Travel Journal - ilivetotravel's travel log

Rouen: Full of History in War and Art

4 September 2022 by Raul Leave a Comment

France has so many destinations to explore, it is hard to cover them all or explore them as in-depth as they deserve. Even after living in Paris for 6 months many years ago, I could not cover all the territory that I would have liked. One of the towns that I always wanted to visit was Rouen, in Normandy. Why? Two things have always drawn me to it:

Its cathedral, made eternal not only by its construction but by its depiction by Claude Monet under different light and seasons.
Its infamous designation as the town were St. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake by the English at 18 years of age.

Getting there

From Paris, going to Rouen is a piece of cake. A two-hour train ride from Gare St. Lazare takes you to Rouen. From the train station in Rouen, a half-a-mile walk (or less) takes you into the center of town. There is a metro station near the train station and the heart of the town is just one or two stops away. But I recommend walking in as it is sort of downhill!

Surprised by Rouen

I am not sure what architecture I should have expected but I was surprised by the architecture in the old town. It looked a lot like the architecture that I saw around Strasbourg and Colmar in southeastern France. The town center was beautiful!

Monet’s Cathedral

Monet gave this old cathedral a favor by his work showing its glory in different times of year and under different light. I enjoyed playing with photo filters to re-enact his work with my layman’s skillset and tools…

Rouen, France, cathedral, Monet painting

The cathedral sports a magnificent façade that clearly lost a few statues at some point; some of the remnants can be seen inside the church. There are some tombs of former kings from over a millennium ago. Impressive.

Odd church… to St. Joan of Arc

As we walked in the old part of town, we saw this oddity in the middle of some square or plaza. It really looked weird and like it did not belong. The more I looked at it, the more it began to look like some Viking structure. It turned out to be the church built on the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake after being accused of many false things by the English (whom she had helped fight on the French side before she was even 19!). Once we identified what it was, the architecture began to make more sense.

rouen, france, joan of arc, church, eglise, juana de arcoa

The site was very moving. There is a very tall cross right outside the church on the spot where this poor and very brave young woman died for France. The inside of the church seems to fit the story. When I looked at the ceiling, the ceiling seemed to flow up to a point – like a flame would. It was all very moving indeed…

Crêpes!

When one goes to Paris, one is well-served by eating crêpes from the stands around town. But, in Normandy, eating crêpes is a must! We found a great mom-n-pop place, Kerso, where we enjoyed crêpes salés and crêpes sucrés for lunch. Really cool find!

Normandy, normandia, crepas, crepes, foodie

Though only a half day visit, I definitely got my money’s worth and more checking out this most interesting of French towns!

Filed Under: Europa (A-K), Europe, Europe, France, France, Francia, Travel Journal Tagged With: architecture, cathedral, food, France, normandy, travel

One Most Eclectic Portuguese Palace – Sintra’s Pena Palace

5 July 2022 by Raul Leave a Comment

Well, for those interested in one of the most eclectic palaces around, Portugal has one for the books: the Pena Palace in Sintra. Look no further for a Portuguese palace!

The town of Sintra

Sintra is a town easily reached from Lisbon; an hour away or so. It is very picturesque with its old district, windy and hilly alleys, and proximity to some interesting palaces/fortresses. The region around it is home to many ex-pats which makes it one of the more expensive areas of Portugal, much to the detriment of locals for whom the cost of real estate tends to go up in such scenarios.

Sintra, Portugal, Moorish Palace, travel, architecture — Sintra (Moorish Palace on top of the hill)

But I digress… Visiting Sintra is a logical part of a circuit from Lisbon that could include the resort town of Cascais and Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point of continental Europe).

The Pena Palace

The main sight in the Sintra area is the Pena Palace. If you had asked me before to name a Portuguese palace, my mind would have gone blank. Pena Palace is quite a colorful sight with an eclectic mix of architectures. It sits on the site of a monastery that got destroyed in the massive earthquake that hit Portugal in the mid-1700s and devastated parts of the country. Its position atop the highest point in the area offers great views all around and towards Lisbon.

It took until the 1830s for someone to pay attention to the site. That would have been King Ferdinand II, a German price who married well into the Portuguese royal family. King Ferdinand, along with the Queen, infused the construction with many different styles of architecture such as Romantic, Medieval and Islamic. The result is a collage of styles and color that is quite fascinating to behold.

The palace remained a royal residence until Portugal shed its monarchy when the palace became property of the state. The interiors are typical of a palace.

Sintra, Portugal, Moorish Palace, travel, architecture, old kitchen — Massive kitchen!

Sintra, Portugal, Moorish Palace, travel, architecture, chapel — Small yet inspiring chapel

Color me bright

The palace had lost its colors over the decades but that was addressed in the late 20th century when the original colors were restored.

By the way, it is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites so if you make it to Portugal, you must check Pena Palace out!

Filed Under: Travel Journal Tagged With: architecture, Portugal, royal palace

A Phenomenal Spot to Chill in the Dolomites

27 February 2022 by Raul 6 Comments

The third day of my hike in the Dolomites had me being driven from the Sasso Lungo area to a cable car (funivia) leading to Sass Pordoi. It is a nice way to ease into a hiking day to start with a short drive as, unbeknownst to me, this day was not going to be an easy one! But the whole day was full of experiences and views I would not trade as we made our way from Sass Pordoi (9,343 ft – 2,848m) to the Rifugio (Hütte) Kostner (8,366 ft – 2,550 m) at the Sella Group (east of the Langkofel, north of the Marmolada). Hiking and -then- chilling in the Dolomites is for me!

Dolomites, hiking, Italia, Italy, travel, outdoors — Here we are at the 25th switchback out of so many (I stopped looking)

The grandeur of the Dolomites

The views from the cable car exit point at Sass Pordio were fantastic. It was 41F (5C) when we got up there around 9:40AM but, with those views, who cares!

Dolomites, hiking, Italia, Italy, travel, outdoors, Sass Pordoi, funivia, terrazza delle dolomite — The entrace to the funivia and the board at the top

Dolomites, hiking, Italia, Italy, travel, outdoors, Sasso Lungo, massif, funivia Sass Pordoi — Behind me, the Sasso Lungo massif where I stayed the prior night, Facing me, the sun.

The back trail to Rifugio Kostner

We walked a short distance and we got to a small rifugio (Forcella Pordoi). It was too early in the day’s hike for a stop so I knew we would continue along the nice trail ahead. Looking to the right, flanked by two large stone massifs was a path down that I assumed would be a black slope in the winter if not a double diamond. And then I learned that was the path we were going to continue one.

Forcella Pordoi, Sella Group, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner — The gap through which we would descend…

I t was quite the sight… Ahead was a snaky path down over scree that required a lot of skill (we were reminded of the technique to handle the terrain). I can’t recall how long it took us to make it all the way down but I “mastered” the technique after like 10 mins when I decided I needed to pass those who had not quite mastered it yet as watching people take mis-steps sort of put me on edge and I was risking a solid slip-n-fall. I ended up catching up with two of my fellow hikers in the lead and we got a nice break while we waited for the rest of the gang to make it down to the lowest point we would hit, before hanging a left.

Rocks-n-Slopes ‘R Us

Right when we made the left, we hit a very rocky path along route 626. It would be on-and-off rocky / boulder-y which was a little scarier than the downhill scree as a fall would be potentially more painful / risky. I walked with good care and had a couple of almost-falls that felt painful on my left arm as I suddenly swung my hiking pole to prevent the falls. Those brusque movements contributed to a partial tear on my rotator cuff as I would learn weeks after the hike. But, no pain, beyond a fleeting moment, those couple of times or during the remaining part of the trek, thankfully…

Forcella Pordoi, Sella Group, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — The rocky path

Forcella Pordoi, Sella Group, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada, route 626 — Route 626 shows the way! Still rocky

Forcella Pordoi, Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — Look at the leg span and that guy is over 6 ft tall!

The path closely followed the massif wall. Finally, we were a tad more than an hr away!

We seemed to be hugging a large massif. At some point we ran into WWI barbed wire. This whole region was engaged in WWI skirmishes and battles on-and-off for three solid years; the highest altitude battle site of that scale. More died due to particularly bitter winters or due to avalanches… There were a few mountains that were partially blown-up for tactical reasons during those years. The next day we would stay atop one of those…

In any case, at some point, we turned a “corner” and off in the distance we could see our rifugio for the night. It seemed so close… yet, it would take another hour to reach it. So close, yet so far…

Perfect spot for chilling in the Dolomites

But what a reward for our efforts! Rifugio Kostner was my favorite of all the rifugios and that is saying a lot because I liked all. It is run by the Agreiter family and you can tell by looking at the staff that most are related. They were not the typical loud, smiley, friendly Italian but were very service-oriented and ran the place ship-shape; my kind of place! It was neat to see them take their dinner together after they cleaned up from our dinner.

sunset, Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — The dining room

It had a great outdoor deck to enjoy the views after finishing the hike, a generous piece of their apple strudel loaded with real cream, and some vino (we discovered Lagrein wine during this trip – it became one of my favorites).

Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada, Veneto — Enjoying the deck and the sun!

apple strudel, Sella Group, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — That was DELICIOUS and DECADENT. All this hiking

Seeing that piece of strudel and the cream you may understand why after days and days of hiking I did not lose a pound of weight (thankfully, neither did I gain).

Lagrein wine, Sella Group, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — Nice Lagrein wine

wine, Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — Hard to beat!

Sunset & sunrise in the Dolomites

The views were magnificent in broad daylight, sunset or sunrise as the pics below will show (though they will not do justice).

wine, Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada, sunset — Sun setting behind the massif

sunrise, Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — Sunrise the next morning – just stunning

Food at Rifugio Kostner

Of course, the meal deserved its own homage through this small collage – as did the breakfast…

dinner at rifugio, Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — Everything was outstanding!

breakfast, Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — Perfect to start a hiking day!

Sella Group massif, Dolomites, hiking, trekking, Rifugio Kostner, Marmolada — Departing view. Such a cool place!

Want to read more about my hike in the Dolomites. Check out:

Day 1 – Rosengarten Massif
Day 2 – Sassolungo Massif

Filed Under: Dolomites, Dolomites, Hiking, Hiking, Italy, Travel Journal Tagged With: Italia

The Best of Venice – Get Lost in Its Neighborhoods

21 November 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

In a prior post, I shared some images of Venice‘s majestic boulevard: its Grand Canal. From the modern pedestrian bridge near the train station to the iconic Rialto Bridge to St. Mark’s Square – and many palazzos in between, that post showcased Venice but now, the best of Venice!

However, I enjoy Venice a lot more when I begin meandering the alleys and small piazzas “far” from the tourist areas anchored on the Grand Canal. I say far in quotation marks because Venice is not that big and you are never far from the Grand Canal given its grand meandering that always manages to disorient me. You think you may be at the opposite end of Venice if you judge by the Grand Canal’s route but then you look at a map and see that really are not far at all from the other end of Venice!

While tourist Venice can be overwhelming most times of the year with the crowds, its back alleys can be a different story. And you get to see more of how locals live – and remember Venice is a residential place, not just a tourist attraction for us visitors.

So, I stop writing here and share images of the Venice I love the most!

best of venice, venice neighborhoods, italy, italia, exploring venice

Filed Under: Europe, Europe, Italy, Italy, Travel Journal Tagged With: architecture, Italy, Venice

Hiking to the Sassolungo, an Impressive Massif in the Dolomites

17 October 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

On day 2 of my hike in the Dolomites, we left the Rosengarten to reach the Sassolungo, an impressive massif in the western Dolomites. Mt. Sassolungo (also known as Langkofel in German, or Saslonch in the local language) is the tallest peak in the massif at around 10,400 ft (3,180 m). Mt. Sasso Piatto (Plattkofel or Sas Piat) is another famous peak in the group of five peaks. Sassolungo seems to lord over the valley below and was the backdrop to the rifugio I would stay that night.

impressive massif, Sassolungo, Dolomites, Langkofel, hiking, trekking, — *The Sassolungo*

The day started with departing Rifugio Passo Principe. From the rifugio’s deck, while I was waiting for the group to leave, I noticed along that along the peaks next to us, there were trails that were pretty steep and rocky. I could not believe when I spotted a couple of hikers far along that trail on a zig-zaggy uphill. But then, it completely shocked me when I was told that we were going on that trail ourselves! This is the western flank of the Catinaccio d’Antermoia.

antermoia pass, dolomites, trekking, hiking, italy, rifugio principe, impressive massif — *Can you see the trail? It ends at the top right of the photo.*

We took trail 584 to head towards the Antermoia Pass. The trail was challenging but, actually, it was a lot of fun to take the challenge and get through it successfully (a few slips included but no falls for me!).

We got to the Antermoia Pass (Pas de Antermoa) at close to 9,100 ft (2,770 m). It was a great feeling to reach it and pause for a moment to absorb the view of peaks close and far.

antermoia pass, dolomites, trekking, hiking, italy, ilivetotravel, hiker

Soon thereafter we began a downhill that led us to different terrain. I don’t know how to describe it, really. Maybe the photo can convey this better…

antermoia pass, dolomites, trekking, hiking, italy — *Headed towards Antermoia Lake*

The trail would become flat and we would pass Lake Antermoia and Rifugio Antermoia (where we would stop for a short break).

antermoia lake, dolomites, trekking, hiking, italy — *Antermoia Lake*

rifugio antermoia, dolomites, trekking, hiking, italy, rifugio principe — *Rifugio Antermoia*

rifugio antermoa, dolomites, trekking, hiking, italy, rifugio principe — *The path we took from R. Principe to R. Antermoia*

From there we walked along beautiful terrain along 578 to Val Duron. Eventually we got our first glimpse of Mt. Marmolada which holds the only glacier in the Dolomites. We would see this mountain from different angles over the next few days.

Sassolungo, Dolomites, Langkofel, hiking, trekking,

antermoia pass, dolomites, trekking, hiking, italy, rifugio principe, marmolata — *The tallest mountain is the Marmolada, with the glacier not too visible from this angle*

Somewhere there we switched to 532 to stop for a nice lunch at Baita Lino Brach restaurant where many dishes were polenta base. The polenta was pretty bland but that is only to be expected of polenta. In any case, it was a very nice place to stop and eat outdoors.

Sassolungo, Dolomites, Langkofel, hiking, trekking, baita lino brach, val duron

After lunch, we walked down a flat path up until a point where a ride waited to take us to Campitello di Fassa (Campiedel) where we would take a lift from Campitello di Fassa to Col Rodela (at 2,484m). Campitello di Fassa is a small town about 70 km from Trento where most people speak Ladino, a unique language of these mountain valleys.

Sassolungo, Dolomites, Langkofel, hiking, trekking, campitello di fassa, funivia, cable car — *Campitello from the cable car*

Sassolungo, Dolomites, Langkofel, hiking, trekking, campitello di fassa, funivia

From Col Rodela we would finish our hiking day along trail 557 and Passo Sella to arrive at our lodging for the night: Rifugio Carlo Valentini, a very nice place!

Sassolungo, Dolomites, Langkofel, hiking, trekking, campitello di fassa, funivia, paraglider — *One of like 30 paragliders flying above Campitello*

I greatly enjoyed my meal of spaetzle and pork tenderloin, right after a delicious and humongous salad (the photo shows also my breakfast the next day).

Sassolungo, Dolomites, Langkofel, hiking, trekking, campitello di fassa, funivia, trentino cuisine, food in northern italy — *My two meals at the rifugio*

We started the day at 8:30 AM and finished around 5 PM, covering around 8 miles. The meal above (and the wine I enjoyed) set me up well for a good night’s rest!

Missed day 1? Click here to see how the trek started in the Rosengarten (“Rose Garden”) massif.

Or move head to day 3 where we reached Rifugio Kostner over some of the more challenging terrain of the trek.

Filed Under: Dolomites, Dolomites, Hiking, Hiking, Travel Journal Tagged With: dolomites, hiking

Challenge in the Dolomites: Hiking the Rosengarten

12 October 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

My first day of hiking presented a neat challenge in the Dolomites taking us from Carezza / Karersee to Rifugio Passo Principe (Grasleitenpasshütte). There we would spend the night after traversing the iconic Rosengarten Massif, near Bolzano, Italy. The massif contains several peaks with its highest elevation being at 9,849 ft (3,002 m).

The trek started with our early AM departure from Trento, where we had spent a few days performing service projects with Trekking for Kids, to Carezza / Karersee where we would catch a ski lift (the Paolina lift) to the start of our trail.

Hiking route in the Rosengarten

The trails we followed were: 539 (from exiting the lift to the Christomannos Monument) to 549 (to Rifugo di Vael) to 541 (to Rifugio Vajolet) and then, finally, to trail 584 on to Rifugio Principe at Passo Principe. I could not show it as well in one single map so here I broke up the day’s hike into two maps.

Started on the lift on the bottom left and made our way upwards…

Starting from the bottom we ended at the top of the blue line

Where to stay: rifugios!

By the way, rifugios are mountain inns or lodges that offer basic accommodations and can provide dinner and breakfast for an additional cost – which I may add, is well worth it.

Some rifugios offer double rooms, some offer group rooms, and some offer both. Also, they may offer shower facilities with some of the places having very basic ones and charging a euro for a few minutes for their use, and some having very nice rooms and bathrooms.

However basic they can be (or not), I have to say all my meals were phenomenal and I will share those along the way in these posts!

Rifugio Principe, Passo Principe, lodging in the Dolomites — Dining area is cozy – and now Covid-ready

speck, german food, rifugio food — My dinner: speck with fried eggs on a bed of potatoes!

At Rifugio Principe (re-built/renovated around 2008), our group of 15 split into two group rooms of eight people each. The setup was not the typical bunk beds but four mattresses laid side-by-side: one set on the floor and one set above those. It was hard to sleep with so many people around but a little harder being so close to each other. Our room was the “outside” room which was supposed to be colder but was actually warm enough (they provide you some serious blankets but I actually did not use them and, instead, just used the sleeping bag liner I had brought with me and warm clothing).

rifugio principe, passo principe, hiking in the dolomites, lodging in the dolomites — Facing the “outside” room from the sun deck

The landscape & views around the Rosengarten Massif

Trekking Dolomites, chair lift in Italy — It starts with a chair lift!

Rosengarten, hiking Dolomites, trekking, Italy — The best shot I have of the Rosengarten has me semi-posing…

Christomannos Monument, hiking Dolomites, trekking, Italy, Rosengarten massif — The Christomannos Monument

hiking Dolomites, trekking, Italy, Rosengarten massif — Beautiful trails; flat for this little stretch…

Uphill and Downhill ‘R Us

This must be after conquering an uphill due to my smile!

Let’s get technical

This day did offer a surprise: needing to cross a small section via steel cable. While it looked scarier than it actually was, I still paid attention to where every one of my 4 extremities was at every moment!

The ladders or cables were pretty new and sturdy. Some of the fighting in World War I took place around the Dolomites and, back then, cruder ladders and cables were used by the soldiers to move around – grateful things have improved since then (and are more peaceful!).

hiking Dolomites, trekking, Italy, Rosengarten massif, technical hike — From the top: Going down the rope-assisted path

From the bottom: The drop was not too big – but glad no one had a mis-step!

A mirage or our rifugio?

Well, along the way, it is not uncommon to pass rifugios which are not our destination. Normally OK as it means we are taking a break. But not always… Sometimes you pass them like passing ships at sea… After a long, long climb, the rifugio on the photo below would have been a GREAT stop. However, and thankfully unbeknownst to me, we had a lot longer to go so a leisurely stop would have place our arrival at our rifugio at dark… So on we went with more uphill terrain as you can appreciate from the picture… No matter how tired I got, the view was always magnificent!

End of day 1 hike at Rifugio Principe

Rifugio Principe, Passo Principe, Hiking Dolomites, trekking Dolomites, Rosengarten massif — This one was OUR rifugio for the night!! Happy to arrive! (Photo credit: K. Sundin)

We covered around 7.5 miles after a mid-morning start and around 6 hours of hiking. The group took a little longer than expected, likely the change in altitude from where we had woken up (Trento, at slightly more than 600 ft elevation) to where we ended (at around 8,600 ft). But, I for one was ecstatic about finishing what was a hard last 2 hours of that day’s hike!

Read about day 2, its tricky start and getting to the Sassolungo!

Filed Under: Dolomites, Dolomites, Europe, Europe, Hiking, Hiking, Italy, Italy, Travel Journal Tagged With: dolomites, hiking, Italy, trekking

Around Belfast. Maine, That Is.

21 August 2021 by Raul 1 Comment

A little over 30 miles from Bangor, lies the coastal town of Belfast, Maine on Penobscot Bay. It sits about midway on the Maine coast right on US route 1. With about 7,000 inhabitants, it is a small town but it is the seat of Waldo County.

At the start of my trip to Maine a week ago, we decided to check out Belfast before heading to the main reason for our trip (exploring Acadia National Park). It was a great decision.

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, Belfast Main Street, architecture, city hall — City Hall

Maine Architecture at Belfast

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, Belfast Main Street, architecture

The town’s homes and buildings have beautiful architecture. Walking around the main street and nearby side streets is a real treat. Plenty of businesses around to look through.

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, Belfast Main Street, architecture, post office

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, Belfast Main Street, architecture, New England church

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, Belfast Main Street, architecture, Opera House

Checking out Harbor Walk

A neat thing to do is to walk the trail along Front St. by the water: Harbor Walk. Once you reach the Belfast Boathouse, if you are there around low tide, you can walk along the “beach” and behind beautiful houses sitting on prime real estate.

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, Front Street Shipyard

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, beach

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, Maine beach house, architecture

Walking in the opposite direction, you pass Heritage Park with its cool lobster bench. It has places to sit and eat and I understand the town holds events there.

If you keep going, you pass eateries and a brewery. Unfortunately, we were there in the morning so could not enjoy what likely is a great scene later in the day.

Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Passagassawakeag River, Front Street

Along the Front Street Shipyard

Continuing the walk, you get to walk through the Front Street Shipyard where you can see the work taking place as you walk through it (stay on the path!) and its marina to get to the bridge where you can cross the Passagassawakeag River (that was hard to type!).

A phenomenal lobster roll

The best part of the visit to Belfast was the Must Be Nice Lobster food truck on Harbor Walk selling lobster rolls. Both the setting and the roll were a phenomenal way to cap the visit to Belfast!

losbter, lobster roll, foodporn, foodie, Belfast, Harbor Walk, Maine — View from the food truck sitting area

An unexpected find: Bayside, Maine

P.S. – Upon leaving Belfast, we decided to explore the area a little more and discovered Bayside in Northport. Interestingly, this village used to be the site of a religious community’s summer camp – must have been a great one to spend a week or two back when! Cottages were built in the camp between 1870-1920 (roughly) and those cottages remain today though the camp closed in the 1930s. They have been beautifully kept up / restored, and a drive or walk around the narrow streets is well worth the detour from route 1 and Belfast!

cottage, Bayside, Maine, architecture, seaside, restoration, preservation, Northport, Penobscot Bay

Filed Under: Maine, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: Belfast, east coast travel, Maine

Not Egypt’s Valley of the Kings but its Valley of the Whales: Wadi El-Hitan

21 July 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

Have you visited the Valley of the Kings near modern day Luxor in Egypt? Yes? Have you visited that “other” valley in Egypt? “What other valley?” you ask? Well, the Valley of the Whales, of course! AKA Wadi El-Hitan!

Located about 100 miles southwest of Cairo near the town of Fayoum, you can easily visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site in intriguing and iconic Egypt within a day.

Valley of the Whales (bottom left shown as “Wadi Hitan”)

Whales in the Egyptian desert?

The fossilized remains of about 100 whales are found on this site in their evolution from land to water animals in the last stage of losing their hind legs. This site, million of years ago, was part of a large sea that connected what today are the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. This sea covered large parts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It existed for many millions of years when the warmer climate of the planet prevented ice caps on the poles. As the climate of the planet cooled, the water receded as the ice caps formed (and the cycle will repeat in the reverse of many millions of years as the planet is wont to do!).

The whale bones have been laid out for easy observation…

These whales were carnivorous and had a serpentine form. The longest fossil found is about 69 ft (21 m) long. The field of fossils was discovered in the first part of the twentieth century as it was a difficult area to reach.

Fossilized mangroves have cleverly marked them for the visitors to notice…

The cliffs of Wadi El-Hitan

The cliffs in this Western Desert were formed as the sea receded and the wet climate produced rains that eroded sediment and rock in the area. And now, Wahi El-Hitan is a valley of whales, where fossilized bones of these long-ago creatures settled.

Paths have been laid for visitors to explore the site without accidentally stepping over anything important or fragile.

The valley, a protected area reachable by four-wheel drive, is a neat place to visit and walk around, witnessing this open history book that preserves the story of animal evolution and shows how Earth’s climate changes over periods of times fluctuating between hotter and cooler, impacting water levels.

Nearby oasis: Wadi El-Rayan and Fayoum Falls

Near the Valley of the Whales, is a neat area to sit back and have a delicious lunch before or after visiting Wadi El-Hitan: the oasis town of Fayoum in Wadi El-Rayan. A small waterfall connects the two large bodies of water outside of the town of Fayoum. A nice break!

There is a LOT to see and do in Egypt. And I won’t try to convince you this ought to be in your top 3 or top 5 sights to make sure you see. But, if you like off the beaten -or weathered- path, the Valley of the Whales in Egypt is for you!

Filed Under: Egypt, Travel Journal Tagged With: Egypt, wadi el-hitan, whales in the desert

Cross-Country Drive Day 3 – From the Grand Canyon to Amarillo, Texas

12 July 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

A brief summary of day 3 of my cross-country drive: Grand Canyon to Amarillo, Texas, begins with the stats!

Stats of the drive

Third day: Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) in Arizona to Amarillo, Texas

Routes taken: Route 64 (south) to I-40 east, crossing New Mexico

Departure time: 6:20AM (Pacific time in Arizona)

Arrival time: 7:20PM (Central time in Amarillo)

License plates spotted: 43 (two days in a row! oddly for the proximity, we did not see Arkansas)

A Grand Canyon sunrise with deer

One key benefit of staying right there was the ease of getting to see the Grand Canyon at sunrise. Not that getting up for a 5:15AM daybreak was easy but, certainly, a ton easier than if I had been outside of the GCNP. In fact, I am pretty sure I would NOT have done the sunrise thing if it required an hour drive before 5:15AM!

sunrise, Grand Canyon, rim view, Arizona

Needless to say, I was not the only one out admiring the sun’s rise. A few deer accompanied us right between the lodge and the edge of the path though they seemed more interested in the grass than the colors of the canyon walls!

Thunderbird Lodge, Grand Canyon, rim view, Arizona, deer — A tourist at the Grand Canyon

Driving through New Mexico to get to Amarillo, Texas

Grand Canyon to Amarillo, steakhouse, famous steak, great drives, road trip southwest — Non-descript terrain for a good part

Grand Canyon to Amarillo, steakhouse, famous steak, great drives, road trip southwest, new mexico roadside diner — Diner at Grants, NM, right before the duststorm part of the drive

Grand Canyon to Amarillo, steakhouse, famous steak, great drives, road trip southwest, new mexico

Grand Canyon to Amarillo, steakhouse, famous steak, great drives, road trip southwest, welcome to texas

Grand Canyon to Amarillo, steakhouse, famous steak, great drives, road trip southwest, wind farm, windmill

The windmills above are not properly given justice by this photo. The line of windmills we encountered sometime after crossing into Texas lasted miles and there were multiple rows well beyond the right side of the photo. It was an amazing amount of windmills. As big as everything is in Texas!

Steak night at the Big Texan

And speaking about big in Texas, the Big Texan enters the picture. We stayed next door and ventured to this place famous for its challenge to anyone who dares…

It says ranch but I saw no cows, alive that is!

The challenge is to eat a 72-ounce piece of steak, cooked to order, along with all the sides pictured below in one hour. If you eat it all, besides the stomach ache I imagine ensues, you get the meal for free. Otherwise, you pay $72. We saw two guys get up on the stage to try it but we did not stay to see the drama finish…

I opted for a more modest 8-ounce steak with broccoli!

And with that delicious steak ended day 3 covering the width of New Mexico and parts of Arizona and Texas!

Filed Under: Arizona, Great Drives, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: amarillo, gcnp, grand canyon

Cross-Country Drive Day 2 – Kingman to the Grand Canyon

5 July 2021 by Raul 1 Comment

Stats of the drive

Second day: Kingman, Arizona to the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP)

Routes taken: I-40 east to Route 89 north (around Flagstaff) to Route 64 west (at Cameron) to hit the eastern entrance to the GCNP

Departure time: 9AM

Arrival time: 3PM

License plates spotted: 43 states (somehow I suspect the gravity pull of the Grand Canyon had something to do with this success!)

sunrise, Grand Canyon, rim view, Arizona, route 66, route 89 — Along Route 89

A simple plan

The trip’s plan included spending an overnight at the Grand Canyon National Park and enjoying the beautiful views. The drive from Kingman to the GCNP was going to be only about 3 hours so we planned for a late start this day. This would give us a break from early starts that would characterize the entire roadtrip.

sunrise, Grand Canyon, rim view, Arizona, route 66

Maximizing the Grand Canyon experience

Since we only had an afternoon and an evening (we would leave early the next morning), we splurged by staying right at the rim of the Grand Canyon. For those who have not been there, if you stay at hotels outside of the GCNP, you have about an hour’s drive (or more) for most of them. So that would be a 2-hr roundtrip in and out lost in driving.

We stayed at the Thunderbird Lodge on the edge of the canyon and got a partial view of the Grand Canyon. It was a spectacular setting despite the view being partial.

Thunderbird Lodge, Grand Canyon, rim view, Arizona — The view from the ground floor of Thunderbird Lodge

Sunset light at the Grand Canyon

sunset, grand canyon, el tovar, arizona, national park

But let’s not forget about Kingman

So I just spent telling you about day 3’s sunrise but did not tell you about day 2’s sunrise…

Being that my body was still on Eastern time, I woke up sometime in the 4AM range. First thinking my options were TV or reading, I promptly concluded that it would be good to get some exercise in even if mild. Also, I figured I should try to see some of the town but driving was the last thing I wanted to do. So, I just went for a 45-min walk which also overlapped sunrise.

Our hotel (a very nice Best Western) was right on historic Route 66 so I got to walk some of it seeing the police and fire stations and a few business. I also walked the streets of a middle class neighborhood right behind Route 66 but dogs would bark and being still the wee hours, I felt it a little rude of me to disturb the peace so I went back to Route 66 – to get some of the kicks the famous song promises!

Now, let’s go on to day 3!

Missed the start of the cross-country drive? Check out the San Jose to Kingman drive!

Filed Under: Arizona, Great Drives, Great Drives, Travel Journal, US & Canada, US & Canada Tagged With: cross-country drive, southwest

Cross-Country Drive Day 1 – San Jose, CA to Kingman, AZ

27 June 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

Last week I got to do the longest drive I have ever done: 5 days going from San Jose, California to Atlanta, Georgia. Why? I volunteered to help friends drive back to Atlanta as they leave California. It was not only a great opportunity to spend time together but also to see my country in a very different way of traveling: on the road!

Stats of the drive

First day: San Jose, California to Kingman, Arizona

Routes taken: California 101 to California 152 to I-5 to California 58 to I-40.

Departure time: 7AM

Arrival time: 4PM

License plates spotted: 30 states + 4 Canadian provinces (incl. Nova Scotia!)

Intra-California leg: San Jose to Bakersfield

Day 1 saw us departing San Jose, as you saw above, at 7AM. As I had arrive the night before from the East coast, that was not too early for me at all.

San Jose, window seat, California, great drive

Car loaded, we took some back roads (routes 101 and 152) to get onto I-5 at Los Banos. On the way there, we passed the town of Gilroy, which I am told is the world capital of garlic. Garlic IS in the air, even when the windows in the car are closed. Wikipedia says it is “the southernmost city in the San Francisco Bay area” but that seems a REAL geographical stretch to me (maybe it is a geological thing). Don’t believe everything you read! (The irony of that statement is not lost on me…) In any case, there were a large variety of crops like walnuts, almonds, and others confirming that this Central Valley indeed is a key source of produce.

I-5, I must say, is one tedious interstate to drive with the trucks and high volume of vehicles. I was glad when we got off it to head towards Bakersfield where we would take route 58 on the way to connecting with I-40 which would carry us, not only to the state border, but eventually all the way to Amarillo, Texas.

California Central Valley, produce, onion, trucks, cross-country drive

Southeastern California, Barstow and Route 66

After passing well-known Edwards Air Force Base, soon enough we hit our lunch stop at the crossroads of I-15 and one of the endpoints of I-40: the town of Barstow, California, right on Route 66. It was our first stop on Route 66. We were not trying to stick to Route 66 as we had days of driving to do but it was cool, at a couple of places, to see this famous route that carried so many out west in the 20th century.

Route 66, California, great drive, cross-country drive

Route 66, cross-country drive, California, Barstow — Barstow

To get to the border with Arizona, we first had to pass the Mojave area with the eponymous desert, Edwards AFB, and other facilities for military training and logistics. We also saw the lot where many airplanes are parked to not clutter airport space – it was odd to see so many planes in the middle of nowhere!

Hot Needles packing heat

It was a peculiar area and, of course, very hot. Temperatures hit 108F (42C). We thought that was outlandish but we were about to learn how reasonable 108F was.

As we took a southward turn on I-40 to go below Goose Lake…

map, Goose Lake, Parker Junction, Needles — I-40 goes around the lake making a “U” that, on the right, will hit Kingman, AZ

… we passed the town of Needles and reached 120F (49C).

Yea, that was hot; the car windows were very hot to the touch – from the inside of the air conditioned car… “Needles” to say (LOL), we did not get out of the car… But we enjoyed the views as usual.

Colorado River, route 66, cross-country drive, Arizona, California — Crossing the Colorado River between Needles and Kingman

The road traveled

We made it to Kingman where we stayed in the central (and older) part of town; more on that in the next post). We stayed at a Best Western that re-defined that brand for me – I was impressed with the cleanliness and freshness of the room and other facilities (I got nothing from saying that – that is just sharing my experience with you!).

To wrap up day 1, I will share a couple of pictures from the road and the vistas of southeastern California.

Southeastern California, route 66, cross-country drive

Finally in Arizona and a short drive left to Kingman!

Let’s see what happened and what was the destination on day 2 of this cross-country drive!

Filed Under: California, Great Drives, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: California, cross-country drive, needles

Christmas Time in Strasbourg – A Beautiful Sight

21 December 2020 by Raul Leave a Comment

One of Europe’s capitals is not the capital of a country. It is one of the capitals of a union that is not a country: the European Union. Strasbourg, currently sitting in France, is one of those capitals, along with Brussels. It sits sort of in the middle of France’s border with Germany, who formally owned the land where Strasbourg. Strasbourg is a stone’s throw away the border, so to speak. It has been a complicated life for Alsace and its main city, Strasbourg…

Palais de l'Europe, Palace of Europe, Strasbourg — Palais de l’Europe (Palace of Europe – sounds self-promoting…)

A Christmas market cruise tour decision

When I first looked at my Rhine Christmas market cruise’s itinerary, I was excited to see so many neat places on the list (check this post for tips and places to experience on this cruise). Strasbourg, in particular, was an appealing stop in the cruise. It may bewilder some who know me but I opted for a walking city tour instead of –gasp– a wine tasting session of the region’s famous wines. I cringed at having to choose but I definitely wanted to explore the city; I could always buy Alsatian wines and taste at home, no??

Entering the town

We approached the city’s heart via the Ponts Couverts bridge which offers views of beautiful buildings of traditional architecture of the region.

Ponts Couverts, Strasbourg, France — 13th century towers

Ponts Couverts, Strasbourg, France, Alsatian architecture

Most charming was the structure on the tiny island on the Quai du Woerthel with the tiniest of walkways to it from the bridge.

Lunch in Strasbourg

I chose well. We started with the small-group guided walking tour but we broke away from it at some point to have meal in a local restaurant that had been recommended (“Le Tire-bouchon” – or corkscrew). A small, tightly-packed placed that , yet, had a spot for our even-smaller group.

typical Alsatian meal, France, Strasbourg, Tire-bouchon

The dessert was my favorite dessert ever: chocolate mousse. And I knew ahead of time, I was not sharing with the table… (OK, my Mom got a spoonful, after all, she brought me to this world!) It was SPECTACULAR!

chocolate mousse, Tire-bouchon, Strasbourg, Alsace, foodie — How does one say “Don’t touch it” in French?

After lunch, my Mom and I broke off (yet again) from the smaller group and meandered on our own.

Christmas decorations in Strasbourg’s streets

Words can’t describe how beautiful and festive the side streets were. It was all as if out of a dream, beyond what Disney could achieve in any of its parks! The charming and beautiful buildings were purely out of a story book.

Strasbourg at Christmas, Navidad en Estrasburgo, Noel a Strasbourg

Calling what we looking at “architecture” sounds pretentious. But it is also over-simplifying what we were looking at. The storefronts and buildings aim to out-decorate each other and they manage to do so without looking gaudy – French style reigning supreme!

Strasbourg’s Notre Dame Cathedral

We walked into Strasbourg’s magnificent, medieval, one-towered, rose Cathedral of Notre-Dame to check it out. It seems to have taken 250 years to get built, finishing in the first half of the 15th century. Before America was discovered…

Strasbourg Cathedral, catedral de Estrasburgo, Cathedral de Notre-Dame — Almost impossible to get a full shot of the front of the Cathedral

Its interior is something to explore for sure – worth the line!

Its astronomical clock is supposed to be worth seeing in action – something we missed.

Strasbourg cathedral, astronomical clocl

As the day progresses, light hits the Cathedral’s pink sandstone exterior differently and it feels like its façade changes color.

Of course, the exterior around Christmas time is also wrapped by the many Christmas market stands that make the city both a beautiful and festive place to visit at this special time of the year!