travel – Page 13 – Messy Suitcase Travel Blog

October 25, 2018

London, Part 1: A Great International City

How do I begin to describe London? International, sophisticated. Incredibly diverse, both ethnically and culturally. Royal and earthy. Multi-faceted. Surprisingly, a foodie’s paradise.

We got lucky in London: Perfect weather – mostly sunny, in the 50s and 60s every single day. None of foggy London’s famous wetness whatsoever. Perfect location: A reasonably-priced two-bedroom flat just two blocks from Kensington Gardens, and two blocks from two subway stations on different lines.

We also got lucky by scoring Hamilton tickets.

So after a few days visiting our oldest child Aryk at Keele University in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, we drove 120 miles to London, a steering-wheel-gripping, teeth-clenching journey on the wrong side of the road through several traffic jams that took almost four hours and severely tested our marriage. After handing off the car to Europcar with relief, we happily relied on public transport for our five days in London.

First Up: The London Eye

We booked a combo ticket of the London Eye and a Thames River Cruise because adding the boat ride cost just 6 pounds ($9 US). It was glorious! In 65-degree sun, we sat on the deck of a smallish boat and took in the sights of London from the river, enjoying witty, drily British commentary from our guide, John. It gave us a great lay of the land as we beheld the Tower Bridge, the Parliament Building and Big Ben (covered in scaffolding), the original site of the London Bridge, Royal Albert Hall, the Jubilee Bridge, Cleopatra’s Needle, the replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, London’s orb-shaped glass City Hall, and a number of shiny new high-rises such as the Walkie Talkie Building with its Sky Garden, the Shard, and one with what looked like a generous backside that John nicknamed it “Kim Kardashian.”

When we got to the queue for the London Eye, Lexie looked up, shivered, and reminded me of a crucial fact that I had stupidly forgotten: she is afraid of the heights. So, 25 pounds ($33) squandered, the rest of us enjoyed the ride to the sky while Lexie waited in a park.

The London Eye is ridiculously, blatantly touristy and over-the-top, but nevertheless worth every penny for the incomparable views from its slowly rotating cylinders. The structure of the Eye makes it even more interesting. You can’t take a bad picture from it.

Hamilton and Zizzi’s, and then Zizzi’s again

That evening we went to see Hamilton, an event we have been dreaming about for several years. Lexie, Aryk and I have been Lin-Manuel Miranda fans since we discovered In The Heights, his first Tony-award-winning musical about an immigrant neighborhood in northern Manhattan, 2008. We bought and listened to the soundtrack 100 times, saw it at Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) and at several local theaters, and were really excited when Hamilton came out.

Similarly enthralled by its story and its ingenious blend of hip-hop and classic musical theater, we were dying to see it but failed to snag tickets in the lottery when it came to DCPA or during a trip to NY in March. Luckily, I happened upon an article that said Hamilton was coming to London. A Google search revealed that a new batch of tickets had been released sale the day before, and I got three in the 11th row for just 400 pounds ($130) each.

The show surpassed expectations, and we were ecstatic to experience it. Afterward, we had a late dinner at Zizzi’s, an Italian Restaurant near the theater, where we had incredibly memorable dessert – melt-in-your-mouth tiramisu and a divine chocolate caramel brownie.

(We returned to Zizzi’s several days later for an encore presentation of the same scrumptious desserts.)

Altogether a spectacular night!

Next .. London, Part 2: Harry Potter!

October 17, 2018

Spain, Part 1: Or is it Catalonia?

Next destination: Spain!

We spent several days in Barcelona on our way to Reus to visit the family of our exchange student, Laia.

Well … I know I said we were in Spain, but Laia’s family would tell you we were in Catalonia.
They are separatists, like many in this province in the northeast corner of the country who are seeking independence from Spain. Since I’m not a historian, I will refer you to a nice article from the BBC explaining this political crisis “in 300 words.” (We are of course on the CatalanTeam.)

Source: BBC News

We saw signs of this conflict everywhere.

There are two official languages in Catalonia: Catalan and Spanish. More fiercely loyal Catalan enterprises would have signs and menus only in Catalan, which seems to be a mish-mash of Spanish, French and Italian. Most people in the city speak some English, although this was more of a challenge further afield.

Spanish National Day celebrants near Placa de Catalunya

We were in Barcelona on Oct. 12 for National Day or Fiesta Nacional de Espana in Spain. It was a national holiday and people celebrated with huge rallies in the central square in Barcelona, Placa de Catalunya. But separatists rebuffed the event, working as usual and displaying their version of the Spanish flag, which has yellow stripes, from their balconies.

Anyway, back to sightseeing …

The weather

The weather, mid-60s to mid-70s in mid-October, was balmy compared to frigid Iceland, though we did need to keep jackets on hand for the occasional rain showers.

We will share a few tidbits about our days in Barcelona and Reus in the next couple of blogs.

Next … Part 2: Barcelona

October 10, 2018

Germany

Our five days in Germany were mostly about being with family, but we mixed some tourism in, visiting the city of Hamburg a couple of days.

Pinneberg

My brother Patrick, his German wife Ines, and their two children live in Pinneberg, a suburb of Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city. We stayed in an Airbnb house a couple miles from their home and it was truly amazing – large, clean, pretty, and only 61 euros a night. The local forest was only a block and a half away and we had a lovely run there. The nearby Hotel Cap Polonio served up some of the best French fries I have ever tasted – crispy on the outside, most inside, not oily, perfectly salted. They were accompanied by mayonnaise and ketchup, the German way.

Pinneberg has a beautiful Rosengarten, which was a nice destination for a short walk with small children. The roses were in bloom and a group of old men were playing bocce.

We ate a lot of bratwurst, currywurst and other kids of wurst. (It was the best!) Also a lot of potatoes, a huge staple in Germany. And lots of brochen (bread). The breakfast pastries were to die for.

Hamburg

Hamburg, located on the Elbe River, is Germany’s largest port and commercial center. It boasts a lot of energy, style, music and culture. Its many waterways and canals make it feel a little like Venice.

The Harbor area is huge. We took a harbor boat ride up the Elbe and saw marvels of German nautical engineering, including a humongous dry dock and several Navy ships under construction. We also saw Hamburg’s theater area, reachable by ferryboats decorated to match the shows. Currently playing: The Lion King and Mary Poppins, among others.

We walked through the Old Elbe Tunnel, under the Elbe River, which used to transport port and shipyard workers but is now an interesting stroll to get a fabulous view of Hamburg from across the Harbor (Hafen). Watching cyclists and rollerbladers navigating through the crowds of families and tourists out for a stroll is very entertaining. The elevators in this structure were massive.

We went up to the observation deck of the brand-new opera house, the ElbPhilharmonie, known by the nickname Elphy, for glorious river views.

We rode the elevator to the top of St. Michaelis Church for awesome 360-degree views of the city of Hamburg.

We visited the St. Nikolai Memorial (Nikolaikirche), which was bombed out during WWII and never rebuilt. The front façade remains but the interior is an open shell, left as a tribute to all affected by war. The website calls it “Hamburg’s central place of remembrance for the victims of war and tyranny of the years 1933-1945.”

German Food

For Bob, who lived in Germany for 4 ½ years in the 1980s, being back in Germany was like coming home. And a lot of it revolved about food and drink. He wanted to have a German pilsner and pommes (French fries) in every outdoor restaurant in the city of Hamburg! He wanted to eat all his favorite German pastries – apfelstruedel, pretzels, franzbrochen – as well as currywurst and spezi (Coke and German Fanta) from an imbiss (casual, quick restaurant).

That’s it for Germany. On to Barcelona!

October 5, 2018

The Retirement Itinerary: Europe First

LISA

People are asking, “Why are you in Europe? We thought you were moving to Mexico!”

Well, we are … but not yet. We are not going to Mexico till January 2019.

First, Le Tour de Europe

First, we are launching our adventures with five weeks in Europe — Iceland, Germany, Spain, England, Italy and Greece.

We are visiting family — our oldest child Aryk at Keele U. in Newcastle Under Lyme, England, and then London because why not? (Also got tickets to Hamilton and the Harry Potter Studio Tour.)

We’re visiting Lisa’s brother Pat and his wife Ines and their family in Pinneberg, Germany, outside Hamburg.

First we gotta visit Aryk at uni!

We are spending a few days with the family of our awesome foreign exchange student, Laia, around Barcelona and Reus.

We are joining Troisi (Lisa’s mother’s side) cousins in Italy as part of a family genealogy trip. So we’ll be in Rome, Naples and Solofra.

Then we’re wrapping it all up with a few days in Athens before flying home Nov. 7.

Then, New England

Then, we gotta hang out in Vermont!

We’ll be spending about a month at our vacation home in Ludlow, VT – hopefully taking a couple grandmas and Bob’s sister, Beth.

Next, Holidays with Family
We’ll spend the winter holidays in PA with Bob’s Mom and Lisa’s stepmom, sister Julie and any family we can see.

Finally, Mexico
After Aryk goes back to Uni after Winter Break, the first week of January, we’ll begin the next road trip, taking the cats and Lexie on the road from Pennsylvania to Tlaquepaque, Mexico. The trip is about 37 hours, so we will stop in Nashville and spend a couple of nights in New Orleans on the way.

Stay with us — it’s going to be a blast!

October 4, 2018

Iceland, last day: Reykjavik!

Despite cold weather and biting winds (Iceland is a COOOOLD place), we explored the waterfront of the capital city, Reykjavik.

We also visited the Harpa Concert Hall and saw an amazing 3D film called Iceland in a Box …

and the Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Church.

We also walked through the old city.

Finally we attended attend a film called Phoenix at the Reykjavik Film Festival.

October 3, 2018

Iceland, again: Hot Springs, a Geyser and Spectacular Waterfalls

Part 2: GOLDEN CIRCLE

Day 3 – Wed., Oct. 3 Golden Circle

This is what we did today:

Bathed in the Secret Lagoon, the oldest hot spring in Iceland – est. 1891.

Visited the incredible Gullfoss Waterfall.

Watched the Stokkur Geyser blow.

Drove through Thingvellir National Park, at the point where the North Atlantic and European tectonic plates collide, creating this land of fire and water that is Iceland.

Celebrated my 59th birthday with fish and chips, Icelandic beer and chocolate cake.

October 2, 2018

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, Part 7: Aunt Julie’s House

and the Monster

ELLIE SMOIT

Our humans put us back in the cages again today, and back in the big gray box on wheels. We weren’t happy. Kaylee was just getting comfortable at Grandma’s house, and Noxy had started hanging out with Grandma on the couch!

I explored while they put all the food and all the cat toys and all the litter and litter boxes in a couple of boxes and a bag. And before I knew it, we had been shoved into our cages and were back in the car.

Mine seemed a little softer now – I feel like there might be something new and soft in here – but I complained a lot anyway. The road was very windy, and Noxy threw up bigtime. (Now we’ve had the trifecta in the car: Poop, pee and throw-up. And Mommy’s purple quilt and the seat cover have protected the car seat every time.)

We weren’t in the car very long this time, thank goodness. Suddenly we were out, and in a very loud, crowded kitchen full of people.

Mow Mow. OK, she was cute. But she pulled my tail! Kaylee found a good hiding corner upstairs, so I stole it from her.

All us cats and the stuff that came with us to Aunt Julie and Uncle Mark’s

At Aunt Julie’s there was a baby! The little terrorist was chasing me around and flailing her arms and saying

When they took the baby off for a nap at her house across the street, I came out to explore. I like it! I inspected Uncle Mark’s office and deemed it acceptable. I like the couch, too. There’s also a tall box that say’s “Audrey’s House” with a doorway in it. I might take it over and hide in there

Aunt Julie and Uncle Mark are nice and quiet. I think I’ll try to sleep with her; she looks like she might be allergic to cats. My favorite kind of human. He grew up with cats, so I think I’ll ignore him.

We were greeted by a cute little terrorist.
Her name was Audrey.

Noxy refused to come out of his cage, and when Grammy (Lisa) lured him out with wet food, he scarfed it up and the bolted into the deepest corner of the closet under the stairs, where I think he might stay for the next two days.

Kaylee came out after the baby left, too, but then she went back upstairs.

Then Mommy and Daddy and Grandma left! Cousin Catherine promised she would send Lexie a picture every day. I hope she shows me pictures of Mommy, too. I have the feeling it will be a long time before I see her again.

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.

Noxy was even starting to like Grandma before we suddenly left.
But Daddy Bob says we’ll see her again in November

I found a basket I really liked.

Even Kaylee found a favorite step,
after she spent two days hiding under the sofabed

Kaylee liked exploring Aunt Julie’s house at first … until the terrorist

This is her. Audrey. She’s safe in this picture because
she’s in her own house across the street.

Noxy went into hiding

I hugged my mommy

Kaylee went to the top of the stairs

October 1, 2018

The European Trip

BOB

(Sept. 30)

After spending a few days with my mother in Mechanicsburg, PA, and then visiting family in Northern Virginia, we’re set to fly out to Iceland tonight.

(One interesting thing about our visit in Mechanicsburg is that we woke up one morning and there were two other cars with Colorado license plates parked next to ours. Quite the coincidence.)

Anyway, we’re about set to fly out and we still do not have several intra-European flights reserved yet or lodging in Rome. At this point, we’ll probably do that once we get to Hamburg next week.

What Will We Do in Iceland?
We also don’t have a list of things we want to see and do in Iceland, where we land tomorrow morning, We’ve just been so busy getting out of our house, driving across the country and settling the cats that we haven’t had time to even focus on that. Like most Iceland tourists, we wanted to go to the Blue Lagoon, but there weren’t any tickets available when I attempted to make reservations several days ago. Therefore, we’re going to visit a smaller and cheaper, geothermal pool, the Secret Lagoon, as a substitute.

We did decide to focus on South Iceland because it’s the most accessible part of the country when you only have a couple days to explore. It’s also supposed to have better weather this time of year than the north. It also features the famous Golden Circle, a popular tourist driving destination.

South Iceland

We’re hoping to see these guys in Vik

This morning I’ve identified several things we want to see in south Iceland and along the Ring Road, so I think we’re good for the first few days. They include a drive along a southern road to the fishing village of Vik, which has a famous black sand beach with some amazing rock formations out in the water, as well as puffins and other seabirds. Also several waterfalls with unpronounceable names that begin with the letter “s”.

Reykjavik
After that, we’re going to spend a few days in Reykjavik. The Reykjavik International Film Festival is going on while we’re there, so we will definitely see several films with Lexie, who plans to study Film at Champlain College next year. That should be interesting. I’m going to attempt to get Lexie to make some selections and get tickets before our flight.

It finally feels like our adventure is beginning. I’m looking forward to it!

September 26, 2018

Driving Cross Country (Day 3)

Driving cross country from Lakewood, CO, to Mechanicsburg, PA

DAY 3 – Monday, Sept. 24

Effingham, IL to Mechanicsburg, PA

One word described the day: Hard rain.

We were lashed by Hurricane Florence and it wasn’t pretty. And the winding highways, with no breakdown lanes and often concrete barriers on both sides (or construction) seemed to be covered with trucks. Huge trucks. But we only had to travel 10 hours and had no kitty accidents. Fortunately, despite the challenging weather, we ran into minimal delays and made it to Grandma’s in Mechanicsburg, PA (outside Harrisburg) by 10:45 PM.

Welcome to Ohio

Columbus

Welcome to West Virginia

Wheeling, W. Va.

Lunch at Panera

Welcome to Pennsylvania

Dark and rainy

More dark and rainy

Almost there! Treating ourselves at Ruby Tuesdays with Lexie’s favorite maple glazed salmon. She is such an awesome traveler!

1,660 miles. We are here!

Homeless now

We are now officially homeless, and calling Grandma’s house home for the next three months as we make our forays to Europe and then Vermont. The cats will be calling Rebersburg home for the first five weeks as they are cared for by Lisa’s sister Julie and niece Catherine, while bro-in-law Mark enjoys the furry companionship.

September 26, 2018

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, Part 6: Driving Cross-Country, Episode 2

Driving Cross-Country (Episode 2)

ELLIE SMOIT

(Later that day)

Maybe I spoke too soon. And maybe I shouldn’t have mocked Noxy about having an accident in his cage.

Because hours and hours and hours later, I just couldn’t hold it anymore. And with a long, pitiful, humiliated groan, I let loose.

O-o-o-o-h.

There’s nothing worse than sitting in your own pee. For more than an HOUR.

Because the first gas station bathroom we visited to clean me up had a broken bathroom door. And the second one wouldn’t let cats in. And the first pet-friendly hotel was too disgusting to check in to. And the second was an hour and a half away.

She dried me off ni the litter box

And once we got there, I had to endure the worst experience in life: a BATH. As soon as I could, I leaped from the bathtub, soaking wet, right into the litter box, where I proceeded to cover myself with cat litter that stuck to my wet fur. Then I shook it all off, spraying Mommy and Grammy with a sweet combination of water, wet litter and pee. I showed them!

Then Mommy took a shower.

And Grammy and PopPop (Lisa and Bob) had to go wash every blanket in the car (which were under the cage) AND the seat cover. Because my pee dripped down onto my brother’s cage underneath me – PopPop had us stacked double-decker and strapped into the car. But PopPop said that seat cover was amazing. It did a great job of protecting the actual seat of our new truck.

So I was half wet and miserable, but my mommy was there, and I cuddled her. And I head-butted her a lot. And I slept next to her.

And I made sure I used the litter box before I got into the car the next morning.

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.

I can clean MYSELF, thank you very much