I want my photo’s on my Italy trip returned to my post on WordPress and Facebook.

Where oh where did my pictures go?

Oh where or where did they go?

I suspect that i cloud had something to do with it.

If you see them floating around in space, please send them

back to me.

I T A L Y… My TRIP!!!

It has always been a desire of mine to take a trip to Italy especially after seeing the 2003 film “Under The Tuscan Sun”, multiple times. I didn’t get to Tuscany but I did get to the  charming town of Positano. No, I wasn’t swept off my feet by a handsome Italian man, but a gentleman on my tour took pity on me one day and helped me down a particularly steep and treacherous path. I almost slipped and nearly swept both of us off our feet.

Physically it was not an easy trip. Not only were there stairs, stairs and more stairs and uneven  pebbled paths and cobblestone streets to challenge our knees and steep hills  and mountainous terrain to maneuver, it was hot hot, hot. Parts of Italy were experiencing a heat wave and drought and a severe water shortage. Temperatures were in the mid 30’s Celsius. However this trip was worth every step and every huff and puff. Interestingly before my trip I was experiencing all kinds of aches and pains– possibly because of the extremely wet weather we were experiencing in Toronto, but once in Italy, whether attributed to the dry weather or just from the euphoria of being in this beautiful country, I was virtually pain free.

I was on a bus tour with Insight Vacations–“Country Roads of Puglia and the Neapolitan Riviera” featured in their 2017 summer brochure. I highly recommend this touring company, and our very knowledgeable and attentive guide, Elena Terminiello. Our bus driver also deserves kudos. He adeptly maneuvered the narrow winding roads that had to be shared with two way traffic, motorcycles and the ever increasing number of scooters joining the traffic flow. Drivers are very animated and vocal. Lots of swearing, yelling  and hand gestures  ensued. We witnessed some near misses, but amazingly no accidents.

Our vacation started and ended in Rome. I along with my friend and travelling companion missed the shuttle from the airport to the Kolbe Hotel by 5 minutes. We took a taxi to our destination and had some time to explore around the Colosseum, imperial Forum  and Roman Forum before gathering to meet with our group for a reception and dinner.

The entrance to the hotel room was with a card inserted into a slot. I didn’t realize that once inside the room this card was to be placed in another slot inside the room to prevent the lights from turning off after a few minutes. I guess this is a good way to conserve energy and cut down on hydro. I was getting ready to take a shower when the lights went out. The bathroom was pitch black and I had difficulty finding the door. Once I found the door I had difficulty opening it. It was a frightening few minutes. And not a good beginning. From then on the first thing I did when entering the room was to insert my card in the slot and leave it there.

At the reception that was held in the hotel lobby, we learned that we were the only Canadians on this tour. Over half the travellers were from Australia and the rest from the United States. Their ages varied. One thing they had in common was everybody was friendly. We had name tags and briefly introduced ourselves and said a few words. I warned them that I had a broken arm still in the healing process and that occasionally I would get a sharp unexpected pain that might inadvertently cause me to yell or utter obscenities. I told them to ignore me. After a lovely dinner, we took an optional tour –Rome by night.

The next morning after a satisfying buffet breakfast we boarded our luxurious and comfortable bus and headed southeast across the Apennine mountains and past beautiful landscapes to the region of Puglia. This mainly rural area is resplendent with olive trees. The tranquility of the country roads was a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of Rome. We arrived at our home for the next three nights–the” Grand hotel la Chiusa di Chietri” in Alberobello. This wonderful resort is a little known and fairly new tourist attraction. The grounds are lovely, complete with gardens and patio furniture. and the hotel boasts a large magnificent swimming pool.

Many Italians come from Rome and other cities for a vacation or weekend getaway. They can stay in the main building or even rent a Trullo.  A trullo? What’s a trullo? you ask. A trullo is the singular form for trulli. But what are trulli?

Trulli are white washed huts with a conical shaped roof, built of limestone without any mortar. The original Trulli date back many years. They were used as stables or shelter for the peasants who worked the land. They were built without mortar so that they could be knocked down quickly in case the tax collector was in the area.  A cluster of trulli could be classified as a village and thus command high taxes. Today the trullis still house some poorer people. Large number of them have been restored and are popular with tourists from England and Germany. They can be bought and restored but the purchaser must adhere to strict regulations because Alberobello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the trull are protected.

  
The village boasts many narrow streets comprised of multiple trulli– a truly  breathtaking sight.  Trulli have one room under one cone or chimney. Multiple cones mean multiple rooms. We had free time in Alborobello. Like most of the villages everything closes from one to four. We took advantage of  the swimming pool in the afternoon and in the evening we went into town for dinner and to explore, browse and buy souvenirs from the boutiques along the narrow cobblestone streets. The main area is shut down to traffic at night and becomes a pedestrian mall with music and attractions. We found the food to be exceptionally good

We  also did day trips from Alberobello. We took a tour to taste and learn about the robust red wines of Puglia from a local expert. We spent some time in the city of Ostuni where all the buildings are painted white.

We also visited an olive oil factory and had tasting of different olive oils.

It was time to leave Aborabello enroute to Sorento. However before we arrived we had a very busy day of touring. We visited  Matera and the city of Sassi di Matera famous for its  ancient cave dwellings, churches, staircases etc. carved out of the stone and cliffs.  This was declared a World Heritage site in1993 and is believed to be 9000 years old and the oldest inhabited cave city in the world. Our local guide is well acquainted with how life was in the caves. Her father lived in one of them when he was a child. This area was once the poorest in Italy. Writer Carlo Levi revealed in his book, “Christ stopped at Eboli”,  published in 1945, the hardships and struggles and the deplorable conditions that the inhabitants were living in. The large families lived alongside their livestock without running water or sewage. Because of public pressure and outrage the government relocated the cave dwellers into modern housing in the new town on top of the cliff. Roadways are often the roof tops of dwellings. We visited the inside of a cave dwelling and the monastery. A few inhabitants have moved back into the original caves that have been restored and converted into cosy  housing. There are also restored restaurants and cave hotels.

Matera was the biblical backdrop for Mel Gibson’s film  “The Passion of the Christ”.

PHOTOS OF SASSI 


We enjoyed beautiful and hair raising views of mountains and rolling hills while travelling along narrow curvaceous roads heading toward the Tyrrhenian Sea.  The scenery  reminded me of the Canadian Rockies and the weekend trips I took as a child to Banff. Over the next few days we passed through many mountain tunnels. I was always relieved to see the light at the end of the tunnel.



We experienced some much needed rain for the area while on the bus. We were in a desolate area and at one point our bus driver took a wrong turn due to the fact that the roads were under construction and there was no signage.

We continued along the coastal road to Sorrento where we stayed for three nights at the Michael Angelo hotel.

However before arriving at our hotel we made a stop at Notturno–an inlaid woodworks factory and showroom. Our tour guide, Elena grew up in the area. Her parents and other members of the family still reside there. When the bus was parking in the parking lot, Elena looked out the window and spotted her Mother. She brought her on to the bus and introduced her. Her mother claims she just happened to be there to buy some groceries in the adjacent shop. Ya Right! Being a mother I know better. She didn’t just happen to be there– she was waiting eagerly for the bus to arrive to see her daughter. When we pulled into the hotel parking, you guessed it — her father was there to greet her. Her family is lovely.

But back to the wood works factory. We saw beautiful furniture created by old world artisans and enjoyed demonstrations and a lesson from the proprietor. A few people bought some lovely pieces and had them shipped home with no delivery charge. While we were at the Factory, Elena slipped out and arrived back with delicious treats from her friend’s bakery down the street. I  am gluten sensitive and Elena even brought me back gluten free treats.

I had no problem eating Gluten free in Italy. At every meal I was presented with special dishes. Every morning at breakfast at our Sorrento Hotel a tray appeared at my spot at the table laden with gluten free cereal, buns and three delicious and decadent gluten free chocolate tarts. Every morning, i ate not one, not two but all three of those tarts. I brought every one home with me around my waist. For dinner we had a choice of three restaurants. All were reported to be good.

Our touring from Sorrento continued the next day. We boarded the ferry to the island of Capri. We  were disappointed by the beach. It was  composed mainly of rocks. However we took a taxi up to Capri Town where a local expert escorted us to the beautiful gardens  which we found to be breathtaking and definitely not disappointing. Perfume stores and factories made use of the abundant aromatic flowers. Different varieties of local scented body creams and colognes were sold. We had a terrific view of the famous Faraglioni rocks and we were treated to a refreshing lemon granita, a speciality of the area which can best be described as a very delicious lemony lemon slush. We browsed in the shops of the Plazetta white walking down the street leading to the funicular ride which took us back to the port.]

 After returning to Sorrento we had time to swim and enjoy a coffee on our small cute balcony before walking to the main square, Piazza Tasso. We had some spare time which we used  to browse the narrow lanes with little stores on each side, mainly selling jewellery, souvenirs, and anything lemon. We bought lemon candies, lemon chocolate, lemon soap and lemoncello and merano glass pendents. Pretty local ceramic pottery was also popular selling items. The shopping reminded me of  markets and the Shook in Jerusalem. There were also some lovely stores. We didn’t have too much time to shop and not much room in our cases to take extra things home. We dined and wined at one of the many delicious open air restaurants before heading back to hopefully getting a good nights sleep in preparation for the next day’s adventures–day eight of our tour.

POSITANO HERE WE COME.

Day eight proved to be a delightful day as we traveled along the Amalfi coast. There were stops for photo opportunities of the terraced houses of Positano. We continued into the  resort town and we were mesmerized by its beauty and romantic atmosphere. The beach area is lovely, far superior to the beach on the Isle of Capri. Our big regret was that we couldn’t spend more time here.: more time at the beach and more time to meander along  the pedestrian only streets, visit the art galleries, experience eating at some of their fine restaurants  and browse through the boutiques that sold lovely linen clothing, pottery and other goodies.

Positano was  a port in medieval times and became a poor fishing village. Shortly after John Steinbeck published an essay in the 1950’s that was featured in Harpers Bazaar extolling the beauty and virtues of this town, it gained popularity and became an expensive sophisticated resort and popular holiday destination.

We returned to Sorrento where we hung out at the hotel, spilled coffee in the elevator, broke the balcony door and before we could do more damage we returned once again to Plazza Tasso, the main square We meandered around the area,  had another delicious dinner at an outdoor/indoor restaurant. We were  thoroughly enjoying the present, but  we were also looking forward to the next day when we would delve far into the past on our excursion to the ancient Roman city of  Pompeii.

POMPEI

Due to such a mountainous terrain, Italy is home to many volcanoes. The most famous volcano  is Mount Vesuvius that was responsible for burying many Roman settlements in 79AD.-the most well known  being Pompeii and Herculan. Virtually all  residents of Pompeii were buried alive under the molten ash or succumbed due to the high heat. A young man who observed the volcanic activity from across the Bay of Naples recorded in letters what he saw.

The volcano is still active. The last eruption was in 1944 and still poses a danger to the surrounding areas especially Naples. Geologists and scientists who study volcanoes believe that Mount Vesuvius is overdue for a major explosion. Because of the perhaps imminent and unpredictable threat the government has devised an evacuation plan in case of an emergency. In 2004 the government set up a program to try to persuade the population to relocate outside the danger zone. Very few accepted the offer of financial aid and have opted instead to stay where they are.

When the 79AD disaster occurred  the Roman Empire was at its height.The buried city was forgotten for 1700 years. Excavations began in 1748 and what a multitude of treasures were discovered and so much insight and knowledge gained about the Romans and their way of life. Elegant villas were found with furnishings and artifacts intact, Moderate housing  and peasant dwellings were also prevalent. Roman frescoes and paintings, an amphitheatre, temples and the skeletal remains of people and a life frozen in time were all uncovered. Excavations and repairs are still on going.

We took a tour of the ruins with a local guide named Joe. He carried a big blue umbrella so we wouldn’t lose him and he had a sense of humour. As we traversed the steep cobblestone streets, he told us that this building was once a McDonalds and the building across the way was a Prada store. He told us that the men and women were separated because women were trouble makers. We had to separate fact from fiction. He actually was quite knowledgeable and we learned a lot.


Many of the streets turned into rivers when it rained and boulders were placed across the road to allow  the residents to get back and forth from their homes to the common areas. The poorest people bathed in public bath houses, the middle class in private bath houses and the very wealthy had water pumped into their homes. We went  inside private houses a well as numerous public buildings. A building of interest to many was the brothel. It looks like it was a popular place because the stones were well worn. There were bedrooms and sexually explicit colourful frescoes painted on the walls. Important streets had white stones placed strategically among the grey stones. This was for decoration and the white stones also reflected the moonlight to light up the paths in the evenings.

It was very very hot and very very crowded and there were numerous tours. My pal of many years and my travelling companion to Italy was fascinated with ruins. She was so mesmerized that at one point she started to follow the wrong umbrella and was about to join the wrong tour. Luckily I saw her just as she was making  the wrong turn and I summoned her back. Who knows where she would have ended up and what on earth would I have told her family when I arrived home without her?

After Pompeii we headed back to Rome for our last evening in Italy. It was a lovely last evening some sightseeing from the bus, a walk in the warm evening air to Piazza Navona.

 A photographer took a group picture. The evening culminated with food and wine at a fine restaurant and a private performance of an operetta.


A nice ending to a wonderful trip. I wish it could have been a little longer.

Arrivederci Roma!

THE HAND IN MY SHOWER.

THIS IS NOT FAKE NEWS

I have heard of reptiles and other things popping up through toilets, sinks and drains but never a hand– but a hand DID make an appearance in my shower. I know — I know you think I am a liar, crazy or delusional at best. That may or may not be true but the fact is a hand really did visit my bathroom..

Perhaps I should start at the beginning. A few weeks ago after a guest showered in the auxiliary washroom, I received frantic calls from the property manager and the owners of the condo one floor down. Water was dripping through their potlights into their shower. After  visits from plumbers and maintenance people it was determined that the problem arose from  corrosion and leaking of my drain pipe at the site of attachment to the  piping connecting the two showers.

To rectify the situation a  plumber using a special tool removed the drain before going   to my downstairs neighbours where he proceeded to reconnect a new drain pipe to the existing piping, This was accomplished through a large hole cut in their ceiling.

I happened to walk past my washroom and saw what looked like wriggling worms coming out of the drain. On closer inspection it was wiggling fingers. I went to get my I pad to take a picture because I figured nobody would believe me. However when I returned the fingers attached to the hand had disappeared.

I am assuming and hopeful that the hand belonged to the plumber. However since this incident I have been having nightmares about hands floating through the air. Hands here, hands there hands everywhere- some clapping, some waving, some pulling my hair. Maybe if I wish really hard I can convert the nightmares into dreams where the hands learn to cook and clean and do laundry,

 

 

Update on my multi fractured upper arm

It has been five and a half long and painful months since I did a fancy and convoluted trip over my suitcase resulting in a broken limb.. It is a gradual and  ongoing healing process.

I am learning to live with the inconvenience and discomfort and limited arm mobility. I find that yelling and cussing is far superior to pain killers.

Through trial and error I discovered that if I bend over really, really low I can remove a tee shirt over my head. This action has repercussions. I have become stuck on more than one occasion. This is a pain in the neck and my back doesn’t feel so great either. This unique method of removing clothing results in a bad hair night which morphs into a bad hair day the next morning. I can put on earrings if I lean over to the far right  and tilt my head to my shoulder –again a pain in the neck. A benefit of these two maneuvers is that they leave me huffing and puffing – a sure sign that I am getting a good aerobic workout and burning calories.

I feel very grown up. I no longer need someone to cut my food. I can finally use a knife and fork to accomplish this as long as the meat isn’t too tough.

Observing all the sickness and disabilities people suffer I realize i am not so bad off and I strive to enjoy life, no matter what. I wish everybody good health. Keep your chins up to avoid a pain in the neck.

Stomp –a tribute to a special dog by his family

Wouldn’t be nice for those terminally ill or in perpetual chronic pain to have the opportunity to choose a sendoff like this surrounded by  loved ones.                                            ——————————————————————-

Mindy and I helped our closest friend, family member and a soul who radiated love happiness and joy all around him take his next steps in his adventure. Stomp’s new journey began just after his 13th birthday in a ceremony we had at at home in his favorite surroundings. The day began with a walk through the area banked by trees, snow and peacefulness. After relaxing after the stroll Stomp enjoyed a steak meal in front of the fireplace with a few cheese puffs as dessert. Before the vet came over we went outside for a last play with his current favourite toy (the red smiling face) and some bonding time. And then as he was relaxed and chilled lying on his bed which we set up in the living room in front of the fireplace, with music in the background, candles, incense and crystals around him, he took his next step forward. He let out a last breath with both of us around and holding him, his toys beside him and we knew he was relaxed, at peace and ready. 

Stomp has been part of every aspect of our life for the last 13 years from the first day he came home as a giant puppy slightly scaring his brothers. He brought continuous joy. He would accompany me on my walking phone calls and was always in tune to the flow of the conversation and would get up to move when he sensed the call was done. He especially loved the outdoors – from the pits he would dig in the sand to stay cool to chasing squirrels, birds and imaginary intruders, almost always with this favorite toy of the moment either in his mouth or close by. He was so loved that a maskot was even created for the FAME events of him so he can put a smile on people’s faces even when we wasn’t around.

He was there for us through so many challenging times, growth, life changes, transformation, moves, travels and everything in between. It is his love, support, compassion and amazing personality that I believe helped us keep everything together.

I am sure you playing with your brothers Boskoh and Dude and doing all the things you love and enjoy. I Love you. and I miss you Stomp. You taught me the joy of being in the moment, of enjoying nature, of living in love and I thank you for everything, always and forever.

 

NEW ORLEANS– my trip to this vibrant city and some New Orleans trivia

A couple years ago I Went with some friends on a mini vacation to Chicago. The trip was a huge success and we vowed that we would travel to New Orleans in the near future. The near future came. One of the Chicago ladies was unable to join us,  but our friend Ellen  made up the foursome even though she knew there might be a chance that a new grandchild might be born while she was in Louisiana . Cindy complained that she wasn’t sure she wanted to go, since she had already been there in the past with her husband.. Others from our Pickled lily woman group made some noise that they might join us but because of personal commitments they didn’t .

A convenient time for us to go was the end of October. As time got closer, excitement was in the air and we realized we should make some plans. We booked  from October 23 to October 28, because we were able to take advantage of an Air Canada seat sale. We each booked our own ticket at our place of residence. We all breathed a sigh of relief when it was confirmed that thankfully we all correctly booked on the same airline on the same flight on the same day going to the same destination. I think my travel companions had some trepidations that I might screw up.
We met at Helenas to discuss and book a hotel. Refreshments of wonderful home baked scones were served by our hostess. We chose to book at the Omni Hotel on Saint Louis street in the French quarter. We thought we had booked directly through the hotel but in reality we had booked through hotel.com and probably paid a premium.We planned another get together at my condo unit, mainly to discuss what our priorities were to do in  New Orleans and what restaurants to patronize. We had multiple suggestions and recommendations  from multiple sources. We booked ahead to attend a cooking demo at the New Orleans School of Cooking. We printed some coupons and other stuff off the internet. We booked transportation  to get to the airport.We had planned to draw to see who would be roomies with who (or is it with whom?) This part of our agenda was put on hold because Cindy didn’t come to our lunch meeting because she had something more important to do. What? More important than us? We decided to wait until we were having coffee with the lilies and let the Lilies have the pleasure to make sure we didn’t cheat.

At the restaurant where the lilies gather for coffee Ellen put each of our names on a piece of paper. Her plan was for everyone to choose one of these paper slips. We had to explain to our friend who really is very intelligent, that this wouldn’t work. What if we each picked our own name or in another possible scenario what if Cindy picked Helena’s name and Helena picked Ellen’s name. Hmm, you get the picture. It really didn’t matter to any of us who we shared a room with, because we know each other so well and most of the time we actually really like each other and make each other laugh. However I have to admit I was thinking that whoever got to share with me would be so lucky–😇.
Instead of names we put two  sets of numbers on pieces of papers. Everybody picked one and the plan was that those with matching numbers would  be together. Helena and I were a match and Ellen  and Cindy were the other match. We knew this would work out well because Helena and I compatibly shared accommodations in Chicago. We both like a warm room and Ellen, Cindy and another Lily on a recent South American cruise  stayed in one room with one washroom and they arrived  home still talking to one another.

Sunday, the day before our departure, we were all busy packing and unpacking and repacking again. What to take? What not to take? I was going to take my iPad. Helena wasn’t going to take her device. I decided not to take mine, Helen said she would take hers. In the end none of us took one, only our phones. Helena was upset because her computer broke down before she left. Ellen didn’t have much time to think about what to take because she arrived home from the Maritimes late Saturday afternoon. She was there to attend a wedding and hopefully to be there for the birth of the expected grandchild. But the baby had other ideas and wasn’t quite ready to vacate his warm and cosy home. Elena spent the few days we were away clutching her cell phone, waiting for some news from her son. Cindy doesn’t, have a short term memory problem but I suspect she has a selective memory problem. She denies that she had a bad cold before we left and maybe just maybe she might be partially responsible for the rest of us except for Ellen getting sick.Then again maybe it was me, because I had a tickly  throat that I thought I had warded it off  by taking Vitamin  C.

We were up early, very early Monday morning. Apparently at the  last minute Helena and Cindy had to change purses  due to broken zippers etc. that they were planning to take on the plane. We took two taxi’s to the airport The taxi to transport Cindy and I arrived at her place a half hour early at 4;30 A:M. When the taxi came to pick me up, Cindy and I discovered we were wearing identical hoodies that we had purchased a couple years ago at Chico’s.
We met our travelling companions at the airport, checked in reasonably easily and then had a gourmet breakfast (I am lying) at the airport. At least I didn’t drink Helenas tea like I did at the Chicago airport, thinking it was really bad coffee.

It was a nice flight-a smaller plane with comfortable seats. One problem, though was the man sitting across from Cindy was extremely large and had to sit with his legs in the aisle, practically in Cindy’s lap.

MONDAY OCTOBER 23, 2016 IN NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans time is one hour earlier than Toronto. We arrived shortly after 10 on a warm and lovely day. I was surprised to see that the entrance of our hotel was through a small door and to get to the lobby there were about 6 to 8 stairs to ascend with our luggage. Although there was a doorman we decided not to make use of his service. I hesitated at the bottom of the stairs and thought there is no way I can do this without putting a strain on my back or hands. A women behind me, probably anxious to get going, and feeling sorry for a little old lady, picked up my case and carried it to the top of the stairs. The next day Elens back was bothering her. We decided when it was time to check out we would let the doorman take our bags down the stairs. Some things are worth tipping for.
We checked into our rooms. Of course Helena and my key cards didn’t work. After a couple trips down to the lobby our room was changed . We were in room 338 and our friends in room 448. Our meeting place was by the two sofas that flanked the elevator In-between  our rooms.
We were starving and went up to the lovely roof top pool and cafe that overlooks the Mississippi River and much of the French Quarter. We had a nice lunch accompanied by delicious peach sangria. We took a walk and went to the famous Cafe du Monde for their famous beignets and coffee and known for its long lineups. I couldn’t eat the beignets, due to my gluten sensitivity but I enjoyed the icing sugar that fell off the beignets of my companions. It added a nice touch to my coffee. On the walk to the Cafe we passed The New Orleans School of Cooking.where we were going the next morning. We were pleasantly surprised to discover it was only a few doors down from the Omni Hotel.
We had dinner at the Royal Oyster House. It wasn’t great but the staff were accommodating and didn’t charge us for an entree because the shrimp tasted like iodine. I embarrassed Cindy because I kept dropping my cutlery.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 24

While we were walking to the elevator in the morning I asked Helen if I had snored during the night,. She answered in the affirmative. I asked her to demonstrate how I sounded. While we were waiting for the elevator to arrive she did, While she was gently snorting the doors opened. The people inside starred at us in amazement. We had some explaining to do and one lady said that’s why when she travels with friends they take separate rooms.
We went to the hotel restaurant. Three of us had a light breakfast because we knew we would have a hearty lunch. One of us had a hearty breakfast, because she knew she would have a light lunch. Elon was a good sport. She knew that there wasn’t much she would be able to eat, but she agreed to come to the demo followed by lunch at the cooking school. We arrived early and enjoyed meandering In the cooking schools boutique.
The demonstration was good and with the help of mirrors and good lighting it was easy viewing. The menue featured Cajun, French Acadian  and Creole cooking–gumbo, jambalaya, bananas Foster and the confection,  pralines that they pronounce prawlines made with pecans pronounced paycans. Praline was the last name of Louis the 15th chef. Gumbos are traditionally made with a roux which contains flour. The chef had a gluten free gumbo brought to me and another lady. I found it to be tastier than the regular gumbo. There was a side demonstration on how to make a roux, The longer it is wisked  while cooking the darker it gets. Different shades of roux are used for different dishes. It was good that Ellen had a good breakfast because lard and sausages are key ingredients in Cajun cooking-things she doesn’t eat. The rest of us enjoyed our lunch and we all enjoyed the stories and trivia imparted to us by our chef.
We returned to our hotel to leave off our parcels and then walked to the Hop on Hop Off Bus depot. We had printed some coupons at home, found by Ellen on the Internet which we brought with us.We each purchased a ticket for $44.00. which was good for three days,  Cindy was our tour leader for most of the trip. She complained bitterly, but secretly she loved it because our capable friend likes to be in control and to keep us organized and let’s face it, some of us are more directionally challenged than others.I admit I am one who is..
We chose to sit on the upper level of the hop/on hop/off bus. The guide was informative and entertaining.  We passed many monuments commemorating various  battles and significant events. The cityscape boasts homes and commercial buildings built in many different archeological styles. We passed many shot gun houses. Taxes were based on the width of the lot, so to save money the houses were built on narrow lots usually no wider than 12 feet across. The 3 to 5 rooms were built one behind the other with doors at the front and rear of the house. If someone were to shoot  a gun  from the front door, the bullet would go straight out the back door–thus the name Shot Gun house.
We were enjoying ourselves until the bus stopped suddenly, we lurched forward and Cindy slipped off of her seat and disappeared under the seats in front of her. We found her but we couldn’t get  her up. A man came to her assistance. Luckily she wasn’t hurt, but another lady cut her head. We had to wait for the police and emergency  vehicles. We made Cindy fill out an accident report just in case an injury showed up in the next couple of days. The lady bus driver was a nervous wreck. We were surprised that they didn’t send a replacement driver. Apparently a car went through a red light and almost side swiped the bus. After waiting around for what seemed like an eternity we were on our way. We moved down to the lower level of the bus. Possibly a good thing because just as the bus got going again the driver had to move closer to the curb to make room for the passing fire truck from our near accident. Branches from the overhead trees brushed through the open air top level.
Luckily no one was hurt, but with our luck if we were up there a branch could have swept Cindy off the bus and how on earth would we get her down from the tree? Cindy had another close call that day. When we were crossing the street a bike almost collided with her.She is like a cat with nine lives.
That night we walked to the Chartres House Restaurant, a pub recommended by the waiter/ bartender/poolboy  from our rooftop pool. Like in most big cities there are homeless people and people begging for food and money. On the way to eat we were approached by a man with an armful of hats. He thrust a hat to each of us and gave us each  a name and said he was giving each of us a hat as a present. We thanked him very much. He asked us to give a ten dollar donation to support a soup kitchen.  He said he was a volunteer and had some sort of identification. Genuine?– probably not. Ellen  and Cindy handed him $5:00.
Me and Helena didn’t.. The chatty man grabbed back the hats. But in his defence he did give Sandy and Elaine a small paper  back vegetarian cookbook which Sandy said she used. Ellen said the $5.00 was worth the entertainment,.
At dinner three of us enjoyed a portobello mushroom entree  and Cindyi had shrimp. We were feeling a little giddy probably partly because we were on holiday and partly due to what we were drinking with our dinner.
We speculated that our comrades  in Toronto probably missed us and didn’t have much to talk about over coffee. We decided to  add some excitement to their lives and give them something to talk about. Among peals of laughter just thinking about their reaction, we composed a group email that Ellen sent on her phone. We  mentioned that we were having fun and that we were all well. We said there was an incident in the afternoon and we are happy that Cindy didn’t, have to go to the hospital. We said we will tell them all about it when we are home. Upon our return we learned that some of the lilies were less than amused. Sorry, we didn’t mean to frighten anybody, but we certainly amused ourselves .

WEDNESDAY

Helena didn’t sleep the whole night because of an upset stomach, probably due to the heavy garlic used in the gumbo and jambalaya at the New Orleans School of Cooking. She joined us for tea and toast in the morning at the hotel dining room and then retired back to her bed.She told us to let her sleep and she would try to catch up with us later.
We didn’t want to leave her but we did. She promised to call us when she was up and about. We said if we didn’t hear from her we would call her.

We went back to the Hop/on Hop/off bus. We were hoping it wouldn’t be the same bus driver. It was-but a different guide. She was a former teacher and she was warm and informative. Because of the bus route we past most of the sites where we had been the previous day including the site of the bus mishap. We debused at the Garden District and joined a walking tour of this beautiful area, featuring lush flowering gardens wrought iron fences and majestic homes displaying an unusual mixture of Spanish, English, French and Greek  Revival  architecture. This area was populated by the first Americans to settle in New Orleans following the Louisiana purchase in 1803. The Creoles shunned the area and preferred to live in the French Quarter. Many of the homes have been passed down from generation to generation.
Numerous celebrities including Anne Rice and Nicolaus Cage lived here. Cage lost his house for failing to pay his taxes. John Goodman and his family live here. Sandra Bullock  adopted two little boys from New Orleans. She bought a home in the Garden District to acquaint her sons with their roots. This isn’t their permanent place of residence but they visit frequently. The area is beautifully maintained except for the sidewalks which are a mess. It is best to walk looking down so that one doesn’t trip in a pot hole or stumble on a jagged piece of pavement. Interestingly we didn’t fall walking, but a couple of us lost our footing ascending a step on a streetcar. Go figure.

After the completion of the tour, we took a short jaunt to the Lafayette Cemetery that was founded in 1843 on the site of  an old sugar plantation. This isn’t the traditional North American cemetery that we are used to. There are no graves. Tombs are built over a below ground vault known as a caveau ( French for cave) Because of heat and humidity tissue decomposes quickly, leaving behind the skeletal remains. These remains are placed in the cave to make room for the next inhabitant. Many tombs house multiple deceased – on shelves often from  the same family. The newcomer Is given the top shelf. The one previously occupying that space is moved to the shelf below. This process continues until his remains are put in the cave. Family Names are often seen on the tombs.

After our walkabout in the cemetery we took a ride on the Charles Street streetcar. We were pleasantly surprised when we were about to pay the regular fare and the bus driver said “seniors only pay 40 cents. ” How did she know we were seniors? We didn’t tell her ? It didn’t matter that we didn’t know if we were headed in the right direction or the wrong direction. Cindy was too proud to let us ask. We did find our way. After we descended the streetcar we went in search of ice cream. We still hadn’t heard from Helena and we were getting concerned. Elaine tried phoning her but there was no answer. We couldn’t find any ice cream parlours but we did find an I Hop. They were out of Ice cream. We tried Helena again – still no answer. While we were enjoying some refreshing thirst quenchers at the restaurant, we finally heard from our sick friend.
We told her we had called her numerous times. She was quite adamant that she never received any calls. It wasn’t until much later that it was discovered that instead of calling Helenas cell phone Ellen had called her Toronto number. We walked back to the hotel via Bourban street and had a snack or very late lunch by the pool. Helena joined us but still wasn’t feeling great.
We relaxed on the pool lounges and then made our way to another recommended restaurant by our pool main man. We all loved the Orleans Grapevine wine Bar and Bistro on 720 Orleans Avenue in the French Quarter. The food was wonderful. I enjoyed my fish. Even Helena enjoyed her light dinner of bread and cheese to pamper her ailing tummy. We sat in the Garden courtyard amid fountains and lush flora. The night air was delightfully warm. Apartments were situated above and surrounded the courtyard. I am sure the people living there were sometimes overwhelmed by the chatter and tantalizing cooking odours emulating from below. We enjoyed the walk to the restaurant and back to the hotel There were lovely little stores to pop into. Halloween was just a few days away and the streets and store windows were eerily decorated for Halloween.
We slept well that night.

THURSDAY- our last day–where did the time go?

We had a delicious breakfast at Brennan’s on Royal street. It was a lovely day and we opted to sit outside in their courtyard- even more  beautiful than the courtyard at the .
Grapevine. We walked to the Grey Line bus depot and purchased tickets using our discount coupon for the afternoon tour all about Hurricane  Katrina. We had time to spare so I reminded Cindy that I played bridge at her request. Even though I played badly she owed us a trip to the casino. We walked along the river to the casino and spent one hour there. We all lost with the exception of Cindy-She didn’t play.

The bus was very comfortable and our guide was excellent. His name is Bruce Nolan.
I believe he does private touring and encourages if anybody has questions or concerns    to contact him.  504-717 6423
NolanTours@gmail.com
Bruce Nolan is a reporter who stayed behind after evacuating his family to cover  Katrina and help the 10 to 20 percent of the population who were unable or unwilling to leave. Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005 and proved to be the costliest natural disaster in the United States. The devastation wasn’t due to winds, but rather from flooding and poor drainage that impacted or wiped out 80 percent of the city due to breaches in the levees and flood walls, that was under the jurisdiction of the United States Army corps of engineers. Areas affected were below sea level. The French Quarter and elegant Garden District are above sea level and thus mainly escaped water damage although they experienced  wind damage, loss of power and other inconveniences.
Those that stayed either died in their neighbourhoods or made their way with or without the help of friends and neighbours to the Super Dome and New Orleans Convention Centre. Here they were met with deplorable conditions and more deaths occurred. They were cut off from communication, with no water, food or medical care. It wasn’t until September 3 that FEMA sent buses to transport and relocate them out of the city. Some never returned.
Our tour took us to various neighbourhoods affected by Katrina. We saw the levees and flood walls that failed The first neighbourhood we visited was beautiful Lakeside. This affluent white neighbourhood was levelled during Katrina, but has been rebuilt. Most homeowners were able to afford good insurance policies and had the means and finances to return to what was once the site of their home. Next we toured a middle class neighbourhood that had been affected. While Lakeside had virtually no vacant lots, this area did -indicating a percentage of the population never returned. Ward 9 is a area of mainly Blacks who are less economically privileged . There are huge areas of vacant lots. People living here were largely renters or owners with little or no insurance and couldn’t afford to rebuild or return. Lower ward 9 is in such deplorable and dangerous condition that tour buses are not allowed in. 175,000 displaced Blacks left New Orleans and only 100,000 could afford to return.
In 2006, the year after Katrina, volunteer groups came to help rebuild Katrina and to give assistance to those in need. One of the first groups to come was a library group to sort through and restore where possible damaged books. Coincidentally two ladies from that group were revisiting New Orleans and were on our bus tour. They received a round of applause.
Many of the volunteers that came to New Orleans after the hurricane fell in love with the city and decided to stay or come back with their families. The rehabilitation of New Orleans has come a long  way, but there is still much to be done.

Will New Orleans be able to ward off another flood disaster? Improvements have been made and are continuing to be made, Higher walls are being built, old levees are being raised and strengthened, new and improved pumping stations are being erected to pump out the water to the lakes in case the levees fail. However despite all these improvements some are still sceptical.
We bade goodbye to our guide and thanked him for a wonderful tour.

We made our way back to the hotel, taking a break to have a beignet and listen to some jazz . We made a slight detour to walk along notorious Bourban Street, known  for its bars and strip clubs and brothels. IWhen we entered the street, we saw a young lady dancing down the road carrying a beautiful white parasol with streamers hanging down. It took us a minute or so to realize that the streamers from the parasol were the only things attempting to cover her body and they did a very inferior job. Helen  elegantly stated “hey she,s nude”
Bourban street comes alive at night especially during French Quarter festivals -the main one being Mardi Gras. It is legal to drink alcohol on the streets.
Bourban Street is accredited for the birth of jazz. New Orleans was the only place I19th century where slaves were allowed to own drums. In the 19 century New Orleans was dancing to VooDoo rhythms. European horns joined African drums and Jazz was born.
Jazz greats include Buddy Bolden, NickLa Rocca and Jelly Roll Morton. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, but moved to Chicago at an early age.

People love to dance and sing on the streets. Bourban Street used to be the centre of jazz but there are now numerous Jazz clubs in the French Quarter.groups play on the street and in cafes and restaurants.

We had a wonderful dinner that evening at Commanders Palace in the Garden district.
Elaine Sone said that was the best steak, she ever ate. It was that evening that Elaine sone learned that her daughter in law was in labour. She sat and later slept with her cell phone clasped to her chest. Her grandson was born in the wee hours of the morning. He was born with a full head of hair.

Thursday

We said goodbye to New Orleans. We did a lot but there was so much more we could have done. Maybe if we return we will take a plantation tour, a swamp tour cruise along the mighty Mississippi on a paddle boat or take a dinner/jazz cruise. There is an outlet mall that I wasn’t aware of. We actually passed a Chicco store and didn’t go in. Now that is a miracle. Cindy did buy a leprechaun hat in one of our meandering .

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Cottage is Sold

Things change and our wonderful cottage full of memories gathered over the years has been sold.It is a bitter sweet moment for me. My wish for the new owners is that they will create new memories of their own and experience happy times. Life is to be enjoyed.