Think that would work as a song title? I doubt it. Just doesn't have that necessary ring to it, does it?
Anyway, I'm now in Firenze. Arrived this afternoon. Took a later train than I originally planned. More on that later. Here is an update on Saturday and Sunday in Rome.
Saturday turned out to be pretty fair weather. At the start. I went to the Trevi fountain first. Another song title comes to mind that also probably won't make it, "Three Coins in the Fountain". What do you think? The fountain is really nice. The biggest and most elaborate I can remember ever seeing. I did toss coins over my shoulder, the first so I'd come back to Rome, the second as a wish. At least that's what I'm told the order should be.
From there, I went to the Piazza San Estuchio (sp?) for a coffee in the cafe of the same name. I'd been told the best coffee in Rome could be had there. The owner disagreed. He said it was the best in the world. I had a Gran Cappucino, not my regular coffee, so I can't comment on quality, except to say that I enjoyed it.
Then on for a walk along the Tiber river. I had a somewhat risque story I was going to tell, but discretion being ..., I won't. The Tiber was --- the Tiber. Can't say much for or agin' it.
Then on by the Circus Maximus, which is a big open area for jogging, exercising dogs, etc. It was much more in the early Roman days, I guess, but not much is said about it now. The real reason for going there was that it was on the way to the Forum.
The Forum is something to see. Probably at least 1/2 mile long and 1/4 wide, with all kinds of ruins from ancient Roma. Quite a feeling to wander through it, and realize how much history took place as a result of decisions made there. Not quite the same feeling as I had in Athens at the Acropolis, but along the same line.
On the way back to the hotel, I passed in front of "St. Paul at the Wall" Anglican Church. I mention the name only because it strikes me as a strange name for a church. Moving on. Outside they were selling tickets to the Opera "La Traviata" to be performed there latter that evening. I'd intended to see it, so went ahead and got my ticket. As it started to rain. And continued, hard, for the rest of the night.
Decided it started too early to eat beforehand, so I made a dinner reservation for later. I'd heard that Italians eat late, but wasn't sure, so I had a conversation, if that's what it can be called,between a head waiter who didn't speak any better English than I do Italian, but we agreed I'd show up at 11 PM. I wasn't certain they'd still be open. They were, and busy as could be when I got there.
Back to the Opera, La Traviata. I did enjoy it, but I must say that a church is not the venue for an opera. The orchestra is between the barely raised stage and the audience, so the conductor masked everything that went on center stage. And the lady in front of me, the archetype for a bobble head, took care of the rest of the view. La Traviata isn't easy to follow, even with the program which did outline the story. I think Don Giovanni tells a better visual story for the novice.
So on to Sunday. Decided to get cash from the ATM. First two I tried told me something I think meant that the phone lines were down. The third one worked perfectly, except that id didn't give me any cash. A receipt saying it did, but no cash. I called the 800 number and, one I got past the recording, someone told me to call my own bank as soon as they realized I didn't speak Italian. SO I had the hotel receptionist, who also didn't speak English, to call them and make them listen to me. Got someone who spoke English, and he said to go to the bank when they opened in the morning. It was their problem.
My plans were to leave for Florence Monday at 10:55. I didn't know if I could resolve it in the amount of time available, so I changed my reservation. That was a pleasant surprise. Stood in a line of about 15 people, and was at the window in less than 10 minutes. The clerk just wrote me a new ticket for the train I wanted, no charge, and sent me on my way.
As fate would have it, the bank opened at 8:30 on Monday, and it took me all of 5 minutes to get a credit back into my account. All's well that ends well, but this is another of those funny later on, but not while it's happening things.
Back to Sunday. I went to the Diocletian Baths, one of the sites listed as not to miss in all the literature. Saw the museum, one section with the contents of a large burial site somewhere near Rome. The second was on epigraphy, or the various writings of ancient times. Neither thrilled me. Then a courtyard with some statues around the periphery. Where were the baths? Closed for the last year and a half, never to open again. All the artifacts have been moved to other museums or stored.
So on to the the main museum in Rome, name of which I can't remember. That was pretty interesting. There was a very nice display of tapestries, which I didn't think I'd care too much about, but did. Then a number of paintings by Italian masters. What I liked most was the statuary. I guess I'm a 3D kind of person when it comes to art.
And that about did it for Rome, in the time I had. Sure is a lot to come back to, as I know I missed a lot.
The train ride here was nice. Pretty scenery, when we weren't in a tunnel. Lots of rain recently. Some of the farmland was really flooded. I'm in a hotel near the train station. Walked to the city center to look around, had dinner, and now it's time to close and turn in for the nite.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Friday, November 25, 2005
Rome, Transit Strikes, Early Closings and Rain
In spite of all that, I still like the place. To get you past wondering what I'm talking about, I'll talk about it. Today was the day for the Vatican Museum. So I decided on the metro to get there. Turns out there was a 4 hour transit strike today, starting as I was about to go down to the metro. So walk it was. (Italian Keyboard, so forgive my errors in punctuation).
I got to the museum just before noon, so I figured I had the rest of the day there. Decided the Sistine Chapel was the most talked about, so I went that way. Just as I felt I'd seen enough of it and was about to move on to the rest of the museum, the security folks started herding everyone out. Turns out that from Nov. thru Mar, they close at 1:45 PM. I can understand a bit earlier in winter, but 1:45? So I'll have to try again either tomorrow or Sunday, if I don't find something I'd rather see.
Since I was in the area, I decided to re-do St. Peter's Basilica. Ate lunch in an outdoor cafe, and sure enough, it started to rain, and has been ever since. Into each life...... But the Basilica was really nice. I went around the circuit three times.
They wouldn't let me in at the security checkpoint because of my pocket knife. At the museum, (and other places on this trip) they let me check it, but the guard told me to throw it in a trash can if I wanted to get in. I found a convenient niche in one of the marble columns and hid it there instead.
So that's today in a nutshell, except for the ATM that scared me. It wouldn't let me have any money, and said to contact my bank. Before I panicked too badly, I found another ATM that worked fine. Don't scare me like that, please. I've been without plastic before on this trip, and it' not fun.
I do have to say that I was really impressed with the Sistine Chapel. Quite something to behold, even with the stiff neck from looking up so much of the time. Being a novice, I didn't know that the frescoes on the walls weren't the work of Michelangelo. I thought he did the entire Chapel. Of course, I don't remember the artists who did the rest. When I first entered, I thought there were draperies along the walls. Turns out they are painted on the walls. Some realism! Photos allowed in all the exhibit rooms leading to the Chapel, but not in it. Guess I'll have to buy a postcard.
Back to yesterday, Thanksgiving. I decided since it was nice and sunny, it would be a good day to walk around and see some of the more memorable churches. First was Santa Maria Maggiore, which was nice. But then I got to St. Giovanni de Laterano. That was really something to behold! Not as large, but I almost think it rivals St. Peter's. Somewhat different in style, but really wonderful. I lit candles for all those I've lost in my adult life, starting with Shirley and ending with Stefan. Of course, the candles are electric bulbs that turn on when you drop a coin in the slot, but the intent was there.
The next two churches on my list were closed for refurbishment, and I found myself at the Colosseum, so that took care of the rest of the day. Again, I'm at a loss for descriptive words, so I'll just have to repeat myself and say it really is impressive. And I learned one thing I had no idea about. The floor that the gladiators fought on was made of wood, with sand spread over it. And the wood was the roof for a number of chambers underneath. They were the dressing rooms, as it were, for the gladiators, and storage, etc. Also, the gladiators trained on a field some ways away form the Colosseum. They got to the Colosseum through tunnels that ended in these chambers. I probably saw/learned all of that in Spartacus, The Gladiator, or Mr. ??? (help me classmates) History class, but sure did forget it.
I do have to say something about being a tourist in Rome. You can turn down just about any street and find something of interest. There isn't any one specific historic area, and no area that seems dedicated to just modern times. They all simply blend together. Have to say I like it. The city isn't as intimidating as you might think from looking at a map, either. A 30 to 45 minute walk can get you from the center to just about any point of interest, in my opinion. Of course, the map reading takes more than a little work.
I'm certain there are a number of places I'll have thought about seeing and not had time when I leave. And innumerable ones I hadn't thought of.
One criticism of Rome's tourism services. They don't have much in the way of general info available beyond a map with places of interest identified (in Italian) but nothing on what they are about, just a name. There are many pamphlets that get very detailed about certain places. But nothing in between. The best I've seen, at least meeting my needs, was the info map provided in Athens.
Trivia time. I talked to lady from Minnesota at the hotel. She's touring Italy with her daughters. Turns out she is from Faribault, MN, which is the home town of my father, and residence of one of my three surviving aunts. Small world.
I think I passed through a time/space warp, or whatever you Sci-Fi buffs call it, on the flight from Athens to Rome. I haven't met a single Aussie here in 4 plus days. That's virtually unbelievable.
Lastly, and this is a good thing, from my perspective. No stray dogs or cats, or at least not in numbers enough to be counted. I like that.
So that's it for tonight.
I got to the museum just before noon, so I figured I had the rest of the day there. Decided the Sistine Chapel was the most talked about, so I went that way. Just as I felt I'd seen enough of it and was about to move on to the rest of the museum, the security folks started herding everyone out. Turns out that from Nov. thru Mar, they close at 1:45 PM. I can understand a bit earlier in winter, but 1:45? So I'll have to try again either tomorrow or Sunday, if I don't find something I'd rather see.
Since I was in the area, I decided to re-do St. Peter's Basilica. Ate lunch in an outdoor cafe, and sure enough, it started to rain, and has been ever since. Into each life...... But the Basilica was really nice. I went around the circuit three times.
They wouldn't let me in at the security checkpoint because of my pocket knife. At the museum, (and other places on this trip) they let me check it, but the guard told me to throw it in a trash can if I wanted to get in. I found a convenient niche in one of the marble columns and hid it there instead.
So that's today in a nutshell, except for the ATM that scared me. It wouldn't let me have any money, and said to contact my bank. Before I panicked too badly, I found another ATM that worked fine. Don't scare me like that, please. I've been without plastic before on this trip, and it' not fun.
I do have to say that I was really impressed with the Sistine Chapel. Quite something to behold, even with the stiff neck from looking up so much of the time. Being a novice, I didn't know that the frescoes on the walls weren't the work of Michelangelo. I thought he did the entire Chapel. Of course, I don't remember the artists who did the rest. When I first entered, I thought there were draperies along the walls. Turns out they are painted on the walls. Some realism! Photos allowed in all the exhibit rooms leading to the Chapel, but not in it. Guess I'll have to buy a postcard.
Back to yesterday, Thanksgiving. I decided since it was nice and sunny, it would be a good day to walk around and see some of the more memorable churches. First was Santa Maria Maggiore, which was nice. But then I got to St. Giovanni de Laterano. That was really something to behold! Not as large, but I almost think it rivals St. Peter's. Somewhat different in style, but really wonderful. I lit candles for all those I've lost in my adult life, starting with Shirley and ending with Stefan. Of course, the candles are electric bulbs that turn on when you drop a coin in the slot, but the intent was there.
The next two churches on my list were closed for refurbishment, and I found myself at the Colosseum, so that took care of the rest of the day. Again, I'm at a loss for descriptive words, so I'll just have to repeat myself and say it really is impressive. And I learned one thing I had no idea about. The floor that the gladiators fought on was made of wood, with sand spread over it. And the wood was the roof for a number of chambers underneath. They were the dressing rooms, as it were, for the gladiators, and storage, etc. Also, the gladiators trained on a field some ways away form the Colosseum. They got to the Colosseum through tunnels that ended in these chambers. I probably saw/learned all of that in Spartacus, The Gladiator, or Mr. ??? (help me classmates) History class, but sure did forget it.
I do have to say something about being a tourist in Rome. You can turn down just about any street and find something of interest. There isn't any one specific historic area, and no area that seems dedicated to just modern times. They all simply blend together. Have to say I like it. The city isn't as intimidating as you might think from looking at a map, either. A 30 to 45 minute walk can get you from the center to just about any point of interest, in my opinion. Of course, the map reading takes more than a little work.
I'm certain there are a number of places I'll have thought about seeing and not had time when I leave. And innumerable ones I hadn't thought of.
One criticism of Rome's tourism services. They don't have much in the way of general info available beyond a map with places of interest identified (in Italian) but nothing on what they are about, just a name. There are many pamphlets that get very detailed about certain places. But nothing in between. The best I've seen, at least meeting my needs, was the info map provided in Athens.
Trivia time. I talked to lady from Minnesota at the hotel. She's touring Italy with her daughters. Turns out she is from Faribault, MN, which is the home town of my father, and residence of one of my three surviving aunts. Small world.
I think I passed through a time/space warp, or whatever you Sci-Fi buffs call it, on the flight from Athens to Rome. I haven't met a single Aussie here in 4 plus days. That's virtually unbelievable.
Lastly, and this is a good thing, from my perspective. No stray dogs or cats, or at least not in numbers enough to be counted. I like that.
So that's it for tonight.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
And I really mean it.
Hope you all have/had awonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.I had a turkey and french fry sandwich (yes, french fries in the sandwich, nuff said) for lunch in honor of the occasion, and a really nice Italian dinner.
Hope you all have/had awonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.I had a turkey and french fry sandwich (yes, french fries in the sandwich, nuff said) for lunch in honor of the occasion, and a really nice Italian dinner.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Rome, or maybe Roma is more appropriate
Yep, here I am in Roma. Arrived on schedule on Monday evening. I was really congratulating myself on what a great job I was doing of getting around successfully. Took the metro to the airport in Athens, and after pestering the poor security lady a number of times about whether this was the train to the airport,it finally was. Of course she was right all along. Just be patient and have faith.
At the airport,, check in was a breeze. Also no passport control. Had a seat to myself on the flight to Rome, and just relaxed. When we arrived, I found there was no passport control either, so no Italian stamp as yet. I guess EU country to EU country doesn't require it. Although that wasn't the case in some other EU border crossings. Who knows?
I only had a five minute wait for the metro into Rome. By now I was feeling pretty good about my navigational abilities. Never let your faith in yourself take control. I left the train station and started the walk (5 or 6 blocks) to the hotel. Had trouble locating street signs, but that's OK, I can count intersections.
Didn't take long to realize I was hopelessly lost. Finally (tough to do, since I'm a guy) I asked directions. Of course, he couldn't speak English. But eventually I got back to the train station, and asked again. Turns out I left by the south exit, and should have left by the north exit. So an hour late, I checked into the hotel.
The next day, Tuesday, was the usual walk around and get the bearings. Turned out I saw a number of the sights I'd hoped to see while here. Of course, I'll go back for more, as this was just get acquainted time. But for starters, I saw Piazza Venezia, the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and St. Peter's Square and Basilica. And many lesser sights between these. All very impressive. In a different way, which I can't define, than the effect Athens had on me.
While at the Vatican, I took the trip up to the dome. I didn't realize that the sign at the base meant 320 steps IN ADDITION to the elevator ride in order to get to the cupola. I thought it meant 320 steps OR the elevator. That just gets you to the base of the dome. Which is a ways up in itself.
The 320 steps don't give you the option of turning around, either. There isn't room for that on the narrowest circular stairway I've ever been on. But once you are there, you have a marvelous view of Rome! I was there right about sunset, so I hope I have some pretty nice photos. Once again, I was deleting earlier shots, to make room for more.
After the cupola and dome, I walked around inside the base of the Basilica. I'm really going to have to go back there. It was almost 5:00 PM, ans the evening mass started, so I stayed for mass. 1st time I've been on this trip, sad to say. But at least I did it at a memorable place.
By then, it was time to head back to the hotel. Decided I'd done enough walking for the day, a lot more than I'd planned on. So I took the metro back. Same station, but I knew north from south, so I got out all right. As it turns out, the west exit is best.
On the way to the hotel, I decided on a pizza for supper. The salads are still huge, by the way, but no cucs here. And I learned something about Italian pizza. If the menu doesn't say pomadoro (tomato, I think) then there won't be any pomodoro on the pizza. I prefer the Americanized version, where you can always count on tomato and cheese unless you specifically tell them you don' want it. Live and learn. From now on it'll be pasta. Wish me luck.
While at the Vatican, I found out that the Pope has an audience every Wednesday at 10:00 AM. So I ate breakfast as early as they open at the hotel, and rode the metro back to the Vatican. That in itself was an experience, as it was rush hour. I've seen pictures of subway crushes, but this was my first experience. With what's happened on this trip, I kept one hand on my wallet at all times, and my camera was in an inside, zipped pocket (as was my wallet). Some crowd on the metro!
But I arrived in time. Turns out you need a ticket to get into the seating area, but I arrived early enough to get in the first row behind the barrier, so I had as good a spot as possible, sans ticket.
The Cardinals came out promptly at ten, and by then, I felt pretty good about getting there when I did. The crowd behind me was quite large. The Pope actually came out at about 10:20 or so, in the Popemobile. But with no protective screen. I was much to far away to get a view of him then, but they had monitors around.
He gave a sermon in Italian (I think). Then all the groups who were in attendance were recognized by him with a short speech in their language, or at least in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish. There was one group there from Stanley, ND.
After the formal ceremony, while the crowd dispersed, he greeted some special groups in person. I was able to move into the reserved seating area for this, and eventually got to within probably 30 or 40 yards of him. I did record his English language speech, so if anyone wants a copy, let me know, and I'll make you one when I get home.
After that, I walked to the Piazza Spagna, and looked for a charming little restaurant for lunch. Didn't find the charming part, but I did have lunch. Another area to go back to before I leave. Turns out the poet John Keats spent the last months of his life living in an apartment in the Piazza Spagna. There is a museum there dedicated to him and John Shelley.
So that's about it for tonite. Time to go and find a charming little restaurant for dinner.
At the airport,, check in was a breeze. Also no passport control. Had a seat to myself on the flight to Rome, and just relaxed. When we arrived, I found there was no passport control either, so no Italian stamp as yet. I guess EU country to EU country doesn't require it. Although that wasn't the case in some other EU border crossings. Who knows?
I only had a five minute wait for the metro into Rome. By now I was feeling pretty good about my navigational abilities. Never let your faith in yourself take control. I left the train station and started the walk (5 or 6 blocks) to the hotel. Had trouble locating street signs, but that's OK, I can count intersections.
Didn't take long to realize I was hopelessly lost. Finally (tough to do, since I'm a guy) I asked directions. Of course, he couldn't speak English. But eventually I got back to the train station, and asked again. Turns out I left by the south exit, and should have left by the north exit. So an hour late, I checked into the hotel.
The next day, Tuesday, was the usual walk around and get the bearings. Turned out I saw a number of the sights I'd hoped to see while here. Of course, I'll go back for more, as this was just get acquainted time. But for starters, I saw Piazza Venezia, the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and St. Peter's Square and Basilica. And many lesser sights between these. All very impressive. In a different way, which I can't define, than the effect Athens had on me.
While at the Vatican, I took the trip up to the dome. I didn't realize that the sign at the base meant 320 steps IN ADDITION to the elevator ride in order to get to the cupola. I thought it meant 320 steps OR the elevator. That just gets you to the base of the dome. Which is a ways up in itself.
The 320 steps don't give you the option of turning around, either. There isn't room for that on the narrowest circular stairway I've ever been on. But once you are there, you have a marvelous view of Rome! I was there right about sunset, so I hope I have some pretty nice photos. Once again, I was deleting earlier shots, to make room for more.
After the cupola and dome, I walked around inside the base of the Basilica. I'm really going to have to go back there. It was almost 5:00 PM, ans the evening mass started, so I stayed for mass. 1st time I've been on this trip, sad to say. But at least I did it at a memorable place.
By then, it was time to head back to the hotel. Decided I'd done enough walking for the day, a lot more than I'd planned on. So I took the metro back. Same station, but I knew north from south, so I got out all right. As it turns out, the west exit is best.
On the way to the hotel, I decided on a pizza for supper. The salads are still huge, by the way, but no cucs here. And I learned something about Italian pizza. If the menu doesn't say pomadoro (tomato, I think) then there won't be any pomodoro on the pizza. I prefer the Americanized version, where you can always count on tomato and cheese unless you specifically tell them you don' want it. Live and learn. From now on it'll be pasta. Wish me luck.
While at the Vatican, I found out that the Pope has an audience every Wednesday at 10:00 AM. So I ate breakfast as early as they open at the hotel, and rode the metro back to the Vatican. That in itself was an experience, as it was rush hour. I've seen pictures of subway crushes, but this was my first experience. With what's happened on this trip, I kept one hand on my wallet at all times, and my camera was in an inside, zipped pocket (as was my wallet). Some crowd on the metro!
But I arrived in time. Turns out you need a ticket to get into the seating area, but I arrived early enough to get in the first row behind the barrier, so I had as good a spot as possible, sans ticket.
The Cardinals came out promptly at ten, and by then, I felt pretty good about getting there when I did. The crowd behind me was quite large. The Pope actually came out at about 10:20 or so, in the Popemobile. But with no protective screen. I was much to far away to get a view of him then, but they had monitors around.
He gave a sermon in Italian (I think). Then all the groups who were in attendance were recognized by him with a short speech in their language, or at least in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish. There was one group there from Stanley, ND.
After the formal ceremony, while the crowd dispersed, he greeted some special groups in person. I was able to move into the reserved seating area for this, and eventually got to within probably 30 or 40 yards of him. I did record his English language speech, so if anyone wants a copy, let me know, and I'll make you one when I get home.
After that, I walked to the Piazza Spagna, and looked for a charming little restaurant for lunch. Didn't find the charming part, but I did have lunch. Another area to go back to before I leave. Turns out the poet John Keats spent the last months of his life living in an apartment in the Piazza Spagna. There is a museum there dedicated to him and John Shelley.
So that's about it for tonite. Time to go and find a charming little restaurant for dinner.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
More on Athens (or lots of photos of rocks)
Now it's Sunday evening, and I leave for Rome tomorrow. Athens has been great. It's not a place you'd want to leave early, by any means.
I said I was going to take in the museums on Friday AM, didn't I. But it turned out to be such a lovely day, that I couldn't see spending it indoors. So I took in more of the Archaeological sites. (I love using big words like that, thank heaven for spell check). First I went to Keramikos, an ancient cemetery, but the descriptions made it seem more as another major portion of the original city.
Then on to the Ancient Agora. It was, long ago obviously, the center of business, culture and religion. Nearby was the Thission, or Temple of Hephaestus. Much like the Parthenon at the Acropolis, but somewhat smaller. It is more complete, however.
Those two took care of all the morning, and into the afternoon. Just enough time for a Mcd for lunch (Starbucks muffins for Bfst) and then on to the bus for a really nice drive along the Saronic Gulf coast to Sounio where the Temple of Poseidon is located. Beautiful views of the Aegean Sea and the Saronic Gulf. And the temple ain't half bad. Another multi pillar structure, again like, but smaller than the Parthenon Sounio is the southermost tip of this part of Greece.
Interesting story about the naming of the Aegean Sea, and for those of you who were with me in AU, this isn't a Coober Pedy story, it's as it was told to me. King Agea's son went to Crete to slay the minotaur. The king told him to change the black sails on his ship to white if he was successfull. If he wasn't, only his remains would return, under black sails. The son slayed the minotaur all right, but like most kids, forgot to do everything he was told. Didn't change the sails. So Dad saw the ship coming back with black sails, and was so grief stricken, he plunged into the sea. From a very high cliff. He didn't survive, but they named the sea after him, the Agean Sea.
So much for Friday, except to say I had dinner at---- The Hard Rock Cafe. An all-American day, as far as food went. Although I did order a Greek Mac for lunch, a big Mac on Pita Bread.
So on to Saturday. Took the metro to Pireaus to catch the ferry to Aegina. It was cloudy when I left, but not enough to cause me to take my umbrella or rain hat. Yeah, you guessed it. Nothing more on that subject, except to say that it didn't last all day, and wasn't too bad. I did have a hood on my jacket.
So now I've been to a Greek Isle. Eat your hearts out!!! This one is about the closest to the mainland, but still an isle. The city of Aegina seems to be primarily a fishing village, with, of course, an interest in tourism. The island is noted for it's pistachio nut crop, and I saw plenty of orchards that I assume were pistachios.
I first went to the Achaeological site near town. That was pretty interesting. They have isolated ruins from multiple civilizations beginning around 2500 BC forward through Roman times in the area. In addition to the ruins, some great views of other islands and a beach nearby.
From there I walked through town and out into what passes for the country, or suburbs, I'm not sure. Found some tide pools and looked them over, but no shells or other souvenirs. Then back through the residential area to the main part of town.
Saw a construction project under way. One guy shoveling cement and sand into a cement mixer. On the other side of it, a pile of wet cement had been dumped. The guy there was shoveling it into buckets for the bucket brigade. The bucket brigade hauled it into the building, I guess to pour a floor.
I discovered while on the island that there are at least two types of gyros. The first, in Athens, I sort of expected, meat, some veggies and sauce rolled into a pita bread, and eaten as a sandwich. That's what I ordered for lunch. What I got was a basket of bread, a plate with veggies topped with meat, sauce on the side, and french fries. When in Rome.....
While at lunch, I heard English being spoken. I'm always tuned to that. I think it's a result of traveling alone and not understanding the languages. Anyway, the group I heard it from was from Miami. Later, on the ferry returning to Pireaus, one of them sat in the seat next to me and we had a nice conversation about our trips.
On to today, my last day here. Sunny and windy enough that I decided a morning in the museum wasn't too bad an idea. And it wasn't. The National Archeological Museum was well worth it. That's an understatement. Being Sunday, everything I visited today was free. The museum had a display of pottery starting around 4000 BC, and moving forward into Roman times.
The statuary started around the 6th century BC and had exhibit rooms dedicated to nearly every century since up to maybe the 2nd or 3rd AD. Even my untrained eye could see some of the major differences. Those from the 6th BC weren't nearly as primitive as I had thought. One interesting point. Either the folks in the 6th BC knew something later folks forgot, or they didn't know something the rest did. Those in the 6th BC nearly all were smiling, while I didn't see a smile on anyone after that, except maybe Pan, and his was more a leer.
In the afternoon, I took in several more outdoor sites, which were still interesting, even with as many as I've seen. As I implied in the title, I've taken a lot of photos of rocks. And those ancients really did some fine work. Give me all the tools in Home Depot, a few more from Lowes thrown in, and I still couldn't match the workmanship they did with stone, bronze, and eventually iron age tools.
That's about it for the sights. I still keep on running into Aussies. Two were on the tour I took Wednesday, and they joined me again on Friday. At dinner, Thursday nite, I heard "Thank You"", so turned around and found an Australian lady eating in the booth behind me. So we talked for about half an hour. Those Aussies take long trips. Most Americans I talk to say "That Long?" when they hear about the length of my trip. The Aussies say ""Only that long?". Another one was in the hotel talking to the manager this morning when I left. You folks from Australia sure do get around!!!
A few more time-fillers. There are certainly a lot of motor scooters, motor bikes, ans small motor cycles in Greece. And they don't just drive on the streets, the sidewalks are prime real estate for them.
If you have free time to spend in Athens, have a cup of coffee or tea and just enjoy people watching in Syntagma Square.
In spite of my mistake in not bringing my umbrella on Saturday, I did several things right for this trip. I did bring the umbrella, and have used it, I rainproofed my rain hat, and I bought a pair of waterproof hiking boots as my main footwear for the trip. I remembered all too well the wet feet "Droughbuster Dick" had last year.
And with that thought, I think I'll sign off for now. Next stop, Rome.
I said I was going to take in the museums on Friday AM, didn't I. But it turned out to be such a lovely day, that I couldn't see spending it indoors. So I took in more of the Archaeological sites. (I love using big words like that, thank heaven for spell check). First I went to Keramikos, an ancient cemetery, but the descriptions made it seem more as another major portion of the original city.
Then on to the Ancient Agora. It was, long ago obviously, the center of business, culture and religion. Nearby was the Thission, or Temple of Hephaestus. Much like the Parthenon at the Acropolis, but somewhat smaller. It is more complete, however.
Those two took care of all the morning, and into the afternoon. Just enough time for a Mcd for lunch (Starbucks muffins for Bfst) and then on to the bus for a really nice drive along the Saronic Gulf coast to Sounio where the Temple of Poseidon is located. Beautiful views of the Aegean Sea and the Saronic Gulf. And the temple ain't half bad. Another multi pillar structure, again like, but smaller than the Parthenon Sounio is the southermost tip of this part of Greece.
Interesting story about the naming of the Aegean Sea, and for those of you who were with me in AU, this isn't a Coober Pedy story, it's as it was told to me. King Agea's son went to Crete to slay the minotaur. The king told him to change the black sails on his ship to white if he was successfull. If he wasn't, only his remains would return, under black sails. The son slayed the minotaur all right, but like most kids, forgot to do everything he was told. Didn't change the sails. So Dad saw the ship coming back with black sails, and was so grief stricken, he plunged into the sea. From a very high cliff. He didn't survive, but they named the sea after him, the Agean Sea.
So much for Friday, except to say I had dinner at---- The Hard Rock Cafe. An all-American day, as far as food went. Although I did order a Greek Mac for lunch, a big Mac on Pita Bread.
So on to Saturday. Took the metro to Pireaus to catch the ferry to Aegina. It was cloudy when I left, but not enough to cause me to take my umbrella or rain hat. Yeah, you guessed it. Nothing more on that subject, except to say that it didn't last all day, and wasn't too bad. I did have a hood on my jacket.
So now I've been to a Greek Isle. Eat your hearts out!!! This one is about the closest to the mainland, but still an isle. The city of Aegina seems to be primarily a fishing village, with, of course, an interest in tourism. The island is noted for it's pistachio nut crop, and I saw plenty of orchards that I assume were pistachios.
I first went to the Achaeological site near town. That was pretty interesting. They have isolated ruins from multiple civilizations beginning around 2500 BC forward through Roman times in the area. In addition to the ruins, some great views of other islands and a beach nearby.
From there I walked through town and out into what passes for the country, or suburbs, I'm not sure. Found some tide pools and looked them over, but no shells or other souvenirs. Then back through the residential area to the main part of town.
Saw a construction project under way. One guy shoveling cement and sand into a cement mixer. On the other side of it, a pile of wet cement had been dumped. The guy there was shoveling it into buckets for the bucket brigade. The bucket brigade hauled it into the building, I guess to pour a floor.
I discovered while on the island that there are at least two types of gyros. The first, in Athens, I sort of expected, meat, some veggies and sauce rolled into a pita bread, and eaten as a sandwich. That's what I ordered for lunch. What I got was a basket of bread, a plate with veggies topped with meat, sauce on the side, and french fries. When in Rome.....
While at lunch, I heard English being spoken. I'm always tuned to that. I think it's a result of traveling alone and not understanding the languages. Anyway, the group I heard it from was from Miami. Later, on the ferry returning to Pireaus, one of them sat in the seat next to me and we had a nice conversation about our trips.
On to today, my last day here. Sunny and windy enough that I decided a morning in the museum wasn't too bad an idea. And it wasn't. The National Archeological Museum was well worth it. That's an understatement. Being Sunday, everything I visited today was free. The museum had a display of pottery starting around 4000 BC, and moving forward into Roman times.
The statuary started around the 6th century BC and had exhibit rooms dedicated to nearly every century since up to maybe the 2nd or 3rd AD. Even my untrained eye could see some of the major differences. Those from the 6th BC weren't nearly as primitive as I had thought. One interesting point. Either the folks in the 6th BC knew something later folks forgot, or they didn't know something the rest did. Those in the 6th BC nearly all were smiling, while I didn't see a smile on anyone after that, except maybe Pan, and his was more a leer.
In the afternoon, I took in several more outdoor sites, which were still interesting, even with as many as I've seen. As I implied in the title, I've taken a lot of photos of rocks. And those ancients really did some fine work. Give me all the tools in Home Depot, a few more from Lowes thrown in, and I still couldn't match the workmanship they did with stone, bronze, and eventually iron age tools.
That's about it for the sights. I still keep on running into Aussies. Two were on the tour I took Wednesday, and they joined me again on Friday. At dinner, Thursday nite, I heard "Thank You"", so turned around and found an Australian lady eating in the booth behind me. So we talked for about half an hour. Those Aussies take long trips. Most Americans I talk to say "That Long?" when they hear about the length of my trip. The Aussies say ""Only that long?". Another one was in the hotel talking to the manager this morning when I left. You folks from Australia sure do get around!!!
A few more time-fillers. There are certainly a lot of motor scooters, motor bikes, ans small motor cycles in Greece. And they don't just drive on the streets, the sidewalks are prime real estate for them.
If you have free time to spend in Athens, have a cup of coffee or tea and just enjoy people watching in Syntagma Square.
In spite of my mistake in not bringing my umbrella on Saturday, I did several things right for this trip. I did bring the umbrella, and have used it, I rainproofed my rain hat, and I bought a pair of waterproof hiking boots as my main footwear for the trip. I remembered all too well the wet feet "Droughbuster Dick" had last year.
And with that thought, I think I'll sign off for now. Next stop, Rome.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Athens, Wonderful Place to Visit
Well, here I am in Athens. I flew in on Monday AM, and found my hotel with less trouble than I anticipated. The taxi dropped me off at the start of a pedestrian mall, and said "It's up there" so there wasn't much I could do but walk "up there". Turns out he was right. Not the greatest room, by far, but a nice view from the balcony. Common, not private. But I can see the flower market in the square below, and the Acropolis.
The police Europe aren't much help. in my opinion. I asked two who were standing at the beginning of the mall if this was the right area. They simply ignored me until I went away. Later in the day, I asked 3 on a street corner for directions to the Tourism Center. They pointed down the street and told me the place I wanted was right next to the Parliament building, 3 blocks away. I'd been there, and it wasn't. Turns out it was across the street from them. Maybe not for general directions, but for a Tourism Center, you'd think they'd have a better idea.
You may remember my experiences in Bucharest trying to get directions to the police station. And the cop in Vienna tried his best to talk me out of filing a report on my stolen wallet. They are much better in the US, aren't they, Patti? So much for the complaints.
After checking in, I got my bearings. The Acropolis is not far from where I'm at. I walked up to the entrance, but it was too late to spend much time there, so I didn't go in. But what a sight!
Also, the tourist area of Athens is very near. Street after narrow street of little shops, with all kinds of souvenirs. Lots of restaurants to choose from. Additionally, for those serious shoppers, the cross street, Ermou, a few blocks down from where I'm at, seems to be the classy shopping area of Athens, from what I see in the windows. You ladies would love it. Shoes, clothes, shoes, jewelry, perfume, shoes, accessories, shoes. Even a men's store or two.
Yesterday, I strolled around town for a bit in the morning. An early lunch, and then up to the Acropolis. I spent the entire afternoon there. As usual, I took numerous photos. So many that I was deleting some near the end of the day to make room for more. I wasn't carrying my CD recorder. Maybe I should. Sure do miss the stolen camera. It held more, and when I had it, I also had the one I'm using now as backup.
The first nite here, I had a reasonably good meal, but nothing spectacular. Last nite was different. I enjoyed the dinner so much, I rewarded myself for such a good choice by having baklava for desert. And it was so good, if I'd had room, I'd have rewarded myself for that, as well.
Today I took a trip to Delphi. The first thing I learned was that the "i" is pronounced like the "e" in "me", not the "i" in "I". You all really wanted to know that, didn't you? Or maybe all of you did know, and I'm just catching up. Anyway, the visit was worth it. It seems that the only way to do it is to take one of the tours. Otherwise, it seems pretty hard to get to. And that makes me wonder how it was chosen so many centuries ago as such a sacred place. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been getting there on foot, or horseback, etc. It's way out of the way.
It seems that everywhere I turn in Athens I find another ruin. Or should I say Archaeological site? I think that's more appropriate. I marvel at the work those folks did 2 1/2 and more centuries ago. When I look at the grinding holes in the boulders near home, I'm impressed by the work the native Americans did making those holes over time. With that in mind, seeing all the marble and limestone buildings, statues, pillars, etc. here, I have to believe they were helped by aliens. What a lot of work!!
And unless you want your home to be 20 feet under ground in a few thousand years, you'd better get busy with the dusting. That's how deep many of these sites are. And where does the dust come from? There must be some big holes somewhere on earth that provided the earth to cover these sites.
I have to mention my impression of my first view overlooking the city of Athens. On the way to the Acropolis, on the grounds, as a matter of fact, I noticed a hill that a lot of folks were climbing. So, the herd instinct coming through, I joined them. When I got to the top, I said out loud "WOW!!!" What a city! And from there, all I could see was the northern half. Had to wait till I got to the Acropolis hill itself to see the rest.
Another thought. Why is it that Athens and it's ruins are so clean and spotless in appearance? Most of the rest of the major cities I've visited are dingy and grey. I saw them in some places power spraying the buildings to clean them. Here, it seems everything stays pretty much it's original pastel color. Tis a puzzlement.
You may be able to tell, I'm impressed with Athens. If you ever get the chance to come here, don't pass it up. And make certain you plan on spending as much time as possible. You won't regret it.
That's enough for tonite. Much as I hate to plan ahead, I have to start making reservations for Rome. I'll probably leave for there next Monday. More on Athens tomorrow or Friday Nite.
Into each life a little rain must fall. And I'm making up for lost rain today. Plus bad planning. Woke up to a drizzle, so decided it would be a good museum day. But first, I went to Pireaus, the port for Athens. On Saturday, I plan on taking the ferry to Aeginas, a nearby island. Couldn't visit Greece without one trip to the Greeks Isles, could I? When I got there, it was pouring. But I found out the schedules and prices.
When I returned, the rain had made it to Athens. But museums are inside, right, so not problem? Wrong on two counts. From November to April or so, they close early. 3 PM for the one I wanted to visit. So I can do a museum in 1.5 hours. But today, November 17th, is the 32nd anniversary of a student revolt that got rid of a dictatorship, or so it seems. So there were marches, police by the busload (I counted 6 buses at one location), closed streets and public transportation. Guess what else closed early? I'm not going to say. But the rain let up, so lets try for the archaeological sites I want to visit. Same answer. Next time read the guide book to find out when things open. They all were open in the AM.
So tomorrow AM it's the museum, as early as it opens. In the PM, I'm scheduled for a tour along the coast to the Temple of Poseidon. It was originally scheduled for today, but the demonstrations got in the way, so they moved it out a day.
Weird and crazy thought time. If you ever visit here, or most of eastern Europe for that matter, be prepared to like tomatoes and cucumbers. When you order them, they are very liberal in the portions. And a Greek Salad, at least the one several nites ago, is something to behold. A dinner plate in size. The only lettuce was the minimum amount required by law. The rest was tomatoes, cucs and onions. The Feta cheese was a block 3 by 5 inches and about 1/2 inch thick.
Remember the cats in Istanbul? Must be the proximity to Asia, because now I'm seeing dogs on the loose again. As I did in Sofia. Strange thing here is that most of the dogs have collars and tags. But no apparent owner. Escapees?
The rest of the week is the museum and Poseidon tomorrow, Aegina on Saturday, and finishing up on Sunday. I leave for Rome on Monday afternoon by air.
It seems there was more I wanted to say, but I don't know what it was, so I guess this is goodnite for now.
The police Europe aren't much help. in my opinion. I asked two who were standing at the beginning of the mall if this was the right area. They simply ignored me until I went away. Later in the day, I asked 3 on a street corner for directions to the Tourism Center. They pointed down the street and told me the place I wanted was right next to the Parliament building, 3 blocks away. I'd been there, and it wasn't. Turns out it was across the street from them. Maybe not for general directions, but for a Tourism Center, you'd think they'd have a better idea.
You may remember my experiences in Bucharest trying to get directions to the police station. And the cop in Vienna tried his best to talk me out of filing a report on my stolen wallet. They are much better in the US, aren't they, Patti? So much for the complaints.
After checking in, I got my bearings. The Acropolis is not far from where I'm at. I walked up to the entrance, but it was too late to spend much time there, so I didn't go in. But what a sight!
Also, the tourist area of Athens is very near. Street after narrow street of little shops, with all kinds of souvenirs. Lots of restaurants to choose from. Additionally, for those serious shoppers, the cross street, Ermou, a few blocks down from where I'm at, seems to be the classy shopping area of Athens, from what I see in the windows. You ladies would love it. Shoes, clothes, shoes, jewelry, perfume, shoes, accessories, shoes. Even a men's store or two.
Yesterday, I strolled around town for a bit in the morning. An early lunch, and then up to the Acropolis. I spent the entire afternoon there. As usual, I took numerous photos. So many that I was deleting some near the end of the day to make room for more. I wasn't carrying my CD recorder. Maybe I should. Sure do miss the stolen camera. It held more, and when I had it, I also had the one I'm using now as backup.
The first nite here, I had a reasonably good meal, but nothing spectacular. Last nite was different. I enjoyed the dinner so much, I rewarded myself for such a good choice by having baklava for desert. And it was so good, if I'd had room, I'd have rewarded myself for that, as well.
Today I took a trip to Delphi. The first thing I learned was that the "i" is pronounced like the "e" in "me", not the "i" in "I". You all really wanted to know that, didn't you? Or maybe all of you did know, and I'm just catching up. Anyway, the visit was worth it. It seems that the only way to do it is to take one of the tours. Otherwise, it seems pretty hard to get to. And that makes me wonder how it was chosen so many centuries ago as such a sacred place. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been getting there on foot, or horseback, etc. It's way out of the way.
It seems that everywhere I turn in Athens I find another ruin. Or should I say Archaeological site? I think that's more appropriate. I marvel at the work those folks did 2 1/2 and more centuries ago. When I look at the grinding holes in the boulders near home, I'm impressed by the work the native Americans did making those holes over time. With that in mind, seeing all the marble and limestone buildings, statues, pillars, etc. here, I have to believe they were helped by aliens. What a lot of work!!
And unless you want your home to be 20 feet under ground in a few thousand years, you'd better get busy with the dusting. That's how deep many of these sites are. And where does the dust come from? There must be some big holes somewhere on earth that provided the earth to cover these sites.
I have to mention my impression of my first view overlooking the city of Athens. On the way to the Acropolis, on the grounds, as a matter of fact, I noticed a hill that a lot of folks were climbing. So, the herd instinct coming through, I joined them. When I got to the top, I said out loud "WOW!!!" What a city! And from there, all I could see was the northern half. Had to wait till I got to the Acropolis hill itself to see the rest.
Another thought. Why is it that Athens and it's ruins are so clean and spotless in appearance? Most of the rest of the major cities I've visited are dingy and grey. I saw them in some places power spraying the buildings to clean them. Here, it seems everything stays pretty much it's original pastel color. Tis a puzzlement.
You may be able to tell, I'm impressed with Athens. If you ever get the chance to come here, don't pass it up. And make certain you plan on spending as much time as possible. You won't regret it.
That's enough for tonite. Much as I hate to plan ahead, I have to start making reservations for Rome. I'll probably leave for there next Monday. More on Athens tomorrow or Friday Nite.
Into each life a little rain must fall. And I'm making up for lost rain today. Plus bad planning. Woke up to a drizzle, so decided it would be a good museum day. But first, I went to Pireaus, the port for Athens. On Saturday, I plan on taking the ferry to Aeginas, a nearby island. Couldn't visit Greece without one trip to the Greeks Isles, could I? When I got there, it was pouring. But I found out the schedules and prices.
When I returned, the rain had made it to Athens. But museums are inside, right, so not problem? Wrong on two counts. From November to April or so, they close early. 3 PM for the one I wanted to visit. So I can do a museum in 1.5 hours. But today, November 17th, is the 32nd anniversary of a student revolt that got rid of a dictatorship, or so it seems. So there were marches, police by the busload (I counted 6 buses at one location), closed streets and public transportation. Guess what else closed early? I'm not going to say. But the rain let up, so lets try for the archaeological sites I want to visit. Same answer. Next time read the guide book to find out when things open. They all were open in the AM.
So tomorrow AM it's the museum, as early as it opens. In the PM, I'm scheduled for a tour along the coast to the Temple of Poseidon. It was originally scheduled for today, but the demonstrations got in the way, so they moved it out a day.
Weird and crazy thought time. If you ever visit here, or most of eastern Europe for that matter, be prepared to like tomatoes and cucumbers. When you order them, they are very liberal in the portions. And a Greek Salad, at least the one several nites ago, is something to behold. A dinner plate in size. The only lettuce was the minimum amount required by law. The rest was tomatoes, cucs and onions. The Feta cheese was a block 3 by 5 inches and about 1/2 inch thick.
Remember the cats in Istanbul? Must be the proximity to Asia, because now I'm seeing dogs on the loose again. As I did in Sofia. Strange thing here is that most of the dogs have collars and tags. But no apparent owner. Escapees?
The rest of the week is the museum and Poseidon tomorrow, Aegina on Saturday, and finishing up on Sunday. I leave for Rome on Monday afternoon by air.
It seems there was more I wanted to say, but I don't know what it was, so I guess this is goodnite for now.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Sofia, a nice place to be
Well, I've had two days here. I probably won't finish this tonite, but I might as well get something written now so it won't take so much time tomorrow.
First a review of things I've forgotten to say in recent postings.
I wanted to visit Gallipoli while in Turkey. Turns out I didn't research it well enough. It's an overnite trip from Istanbul, and I didn't plan for that. Or look into it soon enough once I arrived. I'm really sorry I didn't get there. It's been an objective ever since last year when I saw all the ANZAC memorials, all mentioning Gallipoli.
One of you asked how my digestive system has been holding up. Not bad, with a minor bit of, shall we say, distress. The only thing I've changed in my eating/drinking habits took place in Istanbul. I overheard the clerk in the hotel tell Mike, the AU, that they all drank bottled water. At home, I'd just say "So what." and drink from the tap. But I decided that it might be a good idea to use bottled water myself from now on. And I have been staying away from chicken and eggs, regardless of which came first. Probably not necessary, but with Bird Flu in Romania and Turkey, it may pay off to be careful.
Now to the present.
I feel obligated to mention that today is the anniversary of the day we lost Nick, my grandson. We're all coping, at our own pace. And I really think that's all I'll say, except ask you all to remember him in whatever way you feel comfortable in praying.
I think I said that I arrived here Friday PM and got settled in OK. Wandered as usual, ate dinner, and slept in the coldest room in eastern Europe. Three blankets. But I've figured it out now, and am reasonably comfortable.
On Saturday I found a tour going to the Rila Monastery, several hours from here. It sounded interesting, so I signed up. The write-up said that if you only took one tour in Bulgaria, this should be it. I agree.
Rather than a tour bus, 7 of us went in two cars. When we got to a town near the Monastery, the driver stopped, and the "guide" started asking people for what sounded like directions. He needs help in finding the destination?? No, to my relief, he was trying to find the garage the other car had gone to. Turns out they had problems on the way. But, they were fixed, according to the guide. Just "A minor electrical problem."
On to the Monastery. As I hinted above, it was well worth it. I won't try to describe it. Suffice to say it's in a beautiful mountain setting, and every bit worth the time to see. I have pictures galore, for those really interested. But not till I get home.
The last part of the drive there is really scenic. A narrow canyon, with a river running alongside the road for much of the way. If I had been driving, I'd have stopped at least a dozen times for photo ops. For those of you who know it, it's much like the road between Bakersfield and Lake Isabella. Or maybe the area between Auburn and Tahoe, fewer pines, more decidious (does he know what that means??? or how to spell it??? I hope so) trees.
And nothing ends nicely, does it? On the way back through this beautiful mountain pass, the "minor electrical problem" came back in the second car. After the usual "let's try this, let's try that" a tow strap was produced and we towed the car back to the garage.
About three or so hours later, after a lot more "let's try this, let's try that" a part arrived from the local Auto Zone (NOT) and we were on our way again. The 6 hour round trip turned into about 9.5 to 10 hours. But what the hey, we didn't have anything better to do. Just wish they hadn't been so optimistic for a quick fix, and let us wander around the town we were in. It looked like a pretty interesting Bulgarian small town. Oh Well, next time.
Had a really good dinner near the hostel. They were very busy, (people were eating, this time, not drinking) so they seated me at a table with a couple. They were pretty wrapped up in themselves, so not too much beyond "Hello". But they finished and a threesome sat down. They were a bit more communicative, and I got several good ideas of places of interest in Sofia.
Today, I first got a plane ticket to Athens for Monday. I'd originally planned on stopping in Thessalonika, Greece for several days, but since decided that I'd rather spend the time in Athens. The train trip started at 7:00 AM, changed trains in Thessalonika, and arrived in Athens at about 23:00. I decided to fly, and save my rail pass for day trips or overnite trips to places of interest near Athens.
Then, after a delicious Bulgarian Big Mac for lunch, I wandered the places my friends from the previous nite had recommended. Most were on the local map I had, so I found them with relative (more on that later) ease.
Among others, there were several churches on the list. One of you wished me romance on this trip. Not for me, thanks, but I witnessed romance today. At three of the churches, wedding ceremonies were beginning just as I arrived. I decided to let them have their time in the limelite without a tourist intruding with his ever-present camera during the ceremony, so I'll try again tomorrow. Those of you who suffered through last year's episodes may remember that I was in Brisbane about this time, and ran into two weddings in one day there as well.
I did see quite a few impressive buildings. I'll go back tomorrow to fill in the gaps, and get to a few places I missed.
I went into one building, primarily to find a WC. Turns out it was the National Library. The security guard insisted, after he pointed out the WC, that I see the building. He told me there were 18,000,000 books in the building. So I wandered around the main floor a while. Several rooms full of drawers of index cards. Lots of folks sitting at tables doing research, it appeared.
Had a nice dinner in what appeared to be an authentic Bulgarian restaurant. Looked like local folks there, and the atmosphere was very nice. And I treated myself to a special desert tonite. Dunkin Donuts. Found one on the main drag near here, and couldn't resist. The jelly donuts are great, particularly the blueberry, and the coffee was in a 12 oz. cup!!!
About the local map. The street names on it are all in Bulgarian, obviously. But are printed in the alphabet I'm used to. Howsomever, all the street signs (nearly everything, in fact) are in Cyrillic. I have yet to be able to correlate one to the other. The best I can do is to get an idea where I'm at, and count intersections until I get to where I want to be. And it doesn't always work, believe me. But it's fun to be lost once in a while.
Time to close up for the nite. More tomorrow.
And now it's tomorrow. Decided to walk some of the perimeter of the downtown section to see what there might be to see. About what you'd expect in a big city. Not quite as much traffic today, as it's Sunday, but still plenty. I found the Farmer's Market. About 3 or 4 blocks of produce, meat and clothing for sale. One thing I notice here. The vendors don't try to rope you into their stalls. They pay attention to the customers who show interest, but leave everyone else alone.
I got about half way around when I got to the area I was in yesterday with the churches. So I stopped my circuit, and started re-visiting the places I'd wanted to see more of. Two of the churches I'd visited wouldn't allow photos. With what I'd said about people violating the no photo rule in Istanbul, I could hardly take any pictures could I? But two of the older churches did allow photos.
I also went to two art museums. Quite honestly, I wasn't too impressed. One disappointed me. It was the Bulgarian Ethnological Museum. I expected to see some of the history and culture of the country. But it was just a number of paintings and sculptures by 20th century Bulgarian artists.
And that about sums up my visit to Sofia. I did meet yet another AU this morning. A young lady from Brisbane, my favorite AU city. She went on the Rila Monastery tour. I wished her good luck on the "minor electrical problems". When I got back to the hostel this evening, I met Steve, from Oklahoma. He just arrived this morning from Belgrade. He's about my age, maybe a bit younger. Been in Europe for about a month, with a month to go. His wife doesn't like to be gone for more than several weeks, so he travels alone.
That's about it for now. The next one will be from Athens. Need to go out and get some cash. I find that a lot of places here don't accept credit cards. Also, it seems that the CC companies are charging me a fee on each transaction. I hadn't bothered to do the math until recently, but they aren't just using the basic exchange rate, but about 3 or 4 % more. Live and learn.
That's it for now. See you in Athens.
First a review of things I've forgotten to say in recent postings.
I wanted to visit Gallipoli while in Turkey. Turns out I didn't research it well enough. It's an overnite trip from Istanbul, and I didn't plan for that. Or look into it soon enough once I arrived. I'm really sorry I didn't get there. It's been an objective ever since last year when I saw all the ANZAC memorials, all mentioning Gallipoli.
One of you asked how my digestive system has been holding up. Not bad, with a minor bit of, shall we say, distress. The only thing I've changed in my eating/drinking habits took place in Istanbul. I overheard the clerk in the hotel tell Mike, the AU, that they all drank bottled water. At home, I'd just say "So what." and drink from the tap. But I decided that it might be a good idea to use bottled water myself from now on. And I have been staying away from chicken and eggs, regardless of which came first. Probably not necessary, but with Bird Flu in Romania and Turkey, it may pay off to be careful.
Now to the present.
I feel obligated to mention that today is the anniversary of the day we lost Nick, my grandson. We're all coping, at our own pace. And I really think that's all I'll say, except ask you all to remember him in whatever way you feel comfortable in praying.
I think I said that I arrived here Friday PM and got settled in OK. Wandered as usual, ate dinner, and slept in the coldest room in eastern Europe. Three blankets. But I've figured it out now, and am reasonably comfortable.
On Saturday I found a tour going to the Rila Monastery, several hours from here. It sounded interesting, so I signed up. The write-up said that if you only took one tour in Bulgaria, this should be it. I agree.
Rather than a tour bus, 7 of us went in two cars. When we got to a town near the Monastery, the driver stopped, and the "guide" started asking people for what sounded like directions. He needs help in finding the destination?? No, to my relief, he was trying to find the garage the other car had gone to. Turns out they had problems on the way. But, they were fixed, according to the guide. Just "A minor electrical problem."
On to the Monastery. As I hinted above, it was well worth it. I won't try to describe it. Suffice to say it's in a beautiful mountain setting, and every bit worth the time to see. I have pictures galore, for those really interested. But not till I get home.
The last part of the drive there is really scenic. A narrow canyon, with a river running alongside the road for much of the way. If I had been driving, I'd have stopped at least a dozen times for photo ops. For those of you who know it, it's much like the road between Bakersfield and Lake Isabella. Or maybe the area between Auburn and Tahoe, fewer pines, more decidious (does he know what that means??? or how to spell it??? I hope so) trees.
And nothing ends nicely, does it? On the way back through this beautiful mountain pass, the "minor electrical problem" came back in the second car. After the usual "let's try this, let's try that" a tow strap was produced and we towed the car back to the garage.
About three or so hours later, after a lot more "let's try this, let's try that" a part arrived from the local Auto Zone (NOT) and we were on our way again. The 6 hour round trip turned into about 9.5 to 10 hours. But what the hey, we didn't have anything better to do. Just wish they hadn't been so optimistic for a quick fix, and let us wander around the town we were in. It looked like a pretty interesting Bulgarian small town. Oh Well, next time.
Had a really good dinner near the hostel. They were very busy, (people were eating, this time, not drinking) so they seated me at a table with a couple. They were pretty wrapped up in themselves, so not too much beyond "Hello". But they finished and a threesome sat down. They were a bit more communicative, and I got several good ideas of places of interest in Sofia.
Today, I first got a plane ticket to Athens for Monday. I'd originally planned on stopping in Thessalonika, Greece for several days, but since decided that I'd rather spend the time in Athens. The train trip started at 7:00 AM, changed trains in Thessalonika, and arrived in Athens at about 23:00. I decided to fly, and save my rail pass for day trips or overnite trips to places of interest near Athens.
Then, after a delicious Bulgarian Big Mac for lunch, I wandered the places my friends from the previous nite had recommended. Most were on the local map I had, so I found them with relative (more on that later) ease.
Among others, there were several churches on the list. One of you wished me romance on this trip. Not for me, thanks, but I witnessed romance today. At three of the churches, wedding ceremonies were beginning just as I arrived. I decided to let them have their time in the limelite without a tourist intruding with his ever-present camera during the ceremony, so I'll try again tomorrow. Those of you who suffered through last year's episodes may remember that I was in Brisbane about this time, and ran into two weddings in one day there as well.
I did see quite a few impressive buildings. I'll go back tomorrow to fill in the gaps, and get to a few places I missed.
I went into one building, primarily to find a WC. Turns out it was the National Library. The security guard insisted, after he pointed out the WC, that I see the building. He told me there were 18,000,000 books in the building. So I wandered around the main floor a while. Several rooms full of drawers of index cards. Lots of folks sitting at tables doing research, it appeared.
Had a nice dinner in what appeared to be an authentic Bulgarian restaurant. Looked like local folks there, and the atmosphere was very nice. And I treated myself to a special desert tonite. Dunkin Donuts. Found one on the main drag near here, and couldn't resist. The jelly donuts are great, particularly the blueberry, and the coffee was in a 12 oz. cup!!!
About the local map. The street names on it are all in Bulgarian, obviously. But are printed in the alphabet I'm used to. Howsomever, all the street signs (nearly everything, in fact) are in Cyrillic. I have yet to be able to correlate one to the other. The best I can do is to get an idea where I'm at, and count intersections until I get to where I want to be. And it doesn't always work, believe me. But it's fun to be lost once in a while.
Time to close up for the nite. More tomorrow.
And now it's tomorrow. Decided to walk some of the perimeter of the downtown section to see what there might be to see. About what you'd expect in a big city. Not quite as much traffic today, as it's Sunday, but still plenty. I found the Farmer's Market. About 3 or 4 blocks of produce, meat and clothing for sale. One thing I notice here. The vendors don't try to rope you into their stalls. They pay attention to the customers who show interest, but leave everyone else alone.
I got about half way around when I got to the area I was in yesterday with the churches. So I stopped my circuit, and started re-visiting the places I'd wanted to see more of. Two of the churches I'd visited wouldn't allow photos. With what I'd said about people violating the no photo rule in Istanbul, I could hardly take any pictures could I? But two of the older churches did allow photos.
I also went to two art museums. Quite honestly, I wasn't too impressed. One disappointed me. It was the Bulgarian Ethnological Museum. I expected to see some of the history and culture of the country. But it was just a number of paintings and sculptures by 20th century Bulgarian artists.
And that about sums up my visit to Sofia. I did meet yet another AU this morning. A young lady from Brisbane, my favorite AU city. She went on the Rila Monastery tour. I wished her good luck on the "minor electrical problems". When I got back to the hostel this evening, I met Steve, from Oklahoma. He just arrived this morning from Belgrade. He's about my age, maybe a bit younger. Been in Europe for about a month, with a month to go. His wife doesn't like to be gone for more than several weeks, so he travels alone.
That's about it for now. The next one will be from Athens. Need to go out and get some cash. I find that a lot of places here don't accept credit cards. Also, it seems that the CC companies are charging me a fee on each transaction. I hadn't bothered to do the math until recently, but they aren't just using the basic exchange rate, but about 3 or 4 % more. Live and learn.
That's it for now. See you in Athens.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Final on Istanbul & trip to Sofia
Well, I made it to Sofia, Bulgaria today. Settled into a hostel, and looked over the town a bit.
One more word on Bucharest. One of the things I liked was that it seemed there was a flower vendor on nearly every corner. There has to be something about a place I like.
Recapping the past few days: Monday was a dreary/drizzly day. I went to the Suleyman Mosque. It's the biggest in Instanbul, and second largest in Turkey. Quite impressive, in a much more subtle way than the Blue Mosque. Suleyman's tomb is on the grounds, he and more than a few relatives.
For lunch, I ate at a Turkish fast food place. It was almost a burrito, but no beans. Spicy meat, the "tortilla" was a bit tougher than a burrito, but all in all it wasn't bad.
While looking for a place to eat, I found myself in the Spice Bazaar. So named, I guess, because one in four or five of the stands, it seems, is selling spices of some sort. Not little packages, but one foot square boxes brimming with a spice. And about 30 or 40 boxes on display. The packages they walk away with astound me.
After lunch,I went to the Grand Bazaar. Blocks and blocks all under one roof, selling just about anything you can imagine that's small enough to take with you. Everything from fine gold and silver jewelry to Turkish rugs to any and all kinds of souveniers. And really busy.
I had a really great dinner Monday evening. Superb cheese plate to start things off. Then a main course based on Eggplant (Aubergine, here) Don't know what all went into it, but it was very good. They sure are proud of their beer here, most expensive I've seen on this trip. And this place was even prouder of their coffee. Two coffees cost more than two beers.
On Tuesday, I took a walk along the Marmara Sea coast, which is just down the hill from the Sultanahmet area where I stayed. Then I tried to go to the Topkapi Palace, but found out it was closed on Tuesdays. So I went to the nearby Archeology Museum. Quite a place if you have an interest in archeology, related to the middle east. Lots of interesting displays. They have displays of 10 distinct periods from the city of Troy, as an example.
I left for Sofia on Wednesday, but not until 10:00 PM, so I had the day to tour. First really nice day, sunny and a bit windy. Even wore my lite jacket for the first time in 3 or 4 weeks.
At breakfast, I had a talk with a fellow hotel guest. From AU, of course. He suggested going to the Galata tower, in the newer section of Istanbul, which I did. Great views of the city, and the day was outstanding, as I said.
On the way back, near the train station, I saw a large group of Police, with helmets and shields. There was some sort of demonstration across the street from them. I hung around for a while, but decided that being a tourist, and not speaking the language might not be a good thing if things got testy, so I took off. No idea what it was about.
This time I did get into the Topkapi Palace, which is really a museum now. Lots of Sultan lifestyle things on display. The grounds were the most interesting. I was a bit upset with one aspect, of the attendees, not the museum. One section had a number of artifacts directly tied to Mohammed. At the entrance to it, signs requested respect, and throughout there were reminders not to take photos. People flatly ignored them, and were snapping and flashing away.
I also went through the Hagia Sofia one more time. Didn't have too much time there. It is a place to just marvel at the building and what's left of the original mosaics.
Then a pretty good dinner, and waiting for the train. I stayed in the lobby of the hotel for most of the down time, rather than sit at the train station. A lot more comfortable.
Thanks to a nice ticket agent, I caught the train. I asked him what platform it would be on, and he pointed to the one I thought it was. No train yet, so I went into the waiting room. I was getting a bit nervous, as it was about 15 or so minutes till departure, and no train. He came into the waiting room, and rousted me out. Turns out it was on the platform he indicated, but a long way down, and around a corner. I probably would have found out myself, but with a lot more anxiety.
When we go to the Bulgarian border, we had to go through the passport thing again, only a 2 hour delay this time. And no need for a visa. The Turkish passport guy really looked me over. I guess 9 years, glasses, a beard and crew cut can change a person from what a passport photo shows.
Thoughts about things at random. I mentioned showers in a previous mailing. Want to make a lot of money? Follow this business plan. Get exclusive distribution rights to shower curtains and rods in Europe. Then start a campaign to convince folks over here of the advantages of shower curtains. Then start selling them and watch the money roll in. Almost all of the places I've stayed at don't have shower curtains, even on trips to Germany, France and Belgium in the 90's.
Circular stairways have really been the thing since about Hungary, if memory serves.
Small towns in Hungary and Romania almost always had a pristine church, no matter how poor the town looked. But passing through Bulgaria today, I noticed very few churches.
Turkey is the worlds worst, in my experience, for consistency on stair steps and floor levels. The height of steps will vary withing one flight of steps. The floors from room to room will vary in height as you pass through a door. Tough to get used to.
I think that's enough rambling for tonite.
One more word on Bucharest. One of the things I liked was that it seemed there was a flower vendor on nearly every corner. There has to be something about a place I like.
Recapping the past few days: Monday was a dreary/drizzly day. I went to the Suleyman Mosque. It's the biggest in Instanbul, and second largest in Turkey. Quite impressive, in a much more subtle way than the Blue Mosque. Suleyman's tomb is on the grounds, he and more than a few relatives.
For lunch, I ate at a Turkish fast food place. It was almost a burrito, but no beans. Spicy meat, the "tortilla" was a bit tougher than a burrito, but all in all it wasn't bad.
While looking for a place to eat, I found myself in the Spice Bazaar. So named, I guess, because one in four or five of the stands, it seems, is selling spices of some sort. Not little packages, but one foot square boxes brimming with a spice. And about 30 or 40 boxes on display. The packages they walk away with astound me.
After lunch,I went to the Grand Bazaar. Blocks and blocks all under one roof, selling just about anything you can imagine that's small enough to take with you. Everything from fine gold and silver jewelry to Turkish rugs to any and all kinds of souveniers. And really busy.
I had a really great dinner Monday evening. Superb cheese plate to start things off. Then a main course based on Eggplant (Aubergine, here) Don't know what all went into it, but it was very good. They sure are proud of their beer here, most expensive I've seen on this trip. And this place was even prouder of their coffee. Two coffees cost more than two beers.
On Tuesday, I took a walk along the Marmara Sea coast, which is just down the hill from the Sultanahmet area where I stayed. Then I tried to go to the Topkapi Palace, but found out it was closed on Tuesdays. So I went to the nearby Archeology Museum. Quite a place if you have an interest in archeology, related to the middle east. Lots of interesting displays. They have displays of 10 distinct periods from the city of Troy, as an example.
I left for Sofia on Wednesday, but not until 10:00 PM, so I had the day to tour. First really nice day, sunny and a bit windy. Even wore my lite jacket for the first time in 3 or 4 weeks.
At breakfast, I had a talk with a fellow hotel guest. From AU, of course. He suggested going to the Galata tower, in the newer section of Istanbul, which I did. Great views of the city, and the day was outstanding, as I said.
On the way back, near the train station, I saw a large group of Police, with helmets and shields. There was some sort of demonstration across the street from them. I hung around for a while, but decided that being a tourist, and not speaking the language might not be a good thing if things got testy, so I took off. No idea what it was about.
This time I did get into the Topkapi Palace, which is really a museum now. Lots of Sultan lifestyle things on display. The grounds were the most interesting. I was a bit upset with one aspect, of the attendees, not the museum. One section had a number of artifacts directly tied to Mohammed. At the entrance to it, signs requested respect, and throughout there were reminders not to take photos. People flatly ignored them, and were snapping and flashing away.
I also went through the Hagia Sofia one more time. Didn't have too much time there. It is a place to just marvel at the building and what's left of the original mosaics.
Then a pretty good dinner, and waiting for the train. I stayed in the lobby of the hotel for most of the down time, rather than sit at the train station. A lot more comfortable.
Thanks to a nice ticket agent, I caught the train. I asked him what platform it would be on, and he pointed to the one I thought it was. No train yet, so I went into the waiting room. I was getting a bit nervous, as it was about 15 or so minutes till departure, and no train. He came into the waiting room, and rousted me out. Turns out it was on the platform he indicated, but a long way down, and around a corner. I probably would have found out myself, but with a lot more anxiety.
When we go to the Bulgarian border, we had to go through the passport thing again, only a 2 hour delay this time. And no need for a visa. The Turkish passport guy really looked me over. I guess 9 years, glasses, a beard and crew cut can change a person from what a passport photo shows.
Thoughts about things at random. I mentioned showers in a previous mailing. Want to make a lot of money? Follow this business plan. Get exclusive distribution rights to shower curtains and rods in Europe. Then start a campaign to convince folks over here of the advantages of shower curtains. Then start selling them and watch the money roll in. Almost all of the places I've stayed at don't have shower curtains, even on trips to Germany, France and Belgium in the 90's.
Circular stairways have really been the thing since about Hungary, if memory serves.
Small towns in Hungary and Romania almost always had a pristine church, no matter how poor the town looked. But passing through Bulgaria today, I noticed very few churches.
Turkey is the worlds worst, in my experience, for consistency on stair steps and floor levels. The height of steps will vary withing one flight of steps. The floors from room to room will vary in height as you pass through a door. Tough to get used to.
I think that's enough rambling for tonite.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
İstanbul, Not Constantınople
That's what the song says anyway, and Istanbul ıs all I hear, so I guess ıt's rıght.
After a wakeful train trip, I arrived here safe and sound on Friday AM. The train stopped at the Bulgarian/Turkish border at around 2:30 AM and left at around 5:30 AM. In the interım, I was awakened 4 times. Once for a Bulgarian passport check. Then for a Turkish passport check. Then for another Turkish check, this time off the train. Stood in line until the clerk at the window said to go to another building to get a Visa. Got the Visa, got the passport stamped, went to sleep. Another wake-up call, customs check.
One good thing, I met an AU couple at the Visa window. We got together again when the train fınally started and talked until we arrived in Istanbul. Surprisingly, the hotel met me as they said they would, Even with the train being almost 2 hours late.
Decent hotel, with a 4 poster bed, cable TV (2 chan. in English, most of the Time) and a shower with real doors. More on showers later. Breakfast is served in a rooftop cafe overlooking the Bosphorous/Maramara Sea. Quite nice.
I looked around the area a bit, then went to the train station to make a reservation for Sofıa, Bulgaria. Clerks aren't very talkative. At informatıon, I asked where to get a ticket to Sofıa. 'Window 4'. At window 4 I told him what I wanted, and he wrote down the date I specified to make certain we were on the same wavelength. We were, so he did all the necessary paperwork and said '13.40'. So I paid him, got the reservation and left. Why waste words?
Had a nice dinner in the area where I'm at. It's a very good area for my touristy purposes. Near the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofıa and Topkapi Palace. Nice little area, with several nice budget hotels and several guesthouses and/or hostels. Best Western is sure well represented. At least 4 within walking distance.
Yesterday I took a tour which included a trip to the Spice Bazaar, but it was closed for the end of Ramadan. So we saw a jewelry store instead. Big Deal. Then a boat trip on the Bosphorous which was pretty nice. That was followed by a decent lunch, then a trip to the Dolmabache Palace, which was the last place the Sultans lived before Ataturk took over and democratized the country. They lived quite well.
Had dinner at a place I chose because it looked crowded, when all others weren't. Usually means good food, right? Wrong. In this case, it meant everyone was drinking. But they dusted off a menu, hired a cook, bought some fixings, and got me a decent meal.
Today was another tour, this Tyne of the Hippodrome, which is just a square with a few monuments now, but had glory days in the far past. Then the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofıa, and the Grand Marketplace, which was closed because it's Sunday. So a carpet salesroom. Great carpets, and they know it. I didn't buy one.
On to lunch, which really revealed that the tour was an international affair. Couple from Holland, lady from Kurdıstan, English, French, Spanish, American couple who spoke fluent Dutch, Philippine, Palestinian, and Italian. Our tour was in English and Spanish, but our guide, who was great, spoke 7 languages.
Then to Topkapı Palace. It was the palace until some sultan decided it was too old, and built Dolmabache Palace. Now it's a museum. Then on to Suleıman Mosque. In the next several days, with free Tyne, I'll visit some of these again, as they appear to be pretty interesting.
At dinner tonite, I met a couple from San Antonio. They could meet all your area realty needs, as one was a mortgage broker, and the other was a Realtor. Nice to talk to. Helene, I'll send you there names for Walt.
Now to the trivia: I guess all the dogs in Romania didn't get passports, because all I see here are cats. I'm not a cat lover, as many of you know, but at least they leave me alone. Here at least.
It wasn't the dreary weather that made Bucharest so bad for me. I've only seen the sun for a few hours on Friday after I got here. In fact, I've used my umbrella more than once. And I'm still enjoying myself.
Really nice guy at the Internet cafe. Last nite I checked my email and a few things. When I left, all I had was 20.00 ytls (yeni turk larasi, I can't help but think Yertle the Turtle). He didn't want to make change, so he just told me to pay him later. So I will. When I came back tonite, he didn't even remember.
Money here is a bit of a problem, as the ATM lists it in the old currency. The new ytl is 100,000 to 1, if I remember correctly. But all the bills and prices are in new ytls. Not so in Romania. They have both old (ROL) and new (RON) and you get either or both in change, plus pretty much worthless coins. The old to new ratio is 10,000 to 1. So a 10 RON bill is worth a 100,000 ROL. If you break a 10 RON you might get a mix of 1's and 10,000 bills back. Glad I'm no longer there.
After a wakeful train trip, I arrived here safe and sound on Friday AM. The train stopped at the Bulgarian/Turkish border at around 2:30 AM and left at around 5:30 AM. In the interım, I was awakened 4 times. Once for a Bulgarian passport check. Then for a Turkish passport check. Then for another Turkish check, this time off the train. Stood in line until the clerk at the window said to go to another building to get a Visa. Got the Visa, got the passport stamped, went to sleep. Another wake-up call, customs check.
One good thing, I met an AU couple at the Visa window. We got together again when the train fınally started and talked until we arrived in Istanbul. Surprisingly, the hotel met me as they said they would, Even with the train being almost 2 hours late.
Decent hotel, with a 4 poster bed, cable TV (2 chan. in English, most of the Time) and a shower with real doors. More on showers later. Breakfast is served in a rooftop cafe overlooking the Bosphorous/Maramara Sea. Quite nice.
I looked around the area a bit, then went to the train station to make a reservation for Sofıa, Bulgaria. Clerks aren't very talkative. At informatıon, I asked where to get a ticket to Sofıa. 'Window 4'. At window 4 I told him what I wanted, and he wrote down the date I specified to make certain we were on the same wavelength. We were, so he did all the necessary paperwork and said '13.40'. So I paid him, got the reservation and left. Why waste words?
Had a nice dinner in the area where I'm at. It's a very good area for my touristy purposes. Near the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofıa and Topkapi Palace. Nice little area, with several nice budget hotels and several guesthouses and/or hostels. Best Western is sure well represented. At least 4 within walking distance.
Yesterday I took a tour which included a trip to the Spice Bazaar, but it was closed for the end of Ramadan. So we saw a jewelry store instead. Big Deal. Then a boat trip on the Bosphorous which was pretty nice. That was followed by a decent lunch, then a trip to the Dolmabache Palace, which was the last place the Sultans lived before Ataturk took over and democratized the country. They lived quite well.
Had dinner at a place I chose because it looked crowded, when all others weren't. Usually means good food, right? Wrong. In this case, it meant everyone was drinking. But they dusted off a menu, hired a cook, bought some fixings, and got me a decent meal.
Today was another tour, this Tyne of the Hippodrome, which is just a square with a few monuments now, but had glory days in the far past. Then the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofıa, and the Grand Marketplace, which was closed because it's Sunday. So a carpet salesroom. Great carpets, and they know it. I didn't buy one.
On to lunch, which really revealed that the tour was an international affair. Couple from Holland, lady from Kurdıstan, English, French, Spanish, American couple who spoke fluent Dutch, Philippine, Palestinian, and Italian. Our tour was in English and Spanish, but our guide, who was great, spoke 7 languages.
Then to Topkapı Palace. It was the palace until some sultan decided it was too old, and built Dolmabache Palace. Now it's a museum. Then on to Suleıman Mosque. In the next several days, with free Tyne, I'll visit some of these again, as they appear to be pretty interesting.
At dinner tonite, I met a couple from San Antonio. They could meet all your area realty needs, as one was a mortgage broker, and the other was a Realtor. Nice to talk to. Helene, I'll send you there names for Walt.
Now to the trivia: I guess all the dogs in Romania didn't get passports, because all I see here are cats. I'm not a cat lover, as many of you know, but at least they leave me alone. Here at least.
It wasn't the dreary weather that made Bucharest so bad for me. I've only seen the sun for a few hours on Friday after I got here. In fact, I've used my umbrella more than once. And I'm still enjoying myself.
Really nice guy at the Internet cafe. Last nite I checked my email and a few things. When I left, all I had was 20.00 ytls (yeni turk larasi, I can't help but think Yertle the Turtle). He didn't want to make change, so he just told me to pay him later. So I will. When I came back tonite, he didn't even remember.
Money here is a bit of a problem, as the ATM lists it in the old currency. The new ytl is 100,000 to 1, if I remember correctly. But all the bills and prices are in new ytls. Not so in Romania. They have both old (ROL) and new (RON) and you get either or both in change, plus pretty much worthless coins. The old to new ratio is 10,000 to 1. So a 10 RON bill is worth a 100,000 ROL. If you break a 10 RON you might get a mix of 1's and 10,000 bills back. Glad I'm no longer there.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Bucharest or Butte (MT)
Given the choice between an all expense paid trip to Bucharest, and a one way ticket to Butte, I think I'd choose Butte. Now that's a pretty wild position, isn't it?
Lets go back to Sunday afternoon when I arrived. I failed to mention that on my walk to town, I passed through a square with a bunch of sleeping dogs. In my travels so far, until Romania, nearly every dog I've seen has been on a leash. Not here. I've seen more dogs than anywhere else, and about 5 leashes.
The dogs weren't cute little house dogs. They were, conservatively, mongrels. And one wasn't sleeping. He decided to check me out, decided he didn't like what he found and came snarling at me. Fortunately, he changed his mind. Needless to say, I give dogs a wide berth.
The hotel I moved to is probably the nicest I've stayed at on this trip. near the center of town, secure, OK. Of course, they are all economy class. Bucharest isn't all bad.
The weather on Monday turned dreary, then drizzly and Tue. and Wed. That's not Bucharest's fault, but it still affects my perception.
Getting myself oriented, I took photos of a lot of the interesting locations in town. Tried to find a tour of some sort, but was unsuccessful. I wanted to get tickets to a concert while I was here, so I found the concert hall. Closed. Come back tommorrow for tickets to the only event on while I'm here. OK, I will.
So, it's about time for supper. Remember a while back I said something about things getting humorous some time after they occur? This one still hasn't made it.
Walking around on a relatively busy street, looking for a place to eat, a kid about 10 or so grabs my arm and starts prattling away. I figure he's telling me how he's the sole support of his two or three little sisters, or some such, and try to get him to give it up. But he didn't. So finally I decided I'd have to get physical and push him away. As soon as my hand came out of my pocket to push, he let go and took off. With my camera that was in the pocket!!
Can you imagine how foolish I felt after I yelled "Come back with my camera!!!" to an empty street. He disappeared really, really fast. I wasn't happy. And of course there was no one around. So I went to Pizza hut and had some comfort food. What else could I do?
As I said, the next day the drizzle started. I got out my back-up camera. The one that started acting up and convinced me to buy the one that was stolen. So far, knock on wood, it's been OK. Re-took some of the photos I taken the previous day.
Went to the Historical Museum, which sounded like it would be quite interesting. Turns out it's been closed for two years for renovation. And several other museums I though about are only open Wed, thru Sun. But I did get the tickets for the concert. Seat 31. That confused me, but the seating here starts with seat one, and simply continues until they run out of seats. no row/seat confusion here.
I have a metro pass good for 10 trips, so I decided to use up several of them and take a ride to the train station. I'd rather know the route beforehand than learn it on the day I leave. The metro is all right, once you realize that the color codes on the route maps don't agree with the color code on the text portion of it.
At the train station, I asked a police officer where I could turn in a report. He gave me directions to a station, which I thought I'd followed, but no station. So I asked another officer. Simple directions again, but no station. I give up. This email will have to serve as the report.
The concert was a guitar/singer duet doing some older jazz tunes, from Porter, Shearing, Ellington, to Antonio Carlos Jobim and the "Girl from Ipanema". The guitarist was quite good, I thought. The singer wasn't bad, but she tried to imitate Ella Fitzgerald's and put a lot of "scat" into her songs. Not quite there.
Following the concert, I checked my email, and made my hotel reservation for Istanbul. When I left the IC, being more observant for kids and dogs lately, I spotted a kid who looked at me with what I perceived to be more than casual interest. Kept my eye out and he eventually disappeared.
Then as I turned onto the street leading to my hotel, another kid, with a buddy, started yakking at me. I took my umbrella/club out, and waved it at him. He decided to back off. Then, as I turned to go the other way, who comes up behind me, passes me, and joins the other two? You got it. My buddy from 20 minutes ago. Since they were headed the same way I was, I turned around and took another way back to the hotel, trying to stay near someone if at all all possible.
So on to today. Walked around waiting for the drizzle to either turn into rain or give up. It did both, in the above order. The sun even came out for 30 minutes, while I was eating lunch at McD. By the way, I can't get into eating at the local restaurants for some reason. First nite here was Pizza Hut, and that's been supper ever since. They almost know me by name.
There is an Arch de Triumph here, almost an exact copy of the Paris original. So I took the metro out there today and, what else? Took Photos. I walked back part of the way, and it turned out to be Embassy Row. At least I know I passed the Canadian Embassy and the Russian Embassy. Not wanting to get my last camera confiscated, I didn't take any pictures.
I did find a museum I likes, the Museul Taranului Roman, or Peasant's Museum. That was relatively interesting. Lots of artifacts showing how the peasants lived over the centuries, lots of period clothing, and tools, implements, etc. It always amazes me how much work went into just making the tools used to do the things just necessary to survive.
And that's about it for now folks. Time to close off, update the BLOG, have some Pizza, and get ready for the trip to Istanbul. Did I mention it's overnite, so I reserved a sleeper. Not sure what that will be like, but I guess I'll find out.
Lets go back to Sunday afternoon when I arrived. I failed to mention that on my walk to town, I passed through a square with a bunch of sleeping dogs. In my travels so far, until Romania, nearly every dog I've seen has been on a leash. Not here. I've seen more dogs than anywhere else, and about 5 leashes.
The dogs weren't cute little house dogs. They were, conservatively, mongrels. And one wasn't sleeping. He decided to check me out, decided he didn't like what he found and came snarling at me. Fortunately, he changed his mind. Needless to say, I give dogs a wide berth.
The hotel I moved to is probably the nicest I've stayed at on this trip. near the center of town, secure, OK. Of course, they are all economy class. Bucharest isn't all bad.
The weather on Monday turned dreary, then drizzly and Tue. and Wed. That's not Bucharest's fault, but it still affects my perception.
Getting myself oriented, I took photos of a lot of the interesting locations in town. Tried to find a tour of some sort, but was unsuccessful. I wanted to get tickets to a concert while I was here, so I found the concert hall. Closed. Come back tommorrow for tickets to the only event on while I'm here. OK, I will.
So, it's about time for supper. Remember a while back I said something about things getting humorous some time after they occur? This one still hasn't made it.
Walking around on a relatively busy street, looking for a place to eat, a kid about 10 or so grabs my arm and starts prattling away. I figure he's telling me how he's the sole support of his two or three little sisters, or some such, and try to get him to give it up. But he didn't. So finally I decided I'd have to get physical and push him away. As soon as my hand came out of my pocket to push, he let go and took off. With my camera that was in the pocket!!
Can you imagine how foolish I felt after I yelled "Come back with my camera!!!" to an empty street. He disappeared really, really fast. I wasn't happy. And of course there was no one around. So I went to Pizza hut and had some comfort food. What else could I do?
As I said, the next day the drizzle started. I got out my back-up camera. The one that started acting up and convinced me to buy the one that was stolen. So far, knock on wood, it's been OK. Re-took some of the photos I taken the previous day.
Went to the Historical Museum, which sounded like it would be quite interesting. Turns out it's been closed for two years for renovation. And several other museums I though about are only open Wed, thru Sun. But I did get the tickets for the concert. Seat 31. That confused me, but the seating here starts with seat one, and simply continues until they run out of seats. no row/seat confusion here.
I have a metro pass good for 10 trips, so I decided to use up several of them and take a ride to the train station. I'd rather know the route beforehand than learn it on the day I leave. The metro is all right, once you realize that the color codes on the route maps don't agree with the color code on the text portion of it.
At the train station, I asked a police officer where I could turn in a report. He gave me directions to a station, which I thought I'd followed, but no station. So I asked another officer. Simple directions again, but no station. I give up. This email will have to serve as the report.
The concert was a guitar/singer duet doing some older jazz tunes, from Porter, Shearing, Ellington, to Antonio Carlos Jobim and the "Girl from Ipanema". The guitarist was quite good, I thought. The singer wasn't bad, but she tried to imitate Ella Fitzgerald's and put a lot of "scat" into her songs. Not quite there.
Following the concert, I checked my email, and made my hotel reservation for Istanbul. When I left the IC, being more observant for kids and dogs lately, I spotted a kid who looked at me with what I perceived to be more than casual interest. Kept my eye out and he eventually disappeared.
Then as I turned onto the street leading to my hotel, another kid, with a buddy, started yakking at me. I took my umbrella/club out, and waved it at him. He decided to back off. Then, as I turned to go the other way, who comes up behind me, passes me, and joins the other two? You got it. My buddy from 20 minutes ago. Since they were headed the same way I was, I turned around and took another way back to the hotel, trying to stay near someone if at all all possible.
So on to today. Walked around waiting for the drizzle to either turn into rain or give up. It did both, in the above order. The sun even came out for 30 minutes, while I was eating lunch at McD. By the way, I can't get into eating at the local restaurants for some reason. First nite here was Pizza Hut, and that's been supper ever since. They almost know me by name.
There is an Arch de Triumph here, almost an exact copy of the Paris original. So I took the metro out there today and, what else? Took Photos. I walked back part of the way, and it turned out to be Embassy Row. At least I know I passed the Canadian Embassy and the Russian Embassy. Not wanting to get my last camera confiscated, I didn't take any pictures.
I did find a museum I likes, the Museul Taranului Roman, or Peasant's Museum. That was relatively interesting. Lots of artifacts showing how the peasants lived over the centuries, lots of period clothing, and tools, implements, etc. It always amazes me how much work went into just making the tools used to do the things just necessary to survive.
And that's about it for now folks. Time to close off, update the BLOG, have some Pizza, and get ready for the trip to Istanbul. Did I mention it's overnite, so I reserved a sleeper. Not sure what that will be like, but I guess I'll find out.
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