The small Wachau Valley village of Melk, Austria has one claim to fame, but it is a doozey!
The Benedictine Abbey has dominated the town for nearly one thousand years… CONTINUE READING >>
The small Wachau Valley village of Melk, Austria has one claim to fame, but it is a doozey!
The Benedictine Abbey has dominated the town for nearly one thousand years, although the amazing Baroque version that stands today was built between 1702 and 1736.
It is still an active monastery, and also houses a school for about nine hundred students.
Blown away is the only way to describe our reaction – and that was before we got to go inside.
Part of the interior serves as a museum, with some really cool artifacts.
In the 1700s, these reusable coffins with a trap door underneath were used.Antique heatersStriking paintings by Jörg Breu (1502)The ceiling of the Marble Hall, Paul Troger (1731)
The sections that are still in day-to-day use, the library and the church, were even more fascinating to us.
The incredibly impressive library holds one hundred thousand volumes that are still in use by the monks, some over ten centuries old.
The monks have rebound most of the manuscripts, not only to preserve the precious volumes, but to give the shelves a uniform look. Being in the room with all of these great works of science and literature gave us quite a charge.
Before we could get too excited though, we were off to the focal point of the abbey, the Stiftskirche.
The amazingly beautiful spiral staircase between the library and the church .
The church is dedicated to Saint Coloman of Stockerau, who is interred there, and is considered one of Austria’s finest.
While the outside is beautiful –if somewhat conventional –inside we were in for a real eye opener.
The monks really went for baroque, they didn’t skimp on the gold leaf, marble, or the frescoes on the ceilings… and the pipe organ, wow!
In spite of all that, the highlight for us was the two “catacomb saints” on display.
During the 16th and 17th centuries the desire to display relics in churches became so great that the Vatican ordered numerous unknown skeletons be brought up from the catacombs under Rome and declared them to be the remains of saints. Then they sent them off to eager churches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The thinking seemed to be that since they came from Rome, they must have been a martyr or great Christian of some sort. On arrival to their new homes, the “saints” were adorned in jewels and gaudy finery and proudly given places of honor.
It was a little unclear to us why this would happen at this church, considering they have had the remains of their patron saint on the premises for a thousand years.
We ended the day on a high note, as a reward for our walk back to our ship we got our best view of the abbey just as we were getting back to the river.
Walking into the theater at the Movies for Grownups Film Festival, I expected Cyber-Seniors to be a dry, informative info-nugget on how the Internet could enhance the lives of the older set. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Honestly, I’ve never been to a theater where the crowd was howling with this level of laughter…. CONTINUE READING >>
We were guests of AARP Members Advantage at the AARP Life@50+ Expo‘s Movies for Grownups Film Festival. As always, all opinions are our own.
As a huge movie buff, one of my favorite reasons to attend AARP‘s Life@50+ is the Movies for Grownups Film Festival.
This year we attended the screening of Cyber-Seniors, a heartwarming — and surprisingly funny — documentary about the extraordinary journey of a group of senior citizens as they discover the world of the Internet through the guidance of teenage mentors.
Walking into the theater, I expected Cyber-Seniors to be a dry, informative info-nugget on how the Internet could enhance the lives of the older set. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Honestly, I’ve never been to a theater where the crowd was howling with this level of laughter.
Maybe because it was so unexpected (I hope I’m not spoiling the surprise here), but the interaction between the old folks and the young whippersnappers is just priceless:
After the screening, I was honored to sit down with the documentary’s producer, Brenda Rusnik, to get the inside scoop:
Go see this movie, you’ll walk out with a brightened outlook on the world and the people that populate it.
We considered ourselves to be among the fortunate as we headed to lounge in the heated water that springs forth from the mountain at the Baldi Hot Springs Resort… CONTINUE READING >>
Big thanks to Viator for providing this wonderful adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.
The east side of Volcán Arenal has been spared the rivers of molten rock and explosions that the west side has, earning the name La Fortuna, The Fortunate.
We considered ourselves to be among the fortunate, as we headed that way to lounge in the heated water that springs forth from the mountain at the Baldi Hot Springs Resort.
Our visions of a hot pond in the middle of the rainforest was blown out of the water as soon as we arrived.
Baldi has twenty-five separate spring-fed pools, each getting warmer as they rise up the mountain/ volcanoside.
Each pool has a unique personality with waterfalls, bridges and even full-service bars right in the naturally-heated water.
There are waterslides for kids and thrill seekers, and a full service spa for the more sublime, but we were more than content to simply soak our cares away.
Need pampering stat? Baldi has a helipad!The entrance to the Aqua Spa.
After several tranquil hours making our way down from one pool to the next, we enjoyed a spread of Italian and local dishes at the resort’s buffet at the base of Arenal.
Perhaps the most relaxed dinner we’ve ever enjoyed!
Sandwiched between our explorations of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Halifax we discovered an often overlooked, and historically important, stretch of Atlantic Canada.
Travel with us through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and discover The Bay of Fundy, with the highest tides in the world, learn how folks got around before cars, overdose on blueberries, and find out how the Scots made it to the New World… CONTINUE READING >>
Thanks to Road Scholar for providing this lifelong learning adventure through the Canadian Maritimes! As always, all opinions are our own.
The area around the Isthmus of Chignecto, which connects New Brunswick with Nova Scotia, is instrumental in the history of North America and certainly deserved a closer look.
Battle(s) Royale
The strategic strip provided a land route for early French colonials, joining Louisbourg to Quebec, making it a center point of battles for control over eastern Canada between British and French forces.
After King George’s War ended in 1748 with no resolution to the balance of power in North America, France began building Fort Beauséjour in what is now New Brunswick to protect their holdings.
Fort Beauséjour
By 1755, the two powers were back at it and the British conquered the fort, effectively cutting New France in half. After renaming it Fort Cumberland, they began deporting all of the French-speaking settlers of the area in the first expulsion of the Acadians.
But that was only the beginning of what came to be known as the French and Indian War.
The perennial enemies fought across vast swaths of the continent, as well as in Europe, for nearly ten years.
Eventually England and her colonies prevailed, becoming the dominant power in North America. In the process, a young Major George Washington established himself as a leader and the rest, as they say, is history.
Tiding Things Over
The isthmus forms the north shore of The Bay of Fundy, so after our history lesson we made a stop to check out the highest tides in the world.
It is common for a high tide at Fundy to rise an incredible forty-five feet or more.
The long, funnel-like shape of the bay opening to the Atlantic creates the giant tidal fluctuations. In a span of just minutes we watched the water rise several feet — it was like watching a bathtub fill up.
In the nearby town of Sackville, we passed by the last octagonal house in New Brunswick on our way to the Campbell Carriage Factory.
Dating back to 1855, the site represents one of last surviving pre-industrial businesses in Canada. The main factory building, which became a museum in 2003, is typical of a small nineteenth century shop.
The brief tour gave us a start-to-finish look at the construction of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs.
Everything from the making of the wheels to the final paint job was done on site. By branching out into farm equipment, and even caskets, the factory managed to survive the advent of the automobile and continued business until 1949.
Crossing the isthmus out of New Brunswick, we made our way into Nova Scotia for a look at, and hopefully a sample of, some of the area’s produce.
First up, berries! At Blueberry Acres we found ourselves in the middle of two hundred acres of high bush blueberries, and got an introduction to the enterprise of commercial berries.
While checking out the rows of bushes we about jumped out of our skins when a canon fired in the middle of the field.
We weren’t the only ones jumping, a good sized flock of birds sprung up as well. After a few more rounds went off, we had to ask what was up with the bombardment.
The artillery was not the French and English taking up arms against each other again (whew!), but part of a never-ending battle to keep birds from eating all the profits.
Other weapons include piping in predatory bird sounds (a walk through the bushes sounds like a jungle excursion!) and statues of swooping eagles placed in strategic locations.
Between the Bushes Restaurant is also a part of the complex, situated smack in the middle of the farm, and blueberries are incorporated into many dishes.
We started off with pure, sweet blueberry juice, and then moved on to their signature blueberry barbeque chicken.
Somehow, even with a blueberry dessert, we felt not an inkling of berry overload.
We went from fruit of the bush to fruit of the vine at the Gaspereau Vineyards. Eight different grape varietals grow on thirty-five acres of hillside that provides the perfect sun and drainage for ideal growing.
After tasting a couple of their offerings, we agreed that ideal growing makes ideal wine.
For a change of pace, and something quintessentially Canadian, we had to try their maple wine. Interesting, unique, but… maybe it would go better with a pancake supper.
Enter the Scots!
Returning to our historic explorations, we stopped in Pictou to see the Hector Heritage Quay.
Nova Scotia means New Scotland in Latin, and Hector is famous for being the ship that brought the first significant group of Scottish settlers in 1773.
The quay, or dock, commemorates the event with a museum that chronicles the Scots fleeing the Highland Clearances in Scotland and making the arduous journey across the Atlantic to start new lives.
A perfect replica of the ship, made from the original blueprints, highlights the exhibit.
We started with a look through the displays about the ship and stalwart settlers that made the crossing.
Passenger lists and scores of tartans representing the clans of the families line the walls of the museum, allowing many Nova Scotians to trace their roots.
We found the plaid for the Stewart clan, Veronica’s maiden name, so perhaps a relative was on board?
After a brief film, we went aboard The Hector and got a small sample of just how crowded two hundred people would be on a one hundred foot ship.
In the holds there was only room for one bunk per family, so everyone had to take turns sleeping. Because of a horrific storm, the trip that should have lasted six or seven weeks ended up taking eleven, and eighteen passengers died at sea.
Love this sign! A bit catty for a historical marker, eh?
Unlike those brave souls centuries ago, we could hop off whenever we wanted, so we disembarked for a walk around the town.
First we checked out the crafts fair at New Caledonian Curling Club, which happens to be the third oldest curling club in Canada.
Then we followed signs marking the historic buildings around town.
Our favorite had to be the old post office, built in 1895, which claims to be “the only building in the world with a window in it’s (sic) chimney.”
Perhaps they wrote that claim before the days of Google, because a quick search revealed that they have some competition for the title.
The main building, constructed in 1838, was first used as a tannery.
Its woodworking and machinery rooms showcase the tools and worktables that were necessary to create each component of the Campbell’s carriages.
When it was initially decided to renovate the dilapidated building for the museum, over six thousand artifacts were discovered on the grounds alone.
Since the museum’s opening many carriages have been donated by private citizens.
These are now creatively displayed without taking away the feel of the factory that existed before.
Carriage accoutrementsWheelwright’s table
We found the process of creating the wheels to be fascinating, and our guide cheerfully walked us through the steps of manufacturing wooden hubs, spokes and rims.
The most common type of sleigh built by the Campbell were called pungs.
The name comes from the Algonquin-speaking native people (deriving from tom-pung from tobaggan), and the original pungs were simply made by affixing a box atop a sled. They evolved over time to a sleigh with a sleeker design.
Caskets were also built on site and we marveled at the intricate designs of the accoutrements used in their making.
In the blacksmith shop, our guide used the still-functioning forge to demonstrate how tools and metalwork were created.
By branching out into farm equipment, furniture and caskets, the factory managed to survive the advent of the automobile and continued business until 1949.
We LOVED that the museum left graffiti on the wall from the olden days!
The museum was designated in 2006 as a Historic Place on the Canadian Register.
“Weird” birds & giant tortoises, playful sea lions & active volcanoes – here are the top 5, not to miss, incredible experiences in the Galapagos Islands!… CONTINUE READING >>
Commune with the (Weird) Birds
The Blue-footed Booby
A trip to The Galapagos Islands is guaranteed to make a birder out of anyone. The sheer numbers, and just plain strange features that isolation has brought upon these fabulous creatures would have been enough for us. Couple this with fact that we spent more effort backing away from them than trying to spot them – these birds have absolutely zero fear of humans – and we were instantly hooked! More on the Birds of the Galapagos…
WATCH: It’s not enough to see the birds of The Galapagos – you have to hear them, too! See them with their babies!
Romp with Giant Tortoises (and see them breed!)
In this strange land of strange animals, none is more iconic than the Galapagos Giant Tortoise, known as Galápagos in Spanish. The place is literally named after them.
Growing to over six feet long and eight hundred pounds, these are the biggest tortoises on the planet and one of the largest reptiles. No Galapagos visit would be complete without seeing some of these mammoth Testudines. We weren’t willing to take a chance on seeing one in the wild and risk missing a sighting, so we went right to the source, Isabela Island and the Tortoise Breeding Center of Isabela. More on the Giant Tortoises and the Breeding Center…
Cavort with Sea Lions
Of all of the fabulous animals in The Galapagos Islands, the one that made it hardest to obey the strict always-stay-six-feet-away-from-the-animals rule were the sea lions. Sea lions, or lobos del mar (wolves of the sea) as they are called in Ecuador, have great personalities, are cute, cuddly looking and have no fear of humans (even underwater!) More Sea Lions of The Galapagos…
WATCH: A mama sea lion is reunited with her baby after a bit of a scare!
Explore the Volcanic Landscape (and look down into a live volcano!)
There is another side to this archipelago. A side that may appeal to a geologist more than an ornithologist or herpetologist, because the Galapagos are a classic example of a geologic hot spot. Discover wild formations, overnight in a caldron (in a boat!), check out lava bombs, appreciate the artistry of a brand-new lava floe and hike up an active volcano – then gaze down into it! More on these Islands of Fire…
Half the Fun is Underwater
Half the awe and fun of The Galapagos Islands is underwater. The sea creatures are just as unafraid of humans as their counterparts on land. You will get up close. It’s a good idea to learn to swim backwards before you go! More Underwater Galapagos…
WATCH: Imagine Veronica’s surprise when this sea lion wanted to play with her!
The sections that are still in day-to-day use, the library and the church, were even more fascinating to us.
