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My Big OE
  • Belinda Olds
  • Belinda Olds

My Big OE

A 53-day adventure by Belinda Read more
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  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    The Eden Project

    April 5, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    I made an unplanned stop on the five hour drive back from Cornwall to London. I had a deadline to make a flight to Spain but I had a few hours up my sleeve and the very friendly host of the B&B suggested that I go visit the Eden Project. It was only a 10 minutes or so off the main road according to Mr Google but little did I know what was ahead! I had my settings on "find the fastest route" so that is what it did. Unfortunately this meant going a direct way, cutting through the farms down these crazy single lane farm roads. What an experience which included reversing several times to make room to pass other hapless tourists also sent this way!

    I made it in one piece with the nerves jangling a little and found myself at a very cool place rhat combined ecology research and entertainment. It is run by a trust and was started to help in the battle to save plants from extinction. Thee are two main domes (called Biomes) one with Rain Forest plants and the other Mediterranean. They run education programs and offer degree courses for students. It was interesting to visit and the spring flowers were lovely. I could have spent more time there but my flight and unknown traffic approaching Gatwick Airport was ahead. As those of you that know me well, I like to be early for flights.    Read more

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    Night time tapas

    April 6, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    For my first night in Madrid I booked an evening escorted Tapas tour as a safe way to spend an evening out in a strange city. It was such a good idea and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Spain for the first time.

    There was only three of us on the tour plus James the host (a Scottish migrant to Spain). He gave us all sorts of historical info as we walked from bar to bar and also told us of how the whole thing worked. He ordered the drinks and food and we just had to eat and drink it all! We ate a wide variety of food , often not knowing what we ate until after we tried it. There was shark, octopus, aparagas, tripe, shrimp, cheeses ,ham, chorizo, blue cheese, meatballs, pork dishes and so it went on. All little plates we shared and all exquisitely cooked and presented. Because you eat as you drink, the alcohol didn't really take affect, a very smart approach to drinking. All in all a great night that went from 8pm to midnight. It is normal in Spain to eat dinner at 9pm or 10pm and we saw families with toddlers eating out at 10PM. I was off to bed at the end but the young brother and sister on the tour were heading off to the clubs!    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Toledo

    April 7, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    I decided to do a day trip from Madrid and leave the city to see two historical places. The first was Toledo which was the original capital of Spain and was only just over an hour by bus from Madrid. It is an old Medieval walled city perched on top of a hill to make it more defensible back in troubled times. The bus stopped at a photo opportunity and we could see we were in for a treat. The beautiful old city is surrounded on three sides by a river like a natural moat.

    We hopped off the bus at one of the bridges and spent the next hour wandering through with out guide pointing out the many Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments. The streets were very narrow and delivery vans zipped around taking all the width there was making walking a dangerous sport! There was a lovey Catholic Cathedral of Saint Mary that was built in a gothic style and many other sights along the way. We stopped for a quick bite to eat and I met a lovely Welsh couple on the tour to share it with. It was a brilliant way to spend a morning and we left around lunchtime to head for Segovia.    Read more

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    Sagovia

    April 7, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    After we left Toledo another hour or so in the bus brought us to the stunning town of Segovia. It is a medieval walled town with a gothic cathedral, lovely churches and a beautiful Royal Palace said to have inspired the Disney Castles.

    It also has a dramatic entrance, with an ancient Roman aqueduct that has more than 160 arches and is 15 km in length. Built to carry water from a river 17km away it is breathtaking to look at and an engineering marvel in the fact that it is all built with no mortar, the granite stones just stacked precisely on top of each other. Apparently an earthquake in nearby Portugal once made it wobble but it has stood since the 1st century AD.

    So far this is my favourite place I have visited. The tour guide was great in telling us the history and a visit inside the Royal Palace (Alcázar de Segovia) was an extra treat to end the day here. I'll make a separate post for the Palace.    Read more

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    Madrid private walking tour

    April 8, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After enjoying a free walking tour on the first day in Madrid I decided to book another one of the literary area of Madrid with the same company. The guide Tatiana was great and very friendly and the tour was only 10€. I turned out to be her only client so I had a two hour private tour while we chatted and she told me the history of the area.

    I learned about the life of Miguel de Cervantes a 15th Century Spanish novelist most famous for writing Don Quixote, it was the first modern European novel and is still top three on the most sold novels of all time. We also looked at prose written on pavements and statues of other authors and playwrights. We visited the private little garden behind the house rhat Crevantes used to live in. She pointed out many old shops and also recommended the fabulous Flamenco show I went to. A great way to spend a couple of hours.    Read more

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    Flamenco Night

    April 8, 2017 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    I went on a late afternoon walking tour (I was the only one on it!) and Tatiana, the guide, recommended I go to a Flamenco show at a place called Villa-Rosa that was only a few minutes walk from my room. The show didn't start until 10.30pm as all things are late here! I think that because the guide was with me, they gave me a prime table right on the edge of the stage.

    What a fantastic show it was. I didn't really know what to expect but it exceeded all what I thought it would be. The drama and passion of the performers was just the most incredible thing. They sang songs and played the guitar and although I didn't understand a word of It, you could feel the emotion they were investing. The tension in their bodies and faces as they danced, their clothes whirling around and their feet a blur of movement. No flash was allowed on cameras but I am so glad the one on my phone seems to cope well in low light. Choosing just a few photos to share here was a challenge.    Read more

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    Hostal Bianco

    April 8, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    When I arrived at my hotel in Madrid it was nearly midnight and the taxi drove up this dark narrow alley that looked a bit dodgy! I found my way up the stairs to the reception of the hostal (the name for small cheap hotels). After resorting to using Google translate, as the night staff spoke no English, I checked into my room.

    It was pleasantly large and the bathroom was new and very clean. The shower turned out to be one of the best so far. I was a little disappointed that my window opened onto an internal courtyard but as I later found out, this was a really good thing. The alley that looked empty and dodgy on a Wednesday night became a hive of people, lights and small tapas bars on Thursdays to Sundays.

    I chose the hotel because it was cheap with good reviews and close to the Puerto del Sol, the Times Square of Madrid. The location was perfect for me, walk five minutes one way to the square and all the tourist attractions, walk the other way and I was in the middle of alleys and little local squares filled with restaurants, bars, and flamenco theatres. All for only 60€ a night ($90 NZD) and given I was only in it for a max of 7 hours to sleep it was just right.    Read more

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    Madrid to Barcelona

    April 9, 2017 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    It was up early to catch an 8.30 fast train from Madrid to Barcelona with a travel time of only three hours. The walk to the train was only 20 minutes and the sun was just starting to rise as I walked. Many people were just heading home from enjoying tapas and the coffee shops were just starting to open.

    The train was very comfortable and smooth and as I watched the fastest speed I saw register was 298km/hr. The trip was soon over and I arrived in Barcelona. A short taxi to my hotel and I was in a nice modern and surprisingly roomy single room. I headed out to get my bearings and found I was only 5 minutes walk from one of the main tourist squares. I have been pleased with the location of all the hotels I have booked so far.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Museum with Roman ruins below

    April 9, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    The walking tour guide recommended a visit to a nearby museum that has excavated Roman ruins down under the square we were standing in. It was also free entry from 6pm to 8pm so off I went. I went down the stairs to see a pretty special area of an excavated ancient fish processing plant. The remains of big round pottery urns were used to store fish. There were pillars from where the rooms stood and remnants of tile floors. Up above in an old church there was displays recreating the buildings below.Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Casa Balto Gaudi

    April 10, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    This Gaudi designed house has to be one of the most amazing things I have seen. Only six photos do not show its genius. Gaudi built the house to be very beautiful and unusual but also functional. There are ventilation shafts and air vents on all windows and doors to allow air flow. A beautiful glass lift is in the centre of the two ventilation shafts that are painted to look like the ocean rippling when you look through the glass panels. I know this because of the very sophisticated audiovisial guide you are given. The roof was amazing with all the Chimneys and ventilation covers turned into works of art. A lovely terrace allowed us to see the curved windows and balconies of the upper rooms.

    There are no straight lines inside to be seen, every door and window frame is curved, there are no corners in rooms just gentle arches and rounded corners. I spent over two hours with my mouth open as each new room revealed something I had never seen before or imagined in a room design. Mind blown!    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Montserrat Monastery

    April 11, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    On my last day in Barcelona I decided to escape the city and head for the hills. A short one hour in a small minibus saw our group of 15 English speaking tourists to the Montserrat Monastery. It was built in the 10th century after an image of the Virgin Mary was found in a cave in the hills. The Monastery and surrounding buildings are beautiful, nestled under the dramatic peaks of the "serrated mountain".

    The statue if the Virgin was placed in a stunning gold arch inside the church above the alter. People queue for hours to get a few seconds with her to touch and pray. The guide gave us the history of the Monastery and also some tips for what to do in the four hours we had there. There was many choices and some people stay overnight here at the hotel or camp in the small campground on the side of the mountain.

    I chose to take the funicular up to the top of the mountain ridge. From here you got stunning views of the Monastery below. Many walks and treks started from here but I chose to ride back down and walk to another lookout point called the cross. This was about 30minutes uphill in the heat of the day but the views were definitely worth the pain!.

    A twenty minute walk downhill saw me reach the church in time for a special small ceremony in which a boys choir sings two songs. It was very moving and the acoustics in the church very good.

    So far the day trips I've done have been worth every penny.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Codorniu Cava Vineyard

    April 11, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The afternoon of the day trip saw us ride a short 45 minutes by bus to one of the oldest Cava (Spanish Champagne) producing vineyards in the region. We were met by a very animated Spanish guide who was obviously passionate about the winery and it's products. She drove us around the lovely buildings on this little train while explaining what we were seeing.

    We then went inside the arches of what used to be the pressing rooms, where they had the original wine press and other machinery for us to see. We were then asked if we were claustrophobic before climbing down a narrow small staircase tunnel going down about 25 meters into the cellars below. The air was cool and musty and the stacks of bottles in this area were covered in dust. The maze of tunnels filled with wine stretch for 30kms! We hopped back on their little train and our guide whizzed us around through the tunnels for about 5 minutes until we reached a lift to the tasting room. After a long hot day with lots of walking and climbing I was grateful for both the lift and the two glasses of different cava that waited above for us.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Gothic Walking Tour

    April 12, 2017 in France ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    The day I arrived in Barcelona I went on an afternoon walking tour of the Gothic region of the city. I have found these walking tours a great way to get orientated and you can ask the guides for tips for the rest of your visit. Alex our guide was an immigrant (as all my guides have been so far) from Ireland and was both amusing and interesting.

    There is much of the ancient Roman walls and building still left in this area but many of them have been added to over the centuries as wars and revolutions changed their purpose. Attitudes to different religious buildings changed as well with many destroyed.

    The guides take you to hidden places sometimes and one we went to was the secluded Cloisters of the Barcelona Cathedral. They were completed in the 14th century and in the middle is the "Fountain of the Geese', the fountain and pond that provide a home to 13 white geese. The sound of the loud cackling of the geese can be heard throughout and they warned of intruders and thieves. The number is symbolic of the story that Saint Eulàlia was 13 when she was martyred and she suffered 13 tortures.    Read more

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    Gourmet Walking tour

    April 12, 2017 in France ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    As a change from walking tours of buildings and history, today I chose one that would take me to see and taste some wonderful food from the local area. I had my first Spanish born guide, and after fitting us with earpieces for the commentary, she took us on a gastronomical journey! A selection of the photos that tell their own story are below. We got a few tastes along the way and learned the history and customs associated with many of the local foods. Because it is Easter we saw the fancy trays of chocolate made into castles, cars and even Disney scenes that grandparents buy for their grandchildren.

    Another interesting place we went was to a market that had originally been a Monastery but it had been repurposed and had a modern colourful roof installed. The market had distinct areas that kept fish separate from meat and cheese. I saw my first vegetable display that I've seen since I left London! Other than the occasional salad on a menu, it is hard to buy green vegetables here in the cities.    Read more

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    Paris and a room with a view!

    April 12, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    I arrived in Paris after a 90 minute flight from Barcelona. I decided to catch the train since it was a fine day and to save some money! I managed it ok catching a shuttle, then a train and signs were surprisingly self explanatory. My schoolgirl French is coming back to me!

    I had booked a lovely old hotel just by Notre Dame Cathedral but could only afford their cheapest single room (I am hardly in it anyway). I got to the hotel admiring the view by the river as I walked from the underground train and got offered an upgrade for two of the six nights I am here. It is one of their best rooms and the very friendly owner said I deserved it since it was my first time in Paris! (they had a cancellation).. it is a lovely big double room with a view of a park and the cathedral itself. Pinching myself!!    Read more

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    Dinner with a French friend

    April 12, 2017 in France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    While Magali was not technically a friend when we met for dinner on my first night on Paris, she certainly was one after the evening was over. What a delightful person she is and such a lovely host. Magali had met and looked after Natalie when she was in Paris last Christmas (she is an old friend of Matt's mother). I contacted her and she made time in her busy life, running her graphic art business, to meet me one evening and have dinner. We met and discovered we were kindred spirits sharing a love of travel and seafood among other things!

    Magali took me on a walk through the sunset evening telling me the history of the area as we went. We visited a small local market and I watched as she joked with the seller of foie gras and we tasted his produce. Next we went to a restaurant that specialised in seafood and Magali and I proceeded to polish off the largest platter I have seen (actually a tower of seafood) with crab, oysters, prawns, clams, cockles and many other shellfish I had never tried before. It was all devine and two bottles of wine and much conversation later we emerged as new friends. I look forward to catching up with her again when she next visits New Zealand.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Musee de l'Orangarie

    April 14, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    There are so many museums in Paris to choose from, you have to be selective. I chose this smaller one because it housed impressionist paintings and in particular had two rooms of Claude Monet's Water Lillie paintings. I had seen some of them in New York and had had my first emotional reaction to art that I can remember. They did not disappoint and I found myself sighing and relaxing as I entered the first room. These paintings are enormous, covering metres of the rooms they are shown in. Traditionally they are in oval rooms with seats in the middle for you to sit and enjoy. Quiet is enforced and adds to the feeling of tranquility. The two rooms had quite different colors and moods.

    Downstairs there was a small collection of other painters work. I was surprised how many names I recognised given my rudimentary knowledge of such things. There was paintings by Picasso, Renoir, Mattisse, Cezanne, Rousseau, Soutine etc but the collection was small enough to not be overwhelming. Highly recommend it if you just want a taste of the art on offer in Paris.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Nights and sights

    April 14, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    One of the delightful surprises for me on this trip is how safe it is for me to be out and about at night. In Paris many sights remain open quite late and families and tourists are enjoying the city at night as much as the day. This is a small sample of the photos I took in my evenings in Paris.Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Floating down the Seine

    April 14, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Taking a cruise down the Seine is another of the many "must do" things on a Paris visit. I went at 7.30pm at night, hoping to catch the sunset. The river is filled with other boats all doing the same thing, rush hour on the Seine!

    The other thing you see all along the banks, is groups of friends and couples sharing food and wine as they sit on the banks. It was noticeable that their alcohol laws are very different from ours with some large groups partying around a pile of beer and wine.

    It is a great way to get a glimpse of many of the iconic buildings and also a sense of Paris culture. At one spot of the river there is three little stages where people come to dance the salsa.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Notre-Dame Cathedral

    April 16, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Despite staying so close to the Notre-Dame Cathedral I had not yet been inside. So it was that I found myself doing it on Easter Sunday (I had checked it was still open to the public). There were some signs saying Mass would going on throughout the day and that visitors were allowed but needed to be quiet and no flash was allowed. As I walked around taking photos with the lovely rhythm of the Mass being sung in Latin and French by the priests and a group of Nuns, it felt a bit surreal (and a little disrespectful). I found myself shushing the groups of tourists ignoring the signs in multiple languages to be quiet. However my sympathy for the church waned a little when I came to the shop (inside the church) which was still open and selling. Obviously tourist business was trumping religious activity.

    The cathedral is truly stunning and the music and mass made the visit even more special. I had come to think of it as my special place after staying so close for the past five days.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Notre-Dame Tower

    April 16, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    The visit to the Notre-Dame Tower is a climb of around 400 steps and only costs a few euros (or is included in the museum pass I bought). The downside, besides the stairs, is that they only let 20 people up every 10 minutes so only a small queue can mean a long wait. I waited for just over an hour and passed the time chatting with a lovely couple from Ottawa behind me. We tag teamed and went to the toilet and got coffee etc so it passed quite quickly.

    The climb was pretty hard with the steps getting steeper and narrower the higher we got. The first level saw sweeping views and the chance to get the classic shot of a gargoyle looking towards the Eiffel Tower. Tourists before me had ripped holes in the netting to allow easier picture taking. On this level you got to see inside the bell towers and admire the luckily inactive bells.

    The next climb was even narrower and not for the claustrophobic but led to the very top viewing area. The views were from this high point stunning. It was nice to be able to see all the parts of the cathedral from this angle. The climb down was almost as tough with the spiral downwards making you a little dizzy.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Sainte-Chapelle

    April 16, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I went to the lovely Sainte-Chapelle on Easter Sunday and after queuing for some time at Notre Dame, I was expecting to queue here but for some reason, after a short wait for security (something there is now at every place you visit), I skipped the only queue there was with my museum pass. The side room of the chapel you visit first was lovely but a little ruined by the ever prevalent souvenir shop!

    A short few steps and I was in the main Chapel. It was jaw dropping stuff with the most beautiful stained glass windows reaching up into the vast ceiling. The photos do not do it justice but give you the idea. At one stage the sun shone through them and their real beauty was revealed.

    The outside of the building is quite plain and it is nestled next to the justice building. The exit passed out by this building and the soldiers with their automatic rifles were a stark reminder of the need to protect such places.    Read more

  • Belinda OldsMy Big OETraveler

    Dinner at Chez Leveque

    April 16, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I had passed this eclectic little restaurant two doors from the lovely Hotel Esmeralda and looked at it curiously as it didn't look like much from the outside. I asked the hotel owner for a recommendation and this is where he said to go. Inside the restaurant was small with a vibrant atmosphere and the menu was blackboard style all in French. The friendly waitress translated for me but in the end I asked her to choose for me.

    My starter was a pork terrine on toast with melted goat cheese. It was delicious and the salad it sat on had a very nice dressing. Next was a perfectly cooked medium rare duck breast sitting on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, also very good. The sauce was very tasty (I could hear Manu saying ahh the sauce) and I really enjoyed the meal.

    As I left the restaurant I used their bathroom and to my delight found it had a shelf of paint pots and brushes for you to paint your own tile! I spent far too long reading other people's and left without doing my own but I will try and visit again and leave my mark!    Read more

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    The Eiffel Tower

    April 17, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    The Eiffel Tower has to be the most iconic thing to visit in Paris and one of the things I prebooked to make sure I got a timed entry rather than waiting in queues. When I got there I was grateful for this forethought a couple of months ago as the lines to enter normally stretched and snaked for what seemed like miles.Timed entry even had a special security line and that was a first!

    The ride up in the elevators was fascinating, particularly when you consider the shear number of people and times they make the trip up and down. The free app you can download for audio had the actual numbers and made the visit much more ubeteresting. We stopped at the 2nd floor area and switched to the elevators that take you to the very top. The view from there was truly amazing and there was no time pressure so you could work your way around all the sides admiring the view.

    I then got the elevators back down to the 2nd floor area and took some more shots of the view. Actually almost better for photos as the top level is so high. Again there is no pressure to rush so I relaxed and did a little people watching as well. I must say I do not mind waiting for people to take photos but the length of time it takes for some is ridiculous. Not a quick shot but a performance while each shot is checked and either rejected or another pose chosen.

    I stopped briefly at the 1st floor to admire the restaurants and step on the glass floor there. It was then a short walk down the stairs to complete the visit (you could take the elevator).    Read more

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    Fields of flowers

    April 20, 2017 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    On our way to the Keukenhof gardens Shelley drove me to an area where flowers are grown commercially. We could just stop on the side of the road next to these vast fields of flowers and take photos. We also could enjoy the beautiful fragrance generated by millions of flowers. There were many varieties of flowers as well as the classic tulips. Some fields were all one colour and others looked like a striped blanket stretching for miles. A very special thing to see.Read more

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