Gloucester at its best

Labor Day weekend brings the much anticipated annual schooner festival to Gloucester. There is something magical about seeing the harbor filled with sails. This year John and I were kayaking sans kids so we were on the water the whole morning. We saw the schooners lining up as they came out of the inner harbor for the Parade of Sails. Above you see two schooners which sail out of Gloucester:  the Adventure,  which is a former Grand Banks fishing schooner and the Ardelle, a pinky schooner built in Essex. We paddled very close to the other large schooner with the three masts-- the Mystic out of...Newport, RI! Yes, the RI connection is neat but we were more interested in those on board! Isaac and his friend Miles are off to the races on the Mystic. The Maritime Center offers teens to go out for free during the Mayor's Race. What an opportunity! They were all smiles and I am sure they will have tales to tell when they return to land.

Last hurrah

At White Lake State Park in NH! What a gem of a place. The camp sites are large and the lake is beautiful.  We had a full weekend. A contingent of our 2-family group bagged three more 4000 footers in the White Mountains:  Willey, Field, and Tom. The kayakers in the crowd were treated to a group of six loons this year! At times we got up close and personal with loons popping up in front of us or even doing an interesting flying-paddle maneuver right by us. And the lake antics! Yes it takes skill to actually sit on an inflatable intertube but even more skill to stand on one!  Yet the youngest member nailed it. 9.7!! Then there was the hammock. A well appreciated Christmas gift put to good use. It was never idle and even was slept in overnight. The weekend was capped off by mini golf at Smitty's, a new location. No frills but good enough. Of course the best part of the weekend was the good eats by the campfire and the wonderful friends. Thanks Wendy, Miles, and Mike for another treasured memory.

Home again!

Thanks for the warm welcome home M,W,and M!

Signs That You Might Be England

Greetings from Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian!

We tubed over to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich for a brief visit.  We were off to find the 0 degree longitude line! We paid our admission and during our whirlwind tour of the museum picked up a few interesting facts.

In the courtyard was a queue for photo ops on the Prime Meridian. We started to wait in line but then realized we could get just as good a photo opposite the traditional photo spot.  But we really had a good chuckle upon exiting!  There in the back of the museum was a cobblestone line not at all centered with the door from whence it came but in alignment with that popular photo spot inside the museum premises!

The Meeting at St. Pancras

Crossed through the Chunnel today. Looked all over St. Pancreas station for the cart halfway in the wall on Platform 9 and 3/4 but we couldn't find a thing!  Instead we found the 30 foot bronze statue of the The Meeting. Along it's base was a series of detailed 3 dimensional friezes representing the history of the Tube. Incredible!!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Day_(sculptor)

Les Catacombes

John and I arose with the blacksmith again and in our daily tradition, set off to enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the many cafes before stopping by a patisserie for some yummy baked goods to bring home.  After breakfast we were treated to yet another sound from the barracks--a symphony filled the air!! For the horses??  This has been a unique apartment location!

We tried again to visit the catacombs today.  What a difference from yesterday when there wasn't a soul around. Today the line circled around the block and then some! We waited in line for a little over three hours, but it was worth it.

The catacombs are housed in old, abandoned quarries.  In 1785 the graveyards in Paris were posing a health risk so beginning with the Cemetery of Innocents, bones from over 150 graveyards were moved here until 1859. At first the bones were just dumped, but in 1810 the Inspector General of Quarries turned the ossuary into a proper funeral monument. The bones are elaborately displayed but only with the skulls and long bones.  The remaining bones are still in a jumble behind this facade.

Evening in Paris

This fountain was outside the Saint Michel Metro stop.  The main scene is of Saint Michael wrestling with the devil. These dragons flanked the fountain.

The area was bustling--filled with students and locals whizzing by and returning bikes. We had dinner at another open air restaurant. This has been so enjoyable.  Another pleasant walk home along the Seine. The banks were filled with small groups of people enjoying dinner or strumming their guitars.

Landscaping Day at the Palace of Versailles Garden

Mondays in France--ferme! We made all our Metro connections and got to our morning destination in good order, the Catacombs. Closed on Mondays. We changed the day's itinerary on the spot and took to RER train to Versailles. The Palace was...closed.  The gardens were open however, so we meandered through  seeing the landscapers hard at work. Who knew stencils were used for topiaries!  The gardens and the palace are definitely impressive and on a grand scale.

We spent the afternoon paddling on the lake. Many people were picnicking, bicycling, or walking. It seems the gardens are a destination in themselves and free, at least for this day.  The cafe in town was a welcome and refreshing stop after hours in the sun. Although we think of wine as the French beverage of choice, we have seen more people drinking beer (biere) at the cafes. The kids enjoyed their glace sundaes served with small, pastel cookies called macarons.

New Shoes

Clang, clang, bang! That's the sound to awaken us in the early hours of the morning outside our apartment. The smithies are already hard at word with the Republican Guard horses.

Locks of Love

On our walk back from Notre Dame, we discovered the Pont de L'Archeveche, one of the bridges in which lovers attach a padlock to the railing. This was recently in the news because the load limit of the Pont des Artes bridge has been exceeded due to the weight of the locks and the city is cutting them off and replacing the metal segments with plexiglass on both these bridges. This does not seem to have been met positively and there were numerous messages on the plexiglass.

The Weighing of Souls

Our second day in Paris concluded with a visit to Notre Dame. Lucky us--there was a mass going on! It was amazing to see a piece of history 800 years year old still thriving as a Catholic Church. It took 200 years to build--after the first stone was laid, six generations would pass before they could have the first mass.

Montmartre and the Pompidou Center

Clip clop, clip clop. We were awakened to the sound of horses trotting by on cobblestones. Our apartment backs up to the Republican Guard barracks! We spent the early part of the morning watching them riding in and out.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Guard_(France)

We took in the Basilica Sacre-Coeur in the morning. It sits atop a hill overlooking Montmartre.  The hill had been hollowed out by centuries of gypsum mining so it had to be reinforced by hundreds of pilings driven underground in order to support the basilica. The streets leading to Sacre-Coeur were filled with t-shirt and trinket shops.  The street hawkers were everywhere. We went inside the basilica but were through it quickly despite all the grandness to see. The crowd kept moving, in turn sweeping us along.  We opted to move away from the tourist area as we departed Montmartre.  We passed through some less affluent areas with a lot of evidence of homelessness.

Our next destination was the Pompidou Center which houses the Museum of Modern Art. We gaped at the unusual building which looks like it was constructed inside out! The Stravinsky Fountain (above photo) was a whimsical delight. Today the museum was free!  Adelaide certainly enjoyed this destination the most and was a joy to be with as she wandered amazed and excited though each gallery!  She kept making wonderful connections to lessons from school.  When I pointed out how Picasso's art changed and was influenced by the women in his life, she announced , " I know!  My third grade biography was about Picasso."  She also was excited to see artwork by Piet Mondrian whose style she imitated in art class. Thank you Mrs. Doherty!  She was enthralled with Robert Delauney, Wassily Kandinsky, and Otto Dix.

The Golden Tower

The Many Steps of Paris

We arrived in Paris with a 4th of July bang! After getting settled, we set out to explore. We decided immediately to master the Metro. We hopped on and got off at Champs-Elysees to see the Arc de Triomphe. It's huge! The friezes are so detailed and beautiful. This will definitely be some further reading.  We took the tunnel under the busy road and then climbed the 284 steps to the top. Well worth it. The views were great in all directions and you really get a sense how the streets in the area radiate out. http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com/

We then meandered our way through some charming neighborhoods on our way to the Eiffel Tower. Love the architectural details on the buildings here. I started really paying attention to the window or balcony iron rails and there never seemed to be a repeat of those intricate designs!

Luck has been with us this trip and we have not encountered any of the long lines we had been warned about. It continued today and we had tickets and within thirty minutes we were on our way up! Sadly we could only climb up to the second level (over 600,steps!) as the top level was closed.  The structure is much more impressive up close because honestly--on the first glimpse it looks out of place among the harmonious architecture of Paris. Oh alright--also excepting that big black building in the middle of the city. What is that?!

We walked along the Trocodero across the way and saw the Eiffel Tower cast gold by the sun. So many people taking selfies with the selfie sticks. Will be glad when that goes out of style! We stopped to watch some of the street hawkers offering bets on ball and cups games. Lots of money being moved around. We had fun guessing the winning cup (no bets though), trying to identify the "plant," and watching closely for a sleight of hand. These games were going on every five feet!

Back on the Metro with a ride out to La Defense. This is the financial district at the far end of the city. The Grande Arch constructed here made a wind tunnel. Since then, a giant canopy has been constructed to cut down on the wind and at the top of the stairs (yes even more on this day!) are glass panels that were also put up to help.  The breeze was refreshing after all our walking.  We ended up having fast food for dinner (Gasp! In Paris?!) a rarity in any case, but most enjoyable as we all sat companionably laughing and joking around. A terrific ending for a first busy day in Paris!

httphttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/holidaytypeshub/article-604792/The-One-Minute-Guide-To--br-The-Grande-Arche-Paris.html

Pont du Gard

An impressive sight!  And a World Heritage site! We are just knocking these off on our traveling adventures--no matter the year. Maybe we should just change the blog name to Notte Family Adventures while seeking out World Heritage sites!

It was still very hot despite it being late afternoon. So many locals and visitors were enjoying the river. We did a little splashing of our own to cool off.

Photobombed at La Defense!

Les Baux

We spent the early afternoon at this small village hugging the one of the Alpilles (ahl-pee) mountainsides. No cars are allowed in the village so we parked on the road and climbed the steps.  It was quite loud from the cicadas buzzing away! 

We made our way to the "Dead City" which is the ruins of a medieval citadel and castle.  It had plenty of history and picturesque views but it was hot, hot, hot!  We did as much as we could (which would have been fascinating, but we were quickly done in by the heat and hurried off the mountaintop to the village below. Bypassing the numerous gift shops, we made our way directly to a hillside restaurant with shade, cool drinks and delicious food.

Exploring Provence

Believe it or not, the backside of this field of sunflowers was more photogenic than the front!  We were really hoping to see the fields of lavender but we did not see any aside from the many fields we saw from the highway.  However we did see many olive groves and enjoyed the rugged beauty of the rocky mountains in the region. Sainte Victoire provides a spectacular back drop to Aix. Cezanne was known to spend many a day painting it.

Dipping our toes in the Mediterranean

Rue Emeric David, Aix en Provence

It was a long ride down here. Our GPS kept losing a signal and we found ourselves heading toward Paris in the morning. Not good. Sometimes the good ol' map days seem so much better. We arrived in the early evening and found most of the shops closed but the restaurants were bustling!

We haven't talked about the food much but the duck has been very tasty. Amanda- we found a bakery around the corner today serving....pain au chocolat!! Mmmm! The kids have mostly been playing it safe but the ordering has been an interesting experience. We have a cheat sheet but it hasn't been too helpful. Sometimes the order is a pleasant surprise and thankfully nothing has been too intimidating.  Mike- we've been hunting around for cassoulet. Nothing. Suggestions? Maybe in Paris. Not sure it could top yours!  The hard cider seems to be very popular so I have been trying many varieties of that. Today the restaurant we went to did not have it but suggested beer with a fruit syrup in it. I chose peach. Surprisingly good.

Our apartment is located on the third floor. That is our street in the above  photo. Our arrival was a bit stressful as I tried to navigate John through these narrow one lane alleys. That's when the GPS really is of no value. We ended up circling around and around listening to worthless directions!  The famous Cours Mirabeau is very close with many shops and restaurants. It is a great place to people watch. Americans are easy to spot with the bright colors. And nowhere yet in either the UK or France have I seen one female in capris! Definitely an American give away.  Adelaide noted the lack of children but I think they may be just coming to the summer break.

It's quite warm but not the terrible heat wave London and Paris were supposed to get.

TRAPPED! (Almost)

The tide gets the best of the Notte's again!  Well if Nicholas wasn't impressed with the rate the tide rose when he visited the Bay of Fundy then he certainly made up for it here Mont Saint Michel. This bay has the biggest tide variations aside from the Bay of Fundy. Always the intrepid travelers, we thought it would be an adventure to circumnavigate the Mont. We were about two thirds away around when we were stopped by slippery rocks. The tide was noticeably rising and we found where our former footfalls were  on rock, now slightly underwater! A scramble over the big rocks, then a mad dash through shallow water quickly covering the sand, and a quick schlep through knee deep rushing water (slippery!). Safety!  Okay- so now we understand how invading armies were swept away!

Inside Mont Saint Michel we found narrow cobblestone lanes lined by souvenir shops and restaurants. It felt like it had not changed very much from medieval times. We walked up to the abbey and peered out over the ramparts at the area where we almost met our doom. We had dinner here but the most remarkable aspect was the heat and the flies-ugh.  We took the free shuttle bus back over the newly constructed bridge which replaced the causeway and allows the water to flow.  Our hotel was just on the other side in a gated section (I had to call for the code upon our arrival with my limited French. Thankfully "merci" seems to go a long way.). Dessert back at the hotel was much more enjoyable. The cafe gauramond offers an espresso with an assortment of small desserts. And glace makes any child happy!

Onward to Provence...

WW II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

Very moving and well done.

Driving in the French countryside!

On our way to our next destination and the car GPS had us driving down tiny country lanes. John was white knuckled, Michele was gleeful, and the kids couldn't understand what the big deal was!  It was great fun! John whizzed through like a native but for him just wanting to get off the road! Michele filmed from the open car window hooting with delight. The kids said, "So what?! It's a road!" The main road was met with relief, chagrin, and indifference.

Omaha Beach

After our night in Arromanches, we went further west to Omaha Beach-one of the two American landing sites on D-Day. It was filled with families and groups enjoying a sunny day at the beach--quite a contrast from its day of historical significance. On the beach was this sculpture, "Les Braves" commemorating the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The three sections signify these messages:  Wings of Hope-to remind us that together it is always possible to change the future. Rise Freedom!--to help us remain strong against all forms of inhumanity.  The Wings of Fraternity--to remind us of our responsibilities to others as well as ourselves.

We spent some time on the beach imagining the scene here 71 years ago and taking in the landscape. We could see the cliffs at Pont Du  Hoc where the rangers scaled the cliffs to take out the German gun battery. Above us were the hills from which the barrage of artillery was raining down. A visit to the Omaha Beach Museum answered many of our questions.

Arromanches--the artificial port

Today we headed to the Normandy region. We had originally planned to go to Dunkirk but felt pressed for time so we drove straight to Arromanches.  This town was part of the Gold beach landing during D-Day. Immediately after, an artificial port, called Port Winston, was constructed. It was code named Mulberry B--the Mulberry A at Omaha was destroyed in a gale soon after construction. This was an amazing engineering feat.  Ships were sunk to form the outer barrier. Then huge concrete blocks, called Phoenix caissons, were hauled across the English Channel and also sunk forming a four mile breakwater.  Engineers then set up floating piers up to a half mile long that were used to unload vehicles, equipment, and supplies. This really was extraordinary. The Germans had control over all the deep water ports and the Allies had a terrible defeat trying to take Dieppe so they built a port!  Keep in mind that these concrete blocks were hauled 90 miles by 500 tugboats. Pretty amazing.

Fortunately for us, we arrived at low tide and were able to see the caissons and remnants of one of the piers very clearly. This area has wide tidal ranges so we could walk out a distance. We walked by one of the concrete blocks which had been brought in close to shore by storms over the years.  The D-Day Landing Museum and the 360 Theater gave us a great overview.

Our hotel was right on the water and the kids had an ocean view from their room. Window screens do not seem to be common but closing the windows leads to some uncomfortably warm rooms.  Arromanches has a small area of restaurants and shops. The shops closed around 6 although the restaurants remained open serving dinner from 7-9 pm. The surrounding houses were beautiful homes primarily of bricks and stone. The town is definitely a day tripping stop for both tourists and beachgoers and quiets at night.

Goodbye England, Hello France

Plan for the unexpected delays. That's the advice from the Notte's when trying to return a rental car in a foreign country and trying to catch a ferry. Because if you don't follow our advice you will miss the ferry. If you are the Notte family you will miss the ferry shuttle by FIVE minutes!

Yes we went around the roundabout several times. Yes we entered customs and then tried to drive out on the one way entrance. Yes we were directed to the car park a few times (No! We don't want to park. We want to return a rental car!). The 2nd time through customs the French officer was less than helpful.  Just noting that.  In contrast the British customs officer flagged us down and began the conversation with, "You're having a bad day, aren't you?". YES!!  With another turn around the roundabout, we finally see the small 'car hire' sign where we are directed to a car park (Ah! Now we begin to understand) only to find  there are only two small levels and they are full. With a quick drop in an illegal spot and a dash to the terminal, we receive the bad news. Five minutes.

Oh well. An hour later we were actually departing sipping champagne compliments of the upgrade John purchased. No, not the kids. They were too busy plugging in.

Dover seemed very industrial and I was sad the white cliffs of Dover were marred by this. As we traveled further away though, the unspoiled portions away from the port were quite dramatic.  It was interesting to note the chalk giving them their white appearance was also present at Stonehenge and Avebury.

We arrived in Calais in good order and survived dinner out. One child was adamant that he was not hungry(?!) and did not want to eat. This feeling passed when we were understood and the food was familiar.  John and I were in for a surprise though. We chose something totally unrecognizable and received pizza! That made for good laugh!

Avebury Circle

Today we arose early and after a hearty traditional English breakfast, we  drove an hour north to Avebury. We were fortunate to be off the highways on smaller routes and even some country lanes!  Along the way we admired the lovely English countryside with its wide open fields and rolling green hills.  It is remarkable that there is so much undeveloped land here considering the long history.  The villages we drove through seemed just as one would expect with brick buildings, thatched roofs, and traditional looking inns. It would be great fun to village hop through the UK (without kids though and I can say that aloud with their agreement!). On some of the smaller roads, the hedges came right up to the roadside and we drove through one section where it was as if we were driving through a tunnel of trees with the way the canopies met overhead.

We turned off on small lane right before Avebury and drove next to the Ritual Procession Way. At one time this double line of stones standing in the fields marked the path between an ancient wood henge and the large stone circle.

The Avebury circle is one of the largest known stone circles--16 times the size of Stonehenge. It is so large that it encompasses part of the town and visitors cannot see the full circle. We walked in amongst the stones including pastures with grazing sheep right at the bases. The circle was surrounded by a 30 foot earthen bank which I had forgotten included a ditch just as deep when I encouraged the kids to run up to the top (drizzly day-wet, long grass...). This was a fascinating stop and one which have been fun to explore further if time had allowed.

For now we are off to catch a ferry in Dover. Isaac kindly agreed to ride up front as I was probably driving John to distraction with my door gripping and passenger side breaking. Mom, I shudder to think of you as a passenger on the wrong side of the road! ; )

Crow on the Heel Stone

Adelaide took this great photo and then stylized it. Wouldn't it make a great logo?

It's real and we're really here!

It seemed a bit unreal that we were at Stonehenge today. It was as just as impressive as one might expect. Even though visitors cannot gain access to the inner stones (except through a lottery for a small number but not during the 2 weeks sandwiching the solstice--boo hoo), the arrangement is such that it never felt like we were part of a mob of people. Because it really is in the middle of the countryside, there was plenty of grassy area to sit or stroll. The audio tour was very informative and guides were on hand to answer any questions. We were amazed to learn that Stonehenge was constructed as if from wood using mortise and tenon joints.  The area is chock full of barrows which were burial mounds. We walked back to the visitors center and were able to see some up close. They are in view in all directions from Stonehenge.

First view of Stonehenge

Except for that surprise view from the motorway when we came over the hill!

Borough Market and more!

When we last left you we were headed to Shakespeare's Globe Theater where we caught one of the last tours before the afternoon performance (whew, hurrah, yes!).  The actors were actually rehearsing on stage during our tour (King John commemorating the Magna Carta). The tour itself focused on the Globe and not much on Shakespeare. The recreated theater was a dream of Sam Wanamaker, an American who could not believe there  was only a plaque commemorating it. We learned of how some of Shakespeare's lines referred directly to the the Globe as well as how many terms came to be (drag queen--a young teen actor dressed for a female role whose skirts dragged behind him). It was a fun and interesting stop.

We timed our day so we could eat at the Borough Market which had been recommended by multiple people. What fun! It was a hopping place and we had delicious meals including Indian as well as venison and boar!

A cross over London Bridge and off to the Tower of London. Meh. Our time could have been better spent. Too much emphasis on the drama even with the Yeoman Warder's tour.

Our final stop was a pass by Buckingham Palace. You can't go to London without seeing that! Off to Salisbury tomorrow.

Mosaic history of London

A cool find on the way to the Globe!

Not ready to be a Time Lord

Yes we really did make a tube run out to Earl's Court to see the last remaining police call box aka "The Tardis." It was hard to tell if it was bigger on the inside because it was locked!

Today we made good use of the London Underground. Thanks Della! Adelaide did ride free.  Can't say enough about this. The oyster cards were easy to use, the waits were never long, the connections to different lines were clear, and it was relatively inexpensive for a family of five to travel.

Our first stop was at Westminster station. We came above to see Big Ben RIGHT there! Welcome to London! We walked by the Houses of Parliament admiring its beauty and workmanship. Then we went over to Westminster Abbey. It was the middle of the afternoon and our wait was, at most, 10 minutes to get in. This was incredible to us as we had multiple sources warning of the long wait unless you arrived early in the morning. We did the self-guided audio tour and all went at our own pace. Awe-inspiring. Despite the reluctance of the teen set, everyone found something of interest--especially the who's who of the famous interred there.

Isaac wanted to see the Imperial War Museum so we headed off there. What a fascinating place! We spent a couple of hours there and could easily have spent more. We all split to pursue our own interests while Isaac speed lapped the place to see it all! John spent time in the WW II section and noted the different view of DDay. Adelaide and I immersed ourselves in WW I and the secret intelligence wings. We did a quick tour of the Holocaust wing before seeking out " Gassed" by John Singer Sargent. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassed_(painting) This museum did not glorify war at all but instead showed the reality of it and the significance from a historical perspective. Very well done and free with a suggested donation. Well worth it.

Cinderella's slipper?

Found this shoe along the street. Looks like Prince Charming has to wait. It doesn't fit yet!

London Day 1

After finding our super-conveniently located apartment (just a few blocks from Victoria Station!), we did a quick turn around--literally! We walked back to Victoria and hopped aboard the previously mentioned Hop on Nod off bus. The experience was a good entry for us to get an overview of the city but I'm not sure we would recommend it otherwise.

We stopped at the London Eye for a half hour ride and great views of the city. With soft serve ice cream that was presented to us after it had been hung upside down, we people watched for a bit.  We were in an area next to the Eye where there were several "living statues."  It was pretty interesting to watch from the sidelines--the enthrallment of visitors and the absolute stillness of the statues.  Then one by one they went off duty and packed up.  As Adelaide said, it totally ruined the mystique!  

Our bus tour included a river cruise so we hopped  aboard and saw the sights along the Thames.  Our guide mentioned that Tower Bridge would be opening in the next several minutes so we walked over. We were right up front on the bridge. This got mixed reviews with some thinking it no more exciting than the Cut at home and others thinking it pretty cool to see this renown bridge in action! A full afternoon considering our day of travel!

Hop on Nod Off

We began our vacation on the Hop on Hop off bus which all jet lagged tourists seem to take. We got in all the highlights and even stayed out until 9 pm local time! Must have been those naps between iconic sights. More soon...

Waiting for our flight....

Bocce on the Boulevard

It must almost be summer!

Adventures on the Pergola!

The snow is so deep that is was fairly easy for some family members to scramble on top!  And still more is coming down!

http://www.capeannweather.com/forecast.htm

No rest for the wicked!

(Or...how I spent the 5th snow day of the season!)

Adventures at home..."Blizzard 2015"

Waves are tough to catch by camera but come the high tide--they were impressive to view!