A Whale of a Tail

It was a most beautiful and warm day. The sun beat down on our necks as we sat aboard the Viking VIII, a whale watching boat. We were on the upper deck with about 100 people and just as many were below deck. We motored for about an hour out of Cape Cod Bay toward Stellwagen Bank, a national trust area. We were lucky today and saw dozens of humpback whales. Some of them came along the side of the boat. You could see the white fins very clearly. They all sprayed from their spouts and dove to show off their flutes. As the guide said, "you were all a little bit closer to heaven today." My Nikon's battery was dead so the photos were not so clear. This little movie is the best I could do. More Pics

The Dunes

We took an hour dune tour on the National Seashore that showed us the dune shacks. This was exciting to see; the sometime homes of writers and artists such as Eugene O'neil, Don Passos, Charles Hawthorn. Later, we went to the library to see the 12 scale replica of the Dorothea Rose schooner. We ended the day with drinks and oysters on the half shell at the Red Inn.

Yard Sale

Unbeknownst to us, this is the biannual Ptown yard sale and coincides with Columbus Day week end. The streets are packed with bargain hunters. The license plates tell us the hunters are from far and wide, Virginia, Quebec, Connecticut, etc. The weather has kissed us, a fabulous 80 degrees. We walked Ruby the entire length of Commercial Street and then stopped for lunch at Bubula's. We ate on the patio and she sat on the sidewalk next to our table sampling tomatoe and french fries. Tonight we dined at The Red Inn, thanks to Louis and Jerome's gift certificate. It is a beautiful setting overlooking the bay.

The Highlands

The Highlands is an area of the National Seashore. Located here is the Cape Light, which casts its light 50 miles out to sea. The house and light have been moved 50 yards back from the eroding cliffs to prevent its loss. We climbed to the top for a look at the fresnel and the Atlantic. Also in the Highlands area is the house of whaling Captain Penniman.

Cape Cod National Seashore

We headed to Wellfleet for lunch and a visit to the Cape Cod National Seashore. After a large plate of bbq (no trip of ours is complete without a tasting of the local bbq), we headed to the Fort Hill area of the park. It is a beautiful mixture of marsh, beach and dunes. We walked the trail and then veered off into the marsh for a closer look. Another beautiful day to behold.

Pilgrim Monument

We're taking on the role of true tourists this time in Ptown. We climbed the Pilgrim Monument today, a landmark I've observed for years but never visited. The climb is fairly easy; it's made of ramps rather than stairs. The inside corners are inlaid with plaques from all the Mass communities that donated money to the building (1920s). Theodore Roosevelt was present for the dedication.

Provincetown

The next 10 days find us in Provincetown, MA dog sitting for friends Louis and Jerome. Ruby, an Irish Terrier, is a wonderful dog. She's obedient and friendly. The house sits atop a hill in the west end of town overlooking Long Point from one side and Herring Cove from another. The lot is huge with a fruit orchard, garden and small hill top above the house. Today we took Ruby to Race Point on the National Seashore. The weather is unseasonable warm.

Vieux Lyon

Allow me to put in a plug for the Hilton Hotels chain. We stay in them whenever we can and use their credit cards for stay points. Because of this we are often eligible for upgrades or free nights. In Lyon we got an upgrade to an executive suite. Along with that upgrade comes a full breakfast (in the executive lounge), canapes & drinks after 6, tea & snacks all day, & free Internet. In addition the hotel has a gym, sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish bath & two restaurants. All of this for almost 1/2 the cost of other places we’ve stayed which had none of the aforementioned amenities. We have a beautiful, soothing view of the Rhone and a park, Tete d’Or.

The public transportation here is superb and easy enough for us to stumble through. Today we took the #58 bus to Place Bellecour, the largest clear square in Europe. It is situated on a peninsula formed by the convergence of the Rhone and Soane Rivers. We walked from Bellecour over the Soane to Vieux Lyon, a large Renaissance district which dates back to the Middle Ages. Here are where the silk workers, Canuts, lived and worked. This industry has disappeared because of sick French silk worms and the Suez Canal. But the concierge assures me I can still find Lyon silk at the attelier.
Rising abruptly from Vieux Lyon is the Fourviere district where the Basilica Notre-Dame of Fourviere looms over all of Lyon. We took the funicular up to see the Basilica and enjoy a panoramic view of all Lyon. The Basilica draws from both Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, but is relatively new, 1872-1896. It is very ornate with 6 huge gold mosaics covering both sides of the nave.
We ate in a traditional restaurant called a bouchon, the origin of the word is unclear (it literally means cork). We had typical local dishes of salad lyonnaise & quenelle, a dumpling made of flour and egg with pike fish and a crayfish sauce.
Tonight we took the C1 tram to the Part Dieu train station to get tickets for Dijon. We are going tomorrow for a day trip. Bon nuit.

Soane River from Pont Bonaparte

2 Comments

1. kathrynlima | February 22, 2011 at 3:37 pm | Reply

   So what made those French silk worms sick? Too much brie and wine?

2. Christy | February 22, 2011 at 8:39 pm | Reply

   I don’t know. I’m just very sorry the aren’t healty and working there little tails off all over Lyon. The host in the lounge tonight said we could find some weavers working in the traditional manner in the old silk district.

Bordeaux

Today we got to test our umbrellas. But despite the rain it was 57 and not too terribly uncomfortable. After coffee at a cafe where the owner was playing 60’s English rock and dancing his way around the tables, we sauntered to the Musee des Beaux Arts. This is a small museum. But there are significant pieces and artists. It is nice sometimes to be in a small collection and concentrate more on each piece. Julia and Carolyn, thought of you 2 when I saw Matisse’s from 1898, small little landscapes & still lifes. Two Delacroix, Greece On the Ruins of Missolonghi and The Lion Hunt.

Walking around today reminded me of the Gustave Caillebotte Street in Paris in the Rain. A pictoral round up of Bordeaux. 

2 Comments

1. carolynberlin | February 20, 2011 at 9:20 am | Reply

   Ooh, ooh, ooh, little Matisses!

2. Christy | February 20, 2011 at 9:56 pm | Reply

   Yes. So small they could easily slip in a bag and go home with one. But, alas! The were under glass.

Danke Schoen, Wien

Today we took the tram to Belvedere Palace, home to Prince Eugene, conquerer of the Ottomans. He got really rich with his military deeds and built this lavish crib. Because he had no heirs, the state got the property and established Austria’s first great public art gallery. It is located high in the city and offers sweeping views of the formal gardens and the Vienna skyline. The collection holds a healthy sampling of Austrian Secession works, prime among them are the works of Gustav Klimt. Promenently displayed a la The Mona Lisa is The Kiss. It is much larger and squarer than I envisioned it. But it is a hypnotic piece that fluctuates between flat, patterned shapes and modulated, interlocking forms, between flat, frontal space and deep, expressive space. Also in the room was Judith I. There were a few unfinished pieces that were fun to analyze and guess at Klimt’s approach to composition and application. Others works of note for me were: Makart, 5 Senses and Oscar Kokoshka, Muller, Egon Schiele, Oppenheimer

We went to lunch in another coffee house. These places are fabulous. I decided to have a sausage before leaving Vienna. And then chose a desert from a showcase of deserts. Yummy. Did I mention that all the waiters are men and wear white shirts with bow ties.
Our 5 days here were not adequate to do the city justice. We never saw the Lippenzer Stallions. Performances are only on Saturdays. All that was available was exercise times. Also, I would be interested in seeing the contribution Vienna made to Art Deco. There were at least 2 major museums we didn’t have time for, The Leopold and The Albertina.
If any of you come to Vienna, i would highly recommend our hotel, The Rathaus Wein and Design. They have been so very accomodating including doing our laundry today for 10 euro. Tonight we are staying in and watching The Third Man In closing, pictures

Hello Prague

We had a most pleasant 5 hour train ride from Vienna to Prague. Spain Renfe still rules, though, as the most accommodating of trains. We thought things were looking up when a porter came by and asked us what we would like to drink. We said coffee; he handed it over and said 5.50 euros, please. Surprise!

We are back in a Hilton. Our room had fruit, wine and condiments waiting for us. The lounge had sandwiches, drinks and an array of desserts. Ahhhhh. It is located on the edge of Old Town, the heart of the city. Many of the streets are pedestrian only. The old town area leads onto the 600 year old Charles Bridge, which spans the Vltava River. On the other side of the river is the Prague Castle which we intend to visit tomorrow. The area is a bit filled with tourists, but just enough to make it cheery, not as over whelming as Venice. Brochures were offered everywhere for numerable nightly music performances from classical to jazz in churches and halls. We may change our focus from the visual to the auditory. There is a large public square with temporary grilling concessions and music. With this brief orientation we feel there is a lot to enjoy.

Vienna Kunsthistoriches

We got up bright and early, ate the amazing breakfast and hit the road by 9:30 in order to get tickets for the Lipizanner Stallion’s practice. But they weren’t selling today. So, instead we went to the Kunsthistorisches, the Museum of Fine Arts. We haven’t looked at paintings in a few days. This museum was built at the end of the 19th century. It is palatial and the star of the show. It makes Boston’s MFA look like a gate house. After all the marble, granite & other stone structures I’ve seen on this trip, I’m surprised the earth hasn’t collapsed. The top of the main stairway presents Canova’s Theseus and the Centaur. Above the stairs are works in the spandrels by Klimt & Match and in the lunettes by Makart. The collection is dominated by European 15th & 16th century works. They also have a wonderful Egyptian & Roman collection. The list of works that impressed is quite long, but here goes.

Rembrandt – 3 self-portraits, his son & his wife
Cranach – a roomful
Holbein – a roomful + Jane Seymour
Bruegel – a roomful among them the 3 cycles of the Seasons, The Peasant’s Dance, The Peasant’s Wedding, Tower of Babel
Mategna – St Sebastian
Caravaggio – Crowning of Thorns & Madonna of the Rosary
Durer – a roomful
Room after room of the Venetians – Titian, Veronese, Bellini, Tintaretto
Rooms of Rubens
Tonight we braved the underground and took it to the opera to see Ariadne auf Naxos, which was a serendipity because we saw the Roman floor mosaic that illustrated their story today at the museum. 

1. carolynberlin | March 15, 2011 at 12:47 pm | Reply

   We are going to Vienna, no doubt about it. I’ve never been and I’m so impresssed by your reports on the paintings.

2. Christy | March 15, 2011 at 3:22 pm | Reply

   It is a world class city. To do this again, I would add days in Vienna and deduct from Prague.

Vienna St Stephen’s

We are very relaxed here. Perhaps it is because, although there are impressively ornate buildings and monuments, the city is one of wide open boulevards. As such, it lacks the intimacy to tempt us with long strolls after the day’s sightseeing goal, which today was St Stephen’s Carhedral.

St Stephen’s is built on the foundations of a Roman temple. It was partially burned in the final days of WWII but is now restored. It is very light inside adding to the gothic features & soaring feeling. Mozart was married here & two of his children Christened. Only the original glass in the nave remains from the bombings. The side lights are simple panes of colored glass, which probably accounts for the light. Wayne was struck by the egotism of the master builder who had his face sculpted below the callyx.
After, we found ourselves on a very wide pedestrian-only street with plenty of shopping & eating places. There was the best hat shop I’ve ever seen. It was two floors of hats, hats, and more hats of every color and shape you could desire. There is now one less hat in that shop, Oberwalder! We stopped for coffee at the Cafe Hawleka not realizing until later that it has been the gathering place for artists over the last century. The picture below shows where we sat against the center wall. The cafe only serves coffees and a few pastries. There are only male waiters all of whom are attired in black tie, a long way from Starbucks. Before heading back to the hotel, we bought tickets for Ariadne & Aufnaxus, a Ricard Strauss opera, we will see tomorrow night. 

carolynberlin | March 9, 2011 at 4:00 pm | Reply

Wow, I just caught up on your travels, reading through the blog. It all sounds great, and you two sound like the most relaxed and yet energetic of art tourists. And now you are in German-speaking country. Are you still on schedule more or less and expecting to arrive in Berlin next Wednesday or so? I’m very excited about your coming, will probably be trailing you more than you’d like. Are you off to Prague before you come back this way to Berlin?

Weiner Schnitzel

Well, the sleeper train thing is really a misnomer. Yes, there are 2 berths for sleeping. And, yes, there is a private wc. But the idea of sleep is a stretch. Each stop was a jolt, and there was a lot of wheel screeching. We were happy that the porter had stopped by and reminded us to lock the door. Late that night someone tried twice to open the door.

Our hotel is just wonderful. Oleg would love it. Each room is created in partnership with a leading Austrian winemaker. We are in the Weingut Hillinger room. The vineyard’s wines are in the room. (for a price) And all the wines are available to taste in the bar. Even though we arrived at 10am, a room was found for us. After our tiny Italian rooms, this one is palatial. The shower alone is larger than the Milan room. And the breakfast. Oo la la. It is a treat of cheeses, pastries, meats, breads, cereals, and condiments unknown all of which is more abundant than any thing we’ve seen.
The hotel is a short walk to the old district where the museums, opera & palace are located. We oriented ourselves by walking there, having lunch in a splended Austrian coffee house, and then touring the palace apartments. I know practically nothing about Austrian history. The focus of the palace is on Franz Joseph & his wife Elizabeth (Sisi). Apparently she is quite renowned; movies have been made. She was assassinated by an anarchist.
For dinner we went to a nearby restaurant that serves traditional Austrian dishes. We had no reservations, but the bar tender said she could seat us if we didn’t mind finishing by 10pm. We said no. It was 7:30. LOL. I had wiener schnitzel and Wayne had goulash. It was delicious.

Night Train

“The city had grown old but Brunetti loved the sorrows of her changing face.” Donna Leon, Dressed For Death

Today was our last day in Venice. It has been a marvelous and magical time. The city is an amazing place. Even the idea that it exists solely on tourism doesn’t distract from the architecture and art. However, I am glad we were here a few days before the height of the Carnevale celebration. While it was soooooo much fun to be here for that and see all the fabulous costumes, by Saturday it was impossible to get into the Bacilica or even walk around the San Marco area. Yesterday we noticed from the ferry to Mutano a park. Since we had to check out of the hotel, we walked to the park and read for a while. It was a very warm day. We later killed some time by having a drink at Harry’s Bar, the place where the carpaccio dish was developed supposedly at rhe request of a woman who could only eat uncooked meat and an inventive chef who admired Carpaccio’s paintings. Finally, around 5pm we took the vaporetto back to the train station, had dinner and the got on board for the overnight train. Wayne said the compartment looks about 6′ x 6′. Buona Notte. A look back this beautiful place on flickr

Venice

Venice was so crowded today that we took the ferry over to Murano. During a much earlier period the forces that rule Venice tossed all the glass makers out because of fire dangers. Those wooden bridges were too important to risk. Most of the glass makers went to Murano, a 5 minute ferry ride from the north side of Venice. I was interested in seeing the glass making workshops. Our timing was terrible. We arrived during the two hour lunch. The only thing working were the furnaces. We also couldn’t even find a restaurant or an information booth. The ferry ride over passes by the island that houses the cemetary. It appears as if the entire island is walled in red brick. The return ferry circled around Venice and returned to Saint Mark's. So the trip was worth it because we got to see Venice from the “owner’s” entrance. It was a sunny and beautiful day. The remainder of the day was spent walking through the less traveled streets. It was also laundry day again. A much easier task than In Milan since we found a laundromat one block from our hotel. That evening we spent some time oggling at the revelers. If I could have been in that celebration when I was 20, I would think I had found heaven. 

Venice Le Quattro Stagioni

We walked to a different district today. It was warm and sunny and very pleasant to stroll the narrow, shop filled streets. The streets are quite busy probably caused by Carnevale. These crowds during winter make me think high season is one human mass. I can’t imagine being here during high season and being able to pause at shops or on bridges to enjoy the views. Dorsoduro, the district of today, is home to art colleges and the University. One can see the artisans working in the back of their shops: sewing, painting, jewelry & mask making. There are shops here that actually sell functional goods such as irons & coffee makers, unlike the San Marco district which has one glass, purse, glove & scarf shop after another. The city’s oldest squero, a boatyard for building gondolas, sits where two canals merge. Robert Browning and Peggy Guggenheim lived here; David Lean filmed “Summertime” with Katherine Hepburn here. We came for the Galleria del’Accademia in order to see some more Bellini’s and Carpaccios. The Academia was another of those museums thst needs a good curator. Poorly arranged & labeled pieces made it difficult to enjoy the works. The best was Carpaccio’s cycle of the St Ursula story. As with his St George, one room was dedicated to showing the series. Unlike the St George, they weren’t in situ. Urusula became a saint after she took off to Rome with 11,000 virgins and was subsequently killed by the Huns. The miracle today would be finding 11,000 virgins.

From tne Academia we went to the Frari Church, mainly to see a Donatello sculpture of John the Baptist. The Frari is the gothic church in Venice. The lack of solid ground was a deterent to the soaring gothic. This church is built of red brick, too. The inside is open and in a T shape rather than a cross shape. Mainly visual are the monumental monuments. Titian is buried here in one of the monuments. Conova’s heart is in his monument, his bones in southern Italy.
The highlight of the day was an evening Vilvaldi concert in Santa Maria della Visitazone. Vilvaldi was born here, and yesterday was his birthday. They performed The Four Seasons beneath a ceiling fresco by Tiepolo. Zowie! 

1. kathrynlima | March 5, 2011 at 7:53 pm | Reply

   When we were there in August – really high season – we found that away from St. Mark’s square the streets were not all that crowded. Wandering those back streets on our own, away from the crowds, was our favorite part of that visit. You are bringing back some wonderful memories and presenting so many things that we missed. We must return!

   • Christy | March 5, 2011 at 11:57 pm | Reply

     We’ve found that to be the most delIgbtful, too. And just as beautiful. We have fun for about 15 minutes with the crowds just to see the costumes & be a part of the festivities. Everyone is congenial and convivial so it’s not unpleasant, just not all that romantic. Much better off the beaten track. I think of you two often and how much fun we would have with you on this trip.

2. kathrynlima | March 5, 2011 at 7:54 pm | Reply

   Oh, and you know that Venice is where Gabriel Alon, from the Daniel Silva books, worked and met his wife!

3. Christy | March 5, 2011 at 11:58 pm | Reply

   Did you read John Irving’s early book, Setting the Bears Free?

Venice Nome

There were snow showers today, but it actually felt warmer because the wind had died. It was fortunate that we followed Rick Steves’ advice and got our tickets for the Ducale Palace yesterday at the Correr Museum. The line to buy tickets snaked out of sight; we walked right in. The snow moved everyone to indoor venues. The palace embraces a courtyard from 3 sides. The architecture is a mixture of gothic & renaissance due to fires, rebuilding, decorating with plunder. But it all seems to work. The exterior has a nice blend of Gothic and Moorish design which is referred to as Venetian Renaissance. The Palace housed the Doge & family as well as all the governmental offices and halls. The Doge was elected for life and was really a figure head unless he could secure power separate from his office. The rooms in the apartment, the senate, the collegio, etc. were very oppulent; walls were covered in paintings by Veronese, Titian, Tintoretto, Carpaccio, Bellini; ceilings were a mass of gold leaf and more paintings. It’s the closest I’ve come to feeling literally absorbed into painting No photos were allowed. You’ll just have to come see for yourselves! The palace leads to and over the Bridge of Sighs given its name because of the lamentations of prisoners being led over it to their executions. I was lamenting over my hunger so we had a nice lunch and then went to search for the Scuola Schianveni. In this small school is the Carpaccio pictorial cycle St George and the Dragon. The paintings, in situ, fill the sides and front of the space. There are 8 canvases which depict the myth in narrative format. The first canvas depicts the slaying. The princess is praying, George is slaying, & victim remains are decaying. It’s great!!!

Heard on the street from a reveler when her lover dropped his hat and had difficulty retrieving it, “He’s not really old. He’s just ruined”. Followed by gales of laughter.

Venice Carnevale

We went out late last night and discovered that the revelers had disappeared. We decided they probably all go to private parties. There was a band playing in St Mark’s Sq, but not many people were there. It was bitterly cold snd windy We also discovered water everywhere in the Square. This morning there was even more water forcing people to form long lines along high ground in order to get from one point in the Square to another. The wind has been really high. It must be forcing the water up through drainage. The revelers were back out, posing for photos. They are fabulous in both dress and attitude. It’s like a dance.

We visited the Correr Museum. It’s not visitor friendly. There is no floor plan, artifacts are dirty. There is a salon devoted to the Bellini family and a Bosch that made it worthwhile. The Doge’s Palace, our other destination for the day was closed for a meeting. So after a bit of window shopping we returned to the hotel to warm up.

Better than Vegas

The Milan train station was built during Mussolini’s rule (1931). It is a monument to the power of government: soaring, massive, muscular. But we’ve discovered the bigger the station the easier to maneuver and get the right train. They understand how to handle big and diverse crowds. We arrived in Venice at the San Lucia station and followed our hotel’s directions to take the #1 vaporetti (ferry) down the Grand Canal to San Zacarria. This stop is near San Marco. From here we walked to the hotel where our room is the only one on the 3rd floor. We have a little balcony. But today feels very cold because the wind is 23 mph. So no balcony fun. We walked around without caring about our direction. We were so surprised and pleased to find that it is Carnevale here (Mardi Gras). People are wondering around in period costumes. It is SO beautiful here. We spent a short time in St Mark’s. It’s smaller than some of the other basilica’s but very rich with gold mosaics in the domes.

Funny thing of the day. The Venice EMTs use a wheelbarrow to transport persons. We witnessed this today as they carried out a woman.

“So he again set eyes on the most astounding landing, that blinding composition of fantastic architecture, which the Republic has to offer the awestruck looks of the approaching seafarers: the light grandeur of the Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, the columns topped with the lion and the saint close to the shore, the flaunting projecting flank of St Mark’s, the view of St Mark’s Clock, and thus contemplating he thought that arriving in Venice from the train station was like entering a palace through the servants’ entrance and that one should always, like himself, travel across the ocean to the most improbable of cities.” Thomas Mann, Death in Venice

1. kathrynlima | March 2, 2011 at 4:59 pm | Reply

   We entered and exited Venice via cruise ship, so I identify with your quote. It is beautiful, isn’t it!

2. Christy | March 2, 2011 at 5:12 pm | Reply

   Si, molto.

Oh, My Beautiful Launderette

Today was a day you don’t write home about. We needed to do laundry, but discovered that Italy in general, & Milan in particular, don’t have laundromats or, as they call them, launderia automatica. They mostly have drop off service. We found one on the Internet we considered closer to the hotel than the desk clerk’s recommendation. We loaded the clothes in a suitcase & took off for the “short” .7 mile walk. Two hours later having gotten lost & then finally having found the place, we discovered it boarded & closed for renovation. At that point we hopped a tram & headed to the hotel recommended place. We were lucky an attendant who spoke zero English & was quite bossy was there to sell us tokens & soap. While things washed we ate at a local place, Woodstock 3. Yep. That Woodstock. Dozens of workers came in, ate, & left in what seemed like 10 minute shifts. The waitresses were lightening fast & effecient The portions were huge. We each had a slice of pizza that was @ 12×14″. The crust was devine.

Oh. I forgot to mention that it was raining all day while we were traipsing around. To reward ourselves for both cleanliness and virtue, we bought beautiful, sumptuous pastries, a couple of sandwiches, a bottle of local, & settled in for the night. My dogs were barking & we have an early train for Venice tomorrow.

A pictorial look at our stay in Milan.

kathrynlima | March 2, 2011 at 4:57 pm | Reply

Woodstock Cafe sounds very American – especially the part about the large portions!