Amsterdamsal (not) in Distress

Don't be alarmed by the title - it was a very cool Opi nail polish color I had (without the 'not).

 

I rode the train to Brussels, then waited for 1.5 hours for another that went through Antwerp, Der Haag, Rotterdam, and s few other places, then last stop Amsterdam.   In keeping with the spirit that we created, instead of a taxi to the hotel, I knew that it was very close to the Rijks Museum.  I took a tram and then ventured out on foot to the hotel address.   I have a brand new room, but no Internet installed as of yet - the t.v. is not working yet either - but they tell me tomorrow.  I'm in the hotel lobby right now !

 

I am just going to venture out for a cafe.  I have two tours tomorrow (Dark Amsterdam Night Tour to the red light district and the sightseeing tour for four hours in the afternoon.  I will also try to get up earlier and hit Anne Frank House (which is a very short distance from here).   Thursday, I have a day pass to the Van Gogh Museum and a canal day pass, but will try to get the Rijks Museum in in the morning too (they are right 'next door' to one another.  Friday, is the Holland Grand Tour 8 hours.  We go to the Delft factory, diamond shop, Rotterdam, Brussels, Madurodam, then to the coast to see the North Sea wall.  Saturday morning, I leave.   It was great to sleep in this morning but wasn't missing much through the rain.   Talked to my niece Melanie on MSN last night, then Bonnie and Momma and Daddy called me.   They sounded very excited that I will be home very shortly - almost as much as me!   I am really looking forward to being at home and not slugging suitcases for a while. 

 

Again, the internet problems may aloow me to send photos - may not.   I have literally hundreds and they are all fabulous.  To have seen all that I/we have, heard the stories and accounting of history and just the freedom to travel like this -- has all been IMMENSE!    I miss my travel buddy Lise, but she has let me know that she has arrived safely at home!   We had an absolute blast though and definitely charted courses and ventured out - even when we missed our tours - we just made our own and discovered some wonderful things and places.   We marvelled at how safe we felt and we traveled with our eyes wide open.  The seafood here great - you should be here Lise!

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It isn't what you have,  who you are, where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.   It is what you think about.       Dale Carnegie

In Gay Paris Now ...

Having gotten up to call the Athens airport at 3:00 a.m. the morning prior to our flight, we were told that there were no problems.   We could not go back to sleep then.   We pre-booked a taxi for 6:30 a.m., then were called at 6:00 saying that taxis were not driving and the roads were impassable.   Jump start!!!     We moved it along very quickly, hit the streets - literally - dashing through the snow.   The marble sidewalks are not much fun when covered in freezing rain, then topped off with about 4 inches of snow.   People tied plastic bags to their feet - we howled.   The escalators and elevators were not working all over town, due to ice buildup in the mechanics of them.  We slugged (!?!?!) these freaking suitcases and such up stairs, and all the rest.   We finally made our way to the airport on the Metro subway (after waiting for 45 minutes on the platform outside - we got through it just mostly laughing our heads off at the irony of it all.   We arrived at the airport with an hour to spare - despite our careful planning.    We were not prepared for the crush of people already there though.   Flights from the day prior were still trying to clear, most were totally cancelled.  I told Lise that I had a good 'feeling ' about ours and so we hung at the airport.   It's cool in that they have the white plastic chairs, once you get one, you can move it around with you.   We have photos from the airport and everything in Greece snow covered.    Finally, at 3:10 p.m. our 9:35 a.m. flight was checking in.  We then waited another three and a half hours for the ONE runway to clear for our destination.   We flew over the Alps on the way here and Paris in the evening was spectacular - I was busting when Lise showed me the Eiffel Tower brightly lit in the night sky.   The city (of about 10 million) was like a amber ring in the night!!    We boarded three different subway train (like a big spider web) with the help of Lise's excellent French (very impressive!) and the help of a few friends that were amazing!   I will never forget the sight of coming up from the subway tunnel and seeing the top of the Eiffel Tower with the full moon in the sky!!   If you are interested, our hotel is on Rue Valadon, right beneath the Eiffel Tower and in the most chic part of Paris we are told. Our hotel beckoned us with goose down duvets,,,,,,,,, and pillows larger than any we've seen.    After a 8 hour sleep (I was really honking) we showered, confirmed our tours and are feeling WORLDS better.   We are now off to our Hop On/ Hop Off tour, the Paris evening illumination tour and Moulin Rouge show are this evening. 

Don't be worrying about us .... we are big girls now, keeping our sense of humor and many wonderful people are helping us out!


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It isn't what you have,  who you are, where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.   It is what you think about.       Dale Carnegie

I'm Dreaming of a White Acropolis ...

Can you believe it?   The first full day here in Athens was fabulous - we had our shirt sleeves on and were uncomfortably hot.   We came back and changed our clothes, then left again.   We spent the day at Virgin Records and at a super new store (cool concepts too) shopping.   The food has been spectacular - we have been eating at a place called Smiles down the street.   Yesterday we went on our tour to Cape Sounio and gale force winds hit us full force, soon thereafter the rain, then snow hit.   The winds were so strong at the top of the Cape - Temple of Poseidon that we were actually blown off of pathways and got a serious case of the giggles as our tour guide fought his binder - but was still insistent on finishing his speill - too funny!!  Our evening tour of a night illumination tour saw us at the port of Pairieas and then past the Acropolis, then on to Platka District for a good meal at a Taverna.  The entertainment was awesome, food somewhat lacking, but palatable.   Our tour of Athens city was cancelled this morning as the snow was very deep and extremely icy conditions persisted.  We hit the streets on our own - as we had in Rome and Florence - but had a blast.   We walked all through downtown, shopped, discovered the Acropolis (though unfortunately closed), Pantheon and numerous other little gems along the way.  We have been through our photos and they are wonderful!  I will try later tonight to post some to the blog, from Rome, Florence, and Athens - I hope they work this time.    We have been told that it has not snowed here for (four to many) years here (you pick the number).   They are not prepared for it.   Since over 3/4 of this country is very hilly and mountainous, there are obvious problems.  The airport has been closed since early evening and we are very hopeful of our flight to Paris early morning will still be a 'go'.  If it is not, we are preparing for that as well.   Though Lise was very much in love with Italy, I have the same affinity for Greece.   Maybe my next teaching gig - who knows!!   We loved going through our photos earlier and have many, many vivid memories already - it feels that we have been travelling much longer than we have (I can only hope that Lise feels the same, considering that she is travelling with me.  She still seems to be in good spirits though ... but it could still be shock!!).   Kidding as we have been having a blast and laughing ourselves silly.  Stay tuned for the photos, wish us luck on our safe travels to Paris.   We have tickets to a Night Illumination Tour in Paris and tickets to the Moulin Rouge for Tuesday evening -- it would break our hearts to miss that.    xo  

 

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It isn't what you have,  who you are, where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.   It is what you think about.       Dale Carnegie

Arrivederci Roma!

This is simply amazing!     The people of Roma could not have been better to us.    We missed our organized walking tour on Monday night and, map in hand, braved ourselves through a fabulous tour.    We never felt any anxiety and were very street smart.   Walking through the anicent ruins, wonderful shops and just having a blast.   The next day we did our Hop On/ Hop Off tour, rode the route twice through, then the third got off when we wanted to.    Yesterday, we had our trip to the Vatican City.   I was not certain as to how I would feel about it, not being Catholic.    It made absolutely no difference to me.   I prayed in a chapel in St. Peter's, was thoroughly agog by the Sisteen Chapel and our tour guide was awesome.   The tour ended at 3:00 and we hung around, went to the chapel, the City post office, the souveneir shop.    We stopped again at a really cool street for some other shopping, then back to the hotel to pack.   We had a night illumination tour last night - a wonderful Italian dinner and live entertainment that was great, then not home until after 11:00.   We left at 8:00 this morning on the train.   First ride from Roma to Florence, then on to Bologna.   We changed trains then and headed across country.   We have gone from Sea to Sea today on the trains.   What an awesome way to travel.   This Adriatic Sea side if SO BEAUTIFUL and just as I knew it would be.   We have boarded a luxury liner ferry and are now on board a ship, travelling in Business First Class with reclining chairs, no additional charge over and above our Eurail pass (that is First Class travel also).  The place is crawling with georgeous, dark men wearing cologne and I am shaken (Lise is unaffected - funny!!!.   There is a theatre on board, pools, internet cafe, many cool shops and restaurants - and three other women that we've seen.   A guy who looked like Nicholas Cage helped me onboard with my big bag, then later retrieved my journal that I had left at the port office for me.   He is a very cool guy me thinks.   We are most comfortable and feeling every bit the Italian principessas!!!    The language is already switched over to Greek on the Minoan Line   We will travel down the Adriatic coast of Italy, then over to the Meditterean Sea side of Greece tomorrow when we arrive at Ignomeiuos (sp?) at 9:00 a.m.,  we then continue on to Patras and are expected to arrive at around 3:30 p.m.   We will travel on to Athens by train or luxury at that point.   We are feeling very exilarated, aware of our surroundings, and doing a wonderful job at informing ourselves and making our way around.  We are very careful and are trying to plan one step ahead (i.e. check our our train platform the evening before, carry maps with us and know how to use them well, have a main landmark handy like Termini Station in case we have to grab a cab, etc.)    We definitely feel like big girls now.   Although we were very sad to bid farewell to Italy, we are both most confident that we shall return - isn't that what the Trevi Fountain legend says!?!?!?    (Guide last night said, one coin, you will return, two coins, you will marry; three coins - divorce.  HA!!)   The beauty of the port of Ancona and the excitement of possibilites and another entirely (maybe) different experience has us on the lure!!

Don't worry about us .... we are travelling extremely well together and have developed a great line of communication and safe travelling practices.  AMAZING photos ... we hope to have internet at our hotel room for Athens and will certainly be easier to send some.   May try loading them onto web albums too (filled an entire camera card at the Vatican yesterday!)

 

Love, us    xoxoxo

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It isn't what you have,  who you are, where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.   It is what you think about.       Dale Carnegie
 

Rome and Florence

Fabulous!!! Went to Florence yesterday - we sat crying while viewing David ... that moving! The train ride through Tuscanny was amazing, just as we had imagined it. Went on our own walking tour through a good chunk of Rome last night. Today, Hop On/ Hop Off tour that we sat through twice, then got on and off the third time. Went out tonight and did a little shopping. Tought to find time to blog amidst all of this action. Food - fabulous too, hearing the people speak Italian - same.
The Vatican City and Night Illumuniation Tour tomorrw, then off for Ancona then the ferry to Greece Wednesday. We have internet in the room in Athens, not here though - I've been in the lobby for a fair while now and tired - so up to bed. Filled aphoto card over the last two days but will have to post when time allows! xo

Shanghai - part 2

Shanghai
The flavor here is very chic and cosmopolitan. Many, many more occidentals and English is spoken all over. The dialect is different than my Shaanxi’ois, but still similar enough. The population is over twenty million and they are very proud of their city. They are preparing for the 2010 World Expo and are happy that they are very ‘modern’ and new. They boast that there are now over three thousand buildings above twenty storeys high and the residential complexes are massive. The city is also sinking – no one wants to talk about that though. The area divided by the Huang Po (Yangtze) River, the Bund, is jam packed most especially with people celebrating New Year. It is very nearly ‘electric’ and you should have your bags and belongings zipped up tightly and be very aware. There were cruise ships, sightseeing boats coal and garbage skows on the river. The impressive Oriental Pearl T. V. Tower has come to symbolize Shanghai and is even colored after the lavender and purple freshwater pearls that the city is worldrenowned for. There is a Convention Center next to the tower and it is anchored on either side by a huge globe – other ‘record high’ buildings are nearly finished now. The other side of the bank is very old, historical buildings yet they seem to blend it together. The F1 Racetrack here is in the shape of the Chinese character for ‘Shang’ and Shanghai’nese may drive one lap in their own vehicle at the cost of 2,500 RMB (or yuan). They host two F1 races, one in March and the other in October. Every minute is rush hour traffic – we shaved and hour and a half off of each days’ tour because of the Spring Festival holiday and the lesser volume of traffic. I cannot imagine driving there at all! In an attempt to deter private vehicles the cost of license plates is not at an all time high of $ 6,000 USD, as compared to 1,000 RMB in Beijing. Still, there are an average of almost six thousand cars added to the others every month. Gas is much more reasonable prices here at $ 2.50 USD per gallon. Great cars too! The roadways and interchanges are stacked, literally, up to six high in places – and I thought that Beijing was bad. There are now seven subway lines but that will change to thirteen by Expo and they have already begun construction, the trains are very fast.

Ssfe on the ground ....

Hello, I am on the ground at Milano!   This was a total surprise in that my ticket was issued in Chinese.   I am now awaiting continuation of the flight to Roma.  I am not completely certain as to which airport now that I land in ... but will have to see.   Plans were for Fumianco, but not the stop in Milan.    Feels pretty exotic and the accents are spellbinding.    Talk to you soon.   I have written some blogs and will just need to type them out again.   Stay tuned .....

 

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It isn't what you have,  who you are, where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy.   It is what you think about.       Dale Carnegie