ARID AND ORANGE, ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

The beauty of camping is a nice early start, most of the time, perfect for our 150 mile journey to our next destination, Arches National Park. This is once again a very unique geological wonder. It differs in its formation in that it was created essentially by salt. Around 300 million years ago a sea covered the area becoming cut off and eventually evaporating to leave a huge salt layer subsequently covered with different sand and minerals over the ages. The incredible weight eventually liquefied the salt that had to find a way to the surface and, having been pushed against a lifted rock fault pushed upward to fracture the essentially Entrada Sandstone surface. This along with the constant barrage of the wind, washing of water and cracking expansion of ice has created the parks unique density of arches, the most famous being Delicate Arch. The park is home to over 2000 arches, impossible to see all in a day.

Our visit to the information center sees us take in a film of the park and also chat with some very helpful Rangers who give us valuable information for further camping and also arm us with maps to take in Scenic Routes in this area and beyond into Colorado. From the visitors center we climb the zigzag road ascending approximately 1000ft upward into the park. It is a day of blue skies that accentuate the spectrum of reds and orange through to sand coloured structures that make this park so unique.

We see arches of all sizes, from a small double arch window to the dizzying heights of Delicate Arch or the football field expanse of Landscape Arch in the Devils Garden region. It is an ever changing world as the elements never stop eroding these structures, destroying some and beginning others, creating balancing acts of rocks atop a spire, huge buttes of orange splendor, cliffs of solid rock faces that can peal away to deliver boulders into the valley below, a field of petrified sand dunes to make your jaw drop. We walk ourselves ragged till sunset, thoroughly enjoying our visit, before heading off to the outskirts of our next destination to find ourselves a spot to camp. We have to be forever mindful of the local inhabitants of this arid scenery, the rattlesnake and the scorpion. Stepping from the car could be dangerous but so far so good. This area truly reminds us of Australia with its red billowing dust, so we keep our steps to a minimum.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NATIONAL PARKS OF UTAH.

MOVING ON TO CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK

On the road again, we just can’t wait to be on the road again! The morning light treats us to spectacular scenery. We are traveling through some amazing high hills strewn at their base with the rock rubble shredded from the cliffs above. The cliffs are very white sandstone carved by the elements to create some amazing shapes and structures. Some parts are similar to the Badlands with mounds of grey silt looking rivulets streaming down the sides. These are actually petrified sand dunes. On the seemingly flat valley floor the ice capped river snakes its way across the landscape, its colour a lovely turquoise reflected by the white sediment washed down from above. In parts the naked deciduous trees, cottonwoods I believe, giving a ghostly atmosphere, surround the river. There are higher mountains with a tabletop plateau, their cliffs showing the changing colours in layers through the ages. Just spectacular and this is just while we are traveling along the road.

This drive leads us into the Grand Staircase Escalante area, also home to large ranches complete with their cattle and strong hardy looking horses. Although there are sunny blue skies the ice on the water belies the temperatures the stock around here would have to cope with. What more will this day divulge?

The landscape opens wide as we climb and descend a more gentle undulating area, with surprise gorges carved into the ground. We pass over a hill and around a bend and the landscape spreads a magnificent view before us of the Escalante River Basin. It is a huge area of limestone gulches and chasms that we are about to descend into and cross. It is surrounded with some of the mountains of the Henry Range and the Navajo mountains that help to feed this waterway that feeds to the mighty Colorado River. Every turn provides another vista of the most interesting limestone formations. As we take a deep descent we stop to view the gorgeous gorges, turning more red as we go deeper seeing the ribbon of the river snaking along the floor. This river provides a lifeline to all the wildlife that calls this arid landscape home, from mountain lions to otters and many species of birds.

How rugged this world was for the new pioneers to the area, a most inhospitable land that only the bravest must have explored. No snaking bitumen road winding an easy trail across this land back in those days.

We rise up to traverse along the very top of the ridge, a road with no safety rails, and a nasty end if you leave the road. We traverse Buffalo Mountain and as our altitude grows we start to see patches of snow and mighty Aspen and Ponderosa Pine trees dot the slopes. We come across what must be a Thanksgiving tradition for a group of about 8 cars that are choosing and chopping down their Christmas trees, not sure if this is legal or not.

Stopping for lunch atop the mountain is a reward of one of the most jaw dropping views of the plateau, the orange ridges with their tabletops and beyond the grey silted tabletop slopes. The plateau is doted with the odd body of water shinning a steel blue amongst the dark green Aspen. Words do not do this view justice, a body of land that was the last chartered in the USA late 1800’s. It is certainly a treat to see this world.

We finally reach our destination for this day and enter Capitol Reef National Park. This is another environment similar to what we’ve seen in Utah, yet unique to its immediate surrounds. It got its name as a Barrier Reef to the early settlers and became Capitol after a rock formation within the park was likened to the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC. This park is known as a Waterpocket Fold or literally a wrinkle in the earth that stretches for over 100 miles, creating a long narrow park.

The formations are just incredible, in some places looking like coral sponges and others like Swiss cheese and all through with ever-changing colours. There is an ever-present “reef” of a yellow/grey colour that dominates throughout the rock formations, laid down many millions of years ago.

This reef caused much damage in the 1950’s and 1960’s when it was decided this could be rich in Uranium. This began a rush of mining throughout this National Monument, though damage was done it was lucky that there was not enough uranium to make a profit and mining was ceased. This is a spectacular park that has once again been kept very accessible with views of so many highlights that are just a short walk away from the road. We particularly enjoy a long drive through Cohab Canyon showing so much diversity and incredible beauty. Every corner you turn is just fantastic.

This is a park very rich in history, other than the infamous uranium. There are the Petroglyphs, for our Aussie friends – rock art, thought to date back to between 600 and 1300 AD and drawn by the Fremont Indians descendants of the Archaic Indians that have roamed this region for many thousands of years. More recently, in the 1800’s, the Mormons and the ranchers settled this land. Today there is still a flourishing orchard of over 3,000 trees preserved from these pioneering days along with an original homestead, Gifford House.

This park, like many others, has its very own flora and fauna. You can hike for miles should you choose out into the backcountry but for us today a few short hikes are enough. Our day is coming to a close, we head just outside the park to find a free camping spot for the night. We are very lucky to spot a road that takes us to the top of a gorge of sandstone, perfect. It is a chilly night so we expect those frosty windows again, but we are quite cozy under our sleeping bags and doona. This has been a day so jam packed with beauty and it doesn’t end with the setting sun but soon shines bright with the stars and half moon, our parking spot a spectacular sandstone backdrop to the magic of the night skies.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NATIONAL PARKS OF UTAH.

WORLD WAR MEMORIALS FRANCE AND INTO BELGIUM

A walk through the main square of Arras, alive with the bargain market, took us to the tourist bureau where we had a choice of doing a touring through the tunnels under the city, learning about the histories of the town or a tour through the quarry tunnels used during both World Wars.

We chose the quarry, in keeping with the World War theme during our last week in Europe, and found ourselves heading to Wellington Quarry and Battle of Arras Memorial. Here we got our hard, very heavy, hats on and descended yet again into the earth. The tour lasted about 75 minutes, along boardwalks through the tunnels created by soldiers from New Zealand from the remains of the quarry. 24000 soldiers from Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain lived down here in the lead up to The Battle of Arras when approximately 4000 of those lives were lost each day in the following two months.

The tour is punctuated with video footage and personal stories making the story hit closer to home. You can also see genuine artifacts found in the tunnels. We also had a laugh here when we walked outside to find another Vincent, who we named Vincent’s brother, parked next to our Vincent. A quick comparison and we were off back into the center of Arras, this time able to see the town squares without market stalls, to climb the Belfry tower of the town hall.

It seemed to be a very popular day for weddings because we saw at least three wedding parties waiting to go up the tower for photos and one couple up there while we were. We always love seeing weddings; especially the bride and her dress so were quite excited. We also learned the tooting the car horn when you see a wedding seems to be a tradition in France because every car that drove past did their fair share.

From the top of the Belfry we got a beautiful view out over the city and surrounds. It was interesting to us how different the houses look when viewed from above. From ground level the streets are lined with flat fronted houses giving the impression that they are all rectangular prism in structure when in fact you see from above that they are anything but and all squished together into any space possible, no matter how dramatic the angles become.

We finished the day at Vimy Ridge Canadian War Memorial where we walked through some trenches and spent some time admiring the amazing monument to the Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during World War One and a celebration of Canada’s biggest military victory. This area is just beautiful and the memorial very touching.

Having to move right along we ended driving all the way to Ghent and camping next to a park in a very nice neighborhood before driving into town to start our time here the next day.

With no map of Ghent in our guidebook we had no idea how to find anything so first thing was a stop at the first thing that looked like they might have information, a monastery. Armed with a map we soon found what we came for, the cathedral that was much like many others, and the design museum.

The Design Museum was brilliant, showcasing furniture through the ages; rooms were all set up featuring antique interior design and furniture to the ultra modern. They also had an exhibition running, all about the pollution in the ocean and how this is collected to make useful products. We would love to buy a few sea chairs at some point.

We followed this with a walk along the canals, stopping in quite a few little independent art galleries and shops and found some stuff that we could definitely find places for in our home and future homes.

Yet again the day was finished with a drive to our next destination, Bruges the home of Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child.

Photos can be found on our Facebook Page in the albums BACK TO FRANCE and BELGIUM.

PARIS TAKE TWO

Another day, and what would be our last for this trip, of exploring Paris on foot. Starting with visits to the Church of St-Sulpice and the Church of St-Germain Des Pres, both old churches that are in disrepair though there seems to be some restoration work going on. It seems The Notre Dame gets all the attention but these churches are worth a look too, especially if you read The Da Vinci Code first!

Moving on from here our walking took us through some yet unseen parts of town, to another large church whose name I can’t recall, past some modern street sculptures and water features and to the bazaar Center Pompidou, built with it’s insides outside. Touting the best view in Paris we can only assume they mean the art inside because what could be better than the Eiffel Tower? All a bit sick of art (gasp) we decided to give the inside a miss and took off again in search of somewhere nice to have a very late lunch.

We ended up finding a fantastic little crepe restaurant on Rue Jean du Bellay, Ile St-Louis, and had a scrumptious three course meal finished with delicious crepes, salted caramel for Mum, apple and cinnamon for Mikayla and chocolate and banana for me, yum! We would definitely recommend this place. We hadn’t anticipated desert and had planned to go to Bathillion for ice cream so we stuck to it, until we got there. Bathillion is famous for having 70 flavours of delicious ice cream, they lie, there were only ten, of the most boring, flavours on offer, very disappointing so we gave it a miss. We didn’t need it anyway!

A brisk walk back to Vincent in the rain, this time with our rain coats, and we decided it was time to move on. We were so proud of Mum as she navigated the traffic towards and along the Champs Elysees and around for one last look at the Arch de Triomphe, until next time.

From here we got stuck in a traffic jam for about three hours and spent the time discussing how annoying it is when people stare at us in Vincent like he has one way glass and we can’t see them and how everyone would get so much farther much quicker if the drivers weren’t so selfish. We were in a dark, gloomy place at that point in time!

When we eventually got out onto the open road we were much happier, as was Vincent’s gear box, and we ended up finding a cute little camping spot next to a play ground near Giverny, our next destination.

In the morning it was straight to Monet’s Garden where I went crazy with flower photos. So much variety of beautiful blooms it took me ten times longer to get around the garden than Mum and Mikayla who had to wait for me before entering the water garden via the underpass.

The immortalized water garden is just as beautiful as you would expect and we visited at the end of the optimal time of year. Row boats sit amongst lilies and willows at the edge of the pond and the quaint bridges are picture perfect, funny that!

Monet’s house is also brilliant and just as exciting as the gardens. My favourite part was Monet’s office/living room where he painted in the later years of his life and where the walls are literally covered with paintings on canvas. I loved the kitchen as well. You can also see Monet’s collection of work by other artists and the view from the second story is pretty special.

The town of Giverny is gorgeous too, with it’s cute little homes and sweet gardens, we would have liked to have spent more time relaxing here but alas it was time to move on. If you’re looking for a photogenic town this one makes the cut.

The next day was spent driving again, broken by a stop at Beauvais Cathedral that we spotted from the main road from miles off, it’s that tall. This cathedral is extraordinary in that the roof is so high, pretty much the height of the spire. Inside the ceilings are just as high, which makes room for double the stained glass windows and a tremendous effect. Unfortunately it seems the architect was a little too ambitious as parts of the floors as sinking and scaffolding holds up parts of the ceiling. There is also a grand astronomical clock here, one of the best and most detailed we’ve seen, so we definitely put Beauvais Cathedral on the must see list.

After a log drive we ended up camping near Arras ready to get stuck into what would be a week or so of World War I and II history again as we moved along through France and Belgium.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album PARIS (for photos of our previous visit) and BACK TO FRANCE (for this visit).

BACK TO FRANCE – REIMS AND INTO PARIS

N.B. As you may have noticed we are very behind on our posts. Too much traveling, not enough writing! The post we’re writing now are a progression through our last weeks in Europe though we are currently touring around England. Hopefully we will be up to date very soon but in the meantime our posts are flashbacks and we’ll let you know when we’re back to our current travel.

In Vincent some days are just driving days and lucky for us there’s usually something interesting to see along the way. The view is always changing and when it’s average we console ourselves that this is a means to an end. Though we didn’t have to this time as we were driving through the very pretty champagne region of France.

We love France for so many reasons, the food, baguettes, crepes, pate, the cute little towns that you drive through frequently, Paris, chateaus, and most of all the people, some of whom we’re lucky enough to call friends. We also love that Mikayla and I get free entry into most “tourist attractions” because we are citizens of the EU, lucky, and France is one of the only countries that do this.

We arrived in Reims in the early afternoon and went straight for the Cathedral here, the Cathedrale Notre Dame, the venue for Royal coronations when they were still being performed and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s been heavily restored since it was bombed during World War I. It’s very similar to the Notre Dame in Paris that I would recommend seeing instead.

We also spent some time at the museum next door where we learnt a bit more about the Royal coronations, got to see some crown jewels (not nearly as extravagant as expected), and had a giggle at the very feminine poses of the French Kings through the ages. Next was the Basilique St-Remi, another UNESCO World Heritage Site with an accompanying museum that contains an ancient relic collection to rival The Vatican.

The next day, on the way into Paris, we stopped at an English War Memorial and cemetery. These are always moving places and we were set to visit a lot more to come.

During our first visit to Paris earlier this year, new to wild camping, we stayed in a camping ground on the outskirts of the city. This time we went for it, driving straight into the city center, along The Seine and by the Eiffel tower before finding a suitable spot to park Vincent next to Cimetiere du Montparnasse, near the famous Le Catacombes. Quiet though pretty busy pedestrian wise we thought he’d be safe here to leave during the day and stay in at night, thankfully we were right!

Our first day in Paris we walked through Cimetiere du Montparnasse and attempted to see Le Catacombes but when we saw the line, stretching around the block, we decided we would try again another time. So, it was on to Paris’ Pantheon where we walked straight in with no queue to explore the expansive artworks on the inner walls and the sculptures surrounding them. The crypt here is also very interesting as it houses the tombs of famous historical figures, a few being Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Marie Curie, among many others.

Usually extremely lucky with weather (I can say this because I am writing overlooking the Sound of Raasey from the Isle of Skye, Scotland and there isn’t a cloud in the perfect blue sky), we saw more rain visiting Paris in summer than we did in winter. Stuck with no raincoats we left the Pantheon, running between the shop fronts until the rain subsided.

Into the Jardin Du Luxembourg, deserted and drenched, we made our way through towards the Rodin Museum pausing briefly to admire the Palais Du Luxembourg. The garden is more like a big park with water features and large expanses of grass to picnic and play on. We would have spent more time here had we not been afraid of getting rained on again.

We arrived at the Rodin Museum and had to wait in our first line of the day. Though we didn’t wait very long we decided that visiting the sites in Paris is much better in Winter when there are no lines.

We started in the lovely gardens while the rain was holding off and were greeted with The (famous) Thinker, contemplating away, before moving on to see more sculptures like The Kiss, Balzac and The Burghers of Calais. Inside the museum shows a collection of finished works as well as drafts of the famous sculptures in various sizes and materials. As you walk around you notice that the subjects in the sculptures are tortured beings, reason being they are all included in “miniature” on Rodin’s Gates of Hell. After visiting the Rodin Museum we loved spotting the sculptures out on the streets around Paris too.

To finish the day we walked to the foot of the Eiffel Tower, seriously considering going up again, before realizing we probably wouldn’t see that much through the fog anyway. Strolling back in the direction of Vincent through the Parc de Champ de Mars we couldn’t help but stop and look back frequently, Paris and The Eiffel Tower really are special parts of the world.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album PARIS (for photos of our previous visit) and BACK TO FRANCE (for this visit).

ADVENTURE IN THE SWISS ALPS

The drive from Lucerne to Interlaken was absolutely stunning, the surrounding mountains descending into the tremendous lakes whose waters are such a bright turquoise blue that their colour almost clashes with the entirely green surrounds. It just make you want to jump in immerse yourself in the crystal clear water although the temperature usually prevents us from doing so.

The visitor’s center was our first port of call in Interlaken with train, walk and attraction information needed. We were advised by the lovely lady here that the weather forecast for the next day was not good so we decided to postpone the Jungfraujoch train ride another day.

Afterwards we had just enough time to catch the last entry of the day to Trummelbach Falls where the falls are actually inside the mountain. An elevator takes you up to the top of the cascades and you work your way down to ground level through an indescribable wonderland of caves. It’s so loud inside that communication is by looks and gestures and there’s so much water rushing through that a raincoat is essential.

We woke outside Trummelbach Falls the next morning to see that the clouds were indeed very low and the day was going to be rainy. Glad we had taken the advice of the Lady at the tourist information center we set to reading through all our pamphlets to find something to do for the day.

Reading through we came across some information on skydiving. The one that caught our eye was a flight over the Jungfrau and Monch before dropping in front of The Eiger, amazing. We spent the whole day going around to all the different skydiving and adventure companies trying to find this particular one to no avail as none of them did a drop in front of The Eiger.

We also ran into a few problems preventing us from any skydiving at all; the weather was stopping jumps that day and we were going on the train the day after and we couldn’t all go at the same time which would have defeated the purpose of doing it together. Hopefully we’ll find somewhere to skydive later on in the trip because it’s definitely still on the list!

Having decided to catch the early morning train from Grindelwald up the Jungfraujoch we camped nearby and arose very early, not common for us in holiday mode, to catch the first, and cheapest, train of the day. Up we went through the inside of the mountain most of the way to 3454 meters above sea level, the highest train station in the world. On the way up the train stops at lookout points where you have time to jump off the train to have a look and jump back on again, beautiful. Looking out over natural untouched snow is one of my favourite views.

We got to the top and discovered that as well as a train station there is a complex of things to see and do. First stop for us was up to The Sphinx viewing platform, at 3571 meters above sea level, where we looked out over Jungfrau and Monch before heading down to walk out across Altesch Glacier and a little higher up the mountain to Monchsjochhutte at 3650 meters above sea level.

We soon realized we were not quite prepared and were starting to feel the effects. Having woken early we hadn’t felt like eating breakfast so at about 11am the only thing we had eaten so far was a banana. We devoured our fruit snacks out (a nectarine and another banana each) half way up to Monchsjochhutte. Feeling slightly better we continued to make our way skyward but Mum soon felt very ill so Mikayla and I went on to see the view from the top.

Altitude sickness affected, Mum decided to give the ice palace a miss while Mikayla and I skimmed through before getting back to the station to begin our descent. It took a little while longer but I started to feel sick on the way down too so we were all glad to be heading towards sea level.

We departed the train at Kleine Scheidegg and had lunch at a restaurant here, which made us feel a lot better, before starting the 2 hour walk down from here along the bottom of The Eiger. We would stop frequently to look up at The North Face and out across the mountains, stunning. I took so many photos to bore everyone with back home.

As we were heading down Mikayla and I realized our faces were starting to go very pink. It just shows how much the sun reflects off the snow and unfortunately one of the perils of being allergic to sun cream is that a hat and sunglasses just doesn’t do the trick when it’s a perfect blue sky above.

Exhausted and resembling a mix between a lobster and a panda we caught the train from a nearby station back to Grindelwald and went straight for Interlaken to a spot to camp the night, that we’d scoped out on our first day here, right on the lake. Then straight into the freezing cold water to try to alleviate the sunburn a little, I’m sure we sizzled and steamed as we entered the water.

In the morning I woke and felt like my face was swollen and still so hot, so it was back in the water for me before we left Interlaken, beginning a driving day towards France. Driving past lovely lakes and hills the views were gorgeous but our favourite part of the journey was the drive between Beil/Bienne and Porrentruy in Switzerland.

We always say things happen in threes and along the way we saw three events. First we stopped for lunch at a polo match, commentary in English, where Mum got her horse fix. Next drive past all the teen girls lining up for the One Direction concert in Bern. We thought it was very funny picking out the poor unfortunately Dads that had been roped into taking their daughters and her friends. They looked like that rather be sticking knives in their eyes than be there to see 1D! Last we saw what we assume was the set up for the Tour de France, with balustrades being placed along the mountainous roads, wish we could have waited around to watch!

It was back into France for us though and we were on our way to Paris again via Reims.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album SWITZERLAND

FLYING THROUGH THE BLACK FOREST, ZURICH AND LUCERNE

As you may have noticed we are very behind on our posts. Too much travelling, not enough writing! The post we’re writing now are a progression through our last weeks in Europe though we are currently touring around England. Hopefully we will be up to date very soon but in the meantime our posts are flashbacks and we’ll let you know when we’re back to our current travel.

Our drive through The Black Forest began at Baden-Baden where we stopped briefly at the visitor’s center to get some information on the area. Everyone’s heard of the Black Forest and we were excited to see it though we didn’t know much about what there was to see and the best route to take throughout.

We settled on the main tourist route, even though we usually try to avoid the very touristy areas, as this was the most scenic route, hence its popularity. Arriving in the late afternoon we were on a mission to find a camping spot and relax in the forest.

Most of the next day was spent driving through, enjoying the view. Very different to what we expected as the trees are quite far off the road and it’s only when you venture into the trees that you realize why it’s called The Black Forest, the dense foliage cuts off the light.

We came across Triberg home of Germany’s highest waterfalls at 160 meters. Walking along the Gutach plunge next to the seven cascades you can easily imagine a fairytale taking place here. There’s just something about water whether it’s ocean, river, lake or waterfalls that makes everything instantly prettier.

We wouldn’t say that The Black Forest was our favourite place but it does have some truly beautiful parts. Time to move on though and we were on our way to Konstanz, next to the huge Lake Konstanz on the border between Germany and Switzerland and the gateway to some of the most spectacular scenery we’d yet seen.

First stop was Zurich and as usual we went straight for the old town center where we saw the three main churches Saint Peter’s Church, Grossmunster and Church of Our Lady. The internal structure of these churches is unique in that there is an extra chapel behind the altar and usually this is where the stairs to the crypts are located. Very different to what we have seen and another reason we keep visiting almost every one we see.

We decided Zurich feels a lot like Perth, especially when you’re standing looking over the wide expanse of Lake Zurich with the swans gliding across the surface. A beautiful city where we would have liked to have been able to spend more time.

We are only brushing the surface of most of the cities we visit and obviously each one has so much more to offer than we see. We pick the major attractions that interest us but we have come to think of this trip as reconnaissance for future travel as there really is so much to see. We thought a year would be a long time to travel, and though it is time flies by and you can’t see everything. We also believe that getting to know the feel of a place and meeting new people is just as important, if not more so, as seeing ancient artifacts in a museum.

After Zurich we found a great parking spot just off the road next to Lake Zug where we discovered our own little beach private from the road. Taking the opportunity to have a swim, although it was freezing, and get clean.

We drove into Lucerne the next day and immediately came across the main attraction here the famous Chapel Bridge. Introducing what we call tourist central; a place that is recommended by all the guidebooks as a must see therefore drawing a million tourists and in effect wiping out the charm and beauty of said place. Nevertheless we did stop to bustle with the throngs of people on and around the pretty bridge and returned to Vincent as soon as we could, exhausted and ready to move on and up to the mountains to tackle as much as we could of The Swiss Alps.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album SWITZERLAND

GETTING CLOSE TO NATURE!

We have remembered a funny little story that we feel we need to add to our last post.

In rural Portugal it’s quite common to see both cows, horses, sheep and goats roaming free. After our usual trip up a side road to find our parking spot for the night (think we are getting way too used to very special spots and wont stop till we find the perfect one), this time we parked in a small quarry hidden from passers by, very few anyway.

After a short walk to find the source of falling water we found ourselves another natural pool to have another ice bath (the pain of freezing water on your head is excruciating but well worth the clean result). During this time we were passed by 4 horses and then moments later a couple of cows with very large horns.

Embracing the camping life we laughed and thought no more of it. That night as we had just turned off the lights and snuggled into bed the van was rocked from outside. No, not the police this time, but a small pony, one of the earlier encounters, having a good scratch on Vincents front bumper. This gave us a few laughs but the morning light was to hold even more surprises. Not only did he have a good scratch but decided to do a very large poo right on the bumper. That’s what he thought of us!

FRIENDLY FACES, FACADES AND FREEDOM

We are now in Portugal and this country is stunning. Every road we’ve driven on so far has a beautiful view, whether it’s rocky outcrops, mountains in the distance, valleys with rivers running through the middle or villages built on hills with many green terraces of agriculture below.

We went to Braganca, a large town very close to the border between Portugal and Spain. Here there is another castle and though it was closed while we were there we had a nice walk along the surrounding wall. Portugal is one hour behind Spain so we happily gained an hour and spent the rest of the day driving to the eastern edge of Peneda-Geres National Park where we found a pretty picnic area on the edge of a lake to camp at. We actually stayed here two nights to do some washing and get it dry as well and generally catching up on writing and having some relax time.  Even though we are not going to work every day, just the effort of moving and seeing is tiring and every now and then we need to recharge and do the housework.  We all have our own little jobs to do to work as a team.  Caroline the driver, and doing a pretty good job of nursing our precious Vincent up and down the hills.  Mikayla and Georgia reminding her to stay to the right every now and then.  Georgia is the navigator extraordinaire, without whom we would see nothing.  We all share the chores of living in a van, Mikayla often sweeping the floor and very good at clothes washing, all cooking and doing the dishes, packing the back and the bed in and out night and morning, helping each other in any way possible to make the cramped quarters work for us.  There is one thing mum must always do, the cleaning of the funnel! Got it down to a fine art. Teamwork.

Along our drive we saw many little villages and have found the people to be very happy and friendly. When driving through places in Vincent most of the people outside on the street stare as we pass by. Usually they don’t smile until we do and wave but the Portuguese are always smiling. Must be because they live in such a beautiful area.  There are some things that are universal and cross all language barriers, the smile, the laugh and the wave, lets hope they can keep us all safe along the way.

Peneda-Geres National Park is actually two national parks practically joined they are so close together. We spent our first day here driving through the breathtaking mountains on the east side of the park. Words cannot describe the sublime turquoise water of the dams and rivers, the cascades running down the side if the mountains, and the green oak and pine trees covering the landscape. All this topped off with absolutely perfect weather, blue sky with not a cloud in sight for the whole four days we were here.

It also amazed us how much the landscape can change so quickly as you move along. We go very slowly in Vincent, a good thing as this gives Mum a chance to enjoy the view too, but there is always a subtle difference in landscape here. If you haven’t been here already, make this place a must see, especially if you like hiking.

Our first walk (North from Vila do Geres, before Spain) reminded us of an Australian bushwalk, up hill until the end, most of the way we were following a streambed, lucky it wasn’t raining! We followed the obvious trail as high up as we possible could without having to cut through the vegetation, getting very close to the top of a mountain but not quite. Another stunning view, this time with bush scrub covering the ground and rocky outcrops interspersed on the horizon.

We used the picnic area at the start of this walk to camp the night and it was one of our favourite spots so far. Nestled in the trees with a stream running through we had a swim, more like an ice bath, but after 3 hours of walking we needed it and felt so refreshed afterwards. We’ve been hanging out for weather warm enough to swim because the crystal clear, flowing water is so tempting.

Again we did a lot of driving the next day but had a few more stops along the way this time. First was Santuário de São Bento da Porta Aberta a church and sanctuary built high up on the side of a hill and very open air to make use of the sunlight streaming in. We always visit the church in each place and each time they turn out to be very different, we love picking out the differences in architecture and layout. The outside of this one was covered in intricately patterned tiles and white paint with the murals inside also composed of tiles. This seems to be quite common in Northern Portugal with houses and businesses employing the same decoration. Next was the museum at Campo de Geres where we learnt about the Romanesque buildings and roads throughout the park, about the park flora and fauna and the wares and way of life of the people living in rural Peneda-Geres. The park is the only natural reserve of its kind in Portugal and is divided into rural and environmental conservation areas.

Our next camp spot was at the edge of a cliff overlooking a few small villages and mountainside stretching as far as the eye could see near Parada. We really have been lucky lately!

In the morning we dragged ourselves away from this view to get to the tourist office and find out about a walk to see some prehistoric rock carvings and The Enchanted Rock. We set off armed with a map, up through the small village of Parada and beyond into the forest. Only a short walk, in fifty minutes we were at The Enchanted Rock, trying to decipher the code carved into the rock face many years ago. The oldest local believe that the Moors left their fortune inside this rock before leaving the area and only the one person able to read the inscriptions will be able to open the rock and retrieve the fortune inside. Unfortunately the rock didn’t open for us! On the way back down we came across a cow walking up the other way. They’re so pretty and I love the sound of the bells they wear.

Next stop was Mezio to the museum the tourist office recommended to us, promising information in English and lots to learn about the prehistoric art, Romanesque ruins and monolithic structures scattered throughout the park. Well its not a museum, rather a recreation park. Usually we can find something redeeming about places but this had none and though it only cost us 2 euros each to get in, we grudged the time wasted here.

On the way to Braga we camped just outside the national park, up high and tucked into a man made crevasse in the mountainside. We found a stream and had another freezing swim and then settled down for our usual night time, making dinner, playing Yahtzee, Bananagrams or UNO (keeping a running score tally as we go; Mum is Yahtzee queen, Mikayla is Banangrams queen though I’m doing very well the last few nights and I’m still the UNO champion) and reading or writing.

In Braga we visited a huge monastery at the top of the hill overlooking the city, even looking down through the clouds the view was great. This was a huge church with beautiful tile paintings and magnificent alters of different saints. Even though we are not religious and do not understand the importance of each of these religious persons one can not help but be astonished at the beauty and talent of the architecture and art. The painted ceilings, the wood carvings, the oil paintings, the stone carvings etc etc. Artisans giving their talent to a piece of wood or stone or a blank canvas and creating a thing of beauty.  Above all one can feel the peace of the ages, the age of the peace.  Though most of the religious effergies we have seen are of tortured looks at a tortured time today there is a sense of peace.  It is a bit like the fields of war in France, sacrifice of years gone by, suffering of others for those of us today who enjoy our lives.  Mikayla said one time that all the faces of anguish do not inspire her to become a believer in religion, perhaps there could be some good and happy frescoes to show a new world, or is it still not really peaceful enough, all thought inspiring and life changing. Within the large church on the top of the mountain in Braga we walked with a squeak, they seem to have laid polish on every surface perhaps in preparation for the onslaught of the pilgrimage to come in a few short days, I descended into the crypt to see a tiled wall of particular beauty.  Unbeknown to me the glass wall in front of me was a huge automatic door that noisily grunted into action, surely waking every person within cooey.  The girls motioned quickly for us to exit the area, which we squeakily did with as much dignity as we could.  No secret visits here.  Calmly and quickly we exited into a morning of sunshine and enjoyed the rest of our tour of the gardens and statues.

Another run for Vincent back down the mountain into the old part of Braga to the cathedral.  This was probably one of the most decorated of all we have seen, a ceiling like no other of gold intricate detail and sun shining through a round stained glass window projecting its colour onto the marble steps.  On we move to Guimaraes, about 25 kms along the road to yet another old part of town.  We see the tourist signs yet again but as we follow, as usual they just stop.  This so often happens so we just follow our noses, or should I say we look for a rise in the landscape and look out for anything old sticking up out of the landscape, then try to locate it through the busy streets.  This old quarter of town was one of the most rewarding providing an 11^th century castle ruin, an ancient chapel of simplicity built from ancient rock and a 14^th century restored palace.  This palace was just lovely, not a building of beauty as built with defense in mind, but decorated with lovely furniture and porcelain, tapestry and carpets.  It was a place you could actually enjoy living in.  Within the palace yet another chapel, perhaps my favorite so far in that it was all carved wood with no paint for decoration and just the most amazing stained glass windows.  You the reader, just like us will probably say not another church or castle or palace.  Strangely they are all quite different once you get inside, same theme but a different collection of artists.  Each has something new to show us and we know there are so many more to see.  We continued our day moving South East through Portugal heading toward another National Park, more mountains for Vincent to cope with.  Good on you Vince.  We wound our way up another side road to find a spot for the night, we seem to enjoy the remoteness out of town the most.  This road led to a limestone track heading up the hill.  Can Vince do it I thought, after the bogging incident have kept very much on solid ground, bitumen.  Assessing the chances I put my food down and gave it a go, 4WD Vincent, and guess what, he can go over the rough ridges, just needs something solid under his wheels, good old Vincent.  Won’t push our luck too often though.  He found us a good flat spot miles from anywhere with a view of the valleys below, though hindered by the smog of fire burning somewhere.

This morning we woke up to the most amazing red sun. Peaking out from behind the hills it drew our attention and then as it rose higher into the sky looked like a pink half moon for a few minutes. Then, rising higher still, it turned to a burning red with a distinct outline, it’s not often you can look at the sun, so large and bright, beautiful.  The smoke is thick but providing a sun of fire, what a beginning to yet another day.

Though we have had some very sad news within our family and are devastated, we look on this beautiful world and know these memories we are making will be cherished forever. Thinking of you and love you always Aunty Pam.

PALACE PASSOUT.

We hit the ground running on day two and headed straight for Buckingham Palace. Lizzie had invited us over for brunch. Kidding! This was also our first time in the center of London and we took the train to Victoria and walked along past The Royal Mews (from which transportation for The Queen and members of the Royal Family are provided) to find a good spot along the fence at 11am to watch the 11:30am changing of the guard (Changing the Guard or Guard Mounting). It was so busy we were lucky to get a “front row” spot. First thing was first, the flag on top of Buckingham Palace was flying, The Queen was home. Unfortunately, though her waving skills are second to none, we didn’t get a wave but realise she is a very busy lady!

For about half an hour we watched the guards to be replaced stand guard and pace intermittently. Four guards (or sentries) were visible to us, two standing each side of the two large archways at the front of the palace (another sign that The Queen is in residence). These guards are professional infantry soldiers from the British Army who also serve around the world. Their guns are huge, the shooting type, couldn’t see their arms! And their presentation is immaculate, and as we soon discovered, making sure everything is perfect is part of the process. Next came a group of about 8 soldiers (should have counted) from a side building located inside the fence, I assume they had come from other posts inside the grounds or other barracks, but this may not be correct. They stood being looked over and every now and again reshuffled into line or position. Looking back over our shoulders we could also see the bearskin caps of the next soldiers to be on duty in the distance, all lined up ready to march from Wellington Barracks to Buckingham Palace. There was the sounds of drums too. When the new sentries marched over to the palace they were accompanied by the Guards Band who play music from traditional military marches, popular plays and musicals and even some pop songs. Today it sounds like the military kind. They positioned in front of the palace and did a bit more checking and reshuffling.

We didn’t see much more than that…I was standing right at the fence (with the camera) with Mikayla slightly behind my left shoulder and mum standing behind her, Matt and Kelly were standing back. It was quite crowded and people kept reaching over us to get a good photo and a better view. Some were even filming the ceremony and watching the whole thing through their cameras. Talk about experiencing the moment! You may infer as to what happened next from the title of this post. Suddenly I felt Mikayla lean heavily onto my shoulder with her head and then push forward. I turned around expecting to see someone pushing her but watched as Mikayla continued to head downwards. Mum said that she initially thought Mikayla was bending down as if to look through the bars to get a better view but then she just kept going, crumpling at the knees. Mum caught her on the way down as she rolled down onto her back unconscious. Once on the ground she was only out for a few seconds and everyone had sprung into action. She woke to lots of faces looking down at her, a German couple next to us had quickly grabbed her legs to elevate them and Mum was holding her head. Matt and Kelly said they saw a commotion before realising it was Mikayla and rushing over. And a doctor with a baby strapped to her chest came to us to offer her help.

Needless to say Changing the Guards was the last thing on our minds but when she came round we walked Mikayla out of the crowd to sit on a curb and get some air. Much like when I pass out, Mikayla felt absolutely fine afterwards and said she didn’t really feel that bad before, just a bit hot and dizzy. It was the first time she’s ever passed out so she didn’t know what was happening. We were surprised it was Mikayla too as it’s usually me that ends up on the floor, as my friends from uni will know! It was then time to get some food into us before setting off again.

We walked past Westminster Abbey that we will visit soon. Saw the statues of famous and influential people in Parliament Square and the Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) then continued on past 10 Downing Street to the Horse Guards Parade where we saw a WHOLE Changing of the Horse Guards! Unfortunately at this point the camera ran out of space so I miss some shots that could have been great. Photos went from this…

to this…

Oh well! we did get this one!

We got our obligatory London telephone box photos!

And I found my initials (I wish, actually this is for George Rex, Rex for male ruler) funnily enough Mums initials CR are likely to be next!

We also walked through Trafalgar Square and had a quick look around the National Gallery where we saw paintings by Monét and Van Gogh. Before walking across Hungerford Bridge to a beautiful Christmas Market on The Thames where we had yummy hot chocolates (white for me, raspberry for Mum, caramel for Mikayla and chocolate for Kelly) before heading to dinner. We went to a pop up place just near Gypsy Hill train station that make their own beer and ciders. On Thursday and Sundays they have burgers on offer cooked by the barman who once worked in Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen. We had delicious American style burgers (don’t hate me Loz) and I’m so glad Matt took us there because there’s a chance it will only be around for a few months. Another early night followed ready to do Tower of London the next day…