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Eileen Joll
Eileen Joll

Eileen Joll

traveled in 10 countries Read more
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  • Italy
    Morning view from our monastery room
    Good morning!Monteriggioni in the distanceMuch of the walk was on this. This and hills is why it is good to have hiking sticks!An occasional castleWe found a surprise "pop-up" pilgrim rest area. He had drinks and snacks for donationsSheepSiena in the distance

    Abbadia d'Isola to Siena

    September 22, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌩️ 55 °F

    We left the Abbada monestary and walked 1.5 miles uphill to the town of Monteriggioni. This town is a medieval fortress town on top of a hill. There are 14 towers and you can walk on top of walks between the towers. It was Sunday morning and early so we had to wait for the cafes to open. When one opened at 8:30, we had breakfast and got sandwiches to go. This is another day where there will be no more services until we get to Siena. Most of the day was a "later, rinse, and repeat" kind of day. Uphill, downhill, past a vineyard or olive trees or countryside, and then do it again and again, occasionally throwing in a couple of castles. The hills weren't very strenuous, just continuous much like a roller coaster. It was a pretty day but not the most exciting day. Arriving in Siena, we were tired and enjoyed a beer. We will stay in Siena for a rest day tomorrow.Read more

  • Italy
    Beautiful morning!
    A local hunting for rabbitsOld city wall entranceA wedding celebrationThere were many pilgrims on the trail todayCrossing the river one of many timesBelle and MonicaWalls of the city upon leavingOne of multiple crossingsWaters Blue from calcium carbonate, algae, and microorganisms​Some of the local wildlife along the Elsa riverA rare close-up of the wildlifeA wedding just finished as we arrived at our roomFrom the courtyard of our accommodations

    San Gimignano to Abbadia d'Isola

    September 21, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We started the day a little earlier today since it was to be closer to 80 degrees. We stopped at a bakery to fuel up and then left the walled city on the other side. The city has a prettier entrance on the side we were leaving.

    Today was more about rolling hills. Leaving the city, the fog was lifting from the valley making for our first beautiful scenes. At one point there was a choice to go the original route, or to go a little shorter, suggested route . We chose the suggested route. The first six miles went by quickly once again through vineyards and farms, hilly but not as strenuous as yesterday. We stopped at what we thought would be our halfway point in Colle di Val d'Elsa, a rather large old city and suburban area. While walking through the city we passed a wedding and a baptism.

    We left there following the signs and our map app. The signs led us through a beautiful wooded area walking by the river Elsa with several waterfalls. We crossed the river via big boulders several times. It reminded me of the state parks at home. It was a local's favorite for hiking and swimming.

    Upon exciting this beautiful area we expected to have about 3 miles to go. But then we saw a map that told us we had about 5 miles to go. Apparently, the trail we took was another variation that we didn't know about. Back on the trail we again followed the signs and the app map only to find out that somehow we ended up on the original trail adding another mile to the trip bringing our total for the day to 17.25 miles.

     Just before the end of our day, we stopped at a cafe for a well deserved break. We spoke to two ladies from Paris who were on a pilgrimage to Assisi. They were Monica (86) and Belle (72). They had walked the same trail we did today. Belle spoke French and a little bit of Italian, English and Spanish. Monica spoke French and some English. Somehow we managed to have a wonderful 20 minute conversation.

    Eventually we found our way to an old monastery (1001 ad) that has been converted into a museum and hostel. It was a beautiful place and a wedding had just taken place in the church. We were able to eat dinner in the courtyard and relax for the evening.    Read more

  • Italy

    Gambassi Terme to San Gimignano

    September 20, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    We started our day with a breakfast with other pilgrims. Today was just a 10 mile hike, but it was mostly uphill. We started off with a nice downhill but then hit a very long uphill. And it was 75 degrees and sunny. 75 doesn't feel that warm until you are walking miles uphill.

     Though all of the pilgrims left from the same place, leaving 5 - 10 earlier or later can mean not seeing many people along the way. After a nice downhill, there was a long uphill followed by a downhill and then a 2 mile uphill. There was no place to stop for food and drink adding the way. Though it was short, it was a hard walk. The scenery though was once again very look beautiful. We walked through/by many, many vineyards and no less than 6 wineries.

    We didn't see our hostel friends along the way but today we met Willie and Noreen from Glasgow. Willie is 83 and Noreen is 72. They started their hike from the Italy/Switzerland border and have been hiking for a month already. They have done many hikes and walk 6 miles everyday. Willie explained about the "monroes" in Scotland, mountains with peaks greater than 3000 ft, asking with some good hikes to do in Scotland.

    We have seen many more pilgrims the last couple days. Most are from Europe or Australia, although we have me Laurie and Judy from Florida.

    We arrived at San Gimignano hungry and ready for a rest. We were too early to check in to our B&B but they did let us leave our backpacks. We are sharing a room with Brianne here.

    We had some lunch and then walked the touristy streets of the old town. Many people come here for a day trip from Florence or stay here to do wine touring. The town is known for its towers. It used to have 72 in medieval times but now has 10. After checking in and taking a nap, we sat in the piazza, had wine, and people watched. Next we had dinner followed by gelato from the world best gelato place, or so they advertise!
    After walking around a little more, we turned in early hoping to get an early start the next morning.    Read more

  • Italy
    Leaving San Miniato
    Our morning viewOther pilgrims on the trail of rolling hillsOur Australian groupSo many vineyards and they pick the grapes by handFinding fun things along the wayOur ending point for the day.Our pilgrim dinner - people from Belgium, Australia, Italy, and USA represented here.The church attached to where we stayed. The building is from the 1200's. Notice the shadows

    San Miniato to Gambassi Terme

    September 19, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Today was 15 miles of the true Tuscany rolling hills. Beautiful countryside of farms, vineyards, and olive groves, plus a little forest. The pictures cannot do this countryside justice. The landscape is so artistically created like a patchwork quilt. And even though it is the end of the season for so many crops, it was still beautiful. It was not as long a day as yesterday but the up and down hills were continuous and the last 2 miles were straight up. Also, since it was through farmland and vineyards, there were no cafes or places to stop. We had to carry our food and enough water for the trek. We were tired when we arrived.

    When we started walking today, we saw many groups of pilgrims leaving the piazza where we were having our morning coffee. It was comforting to know that there were more pilgrims on the same journey.

    We met a group from Australia, two ladies from Florida and a couple from Scotland. We spent the night at Ostello Sigerico, an old church and monestary converted into a pilgrim's place to stay. Here we met a couple from Belgium, another lady from Australia traveling alone, and a family - mom, dad, and two young children in strollers- from Italy, and again saw an Italian friend from yesterday. We meet an Australian couple who had started in France mid-July and where planning on reaching Assisi in early October. They carried camping gear for when no accommodations or services were available.

    Our hostel a church and former Monastery, offered wonderful lodging and a pilgrim dinner. I believe the building we stayed in dated back to the 1200s. It was fun to be with so many others on this same journey. Some of these people are only here for a week or so, others are traveling to Rome like us. Maybe we will see some of them again, or maybe we will meet others. Only the trail knows!    Read more

  • Italy
    The first goats of the hike!Lots of Vineyards and Olive grovesPinocchio is from this region

    Altopascio to San Miniato

    September 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    Today was a long day. We hiked 18.5 miles. The day started with a light drizzle on and off. It wasn't too bad and kept the morning cool for hiking. Our day took us through a little bit of highway, but mostly through farmland, vineyards and over dykes. And then, after 17.5 miles, straight uphill. We should get used to it since most of these towns were built during the medieval time frame and were built on hills for protection. Most days will end with an uphill climb. The scenery today was calm, peaceful, and beautiful, even though it is fall and the crops are about finished.

    One of the fun things about doing a trip like this is meeting people along the way. Yesterday we saw two pilgrims but didn't have a chance to talk to them. Today we met a lady from Italy who was hiking alone for four days. She was able to get four days away from her family and child (aged 6). Many Italians walk this trail in stages. I'm sure she will come back another time and do another section. We also met a group of people from Australia and Scotland who were hiking together. In that group was a mother and daughter. Later we met a husband and wife who are hiking a different trail. They started in France and are hiking to Assisi. They have been hiking for 50+ days and have only seen other hikers for the last 2-3 days. Many days they hiked through areas with no places to stop for food or shelter so they had to carry everything to eat and sleep! They have about two weeks left until they finish their trip. Once we reached San Miniato, we showered and then went in search of a new plug adapter. Europeans use different plugs. The adapter we have used has worked on other trips and in Florence and Lucca. But in these smaller towns, they have different plugs. Since we use our phones for directions and pics we had to find a new adapter. We found a store where they spoke no English and we couldn't ask for what we wanted in Italian so, yeah google translate. We typed it in our phone, in English, the guy read it Italian and we got what we needed! The conveniences we have today.

    Next we had a very nice dinner of pasta with mushrooms and truffles - something the area is known for. For dessert we had tarimisu and tarts.    Read more

  • Italy
    Pomegranate treePears!Raised crops off of the ground - great ideaThe trail had been well markedOlive treeEven good things must come to an endMagnolia plant

    Hiking day 1 - to Altopascio - 12 miles

    September 17, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We left our room around 8:30 and started walking toward the city walls. First stop was a cafe for a light breakfast, enjoyed in the open air of the Piazza. Leaving there, we headed in the direction of a sporting goods store to shop for trekking poles. The good people at TSA in Boston had confiscated Brianne's. I guess she looked dangerous. This last 5 times she flew with them, no problem.

    We took a rather roundabout way to the store but we eventually made it. In a few minutes, the poles were in her possession and we headed to the marked trail to continue our journey.

    Today's hike was 97% paved surface. At times we were walking very busy roads but other times were like country lanes and neighborhood streets. Generally, we found it nicer and more pleasant than anticipated based on what we had read.

    At our lunch stop, Eileen and I split a pizza. How special on our anniversary. Taking advantage of lunch stops today and tomorrow, I think the following two days have nowhere to stop.

    When we got into Altopascio, our first stop was for a beer. It felt good to sit and enjoy it. Then on to our room. We are staying at Villa Lucca, a gated property. Our room has a beautiful wooden floor and large, old wood furniture with marble tops. A short nap for Jeff and showers for both prepped us for dinner at a Moroccan restaurant. When they heard us speaking English, they sent for a young (teenage) girl to interpret. The food was good. We headed back to our room, Brianne was staying at a nearby hotel.

    Our hope is to get a good rest. We have an 18 mile hike tomorrow.    Read more

  • Italy
    The city wall
    The main gateFrom a top the towerSan MartinoSpritzers and bruschettaA beautiful evening sky

    Lucca

    September 16, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Today was a very relaxed day in Lucca before we start hiking tomorrow. We started by walking the wall around the city - about 2 miles. The top of the wall is a very wide paved area for walking, jogging, and biking. It is a nice way to see in the old city and get a view of the main city of Lucca. We also walked by the original old gates into the old city.

     We followed this with a bakery lunch and a little nap. Next we climbed 231 steps to the top of a tower to get an even higher view of the old town. There is a garden at the top of the tower.

    Later is was a spritzer and bruschetta for an afternoon snack. These are common appetizers in the Tuscany area.

    Later we met our friend Brianne from Boston. We originally met her on our Camino hiking trip in Portugal/Spain. She is going to hike the Via Francegenia with us. Together we walked to San Martino so she could get her first stamp and then had dinner. We got back to our room for an early to bed night. Tomorrow we hike!    Read more

  • Italy
    1A good way to market!Gelato by the riverPainting done by New York artist showing diversity and peaceLook closely, this building leansThe baptistry which also leansInside the baptistry. This building was/is only used for baptisms!Duomo (cathedral) in black and white brick in Renaissance/Roman styleInside the Duomo. Major mosaic on ceilingInside the leaning tower looking upA ding dong1I'm helping it back upJeff's trying to push it over!One of so many people getting the perfect shot.I lean or Eileen?1Our garden picnic dinner

    Pisa Day Trip

    September 15, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    We started our day going to the Cathedral de San Martino to get our credentials for our walk that we will begin on Tuesday. Credentials are books that one can get stamps from hotels, cafes, and churches along the way to aide as a momento of one's trip and to prove that you walked the required distance to get a certificate of completion. We wanted to get them in advance so we can begin walking early on Tuesday.

    From there we took the train to Pisa. The train system in Europe makes getting around so easy. We walked from the train station and took in sights that Rick Steves pointed out in his walking tour. We stopped along the way and had our first gelato of the trip.

    Soon we reached the Field of Miracles. That is where the leaning tower of Pisa is as well as a duomo (church), baptistry, museum and cemetery. We toured the baptistry, the duomo, and the cemetery. We also climbed the 250+ steps to the top of the tower. As soon as we walked in the tower we could feel the lean of the building. The tower, and many buildings in the city, lean because they are built on a silt foundation which shifts easily. If you look closely, the baptistry also leans. When the tower was being built, someone said, "Is it me or is the building leaning?", but they kept building anyway. The tower is hollow and the stairs are thin and cylindrical. Once at the top, we had views of the city including a local soccer game. There are 7 bells in the tower. They don't ring anymore so as not to put more stress on the building as they are very heavy, but a recording of the bells is played for church services. We got to hear the recording for the evening service. On the ground, it was fun watching so many people taking the famous picture of someone pushing the tower back up. Given the number of people "pushing", the tower should be back to normal in no time.

    It was a short train ride back to Lucca and the walled part of the city. We walked part of the way around on the wall top which has been widened into a walking/bike path before descending into the narrow street town. For dinner we went to the grocery store for fresh bagette, cheese, grapes and wine and picnicked in the garden of our hotel.    Read more

  • Italy
    Santa Maria Novella
    Waiting for our track to be assigned in FlorenceApproaching the walls of LuccaTower with rooftop gardenPiazza dell'AnfiteatroOutside the brewpub. The beer we had was made in Lucca.A sword fightPiazza dell'Anfiteatro2A night at the opera

    Florence to Lucca

    September 14, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    We checked out of our room, packs on our back. We started off with a trip to the market again. This time we headed upstairs to the food court for a bite to eat. Really should have stuck with the traditional market for food. Not that the upstairs was bad but certainly not like a common food court.

    Next to was a stop at another church, Santa Maria Novella, near the train station . This place was massive with courtyards and cloisters. The paintings here was huge and magnificent. Most had been restored, and there was one wall painting that was currently undergoing restoration. There were frescoes through the cloisters, most had not been restored - a project for another day. Hard to imagine the amount of money just spent on art restoration. I guess the 7.50 entrance fee helps a little. Outside the church there was a sizable Piazza with a number of vendors, mostly arts, crafts.

    Inside the train station, we had "fun" with the tickets machines (the manned ticket booth had a line that wasn't moving.). One was only accepting cash. Another got as far as saying "printing tickets", then decided to give us our money back. The next clearly said "sick" on the terminal screen. Waiting quite a while at one behind a lady who was clearly having problems. We finally found one that worked and have us tickets. We had about a 30 minute wait before heading off on the 90 minute journey to Lucca. Had it been non stop, it would have been a much quicker ride but lots of stops on the way.

    It was about a 15 minute walk to our room inside the city wall. Lucca still had it's walls intact, 100 feet wide. Your are able to walk or ride bikes along them. A bit about Lucca here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca

    The room was on the 2nd floor, so much easier to get to than the 66 steps we had to climb to our room in Florence. There is a nice garden area with tables outside that is viable from our window. After unpacking, we headed out to explore the town. We use the Rick Steve's tour books and started following his city walk, which started about 2 minutes from where we were staying. We never finished the walk. Our first distraction was a small brewpub with craft beers. Good distraction. While there we saw a flyer for a one act opera tonight. We figured why not, so Eileen bought tickets online. After that we continued walking but detoured to a monthly open air antique market.

    While there, we heard the beating of drums (had heard them while we were in our room) and followed the sounds to what appeared to be a medieval competition, primarily of archers (crossbow). Unfortunately we missed the competition but we did get to see some sword fighting and the awards ceremony. Neat seeing men, women and children in period dress.

    After a quick trip back to our room, we headed out to find some food. We ended up at one of the open air tables in the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, mainly for the atmosphere. There were some musicians in the center playing and lots of people around. The pizza and wine were ok.

    Next up was "Cavalleria Rusticana" , a one act opera that was held at the Auditorium del Suffragio, a former church. We were both glad that it was a single act .... 90 minutes was enough for us. The singers and instrumentalists were great. It was a short 4 minute walk back to our room, in by 1100 PM.    Read more

  • Italy
    Waiting on line at the central market
    Jazz bandGalileo museumPonte VecchioPonte VecchioPitti PalaceBronze David at Piazzale Michelangelo2San Miniato del Monte

    Florence Day 2

    September 13, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Our first stop of the day was the San Lorenzo Central Market. Fun looking at all the vendor's booths. Jeff had a a panino con lampredotto from De Nerbone. They have been in business for over 150 years. Not my typical breakfast but it was delicious.

    We strolled down to the Galileo museum for our 12:30 admission. It was a nice change from all of the art of yesterday. We spent about 2 hours there looking at how science advanced during the Renaissance time period. A lot of this were things Eileen taught her middle schoolers.

    After some lunch, we started walking toward piazzale Michaelangelo. We started with a stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge that has been standing since the 1300s. It is completely filled with jewelry shops. I have no idea how they could make money given the number there. Above the bridge is a covered walkway that has been used by the Medici family to get between the Pitti Palace and their offices (Uffizi). We didn't tour the Pitti, partly because the residences were closed for renovation and we weren't ready for more art.

    The Piazza Michaelangelo was high atop the hill offering beautiful views of Florence across the river. There were street musicians playing nice music while we were there. A short distance up there was a beautiful basilica, San Miniato del Monte. We considered waiting to hear the monks and their Gregorian chant but didn't want to wait that long.

    The walk back to the our room took about 45 minutes. We rested for about 20 minutes before heading to our 7:45 dinner reservation at the place that turned us away the night before. The food at antica trattoria da Tito was good, including some very tasty desserts. It was our first time trying Vin Santo, paired with a delicious piece of cake. We called it an early night and headed back to the room although I (Jeff) was up till almost 2:00.    Read more

  • Italy
    David
    Busy coffee shop in university areaThe duomoBell TowerBefore and after a good cleaningDavid and EileenAn early pianoJust duckyOutside the Palazzo VecchioPonte Vecchio11Eileen didn't like the chicken liver pate

    Florence

    Sep 12–15, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We arrived in Florence Wednesday Eve after a long day of travel. We left Pittsburgh Tuesday evening, arrived at London Heathrow the following morning, then took a National Express bus to Gatwick to get our flight to Florence. From the airport, we caught a tram into the center city and then walked the final 20 minutes . It was 8:00 PM until we arrived at our guest house, named Florest. The proprietor, Daniele, meet us for a late check in. He was very hospitable. Despite it being a long travel day, everything went smoothly and on time.

    We slept in this morning, got some breakfast, and then walked to the cathedral (Duomo). Just walking around the outside was magnificent and supposedly more impressive than the interior. They are in the process of cleaning the marble and one of our pictures compares before and after.

    We had a 12:30 admission to the Galleria dell Accademia where the Michaelangelo status of David is housed, along with many other statues, paintings, and a display of musical instruments.

    From there we headed to the Uffizi Gallery to view works of the Italian Renaissance matters including Leonardo, Michaelangelo, and Rafael.

    Next we headed to the river Arno, as we walked to a sporting goods store to buy trekking poles. Once there, we didn't like the price so we headed to another and bought them from a shop that appeared to me staffed by a father and two young daughters.

    After a brief stop at our guest house, we headed out to dinner based on the recommendation of our host, Daniele. However, we went without reservations and were turned away. We asked for a recommendation there and went to Perseus where we had a nice dinner.

    It was now close to 11:00 PM so we returned to the hotel. We walked over 10 miles and spent more hours on our feet than that would represent as we were standing looking at lots of things.    Read more

  • Italy

    Off to Italy

    September 10, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Packed and ready to go for six weeks.

  • Valladolid
    1

    Mérida

    Jan 29–31, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Only had about 48 hours in Mérida but it gave us a flavor for the city. We stayed 5-6 blocks from the main square in the historical center. Again, we felt very safe at night. We got lots of walking in. Right after getting into the center, we were looking at a church. A retired teacher came up and started talking, explaining about the history and significance of multiple buildings in the main square. He spent 2 hours with us, switching between English and Spanish. Would love to spend time with him regularly.

    On Tuesday we stopped at El Cerdenal, a local cantina. We were the only apparent tourists in the place and it had a great outdoor courtyard. We had 5 beers between us and they brought 2 courses of snacks / tapas to us complimentary. The total cost was a bit under $12.

    Tuesday evening around 8:00, we took the open air tour bus around town. The weather was great and it was a nice way to see a bit more of the town. We had walked the Paseo Montejo during the day and got to see it lot up at night.

    During our stay here, we visited a couple nice coffee shops, bakeries, as well as a taqueria in a market area that had a whole row of them. My breakfast on Wednesday was mondongo, which turned out to be a triple soup dish. Yum, yum.

    There were lots of parks / squares through the town. Nice places to sit and enjoy the surroundings.

    This was a place where we could have spent a few more days.    Read more

  • Valladolid
    1Bird doing nosedive

    Adiós, Telchac!

    January 29, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    After spending a few days in Telchac, we had a more favorite opinion than when we first arrived. It is a town that is seeing development and will see a lot more. The ocean front homes are all nice for the most part. There are some larger developments under way and I am sure this will change the character of the town

    Telchac Puerto is currently a summer getaway place for people who live in Mérida. This is the low season and it shows. It is extremely quiet and most places are closed by 7:00pm. Very local restaurants, the type where you can pick the fish you want cooked.

    One thing I hadn't checked on was how to get from Telchac to Mérida. It was easy getting there. While there is bus service, the schedule didn't line up with what we wanted. Uber would not let me book ahead and said limited availability. The host said there maintenance guy could probably get us to Motul, the next town down the road, where we would have more options. We decided to go to the new upscale place in town for dinner on Sunday and to see if they could provide recommendations fora ride on getting a ride the following morning. Leslye, the hostess, immediate got to work on it after getting all our information. By the time we were leaving, she confirmed that we would have a ride at 10:00 am. She provided me with the driver's name and number, as well as her own in the event there were any issues. Alejandro showed up shortly after 10 the next morning. The car was nice and it was a smooth trip. I made sure to message Leslye, thanking her for her help

    This incident reminded us of our incident last year outside of Mont Serrat when we hiked to the wrong spot and were trying to get a taxi. The woman working the bar we stopped in tried her best to get us a taxi before we decided we had just enough time to hike back to catch the last train to Barcelona. Good people everywhere who will go out of their way to help.    Read more

  • Valladolid
    3

    Hello, Telchac Puerto

    January 26, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    I (Jeff) may have went a little too fast in looking for a laid back beach town. Telchac Puerto is a small village/town that looks to be undergoing quite a bit of development. There are a lot of nice properties with some not so nice or empty right next door.

    Lots of construction going on on houses. Seems like everything being done by hand.

    We ate Friday afternoon at La Angelita, a seafood restaurant a couple of blocks from where we are staying. Very good and quite inexpensive.

    A bit later we walked 10-15 minutes to the center of town and the pier. Before heading back we stopped at the bakery and grocery store.

    We have 3 balconies / outdoor patios with the top one giving the best view of the sea. We are about 250 feet back from the beach, it is so quiet compared to Valladolid.

    The beach is fairly narrow, with lots of shells. We started Saturday the a five mile walk on the beach, with a stop at the market to buy some fruit.    Read more

  • Valladolid

    Goodbye, Valladolid!

    January 25, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We originally planned to do a few days at the beach in the middle of the month but decided to move it to the end of the trip. We loved the city and where we stayed -- would definitely recommend a visit.

    Our last night in Valladolid, we had dinner at the place we did the first night 3rd, time there), Carolina was the waitress there each time. She is a 21 year old with a degree in tourism, with a goal of getting a job in Mérida and eventually Canada.

    We caught the 9:52 ADO bus (which was only about 10 minutes late leaving) to Mérida. The bus was very comfortable with lots of legroom. Tickets for the two of us were less than $34 USD. Not bad for a 2+ hour ride. Right before entering Mérida, there was a checkpoint where the national police entered the bus and checked everyone's ID. We were glad we had our passports on our person.

    Once in Mérida, we caught a DiDi (Cheaper alternative go Uber) for Telchac Puerto.    Read more

  • Valladolid

    Museums

    January 21, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    This week we visited two different museums which both turned out to have been established and run by people from the United States.

    The first was the museum of clothing. We were out for a walk and stopped in a park in the San Juan neighborhood. A gentleman told us about the museum and talked us into going in. The first person we met greeting people by the door was a man from the eastern part of Pennsylvania, Dennis. He moved here roughly 20 years ago and long story short, he donated the property for the museum. The director of the museum, Tay, is from Pittsburgh and used to work at the Carnegie Museum of Art. She retired here for 8 years and then started the museum. It was fun just talking to the two of them and learning about their journeys that brought them here. The museum has traditional clothing from the various areas of Mexico and one room of embroidered panels depicting the life and beliefs of the Yucatan people. In the courtyard you could buy desserts and coffee. The young man serving had a desire to open a bakery and Dennis and Tay are letting him get practice here at the museum. This is an example of the kinds of fun things you just happen to stumble upon when exploring.

    The second museum was on our list of things to do though we weren't expecting it to be that exciting. Boy, were we wrong. The Casa de los Venados is very near to the central park. It is a house of mostly original Mexican art of all kinds. The couple who own the house are from the United States and also live and entertain there. The house was in disrepair when they bought it and they took 8 years to fix it up. It has something like 23 rooms, bathrooms equipped with mini frig and coffee makers, and a swimming pool. It encouraged over 18,000 square feet and includes some beautiful open air space. There is art everywhere you look (over 3000 pieces). They are major collectors addng 50 pieces to their collection last year. The owner described his collecting as a lifelong "addiction" . Unfortunately the wife died last July. The house is open for 5 tours a day for a donation. All of the money collected is given to charities.

    http://www.casadelosvenados.com/history-t.php    Read more

  • Valladolid
    A Zebu1

    Local fair

    January 19, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Friday was the opening day of the fair, which runs for a couple weekends and coincides with the celebration of Our Lady of Candelería. We decided to get there shortly after opening at 7:00 pm. While there were a couple pickup points where free transportation was being offered, we decided to take a taxi.

    Upon arrival we could see that while the gates were open, the opening ceremony had not taken place yet. The dancers and others were still lined up outside the gate. It had rained a short time before and there was mud and puddles everywhere. The dancers dressed in their white garments were trying to stay clean. We stayed outside for a while waiting to see the start
    Evidently we were too close to the front and a lady politely asked where we were from and then led us back into the crowd. After waiting a bit longer, we decided to just head in.

    This was the first time for the fair to be held as this location and it was a muddy mess with puddles everywhere. And then it decided to rain more! We took shelter under a big tent with 3 stages. There were 3 bands taking turns playing but there were interrupted by opening ceremony speeches and the introduction of the Princess of the fair. Not sure if this was intended to be outside and was moved under the tent because of rain.

    The fair was evidently run by a company called Big Rhino. They were a fair amount of rides although they didn't get the roller coaster set up until Sunday. We thought there was to be livestock but the only animal was a single Zebu, a strange looking animal from the cattle family. Lots of food vendors and some games. There was a free concert at the main stage featuring a popular band. Other nights, the concerts on this stage required buying tickets. And some days there is bull fighting.

    We decided to head out shortly after 10:00, which was obviously early because people were still streaming in and traffic seemed to be backed up for close to a mile waiting to get in. The fair evidently ran to at least 2:00am, because that was the last run for the buses.

    It was fun seeing the local people enjoying themselves with so many of them dressed in the traditional Yucatan garb For us, it might have been better if it were drier... And we weren't really impressed with most of the music.    Read more

  • Valladolid
    The observatoryReconstructionArcheological teamVendor hauling in waresColectivo pickup point in Valladolid

    Chichen Itza

    January 19, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    No trip to the area is complete without a visit to the ruins off Chichen Itza, one of the 7 wonders of the new world.

    We decided to take the first collectivo of the day, scheduled to leave around 7:00. I was amazed that we were pulling out with a full load in the van by 6:55. Eileen and I were in different rows in the van. I ended up sitting with a young couple from Amsterdam.

    We arrived before the gates opened at 8:00 and were close to the front of the ticket line. The process was the same as at Ek Balaam -- you had to buy two tickets, one from the state government and one from the federal. And there were two tickets takers, a rep from each. I guess there is no trust between the levels of govt.

    As the initial pictures show, it was rather foggy when we got there but the fog quickly burnt off. I think one of the things that amazed us as much as the building was all the vendors and the amount of set up they had to do. It appeared that every morning they had to set up their displays, including tables, tents, racks, etc from scratch. They were able to leave that stuff in the woods and just had to carry it up and assemble but they also had to bring in their merchandise and supplies. So many merchants, so much of the same stuff, not sure how they made any money. Lots of chants of "only a dollar".

    We spent about 3 hours wondering the grounds following a self guided tour we had found online. No guide like we had at Ek Balaam. One of the most interesting things was seeing one of the ruined structures being rebuilt. They take what looks a lot like a pile of stones and turn it into what the building is supposed to have looked like originally.

    Our take: we enjoyed Ek Balaam more than Chichen Itza. Ek Balaam was way less crowded, less commercialized, and you could climb on some of the structures.    Read more

  • Valladolid
    MarquesitasA snowy owl from the Harry Potter themed bar, SkolAt Skol, the Harry Potter themed bar1

    Enjoying the warm and not the snow!

    Jan 14–17, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    We have taken to a slower pace the last couple of days with lots of walks and plenty of chill time. We went on a bee tour. Mexico is the largest exporter of honey. They have 46 types of bees with 40 of them being stingless. The tour was in a dry cenote in a forest setting, perfect for the bees. Our guide explained the different kinds of bees, the different kinds of honey they make, and how the bees are moved to boxes and their honey collected. We got to sample various honeys and honey products at the end. Honey collecting has a lot of Mayan culture associated with it. On our tour was a brother and sister from Denmark. He was an exchange student in Mexico when he was in high school and they were back to visit with his host family. He visits once or twice s year.

    We have already taken a lot of neighborhood walks usually in the morning before it gets too hot. We either pick a direction or a place on google maps and start walking. We have seen a variety of neighborhoods this way. There are sidewalks most places, although many are uneven or in need of repair. We need to watch where we are walking. We have felt completely safe everywhere we have gone, day or night. When we get back, we jump in the pool at our building to cool off. Later we grab a coffee and head to the park for dancing entertainment, people watching and occasionally desserts from the vendors.

    We have also tried a few new restaurants and bars. When we eat somewhere, Jeff will ask the person waiting on us where they would eat or drink when they go out. We have gotten a lot of great suggestions this way. We have been to a rooftop bar overlooking the center park, a Harry Potter themed bar, another local cantina, and have eaten very well!    Read more

  • Valladolid
    1

    Hanging out

    January 10, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    The last couple days have just been hanging out around town, walking, and reading. We did stop at a local history museum (all displays in Spanish) and another location that had murals depicting history.

    Brunch was at Loncheria Olich, a place recommended by multiple people. It had a nice outdoor space and the food was good and fairly inexpensive.

    Last evening, we had a delicious dinner at Restaurante de los Santo, a small, family run operation. It is one of the few places we have been without any outdoor seating. We followed that up with a trip to Idilio Folklore Cervecero, an at gallery/brewery. They had about 8 beers on tap. Would rate as "ok" for beer, but a beautiful setting. We finished off the evening with the light show / history presentation displayed on the monestary, first watching the Spanish presentation, then the English.

    We continue to ask our servers where they like to go to eat and drink.

    On both Tuesday and Wednesday, we picked a direction and walked to the edge of town. Tuesday, we went east and Wednesday we went south. We had been west several days ago. Generally speaking, the neighborhoods aren't "pretty" but there are some houses that look pretty nice. Most of them have walls and gates.

    The town is reported as being very safe and we have felt that way, no matter where we have been. We haven't been out much later than 10:00pm. People seem fairly easy going.    Read more

  • Valladolid
    Fresh tortillasHammock loom

    Ek Balam

    January 8, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Today we went to Ek Balam, a Mayan ruin. The ruins were started around 300bc and peaked in population. around 1000ad. Eventually they were abandoned and over time deteriorated and were covered over. Excavations started around 1970. So far they have uncovered about 30 structures but you can see the piles of stone where there are more structures waiting to be uncovered. At Ek Balam you can climb on most of the structures. The biggest one was a palace for the noble and elite. Others were places of worship. This area was surrounded by walls to keep the commoners out. The entire area is surrounded by forest . We had an English speaking guide.

    Next we walked a mile to a nearby cenote. The cenote had cabanas where you could spend the night and hammocks to rest in. It also had a rope swing, a place to repel down and a Zipline to ride across the cenote. Much more touristy than the others we were at, but still very beautiful!

    Walking back, we stopped at a "food stand" for tacos. The lady made fresh tortillas and cooked them on a skillet over a fire. The beans were cooked with the pork and served in a bowl. The couple running the place only spoke Spanish. I am sure there were things said that we didn't understand, but we got the jist of things . The lady also had a homemade loom that she weaved hammocks on.

    We took a colectivo to the ruins and back. They are like a taxi but they wait until the car is full (ish) before they leave.

    When we got back, we realized we did not have the key to our apartment, but with a little help, we got back in.

    In the evening we went to a bar (Libran
    os del Mall, deliver us from evil) on our street for a beer, served in liter glasses!    Read more

  • Valladolid

    Steeler game at St. Patrick's

    January 6, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    The local Irish bar gave us a chance to watch the Steelers. We met ex-pats from Ireland, England, and the USA.

    Today is the end of the Christmas season here with lots of celebrations around the 3 Kings.Read more

  • Valladolid
    1

    Bike trip to cenotes

    Jan 6–15, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    We took a bike tour to 2 cenotes and visited 3 villages/towns. There were two other people on the tour, Martin and Janet from the Netherlands. They are in their 30s (36,34).

    Our guide was Julian, a lifetime resident of Valladolid. Our trip was just about 20 miles. Julian liked to ask (very frequently) "how are you feeling, guys?"

    We were the only people at the first cenote, named xla'kaj, which was an open air cenote. It was a beautiful setting and the water was very comfortable.

    The second, k'om ha , was covered and you had to go on a small opening and proceed through a cave like entrance to get down.

    We stopped at the town of Chichimila for lunch after the first cenote. There were a number of outdoor stands, kind of like a food truck setup. We had tacos and empanadas. I think the tacos were from Julian 's uncle's stand.    Read more

  • Valladolid
    311

    Lazy Friday

    January 5, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    Friday was a pretty laid back day. We walked to inquire about a bike tour, bought some produce at the market, and stopped in a bakery. This was followed by reading in a park, visiting La Joyita Cantina, napping, and watching the audio visual presentation displayed at the main church.Read more

  • Valladolid
    Calzada de Los FrailesThe water mill1Our lunch spot1Above the urinal in St. Patrick's

    Convento de San Bernardino de Siena

    January 4, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    We walked to Convento de San Bernardino de Siena, a monestary completed in 1560. The route there took us along the Calzada de Los Frailes, a colorful street with shops, restaurants, and homes. .There were beautiful flower displays outside the monestary with a Christmas theme. The monestary property housed a water mill that was built over a cenote. Starting in the 1970s, most artifacts were recovered from the cenote, accessed via the water mill, which was much like a well. It is the round structure in the pictures. The grounds were also home to many lizards, much bigger than we are used to seeing.

    We tried to go to the restaurant La Tía for lunch, a recommendation from a local, but it was closed during it's normal hours. We ending up getting cochinita pibil, a marinated barbeque pork sandwich from a street vendor, el tigrillo . Lunch for the two of us was under $4.

    For dinner, we went to St. Patrick's, the local Irish bar. Not a lot Irish about it but it was a nice place and will probably go back Saturday with the hope of watching the Steelers game. The penguin game was on the TV as we entered. We sat outside and had wood fired pizza and a couple beers. I (Jeff) topped off with a couple shots of mezcal (mil diablos and 400 conejos joven).    Read more

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