Venice, Italy

Our approach to travel has been to make all our own reservations so we can go with our own pace, our own interests, and avoid the crowd.  It has it's good and bad aspects.  Kind of a neat challenge to arrive in the Venice, Italy, on a Portuguese airline (TAP) and go through customs, collect checked bags, investigate ground transportation options, buy tickets (currency exchange), and find your way through the crowd to the proper water taxi pick up point, then make sure you get off at the right stop. Our B&B is on a one-block long alley, and Venice is a maze of alleys and canals; we had to follow directions carefully to find our way here. We make mistakes, but it also forces us to learn more about our surroundings: customs, language, costs, sign terminology. Dawn and I have different approaches, by comparing our information, our success rate is increased.

 The green shutters just above the doorway are to our room in the B&B.  Quite modern inside and the breakfast was excellent.

A gondola traffic jam: these narrow canals are the streets of Venice.

The Grand Canal as seen from the Rialto bridge.  Venice is an island connected to the mainland by a causeway.  From the airport we took a water taxi to our accommodations.

The water taxis in Venice are beautiful; note that the nearby wharf is under water due to the periodic high tides.

The many tourists in Piazza San Marco are wading in foot-deep water from the high tide.

Some shop owners let the high tides flow on in to their stores, but this shop has a waterproof divider to keep the seas out.

Pretty neat bit of sculpture on the Grand Canal.

This is every day life in Venice: gobs of tourists, and those slender, non-symmetrical, single-oar boats plying the maze of canals.

It's mid-September and the crowds here are amazing. Obtaining a good accommodation reservation only four months in advance was difficult.  We have been to Venice before, but we were so impressed on our first visit, we needed to see more. It must have been high tide when we went exploring today; the water was a foot deep in many popular plazas and walkways. We took off our shoes and went barefoot. Some merchants just let the water flow into their shops; others had installed waterproof "dikes" at the doorway to keep the water out. Exactly two years ago, we were walking barefoot on the streets of Trieste, Italy, but then it was due to torrential rain.

We have traveled eight time zones away from Colorado.  This morning I had two cups of coffee to perk me up, and we have been going all day.  We hope to get up early tomorrow to beat the crowd to some scenic spots.
(later) Can you believe that Dawn woke me up at 0430 this morning to "beat the crowd"?  But the sun doesn't come up until 0645!  She wanted to get sunrise photos without tourists.  I love her enthusiasm, even if I wasn't eager to get up so early. We got those photos at sunrise, then came back to our B&B, had breakfast, and took a nap. We are spending hours wandering this maze of a city; lots of art and fashion shops. I love admiring the endless parade of speedboats carrying tourists through the canals. Churches and museums abound; Venice was a very big deal centuries ago, a "city state" with international power.

An Alaskan Cruise.

Many acquaintances of ours prefer to travel by going on cruises.  We have little recent understanding of what a cruise is like, so we signed up for a cruise from Seward, Alaska, to Vancouver, B.C.  We needed some advice from our friends to understand what options to sign up for.  We learned that lacking a "drink package" doesn't mean that you are restricted to tap water, and that lacking a "meal package" doesn't mean you will be restricted to hot dogs or spam.  We signed up for neither and enjoyed a wide range of eating choices.  Many choices also exist for accommodations.  We signed up for one of the few remaining exterior view cabins on level 3 (out of 10 levels) and found it completely satisfactory.

Main dining room on board.

We had enough frequent flier miles on AA to get us a free flight from Denver to Anchorage, AK; however, it required us to fly by way of Dallas (!).  I have discovered that American Airlines does this to you whenever you want to use your free miles; thus, I will be canceling my AA credit card.  Anchorage is surrounded by beautiful scenery, but the city itself is rather flat and plain.  Thus, after arriving late, we only stayed overnight and left in the morning for Seward on a scenic bus.  Seward has a bustling harbor for fishermen and cruise ships; it also includes very extensive camp grounds, almost completely occupied.  Being a boat guy, I arranged our room on the harbor and walked the docks to admire the wide range of  boat types tied up there.  We also found a short scenic hiking trail through thick forest just a few blocks off main street.

Our Seward hotel (brown) in the background; yacht harbor in foreground.

Looking across the bay from Seward.

Close approach to a coastal glacier.  We had a local pilot on board and the ship moved very slow among the floating ice.

Main street Skagway.  No traffic; no traffic lights.  This town would not exist if not for tourists.  A gateway for the gold rush of the 1890's; now a gateway for tours of the Yukon.

Alaska and the Canadian Yukon are vast territories with very few people (very hearty people to endure the climate).

Two cruise ships docked at and towering over Skagway.  While in Skagway we took a tour into Canada requiring passports.  We had forgotten ours, and I had to run a mile back to the ship and return in time for our tour.

Visitors kayaking near Hoonah.  We sea kayaked at Juneau and Ketchikan.  Wearing rain gear and maneuvering in the narrow kayaks made it hard to take photos.

Instead, at Hoonah we went for a long walk to the nearby town and followed a forest trail.

A pretty city park we found in Ketchikan.  It was good to stretch our legs and get away from the tourist shops.

Downtown Ketchikan.  Located further south, the climate here is milder than much of Alaska, but still subject to severe storms.

When our cruise ship (or almost any cruise ship) pulled into harbor, we were impressed with how huge they are; almost a thousand feet long and standing high above their surroundings.  Being first timers, we were initially intimidated upon boarding, but a diagram of the ships layout, deck by deck, quickly made it all familiar.  I had served in the US Navy, but the ships I served on held only about 200 persons compared to the approximately 3000 on this vessel (2100 passengers & 950 crew).

The luxury and efficiency of the ship service was amazing.  Our cabin was cleaned and organized twice daily.  Cleaning went on constantly throughout the ship.  Sterility was emphasized: hand sanitizer provided before entering eating areas.  Many activities were provided all day every day: movies, live shows, fitness machines, games, library, walking track, archery, bars & lounges, lectures, tours of ship departments, and .... all day eating options.

When in port, excursions (at extra cost) were available.  We went kayaking in Juneau and Ketchikan and went on a bus tour into the Canadian Yukon out of Skagway.  The bus tour was a disappointment: too much sitting and too many tourist attractions.  We like to stay active and see the scenery and how people in these areas live.  Shops and attractions focused specifically on tourists are a distraction/ eye sore.  The ship stopped at Icy Point/Hoonah where the landing is over a mile from the town, giving us a nice walking opportunity.

Jellyfish at the aquarium in Stanley Park; the place was mobbed on a weekday.  Vancouver is very popular with tourists.

Vancouver as seen from the Maritime Museum across False Creek.  A Canadian metropolis with many skyscrapers and a bustling downtown.

Granville Island has an amazing number of shops, dining, and entertainment options.  Please don't try to drive to the island; public transportation is readily available.

Vancouver is a beautiful city.  How many cities are there where you can be looking at a yacht harbor in the foreground, skyscrapers in the mid-distance, and snow-capped mountains as a backdrop?  Our hotel was a short walk from the cruise ship landing in downtown.  To get to the airport we only had to walk two blocks to the commuter train.  A good way to get an initial feel for a city is to catch the hop-on hop-off bus.  Being a boat guy, I also sought out the Maritime Museum and a ride on a small ferry to get there.  Our bus driver listed Granville Island, Stanley Park and Gastown as the most interesting neighborhoods. He may be right.  The city is surrounded by yacht harbors; float planes are frequently taking off and landing on nearby channels.  Great views are available almost everywhere.  If you stay in Vancouver long enough, there are many other attractions nearby including skiing. 



    

Southern Europe- Sept. 2017

While traveling, we have met people who are much more experienced travelers that ourselves.  The natural question to them is, "What is the favorite place you have visited?"  We have had several such experienced travelers say, "northern Italy."  This will be the focus of our next planned trip, which I am making reservations for now.  The idea is to fly to Venice and rent a car for 10 days in Italy, visiting Venice and the Lake country- Lake Garda, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore.  Then we will drop the car off in Genoa and take a train to Nice, France- the French Riviera.  After four days exploring the Riviera, we fly to Portugal, spending a week in Lisbon and the Algarve region.

Our son and his wife are expecting a baby; we plan to stop in Washington, DC, to visit them both ways, going to and coming from Europe.

We haven't been to Italy or France in twenty-five years and have never been to Portugal.  We do not speak Italian, French, or Portuguese, but depending on phrase books, world-wide knowledge of English, and our general experience with European traffic and street signs, it should be okay.  Another adventure.  We have ten accommodation reservations, three car reservations, five flight reservations, and a train reservation. 

Fortunately, these countries all use the Euro currency, which will simplify that detail.  The question will be how often can we pay with a credit card and how many Euros should we carry?  Taxis between airports-hotels-car-rental-train station usually require cash, also commuter trains, buses, street food.  Many small businesses want cash. 

It's fun to plan out the many details; then go and experience the hotels and B&B's picked out on the internet.  Not a big risk; there is so much information available.   Dawn would love to go for several months; that may happen after I quit my job.  This trip will be thirty days, which is the maximum period the US Postal Service will hold mail for.       

Mendoza, Argentina

 We traveled all day; twelve hours from Llao Llao to Mendoza. The delay was in flying to Córdoba and spending five hours there waiting for a continuation flight to Mendoza; somewhat inconvenient, but the other alternative is a much longer bus ride.  I think Mendoza may be the low point in our trip. It will be difficult to compete with the attractions of Buenos Aires or Llao Llao.

From our hotel room looking west.  All the trees are irrigated, and they really improve the city atmosphere- walking down lush, shaded streets instead of hot pavement from direct sunlight. The Andes mountains are in the distance.

Mendoza is a large city built in an arid climate using water brought in from the Andes mountains through irrigation ditches. Little water channels run everywhere, along the curbs of streets, through the park lawns. We witnessed two young women, who drove their car too far forward when parking, dropping the front end into an irrigation ditch; it caused considerable damage to the vehicle.  The streets are well-shaded by many irrigated trees. While enjoying the scenery, you need to keep an eye on the uneven/broken tiles of the sidewalks. Not much of an Old Town here or a notable skyline; the mountain slopes to the west are barren, befitting a scrub brush climate.

The big attraction here is the vineyards, world famous Malbec grapes. We are staying in a twenty-story tall major hotel in the city center, close to shopping, parks, and restaurants.  My lactose intolerance is a drawback here. Many restaurant dinners have cheese and milk in the recipes; with the language difference it is important to communicate clearly.

In the evenings, the streets are crowded with people with late dinners being normal.

Street vendors set up their stalls in the park plazas to sell a variety of high-quality hand-made merchandise.  Clothing, leatherwork, food, toys, kitchen utensils, paintings, spices, knives, sculpture, jewelry; whatever you desire.

The weather is appropriate for shorts & T-shirt, upper 70's. Siesta is observed, and in the evenings the streets are full of people. Outdoor restaurants open about 8pm. A Harley Davidson motorcycle meet is in town; plenty of rumbling exhaust.  Note the irrigation ditch at the left edge of the photo.

However, the traffic here is clean burning, with no discernible exhaust fumes. Two nights ago, an antique sports car show was held in the central plaza. Beautiful old cars, most all European, including an Aston Martin, like James Bond drove in a "007" movie. The Porsche club also had 25+ vehicles on display. We have been walking in a beautiful park on the west edge of the city: 970 acres with golf, tennis, equestrian, zoo, rowing (the lake was hand dug by prison inmates), World Cup soccer stadium, amphitheater, and many shaded running trails.

Fountain of the continents in General San Martin park.

Flower stalls always add color to a street scene.

We went on an excursion with nine other tourists to some vineyards in the Valle de Uco, a newer grape growing region near the Andes mountains. These are large, modern, international businesses. The trip included an outstanding meal in a scenic setting. The veal tenderloin here is fabulous; Argentina is known for its meat products. Excursions like this also promote meeting other tourists, many from far distant places- Thailand, Australia, Spain, Canada, Ireland, and others, which adds to the exposure to new ideas and viewpoints. Future trips suggested to us include Italy, New Zealand, and China.

Wine, vineyards, and Andes mountains.

This vineyard is on 5000 acres.  The owners live in the Netherlands.  It is a huge international enterprise.  Note the piano in what is an underground wine ageing vault; the vault is huge and has perfect acoustics for a piano concert.

Bariloche & Llao Llao Resort

We have been at Llao Llao resort for a week and are impressed. Resort activities are all inclusive: golf, kayaking, tennis, archery, hiking, mountain biking, outdoor infinity pool, rappelling.  Then, of course, there are the spa, Pilates, fitness equipment, reading room, indoor pool, billiards, table tennis, etc.  Thus far we have been hiking, mountain biking, archery, and Pilates.

Sub-tropical rain forest begins just past the tennis court in this photo. Trails lead to isolated beaches to the east and west along this isthmus.  We rode mountain bikes across the golf course and into the forest.

A beach cove on the lake.  Some private homes are located in the park; sales of land to some individuals brought the needed funds to develop the remainder of the park.

Doesn't this look like an ocean fjord?  The photo was taken looking out from the same cove as shown above.

San Carlos de Bariloche is touristy and has experienced recent rapid growth.  As a result, it is congested, has many construction projects underway, and has a fringe of scrap-made shacks from people coming here to seek work.  I am glad that we booked this resort, surrounded by forest and lakes and located 20 miles west of the city.

Okay, the secret is out: Dawn walks her bike up the steeper sections of trail.

Sunrise and the moon setting from our hotel window.

Sunset, also from our hotel window.  The beauty was outstanding in every direction we looked at this location.

Panuelo marina, directly adjacent to Llao Llao resort.  Boat excursions depart from here to all parts of the lake.

We are in northern Patagonia, and the scenery is everything you could imagine. The hotel is on an isthmus between multiple lakes, surrounded by mountains, covered by dense forests. The lakes are pristine; wide, deep, clear, with many bays, islands, and channels; large enough for commercial boat trips several hours in length. We are surrounded by rugged mountains with exposed craggy peaks; showing the first snows of the coming winter.  The forests are dense old growth; huge trees with trunks 4-5 feet in diameter extending more than a hundred feet high.  It reminds us of the old growth forest we encountered in the San Juan islands in the Pacific NW.  This is the region where the story of Bambi, the deer, originated, and it truly is a storybook surrounding.

Typical shoreline of Lago Nahuel Huapi seen while on an excursion.

Docked near the Chilean border, waiting for passengers to embark/disembark from the border crossing.

We took an all-day commercial boat excursion on Lago Nahuel Huapi to the Chilean border.  This is an incredible lake: surface area of 200+ square miles, depth of 1400+ feet, and cold (45 degree F.), clear water fed by snow and glaciers.  The scenery is very similar to the fjords of Norway; multiple waterfalls cascading down steep surrounding mountain slopes.  At the far end of our trip, a few tourists joined our group after passing through the border procedures,  the border at this point is a remote customs outpost on a rough gravel road connecting to the dock on the lake.

We also took an excursion by tourist van to Cerro Tronador, a glacier-clad extinct volcano whose highest peak marks the border between Argentina and Chile.  The road is mainly a rough, one-lane, gravel road, discouraged for use by rental cars (no wonder the shock absorbers were shot when we tried to rent a car).

Lago Mascardi, note the color of the water has been changed by suspended minerals in the waters entering from glacier-fed sources.

This is actually a telephoto shot of Cerro Tronador, (11,736' tall) taken from in front of our hotel, about 30 miles away.  I use a cheap ($150) Sony camera, small enough to hide in my shirt pocket, and it gets great results.

Base camp.  Time for lunch before we drive up to the base of the glaciers.

The glacier's edge is about 90 meters thick.  people in this region report that the climate has been significantly warmer with less rain in recent years.

The atmosphere in this area is European; probably for good reason.  Many citizens here are the offspring of European immigrants.  Culturally, Europe is the model for their institutions. They pay heavy taxes and in return enjoy "free" government services.  Buildings and homes here have an Alpine look. In winter, the resort becomes a ski lodge. Temperatures are mild enough that the ski season is only three months long.

Argentina essentials

Argentina has recently become much more friendly to visit.  Previously they had a $160 "visa" tax on incoming Americans which was abolished about six months ago.  Now they have exempted visitors with a foreign passport and a foreign credit card from paying their stiff 21% VAT on larger purchases starting this January.  Much of the economy still seems to run on cash; in addition to credit cards; I would recommend bringing dollars. Even if your credit card company collects no foreign transaction fees, the local banks which run the ATMs will charge a transaction fee.  We have also found long lines outside ATMs some days, and banks here have limited hours.  We have exchanged currency at our hotel and Western Union ($10 fee) as well as an ATM.  Some people will take US dollars.  Hotels prefer to list cost in dollars, because of peso fluctuation.

Argentina has 220 volt electricity and more than one plug type. We have found US sockets, European sockets, and a unique Argentinian socket type (which may be similar to Australia). Fortunately, hotels will have plug adapters to borrow. With many modern electronics, voltage is often adaptable. Dawn has a 220V hair dryer, bought in Europe, which is handy on these trips.

A complete evening meal for two can easily cost 700-1000 pesos.  So expensive?  We have to remind ourselves that is only $45-$65.  Carrying 2000 pesos is only about $130; enough to pay for an excursion and meal.  I would strongly recommend some knowledge of Spanish when visiting.  It can be done without, but some familiarity makes it so much more comfortable.  Not all ATMs, subway instructions, or airport check-ins will have English versions.

Argentinian Spanish differs slightly from Spain or Mexico.  This morning, we learned that the double L sound 'll' which would be pronounced like a 'y' in Spain, is here pronounced with a 'sh' sound.  Spanish here seems to be very clearly enunciated to us.  Many of the vowels are pronounced similar to English usage.  Interesting: I could understand announcements in Spanish on the subway in Buenos Aires better than announcements in English on the subway when we visit Washington, D.C.

 
On the subway and in crowded areas I carry my billfold in my front pocket, but we have not been in a situation that felt unsafe.  We are routinely careful and were advised to not walk in certain areas at night. In a metro area of 14 million, such situations should be expected.  The Argentine people are routinely friendly and helpful.

We rented a car for a day trip to some scenic locations.  Because it was only for one day and we were taking no luggage, we signed up for a entry level car, a small Chevy.  We headed out in the morning planning to cover about 200 Km (125 miles).  But, after driving only a short distance, a big dog ran out in front of the car (left to right) forcing emergency braking and swerving to avoid the dog.  (There are many stray dogs in Argentina.)  Dawn was driving and almost lost control of the car in the maneuver. 

The car body rocked violently from side to side, reacting far beyond her steering wheel input.  We pulled over to the shoulder while Dawn regained her composure.  Then we decided to take the car back to the rental agency.  If another such situation occurred, the outcome would questionable.  What if a car changed lanes suddenly in front of us, which could easily happen in the "relaxed" driving rules of Argentina?  Obviously, the installed shock absorbers were non-functional.  This results from driving on the rough gravel roads common in this area. Standing beside the car, I could easily rock it from side to side just from pushing with my hands.

The lesson here is that vehicles in regions like this may not be maintained to normal specifications.  In this case, we could have had a serious accident.  In retrospect, we should have investigated more closely and considered more upscale vehicles.

Buenos Aires

Our arrival in Buenos Aires was well timed.  The weather had been in the 90's Fahrenheit; then a cool front came through the night before our arrival to push temperatures down into the pleasant 70's. It was a one-hour car transfer from the airport to our hotel.  The driver was talkative; first question was 'what do you think of your new President?' Then he launched into Argentinian politics and life. Buenos Aires metro area has almost 14 million persons; one third are at or below the poverty level. Eternal struggle between rich and poor.

After our ten hour flight, we crashed at the hotel for a few hours; then it was off to find dinner.  Our boutique hotel (15 rooms) is in Palermo Viejo, an Italian neighborhood. It's considered a good area, but still reeks of "third world".  Not necessarily a bad thing, but it has distinct characteristics.  Watch out for the dog poo, uneven sidewalks, broken/missing tiles, and scattered trash. (That could also describe Washington, DC).  Many small shops; you need to look closely to find their shop sign. The food and service is good; although not cheap.  Our hotel staff are extremely helpful.

Our first full day was fantastic. We walked to Evita's (Eva Peron) grave; toured an outstanding open market of handmade goods; and then joined up with a tour guide and two other couples (from England and Denmark) for a tour of the area.  Eva Peron (Duarte) is buried in Recoleta Cemetery, one of the most amazing cemeteries on earth.  The monuments in this cemetery are huge and ornate.  They are actually small buildings, extending 25-30 feet below ground with space for multiple coffins, stairways, windows, displays, and extensive original carvings and statues.  Only the wealthiest and most famous get buried here.

Our guide was from Venezuela; trained as a professor but reduced to supplementing his income with conducting tours.  With his background, he explained the economic and political history of Argentina. Quite complicated! We ended up at the Kirchner Cultural Centre (one of the largest on earth) for an evening concert.  Our outdoor dinner started at 10:30pm (many restaurants open at 8pm). We were able to flag down a late taxi for a ride home.

We visited two locations today.  First, we took a boat trip to Tigre, exploring the Rio de La Plata delta. The homes there are on the river, which is their means of transport.  Apparently, even fresh water is brought in by boat. A wide variety of homes from beautiful to shacks.

Along the way we stopped in San Ysidro, very wealthy, beautiful area where the Argentina president has a home.  A very tall and well-kept cathedral is located there. Many public spaces are not so well kept.

Next, we went right into downtown Buenos Aires to visit the presidential palace, "the pink house", national cathedral, and other grand buildings.

Then we came home on the subway during rush hour; wish I got a picture of that, but the subway car was so packed that I had no room to get my camera out.  It was a real sense of accomplishment to get my SUBE card, load it with pesos and navigate the signs and tunnels of the subway system to get us to multiple locations around the city.