It’s a wrap..........

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:42:06 -0700

Our journey is coming to an end as we fly over the North Pole heading to Seattle Washington, our hometown. We are all very ready to come home but we would not have traded this time together for (around) the world. We truly had the time of our life. We can’t say it was an easy walk in the park, not a vacation, but truly the adventure we were hoping to find. There were some hardships along the way but we face those hardships and came out on the other end stronger and more confident than ever. We lived on top of each other for 6 1/2 months, depending on each other for company, support, and sharing new experiences.

We are often asked which was our favorite country, food, sight, museum, etc. That is impossible to answer because we experienced so many and each one was unique in its’ own way. How can you compare eating crickets in Bangkok with chocolate crepes in Paris, or the great Pyramids of Giza with the stunning raw beauty of the Himalayas. Each stand alone with something to offer the traveler and will forever be in our memory banks. We all have places that we would like to return to some day because of these fond memories.

We have also been asked if there was anything we forgot to pack and the answer is no. Even with only 3 pair of undergarments, as travelers we felt well stocked. Momma nomad picked up a pair of chop sticks in Vietnam(our 1st stop into the RTW trip), used them throughout the trip and even on the very last day in Paris. They were one of the most used items in the stash. We also used our supply of duct tape......momma nomads thinks duct tape is a must for every thing from blister prevention to backpack repair. A universal sink stopper and elastic close line is a must as we used it almost daily. Other than these few simple items and one or two changes of clothing, nothing else is really needed.

Upon arriving at SeaTac we were greeted by several of the folks that we had missed while traveling. It was a lovely warm welcome home.

Momma nomad hopes that her children will continue exploring the world and travel again on their own. However, if they do not, it will be because they choose to stay home, and not stay home out of fear of the world and its’ people. There are many grand places out there, many cultures to experience, and many traveling friends to make.

We had a great run...........it’s a wrap!

Ahhhhh, Paris

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 20:26:38 -0700

We left Gimmelwald Switzerland in the evening on 2Aug. because our train left from Interlaken at 7:00 am bound for Paris, France. If we had stayed up at the hostel in Gimmelwald we would have had to get up at 4:30 ish a.m. waking up 1/2 of the folks in the hostel to pack, change our bedding (a hostel requirement), eat breakfast, clean up the kitchen and catch the tram and then the bus to the Interlaken train station. Not being morning folks we decided that a night at the train station in Interlaken was going to be our resting spot for the evening.....yes that meant trying to sleep on the benches at the station. The night was trying to say the least as we had to move several times throughout the night due to waiting rooms closing down, or we were in the wrong spot, etc. Needless to say we did not get much sleep. The 5 hour train ride to Paris was going to be time for some napping. Paris was going to be “easy” since we were meeting a hometown neighbor and her kids. Some familiar faces in a new city.....we could not wait. Also, since there was going to 8 of us, six of which were children, we decided that staying in an apartment would be the ticket to a successful Paris rendezvous.

We arrived in Paris’s Gare de Lyon exactly on time as you might expect of a Swiss train. From the train station we made our way to the apartment. This process took us about 2.5 hrs. as we had to get the keys from one apartment building and trek off to a different apartment building where we were to stay. In the end the young_nomads arrived at the correct place and gladly put down our packs knowing that the next time we had to pack up was to head home to the states. Within 1 hour of arriving at the Paris apartment our friends showed up. It was a grand reunion. Our friend Becki brought each of the young_nomads a new pair of underwear and a new shirt. Wow, what a treat to have something new and clean to wear. That Becki is always so thoughtful!

We spent all night getting caught up on what we had seen throughout our trip and what was happening in our hometown. The next day we causally got in the Paris sight seeing mode. An afternoon trip to the Eiffel town included a hike up as far as we could go then an elevator ride up to the top. What a thrill to be looking out over Paris roof tops from the Eiffel tower. Several of the group headed home after about 1 hour at the top but 2 of us stayed for night to fall. Paris is just as magical at night as it is in the day, and the Eiffel tower at night will not disappoint.

Throughout our Paris stay we went all over the city hitting all of the major sites and then some, including the Louvre Museum, the Musee d'Orsay, Picasso Museum, Notre Dame including the bell tower, Latin Quarter, Sacred Coeur, Moulin Rouge, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon War Museum, and of course several book stores and shopping places. All of this followed up by several walks along the Seine. All in all Paris was a great time.

We said good-bye to our hometown friends on Friday and told them to keep the lights on as we were coming home the following Tuesday.

Ilse, our friend from Amsterdam that we had met and trekked with in Nepal, came to Paris for our last few days. It was so good to see her......momma nomad had pledged to see her and say one last good-bye before our journey was over. Ilse is a very special person to everyone of the young_nomads and it was with tears of joy that we met her and tears of sadness that we had to say farewell once again. We vowed to stay in touch. She is an actress in Amsterdam and is making plans to come to the United States to further her acting education........I am planning to show her around the beautiful Pacific Northwest when that time comes.

We left the magical city of Paris similar to how we arrived..........tired. We took the metro to the airport at midnight for a flight that left at 6 a.m.(check in at 4:30 a.m.). This meant a night in the Charles de Gaul airport sleeping in the waiting room chairs or on the floor. We knew we could tough it out because our next stop was..........Home Sweet Home!

Welcome to Switzerland

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:53:15 -0700

We said good-bye to our friend Kell as he set off for Munich with his father. The young_nomads set their sights towards the Alps. The train from Milan made its way through the beautiful lake district of northern Italy to the border of Switzerland. After we passed through the 20 minutes tunnel we were in Switzerland, our final destination.......Gimmelwald. We arrived in Interlaken and still had 3 more legs of our journey to go that day.....another train ride, a short bus ride, then the Gondola up to the top of the valley. The scenery was spectacular. We checked into the Mountain Hostel with direct views across the valley to the Eiger. Using Gimmelwald as a home base we went on several hikes. The hill sides were filled with wild flowers, gardens, and cows and goats with bells around their necks. It almost made you break into the chorus from the Sound of Music or expect to see Heidi any minute as you rounded the bend in the trail. We all made a pledge to come back to this area again.

Venice, Italy

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:18:31 -0700

Venice is just like all of the pictures that you see of this city, only better. It is hard to capture on film the feel of this unique place with all of the waterways, bridges, and narrow side streets. There is not one car in the city and the only transportation is walking or boating. The local bus network is boat buses. Their route is the famous grand canal of Venice. If you want to go into the smaller canals you need a small motorboat or gondola.

At one time Venice was the largest port city in the world with trade coming to mix from the Middle East with Europe. The architecture shows this merging of various styles in every other build that you see along the grand canal. Arched window bays with floret shapes from the middle east are directly next to the gothic slightly pointed style and directly next to the classic roman arch style. You can imagine merchants from all over the world meeting at this active port city and living next to each other. It must have been very cosmopolitan in it’s prime.

Getting lost in Venice is a “must do”. It is inevitable and quite fun. Eventually you get to some land mark that will help guide the way home. The deeper into the narrow streets the more interesting.

Just 20 years ago the narrow streets were filled with meat markets, pasta stores, vine cellars and a few tourist shops. Now every other shop is filled with leather goods, shoes, and souvenirs just for the tourist. The feel is very different than it was when momma nomad first stopped by over 25 years ago, but the beauty and intrigue of the city remains for the first time visitor.

Museums and cathedrals........they are everywhere in Europe. We saw several in Rome and Florence and therefore have enjoyed lounging about in the parks and walking the streets of Venice instead of spending time indoors and waiting in long lines. We have enjoyed the walks much more than the long lines looking at more Baroque and Renaissance art.

Europe is so expensive that mamma nomad feels as if she is hemorrhaging money, and Venice provides you every opportunity to spend it. Shopping is everywhere, churches and museums charge several euro to get in, and it is 1 euro per person per pee stop. Yes, that’s right, you even have to pay to use the toilet. I guess as they say, they get you coming and going!

The gondola rides that seem so quaint and romantic have turned into a pure money making enterprise. A 45 minute ride will run about 100 - 150 USD. Needless to say that is a bit out of the budget travelers budget. We were satisfied watching others take the trips. We were sad to leave Venice but our schedule required that we move on.

Vernazza, Cinque Terra, Italy

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:16:01 -0700

After a brief stop in Pisa, we got back on the train and headed to the coastal area known as Cinque Terre. The weather was glorious and we were on the coast......does it get any better than that?! This area is known for the 5 small towns that sit on the cliffs of the sea and are connected by a walking path. To walk the entire path takes about 4-6 hours and is followed by a train ride back which ever town you are staying in. We chose the small town of Vernazza. We did not do the entire walk between the towns but some of us ran a portion of the trail for exercise and we all did some daily swimming in the Mediterranean.

We were there for the festival of Santa Margaret, Vernazza’s biggest festival complete with craft market and fireworks. We landed two rooms in a building that had a sea view and overlooked the local square. It was very loud at night but the views were worth a little sleep loss. We hung our laundry out over the balcony in the square just like the locals.