Road Trip

Last October, B and I spent a fortnight on a coach tour of California and Arizona, popping into Nevada (Las Vegas). We started in Los Angeles and ended in San Francisco.....

It was an action-packed 14 days, and I’m not even going to attempt to describe the full trip in any detail here. Instead, here's a list of the best moments and most extreme experiences:

Hottest place: Scottsdale, Arizona (near Phoenix)...we spent a relaxing day and two nights in the resort, enjoyed free evening cocktails in our hotel and a 'Wild West Night' at the 'Rustlers Rooste', complete with honkey-tonk band, appalling line dancing and general 'hee hawing'. Good steaks and an interesting entrance... a slide into the dining room.

Coldest place: Flagstaff, on Route 66...we spent the night here, the day before visiting the Grand Canyon....it was about 4°C when we arrived that evening, a huge shock after the sweltering 30's we'd encountered in Scottsdale. Best dinner of the trip in the hotel's Japanese restaurant, Teppanyaki-style eating...we shared a table with other guests surrounding a large hot plate, while our theatrical chef whirled, twirled, juggled, flipped and flamed raw ingredients into a delectable meal.

Driest place: The Mojave Desert, home to Death Valley...we drove through it after leaving Las Vegas, stopping at Calico ghost town...don't remember much as I was recovering from sensory overload and sleep deprivation in Vegas.

Wettest place: Sea World, San Diego...especially the front rows at the Shamu (performing killer whale) show.

Steepest place: the streets of San Francisco....they make the roads around Kloof Nek, Cape Town look like a gentle hill.

Brightest place by night: Las Vegas of course (also the sleeziest place, not enhanced by the 'Hot Babes Direct To You' billboards everywhere).

Spookiest place: Alcatraz Island....we did the evening tour of 'The Rock', so had spectacular sunset views of the Golden Gate from the boat over and the night city skyline of San Francisco from Alcatraz, but the jail itself was creepy! Felt a lot of suppressed souls there....maybe just my vivid imagination....

Scariest moment: The 'Revenge of the Mummy' ride at Universal Studios, Hollywood...you're plunged into total darkness as you face fireballs, scarab beetles and an army of warrior mummies...you're hurtled backwards and forwards and then thrown violently to a stop.

Reddest place: the stunning, red sandstone Red Rocks of Sedona, also the scene for the bumpiest (but greatest fun!) time on the trip....a jeep ride to get up close to the rocky formations.

Greenest place: Yosemite National Park...spectacular scenery, snow on the ground.

Tallest trees: the majestic redwoods of the Muir Woods, of the Golden Gate Recreational Park.

Smokiest place: Las Vegas...smoking is permitted in the casinos and although they pump them with oxygen, you reek when you get outside.

Most awesome sight: The green Colorado River snaking through the reddish brown chasm of the Grand Canyon, seen from a helicopter.

Star-struck moment: Hollywood boulevard

Best beach: Santa Monica

Spring Has Sprung!

It's been a glorious sunny day...the hottest of the year so far at around 15°C. Here are some photographs taken in our garden and a nearby woodland...

Amaryllis

Daffodils

Bumblebee on daffodil

Snowdrops

Crocuses

Cherry blossom

Bohemian Rhapsody

Sometimes called "the mother of cities", "city of a hundred spires" and "the golden city", Prague came highly recommended...and did not fail to live up to our expectations. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Hlavní město Praha (Prague) has become one of Europe's (and the world's) most popular tourist destinations, and is the sixth most-visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin. I’d been hankering to visit the city for ages, so B and I decided to treat ourselves to a long weekend there to jointly celebrate reaching our mid 30s in fairly sound states of mind, if not body....B was plagued by a nasty cold (borderline ‘man flu’) the whole weekend, but soldiered on regardless.

After an unpleasantly early (3 am) start, we found ourselves in the middle of the MMFTW (Mass Migration For The Weekend) that is Stansted on a Saturday morning, put our heads down into the polite - yet verging on aggressive - jostle onto our easyJet flight...and were thankfully soon winging our way towards the Czech Republic. Public transport in Prague is reputed to be excellent, but we’d opted for the luxury of a private car transfer to our hotel....the fabulous, Art Deco style Radisson, which was ideally located just off Wenceslas Square (centre of New Town Prague and scene of mass demonstration during the Velvet Revolution that bade farewell to Communism in 1989). Luckily, although we were early, we were able to check-in, unload our bags and have a quick freshen up before setting out for an orientation walk.

Hotel room

Bathroom

Our first stop was the historic Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí), which features various architectural styles, including the gothic Týn Cathedral and baroque St. Nicholas Church. At the centre of the square is a statue of religious reformer Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake for his beliefs. Mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall is the famous Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj (Pražský orloj), a medieval astronomical clock that comprises three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures, and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

Staroměstské náměstí

Pražský orloj

The square was filled with the smoke and smells from wooden stalls selling all sorts of Grilované Klobásy (Grilled Sausages)....very tasty when smothered with ketchup and eaten in a soft white baguette, and a handy lunch on the go...but one that would keep reminding me of its presence all afternoon and wishing I’d packed the antacid! We were in the square to watch the 2 o’clock “Walk of the Apostles".....not the most exciting parade I’ve ever seen...basically the skeleton (‘Death’) pulls the bell cord, and the apostles proceed from the left window to right... but hey, for the 14th century it must have held the equivalent wow-factor of any Hollywood blockbuster movie today.

By now B was taking strain and we decided to head back to our hotel for a rest before the evening’s activities...a medieval night at a restored tavern in the Old Town. We were met at the door of the tavern and escorted downstairs to the banqueting hall, where guests are seated at dark wooden tables, on chairs draped in rugs.

With the room lit by candlelight, the atmosphere was quite rough and romantic....hard to see anything really, but I could make out ropes and metal instruments hanging from thick beams overhead. We were served wine in thick goblets and nibbled on the not-so-medieval-looking salad platter and hunks of bread already waiting on the table. A hooded monk was strolling around, more guests began to arrive and quite soon the place was full.

Serving ‘boys’ and ‘wenches’ came around with the first of a seemingly never-ending supply of food....over the course of the evening we were served roast pork, pork knuckle, pork ribs, sausage, chicken, duck, beef goulash on rice, potatoes, spicy potato cakes, dumplings and cabbage. In true medieval style, you could eat with your hands.....but knives and forks were on the table for the more conservative diner. But the meat fest was not the best part of the evening... it was the entertainment!

As the food was served, a loud drum began to beat.....musicians came into the hall and moved up and down among the diners, playing bagpipes and drums. Then the exotic dancers made their entrance...first a belly dancer, then a series of luscious ladies accompanied by ever more dangerous ‘props’...a sword, a snake and then fire. Between the dancers' performances, sword fighting knights, and a dice-playing dwarf provided entertainment. And the platters of food kept appearing...culminating in dessert, a cake made with dates and honey.

We’d arranged a walking tour for the next morning, and we met our guide, Jiri (George), in front of the Astronomical Clock....another chance to watch the Apostles walk...or rather whirl mechanically through their parade. Accompanied by a never-ending stream of information on the history of this great city, Jiri took us through the Old Town Square, into the narrow streets leading off from it and then onto the old Jewish quarter. We stopped for an early lunch at a traditional Czech restaurant...where I sampled the local speciality, Svičková, a somewhat interesting combination of meat with a sweet, fruity sauce and whipped cream, served with dumplings. B opted for the Guláš (goulash), a wiser choice.

Svičková

Refuelled, we headed down to the Charles Bridge, which spans the River Vltava and connects the Old Town with Prague Castle. Construction of the bridge started in 1357 under the sponsorship of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. The bridge is protected by three towers, two of them on the Malá Strana (Lesser Quarter) side and the third on the Old Town side, and is decorated with 30 statues and statuaries of saints and religious scenes, most of them baroque-style. Charles Bridge famously made an appearance in the action films Mission: Impossible and XXX. Although possibly not looking its best as it is currently under repair, the bridge with its gothic towers was an impressive sight.


We crossed over to Malá Strana and began the ascent to Prague Castle...more of a palace these days, after large parts of it were destroyed in a fire in 1541, and subsequent wars. The Castle includes the spectacular gothic St Vitus Cathedral, the Romanesque Basilica of St. George, a monastery and several palaces, gardens and defence towers.

View from Prague Castle

On the way back down from the Castle, we passed the monument to the liberators of the country (1938-1945):

Our tour ended with a boat trip on the Vlatava from under Charles Bridge...not sure if it was the mulled wine they served on board or the fact that the boat was overheated, but I found myself nodding off to the soothing tones of the boat captain's voice. B was pretty much finished too after a full day out, so we crawled back to our hotel for a nap...and ended up staying in and getting room service - very expensive club sandwiches and strawberry and chocolate pyramids, but worth it for the luxury of eating them in your comfy hotel bed. The next day, there was just time for us to return to Charles Bridge and climb to the top of the Bridge Tower for some spectacular views of the Castle and the River Vlatava. A last wander through the alleys and streets of the Old Town, some quick shopping for souvenirs and then it was time to bid farewell to the beautiful city of Prague.

View from Bridge Tower top

Prague Castle and Charles Bridge

Two Down, One To Go

13 unlucky fears and facts about the number 13 or the day Friday:

"If 13 people sit down to dinner together, one will die within the year."

As if to prove the point, the Bible tells us there were exactly 13 present at the Last Supper. One of the dinner guests...er, disciples...betrayed Jesus Christ, setting the stage for the Crucifixion. Interestingly enough, precisely the same superstition has been attributed to the ancient Vikings. Twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla when Loki, the god of mischief who was not invited, turned up, bringing the total number of guests to 13. True to character, Loki raised hell by inciting Hod, the blind god of winter, to kill Balder the Good, favourite of the gods.

"If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck."

The serial murderers Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names. Coincidentally ‘Prime Minister’ also has exactly 13 letters.

"Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck."

One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned, named 'H.M.S. Friday'. They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday....and was never seen again.

“Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams.”

Similarly, “If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow.”

And, “If you start a trip on a Friday, you'll have misfortune.”

Tarot Card number 13 is the Death Card, depicting the Grim Reaper (although it is read as transition or change and not literal death).

Thirteen is also know as a 'baker’s dozen'. It is superstition that prevents this number be mentioned by name, in fact the extra loaf, presumably the runt of the litter, was baked as a special bribe for the devil not to spoil the batch of loaves.

The ill-fated Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 local time on Apr. 11, 1970 on Pad 39 (3 times 13). The sum of the date's digits (4-11-70) is 13 (as in 4+1+1+7+0 = 13). And the explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13 (not a Friday). The crew did make it back to Earth safely, though.

Hotels rarely have a room number 13. Usually it is called 12a or 14. Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don't have a 13th floor. Most hospitals do not have a number 13 room, and few airplanes have a 13th row.

Both Friday and the number 13 were once closely associated with capital punishment.
In British tradition, Friday was the conventional day for public hangings, and there were supposedly 13 steps leading up to the gallows....13 knots in a hangman's noose, while the guillotine blade falls through 13 feet.

Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s.

And, looking to the future….the asteroid 2004 MN4 will make its close encounter on Friday, April 13, 2029.