This was a day to relax. We had seen the major sights in Stockholm when we were here a couple of weeks ago, so we decided to pick one or two of the other sights to look at today. We left the hotel at about 9:30 and strolled to Gamla Stan - the Old Town - to find a book store that Ann had spotted on our last visit. Being Sunday and being in a conservative Scandinavian country, the store was closed. So we walked to the main city to the Music Museum. This is a small museum that has displays of musical instruments from the middle ages to today. Many of the displays had the instruments set out so that you could play them. Some of the display had two instruments side-by-side - one ancient and one old - so that you could push a button for each and compare their sounds to see how similar they are. There were other displays behind glass of musical combos from early times up to ABBA. When you stand in front of them, a sample of their music plays. We spent a couple of hours in the museum.
On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at a cafe where I had an excellent lasagna and salad for lunch. Ann's stomach was giving her problems, so she just had tea.
Back at the hotel, Ann took a nap while I wasted time on the Internet. We have a free wireless connection here. Then we strolled down one of the main streets to find a grocery store and to scout out a place to have dinner.
Dinner was at a small Indian restaurant and it was surprisingly good. Ann had mild chicken curry (she was still nursing a troubled stomach) while I had Tandoori Chicken Sizlar. The meal included nan and jasmine rice.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Bergen to Stockholm - August 18
We caught a taxi at 9:30 this morning for the airport. We got there way early for our 12:00 flight. Our airline was FlyNordic - a discount airline for Scandinavia. I was worried about our luggage being too heavy, but Ann's Big Bertha suitcase was 4 kgs under the limit. It still got a "Heavy" sticker put on it. We saw Jim and Linda from our tour group waiting for their flight. Other than that, we sat around for quite awhile until our flight was called.
FlyNordic is a lot like Southwest Airlines. There is open seating and all food and drink on board costs real money. We had finka - coffee and a chocolate muffin. The flight was uneventful. We left in rainy skies and landed in sunny weather.
Because we had been to the Stockholm airport before, we were veterans in taking the Arlanda Express train into Stockholm. This time Ann remembered to take her purse with her.
Our hotel, The Columbus Hotell is in another section of Stockholm than our first hotel a couple of weeks ago. It is centrally situated in one of the most popular areas of Stockholm, called Södermalm. This is a younger area with lots of cafes, restaurants and shops. The hotel is located on a very quiet street in back of the Katarina Church. In fact, it abuts the church's grave yard. Ann really likes our room, especially the bathroom. It has a footed tub.
FlyNordic is a lot like Southwest Airlines. There is open seating and all food and drink on board costs real money. We had finka - coffee and a chocolate muffin. The flight was uneventful. We left in rainy skies and landed in sunny weather.
Because we had been to the Stockholm airport before, we were veterans in taking the Arlanda Express train into Stockholm. This time Ann remembered to take her purse with her.
Our hotel, The Columbus Hotell is in another section of Stockholm than our first hotel a couple of weeks ago. It is centrally situated in one of the most popular areas of Stockholm, called Södermalm. This is a younger area with lots of cafes, restaurants and shops. The hotel is located on a very quiet street in back of the Katarina Church. In fact, it abuts the church's grave yard. Ann really likes our room, especially the bathroom. It has a footed tub.
The Footed Tub
Dinner was at Greken På Hörnet, an excellent Greek restaurant near the hotel. Ann had a melt-in-your-mouth moussaka - nötfärs, aubergine, potatis och bechamelsås - while I had xifias - grillad svärdfiskfile med sauterade grönsaker och mustig vitvinsås. This is a restaurant to come back to.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Bergen - August 17
Rain, rain, rain.....
It was raining when we woke up. It was raining when we had breakfast. It was raining when Lisa took us for an early orientation walk. Some of us bailed early. Ann stopped and took shelter at the Bryggens Museum. I went back to the hotel and put my fleece jacket under my rain jacket. I then wandered over to the Fish Market to see what was there and to take some pictures.
One of the Fish Vendor's Display
I then went back to the museum to meet our guided tour of the old town. Our guide was dressed in a period costume. His delivery was very professional and well informed. He took us through part of the Bryggens Museum and talked about the archaeological excavations of Bryggen between 1955 and 1972. (See the web site above). He then took us some of the narrow alleys of Bryggen, the old Hanseatic League town established almost 900 years ago. Finally, he took us to the Hanseatic Museum which is one of the old trade houses at Bryggen. The museum has old interiors from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Bryggen
When the tour was over, we grabbed some lunch and then walked over to another part of town to see the Bergen Aquarium which at 150 Kr a head was too expensive, so Ann went for a swim in the outdoor pool. At this part of the day, it was about 55 degrees, raining and blowing. The last two women in the dressing room explained the ropes and pointed out the 10 Kr for a warm after swim shower was the swimmer's reward. The salt water pool was barely warmer than the air, but in the rain, with the sea just yards beyond the deck and the exhilaration of having the entire pool to herself, it was a magic moment of the trip, especially after the shower! Of course, I was holding her towel waiting for her to finish while I was standing in the rain and wind as the waves were slamming against the pools wooden deck and blasting streams of surf into the air.
Ann in the Pool
The walk back to the hotel was nice. The rain had let up a little and I could take pictures of another part of Bergen.
Our tour's farewell dinner was at Steakers. I had reindeer steak while Ann had a vegetarian dish. We all gathered around after dinner and related our WOW moments of the tour. Some where light and some were emotional. All-in-all, it was a good evening.
It was raining when we woke up. It was raining when we had breakfast. It was raining when Lisa took us for an early orientation walk. Some of us bailed early. Ann stopped and took shelter at the Bryggens Museum. I went back to the hotel and put my fleece jacket under my rain jacket. I then wandered over to the Fish Market to see what was there and to take some pictures.
One of the Fish Vendor's Display
I then went back to the museum to meet our guided tour of the old town. Our guide was dressed in a period costume. His delivery was very professional and well informed. He took us through part of the Bryggens Museum and talked about the archaeological excavations of Bryggen between 1955 and 1972. (See the web site above). He then took us some of the narrow alleys of Bryggen, the old Hanseatic League town established almost 900 years ago. Finally, he took us to the Hanseatic Museum which is one of the old trade houses at Bryggen. The museum has old interiors from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Bryggen
When the tour was over, we grabbed some lunch and then walked over to another part of town to see the Bergen Aquarium which at 150 Kr a head was too expensive, so Ann went for a swim in the outdoor pool. At this part of the day, it was about 55 degrees, raining and blowing. The last two women in the dressing room explained the ropes and pointed out the 10 Kr for a warm after swim shower was the swimmer's reward. The salt water pool was barely warmer than the air, but in the rain, with the sea just yards beyond the deck and the exhilaration of having the entire pool to herself, it was a magic moment of the trip, especially after the shower! Of course, I was holding her towel waiting for her to finish while I was standing in the rain and wind as the waves were slamming against the pools wooden deck and blasting streams of surf into the air.
Ann in the Pool
The walk back to the hotel was nice. The rain had let up a little and I could take pictures of another part of Bergen.
Our tour's farewell dinner was at Steakers. I had reindeer steak while Ann had a vegetarian dish. We all gathered around after dinner and related our WOW moments of the tour. Some where light and some were emotional. All-in-all, it was a good evening.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Elvesæter to Bergen - August 16
Glorious sun rose over this quaint “luxury” retreat in the Norwegian mountains. We ate a bountiful breakfast including hot oatmeal for the first time in Scandinavia. I haven’t mentioned it before, but the Norwegian bread is outstanding. We have a choice of several kinds at breakfast.
We boarded the bus for a six-hour drive broken by numerous photo stops featuring craggy mountains, glacial ice fields and rushing rivers on the Sognefjord road through the mountains. At a stop in Luster, we felt the water. It was very cold coming from the glaciers and mountain lakes.
Us at Glacial Ice Fields
We caught our ferry at Kaupanger. We had our picnic lunches with us, so Lisa gave us instructions on how to grab the best tables on deck. We positioned ourselves first in line and when the ferryman gave us the OK to board, we rushed to the tables and beat out all of the other tourists, even the Germans. This paid off for the first ½ hour of the trip while we ate our lunch. Then it began to sprinkle and shower, so most people took shelter and the deck was almost vacant. For the next two hours, I roamed the deck to find the best spots to take pictures. The views were spectacular - towering cliffs, blue water and tumbling waterfalls.
We boarded the bus for a six-hour drive broken by numerous photo stops featuring craggy mountains, glacial ice fields and rushing rivers on the Sognefjord road through the mountains. At a stop in Luster, we felt the water. It was very cold coming from the glaciers and mountain lakes.
Us at Glacial Ice Fields
We caught our ferry at Kaupanger. We had our picnic lunches with us, so Lisa gave us instructions on how to grab the best tables on deck. We positioned ourselves first in line and when the ferryman gave us the OK to board, we rushed to the tables and beat out all of the other tourists, even the Germans. This paid off for the first ½ hour of the trip while we ate our lunch. Then it began to sprinkle and shower, so most people took shelter and the deck was almost vacant. For the next two hours, I roamed the deck to find the best spots to take pictures. The views were spectacular - towering cliffs, blue water and tumbling waterfalls.
Fjord Scenes
The ferry landed at Gudvangen where we piled back onto the bus to have Mathieu thrill us with his skilled driving up a narrow, steep hill with numerous switchbacks up to another spectacular view of the valley and mountains that we had just passed by bus and ferry.
We arrived in Bergen to pouring rain and checked into the Hotel Rosenkrantz. Because of the rain, our short walking tour of our neighborhood was postponed until the next day. Instead, most of us went to Pepe’s for pizza and beer. Darlene and Caroline hosted an “after party” where we enjoyed retelling past travel stories and revealing future plans.
We arrived in Bergen to pouring rain and checked into the Hotel Rosenkrantz. Because of the rain, our short walking tour of our neighborhood was postponed until the next day. Instead, most of us went to Pepe’s for pizza and beer. Darlene and Caroline hosted an “after party” where we enjoyed retelling past travel stories and revealing future plans.
Oslo to Elvesæter - August 15
Today was a long bus day broken up by a visit to Lillehammer and the Nordic Folk Museum. This is an indoor/outdoor museum with beautiful old buildings brought here to form a huge farm complex with five tenant farms. We saw the main family house which was rustic but well appointed with carving. The owner was a rich farmer, circa 1750. It was raining off-and-on as we toured the buildings.
The Maihaugen Museum interior featured craft and hobby displays including a dentist’s office circa 1890’s. The dentists was the museum’s founder who practiced here.
Later in Lom, we visited one of the remaining stave churches from the 12th century. It was a beautiful wood construction and decoration.
Stave Church in Lom
Our final destination was the Elvesæter Inn for a quiet overnight. There were wood buildings with painted and carved details from the 16th century. The inn started out as a farm, but was converted to an inn in the 1800’s. We stayed in the building of the giants. We were now in the mountains of Norway, so the weather was cool as were the rooms. We could have used the room’s heater, but we couldn’t figure out how to turn it on.
Dinner was in the main house on the second floor. The views from it were spectacular - a ranging river beneath steep, wooded hills. We had a three-course dinner - potato and leek soup, prime rib with potatoes and green vegetables, and crème caramel.
The weather was still drizzly after dinner. This didn’t discourage Ann as she made a tour around the grounds. The river looked like it was near flood stage, but the locals said it wouldn’t happen.
The Maihaugen Museum interior featured craft and hobby displays including a dentist’s office circa 1890’s. The dentists was the museum’s founder who practiced here.
Later in Lom, we visited one of the remaining stave churches from the 12th century. It was a beautiful wood construction and decoration.
Stave Church in Lom
Our final destination was the Elvesæter Inn for a quiet overnight. There were wood buildings with painted and carved details from the 16th century. The inn started out as a farm, but was converted to an inn in the 1800’s. We stayed in the building of the giants. We were now in the mountains of Norway, so the weather was cool as were the rooms. We could have used the room’s heater, but we couldn’t figure out how to turn it on.
Dinner was in the main house on the second floor. The views from it were spectacular - a ranging river beneath steep, wooded hills. We had a three-course dinner - potato and leek soup, prime rib with potatoes and green vegetables, and crème caramel.
The weather was still drizzly after dinner. This didn’t discourage Ann as she made a tour around the grounds. The river looked like it was near flood stage, but the locals said it wouldn’t happen.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Oslo - August 14
This morning was a boat morning. First, we took a ferry to o see the Oslo Viking Museum. Then we strolled through a delightful residential neighborhood to three other maritime museums. The Kon Tiki Museum contained both the Kon Tiki and Ra II rafts that Thor Heyerdahl used in his expeditions to prove that ancient civilizations could float with the ocean current to inhabit Polynesia and Barbados. In the Norwegian Maritime Museum, we saw a film that took us on a helicopter ride along the coast of Norway. The movie was on a 180 degree screen and made you feel like you were in the helicopter. The From Museum contained a ship that had gone to both poles with famous Norwegian explorers.
Kon Tiki
For lunch, we had Norway’s version of a hot dog - a sausage wrapped in a potato pancake. Ugh!
We hopped on the ferry back to the city center, got onto the subway and rode out to the Munch Museum. There was lots of security at the entrance most likely because someone had stolen “The Scream” a few months back. The museum displays works by Munch during different periods of his artistic life. There were some really powerful paintings.
We took the subway back to the city center and breezed through the National Gallery where we saw paintings and sculptures by many Norwegian artists.
We got back to the hotel was early enough for Ann to put her bathing suit under her clothes and take the subway to Vigeland Park to swim in its Olympic size pool. There were too many people using the lap lanes so she swam in another part of the pool where the kids were jumping in and splashing. She said the pool was big enough so that it didn’t bother her.
Dinner tonight was in Kaffistova Where Ann had salmon with potatoes and cabbage. I had meatballs with gravy, potatoes and mushy beans. It was very bland food but it was filling. The cost was around $50 - not bad if we were eating at a decent restaurant in Berkeley like Rick and Ann‘s with wine and desert. We haven’t been going to better restaurants because of the cost. We were told that Oslo is the most expensive city in the world - the land of $10 beers and $15 Big Macs!
We picked up some chocolate on the way back to the hotel and shared it and conversation with some of our group who were using the breakfast room for their take-out dinner.
The weather today was mixed. It was sunny with light clouds in the morning. In the direct sun, it was pretty warm. We got caught in a shower in the afternoon while we were leaving the National Gallery. We took shelter in Bit where I had a snack of a good raisin bun with cardamom.
Kon Tiki
For lunch, we had Norway’s version of a hot dog - a sausage wrapped in a potato pancake. Ugh!
We hopped on the ferry back to the city center, got onto the subway and rode out to the Munch Museum. There was lots of security at the entrance most likely because someone had stolen “The Scream” a few months back. The museum displays works by Munch during different periods of his artistic life. There were some really powerful paintings.
We took the subway back to the city center and breezed through the National Gallery where we saw paintings and sculptures by many Norwegian artists.
We got back to the hotel was early enough for Ann to put her bathing suit under her clothes and take the subway to Vigeland Park to swim in its Olympic size pool. There were too many people using the lap lanes so she swam in another part of the pool where the kids were jumping in and splashing. She said the pool was big enough so that it didn’t bother her.
Dinner tonight was in Kaffistova Where Ann had salmon with potatoes and cabbage. I had meatballs with gravy, potatoes and mushy beans. It was very bland food but it was filling. The cost was around $50 - not bad if we were eating at a decent restaurant in Berkeley like Rick and Ann‘s with wine and desert. We haven’t been going to better restaurants because of the cost. We were told that Oslo is the most expensive city in the world - the land of $10 beers and $15 Big Macs!
We picked up some chocolate on the way back to the hotel and shared it and conversation with some of our group who were using the breakfast room for their take-out dinner.
The weather today was mixed. It was sunny with light clouds in the morning. In the direct sun, it was pretty warm. We got caught in a shower in the afternoon while we were leaving the National Gallery. We took shelter in Bit where I had a snack of a good raisin bun with cardamom.
Oslo - August 13
We had a breakfast buffet on board in the same restaurant as last night’s dinner. I got the last slice of melon, snatching it out from under the hand of 15 Japanese women who were dominating the fruit bar. We had lots of cereals, breads and hot food. The pressed coffee was strong and plentiful.
After breakfast, we went onto the upper deck and watched the scenery as we sailed up the Fjord of Oslo into Oslo. The fjord reminded a lot of us of Puget Sound with its rocky beaches, small islands and small hills riding from the shore. The real fjords come in a few days.
We docked at 9:30, got off of the ship and dumped our luggage on the bus. We drove a few blocks into the center of Oslo and then took a walking tour over Karl Johann Gate. Lisa pointed out many ATM’s, City Hall, the Parliament Building, the National Theater, the Royal Palace and many other important sites. We ended the walk at the Resistance Museum where we saw how the Norwegians coped with the Nazi occupation during WWII.
Lunch on our own found us at Deli de Luca for a good relatively inexpensive sandwich and salad. We ate on a bench on the adjacent parkway.
After finding an ATM, we bought ice cream, checked in at the hotel and hopped back on the bus for visits to the wonderful Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Holmenkollen ski jump museum. We went to the top of the ski jump and looked down on the jump and its landing area. Very scary! We also rode in a simulator that took us over the jump and down the downhill course at Cortina.
We ate take-out dinner from Deli de Luca in the hotel’s breakfast room with most of the rest of our group.
One of the Sculptures and the Ski Jump
Ærø to Oslo - August 12
We awoke to skies that were starting to clear. Yesterday was cloudy and cool with some minor sprinkles. Today promised to be better. Too bad we were leaving Ærø.
We got to the bakery by opening time (7:00) to buy some Danish to take on our bus ride for mid-morning snacks. This time we got cinnamon, berry and something that looked like a bear claw. Then it was back to the B&B for a duplicate of yesterday’s breakfast. It was still good. We packed up our bags and met the bus at the ferry landing at 8:40. The ferry left at 9:00 with all of us aboard. There was no Irish band today, only tourists and some locals that had business off of Ærø.
The ferry ride was over in a little over an hour. We hopped on the bus again and took off for Copenhagen. We had one stop for gas and nature calls. We ate our yummy Danish washed down with coffee.
When we got to Copenhagen, we went directly to the National Museum. Because it was lunch time, we went directly to the cafeteria and ordered two Danish sandwiches. They were huge. Lots of veggies, meats and cheese on fucaccio bread. We could have gotten by with only one sandwich but it was too late to change our order.
We than toured the museum at our own paces. There were exhibits of Danish civilization starting with the Bronze Age up to current times. The displays of lur horns and horned helmets were not being shown, but we did see rune stones, some Iron Age relics, religious artifacts, material on the Reformation, a cylinder perspective of a noble family, a peep show and reproductions of apartments in modern times.
We got back to the bus and made a quick visit to the Little Mermaid. Then it was off to the ferry terminal to catch a boat to Oslo. Everyone in our group had an inside cabin. It was pretty small with two single beds and a combination bathroom. After dropping off our bags, we made a tour of the ship. There are several restaurants and bars along with a duty-free shop. We sat in the bow on the top deck for our departure. As soon as we left port, the price of beer dropped, so we bought some and watch the first few miles of our journey. It was pretty cold out there, so most of the passengers went inside.
The Little Mermaid
Our buffet dinner started at 8:30 - way too late for us. It was good, though. There were three different kinds of herring, dozens of salads, lots of shellfish and other fish, meatballs, pasta, mystery meats, fresh fruit and several deserts. We had to walk the decks afterwards to let our food settle.
We got to the bakery by opening time (7:00) to buy some Danish to take on our bus ride for mid-morning snacks. This time we got cinnamon, berry and something that looked like a bear claw. Then it was back to the B&B for a duplicate of yesterday’s breakfast. It was still good. We packed up our bags and met the bus at the ferry landing at 8:40. The ferry left at 9:00 with all of us aboard. There was no Irish band today, only tourists and some locals that had business off of Ærø.
The ferry ride was over in a little over an hour. We hopped on the bus again and took off for Copenhagen. We had one stop for gas and nature calls. We ate our yummy Danish washed down with coffee.
When we got to Copenhagen, we went directly to the National Museum. Because it was lunch time, we went directly to the cafeteria and ordered two Danish sandwiches. They were huge. Lots of veggies, meats and cheese on fucaccio bread. We could have gotten by with only one sandwich but it was too late to change our order.
We than toured the museum at our own paces. There were exhibits of Danish civilization starting with the Bronze Age up to current times. The displays of lur horns and horned helmets were not being shown, but we did see rune stones, some Iron Age relics, religious artifacts, material on the Reformation, a cylinder perspective of a noble family, a peep show and reproductions of apartments in modern times.
We got back to the bus and made a quick visit to the Little Mermaid. Then it was off to the ferry terminal to catch a boat to Oslo. Everyone in our group had an inside cabin. It was pretty small with two single beds and a combination bathroom. After dropping off our bags, we made a tour of the ship. There are several restaurants and bars along with a duty-free shop. We sat in the bow on the top deck for our departure. As soon as we left port, the price of beer dropped, so we bought some and watch the first few miles of our journey. It was pretty cold out there, so most of the passengers went inside.
The Little Mermaid
Our buffet dinner started at 8:30 - way too late for us. It was good, though. There were three different kinds of herring, dozens of salads, lots of shellfish and other fish, meatballs, pasta, mystery meats, fresh fruit and several deserts. We had to walk the decks afterwards to let our food settle.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Ærø - August 11
We had no trouble last night navigating to our detached bathroom and slept peacefully in the cozy Copenhagen room. We had to get change for the laundromat, so we walked to the nearest bakery and bought a Danish pastry. Wow! It was the best I have ever had. When we got back, Karin and Jon our hosts at the Toldbodhus B & B served us each a delightful coddled egg with fresh-squeezed orange juice, pressed coffee, fresh rolls, meat, cheese, yogurt and homemade plum jam.
With the help of our friends, we negotiated the pitfalls of the laundromat this morning before we boarded the bus at 11:45 to drive to the inn serving traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches. Lisa treated us to a shot of Aquavit - not bad.
After lunch, we took a tour of the island featuring classic thatched roof cottages, 12th century Bregninge church with restored gothic paintings and a neolithic "passing grave" site. We got a chance to walk by the historic beach cottages before returning to Ærøskobing. We accepted Suzanna's invitation to tea at Pension Vestergade which housed some of our group. She baked Danish pastries and cookies for us besides fielding questions about Denmark, Ærø and her life.
With the help of our friends, we negotiated the pitfalls of the laundromat this morning before we boarded the bus at 11:45 to drive to the inn serving traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches. Lisa treated us to a shot of Aquavit - not bad.
Sandwiches
After lunch, we took a tour of the island featuring classic thatched roof cottages, 12th century Bregninge church with restored gothic paintings and a neolithic "passing grave" site. We got a chance to walk by the historic beach cottages before returning to Ærøskobing. We accepted Suzanna's invitation to tea at Pension Vestergade which housed some of our group. She baked Danish pastries and cookies for us besides fielding questions about Denmark, Ærø and her life.
We had remarkably delicious fresh salads at Cafe Aroma. Michelle and Carol from Sacramento joined us.
Desert from the waffle cone ice cream shop lived up to its reputation. I had licorice and Ann had the special - walnut-maple ice cream with whipped cream topped with maple syrup. Yum
Copenhagen to Ærø - August 10
We were on the bus by 9:00 and set out for Roskilde to visit the Viking Museum. By 10:00 we were watching a film describing the Viking culture that centered around boating and building ships for commerce, fishing, protection and voyaging. With the discovery of sunken vessels in the fjord, contemporary Danes painstakingly reconstructed the history of their Viking forbearers at this fascinating museum. Remains of the boats and life-sized models of how they originally looked were some of the featured exhibits. Ann found amber earrings as souvenirs.
Also in Roskilde we visited the ornate Lutheran cathedral before having lunch on the “mall”. Both were worthwhile, but were outshined by the museum.
Our bus ride to catch the ferry to Ærø was nap time for many of us. After we boarded the ferry and had an initial thrill of experiencing sea air top side, Lisa came and informed us of an Irish band playing inside. For the rest of the ride we enjoyed the lively music of an excellent 6-man band.
Quaint Aero was all it was built up to be. We had the garden cottage named Copenhagen at a B & B -Tolbodhus - with a detached bathroom. We had to walk across the garden courtyard to get to it. At least we weren’t sharing a bathroom like the other three couples with us.
Our Cottage
Dinner of roast pork, red cabbage and potatoes was followed by an unpronounceable pudding made out of pureed fruit with berries on top covered by cream. It was sumptuous.
After dinner we followed the night watchman/lamp lighter/story teller for a walk around the village. Because we were tired, we bailed out after three stops.
Also in Roskilde we visited the ornate Lutheran cathedral before having lunch on the “mall”. Both were worthwhile, but were outshined by the museum.
Our bus ride to catch the ferry to Ærø was nap time for many of us. After we boarded the ferry and had an initial thrill of experiencing sea air top side, Lisa came and informed us of an Irish band playing inside. For the rest of the ride we enjoyed the lively music of an excellent 6-man band.
Quaint Aero was all it was built up to be. We had the garden cottage named Copenhagen at a B & B -Tolbodhus - with a detached bathroom. We had to walk across the garden courtyard to get to it. At least we weren’t sharing a bathroom like the other three couples with us.
Our Cottage
Dinner of roast pork, red cabbage and potatoes was followed by an unpronounceable pudding made out of pureed fruit with berries on top covered by cream. It was sumptuous.
After dinner we followed the night watchman/lamp lighter/story teller for a walk around the village. Because we were tired, we bailed out after three stops.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Copenhagen - August 9
Lisa took us on a more in-depth walking tour this morning. She led us through Orsteds Park and then along some of the more scenic streets as she pointed out the more important historic buildings and gave some historic facts about Copenhagen. The two-hour tour ended near the Stork Fountain. The group split up at that point so Ann and I decided that it was time to try some Danish pastry. We went to a bakery and bought a chocolate Danish and a raisin scone. We took them to an outdoor kiosk where we sat down with coffee and a ginger drink and enjoyed our treats.
We then found the stop for the number 66 bus and rode it to Christiana, the old hippy or free-lifestyle section of Copenhagen. This area was pretty drug-intensive for many years, but the dealing has stopped. The aptly named "Pusher Street" is the main street in the area with lots of food vendors and little shops lining it. It has become a tourist attraction. I wanted to eat lunch there in a vegetarian restaurant but the smell of dog poop turned off Ann. We left after saying hello to some others in our tour group who were enjoying their morning beer.
We took the bus back to where we started and used the GPS to find Riz Raz. We had its plentiful vegetarian buffet and sweet ice tea. There was lots of good food and the tea was very refreshing.
After lunch we walked back to the hotel. When we checked in for our non-smoking room, the only one left was a suite. So now we feel guilty about complaining about our smelly room the night before and getting a room that is much better than everyone else.
Orsteds Park
We then found the stop for the number 66 bus and rode it to Christiana, the old hippy or free-lifestyle section of Copenhagen. This area was pretty drug-intensive for many years, but the dealing has stopped. The aptly named "Pusher Street" is the main street in the area with lots of food vendors and little shops lining it. It has become a tourist attraction. I wanted to eat lunch there in a vegetarian restaurant but the smell of dog poop turned off Ann. We left after saying hello to some others in our tour group who were enjoying their morning beer.
Christiana
We took the bus back to where we started and used the GPS to find Riz Raz. We had its plentiful vegetarian buffet and sweet ice tea. There was lots of good food and the tea was very refreshing.
After lunch we walked back to the hotel. When we checked in for our non-smoking room, the only one left was a suite. So now we feel guilty about complaining about our smelly room the night before and getting a room that is much better than everyone else.
At 4:45 left left the hotel and forced-marched ourselves through the pedestrian walkway down to the docks and met a bunch of our group at 5:30 for a Jazz Cruise. We boarded a flat boat with open-air seating. The jazz combo was in front. It was a quartet of older men - a bass, a trumpet, a banjo/singer and a bass sax/alto sax. The played old-time jazz classics - sort of Dixieland. The passengers really got into it especially after drinking their wine and beer. People along the banks of the canals liked it, too. They were waving at us and dancing to the beat. A fun time.
The Jazz Combo
Since we had the big room at the hotel, we invited people to our place for a Happy Hour before bedtime.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Kalmar to Copenhagen - August 8
We had a strong storm move through this morning. There was lots of thunder and very close flashes of lightening. The sky was still dripping as we walked over to the Kalmar Castle. This castle was very strategic for defense purposes from the 12th century until the Union of Kalmar broke up several centuries later. Our guide, Oskar, dressed in period costume, was very knowledgeable and enjoyed getting lots of questions from our group.
View of Kalmar Castle and Oskar, the Guide
After the castle, we got onto the bus and began our day's journey to Copenhagen. We made a stop in a truck stop were Lisa bought us lunch. I had Swedish meatballs with potatoes and lingonberries. It reminded me of Ikea.
Today's ride was mostly through rolling farmlands. There were no significant hills. We saw lots of hay fields.
After crossing over the longest single-span bridge in Europe, we arrived at the Hotel Richmond in Copenhagen. By mistake, we were put into a smoking room on a smoking floor. The smell in the room wasn't too bad, but the hallway was awful. We have a commitment to move to a non-smoking room the next day.
Lisa led us on a short tour of our area of Copenhagen. We are centrally located being close to Tivoli Gardens, the train station, City Hall and Strøget, the longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe. On the way, we were intercepted by
Hans Christian Andersen who gave us a short history of his stories. Our tour's destination was a restaurant called Det lille Apotak - The Little Pharmacy. We ate in the entry room with its low ceiling. Being the end of a warm day, it was very warm in the restaurant. The food was good, though. Ann and I had salmon on a bed of cooked cabbage, boiled potatoes and mixed vegetables. We both had a glass of the house-brewed lager - a dark, crisp beer.
After dinner, we all walked back to the hotel together with an intermediate stop where Lisa treated us to ice cream. I had chocolate and banana; Ann had stracciatella and pistachio. We also stopped at the Tivoli Gardens where Ann and I walked around fascinated by the outdoor cafes, the amusement park rides (including a roller coaster with three 360 degree loops) and performance venues. It was really picturesque after dark with all of its colored lights. If we were younger and less tired, we could have stayed there all night. Instead, it was bed by 11:00.
View of Kalmar Castle and Oskar, the Guide
After the castle, we got onto the bus and began our day's journey to Copenhagen. We made a stop in a truck stop were Lisa bought us lunch. I had Swedish meatballs with potatoes and lingonberries. It reminded me of Ikea.
Today's ride was mostly through rolling farmlands. There were no significant hills. We saw lots of hay fields.
After crossing over the longest single-span bridge in Europe, we arrived at the Hotel Richmond in Copenhagen. By mistake, we were put into a smoking room on a smoking floor. The smell in the room wasn't too bad, but the hallway was awful. We have a commitment to move to a non-smoking room the next day.
Lisa led us on a short tour of our area of Copenhagen. We are centrally located being close to Tivoli Gardens, the train station, City Hall and Strøget, the longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe. On the way, we were intercepted by
Hans Christian Andersen who gave us a short history of his stories. Our tour's destination was a restaurant called Det lille Apotak - The Little Pharmacy. We ate in the entry room with its low ceiling. Being the end of a warm day, it was very warm in the restaurant. The food was good, though. Ann and I had salmon on a bed of cooked cabbage, boiled potatoes and mixed vegetables. We both had a glass of the house-brewed lager - a dark, crisp beer.
After dinner, we all walked back to the hotel together with an intermediate stop where Lisa treated us to ice cream. I had chocolate and banana; Ann had stracciatella and pistachio. We also stopped at the Tivoli Gardens where Ann and I walked around fascinated by the outdoor cafes, the amusement park rides (including a roller coaster with three 360 degree loops) and performance venues. It was really picturesque after dark with all of its colored lights. If we were younger and less tired, we could have stayed there all night. Instead, it was bed by 11:00.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Stockholm to Kalmar - August 7
Much to Ann's dismay, we got on our bus today. We left the hotel around 8:30 and drove to The City Hall. This is the gilt mosaic architectural jewel of Stockholm and site of the Nobel Prize banquet. We had an informative one-hour guided tour. We said good-bye to Stockholm and left on our 6-hour ride to Kalmar.
Our lunch stop was at the quaint town of Söderköping. The town is a tourist destination for people in cars, buses and boats. It is situated on a long canal that spans across the southern part of Sweden. We had a simple lunch while sitting at a canal-side cafe and watched people going along the canal walk. We also watched rabbits swimming across the canal.
We arrived in Kalmar at about 5:30. Dinner was at 7:00 in another cave-like restaurant. I had perch in a lobster sauce while Ann had duck in a citrus sauce. Both meals came with good potatoes. Our desert was chocolate pannacotta.
The weather continued to be warm and clear, although we awoke to a little mist.
Our lunch stop was at the quaint town of Söderköping. The town is a tourist destination for people in cars, buses and boats. It is situated on a long canal that spans across the southern part of Sweden. We had a simple lunch while sitting at a canal-side cafe and watched people going along the canal walk. We also watched rabbits swimming across the canal.
We arrived in Kalmar at about 5:30. Dinner was at 7:00 in another cave-like restaurant. I had perch in a lobster sauce while Ann had duck in a citrus sauce. Both meals came with good potatoes. Our desert was chocolate pannacotta.
The weather continued to be warm and clear, although we awoke to a little mist.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Third Day in Stockholm - August 6
Today was the first full day for our tour. After our good buffet breakfast (no Swedish pancakes on week days), we left the hotel and strolled down the street to the square. Lisa pointed out several sights including Östermalms Saluhall - the food market. We then went into the T-bana to get some experience riding the subway. We left from Östermalmstorg and got off at T-Centralen. Then we walked around the central part of the city and into the Gamla Stan. Along the walk, Lisa pointed out all of the points of interest including the Queens Garden that was paved over and the Nobel Museum where all prizes except the peace prize are awarded each year. We meandered through the narrow streets and wove our way to the ferry landing. Our ferry trip was to Djurgårdsvägen where we departed and walked to the Vasa Museum. Viewing the old war ship that was raised from the floor of the sea was really fascinating.
After the Vassa Museum, we used our Stockholm Card and caught a tram to take us back to the hotel area. The cards lets you into most city sites and allows unlimited use of public transportation. It's a real bargain if you want to visit a bunch of sites in one day.
We grabbed our dirty laundry at the hotel and went to the Östermalms Saluhall for lunch. This market is rated by Bon Appetite as one of the ten best in the world. It is like no market we have ever been in. It was extremely clean and neat with several vendors selling meats, fish, vegetables, cheese, coffee, etc.. It also had many kiosks for ordering lunch. Ann had a huge salad with quinoise, lox, vegetables, dried tomatoes, red peppers, etc. with balsamic vinegar dressing. I had a ham and cheese sandwich on a seeded roll. I also shared some of Ann’s salad.
The Food Market
After lunch we caught the T-bana and rode it to a Laundromat to wash our dirty clothes. While they were washing and drying, we wandered around the area a saw a different part of Stockholm. It wasn’t a busy as the areas we had been in before - probably because it wasn’t a tourist area.
Then it was back to the hotel, Happy Hour at 5:00 and buffet dinner at 6:30. The highlight of the evening was a visit to The Stockholm Ice Bar. Absolut has ice bars in a few Scandinavian cities. They are small rooms made out of ice. The bar, the benches and wall are all made out of ice. Drinks are served in large, hollowed out ice cubes. They are all vodka mixes in various colors with various mixes. We wore insulated parkas with hoods and winter gloves. Entertainment was recorded music by Abba. It was cold in there. The room could fit only about 20 people and we had a fixed time (45 minutes) that we could be in there. They told us to leave when it was time.
We walked and T-bana’ed back to the hotel. We took the Blue Line so that we could see some of its art work that Rick Steves wrote about. It was interesting but not too spectacular.
After the Vassa Museum, we used our Stockholm Card and caught a tram to take us back to the hotel area. The cards lets you into most city sites and allows unlimited use of public transportation. It's a real bargain if you want to visit a bunch of sites in one day.
We grabbed our dirty laundry at the hotel and went to the Östermalms Saluhall for lunch. This market is rated by Bon Appetite as one of the ten best in the world. It is like no market we have ever been in. It was extremely clean and neat with several vendors selling meats, fish, vegetables, cheese, coffee, etc.. It also had many kiosks for ordering lunch. Ann had a huge salad with quinoise, lox, vegetables, dried tomatoes, red peppers, etc. with balsamic vinegar dressing. I had a ham and cheese sandwich on a seeded roll. I also shared some of Ann’s salad.
The Food Market
After lunch we caught the T-bana and rode it to a Laundromat to wash our dirty clothes. While they were washing and drying, we wandered around the area a saw a different part of Stockholm. It wasn’t a busy as the areas we had been in before - probably because it wasn’t a tourist area.
Then it was back to the hotel, Happy Hour at 5:00 and buffet dinner at 6:30. The highlight of the evening was a visit to The Stockholm Ice Bar. Absolut has ice bars in a few Scandinavian cities. They are small rooms made out of ice. The bar, the benches and wall are all made out of ice. Drinks are served in large, hollowed out ice cubes. They are all vodka mixes in various colors with various mixes. We wore insulated parkas with hoods and winter gloves. Entertainment was recorded music by Abba. It was cold in there. The room could fit only about 20 people and we had a fixed time (45 minutes) that we could be in there. They told us to leave when it was time.
We walked and T-bana’ed back to the hotel. We took the Blue Line so that we could see some of its art work that Rick Steves wrote about. It was interesting but not too spectacular.
Second Day in Stockholm - August 5
We had a good night's sleep last night. We averted the dreaded second night jet lag problem by taking Tylenol PM. It works for sleep and for easing the aching walking muscles. Our breakfast was the hotel's buffet with more Swedish pancakes.
We walked over to the harbor and wandered around the area that we missed the day before. We dropped into the Grand Hotel to see where it served its renown smorgasbord. We decided that we would not be hungry enough at noon to have a $120 meal.
Next, we caught a 10:00 two-hour boat tour around Stockholm. We went through two locks and under 21 bridges. I didn’t realize that the city was built on so many islands. The narration told us a lot about past and current history of Stockholm. The weather was clear and warm which made the ride very pleasant.
Scene Along the Shore
After the boat tour, we walked to the old town, Gamla Stan, and ate at Grillska Huset , a cafeteria that is run by Stockholms Stadsmission, a charitable organization for the poor. I had a shrimp sandwich with a chocolate torte while Ann had a vegetarian sandwich with an apple torte.
Next, we walked over to The National Museum of Fine Arts. It has a good collection of Swedish art including a local artist, Carl Larsson. He focused on painting everyday scenes.
When we got back to the hotel, we had a 5:00 meeting with our Rick Steves tour group. Lisa, our guide, gave us a preview of the trip along with all of the policies and procedures of the tour. We had a few snacks and soft drinks and introduced ourselves.
After the meeting, our group took an orientation walk from our neighborhood over to Gamla Stan. Our group dinner was at Mårten Trotzig. We walked in the door and down two flights of stairs to the celler. Our pre-ordered dinner was ground veal patties, fresh peas and pureed potatoes. For desert, we had ice cream with strawberries and oatmeal wafers. It was a nice meal with pleasant company. We sat with Becky and Emile from Palmdale.
While walking back to the hotel, we realized that it was way after 9:00, the latest that we had been out on the trip. We collapsed into bed a little after 10:00.
We walked over to the harbor and wandered around the area that we missed the day before. We dropped into the Grand Hotel to see where it served its renown smorgasbord. We decided that we would not be hungry enough at noon to have a $120 meal.
Next, we caught a 10:00 two-hour boat tour around Stockholm. We went through two locks and under 21 bridges. I didn’t realize that the city was built on so many islands. The narration told us a lot about past and current history of Stockholm. The weather was clear and warm which made the ride very pleasant.
Scene Along the Shore
After the boat tour, we walked to the old town, Gamla Stan, and ate at Grillska Huset , a cafeteria that is run by Stockholms Stadsmission, a charitable organization for the poor. I had a shrimp sandwich with a chocolate torte while Ann had a vegetarian sandwich with an apple torte.
Next, we walked over to The National Museum of Fine Arts. It has a good collection of Swedish art including a local artist, Carl Larsson. He focused on painting everyday scenes.
When we got back to the hotel, we had a 5:00 meeting with our Rick Steves tour group. Lisa, our guide, gave us a preview of the trip along with all of the policies and procedures of the tour. We had a few snacks and soft drinks and introduced ourselves.
After the meeting, our group took an orientation walk from our neighborhood over to Gamla Stan. Our group dinner was at Mårten Trotzig. We walked in the door and down two flights of stairs to the celler. Our pre-ordered dinner was ground veal patties, fresh peas and pureed potatoes. For desert, we had ice cream with strawberries and oatmeal wafers. It was a nice meal with pleasant company. We sat with Becky and Emile from Palmdale.
While walking back to the hotel, we realized that it was way after 9:00, the latest that we had been out on the trip. We collapsed into bed a little after 10:00.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
First Day in Stockholm
We were up by 6:30 after getting plenty of sleep. That was a relief after our long day yesterday. The breakfast buffet was a surprise. Along with all of the standard fare, we had Swedish pancakes! And that's not all. Ann sampled the breakfast herring. She said that it was good. I wouldn't know. Herring for breakfast is too bazaar for me.
We left the hotel and walked along the harbor across the Djurgården bridge and onto Djurgårdsvägen. We wandered around a little until we found the west entrance to Skansen. This is Europe's first and best open-air folk museum. We visited farms that were relocated from various geographical area of Sweden. We also saw artisan workshops, churches and schools. We ate lunch in the main square and had smoked reindeer and a lingonberry drink. On the way out, we bought some pastries from the bakery. Because this was Saturday, there were lots a families there with their young kids.
Smoked Reinder
The Nordic Museum was very close to Skansen, so we decided to make a tour of it. The exhibits that we saw are listed on the museum's web site. Some of them were worth seeing, but I zoned out in the shoes and doilies sections. After we were done, we sat outside for a few minutes and polished off most of the pastries that we bought in Skansen.
While hiking back to the hotel, we stopped at a couple of grocery stores for bananas and beer. The bananas looked good but the beer was 3.2%. It seems that you can't buy strong beer in stores but you can drink it in bars. So we bought a couple of dark Swedish beers at the hotel bar and drank them in our room. The clerk at the hotel by law had to uncap them for us.
Dinner was at the hotel buffet again. We had salads and paella. We met Linda and Kay who are on the Rick Steves tour with us and chatted with them for awhile. Then we took a stroll to a subway station to see how the T-bana works. The transit system includes the subway, buses and boats.
Bed time was before 10:00.
We left the hotel and walked along the harbor across the Djurgården bridge and onto Djurgårdsvägen. We wandered around a little until we found the west entrance to Skansen. This is Europe's first and best open-air folk museum. We visited farms that were relocated from various geographical area of Sweden. We also saw artisan workshops, churches and schools. We ate lunch in the main square and had smoked reindeer and a lingonberry drink. On the way out, we bought some pastries from the bakery. Because this was Saturday, there were lots a families there with their young kids.
Smoked Reinder
The Nordic Museum was very close to Skansen, so we decided to make a tour of it. The exhibits that we saw are listed on the museum's web site. Some of them were worth seeing, but I zoned out in the shoes and doilies sections. After we were done, we sat outside for a few minutes and polished off most of the pastries that we bought in Skansen.
While hiking back to the hotel, we stopped at a couple of grocery stores for bananas and beer. The bananas looked good but the beer was 3.2%. It seems that you can't buy strong beer in stores but you can drink it in bars. So we bought a couple of dark Swedish beers at the hotel bar and drank them in our room. The clerk at the hotel by law had to uncap them for us.
Dinner was at the hotel buffet again. We had salads and paella. We met Linda and Kay who are on the Rick Steves tour with us and chatted with them for awhile. Then we took a stroll to a subway station to see how the T-bana works. The transit system includes the subway, buses and boats.
Bed time was before 10:00.
Friday, August 3, 2007
We Have Arrived in Stockholm
We were up at 3:00 this morning. At least I was up then. Ann decided that she needed to mentally review her packing and house preparation during the night so she was up and down a few times before 3:00. Both the alarm and clock radio went off on time, so we were assured that we would make our Bay Porter Express pickup at 4:00. We ate some fruit and muffins and powered down some strong Peet's coffee to get us going.
The 4:00 pickup was only 5 minutes late. We got to SFO a 1/2 hour later. We left at 6:50 on US Air to Philadelphia. We changed planes there for Stockholm. We tried napping a little. Ann was more successful then I, but I got to watch 3 movies and read a little of my book. We had to pay for food on the domestic leg. It was free on the international leg but we had to pay for wine. Quality was so-so.
We got to Stockholm around 8:00, went through immigration, got our bags, used the ATM and bought our senior tickets for the Arlanda express train to the Stockholm central train station. The train is very clean and efficient. It took us only 30 minutes to get to the station. Then it was into a taxi to the Hotel Wellington. Of course it was way too early to check into our room. Our plan was to leave our bags there and do some sightseeing. While putting away our bags, Ann discovered that she had left her purse on the train with her passport, credit cars and cash. The hotel clerk quickly called Arlanda and asked if anyone had turned it in. It turns our that Arlanda goes through the train after everyone disembarks looking for left items. It hadn't been turned in when she called, but they promised to call her back. About an hour later, they called and said that they had found it. So we taxied back to the station and picked up her purse with nothing missing. After that we decided to walk to the old town and do the sightseeing that we had originally planned.
Our main focus was to get some lunch and exercise. We had coffee and quiche in a small cafe in one of the alleys. Then we wandered uphill to the royal apartments. It was just before noon and there were hundreds of people milling around. We decided to hang out there to see what was going to happen. We found out it was time for the changing of the guards. The Swedes really do this well. First, two columns of troopers march into the courtyard and spread themselves along its parameter. Then a mounted trooper band appeared down the street and clopped into the courtyard playing their music. It was quite a spectacle.
We walked back to the hotel and were able to get into our room. It is a medium-sized room with a small balcony looking over a terrace one story below. The weather is a little too drippy and cool today to sit out there, but it is going to clear tomorrow. We both showered and cleaned up. We fought sleep for another few hours before we could eat dinner and go to bed.
We didn't last very long after dinner. Ann was asleep a little after 8:00. I followed soon after. I woke up once and looked at the clock. It said 9:00 and the sky was light. I thought that it was 9:00 AM so I almost got up. I thought about it though and realized that I couldn't have slept for 12+ hours without waing at least once. It stays light very late here.
The 4:00 pickup was only 5 minutes late. We got to SFO a 1/2 hour later. We left at 6:50 on US Air to Philadelphia. We changed planes there for Stockholm. We tried napping a little. Ann was more successful then I, but I got to watch 3 movies and read a little of my book. We had to pay for food on the domestic leg. It was free on the international leg but we had to pay for wine. Quality was so-so.
We got to Stockholm around 8:00, went through immigration, got our bags, used the ATM and bought our senior tickets for the Arlanda express train to the Stockholm central train station. The train is very clean and efficient. It took us only 30 minutes to get to the station. Then it was into a taxi to the Hotel Wellington. Of course it was way too early to check into our room. Our plan was to leave our bags there and do some sightseeing. While putting away our bags, Ann discovered that she had left her purse on the train with her passport, credit cars and cash. The hotel clerk quickly called Arlanda and asked if anyone had turned it in. It turns our that Arlanda goes through the train after everyone disembarks looking for left items. It hadn't been turned in when she called, but they promised to call her back. About an hour later, they called and said that they had found it. So we taxied back to the station and picked up her purse with nothing missing. After that we decided to walk to the old town and do the sightseeing that we had originally planned.
Our main focus was to get some lunch and exercise. We had coffee and quiche in a small cafe in one of the alleys. Then we wandered uphill to the royal apartments. It was just before noon and there were hundreds of people milling around. We decided to hang out there to see what was going to happen. We found out it was time for the changing of the guards. The Swedes really do this well. First, two columns of troopers march into the courtyard and spread themselves along its parameter. Then a mounted trooper band appeared down the street and clopped into the courtyard playing their music. It was quite a spectacle.
We walked back to the hotel and were able to get into our room. It is a medium-sized room with a small balcony looking over a terrace one story below. The weather is a little too drippy and cool today to sit out there, but it is going to clear tomorrow. We both showered and cleaned up. We fought sleep for another few hours before we could eat dinner and go to bed.
View of Our Room
A light buffet dinner was included in out room rate, so we ate in the dining area near the hotel's lobby. We had several kinds of salads, sausages, bread, cheese, etc. As we continue to take advantage of our "free" dinner, we will have to eat a large lunch or have snacks in mid-afternoon.We didn't last very long after dinner. Ann was asleep a little after 8:00. I followed soon after. I woke up once and looked at the clock. It said 9:00 and the sky was light. I thought that it was 9:00 AM so I almost got up. I thought about it though and realized that I couldn't have slept for 12+ hours without waing at least once. It stays light very late here.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Mallorca to Barcelona
Monday, May 14 - I was up at 7:00 or so. Boy was it good to get a full night's sleep. My room faced the empty courtyard so it was real quiet. This hotel had the regular breakfast buffet with tasty coffee con leche brewed with an espresso machine.
After breakfast, I wandered down to the waterfront and killed time until the cathedral opened. I took a picture of two bicycle policewomen which I'm going to send along to BAC Tom who, as a Berkeley policeman, ran the bicycle patrol for awhile. At 10:00, the cathedral opened and I went in along with German, English and Japanese tourists. The cathedral was started in the 11th century and took 300 years to build. It is supposedly the largest cathedral in Europe on the seaside. It is under constant maintenance. Gaudi did some work in it and again you can see his influence. I took lots of pictures.
I checked out of the hotel at 11:00 and took a taxi to the airport. I considered taking the bus, but the stop was too far away for me to tote my luggage. I checked in and ate lunch - a ham sandwich, olive oil chips and bottled water. I almost had to pay for extra weight for my luggage. Because I'm only going as far as Barcelona today, the allowance was 20 kilos. The clerk took pity on me and didn't charge me because my final destination is SFO.
I got here way early for my flight, so I'm taking the opportunity to update my notes.
Now I'm in my hotel in Barcelona. It's in an old building on the third floor. My room is small and clean. It appears to have been refinished recently. The floors have large yellowish-brown tiles and the walls are painted with wide yellow and white vertical stripes. I also have a small balcony with a table, two chairs and several potted plants. The only complaint that I have is that the shower doors are falling off. Oh yeah, and when I came in, the lobby TV outside my door was turned up real loud and the clerk was smoking next to the no-smoking sign.
time - about 5:30 - so I bought a package of very salty peanuts at a small store on my way. There were hundreds of people walking up and down. It was instant recognition from when we were here before. I even found the huge produce market just off of the I showered and made my way to la Rambla with the aid of my GPS. I was very hungry at thispromenade. I got a small glass of berry juice there. Further down la Rambla, I bought a large baked chicken and vegetable sandwich at a shop advertising that it is the best sandwich in town. I should have know better because there was a Subway just down the street. For dessert, I had a couple pastries from Dunkin' Donuts.
On my way back to the hotel, I walked past the square with the two fountains at the top of la Rambla. When I got into the hotel, there was a new non-smoking clerk and the TV was turned off. My attitude is much better. I'll reserve further opinion when I see a taxi at 6:00 tomorrow morning.
I'll be publishing this blog entry when I can. I know that there are internet zones in the Barcelona airport.
After breakfast, I wandered down to the waterfront and killed time until the cathedral opened. I took a picture of two bicycle policewomen which I'm going to send along to BAC Tom who, as a Berkeley policeman, ran the bicycle patrol for awhile. At 10:00, the cathedral opened and I went in along with German, English and Japanese tourists. The cathedral was started in the 11th century and took 300 years to build. It is supposedly the largest cathedral in Europe on the seaside. It is under constant maintenance. Gaudi did some work in it and again you can see his influence. I took lots of pictures.
I checked out of the hotel at 11:00 and took a taxi to the airport. I considered taking the bus, but the stop was too far away for me to tote my luggage. I checked in and ate lunch - a ham sandwich, olive oil chips and bottled water. I almost had to pay for extra weight for my luggage. Because I'm only going as far as Barcelona today, the allowance was 20 kilos. The clerk took pity on me and didn't charge me because my final destination is SFO.
I got here way early for my flight, so I'm taking the opportunity to update my notes.
Now I'm in my hotel in Barcelona. It's in an old building on the third floor. My room is small and clean. It appears to have been refinished recently. The floors have large yellowish-brown tiles and the walls are painted with wide yellow and white vertical stripes. I also have a small balcony with a table, two chairs and several potted plants. The only complaint that I have is that the shower doors are falling off. Oh yeah, and when I came in, the lobby TV outside my door was turned up real loud and the clerk was smoking next to the no-smoking sign.
time - about 5:30 - so I bought a package of very salty peanuts at a small store on my way. There were hundreds of people walking up and down. It was instant recognition from when we were here before. I even found the huge produce market just off of the I showered and made my way to la Rambla with the aid of my GPS. I was very hungry at thispromenade. I got a small glass of berry juice there. Further down la Rambla, I bought a large baked chicken and vegetable sandwich at a shop advertising that it is the best sandwich in town. I should have know better because there was a Subway just down the street. For dessert, I had a couple pastries from Dunkin' Donuts.
On my way back to the hotel, I walked past the square with the two fountains at the top of la Rambla. When I got into the hotel, there was a new non-smoking clerk and the TV was turned off. My attitude is much better. I'll reserve further opinion when I see a taxi at 6:00 tomorrow morning.
I'll be publishing this blog entry when I can. I know that there are internet zones in the Barcelona airport.
Mallorca Day 13
Sunday, May 13 - Last night's dinner was simple farm food. We started out with several kinds of salads. One was similar to the aubergine custard that I had a few days before. Another one had hardier vegetables and shrimp. They were all cold and tasty. This part of the dinner was serve-yourself. When we were done with the starters, they brought us several platters of barbecued food. The first was sausages and ground meat that could have been ostrich meat from a farm a few kilometers away. The next platter had lamb and pork chops. The last platter had fish. I gave up after the lamb chops. They weren't the best cut of meat and fish, but they hit the spot after a long day of cycling. Dessert was cake and torts.
We got to bed around 10:00.
Several people had early flights this morning and a few had later ones. The early people missed breakfast, but we got ours. It was a normal breakfast buffet but much less choice that at the bigger hotels. They cooked eggs to order for those who wanted them. Alison had already shuttled the early people to the airport. We loaded up the van with what was left and she took off with the later people. The rest of us road back to the Delta Hotel - our very first hotel - where we had left our bicycle bags.
I started riding at 9:15. The weather was warm so I rode in my shorts and jersey. I would have been back-tracking the end of yesterday's route if I had followed the route yesterday. The real route was mostly along the narrow roads that are designated as bicycle roads. They have very little motorized traffic.
I got to the Delta at 10:45. I washed my bicycle and packed it in its suitcase. By the time I was done, Alison arrived with the luggage. I did a quick change in the men's room, said good-bye to everyone that was left and took a taxi into Palma and the Hotel Born.
The Hotel Born is and old building with very thick walls and a central courtyard. It is located in the oldest part of town on a very narrow street that my taxi could not go down. I had to lug my bags about 100 feet to the entrance. My room wasn't ready yet so I walked down the street and had my first and last tapas for this trip to Spain. I had two courses - potatoes with aioli sauce and white asparagus wrapped in ham. It was OK but not great. There are lots of other restaurants in this part of town so I am looking forward to tonight.
After lunch I caught the hop-on, hop-off bus to get a tour of the city. I asked if they had a senior discount and I got on for half-price. I sat on the upper deck and listened to a recorded narrative in English on small earphones. The temperature was in the mid 80's but a cool breeze from the sea kept me comfortable. The tour was interesting and I learned some history of Palma which I promptly forgot. This is another place where kings fought kings and brothers killed brothers.
So now I am in my room with no internet connection. It's strange that the little hotels way out in the rural areas have wifi, but some hotels in the big cities don't.
Final daily statistics:
Max speed - 29.6
Time - 1:26
Average speed - 14.8
Miles - 21
Elevation - 375
I couldn't stand being in my room, so I decided to wander along some side streets. One objective was to find somewhere to get a snack. The other was to take some pictures with a fresh battery in my camera. I accomplished. Banana and coconut gelato tasted real good and I found some picturesque buildings and other scenes to shoot. Gaudi spent some time here and you notice his influence right away on some of the buildings.
My wandering also took me to a popular restaurant area. After perusing many menus, I decided on La Palma and went there at the more appropriate hour of 7:30. The lamb shoulder I had this time was in a tomato sauce. It came with fresh green beans and a potato baked in foil. It was good. I remembered to take a picture of it.
After dinner, I meandered back to the hotel along some other side streets. It was lights-out before 10:00.
We got to bed around 10:00.
Several people had early flights this morning and a few had later ones. The early people missed breakfast, but we got ours. It was a normal breakfast buffet but much less choice that at the bigger hotels. They cooked eggs to order for those who wanted them. Alison had already shuttled the early people to the airport. We loaded up the van with what was left and she took off with the later people. The rest of us road back to the Delta Hotel - our very first hotel - where we had left our bicycle bags.
I started riding at 9:15. The weather was warm so I rode in my shorts and jersey. I would have been back-tracking the end of yesterday's route if I had followed the route yesterday. The real route was mostly along the narrow roads that are designated as bicycle roads. They have very little motorized traffic.
I got to the Delta at 10:45. I washed my bicycle and packed it in its suitcase. By the time I was done, Alison arrived with the luggage. I did a quick change in the men's room, said good-bye to everyone that was left and took a taxi into Palma and the Hotel Born.
The Hotel Born is and old building with very thick walls and a central courtyard. It is located in the oldest part of town on a very narrow street that my taxi could not go down. I had to lug my bags about 100 feet to the entrance. My room wasn't ready yet so I walked down the street and had my first and last tapas for this trip to Spain. I had two courses - potatoes with aioli sauce and white asparagus wrapped in ham. It was OK but not great. There are lots of other restaurants in this part of town so I am looking forward to tonight.
After lunch I caught the hop-on, hop-off bus to get a tour of the city. I asked if they had a senior discount and I got on for half-price. I sat on the upper deck and listened to a recorded narrative in English on small earphones. The temperature was in the mid 80's but a cool breeze from the sea kept me comfortable. The tour was interesting and I learned some history of Palma which I promptly forgot. This is another place where kings fought kings and brothers killed brothers.
So now I am in my room with no internet connection. It's strange that the little hotels way out in the rural areas have wifi, but some hotels in the big cities don't.
Final daily statistics:
Max speed - 29.6
Time - 1:26
Average speed - 14.8
Miles - 21
Elevation - 375
I couldn't stand being in my room, so I decided to wander along some side streets. One objective was to find somewhere to get a snack. The other was to take some pictures with a fresh battery in my camera. I accomplished. Banana and coconut gelato tasted real good and I found some picturesque buildings and other scenes to shoot. Gaudi spent some time here and you notice his influence right away on some of the buildings.
My wandering also took me to a popular restaurant area. After perusing many menus, I decided on La Palma and went there at the more appropriate hour of 7:30. The lamb shoulder I had this time was in a tomato sauce. It came with fresh green beans and a potato baked in foil. It was good. I remembered to take a picture of it.
After dinner, I meandered back to the hotel along some other side streets. It was lights-out before 10:00.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Mallorca Day 12
Saturday, May 12 - Last night's dinner was the farewell dinner for our group because one of the riders was leaving after today's ride. The dinner was held at Son Tomas - a restaurant up the street from the hotel. Typical of Spain, it started late. They conceded to us, though, and let us begin at 7:30. I had the house salad, fish ala Mallorca and chocolate cake with frozen yogurt. The fish was a thick white fish covered with kale, thin slices of leeks, tomato, raisins and pine nuts. It sat on slices of potatoes. It looks really good but it is a little bland. I've had fish cooked this way several times and have never been totally satisfied. The dinner was fun, though, and the wine flowed freely.
We were up this morning at 7:00, loaded our bags by 8:00 and ate breakfast again on the terrace overlooking the sea. I started riding around 8:45. The first few miles climbed up the same road I came in on the day before. At the top after the first turn, I heard some beautiful bird songs so I stopped and recorded them. I'll put the recording on our web site after I get home.
The rest of the ride was rollers and downhills. The weather was clear and the temperature got up to the 80's. I stopped in Algaida for cafe con leche and a banana. Some others in the group stopped there, too, and shared some of their bread and cheese that they bought at a farmers' market a few towns before. I missed the market. I was either off route or I had my eyes on the pavement. That little bit of nourishment held me until the end of the ride.
On the last several miles of the ride, I managed to misinterpret my GPS and the route sheet. It didn't matter, though, because I got to see more of the countryside. I also got to catch up to some of our group several times. They made the right turns. The GPS got me back on route more than once.
Five of us rode to the finca where we are staying. We had lots of trouble finding the sign for the turnoff, but after doubling back and asking directions, we finally found it at around 2:00. I immediately checked in and had a cerveza and a sandwich.
This finca is really rustic and not as nicely furnished as the places we staying in previously. I'm glad that I brought my own shampoo and soap. I am surprised and really pleased that even the remote, rural hotels have free internet connections (usually wireless) for their guests.
Daily statistics:
Max speed - 32.8
Time - 4:18
Average speed - 13.5
Miles - 58
Elevation - 1700
Friday, May 11, 2007
Mallorca Day 11
Friday, May 11 - Our hotel is a pair of large Mediterranean style villas. Each room seems to be different. Bill and I have a large room with a full bath and a covered balcony overlooking a lemon grove and the sea in the distance. The hotel is family-run meaning that several generations work here. The same man who checked us in also showed us our room, served refreshments at happy hour and served us dinner.
Dinner last night was good. For starters, we had a choice of carrot soup or aubergine pudding. I chose the aubergine. It was cooked like a souffle and served cold. Very tasty. Our entree was a choice between fish cooked Mallorcan style or duck. I had the fish which was very good - moist and full of flavor. Dinner didn't start until 8:00 so we weren't in bed until 11:00. That was OK because breakfast didn't start until 8:00 this morning.
We awoke this morning to warm temperatures. Breakfast was served on the outside balcony. It was the usual buffet. No eggs were ready so I had a very good granola along with assorted pastries.
The ride started south along the coast. It had more of our previous long rollers high above the Mediterranean. I rode alone mostly because the other riders were doing various alternate routes. They were afraid of the mid-day heat and their legs were getting tired. I reached Andratx after 23km and turned inland. The rest of the ride was on narrow country roads with little traffic. The road went up and down through three different valleys. I passed several small villages. In Capdella, I went into a botiga (bodega in Mallorcan) where I spotted Alison. With her Spanish language skills, she helped me buy a freshly made salami and cheese sandwich with tomato. (It turned out that the shopkeeper spoke some English and I could have done this myself). I also filled up my water bottles with a large agua sin gas. The picture at the top of this page is from the store. I ate my lunch at the top of the next hill in the shade watching other cyclists go up and down the road.
The temperature was now varying between 85 and 92 so I was anxious to get back to the hotel and cool off. I did, though, go through some beautiful countryside. On one stretch as I was riding along a high wall, bird calls were echoing back and forth. I was going to record them, but I was too focused to stop.
I got back to the hotel at 12:30, showered, had a snack (bananas and dark chocolate) and drank lots of water.
Daily statistics:
Max speed - 35.7
Time - 3:30
Average speed - 10.9
Miles - 39
Elevation - 4470
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Mallorca Day 10
Thursday, May 10 - For dinner last night, Bill, Steve and I walked to the other side of the port. I saw some restaurant reviews and one called El Pirata sounded good. When we got there, the menu didn't look very good. We looked at the menu at the restaurant next door and decided to eat there. I had a small dinner salad that had white asparagus, tomato, red and green peppers, corn, etc. in it. For an entree, we all had lamb shoulder. It was cooked what I call country style with potato, mushrooms and green vegetables. It was very hardy and tasty.
We walked back to the hotel, did our packing and went to bed around 10:15.
We got up this morning around 6:30 so that we would have time to eat and get our bags to the van by 8:00. I decided that I would like to ride with a group today, so we hung around the hotel until everyone was ready. We finally left just before 8:00.
Even though the sky was clear, it was a little cool so I started out with arm warmers and a light-weight jacket. This lasted about 10 minutes when we started the first climb of the day. The rest of the ride was in short-sleeve jersey and shorts. Temperatures rose during the day to the mid-to-high 80's.
After the initial climb, we reached the coast. Because we were riding at 600-700 feet, we got gorgeous views of the Mediterranean for the rest of the ride. Our first stop was at a grocery store in Deia where I bought two delicious local oranges for .25 Euros. Our next stop was at a scenic lookout where we ran into several bus loads of English tourists along with their guides leading them around with their little flags.
Our third stop was in the town of Valldemossa. This is a very touristy town with souvenir shops and cafes. We stopped there because Alison said that the hot chocolate was "to die for". Because the season was getting warm, there was only one cafe that served it. Needless to say, we all had some. I also had ham and cheese on a baguette to fortify me for the rest of the ride. It was only 10:30.
I left the group at this point because I wanted to take an optional out-and-back to Port de Valldemossa. This proved to be a beautiful and difficult ride. It went down several switchbacks from 1400 feet to sea level and back. The town was very small and kind of a dissapointment but the scenery was gorgeous. The ride back to the top was difficult and very warm but very satisfying. A picture from the top is at the top of this page.
After reaching the top, I continued on to Bunyalbufar, our destination for the next two nights. I showered and had lunch of a tuna salad and cerveza grande. We are eating at the hotel tonight.
Daily statistics:
Max speed - 35.2
Time - 3:20
Average speed - 9.4
Miles - 31
Elevation - 3800
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Mallorca Day 9
Wednesday, May 9 - For dinner last night, we decided to skip pizza and have something better. Bill, Steve and I went to El Patio which was a few doors from the hotel. I had a large salad with a big, round slab of warm goat cheese, red and green peppers, cucumbers, corn, etc. I also had spaghetti with a creamy Gorgonzola sauce and peppercorns. Yummy and filling!
Bed around 10:00.
We were up this morning at 7:00 for our usual 7:30 breakfast buffet. Rides today were optional and since I came here to see as much territory that I could, I decided to take to Port de Soller to Jardins d'Alfabia round trip. To get to the jardins, we had to climb over a significant hill on a narrow, switchbacked road. The highway department has built a tunnel to get the cars through the hill so that left us with a nearly deserted route. The climb was not very steep but it did encompass 29 switchbacks up to the top and 23 down the other side to the jardins. When I arrived at the entrance, the jardins were closed and it looked like there was no tourist activity there for some time.
I began the ride at 9:15 and got to the jardins at 10:30. it was too early to turn around and go back, so I continued on to Bunyola about 5 km down the road. I stopped there for cafe con leche and a croissant at a small cafe. The picture is at the top of today's blog.
After my snack, I turned around and retraced the route. By this time, a lot of cyclists were out riding the same roads. I passed some at the start of the climb and was passed by a couple of others on the way up. A third cyclist was trying to catch me but couldn't quite do it before the summit. He gave me the thumbs-up sign.
On the way down, I caught up with Alison, John and Steve at about the 15th switchback. I cruised back into town around noon. I helped Rob with a bicycle repair, took a shower and had lunch. I ate a small thin-crust pizza with cheese, olives, anchovies and artichokes accompanied by a cerveza grande. Eating alone gave me a chance to relax and finish my book.
After lunch, I sat down in front of the hotel and had good conversations with others in the group.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Mallorca Day 8
Tuesday, May 8 - Sa Calobra
Dinner last night was very good. I went to a cafe a few doors from the hotel with George and Dorlene. It was the cafe with the blue place mats. We sat outside across the pedestrian walkway from the beach. For starters, I had a green salad with goat cheese (there are lots of goats on the island), corn and a creamy yogurt dressing. My main course was grilled monkfish with an orange-colored Mallorcan sauce, potatoes and cooked celery. The fish was perfectly cooked - crusty on the outside and moist on the inside. No dessert tonight. We were too stuffed.
We awoke this morning to bright, sunny skies. The standard breakfast buffet was at 7:30. We met at 9:30 to take the 10:00 ferry to sa Calobra. When we got there, we found that the ferry schedule had change and we couldn't leave until 11:00. This was just a minor glitch. The ferry ride was beautiful along the cliffs of this part of the island. We talked to a German cyclist about the ride and he he gave us some tips about the climb. He had been here a few years running and knew the route well. It is a "must do" for cyclists who visit the island.
In Mallorca, sa calobra means "the snake". The ride starts at sea level and rises 2400 feet in 10 kilometers on a twisty road with countless switchbacks. The picture above shows a small section of the road.
We began the climb immediately after we got off of the ferry. I rode with Tom Grant, Rod Harmon and Peter Krichman. The weather became very warm so the grade of 6 - 10% was a good workout. There was very little traffic coming up the hill and a lot of traffic going down the hill. The downhill traffic included a lot of tour buses. Apparently, the buses take people on tours and end up in sa Calobra so that they can take the ferry back to Port de Soller. Once they empty out, the pick up people that have arrived by ferry and take them back up the hill to where ever. This works out well because buses couldn't pass each other in opposite directions. I had to stop a couple of times so that buses could make it around the corner.
It was a terrific climb with lots of scenic lookouts. At the top of the climb, we dropped down a few hundred feet and stopped at an outdoor snack shop where we merged into yesterday's route. I ate a sandwich, a banana and a Snicker's Bar and drank an orange Fanta. After that, we traced the end of yesterday's route climbing another 1000 feet and dropping 2400 feet back to Port de Soller.
After showering, washing my cycling clothes and catching up with email, I bought some lemon yogurt and peanuts and sat with other people from my group at an outdoor cafe and had a cerveza grande. Bill and I might go for pizza tonight and splurge for a good dinner tomorrow night.
Daily statistics:
Max speed - 37.0
Time - 2:42
Average speed - 10.1
Miles - 27
Elevation - 3450
Monday, May 7, 2007
Mallorca Day 7
Monday, May 7 - I need to mention dinner last night. It was much better than the night before. I started with chicken crepes. The filling was like a sweet chicken salad and the crepe was thin and tasty. My main course was fish cooked in Mallorcan style. It was nice and moist and had a spinach wrap. Dessert was Mallorcan custard which turned out to be creme broulle (sp?). Bed was at 10:00 or so.
This morning we had the standard breakfast buffet at around 8:00. The van was leaving at 9:00 so we packed up and hit the road at 9:00 or so.
The first 1/3 of the ride was back tracking the end of Day 5. We rode a fairly flat 6 miles through olive groves and then did a moderate climb for another 6 miles through the forest up to the gas station/cafe where I had lunch on Day 5. This time I picked up a Snicker's Bar to take with me. We then left the Day 5 route and climbed some more through the forest and alongside craggy cliffs. I stopped about halfway up the climb to visit with Peter, another rider in our group, and to eat my candy bar for extra energy. Climbing again, we passed a couple of lakes and many tourists starting our on their hikes in the high country. Traffic was picking up as we got closer to 11:00 with a lot of buses and rental cars. It was a little tense at times on the narrow roads.
Once we reached the summit, we started downhill and rode through two tunnels. They were not as bad as the Day 4 tunnels probably because they seemed to have more light. We then stopped at a viewpoint to take pictures of the Harbor of Port Soller - our destination- and of the surrounding hillsides. The picture at the top of this page was taken there. That's me on the left and Rod on the right. Peter, Rod and I were leapfrogging down the hill on our Bike Fridays.
We got to our hotel at about 12:30. Alison arrived with our luggage soon after. I took a shower and then ate lunch with Alison and George and Dorlene Root in an outdoor cafe next to the beach. I had raviolis Bologna-style along with a cerveza grande. While eating we couldn't help but admire the view of the harbor - beautiful blue water with lots of sailboats surrounded on shore by little cafes and small hotels. It really looks like post-card Mediterranean.
Daily statistics:
Max speed - 35.5
Time - 3:03
Average speed - 11.2
Miles - 34
Elevation - 3400
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Mallorca Day 6
Sunday, May 6 - We got up today at 7:00 for our breakfast buffet at 8:00. The usual eggs, meat, cheeses, cereals, bread, pastries and fruit were available. The hotels try to cater to all nationalities and customs for breakfast. I concentrated on protein and carbs. The coffee was tasty but not as strong as the last hotel.
The ride today was a loop from the hotel and back. It started out and finished in sunny skies and warm temperatures. Most of the ride was in country lanes so narrow that a bicycle and car had very little room to pass. Two cars couldn't pass each other. I had only one incident that was close.
I ended up riding alone the whole day. Many of the group decided to hang out at the hotel or do short, flat rides. I started at about 9:30. The ride wandered through acres and acres of olive groves. It was fairly flat for the first 14 miles. Then it kicked up for the next 10 miles into the steep hills. The vistas were not as spectacular as previous days, but they were good. I stopped in a small village called Orient at a restaurant. It was Sunday so they weren't serving a full menu. Instead, they gave me bread drizzled with olive oil and layered with thinly sliced ham and a slab of cheese. This seems to be a common lunch because some of the group had the same thing a couple of days ago.
After eating, I rode off downhill and then reached the final uphill. The uphill had a bunch of switchbacks. The other side of the hill began a decent of 26 miles back to the hotel. There were a few short uphills, but nothing major.
I took pictures today of the hotel in the early morning sun. On the road, the pictures were of very old olive trees and wildflowers.
It's now 4:30. Bill isn't back. I'm going over to the main hotel and get re-hydrated.
Daily Statistics:
Max speed - 34.5
Time - 3:53
Average speed - 13.0
Miles - 51
Elevation - 3100
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Mallorca Day 5
Saturday, May 5 - It was moving day again today. After our English breakfast buffet (did I mention that the hotel was filled with Brits?) we packed up the van and headed out on our bicycles. Some of us decided to do a longer route combining one of yesterday's options with today's longer option. We started by doing a flat ride to Cala Sant Vincenc. This is a small village on the sea that looks like it is supported by the tourist trade. We then went back along part of the same road and continued on today's route. I stopped to take pictures and lost the group I was riding with. This was OK because I could do the things that I wanted to do like poke around the small, picturesque town of Pollensa. I was sure happy to have my GPS on. It was able to reroute me several times so that I could get back on route.
The next part of the ride was hilly. We passed through forests and craggy, limestone hills over at least four summits. At the last summit, I stopped at a gas station/restaurant for lunch - a meat pie, a banana and my annual coke. The outdoor seating area was filled with dozens of cyclists.
I continued on downhill on very poor surface to our agri-hotel called Monnaber Nou. It looks like an old estate with several acres of olive trees. We have a huge room with a separate kitchen. There are pools, spas and many other features including wireless internet. After everyone arrived, we had a huge thunder storm with hail and heavy rain for about 15 minutes.
After happy hour we had dinner here. I had asparagus with a truffle sauce, hake and almond cake with almond ice cream. The first two things were very bland but the cake and ice cream were good.
Daily statistics:
Max speed - 31.3
Time - 3:21
Average speed - 11.8
Miles - 40
Elevation - 2760
Mallorca Day 4
Friday, May 4 - We had the option to sleep in a little because of the short ride today and the hotel didn't serve breakfast until 8:00. We didn't do it, though, because we left the door to our balcony open during the night and some mosquitoes sneaked in and buzzed us. So we got up around 6:30 and lazed around until it was time to eat.
Then it was off to our ride to Cap de Formentor. This was a fabulous ride with several climbs and decents through forests and along high cliffs overlooking the sea. There was even a tunnel to go through where I freaked out. I couldn't see the road surface until a car came up behind me with its lights on. I felt like I was riding blindfolded. It was worth it, though. The views were amazing.
When I reached the top, there were several other cyclists there and more coming. Many nationalities. Apparently, this destination is a rite of passage for cyclists.
The ride back was on the same route. Because the morning was getting later, there were lots of cars, buses and even more cyclists on the road. All the drivers were courteous and patient. Going downhill through the tunnel was much easier.
Bill was back from his ride when I reached the hotel so he and I went to lunch together. I had a good pasta carbinerra was filled me up until happy hour. No mid-day snacks.
To top off the day, we found a small restaurant on the town square where we had some good pizza.
Off to bed around 10.
Daily statistics:
Max speed - 34.6
Time - 2:15
Average speed - 10.8
Miles - 24
Elevation - 2800
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Mallorca Day 3
Thursday, May 3 - We were up at what is becoming our normal time of 6:30. The breakfast buffet was the same good one as the previous day. Today I had some yummy bacon with my eggs. I'm now convinced that protein helps quell hunger pangs at mid-morning.
(This is a photo inside the monastery that I visited yesterday).
Today was moving day. We left the Delta Hotel for the Hotel Miramar in Port de Pollensa. This meant that we rode from the southeast of the island to the northwest. The ride gave us a good cross section of the island. It was mostly level with a few rollers - not very difficult. Our suggested lunch stop was in Dineu, but I was there too early. I rode on to Llubi where I stopped at a bakery and bought a really good pastry to supplement the tiny lunch from the hotel. We got bananas today which were good but not quite as good as the oranges yesterday. I stopped by the side of the road in a date tree grove to eat. While there, I watched dozens of cyclists go by. Some were in their fancy clothes and high-priced bicycles while others were in their street clothes riding English-style upright bicycles. Apparently Port de Pollensa has lots of English tourists. This became obvious when we checked into our hotel. Lots of Brits and very few Germans.
We had a good happy hour with a couple of cheeses, prociutto, wine, etc. We also had a birthday cake for Lois. After that, three of us went to a paella restaurant. It was good but not great. One of these days I'll find a good dinner restaurant with local cooking.
Bed was around 10 after playing around for a while with my laptop.
Final Stats:
Miles - 50
Time - 3:34
Average speed - 14.0
Max speed - 34.2
Elevation Gain - 1331 feet
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Recovered Blog
When I started using this blog site in Spain, all of the headings and instruction were in Spanish. This was OK for basic posts, but editing old posts became a guessing game. After deleting a major post, I got the bright idea to look at the help pages. It showed me how to change the language from Spanish to English. So now I have no excuse for messing up. Here is the post that I deleted. It's out of chronological order, but at least it is here:
Sunday, April 29 - I'm sitting in the international terminal at SFO waiting for my flight to Frankfurt. Everything has been easy so far. BART was pretty slow but it dropped me off about 100 feet from the United check-in counter. There were almost no people in line there and at the security checkpoint. If it took me more than 15 minutes to get through everything, I'd be surprised. I guess that I'll fly more often in late afternoon. The downside of this is that I have a long wait before my flight leaves. I'll see what I feel like after I get toMallorca.
Monday, April 30 - Now I'm sitting in the Spanish Air terminal in Barcelona waiting for a couple of hours for my flight to Palma. The flight from SFO to Frankfurt was pretty smooth. Some chop from time-to-time but nothing serious. The landing was a little rough, though. Lots of wind. I managed to read a couple of chapters of my book, watch a movie, eat two meals - some decent pasta and an awful breakfast sandwich - and get 3-4 hours of sleep. Afternogotiating the maze in the Frankfurt airport, I finally found the gate to the flight to Barcellona . While the Frankfurt flight was full, the Barcelona flight was about 1/3 full. I had lots of leg room. They fed us a sandwich and chocolate bar. I started to read, but kept dozing off. I got hungry again and ate a meal of veal steak and fries. The beer that I had with it really made me sleepy.
The weather here and in Frunkfurt is lightly overcast and warm - in the 70's. I hope that this is a good omen for Mallorca.
I got to Mallorca at about 10:30 and waited around for my bags to arrive. When they didn't show up, I was pointed to a different baggage area in an enclosed customs area. I found my bicycle suitcase right away but my regular suitcase wasn't there. I made a claim at the lost luggage desk and then decided to take one last look in customs. I found the bag. It had fallen off of the belt and was hidden behind it. That was real good news. I taxied to the hotel (E26), checked in, took a shower and went to sleep around midnight. I slept fairly soundly until about 8 in the morning.
Tuesday, May 1 - The breakfast buffet was excellent - like the ones you see in Germany. There were lots of fruits including figs, melon, oranges, etc., cereal, meats, cheese, eggs, potatoes, breads..... I sat at a long table with otherBAC people and got to know some of them. After breakfast, some of us put our bicycles together at the hotel's bicycle area. They have a rental shop with a bike mechanic and a large storage area where you rent a space so that you can lock your bike. After I got my bicycle fixed up, I changed rooms to the one I am sharing with Bill Todd. Then I went to the computer area where the free wireless access was located. Trouble is that the wireless connection didn't work, so I had to postpone posting my blog. I was able, however, to use their pay-forinternet computer to read and send some emails and post a brief blog. Lunch was in the same restaurant as breakfast. It was a E20 buffet. Very good but a little over priced. I had several dishes including fish, seafood salad, potatoes, vegetables and others. Dessert was coffeeflovored flan, a baked, purple pear and lemon sorbet. After wandering around the hotel for a while and taking some pictures, I came back to our room and Bill was there having just arrived fromHeathrow.
Our Happy Hour/Group Meeting began at 6. We introduced ourselves to the group and Allison went over the BAC ground rules and safety procedures. After the meeting, we had dinner in the same restaurant. The food was the same as at lunch. It's getting very monotonous. Lights out for Bill and me were at 9:30. Because he had just arrived, he was pretty tired and slept very well. On the other hand, I had a lot of trouble falling to sleep - the second day jet lag problem. Tossing and turning into the early morning hours, Ifanally got to sleep around 2 or so.
Wednesday, May 2 - We were up at 6:30. Bill went to get his rental bicycle squared away while I reviewed my email. Breakfast was in the same restaurant. I stoked up on protein because of the long ride that was planned. The hotel gave us lunches of a mini-baguette with cheese, three figs and an orange. I left the hotel a little after 9 and rode with George andDorlene for the first few miles.Their pace slacked off after awhile so I began riding by myself. The first part of the ride was fairly flat. The route was slightly inland along lightly traveled roads. The weather started in the high 60's and eventually got up to the mid 70's. It was partly cloudy with moderate winds (at least they were moderate as tail-winds). We dropped down to the coast for a bit atSa Rapita and rode past crashing Mediterrainian waves. Then we turned inland again. Not many roads in Mallorca follow the coast. I intercepted other BAC cyclists on the way into Campos and several dozen non-BAC cyclists throughout the ride. Mallorca is a haven for cyclists.
else wanted to do the option. It included a After Campos, I took the optional ride extension. I was now totally on my own because noonemoderate climb of about 1200 feet over 3.5 miles to a monestary called Monestir de Sant Salvador. The monastary turned out to be a tourist destination including a bar/cafe. It also had several framed cycling jerseys and pictures of a local cyclist who won races in the 1940's. The views from the monastary were spectacular. You could see a panarama of almost the entire island. It was worth the climb for me and several other cyclists that I saw there.
The rest of the ride was working my way back to the hotel along mostly lightly traveled roads. Because it extended route met back up with the shorter route, I caught up with some otherBAC rider going back to the hotel.
The ride was very nice. There were lots of wild flowers, sheared sheep and fig trees. Auto drivers were very courtious and waited to pass until the road was clear. My GPS worked flawlessly and helped tremendously in following the route.
Final stats:
Miles - 71
Time - 05:05
Average speed - 13.9
Max speed - 35.4
Elevation gain - 2768 feet
Our Happy Hour/Group Meeting began at 6 with an agenda of normal administrivia. Dinner was at 7 with a slightly different menu. I had a non-seafood paella made with noodles instead of rice. It was not too bad - lots of salty sausage in it. Bedtime is going to be right after I finish these notes.
Sunday, April 29 - I'm sitting in the international terminal at SFO waiting for my flight to Frankfurt. Everything has been easy so far. BART was pretty slow but it dropped me off about 100 feet from the United check-in counter. There were almost no people in line there and at the security checkpoint. If it took me more than 15 minutes to get through everything, I'd be surprised. I guess that I'll fly more often in late afternoon. The downside of this is that I have a long wait before my flight leaves. I'll see what I feel like after I get toMallorca.
Monday, April 30 - Now I'm sitting in the Spanish Air terminal in Barcelona waiting for a couple of hours for my flight to Palma. The flight from SFO to Frankfurt was pretty smooth. Some chop from time-to-time but nothing serious. The landing was a little rough, though. Lots of wind. I managed to read a couple of chapters of my book, watch a movie, eat two meals - some decent pasta and an awful breakfast sandwich - and get 3-4 hours of sleep. Afternogotiating the maze in the Frankfurt airport, I finally found the gate to the flight to Barcellona . While the Frankfurt flight was full, the Barcelona flight was about 1/3 full. I had lots of leg room. They fed us a sandwich and chocolate bar. I started to read, but kept dozing off. I got hungry again and ate a meal of veal steak and fries. The beer that I had with it really made me sleepy.
The weather here and in Frunkfurt is lightly overcast and warm - in the 70's. I hope that this is a good omen for Mallorca.
I got to Mallorca at about 10:30 and waited around for my bags to arrive. When they didn't show up, I was pointed to a different baggage area in an enclosed customs area. I found my bicycle suitcase right away but my regular suitcase wasn't there. I made a claim at the lost luggage desk and then decided to take one last look in customs. I found the bag. It had fallen off of the belt and was hidden behind it. That was real good news. I taxied to the hotel (E26), checked in, took a shower and went to sleep around midnight. I slept fairly soundly until about 8 in the morning.
Tuesday, May 1 - The breakfast buffet was excellent - like the ones you see in Germany. There were lots of fruits including figs, melon, oranges, etc., cereal, meats, cheese, eggs, potatoes, breads..... I sat at a long table with otherBAC people and got to know some of them. After breakfast, some of us put our bicycles together at the hotel's bicycle area. They have a rental shop with a bike mechanic and a large storage area where you rent a space so that you can lock your bike. After I got my bicycle fixed up, I changed rooms to the one I am sharing with Bill Todd. Then I went to the computer area where the free wireless access was located. Trouble is that the wireless connection didn't work, so I had to postpone posting my blog. I was able, however, to use their pay-forinternet computer to read and send some emails and post a brief blog. Lunch was in the same restaurant as breakfast. It was a E20 buffet. Very good but a little over priced. I had several dishes including fish, seafood salad, potatoes, vegetables and others. Dessert was coffeeflovored flan, a baked, purple pear and lemon sorbet. After wandering around the hotel for a while and taking some pictures, I came back to our room and Bill was there having just arrived fromHeathrow.
Our Happy Hour/Group Meeting began at 6. We introduced ourselves to the group and Allison went over the BAC ground rules and safety procedures. After the meeting, we had dinner in the same restaurant. The food was the same as at lunch. It's getting very monotonous. Lights out for Bill and me were at 9:30. Because he had just arrived, he was pretty tired and slept very well. On the other hand, I had a lot of trouble falling to sleep - the second day jet lag problem. Tossing and turning into the early morning hours, Ifanally got to sleep around 2 or so.
Wednesday, May 2 - We were up at 6:30. Bill went to get his rental bicycle squared away while I reviewed my email. Breakfast was in the same restaurant. I stoked up on protein because of the long ride that was planned. The hotel gave us lunches of a mini-baguette with cheese, three figs and an orange. I left the hotel a little after 9 and rode with George andDorlene for the first few miles.Their pace slacked off after awhile so I began riding by myself. The first part of the ride was fairly flat. The route was slightly inland along lightly traveled roads. The weather started in the high 60's and eventually got up to the mid 70's. It was partly cloudy with moderate winds (at least they were moderate as tail-winds). We dropped down to the coast for a bit atSa Rapita and rode past crashing Mediterrainian waves. Then we turned inland again. Not many roads in Mallorca follow the coast. I intercepted other BAC cyclists on the way into Campos and several dozen non-BAC cyclists throughout the ride. Mallorca is a haven for cyclists.
else wanted to do the option. It included a After Campos, I took the optional ride extension. I was now totally on my own because noonemoderate climb of about 1200 feet over 3.5 miles to a monestary called Monestir de Sant Salvador. The monastary turned out to be a tourist destination including a bar/cafe. It also had several framed cycling jerseys and pictures of a local cyclist who won races in the 1940's. The views from the monastary were spectacular. You could see a panarama of almost the entire island. It was worth the climb for me and several other cyclists that I saw there.
The rest of the ride was working my way back to the hotel along mostly lightly traveled roads. Because it extended route met back up with the shorter route, I caught up with some otherBAC rider going back to the hotel.
The ride was very nice. There were lots of wild flowers, sheared sheep and fig trees. Auto drivers were very courtious and waited to pass until the road was clear. My GPS worked flawlessly and helped tremendously in following the route.
Final stats:
Miles - 71
Time - 05:05
Average speed - 13.9
Max speed - 35.4
Elevation gain - 2768 feet
Our Happy Hour/Group Meeting began at 6 with an agenda of normal administrivia. Dinner was at 7 with a slightly different menu. I had a non-seafood paella made with noodles instead of rice. It was not too bad - lots of salty sausage in it. Bedtime is going to be right after I finish these notes.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Tuesday in Mallorca
Wireless Problems - I am having trouble getting connected via my wireless card. I´ll try again tomorrow and give a full update.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Prelude to Mallorca
Here I am, a week before I leave for Mallorca. All reservations have been made. My Bike Friday has been packed. I have some notes for last-minute tasks. So, I am almost ready.
I am taking my laptop so that I can record and post a daily journal on this blog site. Hopefully, I will have internet access in the hotels we are using. If you want to see details of the trip, go to my web page and click on Mallorca 2007 (Future)
I am taking my laptop so that I can record and post a daily journal on this blog site. Hopefully, I will have internet access in the hotels we are using. If you want to see details of the trip, go to my web page and click on Mallorca 2007 (Future)
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