm, and they will leave you alone.)

The Gastown steam clock is found about half-way down Water Street (cross-road Cambie St). It's a curious attraction, chiming and bellowing steam every 15 minutes. Many tourists gravitate to it - ok, it is the first steam clock by Raymond Saunders and is one of only a few functioning steam clocks in the world - but I wouldn't say it's a must-see.

Classical Chinese Garden

What is a must-see can be found at the end of Gastown and the beginning of Chinatown: Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. It is a wonderful hidden gem, with intricately designed courtyards and pools of clear water, filled with energetic coy (we wiled away a good 15 min just watching them swimming back and forth!).

There is both a public (i.e., free) and private (i.e., paying) part to the Centre. It is definitely worth the money to go into the centre and see the different rooms, such as the Scholar's Courtyard and Study, the China Maple Hall and the Double Corridor and main courtyard (see above). The pavilion below (or 'ting') can also be found in the centre.

There are regular tours which show you round the centre and explain the designs and reasons behind the different courtyards. Below - looking into the public area with another 'ting' in the background.

Other places to visit ... Robson Street, Vancouver Art Gallery, Hotel Vancouver and the North Shore

If you want to shop for funky clothes, CDs and just have a good mooch, Robson Street has some great shops. It has gone up in price considerably since I first started shopping there (quite a few years ago now!), but if you are coming from the UK, it will still be cheaper ... just!

The Vancouver Art Gallery and Hotel Vancouver are also worth a visit - if only to check out the buildings and surrounding areas. You can pretend you have a room (or floor!) at Hotel Vancouver and waltz through the lobby, check out the exorbitant costs in the hotel shops and laugh at some of the characters really staying there! The Vancouver Art Gallery offers an insight into some of Canada's and BC's artists, including probably the most famous Canadian artist, Emily Carr.

One of the things that I always do every time I visit is take the Seabus across to the North Shore, to Lonsdale Quay. The foot passenger ferry leaves every 15 mins from the Waterfront station and deposits you on the other side of Burrard Inlet at Lonsdale Quay in about 12 mins. It is a great (and cheap!) way to see Vancouver's downtown skyline and catch a glimpse of Stanley Park. Lonsdale Quay also has a fun market-stall atmosphere and, to me, is more accessible and easier to navigate round than Granville Island Market.

Stanley Park

Another must-do in Vancouver is to check out Stanley Park. If you can afford to spend a day there, then rent a bike and ride around the seawall, taking in Lions Gate Bridge, English Bay with its big tankers and tiny sailboats, views of the downtown skyline and the famous totem poles, complete with two (yes two!) cricket pitches. If you're lucky, you can catch a game in the summer-time. The aquarium is also located in the middle of Stanley Park and is worth a visit for the beluga whales - if you're into that sort of thing! But if you just have a short time, at least see the totem poles ... apparently the top attraction in Canada!

Tourist tip!

A friend of mine who lives in Vancouver recommends the tourist trolley. It goes to all the major sites in Vancouver, including Stanley Park and you can hop on and off as much as you like. She recently had some family to stay and sent them off to use the trolley. Their verdict - 'It was so good, we didn't get off. We just went round the whole tour once to see everything. It was great!' There you have it!

Canada Wanderings ... First Post

2008-07-23T19:23:00.000+01:00

I’m currently in Maple Ridge, BC, Canada (about an hour east of Vancouver on the west coast), spending the summer with my family. Two weeks into my trip and I’m getting used to the more laid back approach to life, which Canadians are known for! It definitely helps that the weather has been glorious - bright blue skies with warm sunshine, good for relaxing on the deck and watching the wildlife go about their business. I have forgotten what it’s like to have nature surround you, rather than concrete!

My parents live in the country, in a quiet setting, the only disturbances the odd dog barking and the occasional tractor or dirt bike breaking the sound of chattering birds.

Oh, and I can’t forget about the racoons! A family of racoons has taken up residence in one of the trees near my parents’ house, and they regularly come down the tree to check out what’s going on. We always know they are approaching as they chatter the whole way down! I snapped these pictures of the little babies. Too cute!

There is also at least one bear that lives on the property too (it’s about 26 acres!) but I haven’t seen him yet, although my parents have seen him quite a bit. Here’s a recent photo, taking from the dining room!

So it’s a definite change of scenery from the London landscape!

I’ve taken advantage of the lovely weather and the numerous local trails that are open to the public, obviously keeping an eye out for bears! One such place in Pitt Meadows (the next town over to Maple Ridge) is called Grant Narrows, a trail that loops around the bottom of Pitt Lake with a stunning view of the surrounding local mountains.

My holiday is continuing in the next weeks with visits to Vancouver, Whistler and San Francisco. Stay tuned for more posts!

Lake District Ramblings

2008-05-11T08:47:00.000+01:00

As a photographer, I'm always looking out for courses and new things to learn. Last year, a friend of mine sent me the link to 'Light & Land', a photography-based tour company. After one unsuccessful attempt (the first course was cancelled due to lack of interest), I managed to book on their 'Lake District' tour. It promised amazing photo opportunities, with 2 trained professional photographers who would be able to give one-on-one tuition and really improve your photography skills.

The course was based in Ullswater (below), in a very pretty location. In fact, everywhere we visited in the Lake District was picturesque, despite the unsettled weather.

Unfortunately, that's about as much of the course that was enjoyable! It was a very disorganised tour with no real tuition on the best use of colours, filters, etc. Instead we were given some handouts, and then driven to different places around the Lakes to be left to take our own photos. I did manage to get about half an hour or so of 1:1 tuition on the second day, but otherwise was left to my own devices.

Thankfully I did manage to take a few decent pictures, but I could have done that on my own for a lot less money. I think if you are looking for a decent tutorial-based photography course/tour, then this is not the company for you. If you want a high-priced tour company that will take you to photography locations, then try 'Light and Land' ... but you've been warned!

(Slate colours detail)

General Wanderings

2008-05-05T18:38:00.000+01:00

I've been lucky enough to travel quite a bit while I've been living in London - well, it's such a great base to travel from! Here's a list of the places I've been ...

Belgium – Brussels, Bruges
Croatia – Dubrovnik
Denmark – Copenhagen
Egypt – Cairo, Luxor (Thebes), Aswan, Abu Simbel
France – Paris, Amboise, Giverney (Claude Monet’s Gardens), Carcassonne, Battlefields (Ypres, Vimy Ridge)
Greece – Athens
Iceland – Reykjavik
Italy – Venice, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Siena, Sicily (Palermo)
Jordan – Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum
Malta
Morocco – Marrakech
Netherlands – Amsterdam, Rotherdam
Poland – Warsaw, Krakow
Portugal – Lisbon
Spain – Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, Granada
Sweden – Stockholm
Switzerland – Geneva, Bern, Interlaken, Montreux
Turkey – Istanbul

I've also managed to see some of the UK - more recently the Isle of Wight and the Lake District, but also:

Norfolk
Stratford upon Avon
Scotland (Edinburgh, Stirling, Inverness, Isle of Skye)
Guernsey
Wiltshire
South Devon
The standard tourist city visits of Canterbuy, Oxford, Cambridge and Brighton

My favorite places? Well, that's a hard one actually! I've enjoyed most of the places I've been, but I would have to say that Iceland, Egypt, Jordan and Dubrovnik were absolutely fab!

If you have any questions, or want some tips on what to see on any of the above places, just drop me an email ... claireheaven@hotmail.com.

Warsaw Wanderings

2008-05-05T18:19:00.000+01:00

I spent a few days in Warsaw at the beginning of November last year, just before the winter set in. I was lucky enough to have fairly decent weather, if a bit chilly, and caught the last of the amazing autumn colours on the trees. I really enjoyed Warsaw – it’s a strange mixture of old and new, but it’s definitely worthwhile going for a couple of days, especially to visit the Old Town. This is a summary of some of my highlights …

If you are going to Warsaw, a must-see is Lazienki Park, a sprawling English-type cultured park, full of colourful woods, worn paths and hidden jewels of forgotten palaces. On one side of the park is a monument to Chopin, an interesting bronze sculpture of Chopin playing a piano willow tree. Yes, it is a bit odd!, but also striking, made more so because of the picturesque surroundings. An ornamental round pound capturing reflections of the monument as well as the fiery colours of the threes, and beds of roses circling the pond with many benches scattered around. Free concerts are given in the summer; but in the autumn, there was just the rustle of the leaves on the ground.

In the middle of the park is the Palace on the Water, a grand ole building set, funnily enough, on the water! It actually sits on the Lazienki Lake, on an artificial island. Yet again, a beautiful setting with majestic statues lounging around and ducks making use of the lake. Amazingly enough, I think I only saw about half of the park, but it gave me a glimpse into a time passed when promenading and to be seen were art-forms to aspire to. So strange to think it is a past re-created, as even the park and its palaces were damaged or destroyed in WWII.

This was to be a familiar refrain in the hours to come as everywhere I went I was told about the devastation of the War and how things had been rebuilt. The only other place I have been that had such strong reminders of the War was my recent visit to Sicily. Palermo is the opposite example of the devastations of war, and how Warsaw may have looked today had its people not been so committed to the reconstruction. And sad for Palermo as one can imagine what it could have looked like had the monies not gone into the Mafia’s pockets!

Visiting the Old Town is like being transported back in time as well. Had it not been for the dress and the odd car, we would have been! Artists dotted the square displaying their wares, and horse-drawn carriages waiting impatiently for their next passengers. The square itself is cobble-stoned with attractive and grand old-style buildings on every side. Painted rainbow colours, the buildings contributed to a very pleasant atmosphere. I’m sure that in the summer, it would be very easy to wile away the hours in the sun, people-watching. If you want a slightly different view of the Old Town, make the dizzying and breathless climb up St Anne’s Tower, just on the edge of the Castle Square. You get a fantastic view of the square below and surrounding area.

Of course, no trip to Warsaw would be complete without paying respect and tribute to the Jews’ ordeal in the War. Apparently at the start of WWII, 30% of Warsaw’s population were Jews. Today only about 2,000 Jews live in the city. I found that it was quite difficult to find remnants of what the Jewish quarter was like, but then most of it was destroyed in the War. There are two monuments that are worth visiting though – the Monument to the Heroes of the Ghetto and the monument at the Umschlagplatz. They are both quite difficult to find and you would probably need to take a guided tour to find them. The Monument to the Heroes of the Ghetto is a tribute to the Jews who rose up against the Nazis in 1943, and the second monument marks the spot where 300,000 Jews were transported to the concentration camps. (Source: Berlitz Poland 2007).

If you’re looking for an evening excursion, you can opt to spend an enjoyable evening listening to the music of Chopin. Back at the Palace on the Water, in Lakienki Park, I was able to get tickets to a rather intimate piano concert of some of Chopin’s work. The setting was beautiful: there were about 20 of us in a small mirrored room in the ground floor of the Palace. The room was decorated with smooth life-like ivory statues and reliefs, and two large fireplaces at either end of the room. Each of the fire mantelpieces was supported by two statues, one of which was a three-headed dog – it was a bit strange, but all added to the ambience. Although I felt the pianist was a little too heavy-handed with the pieces she played, the evening was enjoyable, and ended with a brief starry walk through part of the park to get back to the bus. Magical.

For more information, check out the Warsaw Wiki.

Creation of my blog

2008-03-23T07:54:00.000Z

You may (or may not!) be wondering why I've posted my Paris Wanderings now, over 2.5 years later. Believe it or not, I've never thought of combining my writing, photography and travel in one place before. (I am normally fairly intelligent, but this one definitely caught me in one of my dumber moments!)

My epiphany came in the form of Crysse Morrison, a warm and wonderfully giving person, who teaches weekend writing courses (see Crysse's website for more info). I was fortunate enough to take Crysse's writing course last weekend at The Grange, where she kick-started my inspiration and started me thinking about blogs.

And so here I am! My Paris Wanderings is the first trip where I actively kept a journal. I will continue to add thoughts on some of my other trips, as well as general ramblings about living in London.

Happy reading!

Paris Wanderings

2008-03-22T13:50:00.000Z

In August of 2005, I decided to spend a week in Paris, relaxing and taking in the sights. I had already been to Paris on three other occasions, but this was to be the most time I would spend in Paris, and gave me the opportunity to explore at a leisurely pace, as well as take some time to write about my visit. Here are some of the highlights ...

Paris Wanderings ... Monday

2008-03-22T13:39:00.000Z

Paris – I’m here! Disembarking from the prompt Eurostar at Gare du Nord, I quickly made my way to the taxi rank and my rather interesting Chinese French driver took me at break-neck speed to my hotel.

Wow. My mouth dropped open as soon as I walked into the entrance. Now, I could get used to this. I was greeted by the receptionist, who signed me in and then personally took me up to my room. What service. (Well, this is a four star hotel you know.) We walked through the lobby, to a second lobby which opened into the bar and then another bar. “I’m going to get lost in this place”, I thought.

We finally made it to my room and I tried to contain my gasp of surprise at the size of it. The bed was huge; I think Snow White and all the seven dwarves could have fit in it. The bathroom was modern and sleek. There was also a separate area with a table and sofa to lounge on. Fantastic. I looked out the window and the view was just what I would have expected in Paris. Rooftops as only found in Paris and cobbled inner courtyards with tables and flowers. I found myself unwinding and getting into the holiday mode. So much to see, so much to do, where can I go to take pictures?!!

The afternoon hadn’t cleared up at all, but it was still fairly warm outside, so I decided to go for a walk down to Notre Dame. Where else are you going to go on your first day in Paris? Walking out of my hotel, I realised the location was brilliant; just across from the Jardin de Tuilleries and beside the Louvre. Yes, I had a huge grin on my face. I couldn’t believe how long I had stayed away from Paris. It was great to be back.

I took one of the many stairs by one of the many bridges down to the river, and walked along the Seine. There were a fair amount of people walking, but there were ten times more people on the river. There were boats crammed with camera-toting, psychedelically-dressed tourists, going by every few minutes. I enjoyed walking along the river path. It’s a great way to see the buildings from a slightly different angle. And slightly dangerous too! There are no railings between the path and the river, so you have to keep your wits about you, otherwise you could end up getting very wet.

You also need to keep an eye out on the path for dog droppings. Dogs are highly regarded in Paris and many of the citizens have little yappy dogs. The owners, however, do not believe in picking up dog shit. Maybe they think it’s lucky. But thankfully there was little dog shit on the path I was using, so my shoes were safe.

When I reached Notre Dame, I sat down on one of the stone benches and just took in the beauty of the building. The side façade with the dominating rose window is lovely, but it’s the attention to detail that is amazing. And those great gargoyles! The cathedral really does exude its own personality … the essence of the place alongside the river, mixed with its rich history definitely makes it one of the great landmarks of Paris.

My tummy was rumbling by this stage, so I thought I would stop at a café. But have you ever noticed in Paris that all the cafes seem to be located by busy intersections or along busy roads? I suppose it’s for maximum exposure; to be seen is the ultimate Parisian compliment. But I do prefer my coffee without diesel, thank you. So I opted for a road-side vendor and crepe to go.

Now being in Paris and having taken 5 years of French, I thought I should at least try to order in French. I successfully ordered my crepe, but I think I did it with such a North American accent, he immediately identified I was foreign. He asked me if I wanted the crepe with or without “vingere”. I had no idea what that was. OK, rule of thumb, if you don’t know, say no. So he started laughing, and proceeded to pretend to cut his finger over my crepe, saying “you sure? No finger?” Aaahh, comprehension. He was actually speaking English. Must get my translator fixed.

Gooey hot chocolate and banana crepe in hand, I walked into one of the Louvre courtyards and sat down to eat my dinner. I managed to eat most of my crepe, and only got a bit of chocolate on me. Result! A great start to my visit in Paris ...

Paris Wanderings ... Tuesday

2008-03-22T13:22:00.000Z

St Suplice is quoted in the Da Vinci Code, and as I had just finished reading it for the second time, I was curious to see it. Well, the fountain outside is quite grand with lions and faces spewing water. However, other than the Rose Line that runs through the church, I didn’t think it had a patch on Salisbury Cathedral (in Wiltshire, England). OK, I know it’s comparing a cathedral to a church, but I have high standards. Amazing though how many people made a beeline for the Rose Line when I was there. Dan Brown has definitely done something for the tourism of the place.

From the church, I walked to Jardin de Luxembourg, which is pretty fantastic. By this stage, the sun was high in the clear blue sky, and the French bathers had come out to brown their already wrinkly bodies. Quite a spectacle. Besides the bathers, there is the lovely de Medici fountain which flows into a big pool of clear water, surrounded by a leafy grove of trees and bushes. It was so peaceful sitting by the fountain and watching the goldfish and ducks splash around in the water.

As it was getting quite hot at this stage, I decided to get a cold drink from one of the little canteens dotted around the park. I came up behind an elderly couple trying to purchase some drinks and food with a 50 euro note. The lady behind the counter looked absolutely horrified, and very strongly gestured that this would not do.

The elderly lady turned to her husband in obvious distress and said “But this is all I have, George!”

Aah, Americans. I should have guessed. I could see that they were at a stalemate, and the only way I could get my drink was to get them out of the queue. I offered my assistance graciously (as ever) and gave them about 50 cents, which meant they could pay for their meal with some smaller bills the husband had managed to scrounge in his bag.

“Oh thank you!” gushed the elderly lady. The lady behind the counter also gave me a tired smile, so I knew that would stand me in good stead when it came to order my drink.

Anyway, I, being polite, replied “You’re welcome.”

“Oh, you’re American!” the elderly lady’s eyes lit up.

“No, actually I’m Canadian.” Well, that was not what they were expecting. The couple looked me up and down, and scurried away rather quickly. I think maybe they were intimidated.

In the afternoon, I returned to my hotel and decided to check out the courtyard, which had tantalisingly beckoned me when I had checked in the day before. Finding no one in the courtyard or a sign saying guests could go outside, I went up to the little bar in the hotel to enquire.

Pointing outside and gesturing, I said, “Can I sit out there? Can I get a drink as well?”

“Oui, of course, Madame.” Hmmm, wasn’t that easy?

“Great, can I get a coffee, actually a cappuccino?” Nodding heads seemed to indicate I had made my order, so I went outside and sat down.

Five minutes later, a waiter arrived … with a coffee and a cappuccino. “Your coffees, Madame.”

Well, not quite what I was after, but in the end, I felt I must drink both of them. A lesson in being literal with the French!

Paris Wanderings ... Wednesday

2008-03-22T13:14:00.000Z

Just a short walk from the hotel, I found a lovely tea room called Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli. Their main claim to fame is their amazing cakes, but thankfully they also served a rather good breakfast. The highlight for me was the hot chocolate. Just what you envision Parisian hot chocolate to be like: thick rich real chocolate that could almost be used for chocolate sauce over ice cream. I dunked my bread instead which brought back memories of past trips to Paris. It was heaven. I would have loved to stay there, but Paris was calling me, so I was off after taking a last wistful glance at all the cakes.

I took the Metro to Bastille Place, and having navigated rather a lot of traffic (remnants of Arc de Triomphe but on a lesser scale), I made my way to Place de Vosges. This square is where Victor Hugo had a house for a time and is said to be the prettiest square in the world. Well, I’m not sure if I would say that. It is very aesthetically laid out, complete with a shirtless Parisian mowing grass while smoking a cigarette. He was living on the edge; I would certainly not have had a lit cigarette that close to gasoline!

Looking around the rest of the square, I felt there wasn’t a huge amount of atmosphere. It is also a rather closed in-space as it is surrounded on all four sides by buildings. I sat down to enjoy the square but the shirtless Parisian was putting me off (not a pretty sight), so it was time to move on. I headed towards Ile de Cite as the weather was absolutely gorgeous: blue sky with a lovely light breeze. I managed to take in the pseudo-beach of Paris, complete with sand and palm trees in little boxes on wheels (now that’s cool). It was certainly a spectacle and very busy with people sunning themselves against a backdrop of thumping dance music. I expected the bathers to suddenly get up and start jumping around.

I left them to it, and strolled along the streets of Ile de Cite looking at the beautiful houses with boxes of red flowers brimming over the side of balconies. I thought I should try to act Parisian (I did say try!) and nosed round the many galleries of the main Avenue. And yes I bought something. After looking at some beautiful (rather expensive) bronze statues in a couple of shops, I found a small (rather less expensive!) bronze figure, mimicking Rodin’s ‘Thinker’. I was very pleased with myself!

I took advantage of the blue sky and went to have another look at Notre Dame. On the opposite side to Notre Dame, a man was playing his saxophone by the river. It was such a “Paris Moment” looking at Notre Dame with wafts of jazz in the air. But by this time, it was getting a bit hot so I decided to go back to the hotel for a much needed quiet break and a coffee (only one this time). I did some writing while drinking my coffee and watching the sun creep across the courtyard. I started to feel like I was neglecting the lovely weather though, so I made my way back outside and sat in the Tuilleries Gardens watching the world go by.

It’s amazing watching the Parisians “do the park”; it’s a culture! Most of the hardcore bathers are baking like drying terracotta clay pots in the sun. Those that weren’t, were lounging around on chairs and benches. Now remember in France it is sacrilege to sit on the grass, so there are these ancient metal green chairs placed about the park. Of course there aren’t enough of them and never in the place you want one. But the Parisians have it down to an art form. They identify the best areas for crowd watching, sun/shade, and general views; then scan the already occupied chairs to assess who is most likely to leave first. As soon as a bum leaves a seat, the race is on! Who will get there first? I wiled away an amusing afternoon watching the spectacle.

Later on, I made my way to the Louvre to take advantage of the late evening opening. The museum was not as I remembered it. It’s not hugely well laid-out and sometimes you have to go through whole exhibitions to get to another part of the building. But it is amazing at how much art the Louvre contains; there’s just no way to see it all in one go, so you have to pick your areas wisely. I headed to the Egyptian Collection first, which is fantastic.

And of course I had to check out the Mona Lisa. I did see it the last time I was there but all I remember is people and a dark room. Well, the people are still there, flashing away. And Mona Lisa just stares back with that little smirk on her face. Leo must be laughing along side her. His other paintings are certainly intriguing, and have almost no one standing in front of them. He seems to recreate that knowing smile in a lot of his paintings, often accompanied by a pointing finger. It’s either a huge conspiracy or a huge joke.

By the time I had made my way through the many halls and throngs of people, my feet were seriously starting to hurt. It hadn’t helped that I got lost at one point and ended up coming across a statue from Easter Island. It actually reminded me of the Mona Lisa; same enigmatic expression, making you wonder what secrets it has witnessed. Anyway, I made my way down to Michaelangelo’s slaves on my way out, and I’m so glad I did. His sculptures are exquisite. His attention to detail in the form of the body is so life-like. No, I’m not being vulgar! But you can imagine his statues suddenly flexing their muscles and walking off to get a cappuccino.

Paris Wanderings ... Thursday

2008-03-22T12:58:00.000Z

I got up early to take advantage of the early morning light in Montmartre. I walked to Place de la Madeleine, which I thought was a complete hole in the wall. Apparently the best and most expensive shops are found here. God only knows why.

I hopped on the Metro to Abbesses in Montmartre for the funicular. Being that it was so early in the morning, there was no one at the ticket counter. No problem, I’ll just use my stash of metro tickets. Aahh, I’d just used my last one. That’s OK, I’ll just buy another one from the ticket machine. Out of service. Hmmm. I looked up at the fifty million steps climbing the hill beside the funicular and gave a big sigh. Nothing to do but climb.

Well, I made it half-way, then decided to take a little detour along the streets. And it was lovely. It gave me a chance to see some of the neighbourhood with the soft early morning light creating shadows along the winding cobble-stone streets. I am definitely staying in Montmartre the next time I come to Paris.

I must say once again, the light is absolutely fantastic in Paris. Even up to 9.30am, the light is so soft and muted. I guess it’s the pollution and the heat haze, but it has a marvellous effect. I can see why so many artists are taken with Paris. So, you can image, being an avid photographer, I was very happy clicking away, until my stomach started to rumble. I stopped for breakfast at a little café around the corner from Sacre Coeur. The café was open to the morning air, which was lovely, and I gazed out onto the streets to see artists plying their trade. Little did I know I would be the next victim.

As I left the café, I was accosted by Patrick, a salt and pepper whiskery, alcohol- and cigarette-smelling (in a nice way though) French artist. He was probably about 60, wearing an assortment of casual clothes with a dinner jacket over top and was utterly charming. He spoke very good English and if he is to be believed (which he isn’t), he had lived in London for ten years. We got chatting and he said he wanted to draw me. Well, who am I to say no? I unfortunately didn’t have any money on me, having spent it all on my breakfast (and that darn bronze sculpture). He said he wanted it for his personal collection because I was different. I asked if that was good or bad, and he just smiled. I’m not entirely sure how to take that! Anyway, after he finished drawing me, which was actually fairly good, he invited me for a drink in the evening. French men are so predictable, especially the older ones!

Leaving Patrick to accost the next gullible female, I walked around a bit more but the tourists were turning up in droves (don’t you just hate that?!), so I made my way to the Musee Marmottan – Claude Monet, which was quite a bit out of the way, in a lovely area called Passy. It’s a fairly residential area with a lot of leafy green parks.

I must admit, my first impressions were “what a waste of time”. The museum is housed in an old mansion and it isn’t obvious where all the Monet paintings are hiding. But I eventually found my way downstairs to a very modern and airy basement, which is filled with Monets. It was brilliant. Most of the works have been donated by his son, Michel, so you can imagine how precious they must have been to be kept in the family. I stayed there for a while, just sitting and looking at his paintings, especially a couple he’d painted of the gardens at Giverny.

In the afternoon, I made my way to the wonderful Musee Rodin. It is a very well kept museum, with a small but stately home and some rather extensive gardens. Rodin’s larger sculptures can be found dotted around the gardens, and the house is filled to the brim with smaller sculptures and the very well-known ones. I spent a long time in the gardens, moving from bench to bench as the shade moved round.

Rodin, what an amazing artistic talent; his sculptures are so beautiful. They come out of the rock so magically and emotionally. His sculptures’ hands are so exquisite as well; so life-like. I actually found a bronze sculpture recreating the sculpture. It was lovely, but at 200 euros, I thought it was probably a bit out of my price range. Next time!

Paris Wanderings ... Friday ... end of visit

2008-03-22T12:52:00.000Z

And so my visit to Paris has come to an end. I was booked on the Eurostar back to Waterloo station in London, which would mean I would have to leave Paris behind. As I thought of my wanderings this past week, a smile lingered on my tired face. I had enjoyed myself more than I thought I would, given that I had already been to the city several times. And so with a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower through my taxi window as we wound through the streets of Paris to the train station, I bid this wonderful city farewell … for now at least.