What the Mummy Taught Me: The Joys of Small Museums

When I was a child we would often visit the smallish Museum of History in Tacoma because it was near where my grandmother had rental properties.   Why did we so eagerly await those visits?  Because it HAD A MUMMY.   Now,  this mummy was by itself in a case and there was no context for it.   But it thrilled us!!!  (Apparently in the late 1800s a Tacoman  purchased it during his world travels.)  AND if you went downstairs, there was a real covered wagon and the (now stuffed) ox that pulled it, which  belonged to Ezra Meeker, a local pioneer.   I was always a little disappointed that he was not stuffed and with her, to complete the vignette.   (The museum has now grown up and has moved and is much more sophisticated than it was back then.)

But the museum left its mark on me and I find it difficult to pass up any museum,  especially small ones!   The large and “important” museums can take your breath away….seeing the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum, for example,  was a pinnacle in my lifetime of museum experiences.   The new Acropolis Museum in Athens is stunning.   Yet I have found that the smaller it is, the quirkier, and hence potentially a treasure.  I love quirky. 

See?  A little hodgepodge of things.  I think the candelabra is a treasure.

An example is a tiny little four  room museum on a little side street in Ajaccio, Corsica, A Bandera.  This museum covers about 10,000 years of history of this island,  which otherwise doesn’t let you forget the Bonaparte connection.   It was kind of nice to go into a place that didn’t have Napolean as the complete focus.  When you enter and pay your pittance of an entrance fee, you are handed a stapled and typewritten description of each room,  which is quite helpful if you speak French.  (Shopworn too because they ask you to return it as you leave.)  But people like me, who took Spanish or (fill in your own language) were able to figure out a lot of what we were seeing because of the very liberal use of….dioramas.  Some elaborate, some looking more like a school project, yet all very earnest and endearing.

My favorite of the dioramas depicting the dreaded Berbers from Africa attacking Corsica.

I think my favorite small museum of all, however, is one that has a very strict focus,  coaches and all of the related paraphernalia.    Sorry, guys,  I don’t mean Don James or John Wooden or Alonzo Stagg.  I mean inventive and grand and glorious horse, mule, or people pulled coaches, most of which were commissioned and used by the royals of Europe  during the second half of the second millennium.  (Are we in the third millennium already?   My, that went by quickly.) 

This is the National Coach Museum in Lisbon and I would say buy the guide book before you enter, as there are lots of little tidbits included that will make this even more intriguing for you.  Currently, the museum is in it's original location which, in it's prior life,  was the riding stable for the royals.  It is adjacent to the presidents' residence.  It is moving very soon to a new, modern location kitty-corner and don't ask the employees how they feel about it if you don't want to see a grumpy face.   I agree, the current setting feels just right for the contents. 

This is the oldest and perhaps least cared-for coach in the museum.    However it was the only one in which you can actually see the loo, the small circular shaped marking in the wooden seat, normally covered with a piece of fitted wood  Truly fit for royalty!

From here it goes onward and upward to some of the most glorious coaches you can imagine.  It makes the one used by Charles and Diana some years ago look like a VW Bug in comparison.   You could just hear the orders that came from the Kings and Queens:  "What we want can be defined by one word,  OSTENTATIOUS!"    I loved imagining the titled personages of the past who occupied these fabulously painted and ornamented conveyances.

By the early 1700s,  coaches had become true works of art and, in many cases, told a story.  This coach is one of 16 Embassy coaches used in 1716 sent to the current Pope in Rome.   We are looking at the rear of the coach.   The central figure is Lisbon,  and she is being crowned by  Fame.  To her left is Abundance, holding an overflowing cornucopia.    Below Lisbon's feet, a winged dragon, a symbol of the Royal House, is breaking a Moslem Crescent while being watched by shackled slaves, representing Africa and Asia.   In other words,  "Go Christianity!"

Some of the intricate detail on parts of the coaches is easily missed if you don't know what to look for.....

This coach was built in the early 1700s but was used as late as the 1800s to transport foreign dignitaries.  Why am I showing you the wheel?  If you have great eyes or a magnifying glass you can make out the 12 Signs of the Zodiac.  I was able to spot Cancer,  mine,   by leaning waaaay forward over the protective rope.

What, you might ask, would a tiny little thing like this hold?  This late 18th Century vehicle was built to transport a religious statue during a specific procession between two places south of Lisbon.

(Good thing the taxpayers didn't have anything to say about this...there were others built too.)

I could go on and on with the gorgeous, ornate, over-the-top coaches in the museum, which makes you suspect that Europe had, a few hundred years ago, contests to see who could build the most outrageous coaches for the silliest uses!  There are over 50 of them here.   Some were built for the little princes and princesses so they could go about the gardens of their summer estates.  Some were for processions only.  And some were, shockingly, simply for travel!

I saw Litters, Berlins, Coupes, Cabiolets, Chaises, Sedan Chairs, learning a new vocabulary along the way.  We saw the accoutrements of a well-kept coach including uniforms, musical instruments, weapons,  livery,  saddles, stirrups,  and paintings of the various rulers and royals.  This museum definitely had surprise and delight in store.  Don't plan to rush through this!

And now, the ironic coach.   It is rather somber.  Could they have known that tragedy was around the corner when it was built?  Further irony revealed in the caption....

The bullet holes tell a grim story: in 1908, King Carlos I and his son were assassinated in the streets of Lisbon.  How ironic that this museum was created by his wife, Queen Amelia, in 1905.

Do you have a favorite small museum tucked away in your memory banks in a city large or small?  Please go to the bottom of the page and leave a comment so we can all read it.  Perhaps I'll visit yours soon!

And now for my favorite part, the commercial.  I love passing along great travel deals on delightful sojourns, and news of my industry.   Silversea, known for their all-inclusive pricing with travel to smaller intriguing ports in style and comfort,  has purchased and will renovate a small ship to be sailing exclusively in the Galapagos Islands.  They have actually purchased the whole company who owned and ran the ship, the Galapagos Explorer II, and will continue to have these experts managing your vacation.  This is the second exploration vessel for Silversea, which currently has the Silver Explorer spending most of the year in both Arctic and Antarctic waters.  Look for inaugural sailings in the autumn of 2013 and call me for more details!   888-857-7379.  Can't wait for next year?  There is still some space on some other excellent Galapagos journeys.

 

Quite Possibly, the Best Travel Book Ever.

It isn’t even really a travel book.  It speaks to you of places mystical and remote,  down-to-earth and close by,  generally unheard of and immensely famous.

Monestary of the Hieronymites, Lisbon

It won’t give you directions, instructions, hours of admissions, nearby accommodations or the best local restaurants.   It will only give you dreams for future travel, and moments of delight when you discover you have already been to many of these places.  And the photographs……divine.

A pile of rocks?  No, one of the three pyramids at Giza.  From afar, they look perfect and smooth.

To top it off, it isn’t for everyone.  Some of you may travel for a specific purpose, such as scuba diving,  museum-hopping, or even shopping.   This is for those of you who see or hear about a place that makes you want to jump on the next plane and immerse yourself in the gloriousness of….whatever.

Three words describe Monticello:  Fascinating.   Gorgeous.  Fascinating.  A true national treasure.

It is, my friends, simply titled “World Heritage Sites” and is published  by UNESCO Publishing.  The book is organized by date of acceptance by this United Nations Organization and each site was chosen for one or more criteria:  the Galapagos Islands, the first entry, is honored for Natural Phenomenon or Beauty; Major Stages of Earth’s History;  Significant Ecological or Biological Processes and Significant Natural Habitat for Biodiversity.  That first year, the other sites were both urban and remote and came from the USA, Senegal, Poland, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Germany, and Canada.  Now, there are UNESCO sites in over 150 nations.  

Restorations in the Jewish Ghetto,  Historic Centre of Rome

Sometimes, a specific place is designated, and sometimes a region or several examples of a specific thing.  For example, in England,  both Stonehenge and Avebury, which are miles apart, are listed together.  Avebury is similar to Stonehenge but more accessible to visitors-there is even a small village on-site.  Other examples are “Venice and its Lagoon,” and “Old Village of Holloko and its Surroundings”  (Hungary).

A detail in an alley of the Old Town section of Tallin, Estonia

This is really a book for dreamers.  With 936 listed sites and more coming every year,  it would really be nearly impossible to visit all without unlimited time and budget,  but  each place would not necessarily appeal to everyone.   The book has over 800 pages but I decided to slog through it and note every one I had been to, and happily found about 50.  One is in my own backyard, and was a somewhat early entry,  and looking at my list I realized that each of these places had been a highlight of my days of wandering.  I was unaware, when I visited most of them, that they were so designated.

At first sight, this looks like....nothing much.  However I took this photo from the western wall of Masada, at the point where the Romans breached the walls of the city after months of siege and building a ramp over a spur of rock to gain entrance.  Imaging watching from above as, day by day, the Romans came closer and closer to the Jewish refugees.

 If you seek an understanding of the world, both cultural and physical,  this is a must-have book to keep on your bedside table.   Their website is pretty good too!

And now for my commercial:   I am hosting a group on a cruise of wonderful ports both large and small between  Rio and Buenos Aires in January.  If you would like to join me, our gift will be a  tour  of Montevideo followed by a visit to a  special winery  outside of the city,  with a relaxing lunch with new friends included.  888-857-7379 or anne@specialtycruise.com

 

Now This is True Serendipity!

Once in awhile, when you travel,  everything comes together and you are able to do something that rarely ever happens, to anyone.  My guest blogger describes below  a great experience because of our friend serendipity that occured in January.

Lie down on your stomach, and breathe! 

I have just given you the instructions on how to snorkel, something which I began doing years ago, and have found each time to be a new adventure.  If you feel timid, you can wear a life jacket or float belt to assure you that you won’t sink.  You can just lie still and use almost no energy, so you won’t get tired.  Or you can move around a wide area to see all sorts of underwater terrain.   Mostly, I have seen gorgeous vividly colored small fish.  In the Sea of Cortez,  I opted to keep a distance from the curious sea lions unlike some of my fellow snorkelers, because I am a wimp.  I find it a very pleasant way to see something new, to relax, and get as much or as little exercise as I choose.  My daughter first snorkeled at age 5.  That’s how easy it is.

But occasionally there may be an opportunity to see something extraordinary.  My guest blogger,  Lindsey Johnson,  had an incredible snorkeling trip off of Maui.  ( I have snorkeled from Maui and saw….beautiful fish.  She saw something completely different.)

Take it away, Lindsey.

I never tire of peacefully floating through tropical waters while colorful fish gracefully swim below for my viewing pleasure.   In fact, you could say I am a snorkeling fanatic.  I have even attempted to snorkel in the  lake near my home in Seattle, (something I would not recommend unless you are a connoisseur of old  tires.)  Although I make sure to partake in snorkeling whenever I am on a vacation that allows, my adventures have all been about seeing beautiful fish and sometimes, if I am lucky, one turtle. 

So when, on a recent trip to Maui, the stars (and mostly the weather,) aligned and allowed our snorkel cruise boat to snorkel in an area that is rarely if ever a safe stop, I knew I had hit the snorkel jackpot:  the Liberty Shipwreck, an oil tanker from World War II that now rests about 1,500 feet off a beautiful deserted beach on Lanai, a short boat ride from Maui.  

 

The full day snorkel adventure promised lots of beautiful fish, some fun and laughter, and hopefully turtles, dolphins and whales.  The trip took us around the island of Lanai, a typical yet always fun touristy snorkel trip.  Our guide also promised us a view of Shipwreck beach, a famous ‘wrecked’ ship, and a drive by Dragon cove.  Again, all very typical and done daily on these tours.  With the sun shining, and more importantly the wind quiet, the trip over to Lanai was filled with a few great whale sightings.  

As we approached the giant ship our Captain got on the speakers and began to announce in a very excited voice that we might have just hit the jackpot on the weather and if the wind was still nonexistent as we got closer, we would be able to do something only 6 tours ever in the 10 years he had been doing these daily trips has been able to do:  snorkel around the ship.  Typically the winds from the North East that get funneled through the channel between Lanai and Maui are very strong and it is dangerous for both boats and especially snorkelers to get too close to the giant Liberty ship. 

We, however, lucked out.  Our Captain guided us within 15 feet of the giant ship while he told us the story of the famed Liberty Ships.  Giant and very inexpensive to build, these cargo ships became a symbol of the huge American war industrial output.  However when three of the hulking, concrete enforced ships inexplicably broke in half, flags were raised.  It turns out the steel that was  used could not handle the extreme cold weather of the water in the North Atlantic and would crack and fracture.  Many were retired or sold to other countries, but one ended up in Hawaii.  I was relieved to find out this was not shipwreck that may be home to old sailors bones, but was actually placed in that location as the most economical way to dispose of the giant, hulking concrete ship.

We finally jumped into the water on the side of the ship that was shadowed from the sun.  The water was warm, but without sun there was little life.  We managed to see a few fish and while my boyfriend hung back, I swam close to the ship and was treated to all sorts of creepy crawlies moving along the side.  Also being so close to the ship you could peer into several holes and appreciate the sheer size of this hulking beast, which the US managed to build in less than 50 days at the peak of production.  Truly a symbol of the US’s industrial prowess and mastery- arguably the biggest reason our side won the war.  It was a memory I knew I would not forget.

As we slowly made the turn around the back of the ship into sunshine it was like swimming into the underwater Garden of Eden.  The sunny side teemed with life, as we saw butterfly fish, tangs, pennant fish, trumpet fish, and the ever classic Moorish Idol.  I had never seen so many fish while snorkeling.  Rocks and coral of all sizes littered the ground, so close in many places I could reach down with my hand and touch the plant life that covered the outside.  As we lazily floated through the underwater rainbow we came upon my absolute favorite animal- turtles!  One sleepily floated so close once I finally noticed him I could have reached out and patted him on the head.  There were several, none at all distracted or disturbed by the sight of several humans swimming nearby so we were lucky enough to enjoy them for almost the entire time we were in the sunshine.

As I climbed aboard the snorkeling boat for some lunch and we zoomed off to our next, more typical snorkeling destination, I looked back at the wreck and knew how lucky I was to get so close to a piece of history.  If I close my eyes I can still see the schools of colorful fish stream by, the lazy turtles floating past, and the giant hull covered in years of rust and now home to all sorts of underwater creatures.  

Thank you Lindsey.   I hope that someday I am lucky enough to have a great experience like that.

Now for the commercial:   Are you a Notre Dame supporter?   Or did you serve in the Navy?  I have a nifty package to Ireland for the football game between these two teams, with  some touring of the Emerald Isle as well, this fall.   It would be a fun trip without the game,  but maybe you fans should go so that you can explain the game to all of those Irishmen and women you will run into!   I adore Ireland and especially it's people.  Now if the University of Washington were to play there I'd be the first in line for tickets.

To Market, to Market, to Buy a Fat....

Oh,  never mind.  I don’t buy fat pigs at the market.  And I don’t go home again home again jiggity jig.   But I do love going to markets, and I don’t mean supermarkets, which I do  appreciate when I am in a hurry.  Or at midnight. 

Being a Seattle girl I have access to one of the best and most famous public markets anywhere, the Pike Place Market.  (No, it isn’t Pike’s Market.)  Famous for the “flying fish” and a dazzling display of produce, much of which comes from surrounding farms, you can also find some fabulous restaurants, a great boutique hotel, and some of the most funky shops you will ever see.  Since it is over 100 years old, some wonderful businesses have located around it.

So I gravitate to markets  when I travel to get a fix of the bright colors and colorful people that populate them.   I find they reflect the city and it’s inhabitants.  The vendors are usually full of good information and cheer.  Plus, sometimes there are free samples.

Here are some of the most interesting, in no particular order:

In St. Petersburg I was on a tour that was billed something like this:  A Day in the Life of a St. Petersburg Resident.    We took the subway,  we went to a little shopping mall, that sort of thing, and of course we went to a market.  This was indoors in a run-down building,  but who needs fancy to sell foods?   (Well, someone does, and I will show you later.)  Some of the vendors did NOT want their photos taken but others were OK with it.  The fruits all look good, although we northwestern berry snobs would say the strawberries were pumped with too much water and wouldn't have the best flavor,  but some of the things were definitely tempting!  It was a busy place and really had a good variety.  It must seem like heaven to those who remember the old regime, when shortages in just about everything abounded.  (Oh, and  the end of the tour?  We went to a place to sample different flavors of vodka...and they weren't even trying to sell it!   I don't drink much hard liquor but they had a dill vodka that seemed just right.)

Next, here are a couple of shots of a little one-vendor market stall near the subway station for Gamla Stan in Stockholm.   I love the neat, precise and orderly way everything is displayed. 

Next up,  a little teensy weensy market at the entrance to an apartment in Shantou, China.  How easy to just grab a couple of veggies, toss your money in the basket, and run upstairs to prepare your salad.

This next market is dear to me as I came across it on my first visit to Italy.  This visit lasted about an hour or   two,  as we were in Monaco on a very rainy and miserable day, so we hopped on the train, headed through the tunnel just to the east, and got off at the first station, Ventimiglia. I saw some of the most delectable produce I've ever seen.  Plus a fantastic array of flowers.

 

And our favorite vendors, below.  Notice the beautiful untrimmed artichokes to their left.  (I will note here that the above photo has been enlarged, framed and has a place of honor in my office to commemorate my first visit to Italy.  Even if it was only for an hour or so.  I've made up for it since then.)

 

I was intrigued with the Halifax Seaport Public Market because it is touted as an environmentally friendly space (indoor).  Wide windows let you see through from the street side to the ocean side and the accompanying boat traffic, and of course let in light.  The heating and lighting systems are solar powered.     Besides produce there are other farmer's products and you could nosh all day amongst the booths.  I picked up some local pepper jelly for gifts.   (Small price, small size for the suitcases, in sealed plastic bags of course.)   My favorite thing is the green or bio-wall, used for air filtering.  You'll see it below.

You know I could post beautiful market photos all day.  So I will do one more and then end.  This one is kind of cheating as it isn't technically a farmer's market.  But it is an old and honored food emporium, with more glamor than Madonna and Lady Gaga combined.  (Or maybe Audrey Hepburn and Liz Taylor for us mature folks.)  I'll start with the chandelier, yes, and what a chandelier, and whiz you around for some of the more interesting foodstuffs.

Veggies and candy and terrines oh my!  This must be Harrod's,  home of everything from the 30 British Pound Sterling Ostrich Egg  to the good old boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes. By the way, those are marshmallows to the left.  Multi=colored.

 

Now I am finished, but I do need your help.  I took the next photo of a little shop in Sanary-Sur-Mer in the South of France, wanting to know what the French think of as the difference between a gourmet and a gourmand.   Unfortunately,  I forgot to learn French.  So if you can translate the text and then drop down below my commercial and click on "add a comment" and translate it, I will always be grateful for the next few days at least.  I am sure that many of you have favorite markets and would love to have you comment on those below too!  Thank you Lindsey Johnson for the Halifax photos.

Wow.  I have seen so many new and interesting trips this year.  If you are a birder or generally love the wild places and nature,  we have a small ship of 100 passengers maximum visiting the Russian Far East along the Kuril Islands, the Northern Ring of Fire.  Or go by luxury rail from Moscow to Vladivostok this winter and see Russia during this beautiful season.  If you are interested in sea life,  I can offer a chance to see the beautiful tusked narwhal--the unicorn of the ocean-- on a Narwhal and Polar Bear Safari.  Nowadays travel really can fulfill your dreams.  The dreams will become memories and will stay with you forever.  (If you are looking for a bargain,  I do have a special offer with Crystal Cruises through the end of this week, with additional discounts over what you may see published on their website, plus special amenities.)  anne@specialtycruise.com; 888-857-7379.  Happy travel dreaming!