The Zen House in Hue City, Vietnam

So what is meditation? In the practical 'what and how' realm of reality, it means a lot of things to a lot of people but essentially whatever we do where ever we do and however we do it, the aim is to connect with spirit, to connect with the part of us that connects to the spiritual energies that exist in our belief systems.

Prayer is a type of meditation. Some people talk about communing with nature in all forms as being their path to meditation. 

Others honor their deity with ceremony, acknowledgement and gifts, others use complicated journeys to unlock doors and imaginary people to guide us into understanding more about ourselves and our lives. No-one way is solely right or wrong. How can anything be wrong when people receive the joy and peace that is so connected with the art of meditation.

For me, the most impactful and probably the most challenging form of meditation is the art of Zen.

Zen uses no imagery, no ceremony, no 'props'. Zen is about sitting in silence and through that silence reaching a connection with the universal energies to learn more about ourselves and about spirit in its purest form. So why is it so challenging? The aim is to sit quietly allowing any thoughts to pass through unhindered .....that is why it is challenging. The aim is to still the mind, to become at one with pure energy. Hmm..... doing nothing with no connection with thoughts!! Not something that we are used to doing in the 21st Century of action and pro action, technology and worldwide communications. Which is precisely why it is so important and so relevant to modern living, it helps to reconnect us with what is important....the sense of love and peace. 

Doing such meditation alone in one's one space is refreshing, calming, at times disturbing but ultimately very holistic and healing. But as anyone who has done meditation in a group will know, whatever you can achieve (or rather NOT achieve) is multiplied exponentially when meditating in a group regardless of the surroundings. Take that group energy and place it in an environment designed for purpose and the experience takes on a whole new dimension.

Which brings me to the Zen House in Hue. Just looking at the pictures makes me smile and relax.

The Zen House is situated just outside of Hue in Central Vietnam and is actually a complex with a number of buildings, gardens for beauty as well as for cultivating the organic ingredients that are used in cooking the vegetarian meals that are served. Locally it is called Cat Tuong Quan. Cat Tuong means 'to bring joy or pleasure'. Quan means 'gentleman'. So Cat Tuong Quan means 'the gentleman who brings joy or pleasure'. It is the term used to describe the host of the House and is also the name given to the house itself.

So what can you expect when visiting Cat Tuong Quan? 

That depends largely on how long you choose to stay for but the one thing that is always guaranteed whether you choose a half day visit or decide to stay over for 2 nights or longer is that you will have a warm and friendly greeting from the Quan, the gentleman host.

This is a spiritual center and any visitors are expected to respect the fact. People are asked to dress respectfully, speak softly, treat everything and everything with the gentle spirit of Buddhism. Meals are taken in the spirit of honoring the food and the gift that it affords us. And what do we get it return? 

As a visitor experience that wonderful deep sense of calm and peace that abounds in such an environment. We get to allow ourselves to slow down and to connect with our sense of being in the present and embracing what that means. We get to step out of the hustle and bustle of daily life as we know it and to reconnect with the gentle manners and ways of those who embrace the Buddhist way of being. 

It is relaxing and invigorating at the same time. People staying at the house often report that they sleep better, enjoy their food and indeed, become more aware of themselves, others, their food, nature and everything around them.

If you are travelling to Vietnam and heading for Hue, this is something not to miss. You will need to book your visit in advance. For more information, you can email me at uk@hghue.com or call 0792 5300320. Or you can email Hue directly for information and to book a visit.....info@hghtravel.com

 www.HGHTravel.com

The Sensory Experience of Ha Noi

Well, the first thing to say is that Ha Noi is one huge sensory overload.

You walk down any street and you have the sound of traffic, more specifically, the sound of motorbikes. The only way to describe the larger roads is to imagine yourself in the middle of a beehive and being surrounded by the intense, close quarter buzzing of hundreds of bees. Imagine that and then add into the picture that each bee has access to a horn that he/she has an inherent need to press on an irregular yet frequent basis. On some of the wider streets in the middle of rush hour, you can see 8-10 motorbikes side by side across the road (and that's going one way). And when the road becomes too congested, the bikes simple take to the pavements. But that's only during the busy times. 

The interesting thing about the horns is that NOBODY takes any notice. You just become immune to it. You know that particular sound is aimed at you and you simply carry on walking across the road or riding your bike as you would with or without the horns. During the two years that I lived in Hanoi, I stopped hearing the cacophony.

And then there are the dogs and the cockrels and the birds. I am woken up every morning to the sound of one of the other or a symphony of all of them. Not that I am complaning about the sound of birds especially as in my case, they are wild birds. However, the Vietnamese do like their caged birds and having one or three hanging outside your bedroom window can be a little disturbing at times. The worst at the cockrels. In my first apartment, I was woken every morning by a notoriously active cockrel at about 5.00am and, unlike an alarm clock, there was no off switch. 

And then there are the locals. Where there are people, there are noises. They talk, they shout at each other.

Not in an aggressive way but just as a way of making contact across an open expanse of a few feet or inches. And when they are not eating or talking, they are doing something .......mending a table, building a wall, preparing food, feeding the toddler...all accompanied by a continuous stream of chatter. In the centre of town, you also have the shops that explode their wares into the streets which can, at times, get a little challenging when you are balancing whether it is more dangerous to stay on the pavement and deal with the parked bikes, the people and the shop overload or simply step into the stream of traffic in the road. The road is often the easier option.

Feeding the toddlers is intriguing, it never failed to fascinate me. You see women following the toddler round the streets with a bowl of food. The toddler plays or just wanders and Mother or Grandmother offers a spoonful of food whenever the child stops. The process can last the length of time as dicatated by the child, in some cases a couple of hours.

The other thing you notice is a lot of laughter and smiles. Even if there is no smile evident, a greeting and a smile offered invariably elicits a response. For me, it was probably the most evident of all the differences and I have to say that I was never overwhelmed by it....bring it on! One last thing that is a little intimidating at first is their tendancy to stare. I learnt that, again, a smile and acknowledgment usually turned the stare into a huge toothy grin.

Smells? Well, food has to be at the top of the list. Walk down any road in Ha Noi and some-one is cooking on the street....a cafe or a street vendor. And if its not a commercial venture, its a local family especially on Sunday evening. They all gather around a cooking pot that simmers away with all sorts of goodies and talk and laugh and say hello to the passing ex pat as they maneuvor their way into the road, around the obstacle and back onto the pavement. 

And there are the less pleasant smells of the dead fish that gather on the edge of the lakes to rot away. And sometimes the rubblish bags that have been left out in the street can be rather unpleasant. The winter does not pose much of an issue for either but in the summer, it can be rather pungent. 

And to finish on a more pleasant note, there are always the flowers...not to forget the flowers. People love cut flowers in Viet Nam. Every family has an alter dedicated to the ancestors to which they offer flowers and fruit gifts every 1st and 15th of the lunar month with special gifts during Tet (the New Year celebrations) and so flowers are a very important part of life for everyone. You see women on cycles balancing huge bunches of flowers for sale. They collect them at the market in the morning and spend the day doing their best to sell their wares.

So while there are some less than pleasant sensory experiences, on the whole, the balance is pretty good!! 

Holiday, Travel or Adventure?

Before booking any flights, hotels or tours, its important to consider what you really want from a break from work, the routine, regular life. Over the years of holidays, travel and adventure, I have come to realise that they are quite different in charactor and in nature. 

Holiday 

 The average working person has X amount of days leave to take from their workplace and, again, the majority of people want to have a change of scenery and time to relax and chill out. For some that might be spending 2 weeks sitting by the pool, soaking up the sun and drinking margeritas and spending the evenings eating and drinking with friends new or old. For others, they might choose the security of the hotel and enjoy the pool at the end of an organised tours to one place of local interest or another. 

Its a safe, organised, risk aversive, 'don't have to think to much', relaxing period designed to re charge the batteries and indulge. It can also be a way of enjoying the sun without being thrown into the center of a totally different culture. 

OK so let's take this need for a holiday to somewhere different, let's head for Vietnam. Vietnam offers the whole range of possibilities. You could go to stay in a hotel on the beautiful beaches of Da Nang. There is a wide range of hotels in this area where you can enjoy the very best of the best in Vietnam. And you can take a short trip to the delightful ancient town of Hoi An that has numerous restaurants and cafes. Everyone speaks excellent English. It is a beautifully preserved town that has a lot of architecture and history to share. It is on the river so trips are available after which you can relax with a drink at a bar by the river's edge. And if shopping is your thing, it is Vietnam's answer to your prayers. There is a wide array of tailors and dress makers who will put your ideas into reality. You can choose a pattern from a book or simply take a picture for them to work from. 24 hours later, you have your item created especially for you. And don't forget the shoes. Cobblers will also create individually designed sandles, shoes or boots for you. 

If culture is what you would like, you are very near the ancient Kymar ruins in the mountains overlooking Da Nang. And then there is the old city of Hue where you can visit the Citadel, take a boat trip along the Perfume River, visit the many Pagodas and Temples along the river side or enjoy the gentle buzz of this lovely little town. 

Example of a Holiday Tour with HGH Travel (www.HGHTravel.com)

Holiday-Travel

Taking us from that option to the idea of Travel is a sliding scale of detials. I have certainly done holidays where I have had a package in a hotel with pool and flight. I have also booked organised tours from the hotel for the day and thoroughly enjoyed them. I then started organising my own tours to visit places that I wanted to see in the area. My next step was to book hotels and flights seperately to allow for more flexibility so I could do a two places trip moving from one area to another under my own steam. 

So here I am beginning to move on that sliding scale from Holiday to Travel. It has the same purpose and outcome but it involves more planning, a more pro active and involved focus that taps into the independant nature. I started going to places on my own. While this is not in any way a pre-requisite to either Holiday or Travel, it certainly brings in the need for more decision making on the hoof and adds an element of the unknown, excitement and, at times, fear that tends to became more into focus as you move along the sliding scale to being the full out Traveller. 

So being a Traveller is about independance, it is about making choices that are not pre ordained by someone else. It is about taking risks, about a balance of planning and winging it with an overview of where you need to be when. It is about meeting people along the way who are doing the same sort of thing and taking advantage of maximum flexibility in your way of thinking, your plans and even your destination. Or you might map out your preset time more accurately moving from spot to spot as per plan but each time arriving at a new unknown place that is your territory to explore for the next 1, 2 or 5 days. But largely, being a traveler is about taking risks, about being independent, about going off grid (even if only a little bit) to see and experience life that is totally foreign (literally) and unwanted by the average Holiday maker. 

So let's stay in Vietnam and look at what the Traveler might do. 

Starting earlier on the Holidaymaker-Traveler scale, someone who wants more than the comfort of staying in one place might opt for an organized tour that takes them to all of the hot spots in the country. That might take them from the capital city of Hanoi in the north to the magnificent Ha Long Bay down to Hue and Hoi An in the central area and then to Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the south. In this option, there is variety, there is an element of travel but it is all organized by the tour guide who is

Being every great man is a great woman!

also available for sorting out any issues that might arise. Hotels are booked, transport is taken care of, food is organized or restaurants will be suggested, tours are included. But it certainly brings in the adventure and the buzz of being on the move and having the opportunity of seeing and experiencing more places.  You might even want to add in a second country to the itinerary..... Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar are all easily accessible from Vietnam and can be included in a similar package. 

OK so let's move onto the Advernturer. 

Let's take the scenario above of travelling from north to south in Vietnam but now you are doing it alone. You are planning your own step by step progress. Accomodation might be anything from a room in a hotel to bunks in a hostel. Transport might be anything from flights to local trains to local buses or some combination of the three. Some people might arrive and hire a motorbike as their mode of transport. That is definitely at the top end of Adventure especially in Vietnam where the roads can be rather chaotic at times. 

Example of a Holiday-Traveler Tour with HGH Travel (www.HGHTravel.com)

Traveler-Adventure

The Traveler-Adventurer might search out the means to go to the less travelled parts of the country. Language barriers are seen as being less of a barrier, more of another aspect of the adventure to communicate effectively...or at all.... with someone from a completely different culture speaking a totally undecipherable language. 

 The deeper into Adventure you go, the more risk is involved with the associated excitement and opportunities for things not going quite as planned and the more need there is for being able to go with the flow and simply dealing with stuff when it evolves. It's often about meeting some really intriguing and interesting people who you would just never meet in an everyday world. You get to have experiences that would not be in your frame of understanding as you just have no concept of them even existing. On one of my Traveler-Adventures in SE Asia, I went to Laos and decided to stay in a homestay for a few days. I was on my own and decided that my little bit of security was to pre book a car to pick me up at the airport and take me to the homestay. After that, I was on my own. I booked into the dorm and headed down to the 'restaurant' which was basically a rather delicate looking raft floating on the river. The fading lights had the advantage of hiding the less glamorous aspects of the raft but proved rather a challenge when it came to finding one's way OFF the raft and back to the dorm. As a 60 year old woman, I was from a different world to the 20 something groups who were staying at the same place. But three charming young men were delightful and sort of accepted me into the brood for the few days that we were there. They did tentatively invite me (the sort of invitation where someone offers but obviously does not want you to say yes) to go out with them into town one evening which I declined with thanks. It was the start of a great visit to Laos which sadly ended with me losing my passport......but that's another story! 

And then of course you have the far end of the sliding scale where people go away to climb mountains, absail into caves, cycle 500 miles or something else equally exhausting to even write about. 

Options for  Travel-Adventure with HGH Travel  (www.HGHTravel.com). For information on tailor made tours such as caving, email info@hghue.com.

Summary

And at the end of the day, this is a relatively short period into which you are putting a significant amount of hard earned cash and so it is important that you do your level best to get what YOU want from this time. There are no right or wrong ways of doing this. If risk sends your stress levels off the chart, it is important to take that into consideration. If risk=stress but you want more than a Holiday, then consider how to get the elements of Travel and Adventure that you want while staying within your comfort zone enough to get the buzz without the fear. Always remembering that excitement and fear are close buddies and it is only a short distance from one to the other. 

If you are traveling alone, the decision is less complex as you only have to keep yourself happy. If you traveling with a companion or companions it is important to ask questions to clarify what you ALL want to get from time away from home. Maybe there is a need for a compromise of some sort to maximize comfort, relaxation, excitement and thrill for everyone. And remember, what is exciting for one is horror for another. If you need some help in deciding what sort of trip will suit your needs, feel free to talk to one of the consultants at HGH Travel in Vietnam. Alternatively, you can contact myself in the UK. I lived in Vietnam and now am based in the UK. I support HGH in their marketing and would be delighted to offer any insights and support that I can. 

Have a great Holiday/Traveling/Adventure

Pat Sawyer

uk@hghue.com. 

A Week in Barcelona, Nov.2013

Day One

Arrived at airport pretty event less flight other than a very smelly man to right and a kicker to the rear. We did however have a great crew on board. The chief steward greeted everyone with a genuine smile and often with a personal positive comment to most people who boarded the plane. And he kept up the friendly banter all the way through. Thanks easyjet, it made for a great start to the week.

Barcelona has rather a sad looking airport but it was functional which, at the end of the day is what you need. The train station was attached to the airport with a number of ticket machines that were easy enough to use. We got a packet of tickets for the week. Had about 15 minutes to to wait before heading off for the city centre. Working out our stop was easy enough. And we had some surprisingly good entertainment on the train.

Finding how to get from the stop to the apartment was not quite so simple especially when we realised that we did not have any instructions and only had a very simple, not detailed map of the city. After a few false alarms, I did the only sensible thing and asked to find that we were just round the corner from our destination! A few more false alarms and, hey presto, we arrived. Well, we arrived at the building, we then had to decipher the rather complicated instructions for finding the keys for the apartment. Our final hurdle of the night was to open the door of the apartment with the strangest ‘key’ I have ever seen. But Frank prevailed and we sighed a sigh of relief on gaining access to our home for the next week And it was OK...large, comfortable, bland but a pretty good short term rental apartment complete with all amenities. On our travels en route, we noticed with relief that just next door there was a restaurant and just across the road there was a small local (OPEN) shop where we could pick up some basics for the morning. So dinner, shopping and bed in the hope of seeing some sun in the morning.

Day Two

After a reasonable nights sleep, we woke up to an overcast sky. Breakfast’ed, we set off for ‘La Rambla’..... the street where you have to be in Barcelona …..apparently! As we found out during the week, it certainly is the core of the hub of the old area of the city. Anyway, we soon realise that this apartment that we thought was well placed is even better than we thought. Which is just as well as the weather is not so great. Cool and wet! 

Undeterred, off to find 'La Rambla' and en route passed some impressive buildings. Not as lively as suggested in the tour guide probably something to do with the weather. I guess the street entertainers are less enthusiastic to perform on the off chance of maybe getting a few euros in the pouring rain. We cut off the main boulevard into the interesting looking narrow streets of the old city. After a wet wander we decided it was time for a drink and a nibble. Made a great choice in a cafe. Friendly smile don't seem to come with the service here but it certainly does not help that we have virtually no Spanish to share. While this is not an obstacle to ordering as every one speaks perfect English, it does not encourage any warmth. Suitably refreshed we set off again on our journeying.

The old streets with the occasional square are great fodder for viewing and

we eventually arrived at a large open area with the Cathedral flanking one side. We had to wait a few minutes for the worshippers to leave (it being Sunday afternoon) but then were allowed to pay our six euros each to enter (apparently in the morning and after 5.00 its free!). Wow what a depressing and foreboding place….. all  heaviness and morbidity. The cloisters were lighter and easier on the senses but I have to say I was glad to leave the cathedral itself and take a breathe of fresh (if wet) air. Another wander through the

narrow streets of the old town and another refreshment and drying off stop (thankfully this time with smiles accompanying the service) and we started planning the evening. Sometime during the day we had picked up a brochure for a classical Spanish guitar recital. We decided to get tickets and go along. So tickets safely tucked away we headed home to dry off and rest before dinner and entertainment. We also made a rough plan for the rest of the week, weather depending.

Well dinner was not such a great success. We did not leave enough time for deliberations for choosing the optimal place to eat and ran out of time ending up with a piece of pizza and sandwich which was just about adequate. But who cares.... we went to a magnificent recital. I am sure the guitar player had at least three miniature guitar players tucked under the table behind him. I swear it's impossible to create those sounds from one instrument. I was fascinated by his left hand. It reminded me of ‘Thing’ in the TV program and films of the Adams Family back in the 70's. ( it was a disembodied hand that had its own identity moving independently through life). I was totally transfixed and for me that is quite something as music is just NOT my thing. Of course it was still raining when we came out of the crypt (forgot to mention that the performance was in the crypt of a church). Frank wanted  something to eat and eventually got a waffle with chocolate and  walnuts. Back home and to bed!

Day 3 loomed......you guessed it.......cool and WET! Not going to be put off with a little rain, we set off as planned to join a guided walk around the weird and wonderful world and creations of Barcelona's own, the architect, Gaudi. We had a delightful lively guide called Kathryn who was totally unfazed by the rain despite the rather heavy downpour at times. It was a testament to her enthusiasm that we all stayed with her except for 2 people who had no raincoats at all and even they came back when the rain eased off. 

We saw the outside of three houses and got the history of this fascinating man before heading out to his last and still unfinished monument….the Sagrada Familia. Love or hate it, his work definitely makes a statement. As we later discovered, he was only one of many architects of his time in the city who worked in the Art Deco style but it was his obsession with the very best of raw materials and ways of working that made his so different. If it looked like solid marble, it was, if it looked like an unusual wood that came from the other side of the world, it was because it was. At the start of the tour, Kathrine posed the question of whether he was a genius or a madman. My feeling at the end of the tour and increasingly as I saw his work that he was probably both with one side feeding the other.

We arrived home rather sodden and cold but soon warmed up and got comfortable. We decided in our wisdom to visit that night, a Tapas bar that was recommended in trip adviser. That in itself was very wise, the fact that it was it was in the north of the city nearly 2 kilometres away and not around the corner became a challenge when we set off in the pouring rain. Well to cut a long and very wet story short, we finally arrived and had a great time. In all truth, very mediocre food but a great welcome, wonderful atmosphere and great wine!

Day 4

NO RAIN! What a relief! We were more than ready for a break. We set off to meet up with Kathryn

once more to do the walk in the Old Quarter of the city. Only a small group today which was perfect. We really enjoyed this walk even more that the previous day. Weather definitely helped but it was also more varied and offered more about the history of the city. At the end we headed off for lunch and found a cafe with a table and chairs in the SUN…….ahhh…..wonderful. I had a great lunch, Frank not so good but we did enjoy the space enormously. Had a walk down to the sea then up from the bottom of La Rambla back to where we had started the morning with Kathryn to book some tickets at Tarantos for 8.30 performance of the Flamenco dancing for the following night. I had found this place on the Internet but then when I asked for a recommendation from K, she said that there were only 2 places worth going to in the city, a jazz club somewhere and Los Tarantos!

Day 5

Still no rain but now much colder. Today was the day we had assigned to the tourist bus with a number of stops en route. We spent the day on the open top floor of the bus for as long as we could stand the cold then scuttle downstairs to warm up or get off, visit something and have a hot drink. Our first stop was to visit the Sagrada Familia. What a story...150 years in the building and still lots to go but what an amazing monument. Quite unlike any church you have ever seen, the inside is full of light and space...which is just as well as it was increasingly full of tourists. We arrived about

9.45, got straight in and enjoyed the first 20 minutes or so in relative quiet but as the morning progressed, it got busier and busier. It is a must for anyone visiting Barcelona whatever your religious conviction. I really like the fact that although it is consecrated by the christian church and is undeniably christian in identity, it has a wider heart embracing more of the spirit of spirituality rather than the doctrines of the church.

Our next stop was at the Gaudi Park. This was an unexpected delight. Again. very busy but the open spaces made it feel less crowded. Another unfinished project, it has been re created as a total experience. We were lucky enough to be able to bask in a little sun during our visit. Our lunchtime decision was not so great and we ended up with eating a bowl of potatoes and having a glass of wine...the rest was really quite inedible. So back to the bus and onto the change over point of the day from red bus to blue bus. We scuttled off to warm up in a nearby Starbucks before boarding the blue

bus. By now it was early evening and dark and we debated whether to bother with the last part of the day but went ahead and I was glad that we did. We saw Barcelona at night from the lower level and then from the Montjuic hillside and finally down by the waterfront. It was beyond cold but we stuck it out for most of the trip. We ended the trip near the cathedral and went for the customary hot drink in order to orientate ourselves for getting to the Flamenco show. The cafe/restaurant looked good and we decided to aim to return post show to eat.

The Flamenco was pretty raw and very exciting. It is true that the performers have probably seen better days but they were entertaining and we had a great time. The venue is small and intimate and just perfect for Flamenco. After the show we headed back for the restaurant we had found earlier and had a good meal.

Day 6

What a treat this morning. I had decided that I wanted to go and see the Palau De La Musica Catalana….what a special place. As soon as I walked in, I got the atmosphere as well as the intrinsic

beauty of the design of the building. We started out with a touching video about the theatre and people who have performed there. We then set out for the tour with the best and most informative guide I have had anywhere for a long time. His passion for the place shone through. He gave us the history, talked about the architect and about the original purpose for the building….for choirs to perform. And then we went into the auditorium to find that the quartet due to play that evening were practising. So we got the full tour PLUS getting to enjoy it with the backdrop of this superb young group. WHAT A TREAT!!

I came out in something of a daze as we headed off for lunch which for me was great but for Frank a bit of a disaster. He managed to miss out on the verbal and visual cue that the local speciality Pork dish was, indeed, trotters!

The afternoon, we headed for the Guell Palace just off La Rambla. It’s impressive and mind boggling in so many ways with the details of design, the multiple patterns of wood and ironwork and everything looking like it would be more at home in a building about ten times the size (at least). Pretty it is not! But well worth the visit as Gaudi’s first large project.

The second trip to Los Tarantos proved to even better than the first. The group were definitely more polished and the dancer was great..and we got better seats as we got there earlier.

In search of somewhere to eat we stumbled on a lively place down a small lane successful because of some very enthusiastic and inviting guys on the nearest corner. We caught the end of yet another Flamenco show and enjoyed a good meal in an entertaining place.

Day 7 and the last day

Our flight was due to take off at 5.00 so we planned the day with precision to make the most of the day and not lose sight of the time crunch. After dropping of our cases, we headed for the Roman

Ruins at the Museu D’Historia De Barcelona very near to the Cathedral. It was a bit of a gamble with neither of us really that interested in Roman ruins but it was a real treat and am so glad not to have missed it. You travel down into the basement and wander along the well defined ‘streets’ able to clearly see the fish sauce factory, the laundry, dye shop and wine making hall as well as sections of houses and the wine. It was wonderfully organised and the auditory commentary was great.

We then headed off to find a vegetarian restaurant that Frank had found. It sort of topped the day off really. Great value and delicious food with friendly and helpful staff. Collect case, off to the airport arriving eventually home around 9.00pm after a rather wet, cold and very exciting week in Barcelona.

General Feelings/Impressions

This is a complex and intriguing city with so much to do it is a challenge to choose.

It can be expensive but it does not need to be. The city museums are excellent and very reasonably priced. Same with cafes and restaurants. Go off the main streets and you will find that the prices will drop significantly.

Lots of choices for place to eat but it all seems very similar. Tapas are good for some occasions but they do get a little boring. I missed my vegetables!!

Great wine, reasonable prices.

Did find some friendly people but on the whole found locals a bit dour and not too friendly. But I am putting that down to my lack of language and have promised myself to have at least the basics before I go again.  

These pictures are a brief look at the places we saw, if you want to see more, CLICK HERE.

Some useful information:

• For walking tours go to www. runnerbeantours.com/Barcelona. They are free, donate what you think the leader of the tour deserves.
• Los Tarantos in the Place Reial (just off La Rambla)
• We used the Turustic Bus which is not the best of tours that I have ever taken but it does take you to the important places, just don't rely on the commentary to provide any useful information. 
• For restaurants, hunt around the back streets...its there you will find the gems. 
• For short stay apartments, try Loving Apartments, Carrer de la Diputacio 291, Barcelona or email barcelona@loving apartments.com
• DO NOT MISS going to the Sagrada Famila but go early in the day and definitely DO NOT MISS the Palau de la Musica. 
• We only went to one of the Barcelona city owned museums but it was very impressed. They are cheap (8 euros) and the one we went to had an exceptional layout and an audio guide which is, for me, second to none as it is the only guide that I have ever finished. I usually get bored after the first 5 minutes. 
• Do your homework. There is SO much to see and do in this city, it is easy to get overwhelmed. 
• Unless you are a real fan of Gaudi, don't focus too much time on his work as there is so much more to see and they can be quite expensive. 

Boating on the Canal Du Midi

On a boat on the water is my idea of heaven be it sailing on the sea, travelling on a ferry or a rowing boat on Camargue and the Midi on an adorable Penichette boat.....sort of a cross between a long boat and a fishing boat. It was comfortable and handled very well.

Our Penichette on the Canal du Midi

A few years ago, I had my first experience on the canals in England and totally loved it despite the wet, cold weather. This year, we decided to try a new experience and went to the south of France to spend a glorious week on the Canals of the South of France.

Montpellier

Starting the adventure at the beautiful town of Montpellier, we then picked up our little boat and headed off on the suggested agenda. The canals were just lovely and very varied. The first part took us in the area of the Camargue on the Canal du Rhone de Sete. This is not like any canal I had ever seen with the Mediterranean sea on one side and lakes and rivers on the other side with just a narrow stretch of pathways to separate the three. We had an open stretch of water to cross at the Etang de Thau. There are some towns on the lake and we decided to make a stop in one of them and found a charming gem of a plae in Meze. As much as I loved the first part of the trip, getting to the Midi was just wonderful.....the trees, the villages and towns and the moored boats along the way all added to the beauty and peacefulness of this wonderful Canal. Sadly many of the trees will be lost in the coming years as they are suffering from some sort of disease and will be cut down. We we feel very blessed to have been able to visit and enjoy the canal as it is now....indeed, as it has been for many years.

The Canal du Midi

The Canal du Midi

We learnt early not to take the charts too seriously as they didn't always line up too well with reality. Everything happens so slowly however, we had the time to adapt. adjust and deal with whatever little surprises came our way.  There were times when my meagre French was tested up to and beyond its limits but again, the kindness and patience of people enabled me to stumble my way through both speaking and understanding most things. On the subject of language the thing I loved the most and appreciated the most was that all the locals enabled me to speak in French. They would wait patiently for me to express myself then very often would just check or add the necessary word in English that far surpassed my French. That gave me a lot of confidence to do more throughout the week.

Of course, the food was just delicious. There were some surprises through misinterpretations but on the whole, we got what we wanted and thoroughly enjoyed it. But then this is France we are talking about!

After the lovely easy friendliness of Montpelier, we had set a very high standard for the following towns to match up to. On the whole, they did just that, in their own unique style.

The walled city of Aiges Morte

The main square inside Aiges Morte

Aiges Morte was our first overnight stop after Montepellier. It is a lovely old walled city. Its full of shops and restaurants and full of tourists. The real treat was that, during the late afternoon and evening, the majority of tourists have gone leaving the lovely little town to the visitors on boats or campers. We had a very pleasant evening in the square eating a meal that for me was plain delicious and for Frank something of a surprise especially when we realised that Gésier actually means gizzard...he did lose a little of his appetite at that point.

After a pleasant shopping expedition in the newer part of town the following morning and a shower in a rather disgusting shower block, we headed out.

Villeneuve-ls-Maguelonne was our next stop for lunch and an expedition. We 'parked' then walked across the swinging bridge (one of the surprises that we were not expecting on the canal) and walked down to see a re built ancient Cathedral. The walk was lovely and we got to see and photograph some wild Flamingos. It gave me such a thrill to see these birds in the wild. I had read that they lived in this area but had not really believed that they were common enough to actually SEE them.

And there were lots of them!! 

 The Cathedral and, indeed the whole area was charming. It was set in a large vineyard with a view of the sea, a lovely cafe that looked like a well restored building and, of course, the Cathedral. The Cathedral had been restored by the Faberge family and we wondered if they indeed owned the land, vineyard etc. Inadvertently we took a ride down to the beaches (wrong direction) on some free transport but eventually got back to the boat to continue on our way.We loved it.

A water jousting boat at Frontignan

We became very glad to have spent the time to stop and enjoy the afternoon especially as the overnight stop had only one thing to offer......a swinging bridge that only opened briefly twice a day to let you through! There is very little else to say about Frontignan......it is simply somewhere to pass through! Now this is a little warning. We were so impresssed by one persons positive Blog on Frontignan that we printed it out and took it with us and I for one, was really looking forward to visiting this town. Just goes to show what is one persons treat is another persons poison. We did however get this rather lovely picture of this Water Jousting boat....a local sport.  And we were up early ready and eager to get through the bridge...didn't want to risk another ovenight stay.

The  Etang de Thau is very protected and crossing it in a hired boat is banned in winds over 4 knots. It was not a great morning with threatening clouds but we headed out anyway (there was no way we were going to get stuck in Frontignan for another night) and the crossing itself was just about perfect. There are a number of towns clinging to the edges of the lake and we opted to head for one of them for a lunchtime stop. The restrictions on the lake are due to the fact that this lake is a huge shell fish farm...the biggest in Europe I believe, certainly the biggest in France.

The lovely town of Meze

Meze turned out to be a pretty fishing village with smiling locals, good cafes and interesting shops and streets to explore. We were very tempted to stop overnight but decided that a lunchtime stop would suffice. I met a really jolly and playful lady in the indoor market selling cheese..it did seem to be a very relaxed and happy little place. Liked it a lot!.

So reluctantly we moved on to the other side of the Lake and were then rewarded when we entered the Canal Du Midi. It was a little grubby looking at first with lots of old sunken boats of various shapes and sizes but that very soon metamorphosed into  pure beauty with the elegance of

Welcome to the Midi

Canal du Midi

the trees, the rippling waters and the sun dancing around the foliage and the water in a splendid display of sparkles and shades. At times, we were really quite speechless, just enjoying the peace & beauty of it all.

To get to our overnight stop at the town of Agde, we had to pass through one of the famous Midi round Locks....and it was the biggest lock I have ever seen. I got quite

Entering the round lock at Agde

Maneuvering in the round lock

Finally exiting the Lock

excited (sad really) when I went forward to take a look at the lock and ran back along the canal side telling everyone who would listen that it was just HUGE, REALLY HUGE with all the appropriate hand gestures to demonstrate the fact. Everything went remarkably well going into and out of the lock and then we set off to find our parking space for the night. We were a little too busy while going through the lock to take any photos but we did go back later and managed to get some photos of a rather eccentric French man who we had met earlier maneavouring his 'garden boat' through the lock. It was quite entertaining. We had previously wondered how he could see where he was going with all the foliage on the boat. Watching him perform in the lock, we realised that he probably couldn't really see anything very much at all. His exit was accompanied by a resounding crash as he collided with the side of the lock.

Home for the night at Agde

We stopped on the canal side just outside of town in a lovely tree lined leafy spot. After securing everything, we got the bikes off the boat (first time) and set out for town. The old part of town was OK with its narrow streets and old buildings but it was obviously a place that was meant to have daytime tourists wandering around. It all seemed a little empty and quiet in the early evening. We went to a Trip Adviser recommended Creperie but I found very disappointing. But what was lacking in food was made up for the in the ambiance and the friendliness. I just needed a snack when we got back to the boat!

Our parking spot at Vias

The following day, a couple of hours boating got us to Vias....what a little charmer. Off came the bikes once more and we headed up hill to the little quaint town. Vias is a bustling little place with lots of locals and tourists from boats, campers (w met a couple of people at lunchtime) and bikers. The cafes in the square were all doing a great trade. We stopped for our daily coffee then happily stumbled on the local market which we both always enjoy wandering around. We bought a few things, absorbed the atmosphere, rescued a stolen item from the market stall (taken by a little boy obviously under the tutelage of his mother) and then headed back to the square for a delicious lunch of mussels.

We became very glad of having stopped for lunch as we managed to get lost on the way back to the boat and ended up taking an elongated but rather pretty detour around the countryside.

Sunset from the old bridge in Beziers

The glorious view of Bezier town

Our next stop was far far different from Vias but it turned out to be a true gem to us. Sadly in talking later to others that we met, the gems of the city were not easily or frequently discovered. Beziers is a large town and is at the bottom of a 7 gate staircase of locks so is very busy with people passing through. Once we were secure, we went for an early evening walk to see what the staircase had in store for us. It was somewhat further away than we had thought but nonetheless it was a lovely walk so it was not a problem.

We took a look at the lock then decided to head directly from there into town to find the town of Beziers and get something to eat. Bezier  is a bit like a wedding cake, built in layers. There is the bottom layer, the middle layer and the top layer with the top layer being the part that you most revere and is, in truth, the only part worth a visit. After a long walk from the lock to the town, we found ourselves in a rather downbeat area. Following the irreplacable Google map directions, we headed for the bridge to take us over the river to the part of the town that towered above us. We were fortunate to be crossing the bridge at sunset and stopped for a few minutes to take in the lovely scenery at this adorable part of the any day.....magical.

Then we still had an exhausting climb ahead of us. After what seemed forever and was probably about 10 minutes, we arrived in a area of the higher part of town that looked like it should be lively but it wasn't...it was disturbingly quiet. However, this was when another gem showed itself....we went into a small empty cafe/restaurant and was greeted by the delightful owner who served us with such warmth and charm with delicious food, it became and stayed, the best meal of the trip. A taxi back to the boat rounded off a perfect evening.

Bezier Cathedral

View from the top of the Cathedral

Our plan had been to leave in the morning, to get to through the staircase and be on our way but it was not to be. After a number of obstacles to our plans unfolded, we opted to go explore Beziers a little more and do the staircase in the afternoon. The available time for travelling through the lock staircase are limited as it takes a long time to get from one end to the other so our aim was to get to the front of the line for the afternoon climb.  So off we went back into the wedding cake town. And we got lost...again.... but eventually we found ourselves, had a few semi successful discoveries before coming across the Cathedral that formed the crown of the cake. And oh, was that worth it. What a glorious building. I walked and crawled all the way up the ancient winding staircase to get to the top of the Cathedral which was at the top of the 'cake' to be rewarded with spectacular views.

And the icing on the cake (OK, that's the last referral to cakes) was lunch. Just a stones throw from the Cathedral were a few pretty cafes. We picked the prettiest looking with the best menu with tables in the sun and were not disappointed. We had a lovely meal and then meandered happily back to the boat to head out to tackle the staircase. It was, as ever, hard work but lots of fun. And if we say so ourselves, we did a darn good job of it all. The only challenge was fighting my way through the tourists to catch and secure the lines for each lock. It's quite a tourist trap with people gathering daily to watch the process of boats going up and down.

Unscheduled stop at Poilhes

We had planned the day out but plans went happily astray when we were passing under the bridge at a little village called Poilhes and saw 4 Australians standing on the bridge. We had chatted with the group on a number of occasions and really liked them. They gave the thumbs up to the village so we promptly pulled in to join them for dinner in a remarkably sophisticated restaurant by the canal. We were also joined by three French Canadians. A great and very noisy evening was had by all.

One of the many large barges on the canal

Day 7 and we were heading out for Capestang, not a very French sounding name it is true but we stopped because it looked so pretty....and pretty it was with its winding streets, a HUGE church and very French square of cafes and cake shops. One more stop at the busy and rather commercial little town of Le Somail. It had some lovely canal side cafes and a huge bookshop selling books in lots of different languages on numerous subjects.

And then on for our last stretch on the canal to our destination to say a sad farewell to our little boat and head for our last night in a hotel in Carcassonne. If we had had the time, it would have been great to have visited more of the villages dotted along this part of the Canal but we were grateful for what we were able to see and eager to return at some stage to enjoy more.

Street of 'new' Carcassone

What a delightful and interesting town Carcassonne is...a wonderful addition and a soothing balm to ease the loss of being on the canal. The newer part of town (which is still very old) is lovely with some interesting buildings, wide open squares and cobbled streets. We walked through the lower town and headed to the old walled part of town where our hotel was situated. After booking in to the hotel, we headed back for the market that we had walked through to enjoy the hustle and bustle of buying and selling over a cup of coffee. We then sat and marvelled at the transformation of market to a square of cafes. As the market stalls were dismantled and removed, the tables, chairs and umbrellas came out to replace them. Slowly and steadily the transformation happened with seemingly seamless precision.

The walled town is all a little on the verge of looking like a set from a hotel in Las Vegas and is basically made up of shops, restaurants and cafes with a smattering of ghoulish offerings of museums of torture but it even with all of this it hasn't managed to lose all of the basic interest and charm of an ancient (though rebuilt) town. You can see the underlying charactor and charm of the place and imagine how it might have been in days gone by.

'New part of Carcassone'

Market place turns into cafe

Walled town of Carcassonne

Walled twon of Carcassonne

The main thing that I would say about Carcassonne is that we just did not have enough time to see and experience what it has to offer but we did get to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the market and the cafes in the lower part of town and spend some time in the walled town.

Summary of the week:

• Loved the canals. The mixture of the open Camargue and the leafy Midi were just perfect. 
• Our Boat was owned and run by Locaboat. The boats are a little old and well used but clean, functional and comfortable. We loved our little boat and it was very good value. 
• Take care of the 'Le Boat' boats....they are the BMW's of the waterways....fast, sleek, rather ugly in their solidness with drivers who often (but not always) did not lower their eyes enough to acknowledge the lower life of the Penichette boaters. 
• If you are used to sailing in English waters don't expect to take the charts too seriously, it can give you a headache trying to line reality up with charts if you do. 
• One week is great if you can get it but not really long enough, we were no where near ready to leave the canal. 
• Seeing wild Flamingos in the Camargue was just amazing. 
• Don't focus too much on the cleanliness of the canals, just make sure you do NOT fall in. With the plethora of boats and no holding tanks, pollution is not really an issue. It does not smell or cause any problems as long as you treat it as something to sit on, not IN. 
• The Midi has many small villages which we just didn't have the time to visit as much as we would have liked. And do go off the main track and go away from the canals....you will find some treasures. 
• People were friendly and helpful almost without exception. Happy to let me struggle with my rather pathetic French and help me out if they could speak English but only to gain clarity or offer an explanation. 

You can access the whole set of photos here.