In which I went to the Forbidden City

My trip to China came up at the last moment (as in, emergency taxi rides to the Consulate to get my visa) and the trip itself was quite rushed.

But. But. I could NOT LEAVE CHINA without seeing at least one freaking tourist attraction. So, when our schedule didn't have us leaving Beijing until noon, we (I traveled with a colleague from an adjacent office for this conference and set of visits) knew that we had to drag out jet-lagged selves out of bed and make it to the Forbidden City. Beijing traffic is such a bear that we went straight for the subway where...man, this nine week pregnant girl could barely handle the crowds. Luckily, it didn't matter that I didn't have a pole to hold on to since we were packed like sardines. But we made it.

While we had gorgeous weather in Beijing, the pollution is typically so dense that you may not even see the top of this building. In fact, on our return flight through Beijing, the BeijingAir twitter feed ranked the pollution as 'very unhealthy'. No kidding, you could even see it hover against the ceiling inside the airport.

But back to the Forbidden City. I learned virtually nothing there. We did a quick path through the palace area, dodging Chinese tourist and vendors, taking a few photos.

We admired the traditional Chinese palatial architecture and the home of nearly 500 years of royal dynasties. Always a sucker for painted ceilings, I spent a lot of time staring up at the trip and ceilings above me. We got a little distracted (wouldn't you?) and lost track of time, requiring us to book it out of there. Heading out through the famous Tianamen Square, we ducked back into the metro to grab our luggage and head to Shanghai.

Sadly, no photos from Shanghai. We stayed there one night, left at 5am the next day and spent the whole time working. However, from the short walk between our hotel and office, I made the quick assessment that resulted in a phone call home along the lines of "honey, we should totally bid on Shanghai!"

Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha

When we made it back to Bangkok, our vacation was drawing to a close. While we had several more days in the city, quite a bit of that time was tied up with some medical issues that I needed to resolve. Those looking for a great hospital is BKK could do no better than BNH. Wow - they were fantastic and so professional!

We did squeeze in more time for delicious Thai food, long walks, and even some formalized sight-seeing. We made it over to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) on a cloudy day and thanks to our modest dress, were able to bypass the long lines of tourists who had to rent sarongs (to cover their legs) and go right in.
The complex of buildings was filled with dazzling colors and beautiful images both of sculpture and gilded onto the walls. While the present King of Thailand no longer resides there, it was the official residence starting in the 1700s.

The Wat, or temple, inside the complex houses the Emerald Buddha. The Thai King is the only person allowed to touch the small jade statue of the virasana Buddha. No pictures of Buddha but we did go inside, careful to observe the Buddhist tradition of not facing your feet to the figure (you sit on them or tuck them behind you).

Near the temple and in other parts of the compound we saw large bowls with white (lotus?) flowers beside them. Buddhist families appeared to be using them for prayer offerings and/or blessings.

Shinwar, Nangarhar Province

Went to Shinwar, a district in Nangarhar province, a few weeks ago and visited the remains of an old British fort. Our host wasn't totally sure but we all guesstimated that it was from the 18th century. Either way, it was pretty neat to walk around in the remains of what was mainly a mud-brick fort.

The Corn Palace - Mitchell, SD

I know, you're dying to hear about our visit to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Sadly, you won't get much from me. It was an impromptu stop made after the Palace had closed for the day. Thank goodness for our AAA guidebook though, otherwise we wouldn't have even known it was around.

The Corn Palace helped us reach three kitschy Americana landmarks (Roswell and Carhenge being the first two) during our road trip. Much to my husband's disappointment (he truly felt cheated), the entire building is not made of corn. The exterior is decorated yearly using all parts of corn and must be a better use of the plant then high fructose corn syrup.

As far as I can tell, the theme of this year's mural was to showcase the palace "throughout the ages". How a sailboat and pictures of man on a segway "show" the theme, I have no idea. It was pretty awesome though and I'm sure GOB Bluth would've been proud.

Nafplio

Nafplio, aka Nafplion, is a lovely little seaside town a couple hours away from Athens. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon following our road trip and overnight right in the middle of the city. After getting to town, we strolled along the waterfront to find a bite to eat. A platter of souvlaki hit the spot and was enough to tide us over until our 10pm dinner. (!)

After our late lunch, we explored the winding streets that led away from the water. M and I bought some Greek honey to take home for ourselves and a couple other goodies for our dog-sitting friends back in Milan (thanks again, guys!). Worry beads are a major fixture in town. If I hadn't seen my fix in the shop windows (or at the town museum), I'm sure I would've felt sated by all the local older men, fiddling with the traditional beads. The Syntagma Square, or Constitution Square, was occupied by couples drinking coffee and aperitifs as well as children playing soccer. When we'd walked up an appetite for dinner (and after enjoying a cocktail or two) we dove into some of the fresh seafood and salad available in town. Yum.

The next morning, we hopped into one of the small boats near our hotel and headed out to the Bourtzi fortress/prison built onto a rock in the middle of the port. While the Venetian-built fortress was neat, the amazing blue of the water and feeling of the sun on my face seemed even more magical.
Like so many other towns in Greece, Nafplio has been around since ancient times and has been occupied by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans - making it VERY popular. The Venetians built the castle that sits high on a hill overlooking the city. The castle of Palamidi was built during the 17th century. We headed up before leaving town on Sunday and weren't sorry to spend the time. The view was gorgeous and the castle was even bigger in person. We were sad to leave the slow but beautiful town. Instead of a good-bye, we're choosing to see this trip to Greece as just the preliminary scouting trip before our next vacation (islands next time?).

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

With a 700 year old castle as the backdrop, the Edinburgh Tattoo takes place each year in the Scottish capital. This year, we were lucky enough to score some tickets from a friend and enjoy the Saturday evening performance. It's called the 'Tattoo' because the word derives from from 'tap toe', a signal that the drum corps would play to close the ale taps and send the soldiers home...i.e. last call for alcohol.


The Tattoo is the second largest festival in Edinburgh, second only to the Fringe festival, and attracts nearly 8000 each night throughout the month of August. In 2009, we saw various Highland performances (pipes, drums, and dance) as well as the UK 1st Royal Tank Regiment, the Tongan Royal Corps of Musicians (immediately above), the Chinese She Huo Dance Troupe (immediately below), and the Swiss Top Secret Drum Corps.


A light show played concurrently with the performers, lighting up the Edinburgh Castle in all kinds of colors and designs. The grand finale brings out all the performers, nearly 1000 of them, for some classic Scottish songs and the lowering of the flags. Right before the fireworks start, the Lone Piper plays one last mournful song.


The fireworks show at the end was spectacular. All of my favorite types shot across the sky and twinkled as they came down. Since this is the U.K. a drizzle of rain helped to finish off the end of the night. However, it was well-worth it for such an entertaining show.

Trieste

Tucked into the far eastern corner of Italy, the seaside town of Trieste is very close to the Slovenian border and a choice beach destination for Italians and Slovens alike.

Work brought me to Trieste for nearly two weeks. During that time, I had the opportunity to enjoy an aperitivo in nearly every cafe in the magnificent Piazza d'Unita Italia (pictured above and below). This piazza is also noted for it's location, heading straight out into Gulf of Trieste. The local favorite is an orange drink called the spritz aperol, made with Campari's aperol aperitif, prosecco, and soda water. Garnished with an orange slice, it is perfectly refreshing on a hot June day.

One early dinner (the only leisurely one!) had us at a gorgeous restaurant's seaside patio, dining on some of the freshest seafood I've ever had. While I ordered the sea bass baked in salt (yum), one of my companions ordered this spiedini of seafood - a more interesting dish for certain.

I was also fortunate to spend some time at the Castello Miramare, the 19th century castle designed and inhabited by Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium.

The castle is perched cliffside to the Gulf of Trieste and a bit up the road from town. The clear day provided spectacular views of the sea with views straight to Istria (an noted Croatian beach area).
The design of the castello, like many other buildings in Trieste, is heavily influnced by Austrian architecture. Sensible, considering that Trieste only became part of Italy during a post-WWI annexation. Prior to that, it was an important port city to the Austro-Hungarian empire. The 22 hectares of seaside and landscape park make this multipurpose castle and attractive draw today.

Accra and the Cape Coast

An oldie but a goodie! We visited Accra and the Cape Coast with friends back in 2007 and had a great time. It was a welcome break from Lagos, a chance to enjoy the outdoors and a safer environment.


View of one of the forts along the Cape Coast. If I remember correctly, it's Elmina Castle and was originally erected by the Portugese in the 1400s. The fort was erected to secure the Portugese trading position along the Gulf of Guinea.


It was also a major transit point for the West African slave trade. Slaves were held captive in the castle before exiting through the "door of no return" (above) to be moved and resold in other colonies.


Kakum National Park (not far from Elmina) is home to a vast rainforest and quite a bit of wildlife. It is also home to an impressive canopy walk that was constructed in the 1990s with funding from the USAID. During our brief hike to the starting point, we were reassured that the canopy was tested each day. Rounding the corner though, we noticed the responsible staff....snoozing. Well, we went for it anyways. Though we'd received no instruction, a friend who'd previously done the walk told us that he was instructed that there was to be no more than three people at a time on each set of ropes. As the thirty-odd people before us surged ahead in longer groups, we waited behind to make sure that we were adequately spaced out. It was simultaneously gorgeous and terrifying. We were so high above the treetops that I almost forgot how high off the ground we were. When I walked over a clearing, it was a little nauseating to see the distance below.

The fort and forest tours were sandwiched between a visit to Accra and to a Cape Coast beach town. All parts were wonderful and Mark and I left deciding that we would happily live in Ghana for future assignments.

Muensterland

Because it's not really reasonable to party for three days straight anymore (we're old, it's true), we headed out of Dusseldorf to try and soak up some of the culture in Muenster and Muensterland. This mostly green, flat, and rural area is filled with castles - more than 100 - that area all linked together by bike path. Since it was pretty drizzly, we decided that the car was a better idea.


We arrived in the town of Muenster a little bit before lunch. Parking, we set off on foot for the center of town to look for a good restaurant. Instead, we stumbled across yet another Karneval celebration! We heard it before we saw it. Rounding a corner, we spotted the uniforms of another marching band. Decked out in red and yellow, the colors were a preview of the what was to come. We walked past the Muenster cathedral and noticed that the main street was covered in red and yellow streamers and crowded with people. The crowd seemed to be either very old or very young. Anyone in between was probably back in bed, hungover from the night before.


For lunch, we found a German cafe and I was able to order rahmschnitzel, a dish of pork in a mushroom and cream sauce. Not so healthy but when I saw it on the menu, I knew I had to have it - it was my Grandmom Blum's speciality. While it wasn't close to being as good as her version, it was definitely a delicious lunch. Afterwards, we decided to explore some of the many castles in the area.


Our first stop was the Schloss Nordkirchen, called by some the 'Versailles of Germany'. While it was certainly large and impressive, it was no Versailles. However, it is pretty interesting since it sits on an artificial island, surrounded by a moat. The castle was built in the French Baroque style and is entirely symmetrical - not just the building itself but the gardens and courtyard too. A tree-lined avenue leads to the castle and ornamental sculputre gardens. Unfortuntely, you can't tour the interior of the castle since it's the current home to the Financial College for North-Rhine Westphalia.

Next, we headed to the Burg Vischering, a castle built in the late 13th century in the renaissance style. Like the Schloss Nordkirchen, this castle is surrounded by a moat. The inside is supposedly quite ornate but since it wasn't open when we visited, we wandered around the grounds and exterior for a bit instead.

We returned to Dusseldorf for a Greek meal (of all things) and to rest up for the very exciting festivities that would occur the next day.

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

On MLK Jr weekend last year, we spent the long weekend in Las Vegas. We saw some shows, hiked through the Red Rocks, and drove out to the Hoover Dam. It was warm and sunny, beautiful weather. While this holiday's weather was pretty much the opposite of "warm and sunny", we were lucky to have a wonderful weekend spent with good friends in Brussels.

On our first full day in Brussels, we hopped on a train to get out of the city. The Duchy of Luxembourg is located about 3 hours from Brussels and is probably the only European country that nobody (aside from our host who lives in Brussels) in our group had ever traveled to. Well, maybe none of us have been to Andorra but really, who has?

Less than 1000 square miles large, Luxembourg is the 175th (out of 231) smallest country in the world. It used to be double this size though, until the late 1800s when half of the original territory was turned over to the Belgians. I've been to both of the smallest countries in the world (Monaco and Vatican City) and I have to say, this one didn't feel all that bigger!

When we arrived in Luxembourg City, the sky was grey and drizzly. Crossing the Petrusse River on the Viaduc bridge, we soon came across the Monument to National Unity. During WWII, Luxembourg was the only country to stage a strike against their Nazi occupiers. This monument commemorates the patriotism of those who fought with an Eternal Flame.


Moving forward, we eventually hit the Cathedral of Notre Dame (pictured along the top and below). The work on this Roman Catholic church originally began in 1613. While the bulk of the structure is heavy on the late Gothic architectural influences of the time, many of the smaller detail added later contain elements of the Renaissance movement. For a long time, this church was simply a church. However, Pope Pius IX elevated it to a cathedral in 1870. The stained glass windows inside were beautiful even in our rainy weather - I wish I'd had a chance to see them with light shining through.

By the time we hit the town square, we were ready for lunch. Though we'd purposely travelled on a Saturday to have a wide choice of shops and restaurants, we were dismayed to see that quite a bit of the city was closed. But you can always count on the American chains to be open!

While we didn't actually end up at Chi-Chi's, I think we got roped into something worse. Our lunch restaurants served burgers called '"THE" Whazzzuuuppp' and in their 'classique brassiere', they had a 'Filet Barak O.' My 'Whazzzuuuppp' chicken sandwich was ok.


After lunch, we stopped by the Luxembourg Museum of History and Art and waited out some of the rain. We headed back outdoors to the Duke's palace.


Guarded by a Luxembourgian soldier, the Ducal Palace is still the official residence of the Duke though it's also served as the Department of Forests and the Luxembourg Town Hall. During the Nazi occupation, a significant amount of damage was done to the interior but, unfortunately, nobody invited us in to see.


With a two and three-quarter hours ride back (we caught a tail wind), we soon had to return to the train station.

Il Castello di Caneva

On our last full day in the Dolomites, we were torn between heading to the slopes once more and exploring the town we were staying in - Aviano. Since it was an Italian holiday, we shied away from the slopes, thinking they'd be a little too crowded for our novice selves. We knew things in town would be quiet but it was essentially a ghost town when we set foot in the main piazza. I half expected to see tumbleweeds rolling across the steps of the local Duomo.


So we hopped back into the car and decided to take off spontaneously, hoping we'd run across something interesting (and open). We first instructed the Tom-Tom to take us to Trieste. Wow - 2.5 hours? Nevermind. How about Udine? That's a big-ish city, right? Oh, two hours and countless euros of gasoline...forget it. The National Park of the Dolomites? Ugh, my stomach and vertigo can't take any more winding roads. So...let's just drive.

Heading down a road that ran along the bottom of the Dolomite range, we were lulled into relaxation by the snow-peaked mountains and the bare foliage surrounding us. We passed countless vineyards (the wine of the region is excellent) and several small towns. However, we didn't pull into any of the towns instead opting for the beautiful scenery accompanying us on this quiet country roads. Just when we were starting to think about a different venue we saw the sign.

Il Castello di Caneva, the Caneva Castle.

Castle, we thought. We like castles.

So up we went. First on paved roads that curled around large hills and small mountains. Then, on some not-so-paved roads that made yours truly a little nervous. It's not that I'm afraid of a little gravel. Or the San Francisco grade steepness. It's more the extreme height we were climbing, coupled with the narrow road and the lack of guardrail. If I hadn't been driving, I would've closed by eyes and held my breath til the top!


When we reached the top, we were initially disappointed to see that it was closed. Without another car or human in sight, we figured it was shut down for the holiday. Upon further inspection, however, we noticed that there was no chiuso signs and nothing to stop us from hiking from the parking lot to the castle on high.


As far as castles go, this one wasn't anything particularly special on it's own. There was no historical information posted but the internet tells me it was built in the medieval ages and in use through the 19th century. The walls of the castle were crumbling down but the church seemed to be in good condition. I was surprised until, reading online, I learned that the Chiesa di San Tommaso was re-built in the early nineteenth century. We couldn't get inside but were able to walk around the exterior, where the cemetery happened to be. Some of the graves were a couple hundred years only while some were as recent as the 1980s. We perched at the top of the hill to take in the view below. That same position was once taken by Fruili watchmen, looking out for Turkish invaders in the 1500s. Later, it was viewed through the eyes of the French and Austrian/Hapsburg occupiers. However, on this quiet day in Caneva, Italy, the view existed only for us.