Skywatch ~ November 16, 2023

 

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

Happy Friday, Happy Skywatch & Happy Weekend

Hello folks and blogger friends,

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer to date. It certainly is different from the last few years in many ways. I'm thankful to have the freedom to go out and about more than the previous years. But I didn't get a chance to go out of town for several years now.  This year was no exception.  Even though restrictions were mostly lifted, I really don't care to travel right now and contend with all the travel/transportation delays and related issues.

 

We've had a heat wave for much of (July and ) August.  Even when the posted weather has been in the lower 20s Celsius, it has still felt sweltering.  Even Jonah who is used to the heat and dry areas in Kenya has commented about how hot it has been here. At last we had a dip in temperatures today and a sprinkling of rain. It wasn't a lot of rain but combined with lower temperatures it made all the walking I did today much more bearable.

 

 

I had to go deep into downtown Vancouver today to the Purolator service center to return a few Amazon parcels. Normally I send items back through the post but these items had to be returned by Purolator. It was very convenient to get to the center by bus as it let me off across the street. I thought I would return straight home and the bus stop was right outside the center's door. However when I got to the bus stop there was a sign saying one had to catch a bus at Burrard Street. That was a lot of walking for me especially since my knees aren't fully rehabilitated. Fortunately I managed to do what I needed to do.

 

After I finished downtown, I did more errands in my neighbourhood.  I was shocked at how many people were out and about.  There were lines of people everywhere waiting to get into virtually every single restaurant and drinking establishment  Of course it is Friday and many people go out on Friday nights but tonight it was noticeably busier than usual.  I don't know if it was because the weather was cooler and more comfortable or if suddenly people are realizing that the end of summer is almost upon us and they're trying to soak up every minute left of it. It's probably a bit of both.  It was also very busy with tourists downtown though it doesn't seem so in the photos. It was nice to see so many visitors walking and enjoying the sites.

 

The photos I'm sharing are from downtown Vancouver in the city's West End Coal Harbour area. For most of the day the sky was a very dull gray. The sun came out around 6 p.m. but I couldn't stop to take photos.

Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend.

 Joining in with Skywatch Friday

Tuesday 4: Travelling

I'm joining in with Tuesday 4 this week.

Annie at Cottage by the Sea continues this meme in memory of Toni Taddeo.  This week's questions are about travel.

1. How far have you gone from home and where did you go?

I've travelled far and wide though not quite as far as I would like. The farthest point from my home is Kenya in East Africa. The distance from Vancouver, Canada to Nairobi, Kenya is 14,388 km or 8940 miles. The 2nd farthest I've been is Cairns, FNQ in Australia which is 11,496 km or 7143 miles.

Mount Longonot, The Great Rift Valley, Kenya

2. Do you think the hassle of travel is worth the trouble?

When I was younger I would enthusiastically say 'yes'.  These days I find travelling is hard on me physically not to mention all the work involved in planning long distance travel. So I do not enjoy the actual preparation for travel, needing to save funds for the journey or the actual travel. I do enjoy it once I'm at my destination.

My last trip to France and Kenya made me think that travel is no longer worth the hassle. I found myself running from one gate to another and barely making my connections due to all the security checks. It means that in future I have to add even more time for flight connections not to mention factoring in the time and hassle of whatever new conditions will be put in place due to the Covid pandemic. Nonetheless I still expect I will do a bit more travelling.

Palace of Versailles, France

Travel once you get to your destination is also a lot more fun if you are driven around by a driver or people who know the place you are visiting. Otherwise it is usually a hot and tiring mess.

3. Are there places you would like to visit or have plans for visiting?

Yes I have plans for future travels but besides travel within Canada, I only have plans to visit Kenya again. It would also be nice to visit several places in Europe, the UK (after Brexit I'm not sure if the UK is still technically part of Europe), Israel and Egypt.  I have done a bit of  European travel with trips to Germany, France, Czech Republic and Holland. I never tire of seeing some places over and again and there are still so many new places I have yet to see.

4. What trip was the best you've ever had?

It's hard, if not impossible, to pick just one. The best international trips were to New Zealand and all down the eastern coastline of Australia by car. I was a lot younger then and enjoyed everything including sleeping in hostels and being generally more adventurous. Another great trip loaded with pleasant memories was my first trip to Kenya about 14 or 15 years ago. I loved everything about it and one of the highlights was going on a safari and getting to  stay at a beautiful lodge in one of the country's many national parks. I've been back to Kenya several times due to missions work I do. Canada also has many great travel opportunities and I've enjoyed many road trips but the trip to Niagara Falls was a highlight.

 

 

 I'm joining in with Tuesday 4.

A Little Outside Paris

Hi there,

Almost a year ago I travelled to Paris, France and Nairobi, Kenya. I started a few posts on my travels but looking back over the year I realized I didn't get too far with the travel posts. I will try to catch up now before the year ends and see how far I get. I left off after a visit to the Palace of Versailles just outside of Paris. If you missed that blog you can find it here.   The first post in what was intended to be a series can be found here.

Today we continue with my tour of the Palace of Versailles.  There were just so many photo opportunities that it is very difficult to do only one post.

Firstly there are a few things that you might be interested in knowing. There is a lot of useful information on line to help you with your visit to the palace.

• The Palace of Versailles is located just outside Paris and about 1 hour by the city train. How long it takes you will depend on where you are staying in Paris so it could be a little less time or a little more time. Once you reach Versailles there is also a short walk to the palace.

• Some people can enter the palace for free.  Check on line here.
• You can purchase your ticket on line by computer or smart phone. There are a variety of ticket types. The type we selected was for timed entry to ensure we got in on the date and time we wanted.  This is particularly important during the height of tourist season to ensure you won't be disappointed.  You can check here for tickets.  I believe we arrived at 10 a.m. and after a short stop to pick up coffee we carried on to the palace. We needed the entire day to walk through the palace, stroll quickly through the garden and on to Trianon. By the time I got back to the front gate to meet my nephew (we separated here and there) it was already 5 p.m. and the entire place was closing for the day.  I am so glad I visited this place in Winter season and not in peak season because there were plenty of people there. I noticed too that a lot of people arrived just to see the gardens and did not enter the palace.
• The palace is open every day from 9 a.m. onward except on Mondays.  The estate of Trianon and the Coach gallery are only open in the afternoon.
• The Park and Gardens are open every day and the gardens are free unless there is a fountain show.
• The following items are not allowed in the palace and must be left at checked luggage where they will store them for free: pushchairs (wheelchairs), metal baby stroller, walking sticks, crutches, bulky luggage and umbrellas.  I honestly don't know how a person who needs mobility aids is supposed to see the palace or the gardens if they have to check their assistive devices. I also don't see how a mother with children will be able to get very far without a baby stroller. When I checked in I didn't know about these restrictions and I took my walking poles with me thinking it was a good idea because I'd likely have to do a lot of walking. When I  entered the palace at my gate, I went through security clearance.  They asked me about the poles and scanned them and then they let me through. It was only while I was walking through the palace that I was stopped about 3 times and questioned about the poles. I was permitted onward in every instance. I think it helped that they accepted my story that security staff had scanned my poles and let me pass through.
• There are a few places to have a quick bite to eat and/or drink on the grounds. You will need it because you will have to spend hours there to make it worth your while. If you are only going to see the gardens you can probably pack your own lunch.

As I mentioned in my first post on the palace, I was most interested in seeing the personal spaces of the King and Queen and in that regard I was not disappointed. I was also most interested in seeing the special place that the King built for his wife and as depicted in the movie, Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst in the title role. More about that later.

Today I'll start with a few photos of gigantic paintings that were on a temporary exhibit in the Africa Room. I felt very privileged to have been there during this special display. Unfortunately I don't seem to have many photos of the paintings. At that point I was very tired and trying to put my sticks and bag under a table in the room so I could take unobstructed photos. However the security stopped me from doing that.  Even so, this room and exhibit was one of the major highlights of the day for me.

The large, displayed notice of the exhibition.

The first three photos were taken in the Africa Room.

 A beautiful desk with a Egyptian sphinx on either side. I'm not sure if they are made of brass or gold

The photo above gives a good idea of the scale of the paintings which all depicted military scenes from various wars.

The photo above gives some idea of the grandeur of the passageways and the height of the ceilings along with the fabulous painted ceilings. 

The next several photos of a room with red walls and lots of gilt and chandeliers are of the King's bedroom.

The King's bed was much smaller than I expected.

The "green" room was the King's office. 

I remember thinking that it didn't look much like an office for doing work in though I imagine the King really did have work to do, people to meet, papers to sign and so on.  It was also quite dark in the room so I imagine there were many, many candles to light the room especially in Winter. I visited in January when I'm sure it is much darker than other months of the year.

My memory is hazy now but I don't believe this huge fireplace was located in the King's office. 

I took a photo of it because I seldom see such massive fireplaces.

This one had a beautiful painting above it and as you look up to the ceiling you find extensive gilt work and the ceiling of course is ornately painted.

There were a lot of paintings of Napoleon Bonaparte at various stages of his life.

One of the many statues in the palace. This one is of Charlemagne also known as Charles the Great.

 

 The next photos are various salons and passageways. 

At times it was difficult to look at paintings and objects.  When tour guides were passing by the tourists would block passages and didn't seem to worry that others needed to pass through.  There were also a lot of school children on tour. I enjoyed seeing them and I thought how fortunate they are to see such things at such a young age.
My nephew and I were not part of a guided tour.  We opted for a self tour with information fed to us through headsets.  Even so, it is far too much information to recall. I like simply looking at what strikes my fancy and learning a little here and there.

One has to be quick though because there is just so much to see.

The massive painting below depicts the scene in which Mary Magdalene washes Jesus' feet while he and the disciples eat together. That is me walking past it.

Here I am looking out one of the palace windows over the massive gardens which is where I will head soon.

Before I get there I still have something wonderful to see inside the palace.

Thank you for your visit.  Please come back soon.

If you've already visited the Palace of Versailles let me know what was your favourite part.

To Paris!

It's taken me awhile to get back on line to post since I wrote my last post (which you can view here if interested). The snow that fell on my first day back has melted but the forecast calls for a bit more snow.  I haven't been out very much but the sun has been shining daily.

Today I want to share some introductory remarks about my travels.  My main destination for travel was the country of Kenya and the City of Nairobi specifically. I had been planning to return to Kenya for some time but this time I also wanted to see something different either on the continent of Africa or somewhere in Europe.

My very busy nephew and I have been discussing travelling to Paris together for years. After checking the flight itinerary options from Paris to Nairobi I then asked my nephew if a few days in Paris would work for him as it coincided with the new university term.  I didn't expect a definitive 'yes' but he agreed!

Neither of us had many expectations or plans and little time to really prepare for the trip.  We both just really wanted to soak up a bit of atmosphere by sitting at the Parisian bistros and people watching. Of course a visit to the Eiffel Tower was a must for both of us and my nephew said we must visit the Louvre.

Due to his very busy schedule I investigated the travel options to find a fare within his budget and to make sure he had the appropriate insurance.  We didn't travel together. He flew with Iceland Air and I travelled with KLM, my favourite airline.  My flight left very early from Vancouver and I didn't get any sleep since I had to be at the airport  by 3 a.m.

After checking in this is the first line up in Vancouver on the way to first security clearance.

 The departure gate was at the very end of the international departure terminal, a foreshadowing of things to come.

At the departure gate in Vancouver

My flight was routed through the USA where I made a connecting flight in Minneapolis to Paris. As time got closer to departure I worried what might happen in Minneapolis because of the government shut down. Thankfully all went well and I had no problems.  In fact, I was so very impressed with the staff at the Minneapolis airport, the level of service and the professionalism yet friendliness exhibited by all.  Everyone was just superb and they take customer service seriously there. All airports should follow the lead of this fine airport.

Once at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, I had several hours to wait for my nephew. I didn't find any nice place to have refreshment or to relax in the terminal where I alighted.  I waited in the general area for about 30 minutes trying to see if the line at the small cafe would diminish but I eventually left and made my way closer to the terminal where I expected my nephew to arrive. Once I changed locations, I found better waiting areas and services.  Enroute to the "new' terminal I struck up a conversation with a woman from the Cameroon who now lives in Seattle, Washington.  We had a very nice conversation before we parted ways. She was over nighting in Paris and wanted to stay close by the airport before she flew home to the Cameroon for a visit.  Once I found my way to a cafe, I asked a woman if I could share her table due to limited space. She obliged and we struck up a conversation. I learned she was on her way home to her husband in Saudi Arabia after visiting her family in Paris. We studied the transit map together to find my hotel and she advised me to take a taxi to the hotel rather than go by bus and metro (there being no direct route via metro).

Map of the Paris Metro system

I spent some time investigating the transit options to the hotel before leaving Vancouver and didn't wish to spend so much money on a taxi. Neither did I want to ride the bus and metro given the inconvenience of going up and down stairs with heavy luggage and the possibility of being mugged (mentioned in several articles I'd read). When my nephew arrived we decided to take an Uber to our destination. I let him order the Uber and I willingly paid as that was part of our arrangement so he could accompany me to Paris.  The Uber driver was prompt and the ride into the city was very interesting. My nephew and I were both happy and excited to see a bit of the city through the car windows. Our driver wasn't much of a conversationalist but he was pleasant and got us to our destination. Though he got lost very near the end point it didn't take him long to find his way once again.

We booked into the Hotel Boronali a very small, family run hotel in the 18th arrondissment at 
65 Rue de Clignancourt.

 

Not my photo. This is a promotional one.

I chose this hotel because it appeared to be closer to one of the attractions I wanted to see in Montmarte and I'd read that it was one bus ride away to The Louvre.  I also selected the hotel because there was a laundromat across the street.  I planned to do laundry before jetting off to Africa since there are no do it yourself laundromats in Kenya.

We enjoyed staying at the Hotel Boronali.  The hotel was very small but nice and  staff was very professional and helpful.  But in case you wish to stay there one day please note that the hotel has no on site restaurant or bar though they do provide breakfast in the morning and coffee/tea during the day.  There is a lift but given it is a heritage building there is only room for one suitcase and one person at a time (perhaps 2 suitcases if they are stackable). There are many restaurants and bars in the neighbourhood so it isn't a big issue not to have a full scale restaurant in the hotel. There are also several convenience stores, boulangeries and small supermarkets close to the hotel and I felt very safe walking in the area.  Even late into the night though a friend of my nephew's suggested the area is not that safe. For more information about the hotel see here.

While we were there we were so very busy trying to make the most of our short time. We did miles and miles of walking every day (my nephew more than I) and we ate on the run. Thank goodness for the boulangeries.  I did not sit at any bistros as planned except on the last evening when we decided to have a proper French meal before departure. But I did have a version of an American breakfast at a bistro next to the hotel. The café crema was delicious.
 

Sorry for the blurred photo.

Thank you for stopping.

Stay tuned for more travel posts. In the next post I will share some of the things we did in Paris.