Traveling with Sue & Mike

Home Again

2011-07-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

After three weeks of travel, we are home again. The flight home was long — Innsbruck to Frankfurt to Las Vegas to Seattle — but because we were flying in daylight, it was quite beautiful. We flew over the Shetland Islands and Faroe Islands, but it was too hazy for good photos. Greenland, however, was much clearer.

Flying into Las Vegas also was quite beautiful but we were too tired to take pictures.

Dining in Innsbruck

2011-07-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate to land in Innsbruck at the end of white asparagus season. We had cream of white asparagus soup (yes, that is a schmeer of cream on top).

And white asparagus with brown butter sauce.

They were for sale in the market. Note that the green asparagus cost more than the white.

Also in the market, beautiful currants.

Ice cream, of course. One shop, Amorino, presents its cones as a flower. In this case, a chocolate and Speculos (a spice cookie). Amorino has 20 flavors; you can have as many as you want on a cone. Not inexpensive, but very good ice cream.

It wouldn't be Austria without a good bread store. Not sure how good the bread is, but you have to love a shop with a pretzel-shaped door handle.

Innsbruck

2011-06-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

We finished our Italian tour in Austria because of flight schedules. We're glad we had the opportunity to visit Innsbruck. It's a beautiful city.

As part of our visit, we took the Hungerburgbahn from Innsbruck up a mountain.We traveled from Innsbruck (elevation 1,837 feet) to Hungerburg (elevation 2,680 feet), but not to the absolute top at elevation 7,402 feet. As you can imagine, the views are astonishing.

So were the stations, designed by architect Zaha Hadid. Quite a contrast to the architecture in Old Town Innsbruck.

Next post will be about the food we enjoyed in Innsbruck. White asparagus, anyone?

High Above Bolzano

2011-06-27T04:38:00.000-07:00

While our husbands attended and gave presentations at the meeting of wine economists, Hinda and I decided to visit Renon/Ritten, a mountain and resort area above Bolzano. Getting there involves a cable car.

Facts about the cable car: It was built in 2007, replacing older versions. It is 4,541 meters (2.8 miles) long. It travels at 7 meters (22 feet) per second, and takes 12 minutes to go from bottom to top or top to bottom. It travels 951 meters (3,120 feet) in altitude.

Once at the cable car stop at Soprabolzano/Oberbozen, we took a small train to Collalbo/Klobenstein. We then walked to the Pyramids, rock formations formed by erosion. We were not alone. Many, many walkers and hikers were traipsing throughout the area, which has 350 kilometers (217 miles) of marked trails.

We were surrounded by fabulous scenery. Even the views from the cable car of Bolzano and surrounding orchards and vineyards was stunning.

We ended our Renon trip with lunch of homemade spinach ravioli. Our beverage was Aperol, a vivid orange aperitif that is surprisingly refreshing.

Trauttmansdorff Garden

2011-06-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

We are in Bolzano for the American Association of Wine Economists meeting. Wine economists like to drink wine, especially in beautiful locations, which is what led the group to the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle.

In addition to the terrific flowers , trees, water features, cactus garden, and views of the mountains, the garden also features a vineyard, where you can clearly see the pergola system of growing grapes.

The menu for the evening:

Appetizers: asparagus wine soup, cheese and vegetables on a skewer, tomato and mozzarella on a skewer
Vegetable lasagna
Chanterelle and rosemary risotto
Steak with Parmesan shavings, salad, potato pancakes
Panna cotta with fresh strawberries

Local wines, of course (Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon) plus locally produced apple juice.

Wine

2011-06-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

Did we mention that this is a wine research trip? So, let's research!

We stopped at Valle Isarco in Chiusa/Klausen for a visit with Peter Baumgartner, the president of the Valle Isarco cooperative. We tasted through the top level of white wines. A cooperative is a non-profit. The members (about 140 of them for Valle Isarco) all bring their grapes to the cooperative to be turned into wine. The growers generally have small plantings, from less than a hectare (a hectare is about 2.5 acres) to several hectares.

Our favorites were the Riesling, Sylvaner, Gewurztraminer, and Kerner. Then Peter let us taste a Sylvaner and a Riesling from the vineyards around the Sabiona monastery in Chiusa. Amazing! Then he let us taste the Passita, a dessert wine, sweet but not at all cloying. A fabulous range of wines that, alas, are not easily available in the United States.

In Bolzano we visited Kellerei Kaltern, also a cooperative, a short walk from the city center. While Valle Isarco focuses on whites, Kellerei Kaltern is about red wines. We especially liked the Lagrein, another local grape. Here, also, we tasted a Passita, and, again, sweet but not syrup.

Research is hard work.

Villandro or Villanders

2011-06-24T00:18:00.000-07:00

After Asti we drove, in our rented Fiat Panda, to an area called Alto Adige if you speak Italian and Südtirol if you speak German. The area used to be part of Austria; after World War I, it became part of Italy. It is now a semi-autonomous region. Everything has two names, one Italian and one German. Every city, every town, every street, every named building.

We spent one night in the small town of Villandro/Villanders, in the hills above Chiusa/Klausen.

Are you ready for another menu? The set-meal at the inn where we stayed included:

A melon foam (spremuta) with culatello (local prosciutto)
Lasagnette with fresh vegetables and pesto
Roast lamb, green beans with speck, celeriac puree, and bok choy
Millefoglie with raspberries and blueberries, yogurt cream, and house-made apple sorbet
A selection of local cheeses with dark honey and very intense mustard jam

The wine was a local Praepi Situs 2010 Kerner. Kerner is a nice white wine that only shows up in a few places, including this area.

In case you are wondering, our drive from Asti to Alto Adige took about five hours. The autostrada tolls amounted to about $40. Gasoline costs about $8 a gallon.

Moncalvo

2011-06-23T01:54:00.000-07:00

We spent our Sunday at a local festival in the small town of Moncalvo in the hills north of Asti.

Of course, after our drive, search for parking, and climb up the hill to the main piazza, we needed a morning pick-me-up. We paid about $8 for our drinks; the munchies are included. Perfectly civilized.

The festival included local crafts and 14 food vendors representing local communities. The entertainment included majorettes and flag choreography. Very entertaining.

Excellent food, as you would expect to find at a local food festival. For example, risotto made with Barolo wine and fried zucchini flowers:

Mike found a local wine, Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato, to be quite good.

Asti

2011-06-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

We are spending a few days in Asti at an agriturismo that includes a bed-and-breakfast, winery, distillery, and farm. Il Milin is only a few miles from the city of Asti, but feels very far away in the countryside, surrounded by vineyards. Three brothers and the son of one of the brothers (Enrico) operate the Rovero winery and distillery. Enrico's wife, Michela, operates the bed-and-breakfast. All lovely people who show the best of Asti and their varied operations.

The rooms are large and comfortable. There's also a washing machine (much needed after 10 days of sink washing) and a ready supply of tea and coffee. And breakfast, fabulous breakfast.

Periodically, Il Milin and the family's Rovero winery offer a dinner featuring the family's wines and food. Michela's mother-in-law is the chef. Each course was fabulous. A favorite was the zucchini and basil flan with Parmesan cream sauce.

So you want to know what we ate, of course:

Two types of typical Piemontese salami crudo
Small puffed pastries stuffed with local cheese
Fried zucchini flowers
Soft herbed cheese
Salad of shredded chicken and radicchio in balsamic dressing
Zucchini and basil flan in an intensely rich Parmesan cream
Torta di fagiolini (green beans)
Tagliolini (thin, flat pasta) with peas and zucchini
Veal and roasted potatoes in a Barbera sauce
Panna cotta, bonet (chocolate panna cotta), and hazalnut cake

And the wines that complemented the meal so beautifully:

Rovero Baptista (Riesling Italico)
Rovero Villa Drago (Sauvignon Blanc)
Rovero "La Casalina" (Grignolino D'Asti)
Rovero Spanase' (Barbera D'Asti)
Rovero Nebbiaia (Nebbiolo Monferrato)
Rovero "Gustin" (Barbera D'Asti Superiore)
Rovero Rouve (Barbera D'Asti Superiore aged in French oak)
Rovero Brachetto (frizzante red dessert wine)
Rovero Calasaya (fortified Barbera D'Asti)
Rovero Ampolo Reserva 1998 (grappa made from Barbera)
Rovero Brandy (aged in barrel for 10 years)

Then there are the donkeys, who often greet visitors. There are four donkeys, including five-day-old Gino. Gino is named for a neighbor. When Gino the neighbor died, his widow asked that the next donkey be named Gino. Gino is extremely cute.

Bicerin

2011-06-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

Torino is known for its bicerin, a coffee, chocolate, and cream concoction. So, of course, we had to do research on it. It is pronounced bee-sher-EEN, in case you want to order one at Starbucks.

Bicerin at Caffè San Carlo, for example, is more on the coffee side, with whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top.

Coffee always tastes better under a chandelier, don't you think?

We also tried bicerin at the original, Caffè Al Bicerin. This one was more chocolate than coffee with cream floating on top.

Another treat from Piemonte is bonet, (pronounced bow-NAY), a panna cotta-like dessert with chocolate and amaretti cookies.

Eating in Torino

2011-06-16T00:28:00.000-07:00

Torino has a lot to offer to the hungry traveler. Everything shown here is made with local, seasonal ingredients.

Prosciutto and mozzarella di bufala

Agnolotti with meat stuffing, butter, sage

Asparagus with Parmesan cheese and lots of butter

Pork shank with roasted potatoes

Gelato

Nut pie

Rabbit braised in Arneis wine

Zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese and mint

Touring Turin

2011-06-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

Turin (that is, Torino) is new for us. It is a beautiful city, with wide streets and porticos to protect from sun and rain.

We visited the museum of the Palazzo Madama for some of our favorite types of exhibits, specifically, lace, ceramics, and glass.

We are staying at a small, modest, one-star hotel in a four-star location, Piazza San Carlo. The piazza at night looks like this:

The next post will be about the food of Torino. Hope you are hungry.

Visit with Friends

2011-06-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

When we lived in Bologna for five months in 1997, we became friends with a young man named Valerio and his parents, Daniela and Franco. Valerio now works in nearby Ferrara, and we met him, his parents, and family friend Giliola for a Ferrarese dinner. Our conversation, in Italian and English more or less, covered family updates and news of the day.

The dinner, for you foodies, included cappelacci di zucca, pasta stuffed with squash and (some say) shaped like a Capuchin monk's hood, hence the name. You can have them with sugo, balsamic vinegar, or butter and sage.

Sugo, another Ferrara specialty. It is pork sausage cooked in a pig's bladder. Not sure what they do it it but it ends up very, very rich, with a texture like meatloaf. Some of our party had sugo with potatoes (the potatoes cut the richness); the rest of us had a beautiful branzino, a European sea bass.

Sorry, no photos, but you can do your own Google search.

After dinner, we went to Daniela's art studio, where she teaches and works.

On Sunday, we walked through the antique market around Santo Stefano, a church made up of seven smaller churches from various times. Many treasures and "treasures" for sale, including postcards from Seattle and Bend, if you look closely in the center.

A Few Plates

2011-06-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Most people know that Bologna is famous for its food. See for yourself.

Tris, or three pastas on a plate. In this case the pastas are tagliatelle with ragú, tortellini in cream sauce, and tortoloni in fresh tomato sauce.

Lasagna bolognese, the classic with spinach pasta, ragú, and bechamel sauce.

A selection of meat and cheese from Tamburini, with a dollop of aged balsamic vinegar, enjoyed with Pignoletto Frizzante, the perfect local wine.

Glass

2011-06-09T07:33:00.001-07:00

As members of Tacoma's Museum of Glass, we have learned a little about glass over the years. We visited one of our favorite museums in Bologna, Davia Bargellini, and found glass. This is Venetian glass from the 1500s, 1600s, and 1900s. I have seen some of the same elements in glass by contemporary masters.

You will not be surprised that Sue went yarn shopping. Details on her knitting blog.

We will not bore you with the details of the wonderful Bologna cuisine. Let's just say it is excellent. And Italians really know their ice cream.

Back in Bologna

2011-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

After 24 hours of travel we are back in Bologna. We have rented a tiny apartment, about the size of our cabin, in an excellent location. Tiny? This is our kitchen, the whole kitchen.

The first thing to do in Bologna is to walk through the market. Even if you are not buying, it is fun to look.

Yes, we are eating well in Bologna. The spinach, mozzarella, and ricotta pizza at lunch was especially tasty, as was the pizza with fresh porcini mushrooms last night.

Gooooooooool!

2011-03-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

We couldn't go to Argentina without going to a soccer game. We might have been able to go to a game of one of the "big" teams — River Plate or Boca Juniors — but we chose instead to go to a game in Mendoza, Godoy Cruz v. San Lorenzo. Alas, San Lorenzo, the visitors from Buenos Aires, won, 2-0, against the Godoy Cruz home team. Nevertheless, the evening was fun and the spectacle was — well, spectacular.

A couple of things stood out. One was that the cost of our tickets was 100 pesos for the men and 50 pesos for the women.

Another was security. Everyone was subject to a police pat-down as they entered. Police were everywhere — and very visible — inside and outside the stadium. Whether because of or in spite of the heavy police presence, the crowd was well-behaved in their exuberance and enthusiasm.

We were sitting in the stands under cover, avoiding the end zone — the curva — where the more rabid fans congregate.

Apparently the security check does not exclude fireworks and smoke, which greeted the home team.

The coolest thing was the giant banner that the fans unfurled. It was spread out with clockwork precision from the top of the curve to the bottom. Then it was rolled up to the top for use at the next game.

Once again, thanks to Scott Hogman for the great photos.

Mike did not want to select a shirt for a particular team so bought a shirt for the Argentina national team.

Textiles

2011-03-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Look here for a post about textiles in Argentina.

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb

2011-03-12T09:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when you are traveling, you do things that, in retrospect, were really dumb. We had one such adventure in Mendoza. Instead of calling it Really Dumb Thing That We Did, we now refer to it as Our Adventure.

We were traveling from Mendoza to Tupungato in the Uco Valley to visit a winery. We asked our driver, Gerardo, about taking a scenic back route in the Andes foothills from Mendoza to Potrerillos, then on Route 89 from Potrerillos to Tupungato. After a few phone calls, Gerardo told us that this was a dirt road but do-able. (Side note: hiring a car and driver in Mendoza was one of the smart things we did, and Gerardo was an excellent driver.)

What we didn't know was that it had rained the previous night and that the dirt road was a mud road. Had we been sensible or thought things through, we should have/would have/could have turned around at the first mud crossing. But we didn't. And Gerardo said we could go forward.

At several points, all four of us American-sized passengers had to get out of the little car and ford the mud so the car could get enough clearance to drive through.

As we crossed the mountain, all we saw was fog. Fog on a muddy, rutted, one-and-a-half-lane mountain road.

We were glad to see the road crews out moving mud.

Just when we thought we might make it through the mud, we feared being run down by horses. At one point we rounded a corner and saw a dozen or so horses headed for us, as a man and his dogs were herding them from one pasture to another.

When we arrived safely in Tupungato, we discovered the winery we planned to visit was closed because the rain had washed out its road. We ended up having lunch in a fabulous restaurant in Tupungato called El Ilo. Later we learned it specialized in fish, which we generally didn't order, but the food was excellent anyway.

And we took the main highway back to Mendoza.

Many thanks to ace photographer Scott Hogman for the photos. He had the presence of mind to take pictures from the front seat while the three of us sitting tightly in the back seat worried about Gerardo's car and out ability to get out of this adventure.

Golf Sauce

2011-03-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Among the condiments we found on restaurant tables in Argentina was Golf Sauce. We couldn't tell from the small packets exactly what Golf Sauce was. Nor could we tell from the color, sort of a pinkish-orange.

We learned that Golf Sauce was invented by Luis Federico Leloir, Argentinian Nobel laureate in chemistry. The story is that in the mid-1920s, Leloir was at the golf club in Mar del Plata. He wanted a sauce for his shrimp, and asked the waiter to bring a variety of ingredients. He mixed a little of this, a little of that to end up with Golf Sauce, or Salsa Golf.

Argentinians use Golf Sauce on all sorts of meats, salads, and sandwiches.

So what magic combination did Leloir find for Golf Sauce? Mayonnaise and ketchup. Yes, mayonnaise and ketchup. Some people may add other ingredients, but basic Golf Sauce is mayonnaise and ketchup.

Alfajores — Yum!

2011-03-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Didn't know what an alfajor was before going to Argentina and now I do. And I am glad that I know.

Alfajores are a cookie-cake confection that includes two or more layers of cookie, filling, and a covering. The cookies can be plain or chocolate. The filling can be dulce de leche or jam. The covering can be chocolate, white chocolate, powdered sugar, or meringue. Some come with nuts or coconut. Whatever combination, they are great. They are tasty and satisfying but not overly sweet or gooey.

We especially like the alfajores from Havanna Café. We first tasted Havanna alfajores on our LAN Argentina flight from Buenos Aires to Mendoza. And we definitely had to have more. Luckily for us, Havanna Cafés are all over Buenos Aires.

If you want to make your own alfajores — and why wouldn't you? — look here.

River Tour

2011-03-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

A trip to Tigre, north of Buenos Aires on the river, is recommended in most of the tourist guides, so we signed on for a tour, not quite knowing what to expect. We were delighted with the result.

We started on a small bus, the four people in our group plus a couple from England, with a driver and guide. We drove through some of the lovely Buenos Aires suburbs, including Olivos, where the presidential residence is; San Fernando; San Isidro; and, finally, Tigre. We would not have seen these areas of Buenos Aires without this tour.

Two notable things about the river, Rio de la Plata, is that it is very brown and very wide. Milk chocolate brown. Caffé latte brown.

The Tigre market was not open during the week, but we drove around it and saw the many furniture shops that are the signature of the market. We took a boat ride on the brown river from Tigre through a small part of the delta to Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires.

The Rio de la Plata delta includes scores, maybe hundreds, of small islands. People build houses on the islands on stilts to avoid periodic flooding. The houses are named and numbered. If you want to send a letter to one of these houses, you address it to the river name, house name, and house number. Travel through the delta is by boat, no roads. You can have groceries delivered by boat and garbage picked up by boat.

Winemakers

2011-03-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

One of many great pleasures of our trip to Argentina was visiting with winemakers. Tasting their wines was, of course, great fun, but more interesting was meeting the winemakers and winery owners to learn their views on the wine industry in Argentina and how each particular winemaker sees his or her place in that industry.

Anabelle Sielecki is an amazing woman: architect, real estate executive, and co-owner of Mendel. We spoke with winemaker/co-owner Roberto de la Mota in Mendoza and had a chance to meet with Anabelle in Buenos Aires at the cafe outside of the MALBA museum.

We also met with Guillermo Banfi, owner of Bodega Sur de los Andes. During a fabulous lunch at Don Julio, we tasted Guillermo's excellent wines, which paired well with the sausage, provoleta, beef steaks, arugula salad, and tomatoes. Like Anabelle (and other winery owners) Guillermo entered the wine business after another career, finance, in his case.

Note: we are actually back at home now but we have several more Argentina experiences to share, which we will do here. So stay tuned. And, we will be traveling to Italy later this year and will share those experiences here also.

Estancia Day

2011-03-02T03:19:00.000-08:00

We are tourists. We know we are tourists. That's why we signed on for a tourist visit to an estancia, La Cinacina. A friend recommended La Cinacina as a place where visitors enjoy an afternoon of tourist-oriented gaucho culture at a reasonable price. And that's exactly what we experienced.

La Cinacina is in San Antonio de Areco, a small town that is about a 90-minute bus ride from Buenos Aires (the trip took us by Estadio Monumental, home of River Plate soccer team, a team that it seems most Argentinians love or hate, but that's another story).

At the ranch, we were greeted with wine and empanadas, then had the opportunity for a brief horseback ride. No, no photos of us on horses. Then it was back to the ranch house for more food, including sausages, beef, and pork, salads, potatoes, and more wine. Our Venezuelan table-mate shared with the dog, who has seen tourists before.

Dinner was followed by a show of music and dance from around Argentina.

The host of the show then ran a list of the countries represented at our visit: Argentina, United States, Venezuela, Uruguay, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Germany, Italy, Canada, and a few more.

Then we saw the gaucho show where expert horsemen demonstrated gaucho skills, such as riding down the track at full speed and putting a pencil-sized stick through a small ring hanging from a rope. The story is that if the gaucho captures the ring, he can give it to the woman of his choice; if she accepts the ring, she gives him a kiss but if she rejects the ring, she kisses the horse.

We finished the day with quince pastries and mate, an herbal tea that Argentinians seem to love. The pastries were great but mate may be an acquired taste.

All in all, a good day to be a tourist.

The Pink House

2011-03-01T06:32:00.001-08:00

Casa Rosada, or the Pink House, is the presidential office of Argentina. On weekends Casa Rosada is open for free tours.

This is the presidential office for formal events.

And this is the view from the famous balcony where Evita gave her speeches and where Madonna sang That Song. The balcony overlooks the Plaza de Mayo.

Around Buenos Aires

2011-02-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

This post combines a few things we saw and did in Buenos Aires.

The Argentina automobile association has a nice little car museum, a big hit with car racing fans.

We took another free walking tour of the Recoleta area of Buenos Aires. Our guide, Sol, took us to the monument to those killed in the Malvinas war and explained what the war means to Argentinians.

We met with Damon, Mike's former student, who is vice-president for new media for Fox Sports Panamerica in Buenos Aires. Damon took us on a tour of the studio.

And, of course, Starbucks is in Buenos Aires. The prices are in Argentinian pesos ($); current rates are four pesos per dollar. When noting U.S. dollars, prices appear as U$S.

Three Excellent Wineries

2011-02-26T04:06:00.000-08:00

We spent our last day in Mendoza visiting three very different wineries, each excellent in its own way.

Viña Cobos has the highest rated wines in Argentina. One of their wines, at 99 points, was the highest rated wine in South America. One of the owners, Luis Barraud, gave us a tour and tasting of their excellent Felino and Bramare wines.

Our second winery was Achaval-Ferrer, where we had a most interesting tasting with Julian, hospitality manager. We tasted several wines in two forms: barrel and bottle. We also tasted the component parts (Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot) of the Quimera blend, then Quimera from the barrel, and Quimera from the bottle. Then we tasted the three single-vineyard Malbecs, both barrel and bottle. It was all very enlightening to see how the wines change along the way.

Our third visit was to Tempus Alba in Maipú. The Biondolillo family has been in the wine business for more than 100 years. We met with Aldo, two of his sons and his nephew. Tradition, yes, but also focused on the future, with scientific selection of the grape clones and an investment in wine tourism. And excellent wines.

The company dogma (what we might call values) are prominently displayed.

The family also is thinking about the next generation. The premium wine, Vero, features the fingerprints of three of Aldo's grandchildren (a fourth was due within days).

More Fabulous Wine

2011-02-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

You will not be surprised to learn that we found wonderful wine and gracious and generous winemakers in Mendoza, but you may be surprised (we were) to find this:

Yes, that is a giant menorah on the main square of Mendoza, Plaza Independencia. It was put there in recognition of Israel's 50th anniversary.

Now, the expected: wine. We traveled to the Uco Valley, about an hour and a half drive from Mendoza, to visit the Dutch-owned Salentein winery. In addition to making excellent wine, Salentein is investing in wine tourism, with a small hotel and excellent restaurant. The owner also has built an art gallery, with a small collection of Dutch art and a larger collection of contemporary Argentinian art. The facility itself is gorgeous:

We had the extraordinary opportunity to speak with Andrés, the chief operating officer; Lorena, the hospitality manager; and the legendary winemaker José Galante. The winemaking facility is outstanding, as are the wines.

We also had lunch with them at the Salentein posada restaurant, with Salentein wines, of course. Lunch included a mushroom-stuffed endive, Argentinian beef, trout, a pre-dessert lemon-orange drink, and apple tart with ice cream. Words cannot describe the beautiful presentation or the delectability of the meal.

Plazas of Mendoza

2011-02-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

Our hotel in Mendoza, Hotel Argentino, is on the main plaza of Mendoza, Plaza Independencia. Equidistant from Independencia are four smaller plazas.

Plaza San Martín honors José de San Martín, the liberator of Argentina.

Plaza Chile recognizes the close relationship between Argentina and Chile. The statue is of San Martín, Argentina's liberator, and Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile's liberator.

Plaza España recognizes the Spanish heritage of Argentina.

And Plaza Italia does the same for Argentina's Italian culture. Can't explain the statue.

Wine Tourism is Hard Work

2011-02-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Our first day of wine tourism in Mendoza was wonderful! We visited Mendel and Catena Zapata, two bodegas (that is, wineries) owned and operated by Argentinians that make outstanding wine. With millions in foreign investment in wine in Argentina, finding all-Argentinean operations is becoming rarer.

We chose Mendel partly because Sue has Mendels among her relations. Mendel (the wine) reflects the first name of the father of one of the co-owners, while in Sue's family, Mendel is a surname, so, alas, she cannot claim kinship with the wine.

Mendel is a relatively new winery though the winemaker and co-owner, Roberto de la Mota, is an established and distinguished winemaker from a family of distinguished winemakers. We had the privilege of meeting with him and learning more about Mendel and wine in Argentina.

The winery is in a "vintage" winery building. Note the "cupola" on top of the building. It is a water tank, very common on residential and commercial buildings in Argentina. The people working are packing Mendel wines.

We tasted 2008 and 2009 Malbecs. Each was distinctive and each was excellent. We also tasted the signature Unus, which is a Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon blend and a 2010 Semillon. Terrific!

Catena Zapata is a much grander operation with several labels. We had the good fortune taste Luca (Laura Catena's personal wine), Catena Alta, the Catena Zapata single vineyard wines and the then the premier Catena wine, Nicolas Catena Zapata, a Mabec-Cab blend.

It is a most impressive facility, surrounded by vineyards.

We had several "wow" moments during our tour of the winery, including the barrel room and a storage area for unlabeled wines. The labels will be added once the destination of the wines is known to accommodate different countries' labeling requirements.

The glasses were empty when we finished.

Hola, Mendoza

2011-02-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Mendoza yesterday.

The light display was not just for us but part of Vendimia, an annual Mendoza wine festival. We will not be here for the festival itself but are enjoying the preparations.

Of course, we had to have dinner. We selected Tristán Barraza. Sue ordered trout; Mike ordered rabbit. Both were cooked on the grill. Vegetarians, look away now.

We also ate grilled squash, pumpkin, peppers, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, and drank more delicious wine from Argentina. Another lovely meal.

Catedral Metropolitana

2011-02-16T04:17:00.000-08:00

It looks like a bank but it's a cathedral, the Catedral Metropolitana on the Plaza de Mayo.

This structure dates from 1822. One of the best things about the cathedral is that it is cool inside. It also houses the tomb of General José de San Martín, the liberator of Argentina. Gaston, our guide on the first day, said that San Martín is the only politician that all Argentines like.

The church also has beautiful mosaic floors, a silver alter, and a domed ceiling.

Once again we needed refreshment after all of this touring. We headed for Café Tortini for a Submarino. A Submarino is hot milk with a bar of chocolate; in the case of Café Tortoni, the chocolate is shaped like a submarine. You stir the chocolate into the milk and yumminess ensues.

La Biela de Recoleta

2011-02-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

Buenos Aires is a big city (13 million+) but feels much smaller because it is a really collection of distinctive neighborhoods. We are staying in Recoleta, a quieter upscale part of town with lots of parks and tree-lined streets.

Neighborhoods need hang-outs, places for people to gather, and Recoleta has La Biela, where we stopped for lunch today. It is a large, light airy place that extends out into the park. La Biela means "connecting rod" and it carries a double meaning in this case.

First, it refers to the literal connecting rod that holds an auto's pistons to the crankshaft, the piece of forged metal that keeps the engine from tearing itself apart as gasoline explodes in the cylinders. This meaning honors the auto racing champions and fans who have for decades gathered in this room to drink coffee and talk their sport.

The cafe is decorated with auto racing photos, posters and trophies from the 1930s to the present. It was very interesting to see two young women excited to have their photo taken in front of a portrait of Juan Manuel Fangio, the great Argentinean Grand Prix world champion of the 1950s.

The other type of connecting rod? Well, as I said before, every neighborhood needs someplace where people can gather, connect and re-connect. La Biela seems like the perfect social connecting rod to me.

What did we eat and drink? Sue had a sandwich of Serrano-style ham, a fruit salad and sparkling water. I drank "chopp" (the local term for a small draft beer) and the cafe's signature sandwich of pounded beef tenderloin with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and hard-boiled egg. Very tasty and satisfying!

To Market, to Market

2011-02-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

On a warm, sunny Sunday, it seemed that a good deal of Buenos Aires was at the San Telmo market. The main market is about antiques; the fringes are filled with tourist ~~junk~~ treasures. The antiques market has a bit of everything: linens, china, silver, crystal, buttons, jewelry, books, toys, pictures, records, money, you name it.

The fruit and vegetable market provided supplies for tomorrow's breakfast.

We enjoyed a big ol' piece of grilled beef for lunch at La Brigada, a restaurant recommended by our friend Lauri. The beef was special -- raised on the restaurant's own estancia. Wine choice was a Rutini Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon blend, which was perfect with the meat. What do you expect to pay for a dinner-sized lunch for four with a large piece of meat, Caprese salads, fried potatoes, wine, water and coffee? About $125US. Heck of a deal.

Recoleta Cemetary

2011-02-13T04:48:00.000-08:00

Most visitors to Buenos Aires visit the Recoleta Cemetary. And for good reason if you have an interest in history or architecture. Some of the "residents" represent wealth and power of Argentina.

Like Evita. If you are important enough, people and groups will add plaques in your honor.

As to architecture, look at these.

Welcome to Buenos Aires

2011-02-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

We started our visit to Buenos Aires with a walking tour offered by BA Free Tour of the main political areas. We started with the national Congress...

...saw the Pink House, which is the president's office (but not residence); the small flag denotes that the president is at work in the building, according to our guide Gaston, whose face is in the picture...

...the white handkerchief symbol of the mothers of the Plaza de Mayo who protested the disappearance of the children during the military rule...

...and the Barolo Palace with its tributes to Dante.

Our apartment is very nice, conveniently located, and air conditioned (after all, it is summer here).

This post is short on details but being a tourist is a full-time job.

Return to Stags Leap

2010-04-27T08:23:00.001-07:00

About 30 years ago, we spent some time in Napa Valley. At the time, we were especially taken with the wines from the Stags Leap District. So, when Mike had an opportunity to attend the Stags Leap District Vineyard to Vintner event, we jumped at it.

The day started with a seminar with three highly regarded Stags Leap District winemakers (below, left to right): Elias Fernandez of Shafer Vineyards, moderator Leslie Sbrocco, Elizabeth Vianna of Chimney Rock Winery, and Jon Emmerich of Silverado Vineyards. These rock star winemakers provided an interesting perspective on their wines and their vintages.

During the seminar we tasted 1999 and 2005 vintages from each of the three wineries. Three wineries, six wines, each wonderful and distinctive.

We then toured wineries, including Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, one we visited during that visit 30 years ago. It has grown enormously since then, but the original building, with the doors made from old barrels, is still there.

These barrels are stacked five deep.

On Sunday, we went to Tres Sabores to visit with winemaker Julie Johnson and her husband and wine consultant Jon Engelskirger (Julie is the mother of one of Mike's former students). Their friends from Troll Bridge Cellars stopped by, which expanded and enhanced the experience. We were excited that friends Lowell and Dorothy were able to join us for several hours of fabulous wine and conversation. Mike and I and Lowell and Dorothy topped off the day with an outstanding dinner at Bistro Jeanty.

We had great weather, great wine, great scenery. I hope we can return before another 30 years passes.

Tucson 2008

2009-01-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

We escaped the snow and headed to Tucson to visit friends Michael and Nancy. The week started out cold and wet, warmed to the 70s, and ended with more rain. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our visit.

The atmospheric scenery from Michael and Nancy's porch:

Chef Michael cooked (the roast turned out to be much better than the fire would suggest):

We also took advantage of some of Tucson's great restaurants.

We visited Tohono Chul garden. Garden staff protected the saguaro cacti from cold weather.

We went horseback riding near Colossal Cave. The riders and their horses: Michael M. on Mike, Nancy on Comet, Sue on C.B. and Michael V. on Ted.

We took a walk in Ventana Canyon, enjoying spectacular scenery.

Thanks to our gracious hosts Michael and Nancy for a wonderful Tucson visit.

Local Travel

2007-07-03T09:40:00.001-07:00

The Hot Shop at the Museum of Glass is a great place to hang out, a place to watch Hot Shop staff and visiting artists, such as Greg Owen. During our visit he made a white vase and a cranberry vase, each with a glass mosaic design. We didn't see the finished products because they had to spend time in the annealing oven, but they sure looked good going in.

Glaciers

2007-06-28T08:33:00.001-07:00

Seward is the entry point for Kenai Fjords National Park. Kenai Fjords is all about fjords (obviously) and glaciers and critters. Exit Glacier is one of the most accessible. It's called Exit Glacier because it is retreating. Markers show how far the glacier has retreated since the 1890s.

Exit Glacier is a short walk from a park visitor center. Much of it is uphill but it's still relatively easy. You can get fairly close to the glacier but you can't walk right up to it any more. Apparently a few years ago a chunk of ice fell off and almost clunked a tourist. Also, the ground from the viewing area to the glacier is very steep over loose, slippery rocks.

Yes, it's really blue, which has to do with the way the ice is compacted and light is reflected.

This is what glaciers leave behind: rock.

Seeing the big glaciers, such as Aialik Glacier, requires a cruise from Seward, through Resurrection Bay and into the Gulf of Alaska. On a good days, the ocean in the Gulf of Alaska is not the smoothest you'll ever find. We had a less-than-good day but, we were told, not a really bad day. Rain, wind and waves made the cruising part less than wonderful, but the views of the glacier were worth it.

We also experienced a lot of sea ice and our captain had to navigate carefully through the ice. We had just watched an episode of "Deadliest Catch" in which a crab boat almost became stuck or crushed in sea ice. Coincidence?

Kenai Fjords tourists often see critters, such as puffins (no photo), humpback whales

and Steller sea lions.

Where the Road Ends

2007-06-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

The road ends in Homer, Alaska. Along the way, you see more gorgeous scenery. A 70,000-acre wildfire on the Kenai Peninsula made the air a little smoky and hazy, but did not diminish the beauty of the landscape.

A Russian Orthodox church in Ninilchik is evidence of the Russian presence in Alaska.

The end of the road is the end of the Homer spit and the mountains beyond.

Homer is all about halibut and halibut fishing. The road on the Homer spit is lined with charter fishing outfits, RV and camping spots, fish processing businesses, restaurants and tourist shops. The harbor is packed with boats — commercial fishing boats, charter fishing boats and personal boats.

Richardson Highway

2007-06-25T10:57:00.001-07:00

Can you stand any more pictures of beautiful scenery? The Richardson Highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks offers some of the best. It's a longer route than the Denali Highway but well worth the extra time. Plenty of turn-outs along the road accommodate photos as well as the oooh-aaaah-ing that comes naturally.

Even the Trans-Alaska pipeline is scenic. The Richardson Highway also offers many views of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, including this crossing at the Tanana River. According to one sign posting, the oil travels through the 800-mile-long pipeline at 5.9 miles per hour.

Denali

2007-06-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

After a while, the word "spectacular" starts to become meaningless when applied to Denali National Park. Even on a cloudy day, as we experienced, the park is beautiful and — spectacular. We never saw the whole of Denali (Mount McKinley) because of the clouds, but we didn't feel deprived.

The scenery was partly what we expected: snow-covered peaks, glaciers, spruce forest. Unexpected were the vast, flat plains and moraines.

We did see critters — hares, ground squirrels, Dall sheep, caribou and brown bears (which are really blond in Denali) — but mostly too far away or too quick to photograph.

Did we mention that the secenery was spectacular?

We Saw a Bear!

2007-06-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

This little black bear stopped traffic on the road near the visitor center at Portage Glacier. Black bears can be dangerous, so we photographed him from a safe distance away.

Portage is about 40 miles south of Anchorage. The visitor center offers more spectacular Alaska scenery.

And an iceberg. Okay, maybe not a Titanic-sized iceberg, but an iceberg nonetheless.

We also make a short hike to Byron Glacier.

Some of us are more Alaskan than others. Not mentioning any names.

Another Sunny Day in Alaska

2007-06-15T19:41:00.001-07:00

And another beautiful hike, this time at the Eagle River Nature Center in Northeast Anchorage. No wildlife on this hike but others had seen a black bear in the park just an hour or so earlier. Even without critters, it was a beautiful walk with classic Alaska scenery: snow-topped mountains, glaciers, spruce trees, crystal water.

Winner Creek

2007-06-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Our first day in Anchorage started out cool and cloudy but turned warm and sunny. So we headed about 35 miles south of Anchorage to Girdwood and the Winner Creek hike, which starts at the Aleyska Resort. On the way, we stopped at Beluga Point.

Along the hike, we saw the site of an avalanche from this mountain to about 15o feet below where we stood for this photo.

Winner Creek:

I just liked the way this log had rotted:

Alaska is just as beautiful as the travel brochures claim it is. And full of critters. So far I've seen Dall sheep, a moose and an eagle. No opportunity for photos, so you'll have to take my word for it.

On the Road Again

2007-06-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

If it's summer, we must be traveling. The next journey is to Alaska to visit family and tour. Check in here to follow our adventures.

Odds and Ends

2006-07-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

This (final?) post is a collection of photos that we like but that didn't fit neatly into the blog, starting with Riga:

And Jurmala, the big, beautiful beach only a short train ride from Riga:

From Vilnius: New friends Cathy and Casey from Northern Virginia; we discovered common interests in music and textiles.

Textiles at Trakai in Lithuania:

Sculpture on a theater in Vilnius:

And from Prague: Dagmara, one of last year's AIPES students from Poland, came to Prague for a short visit. She is a wife, mother, journalist (two jobs) and PhD student. And's she's translating Mike's "Globaloney" book into Polish for publication.

Pub night at U Flecku following Mike's book reading at the Globe bookstore. Beer! Imagine that!

For a student perspective on the program, you can visit Michael Collins's blog. Michael is an avid photographer, as you will see.

Among the gifts we received from the students, both this year and last year, is alcohol (left to right): Black Balsam from Latvia, red wine from Georgia, Unicum from Hungary, white wine from Romania, vodka from Ukraine and vodka from Belarus.

When we started this blog, one question we raised is "what did you buy?" Part of the answer is yarn. Lots and lots of yarn.

Where to next? We'll let you know.

Final Exam and Graduation

2006-07-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

The economics exam was the finale of the classroom aspect of the program.

Graduation, which consists of a ceremony, a reception and a party, is the last official function. AIPES holds its graduation ceremony in the Karolinum, the great hall of Charles University, which dates from the 14th century.

Ivo Sanader, the prime minister of Croatia, was the graduation speaker. AIPES always has had a head of state as graduation speaker, which speaks to the respect the program has in Eastern and Central Europe.

The reception was an opportunity to enjoy some fine Czech food and to take some last photos of our friends (no longer just students), a few of whom you see here, such as Harry from the United States; Harry was the student graduation speaker.

Eliza and Alex from Romania.

Dias from Kazakhstan, who is in the Kazakh army and attends West Point.

Ivo from Croatia.

Natasha and Marija from Macedonia and Maria from Estonia.

Fred from Albania. Fred is a lawyer and works in the U.S. Embassy in Tirana.

Peter from Slovakia, Wendy, and Pavel from the Czech Republic.

Tomorrow we'll post some random photos from our travels that didn't make it into the basic blog.

Buchky, Buchky, Buchky

2006-07-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

Buchky is a Georgian toast (Republic of, not State of), sort of pronounced "butch-kee," that means when you tap glasses it's like the leaves of a bush all coming together.

We head home tomorrow (Saturday). You'll have to wait until we get home to see graduation pictures.

Wenceslas Square and Elsewhere

2006-07-27T02:14:00.000-07:00

Something is always going on in Wenceslas Square. Throngs of tourists are standard fare. We recognize tour group leaders speaking English, Italian, Spanish, French and German; additionally, we hear dozens of languages we don't recognize. Serving the tourists are many, many cafes, ice cream stands, magazine stands, jewelry shops, crystal shops and the alleged Russian Mafia sausage stands (see previous post). We've also seen:

A Havana Club (rum?) extravaganza with a large stage and sophisticated AV system with big screen projection for a Cuban band plus about eight booths giving out mojitos and other drinks made with Havana Club. Lots of dancing and drinking. It was all set up one morning and all down by the next.

A Corvette club, with 20 to 30 Corvettes of all vintages (and all with CZ license plates) circling the square, peeling out at various points.

Hare Krishnas.

Go-go dancers on a flatbed truck promoting a night club called Mecca. We don't think they were hired for their dancing skills.

Sculptures made of all sorts of stuff, including bathroom fixtures, tree trunks, a skeleton, fake flowers — you name it. We think (hope) these are temporary exhibits.

And speaking sculpture, this piece by David Cerny is in the courtyard outside the Kafka Museum. Wendy and Kirsten are not part of the sculpture. In case you are wondering, the "hips" rotate.

We did not bring Wendy and Kirsten to this spot just for the sculpture. We were on our way to dinner at Cihelna Hergetova, a lovely restaurant right on the river next to the Charles Bridge. We recommend the potato and mushroom soup, accompanied by a glass of sparkling Bohemia sekt. A three-course meal (starter, entree, dessert) with wine and a fantastic view costs about $40 per person.

Cruising the Vltava

2006-07-26T02:48:00.000-07:00

Students Pavel (from the Czech Republic) and Marija (from Macedonia) organized a boat trip on the Vltava River through Prague last evening. Vltava cruises are limited by locks on the river, but the central area provides a lovely one-hour cruise through the central city. We enjoyed sunset views of the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. The students mostly took pictures of each other.

Because the picture loading piece of blog central seems to be working again, I'll try to add some more pictures from the embassy party on that entry.

The heat wave seems to have affected the power supply; we've been warned of possible cuts in air conditioning (noooooooooooo!) but so far we've been okay. Based on limited Internet research, Sue suspects that there may be a transmission capacity problem, maybe in the Czech Republic, maybe somewhere else in Central Europe. Sue claims that she is not a power grid jinx (some of you may remember that we were in Italy a few years ago when a transmission problem in France cut power to all of Italy).

Ambassador's Reception Night

2006-07-25T07:05:00.001-07:00

The AIPES program includes a reception at the U.S. ambassador's historic art deco residence. Note that this is the residence, not the embassy itself. This is the back of the residence, which opens into a gorgeous garden.

It was a great party made even better by the fact that it was our 30th wedding anniversary. Our thanks to AIPES and to the U.S. embassy for throwing such a nice anniversary party for us! The ambassador, William Cabaniss, is charming, knowledgeable and hospitable. We first met him last year and he remains one of our favorite ambassadors.

One of the other guests was the Croatian ambassador to the Czech Republic. He was invited because the Croatian prime minister will be the graduation speaker later this week.

Other honored guests included Kirsten, Wendy and Mike.

Country Night

2006-07-23T02:16:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of the AIPES program is Country Night, an evening that includes Czech music and dancing, a Czech dinner that the students claim far exceeds dorm food, presentations by students about their country and lots of alcohol (surprise, surprise). Most of the presentations included a song or dance from the country, often in a national costume, such as (top to bottom): Latvia, Kyrgyzstand, Romania and Georgia.

Wendy did an excellent job as master of ceremonies:

Kirsten, who was the audio master, brought Richard, her charming fiance, who is from Northern Ireland and has been working in Romania while he finishes is PhD.

And, finally, the alcohol report: The Moldovan and Georgian wines are excellent. The hard liquors vary from not-so-bad to people-drink-this-stuff-on-purpose? In any case, there was a lot of it.

Decorative Arts and a Snack

2006-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Museum of Decorative Arts is one of our favorites, especially following the exhibition of Czech glass at Tacoma's Museum of Glass earlier this year. A few of the pieces that were in the Tacoma show are now back home. The museum's collection includes older pieces and contemporary work.

The museum also has some extraordinary textiles, including a knitted lace handkerchief and bobbin lace. (Photographing these was nearly impossible because of the low overall lighting, the glass cases and the spot lighting.)

We don't have pictures (because of the lighting) of the Art Deco jewelry and traditional Czech garnet jewelry and decorative cast iron ware. You'll just have to visit on your own.

Street food is not too common in Prague, except for ice cream and, in Wenceslas Square, sausages. Several of these sausage stands flank the square and sell sausages from early in the morning to well past midnight. A large sausage on a roll or with a piece of rye bread costs about $2, and a Coke, Fanta or bottle of water is about $1.50. Taking photos of the sausage stands is not welcome; one reason may be that they supposedly are owned by the Russian Mafia. Russian Mafia or no, the sausages are excellent.

Teaching in Prague

2006-07-21T02:06:00.000-07:00

Because the reason for our being in Prague is Mike's teaching in the AIPES program, we thought you ought to see some pictures of students and teaching.

We're still finding time to be tourists. To escape some of the heat (90 degrees+ cobblestones = way too hot) we went to the contemporary art museum, which is more air conditioned than many air conditioned places. The museum is so big that you can buy entry tickets only for the floor you want to see. The floor with the post-1950s Czech galleries was closed for renovation so we chose the floor with early 20th century Czech art (impressionists, cubists and the like), plus some Czech architecture and theater set design, Art Deco books and furniture, and a collection of French art.

Then we went to Letna Park for a beer and dinner in the park cafe. It appeared that many Prague residents thought an evening in the park was a good escape from the overheated cobblestones. We enjoyed a mozzarella and tomato salad (very popular dish here) and a pizza. Last year, Prague restaurants seemed all-pork-all-the-time; this year, restaurants seem to offer more vegetarian options beyond Greek salad.

Nebozizek

2006-07-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Our instructions were clear: at 5:45 p.m., a woman driving a red taxi would pick us up at the hotel to take us to Nebozizek, a restaurant about halfway up the Petrin Park hill. This is where we would have our faculty-staff dinner. Ordinarily, a taxi would be impossible because the park paths are for walking, not taxis. However, the funicular from street level to the restaurant is out of service for refurbishing, and the woman in the red taxi is the only one in Prague to have a permit to drive to the restaurant.

And this is what the view during dinner (again, we ate before we photographed; needless to say, the food was a good as the location):

And this is what some of our group look like, starting with the teaching assistants (left to right): Louis, Hilen, Wendy and Kirsten.

And Katka and Petr. Katka is a journalist in Prague and Petr is in charge of the American desk with the Czech foreign service; he formerly was press secretary with the Czech Republic embassy in Washington, D.C.

And Jim, who was celebrating his 37th or 34th or 42nd birthday, depending when you ask. That's marzipan covering the cake, which was chocolate with raspberry and butter cream filling. In case you have to ask, it was excellent.

U Pinkasu

2006-07-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

That's U Pinkasu with an o over the u in Pinkasu. U Pinkasu is one of several Prague pubs that claim to have served the first pilsner in Prague. It's what's called a tank pub, which means it serves unpasteurized beer. Tank pubs sell so much beer that it doesn't have time to sit around; therefore, no pasteurization required. Like most beer in Prague, it's excellent. What really sets U Pinkasu apart is the garden, set in what seems to be a ruin once connected to the neighboring church. U Pinkasu is just a few steps from the heavily touristed Wenceslas Square, but the garden is quiet and cool in the shadow of the church.

The food was a good as the setting, but we ate it before we could take a picture.

Today was Mike's first day of teaching. Sue spent the day shopping. We both had fun.

Special thanks to Bridget, who posts comments from time to time. You will be rewarded. :>

Sunday in the Park

2006-07-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Letna Park, that is, an easy subway or tram ride across the Vltava River from the tourist center. The main attraction of the park is the spectacular view of the Prague center:

Last night we attended a Czech National Symphony Orchestra performance of "Carmina Burana" in the Old Municipal Building, an Art Nouveau extravaganza. The orchestra (fabulous) was huge, with every instrument you could name; the choir (also fabulous), some of whom were from Hartwick College in New York, had to number 150+; and three soloists (so-so) rounded out the throng on stage. Overall, a most satisfactory evening.

A Walk Through Vysehrad

2006-07-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

But before our walk, here's our "home" for the next two weeks, Accome Hotel Julis. It also has a small kitchenette with water-boiler, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, an assortment of dishes and utensils and a small dishwasher.

The breakfast buffet includes a wonderful assortment of breads, cheeses, meats, salads, eggs, jams and juices. No pork knuckle though.

Now, Vysehrad, which has a small v over the s and is pronounced something like "VEESH-eh-rod." Vysehrad is a neighborhood south of the main tourist area. The centerpiece is the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul -- one spire for each saint.

The doors of the church are especially spectacular. Note the mini Gothic arches within the big arches. We couldn't photograph the inside of the church, but it's highly ornate with paintings from the Art Nouveau period. Imagine Mucha-ish paintings of the saints.

And speaking of Art Nouveau, the cemetery adjacent to the church, which includes graves of many famous Czechs, includes many headstones in the Art Nouveau (or is it Art Deco?) style. Note the "typography" and design of the carving on this one:

The Famous Pork Knuckle

2006-07-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

Vegetarians, look away now. Mike says the pork knuckles are as good as ever. A pork knuckle with sauerkraut, pickle, mustard and fresh horseradish costs 199CZK, or about $6. Beer costs about $1.

Mike had his first meeting with his teaching assistants, Kirsten and Wendy, during this lunch. They seem to be enjoying Prague, especially the beer. This photo was taken at one of Prague's unique "tank" pubs where they serve brewery-fresh unpasteurized beer that is as smooth as silk. No wonder everyone is smiling!

Return to Prague

2006-07-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

We and our luggage had an uneventful journey to Prague. Our hotel this year is Accome Hotel Julis, right on Wenceslas Square. The room is a studio apartment with a small kitchen (motto: "more like home"). Our room does not face the square so we may be spared the noise of the never-ending throng on the square. We met up with some of our AIPES crew (you'll see pictures of them later) and Mike is preparing for the work part of this trip.

After Riga and Vilnius, Prague is a Big City with lots and lots and lots of tourists and activity. We'll need to pick up our pace here.

One interesting experience has been that Google knows where your computer is. In Riga, Google searches gave us Google Latvia; in Lithuania, Google Lithuania; in the Czech Republic — you get the idea.

And, thanks for the comments! Nice to hear from you!

Churches of Vilnius

2006-07-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Vilnius is a city of churches, mostly Roman Catholic, several Russian Orthodox, one or two Protestant and a synagogue that seems to have been restored. People seem to be very religious, and not just the old-timers.

Is anyone reading this? If so, how about a comment, if only to say hi.

Markets and Castles

2006-07-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

Our Latvian friend Boriss wonders why tourists seem to love central markets, like the one in Riga or Pike Place market in Seattle. Perhaps we love them because they are nothing like a typical U.S. or European grocery store. Old fashioned markets are personal in a way that grocery stores can never be. Maybe it is the personal element — knowing who cuts the meat or bakes the bread — that accounts for the fascination we have with these markets.

Most of the Vilnius market that we saw is meat, and most of the meat is pork or beef — all parts of the animals. The meat market is in an immaculate hall, with each vendor at his or her area. The meat is in large slabs; the vendor cuts off what you want. Another area of the market is fruits and vegetables. We wish you could smell the lovely, fresh strawberries. Then there is a row of older women selling small amounts of what is obviously produce from their garden.

Tuesday, we took a guided bus to tour Trakai and its island castle. It was the residence of the 14th century's Grand Duke Vytautus, a Lithuanian icon. The castle is in the center of a lake surrounded by water. Many Lithuanians were escaping the heat with a swim, which was tempting. Our guide was a young woman who recently completed her master's degree in linguistics.

One of our tour group members was Enzo, an 86-year-old from Terni, Italy. He speaks no English (or Lithuanian, for that matter). He is energetic, charming and took pictures of everything and every one. Our modest tourist Italian language skills actually came in useful to keep track of Enzo. Note the necktie in the colors of the Italian flag, dotted with soccer balls.

World Cup Sunday in Vilnius

2006-07-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

We had said we wanted to find a pub in Vilnius to watch the World Cup final, and that's almost what we did. We had dinner in a cellar restaurant called Lokys that offered the game on a big screen. The crowd mostly favored France, but the Italian contingent held its own in the cheering department. The game was broadcast in Lithuanian, of course, but it didn't matter; sports commentary is probably the same in any language. We were among those favoring Italy, so were pleased with the result.

We spent most of the day escaping the heat. The wonderful Hotel Rinno moved us to a room with air conditioning. I think the staff took pity on us because we probably were a hot, sorry sight. The AC isn't cold enough to form icicles on your nose, but it does offer some relief. And the room is much larger.

Other distractions from the heat included an organ concert at St. Casimir's church and a beer at an outdoor cafe.

Hot Times in Vilnius

2006-07-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

It's 90 degrees today and everyone agrees that's hot. It makes the beer taste that much better. Vilnius is much different than Riga; it doesn't feel as medieval or as Nordic. The Old Town is still (sensibly) a walking area, which is good for tourists. Additionally, Vilnius has free wireless Internet access in the central city -- very sensible.

It didn't take long for Sue to find mittens

But the treasure was Ludmila and her hand-knit lace shawls, which she sells for the equivalent of $35-$75. A Lithuanian-American couple and a Russian woman helped me speak with Ludmila, who said the yarn comes from goats from Russia. Sue said "Orenburg?" and Ludmila nodded and said, "Orenburg."

A Little of This, a Little of That

2006-07-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

Our Thursday tourism included a melange of sightseeing, starting with churches, including St. John's. The style is much simpler than but just as beautiful as the highly decorated churches we have seen elsewhere in Europe.

Always on the lookout for socks and mittens, although the hot weather kind of diminishes interest in heavy knitted goods.

The highlight of the day was meeting with friends who were Mike's students in Prague last summer. Andris, Juris, Elina and Boriss are all very bright, highly capable and great fun. Andris will is going to Boston next year to study for his MBA at Babson; Juis is working in finance in Riga before he decides his next move; Elina will complete her bachelor's degree in France; and Boriss will study for his master's in economics at the Central European University in Budapest. It was a pleasure to see them again.

We had dinner at an atmospheric medieval cellar restaurant, lit only by candelight, featuring foods and recipes of the 14th century.

Riga Arts

2006-07-06T00:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Wednesday) was arts day. We visited the Museum of Applied Decorative Arts, in the oldest stone building in Riga. Most of the items displayed were from the 1930s and 1940s and then from the 1970s and later, which may reflect what was going on politically. Sue gravitated toward the weavings; Mike especially liked the glass and furniture.

In the evening, we went to a concert in the Smaller Guild Hall, part of a Mozart festival. We heard two trios and a sonata. The pianist-leader looked at the small audience, said that it appeared we were all foreigners so he would make his remarks in English. It's true that we were probably all foreigners, but most of us were German-speaking. But, as we've discovered, English is the language of tourism.

We've seen very few Americans on this trip, a lot of Brits and many Germans.

Touring Riga

2006-07-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

Good news! Luggage arrived, Italy is in the Word Cup final. We're enjoying Riga, although the hot weather and cobble streets make our touring pace kind of slow.

Riga architecture is fascinating. We especially liked the black cat building and the Art Deco buildings. The Old Town and neighboring areas are all walkable.

We strolled through the Central Market this morning, where you can buy everything and anything. The main market is in five old zeppelin buildings and overflows into every square foot of pathway and street in the vicinity in the summer. Whole sections of the market are devoted to cheese, to bread, to meat, to fish (including smoked fish), plus clothes, shoes, cosmetics, toys, underwear, tools, garden supplies -- you name it. Strawberries, rhubarb and cherries were in good supply at $1 a pound or less.

Sue stumbled on a yarn store with many of the Italian and German yarn at screamingly good prices. Italian mohair-silk laceweight at $4 a ball. Another visit is in order before we leave.

Welcome to Riga

2006-07-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

We are in Riga; our luggage is somewhere between Copenhagen and Riga. Apparently the Copenhagen airport had major luggage problems yesterday. In spite of being slightly travel-grubby, we like Riga so far. Mike has eaten his first pork cutlet and Sue has seen her first pair of knit Latvian socks.

What's it Tahuya?

2006-07-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

Our July travels began in Tahuya. Tahuya is not an Eastern European city, but a small town on the north shore of Hood Canal in Washington state. Town motto: What's it Tahuya? Tahuya celebrates July 4 with a chaming community festival and parade, where neighbors catch up, raise money for good causes and have agood time. For the parade, local folks build floats and throw candy to the kids.

We'll spend the next many hours lining up, waiting and sitting in airports and on airplanes. We've heard good things about SAS, and just hope they are true. See you in Riga!

Where to now?

2006-06-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

"Where are you going next?" Since you asked, we're off to Riga, Latvia; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Prague, Czech Republic. We have not been to Riga or Vilnius, so that's new territory. We spent last July in Prague, and are delighted to return.

Our friends Nancy and Michael would add: "What did you eat?" "What did you buy?" We hope to answer those questions and more in this (experimental) travel blog.

To answer a few other questions you might ask at this point: Yes, we're packed (almost). Yes, Sue has identified her travel knitting projects. Yes, we have a house-minder on board. And, yes, we're excited about going.

Our next post probably will be closer to departure. We hope you enjoy travelling with us.