French Alps Adventure

Well my research that led me to Chamonix led to excellent results.  As I've said many times, my luck in traveling is the best.  So when I was told it might be too cloudy to see the mountains I told each person that it would be beautiful sunny weather...and indeed it was.

 Arriving late afternoon I was exhausted but my desire to explore had me checking into the hotel and heading out immediately, camera in hand.

The train trip, 3 hours, seemed to pass quickly, it was foggy part of the way so I didn't see all the mountains on the way there.  I arrived at Geneve central station (as it is spelled locally), and easily found the train I was connecting to, taking me to the airport where I would get my transfer to Chamonix, a 90 minute drive.  

I sat in the front of the shuttle van, to avoid motion sickness and had a very nice chat with the driver, a Romanian who left a career in banking in romania to live in this beautiful resort town and snowboard every chance he gets.  The town reminded me of our mountain towns.  This man was very interesting to chat with, he told me some about Romania, and even more about energy work and crystals. I do love these chance meetings along my way.

I was a bit worried about the hotel, it was a Mercure, and I'd had a horrible experience at the Mercure in Paris.  I told the reception lady that when I checked in and she very kindly upgraded my room, and it was lovely!  And what a view!  And newly remodeled, perfect.  Worlds above the very terrible hotel in Paris.

I dropped off my luggage and headed out and wandered...and wandered.  I walked much further than I'd planned and eventually found the restaurant that my driver had recommended.  It was dark out by then, and I just trusted someone there could direct me back to my hotel.  It was warm and inviting and a wonderful place to relax after another long day.  

I was disappointed to find out that I couldn't have the fondue, that is only for two people.  The owner assured me that the specialty they offered, bread covered with a wine cheese sauce was even better.  Grudgingly I ordered that and it was divine!  Very filling and extremely unhealthy, but so French, or Alp-sy or something...Fitting for the cold rainy night.  I asked directions to my hotel, which was much closer than I'd thought, packed up my camera well, and headed out for the wet walk back.  Exhausted, and thrilled to be in a nice quiet room, I fell asleep quite early.  I still wasn't on the right time.  I woke up most of the night and didn't mind looking out as the rain turned to snow, coating everything in glistening white.

The room was so hot I finally opened up my balcony door, and from my bed I could watch the snow fall all night.  Finally I fell asleep quite well in the cold and knew that I would wake up to a winter wonderland, and indeed I did!

The sky was blue, the magnificent mountains white.  All of that with snow covered trees, made for views of the French alps I had expected.  The mountains around that valley are massive, and I continue to hold the opinion that the Alps are the most beautiful place I've seen in the world!  

A full day there, time to get started.  I headed out to walk to the Aguille d'Midi cable car, very famous and spectacular.  The new man at the hotel gave me directions and said it was a 7 minute walk...well after 30 minutes, uphill, on a main mountain road where construction was forcing me to actually walk in the road, I turned around.  I got to a realtor business and kindly asked them to call a taxi.  The cost was exorbitant, but that was the only choice at that point.  I arrived at the cable car and the line wasn't too long.  There were two choices, to go to the first stop, or all the way to the top which I estimated at close to 12,000 feet.  I decided that the first stop would be enough for me, and I don't regret that decision at all.  It was magnificent from where I stopped, my photos are breathtaking!  Apparently Chamonix is known for extreme sports and I would say, for me, that cable car ride was indeed an extreme sport!  Brave me wandered and then talked to a girl there alone.  She was from Australia and was going to paraglide down, a 20-40 minute experience depending on weather.  Extreme indeed...perhaps on my next trip!  :-)

I walked back to the hotel, asked directions and got a much better route and enjoyed the leisurely stroll through town to my hotel.  The town was bustling, even though it is between seasons, summer is over, ski season has not yet begun.  I had also researched other places to see in the alps.  The train to switzerland is closed for repairs, so I decided to venture out of town...felt brave again, and took the train to Argentierre and then a bus to Vannocine.  Perhaps my spelling is not correct, but both villages were quiet, nothing to do and little to see.  By this time, in the late afternoon, it was dark and cloudy, and I was a bit nervous in the bus on the icy mountain roads.  I got off in the second town with a 40 minute wait until the return bus.  I'd imagined wandering and photographing.  Well, the station where is been dropped off was far from anything and I took a few photos and then sat on a wet bench for most of the time waiting for the return bus.  Not a great plan, but I had seen more of the French alps.  And i was not alone, a darling little cat was following me and meowing.  I'd petted him a couple of times and decided not to go on the main road because he might get hit by a car.  So I sat on the bench, he hopped up and snuggled into my lap purring.  And there I was, in a very deserted location in the French Alps, cold and dark outside,  with a kitty snuggled up on my lap.  I guess there are worse ways to spend a half hour!  

Shortly before the bus was due to arrive some young men came up, with one of those beautiful white golden retrievers I want to take home someday.  The cat left...and the journey to return to chamonix began shortly.  The morning had been the highlight, but the afternoon was at least a different experience.  I chatted with a nice young man whose father as a ski instructor in another town, he said he had had enough skiing for the rest of his life, give him beaches and swimming and sailing!  Lovely young man, on his way to Chamonix to party with friend's, he told me like 'Saturday Night Fever'.  Cute.

I returned hungry so walked around town and decided on a place at had been packed at lunch.  I had a tarfeletta, well probably the spelling isn't right, another cheesy casserole dish, this one with potatoes and bacon.  The bacon here is not like our bacon, it is more similar to what is known as Canadian bacon to us.  Absolutely delicious.

(a note...I am writing this on the train from Paris to Amsterdam and we just stopped in the middle of nowhere...apparently a train ahead of us broke down so we will be sitting here at least an hour waiting...not how I would like to spend the time, but how glad I am that my flight isn't leaving until tomorrow morning, I try not to plan close deadlines, this is the perfect example of why not!  We are almost to Brussels, oh I was wishing I'd had time to plan a quick visit to Bruges. Then we go to Rotterdam and finally Amsterdam.  I'd hoped to shop for cheese there but now the store I hoped to visit will be closed.  Oh well, next visit.  It is so interesting here, when announcements are made, English is the third language announcements are given in, so everyone was gasping before I knew what had happened.  I guess this could be worse, at least we are not on the broken train and not out in the cold dark weather.  And so we wait...)

Back to Chamonix...I slept for a few hours and then spent another night waking up often and not sleeping much.  At least I was able to watch the snow fall thanks to the light outside my balcony.  The weather was so nice when I was there, just as I'd predicted, sunny and beautiful in the day, new snow falling at night to wake up to.  

The next morning I was picked up by the transfer service for my ride back to Geneva.  I planned a lot of time, so arrived with over two hours before my train left.  The shuttle dropped me at the airport, time to get another of the delicious Swiss chocolate tarts I'd had on the way there.  The airport is in France and switzerland, an interesting thing.  Then I got the train to the city center.

 I had time to see a few sights, so thought about putting my luggage in storage but then had another idea.  I went outside and got a taxi.  The driver only spoke French and swiss, but successfully I managed to ask how much it would cost for a 30 minute tour of lake Geneva and the old town.  

I actually have fun with the challenge of communicating in other languages.  How to say 30 minutes?  Well I took French about 50 years ago so I remember how to count to ten, sort of...so I 'parle-d' what I thought was 10...10 et 10 et 10 and pointed to my watch and said minutes, got it...Trente minutes...now lac lemon (geneva) easy, I'd read that name and now old town, a bit harder...I showed my hand low and said young then to me and said old, he laughed and got it...40 euros and he put my luggage in his very nice car and we were off on the short tour...so glad I did it, it is a city, but with some nice buildings, old and charming.  40 minutes went quickly, chatting and laughing, and soon I was back at the station, ready to head to Paris on the 3 hour train ride.  Time for a stop at the toilette...a dollar to go in!  Then all was well as I walked to the platform the train was leaving from...until I got there and there were signs and arrows because of construction, signs that led out of the station, around the block, into another entrance, down long corridors and finally to the train just in time!  Always, always, head to trains quite early, surprises may be there that can't be anticipated!  

(my train is now moving, backward to Lille, where we will take a different route, still expected to be an hour late to our destinations...problem solved.)

The ride to paris...Cows, cows and more cows...sheep and even two donkeys...Meadows, rolling hills, mountains, rocks and dense trees, small country homes and stately homes, old and new...all of this makes up the countryside scenery on my journey from Paris to Geneve and back.  The pleasure of train travel in Europe, at least on this clear day.  Paris bound...

(current train stopped again...rain on the windows, no announcement as to what is happening now...uh oh, everything shut off...can't be a good thing...10 minutes passed and we are reversing directions again!  Now headed back to Brussels, to arrive an hour and 15 minutes late, fingers crossed the rest of the trip proceeds without delay!...wait...we are stopped again, perhaps I'm correct in assuming we don't know what is going on!...moving now, but to be honest I'm so confused, I'm not sure which direction we are headed, but no announcement so I will assume still towards Brussels...). More to follow...

Paris AGAIN?...Mais Oui!

Paris AGAIN...Mais Oui!

Sitting on the TGV at Gare de Lyon, I have to wonder what new adventures await me at the other side of this journey.  A short trip, but as always I am making the best of the opportunity.   

Using miles to upgrade my seats gets harder and harder to do.  Less and less opportunities are available each time I try to use the miles.  This time, giving a 6 week window for travel, the only flights I could get was a flight into Paris, and home from Amsterdam 5 days later.  Many people would have passed up the opportunity because of the short stay, but I knew it was worth getting here, whatever the limitations.   And here I am...or was, I guess I should say.  

The train is now moving and I am heading to a new 'big adventure'.  I was content to spend four days in Paris and then take the train to Amsterdam.  I reserved a night at the hotel in Giverny and was looking forward to more time at the beautiful gardens there.  I've seen them in spring and summer and now I would have the opportunity to see them in fall.  And I was looking forward to seeing my friend the French artist there and to giving him a print of the photo of him painting that I took last visit.  That photo won me first place in the competition at my photo club, subject- happiness.  

However, as I am apt to do, I changed my plans.  I had the framework to plan within, but that was my only limitation.  And so I decided to add a new destination to this trip.  As much as I love paris, I love new experiences, so the research began.  How many times I've planned something and then wondered what in the world I was thinking as the trip came closer.  This is no exception.

Browsing through possible train travel ideas, I discovered a town in the French alps, Chamonix.  At first it seemed impossible to reach in a limited time, but as things do when they were meant to be, it worked out perfectly and at this moment I am on a fast train to Geneva, only 3 hours to enter a whole new world.  After a short time to enjoy Switzerland, I have a shuttle ride scheduled to take me back into France, for a couple of days in the French Alps, in the village of Chamonix, where the Olympics were held long ago.  

I was in Switzerland years ago with Cesar, it was the best birthday I've ever celebrated.  A walk in the Alps, Swiss fondue, two birthday cakes in two countries on my actual birthday, and presents...yes a birthday I'll never forget. And the beauty, the magnificent beauty of the Alps.  So how could I not take advantage of seeing the Alps once again, another part, in another country.  Beauty awaits!

But did this change of plans mean I had to forego seeing the beauty of fall in Giverny?  It seemed so.  A disappointment, but you can't do everything...or can you?  Continuing creative planning, I figured out a way to fit in a trip to the gardens.  Now they aren't easy to get to, but a plan took shape which seemed possible...

On my arrival into CDG airport, I went through customs, took a shuttle to the other terminal where the RER train left from.  With some help from a nice man from New Zealand, I met on the shuttle, I was able to get to the ticket office where I purchased my ticket into Paris.  When I arrived at Gare du Nord, we parted ways, and I crossed the street to my hotel.  It was too early to check in so I grabbed some things from my suitcase...my camera, the matted print of the artist and my day bag, and rushed out to be on my way to Giverny.   Monets fall garden awaited, and although I'd had only an hour's sleep on the journey across the ocean, nothing was going to stop me from my visit.  It was the only time I could fit it in, so sleep or no sleep, I'd squeeze in a trip to Giverny so another thing would be ticked off my list, fall at the gardens.  I found the train to Gare St. Lazarre, got there, walked the two blocks to the other train station, purchased a ticket for the train to Vernon and was ready to go, by 9:45...the plan worked and I made it!

The train was late, but when it arrived the busses were waiting to take all the people the rest of the way to Giverny.  A few more minutes and we were riding up the familiar road to the parking lot.  I recalled my first trip there, just over 6 years ago, what anticipation I had experienced. I could barely contain myself that first time I anticipated the arrival to the gardens.  Now it was a comfortable feeling, I knew what to expect, no less exciting, just different.

As I walked to the gardens, I realized that I had never doubted I would see Chris, the artist, but perhaps I wouldn't.  And I was carting around the 11 x 14 print still.  The weather was cool, a pleasant happening for me, but sprinkling.  What if it rained?  I hadn't thought of that possibility, and then I realized it wouldn't rain, those things don't happen on my trips...and other than a few sprinkles a couple of times, I was right.  

Walking up the road, i saw there was an easel and some paintings where Chris painted, but no Chris.  As I got closer he walked out, he'd taken cover in the rain, but it had stopped.  He saw me and smiled, I'm not sure he really placed where he knew me from at first but I reminded him of our time in the gardens in springtime and then I handed him the large padded envelope that contained his picture.  He loved it!  He was so touched and thrilled.  How happy I was that I had gone to the trouble to prepare it and drag it halfway around the world!  I could tell it is something he will always treasure.  We chatted and got caught up on the last few months...he had had a show there.  Then the amazing thing came up, it was his last afternoon there!  He was leaving to go to Grenoble for a show and to visit his mother for a couple of weeks, one more day, even an hour later, and I would have missed seeing him!  Isn't it strange when things work out that way, that well?  He said he would wait for me after seeing the gardens before he left, so I headed in.  I'd given him some of my cards of the gardens to give the gardener.  

The gardens were beautiful...flowers taller than me!  Rich colors and looking up to see them, against a blue sky (the rain had gone away), I was struck by the wonders in the world, the synchronicity of life.  How had everything come together just perfectly for this day?  Yes, I'd worked and planned for it, but so much more than me made it happen!  The gardens were lovely, but not like spring, which remains my favorite time to visit.  I strolled for about an hour, it was enough really.  There were few people so it wasn't packed, making it a pleasant visit.  

On my way out I saw the lady who is the caretaker of the home. She had been quite harsh with me because apparently I'd had the wrong ticket when I was in the gardens in the spring.  I had brought a card I'd made with what I thought was a love,y picture I took of apple blossoms in front of her part of the house, and as I was leaving, there she was by the exit.  She doesn't speak English, but I said excuse me and handed her the card and said it was for her.  She was aghast and kept questioning the gift..."pour moi"?  Oui, I replied, pour toi.  In very broken English she pointed to the windows of the part of the house she lives in and said she lives there.  I added with her cat.  She was obviously touched with the gift, many merci's and I think a smile at one point.  I left feeling happy that I'd seen her, she was obviously touched by the gift.  I smiled...

After a short goodbye to my artist friend I wandered back to the bus that would be the start of my journey back to Paris and finally to sleep.  Mission accomplished, I'd see the gardens in fall and delivered gifts from across the ocean.

Passions

Passions

Everyone needs a passion.  Life without one just isn't full.  Many people's passion is their children.  How lucky for those children.  Sometimes it will be family or work.  Mine was teaching, what a wonderful way to touch lives and the future.  I don't understand the passion for professional sports, but I don't need to, our passions are personal, as I feel our spiritual beliefs are.  And so my passion for travel is not up for judgement.  It is who I have become.  An  adventurer I never knew existed has introduced herself to me.  I like her.  She makes my life interesting.

If you are reading my blog you probably know me.  Perhaps not.  I was raised with an excessive amount of fear, my mother's way to keep us safe.  It worked. 

My fears no longer control me, but as I have said before, they continue as my constant companion.  It's okay, familiar...and comfortable.  As long as I don't give into them, it's okay they remain.

Life has been busy with a lot of stress...and as my busy time winded down, the anger over grand attempts to take advantage of me has slipped away and sadness and loneliness has crept in.  I was going day to day, nothing to look forward to, a loneliness that was overwhelming.  

When teaching, my life had purpose.  Now, feeling like a has-been, that satisfaction and fulfillment is history...or is it?  I decided to reach out and explore an organization I heard of that provides after school activities for homeless children.   Perfect!

I'd found a place I think I fit, and have an opportunity to touch lives once again.  In the midst of doing some shopping for them I was approached by a lovely Croatian lady and given the opportunity to tutor her daughter in math...a wonderful opportunity that came as a result of taking that first step back into the world of education.

Passions...sometimes they change, sometime they don't...travel has become my 'other' passion, one which I pursue with creative devotion.  I want to see it all, well at least all that I enjoy.  And I have not been disappointed, much.  

The world, fascinating people and delicious foods await.  And once again I've embarked on my pursuit of passion, leaving Colorado behind...

Skipping Ahead...

Life has been busy, as life sometimes is...

And although I hope to go back and fill in the details of my wonderful trip, for now I'm skipping ahead to present time...

Since my last blog entry...

I've had an incredible trip behind the scenes at a zoo in Minnesota, it would be hard to imagine my thrill at having a sea lion perform to my 'commands', feed a giraffe-one who sucked my hand into his mouth with the lettuce I was feeding him AND watching polar bear enrichment activites as they follow the same behaviors dogs too...fabulous experience!

And then there was new York, and my birthday trip up to Woodstock to see my cousin in 'Fiddler on the Roof'.  And another trip to see another cousin in a play in Dallas along with a visit with aunts and uncles and cousins.  And now...

European Adventure - Day 3

European adventure - day 3

Jet lag still effecting my sleep, was up most of the night, partly the jet lag and partly the excitement of seeing the tulips once again.  Was up early and went to the breakfast, very disappointing, but it did come with the room, so my expectations weren't high, good thing.  Some meats and cheeses and breads.  After breakfast I was able to take a nap before heading to the gardens.  The taxi arrived on time and I was at the gardens before the gates opened.  

I'd been spending a lot of time with several different people learning more about my camera, I wanted the best photos possible this trip, and it was time to learn more.  Couldn't wait to use my new knowledge!  I walked into the gardens and my heart just dropped.  The flower beds that had been so colorful the year before, we're still green, no tulips.  I talked to a lady in the cheese shop and she guaranteed that there were some tulips blooming further into the gardens.  The hyacinths were lovely, and filled the air with their delightful scents, but they aren't tulips.  There were more types of daffodils than I ever could have imagined, but the weren't tulips. Further into the gardens there were many tulip buds and some were open, but not many.  I wandered, sadly, photographing what I could, and being thankful that I'd seen the gardens the year before in full bloom.  It was an overcast day, and cold and windy.  I went to the windmill and it was a barren scene in the cold, last year there were crowds of people milling about everywhere, and that is where I met the two young, kind people.  There were people waiting for the whisper boats to take them on the canals through the tulip fields.  This year, just a handful of people about.

Luckily for most people I talked to, it was their first visit and they found it lovely, they had nothing to compare it to.  And it was lovely, just not with tulips. My friend, Jenny, went a week later and the hyacinths were gone, replaced by blooming tulips.  I'm glad she saw it in all its splendor, many arriving that late in the season, don't.

After wandering for a couple of hours, perhaps a bit longer, and taking a couple thousand photos, I headed back to the hotel.  Last year I took a nap and went back to the gardens, this year I'd seen all there was to see and decided not to return for the afternoon.  

Last year I'd read about the Pilgrim Museum in Leiden and my Scottish friend Jon had told me about the very nice antiquities museum too.  So I got directions and off I headed on the local bus.  Three days and three buses so far.  What an adventure, me and the Dutch people headed to Leiden.  I arrived at the main bus station and no one knew of the museum or even the address where it was located.  Finally two people told me where to take the bus that was close to that address.  The Portuguese lady was a visiting professor there and the most helpful.  Seems like I find kind Portuguese people everywhere.  I got off the bus and started my wandering and asking directions.  Leiden is a lovely little town, charming canals and  cafes.  Finally I walked into a bakery and asked where the museum was, I knew I was close.  A young lady in the bakery said she had just seen it a few days before and could take me there.  So we headed out and less than a block away she stopped in front of an old door, and said that was it.  I wasn't too sure about it and then the door opened and a young lady, perhaps college age, said that she heard us talking and I was at the right place, it was indeed the pilgrim museum.  Hmmm...so in I went.  I entered a small dark room,and after taking the admission donation, she told me the 'curator' would be back shortly, he was doing a tour of the house next door.  Then she proceeded to tell me that no pilgrim had ever been there!  I was expecting to go back to school with stories of where the pilgrims met in Leiden, but no.  She said that the large portrait over the mantle was one pilgrim who might, at sometime, perhaps have walked past the place we were.  Hmmm...

The room was small and had period pieces in it.  Things that were part of pilgrim life.  A tiny closet door opened to a bathroom, a toilet, similar to an outhouse indoors.  Soon the curator returned and was told I was a school teacher so he said he would show me which books were correct and which weren't.  He pulled out a couple of books by scholastic and said they were accurate.  He showed a couple of older national geographic books and explained why they were inaccurate.  And then he sat down and just looked at me.  I was waiting for a tour of the building next door, or something, but finally I realized I was done.  Strange feeling.  So as we sat and just looked at each other I said maybe I would head to the antiquities museum and he kindly offered to show me the way and took me to the corner and pointed the directions.  

So off I went, not terribly impressed with the pilgrim museum, but decided I was glad I finally found it, and at least I'd been in one of the oldest 'houses' in Leiden.  I walked quite a ways and asked directions along the way, so many helpful people there.  I arrived at the museum 10 minutes before closing and wasn't allowed in, but at least I saw what was in the lobby and browsed the gift store.  

I was leaving and asked directions to the closest bus stop and one of the young men working there said I should just walk to the main bus station, it was a lovely walk.  After some thought I decided the weather was nice, there was plenty of daylight left, so why not?  I felt so brave and like such a good traveler, and off I went.  Wandering on streets so far from home, so far from anything familiar, is truly exciting for me.  I savor the 'safe' risk, and take it all in as I wander.  After passing several restaurants advertising pancakes, I finally decided to choose one for a different pancake experience.  As I was reading a menu a hostess asked if she could help me, I said I was just seeing if there were any pancakes I would like,  she seemed quite put out with me as she replied that they had over 100 kinds so surely I could find one I liked.  Actually the problem wasn't finding one I liked, it was trying to decide which I wants out of all of the choices.  I sat down and had a delicious one, similar to the one the night before.  Loved watching the local people around me enjoying their pannenkoek, I felt much more the traveler than the tourist.  After enjoying dinner I continued on my journey through Leiden to the main bus station and after a short wait, I was headed back to Lisse.  

I was glad that was my last night to spend in that hotel.  I had dinner there, it came with the room and even though the reviews were not good for the restaurant, my dinner was delicious.  I went quite late since I'd had my pancake 'appetizer' and my hours were still a mess from the jet lag.  I made very sure that the front desk knew I needed a wake up call the next morning...wasn't too confident about it, but my alarm clock was broken, so I had to depend on them.

I had a taxi driver, the very nice man from a nearby town who I'd had last year, coming to pick me up at 8:30 the next morning to drive me into Amsterdam to catch the train to Brussels and on to Bruges.  I was going quite early, decided I'd feel better being near the station and I could put my luggage in a locker and wander there for an hour or two.  This was a splurge, but I knew I would be in good hands and looked forward to seeing him again.  And since my ticket was on a high speed train, I'd had to make a reservation for a reserved train and time, so I didn't want to miss it.  

And so I settled down for a nice nap, I didn't sleep long that night and spent hours awake reading.  I went to breakfast at 6:30 AM, and then made sure everything was packed and went back to sleep, AFTER calling the reception desk to be sure they had my wake up call for 8 AM scheduled.  No problem I was told...

Looking Back - Day Two

Home...Looking Back

I finished the former entry at home, time passes so quickly that it got away from me.  But I have to share the trip details, so I will keep writing...And perhaps you will keep reading...

So, after an afternoon and night in London, it was time to head to Amsterdam.  It was actually easier and cheaper to fly there than it would have been to take the Eurostar, so I was booked on a British airways flight.  It was the first time I've left from the new BA terminal at heathrow.  Beautiful terminal.  There were several choices for lunch, I didn't choose the restaurant that belongs to a famous Scottish chef, but the one I choose did have delicious fish and chips, so good choice to enjoy that before leaving england.  I would not be returning, my flight home was from Brussels, using miles to upgrade results in creative planning.  

Before having lunch I saw a very unusual sight, a young man had his hair and body died to look like a leopard!  Truly!  Hair bleached and body a light tan color and black spots all over...from his face and hair, down his arms.  It was so peculiar, I just had to talk to him.  I decided it wouldn't be polite to ask about the unusual look, so I discussed the restaurant menu with him instead, he seemed like a nice young man/leopard.  Ahh, travel and the experiences it brings into our worlds!

After enjoying my fish and chips I headed to the plane.  I ended up sitting to a fascinating man.  Unfortunately the flight is short, just over an hour I believe it was.  Well, the Dutch man and I started talking and he was delightful, and I have to admit it, very nice eye candy too.  He was returning to holland from Venezuela where he had been for two months with his girlfriend.  What a story he had.  I told him that Colorado was following holland since we had legalized marijuana.  What a conversation that was.  He told me there were so many problems with that and I shared that I was not at all for that even though I do consider myself a rather liberal person.  He said that for many years it wasn't politically correct to discuss the down side of the legalized pot industry but now people are coming out with the negatives and the country is having to face and deal with the problems.  Very interesting, and not so encouraging as to the direction we are headed.  

Then we got to the subject of travel and he explained that he had gone to school until he was 25 getting advanced degrees.  He said his brothers started working younger and made fun of him for being in school for so long.  He had a job making big deals for very big companies and at 37 he retired with enough money to live the rest of his life leisurely, traveling when he so desires.  Now that is a man I wish I could have talked to much longer.  I was flattered when he said he wished I'd been next to him on the flight over the ocean because I was so interesting to talk to.  Quite the conversation and I do wish we would have had longer and I'd have gotten his contact info, I think my future would be different with more advice from him, but that was not to be.  I did use a bit of his technique with my job when i got back and the two new schools were actively agreeing to pay me anything to accomplish what i offered, but the restrictions and visions and greediness of schools and the people who run them, put a stop to my success.  I didnt find out enough to be able to get past the reality of schools.  

This gentleman explained that he is a voracious reader and when he travels he ships books ahead.  He likes the hard copies, not the electronic books.  He said if he is reading an interesting book, he will very often fly to wherever it takes place to experience the setting in person!  Oh my!  Such interesting people in the world!  And travel is the way to meet many!  Later I wondered if his story was true, and I do believe it was, he looked the relaxed young retired man.

With some help, I found my way out of the airport to the correct bus stop for the bus to Lisse, Netherlands, where the famous keukenhof gardens are.  I was going to be there on the exact day I was there last year, and last year the tulips were in full bloom.  Now as the bus headed to Lisse, I was disappointed to see fields and fields that were brown and green, fields that were a palette of color the same time the year before.  A late winter prevented the tulips from blooming at that point.  There were some fields of hyacinths, huge pastel expanses of blooms, but that wasn't why I as there.  

Oh, I forgot to mention that to make this trip happen I had to lower my class of hotels along the way.  I do love luxury, but those days are gone for now and this trip was one of economy, 1,2 and 3 star hotels were the norm now.  It did take some adjusting on my part, but I did it.  And so this was my first lower hotel, and it was a far shot from the lovely one I stayed at there last year.  But the entire stay, including meals, 2 nights, and a ticket to the gardens was less than one night at the other hotel, this is the time for deals for me.  So with lower expectations I walked the block to the hotel from where the bus let me off.  Good thing my expectations were low, that is what was waiting for me.  The girl who checked me in was nice enough, but very overworked, she just couldn't seem to keep up with everything going on.  That hotel definitely needs to hire more people!  My room was only 3 doors down from the reception area.  I went in and got settled and then asked for a taxi to take me to the wonderful Dutch pancake restaurant I'd found on my last trip.  I couldn't wait to enjoy a dinner and dessert pancake again!  The taxi driver gave me his card to call his company when I was finished so I could get a taxi back.  I sat outside although it was a bit cold, and enjoyed the occasional person walking by or bike rider go past as I enjoyed a delicious bacon, cheese and veggie pancake.  Delicious!

It was quite cold by the time I finished so I moved inside to have my dessert.  My bananas foster pancake, with sliced bananas, liquor, ice cream, powdered sugar and whipped cream was divine!  I hated to finish it!  I think the belgian waffles might be replaced as the # 1 food in Europe for me!  As I was finishing the nice waitress called the taxi company and they said they would be there in 20 minutes.  Well after over 30 minutes she called again and they said a few minutes.  After another half hour another call resulted in being told they would be there in 10 minutes.  The taxi NEVER showed up!  That was a big problem because they were the only company in town and it was dark and the town empty and I was stranded.   Luckily for me, the kind owners felt badly for me and after they cleaned up, got ready for the next day, did the books, there I still sat so they offered me a ride to my hotel.  Thank goodness!  It was actually a delight to chat with them and when I got to my hotel I was livid with the company they use.  I was told there were no options there.  

I went to my room, set my alarm so I would be up for breakfast and at the gardens as they opened...and my little pink travel alarm clock I've had with me around the world was broken! The time stopped and there was nothing I could do.  And so, with a bit of sadness over losing my trustworthy little alarm clock, I called the front desk and asked for a wake up call.  Sweet dreams...and the end of day 2!

Looking back...

Heading home...looking back

What a two weeks it's been!  Seems like two months really, I'm exhausted, but content, I did almost everything I'd wanted to do and so much more!  The spontaneity I was able to enjoy added so much to the trip I'd planned.  There was a trade off, the time I would have spent writing was instead spent making plans as I went along.  It worked.  Thank goodness this wasn't the busiest time in Europe, so it was possible to get last minute reservations as I went along.  I do love that I took advantage of the time and extended my stay.  It wasn't a long time, but enough to see and experience a bit more along the way.

And now I am sitting on the plane home, for the final leg of my journey, the big adventure is over.  What mixed feelings I have, a bit of sadness that the adventure is over, but a pride of my accomplishments.  Traveling alone is no easy feat for me, but it works.  I've lived alone enough to be used to the freedom it allows me.  Commitments along the way get more difficult each trip. I know me well enough to know I have no idea when I will need to sleep, when my feet will wear out and I'll need to stop, when I won't feel well and need to spend some down time, etc.  Alone  means I don't inconvenience anyone, don't disappoint anyone, and don't push myself to follow anyone else's agenda.  

If you know me, you know how much I enjoy the free spirited way to live, and especially travel.  I do need to plan ahead, I need to know I have a place to lay my head at the end of the day.  I have learned I can solve problems that arise along the way, and if I can't I know I can find someone who will help me.  I like changing my mind, being open to experiences along the way.  I don't mind doing things that just might not make sense to others, if someone wants to judge me, they can.  No one has walked in my shoes, lived my life or been in my head.  My decisions make sense to me, right or wrong, they are my own.

Sharing this 'bit of me' might help make sense of the really not so 'crazy' things I do.  They make sense to me, and that is what matters when you journey through life alone.  At any time I would trade this freedom for a wonderful, loving relationship, but if that is not to be, you wont find me sitting home waiting for it.  And every now and then I cross paths with other like minded, usually, but not always, solo travelers, and it is always fun to share our adventures.

So now looking back, I'm hoping I remember the highlights, and there have been many!  What a trip!  I know my entries were sketchy, a little time here and there, and with no chronological basis.  Random happenings...now random no more...

My trip started a bit earlier than planned.  I was doing something I never do, making the entire trip in a day.  Because the overseas flight left at 10pm from DC, I decided to break my own rule and leave that same day from Denver.  I planned a 4 hour layover, which I felt would be sufficient, and better than spending the entire day in DC waiting for such a late flight.  Well, as my departure date got closer, the sequester started causing so many problems with cancelled and delayed flights.  So I decided the stress of wondering if I would make the connection was not worth it, and found if I called 24 hours before my flight and there was availability for the same ticket price, I could pay $75 to reserve a standby seat sooner.  At the right time I called and even though there hadn't been availability earlier, there was at that moment for me to depart at 6PM that night, so with just a couple hours notice, I was headed to the airport a day early, and had already reserved my room at the Marriott in hopes it would work out.  It did and I was able to relax, knowing all worked out.  The only problem was that the flight to London was an hour late due to the sequester, something easier to deal with, no more connections.

I have developed some travel patterns, and one is that I rarely ever book the advance payment rooms, too much can change, and the up to $20 that you save isn't worth it if plans change, which mine tend to do. I do purchase the nonflexible fares on trains though, they usually save a great deal of money and aren't so expensive that it upsets me to miss one or two along the way.  My own reasoning, others wouldn't agree I'm sure.  

I arrived in London, late, but no problem, no connections to make.  It was a quiet flight, no one chatting, which is more the norm than the exception.  I just loved the trip last year with my fun seat mate Dana, who made me laugh a lot.  We are still in touch and I always let him know how much I appreciated the trip with him.  He's now living in Hawaii, so who knows, maybe one day we will meet again.  But I regress, back to my arrival in London, oh, how i love to hear the British accents when I emerge from the plane.  Customs was a bit of a wait, but nothing out of the ordinary.  I retrieved my little suitcase and walked out pulling my two small suitcases, purple purse attached.  I always take a taxi to the hotel.  There is a bus that costs about 1/2 the price, but the 9 GBP isn't much for the ease of that luxury!  No hauling my own suitcases inside, or making other stops.  And as perhaps I've mentioned before, getting into one of the british taxis makes me feel like I've walked onto a movie set.  Before I knew it I was walking into my familiar renaissance hotel!

I don't have any love of the hotel, as I believe I've mentioned, but the concierge staff treat me like a VVIP and that warm welcome and care means a lot, especially so far from home.  The greeting was as wonderful as ever and I started up to the room and the handle on one of my little suitcases broke, it wouldn't go down!  First problem, and not a small one.  I couldn't travel around with that, so my afternoon turned into one of shopping for a suitcase instead of a nap and visit with a friend.  I was given directions to uxbridge, a town I went to by bus, so I would have some choices.   Before I knew it, i was on a city bus to Uxbridge, the first of many bus trips this time.  I believe it took longer than 20 minutes, but I was enjoying the experience of a local bus.  Many stops later I reached the destination and climbed off and started the luggage search. As I was walking i saw a little cafe offering belgium waffles, directly from belgium.  Well, why not?  So i stopped in and ordered a white chocolate caramel waffle.  Not the waffles i love from the street vendors in belgium, but something dipped in melted white chocolate and drizzled with caramel just has to be good.  So after that snack, much needed since I'd not eaten since breakfast on the plane, I started shopping.  No success, nothing I liked, so what was there to do?  Well, on my way to the bus stop I saw a pub that advertised the Best Fishh and Chips in England.  So I tried them, I have to say that I've decided that anywhere that advertises themselves that they have the best of something, just keep walking!  in every case the place is far from the best...lesson learned!

The trip back on the bus was much more interesting, it was time for the schools to be out.  At each stop, for several stops, school children of all ages climbed on.  Mostly teenagers, chatting animatedly with friends.  There were moms with their elementary aged children and babes in their arms.  Every child was wearing a uniform, something I wasn't used to.  I talked with some of the middle schoolers who were adorable.. They said they loved my accent, funny.  They explained that all schools require uniforms, public and private.  They had so many questions about America that it was fun to chat with them.  They were kind, respectful, and appreciative of all my information.  When they got off they kept looking back at me and waving.  I would guess that they shared the story of meeting the American lady on the bus too.

Arriving back at the hotel, no suitcase in hand, was disappointing.  I ended up buying a great purple one at their gift shop, which I later returned because it wasn't big enough.  While packing it I saw that the spring of the handle kept the metal peg from retracting, so I realized that if it was taped it would work.  So in the middle of the night after a nap, I went down to my wonderful concierge guys and the kid on duty got out the duct tape and taped the peg in.  Voila!  With care the handle would go down as long as no one pulled on it too hard.  I could then sleep and know I would be okay on my forward journey.  

In London I'd tried to call a friend but my cell phone wouldn't work.  The company I've used changed their global sim cards and apparently the new one doesn't work with my old phone.  I emailed back and forth and none of the solutions they gave me worked, so finally I resigned myself to the fact thT the only way I could communicate was by Internet or my Colorado phone with the roaming costs.  Two things broken, but the holiday continues...