tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5991483014437218472024-03-12T17:04:55.174-06:00L. Lock - European Adventures Six-weeks in France and Italy.Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-32854898268954700382012-11-04T10:25:00.002-06:002012-11-04T10:25:33.568-06:00Back home on Isla Mujeres<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu_tZnAcSZz4UMFECtQ6E5SOJQGSp9G3grAZOmHhPWDrd0tdpJVhYuV8TZo9xluimAIDl-C8WmA9kNblGpPhcdBuAwcpMnt2TmGz9xtY1wtItU4WfnkwWNU84xZomnxmlF85-u60400v9/s1600/%25231+2012+Isla+Garbage+Truck+when+it+was+newer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu_tZnAcSZz4UMFECtQ6E5SOJQGSp9G3grAZOmHhPWDrd0tdpJVhYuV8TZo9xluimAIDl-C8WmA9kNblGpPhcdBuAwcpMnt2TmGz9xtY1wtItU4WfnkwWNU84xZomnxmlF85-u60400v9/s1600/%25231+2012+Isla+Garbage+Truck+when+it+was+newer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu_tZnAcSZz4UMFECtQ6E5SOJQGSp9G3grAZOmHhPWDrd0tdpJVhYuV8TZo9xluimAIDl-C8WmA9kNblGpPhcdBuAwcpMnt2TmGz9xtY1wtItU4WfnkwWNU84xZomnxmlF85-u60400v9/s320/%25231+2012+Isla+Garbage+Truck+when+it+was+newer.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">At six in the
morning I can hear the tired engine and the loud exhaust sounds of the muffler-less
municipal garbage truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crew
operating the garbage truck are currently only two houses south of ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to hustle to get the can out on the
street before they pass us by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guys
wave and holler a greeting as the truck slowly rolls up to our curb. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One worker tosses the full can high into the
air, towards his buddy who is perched atop the myriad of reeking plastic bags
and cardboard boxes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Our can is emptied,
and carefully placed back on the street right-side up with lid affixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They laugh, joke with each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One guy sings bits of a song that could be
ribald, off-colour judging by the way it makes the others giggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It's good to be
back on Isla.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">During May and
June we traveled for six weeks through Dieppe, Vimy Ridge, Dunkirk, the Loire
Valley, Paris, southern France, Cinque Terre, Tuscany and Venice before
returning home via London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We mangled several
languages, speaking a combination of French, Spanish, and English with the odd
word of Italian tossed in the mix for that truly continental sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate delicious food, but missed the 'heat'
- the spice of Mexican foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently
our palates have adjusted to Mexican food better than we thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">We drank different wines and beers, enjoying
Belgium beers and French wines a bit more than German beers and Italian wines. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dealt with crowded underground transit
systems, high-speed trains, city buses and commuter boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
the crowds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line-ups to see
museums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line-ups to get on the
trains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line-ups everywhere!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The sights, the
sounds, the smells - all different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>New.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exciting. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Now, sitting on
our street-side balcony we watch friends speed past on their motos or golf
carts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They yell hello, welcome back, and
wave as they speed past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sue Lo, on her
daily walk around the airport, stops to chat - recounting her recent adventures
in Machu Picchu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlxeNeOyy7Wt9v4mocCsFpB0k-G0ecoJQFd9v_C64_PZdTBrc4j9xd6eyOeR3u6ewM7O3URd7no2XpoM2D2uUc54ZyuQJoRM0RtzFinj7GcbJVVFiZQYnCW4Mb3JcELiNsiV4NoEUgtM7/s1600/%25236+2012+May+30th%252C+Paris+cyclist+%2528Karen+Lock%2527s+pic%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlxeNeOyy7Wt9v4mocCsFpB0k-G0ecoJQFd9v_C64_PZdTBrc4j9xd6eyOeR3u6ewM7O3URd7no2XpoM2D2uUc54ZyuQJoRM0RtzFinj7GcbJVVFiZQYnCW4Mb3JcELiNsiV4NoEUgtM7/s320/%25236+2012+May+30th%252C+Paris+cyclist+%2528Karen+Lock%2527s+pic%2529.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fashionista riding a bicycle in Paris - K Lock Photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">My sister Joann dashes
up the street with her laundry bag in hand, coming for a morning coffee and to
do her laundry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has misjudged the intensity
of the scudding clouds - and is soaked with a warm deluge as she arrives at our
house.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">A motorcycle slowly putts past with
two adults - the woman clutching onto a little one, so small that one tiny foot
with a yellow bootie is all that is visible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">A young girl, standing in the foot-well of a motorcycle turns to chat
with her dad as he drives her somewhere special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is wearing a pink and white polka-dotted
dress and a matching bow in her hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Her
happy smile is wide and loving as she looks at him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The contrast between the Isla motorcyclists
and the Armani-suited motorcyclists or the beautiful <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fashionistas</i> riding bicycles in Paris is startling to say the
least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
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<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">In the evening
we sit on the east side of the house, wine glass in hand, staring at the turquoise
ocean, aware that we missed this most of all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The colours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The smell of the water. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">We will always
be proudly Canadian, but, Mexico
is now home.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> ___________________________</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><strong>This is the last posting for this blog. Please join us on our other weekly blog Notes From Paradise - living on an island in the Caribbean Sea on the east coast of Mexico. </strong></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><a href="http://lynda-notesfromparadise.blogspot.mx/"><strong>http://lynda-notesfromparadise.blogspot.mx/</strong></a></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES" style="color: #548dd4; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com3Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico21.2396958 -86.737865521.2100958 -86.7773475 21.2692958 -86.698383499999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-19296161718842815842012-10-30T20:01:00.000-06:002012-10-30T20:01:09.033-06:00Venice: Monday - work day
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLA779s_AOb2PIBPPFqc_VfN3GbXkarANQIgSLmW5-BUOD-gv6CbPhnKV_LcTv71PMYPXe4JjSjx_KnF9LloAa6NztMHd9rk8BNExrBmiPLW_MYmT6xE3NryKBjtlJK7GcL-S0oXoU_N7/s1600/DSC09760+Monday+work+day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLA779s_AOb2PIBPPFqc_VfN3GbXkarANQIgSLmW5-BUOD-gv6CbPhnKV_LcTv71PMYPXe4JjSjx_KnF9LloAa6NztMHd9rk8BNExrBmiPLW_MYmT6xE3NryKBjtlJK7GcL-S0oXoU_N7/s320/DSC09760+Monday+work+day.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Our last full day in Venice; early on Monday
morning the Grand Canal has morphed from a weekend playground filled with
recreational boats into a working river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The main canal and the side canals are stuffed with a myriad of boats,
primarily all of a similar design – long and narrow, with an inboard diesel
motor, and steered by a stern tiller reminiscent of a sailboat’s tiller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The operators are casually competent,
scarcely looking where they are going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have traveled these routes – a thousand times over.</span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A black and red cargo barge is stacked with
groceries to re-provision some of the many restaurants, hotels, bars, and grocery
stores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two latter-day Romeos lean on
the cargo, staring brazenly at the camera while I take their photograph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are muscled, and lean, and middle-age
handsome, not in the least bit camera-shy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzGprprwXqP3kmAr_921bpaJO12F-W821TDQWnTCu-cd8hVHDBrqdOl2pkBbSQ21NZCV9NRtHspeOKFf6NwtKDeS276RR7YkWZaW09dBW5TPOooQDJ5FFjq8Ddqg5PU-Q8cXR_wn5QmZi/s1600/DSC09909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzGprprwXqP3kmAr_921bpaJO12F-W821TDQWnTCu-cd8hVHDBrqdOl2pkBbSQ21NZCV9NRtHspeOKFf6NwtKDeS276RR7YkWZaW09dBW5TPOooQDJ5FFjq8Ddqg5PU-Q8cXR_wn5QmZi/s320/DSC09909.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Aboard the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Marta”</i>,
a sleek black vessel with blue and green trim, the two workers heft ninety-pound
sacks of cement onto a wheeled-dolly, stacking them tightly in bricklayer fashion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shoving hard to overcome the inertia they
roll their heavy cargo towards a construction job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boat is loaded with still more building
supplies to be lifted, stacked, and pushed to the final location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOFHrfoF4u6lp1flZSf6Tqfexmej_DpGEjHEwqaUIojcNOqYx2sGH2-GzqlBdePpAncapqepSdMLnK25OPriB_jm81myLlS8OfcgP1AXtgwyNtvKTptcrn3DfqFE3aXjlL1nU_bPDd2pz/s1600/DSC09671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOFHrfoF4u6lp1flZSf6Tqfexmej_DpGEjHEwqaUIojcNOqYx2sGH2-GzqlBdePpAncapqepSdMLnK25OPriB_jm81myLlS8OfcgP1AXtgwyNtvKTptcrn3DfqFE3aXjlL1nU_bPDd2pz/s320/DSC09671.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A red, yellow and white barge the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Luca”</i> slides past with boxes of new air-conditioners,
and pipes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The driver is nonchalantly
texting a friend, while he steers the boat with the tiller placed between his
legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">All I can think of is; what if he
hits a wave?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's gonna hurt!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytq-M08XmQ0klLfIlguZruzvDMRBjlXZSCyts56Wn4UHge0FEwIHlojA_J-Pj6_tiT4rzXkpBQuAAuXeJzlI8xzfv6SKMgrosGvZlRGlkR0XG0eVwN5y8hdPCDFxzziBT3ZZZXy27dTcU/s1600/DSC09682+wine+delivery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytq-M08XmQ0klLfIlguZruzvDMRBjlXZSCyts56Wn4UHge0FEwIHlojA_J-Pj6_tiT4rzXkpBQuAAuXeJzlI8xzfv6SKMgrosGvZlRGlkR0XG0eVwN5y8hdPCDFxzziBT3ZZZXy27dTcU/s320/DSC09682+wine+delivery.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Another flat-decked craft cruises past with
bulk wine deliveries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stacked on the
deck are numerous wicker-wrapped fifty-litre flagons, looking like oversized
Chianti wine bottles suitable for fairytale giants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Do the green tags indicate white wine,
and the red tags indicate red wine?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We wonder aloud.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniCaZqFMGrqONOecaiDLljJNo5oVD_UbEBNj1O9324RDvj6tF_AY2MQS7Ta1l121KVy_MuU_M1LkQobrmbr8WZ647O0rk7jU2nsHhLRLGBekA02gpqg0maqZ2Lb3vN0I5IOeT2sM2IJiH/s1600/DSC09725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniCaZqFMGrqONOecaiDLljJNo5oVD_UbEBNj1O9324RDvj6tF_AY2MQS7Ta1l121KVy_MuU_M1LkQobrmbr8WZ647O0rk7jU2nsHhLRLGBekA02gpqg0maqZ2Lb3vN0I5IOeT2sM2IJiH/s320/DSC09725.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Garbage scows piled high with the previous nights'
trash slowly work their routes, the crews collecting boxes and bags stacked
along the narrow side canals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Scrap
dealers aboard the black and white “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Morodi
Venezia”</i> chug along the waterfront headed away from the busy centre of
Venice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their boat is loaded with the
unwanted broken bits and pieces of a modern life – rusty drums, rotting bits of
metal, and a collapsed bicycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different
boats deliver the replacement purchases: a refrigerator, more furniture, and a new
red bicycle. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">At seven in the morning several boats are moored at
the fish market; workers toss wet, dripping boxes onto the wharves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boxes are full of still-wriggling fish and
mysterious sea creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few I
recognize such as calamari, eel, sardines, and octopus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others are unidentified species, things that
I couldn't imagine eating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In contrast to the sweating workers – we watch a finely
dressed bride and groom slowly pick their way through the smelly, wet, fish-market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are headed for a small romantic bridge
that seems to be in vogue for wedding photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the third bride that I have seen, dress hem held high, stepping
delicately in white satin-covered shoes around the leaking boxes of fresh fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A compliant groom and photographer trail
behind. Whatever the bride wants...<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-uo5QB6vch2sFes3dI_F3RbxxcF1Irxf5HhFK1pwc5pUyTNhkV0JmvDQKGr5w5cCcppgtHP_-Dqgte31RJ-Tgus9xRRNMIqam8qZfmhCOwEqgOnn6qNThKkG93AqraMBKGYkwNdehE1m/s1600/DSC09960+Leaving+in+an+hour+or+so.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-uo5QB6vch2sFes3dI_F3RbxxcF1Irxf5HhFK1pwc5pUyTNhkV0JmvDQKGr5w5cCcppgtHP_-Dqgte31RJ-Tgus9xRRNMIqam8qZfmhCOwEqgOnn6qNThKkG93AqraMBKGYkwNdehE1m/s320/DSC09960+Leaving+in+an+hour+or+so.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We enjoyed seeing the two sides of Venice; the
touristy side and the working side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Both
Lawrie and I are boat-lovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching
the crews and the work boats ply the canals of Venice was a great way to spend
our last day in this fabled city.</span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com0Venice, Italy45.4408474 12.315515145.4185649 12.276033100000001 45.463129900000006 12.3549971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-15066053214930338432012-10-23T15:01:00.000-05:002012-10-23T15:05:08.781-05:00Venice: Sunday is fun day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXAKP9FrdYTaOfiNvBb8_zhBCZdDSIU8ShP_ehO6K8f3rUuhCrhzU7H7yqpxrB-PSr0YngC4ZBbxbW9hWgNMQ5JPNLuXf9beMmTQK3Q5zk0LKF8cQtgxz6AZmOB0VfgS98Qgemwp8BX1o/s1600/DSC09431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXAKP9FrdYTaOfiNvBb8_zhBCZdDSIU8ShP_ehO6K8f3rUuhCrhzU7H7yqpxrB-PSr0YngC4ZBbxbW9hWgNMQ5JPNLuXf9beMmTQK3Q5zk0LKF8cQtgxz6AZmOB0VfgS98Qgemwp8BX1o/s320/DSC09431.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sunday morning six people stand in a purple gondola,
stripped of all of its ornamentation, pulling on long gondola-oars from alternating
sides of the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The oarsman in the
stern yells out a cadence, a rhythm for rowing, steering a safe course through
the flotilla of boats using the Grand Canal in Venice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsovWIXGkVxW-Ve_OfaanjfPP-eFxFEddRV6eQlOryx_wl5iFKDg0q401y2_1Sr5pQdK1gVYgJLXN5_ixw4RUUxJjcBMPsMQIxsgRbatjXJrmJ5BAJIZTszR4794MG2Jilg8UmOyXfs-1/s1600/DSC09464+Gondola+vs+boat+%25236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsovWIXGkVxW-Ve_OfaanjfPP-eFxFEddRV6eQlOryx_wl5iFKDg0q401y2_1Sr5pQdK1gVYgJLXN5_ixw4RUUxJjcBMPsMQIxsgRbatjXJrmJ5BAJIZTszR4794MG2Jilg8UmOyXfs-1/s320/DSC09464+Gondola+vs+boat+%25236.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This particular boat holds what appears to be a family of four kids and two adults out for a Sunday on the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The side canals are choked with pleasure crafts, plus sight-seeing gondolas, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vaporettos </i>(large transit taxis) or individual water taxis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It's organized bedlam. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It's noisy, and colourful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It's fabulous.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19f1bmxlnGIwakNg-_HkCit7f4ETutFUucFDZfg9wQKdSAllu6ioppF_jGhyphenhyphenCgIV68Y0-NnP-ozRRPHL1CDsQnBV1vmWdca6ShLYAdI4RNaatxUM1pHutj1PIhWJFbZx-64JUhFi8Qu-4/s1600/DSC09605+Crowds+on+bridge+to+look+at+the+Bridge+of+Sighs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19f1bmxlnGIwakNg-_HkCit7f4ETutFUucFDZfg9wQKdSAllu6ioppF_jGhyphenhyphenCgIV68Y0-NnP-ozRRPHL1CDsQnBV1vmWdca6ShLYAdI4RNaatxUM1pHutj1PIhWJFbZx-64JUhFi8Qu-4/s320/DSC09605+Crowds+on+bridge+to+look+at+the+Bridge+of+Sighs.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19f1bmxlnGIwakNg-_HkCit7f4ETutFUucFDZfg9wQKdSAllu6ioppF_jGhyphenhyphenCgIV68Y0-NnP-ozRRPHL1CDsQnBV1vmWdca6ShLYAdI4RNaatxUM1pHutj1PIhWJFbZx-64JUhFi8Qu-4/s1600/DSC09605+Crowds+on+bridge+to+look+at+the+Bridge+of+Sighs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As we work our way towards St. Mark's Square at the
entrance to the Grand Canal we are swamped by crowds, tour groups faithfully
following their leaders with earphones plugged into a wireless system listening
to the explanation of what they are seeing, and what famous person lived in
which house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The languages are from a myriad
of countries with Chinese groups being the predominate factor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">People
jostle, and squish their way through the narrow winding streets of a city that
has an ancient history.</span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzUTTh_2qmBv_D6j0EUNCsKFjqx2iwTMrczsPdafLWT3Qn0uwLn_PSFheHiRQRGxn2lj06xqXQBd-nQbf3WTZ4eGDC7iFRXpk1guKSo8g1xBB0EWsyeuk703ax7wevzvYOKjAsmZfPb32/s1600/DSC09506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzUTTh_2qmBv_D6j0EUNCsKFjqx2iwTMrczsPdafLWT3Qn0uwLn_PSFheHiRQRGxn2lj06xqXQBd-nQbf3WTZ4eGDC7iFRXpk1guKSo8g1xBB0EWsyeuk703ax7wevzvYOKjAsmZfPb32/s320/DSC09506.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Built on a collection of 118 tiny islands the city
eventually grew to over 270,000 inhabitants. The first of 120 churches is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San Giacomo</i> on the islet of Rialto was
dedicated on March 25th 421 AD/CE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly,
as our third-generation Gondolier recounted to us - due to exorbitant land
prices, the high cost of restoring the ancient buildings, and the lagging
Italian economy - most of the workers of Venice live elsewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The city population of Venice is now around
63,000 giving the back streets and side canals of the city a ghostly, deserted
feel at night when the tourists have returned to their hotels and cruise ships.</span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vDcbVssZaY0OMRvguChg-n9SlS-eHmTM_oBgzjCdHTYHQt4kn1LyVnb2yxLNP19bvwloICe3Bci7O58bexQA0QI4jN9iR9kA4APcugEhZMsXgvSr1v0c2RyN9YL0yo4zkbHKfUc2e6-a/s1600/DSC09730+Headed+to+Murano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vDcbVssZaY0OMRvguChg-n9SlS-eHmTM_oBgzjCdHTYHQt4kn1LyVnb2yxLNP19bvwloICe3Bci7O58bexQA0QI4jN9iR9kA4APcugEhZMsXgvSr1v0c2RyN9YL0yo4zkbHKfUc2e6-a/s320/DSC09730+Headed+to+Murano.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrie, with his sister Linda and Richard G.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We spend our first day in Venice riding the vaporetto system, up and down the Grand Canal, then out through the harbour past the cruise ship terminal, out to famous glassmakers on Murano Island, and around to St. Mark's Square again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It is an easy and cool way to view the city, to avoid the crowds and with a 36-hour pass we can hop on and off as we wish; stop for cappuccinos to listen to live music in St. Mark's Square; a stop for lunch at a waterfront restaurant on the outer rim of the city; a stop for a glass of wine on the canal. <br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>So civilized.<br />
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<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">By the end of the day we are tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy but tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With 425 bridges in this city crossing the
myriad of canals we are sure that we have trekked over at least 400 of
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to head back to the hotel to nap, and
later we will join our travel buddies for a glass of wine before dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Ah, Sunday in Venice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite, quite lovely. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com0Venice, Italy45.4408474 12.315515145.4185649 12.276033100000001 45.463129900000006 12.3549971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-50867271259789518292012-10-17T09:25:00.001-05:002012-10-17T09:27:24.883-05:00Siena – Leather, horses, and history<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVKbOarDH4zRYK0KhWZHE3_NWvq-StcDbkxi9SWwh7pcht9amaOZOpIsbMtUbkhy3oaoKMyBef6znqjI5G4Tuo8DtK-GeEqdcSU6rOZIjrbc03nMkkgW5J7FCqI0THdJbqeAu5DEzzBBf/s1600/Linda+G+-+admiring+shoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVKbOarDH4zRYK0KhWZHE3_NWvq-StcDbkxi9SWwh7pcht9amaOZOpIsbMtUbkhy3oaoKMyBef6znqjI5G4Tuo8DtK-GeEqdcSU6rOZIjrbc03nMkkgW5J7FCqI0THdJbqeAu5DEzzBBf/s320/Linda+G+-+admiring+shoes.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linda G. looking at Italian shoes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Gently rubbing the soft Italian leather between my finger and thumb I
muse; blue, red, yellow, or perhaps multi-coloured, undecided as to the colour
of shoes I would like to buy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">And then I hear it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A parade is
coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The shoes are tossed onto the shelf: forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scowling clerk stares after me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was certain that I was about to purchase
a pair, or two, of shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nah!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Parades, and music, and an opportunity to
take yet more photographs are of greater interest to me.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrg_yXTsnR4oM4toLMcnREAukXMocnmUlUoTBauac1td5AHUX8406Vr7WXvtIemV11f76BZ61pLOS-zDgpRPIHnfu12nydIoqOWIRi4W3At75mBR3iXK8sLhJBBHeQGrRw1gYT3t-_jza/s1600/Parade+advertising+upcoming+festival.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrg_yXTsnR4oM4toLMcnREAukXMocnmUlUoTBauac1td5AHUX8406Vr7WXvtIemV11f76BZ61pLOS-zDgpRPIHnfu12nydIoqOWIRi4W3At75mBR3iXK8sLhJBBHeQGrRw1gYT3t-_jza/s320/Parade+advertising+upcoming+festival.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parade!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The advancing musicians are dressed in elaborate red, black and white costumes, advertising the mid-June medieval feast in Siena. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The participants sternly march forward, beating a tattoo on the drums, shouldering heavy flags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no laughter, or waving, or tossing of wrapped candies to the crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>This is serious business.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmSLhR5sQR0mEGE9mfn4fJU4XSlyJWI9JSgo-oJnUu-SIY7U34nR-84mRoxBu3rEVbpRn9aKTARX5B1jtxgqdliGgv38Pw4bfBJ7INbqeZodTXI1TnJv2BcWWs5SkiqGTQT4crx9LbndR/s1600/Fountain+in+honor+of+Romulus+and+Remus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmSLhR5sQR0mEGE9mfn4fJU4XSlyJWI9JSgo-oJnUu-SIY7U34nR-84mRoxBu3rEVbpRn9aKTARX5B1jtxgqdliGgv38Pw4bfBJ7INbqeZodTXI1TnJv2BcWWs5SkiqGTQT4crx9LbndR/s320/Fountain+in+honor+of+Romulus+and+Remus.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Siena like other Tuscan
hilltop cities is said to have been founded sometime between 900 to 400 BC (BCE)
by the remarkable but mysterious Etruscans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Around 60 BC it was next colonized by Romans, reportedly Senius the son
of Remus, one of the two legendary founders of Rome. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Siena's city emblem is the she-wolf that purportedly
raised Remus and his brother Romulus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In
the later part of the 5<sup>th</sup> century AD (CE) the Kingdom of Lombard
controlled much of Tuscany including Siena, allowing the city to prosper under
the rich empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">The heart of the city is
the huge piazza known as Il Campo the site of the famous Palio di Siena horse
races held twice a year in July and August.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately we were in Siena in June, so missed the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is often a brutal and dangerous battle for
the horse and bareback rider, but the city thrives on the pride this
competition brings with passions and rivalry similar to a football match. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLB9RToJZp0FaaGGyoh7HAnAXd3LBhWpCiwADdmz8s7BfDFMCXMMKASSBUGtN52JGv2Yq6vNQ4CNjA0q1TG_WtqH1ROYzAFNupjaoKMY9xXdzd43ORNkOs_2XBhAjcFURo0c2Y-sgRchT3/s1600/Red+bike%252C+red+uniforms%252C+red+scarf+of+woman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLB9RToJZp0FaaGGyoh7HAnAXd3LBhWpCiwADdmz8s7BfDFMCXMMKASSBUGtN52JGv2Yq6vNQ4CNjA0q1TG_WtqH1ROYzAFNupjaoKMY9xXdzd43ORNkOs_2XBhAjcFURo0c2Y-sgRchT3/s320/Red+bike%252C+red+uniforms%252C+red+scarf+of+woman.JPG" width="320" /><br />
</a><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">On race day a massive
crowd jams the centre of the piazza, and the overflow fills in the surrounding
restaurants and bars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brightly
attired riders and horses circle the piazza three times running along the edge
of the crowd, pounding over the dirt-covered cobblestone streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fast treacherous turns frequently spill
the riders from their mounts, leaving a rider-less horse to finish the race. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all the pageantry, colour, singing and cheering
it is a fascinating but quick race; normally over in just 90 seconds!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtf2U4oFRu0t_Ewo0td1nqph6N89g3uU6lK1tOlxqB6QuFuoI7Y4hk0fRIkFt-pwoH8coOu4NiJP4byQwwcq8Z6bBiEV6l1ZvhPKaqbK4KiChhq08jLJ7reRGpt_IiNOrXHM4sIgHSpkg2/s1600/Lawrie+and+Richard+enjoying+the+shade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtf2U4oFRu0t_Ewo0td1nqph6N89g3uU6lK1tOlxqB6QuFuoI7Y4hk0fRIkFt-pwoH8coOu4NiJP4byQwwcq8Z6bBiEV6l1ZvhPKaqbK4KiChhq08jLJ7reRGpt_IiNOrXHM4sIgHSpkg2/s320/Lawrie+and+Richard+enjoying+the+shade.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrie and Richard G., enjoying the shade and cool drink.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We settled for the more sedate activities of Siena – shopping, eating,
and sight-seeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Leather, food, wine,
and ancient ornate cathedrals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s enough
activity for us to fill the afternoon, perfectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I contemplated returning to the store to buy
the shoes, but reality set in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live
year-around in the tropics, with frequent, albeit brief, rainstorms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fine leather shoes would turn to mouldy goop
in mere weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll leave them for someone else to enjoy!</span><br />
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Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com1Via Termini, 53100 Siena, Province of Siena, Italy43.318809 11.330757443.1339735 11.0149004 43.5036445 11.646614399999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-22557455382794057802012-10-08T15:45:00.001-05:002012-10-17T09:27:55.086-05:00The hills are alive with the sounds of ... which way now?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAN1LDpPbk7llRMjn7Zf55SDAEE7T1rilu6NQXX_b5HLU91wR5gRJhfXNJ0cSEEcV6stdvn-aRitb9Ptm4DOuOAXFUER8xN0HoyLBw5VwhLSZf6ge_H_N5DUq9H1Je1Clw4eKRT9flQ3i/s1600/DSC09017+Lost+in+Tuscan+Hills.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAN1LDpPbk7llRMjn7Zf55SDAEE7T1rilu6NQXX_b5HLU91wR5gRJhfXNJ0cSEEcV6stdvn-aRitb9Ptm4DOuOAXFUER8xN0HoyLBw5VwhLSZf6ge_H_N5DUq9H1Je1Clw4eKRT9flQ3i/s320/DSC09017+Lost+in+Tuscan+Hills.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This could have been us!</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Fine white road dust, the consistency of sifted flour, settles in thick drifts on our little rental car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turning on the wipers and spraying the windshield with water creates a sticky grey muck. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice! </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">We are stopped at the crest of a hill, waiting to see which way the lead car in our two-car caravan is going to turn next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSgs0hn36Vm71k4LLdAmZ85xSkPMyoYv4SdH1r_IgIOfUU7HNqOsl_jXAHUFb65kVcMgexbcmjG7uVJO53mv4QuDRqAFCiN3tAIhQSORA6AFCiAvFEDxWdE104AVA_VmSU663u6cHS-SM/s1600/DSC09010+Oh%252C+oh+dead+end+into+a+creek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSgs0hn36Vm71k4LLdAmZ85xSkPMyoYv4SdH1r_IgIOfUU7HNqOsl_jXAHUFb65kVcMgexbcmjG7uVJO53mv4QuDRqAFCiN3tAIhQSORA6AFCiAvFEDxWdE104AVA_VmSU663u6cHS-SM/s320/DSC09010+Oh%252C+oh+dead+end+into+a+creek.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Reverse!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>The road ends at a
stream in a farmer's field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our wee
little rentals cars are not designed for fording creeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three grimacing scarecrows beside the road resemble
lost tourists – thin and tattered, desiccated from a lack of food, and wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">We are in the Chianti wine region in Tuscany
Italy, searching for our rental house.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0ai5tecNdNi7Xr6rBOeXmh6fqPjevDk0i-7uumrJ4u4M6xikZGi0XcKBrv9cirXF-hAR9Ggc72Okbnv82d9-H3bGhGd_vggy5-AKnaJzLpghrpy7ef0NJAfzubQAMdrVz30_UjCwnHqt/s1600/DSC09033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0ai5tecNdNi7Xr6rBOeXmh6fqPjevDk0i-7uumrJ4u4M6xikZGi0XcKBrv9cirXF-hAR9Ggc72Okbnv82d9-H3bGhGd_vggy5-AKnaJzLpghrpy7ef0NJAfzubQAMdrVz30_UjCwnHqt/s320/DSC09033.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Retracing our
route, we make one more attempt to decipher the directions, and we find it - Villa
della Vista (house with a view) in the Le Bagnaie estate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what a view; lush vineyards, impressive hilltop
estates, olive groves, and a distant view of San Gimignano the beautiful
medieval city that we visited a few days ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosZ4yWc0DGCYwmYrrA4B-HIgatX1FGbfva3f3SjPL8PcXUKlOZUo2WUodaiB6LtI-gTrTS1aEAxz64VCsZWPxqhq1ViByL06SysM1CAYOugWvzFzl6Huc_LSlcojlZjwnBhflPzKZY8rz/s1600/DSC09037+La+Bagnaie+Italy+1st+night.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosZ4yWc0DGCYwmYrrA4B-HIgatX1FGbfva3f3SjPL8PcXUKlOZUo2WUodaiB6LtI-gTrTS1aEAxz64VCsZWPxqhq1ViByL06SysM1CAYOugWvzFzl6Huc_LSlcojlZjwnBhflPzKZY8rz/s320/DSC09037+La+Bagnaie+Italy+1st+night.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">We haven't travelled very far from our previous rental house in Alberi
Italy, merely moving a bit east into the Chianti wine district.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">There are gorgeous villages and stunning
stone fortresses - that were once strategic in the battles between the armies
of Siena and Florence - perched on every summit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course, the famous Chianti wines
crafted out of Sangiovese grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are delicious wines, not the cheap basket-covered-bottle-converted-to-a-candle-holder-wines,
so popular in Italian-style restaurants in the 1970’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vSXMcgr7wTKcvwwAczaSwOxVXu-vRuJlbQxQknP0L_NNCvm_Cn2z-FfrUClpdVCA4Xj-f42ihYRzCFNtCvtlXEetr4zOm44o_S9LlLHVZpab8JHcsd5QvZQqMx8AKo7H81h6gu9AdZVs/s1600/DSC09003+Nana+and+her+granddaughter+in+Castellina+in+Chianti.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vSXMcgr7wTKcvwwAczaSwOxVXu-vRuJlbQxQknP0L_NNCvm_Cn2z-FfrUClpdVCA4Xj-f42ihYRzCFNtCvtlXEetr4zOm44o_S9LlLHVZpab8JHcsd5QvZQqMx8AKo7H81h6gu9AdZVs/s320/DSC09003+Nana+and+her+granddaughter+in+Castellina+in+Chianti.JPG" width="212" /></a> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">After settling into the house we drove a few kilometers to the closest hilltop town to re-provision our supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Castellina di Chianti is an ancient little town dating back twenty-eight centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gone are the armies of old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It now features wine shops, good restaurants, a butcher store, a wi-fi café, and a small grocery store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are able to find most things, except peanut butter!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Our plan is to explore the surrounding areas, eat lunch in one of the
many interesting nearby towns, and have dinners at our rental house so that we can
relax and enjoy the sunsets with a glass or two of wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span> </div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The weather is hot, dry, and sunny, very
similar to the summer weather of the Okanagan Valley in Canada where we lived
for twenty-something years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLDOcAP9SVWeIclauCp4JtPaTOT1HZwJIio5g6_Oy6XRfP3BuxO9dBfE3m-hO1o0bmo8SxOo_RuAllL_UrD-XnZW9R-b9_NCFLsn7i89Jwjo5UsHgitUYpe5jUJgImH0ppYJeIhNz3r5i/s1600/DSC09164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLDOcAP9SVWeIclauCp4JtPaTOT1HZwJIio5g6_Oy6XRfP3BuxO9dBfE3m-hO1o0bmo8SxOo_RuAllL_UrD-XnZW9R-b9_NCFLsn7i89Jwjo5UsHgitUYpe5jUJgImH0ppYJeIhNz3r5i/s320/DSC09164.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">It's a gorgeous
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only downside being the
abundance of narrow dusty roads that wind through the hills; fine white limestone
dust smothers buildings, vineyards and cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The dust sifts under door sills, and through windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will probably find its way into our
suitcases for the return flight home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A souvenir
of Tuscany!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYewknZYFbjQxocReN7-uDT0LHsLFlzbowwm2OXsIixeImIhhQCPibrIZbamVJXh4sSQxsmfRXxC5_sx9-5AfOIf_g68TuvcyhF_yZ2GApTQ4flqZVWTQ5E3DFZlmrXiefYZ8TjrQMvq0L/s1600/DSC09282+Lots+of+narrow+gravel+roads+in+Tuscany.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYewknZYFbjQxocReN7-uDT0LHsLFlzbowwm2OXsIixeImIhhQCPibrIZbamVJXh4sSQxsmfRXxC5_sx9-5AfOIf_g68TuvcyhF_yZ2GApTQ4flqZVWTQ5E3DFZlmrXiefYZ8TjrQMvq0L/s320/DSC09282+Lots+of+narrow+gravel+roads+in+Tuscany.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Looking back
through the guest book of Villa della Vista, I saw a note addressed to the
owners that made me smile; "Per favore!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were very lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please revisit
your directions and distances for turning."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><strong>Ah, we weren't
the only disoriented guests – lost in the hills of Tuscany.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES" style="color: #548dd4; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com2Castellina in Chianti, Province of Siena, Italy43.4811742 11.275053143.3890017 11.117124599999999 43.573346699999995 11.4329816tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-40199115588706620352012-10-02T17:08:00.001-05:002012-10-02T17:08:05.365-05:00City of the Beautiful Towers (delle belle torri)<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">He broods in candlelit darkness - a richly clad forearm resting on a
long wooden table, a chalice of good local wine in his hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stupid laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How can I build a suitable palace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJLrKHFjqN3HFVVrftGtd9hNiOaTOMefOiL-o5TlwvYYmLxWUkaNZbsQhsSCCjyK_epatf3JGQ65MaAOrMfZagJvaPIPGydvFvI7FcEk0hDN9l_RqtXOV1E9qHLmBwOrLxVPigylzDiec/s1600/DSC08743+Tourists.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJLrKHFjqN3HFVVrftGtd9hNiOaTOMefOiL-o5TlwvYYmLxWUkaNZbsQhsSCCjyK_epatf3JGQ65MaAOrMfZagJvaPIPGydvFvI7FcEk0hDN9l_RqtXOV1E9qHLmBwOrLxVPigylzDiec/s320/DSC08743+Tourists.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy June 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Shaking his head in disgust, the wool merchant raises the cup to his mouth and drinks deeply of the delicious wine, wiping his mouth with his embroidered sleeve. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="hps"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="IT" style="mso-ansi-language: IT; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Legislatori</span></i></span></span><span class="shorttext"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="IT" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: IT; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></span><span class="hps"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="IT" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: IT; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">stupidi</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">.</span></i><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9GchHSxkL-aHORsXUMzO7xj8cNoAbefvD_4v2U3M5fEB9HmiWtzTEDxdw0NxK32UtQT_TbC3HDUEofNkcg66PCNXhFJgs7qnWWsZxOn8166Se6-8AGtHAJ526-r_hYy3FgeyEapYyVoM/s1600/DSC08738+Towers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9GchHSxkL-aHORsXUMzO7xj8cNoAbefvD_4v2U3M5fEB9HmiWtzTEDxdw0NxK32UtQT_TbC3HDUEofNkcg66PCNXhFJgs7qnWWsZxOn8166Se6-8AGtHAJ526-r_hYy3FgeyEapYyVoM/s320/DSC08738+Towers.JPG" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">In 1255 the local lawmakers of San Gimignano, Tuscany, legislated that
new buildings must not be more than 12 arm-lengths wide, and 24 arm-lengths
deep to ensure that every house remained inside the stone fortifications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Northern Italy, particularly the area around
Florence, Sienna, and San Gimignano were immensely wealthy as the merchant class
flourished with a stable banking system, good sea trade routes and money to
spend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Gimignano was a stopping
point on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Via Francigena</i>, the
route that traversed the hills between Florence and Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The merchant families became rich due to the
constant influx of affluent pilgrims passing through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In time the prosperous citizens yearned to
exhibit their own wealth by building <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">grande
casas</i> and palaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only solution
under the current law was to go up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb15PfClVOkAMsK4uGvGlu-KHQ2e4yCq1BtGTii5853Ht_p6BSPY1Q8_8Ys45tu9CEQFiRwjmV0ks-VPE_SU1xqbQyFRIaEanEP1ajaIYYbS3eN1QJ3S_KfbXkffw5jF_MsAOmNkMmwPEy/s1600/DSC08724+Food.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb15PfClVOkAMsK4uGvGlu-KHQ2e4yCq1BtGTii5853Ht_p6BSPY1Q8_8Ys45tu9CEQFiRwjmV0ks-VPE_SU1xqbQyFRIaEanEP1ajaIYYbS3eN1QJ3S_KfbXkffw5jF_MsAOmNkMmwPEy/s320/DSC08724+Food.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The food choices are vast.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Soon
the merchant families of San Gimignano found themselves in war of
status-symbols, building taller and more splendid stone towers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At its
economic height the city had a total of seventy-two distinctive tower-shaped
palaces giving rise to the sobriquet of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">delle
belle torri.</i></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Then in 1348 the Black Plague devastated the city, killing more than
half of the population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The city faded
into obscurity, gradually disintegrating as the empty towers crumbled or were torn
down, the materials reused for smaller buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">In the 19<sup>th</sup> century San Gimignano
was re-discovered as a tourist attraction, drawing the affluent to the city
once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time the fourteen
towers that had escaped the ravages of the economic disaster were restored, and
the city is now classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzv9mGuWJNZQvGeQ4eOwZ5NLtnk4GYYxGI6_T0T1HfrlryRfrQ7u_9J5HfbNj9JlCzssgmtFjEViT0gM6INUg0ar3jUe9oLrneuDJe3v40VyD71hCjw4qeTRoV6eO_HXK6zbO919whG5e/s1600/DSC08722+Leather.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzv9mGuWJNZQvGeQ4eOwZ5NLtnk4GYYxGI6_T0T1HfrlryRfrQ7u_9J5HfbNj9JlCzssgmtFjEViT0gM6INUg0ar3jUe9oLrneuDJe3v40VyD71hCjw4qeTRoV6eO_HXK6zbO919whG5e/s320/DSC08722+Leather.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colour choices bewildering.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We recently spent a day wandering the steep, winding streets of San
Gimignano, weaving in and out amongst the crowd of tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dithered over colour choices for the inexpensive
and well-made leather purses, shoes, and wallets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We perused the array of food choices, and of
course the wine selections – red and white and what we called giggle juice, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prosecco</i>, an Italian dry sparkling wine.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Making savoury purchases for our
evening meal we wandered away as the afternoon sun began to sear the stone
buildings, heating the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wine choices extensive.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Time to head back to our rental house in Alberi.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Time for a cool nap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As we drive up the adjoining hills, we can see the distinctive
tower-spiked sky-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It’s worth a stop
for another photograph: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">delle belle torri</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Gimignano Tuscany.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artist painting San Gimignano - on distant hilltop.</td></tr>
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Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com0Piazza Della Cisterna, 53037 San Gimignano Province of Siena, Italy43.4676324 11.043490943.3754404 10.8855624 43.5598244 11.2014194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-46819694701056332572012-09-25T15:30:00.002-05:002012-09-25T15:30:56.472-05:00Alberi Tuscany, Garden of Eden<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuMFxhwDISDILrwyfEgSxIywz647yGp1BnZogahvh_iJmrtJ1cRjrpoT8aH3QDDotqgGr6jv-G78wvP99s0b6NZS4vEtbNs5VY0N7eodrJlwUcg8iKODhhX2S_M3M5fdJIxpWOympWctR/s1600/DSC08895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuMFxhwDISDILrwyfEgSxIywz647yGp1BnZogahvh_iJmrtJ1cRjrpoT8aH3QDDotqgGr6jv-G78wvP99s0b6NZS4vEtbNs5VY0N7eodrJlwUcg8iKODhhX2S_M3M5fdJIxpWOympWctR/s320/DSC08895.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pots of Lemon Trees</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">He peers through the patio
window, smiling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tall, and lean with
thick white hair and innumerable smile lines - the gardener wants our
attention.</span></span><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Come, see my
garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See what I am planting today."
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I have no Italian, he speaks no English but the pride shines from his sun-baked smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">I admire the pots of ivy-geranium that he is planting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I show him a store-bought lemon and motion towards the five terracotta pots in the garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Are they lemon trees?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He nods in agreement. "Si, si."</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">In the garden surrounding
our rental house, in Alberti, a tiny Tuscan village, there is a wide variety of
edibles. There are mature olive groves with small hard fruits taking shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are fig trees drooping with green forms
- just waiting for the summer sun heat to finish ripening the figs into dark
lush fruits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrie and his sister Linda Grierson</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">We freely clip chunks of
fresh rosemary to include in our evening meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still deeper in the garden are peach, apricot, cherry and kumquat trees;
and artichoke plants with their spiny buds hiding a tasty tender heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the early part of June and everything
is almost ripe, not quite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lavender
shrubs scent the driveway and patios.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rose
bushes, hollyhocks, and jasmine spill over onto pathways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the evenings we sit on the patio sipping
delicious local wines, enjoying the enticing smells that scent the air,
reliving the day’s adventures. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heaven! </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrie sipping wine in Montaione</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Tuscany is everything we
expected, and more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our three-bedroom rental
house is situated only a few kilometres away from the little hilltop town of Montaione.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lawrie
and I discovered a wine store, with a few tables and chairs set out in the
central plaza overlooking the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Christine, one of the owners, helpfully recommended a local white wine
to sip while we soak up the sunshine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">It
was so good we bought three more bottles to take back to the house to share
with our travel partners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had been
busy stocking up as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now we have many different Italian wines to
savour.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYddsRgXxx_L5QYpdBXnsWOz7uRAMHVBIm7b4G9Qqv0u8dQjawM8jFPV4zBtDDpiDhr8nJHmRjDrEO-VzmogXaish5ojOr-me_LFfeCEfVgWfKFPMPLk3rGBwrxEnRhxm74-8axOKcUqjz/s320/DSC08704+A+few+days+supply.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 6 of us have been busy shopping for local wines.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYddsRgXxx_L5QYpdBXnsWOz7uRAMHVBIm7b4G9Qqv0u8dQjawM8jFPV4zBtDDpiDhr8nJHmRjDrEO-VzmogXaish5ojOr-me_LFfeCEfVgWfKFPMPLk3rGBwrxEnRhxm74-8axOKcUqjz/s1600/DSC08704+A+few+days+supply.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Our rental house had a
well-stocked kitchen, and a charcoal BBQ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The willing chefs in our group created gourmet meals with the fresh
ingredients available in the local stores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ate very well; morning coffee by the swimming pool, lunches at
restaurants, and dinners at the house. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Using
the house as our home base we spent the next week exploring the countryside,
visiting ancient fortified towns such as San Gimignano, Certaldo, and
Volterra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Our last night in Alberi
we treated ourselves to a classy meal at the nearby <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Casa Masi Trattoria</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
location, the food, the wine, and the service were all fabulous; with an added bonus
of being greeted by two extremely well-behaved Great White Pyrenees dogs, and
one cute tabby cat. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Casa Masi Trattoria Italy. Wonderful!</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Here’s their website
for more info:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.casamasimontaione.it/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.casamasimontaione.it</span></a> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're not allowed inside, can you come out to play?</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">It’s an experience we’d
happily share again – the week in Alberi and Montaione, and the dinner at Casa
Masi Trattoria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heaven on earth. </span></span></div>
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Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com050050 Alberi Province of Florence, Italy43.5771164 10.880075743.5713649 10.870205200000001 43.582867900000004 10.8899462tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-25882303004517668842012-09-18T18:35:00.000-05:002012-09-18T18:37:54.887-05:00Cinque Terre’s Crayon-Coloured Houses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">A new box of crayons - freshly opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bright Colours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tall sturdy houses that look like a box of crayons.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre </td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The Cinque Terre, a colourful jumble of houses perched on a rugged coastline in the Italian Riviera, is composed of five small villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The villages are accessible primarily by foot path, bridges, and thousands of stone steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Until the end of the 19<sup>th</sup> Century walkways or boat were the only routes into the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The national railway now has service to Vernazza, Monterosso and Riomaggiore with a change to a local train required for the other two towns of Manarola and Corniglia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vernazza harbour area</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Once you get off the trains there are still innumerable stairs to climb in every direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steps lead to the harbour front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steps lead up to the City Hall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steps, and bridges, and pathways lead to the other villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The walking can be very sweaty, and the pathways very steep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The payoff is the fabulous ocean view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The residents who live in the Cinque Terre are likely very fit with the amount of walking and climbing required.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not a bad way to work off the calories consumed during lunch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vernazza workers restoring church</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">We had originally booked a hotel in the heart of Vernazza for our three-night stay in June of 2012, but on October 25<sup>th</sup>, 2011 a flash flood devastated the centre of the town, killing nine people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flood completely destroyed the hotel along with a number of other businesses, and homes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still wanting to visit the area we instead stayed at the very pleasant Hotel Crismar in the nearby city of La Spezia. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">La Spezia is an easy commute to the Cinque Terre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are the trains that run every 30 minutes, or if you are feeling more adventurous catch one of the passenger ferry boats that leave several times a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boats have drop off areas in all of the towns, except landlocked Corniglia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too rough - boat ride ended in Vernazza</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">We opted for the boat ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The views were unbelievable; terraced hillsides, vineyards, hundreds of stairs climbing up the steep spines of the rocky hills, and a multi-colourful muddle of houses jammed against each other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The downside to riding on the boat is the surf can occasionally be too rough to land the passengers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our captain decided it was too dangerous to stop at either Riomaggiore or Manarola.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to off-load at the larger dock at Vernazza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boat service then shut down for the remainder of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah well, the return portion of the ride is refundable at the dock-side office in La Spezia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vernazza Harbour</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">While we were on the boat between La Spezia and Vernazza we met a local personality, Bea Newton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has published several photographic books, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Colours of the World</i>, depicting her varied travels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Bea chatted with us, filling us in on local lore, gossip, and good places to visit while in the Cinque Terre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">As soon as I spotted one of her books in Monterosso - I bought it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The book is stuffed with gorgeous photographs of the Cinque Terre depicting in all four seasons, including an unusually snowy winter day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Every town in the Cinque Terre has its own personality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thirty-minute hike along the pathway between Riomaggiore and Manarola is called the Lover’s Walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in the day when these villages were isolated the young people walked between towns in search of suitable mates: as in someone not directly related to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pathway is festooned with love-locks, or padlocks, that have been attached by recent visitors to railings and posts as an expression of their undying love. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading amid the construction rubble</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">We were particularly intrigued with the rebuilding process underway in Vernazza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The residents are still digging out, reconstructing, and getting on with their lives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watched workers heft a heavy wooden statue out of their truck, and slowly crab-walk it back into the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A young woman sitting amid the clutter of wheel barrows, fish nets and cement mixers - absentmindedly patted her dog while she enjoyed her book and the morning sunshine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Temporary doors blocked entrances to buildings under repair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all the mess people still had time to chat with one another, discussing the repairs, or other neighbours, or what was being served for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temporary door for house</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">And for our lunch, we met up with our family members at a well-known restaurant in the historical area of Monterosso.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stuffed ourselves with crusty breads dipped in deep green olive oil, crispy pan fried fish, freshly made pasta, succulent mussels and tasty local wines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Now we really should go for another hike up the stairs, through the alleys and streets of crayon-coloured houses, to wear off the calories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in reality, we caught the train back to our hotel in La Spezia for an afternoon nap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Cinque Terre with its crayon-coloured doll houses is definitely worth a repeat visit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat, cat-napping in Monterosso!</td></tr>
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Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com4Vernazza, Province of La Spezia, Italy44.1428829 9.695403344.0973134 9.6164393000000015 44.188452399999996 9.7743673tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-8688864818902189052012-09-10T11:04:00.000-05:002012-09-10T11:04:26.572-05:00Blois France “The Best Chicken Caesar Salad Ever” according to my best travel partner! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrie enjoying the live music during dinner</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmdPLsOJJZkSwS_u3h4VHAzOIRv-O_TOmbGe-e5K43RcsmnOp5a5KRMWzzS-BUWM7tOPFkxvqchj9l3rJCpLqj21YIHMXIBA3RHVdm69kJRpAeUp_sEOsImz7z-M_hEaKhfPvp167xglg/s1600/DSC07706_Blois_France_live_music.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I have been struggling for a few days searching for a starting point for this week’s European holiday blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I wanted to write about Blois France, and I asked Lawrie what he remembered most about this beautiful city; “The best chicken Caesar salad that I’ve ever had.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Huh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t remember what I had for dinner that night, or most nights, only that outdoor restaurant was located in the centre of town, with musicians playing good tunes, and stars sparkling overhead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It’s interesting how we occasionally have different memories of the same location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Blois</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRJKw43wv_WtKZ_DJSOwn_ggr4lS1KhqJL7cSOGjIK1m4UpeqWzjc4yvqfS2hXK9HImgDhyxUZLk08ayEvbqvsZBW9yep3E8XXFRobhgF4x6nXAEnioChOgmRHjKHcwJrxSFGPXXT4eNW/s1600/DSC07674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The ancient city of Blois is located on the Loire River between two other gorgeous and well known French cities: Orleans and Tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The famous French female warrior Jeanne d’ Arc, or Joan of Arc had a presence in this city as well as a few others that we have visited in France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On April 29<sup>th</sup> in 1429 she rode to Blois, to use the chateau as her base of operations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">At age seventeen she successfully led a military campaign to rescue the nearby city of Orleans from a lengthy English siege.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Royal Chateau of Blois</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Perhaps it is our fascination with ancient walled cities that leads us to places with such rich history, or perhaps it is that France and most of Europe has been settled for so many centuries that a number of interesting personalities re-appear from place to place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Over the centuries the Royal Chateau of Blois has been home to seven kings, and ten queens of France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other famous people who at various times have called Blois home include Charles of Orleans in 1140, Marie de’ Medici 1617-19, Gaston Duke of Orleans 1660’s, and Marie Louise the wife of Napoleon I lived there for a few years in the early 1800’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The King's Bedroom</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We happened upon Blois while wandering through our favourite country on a three-week journey; no plans, no hotel reservations, just driving wherever the whim led us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The Royal Chateau of Blois takes up most of the centre of the city, rising vertically from the road that twists along its base. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The views from the upper walls are spectacular. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inside the chateau is a stunning collection of furniture, paintings, china, and fabrics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want some of these for our house!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">But my all-time favourite things to see were the snarling gargoyles displayed at eye level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For once I could actually look at, and appreciated the intricate carvings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So often the gargoyles are forty or fifty feet up on the edges of a cathedral roof – functioning as rainspouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supposed to scare parishioners into behaving.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Eventually we located a hotel a short walk from the old centre of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ambled along enjoying the warm evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the centre there were a number of open-air restaurants set under the cool shade trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And live music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a great spot to spend a few hours people-watching, enjoying the music – and apparently eating the “best chicken Caesar salad ever!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Chateau of Blois - walking back to our hotel</td></tr>
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Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com0Blois, France47.587952 1.336271947.545114500000004 1.2573079 47.6307895 1.4152359tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-66788822885177055802012-08-27T14:59:00.000-05:002012-08-27T14:59:29.088-05:00France - sensory overload!<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The smells, the food, the wines!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fabulous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Meandering along cobble stone streets in medieval villages on market day is a sensory experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJoOWxiO15pDEor6wZRESd_-Zih-kdrvp0kYXdVxbdINjeYJULImEed5mr2fcB1UQYJQpKb7_nMMfcovo_zY6lA_gGC1zmZdX8nSDl6wLxspOzZSrFSX7j9sM29CVM1ofIoYZ-R4m2zUK/s1600/2012_June_10th_-_Montaione_Italy_Lynda_still_looking_for_fields_of_blooming_lavender.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJoOWxiO15pDEor6wZRESd_-Zih-kdrvp0kYXdVxbdINjeYJULImEed5mr2fcB1UQYJQpKb7_nMMfcovo_zY6lA_gGC1zmZdX8nSDl6wLxspOzZSrFSX7j9sM29CVM1ofIoYZ-R4m2zUK/s320/2012_June_10th_-_Montaione_Italy_Lynda_still_looking_for_fields_of_blooming_lavender.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">There are colourful bunches of sweet-smelling flowers, packets of dried or fresh lavender, and handmade aromatic soaps - all available for purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">In another part of the market are fragrant fresh fruits, crunchy new vegetables, bundles of pungent garlic, plus savoury chickens grilling on spits and dripping hot fat onto potatoes roasting below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">In the tiny stores that proliferate along the village streets we can buy red, white or rosé wines, fresh crusty baguettes, pastries, salami, cheeses, or a variety of olives, black, green, dried, or flavoured with olive oil and rosemary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Market day in Lyons - Lawrie buying olives</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The background scenery surrounding the villages is stunning, changing from the rocky north coast of France, to poppy-strewn wheat fields in Normandy, to the lush vineyards and chateaux in the Loire Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Boarding a high speed train in Paris we traveled south to Avignon - speeding at 180 kilometres per hour through the rolling countryside dotted with thousands of the creamy-white Charolais cattle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Picking up our Renault van at the Avignon train station we set off to explore the remote little villages of Provence for the next five days. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Passing lavender fields - not quite in bloom, the scent just beginning to perfume the air - Lawrie, and his brother Richard, muscled the over-sized van through the meandering village roads of Provence, then up the twisting barely-one-lane-wide roads overlooking precipitous canyons in the mountains of Haute Provence, until we reached the summit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haute Provence</td></tr>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">These roads are perfect for fast sports cars, powerful motorcycles, or crazy bicyclists training for the Tour de France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The roads are not suited to a cumbersome multi-passenger van. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Think of the fun - if we had rented three Ferraris instead!</span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Stopping for lunch at the only restaurant available at the summit we had a laughter-filled meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 'cheeky' waiter told us what we were having for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No options!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Slow-roasted pig cheeks served with pomme frites (we call them French fries) and a bit of salad. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a bottle of rosé wine, and a basket of crusty hot bread - it tasted terrific. </span></span></div>
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<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Eventually, after spending a few nights in Haute Provence villages, we wound our way back down to traffic snarled streets in Nice on the Mediterranean Sea before returning the van to Avis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJBD06eMT_BiDS-x37FnA2N76BhJKl6bui7NeXb0XPItszumOCL0bdkz5eoW6XIgKEUlWofLnFfgnWDXd6DC7WPWHpG9VCYekMIHw_8k3C9rPx5M7c_r03d6xoHIYPoX6kFOjpspKvW4a/s1600/2012_May_29th_-_Touring_Paris,_breakfast_break.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJBD06eMT_BiDS-x37FnA2N76BhJKl6bui7NeXb0XPItszumOCL0bdkz5eoW6XIgKEUlWofLnFfgnWDXd6DC7WPWHpG9VCYekMIHw_8k3C9rPx5M7c_r03d6xoHIYPoX6kFOjpspKvW4a/s320/2012_May_29th_-_Touring_Paris,_breakfast_break.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linda Grierson - sampling chocolate!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">The six of us are slowly sipping, sampling and smelling our way across France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Pure heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcaQLPYC9uug5UK2-PqU0q_6CIT02mMdoNbAojrbwXQ1IQF181DEm2msuVBprYvJMQU7TrPNzWW0sXmw9JVpm38ZvwW2F0zM6uZrBd6r6Rm-_VUsHsJ_fJqdH4tjT6ZUxpuQkDMZqoSi2L/s1600/DSC08331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcaQLPYC9uug5UK2-PqU0q_6CIT02mMdoNbAojrbwXQ1IQF181DEm2msuVBprYvJMQU7TrPNzWW0sXmw9JVpm38ZvwW2F0zM6uZrBd6r6Rm-_VUsHsJ_fJqdH4tjT6ZUxpuQkDMZqoSi2L/s320/DSC08331.JPG" width="255" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a family thing, her brother Lawrie and chocolate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com026110 Nyons, France44.3618809 5.14014544.3164719 5.061181 44.4072899 5.219109tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-76599761284567228152012-08-20T20:19:00.000-05:002012-08-20T20:19:00.252-05:0070th Anniversary of a ill-fated invasion<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL1gFnowTgnO4IuPSIFhlP1A55S1qnUkbepr63Lf1aJbyoPIf62J1bS9qAgSNkGtYwLpvIG7BoNxbznqQGqvAfJBXiI1ziIDFgzTuOG6K5vchcJlhthIPFENz9peQfAV-wbFCqbBVkagx/s1600/Ann+MacMillian+photo+Canadian+service+personal+at+Dieppe+70th+anniversary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL1gFnowTgnO4IuPSIFhlP1A55S1qnUkbepr63Lf1aJbyoPIf62J1bS9qAgSNkGtYwLpvIG7BoNxbznqQGqvAfJBXiI1ziIDFgzTuOG6K5vchcJlhthIPFENz9peQfAV-wbFCqbBVkagx/s320/Ann+MacMillian+photo+Canadian+service+personal+at+Dieppe+70th+anniversary.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">70th Anniversary services. Photo Ann MacMillan CBC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Crouching on the waves in the moon-lit darkness, the
Allied invasion force waits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">They are
waiting for the signal to invade the beaches of Dieppe, hoping to begin the
liberation of France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It is August 19<sup>th</sup>
1942.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The service personal are waiting,
muscles coiled, breathing slowed – trying to control the fear and the
adrenaline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prayers are whispered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Photos of wives and children are kissed for
luck, and tucked into a uniform breast pocket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A fleeting knowing look is exchanged between infantrymen, thinking; “Will
we die here?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIPg_4tXL9KdKlXPCI-Qov-HIcTYbVjInydtom6tZMJKFeMYIyNK2l9ttlpPuXGwQFNShFKOzZ8gYNeDzn6XdZwrS3BVIjZz9tk5ISBy1uTd_X4yf8xLA8AhWRKrswOWyjdRxRoGxssGC/s1600/Castle+over+looking+Dieppe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIPg_4tXL9KdKlXPCI-Qov-HIcTYbVjInydtom6tZMJKFeMYIyNK2l9ttlpPuXGwQFNShFKOzZ8gYNeDzn6XdZwrS3BVIjZz9tk5ISBy1uTd_X4yf8xLA8AhWRKrswOWyjdRxRoGxssGC/s320/Castle+over+looking+Dieppe.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dieppe France in May of 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">At ten minutes to six in the morning the invasion
began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long lines of ships crowd the
coastlines, disembarking men and tanks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tracers light the sky as enemy guns fire upon anything that moves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">German <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Junkers</i>
aircraft drop heavy bombs that thud into the earth, showering stones, and mud,
and body parts into the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boots
scrabble on the smooth, slippery stones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Men stumble and fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">An Allied <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spitfire</i> plane crashes beside a tank
carrier, the pilot struggles to escape as the plane sinks below the
surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Canadian Calgary Tank Division</i> desperately tries to land their
vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The smooth beach stones jam
tightly into the tank tracks, rendering the machines incapable of
movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another bomb thuds
nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dismembered bodies floated
past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beach stones turn red with
splattered gore.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvj9-8RbHP6Zh-hCyeHj7H6Tq-hdWuMl_7ffZT26LN7aQtlAjYufuAnX7URMxv7CEl6oosh0GnqdaJU7cwz9vnikEaINZ8irSID_D-Mi6Htz1PA_czWiHD6GsZJykxHrE7_H6iRlxM5ws/s1600/800px-DeadAlliedSoldiersDieppeBeach00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvj9-8RbHP6Zh-hCyeHj7H6Tq-hdWuMl_7ffZT26LN7aQtlAjYufuAnX7URMxv7CEl6oosh0GnqdaJU7cwz9vnikEaINZ8irSID_D-Mi6Htz1PA_czWiHD6GsZJykxHrE7_H6iRlxM5ws/s320/800px-DeadAlliedSoldiersDieppeBeach00.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ill-fated Dieppe Raid August 19th 1942</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Smoke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Screams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yells. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commands. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gunfire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And explosions rip through the air. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not pretty, or cinematic-worthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is nasty, and dirty, and horrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘secret’</i>
invasion was expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">An increase in British
radio signal traffic, and a French double-agent had removed any possibility of
surprising and overwhelming the German forces. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eight
hours later the invasion forces scrambled to pull back, returning to England,
leaving behind some of the dead and all of the captured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Of the nearly 5,000 Canadians who
participated in the raid, 913 were killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>About 1500 Canadians were taken prisoner. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvfNVTo4Yc26iB4nsT6oEglySe9bQUIkPlU8f7PFnHrRI5pGBN3A2OoY4EE4fTNNUWd-w0mOjj741IiCdQIRmm1EWvx1dwOOXxhuv5Hg-7pvIn27AyqCqwx0baqeBW_x9obwFh3uN0mze/s1600/DSC07603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvfNVTo4Yc26iB4nsT6oEglySe9bQUIkPlU8f7PFnHrRI5pGBN3A2OoY4EE4fTNNUWd-w0mOjj741IiCdQIRmm1EWvx1dwOOXxhuv5Hg-7pvIn27AyqCqwx0baqeBW_x9obwFh3uN0mze/s320/DSC07603.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seaside cabanas in Dieppe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">When Lawrie and I recently visited Dieppe we saw a peaceful little seaside
town with little beach cabanas lining the seawall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were people enjoying the spring
sunshine while eating at outdoor restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Children were returning from a day at school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adults were shopping for items for the
evening dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normal people doing
everyday normal things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">We stayed
overnight in the centre of town near the 600-year-old St. Jacques cathedral with
its scowling gargoyles and intricate stained glass windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the bluff, overlooking the town and the beach
is the medieval Chateau de Dieppe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
houses a museum that currently specializes in a collection of ivory artifacts
from the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> centuries. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uCJPQM_CN7u9GbkImR5OdHkJwhlTVUnWYzLWq-qDm_A1USFt5uMGZu_qf5f0un2eNZtxQ9OjHptVXuCz489bCnfjZXQLjDPjHQcT0DLj3jzsNAhh4qAIM7c1F4FOJtl2wbZXO-gwx2JG/s1600/DSC07593+Our+hotel+was+to+the+right.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uCJPQM_CN7u9GbkImR5OdHkJwhlTVUnWYzLWq-qDm_A1USFt5uMGZu_qf5f0un2eNZtxQ9OjHptVXuCz489bCnfjZXQLjDPjHQcT0DLj3jzsNAhh4qAIM7c1F4FOJtl2wbZXO-gwx2JG/s320/DSC07593+Our+hotel+was+to+the+right.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dieppe, our hotel was to the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In the morning we wandered the landing area of the Dieppe Raid, trying in
our mind’s eye to see what the invasion would have looked like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I picked up one of the elliptical shale
stones, rubbing it absently between my thumb and finger – visualizing the
challenge of running on this beach while scared, and loaded down with thirty-five
pounds of equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running towards the gun emplacements, still visible
seventy years later tucked into the hillside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">How did anyone survive?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">We stood silently, staring at the ocean, thinking about the very human cost
of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any war. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbnUu4HX_KB9NCshwU4HNzrdrCq7c4-Ux1zgK71cnyAbtxtqGtsPtPoqRgjmIX5hmOkKxZypHVg7hwpGVvQCPOCy5YXr7fHsdPS4hULIqnuvuKqm0IhBNwThXKRt6I7F8ZBjsQuJ5zcKI/s1600/DSC07604+Lawrie+on+beach+at+Dieppe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbnUu4HX_KB9NCshwU4HNzrdrCq7c4-Ux1zgK71cnyAbtxtqGtsPtPoqRgjmIX5hmOkKxZypHVg7hwpGVvQCPOCy5YXr7fHsdPS4hULIqnuvuKqm0IhBNwThXKRt6I7F8ZBjsQuJ5zcKI/s320/DSC07604+Lawrie+on+beach+at+Dieppe.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky beach of Dieppe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com0Dieppe, France49.922992 1.07748349.8821005 0.99851899999999993 49.9638835 1.156447tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-41102829191396101362012-08-14T14:42:00.000-05:002012-08-14T14:42:27.633-05:00Dancing Fountains of Versailles <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgUJPvkqEuhyphenhyphen1binkTdL_nD7ucu7knxxbKRcUCQT826ig1hgO8JRM8rG3wSWVbCcRsyuHAlKaNsucSs8r7F3yH6t1IeUphk-1eykeBE7vBAjUzDD7XQCX4xXfRrWWB9ES67jF-kT4-IfL/s1600/DSC07835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgUJPvkqEuhyphenhyphen1binkTdL_nD7ucu7knxxbKRcUCQT826ig1hgO8JRM8rG3wSWVbCcRsyuHAlKaNsucSs8r7F3yH6t1IeUphk-1eykeBE7vBAjUzDD7XQCX4xXfRrWWB9ES67jF-kT4-IfL/s320/DSC07835.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apollo Fountain at Versailles</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“Huh!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">That’s what we paid extra money for, and then waited three hours to see?”
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The twice daily “Dance
of the Fountains” at Versailles occurs at eleven in the morning, and again at three-thirty
in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">“Why?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wondered gazing around the vast and meticulously
groomed gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why such a short amount
of time, and why not leave the fountains working all day from the time the park
opens until sunset?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Water – or more
correctly the lack of water is the problem, and has been since Versailles was
built in the 1660’s during the reign the Sun King, Louis the 14<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSedDSdZ4toSIwTNX-uM5ON9hScQjBZuEqir6x98wLXSEz5exRK_LQLnBjNWsOvX8k5n7dyBx2y8YauXnur4U862F-QBscnVt5DVp4mRYcEqzmEr2aAChF0l5WRZ0u_MQBnhcS5UuKHxd/s1600/DSC07805+Versailles+non+working+fountain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSedDSdZ4toSIwTNX-uM5ON9hScQjBZuEqir6x98wLXSEz5exRK_LQLnBjNWsOvX8k5n7dyBx2y8YauXnur4U862F-QBscnVt5DVp4mRYcEqzmEr2aAChF0l5WRZ0u_MQBnhcS5UuKHxd/s320/DSC07805+Versailles+non+working+fountain.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Waiting for water!</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The gardens of
Versailles cover eight hundred hectares; have fifty fountains, with over six
hundred jets to spray the water from the mouths of Gods, water nymphs, horses,
or mythical sea creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">T</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">he original gravitational
hydraulic system included thirty-five kilometers of piping. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Before the advent of electricity a combination
of windmill-power and horse-power was used to pump the water, diverted from
local rivers, up to the reservoir on top of the beautiful Grotte de Thétys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From this reservoir the water would make its
way back through the fountains returning to various streams or ponds.</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PGyFM0x0uS9Vi7suVpTpVTba8hjJOGlXLAHKbGGf6_1h4Gj7w5zEAO_zZ22PJIrDPtTh5Ry_-8VHgO6N-Rq6F7U_qTdVzeXB_mIBGhcQIo697fV3ghbJT2M8PM3CCWm6N4R73x3dJJ7q/s320/DSC07813+Grand+Canal+Versailles.JPG" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rental boats on Grand Canal</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Around 1668 the 1500-meter
long Grand Canal was constructed as a pretty venue for boating activities, doubling
as a collection basin for the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Still
there was not enough water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The head <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fountaineer</i> Jean-Baptiste Colbert devised
a system of signaling, via whistles, to warn other <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fountaineers</i> that the King was walking towards their area. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIgGNkvzipAeCbLE2j4geHoKAUxesGj2YmuMh7YnwULpcUh4Nhoy6hDn4SER_KnFWF4mw-apovSQgRKf-m-bHddmvm2p2tMj4CxLydO_CBzLw7geAvE2-ZlKkeCrySvnEdjaBlsKfH-ia/s1600/DSC07807+Grand+Canal+at+Versailles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIgGNkvzipAeCbLE2j4geHoKAUxesGj2YmuMh7YnwULpcUh4Nhoy6hDn4SER_KnFWF4mw-apovSQgRKf-m-bHddmvm2p2tMj4CxLydO_CBzLw7geAvE2-ZlKkeCrySvnEdjaBlsKfH-ia/s320/DSC07807+Grand+Canal+at+Versailles.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One arm of the Grand Canal at Versailles</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The workers would scramble to turn on the appropriate
valves, ensuring the fountain was working as the king strolled past with his entourage,
then turn off the valves to feed the next fountain on his route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">It must have been a bit of a comedy show at
times, anticipating where his royal highness intended to stroll next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Perhaps the Sun King had a mischievous sense
of humor, making last minute adjustments to his promenade – just to see if the
workers could keep up with him.</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhid6wXOrmt2FPIhAuF4siDBT-qzeJv52QaKecEaqcy1Gz7J0BamgHWvkp2zzFTZkF-e7FZpMHO3xDTVrcjArP3H70xnSbfmEcoDb1D7wrKgrbyi0Fo4E6aw086fSsv4q5SomxH4JjPT0V7/s1600/DSC07817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhid6wXOrmt2FPIhAuF4siDBT-qzeJv52QaKecEaqcy1Gz7J0BamgHWvkp2zzFTZkF-e7FZpMHO3xDTVrcjArP3H70xnSbfmEcoDb1D7wrKgrbyi0Fo4E6aw086fSsv4q5SomxH4JjPT0V7/s320/DSC07817.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People watching, waiting for the fountain show.</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Two more
attempts were made to solve the critical water shortage at Versailles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1681 a complex system of waterwheels and
pumps was engineered to pump water from the Seine River up 100 meters above the
level of the river into the fountain system at Versailles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">With various equipment failures and conduit
leakage the expected volume was reduced by half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Then in 1685 twenty thousand soldiers were
employed to divert water from the Eure River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The war of 1686 – 1689 ended that project, unfinished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yTwKkLsW_y4rc6pWSANle5c-q1OSLUtquagl0IiGSmD9S359SdRL9gWED47u_PGAwKbYjAKyK1RrQq1tWHW744iUJIvmJnn5XVAI4uvQv-ZXW3hY9tIqj2cqqYljPnC4OxoaTfpMUSUu/s1600/DSC07858+Versailles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yTwKkLsW_y4rc6pWSANle5c-q1OSLUtquagl0IiGSmD9S359SdRL9gWED47u_PGAwKbYjAKyK1RrQq1tWHW744iUJIvmJnn5XVAI4uvQv-ZXW3hY9tIqj2cqqYljPnC4OxoaTfpMUSUu/s320/DSC07858+Versailles.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Versailles with
its stunningly beautiful setting still has water problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The twice daily Dance of the Fountains is
quick, and a tad repetitive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Go, enjoy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Just remember; it’s not Vegas.</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlHeb4agmlXjz1VGy4W2rd9gmmDbeIX0umyjZD3sE4CheaIXMsgclMGDJXNyFgxjvLpQCsVof3qwxwCAI4YTmLRKVmjbX31OF-JHdLEG9Mk5JQWldyqXOO6mJpAPf0SrfLARYQ3Vd0pXl/s1600/DSC07883+We+stayed+at+Hotel+de+France+at+Versailles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlHeb4agmlXjz1VGy4W2rd9gmmDbeIX0umyjZD3sE4CheaIXMsgclMGDJXNyFgxjvLpQCsVof3qwxwCAI4YTmLRKVmjbX31OF-JHdLEG9Mk5JQWldyqXOO6mJpAPf0SrfLARYQ3Vd0pXl/s320/DSC07883+We+stayed+at+Hotel+de+France+at+Versailles.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hotel de France - perfect, just outside the main gates.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<br />Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com0Versailles, France48.801408 2.13012248.759573 2.051158 48.843243 2.209086tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-68021306235260100612012-08-06T04:00:00.000-05:002012-08-06T04:00:04.014-05:00Lisieux France, Normandy<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34_QZPp3LTKd2rvjo-N-EAolCdknuyaMQuau6q_X7Uq6cM4v-nb48SRupU2wBfMWf4o0eAVu64gBW7sDlRwDKbEPJmeEevYfJmSQuh4vOHNPP9HgR4t_T8rM4lAP5to_vJ_bmThTqffpT/s1600/DSC07607+Lisieux+France+cathedral+began+in+6th+century.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34_QZPp3LTKd2rvjo-N-EAolCdknuyaMQuau6q_X7Uq6cM4v-nb48SRupU2wBfMWf4o0eAVu64gBW7sDlRwDKbEPJmeEevYfJmSQuh4vOHNPP9HgR4t_T8rM4lAP5to_vJ_bmThTqffpT/s320/DSC07607+Lisieux+France+cathedral+began+in+6th+century.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saint-Dennis Cathedral in Lisieux France</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Begun in the 6th century and completed in the 12th century the ancient limestone structure of Saint-Pierre Cathedral dominates the centre of Lisieux France. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gazing at the intricate carvings and the buttressed walls I was reminded of my favourite novel: Pillars of the Earth, written by Ken Follett. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the book the author describes in detail the effort, the materials, and the skills required to build the massive cathedrals of the era. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT481TemXiOCQi9bEeE3H3oxjCpzw_6k5pl-qhqpGpK6X5hysaUjTazOC9zlSve1iFj0JraUrUUbLG-svaY8WIu3RGXVZ18alKFbzQR9gD7T3nu_R2cgEsFuB248qyzEAQt7uWoFvYJOKO/s1600/DSC07648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT481TemXiOCQi9bEeE3H3oxjCpzw_6k5pl-qhqpGpK6X5hysaUjTazOC9zlSve1iFj0JraUrUUbLG-svaY8WIu3RGXVZ18alKFbzQR9gD7T3nu_R2cgEsFuB248qyzEAQt7uWoFvYJOKO/s320/DSC07648.JPG" width="212" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cathedral details</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The novel recreates, quite vividly, the entire life of the village surrounding the cathedral, and of the people who live there. The construction of cathedrals typically happened over a span of a hundred or more years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was at Saint-Pierre Cathedral in 1152 that the future King of England Henry II, married the richest woman in Europe - Eleanor of Aquitaine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, this cathedral is noted for a less noble distinction. The Bishop Cauchon, who in the 15th century played a key role in the trial and death of Joan of Arc, is buried in there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Luckily this ancient cathedral somehow escaped serious damage during bombing campaigns of the World War II. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lisieux is a small city in the northern reaches of France - called Normandy. The area has been inhabited since pre-historic times, by an amazing mix of people. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8pxXq1IMEDPk0p6fNxp8UL_wEr55Ow2mzBLQnNWIgvrf2vlphC1pREJGYyQNY7sLadSLCPEGwk3q7pWOafh5X9mdw6fSbVyaVCLKUB2QjKwV4bUo5vW3q4iDvFaU2SIM-w481Q6KCI_X/s1600/DSC07646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8pxXq1IMEDPk0p6fNxp8UL_wEr55Ow2mzBLQnNWIgvrf2vlphC1pREJGYyQNY7sLadSLCPEGwk3q7pWOafh5X9mdw6fSbVyaVCLKUB2QjKwV4bUo5vW3q4iDvFaU2SIM-w481Q6KCI_X/s320/DSC07646.JPG" width="212" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cathedral details</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> In the late 3rd century, barbarian raids devastated Normandy. Coastal settlements were raided by Saxon pirates. In the 5th century, Germanic tribes invaded from the east, while the Saxons subjugated the Norman coast. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The area was also very desirable for the occupying armies during both World War I 1914-1919, and World War II 1939-1945. It would seem that everyone wanted a part of this fertile area with its rolling hills, that dip down to the valley of the Seine River. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Normandy is famous for cattle, cheeses, butter, apples, apple cider, and the potent apple-brandy known as Calvados. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyn7YPTQnahWiNiDlLErOWC_cqpLl1fL0nXs6Fx1mNc3Q00PdSkKvbq3WS5NTY0mJ-j_hdi8diKdexL96YcykR3JAnTBCn6WWYbEXCmQInflh_h5kx61hh_bmxOdE4FtZSXKkeZfXg9ZY7/s1600/DSC07612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyn7YPTQnahWiNiDlLErOWC_cqpLl1fL0nXs6Fx1mNc3Q00PdSkKvbq3WS5NTY0mJ-j_hdi8diKdexL96YcykR3JAnTBCn6WWYbEXCmQInflh_h5kx61hh_bmxOdE4FtZSXKkeZfXg9ZY7/s320/DSC07612.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ancient wooden houses in Normandy</span></td></tr>
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking for something interesting for dinner we wandered away from the centre of Lisieux towards a group of ancient, sloping, half-timbered houses: still inhabited. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the bottom of one of the houses is a restaurant, the Vieux Norman, that has been in existence for hundreds of years at that location. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The personable proprietor of the restaurant sold us on the Normandy speciality - galettes - a thin, buckwheat flour pancake slightly larger than a crêpe, traditionally folded over a savoury filling of cheese or cream-based sauces, and garnished with a slice of ham, or eggs. We gave it a try - ham for Lawrie, and smoked salmon for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Galettes are a hearty meal perfect for a day when the chilly fog rolls across the English Chanel and blankets the low-lying land of Normandy. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QTLZdGMdiXXfuzOneiJd-9NQgZBtY_OShhWmZXreAHfe4bArkrDEVDNzvkStNBclaK4jM3p-oWcXyiap2G1UelwtjU3Up_uVRkz6zixFGMJP8P86kpFV6Lub6EsG9MgeriPJxLt4_xer/s1600/DSC07642+One+type+of+Gallette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QTLZdGMdiXXfuzOneiJd-9NQgZBtY_OShhWmZXreAHfe4bArkrDEVDNzvkStNBclaK4jM3p-oWcXyiap2G1UelwtjU3Up_uVRkz6zixFGMJP8P86kpFV6Lub6EsG9MgeriPJxLt4_xer/s320/DSC07642+One+type+of+Gallette.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Galette - hearty meal in Normandy France</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stuffed from dinner we wandered back towards our hotel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exploring the backside of the cathedral, we poked under tarps that covered scaffolding, piles of limestone blocks, carved stone decorations, and a myriad of building materials stockpiled while yet more repairs are made to the ancient Saint-Pierre Cathedral. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, maybe there is no actual "end date" to a cathedral. Maybe they are on-going projects - built, and re-built over the centuries, with additions and improvements appearing as money is raised from the populace.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUoKdklG4DdM-Z-NZuFh2sMG0gI6R-wgofJGTexsYLy-3Mlz4styXeU6jF3khbXfb5Tb73n2-XC-DwKKyjOGBuNZxHgu7ArxcAxqlVCBNYD0w13WE-E6O-eUuCnNha7FPOb_mtQzLF_fE/s1600/DSC07650+Cathedral+repairs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUoKdklG4DdM-Z-NZuFh2sMG0gI6R-wgofJGTexsYLy-3Mlz4styXeU6jF3khbXfb5Tb73n2-XC-DwKKyjOGBuNZxHgu7ArxcAxqlVCBNYD0w13WE-E6O-eUuCnNha7FPOb_mtQzLF_fE/s320/DSC07650+Cathedral+repairs.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Materials to repair the cathedral</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lisieux was a very pleasant, and quaint stop on our way through Normandy.</span></div>
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</div>Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com014100 Lisieux, France49.145922 0.22784949.104375 0.148885 49.187469 0.306813tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-45635882197525383162012-07-29T04:00:00.000-05:002012-07-29T04:00:01.288-05:00Orleans France, hot bed of royal intrigue<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38VwPpxonQBtZeECaVA9T12wJL9jOPBsYGvcNyXaOZnDNBfiYorn5LPgB-GbG_NIlb9L7YJRYWE5ikSJQSOvwOOzgi3nxYCZOfMPZ1LWe3Nt5u8UMUJv8M9zkyPqF9psC966bmM-Eb0Yu/s1600/DSC07757+Jeanne+d'Arc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38VwPpxonQBtZeECaVA9T12wJL9jOPBsYGvcNyXaOZnDNBfiYorn5LPgB-GbG_NIlb9L7YJRYWE5ikSJQSOvwOOzgi3nxYCZOfMPZ1LWe3Nt5u8UMUJv8M9zkyPqF9psC966bmM-Eb0Yu/s320/DSC07757+Jeanne+d'Arc.JPG" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeanne d'Arc </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jeanne d'Arc lowered herself onto her left knee, bowing her head in subservience -quietly pledging to her Dauphin, Charles VII, to escort him to Reims to be crowned as the rightful King of France. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jeanne d'Arc, or as we know her Joan of Arc, was just 17 years old. Hers is a history recounted by innumerable famous authors, film makers, and more recently animated computer games. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She said that she had visions from God that instructed her to recover her homeland from the English, overrun by King Henry V of England in 1337, in a war started as a succession dispute between the French Armagnacs and the French Burgundians. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The uncrowned King Charles VII sent her to the siege of Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and destroyed the siege in only nine days earning her the soubriquet, The Maid of Orléans.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgN-I2kq8aBirvvIGwf_ry_7-f02yyD7TAWgLoh70qt0v7L5gTr9s9r-X7M4JmJ78wNwvVxlV0iNmwuhhvo0gzTmzTcCMkr20B0M2lX-hlpg3Cnp0cxgzK5vuhseUhio74CDEkyTwWJjs/s1600/DSC07749+Orleans+Cathedral+built+between+1278+and+1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgN-I2kq8aBirvvIGwf_ry_7-f02yyD7TAWgLoh70qt0v7L5gTr9s9r-X7M4JmJ78wNwvVxlV0iNmwuhhvo0gzTmzTcCMkr20B0M2lX-hlpg3Cnp0cxgzK5vuhseUhio74CDEkyTwWJjs/s320/DSC07749+Orleans+Cathedral+built+between+1278+and+1329.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Orléans Cathedral underconstruction between 1278 & 1329</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A skirmish in northern France on Mary 23rd 1430 led to her capture, when her forces were overrun by the Dauphins rivals, the Burgundians. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She was unhorsed and sold to the English by Duke Philip of Burgundy. The English Duke of Bedford claimed the throne of France on behalf of his nephew Henry VI. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpef5nEslgDWuop6vDMay_iZCoCF2uBZh6DRNBLaoT-_gHz3RMGRrmpTdXNGr8284Y1ITFWigA3ogiwLmsPggK1kNy6mcgyuK1Zi-lBvOzTCPh0N5OQGiQaraW8Zds94vWNxckoBaVY7q/s1600/DSC07763+Orleans+France.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpef5nEslgDWuop6vDMay_iZCoCF2uBZh6DRNBLaoT-_gHz3RMGRrmpTdXNGr8284Y1ITFWigA3ogiwLmsPggK1kNy6mcgyuK1Zi-lBvOzTCPh0N5OQGiQaraW8Zds94vWNxckoBaVY7q/s320/DSC07763+Orleans+France.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Cathedral</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joan of Arc had been responsible for the rival coronation, hence condemning her was an move to undermine the king's legitimacy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She attempted several escapes, on one occasion jumping from her 70 foot (21 m) tower to the soft earth of a dry moat, after which she was moved to the Burgundian town of Arras in northern France.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDPOSRWmdtRPgmxnlKPIQ7xRd9En4d50YMORHH75r5r0crB9XxMWnILmCOiu7fT6usHqvb3J6q598Ch8TpPFtsVDC2RCnRT9NbrPH_sXGzpCuQuL-hCXpSn0vWtpJCsJay0i9d4fX2WS_/s1600/DSC07745+Jeanne+d'Arc+Orleans+France.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDPOSRWmdtRPgmxnlKPIQ7xRd9En4d50YMORHH75r5r0crB9XxMWnILmCOiu7fT6usHqvb3J6q598Ch8TpPFtsVDC2RCnRT9NbrPH_sXGzpCuQuL-hCXpSn0vWtpJCsJay0i9d4fX2WS_/s320/DSC07745+Jeanne+d'Arc+Orleans+France.JPG" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeanne d'Arc watching over the square</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On May 3th 1431 the saviour of Orléans, nineteen-year-old Jeanne d'Arc, was burned at the stake, as a heretic, because, well, I guess, a mere woman should never annoy men by getting involved in politics, war, or religion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The present day Orléans has many statues commemorating Jeanne d'Arc. It is an extraordinarily beautiful city, saturated with history, culture, art, and the all important ingredient - money - necessary to keep everything functioning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We stayed in a modest hotel on the main pedestrian street, and wandered up and down the centre of the old city, at one point sighting a bride impatiently waiting for her groom to arrive at the civil registry office. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJy6d3zKLzJe6CVg1NbtYSX9PUp4WGrLgbECqPcbrZ4_GgT4bXcQiDR0UR0suOJg6W7h-cShKtuhHlSb_ZvRNLO93G4tl3arc-OXw4iEUOPBj8OdzHb_nt19hcCkMexp8Yn159LvSyN6La/s1600/DSC07753+Waiting+for+the+groom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJy6d3zKLzJe6CVg1NbtYSX9PUp4WGrLgbECqPcbrZ4_GgT4bXcQiDR0UR0suOJg6W7h-cShKtuhHlSb_ZvRNLO93G4tl3arc-OXw4iEUOPBj8OdzHb_nt19hcCkMexp8Yn159LvSyN6La/s320/DSC07753+Waiting+for+the+groom.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for arrival of groom</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later on Saturday night we discovered the modern tradition of stag or stagette parties celebrating in the city square, under the watchful eye of a very stern Jeanne d'Arc mounted on horseback. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPG99jfkIMb8zCWeMzcmwFjhpo_Qr4gIrmYGK4dZ-2GBywS0Y8DGsPanNdtsW_mf2D_9FVG3T2JkF4j3cElefun0lMy5oZSjRFJJiQmNFASWdf59aaIBSwJBRWyFVNatqJBpXp-I1OOaK/s1600/DSC07770+Orleans+France+Saturday+is+stag+night.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPG99jfkIMb8zCWeMzcmwFjhpo_Qr4gIrmYGK4dZ-2GBywS0Y8DGsPanNdtsW_mf2D_9FVG3T2JkF4j3cElefun0lMy5oZSjRFJJiQmNFASWdf59aaIBSwJBRWyFVNatqJBpXp-I1OOaK/s320/DSC07770+Orleans+France+Saturday+is+stag+night.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday night stag party in Orleans France</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wonder what she would have thought about that; people older than she, enjoying silly frivolous fun on a Saturday night, without a care in the world? </span>Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com0Orléans, France47.902964 1.90925147.817805 1.7513225000000001 47.988122999999995 2.0671795tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-72120060817528555312012-07-22T08:12:00.000-05:002012-07-22T08:12:01.308-05:00Paris - never enough time<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCM8WqZAp9Ozua215yQfxUKnElbqG163B6Nt3FQzlPZZSAuZl0dvp5xN4BBRP4FsTmpgwhcl3lLhzR6rKXz81a_F7jojIat46NHXBl8AiprUtBCuc54lEW0H6lBIUIwD9ap3NBzpRm_AU/s1600/2012+May+29th+-+Touring+Paris,+icons+Eiffel+Tower+and+the+Gendarmes+(police).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCM8WqZAp9Ozua215yQfxUKnElbqG163B6Nt3FQzlPZZSAuZl0dvp5xN4BBRP4FsTmpgwhcl3lLhzR6rKXz81a_F7jojIat46NHXBl8AiprUtBCuc54lEW0H6lBIUIwD9ap3NBzpRm_AU/s320/2012+May+29th+-+Touring+Paris,+icons+Eiffel+Tower+and+the+Gendarmes+(police).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paris Icons,the Eiffel Tower and the "Gendarme"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The City of Lights is a beguiling city. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A beautiful city. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A place of many neighbourhoods, cafes, bakeries, and shops. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are only here for four days, and we can't possibly see it all.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0ISIyzJ-cskq_1R6WeE7o8hdmJJFft45zq297gNuUEZ0XdkvPQVvdfe7uAZsfmwr6tlQPxA2la7aODisKAnaDMMAo-SG9BVepDIgRUAeZz-3j29aCg2iq3wLT1ufIgsykJu2hrUdZI7G/s1600/DSC07916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0ISIyzJ-cskq_1R6WeE7o8hdmJJFft45zq297gNuUEZ0XdkvPQVvdfe7uAZsfmwr6tlQPxA2la7aODisKAnaDMMAo-SG9BVepDIgRUAeZz-3j29aCg2iq3wLT1ufIgsykJu2hrUdZI7G/s320/DSC07916.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Petit-Luxembourg Palace</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We wandered through the Luxembourg Gardens, the second largest public park in Paris, located just blocks away from our hotel. Marie de Medicis, the widow of Henry IV and the regent for the under-aged King Louis XIII decided to recreate the Pitti Palace located in her native Florence. In 1611 Marie purchased the hotel du Luxembourg and began her new creation. This beautiful park surrounds the French Senate, located inside the still existing Petit-Luxembourg palace.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fgnCbq7f5BizbZT6R1KiqMtJkjLdYHwtOslSuqfi_cUiCDnfDNJzD5CxK4Qqx53pdT63PXrMa-vCuJmUe7hFWloY6rjZckY5Oj8u8dYowZmsuWCeT8-TtSDtqWhCBzJzzaQQjRYlzu1h/s1600/2012+May+29th+-+Touring+Paris,+Norte+Dame+Cathedral.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fgnCbq7f5BizbZT6R1KiqMtJkjLdYHwtOslSuqfi_cUiCDnfDNJzD5CxK4Qqx53pdT63PXrMa-vCuJmUe7hFWloY6rjZckY5Oj8u8dYowZmsuWCeT8-TtSDtqWhCBzJzzaQQjRYlzu1h/s320/2012+May+29th+-+Touring+Paris,+Norte+Dame+Cathedral.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Notre Dame Cathedral</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eventually we wound, our way through various charming neighbourhoods, to the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral located on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine. Notre Dame de Paris is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in Europe. The first phase of construction started in 1163, and the cathedral was essentially completed by 1345. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the construction began and the new thinner-styled walls grew ever higher, stress fractures began to occur. In response, the cathedral's architects built the first flying buttresses (large supports) around the outside walls. Many decorative statues served as additional supports and/or water spouts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Among these are the famously fierce gargoyles, staring down from great heights on the timid parishioners. The grey stone of the exterior and of the gargoyles was once covered with vivid colors but time has worn away the ornamentation - leaving only the scowls and the stinking, hot breath of the devils, dragons, and demons.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGSv66gNGF_Mh3JmZ23MXlwcyDSsCRXRzPeZVy8NGQaxfezF8ns8w0aoOXvJy0KOCxKQnsJUTCR_y4ig-dxCeIMbaGG6lmxX1mD5L5Z6t8ukWFECvpPsa0Rs5O-_logScDyNNFP5ozcu1/s1600/DSC08060+Galeries+LaFayette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGSv66gNGF_Mh3JmZ23MXlwcyDSsCRXRzPeZVy8NGQaxfezF8ns8w0aoOXvJy0KOCxKQnsJUTCR_y4ig-dxCeIMbaGG6lmxX1mD5L5Z6t8ukWFECvpPsa0Rs5O-_logScDyNNFP5ozcu1/s320/DSC08060+Galeries+LaFayette.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Galleries LaFayette Centre</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A block from the cathedral we boarded a red-top open-air bus, for an overview tour of the city. For the next two hours we ricocheted through dense traffic, past famous sights: the Paris Opera House, built in 1861; the Place de la Concorde where in 1793 King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined; the 3,300-year-old Cleopatra's Needle that once marked the entrance to the tomb of Ramesses II; my favourite shopping centre the Galleries LaFayette built in 1912 with its gorgeous Art Nouveau glass and steel dome; and of course the iconic Eiffel Tower built as a temporary entrance to the 1889 World's Fair. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-Hr-CZViAMWy-Oae_0OrALt8Qv2-WyeK3ewbgTKo1Nx2fNGJgLuNA0IQ6SuKx3NBbnmXSweZ0OYBLYgXvanNs7GH0eW7S7NUbUeQ3gtfymfMDF2mvJWbFNDXQYxdA1cVq9fYLBrFoCK6/s1600/DSC08050+Lock's+Bridge+in+Paris.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-Hr-CZViAMWy-Oae_0OrALt8Qv2-WyeK3ewbgTKo1Nx2fNGJgLuNA0IQ6SuKx3NBbnmXSweZ0OYBLYgXvanNs7GH0eW7S7NUbUeQ3gtfymfMDF2mvJWbFNDXQYxdA1cVq9fYLBrFoCK6/s320/DSC08050+Lock's+Bridge+in+Paris.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pont des Arte - and "lovelocks"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After exiting the bus tour, we ambled along the walkway of the Seine River, past book sellers, and artists until we arrived at a pedestrian bridge, the Pont des Arte, arching between the venerable Louvre Museum on one bank, and the Institute of France built in 1670 on the other bank. The Pont des Arte sparkled in the sunlight - glittering with thousands of padlocks, known as lovelocks, secured to the metal bridge. Much to the annoyance of city officials and bridge engineers the structure has become a romantic rendezvous for couples. They declare their everlasting love by attaching a padlock to the railing and throwing the key into the river below. The tradition started in about 2000 on this bridge, but in other countries has been happening since World War II. Being as our last name is Lock, well, we just might have to participate in this custom.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfKJmiSZOk8iSXo7qrNuKisnUSVqAWD1nBPly6AvVEfcYrc9sX5dYWck6G2yWSXU8jJVJoHCFuUvGU843T6H-K-HIRvdUI5k1qRD1J51zJZ0zFXnrajLwJkgxJVNbeNl7TNMN3VEm7iWZ/s1600/DSC08107+Catacombs+of+Paris.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfKJmiSZOk8iSXo7qrNuKisnUSVqAWD1nBPly6AvVEfcYrc9sX5dYWck6G2yWSXU8jJVJoHCFuUvGU843T6H-K-HIRvdUI5k1qRD1J51zJZ0zFXnrajLwJkgxJVNbeNl7TNMN3VEm7iWZ/s320/DSC08107+Catacombs+of+Paris.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paris Catacombs & the bones of 6 million people</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day Lawrie and I paid a visit to the fascinating Catacombs of Paris, located in an ancient and abandoned limestone quarry, right under our hotel. The Catacombs hold the remains of approximately six million people, relocated - between the end of the 18th century and the middle of the 19th century - from crumbling and infection-prone Parisian graveyards. From the first day of their creation April 7th 1786, the Catacombs were a favourite attraction for the rich and famous. In 1787, Lord of d' Artois, who became King Charles 10th, visited the Catacombs, with a group of ladies from the Court. In 1814, François 1st, emperor of Austria visited. In 1860, Napoleon III explored the area with his son. I can't imagine what it would have been like to descend under the city along a labyrinth of low-ceilinged limestone tunnels, dark galleries and wet narrow corridors - before the advent of electricity! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhBtHQFXkeUMM9nRqfR-lUBUMETqdcvFwnANYJyv57_RvVOUNtbR43LtegInUo17qB_SaULogqX1izt-yCqhWHVUsQUaeG9-Hn8wvl3PQDeyDcY7q3Al0kxkTAuczXs9ztTC04ssgNCA9/s1600/DSC08130+in+the+City+of+Lights.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhBtHQFXkeUMM9nRqfR-lUBUMETqdcvFwnANYJyv57_RvVOUNtbR43LtegInUo17qB_SaULogqX1izt-yCqhWHVUsQUaeG9-Hn8wvl3PQDeyDcY7q3Al0kxkTAuczXs9ztTC04ssgNCA9/s320/DSC08130+in+the+City+of+Lights.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our last night in Paris</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later that evening the six of us, two brothers, a sister and spouses, gathered for a relaxing meal at El Trocadero Cafe, across the plaza from the Eiffel Tower. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We sipped wine, reminiscing about our four days in Paris and waited for the lights to illuminate the tower. At ten in the evening the lights came on - sparkling and flashing causing the crowd to collectively suck in a breath and breathe out: "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wow!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What a great way to end our short visit to the City of Lights.</span>Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com1Paris, France48.856614 2.352221948.773036 2.1942934 48.940192 2.5101504tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-599148301443721847.post-71785552074633490802012-07-16T13:34:00.003-05:002012-07-16T13:34:57.860-05:00Powerful - Vimy Ridge France<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN23fytzftvjiSnQJAVizr259PIWlwnRyKnEo31hpA74rUHy5_OIL5ytgcXFVTVpD1fbsxrmNZ4KsJLqj_0kLQ0kXMtTr-36DoZP6PMBTC6uweQd2ndJITWOvzzwBPgQkPmz2pSDHlFdH/s1600/2012+May+22nd,+%231+Entrance+to+Canadian+war+monument+at+Vimy+Ridge+France.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN23fytzftvjiSnQJAVizr259PIWlwnRyKnEo31hpA74rUHy5_OIL5ytgcXFVTVpD1fbsxrmNZ4KsJLqj_0kLQ0kXMtTr-36DoZP6PMBTC6uweQd2ndJITWOvzzwBPgQkPmz2pSDHlFdH/s320/2012+May+22nd,+%231+Entrance+to+Canadian+war+monument+at+Vimy+Ridge+France.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road leading to Vimy Ridge monument in France</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Walking through an alley of tall deciduous trees, dripping with bone-chilling condensed fog, we realized we were momentarily lost - unable to find the massive World War I, Vimy Ridge memorial. Muffled voices came from our left, and we turned our heads as the mist cleared slightly showing the outline of the huge structure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is a stunning sight.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYqsvEMPB7mXG1yaJprHMrHzz12tUUlnGGHXtFf649Ryv3GQdZ56LRYCWuNGxTzPivUrT_w76apwQNOYm98yufxhoi-tnST2oAg6Has-kGyjKPjOCF206PBqYPV2p4x3YbuVPkPTFbzRi/s1600/2012+May+22nd,+%233+So+foggy+we+almost+missed+the+monument.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYqsvEMPB7mXG1yaJprHMrHzz12tUUlnGGHXtFf649Ryv3GQdZ56LRYCWuNGxTzPivUrT_w76apwQNOYm98yufxhoi-tnST2oAg6Has-kGyjKPjOCF206PBqYPV2p4x3YbuVPkPTFbzRi/s320/2012+May+22nd,+%233+So+foggy+we+almost+missed+the+monument.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peering through the fog at the 88 foot tall monument</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rising 27 meters (88 feet) above the base, the towering pylons contain almost 6,000 metric tonnes of glowing white limestone brought to the site from an abandoned Roman quarry on the Adriatic Sea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Designed by Canadian sculptor and architect Walter Seymour Allward, the monument took eleven years to build. The huge figures were carved on site from blocks of stone. </span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Walking around the monument we were both suddenly very quiet, somber. Lightly running a finger over the names carved into the limestone - of 11,825 Canadian soldiers and service personal missing in action in France - I felt a sense of great loss and sadness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Altogether, more than 66,000 Canadians died in the First World War 1914 to 1918 when the total Canadian population in 1916 was slightly less than 8 million. Our young country lost over 8% of its population, predominately its young men during the war. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a very heavy price to pay.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrd8iURIVEjFYAbK2mBc7I9Xy_WUH26U1WSlD7qbUEVdfTtMnzA6emvG411kOb36-_eiblOehUEfoWlGAV85SADB7cyaI2N9o1AwdrJZepUvIS6a-D0kJAMc7aIAW2s0rRxhVpx4fAtajL/s1600/2012+May+22nd,+%234+Names+of+11826+missing+men.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrd8iURIVEjFYAbK2mBc7I9Xy_WUH26U1WSlD7qbUEVdfTtMnzA6emvG411kOb36-_eiblOehUEfoWlGAV85SADB7cyaI2N9o1AwdrJZepUvIS6a-D0kJAMc7aIAW2s0rRxhVpx4fAtajL/s320/2012+May+22nd,+%234+Names+of+11826+missing+men.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11,825 names of Canadians missing - 1914 to 1918</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lawrie remembers as a child - Auntie Mac - a good friend of his grandmother's who had been a battlefield nurse at Vimy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her husband Bruce Davidson fought at Vimy Ridge. They both survived - with vivid memories of the horrific conditions of trench warfare. Memories that dramatically shaped their lives. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't have any personal memories of friends or family members who were involved in "The Great War" but we both felt a certain need to visit the memorial, to pay our respects to the dead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is a very powerful experience.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1W2OV0mCOvzGEvCfzjtyPToCLY2t9SCXg0gBkNYdeceS3oD0OuYNGtdonPcKBoCCIM_5OG0IxnB5v5dZlIqR9j-T-kg5xK4McHmHOU14TD8ktPKI-rzfOEvKU7n1dFP6xa8e68gW1KU1i/s1600/2012+May+22nd,+%237+Trench+warfare.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1W2OV0mCOvzGEvCfzjtyPToCLY2t9SCXg0gBkNYdeceS3oD0OuYNGtdonPcKBoCCIM_5OG0IxnB5v5dZlIqR9j-T-kg5xK4McHmHOU14TD8ktPKI-rzfOEvKU7n1dFP6xa8e68gW1KU1i/s320/2012+May+22nd,+%237+Trench+warfare.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the trenches at Vimy Ridge.</td></tr>
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<br />Lynda & Lawriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09299473292382071560noreply@blogger.com0Battle of Vimy Ridge, 62580 Givenchy-en-Gohelle, France50.379 2.77450.368874 2.7542590000000002 50.389126 2.793741