Posts

Old Friends

Image
Just like our last big trip, in 2009, we end this trip in Paris.  Paris is like an old friend.  We have visited many times and know what to expect -- a boulangerie on every corner, a chocolatier on every other block and two or more cafes, bistros or restaurants on every block as well.  We frequented them all!  We also went to the Pompidou Center to see a special Cubism exhibit, spent some time in the Louvre (free Sunday!) and walked and walked through some of our favorite areas. We had a very stylish, comfortable apartment in the Bastille neighborhood.  Our host explained that Bastille is to the more establishment parts of Paris as Brooklyn is to Manhattan.  That pretty much summed up our impression.  The apartment building fronted on a "passage" (above), a tiny street, which meant it was very quiet.  There was even a little outdoor seating area with patio furniture and stylishly-lit landscaping.  So chic! Our real reason for g...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arcophobia

Image
acrophobia /ˌakrəˈfəʊbɪə/ noun extreme or irrational fear of heights. The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoran (and the 5 other monasteries close by) were the reason we drove all the way from Athens.  The monasteries, and the rock formations on which the monasteries were built, were mind-boggling to behold from a distance.  On close inspection (i.e. actually in the monasteries) I (Jim) got a real jolt of acrophobia.  I cannot remember ever before feeling vertigo and nausea from being so high and on the edge of an abyss. Apparently the memory is unpleasant enough that Jim suggests I (Ralph) take over the writing of this entry, so here goes:  The combination of the buildings and their settings is unique and otherworldly.  No photos were allowed in the churches on top, but both of us were awed by the 14th century chapel of the monastery pictured above - it was serenely beautiful and peaceful.   Photos were allowe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Crete

Image
The Palace of Knossos was a bust.  It was mobbed with tourists, including some very pushy tour guides.  The ruins were interesting but all the good stuff has been removed to the museum in Heraklion. One bit of engineering was interesting, though.  The Minoans, who first showed up in Crete about 6000 B.C., built the Palace around 1700 B.C.   By the time they built the Palace they were already experts in water and sanitation engineering.  You can still see the rain culverts that diverted water from the buildings to the edges of the palace grounds.  You can also see the sealed terra cotta pipes that brought drinking water from a source 10 miles away.  The Palace even had a system for flushing the commodes and carrying the waste far away.  Western Europe "discovered" all these things 3000 years later. Heraklion Archeological Museum The city of Heraklion is about 5 miles from the Palace of Knossos.  Most of the artifacts unearthed a...
Post a Comment
Read more