Biking, Baking, and Sight Seeing

Last year, 2019, was a busy travel year for me. There was a three-week trip to Central Europe with Tim in the summer, and a trip to Spain with my students in early autumn. My last blog post about our summer trip was a tour of Clam Castle. Let's pick up there for a bit of escapism this morning. 

Our floating hotel of 130 passengers next stopped at Spitz, Austria. It's a delightful way to travel. I open the curtains and voila, the view has changed. After visiting the breakfast buffet (I do love the cold cuts, cheeses, and breads) Tim and I both chose to go on a bicycle tour. 

After strapping on helmets and trying out our bicycles, we followed our guide along the river path, through villages, along cobblestones (bumpty bump), and to the medieval village of Durnstein, home to a Franciscan Abbey, part of which is seen above.

What a fun day we had. Another highlight! There were many of them. Our guide was fantastic, very knowledgeable about the history and culture of the area. She pointed out the village where she lived, across the river. We cycled through terraced vineyards where grapes have been grown for centuries. 

In Durnstein we took a longer stop to explore the village. It was filled with tourists (like us), but very charming. I think we deserve some tea and cake after all that exercise, don't you? My that piece of custard cake is large. I would have been happy to share it with one or two of you. But I did manage to eat most of it on my own. Good thing there was more cycling to do.

In the castle above the town (mostly ruins), Richard the Lion-heart was once held captive. That man really traveled around. I wrote about Les Andelys, a fortress he constructed, when we were in France. 

Since we had to climb up from the river to the village, we have to descend to return to our bicycles, here through narrow, arched streets and steps. The modern touch of a garbage can bolted to the wall keeps things much cleaner than in medieval times. 

Our floating hotel cruised while we cycled, and we caught up with her in time for a late lunch. I'm always ready to try new tastes - like a cold pineapple soup that was both sweet and tart. Very delicious. 
We spent the afternoon on the boat: destination Vienna where we arrived as dusk fell. Our dock was near the international finance district, where modern architecture dominates. 
For dinner that night, my journal tells me that I ordered a pumpkin strudel with a creamy sauce that was also delicious. 

In the morning I signed up for the Vienna Insider's Tour while Tim went on a city cycling tour. My excursion began with a walk to the metro station, a metro ride to Schwedensplatz, and then a walk through the centre of town to a small cooking school - Andante. Old buildings and new mingle here in relative harmony. Vienna is vibrant, with much to observe.

The cooking class began with a glass of Prosecco. In the morning. The others thought it quite humorous that I declined, saying I couldn't drink alcohol without food. I would have been one dizzy mess. 

We learned how to shape a variety of breads - Mohnflesserl, Handsemmel, Salzstanger, and pretzels. After they baked, we enjoyed them with delicious butter, and then I did have a glass of Prosecco. We were a group of 12 and enjoyed sitting around the table chatting and snacking. 

You might remember that my three eldest "flat grandchildren" traveled along with me. They were very happy to play with the dough and were great about not flinging flour too wildly. They especially enjoyed the freshly baked bread, and were happy when the bakery packed up the rest of the baking to take back to the ship for lunch. 

Apricots and cherries. Soon that season will come around again. I'm glad we traveled last summer, for this year is looking very different. 

I hope you've enjoyed this look back with me. There's more to see and do in Vienna, and I hope to compose a post about that soon. Meanwhile, there are digital assignment to grade, and students to email/call. Outside, the pink rhododendron is in full bloom and we're expecting rain a bit later. How are things in your world today?

Cruising Down Memory River

Just one year ago we were in Europe. I've been reading my travel journal, remembering, and enjoying the trip all over again. Today's post features photos taken during our Avalon river cruise up the Seine. I can't say enough good things about the cruise. It's a good thing we can enjoy it over and over again in memory. The sunflower bloomed in Monet's Garden. 

Close to where our ship docked in Vernon, this house, bordering on the river, had an "Â vendre" sign out front. The gate was open, and the front door, so my friend and I walked into the garden and up the stairs. We were not quite brave enough to walk in the door, but we did peer in a little. Were we brash? The idea of purchasing such a house and renovating it occupied an hour or two of pleasant conversation later. Our husbands were not so enthralled with the idea. 

Wrought iron fences are a weakness of mine, and this one, painted robin's egg blue, went to the top of the list. 

I think my favourite colour is blue. (Any family members reading this are rolling their eyes and saying, "duh.") Isn't this the prettiest window? Blue gingham curtains with a little ruffle, blue shutters, and a pot of white flowers. It just makes me sigh with satisfaction. 

Church steeples dominated the landscape of each village. There is such disdain for the Church in many places today, yet people forget that without it, much of our knowledge would have been lost, health care would not be where it is today, and society would be very different. I'm not excusing the injustices and atrocities committed, but I think that modern society has lost its compass. We have become so arrogant that we believe we hold all the answers ourselves. It doesn't seem to be working so well.

The old mill of Vernon straddles two piers of an ancient bridge. The waterwheel is long gone, but the mill has been preserved. It likely dates from the 16th century, and was painted by Claude Monet. An engraving of the mill is featured on the postal stamp of Vernon. 

The food on the Avalon Creativity was amazing! There was no standing in line at buffets, but instead very civilized dining with various beautifully presented courses, served by attentive waiters as the ship sailed along the river. Buffets were available for breakfast and lunch, but with only 80 people aboard, there was never a wait. 

There were always several choices on the menu, including vegetarian options. What really tickled my fancy was the option for a cheese course instead of dessert. The cheeses and accompaniments varied every night. Oh my, they were delicious!

One last photo of Monet's house as seen from the garden. 

Do you make vacations last long after your return home? What makes a vacation memorable for you? 

Paris Details

Walking through Paris is a feast for the eyes. My neck feels like it's on a swivel most of the time as my gaze wanders up and down, left and right. Not all balconies are as beautifully decorated as this one, which makes it extra picture-worthy.

An interesting swirl of vines in a rough heart shape adds charm to this window on Ile Saint Louis. 

Paris' skies have been mostly cloudy, and it's cool here. I'm glad for my jacket. And my hair is frizzing away. When the sun does shine and the sky turns blue, I take off my jacket and revel in the warmth on my back.

And I take photos. The cross above is part of Notre Dame Cathedral. 

An interior shot of Notre Dame. It's amazing to consider the construction of these buildings in an age without machinery and technology. Such mathematical precision, such awareness of force and gravity, such patience in building. 

Tim took this photo of me sitting on the ledge of a stone pillar in the apse of the cathedral. Given the comfort of this seat, I wonder who else has rested here over the centuries? The long procession of history here boggles the mind of this woman from the "new" world. 

Lunch, eaten outside while we watched the crowds flow by, consisted of today's special: for me, Endive Salad with Roquefort cheese, Salmon and Leek Quiche. Lovely. 

Doorways painted in shades of dark green, shiny black, forest green stand in harmonious juxtaposition to stone buildings. This paler blue one begged me to take its photo. I obliged. 

We wandered over to the Jardin de Luxembourg and watched small children push sailboats across the pond with rubber tipped sticks provided by the park. Older people, some of whom are fascinated by boats, marveled at the way the sails on these little wooden boats are trimmed so precisely to enable them to sail merrily across the pond in straight lines without tipping. The boats are all marked with various countries - this red and white one has CA on it - for Canada.

Gardens in France are not as lushly floral as those elsewhere in the world. This bed or petunias, begonias, cosmos and salvia caught my eye.

Today has been interesting. After our breakfast of tea and chocolate bread (for me), cafe au lait and apple pastry (Tim) and a shared yogurt, we and our friends planned to take the Metro to our cruise rendez-vous hotel and then go on a hop on hop off bus tour. 

We got onto the Metro, but after just a few moments, I heard an announcement about strikes. The train stopped and everyone got off. All the civic employees went on strike. Hmmm. How to get to the meeting place? Buses weren't working either. We were fortunate enough to hail a taxi who drove through gridlock traffic, planned alternate routes when streets were blocked off with police tape, and got us to the hotel. 

Staying nearby seemed most prudent, so we wandered through the Montparnasse Cemetery, bought delicious sandwiches at a Monoprix, and watched the pigeons while we ate.

As I type, I'm sitting in our cabin on the Avalon Creativity watching the water lap outside our window. Wifi is good now, but is likely going to be very spotty in the future. Hence a long post two days in a row.