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Vineyards Adventure In Portugal and Spain: Drinking Our Way…

9 May

Our trip to Spain and Portugal with Road Scholar was entitled, “Beyond the Vineyards, but in reality, it should have been called In the Vineyards, Drinking your way through Portugal and Spain.

I learn much about white wines, red wines, port, sweet sherry, sweet vermouth.  I drank more wine in two weeks than I usually drink in a year.  I am not exaggerating!  I discovered that my wine pallet was immature.  I like table wines much more than the expensive bold flavored wines.  I am ok with that.  I also learned that every lunch and dinner in the Iberian Peninsula comes with wine and more wine.  I learned to turn my red wine goblet upside down and to put my hand over the top of my white wine glass after the second refill and shake my head saying “por favor, no mas.”

I learn how different barrels and/or stainless-steel containers change the taste of wine and that all vineyards do not grow their grape vines the same way.  I thought all wine vines grew about waist high off the ground.  I am so wrong: some grow overhead, others close to the ground.  I learned that weather and rain impact how wine vines grow.   I learned that roses are planted in vineyards not for beauty, but because if a rose bush gets a disease, it indicates that the vineyard could have a disease as well.  Olive trees are planted for a similar reason. Also, and important, is that there are the most lovely peacocks at almost every winery.  We were told that they indicate great wealth.  So having peacocks on the grounds was popular.

I found out there is much wine tourism in the Iberian Peninsula. Here is a summary of the wine tour aspect of our lovely and exhaustive program. Mayra, our main tour guide told us that before the pleasure of wine tasting was the hard work of learning about the vineyard.  To be honest that was my favorite part, because many of these vineyards were just lovely.

Fermentation building.
Original wine bottles.

Quinta de Aveleda was our first vineyard on the way to Guimaraes. I have written about Quinta de Aveleda in an earlier post because of its absolutely stunning acres upon acres of gardens.  I will not write about them again, but honestly, they are worth seeing. (See link below.)

We were allowed into the barrel room (fermentation) to see and smell where the wine ferments and learn about the process.  In this winery, and its centuries old building, we could really smell the fermentation. We saw a display of some of its original bottles.  And had the opportunity to taste both a red and a white wine.  I will say that the Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde, turned out to be my favorite wine of the entire trip.  These wines are not fermented for long, so they are considered ‘green’ or young wines.

The machine to stamp the name of the winery.

Our next stop was to find out the overall history of wine making in the Douro River area at the Museo del Douro tour in Regua.  Marco was our very enthusiastic and wonderful museum docent.  We had a great, detailed overview of the start to finish of wine making in the Douro area, starting with the Romans and the priests who came later.  Wine making and drinking were very popular.

I was amazed that people would carry 80 pounds of grapes on their shoulders in heavy wooden baskets during the picking season.  I learned how they bottled the wine, made the labels and branded the crates.  People do not become vintners overnight. There is training and a hierarchy of influence.  Going to this museum gave us a foundation for each of the rest of the wine related stops we visited. 

After our tour, we were also treated to a glass of wine and/or lemonade.  It was a delicious end to a great museum visit. (Always a glass of wine, but in many stops they had non-alcoholic drinks for those who do not imbibe alcohol.)

After we left the museum, we traveled to another vineyard.  Along the way, we learned that the vineyards themselves are a World Heritage Site.  These terraced vineyards were terraced by hand and then separated by the stones that the farmers dug up.  Today, those that have decayed over time, cannot be torn down because they are protected by the World Heritage designation.  

Some of the vineyards were abandoned when Phylloxera, a tiny insect, destroyed most of the vineyards in Europe.  The only solution was to bring in roots from US vineyards, which were immune to the insect, and graft European grape vines on to them. The phylloxera blight almost destroyed the wine making business in Europe.

When we arrived at Quinta Da Pacheca we learned more about the wine tourism business.  At this vineyard, they still crush the grapes by stomping on them.  They allow paying tourists to come and participate in the process.  But they told us, the tourists only last for about 30 minutes of stomping, while the people who live there often stomp for hours.  I am exhausted thinking about it after seeing the giant stone basins when the stomping takes place.

When we toured its fermentation room, I was amazed at the giant barrels that were once used to store the grape juice that turned into wine.  These are no longer used in the wine making, but are there for people to view.  They are enormous. 

Even bigger are the one designed to cater to the wine tourism. Quinta Da Pacheca offers its tourist a chance to stay in a room made from a giant barrel.  But these were made specifically for living.

Of course, there was wine to taste and a peacock to admire.

The entrance to the wine cellars.
Tile above the door of the wine tasting room
Part of our lunch.
Three wines here, red, rose and white.

Our next vineyard Adegas de Casa de Santar or Casa Santar  located in the Dao region of Portugal. We had a tour of part the large vineyards, the granite wine cellar with its wonderful entrance, the wine tasting room, a food demonstration and then finally a meal and a wine tasting.

I loved the two-century old building where the winery was located.  The tasting room, where the original owner would taste the wines, was something special, especially the tiled scenes about the windows and doors.  The chef did a demonstration of cooking the food we would be eating for lunch.  We also learned about the three wines we would be tasting: Casa de Santar Reserva Red, Casa De Santar Colheita White and Casa de Santar Reserve Rose.

We spent a few days in Santiago de Compostela, which will be a separate blog.  That doesn’t mean we did not drink wine…we did some tasting on our own.  But we did not go to a winery for two days. When we did, it was time to taste Spanish Galician wine and food.

We went to Bodegas Del Palacio de Fefinaneto to see the winery.  I must say I was very confused at this winery.  There is this castle-like structure at the end of road. When you walk into a large courtyard.  Then there is another street with restaurants along the side.  I thought the street was part of the winery. But no, that was a part of the small town that surrounds the winery.

Here we saw a totally different way of growing wine.  Because of the water and the climate, here the vines grow up high on pagodas, with the grapes hanging down.  The juice is first put into stainless steel drums to ferment and then put into the barrels.

After our wine tasting, we had some time to walk down that little street and get a treat.  For me it was a delicious coconut macaroon and ice tea.  I was quite happy!!

Our final winery was the most intense!! Dehesa de los Canonigos offered us tasting and light lunch in the “Golden Mile,” of the Spanish Riveria Region, the Spanish Duero River.  We got a true education there. The Sommelier was fantastic and gave us so much information. It was so interesting, my husband who uses hearing aids, had his phone save what she was saying.

This was the youngest of the wineries.  It was established in 1989 by Luis and Mariluz Sanz. But the house and the vineyards are much older.  Constructed in the 19th century, the main house was designed by a famous architect and is designed in the Basque country style. For many years they provided the grapes to another well-known winery before they started making their own wine.

What you notice right away is that the grapes and vines are extremely close to the ground.  Once again, this is because of the weather and altitude.  It is 750 meters above sea level, so the temperature varies from day to night.  It gets very hot here in the summer, so the grapes stay close to the ground to get as much moisture as possible. Our guide spent much time explaining how the vines rest in the winter and wake up when it is 10 degrees Celsius.  I was amazed to learn about weeping vines during the spring pruning.  Vines can weep, or release sap for up to two weeks and up to five liters a week. This just stuck with me.

At this vineyard they use two different types of barrels: white oak from France and from the USA. We got to taste two different wines. One that spends 15 months in American oak, Los Banonigos; and one that spends 24 months in French Oak, Soleo Deo.

I wish I could tell you everything she taught us about wine.  But that would be three more blogs!    So I will end this saying that I learned more about wine during this trip then I could imagine.  There were many on our tour who already had a great appreciation and knowledge of wine making. I was not one of them.  But I so much more appreciate the wine I drink and the skill and attention to detail that makes it delicious.

Drinking My Way Through Portugal and Spain: The Beautiful Gardens

https://aveleda.com/en/wine-tourism/quinta-da-aveleda

https://www.museudodouro.pt

INÍCIO
https://pacheca.com/pages/quintadapacheca?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=13743095986&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2I_qpoqrlAMVai3UAR3WFhvYEAAYASAAEgLo8fD_BwE
https://www.fefinanes.com/en/

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The Jewish Connection We Discovered While in Portugal and Spain

4 May

Whenever I travel to the Iberian Peninsula, I am intrigued and drawn to any information I can gather about where the Jewish communities lived before the forced conversions and the expulsions. I am a direct descendant of these Jews.  I imagine my ancestors walking the streets, attending the synagogues, traveling between towns and living their lives in joy before it was all destroyed.

For over two weeks we visited many cities and towns in Portugal and Spain.  We saw streets that once were the homes of Jewish communities.  We saw the evidence of Judaism left behind in street names and buildings. 

We started our trip in Porto, where once a large Jewish community existed. We took a food tour while there, visiting the Market, the oldest restaurant and several pastry shops.  At the last one, our guide brought us out macaroons, saying that this was a treat the Jews ate during Passover.  A treat we still eat.  She said that we were eating it here because this was the area where the Jewish people once lived. And she pointed us to the street where the synagogue once stood.  When the tour ended, we returned.

There is not much left of the Jewish presence in what was the Judiaria Nova do Olival.   But we walked Rua De S. Bento Da Vitoria, the street where the community once lived viewing the site of the destroyed synagogue.   Where it once stood is a public building that was originally a monastery. There are two signs, one next to the building and one on the building commenting on the Jewish community that used to live.  It is currently under renovation, thus the plaque on the wall was difficult to read, so the photo I am showing came from the internet.  It says:

“In perpeturam memoriam…In memory of all Portuguese Jews who, by decree of 1496, were given by God the choice between forced conversion or death. May their blood never be forgotten. May the blessed memory be restored to all those – the shepherds and the sheep – who for five centuries kept alive and ever present the word of the prophet Moses on Mount Horeb: the bush burned with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.  Their burning embers were not destroyed by the flames – nor by those who sought to destroy them  through the most terrible tortures – forcing them to renounce their sublime faith at the fount of life: For the Just man lives by his faith.”

On Day 7 we went to Coimbra, the site of the Coimbra University and Library.  It was a truly lovely site up on a mountain, where you could see the river below.  Of course, a college town would have had a Jewish population.  In fact, the street where the Jews lived was directly across from the main church. Rua Dos Coutinhos, an ancient narrow street. No sign of any Jewish life now.

Santiago Jerusalem Street

In Santiago de Compostela, the city that is saturated with spirituality as it is the end of the pilgrimage at the Cathedral of the Portical of Glory, we saw Ruela de Xerusalem, Jerusalem Street.  Our guide told us it is believed this was the street for the Jewish population.

Puerta Moneda. The Coin Gate, where the Jewish People lived, the money lenders in Leon,
The first marker we saw put up by the Network of Jewish Quarters in Spain.
The full house with the plaque.
The Jewish area of Leon. Here is one of the symbols embedded in the ground to show the entrance to the Jewish quarter.

In Leon, we saw much more signs of Jewish life.  We entered what was once a walled city through a street where there was once a gate, the Puerta Moneda, or the Coin Gate.  Immediately we guessed it was the entrance to the Jewish area where the money lenders lived.

Our guide pointed out a long, narrow street that once was filled with vibrant Jewish life, as well as the square where they held a market.  In was in Leon that we first saw the markers placed by the Red de Judarias de Espana (Network of Jewish Quarters in Spain.)  Their symbol includes the Hebrew letters that spell out Sefarad and mark important Jewish sites.

The first one we saw was on a plaque on Calle De Juan De Arge marking the home of a Jewish family that lived there from 1370 until 1481.  We saw another marker later on that was embedded in the ground. 

Sergovia last remaining synagogue. Now a church
The symbol embedded in front of the former synagogue.

Finally Segovia, where we visited the only surviving synagogue in all the towns we visited. Once a synagogue, now a church, this synagogue used to be one of five that served the large Jewish community of Segovia, where about a third of the town was Jewish. It was the MAIN Synagogue, La Sinagoga Mayor, located in the center of the Jewish area.

When you first look at it, it seems to be a small building.  I wondered how it could be the MAIN synagogue. But it is a false front.  When it was opened later in the day, my sister and I entered the courtyard and explored the building.  There are still indications of its use as a synagogue.  It is an open room where the bima would have been in the center. And there is a women’s balcony above, with screens so that the men could not see them, but they could see what was happening below. It remained a synagogue until 1419.  In 1899 the Synagogue/Church was damaged by a fire.  It was restored in 1902 and remains open today.

The visit to this synagogue was a highlight for my Jewish journey. We are descendants of Iberian Jews who left Spain for Portugal, then left Portugal for Amsterdam, then made the mistake of leaving Amsterdam for Galicia in Austria.  But then even in Amsterdam the Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis.

The one final sign of Jewish life in Spain startled me.  Although Portugal had a Jewish community before WW2. In fact, Jewish people started returning to Portugal in the 1800s.  But Spain was a different story.  It wasn’t until 1869 that the new Spanish Constitution allowed Jewish people to settle in Spain. But there were not many.  However, it is believed that about 15,000 Jews survived by escaping to Spain.

But the “Stolperstein,” stumble stone, I found tells a different story.  Fermin Cristobal Lopez died in Dachau. Born in 1894, he was exiled from France, and Deported from Sergovia on the Ghost Train in 1944.  I do not know if Fermin was a Jew or a political prisoner.  But I do know he died in Dachau.

In these times of Jew hatred, for me it is important to know where we once lived and how we were forced to find new homes and new places for sanctuary.  In Spain it was very obvious that the status of Jews is precarious.  In every city in Spain we visited, except Sergovia, there were giant banners calling supporting the Palestinians.  But nothing to recognize what the Israelis and Jews have suffered.

I asked our tour guide if she felt the Jewish people of Spain were safe.   She differentiated between Israelis and Jews.  Saying the government and people were angry at the Israeli government. But she believed Jewish people in Spain were safe. I guess we shall see.

In Portugal it was different. No Palestinian Flags.  No feelings of queasiness as I walked down the streets.  For me, as a Jewish person,  I will not soon return to visit Spain.

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Drinking My Way Through Portugal and Spain: The Beautiful Gardens

30 Apr

When my husband and I booked our latest Road Scholar trip, “Beyond the Vineyards, Sampling Northern Portugal and Spain,” he started telling people that he was going to drink his way through Portugal and Spain.  And he did.

Our tour included visits to six wineries as well as seven or more UNESCO world heritage sites.  We learned more about Port, Sweet Vermouth, red wines and white wines, than I anticipated.  And along the way we had to taste all the differences.

At every winery we had a tour of the vineyards, the fermentation areas, and the tasting rooms.  Some of the wineries were located in estates that had been in families for generations.  One winery’s gardens were magnificent. 

In honor of these beautiful gardens, I plan to start off my blogs about our trip to Portugal and Spain focusing on the beautiful gardens we visited in Portugal.

The Arena
View of the Douro River from an overlook.
My favorite photo. Gradens, Douro River and Porto.
All the peacocks and peahens.
The small chapel.

Our first garden was at the site of the original Crystal Palace. Although the Palace no longer exists, the lovely gardens do.  The Galeria Municipal Do Porto Gardens are enchanting not just because of the lovely plants, but also the lovely peacocks and peahens who roam the park.  I have never seen so many in one place before! 

(I have to add here that almost every winery had peacocks.  We asked why, the answer was that peacocks represented wealth.  So having them indicated that the winery and the family were doing well!)

In the Crystal Palace gardens, the  azaleas and camelias were in the best blooms. They were so large and stunning. There were trees from other countries.  Statues along multiple walkways that went to lower levels in the garden. Formal gardens that overlooked the Douro River. The many overlooks gave you a chance to view Porto from a different perspective. 

Two buildings are on the site.  The official circular arena for the Porto, which stands where the original Crystal Palace once stood,  as well as the Capela do Rei Carlos Alberto.  A small chapel that is still in use.

Along the treetop walk.
The art deco villa that was Serralves’ home.
The formal gardens in front of the villa.

The second garden was on the grounds of the Fundacao De Serralves, the Contemporary Art Museum. The museum grounds includes the Serralves’ art deco villa and the park including many gardens and sculptures.  We saw the outside of the villa and walked only two of the parks. The formal front and then the treetop walk. I wish we had even more time. To be honest I spent all my time in the gardens and never entered the museum!!

Where the goats live.
A gate to the gardens.
The mansion from the 16th century.
One of the fountains. This one was by a large open area for parties.
The honeymoon house.

The third and most stunning of the gardens was at the estate and winery the Quinta de Aveleda!  This property has been owned by the same family since the 16th century.  They have had hundreds of years to create the most beautiful gardens.  Included in the gardens are three small houses, including one that was used by family members on their honeymoons.    There is also a small area for a family of goats to live, which were put in the garden for the enjoyment of the children.  You cannot visit the estate’s lovely mansion, except to view it from a distance, as it is still used by the family.

I wish everyone could see these gardens in person, as  photos can only capture some of the essence of these fantastic garden sites.

https://ambiente.cm-porto.pt/parques-e-jardins/jardins-do-palacio-de-cristal

https://www.serralves.pt/institucional-serralves/parque_apresentacao/

https://aveleda.com/en/wine-tourism/quinta-da-aveleda#

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Entering Another World: The Gardens of Portland

25 Oct

Portland, Oregon, is home to three of the most beautiful gardens I have visited!

China Town and the Lan Su Chinese Garden is located just off the Willamette River near the Steel Bridge. It was a mile walk from our hotel.  So we decided to walk over the Steel Bridge in order to see it up close.

Opened for use in 1912, the Steel Bridge (yes, it is made of steel) has a central area that is a vertical lift, which moves the two-deck surface upwards so that high ships can sail under it. It is an amazing contraption to see.  Since the bridge has a Kansas City connection – Waddel & Harrington, who designed it were a Kansas City firm – I felt it was something we had to experience. Although the lower deck is built for pedestrians, we did not know that when we walked across, so we took the top deck.   At times, I noted that the railings along the deck were quite low, so I recommend the lower deck for walking.

The entrance to Lan Su.
Beautiful woodwork.
the teahouse.
Inventive ways to view gardens.
The amazing stone inlaid patios.

At the end of the bridge, it was a short walk to the Lan Su Chinese Garden. This delightful oasis was built in 1999 by 65 artisans who came from China and opened to the public in 2000.  There is a short movie that explains how it was built.  I was fascinated by the inlaid rock areas.  I even asked the guide if we were allowed to walk on it, it was so beautiful

The gardens and the lake create lovely view, but so is the wonderful craftmanship of the buildings and the woodwork.  You are able to walk into all the buildings and admire them.  The tea house serves a variety of teas and pastry. We had to stop in there for a snack and enjoyed to views of the gardens. 

When walking through the gardens, I did not think of the city around us, instead I felt like I was encapsulated in a hidden jewel.

China Town Gate.

Afterwards we walked to the Golden Horse restaurant for a lunch.  It seemed right that we have Chinese food after visiting the garden. 

The next day we continued our Asian garden experiences with a visit to the Portland Japanese Gardens in Washington Park.  WOW! If Lan Su is an encapsulated oasis within the city, the 12-acre Japanese Gardens is a paradise!

A part of Washington Park since 1962, this peaceful setting was built to bring healing to the city after World War 2. I believe it did.  You cannot walk through these gardens and not appreciate the culture that produce it.

Like Lan Su, there are buildings on the grounds including a Japanese Tea House.  Since it is a much larger garden, there is a learning Center, a Café, a more.    But for me it was the gardens that drew my admiration. 

You start at the bottom of a hill after paying at the Welcome Center, meandering upwards to antique gate and continuing up. Looking back at the views of the city as you climb the foliage is really breathtaking.  At the top you enter the Nezu Gate by the Japanese Arts Learning Center, where you can visit the Bonsai Garden. From there, you take the paths around the garden settings with koi ponds, waterfalls, raked sands and more. Every garden has resting spots where you can sit quietly and enjoy the views and the peace and serenity.

I think if I lived in Portland I would go to the Japanese Gardens weekly to ease my anxieties.

My favorite Rose.

Because we were in Washington Park, after we finished our time at the Japanese Garden, we did walk over to the International Rose Test Garden.  Established in 1917, this garden has over 4 acres of magnificent roses.  I was here several years ago when I first visited Portland. But we had to stop in to see the beauty of this garden as well.  There are always amazing roses during the blooming season. One peach-colored rose caught my eye, its petals resembled crepe paper.

And a wonderous mansion too!

Sewing Room.
Intercom.
Mrs. Pittock.

Since we were in Washington Park, we visited one more spot close to Washington Park, the exquisite Pittock Mansion. The home of the owner of the Portland Oregonian, the mansion took two years to build, with a move in date of 1914.  Overlooking the city and the river, it has magnificent views and lovely gardens as well. But it is the house that is the main attraction.

It was an enormous laundry!
Shower with many streams of water.
Shower in one of the bathtubs.
Sitz bath!
Freezers

The Pittock Mansion has many innovations for a house of its time.  The abundant bathrooms had all the ‘modern conveniences” with both tubs and showers; an intercom system: extensive laundry room and an amazing cold room. The door was extra insulated and the room contained cold storage. Mr. Pittock wanted the best and the most up-to-date home.

After the family moved out in 1958, the house was abandoned. Eventually the city purchased it and  restored it and opened it to the public in 1965. I am sure the upkeep is still tremendous!

Today it is a great venue for weddings and other events. I had to pose on the grand staircase. It was a moment for me to imagine living there. Which I never could, but really some spots just call out for a photo.  The Pittock Mansion is another must see site in Portland.

Steel Bridge
Visit

https://japanesegarden.org/

https://www.portlandpf.org/rose-test-garden

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Danger! The Warning Signs of Yellowstone

13 Oct

My week in Yellowstone made me aware of the importance of signs.  Especially the cautionary ones along the paths, in front of some of the park’s wonders and when entering certain area of the Park.  People really need to pay attention to what is around them.  (See blog below.)

Every year people get injured, and many times it is because they do not pay attention to the signs.  Bison injuries are usually the fault of the visitor. Close encounters with wild animals is often a bad decision.  Getting a selfie with a bison is not a good idea.  Stay away from the bison. They do not want you wandering in their way.  A head nudge from a bison could send you flying, if not worse.

Often when we saw wild animals close to the road or nearby, there would be a park ranger also there directing traffic or blocking off the area close to the animals. At Mammoth Falls Terraces, a bull elk and his harem were hanging out on the terraces. So the walkway was closed for our safety and the animals. It might have been great to get better photos, which people with better cameras could. But in reality, we need to stay away from them and respect their space.

Hot Springs are very hot and the land around them is very fragile. Do not walk on areas that specifically say, “do not walk here.”  But every so often someone does.  And unfortunately, they pay the price. Geysers erupt, which is why they are surrounded by fences or barricades. Don’t climb over.

The warning signs are everywhere, and some are very specific!

Be careful when you bring young children and dogs into the park, especially around Old Faithful.  The sign above tells it all.  In 1970, a 9-year-old boy died after he fell into Crested Pool.  Horrifying.  Now there is a permanent sign warning people of the danger. Another sign warns guests specifically not to bring dogs into the basin.  If they get off their leash and run into the off-limits area, they could be killed. But since the sign is there, I think we can assume that some people just do not believe it. And their pet pays the price.

I am posting some of the many signs that we saw along our travels in Yellowstone so people realize that what they are seeing and enjoying must also be respected. I am happy to say that no one in our group took any risks or defied the signs and warnings.  Yellowstone is a beautiful, exciting and awe-inspiring adventure.  Seeing the sights and the animals and birds is exciting. But like any adventure, you have to pay attention to your surroundings and respect the animals and the warnings.

Yellowstone, Yellowstone, and More Yellowstone.

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Amazing Dinosaur Displays In Bozeman, Montana

26 Sep

On our way to Yellowstone, we spent two nights in Bozeman, Montana, home to the Montana State University and the wonderful Museum of the Rockies. We never got to visit the campus of the University, but we did spend a couple of hours examining the exhibits at the museum. 

The Museum basically has three parts: Dinosaurs, Yellowstone Park, and an outdoor farmstead.  We did not tour the outside area because it was closed for the season, and it was cold and raining. But we definitely enjoyed our visit to the inside exhibits, even though two were closed as they were preparing new exhibits for the fall.

The Dinosaur Exhibit hall is spectacular.  The museum has a relationship with the paleontology department of Montana State University.  I believe that many of their dinosaur skeletons and the research and work on them are done by faculty and students from the university.   And you can tell as you walk through the exhibits that they are meant to be interactive and educational. You do not just look at the dinosaur bones, you participate in activities that explain what you are seeing.

See the inner teeth?
T-Rex
Underwater dinosaurs
Baby dinosaurs.

However, what you are seeing is so wonderful that sometimes you just have to look up in awe, especially at the Montana T-Rex that stares at you as you enter one of the rooms. The entire time I was there, I was thinking that I wished I had come here with my son when he was a child. He loved dinosaurs. The only books he wanted to read were about reptiles and dinosaurs.  He would have just loved this museum. 

Two of my favorite displays were the clutches of unopened dinosaur eggs and the sad display of a group of young diplodocus that got stuck in mud eons ago and died.  A section of their tomb is now on display at the museum. 

I loved how they displayed the underwater dinosaurs.  The carpet color changed to blue as did the walls. It made me feel that I was underwater.  My new bit of knowledge there, was that one water dinosaur, Plioplatecarpus peckensis had teeth on the roof of its mouth to clamp down on prey.  Ouch.  The outer teeth were scary enough, without the inner line of teeth ready to dig in.

Unfortunately, we got there just a week after the giant T-Rex, Sue, left. It had been on loan from the Field Museum in Chicago.  But not to worry.  I had visited several times with my family.  However, I did feel sad that we just missed seeing it again.

The next section of the museum also interested us because we were on our way to spend six days in Yellowstone National Park. Reading the displays in the museum and seeing the items from the Park’s early days was a wonderful introduction to what we would be experiencing. I enjoyed seeing an original park ranger uniform and the touring coach that transported people throughout the park during the early 1900s, before there were paved roads and cars.

Tar paper house
Wooden home/gas station! I love the old pump.

And because I love seeing old houses, seeing both a tar paper house and a small wooden house inside the museum, made me more aware of how difficult life was for early settlers in Montana. It is cold there.  I cannot imagine living in these houses without insulation and the modern conveniences. But the other interesting point was that gasoline stations were also the homes of the settlers. It was important for the new automobiles to be able to refuel. It would have been quite a lonely life, but instead they met people traveling to Yellowstone!

This was a great way to start our week-long trip to Montana and Wyoming and the wonderfully weird Yellowstone National Park!

https://museumoftherockies.org/

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A KC BBQ Adventure

3 Sep

An adventure to Crown Center in Kansas City brought my friends and me to the Museum of BBQ, which opened just this April. I learned more about barbecue then I realized I needed to know!  First, I learned about the history of BBQ, or should I say ‘barbacoa” and how this style of cooking was brought to Europe from explorers who went to Africa and the Americas.

Different sauces in different states.

Barbecue: You can make it spicy, or sweet, or very tart.  It can be made with dry rubs or wet rubs.  People in different states like it in different ways.  And if you live in North Carolina, the state is divided about how you should eat it.  The east side wants it heavy on the vinegar; the west side wants mustard. (Personally, I do not want either!! Sorry) There is also debates which is better, BBQ pork or BBQ beef.  They don’t even mention chicken!!

Hiding in the beans is my husband.
Toss a ring on a steer head. One of us did it!

At the museum there are activities like playing in a pool of baked bean-colored balls.  Or wearing a belt that indicates you are a BBQ master.  You can try to hang a ring from the horns of a steer! My friend’s husband actually succeeded in this challenge. The rest of us failed!!

You can find out all about BBQ and baked beans, because what is BBQ without beans!  And you need to learn about the history of Bush’s Baked Beans. The last set of displays focuses on Kansas City and the American Royal BBQ competition.  Also, how KC BBQ went global when KC Masterpiece’s sauce was purchased and distributed nationwide.

For me the best part was learning about the different types of BBQ sauces and realizing why I love Kansas City Barbecue.  I now know why.  I love the sweet molasses or brown sugar concoctions that Kansas City Barbeque offers the palate.  For me KC BBQ brisket or chicken is the best.  To taste some of these other sauces, just check out the gift shop, which has BBQ sauces from all the country!

I also learned that fat, or marbling makes BBQ more delicious.  And for some the most delicious of all are the fatty burnt ends of a brisket.  My husband loves burnt ends, a delicacy. 

To make our day complete, we had lunch at the Burnt Ends BBQ restaurant in Crown Center.  The husbands had burnt ends. My friend and I had BBQ brisket. It was deliciously cooked in the KC BBQ manner. 

Kansas City has many wonderful BBQ restaurants.  And everyone in the Kansas City metro has their favorite.  My favorites are Jack Stack and Brobecks.  I never argue with those who like other restaurants because it is a no lose situation. Every restaurant is great including, Joe’s KC BBQ, Gates Bar-B-Q, Q39, Burnt Ends, Taste of KC, and Arthur Bryants.

If you visit Kansas City be ready to try BBQ, it is a must.  If you want to learn more about BBQ, check out the Museum of BBQ. 

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My favorite Places in Iceland

22 Aug

Our cruise in July started in Iceland.  We arrived while the volcano was erupting.  We could see it from the road as we traveled from the airport to Reykjavik.   It was exciting for us because years earlier we were in Hawaii when the volcano was erupting, but the day that our cruise ship was going to be able to see the lava flow, it stopped.  A great disappointment.  Seeing the eruption in Iceland fulfilled a desire to see an erupting volcano.

Sveinsson’s home and museum
Art inside the home.
Woman WIth A Churn

We visited two off the beaten path places in Reykjavik that were in walking distance to our hotel.   The first was the Asmundur Sveinsson home and sculpture garden/museum at the Reykjavik Art Museum.. Honestly, I had never heard of him before, however one of his statures I had seen, “The Woman with A Churn”.  Some of his large sculptures did not appeal to me.  I think I like figures that I understand a bit more.  Before we read the description in the guide we used, my husband and I tried to figure out what some of the sculptures represented.  I think we needed to understand more about Iceland mythology culture to really appreciate the figures.  But I am glad we went.

The water feature sculpture
A small garden hut at the gardens.
Lowlying rock gardens
Loved this water at the gardens

From the museum we walked to the Reykjavik Botanic Garden, “Grasagardur Reykjavikur.” I love botanical gardens, and this one was lovely, especially since the flora of Iceland is much different than those I had visited before! Much of it is low to the ground and nestled into rocks and crevices.  I liked how there were paths through the rock gardens so we could get up close to these plants.  It was a quiet place to walk and enjoy, as well as to see all the families there enjoying the paths as well.  I am sure it is a great place for families because it is also free and open to the public.

There is a wonderful sculpture in the park of two towers and between them is a water feature that ebbs and flows.  It stands right in front of one of the rock gardens.  I enjoyed seeing its water display with the plants below.  The botanical garden does have a café, where many of the families were eating.  We chose to leave the park to walk a bit through the town and ate at a lovely little restaurant called, Ginger.  It was excellent.

My other favorite spot in Iceland was our at first stop on the cruise at Vestmannaeyjar on Heimaey Island.  Before our tour, we took a quick walk around town and decided to visit the Beluga Whale Sanctuary at Sealife Trust.   I have been singing the Beluga Whale song, “Baba Beluga.”  by Raffi for years. First to my children and now to my granddaughters.  So I absolutely had to visit this sanctuary and donate to support the whales.  Their two whales were rescued from show and now live peacefully.  They Sealife Trust is preparing a bay at Heimaey Island to eventually releases the beluga whales to live in.  I am glad we made this stop before meeting up with our tour.

The volcano to the left is Eldfell. You can see how high up we are. This area was once as low as the area to the right.
This was the salt water tank for the town’s pool. The pool is under lave.
Lava used to build walls.
This house’ backyard is lava!
In this area, this is how high the lava and ask got before it was removed.

I chose our tour because of my fascination with volcanos.  Years ago my husband and I visited Pompeii, the most famous of the once lava and ash covered ancient cities.  Well Vestmannaeyjar, has a similar history.  In 1973, the Eldfell volcano erupted for six months.  It covered most of the city in ash and lava.  Over the years, the people have dug out some of the town. But a large area is still covered by the lava.  We joined a group that took a lava walk along the top of this lava flow above the now covered town. Luckily even though this eruption happened in the early morning, almost all the residents were able to escape to mainland Iceland. Just one person perished.

Our tour guide for the trip was a local resident, whose grandparents and mother lived through the eruption.  They were fortunate as their home was on the far side of town, and so not destroyed. But like all the other residents, they had to evacuate.  She also told us how the town saved their bay from the lava flow thus making it possible to the town to survive after the eruption.   They took salt water from the ocean and continuously sprayed it on the lava, which helped stop it just a short distance from the bay,

The lava increased the size of the island by two miles, also the town was able to use the heat generated by the still warm lava for decades to heat the homes and businesses!  I also noticed that a lot of fences and walls are made from lava in the city.

We could see what was left of Eldfell now, but noticed there is another older volcano, Helgafell, nearby that still has the typical volcano shape.

I really did enjoy our lava walk and tour. But honestly, I also wish part of it was to visit the Eldheimar Volcano Museum. It was a great disappointment. But by the time I realized we would not be visiting it, we had to head back to the ship.  I guess I will have to go back one day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestmannaeyjar
https://visitwestmanislands.com/tour/eldheimar-museum/

belugasanctuary.sealifetrust.org

https://visitreykjavik.is/reykjavik-botanical-garden

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Peaceful Kinderdijk Windmills

17 Aug

The windmills of Holland were always a site I wanted to see since I was a child and read the book Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates. I was mesmerized by the idea of the dykes and the water issues that impacted the Netherlands.   But even though I read the book, I never realized how important the windmills were to keep the water at bay.  Now I know.

I actually learned several important facts about windmills during our visit to the Kinderdijk Windmills, a UNESCO Site.  The most important is the actual reason the windmills were there, and that is to pump the water out of the ground and put it into canals that then are pumped out into rivers that run to the ocean.  Without these windmills doing this work for centuries, the Netherlands would be under water.  Now, of course, the windmills have been replaced with upscaled motors and water engineering that works much more efficiently.

I also learned that people actually lived in the windmills!  It never occurred to me that the ‘miller’ who cared for the windmills and made sure that they were facing the right direction lived in them with their families.  But now I know.  We were able to enter one of the windmills and see how families lived.  It was tight quarters, with low ceilings, but they made it work.  All windmills have two entrances so that they can always get in and out as the blades of the windmill do get reoriented. That made sense to me!  I always want an exit.

The guide told us that the people who lived in the windmills were the poor of the poor.  So they also had vegetable gardens and some animals for food.  We were able to see the recreation of one of the gardens at the windmill.

So a windmill was both the work and home of the millers who kept the area from being flooded, as much as possible.  As a side note, the people really did wear wooden shoes.  Since the ground was so swampy. Wooden shoes were the best way to keep their feet dry.

The Windmills at Kinderdijk encompasses 18 windmills, a pumping station, a visitors’ center, canals, and a statute of a cat, cradle and baby. As well as a lovely pathway to visit the site.

We really enjoyed the walk around to the windmills.  It was so peaceful and serene. The canals looked lovely with the lillypads bobbing in the water , and the wildflowers growing on the banks along side the canals.  Besides the tourist visiting the windmills, locals were riding their bicycles along the path.

Touring the Windmill
The Windmill we entered. The garden and the interior.

I like history, and I love learning how things work. So seeing the demonstration on how they moved the blades of the windmill and then watching it catch the wind and twirl was great.  Later we walked into the Wisboom pumping station and spoke to the docent about the different engines and how the pumping system changed over time.  I really enjoyed that.

Wisboom Pumping Station.

We also took some time to enter  the Visitors’ Center and have a snack, visit the gift store. And learn more about the story of the cat that saved the baby by rocking the cradle in the water during a flood in 1421. This story is the basis of the statute that sits in the pond at the site.  So of course I had to buy the book, Katie, the Windmill Cat, to take home for my granddaughters. This story is also why the city and the site is called Kinderdijk, or Child’s Dyke, to memorialize this story.

 

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Magical Castles of Scotland

8 Aug

When I discovered that the Unicorn was the official animal of Scotland, everything I ever knew about Scotland made sense. The murder mysteries that included fairies and scared trees. The love stories that included love that spanned centuries and traveled between times. The stories of the highlands and the low roads leading to a romantic castle on the shore of a Loch where magic lights appear and spirits bring lovers together.  It all had to be true if Unicorns were the official animal of Scotland.

Just to be clear, the people I met in Scotland assured me that they knew unicorns were mythical creatures, and that I would not see any unicorns roaming the streets or fields of Scotland. But they said that in the same breath that they told me about the many sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, known affectionately as Nessie.

However they might deny it, I must admit that during my visits to both the Castle in Edinburgh and the ruins of the Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness in Inverness, I was waiting for the fairies to peek out and smile at me. And there were times I thought they just might be around, hiding in a darkened alley or behind a piece of furniture. Such is the magic of Scotland, with a unicorn as its official animal, one believes that anything could happen!

The view from the Visitor’s Center
Watching Loch Ness waiting for Nessie
Watching people approach the castle.
The stairs on the other side of the water gate.
Main entrance to the castle..
The water gate to go down to the Loch.
Some of the sights of Urquhart Castle.

Urquhart Castle was destroyed by the clan that lived there to keep the fortification from being used by the Jacobites. Since they felt they could no longer keep it secure, they determined blowing it up would be the wise choice. Then the ruins were left to rot on the side of Loch Ness for centuries. It was only in modern times that the Scots determined that this would be a great spot for tourists to visit the romance of a castle and at the same time sit near the coast of Loch Ness and search the waters for Nessie. I know that my husband and I enjoyed doing both.

Ruined castles have now unhidden staircases, towers standing solo reaching towards the sun. The buildings around them slumped in ruin but still given the site a romantic air, because that is what castle are all about in our day.  A romantic place for people to fall in love. But really this castle was the scene of many bloody battles. After reading its history I understand why they blew it up.

But still, for many a tourist it was a place of wonder to explore and take many photos, while imagining the place when it was intact. I loved our visit to Inverness and Urquhart Castle.  In fact, my husband and I want to go back to spend a week there one day.

The Urquhart castle was taken over by the government in 1913 and developed over the years to the attraction seen today. There is a lovely visitor center on the hill above the castle. I must warn people with mobility issues, that this visit includes much walking from the parking lot to the visitor center and then more walking down to the castle. Also within the castle there are many steps and uneven walkways. It is the ruins of a castle from the 1600s. Just be aware.

The next Castle was Edinburgh Castle, the home of the kings and queens of Scotland as well as the current home of the Royal Jewels. Edinburgh Castle is differently not a ruin. 

Staring up at from the Royal Mile, you start to realize the size and majesty as you get closer and closer. But then when you are about to enter the Portcullis Gate of Edinburgh Castle, it looks small again, until you past through the gate.

The long line to get in.
Waiting for the Crown Jewels.
St. Margaret’s Chapel
The Great Hall
Inside St. Margaret’s Chapel
Window in St. Margaret’s Chapel
Perhaps a Fairy Garden
Victory Street or Diagon Alley?
The Royal Mile

It took a while get through the gate, as we were not the only tourists there who wanted to enter this magical world. You must book your time and date in advance in order to get in to experience the many wonderful places to see. I personally loved just walking around and around the cobblestone road upward to the top. We enter the Great Hall, the Memorial for Fallen Soldiers and paid our respects to those that died for Scotland. We went through a small museum about the Scottish Military. We looked at the long line to see the Crown Jewels and decided we did not want to stand in a line,  so we continued our walk.  I enjoyed seeing St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building at the castle.  Then at one o’clock, our attention changed as we heard the explosion and resounding blast of the one o’clock cannon. Everything stopped for a moment in silence before we all continued our visit.

While I was waiting for the cannon bast,  I believe I found the place where the fairies hang out at Edinburgh Castle. While looking over the stone walls I saw a little garden area.  Supposedly this is the cemetery for the soldiers’ dogs. And yes, I did see tombstones. But I did not see any way to enter this garden. And to me it looked like the perfect spot for a fairy tea party. Okay, I might just be imagining it, but since my time at the Castle, I have had several dreams about this garden and there are always fairies in it.

The Edinburgh Castle is well worth the wait to go through and the crowds that enter.  As you walk closer to the top, the numbers of people thin out, and you get that feeling that you could go back in time and see the medieval residents of the castle. But seeing from the outside and imagining is the best, because, in reality, I would probably would have been a serf and not welcome there. 

After we left the castle, we returned to the Royal Mile and found the most important place for my husband, an Ice Cream Store.  With ice creas in hand, we walked along the Royal Mile happily eating ice cream, seeing the sites, including Victory Street, which is supposedly the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter stories. Fairies, wizards, muggles, dementors: of course, Harry Potter was from Scotland. There is no where else to create these characters then a bit of magic from Scotland and castle.

 

 

https://www.visitinvernesslochness.com/listings/urquhart-castle-visitor-centre

https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/the-castle/history/

 

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