"Milestones" GentleSpirit's Profile

New/Updated pages

Page updates-
-Cachi (Argentina) updates and translation
-Krakow (Poland) updates on the Jewish Quarter
-Arlington VA- updated Arlington Natl Cemetery
-Prague- czech food!
-Washington DC added travelogue-Cherry Blossoms 2013
-Washington DC-added some about the Cherry Blossom Festival, President's Park.
-Rockville- added historic sites, 9/11 monument and photos

New Pages
April 3- New Page- Cachi, Salta Province, Argentina-
-A small place with great archeological sites nearby.
Mar 15- new travelogue- Orchids
Mar 3- New Travelogue- Stained Glass
Mar 2- new page- Rockville MD (USA)- a suburb of Washington DC
Feb 16- new page- San Antonio de Areco (Argentina)
- great visit to an estancia from Buenos Aires.
Feb 10- new page- Provincia de Jujuy (Argentina)
--spectacular scenery, indigenous culture, way off the beaten path mostly
Jan -Rome (Italy)
-some of what i saw in the Eternal City
Jan 6- Kutna Hora (Czech Republic)
-a delightful day trip from Prague. Wonderful town full of surprises, one of the most beautiful churches in the Czech Republic

** for further updates/additions please see the Update History travelogue below.

A Bit about me...

Glacier National Park. Canada

I was fortunate enough to have grown up in several different places- Central and South America, Asia and the U.S. Along the way I gained exposure to many cultures, ways of life, religions and philosophies. That perspective changes your entire outlook on life and how you experience things.

I was born in Washington DC but my father's career took our family overseas. First was Latin America-Honduras (3 times, once during a war), Guatemala, Costa Rica, Bolivia Chile (we were there for a major earthquake) Later we were moved to Asia-Thailand and the Philippines. Along the way we got to stop to see other countries, a zillion museums (or so it seemed at the time), amazing landscapes and a few of the world's wonders, large and small.

I have never gotten tired of traveling. It is always enjoyable to see the grand and breathtaking places and things you find in the guidebooks and photographs. Just as enjoyable to me are the smaller, out of the way places with their unique traditions, folk art, and especially the warmth of its people. Most memorable to me are the small acts of kindness others have offered to me in my travels....the daily acts of courage i have witnessed.

It is always a pleasure to hear about other people's experiences. Having lived in some places, I never got to experience them as a tourist. I love seeing the major sites but I have a special attraction to places with lots of history and opportunities to go out and enjoy nature.

How I Travel

My orchids

Because of work and pet care, I usually only have about 2-3 weeks to travel at a time. Though I like to do and see plenty during my vacations, this does NOT mean that I try to cram too much into a limited time. I've seen people running themselves ragged while on vacation trying to see 5 or 6 major European cities in a week and a half, ultimately seeing little and feeling unsatisfied. That sort of thing seems more like a matter of endurance instead of fun. I have always felt travel is a time to discover, relax, learn and experience new things..to have fun.

Like many of you, I get a real charge out of planning my vacations (and have planned vacations for others as well from time to time). I try to figure out the thing i most want to see or try to arrange my trip around a certain theme or interest (castles, for example). I enjoy regional differences...as expressed in architecture, language, customs arts. I read up on the place I'm visiting...a bit of history and local customs where possible..and try to prepare myself for communicating in a totally different language as best I can.

Language- A lot of people are really scared of going somewhere that they don't speak the language. One of the neat things about living overseas was that I was fortunate to develop a facility with several languages, and learning to get along well when i don't speak the language. Learn a few phrases and words before you leave home, it will make a huge difference!

Accommodations- As much as possible, I like to stay close to the center when choosing accommodation. For a short stay, especially an overnight stay, just about anyplace that is reasonably clean will do. Usually, the longer I'm staying in a place the more important comfort is. If the place I'm visiting is a particularly spectacular setting I will be more willing to splurge on nicer accommodation.

Access to public transport is as essential to me as location is. A very nice hotel in a difficult to reach location requires additional time and expense that is very often not worth it to me.

Is price important? Well sure, to an extent. I am not tied to staying in a 4 star hotel nor a hostel. I look for somewhere that is clean, comfortable and easy to reach. I stay in the nicest hotel (or whatever) that i can for the price, but bear in mind that nicest doesn't necessarily mean luxurious. Especially in places where there is lots to do, I assume that I will be spending the largest part of the day doing stuff, thus not spending much time at the hotel anyway.

Likewise with restaurants. I'm not a food critic or some high society dude that needs to only eat at the most fashionable places in town. I want a culinary experience that will expose me to the local food. I have had great meals from street vendors and from highly rated restaurants.

A great vacation- What I enjoy doing on holiday

It can be so hard to settle on just once place for vacation, with all the great choices available.

I love museums. They don't have to be huge, often a smaller more manageable museum is far more enjoyable to me than some gigantic treasure trove that will take you a month to see well. I particularly love ethnographic, folk art museums that give me a good idea of some of the special things about life in that country..past or present.

Ancient Sites. I was blessed to have grown up in several places that offered the unique ruins/remnants of ancient cultures. Some I was able to see long before they became known on the international tourist circuit. I remember being shown archeological sites by archeologists rather than tour guides.

Going out into nature. For me it is always a joy to get away from the city and go out into nature. My personal preference is for mountains and hiking. It is always a special thing to see wildlife in its own element

Recent Journeys

Province of Nova Scotia. Canada

2011- Krakow, Slovakia, Olomouc, Prague
This year I started in Krakow before hiking in the Tatras and seeing some of what Slovakia has to offer. From there I crossed the border into the Czech Republic to spend a few days in Olomouc before ending the trip in Prague.

Besides the great religious art, history there were more opportunities to get away into nature. It was also a chance to go farther away from the usual tourist stops. I feel particularly blessed that I got a wonderful chance to meet more locals this year- I was impressed by their warmth and generosity in showing me a glimpse of their lives and their countries.

2010- Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Garmisch
There was something magical about Budapest, I loved the too brief time I spent there and can't wait to go back. Prague- everything i expected and quite a bit more. Where you stay and when you go makes a big difference.
Berlin-some of the greatest museums in the world, got to spend some time with my aunt.

2007-The Canadian Rockies
For many years I had gazed in wonder at the lovely pictures of the Canadian Rockies and hoped to one day put aside the time to see it for myself. It was every bit as magnificent as i had imagined. There were two days in Vancouver at the start of the journey..then across British Columbia to Alberta and the exploration of Banff and Jasper National Parks. The scenery was just breathtaking and I can't wait to go back for a longer trip.

Argentina- 2 1/2 weeks exploring Northern Argentina. Landing in Buenos Aires I went on to Cordoba. Just outside of Cordoba was the PN Quebrada del Condorito where one can view the magnificent Andean condor. After seeing the Jesuit missions of Cordoba I took the bus to Salta. Took two tours of the area, one exploring the southern reaches, the other going all the way up to San Antonio de los Cobres and the Puna. I stayed in Purmamarca and explored Tilcara and the Humahuaca gorge before going back to Buenos Aires for a few days at the end of the trip.

Places I most want to go back to

Orava Castle. Oravsky Podzamok. Slovakia

Bariloche, Argentina
Yosemite National Park, California
New Zealand
Paris
The Canadian Rockies
Turkey- crossroads of cultures

Places I've always wanted to go to

1. Macchu Picchu- to hike the Inca trail and photograph this awesome place.
2. Petra, Jordan
3. The pyramids of Egypt- a fascinating culture
4. Tikal, Guatemala
5. The Great Wall of China
6. The fjords of Norway
7. Angkor Wat
8. Mont St Michel, France
9. Loire Valley Chateaus
10. Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Intro Updated May 2, 2013
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Personal Pages (6)

1 - 4 of 6

Comments (197)

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TooTallFinn24 May 15, 2013 at 4:16 PM

Val- Thanks for your kind comments on my new Orvieto page. I will be adding as well as other Italian cities over the next few weeks. Take care and thanks again!
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stevemt May 14, 2013 at 7:31 PM

Hi Val, I have done 5 of the places on your Bucket List - Petra, The Great Wall, Ankgor Wat, The Pyramids and the Great Barrier Reef. All are well worth a visit can recomend them many times over to you.

STEVE
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  GentleSpirit May 14, 2013 at 7:33 PM
  
  Excellent. I will look forward to seeing your pages about them. Did one of them stand out for you above the others?
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  stevemt May 14, 2013 at 7:39 PM
  
  2 did, Angkor Wat and Petra.
  
  The great Barrier reef is a totally different thing with the others being ancient.
  
  Jordan has so much to go and see apart from Petra as well
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iandsmith May 13, 2013 at 5:37 PM

Peyrelau is, indeed, a good place to base yourself though the area is quite large. There are good restaurants at Le Rozier (virtually the same village) and some great walks that I will upload over the next month. Cheers, Ian
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Maryimelda May 13, 2013 at 4:16 PM

Val thanks for visiting my Hallstatt page. It is indeed a wonderful little town but if you go there be sure to have a sleepover so you can experience the little town almost all by yourself after the daytrippers have left.
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lmkluque May 11, 2013 at 11:10 AM

Thanks Val for visiting my Paris page! Yes it was an honor to stay with friends and learn about their city/lives from an insider's view. Also to always have ready answers to my many questions! LOL!
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  GentleSpirit May 11, 2013 at 3:32 PM
  
  did you find much of a language cultural barrier with your hosts?
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  lmkluque May 12, 2013 at 9:38 AM
  
  Oh no, they spoke fluent English! LOL! Once the mother of one of my friends was telling me something about the meal she was serving. I had to ask her at least five times to repeat her words. She was patient, not frustrated as many people get sometimes, and kept repeating her words. When I finally "got it" I had to laugh. She had said it perfectly well, it was simply her accent that had thrown me off. I did commit a few faux pas, but my friends quickly informed me and all was well in general. The funniest one was when I couldn't find the toilet in the WC!
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rexvaughan May 6, 2013 at 7:07 PM

Thanks for visiting my Chartres page, Val. I am glad to hear that you are going there and will look forward to reading about your experience and seeing your photos.
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liliana91 May 6, 2013 at 2:20 PM

that's an amazing opening photo for your homepage! It's very beautiful! congrats!!!!
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  GentleSpirit May 6, 2013 at 2:24 PM
  
  That's from our Cherry Blossom Festival, for us it marks the end of winter and the start of spring.
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magor65 May 3, 2013 at 3:08 AM

Thanks for your kind birthday wishes
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rosata May 2, 2013 at 11:56 PM

Thanks for visiting my St Omer pages and for your kind comments, much appreciated! :-)
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lmkluque Apr 30, 2013 at 2:34 PM

Thanks Val for the birthday wishes! I hope to be back at VT in the near future!