Boog's Blog

Tuesday

Bryce day. Took long way to avoid the worst switchbacks.

We booked ahead for the free shuttle that takes three and a half hours and visits all the high and highlite spots.

Fine exhibits at the visitor center.

Bristlecone. Long living,very.

Highest point

Just some shots

Natural Arch

Inside pine nut cone

Monday even hotter.

Zion again.

Weeping willows and waterfall not quite Yosemite.

Geology.

Lower emerald.

Wildlife count: mule deer, raptor,wild turkey,ground squirrels,warbler.

With Emerald Springs we finished all the walks that we could possibly do without walking on high narrow ledges.

For completing the ticket one should get advice on a hidden walk that is not divulged sort of a bonus for success.

Sunday.

One is allowed to drive into the park but discouraged by virtually no parking. Need to get there by 7-7:30 to get a spot. Shuttle runs from town. Far better.

We walked in from the hotel.

A day of spectacular rocks and bumbleberries. Patience, first the rocks and then the bumbleberries.

The Virgin River made this Canyon.

Road has been closed several times in the last 20 years to to rock slides or gigantic flash floods. People were stranded at the Zion Lodge; lucky them.

Rock climbing. Can you see them? Really small.

Sandstone varnish. The biology of their color is not understood according to signage. It is biology, not geology that is thought to be there cause. Alge are involved.

Hanging Gardens caused by the water running down vertically rather than horizontally in the river bed.

The path not taken as the road narrows after here and the water eventually moves up from your knees to your waist to your head level; path not taken at least by Boogs.

Finally the bumbleberries.

A local pie shop here is selling bumbleberry pie. Went in to look at and ask what are bumbleberry. Well she replied they are a hybrid of two other very special berries. Which ones I inquired. That is a secret they are grown and a Hidden Valley that nobody knows where they are. Must be a Utah story.

It’s not on the menu.

While ordering dinner I saw this dish of vegetables go by. How do I get that I did not see it on the menu? Well it’s not on the menu but you can have it.

Enough said.

Saturday. Slipped in a state park. Valley of Fire State Park.

Then to petroglyphs

At Best Western Zion. Functional. We are spoiled. Though it does have absolutely fabulous Wi-Fi.

View from room. More spectacular ones to come.

Tomorrow Zion Park.

Friday. Much much warmer.

Balls of string day in Vegas before moving on to Zion.

Rock wall in spa.

At first I thought of this hotel complex as a giant ball of string. Upon reflection it is more like a cathedral designed to awe and wow. Art, salvation at the tables, opportunity to pay everywhere, side chapels of shopping, on and on.

The next “in” bag. Especially good with pastries.

Too windy to sit outside but clearly not for others.

Dinner at Bouchon.

Not Foster Farms chicken room

Above took only a few hours.

This is expected to be mostly a photo essay.

Road Trips, of which we have done very few, tend not to be very interesting except the places you plan to visit. Maybe interesting things will occur on the way and if so they will be reported for posterity or at least amusement.

There is room in the car so we are carrying far far more than we normally do. Throw in a frying pan, never know if we will need it on the trip.

Wednesday

Stopped at big bear restaurant for eats and figuring out where we are going and where to stay. Sequoia Forest is large. Forest, monument,park. Earlier research would have been wiser.

Dead trees, snow on the way to Waksachi lodge in the park. Surprised we got a room.

See QB at bottom.

WiFi not working anywhere on property. So much for advertising.

Thursday

Woke to snow.

Giants of the forest.

Ride down to valley terrible for to fog. Very dangerous. First and second gear.

Continued to Las Vegas across the Mohave.

Will send two nights here.

Saturday 28 October

Headed to a museum but …. weather was far too nice to go inside so we wandered about the town for seven hours.  Did not heat up badly until late afternoon.

Today was an architectural walk.  Just looking at the fine city; a worthwhile day in itself but then we ran into a demonstration.

The Tub(QB’s mother would have been proud as we joined the crowd and chanted  a bit. 

Spain unity parade.  Many of the central streets closed off to traffic so walking even better. 

Speeches, music, crowds all just peaceably congregating.

Clearly here in Madrid the sympathy is towards unity and not allowing Cataluna to leave.  This may be the most Spain has been united in a long time. 

Eventually we ended up walking through a very large park, close to the size of central park NYC.  In the park, a boating lake, an exposition at the Casa de Vacas.  

One pictured painting below could have been done by Muru.   Another is in the style of Canaletto – QB observed.  Decent exhibit.

Canaletto style

Just one I liked.  Seems like a major percentage of the population here still smokes.   Cigs are 5 euro plus a pack.

Final dinner at the hotel.

Friday 27 October

No rain in sight. Not here or London. We have had one partial day of rain since we began.

Morning train ride. Almost all pics, this time, from KB due to pickpocketed iPhone.

Toledo is wonderful. Equal to in interesting sites, but of course very different than Salamanca. Warning: do not go on a rainy day if you expect not to fall on the steep slippery narrow cobbled byways.  

Highlites for us: The city streets, Judica, Cathedral, El Greco house.

The day begins with a perfect, for KB, breakfast. 

The Toledo train station is a joy and a reminder that that this was once Mudejar area.  The ride from Madrid is about 30 minutes.

Toledo is built above a river.  Classic hill town.  Wonderful views from the entry gate we took.  

A note about today:. took far too many pics to post today.  Outstanding views and items of interest everywhere.  The additional pics are on Flickr of this date.

Entry gate reminds, of course, of other alcazars.

As one walks the city streets shops displaying knives and swords, often marked damascus steel, abound.  

First real stop at the old synagogue, Sephardic of course, which is now a museum of the history of Judea.  Starts with panels, almost all in Spanish, from Roman times to the expulsion. 

Main (for males) room and place for Torah. Upstairs, of course, for women.

Casa El Greco and Museo is a recreation of his house. It was built over an excellent cellar.

One room has his series of 13 aposltes; pictured is the one we selected, Jimmie.

The same series will appear later in the cathedral.

A fine view of Toledo by El Greco

Walking the streets of the Jewish section we saw many reproductions of placques with animals.  Apparently anti Jewish symbology.

River view from Jewish section.

This is our final cathedral for this trip. Another large, Grand one. Maybe the largest retablo of them all.   Certainly one of the most ornate chapel areas, of which there are many.

Just a building I liked. Again showing Mudejar influence. 

Thursday 28 October

It was to be a rest day but… not so much. QB phone likely pickpocketed, no other explanation.  Now phoneless and not so happy understandably.

Tried several items with the hot chocolate. Pancake, waffle and a big fat churro.  The churro won hands down.  Not even a contest. 

Boog QB at Palace hotel breakfast.

Palace Hotel below.

Acquired some good eats and drinks.  Ibérico bellota jamón, acorn fed – truly much better. Grand Reserva Rioja, fine as expected, Pont L’eveque, and fruit. Hotel provided dinnerware.  

Walked Royal Botanical Garden just before dinner. Not impressed.  Certainly not in the league of other gardens (many) we have visited.  Looking forward to seeing Kew in November. 

Mostly squash in view.

After dinner walk to and around Plaza Mayor. Time is after 8 pm, paseo time. 

Wednesday 25 October.   Salamanca day.

  Early train.  City is celebrating is 1000 th year. University town.

If you dropped us in Salamanca and told us we were in Sienna we would believe you.  Similar architecture; lovely.

On the way to the Plaza Mayor we found the Mercado.  Not crowded, lovely goods, very fresh fish and veggies. 

Local pastries here appear to be a notch up from Madrid and other towns we have visited. Plaza Major refection from the window.  An art shot.

Tourist office gave us a map and a suggestion of what to see during the day trip.  Would have taken several days but we made a valient effort to see most of the highlited sites. 

Plaza Major, a major attraction.

Students sketching in front of the  private Catholic University.  There is also the public one, more on that later.

Salamanca library once again gives the feeling of being in Italy.

Cathedral: we got a joint ticket to both the new (Gothic) and old (Romanish) cathedral. The Gothic is especially high, no retablo, large like Léon, maybe larger.  QB has a number of good pics on Flickr.

Need some Spanish scholarship (Nancy and Jerome?) to explain why Madrid has no major cathedral but Léon, Salamanca, Burgos have impressive ones.  

The old Romanish Cathedral.

Lunch.  Got to compare to fine Riberas of significant aging.  QB could discern the longer aged one. 

University. 700 -800 years in existence. Toured the rooms but not impressed. Great entryway.

The entrance to the University.