Had a whirlwind time of getting out of Houston .... flew to Rome for 3 days: history before my eyes!
Now on the island of Mallorca (Spain) ..... beautiful Mediterranean coastal cities (just like in the postcards). Very incredible .... but the time is flying.
One of our group of six had their pocket picked on the subway in Rome .... classic scenario (just like ALL the tour books tell you to look out for).
The cathedrals are the best things .... unbelievable. They are big; and old!!
Later,
Marilyn
Friday, October 28, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
sweat ?? !!!
Here we are back in Houston. Now, my grandmother said "refined ladies" don't "sweat" ..... they perspire or "get dewey". Well, let me tell you .... we got about half way back across Texas and I began to get a little dewey ..... and after setting up at our camping spot here in Pearland, I was sweatin!
We had almost forgotten how hot the heat is. Oh well. It is nice to be back 'home'. It is comforting to know where everything is .... I mean: CVS, UPS, grocery, Verizon, Dillards, Petsmart, Firestone, .. Starbucks ...... Marble Slab (all those places that make our worlds go round). In every other city we are forever Googling where to find stuff; so it's nice to be in familiar surroundings.
We stopped for most of a day in my hometown of Graham, TX to visit family friends, visit the cementary, park overnite in the Walmart parking lot ...... and drink a frosty mug of root beer at the K & N drive-in.
And then on to Houston ....
We have 5 days to get ready and packed for our trip to Rome. We are going to board the dogs, park Mama Mia in storage, and fly to Italy, then take a transAtlantic "repositioning" cruise back to Galveston. There are several friends from Galveston who are also going.
So when we arrived at the campsite the scene soon looked like a Chinese Firedrill ..... (or some version of the Beverly Hillbillies) ...... we pulled out all the bins of clothing in the 'basement' storage compartments underneath the motorhome, and began to organize, switch out seasons, pull out suitcases, etc. It was good entertainment for camping neighbors I'm sure.
Too bad Mama Mia can't float; we could do a lot of traveling over there..... but on second thought, I think we are a little big for the European streets and roads. My posts here will continue (don't want to lose any customers), so stay tooned.
Later, Marilyn
We had almost forgotten how hot the heat is. Oh well. It is nice to be back 'home'. It is comforting to know where everything is .... I mean: CVS, UPS, grocery, Verizon, Dillards, Petsmart, Firestone, .. Starbucks ...... Marble Slab (all those places that make our worlds go round). In every other city we are forever Googling where to find stuff; so it's nice to be in familiar surroundings.
We stopped for most of a day in my hometown of Graham, TX to visit family friends, visit the cementary, park overnite in the Walmart parking lot ...... and drink a frosty mug of root beer at the K & N drive-in.
And then on to Houston ....
We have 5 days to get ready and packed for our trip to Rome. We are going to board the dogs, park Mama Mia in storage, and fly to Italy, then take a transAtlantic "repositioning" cruise back to Galveston. There are several friends from Galveston who are also going.
So when we arrived at the campsite the scene soon looked like a Chinese Firedrill ..... (or some version of the Beverly Hillbillies) ...... we pulled out all the bins of clothing in the 'basement' storage compartments underneath the motorhome, and began to organize, switch out seasons, pull out suitcases, etc. It was good entertainment for camping neighbors I'm sure.
Too bad Mama Mia can't float; we could do a lot of traveling over there..... but on second thought, I think we are a little big for the European streets and roads. My posts here will continue (don't want to lose any customers), so stay tooned.
Later, Marilyn
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Albuquerque
We just can't seem to get gone from Albuquerque... had to have the a/c condenser job finished here at Freightliner truck center (the small shop in Gallup didn't have the freon to charge the system). Also spent a day at Camping World for miscellaneous fixes and repairs.
So .... we took the opportunity to SHOP while waiting for the coach :)
Sam's for paper products, Petsmart for Toby's special dogfood, Walmart for bottled water ..... and on and on. Todays excitement was chasing a hot air balloon until he landed, then watching them fold the balloon and put it away. There were eleven balloons in the air when we came out of Denny's this morning, two landed on a nearby golf course, but a third one drifted past the golf course and into a small neighborhood playground .... he landed in a cul-de-sac as neat as could be. I was amazed: he missed a golf course but set it down in a 50' radius circle with houses all around !
The balloon fiesta is officially over but there have been a good number of balloons over town every day.
By the way, that Balloon Field where they launch is the size of 54 football fields ..... (said so in the paper).
We are dry camping for the second straight nite in the Camping World parking lot. There is a security patrol here all nite; and probably about 6 coaches here with the people spending the nite in them .... but about 20 or so sitting here waiting for parts or whatever. We met two ladies who caravan together full time, but they EACH have their own motorhome. They have known each other for 40 years, and now are single empty nesters. They tried traveling together in one motorhome for one year ..... and decided they each needed their own space; so one bought another motorhome and they still travel together. The 3 of us got quite a chuckle out of that. One good thing about our coach being so large, we really do have enough space to stay out of each others hair (mostly) :)
We will head for Houston Thursday or Friday.
Later,
Marilyn
So .... we took the opportunity to SHOP while waiting for the coach :)
Sam's for paper products, Petsmart for Toby's special dogfood, Walmart for bottled water ..... and on and on. Todays excitement was chasing a hot air balloon until he landed, then watching them fold the balloon and put it away. There were eleven balloons in the air when we came out of Denny's this morning, two landed on a nearby golf course, but a third one drifted past the golf course and into a small neighborhood playground .... he landed in a cul-de-sac as neat as could be. I was amazed: he missed a golf course but set it down in a 50' radius circle with houses all around !
The balloon fiesta is officially over but there have been a good number of balloons over town every day.
By the way, that Balloon Field where they launch is the size of 54 football fields ..... (said so in the paper).
We are dry camping for the second straight nite in the Camping World parking lot. There is a security patrol here all nite; and probably about 6 coaches here with the people spending the nite in them .... but about 20 or so sitting here waiting for parts or whatever. We met two ladies who caravan together full time, but they EACH have their own motorhome. They have known each other for 40 years, and now are single empty nesters. They tried traveling together in one motorhome for one year ..... and decided they each needed their own space; so one bought another motorhome and they still travel together. The 3 of us got quite a chuckle out of that. One good thing about our coach being so large, we really do have enough space to stay out of each others hair (mostly) :)
We will head for Houston Thursday or Friday.
Later,
Marilyn
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Mesa Verde
up, up .... and away
Balloon Fiesta !!! you've seen pictures ..... but you have to be on the field with them to really see it.
We're parked just across the freeway from the balloon grounds, but we got up at 4:30 to get over there on the field when the Dawn Patrol went up (there are a half dozen or so go up to check out the winds). The winds were a "little dicey" we were told; so the mass ascension wasn't until 8am, a little after the sun came over the mountain. Don't know how many went up (there were approx. 600 balloons registered this year) ... but it was a LOT ... the sky was full ... 360 degrees around you.
One pilot we talked to said todays wind directions and speeds were quite different at different altitudes. And we could see it .... there were balloons drifting in many directions as they went higher .... and some really made big circles. It was awesome. I heard the average crowd for any one of the events is 125,000 people.
Quite an experience.
Did I mention that this morning at 5am it was 39 degrees? Tomorrow morning we are going to watch from the motorhome. But Sandia mountain, which is just behind us, is covered with a dusting of snow from about a third of the distance up to the top peaks.
We're parked just across the freeway from the balloon grounds, but we got up at 4:30 to get over there on the field when the Dawn Patrol went up (there are a half dozen or so go up to check out the winds). The winds were a "little dicey" we were told; so the mass ascension wasn't until 8am, a little after the sun came over the mountain. Don't know how many went up (there were approx. 600 balloons registered this year) ... but it was a LOT ... the sky was full ... 360 degrees around you.
One pilot we talked to said todays wind directions and speeds were quite different at different altitudes. And we could see it .... there were balloons drifting in many directions as they went higher .... and some really made big circles. It was awesome. I heard the average crowd for any one of the events is 125,000 people.
Quite an experience.
Did I mention that this morning at 5am it was 39 degrees? Tomorrow morning we are going to watch from the motorhome. But Sandia mountain, which is just behind us, is covered with a dusting of snow from about a third of the distance up to the top peaks.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Not so fast
One moment we were whizzing along about half way to our destination of Albuquerque ....... and the next we were stopped dead on the very top of an overpass over Route 66 ..... with a frozen AC compressor and broken fanbelt ....... ah, well ..... some bad with the good.
The worst part was when the engine shut down I could not get completely out of the outside lane of traffic. So we sat there for about 4 hours waiting for the "super tow-truck" and watching in the rear view mirror as two lanes of rush hour traffic tried to squeeze down into one and one-half lanes to get by us...... a little scary to say the least.
Anyway, our current campsite is the gravel parking lot of a small truck repair shop in Gallup, New Mexico.
It is ..... 'interesting'.... but not too bad, considering the camping fee (free). Of course the other side of the story is how much this camping spot will ultimately cost us :)
The area is semi-rural and the owner lives next door with horses, an alpaca, a handful of dogs, and 3 or 4 peacocks who roam the truck lot... providing beautiful color to a somewhat bleak view (especially compared to where we just left from yesterday) !
We truly feel like turtles .... we are snug in our 'shell' wherever we may land. ..... Which is a good thing.
AND, we have the time. We still marvel at the freedom we feel .... no strict schedule .... if we don't get there today..... then we'll get there... when we get there.
The other 'interesting' aspect of this current adventure: they (of course) do not have the parts here, or anywhere near here, or even in this state. So tomorrow we will get in our car and drive to Farmington, NM where parts are to arrive from overnite shipping, and then we will bring them back here (5 hours round trip) for this repair shop to install. Ah ...... as I've said many times now since we started this trip ..... "every experience is an adventure" .... but its all good.
Later,
Marilyn
The worst part was when the engine shut down I could not get completely out of the outside lane of traffic. So we sat there for about 4 hours waiting for the "super tow-truck" and watching in the rear view mirror as two lanes of rush hour traffic tried to squeeze down into one and one-half lanes to get by us...... a little scary to say the least.
Anyway, our current campsite is the gravel parking lot of a small truck repair shop in Gallup, New Mexico.
It is ..... 'interesting'.... but not too bad, considering the camping fee (free). Of course the other side of the story is how much this camping spot will ultimately cost us :)
The area is semi-rural and the owner lives next door with horses, an alpaca, a handful of dogs, and 3 or 4 peacocks who roam the truck lot... providing beautiful color to a somewhat bleak view (especially compared to where we just left from yesterday) !
We truly feel like turtles .... we are snug in our 'shell' wherever we may land. ..... Which is a good thing.
AND, we have the time. We still marvel at the freedom we feel .... no strict schedule .... if we don't get there today..... then we'll get there... when we get there.
The other 'interesting' aspect of this current adventure: they (of course) do not have the parts here, or anywhere near here, or even in this state. So tomorrow we will get in our car and drive to Farmington, NM where parts are to arrive from overnite shipping, and then we will bring them back here (5 hours round trip) for this repair shop to install. Ah ...... as I've said many times now since we started this trip ..... "every experience is an adventure" .... but its all good.
Later,
Marilyn
Monday, October 3, 2011
I love the history
We've been here near Mesa Verde for two weeks now, and I have truly grown enamored with the ruins and the scant knowledge of how the people lived and built these wonderful structures.
The old term was Anasazi; which is no longer used because it has been so long associated with an ancient people who mysteriously disappeared. The newly evolved archeological thinking is that they did not "disappear mysteriously" at all; but moved away to the south (northern New Mexico mostly), and their descendants live here (and there) to this day. The Native Americans proclaim this to be true; and refer to their descendants who lived in these ruins as "Ancestral Puebloans".
Presumably the main reason to have moved away was there is documented two periods of severe drought; one lasting 25 years. Of course they were primarily farmers, growing their crops on the mesa tops, dependent on approx. 17 inches of rain per year plus snow melt. They built a really sophisticated system of water catchment on the upper mesa, although there is no evidence of actually irrigating the crops.
The earliest dwelling structures (from 1 to 650 AD) were 'pit houses' which were dug about half into the ground and then topped with a primitive wood structure, covered with woven matting and then 'plastered' with mud. The entrance was thru a hole in the roof with a ladder thru it.
By 750 they had started building single level dwellings with rock walls and wood/matting roofs.
By 1100 they were building multi-story structures .... but still on the relatively flat mesa tops.
By 1250 the first cliff dwellings appeared.
Many ruins show later period dwellings to have been built on top of the earlier period structures.
One canyon we visited this afternoon had cliff dwellings of various sizes on both sides of the steep (400 plus feet deep canyon walls.
I just love the feeling of watching a dwelling and imagining the activity of the village so long ago.
One of my favorite quotes (which I heard in a film at the Ute Mountain Cultural Center) was one of their current elders saying that the story (as passed down to him from many, many ..... many..... previous generations) was that the reason the original "Ancestral Puebloans" moved away, was that "It Was Time".
Well, it is time .... that we move on south. I really LOVE this area .... and we will return some year or other.
But for now we have a balloon festival to see in Albuquerque.
Later,
Marilyn
The old term was Anasazi; which is no longer used because it has been so long associated with an ancient people who mysteriously disappeared. The newly evolved archeological thinking is that they did not "disappear mysteriously" at all; but moved away to the south (northern New Mexico mostly), and their descendants live here (and there) to this day. The Native Americans proclaim this to be true; and refer to their descendants who lived in these ruins as "Ancestral Puebloans".
Presumably the main reason to have moved away was there is documented two periods of severe drought; one lasting 25 years. Of course they were primarily farmers, growing their crops on the mesa tops, dependent on approx. 17 inches of rain per year plus snow melt. They built a really sophisticated system of water catchment on the upper mesa, although there is no evidence of actually irrigating the crops.
The earliest dwelling structures (from 1 to 650 AD) were 'pit houses' which were dug about half into the ground and then topped with a primitive wood structure, covered with woven matting and then 'plastered' with mud. The entrance was thru a hole in the roof with a ladder thru it.
By 750 they had started building single level dwellings with rock walls and wood/matting roofs.
By 1100 they were building multi-story structures .... but still on the relatively flat mesa tops.
By 1250 the first cliff dwellings appeared.
Many ruins show later period dwellings to have been built on top of the earlier period structures.
One canyon we visited this afternoon had cliff dwellings of various sizes on both sides of the steep (400 plus feet deep canyon walls.
I just love the feeling of watching a dwelling and imagining the activity of the village so long ago.
One of my favorite quotes (which I heard in a film at the Ute Mountain Cultural Center) was one of their current elders saying that the story (as passed down to him from many, many ..... many..... previous generations) was that the reason the original "Ancestral Puebloans" moved away, was that "It Was Time".
Well, it is time .... that we move on south. I really LOVE this area .... and we will return some year or other.
But for now we have a balloon festival to see in Albuquerque.
Later,
Marilyn
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