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Kmcg52Kmcg52
SatellitRediger rute
Retired French teacher and school librarian who enjoys reading, knitting, traveling and walking the dog. Læs mere Overland Park, United States
  • RejsendeChateaux, Rivers and Wine
    Dag 2

    Château de Myrat, Barsac, France

    23. september 2018, Frankrig ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    We really enjoyed our visit to Château de Myrat in the Sauternes wine region. The Count of Pontac is very proud of his vineyard and renowned wines. He explained in French the special process of producing these sweet dessert wines while our guide translated. There are only five villages in the area that can claim the Sauternes label. This small region 20 miles south of Bordeaux has the perfect micro climate that encourages the growth of a fungus called Botrytis Cinerea, or noble rot. The semillon grape is very susceptible to it and is the primary grape grown here. The fungus increases the sugar level, resulting in shriveled, raisin-like clusters. The shriveled grapes are hand picked, often one at a time. It is a labor intensive process that takes several months. We learned that a typical grape vine yields about a bottle of wine, while an average botrytis-infected vine yields about a glass. It is very sweet, like a nectar, and usually paired with fruit-based desserts. Ron and I enjoyed sampling three different vintages.

    After a delicious dinner of Thai soup, Cuisse de Canard Confite (duck leg) and Bordeaux red wine cake, we enjoyed a wine tasting and explanation on how to taste and evaluate wine based on its color, smell, and taste. C'est bon!    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeChateaux, Rivers and Wine
    Dag 2

    Cadillac, France

    23. september 2018, Frankrig ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Bordeaux has a new tram system which we used to arrive at the Aquitaine Museum. This entire region of southwest France once belonged to Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 12th century. After she married the king of England, Henry the II, it became part of England for 300 years. We learned that Bordeaux was once part of the slave trade triangle. Goods from here were shipped to Africa in exchange for slaves. The goods the slaves produced in America were then shipped back to Europe. There is a lot of history in this museum and not enough time to see it all.

    After lunch we were scheduled to cruise upstream to the town of Cadillac. Unfortunately, the water was too low and we had to travel by motor coach. Cadillac is a fortified town called a bastide in old French. It was founded in 1280 by Jean de Grailly, representing the King of England. In the middle of the town is a chateau built in the 17th century by the first duke of Epernon for his wife. In later centuries it became a women's prison. The Cadillac we know was born near here and traveled to Canada in 1683. He adopted his title from the town of Cadillac in France. He fought the Iroquois and served as commander of the frontier post of Mackinac in Michigan. King Louis XIV gave him permission to set up a Great Lakes fur-trading post in Detroit. He governed Detroit and then the Louisiana Colony. Unhappy in Louisiana he returned to southern France where he died. A U.S. city, mountain and car company are all named after him.    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeChateaux, Rivers and Wine
    Dag 1

    Bordeaux, France

    22. september 2018, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    We have arrived in beautiful Bordeaux! We look forward to exploring the region with our traveling companions, Pat and Mike, on a Viking River Cruise. Our ship, the Forseti, is docked on the banks of the Garonne River across from the beautiful Bordeaux waterfront with its neoclassical buildings. It's Saturday so there are lots of people strolling, biking and scootering along the riverbank. There's also an Irish Pub right on the waterfront! After a light lunch on board we toured the Chartrons District. This area was once outside the walls of Bordeaux and was the center of the wine trade. Wine from all over the region arrived here, was stored in barrels in immense warehouses and then shipped all over Europe. The spires of the St Louis-des-Chartrons church tower above this neighborhood of narrow cobblestone streets. Nearby is the Place du Marché des Chartrons. The 1869 market has been renovated in glass, iron and stone. This area seems to be full of boutiques, antique shops and cafes. After a delicious dinner on board we turned in early. Jet lag caught up with us. The name of this cruise is Chateaux, Rivers and Wine. Can't wait to explore the area and especially sample the wine.Læs mere

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  • RejsendeNational Parks Wonders
    Dag 7

    Badlands, South Dakota

    14. september 2017, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    On our way to the Badlands we stopped in the town of Wall to visit the famous Wall Drug. What started in the 1930s as a pharmacy that gave away free ice water has turned into a huge shopping mall on the prairie that includes a drug store, restaurant, gift shop and even a traveler's chapel. Coffee is five cents and they still give away free water. I decided on a tasty ice cream cone.
    Badlands National Park was amazing. It felt like we were on a different planet. What fantastic formations. Native Americans used these lands as hunting grounds. They found many fossils and concluded that the region was once under water. We stopped near the Door, Window, and Notch Trails and also at the White River Valley Overlook which allowed us to experience the territory and get some great pictures. It is both bleak and beautiful.
    Our farewell dinner in Rapid City included a talk by Stephen Yellowhawk. He is passionate about his Native American culture and shares his story around the world through dance. We enjoyed his performance.
    It's been a great Trafalgar trip with our tour guide, JP, and our driver, Ken. And traveling with seven good friends made it even more memorable.    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeNational Parks Wonders
    Dag 7

    Mount Rushmore

    14. september 2017, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We spent the last morning of our tour visiting two man-made features: Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore. Crazy Horse was an important Oglala Dakota warrior who fought against encroachment by white settlers on the Dakota territories and way of life in the 19th century. In 1947 Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota Chief and elder statesman invited Korczak Ziokawski (who had worked on Mount Rushmore) to carve a mountain memorial to Crazy Horse and all Native Americans. Only the head is completed thus far. The entire sculpture is intended to be 641 feet long and 563 feet high! The finished project will be amazing to see one day. Apparently Crazy Horse was a modest, unassuming man. One wonders what he would have thought of this huge memorial.
    I found Mount Rushmore National Memorial more impressive by daylight. Gutzon Borglum created the design and oversaw the carving from 1927-1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln. The sculptures of the heads of Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln are 60 feet high. We enjoyed lunch on a terrace with the memorial in the background and had time to explore and view the faces from several angles. We were glad to be some of the two million annual visitors.    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeNational Parks Wonders
    Dag 6

    Deadwood, South Dakota

    13. september 2017, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    From Sheridan we drove to Devils Tower National Monument. I have wanted to see this amazing geologic feature since the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it was as impressive as I imagined. Teddy Roosevelt designated it as our first national monument in 1906. The Butte is considered sacred by many Northern Plains tribes. They call it Bear Lodge or Tipi because it looks like a giant bear clawed the tower. After a picnic lunch our coach drove us to the base of the summit. From there we walked around the entire perimeter. It was quite a hike! We observed several climbers scaling to the top. The views looking up and looking out were amazing. We didn't spot any aliens, unless they were disguised as tourists.

    Our next stop was Deadwood, South Dakota. When gold was discovered in the Black Hills, miners discovered a gulch full of dead trees and gold and the town was born. Wild Bill Hickock was shot and killed here holding his aces and eights and Calamity Jane is buried next to him. We toured the town in a rickety old bus with a very colorful driver and guide. He would just stop the bus in the middle of traffic to point something out and literally scraped by a couple of signs. We were all glad to get back on our nice Trafalgar coach with excellent driver, Ken.

    After checking in at our Rapid City hotel, The Rushmore, we attended a nighttime ceremony at Mount Rushmore. Despite a brief rain shower the monument looked spectacular lit up.    Læs mere

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  • RejsendeNational Parks Wonders
    Dag 5

    Cody, Wyoming

    12. september 2017, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Before leaving Yellowstone we visited the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, the oldest operating hotel in the park. Built in 1891 it's been renovated over the years and looks quite posh. There are beautiful views of the Lake, naturally. Then we began our trek across Wyoming. It's like driving across Kansas, but with the Bighorn Mountains to enjoy. At noon we stopped in Cody, named after Buffalo Bill who helped create the town. We spent a couple of hours at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. This facility has five fantastic museums under one roof. We had time to visit the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum and the Whitney Western Art Museum. If we ever come back here we will check out the Draper Natural History and Buffalo Bill Museums as well. After another couple of hours on the road (with a stop for delicious pie at the Elk View Inn) we arrived in Sheridan. We had a good down-home dinner in the PO News & Flagstaff Cafe.Læs mere

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  • RejsendeNational Parks Wonders
    Dag 4

    Mammoth Springs Yellowstone, Wyoming

    11. september 2017, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    With hot coffee in hand on a cold, sunny morning we waited for old Faithful to erupt. What a sight! It lived up to the hype. Definitely a highlight of the trip. Later we hopped on our coach to tour other parts of the park. First stop was the Fountain Paint Pots in the Lower Geyser Basin. This area gets its name from the reds, browns and yellows of the mud caused by oxidation of the iron. Walking along the half-mile trail we saw many hot springs, geysers and mud-pots. We then stopped at Artist Point for a great view of the Lower Falls of Yellowstone. The falls are part of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The present canyon is 10,000 to14,000 years old. Now I know why the park is called Yellowstone! The color comes from the iron in the rock. As we traveled north we got our first good look at a herd of buffalo from the coach. We stopped for lunch at Mammoth Hot Springs. The step-like terraces made of travertine are beautiful. The Liberty Cap is a hot spring cone formed when mineral deposits built up over an active geyser. Mammoth Hots Springs is the Park headquarters and contains some of the oldest buildings in the park. In fact the army used to manage the park. The army is gone but the elk are comfortable here and we saw them up close enjoying a shady spot. We arrived back at our hotel in late afternoon in time for a guided walking tour of Geyser Hill near Old Faithful. Yellowstone National Park is large and grand. We loved seeing so many parts of it, including two more eruptions of Old Faithful.Læs mere

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  • RejsendeNational Parks Wonders
    1
    Dag 3

    Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

    10. september 2017, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Yellowstone is not very far from the Tetons but the landscape changes from heavenly to hellish. The Lewis Falls were very pretty. Then we stopped at the West Thumb Geyser Basin on Lake Yellowstone where the scenery was otherworldly. We walked along a large boardwalk with four types of hydro-thermal features: hot springs, geysers, mud-pots and fumaroles. We were standing in a volcano crater! Old Faithful Inn was our lodging for the next two nights. It is pretty impressive. Build in 1903-04 with local lodge-pole pine and rhyolite stone, it is the largest log hotel in the world. We did have to rough it a bit with no phone service or Internet and a fan for air conditioning. With Old Faithful just a few hundred feet away it was definitely worth it.Læs mere

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  • RejsendeNational Parks Wonders
    Dag 3

    Lake Jenny, Oxbow Bend & Lake Jackson

    10. september 2017, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    As we drove north through Grand Tetons National Park, we stopped at the tiny log Chapel of the Transfiguration. On this Sunday morning we were able to drop in before Episcopal services for the magnificent views through the window behind the altar. What a beautiful spot to worship! God's glory revealed in nature here.
    We made several more scenic stops including Lake Jenny, named after the Shoshone wife of a trapper. Very picturesque. Next we stopped at Oxbow Bend on the Snake River. With Mount Moran in the background and reflected in the river, it is one of the most photographed spots in the park. Finally we stopped at Jackson Lake Lodge which was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2005. It was developed by John D. Rockefeller to make the park accessible to all Americans. As we had lunch in one of the restaurants we enjoyed our last panoramic views of the Grand Tetons.    Læs mere

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