7 cities, 6 flights, over 10,000 air miles, over 1,000 driving miles – all in 16 days. Then throw in a hurricane warning in Hawaii, some great food, a surprise visit by good friends, and a birthday weekend that was amazing. This has been a great August!
Nova knows Waikiki! The Moana Surfrider is one of my favorite places in Wakiki, and she just posted this on her site. For the inside scoop on Waikiki or just some great pics, follow her blog the96815
Yes, this is exactly what the room looks like, without the flowers. This is a great place, the customer service is amazing. I must admit the exterior had me expecting a pretty average place, yet the experience at the front desk on to the first impression of the room was quite a pleasant surprise. And there is a great over-stuffed chair, one of my favorite amenities.
If you are in the area, check it out Best Western Inn, Boulder, CO
Down a narrow lane near the Palais de Papes, on the rue de la Monnaie, you will find a small wine shop, the Cave du Bouffart. Through a narrow door, down a few steps, into a space the size of a compact bedroom is a wonderful selection of local wines and wine paraphernalia, where you will be greeted by the most pleasant, “bonjour!”
There next to the counter stood a bin of dark, glistening walking sticks, more attractive at the moment than the wine. I picked one out, aware that getting a five foot stick with a semi-pointed end through all the security checks between Avignon and Seattle would be a challenge. The proprietor explained that it was made of chestnut, the stain is like a deep cherry, engraved with “Cave du Bouffart, Avignon.”
There is something about a walking stick that says slow down. Whether it is a ramble up a mountain trail, or strolling elegantly down Oxford Street in London, a stick in one’s hand defies hurry. I walked down the rue de la Monnaie, stick in hand, it’s metal tip taping on the old stone pavement, each metallic tap reinforcing my commitment to slow down, to remember the pace of Provence in the hype of Seattle.
My stick tapped along the streets of Gordes, through vineyards, up the path leading to the chapel in Moustiers Sainte Marie. I carried it on the train from Lyon to Paris, and then Paris to London, and all the way home to Seattle.
If Sting can carry a walking stick in “An Englishman in New York” then I just might start carrying mine down the streets of Seattle.
Route de Moustiers (Route D952) goes through Roumoules and winds 7.5 miles toward
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Moustiers is a small village that sits in the rugged mountains of Alpes de Haute Provence in France, existing since at least the mid 1700’s it is listed as one of the most beautiful cities in France, which is well deserved.
We stayed in Room 14 at the Hotel le Relais, an inn at the center of town. Remodeled in recent years they have managed to keep the old world charm with such modern fixtures as electronic keys. If the front doors are locked, as they may be, there is a passageway to the left that takes you to a small courtyard, next to a church. There is a door there for guests into the hotel.
Room 14 is worth the extra, the best place we stayed in on our entire 3-week journey. It is the largest room in the hotel, but it is the two floor to ceiling French doors that open to a breathtaking view of the valley and the mountains in the distance that makes you just want to grab a bottle of Cote de Rhone red wine, a baguette from the bakery next door, some cheese from a shop down the way, and sit. So that is exactly what we did.
We watched the sun set behind the mountains across the valley while we reminisced about the almost 3 weeks we had already spent in Europe. That afternoon was certainly one of the highlights of the entire trip. From our deck we watched cars drive the D952 toward Moustiers or destinations beyond. Below us travelers and locals walked by on the stone walks, cars delicately navigated the narrow streets.
As darkness fell, lights came on around the city. Standing on the small deck I looked to the left, away from the valley and toward the hill that the city sits on. A bright light shined on a small chapel, Chapelle of Saint Anne, the yellow light making the rose colored stucco stand out against the blue-black sky, the roof and cross just visible above the tops of the city and houses; poised as if watching over the city below.
At 7.00am the next morning I climbed the winding narrow streets in the dark, occasionally illuminated by a random light, my passing recognized only by a startled dog behind a fence and a hedge. The light was still on at the chapel, illuminating the gate and stairs leading through an ancient gate to the cemetery, weather worn stones testifying to the age and lives spent on these hills.
I sat on the low stone wall at the entrance to the chapel and read the Morning Office. Colors gradually appeared on the distant hills as darkness gave way to the dawn. By the time I finished the Gospel reading it was light enough to call it day. To the right of the chapel, an olive orchard reveled itself in the dawn, I had a sense that I had been praying in Getthsemine
Enamored by Versailles, King Phillip V started construction in 1738. Though the Royal Palace in Madrid does not match Versailles in Paris, of course what could, it is ornate and beautiful. Cameras are not allowed, as I learned after taking only one picture inside the armory of an armored horse, so here are a few of the outside, along with the horse.
It is my last morning in Barcelona, this morning we head to Madrid. Google maps says I am in Spain, so Spanish is the language right? Don’t they speak Spanish in Mexico? Yet the signs and names here are mostly in Catalonian??? And thankfully most all speak English.
Catalonian, at least to my ear sounds a bit like Spanish, with a hint of French thrown in. That fits, since the old Principality of Catalonia spread into the south of France. The Principality is now, after a complicated history (check Wikipedia) an autonomous community of Spain. And there are a large number of folks who would like to see it become an autonomous nation once again, evidenced by the return of the language and the flying of the Catalonian flag.
The Spanish in Spain does not sound like the Spanish in Mexico. It seems to be a bit softer, and I think I hear some different phrases, but since my Spanish is muy pequeño it is hard for me to catch it all.
Barcelona is a big city, second largest in Spain, and like most large cities it is active. People stay up late, and the proliferation of cafés is testament to their love of talking with friends, I like that. And that is what I will remember about this city.
The architecture does live up to its reputation, though I must admit Gaudi is a bit too gaudy for me. Yet there are amazing buildings every time you turn around. The fútbol team is my favorite and it would have been amazing to see them play. The food is so wonderful, hams, sausages, tapas, cava…. But the placas (plazas in Spanish) are what I will remember most.
So my passport stamp says Spain, but I think I will remember Catalonia: independent, life-loving, beautiful people living in a wonderful place. I hope to return again, to dodge bicycles, motorbikes, and cars on narrow streets. Taste cava and anchovies in a small placa, sketch a cathedral, and watch the parade of interesting personalities that call themselves Catalonians.
Spent the night near Heathrow, then took a train, a crowded morning commuter train in to London’s Paddington Station. Not easy wrestling with luggage and crowding with people, but we saved so much. Traveled out of Paddington many time in the past so if felt good to have a bit of comfortable surroundings.
We checked into the Brooks Guest house, Tricia stayed here when she came to Bath in June.
Then went for a walk, a pint, and Marks & Spencer for some take away for back in the room, staying up till at least 8.00 to beat jet-lag. Love the flowers and produce stands.
Its overwhelming – Air, trains, cars, hotels, BnB’s, but trip planning is made easier with the right tools – Evernote and Wunderlist help whip it all into shape.
Objectives.
Evernote as your control center
If you are not familiar with Evernote follow the link and check it out. Just think of it as an electronic notebook on steroids.
First I set up a notebook for the trip. This becomes the storage place for everything. Web screen clips of places to visit, potential hotels, info on travel, etc. It all goes here. It is important to set the notebook up so it is available off-line. That way you can access it from your iPhone or iPad even if you have no access to wi-fi or phone coverage.
Next I create a table in Evernote (this is one time where the table works better than a spreadsheet) for the trip. This will be the control center it should look something like this.
Date, you could add day of the week if it helps. Sleep city, I always enter the city where I will be sleeping, needing accommodations. You want enough info for this to be useful, but simple enough to no complicate. The underlined green entries are links to other Evernote pages that have the details I will need when traveling. From this table I can access hotel, flight, car confirmations that were emailed. You simply forward the email to Evernote, place in notebook, and copy and paste the link into the table. This table also keeps you from missing a detail, if there is an empty cell, you can enter a task box to remind you.
With the Evernote notebook and control table you can access anything you need from iPhone, iPad, or computer. And any changes made are automatically synced between all three. I even put screenshots of maps and ground views of locations into notes to be referenced while traveling.
Wunderlist to track the tasks
Evernote has the feature to create to-do lists, and reminders, both of which I use. But for a project like a trip I like an interactive task list and Wunderlist is about as good as they get, simple but powerful enough.
I create a project list for the trip. Now there is a place to enter everything that comes to mind. With Wunderlist you can even place notes and have sub-tasks. You can have reminders and quickly see not only what you have left to do but what you have completed.
This is Wunderlist in its compact view.
You can also share and email lists to other travelers.
Planning a trip has a lot of details, the key is to keep them all in one place, use reminders, and have them secure and accessible for the trip.
Been There, Eating This 