tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65828305102042297942024-03-15T12:25:35.623-07:00 Travels with Carol PucciCarol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.comBlogger358125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-61170115210469564012024-03-01T09:56:00.000-08:002024-03-01T09:56:53.920-08:00Communism, capitalism blend easily in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB2b7lZatPMevUYFtpB2-uoVJeWI-UgXvjgVPxgoKIQzW4eb5A3lOqfsDgRdJdXNivd5SVf00HdSAKQkdI-pJZbhUw9DN0_0TR9wPpc9YrMAO34oIuDljATrGSpUWaLxJHIHa94KX0ktmQDdBOB5QSD13NiwJzPd2hgdg30z6I7dr02kkfhfpxdiX9z_E/s2560/IMG_2036.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB2b7lZatPMevUYFtpB2-uoVJeWI-UgXvjgVPxgoKIQzW4eb5A3lOqfsDgRdJdXNivd5SVf00HdSAKQkdI-pJZbhUw9DN0_0TR9wPpc9YrMAO34oIuDljATrGSpUWaLxJHIHa94KX0ktmQDdBOB5QSD13NiwJzPd2hgdg30z6I7dr02kkfhfpxdiX9z_E/s320/IMG_2036.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making a delivery in Hanoi's Old Quarter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Anyone planning a trip to Vietnam faces a dilemma when it comes to bookending a visit to both Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the South and Hanoi in the North.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At war with each other in the mid- 1970s, the Communist North and American-influenced South reunited into one country since 1976. They are as different climate-wise as they are culturally.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">While the South enjoys 95 degree beach weather this time of year, it's winter in the North, with temps often no higher than mid-50s.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Coming off a trip to Cambodia where the weather matches that of South Vietnam, it would have made more sense from a packing standpoint to spend a few days at the end of our trip in Ho Chi Minh City.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But I’ve </span><span style="font-family: arial;">always favored less sophisticated Hanoi with its peaceful lakes and lively Old Quarter known for its warren of 36 streets, each belonging to a different trade guild in the 15th century. The 21st century version has vendors selling funeral supplies and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">frying fish on the street corners; cafes dispensing egg coffee; travel agencies selling tours; and motor bikes whizzing by, piled high with everything from palm trees to mattresses. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqI0ujYLlljolX4J-mN8FiNxUHQd22uDnquFOiNRIjC9OT88Vf1KONnzLUoIh0WubELRePAH_ha_tknpo5DI3Fz-U2NNucDbsX4NEVVUIQ4VnX1zGvzgCl6VrlrUeiLmJofOE5jS14GNMB0rrXYq65vus-6Vsj4fjK_CFtnPupV2RCMS1J6oR0cCi32Ba/s2028/IMG_4241.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="2028" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqI0ujYLlljolX4J-mN8FiNxUHQd22uDnquFOiNRIjC9OT88Vf1KONnzLUoIh0WubELRePAH_ha_tknpo5DI3Fz-U2NNucDbsX4NEVVUIQ4VnX1zGvzgCl6VrlrUeiLmJofOE5jS14GNMB0rrXYq65vus-6Vsj4fjK_CFtnPupV2RCMS1J6oR0cCi32Ba/s320/IMG_4241.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9w1rQguiiUki5_81eiCdgMCoswttSMd7F-9vVw9QxBvUe968Tc14lNcb8DV5m6xnKtG30H9I77TAabtsZ8LbyPoDirGJEHeXyn1FouZPnx6yNgYs82vMiQuc1OK3y-BON3SkmOr3T3AZzOaHgY1mv0uWuWMnk0dJgrdaXd6afPzDl7Or1N52tM_IaBE_/s2560/IMG_4242.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9w1rQguiiUki5_81eiCdgMCoswttSMd7F-9vVw9QxBvUe968Tc14lNcb8DV5m6xnKtG30H9I77TAabtsZ8LbyPoDirGJEHeXyn1FouZPnx6yNgYs82vMiQuc1OK3y-BON3SkmOr3T3AZzOaHgY1mv0uWuWMnk0dJgrdaXd6afPzDl7Or1N52tM_IaBE_/s320/IMG_4242.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Planning ahead for a 40-degree temperature drop, we packed light jackets, fleece vests and a few long-sleeve shirts in the bottom of our carry-ons, Bundled up, we set out exploring to see how the city has changed since we were here 17 years ago.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Motor scooters still rule, but there are more cars now and only a few bicycles. A few streets have lights and crosswalks, but for the most part pedestrians have to look for breaks in on-coming traffic, then rely on scooters and cars to steer around them. The No. 1 rule: Once you start to cross, do not hesitate, stop or turn back.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_OMj3f21oJZ9OHAakhSUrtWrivAKQglTdv_CUnsjbyJiU5qJyNnqtsqcPY3RkU7vNYrtFUlvngGs0Rmox366VkkpxxP2AZXkbn_cEg8ky5UiCrdujpCdigyRKuM9GBj5vsKFPtnA7bV7olhsXc9L8NOt9pGx4aOL5GE8J1Zai0AQI4c26_cCcjRk4dxf/s2560/IMG_2027.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_OMj3f21oJZ9OHAakhSUrtWrivAKQglTdv_CUnsjbyJiU5qJyNnqtsqcPY3RkU7vNYrtFUlvngGs0Rmox366VkkpxxP2AZXkbn_cEg8ky5UiCrdujpCdigyRKuM9GBj5vsKFPtnA7bV7olhsXc9L8NOt9pGx4aOL5GE8J1Zai0AQI4c26_cCcjRk4dxf/s320/IMG_2027.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyna near the Pomelo tree in Hanoi's White Horse Temple</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Reminding us of this on our first day out was delightful, Lyna, 20, a student guide for <a href="https://www.hanoifreewalkingtours.com/">Hanoi Free Walking Tours. </a>Her technique for crossing into on-coming traffic was simply to stick out her hand as if she were a crossing guard. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There are organizations that run free walking tours in cities worldwide, but the tours are usually with a group. Hanoi Free Walking Tours operates a little differently in that you get a personal guide who shows up at your hotel at an appointed time for a three-hour walk. Tipping is expected, of course, but the amount is up to you. What I like most about these tours is the opportunity to connect one-on-one with a local. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As we walked through one of the temples decorated for the Lunar New Year, Lyna pointed out the pomelo trees bearing yellow fruit that resemble giant grapefruits. Pomelos are believed to bring families good luck. She showed us a photo of the stairs in her parents' home stacked floor to ceiling with pomelos, all of which have to be eaten before she returned to the city after the holiday.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghd_jb3eO8GO0PG0Z77jOsINZ0AGunyh52BJ8DpM2CXivWI2uemgAL7h9gNj2XS9_QAmMJzJsaGBxjOzsRESHUF0xb8Zd7k3QPEgLLwKZtsw9C-WyEDBG9sEdGPtPXzkpRwP3Yp0XhMvt66AD-ou4f4lkJm89wSFZH6yP1XF8HGDiglzm8mb_gLjEtQZKF/s2517/IMG_2173.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2517" data-original-width="1725" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghd_jb3eO8GO0PG0Z77jOsINZ0AGunyh52BJ8DpM2CXivWI2uemgAL7h9gNj2XS9_QAmMJzJsaGBxjOzsRESHUF0xb8Zd7k3QPEgLLwKZtsw9C-WyEDBG9sEdGPtPXzkpRwP3Yp0XhMvt66AD-ou4f4lkJm89wSFZH6yP1XF8HGDiglzm8mb_gLjEtQZKF/s320/IMG_2173.heic" width="219" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #231f20;"><span><span style="font-family: arial;">Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism mix with other beliefs in Vietnamese culture. People call on the good graces of gods and spirits at Chinese-style temples built before Vietnam became independent of China in the 11th century. Offerings on the alters include specially prepared foods, fruit, tins of cookies, even cans of bee</span><span style="font-size: 19px;">r.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #231f20;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTHGVexBkUxbG38qy65BMJdcnNERxYn5thyY7MFZEHxb83VL0XoaEsmJHZGam5oMsM_rmSTxK2mCmjI5Wu8e9dc-abFvJEyHR3GfxaXaAluSEVopjZGtM4XYgVSzE7QqT6gFbMlfNN0GBDtje0DS44YvkYgKgdgmHaEONfOdrtafDf6HJEFzL38lLpLXz/s2560/IMG_2123.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTHGVexBkUxbG38qy65BMJdcnNERxYn5thyY7MFZEHxb83VL0XoaEsmJHZGam5oMsM_rmSTxK2mCmjI5Wu8e9dc-abFvJEyHR3GfxaXaAluSEVopjZGtM4XYgVSzE7QqT6gFbMlfNN0GBDtje0DS44YvkYgKgdgmHaEONfOdrtafDf6HJEFzL38lLpLXz/s320/IMG_2123.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shrine in our hotel lobby decorated with Lunar New Year offerings</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="caret-color: rgb(35, 31, 32); color: #231f20;"></span><p></p><p style="font-size: 19px;">Communism and capitalism blend easily. A post-Vietnam War baby boom and a fast-paced, free-market economy have combined to make Hanoi one of Asia’s best values.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 19px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk4GDmEDT9IC_vj95UKDvHpz2xg9RF-OKdKgaxS-2zQJ2B4qBIs-wAjl_AOiLea1J21XaEpcf2QR6U9SwuHMxaKvWE0rHxPnV4ldOS9Uy5oOkuLw-3mG_LFYMUzBsdouu0II9Udh70ZC69GVUvAhjgMKmS48l548NErI8ufb6LXUJ-NRU34pAOCyGSJrK/s2560/IMG_2059.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk4GDmEDT9IC_vj95UKDvHpz2xg9RF-OKdKgaxS-2zQJ2B4qBIs-wAjl_AOiLea1J21XaEpcf2QR6U9SwuHMxaKvWE0rHxPnV4ldOS9Uy5oOkuLw-3mG_LFYMUzBsdouu0II9Udh70ZC69GVUvAhjgMKmS48l548NErI8ufb6LXUJ-NRU34pAOCyGSJrK/s320/IMG_2059.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family enjoying a sidewalk dinner</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Vietnamese like to dine on the sidewalk while sitting on little plastic stools. A meal for two there might cost a dollar or two compared to around $12-$15 at a small restaurant, or around $30 at a high-end rooftop hotel dining room. Hotels, priced at anywhere between $60 and $100 for nice rooms, come with buffet breakfasts, and in the case of the <a href="https://sangrand.sanhotelseries.com">San Grand Hotel</a> where we stayed, a complimentary afternoon tea on the top floor overlooking <a href="https://www.vietnamonline.com/attraction/hoan-kiem-lake.html">Hoan Kiem Lake</a>, a fresh water lake in the middle of the city</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 19px;">.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gkQt8eb9t5GeeH24SOfRBgUtoZhghQkQxKIfLEfi5Maf7sDN8ev962y7jByFfu0nLR_nAu3mqsAJ-OA44nvAcbQQO2gagLbw_ZgAah970no41iJ2z6L2VZCpwx0kf6jpHcZpbFAgkj63cuUF1i7l0SiXCAFQxhDNHZHlIEFAKm1161xd8xt76iZMXF3y/s2202/IMG_2121.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="2202" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gkQt8eb9t5GeeH24SOfRBgUtoZhghQkQxKIfLEfi5Maf7sDN8ev962y7jByFfu0nLR_nAu3mqsAJ-OA44nvAcbQQO2gagLbw_ZgAah970no41iJ2z6L2VZCpwx0kf6jpHcZpbFAgkj63cuUF1i7l0SiXCAFQxhDNHZHlIEFAKm1161xd8xt76iZMXF3y/s320/IMG_2121.heic" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast buffet at the San Grand Hotel </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9g0f1Das69lC1VKWZCZ_God8625Y2NE60ib2B0Ca-F0_ZV6ENLbQrxTVnVcvBzrvM5hetDDdLngBEDA2wtdyD88xCaQRe4yZ6HR7WkKd_Rltb-7gIyvNnTeRsKPq9ek9VkkkQZjHOGeUTW08-TaU6e3547m06pKbQmtRUq9GZjFFAEuL0Nr546RCityOw/s2559/IMG_2070.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="2559" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9g0f1Das69lC1VKWZCZ_God8625Y2NE60ib2B0Ca-F0_ZV6ENLbQrxTVnVcvBzrvM5hetDDdLngBEDA2wtdyD88xCaQRe4yZ6HR7WkKd_Rltb-7gIyvNnTeRsKPq9ek9VkkkQZjHOGeUTW08-TaU6e3547m06pKbQmtRUq9GZjFFAEuL0Nr546RCityOw/s320/IMG_2070.heic" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoan Kiem Lake and the Red (Huc) Bridge connecting to the Jade Mountain Temple. </td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjMXLqDFriZlR_0FOleDXbNqSkRGstzmp5MB5iIG_k-MjSROFoh4OV7HV4vvZBUgDYBM8X6fFLcVgOAUq4E_LGBPD1db_fs4pu8oK6SHudH4PLMWNr-eNZYAYaq4NDSkCFF287MUPD5M1hd1oJU1OEG0dtSkqGKtaGAQqB1fEDjLa6EU8FdmnMr8JLS1I/s2063/IMG_2178.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="2063" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjMXLqDFriZlR_0FOleDXbNqSkRGstzmp5MB5iIG_k-MjSROFoh4OV7HV4vvZBUgDYBM8X6fFLcVgOAUq4E_LGBPD1db_fs4pu8oK6SHudH4PLMWNr-eNZYAYaq4NDSkCFF287MUPD5M1hd1oJU1OEG0dtSkqGKtaGAQqB1fEDjLa6EU8FdmnMr8JLS1I/s320/IMG_2178.heic" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p>Taking the chill off of winter days are coffee shops on every corner. Some are small, with a few plastic stools out front; others are more elaborate. Several chains, such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alldaycoffeevn/">All Day</a>, rival Starbucks with cozy interiors and an array of hot and cold coffee drinks and smoothies. Our favorite was <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293924-d26768052-Reviews-Hanoi_Coffee_Culture-Hanoi.html">Hanoi Coffee Culture</a> where we tried our first egg coffee.</p></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsQ1_y06zWpJCRvWigHbzd4AowpVQ4hnQ7Q8EcJFnUNWnvpqjI-2Nh3BPZC4y2QXC9Zdp6vedrGMyG4LXa1niHuP5AfOHoMKxGHuBLjWjYTSToKIJpcc7sUxD9VU0w-H4EGw8E-6j08jqbHLqXxb47oO7-45KYA6LNRl6zukPsKc6UsAwZBKwP2adVWJD/s2560/IMG_2175.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsQ1_y06zWpJCRvWigHbzd4AowpVQ4hnQ7Q8EcJFnUNWnvpqjI-2Nh3BPZC4y2QXC9Zdp6vedrGMyG4LXa1niHuP5AfOHoMKxGHuBLjWjYTSToKIJpcc7sUxD9VU0w-H4EGw8E-6j08jqbHLqXxb47oO7-45KYA6LNRl6zukPsKc6UsAwZBKwP2adVWJD/s320/IMG_2175.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Culture Cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HoP_QC7zUR8YTKSZAGkrUVIXWQlIl9r7WX7I8xU45xoWbHSczpF2Iwa6Eyn8eZTZePDL7DsQ1YGJmc2xXgV1q7Jy0sHhJsNJlc19vyuzsfONr0A77MlrREMqSdw5MGxxBloFcibQcQ_15jDTF45KufiDxz4n1h1Lhd6w3z_E8aeJPXUWZnOLrCvwuL5o/s2560/IMG_2155.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HoP_QC7zUR8YTKSZAGkrUVIXWQlIl9r7WX7I8xU45xoWbHSczpF2Iwa6Eyn8eZTZePDL7DsQ1YGJmc2xXgV1q7Jy0sHhJsNJlc19vyuzsfONr0A77MlrREMqSdw5MGxxBloFcibQcQ_15jDTF45KufiDxz4n1h1Lhd6w3z_E8aeJPXUWZnOLrCvwuL5o/s320/IMG_2155.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg coffee</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Egg coffee is a mixture of whipped egg yoke, sweetened condensed milk and strong coffee - like crème brûlée in a cup. It was invented by the French in the 1940s when milk was scarce. We became addicted and had one every day.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Most visitors to Hanoi leave the city at some point for a cruise in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hạ_Long_Bay">Ha Long Bay,</a> a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gulf of Tonkin. We skipped this the last time we where due to lack of time. Going to Ha Long Bay this time was one of our main reasons for returning. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The bay is known for its limestone pillars, islands and a network of caves, some occupied by fishermen and their families until the 1990s. But overtourism has had its effects.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Complaints about crowds and loud partying spoiling the serenity of the experience prompted us to look into overnight trips offered by </span><a href="https://www.indochina-junk.com" style="font-family: arial;">Indochina Junk</a>.<span style="font-family: arial;"> It was the first company licensed to travel further away into <a href="https://www.indochina-junk.com/bai-tu-long-bay/">Bai Tu Long Bay,</a> an area with similar scenery but fewer boats.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdbugWdHiDURi935mDEERdP3QYCqa_zhwUOPaBKRCVC25zF7jxsGeAOI_EPsDNlXYBcbWZ1EKiY0aTRNmlRsaAGzf-Mh8_6-QLzOdW0ailwN9SIoO6EFXIppHXfzpe19d8NdeZIncDP56Y1bevKoyQh8O12xrDVLUkM9pBNAUjedHb2HqLTx3MueHVr-q/s2560/IMG_2102.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdbugWdHiDURi935mDEERdP3QYCqa_zhwUOPaBKRCVC25zF7jxsGeAOI_EPsDNlXYBcbWZ1EKiY0aTRNmlRsaAGzf-Mh8_6-QLzOdW0ailwN9SIoO6EFXIppHXfzpe19d8NdeZIncDP56Y1bevKoyQh8O12xrDVLUkM9pBNAUjedHb2HqLTx3MueHVr-q/s320/IMG_2102.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dragon Legend</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s important to pick a Ha Long Bay cruise carefully to avoid feeling ripped off or disappointed. Indochina Junk delivered as promised. Dinner our first night on the top deck was in total silence and darkness with only four other boats anchored around us. Our boat was the 25-cabin <a href="https://www.indochina-junk.com/dragon-legend-cruise/">Dragon Legend</a> with spacious rooms, indoor and outdoor dining areas and a small pool. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2DWdxm90wEQlUUIML0hfImackot2p5Aj0TMi-KcTK36ajCGgAoXiNt_-XUPmORtihnTvs5JzE62fuT4dypZtu6sLQTQRCeSlpz2FjcW8RrlB9r_6Acx4Q_NobeD03hPQQNGfOZo7OBIP6m-OSryQcxaYO3CuQfk8rLQ-q-Q2nWb__jI7NWcuqIBe_n3u/s2560/IMG_4318.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2DWdxm90wEQlUUIML0hfImackot2p5Aj0TMi-KcTK36ajCGgAoXiNt_-XUPmORtihnTvs5JzE62fuT4dypZtu6sLQTQRCeSlpz2FjcW8RrlB9r_6Acx4Q_NobeD03hPQQNGfOZo7OBIP6m-OSryQcxaYO3CuQfk8rLQ-q-Q2nWb__jI7NWcuqIBe_n3u/s320/IMG_4318.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruising Bai Tu Long Bay</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The $235 per person price was a little steeper than some other options, but it included transportation to and from Hanoi (three hours); all meals; a cave tour; kayaking; and a visit to a floating fishing village by rowboat. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOYxjD695p1CSJIfTu_3oA_1lL01cmyoMjvKVwnhvfkreLpJZSWdLWOoRGLYKLEfCZ1r8Ek-bj2kX7EuXnfYSksxPm5XJ7gpqz1Q9SIChEMIKfGteme2E18wNMPod3N3_YyIjoS1RxvVllYsCDuRHOuZlIWfwoslCkmohcg59DuwIx2dgAbdK4QQFgmt5/s2560/IMG_2114.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOYxjD695p1CSJIfTu_3oA_1lL01cmyoMjvKVwnhvfkreLpJZSWdLWOoRGLYKLEfCZ1r8Ek-bj2kX7EuXnfYSksxPm5XJ7gpqz1Q9SIChEMIKfGteme2E18wNMPod3N3_YyIjoS1RxvVllYsCDuRHOuZlIWfwoslCkmohcg59DuwIx2dgAbdK4QQFgmt5/s320/IMG_2114.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring in a rowboat </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Especially cool was an hour‘s ride around the island and under the rocks in a rowboat rowed by a villager from a floating fishing village. After lunch the first day, the ship‘s tender pulled into shore near the entrance of Thien Canh Cave, one of a network of caves and grottoes created when wind, waves and rain eroded the rocks. </span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZFVcp8oF1UHlSufRcjsoOd17kD-Ccu-5S_qZLXXsAXFuG1RBGBF68VMdixeJ2FYCfzY7Ij7p6kTPI83KTQIzeccsYhy5_K-x6kXApv5sP-1RdzWjB9xLn_UNMlWpFx_IrNnR9p6HKwzegR6Na9-P9nYYa8DyDzboUDZolYNiXP3f4q3JPQL4XXN176zE/s2560/IMG_4304.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZFVcp8oF1UHlSufRcjsoOd17kD-Ccu-5S_qZLXXsAXFuG1RBGBF68VMdixeJ2FYCfzY7Ij7p6kTPI83KTQIzeccsYhy5_K-x6kXApv5sP-1RdzWjB9xLn_UNMlWpFx_IrNnR9p6HKwzegR6Na9-P9nYYa8DyDzboUDZolYNiXP3f4q3JPQL4XXN176zE/s320/IMG_4304.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Thien Canh Cave </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Reaching the inside of the cave required a climb up a steep set of stairs carved into a hillside, something that would probably be off-limits in the U.S. due to safety hazards. Once inside, we were treated to a stunning display of stalactites and stalagmites. </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81AKFi1gaHrRFeLIgQCn2x6RFoCmFGdxYyE8RTfF9AondEAWdqQzs_9QOYNMpx8QXlAiQ86TkE60y8ujWTnj1SjCg0a6L1d-hMEMfiDjlCQmllUp2vCOfmIddFFrWxosYoah_semPeaVnFTddHPPcBnKtelGDNbzzZjWAF81cMcR8B6ON_eaXWqYsrKQ5/s2560/IMG_2099.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81AKFi1gaHrRFeLIgQCn2x6RFoCmFGdxYyE8RTfF9AondEAWdqQzs_9QOYNMpx8QXlAiQ86TkE60y8ujWTnj1SjCg0a6L1d-hMEMfiDjlCQmllUp2vCOfmIddFFrWxosYoah_semPeaVnFTddHPPcBnKtelGDNbzzZjWAF81cMcR8B6ON_eaXWqYsrKQ5/s320/IMG_2099.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making Banh Xeo onboard</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Indochina Junk didn't fill our onboard time with hokey activities as some of companies apparently do. Much appreciated was a short cooking class on how to make Banh Xeo, a sizzling crepe stuffed with veggies or shrimp and served with piles of fresh herbs. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-80044324438598215312024-02-25T01:52:00.000-08:002024-02-28T16:12:57.832-08:00Cooking with Mandy: A visit to an urban farming village outside of Hanoi<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt9Z_C1Ww4Wo5PGlxxMEUBexHLxx2lLMjHRUk0Kos4dagLo8dJrC165pWptTDasCelHHSWyNnNose4-V0LE4FhNk1JHaC24xk_a1QXe_SgzbMiSYv-M51ssk9pyOlvYHQxJcHHqcPzeutldx_eZKKBpjWNKmFmN72jfEBnT3ODMxP1wWiZEGwDs_1ihOk/s2560/IMG_4420.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt9Z_C1Ww4Wo5PGlxxMEUBexHLxx2lLMjHRUk0Kos4dagLo8dJrC165pWptTDasCelHHSWyNnNose4-V0LE4FhNk1JHaC24xk_a1QXe_SgzbMiSYv-M51ssk9pyOlvYHQxJcHHqcPzeutldx_eZKKBpjWNKmFmN72jfEBnT3ODMxP1wWiZEGwDs_1ihOk/s320/IMG_4420.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: start;">These hats are not a tourist gimmick. Vietnamese wear the non la (conical hat) to protect them from sun or rain </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Readers of this blog know I‘m a fan of <a href="http://eatwith.com">eatwith.com,</a> the Airbnb of dining which connects travelers with locals who host dinners in their homes. My husband, Tom, and I have lasting memories of spending evenings with families in France, Italy, Spain and Mexico, but </span><span style="font-family: arial;">when I began looking for a similar opportunity in Hanoi, I assumed language and cultural barriers would limit the chances for a connection. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Then I spotted a listing for a “<a href="https://www.eatwith.com/events/25511?date=2024-02-27">Hanoi Farm Tour and Cooking Class with Local Family.</a>” The host, English-speaking Mandy, 38, proposed a visit to a rural community 12 miles out of the city center where her husband’s family has farmed for generations. Guests were invited to collaborate with her on a menu, visit the local market and wander through the fields of her farm and other neighboring farms. Then it was back to her house to help prepare a four-course meal and have lunch, all included in the $35 per person price. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Several WhatsApp messages later to confirm details and the location for a Grab (like Uber) taxi from our hotel in Hanoi, we met Mandy outside the local temple on a rainy morning in the village of Song Phuong. She gave us each one of the conical hats Vietnamese wear to protect themselves from sun and rain. As we began our walk through the Vang market, it became apparent why Song Phuong is called “Vegetable Village,” for its acres of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">fertile farm land and large wholesale market that supplies vendors and restaurants in Hanoi daily with fresh produce and meats. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Farmers, many of them carrying their produce, ducks and live chickens to the market in baskets attached to bicycles, show up at 1 a.m. so wholesale buyers can make it back to Hanoi in time to stock the stalls of early-morning street markets and supply restaurants and hotels.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Mandy and her husband, an auto mechanic, are the first generation in their families not farm for a living. She worked in tourism until starting her tours seven years ago. He is an auto mechanic, but his parents still work the family land, harvesting at midnight, and selling guavas, kohlrabi, cauliflower and whatever else is in season to the wholesalers.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc1sDfv8iIbQ57yHzp1byGMo9trWnfwJp_IFyKZyKmZ-nSzvpaLWXN7JbFwx9zZDfkU8hNN9HJySyac-Av4EnKtOiFMa8PSMPeP1O0VNpQeZH4aGMjRONHlYKDWf7202TLIaRwqELnb1d5m2hpOGbuCRES4OQIheUZCNdQRj3I4GuHoRZqg8LRGLMN8-g/s2560/IMG_4411.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc1sDfv8iIbQ57yHzp1byGMo9trWnfwJp_IFyKZyKmZ-nSzvpaLWXN7JbFwx9zZDfkU8hNN9HJySyac-Av4EnKtOiFMa8PSMPeP1O0VNpQeZH4aGMjRONHlYKDWf7202TLIaRwqELnb1d5m2hpOGbuCRES4OQIheUZCNdQRj3I4GuHoRZqg8LRGLMN8-g/s320/IMG_4411.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandy in a cauliflower patch</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“I love cooking,” she explained, and when I moved here (after getting married), and saw the beautiful farms, I wanted to find a way to show people where the food comes from.” Her in-laws at first weren’t sold on the idea of bringing in tourists, but they have come around as have the local farmers who seem to enjoy meeting visitors </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">By the time we arrived at the market at 9:30 a.m., the wholesale buyers were gone, and the vendors were selling what was left to retail customers. The woman below proudly showed us her freshly-killed chickens even though we were unlikely buyers.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFDfrb0oQ57WPni-R0gNee83Znwl8TfLO-L69sHEDL6hNgHCu7CQdo-ajI-spNxdxTTAGANUkmqGENquy70uKb87Qo5h4InzCsMUXwZDnc_yhVGml2M3Z0Qc9jxfU9EHgjBywOjnq0xhAEpqbWs0PoY2WorqWL5ztjJ7txVkvK3HodKog1CILPZpqQQe7/s2560/IMG_2134.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFDfrb0oQ57WPni-R0gNee83Znwl8TfLO-L69sHEDL6hNgHCu7CQdo-ajI-spNxdxTTAGANUkmqGENquy70uKb87Qo5h4InzCsMUXwZDnc_yhVGml2M3Z0Qc9jxfU9EHgjBywOjnq0xhAEpqbWs0PoY2WorqWL5ztjJ7txVkvK3HodKog1CILPZpqQQe7/s320/IMG_2134.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yoaIntf4AbB4i6eFLKF7lnU_0WCgQOYLXlxMC4QrWcZPSd_MOMUrs7opMgT0NWertigH6B5aXHhqWwbbm8ahb7k1Qvw-qd9PjdQltokOCmpePwvpwtozzEXAbaD7g0p3oT2Z24yoOahFYv0rFNG0Aun5oNxJjMAfI547AOBiDfkOavwXKqWty7lZtcXM/s2560/IMG_2132.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yoaIntf4AbB4i6eFLKF7lnU_0WCgQOYLXlxMC4QrWcZPSd_MOMUrs7opMgT0NWertigH6B5aXHhqWwbbm8ahb7k1Qvw-qd9PjdQltokOCmpePwvpwtozzEXAbaD7g0p3oT2Z24yoOahFYv0rFNG0Aun5oNxJjMAfI547AOBiDfkOavwXKqWty7lZtcXM/s320/IMG_2132.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This woman was selling pumpkin leaves and stems used in many Vietnamese dishes. The pumpkins themselves are small, and rarely eaten. Pumpkin soup, which appears on many restaurant menus, is for tourists.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQEJ4mhe8RNS3zlRmmZ1PKDhikcbG2D4qWh4I2JM14fUCO3dI4Kct_uWpv4h4KVBlWUGDPJZlxxg7LaD6Z4EfS3VUqmsu3An9APB-MQbPOXXoyBWPMk_EMA2kfzMBjl0-Kw1Z_YaYLGNmsWqMQ6IptrGhvr_zp89S_0JMLxgxXv_9xQe3b5MANxvIFwZv/s2560/IMG_2138.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQEJ4mhe8RNS3zlRmmZ1PKDhikcbG2D4qWh4I2JM14fUCO3dI4Kct_uWpv4h4KVBlWUGDPJZlxxg7LaD6Z4EfS3VUqmsu3An9APB-MQbPOXXoyBWPMk_EMA2kfzMBjl0-Kw1Z_YaYLGNmsWqMQ6IptrGhvr_zp89S_0JMLxgxXv_9xQe3b5MANxvIFwZv/s320/IMG_2138.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana are grown and sold in bunches. No one buys just one </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Vietnam is a communist country, and any man, woman or child born before 1991 was entitled to 360 square meters of land. Mandy‘s parents as well as her husband‘s mother and father encouraged them to go to school, telling them that if they studied hard, they could say “goodbye to 360 square meters,” meaning they could have the chance to establish careers in fields of their choosing.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDmctUVRikVIhGGnHjiKDLCD_OyR6pkjZh14QU_gfE9z5m_GAuMcbMP3HkyFh1OqTatMH-0gjwICcNoiViHJgXh_SF1xTTyih1PVxpUY2PkGJAvp8nhoQgsvPOGNt0e72Hf16kqgKg41jVe9-if5eRBkkfMjEeYuQNKJjU936_Iku9dwdMl3EWwvOfTpT/s2406/IMG_2146.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2406" data-original-width="1919" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDmctUVRikVIhGGnHjiKDLCD_OyR6pkjZh14QU_gfE9z5m_GAuMcbMP3HkyFh1OqTatMH-0gjwICcNoiViHJgXh_SF1xTTyih1PVxpUY2PkGJAvp8nhoQgsvPOGNt0e72Hf16kqgKg41jVe9-if5eRBkkfMjEeYuQNKJjU936_Iku9dwdMl3EWwvOfTpT/s320/IMG_2146.jpeg" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandy and her daughter, Anh Thu, 9, show us how to prepare stuffing for steamed cabbage rolls</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Their education has enabled them to build a comfortable life for themselves and their three daughters, ages 2,9 and 12. They live in a newly-built four-story house next door to where his parents live. They have two motorcycles which they use for everyday transportation and sometimes for taking the whole family to visit her parents who live 60 miles away.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sitting at her kitchen table with knives and cutting boards, we chopped bunches of herbs, shredded carrots, green mangos, cucumbers and jicama for a salad; sliced mushrooms for a dish of pork and shiitakes in steamed cabbage leaves; learned to wrap spring rolls in rice paper; and helped prepared a pork meatball soup with rice noodles, shallots, tomatoes and taro stems.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQ64bLRjTxXpknA4voSjPjYK2QafTfUNNA_8LF9A9TKHPhQDC-0V79D-_GQAcGwKgcPGMjYrxM97PwENQ5tXbxQRJyWZA0zCejGsIAnkAuQJ5QUJ0YiPoBVj_edzh6mb2YeHK3JY2a3fRy4RudjTFW468wgFGQL7RkwNyzj-qHhpEU4RLbW0IbDH-2ZKg/s2560/IMG_2153.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQ64bLRjTxXpknA4voSjPjYK2QafTfUNNA_8LF9A9TKHPhQDC-0V79D-_GQAcGwKgcPGMjYrxM97PwENQ5tXbxQRJyWZA0zCejGsIAnkAuQJ5QUJ0YiPoBVj_edzh6mb2YeHK3JY2a3fRy4RudjTFW468wgFGQL7RkwNyzj-qHhpEU4RLbW0IbDH-2ZKg/s320/IMG_2153.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork meatball soup</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8WmTrb8Pws0jLzaY5cScF1-ERBJdna8-VvlpxwdnWPq2MWR-snM-cMzpuy-LH8JGMBtWNJ3ipxI1dNb3XOqi3ojwbwLjY_I8q_CsIqYEkoUQ7mlAPsMFZOfDYM0pf6PWnlGaCVkaYd72PCTt74DpSicYKTBDndWMK0DlR7VcSIG_vwPjlavdkGMBreSe/s2560/IMG_2148.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8WmTrb8Pws0jLzaY5cScF1-ERBJdna8-VvlpxwdnWPq2MWR-snM-cMzpuy-LH8JGMBtWNJ3ipxI1dNb3XOqi3ojwbwLjY_I8q_CsIqYEkoUQ7mlAPsMFZOfDYM0pf6PWnlGaCVkaYd72PCTt74DpSicYKTBDndWMK0DlR7VcSIG_vwPjlavdkGMBreSe/s320/IMG_2148.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frying spring rolls with chopsticks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQy82355DC45GYFYqlab2Fg0z7cDch3AIJheEiTuAwc9BVQrHpoNgQsDjh1AASqs1M9L0e_jJtVxRb4Pb4m0Go2jj1R1WuFbscQGjc_bH0LkJX4JxZ8MZqvbNFkB1g92tmTBZnGQUTUF2f2I6IHH3LomMR5swfcRDXIqxaqgWY2WF9IvkCTvnbSnknsahu/s2560/IMG_2144.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQy82355DC45GYFYqlab2Fg0z7cDch3AIJheEiTuAwc9BVQrHpoNgQsDjh1AASqs1M9L0e_jJtVxRb4Pb4m0Go2jj1R1WuFbscQGjc_bH0LkJX4JxZ8MZqvbNFkB1g92tmTBZnGQUTUF2f2I6IHH3LomMR5swfcRDXIqxaqgWY2WF9IvkCTvnbSnknsahu/s320/IMG_2144.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom slicing mushrooms</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">“Smaller, smaller,” Mandy would say as we sliced mushrooms and spring onions. She and her daughter, Mai, 12, had to patch up our spring rolls before frying them in oil, but with much of the prep work done by them in advance, it wasn‘t long before our meal was ready. </span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31cWnmacSffAaqBaazdxjhYdCck3rJTJ2YjvF2HemRF9Equ0IOzImErOJScAekdxFseDNoyiSesgj9d8riOGS1-qlnidsTLNq-TJVEar1Upv3o_ltp8w3MBLT6GkqOA0g_v68uCeN4q3Itm-T3M1JksEge4LluaPJJp8fNiG6wQdcpzTpMgQ9rHVY9WcE/s2560/IMG_4439.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31cWnmacSffAaqBaazdxjhYdCck3rJTJ2YjvF2HemRF9Equ0IOzImErOJScAekdxFseDNoyiSesgj9d8riOGS1-qlnidsTLNq-TJVEar1Upv3o_ltp8w3MBLT6GkqOA0g_v68uCeN4q3Itm-T3M1JksEge4LluaPJJp8fNiG6wQdcpzTpMgQ9rHVY9WcE/s320/IMG_4439.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our four dishes ready to eat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4L8q5J7ABgrgPqucvUqnqctqmQ_7Ovn2uZ4C5jPUiOjBQKjMGZ9fCPvi-X1_VW1_JMJc71c-cAtCRNp9drDitZPcgwtx3gVQp_2oYnj74W0AmeZrA_tOMypoh5fSkuA3QkqR0XTgeD6uZ1aJIFQR3ihL4EA1hrkic_tHoNdA33HpYl2H8-lWEGFuGdkx/s1600/a8006bfd-d3d9-47b3-b57c-5da61fdd7190.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1600" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4L8q5J7ABgrgPqucvUqnqctqmQ_7Ovn2uZ4C5jPUiOjBQKjMGZ9fCPvi-X1_VW1_JMJc71c-cAtCRNp9drDitZPcgwtx3gVQp_2oYnj74W0AmeZrA_tOMypoh5fSkuA3QkqR0XTgeD6uZ1aJIFQR3ihL4EA1hrkic_tHoNdA33HpYl2H8-lWEGFuGdkx/s320/a8006bfd-d3d9-47b3-b57c-5da61fdd7190.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We sat around the table, talking and eating until early afternoon, sharing stories about how we met our spouses (she and her husband in English class and Tom and I in a folk signing group). While we waited for our taxi back to Hanoi, she showed us her garden. She and her husband are a long way from retiring, but when they do, they hope to farm, not for survival but for the pure joy of growing what they eat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Visitors can book a farm tour and cooking class with <a href="http://www.manhfarmandcook.com/">Mandy</a> (Manh Bui) by e-mailing her at manhfarmandcook@gmail.com, by contacting her on WhatsApp at </span> 0084 0945 265 708, or <span style="font-family: arial;">by booking at </span><a href="http://eatwith.com" style="font-family: arial;">eatwith.com</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> or </span><a href="http://bonappetour.com" style="font-family: arial;">bonappetour.com</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> Payment is by credit card with a liberal cancellation policy. She includes all the recipes and a detailed explanation of ingredients in a follow-up note after the visits.</span></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-55403523285315811902024-02-18T18:15:00.000-08:002024-02-27T16:53:27.014-08:00Phnom Penh: A City of Surprises <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qj7DyWujPdFvswILXZKKFNSSh3QvA7r4xzZMgmDiSFGxrHrnQHj8CbXzLkj1WUk-MbkqCL54LLWmBODc0wHA97Iz9qqLUhz8AkjIkEZtMMDdmOl7aTwQ3Fmgnybcgh7gP2vhbIFZCW4hZe7N0Wn9sK6lewlTyCzk5pYd0oXn6eMphyphenhyphenaAatc0D5uAantJ/s2560/IMG_1940.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qj7DyWujPdFvswILXZKKFNSSh3QvA7r4xzZMgmDiSFGxrHrnQHj8CbXzLkj1WUk-MbkqCL54LLWmBODc0wHA97Iz9qqLUhz8AkjIkEZtMMDdmOl7aTwQ3Fmgnybcgh7gP2vhbIFZCW4hZe7N0Wn9sK6lewlTyCzk5pYd0oXn6eMphyphenhyphenaAatc0D5uAantJ/w374-h281/IMG_1940.jpeg" width="374" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gilded reclining Buddha in Phnom Penh</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What kind of hotel does $97 a night buy in the U.S. or Europe? In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, it buys a comfortable suite at the Pavilion Hotel, with gardens, two pools, a spa and outdoor restaurant serving $6 cocktails and an unlimited breakfast on the outdoor terrace.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV36vHpaoVvdfN1X7_wcnS-pFwCmQ9mWUtBgtdMiszMQzvrhOcx2VHeL1qLCILUSGIsOP_6MS9N7YbGMLcPQLOST0LtotTUej2bcHqQ-oAd3kUAI6OuXYypBVC-GqOE4lKX4jDLNHCi9EPeZ21uI6b-0LUjeqd6rm2ASScMLP8ckrgm5OeY2A8AW92Mh9O/s2560/IMG_1834.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV36vHpaoVvdfN1X7_wcnS-pFwCmQ9mWUtBgtdMiszMQzvrhOcx2VHeL1qLCILUSGIsOP_6MS9N7YbGMLcPQLOST0LtotTUej2bcHqQ-oAd3kUAI6OuXYypBVC-GqOE4lKX4jDLNHCi9EPeZ21uI6b-0LUjeqd6rm2ASScMLP8ckrgm5OeY2A8AW92Mh9O/s320/IMG_1834.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pavilion Hotel, five-star service at two-star prices</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PM3i2huYR5BueG8YiaJBe6BSEyw6SC90Xqh4R7H5SXHJ4H5zGyPmzgCPDKSImynK8rP_Hl7Fe-xrCTA2k8u8x9B9w2_xq5i8jl_NDIAbzHCzPWu3PSuQTdw_zdCENCpX4aH2M3T8kZWNKM13z_ySvSAL3-y7M3xyrJsfExivrlsfgY9wYuzd49Lw8sXB/s2197/IMG_1931.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1648" data-original-width="2197" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PM3i2huYR5BueG8YiaJBe6BSEyw6SC90Xqh4R7H5SXHJ4H5zGyPmzgCPDKSImynK8rP_Hl7Fe-xrCTA2k8u8x9B9w2_xq5i8jl_NDIAbzHCzPWu3PSuQTdw_zdCENCpX4aH2M3T8kZWNKM13z_ySvSAL3-y7M3xyrJsfExivrlsfgY9wYuzd49Lw8sXB/s320/IMG_1931.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">An isolated and pretentious Western-style resort, you say? Hardly the case, given our next-door neighbors - street food vendors grilling on the side walk, sugar cane juice sellers and Buddhist monks living in a monastery where a giant Buddha reclines in a gilded temple.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio56NvXDC1re60s79bMXF4yqSf05rMNw_nBxQp_CPDeeTQMW4v-cTmelnTGj25BsVN7-PbpMcBMzOd6-jGz88-uuize82pLcURrkBBTokQHGUodIV0noj1NPMEmcdTYcE9AFyiLchgxtHYkXx5yHXKEX3YOGzsx-hcsBBcU6aNZcacW-3RRQrGsopNscxF/s2212/IMG_1899.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2212" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio56NvXDC1re60s79bMXF4yqSf05rMNw_nBxQp_CPDeeTQMW4v-cTmelnTGj25BsVN7-PbpMcBMzOd6-jGz88-uuize82pLcURrkBBTokQHGUodIV0noj1NPMEmcdTYcE9AFyiLchgxtHYkXx5yHXKEX3YOGzsx-hcsBBcU6aNZcacW-3RRQrGsopNscxF/s320/IMG_1899.jpeg" width="278" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family sets up for the evening dinner rush</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When most Americans think of traveling overseas, they think of Europe or Australia. Few think of Southeast Asia, and when they do, it’s the beaches of Thailand or Vietnam that come to mind. Few consider Cambodia, a country bombed by the U.S. during the Vietnam war, and ravaged in the late 1970s by Pol Pot and his Communist Khmer Rouge regime.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">While Siem Reap is well-known for its ancient Angkor Wat temples, Phnom Penh is the surprise city. Abandoned when Pol Pot forced city dwellers back to their home villages in the countryside, it‘s now alive with a mixture of modern and French colonial architecture; street food carts and rooftop bars; outdoor markets and modern malls; and massive monasteries where monks in saffron robes welcome visitors. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidh6zonmlqvCFarXnLKHlPT-hcUEsVgyn4PF1u2k2RS7nITOMhTtrMe_tugT6HoIEG26jgUAs5__plMIIIg2j5P1SMKSBZkEoVS_Zh1Je6H_UxV0bFjxZQ40XOkS4fZ23jpy7lFaKeKh2wWUyf-LN9H4w7VsVZyr8cysvqnSJoItHwdpEwcVbdhwToelNY/s2560/IMG_1942.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidh6zonmlqvCFarXnLKHlPT-hcUEsVgyn4PF1u2k2RS7nITOMhTtrMe_tugT6HoIEG26jgUAs5__plMIIIg2j5P1SMKSBZkEoVS_Zh1Je6H_UxV0bFjxZQ40XOkS4fZ23jpy7lFaKeKh2wWUyf-LN9H4w7VsVZyr8cysvqnSJoItHwdpEwcVbdhwToelNY/s320/IMG_1942.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bea Tem, a Buddhist monk at our neighborhood temple</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPKd6zs0Br_5O1f0ZoYKlL9FZIjVZfysCWi5-qRuz3sJvFiHTwPuFFg9XxeOT881tEhBlnaNYlbFpVKbO5_QmlyHX5iWCRW8E9FceUGOiVA9x2YglZkXkEKEUwnq6PYwV7TenwhESk8Id_TLeMG0Ua9glONoXb90l6AK4gYeLi__Lmxf-EF2AAD8lXgK5/s2560/IMG_1921.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPKd6zs0Br_5O1f0ZoYKlL9FZIjVZfysCWi5-qRuz3sJvFiHTwPuFFg9XxeOT881tEhBlnaNYlbFpVKbO5_QmlyHX5iWCRW8E9FceUGOiVA9x2YglZkXkEKEUwnq6PYwV7TenwhESk8Id_TLeMG0Ua9glONoXb90l6AK4gYeLi__Lmxf-EF2AAD8lXgK5/s320/IMG_1921.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Glory for sale in a street market</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">With major sightseeing out of the way on a previous trip, we found various ways to explore the street life, either on foot or by taking Grab taxis which work like Uber does in the U.S. Most rides are $1-$4 at most, more comfortable and often less expensive than Tuk-Tuks, the open-air motorcycles, we use when we were here 19 years ago. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Especially fun are a variety of three or four-hour tours organized by eager, English-speaking young people. This is where the Tuk-Tuks do come in handy. Because of the 95 degree heat, signing up for a “walking tour” means going with a guide in a Tuk-Tuk with a driver who waits at each stop.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2axTGHMyabGPTBZPCE2DCSF95OK3eQL3ktTnZEy1YmfiDRRTGOX_irc3N9qCT_KE36W04ewoL3CPK4xJXX3Y13EpOSqDR2gYghRJSXnBDNvwZNoXPNXJHKDgwQomQBu_SAUbQVZMoxxlxGj7R6guwhV2i5qc79rCnpfznfECVHocqblphEisB1x_wp1lr/s2560/IMG_1923.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2axTGHMyabGPTBZPCE2DCSF95OK3eQL3ktTnZEy1YmfiDRRTGOX_irc3N9qCT_KE36W04ewoL3CPK4xJXX3Y13EpOSqDR2gYghRJSXnBDNvwZNoXPNXJHKDgwQomQBu_SAUbQVZMoxxlxGj7R6guwhV2i5qc79rCnpfznfECVHocqblphEisB1x_wp1lr/s320/IMG_1923.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neara explains the many types of herbs grown in Cambodia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The delightful Yim Neara, 30, was our guide for an early-morning breakfast tour by Turk-Tuk, organized by Portland, Oregon <a href="https://lostplate.com/cambodia/">Lost Plate Tours.</a> She arrived at our hotel at 8:30 a.m. and by 9 a.m., three of us were sampling steaming bowls of a pork and vegetable noodle soup at a popular street stall where the owner shows </span><span style="font-family: arial;">up at 4 a.m. to start the broth.</span><div><p></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxkDhCT_CN341liIlgfo3mVLSSRmJ59mByNe5wAR6mMvWtP40I5hc5cHtUHKZnuKHhQienU62bnvPaldBV24k5L6du6Pxlh0mXHzJKH3Dh_URx6FhP0hHPzMRYNxOHsVIM9Wu_gLgONAdm5r7Bz5E3w9vAqo73ZhHFC3BwgXpDAcG5fW0o-sC_w6k1UiU/s2560/IMG_3975.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxkDhCT_CN341liIlgfo3mVLSSRmJ59mByNe5wAR6mMvWtP40I5hc5cHtUHKZnuKHhQienU62bnvPaldBV24k5L6du6Pxlh0mXHzJKH3Dh_URx6FhP0hHPzMRYNxOHsVIM9Wu_gLgONAdm5r7Bz5E3w9vAqo73ZhHFC3BwgXpDAcG5fW0o-sC_w6k1UiU/s320/IMG_3975.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Key Teay is a popular breakfast food in Cambodia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Most Cambodians go to a stall like this for breakfast rather than prepare the time-consuming dishes at home. The soup is eaten with a spoon and chopsticks, for picking up the thin rice noodles, and accompanied by shot glass-sized cups of coffee laced with sweetened condensed milk.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVILRy1qLwx0clf99-RK83SQHWw8BQ0PWeCgpHxNvW05v2V-ypA7DWltLJHF7-FTNcD-JQ1GkdWJjJLRBH5Pomqzg7nAwrTjLpxNWMiuNi_kmkTBbHN34SFYOr24IfpBVd4OG0EzboKjdHa_3YmdObYbcGeBMD6lISsI3G_Q_zm7recVBigPYTSIoyYOR/s2074/IMG_1918.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1850" data-original-width="2074" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVILRy1qLwx0clf99-RK83SQHWw8BQ0PWeCgpHxNvW05v2V-ypA7DWltLJHF7-FTNcD-JQ1GkdWJjJLRBH5Pomqzg7nAwrTjLpxNWMiuNi_kmkTBbHN34SFYOr24IfpBVd4OG0EzboKjdHa_3YmdObYbcGeBMD6lISsI3G_Q_zm7recVBigPYTSIoyYOR/s320/IMG_1918.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Market day in Phnom Penh</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After several snack stops and a walk through an outdoor urban farmers market, we stopped for banh chao, a thin, crispy pancake made with duck eggs and rice flour and tinted yellow with turmeric. It’s a savory dish, filled with pork and vegetables, and served with a pile of fresh herbs</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. One was big enough to share.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMupOEE78ra02R9VWgiwJgsok0bvkNE_GqG7t1FcmOSYFo6fqSNtyN8jqDpTDhUr1OCrUgAjus-V1-t_l2VJORzIA7_WpbJByUKl693QCpxAogQ-SszZljDQQ7Q9L8swyfTdWYpB5CMppYUeby5SmSIzjSf-H0U7NwXTLrq3OhCzNoVS66vxYVP-__pDp4/s2560/IMG_1926.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMupOEE78ra02R9VWgiwJgsok0bvkNE_GqG7t1FcmOSYFo6fqSNtyN8jqDpTDhUr1OCrUgAjus-V1-t_l2VJORzIA7_WpbJByUKl693QCpxAogQ-SszZljDQQ7Q9L8swyfTdWYpB5CMppYUeby5SmSIzjSf-H0U7NwXTLrq3OhCzNoVS66vxYVP-__pDp4/s320/IMG_1926.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banh Chao for breakfast</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our next “walking tour” by Tuk-Tuk was an architectural tour led by Hun Sokagna, 30, a university graduate and freelance architect specializing in urban preservation. She is a member of <a href="http://www.ka-tours.org">Architecture Cambodia</a>, a non-profit organization of architects and students promoting urban heritage in Cambodia. Customized tours can be organized on request for around $20 a person. Free walking tour maps are available on the website of <a href="http://www.ka-tours.org">Khmer Architecture Tours</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh2LzUHO1w0oLpe9zWrUrNzmp-0VMX3wT9QpqNjhSTzlRK-3g7EnfJVRgeu-FAbCVbY8OLNBSIWZYpEGXI69AokNW8mMR6ydRn_oey9ZLsDNU2Aw-oePnrnc57Rz275-2bNfwvo_xl6aEYO8ex_Lk8zDA9NdMycgupll_9o-S801HMZ7FruT2OZiME2j9/s2560/IMG_4005.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh2LzUHO1w0oLpe9zWrUrNzmp-0VMX3wT9QpqNjhSTzlRK-3g7EnfJVRgeu-FAbCVbY8OLNBSIWZYpEGXI69AokNW8mMR6ydRn_oey9ZLsDNU2Aw-oePnrnc57Rz275-2bNfwvo_xl6aEYO8ex_Lk8zDA9NdMycgupll_9o-S801HMZ7FruT2OZiME2j9/s320/IMG_4005.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuk-Tuks provide easy transport between stops on walking tours</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuGV1USjawGc_hglRdxYcI6G92Pr6BzIqAf1_9EMCs7Zyyx85l0dXQYlb5anGk5mwja2OGf926HAxj_-JyhQs78BBw6YTDE0GutIzuJWhoRI-_XcpBBn5NV96149zgTdqpptJY0yP994VsqbUCAOzGBtTMHV_Za_MKfsXFYCLu5fTC9SZKS3dnWPidiGW/s2560/IMG_1881.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuGV1USjawGc_hglRdxYcI6G92Pr6BzIqAf1_9EMCs7Zyyx85l0dXQYlb5anGk5mwja2OGf926HAxj_-JyhQs78BBw6YTDE0GutIzuJWhoRI-_XcpBBn5NV96149zgTdqpptJY0yP994VsqbUCAOzGBtTMHV_Za_MKfsXFYCLu5fTC9SZKS3dnWPidiGW/s320/IMG_1881.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our guide, Sokagna, going over our plan to see local architecture </td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The French colonized Cambodia in 1863, and left 90 years later in 1941 when Prince Norodom Sihanouk became the king. Houses and monuments built by the French remain along with other reminders of the past. Many older people speak French, and fresh baguettes appear where you might expect rice. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our first stop was the main post office, built in the Neo-Classical style by the French in 1885. Like many buildings </span><span style="font-family: arial;">of that era in Phnom Penh, it was never bombed, but abandoned when the Khmer Rouge emptied the city, forcing people back to their home villages in the countryside.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJZFo0LOiRqdrOg0KdHEi0aGiqNMrD-FK3FiB4wIcm-yulYKg6ADtxi07cMqCA2eESxAbXk3oYzzL4HYF5bzkMUiFjjGzyf_aOjrC8GkqAWUkdnoFgPcF1A7LJKd-oSfJj23rvECmvgGsQ26HvfX2pBV0uCUynLjJQ626gz3g10T7Z2tpdSdR38lPiuSb/s4032/IMG_1873.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJZFo0LOiRqdrOg0KdHEi0aGiqNMrD-FK3FiB4wIcm-yulYKg6ADtxi07cMqCA2eESxAbXk3oYzzL4HYF5bzkMUiFjjGzyf_aOjrC8GkqAWUkdnoFgPcF1A7LJKd-oSfJj23rvECmvgGsQ26HvfX2pBV0uCUynLjJQ626gz3g10T7Z2tpdSdR38lPiuSb/s320/IMG_1873.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The post office building, built by the French in 1885.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Across the street is the building that was once the Grand Hotel, the city’s first five-star hotel built in Phnom Penh in 1910. Abandoned when the Khmer Rouge took over, it and other buildings like it became the property of squatters once the genocide ended and people returned. Complicated laws mean various owners still claim rights to different parts of the same building.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdcZt0FNXjZwVJL-D_ej83GjKLeZM2ItowcazRgjBCbaRCg0hW0e1-E1y6xHQnJO7VcG73gfCYdu0SgtA4ILTiEzcmLTVMrlbs2vjX1pZW_KYynptw_Jtz5g268V4BGoBcpziq5V-0i63pGkHw2N7sVN26L_J34HAOHpXEk_Fy0qbn8k2dAStWR-VoTsl/s2289/IMG_1885.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2289" data-original-width="1896" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdcZt0FNXjZwVJL-D_ej83GjKLeZM2ItowcazRgjBCbaRCg0hW0e1-E1y6xHQnJO7VcG73gfCYdu0SgtA4ILTiEzcmLTVMrlbs2vjX1pZW_KYynptw_Jtz5g268V4BGoBcpziq5V-0i63pGkHw2N7sVN26L_J34HAOHpXEk_Fy0qbn8k2dAStWR-VoTsl/s320/IMG_1885.jpeg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8b60FlIb2ByDZsdl3VPLjf5ha7JJQ9d97x8j0Qvg_kRC5fKFvJVQBa9gFj0tmL9WCdowkRDuGkDA0xkWEp8tu33k1M0aD9CxPBxcf7rMsMSkwlNpXNTlj8SahOo-YSJnlQqdq9q8yY5rWyvWDOff9OGn1Fhu7sy2NAzfNOICHeMrNIMuYdhCevaJjznG/s2560/IMG_1883.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8b60FlIb2ByDZsdl3VPLjf5ha7JJQ9d97x8j0Qvg_kRC5fKFvJVQBa9gFj0tmL9WCdowkRDuGkDA0xkWEp8tu33k1M0aD9CxPBxcf7rMsMSkwlNpXNTlj8SahOo-YSJnlQqdq9q8yY5rWyvWDOff9OGn1Fhu7sy2NAzfNOICHeMrNIMuYdhCevaJjznG/s320/IMG_1883.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former Grand Hotel, now part casino, part run-down apartments </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The facade on this side of the old hotel is run down and in need of a paint job. The interior is run down as well although some of the original tile work remains. On the other side of the building is a sleek entrance to a modern Chinese-owned casino and a wine bar. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Abandoned churches and temples became housing once the Khmer Rouge left. Books in the National Library were burned but the building was left standing, and has been renovated. The iconic Le Royal hotel, built in 1929, was used by the Khmer Rouge to welcome officials from China, then left in ruins. Today it‘s the luxury Singaporean-owned <a href="https://www.rafflesphnompenh.com/about-us/the-hotel/">Raffles Hotel. </a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Top-notch hotels, drinks and meals come at bargain prices in Cambodia, as they do in many parts of Southeast Asia. Given the country’s poverty and tragic past, travelers need to be sensitive about supporting businesses, restaurants, hotels etc. that promote responsible tourism. Some hotels cater to sex tourists, or do nothing to dissuade the practice, while others, such as the Pavilion, actively discourage it by posting “Child Safe” stickers on their doors.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">While wandering towards Phnom Penh‘s </span><a href="https://russian-market.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral" style="font-family: arial;">Russian Market </a><span style="font-family: arial;">one day we found </span><a href="mailto:peacehandicrafts@online.com" style="font-family: arial;">Y.E.K. Peace </a><span style="font-family: arial;">Handicrafts above a convenience store. Walking past shelves lined with boxes of detergent and cereal at Twin Supermarket, we climbed a flight of stairs to find a boutique that provides training and employment for disabled artisans, many of whom are land mine victims.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK_cFrzzuxlWHZeiNZ0Bp_REoE5MRBWN4bFPnPJHY8J_aZ-BbeMIL6xd6ztED21pdhy3o3vM2dH1EsziLoad7rp6ulw0-u8B-sxeEjYfLX5LMTkXUYO5EWSa53R8ihlpUHHtqGSewfa_sNCUJiSDRX74QCFNvZdDyLL4MZhT_PvQU4r7tHIvyU3OwQKdl/s2560/IMG_1880.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHK_cFrzzuxlWHZeiNZ0Bp_REoE5MRBWN4bFPnPJHY8J_aZ-BbeMIL6xd6ztED21pdhy3o3vM2dH1EsziLoad7rp6ulw0-u8B-sxeEjYfLX5LMTkXUYO5EWSa53R8ihlpUHHtqGSewfa_sNCUJiSDRX74QCFNvZdDyLL4MZhT_PvQU4r7tHIvyU3OwQKdl/s320/IMG_1880.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YEK Hong Tang</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: arial;">YEK Hong Tang, above, is the executive director and also the designer of many items, including these new messenger bags made with reused nylon netting traditionally used for hammocks or mosquito nets. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMAt6fnSX9beruXsvloXExq516mGwdREw_lEWNH2g2KB5OYGYwtvAuLokuCTv6A70Ti3geW6bLRi_YmL880LlONO7engxx-7URe8VcsE3O1vgICqB3lGE_-yQcGozP0So7GuWcW4e1TLXkFkL6tbW9pGURJFm2d5YWJkqHFCBBzmQofoTnMgaOQzWZHrt/s2560/IMG_1868.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMAt6fnSX9beruXsvloXExq516mGwdREw_lEWNH2g2KB5OYGYwtvAuLokuCTv6A70Ti3geW6bLRi_YmL880LlONO7engxx-7URe8VcsE3O1vgICqB3lGE_-yQcGozP0So7GuWcW4e1TLXkFkL6tbW9pGURJFm2d5YWJkqHFCBBzmQofoTnMgaOQzWZHrt/s320/IMG_1868.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful bags made made from upcycled materials</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Shops such as Peace Handicrafts can be hard to spot, or even know about. Friendship with Cambodia, the Oregon non-profit we support, publishes an online responsible travel guide on its <a href="https://friendshipwithcambodia.org/travel-education/responsible-travel-guide/">website</a> with updated suggestions on where to stay, eat, shop and patronize businesses that practice fair trade, and train disadvantaged workers for careers.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-68316555514726245102024-02-16T20:49:00.000-08:002024-02-25T00:30:21.056-08:00How education is spawning a new generation of leaders in Cambodia <p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoCOVpWnOMPQrXtutnCgCLspovM8b-Ssql9Ab2oVran7BuHrxX-LmGd6CS59hVYzosjpuzYMNESiBD1pxDPrdjcXrVrZ0_Jj2rEwiq6Apgi2c8sHZ0GBkuSmWHlQsTlZKcvO6VddOXpploX4T7cyQ_mBstYgh24IiLc6QZyfn8mhm6WuTrr0HceEjYfPJ/s2560/IMG_1948.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoCOVpWnOMPQrXtutnCgCLspovM8b-Ssql9Ab2oVran7BuHrxX-LmGd6CS59hVYzosjpuzYMNESiBD1pxDPrdjcXrVrZ0_Jj2rEwiq6Apgi2c8sHZ0GBkuSmWHlQsTlZKcvO6VddOXpploX4T7cyQ_mBstYgh24IiLc6QZyfn8mhm6WuTrr0HceEjYfPJ/s320/IMG_1948.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sien Sok-Ny takes her children to school on her motorbike</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sponsoring the education of students in foreign countries is a typical way for Americans to make donations in the third-world. You write a check. A photo comes in the mail. Rarely do you learn more, or hear from the organization again until it‘s time to donate again.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">That‘s not been the case with our 20-year-long association with Eugene, Oregon-based <a href="http://friendshipwithcambodia.com">Friendship with Cambodia</a> to whose scholarship program we’ve been supporting every since we traveled with the founder, Bhavia Wagner, on a tour in 2004. Letters, updates and pictures went back and forth between us and the six students from poor, rural villages we sponsored over the years. This month, on a return trip to Cambodia, we met two in person, and it was a joy to celebrate their success.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sien Sok-Ny, now 37, pictured above with two of her three children, cried when we walked through the door of <a href="http://holtinternational.org">Holt International, </a>a non-profit that coordinates the sponsorships for Friendship with Cambodia. She opened a notebook where she kept the letters and photos we exchanged between 2010-14 while she was studying at the National University of Management in Phnom Penh.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">She presented us with gifts - a hand-woven scarf, a table covering and a jar of local honey -from the indigenous (ethnic) communities of women she has involved in supporting since her graduation. While her two boys did homework and played games on a lap top and iPhone, we talked about how her life had progressed from the time she was an only child in a rural, indigenous farming village, needed by her parents to clean the house and feed the cows in the morning, all before hopping on the back of a friend’s bicycle to ride the four miles to high school and back.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> Her 10-year goal after moving to Phnom Penh on the scholarship and graduating, was to have two children, a car and a house. She laughed that she ended up with three children, a motorbike and a rented house, but both she and her husband, a motorcycle repairman with his own business, are doing well enough to send their children to private school. After working for a while as project officer for the Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Organization, she now freelances, volunteers and raises money for Indigenous causes online through a YouTube channel featuring songs she writes and sings with a small group.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1j_DPu4D9bI4dVIgEdAT3ZM2f3bZGVxo3elEp0OzdTJTVTXzc4tChQ_J3uWwAVy2WqQgnqUnpbk7_Vq7m26cvQ2_SWmK-1pcesejlBZZes3IFkMo7brSeg0l1cJ8Y3Hen7w_ruWrRTEry_5GCcRxRE8wb80DDEJQN0zE1WHCXa6pMwV3TPy2ozOpFnqA6/s2560/IMG_4029.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1j_DPu4D9bI4dVIgEdAT3ZM2f3bZGVxo3elEp0OzdTJTVTXzc4tChQ_J3uWwAVy2WqQgnqUnpbk7_Vq7m26cvQ2_SWmK-1pcesejlBZZes3IFkMo7brSeg0l1cJ8Y3Hen7w_ruWrRTEry_5GCcRxRE8wb80DDEJQN0zE1WHCXa6pMwV3TPy2ozOpFnqA6/s320/IMG_4029.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Cambodia with Sien Sok-Ny and her two boys</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Earlier in the week, we attended a Sunday morning meeting Holt organizes for the FWC-sponsored students at its offices in Phnom Penh. Gathered in a circle around a projector and screen, 15 students, alumni and staff shared experiences in a mentoring session aimed at helping each other through adjustments from life in rural villages to universities in a big, busy city. FWC’s program includes not only tuition assistance but wrap-around care such as these mentoring meetings, English classes, a small subsidy for living expenses, and encouraging the students to organize community service projects in their home villages. FWC’s focus is mainly on empowering women and girls, but young men are also part of the scholarship program including one we sponsored who went on to become an electrical engineer. </span></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafULt5lfG9Lx7u-ufBCkykQFt_4EOsrCwfw-Xfs28dbyAS0fz-XM7W9isVEylktoFX0xKPE1OvJEpqAZ83vDAleVPGPc3hS_F1dzAAewdRiI7aW9BxjJGpVnzWylURuk1Kj57FHoTpWN5a8cujtyUTgpIlCm9VPGWEKVzfdCr9cGJt13HnKjw08e3bVli/s2560/IMG_1849.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafULt5lfG9Lx7u-ufBCkykQFt_4EOsrCwfw-Xfs28dbyAS0fz-XM7W9isVEylktoFX0xKPE1OvJEpqAZ83vDAleVPGPc3hS_F1dzAAewdRiI7aW9BxjJGpVnzWylURuk1Kj57FHoTpWN5a8cujtyUTgpIlCm9VPGWEKVzfdCr9cGJt13HnKjw08e3bVli/s320/IMG_1849.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal University graduate Sung Sreyhuon is a social worker </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>After practicing their public speaking skills with a presentation on the increase in traffic accidents in Cambodia, and how to prevent them, several of the students talked about their community service projects. One taught village children how to brush their teeth and wash their hands. Another plans to start a community library. </p><p>Sung Sreyhuon, 22, above, a social worker involved with a project aimed at preventing the trafficking of young women, told the students that without her scholarship support, “I would probably be a factory worker right now.” She emphasized the self-confidence and leadership skills she gained, and encouraged perseverance, sometimes against family pushback when it comes girls leaving home for school. She recalled her parents telling her, “You‘re a woman. You need to be a man’s wife.” Instead, she went onto college and became the first in her family to graduate, an accomplishment for which her parents are now very proud. Like most of the graduates, she helps her family with financial support and provides school supplies and some money for her cousin’s education.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZblZ94_wEhADJg-PntjsYDpXrDop3Xq7Tg-X6TX2IVxr_JlrmtUKRfoNZlDHeLzwBOE1UNIhCgDRYeRnGwTmuph7T7ClM5FOUJSRxoqh7ziH50XJrhSzYTJkHvKzjCEWtpdQB92wgrqIYKUVVxArll69MI5NJhcLEv3JT5uiv1rDHIlBR5UO1KMXCyZDZ/s1605/IMG_1862.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="1605" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZblZ94_wEhADJg-PntjsYDpXrDop3Xq7Tg-X6TX2IVxr_JlrmtUKRfoNZlDHeLzwBOE1UNIhCgDRYeRnGwTmuph7T7ClM5FOUJSRxoqh7ziH50XJrhSzYTJkHvKzjCEWtpdQB92wgrqIYKUVVxArll69MI5NJhcLEv3JT5uiv1rDHIlBR5UO1KMXCyZDZ/s320/IMG_1862.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At lunch with the students in Phnom Penh </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The meeting ended with a lunch of Cambodian specialties such as fish and pork dishes and platters of bright red Dragon fruit in honor of the beginning of the Lunar New Year and Year of the Dragon. Pictured on the right and below is Chanminea, 19, the student we are currently sponsoring. She is entering her third year in nursing school. We couldn’t be more proud of her success.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxIzxdydgSwZfARGUw0yu8jqIqAiU_1Y-Frsj8SEmsmmQ0lrJqgR32FpSy86Htb7rJ1lsm5I3Cdve81U5DgA8T298L-vb2zI06-221bC67B7uxGNsJF627iGlZ_FvTzLzjlfJdamyrMPP0tns1Yqbfw6FB4Kp52aGZ321qVHEI7MHZzMbT-mgHekB2avt/s2560/IMG_1860.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxIzxdydgSwZfARGUw0yu8jqIqAiU_1Y-Frsj8SEmsmmQ0lrJqgR32FpSy86Htb7rJ1lsm5I3Cdve81U5DgA8T298L-vb2zI06-221bC67B7uxGNsJF627iGlZ_FvTzLzjlfJdamyrMPP0tns1Yqbfw6FB4Kp52aGZ321qVHEI7MHZzMbT-mgHekB2avt/s320/IMG_1860.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihs5g2wM53kDtvs8wNT83YYZvK20fHpzVv8HxcK6yTDHaXnRHFAYq2l2N0epcBTy8eIgY4xFnbam2LHpxG-XTtiylrF6MnoPxD-ak9R0yBkoRU-9wIWSMbe1m5-Ac4grmDDSa8GTT19GOPzCZBKcgrxOhZk_MAhR_BoMRh56DeR2ANaGSzVMLdVmteIpeL/s2425/IMG_3905.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1744" data-original-width="2425" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihs5g2wM53kDtvs8wNT83YYZvK20fHpzVv8HxcK6yTDHaXnRHFAYq2l2N0epcBTy8eIgY4xFnbam2LHpxG-XTtiylrF6MnoPxD-ak9R0yBkoRU-9wIWSMbe1m5-Ac4grmDDSa8GTT19GOPzCZBKcgrxOhZk_MAhR_BoMRh56DeR2ANaGSzVMLdVmteIpeL/s320/IMG_3905.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FWC‘s current class of students, alumni and staff at a Sunday gathering in Phnom Penh</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 16px;">Very few rural students go to university because their families are so poor. More than half of Cambodian </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 16px;">children drop out in grade school. Only 21% enroll in high school. </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://Friendshipwithcambodia.org">Friendship with Cambodia </a>supports about </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 16px;">48 students in university every year. The cost to sponsor a student is about $1500 per year.</span></p><p><br /></p></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-62426562972766577572024-02-16T19:16:00.000-08:002024-02-27T16:55:39.719-08:00When Cambodian grandmothers in a rural village invite you to lunch<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lgGIwlGrBTq8ydLPRU-BfdVn1VuLofffu-vS595aSpZCCCOfg9Z9ZNm0cJPduD6P4oOdETSzRLJ9stkaSXJDsbdvlW2Y1n8jDUaCnUfS41uZBpwSbZVgpcngVWnxQSrfnW02ZzbKKpS5c4mYi_qXqdckjBZnZ_roVr-8rt6KoOzqcpCfTK7h3c8xu3PM/s2155/IMG_4117.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1756" data-original-width="2155" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lgGIwlGrBTq8ydLPRU-BfdVn1VuLofffu-vS595aSpZCCCOfg9Z9ZNm0cJPduD6P4oOdETSzRLJ9stkaSXJDsbdvlW2Y1n8jDUaCnUfS41uZBpwSbZVgpcngVWnxQSrfnW02ZzbKKpS5c4mYi_qXqdckjBZnZ_roVr-8rt6KoOzqcpCfTK7h3c8xu3PM/s320/IMG_4117.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah Yap, 85</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 23.23px;">“</span>If</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> people want to see the real Cambodia, please get out of the city,” is advice we heard. And so we did on a visit out of urban and sophisticated Phnom Penh to a rural community near the river city of Kampot where OEDDO, a non-profit, family-run organization caters to the needs of elder, orphans and the disabled. They greeted us with smiles, open arms and a lunch of whole fish, fried eels, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> much more.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;">The woman pictured above is Yeah (the Cambodian word for grandmother) Yap, 85, the oldest elder either living in or being served in a community run by OEDDO, Orphans, Elderly and Disabled Development Organization. The family-run non-profit is supported by Betsy Guinn, a fundraiser and OEDDO USA director based in Eugene, Oregon as well as <a href="http://friendshipwithcambodia.org">Friendship with Cambodia,</a> the group we have supported since taking our first trip to Cambodia 19 years ago.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23.23px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtlJn9ri-jA2Ydru5IC6rujTKn9LMybyfVw_VgTKzCeRxZGNZas3dDz2VkzM0_gWIBvc3QNWcjNCH3kMTx30zl-O5kENXDBNqeb6JvUaROjc0KO2W1ZQq6sjlb-Q-lnWRrzQoKCYLrUovx_g33Hp9NzeXoOcYEpKFI0f7cXSjkPkOCJps4NQVkIgYbagN/s2560/IMG_4147.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtlJn9ri-jA2Ydru5IC6rujTKn9LMybyfVw_VgTKzCeRxZGNZas3dDz2VkzM0_gWIBvc3QNWcjNCH3kMTx30zl-O5kENXDBNqeb6JvUaROjc0KO2W1ZQq6sjlb-Q-lnWRrzQoKCYLrUovx_g33Hp9NzeXoOcYEpKFI0f7cXSjkPkOCJps4NQVkIgYbagN/s320/IMG_4147.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Khmer Rouge genocide survivors</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;">All of these women pictured above are widows. They had husbands, brothers, even children who were brutally murdered by Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s. Still, they smile. I asked why. They told me they are happy because they are at the age where they no longer have to worry about anything, thanks to the support of the OEDDO center and in some cases, their grandchildren.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23.23px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 23.2px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq9vq3jd12aiN8HJEYLGqBu1ytwiYuAcw07_4nCxN8fhZxn15dZdJqeZGXm9b5LreTm2qIs1XEjAdG2UM1WyXxLsEYQ1av0ukdNR0nsFf0aELu6cMVzWIORhU4A-I8fUzu2aIhOqbSzOF7PNuRXvLAgX1HUiyT__N7se6Fls19b6E9sFHxONtbdaxvpFz/s4032/IMG_2018.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq9vq3jd12aiN8HJEYLGqBu1ytwiYuAcw07_4nCxN8fhZxn15dZdJqeZGXm9b5LreTm2qIs1XEjAdG2UM1WyXxLsEYQ1av0ukdNR0nsFf0aELu6cMVzWIORhU4A-I8fUzu2aIhOqbSzOF7PNuRXvLAgX1HUiyT__N7se6Fls19b6E9sFHxONtbdaxvpFz/s320/IMG_2018.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nuti-tNR5OwGY-_trfgsPsx2jOxdVLBxV6qWhK5rm4_5MvfHF75RstdFl5PMY5K3uIOd2ItoC6qXwc3WLbmDSm6YzHETaqII0NL1R2BpA1sGgpSWQjyfwlKOxNNBKXIGHRQFsSXttoJX6uzO8c1g5R0Q2OaOPWjXWg2KDOiMBlKf50wIxiHcZdKqYneQ/s2298/IMG_1981.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1872" data-original-width="2298" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nuti-tNR5OwGY-_trfgsPsx2jOxdVLBxV6qWhK5rm4_5MvfHF75RstdFl5PMY5K3uIOd2ItoC6qXwc3WLbmDSm6YzHETaqII0NL1R2BpA1sGgpSWQjyfwlKOxNNBKXIGHRQFsSXttoJX6uzO8c1g5R0Q2OaOPWjXWg2KDOiMBlKf50wIxiHcZdKqYneQ/s320/IMG_1981.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah A and her granddaughter who became a nurse</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is Yeah A, 78. Her family was driven out of their home in Phnom Penh by Pol Pot, and her husband murdered after they were forced into labor in the countryside. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;">“I can’t believe I am still alive today,” she told us. But she very much is. She rides a bicycle, celebrates her new glasses, and is proud of her <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>granddaughter who became a nurse with the help of an educational scholarship provided by Friendship with Cambodia</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23.23px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoFLq3nmYSz6drpDWJK9Q1q6HIQvHk_7O7ojnEMyQfrXHeGF-UNhjrm3ktK9aPcsg1C0EvbrZwZBu1gTizMXDlySmWkrlfnM5Y5QQzgsl0Gvr2G2UpFVfFybe__ROh5XGw1q6HIQBBb2Oz0NM4oUQKWRDdThUmICO1TQVwF8BDX5vjKqtgwVHezjb2H4r/s2560/IMG_4156.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoFLq3nmYSz6drpDWJK9Q1q6HIQvHk_7O7ojnEMyQfrXHeGF-UNhjrm3ktK9aPcsg1C0EvbrZwZBu1gTizMXDlySmWkrlfnM5Y5QQzgsl0Gvr2G2UpFVfFybe__ROh5XGw1q6HIQBBb2Oz0NM4oUQKWRDdThUmICO1TQVwF8BDX5vjKqtgwVHezjb2H4r/s320/IMG_4156.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hieng and his sister and her husband, both doctors</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;">OEDDO has many projects planned for the future, including equipping this new hospital built with donations from U.S. sponsors and hospitals in Eugene. Above is Hieng, middle photo, 32, and the son of Vanna, who started OEDDO in 2000 to care for AIDS orphans in her home. Flanking him are his sister and her husband, both doctors are volunteering their time in the community where otherwise health care is scarce and unaffordable.</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23.23px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7lnq3v0y9PCoxTRBKjK0lgEwOvLtiseJsRZDIlthA0RzOyEkYlwU9yBWL8PSqnHxk6ao3IFweYKkzfO1lY4LuniPuRlNPalmQgARAPCchyI39QJp1Mudz0Y5Adtl-6957ddf2U39bLAH738-SA2GXSzvHVAgQKOB6DmM3-IM8Q3x9T3oEQvPzgi0VFgW/s2560/IMG_4157.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7lnq3v0y9PCoxTRBKjK0lgEwOvLtiseJsRZDIlthA0RzOyEkYlwU9yBWL8PSqnHxk6ao3IFweYKkzfO1lY4LuniPuRlNPalmQgARAPCchyI39QJp1Mudz0Y5Adtl-6957ddf2U39bLAH738-SA2GXSzvHVAgQKOB6DmM3-IM8Q3x9T3oEQvPzgi0VFgW/s320/IMG_4157.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At lunch at OEDDO with Hieng</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23.23px;"></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: arial;">The OEDDO staff prepared a lunch for us, the centerpiece of which was a whole fish. Hieng, who has an MBA, works as a consultant to foreign companies who want to locate in Cambodia. He and his siblings volunteer much of his time helping their mother run OEDDO, planning new projects and keeping in touch with sponsors in the U.S.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23.23px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 23.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAz4LlpmFCI3vdroDDZMdsQIGfN7Wba86OnA8hcDaLEVeqY6aQHl94cVBgbJvJ9yYrY_nLXNuxJWn6wxMQCKrJH-i7dWkfvBzybk8c3qVPC4eXrUZyCrH2g64Cb35lcGMc8Q9fXV6RNDDut2Zlp1H5nNXAoBsCxM4OyAB13nkCR6YgC8Pmk8Qt2JiEa5ie/s4032/IMG_2013.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAz4LlpmFCI3vdroDDZMdsQIGfN7Wba86OnA8hcDaLEVeqY6aQHl94cVBgbJvJ9yYrY_nLXNuxJWn6wxMQCKrJH-i7dWkfvBzybk8c3qVPC4eXrUZyCrH2g64Cb35lcGMc8Q9fXV6RNDDut2Zlp1H5nNXAoBsCxM4OyAB13nkCR6YgC8Pmk8Qt2JiEa5ie/s320/IMG_2013.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OEDDO staff and FWC director Bhavia Wagner at the entrance to the community in the village of Trapaing Kyong. Trapaing Kyon means Snail Pond </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-17032410093349871912024-02-05T12:17:00.000-08:002024-02-25T00:29:18.997-08:00Touching the soul of Cambodia: A reason to return to Southeast Asia <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEa_-_hffUErD4Bf_N8_DzsksbDxkqcJB_6FuRV2VIAefrWcdcqug9PWwmfosvKaBNpMXfCrNcvEEGEpDG6AC1uikF5xYuigQGCeu-wS01lksFjkMGyJW9A3S30ijvhZbgOYA7zl-m8HTO1xTsfIDU4h6UxGcioEfEPzovCP3TWXTMc6RpR8FevO6993c/s1647/IMG_0927.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1647" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEa_-_hffUErD4Bf_N8_DzsksbDxkqcJB_6FuRV2VIAefrWcdcqug9PWwmfosvKaBNpMXfCrNcvEEGEpDG6AC1uikF5xYuigQGCeu-wS01lksFjkMGyJW9A3S30ijvhZbgOYA7zl-m8HTO1xTsfIDU4h6UxGcioEfEPzovCP3TWXTMc6RpR8FevO6993c/w439-h243/IMG_0927.jpeg" width="439" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When most Americans think of traveling in Southeast Asia, they think of the beaches of Thailand or the historical sites and scenery in Vietnam. Few consider nearby Cambodia, a country bombed by the U.S. to destroy North Vietnamese hideouts, and later ravaged in the late '70s by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pol_Pot">Pol Pot</a> and his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge">Communist Khmer Rouge</a> regime.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom and I rarely revisit places where we've traveled in the past, or when we do, we focus on new cities or areas. Our upcoming trip to Cambodia is an exception.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We last visited 19 years ago on a </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> “Reality Tour” sponsored by<a href="https://globalexchange.org"> Global Exchange</a>, a San Francisco international human-rights organization dedicated to emerging participants into the heart and soul of the culture and countries they visit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Along with trips to the ancient temples of<a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668/"> Angkor Wat</a> in Siem Reap, and a pre-dawn boat ride through the floating villages on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonlé_Sap">Tonle Sap Lake, </a>we’ve spent a morning in a shanty town behind the Phnom Penh train station talking with women and children suffering from AIDS; shared duck and mushroom omelets prepared by Buddhist nuns; and talked with beggars who lost arms and legs in land-mine accidents. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our most memorable experience was spending the night In the rural village of <a href="In the village of Anchanh Rung, a three-hour drive from the traffic-clogged streets of Phnom Penh, water buffalo outnumber motorcycles and the night noises come from animals my Western ears can’t identify.">Anchanh Rung</a> where water buffalo outnumber motorcycles, and the night noises come from animals my Western ears can’t identify. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Bowls of rice were passed, then fish steamed under leaves on an open fire under the house; strips of chicken and beef; a soup with coconut milk; and for dessert, pencil-thin potatoes that we peeled with the back of a spoon and dipped into palm sugar. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUU-WzzflCu_fRlM0Uqoan_XR-WbyXwGeXUQjncUwfwAqlQ-RssLL7H-notPmbn0X6gIe1anUsW1A1VUcJL_WqdecsuRhA-LGkuUw2I0WrlC0V2yo44w_AP3fH7eolrIWwUUrzetymklJIs66i9MgLCHwbiW_wQiBcM2Hd-3lkRpf2SoXNpCv-q1e1Yc-K/s2238/IMG_0928.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1253" data-original-width="2238" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUU-WzzflCu_fRlM0Uqoan_XR-WbyXwGeXUQjncUwfwAqlQ-RssLL7H-notPmbn0X6gIe1anUsW1A1VUcJL_WqdecsuRhA-LGkuUw2I0WrlC0V2yo44w_AP3fH7eolrIWwUUrzetymklJIs66i9MgLCHwbiW_wQiBcM2Hd-3lkRpf2SoXNpCv-q1e1Yc-K/w378-h212/IMG_0928.jpeg" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friendship with Cambodia is in its 21st year</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our guide was Bhavia Wagner of Eugene, Oregon, author of a book called </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Survivors-Stories-Children-Cambodia/dp/0975395106">“Soul Survivors,” </a>an anthology of first-person stories from women and children who survived the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pol_Pot"> Pol Pot regime</a>. Since that time, she deepened her ties with Cambodians through her work with <a href="https://friendshipwithcambodia.org">Friendship with Cambodia</a>, a humanitarian organization she formed after making her first trip in 1991. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We and a few others in our tour group became involved with FWC after we returned to the U.S. Our main activity was sponsoring the education of students as they made their way out of the rural villages to go to high school and later university in Phnom Penh. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Many were the children of poor rice farmers. Part of the money went to providing the families with a subsidy so they could afford to let their older children attend school. Our graduates have gone on to careers in social service, engineering, nursing, and other professions, enabling them to earn money to support their own families, and help their younger siblings with their education. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Bhavia stayed involved with FWC, expanding its activities to empowering women, helping victims of land mines, homeless children, HIV/AIDs patients, publishing a guidebook on responsible travel, and making seed grants to help rural villages build schools, rice banks, fish ponds, houses and wells. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Last year was the organization's 20th anniversary, marking $2.23 million in humanitarian aid for Cambodia. It seemed a fitting time to make plans to go back together and see the progress first-hand. Planning and scheduling logistics bumped our return trip into this year - the 21st anniversary of FWC - but we couldn't be more excited about seeing it all come together now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMlFVA6byEggNrm_KeeJxGKcE7dzTdSaQM2UMUlaCTXcJmN2G1iC6Giqnxb0Geqjn12_U5r4Fyu-kZDWp0jjMncEsHB0jfK_D5lXtgn-HeGdoZYEOW4Np1xL9bYW87Jtha0ifiznxxoFc7RYD37bWypOmP8bGunHjT9ljEZCzTrfveqiLQ9tp6qphuCuS/s2518/CambodiaAndVietnamMap2024.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2518" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMlFVA6byEggNrm_KeeJxGKcE7dzTdSaQM2UMUlaCTXcJmN2G1iC6Giqnxb0Geqjn12_U5r4Fyu-kZDWp0jjMncEsHB0jfK_D5lXtgn-HeGdoZYEOW4Np1xL9bYW87Jtha0ifiznxxoFc7RYD37bWypOmP8bGunHjT9ljEZCzTrfveqiLQ9tp6qphuCuS/s320/CambodiaAndVietnamMap2024.JPG" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our route</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom and I will follow our 10 days in Cambodia with a week in <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/hello-pineapple-good-morning-hanoi/">Hanoi</a>, where we last visited 17 years ago for a story for <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/hello-pineapple-good-morning-hanoi/">The Seattle Times.</a> Traveling to Southeast Asia has its challenges. Our flight is a non-stop between Seattle and Seoul, South Korea (13 hours) followed by a six-hour connecting flight into Hanoi and a 15-hour time change.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Like post-war Vietnam, Cambodia has come a long way since the dark days of the Khmer Rouge. Bhavia, reports there are 100 new skyscrapers, mostly built to house Chinese, in a city that had almost no cars, just cargo trucks when she first visited in 1991. There are Uber-like apps (<a href="https://www.grab.com/sg/">Grab</a>) for getting around by taxi or open-air Tuk-Tuk auto rickshaw and restaurants specializing in food from throughout the Western world.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The people we will meet will no doubt seem optimistic and content, but scars remain when it comes to access to education, healthcare, the sex trade and employment.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Among our activities will be a group meeting with our students who will talk about life after graduation, and make a presentation about traffic accidents as a way to improve their public speaking. We'll meet with staff at the Cambodian Women's Crisis Center, take a student-led architectural tour of Phnom Penh and travel to rural <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampot_(city)">Kampot</a> where we will meet Vanna, a village woman mother of 50 orphans, who, with the help of a Eugene, Oregon, benefactor, founded an organization called OEDDO to help children, the elderly and disabled. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrQ7CbM1th2zD9uOhKZeu6mrthQN-_ywza02qBXKi3GB66C3N6yK7rR3Rt7-LJifpyeI9sQZW5z5VSK4dWl9dQy-2BrQbUGnkB5LRrwULIasEr7YbsUpj-7xYq-RPrraF_isrYkzD5jOtxY1g9oWSA9j5BogLQsBmjbSTX7ZoAdTIQQOfFahEgHv65aOC/s213/images.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="213" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrQ7CbM1th2zD9uOhKZeu6mrthQN-_ywza02qBXKi3GB66C3N6yK7rR3Rt7-LJifpyeI9sQZW5z5VSK4dWl9dQy-2BrQbUGnkB5LRrwULIasEr7YbsUpj-7xYq-RPrraF_isrYkzD5jOtxY1g9oWSA9j5BogLQsBmjbSTX7ZoAdTIQQOfFahEgHv65aOC/w260-h195/images.jpeg" width="260" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tuk-Tuk, a main mode of transport in Southeast Asia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We saw the major sights on our last trip, thus the focus on people rather than places, but we're looking forward to a few new diversions such as taking a cooking class at a fair trade <a href="https://laplantation.com/en/">pepper plantation</a> in Kampot, and a <a href="https://lostplate.com/cambodia/phnom-penh-morning-market-breakfast-food-tour/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhO_f7faUhAMVcgytBh1msANPEAAYASACEgJqs_D_BwE">morning breakfast food tour</a> of Phnom Penh by Tuk-Tuk. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As tourists, we know our our actions can make a difference in people's lives. One way to do this is to book experiences with local entrepreneurs rather than use big tour companies; patronize restaurants that exist to train and prepare young people for culinary careers; stay in hotels that discourage sex tourism; and shop for crafts that support fair-trade practices, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When Tom and l move onto Hanoi, we've signed up for a walking tour with a student through </span><a href="https://www.hanoifreewalkingtours.com" style="font-family: arial;">Hanoi Free Walking Tours</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, and a visit to a farm outside the city booked through </span><a href="http://Eatwith.com" style="font-family: arial;">Eatwith.com</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, the Airbnb for dining with locals. Our host, Mandy, promises a visit to the local market, then a trip back to her home to cook with her family and have lunch. We'll travel there using the Grab app. There are more expensive (Mandy's price is $35 per person) ways to spend a morning cooking in Hanoi, but none, I suspect, as adventuresome or more fun.</span></p><p><br /></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-15890143537775127292023-12-16T14:53:00.000-08:002023-12-18T14:45:14.004-08:00Closing out international travel in 2023: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_NDRqA3KtvOQi6PaXRVUnMZqO-cQcctjnFp1yGS8MmgkLz_AoutXywYxNEpNMofis4UQLU5a38BYBR9xtZD4Jmo8nNhRNeUVcQheVT_5eofAJXDNwxi9GhkAf1fKMCL-oKSJXTSnS9UH-BTlqHn7-adPwgJnXlaQe3u1O2N0KY8TexJXcaHAPmc0JLjK/s1429/IMG_0905.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1429" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_NDRqA3KtvOQi6PaXRVUnMZqO-cQcctjnFp1yGS8MmgkLz_AoutXywYxNEpNMofis4UQLU5a38BYBR9xtZD4Jmo8nNhRNeUVcQheVT_5eofAJXDNwxi9GhkAf1fKMCL-oKSJXTSnS9UH-BTlqHn7-adPwgJnXlaQe3u1O2N0KY8TexJXcaHAPmc0JLjK/w358-h190/IMG_0905.jpeg" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skip the Global Entry kiosks with this mobile app</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Who would expect the U.S. government to be helpful when it comes to smoothing the hassles of air travel? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Who would expect a respected organization representing people over 50 to be promoting a rip-off passport scheme?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And who would expect a major travel magazine to nominate a war-torn country for a "Readers' Choice" award?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Examples of all three crossed by inbox this week. Let's label them examples of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of travel as we close out 2023.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>The Good: U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry Mobile App.</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Members of the government's <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs">Global Entry trusted traveler program</a> can skip the kiosk checks at many airports when reentering the country from an international destination by downloading the <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/global-entry-mobile-application">Global Entry Mobile Application</a> available on the Apple App store or Google Play.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Most Global Entry kiosks no longer require passports and fingerprints, but instead clear incoming passengers through facial recognition. Once pictures are taken, an immigration officer sees your information on a screen and waives you through.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The app allows you to skip the kiosk check entirely by registering your Known Traveler number ahead of time, then taking a selfie when you arrive and hitting "submit."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So far, 15 airports have been approved to accept the app including Seattle Tacoma International, Los Angeles, Washington Dulles and Chicago O'Hare.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0lWgh2GtMfhiNBzTqvhK13JANBppzr6C31-nZ_e6hXsMITODWYVLda_VsLNFXoXJwbvKLwq2JJiBa_4UmH1L1XmzY5jjOW5uYhIQ97FxkUH76NnU0dGRV4OlaMpG5k3Qz9Sf_uCGkxewWVLREC37mY9M5nV1vQpwNl38bAGx7pVbnqh5tGOVOp2o0iBO/s2048/IMG_0902.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0lWgh2GtMfhiNBzTqvhK13JANBppzr6C31-nZ_e6hXsMITODWYVLda_VsLNFXoXJwbvKLwq2JJiBa_4UmH1L1XmzY5jjOW5uYhIQ97FxkUH76NnU0dGRV4OlaMpG5k3Qz9Sf_uCGkxewWVLREC37mY9M5nV1vQpwNl38bAGx7pVbnqh5tGOVOp2o0iBO/s320/IMG_0902.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AARP promo for passport services</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Bad: AARP's "Rush My Passport" service.</i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"Renewing your U.S. passport has never been easier," touts a promotion on the AARP website advertising "exclusive pricing" on U.S. Passport renewal "bundles" through a private vendor passport and visa service called <a href="http://RushMyPassport.">RushMyPassport.</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Apparently following the clear and detailed directions on the <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwtrAvISVgwMV0x99Ch3MMQhYEAAYASAAEgI0evD_BwE">U.S. State Department's passport application and renewal</a> site is too complicated for those over 50, the group of citizens that the AARP represents. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Thus, the idea that it's some how worth it to pay $415 for it's <a href="https://memberoffer.rushmypassport.com/step-1?product=passport-renewal">"Expedited Service Bundle"</a> (estimated 5-week wait) vs. the $190 you'd pay by filling out the forms on the government's website and applying for expedited renewal ($130 for regular service plus $60 for expedited) directly by mail.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The RushMyPassport charge for its <a href="https://memberoffer.rushmypassport.com/step-1?product=passport-renewal">"Smart Service Bundle,</a>" - standard renewal (estimated 10-week wait) - is $335 vs. the government's fee of $130.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What does a "bundle" include for the extra money? According to the AARP/RushMyPassport website, it includes:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">*A user-friendly online experience</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">*All government and shipping fees (postage)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">*Document pre-check for accuracy</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">*Concierge-level assistance and dedicated support</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Really?...And no mention that p</span><span style="font-family: arial;">assport processing times have returned to pre-pandemic standards, according to the State Department. Routine services taking between six and eight weeks, and expedited services two to three weeks. That’s about a month faster than the estimated wait times from this March.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Ugly: Conde Nast Traveler's annual Readers' Choice awards, ranking Israel as a top destination.</i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"The past two months have been challenging for Israel," reads a tone deaf press release, "but good news has arrived with the announcement of <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/are-these-the-best-countries-in-the-world#intcid=_cnt-bottom-recirc_72637f70-5189-426b-97f5-54afeb669b9a_text2vec1">Conde Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards</a>, which ranked Israel as the eighth Best Country in the World. In addition, Tel Aviv was the third most Googled city in 2023."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"This news is sure to boost the morale and spirit of our many travel partners and stakeholders across the county as well as the people of Israel," said Eyal Carlin, tourism commissioner to North America for the Israel Ministry of Tourism.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“We’ve been working closely with our travel advisers, encouraging them to work with their clients to postpone travel to Israel, not cancel it. "</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Postpone? The reality is that everything has changed since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. it will be a long time before this part of the world will be in a position to welcome visitors. In the meantime, there are more critical concerns than restarting tourism. </span></p><div><br /></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-6401629974683133502023-12-01T18:24:00.000-08:002023-12-04T08:14:58.199-08:00Small-Town America awaits one mile from the Canadian border in Blaine<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupoira949ALeH5YnSE_pVC4nVZrFskVm8GK2_HK7FMbBCioF4OxLyosz_ogkjr6foaYswwo-V12SAZ2XJc2d3OXRHqytp7GNXqH-2aXZaL9R6UcUSIlYDmz-1oi8oKc6ixwwd9WNVN6LLwiGnsrMLcowdn3j6N6Gnj5Df8Jpfd7gTrIFw4Z_0y3PuEw2u/s2449/IMG_1378.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1815" data-original-width="2449" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupoira949ALeH5YnSE_pVC4nVZrFskVm8GK2_HK7FMbBCioF4OxLyosz_ogkjr6foaYswwo-V12SAZ2XJc2d3OXRHqytp7GNXqH-2aXZaL9R6UcUSIlYDmz-1oi8oKc6ixwwd9WNVN6LLwiGnsrMLcowdn3j6N6Gnj5Df8Jpfd7gTrIFw4Z_0y3PuEw2u/s320/IMG_1378.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Railway Cafe in Blaine, Wa.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Vicka Haywood pulls a batch of orange-blackberry scones from the oven in the back of a vintage caboose overlooking the harbor in Blaine, Washington.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/therailwaycafe?paipv=0&eav=AfbGjgxOjkixeITqY4XGIS0LWR8-IkwztTovFHjEPg9aBimZ1l9JmGNxRfWh_xPI4oI&_rdr">Railway Cafe</a>, complete with wheels and train tracks, sits just a mile from the Peace Arch border crossing between the U.S. and Canada.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Travelers going in either direction always guaranteed a brisk business. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Then came the Covid pandemic. One of the nation's busiest border crossings closed to nonessential travel. Traffic slowed to a trickle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> "I realized then, this is what a small town in America is supposed to be like," she says. Starbucks and other places closed, but the Railway Cafe remained open for take-out, catering to police, borders officials, and families meeting at <a href="https://bcparks.ca/peace-arch-park/">Peace Arch Park</a>, a neutral space where Canadians and U.S. citizens could gather.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sitting above Drayton Harbor overlooking Semiahmoo Bay in the Strait of Georgia, Blaine, population 6,000, is what many consider a way station between Bellingham and Vancouver B.C. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Many pass through without stopping, but a pleasant few hours await those who do. A detour to what locals call the "Peace Arch City" will indeed bring you solace before or after a long drive on Interstate 5.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtZkjFexuPhZP_N208oa5gyTxoxVLW7CB3HkzWss40xy89lIbJlmD5ymnhpHeulDuuC6Rmc2jTMt4ymvpPPFaUrKRwvLxrcReGA5NYWfgHB1vm3Q3DNf3RxN1uNmbKCLZCFhsmYA_E27TGWASfXKq-8iyayrU_XaW8i3qDX3mLujQIZEqvO9BW0Iw-I7p/s2557/IMG_1391.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1708" data-original-width="2557" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtZkjFexuPhZP_N208oa5gyTxoxVLW7CB3HkzWss40xy89lIbJlmD5ymnhpHeulDuuC6Rmc2jTMt4ymvpPPFaUrKRwvLxrcReGA5NYWfgHB1vm3Q3DNf3RxN1uNmbKCLZCFhsmYA_E27TGWASfXKq-8iyayrU_XaW8i3qDX3mLujQIZEqvO9BW0Iw-I7p/s320/IMG_1391.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vicka and Rodney Haywood in their Railway Cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Start with a stroll along Peace Portal Drive, the main drag though town, and coffee, breakfast or lunch at the Railway Cafe. Relax on the deck overlooking the Blaine marina, or get cozy inside the 1921 caboose decorated with vintage signs, a faux fireplace and red formica tables.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Vicka, born in Moldova and raised in Israel, bakes her scones, muffins and cookies one batch at a time in a small convection oven in the back of the railway car her husband, Rodney, found one for rent on Craigslist. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Filling her case on a recent morning were strawberry turnovers, raspberry-coconut scones and a Middle-Eastern spinach and feta breakfast treat encased in sheets of phyllo dough.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"My staff and I don't rush," reads a sign above the cash register. "If you have no patience, you're on the wrong train."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Marine walks</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Walk it off with a two-mile stroll along the <a href="https://blainebythesea.com/enjoy-a-walk/">Blaine Marine Park Wharf Loop trail</a>. Bike or walk on paved and gravel trail past covered waterside shelters, picnic areas, benches and a playground outfitted with jungle gyms shaped like a lighthouse and a ship.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyo3ecT9LTnL25Abt82Y6hUmN7l_dYCOx0Us_NTuiZt0IbdGQib2Hm1RLHr6UOwUutZeuHJlloE0IID7n7YXje9QoOUCwgwrLYNHGl6r-yY4Ubkuf6jicodqFBP6pVct6TYbkKx5WeZQKjjbKRkgGHLl9ifLTqsI27nzxaPyMDDWBNv9ODddidSq1TO4A/s2560/IMG_1403.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyo3ecT9LTnL25Abt82Y6hUmN7l_dYCOx0Us_NTuiZt0IbdGQib2Hm1RLHr6UOwUutZeuHJlloE0IID7n7YXje9QoOUCwgwrLYNHGl6r-yY4Ubkuf6jicodqFBP6pVct6TYbkKx5WeZQKjjbKRkgGHLl9ifLTqsI27nzxaPyMDDWBNv9ODddidSq1TO4A/s320/IMG_1403.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birdwatchers in Blaine</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Drayton Harbor is an important stop along with nearby Birch Bay, for migrating shorebirds and seabirds along the west coast. Birdwatchers are out most mornings as the migration goes into late fall and some birds spent the winter here. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> A short walk from town is Peace Arch Park, unique in North America for being the only park where people from the U.S. and Canada can meet without crossing the border.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Canadian side was closed during the pandemic, but U.S. officials kept the Washington side open, enabling families and others separated by the border closure, to meet, enjoy picnics and walks along garden paths. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">South of Blaine in the community of Birch Bay is Semiahmoo County Park, www.whatcomcounty.us/3579/Semiahmoo-Park CQ near the Semiahmoo Resort, www.semiahmoo.com CQ a waterfront destination built on a former salmon cannery site. The park sits on a 1.25-mile peninsula known as the Semiahmoo spit. Flat trails for walking or biking open to views of Mount Baker, the Twin Sisters and other peaks. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Lunch stop</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Always busy on a nice day is the patio at the Drayton Harbor Oyster Co. www.draytonharboroysters.com CQ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Order at the bar, find a seat and a waiter will appear with plates of locally-harvested oysters, bowls of oyster stew, oyster (or cod or shimp) tacos or overstuffed Po'Boy sandwiches. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHMOE0xZhCg8wL3wmnoswhdkh6XMe7Ygvg08PfR7bqceCehlRAGV_TMXGkvlhfxsvAwurwLt4VvkoEk5PXhX6fhr59WfZ47gfqfgqux9fcRkC7mT4o-ltwzjc7JJ9jWEn-bEbP-c1vfzMrGLZg-FwsneftmDIdlltymS_QQNAWb_sidEvHcHg-hptLXxk/s2560/IMG_1428.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHMOE0xZhCg8wL3wmnoswhdkh6XMe7Ygvg08PfR7bqceCehlRAGV_TMXGkvlhfxsvAwurwLt4VvkoEk5PXhX6fhr59WfZ47gfqfgqux9fcRkC7mT4o-ltwzjc7JJ9jWEn-bEbP-c1vfzMrGLZg-FwsneftmDIdlltymS_QQNAWb_sidEvHcHg-hptLXxk/s320/IMG_1428.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The patio at Drayton Harbor Oyster Co.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Eat here, and you'll support the success of a statewide shellfish recovery program in waters once so polluted that the health department prohibited harvesting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After years of effort in tracking down and cleaning up pollution, much of Drayton Harbor was considered recovered by the end of 2016, and year-round harvests resumed for the first time in 20 years.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVEX6EZM20f2KWQwFKh3mFdZ8JlR34bn_KEIjgyAldvVNmrPs91xKiLFGWm6y7RQuNEIgDUhI3iSQpLV6HbjePVUSGs_VBZkYrV3CFAel1vyYjFe3Mgq7TI3HWovyioON66BWYV8MQiwIa58IOopcHCVfGB1_jIcd3eZBPjJm2u9m5WUJOnSektYrzmhj/s2560/IMG_1429.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVEX6EZM20f2KWQwFKh3mFdZ8JlR34bn_KEIjgyAldvVNmrPs91xKiLFGWm6y7RQuNEIgDUhI3iSQpLV6HbjePVUSGs_VBZkYrV3CFAel1vyYjFe3Mgq7TI3HWovyioON66BWYV8MQiwIa58IOopcHCVfGB1_jIcd3eZBPjJm2u9m5WUJOnSektYrzmhj/s320/IMG_1429.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Dessert awaits just up the street at Edaleen Dairy www.edaleendairy.com CQ founded in 1975 by Ed and Aileen BransmaCQ in the heart of Whatcom county dairy country. Stop in for soft serve at small town prices. </span><p></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Sustainable shopping</b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Tucked into an alley off Peace Portal Drive is the Living Pantry, www.livingpantry.com CQ an "almost" zero waste store owned by Shawna and Seppi Morris CQ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The idea is for customers to bring their own containers to refill with natural cleansers, soaps and other liquids stored in big glass jugs. Because so many of her customers are travelers who don't come with empty jars, the shop compromises with some packaged versions of unpackaged bulk products.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzV42GUWoCVrTSGVsxW90cfzfSGPPMNwv95sJJBdKZKfss0ro6G7ggPBhLBzbgbrE7O7JS7zInOJSC0pND-zF558xMLv6SxRUSfjaPCl1C_TSj-eJn4bv9hzbTpKji92wQEcoZEzMe7R7Zfq5n-UoZNZZJeiVS185XZbkps3Jq7Rm-6sSLAJO0r9NP0FA/s2560/IMG_1418.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzV42GUWoCVrTSGVsxW90cfzfSGPPMNwv95sJJBdKZKfss0ro6G7ggPBhLBzbgbrE7O7JS7zInOJSC0pND-zF558xMLv6SxRUSfjaPCl1C_TSj-eJn4bv9hzbTpKji92wQEcoZEzMe7R7Zfq5n-UoZNZZJeiVS185XZbkps3Jq7Rm-6sSLAJO0r9NP0FA/s320/IMG_1418.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dryer balls from New Zealand</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">On the shelves are bees wax food wraps, flavored toothpaste powders, solid dish soap discs made to last for months, and wool dryer balls from New Zealand designed to save energy by reducing dryer time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Happy hou</b>r</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Two recommended stops: The tasting room at the <a href="http://glmwine.com">Glacial Lake Missoula Wine Co.</a>, housed in a former garage, and <a href="http://www.beachcatbrewing.com">Beach Cat Brewing</a>, a few miles south of Blaine on scenic Birch Bay.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Wine lovers will be intrigued by how Vancouver owners Tom Davis and Tracey DeGraff use Washington-grown grapes to produce an "enrobed" wine that combines red and white grape varieties into a single wine. The unfermented skins of red grapes are used to enrobe white grape juice and transform it into a red wine by fermentation. Tasting room hours are limited, so check before visiting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Reports are that Beach Cat Brewing plans to open in Blaine sometime in the next year. In the meantime, enjoy a bike ride or stroll followed by a beer named after your favorite cat at its tap room on the beach at Birch Bay. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>If you go:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Downtown Blaine is 22 miles north of Bellingham, Wa. and one mile from the U.S/Canada Peace Arch border crossing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Find tourism info and maps at <a href="http://www.blainebythesea.com">here</a>. The Blaine Welcome Center is at 546 Peace Portal Drive.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Peace Arch Park is called <a href="https://www.parks.wa.gov/562/Peace-Arch">Peace Arch Historical State Park </a>on the Washington side. A state park Discover Pass is required for parking. Day passes can be purchased at the park.</span> </p><p><br /></p><p>This story appeared in <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/more-than-the-peace-arch-what-to-see-and-do-in-blaine-wa/">The Seattle Times</a> on Nov. 3, 2023</p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-59855609257213284662023-11-11T10:35:00.004-08:002023-11-15T09:53:11.711-08:00Icelandair comes through with compensation for flight delays <p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrhWe9t04hS88_5rAhrpDadd8W58WtsAihjwUDrZ8js00RIzHI6_6GkLGc6JuKdqHjSSUMYo9xj8bx5Ylm9H2ljTWJcFh2xCJpr5PStfGNi3Cntn_9OPUHBq3vf5pr8QDCyel-Ytz2Q0-B0U-CaPPmYE5EMTeaTi4VcDwO9CXOlYceyl7uCLywgyFKum3/s2560/IMG_1438.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1565" data-original-width="2560" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrhWe9t04hS88_5rAhrpDadd8W58WtsAihjwUDrZ8js00RIzHI6_6GkLGc6JuKdqHjSSUMYo9xj8bx5Ylm9H2ljTWJcFh2xCJpr5PStfGNi3Cntn_9OPUHBq3vf5pr8QDCyel-Ytz2Q0-B0U-CaPPmYE5EMTeaTi4VcDwO9CXOlYceyl7uCLywgyFKum3/s320/IMG_1438.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iceland's Keflavik airport</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Most airlines would rather you not find out too easily about </span><a href="https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm#compensation-delay-1" style="font-family: arial;">EC Regulation 261</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, commonly referred to as EU 261, granting passengers the right to seek compensation when they have experienced delayed (two to four hours or more), cancelled, or overbooked flights.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The policy applies to all airlines flying out of or within the EU and many non-EU countries, even U.S. based airlines. But few American travelers are familiar with this rule, and airlines are rarely pro-active in passing on this information.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://Icelandair.com">Icelandair</a> is the exception. Not only does it let passengers know of the policy via brochures labeled "Compensation and Assistance" stocked at all its counters inside <a href="https://www.isavia.is/en/keflavik-airport">Reykjavik's Keflavik's airport</a>, it processes claims promptly and pays up quickly.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1_E5MYcLN9D_KfUBtUlgVWXsc1Dm3W5bXojQHRQxWoQNrTTN_6XAhq4tDk9e7Ky1ZDkgT10c9KNpOmSElgpsk5bxg92Zv0XvlEO79M-6eohiSj2kDbzmoe_F_0TGFW4UOgZWDW2GzuaDKv3viyc2Ytn-t4FyPHzQcPmSZh2amLvZZCdg6WgT3X3JP1Kt/s2560/IMG_1717.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1_E5MYcLN9D_KfUBtUlgVWXsc1Dm3W5bXojQHRQxWoQNrTTN_6XAhq4tDk9e7Ky1ZDkgT10c9KNpOmSElgpsk5bxg92Zv0XvlEO79M-6eohiSj2kDbzmoe_F_0TGFW4UOgZWDW2GzuaDKv3viyc2Ytn-t4FyPHzQcPmSZh2amLvZZCdg6WgT3X3JP1Kt/s320/IMG_1717.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icelandair spells out passenger rights</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Less than a month after I submitted a claim for a seven-hour delay in a flight from Reykjavik to Rome in October, I received an email from the airline saying my claim had been approved. As per EU rules, the compensation totaled 600 euros ($648) each for my husband and me. We provided our bank account info as requested, and the cash was deposited the next day.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Do an internet search for "EU rule 261" and see how many complaints and questions come up as to how to actually get compensation that is owed. Many frustrated travelers turn to private fee-based services, such as </span><a href="http://Airadvisor.com" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Airadvisor.com</a><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">, for help wading through the rules and paperwork.</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Icelandair made the application easy, providing a link to an online form that asked only for passenger details, date and time of the flight, ticket numbers and boarding pass information. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I received an immediate automated response saying the forms had been received, and a case number assigned. Two weeks later, I received another email thanking me for my patience and assuring me that processing was underway. One week later, I received the notice that we had been awarded the 600 euros each, based on an EU formula that takes into account the length of the delay and the destination. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The EU rule allows for a few exceptions, such as weather, strikes etc., but not technical problems or, as happened with our flight, changes due a shortage of aircraft or crew.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Had this happened in the United States, the airline would owe us nothing but an apology. There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when flights are delayed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When it coms to the EU rules, the major U.S. airlines tend not to be as transparent as European-based carriers. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Find all the information you need </span><a href="https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm#compensation-delay-1" style="font-family: arial;">here</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> to see if your delay or cancellation qualifies, and how to file a claim. Depending on the country, you have from one to three years to file a claim.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For a flight to be<a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/travel-rewards/eu-261/#:~:text=Simply%20put%2C%20EU%20261%20is,compensation%20amounts%20for%20each%20situation."> eligible for compensation</a> under EU 261, it must be either departing from a Member State—one of the 27 EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, as well as most outlying territories—or departing from a nonmember country with a destination within a Member State.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The rule includes flights departing from the EU to the U.S. (but not <i>from</i> the U.S. to the EU) and some other countries and even connecting flights within the U.S. operated by U.S. partners of EU airlines. This means that any U.S. domestic flight booked through an EU airline on a single itinerary will be covered by the law. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">You can try finding the same information on your airline's website, but a simple search for "EU 261" turns up nothing on most U.S. carriers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">United is an exception. Type "EU 261" in the search window and this <a href="https://media.united.com/images/Media%20Database/SDL/travel/destination/international/0991_CSM859-EU-EN_handout_R1.pdf">link </a>comes up, along with instructions on how to file a claim.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">British Airways publishes the information<a href="https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/legal/flight-cancellation-compensation"> here</a>. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">American Airlines makes the rule easy to find on its <a href="https://www.americanairlines.co.uk/i18n/customer-service/support/passenger-rights-european-union.jsp?locale=en_ES">UK booking site</a>, but not on its <a href="https://www.aa.com/homePage.do">US. site</a>. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Delta hides the information under the obscure title of </span><a href="https://www.delta.com/eu/en/change-cancel/exit-eu-compensation" style="font-family: arial;">Exit European Union (EU) Compensation Request</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Keep in mind that whether the airline makes the process easy or difficult, you can be confident that if you have a qualifying flight, you will eventually be compensated. The EU has strict penalties in place for airlines that don’t comply with this regulation. And although an airline might offer a voucher, the law says you are entitled to cash.</span></p><p><br /></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-31890153879117625802023-10-30T13:57:00.003-07:002023-10-30T14:39:05.235-07:00Italian days: Wild boars, sheep in the road, tasty meatballs and old friends<p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFpC2rrCnrsRxnK0rsb3ayYVn700cuSY7Z7f5T_lMeUb6doHtU8dfSlshiKcYAIOLlvwdg0YW8UeLxsQ-HA5NG1tR3A6EqYWu7laafCeu48AzU09X60MF1AwXwl7upu7cBWOxSnxzfjHB-hm8aJSlZIzpJaOjOJNeTiqY4QRZuNZjlgvZOcie43pkvB3d/s4032/71838959981__7E35EFA9-081B-4159-9CF8-87CAA0C5B31F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFpC2rrCnrsRxnK0rsb3ayYVn700cuSY7Z7f5T_lMeUb6doHtU8dfSlshiKcYAIOLlvwdg0YW8UeLxsQ-HA5NG1tR3A6EqYWu7laafCeu48AzU09X60MF1AwXwl7upu7cBWOxSnxzfjHB-hm8aJSlZIzpJaOjOJNeTiqY4QRZuNZjlgvZOcie43pkvB3d/s320/71838959981__7E35EFA9-081B-4159-9CF8-87CAA0C5B31F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maria, Dante with their homemade meatballs and peas</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"Be careful," warned my friend Maria. "There are wild boars roaming around."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My husband,Tom, and I have made many memories traveling around Southern Italy's rural Campania region. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Perhaps this time, we'd make another. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As it turned out, we encountered no boars, but we did run into a flock of sheep blocking both sides of a two-lane road leading to <a href="http://carolapucci-albania.blogspot.com/2010/05/finding-puccis-in-greci.html">Greci</a>, a hill town between Bari and Naples, where my grandfather was born.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBhNQqg0Qq1aZw4OWa9eE47qUX1Rrh4dtzQJpz4uQnMolDlla7hARcOKN4nc-Hp0hMR2x6hwuNwOw31jFGJ52-b9HWcPF01fihOceFQ0eqDKWS3o8G4f1J02Z8nz7LCipYL8y58CAJ4l9bR91zCHy8N-v_UzQJOjkavVndE5sr7_iizJ4906stsNr16pk/s4032/IMG_1553.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBhNQqg0Qq1aZw4OWa9eE47qUX1Rrh4dtzQJpz4uQnMolDlla7hARcOKN4nc-Hp0hMR2x6hwuNwOw31jFGJ52-b9HWcPF01fihOceFQ0eqDKWS3o8G4f1J02Z8nz7LCipYL8y58CAJ4l9bR91zCHy8N-v_UzQJOjkavVndE5sr7_iizJ4906stsNr16pk/s320/IMG_1553.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep in the road on the way to Greci</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Maria and her husband, Dante, live in nearby </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariano_Irpino" style="font-family: arial;">Ariano Irpino</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. We met 13 years ago on our first visit to Greci. Maria's mother was born there, and Maria, who lived for a while in England, speaks fluent English.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After touring Greci, we enjoyed a memorable meal at their home, including prosciutto from the recently-slaughtered family pig. We met again a few years ago, this time while we were exploring more of Southern Italy with my husband's brother, Al, and his wife, Nancy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Al mopped up Maria's sauce with his bread, a gesture for which Dante bestowed on him the title of "Buona Forchetta," or Beautiful Fork, roughly translated "Good Eater."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's been our good fortune to have stayed in touch with Maria and Dante and others in Italy whom we've met over the years during family visits (Tom's family is from Southern Italy and Sicily) and through story assignments for the Seattle Times and other publications. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When the Covid pandemic ended and we had a chance to travel again, I stole an idea from another journalist whom I admire: Pick destinations where you know people, and make plans to reconnect.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">On this trip, a return to our favorite big city in Italy - <a href="http://carolapucci-tips.blogspot.com/2015/04/bella-napoli.html">Naples</a> - and a desire to see something new - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecce">Lecce</a>, a Baroque jewel box in southern <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apulia">Puglia</a> - were the jumping off points for visits with several sets of old friends. A bonus was detouring through or staying in towns tourists rarely find a reason to visit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Navigating our way around the sheep in a rental car was nerve-wracking, but worth it considering the reason we were on this back road was because we had detoured through the tiny town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marco_dei_Cavoti">San Marco dei Cavoti</a>, the center of torrone production (nougat candy) in Southern Italy. We stopped at a century-old shop for vintage boxes of torrone baci (chocolate nougat), then found a bakery with a few tables on a shady patio. The warm weather called for sampling our new favorite coffee drink - <a href="https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/italian-coffee-cream-crema-di-caffe/">crema di caffe</a> - an icy, whipped concoction of espresso, cream and sugar eaten with a spoon. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4eZpv6NVxPxWcVvOWEEWFEFNO-w_F5WspFhYQRdmrpJElEHQ2HGCJstKYMhMtnJsHad24sYMedkw3q_FHxAS2vMyKhuD2tb0rRUjd9VJZMB4dyQF6PzljVCITjbKERslwz5qkgJbEFGW2RDpwZbHHGuMYT2rvdI1xkMppWXDQsgZFMSU8LP1rKD8PbBH/s1983/IMG_3550.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1983" data-original-width="1454" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4eZpv6NVxPxWcVvOWEEWFEFNO-w_F5WspFhYQRdmrpJElEHQ2HGCJstKYMhMtnJsHad24sYMedkw3q_FHxAS2vMyKhuD2tb0rRUjd9VJZMB4dyQF6PzljVCITjbKERslwz5qkgJbEFGW2RDpwZbHHGuMYT2rvdI1xkMppWXDQsgZFMSU8LP1rKD8PbBH/s320/IMG_3550.jpeg" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crema di Caffe in San Marco</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XuugFCAFWEvd4RAcANF5WkdmHBlAGzoUPW2AFMQll-DrmlOGKD94vXR_JYGa0kZ884lZHuol4ZPMpCD9CRwRIsTm-zWkHlE6-4gnpCPTy_zgJL4h24LljAbVv2oPLSvtgPwj7qqdbQ1Ni3IUHAfp3XVYINlyYG-gmsrzRQ8-JPE4UJ87ybmDCVjivutV/s2560/IMG_1548.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XuugFCAFWEvd4RAcANF5WkdmHBlAGzoUPW2AFMQll-DrmlOGKD94vXR_JYGa0kZ884lZHuol4ZPMpCD9CRwRIsTm-zWkHlE6-4gnpCPTy_zgJL4h24LljAbVv2oPLSvtgPwj7qqdbQ1Ni3IUHAfp3XVYINlyYG-gmsrzRQ8-JPE4UJ87ybmDCVjivutV/s320/IMG_1548.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Waiting for us in Greci was Rita DiMinno, the town's unofficial ambassador to American visitors, many of whom are members of an online group called Greci Cousins. Rita was born in Greci but moved to Australia with her family as a young girl after her father, a shoemaker, found work there. Rita learned English, and returned to Greci for a visit. There she met, and later married her late husband, Pino Perillo.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkYGHW7dLrUGeGDoAfXVI5WfYoLLYrnGLVUqvXo0UjyrhE-iZkVpkExX4ZBxLLtmdW5Sg3ID_V_w2ISqsaX2_pc-tr7xZEvVLAF0eXtQniQUePyyzuSgwqz5ms_wNGWHjdwi5qKB1mA3Lp-5zFj28edtVcyhuWLXudCNCCrKwIWwHEUGL7DpmQGOCK0qK/s2560/IMG_1557.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkYGHW7dLrUGeGDoAfXVI5WfYoLLYrnGLVUqvXo0UjyrhE-iZkVpkExX4ZBxLLtmdW5Sg3ID_V_w2ISqsaX2_pc-tr7xZEvVLAF0eXtQniQUePyyzuSgwqz5ms_wNGWHjdwi5qKB1mA3Lp-5zFj28edtVcyhuWLXudCNCCrKwIWwHEUGL7DpmQGOCK0qK/s320/IMG_1557.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rita in her kitchen with her homemade tiramisu served with a shot of Strega, an herbal liquer from the nearby town of Benevento.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Greci's history is unique because it is one of 51 Italian towns settled by Albanians between the 15th and 18th centuries. The communities call themselves "Arbereshe,'' and the people in these towns speak an Albanian dialect as well as Italian. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Albanian soldiers settled in Greci sometime in the mid-1400s when the King of Naples invited them to relocate after the military leader, Skanderbeg, answered a call to help the Italians defeat French-supported insurrections. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsDAI7DIQh9mt84eZu9xiyn7dEwNdWdrh6STu23vb5uBxmmhKPG6Mxp5nKkjAAPoZw5Ji3FN0p5YcvDgQpQdXUmaXpwz8FY3yiEmenwzwIoOojE4yo47deAILiLeH9gp-feLh6GsfumBrpgiHNhn-5sG0qyxmVBSZr-BAN3kR61odbTyYDzPFloqrLlUN/s2560/IMG_1563.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsDAI7DIQh9mt84eZu9xiyn7dEwNdWdrh6STu23vb5uBxmmhKPG6Mxp5nKkjAAPoZw5Ji3FN0p5YcvDgQpQdXUmaXpwz8FY3yiEmenwzwIoOojE4yo47deAILiLeH9gp-feLh6GsfumBrpgiHNhn-5sG0qyxmVBSZr-BAN3kR61odbTyYDzPFloqrLlUN/s320/IMG_1563.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new monument in Greci honors the Albanian war hero Skanderbeg</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Nearly 4000 people lived in Greci in the 1950s. Now there are only about 450, most of them retired. But things are looking up as more people from Naples make their summer homes here. After a slice of her homemade tiramisu, Rita took us on a walk around town to show us what was new including a new monument dedicated to Skanderbeg, a new restaurant (the only one in town) and several bed and breakfasts in addition to a caffe/bar and a doctor who makes house calls.</div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T9upLiDkuljkWbxgj885FjVvGh_FmRKjOszwOcuanfYY1qmtZqCemNpokkadiXLVH56WfcnzrvsG_Tjp3eyAsoaN3OkUOEJbDGTF4wvjywhX9wtTIPNW27bdI47AUzu_MeJR7vYSZH2tQYZjii20hq9zfK_c_mJ3GilYSF23SvneFVc8MA-4IM71lZ7H/s2560/IMG_1559.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T9upLiDkuljkWbxgj885FjVvGh_FmRKjOszwOcuanfYY1qmtZqCemNpokkadiXLVH56WfcnzrvsG_Tjp3eyAsoaN3OkUOEJbDGTF4wvjywhX9wtTIPNW27bdI47AUzu_MeJR7vYSZH2tQYZjii20hq9zfK_c_mJ3GilYSF23SvneFVc8MA-4IM71lZ7H/s320/IMG_1559.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new restaurant in Greci is called Ha e Pi, Arbëresh for Eat and Drink. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiKth1YVbIKv9Q4vp4qVoOb8pSEr6KZp1-RxwY4d7vmvheUQTG9xKXc9N4pMW09NOHN79wNP3QpMe0xVGmFgqIWJiv_6J3WxbVgXeBnHkTjct-sZOaFym2-EMpMIzTIE2Agg7z_0FYds_9NkofhT4ka4lC1KdmRMQrgc_dJQdqQ1I0py0GZVHsrkyQu0f/s2560/IMG_3553.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiKth1YVbIKv9Q4vp4qVoOb8pSEr6KZp1-RxwY4d7vmvheUQTG9xKXc9N4pMW09NOHN79wNP3QpMe0xVGmFgqIWJiv_6J3WxbVgXeBnHkTjct-sZOaFym2-EMpMIzTIE2Agg7z_0FYds_9NkofhT4ka4lC1KdmRMQrgc_dJQdqQ1I0py0GZVHsrkyQu0f/s320/IMG_3553.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rita, Tom and me in front of her home in Greci</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IuR4lrduME6ccUkIsKvHHjCZCR4ji19-LAdKCok7oOygtEW23Ii9zeQy_5hWXPambsB1dECHU42f1aAXKWc87ZOnhTrLp4FGWByVQt5RdW373bajphTy45HuAeJwO3RbxJCNV8_gzKD-1ldWNtKePXKO2w9rqMWLd1GFjWbel3rBD0Jo-rzrkXmz3w05/s2560/IMG_3559.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IuR4lrduME6ccUkIsKvHHjCZCR4ji19-LAdKCok7oOygtEW23Ii9zeQy_5hWXPambsB1dECHU42f1aAXKWc87ZOnhTrLp4FGWByVQt5RdW373bajphTy45HuAeJwO3RbxJCNV8_gzKD-1ldWNtKePXKO2w9rqMWLd1GFjWbel3rBD0Jo-rzrkXmz3w05/s320/IMG_3559.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Together again with Dante and Maria</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>After our walk with Rita, we had dinner once again with Maria and Dante in Ariano. They fixed a pasta with homemade tomato sauce and a traditional dish of homegrown peas and meatballs, followed by fresh figs from their tree. They didn't kill a pig this year, so no prosciutto. Maybe next year, they said, if they can get some help. I see a return visit in our future.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyUmYcaq34nmuHhIOcI4tqe5kZbA1Pe5DcIOvG0q8kPOEZYvpzooxdNlu1I5-iZ3s-xclXyewnML-APeG1NnqCXXFvrrIuFJ6kO-iSaq3RvUiXxb9-WYOKUpGVidA0lF1ihLxnCIoaFDyzve9CzHfDzZt2jSqj7gjp8f6kBcugPeNn5LZsVxVicn4OS9r/s2560/IMG_1611.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyUmYcaq34nmuHhIOcI4tqe5kZbA1Pe5DcIOvG0q8kPOEZYvpzooxdNlu1I5-iZ3s-xclXyewnML-APeG1NnqCXXFvrrIuFJ6kO-iSaq3RvUiXxb9-WYOKUpGVidA0lF1ihLxnCIoaFDyzve9CzHfDzZt2jSqj7gjp8f6kBcugPeNn5LZsVxVicn4OS9r/s320/IMG_1611.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sant'Agata dei Goti</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Sant' Agata dei Got</b>i</div><div><br /></div><div>Our next stop was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant%27Agata_de%27_Goti">Sant' Agata dei Got</a>i, an ancient town built on a rock cliff above a river in an area called the Sannio, off-the-radar compared to Tuscany in the north, but an abundant agricultural area known for its wine.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilauDHxlVh9E1BbN0sJub1ruwX08BTiVkXviXVXWbl6kjJoAKEOHHl2Vnrgj9EdMUhL-j93tofXiEKmBiQxCHZLLYFZXevIn0CJP4chjR1mAb8M3ZUPZbXpdm1fUCySWw0XU5VYuSMtR99Xagh0qYqXFBxCPje6hggG__xrOxWQIHFPvWuI_46qFHbLs6X/s2560/IMG_1608.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilauDHxlVh9E1BbN0sJub1ruwX08BTiVkXviXVXWbl6kjJoAKEOHHl2Vnrgj9EdMUhL-j93tofXiEKmBiQxCHZLLYFZXevIn0CJP4chjR1mAb8M3ZUPZbXpdm1fUCySWw0XU5VYuSMtR99Xagh0qYqXFBxCPje6hggG__xrOxWQIHFPvWuI_46qFHbLs6X/s320/IMG_1608.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sant' Agata historical center</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>In 2008, while searching for a place to stay, we found <a href="http://www.sentieriluminosi.com/sant-agata-de-goti.html">Sentieri Luminosi</a>, a recently opened bed and breakfast. Our hosts were Loredana Fusaro, then a cook at a local restaurant and massage therapist, and her husband, Enrico Pofi, a photographer. They moved here from Naples, and bought a 19th-century stone building on a bluff overlooking the town. We were their first non-Italian guests, and since they both spoke some English, we got to know each other. I wrote a story about the Sannio which included a mention of Sentieri Luminosi, and a picture of Loredana and Enrico in their yard surrounded by fig trees.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fast forward to 2023. Enrico and I connected on Facebook. Yes, they remembered us, and would be happy to meet. We set a time and date for a rendezvous in town for a drink, then they generously invited us back to their home for lunch. A few minutes in the kitchen, and Loredana had assembled a meal of pasta, local cheeses, salami, olives, cooked greens, bread and wine. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MtqmiycMSalTOVoY_4xx6T4i6oKpirwGiH-8smvOPLaRTrtWWlGNZOc34M21xEbxaQSgP4FGrGZcARzOl21srgaCf9gBKjqmjWHgbII6UOu39uXGJotx6UB7n7G4CJiNwDyI5Sz_j_uLgZvyH5C9dXryjVPsJ8jR6WqR9ANOpwcAzufPtfUY1P5Jtp-y/s2386/IMG_3574.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1606" data-original-width="2386" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MtqmiycMSalTOVoY_4xx6T4i6oKpirwGiH-8smvOPLaRTrtWWlGNZOc34M21xEbxaQSgP4FGrGZcARzOl21srgaCf9gBKjqmjWHgbII6UOu39uXGJotx6UB7n7G4CJiNwDyI5Sz_j_uLgZvyH5C9dXryjVPsJ8jR6WqR9ANOpwcAzufPtfUY1P5Jtp-y/s320/IMG_3574.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch with Enrico and Loredana </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>We talked and ate at the same table where we had breakfast 15 years ago. Loredana went into her file drawer and pulled out a copy of the story I had written which she had saved all these years. It was one of those moments that we all hope for when we travel, a time when we no longer feel like tourists, but friends.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpQKKcAvvRY2liPBf6olawekD71_NqW6OjQgtp2_xfcbIoN6HNThL-0Pc4IR5SAQBDtMFO1WimlxDvypjY-j68jOZMWFeZhn1I5UpEDJZSI68e0Z8i93EQKkBrLP5XtJYzRDCERkyjcJbOkeiW9eLhD7Gyk-CP-D90LSH_VsC3meolDrcaDao9PTKVxIY/s2120/IMG_1600.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2120" data-original-width="1817" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpQKKcAvvRY2liPBf6olawekD71_NqW6OjQgtp2_xfcbIoN6HNThL-0Pc4IR5SAQBDtMFO1WimlxDvypjY-j68jOZMWFeZhn1I5UpEDJZSI68e0Z8i93EQKkBrLP5XtJYzRDCERkyjcJbOkeiW9eLhD7Gyk-CP-D90LSH_VsC3meolDrcaDao9PTKVxIY/s320/IMG_1600.jpeg" width="274" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arch of Trajan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Benevento</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Our base for exploring Campania was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benevento">Benevento</a>, a mid-sized city about 30 miles northeast of Naples. Reminders that it once flourished as a Roman colony include a restored Roman theater, an archeological park and an arch at the entrance of the town, built in 114, considered to be among the best-preserved Roman structures in Campania.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq98HaxdZTFptUXDRluP02nu2YE1Z7yhJnzmSoXJ48fwP2fG-wHdg5YbIpqL9upa5GP4iOY_aZRHr0GJ__g1C8hiQMIzW85yzRwVm6AkRrbe-C44pebvpK_tzZ29NNwmUsHnseMn49BnksEymo6YQT_7rxP6oNSIzxWBicS7HsSQfbCJ2fN4OJBfTfjHoe/s2392/IMG_1621.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="2392" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq98HaxdZTFptUXDRluP02nu2YE1Z7yhJnzmSoXJ48fwP2fG-wHdg5YbIpqL9upa5GP4iOY_aZRHr0GJ__g1C8hiQMIzW85yzRwVm6AkRrbe-C44pebvpK_tzZ29NNwmUsHnseMn49BnksEymo6YQT_7rxP6oNSIzxWBicS7HsSQfbCJ2fN4OJBfTfjHoe/s320/IMG_1621.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shop selling all things Strega</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Benevento became famous for two things: witches and Strega, a powerful greenish-yellow herbal liqueur, served and sold everywhere as a drink and in chocolate candies and torrone. Thirteenth-century folklore spread the belief that Benevento would be a gathering place for Italian witches. Many famous writers, musicians and artists wove tales of witches into their works, taking inspiration from the Benevento legend. </div><div><br /></div><div>Strega takes its name from the legend of the streghe (Italian for witches). its label depicts the streghe dancing under a walnut tree.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ_2ycQxxUY-4owfg490kRAwstTgIE514EAHNouyzX8Np0cX9U_o8hB3yykLYRZEA6Sp9qxqyqwB1JgRJJ_FBO9P5RJa_myi8Zk93t_TeHsKJMykCTOxiKHLsgAhGvkI5uSAF383uH7j90mbKt2FeTEJ1GPChonHOmqkRd-j1K7dygD4sT2aCXVBgFan1/s2560/IMG_1604.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ_2ycQxxUY-4owfg490kRAwstTgIE514EAHNouyzX8Np0cX9U_o8hB3yykLYRZEA6Sp9qxqyqwB1JgRJJ_FBO9P5RJa_myi8Zk93t_TeHsKJMykCTOxiKHLsgAhGvkI5uSAF383uH7j90mbKt2FeTEJ1GPChonHOmqkRd-j1K7dygD4sT2aCXVBgFan1/s320/IMG_1604.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strega includes 70 herbal ingredients include saffron</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Benevento's main street is pedestrianized with side streets leading to hidden restaurants and cafes. There's a Sunday flea market and a lively early-evening passegiatta when friends and families meet for a stroll, a drink or last-minute shopping before the stores close. Some years ago, while staying at a B&B in Tbilisi, Georgia, we met Gianna Fusco, an Italian professor whose home town was Benevento.</div><div><br /></div><div>We stayed in touch, and met up a few years ago in Naples where Gianna was teaching. When she saw on Facebook that we were again in Italy, she got in touch. Although she now lives in L'Aquila where she teaches American literature and American studies, she drove to Benevento to meet us. We owe her mother a big thank you for a bottle of the homemade limoncello she sent our way, and Giana an invitation to come visit in Seattle.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rtbvj2fD7FlqJKjtllWcj7bRXHm47FnSdPKghKHyclN8BA3EHOiMElHkSxy7eRZ91es1wi4ijmckEPFFkRDTa4j6Jm0AAiO0HszexUWfi8YaqfYzSeDkaenhj-PYLIaL8rHrCL72CZICbY8W_GqvV8zx7CvIFZ-l4nDvw59KBw0V9tobotk_rsEpnScq/s2560/IMG_3562.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rtbvj2fD7FlqJKjtllWcj7bRXHm47FnSdPKghKHyclN8BA3EHOiMElHkSxy7eRZ91es1wi4ijmckEPFFkRDTa4j6Jm0AAiO0HszexUWfi8YaqfYzSeDkaenhj-PYLIaL8rHrCL72CZICbY8W_GqvV8zx7CvIFZ-l4nDvw59KBw0V9tobotk_rsEpnScq/s320/IMG_3562.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom, Gianna and I in Benevento. The obelisk in the background was originally erected for the Roman Temple of Isis. Heroglyphs appear on four sides </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Last stop: Rome</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Rome has been so inundated with tourists, we had decided not to stop, and instead take a train directly from Benevento to the airport to catch a flight to Reykjavik, Iceland. We changed our mind when we found out our old friend, Letizia Mattiacci, had relocated there after selling her bed and breakfast inn in Assisi. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNq6ic_DSCgFDDKBnunmFddQhFXJsyOVfET9hrnCmo5yka-q4m_x7rJxl3NwqexaHm21jEJ4c6C2uXINcDHwbRM4fVhkUn4YUFVlETEnKCw07wU8j6JTTjTiWDaYpwAAWbsR-AAS5p-HJJj-R2AllsuA3NM8dGiv_WhaDMMO0O3lRxxkndGjsLWEOHIu0d/s2560/IMG_3579.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNq6ic_DSCgFDDKBnunmFddQhFXJsyOVfET9hrnCmo5yka-q4m_x7rJxl3NwqexaHm21jEJ4c6C2uXINcDHwbRM4fVhkUn4YUFVlETEnKCw07wU8j6JTTjTiWDaYpwAAWbsR-AAS5p-HJJj-R2AllsuA3NM8dGiv_WhaDMMO0O3lRxxkndGjsLWEOHIu0d/s320/IMG_3579.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letizia and us in Rome</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div>It was 20 years ago, that we found Agriturismo Alla Madonna del Piatto five miles off the main highway above Assisi in the central Italy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Letizia and her Dutch husband, Ruurd de Jong, gave up careers as entomologists to buy and renovate the abandoned farmhouse built centuries ago as a refuge for shepherds.</div><div><br /></div><div>With six cozy rooms, breakfast and dinner, Alla Madonna made an ideal base for visiting the medieval villages of Umbria, and since Letizia offered cooking classes, we were able to take advantage of a rainy afternoon to trade in a few hours of sightseeing for the chance to tinker in an Italian kitchen.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>It was a memorable experience that made its way into a story for The Times. Letizia, like Loredana in Sant' Agata, had saved a copy of the print version that included a picture of her. </div><div><br /></div><div>After two years of dealing with a difficult family situation, Letizia, the author of two cookbooks, has reinvented herself in Rome. We met for a drink in her new neighborhood, Appio Latino, a short Metro ride from the historical center. She has launched a new business - <a href="https://madonnadelpiatto.com/?fbclid=IwAR0k-eAq8RDoLEIKQYQJRE04u-QnAXcH8ZEmuYPhkeLjhYvtLRi3t-CHap0">Madonna del Piatto</a> - and restarted cooking classes. Instead of a farmhouse, students will find themselves in an authentic Roman neighborhood devoid of tourists. There they will spend several rewarding hours cooking in Letizia's kitchen, then sharing a four-course lunch in her dining room.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0skHEtbbzHscXJ6_WtFYOLBCGyolrj7b0ELIuIl36EQKpWsM7FgnrtCSNMSbf4_iFO9s2m-F2dKq1ImHO7pk104iOSZDjU65XJcZad7SAIcV9l99JlGBzic5u5mGgxVLSyi3MYklMx26ixaLmGdIxfNUcpII9fXMzOqoddJmF-jseV2LPzYZkmhOAB-GU/s2557/IMG_1632.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1508" data-original-width="2557" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0skHEtbbzHscXJ6_WtFYOLBCGyolrj7b0ELIuIl36EQKpWsM7FgnrtCSNMSbf4_iFO9s2m-F2dKq1ImHO7pk104iOSZDjU65XJcZad7SAIcV9l99JlGBzic5u5mGgxVLSyi3MYklMx26ixaLmGdIxfNUcpII9fXMzOqoddJmF-jseV2LPzYZkmhOAB-GU/s320/IMG_1632.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hosteria L'Orso 80</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Our visit with Letizia was worth detouring to Rome for one night, but I wasn't sorry we weren't staying on. The crowds were getting on my nerves as we walked in a human traffic jam past the Trevi Fountain to a restaurant near the Piazza Navona that's always been a favorite. </div><div><br /></div><div>I reluctantly made reservations, expecting it to be flooded with tourists and service to be rushed. But as we got closer, the crowds seemed to disappear, and there, on a quiet street, was <a href="https://www.orso80.it">Hosteria L'Orso 80</a>, mostly as we remembered it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The warm weather meant we could sit on the patio. We ordered what we always order - the antipasti della casa -- more than a dozen bowls filled with roasted eggplant, zucchini, peppers, prosciutto, salami, cheeses, salads, melon and meatballs.</div><div><br /></div><div>The price has gone up a bit since we first visited years ago, but not much else has changed. A man still sits at a vintage cashier's desk inside tallying up the bills. Sometimes the waiter will throw in an extra meatball.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a week spent reconnecting with Italian friends, D'Orso felt like an old friend too. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-2769663880419726602023-10-23T07:49:00.002-07:002023-10-23T14:40:08.778-07:00Bella Napoli: Our favorite Italian city<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_ICEjqCYTmOhRCgB8gkyBKN-Gbdv2vJSu9iG4Rv7eNWJez5jT9EAGw7LlbxlIaO130xFlT9jf-Ge4Ah4X6LL_FT3_Evzb3mmpdAit5PPaHItt4TMN39MNV3mCB3l68400x9MO0WKLhnSTSd3IrRt4i8q0SLZzp2g_ImTcLVbPS8cWxQFPgqwznwNh1vC/s2560/IMG_3478.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_ICEjqCYTmOhRCgB8gkyBKN-Gbdv2vJSu9iG4Rv7eNWJez5jT9EAGw7LlbxlIaO130xFlT9jf-Ge4Ah4X6LL_FT3_Evzb3mmpdAit5PPaHItt4TMN39MNV3mCB3l68400x9MO0WKLhnSTSd3IrRt4i8q0SLZzp2g_ImTcLVbPS8cWxQFPgqwznwNh1vC/s320/IMG_3478.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Asked to name a favorite Italian city, few would pick noisy, crowded traffic-choked Naples, Italy's third largest city just south of Rome. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Yet here we are, sipping a spritz and lemon granita at a sidewalk table as motorcycles whiz by, and happy music blasts from inside a cafe on the edge of the Spanish Quarter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rome has its antiquities. Florence has its art. Naples' draw has always been its setting, with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vesuvius">Vesuvius</a>, still an active volcano, looming behind a sparkling bay and busy working waterfront. Most visitors head for the <a href="https://mann-napoli.it">National Archaeological Museum</a> to see its collection of artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum, towns buried by the volcano's eruption in 79 A.D., then use the harbor as jumping-off point for trips to the islands of Capri and Ischia.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Now more travelers are discovering the city itself as it welcomes tourists with crowded but safe, well-lighted streets, open-air restaurants, walking tours and Airbnbs. Its reputation for scooter-riding bag snatchers lives mostly in the past, helped by television personalities such as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/shows/stanley-tucci-searching-for-italy">Stanley Tucci</a> who featured its fried pizza in the first installment of his popular CNN travel show "Searching for Italy." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWr2BJx3Pys775zAmk8U-bmfrvR6acqSlUHW-bsjEWL5A5iIwnXv8-nHBSwZb2hMNrbG7-WjyHo4AUNOpnd6BHj1iVcX7nqBQ3pIZGCy9skQtXDd-ExcqjWXjlWieb1mo7v-LtVLZOWGM0yF9AgG-_AR8Uo-ZycwC640AqlMH_wxRB44tYsdKbNVG501C/s1759/IMG_1463.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1759" data-original-width="1350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWr2BJx3Pys775zAmk8U-bmfrvR6acqSlUHW-bsjEWL5A5iIwnXv8-nHBSwZb2hMNrbG7-WjyHo4AUNOpnd6BHj1iVcX7nqBQ3pIZGCy9skQtXDd-ExcqjWXjlWieb1mo7v-LtVLZOWGM0yF9AgG-_AR8Uo-ZycwC640AqlMH_wxRB44tYsdKbNVG501C/s320/IMG_1463.jpeg" width="246" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowds on Via Toledo waiting for fried pizza</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnZQucdF7LxUW9aZqu7LZpT0iIb_ypbK6jA2OmD8-HOpSjaxUhOLdO80DuCGEsh5nB58nP14_QO7GynsheWDCL6d51gDpgaOIAHoUvwFhoBYsvtgFwRcd5dG5_zF6oUB12qZxbMe5dZvCSKDvwf_olk-P5gkFA3h8UTzuXvvAeycuwRY-nbagrYjRG3wU/s1702/IMG_1466.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1702" data-original-width="1355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnZQucdF7LxUW9aZqu7LZpT0iIb_ypbK6jA2OmD8-HOpSjaxUhOLdO80DuCGEsh5nB58nP14_QO7GynsheWDCL6d51gDpgaOIAHoUvwFhoBYsvtgFwRcd5dG5_zF6oUB12qZxbMe5dZvCSKDvwf_olk-P5gkFA3h8UTzuXvvAeycuwRY-nbagrYjRG3wU/s320/IMG_1466.jpeg" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street food is best eaten on the street </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">We make it a point to spend a few days in Naples whenever we're in Southern Italy. On this trip, Naples was the jumping off point for a trip to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecce">Lecce</a>, a lovely Baroque town in Apulia five hours south by train in the heel of Italy's boot.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Ruled first by the Greeks, then Romans, Normans, Spanish and French, Naples is divided into 21 zones, each with a collection of monuments, palaces and Gothic and Baroque-style churches whose plain facades hide interiors filled with frescoes, paintings and elaborate marblework.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Having seen all the major sites on past trips, we settled in here in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartieri_Spagnoli">Spanish Quarter</a>, a warren hilly, narrow streets and slim houses, built in the 16th century to house Spanish occupying troops. Just a few steps west of the chic shops on Via Toledo, the "Quartieri Spagnoli " is a traditionally poor area that's rapidly gentrifying. The modest <a href="https://www.hotelilconvento.it/index_eng.html">Il Convento</a> hotel where we stayed in past years now quotes rates of $200 and up. The Hosteria Toledo, a corner restaurant that was once a favorite, gets bad reviews. American-style eggs and pancakes are on the menu at <a href="https://birdythebakery.com">Birdy's Bakery</a>, a breakfast spot in the nearby Chiaia neighborhood. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-M1c1Y-LVl8B1dKjdSkTIDnfWjANwntOwuMhCo19l_jxNq733F5yi0rJANYKcX3grsWdCZoieKvb2Mp9rPnFLPDyki162JkAVib36N9jD5jD9EM3-Sxi3iG0gtsmVZcn-UvEzvx2Yf2ZvheqQTQai8b8Lp3D0iYzsVmAABdZ_CkxOHRTbH4vmdBvIsmv/s1856/IMG_1450.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1628" data-original-width="1856" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-M1c1Y-LVl8B1dKjdSkTIDnfWjANwntOwuMhCo19l_jxNq733F5yi0rJANYKcX3grsWdCZoieKvb2Mp9rPnFLPDyki162JkAVib36N9jD5jD9EM3-Sxi3iG0gtsmVZcn-UvEzvx2Yf2ZvheqQTQai8b8Lp3D0iYzsVmAABdZ_CkxOHRTbH4vmdBvIsmv/s320/IMG_1450.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our neighborhood market: Part vegetable stand, part religious shrine</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But authenticity is there to discover. Our Airbnb on the fifth floor (no lift) of a stone building required four keys to enter. Laundry flaps from our neighbors' balconies. Wandering through the <a href="https://anamericaninrome.com/2016/10/la-pignasecca-market-in-naples-street-food-in-napoli/">Pignasecca</a> street market, we found traditional Neopolitan pastries such as f</span><span style="font-family: arial;">iocchi di neve, little brioche snowballs filled with cream. The best cafes are in a funicular ride away in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomero">Vomero</a>, a quiet, upper-class neighborhood high above fray, appreciated by locals for its cooler temperatures and parks. The best pizzas cost no more than 10 euros, and nowadays, go way beyond the traditional Margherita</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> (Buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce, olive oil and basil) to vegan and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">gluten-free offerings with toppings such as ricotta cheese and zucchini flowers.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLs-LLcpLgrDTtjkhhvCF4HnQEeaQCwyG3PaDRnkIMvrWVTSWUqItj40-yzNnyonqkz3r8BXYu46kIVM8EkkPh0KUJ8XgtgxI72J-r-SzYIQuKIgUPG3SDjpXqnGJqCGSxc2nWNcLyNLrpgZyIqpSqCxbsMq0HYB837jqDQnYsFezfEbmV8zZkCaxX3bz/s2560/IMG_3474.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLs-LLcpLgrDTtjkhhvCF4HnQEeaQCwyG3PaDRnkIMvrWVTSWUqItj40-yzNnyonqkz3r8BXYu46kIVM8EkkPh0KUJ8XgtgxI72J-r-SzYIQuKIgUPG3SDjpXqnGJqCGSxc2nWNcLyNLrpgZyIqpSqCxbsMq0HYB837jqDQnYsFezfEbmV8zZkCaxX3bz/s320/IMG_3474.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fiocchi di neve</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2YFXvIu-hgjUMPAo_ySf4FgtaVuhjhFpLvM5kESmAu_LCI6Gmisk7OOPTteJn4VRnztpo78y7t-4rAfO7aj-0HiZjIkRtHJFG8qFR7Zey2E-MDHLNtEH9rhQnufa668pJzoGby0Xe-WzraO7fPf7NmLcYstudd4uOKNs7fYo8_EeaqB-WNe2IV_RGwYh/s2560/IMG_1476.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2YFXvIu-hgjUMPAo_ySf4FgtaVuhjhFpLvM5kESmAu_LCI6Gmisk7OOPTteJn4VRnztpo78y7t-4rAfO7aj-0HiZjIkRtHJFG8qFR7Zey2E-MDHLNtEH9rhQnufa668pJzoGby0Xe-WzraO7fPf7NmLcYstudd4uOKNs7fYo8_EeaqB-WNe2IV_RGwYh/s320/IMG_1476.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />A street in the Spanish Quarter looking towards the Galleria Umberto<span style="text-align: left;">, an 1887 indoor shopping mall with an arched glass and iron dome.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>,<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2X29_dEYhUOx7p5YvBvS9zL2DF_O1bAd44pjit4qGvBCmHA7gBY8F5LjRuJVSCBJHbT8aKHFAOHAMtW8eT8V_UBVqHx8BDcMFdu3nIn-_S64EX1u_kbHRAVpG-2SfLpeXesqAz2z7BSKlhZEqiCKptvPZTxK2-9V9XsLiMW2cO_VvyvdKWyZ5OPg6_Ck/s2560/IMG_1480.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2X29_dEYhUOx7p5YvBvS9zL2DF_O1bAd44pjit4qGvBCmHA7gBY8F5LjRuJVSCBJHbT8aKHFAOHAMtW8eT8V_UBVqHx8BDcMFdu3nIn-_S64EX1u_kbHRAVpG-2SfLpeXesqAz2z7BSKlhZEqiCKptvPZTxK2-9V9XsLiMW2cO_VvyvdKWyZ5OPg6_Ck/s320/IMG_1480.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Castellammare cable car </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">An easy day trip out of Naples is a train ride along the <a href="https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/e/sant-agnello">Sorrentine</a> coast to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorrento">Sorrento</a>. Most people use the <a href="https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule">Circumvesuviana</a> line from Naples Centrale station to go to Pompeii, but if you've seen Pompeii, then consider visiting some of the other towns just past the ruins You'll have the train to yourself since almost everyone gets off at Pompeii. Two of our favorites were <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castellammare_di_Stabia">Castellammare di Stabia</a> and <a href="https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/e/sant-agnello">Sant'Agnello</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Castellammare was built over the ruins of the ancient Stabiae: like Pompeii, a village totally destroyed in 79 AC by the eruption of Vesuvio.The cable car takes about eight minutes to reach the top of <a href="Mt. Faito">Mt. Faito</a>, 4,500 feet above sea level, opening up sweeping views of the town, the Gulf of Naples and Vesuvius. Locals enjoy the park for picnics and walks in the cool mountain air during the summer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm7gb2QjuURRS_-MHRpr0RoQXHuZ869ZVFAK8FAtPBE5vznpPJhO4sHzd7aE4h4eH6Mz6CiItq9fHRYnlCtGqVUmmqJ1KxvdAk5jFQ-CFBgYvn7y_jGwzNvhRN_CZuhj9u0JC5BegGniE0Ss-HLhBUjsxVmSAN94S8Zfh28z-2SrMDayr0g98c5hwf-_S/s2305/IMG_1482.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2305" data-original-width="1729" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm7gb2QjuURRS_-MHRpr0RoQXHuZ869ZVFAK8FAtPBE5vznpPJhO4sHzd7aE4h4eH6Mz6CiItq9fHRYnlCtGqVUmmqJ1KxvdAk5jFQ-CFBgYvn7y_jGwzNvhRN_CZuhj9u0JC5BegGniE0Ss-HLhBUjsxVmSAN94S8Zfh28z-2SrMDayr0g98c5hwf-_S/s320/IMG_1482.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walk from Sant' Agnello with Vesuvius in the background</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><p>Sant' Agnello is the last town before Sorrento heading east on the Circumvesuviana. If you're up for a scenic walk, exit the train here and follow a path along the coastal road all the way to Sorrento. The walk is a little over a mile and takes about 30 minutes. Along the way, you'll pass luxury hotels perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea and fancy beach clubs below.</p></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkA8KlX9L1B4bRTMCxZvVn4bws9rQi_0Gyc8F7lB-8JnDhIdq5xmUzbsgiK3ppVIYsSIJdIymALp9zknFfwBwP6iI8b9I62NHXQ9rczLU82wEDRsJ9hUHWi9yItLzhL2u1yOoafPI8dKLFj12V9kE3DYxVF1t-4DttF3DCCPU6FOwAKXIs9e4KsWwERi4X/s2491/IMG_1484.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="2491" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkA8KlX9L1B4bRTMCxZvVn4bws9rQi_0Gyc8F7lB-8JnDhIdq5xmUzbsgiK3ppVIYsSIJdIymALp9zknFfwBwP6iI8b9I62NHXQ9rczLU82wEDRsJ9hUHWi9yItLzhL2u1yOoafPI8dKLFj12V9kE3DYxVF1t-4DttF3DCCPU6FOwAKXIs9e4KsWwERi4X/s320/IMG_1484.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Marinella Beach Club </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqL0NZF_e76qfO1Z3-6cHKwkOwxDMJDYaAd1tMsoW4chgyFEnhtxyIs8QGDksvNQrkTufyQDuH8awwyUdxyi5kdy52otl1QT8ajqzpe6SB0ynMpgY8xvrlrAtTFSeoLdWA_dKn6YZODhN-KkqxIDQNAGNqnpTzNOQwaD-c8IP2XIVDAEydcxYGqYJu4Q7/s2560/IMG_1485.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqL0NZF_e76qfO1Z3-6cHKwkOwxDMJDYaAd1tMsoW4chgyFEnhtxyIs8QGDksvNQrkTufyQDuH8awwyUdxyi5kdy52otl1QT8ajqzpe6SB0ynMpgY8xvrlrAtTFSeoLdWA_dKn6YZODhN-KkqxIDQNAGNqnpTzNOQwaD-c8IP2XIVDAEydcxYGqYJu4Q7/s320/IMG_1485.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorrento: Gateway to the Amalfi Coast</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">By now you'll probably have had your fill of crowded trains, so take a high-speed ferry back to Naples from Sorrento's Marina Piccola port. You can walk to the port from Piazza Tasso by descending about 100 steps, or take a bus. The ferry ride takes about 45 minutes, time enough to have an Aperol Spritz onboard while you pass by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vesuvius">Vesuvius</a>, and consider what life is like for the three million people who live close enough to be affected by another eruption. </span></p><p><br /></p></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-20773147027085061242023-10-17T11:03:00.004-07:002023-11-15T09:55:36.171-08:00Flight delayed in Europe? EU rules require compensation<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5Tb9r7uxQEsczzGdZ3VugcZhsKZiRgwnlojquJFJ4-hafE7ArM8XPqmVL0y_t0DcG3WHmI_o9j9Y3ltUdxV5J1zBOYVD7e8x5HLTo1JYuvUXVW9UNMdPBHyDsm1jZiM3xpiXDNCBZWaNpIz46dDWJNKj5EzjAnG9vzZWv6nv86npp0Do3h6CWregf59L/s2560/IMG_1438.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1565" data-original-width="2560" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5Tb9r7uxQEsczzGdZ3VugcZhsKZiRgwnlojquJFJ4-hafE7ArM8XPqmVL0y_t0DcG3WHmI_o9j9Y3ltUdxV5J1zBOYVD7e8x5HLTo1JYuvUXVW9UNMdPBHyDsm1jZiM3xpiXDNCBZWaNpIz46dDWJNKj5EzjAnG9vzZWv6nv86npp0Do3h6CWregf59L/s320/IMG_1438.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keflavik Airport</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When </span><a href="http://www.icelandair.com"><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span>celandair</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> announced a seven-hour delay in a connection my husband and I were making from Reykjavik to Rome after a morning flight from Seattle, I began making mental contingency plans.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Any further delays would cause us to miss the last train of the evening to Naples, our final destination. If that happened, we'd be stuck in Rome for the night where last-minute hotel bookings were going for $500 and up. In desperation, I did a quick Google search on where to find the best lounge chairs for stretching out in <a href="https://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en">Fiumicino airport</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As it turned out, our flight from Reykjavik landed in Rome at 9:30 p.m., time enough for us to run with our carry-ons to the station inside the airport. We made the last train leaving at 9:53 p.m. There was no time to stop and buy a ticket, so we begged the conductor to let us pay on the train, He did, and even giving us a discount from the normally higher price. The train pulled out as scheduled, putting us into Naples at midnight, a full 24 hours after leaving Seattle. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Had this happened in the United States, the airline would owe us nothing but an apology. There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when flights are delayed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But was Europe, and since Icelandair is based in the EU, almost all of its flights are protected by<a href="https://www.airhelp.com/en/ec-regulation-261-2004/#"> Regulation EC 261</a>, one of the most comprehensive laws protecting air passenger rights worldwide.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">EC Regulation 261 grants passengers the right to seek compensation when they have experienced delayed (two to four hours or more), cancelled, or overbooked flights, with few exceptions. Those include weather, strikes, security risks etc. but not technical problems.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Bottom line: We each qualified for 400 euros in compensation for the delay which Iceland Air admitted was caused by “a shortage of aircraft,” in this case meaning our plane, originally scheduled to leave Reykjavik for Rome at 8:30 a.m., had to be diverted to Dublin.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For a flight to be <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/travel-rewards/eu-261/#:~:text=Simply%20put%2C%20EU%20261%20is,compensation%20amounts%20for%20each%20situation.">eligible for compensation under EU 261</a>, it must be either departing from a Member State—one of the 27 EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, as well as most outlying territories—or departing from a nonmember country with a destination within a Member State.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The rule includes flights departing from the EU to the U.S. (but not from the U.S. to the EU) and some other countries and even connecting flights within the U.S. operated by U.S. partners of EU airlines. This means that any U.S. domestic flight booked through an EU airline on a single itinerary will be covered by the law. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The policy applies to <i>all</i> airlines, even U.S. based carriers. Few American travelers are familiar with this rule, and airlines are rarely pro-active in passing on this information.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Icelandair was the exception. Not only did the airline send us text messages saying meal vouchers would be automatically added to our boarding passes while we waited (also an EU requirement), we were handed brochures outlining the rules, and referencing an Iceland Air customer support website where we could fill out claim forms.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There are worse airports in which to be forced to spend seven hours than Iceland's Keflavik, but few are more expensive. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Leaving the airport on a long layover is out of the question, considering the Keflavik is 30 from downtown Reykjavik, and the bus ride costs $50 each way.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPEAsKbjrodPfo0o1s0JxgSR3SNojU6UygncLFM7GcpxpIjPTDMFSGdm46oSw56_4KSAnHfrI9MfijO4JRWEkc_PKkjgWs2uYNncPegki2frZLYLEwDrdCkfmlYdiWsYqnzMEmCNHisDYph9rWtJPkY9nVtLVt9XKxZ9Pk4T_b1zBnRYxYKLvpCOpk-PQ/s2560/IMG_1695.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPEAsKbjrodPfo0o1s0JxgSR3SNojU6UygncLFM7GcpxpIjPTDMFSGdm46oSw56_4KSAnHfrI9MfijO4JRWEkc_PKkjgWs2uYNncPegki2frZLYLEwDrdCkfmlYdiWsYqnzMEmCNHisDYph9rWtJPkY9nVtLVt9XKxZ9Pk4T_b1zBnRYxYKLvpCOpk-PQ/s320/IMG_1695.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowds boarding at Keflavik airport</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our $40 meal vouchers went quickly on smoked salmon omelettes ($14 each), coffee and snacks for the next flight. The airport wins points for free and fast Wi-Fi, clean restrooms, and lots of plug-in outlets for electronic devices. On the downside, there's just one area with lounge chairs, and gate areas tend get crowded in the late afternoon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Upon returning home to Seattle, I filled out the claim form, a surprisingly simple task that asked only for flight booking numbers, ticket numbers, flight numbers and dates of travel. I was assigned a case number, and received an e-mail telling me it might take a few weeks for resolution. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Two weeks later, I received the following e-mail from Icelandair:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"We apologise that your case has not yet progressed.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">For the past weeks we have experienced a heavy workload but we want to inform you that we have received your case, and we are trying our best to process your inquiry. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">We thank you for your patience and understanding."</span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'll keep you posted.</span></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-21558802035493028362023-08-29T12:31:00.002-07:002023-08-29T14:39:28.323-07:00Taking a fresh look at exploring Washington's Yakima Valley<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPPuLINqXtHXSJ4c4Us67LYJHSbvDHjHwu7STN_eYbTTzEJ9qlHPB8_6eA3nCu7bC1w47gHXd_v1GS6n_B4T8OkvIBq8U3Ju3YLFsXvjkatdqxr4GYt2IdqBGSZ6-v6b8p20ITHJzFVfxel58DmZCPovPxc-ezxiUoYEHY0KfNva2F0rcASs4ygkP0ZpO/s2560/IMG_1332.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPPuLINqXtHXSJ4c4Us67LYJHSbvDHjHwu7STN_eYbTTzEJ9qlHPB8_6eA3nCu7bC1w47gHXd_v1GS6n_B4T8OkvIBq8U3Ju3YLFsXvjkatdqxr4GYt2IdqBGSZ6-v6b8p20ITHJzFVfxel58DmZCPovPxc-ezxiUoYEHY0KfNva2F0rcASs4ygkP0ZpO/s320/IMG_1332.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views of the Yakima Valley from Gilbert Cellars winery</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For Seattleites who haven't crossed the Cascade mountains into Central Washington in a while, a trip to the Yakima Valley might bring to mind acres of apple orchards, fruit-packing warehouses and juice processing plants surrounded by brown hills and sage brush.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The fruit industry is still alive - Washington continues to produce more apples than anywhere else in the U.S. thanks for an average 300 days of sun, a desert climate and irrigation -but, like everywhere, the economy is shifting. The valley grows half the state's wine grapes, and 75 percent of the nation's hops.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Due in part to creative young entrepreneurs returning to their roots, visitors will find wineries with tasting rooms overlooking lush vineyards, breweries and cideries; art galleries in warehouses once used for cold fruit storage; and restaurants serving everything from noodles and dim sum to Salvadorian pupusas. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I made a three-day visit to the area a few weeks ago, the first in many years. I could have done without a couple of 100-degree-plus afternoons, but not only was I surprised at what I found, I left determined to come back, perhaps in fall or spring when the temperatures drop.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are some suggestions on what to explore: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Downtown Yakima</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVrgqEYStJMCQjz_ItBnKvBfMCV-n5m7Y2YWFkzA-pcuGPvp0TKki1jR4i7jNgrHteJG6hdnVJTGgEDxlGVn6qm3ptAvBHgmNwQHypFdF7XxHXHTLvUNA-11F3iIv6vANaTP4k2YWXMgFGJUzxEw5PLS7hPERBtyYrY1ybJrgpDbraBeLgQiZ1qw-7skE/s2738/maison1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="2738" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVrgqEYStJMCQjz_ItBnKvBfMCV-n5m7Y2YWFkzA-pcuGPvp0TKki1jR4i7jNgrHteJG6hdnVJTGgEDxlGVn6qm3ptAvBHgmNwQHypFdF7XxHXHTLvUNA-11F3iIv6vANaTP4k2YWXMgFGJUzxEw5PLS7hPERBtyYrY1ybJrgpDbraBeLgQiZ1qw-7skE/s320/maison1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Maison</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Yakima is one of the oldest communities in Washington, and many of historic buildings in the walkable downtown have been repurposed as tap rooms, tasting rooms, cafes and restaurants.</p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our group stayed in the <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ykmhmup-hotel-maison-yakima/">Hotel Maison</a>, former Masonic Temple built in 1911, now a boutique hotel with 36 guest rooms.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A few blocks away is the old Northern Pacific train depot, a major transportation hub in the early 1900s, now the <a href="https://www.northtowncoffee.com">North Town Coffee House</a>, a cozy cafe with vintage decor, and near the site of <a href="https://downtownyakima.com/events/downtown-summer-nights/">Downtown Summer Nights</a>, a Thursday night festival with food and craft vendors and live music. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Other buildings and craftsman-style homes house restaurants and coffee shops. Locals like <a href="https://makdaddycoffee.com">Mak Daddy</a>, a roaster that keeps a guitar next to the fireplace, and serves avocado toast topped with roasted tomatoes, feta and balsamic vinegar. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0ZQewxjLrxOiv9ZDPnMwnQIuSQCgfVWX9DeayX7mtqNsldMLmVXq4a-oDS8ud-hzN1Km-tJSv4fvv19ZXuSis4VdoqaTBGPU57EyVLeSn35BzvqRV1FYevRxMlb8f4UKOdePDV23Czd94rGURhLMWKcYJIHy8Fe33La69FhZjsPATeL0EKhhczwX6YMc/s2560/IMG_1263.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0ZQewxjLrxOiv9ZDPnMwnQIuSQCgfVWX9DeayX7mtqNsldMLmVXq4a-oDS8ud-hzN1Km-tJSv4fvv19ZXuSis4VdoqaTBGPU57EyVLeSn35BzvqRV1FYevRxMlb8f4UKOdePDV23Czd94rGURhLMWKcYJIHy8Fe33La69FhZjsPATeL0EKhhczwX6YMc/s320/IMG_1263.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single Hill beer garden</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sitting vacant is a sprawling former shopping mall awaiting someone with the money and vision to convert to another use. Meantime, </span><a href="https://singlehillbrewing.com" style="font-family: arial;">Single Hill Brewing Co</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. occupies the former J.C. Penny tire center across the street. Its 16 taps dispense light beers, tart and fruity sours and IPAs brewed with local hops. A large outdoor beer garden faces a 1900s-era church turned into an arts center.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Outdoor adventures</b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4VFxmPBQYAEkf3EXAIfOYWLmYf7erVYan6ltx5WniZXIYe5bhKUZwU8BcZ2zfzoFGiDI-wEvxpkdMGYvEvNHAx0bKFzHhOfFhV-OMtatKPGyvqZxNooaMAsG-xpdqHx9puE43IZxvfAv-fbjtlwBerJMluYKjDA2Q5EMzZnXRbKljtLQSKS1TPKIKImT/s2560/IMG_1259.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4VFxmPBQYAEkf3EXAIfOYWLmYf7erVYan6ltx5WniZXIYe5bhKUZwU8BcZ2zfzoFGiDI-wEvxpkdMGYvEvNHAx0bKFzHhOfFhV-OMtatKPGyvqZxNooaMAsG-xpdqHx9puE43IZxvfAv-fbjtlwBerJMluYKjDA2Q5EMzZnXRbKljtLQSKS1TPKIKImT/s320/IMG_1259.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rafting along the Yakima River</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A dry and rugged outdoor landscape defines the valley. Stop for lunch at the <a href="https://www.canyonriver.net">Canyon River Ranch </a>in nearby Ellensburg, then float down the Yakima River canyon on a raft equipped with shade canopies, bench seats and a table for drinks and snacks. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The resort works with guides from<a href="https://redsflyfishing.com"> Red's Fly Shop </a>to offer two-hour eco cruises ($95 per seat) along the Yakima River as it winds through rolling desert hills and basalt cliffs, some rising more than 2,000 feet. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The canyon's crevices and cliffs are home for the densest concentration of nesting hawks, eagles, and falcons in the state. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMPZAIsvs9yCImINKVr-L3w2WICpGVtM6BphAv3dwaZ85Y8AtvJWOV8vt5ZHGI3r6E62OSFBchsfVeAahg95UANHbwPHMcO6Obq3BWH6Eymsitk5XKtCIT4jLGf-GVsB7sLYyJTrNlbVzDUj3TnQT8r599o0QKRTDsv5MVEQdGqY_gYEXLfh0FdWg3Kv2/s2022/IMG_1271.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="1918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMPZAIsvs9yCImINKVr-L3w2WICpGVtM6BphAv3dwaZ85Y8AtvJWOV8vt5ZHGI3r6E62OSFBchsfVeAahg95UANHbwPHMcO6Obq3BWH6Eymsitk5XKtCIT4jLGf-GVsB7sLYyJTrNlbVzDUj3TnQT8r599o0QKRTDsv5MVEQdGqY_gYEXLfh0FdWg3Kv2/s320/IMG_1271.jpeg" width="304" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseback riders model for a photo shoot along the Cowiche Canyon trail</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Walkers and hikers can get a feel for the landscape by taking the easy and flat</span><a href="https://www.cowichecanyon.org/trails/" style="font-family: arial;"> Cowiche Canyon Conservancy Trail</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, a one-time railroad line that criss-crosses nine old trestle bridges over Cowiche Creek as it flows through a canyon with basalt walls on one side and andesite on the other. Notice the red and black rock formations as you walk on the gravel-packed main path, or follow one of the side trails that lead to views of Mount Rainier and Mount Adams or the tasting room at </span><a href="https://www.wilridgewinery.com" style="font-family: arial;">Wilridge</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> vineyard and winery on the north bluff. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Drinking and eating</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Tacos and tamales are what you might expect to find in an area with a large Latino population -about 50 percent in Yakima County compared to around 13 percent in Washington state. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Get your fix of traditional fare by following the Yakima Valley <a href="https://www.visityakima.com/yakima-valley-passports-taco-and-tamale-trail.asp">Taco and Tamale trail</a>, a list of 26 stops, then branch out and explore a new culinary scene aimed at tourists, Western Washington retirees who have relocated, and young professionals returning to their hometowns to work remotely. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Chefs and foodies from around the world make pilgrimages to <a href="https://visityakima.com/yakima-valley-listing-detail.asp?ID=1134">Los Hernandez Tamales</a> in Union Gap which won a <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/eastern-washingtons-los-hernandez-tamales-wins-a-james-beard-award/">James Beard</a> culinary award a few years ago. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3vYG-xtijxXnFK-lZnj0GIvJhV8IvTcxjccTNkO0R2RUzRicl82vi3q4r8DeCxHwp8lnixhEyA8QuAkhMZg8cdNQeOYn-a8PHRz3DP6U1Rw7VtRHzrbYKQMFaryooRlsoZhvtKx5YnnsuHnGlNuwQa3xYD9Nkdpx2JwmFETMk-9sBA6oanH5an68bkMb/s2331/IMG_1318.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1761" data-original-width="2331" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3vYG-xtijxXnFK-lZnj0GIvJhV8IvTcxjccTNkO0R2RUzRicl82vi3q4r8DeCxHwp8lnixhEyA8QuAkhMZg8cdNQeOYn-a8PHRz3DP6U1Rw7VtRHzrbYKQMFaryooRlsoZhvtKx5YnnsuHnGlNuwQa3xYD9Nkdpx2JwmFETMk-9sBA6oanH5an68bkMb/s320/IMG_1318.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The four-table restaurant in Union Gap</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETUGZOVBk6ZhJAajYRmP20Y_jfkkPB2zF0iUca4PHBzJMtMTtzxvpdgZRZwKSVlbH3NqsWzxXfdjy579DHEBQEqKDxZlh2P_BHQBgzcZ7GRsFgVbjrw73EcZb-QBfJI-J3H-wfp6hmtIWqR0px5BDn1-oLgbV-1c0dhK6iUkOUX6sG6yAuoRBhihrXImt/s2096/IMG_1319.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2096" data-original-width="1817" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETUGZOVBk6ZhJAajYRmP20Y_jfkkPB2zF0iUca4PHBzJMtMTtzxvpdgZRZwKSVlbH3NqsWzxXfdjy579DHEBQEqKDxZlh2P_BHQBgzcZ7GRsFgVbjrw73EcZb-QBfJI-J3H-wfp6hmtIWqR0px5BDn1-oLgbV-1c0dhK6iUkOUX6sG6yAuoRBhihrXImt/s320/IMG_1319.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owner Felipe Hernandez</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The Hernandez family turns out Texas-style tamales by the hundreds daily in a nearby commercial kitchen, but little has changed at the brick-and-mortar restaurant they opened 33 years ago. There are still only four tables and four types of tamales for sale (pork, chicken, cactus and asparagus when in season) for $2.33 each.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRIb1RBKXHsE6f_K9KW1Xiu7Wcd3jMTsXxPo9Ig_oW8vagzaMCr_BamIcNUxawpx3yJSB5N_SRkjftgtE6cf9f2hxV9ZxOZw6N6X8BdLUEQvPUCZsDVe4Soc3muAb-lJjn39Dpv-NCBk8jKKEO9HujQXPQ1vlKc-E5BW3TOREzNHjpZVmSgYYetDkwwDv/s2097/IMG_1267.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2097" data-original-width="1887" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRIb1RBKXHsE6f_K9KW1Xiu7Wcd3jMTsXxPo9Ig_oW8vagzaMCr_BamIcNUxawpx3yJSB5N_SRkjftgtE6cf9f2hxV9ZxOZw6N6X8BdLUEQvPUCZsDVe4Soc3muAb-lJjn39Dpv-NCBk8jKKEO9HujQXPQ1vlKc-E5BW3TOREzNHjpZVmSgYYetDkwwDv/s320/IMG_1267.jpeg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kennedy Wilson-Avalos, manager at E.Z. Tiger, displays a Punch Buggy cocktail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Going in the opposite direction is <a href="http://www.ez-tiger.com">E.Z. Tiger</a>, a sleek and spacious dim sum and noodle restaurant in downtown Yakima. The all-female staff turns out Pacific Rim-inspired dishes such as Beijing dumplings and green papaya salad. Signature cocktails include the Punch Buggy, a rum and lime juice concoction made with jalapeño simple syrup and tamarind paste from Thailand, then rimmed with ground grasshoppers imported from Mexico. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx5xlbUv-V403dSrr_4yxOu53UTLuA17zlSXHaOZTBSV0kpL_utyfdm8fmNSOlTRClyqY5JqaRM8U2U0uJeMbmJxJnFB0-hHKvlH1aEc_FO4nKJV2Ox1HRW9eUMVLxk-H-xzlYdpvy_xf4pFAK1xsbCfKyBwanz3d8XMeLZY0ZbNIaHDRB8HQ8LIZJduG/s2264/IMG_1338%202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="2264" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx5xlbUv-V403dSrr_4yxOu53UTLuA17zlSXHaOZTBSV0kpL_utyfdm8fmNSOlTRClyqY5JqaRM8U2U0uJeMbmJxJnFB0-hHKvlH1aEc_FO4nKJV2Ox1HRW9eUMVLxk-H-xzlYdpvy_xf4pFAK1xsbCfKyBwanz3d8XMeLZY0ZbNIaHDRB8HQ8LIZJduG/s320/IMG_1338%202.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crafted in downtown Yakima</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Crowded even on weeknights is </span><a href="https://craftedyakima.com" style="font-family: arial;">Crafted</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, "considered Yakima's finest restaurant," according to a discerning friend who lives there. Opened by Dan and Mollie Koommoo in 2016, the downtown restaurant focuses on shareable dishes with ingredients gathered from within a 100-mile radius. Menus change frequently, sometimes daily. The vegetarian in our group didn't find many choices the night we visited, although a sample menu online lists many. The standout desert for me was the black sesame ice cream, an Asian treat rarely found on Western menus.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-o_VASb2WzWs9wTGml9QBAzTKCXaTy648nd6ZwOz-mZZGb0eu9GFAz4d-f-GeNt1sMkqqdkmxxbjmYEHn1mpDbpcGaEE3ZXq0C81Id5JSAcUgI88RC-OslPqmXhr_kiYf6goiOVOwsndYmvOII_NCUWaqDXMt3R2Xn31bg6ilWSfdDhdfXbWJA9Ml6fb8/s2366/IMG_1297.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1818" data-original-width="2366" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-o_VASb2WzWs9wTGml9QBAzTKCXaTy648nd6ZwOz-mZZGb0eu9GFAz4d-f-GeNt1sMkqqdkmxxbjmYEHn1mpDbpcGaEE3ZXq0C81Id5JSAcUgI88RC-OslPqmXhr_kiYf6goiOVOwsndYmvOII_NCUWaqDXMt3R2Xn31bg6ilWSfdDhdfXbWJA9Ml6fb8/s320/IMG_1297.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freehand Cellars tasting room</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Among many wineries with tasting rooms, <a href="https://www.freehandcellars.com">Freehand Cellars</a> might do the best for atmosphere and food to go with a glass of wine. Perched on a hillside overlooking the vineyards, the spacious tasting room has comfortable seating that invites lingering. On the menu is pear or peach caprese, a flatbread pizza and seared shrimp. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">More rustic is the farmhouse-style tasting room at <a href="https://www.twomountainwinery.com">Two Mountain Winery</a> in Zillah. Matthew and Patrick Rawn, Fourth-generation family members began, converting 26 acres of Golden Delicious apples to vineyards in 2000. That grew to 150 acres across eight estate vineyard sites, certified green and sustainable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There's no food, but the winery encourages visitors to bring a picnic and relax on the grounds. The $10 tasting fee here is a bargain. Guaranteed you'll go home with a four- pack of Rosé , an idea the owners came up with one day while drinking Miller High Life out of clear glass bottles. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvUePRdJQs6dhWbvSUmpOmrhRmYWhuOZOzykWMBaSmWrMt0zV6pwm3mMnTpKp691OAJjvQ-X_-BcJG1enTfF9a4duuBFe7EFMnGJtUzUrcS0j_DTqiEsoB7uHJexVC9BUFlsQB7O9VCzUvLrQUQ4Qvqf1G7Nm0ypFFdVjBattsF3qwEHVJKppc8B4HXCB/s2560/IMG_1316.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvUePRdJQs6dhWbvSUmpOmrhRmYWhuOZOzykWMBaSmWrMt0zV6pwm3mMnTpKp691OAJjvQ-X_-BcJG1enTfF9a4duuBFe7EFMnGJtUzUrcS0j_DTqiEsoB7uHJexVC9BUFlsQB7O9VCzUvLrQUQ4Qvqf1G7Nm0ypFFdVjBattsF3qwEHVJKppc8B4HXCB/s320/IMG_1316.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic packs of Two Mountain Rosé </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Beer lovers have lots of tap rooms and breweries from which to choose. One of the newest is <a href="https://www.outskirtsbrewingco.com">Outskirts Brewing Co.</a> in Selah. The young owners opened a few months ago after transforming a former horse barn and farm into a brewery and restaurant. There's live music on Way Our Wednesdays, a large outdoor patio and a bison burger on the menu. Kids welcome.</span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5g2M_v4C3ltcANYX3dzLuFWxG6f-JU_VQ0IQavF-XxkrzwvdEzXjm7LhfjnyTTH9hfgvY6PkochWqTusxb-9LKajSgnUAxvTyeusiKDfzCv-IAJmxfZwSVEK5Tl6ecNxAC-ykMQd-uahz1Vww_a7q5sScFktDHf-1xN1CE2a6AlazlONoCuInb60przO/s2306/IMG_1302.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1898" data-original-width="2306" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5g2M_v4C3ltcANYX3dzLuFWxG6f-JU_VQ0IQavF-XxkrzwvdEzXjm7LhfjnyTTH9hfgvY6PkochWqTusxb-9LKajSgnUAxvTyeusiKDfzCv-IAJmxfZwSVEK5Tl6ecNxAC-ykMQd-uahz1Vww_a7q5sScFktDHf-1xN1CE2a6AlazlONoCuInb60przO/s320/IMG_1302.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local groups play Wednesdays at Outskirts Brewing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Thirty miles from downtown Yakima, the tiny town of <a href="https://www.mightytieton.com">Tieton</a> is worth seeking out for its art galleries, mosaic factory and a cabinet maker housed in repurposed fruit packing warehouses.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUKO8W7NWk55lYPO0hwmi5nS0qgUwxrDripmub-xckMzaE7N3kVkHKT55-amRA7YoYf_myxg7QZEyjQktlwYtoTCmSf9KVo0Suk2zrp2qU92z7UllfvleIdULvMRd19sqpKUbkGiPMJBoupZyd0pS2GU-mMcJqHk_qKo62yodKE8WzDFao9Kzz5zPNFJH/s2560/IMG_1277.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUKO8W7NWk55lYPO0hwmi5nS0qgUwxrDripmub-xckMzaE7N3kVkHKT55-amRA7YoYf_myxg7QZEyjQktlwYtoTCmSf9KVo0Suk2zrp2qU92z7UllfvleIdULvMRd19sqpKUbkGiPMJBoupZyd0pS2GU-mMcJqHk_qKo62yodKE8WzDFao9Kzz5zPNFJH/s320/IMG_1277.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tieton artists are crafting mosaic tiles for the new Redmond light rail station</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFs_B0zZFk71LX4N5noPMeHPD45qkUTsqNLZS3lK_91bOr_vn5LXbb5XxD05mNOVQVNuVlyxwVlR3zZvKVu9N1iAEobSEJ1B02qByevUUl3eRfI3LQeII4o6owYJfPlZ5ZKMYRvSxD0LVowjRysg1Bfe7uKVIS1h5bkbA_COc5mdPuQIHhykjdX5GqrJk/s2557/IMG_1288.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="2557" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFs_B0zZFk71LX4N5noPMeHPD45qkUTsqNLZS3lK_91bOr_vn5LXbb5XxD05mNOVQVNuVlyxwVlR3zZvKVu9N1iAEobSEJ1B02qByevUUl3eRfI3LQeII4o6owYJfPlZ5ZKMYRvSxD0LVowjRysg1Bfe7uKVIS1h5bkbA_COc5mdPuQIHhykjdX5GqrJk/s320/IMG_1288.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tieton's main drag</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Seattle art book publisher Ed Marquand and a partner bought nine buildings at auction in 2005 after the collapse of the red delicious apple business with the idea of connecting creative entrepreneurs with local resources. The goal was to improve the local economy, generate jobs and experiment with adaptive reuse architecture to revitalize old buildings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Most of the vacant storefronts are now filled, with traditional businesses such as a Mexican bakery and <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/don-mateo-salvadorean-and-mexican-cuisine-tieton">Don Mateo Mexican-Salvadorian restaurant</a>, sharing the downtown with an espresso cafe and a maker of handmade art books.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Recently opened is </span><a href="https://www.nomad-mercantile.com" style="font-family: arial;">Nomad Kitchen</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, a farm-to-table restaurant with communal dining in the same location as Nomad Mercantile, a shop selling outdoor adventure gear, wine, cheese and locall-made goods.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>If you go:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Yakima Valley is 140 east of Seattle. Order or download a Yakima Valley Travel Guide from <a href="http://www.visityakima.com">Visit Yakima</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><div><br /></div></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-64044952752009494452023-08-04T15:13:00.002-07:002023-08-06T15:18:01.314-07:00E-biking on Seattle's hilly Vashon Island is a Passport2Pleasure<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZLMKNOOZvWPhMNR0le0DBZCtkLI4BbSresK5FRX3eIxd-oOSTXLUDPXjmsEDlyHLoQA7TxnzeOrDVbXrACeZZRml4gGxIMtq9AdGbKNICUBQV5mLALJ-9INVF2FW-Ugs3saA7IWArfrnvmZzeI1hzI4jxitZhmO8dh40Re90vCEJ_ffF_Ti-wvSyUcSs/s2557/IMG_1223.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1702" data-original-width="2557" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZLMKNOOZvWPhMNR0le0DBZCtkLI4BbSresK5FRX3eIxd-oOSTXLUDPXjmsEDlyHLoQA7TxnzeOrDVbXrACeZZRml4gGxIMtq9AdGbKNICUBQV5mLALJ-9INVF2FW-Ugs3saA7IWArfrnvmZzeI1hzI4jxitZhmO8dh40Re90vCEJ_ffF_Ti-wvSyUcSs/s320/IMG_1223.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikers relaxing at Dragon's Head Cider</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As late summer fades into fall, the bounty of Vashon Island awaits 20 minutes by ferry from Seattle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Boutique wineries and cideries are uncorking their latest vintages. Roadside farm stands brim with fruit and produce. Beaches, forested trails, cafes and galleries invite lingering on weekend afternoons. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Just 13 miles long and eight miles across, Vashon would seem easy enough to explore by bike. But as serious road cyclers know, there's a reason organizers call an annual September ride "Passport2Pain."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"It's rolling hills," says Erin Kieper, owner of <a href="www.vashonadventures.com ">Vashon Adventures</a> which rents bikes on the island.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> "If you go down to the water, you have to come back up, and if you're not an avid cyclist, it can be daunting."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> Enter the electric bike or e-bike, a solution for those looking for a leisurely ride focused more on discovering Vashon's bohemian and artistic side rather than on a rigorous workout. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> "They're a great equalizer for people who haven't been on bikes in a while, or hate hills, or who come with avid cyclists and just want to keep up," says Kieper. "E-bikes have gained in acceptance, and they've gained in popularity." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Go five miles or 25. Think of touring Vashon on an e-bike as a Passport2Pleasure. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Plan your route </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Breakfast at the <a href="http://vashonsnapdragon.com">Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe</a> was our first destination as my husband, Tom, and I arrived on the island on a recent Saturday.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8m16eXXE5XsjX_oPn9l9PSjSunPt7akubVinBNeqCRPcpLHYUZlZAdVGmEqq-O4bXyj-kAD6UrREWJiZyM6o5TNIGD2a_yXVWKf_qRri-E5X3tqeo87Bz3Dk9-w1qaR2Pz1TXiuX0gRQ6h8SbfL7avWq-0mPNBtQ_LMU3cRBUOgPo1HOfOJ8jvdy9T6l/s2560/IMG_1198.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8m16eXXE5XsjX_oPn9l9PSjSunPt7akubVinBNeqCRPcpLHYUZlZAdVGmEqq-O4bXyj-kAD6UrREWJiZyM6o5TNIGD2a_yXVWKf_qRri-E5X3tqeo87Bz3Dk9-w1qaR2Pz1TXiuX0gRQ6h8SbfL7avWq-0mPNBtQ_LMU3cRBUOgPo1HOfOJ8jvdy9T6l/s320/IMG_1198.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As most cyclists know, the challenges begin with the five-mile, 500- vertical foot ascent to town from the ferry dock.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Following a tip from other cyclists, we detoured away from busy Vashon Highway onto a tree-shaded backroad, rejoining the highway at the point where the shoulder widened, and ferry traffic had cleared. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our bikes, like the ones Vashon Adventures rents, are peddle-assist, meaning a battery powers three levels of assistance - eco, standard and turbo - requiring the rider to peddle at all times, with the option of using a gear shift, turning the battery off and peddling normally.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Keeping in mind our battery "budget" for the day - around 25 miles - we used turbo assist on the initial uphill stretch, then turned the battery off, and peddled normally as the road flattened out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Bikers looking for a short ride need not go further than Vashon's compact downtown area to find plenty to explore. Locals love the Snapdragon for its plate-sized pastries and garden seating.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52TU0KaEocL5PTZkmfHkXevd3AVPmtknQQfIwa2gEM9_FdEMUcDe5NNrZOwX6lI2AUeyBN4dBQMbgypU9QTpAA3ATqCu3nMniCTlizmNif4KyvEz-hxcjNEpC3ipBGQlnex9nxTK7ytIVMtcFYVM64GHy9OKcDnkpec5oTydJoilhzopCeUVBWfnAPquJ/s2560/IMG_1203.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52TU0KaEocL5PTZkmfHkXevd3AVPmtknQQfIwa2gEM9_FdEMUcDe5NNrZOwX6lI2AUeyBN4dBQMbgypU9QTpAA3ATqCu3nMniCTlizmNif4KyvEz-hxcjNEpC3ipBGQlnex9nxTK7ytIVMtcFYVM64GHy9OKcDnkpec5oTydJoilhzopCeUVBWfnAPquJ/s320/IMG_1203.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday farmers market</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A block north is the <a href="https://www.vigavashon.org/marke">Saturday farmers market</a>, the place to pick up fresh cherries and pepperoni sticks for a mid-ride picnic. Nearby are antique and thrift shops, art galleries and the <a href=" https://mukaifarmandgarden.org">Mukai Farm & Garden</a>, a historic heritage home and Japanese garden open to the public for self-guided tours.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With a few destinations in mind that required a longer ride, we headed away from town, stopping first at <a href="https://tvicr.com ">Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie</a> before detouring on backroads where there are no shoulders, but also little traffic.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjcJXPjvDALSW5_MHxfthD6JrXYahpiP1UghoRwFx1-MbKoZp1UX2OHSqqtYvMYQax97GL5qABdYygG_rAW6t9JH3mfOX3bSdNplcIa45HgF036fVGrkFaFAEXaISM1gkdh_Z3qNQpfKEf-Rsp-0JPH7ffin3Vygs53Euu0b69MIwZHko9nlNPISn_Z50/s2560/IMG_1212.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjcJXPjvDALSW5_MHxfthD6JrXYahpiP1UghoRwFx1-MbKoZp1UX2OHSqqtYvMYQax97GL5qABdYygG_rAW6t9JH3mfOX3bSdNplcIa45HgF036fVGrkFaFAEXaISM1gkdh_Z3qNQpfKEf-Rsp-0JPH7ffin3Vygs53Euu0b69MIwZHko9nlNPISn_Z50/s320/IMG_1212.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Coffee Roasterie is part museum, part cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Part coffee museum, cafe, country store, book store and herb, tea and spice purveyor, the roasterie is housed in a historic building, once the headquarters of Seattle's Best Coffee. We cooled off with chilled glasses of Wild Tonic blueberry-basil juice on the front porch, and bought a bag of roasted pistachios for later. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The ride from here south to Quartermaster Marina on Vashon's east shore was our longest downhill descent. Our destination was <a href="lavenderhillvashon.com ">Lavender Hill Farm</a>, now closed for the season. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3Fyx3ZRVkCKxvLTqx6KAvEfqXP-6R3rbbojbSh7fVY6KzsG5LseeVabjendWwW-s-Kx3Dd1eIhZqPrR-I3fcY4KPXPTzPVdwTKASg_7brsqJj4bWTX__USmKNSNGv0snibyWPIZinRqnHqfE9WaKl4A5ps7VnkN9-nv78FWHpK0iPQqlqim1YHSbh7rc/s2322/IMG_1215.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="2322" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3Fyx3ZRVkCKxvLTqx6KAvEfqXP-6R3rbbojbSh7fVY6KzsG5LseeVabjendWwW-s-Kx3Dd1eIhZqPrR-I3fcY4KPXPTzPVdwTKASg_7brsqJj4bWTX__USmKNSNGv0snibyWPIZinRqnHqfE9WaKl4A5ps7VnkN9-nv78FWHpK0iPQqlqim1YHSbh7rc/s320/IMG_1215.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cattle and horse farms along Vashon's backroads</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With so much downhill riding, we worried a bit that we might not have enough battery charge to make it back. Consulting our GPS, we rerouted for a more gradual climb, skipping a couple of stops that would have required more "turbo" power. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiib7TiJcocPXByDhwVcm8dqY03KTHWoowIVTmMEe318sGizT2wHfxJHGSz5sfR4L8Hx4SrwQOdXl5j3yKSoh1i_KQg9853KeYgu8ovmFKN6MJLUCMWLi5MvofTHS0c9YWhnweT5CXPYHFFDVIGjlyZ01YKA0YDXP5wWkKH0ozbdr3VN4o3sPKs6fdsnLqE/s2560/IMG_1220.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiib7TiJcocPXByDhwVcm8dqY03KTHWoowIVTmMEe318sGizT2wHfxJHGSz5sfR4L8Hx4SrwQOdXl5j3yKSoh1i_KQg9853KeYgu8ovmFKN6MJLUCMWLi5MvofTHS0c9YWhnweT5CXPYHFFDVIGjlyZ01YKA0YDXP5wWkKH0ozbdr3VN4o3sPKs6fdsnLqE/s320/IMG_1220.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le Stockage farm stand</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Serendipity rewarded us with a scenic ride past horse farms and cattle ranches. Using a map showing the location of farm stands around the island, we found miniature Italian pears at Peach Tree Hill farm. Another stand called "Le Stockage" stocked produce, cold drinks and snacks in a truck decorated with flowers and a wooden bench.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NmwtOuoS0J-bCkO_eELif9XO_lFDwjG2ZcQrT2IS_Vzhzj-U_VlgdvzKJdoDlHajKkKXVu4CbgtD1zaHn_QpmmGX5afOAsOw8vS-sBDJR79CYSQ7Y7KicN1dR3palsu_9TP1WU76EmUQnxB1f2oegdOncJQOUupEyJsdseOB5MnyEg1il_A9xZPiXJ4x/s2072/IMG_1208.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2072" data-original-width="1396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NmwtOuoS0J-bCkO_eELif9XO_lFDwjG2ZcQrT2IS_Vzhzj-U_VlgdvzKJdoDlHajKkKXVu4CbgtD1zaHn_QpmmGX5afOAsOw8vS-sBDJR79CYSQ7Y7KicN1dR3palsu_9TP1WU76EmUQnxB1f2oegdOncJQOUupEyJsdseOB5MnyEg1il_A9xZPiXJ4x/s320/IMG_1208.jpeg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Back in town, with battery power to spare, we followed a sign next to a mannequin dressed as a butterfly. It pointed the way to the <a href=" https://outstandinggallery.com/">Outstanding in its Field Gallery</a> where owner Lindsay Hart welcomes visitors with homemade lemon squares and coconut macaroons. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A dozen artists display their works in her garden and in a repurposed shipping container. The theme changes monthly as does the mannequin's costume. For August, Hart dressed it like a cat to celebrate the "Dog and Cat Days of Summer." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Two cideries and several wineries offer weekend tastings. All are worth a visit, but keeping in mind that we were on bikes, we picked just one - <a href="www.dragonsheadcider.com ">Dragon's Head</a> - where the owners have planted English and French cider apples on 30 acres of former strawberry fields</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We ended our day relaxing at a picnic table with a glass of Airlie red, a semi-dry cider with a 6.9 percent alcohol content. But even if you don't drink, there's another reason to detour here.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN5qDANMQyIJ5HrE2c8SqMEdmDrWgIQD0Rvez_8oRizppcbt_ebCZbipbUSK7GT8x0rhTpLITJgNXHHqzMimlsuaGzzus1pUWenScorSz6tebgLjJWb9MYWosYGRy22b5Gjpq_nhjfnbqdb4EymyW585uFhzZG5EaLkmX3NW6-wwwhynSV6NEd4ecNCf4/s2132/IMG_1226.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2132" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN5qDANMQyIJ5HrE2c8SqMEdmDrWgIQD0Rvez_8oRizppcbt_ebCZbipbUSK7GT8x0rhTpLITJgNXHHqzMimlsuaGzzus1pUWenScorSz6tebgLjJWb9MYWosYGRy22b5Gjpq_nhjfnbqdb4EymyW585uFhzZG5EaLkmX3NW6-wwwhynSV6NEd4ecNCf4/s320/IMG_1226.jpeg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indicator Species</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Overlooking the orchards is "Indicator Species", a silvery, 35 foot tall kinetic sculpture of a Plecoptera nymph, commonly known as a stonefly, sculpted by Ela Lamblin, CQ as a gathering point for communal celebrations.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>If you go:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Weekends are the best times to visit Vashon when most things are open. Get there via a 20-minute ferry ride from West Seattle aboard the <a href="http://wsdot.com/ferries">Washington State Fauntleroy/Vashon ferry</a>. <a href="https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/water-taxi/vashon.aspx ">King County</a> runs a walk-on water taxi from Seattle's Pier 50 on weekdays. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The <a href="https://www.vashonfresh.com ">Vashon Island Farmers Market</a> runs Saturdays through October 15 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For map and description of farm stands throughout the island see www.vigavashon.org/farm-stand-map Most accept Venmo or cash. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><i>A version of this story appeared in <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/day-trip-idea-explore-vashon-island-by-e-bike/">The Seattle Times </a>on August 4, 2023</i></p><p><br /></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-57016366037982565292023-06-13T11:11:00.000-07:002023-06-13T11:11:16.064-07:00City escape: Rural delights await in B.C.'s lush Fraser River Valley<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0ew6njM82QlB_VaLTNmk-CYKujjfIRm36643IxJhwH5Kf_UV5VsDciUsUcvkTSRkwL2wcIwEqBfGXBJ6ZbGYQDCmY7amLVelU18GQqPfbGax64x5UkYc99w1tSu06GfkTd_hrXXuJ8O1jGy3RIDWvbIYFM50DbEvHbsdBrJYiAuXsLVuBM9nieR2jw/s2279/IMG_0947.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2279" data-original-width="1709" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0ew6njM82QlB_VaLTNmk-CYKujjfIRm36643IxJhwH5Kf_UV5VsDciUsUcvkTSRkwL2wcIwEqBfGXBJ6ZbGYQDCmY7amLVelU18GQqPfbGax64x5UkYc99w1tSu06GfkTd_hrXXuJ8O1jGy3RIDWvbIYFM50DbEvHbsdBrJYiAuXsLVuBM9nieR2jw/w296-h395/IMG_0947.jpeg" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former Canadian Northern railway station, built in 1920, was moved to its present location in downtown Fort Langley.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We love Vancouver, B.C.'s city vibe, but a few years ago, my husband and I decided to bypass the urban adventures for a weekend in the British Columbia countryside.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Fifty miles east of Vancouver, we discovered the rural <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Valley">Fraser River Valley</a> and the suburbs<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt_Meadows"> Pitt Meadows</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_Ridge,_British_Columbia">Maple Ridge</a>. At first glance, they seem to be a mish-mash of housing developments and strip malls, but a little research turned up hidden corners of tranquillity in the foothills of the Golden Ears mountains. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here we found dairy farms, nurseries, cranberry and blueberry fields on a giant flood plain protected by dikes, long stretches of raised earthen mounds surrounded by farmland.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Built by Dutch settlers in the 1950s as a method of flood control, the <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/escape-from-vancouver-a-biking-adventure-through-b-c-s-gorgeous-countryside/">dikes </a>form an interconnected system of walking and bicycling trails along flat, mostly hard-packed gravel paths.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Fast-forward to our first return trip to the Fraser valley since the pandemic ended. This time, we found some new discoveries on the opposite side of the river around the quaint village of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Langley">Fort Langley</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Since Vancouver wasn't on our itinerary for this time, we avoided the city by bypassing the Blaine/Peach Arch border crossing, and detouring from Interstate- 5 to the<a href="https://www.ezbordercrossing.com/list-of-border-crossings/washington-state/lynden-aldergrove/"> Lynden / Aldergrove crossing</a>. Fort Langley is 15 miles north of the border.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The village brims with locally-owned cafes, restaurants, bakeries and tasting rooms, tempting visitors here to tour the <a href="https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/langley">Fort Langley National Historic Site</a>, the former Hudson Bay Company's fur trading post declared by the British as the birthplace of British Columbia in 1858.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">How to decide where to go when passing through for just a few hours? <a href="https://chewonthistastytours.com">Chew On This Tasty Tours</a> offers a roadmap for a self-guided, multi-stop walking tour called Local Flavour. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Visitors are provided with a map and a timetable for appointments at sit-down and takeaway food and drink stops along with suggestions for visiting historical sites, art galleries and taking scenic walks. Food, drinks, admission fees and surprise gifts are included in the $88 per person price. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“It’s designed to have a day planned for you," says owner Lise Hines. "You don’t have to think about it. Just show up, and hopefully after a taste of the town, you'll want to come back and spend more time exploring."</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipX4t0gTG5LH7W5oWMufpx-S_d2OB7YecJWcmbu1DVF9OMvGpHxtsz7TbpxZ7nu_kM2UX4hwXCCu0XT0tFCFd_dkqI1g_pPImP8YxBLM6iE7sbafoLMbH0vn4HAc1l1MniV7bAac-QGwCqJYC_Mgh0E5_j1n4RXten4dGCoYGirbTwCBi-X-C5bmX6JA/s2560/IMG_0939.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipX4t0gTG5LH7W5oWMufpx-S_d2OB7YecJWcmbu1DVF9OMvGpHxtsz7TbpxZ7nu_kM2UX4hwXCCu0XT0tFCFd_dkqI1g_pPImP8YxBLM6iE7sbafoLMbH0vn4HAc1l1MniV7bAac-QGwCqJYC_Mgh0E5_j1n4RXten4dGCoYGirbTwCBi-X-C5bmX6JA/s320/IMG_0939.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple celebrates their anniversary at the Little White House</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">We covered only about a mile of actual walking over several hours of tasting and sipping. Tours usually start with high tea at the <a href="https://www.littlewhitehouseco.com">Little White House</a>, an eclectic clothing and home goods boutique with tables tucked into a cozy rooms and gardens. Guests have an hour to enjoy tea along with a tiered platter laden with scones, clotted cream, savory sandwiches cookies and macaroons.</span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PktQ7ffxc7_0ihi0veOICqfH656J-kV57fFYopOzauFvTUnmhsSop1Gb51NmLzRtDEgp6LL1bOLAZ_B1jKmNC80wcPLtURQp7ncbcFxzt8wZMiQQrFiJkStmBtT7-dHSteBKRypuuu2L1GL4M8ymWAuKNMTXZVkWnp8eWHHyRf6DtDAdUc1yxqAZCw/s2560/IMG_0942.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PktQ7ffxc7_0ihi0veOICqfH656J-kV57fFYopOzauFvTUnmhsSop1Gb51NmLzRtDEgp6LL1bOLAZ_B1jKmNC80wcPLtURQp7ncbcFxzt8wZMiQQrFiJkStmBtT7-dHSteBKRypuuu2L1GL4M8ymWAuKNMTXZVkWnp8eWHHyRf6DtDAdUc1yxqAZCw/s320/IMG_0942.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blacksmithing demonstration at Fort Langley National Historical Site</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Other stops might be tailored to individual interests. After a walk through the Fort Langley Historical Site for hands-on gold panning and blacksmithing demonstrations, our itinerary called for a stroll past shops and cafes in historic heritage houses along Mavis Street to the Kizmit Gift Gallery for a look at the work of Canadian potters, jewelers, painters and craftspeople.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jUdfLdoyEZJGt9S3KxzP2McJWVOUyhX7F9HZ8nhgI49o8tG885Vf7mGGzoI8vqcCdn_I-4DRkWWaWvCS0eF0ISvedc2LztX9BhN4WtsDn756iLBch2pPzs_ADnXbW67WUgmuCRnR-_uwbDSAPF5ycN-PnkzMzlaU4F1KW36eFe09aoalpvfr1rRHug/s2560/IMG_0944.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jUdfLdoyEZJGt9S3KxzP2McJWVOUyhX7F9HZ8nhgI49o8tG885Vf7mGGzoI8vqcCdn_I-4DRkWWaWvCS0eF0ISvedc2LztX9BhN4WtsDn756iLBch2pPzs_ADnXbW67WUgmuCRnR-_uwbDSAPF5ycN-PnkzMzlaU4F1KW36eFe09aoalpvfr1rRHug/s320/IMG_0944.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heritage buildings house cafes and shops along Mavis Street in Fort Langley</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8Atmsf_hKn43kuAAPaB3Pfp-1FlV_-NbCkKwcKYgdGHRTqJ0sXokMExl52HNNbv1h0JNfkzXnEZPUNcps--51k0YXOkLs0d9taJsStXLYxSZMsphFWhykUeYn2pDeeQhZ19AkpkUESPeL36kzxABjT61J7-k4JLQ-xnEhHRd-VOYu4WMP_k8Wr9ILA/s2560/IMG_0953.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8Atmsf_hKn43kuAAPaB3Pfp-1FlV_-NbCkKwcKYgdGHRTqJ0sXokMExl52HNNbv1h0JNfkzXnEZPUNcps--51k0YXOkLs0d9taJsStXLYxSZMsphFWhykUeYn2pDeeQhZ19AkpkUESPeL36kzxABjT61J7-k4JLQ-xnEhHRd-VOYu4WMP_k8Wr9ILA/s320/IMG_0953.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baker Robert Giardino</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Next came a stop a La Focacceria, where owner Robert Giardino bakes and sells Italian Puglia-style flat bread studded with olives or roasted tomatoes. Giardino steps away from the ovens to hand out small bags of bread made with two types of flour imported from Italy, and gives a short explanation of the difference.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At visit to BC Buzz Honey, a maker of raw, unpasteurized honey produced by Fraser valley bees, came with a short lesson on the medicinal properties of ginger and raspberry honey. Following this was a relaxing sit-down wine-tasting and light lunch at Valley Commons, and Okanagan winery.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDv06eQ_Vk90ZXaY4SLADm3oemIawchA0tE7EuSO502wLHS4Ph0dZzPvdL9Su2OrqN8S8h1z80M2dKU9wk-p9wW8NOiveCIl8U-aUJmFHagR5cEzpu9nPKLsWqPKZ2-fkgeK_1Bg8tdQ4M1Vx0I4KlgLEEytEE3MBQQC3C8l1I8TzrMuLx3Hpn3TqZw/s2560/IMG_0960.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDv06eQ_Vk90ZXaY4SLADm3oemIawchA0tE7EuSO502wLHS4Ph0dZzPvdL9Su2OrqN8S8h1z80M2dKU9wk-p9wW8NOiveCIl8U-aUJmFHagR5cEzpu9nPKLsWqPKZ2-fkgeK_1Bg8tdQ4M1Vx0I4KlgLEEytEE3MBQQC3C8l1I8TzrMuLx3Hpn3TqZw/s320/IMG_0960.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Republica's cafe in Fort Langley's Gasoline Alley</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rounding out the afternoon was a stop for iced lattes at Republica Coffee Roasters, and finally a visit to Into Chocolate for samples and a nostalgic browse through shelves stocked with vintage candies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When Hines started her business in September, 2020, "I wanted to see what I could do to help small businesses" struggling through the pandemic, she recalls. "Fort Langley has no cookie-cutter businesses," a reason she makes sure the owner or an employee is on hand to greet visitors at the expected times. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"I call them businesses with a face."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Farm-to- glass wines and spirits</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Fraser valley is a prime wine grape-growing area. Outside of town, several wineries welcome visitors into their vineyards for tastings, live music and meals. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.chabertonwinery.com/bacchus-bistro/">Bacchus Bistro </a>serves lunches and dinners in an elegant dining room overlooking the vineyards at the <a href="https://www.chabertonwinery.com/bacchus-bistro/">Chaberton Estate</a>, the valley's oldest winery with an outdoor picnic area. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Close to the U.S. border crossing, <a href="https://vistadoro.com">Vista d’oro's</a> vineyard is surrounded by fields on one side and Campbell Valley Regional Park on the other. Accompanying wine and cider tastings is "pizzam," a pizza creation with local artisanal jams spread on a crust topped with savory toppings and cheese.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Unique to the area is<a href="https://rootsandwingsdistillery.ca"> Roots and Wings </a>craft distillery which partners Rebekah Crowley and Rob Rindt run on the farm that has been in Rindt's family for three generations. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfS6KBP3ew9Nx03QkTiZ8GKPZb5XiUEmE8ZZAp5sFW7WAZ-MrQgfckyPeREA1MX-dD3tXqi91Gye0NlyLUCqMq5Q2OuTCc9hRaZ9sFXSzUJVHA_pr4BydF8EEysWMvbK2ix2qGIG8hEQJvwqXD0qetLYxzCGWCAYxKb-cO0LYzd7-oDrKjRSvXnGAkOg/s2560/IMG_0885.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfS6KBP3ew9Nx03QkTiZ8GKPZb5XiUEmE8ZZAp5sFW7WAZ-MrQgfckyPeREA1MX-dD3tXqi91Gye0NlyLUCqMq5Q2OuTCc9hRaZ9sFXSzUJVHA_pr4BydF8EEysWMvbK2ix2qGIG8hEQJvwqXD0qetLYxzCGWCAYxKb-cO0LYzd7-oDrKjRSvXnGAkOg/s320/IMG_0885.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stillmaster Rebekah Crowley</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">First came fruits and vegetables, followed by the transition to a sod farm Rob runs with his five brothers. Then one day while pondering ideas for a side business, he turned to Rebekah, and said "Do you think we could make vodka?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The couple spun off a few acres next to the turf farm to grow potatoes and corn fed by natural spring water. She enrolled in distilling classes at Prohibition University in Kelowna.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Their goal: Do everything on site- from planting, growing, harvesting, mashing to fermenting and distilling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When the law changed to allow distilleries on agricultural land, they were ready in February, 2017 to open Roots and Wings, the first craft distillery in Langley Township, five miles from the village of Fort Langley.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Starting with a 30-gallon copper kettle still bought online and shipped from Kentucky, they released their first spirit, a potato and corn vodka, called Vital Vodka named so for being "absolutely necessary for lounging or letting loose. "</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Graduating to a 500-gallon still, they now produce 40 variations of locally-produced spirits from crops grown on their farm plus botanicals, wormwood (for their 72 percent proof absinthe), dill, mint, Russian garlic, horseradish and rhubarb grown by Rebekah mother, Marg Crowley, on her property down the road.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rob, 39, is the "roots," a life-long farmer whose favorite drink is a plain potato vodka, while Rebekah, 43, with a technology background, is the "wings," the still master who dreams up new flavors and cocktail recipes printed on cards slipped in with bottle purchases.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Views of the Golden Ears mountains set the scene for relaxing outdoors with a cocktail on a shaded patio furnished with bright green umbrellas and red Adirondack chairs. Next door is an indoor sipping and snacking area inside two repurposed shipping containers.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3NEDnjbtfecN4G8QYFXCJ6NythHDh8NKl0ADdqNRvQ6JYh4iGRgEMASj_5pmyBTlqT1FINx_ETL2PgdLvs9w8Z61SqSnwLNfPKnCtrfokWjONGZQP-ZNgCD6aoiMHIFmlJXDasNWOX9OUrNLzTjKUHdEIo4kaxPtvVzmpjEFq6pPkNdVDIJVPv7DBA/s8171/IMG_3106.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3760" data-original-width="8171" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3NEDnjbtfecN4G8QYFXCJ6NythHDh8NKl0ADdqNRvQ6JYh4iGRgEMASj_5pmyBTlqT1FINx_ETL2PgdLvs9w8Z61SqSnwLNfPKnCtrfokWjONGZQP-ZNgCD6aoiMHIFmlJXDasNWOX9OUrNLzTjKUHdEIo4kaxPtvVzmpjEFq6pPkNdVDIJVPv7DBA/w359-h165/IMG_3106.jpeg" width="359" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasting room with bottles stacked floor-to-ceiling</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The main tasting room is a single-wide trailer resembling a cabin in the hills of Kentucky. Inside are shelves filled with bottles decorated with colorful labels picturing the mountains and a vintage tractor they first used to plow their fields. Unique is a line of savory vodkas. There's dill pickled vodka, black garlic, horseradish, five pepper and truffle vodka.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"It's an ever evolving situation," says Rebekah. "We don't have investors, so it's just Rob and me pulling up our bootstraps and making things happen."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">She works to come up with a name and a story behind every spirit and many of the drinks on an extensive menu of cocktails and flights.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There's Johnny Handsome whiskey described as "rough around the edges but deeply refined kind of spirit with the soul of a centenarian and the body of a barrel-chested Viking that will knock you off your feet." </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKkoEnvvzPbfo1f0CdazBfJilMDawiSNc8WNb9aOqV5xwHuv03jJ7ANQgRcIHC6b-90tW03gimgVrtsgCy_VV5meFMcGAkyS76UMq0zRlZhcY1Kj6gMwUqKTieKyuVmUV2qgnkmnccJ3wMTPgrOfUTR14B2ZOWAmsrXwysBGxcaoeA3yrpFpy8Y7vNA/s2350/IMG_0895.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2350" data-original-width="1762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKkoEnvvzPbfo1f0CdazBfJilMDawiSNc8WNb9aOqV5xwHuv03jJ7ANQgRcIHC6b-90tW03gimgVrtsgCy_VV5meFMcGAkyS76UMq0zRlZhcY1Kj6gMwUqKTieKyuVmUV2qgnkmnccJ3wMTPgrOfUTR14B2ZOWAmsrXwysBGxcaoeA3yrpFpy8Y7vNA/s320/IMG_0895.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocktail time at Roots and Wings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">A cinnamon whiskey and blueberry liqueur cocktail called Wellers Streusel takes its name from Rob's grandfather Gert Weller who had a blueberry farm in the area, now run by family members as a U-pick farm in summer. </span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"Man- o -War" - a bottled pre-mixed cocktail with bourbon, vermouth, orange liqueur and lemon - includes a dash of farm-grown horseradish ground by hand by Rob until his eyes watered.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The tasting room and bar store is open year-round. New additions include a vintage rail car installed in the back as a stage or live music events.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Planned for the winter holidays is a release of a peated whiskey made with smoked peat from a bog under Rob's grandfather's blueberry farm. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Tourism information</b>: <a href="https://www.tourism-langley.ca">Tourism Langley</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Where to stay:</b> Bed and breakfasts, motels, Airbnbs and RV parks offer many options. For a quiet farm stay, consider <a href="https://sageandsolacefarm.com">Sage & Solace</a>, and organic farm with two guest suites, a pond, picnic areas and farm animals. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-27338894008478623442023-06-08T13:25:00.001-07:002023-06-09T09:48:50.380-07:00Eat, Stay, Explore: Delve into First Nations culture in Vancouver, B.C.<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGPpPT3UOwYfENX6sbb8ut9h2a0bL87-ArqHtZtYOrVE4b9HCpu6GcKlqJqDyQ7hChKTtkixJWMsUE3fO7xVoM5P7wKHegdjmi__ercfClZ_yF3ganonT0mGPmILoLAmJ-CyXU3RwfxUrVueJ7xfX1_yJPMSdG5RZYdU27X5OIo2ntfdTA_HJ7trxdw/s2560/IMG_0937.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGPpPT3UOwYfENX6sbb8ut9h2a0bL87-ArqHtZtYOrVE4b9HCpu6GcKlqJqDyQ7hChKTtkixJWMsUE3fO7xVoM5P7wKHegdjmi__ercfClZ_yF3ganonT0mGPmILoLAmJ-CyXU3RwfxUrVueJ7xfX1_yJPMSdG5RZYdU27X5OIo2ntfdTA_HJ7trxdw/w282-h376/IMG_0937.jpeg" width="282" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skwachàys Lodge with totem pole on the roof </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Book a stay in Vancouver B.C.'s <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Skwach%C3%A0ys+Lodge%2C&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8">Skwachàys Lodge</a>, and help support a program that provides rooms and studio space for indigenous painters, photographers, potters and film makers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Take a nature walk through <a href="https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx">Stanley Park</a> with a First Nations guide, and discover how aboriginal villagers lived off the land, using skunk cabbage leaves like waxed paper and horsetails as toothbrushes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Snag a table at<a href="https://www.salmonandbannock.net"> Salmon n' Bannock </a>bistro, and sample bison pot roast and candied salmon while sipping "Dreamcatcher" wine made by<a href="https://www.nkmipcellars.com/About-Us"> Nk’Mip Cellars</a>, the first indigenous-owned winery in North America. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">British Columbia is home to 204 First Nations communities. Before British settlers arrived in the mid-1800s, the city of Vancouver was the traditional territory of three Coast Salish nations known as the Squamish, Tsleil-waututh and Musqueam peoples as well as others.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks to a robust and active urban indigenous population (third largest of of any Canadian city), travelers have many opportunities to learn first-hand about their cultural traditions.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Where to stay</b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Guests who overnight at the <a href="https://skwachays.com">Skwachàys Lodge</a> in downtown Vancouver's help support an artists-in-residence program that provides rooms in the hotel and studio space for 24 indigenous artists. Much of their work is for sale in a fair trade lobby gallery where jewelry, pottery, cards, weavings etc. feature their pictures and bios.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_n3eFN8nHICeWshW7kYay1iVjgyTPvLK2K9Iy0HCuA_vdq_vlrnxSZwowrdettMuInXdE6C5e7i5KJy5Q2RALeHVIlGaE7vU89xEgfxUoGtRti0nYUapXCAuZdQ2vF-BTLBym2w71lYHoRuXAbav_Whda_n0cA2sY2Y8k4UhD4WYO_TXiM0gDGDKyQ/s2502/IMG_3122.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2502" data-original-width="2287" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_n3eFN8nHICeWshW7kYay1iVjgyTPvLK2K9Iy0HCuA_vdq_vlrnxSZwowrdettMuInXdE6C5e7i5KJy5Q2RALeHVIlGaE7vU89xEgfxUoGtRti0nYUapXCAuZdQ2vF-BTLBym2w71lYHoRuXAbav_Whda_n0cA2sY2Y8k4UhD4WYO_TXiM0gDGDKyQ/s320/IMG_3122.jpeg" width="293" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fair trade gallery at Skwachàys Lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Paintings, carvings and sculptures by well-known indigenous artists decorate the rooms and public spaces. Bannock, the traditional native fried bread, is on the breakfast table.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"When you stay here, you're enveloped in indigenous art, and it tells a story about who we are," says Caroline Phelps who manages the 18-room boutique inn for the B.C. Indigenous Housing Society.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViKnTUgw6NLHJ1_pa3-XXSrOjrV9HmQhymHV29gdTJ50QYaPbBN96VZS02cC0TEhxCPYQa0O_jB18RpfZk21fjvJctTkAUVw29N0Ys4W5yo0yotEgB8izrMo8sU5maCHs6Pofgf04V25DXv1ETlV-KflmCQprxs5wh8bKfZG0ue20e0iIhgGAIl4_DQ/s2496/IMG_0934.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="2496" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViKnTUgw6NLHJ1_pa3-XXSrOjrV9HmQhymHV29gdTJ50QYaPbBN96VZS02cC0TEhxCPYQa0O_jB18RpfZk21fjvJctTkAUVw29N0Ys4W5yo0yotEgB8izrMo8sU5maCHs6Pofgf04V25DXv1ETlV-KflmCQprxs5wh8bKfZG0ue20e0iIhgGAIl4_DQ/s320/IMG_0934.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paintings by artist-in-residence Mike Alexander</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The hotel opened in 2012 as a unique indigenous social enterprise in a 120-year-old building that was the former Pender Hotel in downtown Vancouver's eastside near the tourist area of Gastown.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"When a guest spends their overnight travel dollars at the Skwachàys Lodge there is a social impact – people are housed," the hotel's website explains. "When a guest, a member of the community or a company purchases authentic Indigenous art at the Fair Trade Gallery, there is a social impact – a simple purchase fights cultural misappropriation and ensures that Indigenous artists are paid fairly for their work." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For Mike Alexander, 48, a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojibwe">Ojibwe Nation</a>, landing a residency meant he had the work space for the first time to transition from making cards and smaller works to bold colorful wall-sized paintings.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdIs6NRN-kwmSuecVP4LO5WUlmPEyfHu16l_F1PNoWyMv5KqybEWsqcHn3acYJ-jt2UVqHVPKNS-HuqQTvw-9ZA6WocuhHVYxHZtFHlmapXN2dHsvbLPtHlTB2sb7vjaK7QPveIkBSF_kLndW0KeRQ2GBgP7Mh6N3WNswlBNdswWd4u7JzS036OfxZg/s2560/IMG_0905.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdIs6NRN-kwmSuecVP4LO5WUlmPEyfHu16l_F1PNoWyMv5KqybEWsqcHn3acYJ-jt2UVqHVPKNS-HuqQTvw-9ZA6WocuhHVYxHZtFHlmapXN2dHsvbLPtHlTB2sb7vjaK7QPveIkBSF_kLndW0KeRQ2GBgP7Mh6N3WNswlBNdswWd4u7JzS036OfxZg/s320/IMG_0905.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Alexander burns herbs for a smudge ceremony at the Skwachàys Lodge </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"It totally changed by artistic practice," he says. Alexander "gives back" to hotel guests by leading traditional "smudge" or cleansing ceremonies in an upper-floor room decorated with a blue sky mural.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Where to eat </b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Growing up in Vancouver, Inez Cook, a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuxalk_Nation">Nuxalk Nation </a>in Bella Coola, B.C., says she always knew she would own a restaurant.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A career as a flight attendant came first, then, in 2010, she opened <a href="https://www.salmonandbannock.net">Salmon n' Bannock</a>, a 30-seat bistro in West Vancouver, designed to showcase First Nations people and food.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Indigenous people invented farm- to- table cuisine, she points out, since they foraged, grew and cooked everything they ate. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"I wanted to create a place where I could take people on a journey," she says. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZ6id6k1lyd7vqwueExzq-di-jg3OtbVYbZrQZjLczxnVIxHOB3GOtNOnsxqltkXn45zUegp0KH13pTs-7NNzCO0sW_4w8U25zRKyKwWJs8rQC2Grv_56RMoVepvEfpEGDtYez9Lbz3G0a67ONG3YCciGqq2jQgJqi5GTVM8KrynPSjMg-Fo6xHNWTg/s1920/IMG_0922.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1899" data-original-width="1920" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZ6id6k1lyd7vqwueExzq-di-jg3OtbVYbZrQZjLczxnVIxHOB3GOtNOnsxqltkXn45zUegp0KH13pTs-7NNzCO0sW_4w8U25zRKyKwWJs8rQC2Grv_56RMoVepvEfpEGDtYez9Lbz3G0a67ONG3YCciGqq2jQgJqi5GTVM8KrynPSjMg-Fo6xHNWTg/s320/IMG_0922.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Bella Coola soda at Salmon n' Bannock</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Earning her accolades on a Time magazine list of the </span><a href="https://time.com/6261648/vancouver/" style="font-family: arial;">"Worlds Greatest Places 2023 "</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> is a menu that includes a candied salmon with a maple drizzle; a bison pot roast; and a mousse made with smoked and dried bison mixed with cream cheese and sage infused blueberries. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">An indigenous brewery in Langley, B.C. supplies the beer. Wine comes from Nk’Mip Cellars in Osoyoos, B.C. There's a homemade Bella Coola non-alcoholic soda with hibiscus, rose hips, apples and oranges, garnished with blueberries. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The bannock, a traditional native unleavened bread, is baked rather than fried, and served with cedar jelly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Visitors passing through Vancouver International Airport can treat themselves to an elk burger at <a href="https://www.salmonandbannock.net/on-the-fly">Salmon n' Bannock On the Fly</a> which Cook opened last February.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What to explore</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Due to reopen late this year or early next after seismic upgrades is the </span><a href="https://moa.ubc.ca" style="font-family: arial;">University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> which houses one of the world's largest collections of First Nations art, hunting tools, masks and other artifacts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the mean time, for an overview of contemporary native art, visit the <a href="https://www.billreidgallery.ca">Bill Reid Gallery</a> in downtown Vancouver. On display are Reid's gold and silver jewelry and a totem pole carved by James Hart of Haida Gwaii. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Reid, who died in 1998, was an acclaimed master goldsmith, carver, sculptor, writer, broadcaster, mentor and community activist. Born in Victoria, B.C. to a Haida mother and an American father with Scottish German roots, he began exploring his Haida roots at the age of 23</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Current special exhibits include "Bright Futures," on through Jan. 14, 2023. The exhibit brings together Reid's art with new works by contemporary emerging and established Indigenous artists of the Northwest Coast. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Everyone visits Vancouver's <a href="https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx">Stanley Park</a>, but few realize that indigenous people made their homes here thousands of years before British Columbia was colonized. The park remained home to indigenous villagers until they were moved out, and the area was turned into Vancouver's first park when the city incorporated in 1886.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBp_BXbCNa1Vb1lWa9SE7PsDvWK70MsA6RSiqfQ6b5ZN0rP9tHFrPcWulBq3cHd8kNipXu9ZwURhH6dyW5HGBA8UF_2NBeeQxSzVXDjYMw4Q3yj46qqlM5AhCnP_A8sCqs9eOKYVbmzHY5tDwAp51pWEX7Q8HxPTk0NlesFbndS00l28iV6dFuaNZgmA/s2158/IMG_0920.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1918" data-original-width="2158" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBp_BXbCNa1Vb1lWa9SE7PsDvWK70MsA6RSiqfQ6b5ZN0rP9tHFrPcWulBq3cHd8kNipXu9ZwURhH6dyW5HGBA8UF_2NBeeQxSzVXDjYMw4Q3yj46qqlM5AhCnP_A8sCqs9eOKYVbmzHY5tDwAp51pWEX7Q8HxPTk0NlesFbndS00l28iV6dFuaNZgmA/s320/IMG_0920.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guide Shae Trotter explains all the ways native villagers use the skunk cabbage when they lived in Stanley Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"It's the story of plants and trees and how we used them," says Shae Trottier, a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tla-o-qui-aht_First_Nations#:~:text=The%20Tla%2Do%2Dqui%2D,%2Dchah%2Dnulth%20Tribal%20Council.">Tia-o-qui-aht Nations</a> of Tofino who leads 1.5 mile "Talking Trees" nature walks for <a href="https://www.talaysay.com">Talaysay Tours</a>, an aboriginal eco-tour company that organizes walks and other outdoor activities focused on indigenous culture. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As groups walk through the park and around Beaver Lake, Trottier explains how large skunk cabbage leaves were used in pit cooking to impart a peppery flavor and as modern-day waxed paper in which to wrap fish.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Western Red Cedar was considered the "tree of life," because its leaves could be eaten, and the wood could be used for building canoes, roofs and storage boxes. The Douglas Fir was used for firewood and sending smoke signals "like a traditional cell phone." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The way to harvest huckleberries, she tells school groups, is to pick them one at a time, instead of yanking off a branch "no more than you'd pull at your grandmother's arm.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"We think of plants and animals as our relatives," she says, "so we treat them the same way."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-21453119490579512702023-05-06T14:14:00.004-07:002023-05-12T18:31:51.135-07:00Ancient, modern Amman provides visitors soft landing in Middle East<p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4Gy9DoIfpHBuXFO0QzaxZBrSSyPkISpn10UxdHNBOBxmtZsABfhm1kjCyPWKppULDPowOi5Hbc3a2o3EWlOLlSg9cuATVqWIzAhIKFrmz4UXBlfA6r81bRjbZv9dfT-CJLxZ3Ws87desASrACO8C_Gpu9dK_r2663EYiDBADWXKrPWnxMuPCnOvrsg/s2560/IMG_0773.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4Gy9DoIfpHBuXFO0QzaxZBrSSyPkISpn10UxdHNBOBxmtZsABfhm1kjCyPWKppULDPowOi5Hbc3a2o3EWlOLlSg9cuATVqWIzAhIKFrmz4UXBlfA6r81bRjbZv9dfT-CJLxZ3Ws87desASrACO8C_Gpu9dK_r2663EYiDBADWXKrPWnxMuPCnOvrsg/s320/IMG_0773.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A juice vendor in downtown Amman</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Leaving our hotel with just a few hours sleep after a late-night flight from London, my husband, Tom, and I stepped out onto the streets of </span><a href="https://www.touristjordan.com/jabal-al-weibdeh-neighborhood/" style="font-family: arial;">Jabal al-Weibdeh</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, a gentrifying hillside neighborhood in </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amman" style="font-family: arial;">Amman</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, the capital of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan" style="font-family: arial;">Jordan</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The minaret next to a blue-domed mosque towered over neat rows of sandstone-colored houses and apartments. Cafe owners dusted off their patio tables. Springtime flowers bloomed in sidewalk gardens.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It was just 9 a.m. but already warm and sunny. We were headed out for a walking tour in downtown Amman - the oldest part of one of the oldest cities in the world - when I spotted a corner store. Before I could ask, the man behind the counter pointed to a cooler filled with bottled water.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6eVWkSVoHFFgGs16aivULcgOTKJbBc6iK4eiOLYiV1XeUZluAqNgvNKjQQvzNTHV9eVWBdh_rJFuI11Jjoi75r7ld7uWbfUA0RQbgCIMG2tpvfjxPiC2U-kRZaZs-s5HWgPtrXMUEp77Q9sSBKDvb1gJxRFx0AWVBlPpsGpLDAfEft53Cwxmqc4Wmg/s2473/IMG_0731.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="2473" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6eVWkSVoHFFgGs16aivULcgOTKJbBc6iK4eiOLYiV1XeUZluAqNgvNKjQQvzNTHV9eVWBdh_rJFuI11Jjoi75r7ld7uWbfUA0RQbgCIMG2tpvfjxPiC2U-kRZaZs-s5HWgPtrXMUEp77Q9sSBKDvb1gJxRFx0AWVBlPpsGpLDAfEft53Cwxmqc4Wmg/s320/IMG_0731.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Welcome, welcome," said the owner of our neighborhood store</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“Small, small,” he smiled, holding up a coin - the Jordan dinar equivalent of around 25 cents - indicating he couldn’t make change from the large bill I offered. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“No problem. Free for you,” he said, refusing my offer to pay him later in the day. “Welcome, welcome.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And so began our first day in Amman, a city continuously inhabited for 7,500 years, yet the capital of a country that only gained its independence from the British 77 years ago.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Located between Mecca, the holiest place on earth for Muslims, and Jerusalem, Jordan has played a central role in the history of the Old Testament (Moses and Abraham walked here); the Bible (St. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River); and the Quran.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Yet while almost everyone is familiar with <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/326/">Petra</a>, Jordan's major archeologic site; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi_Rum">Wadi Rum</a>, a desert valley area popular with rock climbers and hikers; and the experience of floating in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea">Dead Sea</a>, few stay in Amman long enough to appreciate the most liberal city in the Arab world, and likely the most diverse.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cRKRQ22HPJlVEPtxOBSZQb489O0uWOCgETjG_UVr038Yij0DNw8ZGMmqzNbyfbEBXMGEcrDaTSmMHzTfz1o917SPpmCcc8TdxfCBubPwlpynd8DMzX2j5g8CUuruIxkGvd72RCDkvQP5CxqmkP2hhsUFokHwngqIqxpy-a8JM4pe7NRZfgY-TL-bqQ/s2184/IMG_0791.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cRKRQ22HPJlVEPtxOBSZQb489O0uWOCgETjG_UVr038Yij0DNw8ZGMmqzNbyfbEBXMGEcrDaTSmMHzTfz1o917SPpmCcc8TdxfCBubPwlpynd8DMzX2j5g8CUuruIxkGvd72RCDkvQP5CxqmkP2hhsUFokHwngqIqxpy-a8JM4pe7NRZfgY-TL-bqQ/s320/IMG_0791.jpeg" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women who wear head scarves wear them in style</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Bordering Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian territories and Israel, Jordan is predominantly Muslim with a large Palestinian population. It also has a significant Christian population, so it's not unusual to hear the Call to Prayer at a local mosque and church bells ringing at the same time. Cafes stock beer and wine for those who drink alcohol, and tea and shisha pipes for those who abstain. Head scarves for women are optional. Call it Middle-East Lite. Amman provides a soft landing for first-time visitors in the Arab world. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlAHsMH19i7M4iRLmmru-YWkC07Cq-KU1Zv_bT-PlzjiawAc5fRcV2KD7SCOvcwW1xtioBs4SpRBEecJUM4bTx1AZqIJ8XRrZNUCw2H-hn5ToVEONSFZVceoO0vQs_0UEcAKJLvxke7R04ERT7KQnTtdsY1MOPDUUHfQBu3Fh9BwBxs09WOT33tYWhQ/s2560/IMG_0784.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlAHsMH19i7M4iRLmmru-YWkC07Cq-KU1Zv_bT-PlzjiawAc5fRcV2KD7SCOvcwW1xtioBs4SpRBEecJUM4bTx1AZqIJ8XRrZNUCw2H-hn5ToVEONSFZVceoO0vQs_0UEcAKJLvxke7R04ERT7KQnTtdsY1MOPDUUHfQBu3Fh9BwBxs09WOT33tYWhQ/s320/IMG_0784.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Temple of Hercules</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With 4.5 million people, Amman's city limits stretch far beyond the original old city built on seven hills or jabals. Towering over everything is the ancient<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amman_Citadel"> Citadel</a> with the ruins of the Roman Temple of Hercules and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Palace">Umayyad Palace</a> complex built during the 8th century on the foundation of a Byzantine church. Next door is the Amman Citiadel mosque with a restored domed entrance chamber.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDck8Fgm-csHULrHtDHX5qQn7MD1EgpYgz7XZC-u_q6V3Hd-PKqa0PJCPwcAzjCKd3Jeuc9JWCbPOkSUh9O-dmBb9vPwSPrlAgnytKXuNMfDHN_qBF7rQ1M_z2xO1HzTDTESP5bMye9exT1LLLfZ2NcR_ku1Thv1P2ZGxFzngPnTTFAFjb4IveH2g6lg/s2560/IMG_0787.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDck8Fgm-csHULrHtDHX5qQn7MD1EgpYgz7XZC-u_q6V3Hd-PKqa0PJCPwcAzjCKd3Jeuc9JWCbPOkSUh9O-dmBb9vPwSPrlAgnytKXuNMfDHN_qBF7rQ1M_z2xO1HzTDTESP5bMye9exT1LLLfZ2NcR_ku1Thv1P2ZGxFzngPnTTFAFjb4IveH2g6lg/s320/IMG_0787.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Amman Citadel Mosque</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGInWbMcWwiWMzJ4GtpYD5i4zJ_ZYuHJMpOjAYqFi_kRsgWHAjrhwmHzR4bvvMR8X38m41nMs1ZiWSBhg1wTOOnPxhX_d3to19a0aaoMqLEjsq8b9ZSMhBgX3d0mC4a5aR-T4pAD7hOZm7mGB47y31XJz9Bs_ZHegezldf9hiqIuUL04rmOITyV7rlA/s2560/IMG_0790.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGInWbMcWwiWMzJ4GtpYD5i4zJ_ZYuHJMpOjAYqFi_kRsgWHAjrhwmHzR4bvvMR8X38m41nMs1ZiWSBhg1wTOOnPxhX_d3to19a0aaoMqLEjsq8b9ZSMhBgX3d0mC4a5aR-T4pAD7hOZm7mGB47y31XJz9Bs_ZHegezldf9hiqIuUL04rmOITyV7rlA/s320/IMG_0790.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original mosque is believed to have had a wooden dome, like this one which was constructed towards the end of the 20th century.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Downhill and a five-minute- walk to downtown are the remains of a 2nd-century <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Theatre_(Amman)">Roman theater</a> when the city was known as Philadelphia. The theater is still used for sporting and cultural events.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Getting around foot requires a steep climb up or down connecting staircases, often hidden from view but marked on Google maps. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIScETqdszt-XY8ISFGbB5BtSLQV-jX1D9dh0Sewn-s5__MaISD0VstwQ0Tkta8jaIyqILf0sy6e13VksW-fpWmErohj3xlH_tsTJ5ncHKJJqCR0R8oRA6ajPBOMXlDPILrR28K10I1qDk4-mXCvtGGfmKhzAf-I8qU3YRUcBkt1HuhaRad4HkIuDUw/s2560/IMG_2853.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIScETqdszt-XY8ISFGbB5BtSLQV-jX1D9dh0Sewn-s5__MaISD0VstwQ0Tkta8jaIyqILf0sy6e13VksW-fpWmErohj3xlH_tsTJ5ncHKJJqCR0R8oRA6ajPBOMXlDPILrR28K10I1qDk4-mXCvtGGfmKhzAf-I8qU3YRUcBkt1HuhaRad4HkIuDUw/s320/IMG_2853.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs to downtown</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbj3fwKouPVqYwbOO4A2VmUrBKL3P4EuXr_Rgcc96EK5W8xut91SOC4E2knc6ZNG0H47pdYVzk_s_7APUzBUCdJ7uQslGjjlY18HjxgxcBgHN-dmPIGs4TaTnwPtlGVKv3h-g0isrHMBZbEul_jMTM2MMUyOK8vscdDPafCgJlbfa6uV_ESC_lcuT6w/s2560/IMG_0753.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbj3fwKouPVqYwbOO4A2VmUrBKL3P4EuXr_Rgcc96EK5W8xut91SOC4E2knc6ZNG0H47pdYVzk_s_7APUzBUCdJ7uQslGjjlY18HjxgxcBgHN-dmPIGs4TaTnwPtlGVKv3h-g0isrHMBZbEul_jMTM2MMUyOK8vscdDPafCgJlbfa6uV_ESC_lcuT6w/s320/IMG_0753.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A street decorated with colorful lanterns</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Using as our base the <a href="https://www.locandahotel.com/en/">Locanda Boutique Hotel</a>, a cultural project where the names of well-known Arabic musicians replace room numbers, we devoted our time to exploring Al-Balad, the Arabic name for the old downtown and <a href="https://www.touristjordan.com/jabal-al-weibdeh-neighborhood/">Jabal-al-Weidbdeh</a>, the cultural heart of Amman, with its art galleries, museums and vibrant cafe life. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUosCTmf8EzxQK96MstmaQmisxe07LxjbshRO8C5XvcJ5U7P05DKXtth1fPo95QnJ12zk3E-c1gLIQQoJZnDV6tybCw6XT2lhEa3RuYMCMuk7IWISpQwReGnDr27VRKj4nYcoIggE4J_5U1XDJF5Fut-u8eF72OLt1MbjdtwJgD4MuwCEUNod7zrcXw/s2560/IMG_0778.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUosCTmf8EzxQK96MstmaQmisxe07LxjbshRO8C5XvcJ5U7P05DKXtth1fPo95QnJ12zk3E-c1gLIQQoJZnDV6tybCw6XT2lhEa3RuYMCMuk7IWISpQwReGnDr27VRKj4nYcoIggE4J_5U1XDJF5Fut-u8eF72OLt1MbjdtwJgD4MuwCEUNod7zrcXw/s320/IMG_0778.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown bookshop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Around town with Osama</b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizX2EKdKZ5zS7wb6b-yQZnK18uJqIH1KUQ-rHcyiEb-dKF5Cv0vZ66o2JKCp73PS0Tq78q6qkAFntXds3pY9epPfD7ZuWS8yd5_SbECbvQMqdL_X7SjDrmXWqXz97YGorl3RGWQeHlDRoQ38c9vn9TSkhRFUD2xB-z8TmLfHFhyF9tt8_wT7buyMADTw/s2560/IMG_0740.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizX2EKdKZ5zS7wb6b-yQZnK18uJqIH1KUQ-rHcyiEb-dKF5Cv0vZ66o2JKCp73PS0Tq78q6qkAFntXds3pY9epPfD7ZuWS8yd5_SbECbvQMqdL_X7SjDrmXWqXz97YGorl3RGWQeHlDRoQ38c9vn9TSkhRFUD2xB-z8TmLfHFhyF9tt8_wT7buyMADTw/s320/IMG_0740.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osama explains the many varieties of olives for sale in the vegetable souq</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Nine of us - all strangers before today - follow our guide, Osama, as he leads us across a busy street, stopping traffic by holding out his left hand. We’ve signed up for his “<a href="https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/39621-taste-amman-free-food-tour">Taste of Amman Free Food Tour”</a> through <a href="http://GuruWalk.com">GuruWalk.com</a>, a clearing house for locals who create walking tours in cities throughout the world. Tips are encouraged, but there’s no obligation and no set prices.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1L8MEqOhF_iFbhzZZZJSeEwVl5xJ_Q__ixnEZxh6U9pBSi2b_WiwUxmQwSXnV866_0tNV3G4GngSa1hAMlPJ9FBErwove-QHpX9RfDi152ZadgvTdlZMfLDdNrh4wbba0dSz_EcM6DxS4tmN6-nhgoLnJoTY6Isog6er2pv00fubu_PelyxmfUoKLQ/s2560/IMG_0849.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1L8MEqOhF_iFbhzZZZJSeEwVl5xJ_Q__ixnEZxh6U9pBSi2b_WiwUxmQwSXnV866_0tNV3G4GngSa1hAMlPJ9FBErwove-QHpX9RfDi152ZadgvTdlZMfLDdNrh4wbba0dSz_EcM6DxS4tmN6-nhgoLnJoTY6Isog6er2pv00fubu_PelyxmfUoKLQ/s320/IMG_0849.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Amman</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXd872gBEWmGxZvBQ1NXdBD8Z769q2R0QfLKFMst9YEsiiPaoFwHKJ9ZVTUaAlo3nhqh7p8aV5ihgqJCh7mcgpWax3_mUD_8pkcmc-2lukyL-rHih5LVvhMk8ZrcnFToSqkOwqi__XqzQxKgGt8o23v8oI8H4W4yBMF1Yy0cCD4bz4psEWMWhaDJObNg/s2451/IMG_0734.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2451" data-original-width="1474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXd872gBEWmGxZvBQ1NXdBD8Z769q2R0QfLKFMst9YEsiiPaoFwHKJ9ZVTUaAlo3nhqh7p8aV5ihgqJCh7mcgpWax3_mUD_8pkcmc-2lukyL-rHih5LVvhMk8ZrcnFToSqkOwqi__XqzQxKgGt8o23v8oI8H4W4yBMF1Yy0cCD4bz4psEWMWhaDJObNg/s320/IMG_0734.jpeg" width="192" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many downtown murals</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We'll soon be weaving in and out of the souqs - an ancient labyrinth of covered markets for fruits, spices, vegetables and clothes. But first we stop in front of a mural depicting a face divided vertically down the middle, half male and half female. It's a statement about equality among the sexes in a commercial area lined with shops all run by men. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This mural and many others like it painted on the walls of businesses and buildings around Amman are meant to encourage dialogue on gender issues Some of it is aimed at correcting a mismatch between attitudes towards women working (90 percent of men and women approve) and the low percentage of women (14 percent) in the workforce. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Female literacy rates are among the highest in the Middle East, and more women than men are enrolled in college. But leaving children with a relative in order to to work is still considered unacceptable as is having a job that requires late hours and time away from a family.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“We don’t have oil,” Osama explains. “So we need to invest in human beings.” </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8GM_Eipplgp9pXo1ExDg4dwfUQzw6N6riIOHNRCgudDSSNZIHK5LdwJ4Yal_Chqxcn7tWrbv1gFiV0PxypMhLni05Vg1wxUqtv3rJFC7TXGauWP-yqf_vtmGu_kyFwf5GUaWNre5BauJShsJhtnZtHPldDcdCYcML4N83_93yh6QPKut8NQa943RWw/s2560/IMG_0736.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8GM_Eipplgp9pXo1ExDg4dwfUQzw6N6riIOHNRCgudDSSNZIHK5LdwJ4Yal_Chqxcn7tWrbv1gFiV0PxypMhLni05Vg1wxUqtv3rJFC7TXGauWP-yqf_vtmGu_kyFwf5GUaWNre5BauJShsJhtnZtHPldDcdCYcML4N83_93yh6QPKut8NQa943RWw/s320/IMG_0736.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p>Our first stop is the oldest bakery in Amman where fresh loaves are stacked under a sign written in Arabic. Then we plunge deep into the crowded souqs stocked with vegetables we don’t easily recognize and shops where bins are piled with artfully displayed spices, teas, olives and almonds. </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzdCSAyoYQ8UcJKgn7L8voqtV4kJPWvI5AMd7sQOf3SFGXYd9KKIxpLW0vC5d3S1S73kiWXzVkm0DF5fcRgz6XDIm36efh-odHG_gYikqLestPzOYK3pAVRjd9WJsc-RmBvFbj4UC352pRNLRr_W6GrKaNiARztyCaRtIh1Tgf86zX58j8M37eOHuug/s1922/IMG_0742.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1882" data-original-width="1922" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzdCSAyoYQ8UcJKgn7L8voqtV4kJPWvI5AMd7sQOf3SFGXYd9KKIxpLW0vC5d3S1S73kiWXzVkm0DF5fcRgz6XDIm36efh-odHG_gYikqLestPzOYK3pAVRjd9WJsc-RmBvFbj4UC352pRNLRr_W6GrKaNiARztyCaRtIh1Tgf86zX58j8M37eOHuug/s320/IMG_0742.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spice souq</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuXofwXPhcS1C1-EOWPJYom5kL98nhDRS5y1WeOG15lKefc1NdsZaARElbPpq1gyAmseMGehAA2WnPUHs4wyf8jtsMsUsRvoZHg2h1SPhd4cc-IMUNsY-a_cA39tKgCP7h0tgEpRDTpaqhZ1igkHWc1MDoqhjsMQzVbOmrGy6OEInKwpYIClznSzUIg/s2560/IMG_0847.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuXofwXPhcS1C1-EOWPJYom5kL98nhDRS5y1WeOG15lKefc1NdsZaARElbPpq1gyAmseMGehAA2WnPUHs4wyf8jtsMsUsRvoZHg2h1SPhd4cc-IMUNsY-a_cA39tKgCP7h0tgEpRDTpaqhZ1igkHWc1MDoqhjsMQzVbOmrGy6OEInKwpYIClznSzUIg/s320/IMG_0847.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watermelons for sale: $1.50</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRsDCqfGLw6CNhwkpqEZgjJ_fqcUpAmKQHOUvJcoYTgPKHox0XkDXrry_pbbGvhlSgeNPzXKP0s639wE_JLYD22uowW6ewX76FF3Q-E0LHJ1HvW_Yp38ouXfV_ndf4pjn5sLzIEIg3v3BYPMUNYtu0txYJnV26k0134kFMQEyy-BuzkxE5uulDjJhqQ/s1983/IMG_0749.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1983" data-original-width="1581" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRsDCqfGLw6CNhwkpqEZgjJ_fqcUpAmKQHOUvJcoYTgPKHox0XkDXrry_pbbGvhlSgeNPzXKP0s639wE_JLYD22uowW6ewX76FF3Q-E0LHJ1HvW_Yp38ouXfV_ndf4pjn5sLzIEIg3v3BYPMUNYtu0txYJnV26k0134kFMQEyy-BuzkxE5uulDjJhqQ/s320/IMG_0749.jpeg" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Socks and underwear salesmen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">At the top of one flight of stairs is the </span><a href="https://daralanda.com" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Dar Al-Anda </a><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">art gallery, housed in two historic villas with an outdoor terrace and sweeping views. Another stairway leads to a little cafe that serves mint and lemon juice and sandwiches made with za'atar,</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> a spice mixture made with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac and other herbs, that Osama promises "is good for health and the brain." </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0LtSKsIY5RqJh2z1sDvuBuDTUW7DTXVlYL-Xbo5HDlr-5EHFZh6n_-7i8SFax0K6zWpLFErFJ83fSS9UhNj0bNltXKK8nqaBK4Q-J1gaVX6XgqJZYFsWDox1xMNwyrFTMzKqHE0ePpE7IUx2ilJWi7ns9oRXOiD0cYh0Fx9Vwfx7gf6hV7CgatoxQw/s2560/IMG_0767.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0LtSKsIY5RqJh2z1sDvuBuDTUW7DTXVlYL-Xbo5HDlr-5EHFZh6n_-7i8SFax0K6zWpLFErFJ83fSS9UhNj0bNltXKK8nqaBK4Q-J1gaVX6XgqJZYFsWDox1xMNwyrFTMzKqHE0ePpE7IUx2ilJWi7ns9oRXOiD0cYh0Fx9Vwfx7gf6hV7CgatoxQw/s320/IMG_0767.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Za'atar sandwich on the terrace of Dar Al-Anda</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>At the bottom of those steps, we take special note of the location of <a href="http://habibahsweets.com">Habibah sweet shop</a> across the street. The specialty is Kunafa, a layered dessert with a base stringy cheese similar to a mozzarella and the top layers of vermicelli soaked in rose scented sugar syrup. Clerks in white coats cut slabs from a pizza-size pan, weigh the slices, and charge accordingly. </p></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZgtMLyVdcBKqOuMr0wgtSBAMK4dPUXa9Q2k1FUMS_GhakAf_CbhO93csV10S-oVHvagpg0ZQyLDKlPDYeSm58AxiOXf8E8cdwD1BMoHYgcsCpVUBKXv6cTr6CB0hnu9k8R1YaZxtIOhXXZ4VATBUItjd0oZg95TMxU0VupqRrlVBOdKoDI7lVMYYNQ/s2560/IMG_2863.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZgtMLyVdcBKqOuMr0wgtSBAMK4dPUXa9Q2k1FUMS_GhakAf_CbhO93csV10S-oVHvagpg0ZQyLDKlPDYeSm58AxiOXf8E8cdwD1BMoHYgcsCpVUBKXv6cTr6CB0hnu9k8R1YaZxtIOhXXZ4VATBUItjd0oZg95TMxU0VupqRrlVBOdKoDI7lVMYYNQ/s320/IMG_2863.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kunafa at Habibah sweet shop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After two-and-a-half hours of waking and a stop for bottles of Jordanian beer to-go, Osama leads us up a long flight of stairs to his home where he has prepared lunch for our group. This part of his tour was not advertised on the Guruwalk website. Rather he informed us in an e-mail after we signed up that lunch would be included. Dietary issues forced him to learn to cook healthy foods at a young age, he explained. Those skills led to a job as a chef at a hotel in Petra before he became a freelance guide. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As we take places around his dining table, he retreats to his kitchen, and reappears with appetizers called <a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-mezze-5189112">mezze</a>- bowls of homemade hummus, yoghurt, baba ganoush, a peasant salad called fatoosh and baskets of pita bread. Restaurants all over Amman serve their own versions of these dishes. Guidebooks point visitors to a crowded downtown spot called <a href="https://hashemrestaurants.com/usa/en/">Hashem</a>, but Osama's recipes are better, and there's no wait for a table. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We could have made a meal of the mezze, but there was a main dish to come, and one Osama was very proud to have mastered. It's<a href="https://www.legalnomads.com/maklouba/"> Maklouba</a>, a dish found a 13th century collection of Arab recipes, popular throughout the Middle East.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgFco1cCrCo2T2xxsIGzVcztdvaoHYJ4i1Hm49uhOpFPAODMiqY3p_gd0DymZlDT0GBMHoZf4mBkeLeaC3WNUchJKVP2CyofUmMEfHdAUo7GEJoccm6hJvmdodzGT2H44AiJYO-hrcjQAtnoviCgYaQ5BOtnxZEiGhTIrQMfIYeSOgoPQ6KnWnNsVQQ/s2560/IMG_2862.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgFco1cCrCo2T2xxsIGzVcztdvaoHYJ4i1Hm49uhOpFPAODMiqY3p_gd0DymZlDT0GBMHoZf4mBkeLeaC3WNUchJKVP2CyofUmMEfHdAUo7GEJoccm6hJvmdodzGT2H44AiJYO-hrcjQAtnoviCgYaQ5BOtnxZEiGhTIrQMfIYeSOgoPQ6KnWnNsVQQ/s320/IMG_2862.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our walking group at lunch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Vegetables such as carrots and peppers and chicken or lamb are folded into a mixture of rice and 13 spices. It's all piled into a pot and cooked over the stove, then tipped upside down on a plate revealing the layers of chicken, rice and vegetables. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Osama brings the pot to a side table, inverts a perfectly intact Maklouba, then places the platter in the middle of the table for us all to devour.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"Welcome, welcome," he says. We remember what he said earlier about investing in people, and leave a generous tip.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcVjGWosjwTPgHYFS7cZLrglwolxlKds5Toa0MeBN-DxwZIcd_8b03iJiecyiaZGS-zivpNHCYIQAqq4S-hF1bd1MQ3Ptz2DtGKkNc7jcqsbj_Vf_u2GDGdmIK0t5RZMCvwEjhVoojbsgz8Oh7C46QYsN6SxwGoY-aal9aGY_aP-MzxCeX331QCkNsA/s2560/IMG_0755.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcVjGWosjwTPgHYFS7cZLrglwolxlKds5Toa0MeBN-DxwZIcd_8b03iJiecyiaZGS-zivpNHCYIQAqq4S-hF1bd1MQ3Ptz2DtGKkNc7jcqsbj_Vf_u2GDGdmIK0t5RZMCvwEjhVoojbsgz8Oh7C46QYsN6SxwGoY-aal9aGY_aP-MzxCeX331QCkNsA/s320/IMG_0755.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osama inverts his Maklouba</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-89352316598969653262023-04-25T07:17:00.001-07:002023-05-05T15:04:21.823-07:00Post-Pandemic London: Prepare for crowds and lots of changes<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr65oQ37hrBSZRFabVWj0ANQk9M2c9oG_JHJHrNlURFc4MbQ-PSqi4VfCzE95zaADMoesm0ZhW7n0RZBu4TPTC21JZPRVTP5qOpuuB9xHLgiubB8kokmVQ7ki8w6vP1Y_D4b8ZCoR8TRAyDE0PvfiX33PdkgK9ceALS8iiO5fptDGcfVM-PfuRAZZnw/s2265/8BC1C127-E69E-479B-A1D3-41503C232C56.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1625" data-original-width="2265" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr65oQ37hrBSZRFabVWj0ANQk9M2c9oG_JHJHrNlURFc4MbQ-PSqi4VfCzE95zaADMoesm0ZhW7n0RZBu4TPTC21JZPRVTP5qOpuuB9xHLgiubB8kokmVQ7ki8w6vP1Y_D4b8ZCoR8TRAyDE0PvfiX33PdkgK9ceALS8iiO5fptDGcfVM-PfuRAZZnw/s320/8BC1C127-E69E-479B-A1D3-41503C232C56.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coronation plans underway</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">News of a few major events in London slipped by me while I was planning a three-day stopover on our way to Jordan. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Marathon">London Marathon</a>, preparations for the <a href="https://www.royal.uk/coronation-his-majesty-king">coronation of King Charles</a> and a major soccer match collided to bring thousands of extra visitors to town.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Had I done my homework, I would have realized that many of the roads and walking paths around Buckingham Palace would be blocked. And it wasn’t the smartest move to book tickets to see a performance of <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=CAb__RHtVZLuJIJKhtOUPhvibgAXUpP-0cJfS1sKcEK720-PMAwgAEAEguVQoAmDJBqABlr2ZoCjIAQGpAmMZkXtzNbU-yAPYIKoEYk_QEmAjGDcFOA78kugDYJd_67hFIO-vQ_0xOMyJ43GaUYLCBSRKSAWK0ShLXIL4eZRT6soLmY107u2RoPiEw9LKRbzcOvohHILOPcVWcxQpuGXO6JljhGPZi4pYdiSdmM8awASTqeOXhASABZBOiAWikbWXQaAGZoAHlvXp_wKIBwGQBwGoB6a-G6gHvK2xAqgHuauxAqgHuZqxAqgH89EbqAfu0huoB_-csQKoB8rcG6gHu6SxAqgHkqaxAqgH2KaxAqgH26qxAqgH0KqxAqAIrIepBLAIAdIIFxACIIQDMgSD4IAOOgIAAkIBBEjR7PMqmglNaHR0cHM6Ly90aWNrZXRzLm5ld3NpZXN0aGVtdXNpY2FsLmNvLnVrL3RpY2tldHMvc2VyaWVzL05FV1NJRVMvbmV3c2llcy00ODgzNzKxCXA5W_uVunAauQkbPR-Hpf8QjfgJAZgLAaoMAggBuAwB2gwICgMg0QESAQLoDAaqDQJVU4IUEggDEg5uZXdzaWVzIGxvbmRvbogUBcgU5eecga_03bES0BUBmBYB-BYBgBcBkhcJEgcIARADGNEBuhcCIAHgFwI&ae=2&ved=2ahUKEwjZzaDBld_-AhWeHTQIHQflA1YQ0Qx6BAgHEAE&nis=2&dct=1&cid=CAASFeRo8pQKmKlGe-HeSbWcvwzDiP1lsQ&dblrd=1&sival=AF15MEB35VlTchmXuaYY71SrnT1n5T0UzGm6w5UzpwkusQ8t6RpCu7TbmfuTxqReUwKzGD7Tta8Zx4cYTI1jI7Qz13TOGDgL7ecqUPCzxgCz9xjr_uaxy5yK25JQdMW_1dJDRRbMdMvbmGjAlnPCaLMnZt9V1eAkzYfdDp8Vq-ZNWp8Ycu75KeGiJzcG-OF3Hye91YAnRo4s&sig=AOD64_29gkWOSSQ2y6UUtLBCMbMZQroLCQ&adurl=https://tickets.newsiesthemusical.co.uk/tickets/series/NEWSIES/newsies-488372%3FstartDate%3D12-01-2022%26gad%3D1">“Newsies”</a> at a theater down the street from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wembley_Stadium">Whembley Park</a> soccer stadium. Kudos to the British for queuing under any circumstances. Otherwise we would have been part of a stampede for standing room only on two packed subway lines. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTuDLQt0S0AxFSFw3a8FIq8ouf-mHVDqBHz-4brbFcb3f53XZJQpUNRzlHds15q9jrWljJG9nyWVOHRHG_lZFOa4YZRtvjcaLCIAAeC02cBpxh829jSflHIlzrOIK5ZgHxeDYKOwKiPZ0dVxUddURr8us0xk9A4qXf5JODjDugZzE-qDV2tdQfWh3hA/s2558/276D1EF9-95F0-427C-AC38-09D2268C4056.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1635" data-original-width="2558" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTuDLQt0S0AxFSFw3a8FIq8ouf-mHVDqBHz-4brbFcb3f53XZJQpUNRzlHds15q9jrWljJG9nyWVOHRHG_lZFOa4YZRtvjcaLCIAAeC02cBpxh829jSflHIlzrOIK5ZgHxeDYKOwKiPZ0dVxUddURr8us0xk9A4qXf5JODjDugZzE-qDV2tdQfWh3hA/s320/276D1EF9-95F0-427C-AC38-09D2268C4056.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the London Eye from St. James park</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">No complaints though. In three days, Tom and I managed to visit great pubs, spend time at the British Museum, ride all modes of transportation, go to the theater, walk 7-8 miles a day, stroll through St. James Park via Buckingham Palace, join a London volunteer greeter on a tour of the East End, and take a long walk along the <a href="https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/regents-canal">Regent’s Canal</a> and <a href="https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/401228-little-venice">Little Venice. </a></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZbYv_bYWdTz9wCHovNofklindMlruWVNJxL9k_bOUYuP-vxj0pvbbSHbS2WKWYiMxtmEs_0Veu0Vz1LjYMH6QF3JK2p0GdveigOk19CjcImKtIeaEidxKxJ_ot9ZBRfnGgPCnFv59vwxIRYz8ENEb0xYmSjRrYUdKf4O-fHufsesZf9XcBk9mk9NhQ/s2048/52EB7830-007F-4130-8864-0AB383E8940D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZbYv_bYWdTz9wCHovNofklindMlruWVNJxL9k_bOUYuP-vxj0pvbbSHbS2WKWYiMxtmEs_0Veu0Vz1LjYMH6QF3JK2p0GdveigOk19CjcImKtIeaEidxKxJ_ot9ZBRfnGgPCnFv59vwxIRYz8ENEb0xYmSjRrYUdKf4O-fHufsesZf9XcBk9mk9NhQ/s320/52EB7830-007F-4130-8864-0AB383E8940D.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A canal boat ride along the Union Canal near Little Venice </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Arriving in London during an extra-busy time was a wake-up call that this IS a city where reservations are a must for most everything. That goes not only for hotels and theater tickets, but for pizza, a pub meal or even admission into a museum or special attraction where entry is free. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Whether you’re a first-time visitor or have been here before, but not since the pandemic, there’s lots to catch up on when it comes to making the most of a short visit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">GETTING TO AND FROM HEATHROW</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Uber now operates in London, and there are always taxis, but those are the most expensive options. In the past, we took Piccadilly underground line into town or the <a href="https://www.heathrowexpress.com/#/">Heathrow Express </a>train to Paddington Station. This time, we opted for the new <a href="https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/elizabeth-line">Elizabeth Line</a>, a high-speed Tube line that connects Heathrow to Paddington, with connections there to other lines. The cost was around 12£ vs. 27£ for the Heathrow Express. One advantage is that you don’t have to buy a ticket. All you do is tap your credit card or mobile device when boarding. Same goes for other Tube lines and the buses. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1G-rF1aHtlvQGum0x8L2w6Yp4qAUrta7vzzbCSawz5zNO4b5USPmQ04YzVipPzacldEM4OCLPJUE5CUfvvH1M1HOFVC79dFBGtUeh99quarUpxgE6eNSce8YWL36LInPkj4fpBWQZOulR8ai8TKABZNxUuuZ7esIaVYMbkHBs_V3nIqD0ERVokwApQ/s2560/06B49F92-0FBD-4DE9-B9A4-F1A00BE09F2D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1G-rF1aHtlvQGum0x8L2w6Yp4qAUrta7vzzbCSawz5zNO4b5USPmQ04YzVipPzacldEM4OCLPJUE5CUfvvH1M1HOFVC79dFBGtUeh99quarUpxgE6eNSce8YWL36LInPkj4fpBWQZOulR8ai8TKABZNxUuuZ7esIaVYMbkHBs_V3nIqD0ERVokwApQ/s320/06B49F92-0FBD-4DE9-B9A4-F1A00BE09F2D.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ride on the London Tube</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">CASHLESS ECONOMY</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We withdrew 40£ from an ATM, but didn’t need it. Everyone takes credit cards or mobile payments, even for the smallest purchases, and more and more cafes and restaurants are no longer accepting cash. Paying with a tap card or mobile device is fast and efficient, but it brings up the importance of carrying a back-up card just in case one is lost or stolen.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaqSqC5OieaxLgwUJEUWRbBCLLgIjhjC91xxb0LYUhBpWDw6HXus8sBVAa9X3uWU91xNzJWQG_TOU42iwdDZ_-1evrrBpNDPvwB-qoDS1sICOLO96NpAPWI_ha8ddrK5HnoxdI5HxX5o22wPQpKoOvyfvzPpbtHgYU1HjNCVSeMFykeJvLDSBKTmPsQ/s2560/FAEB02E6-4D55-48EF-997A-0F77F96D3AEC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaqSqC5OieaxLgwUJEUWRbBCLLgIjhjC91xxb0LYUhBpWDw6HXus8sBVAa9X3uWU91xNzJWQG_TOU42iwdDZ_-1evrrBpNDPvwB-qoDS1sICOLO96NpAPWI_ha8ddrK5HnoxdI5HxX5o22wPQpKoOvyfvzPpbtHgYU1HjNCVSeMFykeJvLDSBKTmPsQ/s320/FAEB02E6-4D55-48EF-997A-0F77F96D3AEC.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The British Museum. Entry is free but make a reservation, or risk a long wait</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">ABOUT THOSE RESERVATIONS</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">They’re a good idea, and often necessary, even for attractions and museums where entry is free. The good news is you can book online in advance from anywhere. So if you want to go to the British Museum on a certain day a month from now, you can book a timed visit at no charge. The same goes for most restaurants, even pubs and pizza parlors. Looking for an indoor activity on a rainy afternoon, we were hoping to visit the<a href="https://skygarden.london"> Sky Garden</a>, London’s tallest indoor garden inside a high-rise tower called the Walkie-Talkie building. Entry is free, but you must reserve a timed ticket online. By the time I realized we would need to book, all the slots were taken.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">THE FULL ENGLISH…. NOT</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Happy to report that thanks to London’s diverse multi-cultural community, there are now many alternatives to the “Full English” spread of eggs, sausages, beans and mushrooms. We stayed at a Airbnb that didn’t include breakfast, an advantage because it meant we could breakfast hop around our Belgravia neighborhood to French, Syrian, Turkish, Georgian and Indian cafes and restaurants, all high-quality and healthy.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYINn6dsNnN-04yaLmJrf8vmzVgKUEaLWSX-9WD7As7jIo54wAyxHAnuI-cKtHkCY9VsG2OtvcIjkYU1RO_N99LfiZb2aH3pUkE_K57uf5kka1KxR-HBwXFvXRyZfUO09_rlbYX06z64eJVqIpe9mM5xsaDbRd7hcjqppBl7B0JJhtEs1ZuZAOH1Qrhw/s2442/A6D200F6-B725-404F-8D6E-FF5896B44DE7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2442" data-original-width="1825" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYINn6dsNnN-04yaLmJrf8vmzVgKUEaLWSX-9WD7As7jIo54wAyxHAnuI-cKtHkCY9VsG2OtvcIjkYU1RO_N99LfiZb2aH3pUkE_K57uf5kka1KxR-HBwXFvXRyZfUO09_rlbYX06z64eJVqIpe9mM5xsaDbRd7hcjqppBl7B0JJhtEs1ZuZAOH1Qrhw/s320/A6D200F6-B725-404F-8D6E-FF5896B44DE7.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZmiyu7jMx-ck4fe-fL_c2y2u6CEDl1rWvJSm7DCi-8rN9e8nS6oxTL_ZQC_FUW6X7pRiJTWK6Frn-tbGiGFTebpKWgq3xOHUOAzmGNXHmxyEWytkhtxZVvwT9Bz0qWGBaIkYXVblOHWw5vSJup5N6e9Z0ncx8VIKAy2rXWyqKV_2g5J3LLfklYJF3w/s2558/CC0712F4-B6B2-4650-B890-BB93CF08E720.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="2558" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZmiyu7jMx-ck4fe-fL_c2y2u6CEDl1rWvJSm7DCi-8rN9e8nS6oxTL_ZQC_FUW6X7pRiJTWK6Frn-tbGiGFTebpKWgq3xOHUOAzmGNXHmxyEWytkhtxZVvwT9Bz0qWGBaIkYXVblOHWw5vSJup5N6e9Z0ncx8VIKAy2rXWyqKV_2g5J3LLfklYJF3w/s320/CC0712F4-B6B2-4650-B890-BB93CF08E720.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://entree.ge/en">Entree</a>, a family-run Georgian bakery near Victoria Station, was one of our favorites. Top choice was a healthy version of Georgia’s national dish, Khachapuri, a boat-shaped bread filled with cheese and an egg on top.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhHxBZYcAfAbZSrbFMNQon_ZPg-h-MoMYb5a2ROU2uS2rs8Lk6h_5qtXqJCmfBExDJJMZFmkuLI99Kbe1Gyn6SkHlBJIMktxSbEgnJ7zEH2Ux4re-uSFIB4NIFpmCN3j7XhZdDzpFA2IskrqDK5wFPUTloZ6R6stZKgugiVsyv5F2xJ-I_TDvJgVZDQ/s2477/694B660C-DF01-43F0-AB3A-1622AACC47B2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1910" data-original-width="2477" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhHxBZYcAfAbZSrbFMNQon_ZPg-h-MoMYb5a2ROU2uS2rs8Lk6h_5qtXqJCmfBExDJJMZFmkuLI99Kbe1Gyn6SkHlBJIMktxSbEgnJ7zEH2Ux4re-uSFIB4NIFpmCN3j7XhZdDzpFA2IskrqDK5wFPUTloZ6R6stZKgugiVsyv5F2xJ-I_TDvJgVZDQ/s320/694B660C-DF01-43F0-AB3A-1622AACC47B2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bear and Staff pub, a favorite hangout of Charlie Chaplin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Definitely eat at a pub, especially a “gastro” pub where the food is a cut above what you’d expect in a bar. Put off by the loud soccer fans drinking on the sidewalk outside? Book a table for the dining room. Most pubs, such as the <a href="https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/london/thebearandstaffleicestersquarelondon#/">Bear and Staff</a> above, have small dining areas (reservations are a must) where you can enjoy the food, beer and ambience in a quieter setting. If it’s Sunday, go for the Sunday roast - beef, chicken, and these days, a vegan option made with nuts and spices. </span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk08sPnZV87EEJwl0bjm-yg1qTdKEvVWtKh9o-eEugrYzLOmQg0qb8_U3_-HLL6PgmC_Mri2eLFBifWfSY-5egu0SkT0aaBRwplTTujafMamgiqDgivBNpw7MZc-0QqVumkhDX5JB7VhYeBDtb0uO_ci3mQ3FxzS1rGZfUh9cQQyy_QNp_s0c-ffG8lQ/s2048/65790021-1BF9-44AF-A86A-4828E514017B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk08sPnZV87EEJwl0bjm-yg1qTdKEvVWtKh9o-eEugrYzLOmQg0qb8_U3_-HLL6PgmC_Mri2eLFBifWfSY-5egu0SkT0aaBRwplTTujafMamgiqDgivBNpw7MZc-0QqVumkhDX5JB7VhYeBDtb0uO_ci3mQ3FxzS1rGZfUh9cQQyy_QNp_s0c-ffG8lQ/s320/65790021-1BF9-44AF-A86A-4828E514017B.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom enjoying Sunday roast at the Bear and Staff pub<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">SIGN UP FOR A LONDON GREETER </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Julia Gay has been leading visitors around her favorite parts of London for 15 years. She’s a member of<a href="https://londongreeters.org"> London Greeters</a>, an organization associated with the <a href="https://internationalgreeter.org">International Greeters Association</a>, a group of volunteers that connect locals with travelers around the world. No money exchanges hands. Instead, you might treat your greeter for coffee or tea while touring, or make an online donation to the organization after the visit.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HnkwCXZzZqjo0fTjYiivTxXz3boJnGxgcOK9nljBRAyLk1UIQEi4gv4JqH7Uf4KBD3LzSfzLXGQOTqDc2AGUBNNWejO2ZtdGjLsi9nFTaIaumA-rqs-iMs3_BqrIo2aeY94_nP3b2i7puek1u4hvf_vSCv8o03NI_6FNWtYT-tGOI1OzDbY39z8Bhg/s2560/D237311B-8EEA-41D5-BC85-2F067807C98C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HnkwCXZzZqjo0fTjYiivTxXz3boJnGxgcOK9nljBRAyLk1UIQEi4gv4JqH7Uf4KBD3LzSfzLXGQOTqDc2AGUBNNWejO2ZtdGjLsi9nFTaIaumA-rqs-iMs3_BqrIo2aeY94_nP3b2i7puek1u4hvf_vSCv8o03NI_6FNWtYT-tGOI1OzDbY39z8Bhg/s320/D237311B-8EEA-41D5-BC85-2F067807C98C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia Gay and us in front of a 300-year-old building that houses a bookstore and cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">We spent several hours with Julia on a walking tour around London’s East End, an area historically populated by poor immigrants, now gentrifying with renovations of run-down flats once claimed by squatters. The area around <a href="https://www.mylifelongholiday.com/visit-spitalfields-brick-lane-london/">Spitalfields and Brick Lane</a> were settled by French Protestant (Huguenot) refugees, then Jews fleeing Europe and finally Bangladeshi immigrants who made Brick Lane the curry capital of London. Today tourists come for the Spitalfields arts, crafts and food market, art galleries and mural tours led by local artists. We came to meet up with Julia, and make a new friend.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9g60E6JiQ0FQi70jySd2aGkQ3TR6QhiO8zZa55zRjzS0gezfbmyrdr8cHaJAfmshNg9tsKkPwXInK13hj7AFKdVLWWk9fupOICDFkOwL_Q-U7oBXXY9mnRd0R_GSeBYeLhM59JR1gLohzJOtV5ScE23i-ZwbtHRiyHz8tjASGAKW8ZOqaIoqBmqmjQ/s2517/AED8286B-210A-4005-B95D-0B4DF23DA3A7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2517" data-original-width="1507" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9g60E6JiQ0FQi70jySd2aGkQ3TR6QhiO8zZa55zRjzS0gezfbmyrdr8cHaJAfmshNg9tsKkPwXInK13hj7AFKdVLWWk9fupOICDFkOwL_Q-U7oBXXY9mnRd0R_GSeBYeLhM59JR1gLohzJOtV5ScE23i-ZwbtHRiyHz8tjASGAKW8ZOqaIoqBmqmjQ/s320/AED8286B-210A-4005-B95D-0B4DF23DA3A7.jpeg" width="192" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Murals and curry houses on Brick Lane </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p></div></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-77579878357003282532023-04-16T12:16:00.000-07:002023-04-16T12:16:28.922-07:00London to Jordan: Where to find travel info during post-pandemic times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6_VjA--ODiSmvNmv8BdIrzRpeSWYpevTpESSJ6M36OoOVIGPDkiywWFcJFwHY2CxgXs3ozjlWbwD5x4HpW9KsYnWoFXAsIYZztjXk2td6tCPjnnLqfQhYHgSfTOjVJ8kHXX2E77M9TqH79aMUy1JAyCmkm1tMLyNR9kHtZ9nwx3ZUV41AW09sYOIvQ/s300/599da0c846a54c4a3a498519.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6_VjA--ODiSmvNmv8BdIrzRpeSWYpevTpESSJ6M36OoOVIGPDkiywWFcJFwHY2CxgXs3ozjlWbwD5x4HpW9KsYnWoFXAsIYZztjXk2td6tCPjnnLqfQhYHgSfTOjVJ8kHXX2E77M9TqH79aMUy1JAyCmkm1tMLyNR9kHtZ9nwx3ZUV41AW09sYOIvQ/s1600/599da0c846a54c4a3a498519.webp" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London's new 'Lizzy' Line</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Who hasn't done some online shopping only to find "Suggested for you" link popping up on their Facebook page a few days later? This type of tracking seems pointless. If I already bought the shoes, why would I need another pair? But in planning a short stay in London before traveling to Jordan, the otherwise annoying prompts have proven useful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The latest was a post about the new Elizabeth Line, opened in May of last year, providing Heathrow passengers a new public transport option for getting into the city.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"Twenty billion pounds. Two new tunnels, bored for twenty-six weaving miles, under the streets. Ten new stations, with platforms and trains twice the length of standard Tube trains, excavated and somehow placed alongside or under the existing network," according to a </span><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/riding-londons-unexpectedly-fantastic-elizabeth-line" style="font-family: arial;">New Yorker</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> description.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's been three years since I've been to London, and I'm finding the usual sources for information - guide books and Trip Advisor reviews - outdated due to the Covid pandemic. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieb_kUXTm-8qocI2cdZLfg7X9UjBGCsr3TnjoPSIUyqFmpX7N8Fv_awisQ1TpfGQ0XFMfvPDeMU8cE3gCa4xe--UuYIyEFryTyj7Ur64JBXxnKYCC8Id3KGTlnrOm5bga7xPrGURHouIW59BTsd56mjAlwh_x9KuiCvAiH7PKKhOGWhaJg8-qlBn_nFg/s621/NORMAL-SERVICE-621x370.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="621" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieb_kUXTm-8qocI2cdZLfg7X9UjBGCsr3TnjoPSIUyqFmpX7N8Fv_awisQ1TpfGQ0XFMfvPDeMU8cE3gCa4xe--UuYIyEFryTyj7Ur64JBXxnKYCC8Id3KGTlnrOm5bga7xPrGURHouIW59BTsd56mjAlwh_x9KuiCvAiH7PKKhOGWhaJg8-qlBn_nFg/s320/NORMAL-SERVICE-621x370.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gilbert & George</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">That's where the Facebook links to news outlets such as <a href="http://timeout.com/london">Time Out London</a> and CNBC and others have come in handy. I now know to take the<a href="https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/elizabeth-line"> "Lizzy Line" </a>(£12.80 vs. £25 for the </span><a href="https://www.heathrowexpress.com/?CMP=PS-US-HEX002&tid=WEXT13298&CMP=PSB200&utm_source=google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=PPCWMGoogle&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlumhBhClARIsABO6p-xDw3IfeBI-Swx2iuzfnxoQugIiweDsD-xQ5lGc3LlsxIkmSgKE_pIaAgT1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#/" style="font-family: arial;">Heathrow Express </a><span style="font-family: arial;">to Paddington Station) directly to a tube stop closer to our Airbnb. Also new on my radar is the </span><a href="https://gilbertandgeorgecentre.org" style="font-family: arial;">Gilbert & George Centre</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, a just-opened free museum featuring the Andy Warhol-like art of a well-known duo, now in their 80s; the </span><a href="https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/route-map" style="font-family: arial;">Uber Boat</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, a commuter boat stopping at 24 piers along the Thames River that doubles as a budget sight-seeing cruise for travelers-in-the-know; and <a href="https://secretldn.com">Secret London</a>, a website filled with ideas for new discoveries. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Finding ways to keep up on the latest trends and changes can be challenging when it comes to diving back into international travel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Airbnbs, for instance, have replaced traditional bed and breakfasts as affordable alternatives to hotels, but you won't find reviews or information on them in guidebooks or on Trip Advisor. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Blogs, Youtube videos, and yes, even Facebook posts, have become more useful tools. AI sites such as <a href="https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt">ChatGPT</a> will evolve once they begin to include more current data. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Posts by young travel bloggers helped me uncover the latest info on paying for transport with contactless credit cards or mobile systems such as Apple Pay. A few years ago, the pre-loaded</span><a href="https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/pay-public-transport-london-oyster-contactless-best/" style="font-family: arial;"> </a><span style="font-family: arial;">Oyster Card was the preferred way to pay for London transport. Most locals no longer use it. </span><a href="https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/pay-public-transport-london-oyster-contactless-best/" style="font-family: arial;">This post</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> explains why.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here's a few more new resources and tips I uncovered while putting together our upcoming trip.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Avoiding non-refundable reservations</b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Travel insurance is tricky and expensive, but sometimes necessary if you're booking a cruise or other non-refundable types of travel. Check to see what type of coverage your credit card might offer (some, such as Costco, are dropping coverage) before buying an independent policy, but better yet, avoid non-refundable bookings when possible. Covid showed us how quickly things can change.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I searched for an<a href="http://airbnb.com"> Airbnb</a> rather than a hotel or bed and breakfast in London, not only because they are often more affordable, but because many have a liberal cancellation policy. Our $125 room with a private bath near Victoria station offered a full refund within five days of arrival. Most B&Bs wanted at least a partial non-refundable upfront payment at the time of booking. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Post-Covid, most U.S. airlines have retained a policy of allowing cancellations and/or changes with no penalty. You won't get a cash refund, but most offer a credit that can be used another time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This doesn't apply to some foreign airlines. Our round-trip flight between Seattle and London, booked on Delta, could be changed or cancelled without a penalty. But a separate ticket on British Air between London and Amman, Jordan was non-refundable. On the other hand, o</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ur hotel in Amman, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293986-d9593389-Reviews-La_Locanda_Boutique_Hotel-Amman_Amman_Governorate.html">La Locanda Boutique Hotel</a>, took no deposit. A three-day van excursion from Amman to Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea, booked through <a href="http://getyourguide.com">Get Your Guide</a>, was fully-refundable up to 24 hours ahead of departure.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hKPpHYZkqKu5w4cTxGtrz4plDTPyu48QCy3hc5Nn_bNMTE_nBVcbstS0h9llG30kjV1g91TOj8zwqIqp3g58RWsUieun_-bJUv5vciEibDmPZiXzBEFIiXoER4g8L-kgCOl5nw9lcjS9SkuSHFBDAtJxCt87npWcARCeeljGAOr-hFCYS7FiYVLcHw/s2433/IMG_0726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2433" data-original-width="1957" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hKPpHYZkqKu5w4cTxGtrz4plDTPyu48QCy3hc5Nn_bNMTE_nBVcbstS0h9llG30kjV1g91TOj8zwqIqp3g58RWsUieun_-bJUv5vciEibDmPZiXzBEFIiXoER4g8L-kgCOl5nw9lcjS9SkuSHFBDAtJxCt87npWcARCeeljGAOr-hFCYS7FiYVLcHw/s320/IMG_0726.JPG" width="257" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Youtube videos</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Youtube videos put together by tech-savvy travel bloggers can help travelers get the lay of the land before arriving. I'm hooked on blogger Mark Wiens' food and city video tours available on his <a href="https://migrationology.com/about/">Migrationolgy</a> website. His in-depth reports cover destinations such as Amman, Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Lisbon and Mexico City, each with multiple videos beginning with his arrival in a city and ending with his last meal. </span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Free or low-cost tours</b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Looking for a day-trip or short excursion away from a major city that would normally require renting a car? Consult <a href="http://getyourguide.com">Get Your Guide</a>, a clearinghouse for short and inexpensive van or walking tours in cities all over the world. No payment is required upfront, and nearly all can be cancelled within 24 hours of departure with no penalty.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Private guides can cost $100 or more for a few hours of time, but there are many free or low-cost alternatives if you don't mind going with a small group led by a student, teacher or sometimes even a professional guide hoping to drum up business on the side.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We booked an afternoon food tour in Amman with </span><a href="http://guruwalk.com" style="font-family: arial;">GuruWalk</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> that combines a historical walking tour with stops for traditional snacks along the way. It ends with a meal fixed by the guide in his home. There's no charge for the tour. Guests pay for whatever food they order. As always, a tip is expected, but there's no obligation on the amount. You'll find similar walking tours offered by <a href="http://Freetour.com">Freetour.com</a> in various cities. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEAxzaj3a2jLgL5PNjARG6YEhWuwvIbUOhkBTyci6oAVhHZQXVxJ2KeugFCak2l6YEKAPIFk9LDYZ2RlS7HNBohhzheqimnWxqtPUNkF718kq4i8XdW2wJu4n2Bl0n4ChhLPEUMZo9Hr8MBeq09Kmb7ozbCy8CaDnoRr11X_YBCMeP-JU8MXd31Pydw/s1341/IMG_0686.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1341" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEAxzaj3a2jLgL5PNjARG6YEhWuwvIbUOhkBTyci6oAVhHZQXVxJ2KeugFCak2l6YEKAPIFk9LDYZ2RlS7HNBohhzheqimnWxqtPUNkF718kq4i8XdW2wJu4n2Bl0n4ChhLPEUMZo9Hr8MBeq09Kmb7ozbCy8CaDnoRr11X_YBCMeP-JU8MXd31Pydw/s320/IMG_0686.jpg" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snacks on the GuruWalk food tour in Amman</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfqakzlaaRvkp18NTkGZS6Wg_G8OoKVUHwauvk1XN_edfoZq8n3VOMnVk7OLrWGTiJSg82MfBYL0yl_WDNi6lfm-6WCIiZdNZmy8H3tk3qwz2jIXQsIB9GJEO75ziaNwskSTF9MoOhwu26u1EgDjDOONXhQb6_x-KayEFEHMyxG48u9qGfM3SMVOUzA/s1556/IMG_0685.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1556" data-original-width="849" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfqakzlaaRvkp18NTkGZS6Wg_G8OoKVUHwauvk1XN_edfoZq8n3VOMnVk7OLrWGTiJSg82MfBYL0yl_WDNi6lfm-6WCIiZdNZmy8H3tk3qwz2jIXQsIB9GJEO75ziaNwskSTF9MoOhwu26u1EgDjDOONXhQb6_x-KayEFEHMyxG48u9qGfM3SMVOUzA/s320/IMG_0685.jpg" width="175" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The walking tour I'm most looking forward to is a meet-up in London with Julia Gay, a volunteer with <a href="https://londongreeters.org">London Greeters</a>. The group is part of the <a href="https://internationalgreeter.org">International Greeters Association</a>, volunteers who love showing visitors favorite parts of their cities. We'll meet up at the Liverpool Street train station for a walk around London's lesser-known East End, with stops in <a href="https://www.mylifelongholiday.com/visit-spitalfields-brick-lane-london/">Spitalfields and Brick Lane</a>, known for its Sunday market and Bangladeshi community.</span></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-72633689970185714602023-03-20T12:32:00.003-07:002023-03-20T13:04:21.752-07:00Delta passes the buck on code-share flights; so much for 'seamless' travel<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcpGnLZWYKxEdgqATj9FK46UcGNELGGbT8WqQoAXl0essfMEzU4YV9VDgrpRrg2KjGY2FBiXUmFAnoT5y510W_ZnzY9SOVqCrbxN3dp3c2m5iMKlM04rPZYO-7EQ9N82dRZ7YnzykCk58K_dXNUnRJV_iVwnaZs6GZDVZ5jCeKenLGkiIdj5T2IKrvQ/s275/Unknown.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcpGnLZWYKxEdgqATj9FK46UcGNELGGbT8WqQoAXl0essfMEzU4YV9VDgrpRrg2KjGY2FBiXUmFAnoT5y510W_ZnzY9SOVqCrbxN3dp3c2m5iMKlM04rPZYO-7EQ9N82dRZ7YnzykCk58K_dXNUnRJV_iVwnaZs6GZDVZ5jCeKenLGkiIdj5T2IKrvQ/w300-h200/Unknown.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delta sells and books tickets on flights operated by Aeromexico</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As a Delta Skyteam silver elite member, I always travel on either a Delta flight or one operated by a </span><a href="https://pro.delta.com/content/agency/us/en/agent-resources/partner-information/codeshare-partners.html" style="font-family: arial;">code-share partner </a><span style="font-family: arial;">such as Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Air France or Aeromexico. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Since Delta sells and books the code-share tickets, I expect Delta to take responsibility when something goes wrong.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The airline, after all, promises <a href="https://www.delta.com/us/en/airline-partners/aeromexico">"a seamless travel experience</a>" with code-share flights, a system that allows airlines to sell tickets to destinations where they do not fly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the case of its partnership agreement with <a href="https://www.delta.com/us/en/airline-partners/aeromexico">Aeromexico</a>, for instance, Delta says on its website that it is "focused on providing customers with a consistent experience when traveling between the two airlines. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"By looking at all aspects of the customer journey together, and using technology to enhance the digital experience, the two airlines have established a foundation to benefit their shared customers by aligning products, polices and services."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This was not my experience with a multi-city itinerary booked through and paid for on Delta, but operated by Aeromexico.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Instead of taking responsibility for an error that almost left my husband and I stranded in Veracruz, Mexico, Delta passed the buck, insisting that "Aeromexico will have to handle the claim." No offer to help. No offer to work it out on the customer's behalf.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After three e-mails explaining the situation, and requesting either miles or compensation for a missed non-stop back to Seattle from Mexico City, a customer service agent, using the name Isabela Cook, refused to budge.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"We consider the case closed, " she wrote, "and we will not respond to any additional correspondence regarding your travel." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So much for a "seamless" experience.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The problems began when we went to check in online for our non-stop from Seattle to Mexico City, and neither Delta nor Aeromexico would let us check in using their apps.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We arrived at the airport early to find a gate agent. Delta sent us to Aeromexico where an agent found glitch on our return connection from Veracruz into Mexico City. Someone had transposed the month and day of our return so that the return was booked for April 3 (4/3/2023) instead of May 4 (3/4/2023).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After 30 minutes or so of back-and-forth, agents from both airlines assured us they fixed the problem, and our return was set as originally booked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It wasn't until we received check-in notices from both Aeromexico, and Delta on the day before departure, that I saw the flight from Veracruz to Mexico City had disappeared from from our itinerary. We were left with the non-stop from Mexico City back to Seattle, but no flight from Veracruz.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sitting on the bed in our hotel room, I spent an hour on the phone with a Delta agent (Our cell phone plan allows free calls in North American, but if it didn't, we would have had quite a bill) while she worked with Aeromexico to find us seats.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The flight we originally booked was fully-booked. We finally settled for an early-morning flight that would have meant an eight-hour layover in Mexico City. The alternative was an Aeromexico flight from there to Los Angeles with a Delta connection to Seattle. This entailed going through customs and immigration in L.A., leaving security; walking to a different terminal to find a Delta ticket agent to issue our boarding passes; and reentering TSA security to reach our gate - all within a 1.5-hour window. We have both Global Entry (the fast pass for reentering the U.S.) and PreCheck (TSA fast pass), otherwise we might not have made it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What I wanted most in contacting Delta after we arrived home was to find out how a portion of one's itinerary could be dropped without a notice from either airline. Had we checked in as both airlines instructed, we would have arrived at the airport in Veracruz without a ticket.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> And indeed, if Delta's hard and fast policy is to "not provide compensation if the flight is operated by another airline," then surely a goodwill gesture was in order since we had paid extra for the return non-stop from Mexico City to Seattle. I recalled a time when the entertainment system on a Delta flight to Amsterdam was not working. The flight attendant came around and credited extra miles to passengers' accounts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My last e-mail from Isabela Cook contained neither an explanation nor an offer to make amends. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"Any further correspondence regarding these matters will be kept on file," she wrote. However, no additional responses will be sent. "</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In other words, case closed.</span></p><div><br /></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-52520649023625861232023-03-12T15:40:00.001-07:002023-03-12T15:43:57.976-07:00Mexico for the Mexicans: Pueblo Magicos evoke traditional life<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUtTlvFkswLZrDSuCBmen3IH_jXBkKe1OUeHofNOl3kEpBnCgCb2_LyQQ78yn3Md6KNiYhQxoHkhCleavnbdPPGSCY8ssijjmuHLXeCFrEnavvxUFgBa2VpZ82mhyBs2TdCu26sdU-HX8theQQ1QK9uLM-xsiNdZZZq5lRAKuohG2eRxTtJTfYjYa1w/s1920/IMG_0515.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1854" data-original-width="1920" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUtTlvFkswLZrDSuCBmen3IH_jXBkKe1OUeHofNOl3kEpBnCgCb2_LyQQ78yn3Md6KNiYhQxoHkhCleavnbdPPGSCY8ssijjmuHLXeCFrEnavvxUFgBa2VpZ82mhyBs2TdCu26sdU-HX8theQQ1QK9uLM-xsiNdZZZq5lRAKuohG2eRxTtJTfYjYa1w/s320/IMG_0515.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh chicharron for sale in a Mexico City market</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"Get ready to see a side of Mexico City you've never experienced," our friend Oskar smiled.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We were finishing spinach omelettes in the upstairs cafe at<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cafebreria-el-pendulo"> Pendulo</a> bookstore in La Condesa, a chic neighborhood filled with restaurants and Airbnbs catering to digital nomads.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Now, with Oskar, whom we met in 2019 through the <a href="https://internationalgreeter.org">Global Greeters</a> program, we squeezed into a crowded subway car with a connection to Mexico City's newest mode of transportation, the 6-mile-long <a href="https://www.mexicanist.com/l/cablebus-mexico-city/https://www.mexicanist.com/l/cablebus-mexico-city/">Cablebus</a>, a network of cable cars, designed not for sightseeing, but as public transportation for residents living in the hills above the city center.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy-R8RuVJOXREBeMT4_5d86xifuCrJWMqpzLhL0UloSljXl0a6PHoE6NNlZPQJUWNnVBwvy8MXSbUZpRd5L8w5C4-G9AE5Eh9uXewJVC6JTzKS-JotW_9dDUhA0Kck92NHhWzXyLsuMcrAqMmEFrotnGBwtRpk-1kRVQddY317Yo-ArIrXWj_fPByNQ/s2560/IMG_0572.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy-R8RuVJOXREBeMT4_5d86xifuCrJWMqpzLhL0UloSljXl0a6PHoE6NNlZPQJUWNnVBwvy8MXSbUZpRd5L8w5C4-G9AE5Eh9uXewJVC6JTzKS-JotW_9dDUhA0Kck92NHhWzXyLsuMcrAqMmEFrotnGBwtRpk-1kRVQddY317Yo-ArIrXWj_fPByNQ/s320/IMG_0572.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexico City's Cablebus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoDVj5PnMU2jhz2YGlYnuJpvzvhSx6ZoWw_Ym5w8RvxudhbeMhl8rjaHx6Q_a9MEf02bklCsCbO0l6YnO06gv1ier4rSQb2dav-7qw_lXHLXTuS-ZJfJaRfR9Yj3AfBI3Fxwk3UibTHz7oDH7553eJF4ZDyM8bYIeNtXYZZgnGF8mMvI2p9AT36CDFg/s1978/IMG_0508.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1978" data-original-width="1918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoDVj5PnMU2jhz2YGlYnuJpvzvhSx6ZoWw_Ym5w8RvxudhbeMhl8rjaHx6Q_a9MEf02bklCsCbO0l6YnO06gv1ier4rSQb2dav-7qw_lXHLXTuS-ZJfJaRfR9Yj3AfBI3Fxwk3UibTHz7oDH7553eJF4ZDyM8bYIeNtXYZZgnGF8mMvI2p9AT36CDFg/s320/IMG_0508.jpeg" width="310" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooftop murals visible from the Cablebus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Riding in a car along students on their way home from school, we looked down on rooftops painted with colorful murals, part of a government project to improve the view for the residents of Iztapalapa, the city's poorest and most populous neighborhood.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Oskar pointed down to an abandoned airplane turned into a library. Checking out a book here would be the closest many kids would ever get to a real plane.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After a couple of hours on the Cablebus, we got off and walked through a market close to where Oskar, 25, lives with his parents and brother. We sampled fried pork skins called chicharron, the authentic version of what we know as pork rinds; drank pulque, a drink made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant; and bought flowers for his mother, America. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The day ended around their dining room table where we shared bowls of her homemade pozole, a traditional Mexican stew, and a red gelatin dessert molded in the shape of hearts.</span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrlt6-DK-cGHqV7FVIKQ8VPvsViI_ApLEUUhjw9qI35zrkQkXcOznZbp2DwKjOEdWfbQC-ZhfvOjeMoYX8swcUWxWIGFb7FGVa2OxznUtgMRDTXg0KB7VtSMFolDSvnFBnAIvMThSL8Dx91wJc27L3htXvxYwlnl9exrnmfDZ9PogM7JIKzCMe1FDAg/s3112/IMG_2499.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2547" data-original-width="3112" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrlt6-DK-cGHqV7FVIKQ8VPvsViI_ApLEUUhjw9qI35zrkQkXcOznZbp2DwKjOEdWfbQC-ZhfvOjeMoYX8swcUWxWIGFb7FGVa2OxznUtgMRDTXg0KB7VtSMFolDSvnFBnAIvMThSL8Dx91wJc27L3htXvxYwlnl9exrnmfDZ9PogM7JIKzCMe1FDAg/s320/IMG_2499.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinking pulque with Oskar</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoyz4CQAPU-ByR9EIgqTI8PtgCTvawolj7dhMlCLbKI5kTLVad504Js8N22zeVawcf8lXpIKhJsD63mHuVbnfwt-SINQXP-0_aLOqJ71wkYrGKPLTwiViJzM9zahZ9hgvNF-NLODvnHv52Ij4VYzFTDeSwU9VxOrRQRgcIHTstXq5NcOiBZR8ujH6Rg/s2525/IMG_2504.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2525" data-original-width="1619" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoyz4CQAPU-ByR9EIgqTI8PtgCTvawolj7dhMlCLbKI5kTLVad504Js8N22zeVawcf8lXpIKhJsD63mHuVbnfwt-SINQXP-0_aLOqJ71wkYrGKPLTwiViJzM9zahZ9hgvNF-NLODvnHv52Ij4VYzFTDeSwU9VxOrRQRgcIHTstXq5NcOiBZR8ujH6Rg/s320/IMG_2504.jpeg" width="205" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">America Sandoval and her special dessert</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It was the perfect start to a 10-day trip, most of which my husband and I spent traveling by bus through the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veracruz">state of Veracruz</a> in Mexico's gulf coast region.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our time with Oskar and his family set the stage for exploring a side of Mexico not well-known to foreigners, but beloved by Mexicans. These areas are neither beach resorts, nor drug cartel-controlled border towns where crime and safety are major issues. Mexico for the Mexicans, became the theme as we headed off to several small towns called <a href="https://letstraveltomexico.com/pueblos-magicos-mexico/">Pueblos Magicos</a>, recognized not for their famous sites, but because they evoke a sense of traditional life. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1LpyjmPR6w73gfHAtHBlo58hmu2-E4ThpgMRUbTtT9XceG-eDYtjAsBOofCDtXPzQEBgWrPT8xl_-U8r3nl9g3KaeAo4lykgo8EeBZ8ppbsCPS90PAafOoOU2TRPjsWeCZfE7LZ1QIX-gxLVGRQcGMnQtPB9L98QMjEpjJW5sM8CDHL4fJxCnCAxtQ/s1279/IMG_0492.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1165" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1LpyjmPR6w73gfHAtHBlo58hmu2-E4ThpgMRUbTtT9XceG-eDYtjAsBOofCDtXPzQEBgWrPT8xl_-U8r3nl9g3KaeAo4lykgo8EeBZ8ppbsCPS90PAafOoOU2TRPjsWeCZfE7LZ1QIX-gxLVGRQcGMnQtPB9L98QMjEpjJW5sM8CDHL4fJxCnCAxtQ/s320/IMG_0492.jpeg" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The state of Veracruz</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As a destination, the state of Veracruz is overlooked by most travelers. There are better beaches and colonial architecture elsewhere. But for those who have explored other parts of the country, and are looking for something different, discoveries are waiting to be made. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Unlike in resort areas such as Cancun, or colonial towns such as San Miguel de Allende, your travel companions are likely to be Mexican families and couples on weekend getaways rather than American travelers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">You won't find much English spoken. You will enjoy comfortable rides on first-class buses; a sense of safety due to lack of pick-pockets or hustlers; restaurant meals for around $25 for two; coffee drinks better than anything Starbucks can produce; and uncrowded museums.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our first stop was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orizaba">Orizaba</a>, a town of around 500,000 nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains in central Veracruz, four hours by first-class bus from Mexico City. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Flat, one-story buildings painted in bright colors line narrow streets leading to the historical center. Our Airbnb was unusual in that it was a complete and modern apartment in a newish three-story building with a sushi restaurant the top floor. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Next door was a mom-and-pop shop where the owners sold drinks and snacks though a slot in the door. I bought water there twice until I discovered we were around the corner from the local version of Costco filled with Mexicans pushing huge carts filled with diapers and soda. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0Frma_smFNzsEM_KedyuOhcFRB6rV-2LNpIJ0537RkJlL6AJNZzVgvN9S0EnHCMFVU6kGq91Gpk9FPXjqgj5HuYIAHwA_fuoIlCaSrhv6vWEWYIF1eBJ6fIY80sj9Rqgp_4EPPEcG0al4oyvqAPtZDLgwmbASLdR8ts6HHQFKLO8Kcz0I0mR50C6iA/s2560/IMG_2548.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0Frma_smFNzsEM_KedyuOhcFRB6rV-2LNpIJ0537RkJlL6AJNZzVgvN9S0EnHCMFVU6kGq91Gpk9FPXjqgj5HuYIAHwA_fuoIlCaSrhv6vWEWYIF1eBJ6fIY80sj9Rqgp_4EPPEcG0al4oyvqAPtZDLgwmbASLdR8ts6HHQFKLO8Kcz0I0mR50C6iA/s320/IMG_2548.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veracruz State Art Museum</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our go-to morning stop for coffee and chilaquiles was the modern Cafe-Cafe Bistro with a QR code menu and tables an outdoor courtyard. Down the street was the Veracruz State Art Museum housed in a 16th century former monastery, hospital and women's prison. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Mexicans come to Orizaba on weekends to stroll though an open-air <a href="https://www.zonaturistica.com/en/things-to-do/veracruz/orizaba/river-walk-and-animal-reserve">animal reserve </a>along a six-mile walkway skirting the Orizaba River. Bridges link paved paths on both sides, making it easy to get up-close views of jaguars, monkeys, llamas and lions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXC4f-XqUQwcKKksW2HeRgYpYk564HsK6udSCKpQQ9lz8bhRhHOla7sEXMxdTLBCSTplIIdcgXiGT91g37ijN_6nvUgRq4uR4fG8EOB7Ez6YVCE4vUrIfcWTYk8wCcAsb8QwCS09P3Mr3Mk5jD_7YcU-iNegdSToXUpqcyD83g4e72EjpZM3G9lZq3ig/s2560/IMG_0568.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXC4f-XqUQwcKKksW2HeRgYpYk564HsK6udSCKpQQ9lz8bhRhHOla7sEXMxdTLBCSTplIIdcgXiGT91g37ijN_6nvUgRq4uR4fG8EOB7Ez6YVCE4vUrIfcWTYk8wCcAsb8QwCS09P3Mr3Mk5jD_7YcU-iNegdSToXUpqcyD83g4e72EjpZM3G9lZq3ig/s320/IMG_0568.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orizaba riverwalk and zoo</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Near the riverwalk is the Orizaba's other main attraction, the <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/central-gulf-coast/orizaba/attractions/teleferico-de-orizaba/a/poi-sig/1462347/361489">Teleferico</a> or cable-car transporting visitors to the top of a mountain with forested walking paths, and views of Pico de Orizaba, a snow-capped volcano that is the third -highest mountain in North America. Long lines form on weekends, but when we visited on a Monday, there was no wait.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78NaS9G6EgUokXw_gWG_t3tZsBhUGqzFLBIGAyPEYTkEzPtCdqwSzvP3YZu2SMfN_8IQurB-s34JKgCXekHthq_ykheABxtW4tnsEs5tHD8HEd_0EchxQpA5w_mvq7M8fzcZGG40GjIh7ligJWhsmZTwPTHAASODS5sZg6O_JoeptZIcUsPIPxYLwkA/s2560/IMG_0547.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78NaS9G6EgUokXw_gWG_t3tZsBhUGqzFLBIGAyPEYTkEzPtCdqwSzvP3YZu2SMfN_8IQurB-s34JKgCXekHthq_ykheABxtW4tnsEs5tHD8HEd_0EchxQpA5w_mvq7M8fzcZGG40GjIh7ligJWhsmZTwPTHAASODS5sZg6O_JoeptZIcUsPIPxYLwkA/s320/IMG_0547.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gustave Eiffel's Iron Palace</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Relaxing at a cafe is a popular pastime everywhere in the state of Veracruz, a major coffee producer. </span>We sampled the local speciality, the Picardía Orizabeña, prepared with coffee liquor, condensed milk and espresso, while people-watching on the terrace of the <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/central-gulf-coast/orizaba/restaurants/gran-cafe-de-orizaba/a/poi-eat/1148745/361489">Gran Cafe de Orizaba</a> attached to the <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/central-gulf-coast/orizaba/attractions/palacio-de-hierro/a/poi-sig/1405062/361489">Palacio de Hierro</a> or Iron Palace. Designed by Gustave Eiffel (architect of the Eiffel Tower in Paris), the art nouveau city hall was built from metal and wrought iron imported from Belgium in the 19th century when Orizaba was the state capital. Today the building houses several museums <span style="font-family: arial;">including a beer museum which dispenses free beer courtesy of Heineken International, owner of brewing plants in Mexico including one in Orizaba.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Xalapa/Coatepec</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Four hours by bus from Orizaba is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xalapa">Xalapa</a>, the current capital of the state of Veracruz, and the jumping off point for a visit to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coatepec,_Veracruz">Coatepec</a> (Hill of Snakes) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xico,_Veracruz">Xico</a>, two Pueblo Magico towns in a premier coffee-producing region.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrra5UQ633Gvr3VWdkjYPrrpsm6bk1h3cMPFpNbODoGNwMKmJGV5ppZFB5ZUOS3PCtKMIuNDgF4D4E0sV6Qn_h05gx371NwZ6ykQ1DT1Ki0B88P06j26ywOsY7HZ0tMzkFnskE6lvpTNnvx2qMSK-YsA9VCfrTxzXkqRfqFnYQHpZtswe3FUMKzsCLSA/s2560/IMG_0580.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrra5UQ633Gvr3VWdkjYPrrpsm6bk1h3cMPFpNbODoGNwMKmJGV5ppZFB5ZUOS3PCtKMIuNDgF4D4E0sV6Qn_h05gx371NwZ6ykQ1DT1Ki0B88P06j26ywOsY7HZ0tMzkFnskE6lvpTNnvx2qMSK-YsA9VCfrTxzXkqRfqFnYQHpZtswe3FUMKzsCLSA/s320/IMG_0580.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rompope frappé</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Quaint hotels, parks and shops line the streets of Coatepec, a short taxi ride from Xalapa. Organized tours cover visits to a coffee museum a few miles out of town but a better plan on a hot day is to cafe-hop about town, sampling cold concoctions. Among our favorites was a frappé (espresso, milk, crushed ice) spiked with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rompope">Rompope</a>, a Mexican eggnog-flavored liquor. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKju2T7po6FjvrYxguWns_AeO70TC-86jcxATMM0xzge5892vy5RniPsocXt49HzZLUvmIauUU47Dd-WW4XvJUAJiHqP_ve9FUcqBs3a8FP7GAWq-KXZGNuODY4oMo81lkjf_mt64XY5uyorpudk1Fh142gCb2AhDafDgM7CSd6eNafCHfQdtjfxbLw/s2006/IMG_0591.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="1804" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKju2T7po6FjvrYxguWns_AeO70TC-86jcxATMM0xzge5892vy5RniPsocXt49HzZLUvmIauUU47Dd-WW4XvJUAJiHqP_ve9FUcqBs3a8FP7GAWq-KXZGNuODY4oMo81lkjf_mt64XY5uyorpudk1Fh142gCb2AhDafDgM7CSd6eNafCHfQdtjfxbLw/s320/IMG_0591.jpeg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Xalapa<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOAOShtkfckZE5rSpl43pHj6C2aTOwPXqwpvAPOtT_2asgKPl4RzeHiDRv2cTCTlBQn8atUbEDGubzZxWO2jNcSdQF1DWY7V_KN4VHHlEgtIZqAXBeRSxa2MhfSuYm_HRytb9R19aVSE7nAQFEpyvkidUkeLz25g7GTZ-Ee2OS4ESaRkWekAQHRmyig/s2560/IMG_0592.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOAOShtkfckZE5rSpl43pHj6C2aTOwPXqwpvAPOtT_2asgKPl4RzeHiDRv2cTCTlBQn8atUbEDGubzZxWO2jNcSdQF1DWY7V_KN4VHHlEgtIZqAXBeRSxa2MhfSuYm_HRytb9R19aVSE7nAQFEpyvkidUkeLz25g7GTZ-Ee2OS4ESaRkWekAQHRmyig/s320/IMG_0592.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With a population of 800,000, Xalapa is a hectic university and government town, probably not the best choice for those with a car, but we found it a convenient base for exploring by cheap taxis. Our hotel, the </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://pradodelrio.com/pages/mesonalferez-xalapa-es/">Meson del Alferez Xalapa</a>, was a former colonial mansion in a residential neighborhood until the town built up around it. Now it fronts on one of Xalapa's busiest streets where police use ear-splitting whistles to control traffic. Surprisingly, its rooms were quiet, protected by thick outside walls and an interior courtyard.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVceJgQmPjPKwXaoW-JYWVIuQrGX2HpWOawsqrE6R_317Jb2WTRbIGljcrTa4BGkXWJ77t-D2HYE2mgJ31tO_xecf9whXS3sb1WhAFiw8l-ohUVZBB2-CEB_CpT2GEEcYuKhtcErE_5opql252dUEM9p-SHquSgGiCkAIc_OByFlwDBrK3pqgon9JWA/s2560/IMG_0593.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVceJgQmPjPKwXaoW-JYWVIuQrGX2HpWOawsqrE6R_317Jb2WTRbIGljcrTa4BGkXWJ77t-D2HYE2mgJ31tO_xecf9whXS3sb1WhAFiw8l-ohUVZBB2-CEB_CpT2GEEcYuKhtcErE_5opql252dUEM9p-SHquSgGiCkAIc_OByFlwDBrK3pqgon9JWA/s320/IMG_0593.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard rooms at Meson del Alferez in Xalapa</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3e07EXZ0vYOzbab99bkLpOpXGppe5dPGf84NRKsUJ3MnonPqW_cCa7-giZTx6GZNkKQVE3qsD3ha_2wCv9ipxMFRy5K7sindO_ryBr3v3sKt-BugxM0TmGQMbL1ytxzEAIFDRvpg4mv3uSdL0b-cE50Lue2GRnMc75SczI0NBjAaRfcIRo9hd8xCMQ/s2175/IMG_0575.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2175" data-original-width="1323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3e07EXZ0vYOzbab99bkLpOpXGppe5dPGf84NRKsUJ3MnonPqW_cCa7-giZTx6GZNkKQVE3qsD3ha_2wCv9ipxMFRy5K7sindO_ryBr3v3sKt-BugxM0TmGQMbL1ytxzEAIFDRvpg4mv3uSdL0b-cE50Lue2GRnMc75SczI0NBjAaRfcIRo9hd8xCMQ/s320/IMG_0575.jpeg" width="195" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cook makes tortillas at the Meson del Alferez</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sometimes spelled Jalapa, the city gave its name to the jalapeño chili pepper grown in the surrounding area. Built on hillsides, Xalapa is set up in a way that almost everything worth doing requires a walk up or down steep streets. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/central-gulf-coast/xalapa/attractions/parque-juarez/a/poi-sig/496832/361491">Parque Juárez</a> is Xalapa's main square. Ringed with snack kiosks and shoe-shine stands, it doubles as the town's terrace with views of the valley below. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTPONOwmgU171krIhjCs4K8crwpTq7tw-sG4Cvz3o4mrOkvMiW8Ipo5tTMpHsYQU6QkE9J9rVUht5KlZPNO2lMINzvKnRt6oHFkZh_LixgQnu2Gy_-jBzG9hmd7GsfOuHcesjg9nD10TVB3wnVxhbkAMznfk0JyMuYPlKq6UX7dlVihi-e9k75C2ukQ/s2560/IMG_0595.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTPONOwmgU171krIhjCs4K8crwpTq7tw-sG4Cvz3o4mrOkvMiW8Ipo5tTMpHsYQU6QkE9J9rVUht5KlZPNO2lMINzvKnRt6oHFkZh_LixgQnu2Gy_-jBzG9hmd7GsfOuHcesjg9nD10TVB3wnVxhbkAMznfk0JyMuYPlKq6UX7dlVihi-e9k75C2ukQ/s320/IMG_0595.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Olmec colossal head dating from 900 BC </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At the <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/central-gulf-coast/xalapa/attractions/museo-de-antropologia/a/poi-sig/496818/361491">Museo de Antropologia de Xalapa,</a> the</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> focus is on the main pre-Hispanic civilizations from the Gulf coast, with well-preserved artifacts displayed in galleries that descend the side of a lush hill. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Noting that the museum was just two miles from downtown, we decided to walk. It took us an hour and half to wend through various neighborhoods to avoid hills and busy streets - well worth the effort, but once was enough. We took a $2.50 taxi back.</span></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg255u9_oZ2CS6MtXhWYonTGWUtCAXvWuCFX3Ykl148yY1bp-nalVHIn7EuoOFLcsL2h0Op5IlkayOX1KfVl26Xm6l-cwSoDtgJaHnuY8fRFHwKtNZIBZTqgA2BNO_QKX5SuyDrw6lhopp3NxrUUscfIMFm-SdXGqsEdA3s0TH1PMDPo8jl6TdPasxkyA/s2560/IMG_0603.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg255u9_oZ2CS6MtXhWYonTGWUtCAXvWuCFX3Ykl148yY1bp-nalVHIn7EuoOFLcsL2h0Op5IlkayOX1KfVl26Xm6l-cwSoDtgJaHnuY8fRFHwKtNZIBZTqgA2BNO_QKX5SuyDrw6lhopp3NxrUUscfIMFm-SdXGqsEdA3s0TH1PMDPo8jl6TdPasxkyA/s320/IMG_0603.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing a lechero</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Locals love their morning lecheros, Mexico's</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> most popular coffee drink similar to what we call a latte. Many cafes serve it, but we waited until we reached the city of Veracruz to sample it at the </span><a href="https://menuinprogress.nostatic.org/2008/03/veracruz-caf-lechero-at-gran-caf-de-la.html" style="font-family: arial;">Gran Café de la Parroquia</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, a 215-year-old cafe near the waterfront. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With 40 mile-per-hour winds scrapping our plans for a walk, we took cover inside, and watched the ritual unfold. A waiter brings glasses filled a quarter of the way up with espresso. Then, with a tap of a spoon on the side of the glass, he signals the "milkman," another waiter who comes by with a kettle of hot milk. By pouring a stream high and slow, he creates a thick layer of foam on top.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> "Going to Veracruz and not going to the Café de la Parroquia is like not having been to Veracruz," someone said. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Perhaps it was the Covid pandemic's effect on local businesses, but we couldn't find many reasons to spend much time in Veracruz. As attractions go, La Parroquia topped the list. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>Safe travels</i>:</b> <i><a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Mexico.html">The U.S. State Department</a> assigns various levels of caution for traveling in Mexico, depending on the state. It advises against travel in six states, including the state of Tamaulipas where four Americans were recently kidnapped and two killed. It recommends reconsidering travel to seven other states. Veracruz is one of 17 states where the department recommends exercising caution.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><br /></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-64465959340000607092023-02-08T14:32:00.005-08:002023-03-22T11:08:55.324-07:00Winter in the rain forest: Deals at historic lodge tempt visitors to Washington's Olympic Peninsula<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MXNLREVTwI6XOCx3NmKveoq3BQFE0IkFkGzXhIl6n-R-Rsgzm1Jyca0gT_a-vSucLXKJfLihCJXBE2IkOnvMc6O2l86JF-U4wW0RrVhTc3mnM7u4mZOhxehYKw8QtJYp3tK6RorL8zdcwz05OKHOphdMUZbf83FZ_eXuzabxMReJohd5xCgVVSOxmA/s2558/IMG_0443.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="2558" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MXNLREVTwI6XOCx3NmKveoq3BQFE0IkFkGzXhIl6n-R-Rsgzm1Jyca0gT_a-vSucLXKJfLihCJXBE2IkOnvMc6O2l86JF-U4wW0RrVhTc3mnM7u4mZOhxehYKw8QtJYp3tK6RorL8zdcwz05OKHOphdMUZbf83FZ_eXuzabxMReJohd5xCgVVSOxmA/w416-h244/IMG_0443.jpeg" width="416" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Quinault Lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A cabin at Mount Rainier National Park was for years our go-to winter getaway. Tempted by blankets of fresh snow and views of the mountain at every turn, my husband and I, often with friends, would look forward to hours of snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and winter hikes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Then came the rain. Two years in a row, it rained so hard we could barely walk to and from the car. Our snowshoes stayed in the trunk. Walking paths turned to slush. We played all the games we brought - twice. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It was time for a change. If we were going to go somewhere where it was likely to rain, why not pick a place ready- made for wet weather. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Tempted by a seasonal two-nights-for-the-price-of-one special at the historic <a href="https://www.olympicnationalparks.com/lodging/lake-quinault-lodge/?&mkwid=senbbH6iD&crid=438856624511&mp_kw=lake%20quinault%20lodge&mp_mt=e&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2-2eBhClARIsAGLQ2RmTxBEcP-EvRDKLOkDzwo3TMhg-rI7NhDNRg9FN_T8HsY02vS988nIaAsSoEALw_wcB">Lake Quinault Lodge</a>, we headed to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinault_Rain_Forest">Quinault Rainforest</a> in the temperate wilderness valley that runs through the southwest end of <a href="https://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm">Olympic National Park</a> and National Forest.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Built in 1926 and designed by<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Reamer"> Robert Reamer,</a> a Seattle architect, in a style reminiscent of his work at the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park, the V-shaped lodge has expanded overtime to 91 units, some in the main lodge and others in side buildings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Unchanged are the views of <a href="https://www.quinaultrainforest.com">Lake Quinault</a>, a natural lake formed by a glacier that receded into the mountains thousands of years ago. Part of the Quinault Indian Nation, it was traditionally used as summering grounds for salmon fishing, hunting, berry picking, and recreation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Unlike<a href="https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm"> Mount Rainer National Park</a>, you don't come here expecting snow and getting rain. You come expecting rain, and most likely will get it. The valley receives an annual average of 12 feet a year, with most of it falling in the winter months.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The reward, during dry respites, is access to a lush ecosystem filled with giant trees, waterfalls, wildlife and easy hikes designed for getting back to shelter quickly in case of a deluge. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">"It's one of the untouched gems of this region," says Quinault forest service ranger Matt Ferraro. "In winter, you basically have the rain forest to yourself."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Settling in </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Plan on a three-hour drive from Seattle via a remote stretch of Highway 101 N. Lake Quinault Lodge sits by itself on South Shore Road inside the national park.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbk5mogVB5GCmdjX9lqzi2ARPksX7QP-MsRPPK9X9HGrwU_2tokUt2sXIM4HVI75IZ-OdMG5B4Pb0OuatykkrwpCPoUEp1p_N1FS4JvngJhVbrcYFWKagMudQ3-X0SsTjSz-X_7o_V0Ui2z9YY-70ERuneO_dPgvR71J5T0IiHvslCBw9kEqum41X7OA/s2560/IMG_0445.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbk5mogVB5GCmdjX9lqzi2ARPksX7QP-MsRPPK9X9HGrwU_2tokUt2sXIM4HVI75IZ-OdMG5B4Pb0OuatykkrwpCPoUEp1p_N1FS4JvngJhVbrcYFWKagMudQ3-X0SsTjSz-X_7o_V0Ui2z9YY-70ERuneO_dPgvR71J5T0IiHvslCBw9kEqum41X7OA/s320/IMG_0445.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The iconic log fireplace at Lake Quinault Lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With a heated pool, and lobby filled with leather couches and chairs, soft lighting and a huge wood-burning fireplace, the lodge invites lingering on rainy afternoons. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rates soar in the summer when rooms fill with tourists anxious to combine a wilderness experience with a stay at an inn listed on the National Register of Historic Places. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> "Winter is the lowest occupancy," says general manager Robert Hugo. In 2016, the lodge began offering seasonal deals from mid-October through March (recently extended through mid-May) that slash room rates by half or more. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODfhJnG9yok4BbqVRQNFnN2z83aLj07MPo45GFFIqc9_qmSXdy9L51eOH1zkOu-Oe3q1H7VMHiqsF7HqF49-cR8wHrQGPqPWf99y4rFosSvR_zXZ88_Li9o02Y55Mbb92gwZ4BgdYs3dfCU3CZt0QP8y_4Slfh2f0fZpXtpGcNoBDCEUcgqV055oEIQ/s2560/IMG_0447.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODfhJnG9yok4BbqVRQNFnN2z83aLj07MPo45GFFIqc9_qmSXdy9L51eOH1zkOu-Oe3q1H7VMHiqsF7HqF49-cR8wHrQGPqPWf99y4rFosSvR_zXZ88_Li9o02Y55Mbb92gwZ4BgdYs3dfCU3CZt0QP8y_4Slfh2f0fZpXtpGcNoBDCEUcgqV055oEIQ/s320/IMG_0447.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cozy furniture and soft lighting invite lingering </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A spot check for Thursday-Friday dates in late February, 2023 brought up a rate of $245 for two nights with taxes for a lake-view, fireplace room compared to $795 for two nights in late May. A Queen, lake-view room in the main lodge was $173.73 for two nights in late February compared to $609.66 later in the season.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hiking trails</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Consult a <a href="https://www.quinaultrainforest.com/pdf/hikingmap.pdf">map</a> or suggestions at <a href=" https://www.alltrails.com/us/washington/quinault">AllTrails</a> for hikes of varying lengths and difficulty. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjOdSw1sLhdWw604cTBhWUuyg4jskuWtEj88F91R39vIifEZuTVSIxh8F9rjVfnhbKfoazn-LeAvRNPyEbVA_n6RNkfwxE68iLBNN8CX2GFjovtNHAokyE5ndRt9lX-UKMszzWYGpIJY-2UU0SwW2G7ZnUU0ENe5u4y1HLJMq8U_Fhs1kV-Shx5Swlw/s2560/IMG_0440.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjOdSw1sLhdWw604cTBhWUuyg4jskuWtEj88F91R39vIifEZuTVSIxh8F9rjVfnhbKfoazn-LeAvRNPyEbVA_n6RNkfwxE68iLBNN8CX2GFjovtNHAokyE5ndRt9lX-UKMszzWYGpIJY-2UU0SwW2G7ZnUU0ENe5u4y1HLJMq8U_Fhs1kV-Shx5Swlw/s320/IMG_0440.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The easy Cascade Falls loop trail</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Popular is the the Quinault Loop, a four-mile trail along the south shore of the lake. Points of interest include Cascade Falls, Cedar Bog, and the half-mile interpretive Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail, parts of which are accessible to wheelchairs. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Another is the <a href="https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/kestner-homestead">Kestner Homestead Trail,</a> a 1.3-mile loop, that takes visitors past an old settler's farmhouse surrounded by fields, apple trees, a barn and out buildings. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Other close-by trails wend past waterfalls, huge Douglas fir trees (<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sequoia/recarea/?recid=79825">Trail of the Giants</a>), and what's been called the world's largest Sika Spruce.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> "Assume cold rain," Ferraro advises. "We are temperate, so it's not like you're at Mount Rainier, "but definitely be prepared with rain gear and warm clothes. Aways bring water, something a lot of people neglect when it's cold."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Winter drives</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Accessible by car year-round is the <a href="https://www.quinaultrainforest.com/Lake-Quinault/Rain-Forest-Loop-Drive.html">Quinault Rain Forest Loop Drive</a>, a 31 mile road trip around Lake Quinault, up the Quinault River in Olympic National Park, and back around the other side. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rangers advise checking road conditions (not suitable for RVS), and looking for opportunities along the way for viewing waterfalls, wildlife and giant trees. Leave two hours minimum to complete the trip.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYHiDS1bs3NhZnMhHJJx9fTdWDt6Qc4glI3O8sJsPwpo42XtIjmw1AHA4dlhDnCXWmKgRbd5ptNHnf0l4acaxgaaEsKbNUDUIRYjeVEpj82p8-j8xS1_UtFIOgITMxzm6tzylgnMpI50KB0laVacTz9zWLEM6nnhie5aTWjUYVAOvquGQrGovCB1w9A/s2560/IMG_0459.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYHiDS1bs3NhZnMhHJJx9fTdWDt6Qc4glI3O8sJsPwpo42XtIjmw1AHA4dlhDnCXWmKgRbd5ptNHnf0l4acaxgaaEsKbNUDUIRYjeVEpj82p8-j8xS1_UtFIOgITMxzm6tzylgnMpI50KB0laVacTz9zWLEM6nnhie5aTWjUYVAOvquGQrGovCB1w9A/s320/IMG_0459.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A herd of wild Elk at Bunch Field in the Quinault Rain Forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Another option is to sign up for the <a href="http://www.quinaultrainforest.com/Lake-Quinault/Rain-Forest-Guide-Services.html">Lake Quinault Lodge rainforest van tou</a>r ($50 for adults, $35 for children), a four-hour shuttle tour through the forest with a guide. Included are stops for walks and photos and commentary about the Quinault Indian Nation history, early expeditions and native vegetation. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUcb9U_uPsQZvsBeWcSKUWSqEik2dqCtqSjLjhGlXBRhxRhc_ELsMSnF6TaxvoUKHXuXN4Dc-fCWdWV2I75Wm24tY3ogRUwORnowBbTdVAtbLU3XyIXmknU9kP4kQqXFR-3XNhMdIzdMvhB11pOPQJiyLBSAgfrOQmUkKEzPc4UbiOGWrYLGJkvXN4A/s2560/IMG_0463.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUcb9U_uPsQZvsBeWcSKUWSqEik2dqCtqSjLjhGlXBRhxRhc_ELsMSnF6TaxvoUKHXuXN4Dc-fCWdWV2I75Wm24tY3ogRUwORnowBbTdVAtbLU3XyIXmknU9kP4kQqXFR-3XNhMdIzdMvhB11pOPQJiyLBSAgfrOQmUkKEzPc4UbiOGWrYLGJkvXN4A/s320/IMG_0463.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainforest guide Chris German </td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The tours can include up to 14 people during busy times, but my husband and I were the only ones to sign up mid-week in late January. Guide Chris German gave us a private tour on what turned out be a cold but clear day, perfect for short hikes and spotting bald eagles and wild elk. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dining </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Food options are limited to breakfast and dinner (closed for lunch in winter) served in the lodge's Roosevelt dining room, or take-out from the nearby <a href=" www.rainforestresort.com/salmon-house-restaurant.htm">Rain Forest Resort Village Salmon House restaurant</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Indoor dining at the Salmon House is closed, but locals recommend trying any one of five types of salmon dinners ($26.99-$29.99) available to go from 3 -8 p.m. daily.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Elegant but pricey is the lodge's lakefront dining room, named for President Franklin D. Roosevelt who visited in 1937, and later signed a bill creating Olympic National Park. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Look for sweet potato pancakes, oatmeal and scrambles in the morning. Filling out the evening menu are seared duck, salmon, mushroom polenta and the restaurant's classic pot roast. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Locals help fill tables on weekends, but come mid-week, and just like in the rain forest, you'll likely have the dining room to yourself. </span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">If you go: </b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Lake Quinault Lodge, operated by <a href="https://www.aramark.com/industries/sports-leisure/destinations">Aramark Destinations</a>, will be offering its two-nights-for-the price of-one special through May 11, with substantial discounts on a variety of room types, subject to availability. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To find the deal, go to the home page, hit on <a href=" https://www.olympicnationalparks.com/special-offers/specials-packages/lake-quinault-lodge/">"special offers"</a> at the top right and then "Lake Quinault Lodge." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Aramark says it plans to repeat the deal mid-October through March in 2023-24.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Nearby is the more rustic <a href="https://www.rainforestresort.com">Rain Forest Village Resort</a>. It also offers winter mid-week and weekend discounts on lodge rooms, fireplace cabins and suites, with further price breaks through mid-February available by calling 1-800-255-6936 CQ There's also an RV park, open weather permitting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For park information, contact <a href="https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-quinault.htm">the National Park Service </a> or the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/olympic/recarea/?recid=79276 ">U.S Forest Service </a> with a ranger station at 353 South Shore Road. Limited hours. Call 360- 288-0203 before visiting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This story appeared in the <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/this-olympic-peninsula-lodge-runs-a-sweet-boarding-deal-in-winter/">Seattle Times</a> on February 8, 2023.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-80106749156660001112023-01-17T14:20:00.002-08:002023-03-08T10:12:38.711-08:00Travel podcasts: Put the earbuds in and discover new destinations<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYwkW808eNb0PaFs7BX-6Gt4-Zx5w625pkYSGZi4yOUoVJ9Svauvw3laCnCk2Dx66_PWL5hiNUuA_SKeOSFiZMokfxVzRQ20GxUKLDKmuzXJzB6ZM2OJtvf1B5n6a7SwtAFzyCLMIuhgDG5PI8rSevG0X0hFWVlxkuNsBwS7jxkfT74MFrAJpa57PrQ/s1250/IMG_0429.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1162" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYwkW808eNb0PaFs7BX-6Gt4-Zx5w625pkYSGZi4yOUoVJ9Svauvw3laCnCk2Dx66_PWL5hiNUuA_SKeOSFiZMokfxVzRQ20GxUKLDKmuzXJzB6ZM2OJtvf1B5n6a7SwtAFzyCLMIuhgDG5PI8rSevG0X0hFWVlxkuNsBwS7jxkfT74MFrAJpa57PrQ/s320/IMG_0429.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite podcast about Italian travel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I love listening to podcasts while I'm cooking, exercising or driving. I subscribe to programs that offer in-depth takes on current events (ie: inflation, the missing classified documents, China's rise in Covid infections), but there are times when I want to forget that the world seems to be a caldron of chaos.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This is when I turn to travel podcasts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For the next 30 or 40 minutes - time enough to chop some veggies or do my morning weight routine - I'm transported to Lisbon, Bologna or Paris by an enthusiastic host clearly in love with his or her city. I smile when I hear a guest speaking English with a thick Italian accent, detect the sound of wine glasses clinking or the blare of sirens in the background. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The hosts and their guests remind me that there's always something new to discover even in places where I've been. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are five of my favorites. All are available free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts etc. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://destinationeatdrink.com/pod/">Destination Eat Drink</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Food and travel guidebook write Brent Petersen, currently living in Portugal, has 215 episodes archived on his site. Guests talk about tooling around Bordeaux, France in a Soviet-era motorcycle sidebar; eating in Pizza in Rome; or how to support indigenous producers while dining in Bogota. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Petersen will sometimes introduce a show with the sounds of street life as he records inside his favorite cafe. His style is relaxed and unscripted as he probes his guests for in-depth answers. Many are experts in their fields. For a piece on Valencia, Spain, he hosted Eunice Reyes, author of Spain: the Ultimate Vegan Travel Guide. In a podcast about Lisbon, he invited former Seattle resident Scott Steffens to talk about what is is like to open a craft brewery in a city with no craft beer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Petersen's site links to his blog with stories he has written on various destinations. Unlike some travel podcasters, he doesn't appear to be selling or promoting tours or books. There's a button for making for a $10 donation to keep the research going. </span></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi486sf64y1rQOwiUtcerrZGPjHWp-Ox-gHZ4WwAD7h-IZwuFA7B1sm9hZKV57WN8NRaXdcDWOD4LxSVg2mPffXw4oqG29Sio2RwbOEmnkpcPvXo7hj4VzpF0gNRxQH_Tmg4lgFJuc-bB_k5t1RDcZwYAIBGZsQnJPF8AUq65WKp3wK04zeF80bfX9IQ/s1218/IMG_0430.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="1136" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi486sf64y1rQOwiUtcerrZGPjHWp-Ox-gHZ4WwAD7h-IZwuFA7B1sm9hZKV57WN8NRaXdcDWOD4LxSVg2mPffXw4oqG29Sio2RwbOEmnkpcPvXo7hj4VzpF0gNRxQH_Tmg4lgFJuc-bB_k5t1RDcZwYAIBGZsQnJPF8AUq65WKp3wK04zeF80bfX9IQ/s320/IMG_0430.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle to Italy and back </td></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://thebittersweetlife.net" style="font-family: arial;">The Bittersweet Life</a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">NPR veteran Katy Sewall, based in Seattle, and her long-time friend Tiffany Parks, an ex-pat tour guide living in Rome, host what they title a podcast "for ex-pats, travelers, seekers and dreamers."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">They began the podcast six years ago in Rome when the two reconnected in Italy, and decided to explore the highs and lows of the expat experience. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Recent segments covered Katy's long -planned trip to Rome after the pandemic, interrupted by Covid; Tiffany's thrill of having her baby baptized by the pope in the Sistine chapel; and the challenges of putting together a Thanksgiving meal in Rome. True to radio, they are careful about incorporating sounds into their podcasts. Most memorable was the sound of babies crying while being baptized.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">New episodes, released every Monday, focus on a specific theme or topic. On Thursdays, they publish mini-episodes that often take you onto the streets of Rome or Seattle. The two banter back and forth as if they were sitting next to each other instead of thousands of miles apart. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Bittersweet Life has $5, $10, $20 and $50 monthly Patreon membership levels that come with extras such as access to behind-the-scenes production videos, and live virtual meet-ups with the hosts. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wfAVYuBGx3nWSWT9t7v1fdBJdJyUN_jz2kwG81rZ6ZtRiNGu8lLROG7T8xeWkgqZP-Jrb7jgaggw3Fc_BtNgHwxhS-TxrQrWV34DolxAf3bGAGiLIDpdKTcGY49OIMNEx6UMttQ-Dfv87le14sBUsI8f-1xqeADQQwuIEjkDxhQDt-3kfZBwqyCMLA/s1160/IMG_0431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1160" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wfAVYuBGx3nWSWT9t7v1fdBJdJyUN_jz2kwG81rZ6ZtRiNGu8lLROG7T8xeWkgqZP-Jrb7jgaggw3Fc_BtNgHwxhS-TxrQrWV34DolxAf3bGAGiLIDpdKTcGY49OIMNEx6UMttQ-Dfv87le14sBUsI8f-1xqeADQQwuIEjkDxhQDt-3kfZBwqyCMLA/s320/IMG_0431.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://theearfultower.com" style="font-family: arial;">The Earful Tower</a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Australian ex-pat, author and tour guide Oliver Gee moved to Paris in 2015 as a journalist, then switched to podcasting in 2017. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">His weekly shows are best when he includes guests ("What's it really like to be a Paris waiter"), less so when he and his wife, Lina Nordin Gee, a Swiss fashion designer and illustrator (Paris Postcards), giggle their way though most of a half hour, leaving you wondering when they are going to get to the point.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I give them credit for tackling some ambitious projects such as a series of podcasts on how to spend 24 hours in each of Paris' 20 districts, and a recent two-parter on what to do on your first and second trip to Paris. Their web site is worth a look for links to videos with photos that pair with their podcasts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Gee has developed a man-about-town reputation among Paris ex-pats. Besides podcasts, he does walking tours and has published a book, the Earful Tower Guide to Paris 2023 for sale on his website. He offers $10, $20 and $50 monthly Patreon memberships.</span></p><p><a href="https://untolditaly.com/podcast-home/" style="font-family: arial;">Untold Italy</a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This is my top pick when I want to get away and "go" to what I know will be hidden parts of my favorite country.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Travel planner Katy Clarke is the author and founder of the travel blog <a href="https://www.untoldmorsels.com">Untold Morsel</a>s. She launched Untold Italy in 2019 to share her passion for all things Italian, and help others plan trips by putting together tours to towns and cities most large tour operators ignore.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">She and her Italian guests, often speaking with thick English accents, are frank about telling you how to get an authentic experience by avoiding expensive and touristy places such as the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre, and choosing other close-by destinations instead. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I loved her recent hour-long report on Italy's northern Piedmont region, especially the city of Tornio where I visited last year. Her guest was a Toriono tour guide at whose home my husband and I dined through the website <a href="http://eatwith.com">eatwith.com</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/podcasts">Travel with Rick Steve</a>s</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Is there anyone who travels who isn't familiar with Rick Steves?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Best known for his European guidebooks, Public Television shows and sold-out group tours, Steves expands his reach beyond Europe in his weekly podcasts. All 890 are carefully edited and scripted, so no off-the-cuff banter here. I find them more interesting than the TV shows, perhaps because they include interviews with guests. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Each 52-minute segment covers two or three different topics along with guest commentary and pre-recorded call-in questions and answers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Recent programs have included an interview with an American author describing her experience in raising her family in France; Alabama's popularity as a destination for international travelers; and autumn in Japan with author Pico Iyer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Do you have a favorite travel podcast? Please share it in the travel comments here.</i></span></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-16277495969571296432022-12-06T12:15:00.000-08:002022-12-06T12:15:04.087-08:00Planning travel in 2023? Here's how to avoid some costly mistakes <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UKTvTddLKl7BhB_wDitl7YYc-Fha4zZHXzUqRmOqXFKtKZz3tQTo-uvdCXQjkaUFhMtD8FTCNG_bKyGE9zy8_OCiSXj6zhu3s3s0rR-XVKL_0uAuRW5sTU7XNLJudaZpLlnr2Mg2oLvwV8OOfJ9qneCQeVzHf4jV7D6NRdhkume9lJAEk3m4r4LqZg/s1943/IMG_0117.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1917" data-original-width="1943" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UKTvTddLKl7BhB_wDitl7YYc-Fha4zZHXzUqRmOqXFKtKZz3tQTo-uvdCXQjkaUFhMtD8FTCNG_bKyGE9zy8_OCiSXj6zhu3s3s0rR-XVKL_0uAuRW5sTU7XNLJudaZpLlnr2Mg2oLvwV8OOfJ9qneCQeVzHf4jV7D6NRdhkume9lJAEk3m4r4LqZg/s320/IMG_0117.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tram trundles along the waterfront in Porto, Portugal</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The new year is almost here. Let the travel planning begin. For many, it already has. But before you lock in dates, buy air tickets and make hotel reservations, take care to avoid some costly mistakes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> Here are my Top 5:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> 1) Don't be pressured into booking non-refundable or non-changeable hotel reservations, excursions or airline tickets. Most airlines have extended their Covid-era policies to allow changes without a fee, and cancellations for a credit to be used later. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Keep in mind that if you make a change, you'll pay the fare in effect at the time. It will likely be higher, but could be lower than when you originally booked. Delta makes changing reservations online easy by showing what flights are available and what the price difference would be. I recently changed a flight to return to Seattle from Naples, Florida, one day early. The price was the same as when I booked a few months ago, but had it been lower, Delta would have given me a credit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Travel in 2023 will be no less risky than it was in 2022, given that Covid is still around, and the political situation tenuous in many parts of the world.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Having a back-up plan is always a good idea. That calls for flexibility. The earlier you lock yourself inn, the less flexible you'll be. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">If you buy travel insurance, check carefully for details on what it does and doesn't cover. Trip cancellation and interruption clauses don't cover a change of heart about a destination unless you buy an expensive "cancel for any reason" policy. The best idea is to "self-insure" your trip by avoiding travel that requires a non-refundable deposit or pre-payment up front.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In researching a trip to Mexico, I began to notice that most of the B&Bs in Mexico City required a non-refundable full or partial payment. Many are very nice, and I might have chosen one otherwise. Instead, I pivoted to an Airbnb which allows cancellation with no penalty up to a few days ahead. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8MHmgSY-f7I3Ke3A-WKu08JjU-4xAu-eHeaJQsMcIWdtOY2slNkVY6OOe3F9Fd5mAvYGzW2kTZzJWZ7gY5A2RoYM14RRMsa7tskRxufxc_n6qNic0X0sb1KDPpRI8T3SGmefjdEtgyiDd3Uf6eZB7tNFWfdR_UqsPdGJkG9WrIZbKF9wRqU7D39uPA/s1826/Mexico%20City%20-%20Mexico%20-%20Nov%202019%20-%20Carol%20iPhoneX%20-%20IMG_E8016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1826" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8MHmgSY-f7I3Ke3A-WKu08JjU-4xAu-eHeaJQsMcIWdtOY2slNkVY6OOe3F9Fd5mAvYGzW2kTZzJWZ7gY5A2RoYM14RRMsa7tskRxufxc_n6qNic0X0sb1KDPpRI8T3SGmefjdEtgyiDd3Uf6eZB7tNFWfdR_UqsPdGJkG9WrIZbKF9wRqU7D39uPA/s320/Mexico%20City%20-%20Mexico%20-%20Nov%202019%20-%20Carol%20iPhoneX%20-%20IMG_E8016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick a B&B or Airbnb with a <br />liberal cancellation policy</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There's rarely any reason to buy airline tickets too far in advance. Resist the urge to look at fares for travel six months out, and tell yourself you'd better buy now because prices will only go up. Prices could fall if fuel prices decline, or a recession curbs demand for travel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When it comes to sightseeing, consider the organized day trips available on sites such as <a href="http://www.getyourguide.com">Get Your Guide </a>or <a href="http://www.viator.com">Viator</a> as an alternative to </span><span style="font-family: arial;">a group tour that requires pre-payment.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> These companies consolidate listings of excursions offered by local travel agencies, then offer easy online booking with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2) When using a credit card for overseas purchases, ALWAYS pay in the local currency. Duty-free vendors inside airports (Amsterdam's Schiphol and Pairs' Charles De Gaulle are two examples) ask customers if they'd rather pay in dollars or euros. Many inexperienced travelers automatically say "dollars," which undisclosed to them by the cashier, carries a "conversion fee" for the so-called convenience of posting the amount in U.S. dollars on your receipt instead of euros.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3) When it comes to using bank machines to withdraw cash, avoid withdrawing euros from <a href="https://www.euronetworldwide.com">Euronet Worldwide </a>bank machines installed near many shops and restaurants. They charge a hefty fee -$3.95 euros - plus a surcharge - 12 percent or more - by lowing the exchange rate below what is available from ATMs operated by real banks. The exchange rate might be 0.78 euros to one dollar, for instance, compared to the current rate of 0.95.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A clue will be instructions to tap on "accept this exchange rate" before you complete the transaction.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Prepare for many businesses going cashless, and streamlining the process by accepting Apple and Google Pay as well as credit cards embedded with the tap symbol that don't require a chip and pin reader. Ask your bank to send you a new card with the tap symbol if you don't have one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">4) Don't count on in-person service. Get comfortable with using self-checkouts in shops, and automated kiosks at airports for checking in, obtaining a boarding pass and checking bags. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Checking in for a flight online is optimal, but sometimes not possible, especially in a code-share situation when you've booked with one airline (Delta, for example) but a partner airline (Air France) is operating the flight. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I give the Pairs Metro extra credit for continuing to employ human ticket sellers in many of its stations. In a station where there were no staffers on duty, I used a blue button to push to call for questions. To my amazement, it worked. Using French to start, I asked the person on the other end if he spoke English. He did, and answered my question perfectly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeky79tWBGFQLIYrBpyPvuYTyaErpOh8lPLhZwsd8BXX-Uxcd4NWlKimSf4Piiltn9RwCV9vTOoln7DCASLkOBzBKaKZAvIhPiDF-HOFz49rkOfEzkQEQ_67eN2K1sWRIxVvLXdP1v1UXxMvnJCHjkHe7QYZorPSVv6ZYpM-4ivEmBMEQQE1RTIQV0A/s2349/IMG_0309.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2349" data-original-width="1762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeky79tWBGFQLIYrBpyPvuYTyaErpOh8lPLhZwsd8BXX-Uxcd4NWlKimSf4Piiltn9RwCV9vTOoln7DCASLkOBzBKaKZAvIhPiDF-HOFz49rkOfEzkQEQ_67eN2K1sWRIxVvLXdP1v1UXxMvnJCHjkHe7QYZorPSVv6ZYpM-4ivEmBMEQQE1RTIQV0A/s320/IMG_0309.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86); color: #4d5156; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">The reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris<br /> is </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86); color: #4d5156; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> planned for April 15, 2024</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">5) Don't assume you're safe from catching Covid because no one else around you is wearing a mask, or distancing. Given flu and respiratory viruses, you're probably more at risk of falling ill while traveling than anytime in 2022.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Do what makes sense to avoid having your travel plans ruined. For me, that means wearing a mask from the time I enter the airport in Seattle to the time I get off my bus, train or out of the taxi at my destination.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582830510204229794.post-13188408055380594372022-11-05T14:02:00.004-07:002023-04-02T18:55:33.365-07:00Postcards from Paris: Post-pandemic musings from my favorite city<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTb1uMjdXWSWv-u-DTyfboVCXmIgkJoa5aFkc1M50qskXIfnXCHVG7Qet9xdqwFN3qR-mcrLT1UZcdo1faJqCmBFEp4VK92QlUrR9th77deY8e5Tyknd_8kWOVTUccoNYG4_-DussoEd6UIVwoCsEtBEz_7dDoep8T9xQoHsidQCyvkacBDNQYa4VJHg/s2592/IMG_0310.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTb1uMjdXWSWv-u-DTyfboVCXmIgkJoa5aFkc1M50qskXIfnXCHVG7Qet9xdqwFN3qR-mcrLT1UZcdo1faJqCmBFEp4VK92QlUrR9th77deY8e5Tyknd_8kWOVTUccoNYG4_-DussoEd6UIVwoCsEtBEz_7dDoep8T9xQoHsidQCyvkacBDNQYa4VJHg/s320/IMG_0310.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafe de la Rotonde on Boulevard Montparnasse</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Warm lights inside the Art-Deco-style <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Café_de_la_Rotonde">Cafe de la Rotonde</a> beckon early risers for a quiet coffee. Lines no longer snake outside museum entrances. Late afternoons call for a wooly scarf and an Aperal spritz on an outdoor terrace. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With the summer crowds gone, Paris is Paris again. It may just be my favorite city, especially in late fall. I've been coming here almost every year for the past 20. Now, after a two-year break due to Covid, I'm feeling my way around again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My favorite two-star hotel near<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_de_la_Nation"> Place de la Nation</a> has raised its prices, and installed AC in all the rooms. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The husband-and-wife owned tea salon next door appears to have permanently taken over a wide swath of sidewalk with its its Covid-era outdoor seating. No heaters though. Paris is on an energy-saving diet. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My paper Metro tickets left over from my last trip still work, but not for long. The carnet - a booklet of 10 tickets sold at a discount - has gone digital with a pre-loaded plastic <a href="https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tarifs/navigo-monthly-and-weekly-travel-passes">Navigo</a> card. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What's changed? What hasn't? What's new, given preparation for the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/paris-2024">summer Olympics</a> in 2024? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> A few musings after a week's stay:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Transportation</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Paris' metro, bus,<a href="https://parisbytrain.com/paris-rer/"> RER </a>and train systems remain fast and efficient most times; crowded and unreliable other times. Pre-Olympic improvements on the RER B and C lines make using either to get to <a href="https://www.parisaeroport.fr/en">Charles de Gaulle airport</a> (RER B) or <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Orly+airport&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8">Orly </a>(RER C) risky. Then again, buses and taxies get stuck in traffic. And with new construction and renovations underway everywhere, traffic is bad.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After waiting 40 minutes one morning for a bus to De Gaulle that never came, I ran across the street to the RER station, and with one metro connection, made it to the airport in 40 minutes. Another morning, the RER B was out of service several stops before De Gaulle, requiring a 20 minute ride the rest of the way on a shuttle bus. Another day it was shut down all together after someone left an unattended bag on the train. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Best advice: Have a back-up plan, or better yet, spend the night before your departing flight at an airport hotel. The <a href="https://all.accor.com/hotel/1404/index.en.shtml">Ibis CDG Airport hotel </a>a few steps from Terminal 3 is one of the best options. It's clean, modern, reasonably priced, and the only way you could miss your flight is if you sleep in.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Be prepared for many people commuting to work and school on bikes and scooters. Step into a dedicated bike lane with the same caution you would crossing a street. </span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Inflation and the U.S. dollar</b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Inflation has hit Europe hard, and Parisians will tell you they feel the impact of rising prices. Cushioning the effects for American travelers is the rising value of the U.S. dollar, now worth slightly more than the euro. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A 5 euro coffee at the Rotonde is $4.95 U.S. whereas in 2021, it would been around $5.90. This means it costs less to relax here in elegant surroundings, sipping coffee served with a pitcher of warm milk, than it does for a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Good value has always been easy to find in Paris, and still is. Look no further than a neighborhood away from the major sites.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Example: My 12 euro ($11.64) lunch of smoked salmon, salad, bread and an anise Pastis at La Fee Verte, the Green Fairy, a classic cafe near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Père_Lachaise_Cemetery">Pere- Lachaise cemetery</a>. The cafe specializes in absinthe, the green anise-flavored spirit favored by Parisian artists and writers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaHl2CJcAgV9DUlsWkW4b0aRm6mlf73R_O8dkMrgUg6mNsAid4BDM28wuVWw7SKfvC8I_1JSMdm-ijLSJefBy9Syri2_uuZOm4HwzXSxFR2Wh27C9TQBQSRJzRibztzc_gxYDLhjzSC-fGKedzgUtDfaDmdbJxq1ZsnaORtBVc4IwEwa7K_-IL6Yj0A/s2447/IMG_0348.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2447" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaHl2CJcAgV9DUlsWkW4b0aRm6mlf73R_O8dkMrgUg6mNsAid4BDM28wuVWw7SKfvC8I_1JSMdm-ijLSJefBy9Syri2_uuZOm4HwzXSxFR2Wh27C9TQBQSRJzRibztzc_gxYDLhjzSC-fGKedzgUtDfaDmdbJxq1ZsnaORtBVc4IwEwa7K_-IL6Yj0A/s320/IMG_0348.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Green Fairy cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I found it by walking along the <a href="https://en.parisinfo.com/transport/73177/Rue-de-la-Roquette">Rue de la Roquette</a> towards the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille">Bastille</a>, a route suggested by <a href="http://harrietweltyrochefort.com/wordpress/">Harriet Welty</a> <a href="http://harrietweltyrochefort.com/wordpress/">Rochefort</a>, a Parisian ex-pat author (<a href="http://harrietweltyrochefort.com/wordpress/?page_id=1006">French Toast</a> and <a href="http://harrietweltyrochefort.com/wordpress/?page_id=1008">French Fried</a> among other books) and friend whom I had met for coffee earlier in the day.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiyeujFNeay1XXVeC2GYOHQKdkoA8rKCVm1KBBtr7PIY5g9krmP2XLosk1JTtRkS3WE6Bfto0W57lWaEoS8UksWR0F6Mw2S5EVd2mWRoZSAnqi760QCMuakW3eIUZUt_BNhhm2vMQ5i2FFuN3q7k65zMc3k3D1yHKjKZAixpL2L3_VNXwzwnAZ8zKqg/s2087/IMG_0347.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1933" data-original-width="2087" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiyeujFNeay1XXVeC2GYOHQKdkoA8rKCVm1KBBtr7PIY5g9krmP2XLosk1JTtRkS3WE6Bfto0W57lWaEoS8UksWR0F6Mw2S5EVd2mWRoZSAnqi760QCMuakW3eIUZUt_BNhhm2vMQ5i2FFuN3q7k65zMc3k3D1yHKjKZAixpL2L3_VNXwzwnAZ8zKqg/s320/IMG_0347.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harriet and I at a cafe near Pere-Lachaise</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the past the La Roquette district was known for containing two prisons: the "Petite Roquette" for young delinquents and women, and the "Grande Roquette" for major criminals. The guillotine was brought out at night to bring the lives of the imprisoned to a fateful end.Today, the district is a happier place filled with trendy art galleries, bars, restaurants and a busy nightlife.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Self-service everything</b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The same "staffing" shortages affecting U.S. retailers are affecting most service providers in Paris. Expect to use a self-service kiosk to buy everything from grocery items to train and metro tickets. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I spotted only one or two live cashiers in many stores, including the gourmet section of the luxury Galeries LaFayette department store which draws many foreign tourists.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8l_ed2OQEnuPon4qJKbdm-pcgSZHhHiI-c4zDr9xqTlzrPZP6EoNkAKkmQMS9Ym5w8g8Ia1t19IWV-dJVywnXofJBXhm6u_RAY3Z6-mzCjIKN32ld3ThIIJXGL0q95xxd5jwW0V_C8mKb7PfAfLaCQYed0K5ewUnJIcuYGEnJL_D5Xifk0-o5za6dnw/s2592/IMG_0339.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8l_ed2OQEnuPon4qJKbdm-pcgSZHhHiI-c4zDr9xqTlzrPZP6EoNkAKkmQMS9Ym5w8g8Ia1t19IWV-dJVywnXofJBXhm6u_RAY3Z6-mzCjIKN32ld3ThIIJXGL0q95xxd5jwW0V_C8mKb7PfAfLaCQYed0K5ewUnJIcuYGEnJL_D5Xifk0-o5za6dnw/s320/IMG_0339.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galeries Lafayette</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Passengers obtaining boarding passes from Air France at Charles de Gaulle must use self-service kiosks as well as check their own bags. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Apple Pay is accepted almost everywhere as well as credit cards equipped with the "tap" symbol for contactless payment. To</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> take advantage of the most favorable exchange rate, avoid withdrawing euros from </span><a href="https://www.euronetworldwide.com" style="font-family: arial;">Euronet Worldwide</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> bank machines installed near many shops and restaurants. They charge a hefty fee -$3.95 euros - plus surcharge - 12 percent or more - by lowing the exchange rate below what is available from ATMs operated by real banks. The exchange rate might be 0.82 euros to one dollar, for instance, compared to the current rate of 0.99.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A clue will be instructions to tap on "accept this exchange rate" before you complete the transaction.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Duty-free shops at De Gaulle airport offer customers the option of paying in euros or dollars. Always opt for euros to avoid similar surcharages.</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Iconic sites and off-the radar art</b></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">No matter if you're a first-time or repeat visitor, everyone feels the pull to walk past and/or visit the iconic sites for which Paris is known. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuATKOWFVpQT--ssQkVu4P2M8yDPVL1r3nR62-e6QG_R66e58kJILnKPy_HhZuLB9zUq8txrojPk2DSYiYrewozrZ3SDyLUyXu_OjmEw1Bs2F2XkFvpUUyA3OoEpmUSE4p__n-n3CRqFQXecupVk6NZrNfB14NWv-A3o_58-2WNcZCysdAeKFfcMw-Q/s2542/IMG_0337.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="1720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuATKOWFVpQT--ssQkVu4P2M8yDPVL1r3nR62-e6QG_R66e58kJILnKPy_HhZuLB9zUq8txrojPk2DSYiYrewozrZ3SDyLUyXu_OjmEw1Bs2F2XkFvpUUyA3OoEpmUSE4p__n-n3CRqFQXecupVk6NZrNfB14NWv-A3o_58-2WNcZCysdAeKFfcMw-Q/s320/IMG_0337.jpeg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I like to find vantage points in unexpected locations. This sighting of <a href="https://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/english/">Sacre-Coeur </a>high on the hill in Montmartre came into view as I glanced down a side street while walking towards the Galleries Lafayette department store.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0hQocKnhsSvwYamVG2tXjQQpN5BKwlR1BT3SEYx5eoMawU9sNUXBcbjcf80KYHm_Qo8utWmRI6Yadpp4tkt2gdc_RBti13Hx8sIGYDV4tv64RiPm8CO-6LAxstidPA5YRslbe11-_-mMsUia00ddIUMXcTfFSDHIIbVXMmjwT6kuEVEepcR8TnGXKQ/s2349/IMG_0309.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2349" data-original-width="1762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0hQocKnhsSvwYamVG2tXjQQpN5BKwlR1BT3SEYx5eoMawU9sNUXBcbjcf80KYHm_Qo8utWmRI6Yadpp4tkt2gdc_RBti13Hx8sIGYDV4tv64RiPm8CO-6LAxstidPA5YRslbe11-_-mMsUia00ddIUMXcTfFSDHIIbVXMmjwT6kuEVEepcR8TnGXKQ/s320/IMG_0309.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre- Dame Cathedral</td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Notre-Dame Cathedral is scheduled to reopen to the public by 2024—five years after a fire collapsed its roof and toppled its spire. It looks much the same from the front, minus the spire, but the entire back area is a construction site.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Visits to major museums require advance purchase of timed tickets.The show-of-the-moment is Frida Kahlo at the<a href="https://www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/en/page-daccueil"> Palais Galliera,</a> usually sold-out each day. On the other hand, it was easy to walk right into the<a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Musee+d%27Orsay&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8"> Musee d'Orsay</a> with a time ticket purchased the day before. Sadly, one of my favorite paintings was missing. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60DIWLnTq5KNsdtGfRj1o7A-2tSGN7lTVBOz3A57nDJ427lnC6-Xfak5aCXWSult6tTe39uODBb4U1Aaq5OAwQ7fJ43LEG_eZaKDWhuPdhpAdX6Z_73CXuyo22XQv57VRpLOWpwvM38JNH5NmBNmtURS2CoZaCHd45Ca1naHW1FE-ozBEJUE7QljdpQ/s1286/IMG_0614.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1141" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60DIWLnTq5KNsdtGfRj1o7A-2tSGN7lTVBOz3A57nDJ427lnC6-Xfak5aCXWSult6tTe39uODBb4U1Aaq5OAwQ7fJ43LEG_eZaKDWhuPdhpAdX6Z_73CXuyo22XQv57VRpLOWpwvM38JNH5NmBNmtURS2CoZaCHd45Ca1naHW1FE-ozBEJUE7QljdpQ/s320/IMG_0614.jpeg" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Degas's Absinthe Drinker</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I looked everywhere for Edgar Degas's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Absinthe">Absinthe Drinker</a>. Finally, I asked, and was told it was on loan to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The 1886 painting portrays a woman and a man sitting in a café, staring blankly, looking almost sad. The painting became controversial after it was discovered the artist used models posing as real patrons, and painted it in his studio, not a cafe. The painting cast a slur on the reputations of the two models, and Degas had to state publicly that they were not alcoholics.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Not everyone has time for Paris' lessor-known museums, but making time for at least one can feel more rewarding than trudging though the big sites. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Burdens literally fall on the shoulders of women all over the world as depicted in a moving exhibit by American/Indian photogrher <a href="https://www.museedelhomme.fr/en/exhibition/lekha-singh-women-carry-the-world">Lekha SIngh at the Musee de l’Homme</a> (Museum of Manknd). Fifty portraits celebrate the courage and strength of women in India, Tanzania, Morocco, Rwanda, Kenya and other countries. They are the non-motorized engines that transport heavy loads everyday to provide fuel, water and building materials for their families.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9rr2LLrP2fZmihmxkyd4DJyiFNXTycL39JxHokpj-GHJoWoFscUeZy_S4j8c3GmijHRWsdj0NnNGFTuVMsURnv3xx85ecg9mlZbylRn6z4E1wm4jDHc5ZCxxOAeJsAuOTM9NDhhaJjlVS-2fTXD1dWlgfkW4vhmxRDxuOMweQzpTW_XEbZc5pdPuVg/s2592/IMG_0294.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2592" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9rr2LLrP2fZmihmxkyd4DJyiFNXTycL39JxHokpj-GHJoWoFscUeZy_S4j8c3GmijHRWsdj0NnNGFTuVMsURnv3xx85ecg9mlZbylRn6z4E1wm4jDHc5ZCxxOAeJsAuOTM9NDhhaJjlVS-2fTXD1dWlgfkW4vhmxRDxuOMweQzpTW_XEbZc5pdPuVg/s320/IMG_0294.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A woman from Kenya carries a stone to build a fire pit for her family</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9HZy69KaVudp0hz7huf80WXz4SUUcGFOuOMOD4eyeaX3XDLZFZW9lmmtu3OB1CVmaVAjhP2db-1cbDcD3z_ROMp5KnAl_d4Y8kGQqH-8J0z5GE_sBFcQhslD4S9aEAoB64PiuKygdRFMkmgvLPngCcuTrDj1ZzMPqbQghaG4P0h-_ki99fCqjRq2Xw/s1964/IMG_0292.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1665" data-original-width="1964" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9HZy69KaVudp0hz7huf80WXz4SUUcGFOuOMOD4eyeaX3XDLZFZW9lmmtu3OB1CVmaVAjhP2db-1cbDcD3z_ROMp5KnAl_d4Y8kGQqH-8J0z5GE_sBFcQhslD4S9aEAoB64PiuKygdRFMkmgvLPngCcuTrDj1ZzMPqbQghaG4P0h-_ki99fCqjRq2Xw/s320/IMG_0292.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women in Tanzania fill 50-pound pots with water to carry to their families</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The bonus of visiting this museum (Trocadero metro stop) is the dead-on view of the Eiffel Tower from the upstairs cafe window. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikB675VaqlqLYpthfOmh7THYyDKtjCu3NxrSaeLaUyyVehhzfPzucVn29DliidadGz34oC7IXMcRHXE5F_GsMVP7c6JMoO8_3YMkK1xAtJU50HCR2k76qTIDAAZ5bca07ENmh2Fsan86AhNYhmXNbaD7b3cyHAoZuWHzlA2sBD2uU5OQATqIsHxHCK9A/s1681/IMG_0304.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1523" data-original-width="1681" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikB675VaqlqLYpthfOmh7THYyDKtjCu3NxrSaeLaUyyVehhzfPzucVn29DliidadGz34oC7IXMcRHXE5F_GsMVP7c6JMoO8_3YMkK1xAtJU50HCR2k76qTIDAAZ5bca07ENmh2Fsan86AhNYhmXNbaD7b3cyHAoZuWHzlA2sBD2uU5OQATqIsHxHCK9A/s320/IMG_0304.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris greeter Raphael Rispoli</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Better than any museum is to spend a few hours with a <a href="https://greeters.paris/en/">Paris Greeter</a>. These are locals who volunteer to spend time with visitors on two to three-hour walks around the city. They are not tour guides, but rather people who enjoy meeting others and sharing their knowledge of favorite areas.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> I met up with Raphael Rispoli for a two-hour morning walk around the Left Bank, starting near the Jardin du Luxembourg and ending at the River Seine near Notre Dame. We enjoyed lunch together afterwards at a small restaurant before parting ways in the early afternoon. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><p><br /></p></div></div>Carol Puccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16669416225994637704noreply@blogger.com8