Author Archives: DebHallSF

Belize

28 Nov – 3 Dec 2023

I took a six-day trip to Belize, half of it spent in transit. I had planned to be there for another week on a sailboat but tested positive for covid right before boarding. 😦

Tuesday, 28 November – In transit

Anne picked me up at 5:45 and gave me a ride to the Airporter. (Thank you Anne )! I flew to LAX and met up with Harley, Nancy, Trish, and Dawnie. We flew in from three different directions. It took more than a half hour after my plane landed for me to get to the terminal, due to a long taxi followed by a long bus ride. Thankfully Harley bought a salad for me to eat on our flight to Belize City; they starting boarding when I got to the gate. It was dark and raining when we landed. We went through immigration then back through security for a short 15-minute flight to San Pedro on Ambergris Cay. The flight was full with 14 passengers; we took off a half hour early since all were there. It was raining when we landed. From that small airport it was a short van ride to our hotel. It was about 20:00 Belize time (18:00 in SF) when walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Wednesday, 29 November – a wet day in San Pedro

We started out in a rented golf cart under grey skies with Dawnie at the wheel. There wasn’t much to see north of town, mostly flooded roadsides, decrepit and half-built buildings, so we drove back through town. It was a bumpy ride and Nancy’s back began to bother her, so she, Harley, and I decided to walk for a while. Bad timing. The clouds opened up and I discovered that my “waterproof” jacket was not; we were soaked by the time we met Trish and Dawnie at Pineapples. After lunch, we drove directly back to the hotel for a change of clothes, arriving just before an even bigger squall rolled through. We took our wet clothes to the front desk and they returned them later, dried and folded.

During a break between squalls, four of us walked back into town and wandered through the shops. It rained again but this time I stayed dry under a big umbrella borrowed from our hotel, the Blue Tang. I bought a souvenir hat and a yellow poncho since the weather forecast does not look promising. We had a short break in our rooms then caught a cab to dinner. We all enjoyed the delicious food. My ginger mint Paloma cocktail was tasty, and the Caribbean Chicken stuffed with chaya (a.k.a. Mayan tree spinach) and cheese was amazing. I also sampled Trish’s calamari and plantains which were perfectly prepared. Our taxi driver steered us well. We walked back in a light drizzle.

Thursday, 30 November – Ambergris Cay circumnavigation

Our prayers to the sun god worked; no rain fell on us today. After an early breakfast at our hotel we walked through town to Searious Adventures where we boarded a boat for a private tour around Ambergris Cay. In a narrow channel across the island we saw heron and iguana, then took a long rough ride to the ranger station at Barcalar Chico where we were greeted by two friendly, skinny dogs. We toured the small museum, which has a manatee skeleton, and climbed the observation tour. When we entered the narrow channel separating Belize from Mexico, the first mate asked us to get out our passports to have them stamped. Fortunately, he was kidding since none of us had ours (I left mine in the room safe after drying it with a hair dryer after yesterday’s downpour). This channel used to dead-end, but the Mayans expanded it long ago. We had to go outside the long reef that protects the coast to complete our circumnavigation; it reminded me of time my son, Alex, and I road the Lachine Rapids in Montreal, crash, crash, crash. We ate lunch on a beach – ceviche with conch caught and prepared along the way, and Mayan chicken, beans, and potatoes, prepared by our captain’s mother.

We stopped to snorkel in four locations, the last, in Hol Chan Marine Reserve, was by far the best. Unfortunately, just as I was about to take a picture of a long green morey eel, my camera flashed “Battery Exhaused”. I also missed photographing a nurse shark and small sea turtle. Our capitan dropped us off at the dock near our hotel saving us a walk back through town.

After a short break, we walked back into town for dinner at Caramba’s, where we picked out fish and had it cooked to order. My hogfish was good though hard to debone, the vegetables were perfectly cooked, and the key lime pie yummy. When I went to bed my right sinus was bothering me, a not uncommon occurrence, I assumed it had become irritated by sea water.

Friday, 1 December – Mainland tour: zoo and chocolate

We caught the 8:00 flight back to Belize City, where a van driver was waiting to take us to Placencia, the port city from which we will be sailing. We made several stops along the way, taking all day to travel what otherwise would take a few hours. Our first stop was the Belize Zoo. It’s a small zoo in a natural setting with old cages that let us get close to the animals. My favorites were the monkeys, tapir, jaguar, and owls. We had the place to ourselves for about an hour before a large bus full of tourists arrived. Our van driver knew the zoo well and we saw many animals we would have otherwise missed. Our next stop was Lamanai Chocolate Co where we were walked through the process of turning cocoa beans into a smooth chocolate paste – fermenting, drying, roasting, winnowing to separate shells from nibs, and grinding. Though I no longer eat much chocolate, I tried many samples. We picked up lunch and ate in the van, quesadillas for most of us, and arrived at our hotel an hour before dark.

I finally found a working ATM and got some Belize dollars after spending the few U.S. dollars I brought with me. Both are taken everywhere with a two-to-one exchange rate. After getting settled in our rooms and taking a siesta, we walked to a nearby restaurant, Rumfish y Vino, for dinner. Our waitress was grumpy and my salad was swimming in dressing, but the smoked mackerel spread with crostini was delicious.

Saturday, 2 December – Covid Strikes

When I woke up, my sinus was worse and I assumed I had a cold. After breakfast, a delicious Mango-Pineapple-Ginger-Yogurt smoothie at Shak, I bought salt so I could give my sinuses a saline rinse. I wore a mask, as did others, in our taxi ride to the sailing base. We stopped at a pharmacy on the way and I purchased a covid test anticipating it would be negative. I was wrong. For the first, I have covid! Sadly, I had to abandon the sail, and unfortunately for the first time in a dozen years I forget to get trip insurance.

I spent the rest of the day changing my travel plans and getting meds. Fortunately, Alaska was able to change my flight to the next day for only a minor price difference. I booked a room in Belize City and for no charge, Maya Air booked me on the next flight leaving in 20 minutes; I was the only passenger. Getting an anti-viral prescription was much more challenging. My advice: don’t get sick in Belize on a weekend, most pharmacies and clinics are closed. I stopped at several, called others, and gave up. Then after checking into my Airbnb, I took a wrong turn while going to the market and found a hospital. I was dripping with sweat in the sweltering waiting room by the time I was seen, sitting in the chair I had pulled in front of a fan. I was given five prescriptions and caught a cab to the recommended pharmacy. By now I was truly exhausted, but after swallowing the anti-viral and other meds, I walked to the market to pick up beverages and snacks before lying down.

Sunday, 3 December – a long trip home

I slept for eight hours and felt better. I repacked, showered, had a bit of yogurt and coconut water (keeping up my electrolytes). A cab picked me up at 9:00; I spent my last Belize dollars on snacks at the airport. The flight went smoothly. I spent most of the time sorting photos while listening to Enya and other music. I love my Boise noise-cancelling headphones, but missed an announcement about turbulence and had a challenging time on my one trip to the restroom.

I had a five-hour layover in Seattle. I had hoped to get on a waitlist for an early transfer, but no such luck. I took off my mask to have a bowl of pho, sitting far from other diners, and spent much of the rest of the time on my laptop, writing my blog post, checking email, etc. For once, I slept on the plane. Carol picked me up shortly after 11:00 pm; we both wore double masks in the car. (Thank you Carol)! It was almost 1:00 am by the time I shut my eyes (3:00 am Belize time).

It was good to sleep in my own bed and I woke up feeling a bit better. It looks like mine will be a minor case of covid; it ought to be after seven vaccines!

Ionian Islands

Leave a reply

September 8-16, 2023

As is often the case after a trip, I quickly returned to the rest of my life and got distracted from finishing my last blog entry for Greece, so here it is, more than a month after I got home.

After leaving London, I returned to Athens and spent a week on a 46’ sailboat exploring the Northern Ionian Islands with my friends Lynn, Sue, Monica, and Shoshana. On the boat, even more than the rest of my trip, days ran together and if not for date stamps on photos and notes on my phone, I’d have no idea where I was or what I did on any particular day.

Each day we ate breakfast (typically yogurt with fruit, almonds, and honey) and lunch (sandwiches) on board, and went ashore for dinner. (I can eat wheat in Greece without getting an upset stomach; avoiding nightshades is a challenge).

We typically stopped at two coves each day to swim and paddle board, then in a third to spend the night. I didn’t bring my waterproof camera, which is just as well since there were only a few small fish to be seen. The water was clear and the seafloor was mostly pebbles and seagrass, sadly more dead than alive.

We hired a captain, Andres, and had intended to help crew the boat, but the lines were too thick and the winches were too weak us to help with them. Instead, we took turns lowering and raising the anchor, and swimming ashore to tie and untie lines.

It was a very relaxing week spent in a swim suit and shorts.

Friday, 8 September – Back in Athens

My early flight from London was delayed (they had to swap planes due to a mechanical problem), but was otherwise uneventful. Unable to sleep with non-reclining Wizz Air seats, I finished listening to my audible book, Circe. We arrived about an hour behind schedule so I’m glad I didn’t have a connecting flight.

I took the train from the airport to central Athens. The 40-minute ride is supposed to run every 36 minutes; I stood and waited more than that. Flagging taxis was a challenge, and the first driver took a look at my destination and shook his head. I picked up the Airbnb key from a restaurant then wandered up and down the street several times, lugging my luggage, before I found the right door. By then it was 19:00. Lynn and Sue arrived later, having spent many hours waiting to get into the Acropolis. We figured out how to turn on the washing machine labeled in Greek, then met the others across the street for dinner – bread, olives, a yummy salad, house rose, and a large piece of tuna (which I finished eating for breakfast the next day).

Saturday, 9 September – Getting to Port

Our clothes dried overnight on the windy balcony. We had a few delays getting out of town; the driver initially went to the wrong destination and we got stuck in a bit of morning traffic. It’s about a four-hour drive to Preveza, the port town where we boarded our boat.

At our first rest stop, we walked across a bridge over the Corinth Canal. This narrow shipping channel, built about 80 years ago, connects the Aegean and Ionian Seas. At another stop, we picked up food for lunch and ate in the van (our driver was worried that he wouldn’t get back to Athens in time for his next ride).

We reached Preveza around 14:00, and hung out at café while waiting for the boat to be ready. Lynn dealt with the paperwork and we learned we needed to pay more than anticipated and it needed to be in cash. Andres, our captain, gave me a ride to an ATM on his scooter, and when we got back, he took Shashana there too. We unpacked our provisions and luggage, and walked to local restaurant for dinner; it was Lynn’s turn for a ride on Andrea’s scooter. I shared my overcooked chicken slovakia with a few cats. We took a different route back to the boat and discovered a lively street filled with shops and restaurants. The pharmacies were open and Lynn was able to get more medicine for the cough she’s been struggling with for weeks.

Sunday, 10 September – Sailing Day 1 – Preveza to Sivota Lefkada

The island of Lefkas is connected to the mainland by a floating bridge, which moves aside once an hour to allow boats to pass. We started motoring at 7:45 so we could get there in time for the 9:00 opening. (Most sailing trips through the northern Ionian Islands begin on Lefkas, but we started Preveza, a mainland port, since that’s where the boat Lynn selected is docked).

After motoring through the channel, we sailed a bit with Lynn at the helm. We stopped at two coves on Lefkas, somewhere near Lefkada and Poros, to swim. Thinking we were done swimming, I changed into dry clothes and later regretted now joining Lynn and Shashana for a swim into Papanikolis Cave, named after the submarine that hid there during WWII.

We docked in Sivota Lefkada for the night. Sue and I took a walk through the small town and picked up a few provisions, then met the others at a Stavros Taverna for dinner at the end of our dock. Since this town specializes in fish, three of us ordered sea bass.

Monday, 11 September – Sailing Day 2 – Lefkas to Ithac

I was up early and went to the bakery for bread and a pastry, took a free shower at the restaurant, and finished breakfast before the others were up. (The pastry was so good that I unsuccessfully tried to replicate it at other stops). Then, with time to sketch, I couldn’t find my sketching supplies. (I thought maybe I had left them back at port, but later learned they were gone for good, lost somewhere between London and Preveza).

Our first stop was a small cove east of Frikes on Ithaca (Ithaki to the Greeks), our second a small beach near Paralia Gidaki northeast of Vathi. There I tried paddle boarding; the boards were very tippy, I fell off multiple times and couldn’t say up. We docked in Vathi for the night. Lynn, Sue and I wandered through this cute port town. I bought a shirt and we enjoyed another yummy fish dinner.

Tuesday, 12 September – Sailing Day 3 – Ithaca (Vathi to Filiatro)

I went for a short walk before we left port, and picked up bread, pastries, and water. Our first stop was a rocky coastline near Vardiola Beach, close to Vathi. Lynn and I both successfully stood on the paddle boards; I stayed upright from the boat to shore and backsyno. I also painted a watercolor (borrowing paint from Sue and paper from Shoshana). At our next stop, Talaros on the southeast coast of Ithaca, I sat on the paddle boat and paddled like in a kayak so I could take me phone to the coastline and take pictures. We anchored near Parlia Filiatro and motored ashore for dinner, a small scenic spot with one restaurant. My meal was delayed so long that I canceled when the others finished eating, having nibbled enough from other’s plates to sustain me.

Wednesday, 13 September – Sailing Day 4 – Ithaca to Kefalonia

The sunrise was beautiful. After breakfast, we motored a short distance to a lovely small white sand beach. Taking a clue from another swimmer, I gave my skin a sand scrub, and the other women followed suit. It felt wonderful.

After lunch, we again used the paddleboards as kayaks, this time to explore a cave near Fiskardo on Kefalonia. The others walked through it. I paddled around to pick up Lynn and Sue on the other side. We docked in Fiskardo, a lovely port town where we took walks and enjoyed yet another yummy fish dinner.

Thursday, 14 September – Sailing Day 5 – Kefalonia to Kastos

Early in the morning, while the light was beautiful, Lynn and I walked up to the two lighthouses, a Venetian one built in the 16^th century, and a Victorian one build in 1892.

We sailed much of the way to our first stop, a small beach on the east side of Kastos, where I paddle boarded along the shore for quite a distance.

The mistral winds were favorable after lunch and we really sailed for the first time, Lynn at the helm most of the time, with Andres prepared to grab a line if need be. We opted to keep sailing and skipped our second swim spot.

Friday, 15 September – Sailing Day 6 – Kastos to Preveza

After another pretty sunrise, we began our journey back to port, stopping at Plagia Cantina on the way. Lynn, Sue and I took the dingy ashore and walked along the small beach. We were hoping to buy ice creams but their refrigeration was out of order. On the way back, a line got tangled in the rudder and before Lynn and I figured out why the engine stopped, a nearby sailor spotted us and towed our dingy back to our boat.

We motored back through the Lefkas channel, waited for the floating bridge to move aside, then sailed a bit on way back to Preveza. Once docked, we collected our luggage, toasted with champagne and a bit of cake to celebrate Lynn’s birthday. It was a special one, months ago, and the reason for this trip.

Saturday, 16 September – Flights Home

My flight left Preveza at 9:30, so I was the first one up. I walked to a bakery we found last night, but alas, it wasn’t open. A taxi picked me up at 7:45 for ten-minute ride to airport. I flew to Frankfort where I had a six-hour layover, almost enough time for a museum visit, but considering how long it took to get my luggage, and the complexity of the airport, I opted to stay nearby. (Why don’t airports provide seats in baggage claim areas)? I ventured across a sky bridge to a quiet restaurant for a sit-down lunch, then wandered in search of electrical outlets and sat on a cold tile floor while my devices charged.

Fortunately, I had a seat in Economy “Plus” so I wasn’t as uncomfortable as I otherwise would have been. I didn’t sleep much on the 11-hour flight, instead watched a movie and sorted photos. Customs didn’t take long at SFO and I didn’t have to wait long for the 20:30 Airporter. Linda picked me up an hour later and Sage was happy to see me when I got home, about 24 hours after I departed the boat.

London

Leave a reply

I spent five days touring London with Susan. We visited five museums, saw three musicals, and walked almost as far per day as I did in Switzerland. It was sunny and hot; the highs were 85+^oF (30+^o C), quite a change from the grey drizzle I’ve experienced in the past.

Sunday, 3 September – Fly to London, walk to Hayward Gallery

Our flight from Zurich landed at 8:30. From Heathrow, we took a train to Paddington, then a taxi to our hotel. Our driver was woman driver, a rare event. We checked our bags at the hotel and walked along the Thames to reach the Black Penny where we ate a late breakfast. We then visited the Hayward Gallery to see an exhibit titled “Dear Earth” in which multiple artists responded to climate change.

We got to our room at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in the late afternoon. It’s a modern building filled with more business men than tourists. The walls are black walls and corridors dark. Our desk had a bank of plug labeled UK, Euro, and US, fortunate for me since I didn’t remember where I packed my UK converter. We ate a light dinner at one of the hotel restaurants and went to bed early.

Monday, 4 September – Two National Museums and Les Mis

We walked to Covent Garden and had a yummy breakfast at Café de Provence. The streets were filled with commuters and Susan was nearly hit by bicycles a couple times. We next walked to Trafalgar Square, circling the fountains and monuments while waiting for the National Portrait Gallery to open at 10:30. Entry to the gallery is free but they charge for special shows. Susan chose to pay for the McCartney exhibit while I took a 45-minute overview tour which highlighted a couple pieces on each of the galleries three floors. I took a quick walk through after my tour and reconnected with Susan.

By the time we walked next door to the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square was filled with tourists and noisy performers. We ate salads for lunch downstairs in the cafe, then viewed all open galleries (1-8 were closed).

We took our first ride on the Underground back to a stop near our hotel. We didn’t need to buy a ticket, just tapped our credit card for entry and exit (I hear a similar entry process is coming to the Bay Area soon). The system automatically stops charging us if we hit the cost for a day pass. We stopped at a small organic store on our way back where I bought fruit and cookies.

After a short rest, we ate dinner again at the hotel (splitting tuna, salad, and asparagus, all yummy), and took the tube from Waterloo to Piccadilly Circus, and walked through a small Chinatown to the Sondheim Theatre to see Les Misérables. Though it’s a sad subject for a musical, the show was outstanding with great singers and memorable sets, one of the best theatrical performances I’ve seen. We took the wrong exit from the Waterloo station on our way back and walked too far on dark, deserted streets back to our hotel.

Tuesday, 5 September – Buckingham Palace, Saatchi Gallery, and another musical

We walked to the Old Queen Street Café for breakfast, not as good as yesterday’s, then up along St. James’s Park to Buckingham Place, and down to the Saatchi Gallery, where we saw an exhibit titled “Civilization: The Way we Live Now”, presented in nine chapter with titles such as Hive, Alone Together, and Rupture. It made me fearful for the crowded future our species is hurling towards.

We ate lunch at a café near the gallery, then, exhausted, took the Underground from Sloane Square back to Westminster for a short rest and shower before popping back on the tube to attend the Evensong performance at St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a bit too religious for my taste, but the cathedral was impressive. I had once considered climbing the 528 steps up to the top of the dome, but in the heat this was unthinkable.

We took the tube to the Barbicon Center, where we had a mediocre dinner and saw “A Strange Loop”, a show about a gay man struggling to write a play about a gay man, which I’m sure we would both have enjoyed more if we weren’t dozing off after our long day. I iced my foot when we got back to the hotel around 23:00. The injury I had to it a few weeks before my trip has been aggravated by all my walking.

Wednesday, 6 September – Kew Gardens and Operation Mincemeat

Breakfast at hotel. If we had remembered that it was included with our room, we would have eaten here yesterday. Kew Gardens, about an hour tube ride away, was a welcome quiet break from noisy London, though we walked further than anticipated and did not have the time for sketching we had planned to do. I enjoyed climbing spiral staircases inside the green houses, though it was steamy hot at the top of the Palm House.

We got back in time for a short rest and shower before catching a taxi to dinner at Fishworks in Covent Gardens. I had a delicious tuna, Susan fish and chips, and we split broccoli(ini) and green beans. From there it was a short walk to the small Fortune Theatre where we saw Operation Mincemeat; our seats weren’t the best, but this musical play about a British operation during WWII was great.

Thursday, 7 September – Tate Modern

Still fighting off an intestinal issue, Susan decided she was too tired to go to Greenwich as had been our plan for the day. Though I’m sorry that’s her reason, my sore foot and tired feet were relieved. Instead we had a leisurely morning and walked to the Tate Modern, where we spent a couple hours viewing art, and did not see it all.

After a late lunch at a pub, we walked back to the organic store we visited a few days ago. The flat peaches and chocolate ginger cookies I got earlier were so delicious that I wanted more. We skipped dinner and packed.

Friday, 8 September – Departing London

I didn’t sleep well, perhaps worried I’d miss my 3:15 alarm. I quickly dressed and departed, leaving Susan sleeping; her flight home was later that day. I listened to the talking elevator one last time: “doors closing, lift going down, doors opening”. My van ride to the Luton Airport took more than an hour on mostly deserted streets. I flew on Wizz, a budget airline that charges for water, because it was the only one I could find that would get me to Athens in time for dinner with friends I would be meeting for a sailing trip.

Zürich

1 Reply

September 2023 – I spent a too-brief three days in Zurich visiting my friend Sibylle and the beautiful Swiss countryside.

Thursday, 31 August – Spa

We got up at 3:45 in Athens, 3:45 to catch a taxi to airport for a 7:00 flight to Zurich. It took a full hour to check bags and get through security (no TSA pre-check here). We caught a train from the airport to the Zurich train station, then a taxi to our hotel near the Opera House. They held our bags while we enjoyed a spa day.

We walked along the lake and uphill to the Thermalbad, a spa built in an old brewery. It was my third visit. There are nine stations including steam rooms, a salt scrub, and a large jacuzzi pool, plus an infinity pool on the roof. We emerged hours later feeling very relaxed, and strolled back to our hotel.

Susan panicked when she saw the size of our room and got us an upgrade, for an extra 100 Euros per day, to a very nice large room on the 5^th floor with AC and a balcony. I was too tired for dinner, so I got take out broccoli soup from Tidbits, a vegetarian restaurant around the corner from our hotel while Susan ate at a restaurant on the corner.

Friday, 1 September – Walk above Zurich

We bought 24-hour tickets and took the tram across town to meet Sibylle for a delicious breakfast at Café des Ami. Sibylle, the daughter I never had, refers to me as her Hippie Mom. (She lived with me in San Francisco for a year and a half a decade or so back). After breakfast, Susan went to wander the town while Sibylle and I took the train for a couple stops southeast of the city. After an uphill climb through an upscale neighborhood, we met Carmen, her partner, and Loa, their Bermese Mountain Dog. From there we took a very pleasant downhill hike through Elefantenbach Ravine, along a cascade-filled stream. Our walk brought us down to the lake east of Opera House.

I reconnected with Susan for a rest and shower while Sibylle went shopping for groceries. Later we took a tram back to her neighborhood and enjoyed a delicious home-cooked Indian dinner. Her friends Anja and Claudia, and downstairs neighbor Heidi joined us on the balcony where we watched a nearly full moon rise over the neighboring apartment buildings.

Saturday, 2 September – Lake Walensee

Both Susan and Carmen decided to skip our planned excursion to Lake Walensee, so I caught the tram to go meet Sybille. Unfortunately, I did not realize that the departure stop for the 2 was not the same as the 4 and I overshot by many stops. It was a bit confusing to figure out where I was, especially without WiFi or reliable cellular service, but I finally connected with Sibylle on the phone and arranged a new rendezvous location.

It was about an hour drive to Walensee, one of the deepest lakes in Switzerland. Sibylle found one of the few spots that would let us park for more than three hours and we headed out along the trail that boarders the north side lake. It was paved in the beginning and we encountered a few cars, then a dirt trail began. I’m glad Carmen lent me her trekking poles, as the trail became a rocky and steep as we approached Seerenbach Falls one of the tallest waterfalls in the country. It was beautiful. Our initial plan was to hike about a quarter of the way around the lake, to Quinten, and take a boat back, but we realized we didn’t have time to do that and get back in time for our planned evening activities. So we turned around and walked back to a restaurant where we shared a couple tasty salads in a courtyard above the lake.

We encountered commute traffic coming back into Zurich and I barely made it back to the Tissot store in time to purchase the watch I eyed yesterday. (My prior one went missing a month or so ago and I missed having one). I took a tram back to our hotel for a quick shower, no time for a nap, before Susan and I headed to the Kunsthaus museum. It was museum night and many would remain open to 2:00. We spent a quick hour and a half exploring this delightful museum then took a tram to Landesmuseum for a farewell Aperol Spritz with Sibylle and Carmen, joined by her mom and sister, Simon, who I met on a prior visit. It was a pleasant way to end a too-short visit. We got to bed around 23:00. My phone told me I walked 23,000 steps about a thousand more than yesterday.

Sunday, 3 September

We were up early once again, and got picked up by a taxi at 4:30, to catch a 7:00 flight to London.

Delphi

Leave a reply

Susan and I spent an extra night in Athens after our painting workshop so we could visit Delphi.

Wednesday, 30 August – Delphi

We learned at breakfast that Jenny would not be joining us for our private tour of Delphi. She accidently scheduled her flight a day too early. Fortunately, she discovered this before we got into the van.

Delphi is a couple hour drive from Athens. Much of the scenery reminded me of California, our rolling coastal hills, farmland, and windmills. We were surprised to have WiFi in the van, so we were able to catch up on news along the way. We first visited the Delphi Museum where we saw many artifacts, including friezes better preserved than at the Acropolis and small goddesses from Crete.

From there it’s a short walk to the archeological site with the ruins of various monuments including the location of the oracle who was consulted for major decisions. The oracle’s answers, given by priestesses in a trance beneath the floor, were often ambiguous parables. We walked up to the long, narrow stadium used for sporting events and music festivals. It’s almost a mile to the top and felt longer in the heat.

Our driver took us to the nearby town of Delphi where we split a delicious bream and salad for lunch. We made two stops on our way back. The first was so I could take a picture of the Temple of Athena. Susan was too tired to get out of the car, and I only walked down far enough to get an overview. Secondly, we took a short walk through the town of Arachova, perched on a hillside not far from a ski area where we both bought pillow cover souvenirs. We encountered commute traffic on our way into Athens, and got to our hotel around 17:00, We showered, washed clothes in the sink, and walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Unlike on Tinos, the vegetables were perfectly cooked.

Tinos

1 Reply

August 2023 – I spent a week with my painting workshop on Tinos, the windiest of the Cyclades Islands. While cooler than Athens, it was still hot by my standards and I spent most of the time in capris and flip flops. In addition to painting, we visited Pyrgus, a village on the opposite end of the island and I took daily walks along the shore.

Wednesday, 23 August – Ferry to Tinos

After a tasty fish lunch in Rafina, we boarded a large ferry for the two-hour ride to Tinos. I wish airline seats were as comfortable. I walked up to the deck a couple times, but it was way too windy to stay long. A bus was waiting at the Tinos port for our 15-minute drive to our lodging, Porto Raphael in Agios Ioannis.

Susan and are sharing a large room with a balcony overlooking the Aeronian sea. After getting settled, we joined the group for dinner at 7:30 (19:30). We have two large tables reserved for us in a shaded spot on the veranda. Here we ate all our meals. The breakfasts were at 8:00 buffet style; I had spanakopita and yogurt every day, and too many pastries. Lunches, at 1:30 (13:30), were light with bread, tziki, and delicious green salads, including one with shredded zucchini for which I now have the recipe. We had two entrée choices each evening, none very appealing, and all vegetables over cooked. It was a challenge to avoid nightshades. The sunsets were lovely.

Thursday, 24 August – Painting

A handful of us started sneaking out food with every meal for a mama kitty and her five kittens. They were ravenous. Some of the many cats on the island have clipped ears, indicating they have been neutered, but not many. When we left, we donated money for them.

Our routine most days was to work on one painting in the morning, another in the afternoon. I decided to start with a painting of the chapel. There was a shaded nook near it and this is where Doug and I set up, after collecting rocks to hold down our drop clothes and palette paper. I also hung a bag from my easel to keep it stable. While we were mostly protected from the wind, gusts were frequent. A few people painted on the veranda, while others painting outside their rooms.

In the afternoon, Susan and I painted on our balcony, also using rocks to keep things in place.

Friday, 25 August – Painting

I took a morning walk with Meghana, Jeanette, and Susan. We saw goats.

My painting suffered overnight. Apparently one of the workers, thrilled to see a painting of the chapel, picked it up and hugged it, getting paint on his shirt. It was then left on the ground and the wind brought in dirt. Fortunately, it was only the first layer, so I wiped off the dirt and continued. It was a bit cooler and windier than yesterday.

I took a short refreshing swim in the pool before lunch and a nap after. I painted later than yesterday, and had just enough time for a shower and cocktail before dinner. There I saw Shahrazad with her leg propped up on a chair. While walking down to the beach with Meghana, she slipped and twisted her ankle. She took a taxi to the emergency room and confirmed that it was broken. An appointment with the next day confirmed two breaks, and she was told that if she keeps all weight off it, she probably won’t need surgery.

Saturday, 26 August 26 – Pyrgos

I took a walk with Jeanette and Susan to the two beaches near us before breakfast. There are several restaurants and places to rent chairs and umbrellas, quiet in the morning, busy in the afternoons and evenings.

We took a field trip to Pyrgos, where we visited the Museum of Marble Crafts. There are many quarries in Greece, most of the marble is white or grey, but it is also found in a great variety of colors. We learned many techniques for splitting and transporting heavy blocks. While we were inside, it started to rain and the goats began to run down the mountain. They must have known a thunderstorm was coming. It was very loud and one lightning bolt hit the large crane outside the building. I’m glad we were indoors and not driving on a narrow, windy road when it hit.

The storm ended as we left the museum and we wandered around this cute town with narrow, twisting streets. We ate lunch at Dough and Shakers, specializing in pizza and cocktails. I opted for ravioli and a fancy drink, Chalepas (The Greatest Tinian Sculptor). I bought a metal fish to add to my growing collection of backyard art pieces. On the way back, I continued listening to an audible book, Circe, on the hour bus ride, hearing stories about the gods

I painted from 4:00-7:00 pm.

Sunday, 27 August – Painting

I was awakened early by flashes of lightening, and got up to watch the storm from our balcony. Susan and I met our walking buddies by the pool. The four of us wandered around by the rocks, then Meghana and I headed up the mountain. We took a higher road than last time and were able to see a bit more to the east.

I worked on my chapel painting in the morning. The mineral spirits we are using are not odorless and the fumes were bad in alcove. I stopped an hour before lunch so I had time for a very refreshing swim in the sea. It’s cooler today and still very windy (according to the weather app the wind is 15-25 mph with 35 mph gusts)

I spent a pleasant afternoon painting on our balcony until 7:00 pm, listening to Greek music drifting up from the beach bar.

Monday, 28 August – Final Painting Day

Meghana and I took our longest morning walk, going up and around the bend to the east where we could see another peninsula jutting into the sea. The light is beautiful at this time of day. There was almost no wind.

I painted in the morning, almost finishing my chapel painting and making good progress on the other. Lunch included fish for the first time, anchovies and sardines. Susan and Jenny skipped the group lunch and went to one of the restaurants near the beach for sea bream, our new favorite.

I took the afternoon off from painting and went for a wonderful swim in the sea and took a nap before joining the others for our critique. It was great to see such a diverse set of paintings, some finished, some in progress. While most used oil or acrylic, a couple painters chose watercolor. Several also had sketchbooks; I’m impressed by what some people can draw while standing up. (I was too busy painting to sketch this week).

There was a melancholy feel to dinner as we knew we would all be heading in different directions in the morning. I hope to see many in a future workshop.

Tuesday, 29 August – Farewell Tinos

I packed up my paintings, fortunately fairly dry thanks to the use of mineral spirts instead of linseed oil, plus the sun and wind. I wrapped them in wax paper and put them in a box I constructed in advance. Hopefully that will protect them as I continue with my trip.

Meghana and I took our morning walk up and around the little hill between beaches. After breakfast, Shahrazad was carried to an ambulance, and the rest of us boarded the bus back to port. (She was later taken on and off the ferry in a wheelchair; I admire her good spirts). A handful of us took a short walk through the town before boarding. Larry and Anastasia took a different ferry, heading for another island and a chance to relax without the need to keep track of 15 painters. A dozen of us ate lunch at the same restaurant as on our way out. They were out of the local fish I wanted to try so I had seabass and perfectly cooked vegetables. The proprietor called four cabs for us and we headed off in different directions.

Susan, Jenny and I shared one to our hotel, in a busier location than before. After a short break we walked briefly in the botanical garden, then caught a cab to the funicular which took us up to the top of Hill of Lycabettus, where we had a drink and watched the sunset. They both ordered food, but barely ate any, we were all still full from lunch.

Athens

Leave a reply

I’ve started a four-week trip to Europe with a painting workshop in Greece, with Susan, Jenny and a dozen other students from Larry’s painting classes. We spent the first few days in Athens visiting ancient sites and museums.

Thursday, 17 August – getting to SF

The Airporter, my usual ride to the airport now that I live in Marin, doesn’t run early enough, so I spent the night before my flight in the city. Anne gave me a ride to the Larkspur ferry, which dropped me off at the Ferry Building, and I rolled my suitcase, full of art supplies, down Market Street for several blocks until I found a working escalator. (The elevator was out of service). It only worked for one flight, so I had to carry my luggage the rest of the way down to the BART platform. From Glen Park I hailed a Lyft ride to Susan’s.

Friday,18 August – flight to Athens

Our plane departed SFO at 6:00 am, and after a 3-hour layover at JFK, we landed in Athens at 10:30 am the next morning. (Greece is ten hours ahead of Pacific Time). The second, 9-hour, leg was in Premium Economy, much more spacious than most of the flights I’ve taken. Noise-canceling headphones helped, though I still wasn’t able to sleep much. We were lucky, our flights were on time and our luggage was not lost.

Saturday, 19 August – Cultural Center

We caught a taxi to our hotel, dropped our luggage, and took a walk. Susan bought a pair of pants, we visited Pandora, a gallery with interesting contemporary art, and ate an awful lunch at one of the many outdoor restaurants catering to tourists. We checked into our room, a nice one with a small balcony, took naps and showers, then met up with two other students who were already here, Cleo and Jeanette.

Cleo speaks quite a bit of Greek, which she learned from her Greek grandmother, and directed our taxi driver to the Niarcos Foundation Cultural Center. There were no performances today, but we enjoyed the views and saw “Return to Sender” an art installation by The Next, an African art collective, focused on increasing awareness of textile waste. Many discarded clothes are sent to Africa where they end up in landfills.

Sunday, 20 August – National Art Gallery

Breakfast is included with our hotel, and it’s quite yummy: perfectly cooked eggs, spanakopita, olives, feta and other cheeses, fresh OJ and other juices, meat, rice pudding, a little fruit, lots of dry breads and pastries, …

We learned that Jenny didn’t get to the hotel until 1:30 am after flight delays and changes. Her luggage is still back in Amsterdam. She is the fourth student whose luggage is missing.

Jenny, Susan, Jeanette and I took a taxi to the National Gallery, renovated and expanded a couple years ago, and spent a delightful three hours viewing three floors of post-Byzantine Greek art, ranging from the renaissance on the ground floor to contemporary on the top. Though dozens of taxis passed us when we exited, none would stop, so Susan used her Uber app to hail one for us.

Back near the hotel, Jeanette led us to a nearby restaurant, To Katiamo, where we had a nice leisurely lunch. The wait for our grilled Bream fish was well worthwhile. Susan and I had to change rooms since the ones included with the workshop are smaller than the room we had the first night.

We met the group at 4:30. There are 15 students, five of them. Susan, Jenny, and I are the only ones who haven’t attended a travel workshop with Larry previously. Our dinner, in the hotel atrium, was delicious; I had salmon, salad with very tender chicken, veggies, and dessert.

Monday, 21 August – Acropolis

I slept until 4:00, an improvement over yesterday. We met in lobby at 8:30 and walked to the Acropolis, perched on a hilltop overlooking the Athens urban area, which has about three million inhabitants, almost a third the population of Greece.

We met Fotini, our delightful guide, near the entrance and she led us up the slippery marble steps; with skip-the-line tickets we bypassed part of the crowd. Though young, she was very knowledgeable and able to answer our many questions. This excerpt from the web sums it up: “During the past 2,500 years, the Parthenon … has been rocked by earthquakes, set on fire, shattered by exploding gunpowder, looted for its stunning sculptures, and defaced by misguided preservation efforts. Amazingly, the ancient Athenians built the Parthenon in just eight or nine years. Repairing it is taking a bit longer.” During one invasion, columns were pulled down so the lead dowels between marble blocks could be melted and formed into bullets.

It was hot, 96^oF (36^oC), so we stopped often in shady spots to listen to descriptions about Athena’s temple and the Erechtheion, the only temple with maidens for columns, known as the Caryatids (these are replicas, the originals are in museums). On the east side is was windy and dusty, and while the original plan was to wander around and sketch, a half dozen of us chose to head down for a cold beverage at a shady restaurant instead. We reconnected at the Psaras Tavern, where we enjoyed lunch on a shaded terrace.

Drained by the sun, many of us skipped touring the Ancient and Roman Agoras and instead opted for gelatos and showers. Susan and I met Jeanette in atrium/dining room where I made my sketch-of-the-day, later Jenny joined us for cocktails on the roof, with a view of the Acropolis. The heat was more bearable sitting in the shade. After a bit of online research, we learned that the dessert served after dinner was kataifi with cream on top, yum.

Monday, 21 August – Acropolis Museum

Yeah! I slept until 6:00 am, my best night sleep in weeks. Susan was craving real coffee so we headed out early for a walk to a coffee shop, encountering Jenny along the way. She was getting distraught about her missing luggage. She and Jeanette headed to the airport after breakfast and while the rest of us were touring the Acropolis Museum we received a WhatApp message letting us know their luggage had been found, yeah!

The museum is built over an old neighborhood with ruins visible beneath. Inside, we saw many of the remaining Parthenon sculptures and caryatids, other than ones at the British Museum. After lunch at the museum, I joined the majority for a short, hot walk to the Olympieion (a.k.a. Temple of Olympian Zeus). One of the largest temples in Greece, it originally contained 104 of the tallest columns in Greece. Most of the 15 remaining ones were surrounded by scaffolding.

Anna, Meghana, and I met with Susan and Jenny in the hotel lobby and the five of us walked over to the National Museum of Contemporary Art, which focuses on political and social issues, such as climate change, border walls, sexuality. Hot and tired, we only spent an hour and didn’t have time to see every exhibit, which included many videos.

Wednesday, 23 August – Jewelry Museum

With a couple hours to fill before our bus ride to the port, Anna and I toured the nearby Lalaounis Jewelry Museum. Ilias Lalaounis was a Greek metallurgist who specialized in jewelry influenced by ancient Greek designs. He later got inspiration from a variety of civilizations and nature creating an impressive variety of art pieces. The museum also houses pieces by contemporary artists and jewelry-making demos.

We rejoined others in the lobby and boarded a bus which took us to the port for the painting part of our workshop. It was a good time to be leaving; a couple fires started outside Athens yesterday and there was smoke in the air.

Yucatán

5 Replies

December 2022

Many of us in the Northern hemisphere dream of vacationing someplace closer to the equator at this time of year, and I had that opportunity earlier this month. A couple of my friends, Carrie and Donna, invited me to join them for a week in a villa south of Cancun. Carrie’s childhood friend, Bo, flew in from Maryland to join us. It was a pleasure to spend a week in shorts and flip-flops, a welcome break from home renovations. Donna, Bo, and I watched the sunrise almost every morning. I spent hours lounging on the beach, watching waves, reading, and playing in the warm Caribbean water. I also took a tour to Mayan sites and enjoyed time in Puerto Morales, the nearest town.

Saturday, 11 December – Travel

I got up at 5:15 and my friend Jessica gave me a ride to catch the 6:20 Airporter. United changed the terminal once and the gate twice, then delayed the flight two hours to bump off 18 passengers, starting with the lowest ticket price, due to weather. In my case, I was “lucky” to have paid full price. The take-off was bumpy, but it was sunny above the clouds and I timed my bathroom visit perfectly between seatbelt required stretches. I was one of only a few wearing a mask. Carrie and Bo met me at the Cancun airport. We picked up groceries on our way to the villa, where Donna was waiting. We had a late dinner with roast chicken.

Sunday, 12 December – Playa del Secreto (Secret Beach)

Still on west coast time, I slept through sunrise, but got up in time to take a beach walk before fixing eggs for breakfast. I spent much of the day in a lounge chair on the beach. I finished the book I started on the plane, took a short nap, and tried boogie boarding. We ate leftover chicken for dinner.

Monday, 13 December – Puerto Morales

I watched the sunrise with Donna and Bo then lounged on the beach, read, and fixed what became my standard lunch, a mini-quesadilla: two corn tortillas with cheese and leftovers. Carrie woke with a cold and tested negative for Covid. I kept my mask on and car window open while she drove us to Puerto Morales, 15 minutes away. Donna took Bo and me to her favorite shops and we bought a few small souvenirs. I got a t-shirt for Nick and a couple cute beaded birds for friends. Donna is still missing the pre-hurricane plaza, but her favorite bar, My Paradise, is still standing. We lingered there, on the white sand beach, sipping cocktails for several hours. Their mojitos are good. Carrie picked us up, we unsuccessfully hunted for covid tests, picked up more groceries, and headed back to the villa. I had time for a cold shower before Chef Beto come over and cooked us a nice fish dinner.

Tuesday, 14 December – a long Chichen Itza Tour

From door-to-door, my tour of Chichen Itza and other sites in the state of Yucatan took 15 hours. I wouldn’t have signed up if I knew that in advance, but I’m glad I went. Alberto, the villa’s caretaker, drove me to a nearby resort where we waited a half hour for the tour van. I was the first passenger and until an English-speaking Mayan guide, Philip Ernesto, got onboard, I wasn’t even sure I was on the right tour. I could have skipped our first stop, Cenote Suytun, a small cave with a pool of water inside. At our next stop, a touristy Mayan village, we enjoyed a buffet lunch, watched dancers, and had the “opportunity” to purchase obsidian carvings and other souvenirs. (I added a small elephant to my collection).

When we finally reached out main destination, Chichen Itza, we were given a short tour, mostly focused on a game involving rings and possible sacrifice, then were left to tour the site on our own, surrounded by the sounds of roaring jaguars and birds, thanks to the hawking of noise-making souvenirs. I bought a t-shirt for Alex. It was late afternoon when we reached Cenote Ik kil. Cenotes are sinkholes containing water. The Yucatan peninsula is essentially a huge limestone slab riddled with thousands of caves and cenotes. I walked down more than a hundred uneven, wet, stone steps to take a refreshing dip in this pool. Our last stop was in the town of Valladolid, where we barely had time to see a church and cross the street to a plaza where noisy birds were flying and birdman dancing. The sun was setting when we departed and it was bedtime when I got dropped off.

Wednesday, 15 December – Playa del Secreto

The sunrise was pale but pretty and the wind strong but warm. Donna, Carrie and I spent much of the day in beach chairs while Bo stayed inside with the AC. I swapped my paperback for another from a bookshelf in the villa. Carrie and I played in the water with boogie boards, occasionally catching a short ride. When Donna asked what I liked best about this spot, I told her it was the gestalt: the light, color, sound of waves, light breezes, warm shade, a few puffy clouds. I also took a call from one of the contractors working on my house; it’s always a risk to have work done in my absence and in this case something had to be redone when I returned. I fixed dinner, which we shared with a very hungry calico cat.

Thursday, December 16 – Puerto Morales

I filled a large trash bag during my post-sunrise beach walk; the wind brought more garbage ashore: mismatched shoes, toothbrushes, and other random plastic items, including lot of bottle caps. There was time for lounging, a quesadilla lunch, and short nap before Carrie drove us to Puerto Morales. I went out on a boat to snorkel for a couple hours. My camera battery died shortly after I stepped overboard, and the coral was not healthy, but I loved being in the water. Afterwards, I met Donna and Bo at My Paradise for cocktails. Carrie joined us for dinner, at an interesting seafood restaurant, and then we strolled around enjoying the Christmas lights.

Friday, 16 December – Farewell to the Beach

The wind was gone when we got up to watch a cloudy sunrise. One last time, I strolled and lounged on the beach, reading and enjoying the setting. When Carrie got up, we went kayaking, which was easy once we dragged our boats past the waves. I fixed another quesadilla lunch, then showered and caught a cab to the airport. Fortunately, I got there in plenty of time and my plane departed on schedule. Donna was not so lucky when she tried to get home a few days later; then the traffic was so bad that she missed her flight and was delayed a whole day. It was 86^oF (30^oC) when I left the beach. Fortunately, I had socks and layers handy since I arrived home in the middle a cold spell; it was about 38^oF (3.3^oC) when I got off the Airporter that night in San Rafael. My housemate, Linda, was waiting to pick me up in a warm car.

Rafting – Gates of Lodore

2 Replies

August 20-25, 2021

I’m still savoring the memory of the rafting trip I took a couple months ago with seven friends, and friends of friends. It was my first post-covid plane ride and my first multi-day rafting trip. We were all fully vaccinated and I wore an N95 mask in the airport and on the plane. We traveled with 14 others, plus six guides, down the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles Colorado and Utah. We traveled through five canyons, each with its unique red rock formations. It was an awesome trip; I loved almost every minute of it. When I got home, I became consumed with packing and preparing to sell my home of 40 years, hence the delay in this post.

: About to enter Gates of Lodore

: The Green River was not green

: Brenda and Sheila

: Sue above Pot Camp

: Green River, from ridge above Pot Camp

: Ginny

: Lynn

: Canyon of Lodore

: Echo Canyon

: Our “paddle” boat

: Echo Canyon

: Departing Echo Canyon

: That’s me, enjoying the trip.

: Glenne

: Whirlpool Canyon

: Glenne, Sheila, and Brenda at our lunch spot.

: Ginny, Amy, and Lynn

: A happy kayaker

: Deluge Shelter Pictographs

: Jones Creek

: Elk Creek Falls

: Near Jones Hole campsite.

: We saw several mole deer on Jones Hole hike.

: Lichen

: Jones Hole campsite

: A starry night

: Island Park

: Last lunch stop

: Visitor center for Dinosaur National Monument.

August 20 – Getting There

Beth gave Ginny and me a ride to the airport, and we flew to Salt Lake City where we were picked up by Lynn and Sue who were already there, having spent a couple days visiting friends. The five us crammed into a Jeep Cherokee; our gear barely fit and it was crowded in the back seat. It took about three hours to reach the Microtel Inn in Naples, right next to Vernal in the northeast quadrant of Utah. There we connected with our East Bay contingency: Amy, Brenda, Sheila, and Glenne. They took two days to drive out in Glenne’s spacious van. We collected dry bags from our guide, Miles, then headed out to dinner. The only place in town with outside dining was booked, so we got take-out food and ate in a park, Mexican food for some of us, pizza for the rest. We also made a stop at a liquor store after learning that there would be an ice chest for our use on the river.

Aug 21 (Day 1) – Canyon of Lodore

When we went to bed, Beth was worried because her pet sitter had not been able to get Bella, one of her cats inside. By morning, Bella was still missing, so Beth cancelled her trip and found a ride back to the Salt Lake airport. The rest of us boarded a van and road about two and a half hours to the put in, above the Gates of Lodore. They put the eight of us onto two rafts; I road with Sheila, Amy, and Brenda. It was uncomfortable sitting four abreast in a raft filled with gear.

The Green River was brown and cooler than anticipated, but I was comfortable in my lightweight sunblock attire. We floated through several Class II rapids, Whinny, Unnamed, Upper and Lower Disaster Falls, named by Powell when one of his long wooden boat crashed at this spot in 1869. I got splashed and was ready for more. Along the way we stopped for lunch – Caesar salad warp with hummus. “Special” meals served first (gluten and nightshade-free for me, vegetarian for Ginny and a couple others). We reached Pot Camp around 4:00 and set up tents – mine was the tallest and hard to put up, especially with no stakes. Miles gave us an intro to the “groovers”, the portable toilets we used in camp, named for an earlier version the left grooves in rearends.

We took a walk up to a ridge with a view of the river, then had our own happy hour circle. Lynn and I had vodka tonics. Ginny, Sue, and I all sketched a bit while enjoying avocado toast with mango salsa. Dinner finally ready around 8:00 – yummy salmon, my favorite meal of the trip. I was one of first to bed. There was a storm during the night with waves of rain, wind, thunder, and lightening. The crickets quieted before each rainfall, then returneds in full force afterwards. Some people had leaks, but my floppy tent kept me dry.

Aug 22 (Day 2)

We came on this trip expecting to actually be paddling, but instead the rafts were all equipped with large oars that enabled them to be controlled by one guide. (I’ve since learned that there are paddle, oar, and hybrid trips, so confirm ahead of time which type you are getting). When we complained to Miles that we were too crowed on the first day, and expressed an interest in paddling, he moved all the gear out of his raft, gave us paddles, and let all eight of us ride in his boat. We didn’t paddle all that much but is was much more fun. I rode up front with Amy and got splashed regularly. I tried to take a video during our biggest rapid, officially a class IV, but more like 3.5. The video didn’t work, so you won’t get to hear Amy’s screams.

We had another late lunch at 1:30. I skipped the bread and rolled up pieces of deli meat and cheese. After lunch, we took a hike to Rippling Brook, where many took turns standing under a trickling tall waterfall. After another hour or so on the river, we reached Limestone Camp around 4:00 pm, set up tents, then went on another hike. It was quite steep with loose gravel, so I turned back about half way up.

Glenne was not feeling well; she slept through happy hour and missed the best appetizer: caprese on tasty gluten-free crackers; I skipped the tomatoes. I enjoyed watching the light changing on the cliffs and did another sketch. We carried our chairs back and rejoined the main group for dinner (pasta w/chicken, salad, strawberries for dessert). I asked Miles if we could go around the circle and hear everyone’s name, so he promptly asked me to start. It was interesting to learn a bit about everyone, from experienced rafters to newbies. It’s a good thing we were on an adults only trip because one camper told some pretty risqué stories.

Aug 23 (Day 3)

I was one of the first up as usual, around 5:45 a.m. We road in the paddle boat again and had an awesome day, exiting Lodore Canyon, passing through appropriately named Echo Canyon, into Whirlpool Canyon. There were jaw dropping red stone vistas at every bend. Clouds threatened rain a few times, but the drops only fell at our lunch stop when we sheltered under an overhang on a tall cliff. Amy and I took a turn in one of the duckies, rubber kayaks that flex and bend over rapids. We floated past bighorn sheep and eagles.

Our hike of the day, after reaching Jones Hole camp, took us to two waterfalls and pictograms. A few people had fun sitting in the stream and blocking the flow to Elk Creek Falls, then releasing it in a burst onto whoever stood below. Once again, we formed our own happy hour circle near our tents. Another camper stopped by to let us know we could use their solar shower; Amy and I both jumped at the chance. It felt great; I’ll have to bring one on my next rafting trip. We finished just in time for dinner, undercooked steak (I took mine back for extra grilling). I enjoyed a bit of after dinner chat, took a final trip to the groover, and retired to my tent. The moon was close to full and I considered getting out my tripod and heading down to the river, but I was too tired to venture back out. The crickets seemed louder and more hurried than previous nights. I slept through the night, missing the skunks that wandered through camp.

Aug 24 (Day 4)

We covered 19 miles today, our longest day on the river. It was gorgeous at every turn. Once again, we road in the paddle boat, occasionally using our paddles. When I asked Miles if the others minded our using this boat again, he assured me they were happy because it gave them more room in the other rafts. The first several miles were quite calm and our guides got a good workout with their oars. Lynn and Sue got tired of paddling in their kayak during this section and hitched a ride on another raft, rejoining us at lunch. After that there were quite a few class II rapids.

We ate lunch on a tiny beach in direct sun. The surprise receipt of a cold Le Croix was most welcome. We continued down river, getting out near the end of Split Mountain Canyon. From there it was a short van ride to the Dinosaur National Monument. We arrived just in time to catch the last shuttle to Quarry Exhibit Hall where more a thousand dinosaur bones are embedded in the rock wall. A few more minutes in the van and we were back at the Microtel, and relived to receive notice that Beth’s cat came home shortly after she returned. We took quick showers and went to dinner at Vernal Tavern, the only place in town that serves outdoors. (I made reservations before we got on the river).

Aug 25 – Getting home

Lynn, Sue, Ginny, and I headed to Salt Lake City for our flight back to SFO, while the other four headed south for a couple days in Moab before beginning their long drive home. With only two in the back seat, it was a more comfortable ride than when we arrived. Not wanting to eat indoors at an airport restaurant, Ginny and I picked up Vietnamese veggie spring rolls; I ate mine in the car. We found a sparsely populated section of the airport to wait in, and were rewarded with wonderful piano music, provided by an airline employee on a layover. We clapped and a woman near us asked “Am I at an airport or a concert hall?”. Our flight home was uneventful. Since Ginny and I were neighbors, before I moved, we shared a cab ride back to city.

I’m now beginning to research other rafting trips, since all of us want to go again. When we asked Miles what he would recommend next, he said it was a challenge to come up with one since we started with the best.

Central Sierra Mountains

1 Reply

July 2021

Sage and I enjoyed five days exploring Calaveras and Alpine counties in the Sierra Nevada, from the foothills to a mountain pass. I traveled with Lynn, Sue, and Monica, plus Laika, Monica’s English Cocker. Dogs and humans got along great. The highlight of most days was swimming, especially at Lake Alpine. The highs ranged from 80^o (27^oC) to over 100^oF (38^oC), depending on our elevation each day (a welcome escape from this year’s relentlessly foggy summer in San Francisco). Unlike at home, we did not see a single mask. We are all vaccinated, and our activities were outdoors, so I didn’t worry about Covid.

Monday, July 5 – Getting There, Leisurely

I picked up Monica shortly after 9:00, and we introduced Sage and Laika. They are both good travelers and got along fine. We stopped for lunch next to a cute small lake in White Pines Park, in Arnold. There was a logging museum nearby so we took a stroll through rusting equipment afterwards. Less than 150 years ago this was state of the art machinery, sadly used to destroy ancient forests. We stopped at a couple stores looking for swim noodles, but they were sold out everywhere, thanks to recent heat wave. I bought an inflatable ring instead. We drove up to Lake Alpine, took the dogs for a short walk, and scouted locations for the next day.

We met Lynn and Sue in the late afternoon at our rented A-frame cabin in Camp Connell, a tiny community at 4760’ (1450 meters) in Calaveras County. I fixed dinner – salmon, mashed sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts – which took twice as long to cook as at home. While waiting we enjoyed gin and tonics on the deck. After dinner, we moved indoors to get away from mosquitos and started a jigsaw puzzle.

Tuesday, July 6 – Big Trees

We are each on our own for breakfast. I ate a piece of leftover salmon with goat cheese on a toasted slice of homemade sourdough, a tasty combo. Afterwards, we headed to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, arriving shortly before 10:00. I took the popular North Grove Loop, while the others, along with the dogs, took a longer loop on fire roads. At 1.7 miles, it’s the longest “hike” I’ve done since I pulled a hamstring a month ago. I went slowly and took lots of pictures of the remaining large sequoias (the biggest were logged more than a century ago).

After a stop at Big Trees grocery store in Arnold, we returned to our cabin for lunch, eating a variety of what Alex in his youth called “rabbit food” and what I might call “nibblies” – crackers, hummus, egg salad, olive, carrot sticks, fruit, etc. We then packed up our swim gear and headed back to Lake Alpine. Sage rode on the front floor and Laika on Lynn’s lap.

We went swimming just past the Marmot Day Use Area (more floating than swimming in my colorful ring which attracted fluorescent dragonflies). The water felt chilly at first but it didn’t take me long to get adjusted. Sage was very tempted by sticks but would not go deep enough to get her paws off the bottom.

Our challenge of the day was finding dinner. First, we headed to a restaurant in Arnold whose website and voice mail stated they were open. It was closed due to a plumbing problem or something. We drove by several other restaurants, all closed on Tuesdays. We lowered our sights and headed to a brew pub, only to find out they weren’t serving food that day. We finally settled on the Lube Room Saloon, which was only serving pizza that day, one fixed size, cheese or pepperoni, that’s it. I enjoyed my beer more than the couple small slices I consumed. Still hungry, we headed back to Big Trees, the store not the park, where the deli section was closed. I found a pack of frozen mini pot-stickers which I nuked back at the cabin. After the kitchen was clean, Lynn, Sue, and I enjoyed a soak in the hot tub.

Wednesday, July 7, 2021 – A Cave, A Hammock, and Community Train

After breakfast, we headed down mountain to a trailhead leading to a cave along the river (more like a stream during this summer of a drought year); we left the dogs at the cabin. I slowly walked the mile or so each way. A nice woman from Guatemala greeted us with fresh herbs she’d just harvested; she was picnicking with her family on the rocks next to us. I used a trekking pole to carefully enter the water, the wet rocks were extra slippery thanks to bits of green slime. The water was a tad colder than Lake Alpine. We got on rafts and half floated, half paddled through a short cave. What fun! After lunch, I dunked my whole body, clothes and all, except hiking boots, in the water to provide portable air conditioning for the walk back to the car.

Lynn and Sue were ready for another adventure so they headed off to explore a swimming spot near Boards Crossing Bridge (later reported to be a beautiful spot, but with water moving too rapid to swim much). Monica and I stayed at the cabin. I played fetch with Sage and dozed in a hammock.

When the swimmers returned, Lynn fixed vodka tonics which we enjoyed with my avocado dip. Lynn and Sue cooked ribs, squash, and mashed cauliflower for dinner. We wrapped up the evening with several rounds of Community Train (a.k.a. Mexican Train, a variation of dominos).

Thursday, July 8 – Hwy 4 (Ebbetts Pass to Murphys)

We headed up Highway 4, stopping here and there along the way. Our first stop being a fifteen minute wait for road pavers; we had a pleasant chat with the flag holder. Rather than leave his cats and wife behind each week, he drives two hours each way to the job site. Next up was the Bear Valley ski area where Sue worked in her ski enthusiast (a.k.a. ski bum) days. Even without snow, it’s a pretty location. We then winded our way up to Ebbetts Pass (8730’, 2660 meters) where we took a short walk to stretch our legs. On our way back down, we stopped for lunch at the picnic table we spotted on our way up. A few miles east of Lake Alpine, it offered a beautiful wide view of the mountains and puffy white clouds.

We stopped at the lodge for ice cream, then headed to the Marmot Day Use area on the west shore of Lake Alpine, where we once again relished swimming and floating. Sage enjoyed fetching sticks along the shore, until a mean dog nipped her. Fortunately, she was fine and got to play again later when he departed. I was sitting on a stool, sketching, when I felt an earthquake, followed by a couple aftershocks. The women floating in the water also felt it. We later learned that the epicenter was only 35 miles east of us; it measured 6.0.

We got back to our cabin later than planned, so I took a super quick shower before we headed down to Murphys, with the biggest selection of restaurants in the area. We enjoyed our meals and sangria at Rob’s Place. It was still in the 90’s when we completed our after-dinner stroll through this cute town and headed up the mountain. Back at the cabin, we finished the jigsaw puzzle we started a couple days back.

Friday, July 9 – Home

Check-out time was 10:00, we almost made it. (That seems awfully early given that we couldn’t check in until 4:00). We headed in two different directions after cleaning up and packing. Lynn and Sue returned to Lake Alpine for a final swim, while Monica and I went to breakfast at Murphys Hotel. It was 101^oF (38^oC) at 11:00 am; and we worried about the dogs’ paws crossing the asphalt. Fortunately, the shade and misters kept us comfortable. We split a delicious veggie omelet. We were back in the city by 3:00. Fortunately, it was sunny and relatively warm so I didn’t freeze in my sandals and capris.

	tamteich on Belize
	cindyacu on Zürich
	Nancy Kaufman on Tinos
	padmatara on Yucatán
	reneehahn on Yucatán

Deborah's Travel Blog

DeborahHallBlog

Author Archives: DebHallSF

Belize

Ionian Islands

London

Zürich

Delphi

Tinos

Athens

Yucatán

Rafting – Gates of Lodore

Central Sierra Mountains