Mar

San Miguel de Allende (2017)

Posted By: susa0591 Posted In:2017 San Miguel de Allende

We began with a short tour of Mexico City and Cuernavaca but our real destination was San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (SMA). This was my first exposure to Casa de las Ranas, located just outside of SMA, as a member of Julie Richey’s mosaic tour and workshop group. Our mission was to create a large mosaic for one of the interior walls on the property of Richard Schultz and Anado McLauchlin. While Anado has a crew to help install mosaics on his property, we signed up for a learning experience and ‘paid’ to be his crew. It was worth it. On the property is the Chapel of Jimmy Ray and another art gallery containing Anado’s artwork as well as that of others. Anado is known for being a mosaicist but also as a psychedelic artist. I would generally say his work is mixed media; often a multi layered assemblage of parts and pieces. For an entire week we worked 9am-3pm on site. While the design of the mosaic was already thought out we contributed color and pattern ideas. The wall we worked on was just the beginning of many walls throughout the compound which eventually became covered in tile. I loved being totally immersed in an art environment with fellow artisans as work mates. Outside of our daily duties I was free to explore other parts of San Miguel. Our hotel was just down from the Parroquia and Jardin. Very convenient. It was all very inspirational. I knew I would be returning again.

Mar

San Miguel de Allende (2011)

Posted By: susa0591 Posted In:2011 San Miguel de Allende

In the summer of 2011 Edward Allen and I decided we would go vacationing in San Miguel. Neither of us had been there before. I had bought a package deal from an online vendor and we were set to go. We flew into Leon, MX, hired a van service and headed for the mountains. This was completely new territory for both of us and we planned to explore something different each day. We stayed at Casa Quetzal on the rooftop. The loud clanging of the church bells in San Miguel awoke us EVERY morning and we were served breakfast on our private patio. We found a little bar around the corner near the Jardin and each night before retiring we had a nightcap there. Some highlights were going to La Gruda and swimming in their natural hot springs, shopping at Fabrica Aurora, guided tour through Charco del Ingenio, and going to the ancient ruins outside the city. One evening we had a special treat having dinner at a small cafe inside the Arte Instituto Allende where live music was playing. To our surprise Doc Severinsen showed up and played trumpet. I got to meet him! On another offbeat moment we caught a parade rumbling down one of the city streets near La Jardin. Large head puppet figures and floats, colorful, alive and many small children participating. I was a shameless tourist snapping photos left and right. I treasure that Edward and I had this special time together. RIP my love.

Mar

Istanbul, Turkey (2017)

Posted By: susa0591 Posted In:2017 Istanbul

In the summer of 2017 I rather impulsively decided to visit Istanbul, Turkey. My son was teaching there at an American school for a month or so and I knew my opportunity was ripe. I decided to stay at a small boutique hotel in the historic district (also known as the Faith district). I had easy access to the Hagia Sophia, Bascilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar. Hagia Sophia was and usually is under construction with scaffolding obstructing several views. Nonetheless I was in awe and found the dome amazing. Around the corner from Hagia Sophia is the Bascilica Cistern which is very eerie. It doesn’t take long to walk through it. It’s dark and damp. Symbols and faces are carved into the columns. You have to imagine how vast this aqueduct system was throughout the city to really appreciate it’s existence. I didn’t linger long. Not too far from there is the Topkapi Palace which is a vast estate placed on a cliff overlooking the Bosphorus Sea. The wealth of the sultans past is very much on display. Equally beautiful on a smaller scale was the Chora Church (Kariye Mosque). We had to get a taxi there since it is not central to the historic district. This is a very old Greek Orthodox church from the 4th century. The mosaics there are worth the trip and you can avoid crowds. Istanbul is huge and is noted as the fifth largest city in the world. It is divided up into Asian and European sides with the Bosphorus in between. To get across the Bosphorus you can take a ferry or the underwater railway. I did both. The underwater railway is amazing and very fast. Do it. On the Asian side we were taken by friends to a shopping mall that was super modern with dancing fountains synchronized to music. Our meal was several courses and it was fabulous. I saw a wealthy thriving upper middle class in this part of the city. Now back to the Bosphorus. My favorite excursion was one in which we boarded a ferry that took us up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea. It stopped at fishing villages along the way. We ate at a small diner on the waterfront by the blue blue water of the Bosphorus and watched boats bobbing in the sun and birds diving for fish only a few feet from us. It was unforgettable. On our last night my son was given comp tickets to the Istanbul Jazz Festival by friends performing there on the grounds of the SwissHotel. What a great way to end the evening before I flew home. One last note: take a Turkish bath and go shopping in the Grand Bazaar before leaving Istanbul. It is truly a unique cultural experience. It is considered to be one of the first indoor ‘malls’ in history. I came home with lots of goodies.

Feb

England (2002)

Posted By: susa0591 Posted In:2002 England

2002 was a special year. I decided to take an entire year off and just do what my heart desired – within a budget of course. So this was the year I went on a trip to Europe with my mother and my ten year old son. My mother had been to England several times before so I relied on her expertise to steer us on our path. Most of our time was spent in the county of Devon. We stayed at a bed and breakfast farmhouse near Ottery St. Mary and ventured out from there. We rented a car and made our way around the narrow English country roads hitting all the high points of the country without going too far north. As far south as we went was Torquay, the English Riviera. As far west we got was Lynton, following the Exmoor Heritage coastal roads. One day was totally devoted to finding the Hatchet and Brandy cottage deep within the countryside. My mother knew the fellow who lived there and the cottage she had identified as the residence of my great great grandfather many years ago. Our visit with Fred, a WWII veteran, was delightful and he served us tea. His garden was amazing. The cottage was very much an old English cottage with thatched roof and low ceilings. I know he has passed away since then. The cottage is for sale.

After a week in the countryside we headed to London. Along the way we stopped at Stonehenge. We whisked through Glastonbury arriving too late to get into any of the historic sites associated with it – King Arthur and the Holy Grail all have roots in Glastonbury. I remember feeling charmed by the city and wishing we could come back. There were several cathedrals we drove by on our trek to London. Wells Cathedral in Somerset was one we visited. There were beautiful sculptures all around. The cathedral was huge and well attended.

At one point we visited Bath. I mention it here because it is so near Glastonbury and Somerset. Bath was my favorite of all our English destinations. There was much to see and do. The town had such old world charm. Bath Abbey cathedral was wonderful with the angels climbing Jacob’s Ladder to heaven. Just gorgeous. We also passed through the main attraction, the Roman Baths. Ancient spas were established here due to the discovery of hot springs. My other memory of Bath is the Avon River which runs through the center of town. It has magnificent bridges and is very scenic. Seeing Bath was a highlight of my trip to England.

Once in London we ditched our rental car. Our plan was to stay three days in London and then head through the ‘chunnel’ to Paris. During that time we stayed in a hotel centrally located. Picadilly was within walking distance. Other sites we visited were Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Tate Gallery, Tower of London, and Westminster Abbey. Being with my ten year old son, it was a challenge to keep him entertained. Cathedrals absolutely bored him and museums too. We had a lot of fun though. We rode the London Eye for his amusement. We also went to dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe in London since that was also something he wanted to do. For one solid day my mother agreed to ‘babysit’ while I ran around town on my own. I did the Jack the Ripper walking tour that day and ended up at the original Ten Bells pub. Another evening we spent dining at a very old restaurant and pub which claimed to have been a favorite of Ben Franklin and Daniel Webster back in the 1700s. Our meal there was the best we had in England and the most authentic. Bangers and mash, bubble and squeak, and spotted dick were standard fare.

Jan

Playa de Carmen, Mexico (2012)

Posted By: susa0591 Posted In:2012 Playa de Carmen 189 Comments

For a few days after our visit to Akumal we journeyed up the road to Playa and stayed in a trendy little hotel called Fusion. Fusion was located just off of Fifth Ave where many shops and restaurants exsited. The Fusion’s bar dog was ever present and particularly well mannered and he was trilingual understanding Hebrew as well as English and Spanish. We ate and drank and hung out in the bar most of the day and walked down the avenue at night. The weather was very overcast and windy. The beach was not particularly inviting. One evening we had a spectacular meal at one of the Fifth Ave restaurants. Our plates and bellies were overloaded and the service was all attentive. Vive Mexico!

Jan

Scotland (2013)

Posted By: susa0591 Posted In:2013 Scotland

Three full days. Only three full days. We stayed at the Novotel just up from the Grass Market, overlooked by the Edinburgh Castle. One day was devoted to exploring Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Yacht, the Britannia. Another day to exploring Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond. While on Loch Lomond we saw a beautiful rainbow arched across the sky in front of us. A final day devoted to Glasgow -the William Burrell Museum, St. Mungo’s Cathedral – followed by a very fine dining experience at The Corinthian. Scotland is beautiful. We drove through the Highlands and saw a patch of Highland cows in the meadow. Evenings were spent at the pubs in the Grass Market. We had a lot of fun at Maggie Dickson’s, love the lore of her story and how she lives on celebrated by a pub. I had my first taste of haggis with neeps and tatties. My last evening in Scotland was surprisingly satisfying as I dined at a fantastic pizza place (Grass Market) and listened to music, alone and plugged in, my private farewell to 12 days of adventuring in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Dec

Ireland (2013)

Posted By: susa0591 Posted In:2013 Ireland

From Dublin to Limerick to Galway and back. Traversed the Ring of Kerry. Kilkenny and Kilarney. Rock of Cashel and Connemara. Darryl, our bus driver and guide was delightful. He dutifully drove us all over the country. Cliffs of Moher would have been a highlight but they were completely fogged over when we got there. However riding through the small villages and scenic countryside was worth the while. To the east I favored Dublin. St. Pat’s Cathedral was more colorful than I had imagined. I visited Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, another highlight. I briefly hung out in Temple Bar at Gogartys and walked across the Liffey River Bridge. Finally we visited Guinness Storehouse before leaving the city. On the west coast, Connemara is most memorable with it’s lush green countryside and marble shops. Galway was busy and diverse, a mecca for Irish artists. Driving through Lisdoonvarna where the annual Irish Matchmaking Festival was underway was a kick. Gypsys, faerie trees, the Irish’s rugged history with the Brits, the blend of Celtic and Catholic, all this and more in a little over a week.

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