June 17/12
We took Bob & Jutta out for a Father's Day brunch at Humpty's then away from Brandon at 11:30 under overcast skies, which soon turned to full on rain. We drove up Hwy 47 through the Qu'Appelle Valley to Melville, SK where Norm was born. It is really green but very wet, flooded fields on both sides of the road. Stopped for a Blizzard from the local DQ, filled the diesel tank then off to Regina. Checked in to King's Acres Campground just off the highway. It finally quit raining just as we parked but got quite breezy and rain again through the night.
June 18/12
Away from King's Acres at 9:40 at 55F and overcast. Did a Costco shop before leaving Regina. Passed lots of big potash plants before getting to Moose Jaw. We called Roger & Sherry Morrissette but not able to connect with them so off down the road to Swift Current, SK. Norm's family originally all came from there and when he looked up Reimer in the phonebook there were 32 listings !! En route, we passed the Third Meridian Marker, the point where all surveying in Saskatchewan starts dating back to 1880-1905. We have gone from flat large grain fields to rolling hills and scrubland with still lots of flooding. Then off to Medicine Hat where we enjoyed dinner, a great visit and overnight with Larry & Stella Dalsto, our neighbours from Blythe. While there we had a surprise drop in visit from Pam & Ken Steeves , also acquaintances from Blythe.
June 19/12
Away from Medicine Hat at 9:45 in pouring rain which lasted all through the night. Called Liz Lapp in Calgary (also Blythe friends) but they were up in Sicamous so will catch up to them later.Called Terry & Sandy Peterman up near Olds, but they are away at the coast out on their sailboat so will also catch up to them later. Talked to Sandy & Ron Hayes (from our Vernon park) spending three months up at Pine Lake, AB but decided it was too far out of our way to go for such a short visit. Did a lengthy adventure through Calgary in rush hour traffic trying to do My shortcut to Cochrane, where we eventually checked into Bow Riversedge RV, a lovely new park along the river. Managed to grt in a load of desperately needed laundry before going for a beautiful prime rib dinner at the Smokehouse Grill with Karen and Lloyd Knox, neighbours from our Vernon park. We were joined for coffee by Jean & Don Bates, folks we had met on Lloyd's lot in Vernon. We went back to the Knox' new penthouse loft condo for a look before being escorted back to our park.
June 20/12
Up at 8:00 in clear sunlight. Headed through the Rogers Pass for Revelstoke. Lots of road & bridge construction. Lunch at rest area in Field. We gained another hour going into BC. Went up to the Revelstoke Dam as we heard they were releasing water because they had opened the Mica Dam for high water. Not a drop coming through as they had dropped the levels yesterday. Off to Sicamous where Norm washed the van. We took BBQ chicken dinner to share with school friends, Sharon & Terry Fleming. Had a lengthy happy hour, dinner and overnight on the driveway.
June 21/12
Away from Sicamous at 11:00 after a nice breakfast with Flemings. We checked out the high water through town and along Mara Lake -really full and expecting up to another 60 cm by the weekend. Got to Vernon shortly after noon, having logged about 4200 miles on our new unit. Will sign off this episode for now but look for the next one mid-July. Hint ---Barkerville. As I am writing this we are on our way to Penticton for the weekend -huge classic car show and Elvis competition with school friends from Revelstoke days. Have a great summer one and all :)
Friday, June 22, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
June 11/12
We awoke to rain but was clearing when we left Quebec City at 10:00. We started out on the scenic route Hwy 138 but with so much road construction got diverted onto Hwy 40 (freeway). We passed lots of huge dairy farms, corn & grain fields. Sumac, maples & evergreen trees aplenty. Temps reached 38C in Ottawa so was extremely hot when we got to cousin Eleanor Sue's in Gatineau but fortunately she has a lovely pool in her back yard. We had a great chicken BBQ and visited outside until late into the evening. We hadn't seen each other in many years so there was lots of catching up to do.
June 12/12
We left Gatineau in the rain. We navigated our way across the Rideau River and through the outskirts of Ottawa. Passed through Mattawa and enjoyed several wood carvings of explorers and native Indians. We drove through Sudbury and stopped to see the "Big Nickel". This is the largest nickel mine in the world. Was formerly Inco but has been bought out by Vale from South America. We checked into a lovely lakefront site at Lake Apsey Resort at Espanola. Enjoyed tortierre (French pork pie) and a Greek salad dinner overlooking the lake at dusk.
June 13/12
Away from Apsey Lake in clear sky and sunshine. Drove through Espanola, a paper mill town, then along the north shore of Lake Huron. Did a grocery shop at Saulte St Marie then carried on north along the east side of Lake Superior. The country is full of small lakes, islands and veery dense forests. There are warning signs for moose everywhere along the roadways but we never saw one. Did see the odd deer and a couple of coyotes, but noticeably few ducks and birds. We spent the night at the Wawa RV Resort and had our first real meal (pork chops, corn, rice & salad). Wawa is home to the giant Canada Goose.
June 14/12
We met a couple from Ft St John -Troy & Trudy- so had a lenghty visit with them before leaving Wawa at 10:40. Another bright sunny day. We drove through White River, the birthplace of Winnie-the-Pooh, so saw the park in his honour. We passed the big Newmont Mines/Barrick Gold before we got to Marathon, where we checked out the downtown and Pebble Beach, which is covered in multi-coloured round rocks polished by the tides. Marathon was a big pulp mill town but appears that everything has been shut down so lots of properties, etc for sale. It is the home of Chris Wirtz, the Canadian pairs figure skater. Passed some interesting red and white layered rocks before Nipigon, the start of the Terry Fox Courage Highway which runs 100 miles to the west. Lots of amethist mines in the area. Stayed at the Thunder Bay KOA and now remember why we seldom use those parks -$46.33.
June 15/12
Overcast skies when we left Thunder Bay. We passed the Terry Fox scenic lookout with his bronze statue. Apparently there has been serious flooding in T Bay and they are just in the mop up stages and getting people back into their homes. All the ditches along the roads are still full. We gained an hour today.Mile after mile of bog, tall skinny trees, lots of them dead possibly by drowning, and it looks like bug kill in the spruce trees. The power poles are being supported by tri-pod timbers and large culverts filled with rocks.Hunting and fishing camps aplenty along with native Indian villages and reserves. Still lots of road construction and swarms of black flies and deer flies. We are now into moss and fern country. We saw the giant moose at Dryden then drove through to Kenora and checked out their downtown. Large native population. Beautiful homes on the lake. The big Kenora Forest Products all shut down. We checked into Rock Garden Campground (PA) 26 miles east of Winnipeg in 25C. They had a special on BBQ chicken wings so shared an order with our happy hour then did a long walkabout.
June 16/12
Woke up to pouring rain so sat it out until 10:30. We passed the Longitudinal Center of Canada just east of Winnipeg. We bypassed Portage La Prairie. We fuelled at Brandon Husky at $1.099 for diesel. Checked into Turtle Crossing RV at Brandon where our friends Bob & Jutta Tokaryk treated us to happy hour and a BBQ chicken dinner. This park is still under reconstruction after being under 12 feet of water through the big flood last year. After dinner we enjoyed a lengthy campfire and were entertained by a couple living in the park. They are a singing duo and he is a songwriter for several well known artists. A fun time was had by all.
We awoke to rain but was clearing when we left Quebec City at 10:00. We started out on the scenic route Hwy 138 but with so much road construction got diverted onto Hwy 40 (freeway). We passed lots of huge dairy farms, corn & grain fields. Sumac, maples & evergreen trees aplenty. Temps reached 38C in Ottawa so was extremely hot when we got to cousin Eleanor Sue's in Gatineau but fortunately she has a lovely pool in her back yard. We had a great chicken BBQ and visited outside until late into the evening. We hadn't seen each other in many years so there was lots of catching up to do.
June 12/12
We left Gatineau in the rain. We navigated our way across the Rideau River and through the outskirts of Ottawa. Passed through Mattawa and enjoyed several wood carvings of explorers and native Indians. We drove through Sudbury and stopped to see the "Big Nickel". This is the largest nickel mine in the world. Was formerly Inco but has been bought out by Vale from South America. We checked into a lovely lakefront site at Lake Apsey Resort at Espanola. Enjoyed tortierre (French pork pie) and a Greek salad dinner overlooking the lake at dusk.
June 13/12
Away from Apsey Lake in clear sky and sunshine. Drove through Espanola, a paper mill town, then along the north shore of Lake Huron. Did a grocery shop at Saulte St Marie then carried on north along the east side of Lake Superior. The country is full of small lakes, islands and veery dense forests. There are warning signs for moose everywhere along the roadways but we never saw one. Did see the odd deer and a couple of coyotes, but noticeably few ducks and birds. We spent the night at the Wawa RV Resort and had our first real meal (pork chops, corn, rice & salad). Wawa is home to the giant Canada Goose.
June 14/12
We met a couple from Ft St John -Troy & Trudy- so had a lenghty visit with them before leaving Wawa at 10:40. Another bright sunny day. We drove through White River, the birthplace of Winnie-the-Pooh, so saw the park in his honour. We passed the big Newmont Mines/Barrick Gold before we got to Marathon, where we checked out the downtown and Pebble Beach, which is covered in multi-coloured round rocks polished by the tides. Marathon was a big pulp mill town but appears that everything has been shut down so lots of properties, etc for sale. It is the home of Chris Wirtz, the Canadian pairs figure skater. Passed some interesting red and white layered rocks before Nipigon, the start of the Terry Fox Courage Highway which runs 100 miles to the west. Lots of amethist mines in the area. Stayed at the Thunder Bay KOA and now remember why we seldom use those parks -$46.33.
June 15/12
Overcast skies when we left Thunder Bay. We passed the Terry Fox scenic lookout with his bronze statue. Apparently there has been serious flooding in T Bay and they are just in the mop up stages and getting people back into their homes. All the ditches along the roads are still full. We gained an hour today.Mile after mile of bog, tall skinny trees, lots of them dead possibly by drowning, and it looks like bug kill in the spruce trees. The power poles are being supported by tri-pod timbers and large culverts filled with rocks.Hunting and fishing camps aplenty along with native Indian villages and reserves. Still lots of road construction and swarms of black flies and deer flies. We are now into moss and fern country. We saw the giant moose at Dryden then drove through to Kenora and checked out their downtown. Large native population. Beautiful homes on the lake. The big Kenora Forest Products all shut down. We checked into Rock Garden Campground (PA) 26 miles east of Winnipeg in 25C. They had a special on BBQ chicken wings so shared an order with our happy hour then did a long walkabout.
June 16/12
Woke up to pouring rain so sat it out until 10:30. We passed the Longitudinal Center of Canada just east of Winnipeg. We bypassed Portage La Prairie. We fuelled at Brandon Husky at $1.099 for diesel. Checked into Turtle Crossing RV at Brandon where our friends Bob & Jutta Tokaryk treated us to happy hour and a BBQ chicken dinner. This park is still under reconstruction after being under 12 feet of water through the big flood last year. After dinner we enjoyed a lengthy campfire and were entertained by a couple living in the park. They are a singing duo and he is a songwriter for several well known artists. A fun time was had by all.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
June 3/12
We flew out of Toronto at 8:55 AM to Boston, MA, a 1.5 hour flight. We were picked up by Richard Luff, the owner of the 2008 Winnebago View which we were there to buy, who drove us to his home in North Hampton, NH, about 1 hour north. We were pleased with what we saw when we got there. He was kind enough to lend us his vehicle to run to town for some necessary provisions - blanket, plastic dinnerware, a few groceries, etc. We were to find out later that day that the box of goodies we had sent down earlier had disintigrated in the mail and most of our supplies were gone when the box was delivered. This included the towels, silverware, knives, DVDs, new sandals and more. While Jan tried to organize the van, Norm went in for a visit with Nancy-Jane & Richard. We soon learned that the corner bed with the fitted sheets was going to be a beggar to make :( We hit the bed early as we had been up since 5:00 AM in Toronto and were still adjusting to the 6 hour time change after a 9 hour flight from Barcelona.
June 4/12
We were up early and had our first shower onboard - a bit tight but works just fine. Norm and Richard went to town to get the permit to travel (could only get 20 days so this will drastically change our travel plans). Dean came over and installed 2 new deep cycle house batteries and Richard had just had a new windshield installed. Another trip to town to get replacements for the things that didn't arrive. We got on the road by lunch time and drove up the coast road to Wells, ME where we spent the night at the Moody Beach RV Park (Passport America). Were a bit late getting in as we took a few "adventures" (wrong turns) along the way. Really enjoyed the hot tub once there.
June 5/12
We drove back a few miles to Kittery, ME to a whole town full of outlet stores. I finally found some comfortable shoes and jeans for $7.98 (my most comfortable ever-should have bought 2 pairs). We had a great seafood lunch at Weathervanes. We stayed at Nascar Wild Acres (PA) in Old Orchard Beach, ME. Again had a hot tub. We went across the street to the Captain's Galley for lobster dinner- $13 for one or $20 for twins. We interpreted the twin thing as being 2 dinners when infact we each got 2 lobsters. Needless to say, we took home enough for another complete meal. YUMMMMM.
June 6/12
After doing laundry we headed up the coast on Hwy 1 and went out to Reid State Park for a picnic lunch on the water. We skirted around Bath but saw the big ship building area with its massive cranes. We passed through lots of quaint seaside villages. Definitely lobster fishing area with all the traps stacked up in yards along the road and small outlets selling fresh seafood ever few feet it seems. There are a lot of huge old houses & estates dating back to the 1700s. Hundreds of Inns and B&Bs and antique shops. Funny to see so many motor courts, the little rental cabins we used to see in the 50s. We stayed at Patten Pond Encore Resort (PA) near Ellsworth, ME with a partial water view and finished off our day with the fantastic left-over lobster dinner and the Stanley Cup game on TV.
June 7/12
Woke up to a rainy, overcast day. Drove out to Acadia National Park for tea & popovers at Jordan's Pond as recommended by Richard. The tea room didn't open for another 1.5 hours so we had to settle for tea in a paper cup and packaged blueberry coffee cake :( The drive through the park was beautiful with canopies of lush green maples and evergreens. Lots of rhododendrons in bloom along the way. We then drove out to Bar Harbour, a bustling little tourist port town, very artsy. After arriving in Calais, ME we eventually found the US Exports office at the border (we got to the wrong crossing first). It took less than 5 minutes to pick up our pre-registered papers and cross into the Canadian Customs at St Stephens, NB. It is easier to import an RV into Canada than a bunch of green onions !!! We weren't more than 15 minutes with customs guy, a nice young Irishman who actually spoke English. We had much French is spoken in New Brunswick. We drove a few miles out to St Andrews and stayed in the Kiwanis oceanfront campground. From there we walked down Water Street, past many large old houses dating back to the 1700s, to the Harbourfront Restaurant for a shrimp & scallop basket dinner accompanied by an excellent entertainer from Fredricton.
June 8/12
Woke up to clear sunny skies. There was major road construction as they are 4 laning from St Stephen to St John, but it was mostly off to the side of us. We bypassed St John & Moncton, then stopped and did our first grocery shop at Shediac then continued on another 45 minutes to Bouctouche Bay Chalet & Campground (PA).
June 9/12
Awoke to sprinkles. We got back on Hwy 11 and headed north through Miramichi and then Hwy 8 to Bathurst. Stopped at alittle cafe in Belladune for a lobster roll platter, a bit of a letdown after seeing them advertised on every menu. $9.95 for a small amount of lobster salad on a toasted hot dog bun !! We crossed the Gaspe Penninsula from Campbellton, NB to Matane, QC, finally losing the rain on the St Lawrence shores. It is a beautiful drive along the coast. Really enjoyed Ste Flavie - a little town of the arts, some amazing castle homes along with colourful shanties on the beach. We stayed at Capitaine Homard's Resto-Camping right on the water for $30. We had a superb lobster dinner at an oceanside table. Lovely to see the moon on the water and hear the tide through the night.
June 10/12
Away from Ste Flavie in a light fog.Tried to cross the St Lawrence on the free ferry from Rimouski to Forestville but when we got there found out it only took foot passengers and small cars so headed off to the next ferry from Trois Pistoles and missed it by 10 minutes and not another one till tomorrow. Finally caught the 3rd one at Riviere du Loup to St Simeon but only by 10 minutes, $125 for 1.25 hours. Followed the coastline up the river to Quebec City. Lots of very steep hills (18%). Lots of small artsy towns -artists, boutiques, inns, bistros & restaurants. Huge churches in every tiny town. Being Sunday all the bikers and motorcyclists were on the roads. We lost a rear hubcap coming out of a service station and had it kindly retrieved by one of the Harley boys :) Really slow stop and go traffic along Route 138 for construction and street lights. It took us through the back side of Quebec City and eventually to Camping Ville de Quebec (PA). I am feeling really tired from trying to navigate and communicate in French -highschool was sooo long ago !!
We flew out of Toronto at 8:55 AM to Boston, MA, a 1.5 hour flight. We were picked up by Richard Luff, the owner of the 2008 Winnebago View which we were there to buy, who drove us to his home in North Hampton, NH, about 1 hour north. We were pleased with what we saw when we got there. He was kind enough to lend us his vehicle to run to town for some necessary provisions - blanket, plastic dinnerware, a few groceries, etc. We were to find out later that day that the box of goodies we had sent down earlier had disintigrated in the mail and most of our supplies were gone when the box was delivered. This included the towels, silverware, knives, DVDs, new sandals and more. While Jan tried to organize the van, Norm went in for a visit with Nancy-Jane & Richard. We soon learned that the corner bed with the fitted sheets was going to be a beggar to make :( We hit the bed early as we had been up since 5:00 AM in Toronto and were still adjusting to the 6 hour time change after a 9 hour flight from Barcelona.
June 4/12
We were up early and had our first shower onboard - a bit tight but works just fine. Norm and Richard went to town to get the permit to travel (could only get 20 days so this will drastically change our travel plans). Dean came over and installed 2 new deep cycle house batteries and Richard had just had a new windshield installed. Another trip to town to get replacements for the things that didn't arrive. We got on the road by lunch time and drove up the coast road to Wells, ME where we spent the night at the Moody Beach RV Park (Passport America). Were a bit late getting in as we took a few "adventures" (wrong turns) along the way. Really enjoyed the hot tub once there.
June 5/12
We drove back a few miles to Kittery, ME to a whole town full of outlet stores. I finally found some comfortable shoes and jeans for $7.98 (my most comfortable ever-should have bought 2 pairs). We had a great seafood lunch at Weathervanes. We stayed at Nascar Wild Acres (PA) in Old Orchard Beach, ME. Again had a hot tub. We went across the street to the Captain's Galley for lobster dinner- $13 for one or $20 for twins. We interpreted the twin thing as being 2 dinners when infact we each got 2 lobsters. Needless to say, we took home enough for another complete meal. YUMMMMM.
June 6/12
After doing laundry we headed up the coast on Hwy 1 and went out to Reid State Park for a picnic lunch on the water. We skirted around Bath but saw the big ship building area with its massive cranes. We passed through lots of quaint seaside villages. Definitely lobster fishing area with all the traps stacked up in yards along the road and small outlets selling fresh seafood ever few feet it seems. There are a lot of huge old houses & estates dating back to the 1700s. Hundreds of Inns and B&Bs and antique shops. Funny to see so many motor courts, the little rental cabins we used to see in the 50s. We stayed at Patten Pond Encore Resort (PA) near Ellsworth, ME with a partial water view and finished off our day with the fantastic left-over lobster dinner and the Stanley Cup game on TV.
June 7/12
Woke up to a rainy, overcast day. Drove out to Acadia National Park for tea & popovers at Jordan's Pond as recommended by Richard. The tea room didn't open for another 1.5 hours so we had to settle for tea in a paper cup and packaged blueberry coffee cake :( The drive through the park was beautiful with canopies of lush green maples and evergreens. Lots of rhododendrons in bloom along the way. We then drove out to Bar Harbour, a bustling little tourist port town, very artsy. After arriving in Calais, ME we eventually found the US Exports office at the border (we got to the wrong crossing first). It took less than 5 minutes to pick up our pre-registered papers and cross into the Canadian Customs at St Stephens, NB. It is easier to import an RV into Canada than a bunch of green onions !!! We weren't more than 15 minutes with customs guy, a nice young Irishman who actually spoke English. We had much French is spoken in New Brunswick. We drove a few miles out to St Andrews and stayed in the Kiwanis oceanfront campground. From there we walked down Water Street, past many large old houses dating back to the 1700s, to the Harbourfront Restaurant for a shrimp & scallop basket dinner accompanied by an excellent entertainer from Fredricton.
June 8/12
Woke up to clear sunny skies. There was major road construction as they are 4 laning from St Stephen to St John, but it was mostly off to the side of us. We bypassed St John & Moncton, then stopped and did our first grocery shop at Shediac then continued on another 45 minutes to Bouctouche Bay Chalet & Campground (PA).
June 9/12
Awoke to sprinkles. We got back on Hwy 11 and headed north through Miramichi and then Hwy 8 to Bathurst. Stopped at alittle cafe in Belladune for a lobster roll platter, a bit of a letdown after seeing them advertised on every menu. $9.95 for a small amount of lobster salad on a toasted hot dog bun !! We crossed the Gaspe Penninsula from Campbellton, NB to Matane, QC, finally losing the rain on the St Lawrence shores. It is a beautiful drive along the coast. Really enjoyed Ste Flavie - a little town of the arts, some amazing castle homes along with colourful shanties on the beach. We stayed at Capitaine Homard's Resto-Camping right on the water for $30. We had a superb lobster dinner at an oceanside table. Lovely to see the moon on the water and hear the tide through the night.
June 10/12
Away from Ste Flavie in a light fog.Tried to cross the St Lawrence on the free ferry from Rimouski to Forestville but when we got there found out it only took foot passengers and small cars so headed off to the next ferry from Trois Pistoles and missed it by 10 minutes and not another one till tomorrow. Finally caught the 3rd one at Riviere du Loup to St Simeon but only by 10 minutes, $125 for 1.25 hours. Followed the coastline up the river to Quebec City. Lots of very steep hills (18%). Lots of small artsy towns -artists, boutiques, inns, bistros & restaurants. Huge churches in every tiny town. Being Sunday all the bikers and motorcyclists were on the roads. We lost a rear hubcap coming out of a service station and had it kindly retrieved by one of the Harley boys :) Really slow stop and go traffic along Route 138 for construction and street lights. It took us through the back side of Quebec City and eventually to Camping Ville de Quebec (PA). I am feeling really tired from trying to navigate and communicate in French -highschool was sooo long ago !!
Friday, June 8, 2012
WOW what a summer so far !!
May 15 - June 2/12
We flew from Kelowna to Vancouver then to Frankfurt, Germany over the far north, with a 5 hour layover, but were advised not to leave the airport as the Occupy demonstrations were going on and traffic was being hampered. After the 10 hour flight we were due a nap on the benches anyway :( From Frankfurt we flew to Venice, another 1.5 hours (over the Austrian alps echoing the "Sound of Music"). We spent 2 days in Venice using the train, shuttles and water busses to get to the island and St. Mark's Square and the Basilica. So very much ancient history, architecture, religion and charm, Yes, we did take a gondola ride through the canals. The Americas Cup Race (sailing) was on while we were there. We ended up in a great hotel, Venice Inn Resort, only minutes from the airport and only $78 per night with full breakfast included and shuttle service to and from the airport. We boarded the Ruby Princess and set sail for Athens, Greece after a day at sea. In Athens we went to the Acropolis, the Plaka market, The Temple of Zeus and the old Olympic Stadium. Next port was Kusadasi, Turkey where we visited Ephesus, the ruins of the Roman provincial capital, the Basilica of St John the Apostle, and the final resting place of the Virgin Mary then on to Istanbul, Turkey. What an interesting, colourful and charming city. We visited the Blue Mosque, St Sophia and it's massive Byzantine dome decorated with marble, precious stones and pillars from Ephesus, the Grand Bazaar (over 4000 shops) where we impulsively bought beautiful leather jackets, and the Hippodrome. Next stop was Mykonos, Greece, our favourite stop as we did the town on our own. A beautiful all-white hillside community looking quite affluent with yachts everywhere and little cobblestoned lanes lined with specialty shops and street cafes. The tiered houses were all connected by stairways climbing well up the hillside, some ending at old windmills, formerly used for grinding grains. Next day was a sea day and time for a little R&R and laundry. Next port was Naples and on to Herculaneum, a city buried in mud in 79AD from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius and discovered in 1709. Then off to Positano, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast on the Bay of Naples-the most beautiful coastline with pastel houses rumbling down the cliffs to the beaches dotted with fishing boats. Next day to Livorno, Florence/Pisa, a 10 hour excursion starting with a 1.5 hour bus trip. Highlights were of course David at the Accademia, the Duomo and Baptistry, Uffizi Museum & Gallery, and the leaning tower. Next day, another 10 hour trip to Civitavecchia and Rome with another 1.5 hour bus trip. We took in the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Vatican City, St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Pantheon. Monte Carlo was our next port and here we took the hop on-hop off bus and time on our own - seeing the Royal Palace, the Casino and many huge yachts. The Grand Prix races had taken place 2 days earlier so the town was cluttered with barricades, car haulers, banners, etc making it a bit difficult getting around on foot. Our final stop was in Barcelona, Spain where we spent 3 days. Our hotel was on the Rambla, a wide promanade through the busy part of town with hundreds of vendors and outdoor eating/drinking places. We bought a 2 day bus pass so got to see most corners of the city. Really enjoyed the Gaudi Cathedral/museum. On our last day we hired a driver to take us up to Monserrat, a beautiful Cathedral/monestry up in the mountains. We easily could have stayed on in Barcelona. We flew back to Toronto on June 2, tired but fulfilled with all that we had seen and done. Will continue on from here in the next chapter.
May 15 - June 2/12
We flew from Kelowna to Vancouver then to Frankfurt, Germany over the far north, with a 5 hour layover, but were advised not to leave the airport as the Occupy demonstrations were going on and traffic was being hampered. After the 10 hour flight we were due a nap on the benches anyway :( From Frankfurt we flew to Venice, another 1.5 hours (over the Austrian alps echoing the "Sound of Music"). We spent 2 days in Venice using the train, shuttles and water busses to get to the island and St. Mark's Square and the Basilica. So very much ancient history, architecture, religion and charm, Yes, we did take a gondola ride through the canals. The Americas Cup Race (sailing) was on while we were there. We ended up in a great hotel, Venice Inn Resort, only minutes from the airport and only $78 per night with full breakfast included and shuttle service to and from the airport. We boarded the Ruby Princess and set sail for Athens, Greece after a day at sea. In Athens we went to the Acropolis, the Plaka market, The Temple of Zeus and the old Olympic Stadium. Next port was Kusadasi, Turkey where we visited Ephesus, the ruins of the Roman provincial capital, the Basilica of St John the Apostle, and the final resting place of the Virgin Mary then on to Istanbul, Turkey. What an interesting, colourful and charming city. We visited the Blue Mosque, St Sophia and it's massive Byzantine dome decorated with marble, precious stones and pillars from Ephesus, the Grand Bazaar (over 4000 shops) where we impulsively bought beautiful leather jackets, and the Hippodrome. Next stop was Mykonos, Greece, our favourite stop as we did the town on our own. A beautiful all-white hillside community looking quite affluent with yachts everywhere and little cobblestoned lanes lined with specialty shops and street cafes. The tiered houses were all connected by stairways climbing well up the hillside, some ending at old windmills, formerly used for grinding grains. Next day was a sea day and time for a little R&R and laundry. Next port was Naples and on to Herculaneum, a city buried in mud in 79AD from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius and discovered in 1709. Then off to Positano, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast on the Bay of Naples-the most beautiful coastline with pastel houses rumbling down the cliffs to the beaches dotted with fishing boats. Next day to Livorno, Florence/Pisa, a 10 hour excursion starting with a 1.5 hour bus trip. Highlights were of course David at the Accademia, the Duomo and Baptistry, Uffizi Museum & Gallery, and the leaning tower. Next day, another 10 hour trip to Civitavecchia and Rome with another 1.5 hour bus trip. We took in the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Vatican City, St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Pantheon. Monte Carlo was our next port and here we took the hop on-hop off bus and time on our own - seeing the Royal Palace, the Casino and many huge yachts. The Grand Prix races had taken place 2 days earlier so the town was cluttered with barricades, car haulers, banners, etc making it a bit difficult getting around on foot. Our final stop was in Barcelona, Spain where we spent 3 days. Our hotel was on the Rambla, a wide promanade through the busy part of town with hundreds of vendors and outdoor eating/drinking places. We bought a 2 day bus pass so got to see most corners of the city. Really enjoyed the Gaudi Cathedral/museum. On our last day we hired a driver to take us up to Monserrat, a beautiful Cathedral/monestry up in the mountains. We easily could have stayed on in Barcelona. We flew back to Toronto on June 2, tired but fulfilled with all that we had seen and done. Will continue on from here in the next chapter.
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