May 2019 – Lover of Wine – Travel along on our adventures

May 31, 2019

5-13& 14-19 Monet’s Garden – Paris

We started this adventure at the end of February 2019 in the South of France – the Cote d’Azu, specifically outside of Nice in a village called Vence. It all started with Janeen saying she wanted to go to the Violet Festival that is held annually in Tourrettes-sur-Loup. Since we arrived in early spring it was lovely to tour around and see spring blooming, mimosa, magnolia all around us. As we traveled north through Aquitaine and Bordeaux, first to Brussels and then Amsterdam the weather continued to be wonderful. After the second river cruise ended in Basel, and we started our Glorious Switzerland tour, the weather took a decidedly colder turn. Once we left Switzerland and landed in Paris for our final 3 days of this almost 3-month trip, we could not have wished for nicer weather.

Paris was beautiful! Over the last several days, rain had cleaned the city and now we had warm and sunny days with lots to see and do. Our goal, in Paris, was actually to go to Giverny and see Monet’s Garden.

To accomplish this we took first a subway and then a train out of Paris. I admit, we have now traveled in France quite a lot and I’m more comfortable getting around than our first trip in 2004 and while standing in the train station was able to offer advise to several Americans looking for directions.

These are some of the gardens next to Claude Monet’s house and studio.

Janeen certainly was wearing the right coat to be in the gardens on this day.

Monet’s Garden has been on our bucket list for a number of years. The last several times we have been in France it was after the season and the place was closed. This time, all the stars aligned and we had a beautiful day and lots of time to explore and discover this beautiful area. To say it is lovely is an understatement.

I guess we could find a more beautiful place but it would be hard

Sure they have a more traditional garden with beds of beautiful flowers but clearly the showcase area is the ponds and more specifically the lily pond area.

You guessed it, yes these are Lilly pads

Janeen particularly liked these hanging flowers

First you walk through the more traditional garden and then down some stairs and under the road that separates the water garden from the house and traditional areas.

Lots of flowers – nice to come during spring for sure.

It’s not as big as you might think but it is well laid out with view points at a number of spots where Claude may have stood and painted. Having seen a number of his paintings over this trip it was great to see where his vision took flight and created the paintings.

Words really cannot describe the beauty of this place

I really could have just sat and relaxed here for a very long time.

By late afternoon we were back on the train then to our B&B in the Bastille District for a lovely walk around.

The following day we had a lunch reservation at Le Réminet – a place we have visited every time we have been in Paris.

Le Reminet – sometimes they have a few tables on the sidewalk but not today.

We had made a lunch reservation and decided to walk from our apartment to the Restaurant. Along the way we walked over the small island of Île Saint-Louis that affords a view of the back of Notre-Dame.

It had been a month since the fire at Notre Dame and it is really sad to see it covered with scaffolding, cranes around it and the roof covered with a tarp.

Most of the area around Notre-Dame is blocked with various temporary construction structures, security and a variety of other things. Over the last 700 years the church has had more than one fire resulting in a number of restorations. This fire will be no different – fortunately the main structure, the façade, the flying buttresses and the exterior walls were all saved and while I’m sure they have some damage they still stand showing the structure still very much in place.

As of this posting, according to the French Senate, Notre Dame will be restored to its “last known visual state” by 2024 in time for the 2024 summer Olympics being held in Paris. We will certainly be watching the progress

While it is going to take a while to make the repairs it is clear that the City of Paris and the Country are both strongly in support of its restoration. Hopefully we will be around to see it reopen but who knows how long it will take.

Our lunch at Le Réminet was everything we have learned to expect.

Norbert – He has been working at Le Reminet for a very long time and does a wonderful job.

Norbert, headwaiter, manager, guy in charge, was welcoming and enjoyable to talk to. It seems the fire at Notre-Dame has impacted their customer base but hopefully that will change with the summer season heating up.

I don’t know what it is about these White Pearl #3 Oysters but they are the BEST.

Janeen had the fish with foam – fantastic.

After lunch we walked to Jardin des Tuileries – a lovely park along the Seine.

The River Seine – we could not have had a more beautiful day to walk along this iconic river.

Here’s the same fountain we say in Lucerne – sorry about the tractor in the background – but you can see the water flowing into Janeen’s hand.

Janeen is ALWAYS much happier with flowers around or in virtually any garden.

Jardin des Tuileries – When we were here in December this was a really cold spot for sure.

After taking the better part of the day to enjoy Paris we went back to the apartment to organize our luggage for our flight home.

This Green Wall is in the departure lounge at Charles de Gaulle airport. Very nice. One of our last views of the beauty of Paris

As of this posting, we are now back in Springfield Virginia enjoying spending time with our two granddaughters and trying to figure out our next adventure.

For now, we haven’t got anything planned for a foreign trip but that could always change. In July we will be driving across country stopping in Portland Oregon for the International Pinot Noir Festival and then heading south to SoCal stopping along the way to visit friends and relatives. So, while we have been blogging for the better part of 8 months I expect the next couple of months will be less reported but you are encouraged to come back (subscribing is actually best) to see what we are doing and follow our progress.

One last comment for this blog. We have been traveling for the better part of two years (started in June 2017) and really don’t know when we will actually stop. Places still on the bucket list include: Alaskan cruise; extended trip to Australia and New Zealand; Egypt; Sicily; Croatia; Russia; and the Far East.

May 26, 2019April 26, 2024

5-11-19 Lucerne and Mount Stanserhorn

Last up on our Discovery of Switzerland was Lucerne. Lucerne is a compact city known for its preserved medieval architecture and sits amid snowcapped mountains on Lake Lucerne.

The view from our hotel room to the mountains

A castle overlooking Lucerne – now a high end hotel

The Old town is colorful with decorated buildings and wondering cobblestone streets. One of the main attractions is the Chapel Bridge and Water Tower.

Lucerne- painting under the roof of Chapel Bridge showing a legendary wild man (giant)

Another painting decorating the bridge,Symbolic death appears in all of them, here a red hatted woman

Here we are on the covered bridge – always good to have several pictures proofing we were there.

The Bridge is a covered wooden footbridge spanning the River Reuss diagonally between the two sides of the river. It is probably the oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland dating back to the middle of the 14^th century. It also has old paintings under the roofs.

Cobble stone streets, old buildings and lovely shops.

The face of the building was interesting from our hotel balcony

A fountain in we came across just walking around.

Some of it was rebuilt in the 20^th century after a fire. The bridge traffic also provided Janeen with a sighting of a St. Bernard puppy. The northern end of the bridge once lead directly into St. Peter’s Chapel,

today a riverside promenade separates the two.

The white tents of the market along the river.

Another notable site to see is the Lion Monument. This Monument is dedicated to the memory of the Swiss mercenaries who, in the service of Louis XVI King of France were killed during the French Revolution in Paris when the Tuileries were invaded on August 10, 1792.

The Lion Memorial – note the shape of the opening looks like a boar.

The inscription “Helvetiorum fidei ac virtuti means” To the loyal and bravery of the Swiss”. The Lion’s Swiss Cross Halbard is covered by the fleur- de- lys of France, which the soldiers had pledged to protect. The Danish sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen, designed the Lion Monument when he was in Rome in 1819. It was installed in the sandstone rock in 1820 or so and is 6 meters high and ten meters long.

Proof we were at the Lion Memorial in Lucerne.

Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world”.

After walking around the Old Town and enjoying the sites (peonies in the flower market)

Janeen checking out the peonies , note the wine red ones.

Lucerne was enclosed in a city wall – this is a portion that remains.

St George the Dragon slayer on the side of a building.

and sounds (church bells) of the city market (it was market day after all) we went back to our hotel to get ready for our boat ride and cable car ride to the summit of Stanserhorn arranged for the following morning.

We had opted for the Lake Lucerne cruise for a chance to take in the wonderful mountain scenery from the water and enjoy a leisurely lake cruise before boarding our coach again for a quick ride to the funicular and open top cable car to the top of Mount Stanserhorn.

Village nestled at the base of the snow capped mountain.

A monument to those who sail on the lake

Lucerne is ringed by snow capped mountains.

We have been on several funiculars throughout Europe so this wasn’t as impressive as the cable car.

The funicular cars pass midway between the two stations.

This is the world’s only sun deck cable car with an enclosed cabin below and standing space on the roof!

The double cable system gives a very stable ride and was quite impressive as we climbed to the mountaintop at over 6,000 feet.

On the way up, we were in the cabin of the cable car.

At the top, which still had snow, we had a lovely hot chocolate and headed back down seeing a double rainbow along the way!

Janeen trying to get as much sun as she could

At the top overlooking the valley – just a moment before the clouds blocked the view.

Janeen on the top of the cable car with a rainbow behind her

The two of us in the corner of the roof of the cable car. It was a bit chilly.

If you look closely you can see a double rainbow!

That evening was the final gathering and dinner was delightful. The following morning we were off to Zurich and the airport for a flight to Paris.

May 25, 2019April 26, 2024

5-10-19 Train Rides and the 4th smallest Country of Europe

We started the day in a very relaxed mode – a train ride from St Moritz to Chur. This was a lovely run over the Grison Mountains but unlike our previous train the windows won’t open so the pictures were not as great. However, the views continue to be amazing and beautiful. Along the way we say a number of small villages, open meadows of green grass, some brown cows and ice capped mountains.

The route of our scenic train ride along part of the route of the Glacier Express, across the Grison Mountains and through the unforgettable scenes of ice-capped mountains, stone-built villages and lush meadows.

Arron and June – always a good laugh and great conversations.

Lovely village along the way dotted the hillsides as we traveled along.

Lovely view of the river as we rolled along on the train.

Just another little village along the ride

Your guide on this Adventure – taking it easy on the train

After the train we boarded our couch and headed to the 4th smallest country of Europe – Liechtenstein.

Liechtenstein, officially the Principality of Liechtenstein, is a land locked German-speaking microstate boarded by Switzerland and Austria. It is the fourth smallest country with an area of just over 62 square miles and a population of just 38,000. While we were visiting we did get a stamp in our passport!

Liechtenstein is home to a number of banks – this street has several.

Our Insight Tour was a great way to learn about Switzerland and its people and culture. Throughout our adventure, Rob our Tour Manager, did a good job of giving us just enough information to appreciate how the country has evolved over the years and how it has been able to maintain its neutrality for the last 400 years.

Rob our Insight Tour Manager – a Brit enjoying way he does for a living for sure

May 19, 2019April 26, 2024

5-9-19 St. Moritz and the Glacier Express Train Ride

After our adventures in Zermatt and the beauty of the Matterhorn and Italy we climbed aboard our coach and off we went. The first stop, along the way, was a photo op at Julier Pass. At the top of the pass are remains of a Roman temple and cart tracks showing the importance of this pass all the way back to Roman times. The road was constructed in the 1820s. The pass is at 7,493 feet! ;and on a clear day offers stunning views.

At the end of the our day was St Moritz. Now this place is clearly a resort town and basically open only during the winter. St. Moritz may be small, but it’s a heavyweight in the world of fashion.

Lots of lovely stores – all closed waiting for the season to open and ‘rich’ visitors to stop in.

From Armani and Gucci to Zegna, the Alpine resort’s selection of renowned fashion labels is second to none. Fortunately for my wallet virtually all of the stores were closed between seasons.

St Moritz is certainly situated in a beautiful spot but is clearly a winter paradise for the ‘rich and famous’. Not many visitors in town while we were there

The following day we boarded the train to ride along part of the route of the Glacier Express,

across the Grison Mountains and through unforgettable scenes of ice-capped mountains, stone-built villages and lush meadows. I will let the pictures tell the tale of this trip.

As we went up the mountain the tree line changed.

I expect they have skiing all year long.

Lots of snow and the weather throughout the trip was wonderful.

The weather was mixed as we went over the pass.

Located in the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve, one of the most beautiful mountain lakes, famous for its unique panorama facing the Mont-Blanc massif.

It’s dark as we are going through one of several tunnels along the way.

The train curves around and runs slowly enough that you can put your head out and snap a picture or two.

The village of Cavaglia has a permanent population of 24 and is at 5,587 ft

The small town of Privilasco nestled in the valley of Poschiavo.

As we topped the pass and headed down the views were still fantastic

We were stopped at this station and noticed the cable car in operation taking skiers to the top of the mountain. Thanks to June for this picture.

Once we reached the end of the line our couch picked us up and we headed to Liechtenstein and Lucerne but more about that latter.

We had a number of nice conversations with June and Aaron throughout our adventure.

Our Coach for the trip through Switzerland

May 18, 2019April 26, 2024

5-7 & 8-19 Zermatt, the Matterhorn, Simplon and a night in Italy

Having viewed Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) from Geneva and Montreux, we journeyed south via coach to Tasch to ride the cogwheel train from Tasch to Zermatt.

The Zermatt Shuttle runs frequently bring ing day trippers to Zermatt to ski and explore

About 20 years ago, Zermatt realized they were developing a smog issue and all public vehicles (except outside construction) have been electric since the 1970s.

The station in Zermatt – all vehicles in the city have to be electric – no emission issues as a result.

After a short walk from the station we arrived at the Alex Hotel. We checked in and were assigned an elegant suite with balcony overlooking the iconic peak, The Matterhorn.

Just a short walk from our hotel was this view of the mountain. Could not have been a more beautiful day to take in the site.

A view of the ‘city’ the Matterhorn would be on the right of this range of mountains.

The next morning, a part of our group of 37 ventured up the peak for Alpine views and the remainder of us enjoyed sunshine, hot chocolate, and strolls through the town.

Note the building and see the rock on the top of the post between the two buildings? Used to keep mice and other vermin from gaining access to the area where food would have been stored during the winter.

Another shot of the old town – not much happening in this part mostly places to stay.

Zermatt is at an elevation of 5,249ft and lies below the iconic Matterhorn peak. Its main street is lined with boutique shops, hotels and restaurants all with a lively après-ski scene.

Just a short walk from our hotel is the Matterhorn Museum.

The entrance to the Matterhorn Museum – all the historical stuff is underground.

The Museum has gathered cultural-natural displays of a Matterhorn village attempts to “conquer” the Matterhorn plus a number of significant artifacts are on display. It was an interesting place to spend an hour or so.

Inside the Matterhorn Museum they have recreated some of the historical structures that would have been around at the time of the first ascents of the mountain.

Various displays reflect some of the early climbers of the mountain.

This is a re-creation of one of the huts that would have been at the base of the Matterhorn used as a staging area prior to a climb.

Our evening in Zermatt included a delicious dining experience where we got to know members of our group and prepared for our morning departure that included a coach ride over the Simplon Pass into Italy.

Simplon Pass – a significant road over the mountains.

The sites were lovely throughout Switzerland for sure.

This is a military installation at the top of the mountain to protect Switzerland from a land invasion during WWII still maintained however.

Napolean led his troops through Simplon Pass (6,578 ft.) on his grab for empire, but probably did not record the stellar views en route like our tour did. Our coach brought us to Baveno Piedmont Italy on Lake Maggiore in a cloud of rain. After checking into the hotel, a fairly large sub-set of the group boarded a boat for Isola Bella estate.

Isola Bella is a privately owned island with a Palace and lovely gardens.

Isola Bella – Owned by the same family since the early 1600’s.

Owned by the same family (bankers from Milan) since the mid 1600’s it was built to impress the guests and it clearly does that very well. Originally we had been hesitant to sign on for this optional tour as we had visited the Palace during our trip to the Lake District of Italy a few years ago. However, even in the rain the tour was wonderful (fortunately our tour was primarily for the interior of the Palace) as our guide

Our guide did a wonderful job explaining the Palace.

There were a number of these curio cabinets around

was very knowledgeable and brought the place to life during our tour. and even the rain outdoors didn’t dim the experience. Having been owned by the same family for generations,

it has been decorated over several decades, and reflects decorative changes, but always with a focus on impressing.

The ‘throne’ not used by the King but available should he visit.

Multiple Venetian glass chandeliers reflect the intent. The Grotto, constructed in the lower level of the Palace, gives the impression of sea caves and is very creative and imaginative.

Janeen pointing out an crab feature in the Grotto

One of the rooms of the Grotto with a gift statue of carrera marble

It took over 8 years to complete all the mosaic pebble work of the Grotto

Despite a gentle drizzle, white peacocks roamed the gardens, and the dogwood and azaleas splashed color.

Part of the garden – note the white peacock on the head of the statue.

After completing the tour and visiting the gardens, we adjourned to a short boat ride to Fisherman’s island nearby, and a splendid Italian meal with music, wine and many courses.