Adventures of Lydia and Joe

We arrived in Paris by Eurostar uneventfully. We are staying on the left bank in a converted school, the annex of the Cercle des Armies Club, a reciprocal club to the Marines Memorial. With our high ceilings and full Windows we are close to the sights and sounds of Paris. We have paid more for taxis than for food but we couldn’t get around the crowded city otherwise. First stop was the D’Orsay Museum where we got in 2 for 1 with our Eurostar ticket. After visiting my favorite guys (and one gal) we got a taxi to Notre Dame Cathedral. The line to get in was unbelievably long but there was another line for Mass. Of course we were going to Mass (not this time) so in we went. We almost didn’t notice the “Holy Door” sign as we went through. Thanks, Pope Francis. We lit a candle for Michael in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Joe’s choice. Vespers were just beginning but we had to leave. Next stop across the street for dinner – onion soup, quiche and salad for me and a chicken sandwich for Joe with a tall light beer. The weather isn’t hot but it feels sultry, so everything seems to take more effort to do. Then another taxi to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur. This was Mr. Toad’s wild ride and cost us nearly 25 euros. A lot of streets were closed due to Sunday markets so the taxi driver got very frustrated as did many other drivers. Much horn honking and finger waving. We weaved through this street and that, passing through an area with many immigrants, mainly African. When we arrived at Sacre Coeur  there were zillions of people on the steps in front of the church waiting for the sunset. Montmartre was alive with diners and strollers. We walked around the square, got an ice cream, and went to the Church for some peace and quiet and prayer. On our way out we noticed a beautiful statue of St. Michael, so Mike got another candle just for him. We decided to forgo the boat ride at the Pont Neuf (a tear here) and go home, one more taxi ride and 20 more euros. I think we did a lot in six hours. Some might be wondering what we see regarding the immigrant situation. Both in London and in Paris nearly all the restaurant and hotel workers we encountered were from countries other than the one they were in. Taxi drivers in both countries are complaining about Uber and glad there are at least some restrictions where unlicensed cabs can go. There were more obvious Muslims in Paris than in London. We saw a few burkas in both places, but not many. England’s prices were very expensive, except beer which was 2 Euros for a nice glass of the cold stuff. Tomorrow morning we will pay a quick visit to Luxembourg Park and depart in the afternoon by train for Zurich and then Lintz where we’ll stay with Sally and John for 3 days. Can’t wait for the clean mountain air! Au revoir,, Paris. I’ll always love you!

The disadvantage of writing at the end of the day is that I’m tired. But I’ll do my best to give you a bit of our day. It was a good one. How do you decide what to do with only one day in London? Thankfully, we’ve been here before so some of the “musts’ are “been there, done that”. But one thing I’d never done was visit the Tower of London. Joe’s last visit was in 1959 so things have changed a bit. The second thing we decided on was to visit Dicken’s house. The Tower of London was all we expected and more. They have installed multi-media displays but continue with some re-enactments. On the way we saw all the great landmarks – Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, etc- from the comfort of our black cab. After our Tower visit we got another cab to Dicken’s House and Museum. It was a rather disappointing row house but the attendant was charming. We bought a few souvenirs and headed for the pub she recommended, the Cheshire Cheddar. It was so old that it was rebuilt in 1627. It was a monastery for a while then was used for other occupations until it became a pub. Steak and ale pie a bit of a disappointment. Ok but not great. Shared a table with a lovely young couple from Phoenix who have a few bars and restaurants there. I hope we get to visit sometime. By now the weather was drizzly and so was my personality. So before I started shouting,”Off with his head!” We went home for a nap. I adjusted my attitude and we made plans for dinner. Joe’s watching the pennies more closely than I am and we don’t know the area, so it was difficult to even know where to start. Then I had a brilliant idea. Let’s go to Mass. The Church of the Immaculate Conception, also known as the Farm Church, is about 3 blocks from here. So Joe in his fluorescent orange rain jacket and me with my newly acquired Tower umbrella started off for Mass. It’s in a lovely Jesuit church, beautifully embellished inside. The Mass was short and sweet. We lit a candle for our friend Michael who will be meeting Jesus soon. We also remembered Dick Hotaling whose birthday is tomorrow. And finally, we couldn’t help but remember Joe and Terry who told us about this church several years ago. Next challenge was to find a place for dinner. We set off walking near Berkeley Square, came upon the Sexy Fish (not our type of food) and the Fifty9 (not our crowd). Kept walking and wound up on Picadilly Street and found Pierre’s, right across from the Ritz Hotel. Reasonably priced, not terribly French. Joe had chicken breast with mushroom sauce and I had salmon steak with holandaise. Both came with roasted baby potatoes and grilled cherry tomatoes. A small glass of Cabernet Franc completed the meal. Ok, we did order a lemon tart with ice cream but we didn’t eat it all. We had to walk off the tart, so we continued on to Picadilly Circus, and a circus it was. Hundreds of people, buses, taxis competing for attention with the huge neon signs and the stately buildings. The real London! Then home to get ready for the real French thing tomorrow. Can’t wait for French onion soup! Took some silly photos

Reenact in at the Tower

The Farm Church

of the “Look Right” sign on the curb and of me in a red phone booth.

We’re at the Exeter St. David’s station waiting for our train to London. Packed last night, up early, breakfast at 8, and we still can’t get going until 9:30. I wanted to see the moors if possible on our way to Exeter. Joe’s chief mission is to be on time for our train. So I convinced him that we have plenty of time to drive into Chagford, a village on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, on our way to Exeter. The GPS confirmed that the timing would be ok. And so we did. For one who is unfamiliar with the term moor except what I’ve read in romantic English novels, my vision and reality were again in conflict. Seems to happen a lot! There were rolling hills, scattered trees, very narrow roads (again) and a few homes and villages on the edges. There are walking trails everywhere with stone circles and other evidence of early civilization. We arrived in Chagford and, thanks to Rick Steves, looked for the hardware store, thinking of Dick Hotaling. This store would be Dick’s idea of Heaven. You can buy nearly anything here except groceries. Then we went to the Crown pub for lunch. I’ll post a photo of the fish and chips and mushy peas.  Soooo good. I had carrot, butternut squash and coriander soup. So yummy. A little more meandering around the square, pulling some cash from the ATM and buying a few postcards and we were off to Exeter. Joe almost had a heart attack because the Tour Britain bicycle race was due in the area any minute. As we left town, there were people lining the road and a policeman ready to stop traffic. Joe put pedal to the metal and we made it out ahead of the bicycles. Whew! This GPS from my phone to the car’s touch screen is fabulous. Wish we had it! The only down side is when it can’t find an Internet connection. This happened yesterday but we have a fallback in our Garmin which uses satellites. So I’ll post some photos now and finish this tonight from the Naval Club in London.

B&B in Padstow

Dinner at the Naval Club was very good. Rabbit (sorry, Bugs) for Joe and sirloin (nothing else appealed on the menu) for me. Shared butternut squash soup and a garden salad. Shared a small tart for dessert. And now to sleep, perchance to dream. PS With my Ring doorbell and motion sensor app, I can see who comes to my front door. So far, saw Edi, Andrew,, Julie, Amy Lewis and the gardener. Fun!

London Naval Club

I promised Joe an easy day today. After all we were only going to two places, Clovelly and Tintagel. The former is a scenic village on the edge of Devon and the latter is the legendary location of King Arthur’s castle. We also needed to get some laundry done, and received conflicting reports as to the location of a self-serve laundry in Padstow. (There are none!) But there is a place that does commercial laundry and, when I called, my new best friend Roger agreed to take our small bundle and have it ready by the end of the day. So we dropped the laundry and we’re off to Clovely. A friend promised it was “lovely”. I mustn’t have listened well to the rest of the description. I remember she said something about donkeys and sleds, but it didn’t compute. Remember, we had the hike from hell yesterday up and down St. Michael Mount. (And I logged over 11,000 steps on my Fitbit!). So when we finally get to Clovelly, there was a huge parking lot filled nearly to the brim with cars and busses. At the visitors’ center I learn just what it takes to visit Clovelly village. The donkeys used to be used to transport visitors up and down the cobbled streets. The sleds are used to transport goods down the path into the village because it is too steep for motorized vehicles. My heart sunk. Another steep cobbled path. Those mean stones poking my feet at every angle! But we were here and my friend said it was lovely, so ….I bought our tickets and down we hobbled. It’s hard to appreciate how charming a village is when you are constantly looking down to be sure you don’t fall and kill yourself. When we got to the middle, we paused for an ice cream cone. Then ever downward. We finally reached the harbor, took a quick peek, and got in line for the Land Rover to haul us back up again. It is a charming village and the harbor is beautiful. We had perfect weather. It was really humbling when I saw someone reach the end of the trail before me and she was using two crutches. Old people and children passed us in a flash. I even had a man offer to help me negotiate an incredibly steep corner. I accepted gratefully! So much for Clovelly. 

Next we were off to Tintagel. Well, again, I was mistaken. First of all, it wasn’t very far away (about 20 miles) and we expected to take a quick peek and be on our way. We had to pick up our laundry and had a dinner reservation for 6 pm at a nice restaurant. Alas, it was not to be. There is no castle. There are remnants aka rocks, strewn on a hillside next to the sea which is reached by a (SURPRISE) steep path. No way, Jose. Not again! So we bought a few post cards and were on our way back to Padstow. Now you may be imagining country roads and have some romantic notion that cars just amble along leisurely taking in the scenery. This is not the case. The roads, if you can call them that, were probably laid out for horses to travel. Many of them were barely wide enough for our compact car. When another car approached Joe pulled over to the side while the other one squeezed by or he stopped at the widest part he could find and prayed. Sometimes I even inhaled, hoping that would help. Many of these roads and lanes connected significant villages, so they are used frequently by the locals. However, they should be posted “Not for the faint of heart!” Somehow we made it to the laundry at the stroke of four, paid our new friend, and went home to pack up for tomorrow and get ready for dinner. There’s a well known British chef named Rick Stein who has several restaurants , 3 in Padstow, and getting a reservation is a coup. So we stopped in first thing this morning and secured a spot. Our dinner was quite good, lamb curry for Joe and rump steak for me with a little salad and “chips” that melted in your mouth. The set menu also included a starter, Mussels for Joe and a spicy but delicious Singapore prawns with bean sprouts and a tiny bit of linguine for me. Joe had ice cream for dessert and I had something called a lemon posset- a tangy lemony concoction with berry compote. So refreshing! Now we’re ready to sleep with London on our minds.

This photo should look familiar to fans of the first “guy” we visited today. Port Isaac, more famously known as Port Wenn of Doc Martin fame.
It’s a charming village in the middle of nowhere. We didn’t mean to go there today but after we left Padstow and were hurtling over hill and dale we realized we were nearly out of gas. Siri, my iPhone pal, directed us to the nearest gas station. Near the station was a sign that said “Port Isaac”, so we changed the plan, and off we went. The town is just as I’d imagined it, except it was swarmed with visitors. We had to park several yards away and figure out how to buy a parking permit. Our efforts were rewarded by friendly people, views as expected, and the good news that they are returning in March to film another season. We bought some Cornish pasties(meat or veg turnovers) to go with our grapes for lunch as we headed south to our next ‘guy”, St. Michael, or St. Michael’s Mount. It is a former monastery turned castle turned tourist attraction perched on the top of a VERY high hill in the middle of a bay near Penzance. In the photo Joe is standing on the stone foot bath that crosses the bay to the island when the tide is out. When the tide is in, you get there by boat. About half way across, I began to wish for a boat! We walked on rough stones across to the base of the Mount, the village. That’s where you have to make a decision, to climb or not to climb. I’m not in any kind of shape but I just had to do it. Poor Joe, never one to shirk from a challenge, said, “Let’s go , if you want to. “So I bought our tickets (yes, you have to pay for this torture) and off we went. The path is all stone, little stones set on edge to poke your feet in every imaginable bad way,, large stones, so tall even a billy goat would need help, and uneven mixed stones to challenge your balance. And did I mention it was up, up, up! Somehow after several rest stops to gasp and wipe away sweat, we made it. What a victory! The views were amazing, the rooms were lovely, especially the chapel where they were playing Gregorian Chant, the Mass of the Angels. I wanted to sing along since I learned all the Latin when I was about 12. After taking in the views, there only remained the descent. Joe and I developed a kind of crab walk on the worse parts, going down sideways. A nice man named Franz from Austria insisted on helping Joe. Accepting help is not easy, but Joe remembers Msgr. Connolly’s admonition that it is important to let people help you. It’s humbling for you and good for them. After the worst of the big stones, we thanked Franz and told him we’d be ok and that we’d call his name real loud if we needed him. So we made it down, which was almost as difficult as going up. Then the long trudge to the car park. The next two “guys” on my list were pirates (of Penzance) and the guy who was going to St. Ives who met a man with seven wives, etc. Penzance is a sprawling town along the harbor and there was not a pirate in sight. What a disappointment. But we had a delicious dinner of Indian curry on basmati rice with very tasty mango chutney. Then it was getting to be dusk so we thought we should head back. We almost skipped St. Ives, but there was a sign that said it was only 7 miles away, and I really didn’t want to miss it. So St. Joe relented. It’s really a pretty town center but we made a wrong turn and wound up weaving around the tiniest streets. Our compact car could barely pass. Somehow we got out of there and finally got home. So that’s the story of “the guys”!

After a good breakfast we bade farewell to our hosts and left by taxi to pick up our rental car. I’ve never experienced such friendly, helpful staff as at this Enterprise place. In very short order, we were on the road to Wells Cathedral. Our GPS was not working right so I decided to use the phone. I noticed a place on the console for a USB connector so I plugged in my phone to charge it while I was using it. Much to my surprise, the phone connected to the screen in the car and we had our own navigation system going on. Some app I never heard of worked just fine!  Wells Cathedral  is an impressive place. It really took my breath away.  Sorry for the lack of photos; I can’t seem to insert them just now. We arrived at Wells just before noon and were treated to the famous clock chiming on the hour. It’s a huge astronomical clock and has the added charm of two knights twirling around at the top in a to-the-death duel. The Rector said the same knight always loses! Using our Rick Steves guide we made the rounds of the cathedral ,peeking into chapels and gardens. Then we were on our way to the next stop, Glastonbury Abbey. I must have read the wrong description for I expected another gigantic edifice and was faced with an Abbey in utter destruction. It was beautiful in its ghostly way. We did visit the possible grave of King Arthur, the possible King of the area. No one really knows how much of his story is real and how much is legend. I don’t care. I love the whole tragic story of love gained and lost. After our visit we got back in our trusty Vauxall and headed south west. Joe’s doing a great job driving. It helps that the car is an automatic. We had to go about 125 miles to our destination. Thank Heaven a good part of it was freeway or divided road. We arrived in Padstow a little after 5, perfect timing to meet our hostess, Wendy, and get settled in. We’re both very tired, still feeling the effects of our whirlwind trip from home. We walked down to the harbor to find some dinner The better restaurants were fully booked (and expensive!) So we found a pub and ordered fish and chips and a cold beer from a very friendly gentleman who served us in record time.

Sorry this entry is a little dry. I’m really tired. Tomorrow will be a better day. Some fun destinations in store. Stay tuned.

Before I go any further, Joe wants it made clear that he is fine, his heart is fine, and he didn’t like it that I said anything about his health. Furthermore, what ever he has or doesn’t have, his father had the same thing and lived to be 102. And now on to today –

Louise and Chris, our hosts at Devonshire House, prepared for us a delicious breakfast. Well, at least mine was delicious. Joe had smoked salmon (one of my least favorite proteins) along with scrambled eggs. My scrambled eggs and broiled tomato reminded me of Sallyport in Kenmare. Fruit, yogurt, cereals, juices, and fresh fruit salad were available on a buffet. This appears to be a true bed and breakfast where the owners have let out rooms in their home to visitors. Our room is a small twin with very small but adequate bathroom. It includes a small vanity/writing desk and a few chairs. Opening the window last might allowed some fresh air as it is quite humid.

After breakfast we took a bus into Bath. We had to select the sites to visit because we’re not up to walking long distances yet after the past two days rigors and the weather is overcast, about 75 degrees, and steamy. We first went to the Roman Baths which are well curated and include an audio guide in the price of admission. The only downside is that there are many stairs. A visit to the Pump Room next door was in order. It’s a large Georgian dining room with a pianist in full tails who is very accomplished. I asked him to play anything from Andrew Lloyd Weber and he obliged with a selection from Phantom. After Tea and sharing a savory scone and sweet Bath Bun we were off to the next place on the list, the Bath Abbey, a magnificent structure in the same central square. I took photos of the lectern and choir stalls for friends who enjoy those activities. There was a young man in the square playing Beatles music and everyone was enjoying him. As the day went on the crowds increased. I’m glad we had an early start. Next were the Jane Austen museum and Sally Lunn pastry shop. Thankfully I remembered daughter Julie’s advice about using my phone GPS to find things. It was a godsend! We enjoyed the Jane Austen experience which was narrated by a young woman in period dress. She inspired me to load “Persuasion” onto my iPad. More walking brought us to Sally Lunn where we had a light lunch of Welsh Rarebit (not light but I only ate half of it) and chicken salad which had lots of greenery. More tea. Joe was dropping major hints that it was time for a nap, and it probably was but there were a few more places to see and I knew we would never get to them. So I saw the Hop-on, Hop-off but and pleaded with him to take the circle tour. Because he could sit down doing it, he agreed. It was a narrated tour and took us to the remaining top sites in Bath. Did you know that tea was originally taxed at such a high rate that only aristocrats could afford it. (Remember the Boston Tea Party”? After that tour, we found a cab and went “home” for a long nap. Next item was finding a place for dinner. This necessitated another bus ride (coughs the last bus going down the hill) and another walk to find a restaurant. (My Fitbit says I walked 3000 steps today, but that was just for dinner. I forgot to put it on after my shower this morning.) Many of the restaurants are located in the basements of buildings so more stair descending and climbing. I found one I wanted, we descended two sets of winding stairs only to be told they were fully booked. So we dragged ourselves back up the stairs and went to the first place’s suggestion “Opa”. We like Greek food and our dinner did not disappoint. We had “mezes ” aka starters of meatballs(soutzoukakia) and Greek salad with fat, green olives and a hunk of feta. Entee was lamb shanks in a broth with veggies. They served us a complementary shot of Mastiha, a liquour from the gum tree. Then home by taxi and “blog time”! We are still recovering from our two day marathon but one more good sleep should make a significant difference. Tomorrow we’re off to the Cornish coast by way of Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey. 

I have never been so exhausted in my life! But I’m still glad we did it! Almost 24 hours of traveling!
Andrew was at our house at 4:30 to take us to LAX Thank you, son. For some unknown reason, we both had TSA pre-check and priority boarding. We were through security and at our gate before Andrew even got out of the airport! Our flights were great. If you know me, you know that I do not like to fly. But Delta came through. We had a two hour layover in Boston and what should we find right outside of our landing gate but a Legal Seafoods restaurant. They are known for the best seafood in Boston and they did not disappoint. Staying true to my new and necessary low carb lifestyle, I had a lobster roll without the roll. Oh, it was yummy. Harkening back to our cross-country trip with the children years ago, Joe had scrod. As the airplane had only gifted us with peanuts and pretzels, this meal was more than necessary. And would you believe on the flight from Boston to Paris we were served two meals! I even had a Bloody Mary in memory of Dot Kiser. We landed in Paris without incident but were astounded to find that in the Passport Control area there must have been 500 or more people all crowding and “queuing” to get through the few kiosks available and get on their way. Children were crying, people were snaking into the lines, a river of people all trying to get to the same place. They finally set up serpentine lines like Disneyland on a bad day. As we were trudging back and forth we had the first misgivings about our 2 bag plan. And why didn’t I listen to Julie about getting spinner suitcases? We were going to take the train to Paris Gare de Nord but wisely decided on a taxi.. Best 50 euro we’ve ever spent. The driver was very eager to share his North African point of view and we decided it was best to just nod and agree. He got into the effects of European colonialism, integration, French attitudes about “colonials” (people from Africa), and Frank Sinatra (loves him). Airport fares are controlled now so we didn’t need to worry about being gouged. We got to the Eurostar station in plenty of time to check in. I had to fill out a “landing card” for the British government. When the agent saw that I had entered “various hotels” as the address where we would be staying, she said,” I’ve never stayed there before.” She was not kidding and proceeded to chide me for not entering the name of one hotel. She criticized me as one would a child in a very snarky way, but finally let us pass. So more waiting. Met some interesting people and had a small (very small) baguette with the tiniest bit of ham and a smear of cream cheese. First bread I’ve had in nearly a month. The best thing about it was that it was stale and required a bit of chewing. Eurostar uneventful but I was beginning to question if we could actually pull off the rest of the day’s itinerary. We had to transfer from St. Pancras station to Paddington, print a ticket I’d pre purchased, and find the platform in under an hour. Then another 1 1/2 hour train ride to Bath. At the Paddington Station, the first of what I’m sure will be many guardian angels on this trip volunteered to show us where to find a taxi. It was a very long walk and he even carried my backpack. My weariness was beginning to show! What a special person! Why do some people just come out of the woodwork like that when you most need them? Like the “helpful Honda man”! We made the train with 5 minutes to spare! On the train I was drooping with exhaustion. The journey is a blur because I kept falling asleep. On arrival we easily got a taxi to Devonshire House, our first real bed in what seems like forever. As soon as possible, I stripped, put on my nightie, and had a four hour nap! “What about Joe?” You might ask. Afterall, he’s 82 years old with a heart issue. Well, rest assured, dear readers, he’s fine! What an amazing man! He even got a second wind once we got here and went out to a deli to bring us some dinner. Now he’s sawing logs (quietly) and having a much deserved rest. I was too tired to eat (first time I’ve ever said that!) and continued my nap while Joe puttered around looking for chargers and locating things in our crammed suitcases. The two small bag system is supposed to spare us the need to go to baggage claim and avoid lost luggage. It does do that, and would be fine if they weren’t so darn heavy. How can an extra pair of shoes weigh that much?
The “under protest” in the title refers to the fact that I promised if people expressed interest in reading this blog, I am obligated to write it. So I dragged myself from my slumbers to put fingers to keys. First I had to set up wifi, figure out how to make our phones work here, find and set up the chargers, reconnect to my wireless keyboard, and other little housekeeping tasks. So Mission Accomplished!
Lessons learned: When friends advise that your’re taking on too much for one day, LISTEN! In fact, listen to all advice offered. It’s usually helpful. Second, keep drinking water to avoid dehydration. Third, pray that the guardian angels will keep showing up when you need them. And so, to bed (again).

Just testing the system to be sure you subscribers are getting posts. I’ve tested my iPad and wireless keyboard and they seem to be ok. We’re almost ready to launch! Please keep us in your prayers as you will be in ours. All aboard!

At breakfast today a friend advised me to try to add a photo to the blog to make it more interesting. In the process of that I managed to lock myself out of the site entirely! But son Daniel came to my rescue and it is working again. Hope I don’t mess it up again.

I hoped I could wrap text and it looks like I can. Now if I can transfer these skills to my iPad we’re in business.

I promise the upcoming posts won’t be as boring. If they are, please let me know (gently) and I’ll try to improve.

That’s it for now.

PS This is Joseph at a waymarker on the Camino de Santiago on our first segment more than 15 years ago.