What I did last Autumn

Fudgemaking in Baltimore, MD:


Library of Congress and Arlington cemetery in Washington DC:


Crazy night out in Montreal:

Lone star

I feel very lucky that there are so many places/people I feel at home and at ease with. I am traveling great distances at times and finding the company of old friends so soothing and comforting. They are my real destinations. Maybe am finding out what happiness is in its infinitely small unassuming quiet appearance.

It is not the long journey that makes the destination more rewarding. The journey brings about the physical challenges, the time for reflection and retrospective, the rest that awaken the eyes. It makes me consider the value of what has been left behind, and what is worth coming back to.

I often feel anonymous on a journey, a blank slate ready for any imprint. New faces, attitudes, emotions that reflect or clash against my own. I bask in adventurous foods, dances, beliefs. I often find beauty that give me faith in life and people. But I don't stay because there is more elsewhere to live.

The men that make the law and those who die defending it

I did not see the Congressmen in session but I visited the Library of Congress where they do research and consult previous cases.

Then in the afternoon I went to the Arlington National Cemetery where I shed a tear at the tomb of the unknown soldier, hearing the lament of the lonely bugle at the changing of the guard.

I have never been surrounded by so many dead people before!

Traditions and progress on the Mall

Of course I hit the Mall! I stuck to the Smithonian building, the Space Museum and the new Museum of Native Americans.


I tried to join a guided tour in the Smithonian, but all the participants were over 80 year old, so I felt a bit too young. Besides, the inside of the castle wasn't that exciting..beauty was truly only outside for this one!

I know I have been into the Space Museum on the Mall before but somwhow I cannot find any picture of it. So this time I snapped away and listened carefully to what Billy said (that's the dguide's name). And once again I touched the moon.

And the control module that held the astronauts that flew the Apollo 11 mission and walked on the moon.


And then I got lost in the Universe!

The tour lasted about 90min, and because there was no restaurant nearby, just museums, I was forced to eat at Mc*Ronalds...happy meal for me.

Next to that hall full of powerful engines and amazing feats of engineering sit the new museum of native american. It's a beautiful building. I cuold look at it forever and feel so peaceful.

It's a very nice museum that gives lots of information on the beliefs, customs and way of life of Native Americans, from the tribes in south america to the ones living in Alaska. There are loads of workshops and hands on activities as well to discover the crafts and music.



This is what the conquistadores were after though: GOLD

Hello Baltimore!

Playing with the sun

Well, another day outside in the warming sun of Madrid awaited my sunblock oiled skin. Starting with the visit of Palacio Real, which is very grand and luxurious and very original (there was an armory section with all sorts of armour details etc), we enjoyed the Jardines de Sabatini next to the palace after a numbing trip to the car bodyshop (the repairman said it'll cost circa 3000eiros to do all the stuff that needed to be done!).



We also climbed so many stairs in and out of the metro that when we got to Parque del Oeste, I was probably high and stoned. The Temple of Debod was so calm and peaceful that sound seemed to bouce off the area. And the fountain behind it just had the same effect.


From the highs of the park, we got down to Plaza the espana to see Don Quixote and Sancho Panza immortalized and bothered by hords of tourists...

We barely had time to rush off into the metro, the train and the bus, and we are home again, dead tired and craving food (not a surprise there) despite the ice cream (choco cognac and tiramisu), the sandwiches at Rodilla (am such a fan of that)...so Zab is cooking fajitas (her specialty)...hmmmmm

Excursion a Madrid

After a stressful start trying to find a workshop to book the car for a repair and routine check, we finally managed to get picked up by the bus to Mostoles where we jumped into a regional train into Madrid. The day was windy, the sun was out, and I was quite excited to be a tourist again.

To start with, a light lunch at Callao station, at Rodilla, a chain of toast sandwiches, very yummy (ate 5 of them, all with strange fillings). Then a nice walk to el Parque del Retiro, passing by the Bank of Spain and a nice post office.
The park is probably like Hyde Park or Central Park. Full of shaded alleys and little cafes and populated by fantastic creatures.

Shrek was there also but I completely forgot to snap a picture at him. In the meantime we managed to get to the statue of the fallen angel, which is apparently the only statue in the world, representing the devil.

Also managed to get a rainbow in my picturebox!


Tired of walking in the park, we took off to Puerta del Sol where the symbol of Madrid (El Oso y El Madroño)is witness to lines of tourists trying to steal a picture home. I went in a shop for abanicos (fans) and came out with 3 of them...hehehehe...(my superpower is shopping).

Not far from there was Plaza Mayor, with its al fresco cafes and restaurants. But we went down further into the old Madrid for cheaper food.

Then to digest all the patatas bravas, calamares and bocadillo de tortilla and sandwich de jamon serrano, we walked up and down the hills to finally get to Palacio Real and the Cathedral across from it. It is difficult not to notice that Spain is very catholic.


As the pink evening sky started to lower the temperature, we went to Atocha train station to catch our regional train, and also to look at the indoor garden. Then we just chilled, exhausted, happy (despite loosing my almost 3 month old phone) and very very full of tapas.

Adventures in Castilla-la-Mancha

It's only on the way back that Zab mentioned that the area we travelled all day was the setting of Don Quixote's adventures. Though I saw no windmills, we visited the Palacio Real in Aranjuez, which was used to be the spring residentce of all sorts of King Felipe and one Carloss III, and now on the World Heritage list of UNESCO.

We briefly visited the interiors, mainly the Queen's quarters, and also a part were they showcased various cribs, uniforms and even velvet covered weight machines (photos courtesy of Zab to come eventually). I was delighted by the curtains, assorted with the different colours of each room.


There was also a room full of porcelain figurines as wallpaer, and even the hanging light was of porcelain...the overall effect was most crowded and creepy.

Outside, the sun was burning on a canals, gardens and our poor heads. I forgot my hats at home, and I still haven't bought a spanish fan.



After all that, we wanted to go to an aquapark to get some fresh water, but after much turning around all over the place for almost half an hour, we discovered upon asking for the 2nd time in a 4 star hotel that the place has been closed for the past 3 years...and on our way back in Aranjuez to sample local food, the car broke down and started to emit black smoke on the right front!
Luckily, the really nice policeman that Zab hailed was very helpful, as well as my nice mini dictionary helped us thourgh getting in touch with the insurance, and get us a cab back home without paying a penny...now the only concern is to send the car to the garage and get it repaired...

'I had a farm in Africa'

Out of Africa, Karen Blixen


Except out here, it's a barn, and we're in Spain, around Madrid. I did not expect the place to be so arid, vast yellowish land stretching to the horizon, sparsely greened by pine like trees. Almost remindin me of the Wadi in Yemen. The airport was really modern and an ode to glass structures and ceiling ventilation. I will have to take some pictures when I leave because there are a lot of geometric shapes and lines that trick my eyes and play with the lights.

We drove on highways around Madrid to pass Mostoles University where Zab works, then took a dirt road off the main road to safaria cross dunes of plants and get to the barn she calls home in Spain. It is her 'domaine', complete with a barn house, where the chicken hide from the mighty dog of the house -Ouessant - and a neighbourhood vineyard (where she'll get her free supply of grapes), and a hill from which to enjoy the sunset on the yellow grassland.

(I then didnt resist the temptation of going to the nearby Xanadu mall to explore the local 'ropas y vestidos' and have a peek at the artificial ski lanes...)

On the daffodils

Spent the day in a nice park today, and had a really peaceful afternoon. It wasn't as worry free as when we were 3 or 4 years old, but we had some laughs and hopefully forgot about the fresh wounds we had.

I always found very soothing to be in a beautiful place when in mourning or after a loss. It feels so much devoid of all the darkness and meaness of the world around. It also gives time to rest a bit. Though I realize guys don't really get that moment and would end up playing ballgames or get bored, or sleep. I enjoy those moments where nothing is said and my mind blankly stares out to the awesome scenery.It is a selfish moment that can stretch until the sun finishes its journey across the horizon.
Treat of the day: KFC and vanilla rhum and coke (finished my bottle, sniff)
Best moments: when everyone wa slaughing out loud
Worst moment: going our separate ways
I hope one day I will be able to sit idly and do like them:

Hampton court

-I heard this was the residence of Henri VII (correction, Henri VIII...typo)
-Well at least he could escape by boat
-And what's up with the trees?
-Hormone inbalance
-Do you see that hottie over there?
-Nah you have the zoom...

Mud-elling etc..

BUILD ME A MUD PALACE
Like the one in Seyoun, entirely made of mud and rising to 5 stories overlooking the town. It was built in the 1800ish and used as a garrison. It is now a museum with some interesting facts about the wadi area, such as how the local money, the real, was coined during the austrian influence. Or to see the old alphabet used before the arabic alphabet...



And it also has a magnificent view of the whole town of Seyoun, with its minarets that are all different. Locals who emigrated to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia or other for oil or business return successfully and erect those minarets to thank God and give to the community. One could argue schools and hospitals could be useful too, but faith is a good thing here.

Another mud palace is in Tarim, where a prominent business family who worked in Indonesia came back and built a whole structure inspired by Indonesian craft and architecture. Unfortunately we could not visit inside as there was a funeral and the whole town went.




BUILD ME A MUD CITY

This is Shibam, a site which is on the World heritage list of UNESCO
The place was nicknamed Manhattan of the desert, as 9 stories high buildings were built entirely in mud. There is only one gate to this city overlooking the river bed. It is used to monitor any entrance and exit. Like in the traditional houses in the area, women and men each have their floor level. Cattle and storage rooms is on the ground floor. The top roof terrace is used for tea or coffee break. And it is always quite breezy inside due to the various internal open court and windows. The river bed itself serves as playground to the kids and goat and camel herds.

A CITY ON THE ROCK
Tired of mud constructions? Try the rock high rises of Al Hajarain, a city built on a bald rock overlooking the wadi.

This is unique in the region because the houses are actually made of rock as well, not mud. It's pretty scary to climb up the roads that swivel around the bald mountain. But it has a nice view up there and there are long staircase down the mountain for those who are not afraid of staring into the void while climbing down.

Speaking of rock, the driver was playing the backstreet boyz at some point and I missed Bambi dearly. Please, no stone throwing! Speaking of another rock, here is Haed Aljazail, another mud city perched on some unreasonable stone...the humans were unreasonable, the stone just happened to be there, half hanging out of the mountain...

This is a view from the desert plateau across from it, where some ricj guy, probably from the Al Kaaf family is building a huge resort. He even finished building the fence, using local materials: rocks. He also built a hospital and a place where he can have shows done on that plateau...seems that whole piece of flat big rock is entirely his...

Anyway, down the plateau we had lunch at this cute restaurant.

No need to add this was also made of mud....it was

The face of the desert

Forget the cliche of the sand dunes. I did not see those. After all, the trip was to be in a valley, where an intermittent river would form after rainfall. Instead, picture a long sinuous valley bordered by very high plateaux that are similar to Cape Town's Table Mountain. And you get the region of Hadramout.





It rained a couple of days ago and the river bed is blessed with some water, and some crops are an eerie green along the road.

Along the straight new roads, water station sparsely sprout out of the beige ground, celebrating and nurturing the idea of water to the thirsty and drained travelers. Truly a life saving station.

We also came across many goats herds, escorted by their lovely shepherdess, kinda dressed for Halloween.

Minarets towers in all shape and colors signal human civilization. Minaret also travels by truck on the long desert road.

On the plateaux, the immense flat dry surface stretches to the horizon, hiding the abrupt cliffs onto the valley.

The sunset can be viewed in higher grounds to get a view of the palms trees in the wadi and the sand storm raised by the breeze.

And finally hidden charming oasis of rest and peace cater to tired travelers.