It is time for the "Richard and Marianne on the Road" blog name to be retired, and to create a new blog without Marianne's name on it.
The new Blog is "Richard's adventures", with a URL of http://ricardoaventurero.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Mexico City and home
Friday was a rest day, with all of us recovering from Montezuma's Revenge. We did walk down to "La Fabrica", an old textile factory converted into a high end retail space, especially art and home decoration. Very nice. We ate at the restaurant at the factory.
Saturday was a travel day, and had us taking the ETN bus back to Mexico City. We took at taxi back to the same hotel, the Hotel Catedral.
Richard decided to visit the Soumaya museum, the new museum created by the richest man in the world, Carlos Slim. Unfortunately, Richard went to the wrong campus of the museum. He went to the Plaza Loreto campus, not the Plaza Corzo campus, which is the architecturally impressive building. The Plaza Loreto was interesting, but not that interesting. These museums are not convenient to reach by public transportation, involving two subway rides and a bus ride. Richard had to jam himself into the packed subway car, and it took him three tries to do so.
Richard's big adventure started when he returned to the subway. After he bought his ticket, he noticed two kind of rough looking men watching him. It just felt wrong, so Richard stayed put. The two men passed through the subway turnstiles, stopped, turned around, and kept looking at him. Obviously almost everyone who goes through the turnstiles keeps walking. This more or less proved that they had bad intentions, so Richard left the subway station and walked seven blocks to the next subway station. He made it to the hotel without further incident, but a little shook up. This is probably the closest that Richard has come to getting mugged in his life. He is not sure whether to credit his alertness, his special caution in Mexico City, or his guardian angel, but felt very fortunate.
Sunday we took a taxi to the airport. The ladies were dropped off first, then Richard was dropped off last. Richard took some time to do additional research for his airport article. The flights home were uneventful.
A good trip, nice to be back in Mexico.
Saturday was a travel day, and had us taking the ETN bus back to Mexico City. We took at taxi back to the same hotel, the Hotel Catedral.
Richard decided to visit the Soumaya museum, the new museum created by the richest man in the world, Carlos Slim. Unfortunately, Richard went to the wrong campus of the museum. He went to the Plaza Loreto campus, not the Plaza Corzo campus, which is the architecturally impressive building. The Plaza Loreto was interesting, but not that interesting. These museums are not convenient to reach by public transportation, involving two subway rides and a bus ride. Richard had to jam himself into the packed subway car, and it took him three tries to do so.
Richard's big adventure started when he returned to the subway. After he bought his ticket, he noticed two kind of rough looking men watching him. It just felt wrong, so Richard stayed put. The two men passed through the subway turnstiles, stopped, turned around, and kept looking at him. Obviously almost everyone who goes through the turnstiles keeps walking. This more or less proved that they had bad intentions, so Richard left the subway station and walked seven blocks to the next subway station. He made it to the hotel without further incident, but a little shook up. This is probably the closest that Richard has come to getting mugged in his life. He is not sure whether to credit his alertness, his special caution in Mexico City, or his guardian angel, but felt very fortunate.
Sunday we took a taxi to the airport. The ladies were dropped off first, then Richard was dropped off last. Richard took some time to do additional research for his airport article. The flights home were uneventful.
A good trip, nice to be back in Mexico.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Guanajuato, Gto.
Guanajuato, Gto.
Guanajuato is the capital of the state
of Guanajuato, and our destination for Wednesday. We got out of the
B&B in time to catch the 8:45 AM bus to Guanajuato. We rode ETN
bus line again, very nice. The internet on the bus worked near the
cities, but not out in the country, as one might have expected.
We took a taxi to the Jardin (central
square), and then took the funicular up to the monument to Pipila, a
hero of Mexican independence. The story is that Pipila put a stone
on his back to protect him from Spanish bullets, and burned the door
to the grainry where the Spaniards were holed up. A guide gave us a
few minutes of description of the city, pointing out the landmarks.
We took the funicular back down, and
went into the Juarez theater to admire the architecture. The
theater was built around 1900, and is extremely ornate. When
Marianne and I were in Guanajuato for the Cervantino festival, we saw
the Royal Shakespeare company perform there.Guanajuato, Gto.
We had lunch on the jardin in the
upscale Casa Valadez. After lunch we strolled downhill, seeing a few
other small parks, and visiting the Basilica. We stopped in the
Mercado Hildago, where we were able to find Eileen some “papel
picado”, the cut out paper that Mexicans use as decorations.
We took a cab to the Templo Valenciana
on the hill, a kind of over the top Churrigueresque style of
architecture. The painting shows the bible story where the crowd was
going to stone the adulterous woman, and Jesus said “Let he who is
without sin cast the first stone.” We took a cab back to town to
sit in a park while waiting for our bus.
Barbara really liked Guanajuato, which
is one of my favorite places in Mexico also.
We took the Primera Plus bus back to
San Miguel, not quite as nice as ETN, but very good.
Unfortunately, Thursday was a sick day,
with literally all three of us sick, spending lots of time in the
bathroom. We strolled to an expensive hotel ($300/night US) for an
evening drink, but none of us felt like eating anything.
Barb has decided to cut her stay short and return to the US with us.
Barb has decided to cut her stay short and return to the US with us.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
San Miguel de Allende and Atontinilco
San Miguel and Atontinilco
We spent Sunday, our first full day in
San Miguel,exploring the city a bit, mostly the center of town, the
jardin. We went to church in the gothic style church on the square,
and then watched some dancing in the square, including danzon.
Monday we took a cab to Atontinilco, a
pilgrimage place and part of the world heritage site of San Miguel de
Allende and Atontinilco. Atontinilco is a few miles outside of San
Miguel de Allende. Richard recalls the church and murals as in poor
repair, but there has been a tremendous amount of work in the last
few years, and the murals are glowing.
We then went to the hot springs at “La
Gruta”, near Atontinilco. Since it was a weekday, the place was
quiet and pleasant. We ate there, and then entered the man made
tunnel and cave, where the water was quite warm. We took a bus back
to San Miguel, and then a taxi to our B&B.
We attended a danzon class downtown,
and then went for dinner at Ten Ten Pie.
Tuesday we had planned to go to
Guanajuato, but Eileen did not feel well, so we took the opportunity
to get some business done. We had dinner again in Posaditas rooftop
restaurant.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
From the Museum of Anthropology to San Miguel de Allende
From the Museum of Anthropology to San
Miguel de Allende
In the morning, we went to the Cathedral and the National Palace. The curious photo literally shows hundreds of locks, locked to a stand, in front of the image of San Ramon Nonato at the Cathedral. San Ramon is the patron said for protections against gossip, rumors, and false testimony. When Ramon was a captive with the muslims, he would not stop preaching, so they literally locked his mouth. The locks signify the desire of the person to lock the mouths of those spreading gossip against them. He is apparently a popular saint in Mexico, although I had never heard of him before.
The national palace has the monumental Diego Rivera murals, depicting the history of Mexico. The conquistadores and the church were targets of his murals.
On our way back to the hotel Barbara decided to let a Maya shaman clean her cosmic aura, using incense and ritual. The shaman would not let me take a photo of the ceremony or the altar, but would let me take a photo of the sign.
We rode to the museum in an electric taxi. The Voladores of Papantla were flying around a tall pole, playing a drum and a flute. Yes, he is hanging upside down.
The National Museum of Anthropology is
justly famous, for its size, breath, and for the amazing pieces that
they have. We did a kind of quick visit, ducking into various
sections for a short visit, not attempting to visit even 25% of the
museum. We had lunch in the museum. The small statues are of ballplayers in the ritual game.
After we got back from the museum,
Richard went to visit Miguel. This involved a Metro ride and a bus
ride, but was fairly easy and painless. Miguel was very happy to
see Richard, and show him travel photos. Richard particularly
enjoyed the photos from the 1940s, a very different Mexico. Miguel
is an inveterate traveler, and still goes on bus tours of Mexico!
Saturday we checked out of our hotel,
and took a bus to the north bus terminal. We bought tickets to San
Miguel de Allende on ETN, a luxury line. I was surprised to realize
that ETN had significantly upgraded since I had last ridden it,
including internet on board and individual video on demand. The
seats are three across, and are comparable to first class airline
seats.
We took a taxi to our B&B, which is
run by our chatty hostess, Marcia, (Mar-see-a) from New Jersey and
New York. We had dinner at the nearby organic restaurant.
The Pyramids of Teotihuacan
The Pyramids of Teotihuacan
We had the hotel call a taxi to the busstation, but Lalo persuaded us to let him take us to the Pyramids andback. We stopped at the Plaza of Three Cultures, an archeologicalsite, where the ladies each bought a water color from an artistthere.
It was getting hot when we got to thePyramids. We first walked to the Pyramid of Quetzaquotal, the plumedserpent god. It is within a very large square punctuated by smallpyramids.
We continued on to the pyramid of theSun, the 3rd largest pyramid in the world. We stoppedbriefly to drink a coke and visit the bathroom.
The steps were challenging for theladies, especially Eileen, so we did not even consider going to thetop of the Pyramids.
The complex is vast and veryimpressive. Almost hard to get your head around, even after walkingthe length of it.
We then headed for the Pyramid of the Moon, near which our driver was going to pick us up.
The drive home was routine. We had an early dinner at Hostelaria de San Francisco, a very old restaurant near our hotel.
Richard called his friend Miguel, who lives in Mexico City, and he came by bus and subway to see Richard. Richard did not realize that Miguel is now 92, and was a little shocked to see Miguel tottering along, when he remembered him as so vital, and able to walk us into the ground. Richard and Miguel chatted for some time in a hotel lobby. Richard walked Miguel back to the subway, with Miguel holding onto his shoulder. This involved walking through the center of the Zocolo, which was full of tents of demonstrators occupying the zocolo. Richard would in no way have walked through this on his own, but somehow felt safer escorting an elderly Mexican through the encampment. Richard agreed to come to his apartment Friday night to look at photos.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Wednesday we took a taxi to the
basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where in 1531, Catholics believe
that the Virgin Mary appeared to an indian peasant, Juan Diego. An
image of the Virgin Mary appeared miraculously on the cloak of Juan
Diego, and this cloak is found behind the altar of the Basilica.
Over the hundreds of years since the original apparition, a whole
series of churches have been built; I will not attempt to list them
all. The new Basilica was built in the 1970s, and holds 10,000
people. The site is reported to receive 8 million pilgrims per year,
many of whom arrive on December 12, the feast day of Our Lady of
Guadalupe.
When we arrived, the Bishop of Orizaba
Veracruz was preaching outside to a group of pilgrims from Veracruz,
many of whom were indigenous, including dancers in indigenous clothing and women dressed in colorful
blouses. We strolled around the grounds, entering the various
churches, and seeing the impressive group of statues depicting
indians worshiping the virgin.
When we returned to the main Basilica,
we found a mass in progress, with many priests on the altar, and the
church full of people. After mass, I asked in Spanish one of the
indian ladies, in her colorful blouse, about their group. She
looked at me like she had no idea what I was saying. Luckily a young
man nearby explained to me that many of the women don't speak Spanish
very often, and speak Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. He
explained that they were part of a group of ten busloads of pilgrims
from Veracruz who had come to the Basilica on pilgrimage. The
priests on the altar were also from Veracruz. There were a number of
banners representing the various groups who were participating in the
pilgrimage.
Later we saw another group of pilgrims,
from Monterrey, Matachine dancers. This group was as light skinned
as the indians from Veracruz were dark skinned, and appeared to be
upper class Mexicans. People come to the Basilica from all parts of
Mexico and beyond, from all ethnic groups and all economic classes.
Off to Mexico City
Off to Mexico
Eileen invited me to come to Mexico
with her friend Barb. As we were discussing the trip, we agreed to
fly into Mexico City, spend three full days in Mexico City, and then
take the bus to San Miguel de Allende for a week, flying back from
Mexico City.
On Tuesday, I got up at 3 AM to catch a
very early bus to the airport. The flight from Denver to Salt Lake
City was on time and routine, as was the flight from Salt Lake to
Mexico City. Delta flies into the relatively new Terminal 2, the
first time that I had used that terminal. I then took their
monorail from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, a relatively long trip.
I met Eileen and Barb in the lobby of
the Mariott hotel, attached to Terminal 1. They had a routine
flight from Phoenix. We took a hotel taxi to our hotel downtown,
the Hotel Catedral.
The Zocolo, the main central square,
was full of tents and tarps, as the teachers are demonstrating
against the government, apparently because the government wants to
test teachers, including teachers who have been teaching for a while.
After dinner at the rooftop restaurant
overlooking the Zocolo, we called it a day.
Monday, May 21, 2012
North Park Colorado
North Park Colorado
On Wednesday morning I could not sleep so I got up very early, and hitched up the camper and the boat. I was on the road before 7 AM. I was getting sleepy so I took a nap at the top of Berthoud Pass.North Park has its own stark beauty. One surprise when I got to Delaney Buttes South Lake was seeing flocks of yellow-headed blackbirds, gorgeous birds. Besides the yellow heads, they have white patches on their wings which you can see when they fly.
I am a little rusty in terms of packing and setting up the camper, but I got it together. On Thursday morning the camper was cold. After a couple of minutes I figured out that one propane tank had run out; luckily all I needed to do was turn on the other tank. But I went into town to fill the empty tank, so I would not need to worry about propane for the rest of the trip.
At my propane stop I learned that Sheriff Rizor had been voted out of office and replaced with Sheriff Fischer. I picked up a copy of the Jackson County Star, which we used to subscribe to. It has not changed, still pretty funny, especially the police report. Sheriff Rizor's wife is running for county commissioner. If you need to know, the WIFI password of the town library is "colorado".
I have been fishing out of the boat, just off the north shore. Wednesday night I had one big fish on, but he got off, and caught two 13 inch Brown trout Thursday morning, not a bad start for a fishing trip.
My scaredy-cats hid under the bedcovers on the ride over. Dexter is still hiding under the covers, although I did see him out a little Wednesday night. Sally is begging for attention.
Friday was colder and stormy. A big wind in the afternoon flipped my boat over, the first time that has ever happened. Luckily, nothing was lost or damaged in the flip. But no luck fishing today. Maybe Saturday will be nicer weather and better fishing.
One mystery today. There is a huge flock of small birds flying around randomly, probably eating bugs, but I cannot find them in any of my three bird books. Actually, I am sure that they are in the book, but since I am not sure what kind of bird that they are, I don't seem to be able to identify them. Dark with white bodies, and white or yellow on the rear of the upper back, smaller than a robin. I finally got a good look at them while I was out on the boat, and concluded that they were cliff swallows.
Saturday was cold, windy, and rainy. When I woke up, I noticed that the battery voltage was 9 volts, not good. I hooked up the truck and ran the truck motor to charge the battery. The battery must be bad, since I had not used that much power. The fishing was cold, wet, and unsuccessful. Taking it all into account, I decided to head home.
But it was still good to get out, the first time I had used the camper since August. I will take it out again later in the summer.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
End of the Road
Marianne reached the end of her earthly road in December. Her cancer ended her traveling and ultimately her life. It had been a good trip, with a good traveling companion, thirty-three years long.
The United Nations, UNESCO, publishes a list of world heritage sites, some famous, some obscure. I figured out that she and I have been to half of the world heritage sites in the US, and half of the ones in Mexico as well. A good trip indeed, one that we were very fortunate to be able to take together.
At this point, I don't know if I will continue to use this blog for my travels or not. Nor am I sure if I will travel in the same way that we have traveled in the past. For example, I do not expect to take any cruises by myself. But my travels will continue in some form, I am sure.
Life is, after all, a kind of journey. Sometimes life is described as a kind of pilgrimage, "Pilgrims Progress", or John Wayne referring to someone as "Pilgrim".
I have one big trip on tap for the fall of 2012, walking in the footsteps of 1000 years of pilgrims. My plan is to return to Europe, and walk another 200 miles or so, on the Camino a Santiago de Compostella, like I did in 2002. An appropriate trip to contemplate the next leg of the journey or pilgrimage of my life.
Please keep Marianne, I, and all our family, in your thoughts and prayers.
Richard
The United Nations, UNESCO, publishes a list of world heritage sites, some famous, some obscure. I figured out that she and I have been to half of the world heritage sites in the US, and half of the ones in Mexico as well. A good trip indeed, one that we were very fortunate to be able to take together.
At this point, I don't know if I will continue to use this blog for my travels or not. Nor am I sure if I will travel in the same way that we have traveled in the past. For example, I do not expect to take any cruises by myself. But my travels will continue in some form, I am sure.
Life is, after all, a kind of journey. Sometimes life is described as a kind of pilgrimage, "Pilgrims Progress", or John Wayne referring to someone as "Pilgrim".
I have one big trip on tap for the fall of 2012, walking in the footsteps of 1000 years of pilgrims. My plan is to return to Europe, and walk another 200 miles or so, on the Camino a Santiago de Compostella, like I did in 2002. An appropriate trip to contemplate the next leg of the journey or pilgrimage of my life.
Please keep Marianne, I, and all our family, in your thoughts and prayers.
Richard
Monday, August 29, 2011
A visit to Electra
We are made a trip to Electra Lake, north of Durango. Marianne's sister Eileen has a cabin on the lake. The occasion was a concert by Eileen's trio.
On our way to Electra on Wednesday, we stopped in Glenwood Springs and had lunch with our friends Charlie and Gail at the Pullman restaurant, near the train station. A good lunch and a good visit.
Grand Junction was very hot, 103 degrees, but cool in the mountains. We did run into some rain as we got closer to Electra. The drive was uneventful, but of course slow on the Million Dollar highway.
We had a nice dinner with Eileen. Pat and Stacey arrived after we had gone to bed.
Thursday midday Pat and I took the boat out on the lake to do a little fishing. Richard caught a 17 inch rainbow trout, which we kept for dinner. Stacey later caught a 13 inch fish off the dock, so we had trout for dinner.
Friday was a quiet day. Pat and Stacey went into town for the day. Eileen went to practice for her trio. Richard fished a bit after dark, no luck.
Friday and Saturday Richard and Pat did some repairs on the boathouse stairs, as well as the boat, tightened up some loose steps, etc. Nothing big, but things that needed to be done.
Saturday was all about the concert. Eileen went to practice in the morning, and we headed over to the clubhouse for the 5 PM concert. The concert was very good, and well attended.
Sunday we left at 8:30 AM. Traffic was light, so we easily made it to Montrose by the 11 am mass. This was the Spanish mass, well attended. The priest seemed like he didn't want to be there, speaking indifferent Spanish.
We picked up excellent fruit and vegetables in Palisade. The rest of the ride home went smoothly, with rain and lighter than expected traffic.
On our way to Electra on Wednesday, we stopped in Glenwood Springs and had lunch with our friends Charlie and Gail at the Pullman restaurant, near the train station. A good lunch and a good visit.
Grand Junction was very hot, 103 degrees, but cool in the mountains. We did run into some rain as we got closer to Electra. The drive was uneventful, but of course slow on the Million Dollar highway.
We had a nice dinner with Eileen. Pat and Stacey arrived after we had gone to bed.
Thursday midday Pat and I took the boat out on the lake to do a little fishing. Richard caught a 17 inch rainbow trout, which we kept for dinner. Stacey later caught a 13 inch fish off the dock, so we had trout for dinner.
Friday was a quiet day. Pat and Stacey went into town for the day. Eileen went to practice for her trio. Richard fished a bit after dark, no luck.
Friday and Saturday Richard and Pat did some repairs on the boathouse stairs, as well as the boat, tightened up some loose steps, etc. Nothing big, but things that needed to be done.
Saturday was all about the concert. Eileen went to practice in the morning, and we headed over to the clubhouse for the 5 PM concert. The concert was very good, and well attended.
Sunday we left at 8:30 AM. Traffic was light, so we easily made it to Montrose by the 11 am mass. This was the Spanish mass, well attended. The priest seemed like he didn't want to be there, speaking indifferent Spanish.
We picked up excellent fruit and vegetables in Palisade. The rest of the ride home went smoothly, with rain and lighter than expected traffic.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
North Park Colorado
Fishing Delaney Buttes Lake
On Friday, we headed off fishing for the first time in 2011. It took a while to gather all the pieces for the boat, etc. When we hitch the boat to the 5th wheel, the entire rig is 62 feet long! The drive over was routine, although the traffic was heavier than usual, due to those leaving early on Friday afternoon.
We were hoping to see a moose, but no luck.
We bought our fishing licenses in Walden, where Richard talked about going out with a guide to try to learn to fish better. The guides suggested that we come back in the fall for a day of guided fishing.
South Delaney Butte Lake was a little more crowded than usual, but we found a decent campsite overlooking the lake. Richard went out in the boat in the evening, but no bites. He chatted in the dark with a fishing bum, sleeping in his van, with an unusual tiny ten foot boat, fully equiped, just big enough for one person on a small lake.
Saturday morning we slept in. Richard did a little midday fishing (it's called fishing, not catching). We headed in to Walden to go to mass; Richard saw an American Avocet on the way. There were about 25 people in the small church. The priest was one we recognized, he used to be in Boulder. There are now two priests covering two counties and five churches. We chatted with an couple after mass. He was a serious ice fisherman, a two time winner of the local ice fishing championship! They had lived in Walden since the 1940s.
After dinner, and around sunset, Richard went out in the boat, and caught a 14 inch trout on the first cast! He caught two more similar fish in the next 15 minutes, then nothing, but good to break the jinx. The fish were right at the legal limit, and Richard did not have an easy way to measure the fish, so he put them back. Marianne wanted him to keep some fish for her friends. Unfortunately, he also broke one of his fishing rods, but we have extra rods.
On Sunday morning we slept in again, and awoke to find the camper cold and the lake glassy. The thermometer says that it got down to 42 degrees overnight. Richard went out on the lake, but got off the lake around noon when the winds picked up. The winds later got strong enough to shake the camper. Richard went out in the evening, but no luck.
On Monday morning, Richard went out on the lake, and caught a couple of trout, one 15 inches and one 13 inches. The photo is of the smaller fish, which we kept. The day started out calm, but the winds returned by the afternoon.
Richard went out for the evening fishing and found himself in a hatch, with groups of fish slurping down something on the surface. Richard had a fish on with the first cast, but the fish headed to the bottom and wrapped around the weeds, so Richard only caught a clump of weeds! He had lots of bites, and some fish on, but only got one fish in his net. Richard found watching the fish activity to be quite entertaining. He never figured out which hatch had the fish so excited.
On Tuesday we drove back to Boulder, making a stop in the Wildlife refuge to go on the wetlands hike.
On Friday, we headed off fishing for the first time in 2011. It took a while to gather all the pieces for the boat, etc. When we hitch the boat to the 5th wheel, the entire rig is 62 feet long! The drive over was routine, although the traffic was heavier than usual, due to those leaving early on Friday afternoon.
We were hoping to see a moose, but no luck.
We bought our fishing licenses in Walden, where Richard talked about going out with a guide to try to learn to fish better. The guides suggested that we come back in the fall for a day of guided fishing.
South Delaney Butte Lake was a little more crowded than usual, but we found a decent campsite overlooking the lake. Richard went out in the boat in the evening, but no bites. He chatted in the dark with a fishing bum, sleeping in his van, with an unusual tiny ten foot boat, fully equiped, just big enough for one person on a small lake.
Saturday morning we slept in. Richard did a little midday fishing (it's called fishing, not catching). We headed in to Walden to go to mass; Richard saw an American Avocet on the way. There were about 25 people in the small church. The priest was one we recognized, he used to be in Boulder. There are now two priests covering two counties and five churches. We chatted with an couple after mass. He was a serious ice fisherman, a two time winner of the local ice fishing championship! They had lived in Walden since the 1940s.
After dinner, and around sunset, Richard went out in the boat, and caught a 14 inch trout on the first cast! He caught two more similar fish in the next 15 minutes, then nothing, but good to break the jinx. The fish were right at the legal limit, and Richard did not have an easy way to measure the fish, so he put them back. Marianne wanted him to keep some fish for her friends. Unfortunately, he also broke one of his fishing rods, but we have extra rods.
On Sunday morning we slept in again, and awoke to find the camper cold and the lake glassy. The thermometer says that it got down to 42 degrees overnight. Richard went out on the lake, but got off the lake around noon when the winds picked up. The winds later got strong enough to shake the camper. Richard went out in the evening, but no luck.
On Monday morning, Richard went out on the lake, and caught a couple of trout, one 15 inches and one 13 inches. The photo is of the smaller fish, which we kept. The day started out calm, but the winds returned by the afternoon.
Richard went out for the evening fishing and found himself in a hatch, with groups of fish slurping down something on the surface. Richard had a fish on with the first cast, but the fish headed to the bottom and wrapped around the weeds, so Richard only caught a clump of weeds! He had lots of bites, and some fish on, but only got one fish in his net. Richard found watching the fish activity to be quite entertaining. He never figured out which hatch had the fish so excited.
On Tuesday we drove back to Boulder, making a stop in the Wildlife refuge to go on the wetlands hike.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Cow Head to Colorado
We slept in on Wednesday, as we had stayed up late to see the play.
As we drove south, we stopped to admire a couple of attractions which we had not visited on the way up. One was the wreck of the SS Effie. The other was sea caves.
When we got to Deer Lake, we called several B&Bs which were full, and ended up in the very nice Humberview BB. Marianne wanted to visit Cornerbrook, which is the largest city that we have seen in Newfoundland. We were told that this is where residents of western Newfoundland go to shop, and we saw plenty of shopping there. We drove up to the top of the hill, where a monument commememorates Captian Cook, who originally made his name producing detailed surveys of the coast in this area. There are views of the bay, of the city, and of the paper mill. Not much for tourists, however.
One interesting thing that ties Deer Lake to Cornerbrook is the powerplant. The hydro plant in Deer lake was built in the 1920s specifically to power the paper mill in Cornerbrook. This was the beginning of the town of Deer Lake. The power lines between the two cities look like they date from the same era.
Our Air Canada flight on Thursday morning left as 6 AM, so we woke up at 4 AM to make our flight. The flight left on time, and almost immediately flew into the clouds. When we arrived at Toronto, we were surprised to learn that we would clear customs and immigration in Toronto. This effectively torpedoed Richard's plan to go into Toronto, as we needed to claim our checked luggage inside the secured area. Oh, well, it was a very hot day in Toronto, and we would have had limited time to tour anyway. The secured area is a very large concourse, dedicated to flights from Toronto to the USA. We found that our flight to Denver was already projected to depart 30 minutes late, even though the departure time was five hours away.
Ultimately, we left two hours late. In addition to the forecast delay due to the previous flight being delayed, they took some time to cool the aircraft before we got into it. But when we pulled away from the concourse, the pilot found that his defroster was giving an error indication, perhaps due to the heat. We returned to the concourse, where the technician reset the computer and cleared the error. This put us back to our house about 10 PM, making it a 20 hour day from when the alarm went off.
We really liked Newfoundland, the friendiness of the people, the lack of stress, the scenery, and the fresh seafood. Marianne said that it was one of her favorite trips ever. We hope to return.
As we drove south, we stopped to admire a couple of attractions which we had not visited on the way up. One was the wreck of the SS Effie. The other was sea caves.
When we got to Deer Lake, we called several B&Bs which were full, and ended up in the very nice Humberview BB. Marianne wanted to visit Cornerbrook, which is the largest city that we have seen in Newfoundland. We were told that this is where residents of western Newfoundland go to shop, and we saw plenty of shopping there. We drove up to the top of the hill, where a monument commememorates Captian Cook, who originally made his name producing detailed surveys of the coast in this area. There are views of the bay, of the city, and of the paper mill. Not much for tourists, however.
One interesting thing that ties Deer Lake to Cornerbrook is the powerplant. The hydro plant in Deer lake was built in the 1920s specifically to power the paper mill in Cornerbrook. This was the beginning of the town of Deer Lake. The power lines between the two cities look like they date from the same era.
Our Air Canada flight on Thursday morning left as 6 AM, so we woke up at 4 AM to make our flight. The flight left on time, and almost immediately flew into the clouds. When we arrived at Toronto, we were surprised to learn that we would clear customs and immigration in Toronto. This effectively torpedoed Richard's plan to go into Toronto, as we needed to claim our checked luggage inside the secured area. Oh, well, it was a very hot day in Toronto, and we would have had limited time to tour anyway. The secured area is a very large concourse, dedicated to flights from Toronto to the USA. We found that our flight to Denver was already projected to depart 30 minutes late, even though the departure time was five hours away.
Ultimately, we left two hours late. In addition to the forecast delay due to the previous flight being delayed, they took some time to cool the aircraft before we got into it. But when we pulled away from the concourse, the pilot found that his defroster was giving an error indication, perhaps due to the heat. We returned to the concourse, where the technician reset the computer and cleared the error. This put us back to our house about 10 PM, making it a 20 hour day from when the alarm went off.
We really liked Newfoundland, the friendiness of the people, the lack of stress, the scenery, and the fresh seafood. Marianne said that it was one of her favorite trips ever. We hope to return.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Vikings, Icebergs, Thrombolites, and Theatre
We decided to spend one more night in the St. Anthony area, which meant one more night in the Triple Rose B&B. We found that Rose is the maiden name of Irene and Eileen, the twin sisters who run the place, along with their brother.
We woke up to a beautiful clear day.
We first headed back to the Viking site, where Marianne got a demonstration of single needle knitting, and we took a tour of the archeological site. You can see the Marianne swings a mean sword.
After that, we stopped at a nearby craft store, where Marianne bought a hat made by the lady who ran the store, as well as a needle made of moose antler. The hat and the needle were both single needle knitting. You can see the hat on Marianne's head next to the iceberg.
After a pleasant lunch at "The Catch", we drove out to Onion point, where there was an overlook with a bench. Quite a view, and the weather was nice enough to sit out and admire it.
On Tuesday, we said goodbye to our hosts, and headed south. We decided to stop and see the Thrombolites. We were hiking on the trail, but we did not know what we were looking for. These were fossils of single-celled bacteria and algae, one to three billion years old! They grew in clumps or clots, hence the name.
We decided to stay in Cow Head, and see one of their plays, a comedy about two guys opening Ed and Ed's B&B. Pretty funny, lots of Newfoundland jokes. The sunset picture is from Cow Head, at low tide.
Wednesday is our last day in Newfoundland, as we leave early Thursday. We will be sorry to leave Newfoundland, which we have enjoyed very much.
We woke up to a beautiful clear day.
We first headed back to the Viking site, where Marianne got a demonstration of single needle knitting, and we took a tour of the archeological site. You can see the Marianne swings a mean sword.
After that, we stopped at a nearby craft store, where Marianne bought a hat made by the lady who ran the store, as well as a needle made of moose antler. The hat and the needle were both single needle knitting. You can see the hat on Marianne's head next to the iceberg.
After a pleasant lunch at "The Catch", we drove out to Onion point, where there was an overlook with a bench. Quite a view, and the weather was nice enough to sit out and admire it.
On Tuesday, we said goodbye to our hosts, and headed south. We decided to stop and see the Thrombolites. We were hiking on the trail, but we did not know what we were looking for. These were fossils of single-celled bacteria and algae, one to three billion years old! They grew in clumps or clots, hence the name.
We decided to stay in Cow Head, and see one of their plays, a comedy about two guys opening Ed and Ed's B&B. Pretty funny, lots of Newfoundland jokes. The sunset picture is from Cow Head, at low tide.
Wednesday is our last day in Newfoundland, as we leave early Thursday. We will be sorry to leave Newfoundland, which we have enjoyed very much.
Icebergs
We went to mass at the St. Anthony Catholic church. A nice mass, with a personable priest. The priest said that his previous assignment was as an itinerant priest in Labrador, where he traveled by air, boat, and snowmobile, to serve his far flung flock.
We took the Northland Discovery tour boat out of St. Anthony. The tour included a knowledgeable onboard biologist. The tour focused on icebergs, as they have more and larger icebergs this year than any time in the last 60 years, because of calving from the Petermann Glacier in Greenland a year ago. The Labrador current carries the icebergs down "iceberg alley". The largest iceberg, really an ice island, was a mile long and a quarter mile wide. Icebergs are the largest pieces, growlers are the size of a car or a house, while bergy bits are the smaller pieces. Seamen regard the growlers as the most dangerous, because the large icebergs are easily seen on radar, but the growlers can still destroy a ship. The bergy bits are not a hazard.
The trip started foggy, but when we reached the icebergs the sun came out, glistening on the icebergs, perhaps the nicest day in a week.
Marianne thought that this was one of the most beautiful sights that she had ever seen.
Icebergs are some of the purest water on the planet. When I put a bit in my mouth, it was salty for a moment, but once the sea water was gone, the ice was pure fresh water. The Quidi Vidi brewery, takes some of the bergy bits and uses them to brew beer!
We had dinner at the Lightkeeper's restaurant. We have not eaten any meat since we arrived, instead we have eaten excellent cod, halibut, and salmon. It reminds Marianne of her diet as a girl. When we came out, Richard noticed a spouting whale, the first whale that we have seen on this trip.
A beautiful day. It is so quiet and peaceful here we will probably stay another day.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Port au Choix to the Vikings
We had an excellent breakfast at Jeannie's B&B, and enjoyed conversations with some of our fellow guests.
We then headed to the Port Au Choix National Park visitor center, where we learned about the many cultures that lived in this area, including paleo-eskimo cultures. The climate would change, and one group would displace another. The archeological digs uncovered some of their fine work in stone, wood, and bone. This was a particularly bountiful area, hence the various dwellings and groups over the centuries.
The cemetary outside of Port Au Choix was especially interesting, including this unique gravestone.
We continued north toward St. Anthony, and saw our first iceberg, as well as the coast of Labrador. Our goal was the National Park of the L'anse aux Meadows, where the vikings built dwellings and lived, at least for a time. This is the only documented Viking site in North America, occupied around 1000 years ago.
The weather was cold, humid, and windy, all day.
We had an excellent lunch at the Norseman restaurant, including an "Iceberg" beer from Quidi Vidi, the local brewery, which came in a beautiful blue bottle. We then proceeded to the Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, which included reconstructed Viking buildings. It was so cold that Marianne did not leave the visitor center. Richard went back in the evening to hear Icelandic sagas and legends, inside one of the buildings. The sagas are like bloody soap operas.
We then headed to the Port Au Choix National Park visitor center, where we learned about the many cultures that lived in this area, including paleo-eskimo cultures. The climate would change, and one group would displace another. The archeological digs uncovered some of their fine work in stone, wood, and bone. This was a particularly bountiful area, hence the various dwellings and groups over the centuries.
The cemetary outside of Port Au Choix was especially interesting, including this unique gravestone.
We continued north toward St. Anthony, and saw our first iceberg, as well as the coast of Labrador. Our goal was the National Park of the L'anse aux Meadows, where the vikings built dwellings and lived, at least for a time. This is the only documented Viking site in North America, occupied around 1000 years ago.
The weather was cold, humid, and windy, all day.
We had an excellent lunch at the Norseman restaurant, including an "Iceberg" beer from Quidi Vidi, the local brewery, which came in a beautiful blue bottle. We then proceeded to the Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, which included reconstructed Viking buildings. It was so cold that Marianne did not leave the visitor center. Richard went back in the evening to hear Icelandic sagas and legends, inside one of the buildings. The sagas are like bloody soap operas.
Norris Point to Port au Choix
Friday was a rainy day, pretty much all day. The road north follows the sea. Our first stop was the Rocky Harbor Lighthouse, now an educational exhibit about life in this area. The area was pretty isolated until the road was put in in the 1960s.
Our second stop was Broom Point, which was a fishing business until the 1970s, when the national park bought out the brothers, who wanted to retire. Another fisherman explained life in a fishing camp, before and after the road, which was put in in the 1960s. Before the road, they salted and dried their cod, and canned their own salmon, using a copper pot that may have dated to the 1700's!
We had lunch at the Shallow Bay motel, known for its dinner theatre. They had an excellent cod chowder.
When we got to Port aux Choix, (Port-oo-shwaa), we stopped at Jeannie's Sunrise B&B, where she had a very nice room available, and then headed to the Anchor Cafe for an excellent meal. This is a fishing town, with commercial fishing boats wherever you look. The local Sears catalog outlet sells gas and beer! They say that in a small town, they can't make it on the Sears sales alone.
Our second stop was Broom Point, which was a fishing business until the 1970s, when the national park bought out the brothers, who wanted to retire. Another fisherman explained life in a fishing camp, before and after the road, which was put in in the 1960s. Before the road, they salted and dried their cod, and canned their own salmon, using a copper pot that may have dated to the 1700's!
We had lunch at the Shallow Bay motel, known for its dinner theatre. They had an excellent cod chowder.
When we got to Port aux Choix, (Port-oo-shwaa), we stopped at Jeannie's Sunrise B&B, where she had a very nice room available, and then headed to the Anchor Cafe for an excellent meal. This is a fishing town, with commercial fishing boats wherever you look. The local Sears catalog outlet sells gas and beer! They say that in a small town, they can't make it on the Sears sales alone.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Colorado to Newfoundland
We drove to DIA, and were pleasantly surprised that we would be flying Air Canada instead of United. The flight was cross listed and for some reason we assumed that we were going to be flying United. We liked Air Canada, the crews were very nice.
We changed planes in Montreal. The airport was about as international a place as one could imagine, with many different kinds of garb and languages.
We arrived in Deer Lake Newfoundland about midnight local time, 8:30 PM Denver time. Yes, Newfoundland has its own time zone. We picked up a very nice Chrysler Sebring rental car from Enterprise, and headed for the Deer Lake Motel, which was convenient, but somewhat overpriced.
In the morning, we slept in and walked across the street to a popular restaurant in a combination gas station, convenience store, and car repair business.
We found ourselves being addressed by many names, including "My Love", "Sweetie", and "My Darling".
We had beautiful weather for the drive into Gros Morne National Park, very rugged and scenic. Everything is very green, and there are wildflowers everywhere.
We stopped in Norris Point, where we received an excellent tour of the aquarium from Mary, a biology student. We enjoyed seeing and touching the different species of sea life. Norris Point is at the intersection of two bays, each of which is a different ecosystem.
The graveyard at Norris Point includes a gravestone for a private Harding, part of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. This regiment suffered a 90% casualty rate in a single attack on July 1, 1916. I spoke to a man painting the grave, he was the son in law of private Harding. He said that private Harding was wounded in the war, that he had a chunk out of his leg that you could put your fist into. Another local man lost his leg in the war, and had a wooden leg. There is a separate War Memorial for a Private Major who died in the war. Many gravestones included a handshake, which signified the marriage bond.
When we started looking for a place to stay in Rocky Harbor, we mostly found no vacancy signs, or $160 hotel rooms. But one of the ladies at a B&B told us that she had spoken to the lady at Burnt Cottages in Norris Point, and that she had a room. We drove back to Norris Point, and were pleasantly surprised to be able to stay in a nice modern fully equipped cottage for $85 a night, cash. We have a view of the bay and the tablelands.
We had dinner at Jackie's in Rocky Harbor. The sunset photos are from the end of the road at Rocky Harbor
We changed planes in Montreal. The airport was about as international a place as one could imagine, with many different kinds of garb and languages.
We arrived in Deer Lake Newfoundland about midnight local time, 8:30 PM Denver time. Yes, Newfoundland has its own time zone. We picked up a very nice Chrysler Sebring rental car from Enterprise, and headed for the Deer Lake Motel, which was convenient, but somewhat overpriced.
In the morning, we slept in and walked across the street to a popular restaurant in a combination gas station, convenience store, and car repair business.
We found ourselves being addressed by many names, including "My Love", "Sweetie", and "My Darling".
We had beautiful weather for the drive into Gros Morne National Park, very rugged and scenic. Everything is very green, and there are wildflowers everywhere.
We stopped in Norris Point, where we received an excellent tour of the aquarium from Mary, a biology student. We enjoyed seeing and touching the different species of sea life. Norris Point is at the intersection of two bays, each of which is a different ecosystem.
The graveyard at Norris Point includes a gravestone for a private Harding, part of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. This regiment suffered a 90% casualty rate in a single attack on July 1, 1916. I spoke to a man painting the grave, he was the son in law of private Harding. He said that private Harding was wounded in the war, that he had a chunk out of his leg that you could put your fist into. Another local man lost his leg in the war, and had a wooden leg. There is a separate War Memorial for a Private Major who died in the war. Many gravestones included a handshake, which signified the marriage bond.
When we started looking for a place to stay in Rocky Harbor, we mostly found no vacancy signs, or $160 hotel rooms. But one of the ladies at a B&B told us that she had spoken to the lady at Burnt Cottages in Norris Point, and that she had a room. We drove back to Norris Point, and were pleasantly surprised to be able to stay in a nice modern fully equipped cottage for $85 a night, cash. We have a view of the bay and the tablelands.
We had dinner at Jackie's in Rocky Harbor. The sunset photos are from the end of the road at Rocky Harbor
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The drive home
On Sunday, we started our drive home, heading West on Interstate 72 to St. Joseph.
In St. Joseph, we stopped at the Pony Express museum. The Pony Express had its eastern terminus at St. Joseph. The Pony Express operated for less than two years, but is big in romance and the American imagination.
We stayed at a good campground that was more or less in town.
On Monday, we resumed driving West on US36. Our original plan was to drive NW on I-29, but flooding had closed the interstate, so our only practical route was due West. However, that meant that US36 was busy. The heavy traffic and construction meant slow travel for the first couple of hours.
We made a short detour to the "geographic center of the USA", with a monument and a tiny chapel.
On Monday afternoon, we were listening to the weather reports, including a tornado in the county we were headed towards. We later saw downed power lines, presumably from the storm. We stayed at Prarie Dog State Park, where we saw a cardinal and a brown thrasher.
Tuesday had us continuing on US36, essentially all the way to Boulder. The driving was enlivened by seeing Lark Buntings, the official state bird of Colorado. We also had unexpected anxiety about fuel, as the towns that we drove through in eastern Colorado had no operating businesses. We were relived to see the COOP (cooperative) in Anton, where we bought gas. A good trip, but we were glad to be home, as were our cats.
In St. Joseph, we stopped at the Pony Express museum. The Pony Express had its eastern terminus at St. Joseph. The Pony Express operated for less than two years, but is big in romance and the American imagination.
We stayed at a good campground that was more or less in town.
On Monday, we resumed driving West on US36. Our original plan was to drive NW on I-29, but flooding had closed the interstate, so our only practical route was due West. However, that meant that US36 was busy. The heavy traffic and construction meant slow travel for the first couple of hours.
We made a short detour to the "geographic center of the USA", with a monument and a tiny chapel.
On Monday afternoon, we were listening to the weather reports, including a tornado in the county we were headed towards. We later saw downed power lines, presumably from the storm. We stayed at Prarie Dog State Park, where we saw a cardinal and a brown thrasher.
Tuesday had us continuing on US36, essentially all the way to Boulder. The driving was enlivened by seeing Lark Buntings, the official state bird of Colorado. We also had unexpected anxiety about fuel, as the towns that we drove through in eastern Colorado had no operating businesses. We were relived to see the COOP (cooperative) in Anton, where we bought gas. A good trip, but we were glad to be home, as were our cats.
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