I get enormous pleasure from riding high speed trains in Europe. We took the TGV from Paris to Nice early Saturday morning (at the end of June). I found it so relaxing to sit in comfort and absorb the pretty French countryside. Alighting at the Nice station we were immediately enveloped in Riviera warmth and bright sunshine. (Paris was pleasantly cool.) We picked up our rental car, programmed our GPS and drove along the bass corniche to Antibes, our base for the week.
We know the French Riviera pretty well now. It's become our favorite place for a holiday. The place has all the ingredients for enjoyable days - produce markets, excellent cheeses, wines, warm, sunny days, the inviting Med., cafes, scenic drives, beauty, quaint villages, etc., etc. We were joined by two families: Daryl's sister's family and my sister's family. Because there were so many of us we rented two gites right in the old town of Antibes.
Antibes is such a charming place. I love strolling through the old town. The beaches, the port, and the walk down to Cap d'Antibes are all quite enjoyable.
We cooked lots of delicious food, drank gallons of champagne and wine, pigged out on cheeses, swam in the delightful Med. everyday, and savored the company of our families. On one of the days Daryl and I had a free morning together so we drove into the mountains and explored a few villages. In the stunning, perched village of Gourdon we found the perfect place for lunch. We sat on the terrace, and over warm goat cheese salad and crusty bread, enjoyed jaw dropping views of mountain slopes and valleys.
After a luxurious week of sun, sea, and sand, we all went off to different destinations. Pam and family went to see our cousins in Amsterdam. Daryl went to England to see his brother. And I flew to Berlin to go to Fabian's birthday party.
17 July 2011
08 July 2011
Halfway through Europe Holiday
I'm at a bed and breakfast - optimistically called Sunnyside B&B - in Yatton, a village just outside Bristol. It's currently home to close to half the Cooper clan, so we're having a good old time hanging out with rellies. Last night we met Saffs' partner, Gwen, for the first time and over a great dinner prepared by Saffs (quinoa salad and soya patties) we got better acquainted with her. It's been quite a jolt to see the kids towering over us and having adult conversations. How did that happen? Everyone seems to be making smart choices regarding their education and the future, which we found quite reassuring.
It's been an action packed two weeks in Europe. A couple days in Paris, then a week on the Riviera, four days in Berlin, and now in England. Having seen Woody Allen's MIDNIGHT IN PARIS a couple days before arriving in Paris I was all primed for a romantic experience. I was not disappointed. Pam and family met us at our hotel on the first day. We stayed at the Hotel Beaugency near charming Rue Cler and fairly close to the Eiffel Tower. A good choice of hotel, though not terribly central to the main sites.
Taking in Paris with kids presented a different way to enjoy the city. Kimi (aged 7) and Keayen (aged 11) are pretty easy kids to travel with. They'd just had 3 full days of Disneyland and were ready for something different! We strolled along the left bank of the River Seine and got on to the Isle de la Cite where we showed them Notre Dames. They loved looking at the gargoyles. From here we sauntered to the Pompidou Center, took the escalators to the top and enjoyed the views of Paris. We had an excellent pasta and pizza dinner at an Italian restaurant close to the Pompidou Center.
On my first morning in Paris I loved exploring the neighborhood around our hotel in search of the perfect cafe for coffee and croissant. We had almost instant success since Rue Cler, a narrow, cobbled lane was a two minute walk from us. There's a daily market on this road and the cafes lining the road were all delightful. After a rather satisfying cafe creme and croissant we equipped ourselves with French SIM cards and went off to the Eiffel Tower. It was a thrilling experience for Keayen and Kimi, despite the endless line. Afterwards we had a sumptuous picnic lunch at the nearby park. White nectarines, cherries, baguette, cheeses - hmmm ...
In the afternoon Pam's family dutifully braved the Louvre, hyping up the Mona Lisa to the kids. Daryl and I walked around the left bank and made a few cafe stops. First we stopped for an espresso at a modern 21st century cafe. Everyone around us spoke English. Turned out the owner was a young Australian lad who told us all about how it's so hard to find good coffee in Paris and how he was trying to change this! We nodded and smiled politely.
We all met up again at Place Concorde, metro-ed to the Arc de Triomphe and strolled along the Champs Elysees. Pam and Indrasen enjoyed looking at the shiny, expensive shops. The kids were happy to lick their gelatos while their parents dreamed of the day they could shop on this boulevard!
We ate another fine dinner (Thai) in the Latin Quarter to finish up the day. Daryl and I usually research restaurants when we are traveling. We'e learned not to be random about this. This time, however, we decided to be relaxed about this. So we were pleasantly surprised that both meals, randomly chosen, turned out to be pretty decent.
And that ended our short Paris visit. Daryl will return to this inriguing city for the first 3 months of 2012. I'll join him for a week when I have my spring break.
In my next entry I'll tell you all about our week on the French Riviera.
It's been an action packed two weeks in Europe. A couple days in Paris, then a week on the Riviera, four days in Berlin, and now in England. Having seen Woody Allen's MIDNIGHT IN PARIS a couple days before arriving in Paris I was all primed for a romantic experience. I was not disappointed. Pam and family met us at our hotel on the first day. We stayed at the Hotel Beaugency near charming Rue Cler and fairly close to the Eiffel Tower. A good choice of hotel, though not terribly central to the main sites.
Taking in Paris with kids presented a different way to enjoy the city. Kimi (aged 7) and Keayen (aged 11) are pretty easy kids to travel with. They'd just had 3 full days of Disneyland and were ready for something different! We strolled along the left bank of the River Seine and got on to the Isle de la Cite where we showed them Notre Dames. They loved looking at the gargoyles. From here we sauntered to the Pompidou Center, took the escalators to the top and enjoyed the views of Paris. We had an excellent pasta and pizza dinner at an Italian restaurant close to the Pompidou Center.
On my first morning in Paris I loved exploring the neighborhood around our hotel in search of the perfect cafe for coffee and croissant. We had almost instant success since Rue Cler, a narrow, cobbled lane was a two minute walk from us. There's a daily market on this road and the cafes lining the road were all delightful. After a rather satisfying cafe creme and croissant we equipped ourselves with French SIM cards and went off to the Eiffel Tower. It was a thrilling experience for Keayen and Kimi, despite the endless line. Afterwards we had a sumptuous picnic lunch at the nearby park. White nectarines, cherries, baguette, cheeses - hmmm ...
In the afternoon Pam's family dutifully braved the Louvre, hyping up the Mona Lisa to the kids. Daryl and I walked around the left bank and made a few cafe stops. First we stopped for an espresso at a modern 21st century cafe. Everyone around us spoke English. Turned out the owner was a young Australian lad who told us all about how it's so hard to find good coffee in Paris and how he was trying to change this! We nodded and smiled politely.
We all met up again at Place Concorde, metro-ed to the Arc de Triomphe and strolled along the Champs Elysees. Pam and Indrasen enjoyed looking at the shiny, expensive shops. The kids were happy to lick their gelatos while their parents dreamed of the day they could shop on this boulevard!
We ate another fine dinner (Thai) in the Latin Quarter to finish up the day. Daryl and I usually research restaurants when we are traveling. We'e learned not to be random about this. This time, however, we decided to be relaxed about this. So we were pleasantly surprised that both meals, randomly chosen, turned out to be pretty decent.
And that ended our short Paris visit. Daryl will return to this inriguing city for the first 3 months of 2012. I'll join him for a week when I have my spring break.
In my next entry I'll tell you all about our week on the French Riviera.
21 June 2011
Summer; ergo Europe
We leave for Europe tomorrow. Two days in Paris - just enough time to absorb its atmosphere. Then a TGV down to Nice for a week long stay in Antibes by the beach accompanied by an assortment of relatives. Berlin is next to celebrate my nephew’s 5th birthday. England is my last stop. Kenilworth, Bristol, Cambridge, then 9 days in lovely London. Summer vacation, ergo a trip to the Old World! I feel I’m entitled to it after a frantic year of force-feeding nine year olds with knowledge and skills designed to turn to them into proper capitalists. Admittedly my “different” views must hinder their journey, but, I digress. Europe. It’s remarkable that I’m so at home there, despite being monolingual! I’ve come a long, long way.
I remember my first time in Europe, back in the ‘80’s just after graduating from university. I landed in Rome after a ten hour overnight flight from South Africa. I’d never been abroad before. I was only just becoming aware of a world outside my provincial community which existed within a very confined territory (literally and figuratively). I was truly clueless. I was going to be in Italy for a week – en route to the USA – and I had no guide book and no map. Maps? I’d never used one in my life. In fact, maps were totally alien in my community. I did however, have a youth hostel card – something my travel agent equipped me with. So I knew I had to figure out how to get to a youth hostel and somehow I also knew I first had to get to Rome’s central train station.
I was full of apprehension as I made my way out of the airport and into a train that took me to the central train station. Thankfully at the station I spotted a tourist information office. I remember being so surprised at how friendly the TI folks were as they explained the metro stop for the youth hostel. I exchanged traveler’s checks for lira, and bought a metro ticket which turned out to be really expensive because I didn’t wait for my change! The ticket officer counted out the coins first, and before he could hand me my bills I was already on the escalator down to the platform! My first subway train ride – wow, it was fast!
I was so happy and proud of myself when I arrived at the youth hostel. But when they told me that there was no availability at all I was shattered. I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t planned on this possibility. I didn’t know what to do. Of course, I was traveling on an extremely limited budget too. I sat on a bench outside the youth hostel and felt sorry for myself. I was thousands of miles away from home for the first time in my life. I didn’t know a soul. I didn’t speak the language of this country. And I felt exhausted too, since I hadn’t had much sleep on my first ever international flight. What was I to do? I was close to tears.
I returned to the central train station and went to the TI office. A very helpful lady asked me what my budget was and then suggested a place which she circled on a city map of Rome. I was both relieved and worried as I left the station. I scrutinized the map wondering how to translate this two dimensional representation of Rome’s streets into a 3D reality. Then a well dressed young man came up to me. “You looking for place to stay?”
“Yes.”
“I take you to pension.”
I had nothing to lose so I decided to follow him. Ten minutes later we arrived at a charming old building. We walked up the marble steps and as soon as we entered the building all of my apprehension vanished instantly. A stout middle aged Italian woman with the sweetest, warmest smile extended her hand to me. Coming from apartheid South Africa I wasn’t used to strangers, especially white people, embracing me in such a welcoming way. When I found out that the cost was $15 a night I was overjoyed. Then I discovered the concept of the pension – budget style accommodation. I was shown to my room. There were six single beds. On one of the beds a young woman was sound asleep. I loved the place even more. I had no idea that this type of thing existed – where you basically rented a bed in a room that you shared with other travelers. There was one bathroom shared by 10 people – both men and women. The place was clean and the décor was quaintly old Europe.
Within a few hours of being at the pension I met my roommates. They were all in their early twenties. Two women were from Sacramento, California, one was from Australia, and one from Argentina. I was relieved to be in the company of English speakers. They were super-friendly and invited me to do things with them. I was amazed at how savvy these young people were. They all had guide books (Let’s Go Europe) and maps and were very clear about the sites they wanted to see. They also knew how to travel on a budget. For lunch we bought fresh, crusty bread, cheese, and fruit. For dinner we mostly ate take-out pizza which was always yummy. As we traversed the narrow, cobbled streets of Rome I got to know my roommates better and thoroughly enjoyed being with them. The Australian, Mary, was on a one year trip around the world and she and I became quite close in our brief time together. The very first famous monument I visited was the Coloseum. In the ‘80’s it was free to see it and it consisted of just a semi-circular wall. But it looked pretty impressive all the same.
I fell in love with Rome’s beauty and elegance. Ornate old buildings with impressive columns, lively squares, beautiful fountains, and eye-catching sculpture all over the city. I visited the Vatican and saw Michaelangelo’s famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I discovered gelato and capucchino.
It was April and the temperature was perfect – a bit cool, but very comfortable. On my first evening I was surprised that it was still light at 8:00. “They’ve switched to daylight savings time,” I was told. Another brand new concept to me. Wow, the world outside South Africa was so much more sensible!
After three days in Rome all my roommates were moving on to new places. It made me sad to see them packing their bags. The Californians suggested I go with them. “Sorrento is on the Amalfi Coast. Supposed to be beautiful there.” I realized I’d seen the highlights of Rome so why not explore a new place? So I packed my things and joined them on the train journey to Sorrento.
Sorrento’s beauty took me by surprise. The town was very much smaller than Rome, but oh so charming, right beside the magical Mediterranean. We stayed at the youth hostel here. It was dirt cheap - $5.00 a night. We spent an exhilarating evening walking around the narrow, quiet streets and ate dinner at a real restaurant. The next day my friends were taking the train south. They were going to Greece next. They suggested I take a ferry to the Isle of Capri for the day. I was alone again and of course, nervous. But my confidence was building up and I found it quite easy to work out logistics. Before getting on the ferry I bought my lunch (bread roll and mozzarella) from a small, but well stocked store. The ferry was huge – the biggest boat I’d ever been on. It was a smooth, quick ride to the Isle of Capri. I had no real expectations of this island. So imagine my surprise when I got off the ferry! The turquoise of the Mediterranean seemed unreal. And the steep, sheer cliffs of the island took my breath away. A funiculare took me to the top where more jaw dropping beauty greeted me. I remember the first thing I did was to sit at a central café to take in the island’s charm. I ordered an orange juice. It cost $5.00! I nearly died. That was my budget for the day! I got a map from the TI and strolled around the island. About an hour into my walk I ran into Mary. She gave me a big hug. Together we explored the island. At lunch time we went into a park to find a nice place to sit and eat. Two American women – a mother and daughter - struck up a conversation with us along the way. They invited us to join them on their picnic lunch and shared their wine with us. The mother had recenty visited South Africa so we got into an involved conversation about apartheid. Their knowledge and understanding of racism really impressed me. I had such a great time. How was it that people, white people, outside of South Africa were so friendly? To be treated with such respect and as an equal just flummoxed me. After our long lunch I returned to Sorrento by myself and actually spent the evening alone for the first time since arriving in Italy. The next day I returned to Rome by myself, found my pension easily and spent the evening alone, exploring the area and taking in Rome’s vibrancy.
What a week! What an unbelievable, wonderful, unforgettable week!
And now I pack my bags and hope that the next weeks will bring fulfilling memories too.
I remember my first time in Europe, back in the ‘80’s just after graduating from university. I landed in Rome after a ten hour overnight flight from South Africa. I’d never been abroad before. I was only just becoming aware of a world outside my provincial community which existed within a very confined territory (literally and figuratively). I was truly clueless. I was going to be in Italy for a week – en route to the USA – and I had no guide book and no map. Maps? I’d never used one in my life. In fact, maps were totally alien in my community. I did however, have a youth hostel card – something my travel agent equipped me with. So I knew I had to figure out how to get to a youth hostel and somehow I also knew I first had to get to Rome’s central train station.
I was full of apprehension as I made my way out of the airport and into a train that took me to the central train station. Thankfully at the station I spotted a tourist information office. I remember being so surprised at how friendly the TI folks were as they explained the metro stop for the youth hostel. I exchanged traveler’s checks for lira, and bought a metro ticket which turned out to be really expensive because I didn’t wait for my change! The ticket officer counted out the coins first, and before he could hand me my bills I was already on the escalator down to the platform! My first subway train ride – wow, it was fast!
I was so happy and proud of myself when I arrived at the youth hostel. But when they told me that there was no availability at all I was shattered. I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t planned on this possibility. I didn’t know what to do. Of course, I was traveling on an extremely limited budget too. I sat on a bench outside the youth hostel and felt sorry for myself. I was thousands of miles away from home for the first time in my life. I didn’t know a soul. I didn’t speak the language of this country. And I felt exhausted too, since I hadn’t had much sleep on my first ever international flight. What was I to do? I was close to tears.
I returned to the central train station and went to the TI office. A very helpful lady asked me what my budget was and then suggested a place which she circled on a city map of Rome. I was both relieved and worried as I left the station. I scrutinized the map wondering how to translate this two dimensional representation of Rome’s streets into a 3D reality. Then a well dressed young man came up to me. “You looking for place to stay?”
“Yes.”
“I take you to pension.”
I had nothing to lose so I decided to follow him. Ten minutes later we arrived at a charming old building. We walked up the marble steps and as soon as we entered the building all of my apprehension vanished instantly. A stout middle aged Italian woman with the sweetest, warmest smile extended her hand to me. Coming from apartheid South Africa I wasn’t used to strangers, especially white people, embracing me in such a welcoming way. When I found out that the cost was $15 a night I was overjoyed. Then I discovered the concept of the pension – budget style accommodation. I was shown to my room. There were six single beds. On one of the beds a young woman was sound asleep. I loved the place even more. I had no idea that this type of thing existed – where you basically rented a bed in a room that you shared with other travelers. There was one bathroom shared by 10 people – both men and women. The place was clean and the décor was quaintly old Europe.
Within a few hours of being at the pension I met my roommates. They were all in their early twenties. Two women were from Sacramento, California, one was from Australia, and one from Argentina. I was relieved to be in the company of English speakers. They were super-friendly and invited me to do things with them. I was amazed at how savvy these young people were. They all had guide books (Let’s Go Europe) and maps and were very clear about the sites they wanted to see. They also knew how to travel on a budget. For lunch we bought fresh, crusty bread, cheese, and fruit. For dinner we mostly ate take-out pizza which was always yummy. As we traversed the narrow, cobbled streets of Rome I got to know my roommates better and thoroughly enjoyed being with them. The Australian, Mary, was on a one year trip around the world and she and I became quite close in our brief time together. The very first famous monument I visited was the Coloseum. In the ‘80’s it was free to see it and it consisted of just a semi-circular wall. But it looked pretty impressive all the same.
I fell in love with Rome’s beauty and elegance. Ornate old buildings with impressive columns, lively squares, beautiful fountains, and eye-catching sculpture all over the city. I visited the Vatican and saw Michaelangelo’s famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I discovered gelato and capucchino.
It was April and the temperature was perfect – a bit cool, but very comfortable. On my first evening I was surprised that it was still light at 8:00. “They’ve switched to daylight savings time,” I was told. Another brand new concept to me. Wow, the world outside South Africa was so much more sensible!
After three days in Rome all my roommates were moving on to new places. It made me sad to see them packing their bags. The Californians suggested I go with them. “Sorrento is on the Amalfi Coast. Supposed to be beautiful there.” I realized I’d seen the highlights of Rome so why not explore a new place? So I packed my things and joined them on the train journey to Sorrento.
Sorrento’s beauty took me by surprise. The town was very much smaller than Rome, but oh so charming, right beside the magical Mediterranean. We stayed at the youth hostel here. It was dirt cheap - $5.00 a night. We spent an exhilarating evening walking around the narrow, quiet streets and ate dinner at a real restaurant. The next day my friends were taking the train south. They were going to Greece next. They suggested I take a ferry to the Isle of Capri for the day. I was alone again and of course, nervous. But my confidence was building up and I found it quite easy to work out logistics. Before getting on the ferry I bought my lunch (bread roll and mozzarella) from a small, but well stocked store. The ferry was huge – the biggest boat I’d ever been on. It was a smooth, quick ride to the Isle of Capri. I had no real expectations of this island. So imagine my surprise when I got off the ferry! The turquoise of the Mediterranean seemed unreal. And the steep, sheer cliffs of the island took my breath away. A funiculare took me to the top where more jaw dropping beauty greeted me. I remember the first thing I did was to sit at a central café to take in the island’s charm. I ordered an orange juice. It cost $5.00! I nearly died. That was my budget for the day! I got a map from the TI and strolled around the island. About an hour into my walk I ran into Mary. She gave me a big hug. Together we explored the island. At lunch time we went into a park to find a nice place to sit and eat. Two American women – a mother and daughter - struck up a conversation with us along the way. They invited us to join them on their picnic lunch and shared their wine with us. The mother had recenty visited South Africa so we got into an involved conversation about apartheid. Their knowledge and understanding of racism really impressed me. I had such a great time. How was it that people, white people, outside of South Africa were so friendly? To be treated with such respect and as an equal just flummoxed me. After our long lunch I returned to Sorrento by myself and actually spent the evening alone for the first time since arriving in Italy. The next day I returned to Rome by myself, found my pension easily and spent the evening alone, exploring the area and taking in Rome’s vibrancy.
What a week! What an unbelievable, wonderful, unforgettable week!
And now I pack my bags and hope that the next weeks will bring fulfilling memories too.
10 June 2011
Another School Year Ends ...
For some inexplicable reason I feel I need to summarize the school year in a blog in order to bring closure to the year and officially feel like my vacation has started. It's been a week since I said good-bye to my 27 third graders and I have to say I do miss them. They were ... well, a flood of words come to mind: exuberant, robust, enthusiastic, loud, funny, motivated, hardworking, chatty, social. So, you can imagine, my days were quite exhausting. The most remarkable thing about all my students was that they enjoyed working hard. Give them a heavy duty assignment and they embrace it wholeheartedly, working quietly until a quality finished product emerges. But they loved to talk ... loudly ... at every available opportunity ...
On the last day of school I asked my students to write me a letter. I told them to tell me what makes them interesting and unique and why I would want to make them a character in my next novel! Despite their excitement about the year ending they actually put some effort into this assignment. I have to say these kids were all a pretty interesting bunch. Many of them mentioned their love for writing creative stories!
Overall, it was not my easiest year of teaching. The first half of the year was especially challenging with a myriad of behavior issues and ascertaining academic capabilities. But after January, once I figured out some techniques and bonded with the kids, things got easier. This class of kids worked really well together and it was almost as if we were a huge family. They were all loving, caring, and respectful.
But, again, they were extremely chatty, making my job a difficult one.
The administrative pressures this year were very subdued, thankfully. It was quite a relief that the standardized tests weren't an obsession as they'd been in previous years. Have to say, not much has changed regarding No Child Left Behind. What's the deal on that?
The start of summer vacation .... hmmmm ... I'm thrilled. Hope to get back to my writing. But, the big, big event is our trip to Europe. On June 22 we fly into Paris, spend a couple nights there, and then take the TGV to the Cote d'Azure for our "holiday". We've rented two gites because we'll be joined by a whole lot of relatives. We'll be based in Antibes, just meters from the Med. How about that? After the Riviera I'll go to Berlin to be with Max, Julia, and Fabian. We'll be having a big party for Fabian, who turns 5 this year. From Berlin I'll fly into London, where I'll be for two leisurely weeks. Lots to look forward to ...
On the last day of school I asked my students to write me a letter. I told them to tell me what makes them interesting and unique and why I would want to make them a character in my next novel! Despite their excitement about the year ending they actually put some effort into this assignment. I have to say these kids were all a pretty interesting bunch. Many of them mentioned their love for writing creative stories!
Overall, it was not my easiest year of teaching. The first half of the year was especially challenging with a myriad of behavior issues and ascertaining academic capabilities. But after January, once I figured out some techniques and bonded with the kids, things got easier. This class of kids worked really well together and it was almost as if we were a huge family. They were all loving, caring, and respectful.
But, again, they were extremely chatty, making my job a difficult one.
The administrative pressures this year were very subdued, thankfully. It was quite a relief that the standardized tests weren't an obsession as they'd been in previous years. Have to say, not much has changed regarding No Child Left Behind. What's the deal on that?
The start of summer vacation .... hmmmm ... I'm thrilled. Hope to get back to my writing. But, the big, big event is our trip to Europe. On June 22 we fly into Paris, spend a couple nights there, and then take the TGV to the Cote d'Azure for our "holiday". We've rented two gites because we'll be joined by a whole lot of relatives. We'll be based in Antibes, just meters from the Med. How about that? After the Riviera I'll go to Berlin to be with Max, Julia, and Fabian. We'll be having a big party for Fabian, who turns 5 this year. From Berlin I'll fly into London, where I'll be for two leisurely weeks. Lots to look forward to ...
02 April 2011
Capturing South Africa
The first thing I noticed when I got off the plane last week was the warm temperature. It felt sensational and I smiled as I yanked off my coat and fleece. At the doors of the airport building were about a half dozen uniformed men and women ready with wheelchairs. These folks were pure African – Zulus. Yes, I had arrived on the great continent! The Johannesburg airport looks like all the modern, gleaming airports you see around the world (except in the US!). A large picture of a smiling, healthy Nelson Mandela against a map of South Africa welcomes you. Immigration and customs went quickly, efficiently and within an hour of the plane landing I was already in the arrivals hall where Pam, Keayen, and Kimi were waiting for me.
We hit the busy, crazy highway and I was once again immersed in the country of my birth. The Rivonia Road exit caught my eye and I was reminded of the freedom fighters. It was at a house in Rivonia that Nelson Mandela met with the banned ANC and Communist Party folks to plot their overthrow of the apartheid government. This is where they were betrayed and arrested, resulting in the famous Rivonia Trial which led to Mandela’s lifelong sentence.
As soon as we arrived in Pam’s suburb of Honeydew I was greeted by a flock of hadeda birds (ibis) – crying out like cackling witches – beating their large, brown wings as they swooped across the sky. Surprisingly ugly cries from birds that are actually quite pretty. Yes, the sight and sound of these birds are an integral part of South Africa’s fabric.
Driving to my sister’s gated community, we past trees whose branches were bent with the weight of the ball like nests of weaver birds – small, yellow birds that flit in and around their nests.
At the grocery store – PicknPay – a food lover’s paradise – it was so obvious I was in South Africa when I heard the mingling of South African English – delightful to my ears now – “yaw” (their version of yeah) – and Zulu with distinct tongue clicks, and Afrikaans. One thing that caught my eye was that all the kids – mostly white, middle class – were barefoot.
Johannesburg is pretty lacking in scenic beauty. It’s flat, flat, flat everywhere. The city lies on a plateau, as does most of the country, but it is at quite a high altitude. The air here is really dry. Electric storms in the summer are frequent. On my first afternoon there was some serious lightning and thunder. Folks here are used to it. All homes have lightning rods on the roofs.
After two wonderful days in Johannesburg, we drove to Mum’s place in Ladysmith, 250 miles away. Most of the drive took us through flat countryside, which was quite colorful from endless fields of pink and white cosmos. We used to call these Easter flowers when I was little, because they always appeared in March and disappeared before the end of April. About eighty miles before Ladysmith the western Drakensberg emerges from the flatness and creates quite a dramatic scene. This final stretch is quite beautiful.
Ladysmith. My home town. Did I really grow up here? The biggest change I noticed was an enormous sculpture of African style black elongated pots arranged in a pyramid at the entrance. It was quite eye catching and beautiful. Otherwise, the town remains sleepy and lagging behind the rest of the world by a few decades.
From Ladysmith all my family and I went down to the coast. We spent a few delightful days in Umhlanga, a beach resort in Durban. The balmy, humid days and fresh sea air was quite uplifting. Every morning we got up to see the sun rise over the Indian Ocean and jogged barefoot on the beach. Quite the perfect start to the day. Spent lots of time with my mum and had a relaxing time.
One striking thing during my brief visit was that the conversations weren’t fixated on violent crime as it had been in the last two decades. Even in the Mail and Guardian, the top newspaper of the country, crime coverage was surprisingly small. Most of the paper seemed to be about government mismanagement, the Libyan situation and South Africa’s ambivalence regarding its UN Security Council vote to authorize a no fly zone, and Japan’s nuclear energy plants.
Middle class South Africans have decided that in order to have “normal” lives they have to live in gated communities where they can feel free to leave their doors open and have their kids ride bikes in the neighborhood. My sister’s gated community is enormous. It has a golf course, a few lakes, parks, tennis courts, and a club house with terrific restaurant. Many of the residents drive around the place in their own golf carts.
During my entire time here the country was fixated on cricket. The International Cricket games were on and South Africa was hotly favored to win. Unfortunately, they got knocked out early in the tournament. My mum enjoyed the semi finals between India and Pakistan, which was a real nail-biter. India won and my mum was overjoyed. Right now everyone is watching the final between India and Sri Lanka. People here want to know if Americans would be following the final. When I told them Americans know nothing about cricket they were shocked. “But this means they are so isolated from the world!”
And so my visit comes to an end!
08 January 2011
Costa Rica Trip
We escaped to the tropics over Christmas again this year! This time we decided to venture into Latin America. Costa Rica, it turns out, is Latin America "lite"! Yes, it's in Central America, and yes, they speak Spanish, and yes, it's a third world country. But that might be the extent of its Latin Americanness.
We had a very enjoyable two weeks as we sampled the country's main attractions.
What I liked the most was that we spent most of our time out in the wilderness, hiking through forests, and taking in the natural beauty and wildlife of the country. We saw three toed and two toed sloths just about everyday. We also saw toucans quite frequently. Costa Rica is famous for its birds and though neither Daryl nor I are birdwatchers, we really enjoyed seeing many colorful, beautiful birds everywhere. I loved seeing the many different types of hummingbirds. We were also extremely fortunate to see the Monteverde quetzal, found only in the Monteverde cloud forests.
When we planned the trip we wanted to be sure to sample the major offerings of the country. The three musts we were told were: active volcanoes, cloud forests, and rain forests. Of course, we had to check out the capital, San Jose, too, and we definitely wanted to enjoy a few days at some nice beach. So we acquired a guide book - THE ROUGH GUIDE TO COSTA RICA - and came up with the following itinerary: a night in San Jose, two nights in La Fortuna from where we could get to Volcan Arenal, three nights in Santa Elena, the base for the famous cloud forest of Monteverde, five nights in Manuel Antonio which promised both a rain forest and great beaches, and a final couple nights in San Jose for a visit to another famous volcano, Volcan Poas. To get around we decided rather than rent a car, we would take the Gray Lines, a private shuttle company, which picked you up from your hotel and dropped you off at your next hotel.
This plan worked really well and the trip was overall, rather successful. One thing I would do differently is skip Manuel Antonio and go further south to the Osa peninsula where the Corcovado Reserve is.
We flew first class to Costa Rica due to some weird circumstances. The airline we had originally been booked on - Mexicana - went bankrupt in the summer. When we looked into airfares after that we found that for only a little extra money we could get better flights, flying first class!!!
We arrived in the evening and spent the first night in the town of Alajuela which is close to the airport. The warm temperature was immediately noticeable. Our hotel, Mi Tierra, was a bit more modest than I hoped for, but it was spotless and had a pretty garden with tropical vegetation, and an inviting pool. After checking in we went into the little town in search of food, seeking out the suggestions in our guidebook. Well, we soon found out that street names didn't exist and even with a map, places were hard to find. We did eventually find a Mexican place called Jalapenos. Tasteful decor and friendly waiters made us feel like our vacation had really begun. We had tostadas and enchiladas which came with lots of vegetables, roasted, flavorful, and satisfying. The local beer - Imperial - went nicely with this. Daryl said it was the best Mexican food he had ever eaten.
The next morning, after a breakfast of tropical fruit, scrambled eggs, and toast, we explored Alajuela. In the daylight it looked a lot more cheerful, despite the shabby buildings and narrow streets. Daryl suggested we go to the zoo for an introduction to Costa Rican wildlife. We took a city bus - old and clunky - and it turned out to be quite uncomplicated to get to the zoo. We had a lovely time gawking at parrots and monkeys and various cats. The highlight was seeing iguanas of various colors and features, parading around the entire zoo. Daryl had never seen an iguana before so it was a thrill for him.
For lunch we had heavenly papayas, bananas, and pineapple purchased from street vendors back in town. We spent the afternoon exploring the capital San Jose. Our hotel, the Fleur de Lys, was gorgeous. It was very central and such an elegant, classy place. San Jose was crowded and walking through the pedestrianized Avenue Central and Avenue 4 felt like being part of a herd. Because it was a week before Christmas, there was quite a festive atmosphere in the city. At various squares there was live music. San Jose is a very understated capital city. It's best feature is the presence of quite a few landscaped parks in the city center. It doesn't have grand buildings and great museums like most capitals. The only remarkable building - the Teatro National - happened to be closed for the holiday season. I believe the interior looks like a Parisian opera house.
I had been hoping we'd find a classy restaurant with fine food for the evening, but we had no such luck. The only eating places we could see in the downtown area were fast food American chains. We stumbled upon a vegetarian place called Vishnu, where we dined on veggie burgers.
The next morning we had a typical Costa Rican breakfast at our hotel. Fresh, tropical fruit, eggs, fried plantains, queso fresco (cheese), and gallepinto (rice and beans). By 8:00 in the morning we were on the road to La Fortuna, the base for the volcano called Arenal. The ride was quite pleasant and it was interesting to see the mostly uninhabited Costa Rican countryside. It's so green and the land rises and falls constantly.
We arrived at La Fortuna at around midday. Our hotel, Monte Real, was delightful, with sliding doors leading to a terrace from where we had a view of the volcano. You quickly learn that the volcano is almost always covered in cloud and more than half the tourists that come here, leave without seeing the volcano. We learned that there are lava flows periodically and at night when this happens Volcan Arenal is quite spectacular. The volcano was dormant while we were there, but on a late afternoon tour to a viewpoint we were able to see the entire volcano quite clearly. So we were happy.
La Fortuna is also famous for its thermal springs. On our second day we arranged with a tour company to visit the La Fortuna Waterfalls, followed by a hike through a forest which had a trail that consisted of eighteen hanging bridges, and then ending the day at Baldi Hot Springs resort.
The tour company (Red Lava), unfortunately, didn't deliver has promised! We were told we would have our own private guide with a four wheel drive that entire day. That's what we paid for and that's what we signed up for! They took us to the waterfalls and then left, telling us they'd return two hours later. We hiked down a scenic, steep trail to the waterfalls, which were quite lovely. Then we discovered that there were pools nearby and people were splashing about in them. We hadn't carried our swimsuits, so to our great disappointment couldn't jump into the tantalizing water.
Another driver turned up at the time promised and took us to the Hanging Bridges. He was actually quite knowledgeable and the hike with him was pretty informative. He then dropped us off at a hot springs resort - but not the one we had signed up for (Baldi). We were persuaded to go to this smaller place, Laureles, (saving Red Lava money, of course) which was actually not bad at all. We had excellent views of the volcano from the various pools. If I hadn't felt cheated I would have been fine with the place. Anyway, the driver dropped us off, arranging a pick-up time with us.
We had a great time soaking in the hot water and then intermittently cooling off in a swimming pool. After a fun, fun time, and me constantly reminding myself to get over the fact that we should have been at Baldi, we dried up, got into our regular clothes and went to wait for our driver. Half an hour later we were still waiting! You can imagine our state of mind. It was pitch dark and we were hungry too. We walked over to the gates and explained our problem to the guards in pathetic Spanish. The guards were super helpful, called up the tour company, and about fifteen minutes later we were rescued! Phew!
As if we weren't depressed enough about the tour company's flakiness, the dinner options back in town were pretty dismal. By now we realized that Costa Rica's culinary scene is rather underdeveloped. Rice, bland beans, and fried plantains are staples for every meal and this is always an option. But we wanted something different. We settled for an Italian restaurant that carried a few vegetarian pasta options. Daryl's pasta primevera was worse than he was expecting and my pizza had a thick, doughy crust and too much tasteless cheese!
The next morning we took a jeep, then a boat, and then a jeep again to Monteverde across Lake Arenal. Our base was Santa Elena, a bustling little town. We stayed at Hotel Don Taco where we had a cabin with huge windows providing views of the Gulf of Nicoya. This part of the trip was the most memorable. First, there were the cloud forests. Hiking through the Monteverde and Santa Elena Reserves was utterly magical. You are enshrouded in mist, and completely surrounded by nature. Because of a steady drizzle we had to wear rain ponchos. You hear a constant splattering sound. The trees appear to be weeping. There is such an amazing amount of green. The tree trunks have thick carpets of moss over them and the branches above are covered with enormous epiphytes. Strangler vines dangle like ropes all over the place. You hear bird sounds and of course, we saw a fair variety of birds. Best of all, we actually saw a quetzal!
Another memorable aspect of this place - Monteverde (Santa Elena) was that it was cold! At night the wind howled so fiercely it kept us awake. It was hard to believe we were in the tropics as we zipped up our coats and dug our hands deep into our pockets! The continental divide goes through the Monteverde forest, causing the howling winds!
A final, but important note: Santa Elena had a few really good restaurants. Our favorite was The Treehouse. This restaurant has three walls, with one side open to the outside. The floor is a raised platform built around a large tree. The effect is gorgeous. The menu was great too with many cutting edge veggie options. We had an amazing fondue on our first evening there. The cheese sauce was full of flavor and they gave us a whole lot of fresh veggies for dipping.
Monteverde is also a famous coffee producing region. We saw coffee plants for the first time here and went on a tour to a local coffee farm to learn how coffee is grown! Costa Rica coffee is delicious and smooth, a bit like Kona coffee, only stronger.
I learned a few depressing facts about coffee. The growers make about $1.00 per pound of coffee. They ship their dried coffee beans to coffee companies around the world where they are freshly roasted and sold to retailers. Think about what you pay for a pound of fair trade, shade grown, organic coffee. The grower, who is responsible for paying the pickers a living wage, only get a $1.00. Who gets most of the money that you pay for your coffee?
On Christmas morning we left chilly Monteverde for Manuel Antonio. Boy, were we ready for warmth and beaches! We decided to make our dinner and enjoy a lazy afternoon/evening by the pool. I have to say, our Christmas day turned out to be blissful. Our apartment was elegant and luxurious. The pool and pool area were just perfect for relaxing. There was forest all around the building and when we sat out in our apartment terrace we felt like we were in a rainforest. Birds and monkeys (mainly capuchins) were frequent visitors, evidently loving the dense tropical vegetation. We swam in the pool, drank beer, read our books, and cooked a simple, but tasty meal, featuring plantains, rice, and lentils. Daryl made a dessert with bananas, roasted, sliced almonds, dark, melted chocolate, and ice-cream. OMG! It was heavenly.
We spent five glorious days in Manuel Antonio. We were a mile from the nearest beach and a half hour walk to the park. I have to say this park is completely overrated. The forest, after Monteverde, is pretty ordinary. But the beaches within the park are lovely. The Manuel Antonio Beach is especially nice because it is calmer and better for swimming. The water temperature is unbelievably warm. The beaches outside the park are quite unremarkable. Even though the place didn't meet with my expectations we still had a great time.
We spent our last two nights in Alajuela. On our last day we went on an organized tour to see another active volcano and the La Paz waterfalls. Volcan Poas has a lake at its crater. Again we were lucky to be able to see the crater. What an amazing sight with vapors curling up into sky and the sulphur deposits around the rim.
The La Paz Waterfalls were the most thunderous falls I have ever seen. There's a series of four waterfalls, each more powerful, than the previous. What a finale!!
And that was it!!
We had a very enjoyable two weeks as we sampled the country's main attractions.
What I liked the most was that we spent most of our time out in the wilderness, hiking through forests, and taking in the natural beauty and wildlife of the country. We saw three toed and two toed sloths just about everyday. We also saw toucans quite frequently. Costa Rica is famous for its birds and though neither Daryl nor I are birdwatchers, we really enjoyed seeing many colorful, beautiful birds everywhere. I loved seeing the many different types of hummingbirds. We were also extremely fortunate to see the Monteverde quetzal, found only in the Monteverde cloud forests.
When we planned the trip we wanted to be sure to sample the major offerings of the country. The three musts we were told were: active volcanoes, cloud forests, and rain forests. Of course, we had to check out the capital, San Jose, too, and we definitely wanted to enjoy a few days at some nice beach. So we acquired a guide book - THE ROUGH GUIDE TO COSTA RICA - and came up with the following itinerary: a night in San Jose, two nights in La Fortuna from where we could get to Volcan Arenal, three nights in Santa Elena, the base for the famous cloud forest of Monteverde, five nights in Manuel Antonio which promised both a rain forest and great beaches, and a final couple nights in San Jose for a visit to another famous volcano, Volcan Poas. To get around we decided rather than rent a car, we would take the Gray Lines, a private shuttle company, which picked you up from your hotel and dropped you off at your next hotel.
This plan worked really well and the trip was overall, rather successful. One thing I would do differently is skip Manuel Antonio and go further south to the Osa peninsula where the Corcovado Reserve is.
We flew first class to Costa Rica due to some weird circumstances. The airline we had originally been booked on - Mexicana - went bankrupt in the summer. When we looked into airfares after that we found that for only a little extra money we could get better flights, flying first class!!!
We arrived in the evening and spent the first night in the town of Alajuela which is close to the airport. The warm temperature was immediately noticeable. Our hotel, Mi Tierra, was a bit more modest than I hoped for, but it was spotless and had a pretty garden with tropical vegetation, and an inviting pool. After checking in we went into the little town in search of food, seeking out the suggestions in our guidebook. Well, we soon found out that street names didn't exist and even with a map, places were hard to find. We did eventually find a Mexican place called Jalapenos. Tasteful decor and friendly waiters made us feel like our vacation had really begun. We had tostadas and enchiladas which came with lots of vegetables, roasted, flavorful, and satisfying. The local beer - Imperial - went nicely with this. Daryl said it was the best Mexican food he had ever eaten.
The next morning, after a breakfast of tropical fruit, scrambled eggs, and toast, we explored Alajuela. In the daylight it looked a lot more cheerful, despite the shabby buildings and narrow streets. Daryl suggested we go to the zoo for an introduction to Costa Rican wildlife. We took a city bus - old and clunky - and it turned out to be quite uncomplicated to get to the zoo. We had a lovely time gawking at parrots and monkeys and various cats. The highlight was seeing iguanas of various colors and features, parading around the entire zoo. Daryl had never seen an iguana before so it was a thrill for him.
For lunch we had heavenly papayas, bananas, and pineapple purchased from street vendors back in town. We spent the afternoon exploring the capital San Jose. Our hotel, the Fleur de Lys, was gorgeous. It was very central and such an elegant, classy place. San Jose was crowded and walking through the pedestrianized Avenue Central and Avenue 4 felt like being part of a herd. Because it was a week before Christmas, there was quite a festive atmosphere in the city. At various squares there was live music. San Jose is a very understated capital city. It's best feature is the presence of quite a few landscaped parks in the city center. It doesn't have grand buildings and great museums like most capitals. The only remarkable building - the Teatro National - happened to be closed for the holiday season. I believe the interior looks like a Parisian opera house.
I had been hoping we'd find a classy restaurant with fine food for the evening, but we had no such luck. The only eating places we could see in the downtown area were fast food American chains. We stumbled upon a vegetarian place called Vishnu, where we dined on veggie burgers.
The next morning we had a typical Costa Rican breakfast at our hotel. Fresh, tropical fruit, eggs, fried plantains, queso fresco (cheese), and gallepinto (rice and beans). By 8:00 in the morning we were on the road to La Fortuna, the base for the volcano called Arenal. The ride was quite pleasant and it was interesting to see the mostly uninhabited Costa Rican countryside. It's so green and the land rises and falls constantly.
We arrived at La Fortuna at around midday. Our hotel, Monte Real, was delightful, with sliding doors leading to a terrace from where we had a view of the volcano. You quickly learn that the volcano is almost always covered in cloud and more than half the tourists that come here, leave without seeing the volcano. We learned that there are lava flows periodically and at night when this happens Volcan Arenal is quite spectacular. The volcano was dormant while we were there, but on a late afternoon tour to a viewpoint we were able to see the entire volcano quite clearly. So we were happy.
La Fortuna is also famous for its thermal springs. On our second day we arranged with a tour company to visit the La Fortuna Waterfalls, followed by a hike through a forest which had a trail that consisted of eighteen hanging bridges, and then ending the day at Baldi Hot Springs resort.
The tour company (Red Lava), unfortunately, didn't deliver has promised! We were told we would have our own private guide with a four wheel drive that entire day. That's what we paid for and that's what we signed up for! They took us to the waterfalls and then left, telling us they'd return two hours later. We hiked down a scenic, steep trail to the waterfalls, which were quite lovely. Then we discovered that there were pools nearby and people were splashing about in them. We hadn't carried our swimsuits, so to our great disappointment couldn't jump into the tantalizing water.
Another driver turned up at the time promised and took us to the Hanging Bridges. He was actually quite knowledgeable and the hike with him was pretty informative. He then dropped us off at a hot springs resort - but not the one we had signed up for (Baldi). We were persuaded to go to this smaller place, Laureles, (saving Red Lava money, of course) which was actually not bad at all. We had excellent views of the volcano from the various pools. If I hadn't felt cheated I would have been fine with the place. Anyway, the driver dropped us off, arranging a pick-up time with us.
We had a great time soaking in the hot water and then intermittently cooling off in a swimming pool. After a fun, fun time, and me constantly reminding myself to get over the fact that we should have been at Baldi, we dried up, got into our regular clothes and went to wait for our driver. Half an hour later we were still waiting! You can imagine our state of mind. It was pitch dark and we were hungry too. We walked over to the gates and explained our problem to the guards in pathetic Spanish. The guards were super helpful, called up the tour company, and about fifteen minutes later we were rescued! Phew!
As if we weren't depressed enough about the tour company's flakiness, the dinner options back in town were pretty dismal. By now we realized that Costa Rica's culinary scene is rather underdeveloped. Rice, bland beans, and fried plantains are staples for every meal and this is always an option. But we wanted something different. We settled for an Italian restaurant that carried a few vegetarian pasta options. Daryl's pasta primevera was worse than he was expecting and my pizza had a thick, doughy crust and too much tasteless cheese!
The next morning we took a jeep, then a boat, and then a jeep again to Monteverde across Lake Arenal. Our base was Santa Elena, a bustling little town. We stayed at Hotel Don Taco where we had a cabin with huge windows providing views of the Gulf of Nicoya. This part of the trip was the most memorable. First, there were the cloud forests. Hiking through the Monteverde and Santa Elena Reserves was utterly magical. You are enshrouded in mist, and completely surrounded by nature. Because of a steady drizzle we had to wear rain ponchos. You hear a constant splattering sound. The trees appear to be weeping. There is such an amazing amount of green. The tree trunks have thick carpets of moss over them and the branches above are covered with enormous epiphytes. Strangler vines dangle like ropes all over the place. You hear bird sounds and of course, we saw a fair variety of birds. Best of all, we actually saw a quetzal!
Another memorable aspect of this place - Monteverde (Santa Elena) was that it was cold! At night the wind howled so fiercely it kept us awake. It was hard to believe we were in the tropics as we zipped up our coats and dug our hands deep into our pockets! The continental divide goes through the Monteverde forest, causing the howling winds!
A final, but important note: Santa Elena had a few really good restaurants. Our favorite was The Treehouse. This restaurant has three walls, with one side open to the outside. The floor is a raised platform built around a large tree. The effect is gorgeous. The menu was great too with many cutting edge veggie options. We had an amazing fondue on our first evening there. The cheese sauce was full of flavor and they gave us a whole lot of fresh veggies for dipping.
Monteverde is also a famous coffee producing region. We saw coffee plants for the first time here and went on a tour to a local coffee farm to learn how coffee is grown! Costa Rica coffee is delicious and smooth, a bit like Kona coffee, only stronger.
I learned a few depressing facts about coffee. The growers make about $1.00 per pound of coffee. They ship their dried coffee beans to coffee companies around the world where they are freshly roasted and sold to retailers. Think about what you pay for a pound of fair trade, shade grown, organic coffee. The grower, who is responsible for paying the pickers a living wage, only get a $1.00. Who gets most of the money that you pay for your coffee?
On Christmas morning we left chilly Monteverde for Manuel Antonio. Boy, were we ready for warmth and beaches! We decided to make our dinner and enjoy a lazy afternoon/evening by the pool. I have to say, our Christmas day turned out to be blissful. Our apartment was elegant and luxurious. The pool and pool area were just perfect for relaxing. There was forest all around the building and when we sat out in our apartment terrace we felt like we were in a rainforest. Birds and monkeys (mainly capuchins) were frequent visitors, evidently loving the dense tropical vegetation. We swam in the pool, drank beer, read our books, and cooked a simple, but tasty meal, featuring plantains, rice, and lentils. Daryl made a dessert with bananas, roasted, sliced almonds, dark, melted chocolate, and ice-cream. OMG! It was heavenly.
We spent five glorious days in Manuel Antonio. We were a mile from the nearest beach and a half hour walk to the park. I have to say this park is completely overrated. The forest, after Monteverde, is pretty ordinary. But the beaches within the park are lovely. The Manuel Antonio Beach is especially nice because it is calmer and better for swimming. The water temperature is unbelievably warm. The beaches outside the park are quite unremarkable. Even though the place didn't meet with my expectations we still had a great time.
We spent our last two nights in Alajuela. On our last day we went on an organized tour to see another active volcano and the La Paz waterfalls. Volcan Poas has a lake at its crater. Again we were lucky to be able to see the crater. What an amazing sight with vapors curling up into sky and the sulphur deposits around the rim.
The La Paz Waterfalls were the most thunderous falls I have ever seen. There's a series of four waterfalls, each more powerful, than the previous. What a finale!!
And that was it!!
25 September 2010
Another New School Year
As we officially enter the autumn season I wanted to write a brief summary of my summer. The most remarkable thing about summer this year in California is that it pretty much never happened! We kept waiting for the warm, sunny days that we deem our right, but they never came. Everyday, the radio would come on at 6:00 AM and the weatherman would say the exact same thing: The coast will be socked in with fog and the temperatures will be mild. Unbelievable. We endured grey days with only a few hours of sunshine day after day after day. Let me tell you, it GOT OLD!
Once school started in late August, summer suddenly made an appearance. Not in a passionate, let-me-make-up-for-all-that-fog-way, mind you. But in a pleasant way nevertheless.
What was particularly disappointing about the lack of warm days, was that this year I planted a whole lot of vegetables in our raised beds. We managed to get a really decent lettuce crop, and a fair amount of summer squashes. But the tomatoes and basil were pretty sad. Oh well!
Daryl and I had been so busy during last academic year that we decided to have a low key summer. No traveling - just staying home and getting caught up with projects. Apart from a week in New York and a week in the Sierras, we stayed at home. I really enjoyed having time to do the kinds of things I enjoyed. My typical day started with a swim at my gym. Then at home I worked on a writing project, which is one of my hardest yet. Having the time to concentrate helped with some quality chapters that I felt pleased with. When I'm into my writing I read a huge number of books. That aspect is pretty satisfying too. It really was a shame to stop working on my project right when things were going so well. But, my baby is now viable and in need of some nurturing and feeding!
A trip to the Sierras was a great way to bookend my vacation. The mountains, fresh air, stunning scenery, and some vigorous hikes were quite stimulating.
Once school started in late August, summer suddenly made an appearance. Not in a passionate, let-me-make-up-for-all-that-fog-way, mind you. But in a pleasant way nevertheless.
What was particularly disappointing about the lack of warm days, was that this year I planted a whole lot of vegetables in our raised beds. We managed to get a really decent lettuce crop, and a fair amount of summer squashes. But the tomatoes and basil were pretty sad. Oh well!
Daryl and I had been so busy during last academic year that we decided to have a low key summer. No traveling - just staying home and getting caught up with projects. Apart from a week in New York and a week in the Sierras, we stayed at home. I really enjoyed having time to do the kinds of things I enjoyed. My typical day started with a swim at my gym. Then at home I worked on a writing project, which is one of my hardest yet. Having the time to concentrate helped with some quality chapters that I felt pleased with. When I'm into my writing I read a huge number of books. That aspect is pretty satisfying too. It really was a shame to stop working on my project right when things were going so well. But, my baby is now viable and in need of some nurturing and feeding!
A trip to the Sierras was a great way to bookend my vacation. The mountains, fresh air, stunning scenery, and some vigorous hikes were quite stimulating.
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