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« June 2007 |
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| August 2007 »
It was time to begin. Suitcases downstairs at Hotel Bristol for the transport company to haul off to St. Privat by 8:00 a.m. And you just had better have those suitcases down by the time you are told. Eating breakfast, we saw the transport van arrive at 8:00 a.m. sharp, throw the bags into the van, and depart in minutes. Rain pants, rain jacket, warm polypropelene fluff, light gloves stowed in a HEAVY-DUTY PLASTIC GARBAGE BAG inside the backpack. If it rains, you'll be very happy that everything is nice and dry. If you sweat profusely, you'll be very happy that everything is nice and dry. ex-Marine also keeps his wallet inside another zip-lock small plastic Baggie. One experience, sweating out everything in his wallet, was enough. Euros drying all over the room.
Scallop shells on our backpacks, suitcases picked up, map with instructions in a clear plastic hung around my neck, including the all-important name of the hotel in St. Privat D'Allier, we left the Hotel Bristol for Place du Plot, the official starting point. Many pilgrims visit the Notre-Dame Cathedral for 7:00 a.m. mass before starting this long journey to receive a special blessing. I considered ourselves "blessed" from yesterday's visit and left town for today's 22 km/13.6 mile walk.
Pilgrim information at Notre-Dame Cathedral
Continue reading "Day 1: The Pilgrimage Road From Le Puy en Velay to St. Privat D'Allier" »
Because this particular area of France is not easy to get around by public transportation, we arrived in Le Puy a day before the start of Way of St. James to explore. The early Pilgrims began in Le Puy en Velay, the traditional starting point, on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. There are four major routes to Santiago de Compostella but the the first recorded pilgrimage started in Le Puy.
Bishop Gottschalk of Le Puy was the one who made the first recorded pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in 951 AD where the remains of St. James (beheaded in the Holy Land) rest. When he returned, he built a chapel on one of the amazing volcanic peaks in town. To this day, people setting off on this 1,500-1,600 km (approximately 932+ miles) pilgrimage, visit the cathedral Notre-Dame to be blessed before they set out. The pilgrims gave the Le Puy an income (still are) and is also famous for its green lentils.
Way of St. James route map
Continue reading "A Day Exploring Le Puy en Velay" »
After an awful night of not sleeping because of the road noise outside the room, we packed up ready to move on to Le Puy en Velay late in the afternoon. TIP: If you ever stay at La Hostellerie de Europe with its very helpful staff, ask for a room facing the back, not the street. It seemed that the main automobile route through town passed right in front of the hotel. A tremendous amount of trucks and other traffic throughout the entire night. Extremely noisy.
In the Tourist Office yesterday, we bought a walking map detailing different Figeac historical points of interest, each point marked by a key symbol. One site, the Maison Medievale was a perfect example of stonework with ornate stone windows and gothic-style carvings. It wasn't until the 14th century that people with money stopped building houses in a mixture of timber frame and stone and upgraded to sandstone instead.
Maison Medievale with ornate stone windows
Continue reading "Traveling From Figeac to Le Puy en Velay" »
The Figeac Tourism Internet site is unfortunately all in French. Could pick out a few words here and there but got the gist of what they were saying. Then I discovered "France for Visitors which gave a lot more information. Rocamadour was only 20 miles away and that is what I wanted to see and the main reason for visiting Figeac. (Rocamadour is another site in French only.) Rocamadour is the second most-visited site in France after Mont St. Michael and still a holy place for many pilgrims on the Way of St. James. Some pilgrims even climb up the stone staircase's 216 steps leading to the sanctuaries...ON THEIR KNEES! A very famous medieval village.
On the train from Albi to Figeac, it was upwards of 90 degrees, the supposedly air-conditioned train's air conditioning wasn't working and the windows didn't open. The conductor came through the car and made an announcement in French (didn't understand a word). ex-Marine and I stick out like sore thumbs in these regions and a woman instantly asked if she could translate for us (without even asking). The problems were just in this car and everyone was welcome to move elsewhere on the train. Didn't have to ask us twice...
Figeac map
Continue reading "Figeac, A Village of Art and History" »
Albi's Sainte-Cecile Cathedral was built from the 13th to 15th century in the old town. It is a fortress cathedral, part of the city walls, and gigantic. Sainte-Cecile was built as a testimony to the Christian faith after the crusade against the Cathars and Albi cathedral has important relics from this Roman Saint dating back to the 5th century. The Cathars, messengers of a new faith in the 12th century, and considered heretics, were massacred and burnt at the stake during this time in the whole Southwest of France.
To call this fortress cathedral, part of the city walls, imposing would be a vast understatement. The exterior was stark Gothic architecture done in that rosy colored brick. There was the porch Dominique-de-Florence from 1392...View image...bell-tower (1492), baldachin and rood screen inside (circa 1515-1540). Now, you don't think I actually knew what any or these terms were, do you? I had to do a little investigation and this is the result:
view of Albi and Berbie Palace seen from the left bank
Continue reading "Albi's Sainte-Cecile Cathedral and More Sightseeing" »
Albi is considered one of the most beautiful cities in France and it is. Not just beautiful but...completely and unbelievably beautiful. It was easy to get to Albi by train from Toulouse, one hour on the fast train...an additional 15 minutes on the slow train that makes every stop. The awesome fortress-like Cathedrale Sainte-Cecile, a masterpiece of Southern Gothic style, could even be seen from the train pulling into the Albi station. It looms over little Albi and can be seen from anywhere.
I had found and booked our Albi hotel through Albi Tourist Office, the Hotel St. Clair. Sometimes, the hotel choice you make turns out to be perfect and this choice was perfect. Hotel St. Clair was one block from the Cathedral, and Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, a sunny, charming room with a little balcony outside it, and extremely friendly people. Our Albi stay was only for two nights but we were thrilled each time we returned to our perfect little room.
view of Albi Cathedral from a bridge
Continue reading "In Gorgeous Albi" »
The most famous church in Toulouse is the Basilique St. Sernin, a Romanesque pilgrimage church, with a large collection of "holy relics." A "holy relic" cam be anything from a finger, piece of skin, tooth, any remains of a Saint. This Basilica was built above the sepulcher of Saturnin, the first bishop and martyr of Toulouse. He was martyred in the year 250 by being tied to the legs of a bull he had refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, which dragged him down a flight of stone steps. (There always seemed to always be creative ways to martyr a person.) The Rue de Taur and Church of Notre Dame du Taur commemorate the bloody route.
I didn't realize until we toured this Basilica that the Way of Saint James led from four different areas. One began in Paris, another in Vezelay, the third in Le Puy en Velay (where we were going to begin), and the southernmost route led from Arles (in Provence) through Toulouse. All of these various routes are dotted with sites sanctified by relics of supernatural events, and the Pilgrimage Paths have been inscribed by UNESCO as of important historical significance.
Basilica St. Serin
Continue reading "More Toulouse Sightseeing" »
A very long day. Eight hours on the airplane, followed by a four-hour wait until the TGV left for Toulouse, and then a six-hour train ride. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport has redone part of Terminal 1 and now you can take a train between terminals as well as the Navettes (buses) always used in the past. Terminal 2 is where the TGV's and RER (to get into Paris) leave from. European airports are making it easier and easier to get around. (Watch for Sheila's Easy Guide: European Trains)
The best part of the TGV six-hour train ride? Toulouse was the final destination. No worries about falling asleep and missing a connection to another train, and...sleep we did...nodded off immediately and slept on and off for the entire trip...waking only to eat the sandwiches bought in the TGV Airport Terminal...Looking out the windows when the train zoomed past a particularly interesting town perched up in the hills, and through the Bordeaux area with vineyards in all directions...
town in the Bordeaux area
Continue reading "Paris to Toulouse By Train" »
Since Sherpa had turned my tentative plans upside down, this created a whole new set of problems. The area I wanted to tour after the walk would have been easier to reach by public transportation but, having no other options, I started yahoo-ing and google-ing away. How to rearrange?
Air? That was the easy part. Fly non-stop from Chicago to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Bought two tickets at a reasonable price on United's "Spring Over the Pond" sale.
Train? Visited the SNCF, French National Railways website. From there to Rail Europe site and ordered a France railpass that included three (3) days of unlimited rail travel anywhere in France. Also took the option to purchase one extra day at $24 a person. This gave us four (4) days of unlimited rail travel. One day would be used training from Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to our first destination; one day to return from our last destination back to Charles de Gaulle Airport, and two days for miscellaneous travel within cities.
France regional map
Continue reading "Planning The Way of St. James" »
One of the most enjoyable ways to see a country is on foot. Walking through small villages, attempting some fractured French (or other language), looking in the little shops and stopping whenever you want to explore really adds to the experience. I have been eyeing "The Way of St. James" (also referred to as the Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle) pilgrimage long-distance walk for years. The main walk begins in Le Puy en Velay, France and ends in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The typical first half of this pilgrimage from Le Puy to the French Pyrenees is 740 kms or 460 miles. The second section from the foothills of the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela (Finisterre) is an additional 778 kms or 483 miles. A long way to go.
James was one of Christ's disciples and after his beheading by Herod in the Holy Land, followers took his body back to Spain and supposedly buried him not far from what is now Santiago de Compostela. In the 9th century, a hermit had a vision showing where St. James was buried and King Alfonso II declared St. James the Patron Saint of Spain. They built a small church and monastery over the tomb, now the present day Cathedral of Santiago, with St. James remains still there, attracting pilgrims.
France map with main cities
Continue reading "Walking "The Way of St. James" in France" »
Another long driving day back to Barnaul, overnight at the hotel in preparation for a flight back to Moscow, and for Mike, Nan, ex-Marine and myself, a change of airports to catch Lufthansa back to Frankfurt. In the Lufthansa Lounge at Sheremetyevo, the four of us went into a major food orgy, snarfing down as many bags of peanuts and potato chips humanly possible in a matter of minutes. AND, airline food never tasted better in our lives. Shows what two weeks of starvation will do...talk about desperation....
The Altai Mountain Trek would have been a wonderful trip with the proper Siberian organizer instead of the ill-fated one it became. I've always hesitated to book with bare-bones operators thinking they couldn't possibly do a good job in remote areas and instead used Mountain Travel Sobek who always puts quality trips together. Unfortunately for all concerned, their Siberia tour operator not only let them down but created a potentially life-threatening situation for everyone, including Rob.
little cook and Ann
Continue reading "The Siberian Altai Trip Was Over" »
One last uphill, one last adventure...or...debacle. At the top of a hill, Leonid decided to deviate off the trail down to the river and camping spot for tonight by bushwacking. Off he went, flying through brambles, stinging nettles and stabbing bushes with the "jets" close on his heels. ex-Marine and I were hauling *#*, huffing and puffing just trying to keep up and Leonid in sight. I did not want to get lost again and this was not hiking...it was broken-field running. Mercifully, Leonid came to a rest stop and asked where Rob was. How the hell would I know? Rob was shepherd as usual...and always the last one down. Marlynne and Michael gasped up to us and Leonid asked the same question..."Where is Rob." Marlynne said Rob was behind her and little cook behind Rob. Rob told Marlynne to go on ahead as he wanted to wait for little cook. Now, little cook approached the group but still no Rob. We threw ourselves on the ground and waited for one hour, calling and whistling while Leonid ran back up the mountain, in circles and finally came back down to where the group was sitting...without Rob.
Continue reading "Even More Excitement In The Altai Mountains - Siberia" »
By now, you probably agree with us that Leonid was a terrible guide. He consistently gave unclear directions as to time, distance, and whether there would be water along the way to fill water bottles. Quite a few days, we hiked all day without water in open conditions and under a broiling sun, and it wasn't unusual for everyone to become dehydrated. In addition, Leonid's estimation of time was always off because he was so fast, and he catered to the people who were able to keep up with him. They were always out of sight and, again, Rob didn't know the trails. It developed into an accordion effect. Spread out over large distances, until the slower ones caught up, and then the "jets" would take off like a bat out of hell. But Day 10 took the cake.
Leonid and Rob offered two hikes that day. Leonid led six of us on the "slow" trek (Brian, Liz, Marlynne, Michael and us) and Rob took the "jets" to visit a scenic lake before meeting our group at tonight's camp. Below a trail leading up the mountain, Leonid told Slava (horse leader) to wait for us at the top of the mountain and lead us to camp while he went to assist Rob.
Slava
Continue reading "More Adventures in The Altai Mountains - Siberia" »
Up and over another pass with incredible views of Mount Belukha ( the highest mountain in Siberia, at 14,800'). The massif had four peaks with snow glistening, and over 700 square miles of glaciers. Mount Belukha is a favorite for serious climbers and a Korean mountaineering group was there at the same time. (Most ascents are of the eastern peak.) There was also a mountaineering base and Rescue Service station on the shore of Akkem Lake along with a meteo station.
Hiking alongside and through a boulder-filled river to another permanent tented camp. By now, everyone was keeping detailed notes about this exploratory trek. Mountain Travel Sobek was going to hear from us if we survived what was beginning to resemble a Green Beret exercise.
walking through boulders in river
Continue reading "On To Mount Belukha In The Ak-kem Valley - Siberia" »
An extremely long uphill on a good path, and ex-Marine started getting nauseous from exertion (he tends to hike too fast), and altitude. With the "jets" already at the top of the pass, he stopped to lie down along the trail after heaving up breakfast. A 15-minute rest, and Rob along with the two of us proceeded slowly up...and up...and up until the top was in sight with gorgeous views.
A brief bit of information on hiking at altitude. Unless you, like Ann, live at altitude, there is no such thing as hiking too slowly. Jacques, a wonderful mountain guide with Rob and us in Kyrgyzstan, taught us that. You are supposed to take a step...rest on the back leg...take another step...rest on that leg...all the way to the top, getting there rested and in good shape. The next time you watch a documentary about K2 or Everest and wonder why the climbers are hiking at a snail's pace, you'll understand.
horses plodding towards the pass
Continue reading "Up and Over Karatiurek/Karatyurek Pass - Siberia" »
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. The horsemen had returned with all the tents BUT still no silverware, or enough dishes to go around. The entire trek was spent drinking tea out of soup bowls, sharing the few cups and plates, waiting for someone to finish so you could have their cup or saucer. Laugh...that was about all anyone could do.
We also spent the entire trek standing up during all meals since there were no camp chairs to sit on which left only wet ground and mud with an occasional rock or log. That was the very last thing anyone wanted to do after hiking a long, if not downright exhausting, day trying not to be left behind.
Sheila, still smiling
Continue reading "Along The Kucherla River and Karatiurek/Karatyurek Pass in Siberia" »
The flight to Barnaul was on some sort of bi-level Russian plane (absolutely no choice in airlines) with every seat taken. A Barnaul arrival at 6:30 am, and Len-Alp, the Russian tour organizer, had two mini-buses waiting for us with no food or water in it, and no time for breakfast since we had a 9-11 hour drive ahead of us. At first Len-Alp was going to pack 10 people in one vehicle the size of a Land Rover along with two other persons that they insisted had paid for transfers to the base camp even though they were not with our group! It turned out to be close to a 16-hour drive, and we finally found bottled water (carbonated - "with gas" only) along the way.
Rob, and the others had trained from Mongolia to Novosibirsk and from there to a small town on the way to Vysonik. Introductions all around, Rob organized some food and it was off again, arriving at Vysonik more dead than alive. It's always a little bit ludicrous how many high-powered people sign up for off-the-wall trips like this. We had two executives from Goldman-Sachs (both women, one based in New York and the other, London), and an American Express Executive just to name a few.
Continue reading "Barnaul and Vysonik Base Camp, Tyungur Village - Siberia" »
Arrived in Moscow, made our way through immigration without any problem and thank heavens our bags were there. Svetlana met us outside customs and transferred us to the Hotel Rossia, one of the biggest all-time dumps we'd ever been in. The Rossia was one of the biggest hotels in the world, with over 2,700 rooms, constructed between 1964-1975. The only thing going for it was location...location...location, a three-block walk to the Kremlin, and Red Square. The hotel itself was built as a square with an inner courtyard, the lobby filled with prostitutes and our room was "bare bones" or "barely adquate"...take your pick. This room faced the courtyard where due to lack of air conditioning, we got to listen to the reverberation of disco music all night. It was either that or suffocate. And, if you asked the floor matron, or hall monitors, on duty (typically Russian to have a floor matron who watched your comings and goings, handed out keys and dispensed no information) for anything, the answer was..."Nyet...not possible."
I was glad to hear that the Rossia Hotel finally closed its doors January 1, 2006 and was demolished for an entertainment complex. That was a blessing and no great loss to the world.
map showing Rossia Hotel location
Continue reading "A Fast Two Days in Moscow" »
Air ? The easiest method for us was flying from Chicago-Frankfurt on United, and then Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. The following airlines fly to Moscow: Alitalia, Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airlines, Delta, LOT, Lufthansa, and Swiss International. Almost every airline connects through somewhere and usually arrives at Sheremetyevo1. There are also two other major airports in Moscow - Domodedovo, and Vnukovo.
Visas? Had to get a single-entry Russian visa. Either obtain one from your local Russian Embassy or check out Russian Visa Online. I personally think it's just easier to do it on-line if possible.
Hotels? Only one hotel was necessary. Out by the Frankfurt Airport for the night before we flew home to Chicago. I always go on-line and pick the least expensive hotel by the airport with shuttle service to and fro. This time it was the Steigenberger Esprix Hotel Frankfurt that had the best price.
Continue reading "Siberia and Altai Mountain Planning" »
Years ago, Mountain Travel Sobek organized a trek to Kyrgyzstan that also included a few days touring in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (where the trip started), and Samarkand before flying into Kyrgyzstan. The tour leader was Rob, dynamic, intelligent, personable and fluent in Russian. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I took that trip with Rob and had great experiences. I also arranged for private extension to Bukhara and Turkmenistan (one day I'll write about this incredible trip). The Kyrgyzstan trek coincided with a hairy situation involving the kidnapping of some Japanese tourists and Rob was so extremely qualified, we knew that if there was a way to keep a group safe, Rob would be the man to do it.
So...when Rob e-mailed that he and Mountain Travel Sobek were putting together an exploratory trip, trekking in the Altai mountains of Siberia, with only invited participants (people he knew were good trekkers, congenial and able to go with the flow), I thought...why not! It took ex-Marine a little bit longer (all right...a lot longer and many arguments later) to agree. And then he only agreed because this destination was so remote, there'd be no possibility of political upheaval or terrorism. Who goes to Siberia?
Granted...Siberia sounded a little extreme even for us with its history of "Gulags" and "Political Prisoners." There must have been some reason the former U.S.S.R sent them to Siberia... What was I thinking!
Continue reading "Visit Siberia? What Was I Thinking!" »
The less said about the gala New Year's eve celebration in Tad Lao, the better. The Hotel was jammed with Thai tourists and locals...huge speakers set up around the entire outside area ready to let loose with mega-amps guaranteed to deafen, and the worst, worst food of the entire trip. Fortunately, New Year's Eve dinner supplement only cost about $6.50 a person, a bargain when you consider the many times over our lifetime that we've paid a lot more to eat awful food. (Almost everywhere in the World, you will be charged a supplement for a New Year's eve or Christmas dinner...guaranteed!)
Hint: ALWAYS bring ear plugs. Even with plugs in, you could still hear the music along with the "entertainer," a screechy, Lao singer, that went on until 2:00am.
Last day: Most of the group went for a walk to the village up the road from the Hotel to distribute the knives/machetes. I couldn't take one more village and stayed behind in the garden at the waterfall, people-watching.
More Tad Lo Falls
Continue reading ""Spirit of Laos" Exploration Was Over" »
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