Headed out at 7:30 when Kevin picked me up, along with 6 other people from my motel and we went on to pick up several other people. The 18 we were supposed to have turned into 30, and I was worried but everyone was kind and shared windows. We had a film crew from Korea on with us. They are doing a documentary on Churchill, and me being me asked all about it. Interesting and it will be on the PBS type station there. I became an instant star, they interviewed me for the show!!! Mitzi (Nitzi) a star in Korea! :-) That was fun... Kevin always get interviewed and I told him I was taking after him. Anyway the guys were great and we laughed a lot, even though they didn't speak much English. One was interviewing me and another was translating it into english. Pretty cool.
I had dinner with Kevin's family last night and told him I was requesting only one thing, to see a mom and her cubs. He reinforced that you never know what you will see and I know that, just said i was putting in my request. Well, we weren't 10 minutes away from the 'launch site' where you get onto the massive tundra vehicles, and there was a mother nursing 2 cubs in the willows! They eventually sat up, looked at us and then walked away over the icy pond. What a way to start a magnificent day! We saw another mother and 2 cubs, all looking quite healthy! Saw a few bears, including one trying out the ice to see if it was ready to head out. It was a bitter cold day, but the ice wasn't ready so he carefully put his weight out on the four paws and walked back in. Fascinating to see nature take its natural course. The temps were -24C with the windchill when we left, when we got back in the bus to come back the driver said it was -30C It was very windy, so that was the right temps. At -40 both celius and farenheit are equal so that gives you an idea of how cold it was. I hope that this is truly the beginning of the ice and the bears head out soon to eat. Perfect timing for this visit.
The day continued to get better and better! We saw ptarmigans, my first time and they were beautiful little birds hopping around on the ground. We saw some gulls that were special, don't know the names. Finally I saw white arctic foxes. I've seen the red but wanted to see the white ones. It appeared that it was a mom and kit, and they were fast asleep and then mom woke up, strethed and pooped and hopped off. She really did look like a kangaroo the way she moved. When she was out of sight, the smaller one woke up, sniffed the air, stretched, pooped and hopped off after her...another peek into arctic life! We saw another white fox run through the willows, swiftly he was out of sight. After lunch we were treated to a fabulous show of polar bears sparring in the distance. I think my rented 100-400 lens was worth every cent and more. Other than the blinding windy snow, I got incredible pictures and videos of the arctic... We finally left the bears still sparring, an unusually long time which says they are probably young adult males and the cold helped them. On our way back to the 'base' I wass looking out at the icy, peaceful setting as we bumped along and saw a rabbit just eating. I yelled to Kevin to stop and I was pretty much speechless, couldn't even get out what I was trying to say, how could it be that we were seeing another arctic creature, all in one day? So all I got out was it was a white rabbit and to back up. Someone asked if I meant an arctic hare. Yes, that is what I thought it was. I was sure it would be gone from the noise of the tundra buggy, but when we backed up, there he was just calming sitting and eating the grasses, white as snow! All that really showed up was the dark patches at the ear tips and his eyes and nose and you could see his face twitching, well the whiskers, as he ate. He was huge, as are all arctic hares Kevin explained. Truly an unbelievable day! And after a rather stressful trip to the motel, and then to the airport after changing from the warm wear, I was finally on my journey home. I was checked in by Steven, Kevin's nephew and he had a list by the computer of messages that Sandy, Kevin's wife, wanted me to have before I left. so funny! Small town for sure! He was a great kid and while I was in line to check in, he was telling someone he went with Mitzi to see the bears at the dump and pointed me out. Felt like a local celebrity today! Kevin made a big deal about having me with him today and I felt so special. He took such good care of me, making sure I always had a window to see the sights. I felt so cared about, like I spent the day with a great friend in a dream location! We talked about Seal River, a place where you walk with the polar bears and also about the place where the mother and cubs come out of the dens in March. Both are outrageously expensive but quite unique experiences. So many wonderful things to do in the world.
Saying goodbye to Kevin was so hard when the day was over. I've had dinner at their home the last two nights and we had a wonderful time. His whole family just took me in and made me feel so comfortable! His children are darling and the baby, a year and a half old, really wanted to tell Mitzi everything. I read to her and her little eyes just lit up, she walks around with books in her hand saying "Read please". The cutest!! Their 8 year old son was interviewed by a German group and evidently did quite well. A great family and dear new friends...
Now to sleep and tomorrow on with my homeward journey!!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Tundra Day
So much to say there is no way to say it, what a day! The highlight could have been the bears we saw sparring since I've never seen that before, or the bear that stood up and looked in at us which I didn't get a picture of, but it was the bear who seemed to be fascinated with my boots from under the steel grate on the back deck. I stood there and his nose was about 2 inches away, under us, and when I moved my boot, his nose moved with it. yes, what a special day with the bears roaming wild and free in their natural habitat! Sweet polar bear dreams!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Polar Paradise - Trip 3 - Day 1
Greetings from Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World! Yes, it is my 3rd trip here, but I am quite sure I will never tire of watching these magnificent creatures in the wild! Such beauty and if you know me, you know it is quite challenging not to just get out of the vehicle and give them a huge hug!! So warm and cuddly! But I will have to settle for my dear Bram as huggable, these creatures are to be admired from a distance.
Distance, however, is relative. Yesterday was my first experience to see the bears up close and personal. Sitting in an SUV less than 6 feet from them at times, was thrilling. Yes, I am truly like a kid at Disneyland here. No words for the thrill of being an observer as my favorite animals conduct life in the wild. Well, okay there were other vehicles around too, so it wasn't a solitary experience, although I believe that each person there was having their own solitary experience with the bears. Each of us is touched in a different way as we watch wildlife in nature. However at this site it was evident that humans have impacted life here, even if just a bit. There was Digger, the young bear who has been working on that hole he is digging for at least 3 days! There must be some pretty good grain or leftovers down there! And then there was Druggy, (my name for him) who follows the cars around sniffing the fumes and eventually stands up at the cars' sides to get up close and personal. Easy to believe he is getting his own kind of 'high' from the gas. A frightening sight actually. Then there was the bear who was totally occupied with a green tarp that had evidently flown off the back of a truck, he was like a dog with a new toy. The other bears wandered and rested. It was a beautiful day, new snow and sunny blue skies.
The manager of my motel took me out and she knows how to be safe. For instance you can't have the window open if you aren't looking directly out because a bear could come out of nowhere and have his paw in the window. They move quite quickly when they want to. This
was an amazing new experience for me. I've always been in the large tundra roving vehicles and to be in a regular vehicle, at times only 6 feet from a bear, was thrilling! When the bear stood up on the van in front of us, the girl I was with explained how dangerous that was, with
strength that can dig through feet of ice, they could harm a person with no effort and then they would be put down as agressive and
dangerous. So when people are irresponsibly interacting with the bears, they could be setting that bear's fate, endangering the bears' lives. This trip I am more like a local and loving it!
After my hour at the 'dump' we came back to town and I wandered. It was a quiet day in Churchill and as everyone here said, truly beautiful!
Sun and snow. I decided to take a walk down the main street and have lunch at Gypsy's. It is a bit far from my motel but I decided it was a
good day to walk. The upcoming days might not be so beautiful for a walk and I'll be eating closer to the motel.
A bit of history: I spent christmas 2007 on the ship, Marco Polo, cruising from Buenos Aires to Antarctica and then to Ushuaia. I met my British friends, Peter and Terry, there for the adventure. That is where I met my other British friends, Diana and Alec. On that trip there were two other special people who I met and got to know. One was Nestor Gude, a well known gaucho performer whose show we had seen one night in Buenos Aires and he appeared on our ship to be the entertainer. The other special person was Kevin, called the polar bear man from Churchill. Well by then I'd seen many documentaries of the town and bears, and knew that the people involved with snow and Klondike at the Denver zoo had been there. I talked to Kevin and he assured me that a trip to Churchill was safe. People here knew how to live with the bears and the weather. Not long before the polar bear season I decided to look into the polar bear trips and ended up being very brave and headed to Hudson bay to see my favorite animals. It was a terrifying trip, one that took me to my limit, and I survived. I did see Kevin here, by chance somewhat, and a man I had met in Antarctica was saying hello in the subarctic tundra! Life can be so interesting! On my 2nd visit I saw him as we were boarding our tundra vehicle. And this trip I called him ahead of time and had a lovely chat with his wife and will be having dinner with them. I'm so looking forward to an evening of polar bear stories from the expert! Kevin happens to be the driver for many of the celebrities who visit. Right now there is a member of 'black eyed peas' in town with his girlfriend and Ryan Secrest is also here. I wouldnt know them if i saw them. And then there is Mitzi...
The flight here was perfect, plenty of room on the plane and the flight attendant has time to visit. He was telling me about the mining exploration going on in Canada now. I had no idea that they are finding gold and diamonds north of here. So much to learn about the world!
Well, back to lunch at Gypsy's...I was enjoying the hot roast beef sandwich, watching the people come in and out. I went up to order on of the beautiful desserts and there was a lady in front of me with a little girl and the owner, Helen, called her sandy. When the lady had walked away I asked if thar was by any chance sandy, kevins wife and she said it was. So the lady I'd talked to on the phone from Colorado ended up having lunch at a table right next to me! Yes, Churchill is a small town, but it is still amazing that we would happen to be at the same place at the exact same time at tables next to each other! So I went and introduced myself and we became fast friends! What fun to have a friend in Churchill! We visited for a long time and then walked together towards her house and my hotel. She later made plans to pick me up for a morning trip to see the bears.
After a short nap, I chatted with some people in the commons room of my motel. We were sharing polar bear pictures and I found out that when I'd thought I'd gotten videos of a bear rolling on the ground, I'd not pushed the right button and there were no videos at all. The three people helped me figure out how to do that so now I am ready. One person was a young man doing some surveying for the new dump. He was working with a gunman that was to protect them from the bears. There was another couple who came by train, pretty much on their own, from Winnipeg. The bears are truly something to see for so many people.
I invited the young girls who manage this motel to join me for dinner and they had a friend fly in from Winnipeg, so we went for a great dinner at the lazy bear lodge, where I used to stay. What an enjoyable evening with local people, I learned a lot about Canadian culture.
A very special first day in churchill, Manitoba!
A bit of my history...In December 2007 I was in A
Distance, however, is relative. Yesterday was my first experience to see the bears up close and personal. Sitting in an SUV less than 6 feet from them at times, was thrilling. Yes, I am truly like a kid at Disneyland here. No words for the thrill of being an observer as my favorite animals conduct life in the wild. Well, okay there were other vehicles around too, so it wasn't a solitary experience, although I believe that each person there was having their own solitary experience with the bears. Each of us is touched in a different way as we watch wildlife in nature. However at this site it was evident that humans have impacted life here, even if just a bit. There was Digger, the young bear who has been working on that hole he is digging for at least 3 days! There must be some pretty good grain or leftovers down there! And then there was Druggy, (my name for him) who follows the cars around sniffing the fumes and eventually stands up at the cars' sides to get up close and personal. Easy to believe he is getting his own kind of 'high' from the gas. A frightening sight actually. Then there was the bear who was totally occupied with a green tarp that had evidently flown off the back of a truck, he was like a dog with a new toy. The other bears wandered and rested. It was a beautiful day, new snow and sunny blue skies.
The manager of my motel took me out and she knows how to be safe. For instance you can't have the window open if you aren't looking directly out because a bear could come out of nowhere and have his paw in the window. They move quite quickly when they want to. This
was an amazing new experience for me. I've always been in the large tundra roving vehicles and to be in a regular vehicle, at times only 6 feet from a bear, was thrilling! When the bear stood up on the van in front of us, the girl I was with explained how dangerous that was, with
strength that can dig through feet of ice, they could harm a person with no effort and then they would be put down as agressive and
dangerous. So when people are irresponsibly interacting with the bears, they could be setting that bear's fate, endangering the bears' lives. This trip I am more like a local and loving it!
After my hour at the 'dump' we came back to town and I wandered. It was a quiet day in Churchill and as everyone here said, truly beautiful!
Sun and snow. I decided to take a walk down the main street and have lunch at Gypsy's. It is a bit far from my motel but I decided it was a
good day to walk. The upcoming days might not be so beautiful for a walk and I'll be eating closer to the motel.
A bit of history: I spent christmas 2007 on the ship, Marco Polo, cruising from Buenos Aires to Antarctica and then to Ushuaia. I met my British friends, Peter and Terry, there for the adventure. That is where I met my other British friends, Diana and Alec. On that trip there were two other special people who I met and got to know. One was Nestor Gude, a well known gaucho performer whose show we had seen one night in Buenos Aires and he appeared on our ship to be the entertainer. The other special person was Kevin, called the polar bear man from Churchill. Well by then I'd seen many documentaries of the town and bears, and knew that the people involved with snow and Klondike at the Denver zoo had been there. I talked to Kevin and he assured me that a trip to Churchill was safe. People here knew how to live with the bears and the weather. Not long before the polar bear season I decided to look into the polar bear trips and ended up being very brave and headed to Hudson bay to see my favorite animals. It was a terrifying trip, one that took me to my limit, and I survived. I did see Kevin here, by chance somewhat, and a man I had met in Antarctica was saying hello in the subarctic tundra! Life can be so interesting! On my 2nd visit I saw him as we were boarding our tundra vehicle. And this trip I called him ahead of time and had a lovely chat with his wife and will be having dinner with them. I'm so looking forward to an evening of polar bear stories from the expert! Kevin happens to be the driver for many of the celebrities who visit. Right now there is a member of 'black eyed peas' in town with his girlfriend and Ryan Secrest is also here. I wouldnt know them if i saw them. And then there is Mitzi...
The flight here was perfect, plenty of room on the plane and the flight attendant has time to visit. He was telling me about the mining exploration going on in Canada now. I had no idea that they are finding gold and diamonds north of here. So much to learn about the world!
Well, back to lunch at Gypsy's...I was enjoying the hot roast beef sandwich, watching the people come in and out. I went up to order on of the beautiful desserts and there was a lady in front of me with a little girl and the owner, Helen, called her sandy. When the lady had walked away I asked if thar was by any chance sandy, kevins wife and she said it was. So the lady I'd talked to on the phone from Colorado ended up having lunch at a table right next to me! Yes, Churchill is a small town, but it is still amazing that we would happen to be at the same place at the exact same time at tables next to each other! So I went and introduced myself and we became fast friends! What fun to have a friend in Churchill! We visited for a long time and then walked together towards her house and my hotel. She later made plans to pick me up for a morning trip to see the bears.
After a short nap, I chatted with some people in the commons room of my motel. We were sharing polar bear pictures and I found out that when I'd thought I'd gotten videos of a bear rolling on the ground, I'd not pushed the right button and there were no videos at all. The three people helped me figure out how to do that so now I am ready. One person was a young man doing some surveying for the new dump. He was working with a gunman that was to protect them from the bears. There was another couple who came by train, pretty much on their own, from Winnipeg. The bears are truly something to see for so many people.
I invited the young girls who manage this motel to join me for dinner and they had a friend fly in from Winnipeg, so we went for a great dinner at the lazy bear lodge, where I used to stay. What an enjoyable evening with local people, I learned a lot about Canadian culture.
A very special first day in churchill, Manitoba!
A bit of my history...In December 2007 I was in A
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Winnipeg Again
Well, I'm settling in here in Winnipeg for the evening. Early tomorrow morning I will be on a Calm Air flight to Churchill. In the meantime I will have to repack for the trip. I can only take a very small carry on suitcase on the plane so I packed it in my large suitcase and now will do some creative packing for my onward journey. My camera equipment will have to go with me, as well as some warm weather clothing. The allowed size and weight concern me, but I am sure I will make it work. And hopefully all my luggage will make it there with me I'm a little concerned because Alec and Diana's had to be on a later fight when they visited a year ago.
I was quite surprised when we arrived in Winnipeg. I was so comfortable with the old airport and had no idea the new one had opened. So the familiar part of the trip was not so familiar after all. The flight was not good, it was smooth, the flight attendant was adorable and we had a lot to talk about, a lot in common. However the men behind me and the one across from me were all headed here to hunt and for 2 hours I had to listen to animal killing stories. It was terrible! So many that it took everything I had to not interrupt with my opinion. I know many people do it and love it but I have to say that I still can't understand the whole idea of killing things and then sharing the gory details of the animals' deaths. Broke my heart when I am headed here to get a glimpse of the beautiful polar bears whille I can. Yosef said that the majority of people headed here now are coming for hunting and I said I didn't like the idea of all those guns on the plane with me. He started telling me about the secure box in cargo where they are put, but it still makes me very uncomfortable. I usually come earlier in the season and guess I've been lucky not to share the plane with hunters before. Usually the plane is filled with people going and returning from Vegas, a popular destination for people in frozen Winnipeg.
I was very glad to get off that flight! I made it through customs without being interrogated but I am sure it was the man who did it before. He seemed to be trying to get me to say something that didn't fit, but my visit is simple, I'm simply here to see the bears. No killing from this lady! No stories, Churchill for a few days and then home.
After getting my luggage I had to walk through 2 parking lots to get to the old hotel that was across the street fromm the old airport. When I arrived I found out they have a shuttle now so I'll be taking that in the morning, no more venturing through parking lots with a cart of luggage! The wheel on my large suitcase broke off and that was the start to the day. I guess it is okay, it just rolls a little bit slower onlly having one wheel. Travel, have I mentioned it is more trying these days!
The sunset in Winnipeg was gorgeous! It's cold here but no snow. Yosef told me that it snows later and later here. He isn't looking forward to it, I'm hoping for it in Churchill at least! It's hard to believe that I am so close to the bears at this point. After a fun visit with my Winnipeg buddy, Mr. Perlman, I'm going to repack, eat dinner here at the hotel and try to get to sleep early for my early, long day tomorrow.
Au revior from Winnipeg...next entry will be from Churchill!
I was quite surprised when we arrived in Winnipeg. I was so comfortable with the old airport and had no idea the new one had opened. So the familiar part of the trip was not so familiar after all. The flight was not good, it was smooth, the flight attendant was adorable and we had a lot to talk about, a lot in common. However the men behind me and the one across from me were all headed here to hunt and for 2 hours I had to listen to animal killing stories. It was terrible! So many that it took everything I had to not interrupt with my opinion. I know many people do it and love it but I have to say that I still can't understand the whole idea of killing things and then sharing the gory details of the animals' deaths. Broke my heart when I am headed here to get a glimpse of the beautiful polar bears whille I can. Yosef said that the majority of people headed here now are coming for hunting and I said I didn't like the idea of all those guns on the plane with me. He started telling me about the secure box in cargo where they are put, but it still makes me very uncomfortable. I usually come earlier in the season and guess I've been lucky not to share the plane with hunters before. Usually the plane is filled with people going and returning from Vegas, a popular destination for people in frozen Winnipeg.
I was very glad to get off that flight! I made it through customs without being interrogated but I am sure it was the man who did it before. He seemed to be trying to get me to say something that didn't fit, but my visit is simple, I'm simply here to see the bears. No killing from this lady! No stories, Churchill for a few days and then home.
After getting my luggage I had to walk through 2 parking lots to get to the old hotel that was across the street fromm the old airport. When I arrived I found out they have a shuttle now so I'll be taking that in the morning, no more venturing through parking lots with a cart of luggage! The wheel on my large suitcase broke off and that was the start to the day. I guess it is okay, it just rolls a little bit slower onlly having one wheel. Travel, have I mentioned it is more trying these days!
The sunset in Winnipeg was gorgeous! It's cold here but no snow. Yosef told me that it snows later and later here. He isn't looking forward to it, I'm hoping for it in Churchill at least! It's hard to believe that I am so close to the bears at this point. After a fun visit with my Winnipeg buddy, Mr. Perlman, I'm going to repack, eat dinner here at the hotel and try to get to sleep early for my early, long day tomorrow.
Au revior from Winnipeg...next entry will be from Churchill!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Adventure in Words - Theirs and Mine
THEIRS:
One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure – William Feather
As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death – Leonardo da Vinci
Somebody ought to tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit every minute of every day. Do it, I say, whatever you want to do, do it now. – Michael Landon
Death is more universal than life, everyone dies but not everyone lives – Alan Sachs
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go – T.S Eliot
Follow your bliss, and doors will open for you that you never knew existed. Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls - Joseph Campbell
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe hoarbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, WOW – What a Ride! Anonymous
I do not want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well – Diane Ackerman
The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. W. M. Lewis
It is never too late to be who might have been – George Eliot
And the day came when the wish to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom – Anais Nin
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. – Ambrose Redmoon
We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake. Marie B. Ray
A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for - John A. Shedd
The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for the newer and richer experience – Eleanor Roosevelt
Don’t die without embracing the daring adventure your life is meant to be – Steve Pavlina
If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun – Katherine Hepburn
Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma-which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. Steve Jobs
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore – Andre Gide
Adventure is worthwhile – Aristotle
Adventure: the pursuit of life – Daniel Roy Wiarda
I decided that adventure was the best way to learn – Lloyd Alexander
We live in a world full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. Jawaharlal Nehru
In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors – William Blake
Adventure is worthwhile – Aesop
It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves, in finding themselves - Andre Gide
Life is either a great adventure or nothing – Helen Keller
The adventure is over. Everything gets over, and nothing is ever enough. Except the part you carry with you – E.L. Konigsburg
A life lived in fear is a life half lived – Anonymous Adventurer
You may never get rid of the butterflies but you can teach them how to fly in formation – Anonymous Adventurer
If we do not find anything very pleasant, at least we shall find something new – Voltaire on adventure
We in middle age require adventure – Carolyn Heilbrun (okay, I'm a senior, but a late bloomer)
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice – Cherokee Expression
Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, “Grow, grow.” – The Talmud
If you cannot be a poet, be the poem – David Carradine
I just love the spirit that makes people do things that they probably shouldn’t – Johnny Knoxville
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind – Dr. Seuss
You have to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way – Lady Gaga
Nothing is really ‘safe’ – Bam Margera
Security is mostly a superstition – Helen Keller
Life is full of beauty, notice it – Author unknown
We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for – George Mallory, on climbing Mt. Everest
A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life – Muhhamed Ali
I tried being reasonable, I didn’t like it – Clint Eastwood
Don’t tell me how educated you are. Tell me how much you’ve traveled – Mohammed
The world is an interesting place to the imaginative mind – Author unknown
Just do it – Nike slogan
MINE
Watch out my dear polar bears, here I come!!
One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure – William Feather
As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death – Leonardo da Vinci
Somebody ought to tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit every minute of every day. Do it, I say, whatever you want to do, do it now. – Michael Landon
Death is more universal than life, everyone dies but not everyone lives – Alan Sachs
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go – T.S Eliot
Follow your bliss, and doors will open for you that you never knew existed. Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls - Joseph Campbell
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe hoarbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, WOW – What a Ride! Anonymous
I do not want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well – Diane Ackerman
The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. W. M. Lewis
It is never too late to be who might have been – George Eliot
And the day came when the wish to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom – Anais Nin
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. – Ambrose Redmoon
We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake. Marie B. Ray
A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for - John A. Shedd
The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for the newer and richer experience – Eleanor Roosevelt
Don’t die without embracing the daring adventure your life is meant to be – Steve Pavlina
If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun – Katherine Hepburn
Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma-which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. Steve Jobs
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore – Andre Gide
Adventure is worthwhile – Aristotle
Adventure: the pursuit of life – Daniel Roy Wiarda
I decided that adventure was the best way to learn – Lloyd Alexander
We live in a world full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. Jawaharlal Nehru
In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors – William Blake
Adventure is worthwhile – Aesop
It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves, in finding themselves - Andre Gide
Life is either a great adventure or nothing – Helen Keller
The adventure is over. Everything gets over, and nothing is ever enough. Except the part you carry with you – E.L. Konigsburg
A life lived in fear is a life half lived – Anonymous Adventurer
You may never get rid of the butterflies but you can teach them how to fly in formation – Anonymous Adventurer
If we do not find anything very pleasant, at least we shall find something new – Voltaire on adventure
We in middle age require adventure – Carolyn Heilbrun (okay, I'm a senior, but a late bloomer)
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice – Cherokee Expression
Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, “Grow, grow.” – The Talmud
If you cannot be a poet, be the poem – David Carradine
I just love the spirit that makes people do things that they probably shouldn’t – Johnny Knoxville
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind – Dr. Seuss
You have to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way – Lady Gaga
Nothing is really ‘safe’ – Bam Margera
Security is mostly a superstition – Helen Keller
Life is full of beauty, notice it – Author unknown
We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for – George Mallory, on climbing Mt. Everest
A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life – Muhhamed Ali
I tried being reasonable, I didn’t like it – Clint Eastwood
Don’t tell me how educated you are. Tell me how much you’ve traveled – Mohammed
The world is an interesting place to the imaginative mind – Author unknown
Just do it – Nike slogan
MINE
Watch out my dear polar bears, here I come!!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
All Good Things...
...must come to an end! And that is certainly what happened to me! What an awesome vacation and how wonderful to be so taken care of and spoiled!
And then it was back to reality! At the Mykonos airport I called home and got an upsetting message that my dog had been hurt and they needed permission to treat him. He has stayed at that kennel and daycare for 6 years and never been hurt and they have always had the paperwork approving any treatment needed. New people have taken over the management and I'm totally disappointed in the way things were handled. The message had been sent 2 days before! So I pictured my precious boy suffering without having treatment. No one said what the injuries were or called and left a follow up message with any further information. All the relaxation went out of me in a moment. It was the middle of the night back in Colorado so there was no way to get an update as I faced 6 hours in the air before I could get more info. I just don't understand how businesses can be run like that. Any pet owner would want more information about their pet I would think, than just a message they were 'nipped' and needed treatment. I contacted them the moment the plane touched down at Heathrow and got an update that he had been treated and was okay. It was many hours before I received any information about the incident. Yes, reality is quite powerful, even after a week of peace and tranquility...and coughing and trying to breathe too, that is.
I tried to sign on to get checked in for my flight and I was not able to accomplish that. Last time that happened I found out I didn't have a ticket so I was quite upset when I called United and held for a long time waiting to find out if I was going to fly home today or not. By the way, international calls to a toll free number are not free! After quite a while I was told that I did still have a ticket but the equipment was changing. AGAIN they were not going to use the plane with the bed configuration that I specifically booked to get. AGAIN United did not follow through with what I consider a commmitment to their passengers. I am shocked that this would happen on both directions of a trip I specifically booked to have that configuration. When I checked in this morning and started talking to people, I was told that this flight yesterday was just totally cancelled, leaving 300 people scrambling to find a way back to the US. Yes, United Airlines is definitely changing in my opinion!
So, as you see, reality has set in and life has quite quickly returned to the daily challenges we all face. The escape was heavenly and just may be one of the last because I no longer have the patience to deal with the trials of travel! Time will tell.
Now, hoping for a safe flight home and a healthy dog when I see him!
And then it was back to reality! At the Mykonos airport I called home and got an upsetting message that my dog had been hurt and they needed permission to treat him. He has stayed at that kennel and daycare for 6 years and never been hurt and they have always had the paperwork approving any treatment needed. New people have taken over the management and I'm totally disappointed in the way things were handled. The message had been sent 2 days before! So I pictured my precious boy suffering without having treatment. No one said what the injuries were or called and left a follow up message with any further information. All the relaxation went out of me in a moment. It was the middle of the night back in Colorado so there was no way to get an update as I faced 6 hours in the air before I could get more info. I just don't understand how businesses can be run like that. Any pet owner would want more information about their pet I would think, than just a message they were 'nipped' and needed treatment. I contacted them the moment the plane touched down at Heathrow and got an update that he had been treated and was okay. It was many hours before I received any information about the incident. Yes, reality is quite powerful, even after a week of peace and tranquility...and coughing and trying to breathe too, that is.
I tried to sign on to get checked in for my flight and I was not able to accomplish that. Last time that happened I found out I didn't have a ticket so I was quite upset when I called United and held for a long time waiting to find out if I was going to fly home today or not. By the way, international calls to a toll free number are not free! After quite a while I was told that I did still have a ticket but the equipment was changing. AGAIN they were not going to use the plane with the bed configuration that I specifically booked to get. AGAIN United did not follow through with what I consider a commmitment to their passengers. I am shocked that this would happen on both directions of a trip I specifically booked to have that configuration. When I checked in this morning and started talking to people, I was told that this flight yesterday was just totally cancelled, leaving 300 people scrambling to find a way back to the US. Yes, United Airlines is definitely changing in my opinion!
So, as you see, reality has set in and life has quite quickly returned to the daily challenges we all face. The escape was heavenly and just may be one of the last because I no longer have the patience to deal with the trials of travel! Time will tell.
Now, hoping for a safe flight home and a healthy dog when I see him!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Paradise Found
As if being in Mykonos wasn't heaven enough, being at the Grand Hotel makes the visit even better. My first hotel was elegant but there was a cold formality there. This is a five star hotel also, but here they think of everything and the people are warm and friendly. There they asked what you would like and would probably do whatever you ask, here they just do anything you could want before you even think of it! My visit here has been too short! And I regret that I've not been well enough to enjoy it to the fullest.
The morning started with breakfast, a wonderful array of choices greeted me when I walked in. Walking 'in' may not be the correct term to use, restaurants at the hotels are actually in the open, maybe a wall or two, and a ceiling. So the breezes of Mykonos keep the temps quite pleasant! No fan needed here after all! Breakfast was delicious, more choices than the other hotel had and it just tasted better. At breakfast the manager, Theodore, who had been so wonderful to me yesterday, came and sat with me. He is a delightful young man. Very hard working and professional. I asked what his training was and he spent his post high school years in Oxford for a prep class to get him ready for the premier hotel management school in Europe, which is in Switzerland. I've heard of it before. After four years there he interned. In several places before returning to his home of Mykonos. In Europe the hotel field is taken much more seriously than in the US. I know from Cesar that you need a license to even work in reception in some places in Europe.
I asked my new friend the manager about one of the cabanas and he said they don't reserve them but he would make an exception for me and when I got to the pool area mine was waiting for me. He finally mentioned that he knew I'd been at his biggest competitors before here and I wonder how much that had to do with my special treatment! It doesn't matter to me why, I have enjoyed every minute of being spoiled! I spent the day, well several hours, in my cabana by the pool, shaded by the sun but with the breeze blowing. I read. And I contemplated the complexities of life. And I decided once was not enough for this experience! About every hour and a half pool people came around with an offering. I wasn't there for the ice cream bar, but they had frozen scented wash cloths to cool you off, that was delightful! Then they came around and served orange slices. Yes, this is a life anyone could get used to!
I finally pulled myself away and came in and after a shower I had a nice short nap. I decided to take the first shuttle into town at 7pm rather than watch the sunset from my balcony again. When they take you to town they have to leave you off at an entrance and it is quite a little walk. I rushed and thought I would find the windmills but they were farther away than I thought but I got some lovely pictures in town of the sunset after all. The windmills...next time! Can't wait to see the pictures I took tonight. Then I wandered and eventually found the fish house I'd heard about for dinner. You had to choose your own fish but at least they were already dead. I chose a small sea bass and asked for them to please not serve it with the head on it. That was no problem. The dinner was simple, served with boiled potatoes. The fish was so moist and delicious! It was grilled on an outside grill that reminded me of the fish I had had at Cesar's home on my first visit to Portugal. That meal was delicious too, and I remember how hard it was for me to look at the fish with heads on them at the time. Seems so long ago. At the end of this meal I was served a cinnamon liquer that was absolutely delicious! I swear if there weren't such a strict bagage weight limit I would be bringing bottles of these liquors home! And I would take up drinking! But I only had a small glass and was on my way.
When I was here on my first cruise I met a young lady who owned a shop. I saw her on my next visit too. I'd written her a letter that I was going to be here but when I went by the shop she wasn't there. I talked to the lady in the shop who was her mother and she said she would be in at 4 today. I misunderstood and thought she meant she'd be in after that but when I arrived she had left so I guess I will see her on my next trip. What I had taken to mean she would be in at 4 to work for the rest of the day, had actually meant she would be there until 4. It turned out a nice visit with her mother though. I had found out that I can't sell my cards here, the ones they have that are similar are much cheaper than I could ever make them for. Her mother asked me about the cards I'd written her daughter about and I showed her what I had. She LOVED the one of the street scene with the white and blue highlighted with bouganvillas and knew the person who lived there so I gave her the few I had of that scene and some of the others. She was so grateful and kind. She had already given me a Mykonos pen that was quite unusual so it was nice to have a gift to give her. She asked when I might be back and I said I didn't know and she said that whenever it was, they would have me over to visit for coffee. I thanked her and she said she could tell what a good heart I have. A very nice way to end my trip here. After that visit I took a couple more photos and then got a taxi back to the hotel.
Now a bit more about my hotel. When I got to my room yesterday there were some candies and a liquor made from gum which the lady said was good at night for digestion. I decided not to try that. When I got back last night my room had been made up and there were 2chocolates by the bed with a little card that said good night in English and Greek with a nice quote on it. Tonight I got another card with a different quote on it and a gift, salt and pepper shakers that are two people hugging, one blue and one white, very sweet. I realized the quote was by Socrates and will check the other one when I get home, it is already packed. I am sure it was from a Greek philosopher too, but I didn't have glasses on and didn't see it. The Greek people are definitely generous, giving people! What a wonderful experience this whole trip has been!
This hotel is built on a mountainside and has an interesting arrangement. The reception area is the first you enter. There are a few buildings and each has only three levels. So from reception you take the elevator down a couple levels and then follow an outdoor winding path to the next building where there is another elevator. That one goes down 3 floors and then you walk on another lovely path to the next building and do the same. Needless to say I've been lost...and found a couple of times! And to think I've been around the world alone...well a few places anyway. I think I finally have this place figured out now!
Tomorrow morning I will once again have the delicious breakfast and will then head to the airport to become Nitzi again and fly to London.
And that has been the tale of this journey...to paradise!
The morning started with breakfast, a wonderful array of choices greeted me when I walked in. Walking 'in' may not be the correct term to use, restaurants at the hotels are actually in the open, maybe a wall or two, and a ceiling. So the breezes of Mykonos keep the temps quite pleasant! No fan needed here after all! Breakfast was delicious, more choices than the other hotel had and it just tasted better. At breakfast the manager, Theodore, who had been so wonderful to me yesterday, came and sat with me. He is a delightful young man. Very hard working and professional. I asked what his training was and he spent his post high school years in Oxford for a prep class to get him ready for the premier hotel management school in Europe, which is in Switzerland. I've heard of it before. After four years there he interned. In several places before returning to his home of Mykonos. In Europe the hotel field is taken much more seriously than in the US. I know from Cesar that you need a license to even work in reception in some places in Europe.
I asked my new friend the manager about one of the cabanas and he said they don't reserve them but he would make an exception for me and when I got to the pool area mine was waiting for me. He finally mentioned that he knew I'd been at his biggest competitors before here and I wonder how much that had to do with my special treatment! It doesn't matter to me why, I have enjoyed every minute of being spoiled! I spent the day, well several hours, in my cabana by the pool, shaded by the sun but with the breeze blowing. I read. And I contemplated the complexities of life. And I decided once was not enough for this experience! About every hour and a half pool people came around with an offering. I wasn't there for the ice cream bar, but they had frozen scented wash cloths to cool you off, that was delightful! Then they came around and served orange slices. Yes, this is a life anyone could get used to!
I finally pulled myself away and came in and after a shower I had a nice short nap. I decided to take the first shuttle into town at 7pm rather than watch the sunset from my balcony again. When they take you to town they have to leave you off at an entrance and it is quite a little walk. I rushed and thought I would find the windmills but they were farther away than I thought but I got some lovely pictures in town of the sunset after all. The windmills...next time! Can't wait to see the pictures I took tonight. Then I wandered and eventually found the fish house I'd heard about for dinner. You had to choose your own fish but at least they were already dead. I chose a small sea bass and asked for them to please not serve it with the head on it. That was no problem. The dinner was simple, served with boiled potatoes. The fish was so moist and delicious! It was grilled on an outside grill that reminded me of the fish I had had at Cesar's home on my first visit to Portugal. That meal was delicious too, and I remember how hard it was for me to look at the fish with heads on them at the time. Seems so long ago. At the end of this meal I was served a cinnamon liquer that was absolutely delicious! I swear if there weren't such a strict bagage weight limit I would be bringing bottles of these liquors home! And I would take up drinking! But I only had a small glass and was on my way.
When I was here on my first cruise I met a young lady who owned a shop. I saw her on my next visit too. I'd written her a letter that I was going to be here but when I went by the shop she wasn't there. I talked to the lady in the shop who was her mother and she said she would be in at 4 today. I misunderstood and thought she meant she'd be in after that but when I arrived she had left so I guess I will see her on my next trip. What I had taken to mean she would be in at 4 to work for the rest of the day, had actually meant she would be there until 4. It turned out a nice visit with her mother though. I had found out that I can't sell my cards here, the ones they have that are similar are much cheaper than I could ever make them for. Her mother asked me about the cards I'd written her daughter about and I showed her what I had. She LOVED the one of the street scene with the white and blue highlighted with bouganvillas and knew the person who lived there so I gave her the few I had of that scene and some of the others. She was so grateful and kind. She had already given me a Mykonos pen that was quite unusual so it was nice to have a gift to give her. She asked when I might be back and I said I didn't know and she said that whenever it was, they would have me over to visit for coffee. I thanked her and she said she could tell what a good heart I have. A very nice way to end my trip here. After that visit I took a couple more photos and then got a taxi back to the hotel.
Now a bit more about my hotel. When I got to my room yesterday there were some candies and a liquor made from gum which the lady said was good at night for digestion. I decided not to try that. When I got back last night my room had been made up and there were 2chocolates by the bed with a little card that said good night in English and Greek with a nice quote on it. Tonight I got another card with a different quote on it and a gift, salt and pepper shakers that are two people hugging, one blue and one white, very sweet. I realized the quote was by Socrates and will check the other one when I get home, it is already packed. I am sure it was from a Greek philosopher too, but I didn't have glasses on and didn't see it. The Greek people are definitely generous, giving people! What a wonderful experience this whole trip has been!
This hotel is built on a mountainside and has an interesting arrangement. The reception area is the first you enter. There are a few buildings and each has only three levels. So from reception you take the elevator down a couple levels and then follow an outdoor winding path to the next building where there is another elevator. That one goes down 3 floors and then you walk on another lovely path to the next building and do the same. Needless to say I've been lost...and found a couple of times! And to think I've been around the world alone...well a few places anyway. I think I finally have this place figured out now!
Tomorrow morning I will once again have the delicious breakfast and will then head to the airport to become Nitzi again and fly to London.
And that has been the tale of this journey...to paradise!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Magical Mykonos
Mykonos is magical! The beauty and feel are amazing! Thank goodness I just woke up after sleeping an hour and then THREE hours! I've been so sick with a horrible cold and fever that I was only able to sleep less than 30 minutes at a time all last night. What a terrible way to spend my time in this paradise! I couldn't have thought of a more beautiful place to lie in bed though! I still am stuffy with a cough but it no longer keeps me awake.
Yesterday I moved hotels and left the elegant one behind. I'm still in a lovely one on another part of the island with service beyond compare! The nice part of this one is that there are no ships to mar the sunset view, and it was gorgeous, though not as colorful as the one in santorini. The couple I met on the way in to the other hotel invited me to join them at the pool at sunset and that was so kind of them. So there I was with honeymooners, which seem to be the majority of the visitors. The people are mostly young couples and gay couples and Asians and Germans. I hear a British accent from time to time. I appear to be one of the only solitary visitors here. I'm okay with that, better that than not being here at all.
My new hotel is further from town and they only offer shuttles in the evenings when people go out partying. They let you off outside the main area where only taxis are allowed. Mykonos Town is the center of activity. I am now 4 km from town and there is a beach. Unfortunately the beach is down a very steep drive and if I made it down I would never make it up! The pool is surrounded with the lovely beds I enjoyed so much at cesars hotel and it seems that most people don't venture to the beach at all. I walked around exploring and every employee of the hotel said hello and many asked if I just arrived today, they know all the visitors! One young man at the pool showed me the way to the beach and I said I would never make it up that steep walkway and he said no problem, he would drive me! Amazing service! So I got ready
and spent the most amazing hour at the beach, just enjoying the incredible blues and clearness of the water. I am sure that even though I was under the umbrella most of the time, that sea air helped heal me. At least the cough that has left me sore all over is almost gone, the fever gone and the stuffiness no longer preventing easy breathing. Maybe one more day of the ocean air will finish healing me, I hope so because I only have a day left! I do think this is a place that should be visited again and again!
I've had some amazing food and last night was the only disappointment. I was looking for a highly recommended restaurant and didn't find it so I settled for one that was filled with people. Not a good choice! I'm sure there were better choices on the menu but the saga Ali, fried cheese was quite bland and that I could compare to others. The one I had in Santorini was much better than even the one I had here 2 nights ago. I followed that with lobster pasta and it was so disappointing. And this was the most expensive place and they didn't even give you a gift of wine at the end. I'm used to receiving that little token of thanks at the end of the meal. The night before I had an incredible meal! It started with bread and a dip of olives, yogurt, feta cheese and cinnamon. They do charge for the bread here but as one restaurant told me, they charge a fee to eat there and the bread is free. That meal I ordered shrimp saganaki and it was shrimp sautéed with tomatoes olives, feta cheese and other fresh ingredients in ouzo. Absolutely delicious! I could have done with it not being served with the large shrimp heads in it though! I tried to make sure they all had both eyes when I pulled them out. When that meal was over they served me rose geranium wine made in house that was also delicious! Yes, I think I would become a drinker if I were here for long!
I am looking forward to my last day here and hope that I continue to heal and relax. I'm quite sure isn't a more beautiful place in the world the world to be!
Yesterday I moved hotels and left the elegant one behind. I'm still in a lovely one on another part of the island with service beyond compare! The nice part of this one is that there are no ships to mar the sunset view, and it was gorgeous, though not as colorful as the one in santorini. The couple I met on the way in to the other hotel invited me to join them at the pool at sunset and that was so kind of them. So there I was with honeymooners, which seem to be the majority of the visitors. The people are mostly young couples and gay couples and Asians and Germans. I hear a British accent from time to time. I appear to be one of the only solitary visitors here. I'm okay with that, better that than not being here at all.
My new hotel is further from town and they only offer shuttles in the evenings when people go out partying. They let you off outside the main area where only taxis are allowed. Mykonos Town is the center of activity. I am now 4 km from town and there is a beach. Unfortunately the beach is down a very steep drive and if I made it down I would never make it up! The pool is surrounded with the lovely beds I enjoyed so much at cesars hotel and it seems that most people don't venture to the beach at all. I walked around exploring and every employee of the hotel said hello and many asked if I just arrived today, they know all the visitors! One young man at the pool showed me the way to the beach and I said I would never make it up that steep walkway and he said no problem, he would drive me! Amazing service! So I got ready
and spent the most amazing hour at the beach, just enjoying the incredible blues and clearness of the water. I am sure that even though I was under the umbrella most of the time, that sea air helped heal me. At least the cough that has left me sore all over is almost gone, the fever gone and the stuffiness no longer preventing easy breathing. Maybe one more day of the ocean air will finish healing me, I hope so because I only have a day left! I do think this is a place that should be visited again and again!
I've had some amazing food and last night was the only disappointment. I was looking for a highly recommended restaurant and didn't find it so I settled for one that was filled with people. Not a good choice! I'm sure there were better choices on the menu but the saga Ali, fried cheese was quite bland and that I could compare to others. The one I had in Santorini was much better than even the one I had here 2 nights ago. I followed that with lobster pasta and it was so disappointing. And this was the most expensive place and they didn't even give you a gift of wine at the end. I'm used to receiving that little token of thanks at the end of the meal. The night before I had an incredible meal! It started with bread and a dip of olives, yogurt, feta cheese and cinnamon. They do charge for the bread here but as one restaurant told me, they charge a fee to eat there and the bread is free. That meal I ordered shrimp saganaki and it was shrimp sautéed with tomatoes olives, feta cheese and other fresh ingredients in ouzo. Absolutely delicious! I could have done with it not being served with the large shrimp heads in it though! I tried to make sure they all had both eyes when I pulled them out. When that meal was over they served me rose geranium wine made in house that was also delicious! Yes, I think I would become a drinker if I were here for long!
I am looking forward to my last day here and hope that I continue to heal and relax. I'm quite sure isn't a more beautiful place in the world the world to be!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Finally, Mykonos!
My stay in santorini was short, but I made the most of it. It is truly an amazingly gorgeous place and I only saw a small part of the island, but that area was considered the most beautiful part, great choice of a place to stay. My hotel, which was a series of apartments and 'cave' homes was at the very end of the island. As the ferry left the island I was able to see the windmill outside my door which was nice.
The morning went by quickly and people started chatting on the veranda for breakfast and a nice conversation was going and I was sorry to have to leave for the ferry. There is definitely an advantage to being somewhere a long enough time to meet people. one Greek man said he has spent every summer for 25 years in the same little hotel room! He is a guard for important visitors and listed the people he has taken care of, from presidents to movie stars to musicians. He was a large bald man, looked like a good person to have protect you!
The same young man came to get my luggage and walk me down the road to get the taxi to the port. It was much nicer going downhill! He waited with me until the taxi came and then I was on my way. What a lovely 1/2 hour ride it was to the port. I remembered my bonine on the way and took it, knowing that after my horrible seasickness last year in Portugal I was not going back on the sea without trying it. Fabulous drug, that is! The ferry was late, which I guess is not unusual, and someone helped me get my luggage on. Thank goodness I'd been advised by an expert which ferry line to book, because the other one cancelled and when the people booked on it realized that, there was some craziness as they had to change their bookings to mine ferry. Good research Mitzi! I paid 3 euros more for a business class seat which was at the top and had a little table. A young lady sat down beside me, there were assigned seats and she was separated from her boyfriend but when we got going things changed around and she was able to join him. We had a short conversation and she is an actor, in tv and movies and was very sweet and said she and her boyfriend had never traveled like that with a mass of people. Wish I knew her name. She originally is from Sweden and grew up in Oman because of her parents work there. Poor thing, she got so seasick and I could remember how that felt like it was yesterday. We both agreed it was our last ferry ride here! It was horrible! We bounced and rocked from side to side and once hit so hard on the side that the windows were drenched! It was treacherous and I decided that bonine is my new best travel on water friend! I was fine and even got up and had a feta cheese pie to eat, it is feta cheese between many layers of phyllo (?) dough. Delicious! After a 2 1/2 hour ride we finally arrived in Mykonos.
The wind was, and still is, blowing something fierce and getting off the ferry was a challenge. One of the camera men from the luxury living show who I met the day before helped me with my luggage. That was so kind, they had so much of their own stuff to get off. The hotel shuttle was waiting for me and there was another couple too, and we were on our way. My room is so lovely and after being given a glass of good champagne with a blackberry in it, no bitter bite that the cheap stuff has, We were led to our rooms. Absolutely beautiful! White from floor to ceiling with a touch of blue. And the pool on my balcony was the first thing I tried. Cold, but so nice! After a short nap I watched the sunset from the balcony and then went to town and had a wonderful dinner. At the end of the meal I was served a plate of fruits drizzled with a brown sugar syrup, light and delicious and with the bill came a small glass of Mykonos dessert wine. A couple next to me told me it was a honey wine, yes with things this delicious I could learn to drink! I wandered around the town and it is as beautiful and charming as I remember! I came back and went right to sleep and now here I am, once again, wide awake in the middle of the night! The wind is still howling outside so I'm not sure there will be a break from it while I am here which would be too bad, but nothing to do about it. I woke up stuffy with a drippy nose so I'm afraid I'm going to be sick, not a good feeling with days left to enjoy my vacation. But I will make the best of it and enjoy!
The morning went by quickly and people started chatting on the veranda for breakfast and a nice conversation was going and I was sorry to have to leave for the ferry. There is definitely an advantage to being somewhere a long enough time to meet people. one Greek man said he has spent every summer for 25 years in the same little hotel room! He is a guard for important visitors and listed the people he has taken care of, from presidents to movie stars to musicians. He was a large bald man, looked like a good person to have protect you!
The same young man came to get my luggage and walk me down the road to get the taxi to the port. It was much nicer going downhill! He waited with me until the taxi came and then I was on my way. What a lovely 1/2 hour ride it was to the port. I remembered my bonine on the way and took it, knowing that after my horrible seasickness last year in Portugal I was not going back on the sea without trying it. Fabulous drug, that is! The ferry was late, which I guess is not unusual, and someone helped me get my luggage on. Thank goodness I'd been advised by an expert which ferry line to book, because the other one cancelled and when the people booked on it realized that, there was some craziness as they had to change their bookings to mine ferry. Good research Mitzi! I paid 3 euros more for a business class seat which was at the top and had a little table. A young lady sat down beside me, there were assigned seats and she was separated from her boyfriend but when we got going things changed around and she was able to join him. We had a short conversation and she is an actor, in tv and movies and was very sweet and said she and her boyfriend had never traveled like that with a mass of people. Wish I knew her name. She originally is from Sweden and grew up in Oman because of her parents work there. Poor thing, she got so seasick and I could remember how that felt like it was yesterday. We both agreed it was our last ferry ride here! It was horrible! We bounced and rocked from side to side and once hit so hard on the side that the windows were drenched! It was treacherous and I decided that bonine is my new best travel on water friend! I was fine and even got up and had a feta cheese pie to eat, it is feta cheese between many layers of phyllo (?) dough. Delicious! After a 2 1/2 hour ride we finally arrived in Mykonos.
The wind was, and still is, blowing something fierce and getting off the ferry was a challenge. One of the camera men from the luxury living show who I met the day before helped me with my luggage. That was so kind, they had so much of their own stuff to get off. The hotel shuttle was waiting for me and there was another couple too, and we were on our way. My room is so lovely and after being given a glass of good champagne with a blackberry in it, no bitter bite that the cheap stuff has, We were led to our rooms. Absolutely beautiful! White from floor to ceiling with a touch of blue. And the pool on my balcony was the first thing I tried. Cold, but so nice! After a short nap I watched the sunset from the balcony and then went to town and had a wonderful dinner. At the end of the meal I was served a plate of fruits drizzled with a brown sugar syrup, light and delicious and with the bill came a small glass of Mykonos dessert wine. A couple next to me told me it was a honey wine, yes with things this delicious I could learn to drink! I wandered around the town and it is as beautiful and charming as I remember! I came back and went right to sleep and now here I am, once again, wide awake in the middle of the night! The wind is still howling outside so I'm not sure there will be a break from it while I am here which would be too bad, but nothing to do about it. I woke up stuffy with a drippy nose so I'm afraid I'm going to be sick, not a good feeling with days left to enjoy my vacation. But I will make the best of it and enjoy!
Monday, September 26, 2011
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