The Best of the Best

This Big Trip was exceptional in so many ways that I wanted to finish the blog with a collection of the Best of the Best.  I have chosen some representative photographs (some appearing earlier on this blog, and some not) to highlight the adventures and relationships we experienced.  I also offer a few concluding thoughts:

1.  Don't stay a hotel in Europe.  We have found the best experiences (and most affordable) are staying with small bed and breakfasts or family farms (agriturismos).  These take more effort to find using the internet and filter through.  I use previous reviews and also my own experiences with emailing the owners.  During our Big Trip, we spent all European nights at such places with wonderful results.  True, some were better than others, but all were clean and fairly comfortable.  Is some cases, they represented exceptional values.  In all cases, they were a wonderful chance to connect with locals and experience (at least for a night or two) how they live their lives.  You give up a little privacy, have to deal with internet and heating/AC quirks and may have to pay cash, but you gain so much for these small sacrifices.  Take a leap of faith, and next time you visit Europe, try staying with locals who rent out one to ten rooms.  You won't regret it!

2.  Don't shy away from supposedly dangerous places.  This year we traveled to both Colombia and Algeria, two places that most Americans would not dare to venture.  We found both friendly and safe.  The main danger seemed to be traffic and car travel, and this no more that other countries.  Of course it is prudent to be careful and cautious on all trips (and to do so at home too) but the American media tends to overstate the dangers facing travelers abroad.  So, balance your ordinary caution with  a small sense of adventure to see a part of the world that most American (and Western) travelers pass on.  

3.  Make use of any local contacts you have.  You will get a different aspect by visiting people who live in the area, and getting their recommendations and insights.  We have had great experiences in places where we know no one but our most special memories are those that involved travel and sightseeing and eating with locals.  Even if you contact people you have never met and the connection with you is a bit tenuous, try it out.  We found a relationship this way with the Eslava family in Bogota, Colombia and it added immeasurably to our trip there.  Needless to say, our experiences on this Big Trip with Algeria were all about our time with the Medjoudjs who took us in as family members.

4.  For us, the Mediterranean area is one of the outstanding places of the world.  It combines superior physical beauty, pretty good weather, healthful and delicious food, varied and relatively inexpensive wine, friendly people, affordable travel, a far amount of comfort in most places, and (the best part) many layers of history and culture.   Ancient settlements form a foundation that is covered by Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, Berbers, Europeans, Turks and more.  In most places, these ruins and remnants are near forgotten and often in a fairly natural state.  This evokes the historic sense more genuinely and also allows a saturation of the ancient vibrations without the clutter of many tourists and commercial enterprises.

5.  Finally, connect with people where you can.  We can all contribute to global understanding and to our fulfillment and happiness by taking it one person at a time.  We have found that people are much more alike than they are different.   With respect, affection, interest and patience (this latter quality is not one I have in abundance though), international experiences enable us to grow as individuals.  They also provide some of the most precious life memories and some of the most lasting and rewarding personal relationships.

Now, for the photos:

Being transported back to medieval times by walking the hilltop town of Haute Cagnes at night.  Your only companion will be the odd cat and it is easy to imagine you are living 600 years earlier, at least for a few moments.

The glory of the Field of Miracles in Pisa at night.  Completely empty when the buildings can be the only things you see and the soft whispers of the past the only sounds you hear.

A very random War Eagle encounter in deepest Tuscany.  At the Verrazzano winery, the only guests this cold April night were four couples, all with strong Auburn ties. 

Dinner en familia with Simonetta Clementi and Claudio Arbib in their Rome apartment.  Fried fresh small fish one night (from Claudio) and homemade pasta to die for the next (from Simonetta).  La Dolce Vita, indeed!

More La Dolce Vita in the heart of Rome with our very Italian friends - we had seen Rome before but not experienced as it psuedo Romans like we did this time.

The back roads and historic treasures around Rome with Claudio.

From amphitheater to aqueduct to road, Claudio shares his hidden discoveries of the venerable  Romans. 

The atmospheric and remote Rocca Calascio in the L'Aquila area of Italy.  We were lucky to experience it at dusk and all alone.

Part of our Piero della Francesca trail which took us to Arezzo, Urbino, Rimini, Monterchi, and, the best, Sansepulcro.   Above, the amazing Flagellation in Urbino. 

Detail of the faded fresco by Piero della Francesca in Rimini showing these handsome and regal greyhounds.

A live dog here - the friendly pet of our best bargain place to stay of the trip - 65 Euro got a night in a splendid villa near Verona with a comfortable bedroom followed by a super and very large breakfast spread the next morning.  All for us - as with many other home stays - we were the only guests that night.

The original four horses of Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice - found in the museum upstairs.  These were stolen by the Venetians from Constantinople and no one is really sure how old the statues are and whence they came.  Each is different and each is truly magnificent.

Finishing Italy in style with a night at this villa near Como.  The friendly hostess cooked us a delicious dinner served in the dining room next to a window with views to this garden.

The wounded lion statue in Lucerne, Switzerland.  Alice remembered it from her teenage trip with her mother around Europe and it did not disappoint (though we had to share the experience with many other tourists, mainly Asian).  Carved into a hillside, it is a perfect synergy of art, nature and historic meaning.

Alice meets a new friend in Zurich who took care of us in a very special way.  We only spent a day together but are friends for life.

The best place to stay in eastern France - Montchateau in Isere.  Our room is the one at the top left - some stairs are necessary but it is so worth it.  Great combination of comfort, hospitality, unspoiled French countryside, and interesting sights.

One those interesting sights we stumbled on by accident when the trip we planned up a mountain was cut short due to the road still being closed from winter.  Instead, we visited the Chartreuse distillery , still run by monks, which offers free tours and tastings.  Excellent!

Back in Haute Cagnes - this time a panoramic of the village square where boules are played nightly.

The best place to stay in southern France - a wisteria draped villa with views to a pine forest located conveniently between Marseille and Provence.

Our inspirational and friendly French hosts, Gerard and Nicole.  Our four days with them were heavenly in all ways and probably most specially the afternoons drinking wine in the garden and the mornings with the healthful and delicious home cooked breakfasts.  We can't wait to return.

Alice's favorite soup - traditional southern French fish soup with the toast, shredded cheese and garlic mayonnaise accompaniments.

The wild horses of the Camargue just east of Provence.  This wild area is beautiful for its nature and bird life.

In a small hamlet near Gerard and Nicole's this unlikely pizza restaurant wowed us so much for it combination of price, atmosphere, food, and conviviality that we ate there twice.

One  of the masterworks of Van Gogh seen in the city best associated with his work - a special exhibition in Arles.

Between Arles and Aix we decided not to take the highway and accidentally discovered mile after mile of plane tree lined back road.  It was glorious to drive here with practically no traffic and best of southern France surrounding us.

Arrival in Algiers was memorable for its exoticism and the warm reception by the Medjoudj brothers - Rabah and Rafik.

The stork nests between Algiers and Bejaia were numerous and it was encouraging to see these large creatures living so apparently happily but close to people.

We tried a different Algerian wine each night of our visit (except the evening spent in the Medjoudi village).  None were very good but all were drinkable and it was interesting to have wine that few outside of Algerian has drunk.  It was also nice to know that the wine industry continues despite the growing conservatism of this Muslim country.

The two days and one night spent in the Medjoudj village was bound to be a highlight and it did not disappoint.  The family matriarch displays her cultural heritage and her self reliance.

Lunch en familie on the Medjoudj terrace.   An assortment of lovingly prepared Kabylie foods were served in a family atmosphere with terrific mountain views.

The beauty of the "Small Kabylie" region,  so called because it is the less high in elevation (though greater in population) than the "Big Kabylie."

Rafik generously shared his home, family, and life with us and we were grateful for that opportunity.  The green hills and the perfect weather made the experience even more perfect.

Randy was magically cured of his stomach problems by being wrapped in Rafik's father's burnoose.  This garment was made entirely (including spinning and weaving) by Rafik's mother for his father during his illness before his death.  It was generously offered to Randy as a gift but we felt we could not take this family heirloom.  Randy did benefit greatly from his short time wrapped in its healing powers.

One of the endangered Barbary macaques in Bejaia.  It was thrilling to see monkeys in the wild.

Rabah's smart, pretty and sweet elder daughter Yasmin was an excellent companion and will undoubtedly become an accomplished professional in the near future.

Our wonderful waiter at the Hotel Royale in Bejaia hailed from the Big Kabylie and took fine care of us each evening in a wryly funny fashion.

Road trip to Algiers with three university students - an unlikely but amusing way to tour.

Dinner with wine was on order in the center of Algiers after a rigorous day of travel and sightseeing.

The interesting archeological museum in Algiers only allowed one photograph per person and had to include the people themselves.  These photos were deemed souvenirs hence the rules.

The impressive Notre Dame d'Afrique, sited on a hill overlooking the city of Algiers and the Mediterranean beyond.  The interior blended French, African and Arabic style.

First meal in Turkey and it was a good one - great kebab with Ozgur and Fatmanur Kabadurmus.  It felt so good to be back at our second home, Turkey.

Reunion with old friend Fatih Tasgetiren on the Aegean coast - what could be better?

The beauty of the Aegean coast - we were lucky to have great weather and super views from our hotel rooms in Izmir.

One of those views - this from the Hilton in downtown Izmir.

Two of our favorite Turkish ladies - Ozge and Cevahir Sumer at Ozge's engagement party at Casa Sumer.

Beautiful and stylish Ayse Batuk and her nephew Berke, equally stylish.  At the Sumer engagement party in Ankara.

Ah, the people of central Anatolian villages - these ladies are residents of Sivrihisar.

Yunus Alp and Haluk Yapicioglu's new son Utku at Casa Yapicioglu.

It was so good to see our favorite Canadian - Christina Hamer - in Ankara.

Five more favorites - (1) Efes beer in (2) the giant flask at (3) The North Shield Pub at Bilkent served by (4) our regular waiter to (5) the cat whisperer and Bilcat founder Tore Fougner.

Visiting the Cat House (or Cat Home) at Yunuzu Yil University in Van and seeing the sweet and beautiful Van cats.

The breathtaking Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on the equally breathtaking Akdamar Island in Lake Van.  Experiencing it in late afternoon on a cloudy, cool day with intrepid explorer Mehmet Gulsen was priceless.

We worked really hard to get here - Saint Thomas Church on Lake Van.  It was a feast with nature and history and, other than the three of us, not a person in sight.  Instead we were surrounded by butterflies, wild flowers, small black and white birds, and the gentle spirits of the Armenian monks who once made this their home.

On the high road to Bahcesaray- the mountains were tremendous and we were rewarded after descending to the valley with the quaint and remote Kurdish town of Bahcesaray.

Soaking up the ambiance of the Harem at the Isak Pasa Palace near Doguzbeyazit.

The mountainous back road from Isak Pasa Palace to the Iranian border took us to the true yayla (high, summer grazing grounds).  The views were awesome, the villages isolated, and the solitariness complete.  Add a dash of danger with the less than stellar road, a surprise snow and sleet storm at the highest point, and a small stream that cut through the road, and it was the perfect adventure.

The late afternoon sun tries to break through near Mount Ararat as seen on this rugged and remote high road.

The big part of Mount Ararat in the waning sunlight.

Part of the adventure - we succeed in getting our Ford Focus over the small stream in the road as we head to the Iranian border.

Both Mount Ararats - the big one on the left and the beautifully shaped small one on the right.

The best of the best - traveling with Mehmet and eating at a small town restaurant for lunch.  Mehmet is a wonder - intellectually curious, knowledgeable in almost everything, great navigator, enthusiastic adventurer, and funny to boot.  This feast at Muradiye cost the three of us about the equivalent of $12.

Meeting Ali Oguz Tezgor, a suitable choice for our precious Ozge.

Celebrating Turkish style - raki in pleasure keepers.  Serefe, Tuncar!

Togetherness with Cevahir on her 60th birthday.  She is a role model for vibrant and beautiful middle age.

Enjoying our single evening in Istanbul with the Basaran brothers, Basar and Baris.  A great Bosporus restaurant and yummy food gave us an appropriate last night of the Big Trip.

To round things out - a perfect sunset on the perfectly beautiful and remote Lake Van with the moon looking ghostly above.  What an amazing adventure and so many happy memories to savor again and again.