tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62444542024-03-13T16:59:34.712-07:00Beth Camp: On the Road Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.comBlogger451125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-18477894599566127042019-03-14T19:47:00.000-07:002019-03-14T19:47:06.321-07:00Home from Seville . . . but what memories.I shouldn't complain about jet lag or coming home to 2 feet of snow. I still remember the sweet smell of bitter orange trees (perfect for making marmelade) that we found everywhere in Seville. We walked along the streets of Seville, enchanted by the sight and smell of these oranges everywhere.
Oranges in Courtyard, Cathedral of Seville
Today, I'm remembering our visit to the incredibly large Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-41016619726330210462019-02-22T01:15:00.002-08:002019-02-22T22:01:51.657-08:00Seville: What were we expecting?We hoped for warmer weather, and we came prepared for rain. But this last month, we've seen no rain at all, and the temperatures have hovered around 70F, a sharp contrast to those snowy days back home.
Once we adjusted to that 9 hour time change that flipped morning to night, we discovered so many small differences in everyday life.
Our apartment is situated just two blocks away from the Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-58159781695093371002019-02-15T05:14:00.000-08:002019-02-15T05:14:37.657-08:00Another Museum, Another Day in ParadiseThis week, we visited the Casa de Pilatos, so named to honor the house of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. Apparently, the first Marquis of Tarifa visited Jerusalem in 1520-ish, and came home impressed by both Moorish and Renaissance ideas. The result is this palace, built upon by successive generations, a fascinating blend of Islamic and Christian design elements, still owned by the Medinacila Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-87124068407178994872019-02-12T02:07:00.000-08:002019-02-12T02:07:18.432-08:00Ooo La La: Tapas at La PortolaEvery trip we take, Allen assembles a list of the very best restaurants. He is very methodical, listing the best restaurants in the city and the best restaurants within walking distance. So we set off to find La Bortola, rated 4th highest rating on YELP out of all the restaurants in Seville.
Of course, to find this charming tapa bar, we took a winding path through older parts of the city, Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-29871064474492007912019-02-10T09:10:00.001-08:002019-02-10T09:10:56.028-08:00Seville: Christopher Columbus at the LibraryEarlier this week, as we walked through the streets of Seville on our way to the impressive Cathedral of Seville, we came upon a library, the Archivo de Indias (Archive of the Indies).
Always easily drawn astray by libraries, we admired the fountain in front of the massive building, authorized in the mid 18th Century to find a treasure for scholars.
Notice the globe under the Spanish royalBeth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-83920581412336901472019-01-30T09:51:00.000-08:002019-01-30T09:51:00.990-08:00Jan 30, 2019: Last Night in MiamiJust back in our little apartment high above Miami after a shirtsleeves' walk along the waterway and a dog park where we discovered a lovely ceramic chair about 20 feet high:
Spanish is spoken everywhere here, making us feel right at home. Most amazing, though, is the weather change -- no coats, no snow, no cold noses. Instead, flowers, palm trees, and little cafes with fresh croissants and veryBeth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-87074801504830521212019-01-27T21:39:00.000-08:002019-01-27T21:39:18.590-08:00How Wearing Glasses Can Save You from Being Burned at the StakeTomorrow morning, January 28th, at 4:30 am, we leave for a nice six-week trip on the road. First Miami Beach, where 60F is far more welcoming than 20F, and then, off to Seville, Spain, for a month with four dear friends.
So, I'm reactivating our travel blog, for in our Seville apartment, we'll have reasonable access to internet, Moorish culture, museums, little cafes, and perhaps a side trip to Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-54706063359922389392017-01-21T18:55:00.000-08:002019-01-07T20:10:51.259-08:00Week 3: From rainy Eureka to MojaveI'd like to say we left winter behind as we drove south from Eureka. But we didn't. Intense rain storms with lots of wind led to some adventuresome driving along the Oregon and California coast. We stopped in Sebastapol to visit dear cousins and enjoy an Italian feast at the Union Hotel in Occidental -- Imagine ravioli that melt in your mouth!
Just a few hops ahead of more rain, we drove Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-1345819546525777022017-01-16T21:42:00.000-08:002017-01-16T21:42:44.829-08:00Week 2: Hello Ocean, Hello RedwoodsSometimes I forget when winter drags on another month that the snow will melt and that in other places there may be no snow at all.
We're still traveling south, finally past Portland with its unexpected foot of snow dumped overnight, making our way down the Willamette Valley and to the coast, dodging the snow of the Siskiyou Pass.
North of Orick, Oregon
We stopped in Coos Bay andBeth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-60187375481554512462017-01-11T11:34:00.004-08:002017-01-11T11:34:38.438-08:00Stuck in Portland
Driving toward Portlandalong the Columbia Gorge
Day 3-4: Made it from Kennewick to Hood River just barely. Three people pushed our travel-weary Toyota up a mini-hill so we could check-in at Comfort Suites, where we had "the last of two" rooms. Actually, the hotel was nearly empty, but we awoke to news of another storm coming up the Columbia Gorge.
After a harrowing slide down that mini-hill Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-13334244310701122972017-01-08T07:44:00.000-08:002017-01-08T07:44:02.238-08:00On the road again . . . 2017We woke up at a cozy Super8 in Kennewick, Washington, this Sunday morning with a nasty winter storm ahead and behind. I-84 along the Columbia Gorge has been closed off and on both east and west., and the earliest the sun shines again is Thursday.
Driving conditions yesterday down from Spokane were challenging as it began to snow at Ritzville. Thank goodness, Allen used his Philadelphia-honed Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-69431468609947955312015-08-26T08:08:00.000-07:002015-08-26T08:08:24.390-07:00Hiking the Maligne Canyon
The hike along famous Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park begins innocuously enough from a parking lot surrounded by tall pines.
Very quickly as we intrepid hikers follow the path closer to the Maligne River, still cutting down hundreds of feet through limestone, we see stunning views.
The one-way trail crosses 4 bridges, each affording glimpses of the white Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-70440450004832771992015-08-17T18:31:00.001-07:002015-08-17T18:31:17.842-07:00Edmonton Birthday . . .Just a few blocks from our hotel is the delightful Chinese restaurant, Beijing Beijing, here in Edmonton. To celebrate Allen's birthday, we strolled over to take advantage of their delicious dim sum, a treat we haven't had for many, many years.
Imagine a crowded restaurant filled with eager eaters as friendly waitpersons push carts loaded with Chinese delicacies through, we estimated, some Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-10817297078139448972015-08-15T08:04:00.001-07:002015-08-15T08:21:03.153-07:00Fort Edmonton Redux . . . When we last visited Edmonton in 1996, the U.S.A. women's soccer team won the World Cup, the sun shone brightly, and we visited Fort Edmonton for the first time, not realizing we would return one day. We're back. The population has doubled from about 800,000 to 1.5 million. Modern freeways mimic what I remember of driving in L.A., and yesterday, we revisited Fort Edmonton.
Rowand's Folly, FortBeth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-2322660331258810652015-08-13T06:34:00.000-07:002015-08-15T05:49:16.204-07:00A stop at Rocky Mountain HouseTromped around just half of Rocky Mountain House Provincial Park yesterday, with its tiny but very helpful museum and archaeological digs, right along the North Saskatchwan River. Serious flooding in 2012 took away the banks on the west side of the river, now fortified with rip rap.
View of the North Saskatchewan
Rocky Mountain House was never quite as successful as a trading post, especiallyBeth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-17128552942587489672015-08-09T06:55:00.001-07:002015-08-09T06:55:52.417-07:00Farewell to CalgaryYesterday we spent at the Glenbow Museum, several hours of studying exhibits on First Nations peoples (does not include Metis), until we sank down on a nice black leather couch in the lobby and said, "Let's go back to the hotel."
I feel like I'm circling around what all these artifacts mean, without truly understanding the culture. What we experienced at Heritage Park seems tied in some way, butBeth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-41692514293458094872015-08-08T06:51:00.000-07:002015-08-08T06:51:35.618-07:00Calgary's Step into the PastYesterday we spent several hours exploring just a small part of Calgary's Heritage Park, Canada's largest living history museum. Our first and major stop, a small Hudson's Bay Company post and a nearby First Nations encampment.
The fort was rather small, contained behind a high log fence, with a small trading post to the immediate right, filled with an array of traditional goods, dishes and Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-13023271133233257572015-08-05T19:46:00.000-07:002015-08-05T19:46:03.361-07:00Canada: Calgary with a boom!
Rockies at Kootenay National Park
We left Radium Hot Springs this morning, stopping for a leisure soak at the hot springs before winding our way through the Kootenay National Park and our first real view of the Canadian Rockies. Just about 330 miles from Spokane, and we are in the midst of real wilderness, rolling hills to breathtaking mountains, covered with gigantic pine forests.
Our first Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-25691836604204119722015-08-04T09:49:00.001-07:002015-08-04T09:49:55.922-07:00Canada, here we come!
On the Kootenai, near Bonners Ferry IDby Steven A. Wolfe (Flickr)
Finished packing about 12:30 pm, and after a quick lunch at that old standby, Subway, hit the road for Canada, a leisurely drive east and north, past murky skies clouded over with smoggy smoke from wildfires everywhere.
Today we have television, smart phones, and even my little new Kindle Fire to alert us to such Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-11386822933088710422015-02-27T05:30:00.002-08:002015-02-27T05:30:25.507-08:00Nearly the last day in Galveston Yesterday we took the ferry over to Bolivar Island.
Reminded me of the last time I took a ferry from mainland Mexico to Baja, a large, hulking ferry that listed to one side all the way across the Sea of Cortez. I felt transported back to the 1930's in our tiny cabin with quaint fixtures, in case we wanted to rest. The bunkbeds had these canvas curtains one could draw closed for privacy. Back Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-53912839246717676632015-02-21T20:06:00.000-08:002015-02-21T20:06:36.490-08:00Walking around Galveston's Historic DistrictYesterday, we walked our feet off after quite an exciting bus ride up to the Pleasure Pier on 25th Street and Seawall where we peeked through the gates at the rides (closed for the day).
Pleasure Pier, Galveston (Camp 2015)
We walked to the ShyKatz Deli for lunch (a most delicious vegetable soup), and then over to the Mosquito Cafe (to check it out for dinner later). We found the highwater Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-67029939513670921252015-02-09T17:48:00.000-08:002015-02-09T17:48:03.084-08:00Monday in Galveston . . .Today we went to lunch at the Tortuga, a sprawling Mexican restaurant, right on Seawall Boulevard, just about a block from our tiny condo.
Someone else cooked! A delicious avocado stuffed with shrimp, fish, broiled vegetables with three kinds of salsa met our appetite delightfully. Even at 1pm, we hit happy hour! A nice draft beer with lime for 99c topped the meal. The music in the Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-43849463678847315172015-01-28T11:43:00.000-08:002015-01-28T11:43:16.836-08:00Packing the lazy way . . . out the door!My husband has the most efficient way to pack. When we travel for say a month-long journey, he methodically gathers up 7 pairs of shirts, shorts, socks and 2 pairs of pants. Just whatever's on top. Then a few basics (books, maps, Sudoko). Maybe a snack for the plane. He's done. I typically add a few more things to his suitcase that he might need. Swim suit. Cell phone plug.
But I dither when I Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-4734104385767112642015-01-24T10:48:00.004-08:002015-01-24T10:48:37.198-08:00Did you see the sunrise this morning?We're 8 days away from leaving for that month-long trip to Galveston. Suitcases are open and empty. My packing list is ready to begin checking off, and I still haven't decided if I'm taking my sewing machine as a carry-on. Southwest says I can. Yippee!
One suitcase = how many books? how many sewing projects?
Today's inspiring quote as I gather sewing projects, fabrics, and organize a sewing Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244454.post-13502175157818239592015-01-02T17:35:00.000-08:002015-01-02T17:35:00.705-08:00A night of light . . . We had been driving east through the Canadian Rockies, a very long day, when we finally came to the first sign of a settlement, a lovely bed and breakfast near a small lake. The owner invited us to sit in the hot tub late that night for the Merry Dancers were expected.
Northern Lights by James Medcalf (Flickr 2012)
The Romans and Greeks recorded stories about the Northern Lights. Beth Camphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.com0