This Week >> 4/03/2008
To celebrate Let's Travel's First Anniversary, Susan and Michael have invited some of their friends to share their recent travel adventures. Join Les and Nancy in India, Steve in Egypt, Catherine in Paris, Louise in Wales, Nick in Russia, Eve in the Languedoc, Marsha in Prague, Giovanna from Sicily and Linda on Safari as they usher in the Let's Travel! New Year.
Guests
Their Story on India
I had wanted to go to India for over 20 years; it seemed so exotic and colorful to me. But my husband felt that the poverty would be overwhelming, even though we had traveled to many developing countries before. Then suddenly, so many people we know were coming from or going to India. I found an India travel specialist who helped to plan a personalized trip for us and two very close friends. We left in January 2008 for 15 days of what turned out to be more than any of us had expected.
Our trip focused on Northern India, especially Rajasthan, with its spectacular forts and opulent palaces. We had guides in each location. They were intelligent, well-informed, and great company. We traveled mostly by van within each city and sometimes between cities. The drivers were very careful, and we were able to stop frequently to take pictures. That was one of the benefits of being only four travelers. We took thousands of stills and lot of video. They are the best any of us have ever shot on a trip because everywhere you looked the color was vibrant.
When we think about India now, we don't think of the poverty, which does exist. We chose instead to focus on the country's beauty, color, exoticism and warm, welcoming people. That's how we'll always remember India.
Steve Montgomery, Development Consultant and Egypt Traveler
All I am Saying is Give Cairo a Chance!
Many travelers will tell you a little too proudly that they have spent only one day in noisy and dirty Cairo, just enough time to see the nearby Pyramids. I want to challenge this notion, and recommend that you stay an entire week in Cairo for a truly great travel experience. It is a city on par with Paris or Rome for its sheer number of spectacular and historically significant sites. And I heartily urge you not to be too hasty and go to the Pyramids on your the first day. Save that for day three or four of your stay when you are ready to fully experience the grandeur of one of the greatest wonders of the world. Following are highlights of Cairo:
The Place to start: The historic Citadel is a mighty fortress overlooking Cairo. Spend a few hours exploring it in the fresh air and sunshine. You'll want to visit the four mosques, including the famous and inspiring Muhammad Ali Mosque, and have lunch at the reasonably-priced and charming outdoor café. You'll have your first breathtaking view of the Pyramids from the Citadel.
Islamic Cairo: This medieval district includes the majestic ninth-century Ibn Tulun Mosque, and the adjoining Gayer-Anderson Museum. This former home of a collector and retired British army Major will give you a vivid idea of what it was like to live in luxury as an Orientalist in Egypt in the 1930's. If you are clever and ask probing questions of the museum's tour guide, you will discover secrets of the major's life that are not obvious to many visitors.
The Extraordinary Egyptian Museum: The greatest collection of Egyptian antiquities is, without doubt, that of the Egyptian Museum. You'll want to see the golden treasures of Tutankhamun's tomb, but don't miss the eerie experience of visiting the Royal Mummy Room. Most important, take advantage of the museum's recorded tour, which provides you with thrilling insights into the most significant works of art in the collection.
The Pyramids: Chances are, you've been dreaming about the Pyramids since childhood and they won't disappoint you. Go early in the morning before this astonishing site is overly crowded, and don't fail to pay the extra admission fee to climb into the interior of the Great Pyramid. You'll ascend a steep ladder, taking you through a long, narrow passageway, and finally into the dimly-lit burial chamber, built for the Pharaoh Khufu of the 4th dynasty.
Coptic Cairo: This gorgeous district, where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus once took refuge during their flight to Egypt, is home of some of the oldest Christian churches in the world. Don't miss the truly lovely and inspiring Hanging Church, which acquired its name from the way it is suspended over Cairo's old Roman gates. The nearby Ben Ezra synagogue is an architectural jewel that is not to be missed.
Khan al-Khalili: My traveling companion Marc Connor recommended the Khan El-Khalili marketplace. Once known as the Turkish bazaar during the Ottoman period, its winding streets and twisting alleyways will provide you with a whirlwind shopping experience. If you have the stamina to withstand vigorous bargaining sessions, they will yield reasonably-priced Paranoiac statues, paintings on papyrus paper, and colorful, precious jewelry.
The Windsor Hotel: One of the most charming and atmospheric hotels in the world, is also a great bargain. A deluxe room at the Windsor, which vividly evokes the term "faded grandeur," costs about $39. But with its high ceilings, antique furniture, and status as a former british officers' club, staying at this hotel is like stepping into a time machine for a visit to the glamorous Cairo of yesteryear. The friendly and generous staff perfectly exemplify the hospitable people of Egypt. For more information, visit the offical website of the Windsor Cairo..
Louise Weiss, Wales Explorer
Notes from Louise
So what's wrong with $68 to $98 per person (plus 12.5% "discretionary service charge") for afternoon tea? That's at the Berkeley on Knightsbridge in London. The atmosphere is warm, the decor is art deco, and the exquisite little sandwiches and pastries keep coming as long as you're eating. Obviously I was working on a story about luxury travel. The conclusion I reached was that --using the afternoon tea index--expensive there is about the same as expensive here, because tea at the newly re-opened (and I have a lot to say about that) Plaza Hotel ranges from $60 to $120.
My latest discovery, since I hadn't been there in years, is Wales. For the sheer beauty of green fields, mountains both craggy and rounded, waves of daffodils, adorable whistle-tooting steam railroads, some of the nicest, friendliest people I 've ever encountered and lots and lots of quiet, empty space--there's no place like it. Definitely a place to recuperate from your nervous breakdown--or to prevent one.
Louise Weiss
Director
Access Editorial Services.
Nicholas Arena, Russia Expert
New York-born attorney Nicholas Arena has been a frequent visitor to Russia. Fluent in the language, he has lectured there and at Columbia University. Following graduate studies in Russian affairs, he worked at the United Nations. He has traveled widely throughout the Russian landmass.
In connection with his on-going romance with Russian culture, Mr. Arena is pleased to offer some thoughts on a few of his favorite places in the land of the White Nights, the Kremlin and Lake Baikal.
Her Story
When I tell people here in America that I grew up in the South of France, they say: "WOW! The Riviera!"
I answer: "No. The Languedoc, midway between Marseille and The Pyrénées, on the Spanish border." Imagine going on map quest and zooming in. First we see it is midway between the cities of Montpellier and Béziers; closer up still, we see a farm surrounded by vineyards between the 2 villages of Mèze and Montagnac.
I am sure I've lost you by now. My point is there is more to the south of France than the Riviera. I love to go back every year to visit my parents on their farm and recharge myself with the scents of the garrigue where lavender, thyme, rosemary, pine, cypress and many other aromatic plants grow wild.
The villages are picturesque; each has its own character. Montagnac is the only village whose 12th century gothic church has a bell tower built in stone perhaps because it is located in a valley. All the other churches have their bells hanging from a frame of ironwork. This is to protect the tower against the powerful wind, the Mistral.
The area has become more beautiful than when I grew up. Tremendous effort at restoration has transformed the sites. The solid row of houses lining the narrow medieval streets, have been freed from the cover of cement that was the fashion at the beginning of the 20th century.
Pézenas is known for its architectural treasures which span from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Molière performed his plays at the palace of the Prince of Conti. Pézenas was like a little Paris - a center of art, literature and commerce. When you walk around during the summer-long artisans' festival known as the Mirondella del Artes, your eyes will be drawn to follow the line of doors in all possible different styles from the 13th through the 18th centuries, on display as though at an exhibition. From there, you'll be drawn to discover the breathtaking renaissance windows and wide stair cases from time of Louis XIV and iron work from Louis XV.
Each village has an open market day on a different day of the week. Going though the stalls gives you a sense of abundance. From the food to the clothes to the artisans' soaps, olive wood carving and more…Nothing is pre-packed as it is in America. You freely taste olives from the barrel and sample the cheeses and dried fruits to find which you prefer. Heavy loaves of bread with their thick crusts will give you pause while you decide which one to take home.
All your senses will enjoy the experience of the market; you forget time and don't be surprised to find you are the only one standing in the street when the church bell rings the noon lunch hour. Not even a cat will have remained.
The villages of Marseillan, Mèze, Bouzigues, Balaruc are famous for their oysters and mussels as they are located along the lake of sea water "L'étang de Thau". All summer long each village takes a turn to celebrate the festival of mussels and the game of water joutes. Water joutes are to them what base ball is for Americans. Each village has a blue team and a red team who compete against each other in row boats. The finals take place on the canals of the port of Sète. Sète is also famous for its marine cemetery perched on Mont Saint Clair facing the sea, where the poet and singer, native of Sète, Georges Brassens, is buried. Men still wear thick moustaches as Georges did. Some villages have an animal mascot marking a special event from their history. Pézenas has a colt, Mèze, a bull and Loupian, a wolf. During the festivals, there are special celebrations inspired by each of these animal mascots during which the animal performs a dance accompanied by a live fanfare. It is a lot of fun to watch.
Hotels are not the only places open to visitors. Nowadays some farms too, have opened their doors to tourism. Some rent rooms or have camping sites on their grounds and others hold concerts and wine tastings in remote and charming places.
I did not tell you about the beaches as it is needless to say how delightful it is to swim in the Méditerranée in that area. So, when I describe where I grew up to people in New York, invariably they ask me:" So what are you doing here?"
And that's a whole other story.
Congratulations! "Let's Travel" on your one year anniversary!
After deciding to walk the Italian portion of the Via Francigena and as I began to plan my trip I realized how unfortunate it is for Italy that the road has fallen into such disuse because it could be an instrument to help people (both Italians and foreigners) discover the country. If the path were developed in a proper way that respected the environment, it could become a wonderful way to increase tourism in parts of Italy that are not often visited by foreigners (or even Italians).
My first thought to promote the Via Francigena was to write a book, and though I will do that once I have finished the walk, I also wanted to do something more immediate. And so was born the idea for this website and the blog, which I hope will add something to the other initiatives that are seeking to improve and promote the Via Francigena. I see no reason why the Via Francigena cannot again become as important as the Camino de Santiago, which had also fallen into disuse until two people, with the help of the Spanish government, invested time and resources in the 1970s to whip the historic trail into shape.
Giovanna Bellia La Marca, Sicily Expert
Giovanna Bellia La Marca is an Italian native born in Ragusa, Sicily who came to the US at age 10, but has maintained strong cultural and family ties to her native land. She is the author of "Sicilian Feasts", Hippocrene 2003; a book which celebrates the history, traditions, feast days, language and cooking of her native Sicily. Giovanna teaches at The Institute of Culinary Education for which she conducts Guided Tours of Arthur Avenue.
Giovanna's soon to be published book "Language and Travel Guide to Sicily", Hippocrene, June 2008, will have sections on The Land of Sicily, The Delectable Foods of Sicily, The Architecture, The Arts, The Sicilian Language, and Family and Customs. It will give the travel highlights of the nine provinces (Ragusa, Siracusa, Catania, Messina, Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento, Caltanissetta, and Enna).
But, the most innovative feature of the book will be its two audio CD's in which you will hear Giovanna and her good friend, also a Ragusa native, Dr. Salvatore Moltisanti, recite the dialogues which she wrote for the book so that the reader can enjoy the sound and flavor of both the Sicilian and the Italian languages.
To learn about the hidden treasures of Sicily and Sicilian cuisine, check out Giovanna Bellia LaMarca's Web site at www.giovannalamarca.com