Journeys Near and Far

Scenic Sunday: A view of Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn, Estonia    Image: Visit Estonia

Yesterday I returned from a week in Estonia and Latvia, two beautiful countries replete with verdant forests, cobbled medieval towns and miles of untouched coastline.  

During these long summer days (dark didn't fall until 10 PM at night) we had plenty of time to spend outdoors.

One of my favorite experiences in Tallinn, Estonia's capital, was a bike journey through the city's cobbled streets, where we meandered along ancient roadways, ducked beneath crumbling stone archways and admired the town's pastel-colored churches. Along the way, we peeked in shop windows decorated with brightly colored Estonian handcrafts.

Tallinn's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Here you can see us as we stopped outside the city gates to admire the view.

At Tallinn's port, we rode by the Tallink ferries, which carry passengers daily to nearby Helsinki and Stockholm, Finland. 

We then visited Tallinn's song festival grounds, where the main gatherings of Estonia's national song festivals take place. 

As our guide told us about the significance of these events to the people of Estonia, it became clear how important music is to the people of Estonia.

Scenic Sunday: Nyhavn, Copenhagen

Nyhavn Canal, Copenhagen

In Nyhavn (Newhaven) follow in the footsteps of sailors, maritime merchants and Hans Christian Andersen

In November when I went to Copenhagen for the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) conference, I made sure I had a couple of days to explore the city.  Copenhagen is a beautiful place, even on windy, cold winter days.  One of my favorite scenic spots was Nyhavn.

Once upon a time

Nyhavn is a 17th century canal lined by Dutch style houses.  It was built so ships could bring their cargo from Copenhagen's harbor to the city's new square. This street is where the sailors lived back then, and many of the buildings housed maritime businesses.  Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen lived in three different addresses here, beginning with number 20, where he wrote many of his famous tales.

Later, the area declined, but in the 1980s Nyhavn's sunny side street was pedestrianized, transforming the area into a festive destination bursting with life.

Scenic Sunday: Brno, Czech Republic

Brno, Czech Republic

I found this cool restaurant sign on a side street in Brno, Czech  Republic while exploring the city one weekend.  

I had been taking a six-week TEFL course at the Boland School, so I had the chance to live in someone's house, which the school called "the Pink House" as it was painted a very bright pink, and I had plenty to free time to explore Brno and the surrounding countryside.

Traveling slowly

Usually when I travel, I'm time-limited.  I may have a week to take a trip including two days in the air.  It doesn't give me much time to relax and move slowly through a town and take in a little bit at a time. 

Not so in this case.  Every weekend I explored the town's streets or climbed the hill to Špilberk Castle.  And then I either hopped on a bus to visit friends in nearby Veverská Bitýška, or went with them to local festivals and to places like the Moravian Karst.

Scenic Sunday: Carpets in Essaouira

A Moroccan vendor's display of vibrantly-colored carpets on a street in Essaouira

Pronounced ess-ow-EE-ra, Morocco's peaceful, friendly seaside resort  is a place where life and hustlers move more slowly than in the larger Moroccan cities.  Essaouira is a safe port for tourists who want to experience the mystique of Morocco without the hassles.

A safe port for tourists

Surrounded by white walls and fringed by the Atlantic Ocean, Essaouira, largely undiscovered by most travelers, promotes itself as “Windy City, Africa.”  Indeed, the wind, known locally as the alizee, can be fierce, but the waves it creates are coveted by surfers and windsurfers.

Scenic Sunday: Flower Shows Cure Spring Fever

  
Mobile's Festival of Flowers

I'm just beginning to recover from a nasty respiratory bug that seems to be making the rounds here.  And outside of my window, there are still piles of snow on the grass and wintry winds whip through the trees. I keep thinking about flowers and plants, though.  Definitely a case of Spring Fever!

Mobile's  Festival of Flowers

That's why I chose this photo for my post today.  I took it last year at Mobile, Alabama's Festival of Flowers.  If you love flowers and plants or garden design, I highly recommend a visit to Mobile during the show days, which, this year, are from March 24th to the 27th. And besides, Mobile is a wonderful city to visit, offering a wide variety of things to do for visitors with all sorts of interests.

In addition to lovely floral displays and life-sized gardens, the Festival of Flowers, considered to be the premiere flower and garden event of the Gulf Coast, offers a wealth of activities and exhibits.  You'll find seminars teaching everything from food and wine pairing to growing and using fresh herbs.  There are also interior design home and garden exhibits and an display of floral couture.  Care for a gown made of gardenias, anyone?  There's also a photography contest, and much more.

One of my favorite exhibits last year was the show's "Seeds of Wisdom", in which local book clubs interpreted their favorite literary works through floral displays.

Scenic Sunday: The Tower Bridge, London

Tower Bridge, London

Dark clouds scuttled across rain-drenched skies during my visit to the Tower of London last week, from where I looked out at the Thames and took this photo of Tower Bridge. 

But this post is about the Tower of London itself, where even the ravens seemed a bit put out by the weather. 

Legend says that the kingdom and the Tower of London will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress.  Luckily the Ravenmaster keeps a spare (7th) raven.  After all, they do sometimes go missing. 

I read that one raven, named Grog, went mysteriously absent, and was last seen outside an East End pub.  No doubt trying to warm up and get out of the rain. 

Of course, during the commotion of the Second World War the ravens were absent from the Tower, and the kingdom didn't fall then.  But why take chances?

Personally I thought the gloomy weather was the perfect setting for a visit to this stone-walled fortress that William the Conqueror began to construct in the 1070s, being that it's the scene of murder, mystery and beheadings.  Yes, it also houses the Crown Jewels, but I'm more interested in the stories of the people who lived or were imprisoned here than valuable gems.

Which is why, standing on the peaceful Tower Green, it meant something to me when I closed my eyes and, with the patter of rain and the caw of the ravens in the background, I imagined the day in May of 1536 when Queen Anne Boleyn stood close to this spot awaiting her execution.  Nine others were beheaded here as well.  I wonder what their last thoughts were? 

The new (since my last visit) execution site memorial beautifully reads:

Gentle visitor pause awhile. Where you stand death cut away the light of many days.  Here jewelled names were broken from the vivid thread of life.  May they rest in peace while we walk the generations around their strife and courage, under these restless skies.

-- Brian Catling, creator of the execution site memorial

 The author received no compensation, discounts or products in exchange for writing this post.

Scenic Sunday: A Fairytale Christmas at Lyndhurst

 
A table set for Beauty and the Beast at Lyndhurst, Hudson River Valley, New York

The country villa Lyndhurst, a Gothic Revival mansion in New York's Hudson River Valley, is set amid 67 acres overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York.  Designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, the beautiful park-like estate is especially enchanting to visit during the holidays when a thick blanket of snow covers the grounds.

Each year the mansion is lavishly decorated in a Fairytale theme, with live music and hot mulled cider for visitors to enjoy.  The room pictured above is the Beauty and the Beast Dining room; you'll also find a Drawing Room transformed into Cinderella's tale and a library decorated in the Alice in Wonderland theme, and many more.

You can still see Lyndhurst decked out this year from 3 pm to 6 pm today, and on December 26th from 4 pm to 7 pm and on the 27th from 3 pm to 6 pm.

 

If you liked this article you might also like:

• A Lyndhurst Fairytale Christmas
• Holidays in the Hudson Valley
• Philipsburg Manor

The author visited Lyndhurst while on a press tour of the Hudson River Valley.

 

Scenic Sunday: Panajachel, Guatemala

 
 Pupusería Cheros, Panajachel, Guatemala

I love this photo taken by Dave Parsons, a photographer who traveled with our group through El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize.  It captures the essence of Pupusería Cheros, a small but delightful Salvadoran pupusería in Panajachel on the shores of Lake Atitlán.

The owners, Ricardo Rochac and Carmen Garcia, are friendly with Carlos Vivar, who was our guide.  They invited us to make our own Salvadoran pupusas -- thick, mouthwatering corn tortillas stuffed with a mixture of cheese, beans or meat. 

See the red shirt that Ricardo is wearing?  

When we were leaving, I asked for their business card, and Ricardo searched frantically for one without success.  Suddenly he yanked his shirt off and gave it to me so I'd never forget "Pupusería Cheros," which was embroidered on the front. 

"Por una buena amiga, me quito la camisa," he said - "To a good friend, I give the shirt off my back." 

When you are traveling, it's moments like that that stay with you forever.

 

Read the full story in the March, 2008 issue of TACA Airlines Explore magazine.

Pupusería Cheros is located on Avenida de los Arboles/Calle Principal.  

Photo ©Dave Parsons

Scenic Sunday: View from Carnassarie Castle, Scotland

 
Scottish countryside

I took this photo in June after visiting the town of Kilmartin in the west of Scotland.  Traveling north on the A816, we stopped to climb the hill to the ruins of Carnassarie Castle.  Turning to look at the horizon, this was the view.

If you love history, you'll love this area in the west of Scotland.  It's said to be Scotland's richest prehistoric landscape, with remains that indicate people have been living here for thousands or years.  There are more than 350 ancient monuments in Kilmartin alone.

Tip:  Visit the fabulous Kilmartin House Museum to learn all about these ancient cultures. 

Scenic Sunday: Tikal, Guatemala

 
Tikal, Guatemala

I stand beside the Temple of the Giant Jaguar.  Here, at the ruins of  Tikal, citadel of the ancient Maya, I feel ever connected to the past.  These buildings stand in silent testimony that a once powerful civilization existed here.

Lying  just north of Flores in the jungle of El Petén, Tikal is one of the world's most beautiful archaeological sites, and one that inspires much thought.   As I walk in the footsteps of so many who have gone before me, I wonder what their lives were like, what their hopes, wishes and dreams were. 

Not long ago, these temples lay forgotten, entombed in a jungle so dense that howler and spider monkeys danced on their steps. 

If you can manage the tricky climb to the top of Temple 4, a scenic vista awaits.  Does it look familiar?  This view was used to represent the rebel base in the classic Star Wars film! 

What would the ancient Maya have thought of their civilization, lost to the ravages of time, slowly crumbling with the elements?   

It happens.  Even a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...