The Best of What We Did in 2017

Blue flowers in Bohemia

One of the reasons we travel around the world is to see and do things that help us understand people and cultures better. As our country becomes more diverse, it behooves us to learn more about our very interesting world. This blog is a summary of all the activities we gave a rating of four or more carrots. If you want to read about the places we played, just follow the links to the associated blog. For information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews. Within the blogs are more pictures and tons of information about the places the NearNormal Travelers have visited.

What we did in China

China was an amazing place and nearly everything we did was wondrous. As I looked through the blogs associated with that trip, I found an abundance of superlatives. And they are not misplaced. There is much more to see in China and I will have to return; although it is going to be difficult not to revisit some of the places I’ve already seen.

Four and one-half carrots

Bund cruise was spectacular. Although it was raining, we still got to see lots of lights and the buildings doing their thing. (See 踏上上海 - Stepping out in Shanghai)

Cenhe Elementary School (Outside of Jingzhou): see 跳到荆州和武汉 Jumping over to Jingzhou and Wuhan.

Forbidden City (4 Jingshan Front St, Dongcheng Qu, Beijing Shi, China, 100006): see 在北京 - Being in Beijing.

Goddess Stream Excursion (Qingshi Town, China): see 穿過重慶和三峽 Chugging through Chongqing and the Three Gorges.

 

Royal Pond in Shanghai

Informational tours are one of the main reasons we go with an organized group and we expect to get our money’s worth out of them. Local guides were provided at each stop and they did a good job of educating us about a particular area. All spoke English well and were quite able to answer our questions or to expand on some particular bit of information. One very nice feature of the tours was our ‘whisper box’. This is a receiver with an earpiece that picks up what the guide is saying. You can be as far as about 100 feet away, with lots of people in-between and still hear all that is being said. Our personal guide (ours and the 18 other people in our group), John, provided more general and historical information as we rode in the bus. When he did lead tours, he was as meticulous and well informed about that particular area as he was about general history; his knowledge is exceptional. We also appreciated receiving a schedule each evening so that we knew what was happening the next day and at what times things would occur. Once we were on the ship, we were given even more written information along with a daily briefing about where we would be docking and what we could expect to find in the immediate area. This attention to detail and to making sure the tour groups know what is happening at all times is one of the elements that makes travel easy. As we found on a previous trip, Viking is a class act. See Down the Yangtze.

Legend of Kung Fu (The Red Theater, 44 Xing Fu Da Jie, Chongwen District, Beijing, 86 29 671 42473) was the site of an interesting performance. When I see the title ‘King Fu’ I sort of expect Bruce Lee or David Carradine to jump out on the stage kicking bad guys, bricks, or other offending items. This was the story of a little boy who goes to the monastery to learn the art of kung fu. It follows his life from that time forward. The men and boys in the production did a mixture of martial arts and acrobatics. Two women also were there, but they did something along the lines of ballet. There were special effects such as smoke, projected images, flying on silk, and flashing lights. My favorite parts were those that included the dancing dragons. See Down the Yangtze.

Sacred Way (Changchi Rd, Changping Qu, China, 86 10 6076 1422): see 在北京 - Being in Beijing.

Shanghai Museum (201 Renmin Ave, RenMin GuangChang, Huangpu Qu, China, 200003, 86 21 6372 3500): see 踏上上海 - Stepping out in Shanghai.

Tang Dynasty Dinner and Show (75, Changan North Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, 86 29 878 22222) is the story of how an empress came to power. The musical instruments used were traditional Chinese ones; some of the atonal parts were a bit hard to take. However, when the warm-up singer sang Red River Valley, we all about had a fit. The dancing for the musical wasn’t traditional al la Shen Yun Performing Arts. This was more ballet for the women and acrobatics for the men. It was interesting and entertaining. There were great costumes and a very thought-provoking story! See Down the Yangtze.

Terracotta Army (Lintong, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, 86 29 8139 9001): see 与勇士一起走 - Walking with the Warriors.

Four carrots

Airport security is stringent. Everyone is patted down and everyone is ‘wanded’. However, there is a line only for women with female security guards; these ladies were polite, respectful, efficient, and quick. The other positions have both male and female security personnel and you are welcome to go through these gates, but the lines are slower because you have to wait for the guard who matches your gender. All of your electronics (mouse, camera, phone, tablet, e-reader, computer, etc.), including the cords, are required to be taken out of your bag to be scanned in a bin. Although the lines were long, we didn’t have much of a wait. Either security in China is better organized, or the people going through the lines are, because it was much less of a hassle than it is in the States. See Down the Yangtze.

Bag handling by Viking was a pleasant surprised. Everything was picked up at the hotel by couriers and taken to the airport or to the ship. Travelers were treated even more efficiently than the bags.  Our guide us checked in to the flights, handed us our boarding passes, and we took off (the bags were already on the flights). Once off the plane, a special area was set aside for us to identify our bags; we were then on our way. Whether it was another hotel or the ship, our bags were delivered to our rooms. This was an incredibly stress free. See Down the Yangtze.

Flying around China is an efficient way to see places. We flew on new, comfortable, planes with all of the safety gear we’ve come to expect, and with FREE food and beverages. The airports are also quite nice and offer all the amenities including chilled water in dispensers that fill provided cups or your own water bottle. See Down the Yangtze.

Great Wall at Badaling (Yanqing, China, 86 10 6912 1226): see 在北京 - Being in Beijing.

Hubei Museum (160 Donghu Rd, Wuchang Qu, Wuhan Shi, Hubei Sheng, China, 86 27 8679 4127): see 跳到荆州和武汉 Jumping over to Jingzhou and Wuhan. It’s pretty amazing what Viking can do. On a Monday with all of the museums closed, we still got in to see the main exhibit.

Hutong Tour (intersection of Gulou West Street, Gulou East Street, and Di’anmen Outer Street): see 在北京 - Being in Beijing.

Shanghai Acrobatic Troup (West Office Tower, Suite 710, 1376 Nanjing Road West, Shanghai 200040 P.R. China, 86 21 6279 8600) performed

Limestone garden in Shanghai

acts that were a mix what was of really ‘old hat’ and amazing. There were four men who slung porcelain pots in the air and caught them on their necks, heads, noses, arms, and other body parts. The older/bigger guy slung a bigger pot. There were several sets of acrobats, who performed strength moves while others exhibited their flexible moves. There were some girls spinning drums, a couple who balanced crockery, chairs, and other household things, and a guy who did the flex/strength moves on stilts. The magician would have been better if we could have actually seen what he did rather than just that he produced pigeons. A girl did a lovely dance/tumble act with a giant hula hoop. There was, however, and act with a couple of flexible bars that two guys held on their shoulders while two other guys bounced around on the bars. The most incredible part of this act was when one came out with a young girl on his shoulders and proceeded to do a flip on the bar with her staying in place. We couldn’t figure out if she had Velcro on her knees or was just pinching his neck with her thighs; in any case it was pretty spectacular. See Down the Yangtze.

Shibaozhai Temple (Zhongxian, Chongqing, China, 86 23 5421 5063): see 穿過重慶和三峽 Chugging through Chongqing and the Three Gorges.

Three Gorges Dam (China, Hubei Sheng, Yichang Shi, Yiling, 86 717 676 3498): see 穿過重慶和三峽Chugging through Chongqing and the Three Gorges. Dave loved this tour, but I was not as impressed.

Tiananmen Square (Corner of West Chang’An Avenue and Gangchang East Side Street, Beijing Shi, China, 100006): see 在北京 - Being in Beijing.

Yuyuan Garden (218 Anren St, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, China, 86 21 6326 0830): see 踏上上海 - Stepping out in Shanghai.

What we did in Europe

I love going to Europe…actually I love visiting most foreign countries. My trip to Poland had a profound effect on me. I had some understanding of

Prisoner's name in Auschwitz

the horrific treatment the Jews and other minorities endured during the 1930s and 1940s. However, I don’t think that without visiting the camps and extermination centers anyone can fully appreciate the extent to which these people were persecuted. Now when I see discrimination in any form, I am outraged and much more prone to take action against it.

Five carrots

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Więźniów Oświęcimia 20, 32-603 Oświęcim, Poland) is a place everyone should see and hopefully learn what can happen when prejudice and hate are allowed to guide a country (see Lest We Forget).

Four and one-half carrots

Limousine.com (http://www.limuzyny.com/) was wonderful! It was easy to reach them online and they were very responsive despite the seven hour time difference. They told me exactly how much I’d pay and this price was the same when the driver presented his bill. I needed to be picked up at the Wroclaw airport at midnight. My driver, Andrew, was ready for me and was kind enough to take another lady to a hotel that was near mine. He didn’t charge any extra for this detour. Once we got to her hotel, we couldn’t find the front door. Andrew used his phone to call the establishment, and to get someone to meet her. He then took me to my hotel and made sure that I was inside before he left.  I would use this service, again, and would highly recommend them. See Wroclaw Reviews.

Four carrots

Belvedere Museum (Schloss Belvedere, Prinz Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 Wien, Austria, +43 1 79557134) see Viewing Vienna.

Budapest Card (https://www.budapestinfo.hu/budapest-card) was really helpful in that we got into places free or at a reduced price. We also had free access to public transportation. This card is well worth the price, particularly if you are going to be here for several days. See Beading through Bohemia Part 1.

CURIOCITY Budapest, co-owned by Bogáti Bogáta (https://www.facebook.com/ccbudapest/?pnref=lhc) provided a very good tour of Budapest. Our guide, Bogáti, had lots of information for us and made sure that if we had questions we had a chance to ask them. She also had a great sense of humor and was willing to play with us a bit. My only complaint was the lack of ‘whisper boxes’, those ear pieces that connect you to the guide, were missing. Of course, by the time we got to Budapest many of the group members chose to stay in their rooms or in shady spots rather than run amok through the city, so it wasn’t difficult to hear what Bogáti was saying. See Beading through Bohemia Part 1.

Dohány Street Synagogue (Budapest, Dohány u. 2, 1074 Hungary, +36 1 343 0420) see Being in Budapest. This is one of those places that you must visit in person to get the impact of the history that had happened on these grounds.

Koralkarna (Krymská 103/27, 101 00 Praha 10, Czechia, +420 271 740 596) is one of several bead shops in Prague. We visited here to talk with Ivona Suchmannova (Beads of Bohemia) about her creations and to do some shopping. There are loads of things to see in this shop and the prices are quite competitive. If you are a die-hard beader, this is a must-stop place, particularly if Ivona is at the shop; we spent at least three hours here. Luckily for the non-beaders who ventured out with us, there was a bar on the corner that was happy to serve tourists. See Beading through Bohemia Part 1.

Kunsthistorisches Museum (Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Wien,

Fish Fountain in Vienna

Austria, +43 1 525240) see Viewing Vienna, has some wonderful historic art pieces.

Lennon Wall (Velkopřevorské náměstí, 100 00 Praha 1, Czechia) see Prague, again. This is just something you have to see; it’s free and it’s close to the Charles Bridge. Peace and love, man.

Loreto/Loreta (Loretánské nám. 100/7, 118 00 Praha, Czechia, +420 220 516 740) see Prague, again. I had not been here previously and I’d certainly go again.

Melk Abbey (Abt-Berthold-Dietmayr-Straße 1, 3390 Melk, Austria, +43 2752 5550) see Mincing in Melk and Dancing in Dürnstein.

Memento Park (Budapest, Balatoni út - Szabadkai utca sarok, 1223 Hungary, +36 1 424 7500) see Being in Budapest.

Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague (Široká, 110 00 Staré Město, Czechia, +420 222 749 211) see Peeking in on Prague.

Prague Card (https://www.praguecard.com/index.php?lang=en) is a good value for the price. While it gets you into some places free and others at a discount, its big bonus is that you can get on all of public transportation free with the card. And while Prague is a walkable city, if your hotel is not in the historic area, this card helps you get to the things you want to see. See Beading through Bohemia Part 1

Prague Castle (119 08 Prague 1, Czechia, +420 224 373 368) see Peeking in on Prague.

Saint Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansplatz 3, 1010 Wien, Austria) see Viewing Vienna.

Saint Vitus Cathedral (III. nádvoří 48/2, 119 01 Praha 1, Czechia, +420 224 372 434) see Prague, again.

Schönbrunn Palace (Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, 1130 Wien, Austria) see Viewing Vienna.

Stift Dürnstein (Dürnstein, Stiftgasse, 3601 Dürnstein, Austria, +43 2711 227) see Mincing in Melk and Dancing in Dürnstein. This is such a beautiful place.

Vienna Card (https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/vienna-city-card), like the other city cards gives you free entry, discounted entry, and access to all the public transportation. It is well worth the price and although you can walk over most of the old city, it is helpful to be able to ride around on the trams to get to know the city. There is a lot to see in this city, so no matter how much time you have to spend, you’ll need more. See Beading through Bohemia Part 1.

Aula Leopoldinska (plac Uniwersytecki 1, 48-300 Wrocław, Poland, +48 71 375 22 45), located at the university is an example of some of the beautiful art in Wroclaw (see Walking in Wroclaw 1).

Free Walking Tours, Wroclaw (https://freewalkingtour.com/wroclaw/) are a great way to see old town and to learn about the history of the area. There are several topics from which to choose. We only did the one concerned with World War II. I wish that I’d done them all. The gentleman we had was very knowledgeable and good with large groups. He also had a good sense of humor. This is a free tour but you are expected to tip your tour guide. See Wroclaw Reviews.

Racławice Panorama (Jana Ewangelisty Purkyniego 11, 50-155 Wrocław, Poland, +48 71 344 16 61) has lots of visitors, so get there early and be prepared to come back at a later time in the day (see Walking in Wroclaw 2).

Saint Elisabeth's Church (Grabiszyńska 103, 11-400 Wrocław, Poland, +48 71 783 37 94) is one of the iconic churches in Wroclaw (see Walking in Wroclaw 2).

University of Wrocław Museum (plac Uniwersytecki 1, 48-300 Wrocław, Poland, +48 71 375 26 18) has excellent exhibits about the university as well as an accessible roof from which to see the city (see Walking in Wroclaw 1).

Wrocław Cathedral (plac Katedralny 18, 50-329 Wrocław, Poland, +48 71 322 25 74) and the area around it are lovely (see Walking in Wroclaw 1).

What we did in the US

Paluxy River

There are no shortages of places to see and things to do in the US. I am a concerned about the shrinking of our National Parks and Monuments due to the opening of these wild places to commercial oil and gas exploration, clear cutting of trees, and other commercial endeavors. If we are not very careful, these places will disappear before our children and grandchildren have a chance to see, appreciate, and become stewards of our environment. I really want clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.

Four carrots

Dinosaur Valley State Park (1629 Park Road 59, Glen Rose, TX 76043, 254-897-4588) is managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. If you’re a senior citizen, you can purchase a pass for about $7.00 that will get you into all of the state parks for free or nearly free for the rest of your life; this is a really good deal. This is a great place to spend a substantial amount of time. There are a couple of touristy places just outside the park entrance that you may want to give a miss. The science is incorrect and some of their displays are simply goofy. See Going to Glen Rose.

Old Town Trolley Tours (234 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Savannah, GA 31401, 855-245-8992), like its branch in San Diego, has a hop-on hop-off service in Savannah. Our driver was Eddie; she was

Carriage rides in Savannah, Georgia

excellent! Not only did she know the spiel well, she added in her own sense of humor and additional personal information that made this tour a real treat. She was able to answer questions the guests asked her and to help several people with directions to places off of the tour route. I’d do this again and I’d want Eddie to be my driver! See Sashaying through Savannah.

Next week it’s all about the food! We visited lots of good places to eat, and they are in The Best of What We Ate in 2017!

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