2017 Western Trip - Day Four

Today was another day of contrasts. We left Taos in 29 degree weather but by the time we pulled into Alamagordo tonight it was 78 degrees. New Mexico is a state of great beauty and wild swings in temperatures and scenery.

Our first stop was the Valles Caldera National Preserve, a big beautiful bowl 20 miles across, the result of a volcanic eruption that then fell back upon itself, subsequently over the eons pushing up several mounds in the shape of mountains. The National Preserve is set in a huge meadow through which a small river runs, and is inhabited by all sorts of creatures including prairie dogs and elk.

As we arrived after following a curving mountain road, a young Park Ranger offered to give us a tour. He was in his first assignment and eager to practice, so as he drove the van and stopped at several sites, he gave us a running narrative of the ecology, geology and history of the place.  Afterwards, Jan and I took a mile and a half hike around the smallest of the pushed up mounds, the Cerro La Jara. On the back side of the cerro was where in the distance we saw the pair of elk.

After leaving the Valles Caldera, we drove to Jemez Springs to view the monument of the Jemez Pueblo which also depicted the interplay between the Spanish Catholic missionaries and the Jemez tribe.  The ruins include a huge church, which in its heyday must have been breathtaking.

The rest of today's trip included a long drive to Alamagordo where tomorrow we plan to visit the White Sands National Monument.  Stay tuned...

2017 Western Trip - Day Three

This was a day of contrasts.  Early in the morning, as we were having breakfast, it began to snow!  Since it was light we took a chance to drive out to see the Rio Grande bridge, spanning a huge chasm through which to river flows.  By the time we reached the bridge it was snowing hard, so we had no choice but to turn back.

What to do?  We decided to visit the Millicent Rogers Museum, an amazing place that started with Ms. Rogers' jewelery collection, but expanded to include American Indian textiles, Hispanic art (including pottery by Maria Martinez) and Mexican religious art. It was worth the visit and by the time we were finished, the precipitation was beginning to disappear.

So next we decided to take in the City of Taos' Lilac Festival. Many vendors in the outdoor setting were there, but without many customers.  Picking up a cappuccino we started walking around the old town, where we found many small art galleries, specialty shops and restaurants.  We found a Trolly Tour outlet and decided to take it.  Good choice!  The tour included many things we had wanted to see.

First stop was the Taos Pueblo, home of the Taos Pueblo tribe for more than a thousand years.  There we heard the unhappy history of the interaction between native Americans, the Spanish, and Europeans that took place up to the 19th century. We saw the adobe homes and learned how they are built and continually maintained, patching the adobe a couple of times a year. Jan is pictured in front of the village's Roman Catholic church.

The final stop was the Church of St. Francis in Taos, made famous by Georgia O'Keefe's paintings.  By this time the sun had come out in full force to warm us nicely.  After finishing the tour we drove back to the Rio Grande bridge, this time to get some excellent photos.

Tomorrow we will leave for Valles Caldera National Preserve (the newest national preserve), then to Jemez Springs.  More to come...

2017 Western Trip - Day Two

We left Pueblo, CO in a rain storm, but within 30 minutes we drove out of it and continued on our way to the Great Sand Dunes National Park   Tucked in a corner of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range is the massive pile of sand. Over eons, sand from the surrounding dried lake bed has been blown into the pile, which is then sculpted by the strong winds that play through the area.

After seeing the Visitor's Center video on how it was formed, we ventured out, with several layers of clothes and sweatshirts with hoods, to see the real thing. However, the get to the dunes themselves, one has to cross the flow of snow melt waters.  Oops. Not having brought our water shoes, the only solution was to take off shoes and socks, and wade through the shallow stream. And we did.

Walking across the dunes was like a day at the beach, except a 7,000+ feet of altitude, you walk a little slower and keep catching your breath.  We climbed one very low dune and celebrated our accomplishment.  Back at the Visitor's Center we walked a short nature path, got some postcards and started our drive to New Mexico.

The scenery is beautiful as has been the weather.  We're now in Taos, NM for a couple of days.  Lots to see here, too...

Cities of Light River Cruise - Day Eleven

The last time we saw Prague was at the end of the Elbe River trip in 2013. The river that runs through Prague was rising, flooding the lower parts of the city. It was still raining and cold and windy and miserable.

Today could not have been different. The sun has been shining brightly and the temperature rose into the upper 70's. Our tour started with a bus ride to the Prague Castle on the highest point above the city. The castle, built by the early kings including the great Charles IV who governed the area, is the official residence of the Czech president but is otherwise empty. It has beautiful vistas overlooking the city, the Queen's Garden, and also an awesome cathedral dedicated to St. Vitus. The only downer was this being Sunday, services were being held and we could not see the interior.

From there we descended to the old town to walk along the river and to cross the famous Charles Bridge adorned on both sides with stone and bronze statuary of saints and religious scenes. From there we moved to the old town square (another UNESCO site) to see the fifteenth century Astronomical Clock, which besides telling the time, the phase of the moon, the saint of the day and the sign of horoscope, it also presents a little tableau every hour on the hour. In the town square is also a monument to Hus, the first Protestant reformer (even before Luther) who was burned at the stake. Hus' movement never died and is the forerunner of the Moravian Church.

After a rest, we were led to the Jewish section of the city, where during the various persecutions the Jewish population was forced to live in the ghetto. We saw the oldest synagogue in the city and its ancient cemetery.

Jan and I left the tour at his point to return to the Charles Bridge to find the creperie we had enjoyed in 2013. Of course, being Sunday, it was closed. But, not far away was another, even nicer place where we ejoyed savory crepes and a cool one. After that we went back to the old town square where a small museum was showing collections of works by Salvadore Dali, Alphonse Mucha and Andy Warhol. The Dali collections was large, many pieces which were not included in the exhibition several years ago in Philadelphia. Mucha was a Czech artist who specialized in art nouveau works ranging from designs for the Czech currency and stamps, to posters for exhibitions in the late 1800s and early 1900s, to designs for fancy postcards. And the Warhol collection was not so extensive but had some good pieces especially the cover designs for magazines such as Time, Rolling Stones, etc.

By this time is was appropriate to get another gelato, return to the hotel, turn in our listening devices from the walking tours, check our email and rest. By my trusty pedometer, we had covered 8.86 miles.

Tomorrow early we leave for our trip home. We hope to have our photos on Shutterfly in a few days and will send you the link. We hope you have enjoyed this trip with us.

Cities of Light River Cruise - Day Ten

Today left the Viking Odin early in the morning, traveling by bus to Nuremberg. Once there we were treated to one of the most intelligent and articulate tours ever. Our guide was a young German who was able to recount the rise of Hitler's rise to power in his attempt to establish the third empire (Reich) "to make Germany great again", and the devastation it brought. Of course this was because Nuremberg was his favorite city because it was central of his power, had good travel connections so that great crowds could come for his "peace" rallies. We saw the buildings in which the famous Nuremberg War trials were held, before moving on the the castle atop the city. Our guide gave a thorough description of the military engineering which made the castle so impenetrable. But of course, it was never attacked.

Afterwards we had a little free time in the city square. We visited the home of Albrecht Durer (famous for his "Praying Hands") and went back to the city square for sausages in a bun and gelato. The sun was shining brightly and continued to do so the rest of the day. I found my favorite monument called "The Ship of Fools", of which is the photo.

We boarded the buses again for the trip to Prague. After checking into the hotel, we walked down to the town center (so far today we have walked 7.28 miles) taking lots of photos of gorgeous architecture. At a little restaurant we had a small plate of Prague ham on bread with horse radish and gherkins, finished with espresso. It was just right for our dinner.

At the hotel we have decent Internet connections, so I have been catching up on some work that has been sent along.

Tomorrow we will have a half-day guided tour of Prague, so the cameras will be busy again. More will come...

Cities of Light River Cruise - Day Nine

The city of Bamberg is a delight. Nestled in the valley of the Linker River, a Franconian town, it was the center of a diocese created by an early king, later expanded and modified by a series of powerful archbishops. It is situated on seven hills each topped by a church, earning the nickname of "Franconian Rome". In fact, one of the popes so liked Bamberg that he was buried in the cathedral.

Our walking tour took us to the riverside where quaint half-timbered houses, once the poor section of town and the pricey, to the street where the oldest brewery in town, the Schlenkeria Brewery, creates a smoke-flavored local favorite. From there we visited the above-mentioned cathedral and the royal residences that surround the church including a formal garden. Our guide noted that the courtyard most recently was the setting of a sword fight in the movie "The Three Musketeers".

The tour brought us down to the heart of the old city, where the town hall is positioned on a spit of land between two branches of the river. This area is a blend of styles, from half-timbered to baroque to modern. It suffered only one bomb during World War II, so most of the city is as it was built. We were set loose for some free time so we walked some of the streets, through a farmers' market, down an alley to find a private and beautiful flower garden. We celebrated with gelato in cones.

Tonight is the last evening on the Viking Odin. Tomorrow we leave for a bus journey first to Nuremberg, then on to Prague where we will stay for two nights. There will be more to come...

Cities of Light River Cruise - Day Eight

When we awoke, the Viking Odin was still underway, having sailed through the night. The Main River, on which we're traveling, has 34 locks, and it seems as though we went through at least six of them through the night. There is often a gentle shudder in the boat if it comes in contact with the walls of the lock. It's not a cause to worry - it is just a gentle interruption if it happens.

As soon as we arrived in Karlstadt, we boarded buses for the tour of Wurzburg. The feature of the tour is the Bishop's Residenz, a monumental baroque building commissioned in 1720 by one of a series of bishop-princes who ruled the city of Wurzburg. In it is a grand staircase above which is the largest fresco in the world painted on an unsupported vaulted ceiling. The theme of the fresco is the Four Continents (Australia was unknown at that time) with people and animals. The artist had a vivid imagination.

We were able to tour one of the suites, a series of progressively more opulent rooms. Our guide explained that the whole purpose of the building and the rooms was to impress visiting princes with how wealthy and powerful was the bishop-princes, hence the over-the-top decoration. Part of the building was destroyed by Allied bombing and rebuilt. Miraculously the staircase and frescoed ceiling were not damaged. The whole building is a UNESCO site.

We then toured the old city part of Wurzburg, which while in the German state of Bavaria, fiercely contends that it is a part of Franconia, a separate entity with separate traditions and dialect, even though later political settlements lumped it with Bavaria. Our guide was firm that Franconian Wurzburg does not celebrate Oktoberfest, instead it has a wine fest in September. Wurzburg is also the resting place of Saint Kilian, an Irish monk who brought Christianity to the region. He is remembered as being the patron saint of those with rheumatism.

A dampening shower brought our tour to an early end, so we returned to the ship where we enjoyed lunch followed by a restful afternoon. This evening was the Captain's cocktail party and a special seven-course dinner. While not the last night on the ship, the dinner was held tonight so as not to conflict with packing tomorrow night. We leave the ship day after tomorrow to journey first to Nuremberg, then to Prague. Tomorrow we will arrive at and tour the city of Bamberg. So, more to come...