tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310746022024-02-28T12:17:46.374-06:00Maureen's TraveloguesMaureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-58852952754244689702022-10-14T02:22:00.001-05:002022-10-14T02:22:55.001-05:00More Puglia and Rome <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzVyc81yv3woiXYVWiAn_kdhw9rGDTP7TgLsChn5iSJykfIzprGeiE8uDpcwDo1ZXFfcM8MKanP234WEIccXbRYYoT6vhf3Zwdp8NGK3Hh1ociKJp4OX2GEAwa4B4j58nMvniDoBfi9wtpIb_ti_Bu6vNECGJXHTNCdscPGWsB9kaUzWU0IU/s4032/EBACC8D4-FF3C-446A-8F90-21EF9936B3DD.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzVyc81yv3woiXYVWiAn_kdhw9rGDTP7TgLsChn5iSJykfIzprGeiE8uDpcwDo1ZXFfcM8MKanP234WEIccXbRYYoT6vhf3Zwdp8NGK3Hh1ociKJp4OX2GEAwa4B4j58nMvniDoBfi9wtpIb_ti_Bu6vNECGJXHTNCdscPGWsB9kaUzWU0IU/s320/EBACC8D4-FF3C-446A-8F90-21EF9936B3DD.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fpW11YvRUBqv9cs8pcm3-k-rJYNV-TOBM7nAGoAnAEkSyhuxmKEP01Yodp9ekSjHWpX9f5yKRgtW2L3dzVJws9Z07s6j2ND4IdA0fumS_KyRlotNDZigQDvcwBYvF9jei1jGQFs-eNNN6q0Vs-29PPTlVCcBY9-LAUDdE_hCc4t1pgG2Go8/s4032/71D3CCE1-5F2C-4414-8A82-C1A3D96BFEEB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fpW11YvRUBqv9cs8pcm3-k-rJYNV-TOBM7nAGoAnAEkSyhuxmKEP01Yodp9ekSjHWpX9f5yKRgtW2L3dzVJws9Z07s6j2ND4IdA0fumS_KyRlotNDZigQDvcwBYvF9jei1jGQFs-eNNN6q0Vs-29PPTlVCcBY9-LAUDdE_hCc4t1pgG2Go8/s320/71D3CCE1-5F2C-4414-8A82-C1A3D96BFEEB.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwQZV1h1jWWOi5TSPj4vrDRdIAFz6PX-MQFFPiIXPuiiVfPi0JOT1LRrpyGLyudmBIWJ5MJGrRKRdFU5CzNLtKjQr5gLFelMXhvUaLya5Ucj7E2Pk2KgzmxmWzbwPlKKAlgf5pe1fe5niAVfyEGVaEDbFbw3erpmNmkCs5zbZJyK9Bz2nra0/s4032/6A19C09C-5509-425A-8224-83506E86A3C9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwQZV1h1jWWOi5TSPj4vrDRdIAFz6PX-MQFFPiIXPuiiVfPi0JOT1LRrpyGLyudmBIWJ5MJGrRKRdFU5CzNLtKjQr5gLFelMXhvUaLya5Ucj7E2Pk2KgzmxmWzbwPlKKAlgf5pe1fe5niAVfyEGVaEDbFbw3erpmNmkCs5zbZJyK9Bz2nra0/s320/6A19C09C-5509-425A-8224-83506E86A3C9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 10: Trani, Alberobello, Bari</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The weather does not improve in the morning. Last night we had braved the two blocks to a sushi restaurant, the rain still running down the centuries old stone. This morning, the rain still comes in waves, and we eat breakfast inside. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The plan was to leave and go straight to Alberobello. However, Todd had been exploring the map and found a typewriter museum. So, Todd, Dad, and I meandered off to the Duomo piazza, where we found two floors of 150 years of typewriter history. We can’t help but thin of our Poems While You Wait friends in Chicago. These typewriters are real beauties. Some stand a foot tall, some two feet wide; others are so small that you could cup them in your <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>two hands. Most are in English, but there are Braille, Hebrew, Arabic, and Japanese. Many are standard black, but so many are glorious colors. Down in the Olivetti room, it’s a riot of color: from a special edition typewriter in the Italian flag colors, to turquoise, pink, green, red, purple. They are so, so pretty. Even the Olivetti Lettera 22 that our friend Eric helped me find as a wedding gift for Todd is there. As in Venice, our biggest disappointment is the lack of a book we can buy. All we can get are a few postcards. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Back out in moody Trani, the stormclouds still ominous, we load up the car to head to Alberobello. An hour twenty minute drive, passing by fields of olive trees and vines heavy with grapes, Dad expertly navigates another crowded, narrow town, finding a perfect parking space. The view to the Trulli homes is so pretty. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The problem is that Alberobello’s sky looks a foreboding color, and the weather is chill. We find a restaurant with seating outside, ordering hot meals and hot tea, in the hopes that we won’t get rained on, even under the restaurant umbrellas. The food is good, it only spits rain, but the wind is still chill. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We decide to meander the Alberobello streets and admire the Trulli buildings: small white houses with stone cone roofs, many adorned with chimneys, symbols. They are not quite uniform, versions of a traditional style. But they are beautiful. They remind me, in a way, of the Taos Pueblo, the buildings individualized with flowers and colorful doors, but speaking of a long history. When everyone is done roaming, I take 15 minutes for a photo shoot and wander around on my own. It’s so easy to capture places like this, especially when the blue sky peaks out momentarily. I come across a small photography shop in a Trulli and buy a great black and white photograph for myself. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We then drive the hour to Bari, a coastal city popular for ferries and cruises. We park along the Adriatic waterfront, the water and sky so blue. We walk into the old city walls and check in. Our room is right off a main strip, and it’s half cave/stone walls. Meeting back up with Dad and Margaret, we meander to find an open restaurant. It’s too early and the wrong day, so we eat at the simple cafe near our place. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After dinner, we walk into the still-open Basilica of St Nicholas. It’s dark, with only prayer candles and some scattered lights. The ceiling looks to be primarily gold leaf frescoes, but they are impossible to make out right now. We go down to the tomb, which is well-lit and not as creepy as I expected. It’s clearly used often for prayers, lined with pews and offertory boxes. It’s a quiet night back out in the world, and we all say goodnight. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 11: Bari to Rome</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Dad and I meet up for coffee as we await our partners to join us for breakfast. Locals are out, mopeds and motorcycles delivering produce, parents taking kids to school, a few travelers already up and out. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After breakfast, we check out of our rooms, Dad and Margaret checking into a larger room the next two night, and we load up the cars. With a few hours before our train to Rome, we decide that we have time to visit the castle, Castello Svevo di Bari. With a clear fortress intent, complete with a moat, this castle took its sea location seriously. There’s great stone work, excavated ruins, and a museum that houses plaster molds, along with other artifacts, like pottery, found on the grounds. The blue sky puts the castle stone to its best view. I realize that this is the third castle we’ve seen on these six days with Dad and Margaret—clearly a record!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Soon, we need to head to the train station. While we’ve spent almost half our vacation with them, it still doesn’t feel like enough. More chats to have, more time to explore, more hugs to give. But I do enjoy our video chats, so we will keep those up. One final selfie and round of hugs, and we are on our way. We buy lunch and water and wait for the train. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">It’s on time, speedy, and mostly comfortable. Since this is a fast train to central Rome, it’s busy and there’s a staff person that walks around with a cart of drinks and snacks. There had been only one first class coach on our Bologna-Vasto train, but there are many on this one. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We arrive in Rome just after 5pm with throngs of others. Making our way to the taxi stand, we are quickly in a cab and making our way to the hotel. He drops us off and points to the wrong direction. Another hotel Concierge sees our confused looks outside of the wrong hotel and points us in the right direction. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We check-in and make our way to the room. It’s a large room, a definite splurge for us, but it’s nice to have a couch and chairs. Unpacking a bit, we decide to forgo a passegiata in favor of dinner. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Todd finds a vegan restaurant five minutes away, and we head there. He is eager to have a dairy free meal, and I’m just thrilled to have a whole vegan menu. We sit outside on the piazza, watching and hearing city traffic pass is by: buses, cars, garbage trucks, bikes, people. As we peruse a menu, talking to each other about what to order, a young woman at the table next to us, leans over and says, “it’s all vegan.” We just smile and say “we know,” but what I think is, “I’ve probably been vegan longer than you’ve been alive.” That thought doesn’t make me feel old AT ALL. The meal is delicious: fried olives, focaccia, a rice/mushroom/cheese dish, truffle pasta, sausage pizza, and tiramisu. All vegan, so filling. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We then decide to take a slow meander to see the Trevi fountain. We saw it briefly six years ago, but Todd wasn’t feeling great, and he wanted to experience it again. We zigzag through the crowded thoroughfare, prepared this time for the onslaught of people, restaurants, and vendors selling flying lights and other wares. We make it to the fountain and stake our claim along the railing. The Trevi is always beautiful at night, more dramatic and romantic. The shadows on the statues, the play of light off the water. I am reminded of the first time I visited the Trevi over Christmas in 1994, a young man coming up to us college aged Americans, flirting, asking us if we like white wine or red. I don’t feel like 28 years have passed, but somehow they have. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We head back to Piazza della Rotunda in front of the Pantheon to get a good view of this at night. Again, <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I’m reminded of 1994, and again 2004, and 2016. Previous trips flooding me with memories. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 12: Rome</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">It’s raining! Luckily, we have the Galleria Borghese booked this morning, so we hope to avoid most of the bad morning weather. It’s definitely a taxi morning. Rome is humid, and the taxi windows steam up, so we lower them a bit to see landmarks we pass. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The Borghese is a timed entry situation: every hour on the hour, booked ahead. Umbrellas line the entry, and we check our bags because only small purses are allowed. We are guided up to the second floor, where we start with mostly old masters and Christian art. There are some beauties up here, like Titian’s “Sacred and Profane Love”, a Botticelli, Raphael, Reubens. It’s downstairs on the first floor where all the gorgeous statues are. Bernini is the star of the show, at least for us. His sculptures are emotive and fluid. His “Apollo and Daphne” is spectacular, with Daphne transforming into a tree, roots and leaves emerging from her extended fingers and toes. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Not to be undone, there are brilliant pieces by Caravaggio (especially his gorgeous “Saint Jerome”), Canova’s beautiful marble “Venus” that Justine Bonaparte sat for, and gorgeous mosaics. Of course, when an art gallery is in a palace, you must always look up </span><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic;">and </span><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">down to admire the beautiful frescoes and the gorgeous marble floors. The whole place is a work of art. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">When we emerge from our time slot, rain still falls. We grab a taxi that is dropping someone off. We head back to our hotel, where we finish our pizza and pasta leftovers from last night and create a game plan. Our last afternoon and evening of vacation. We stroll to the Pantheon and step inside this gorgeous building. I never get tired of this place: the seamless open air rotunda, the ancient brick and stone mingling with the centuries old marble, the play of light. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We then walk the few blocks to Piazza Navona to complete our Bernini tour of the day. We notice lots of reporters and their crew following people down streets, and a crowd of people and police stand in front of a building. When we search later, we discover that it’s the Senate building, which opened today for the new session after the election. A 92 year old Holocaust survivor opened the session, just before a new speaker was elected—a right-wing, fascist supporter. Everywhere there is this resurgence of anti-democratic, far-right conservative movements; no country seems safe from it. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We admire the Bernini fountain sculptures and choose a cafe for a snack. Todd asks about vegan items at one, while I check out the menu at another. When I approach, the man says, “I am vegan, too” and gives me a fist bump. We sit in the piazza, safe from spitting rain, and enjoy vegan appetizers: bruschetta, artichoke, and mushroom/potato balls. (What is a major disappointment is that we cannot find plain fried squash blossoms, just ones stuffed with cheese and anchovies.) We then hunt down vegan gelato, the third place being the charm. Chocolate and fig; this time the fig tastes like fig!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We meander back to the hotel to pack and prep. I stop in San Luigi to see the Caravaggio chapel, which is in another beautiful church. Bags get packed, and we decide to head out to a ceramic store we passed. We’ve hardly bought any souvenirs. It’s closed when we get there, but it’s near the Temple of Hadrian. They have a great digital light display over the ancient columns, which shows the evolution of the building from Temple to ruin to repurposed. It’s a fun display, a bigger scale show than the mosaic digits recreation in Padua, and a fun final Roman moment. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We decide to forego restaurant hunting and instead head back to Buddy for our final meal. This time, we order olives, falafel, and a seitan mushroom truffle dish. The hotel has provided us with vegan breakfast items for the morning, including yogurt and chocolate croissants. So, we finalize our packing and attempt to get to bed early for our 5:15 wake-up/6:15 taxi/10am flight. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">So, here we are, at the end of our vacation. 13 days, 6 cities/towns, 1 family reunion. It’s been three years since the last long, international vacation. There were things to relearn, new experiences to enjoy, stress and anxiety, masking, joy and beauty. I’m so glad we came, and I hope for another trip soon. There are friends to see and hug, new places to explore. I’ll try to post another blog for all that we did. Thanks for following along! </span></p>Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-20816136180189963882022-10-10T11:43:00.000-05:002022-10-10T11:43:00.806-05:00Abruzzo and Puglia!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZswch61ATAR_glSq_51BbS-QUVhieqHC-7h5pxUPEycSoib4CiVNb-BIXWufUSA2Z3t6rCiVUweXiEkvB9s2LdnTCHvZXB3xWg5rdIksaTw__q465FMtxM6np6V1GRbpzjcfPytBPhJXCsb9OyVCSXtSTCLT3RQQ8Ku0KyU3mYiM_ySBIgsk/s4032/8C03353B-E493-41CC-9EBF-13FA68EF0A55.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZswch61ATAR_glSq_51BbS-QUVhieqHC-7h5pxUPEycSoib4CiVNb-BIXWufUSA2Z3t6rCiVUweXiEkvB9s2LdnTCHvZXB3xWg5rdIksaTw__q465FMtxM6np6V1GRbpzjcfPytBPhJXCsb9OyVCSXtSTCLT3RQQ8Ku0KyU3mYiM_ySBIgsk/s320/8C03353B-E493-41CC-9EBF-13FA68EF0A55.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85LAsFnzK9R5xwUy80jDxH6bCSUjECi-hLzFtYL4MER1PWRYCOZLRfR1CuTztWBCwRTmBrgmc7HtRmztoQl5-tBogPfnLsIN68tqP8pxDssn9dryaL2jhHlcVnwWGKZ9EFLHkkdidxHTG1VZVGGWBSPJh3t5WxeZUOXEF7OlmMBHmXmslFUo/s4032/A4E1C204-34B7-4BA1-81A9-0097D6AE54F4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85LAsFnzK9R5xwUy80jDxH6bCSUjECi-hLzFtYL4MER1PWRYCOZLRfR1CuTztWBCwRTmBrgmc7HtRmztoQl5-tBogPfnLsIN68tqP8pxDssn9dryaL2jhHlcVnwWGKZ9EFLHkkdidxHTG1VZVGGWBSPJh3t5WxeZUOXEF7OlmMBHmXmslFUo/s320/A4E1C204-34B7-4BA1-81A9-0097D6AE54F4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuOt4-PCT150rAfjTGfH28dn1wOTJnXoyjM2ruNNm2MXIIVR2ywRE8ISC8nWjMP9ZaaK9f0skcA9ZndzbCznuROQ8uQdCbwnqf_enmjvuvTgnbw5mo4Zv113DBXJlR_Rs9d1GRcaFkdcOhhSRtU_aBAJMZl_TTlQ3JB85sZjaCAXAz9EL8Y4/s4032/9B27FCD1-C1BF-4C6D-8BA3-EA7BF5D19DEC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuOt4-PCT150rAfjTGfH28dn1wOTJnXoyjM2ruNNm2MXIIVR2ywRE8ISC8nWjMP9ZaaK9f0skcA9ZndzbCznuROQ8uQdCbwnqf_enmjvuvTgnbw5mo4Zv113DBXJlR_Rs9d1GRcaFkdcOhhSRtU_aBAJMZl_TTlQ3JB85sZjaCAXAz9EL8Y4/s320/9B27FCD1-C1BF-4C6D-8BA3-EA7BF5D19DEC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Day 6 continued!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We arrive mostly on time in Vasto, and Dad and Margaret are there waiting on the opposite platform. Hugs and kisses and excitement all around. We’re here!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We store our bags in their new used car, and go for a stroll through Vasto. The city has all the best Italian landmarks: piazzas, churches, old and new architecture, and stunning views. Many of these places come with stories from Dad and Margaret’s adventures the last six months. We take a stroll along the city wall, and Margaret and I walk down to the ruins of the Roman baths. The church we pass is open, so we duck inside. It’s decorated more “simply” in white plaster/marble and gold leaf. The resident churchgoers are friendly and full of smiles and “buongiorno” greetings as we take a look around. Next door, the ruins of the Roman baths are covered in scaffolding protection; it’s closed, but we can see inside to make out the rooms, the mosaic out of sight. The ruins were fortunately/unfortunately discovered during a landslide in 1956, which claimed a part of the church that was never rebuilt. The small info plaque on the fence calls it one of the oldest ruins in Italy, which does make you go, really? Is this like the same “Chicago’s best hot dog” claim to fame? </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Margaret had made a reservation at one of their favorite restaurants, so we sat down and had a lovely meal as the sun set in front of us. Seafood for the three of them, including clam pasta for Todd, and a great veggie pasta for me. On our way back to the car, we stop for some vegan gelato, and the night is complete. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We pull up to their house in the dark, but we get the evening view, lights dotting the hills with distant dwellings. When we take the inside tour, I can see all the places where I’ve video chatted with them the last six months. I’m in their Italian home, and I love it. We sit and chat, and Todd and I put in laundry so it can start to hang dry overnight. We all peel off one by one to sleep, and I sit in the quiet of their living room for the machine to finish spinning, feeling at home. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 7: Roccascalegna</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The next morning, we wake up earlier than expected, yet the morning light hardly filters into the shuttered up windows. I look out the bathroom window, and see a great view, as Margaret had suggested. Dad is downstairs playing coffee barista, prepping the decaf French press and the espresso stove-top percolator. Todd and I hang our clothes outside to dry in the Abruzzo sun. We get an outside tour of the house, the trees, and flowers. Dad hands me the shears to clip some fresh figs. Margaret picks a fresh pomegranate. We get a tour of house #1 next door, the smaller house they originally rented. It’s super cute, but no AC and heat (except in the kitchen), and I remember one video call where they were bundled up in bed with hats and scarves and blankets back in March. House #2 has heat and AC, making it more livable, which they’ll put to the test this winter. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We eventually pack ourselves up to go explore for the day. The drive is a beautiful one through the countryside, passing by olives being harvested and endless rows of vines. We stop at an old ruin, which is pretty in itself but comes with a good view. Our first stop is Tornareccio, a local town famous for two things: honey and mosaics. Today is the start of the honey festival, and we hoped to swing by before the festival. Unfortunately, it started already and parking was nonexistent. So we did a slow cruise down the streets to see a few mosaics. They are a meter square, and a few new ones are put up each year. To no surprise, many of the mosaics are bee-themed. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Our drive then continues to Roccascalegna, where we will visit the castle and have lunch. Castello di Roccascalegna sits atop a rock outcrop that you can see clearly as you enter the town. It’s an ideal vantage point in the valley, perched as it is. Even I wonder how we will get up there. The approach takes us through the cute village. We wind through the main drag with houses built into the rock and decorative paintings on their electrical covers and rocks. Eventually, we start walking up the steps to the castle entrance. The views are already spectacular across the valley, full of ridges and forest and fields. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The castle is part ruin, but many sections, like the tower that are visible from far away, have been maintained. Definitely a working fortress, it’s complete with torture chamber, holes in the walls to shoot a crossbow, and ramparts with strategic views. Every part of the castle is photogenic, and I can’t stop shooting. With the rolling hills of the Abruzzo countryside around us and a perfect blue and cloud speckled sky, it’s a photographic dream. These views remind me how vacation rejuvenates us, giving us new experiences and space to breathe. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After seeing every nook, we make our way down. Uneven stones make it careful going, but on a dry day, it’s easy. Margaret made a lunch reservation for us at Civico 20, a restaurant they visited a month ago, asking if they could do vegan meals. The owner/chef said she was excited and would pull out the traditional Abruzzo meals. When we arrive, there is a vegan menu, and all of it sounds delicious. I order a farmer’s stew as an appetizer: greens, potatoes, and polenta. My main dish is a rintrocili pasta with mushrooms and truffle sauce. For dessert, apple streusel. All the food is delicious, and I only wish I had a larger appetite to try it all! Thank you to Margaret for arranging!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After enjoying our lunch with a castle view, we drive back home to prepare for dinner with the neighbors. Five of the local friends are coming over for drinks and appetizers. These friends have made Dad and Margaret a part of their community, even dropping heavy hints about them buying a house (not going to happen, they keep saying). Hearing about the rehab projects of the neighbors, which are certainly labors of love over years, you really have to want it! It was a lovely evening on the patio, the moon rising, conversation in English and Italian, food and drinks and laughter. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 8: Casalanguida to Trani</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">A somewhat busy morning, as we repack and Dad and Margaret prep the house for the owners who will return in the wee hours of the morning for a week. We won’t have a chance to meet Julia and Valerio, but we’ve heard good things. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Finally, we pick up the car with all our luggage, Dad and Margaret packing much lighter than us, though they will travel another three days when we leave them. We say goodbye to their neighbors, Maria, Robert, and Paul and head south to Trani. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Located on the coast in Puglia, it’s often mentioned in the guidebooks as worth a visit. The drive is just over two hours, and we make it fine, navigating the crazy tight streets, finding excellent harbor parking, and then struggling to find our hidden B&B. Looking for the street and the number is challenging, but we finally find the right #41.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The B&B Palazzo Paccioti is lovely, and we all have nice big rooms. Ours has Botticelli’s Venus looking over us. After settling in and taking a load off, we head out to the harbor for the evening passegiata. Tonight is the most Italian evening we’ve experienced. Mostly Italians and few tourists, parents walk kids, young girls and women come out all dressed up, dog owners walk, people have a smoke. With the sun setting and music from a bar further down the harbor, the excited chatter of so many people, it feels quintessential Italian. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We choose a restaurant along the harbor wall that Margaret liked the look of, and the food impresses us. The bruschetta bread is delicious, crispy and airy. The pizzas have a spectacular crust, and my eggplant and arugula pizza brings back a memory of ordering salad topped pizza in Lucignano back in 2004. Dad and Margaret both close their eyes and make moaning sounds of approval. Todd orders a burger and it comes without a bun and bacon strips atop the side of potatoes, and the flavoring is totally unexpected. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">By the time we are finished, the sun is fully set and the harbor is still busy. After dinner, Todd finds a vegan gelato place, and Dad coins him “The Gelato Whisperer” when they take their first taste. We meander to a quiet nearby square and enjoy our gelato under the date palms as kids play. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 9: Trani</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">It’s a cloudy start to the day, and rain is in today’s forecast. Our B&B serves breakfast on the top floor, and we sit under an awning and enjoy the temperate morning. Todd battles a sinus infection (but he brought antibiotics just in case), so he decides to give his body more rest. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Dad, Margaret, and I head to Castel</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">del Monte, about a half hour outside Trani. About a mile or two out, the castle becomes visible atop a hill. There’s no long walking approach today, as we can drive right up to the parking lot. The castle was built in the 1200s in a unique octagonal shape. The castle is solid stone—even the roof—so no wonder it survived! We walk the two floors, each tip of the octagon giving us unique views across the Puglian countryside. In 40 minutes, we’re done, as there aren’t really any informational displays or furnished rooms. Just the stone and architectural wonder on full display! </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Back in Trani, I collect Todd, and we join Dad and Margaret at a harbor restaurant. Soon, it starts to sprinkle. We move under the stone facade and enjoy our meal. Dad and Margaret have a seafood of the day (mussels with rice and potatoes), Todd has pasta with scampi (having to dismantle them), and I enjoy pasta marinara but with a new kind of pasta—oriccheti. The sauce is delicious. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">As we finish the first part of our meal, we hear the wet sound of a car driving. It’s suddenly pouring. It doesn’t let up for at least a half hour, and we try to wait it out, but dad’s weather app confirms that it won’t let up for quite awhile. So we put on our rain-ish gear and start the three block trek back to our hotel. The pretty little stone lanes have become mini rivers, and it’s careful Hopscotch, trying to avoid the streams and puddles and keep our footing. We arrive with wet shoes and some wet clothes but without incident, decamping to our rooms to dry out. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Todd and I play uno, listen to the rain and chill, the rain never really letting up. We can hear the gutters and drains still emptying in the lane below. Let’s see what we end up doing for dinner: delivery anyone???</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Tomorrow, the weather will improve, and we head to Alberobello, ending in Bari for the night. </span></p>Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-29441898321876098112022-10-07T09:03:00.001-05:002022-10-07T09:03:40.464-05:00Padua!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrb-IsgEyAhPVR0Scx6uPSNBuI3ie8n0jLCVE_TnrhITVMUob5qsCT8FhDfmKG4Ds4fnAmzPIo6-BbOXVzMXJQjxB-_BwN2Tvo0hnblpMgZSeNo2DFl5Fq3EnSWSVyojpHVdLsUUYLgREgKli7up8Gt_wt2QcKWQEz4TXPMo12SNpo0hx2cY/s4032/B4B08A3A-457E-4990-B267-03B46F9C4448.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrb-IsgEyAhPVR0Scx6uPSNBuI3ie8n0jLCVE_TnrhITVMUob5qsCT8FhDfmKG4Ds4fnAmzPIo6-BbOXVzMXJQjxB-_BwN2Tvo0hnblpMgZSeNo2DFl5Fq3EnSWSVyojpHVdLsUUYLgREgKli7up8Gt_wt2QcKWQEz4TXPMo12SNpo0hx2cY/s320/B4B08A3A-457E-4990-B267-03B46F9C4448.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MW0r5t4Syv2vOu43ujo-eBOlCPKKwkrRbf5lRR8xqL34prqj2hns3-eHdeEoIgmzWYwlZIuLsNi1jvU62k_wfrtINVwfpH2Hr08CdsXvmtduV8o1XYzfF0nYXZxadQDkpol_b_nb2zGK7CWNfbQlaYnjAu9vzpHrHqgQYW-Iru1ah49OYsA/s4032/CA22F35D-A5B9-46A5-81FD-0FA224EEEF79.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MW0r5t4Syv2vOu43ujo-eBOlCPKKwkrRbf5lRR8xqL34prqj2hns3-eHdeEoIgmzWYwlZIuLsNi1jvU62k_wfrtINVwfpH2Hr08CdsXvmtduV8o1XYzfF0nYXZxadQDkpol_b_nb2zGK7CWNfbQlaYnjAu9vzpHrHqgQYW-Iru1ah49OYsA/s320/CA22F35D-A5B9-46A5-81FD-0FA224EEEF79.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Day 4: Venice to Padua</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Our last morning in Venice, we had breakfast (including a double espresso soy latte), did a repack, then went out to say our final good-bye to Venice. A walk to San Marco through now familiar streets. We were headed to a cafe overlooking the Grand Canal, just past the Doge’s Palace, where we had espresso on our honeymoon. It was almost 11, so it was busy and not quite the peaceful spot we remembered. However, we had an espresso and sat in the moment. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Both Todd and I brought our journals, so that we could sit in cafes and write in them. The only thing I’ve managed to write is this blog. Part of the difficulty is not having comfy spaces in our hotel to sit, the other part is Covid reality (though maybe 10% of people are masking), the other part is wanting to be outside and not in full sun in comfortable chairs. The other part for me is that it’s much easier to photograph and move/walk, than to sit down, order a drink, and be still. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We bought some paninis for lunch (took some hunting for a vegan one), then picked up our bags. The vaparetto stop is close to our hotel, so soon we were on a boat, heading to the train station. A quick half hour train ride, and we hopped off in Padua. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Why Padua? We had five nights at the start of our trip to do our own thing before heading south, so when we chose Venice, we had to decide what next. Since our train south to Vasto leaves out of Bologna, either we go there or Padua, which is on the way. Padua seemed a good option as a smaller town (300K college town), and I’ve always wanted to see the Scrovegni Chapel. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">When we arrived in the train station, where we should have been able to pick up our 48 hour pass, we were told that we had to go to the chapel to pick it up. A fifteen minute walk away with bags, having gone the wrong direction thanks to incorrect info, we arrive at the entrance a bit sweaty, tired, and annoyed. But we get the tickets and can now ride the tram for free. We head across the street and wait for a tram. 10 minutes later, we are in our gaudy as hell hotel room (I’m sure this art appeals to many, but not us), horizontal and airing out. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">It’s warm and humid, nearly the same situation we were in six years ago. Mostly the temps have been decent, but our clothes are definitely for cooler weather, not</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">75F. So hopefully it gets cooler soon so we can wear half the clothes we brought!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Needing food, we head into the pedestrian center, finding a historic 191 year old cafe that shows a tofu salad and a quinoa pesto! Protein! Yes! We sit down to order and are told we can only order small bites. The restaurant part of the menu doesn’t open for a half hour (7pm). So we order small bites and bide our time. Then, we get excited to order food, and are waiter tells us they aren’t going to do the restaurant tonight. Annoyed, but realizing all we can do is throw up your hands and say “it’s Italy!”</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We think we find a vegan restaurant, but it turns out to be more of a food stall for you to take items home to cook. I pull out my Rick Steves photocopied pages and find a</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">place a block away. Tables for multiple restaurants adorn the middle of the piazza, and we get to enjoy the vibe of the city. A six year old is celebrating her birthday, and kids play and laugh, the large #6 and fairy castle balloons being dragged across the piazza by the birthday girl and her tormenting brothers/cousins/friends. It’s a perfect weather night, the building facades are beautiful, and the food delicious. I have rigatoni in red sauce with eggplant, with marinated artichokes for an appetizer. Todd has stuffed olives breaded and fried as an app, and salmon and veggies as a main. Too full, we don’t hunt down dessert (poor excuse), but head to the hotel to crash. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 5: Padua</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I must have told Todd a half dozen times that we had to be at the Scrovegni chapel at 9:45am for our 10am tour, and we were there early. I mean, they are really serious about timing and being late and having to pay again, so let’s make sure we are early. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">There’s an interesting sculpture garden around the chapel, and we pass interesting pieces, along with Roman ruins. Sitting outside the chapel at 9:45am, we are ushered in with the group. They only let 25 people in every 15 minutes, and they are serious. An entry lobby was erected to help stabilize air pressure and keep the air purified, preserving the frescoes (they hope) from future decay. The video was informative and narratively dramatic (so serious), and then we were let in. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">It’s a small space, and you are given 15 minutes to take it all in. So many images, so many themes, so many narratives! It’s amazing that this has survived (mostly) for 700 years. There is so much to restore, and much of it probably has been, though you can’t tell what colors are bright because of restoration and what have just survived on its own. Regardless, wow. The expected scenes of the life of Mary and Jesus, but also reminders of what you shouldn’t do (ie vices) and the end result (being tortured by Lucifer and demons).</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">And after 15 minutes, we are ushered out for the next group, a full one, to come in. I overhear a man ask if he can go back in, and he’s told he’ll have to buy another ticket. An: they’re serious!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">A brief walk through the museum, and we decide to exit and save our steps for other sights. We decide to head to the Palazzo della Ragione, included in our Padua card, and which we had admired last night. We stop in a cafe in the Piazza della Erbe and have great little sandwiches for lunch. It’s market day and all the piazzas are full of food, flower, and clothing vendors. It’s great people watching. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The Palazzo della Ragione is a football field size large hall, originally built in the 1300s, then partially destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 1400s. Its hundreds of frescoes show the various professions and their tools of the trade. It also houses a large horse built in 1466 to commemorate a joust. It’s a spectacular hall, as imposing inside as it looks outside. The porticos on either side look out into the squares, as market day is still in full swing. It’s a beautiful place to photograph, and I take many. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Todd heads back to the hotel, and I take an hour to do a photo shoot of the piazzas and buildings. So many things to notice, and I keep my feet busy. The market stalls get packed up, and soon the restaurants will start putting out their tables and chairs for afternoon drinks and dinner service. I find a gelateria with vegan options, and I eat my chocolate/hazelnut and pistachio in the same square where we ate last night. I feel mildly guilty that I’m eating gelato and Todd’s not, but I figure we’ll get some more later. I make my way to the tram stop and pass by some cool University of Padua buildings, highlighting their 800 year anniversary. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Back at the hotel, I take a load off, and we ponder what to do in the afternoon. It’s only 2pmish, so the day is young. Do we go for a short walk for gelato? Without question. Todd has to help orientate me because I was going to take us in the wrong direction. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I am thrilled when we enter into the Prato della Valle, as I’d seen pictures of this lovely circular park with statues and a little moat of water. We bought our chocolate and strawberry gelatos (and I confessed to my earlier purchase once Todd was happily eating his), and sat in the park on the pretty blue sky day. One has to love a good city park.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We meandered back to the Basilica near our hotel, and while Todd had a cafe snack, I did a walk through the church. Since the tomb of St. Anthony is here, it’s set up for pilgrims. I walked through the church and its <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>many chapels. It must be packed at certain times of the year (apparently 6.5 million people visit every year), but today just a few small groups toured the quiet church. I did not visit the reliquary with its body parts on display. I did walk past St Anthony’s tomb as there wasn’t a line and witnessed the boards with hundreds of small photos of people pegged on them. Since St Anthony is the saint of lost things/people, I assume these are people lost in some way. Whether through death or disappearance or something else.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">So, on our second/last night in Padua, we decided on a place called Kai Sushi for dinner. We were the first ones there, and it remained relatively quiet while we were there, allowing us to eat mask free. The food was delicious and vegan dishes were mostly clearly marked (something with oyster sauce or egg is not vegan). There were no vegan noodle dishes, but all the sushi and apps were enough: miso soup, edamame, veggie tempura, fried spring rolls, avocado maki, avo/cuc/radish maki, avocado sesame salad. Todd got some fishy sushi, of course, and I always feel slightly sad for him that I can’t partake in a full sushi dinner with him.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Full and needing to go back to the hotel to repack our exploded bags, we bid a farewell to Padua. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 6: Padua to Vasto</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Today was another full travel day. Our 10am train would take us to Bologna, for an hour layover before catching the next train to Vasto. Things went relatively smoothly, catching the tram, buying snacks at the station, catching the second train. Everything mostly on time and efficient. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The second train is a 4.5 hour journey, mostly down along the east coast, so about an hour into the ride, we have delightful views of the Adriatic. Palm trees, vacation homes and hotels, people wind surfing, and water as far as the eyes can see. We opted for first class seats since it was such a long trip, and the car is mostly empty. Worth the extra 20E just to have extra leg space and a quiet car. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">In about a half hour, we will arrive in Vasto, where Dad and Margaret will be waiting to show us their new home. We will have a few days with them, then we will all go down to Trani and Bari!</span></p>Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-32714133123620058012022-10-06T02:04:00.003-05:002022-10-06T02:07:37.966-05:00Three Days in Venice<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUqzXx5mNm6fZ8CJ0VMAvWeLpXOE6oCfFcCMtr7EJHvXVs1W6aKIxPRCzX6-_BIKrqMVTdKhthKt3MJISp9UNfb_uTZEqKqnKa4qr-bhfr4jj3VbhCsel0rPVs-NntymzhG4slM_2cGc5UIdt-WO6pcJn7pJ6ZsPqMuqwLEqy_MNXcDEBD0w/s4032/2D95C0DC-5AD8-4791-A396-3DEA5F095FA8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUqzXx5mNm6fZ8CJ0VMAvWeLpXOE6oCfFcCMtr7EJHvXVs1W6aKIxPRCzX6-_BIKrqMVTdKhthKt3MJISp9UNfb_uTZEqKqnKa4qr-bhfr4jj3VbhCsel0rPVs-NntymzhG4slM_2cGc5UIdt-WO6pcJn7pJ6ZsPqMuqwLEqy_MNXcDEBD0w/s320/2D95C0DC-5AD8-4791-A396-3DEA5F095FA8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguenIeU7rjiOI9wZaedN1lEi74KExrZ_9Ioep_jCU0vc7Ox4Prdd4rRRq3jg6R9Au5fhV38IhlzIJcLTLL_4uX2EUUuyYIM6LAmH8-dV7W5tocQBy2Ox0A78IfGEVhKm_GIrOlpLHMn69ieAc2YsgnRR00PBHLhTr220LhQIdPjpVRHN7rG5U/s4032/6AFC4310-6FBB-4256-A6A8-C267FE8ADFBC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguenIeU7rjiOI9wZaedN1lEi74KExrZ_9Ioep_jCU0vc7Ox4Prdd4rRRq3jg6R9Au5fhV38IhlzIJcLTLL_4uX2EUUuyYIM6LAmH8-dV7W5tocQBy2Ox0A78IfGEVhKm_GIrOlpLHMn69ieAc2YsgnRR00PBHLhTr220LhQIdPjpVRHN7rG5U/s320/6AFC4310-6FBB-4256-A6A8-C267FE8ADFBC.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Day 1: Chicago to Venice</span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">When planning this trip, we had to decide where to go on our own before meeting up with Dad and Margaret. We don’t have long (thanks American vacation time), so I asked Todd what he most wanted to see. In choosing between Venice and Florence (one should never have to choose), Todd astutely said, “with climate change, who knows how long Venice will be here.” So, Venice it is. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">In a surprising turn of events, everything was on time in our travels. Security at O’Hare: speedy. First flight to Philly: on time. (We definitely got in our steps going from one gate to the next.) Second flight to Venice: on time. Venice Border/Customs: speedy. Aligaluna boat to our hotel: long line, but fast and efficient boarding (and a totally new water transit terminal). It was all a delightful surprise, which meant we arrived at our hotel too early to check-in. So we organized our day bags for a few hours of aimless wandering and went off to find lunch. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The recommended restaurant was not yet seating for lunch (in fact, every time we’d try to eat here, they weren’t yet seating), so we found another restaurant near Teatro La Fenice. They had just opened, so we sat down in the pleasant alcove and let ourselves feel both tired and excited. The menu was a simple one, and my vegan choice was expected: pasta marinara. Yet, it was delicious and just the right welcome meal. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">My photographer eyes slowly woke up to all I love about Venice: the aging buildings, the textures of the old walls in various colors in contrast to the greenery and flowers everywhere. The people watching is just as interesting: people from all over the world mixing with the Venetians and Italian tourists. Let’s not forget the dogs and pigeons. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Back at the hotel, we crammed into the little elevator to head up to our room on the third floor. More spacious than the hotel we stayed on our honeymoon, I laughed to see that it was still a red velvety wallpapered room. Is this a Venetian thing? We threw open the screenless windows to a light breeze and a quiet view to the next building and a small canal. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Giving into the tired, we took a short nap (neither of us slept a wink on the plane, so we broke the cardinal jet lag rule). Closing the windows just enough so that pigeons didn’t fly in, we slept to the sound of the gondoliers rowing past outside, the slap of their oars, the chatter between them as they followed each other down the narrow canal. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Refreshed, we dressed for an evening meander. People out for the passeggiata, tourists shopping, locals walking dogs. Just a regular Sunday evening. We stepped into the church of San Moise just to see, and come across a Tintoretto and an interesting altar piece of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments. Entering San Marco square, we hear the familiar sound of pigeons and pianos and people, the square not too flooded with people. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Wanting to find the gardens, we meandered near the Doge’s Palace and along the Grand Canal. The gardens are tucked in behind all the souvenir vendors selling masks and hats <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and all things Venice. A pergola runs down the center, and people telexed on the benches around the gardens. I particularly enjoyed the fragrant pink blossoms adorning the pergola. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The thing about vacation is that you do things between eating. So, naturally, the question was: where are we going to eat for dinner? Which was definitely followed by: where will we get vegan gelato? Rick</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Steves helped with the first question, and we headed towards a pizzeria chain called Rossopomodoro. With a vegan pizza and bruschetta on the menu, it made the perfect shared dairy-free meal for both of us. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Todd engineered the answer to the second question, leading us towards a gelateria with vegan options. We zigzagged towards the Rialto and arrived to a serious line. When it was our turn, I told the staff woman in Italian that I was vegan, and she launched into a quick Italian response that of course I caught nothing of but Chocolate. Again in English, she told me there were four vegan flavors, and it wasn’t much of a contest. A scoop of chocolate raspberry and rice milk cherry. So, so good. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Now fully satiated and jet lag kicking into high gear, we came back to our hotel. We made the mistake of opening the windows, hoping that keeping off the lights would keep out the mosquitoes. I found out at 2am from a determined buzzing near my ear that was not the case. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 2: Venice</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I’m familiar with my body on jet lag, so even though I hardly slept, I still felt ready for the day. I requested a vegan breakfast at every hotel, but I wasn’t sure what I’d find this morning. They had special vegan rolls with peach jam inside and soy blueberry yogurt. Perfect. We brought some peanut butter, so I added that to the roll. With an espresso and some fresh fruit, it was a champion breakfast. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">With no set plans for the day, we decided on a slow morning stroll. It was about 60F and a clear, blue sky day. Winding our way to San Marco, we pass by closed shops and cafes setting up for the day. We arrive in the square just in time for the clock to chime 9am. Just as we remembered from our last trip, it’s the hour for photo shoots: a woman in a tiara and poofy blue ball gown, a couple in wedding attire, a woman in a glittery gold gown. I’m not sure if they were all models, or if some were real people doing their own photo shoot. We stand in the Basilica line for a minute, but the church doesn’t open for another half hour, and Todd is already crashing despite the espresso, so instead we meander back home. The Grand Canal vendors outside the garden are just setting up, the garden closed. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Back at the hotel, I drop Todd off and go for a photo walk, planning to meet up with him in an hour. Before the trip, I visualized what I wanted from my first vacation in three years: wandering the streets of Venice at a relaxed pace, photographing. And that’s what I did. I let the tiny lanes lead me to the Grand Canal for a photo of the Rialto, which was still in shadow. (Todd has requested a Rialto photo in full sun, as the one he has in his office is half shaded.) Atop the bridge, I find the same couple being photographed, <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>dogs and people walking past, all of us taking photos of them. The vendors selling roses are not yet out, and the bridge is relatively quiet. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I continue my meandering, deciding to try to find the quirky Aqua Alta bookstore mentioned in guides. I pass by several small churches, whose facades you can only fully see staring up, the lane too narrow for a full-on view. Votive prayer candles glimmer in the quiet, as I walk through.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">My walk leads me to the Campo San Maria Formosa, with its Scuola facade of marble and stoic lions. The church has a large sign, indicating the paintings found within, but I instead opt to keep outside. With no clouds in the sky and the sun starting to warm me up, I shed my sweater. I find the bookstore, intending to come back with Todd.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Meeting back up with Todd, we head towards the Accademia Bridge, treading our honeymoon steps. Our hotel in 2016 was in the Dorsoduro, and it feels a bit like coming to familiar stomping grounds. We pass by the Guggenheim, giving a passing glance to the Goldsworthy stone in the entry garden. The Basicala is wrapped in scaffolding, getting a cleaning or a facelift. Our destination, the contemporary art museum at the Punta della Dogana, looks out over the Grand Canal to San Marco. The north side is still shaded, and the moored gondolas bob with the choppy waters. At the tip, the sun is intense, glaring off the water. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The museum proves an interesting experience, as the warehouse space is currently devoted entirely to Bruce Nauman’s work. It’s newish work in conversation <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>with a few pieces from 1968/1969. The works from past and present incorporate video, audio, performance art, sculpture, and according to Todd, “interrogates the Body in space and time, using image and sound through electronic mediums.” </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After an hour of interrogating art and admiring the views, we went in search of lunch. Outdoor tables are full, people settling in. Crossing back over the bridge, we find a table in San Stefano. Gnocchi with Tuna for Todd, pasta and veggies for me. Seagulls and pigeons fight over pizza crust, as we eat. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">At the hotel, we take a brief rest for our feet and backs, where the gondolas again return: this time with music! Afterwards, we did several food stops. First: a pasticceria with vegan pastries (frolla al farrow, cookie with a jam center for me). Then, a ciccheti stop for Todd (five different toasted breads with a traditional Venetian item on each); I ordered some bruschetta, fries, and my first spritz. Finally: a later dinner. The nearby vegan friendly restaurants were closed, and the Chinese restaurant did not have tofu dishes, so we found a restaurant with a free table and tucked into pasta. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Back at the hotel, we collapse. Almost 20K steps for me, but still 15K for Todd. We sleep hard, no mosquitoes buzzing. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Day 3: Venice</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">In choosing not to overbook ourselves, our mornings are delightfully unrushed. We enjoy breakfast, taking our time to get out in the day. I’ve been to Venice many times, but there are still so many new things. Yesterday’s museum at Ponta della Dogana was new to me, and today we choose the modern art museum at Ca’ Pesaro.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">A short vaporetto ride later, with a great seat for Rialto photos, we hop off and walk the two blocks to the palace. Donated by an Italian woman for this purpose, I am reminded of how Peggy Guggenheim donated her home and collection. Women have done well for Venice’s art scene. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">While yesterday’s museum was a warehouse with one artist on exhibition, Ca’ Pesaro offers a selection of famous artists (and new Italian ones to us) exhibited under mostly preserved frescoed ceilings. Familiar artists: Rodin, Chagall, Klimt, Moore. New to me Italian artists: Zecchin, Rossi, Casaroti, Martini, Deluigu, Afro. Wildt’s sculptures really drew me in, but Bice Lazzari’s work (drawings, paintings, and collages) floored both of us. So much so that Todd ordered an exhibition book when we returned to the hotel. (Side note: it always annoys me when museums don’t have more postcards/prints of works for purchase—even a full</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Permanent collection guide. We would have bought the shit out of that shop, but only spent 10E.)</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After lunch at the museum cafe and a final hour of art, we headed back to the vaporetto stop. With no machine to purchase tickets, a frustrating half hour of trying to purchase tickets online and downloading an app resulted in the QR codes not being read by the machines. #technologyfail</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">We made it eventually to San Marco, where Todd bought a hat he had his eye on. Because he has great ideas, we then went in search of vegan gelato. I’m surprised at how uncrowded San Marco is, compared to the crowds of 2016. It’s still busy, but not like that. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">When we arrived in Venice, I noticed signs for Vivaldi’s concerts. Luckily, a local ensemble was playing the “Four Seasons” tonight, so I booked us tickets. (The opening of “Spring” played at our wedding when I walked up the aisle.) Of course, Italians start things late, so it was at 9pm. Held in a deconsecrated church with 8 ensemble members (all men this evening, though there’s one woman apparently in the ensemble), the audience was packed in. I usually listen to this piece, not watch it being performed, so it was a wonderful experience to watch the violins, viola, cello, and double bass play (couldn’t really see the harpsichord). The body movements of the musicians, their facial expressions, their fingers on strings, the bows doing their fine dance. A few other pieces were played after the “Four Seasons,” but not pieces that I knew. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">As I walked home at 10:30pm (Todd left at intermission as his back was sore in the chairs), the temperature perfect, I enjoyed my last view of Venice lit up at night.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p>Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-90089150972767395402020-03-27T13:58:00.001-05:002020-03-27T13:58:27.442-05:00Photographic Travel Essays to Spark Daydreams<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As we all hunker down in our homes to stop the spread of Covid-19, we need inspiration to keep us looking forward to the future when this will pass. I've created a YouTube channel to share my travel essays and photographs to inspire you to keep your travel daydreams alive! Listen, watch, and plan!<br />
<br />
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<b>Olive Groves and 30</b></div>
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Travel along with me as I visit Tuscany with friends before
my 30<sup>th</sup> birthday. This travel journey takes us through Lucignano,
Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Sienna, and San Gimignano.<b> </b></div>
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<b>The Blizzard Wedding</b></div>
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Listen along as I take you on my journey from England to
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Right now, the Earth is breathing easier with less pollution, and we must be mindful of how we travel responsibly in the future. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Be safe and stay home! </div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-86375648113747924872020-03-11T14:07:00.001-05:002020-03-11T14:08:24.188-05:00What Coronavirus Reminds Us about Travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjP3Fpv4m2PeVJGe8u1M90QwaRZ3ZuMAqKDbDlFNlIgbEDJpwvW9iE6d8w9IpzXjf6I5W-jEJbdIgwCWpEPGFmxDBi4kNgkV_pGSpnj3KeXQEF_zJx1CyyKMXfqkvWKxiy6hSeA/s1600/Beach+Stones+Balance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjP3Fpv4m2PeVJGe8u1M90QwaRZ3ZuMAqKDbDlFNlIgbEDJpwvW9iE6d8w9IpzXjf6I5W-jEJbdIgwCWpEPGFmxDBi4kNgkV_pGSpnj3KeXQEF_zJx1CyyKMXfqkvWKxiy6hSeA/s200/Beach+Stones+Balance.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We are currently living in a daily state of health and
travel updates. For those with travel plans on the books, each day brings new
information and challenges. Trips, conferences, and festivals are being
cancelled. Airlines are cutting flights. Museums and other public places are
shutting their doors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Yet, despite all of this, someday (hopefully soon), this
crisis will pass, and we will choose to travel again. We will book new flights,
take out good travel insurance, and make big plans. For those of us who love to
travel, we will go on experiencing the world. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As we move into a new travel future, it’s helpful to
remember how to prepare for your own health and safety. Perhaps you’ve always
been a diligent and ultra-prepared traveler, or perhaps you’ve been more relaxed
in your planning. Regardless, we owe it to ourselves and our fellow travelers
to be responsible. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Know Your Emergency
Plan</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">No matter whether you are going to a developed country or a
more remote part of the world, you should always make an emergency plan. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Check out the <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go.html">State
Department’s Traveler’s Checklist</a> before you go.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Where is the nearest consulate and/or embassy?
Write down the address and phone number and keep them accessible on your phone
or printed in your bag. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Stay informed on any travel advisories and
warnings. Check the <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/">US
State Department</a> and the <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices">CDC</a>
to understand the state of the countries/region where you’ll travel. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Get all the immunizations to keep yourself
healthy. Some will be good for years, so you’ll be covered for multiple trips. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Make a list of all your travel plans, including
locations and contact info where you will be staying, and leave them with a
partner, friend, and/or family member in case they need to reach you. Make
yourself an emergency contact list with phone numbers in case you need to
contact people back home; if you lose your phone or can’t use it, or don’t have
access to email, this old-school printout will be useful.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">If traveling to a country where English is not
the primary language, write down a few phrases to help in case you need them: I
need a doctor, where is the hospital, I need to make a phone call, do you speak
English, etc. Google translate and other apps can help with this. Be prepared
that you might not find someone to speak English when you need it.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pack like a
Professional</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In today’s travel climate, baggage fees are a reality, but don’t
sacrifice health for a free bag. Travel can be unpredictable, as the
Coronavirus has taught us. We need to be prepared in case plans change, we get
sick, or we find ourselves in a health emergency. Here are some reminders about
items to pack.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Buy an
emergency medical kit</b>. They aren’t large and won’t take up much room in
your luggage. This kit will include many essentials if you get sick, have a mild
injury, a small cut or blisters, and they will help temporarily while you see
out more help. Before each trip, make sure that the items in your medical kit
haven’t expired and that you’ve restocked on items you used last trip.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Buy wet
wipes, hand sanitizer, and small packs of Kleenex. </b>Wherever you travel, you
will be around other people. You may come across less than sanitary restrooms
or public spaces. You want to stay healthy while enjoying your vacation. Taking
simple precautions like having the hand sanitizer with you, or wiping down
surfaces, are easy steps to take. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bring
Medicines you use when sick at home.</b> If you’re away from home, especially
in a foreign country, you may find yourself coming down with a cold, allergies,
or flu. There’s nothing that’ll make you feel worse than trying to tell a
foreign pharmacist what you need in a different language or with hand gestures,
or having to google translate items on a shelf. It’s comforting to find the meds
you need right in your bag and to just curl up in your hotel/hostel bed and
sleep. Remember to pack the medicines in their original containers.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Take Care of Your
Health</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Traveling gives us a chance to vacate our normal responsibilities
and enjoy ourselves. However, it’s easy to forget that you are just as
susceptible to getting sick away from home if you don’t take care of yourself.
Life is stressful, and travel can be stressful, too. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Eat Well.
</b>Traveling lets us eat new foods and splurge in ways we might not at home.
That being said, sometimes your body needs a break from new foods, fried foods,
or heavy/rich foods. Know your body. When you start to feel lethargic from too
much of a good thing, take a break for a meal or two. Eat simple. Find a salad
or a light sandwich. Eat some yogurt and fruit. Yes, eat healthy on vacation!
All things in moderation!</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Drink
More Water & Ease Up on the Caffeine and Alcohol</b>. Your body likes
water, and it needs it to replenish itself. If you find yourself losing energy,
take a look at what you’ve been drinking. Have you had enough water? Have you
been drinking more caffeine or alcohol than you’re used to? Listen to your body
and take care of it. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Build in Quality
Sleep Time.</b> If you’re like me, you tend to pack in too much on vacation and
forget to rest. Or you might be like my husband and have trouble sleeping. Think
about this ahead of your trip and bring items to help you get your best sleep:
eye mask, melatonin or other sleeping aid, earplugs. The more rest you get, the
stronger your immune system will be. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prepare
for Jetlag. </b>To combat jetlag, do research as to how you can combat it. I
took an herbal supplement the last time I traveled that helped me recover
faster. I also watched fewer movies on the long haul flight and listened to
calming music. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Take Your
Vitamins. </b>Make sure you pack enough vitamins (in their original container)
and bring some extra immune boosters like Vitamin C. You should consider
bringing probiotics, especially if you’ll be in a country with foods your
stomach isn’t used to digesting. You don’t know if your body will get all the
supplements it needs while you travel, and vitamins can help keep you balanced.
</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I’m not a medical expert, but as I think towards my next
trip, I want to make sure I’m responsible and prepared. While I can’t predict
everything, I can have some tricks in my bags to get through the bumps in the
road. By being prepared, I can enjoy vacation and deal with those bumps when
they appear. For me, the hardest thing will be deciding where to go next! Happy
Travels!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-42568353887337709112019-08-31T16:13:00.003-05:002019-09-03T17:31:49.198-05:00The Cowal Highland Gathering <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pfsiaOrTdMxKgS66q-VKM0Q1cw-R6txUecApl4a93rPPq3ryNM9JFqzUf0uICgGlIQ1jGh84k4gR4EKjqLGNzTSUY4KJkXUWTi-7ISG6djYC-kiM-2Yef4iImD9xv6uAy7_rKA/s1600/_MG_0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pfsiaOrTdMxKgS66q-VKM0Q1cw-R6txUecApl4a93rPPq3ryNM9JFqzUf0uICgGlIQ1jGh84k4gR4EKjqLGNzTSUY4KJkXUWTi-7ISG6djYC-kiM-2Yef4iImD9xv6uAy7_rKA/s320/_MG_0464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 13</span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">This morning was a sleep in day, which meant we didn’t have to rush. Waking up without an alarm was blissful. The rain was coming down this morning, so an even better reason to stay inside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Most importantly, it’s Dad’s 70th Birthday! Huzzah! Celebrating a milestone birthday in a new place is the best birthday present! How wonderful to be here celebrating it with him. As we had our morning cup of tea and coffee, dad asked when we’d last spent a Birthday morning together. It’s been awhile that’s for sure, making this one extra special. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Todd and I made a quick run to the mini mart for supplies and also picked up breakfast from the cafe. The rain took a break, which was much appreciated! </span></div>
<div class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We met up with the group at 12ish to head into Dunoon for Thor’s official presentation on Clan Ewing at the <a href="https://www.dunoonburghhall.org.uk/" target="_blank">Dunoon Burgh Hall</a>. The hall had drams of whisky (Grouse) followed by an amazing array of snacks (haggis balls, sandwiches wedges, and more) and desserts (huge merengues, profiteroles), as well as tea and coffee. They also did up some crackers with olive tapenade and vegan cheese for me, as well as vegan sweets. I didn’t expect it, and it was much appreciated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I wore the tartan necklace from last year’s Nashville EFA gathering and the tartan scarf Dad bought me. Quite a few men wore their kilts and some women had skirts or scarves. Thor, our commander, wore his kilt and tie, decked out for his presentation. Again, it was a great Ewing family gathering but less mud and trudge today! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;"><a href="http://thorewing.net/" target="_blank">Thor Ewing</a> talked about the history of the clan, the loss of the barony and land, and the various documents that he’d researched to piece things together. He also did a very thorough (and at times confusing) explanation about how easy it is to be confused by the Ewing and MacEwen connections. Am I a Ewing or a MacEwen, people have wondered? We thought we’d been part of the MacEwens for awhile, and I’ve still got a few items I bought in Edinburgh in 2003 to prove it. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Thor explained that MacEwen is both a name and a patrilineal, ie “mac” also means “son of “, so MacEwen can be used to say “I’m Thor MacEwen” which would mean “I’m Thor, son of Ewen.” It also appears that many different clans began using MacEwen in their documents, so it’s hard to delineate who’s who and what their motivation was for telling their history a certain way. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The talk ended with Thor being approved, by the Scottish clan council powers that be, as our Clan Commander for another five years. He was disappointed because he’d hoped we’d finally be able to have a Chief and then a crest. Alas, five more years. But we have a tartan! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I announced to the crowd that it was my Dad’s 70th Birthday, and we all sang happy birthday. All those in tartan gathered for a group photo, which was great!</span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After the talk, errands were done at the little mini mart, pharmacy, and bank in town. We then came back to the cabin for some quiet, chill time. I’d found a few restaurant menus for dinner with the help of reception, so Dad picked one for his birthday dinner. We called a cab and meandered into Dunoon. The menu was different than online because they had narrowed their menu for the games. That was disappointing but not much you can do about it. The food was good, and that’s what I wanted for dad’s birthday dinner. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We came out of the restaurant to discover piping and dancers right there in the square. Several other Ewings were out, too, so we bumped into them. A band that didn’t have enough drummers to be in the competition played atop a bar. We walked up the high street a bit and then called the cab for a ride home. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 14</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">This was to be our first day at the <a href="https://www.cowalgathering.com/" target="_blank">Cowal Highland Games</a>. The shuttles were leaving at 9:30, and they wanted me to navigate the first one so they would pick us up at 9am. (I’ve apparently gotten the reputation as THE navigator to trust, oh dear.)</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The problem was the gusting wind and persistent rain. Todd wanted no part of it, so he stayed back. Dad, Margaret, and I geared up with rain jackets, ponchos, and umbrellas. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Navigating proved to be a double edged sword. They wanted me but then said Dad and Margaret couldn’t come in the first run because there were these other people to be picked up. I quickly responded that I wasn’t going without my family, so other people had to get out. I hadn’t come on this trip to be the person navigating shuttle runs back and forth; it’s not my responsibility to fix an event planning issue (as an event planner myself, I was struggling not to dive in). So I helped get us there once, then abandoned ship (sorry, Denise!). </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We got into the games and figured out the what and where. A cute crowd of preschool kids were walking together, all covered in their bright yellow rain outfits. The bagpipes played continuously for all the Highland dancers as they competed, the same songs again and again! The merchandise tent was empty, so we got our swag. There is even an official tartan for the competition, which we didn’t get. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then meandered in the rain to the Clan Ewing tent. Thor had books and tartan gear for sale, so more tartan was bought by these Ewings. Dad had thankfully been eager and bought tickets to the covered stands, so we went up and watched a bit of the dancing competitions. I’m a fan of the Scottish dancing outfits vs the Irish ones. The Scottish are simpler, with standard color kilts, socks, and vests. Even the hair is simple, put up in buns with single tight curls wrapped around it. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After an hour or so at the games with the chill getting to us, we decided we’d be better off back at the place. I felt empathy for the parents of all the kids competing in dancing and piping today because they were in it for the long haul. There were camping tents set up around the grounds with girls, boys, and parents huddled in together. Spirits seemed to be high. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Todd had the heaters on and a full pot of tea brewing for us when we returned, which was much appreciated. We were stocked up on PB, beans, toast, and eggs, so we could make do without going back out in the rain. The seagulls are the only ones happy out there. As I type this at 2pm, the rain is still coming down, Dad’s reading, and Margaret and Todd are napping. As I said to Dad, there are worse things than bad weather forcing you to slow down and relax. I always struggle to just chill while on vacation. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We are saving ourselves for tonight’s “Gig at the Gathering,” which we assume will be a bunch of music, dancing, etc. We will see what the weather looks like later. Perhaps we will just be taking a taxi for dinner. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Indeed, we stayed huddled in the cabin all day, except dad and I walked to pick up food and laundry. We decided to go in town for dinner to the <a href="https://www.sgehotelgroup.com/argyll/" target="_blank">Argyll Hotel</a>, which we heard from others had great food. So we took a taxi there, and the rain had appeared to quiet down. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">At dinner, we met two other Ewings (all of us identifiable by our Ewing tartan), sisters from Virginia. The dinner was good, burgers, veggie burger, and steak pie for dad, and we had the little dining room all to ourselves. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">By the time we were outside, the rain had picked up again. We had a 15 min walk up the street, which was a bit too much for Todd and Margaret, who were already not happy with the rain, and then we had to walk all the way around the grounds to get in for the gathering. The rain was still chucking it down. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The Gig was what you’d expect: smoky, loud, beer, music. We arrived at the end of a set, so we didn’t hear any music. We met up with a few Ewings, said hello, talked brief genealogy with a few new people. We didn’t stay too long, as it wasn’t fully anyone’s scene. Dad was in the mood to socialize and wasn’t ready to leave, but he took one for team husband. Luckily, taxis were dropping people off, so we hopped right in one. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 15</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Yep, it’s still raining. Last day of vacation for Todd and I. Last and supposedly biggest day of the Cowal Highland Gathering. I swear I’ve experienced more rain in Scotland than in India (though Indians would surely disagree). </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Not sure what today will look like. It’s 8am and I’m the only one up, drinking tea, eating my PB&J sandwich, watching the rain fall. There’s packing to do, of course, as Todd and I are hoping to be on the 8am ferry tomorrow. Yet, it’s also the last day with Dad and Margaret. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being with them. We all don’t get to travel together much, and we’ve been able to do our own things and hang out together. This rain is giving us time to play games, chat, and just be together. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Todd and I ended up taking the bus into town when it stopped raining. The day turned out to be so pretty! Blue skies and only 10 minutes of rain! We walked up Argyll street and did a little window shopping. Stopped by a local bookstore and bought a few things, including Greta Thunberg’s book.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We ate lunch at a cute pub called The Lorne. It was full of men and women in kilts from the competing pipe and drum bands, as well as families with dancers and kids. It was excellent food, and I thoroughly enjoyed my jacket potato with vegan haggis. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then ventured up to the games, where we met up with Dad and Margaret and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the rest of the Ewings. The land footprint is pretty small, but they pack a lot in it (Todd couldn’t help comparing it to the Sandwich Fair, which is 3x as big). The games today were a markedly different atmosphere to yesterday’s soggy mess. Today, everyone came out (though much less than usual, we heard) and music filled the air. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Pipers played for the dancing finals. Pipe and drum bands competed in the arena. Men and women threw shotput, hammers, weights, and cabers (big ass logs). There was a wrestling arena for men and women (men vs men, women vs women). The kids rides kept little ones occupied, as did the dirt bike track. People tried the art of axe throwing. The music tent hummed with song. You could learn about preparing salmon or try ceilidh dancing. A few stalls sold items, like jewelry, wool purses, or dancing gear. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">With pretty weather, I enjoyed being there. We sat in the stands and watched the pipe and drum bands. We drank tea. We people watched. I took photos. We chatted with Ewings as we passed them with their tartan. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Todd bowed out a bit early, but we stayed to watch the final salute of bands. We watched the men throwing the weights and the women throwing the cabers. We didn’t make it to the end for the bands because the clouds had rolled in and a chill filled the air. We beat the rush and grabbed one of the taxis that was queued up and went back to Hunter’s Quay for dinner. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our final meal proved delicious like the other meals; they offer excellent vegan options, which tonight was vegan sausages and mashed potatoes. I had a half pint of Strongbow and ended with a vegan ice cream bar. It was our last meal together, and an early birthday dinner for Margaret. We sat near other Ewings and said a few farewells as they finished dinner. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Back at the cabin, we smashed our luggage together, trying to make our carry-ons as light as possible. I don’t really care if bags are late tomorrow! We’re off early in the morning, 7:15am to catch the 8am ferry. Thor is driving us and another Ewing to the Glasgow airport, which we are very thankful for! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Thank you, Scotland, for a wonderful bucket list vacation! I’ll be back for the islands and the northern highlands someday. Dunoon gave us a pretty rainbow as we crossed on the ferry.</span><br />
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-5275348168815648112019-08-29T11:52:00.002-05:002019-09-03T17:54:03.849-05:00Dunoon and the Ewing Clan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 11</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We were up an hour earlier than our alarm, so we had plenty of time to get ourselves together for departure. Our plan was to take our bags to the big lockers in the <a href="https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-gallery" target="_blank">National Gallery</a> and then enjoy the museum for a few hours before the train to Glasgow. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We were there as the doors opened, and the lockers fit all our bags perfectly. The Gallery was a great manageable museum, so we had plenty of time. There are pieces by all the greats: Titian, Tintoretto, Raphael, Botticelli, El Greco, Degas, Monet, Sargent, Seurat, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, and so many others. Of course, we saw the “Monarch of the Glen” Scottish Classic by Landseer. I bought a few postcards of my favorite pieces to take home, which is my tradition. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We then enjoyed some espresso and dessert in the cafe, which had a lovely vegan chocolate cupcake. Edinburgh has been wonderful for my vegan self!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We met up with Dad and Margaret for the train to Glasgow. We all stocked up on sandwiches for the quick ride through the countryside. A quick cab to the airport, and we met up with the Ewing Family Association (EFA) gathering at the airport hotel. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">There was a hiccup with one of the vans, so we waited and got to know people. The genealogy talk and introductions were underway almost immediately. Which Ewing are you related to (which translates into which century did your Ewing come over to the US in this case)?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It frustrated us to be sitting there for two hours at the airport hotel. Dunoon and our cottage were so close but so far away. A 3:30pm departure soon became 4:30, then became 5pm. We appeared to be short on drivers, so some people were commandeered into driving. Luckily, I don’t have an international drivers license on me. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our driver, Denise. needed a navigator, so I hopped in the front seat with my GPS. We moved in a caravan of six cars/vans, and we mostly stayed successfully together. There were a few missed turns (no printed maps and spotty GPS) and separations, but since this was a “we must all stay together” scenario, we had to wait for everyone. The closer we got to the ferry, the slower we went. There was an accident stalling traffic, so we ended up missing the last ferry at 6:30pm. Luckily, there was a second ferry location not too far away, so we drove there and waited for the next ferry (every 20-30 min). (I can take credit for this because I had printed up a ferry schedule; I was definitely proud of myself, not humble at all!)</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It was a beautiful day, and we all took pictures across the bay as we waited for the ferry to return. Sailboats dotted the skyline and the horizon was grey/blue of the hills and mountains. There was a crisp breeze as we loaded onto the ferry, and once we could get out of the car, we all beelined to the toilets. I then stood on the balcony and took photos. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We finally made it across and to <a href="https://www.argyllholidays.com/parks/hunters-quay-holiday-village" target="_blank">Hunter’s Quay</a> holiday resort. We had to check in, but it was 8:30 and the restaurant kitchen would be closing soon. Todd let the restaurant know that 25 of us were about to descend. An hour later and we were fading fast. Unfortunately, that meant we had to pile into our cars and find our cottages in the dark. Not the most fun prospect. We did it with the help of flashlights! We are prepared!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">At 10:30pm, we finally were in our cottage and unpacking/settling in to our rooms. We have a two room cottage with two bathrooms, which is very helpful. It’s cute and just the right size for us. If there’s one thing we’d like, it’s screens on the windows. Why are there no screens on windows in the UK? It’s a question I haven’t asked much. It didn’t stop us from opening them though. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Tomorrow is a full day trip to Ewing ruins, hopefully with somebody else navigating!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 12</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">This morning was an early start. We had pre-ordered our breakfast because it was a 9:30am sharp departure. Alas, the hurry up and wait scenario still prevailed. We didn’t leave until 10/10:30am. More people from the EFA had joined us, so we were a bigger caravan. We piled into cars and made the hour drive to Otter’s Ferry and Kilfinan (I hopped in the back to not navigate again).</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Today’s focus centered around touring the <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>locations where the Ewing clan once lived centuries ago before we lost our land. For most of us who had done the research, Otter’s Ferry was our Ewing promised land. Most of us Americans are descended from Ewings who came to Virginia in the 1700s to a place they named Peaks of Otter. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our drive took about an hour through the Argyll peninsula. The scenery was beautiful despite the rain. There were a few missed turns, and the last bit was on a small narrow one way road up into the hills. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our first stop was the Kilfinan Inn for lunch. It’s the kind of Inn where you just want to sit in the old pub and read for hours. There were 43 of us, and they had soup (their leek soup smelled delicious) and sandwiches all prepped, with a vegan curry for me (pomegranate seeds in the curry were a revelation!). While everyone socialized, Todd and I went up to the little church. Such a great old graveyard, and the Kilfinan stones, all of which I photographed with abandon. I love these old churchyards (during the day, way too spooky at night). </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We had been told to bring our comfortable shoes to take a walk to the site of the old MacEwen castle. It wasn’t so much a walk as a long trudge through cow-pattied meadows, up and over little streams, down onto the beach, up a muddy cow path, across a boggy hill, and then up a final hill to the market. It took about 1 1/2 hours to get there, with it raining for the first hour, then the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day. I had to keep my camera tucked under the poncho for most of the walk there, but I did get some iPhone shots. I loved the walk on the beach, the sound of the waves, the shells and rocks, the jellyfish washed up on shore (though very sad for the jellyfish). </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Once at the marker, one of the Ewings took out his drone and filmed the surroundings. Thor told us some history while we were up there, helping us to understand the geography. The midges cane out. The sun started to beat down, but soon enough, the wind came again and the air cooled. It’s true that we got a few seasons in one day! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We all took some photos and admired the view of Loch Fyne. Thor suggested we all take a moment of silence, then Dad took out his Victories experience and asked everyone to circle up and hold hands. Thor said a few words about how this is probably the largest group of Ewings to be up there in centuries. One of the Ewings, Nick, pulled out a bottle of whisky and passed it around. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Now all we had to do was safely make our way down. We were all taking it very carefully because the terrain required lots of attention. If you stopped focusing, you’d twist your ankle or take a tumble. Like always, the return trip was easier and faster, and the weather was glorious. My poncho was long gone and the camera came out. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We made it back to Kilfinan and met up with everyone who had decided not to take the “short” walk. We’d been gone for almost four hours. There was one more sight to visit, which was a short drive away. Some stayed in the cars and waited for us to get back. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Thor said it was a half mile walk to the site of the old barony. It took us about an hour and a half to get there and back. Not as rough terrain by a long shot, and a beautiful view along the loch. We made it to the motte and Thor told us about what it would have looked like hundreds of years ago: a few houses and a palisade, perhaps a tower looking to the loch. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I had a great talk along the road back with Rachel Ewing, a screenwriter from LA. It made the pretty walk even better with creative talk. We all then piled into cars and started the drive back. It was now 7:30pm, and the restaurant back at the place closed at 9. It was a race against the sunset and the road was a windy, roller coaster road with one lane and passing places in case you ran into somebody coming the other direction. There was a sign about sheep in the road, and soon after we came along a group of sheep graising alongside the narrow road. Denise did a beautiful job driving less than idea conditions. It was a stressful drive for most of us. Our day that was supposed to end at 5pm, finally ended at 9! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We crashed out achy and tired but proud of ourselves for making it without injury! </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-29995175095386196082019-08-27T05:01:00.001-05:002019-09-03T18:02:16.593-05:00Last Day in Edinburgh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 10</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It’s our last full day in Edinburgh. We can’t decide what do do: castle or palace... Palace!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We started off the morning at the <a href="https://www.rct.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse" target="_blank">Palace of Holyroodhouse</a>, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. A house like this is perfect on a warm, blue sky summer day, as it shows off all its best properties: the simple courtyard, the abbey ruins, the view to Arthur’s Seat, the pretty gardens. I couldn’t stop taking photos, it was all so pretty (no photos allowed inside, so I made the most of the outside). </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">You start off in front of the building, admiring the pretty facade. An audio guide is included with admission, and it gives you so much great detail. It’s an interactive guide, showing you photos on the screen in different rooms, and even having you rub on the screen to show how a room would have changed over time. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">You enter the courtyard, a simple block of grass flanked by the palace on all four sides. You then make your way into the beautiful rooms. The carpets are rolled back where we walk, reminding us that this is a working palace, used for family and state functions. We are only visitors. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">These rooms have been used by Mary, Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Victoria, and many others. It’s not an audacious building like some other palaces can be. It’s more subtle in its stateliness. There are artifacts, tapestries, paintings, and dishware. There are old beds, including Mary’s and Darnley’s; Darnley’s was huge and behind temperature controlled glass. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The thing I love about film and tv is that they help bring history alive, even if they aren’t the most accurate at times. So having seen “Reign” and “Mary, Queen of Scots,” I knew a bit more of her history than I would have otherwise. Standing in Mary’s rooms, knowing this was her space, feeling the simplicity of it, seeing her embroidery work-it all added to a sense of awe. This part of the palace is the oldest, built in 1528.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Harry and Meghan’s wedding suit and gown were on display, which was a wonderful surprise! I hadn’t known until last night, or I would have been demanding that we go! Having been up at 4/5am to watch the wedding, I feel emotionally connected! Meghan’s veil is as astounding as it looked, with all that beautiful flower embroidery for over 5 meters. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then exited into the ruins of the abbey, the first of which was built on this site in 1128. It’s lofted ceiling long gone, you can stare up at the sky through the empty window frames. On a beautiful day like today, the blue sky and white fluffy clouds only add more awe and majesty. I love photographing textures, so I took my time roaming around the space. Todd also directing me to take a few shots!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then exited into the gardens, which takes you around the back of the palace for a view of Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Crags. The garden was designed so that it seems like they roll into the hills beyond. It’s a gorgeous spot, and you can almost feel the energy of what a big tea party would bring. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Palace done and time for lunch. Todd found a place up near the National Museum, <a href="http://www.monstermashcafe.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mums</a>, so we took an Uber up there. I had a good vegan pie (without the pastry which was sad). We wanted to be near the National Museum to go up to the 7th floor rooftop to see the Andy Goldsworthy work. Todd loves his work, and he’s written a great poetry collection based on it. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The view from up there is spectacular. You can see all the way to Leith, the full castle and tattoo setup, and all directions of the Edinburgh skyline. The sun felt too warm, which was a welcome and unexpected feeling! Dad and Margaret joined us up there to say hi and touch base before our gallivant to Dunoon tomorrow. A round of photos, and then we parted ways.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Todd wanted to do some shopping (he did!), so we headed to the Royal Mile and the crowds. We meandered up to the castle, found Todd a hat and some ice cream, then we meandered to St Giles cathedral. Since it was he last day of the festival, everyone was out! Bagpipers and other musicians in the street, people queuing up for one last performance, and a little art fair near the cathedral (jewelry souvenir!).</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We ducked into the cathedral and sat down for a few minutes. The funky chandeliers stood out to me, as did the gorgeous Pre-Raphaelite Burne-Jones window. The cathedral dates from the 14th and 15th century inside, and the columns are even older, 12th century Norman. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After a few minutes, it was time to make our way home to repack, chill, and have some dinner. We chose not to brave the crowds for the fireworks show. Besides, we saw fireworks at the Tattoo, though I’m sure they weren’t the same. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Tomorrow we check out, go to the National Gallery, then head to Glasgow with Dad and Margaret to meet the Ewing Family Association group for the Cowal Highland Games!</span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-58261258097469413972019-08-26T02:09:00.003-05:002019-09-03T18:30:07.732-05:00Edinburgh: McKellen and Mapplethorpe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 9</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The best thing about having an apartment is getting to make your own breakfast and relax. One more load of laundry and then we headed into town. In our Uber we passed by the Belford hostel, where I stayed 24 years ago in 1995; it’s a church that’s been converted into a hostel. I still remember staring up at the ceiling rafters as I fell to sleep, creepy and cool. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Today centered on Ian McKellen, who is on an 80th birthday tour. I originally couldn’t get tickets, but about a month ago a new batch of tickets were released and I scooped them up. Todd and I had seen he and Patrick Stewart in a London play back in 2016, so seeing McKellen twice in such a short time feels like a great gift!</span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We made it to the Assembly Hall early. The queue had started, and we were towards the front. Since it was general admission, it would be first come first serve, and we didn’t know how big the hall would be. Finally, 15 minutes to curtain, we were ushered in to the wonderfully intimate hall. We had great seats, and the hall was humming with excitement. On stage was a collage of Persian carpets and a box with stickers, like an old steamer trunk but bigger. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The lights went out and the theme song from “Fellowship of the Ring” began to play and McKellen began to read the scene when Gandalf is at the Bridge of Khazad Dum. The lights came on, and there he was reading the scene, book in hand as a prop, as he read the scene from memory. Todd and I had watched the films before we left, so watching him, listening to him, gave me such a thrill. After he read the scene, he talked quite a bit about his experiences of the film, telling funny stories about how he hadn’t read the books but kept meeting people who’d say, “I read the books every year!” </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">For an hour and a half, he told stories about his life, his family, and his personal history within the theater. In addition to Gandalf at the bridge, he also did recitations from these roles/experiences: </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Pantomime: playing the dame</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Coriolanus </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Throughout the show, he would take things out of his box: Glamdring (Gandalf’s sword), plays/books he’d acted in, his actor’s chair with his name misspelled, his costume for the pantomime. Having never seen a pantomime, it was hilarious watching him put on a babushka, pull out pieces of fruit from his bag, making jokes about the phallic fruits, throwing candy to the audience. It was just a damn fun show. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We bought it was over when he did a speech from Richard II, but he carried on and ended with a reading of Shakespeare’s speech written as Sir Thomas More, a resounding human rights speech about immigration still sadly urgent 400 years on. It’s been 50 years since McKellen first performed on this stage at the Festival, and his tour is raising money for acting companies, drama schools, and fellowships across the country. It took forever to exit the theater, and I soon discovered why as he was personally standing with the collection bucket in the crowd. What a wonderful second festival experience. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">By now, Todd and I were quite hungry, so we went to a nearby restaurant, <a href="http://gourmet-mash-bar.com/" target="_blank">Makar’s Gourmet Mash</a>. It’s basically mashed potatoes topped with sausages and gravy. Vegan for me, meaty for Todd. So delicious. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">One of the “must sees” on the list was a photography exhibit at the <a href="https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-portrait-gallery" target="_blank">National Portrait Gallery</a>, so we meandered our way there through the last day of the festival crowds. The exhibit covered three photographers: Francesca Woodman, Diane Arbus, and Robert Mapplethorpe. It was a small exhibit, but that didn’t matter. It was a wonderful collection of all three photographers, though for me the highlight was Mapplethorpe. It’s the 30th anniversary of his death, and his photographs were being shown for the first time in a gallery funded by his foundation to ensure that there’s always a space for photography. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then meandered up to see some of the Mary Queen of Scots paintings, but then we decided that we didn’t need to see the rest. I bought a few Mapplethorpe postcards before we left, but I was disappointed that there weren’t Woodman or Arbus for me to buy. My reflection-filled iPhone shots would have to do. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Todd found a cute vegan cafe (<a href="http://holycowedinburgh.com/" target="_blank">Holy Cow</a>) nearby, so we went over for some chai and dessert. Wow. We had bannoffee pie, which had a coconut cream topping, chocolate chips, peanut butter and dates, and a cookie crust. So rich and so good. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We were near the bus station, so we came home to chill in our apartment. We ordered takeout from a nearby Chinese/Japanese place down the street and ate a feast! It’s hard for me to slow down on vacation most of the time, and as much as I wanted to be out and about, I also enjoyed taking it easy. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Tomorrow: our last full day in Edinburgh! </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-6684126350088990842019-08-25T13:10:00.001-05:002019-09-03T18:42:17.352-05:00Edinburgh: Collage, Food, and Fry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 7</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We woke up a bit stiff this morning, probably due to a few hours in those stadium seats and the chill evening air. We took our time this morning, taking advantage of no firm plans to do our much needed laundry. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The machine was an enigma. Todd looked up the model online to try to understand all the buttons. We started it and crossed our fingers. Over the next two hours, we’d be like, is it done? Check the lights. Nope, still spinning. Oh it stopped spinning! Nope, it started up again. After texts to Jayne and Claire for some guidance, we just decided to force it to stop. I pulled out the steamiest pile of clothes I’d ever handled. So we hung them all up and got out into the day. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We are right near the Water of Leith Walkway, so we took an amble along the river. So many pretty houses along the way with cute little gardens and patios on the river. We crossed under a huge bridge covered in vines. People were out walking their dogs or babies or themselves. We came to a bridge and right across the river was a gate and path up to <a href="https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-gallery-modern-art" target="_blank">The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art</a>. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">At the top of the path, we were greeted by a Henry Moore statue. We made our way right to the garden cafe for lunch. There are two museums across from each other, and we were in Modern One. We had a small lunch (and vegan lemon lavender cake for me) and headed into the Galley. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">This building houses the 20th century artists, including Dada, Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract, and contemporary artists. It was quite a collection of familiar and new-to-me artists: Ernst, Picasso, Magritte, Miro, Tanning, Bacon, Hepworth, and so many more. Todd was particularly excited about the four Bacon pieces because the Tate in London didn’t have their Bacon out when we were there in 2016. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It was a manageable museum, and we were soon back in the cafe, enjoying a pot of tea in the pretty garden. Bumble bees feasted on the nearby lavender while we caffeinated ourselves for Modern Two. It was a pretty blue sky day with a gusty breeze. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then meandered through the first floor gallery of contemporary artists (I particularly loved the work of Anya Gallaccio), then strolled through the sculpture garden to Modern Two. Jackie and Eric were waving from the stairs. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">What a great feeling to be back with them (2015 was our last visit; see my blog post about our Tolkien day!) and introduce them to Todd. We were meeting here because of the “Cut and Paste: 400 Years of Collage” exhibit. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Is there anything better these seeing a museum with your talented and artistic friends and husband? Todd has always studied art and loved collage artists. Jackie is doing very interesting textile and collage work (follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jackielharley/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>). Eric and I also both love/enjoy/appreciate art, so it was a great double date!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The exhibit took up the entire building (6 large rooms), and we took a few hours to explore it, closing down the museum. There was a wide variety of collage, and each room seemed to emphasize a particular movement. The majority was 20th century, but the first room gave an interesting overview of the first 300 years: from the 1700s, to a screen co-created by Dickens, to 1850s photography, to Victoriana. There was an amazing climate-controlled library where books and sensitive collage pieces were kept. Todd said he was itching to see some of the books in there, especially a 1st edition Apollinaire and books on the Surrealists. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Once you moved upstairs, collage seemed to bust out in so many interesting ways over the past 100+ years. Fabric, paint, newspaper, tickets, stickers, all kinds of mixed media. Jackie said she found a lot to help inspire her next series of projects. Todd thought he might find some inspiration for new poems, since he’s started to find some creative space again after school. I wanted to go in a room and play, as I thought about the stack of blurry photographs from my grandparents’ albums. There was a recreated studio of Eduardo Paolozzi, which contained articles of varying sizes and shapes, including models, plaster molds, and Star Wars memorabilia. Collage is one of those art forms where everything feels alive with possibility. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then tracked down an Uber and found a place for dinner. We all chatted about the day, what’s going on in our lives, politics, etc. Old/new friends catching up. The best kind of evening. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 8</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After wearing our hiking boots a few days, Todd’s feet needed a rest today, so we took our time this morning. We put some laundry in (it only took an hour this time!) and walked to the cafe down the street. It’s a little diner with a handful of tables, lots of regulars, and standard breakfasts for “sit in or take away.” Todd got the full breakfast (not Scottish, which would have included blood pudding), and I got my usual favorite, beans on toast. Then back to the apartment to hang up the laundry and figure out the day. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We took an Uber near the Festival Theatre, where we would meet Jackie and Eric. A rugby match was about to start near our place, and the streets were crowded with rugby fans in jerseys making their way to the match or getting their drink on in the pub. As we got closer, we passed a wizardry themed shop, so we went there for me to browse. I got myself a cute Harry Potter/LOTR/GOT T-shirt. Perfect nerd combo shirt. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Meeting up with Jackie and Eric, we roamed to find a restaurant. We ended up at <a href="https://motherindia.co.uk/index.php/mother-indias-cafe-edinburgh-home" target="_blank">Mother India</a>, which was just down the road. It’s a tapas style restaurant, so portions were smaller for sharing. Jackie and Eric, like Todd, are generous vegan friendly eaters, so we mostly ordered vegan dishes. After a filling lunch and chat, we meandered to the Festival Hall for Stephen Fry’s “Mythos: Gods” lecture. Eric has already read the book, so he gave us some perspective on the entire series, since we will only see one of the three lectures. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The Festival Hall Dates from 1928, and you can see the Art Deco hints. The stage had a Grecian motif backdrop with a big purple chair lit up in the center. We had front row balcony seats, a perfect view. It was his birthday, and the entire audience sang to him when he came out. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Fry spoke for more than 2 hours with one intermission. He mostly sat in his chair and told stories about the Gods, except when he was doing a game. To keep him from doing too many tangents, he had a trivial pursuit like game where people would choose one of the colors on a specific theme. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Fry’s storytelling was engaging, irreverent, and informative. He took us through the main Gods, the creation of humans, and the beginnings of the interactions between gods and mortals. There was hilarious commentary about the “magic custard” of the gods’ semen, Kronos devouring and then throwing up his children, and Zeus’ anger at Prometheus. We enjoyed sitting back and listening to Fry recount all of his knowledge, making us want to read the book! We thoroughly enjoyed our first festival performance. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Despite still being relatively full from lunch four hours earlier, we meandered to <a href="http://theauldhoose.co.uk/" target="_blank">Auld Hoose</a>. I’d discovered it via Instagram by following #veganedinburgh. They have gigantic nachos, including vegan. Since Todd is a fan of nachos, I’d put it on our list! We all meandered over there and decided to have light drinks, chatting and waiting for our stomachs to make a bit more room. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Finally, we decided to order the “Gigantic Vegan Nachos,” which were good for four people. The barman still asked us to make sure we wanted the big one. We knew it would be huge, and it was. We made a valiant effort to eat most of it, but the dish was deep and our stomachs full. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We finally rolled out of there and made our way back into the centre. While it was fun seeing all the crowds out for the festival, it was still too many people. We did dip into Greyfriar’s cemetery and saw some interesting graves and the official monument to Greyfriar’s Bobby, the dog who mourned his owner by sitting on his grave for 14 years. There was a big stick pile in homage to him. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The crowds had defeated us, so we managed to find a taxi (when an uber was impossible) back to our place. Todd gave his back a rest, and I showed Jackie and Eric along the Leith walkway. We went past the bridge to the modern museum, and just behind a tree that had fallen was an Antony Gormley in the river. Todd and I hadn’t been able to see it behind the tree. There’s an AIDS memorial there, too, both somber and simple. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We soon all called it a night, saying good-bye until our next reunion. It was a full two days with friends, and I’m so glad they were able to join us for some art, festival, food, and chats. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Tomorrow: Ian McKellen’s 80th Birthday show!</span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-1888059170323492042019-08-23T05:43:00.003-05:002019-09-03T19:04:00.260-05:00Off to Edinburgh and the Tattoo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 6: Highlands to Edinburgh </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Up early to pack, clean up, and then head down to Glasgow. It was a pretty day and a mostly smooth, fast, ride. Claire did all the driving, and she bore the brunt of the changing weather the last few days. The car was packed full, but we fit! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">As we meandered our way back south, we watched the different lochs and mountains pass, urging me to come back and see more. I enjoyed every minute of the last few days with Claire and Marie. We know each other so well that we can just slide right into a rhythm. It’s a blessing and a curse of travel, not being near the friends you love. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">They dropped us off at Glasgow Central, quick hugs around amidst the city traffic, and we were off in different directions. Todd and I scoped out our train, bought and ate sandwiches, then off to Edinburgh. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Having successfully conquered the uber app in Glasgow, I ordered one in Edinburgh to take us to our Airbnb. Such a cute little place, a very urban and efficient space. It has almost everything we need, including a washing machine (which is being used as I type)! It’ll be a perfect place to hunker down the next few days. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then went out to meet Dad and Margaret for dinner. They’d found a restaurant near the castle, <a href="https://www.vittoriagroup.co.uk/vittoriabridge/" target="_blank">Vittoria</a>, and we made our way there. As expected, the city is hopping with festival goers of all types. Our uber couldn’t quite make it there with all the festival barricades, so we walked the last block. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">How wonderful and strange to see them waiting for us outside a restaurant in Edinburgh! They’d had a full day already with a walking tour and a museum, and they had lots of fun facts to share with us. After an amazing dinner (stuffed eggplant for me, seafood ravioli for them), we meandered towards the Royal Mile and the castle. Dad had a few Harry Potter tour places to show us, including a cafe where JK Rowling spent a lot of time writing and a Harry Potter themed store. We might have to go back to both! </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Out on the Royal Mile, the place was abuzz! The doors had opened for the Tattoo seating, and the queue was down the road. I picked up our programs and joined the queue. It moved quickly, and soon we were in the grounds and making our way up, up, up the stands. Another fun fact from their earlier tour was that the stands take a month to put up and less than two weeks to take down. The Tattoo runs for about three weeks with nightly performances. In order to maintain their World Heritage status, the stands can’t be permanent. Quite frankly, they’d be an eyesore if they stayed up! </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I’ve wanted to attend the <a href="https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tattoo</a> since I first learned about it 25 years ago. As soon as I bought the flights, I booked the Tattoo tickets. They sell out early, and I knew I’d be disappointed to miss it. It was a fabulous spectacle of music and country pride, with performances from all over the world. This year’s theme was Kaleidoscope, and each group was given a color from Newton’s spectrum, which also honored the Scottish inventor of the Kaleidoscope. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It started with them honoring all colors of the spectrum and the masses pipes and drums. Then each group performed, <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>highlighting their specific color and their country. Countries came out in this order: Nigeria, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, France, New Zealand Drill, China, Shetland, Tattoo Dance Company, New Zealand army band, Military Bands of Scotland and Ireland, and then the various finales. I’d say Trinidad and Tobago, New Zealand, the dancers, and the pipe bands were my favorite. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Each performance had their own narrative, and they projected different images on the castle. The Germans were the most funny because they had dancing beer steins! The castle also had different colors projected on it, including the various flag colors. They set off the cannons a few times and then there were fireworks. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The finales were many, including the entire ensemble doing the theme from “The Greatest Showman” and then the pipes and drums marching out. The lone piper played from the top of the castle, and the final drummer played the “Turn off the Taps.” What a glorious evening! </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We waited for our turn to exit the stands and made our way down the mile with thousands of others. It was a bit chill now that we were moving. It had misted a bit through the performances, but we didn’t get too wet. The streets were mostly dry, and we went our different ways back to our accommodation. It was a pretty night, and the music hummed in our bodies for another few hours. </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-24277523294393588712019-08-23T04:57:00.000-05:002019-09-03T18:55:31.527-05:00Trying to Outwalk the Rain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 5</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We knew today’s timing would be tricky. A big storm was impending at 1pm, so we’d have to get out early to make something off the day. By 11am, we were waiting at the Corran ferry. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It was a chill breeze off the Loch, and we held on to our hats as we crossed. It’s a quick trip, but you’re surrounded by the pretty water, the hills/mountains, and casual clouds. We made note of the inn at the ferry dock in case we needed to take cover on our way back. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our mission was to take the casual walk to the waterfall. The directions were to follow the road to the right, and pick up the trail after the church. Pretty little houses, some with abundant gardens and others plain, and we came across the shaggy-haired-I-can’t-see-through-all-this-hair “Highland Coo.” He cooperated and posed for Claire, but he didn’t care about giving me the money shot. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The walk started off as a pretty one on a well worn forest track. The trees were covered in lichen, moss, and fungi. It smelled so good, and there was a breeze. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Then the trail began to climb and wind. Having lived in Boulder, CO in the mountains, Todd’s “storm’s a comin” senses were going off. He decided to take the pack and head back to the inn. He didn’t want to get caught in the rain, and we weren’t ready to give up on the waterfall. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s we can both take care of ourselves the way we need to. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Claire, Marie, and I carried on for another half hour. The path got a bit muddier and then quite steep. We knew we were on the right path, but we had no idea how close we were to the falls. Claire and I decided to go up the steep road for ten minutes to see what we could find. We got to a really muddy track and turned back. We saw the pretty falls through the trees and took a few shots. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We meandered back (it’s always so much faster going back!) and made it to the inn just as it started to sprinkle. Todd had enjoyed some lentil soup, and we were all in good spirits. The rain came down harder by the time we got off the ferry and walked home. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We made some tea and enjoyed the comfort of our cabin for the rest of the afternoon as the rain kept coming down. We did find a nice looking restaurant for dinner, so we went out to the<a href="https://clachaig.com/" target="_blank"> Clachaig Hotel</a>. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The hotel couldn’t be better situated. Sitting at the foot of the mountains, it has stunning views up. The sky had begun to clear, and you could see all the waterfalls cascading down. Having not found our waterfall earlier, we were spoiled for choice this time. This place reminded me why I’d wanted to come to the Highlands for so long. I’d seen the beautiful photographs, but nothing does it justice quite like standing in the middle of it.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We were surrounded by serious hikers with their maps and packs, planning out their next day’s tramping. We had another great meal all around, and I had my first taste of vegan haggis: grains, onion, and spices - pretty tasty!</span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-13073758536559983792019-08-21T02:51:00.002-05:002019-09-03T18:49:50.365-05:00On the Road to Onich & Glenfinnan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 3</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We woke up in Glasgow Monday morning and prepared for the next leg of our journey. We meandered over to Glasgow Central where we caught the train to Fort Matilda. We passed along the River Clyde, noticing all the silt buildup we learned about on the bus trip yesterday. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Claire and Marie picked us up at the train station, and we exchanged long hugs all around. It’s been three years since we saw them on our honeymoon. This time is without Gerry, Claire’s dad, which is bittersweet. They drove us down the road to have tea with Gerry’s Cousin Anne, who they’d been visiting. I love sitting with family, listening to their shared stories, learning more about them, and drinking tea. It’s a particularly wonderful tradition here. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then began our trek up to Onich, with a lovely drive along Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. The rain came and went, came and went, and the views were gorgeous. We listened to the “Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” to set the mood. We stopped for a few pretty viewpoints along the way at Firkin Point and Inveruglas. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The highlands are just as pretty as you expect. The different shades of green and brown, the waterfalls making their way down, the ever-changing sky altering the landscape. We found the Green Welly Stop for some lunch, which for three of us was soup and for Todd his first sausage roll. We stopped by the Glencoe Visitor Center to pick up some material, but there wasn’t much there. There was a pretty view and a cafe, so we had a much needed cup of tea with dessert. There was even vegan banana bread (times are changing things in my favor). </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We arrived at our cabin at <a href="https://www.birchbrae.com/" target="_blank">Onich</a>, situated ourselves, then went grocery shopping. After five hours in the car, we decided to eat in, so like all the other locals and travelers, we stocked up. Todd and I feasted on pasta and vegan sausages, Claire and Marie on lasagna and salad, all of us finishing off with the gorgeous vegan brownies Claire made in advance. We sat and chatted, enjoying just sitting together in our cozy cabin. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 4</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After a good long sleep, we had a leisurely morning and breakfast. We planned to take the ferry to Corran and have a good walk, but the rain was coming down and there were no spots in the car park. No problem! Up to Glenfinnan!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Glenfinnan has two reasons to visit: the monument and the viaduct. It rained off and on all day, but we had some lunch and delicious flapjacks made by Marie and lingered in the gift shop-where you could get all the Harry Potter and Outlander merchandise you needed! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We first walked up the path to the viaduct. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This is the viaduct where the Jacobite steam train, also known as the “Harry Potter train,” travels across from Fort William to Mallaig. The train was sold out, so we just enjoyed Glenfinnan. It’s a beautiful stone viaduct and lots of photos were taken, including me in my Harry Potter viaduct themed T-shirt. (Thanks, Kate!)</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We made it down just as it started to rain, and we ducked back into the gift shop. Ten minutes later we were making our way to the monument. It stands as a tribute to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the end of the Jacobite rising. The monument sits on the shores of Loch Shiel, and what a pretty view. We watched an adorable dog bounce around in the water, and we admired the next storm coming over the mountains, as we bathed in the temporary sun. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We took a pretty stroll along the dragonfly path through the forest and along the loch. The views were so pretty, despite the impending storm we got caught in. We donned our rain jackets and carried on. By the time we made it back to the visitor center, the rain stopped. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We walked to the beautifully situated Catholic Church on the way to the car. Another pretty spot for contemplation, as we took in the views. We heard the steam trains come through the station, but we were happily busy at the church. Claire took a great photo off a postcard, proving we saw the train! Then a drive back to our cabin for a cup of tea and chill before dinner. The sun just taunted us as we lounged, mocking us for missing a dry moment!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Tonight we went to the <a href="http://www.lochlevenhotel.co.uk/" target="_blank">Loch Leven Hotel</a> in Ballachulish for dinner with a view. The sky was a dazzling blue when we arrived, which promised to be a great sunset. It was a wonderful dinner for everyone: vegan gnocchi and sweet potato soup for me, venison for the first time for Todd, lemon sole for Marie, and fish and chips for Claire. We figured we’d just make sunset, but the clouds had rolled in. We stopped by the ferry pier from the morning to try to catch it, but the sky only went varying shades of pretty blue to grey. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Back at our cabin for dessert and a film. Marie told us about this film set in Edinburgh, which we watched, “Sunshine on Leith.” It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day. </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-37704605473235993422019-08-18T14:41:00.004-05:002019-09-03T19:14:11.054-05:00Glasgow: A Fast Affair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 1:</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Taking an Uber to the airport was such a nice change, and security was a breeze. However, our flight was delayed because the incoming plane was delayed. But as it arrived, the British Airways staff announced that we might want to watch out the windows as it landed. Wow, the airbus A380 is a behemoth two floor plane. Don’t let that fool you; leg room was tight. We were told at check-in that we could upgrade to 7 more inches of leg room for $380/person. This would have been more expensive than one of our round trip flights, so no (I got great prices on our tickets). </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Once we were on the plane, the delays continued. We taxid on the runway for an hour, not that we noticed as we both dozed and jerked away, dozed and jerked awake. It was clear once we were in the air that we would miss our connection. And miss it we did. The only consolation was that they rebooked us on an evening flight and we got some money towards lunch. After three hours waiting, I tried to talk us into the member lounge (I’m a member but not that good of a member). Instead we received some more food money, which mostly covered dinner. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Side note: It’s painful to be in Heathrow and not going into London. It’s against the natural order of my travel belief system. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our flight to Glasgow went well, and we landed without a hitch. As we walked through the airport, we passed Gemma Whelan (GoT’s Yara Greyjoy) walking to her flight. (After I stalked her on Instagram, I discovered she was at the Glasgow Comic Con.) The hitch arrived when Todd’s luggage appeared and mine didn’t. It turned out my luggage never left Chicago, but it’s on its way now. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I pulled up my uber app, and I thought it was freaking out on me. Turns out it wasn’t, and I am just a newbie who doesn’t understand this app yet... We hopped in a cab to the hotel, where we were greeted with “you must be Maureen.” Last person to check in, but it still made me feel good! Our room was comfy and new and just what our weary bodies needed. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It was already 9pm, so we just stayed in, snacking and chilling out. We found a Billy Connolly special, “Made in Scotland,” on BBC Scotland. What a hilarious and interesting show. Jetlag kicked in half way through and we crashed out. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Day 2</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Up at 6am but decent sleep and energy. Glad for my extra set of clothes in my backpack (that’s what 25 years of international travel will get you). Our hotel has a great breakfast, so beans on toast and soy milk for cereal. Happy Moe! Todd even had his first taste of haggis, though I’m sure he could get better. We’re now sipping espresso, Todd’s reading, I’m map hunting and typing this, as the morning rain falls. Vacation, finally...</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our plan is a simple one today. Hop on-hop off bus, Willow tea rooms for lunch, and maybe a museum if our energy holds up. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Glasgow is a manageable city by foot so far. Sunday morning, and the streets were quiet with only tourists seeming to be out. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We walked down to the first stop for the bus and hopped on. It was starting to rain, so we had good timing. We perched in the covered part of the upper deck and listened to the audio guide as the bus meandered along. It’s been about 20 years since I did something like this, and it was much appreciated today. We had energy but it wasn’t zapped too much. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">What a pretty town. I love the soot stained buildings and the eclectic mix of architecture. Too many stories to recount from that audio guide, but a few facts/stories stand out: the 500 year old university; the suffragette oak; the last pub in Glasgow to admit women, Tennent’s pub, where women chained themselves up inside and ever since the manager of the pub has always been a woman. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After an hour and a half on the bus, we hopped off near the <a href="https://www.mackintoshatthewillow.com/tearooms/" target="_blank">Macintosh at the Willow</a> tea rooms. These tea rooms were where women could come unchaperoned without causing social scandal. I had reserved seats in the upstairs Salon de Luxe, which was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">What a beautiful salon. They might not have been the most comfortable chairs ever, but everything about it was pretty: the purple stained glass mirrored walls, the glass chandeliers, the Table settings, the etched water glasses. And this was before the tea trays came out. A full vegan tea tray for me, and a non-vegan one for Todd. Everything was so rich and delicious. I’d say the lemon cake and the scones were my favorite items. Todd was wowed by his salmon sandwich and his lavender melt-in-your-mouth macaroon. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The morning espresso and lunchtime tea could not overcome the soporific effects of that delicious lunch. Thankfully, the hotel was only a block away, so we could head back and literally crash out. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After a brief respite, we ubered over to <a href="https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/kelvingrove-art-gallery-and-museum" target="_blank">Kelvingrove Museum</a> since we had two hours before it closed. As is often the case in the UK, the museum was free (huzzah! More money for food!), so we didn’t have to fret about getting our money’s worth. When we walked in, an organist was playing the massive organ. The highlight was Scottish art, particularly Mackintosh and the “Glasgow Four.” So many new artists we didn’t know who were clearly in conversation with artists we do know (Monet, Seurat, Sargent). Our guidebook said the Dali was on loan until 2020, but imagine our delight when it was there! (You were wrong, Rick Steves!)</span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After two hours of art room roaming, we were kicked out with everyone else. We’d missed a rain shower while in the museum, so a pretty blue sky with drifting clouds greeted us. Snapped some photos then hopped on the bus. Todd started talking about food as we buzzed along (there’s Indian! Spanish! Italian!), so we jumped off near our hotel for a walk down the shopping street near our hotel (not so interesting). Back to the hotel to drop off my camera, see if my bag had arrived (nope), and choose a dinner spot. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">With both of us searching for an open (Sunday night), vegan friendly place (there are tons), Todd found <a href="https://www.stereocafebar.com/" target="_blank">Stereo</a>, a pure vegan restaurant. Man, oh man. Bruschetta, Saag Paneer (tofu not cheese), and a Seitan burger. So many delicious flavors. I told Todd we need a meal strategy when we get to Edinburgh; if the vegan options continue to be this good, I’m going to need smaller meals! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Happy news at the hotel! Bag has arrived but with a bent handle. I was able to straighten it out a bit, but still have to let them know. Just happy it’s here before heading off to the north tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Glasgow has been a 24 hour delight! We look forward to seeing it again someday! </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-17558143648340481492019-08-08T17:38:00.004-05:002019-08-09T17:22:29.338-05:00Once, Twice, Three Times a Bucket List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I first knew I would be studying abroad in England
during my junior year of college, I began making copious lists about the places
I wanted to visit. It was a “UK Bucket List” of sorts. A former high school
English teacher plied me with magazines, and I read everything I could in the
study abroad office binders and in books. This was pre-internet days, so I had
to scour all the printed matter! My Scotland items included Edinburgh, the
Military Tattoo, the International Festival, Stirling Castle, the Highlands,
St. Andrews. </div>
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<b>Once, 1995 </b></div>
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Towards the end of my year in Nottingham, I took the bus to
Edinburgh with other American friends for a quick weekend. We stayed in a youth
hostel in a deconsecrated church, staring up at the rafters as we fell sleep.
We went to the castle, hiked Arthur’s seat, toured the Royal Mile. I don’t
remember much else about the visit and I only took a few photos (pre-digital,
so every photo counted). I checked Edinburgh off the list but never made it
further north.</div>
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Atop Arthur's Seat, 1995</div>
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<b>Twice, 2003</b></div>
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Fast forward eight years, and I returned again, this time
with my mom. We’d come to the UK for a quick ten-day jaunt, and I asked her if
she’d mind heading up to Edinburgh. I was thinking about applying to the MSc in
Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh for the following year. It was
a cold November, but we toured the castle, the Royal Mile, and the University.
I have a photo of us posing with the blue-faced William Wallace impersonator,
aka “Braveheart,” on the Royal Mile. We went to pubs that my mom loved, with
names like “Dirty Dicks.” (I was accepted to the program, but I ended up choosing
to stay in Chicago to do my MFA instead.)</div>
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At Edinburgh Castle, 2003</div>
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<b>Thrice, 2019</b> </div>
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I’ve checked off Edinburgh twice, but most of my Scotland bucket
list remained intact. Fast forward sixteen years, and I’m returning to Scotland
again. This time, I’ll really make a dent in that list. There are a few more
things added, including the Glenfinnan viaduct (Harry Potter train! I have a
t-shirt for the occasion), the Falkirk Kelpies, Glasgow (Willow Tea Rooms!),
Andy Goldsworthy art, and a long list of vegan restaurants (thanks to #veganscotland
& #veganedinburgh on Instagram). </div>
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This trip will also include people I didn’t know when I
first made that list 24 years ago. I’ll be with my husband for starters! We’ll take
a trip to the Highlands with a friend and her mum, we’ll experience Edinburgh
with a friend and her hubby, and we will enjoy the Tattoo and the Highland
Games with my dad and his wife (okay, I did know dad 24 years ago; it’ll be his
70<sup>th</sup> while we are in Scotland!), and we’ll join a group of other
Ewings to explore our common genealogy. </div>
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My bucket list continues to evolve as I age, and my travel
spirit has not abated since I first made those lists back in 1994. Instead, my
bucket list grows as my knowledge of the world expands. It’s a beautiful world
we live in, and every trip counts. </div>
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Follow along as I travel to Scotland on this blog and on
Instagram at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/maureen_ewing_photography">www.instagram.com/maureen_ewing_photography</a>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-45511072821750078902019-07-07T23:30:00.004-05:002019-07-10T14:15:50.584-05:0024 Hours in Agra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">“In order to drive in India, you need good <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>brake, good horn, and good luck.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">-Shiraz, our Guide </span></div>
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<b><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Schedule for Saturday, July 6, 2019 </span></b></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">8am leave Delhi</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">12pm check in to Agra Hotel</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Lunch</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">2pm Red Fort Tour</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">4pm view Taj Mahal from gardens</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">5pm SHEROES cafe </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">6pm swim time </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">8pm dinner</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">On the way out of Delhi, we passed over a bridge that had solar panels and green walls (ie plants on the fence). We passed a few monuments and parks. We got on the large Yamuna Expressway to Pune after an hour making our way through Delhi. Out of nowhere, there was a cow on the road, which caused everyone to slow down and swerve. Our guide made a passing comment that animals are safer then people in India. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We passed a formula 1 track, the cricket stadium, and clumps of expensive high rise apartments. We passed a rest stop with a Starbucks, and the one where we stopped had an American sweet corn stand. I found some peanuts and most of the girls bought Oreos. We passed a camel pulling a cart to everyone’s delight!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Shiraz explained many things to us on our 4 hour drive to Agra: Delhi culture, Hinduism, etc. One thing I didn’t know was that the Swastika symbol is clockwise as a Hindu symbol and counterclockwise for the Nazi symbol; it was a helpful clarification since you see it everywhere here, and in Hinduism it symbolizes prosperity and good fortune. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">He also talked about his family, educating his daughters, and wedding traditions. He told a hilarious story of how a tour of Scottish people told him that a man should drink coffee to make sure he has a son. When he told his wife this story, she suddenly started serving him coffee all the time, and now he has a son. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">When we arrived in Agra, we checked into our hotel first and were thoroughly impressed. The Hotel Royale Regent is new and felt like luxury, especially with the roof top pool. No time for swimming yet! We dumped our stuff and went out for a quick lunch. It was one of the best tasting meals we’ve had, especially the potatoes. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our first stop of the day was the Agra Fort. This spectacular building is another blend of red stone and white marble. As Shiraz took us on a tour, he graciously stopped in the shade to talk to us. It was a scorching day, and we were all dripping. The inner garden was especially pretty with its white marble and pretty views of the Taj Mahal. There is some marble inlay work here, but Shiraz just kept saying it was nothing compared to the Taj. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Soon we were all wilting, and it was time to get on the bus for some AC relief. Thank goodness for this comfortable bus! We then went over to the Mahtab-Bagh (Moon Garden). These pretty orchards have a beautiful view of the Taj Mahal just over the river. We were hot and sweaty, but it didn’t stop us from taking group photos and selfies. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Whenever we got back on the bus, all the boys and men selling things would come to the door. Shiraz would bargain with them for good deals on items. He would then show it to us and say the price; Ashley would then walk it through the bus and collect money. It was quite a fun ritual, though new things were not seen after awhile. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After the garden, Shiraz took us to a cafe run by women who are acid attack survivors. They were attacked by husbands, mothers, other family, in-laws, and strangers; they were left to fiend for themselves, and even though it is illegal and the perpetrators get some punishment, the woman’s life is forever changed. They showed us a moving video of their stories, and they gave us free drinks for coming. We all donated to them, <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and it was an excellent, but too quick experience. One of their daughters (not attacked) did a cute dance for us. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Finally, it was time to head back to the hotel for a quick swim before dinner. We enjoyed the pool and the distant view of the Taj. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, and I had a red curry, which was a nice change. We spent the rest of the evening showering and repacking, as we were leaving early for the Taj tour. </span></div>
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<b><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Sunday, July 7, 2019: Our Final Day</span></b></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Schedule </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">5:30am head to Taj Mahal</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">8:30 back to the hotel: bfast and pack</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">10:30 leave hotel and visit marble inlay workshop and other little shops</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">1:30pm head to elephant conservatory</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">3-5pm at Wildlife SOS</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">5pm drive back to Delhi airport</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">9pm arrive at airport </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">At 5:30am, we gathered in the hotel lobby, some in their saris and Punjabis, others in their normal clothes. Half awake but excited, we made our way to the Taj Mahal. They are very strict with what you can bring inside for good reason, I’m sure. We literally could only have our phone and camera. No pencils. No food. The list was very long. We were given bottled water at the gate to bring in. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">A note about the Taj. As you already know, it is one of the greatest love monuments ever built. Shah Jahan built it in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and both of them are buried there. (He planned to be buried across the river in a black mausoleum, which he never completed because his son overthrew and imprisoned him.) It took 22 years to build, 20,000 workers, and an impressive amount of other statistics that I don’t remember. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">You walk in through a red sandstone courtyard, and the contrast of green lawn and trees is so peaceful. The sun was just rising, and our glasses and camera lenses were fogging up. Somewhere I lost my camera brush, so I agonized over the smears on my lenses. (I did not come here to take crappy shots on my good camera!)</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">A photographer is assigned to all groups, and he takes a photo of you as a group and then individually at the “Diana Bench.” I was already sweating in my Punjabi, but I’m glad I didn’t wear my sari; I would have found it hard to walk and take as many photos as I did. Shiraz then walked us to the mausoleum, and on the way we witnessed a Marriage proposal. All the girls started commanding me to take photos, which I was already doing. I then went up and asked them for their email so that I could send some photos. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We could not take any photos in the mausoleum, but it was spectacular. The marble screen with the marble inlay is a type of craftsmanship I haven’t seen. Shiraz asked one of the guards to hold up his flashlight to the stones in the inlay work, and it was translucent. So so pretty. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then took an hour walking around on our own. So many angles to catch. Birds flew in and out of the minarets. The different domes and spires. The gardens, the reflecting pools, the benches. The sky was a pretty blue, and while it was hot outside, it was a good morning to be there. I tried to keep reminding myself to take it all in, not hiding behind my camera. It’s hard for me to do that, but with timed tickets (the max you can spend is two hours, and you will be charged again if you stay longer), there’s only so much time to take it all in. It felt emotional being here, the last day of our trip, almost like a dream. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Then just as quickly as we arrived, we departed. I kept looking back and taking more shots, not wanting to miss anything. We had breakfast at our hotel then packed up. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We did a little shopping before we left Agra. First, the marble inlay workshop, where we saw gorgeous pieces of inlay art, such as tabletops. A small 12” round would take two men 20-40 days to complete, depending on the amount of stones used. We quickly realized the small $300 tables were not something we would be affording. So we moved into the small gift room, where our girls had much more luck finding last souvenirs. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then did a quick stop at a textile shop and a leather shop, and then it was a quick lunch, which turned more into shakes and drinks. Then, we drove an hour and a half to the elephant conservatory. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Wildlife SOS was founded over 10 years ago in response to a great need for rescuing bears, elephants, and other animals from abusive conditions working for street vendors, temples, private owners, and the circus. At the location in Mathura, they have 22 elephants that they rescued and now care for: 8 male and 14 female. Many are elderly elephants <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>who have physical issues as a result of being in chains, having their ears torn from hooks, and other abusive treatment. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Despite the heat (it was scorching and we all got suitably gross again; our morning showers in the distant past), the girls patiently sat in a hot room, listening to the education director talk about Wildlife SOS, then watching a video. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The highlight was then going out to the pens where the elephants stay most of the day. Shiva, the education director, talked about each elephant, how they were found, and their personality traits. The elephants have found friends here, something they haven’t had in their lives. When they eat, they have to work for their food, and it’s often hidden in a feeding contraption to help them exercise this function. We saw the food storage area, which is a lot of fresh fruit and veg; a white board documents what each animal likes and eats every day. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Wildlife SOS bought their land from the local farmers and villagers allow them to use neighboring vacant land for walking the elephants. Their keepers take them out for a long morning walk for 4-5 hours and a short one hour evening walk. We arrived just in time to see them go out for their evening walk. They are such amazing animals, so smart, emotional, and beautiful. However, these animals are still recovering from a lifetime of trauma. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">You can learn more and support Wildlife SOS here: <a href="http://www.wildlifesos.org/">www.wildlifesos.org</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After two sweaty, educational hours, we hopped back on the bus and started our five hour ride back to the Delhi airport. Our flight was at 4am, so we were not rushed. We stopped for dinner at an oasis type place, where I had my last dosa and samosa of the trip. We all slept on the bus a bit, and soon we were offloading at the airport. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our long journey home has begun. Five hours in the airport, a three hour flight (where I napped and gave myself whiplash), a three hour layover in Dubai (where I am as I type this), and then a 14 hour flight to Chicago. Some of the girls have an extra flight and/or drive after we get to Chicago. Before we board our flight, we will do a bridging ceremony for those who are moving to a different Girl Scout level. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I’ll do a final thoughts blog in a few days. Right now, I’m feeling so satisfied by this trip. Our girls are lovely, and they all got along so well. We didn’t have any problems with anyone. I feel so proud of them and grateful to have done this trip. It’s been 12 years since I chaperones an international Girl Scout trip, but I thoroughly enjoyed not being the lead chaperone (thanks, Ashley) while helping plan the trip. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Here’s to my 30th country (31 if you count sitting in the Dubai airport), two new airlines (Emirates and Air India). Next stop: Scotland in August!</span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-42272752246601718792019-07-05T06:37:00.002-05:002019-07-10T14:20:49.259-05:00A Tour of Delhi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">“Do not make eye contact with the monkeys.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">-Shiraz, our tour guide </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">In preparation for going to Delhi, I watched the “Delhi” episode of “World’s Biggest Cities” on Netflix. Here are some facts: Delhi has 26 million people, more than Australia; the city is the size of Belgium; it will grow another 10 million in the next 10 years; the Fruit and veg market is 80 football fields long. So yeah, this place is big. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We arrived yesterday late afternoon and were greeted by a friendly man from the tour company. He escorted us to a lovely big coach where all our luggage went underneath (thankfully not in the aisles like our Mumbai bus). As we boarded the bus, we were given a flower garland and a welcome gift (journal and pen). We all felt truly spoiled, especially with extra seats to spread out and AC. it took us about an hour in rush hour traffic to get to our hotel. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">When we arrived at the Bajaj Indian Home Stay, which felt like a palace. Sangam is absolutely lovely, but this was a marble heaven. We were given a rose, the welcome blessing, some boxed mango juice, and our room keys. All of us chaperones unexpectedly got our own en-suite rooms. Talk about luxury. Everyone’s rooms are air conditioned, and in the Delhi heat, it feels great. We decided to have dinner at the hotel, so we took an hour and a half to relax after a long travel day. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">This morning, we were up for breakfast at 8 and a tour of Delhi at 9. Our tour guide for the day, Shiraz, has several history degrees, and he was an excellent source of knowledge today. His big piece of advice was to NOT look the monkeys in the eye if we saw them; they would happily jump on us, which we would not enjoy. (No monkeys were seen in close enough proximity!)</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our fist stop was the Mosque Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque. We came this morning because it would be closed in the afternoon for prayers. We women had to put on robes to walk around, and they were bright colors and very hot. It was 300 rupees to take photos, so I was the group photographer. I took my usual Moe artsy shots and then took a few photos of the girls. It’s a beautiful building with a large courtyard. I bet it’s a stunning sight when it is full for prayers. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After our tour, we hopped on cycle rickshaws for a tour of Old Delhi and its winding streets full of shops and markets. Our driver worked hard in the heat, and he let us know it was hot. We weaved in and out of people, fruit and veg carts, mopeds, motorcycles, and in larger streets, cars and buses. We went through the Ancient Bazaar Chandni Chowk and the Khari Baoli spice market. It was a very bumpy ride, but I managed to get some photos. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then hopped back on the bus and made our way around India Gate on or way to Humayun’s Tomb. The emperor’s tomb was built in 1565 by his wife, and it showcases Persian architecture. (His son is responsible for building the Taj Mahal.) As we got off the bus, the air was thick with humidity and the clouds rumbled. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The tomb is built out of red sandstone and white marble, and it is beautiful. It has a wide terrace and you can walk in and out of various rooms where different graves are housed (there are about 100 Mughal graves). The building has interesting geometric patterns around it with a large dome. I loved walking around the building and inside, getting unique views of the different doors, the play of light, and the views of green all around it. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">And then it chucked it down. I had my rain jacket but not my poncho. It seems everyone else had finished before me (I wasn’t late!), and got soaked getting to the bus. Kenya waited for me at one of the gates, and we walked back in the rain together. I got soaked but my rain jacket kept my camera and purse dry! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Shiraz took us to a nearby restaurant, where we enjoyed some hearty appetizers, including spring rolls and naan. The food, the wet clothes, and the humidity began to slow us down. Outside, as we left, there was a snake charmer playing, a little boy trying to sell us bangles, kittens roaming the square, and the sound of horns in the nearby road. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Back in the car, we drove again past India gate, as well as the massive President’s House. There were lots of security blocking roads, so we couldn’t get too close. It’s an area of Delhi that clearly shows the stamp of the British: wide thoroughfares (similar to London’s Mall), Roundabouts that are pretty mini gardens, <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>big trees that were planted in 1911 (or so) when this part of he city was built, and lots of English style buildings peppered throughout. It was too difficult to stop, so we just drove past. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our last stop of the day was the Sikh shrine Bangla Sahib Gurudwara. Whereas the Mosque and Humayun’s tomb were red sandstone and marble, the Sikh shrine is all white. We went into the foreigners room and took off our shoes; then, everyone had to put on a bandana head covering, but I had my scarf and used that. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Once inside the grounds, we went into the Kitchen Langar, where 10,000 people are fed each day between 11am-4pm. We watched as one group was leaving, the floor was cleaned, and then another group was seated. They get metal trays and then volunteers come along and fills them up with various things. Everyone eats together in a row, with no designation between anyone, everyone equal. We toured the amazing kitchen where volunteers make everything: vats of food, chapati making areas, and chai. The girls were allowed to join the volunteers to try their hands at making chapatti. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then went through the inner temple, where we heard Kirtan, singing of scriptures. The room was bright gold with a pink drape over the main “altar” (I don’t know what it’s called and we couldn’t take photos inside). It was really a beautiful place, and I’m curious to learn more about it. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We are now back at our hotel with a few hours to nap and chill before 7pm dinner. Tomorrow we head to Agra at 8am!</span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-22662135332614001282019-07-03T22:58:00.002-05:002019-07-10T14:28:45.071-05:00The Pune Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It’s our last full day in Pune! We found out this morning that our evening flight tomorrow was cancelled, so we have a noon flight instead. We are all packing early to make sure we can fit everything. </span></div>
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<b><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Today’s schedule (Wednesday, July 3, 2019):</span></b></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Sari tying lesson</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Indian afternoon: Henna, etc</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Another pretty day in Pune this morning with a yoga class. I love getting up early when everything is still quiet. The only thing we can hear are the birds and an occasional car honk. The WiFi is also the best at 6am with people still sleeping. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After breakfast, we had a briefing on our Pune Challenge. We split up into groups of three (two of our 18 yr old girls leading their own group), and were given a challenge and a rickshaw bag. We had to visit three places, getting rickshaws along the way. We also had to take specific photos and answer questions about each place on our challenge. For lunch, our goal was to find lunch for 30 rupees each, connecting to the UN goal of decreasing hunger. In India, 50-75% (I’ve seen different numbers) of people live at poverty level ($1/day) or below. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our first stop was the Jain Mandir temple. Our rickshaw driver was nice, but he couldn’t quite find it. He asked at least 20 people along the way, most didn’t know where it was, and some just seemed to know a vague direction. Eventually, we pulled up in front. He wanted to take a selfie with us, which we happily obliged. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The Jain Temple was beautiful. The outside had a white served facade, and the inside was gorgeous marble. All white walls, a beautiful floor pattern, carved ceilings, and altars of silver and gold. It was stunning. We went upstairs, too, where there was a similar room. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After taking some photos and paying our respects, we went outside and caught another rickshaw. This one literally took us a few blocks, and was only 20 rupees. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Our second challenge was the Shivaji Market. We saw an amazing bull outside pulling a cart of ice, and we watched a man slide a block of ice into the market with old style ice tongs. The market had a wrap different parts, broken up into fish, chicken, and fruit/veg. My girls weren’t interested in the meat sections, thankfully, so we perused the fruit and veg, trying to find things we’d never seen. There were cats, kittens, and dogs roaming the market, and they all wanted pets from us (which we didn’t give). </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After the market, the third stop was a grocery store, Dorabjees. We came across it the other day, but hadn’t shopped. Today’s challenge was for the girls to find new things and to price the things we normally get at home. They were astounded by how much a box of honey but Cheerios cost ($10 for a small box). Since our task was to only buy lunch for 90 rupees for all of us, we couldn’t find much except maybe a samosa for each from the little stand in the store. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The girls decided they wanted to see the mall across the street. On our way in, they saw a KFC special, 2 chicken sandwiches for 99 rupees. So they are those, and I are a Clif Bar. We saw one group eating at McDonald’s, admitting that they weren’t doing the challenge. We made our way back in another rickshaw. Back at Sangam, we met up with a few of our other groups; they unloaded all the cookies they bought with their 90 rupees, so it was a lesson in how hard it was to eat healthy on so little. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">This afternoon was Indian afternoon, which started with a Sari tying lesson. Not everyone bought a sari, but they had extra s for everyone to practice. One of the staff members, Priya, showed us all how to do it, then came around and corrected ours. After we were al folded and pinned in, it was photo time. I served as the group photographer, taking individual and group shots. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Then the girls started doing the other activities, including badmitten, henna, mandela, rangali, etc. The henna women were busy for quite a long time, but all our hands looked beautiful. However, we now had to be very careful with our saris, and I definitely smudged some on my sari. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Eventually, it was time for our Maharashtion Dinner, a traditional Indian feast. We sat on the floor with banana leaf plates in front of us, already a bit filled with pakoras, papadam, rice, salad, and other things. We also had a mango purée dessert, which was wonderful. The women in the kitchen made such a delicious and beautiful feast for us. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After the meal, those of us leaving before the closing ceremony were given our Sangam pins, which you can only get by coming to Sangam. It was an emotional moment, as I now have visited all four would centers (haven’t been to the new one, Kusafiri, the Africa traveling center). This is a goal I’ve had since I was a girl first learning about them and beginning to travel. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We took off our saris and came down to the hall for a final dance session, the garba (I think). I didn’t partake because my little stubbed toe (walking around in saris for the first time is a little challenging), so I just recorded it. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Now it is Thursday morning, we’ve all had our final breakfast and are waiting to depart. Our bags are all filled to busting (I really didn’t leave enough room for souvenirs and saris). Our flight was cancelled, so now we are on an earlier flight. We are going to partake in laughter yoga and then we are off in the rickshaws to the airport! Delhi heatwave, here we come. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Namaste, Sangam. </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-69586623783490387162019-07-02T07:13:00.003-05:002019-07-10T14:32:56.971-05:00Everyone Needs Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Tuesday, July 2, 2019 </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The monsoon rains were in fine form last night, chucking it down all night. Waking up this morning for yoga, it was as if it hardly rained at all. As a result, we enjoyed a rain free day today. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">So happy to go to yoga this morning. I needed to stretch it out, and the room was slightly emptier with girls sleeping in. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After a quick run to the ATM across the street (we are all spending more on souvenirs/gifts than we thought), we boarded the bus for the day trip to one of Sangam’s community partners. Traffic was terrible, and the heat and motion lulled many of us to sleep. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We spent the day at Maher, an organization that looks after abandoned children, disadvantaged and abused women, pregnant unwed women, traumatized or mentally compromised men and women, and the elderly. They have 46 projects with buildings and hundreds of support groups. Right now they have almost 1,000 children that they care for. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Sister Lucy started this work over twenty years ago. A woman had come to her, asking for help; she was married and seven months pregnant. Her husband said he would kill her that night to take a new wife. Sister Lucy told the woman she couldn’t help her that day, but she should come back tomorrow. That night, the husband poured gasoline over the woman and her child and burned them alive. Since then, Sister Lucy has debited her life to helping those in need. She has a room full of awards that show how much good she and Maher do. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">To paraphrase a man who works for them and who was brought there with his mom when he was six, Here they get food, shelter, and love - most places don’t offer love. Many are traumatized when they come, whether through hunger, homelessness, or violence. Meditation and yoga help the people relax so they can share their story. When they share, they have more space to learn and take on new things.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">High school girls welcomed us with a few songs, including a welcome sung to the tune of “happy birthday.” They showed us around and then served us a delicious lunch. Afterwards, they brought us to their shop where they make all their items. After hearing all about their good work, 48 girls and women bought as much as they could. I went Christmas shopping again (just as I did yesterday). These girls and women work hard and have so much hope. A few of the children are studying in colleges in the US, Germany,and the Netherlands. It’s amazingly powerful. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Please check out <a href="http://www.maherashram.org/">www.maherashram.org</a> and support the work they do. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We are back at Sangam now, the music is playing, and the girls are having a pool party. I’m off to an hour long massage, Which is perfect after long bus rides today. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The Sari and Punjabi tailors dropped off our altered pieces, and we will all wear them tomorrow, I think. The girls are talking about wearing the saris at the Taj Majal, but I think it will be way too hot. Only one of our girls bought a cotton Saree, while the rest of us bought the fancier, heavier ones. It may be a Punjabi day through...</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The girls are feeling a bit tired and low on money, so they opted to stay in tonight instead of going out for dinner. Tomorrow is our last full day at Sangam. We have been here a week already!</span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-25031407131668746522019-07-01T20:15:00.003-05:002019-07-10T14:36:20.248-05:00Don’t Step on the Turtle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">“Don’t step on the Turtle”</span></div>
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<b><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Monday, July 1, 2019 Schedule </span></b></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Alandi village and Temple</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Tulapur - temple where three rivers meet</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Ishwari - organization that helps women earn income</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">July 1st already. We leave in three days, and there is still so much to do! We reminded our girls that if they want laundry done, it has to be done today or tomorrow. We are momming them when we can with little reminders. Sunblock! Do you have your pills? </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Today was a full day out! We had a nice sleep in breakfast, and I enjoyed being a bit lazier this morning. Since people were slow getting up, the WiFi was better. Once we are all up, it slows way down. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The buses arrived to take us on a three stop tour of two temples and one of Sangam’s community partners. We piled into the buses, and thankfully it was cool enough with the windows open, since this old bus didn’t have AC. In the front seat, I could watch the driver weave in and out of slow cars as we made our way through town. Animals and drivers competed for toad space. Today there were horses and more dogs than usual. A few cows grazing on the side of the road but not stalling traffic. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The Alandi village lies along the river, and it is a lively village with people visiting the temple, selling sacred wares, and washing clothes in the river. Life was happening all around us. As we walked up the market streets to the temple, a message was passed along: “don’t step on the turtle!” We all expected to see a real turtle on the walkway, but it was one built into the path that led to the temple. Somebody asked later on what the turtle symbolizes: roughly, its hard shell is a place where you can leave your heavy burdens before you go into the temple. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">To enter the temple, we took off our shoes as usual and entered the inner courtyard where a bunch of buildings held different rooms. We walked into the main temple and quietly filed past the altar, bowing with a “namaste.” There were flowers and candles, and incense burned. Once we were back in the courtyard, I took lots of shots of the pretty buildings and architectural details. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then made our way back through the market street to the river. We all took photos along the little boardwalk. Kids and adults kept trying to sell us stuff, including a forehead blessing. At the river, everyone wanted to take photos with us, and I saw a few girls say yes. The girls are so much more open to being approached than us older women. One of our girls had her butt grabbed when she was taking a photo with someone, which was a crappy experience for her to have. When we tried to take a group photo, all these men came up to take out photos or to take a selfie with us in the background. I took a great weird photo of all of them looking at us. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then went back to the buses and went to Tulapur temple. This was in a more secluded location where three rivers meet. It was a small little temple and much quieter. There was only one little stall there for people to buy things, which made it a bit easier for our girls to look. I watched a woman beautifully arrange her vegetables to sell on a blanket, and I asked her if I could take her photo. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then went to our third stop, Ishwari. This organization was started to give women a chance to get out of their homes and make money. They do education courses, sewing classes, and many other opportunities for women. They made us all a delicious lunch of spring rolls, corn soup, rice, Dahl, spiced vegetables, and chapati. It was so so good. They then cleared the table and laid out all the items they made that were for sale. We decimated the table, which I’m sure made them happy. I got quite a few Christmas presents from that visit to Ishwari. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We got back just in time for the afternoon chai tea break. I then took my first dip in the pool before dinner. Luckily the rain held off. I was also able to check in with Todd before dinner to wish him luck on the first day of his new job. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After dinner, we had indoor campfire night. Flowers and candles made a small circle in the center of the hall. The girls had signed up to sing/lead different songs, and they really got into it. </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Soon it was bed time, and we were all making our way back to our rooms. Only three more sleeps before we leave. Tomorrow we start with yoga, spend the day at another community partner, and I get a massage (Kenya had hers today, and Ashley and I have ours tomorrow). </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The Essence of India is wonderful!</span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-76757967839725196642019-06-30T21:38:00.002-05:002019-07-10T14:39:47.722-05:00Rickshaw Shopping in Pune <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">“Cleanliness becomes important when godliness is unlikely.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">-ad seen in Pune while riding in a rickshaw </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sunday, June 30, 2019</b></span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">A week ago we were all meeting up in Chicago to start our trip, and now we are navigating the neighborhoods of Pune together. We are at our halfway point in the trip; next Sunday at this time we will be in the Delhi airport waiting for our flight home. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">No yoga today, but I slept long and well. Breakfast was especially nice because there were vegan “omelettes” for us special people. In addition, there’s always oatmeal and bread with mango jam (made from their own mango trees). This morning I partook in a cup of the French press coffee that gets made everyday. (And I’m still awake as a result...I’ve been falling asleep at night writing my blog but not tonight!)</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We had five hours on or own today, so our group took rickshaws into another shopping district, MG Road. It was an easy ride today without the crazy traffic we experienced yesterday. We all got out and regrouped; us three chaperones asked the girls to look at the map and figure out where they wanted to go. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">First stop was an arcade of small shops. Girls found earrings and pants, and I found a swatch of fabric similar to what I saw yesterday. Hopefully, I can get the tailor to make me another shirt with it before I leave.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">All of the groups then converged on a small handicraft shop recommended by Sangam. Everyone bought loads of souvenirs, and I managed to do my own shopping! The owner has a Sangam sign in his window, and he was offering everyone discounts. We all left a little lighter on money. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then went in search of a music store, which we never found. One of my girls did find a chocolate merengue though! We hunted for a stationary store that ended up being more an office supply store. We tried to find a bead/lace/ribbon store, but that didn’t happen. We did run into another group that told us about a jeweler. We all did a little more shopping there. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The girls are still practicing their aggressive street crossing techniques. I’ve taken to shouting “aggressive crossing” when we have to start making our way into the street. Traffic never truly stops unless there’s a light, so you’ve got to push out and make everyone stop for you. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We all met up for lunch at Ram Krishna, where we all had dosas for lunch. We all ended up getting Masala (potato) Dosa or <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Cheese & Potato. They were big and delicious. My lemon ginger drink was perfect with it. I’ve only had dosa a few times in Chicago, but this one was so good. Everything tastes better on vacation!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We had a fun rickshaw ride home as we kept catching up to other groups. The drivers were clearly laughing at us a bit, but we didn’t care. On our route, we came across three very large cows sitting in the middle of the road; since cows are sacred, they get the right of way, and all the traffic goes around them. A few minutes later, we ran across a herd of goats being shepherded down the road. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">When we arrived at Sangam (after the driver made a wrong turn), we paid him the 100 rupees for the ride. In the morning, it had cost 92 and Sangam said 100-110 was what we should expect. The afternoon driver tried to charge us 150 rupees, claiming it was 50 each. We had asked him to set the meter, but he never did. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">My city girl self kicked in (and I remembered from our rickshaw video yesterday that they would try to charge us more without the meter), and I refused to give in. The girls looked bewildered, and I told them to give the 100 rupees and walk away. When I looked back, he was gone. Other groups paid the 150, but one driver set the meter and the charge was 85 rupees. While 50 rupees isn’t a lot to us ($.75), price gauging tourists is not a trade to support, especially when we asked for the meter. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After putting away our purchases, the large group met to prepare activities for a session with the Nividita Guides, a local Girl Guide group that meets at Sangam. Our girls decided to teach the girls “cotton eyed joe,” including dance moves. They all put on their trip shirts and braided each other’s hair the same way. Then it was chai break (every day at 4:30pm).</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">An hour later, the Nividita Guides came. We all took turns doing our presentations for them. Our girls did a great job teaching the Indian girls (& the other Americans and Canadians) the dance moves. We watched different Indian groups doing dances for us. It was fun to see all the girls trying to include each other. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Then it was time for dinner, which was Mexican food that we put in a chapatti. So good! And it was someone’s birthday, So we all got cake. They also made a small vegan one. Huzzah! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The evening concluded with a game of Girl Guide / India jeopardy. The girls got into it, and it’s fun to see them all trying to win. Not to brag, but my group won! </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">As I write this, the smoke detector has gone off because the mosquito fogger is pervading everywhere. The less mosquitoes the better. I can’t imagine what Delhi and Agra mosquitoes will be like with the heat. We don’t leave Sangam <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>til Thursday, and there’s still much to do! </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-75394159282149252322019-06-29T23:44:00.002-05:002019-06-30T05:10:39.507-05:00Menstruation in India <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">It’s an interesting experience having your period in India. This isn’t about the inconvenience of having a period in summer and monsoon season. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Even before our trip, I’d been thinking about the reality of having my period in India. We knew a local Girl Scout would be giving us period packs to bring to girls here. I understood a little through the news, the Netflix film “Period,” and the girl who was bringing us packs. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">The reality felt different once I was here and got my period. I feel privileged to have enough money to buy the supplies I need. The idea that women on their period are impure still persists. Since people sort through the trash, we have to put our pads in a special newspaper bag in the garbage can; when people go through the garbage, they know not to open those bags.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Last night was Bollywood night, and we watched “Pad Man.” Based on a real man, it tells the story of an Indian man and his creation of a low cost pad-making machine. He is concerned that his wife, mother, and sister have to separate themselves from the family whenever they have their periods. He seeks, ostensibly, to give them a chance to have those days for themselves, for living. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">The movie is quite a “wonderful” B movie, showing how the women face so much shame for even talking about their periods. He clearly did an amazing thing in real life. Yet, it serves as a perfect example of how a male privileged perspective is problematic. There is very little conversation about changing the wider culture. His machine looks like it had quite an impact, but since it’s his story, this sidelines how the women convince other women to give it a try. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17pt;">Just a sidebar blog post, since it’s on my mind. I have to process my thoughts somewhere! </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-37980549978471058622019-06-29T23:32:00.002-05:002019-07-10T14:48:28.699-05:00Neighborhood Navigation & Sari Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Friday, June 28, 2019 Schedule</span></b></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">On our second full day at Sangam, we had a full schedule:</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Bollywood movie night</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We started at 7am with a yoga session by a local woman. Iyengar yoga is the style I do most, so I loved it. The room was packed, and my back was very happy. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After breakfast, we were given the Wadi Challenge. The girls were given a map, a list of things to find, and a rickshaw bag that had the address to Sangam and some money. Our task was to walk to the Wadi Neighborhood (about 15 min away) and try to find as many things on the list as we could. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It was a fun few hours of wandering, and while we didn’t do much on the list, we still enjoyed it. We went on the overpass bridge for a great view of the traffic converging from four or five different roads. We went inside a temple and took a photo with a little girl who wanted one. The girls wanted to go into a clothing department store, and they enjoyed looking at all the different clothes. We might go back there before we leave, if they haven’t gotten their shopping fix the next few days. On our walk back to Sangam, the girls were getting the hang of aggressive street crossing; you’ve got to find a gap in the traffic and go for it!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After lunch we enjoyed a Hindi lesson, which included learning the numbers, alphabet, and colors. They had us do a few games with translation and colors, which taught us how hard it is to learn a language and help it stick. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The highlight of everyone’s day was the afternoon Zumba Bollywood session. We all sweated through our clothes doing it in the hall without AC, but it was a nice compliment to the morning yoga session. Uzma has chosen a great selection of songs and a variety of new moves to each song. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After dinner, we gathered in the hall for Bollywood movie night. For the first ten or twenty minutes, they didn’t have the subtitles on, and when they did turn them on, we finally understood what was happening. (See my other post on talking about menstruation in India) <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7218518/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Pad Man</a></i> was a hilarious movie about a man’s attempt to get women access to pads. There were amazing moments in the film (like when he realizes he has to test the pad and comes up with a contraption to wear), but a sad lack of music and dancing! Regardless, it was a film I wouldn’t have known about. </span></div>
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<b><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Saturday, June 29, 2019 Schedule </span></b></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Laxmi Rd Tour</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Despite having to get up early, the morning yoga session is so great. Today’s was less crowded, probably because it was raining and people stayed up late due to the movie. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After breakfast, we split up into two groups for Indian Art sessions. A small group did embroidery, but the majority of us did Waldi Art. This type of art originated in two villages (located between Pune and Mumbai), where for hundreds of years, they’ve done paintings on the walls of their houses. I really enjoyed the lesson about how to make people, animals, trees, and sun/moon/stars. We then had an hour to create our own drawing. If only we’d learned how to draw figures like this, I might have lived drawing more growing up. In Waldi art, you don’t have to draw faces (just a circle and color it in) or bodies (just two colored in triangles make a body). </span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After lunch, we took rickshaws to Laxmi Road, which is a market area. Since it was Saturday, traffic and crowds were heavy. We had less time as a result and the afternoon was a bit rushed, but we were able to purchase fabrics, try on and buy saris, and buy Punjabis. I wish I would have bought material for some tops, but I was too focused on helping the girls. I did buy a sari, which I like. We then walked through town to a few different places to buy bangles (bought some for my new Saree), bindis (as a married woman, I bought red ones with a little bling) and henna. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The girls then had to walk around a fruit and veg market and find a particular item. They were given a word in Hindi and a local language. They had to go around and ask if they had the item, not knowing what it was. Some girls found sellers that helped direct them to the right person. Each group was given 10 rupees to buy enough of that item to bring t back to Sangam for the kitchen. It was a pretty great exercise for the girls, and I enjoyed watching them figure it out. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then walked to our dinner spot, Archana restaurant, a vegetarian restaurant. We had dal, rice, and potato and cauliflower. So so good. I knew I’d eat great on this trip!</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After dinner, we went out to catch the local buses back. Many girls aren’t city girls, and I admit to being a little intimidated, too, by the rush to board the buses. People crammed in, and we kept each other upright by smashing together. We had to change buses once, and I was super grateful we didn’t have to navigate this ourselves. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Back at Sangam, the tailors arrived, and we all got measured for the saris and punjabis we bought. I’m a few days, they will be delivered to us just in time for our last night celebration. </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31074602.post-20479543887673173852019-06-28T04:32:00.001-05:002019-07-10T14:53:07.994-05:00Welcome to Sangam and Pune<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";">Friday, June 28, 2019</span></span></b></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">It’s a humid, sticky day, but quiet and peaceful. I’m the distance, the traffic noise reaches us, the persistent honking as vehicles navigate traffic. Inside Sangam, the birds sing and chirp, a cornucopia of sounds. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Up early today to do morning yoga. Pune is the home of Iyengar yoga, my favorite type. My whole body could use a good long stretch. Before I start today, I need to reflect on yesterday. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Yesterday was <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the first day of our session. We had the morning to relax, and the girls slept well but were still recovering. I woke up at 3:45, but spent a few hours reading under the peace of my mosquito netting. </span></div>
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<b><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Thursday, June 27, 2019 Schedule:</span></b></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Opening Flag ceremony </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Lunch</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Sangam tour</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Intro to Sangam family</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Neighborhood walk</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Welcome ceremony</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">At the opening Flag ceremony, all the flags representing those currently at Sangam were placed. Participants come from the US and Canada. Staff come from India, Australia, UK, Burundi, Malawi, Zimbabwe, <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and Uganda. Some have been here for years and some are “monsoon volunteers,” just here for a few months. We are the first session of this season, so it’s the first one for the seasonal staff. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The Sangam tour got under way just as the rain started. First, we had a brief intro on Anu and the creation is Sangam. Then, we donned our jackets and began to walk around the grounds, learning about the history of Sangam (opened in 1966) and the various places of interest (mango trees!). We were all suitably soaked after the tour, but a little rain never hurt anyone. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We then had a briefing about the week’s events and the new schedule. They welcomed us with Sangam bags and gave us the basic rules and expectations, including our patrols for the week’s responsibilities. We then formally met all the staff and volunteers who look after us. Each one has a different story of what brought them here, but Girl Guiding is at the heart. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Afternoon chai is already a favorite break. Sweet chai with snacks. Today there should be soy milk for Ashley and I, which will make it even better. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After chai, we took a walking tour of the neighborhood across the street. We went into a temple for Ganesha (symbolized by an elephant), passed by a Mosque, a Christian Church, and entered another temple. It was interesting seeing all the forms of houses, the wall art, the school. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">We stopped in the home Dara Bai, a woman who worked at Sangam for 50 years. She generously showed us her house and her pride and joy: the kitchen. As we were leaving, she gave us a blessing, which included giving us Kum Kum (red) and Haldi (turmeric) on our foreheads, followed by gifts of sugar candy. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">After dinner, we had the official welcome ceremony. The staff were in the most gorgeous purple and gold sarees. They hired professional photographers, so we didn’t have to fumble with our cameras; we could just be present and enjoy the experience (they smartly took all our phones/cameras to the side during the ceremony). They came around and gave each of us a blessing, which included rice on our forehead, incense, and a garland of flowers. This was then followed by a piece of coconut and sugar. We then each lit a candle. It was such a beautiful ceremony, and I know all of us will always remember it. </span></div>
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Maureen Ewinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17820772318395486427noreply@blogger.com0