I got to Lyon during their annual Festival of Lights - a 4-day party filled with lights in celebration of the Virgin Mary. I arrived at the train station, not knowing about the festival, thinking I would just find the metro - not usually hard from the train station - look at the map of the trams, find the one I needed and be off. I had a very limited map of the town, I knew which metro stop I needed, and had walking directions to the hostel from there. I was going to pick up a better map of Lyon at the hostel. That should have been enough, right? Not during the festival, it's not. It took me over an hour and a half to get from the train station to the hostel, including 2 Very Long lines for the Metro, a cabbie laughing when I told him where I wanted to go - they had shut down the center of town and no traffic could go in or out, and yet another long line for the funicular (gondola) up the hill.
By the time I finally got to the hostel, the last thing I wanted was to leave again, but I did need to find some dinner. However, I decided I was done with metros and funiculars for the night. I set off on foot to find a restaurant. I was in luck, there was a good looking place at the bottom of the hill, which meant a walk back uphill after dinner. On the way back, I caught a little piece of the amazing light show. From my spot up on the hill, I could also see the thousands of people that were in town for the Festival. Wow!!
The next day I saw the Notre Dame Basilica in Lyon and The Roman Theatre. They were both pretty cool, but I knew I was off to Rome soon and would see more. Most of my time in Lyon was spent wandering around Vieux Lyon (Old Town) and fighting the crowds. This is what traveling during the summer months must be like. I think I will stick with my off-season travels, thank you! Next stop - Venice!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Nice, France
Ahhhh, the French Riviera. Oh, but wait. While on the train this morning, I discovered I left my ipod at the hostel in Carcassonne. I know exactly where I left it, too, on top of the storage cupboard next to the top bunk I was on. Now what? Well, I could have them mail it to Rome - my home base for the holidays, but then I won't have it for the next month and I don't know where I am staying yet in Rome (the nice part of traveling off season, no need to make reservations anywhere). I could just buy a new one, but my itunes is on the laptop in Colorado and my tablet won't let me download itunes, so that means Mom would have to download the music from my laptop to the new ipod and then send that out to me. Or I could spend and extra day taking a train back to Carcassonne after Nice, before I head to Lyon. I decide this is the best option. Now to enjoy Nice.
The hotel I wanted to stay in was closed until January, so I went to the hostel instead, which took me through some rough looking neighborhoods. Not what I would have expected to see in The Riviera. I had envisioned the whole Riviera as a ritzy, glam area. While there is that, for sure, it also has its rough spots. I just made sure to find the bigger streets to get to my destinations after dark.
I took a stroll up and down the main drag which is lined with shops I expected to find here - Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, etc. Then I headed for the promenade. I walked most of the 4 mile stretch just taking it all in. The beach is very different, all rocks and no sand, so I stayed up on the promenade.
The next day was a day trip to Monaco. I started in the area known as Monacoville (a relation to Whoville perhaps?) where I got to see the Prince's palace, then the cathedral. Yes, I have seen a lot of cathedrals, but this is the one where Grace Kelly wed Prince Rainier. The current prince of Monaco is their son, Albert. I walked through a cool garden on my way down the hill to the waterfront. No beaches here, just a harbor filled with some really big boats. I walked through the Christmas Market on the waterfront. Lots of good food to choose from, then did some people watching at the ice rink that had been set up. There were a few pretty good skaters out there, teenagers mostly, which made me wonder what their school schedule is like, seeing as it was 1:30 on a Wednesday afternoon in the beginning of December and the rink was filled with young teens. Hmmmmm?
Next up was to check out the casino. You can't come to Monaco and not see the casino. Although, due to the dress code (I dressed as nice as I could, but living out of a backpack limits my choices) and the fact that I am not a serious gambler (one look at our friendly poker nights with friends will attest to that) I just stayed in the front area with the slots. Besides, it was way too early for the big spenders to be playing in the back areas anyways. Besides, you had to pay a cover charge to get back there, even just to look around without gambling. After losing my 20 Euros (the limit I had set for myself) I was forced to call it an afternoon and head back to Nice.
Once back in Nice, I took a short stroll down the promenade to watch the sunset. I love seeing sunsets from such wonderful places. The next day it was back to Carcassonne to collect the ipod, stay the night, then head to Lyon, my last stop in France.
The hotel I wanted to stay in was closed until January, so I went to the hostel instead, which took me through some rough looking neighborhoods. Not what I would have expected to see in The Riviera. I had envisioned the whole Riviera as a ritzy, glam area. While there is that, for sure, it also has its rough spots. I just made sure to find the bigger streets to get to my destinations after dark.
I took a stroll up and down the main drag which is lined with shops I expected to find here - Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, etc. Then I headed for the promenade. I walked most of the 4 mile stretch just taking it all in. The beach is very different, all rocks and no sand, so I stayed up on the promenade.
The next day was a day trip to Monaco. I started in the area known as Monacoville (a relation to Whoville perhaps?) where I got to see the Prince's palace, then the cathedral. Yes, I have seen a lot of cathedrals, but this is the one where Grace Kelly wed Prince Rainier. The current prince of Monaco is their son, Albert. I walked through a cool garden on my way down the hill to the waterfront. No beaches here, just a harbor filled with some really big boats. I walked through the Christmas Market on the waterfront. Lots of good food to choose from, then did some people watching at the ice rink that had been set up. There were a few pretty good skaters out there, teenagers mostly, which made me wonder what their school schedule is like, seeing as it was 1:30 on a Wednesday afternoon in the beginning of December and the rink was filled with young teens. Hmmmmm?
Next up was to check out the casino. You can't come to Monaco and not see the casino. Although, due to the dress code (I dressed as nice as I could, but living out of a backpack limits my choices) and the fact that I am not a serious gambler (one look at our friendly poker nights with friends will attest to that) I just stayed in the front area with the slots. Besides, it was way too early for the big spenders to be playing in the back areas anyways. Besides, you had to pay a cover charge to get back there, even just to look around without gambling. After losing my 20 Euros (the limit I had set for myself) I was forced to call it an afternoon and head back to Nice.
Once back in Nice, I took a short stroll down the promenade to watch the sunset. I love seeing sunsets from such wonderful places. The next day it was back to Carcassonne to collect the ipod, stay the night, then head to Lyon, my last stop in France.
Carcassone, France
There wasn't much to this medieval city, except a long walk uphill to get to the hostel. I walked the walls of the old town, passed way too many souvenir shops, and ate some forgettable food. I stayed in La Cite (the old part of town atop the hill) hoping to get wrapped up in the medieval Renaissance. It didn't work for me. Oh well, it was really just a stop over between Spain and The French Riviera. Maybe I have just seen enough cobbled streets, fortress walls, and stones from the 14th century on this trip. Time to move on to the next town. :)
Barcelona, Spain
Note to self - night trains are better than night buses, but still not all that great. My train car had 2 sets of bunks and nothing else. The bunks were so low that you couldn't sit up, so your only choices were to lie down (for the entire trip) or go to the dinning car. But what to do with your luggage? Leave it and risk it not being there when you return, or lug it with you to the dinning car through aisles that are not wide enough for you to wear the pack which means you are carrying it in front of you. I stayed in the bunk and attempted to read. My neck is a little cramped now.
My hostel said they were on the beach and they are! After finding the hostel and dropping the pack off, it was off to see the city. I strolled through the central square and main street, and sat in the sun at Placa de Catalunya. Evidently this is also where many of the homeless come for sunshine as I saw several throughout the square. Then I strolled through the neighborhoods to the cathedral. The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting on the beach watching the sun go down and trying to avoid the people walking the beach selling sarongs and the Asian women selling massages. I think they were foot and lower leg massages, but I wasn't going to find out. Besides, I think I am beginning to rival Kitty in the leg hair department. :) But I wear pants everyday and the hostel showers are not very conducive to shaving your legs. There are times I fight just to get the shampoo out of my hair, let alone try to shave. Kitty, you would be proud!
The next day was a packed one. Seeing as it was the first Sunday of the month, many of the city's sites were free, which also means they will be crowded. I started with Sangrada Familia (Holy Family Church), which turned out to be my favorite church I have seen. It was mostly built and designed by Antonio Gaudi; this church was different than most of the others I have seen. Most churches are dark and cold and many smell dusty. The Sangrada Familia was bright and warm, very light and modern in design. This is, in part, due to Gaudi's plan for the church. He wanted to incorporate light into the building, in many different ways. And the church isn't even completed yet. Gaudi started it in 1883. The construction continues and is expected to continue for another 25 years. Just amazing! I want to come back when it's finished to see the completed vision.
The afternoon was spent at the Picasso Museum, fighting the long line to get in and the crowds inside. The museum took a chronological look at Picasso and his work. I found I liked Picasso's earlier works, mostly portraits done when he was 13, better than his later work. I guess I am just not one for abstract art.
So, with that, I said Adios to Spain (at least for now), and traveled back to France where another language switch awaited.
My hostel said they were on the beach and they are! After finding the hostel and dropping the pack off, it was off to see the city. I strolled through the central square and main street, and sat in the sun at Placa de Catalunya. Evidently this is also where many of the homeless come for sunshine as I saw several throughout the square. Then I strolled through the neighborhoods to the cathedral. The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting on the beach watching the sun go down and trying to avoid the people walking the beach selling sarongs and the Asian women selling massages. I think they were foot and lower leg massages, but I wasn't going to find out. Besides, I think I am beginning to rival Kitty in the leg hair department. :) But I wear pants everyday and the hostel showers are not very conducive to shaving your legs. There are times I fight just to get the shampoo out of my hair, let alone try to shave. Kitty, you would be proud!
The next day was a packed one. Seeing as it was the first Sunday of the month, many of the city's sites were free, which also means they will be crowded. I started with Sangrada Familia (Holy Family Church), which turned out to be my favorite church I have seen. It was mostly built and designed by Antonio Gaudi; this church was different than most of the others I have seen. Most churches are dark and cold and many smell dusty. The Sangrada Familia was bright and warm, very light and modern in design. This is, in part, due to Gaudi's plan for the church. He wanted to incorporate light into the building, in many different ways. And the church isn't even completed yet. Gaudi started it in 1883. The construction continues and is expected to continue for another 25 years. Just amazing! I want to come back when it's finished to see the completed vision.
The afternoon was spent at the Picasso Museum, fighting the long line to get in and the crowds inside. The museum took a chronological look at Picasso and his work. I found I liked Picasso's earlier works, mostly portraits done when he was 13, better than his later work. I guess I am just not one for abstract art.
So, with that, I said Adios to Spain (at least for now), and traveled back to France where another language switch awaited.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada, Spain
Southern Spain - so much to see in such a short time. I grouped these three together since I only stayed one night in each town.
I took the night bus from Lisbon to Sevilla (they didn't have a train). It didn't make for a very good night's sleep and I got into Sevilla at 5:30am. I had directions to the hostel (hoping to drop off the pack and get organized for the day), so I decided I could walk, even if it was early in the morning. I got about 1/2 block and reason set it (more like I heard mom freaking out because I walked that early in the morning in the dark). I turned around and got a taxi to the hostel. I was able to store my bag and crashed for about 2 hours on the couch in the common room. The best sleep I had all night.
Then it was off to lose myself in the neighborhoods for awhile. I spent the afternoon in the cathedral. It's in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the largest area. And that it does. The organ has 7,000 pipes (hence the random picture I found on my camera later). And I couldn't leave without a picture of Columbus's tomb. I mean, Columbus was a true hero - at least wasn't that what they taught us in our American schools? In the treasury I found a statue with a golden crown filled with jewels, including the world's largest pearl. It sounds to me like Sevilla is trying really hard to compete with more famous cities like Madrid and Barcelona by putting itself on the map somehow.
My next stop was Cordoba. With its orange tree lined streets, I couldn't help but think of Rick and I picking oranges from Grandmommie's orange tree in the backyard. Both of us climbing to the highest branches we could, to reach the oranges.
Cordoba's biggest attraction is the Mezquita, a mosque turned cathedral. The mosque survives on the outer portions of the building while smack in the middle is the cathedral. It was very interesting to walk through both parts comparing and contrasting the two styles. Light, dark, lively, reflective, loud, quiet, muted, colorful. Interesting.
Then it was off to Granada. You can really see the Moorish/Islamic influence in this town. The walkways to the hostel were lined with Islamic shops with incense burning and hookahs going. The first day I toured the town, saw the statue of Columbus and Queen Isabel, and spent some time people watching from Plaza Nueva. Then it was off to the Royal Chapel and the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel. Next was the cathedral (yes, another one). I think I am about cathedraled out.
The next day was the Alhambra, what brings most people to Granada. The greatest part about traveling in the off season - no ticket lines or reservations needed for the big sights. I just walked up, got my ticket (there was only one other person in line) and walked right onto the grounds. Amazing! Especially since this great Moorish palace is said to get 8,000 visitors a day.
There were four parts to the Alhambra. My favorite was the Palacios Nazaries - the Moorish palace. The Generalife Gardens were great, but it had started to drizzle. Not a good thing when you are walking outside through gardens.
I was on the night train to Barcelona, so I spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening chilling in the common room of the hostel. I met Gabe who lives in Berkely and is interested in moving to Colorado. He had been working for his uncle in Portugal in construction and had been traveling around. We had a great, long conversation about life. He was debating on going back to Morroco where he met and fell for a girl in the Peace Corp, or traveling to Colorado. I think by the end of the conversation I had him convinced to come to Colorado. And as much as it pained me, he had Boulder written all over him. I tried to sell him on the merits of Fort Collins, but I think he is just a Boulderite by heart.
And then I almost missed my train! Stupid 24 hour clock, it messes me up every time! Thanks Rick, for pushing me to check my departure time and do the math again. I sprang for the taxi instead of walking to the station and made it. Thank you, bro!
I took the night bus from Lisbon to Sevilla (they didn't have a train). It didn't make for a very good night's sleep and I got into Sevilla at 5:30am. I had directions to the hostel (hoping to drop off the pack and get organized for the day), so I decided I could walk, even if it was early in the morning. I got about 1/2 block and reason set it (more like I heard mom freaking out because I walked that early in the morning in the dark). I turned around and got a taxi to the hostel. I was able to store my bag and crashed for about 2 hours on the couch in the common room. The best sleep I had all night.
Then it was off to lose myself in the neighborhoods for awhile. I spent the afternoon in the cathedral. It's in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the largest area. And that it does. The organ has 7,000 pipes (hence the random picture I found on my camera later). And I couldn't leave without a picture of Columbus's tomb. I mean, Columbus was a true hero - at least wasn't that what they taught us in our American schools? In the treasury I found a statue with a golden crown filled with jewels, including the world's largest pearl. It sounds to me like Sevilla is trying really hard to compete with more famous cities like Madrid and Barcelona by putting itself on the map somehow.
My next stop was Cordoba. With its orange tree lined streets, I couldn't help but think of Rick and I picking oranges from Grandmommie's orange tree in the backyard. Both of us climbing to the highest branches we could, to reach the oranges.
Cordoba's biggest attraction is the Mezquita, a mosque turned cathedral. The mosque survives on the outer portions of the building while smack in the middle is the cathedral. It was very interesting to walk through both parts comparing and contrasting the two styles. Light, dark, lively, reflective, loud, quiet, muted, colorful. Interesting.
Then it was off to Granada. You can really see the Moorish/Islamic influence in this town. The walkways to the hostel were lined with Islamic shops with incense burning and hookahs going. The first day I toured the town, saw the statue of Columbus and Queen Isabel, and spent some time people watching from Plaza Nueva. Then it was off to the Royal Chapel and the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel. Next was the cathedral (yes, another one). I think I am about cathedraled out.
The next day was the Alhambra, what brings most people to Granada. The greatest part about traveling in the off season - no ticket lines or reservations needed for the big sights. I just walked up, got my ticket (there was only one other person in line) and walked right onto the grounds. Amazing! Especially since this great Moorish palace is said to get 8,000 visitors a day.
There were four parts to the Alhambra. My favorite was the Palacios Nazaries - the Moorish palace. The Generalife Gardens were great, but it had started to drizzle. Not a good thing when you are walking outside through gardens.
I was on the night train to Barcelona, so I spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening chilling in the common room of the hostel. I met Gabe who lives in Berkely and is interested in moving to Colorado. He had been working for his uncle in Portugal in construction and had been traveling around. We had a great, long conversation about life. He was debating on going back to Morroco where he met and fell for a girl in the Peace Corp, or traveling to Colorado. I think by the end of the conversation I had him convinced to come to Colorado. And as much as it pained me, he had Boulder written all over him. I tried to sell him on the merits of Fort Collins, but I think he is just a Boulderite by heart.
And then I almost missed my train! Stupid 24 hour clock, it messes me up every time! Thanks Rick, for pushing me to check my departure time and do the math again. I sprang for the taxi instead of walking to the station and made it. Thank you, bro!
Lisbon, Portugal
Another long day of traveling, this time by bus. I like trains much better than busses I am finding out. I get into town and find a taxi, my limited map didn't even show where my hostel was, so there was no way I could walk there. I showed the name of the hostel and the address to the driver and he has no idea where it is. Great! He asks another cabbie, gets directions, and we are off. We had to stop 3 different times for more directions, but he finally got me there.
The hostel may have been hard to find, but it was well worth it. One of the best I have stayed in. The staff was so friendly, introducing themselves and remembering my name when they greeted me each time they saw me. The common room was filled with people coming and going and willing to talk with others. The hostel has 3 buildings in the area and that night they had all 3 chefs together creating various Italian dishes for dinner that night. It was a great night, and I had a 4-person room all to myself.
Lisbon is very similar to San Francisco. It's very hilly, the bridge looks like the Golden Gate (same builders I found out), and it even has trollies. The town is on the water, but doesn't have the wharfs and piers of San Fran; no sea lions either.
The main touristy area was leveld in the 1755 earthquake - another similarity to San Fran. When they rebuilt the area, they fit it to a nice grid making it very easy to get around. The other touristy area I visited was much harder to navigate. Streets that twist and turn and change names frequently, hills that seem to end, but don't, and a map that didn't list all the steets made this area a challenge.
I may have only gotten to see one city in Portugal, however my bus ride showed me a lot of the country itself.
The hostel may have been hard to find, but it was well worth it. One of the best I have stayed in. The staff was so friendly, introducing themselves and remembering my name when they greeted me each time they saw me. The common room was filled with people coming and going and willing to talk with others. The hostel has 3 buildings in the area and that night they had all 3 chefs together creating various Italian dishes for dinner that night. It was a great night, and I had a 4-person room all to myself.
Lisbon is very similar to San Francisco. It's very hilly, the bridge looks like the Golden Gate (same builders I found out), and it even has trollies. The town is on the water, but doesn't have the wharfs and piers of San Fran; no sea lions either.
The main touristy area was leveld in the 1755 earthquake - another similarity to San Fran. When they rebuilt the area, they fit it to a nice grid making it very easy to get around. The other touristy area I visited was much harder to navigate. Streets that twist and turn and change names frequently, hills that seem to end, but don't, and a map that didn't list all the steets made this area a challenge.
I may have only gotten to see one city in Portugal, however my bus ride showed me a lot of the country itself.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
I spent most of my Thanksgiving on a train to Santiago. It was dark when I got into town (not hard to do in the winter, plus it was an 11 hour ride), so I took my first taxi of this trip. I haven't been in a car for 6 weeks. Strange, seeing as my life seemed to have revolved around my car back in the States. Ok, it wasn't quite that bad, but it is definitely different here.
Santiago de Compostela is known as the end of the camino de Santiago. Since the Middle Ages pilgrims have walked or ridden horses across Northern Spain to pay homage to the remains of St. James. The cathedral has almost a mystical feel to it. Maybe it's just the weary and worn out pilgrims that are so full of excitment to finally have made it. There were a few milling about as I was there. The cathedral is the main site to this town, so I spent the rest of my time wandering through strees in the main area of town.
I feasted on grilled prawns for my Thanksgiving dinner, with their heads still on, I might add. I still can't get used to that one. The tv behind the bar at the restaurant had on a story about traditional American Thanksgiving meals being served in parts of Spain. Mostly in bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona. I couldn't understand all of it, they talk so fast! I got a couple of words and the pictures shown on the screen. I guess I always thought of Thanksgiving as an American holiday and one that the rest of the world wouldn't really care about. Evidently not.
And Black Friday is widespread as well. The paper in the cafe the next morning was full of ads for Black Friday sales. They even called it Black Friday. Weird. I always knew of Black Friday as the day after Thanksgiving. But if you don´t celebrate Thanksgiving, how do you know when Black Friday is? Do they know it as the last Friday in November? Hmmm.
Santiago de Compostela is known as the end of the camino de Santiago. Since the Middle Ages pilgrims have walked or ridden horses across Northern Spain to pay homage to the remains of St. James. The cathedral has almost a mystical feel to it. Maybe it's just the weary and worn out pilgrims that are so full of excitment to finally have made it. There were a few milling about as I was there. The cathedral is the main site to this town, so I spent the rest of my time wandering through strees in the main area of town.
I feasted on grilled prawns for my Thanksgiving dinner, with their heads still on, I might add. I still can't get used to that one. The tv behind the bar at the restaurant had on a story about traditional American Thanksgiving meals being served in parts of Spain. Mostly in bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona. I couldn't understand all of it, they talk so fast! I got a couple of words and the pictures shown on the screen. I guess I always thought of Thanksgiving as an American holiday and one that the rest of the world wouldn't really care about. Evidently not.
And Black Friday is widespread as well. The paper in the cafe the next morning was full of ads for Black Friday sales. They even called it Black Friday. Weird. I always knew of Black Friday as the day after Thanksgiving. But if you don´t celebrate Thanksgiving, how do you know when Black Friday is? Do they know it as the last Friday in November? Hmmm.
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