Merry Christmas

I feel as though my life has been in fast motion since I wrote last and truly it has been filled with some amazing adventures and funny stories which I will share with you. I really will be writing two blogs in one to get caught up and post some great pictures from the past 1 ½ weeks.

My friend Lana arrived the day after I finished my Thai massage class. The day she arrived we jetted around Chiang Mai getting organized to leave on a trek the following day. My dad had gone on this trek and highly recommended it so we signed up. It was such an amazing experience! I don’t even know where to start. The trek was south of Chiang Mai about 4 hours by car in an area called Sopmoei-Mai Sarlang area. There was nothing touristy about this trek. What it was about was experiencing a hill tribe village and what their every day lives consisted of. The three days consisted of hiking with packs/sleeping bags on through tropical forest, jungles, through the water along waterfalls and through a cave with bamboo lit to guide the way. The first night we stayed with the Poe village people in the headman’s home with his family. We had amazing food cooked for us and tasted some rice whiskey which wasn’t too bad…missing some good red wine here in Thailand 

We slept on bamboo mats outside the “deck” under mosquito nets and woke up to roosters at the crack of dawn-not that we got much sleep on the hard surface anyway! We set off to hike more on that day going through another village and a school where the children were playing a game called “sempattakrol” which was like soccer played over a lowered volleyball net. It was a lot of fun to watch and a couple of our trekking group joined in with the kids. Speaking of our group and crew; we had a great group of people; Thomas and Sarah from France, Juan, Imma, Jochen from Majorca, Spain and of course the Americans, Lana and myself. Our tour guide was Ropooh who was an amazing guide. The Poe people are his people so he not only speaks the language but knows all about the culture and also living in that environment. He was very knowledgeable about uses for various plants and fruits to help with things like a sore throat and bleeding. There was even a leave that you could blow bubbles with. We also saw some pretty scary spiders, tree mice but luckily no cobras. We also had Elvis(not his real name but he had it on his shirt so thus he become Elvis for the trek) as our driver and a few of the locals Poe villagers who carried most of our food, carved the bamboo, and cooked our meals. Not only that but they fished with nets, caught frogs, and they even caught a rat in the middle of the night that we guessed they ate at some point. Nothing is wasted.

On the second day we hiked back down to the river(we had had a steep hike up the previous day) and crossed the river a couple of times and hiked along the river until we arrived at our 4 star river front accommodation. It was like Gilligan’s island meets Robinson Crusoe. We unpacked, took a swim in the river and sunbathed on rocks(well I did at least) and hung out while our guide and locals made our eating utensils and cooking gear all out of bamboo. We ate this amazing Thai vegetarian meal consisting of three different dishes and cooked rice all done on the fire in bamboo. We were all so quiet while we devoured this delicious meal. For entertainment, Thomas who is a professional dancer, tried teaching us salsa on the bamboo floor….not too easy to maneuver but we had fun and laughed a lot.

Once again we slept on the bamboo floors and had to hike to the toilet(squatters) in the middle of the night. The next morning we had eggs cooked in bamboo, fresh fruit and toast. We packed up and started our hike for the day which consisted of many river crossings, along waterfalls and the finale a 20 minute hike up river through a cave. It was incredible. After some more hiking uphill we had a great Thai lunch all wrapped in bamboo leaves. After lunch we had a short hike and unfortunately our trip was coming to a close. We headed back to Chiang Mai and joined up with our group for one last meal together.

The next day, Lana and I had planned to do a cooking course at an organic farm about 30 minutes outside of Chiang Mai. Thomas and Sarah, from our trek, joined us and we had a great day of cooking and eating Thai food with a fun group of people.

On to Christmas! We had organized a guide and car to head up north to Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle and over to a mountain town called Mae Salong. Our driver showed up with the gal from the office who booked our tour(who was actually his wife and we were informed she was coming along as well) Lana and I went along with the flow even through the car seemed a bit rough and as the day went on our driver manipulated most of the day so instead of going on a 4 hour boat trip along the Meekong river we only went for about 1 hour but did head up to Mae Salong for the night which ended up being a wonderful place. It is a Chinese hill village where they grow oolong tea and have wonderful views and lovely cool nights. That evening Yo (the driver) took us up the very steep hill to the temple to see the night view. Once back in town we stopped to get something at 7-11(yes, they are all over Thailand…no kidding) and the car wouldn’t start. We figured he’d get it fixed and we’d be off in the morning….or so we thought!

Christmas morning we got up early to climb the 718 stairs to the temple for a wonderful view. On the way we ran into Yo and he informed us that the car needed a part so he was on his way to Chiang Rai and would be back and ready to leave in about 3 hours. We figured Mae Salong wasn’t a bad place to be stuck so we hiked the temple, walked around the morning markets and the town enjoying the day. Yo finally got back and informed us he had to go back to get another part. By this time we were ready to leave and see the sights we had planned on so Yo had to hire another car/driver to take us to Mae Sai(border to Myanmar) the Golden Triangle where we took a speed boat over to Laos for a short shopping excursion. By this time, still no word from Yo who was supposed to meet up with us and we would continue to Chiang Rai and back to Chiang Mai. We started getting nervous and wondering if we’d ever get back that night. He did indeed fix the car and we met up with him to switch cars and head back. The clincher was that Yo ended up borrowing 2000 baht from us to pay the other driver.(We really did wonder if he'd really pay us back but he did)It was the longest drive! We had to stop often and he had to mess with the engine but FINALLY we got back to CM. Not really the Christmas we had planned but an interesting one to say the least.

The next night was the 26th and we got an overnight bus to Bangkok. I’ll stop here because my brain and hand need a break and post some photos from these adventures and will work on the next blog very soon.

I hope you all had a great Christmas!
View photos at:www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/ChiangMaitrek
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/ChiangRaitour

Can Elephants really paint?

I'm up early and doing last minute note reading preparing for the exam from my second week of my Thai massage course. It has been great! I've learned a lot..too much really...and the hope is that I don't forget all of it before I return home. I just need to practice, practice, practice.......I'm sure I won't have too much of a problem finding volunteers. The past two week have been very physical as well as intellectually simulating. We do yoga, tai chi or qi gong every morning for an hour then learn new postures in the Thai massage sequence. I'm pretty beat by the end of the day.

That said, I really haven't seen much aside from the center city of Chiang Mai and the neighborhoods surrounding were I'm living. I did go to a couple of places last weekend with my dad and his friend Bill. On Saturday we went to the town of Bantawa where they do the detailed wood carving and it's a cute little town with many, many shops to tempt you. On Sunday we went to one of the elephant parks which was fun but very touristy. They train(and you wonder how they do this..which I don't like) the elephants to do all sorts of things like play soccer, twirl hoops and even paint...no kidding, that was amazing! You can see on the photos. You can feed the elephants bananas and bamboo and sit on their knee and they will take a hat and put it on your head. We also went to a snake show (which wasn't my idea but I'm the one in the photo with a cobra around my neck!)and unbelievable that these Thai guys handle pythons, cobra and other dangerous snakes.

What I've really enjoyed is just walking and taking in the culture and the people. They are so friendly and helpful. My friend, Lana, arrives today from San Diego and we have some great things planned for the next few weeks. I will be in touch.

I just want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and know I will miss you but honestly am not missing all the hype of the season...just missing friends and family. I hope 2010 is a wonderful year for everyone.
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Thailand

Another World

Sawasdee Kaa from Thailand...hello that is! After a long flight from Glasgow to London and then into Bangkok I went to get my bag and it never came! Here I am in Asia thinking OMG, I'll never get my bag but I overcame that thought and trusted it would but it's horrible being without your toiletries(luckily I thought to pack an extra set of clothes into my carry on)especially your mosquito repellent when they love me! My bag did arrive 24 hours later but by then I was so bit up, I don't know if I'll ever be the same. Why I didn't think to go buy some I'm not sure but that'll teach me :)

So, what does one do the first day in Bangkok? I always like to just orientate myself into a new place and I decided to just walk and see what there was nearby. I wandered along the streets taking in everything that was so foreign to me but even in spite of the craziness of Bangkok city, I felt good thrown into this new culture. The people are so gracious and friendly, they never hesitate to smile at you and at least try to understand what your trying to say. I stopped and got a leg and bikini wax for about the equivalent of $11. Mind you, I didn't know what I was getting myself into and their standards for cleanliness are no where near like the ones we have in the states(which is an understatement) so if I thought too much about it, it was a bit frightening but all was just fine. Later that day I received my first real Thai massage and it was great!(about $10) I figured I should get at least one traditonal Thai massage before starting my Thai massage course in Chiang Mai.

I ended up meeting the Canadian twins(two women traveling together who look like sisters) and had a great time with them. We struck up a conversation on the street and we can some great conversations about travel-they had some great stories-and life and I ended up spending most of the evening with them until I was absolutely cross eyed from jet lag.

The next day I had arranged for a overnight VIP bus to take me to Chiang Mai. This was also the day of the Kings birthday in Thailand and a HUGE party was going on. Getting to the bus station on a Tuk Tuk(A Three wheeled vehicle that are open and can maneuver in and out of traffic and is quite the knuckle gripping ride!) The bus ride was 10 hours and it was quite nice actually as they served you snacks and played a movie dubbed in Thai that was SO loud that I ended up watching a movie on my computer to try to drown out the sound. The Thai LOVE thing loud!

I arrived at 5:00am and made my way to my home for the next 2 weeks. I'm staying at a guest house walking distance to the massage school I'm going to and I started that today. It feels like a lot to take in but I think I'm going to enjoy the program and learning a new skill. I've met some nice people from all over the world and I truly love hearing their stories. One American girl from California(massage therapist)had planned a 6 month trip to Costa Rica and 5 years later she's still on the road! She lives part time in Greece and is the only Massage Therapist in town and also has family in Spain so is applying for dual citizenship.

I will be here for two weeks and then my friend, Lana from San Diego, comes for Christmas and New Years. I excited to have her join me and get out of the cities and see the country side and beaches down South. We will also stop back into Bangkok and see some of the famous temples and other attractions that Bangkok has to offer.

I finally have my London photos to share with you. As you'll see I had one amazing day in London and the photos from the London Eye and the river boat cruise came out really well. Thailand photos will follow soon. Hugs to you all!
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/London

Men in skirts?

Where else would you see four good looking men in skirts? Scotland of course! I attended a Ceilidh last Saturday. In the old days in the Highlands of Scotland “ceilidh” is Gaelic describing a get together or meeting. Now, it is used to describe a gathering of people who dance the dances of Highland.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but I had a great time! There was a Ceilidh band called “Gallus” and they rocked. They were the good looking blokes with black kilts on worn with a sporran(a purse basically) and black boots and the lead guy wore an "ACDC" cap worn backwards. He also played an iridescent purple fiddle and it sounded amazing.

The group ranged from 10 years(only a few youngsters) to 80 years old-yes, some older men in kilts as well. The dances were called out so one could easily follow the steps...well, after a few rounds anyway. During the breaks they had these four young women dancing the traditional highland dances very professionally. It reminded me of “River dancing” that the Irish do and it was very energetic and entertaining. I ended up dancing most of the night and came away nearly bruised on my arm from being swung around in “strip the willow” where you basically go down the line or the group of people and swing just about everyone round and round. What was great to see is most everyone participating with huge smile on their faces.

Unfortunately, being totally out of the “travel mode”, I forgot my camera. There was a man who was at the Ceilidh that is a photographer and he gave me his website to view photos of the event. When I checked last, he hadn’t posted the new event but if you like to check out his website, go to: www.caledonianphotographic.co.uk
If you go to gallery then events you should see something like “Lanark Ceilidh dance 2009”

So, my time has come to an end in Scotland and I’m off to Thailand today. I’m very excited for warmer weather and also for a new adventure. I have had such a great time of rest and connection with Scotland and family that I feel ready to move on.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So, I know your all wondering what one does in Scotland for Thanksgiving. Actually nothing having to do with the American tradition of eating until your absolutely stuffed and can't move and you always say "Why do I always eat SO much!" This I'm happy about but not that I didn't miss the tradition of getting together with family and friends and being thankful for the great food and all the wonderful things that life is. So, what did I do? I woke up this morning and laid in bed thinking of all the things I personally have to be thankful for...which is a lot! I got up and made my green tea and climbed back into bed(it was only 6:45 after all) and finished the book "Three Cups of Tea" I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it if you haven't read it already. It had a wonderful message about life and humanitarianism and what there is to be truly thankful for.

I went to a "diverse fiber day" with my aunt Jenn where a group of women gather once a month working on projects having to do with fiber art and especially 'felting" I made a pair of felted wool gauntlets(gloves without fingers) which will NOT come in handy in Thailand so will no doubt stay behind to come back to the states (at some point) with my aunt Sara's second suitcase of all my goodies accumulated while in Europe....thank you Sara! I did have a turkey sandwich for lunch so I was in the spirit of the day. Jenn and I enjoyed a wonderful meal at a local Italian restaurant here in Lanark this evening.

Have I mentioned the rain yet? Not that I was under the impression that it was going to be nice in November but holly cow....it is bloody cold! I can't complain since I'll be leaving this lovely country to warm, humid Thailand next week so I'll just try to appreciate the crisp air and rare sun shinning through the clouds with colorful rainbows now and again. Mostly my time here is about re-charging my batteries and just relaxing with family. As wonderful as travel is, it can be damn tiring as well. Having a bit of down time is essential. I realized just how tired I was after leaving Rome and arriving to London to stay with a friend Christine. While London is a wonderful city, I just didn't have the drive to go,go,go. I did have a couple of fun days with a British friend who showed me quite a lot of London in a couple of days. We were blessed with a clear, beautiful day and went up onto the London Eye and did a river cruise with a great commentary of the London sights along the river Thames. It was a spectacular day with wonderful skies. I will download photos soon.

I wanted to write and fill you all in on my whereabouts but mostly wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving and know that I am so thankful for all of you; my amazing friends and family who have been so supportive of my travels and dreams. Thank you for your emails, "skypes" or responses to my blogs. Just know that hearing from you truly makes my day and I appreciate your effort, time and love and miss you!
Enjoy the holidays season and I will be in touch from Thailand very soon. Love and Peace to you all.

Italy

So the rest of my time in Italy was primarily in Rome and that is a fantastic city. They is so much history and I was staying with a friend, Mariella, and her husband, Silvano while I was in Rome. Mariella is a tour guide so what better person to take one to the Vatican museum, Sistine chapel and Saint Peter's church. Mariella is a wealth of knowledge and I learned so much about Roman history in a few hours then I ever knew before. the Colosseum was spectacular as well as the Roman forum. These are some of the well known sites but there are also some great plazas and fountains....you can see for yourself by looking at the photos.

I had the pleasure to meet the cousins, Laura, Francesca, and Marco,of my aunts friend, Julie, while in Italy as well. We had a nice night out walking along the ancient streets of Trastevere and stopping to enjoy some Italian wine and tasty Italian cheeses. We enjoyed a nice dinner and did a driving tour of some of the other areas around Rome.

Rome has so much to offer and see and I feel like a touched the surface. After all, I did throw coins in the the Trevi fountain with they say means you will one day return to Rome.
Photos at: www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Italy

In my next life, I want to be Italian and live in Italy....

I love Italy! The food, wine, the people, the culture, history, the style......and yes the gelato! So in my fantasy I drive up on my Vespa wearing my Italian made boots, leather jacket with my hair flowing from under my helmet. I walk along the streets and find a cafe to stop for an espresso or cappuccino and perhaps a yummy pastry to go along with my coffee....okay, I could go on but you get my drift.

So, my time here has been short with only a few more days to go but it has been great and I feel it has been a wonderful introduction to the Italy life and culture. I arrived from Paris on the 3rd of November and dropped off some of my "load" at my friends house in Rome and headed off to Siena. I only spent one day there really and it is a lovely small ancient city(what isn't in Italy)with charm and a sense of wanting to melt into the winding streets of shops, the historic buildings and yes......the gelato shops. I love the gelato here in Italy and am working my way through just about every flavor.

I left the next day by train for Florence. There I met up with my cousins, Morag and Robert, from Glasgow as they were there on holidays in Florence. We had a great time enjoying the view from the top of the Duomo and visiting some of the greatest museums. We went to the Academia which houses "David" by Michelangelo which was amazing. I could have sat and examined that work of art for ages!We ate lots of good pizza and really good pasta and of course great wine.....not to mention...gelato.

I took the train to Venice and got into the water bus made my way to my hotel. What an wonderful city Venice is. I wandered the narrow streets and waterways for the rest of the day and evening until I just felt exhausted from visual overload. The next day I went for an early morning run and it was magical. The sky was cloudy but in the early morning light it made the rust, yellow, peachy colors of the buildings really stand out and the water was a slate blue. Later that morning when I was wandering the streets and getting lost-you really can't get lost since your on a small island-I went into a wonderful art exhibition of a Chinese master and had a conversation with the man there about energy and symbolism.

I then made my way to the boat to take me to Murano; the small island that is famous for making glass. There the windows were exploding with color with some fantastic pieces of art, jewelery, lamps and chandeliers. By this time it was raining cats and dogs and when I returned to Venice and went to San Marcos square it was literally flooded. This is went welly boots would come in handy and a lot of people had them or had plastic bags tied around their feet and legs. For the tourist not in the know, they had a line of table like risers to walk along to stay relatively dry. Not the best of days for sight seeing but still, a wonderful place to visit.

Off to Rome where I'm at now but I'll save that and the photos for the next blog!

"Julie and Julia" in Paris

One of the rainy days in Paris, we went and saw the movie “Julie and Julie” and I loved it. It was so much fun to see some of the same areas we were seeing in Paris that Julia Childs apparently frequented for many years while she lived in Paris. I was also very touched emotionally by the movie. A few weeks ago I had read my friend Jean’s blog (www.lostinthebubble.blogspot.com) that she wrote after seeing the movie and she had expected a light hearted “chick flick” and was balling throughout the movie as it touched some places deep inside her. I felt very similarly; that is made me very emotional….as well as making me laugh….about my life. It was about two women who where searching for a purpose and passion in their life and when they looked at what they really loved to do and they pursed it to the fullest, life become joyous, full and meaningful. Isn’t that what we all truly want but let’s face it so many of us fail to find that meaning and passion.

So, here I am traveling the world. Is that my passion? No,yes...maybe, and in my journey I am finding joy, adventure, new friends as well as the challenges the come along with this sort of journey. In the process, I trust that perhaps some of the passions that are already there or ready to come out, will indeed do so. So, now I have to add cooking school onto my “bucket list”. As many of you know, I love to cook and believe I am quite good at it but I would love to inspire to be even better. Just for the pure joy of it but unlike Amy Peterson in the movie, if I were to cook and eat myself through Julie child’s cookbook, I’m sure I would gain multiple pounds. Would anyone care to fund my culinary passion by sending me off to cooking school….say in Italy? I would gladly practice by cooking for you.

Oh yes, Paris! I was in Paris once, with my Uncle and my friend, Lisa, right after high school. It is a fantastic city and I have to say that looking at Paris through eyes 30 years later is quite different with much more of an appreciation for the city and what it has to offer.

My friend Dave, from Colorado, met me here and we rented a cute little flat in the Montmartre area which is famous for the cathedral Sacre-Couer and the plaza for portrait artists. There is also a steep set up steps going up to the Cathedra(which was where our apartment was)l that Dave and I set out to run 10 times; approximately 150 steps and 100 vertical feel. We worked up to it over the 11 days and we did it and I calculated that in the three days that we ran steps, we did it 19 times total…. So we did approximately 2,850 steps….and that’s just the up part….the down was a cool down. I know, perhaps that doesn’t sound like much fun for most of you but when you are indulging in wine, cheese, bread and decadent deserts, you have to do something to burn off some of the calories. Plus we walked a lot

Unfortunately, I had a tough time physically; meaning that I had an "accident prone" period while in Paris. I first caught my ring on the fence taking a photo of the backside of the Norte Dame and luckily my ring came apart before tearing up my finger instead of tearing OFF my finger. Then three days later I fell down the metro steps…no, I was not drinking…and sprained two of my fingers on the same hand and bruised the rest of my body fairly well. Not the highlight of my time in Paris. They are still sore but will heal in time.

So, I won’t go over all the sights, museums, areas we visited but instead will let you check out the photos and see for yourself. It was a great time in Paris and even though I thought it was still quite crowded, it was a great time of year to be in Paris and only two days of rain in 11 days………..we were very lucky!
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/paris

Barcelona-The City of Gaudi

It seems like a long time since I’ve written. I have truly enjoyed Barcelona as I had a feeling I would. Unfortunately my Spanish lessons were curtailed by the fact that in Barcelona they speak Catalan so only to confuse me more and believe me it’s quite different. In fact the true Catalans believe themselves to be very separate from the Spanish. At many of the museums they have the headings written first in Catalan and then in Spanish………sometimes English if you’re lucky.

I just loaded my photos from Barcelona on my computer and had a good look. Barcelona is definitely “The City of Gaudi” There are amazing buildings and churches designed by Gaudi and some fantastic designs at that. My photos only captured a small amount of Gaudi as I didn’t go into all the buildings but did have a good look from the outside. Some of the things I saw and/or visited were the La Sagrada Familia church, La Pedrera, Casa Batillo and Park Guell. You will see a number of photos from the park as I went two different times; once when there were a lot of people and then one morning I ran there and it was so peaceful and quiet.

I also went to the Picasso museum and that was wonderful. What a brilliant artist and interesting person he was. I visited monument a Colom, museu naconal d’art De Catalunya

While in Barcelona, I was lucky enough to have a friend to stay with who is American and has been living in Barcelona for about 12 years so knows the city very well. Lucky me! In trade, I was able to cook meals for us and satisfy my culinary desire to cook. One day I walked down the La Rambla-a famous street in Barcelona filled with street performers, flower and live bird stalls and much more. I visited the Mercat de la Boqueria which was fantastic! It was filled with every vegetable, fruit imaginable and more. Then the choices of meat, fish was incredible and some I couldn’t tell you what it even was. There was even a hog’s head which I decided to pass on that for our evening meal. I must have spent more then an hour and had to control myself since I had to carry all I bought onto the metro and buses.

The weekend that I was there, Greg and I headed to the coast to a place called Cadaques which is about 20 kilometers from the border of France.I fell in love with the white washed buildings, the crystal clear blue water, the small winding rock laid streets filled with boutiques, restaurants and art galleries. We hiked and I ran some of the trail out to the lighthouse and you’ll see by the photos how magical Cadaques is. It is known for the wind and boy was it while we were there. The evening we were there we attended a photo exhibition done by a local photographer of the local women of Cadaques in black and white and it was wonderful! Most of the women were in their 50’s and 60’s and she captured the beauty and playfulness of every one of them. The opening itself was very interesting and I wish I had remembered to bring my camera but it was great people watching!

The next day we took a bus to Figures where Salvador Dali grew up. There we went to the Teatre-museu Dali and that was fantastic! What a talented and strange man that was. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

The remainder of my time there was spent wandering around, exploring the city, and getting caught in the rain…and I mean serious downpour. Yes, I had my umbrella but this didn’t stop my shoes and socks from getting totally drenched. This was the day before I was leaving and in Europe dryers aren’t very common so I had my wet clothes draped all over the house radiators in hopes they’d dry by the morning.

So, my time in Spain was wonderful and it felt bitter sweet leaving this morning but to be going to Paris is not a bad thing! The walkabout continues!

photos at: www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Barcelona

I'm currently in Paris and leaving next Tuesday but will get my blog and photos posted before I leave...next is Italy and not sure about internet connection while I'm there.

The Last Supper

This was the joke I had with the group of Anglos and Spaniards that I spent the week with in Salamanca on the last night of the program. Being that when you travel, sometimes meals take the back burner. It’s not like I starve but I tend to eat simply and sometimes only two meals a day. So, I have to say, in spite of the long hours it had it’s benefits (not to mention my own room, bathtub and wake up calls) and one of which was three meals a day and pretty good food in spite of being a buffet; it always had lots of fresh fruit and a great salad bar at lunch and dinner so I was a happy girl! And as some of you may know, I LIVE for my salads and since I’ve been away my servings of fruits and vegetables have been diminished somewhat. When your traveling for extended periods of time this feels like luxury.

So there I was enjoying my salad and fish (of course wine) thinking about the week. It was really a great experience. Even though my time wasn’t my own and I had to talk and listen all day long at great concentrations, it was really fun. I truly enjoyed meeting new people, having some great connections and learning so much about the Spanish way of life. I truly feel like I made some new friends. We had some funny activities as well, like skits and poems and presentations in the evenings. I even did a yoga presentation and had one man, Lynn, from Wales volunteer to let me lead him through the demo….what a good sport! The last night we had a fiesta with Sangria and lots of dancing and some sad goodbyes at the end of the night.

Once again the partying interfered with my sleep. I had to get up at 4:00am to catch a train to Lisbon, Portugal. At about 12:30 I was almost convinced to just stay up and go out with everyone but I figured a few hours of sleep would probably be a good idea!

I had the train ride from hell. My train left from Salamanca at 5am and it was 7 hours on the worst train I’ve ever experienced. We were squeezed into a compartment like sardines and it was loud, cold and dirty. This was the first time I had experienced a bad train so I was surprised. I survived and arrived to Lisbon at about 12:00 noon and made my way to the hostel. What was really nice is everything seemed a bit easier in Portugal. They actually listed English as well as Portuguese so I could actually figure out what the hell I was supposed to do next and a lot of people spoke English.

The hostel I stayed in was really nice and the people very friendly and helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 ½ days in Lisbon and got to see a number of sights like the town of Belem which is on the water and had a bridge that reminded me of the Golden Gate bridge. I visited a couple of castles, an old montassary and some great neighborhoods. Also a town called Sentra which was very magical filled with castles and amazing parks and more history then I had time to digest.

Currently I am sitting at the Salamanca train station in the café waiting for my next train to Madrid for a day to visit a friend and then head to Barcelona. I arrived at midnight on the “train from hell” (which wasn’t AS bad this time) and couldn’t catch another train to Madrid until 5:45am. So, here I sit writing about my experiences and wondering if I can curl up on the table and sleep for a few hours. The TV is blaring and chairs uncomfortable so I’m thinking not. Oh well, there’s always 2 ½ hours to snooze on the fast train to Madrid.
View my photos from Salamanca and Vaughan Town at:
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/SalamancaAndVaughanTown
Also view my Lisbon photos at:
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/LisbonPortugal
Another note: I posted the Madrid photos on my last blog entry so go there...Madrid
Thanks for letting me share!

Madrid

I've decided that some big cities just don't do it for me at all. Don't get me wrong, there are some amazing buildings and and things to do like the Prado which you really need about two days to see it in it's entirety. I spent two hours! I know but when you only have 1 1/2 days you try to see it all that's about it.

My main reason for coming to Madrid was to meet up with this volunteer group called "Vaughantown" which is a group geared towards Spaniards learning English.
http://www.vaughantown.com/english/newsletter1.pdf
I included the website for information if anyone is interested in reading more.
It seems like a great program for becoming more comfortable with speaking another language. You first need to have a fairly good base of English and once here, it's mostly about speaking and listens with Anglo like myself and others from Australia, England, Wales. I'm actually the only American. Our job is to basically converse with them, it's not about correcting grammar, etc. You get to talk about life, interests, their country, your country and just about anything. We in turn get to stay in a very nice hotel and get feed very well plus wine at lunch and dinners. The people are really nice and so far it has been a great experience....plus I love having my own room after staying in hostels with 3 smelly men. Yep, that's right my experience in Seville didn't stop at staying in mixed dorms....did I not see that in the description?? So needless to say, I'm appreciating the solitude, in my room at least. Salamanca is a wonderful city as well but I'll write more about that at the end of the week.

I finally experienced the "night life" in Spain. After meeting the other volunteers from the program, a few of us decided to go out to a club. Knowing that we had to get up early, I was thinking it probably wasn't a good idea BUT what the heck....you have to experience everything at least once right?
It was wild! I've never seen so many people out at one time and the club was packed but the music was great. Needless to say, I arrived back to my hostel about 4:30am! Okay, so 3 hours of sleep. I slept a bit on the bus but then had to be "on" chatting with Spaniard and believe me it's work when you have to focus so much. I'm truly enjoying meeting them and getting to know them.

Okay, that's all for now. I'm off for more...
No photos of Madrid right now, I have a very weak signal at the cafe and limited time so I'll post soon.
Adios!
here is the link to my Madrid photos www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Madrid

Hammam.........ahhhhhhhh!

A delicious sensory experience. What is it? It’s an ancient Arabic bath which consists of warm, hot and cold baths along with a wonderful stream room. It is decorated in the Arabic style by its geometrical mosaics, archways, latticework and columns.

As well as soaking in the baths, were you alternate from warm to hot to cold(oh so refreshing…no really it is and really good for you)you can choose to do a traditional “hammam” massage which is an exfoliation of the body and truly an amazing experience.

I was taken it to the main room where the large warm bath is and laid apon a octagonal shaped warm slap of marble. The therapist poured warm water over my body then I could feel something being put onto my back and legs but couldn’t for the life of me tell what it was but it felt wonderful….like light meringue being softly ladled onto my body. I was then scrubbed with some sort of glove that felt like it was gently but firmly taking the top layers of skin, dirt and road wariness away. Then warm water delightfully poured over me again and I was told to turn over and got to experience the front of my body as well…..nice to have two sides of the body! This time I peeked when the substance was ladled over me and it was a thick layer of foam from the soap she used.

Once done there I had the pleasure of receiving a relaxing massage while enjoying the smell of rose oil aromatherapy-my only complaint was that it wasn’t long enough-only 15 minutes. I then got to soak in the pools for at least an hour and a half. While soaking alternating form the different pools and sipping sweet Moroccan tea, I was able to appreciate the architecture, the candles and the sunlight coming in through the star shaped skylights. Also, they had relaxing music playing to harmonize with the sound of tickling water of the fountains.

I hope you now have an idea of my hammam bath experience. Oh and by the way, this was while I was in Cordoba. As you can guess that was the highlight and Cordoba is also a nice, picturesque city as well with an huge ancient mosque/cathedral that took about 300 year to complete. I also visited an old casa in the Arabic style as well as a couple of art museums.

I decided that 2 days was plenty in Cordoba so I’m moving on to Madrid tomorrow.
View my photos of Cordoba at www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Cordoba
Also, I put my photos from Granada on the web and you can see those at:
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Granada

Seville

I really like Seville and in some ways wish I had chosen to study Spanish there. Not that that would have helped me in my progression with the language BUT I think the life style in Seville would have suited me much better in many ways. I liked the layout of the city and it was very easy to get around and they actually HAVE signs on the streets which makes life much easier when looking for things in a strange city. Actually what I've learned about myself, is that maps are a good guide but I like to wander and rather then street signs I'm better at landmarks and while sometime it takes me a while to find the same place, I eventually do.

So, my new friend, Jenna, who was in my Spanish class in Granada, decided to join me in Seville for the weekend. She booked us into a hostel that she found online and the first night we had a three bed dorm which was fine until we found out it was a mixed dorm! Okay, news to me...and Jenna. It worked out even though our roommate was an English bloke whose skills in the English language where challenged...or was it our challenge in understanding? Anyway, he may as well have been speaking Spanish! The next night we moved into a double and the only other roommates we had were uninvited.....mosquitoes or some sort of biting insects!

We had a great time seeing the sights in Seville including a 16 century mansion remolded in 1924 by the Countess Lebrija...whoever she was. She had an amazing art collection of Roman mosaics, statues and tiles. In case you haven't noticed, I've become a bit obsessed by tiles and also stained glass. I love the colors and designs and the inspiration-the artist coming out in me. Also, the Arabic architecture is fascinating! The other places we visited were the Alcazar which is somewhat of a smaller version of the Alhambra but very different in it's layout and nowhere near the magnificence of the gardens at the Alhambra.

The Cathedral is one of the largest in Europe and it truly is mind boggling. I can appreciate the years of work, the architecture but the Catholic symbolism and gets to be a bit much to be honest.

We also went to Plaza Espana which was beautiful and there are so many parks in Seville of which I explored the last day I spent in Seville as well as enjoy a run one night after it rained and the sun was setting and there were runners, bikers, rollerbladers everywhere....I felt right at home.
View my photos at:
www.picasweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Seville

Another World!

I went to Morocco this past weekend on a tour. Lesson number one; no more tours! I decided to go with the tour because being a woman alone, Morocco is not the place you want to go on your own. Over all it was a good introduction to the country but there would be so much more to experience without being tied to a time schedule and limited areas to explore.

We were primarily in the North of North Africa in three different areas; Tetuan, Tanger and Chef-Chaouen. The weather was beautiful and the country amazing in so many ways; the color, the people and just a different way of looking at the world. Nothing like anyplace I've ever been to. In Tetan, we went to some traditional markets where the locals hang out and shop. We were a large group and no doubt stood out but we didn't see many other tourist in this area.

We were given "free time" to shop and taken to this amazing carpet store where they just sat us down (and maybe locked the door, I'm not sure but that was the feel) and started putting out a ton of rugs and they were all smiles and happy until they started taking us aside in the little corners of the shop and giving us outrageous prices and then the smiles vanished when hardly anyone would buy.

We were then taken to a "traditional" Moroccan meal that was not the best...not really even good! We were very disappointed to say the least.

The next day was my favorite day. We drove up into the mountain to Chef-Chaouen. This was a truly magical place with incredible mountain views and the areas we walked and shopped were so colorful and simply magical! Once again we got taken to a "special" shop and I think everyone was much more prepared. We found out that the same item could be purchased down the way for about a third of the price(apparently the guides get a percentage....imagine that! You learn fast in Morocco about shopping.

We had a very long day that day as we heading back down the mountain and then to the ferry and had about a 3 1/2 hour drive back to Granada.

It has been a busy week, finishing up Spanish classes and getting ready to move on to Seville tomorrow. I've had a great time in Granada and really feel like I've had the opportunity to truly get to know one area in Spain. I'm ready to experience more!
To view the photos go to: www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Morocco

Just show up, pay attention......don't get attached!

The last part is easier said then done but I believe it's so true. The entire saying is to just show up, pay attention, tell the truth and don't get attached to the outcome. My time in Granada has been about that and especially the not getting attached part.

The Spanish class has proved to be a tremendous challenge for me and I have not mastered the language in any way or form. Okay, so did I expect that I would be chatting away in Espanol with all the locals....well no, but I thought I'd a least be able to form a sentence! I found myself so frustrated and not really paying attention; to the beauty around me, to the other senses that we are so blessed with. So one day, I just slowed down and really saw what was around me and took it all in. I looked people in the eye and smiled instead of being nervous that someone may actually try to talk to me and OMG...how would I answer!I have been apreciating the taste of the food,and the wine(even my host mom's cooking is better...) I love the smell after the rain and the feel of the Hamman arabic baths and the massage that I experienced last night. When you stop to smell the flowers...you don't miss life!

Speaking of a visual experience; I will post my photos of the Alhambra and I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them. This place was amazing. I don't have my book with me to give you the history but basically the Alhambra was originally owned by the Arabics and overtaken by the Spanish. The architecture was so amazing to see. I tried to capture some of it with my photos. I didn't rent the audio which I wish I had now because there is so much history. I am actually thinking of going back next week because there is so much to take it.

Last weekend, I went to Ubeda with a couple of girls from the school. It is about 120 kilometers north of Granada and about 2 1/2 hours by bus. It's a fairly small village and had some amazing building to visit. What we hadn't considered is that getting there about 12:30 only gave us a few hours before everything closes and believe me, the Spanish take their siestas very serious! We had a nice time and it was great just to get away for the day. I'm actually getting to know Granada fairly well and love that I can actually "feel" my way around instead of looking at the map all the time. Which like I mentioned before, doesn't work well because of lack of signage.
You can view my photos at www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/thealhambraandubeda
I'm off to Morocco this weekend so more soon...

Las Alpujarras excursion

I decided to go on an excursion through the school up to the mountain area called Las Alpujarras. I signed up, paid my money(I had been under the impression that many of the excursions were included-wrong!) and thought I knew where the meeting place was. On Saturday morning I headed out with confidence and determination only to get totally lost and had to call the guide and in my broken Spangish tell him I was lost and to not leave without me. I got a taxi and there awaited a bus of about 12 other students. Okay, a little embarrassed but I made it! The road up to Las Alpujarras was steep and curvy and very beautiful. The area consists of about 3 small towns and the first one we stopped at-Langaron-is know for it’s spring water and sold all over Spain.

To be honest with you, I only understood about 20-30% of the guide so can’t tell you in detail about the area....also another way to learn and he was quite slow and clear in his explanations which helped to understand. We went to a wine tasting room and had tapas there. The second to the last area was called Trevelez and very famous for their production of Jamon-ham. We were taken into a factory and believe me after that I seriously am considering vegetarianism! The smell along made me sick but what I understood was interesting.

Over all, a good way to spend a Saturday and it was a bit cooler there. We got back about 8:00 and I headed back to the casa and ate a light dinner and relaxed….nope, no fiesta for me that night.

Sunday morning I got up fairly early as it’s a great day to run through the town up the narrow streets towards the Alhamba(which I’ve yet to go visit but will do this week so I’ll tell you all about it-it’s supposed to be amazing. It was nice and cool and I got my barrings a bit better and of the layout of the town. Granada has a population of about 300,000 and is a university town. It’s really beautiful especially in the older parts of town and heading up towards the Alhamba. I went back to the casa to study, eat lunch and try to take a siesta but it was just too hot! I left about 5:00pm and walked all over including up to the Alhambra and just enjoyed the quiet steep walk up there and the coolness in the trees.I walked back down and got lost which meant MORE walking. I sat in an outdoor cafe-I love all the cafe's that are outside here especially enjoy sitting out at night when it's cool. Two very classy older Spanish women asked to join me and I practiced my little bit of Spanish. I went to pay for my beer but they insisted on paying for it. Over all....a great day!
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/Las Alpujarras

A Fish out of water

I arrived a week ago now. I still feel like a fish out of water! I arrived after taking two trains; one from Montpelier, France and another overnight train from Barcelona to Granada. 17 hours later there I was, sleep deprived and disorientated to say the least. I got a taxi to the address of my host family and rang the bell. I immediately realize that she, Carmen, spoke no English and basically I speak little or no Spanish……….yikes! Luckily, the other two girls staying here do and Sophia, a cute young English girl, acted as my initial tour guide and interpreter. Talk about immersed! The whole idea is just that- in order to learn the language and the culture you need to speak Spanish as much as possible but when you can only say hello, goodbye, thank you and where is the bathroom, it’s a bit of a culture shock to say the least. Hardly anyone speak English, even in the shops.

I got settled into my hotbox of a room and had a wander around Granada with Sophia as my guide. Sundays are typically very quiet being that Saturday is a big fiesta night and often the partiers don’t come home until 6 or 7 am so Sunday is a big siesta day. We stopped and had a drink and it’s typical that you get free tapas with any beverage order. Nice!

Back to the casa for lunch which is usually about 2:00-anywhere from 12:30-2:00 in Spain. That was my second eye opener. Carmen seems to only cook with mucho grease; I watched her fry an egg in about an inch of oil and then deep-fry potatoes(papas fritas) The food is also very salty but luckily the water here in Granada is pure and fresh and believe me I’ve been going through a lot of it. I questioned whether I could survive the cooking after that first meal and for a month at that. I only signed up for two meals a day; so I’ve opted for breakfast and lunch and figured I could always go out for an evening drink enjoying sitting outside and people watching having tapas and maybe a salad.

Monday morning came and off I went to the Spanish language school. I was put into the afternoon classes which are from 3-7 which I was happy about so I could have the mornings to study, explore and workout. My third shocker was that EVERYTHING is taught in Spanish and I felt completely lost but what can you expect when they cater to all foreigners and not just English speaking ones. Also, Spain Spanish is quite different to Mexico Spanish and the accent very hard to understand. After a week of complete frustration I feel I can understand a bit more, comprehend the written word a bit more but speak.........well barely. I’m good at Spanglish but constructing a sentence still does not make sense to me and understanding congregating the verbs is mind boggling.

In spite of realizing that I am a SLOW learner when it comes to learning a foreign language, I am determined to stick with it and see what happens after three more weeks…..
Wish me luck!

Update on France photos

Hi All,
Just arrived in Granada, Spain a few days ago. It has been quite an adjustment and one I will write at a later time but for now just wanted to post the site for the France photos.
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/France

The French know how to live!

Could I live in France? In the South of France.....definitely! Except my French is worse then my Spanish. I loved my short period of time there and felt so relaxed. We left Scotland on the Monday after the wedding and drove down to Dover, England-yes, the white cliffs of Dover-and took a ferry the next day into Calais, France where we trading the car in for a "normal" car and driving was much easier then. We drove around Paris and could even see the Eiffel Tower and I decided I need to get back to Paris at least for a long weekend. Anyone want to meet me there?? We stayed the night in a lovely hotel along a river in a town called Olivet and had an amazing typical French meal-too much of it but was it good!

We arrived to Le Vigan which is quite near Nimes which I was told that denim for jeans was made/created.We were actually staying with friends near a small village called Mandagout which if you blinked you would miss it. There we relaxed into 2 1/2 days(not near enough time but great) where we eat outside every meal, feasted on vegetable and fruits of the garden, drank plenty of French wine and enjoyed very minute. Our hosts, Christine and David where wonderful. We had some funny times and the posted photos show Sara and David fending off very large buzzing insects. You had to have been there but believe me it was funny(sorry Sara, I just had to do it). We went to a French market and that was a real treat.


Yet........another fabulous meal out for my early birthday celebration at a fabulous restaurant nearby. I enjoyed a few runs and a great hike with my friend Anna and felt truly rejuvenated. Ready for Spain!

The Wedding

One of the main reasons I started off in Scotland was to witness my cousins, Katrina, marriage to Mike who have been together for 20 years and have two boys together; Alec and Andrew. So, why get married after being together for 20 years? Why not! I supposed they figure they have a fairly solid relationship after all that history together..

The wedding was held on August 22, 2009 in Toon, Scotland (very popular golfing area as you golfers probably know) at a place called “Hill House” This is a wonderful house with about twelve bedrooms or more and a great place for a small wedding. Everything took place on the property and most of the guests-all 26 of them-stayed right there at “Hill House” We had a fabulous day of lots of eating, drinking and socializing…….oh yes and a bit of dancing!

Contrary to what I’ve said about all the rain in Scotland we were blessed with a glorious day and were able to have the ceremony outside in the beautiful gardens. We had a luncheon prior to the ceremony then afterwards appetizers and a wonderful meal of smoked salmon, lamb chops, vegetables and an array of mouth watering desserts as well as wedding cake!

I will post a number of photos for those interested although I understand not wanting to look at all of the 233 that I took so I’ll spare you that.

Off to the south of France a couple of days after the wedding! More on that soon.

The Island of Skye

I was very excited to take a few days to drive up to the North and West of Scotland to the Island of Skye earlier this week.I had heard great things about this area of Scotland that I had never seen before. Of course what you see (or don't see) is what you get and believe me, timing is everything around here with the weather. Over all, we had decent weather, at least the first day. The drive was beautiful. We retraced quite a lot to the West Highland Way and it was fun to see the places we stayed and some of the trail along the way. The Glencoe valley was very clear and the sun was shinning brightly for much of the day. What a difference a day makes!

Along the way, we passed Elean Donan castle which you can view some photos of. We stayed in a lovely cottage of friends near Kyle of Lochalsh which is about 5 miles from the Skye bridge going over to the Island. We had a bit of a view of the Cullen hills over the bridge of which we were hoping to go see the next day via boat but unfortunately the weather called for rain and wind so the trip was cancelled. We visited an old cemetary and ruins of a chruch and the grave stones dated back to at least the mid 1800 and some you couldn't read any longer.

Before crossing over to Skye, their is a wonderful little town on the water called Plockton where Sara and I walked and took in the sights and soaked up the sun. We had an amazing dinner there one night and had our fill of wonderful local (at least most was) seafood.

We drove over to Portree on Skye and also drove further on before the weather really turned. Back to the cottage to enjoy some reading, movies and just being. It was a great relaxing time in Skye.
You can view my photos of skye at: www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/IslandOfSkye
There are also a couple of Edinburgh and Glasgow for your enjoyment!

Four Cronies who "wear" it well

When I say they "wear" it well, I mean life. I spent the afternoon in Edinburgh with these four friends walking, talking and having lunch. The two women in the center are my Aunts, Jenn and Sara, and the other two are friends, Maureen and Zandra. These women in my opinion are incredible women; they are beautiful, talented, intelligent and a lot of fun! They have accomplish much in their lifetimes and going strong in their 60's.

If it weren't for the rain....

could I live in Scotland? I've pondered that for about 1 minute...no 30 seconds...and the answer is no. Don't get me wrong; I love being here with family and experiencing a different place and there are benefits to all the rain. It's lovely and green and you breathe fresh air but....it seems to rain ALL the time. (okay, as I write this the sun is peeking through the clouds just to prove me wrong) It's the middle of August and I'm freezing half the time! I'm solar powered and I think I've realized how much so. It's hard to get motivated with the weather but especially this week I ended up getting a cold and have been a little miserable overall and I know it was better just to lay low, read a book and drink lots of tea-with milk(funny how I only tend do that when in the UK).

In spite of speaking the same language, it's quite different in many ways. First, it's debatable whether it's the same English spoken in the US. There have times that I've been in a room full of Scottish blokes(men) and lassie's(women) and only been able to decipher about 75% of what has been said. I'm getting better at it but certain accents are quite thick depending on the area of Scotland that the person is from.

Some of the other interesting differences are the English words used for the same things. To make a comparison, I'll list first the American word and then the "Scottish"(UK as well for most of them)

1. French Fries are "Chips"
2. Potato chips are "Crisps"
3. Zucchini are "Courgettes"
4. Eggplant is an "Aubergine"
5. Cookies are "Biscuits"
6. Crackers are "Water Biscuits"
7. Dinner is referred to as "tea"
8.Going to the bathroom is referred to as the "toilet" or "the Loo"
9. "wee" is a little.........something(this is mostly Scottish not British)
10. Aye" is yes
11. Windshield is a "windscreen"
12. Sidewalk is the "pavement"
13. The trunk of a car is the "boot"
14. The hood of a car is the "bonnet"

This is to just name a few...

The other major difference is that they drive on the left side of the road. Very hard to get used to that one plus you drive on the right side of the car. I've had one driving experience so far and you really have to concentrate especially when you get to the roundabouts; Americans don't seem to like roundabouts very much but they actually make a lot more sense than traffic lights.

What's confusing to me is why if they drive on the left side of the road why don't they stay consistent on trails and sidewalks(pavement)-I found this to be a challenge when running one day around the local Loch- some people would stay to the right and some to the left....shouldn't there be some consistency with driving and walking? Or maybe it has something to do with all the pubs around.

So, my Aunt and I are off to the Isle of Sky tomorrow. It is very North in Scotland and West. I've never been been to Sky and have great things about it and how beautiful and picturesque it is. Again, if the weather is clear and the forecast for the next few days............rain! Oh well, there's always the pubs!!

The West Highland Way

Last Monday, August 3rd, my cousin, Morag and I set out on a 6 day, 95 miles trek starting from Milngavie(near Glasgow) and heading north to Fort Williams. The terrain varied along with the miles everyday as did the weather. Scotland is definitely known for their rainy weather thus the beautiful green hills and valleys and lots of waterfalls, mud, etc.

While over last May, friends of my Aunt Sara (Lynn and Tom) had just finished the West Highland Way and showed photos and raved about it and I was sold.

When I emailed Morag about whether she was interested in doing this trek with me, she replied "yes, but a few things"

1. "You'll be faster then me" (which wasn't true-we were very compatible)
2. "I won't camp and prefer B&B's"
3. "I snore so you'll have to bring earplugs"

I replied that I could deal with all of those things and would she mind organizing it since it's much easier from Scotland then the states to do so. She did a fabulous job; there are companies that will carry your gear...........okay, I know what some of you may think but let me tell you that this was the best deal around. You still carried plenty for the days trek which with the weather and the distances, you need a fair amount. Well, you do have pubs along the way so you can get food, use a real toilet and have a pint......if you dare! I learned the hard way that this isn't such a great idea so I made a pact to wait until the end of the day.....much better plan.

The first couple of days, we had some rain but more drizzly then anything and the weather was quite warm. Days 3, 4, and 5 were relatively rain free and we had some amazing views especially coming into Glencoe where many of the peaks were visible. The miles varied from 12 miles a day to 21 miles. We did a lot of climbing up and down and especially around Loch Lomond and had a lot of rocks to scramble over and streams of water to hop over. We had some great laughs and lots of stories to share and many miles/hours to do so. A common phase that was said is "Nearly there!" Which was often at the beginning of the day. "Is it time for a pint?" "I can't believe I'm hungry...again!" We always maintained a sense of humor even when the trail was "never ending" and we were wary to the bones.

On the last day we left from Kinochleven and had "only" 14 miles to go. Alas, our clear weather didn't hold out for us and it rained much of the day. There was a trail run going on that day called "Devil 'O The Highlands" and it was a 43 mile run along the Way from Tundrum to Fort Williams. I couldn't imagine that distance running over the steep and rocky terrains we encountered but it did make me think about some of the great Colorado trail runs I've done over the years. I don't think I'll be adding this one to my list!

At the end of the trek in Fort Williams is "Ben Nevis" which is the highest peak in the UK at approximately 4,400 ft. Nothing compared to Colorado's peaks but when you consider you start at nearly sea level it's a long way up. There are 289 peaks over 3,000 feet and are referred to as the Monroes. Many people end the 95 miles of the Way to conquer Ben Nevis the following day and if your lucky you can see the top which from what I heard doesn't happen often as it's often it clouds. We didn't get to see it nor did we hike it..........this time! There is a annual race up to the top of the Ben which is in September. That's now on my list for a couple of years from now.

Since I can't figure out how to do a complete slide show on this blog, I'll send you to the picasa website and you can view them all there. Enjoy! We certainly did. I can say this was one of the most fantastic hikes and achievements that I've had the pleasure of doing in my life so far.

the link to the picasa website is:
www.picasaweb.google.com/tonibodeau/TheWestHighlandWay

A Tribute to Romeo

My sweet kitty, Romeo, left the world on July 3rd. It was determined after a 24 hour period and many tests that my boy was in heart failure. My heart broke having to say goodbye at such an early age of 4 years old. I had Romeo for 3 1/2 years and he was a wonderful cat with so much personality and was quite the charmer.

He was a Balinese breed with blue point markings(gray face and paws, blue eyes) and a very handsome cat. He loved people, dogs and most cats. I called him my dog/cat because he acted much like a dog. He fetched from early on and loved running down the steep set of stairs after a straw and would continuously bring it back for more. He never minded going for a car ride and would sit on my lap, looking out the window at the view or stare at people in cars at traffic lights. 9 times out of 10 he would greet me when I drove up and was always be happy to see me.

He was quite the hunter, to my dismay, and would bring home garter snakes, birds(sometime alive) and baby bunnies. One day when I was working on my friend, Jeanne, he came in the room and unbeknown to us had a bird in his mouth and jumped onto the massage table and dropped it by Jeanne's side. He was just bringing her a present!

A few months ago I went to put some washing into the dryer and I saw Romeo napping happily in the sun as I went by. I put the clothes in, shut the door and turned it on. Something went kur-plunking in the drying and I instantly opened it up to find out what was making the noise and low and behold, my crazy cat jumped out a bit wobbly but not harmed! He always followed me around the house but I did not even see him that time. He never went in the dryer after that.

He was a bit of a trouble maker; he would always push things off tables and shelfs and I had to clean up and replace many items in my household. It got a little better as he matured and once I caved and let him outside. He had to be outside-he had way too much energy! He was very affectionate and loved being held and/or carried around. He was a joy to have around and I am so grateful to have had him in my life.

Romeo, you will be missed!

Happy Birthday Granny Vi!

My aunt Sara's mom (my Granny through marriage), Violet White turned 99 years old on July 30th. She was born in Ireland and had one brother and three sister-she is the last one living. She is amazing; while her body is not as agile as it used to be, her mind is sharp as a tack. She also is very good at bossing people around and at 99 gets away with it!

We went over in the morning to bring her cards, gifts and a birthday cake. I've never seen so many cards for one person's birthday in my life and perhaps at 99 I'll receive that many :)
We went over and had our dinner with her and lit the candles on her cake(no, not 99!) and had champagne and cake for our dessert. Being a bit jet lagged, I was nodding off but we all had a great time. We plan to have a family dinner party for her on Sunday at Jenn's house in Lenark

Sara and I are staying with her sister, Jenn, in Lanark which is in the Clyde Valley(Dale)-(where the Clydesdale horses where developed) and is approximately 20 miles south of Glasgow. It's a lovely area and I explored the local area on my run this morning.

A long day of travel

I started out Tuesday morning from San Diego at about 11:00 am. I had a long layover in Denver but my friend, Jeanne, came to meet me and we had a nice lunch and a great time catching up. I had about 5 hours before my international flight but after 3 hours delay due to our original plane having mechanically difficulties (best not to get on that one!) and then more delays while waiting for another plane and torrential downpour in Denver we finally boarded and were off.....8 hours later!

The good news was that I got upgraded to business class after having the very thought earlier in the day how nice it would be to be in first class on a transatlantic flight.........I was VERY happy with business class.

The bad news was that since we were delayed so long, I missed my connecting flight to Glasgow and was re-booked on the next flight so now so bad.

I slept 11 hours last night and overall feel good, a bit groggy but that's to be expected.

I have arrived!

"Here's to the First day of the rest of my life!"

Welcome to the first real entry of my travel blog. This will be about my journey as I travel around the world stopping at various places along the way; Scotland, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Bali and New Zealand....who knows were else I may stumble across.

So, here I go! I'm totally sleep deprived with all there is to do with preparing for a trip like this and also so excited to embark on this journey that I've truly been thinking about since my house sold last September. It took some time to get to the point of where I am now......leaving the country and really making this happen.

So first, I should explain the "Antoinette" Some of you may know that my given name is Antoinette. I've always loved the name but let's face it, when your in kindergarden or first grade that is a mouth full! I was having dinner last May with my aunt and uncle and we discussed how I could re-create myself as "Antoinette" on this journey especially since people I will meet won't know me as "Toni" so that will be easier. Hopefully I can remember to introduce myself as Antoinette(let alone spell it)

So, I should be off but will back up a bit in later entries to fill you all in on my life the past 6 weeks.

Tune in! Love and Peace