The Big Trip

Coming Home

2009-08-03T21:21:00.002-04:00

Yasmin was so excited she could hardly sleep last night. We had to be up around 4:00 am so that we could make it to the airport the required two hours before our flight. We had a six hour lay-over in London, which made the day extra long.

My sister, Lisa, met us at the airport. It was so great to see her in person again! We went to her place for a tea and a chat. The kids were happy to play with Jeremy and Grace. They almost didn't want to leave, but then they realized we were going home.

Many of our neighbours are on vacation, but the ones we've had the most contact with during the year, Kim, Kendra, and Brian were there and the kids were so excited to see Kendra. Despite the six hour time change they were going full tilt until I called them in for their regular bedtime!

It really is wonderful to be home again. The house was left spotless and smelling fresh, everything in order. We did a little unpacking, but most of that will wait until tomorrow when we've had a bit of rest and can think straight again!

CM

Zaanse Schans

2009-08-02T16:09:00.002-04:00

We arrived at my cousin Nadia’s house just before lunch. They had just returned from a three week vacation, but miraculously they had all sorts of special Dutch goodies, just for us! She had little pancakes, waffle cookies, and for lunch we had my favourite, Kroket!

They have a six month old baby, Marissa, and a five year old daughter, Chiara. It was nice to hold such a small baby again, although I’m glad we are finished the other work that babies can be!

Although the day had started with rain, the afternoon was clear and we decided to go to the Zaanse Schans, which is an area with many windmills and some shops and old houses that are almost a living museum.

Of course, outside the wooden shoe shop there were large wooden shoes. We couldn’t resist a picture. I think I have a similar photo from when I was 15 years old and visiting Holland.

We had a great visit with Nadia and the family. Again the girls are sad to have to say goodbye. But now they are dreaming of coming home.

Just one more day until we see our family and friends back home again.

Bunnies and Birthdays

2009-08-01T16:54:00.003-04:00

The girls love Mona and Gina's rabbits. They were all playing with them this morning. The bunnies were brought inside and the kids had great fun petting them as they hopped around. There were a few attempted escapes, but each time the bunnies were recovered!

The kids were having so much fun at home that we decided not to disturb them. Mahnaz wanted to stay at home because it is Gina's birthday today and she wanted to finish organizing the party. So, Nadim and I went sight-seeing, to Delft and Gouda, on our own. How strange to be without the kids. It was fun to stroll the streets and browse the markets going on in the town centres.

We arrived home and the birthday party was already in full swing. They were playing games, making cards, and eating candies. What more could a kid ask for?

This evening after the party we went to a Baha'i meeting. There were only a few people there, but it was friendly and quite nice.

Just 2 more days of living out of a suitcase!

Madurodam

2009-07-31T15:21:00.003-04:00

Madurodam is Holland in miniature! There are models of famous Dutch buildings, town squares, harbours, bridges, windmills and more. It was very busy with tons of tourists weaving through the paths.

We went with Masoud, Mahnaz, Mona, and Gina. The four girls had a grand time. They received "passports" as they entered the park. In it there was a game where they had to find Bert and Ernie hidden among the buildings in the park. Each time they found them they would find a letter, and then they would have to decode a secret message.

The detail on the buildings was really something. Everything looked so perfect. There was an area with buildings that would be found in the centre of cities, another area for recreation which even had a water park, another area for farming and more rural areas, and another for big business. Through the whole park were various train lines, including a bullet train, commuter train, and freight train.

The girls had great fun together. Running through the various paths together seemed to loosen their tongues and despite language challenges they managed to have a great time playing on the computer and with their Barbies. I think they will be sad to leave each other in a couple of days!

3 days until I can sip tea in my own living room!

Amsterdam

2009-07-30T03:44:00.001-04:00

Thank you, Maria and Marieke. We had a great time staying with you. We were sorry to say good-bye this morning.

In Amsterdam our first stop was the Anne Frank museum. It was sad to go through the museum, especially after having seen Auschwitz. To think that this was only one story of so many similar stories made it even more heart-breaking.

We then took a walk around Amsterdam, stopping briefly in Dam Square before finding a boat to take us on a canal tour. Nadim gave me his sore throat and so a canal tour was great because it meant that we could see the sights while taking it easy.

After the canal tour, we walked to the flower market. It was actually pretty disappointing. There were many souvenir shops and several places where you could buy bulbs, but not so many flowers! At that point it started to rain and it was getting late in the afternoon so we went back to the car so that we could drive to Nadim’s cousin’s house.

It was great to see Masoud and Mahnaz again and the girls have been having great fun with their daughters, Mona and Gina. I think we will have a nice few days together.

4 days until we're home!

Schiermonnikoog

2009-07-29T17:14:00.004-04:00

Schiermonnikoog is one of the islands in the north of the Netherlands. Cars are not permitted, but there are many bicycles for rent. We really should have reserved the bikes ahead of time, but in the end we were lucky. One rental shop had some children’s bikes and we were about to take a bicycle built for two, but then found that the chain was off. The young fellow at the shop took pity on us and gave us his own bike, rusty though it was! After a little while we went back to the shop and found that someone had returned a bike and so we were all set to go a little further through the island.

We went through some of the farm land, stopping of course to pat the horses. We also biked through the sand dunes next to the beach. I think it must be one of the few hilly places to bike in Holland!

We stopped at the beach and despite the cool weather, the girls had a quick swim. There was a sand bar a little way out and on it were resting several seals. It would have been nice to get a better view, but the water was too deep at that point.

We caught the 4:30 pm boat back to the mainland. It might have been nice to bike a little longer, but Yasmin and Roya had tired legs and they were very excited to go back to Maria and Marieke's house because we had asked Marieke if we could do art with her that evening.

After a pizza dinner we set to work on our paintings. Marieke asked us to first close our eyes and think over the past few days and the fun we had had together. She asked us to think of emotions and told the girls that they could draw either something with form or something abstract. She showed the girls some examples so they would know what abstract meant. We first used pastels, and then we wet the paper and used water colours. I especially enjoyed the water colours and the way they could be made to blend together.

We had some tea, coffee, and juice and some cookies as we painted. When we completed our works of art, we also discussed and explained them. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed watching the shining, happy faces of both my children and my aunts, as much as I enjoyed the activity myself!

Home in 5 days!

Typically Dutch

2009-07-28T12:09:00.003-04:00

We had planned to take a day trip on bikes, but unfortunately the bike rental place didn't have children's bikes. Instead we went by car. We drove through some of the small villages of Groningen and stopped at a lake so that we could rent a boat.

We took the pedal boat to a nearby beach and Yasmin and Roya and Marieke had a swim, but the rest of us thought it was too cold. We all enjoyed a picnic and playing at the beach, but then it started to rain. Marieke and I pedalled the boat back while the others went to the car and kept dry. Luckily the rain turned out to be only a short sprinkle and the sky cleared again.

We then drove through the countryside, spotting old-fashioned windmills along the way. The girls were more interested in the numerous horses that they saw in the fields and started to count. There were so many that they lost count, but I think we saw over one hundred horses during our afternoon drive!

We stopped for a coffee at the windmill in the town of Eenrum. There were chickens and the girls chased them about and tried to pick them up, especially after they learned that I could pick up a chicken with little trouble!

Eemrum also has the last Klompen (wooden shoe) maker in Groningen! We stopped at the shoe-maker's house, but it was closed. Luckily the shoe-maker was there and opened his doors especially for us. He even gave us a tour of his shop. He started with the willow trees that they use to make the shoes and showed us the various steps and specialized machinery that they use to make the shoes. They had so many shoes in a drying room! One litre of water comes out of each pair of shoes, making them light, and waterproof.

Roya and Yasmin also had to have a pair of wooden shoes. They were so happy with them. They wore them to the post office with me and to the neighbour with Marieke, getting compliments on them in both places!

We ended our day filled with Dutch activities, with a typical Dutch meal of potatoes (dug from the garden yesterday), green beans, large meatballs with gravy, and for dessert we had a sort of pudding with fruit syrup and another one topped with cinnamon and sugar. Delicious!

We will be home in 6 days!

Around Maria's House

2009-07-27T12:27:00.004-04:00

I woke this morning, still thinking of all the family and discussions I had yesterday at the family reunion. We all felt that it would be nice to have a restful morning after the busy day yesterday. We did some things around the house and really didn't feel motivated to go into Groningen as we thought we might and so the whole day was a restful one.
Yasmin and Roya were more than happy to not have to go sight seeing! They played with their toys and played catch with Marieke and I joined them as it looked like so much fun. We didn't even go in the car today. It was nice to just be around the house, and garden and stray a little ways for a walk and some exercise.

We had a tour of the "jungle". The garden has tomatoes, plum trees, vines with currents, raspery canes, and all sorts of weeds have happily joined the other plants of the garden. They also have potato plants. Although I've grown many different plants in my gardens, I've never grown potatoes, and so I've also never dug them up. It was kind of fun to go hunting for potatoes in the "jungle" and I'm sure they will taste very good in tomorrow evening's supper!

They also had a Japanese Wine Berry. It looked much like a raspery, but the vine and buds were not the same at all. They were very good.

Many of the vines had been growing there before Maria and Marieke arrived. Marieke says that they are gifts from the garden. She also says that peace is another gift of the garden. I tend to agree because no matter if the garden is a jungle, perfectly manicured, or bursting with flowers, I enjoy them all.

7 days before we are home!

Postma Family Reunion

2009-07-25T18:25:00.003-04:00

This morning’s pace was leisurely, fitting for a Sunday morning. We started our breakfast with Maria and Marieke’s rituals of updating the calendar, and lighting an oil lamp. Maria is always interested in spiritual writings so she asked us to read aloud from our book of daily Baha’i readings. It was a beautiful start to the day.

Before lunch we went next door to the church to meet Maria’s small congregation. She is on holidays and did not preach this morning, but I think she wanted to introduce us to the people who are such a part of her life, and she of theirs.

We had a tour of the church and we all enjoyed the pipe organ. The organist was very enthusiastic about explaining how it works. He showed how it could make trumpets, or flutes, and other sounds. We saw the pipes that make the sounds. With a little math we found out that there were 2,320 pipes! It was really something to stand in the middle of a pipe organ!

After lunch we drove to a hall where much of my father’s family had gathered for a reunion. He came from a family of ten children. Six of his siblings, my aunts and uncles, were there, and many, many of my cousins.

I was in Holland about six years ago and then I was the only one of my cousins with children, but this time there were babies and toddlers, and young children and the dynamic had changed. Our girls had so much fun with their extended family. Funny how language is not really an obstacle for young children!

My Aunt Akke and Aunt Conny had done a lot of work in organizing the hall, the food and even a blow-up, bouncing room for the kids to jump in. There were balloons and bubble blowing and the kids all had so much fun.

My Aunt Elske and cousin Frank, from Nova Scotia, were even there. So strange to come half way around the world to meet up with family from Canada!

The younger cousins were there. Some of them had grown so much from the time I last saw them that I hardly recognized them. They seemed to be enjoying Nadim’s stories of our big trip.

I enjoyed chatting with everyone, but it is especially nice to talk with my uncles and aunts and the cousins that are a little closer to my age as I remember them from many visits to Holland.

Near the end of the party, I had such a laugh with my uncle Pier who is now 63. He said that my father and he slept together when they were children! My father was two years younger than Pier and when he was young he had been in hospital with a kidney problem. When my father came home from the hospital the two of them played with a cart, but Pier complained that my father was too weak so he got to ride in the cart and Pier always had to be the horse!

Another uncle, Sikke had done a family history. He had traced the Postma name back to 1701! He had also traced my grandmother’s family (his mother) back to the 1600’s! I’ll have to get the history from him one day.

It was a great reunion, but of course we were all exhausted by the end of the afternoon and evening. It really left me thinking about so many families. My parents have both passed away, so our girls do not have grandparents on my side of the family, but I think it was quite special that they could meet so many great-uncles and great-aunts. I think they have more great-aunts and great-uncles than they do aunts and uncles!

8 days before we get home to Ottawa!

Arrival in Holland

2009-07-25T16:38:00.000-04:00

One of the annoying things about driving on the German autoban is that every once in a while there is a sign asking you to slow down to 130 km/hr! But this slow speed limit usually lasts for about 2 km for construction or something, then you can go as fast as you want. I was cruising at about 150 and there were cars - usually a BMW or a Mercedez - zooming past us! Yasmin wants us to get one of those cars now. NM

As we crossed the border into the Netherlands, we cheered. For me it felt familiar. The flat fields, the canals, and bridges, it was all familiar and it made me smile.

Left to Right: Roya, Nadim, Christina, Marieke, Yasmin, Maria

We arrived earlier than expected at my Aunt Maria's house, but she and her partner Marieke gave us a warm welcome. They are staying in the manse near the church where Maria works. It is a very large house and the girls were happy to have their own room.

Marieke's profession is an art therapist. This meant that the girls were provided with coloured pencils and paper, and they made themselves busy.

We had a lovely meal together and talked a lot. It is at once so nice to be in the company of family.

CM

9 days until we return to Canada!

The Black Forest

2009-07-24T15:37:00.003-04:00

We had one day to explore the Black Forest. It wasn’t really enough, but we sure packed a lot into the day. We first drove through the area along highway B500 with its beautiful mountain views and picturesque little villages.

We stopped a few times to walk around a lake, to buy some postcards, to walk to a waterfall, and to visit a village. It was really nice to enjoy the nature and I really wished we had more time to take a longer hike through the forest.

We stopped to see “the world’s largest cuckoo clock”. Actually there are a couple of clocks that are proclaiming the title. It was pretty cool to see all the gears of the clock, but 50 times larger than they are in normal clocks!

We spotted people zooming down the side of a mountain on karts on rails. Too much fun to pass up! We had to take two rides down the mountain because it was too much fun to do just once. Very fast! Like our personal mini-roller coaster.

We made our way back to Baden-Baden and went to the town. We wanted to see about going to one of the thermal baths, but we found out that children under 14 years were not permitted to the one we were interested in visiting. We’ll have to save that for a return visit! We did manage to have black forest ham sandwiches and black forest cake though!

We happened to see some cards with beautiful pictures of a rose garden. The shop keeper told us that they were taken at a local rose garden so we took a walk there and strolled through the gardens. I’m sure the roses would have been nicer a month ago, but they were still nice with many, many varieties and colours.

The girls have been counting down the days until our return to Canada – 10 days until we are home again!

Baha'i House of Worship

2009-07-23T16:58:00.002-04:00

We left Aladin and Claudia after a very nice breakfast and more talking about our trip and other things. We were glad we had made the effort to connect with them. Family is family, even if it has been thirty-five years!

We went to the Baha’i house of worship that is near Frankfurt. It is not nearly as large as the one in India, but it is beautiful in a different way.

The first couple of metres of the perimeter walls are completely glass. This reveals the beautiful gardens beyond.

We stopped into the information centre and met a nice couple volunteering there. We had a cup of tea together and discussed our trip and various activities going on in Baha’i circles. There was also a book store so we browsed through the books and picked up a few as well.

We arrived in Baden-Baden a little later than intended but were still able to find accommodations without a problem. It was too late to visit the thermal baths. Hopefully there will be time for that tomorrow.

Arrival in Germany

2009-07-22T14:40:00.002-04:00

The drive to the north of Poland would have been very long, and we’re getting tired of driving. We’ve driven about 10,000 km in two and a half months! So instead of going to the north of Poland we drove straight west to Germany. Nadim has a cousin here in Germany that he hadn’t seen since he was a child. We were put in contact with him by another cousin of Nadim’s who we are planning to visit in Holland. So we arrived in late afternoon and were welcomed with open arms. We had a chat in the garden, ate a delicious meal, chatted some more, we even saw some old pictures of Nadim’s parents. We went for a walk around their village after supper.

It was interesting to see an area that had once been split by the infamous border that divided east and west Germany 20 years ago. It is all rolling hills and countryside, and narrow roads lined with cherry trees.

CM

Boleswiec Pottery

2009-07-21T16:09:00.003-04:00

The town of Boleswiec is famous for pottery making. Polish pottery is typically painted with swirls and dots in dark blue. It was a bit of a drive to get there but I was hoping for amazing deals that would make it worth it.

We visited some of the factory show rooms, but I was sadly disappointed in the prices. They weren't that much better than what we had found in Krakow. We had lunch in the town square. It was quiet, but pretty with its colourful shops.

After lunch we went back to the pottery manufacturing area and this time I had some luck. We picked up some pot-belly mugs. We liked various styles so we picked a bunch that matched in shape and colour, but not in paint designs. Now all we have to do is get them home in one piece!

A Day in Wroclaw

2009-07-20T13:10:00.006-04:00

With walking guide and map in hand we set out to see the sights of Wroclaw. We started at St. Elizabeth’s Church, which is just off the main square. It’s absolutely huge, but the inside is not nearly as spectacular. We did climb the church tower, 302 steps, for the view of the city, which was pretty spectacular!

After that we went to an area that was once the butcher’s quarters. There are some cast iron animals in that part to remember its history.

We walked through the university grounds and stopped in at a church which is right in the middle of the university. It was so ornate that we had to sit for a few minutes and enjoy it.

We crossed the river to the Ostrow Tumski area which is full of churches and also has a botanical garden. There were a few rain showers but somehow we managed to stay mostly dry thanks to the shelter of some very large trees. The garden was beautiful and we even had our lunch there. It also had some whimsical little garden gnome sculptures which the girls enjoyed finding.

We made our way back across the river again in search of the Raclawice Panorama. We weren’t really sure what to expect, but it was really amazing.

The Raclawice Panorama is a painting that is about 15 metres high and makes a complete circle of 140 metres circumference. We walked up into the centre of the circle and it was like being in the middle of a famous Polish battle scene from two hundred years ago. The artists blended the bottom edge of the painting in with solid three dimensional form so it felt like we were standing at the top of a hill and could see “real” objects at our feet which then blended in the distance into the painting. A totally surreal experience!

Wroclaw

2009-07-19T17:08:00.001-04:00

It was raining this morning. We seem to be leaving town on rainy days lately! The drive to Wroclaw (the “W”s are pronounced as “V”s and the “C” is pronounced as “Tz”) was just under three hours so we arrived in early afternoon.

We went straight into the centre of the old town and walked around a bit. We were expecting something similar to Krakow but I thought it was much more decorative. There were so many different colours and lots of scrolls and swirls around the windows and roofs.

It was fairly easy to find an apartment again. We had gotten a recommendation from the last place and arriving as we did at last minute we were able to talk down the price by about a third – not bad! We’re in the middle of the old town so we relaxed for a bit and then took a walk before dinner checking out some more of the beautiful architecture. I’m looking forward to taking a closer look tomorrow!

Salt Mines

2009-07-18T15:09:00.002-04:00

We went to the old square in the morning to look at some more shops and get some postcards to send home. The post office in the square has an interesting shape.

It was so hot in the afternoon that we were glad we had planned to go to the salt mines, which are well underground. The Wieliczka salt mine dates back to the 13th century, and is more than 320 metres deep and there are 300 km of tunnels. The entire mine, its caverns and shafts are hewn by hand from solid salt. It was around 16 degrees underground, compared to 38 degrees in town!

It was incredible to see so many statues and wall carvings, all made of salt. Some of the carvings had quite a bit of detail too.

The highlight of the visit was the huge chapel, also made of salt, with carvings on the walls showing the progression of the life of Jesus. There was even a carving of Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" on one wall.

There were many chandeliers hanging from the chapel ceiling and it was amazing to learn that these were made out of salt crystals, with 99.9% salt content. The entire chapel, including the wall and floor carvings took 60 years to build by 3 very talented miners.

At the beginning of the tour we were told that we were walking on salt, the walls were made of salt and we could lick the walls if we wanted to eat some salt. We didn't lick the walls, but scraped them with our finger nails and it tasted very salty. We even got a little present of salt crystals for helping the guide demonstrate how an old-fashioned lift worked. We have to be careful not to get the crystals wet!

Kazimierz & Lake

2009-07-17T13:55:00.002-04:00

We went to Kazimierz which is the old Jewish Quarter of Krakow. This made us think of Brian, our Jewish neighbour and friend back home. Kazimeirz used to be a separate town, but it expanded with so many Jewish people seeking refuge there that the two are now joined. We browsed some of the shops and strolled the streets, stopping to go into the Tempel Synagogue. It was beautiful with so much red and gold and colourful stained glass windows.

For the most part the Jewish Quarter isn't so different from the rest of the town, but there are a few old courtyards that are quite pretty and typical of the Jewish style of the time.

It was pretty hot so after lunch we drove to a nearby lake for a swim. The water was nice and refreshing. The girls spotted two huge beach balls that were being rented out for kids to play inside! Of course they wanted to go too.

Roya got quite good at running inside the ball. It was almost like watching a gerbil! Yasmin was pretty good too.

Auschwitz

2009-07-16T16:03:00.005-04:00

We visited with one of the Baha'i families near Krakow this morning. It was great to say some prayers together and have some lunch and discuss life in general. Dominic and Daniel even showed Yasmin and Roya where the raspberries were in the backyard.

We spent the afternoon at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. There was a guided tour starting just as we arrived, so we quickly got our headsets and joined the group.

This was the main concentration camp used fo the "solution to the Jewish Question" by the Nazis. At one point the camp held over 90,000 prisoners. Between 1940 and 1945 approximately one and a half million people were murdered in these camps. We were shocked at that number. Most died in the gas chambers, but many were shot, hanged, starved to death, or died of disease from the horrifying conditions in the camp.

There were rows upon rows of wooden and brick sleeping quarters, each housing up to 700 prisoners. They had to sleep on 3-tiered bunk beds, 5 or more persons to a bunk. Some of the bunks would collapse on top of the people below. There were limited latrines, to be used once in the morning and once in the evening. The life expectancy at the camp was only 2-3 months!

Jews would be brought in by trains from all over the occupied countries, traveling in over-crowded cars for days and sometimes weeks, having been promised a new life. People brought their luggage, including pots and pans, shoes, tools, etc. to help them in their new homes. Upon arrival they were separated into 2 groups - fit and "unfit" for work. The elderly, women, children and disabled were declared unfit and would walk down the path to what they believed was the shower area. In fact it was the gas chambers, which were able to kill 2000 people at a time. Once everyone was dead, other prisoners were sent in to collect any valuables such as gold teeth before taking the bodies to the crematoria.

We saw piles of human hair in one exhibit. These camps were really death factories. They would take even the hair from the victims and send bags of it off to German factories. There they would be used to stuff pillows and matresses. We were not only saddened, but made angry by the complete lack of respect for these people. How could this happen in a "civilized" society?

We visited several rooms with personal items that were found at the camp after the Soviet soldiers liberated Poland. These were items that were not shipped to Germany because they had little monetary value. One of the most moving displays was the huge pile of children's shoes and clothes of all sizes. Our guide said that about 20% of those killed here were children. There was also a room with about 40,000 pairs of adult shoes, including heels and dress shoes. People really believed they were being given a new life and brought their possessions with them.

It was so emotional to walk down the same path that thousands of these "unfit for work" had walked to their deaths. The whole operation was very methodical, systematic and organized. It was not the heat of the moment type of scheme, but a well planned and executed undertaking. These were educated, otherwise normal people, who thought they were actually doing something good for humanity.

We visited the women's quarters, which was very similar to the men's, about 10 to 12 women sleeping on each bunk of the 3-tierd bunk beds. Virtually non-existent latrine and washing facilities, the lack of proper food, the insects, bugs and vermin, the constant beatings by the SS guards - the list goes on and on.

It was a very emotional time, and we experienced extreme sorrow and anger at the atrocities that were committed here less than 70 years ago. The memorial in Birkenau was set up at the end of the train tracks and said in many languages that we must learn never to repeat this in the future.

NM & CM

Park Wodny

2009-07-15T16:18:00.002-04:00

No castles, no churches, no town centres - just water and slides! This was a day for Yasmin and Roya. The park was inside a huge building. The tubes for a couple of slides were outside, but they emptied into pools within the building. It would have been nice to have some sun, but at least we didn't have to worry about sunscreen.

Most of the slides were for kids over the age of 10, and a few were for kids over 12 or 13. Nadim and I checked out the slides and they were pretty tame so we snuck the girls on them despite their age. Our little thrill seekers had great fun. There were other water activities too - rock climbing, jumping from floating pad to floating pad, a rope bridge, and even a river with a strong current. It was nice to see the girls having so much fun.

CM

Wawel Castle

2009-07-14T16:44:00.003-04:00

We took in Wawel Castle today. The castle is really like a small city. The main courtyard has the remains of old buildings, but the surrounding buildings including state rooms, and a cathedral are all beautifully restored.

We visited the state rooms. The whole castle is now a museum with various paintings, tapestries, sculptures, and furnishings from the 1400's to the 1800's. The rooms themselves had marble floors and painted or carved ceilings. They also had a few Persian carpets.

After the state rooms we went to the Dragon's Den. There were caves under the castle that supposedly were inhabited by a dragon. Perhaps more believable history is that these caves were once used as a brothel!

It was a hot day so we walked slowly back to the main square. We spotted people feeding pigeons and just happened to have part of a bagel left so we joined the others in making the pigeons even fatter than they already are! Some were even brave enough to eat out of our hands.

Like Cinderella

2009-07-13T13:27:00.003-04:00

It's nice to be in one spot for more than just a couple of days. It means we aren't in such a hurry to get out and see the sights. We didn't get out to see anything until well after lunch, but just hanging out was nice.

We found our way back to the main square. There were several horse-drawn carriages waiting for customers, and the girls were very excited to take a ride. The carriage was very fancy and we felt like royalty.

It was nice to be taken about town with our guide pointing out churches and buildings of significance, all to the clippity-clop of the horses. In a few places there were other tourists taking pictures or video of us. I like to think that it was our gorgeous family that was so camera worthy, but perhaps it was the horses and carriage!

Krakow

2009-07-12T15:42:00.003-04:00

The drive to Krakow was pretty, but long. The girls were entertained with a movie and some books. Along the way we kept to the speed limit. It's not so bad when the limit is 130 km/hr. However, there were a few spots where the speed limit was reduced for construction and Nadim didn't slow down to 60... of course there was a policeman waiting for us and we got pulled over. He was going to give us a ticket, despite Nadim's apologies and cajoling. He filled out the paperwork and Nadim went back to the car to get some money. Of course they make you pay on the spot when you are a tourist. The policeman followed Nadim back to the car and when Nadim had the money in hand he said no, don't give it to me, give it to them, and he pointed to Yasmin and Roya, and with a warning to slow down, a wave of thanks and many happy smiles we were off again! Phew!

We arrived in Krakow and found ourselves a nice little apartment. It is within walking distance of the old town so we went for a walk to find the square and then some groceries. The square is huge. The picture above just shows a quarter of it.

There were a few street shows going on in the square and we stayed to watch one guy with marionettes. He was great! He had Celine Dion, Tina Turner, Elvis, and Michael Jackson. Very clever with the hand movements and eyes and everything.

Adrspach Rocks

2009-07-11T10:59:00.005-04:00

The rocks at Adrspach are majestic. There are strange boulders that seem to be growing in the forest along with the pine trees. As you go deeper among the rocks there are deep canyons.

We went through a deep canyon/crevice that was several stories high, but only 50 cm wide. We had to turn slightly sideways so that our shoulders would fit through easily.

Many rocks looked like animals, or people. We saw some that looked like a glove, another was a pair of lovers, another was the head of a lioness, and another bunch were elephant faces.

There was a boat ride about half way along, so of course we had to take that too. There was a bit of a wait and the ride was pretty short. It really wasn’t worth the wait, but the view from the water was pretty.

The girls had great fun climbing the rocks. There were many steps on the second half of the walk, so we were all pleasantly tired by the end of it.

The bunnies that are just steps from our front door have been a great hit with the girls. Yasmin is a real animal lover. I think we may need to get a pet when we get home again.

Adrspach

2009-07-10T10:56:00.000-04:00

We packed up yet again and set out to find Adrspach where there are unique rock formations. We found the area and then found an apartment. Our apartment is basic with a sort of rustic feel and a great view. It is at the edge of the very small town and is on a little farm. They have goats and rabbits. Yasmin and Roya were enthralled as they held two little baby bunnies.

After settling in we went for some groceries and information. We had thought we might take a walk along one of the paths, but it started to rain so we were happy enough to come back and read our books, do some laundry, and simply relax. The rocks can wait until tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll still be there.

CM

Prague Castle

2009-07-09T16:05:00.001-04:00

We were able to find the Baha’i National Centre this morning and attend a meeting with the Prague Baha’is. It was great to meet new friends and discuss how the Baha’i community is doing in this country. We also met a couple from New Mexico, here on holidays, who also came to the meeting. It was wonderful.

We visited Prague Castle in the afternoon. We had great views of the city from the top of the hill. This is the biggest castle complex in the world, and is still used as the seat of government.

Within the castle grounds are different museums. One of them was a Toy Museum so we just had to visit it. They had an impressive collection of toys from all over the world. Of course there was an entire wing devoted to the Barbie phenomenon. Yasmin and Roya were in heaven!

After we dragged the kids out of the toy museum, we visited the stunning St. Vitus Cathedral, which took about 600 years to build. You can see the colours on the interior, created by sunlight shining through the beautiful stained glass windows. On the outside are numerous arches and spires topped with gargoyles and sculptures of saints.

We walked back down the hill by a different route and feasted our eyes on more spectacular views. Prague is really a beautiful city.

It started to pour rain when we got to the bottom of the hill and we were soaked in spite of our jackets. So after a quick supper we made our way to the subway and returned to the pension.

Prague

2009-07-08T16:52:00.000-04:00

This morning was cool and threatening rain. We were going to go bowling, but the bowling alley was closed so instead we played a game of pool in the games room of our pension before we got on the road to Prague. Luckily the owner of our pension had a friend in Prague with a pension and so we went straight there.

We left the car safely at our accommodations and took the metro into downtown. I really think Ottawa has got to get with the times and get a subway!

The town square is huge. There is a really cool clock tower that even has calendar dials. At the other end is the cathedral with its ornate spires. We were too late to go in, but perhaps tomorrow.

We had our supper at one of the many restaurants and then went for a walk. Prague has the Vltava River running through the middle of it and there are many arched bridges that cross it. We crossed one bridge and then went along the other side, stopping to admire the view before crossing the Charles Bridge to come back.

By this time it was starting to get dark and the city lights were coming up. The castle, which we’re planning to visit tomorrow, was all lit up making it look even more impressive.

Cesky Krumlov

2009-07-07T15:03:00.003-04:00

The Vltava river bends back on itself creating a bit of a loop. In the middle of this loop is the beautiful, old town of Cesky Krumlov. It has been well preserved and even has a huge castle.

We started our morning with a visit to the castle. At the entrance of the castle, there is a bridge across a deep pit. The pit holds a few brown bears! Apparently bear keeping has been a castle tradition for many years. As we toured the castle we saw at least three bear skin rugs!

The castle tour was nice, but we’ve seen so many castles now that we weren’t terribly impressed. We also took a tour of the castle theatre. It is one of only two Baroque theatres in the world. There are others that have either the equipment or the building, but not both the theatre equipment and building. It was pretty cool to see how they would switch sets by using ropes and winches under the theatre stage. We also checked out the sound-making machines they used to create sounds of thunder, rain and wind.

We walked along some of the castle courtyards and found our way to a bridge with a nice view of the old town. We then strolled along some of the streets. We noticed some rafts on the river and wanted to go too, but the water is running too fast as there has been a lot of rain here, and they didn’t think it was wise to take children.

Instead of rafting we bought ice-cream cones and went to the Marionette Museum. The museum was pretty small, but at the end there was a little puppet stage and several marionettes that we could play with. We made the devil dance, the dragon roar, the princess give orders and the prince take them! Grand fun!

Driving to Czech Republic

2009-07-06T14:58:00.000-04:00

This morning was cool and cloudy. It was time to move on, and the weather was good for driving. We said our goodbyes to Frank and Adrie and took with us a huge care package of fruit, snacks and sandwich fixings. We really had a great time in Italy and we felt a bit like we were spoiled.

The drive north to Czech Republic was long, but beautiful. The north part of Italy was quite mountainous, there were many vineyards on the steep slopes and the clouds seemed to be resting in the mountains. We then went on through Austria. We had planned to drive through a particular mountain pass in Austria, but in the end we just stuck with the highway. We figured we had seen enough mountains and didn’t really want to add the extra time to the drive. Besides, even the view from the highway is beautiful.

We had some Italian music that we had copied from Frank and Adrie. It was so nice to be driving along listening to such romantic music. The girls preferred some of the English music we had picked up.

We found a hotel in Cesky Krumlov with little difficulty and then walked into the old town for some supper. It’s a beautiful little town and we were sorry that we had left our camera behind in the hotel room, but there will be time for photos of Cesky Krumlov tomorrow!

Last Day in Tormini

2009-07-05T15:48:00.000-04:00

When we were in India, one of the zippers on Nadim’s travel pant pockets broke and he had it repaired by a local tailor. Unfortunately the tailor didn’t have the right colour zipper, or the right colour thread. Not such a good job, but what do you expect for 50 rupees ($1.50 CND). So, this morning Adrie and I visited all the supermarkets in the area and didn’t find the right colour zipper! We did find some elastic which I needed for another pair of pants. In the end we took the zipper from an old pair of pants of Frank’s and used that. It wasn’t quite the right colour, but close.

After our sewing chores were done and we’d had some lunch we went once more to the beach. The lake was even warmer than the previous time. The girls were in the water for two hours, came out for a lesson on skipping stones, then they were back in for another half an hour!

Tomorrow we’re off again. We’ll pass through Austria and go to Czech Republic. It’s sad to be leaving our relatives again, but it will only be three weeks before we are in Holland visiting more relatives!

A Relaxing Day

2009-07-04T16:30:00.002-04:00

We just took it easy today and hung around the house, enjoying the beautiful view. There is a young olive tree, flowers, basil and other herbs on the terrace. Always relaxing to sit there and enjoy a cup of coffee. We also visited the Saturday market for a little while. They had samples of salami and various cheeses so I was glad we went.

Frank and Adrie are thinking abut replacing one of their cars, so Frank and I went to look at different cars in the afternoon. We visited the showrooms for Fiat-Lancia, Renault, Peugeot, and Opel. Most of the cars had 6-speed transmission, which was very cool. We didn't take any for a test drive, but I got to sit in a bunch of cars and check out the features.

I was also due for a haircut, so Frank took me to his barber too!

NM

Beach and Garden

2009-07-03T15:56:00.003-04:00

We have grown to like the pebble beaches here. You can just put your clothes or towels on the ground and not worry about sand getting everywhere. The kids made rock sculptures and let their polly pocket dolls have some tanning time while they played in the water.

We got home and cleaned up and then it was time to go to the fruit garden with Frank. Again we picked some apricots, plums, figs, and cherries. Some of the figs were quite high so I hoisted Yasmin and Roya on my shoulders (not at the same time though!) and they used the picker to get the ripe figs for us.

Frank also has a big vegetable garden at the "farm". We all helped pick some beans and lettuce. It is wonderful to pick our own fruit and vegetables and have them fresh. Frank also surveyed the grapes to make sure they were in good shape before we headed back.

On the way back we took a drive. We drove through a tunnel which goes almost directly underneath Frank and Adrie's house! We also drove up one of the hills for yet another beautiful view of the lake and surrounding area.

We had various fish and shellfish on the barbecue for supper and Frank introduced us to tiny fried fish that you have to eat whole - with the head, tail and skin still on! They are quite tasty actually, but Yasmin and Roy didn't think so. They tried one each, but we took the heads off for them first.

Around Lago di Garda

2009-07-02T16:02:00.002-04:00

Last night we talked about when we should get on the road for our trip around the lake. Frank was leaning towards 9:00 am and Adrie said 10:00 am. In the end we were on the road at 9:30 am, a happy compromise.

We drove through some pretty little towns and stopped by a small village that is surrounded by mountains and water. The entrance to the village was actually through a tunnel in the mountain! There were many tunnels along our drive. These tunnels are very old. Some had holes along one side to let in the daylight, you can see it in the picture above.

We stopped at a waterfall near the far end of the lake. It had a total drop of almost 100 metres. The water had carved a deep gorge in the rock and within this narrow gorge it felt almost like it was raining and the temperature was quite cool.

For lunch we stopped along a beach on the far side of the lake. The lake was at the bottom of mountains on either side and as we got out of the car we heard thunder coming from the clouds on the mountains on the far side of the lake. We ate our sandwiches in sunshine but then started to hear thunder coming from the clouds around the near side! Surprisingly the girls got a swim in and we sat by the lake for about an hour and still no rain.

We drove down to the other end of the lake where there is a peninsula called Sirmione. Here there is a castle, complete with a moat. We saw the outside of the castle, but didn’t go inside. Instead we walked about the little town which is very picturesque with cobblestone streets and many cafes and ice-cream shops. Of course we had to stop for an ice-cream. As all of this was happening, again we heard the thunder rolling, but no rain! We did have a brief sprinkle of rain as we drove the final stretch back to the house, but it was gone by the time we got there. Amazing considering all the thunder and dark clouds!

We went out for Italian pizza tonight. It is quite different from what we get back home. The crust is much thinner, and the topping choices are very different as well. It was delicious! We didn’t really have room, but Frank and Adrie insisted we try maringata, an Italian dessert with dried meringue around a thick frozen cream. It was very good - a great end to a great day.

La Rocca

2009-07-01T16:45:00.004-04:00

The history of La Rocca dates back thousands of years. It has been the site of a fortress that was built and rebuilt several times, but before that there was evidence of various ceremonies that took place here a few thousand years BC!

The fortress was in ruin and not much to see, but the views were spectacular. Lago di Garda is a huge lake. The cove that Frank and Adrie's terrace overlooks seems like it could be a lake of its own. The mountains in the background just make it more beautiful.

It was fairly clear so we could see across the lake. We plan to take a drive around the lake tomorrow. This should take most of the day. From this view you could understand just how large the lake is.

Along the edge of the cliff you could see farm land below. There were olive groves and rows of grapes, which are the main crops of the area.

We then went to a Wednesday market. The girls were spoiled by Uncle Frank and came home with some special T-shirts! It's Canada Day today, but here they are wearing Italia shirts! World citizens, right?!

The Garden

2009-06-30T16:03:00.002-04:00

Today was a completely easy day. We spent most of the day on the terrace. Frank and Adrie have the most beautiful view! You can see the mountains sloping down to a small town which sits at the edge of a magnificent lake.

In the afternoon we finally roused ourselves enough to take a walk to Frank’s garden. We were happy to walk among the rows of grape vines and the various fruit and nut trees. They have walnut and hazelnut trees, plums, apricots, cherries, olives, kiwi, apples, pears, and even pomegranates. They also have a vegetable garden with tomatoes, zucchini, onions, herbs, and more. It was rather educational to see all the plants. I thought the nut trees and kiwi especially interesting. The kiwi is a vine that has fuzz over it much like the fruit!

Despite all the fruit and nuts, Frank’s real passion seems to be his grapes which he uses to make his own wine. They make about 600 litres each year.

The girls had great fun picking plums and apricots. We picked a bowl full, but there is much more on the trees, in fact more than they can eat. We’re very happy to help them with that task!

Late in the afternoon we took a drive to the lake and to the nearby town. We stopped for a nice view which just happened to have an ice-cream shop next to it! With Italian ice-cream, real salami, cheeses, and all the other goodies that Frank and Adrie are feeding us, I’m thinking I’ll need to loosen my belt by a notch or two by the end of the week!

Venice & Murano

2009-06-29T16:45:00.002-04:00

We went back in to Venice this morning. We couldn’t get enough! The small canals are so cute. Around each corner is another picture perfect moment!

The large canal is such fun to watch with little gondolas, taxi boats, barges, and public transportation boats! It’s all so busy below the colourful houses with their pretty window boxes full of flowers.

We took a boat to Murano which is a smaller island that is famous for its glass making. We had a little tour of the factory and of course this was followed by the show case room.

We did end up buying some Venetian glass, or at least we hope it is! The guide book says that some of the shops sell the real thing while others sell products that are made in China.

The gondola rides are extremely expensive, and we almost skipped it but after some hard bargaining we decided that perhaps it wouldn’t break the bank after all! It was so nice to see the city as we quietly glided through its canals.

The girls thought it was funny that the gondolier would call out “oy” as we approached corners, to warn other that he was coming. They also thought it was funny that he would tilt the boat a bit as we went under some of the shorter bridges. This was so that the bow wouldn’t rub the underside of the bridge! It was a great way to end our trip to Venice.

We have now arrived safely in Tormini where we are staying with my aunt and uncle. So nice to be with relatives again!

Venice

2009-06-28T16:21:00.001-04:00

We drove three hours from Pula to Venice and arrived by lunch time. The drive was smooth and we weren’t delayed at either the Slovenian or Italian border crossings. We quickly booked ourselves into a hotel in Mestre and took a bus across the causeway to Venice.

We got off the bus at Piazza Roma and slowly wandered through the streets on our way to Piazza Saint Marco, one of the most famous squares in the world. While wandering the streets and canals we found an exhibit on some of Leonardo daVinci’s inventions. There were all sorts of replicas of various machines he had built. On some we were able to pull ropes, or turn cranks and see how pulley or gear systems worked. Fun for all of us!

Soon we made our way over the Grand Canal with all its business and on to the square. I was a bit disappointed because there was a stage and equipment in the square, taking away from its beauty. We stood in line to see Saint Mark’s Basilica. It’s quite beautiful from the outside, but even more so on the inside.

We went through the church with a huge crowd of people. It has mosaics all through the ceiling. Those tiny gold tiles are pieced together to make some pretty spectacular images! We climbed the stairs for the view and the gallery at the top of the church, but it wasn’t that great because of the previously mentioned stage.

The square is not really a square. It’s really more like an “L”. The larger part had the stage, but the smaller part made for a nice picture. The architecture here is so gorgeous.

The large canal is pretty spectacular, but the small ones are very romantic. We looked in at some souvenir shops. They have beautiful coloured glass jewellery and decorations. I didn’t buy anything because I want to visit the glass making factory first.

We didn’t take a gondola ride today. Maybe tomorrow. We did stop our souvenir shopping to take a look at the gondolas. Nadim, ever the romantic, said “ah, it’s just a boat, kinda like the one we had in Kerala (India),” but Yasmin pointed out that these ones had much nicer seats!

We had some pizza at a street-side restaurant for lunch and pasta at a nice place near the square for dinner. When in Venice, ...

Play Day

2009-06-27T15:30:00.002-04:00

Near the apartment is a water play park. I was out for a walk this morning checking out new paths and coves and I noticed it. Of course I had to tell the girls about it and they were excited to try it out.

It had a big floating trampoline to jump on, a water teeter-totter, an iceberg to climb, a ball with a ring to balance on and a blow-up pillow to jump on.

Of course the girls had to try them all. They had great fun, but then it started to cloud over and so it was a bit cold.

Later in the day we played mini-golf. The course and putters were not in such good shape, but it was fun none the less. These last few days we’ve concentrated on fun things for Yasmin and Roya. They’ve been so patient with all our sight-seeing and driving, we thought they deserved it. Besides, it was pretty fun for us too!

Tomorrow we’re off to Venice. It will be sad to say bye to Croatia. It’s been such a great visit here.

CM

Sun and Sea

2009-06-26T14:45:00.000-04:00

We are staying in a tourist complex with a swimming pool, beach access, a grocery store and a play area. We started the day by having a dip in the pool, which overlooks the Adriatic Sea. It seems like they have filled the pool with sea water because it is quite salty.

We got a chance to meet some of the Baha’is in the afternoon. Tahereh and Ahmad, a sister and brother, came to the complex to use the beach and we had a nice chat. Their family came to Croatia from Italy some years ago and settled here. They are on their way to Haifa in a few days for pilgrimage.

The beach front is rocky, with little pools and inlets for swimming. You can dive right off the rocks into the deep water. Yasmin and Roya even found a little pool just big enough for their dolls to have a supervised swim.

We ended the day with another swim in the pool, which had warmed up quite a bit since this morning.

NM

Pula

2009-06-25T16:41:00.003-04:00

It was cool this morning so we skipped another swim in Posedarje and instead got on the road toward Pula. The drive was about four hours, and some of the views along the way were beautiful. At one point we came through a tunnel in the mountain and found ourselves looking over brilliant white islands that were jutting out of the sea – yet another “wow” moment!

We got to Pula in the early afternoon and after a quick trip to the information centre, we did a little walking tour. Pula itself is not an overly pretty town, but it has some ancient Roman ruins that seem to spring out of nowhere.

There were a few city gates that had been maintained, but many of the ruins were really not well preserved. There was an amphitheatre that was crumbling and full of graffiti. What a shame.

The most impressive ruin was the coliseum that dates back to the first century! The girls weren’t too impressed with the rest of the walk, but they were eager to hear about gladiators and the sorts of “entertainment” they would have within the coliseum walls.

Apparently it once seated up to 20,000 spectators. The outer walls are still very much intact, but the inside is in ruin. What’s kind of amazing is that they still use it for concerts. Sinead O’Connor was just here and Elton John is going to be playing there this summer. Too bad we won’t still be here!

Plitvice Lakes

2009-06-24T16:10:00.003-04:00

Plitvice Lakes National Park is amazing! Turquoise blue lakes and ponds that cascade into each other creating dozens of waterfalls – it was gorgeous.

The weather on this side of the mountains was cooler than along the coast. It made for perfect walking weather, and there was certainly a lot of walking today. We entered the park and took a bus to the upper lakes where we started our walk through the park.

From there we walked for about an hour and a half along a wooden boardwalk that took us beside gorgeous lakes where fish could be seen swimming in the crystal clear water along the shore. There were also some waterfalls where one pool went into the other. Yasmin and Roya entertained themselves with Harry Potter figurines that they had brought along. At one point Yasmin came back to us looking extremely upset. Nadim and I nearly had a heart-attack thinking that Roya had fallen in (she was just around the bend in the path), but the problem was that one of their figurines had gone for an unintentional swim! Luckily Nadim was able to save him, and all was well in imaginary Harry Potter land.

We stopped for a picnic lunch along the way and then caught a boat to the lower lakes. From here we walked for about another hour.

The first bit of this walk took us alongside some more lakes and waterfalls, but the second half of the walk was at the edge of a cliff where you could get some great views of the lakes and falls we had just walked beside.

At one point we could even see some of the upper lakes and falls that we had seen during our first walk. We ended with another bus ride back to the station where we had begun.

CM

Driving Up the Coast

2009-06-23T16:33:00.000-04:00

It was time for a haircut. Yasmin and Roya hadn’t had their hair cut since we left Canada over nine months ago! I hadn’t had one since we left India, over two months ago. So this morning’s successful mission was to get a cut.

The late morning and afternoon was spent in the car. We were heading back up the coast of Croatia, passing through Bosnia and then back into Croatia. We had liked Hotel Lucija (where we had stayed when we first arrived in Croatia) so much that we decided to stop there again on our way back. It was nice to settle into a familiar place.

The weather was rainy and cool, so we weren’t tempted to get out of the car and take pictures of the beautiful views. Sorry, no pics today!

CM

The City Walls

2009-06-22T16:18:00.001-04:00

We left from the old harbour of Dubrovnik and took a glass-bottom boat tour, but we really weren’t impressed. We saw a few small fish and one star fish, but that was about it.

The boat ride did give us a nice view of the old city from the water. They had such amazing walls around the city. I guess the invention of the aircraft really burst their bubble! The ocean was a bit rough so we were pretty glad to get off onto solid ground.

We had lunch in the old city, ducked into a souvenir shop for five minutes to avoid a rain shower and then hiked up to walk along the top of the walls of the city.

It was strange to see the city from that perspective. In some places you could see city life just below, but in others the wall climbed along the side of the mountain and you could see not only the buildings perched at the edge of the mountain, but the whole city laid out before you.

I listened to an audio guide as we went. It was interesting to learn some of the history. It was particularly moving to hear about the damage done in the recent wars with Serbia / Montenegro. Over 70% of the buildings within the old city has some sort of direct damage. It's so sad to think of the wars, battles, and earthquakes that the city has survived and then to think of the extreme damage this recent war caused.

The girls hiked along with us without complaint. They had each brought a Barbie so I’m sorry to say that they were more interested in their own little world than in the amazing sights before them. At least they had fun, as did we.

Dubrovnik

2009-06-21T16:03:00.002-04:00

We drove from one end of Hvar Island to the other. The distance was only about 75 km but it took us a good hour and a half. The roads were winding and very narrow. Some of the views were really spectacular. We were high in the mountains of the island and could see water below and mountains on the mainland as well.

From the far end of the island, the ferry ride was only half an hour. We got to the mainland and had more amazing views. There were a number of interconnected lakes that were really beautiful.

We drove across the border to Bosnia with just a wave from the customs guards, and half an hour later we were back in Croatia, again with just a wave from the border guard.

We stopped along the road for some sandwiches and a chance to admire the view some more, before getting back on our way. By early afternoon we were in Dubrovnik and went straight to the old city.

I thought Dubrovnik would be very similar to Hvar town, and it was similar in that the streets are paved with marble and the buildings are made from stone. But Dubrovnik is much bigger and more grand. The old city is completely walled. We even entered the city through a draw bridge!

Inside there is one main street that is long and wide, and there are a couple of secondary streets that run along it, but are much more narrow. After that, you get into curved and twisted lanes and lots and lots of steps. The city lives up to its name as the Pearl of the Adriatic.

We’ve got ourselves another small apartment. It’s not quite tourist season so we’ve managed to get accommodations at the last minute.

Hvar Fortress

2009-06-20T15:46:00.006-04:00

The fortress above Hvar town dates back to 1000 BC, but the current structure was actually rebuilt about eight hundred years ago. The fortress itself is well maintained, but what is really special is the view.

You can see the town below and the many boats coming in and out of the harbour.

You can also see the string of islands just off the main island. We could see the area where we went swimming yesterday.

We came back to the apartment for lunch and spent a bit of time lounging around reading our books, checking e-mails, and just taking it easy.

We went back into town later in the afternoon. We finished our school work this week so we wanted to have a party to celebrate. We got all sorts of junk food and special treats. We did a bit of shopping and came back with some new clothes, as well as our junk food. On the way home we got caught in a downpour. We were all soaked by the time we got back, but that was kind of fun too.

After drying off, we watched a movie, ate burritos, followed by chips, chocolate, and gummies. Too bad we didn't have friends around to invite over, but we managed to have fun with our own little celebration.

Zdrilca Beach

2009-06-19T15:26:00.006-04:00

There are many islands near Hvar and we took a boat taxi to Zdrilca today (yes, that's how it's spelled!). We had a great view of Hvar harbour, the town, and the castle beyond as we motored out from the pier.

The water was crystal clear and we could see our shadows on the bottom as we swam out to a tiny island nearby to explore the strange rock formations. We all had sandals and water shoes on because of the rocky and pebbly beach.

We had forgotten to take our books along, so we spent more time playing in the water under the hot sun. Christina and I got a little sunburnt inspite of the sunscreen, but it's okay. We borrowed a beach ball from an Australian couple and played monkey in the middle for a while. We also tried to stack rocks as high as we could. Lots of fun.

We took the boat taxi back to town aroun 4 o'clock and made a bee line to the ice cream shop! It was a great day sunning and playing at the beach.

Hvar Town

2009-06-18T11:18:00.002-04:00

The walk into Hvar town is almost all down hill from our apartment. As we started, there were some pretty good views of some of the smaller islands in the distance. We plan to visit some of them tomorrow.

Today we wandered through the streets of old Hvar. It's really a cute little town. It has wide marble streets along the water front, and tiny little streets that remind me of Greece further in from the shore.

We did a little shopping and found a few things, then had some lunch and wandered around a little more. By this time it was starting to get pretty hot so we hiked back to the apartment. Of course it was pretty much all up hill this time!

The girls were anxious to get to the beach and swim in their new suits. Aren't they cute! It's funny because we were looking for swim suits for a while. They are so modest in Thailand and India that they don't really sell bathing suits, especially for kids, because they go to the beach in t-shirts and shorts or pants. Now here we are finding some bathing suits but a lot of the swim suits for little girls come only with the bottoms!

Hvar Island

2009-06-17T03:18:00.000-04:00

This morning it was overcast so we were finally able to tear ourselves away from the terrace and beach at Posedarje and head for Hvar Island, near Split.

We made it to Split in time to catch a late morning ferry to Hvar Island. The water was fairly calm and we actually got a bit of school work done. After that we still had time to enjoy some of the scenery as we passed by a few islands.

The islands remind me of Greece. The soil is very dry, and the islands are far from lush. You can see rocky bits everywhere.

We ate lunch in Hvar town before we started our search for accommodations. By this time the sky had cleared and it was getting very hot. We checked out a number of places, but none seemed as good as what we had just left. We finally settled on a new place which is a very nice little apartment. Its only fault is that it is not right beside the beach. Poor us, we have to drive a few kilometres to get to the beach!

The beaches on Hvar are mostly rocky or pebble beaches. I kind of like it though. When you come back from the beach you don’t have sand in everything. By the time we reached the beach it was late in the day. It’s a quiet little cove with a tiny island, just big enough for a lighthouse just off shore. I’m sure we’ll be back for another swim here later in the week.

Sun and Sea

2009-06-16T15:52:00.003-04:00

Today was another blissful day enjoying the sun and the sea. I walked out onto our terrace and felt like I was walking into a magazine advertisement for Croatia!

The terrace has part sun and part shade all day long. The girls got their English today, but not their math lesson. I’m not feeling too guilty because we should still be able to wrap up our schooling at the end of the week.

The sea is refreshing. It’s difficult for me to get in, but once in it’s great. Our apartment is just up a set of stairs so once we’re finished swimming we can shower away the salt water stickiness and come straight back out to the terrace. It’s been amazing, but I think tomorrow we’d like to move on to see other parts of Croatia.

Relaxing in Posedarje

2009-06-15T05:08:00.000-04:00

We arrived here late yesterday evening thinking that we would stop for the night and continue on to Hvar Island this morning, but we awoke and stepped onto our terrace where we could see the sunlight flashing on the water, hear the waves gently lapping at the shore, and we really didn’t relish the idea of leaving. We went up for the included breakfast, and while we sipped our morning coffee / tea we decided to stay another night.

We managed to get half our home-schooling work in, but the water proved too tempting to us and we decided to take a recess to go swimming!

We splashed in the water, soaked in the sun, did a little reading, the kids played and we really didn’t feel like doing much more school work. We did a few math sheets after lunch, but this is our last week of school and I really only have a couple more days of work for the girls so we weren’t motivated to get into our English lessons.

It’s quiet here. The real tourist season hasn’t yet started. We’re thinking that we’ll spend one more day here. It was just so relaxing that we want a repeat for tomorrow.

On the Road Again

2009-06-14T04:57:00.002-04:00

We started our day with a huge Serbian breakfast courtesy of the neighbours. They had put on a spread of hard-boiled eggs, salami and other cold cuts, cheese, breads, pastries, jams, tomatoes, yellow peppers, and I’m sure I’m forgetting some. It was very good and we all left with smiles on our faces.

Yesterday we had arranged for a horseback ride so we went off to Petras Riding School this morning. I don’t think they typically get tourists, but we were treated to some riding around their small ring and also to a larger ring. The girls loved it. Nadim didn’t partake. He was afraid of bruises!

We drove for a few hours to Zegreb, the capital of Croatia. We stopped for a quick tour of the cathedral, a walk about, and an ice-cream cone. It was very quiet, probably because it’s Sunday. It’s not quite the size of some of the other capital cities we’ve been to, but it was quite pretty.

We were anxious to get to the coast so we pushed on and drove into the early evening. We were driving along a mountain range. The divided highway is new so the driving conditions were fabulous. The speed limit here is 130 km/hour so we were speeding right along. There were many tunnels, some of them over 5 km long!

We found a great little place for the night, just steps from the beach. We have an apartment with a terrace that overlooks the water. We can’t wait until morning to check out the water in daylight. We had planned to go to Hvar Island tomorrow, but we might get tempted into staying here a little longer!

Novi Sad

2009-06-13T14:54:00.002-04:00

The girls played all morning while Nadim and I did some trip planning and got some laundry done (thanks to the friendly neighbours downstairs). It was a nice quiet morning, something we were all in need of.

In the afternoon we went out to see the fortress in Novi Sad. We walked across the bridge and found our way up the hill to the fortress. There were many cobble stone streets and the houses varied from well maintained to rundown.

We strolled around the walls of the fortress. The views were quite nice with countryside to one side and the city across the river. There are artist workshops along one side of the old fortress. We stopped to have a look at the work.

The fortress is on the opposite side of the river from the centre of Novi Sad, so we had some nice views of the city.

We don’t have Internet access at the apartment so we had taken the laptop with us in hopes of finding a wireless cafe. As we were overlooking the river we thought to try for wireless networks and were happy to find one and upload our blog post. We also managed to have a chat on the webcam with Nadim’s parents. How strange to be talking to them from that location!

We went back into town in the early evening. We had a stroll down the pedestrian street. Yasmin and Roya weren’t impressed. They say all the streets are the same! Nadim and I thought it was like walking down a movie set. The buildings were so perfect!

There is a huge cathedral with a colourful, tiled roof. The atmosphere in Serbia is very friendly. People are full of smiles. It’s been a great stay.

Belgrade

2009-06-12T09:43:00.003-04:00

We drove for a couple of hours to make it to Belgrade for lunch. The country side was beautiful with rolling hills, a bright blue sky, and a few fluffy clouds.

As we came into Belgrade we noticed a couple of old, abandoned apartment buildings that had gaping holes in their centres. A sad reminder of the turmoil this country has been through in recent years. As we made our way to the center of town, the city looked like it was in great shape.

We had our lunch at a cafe on the pedestrian street. We were surprised to see burritos and nachos on the menu. We couldn’t resist, but we all agreed it was a bit strange to be eating Mexican food as we sat half way round the world from Mexico, in Serbia!

We browsed through the shops along the walking street, but didn’t buy anything. The architecture is very strange. At one end you have concrete block, kind of ugly buildings, and at the other end is old, ornate buildings, and in between is a mix of this and that.

We’ve now made it to Novi Sad. We have a friend in Ottawa who arranged for us to stay in her mother’s apartment. The apartment was vacant while our friend’s mom visits Canada. We arrived at the apartment where we were to pick up the key from the neighbours. We had the last name of the neighbour, but on the buzzer it was written in Cyrillic! Luckily, Nadim was reading road signs that had the city name in both Cyrillic and English and he happened to be trying to figure out which letters made which sounds. Sometimes I think he’s a bit odd, but today his strange behaviour saved the day!

We met the neighbours who were very kind and let us into the apartment and offered us a coffee / coke at their place. We had a nice little visit. Language was a slight issue, but we managed quite well. It’s really very nice to enjoy the comfort of a home again, even if it’s only for a few days (Thanks Sanja and Mama Galin!).

Arcul de Triumf

2009-06-11T15:20:00.002-04:00

The Arcul de Triumf kind of gives you a sense of déjà vu if you’ve been in Paris recently. It was built in the 1930’s to commemorate the reunification of Romania (1918) and was a symbol of cultural ties with France.

We drove through a couple of piatas (city squares), but they weren’t that remarkable so we didn’t stop. Actually Bucharest is a bit of a concrete jungle with tons of cars and we were glad to reach the north part of the city where it was a bit quieter.

After our stroll around the arc we took a little walk and then got in the car. We drove through the lower part of Romania (Wallachia) which is much flatter than the middle and north parts of the country. We zipped through the tip of Bulgaria after waiting to cross the border via ferry boat. We then entered Serbia. By this time we were tired so we grabbed a hotel and are now about to eat some pizza. Long drive, but nice views.

Bucharest

2009-06-10T15:13:00.006-04:00

Bucharest is a fast-paced, modern city with an amazing mix of old and new style architecture. You see old monasteries and crumbling stone buildings alongside modern office structures. We saw a glass encased building which looked like it was constructed on top of an old stone wall. You can really see the mix of old and new world in this city.

The imposing Palace of Parliament is the second largest administrative building in the world. Anyone know which is the largest? No cheating with Google! An entire suburb was levelled, and about 70,000 people displaced in order to build the parliament in the 1980’s. Yasmin and Roya agreed that it was not a very nice thing to do. Then we told them what happened to Ceausescu and his wife during the revolution!

We walked around a park near our hotel and stretched our legs after a long day of driving. The kids were happy to run around and play a little, and we even got some ice cream because it was about 36 degrees!

After supper, we went for a walk to Revolution Square and admired the mix of old and new buildings and the monuments. One monument looked like a bird’s nest pierced by an obelisk.

Peles Castle

2009-06-09T13:05:00.003-04:00

Peles Castle in the town of Sinaia was built in the late 1800s. It was used as a summer home for Romanian royals. As we went in we were expecting another castle, but this one was incredible.

The charge for a camera was twice that of a person so we hadn’t intended to take pictures, but once inside we couldn’t resist (don't worry, we paid the camera fee afterwards)! The tour started with the grand hall. It had walnut wood panels, carvings, a stained glass ceiling and even carved wood spiral stairs that went from the second floor to the third.

From there we went to see the collection of arms. There were all sorts of guns, swords, daggers, and armour, many with ornate carvings and precious stones for decoration. There were even some old Persian shields and swords. Next was the library. Yasmin is in love with books these days so it seemed like a dream room. The library even had a secret door behind a fake cabinet of false books.

We imagined ourselves being entertained in the dining hall and then retiring to the music room where musicians from all over Romania would be invited to play for us. Queen Elisabeth would hold musical evenings here and invite the famous composers and musicians. The music room had a 200-year-old Persian carpet from Tabriz.

There was a room decorated in oriental styles with many carpets. It even had a fountain at the back wall where once water from the river was redirected. Another cool room was the smoking room that was decorated in Turkish styles low seats and many red velvet pillows.

The outside was beautiful too, with many statues. We walked about the grounds and followed some paths along a nearby stream. The weather was beautiful and it was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Brasov Panormic

2009-06-08T13:41:00.001-04:00

After school work followed by lunch at a creperie, we went to see the Black Church. It’s huge and we couldn’t get good photos of the exterior because it was just too big! It was closed today so we couldn’t see the inside either.

Next on our list was another cable car. This ride was not nearly as long as the one at Balea Lake, but it was very steep. We went up to the top where we could see all of Brasov. The view point was a bit hidden, but the walk through the woods to reach it was quite pretty.

From our high vantage point, we could finally get a picture of the Black Church. It was named the Black Church after a fire had blackened its stone walls.

Using the camera zoom lens was kind of fun. The full view of the city was spectacular, but it was fun to zoom into various parts, like the town square. It almost felt like spying!

Bran and Rasnov

2009-06-07T13:00:00.002-04:00

Bran is just 20 km south of Brasov and is famous for its castle. It’s sometimes called Dracula’s castle, but history says otherwise. It’s still a nice myth though!

The castle was built by the town’s people as a fortress for defending the Hungarian empire border in the late 1300’s. Later it was used as a summer retreat by Queen Marie in the 1920’s. As we walked through the rooms of the castle we could imagine it more as a retreat than as a fortress, although the outside looked quite impressive and forbidding.

It seems so large on the outside, but on the inside the rooms are quite small. Despite its size and grandeur, I think I still like my house better! No drafts, and I’m sure the upkeep is a little more reasonable.

Our next stop was the fortress at Rasnov. It was on the way back to Brasov so it made a convenient stop. The fortress was built in the 13th century. It was initially a place for the villagers to retreat to in times of siege. Apparently there were a lot of these times because it was continually improved until it had a school, stores, many houses, etc. There was even a deep well, which had been dug by two Turkish prisoners. They had been told they would be released when the well was finished, and it took them 17 years to do it! Digging a hole through the mountain – what a punishment, and the joy when they finally found the water table!

Now the fortress is in ruins. There are a few shops that are maintained and have been taken over by shop keepers selling souvenirs, and handicrafts.

One of the best parts of the fortress was the view. You could see mountains directly behind you, plains and then more mountains out in front of you. It was a windy day, so we were all pretty windswept as we came down the mountain to head back to our hotel.

Brasov

2009-06-06T13:43:00.001-04:00

We walked into town this morning. The walk to the main square was quite pretty, especially as we approached the downtown area.

We stopped at the information centre and found where a bookstore was, information on accommodation, and city tourist attractions. We settled on new accommodations. Our new place is less expensive and closer to the walking street and park.

We went around the corner from the main square to find a bookstore and Yasmin was so pleased to find an English books section that even had some for her age. She has finished the Harry Potter series and a number of other books that we had with us. Keeping this kid in reading material is expensive!

We then went browsing through the shops on the pedestrian street. I found a few shoe shops and couldn’t resist. For those of you who know how many black shoes I have, you’ll not be surprised to find that I added another pair to my collection. I also bought a red pair because I couldn’t resist. Shoes are my weakness.

Our new place doesn’t have a kitchen so we’ll be eating out a bit. This isn’t such a bad thing with the many great restaurants with patio seating.

Balea Lake

2009-06-05T15:14:00.004-04:00

We ended our stay in Sibiu this morning and started out towards Balea Lake, which was on our way to Brasov. This lake is high in the Fagaras mountains and the scenery on the way there was spectacular. You can see the snowy area in the picture below. That was our destination!

We were lucky because the road had been blocked the previous week. All the rain and cold weather that we had in Sibiu was snow storms at these altitudes. Some parts of the road were one lane paths through the snow, while in other areas it was perfectly clear and bare. The snow wasn't the only issue. There are occasionally falling rocks too. We didn't have problems with that, although we did see rocks on the road in places. Scary!

We reached the top where it was only nine degrees and found Balea Lake. It is actually quite small. It still had ice in it, but where the water had melted it was crystal clear. A few skiers were still tramping up the mountain for a short run down. There wasn't much snow left - just enough to make the wind feel really cold!

There was a cable car, so of course we had to take a ride. I'm a bit afraid of heights so it was nerve wracking in places, but the views were really fabulous. There was a mountain stream that turned into a waterfall and the cable car went right by it.

By cable car it only takes about 12 minutes to go part way down the mountain, but in our car it took about twice that long. You can see why if you have a look at the roads in the picture below, which was taken from the cable car.

After hairpin turn after hairpin turn we eventually made it down the mountain and then on to Brasov. It was late by the time we arrived so we didn't see too much of the city, but enough to know that it will be another great time. There will be lots to see in Brasov and also in the surrounding areas.

Performances

2009-06-04T16:39:00.003-04:00

The girls were dying to go bike riding again so we finished our school work and borrowed the bikes again. We stopped at a park where they had a balance beam that was on springs, making it tricky to cross, but before long the girls and I had mastered it!

We had to rush to make it to the downtown area in time for a performance called Angelic, one of the performances during the international theatre festival going on now in Sibiu. Unfortunately the performance had been rescheduled to an hour earlier! Ahhhh. Oh well. They had another performer doing juggling tricks with some of the instruments we had seen old Chinese guys exercising with in the park in Beijing! Of course this guy was doing slightly more complicated tricks than the old fellow!

When that completed, we wandered the streets a bit before we made our way to the Gong Theatre to see “Hand-me-downs”, a play about a charity shop and the stories behind some of the items in the shop. It made you think twice about various approaches to charity.

By this time it was getting to be supper so we found a restaurant with seating along the walking street. This was particularly convenient because there was another show, “The Always Drinking Marching Band” was performing right next to us. They were funny but their music was actually very good too.

After supper we hurried to the small square where “Pandora’s Boxes” was going on. She was hilarious. I’m not sure the Romanians were getting her subtle play on words, but Nadim and I, and some of the other English speakers in the crowd were laughing pretty hard!

The last show was amazing. “Isseo” by Belgium performers had a lot of humour, but also some incredible acrobatics. The man was able to balance himself horizontally on a vertical pole using only his feet! He also had such strength that he could climb the pole using only his hands – no arm or leg even touched the pole. The woman was also incredible. She had graceful dance movements as she supported herself in the air with a length of white fabric.

We had such a great time. It was starting to get dark by the time we were ready to leave and Yasmin was still asking for more performances. Although they both loved it, I think Yasmin particularly enjoyed it.

New friend

2009-06-03T14:55:00.004-04:00

We had read about the mud volcanoes and salt lakes near Sibiu, so we headed off to find them today, starting with the mud volcanoes. The guide book and the map were not very clear as to the exact location of these natural wonders, so we drove to the general area where we thought they ought to be. We stopped a couple of times and “asked” the locals in sign language and by pointing to our map. They pointed us in the right direction but with the language barrier, some things got lost in the translation. Finally, one farmer said he would show us where they were. So he tethered his horse, got in our car, and off we went. He explained that you cannot get to the volcanoes by car, so we parked at the side of a dirt road and took off on foot, with our new friend in the lead.

He loved to talk, and the fact that we don’t speak Romanian didn’t seem to slow him down! He gave us what we assumed was a history of the fields and what has been happening with the methane gases coming off the volcanoes. We walked across a couple of fields, a small stream, some train tracks and found ourselves at the foot of a small hill. Here our guide pointed to a few patches of mud and indicated this is what is left of the volcanoes. They used to be mounds of mud pouring out of the earth like volcanoes, but they have stopped doing that now. All that is left is small areas of muddy sand. So we went back to the car, drove our friend back home with lots of thanks and set off toward our next natural wonder – the salt lakes.

Again we drove to the general area where the lakes ought to have been, and although the countryside was quite beautiful, we did not find the salt lakes. We did find a small patch of water with what looked like large salt deposits around it and figured that must be it. Yasmin and Roya actually said that based on our luck with the volcanoes, this was probably the salt lake after all!

We did have a relaxing drive through the beautiful countryside, went for a long walk in the fields, made a new friend and got some fresh air. All in all, a good day!

Biking

2009-06-02T12:39:00.003-04:00

Our apartment hotel is a family run business, and the place is far from full. This means that we get excellent service. We asked if they were aware of bicycle rentals in Sibiu, but there wasn't much to choose from so they suggested we just borrow their bikes.

They even had children's bikes so Yasmin and Roya were ecstatic. There is a long ravine that has been made into a park with paths on either side. We biked to one end and found a zoo. I think we actually went in a back entrance so we thought perhaps we shouldn't stay too long for fear of being asked for our tickets.

Then we biked to the other end of the park where we found a park bench and a small cobble stone square. Here we stopped and had our thermos of tea and the girls did some skipping. We continued up the path for a bit and found a fountain and a playground and stopped to enjoy both. As we were on our way back, the skies opened up and once again, it rained! Ah well, I guess we can't complain too much, after all we got a long bike ride and a good few hours of dry weather before we raced for home in the rain.

Downtown Sibiu

2009-06-01T13:07:00.003-04:00

We had some great views of Sibiu today – both from above and from street level. We climbed up the Council Tower, which dates back to the 1400’s. The winding staircase had several landings, with art displays and old maps. So we stopped at each level to take a closer look (read: take a breath). The picture below shows the Council tower as seen from Liars’ Bridge.

There were windows on four sides at the top, so we had great views of the city. There are clay tiled roofs in the old core area, and more modern buildings in the area outside the walled city.

We strolled over to Liars’ Bridge, named after the unscrupulous merchants who used to hold trade there and also after star-crossed lovers who declared their “undying” love for each other! It is a very short bridge, so it must have been quite crowded.

The old city has retained its charm and character. You can see old buildings with paint peeling off, bricks crumbling, roofs sagging, and yet it looks right. Some of the older buildings have been restored with steel beams and braces to hold up the old wood ones, but it is done discreetly so it is still the old look that comes through.

After all this walking around, we sat at a street cafe and had some cappuccino/tea/ice cream and just people watched. It was a relaxing way to end our trip into town. You can guess who had which refreshment!

A walk through history

2009-05-31T08:29:00.002-04:00

We were happy to see the sun again this morning, but it didn't last long. We were able to get out and enjoy it a bit before the rain set in again.

We went to an open air museum. It had lots of wind mills, water mills, oil presses, and other historical structures. I felt like the girls got a pretty good science lesson with all the gears, hammers, pulleys, etc.

The museum was similar to the one we had visited in the Maramures area, but there was more architectural variety in this one. The inside of the homes were pretty similar no matter what the architecture of the outside.

We got our exercise, as the park/museum is spread out over 42 hectares. There was a pond at the centre and some of the paths wound through the woods so we enjoyed not only the history, but the nature as well.

As we were about to leave, the rain set in again! I'm starting to feel like we're in Ireland again, minus the good company.

Brukenthal Museum

2009-05-30T13:21:00.002-04:00

A steady rain and cool temperatues sent us in search of a museum. The girls are no longer enthused by museums, but we wanted to get out and with such miserable weather we needed something with a roof over its head.

We ambled through the Brukenthal Museum which was once a palace. The rooms were a bit tired and after Versailles we're a bit difficult to please! There was a collection of rugs that were woven in the area and were about 400 years old. Amazingly, they were not faded and looked as if they could have been put down on a living room floor once more. They also had an art gallery and it was kind of relaxing to stand in front of various frames and enjoy the art work. The museum didn't allow us to take pictures and there were too many guards on duty to sneak a shot so we were law abiding Canadians and settled for a picture of the exterior of the building.

After we tired of the museum we stepped out to find that the rain had not abaited. We dashed across the square and into a covered passage way and then down the street to a grocery store. It was so wet that even dashing from shop to shop was no fun. It wasn't quite like Ireland with its gentle drizzle, so we called it quits and went home to let a pot of stew simmer for a few hours.

The Park

2009-05-29T15:29:00.001-04:00

It was a cool and somewhat drizzly day, perfect for staying in, doing laundry, and watching a movie, which is exactly what we did. Our new place is an apartment and even has a washing machine in the basement, yay!

The girls were happy to simply play and be kids, and we were all happy to take a day off from school work. The kitchen area of our apartment has many open shelves and a tall counter top. This was perfect for their imaginary restaurant and it worked well as an imaginary reception desk as well. Funny how our travel situations work their way into their play scenarios.

We did get out for an hour long walk in the park. The girls brought their skipping rope and did a little skipping, but also used it as a horse harness. You’ve got to love their creativity!

CM

Sighisoara

2009-05-28T14:15:00.004-04:00

The citadel of Sighisoara is on the World Heritage list and it really takes you back in time. To enter the citadel we walked uphill along a cobblestone street, which goes underneath the clock tower.

The clock tower itself has been turned into a museum, with exhibits at different levels, so we were not huffing and puffing by the time we got to the top! We were rewarded with great views of the town and surrounding hills once we made it up. There were small plaques on the tower’s perimeter wall, showing the direction and distances to various world cities. Yasmin and Roya were excited to see that Beijing was 7007 km away! We have come a long way.

We climbed 162 steps (the girls counted them) to check out the church and original castle which has been turned into a high school. Imagine going to school in an old castle on top of the mountain! After all this climbing, we were ready for a rest, and had lunch in the medieval square where they had markets, fairs, public executions, etc. It felt surreal to sit in the old cobblestone square, surrounded by old buildings with window boxes and tiled roofs.

Nine of the original citadel towers remain, although not all are being used for the same purpose, as you can see from the picture below.

We got to Sibiu in the early afternoon and found our way to the big square. There was a crew setting up for the international theatre festival and they were playing Andrea Bocelli’s Romanza as we walked around the square. Nice!

We found a nice apartment for our extended stay in Sibiu and can now bring the suitcase in with us instead of just an overnight bag. And we can do some laundry!

Transylvania

2009-05-27T15:50:00.003-04:00

We headed down to Transylvania today, through amazing mountain views and winding, hairpin roads. We were very excited at one point to see a section of straight road, and I was able to hit 105 km/hr for about 5 seconds! Then I had to slow down for more horse carts and bends in the road.

We arrived in Sighisoara, the birth place of Vlad Tepes Dracul. This is really a pretty little town, centred around a 15th century citadel on a hill. We arrived in the late afernoon and did not have time to do much exploring today.

We did explore around the hill a little and wandered through the narrow cobblestone streets and the square where they used to have markets, craft fairs, public executions, witch trials, impalings, ... day-to-day stuff!

The house where Vlad was born is now a restaurant, so of course we had to have dinner there. Yasmin an Roya made tea for us when we got back to the hotel and even gave us a plate of cookies and chocolate to go with it.

NM

Painted Monasteries

2009-05-26T09:37:00.002-04:00

We spent a large part of the day in the car. We were driving to the monasteries of Bucovina, which took us through a mountain pass. The views were spectacular. I was surprised to see so many homes of same styles that we had seen at the museum yesterday. Of course they were updated but the basic shape, and wood construction were the same. I guess if a particular design works, you stay with it for five hundred years or so!

The distance to the monasteries was only about 200 km, but we had to drive slowly. The roads are full of pot holes and you never know what you’ll meet around a bend in the road. We met some farmers herding their sheep along the road, another time we met a bunch of cows being herded along, there were many horses pulling carts, and once an old man pushing a wheel barrow of wood! I had a chuckle when we were stopped by police checking to see that we had paid the road tax.

We stopped along the Prislop mountain pass (1400m above sea level) for some lunch. We found a stream and a grassy area that made a perfect spot for our picnic. It was nice to take a little time for a walk and a stretch. Too bad the stream was so cold or we might have dipped our feet.

The area of Bucovina is famous for its painted churches. We made our way to two of them, Voronet and Humor. They are famous for their painted frescos. It’s amazing to think that the paint has stayed on for more than five hundred years!

The insides of the church were also painted. In both churches there were scenes of martyrs dying in all sorts of disgusting ways. There were also scenes of the judgement day with some people being led to heaven, others to hell, angels sitting in judgement, and other angels rolling up the signs of the zodiac, symbolizing the end of time.

Sighetu

2009-05-25T14:15:00.005-04:00

This afternoon we strolled through Sighetu. It isn't a very big town, but it has some pretty churches and wide sidewalks. We stumbled upon a market selling local goods so we wandered through it too. The girls saw little baby chicks so we we stopped to admire them for a bit.

We had read about the Muzeul Satului (village museum) which has many old, wooden houses, barns, etc. dating back a few hundred years. Our guide book said it was closed on Mondays, but we stopped by anyway and found that it was open!

We were the only tourists on site, and had a guided tour through the mock village. The houses were donated from different parts of Muramures, disassembled and transported to the museum and then reconstructed here. Our guide explained the houses which all had storage rooms along the north wall, and living quarters on the other side. He talked about how they would salt and smoke pork, how they stored corn, and even how a press worked to get oil from seeds.

The church was like none other I've seen. Our guide explained how it would have been situated in the centre of town and how the tower would be used to keep watch over the town.

After the explanations, we walked around and explored on our own a bit. Our guide came back to join us and we chatted a bit about the history of the region and politics. He seemed to like the idea of communism, if the ruler was a smart one. Then the people had food, jobs, and homes, but if the ruler wasn't good, it could be devastating. He explained how Romanians had been forced from their village homes and into apartment blocks that didn't even have the basics of modern bathrooms in the 1980's. Needless to say, he wasn't a fan of Ceausescu and his 'systemisation' of agriculture.

Maramures

2009-05-24T14:35:00.000-04:00

We had Jane totally confused today! She had no clue where we were or where we wanted to go. If you recall, Jane is the name we have given our GPS unit, which unfortunately only has major cities and roads for Romania. So we had to travel the old-fashioned way, with a map and reading road signs!

The Romanian landscape is amazing. We drove through rolling hills, green fields and little towns and villages, on very bumpy roads which we occasionally shared with horse carts! Some houses in the villages had tiles stuck to the outside, making colourful patterns.

We drove over a mountain in the Carpathian range and our ears were popping as we descended on the other side. At one hairpin bend we noticed shepherds herding their flock home, then the road took us through a dense forest. It was all very picturesque.

We stopped in Sapanta, which is a small village known for its “merry cemetery”. The crosses on the graves are painted with little scenes, and some give hints of the deceased’s occupation, such as horses for farmer or a saw for carpenter, or a woman at a stove for house wife, etc.

We walked through the cemetery for a while and tried to guess at the different occupations and figure out how old some of the people had been when they died. It was neat, in a morbid sort of way. We said a prayer for them all before we left.

It was very interesting to see in every village that many women were wearing their traditional skirts and blouses, with scarves covering their hair. And many men wore traditional vests and hats. The houses had gated front yards and people were sitting outside chatting, possibly gossiping, and enjoying the beautiful day. Every once in a while we saw an old man taking his cow for a walk along the road too! You definitely got the feel of rural communities and the farming life.

Bridge Festival

2009-05-23T14:13:00.007-04:00

We went to the bridge festival this morning. The street leading up to the bridge and the bridge itself was full of people browsing stalls. The vendors were selling anything from animal skins, to wooden toys, to sweets, to pottery and glass works.

We joined the crowds and sampled some of the goods. Nadim and I had bought some pottery mugs in Budapest, but somehow we managed to break the handle of one of them. But today, the same guy was selling his pottery on the bridge so we now have a pair again!

This afternoon we made our way to Oradea in Romania. Our dollar carries us a little further here, so we splurged on one of the nicer hotels. The drive here was beautiful and the roads were unexpectedly good. Romania is off to a great start!

CM

Szeged

2009-05-22T10:41:00.003-04:00

We switched hotels today because there wasn't availability in the one we were staying in. By the time we settled into the new place and had some lunch we weren't feeling like going sight seeing.

Instead we took a walk, just to get some exercise, and found a park with some really cool play equipment and lots of kids. The girls had a blast on a turning swing and climbing a really tall rope structure. Nadim and I just took it easy in the shade - so much for the exercise!

Our new place has a kitchen so we're looking forward to making our own supper tonight. It's nice to have a few relaxed days before we get busy with a festival tomorrow, and with traveling again after that.

The Opera

2009-05-21T10:33:00.001-04:00

We had a pretty low key day. After school work we bought some rolls, sandwich meat and cheese and went to the park. We ate our lunch and then the kids played on the swings, and play structures and drew pictures in the sand.

This evening we went to the opera. The opera theatre was small, but very beautiful with its painted ceiling, gilded box seats, and carvings.

The performance was called “Adriana Lecouvreur”. It was about a man falling in love with Adriana, an actress, and the man’s scorned lover taking her revenge. The girls really enjoyed the performance. I was surprised with how well it kept their attention. Nadim and I also enjoyed the performance but whished the Hungarian subtitles, that were subtly projected onto the top of the stage curtain, were in English. None the less, it was beautiful.

CM

Horsing around

2009-05-20T12:08:00.003-04:00

The girls were very happy to ride horses this afternoon. We started with riding in a ring area where the girls learned how to hold the reins and how to post (go up and down in the saddle)while trotting.

Then we went for a little ride around a nearby lake. The girls loved it. They both felt that it was better than elephant riding, so I guess that's quite a compliment.

We're now downtown where we've enjoyed an hour of folk dance performances. Hungarian dancing has lots of feet stamping, leg kicking, and jumping. The men did a performance with leg slapping, boot smacking, stamping, jumping, and shouting, and all this in unison - quite fun. More is to come so we'll be heading back to the stage shortly.

Seeking Information

2009-05-19T12:04:00.001-04:00

We had chosen to stay a few days in Szeged because we had heard about some festivals that were taking place. There is a Wine Festival going on right now, but that doesn’t interest us so much because we don’t drink. The next festival starts in a couple of days so we needed some activities to fill the gaps.

Our mission for the afternoon was to find information on Szeged and surrounding area. We found the tourist information centre but once we left with all our information in hand we looked up at the sky and it had turned a charcoal grey. We had some lunch and there were a few sprinkles which put us off from going horseback riding.

Instead we ducked in and out of cafes and shops and managed to miss the downpours. Szeged has a wide pedestrian street with a large square near the centre. There are often musicians playing as you walk along it. We enjoyed the stroll, but came back to our accommodations early to get a rest and time to play or hang out for a bit before we go back into town for supper. The restaurants are nice, but I do miss having a kitchen and the comfort of eating in.

Hungarian Cowboys

2009-05-18T13:40:00.004-04:00

We saw beautiful fields full of orange poppies on the way to Bugac. Bugac village is in the plains of Hunary, and it is famous for its cowboys.

We stopped for information on when the horse show was and as luck would have it, the show was about to begin. The show opened with one courageous cowboy standing on the backs of two horses while driving three more in the front, five in total!

They also had some cowboys in traditional Hungarian outfits, riding bareback (the horses that is) and doing various stunts. The whip cracking was pretty cool. Indiana Jones had nothing on these guys!

After the show, the girls got a ride on one of the horses. They were all smiles. I think we have to find a trail riding activity or something because a trip around the ring was not enough for them.

We are staying in Szeged for a few nights. There are some festivals that are starting in a couple of days so the city is really busy and we had a hard time findng a place, but in the end we've lucked out into a very clean and comfortable place where we can even park our car in their garage! We had to speak to the manager in a mixture of english, French, German, Italian, etc. but we got or points across. I should have tried Hindi or Farsi!

CM + NM

Pest City Park

2009-05-17T16:14:00.002-04:00

City Park is just up the street from where we’ve been staying. It is a large green space with many shaded paths. In the centre of the park is a castle that seems to have stepped out of a fairy tale.

We entered the park and found a huge hour glass. The sand was trickling through, and we wondered how long it would take for it to empty – a month, a year? We strolled around a bit and found an area with strange structures that the kids could climb.

When the girls got bored with that, we found a quiet place outside the castle moat area to read our books. The sun was shining and it was very warm. It felt good to have such a warm sun again. It also felt surreal to look up from our books and see the castle behind the trees in front of us.

On our way home we stopped at the grocery store, but found that it was already closed for the day. So we ended up going out for supper this evening. We had great Hungarian food at a restaurant called Paprika (a spice that Hungary is famous for).

After dinner we walked to Heroes Square and admired the statues and monuments there. It is surrounded by two museums with tall pillars and the monuments and buildings were lit with flood lights. It was a great way to end our day and wrap up our visit to Budapest.

Museum Festival

2009-05-16T15:43:00.002-04:00

I think we redeemed ourselves with Yasmin and Roya today. They were pretty tired of “sight-seeing” in various cities. We almost had a rebellion when they were forced away from their Barbies and were told that we were going out again, and worse yet we were going to another dreadful museum. But... we had an awesome afternoon. It was a Museums Festival and they had all sorts of tents setup by various museums from Hungary.

Each tent had a history or cultural related display and many of them had a craft. The kids made a doll, and then a crown. We watched someone doing pottery. They decorated cookies, and ate them too. They did rubbings of a stone engraved with five hundred year old graffiti. They wrote using an ink bottle and quill. They dressed up. They coloured pictures of eggs after seeing real eggs being decorated using wax. They also painted Hungarian chillies and flowers.

We had intended to stay for only a couple of hours, but we were there all afternoon. The girls had such fun that they were even willing to let us go inside the museum and check out the history within.

By the end of the day the girls were delighted with all their creations and they hardly wanted to leave. Who knew that the Museums Festival could be so much fun!

Castle Hill

2009-05-15T14:46:00.002-04:00

The Danube river divides the city into the Buda side and the Pest side. We are staying in a small 2-bedroom apartment in an older building on the Pest side. It also has a living room and small kitchen, so we have been making our own food which is great.

We are thankful to have Jane with us during this trip. Jane is the name we chose for the GPS unit we bought in France and she has been very helpful in getting us to places, in spite of road blocks, construction, one-way streets, etc. The weather was great today so we just went in our T-shirts to visit the Castle Hill area with Jane as our navigator.

Most of the medieval buildings left in Budapest are on this hill and it was almost like going back in time. I say almost because there were also internet cafes, fancy stores and a 5-star hotel. We had a great view of the Pest side across the river, and the bridges.

The kids had fun pretending to be horses running along on the cobblestone streets and marching through the medieval archways. We walked along the promenade near the palace to take in the beautiful views of the castle-like parliament buildings, and we even fed some pigeons.

We tried to find the Baha’i national centre on the way back, but found ourselves getting stuck in construction areas, detours and one-way streets. Even Jane was confused, so we decided to just phone them to find out when and where the next meeting is.

Szechenyi Baths

2009-05-14T15:13:00.004-04:00

This afternoon we went to Szechenyi Baths which is one of the thermal baths that Budapest is famous for. It was only about 12 degrees, so the trip from the heated change rooms to the first pool was on tippy toes and we had to run across the patio stones to one of the three large pools. The first pool was warm, the middle pool luke warm, and the farthest pool was the warmest.

The girls liked the first pool as it had a circular area that would turn into a whirl pool with a strong current at times. Nadim and I liked the farthest pool because it had strong sprays of hot water falling into it and this was perfect for getting a neck and shoulder massage. The middle pool felt pretty cool after coming from one of the other two, but it was a nice way to cool down.

It felt decadent to enjoy the warm water while surrounded by historic buildings, fountains, and statues. By the end of a couple of hours we were wrinkled and pink and ready to go back to our apartment.

Vienna

2009-05-13T16:30:00.001-04:00

Vienna is among the most beautiful cities I’ve seen. It has gorgeous ornate buildings, wide sidewalks, and many trees and parks.

We started our day with a tram ride around the ring road that encircles the downtown area. We stopped at Staadt Park which is full of old trees, flowering bushes, and some statues and monuments too. The kids were happy to run around and let loose some of their seemingly endless supply of energy.

We walked through some of the streets, stopping to buy “Mozart” chocolates, until we reached another park. There we had some lunch before we were on our way to Budapest.

Vienna is such a beautiful city that I almost felt guilty for only spending a day there. It would have been nice to take in some of the museums and the opera, but Budapest also has a lot to offer so we’ll see.

Salzburg

2009-05-12T16:03:00.004-04:00

We started our day at Schloss Hellbrun. It has an expansive garden with mature trees, fountains, and pools of water. It’s also famous because of its gazebo which was used in the movie “The Sound of Music”.

After dancing about and singing, “I am Sixteen, Going on Seventeen...”, we took a walk through the gardens and from there got back in the car and made our way to Schloss Leopoldskron. The house is on private property, but we didn’t know. We asked the gardener, who answered in German and said it was private, but that we could take a few quick pictures!

The view of the mountain was beautiful and the house was too, but other pictures from across the lake turned out better. This was the house that was used in “The Sound of Music”, or at least for some shots.

We then went to the Abbey where “Maria” is first introduced in the movie, but it wasn’t much too interesting so we quickly moved on to the town.

Many streets in the old part of Salzburg are now pedestrian-only so it was a pleasure to stroll through and browse the shops. One shop had thousands of painted Easter eggs. It was really amazing, but I didn’t buy any because I didn’t think they’d make it back to Canada with without breaking.

We finished off our day in Salzburg with a visit to the Mirabell Gardens. They were still planting and many of the rose bushes and vines were not yet blooming. I would have liked to see it in another week or two.

We then drove a few hours to Vienna and found a place to spend the night. Looks like another busy day tomorrow!

On the road again

2009-05-11T15:08:00.001-04:00

We said our good-byes to Renee and were on the road to Salzburg by 9:00 am. The car is comfortable, but it was a long drive. We had had breakfast in Dijon, stopped for lunch near Zurich, had some tea/coffee near Munich and ate supper in Salzburg. Four countries in one day – not bad!

Salzburg is the land of “The Sound of Music”. We’ll have to see about checking out some of the sights before we head off to Vienna.

CM

A Walk Through Dijon

2009-05-10T16:39:00.009-04:00

Renee took us for a walk through Dijon. It's a beautiful, little city and the sun was shining - perfect for touring the city on foot.

Dijon has many churches, old streets, and markets. It was Sunday so it wasn't bustling quite the way it usually does.

In front of the town hall buildings there were fountains. The kids couldn't resist playing in them and before we knew it they had big smiles on their faces, but wet shoes on their feet.

We went to Arad and Karine's place for lunch. Their apartment is very unique with the old wooden beams in the ceiling exposed. It was very cosy and we took our time over lunch. We've been enjoying great food, wonderful cheeses, and french pastries. I'm going to need to do a lot more walking if I don't want to start wearing a larger pant size!

After lunch we visited the cemetery where Nadim's uncle and grandmother were buried. By this time it had started to rain. Somehow the rain seemed fitting. The kids left some sea shells on the graves. This has become a tradition. When the family travel to different areas they bring back a rock or a shell or some such thing and put it on the grave.

We ended the day at Renee's apartment. When it was time for Arad, Karine, and Hannah to leave for the evening, it wasdifficult to say goodbye and we kept prolonging it. It's always nice to see everyone, but difficult to part ways again. Tomorrow we start early on a long drive to Austria.

Semur-En-Auxois

2009-05-08T18:20:00.002-04:00

The kids had a great sleep over and even got some sleep! This morning they returned to us with Arad, Karine and Hannah and we all set out for Semur-En-Auxois.

Semur-En-Auxois is a medieval town that has been preserved in the traditional style. We visited the church at the heart of the town and then walked along the river at its base.

It also has a castle with four towers, but it was not open for touring. We strolled through the town. Karine’s family lives nearby and she pointed out a school that she used to attend. It has now been turned into a museum!

We had a leisurely lunch at one of the cafes in the middle of the town. It was warm and sunny and perfect for sitting outside. On our way back to Dijon, we stopped at another town, Chateauneuf, which is located on the top of a hill. It is another picturesque village with a castle in its centre. We explored the castle and then had afternoon tea/coffee/coke/ice-cream at another little cafe.

It was an enjoyable day and we felt very French with our drive through the beautiful Bourgogne countryside and so many stops at cafes!

CM

Dijon

2009-05-07T18:14:00.002-04:00

We slept in and for breakfast we ate croissants with jam, etc. We really felt like we are on vacation. Renee is spoiling us! Nadim’s cousin Arad and his family came for lunch, (Beef Bourguignon - yummy!). Arad’s daughter, Hannah, played very well with the girls. In fact they played so well that they didn’t want to stop to come to Fnac with us. Fnac is an electronics store. After much discussion, we bought a GPS unit. I’m sure it will be handy for all our driving through Europe.

The girls couldn’t part when it was time for Hannah to leave, so they were invited for a sleep over! We packed their bags and kissed them bye. An evening without kids, how strange!

CM

Versailles

2009-05-07T17:56:00.001-04:00

We were up early so that we could pick up our car. Dragging our luggage to the metro was a bit of a pain, but the car pickup went smoothly and before we knew it we were on our way to Versailles.

The palace of Versailles, home to King Louis XIV, King Louis XV, King Louis XVI, and Napoleon was according to our auto-guide the most Lavish palace in the world. The ceilings were painted, the walls were adorned with gold and silk, and the floors were tiled with marble.

The ceiling of one of the smaller rooms had over a hundred people painted on it and had taken three years to paint. I can’t imagine how long it took them to paint the ceiling of the long Hall of Mirrors.

The gardens were immense. We had nice weather, almost too sunny and bright with the white gravel pathways. We took a walk through part of the grounds, but couldn’t hope to cover it all.

By the time we finished walking around, the kids were tired and happy to go sit in the car for the drive to Dijon. We got a little lost getting on the highway, but eventually found our way.

The drive through the Bourgogne region was beautiful with the many yellow, mustard fields. We reached Dijon and found Nadim’s aunt’s house with no trouble. It was great to see Renee again. She hasn’t changed a bit.

The Louvre

2009-05-06T12:44:00.003-04:00

The Louvre is huge. It is far too big to do in just one day, and it’s easy to get lost in its many rooms. At one point there was an announcement asking us to go to the nearest exit. We tried, but by the time we found one, they no longer wanted us out!

As we entered the Louvre coming from the metro, we saw the two points of the Pyramid. It seemed to glow as we saw it through the doorway.

We walked along, enjoying many Italian paintings before we reached room 6 on the first floor, where a certain famous lady was waiting for us. Monna Lisa smiled for us, but she seems to smile for everybody!

After visiting more paintings and taking a tour of replicas of Napoleon’s apartments (pretty swanky), and getting lost a few times, we eventually found our way out.

It was a short walk to Place de la Concorde which is where King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded. Yasmin and Roya wanted to see the guillotine, but surprise, surprise, it was no longer there.

The Concorde is also where the Champs Elysees begins. So we walked along the famous street. We stopped at a cafe for some coffee, tea and pastries before continuing on to the Arc de Triomphe.

We have one last night in Paris before we pick up our car and go to Versailles and then Dijon. Can’t believe how fast the time is passing.

Eiffel Tower

2009-05-05T17:53:00.003-04:00

Paris, the city of romance, the city of love... the city of the Eiffel Tower. We decided to go to the Eiffel Tower today. It was a bit cold, and cloudy, but no rain and clear enough to get a nice view of the city.

Of course we had to go all the way to the third level (the top). It was pretty cold up there, but the view was great. It's amazing how far you can see. Paris is huge!

After the tower we made our way to the Sacre Coeur church. The stained glass inside is beautiful, but we weren't allowed any pictures. We lit a candle and had a look at the inside of the church before we strolled around to Montmartre.

Montmartre is known for its many artists. Some of the paintings are very good, while others were not to my taste. We were tempted to have Yasmin and Roya sit for a picture, but in the end decided against it - too hard to pack into a suitcase.

We had dinner at Sabine's house again. She and Matthieu have us spoiled with delicious dinners. Nadim loves the selection of cheeses that always follow the main meal.

It was another late night. The French eat quite late and of course they like to take their time with it so it is again after midnight that we are getting into bed! Feels like we're on vacation.

Arrival in Paris

2009-05-04T17:23:00.002-04:00

After an uneventful flight to Paris, we took the subway to Gare du Nord and were met by my cousin Eram, who has graciously given up his apartment for us to use while he stays at his sister, my cousin Sabine's place. We went to Sabine's for dinner and it was great to chat about this and that. Sabine had gone to India a few years ago as well so we cmpared notes a little too.

We ate more food than normal, had lots of cheese with baguette, some great conversation, and then strolled back to Eram's place through the streets of Paris. What a life!

NM

London

2009-05-03T11:00:00.001-04:00

What a day! We started out by dropping our luggage at St. Pancras Train Station so that we could pick them up later on our way out to the airport hotel. This train station is right across from King’s Cross Station, which is famous because Harry Potter boards a magical train to Hogwarts via platform 9 ¾ which is accessed through a magical brick wall. As you can see, Yasmin and Roya are also magical as they had no problems pushing their luggage trolley through!

Next we visited the Queen’s house. She was home (the flag was flying), but she had so many guests that we thought we wouldn’t bother her for a cup of tea. I’m sure she was disappointed and the girls figured that she would have liked to hear about our trip, but we were just too busy today to visit the old girl. However, as we went by we were happy to wave at the guards as they changed shifts.

From Buckingham Palace it is only a short walk to the parliament buildings, Big Ben, and Westminster Abby. We took some pictures and thought about visiting the Prime Minister on Downing Street, but we decided the London Eye would be more fun.

We crossed the bridge and went on the London Eye. It’s a huge ferris wheel that was built for the millennium. You go up in this glass pod that’s big enough to have a party in and you inch slowly upwards. The weather was perfect for some really amazing views of the city.

We crossed back over the river and took a walk to Trafalgar Square. Then we caught the underground to The Monument which was built to mark the Great Fire of London in 1666, which burned for more than three days and took over 13,000 houses.

From London Bridge we had a great view of Tower Bridge. It looks kind of like it stepped out of a fairy tale, particularly next to some of the modern structures around it. We walked down for a closer look at Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, but by this time it was getting late in the afternoon and we didn’t have enough time to go in and explore. It looked like it would have been great, so we’ll have to come back another time for that, I guess.

We ended our day by making our way to the grave site of Shoghi Effendi who was the great-grandson of Baha’u’llah - the founder of the Baha’i Faith. It was a quiet and spiritual way to end our day. We thought of all the Baha’is we have met on our trip as we said a few prayers, and although we were very late getting to the hotel afterward, I’m really glad we made the effort to go and end our day that way.

Hello England

2009-05-02T17:00:00.004-04:00

We said our goodbye's to Elizabeth and Luke and the kids this morning. We'd all had such a good time that it was hard to leave. We had to say "Until next time", because "Good-bye" is just too hard.

The flight was fine, but when we arrived in England we found out that the Victoria line on the underground, which was the one we needed, was closed for the weekend! We found an alternate route, but we ended up lugging our bags up and down various stairways as we changed tube lines a few times. Then onto a red, double-decker bus for the last bit. It took us a bit longer than expected, but at least we arrived safely.

Once we arrived at Luke's sister's house we were welcomed with open arms. Victoria and her husband Dirk Willem were great. They had a BBQ on and kept feeding and feeding us. It was all so delicious and they were great fun to talk with.

The kids had fun too. They took about five minutes to situate themselves and then they were running around playing hide and seek, board games, and card games. They even got to roast marshmallows with Max, Sebastian, and Philomena. What more could a kid ask for!

CM

Packing Up

2009-05-01T12:40:00.001-04:00

Ryan Air seems like a good idea until you look at their restrictions on luggage weight. They restrict you to 15 kg per person, but they don’t allow you to spread an oversized bag between the traveling party. So... we spent part of our day putting all the heavy items in the smaller bags and the bulky light items in the bigger suitcases and then putting our bags on the scales.

We did take a break and went off to a local park to get the kids out for some fresh air. I think they needed to run off a bit of energy as well.

They had a great time rocking a big play jeep. They were off on various safari adventures over what seemed to be very bumpy roads!

Sophia was a bit ignored by the older girls, but she seems to like the extra adult attention that she’s been getting these past couple of weeks. Nadim has become a favourite with his funny faces.

The bags are now mostly packed, and they’re even within the weight limits!

Ring of Kerry

2009-04-30T14:47:00.005-04:00

We skipped school and left the house early. We went to the southwest coast of Ireland to drive around the Kerry Ring.

The views were amazing. As we turned each corner, we seemed to find yet another stunning view.

We were lucky with the weather. We had sunshine! Of course there were a few showers, but I guess it wouldn’t be Ireland if the weather was stable.

At one point we saw a bunch of islands and white sandy beaches. It looked like it could be tropical, but I’m sure the water wasn’t near what it was in India!

As we made our way away from the coast we crossed over the mountains and there were some really gorgeous mountain lakes and streams.

Along the way we stopped for a walk and found a waterfall. The trees and stones near the river were completely covered with moss. I told the girls not to sit still too long or they might turn into moss monsters!

We stopped at a riding stable to go horseback riding, but the timing wasn’t right. We didn’t go away too disappointed though. The owner of the farm took us to a nearby field to see a mare and her new foal, born just last night. As we watched the horses, we got talking about our trip, and about their farm. It turns out she and her husband came from Holland like my relatives. We talked some more and she said that they were looking for a name for the colt. She didn’t want an ordinary name like “Freddy” she said. She asked Nadim his name and I think she is going to suggest it to her family as a possible name for the foal. Funny!

We made it back just in time for supper and now the kids are off practicing for their next rock performance!

Another Rainy Day

2009-04-29T14:02:00.002-04:00

After our late night we didn't get up early as previously planned. We had decided late last night that we would be in no mood for getting up and going to Cork, so instead we had a day around home. The girls were happy to do their school work and then we all curled up on the couch and watched the movie "Bride and Prejudice". It made me think of my neighbour, Mylene, who was totally infatuated with "Pride ad Prejudice" and I wondered whether she had seen this adaptation. It was fun to see the scenes from India with new understanding.

The girls were glad to be home to play with Julia when she returned from school. They are really going to miss each other when it's time for us to leave. It's been really nice for our girls who have missed family and friends and haven't had a lot of opportunity to play with kids who are their age and who speak English fluently. For Julia it's been nice too, because many of her relatives are so far away in Canada and she doesn't see much of them.

We were invited out to a Baha'i gathering again this evening, but decided to spend our last few nights at home and enjoy Elizabeth and Luke's company. We've been commenting on how fast our time together has been passing. I thought descending on them for two weeks might be a bit much, but it's been so much fun that it seems like two weeks is hardly enough!

CM

The Cliffs of Moher

2009-04-28T17:49:00.001-04:00

For a small island country, Ireland has such a variety of landscapes. We visited the cliffs of Moher on the west coast and the views were spectacular. There are tall cliffs jutting straight out of the Atlantic ocean and you can see the layers of rock that have been ravaged by the tide and the wind over centuries. On top of these very rough-looking cliffs are grassy meadows where cows graze! There was someone playing an Irish tune on his flute as we walked up to the cliffs, so that made it even more enjoyable.

The cliffs rise over 200 metres out of the water. We could see birds circling the waters below us, and at one point we even saw a small tourist plane flying at about the same height as us!

The Burren was only a short drive away, but the landscape looked more like something from the Moon.

Cracked limestone boulders stretched to the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. We walked around for a while and the rocks were jagged and sharp in some spots and smooth in others.

You could see how life has a way of forcing its way through the hardest rock. We saw clumps of wild flowers and grass growing in isolated spots all around. It deserves the nickname of “The world’s largest rock garden”.

Later in the evening we went out for a Baha’i meeting and had what seemed like straightforward directions to get to the person’s home. Well, after driving around for an hour, we found ourselves back to almost the same place where we had started! We had been going around in circles. I blame the Irish roundabouts! We also did not have a good map or a cell phone, which may have contributed to this. After stopping several times for directions and getting more disoriented, we finally found the address. By the time we arrived the meeting was pretty much over, but we had time to socialize with everyone and had a good laugh about it.

When we got back we saw that Elizabeth and Luke were still up. A call from one of the Baha’is, asking if we were on our way, had them wondering about us so they were relieved to see us back. We had a midnight snack together and had a good laugh before going to bed.

Galway Area

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We rented a car for a few days and this gave us the freedom to go a little farther as we wouldn’t be required to be back in time for school pickup schedules. So with our new vehicle we drove off to Galway which is a couple of hours away.

Driving on the left side of the road took some getting used to, but Nadim managed to get us there and back without incident! Nadim writes: It felt very strange to shift gears with the left hand and every once in a while I found myself grabbing the door arm rest with my right hand, trying to find the stick shift. I found myself over-compensating by getting closer to the left hand shoulder. Christina was the official “shoulder minder” and let me know every time I got too close to the edge of the road. The roads are also quite narrow and there is no hard shoulder to speak of, and in some spots there are stone walls right next to the edge of the road. So it was imperative that we stay inside the lane.

The city has a large pedestrian-only area at the centre of town and they’ve managed to keep much of the old style facades on the buildings. In fact, the bank is housed in what used to be a castle! We had our lunch of fish and chips, and browsed through some of the shops, but as we’re still shell shocked by European prices we didn’t buy anything except a few postcards. I was tempted by some hand loomed wool sweaters though!

After walking around Galway and enjoying the city a bit, we jumped back in our shiny little car and took a drive along the coast, eventually looping back around through the edge of the Connemara County.

It was amazing to see the changes in the scenery. It went from stone walled fields and ocean views to these open, rocky, and grassy expanses. It kind of reminded me of parts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

Behind these rocky grasslands were rugged-looking mountains. All this in the space of a couple of hours!

We were home a bit late, but thankfully the girls still had time to play with Julia before bedtime. I don’t think they would have forgiven us if we were too late!

Bunratty Castle & Park

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Despite the continuing rain we had a great time at Bunratty. It is a historic park that has a restored castle and many old farm houses and thatched cottages that were relocated there from various locations in Ireland.

The castle was the most impressive with its many spiral staircases, great halls, and other rooms. A good friend told me that her father had grown up in a castle in Scotland. I can now well imagine the incredible games of hide’n’seek that would have been part of his childhood!

As we entered the various cottages we read some of the descriptions where “small farm house” or “simple farm house” or “poor farm house” seemed to feature prominently. So of course the running joke was about the poor, small, simple famers! Where were the rich, large, complex farm houses?

It was fun to step back into history and to tour other people’s homes! Actually I was struck by how similar some of the more prosperous homes were to the ones in Upper Canada Village. You can certainly see where many of our Canadian ancestors came from.

Although we felt rather cold and wet by the end of it, I think we all enjoyed our trip to Bunratty!