Munch museum

Munch was a prolific painter. His most famous was the Scream. I think his paintings are dark and are indicative of a tortured soul. I see bits of other famous artists in his work - Picasso, Gaugin and Monet.

The museum has a larger collection of his work than I anticipated. And it wasn't everything.

On the plus side, we got in free because it was 30 minutes before closing time. On the negative side, that probably wasn't enough time.

In the book.

Viking ship museum

Skol!
This is in the book.

The outside of the building looks like a church. The inside is four large wings. Three of them have recovered or reproduced Viking ships. Way back in the day the Vikings were "kings" of ship building, and the waters in and around Scandinavia.


I would not have wanted to sail in these ships. I couldn't handle the trip. They aren't ships the way we use the term today. They were big (for the times), but toally open. No indoor space.

The museum also included artifacts recovered when some of the ships were dug up. Yes, dug up. They buried these ships with their captains as a large and ornate coffin. That seems like way too much work!

The museum did not have benches, but portable chairs you could carry with you and sit wherever you want. I loved the chairs! All museums should have these.

St. Tropez

St. Tropez is also in "the book" but I don't really know why. It isn't a beach town, but it does have a lovely port. It does have beaches, but they are several miles away.

St. Tropez is difficult to reach and not really worth the effort.

Lunch in Cannes

Cannes, France is home of the famed film festival, and the home of the Carlton Hotel. The Carlson was featured in Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief." The hotel is in "the book" so of course I went in for visit. It looks different than I expected based on the movie, but it is a very pretty hotel.


And the beach is much smaller than I expected. But, this was our best weather day of the entire trip so we ate lunch on the beach at a restaurant that Brad Pitt alledgedly ate at.

Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence - in "the book."

I was very conflicted on this one because I am a big fan of Rick Steves, and he said Aix is not a must see. It doesn’t have ruins, or significant museums. But it was a quaint town so we drove around, found a main thoroughfare and had a fabulous dinner.

Les Baux-de-Provence

Les Baux de Provence - in “the book.”

The very top part of Baux is known as the Dead City….ruins from long ago. It was very difficult for me to imagine living there – now or when it was built. I also can’t imagine how they built it. I think I can guess why they built here – easy to defend, and…..

The views in this area are breathtaking. But the wind was intense. Andy threw a rock and the wind brought it right back to him.

The lower part of Baux is a restored village filled with quaint shops and little restaurants. I did some shopping – hoping that part of the money I spend in places like this goes to helping keep it for future generations.

Baux is out of the way, but I am glad we made the trip.

Vincent Van Gogh was in a mental institution near here.

Arles Amphitheatre

Arles Amphitheatre - in “the book.”

It is pretty easy to find a huge coliseum / amphitheater / arena in a small French town. Arles has many Roman ruins, but the coliseum is the main feature. And…the ruins are in a compact area thereby limiting the amount of walking required.

The coliseum is being restored, but it is in really good shape considering its age. I am so amazed at what people built thousands of years ago without the technology we have today. The coliseum has many creepy, dark alcoves and hiding spots. I would not want to be there in the dark.

The other impressive ruin in Arles is the Ancient Theatre. The stage is now very modern, but most of the seating is original. Lying around the area are some of the original columns and other artifacts from Roman times.

Arles is also known as the city where Vincent van Gogh lived and worked near the end of his life. He apparently painted many of his masterpieces here, but the local museum does not have any original art; so we skipped it. Van Gogh was living in Arles when he went mad and cut off his ear.

We visited a local cathedral. It is not an ornate cathedral – pretty plain actually – except for the beautiful stained glass. One section of the cathedral contains boxes with remains. I saw a skull. I could have skipped this part.

Vieux Nice

Vieux Nice = Old Nice

In "the book."

This is the type of neighborhood where you want to get lost. Don't use a map. Just wander around and see where the winding streets take you. You can't really get lost because of the geography, so just go with the flow!

We walked through a market on the edge of Vieux Nice.



I stopped in a chuch that was built in 1640. I lit a candle there for the baby of a colleague. (This one's for you Kaylee Hope!)

I saw maybe a dozen art studio/stores. I love to buy from local, struggling artists. I didn't buy anything though because I saw too many beautiful things and couldn't decide.

I saw pretty fountains and was mooned by a pigeon who was bathing in one of them.


I ate passion fruit gelato.

I ate in a Dutch restaurant. (Yep, this was a bit strange in this part of France, but it was tasty.)


We climbed up to Castle Hill and saw beautiful panoramic views of the Mediterranean. We also stopped and played in a playground.

We saw a Shiba Inu as we were walking down the hill. He was just as stuck-up as my Shiba. I always miss my pup when I am traveling. (My prayer to all of the missing Shibas and humans in Japan.)

Eze

Eze is a medieval town in France between Nice and Monaco. And, it is in "the book."

I applaud the courage and determination it must have taken all of those years ago to build this town on a cliff. What a huge challenge, but worth the view and location! It was cloudy when we arrived so we couldn't see the Mediterranean, but I can image what it should look like.

Eze reminded me of Mont Saint Michel - narrow, winding streets that were not built for high heels. I wasn't wearing high heels because I know better!

Eza had a really cool garden.


There are many cute, quaint little shops on/in Eze. I have mixed feelings about that part of tourism, on a site that is so important it was included in "the book." I suppose selling stuff to us tourists helps everyone here financially, but I didn't go to Eze to buy stuff.

My little rant - I was reminded in Eze of something about France that drives me crazy -- the lack of public restrooms. Very frustrating! But a very nice man who runs the Eze gas station (yep, there is only one) let me use his bathroom. We "rewarded" his generosity by buying a bottle of water from him that we didn't really need.

The Book

I am referring to my travel bible, not the real Bible. (No disrespect meant to The Book.)

Yes, I still have a goal of getting to 50% of the places featured in "1,000 places to see before you die." I leave in two weeks for another trip - spring break in Tokyo. This will be my second, and probably last, visit to Japan. So....out comes the book to see what I missed during my first trip.

Dang, nothing! Been there, done that. It will still be a fabulous trip; and I will blog about what I do and see. Maybe I will find something worthy of being included in the book.

There is a slim chance the weather will be warm enough for cherry blossom viewing. I've seen them in DC, but it would be super cool to see them in Japan.

Sedona

Sedona, Arizona!

Just as beautiful as I imagined, but more touristy than I expected. It is a little cool there in January, but that probably kept most of the tourists away.

The colors of the Red Rock are amazing, especially in the places where the sun enhances them.

Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa

It was just as beautiful as I imagined it would be. This picture was taken from the golf course's pro shop. I only did a quick drive-by. I still hope someday to be able to actually stay here, even if it is for a single night.

The Biltmore is one of the 1,000 places I was supposed to see before I die.

Dublin, day two

The Book of Kells - in the book
Shelbourne hotel - in the book

The Book of Kells is in Trinity College. It is a historically significant book and extremely rare. It was hand painted. However, it was difficult to actually see because of being kept in a dark room, and trying to fight dozens of other people to get close enough to try and read it.

Shelbourne hotel is one of those hotels that I will never stay at, but was neat to see. I was greeted by men in top hats.

We took a double-decker bus tour around Dublin. It is a great way to see lots without killing my feet. We sat on the top deck. One of the highlights was seeing a naked guy in his condo. He obviously knew he could be seen and didn't care. It made me giggle.

We went back to The Temple Bar to listen to Irish music. It was a group of three men and they were very good.

I am glad to have experienced and seen Dublin. I wouldn't make a point of returning, but mostly because there are so many other places on my travel bucket list.

There were five of us on this trip and here are our nicknames:
Me - boots
Jennie - sassy pants and tiny bladder
Jeff - smasher and Jeff-Jeff
Dave - Guinness Master
Nevenka - long pour

Use your imagination. I'm afraid I am not at liberty to explain the origins of the nicknames. You really had to be there!

Dublin, day one

New country alert -- Ireland!

Guinness factory - not in the book

Dublin pub experience - in the book

I don't like Guinness. Everyone said it was "smoother" and would taste better at the source. That may be true, but I am too much of a wimp to drink such a heavy beer. The factory tour was neat though and their gift shop was amazing.

We went to two pubs. They were fun and both had live music. Jeff dumped his beer and broke his beer glass and our section of the pub broke out in laughter and merriment. He was the first of three and each generated the same response.

The first pub was Temple Bar, which is famous -- apparently. We sat next to a giant statue of Arthur Guinness.

I drank Corona. I do like my light, Mexican beer.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

I admit it - I only went to this museum because it is in "the book." But.... I am really glad I did. The courtyard alone is worth a visit. It is so beautiful I could have spent the whole afternoon there. Pretty flowers and ferns - very well maintained. I especially liked the mosaic tile floor in the middle. It would be a great place for a wedding.

There are some really impressive pieces at this museum, and they had a huge theft 20 years ago; but there were entirely too many religious pieces. IMHO (I am considering starting a new list - the number of Mary and baby Jesus paintings I have seen in museums.)

Sadly, the theft included a Vermeer.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod is in "the book." It is lovely here. More great seafood at very low prices....low compared to Minnesota. I am not tired of lobster yet.

The water is chilly, but I still love the beaches. The houses are adorable. This is the kind of place where I'd love to rent a house for a week or more. I can spend many hours sitting on a beach doing nothing....or reading...or people watching...or doing nothing.

Some kids were surfing off one of the beaches today. The waves weren't really big, but I guess they were big enough.

Maine

Two days - and two states I hadn't been to before.

I really liked Maine. It reminds me of Minnesota, but with an ocean and cheaper seafood.

I hit one place from "the book" - White Barn Inn. Very lovely and elegant hotel and restaurant. The first car I saw in the parking lot was a Bentley. We had dinner reservations - until I found out a jacket was required. We didn't really bring the right clothes for a place with a dress code.

We drove out to Walker's Point in Kennebunkport. This is where President Bush's Maine get-away is located.

Kennebunkport is a cute little town - exactly as I had pictured it. Nice shops and easy to get around.

We had lunch at Federal Jack's. The food was good, and we had an excellent view of the harbor.

Freedom Trail

We walked the Freedom Trail today. It is in "the book."

Mostly marked by red brick, the Freedom Trail winds through Boston. It takes you by many significant buildings/sights; such as Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere's house, Granary Cemetery, Boston Common and MA State House.

We had lunch at Quincy Market. Wow! Many great food options in one building. But....I don't like paying $3 for a soda - unless I am at a sporting event.

We passed 5 Dunkin' Donuts along the Freedom Trail. In fact, Boston has more Dunkin' Donuts than any other city I've ever been in.

UK 15 March

I was working, but took detours to knock two cathedrals off of my list from "1000 places to see before you die."



Cathedral Church of St. Andrew in Wells - interior picture is from this church

Salisbury Cathedral - outside pic is from this church

I was amazed at how large the Salisbury Cathedral is. You can see the steeple for miles...and miles...and miles. And it is impressive standing in front of it.

Vail

Vail is one of the places listed in my book. This is my first trip here and so far it is awesome. However, I have not yet been skiing. I am a little nervous since I just started skiing again after a long absence.

I am not going to fall and injure myself. Or anyone else.

Repeat after me....

I am NOT going to fall and injure myself.

Vail Village is very cute and quaint. This is exactly the type of trip I really needed.

Some people think I am crazy for leaving the snow of Minnesota for the snow of Colorado; but it is very different here. There are actual mountains!