2Independent-Travelers

Eulogy for a dog

Posted on July 13, 2015 by carolinebotwin

A very young boy and 2 pups: a lifetime for the dogs and a maturation for the boy.

Kevin, our neighbor’s grandson, came to play with the dogs after school when he was 10. He would throw the ball in the yard and anything that was handy: socks, toys, food, etc. Gamba (bigger) and Coquille (smaller) loved him.

And at 12, this relatively small boy had enough strength (and moxie) to walk them twice a week.

After walking, he would always sit on the floor and pet them…while they jostled for the best position. Although he is partially cut out of the frame, he got them quiet (almost) for the picture.

And Kevin continued walking them for the next 12 years. The dogs recognized the car and would go into a frenzy when he drove up.

This picture is shortly before Coquille (on right) died on the couch in our family room. I was sitting with her when Gamba came in, barked at her, and ran away. Shortly she returned, barked again, and went to lie in the living room for the next 2 days.

I helped her onto the couch for this picture….but you can read her body language. We went looking for a companion and found a 6 year old “Daisy” at the Shelter and brought her home.

And between this vibrant Jack Russell Terrier and Kevin, they brought Gamba back to life.

Gamba, at this time 14, had heavy losses in sight and hearing. On our daily AM walks both Mike and I noticed that she followed Daisy, her black & white signpost. In the park Daisy once caught a gopher but didn’t have the strength to kill it. Gamba (combo Pit-bull, Chow and German Shepherd) took it from her, bit it in half and presented it to Mike and me.

Daisy, a Terrier, grabbed the other half and ate it. Then they were a team!

This was a fuzzy picture because it was difficult to keep this new dog still….to be expected by being dumped into new situation.

Meanwhile Kevin finished high school and attended Cuesta College still continuing “old dog” walking. He excelled in many areas and became our computer “Guru” for the past 3 years.

We have produced 44 blogs and 3 loved and well adjusted dogs. This is a picture of Kevin, now 23, with the old and new dogs, just before Gamba died last week at 16 years.

God love her, she did our AM walk with us….and the next morning she could not stand.

She nuzzled both of us when we carried her into our vet’s office and held her when she died.

Mike and I and Kevin morn her terribly—–but remember her 16 years with joy.

Now Daisy is picking up the slack.

As Kevin, the dog walker, I’d like to share my own experience over the near 15 years I spent with Gamba and other dogs (Lobster, Coquille, and Daisy). From my perspective having the routine and responsibility every week of walking and caring for the dogs, as well as interacting with two very intelligent, kind, and generous adults has been such a blessing for me. I slowly developed a second family over time. The walks in beautiful SLO with my two loyal and loving companions were a meditative time and activity for a boy, and eventually a young man, to reflect upon his life. Gamba was constantly on the lookout for my safety, tensing up and seeming to become twice her size when she expanded her powerful ribcage and made the hair on her back raise up. She was a natural guard and hunting dog. Cats and gophers were her prey of choice. While she caught, and many times ate, many gophers she never (to my knowledge) caught any cats. Though there were some near incidents…

Aside from unyielding love and loyalty Gamba also imparted a great lesson of wisdom on me. Through watching the various stages of her life I witnessed firsthand the powerful transformation of time and the process of ageing. Caroline originally hired me to help socialize Gamba with humans, children in particular. She had a natural aggression that any good guard dog would have. And over time as she grew through childhood, teenage years, and into adulthood I saw this aggression and her overall temperament change and refine. By the time she was elderly she no longer even cared to challenge an approaching dog or a taunting cat. The once sprightly and fighting spirited dog had become, just like many elderly humans: carefree, calm, and seemingly contemplative (for a dog at least).

This observation of an animals life and its transformation of character became a profound realization of the similarity between all creatures; no living being escapes the process of life. It caused me to take a moment to reflect upon my own transformation through my boyhood, teens, and early adulthood that I experienced with Gamba. She had in some odd way become an adopted sibling of mine. We walked a great deal of life’s journey together, both literally and figuratively. And though she is physically gone her memory will walk with me till my end.

Posted in America, California | 1 Comment

Another Hill Town/Bastide

Posted on June 7, 2015 by carolinebotwin

Generally one enters a place from the front….but not Cordes-sur- Ceil, France. (Their “front” door was a narrow, stone archway accommodating only 2 abreast).

Driving around and up a narrow dirt road discouraged many 13th century attackers.

Parking was sparse around and between the buildings at the top.

We tried to find an open space to see the rolling countryside but found only alleyways.

Some French people were carrying foodstuffs hither and yon and laughingly calling to each other.

Curving and circling through the brick and stonework buildings, they were interspersed with potted flowers, shrubs and small trees. And they led forward to other alleys equally charming.

The people smiled, nodded at us and talked to their neighbors as we wended our way through more alleys.

Finally we arrived at the Hostellerie du Vieux.

There were wonderful odors wafting from the kitchen that were most enticing!

This Hotel was built within the walls of an ancient monastery containing 18 rooms and a restaurant. The host invited us in and we had to pass this wonderful, original staircase with worn dips in the center of the steps.

Then on to lunch on their lovely terrace with a valley view!

Terrace
As we finished our wine, the maître d’ offered a discount if we would stay over night. With thanks we said we had plans. He said “ It’s better to have 2 with a discount then none.” We walked to the Market Square at the end of business.

Immediately people came out of the adjacent restaurant and began setting up tables for dinner. One waiter came over and offered us coffee ‘on the house’…..and it was good!

Looking back, we said farewell to another beautiful French hilltown!

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Things that can go awry….usually do!

Posted on May 3, 2015 by carolinebotwin

We chose Rome for the first part of our trip. Once I found a hotel with a good location, we mapped out our interests. First, proximity to a museum that offered background information on the Etruscans (9^th century BC), who were the original settlers in Rome.

Lovely place. Perhaps we were a bit frustrated because Mike’s suitcase disappeared from the plane…and it started the dominoes collapsing. I had reserved a room for 5 days through a travel agent (good move) who supplied us with an itinerary.

We were shown to a room with a balcony (requested) but on the first level and a wall for a view! Back to the desk with my itinerary showing balcony and view…and obtained this lovely room.

And it had a couple of easy chairs…..hard to find in many hotels.

After such a long flight, we headed to the bar for a glass of wine.

Then we walked to a lovely Italian restaurant near-by. The next morning we went to the lovely dining room.

Here we discovered that our meal cost us $40 each. Again the itinerary and the room’s “Information book” went with me to see the manager. Showing him these items “breakfast included”—he laughed and said “the room info was out of date.” I laughed and held out our itinerary and said “This isn’t.” He suggested we compromise. I said “ok, we prefer a continental breakfast, now I won’t have to call my travel agent.

Later we started walking through the Villa Borghese Park.

This enormous layout opened in 1605 for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a nephew of the pope. It was the first of its kind for Rome. Statues, trees, formal gardens, fountains and even a zoo of exotic animals, all open to the public.

In I773 mock Classical Temples were scattered around and we walked through the Villa Borghese Gardens.

We saw only the garden and side yard…the Villa didn’t open until later. One beautiful attribute of this park was the many people and the many off-leash dogs bouncing around.

We continued walking to “Villa Borghese Park”

On our way to the Etruscan Museum. Passed lovely ponds surrounded by greenery, other walkers and many statures. Finally our goal!

The Villa Giulia National Etruscan Museum.

Established in 1889, this Museo Nazionale collected pre-Roman Antiquities from central Italy. And we went straight for the tombs.

This 6^th century BC Sarcophagus of a husband and wife with tender expressions reveals the fantastic skills of the Etruscan artist. This glass enclosed tomb was only opened for 3 minutes to 2 people at a time.

The exhibits from the 8^th through 4^th century BC were extremely humbling to someone with no artistic talent. After paying homage to these lovely “Statues in a Cove” we left.

And there were miles to go back to our hotel. Knowing that there was a swimming pool awaiting with lunch service all afternoon was a draw….and it was good!

P.S. Mike’a suitcase, of course, arrived on our last night. No problem, he washed and hung his underclothes on the balcony each night. We didn’t find out till later he could have bought new clothes and charged them to the airline! (New lesson learned: for the future.)

Posted in Italy | 2 Comments

The Serendipity of Senior Malfunctions: especially when looking for hotels

Posted on February 12, 2015 by carolinebotwin

Not quite true. It just grueling to find this lovely town and check out 5 hotels before we found The Antik Hotel.

And this picture was the reason we wanted a “walkable” hotel. The best part of Ljubljana is the pedestrian center. Having checked out 5 hotels nearby, 2 of which were fully booked, and the other 3 were the “empty lobby” signal for future mobs off- the- bus (no offense meant) , we were lucky to spot the Antik Hotel.

This is an evening picture of the hotel, which I think, projects its warm and friendly character.

We got the last room and it had a glassed in balcony overlooking a marvelous patio and courtyard.

Since we hoped to stay a few days, I elegantly tipped our concierge and said “That’s for finding us a room for tomorrow night too.” He smiled “I’ll let you know at breakfast.” And he did!

We walked to the “Triple Bridge” which was the pedestrian heart of this town.

Designed by the architect Jozé Plecnik (1872-1957) (and, like Gaudi in Spain , an unrecognized genius), he went on to design parks and rearranged squares, converting a provincial backwater into the gorgeous Capital of a newly emerged independent nation. Consequently, to us, the meeting of these rivers was the focal point.

And this was the reason we continued to search for a hotel nearby. Now lunch.

Look at the very top of the picture and you can see the Castle buried in greenery and overseeing the town. Being Americans, we decided to walk up the mountain. It was a zigzag dirt pathway, hot, buggy, but on the plus side, we only lost the trail once.

In the 12^th century, the Spanheim Corinthian Dukes built this stone fortress to remind the village below who was “boss”. Rebuilt after the 1511 earthquake , the Castle slid to rock bottom by becoming a prison and almshouse by the 20^th century. Now in the 21^st century, the Castle has been converted to a lovely Cultural center. We viewed parts of it from the 12^th to the 21^st century.

Weary, we took the funicular down to the city. You can see that all of us stood at the front of the cage, overlooking the city….until it started. It descended…..just as it looks….and all of us vied for a back corner!

Later we saw some Roman ruins. There were no signs about the structures (as if we could read them anyway) but I did discover that the Romans had been here for over 500 years.

When Rome collapsed, the troops withdrew in AD 395. It’s amazing that these artifacts remained for 2000 plus years with the invasions of over 100 of other countries, cultures and religions. From the history it seems the invasions began when the Romans built some fantastic roads, developed vineyards and produced wine, and best of all, built housing with heated floors!

We had hoped to dine at Spajza’s Restaurant that eve but the gracious maître’D said that they were scheduled for a conference. Thanking him we turned to go but he said “Wait—we have an outside courtyard if you would like.” He brought out candles and lap blankets. In the picture we were seated in the back left corner under an umbrella. Our only companion was a big, black, furry dog who sat nearby. He only rose when I waved a chunk of lamb and was very delicate with his enormous teeth. Mike and the waiter conversed using the International language of wine about our bottle.

A most enjoyable meal.

Heading back to our hotel by ‘3 Rivers’

I think this pic shows the conviviality of the people in this Capital of Ljubljana, much of which emerged in obtaining their freedom in 1991.

The “Dragon” statue was named by the people of Ljubljana. This disappointed the governor who spent the money for the bridge. But the name is very apt for the courage of the populous. DRAGON.

(Our concierge was very interested in what we saw and felt. On our last evening he offered another day at one half of the price.)

Serendipity!

02/12/15

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The Serendipity of Senior Malfunctions when traveling in Barcelona and being alone in a big city for four days

Posted on January 25, 2015 by carolinebotwin

The agreement was that I would stay in this wonderful city while Mike would expand his wine education activities in Morocco and join me here later. I had reserved a marvelous hotel Condes de Barcelona.

Of course top floor, terrace and view. Our hotel is on the left and one can see part of the bar/café at the very top. We arrived around 10:30 AM from the airport and had plenty of time to re-explore this bustling city before Mike flew out tomorrow. When I explained our “double, singles, double” room to our concierge, she said “No problem on adjusting the charges.” Lovely start!

Three blocks down the street we noticed the Gaudi House of Casa Batllo with a sign out front “Open at 11” and no one in Line! The noveau furniture and decorations were soft, curvy and very appealing. Gaudi had re-constructed this house for a client in 1904-1906.

This vibrant, green pedestrian street ran all the way to the port. Popping into one of the larger markets, we found a small meat counter where you make your selection, they cook it and bring it to the adjoining restaurant. Delicious! The best part was watching the shoppers.

Since Mike was leaving for Morocco tomorrow, we chose our roof top café that eve.

With a glass of Cava and a salad , we were able to leisurely overlook our corner of the city. Looking at the top left of the picture, you can see the bright white lights of of Gaudi’s 1920 Casa Mila. And that’s where I would start my independent sojourn.

After breakfast and Mike’s departure, I went to the concierge and asked for “opening” times

of Casa Mila. She said “I can do better than that and reserve a place for you.

There’s a tour at 11?” “Wonderful” I said and left a nice tip. I didn’t realize until I arrived at the

site how valuable a concierge was: 6 people in the reserved line and over 50 in the public one.

Now, that Gaudi has finally been acknowledged as a genius, our tour got to see the whole building. We saw the basement (laundry) all five floors and roof. Windows on front and back for cross ventilation.

The first level of the courtyard had been allocated for drying clothes. Keep in mind this was built in 1920…no washers or dryers yet.

We (carefully) walked the rooftop, amazed that these fabulous statues were simply elaborate air vents and chimney-pots! I was so enamored with “rooftops” that I went back to our hotel’s again that night.

The next morning, I was off to revisit Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia.

I walked there and sat at a café facing the church. Twenty years ago, when we first viewed this building, there were only 8 spires, now much has been added. Then, when you entered the building, your eye followed the spires up to the open sky…magnificent. Now, they had added a roof. (There were no definitive plans after Gaudi died because they were all in his head). Still magnificent but I treasure the original poster we had bought home.

That evening another dinner at the rooftop café.

The weather was excellent and so was the Cava with an omelet. The waiter approached and whispered that a gentleman wanted to buy me a glass of wine. (I looked and happily he was about my age.)

I asked the waiter to thank him but I was tired. Around 10:30 I heard laughing and shrill voices in the hallway….opened the door to see 3 young women in swimsuits chasing a man down the corridor. Asked if there was a problem (the man ran around the corner) the oldest snapped “no problem”. I called the front desk and told her they were headed back to the pool.

On my way out the next morning I asked the concierge for a map and directions for Las Ramblas. She thanked me for calling about the disturbance last night and said they had occasional problems with college girls sneaking into the hotel.

During my very long walk down the Ramblas to the Port, I saw a wonderful “Mime”.

She was spectacular! Literally frozen, unblinking but would gently wave one hand when money was put in the pot at her feet. And of course I did.

The pedestrian street became quite crowded and noisy. There were many small vendors with carts in the street and many shops along the way. Exhilarating!

Eventually I took a side street that let into a small hotel/restaurant square with a side view of the Ramblas parade and had coffee. Later I couldn’t resist a “princess” dress for our granddaughter…. And she liked it.

Finding the Portside was a reward for the long walk.

It was wonderful! The squeals of the dipping sea gulls being fed both by children and tourists, the smell of the ocean and the warm sun on my back.

Tired after walking eight miles, I got on a bus for the return. At the next stop a large man, and his entourage of three women, boarded. He decided he wanted my single seat and stood glowering at me. I glanced up, smiled, and said “bonjour”…. He growled, moved ahead to another seat where the woman immediately rose and moved away. The story, I don’t know, but my concierge loved it.

This was my last evening before Mike returned at 11:00 PM. My routine established, I went to the rooftop café.

While sipping a Cava, I realized that I really missed my husband…and even his snoring.

The next morning (Mike wanted to sleep in) , I took the elevator down to breakfast. The doors opened to my 3 young friends blocking my exit. They wanted the 5^th floor button pushed for them. “How fortunate” I exclaimed. “The receptionist just called my room and asked if I had seen you”. They looked blank. “Apparently some one’s mother just called the front desk asking for one of you to call home.”

Startled….they turned and ran out the hotel exit door.

Not true about the phone calls but I smiled my way through breakfast. (It never pays to mess with a retired high school teacher.)

When we checked out at midday, the concierge said we had one night “gratis” because we supported the house protocol with” uninvited guests”.

Once again, we experienced the serendipity of our Senior Malfunctions…especially in a big city!

Posted in Spain | 4 Comments

2014 in review

Posted on January 5, 2015 by carolinebotwin

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,500 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 25 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

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Walla Walla Washington, the old/new Napa of the future??

Posted on November 3, 2014 by carolinebotwin

We remembered the old Napa Valley of 30+ years ago and were disappointed with its commercial and expensive development. Somehow it became Napa Vegas. So our quest for a simpler site led to flying to Seattle, a rental car and first stop in Yakima, Washington.

This is our balcony view from an original 1950’s Howard Johnsons.Large room and balcony, restaurant, bar , free parking and breakfast …less than a hundred dollars. We asked for a restaurant reference. The concierge said “drive down 1^st street to the Old Railroad Station and take your pick.”

We found an old turn-of-the-century building “The Carousel”, a French restaurant. Authentic 1900’s inside with marvelous French touches…especially in the food and wine pairing. I had roasted rabbit and Mike ordered a remoulade . Superb.

We finished the wine on the outside patio where all the greenery was edible. The next morning on to Walla Walla, Washington with tasting stops at wineries along the highway. Our first stop was L’Ecole 41.

This had been an elementary school in the 1900 hundreds and beautifully crafted inside and out. Family owned beginning in 1983, it has grown enormously in popularity.

The first vines in this Blue Mountain area were planted in the 1850’s and grew copiously. Then came Prohibition……

Woodward Canyon Winery was our second stop and conveniently located next door to L’Ecole 41. Situated in a 1920 farmhouse, they began the winery in 1982.

The area vineyards were very lush for mid-September.

Our finial tasting before Walla Walla was the Reininger winery developed in 1997.

The original building was expanded on the right side to accommodate the winery process: you can see barrels ready-to-roll-out on the far right.

Then we entered bustling Walla Walla and found our reserved Red Lion Inn( circa 1970’s) ideally located town center. It was an original Red Lion with the beautifully designed bedroom and cozy balcony overlooking a small, green courtyard and pool.

(Including parking and breakfast, under 100.00 dollars.)

Dinner at nearby French restaurant. The chief apparently liked “dim” ambiance but we could not read the menu. Our waitress smiled and nodded. (We were the only table with 3 candles.)

The next day Mike went wine tasting while I took pictures of downtown. Most stores were constructed between 1900 and 1930’s and were charming!

I discovered a Macy’s store in this small town of 31,000 people. Here it was in a early 1900 century theater! They had converted a 1930’s Theatre (as is) adjusting the inside to the shopper’s needs. And of course I had to check out the inside to see how they reconstructed the departments. (Took me 2 hours and 3 packages.)

We were told that there were no “wine tasting” rooms in Walla Walla downtown ten years ago. Now there are over 40. Only one had a sign saying “not open, ran out of wine.” This is that tiny yellow shop below. Sad.

Our last night we walked to the Marcus Whitman Hotel (circa 1928) for dinner in their elegant dining room. We sat in a wood paneled booth : an intimate 1930’s décor.

Lovely way to end this quest for a new/old Napa Valley. And certainly Walla Walla Washington is on its way!.

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Sequel: Georgia, the Soviet collapse and Noah’s Ark

Posted on September 2, 2014 by carolinebotwin

The Kakheti Davit-Gareja Complex

The next morning we drove to this ancient Monastery. Our guide, Maka, said it would be a rough road but she was wrong: it was hell! We bounced on the narrow dirt road with pot- holed craters through the hot and barren mountains for two hours. But forgot the travail when we reached this fantastic site. The discovery of Bronze Age tombs and pottery show that people lived in this area for over four millennia. The original forests were destroyed by iron smelting leading to desertification. The picture above shows the oldest caves, on the right, remaining from the 6^th century. We climbed a mile from the parking lot, on a windy and narrow path, to reach the topmost monk cells. (Not recommended for the weak of ankle)

And a spectacular view!

The newer additions, down to the left, were added in the 9^th, 12^th and 17^th centuries. The towers added for communication with other monasteries. There were continuing invasions from the Persians, Mongols, Turks, Seljuk, Ottomans and Russians to name a few.

This picture shows the later monastic growth and the steep valley with the river acquired, according to legend, by the prayers of Saint David. The water brought deer and other animals enhancing the monks’ diet considerably.

When we got back to our hotel, I wanted to sit on the balcony, feet up, wine in hand and then shower before dinner on the roof top. The first 3 were doable. But the President of Georgia had commandeered the restaurant (and most of the Hotel) for a political function. Most of the building was under scrutiny from the 20 plus guards. Why they didn’t throw us out? Maybe Georgia honors pre-reservations…..unlike other countries I won’t name. And the guards were circumspect: nodding and smiling as we walked to a near by restaurant through the parking lot and street….all empty of cars and people.

The restaurant had a small band playing “What a Wonderful World” and it was! We ordered, and shared, a rabbit and tomato strew which was superb. The next morning Maka joined us and off to the wineries. First stop at Chateau Mare.

Remarkable Castle-like setting and, from the crowd, very popular. They basically offered a “destination” with rooms, meals and even a swimming pool.

It was delightful that they had made no effort to disguise that it was a pretense of Italian Renaissance. On the right are hotel rooms then the pool backed by a mini-castle structure. Many languages bounced around the veranda.

Now the tasting!

George, the 6^th generation and associate wine maker, led the tasting and took the picture. I am smiling…..but being the driver, I swear to only 2 sips. (Can’t vouch for Mike though.)

The “ qvevri” is a revitalized tradition in winemaking. These flat bottomed, clay amphora-like vessels vary in size from 50 to 1000 gallons

Internally coated with beeswax, they are buried up to their opening with a stone lid added. The qvevri is on the left side and the amphora/qvevri on the right. George Solomnish assistant wine maker at Winivera (and the 6^th generation in the industry) said the process is long and tedious….but traditional.

Alex Radzianko, an American working at Pheasant’s Tears Winery, Said “It gives an unfettered expression of the grape. There’s no wood character…wine, pure and simple.”

At Iago’s Qvevri Winery, the winemaker not only makes the wine but also the qvevri to put it in. We had an excellent lunch on the patio…a boisterous bus group was whooping it up in his dining room. (Our driver..me.. bought the wine I liked the best for study that evening,)

We are in the picture studiously trying to figure out how to lift this jug out and clean it.

Schuchmann Wine Chateau, elegant looking and very friendly. We ate an excellent meal on the open air porch and watched the “pruning of the vines” going on below us. This German owned restaurant/winery makes wonderful qvevri and non-qvevri wines and is very popular with tourists.

After eating, Mike and the wine associate got into the serious (?) business of comparing and tasting their wines.

On to the Tuscan-like Sighnaghi, a hill town that is a destination in itself.

The city, high on a ledge, looks over the Caucasus Mountains. Irakli ll, in1772, built over 2 miles of walls and 28 fortress towers.

We are leaning against one of the walls here and behind us are 2 of the defense towers. The lush Cypress trees and other vegetation have covered most of the walls and towers. The city is reminiscent of an Italian Hill Town with a sloping piazza and large statures.

This is the front view of Hotel Kabadoni in Sighnagli for our 3 day stay. I had asked for a balcony with a view and that was the best part of our stay there.

The view from the balcony. A great overview of part of the city and the valley beyond. After breakfast we walked down the hill, through cobblestoned alleys, and passing listing old, wooden buildings to find the fortress wall and defense towers. The Georgians were extremely friendly and hospitable even with the language barrier.

We celebrated our last night with our marvelous guide, Maka Tarashvili, at Pheasants’ Tears Restaurant in Sighnaghi, Georgia. This cosy restaurant/wine bar is co-owned by vintner John Wurdeman and is very popular with the locals and wine makers. As you can see in the picture, it was very popular with us!

The outdoor patio had seating that climbed the rocks going up the hillside…….which is why we were eating and toasting inside. Luckily we walked herefrom the hotel. And the food was superb!

The Hotel Dzoraget , sitting along the Debed River, marks the middle of the mainroad between the capitals of Armenia and Georgia. It was on our way to Yerevan, Armenia, and our flight to London.

The desk clerk said “Welcome. We have up-graded you to a suite” and led us to another building. Three flights up (no elevator) to an awkward two floored suite (more stairs) separate from the main building and the gorge. Using last night’s “confirmation” from our concierge confirming “main building, river view” solved the problem. (You can see this in my cell-phone picture taken from our balcony.)

Lovely dinner in the restaurant and coffee(?)(yes) out on the patio , watching the rumbling river. We discussed reactions to this 2 week trip. What amazed us was how private enterprise has flourished in the 20 plus years since the collapse of the grey period of state ownership of virtually everything. Now thriving, privately owned shops, restaurants, hotels and , yes, wineries abound.

In both countries “color” is back along with a rediscovering of their deep Cultural roots and traditions.

The 6,000 year old wine cave, the fact that enticed me to come on this trip, really does exist! And here it is. The only problem: due to its age, and on-going research, no one is allowed in.

Posted in Georgia | 5 Comments

A view from the Balcony… and D-Day

Posted on June 12, 2014 by carolinebotwin

This was my first picture, from the balcony of our hotel in Oakland the day before we were to fly to Armenia and Georgia…

for the 6000 year old wine caves. But that comes later.

These are just a few snapshots I took to make sure I could even take pictures with my phone. (Lost a few…off somewhere in my phone..) I just missed some young people sculling along the bay but to the left you can see the yacht club. Lovely view.

Although I didn’t take this picture, I needed it for the next one that I did take.

After 30 plus hours of flying time (3 planes), we arrived at our hotel around 9 pm.

And very fatigued. We were on the top floor, left corner.

A lovely room with a balcony that ran around the corner and great views of the city.

Since we were staying for four days, they upgraded us. (I love things like that…and there were more to come.)

I was standing at the corner of the 12^th floor balcony and, both below and ahead ran a large park.

Some of the squared buildings, on the right and left, were Soviet leftovers that were being modified for Armenia businesses.

This location was great for walking tours. And we did.

There are 3 shots from this fantastic balcony overlooking most of the city of Tbilisi, Georgia.

This one showed the city/mountain view directly in front of the balcony.

Same area, at night. It’s even more resplendent

with the twinkling lights of

the city and nearby music.

This is a south view (afternoon) looking at the Old Town. What looks to me like a large, green slug is a bridge crossing the river. This is a very vibrant city containing both old and new in harmony. (Look down and you can see the edge of the balcony.)

It was raining but I shot this from the edge of our balcony anyway. You can see the raindrops on my camera lens. The mountains are topped with fog but the umbrellas are still optimistically open on the patio below and the Gorge rumbles with water. A gorgeous hotel but the potholed roads tend to kill tires…we lost 2 so far this trip…although the spectacular mountain roads are almost worth it.

London Novotel Blackfriars. I spent a bit more on this hotel because of its location. It was worth it. Our room was on the 12^th floor with a balcony and a view. This triangular, silver building directly across from the balcony is the “Shard” designed by Renzo Piano. Beautifully unique and the tallest building in Europe. The early evening made it appear silver while later, with only a few lights, it changed to lavender.

In contrast to the first picture, this shot was aimed toward the Thames River…

which is blocked by this (may I say ugly?) structure.

And to the right there are several more “squares” going up. (sigh)

After 4 days walking the sights in London, time for a break. Bournemouth was a good choice.

The view from our balcony overlooked the 7 mile beach and the English Channel. Wonderful. We had checked into the 100 plus year old Carleton , originally an estate converted to a Hotel, which we found by driving by. (The advantages of independent travelling!) Reservations needed for dinner and assigned table for the duration.

A partial view of the pool and outdoor lounge area. Looking out at the Channel, Mike reminded me that Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery stayed here while discussing options for the invasion of Normandy Beach on D-Day. I went down to the bar and got a glass of wine to toast them and for us to celebrate the end of WWII!

Posted in Armenia, Georgia | 1 Comment

Prague: Survivor of the Nazis and Russians

Posted on April 13, 2014 by carolinebotwin

Researching before a trip is good, but it’s still a shock when you arrive. The picture above revealed more about Prague, City of the Czech Republic, than what we had read. Prague, derived from the old Slavic root “Praga” means “ford” and the second one above is the Charles Bridge (1402) crossing the Vitava River, the most important connection between Prague Castle (up the hill on the right) and the Old Town (on the left). This bridge gave birth to the city.

We crossed, heading for Prague Castle. This pedestrian bridge was crowded: locals, tourists, sellers of all the accouterments of a popular tourist site. There are 30 statures (1700) of important saints and heroes posted along the sides.

St. Vitus Cathedral (1344) dominates the hilltop and the castle surrounds it. The original castle was built in 1135 (still visible in the basement) while another was built in the 13^th century….and another in the 14^th. The site is a treasure trove of period buildings and antiquities.

We were greeted by guards at the entrance…but without searches or charge.

There are numerous squares in this large castle and we only had the time and energy to check out this one, a museum and coffee at an outdoor café. We decided to head down to the Charles Bridge and the Old Town.

Our return path stepped down steeply through the narrow street with tightly clustered houses looming above us. About half-way, we stopped for lunch and a glass of wine…reviving!

The fog had eclipsed the sun by the time we reached the Charles Bridge and “damped” the number of people crossing. And it was only 4:30.

The Wenceslas Square

This square, originally a horse-market in 1348, became the hub of Prague life. In 1919 the Czechs celebrated their Independence of becoming The Republic.

Later the Square was mobbed with a million Czechs assembled to celebrate their riddance of the Nazis followed by the process of separation from the Soviet Union. This area with the statue, lights, restaurants and people seemed to reflect their joy!

Down the street Mike spotted the Grand Hotel Europa (fitting name).

Rebuilt in 1889 in the Art Nouveau Style with glittering lights and bright colors.

Notice the columns, brown woodwork and arches in the 1^st level bar/café. The dining room above is partially hidden behind the beautiful, arched balcony.

We had an excellent dinner in the upstairs restaurant —where it was difficult to efficiently place the fork in one’s mouth—while staring at the beautiful décor. After wiping our faces, we decided to look at one more square. There was lots of pedestrian activity and many lights. The National Theatre was nearby and well lit.

When the original theatre burnt down in 1881, it had become so vital to the National Consciousness, that Czechs from all walks of life contributed money to rebuilding. In 1868, this picture shows the result of their desire for music, plays, artists and writers. Theaters sprang up all over the country emphasizing the importance of the Czech culture.

Standing by the river, looking up at the top, I thought there were people moving about ….but only statues. Time to return to the hotel and bed…….too much wine with dinner.

The next morning we headed across Wenceslas Square to the National Museum.

This Neo-Renaissance structure, completed in 1890, over looked the square and was fronted by a fountain splashing water over an allegorical figure that symbolized the Czech Nation. If you were there and looking closely at the façade, you would shell marks from the Worsaw Pack tanks from the Prague invasion in 1968.

What a delight to enter the Museum and see the spectacular Grand Staircase with

an overhead skylight! This hall way leads to the Pantheon…which would have been fascinating, but we had more places to go and much to see.

On to the Staronova Synagogue of the Old-New Synagogue (originally called the “New” Synagogue until another was built nearby and later destroyed ).

Built around 1270, this is the oldest Synagogue in Europe. It survived fires, slum clearances of the 19^th century and Jewish pogroms. It frequently was a refuge and now is a religious center for Jews. It is almost totally surrounded by the Old Jewish Cemetery.

In the 13^th century the Prague Ghetto had been formed by Jewish Tradesmen who settled here . There were conflicts over the following years but the Ghetto grew and became part of Prague.

In 1940 the Nazis arrived and the Jews were registered and segregated. The Nazis confiscated their homes, businesses, apartments and closed the Synagogues. Then they deported them to concentration camps. The Ghetto cemetery

Founded in 1478, this was the only burial ground permitted to Jews. Due to the lack of space, bodies were buried on top of bodies—up to 12 layers deep. There are over 12,000 gravestones standing, but it’s estimated that there are over 100,000 bodies buried there.

The Jewish Ghetto, ironically, survived destruction because, although the Nazis destroyed ghettos elsewhere, they wanted to preserve this Prague “collection” as a Museum of the extinct Jewish Race in Europe after the Final Solution had been achieved!!

We were leaving soon, so we stopped by a typical Czech Old Town Square and admired the enthusiasm and endurance of these people.

Posted in Czech | 5 Comments

2Independent-Travelers

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Sequel: Georgia, the Soviet collapse and Noah’s Ark

A view from the Balcony… and D-Day

Prague: Survivor of the Nazis and Russians

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