State Hermitage Museum

One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been open to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise nearly 3 million items, including the largest collection of paintings in the world. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along the Neva River, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors.

We spent almost 10 hours touring the museum over the course of two days!  This is a personal record for us.  It was worth every minute.  The collections on ancient Russian cultures and ethnology were outstanding.  Or how about the oldest known existing Turkish style rug in the world (almost 1400 years)?  But, if I had to pick my favorites, they would be the collections of European, Japanese Samurai and Moghul Indian armor and weapons.  Absolutely perfect couple of days of travel.  My legs and eyes will hurt for a week, but oh so good!

My personal favorite photo of the trip.  Note the similarities with the painting.

A Finnish Sauna

My cousin, Sean Lecoultre, and his "Sweet Lil' Finn" Laura Puhakainen suggested that we should go for a sauna.  No, in fact, thats an understatement.  They actually said "You haven't been to Finland until you've had a sauna!".  I couldn't agree more after a couple rounds of sitting in a 180 degree, wood-fired cabin style sauna and then jumping directly into the ice cold lake.  Thanks for the experience guys!  Life can be quite simple, in fact.  I've come to appreciate that!

Danish Bikers

The bicycle rules the road in Denmark.  So many types.  Here's a few.

Swedish Fish

I like smoked fish (esp. mackerel and kipper).  I like Sweden.
I like Swedish Fish. Thanks to Felicia and Loa for all of the hospitality! 

Movin' on in Morocco - Mara posting

In the shoulder-width alley, I flatten myself against a red stuccoed wall as a motorbike grazes my ankle, a bicyclist swerves to avoid a head-on collision, and a donkey cart suddenly stops a foot in front of me.  A burka-donned woman pushes her way through, without hesitation. Chrome teasets, lanterns, curly toed leather slippers, patterned rugs and ceramics spill from shops, while vendors peddle raw goat heads, carts of flatbread, oranges, and pastries. Aromas of baking bread, heaps of spearmint, and bags of cumin intermix with the stench of diesel and sewer.

A dozen people want to be my guide: “Big plaza? It’s this way,” (pointing in every direction except for where I am headed), “That way is closed.”  A dozen more are convinced that I need to urgently buy a rug. I keep my sunglasses on and somehow manage to simultaneously step over a miscolored puddle, avoid an oncoming pushcart, see a cat run from a falling box, and make the correct turn into an unmarked alley.  And so it goes in Marrakech, a city pulsing with life.  A city with thousands of perfectly manicured roses and a hundred orange juice carts with matching signs lined up amidst tourist crowds, camels, mule carts, taxis, mopeds, escargot stands, acrobats, and even a monkey in diapers. It’s the Morocco I had imagined.

What I didn’t expect was its diversity. We disembarked in the quiet new port of Tangiers in the middle of fog and chilly rain.  On the five hour train ride to Sale, we passed mile after mile of green, sheep-speckled hillsides and rolling fields of wheat. Did the ferry take a wrong turn? Were we in Ireland? 

The landscape changed again as we ascended into the High Atlas mountains for an incredible three day trek with our Berber guide, Mohammed.  14,000 foot snow-covered peaks towered above sienna-colored villages and glowing green terraces, full of flowering apple trees.  Mules, goats, and sheep outnumbered people, and there wasn’t a camel in sight.  Nighttime temperatures were near freezing, but the heaps  of couscous, tagines, and Berber tea (sweet thyme) kept us warm. 

Our jaunt to the desert only took us as far as Ouarzazate (that's like going to Phoenix and not seeing the Grand Canyon, but I couldn't bear to take another 10 hour one way bus ride for only a few days).  It's the American southwest times ten: red rocks, rocky mountains, and chameleon homes hidden amongst the mesas and date palms. 

And now we're off to see the sea!

Where's Mara???

Modes of Moroccan Mobility

The Philippines only had 3 major modes of transport.  Morocco seems to have almost an infinite number. Here's just a few...........

The taxi of the mountains.  Sure footed, reliable, friendly!

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of water in Morocco

Taxis, petite or grande, they're everywhere!

The Moped.  Noisy, smokey, but oh so interesting!

An obvious choice.  Not so friendly!