“And may the blessings of the rain be on you - the soft sweet rain . . .” (old Irish blessing)4/29/2012
We arrived in Dublin a few hours ago and the soft sweet rain is falling. Sadly, it feels neither soft nor sweet – mostly cold and wet. However, we are blessed to be here and to enjoy this wonderful emerald
isle. The ferry trip to Northern Ireland was great. The ferry is like a mini-cruise ship. We were asked to make use of the executive lounge which is new to the ship. We didn’t feel like we could refuse free food and drink so we were happy to help out. The highlight of our time in Belfast was being able to visit with Char’s Uncle Billy and Aunt Agnes (not her real uncle and aunty but a couple who acted like a second set of parents to Char when all of them were in India at the same time). They are well into their 80s but that didn’t slow them down as they toured us around and fed us and gave us a wonderful day. The following day we visited the Titanic Exhibition and had an opportunity to tour the building where the ship was designed, to stand on the location where the ship was built and to walk through the dry dock where the ship was outfitted. The whole time Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart will Go On’ was running through my mind – made me want to jump into the Irish Sea! Today we took the train from Belfast to Dublin. It took a bit over two hours through the pretty countryside. We will spend the next three days in and around Dublin before returning to London where we will spend our final week before returning home. I have posted a few new pictures from Northern Ireland on the UK page. Sorry, couldn't help quoting from a Beatles song now that we are in Liverpool, home of the Beatles. The quote does describe the weather though. It rained hard and was windy today but that didn't stop us from visiting the Beatles museum. We arrived in Liverpool by train from the Village of Ashbourne where we spent the last couple of days. Charlene had another school friend from India to visit there. Rose and her husband Jonathan invited us to stay with them and were wonderful hosts.
We spent the first morning in Ashbourne exploring the shops, churches and cafes. In the afternoon we visited Chatsworth House, the home of the Duke of Devonshire. The family that has lived there for the last few centuries has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England. We enjoyed viewing the grounds and the many rooms that are open to the public, including the many priceless paintings and sculptures. Tomorrow we cross the Irish Sea by ferry. We should arrive in Belfast, Northern Ireland, sometime tomorrow evening. Be sure to see the pictures we have posted from our tour of the English countryside on the UK page. Actually, there were no automobiles involved in this leg of the journey. After flying into and staying overnight in London we jumped on a city bus and headed back to the airport. At the airport we took the express tube to Paddington Station which is the place to be if you want to take a train. We boarded a train there and headed to Stroud, our first stop in the English countryside.
In Stroud we were picked up at the station by Heather and Jonathan. Heather and Char were classmates and roomates at a boarding school in India. That was a number of decades ago although I am not permitted to say how many. They haven't seen each other since. We have been treated like royalty here. We have our own suite which is part of Heather and Jonathon's home. They have taken us on great walks through the beautiful countryside. Yesterday we attended a wonderful traditional Anglican service and then headed out to visit Oxford University where Jonathan studied. We have enjoyed Heather's incredible cooking and good conversation late into the evenings. Today we board another train to continue our trek through the countryside. Sadly, we will soon leave Rome for our next stop. We have enjoyed this city. There is so much to see and experience. While shopping has been a main pastime of the residents of some of the cities we have visited, in Rome it seems that the locals are more interested in a great meal, a good cup of espresso or just sitting on a park bench watching the world go by.
We will miss that. Some of it at least – we hunted down our own ‘made in Italy’ espresso maker so we will have the coffee part when we get home! Check out the video on the Rome page. We having spent the last few days doing what Romans do – enjoying life! The food is great and the weather has been spring like – a bit of rain and lots of sunshine. If you enjoy walking you would love Rome. We walked to the Colosseum on Sunday and spent most of the day (along with thousands of others) trying to imagine what life was like in ancient Rome. We were afraid the lineups would be long but we arrived early enough and were inside the stadium within 10 minutes. You can actually book advance tickets and skip the lines but that would require planning ahead!
The next day we wandered in the opposite direction and ended up in the Borghese Gardens – Italy’s ‘Central Park’. We couldn’t resist visiting the zoo while we were there. Today we walked to St. Peter’s Basilica – described as the greatest church in Christendom. We climbed up to the top of the dome (after taking the elevator as far as it would go) and enjoyed the view from the top. After touring the church we headed next door to the Vatican Museum which houses some of the world’s greatest art as well as the Sistine Chapel. It was a bit of a mad house, as far as crowds go, though we didn’t wait at all to get in. I would hate to visit the place when it is really busy. We have also been on some walks and have stopped in at many of the churches in the city – most are open and can be visited during the day. We have enjoyed some great music in these churches as organists, singers and other musicians practiced. We expect to do more walking, eating and visiting ancient sites for the balance of the week. On Friday we head to the UK. Check out the photos posted on the Rome page. We should actually be in Paris – City of Love, since today, April 14th, marks 33 years of marriage for the both of us (to each other!). I had no idea before we began this trip what it would be like to spend 24/7 with one’s spouse for a period of several months in new and strange locations. While I looked forward to it, the experience has exceeded all expectations. Char is the perfect travel companion. Indeed, the perfect partner to travel through life with. Happy Anniversary!
We arrived safely in Rome yesterday. It has pretty much rained steadily since our arrival but we have a decent umbrella so we are set to go. We are planning to meet up for lunch today with some fellow travellers who also hail from Regina assuming we can find our way out of our neighbourhood! Our week in Istanbul has flown by and we are preparing for our visit to Rome. Although we had a few days of cool, wet weather, the sun is now shining brightly.
Istanbul is an easy city to visit. Almost all of the popular sites are grouped together. The apartment we rented provided great access to Hagia Sophia (Istanbul’s ‘Vatican’ for almost a millennium), the Blue Mosque, the Underground Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, the Spice Market, numerous museums and scores of restaurants. The food has been great as well. We have enjoyed sipping Turkish Coffee and apple tea and eating the many different kinds of breads served with meals and sold by street vendors. Of course, we have had our share of kebabs and Turkish pastries as well. This is a great city to explore on foot but it also has an inexpensive tram system that makes getting around even easier. I have posted a short video with some of the local sites on the Istanbul page. Happy Easter from Istanbul. We tracked down an international church (which isn’t easy since the city
is 98% Muslim) and attended the Sunday morning Easter service. The adherents at this church come from more than 40 different countries. After that, we wandered up and down one of the main shopping thoroughfares (along with thousands of others). A couple of days ago Char spotted some friends from Regina, Gerry and Georgina, who we didn’t know were visiting Istanbul. We arranged to meet for supper last night and had a great meal at a wonderful restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus. We enjoyed our meal in Europe while we watched the moon rise over Asia. It was great to get together. The city is an easy place to explore on foot. We have quick access to the main sites from our apartment along with many restaurant choices. Check out the Istanbul page for some photos from around the city. We left Oman mid morning yesterday and after a short stop in Doha, Qatar we arrived in Istanbul,Turkey. The visa process was a breeze - you simply pay the required amount ($60 US for Canadians) and the next thing you know, you have a visa stamp glued in your passport. No questions asked or forms to fill out.
Our taxi had some trouble finding our apartment but we eventually made it. We have a great location on the top floor with a very large open area on both sides. We are in the old part of Istanbul so most of the sites are within walking distance. Although it is Good Friday here, because the city is largely Muslim, everythings continues to be open. We will likely head to Hagia Sophia this morning. It is now a museum but was built as a church in the mid 6th century by the Emporer Justinian I. Almost a thousand years later, after the Ottomons captured the city, it was turned into a mosque. One guidebook has described it as one of the most important and impressive structures on the planet. I have posted a video of some of the highlights from Oman on the Oman page. Happy Easter everyone! |
AuthorIn January, 2012, Curt and Char left their jobs in Canada to spend four months travelling around the world. Archives
May 2012
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