April in the Mediterranean — First Step, Chicago O’Hare

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Barcelona to Athens April 3-24, 2023

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https://proventsystems.com/7jys2mk3stp “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.” ~ Pico Iyer

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Overnight Delivery Ambien Online We had United/Lufthansa flights, Chicago O’Hare to Frankfurt Germany to Barcelona. We had a tight 1:35-minute connection in Frankfurt and a delay in Chicago cut that to 55 minutes. Still, we had enough time to make our connection. Be advised: there is a long flight of stairs going up from the airplane to the terminal, then there is a 15-minute walk to security. Once through security, there is another 15-minute walk to the regional jets. We arrived at 5:30AM so the airport was not crowded — I’m sure that made a difference. We had only had carry-on luggage — hard for the stairs, but otherwise worked fine—thus there was no need to worry about transferred luggage. Lufthansa was checking the weight of economy baggage and refusing those bags weighing more than 17 pounds. If you were in business class, no worries. Plenty of room for carry-on in Business.

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https://www.larochellevb.com/2024/01/31/96hbskbfn https://overflowdata.com/uncategorized/gdmpen2yv5 Hotel Nobu Barcelona
Easy to find Viking representatives at the luggage carousels. Just follow the luggage/exit signs. Small vans were there to take us to the hotel. Our FRA-BCN flight was delayed 30 minutes due to airspace restrictions because of the French air controller strikes. We arrived in BCN at 10:00 and were in our hotel room by 11:15. Nobu has Viking down to a science. There were 331 passengers from both the Star and Jupiter for the extensions. Four reps handled questions, made reservations, and offered restaurant recommendations for the Star, another set of reps served the Jupiter passengers. There was an optional Viking walking tour of Barcelona late afternoon of the day before embarkation. $59 per person. We didn’t go since we’d made Park Guell and Sagrada Familia reservations three months ago. (If you want to see the highlights, get advanced tickets. Folks were disappointed to find out main attractions were sold out. Research before you hop on your flight unless you’re satisfied with Viking planning and providing your Barcelona experience. The hotel is lovely and very modern, the staff is helpful. Included breakfast is what you’d expect. Basic buffet with paid options such as omelets and special order eggs. We ate there the first morning, otherwise went in search of local places. Found a great Catalan dining spot three blocks from the hotel. Brassos Bier.

https://www.eastcotesignanddisplay.co.uk/kduthez9di The train station is right across the street from Nobu — underground connections for regional trains/trams and the metro. (Barcelona Sants) We bought a 48-hour Hola travel card for about 16 euros each and took the metro to and from Sagrada Familia, and busses to museums. Recommend using public transportation if you are a seasoned or adventurous traveler and you are mobile. Stairs departing and arriving, not all stations provide services for reduced mobility folks. It worked for us but we had some moments of confusion. An accommodating attendant smoothed the way, but it took some perseverance to find an English-speaking attendant when we ran into issues with the machine refusing our ticket! The train station across the street from the hotel also has many stores — think clothing, luggage, food market, and more. Also, a well-stocked Pharmacy (Farmacia) if you need any last-minute medical stuff. Remember, the pharmacies in Spain are more like urgent care in the States.

Traveling to Cuba – The Beginning

Why We Planned a Trip to a Warmer Clime ©2019 Bo Mackison

source url February 20. There were lots of reasons to travel to Cuba this winter. The weather in Wisconsin was a big factor.

Traveling with Tom Bihn © 2019 Bo Mackison

https://www.ipasticcidellacuoca.com/az7bxnv I packed two suitcases to within a few ounces of our allowable limits. Since we were flying from Chicago O’Hare to embarkation destination of Miami, I packed our handy overnight bag with two changes of clothes, our necessaries, shoes (so we could leave our boots behind), a book for each of us, and a few art supplies.

https://bakingbrew.com/recipe/g95zayyt There are traditions. Whenever we fly from Chicago, we make time for a stop at one of our favorite pizza places.

Weather? Check!

https://ipaxcabinetsdirect.com/uncategorized/tob5xc6gmq4 A quick check of the weather in Cuba vs. the weather in Wisconsin confirms what we expected. The weather will be about 70˚ wartmer in Cuba than back home.

Day 1: In Copenhagen

https://feriadelavivienda.co/uj8qwqmure Copenhagen September 24, 2018 7:50 PM

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https://www.broommanufacturers.com/2024/01/31/q1xmegpm Clouds Meet Us Over Denmark © 2018 Bo Mackison

https://nycfoodguy.com/2024/01/31/obx4yl8sn We are here. I don’t need to describe the flight other than to say I am so grateful that my fear of flying did not keep me from this trip. We left Chicago at 10 PM and arrived in Copenhagen at 1 PM. There’s a seven-hour time difference.

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follow url Baggage Claim. It Says “Copenhagen!” ©2018 Bo Mackison

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OH, I AM happy to be here. My eyes teared up when I handed my passport to the Border Agent.  She looked at it, then looked up at me, and said: “This is your first stamp.” And I nodded. (I’ve been to other countries—Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean – but never one requiring a passport stamp.)

There are millions of bicycle riders and they have their own bike lanes and their own traffic signals. This requires caution on the part of pedestrians unused to such traffic volumes. Extreme caution required.

This is a City Of Bicycles © 2018 Bo Mackison

It started raining, then it started sleeting. We were only a few blocks from the hotel, so Bob went back to the hotel in search of the umbrella. And I sheltered next to a tall building. Hundreds of bicycles were parked outside. I was still waiting outside the building for Bob and the needed umbrella at 5 o’clock – quitting time. Women and men poured from the entrance, and most of them headed to the rows of bicycles, grabbed one, and peddled off. Fast and ferocious.

“These people are beautiful people,” I thought. I was impressed with their athleticism. Lots of black clothing–black leather pants and black mini skirts and layers of blouses and sweaters and scarves. A bit of gray for contrast, but mostly layers of black. I was impressed–they looked strong and fit. And happy. And courageously crazy for biking in this traffic!

Suddenly I want to take up bicycling and wear all black!

Ordering our First Coffee Was a Challenge! ©2018 Bo Mackison

We didn’t know how to order coffee! It was sleeting and we were walking down the street just getting our bearings and suddenly the sleet changed to hurling ice pellets and we needed shelter – fast. We ducked into a place called ROAST Coffee. There were so many options on the chalkboard, and we got tongue-tied. We were nervous. Yes. Nervous ordering coffee. Finally, we ordered “an Americano.” It seemed safe! (It was also the last Americano we ordered for the duration as we quickly discovered how to speak the coffee language in Scandinavia. Mostly I went for cappuccino. Because, yummy!)

Andersen Bakery — Highly Recommended © 2018 Bo Mackison

More walking. Actually, there was more gaping than walking. The tiny shops, the cobblestone sidewalks, the bicycles. Then it was time to eat. Again. Google maps gave us lots of options, but either we couldn’t find the places or once we looked in the windows we decided it wasn’t quite right. We ended up at Andersen Bakery. Delicious choice!  We had sandwiches, but I can’t tell you what was inside my sandwich. I was too over-the-moon happy with the bread. We also bought 6 filled pastry squares to eat once back to the hotel. Yum. 5 stars!

The evening light was lovely, and so we walked along the harbor and I took a hundred photos of the sky and the harbor and the buildings across the water. I guess the earlier rain was worth it, for the clouds were beautiful.

Copenhagen Harbor, Tour Boat, with Royal Library in the Background © 2018 Bo Mackison

Graffiti along the Copenhagen Harbor © 2018 Bo Mackison

Copenhagen Harbor © 2018 Bo Mackison

My “big” camera jammed in the first half hour of shooting. Maybe it’s a blessing, for it is surely easier to manage an iPhone vs. a camera bag with lenses, etc. Still…not exactly what I had hoped for.

The First Beer – a Belgian Brown ©2018 Bo Mackison

Last we searched for a bar so Bob could sample his first beer on European soil. We found the Café Langebro near the Langebro Bridge and the Copenhagen Harbor. It was a good choice. Mostly locals and a cozy place and dozens of beers from which to choose.

Now to eat the pastries and sleep the sleep of the jet-lagged.

 

Be an Opener of Doors

“Be an opener of doors” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

A few weeks ago, as I neared the departure time for a long-anticipated, long-planned for journey, I thought about doors and portals and thresholds. I chose the traveling theme “DOORS” and planned to take a photograph and/or write a few words with that theme in mind whenever the opportunity felt right.

Doors and thresholds and portals – to new and exciting places. Stepping through bus doors and plane doors and hotel doors; past doors that have witnessed centuries of human existence– some moments heartbreaking, some humbling, some honorable; through doors that lead to all sorts of mystical, magical places.

I like the thought that going through the threshold of a door takes only a single step. And that is what every journey is — a single step at a time.

Through an architectural passage or embarking on plane or train? Yes. But also a step into the unknown, through fears and all sorts of unnamed resistance. Every passage through every portal is a small victory, stepping from the known into the unknown, experiencing the ordinary which is at the same time extraordinary.

Closing one door and opening another to a whole new adventure, to a new discoveries of meaning and beauty in unusual places and things.

There are times when beauty reveals itself slowly. Human culture seems to build its temples of meaning in the wrong places, in the garish marketplaces of transient fashion and public image. Beauty tends to avoid the siren call of the obvious. Away from the blatant center, it prefers the neglected margin. Beyond the traffic of voyeuristic seeing, beauty waits until the patience and depth of a gaze are refined enough to engage and discover it. In this sense, beauty is not a quality externally present in something. It emerges at the threshold where reverence of mind engages the subtle presence of the other person, place or object.” ~ John O’Donohue, Beauty

Here are a few of the doors/portals/thresholds I either passed through or passed by on my recent travels:

  1. My door at home, taken as we passed through on our way to a two week adventure, our first travels across the pond to Europe.
  2. The door to the Van Galder bus which took us on the first leg of our trip — from the Memorial Union at University of Wisconsin Madison to O’Hare International Airport.
  3. The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, an hour’s train ride north of Copenhagen. One of our first experiences with the vast and efficient public transportation system in Europe. By asking lots of questions and getting the train station’s information guide to write out the destination (unintelligible to my ears because of the Danish accent) we arrived where we wanted to go. Amazing!
  4. Very red tunnel with sun-light “doors” which led to the Van Gogh exhibit at the ARKEN Museum of Modern Art. The ARKEN was a 30 minute ride from Copenhagen’s Central Station and gave us our first opportunity to experience train travel in Europe.
  5. Jeppe Hein’s Cage and Mirror stands near the bridge entrance to the ARKEN Museum.
  6. Passage from the Constellation Room to the Winter Garden on the ship Viking Sky.

  1. Door leading to the soldiers’ quarters at Kastellet (Citadel) in Copenhagen, the installation dates from 1663.
  2. The Norway Gate of the Kastellet with guard and entry gate, now more of a park and historical fort than an operating military installation, although it still has its own soldiers quartered on the grounds. Built in 1663.
  3. Amalienborg, the royal family’s residence in Copenhagen. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary live here with their four children. Whenever they are present, the guards protect the residence. They carry automatic weapons; the changing of the guard is not just for show.
  4. Gothenburg, Sweden. Gate to an overlook of the city proper.
  5. Side entrance to the Masthugget Church in Gothenburg, Sweden. Built in 1914 on a high hill close to the city, it’s a striking sight from afar.
  6. Guard entry to the Akershus Fortress, still a military installation though it is open to daytime visitors. Parts of the complex date to the 1290s.

  1. Gate at Akershus Fortress, Oslo.
  2. Interior courtyard door at Aalborghus Castle in Aalborg, Denmark. Half-timbered castle built by King Christian III from 1539 to around 1555 as a fortification.
  3. Door to the dungeon where a woman of noble birth, accused of witchcraft, was held until trial. An Aalborg legend.
  4. Door of the house built in 1624 by Jens Bang, a wealthy merchant, and for more than 300 years, the building had been the home of Aalborg’s oldest pharmacy.
  5. A peek into a garden courtyard in one of the oldest residential areas in Aalborg.
  6. Pretty houses/doorways in historic Aalborg.

  1. Decorated door in Fredericia, Denmark. Neighbors and friends decorate doors for memorable occasions, typically a 25th or 50th wedding anniversary, though this door’s decor celebrated newlyweds.
  2. Kiel Maritime Museum. Interior door.
  3. A peek into the courtyard between the Hamburg (Germany) City Hall — more like a state capitol as Hamburg is a city-state — and the Hamburg Stock Exchange. Fountain of Hygenia, an important goddess who’s a symbol for hygiene. (Dating back to when sewers were open and flowing in the streets, she was of great importance…)
  4. Doors of St. Peter’s Church, parts of which date from 1100s. Hamburg Germany.
  5. Entrance to Hamburg’s City Hall building.
  6. A home on a canal in Amsterdam. Shiny white walls, red bricks, and a black door. In this historic area, these are some of the “allowable” colors for buildings.

 

LOST AND FOUND – A Transformational Travel Experience

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https://www.larochellevb.com/2024/01/31/bx4au9q “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

For nearly a decade, I spent the winter months in Arizona. I drove from Wisconsin to Arizona after the Christmas holidays and returned to Madison in early May. The time in solitude, challenging in many ways, was also life-affirming and regenerative. I cherished those sunny days in the desert and yet I missed Wisconsin. When May arrived I was always ready to return to family and friends and to the Midwest’s more moderate clime.

On May 1st, 2014 I began the 2,000-mile solo drive from southern Arizona to Madison.

On the second day out, I left a motel in Sedona at sunrise, eager to be in Santa Fe by early evening. But when I turned the key in the ignition all the warning bells and whistles on the dashboard started flashing and beeping. Sedona would have been a great place to be stranded, but there was no available Subaru mechanic and so my car was towed to Flagstaff. After two days of delay, I was told there was a head gasket issue which would require a lengthy stay in the repair shop. The shop assistant set me up with a loaner car with unlimited miles and said, “Come back in a week.”

I had an unexpected week to explore northern Arizona, a region I had never really explored. Yay!

I headed north from Flagstaff, Arizona and took the scenic route. I was on my way to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. I planned to meet a photographer I knew only from her online photo blog who worked as a Park Ranger during the North Rim’s short summer season.

On the second day of my unexpected adventure, I stopped at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and asked the Park Rangers to recommend a hike. They suggested the Toadstool Trail, a mile and a half long trek through balanced rocks and hoodoos in Utah’s Escalante Wilderness.

“Be sure to hike past the first toadstool,” one ranger said. “The toadstool garden is quite the thing to see.”

While browsing the park literature, a line from a National Park Service brochure caught my eye:

enter “offers…extraordinary insight into what sustains, maintains, and explains our world.”

Sustains. Maintains. Explains. Yes, that was exactly why I explored the wilderness of the Southwest.

At the trailhead, I checked my hiking pack. My Sonoran Desert gear was appropriate for high desert country.  I was on a marked trail so I didn’t need much. It was mid-afternoon and I knew I’d have good hiking light for several hours. The temperatures, hovering in the low 90s, would soon cool and make for a more comfortable experience.

I was twenty yards down the level trail when I reconsidered my choices and went back to my car for my hiking stick and extra water. I tried to relay my hiking plans to my friend, something I always do when I’m solo hiking, but I was in a “no service” area. Still, I was on a popular trail, so I didn’t consider this a problem. Off I went.

The trail followed a sandy wash for the first half mile, then wove around sculptured slick rock. Small daisy-like wildflowers bloomed in abundance. I took lots of photographs, lingering at scenic spots, but then, every place I looked was a scenic spot. Formations of striped red and white made for a stunning backdrop. The sky was azure blue and cloudless.

Two twenty-something hikers passed me on their return and I heard them marveling at the hoodoos and balanced rocks.

“The toadstools,” they thrilled to each other. “They really look like toadstools. It’s amazing.”

I reached the first toadstool, a thirty-foot beauty standing in solitude. A group of tourists from California was gathered at its base, taking photographs. They assured me that the toadstool garden was just beyond the white escarpment, exactly how the ranger had described it.

“How’s the trail?” I asked.

“There’s some scrambling through the rocks. But the garden’s so worth the climb.”

I was good to go, grateful I’d brought my hiking stick. The backcountry was rocky and uneven, and there was a modest climb in elevation.

Cairns marked the dusty trail. I wound through narrow channels and crossed long benches of red rock. When I finally reached the garden, it was, indeed, well worth the effort. It was difficult to photograph because of the  shadows, but the scenery to the west was strikingly wild, eery, otherworldly.

I’d been out on the trail a couple of hours, appreciating the solitude and sights, but I needed to get back on the road so I retraced my steps along the trail. But as I was scrambling through a narrow pock-marked passage in the chalky rock, I realized I’d crawled over these rock formations before. I was walking in a circle.

I retraced my steps to the last cairn, but no matter which trail I followed, I kept coming back to the same formations. I was walking in a wide circle, following a path half hidden in rocky crevices. The trail disappeared as I searched for a new route and I realized that I was alone and lost in a tangle of rock hoodoos.

I didn’t panic but instead tried to sort out the facts. I had plenty of time. It was evening, but the days were lengthening. It would be light for another hour. Again I carefully retraced my steps, but I the turn or switchback that would lead me to the main trail eluded me. I began feeling frightened and I remained calm.

Deep breaths. I checked my pack. I had enough water, a few trail bars and some dried fruit. I didn’t have a  flashlight or any type of protective cover. I had a whistle and an extra bandana. I could make do.

I considered my options. Sleep under a ledge for some protection and warmth? Lean against the rocks and stay awake? It was only for one night. There would be hikers on the trail in the morning. I’d never spent the night unprepared and alone in the wilderness. Was this going to be the night?

I considered the merits of spending the night in high country, alone except for the vast desert rock and the night sky, with rock as my bed and starshine and moonlight as my lanterns. It would be challenging, but doable. It might even be enjoyable.

I’d settled into a rocky depression, and was watching for the first stars of the evening to appear, when I saw two hikers maneuvering along a rocky ledge, high on the opposite side of the crevice. I whistled three sharp blows. They looked towards the sound and saw me. We communicated using hand signals and shouts. They realized quickly that I was off trail and couldn’t find the path.

They had a height advantage. They scanned the rocky puzzle below them, considering the rocks, the paths. Then they pointed the way, guiding me through the deep shadowed crevices and around boulders. Finally, I scrambled up a rocky wall and I was once again on the trail.

We walked together towards the road. At the first solitary toadstool, they asked if I would take their photo – they were father and son, New Yorkers, on their annual visit to the Utah Wilderness and wanted a memento.

Once we were on the more-established trail, I slowed down, motioned them to go ahead. I needed some quiet time to think about this experience, the realization that I’d been lost and had not panicked, that I was capable of spending a night alone in the wilderness of the red rocks.

It was in getting lost, that I had indeed discovered innate strengths I had not known I possessed.

It was in the getting lost that I actually found myself.