Slovenia Eastern Europe

Frank in Ljubljana

Frank in Ljubljana

Our trip is taking us into “Eastern Europe”and the former Soviet controlled nations. Slovenia, not to be confused with Slovakia, abuts northern Italy, is wedged between the Alps and Adriatic Sea, is predominantly Catholic, has a population of 2 million, and asserts it should be recognized as “Central Europe”. This journey should be interesting. We had no real idea of what to expect. After being in Paris and Rome, the most popular world tourists sites, we are going off to the the back woods of Europe in the former area of Yugoslavia. It was not until 1991 that Slovenia broke away and achieved independence. We found that Slovenia has had very strong ties with Germanic culture as it was controlled by the Austrian “Habsburg” Family for centuries--so it is more akin to Austria than the other Slovak neighbors. Subject to Nazi, then Soviet control as part of Yugoslavia after WWII, finally after centuries of looking to the west, Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004. It uses the Euro currency, but things are much cheaper, and it has a parliamentary government. There will be more insights to come as we explore and sample.

 

Our trip started with waited with the kids until their train left for Rome to catch a flight home, after not seeing them for 6 months it was a hard goodbye.  

Then we took another water taxi to the bus station, rather bus stop, on the “countryside” of Venice. Our reliable FlixBus bus arrived on time for 8:00 PM and we arrived in Ljubljana, Slovenia at midnight. The guide book writes out the name as “Lyoob-lyee—AH-nah”. That is impossible to say. Forget it, quickly speak as the natives: “Lu-be-lay-na”. Our host offered free pick up and transport; good deal. He showed up in his old SKODA hatchback and joyfully crammed our luggage into the hatch. It was late and he let us in without securing payment and left us promising to be back in touch. 

The street of our apartment 

Ljubljana

The apartment was an upstairs flat in a common family neighborhood.. It was rather new and comfy. We had planned to stay only 2 nights, but liked the place and the town so booked 2 nights more. This gave us an opportunity to take in more sights and to rest after our whirlwind outing with Charlie and Gabrielle in Italy. 

We found the city of Ljubljana tremendously inviting and super clean. The river runs through the town and the river banks are paved with wide sidewalks filled with restaurants, bars with outdoor seating, and nifty shops. Farther down the river a Grecian Agora type market place with columns is fully active with fruits, veggie and meat stands. Apparently, you can buy horse meat as a staple. We could walk, and did, from our flat to the center of town several times without delay. With a mayor pushing modern urban planning, the city center is a no car zone with pedestrian only walkways to the main public square named France Pedersen Plaza, after their favorite poet. We walked all around including taking the funicular to the hilltop Ljubljana Castle. We checked out the living areas, chapel, and dungeons with virtual video about life of prisoners, as well as strolling the parapets for the views of the old city and the far out suburbs. 

 

We also took a walking tour offered by an enthusiastic PhD candidate who obviously loved his city. The university is in the middle of town and the buildings are both historically Baroque or rather unusually modern.  The Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary is also lovely. As you know, we see a lot of churches. The fun and interest is to see the artistic imagination demonstrating piety by all the various peoples. 

This City is just so easy to get around that you are put at ease immediately. Watching moms and dads and kids walking along enhances the friendly feeling, but keep your head up for the bicyclists.  

You could easily extend the stay in Slovenia, but we were limited so we signed up for a full day tour which provided transportation and allowed us to see 3 great sites in one day.

The driver /guide was a very handsome young lady from Ljubljana who spoke impeccable english, but with an Australian accent. Apparently she studied “her guide books down under”. Our small tour group included 4 Australians, an Argentinian, an Iranian, and us. Phil and Helen, open and inviting Aussies actually from Tasmania, were on a 2 month trip, but had traveled globally before. They were very helpful with sightseeing ideas for our upcoming trip to Australia. Everyone was friendly and the group was animated.  The morning trip was to the giant caves of Postojna, aka a lot of different spellings. As we drove, the guide gave us demographics lessons which lead to many questions, which lead to a rather in depth history and humanities lesson. It was apparent that Ivana was a very intelligent lady, and a decent driver too.  The country side was beautiful, especially with the “Julian Alps” in the background. It is near to this area of these Alps, in the Soca River Valley, a site of gruesome WWI fighting, that “Earnest Hemingway” drove his ambulance for the Red Cross, was injured, sent to Milan to recuperate and fell in love with his nurse, as he wrote in “A Farewell to Arms”

The view from our tour bus

Postojna Cave Park

There are hundreds of caves throughout Slovenia, carved out by underground rivers. One of the biggest and best known, and close to the capital is Postojna. Our guide told us to use our imagination for this experience, BUT we still would not imagine the magnitude and beauty of this place. She was right. OMG, this excursion was worth the entire trip to Slovenia. This excursion is as close to a Disney World ride as you could expect in a former Soviet satellite. Once you enter the mouth of the cave, a tram system is set up to ride deep into into the cavern, about half a mile, where you exit and walk on prepared sidewalks for another 2 mile trek through gigantic caverns of back lighted stalagmites and all sorts of cave wonders and formations. There is one cavern so big it is called the “concert hall” and in fact live music is played there. Historic note: the Nazi stored ammunition in this cave and resistance fighters detonated some of the cache which left a tell tale area of rubble. Words can’t adequately describe the images. Check out the photos. 

 

Cliff Castle

We took a quick trip to another mountain valley and found a hunting lodge used by the royal family Hapsburg. This lodge was part cave and part castle, too rough and rugged to be a summer home, but certainly a fortress none the less, with caverns behind the parapets. Apparently, a Robin Hood type character took over the fortress and held off the siege by a displaced Hapsburg for many months. The castle’s fatal design flaw placed the privy as an outhouse which was shelled with cannon fire while “Robin” was refreshing—he died. This was a fascinating structure, the way it was constructed and the different living levels and dungeons.     

Lake Bled

We then drove to Lake Bled---Slovenia’s leading mountain resort. Here we where treated with Alpine panoramas, a fairy tale island monastery, and large hilltop fortress.

We started with lunch on the shore. Our friendly group sat at a large table and just chatted away.  We finished lunch with a special dessert, vanilla cream pie, a local favorite. Yummy.

The group loaded on to a “Pletna” Boat where the special oarsman rows and strokes us across the water to the island. This is a century old business, much like the gondoliers in Venice. The island is capped with a super cute church with a tower and bell. The church has painted frescoes, lovely alter, and interesting ceiling construction. We pulled on the tower rope that hangs by the alter and had the bells ringing, then others stepped up and did the same. Legend has it that if the bell rings 3 times on one pull (not possible) your wish will come true. We also were able to climb the 91 steps of the church watch tower for great views of the island and surrounding countryside.  The pendulum clock has been restored. We then walked the paths around this little island enjoying more views, especially the cliffhanging fortress overlooking the area. Check out some photos. 

Bled Castle

We boated back to land and drove the winding road up to the Bled Castle. Initially built 1000 years before in lesser form, it has expanded over the centuries and was the government seat of Austrian Bishops. The views along the parapets are fantastic and the frescoed chapel is original. Some areas are early shops, such as the wine and print shops. Still, the experience was worthwhile, and of note was the replica Gutenberg Printing Press that first brought the printed New Testament to the peasant population of Slovenia.  

As we drove back to Ljubljana, our guide talked more about the culture of her country. Historically, Slovenians were peasants, hard working and practical. Their language was considered crude, not worthy of printing, and in fact forbidden to be printed. It was Mr. Primoz Turbin who printed an alphabet primer and the Bible for his people. The education the population led to the popularity of the Poet “France Preseren”. His statue stands in Ljubljana. His poem “Toast”, really a drinking song, but inspiring brotherhood, became the National Anthem. He wrote the phrases to take the shape of a wine glass. He wrote other love poems and lived a life akin to “Romeo and Juliet”. Unfortunately, his Juliet did not return the affection. Apparently, other Slovenian authors were more pessimistic, and after centuries of being under the control of foreign powers, our guide thought some of that pessimism lingered. In our opinion, it likely would be a heavy lift moving from dictatorship to democracy. To us the current Slovenians seem easygoing, stylish and fun, the “type of people you would like to chat with over a cup of coffee”. By the way, First Lady Melanie Trump was born in Slovenia.

 

Tomorrow we are off to the neighboring Slavic state of Croatia. 

Venice Italy

Venice

The main island of Venice is shaped like a fish. It is connected to the mainland or “countryside” by a parallel train and auto causeway. When the train stops, we dragged all luggage to the Water Taxi stand, paid to jump on, and then took the boat to the wrong landing and still have to drag the luggage across bridges and steps to get to the correct neighborhood. Actually, it is kind of fun winding through the narrow streets, viewing the reflections from the watery canals, seeing the cute little shops, and the multiple plaza. It is easy to get lost even with a map. Thanks to google maps and Charlie to get us settled.

Charlie and Gabbi going out to the gondola ride

We stayed in a small hotel, nothing fancy but certainly clean and convenient to the the main square of Piazza San Marco. That first afternoon, Charlie and Gabrielle left us to explore a little but mostly to take a private gondola ride. Several years ago Janet and I took the same gondola ride, but with our moms in the back seat. Oh yeah, I don't lie! We got back together and went to Piazza San Marco for early drinks and live music, soaking in the atmosphere and the surroundings. We then were off to dinner at a restaurant highly ratedby Trip advisor. The wait was too long. The host offered to take us to another restaurant that he said had the same owner and menu except no fish. OK, we want pasta anyway. He then walked us to the hidden restaurant of the same name. This place was in need of refresh, but the food was good and there was live music. The evening ended well.

We started the day with a paid guided walking tour; no free tours here. The guide was very knowledgeable and directed us around the Venice landscape, streets and exterior sites. We all got a nice overview of the tremendous history. Our walk took us by Marco Polo’s family home, on “Milion” street. There is a big sign affixed to a particular home which is readily seeable by gondola passengers; however our guide thinks the actual home is farther down the street, but still on Milion street. Apparently, as revered asMarco Polo was he was also ridiculed by fellow Venetians as being a grand “exaggerator”.  They chided his address and his stories of a million Chinese, a million towns, a million this and a million that, etc, etc. What a funny story.

The next tour was with the same guide and we travelled through the Doge's palace, the dungeon, over the bridge of sighs and its cathedral. The actual halls of power are amazingly decorated. Venice, unlike Florence and the Medici clan,  wanted to retard the growth of power within one family. The Venetian council selected it leader every 2-3 years from the elder statesmen of the group.  Should the leader get too uppity, he would be exercised, and his portrait removed from the wall of the Doge palace, and replaced with a painted sign indicating his transgressions. 

We finished the afternoon by visiting the out of the way “Basilica Dei Frari”. This church had some bizarre sculptures and then some fantastic main altar paintings. The most renowned painting is Titian’s “ Assunta” (Assumption of red cloaked Madonna). This is a Titian gallery of sorts. The side altars are something else as well, with one which had a giant sculpture of 4 Africans carved with black stone acting as pillars holding up the roof of a moseleum. 

This day was concluded by an In-house dinner with cooking lessons at the home of a Venetian couple. They were lovely, friendly people who had a very large 3 story home. Their living quarters were on the 2nd floor. We agreed to a meeting point and Giorgio came to lead us through the winding streets to his home. He spoke no english but seemed friendly enough.

When we arrived we were greeted by Santina who spoke little english and a charming young Brit named Anna. She was going to be our facilitator. Everyone thought we had booked through the “Italian Language School”. Surprise, no speak Italian. Thankfully, Anna was there to keep the friendly chatter going. The menu was varied, the cooking methods simple and the ingredients healthy. There wine was good too.  Santina and Giorgio had been conducting a greet and meet cooking class for several years. Anna had stayed with them as her host family on her study abroad program. She loved Venice and had returned to live here and maintain her friendship. She really was a sweet person and made our evening thoroughly enjoyable. We would recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and experiencing the same thing.  See some photos below of our great time.

On our final day we water taxied over to slender Murano Island to view all the artful glass stores and factories. We had purchased a signed glass sculpture when we were here before, but our kids purchased some nice items. Murano is much calmer then Venice, so our waterfront meal was more relaxing. We did notice some signs protesting the invasion of Chinese made glass products warning against damage to the island’s reputation. From our eyes, there is some glass that looks rather mass produced, but clearly the really artistic glass work with flair stands out; just be careful where you shop. 

We water taxied back to Venice to pickup the stored luggage and then tagged alone with our kids as they waited for their train to Rome and the flight home. We greatly enjoyed spending time with family. We may be more home sick now, but there are still many adventures ahead. See some more pictures of our great time in Venice.

Florence Italy

Our Airbnb

The train ride took about 3 hours. We checked into the cutest Airbnb, with its vaulted brick ceiling and clear glassarchways. We wanted to love this place, and did , until the heat turned off , the power failed, and the neighbor went crazy; it sounded like his teen kid was tied to a chair at midnight and left to cry out and babble incoherently all night; it was the bouncing of the chair that first woke everyone and then the volume increased; May or may not have been drugs or mental illness, just saying. We demanded and got a refund. 

 

 

 

 

 

Enough of that nonsense. We enjoyed Florence, founded by Julius Caesar around 59 BC. Janet out did herself with planning this stop for the kids. We planned only 2 days in Florence. She pre-purchased 3 guided tours of the major sites within the city. We used “Viva Art Tours”; all three guides were outstanding. First stop was at the “Galleria Degli Uffizi”. This valuable art collection was bequeathed in 1743 to the city by the super rich“Medici Family” that governed the city for 3 centuries. This is apparently the greatest collection of “Italian Renaissance” art in the world. Our guide was an art expert and gave us interesting backstories about the art presented. Three paintings of note for laypersons like us are: Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (Venus on half shell), Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci, and Holy Family by Michelangelo. Apparently, the patron of the Holy Family did not like the painting and only offered half price; Michelangelo blew him off and after negotiations the painting was sold for double the original price!  Here are some photos.

Gabbi and Charlie in front of "Venus on the Half Shell"

Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci,

Michelangelo's Holy Family


Our second tour that day was at the “Galleria deli Accademia”. The mission was to see the most famous sculpture in the world, Michelangelo’s DAVID; a nude warrior carved from a large single block of marble ( that before had been worked on by two lesser sculptors). This is the second time we saw this magnificent creation, but it still is so beautifully impressive and powerful. Our kids were really taken aback by its size and simple splendor; though art experts diagnose each and every shape and carving stroke, as told by our guide. She was very interesting and opinionated. We found out from her in a friendly way that many of the things we had done were too tourist like and wrong and that we should have made other choices. We ignored all of it except the suggested restaurant for dinner. That was a great tip. See our David pics below and one of his unfinished works

 

We hung out in the museum until after closing time gazing at David's furrowed brow. We then headed out to the suggested restaurant for an upscale traditional Italian dinner. We had a great combination of starters, pasta, salads, desserts, and wine. Funny thing, our waiter was from Albania, not Italy, and in a few weeks he was traveling to see his sister who lives in Troy, Michigan.

 

The next day we did a morning walking tour for the city sights. As well as the iconic landmark of the great Gothic Duomo and its Battistero (separate Baptism building) officially known as Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower, we walked the many narrow streets, second level walkways of the wealthy, Plazas, and foot bridges lined with commercial shops; very clever urban planning. Most of the tour dealt with discussing the influence of the Medici Family and then the French Lorraine family which also ruled, and subsequent reconstruction necessitated by WW II destruction.  The large Cathedral, with green and white marble exterior, is outstanding, but the interior is unexpectedly plain. We later finished the day on our own by viewing the historic science and technology museum, which had been renamed with the fancier moniker of “ Galileo Museum. It was an interesting walk back in time of early technology and way off scientific theories. We really liked what Florence had to offer.

 

Early the next morning we hopped on a train to Venice. Romance ahead!

Rome Italy

We arrived in Rome on a sunny day.  Excited that our son Charlie and his partner Gabrielle from Chicago would be meeting us the next day. It has been 6 months since we actually saw family. We took the local train from the airport to the Termini Station which is in the neighborhood of our 2 bedroom Airbnb. Nice accommodations, but a bit sterile, in a newly renovated space. We moved furniture around to make the place more comfy and family friendly. Our narrow street was quiet, but interesting with the large National Institute of Statistics across the street and a Jewish Synagogue nearby protected by 2 armed soldiers every night. Our host checked us in and also directed us to a grocery and the ROMA soccer ticket store within walking distance. Most of our family vacations include a sporting event, we gave Charlie this match for Xmas. This walk was where we got our first taste of the hustle and bustle, grit, and beauty of Rome, which seemed even more active than Paris. We walked passed ancient ruins and churches, and stores and bistros. Our heads were on a swivel when crossing streets looking out for unrelenting motorbikes. Cars were easy to see coming. We arrived at our destination. The Soccer ticket purchase is a very controlled process requiring Passports and printed tickets actually displaying your name. Ticket use also requires limited stadium access points and double verification of ticket ownership. The stadium has plexiglass walls between sections. No “hooligan” nonsense here. 

We had the next day open waiting for the kids to arrive. We chose to visit the “Museo e Galleria Borghese” at Villa Borghese. This is the 17th century park and villa created by the very rich Cardinal Borghese. Luckily, we had preordered tickets; access is limited by time slot and numbers. The hassle was worth effort. This lavish gallery boasts extraordinary paintings and sculptures by the likes of Raphael, Caravaggio, and Bernini. The ceilings and walls have been painted in the large meeting rooms as well. The audio guide helps in the appreciation. Especially when advised that several beautiful paintings of “Nudes” where typically displayed in the Cardinal’s bedroom. Check out some photos. 

Charlie and Gabbi in their first church

Charlie and Gabbi in their first church

At Midnight, Charlie and Gabbi arrived. Lovely reunion! After flying from Chicago to Istanbul to Rome they were beat. All were ready to sleep, until “surprise”,the shower drain backed up and flooded the bathroom. We mopped up. Luckily the apartment had a patio where we could hang out the a 3 towels and rugs. Not the incident free start we had hoped.

 

In any event, we had planned a nice day. We started out with a 3 hour self guided walking tour of the highlights of historic center of Rome. This was possible because we had downloaded and audio app into all our phones, prepared by the famous and thorough tour guide Rich Steves. We strolled through the busy streets of Rome, starting at Plaza Navona then moving on to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, and finally the Pantheon, among other sights; often stopping at open churches that crossed our paths to get lovely surprises of beauty.

 

We had late lunch sitting by the Pantheon and of course, enjoyed a variety of Gelato as we walked to home base.  We have provided a few inspirational photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the crowd at the Spanish Steps

In the crowd at the Spanish Steps

The Roma soccer stadium was rather remote, so we used Uber and where dropped off a hour early. We needed that much time to get to the correct gate and clear the entrance. The game was high quality. The visitors scored first using some fancy footwork and quick passing, and had other chances to score playing aggressively. Roma, came back to win with superior size and strength. It was fun. It was also late when we got out the metro to our place stopped at 11:30 pm. We just missed it watching it roll away down the track. We where kind of stranded, but we walked along the Tiber River and finally grabbed a taxi safely home. 

 

The next day was really action packed. We scheduled a guided tour of Ancient Rome. We started at the Colosseum, of gladiator fame, and then walked through the Roman Forum and ruins which formed the social, political and commercial heart of Rome. Our guide was fantastic and gave us a good insight and back story of all these sights. 

We had a break for lunch; another tasty Italian meal of sandwiches sitting on the fountain steps - just perfect.   We met up with our guide for the afternoon visit to the Vatican; switching from the power of Ancient Rome to the power of the Catholic Church. We started at the Vatican Museums and traveled through the galleries that displayed gorgeous sculptures and paintings, the Tapestries, and 40 huge topographical maps drawn of the city states and nations from the perspective and starting center point of Rome. 

Of coarse, the grand finale is Michelangelo’s 1508-1512 paintings of the Book of Genesis on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He returned 22 years later to paint the “Last Judgement”on the west wall. Other famous artists, such as Botticelli and Signorelli painter side wall frescos. It is really magical. No speaking or photography is allowed within the Chapel. But we again used the Rick Steves audio guide to direct our viewing to important and interesting panels of the paintings. An off beat fact was that prior to the cleaning of the paintings art experts opined that Michelangelo painted with very dark colors because he was ill tempered with the Pope Julius II.

They were wrong. The candle smoke stained panels were clean to display vibrant colors. A small section in the west corner of the painting has been left unclean to show the vast difference. 

 

We left the Vatican and walked to St. Peter’s Basilica. This is Italy’s most spectacular church, standing over St. Peter’s Tomb. You know the Apostle St. Peter that Jesus appointed to be the “Rock” upon which the Christian Church would be built. The size, splendor, and décor of the Basilica is amazing. An added emotional “tear jerker” is the display of Michelangelo’s “Pieta”, a sculpture of Mother Mary holding the deceased Jesus. He completed the piece when 25 years of age. It is one of the most beautiful works of art we have ever seen. 

We left the Basilica and looked out over the grand St. Peter’s Square. We also observed the changing of the Vatican’s Swiss Guards, in their colorful uniforms with pikes in hand. This was a full and meaningful day. We headed home to freshen up for a great pizza dinner at a local joint

 

We had a great couple of days in Rome. Tomorrow we take the early morning train to Florence.

Nice France

Rue Droite - our Airbnb street in Nice

Our destination is Nice. After freezing in Turkey, Germany and parts of France we have sun and it is warm! We love this place. Our Airbnb is in old town on a narrow hilly street called Rue Droite. This is a second floor flat in a 5 story building with those traditional windows that have shutters. When we exit on to the narrow cobblestone street, there are pasta shops, bakeries, and restaurants nearby. We are only 2 blocks from the central plaza that has been built over a river that runs through the town. Today in the plaza was the Paris/Nice bicycle races meeting point and retailer/equipment area. As we waited for the our customary walking tour to begin, a procession of multiple buses with cycle team members and trailered team colored bikes passed by. It was tremendously colorful and excitement was in the air. The races had several starting and ending points throughout southern France. 

The walking tour was led by the cutest little Bulgarian transplant who had lived in Nice 6 years. She was very bubbly and entertaining. We walked all over the the traditional town, waterfront, and finally fortress hill where the view was spectacular. This is a really beautiful place and tasty. We had samples of French gelato, then a full scoop, then chick pea cake which tastes like fried chicken—extra crispy, then samples of special candied fruit. Our guide kept on asking if we enjoyed our energy food because we were going to keep walking. At the end of the tour, we stayed at fortress hill and had café latte while we enjoyed the sun and views. We eventually walked down and shopped for fresh pasta and red sauce, fresh bread, and dessert for dinner. We also purchased some of the wonderful lavender sachets that Nice is famous for.  Our suitcases can get stinky from long term travel. It was late afternoon by now, so we went home and did some homework. Someone (aka Janet) put together a marvelous dinner accompanied by the Rose’ wine the host gave us. This was a fun day! 

 

At the market

Day two.  Today we went to the farmer’s market in the center of town, 3 blocks from our place. The weather is beautiful and sunny. One of Janet's favorite things on this trip is to shop for local food. The setting here is so different from the markets of South America, pristine clean, no stray dogs, no haggling prices, but it is still a great way to mix with the people and get an understanding of the culture through the food.  Here we purchased fresh fish, veggies, cheeses, olives, bread and fruit for the next 4 days.

 

This was a leisurely activity, so when we finished it was time to use these items for lunch. Someone (aka Janet again) put together a scrumptious lunch of fresh food so we would have energy for our next excursion.

This is a office building and art

 

This afternoon we chose to go to the MAMAC, or Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. The core of the collection for the 21st century came from “European New Realists” Yvette Klein and Nikki de Saint Phalle. The stuff is pretty weird, and a huge change from all the masters we saw in Paris but it is clever and provocative. We also enjoyed the so called “Auto-Destructive Art” of Gustav Metzger, a German living in England, and the street art of “ BEN”, a guy from Nice, who use to have a cutting edge second hand record shop in town that was home to local artists. Outside this museum is also a sculpture park with some crazy stuff. 

 

On our third day we visited the Matisse Artist Museum.  Nice has 12 recognized art museums so choices had to be made. This was a leisurely day, we started off late, but the bus trip was quick and took us to the hills north of the seashore. Very nifty housing and a Roman city to boot along the way. This museum is housed in a beautiful Villa and the display demonstrated the growth of Henri Matisse and the changes in his artistic thought over an extended career.  Many sketches of models that became paintings, many style shifts, and many favorite locations for inspiration, such as Tahiti and Nice, where highlighted. The painter was certainly a cool dude, who made fun of himself in numerous self sketches. Check out some photos.

On day 4 we are finally ready to explore the region, back on the bus and off to a day trip to Monaco. The capital is Monte Carlo, the worlds second smallest city is home to 33,000 residents. Monte Carlo’s high rise buildings and gorgeous waterfront with large yachts get your attention, as do the astronomical prices. We however, paid only a buck 50 ($1.50) for bus tickets to this Cinderella land with the million dollar views of sea and villas on the winding shoreline road. We arrived in front of the famous Casino, which is also the Opera House. Everything is pristine the Rolls Royces are spit and polished. The sun was magical so the city and marina glistened. We chose not to enter the Casino but instead walked the beautiful Roman pathway along the shore and cliffs to reach the world renowned Musee Oceanographic de Monaco.

 

The Museum and its center piece aquarium were run by mariner Jacque Costeau for many decades. The Museum is housed in an elegant baroque styled building and is partially built overhanging the cliffs. The large interior lagoon has sharks, sharks, and sharks, and giant piranhas. The whole set up is great. We visited the rooftop terrace for cappuccino and sweeping views of Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea. Very magical.

Princess Grace's tomb

As we walked back to the bus stop on Garibaldi Blvd., we stopped at the 1875 Monaco Cathedral to check out the mosaics and to view with respect the grave sites of the King and Princess Grace (Kelly). She is an American Oscar winning actress and is the mother of the current King Albert III. 

The bus was packed, so we stood all the way back to Nice. Again, the shoreline view of the shiny sea from the cliff heights was fantastic, one little village and marina after another. The evening was completed with a fantastic home cooked meal and sparkling Rose wine.

 

 

Monaco harbor

 

On day 5 we take another day trip. We decided to move west this time for a short jaunt to another shore side town, Cagnes Sur Mer. Another bus, another $1.50. As well as the view of the countryside, we went to see two specific sites. First, we enjoyed the Pierre Renoir homesite and museum. There were duplicate paintings set up outside at the point the artist sat when painting. The before and after of the location was still very similar.

A print of the  painting set at the site

 

Renoir was born in 1841 and died 1919. He was an “impressionist” in part, but used many styles over his career. He looks like an “artist”. Photos of some of his paintings are provided. Most interesting was how he extended his career even with the infliction of severe arthritis in his hands and legs. The hands where wrapped and his brushes secured so he could continue. He also painted from a wheelchair in later life and his studio was presented with easel and wheelchair.  The overall experience was enjoyable.  Then we walked to town center and picked up the free shuttle to The Haut-De-Cagnes Castle located at the top of the steep hill that overlooks the town. This was first a a small fortress that was updated to a Chateau overtime with painted ceilings and wall tapestry, and an art museum of modern art. The castle also includes the old sub level mill for pressing olive oil. A small ancient neighborhood surrounds the castle, which we could see from the top rooftop turret of the castle. The long distance view of the Mediterranean Sea was also great. Check out some photos.

Day 6 and our last day in Nice, and France. and we went to see the Marc Chagall Museum. Chagall is a more contemporary artist than the other artist homes we have seen. This particular exhibit displays really large canvases presenting a biblical theme of the Old Testament in a modern format. These paintings where striking. With the help of an audio guide the complexity and creativity of the artist’s works were explained. This was a very enjoyable outing. Check out some examples of this work

We jumped on the local bus and made it back to out flat by noon. We know this because the city fires a cannon shot at noon everyday. We grabbed some towels and a backpack of snacks and headed down to the waterfront to sun on the beach. After shucking off our shoes and socks and rolling up our pant legs we absorbed the sun rays and sea breeze. It is said that in high season every square foot of the beach is filled with blankets and people. We had a lot more room to stretch out and watched the limited activity on the beach and seashore. Nice really is a great town and the sea and weather add to the charm.

 

 

Nice has been a great visit, it is also the 6 month mark on our trip.  We needed the sun, the down time and rest after how quickly we have traveled since entering Europe in December.  Tomorrow we fly to Rome, Italy and will be joined by our son and his girlfriend.  We really enjoyed France, but we cannot wait for time with family, more sun, pizza, and gelato

 

 

Normandy and the Loire Valley

Utah beach, the holes are from the bombing

Bayeux France

There are numerous cities you may choose to stay if interested in the WWII battlefields. We chose Bayeux, Pop. 14,400, that sits within 80 KM south from the farthest Normandy beaches code named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword; the site of the D-Day landings that ultimately led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation. The most brutal fighting on D-Day took place just 15 KM northwest of Bayeux along the coastline known as Omaha Beach, re-enacted in “Saving Private Ryan”.  We toured the waterfront and beaches, and walked through bunkers. Then we toured the various towns inland where the paratroopers dropped, including the massacre site at the town of Ste. Mere Elise, German and American cemeteries near Bayeux and then other pertinent sites. These excursions were thought provoking, inspirational, patriotic, but also brought upon much sadness.

 

Our tour started at 8:00. We were joined by only one other traveler. He was a Big 10 college student from Wisconsin who had really studied the history of WWll. Coincidently, his Grand Dad and my Dad were both Naval aviators in the Pacific theater and both flew PBY “Catalina” sea planes.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and offered a nice presentation. We went to many sites and were provided anecdotal information. For “Band of Brother” fans, we walked near the fence line where the 4 big German guns where hidden in the hedgerow.  We were with our guide all day and ended the day at the US Military Cemetery situated by the shore as the sun set. It is an overwhelming experience. 

Frank at the American cemetery memorial

The town of Bayeux had been miraculously saved from the ravage of war. The Nazis left to defend Caen, a bigger city with a railroad hub, so the allies just passed through. Its narrow streets are bordered by original row houses with cute shops, one after another, hotels and restaurants, a gem of a historic museum, and a Norman Gothic Cathedral. This is a great little town.

Bayeux first became famous from the 11th-century tapestry embroidered to tell the story of the Norman invasion of England in 1066. The Brits know this as the Battle of Hastings, where

Dinner with new friends

William the Conquerer, from Normandy, defeated the interloper King Harold, took control of England, and changed the line of succession of future Kings. There are 58 graphic scenes in this 50 meter tapestry that we were surprised was so interesting. It has been described as the first comic strip in history.

We were also lucky to meet a charming American couple from Virginia. We really hit it off and had dinner together after we toured the Bayeux Military Museum; the museum displayed key information and photos about the invasion as well as a lot of equipment, tanks, and guns. The museum was a good preamble to our tour of the actual battle sites. As well, that night we downloaded the 1960’s film “The Longest Day” about D-day as a brush up on key events.

 

Mont St. Michel

The next day we left the beach area and toured the magnificent Mont St. Michel, an abbey fortress built on a rock island in the middle of the bay. The construction was allegedly demanded 3 times by the Arch Angel St. Michel who in exasperation poked a hole in the Bishop’s forehead to make his point. Isn't there an American saying “I need an excuse like I need a hole in my head”?  Historically, visitors and/or attackers could only reach the Mont during low tide, when surrounded by bare sand and bogs for miles around. However, the bay is notorious for fast raising tides that swallow and drown all visitors. Now there is a single causeway for easier access.

You are just mesmerized as you drive up to the sight of this towering structure with its sky scrapping turrets. Over the centuries the monastery has been rebuilt, one church over another, and expanded.  There is also a small village at the base of the island below the monastery with its own small church, residences and restaurants.  We treated ourselves to lunch at the famous “La Mere Poulard”restaurant that specializes in world renowned soufflés omelets 5 inches thick cooked over an open fire in copper pans and stuffed with any delicious thing you would want. There is a musical cadence in whipping the eggs that you can hear and see as you enter the restaurant. With a glass of Rose’ wine and décor of signed celebrity photos the place is the best. 

We caught the tram to our transport pickup spot, after finding the tram stop with the help of some young American gals from California on holiday. It has been nice to interact with some Americans lately; there is an instant bond. When we got back to Bayeux we spent the last part of the afternoon visiting the city’s historic museum, a real gem, and the Cathedral as we walked to the hotel. That night we packed for our trip to the Loire Valley, the place where nobles established their country getaways.

Breakfast at the Anne Bretagne Hotel

Loire Valley

We got up really early and walked through the town to the train station. We had to catch the earlier train traveling to the cities of Caen, then Tours, and then finally Blois, a town of 40,000 pop., where we stayed at a really cute hotel called the “Anne Bretagne”, on the 3rd floor with a view of the Chateau Royal de Blois. The hostess was particularly friendly and we would certainly recommend staying there.

 

 

The Chateau Royal de Blois was the feudal seat of the powerful counts of Blois. This is the first of the summer Chateaus we will see that are said to have the most extravagant architecture out side of Versailles. Here, the 4 grand halls were built in stages between 13th and 18th centuries by various Royals that leads to a merger of the architectural styles of Gothic, Renaissance , and Classical in the great halls and residences that are plushly decorated and harken back to their extravagant living style.

The next day, our hostess helped secure transfers to two other phenomenal Chateau. The first transfer was to Chateau de Chambord, initially constructed by King Francis I at the dawn of the French Renaissance it was an affirmation of his royal power. The Chateau is massive and impressive. The central grand double helix spiral staircase is a key architectural feature which some have attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci who lived nearby for 3 years until his death. All floors are connected by this twisting stairway. As well, the royal apartments of the first floor are plushly decorated, it took about 100 years later when the Sun King Louis XIV made his mark, and the second floor keeps have impressive barrel vault coffered ceilings with Francis’ trademark of “Salamander”  carvings. There is an Italian influencedrooftop terrace with cupolas, domes, and chimneys where the royal court assembled to watch military exercises and returning hunting parties. We too looked out over the grand vista of the garden from this vantage point.

In the same day, we travelled to the much smaller, but certainly equally elegant Chateau de Chaverny. The estate has been in the same family, the Marquis Hurault, for more than 6 centuries, and descendants still live in the right wing of the Chateau. The Chateaut has hardly been altered since constructed in 1625. The exterior is elegant. Significantly, the interior décor of the rooms has been maintained and the dining room, bridal chamber, chapel, as well as a guard room with armor and weapons, are striking. Great fun is to go to the kennels where 50 pedigreed French Pointer Fox Hounds bark and howl in friendly fashion at visiting guests. We missed the public feeding that can be watched at 5:00 pm. 

There are several other Chateau nearby that we were unable to schedule, but we enjoyed the opulence of what we saw and were ready to return to Blois for a fancy French dinner. Very rich. We might not be fans of froig qua, i.e., duck liver, that is considered a delicacy, and expensive. The veal and mushrooms sprinkled in brown sauce was tasty.

On Day 3—Monday, we had to get up real early and leave to go back to Paris to get new Passports. We where running short on pages to stamp as you know. We got an email that the passports where ready for pickup and figured this was the most convenient time to go and then leave Paris by train to reach our next southern destination of Lyon, the third biggest city in France, population 488,000.

Lyon

This city has been a commercial, industrial and banking powerhouse for the past 500 years. It is also suppose to be the “ gastronomic” capital of France. Generally, we found the city dull. But people were very friendly. We did our best to walk the “Vieux Lyon” or old town which includes Roman ruins, and medieval and renaissance houses below the key landmark of Fourviere Hill. The nearby St. Jean Baptiste Cathedral is the typical buttressed Cathedral with large stain glass windows, but higher up the hill a newer Cathedral de Fourviere is the mind blower.

This Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere is purposely opulent as it was built as a testament to French greatness just after the war against Prussia had been LOST—kind of a moral booster. In any event, this may be one of the most beautiful churches we have seen. We actually started ranking churches as we admired the immense mosaic murals on all the walls, ceiling, and dome. There is a second full church built as the foundation under the grand cathedral, again just beautiful, and then a separate large side chapel. Funny thing is—this Cathedral is not listed in our guide books. It is ignored. We saw it's striking exterior as we walked the Hill, and we were really elevated and a long way from our Airbnb. Luckily, at dusk we found the “funicular”which is a tram for the Hill that connects to the metro and allowed us to get home really quickly—saved our legs. 

We should mention that our Airbnb in Lyon was one of the best places we stayed. It was fully equipped and being on the eleventh floor we had great views. We used a lot more of our time in this city for scheduling travel and booking Airbnb's for Italy and Slovenia. Upon leaving we had an easy walk to the bus station too; good ole’ FlixBus with German origins, took us cheaply and comfortably from Lyon to the French Riviera.

 

Paris France

We took a 200 mph train from Stuttgart, Germany to Paris and arrived in 3 hours. The train looks like a bullet or shiny spaceship and travels with only a whisper of sound. The train station has a metro level. Once you arrive you can walk to the underground metro and take the subway to your neighborhood. We took the metro to “Republique” station and walked 2 blocks to our very cool Airbnb. We met our concierge, a young lady working for the owner, who set us up in the apartment. With a circular stairway and two windows overlooking the bustling street the apartment was very inviting. The fact that we were living so close to the metro station made the place even more stellar, and boy did we take advantage of this convenience. You can go from one end of the city to another for $1.90. But this first afternoon we walked. After settling in, we took a long walk toward the Seine river, and actually made it there. This route was interesting in a surprising way.

 

 We passed many cabinetry and kitchen renovation shops displaying the flashiest set ups. Apparently, there is a lot of updating going on. We also passed many scooter shops with some really funny looking models, but reasonably priced. Across the street were show rooms for Harley Davidson and Triumph motorcycles, probably not so cheap.

 

Parisian Houseboats

These scooter and bike shops were situated in customary Parisian store fronts alongside restaurants or other businesses. We also walked by government buildings alongside wide boulevards and traffic circles. When we reached the Seine river, we observed a wide river contained by carved cement walls with walkways and docking on each side. There appeared to be docked residential houseboats as well as typical river cruise commercial boats and nightclub boats. As we looked down the river, we saw the Notre Dame Cathedral in the distance. That was a first “WOW” moment, but not the last

Arielle and Janet

We had walked so far that we decided a metro return was needed. We found the closest metro station, purchased 2 tickets from a live teller, and got back home quickly and warmly.  Our long term friend and coworker from Belgium, Arielle came for dinner and an overnight stay.  This is our first visit by friends from home.  What a great treat, we talked late into the night, catching up on politics, people and our crazy travel adventures

We spent the first half day with Arielle investigating the Orsay Art Museum, a former train station that was wonderfully renovated.  We had lunch there and then had to say goodbye, back to just the two of us.  Thankfully only a few weeks until our kids arrive in Rome!!  We cannot wait!!

 

Next we walked down the busy boulevard to the Eiffel Tower. We picked the best month to come to Paris. The weather is clear, sky blue, with only a bit of a chill, but most importantly there are NO LINES. Our experience is that a winter season visit to Paris is very convenient and certainly outweighs the cold.

We stood under the Eiffel Tower for only a few minutes before we rose up on the pulley elevator to the second deck. The structure and views are equally magnificent. The wind was so strong the peak was closed.

We purchased 10 pack Metro tickets and 4-day Museum passes earlier in the day, which made it easy to get around and get through the entry lines for all the sites. We also explored our neighborhood and found bakeries, butchers, and grocery stores which made it easy to cook really great dinners at the Flat, and drink a little wine and have desserts with our meals. What a great day in Paris

 

We decided to visit Versailles the next day by taking the RER train 10 miles outside of Paris. This was Louis XIV’s magnificent palace situated on a park larger than Central Park in NY. Again the lines were manageable. We did an audio tour of this opulent palace and also enjoyed the large paintings in the Gallery of Battles. We then walked in the palace gardens to the Mari Antoinette’s hide away cottage. The fountains and canals and manicured landscapes reinforced Louis XIV’s mastery over nature as divinity on Earth.

 

The next time day we went to The Louvre in the morning by Metro. The street level view is impressive by it sheer size. This was King Louis XIV's first Palace until he built Versailles and took the government with him. The magnificent courtyard displays glass pyramids that where designed by an American architect. These where controversial structures for the French, as was the Eiffel Tower when first completed. We liked them. Under the Pyramid was a giant sub level reception area with entrances to the museum collections. Very cool.

As you know, the collection of art is so massive that it would take weeks to see.  We decided to use an audio tour from the Rick Steve's series that was organized to show and discuss a series of essential master sculptures and paintings. This tour included, of course, the Mona Liza, Venus De Milo, Winged Victory, and paintings of French battles and Napoleons’ Coronation.  See some photos below

 

After the Louvre, we ate at a lovely French bistro and decided to have roast lamb and the fix’ens. For most meals we split a main and order two starters, this proved difficult in France.  We had fun with this waiter, who finally allowed it.  When he delivered our meal he ask "Americans?" when we said yes he replied, of course, I know your disposition, very funny.

Forearmed with extra energy we continued our city tour of Paris.

Again using a downloaded Rick Steve's audio walking tour we trekked to the massive Notre Dame Cathedral with the flying buttresses, the Jewish Deportation Monument, then the Latin Quarter, Conciergerie, St. Julien-le-Pauvre, Place St. Michel, then ending at the Pont Neuf bridge over the Seine. The streets were full of Parisians and tourists scurrying to their destinations on this sunny afternoon.  See some photos below

End of a long great day

Our legs were tired so we hopped onto the Metro and got home quickly. At home we cooked a simple dinner, drank some wine and port, and downloaded some American films to watch. Tomorrow will be Sunday, which is a work day of laundry, planning, computer work, and phone calls to family. We have an appointment with the US Consulate for new passports. Our passports have so many stamps that we need more pages. Unfortunately, the rules have changed. No pages, but only newly issued passports and as of November 2016, one month after we left, photos must be without glasses. The extra photos we brought are with our normal glasses. Since it’s Sunday, there are no studios open for photos—we checked. Hopefully all will work out as the needed forms have been completed and downloaded.

Protesters at the end of our street

We finished Sunday dinner when we overheard chanting crowds and drumming. Looking out our street side windows, we notice a large peaceful gathering of people at the intersection. They were involved in a choreographed march in place where the main action was upper body movements coordinated with the beat of the drums. Later there was singing in unison. We could open our windows and we were able to look at and hear them better. It was an interesting congregation of spirited people. Well it's now 10 pm and the crowds are now chanting, but no music--bad sign, as well police cars are at the end of the street. We’ll keep you posted. The crowds left without incident. Apparently, the right to strike and protest is accepted in France.

It's morning. After the passport stuff, we hope to see Sainte-Chapelle, and do some general sightseeing before we move on to Normandy, the site of the D-Day landing. We may add some other information to the blog.

No photos allowed at the Consulate, but this is the view across the street

 

There was 2 lines at the US Consulate, one for passport issues and the other longer line for Visas to enter the US. We met one gal who had her purse and passport stolen and then another gal who had moved to Paris with her little daughter and needed a renewal. The little girl was sharp as a tack and had absorbed the French language in her classes.  The line moved quickly and luckily the US furnished a photo booth to resolve our glasses issue. Our forms were good, but because we were not seeking emergency passports on the spot, our request had to go back to the States to be reviewed and then reissued. They promised to email us within 3 days if approved, ok—no problem, then contact us upon receipt so we could pick them up. What can you do? We will have to backtrack to Paris for the pickup.

 

With business done, we went to see Sainte-Chapelle. It is a buttressed structure that allows for 15 towering stained glass windows. It is very beautiful inside and had been recently refurbished. The Chapelle was built at the request of an earlier king, King Louis VI, as a place to harbor the “thorn crown of Jesus “which he purchased from Judaea. He paid more for the crown then the Chapelle cost to build. Hope it was authentic, but in any event the thorn crown is now kept at Notre Dame.

On our final day in Paris, we visited the Arc de Triomphe, a war memorial for lost soldiers commissioned by Napoléon, which is the centerpiece of the Champs-Elysee, a broad boulevard built by King Louis XIV, and where 12 streets come to this single point and roundabout. Then we traveled on the Funicular, a cable car, to the highest point in Paris known as Montmartre to obtain another high panoramic view the city and to visit the Sacre-Coeur Basilica, aka Sacred Heart Basilica. This church interior uses massive mosaic scenes to honor Christianity. The dome was particularly splendid. We walked down the hills to the surrounding   neighborhood that is historically known for its artist colony and bohemian culture, also night life, as it was the location of the Moulin Rouge.  

Traditional French lunch

 

We chose this neighborhood for late lunch and were rewarded by great food and views of the street life. We rode the Metro subway all over the place to see these sites and also managed to get back to the Republique station without problems. Our neighborhood is great, being so convenient for travel and with easy shopping. We saw many of the most famous sites of Paris, but there are tons of other stuff to do and see on a future trip.

 

Tomorrow we check out and catch the train to Normandy and the D-day battlefields.