Monthly Archives: December 2011

Returning to Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

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By Andrea MacEachern.

I moved from myhometown of Sydney, Nova Scotia when I was nineteen.  After ten years living in another province, Idecided to return eight months ago.  Ilove to travel and try to go somewhere new every year but this past summer, Idecided it would be best to spend some time exploring my own backyard.  And so my adventure began……

The Fortress of Louisbourg, reconstruction of an 18th century French fortification.

Sydney is a small city of about 30,000 people.  It is located on Cape Breton and is unofficially known as the capital of the island.  I started my month-long adventure quite literally in my backyard with a stroll on the Sydney Boardwalk that turned into a stroll of downtown and a history lesson of the city I thought I knew.  I stopped at the Cossit House museum, St. Patrick’s Church and Whitney Pier Historical Museum.  The Miner’s Museum was probably the most intriguing.  I learned about the long history of coal mining in Cape Breton and had the chance to take a guided tour of a coal mine.  The final history lesson I received that day was at Fort Petrie.  This restored World War 2 fortification was originally built to guard vulnerable Sydney Harbor.  Years after the war, the people of the area discovered that they were more vulnerable than they thought because German U-boats were stationed outside the harbour waiting for orders from their superiors to attack!

The next day, I visited a different kind of fortification.  The Fortress of Louisburg is the biggest reconstructed fortress in North America and one of Canada’s top historic sites.  It models life as it was at the fortress in the 1700’s.  There was an option to take a guided tour but I chose to wander the grounds on my own.  I explored the many buildings where I saw people re-enacting life as it was during that era and many genuine artefacts that were discovered there.  I also walked the actual grounds where several brutal but important battles took place and I witnessed some military drills and cannon firings.  The atmosphere at the fortress was as authentic as if I had stepped into a time machine.

The next day, I packed up my car with camping gear and food and set out to explore more areas outside the city of Sydney.  My first stop was the small village of Baddeck.  It is said that some of the best sailing in the world takes place near the village on the Bras D’or Lakes and many well-known celebrities agree as some of them built mansions along the shoreline.  I spent my first day in Baddeck exploring the boutiques that line the main street and sailing on the Bras D’or Lakes.  I spent the better part of the next morning visiting the Alexander Graham Bell Museum.  During that visit, I learned about some of the work the famed inventor did in the area and that he even had an estate in Baddeck that was occupied by relatives.  Mid-day, I hit the road for my next destination; Cheticamp.  But first I enjoyed a delicious meal at a small café called the Yellow Cello.

Taking the longest way possible to Cheticamp I circled the entire island.  Along the way, I drove through scenic communities such as Port Hood, Inverness, Orangedale and Margaree.  Margaree is world-renowned for being one of the best places in North America for salmon fishing. While there, I decided to take a detour up into the highlands to find Cape Clear Lookout.  This lookout is not marked on tourist maps and even many of the locals don’t know about it.  I found it easily because I had some directions given to me by a man who was familiar with the area.  The detour proved worth while.  The area overlooked the river below and, because I was on top of the mountains, it felt like I was actually on top of the world.  What a view!  After eating a light lunch and enjoying the peacefulness, I set off to make Cheticamp before dark.

The windy road of the Cabot Trail near Corny Brook.

The sun was setting as I reached Cheticamp and although I knew I should set up camp before dark, I settled on St. Pierre Beach where I could watch the sunset.  Cheticamp is known for its Acadian heritage but is also known for having the most beautiful sunsets on the island!  I made my way to the campground at the opening of the Cape Breton Highlands, set up camp and than went for a drive along the Cheticamp Back Road to look for wildlife.  Moose, fox, coyote, deer and bear are commonly spotted in the area but I didn’t see anything.  It wasn’t until two o’clock the next morning that I spotted my first animal; a bull moose munching on a tree dangerously close to my tent.

I awoke early, packed the car and departed for the last leg of my journey over the Cabot Trail that runs through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park with hopes of reaching my final destination, Ingonish, by nightfall.  The Cabot Trail is one of the most scenic drives in North America and one of the best ways to experience it beyond the highway is by hiking the Skyline Trail.  This trail was voted the number one hiking trail in Nova Scotia numerous times.  I hiked along the first part of the trail through thick forest along an old wood road.  After about a half hour, I reached a field where several moose were grazing.  Hikers often spot a variety of wildlife along the trail but only moose were seen that day.  I reached the end of the trail by mid-morning and was greeted by the most spectacular view I had ever witnessed where the beautiful rolling mountains met the vast Atlantic Ocean.  Pilot and Minke whales frolicked in the surf below and the cars on the distant highway looked like toys on top of North Mountain.

I discovered more places along the way.  For example, I didn’t know there was a monastery at Pleasant Bay.  Curiosity got the better of me and I followed a road along some steep cliffs and ended up at Gampo Abbey.  I didn’t see any monks because visiting hours were over but I did enjoy a stroll on a trail along a stream where pretty shrines and statues of Buddha were laid out.  I made Ingonish just in time to set up camp and spent the evening around a campfire with the sound of waves crashing onshore and coyotes howling in the distance.  They don’t call Ingonish “Nature’s Home” for nothing!  As hoped, the next day was very hot and sunny and made for a perfect day of beach-hopping.  The beaches around Ingonish are long and sandy and rarely crowded.  I started at Black Brook where I took a dip in the ocean and walked the nearby hiking trail to Squeaker’s Hole.  North Bay Beach was next and I spent the better part of the afternoon walking the entire beach with my feet in the surf.  I finished off the afternoon at Ingonish Beach and made my way to The Seagull Restaurant where I ordered a delicious meal to go and ate it on the scenic pier at The Point.

I made my way back to camp where I prepared for the evenings events; a guided full moon hike around Warren Lake and a nature hike around Freshwater Lake.  These guided hikes are provided by Parks Canada and visitors can sign up at any of the checkpoints within the park.  One last adventure awaited me the next morning before left for home; a Zodiac tour of Ingonish Bay.  I saw whales, dolphins, seabirds and even a very rare leatherback turtle.

Sydney Harbor and the downtown area as seen from Westmount.

A visit to Cape Breton exposes visitors to a unique cultural experience.  The French, Scottish and MicMac culture is heard in the music and seen at the festivals.  The only bad thing about vacationing in Sydney or anywhere on the Island is the weather.  Although it is mostly warm and sunny during the summer months between July and September, it can still be unpredictable with strong nor’easters pounding the coast, sometimes without much warning.  However, these storms and the high seas that come with them provide excellent photo opportunities.

Digging, Drinking and Hiking: My Experiences in Romania

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By Jasmine Greene.

“Where are you going?”
“Romania.”
“But…why?”

In fact, if I hadn’t been interested in archaeology and looking for a field school, I might
have completely overlooked this country. After all, it isn’t the most common place for
tourists to go. Luckily, I wasn’t touring the country, oh no. I paid good money to go out
there and do some manual labor. Let’s think about that again. I paid to do manual labor.

Dig Site at Piatra Detunata

And let me tell you, it was no joke.

We climbed a “hill” (read mountain) 5 days a week with our shovels, pickaxes and
trowels. Once we got to the Piatra Detunata site it was 8 hours of digging trenches,
picking out ceramic shards and then troweling around a brick watchtower. Still, it was a pretty good time. When we got back to our campsite located in the small town of Tilisca, we’d start a campfire, sing some drinking songs and drink some Tsveka (basically plum moonshine except far more disgusting) and drank 1L bottles of Romanian beer. What more could I ask for?

There’s something to be said about camping around a country like Romania. It’s the
countryside. And by countryside, I don’t mean tractors and farms; I mean dirt roads,
cattle roaming freely along the countryside and cars replaced with horse-drawn wagons.

The Roads of Tilisca

Tilisca is small; almost 1,200 people live there. It provided us with enough basic needs that we could get through workday with some protein in our diet and plenty of beer for afterwards, but other than that, there was not much to do. The nearest town, Saliste was a 2-mile walk away. Apparently Romanians don’t want to pick up hitchhiking archaeologists. On top of that, my travelling companions and I couldn’t get a drink at 10am. What kind of establishment are these Romanians running? Still, Saliste had much more going on than Tilisca with several restaurants- we went to Popasul Marginimii (DN 1, Nr. km 33) – as well as a nice wine shop.

Of course, when the weekend rolled around, I took a warm “shower” (we heated up 3L
soda bottles with water and left them out in the sun) and put on my least dirtiest clothes and went to Sibiu. Despite it’s small size, Sibiu is actually quite a bustling and beautiful city and was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2007. The architecture ranges from Baroque to 19th and 20th century buildings, a truly inspiring mixture of old and new. The main draw to Sibiu is the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Piata Huet 1).

Evangelical Lutheran church in Sibiu

On the day that I arrived in Sibiu, there were at least 5 different weddings around the church. Some were the standard tuxedo/white dress pair though I also got to see traditional Romanian wedding garb. Still, I tired of simply viewing the church from the outside. I ventured in and was not disappointed. It really is no surprise that this church is the most famous example of a gothic style church in all of Romania. There are literally arches everywhere: the windows, the open hallways, the doors and so on. The stained glass windows beautifully depict the life and times of Jesus Christ and many may just be content to sit in the church looking at all of the details. For me and several other people, it was not. For those that want to get THE best view of Sibiu without getting in a helicopter, the top of the bell tower boasts the best view of the city. Below you can see the city design with the Fagaras Mountains as its backdrop. Of course, nothing is free and the view cost a whopping $3 USD. Being broke archaeologists, we tried to sneak by the money collectors in front and haul ass to the top and back down without being noticed. It didn’t work. Eventually we were cornered in the bell tower and forced to pay the fee. Still, it was worth a try.

Aside from trying to cheat the church out of money, we also went to a nice restaurant where we were more than eager to pay. At the time of 2006, the exchange rate was very in the US’ favor. A delicious dinner of steak, potatoes and wine went for about $12 a pop. Sure, maybe we were getting strange looks from the wait service because our “clean” clothes were still filthy from the dirt and sweat of the trenches, but they were nothing but professional. Even the hair salon I went to – Maioko Hair Salon (Str. Calea Dumbravil, nr.2-4) with my friend to simply shampoo my hair was cheap, about $5 USD for a washing. The woman was nice enough, though I’m sure she was wondering why there was so much dirt in my hair. I felt refreshed, dare I say, clean. I walked around the city center and came upon some designer clothing stores that were surprisingly not much cheaper than in New York City. Considering that I was doing a lot of digging in the dirt, I figured I wouldn’t really need any fancy clothes for my stay. So I decided to go to the History Museum division of the Brukenthal Museum, (Str. Mitropoliei, Nr. 2). The
history museum has items that date back to 1-3 century BC and go from there. I kind of sped through the museum as I got to it almost as it was closing, but got to see beautiful glass blown objects, weapons of the Transylvanian area and how they evolved over the course of time and the various silverware pieces from the 19th century that ranged from jewelry to actual forks, spoons and knives.

Of course, there are the larger cities like Bucharest to visit, but I was pretty much warned off from the city by my dig director Andre Gonciar. He specifically told us to fly into Budapest and take the train to Sibiu as Bucharest was very dangerous. I wasn’t quite sure how dangerous it was, but considering that there are roaming bands of gypsy women and children, I imagine a lot of people get their money and probably even passports stolen. I also skipped out on a trip to Brasov to see “Dracula’s Castle.” It seemed a bit too kitschy, which I guess is the point. Still, I had no room in my duffel bag to pack away Dracula shirts and memorabilia. Those that went had an ok time. I was just happy to be spending time lying in the sun reading my book amongst the pine trees and beautiful sun.

Coming from America, Tilisca was so much slower and rustic than any other place I have visited. The people were extremely friendly and I learned important words like fum = smoke and ţânţar= mosquito. I also learned that you get tired of eating canned tuna after 5 days in a row and that tsveka and orange juice do NOT mix. After my dig, my friend and I had a short stay over in a hostel over in Budapest that had its own bar and was home to numerous low budget travellers. We spent the night playing kings and flew still drunk. That day, I learned that flying hungover is not a good idea. Still, it’s a fun story to tell and even though my entire trip was mainly a drinking binge with manual labor in between, it remains my fondest traveling memory.

Get a Feel for Zagreb: Stroll, Sit, and Sip

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By Elaine Dezember Ritchel

My first full day in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, I found myself in the cozy kitchen of a friend of a new friend, gathered around a rickety table with a group of handsome young Croatian men. We slowly sipped wine and munched on salty cheese and pršut sent by concerned mothers from Dalmatia, and they curiously inquired about how it was I ended up in Croatia. I had been studying in England at the time, and I mostly came to Zagreb on a whim. Yet there I was, spending my afternoon with good food and even better company. I could hardly believe my luck.

An afternoon view of Zagreb from upper town

I’ve been back to Zagreb several times since that initial visit, and each time I relearn how to live the good life. Zagreb is a bustling city, full of things to do and sights to see, but for me, sight-seeing in Croatia’s capital is always slow, deliberate, and punctuated by leisurely coffee breaks. Zagreb is a city for exploring, wandering, and—most importantly—enjoying.

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Rome – Tons of European Charm and History on a Budget

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By Glenn Andreiev.

Rome is one exciting and crazy city, and should be at the top of your list if you are considering a first-time European vacation. In early 2007, my friend, Shawna and I traveled to Rome from Paris on the Eurail, basically Europe’s equivalent of our Amtrack train service.

Romans, like almost all main Europeans have done away with the language barrier. Everybody there speaks some degree of English. Even the shopping cart handler at the supermarket next to our hotel was well versed in English.

Shawna and I (centered) next to Brooklyn's toughest Centurions.

Rome is a city that obviously respects their history. The streets wind around sets of existing ancient Roman columns. They would not dream of knocking down the columns, even if they are in ruins, placing them elsewhere, and building a street through it. Of course, you have to see Rome’s main ancient attraction- The Colosseum. There’s a long line to get into the place, but once you pass through that, you are making one spectacular dive into history. A large Roman cross is tastefully placed in what used to be the stage where the Colosseum games took place. There’s been a long debate as to if the ancient Romans really fed imprisoned Christians to the lions, or is that story a Christian-fabricated tale to gain sympathy. The somewhat unclear historic records of the time do state that bears, boars and tigers were used in the Colosseum to execute criminals. I took note of the numerous house cats that were hanging out in the stadium area. A guard told me that this historic site is a favorite among the stray cat population. When we left the Colosseum, we saw the all the familiar tourist attraction- guys dressed as ancient Roman Centurions. They looked at Shawna and me, and said in the thickest Brooklyn/Queens accent, “Yo, you over dare- come here and have picture taken with a real honest to goodness Centurion!”

“Where are you from?” I asked, noting the accent.

“I grew up in Coney Island, Brooklyn!” he replied. I didn’t ask how he wound up doing this gig 4,300 miles away from home.

The Italian Capital Building called "The Wedding Cake" by American GI's during World War II because of it's shape.

The other main Roman attraction is The Vatican. A tour bus takes you to the main avenue leading to the Vatican. Along the avenue is a somewhat pricey, but well worth it, pasta buffet place. All weight loss plans vanish once you enter this den of appetite! The Vatican is cavernous, with almost every section of their walls adorned with the most beautiful of old-world paintings and sculpting. One can’t avoid noticing the bodies of a few past popes lying in state in clear, glass caskets. The one pope from the 17th Century is beginning to look a bit spidery, but the 20th century popes look like they are napping. We were lucky to get there on a Sunday, and witness a most majestic ceremony.

Being a lifelong film fanatic, I immersed myself in Rome’s love of cinema, especially classic American cinema. In their video stores, you can find rare Hollywood cult classics that are not available in America. For example, try to find the 1941 madcap comedy “Hellzapopping” here in the states. It has never been released to American home video. (“Hellzapopping” is an extremely funny, almost plot-less comedy starring the forgotten comedy team of Olsen and Johnson. Martha Raye and the Frankenstein Monster make cameos here.) The first thing I see in a Roman video store is a stand-alone display of “Hellzapopping” DVD’s. Upon my return, my film-fanatic friends were in awe. They were moaning “Oh, dude, go back and get me a copy!” I also found rare, early films that Sophia Loren acted in before coming to America, and uncut copies of 1950’s and 60’s Italian horror films before American distributors cut them to ribbons. So, if you love movies, hit the Roman video stores.

Inside the Vatican, a very large looking indoor country inside of a city

There are some money saving tips I would like to share with future Roman, and European first time travelers. If you plan to use the Eurail, do not buy your train ticket on line in America. Wait until you get to the train station, and then buy your ticket. You’ll find the train fare is about thirty percent lower than the on-line price. Like the Long Island Railroad, or Metro North, seating should be available, unless it is during a holiday rush. I found the Roman population generally very pleasant towards American travelers, but you do get the occasional shady types. A Roman supermarket clerk told me that if a man, or especially a group of men at a café lay on the charm with “Oh, are you from America?  I once lived in New Jersey!  Come, sit and drink with us!” turn down the offer. More than likely, one of them will ask the waiter for a round of drinks for you and his friends. They will order a few more rounds, than vanish, leaving you with the bill. Also, at American fast food restaurants in Rome, such as Burger King, they charge for catsup packets.

I really wanted to try the Roman Chinese Restaurant we drove by, just to say I did it. We went to a small Roman Pizzeria, something I recommend that you do if you decide to visit Rome. The pizza is affordable; a medium pie is about ten euro, which equals fourteen dollars. When we were there, waiting for our pizza, we noticed a horrible almost rotting-flesh smell coming from the back. We wondered if the garbage men were on strike. The waiter brings the pizza, and the smell is coming from Shawna’s pizza, which was made with Gorgonzola. The pizza tasted great, she let me have a bite, but the smell- saints preserve us!

The Roman supermarket we found only proves John Travolta’s “Pulp Fiction” line of “They have the same things in Europe as we have here, only there are some differences.” The supermarket was a combination food mart and all purpose K-Mart styled store, with the teenaged store help moving around the place on rollerskates! We were able to stock up on affordable and tasty breakfast and snack items for the hotel.

When staying in a city like Rome, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. The prices were no different from stateside Holiday Inns and the service was excellent. I feel there is no need to go with a fancy hotel when traveling to a city like Rome, you are there to enjoy Rome, not the four walls of a hotel room. I do have to admit, Roman TV is a total hoot! Their game shows are ablaze with jaw-dropping savagery. If a contestant wins a sports car by getting question number one right, the stagehands will smash the sweet car with sledgehammers if the contestant gets more questions wrong. There’s nothing like unwinding a day of seeing the Colosseum and The Vatican with an American film like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” dubbed in Italian. It was also convenient that the above-mentioned supermarket was next door to the Holiday Inn, so at the last minute we could buy more luggage to handle the American DVDs we bought.

One last bit of money-saving advice. Get to know your Roman cab driver. Get their phone number. Many of them own their taxi, or share it with a family member. They will be only more than happy to offer you a discounted ride to Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport.

A Quick Re-Visit to Valencia, Spain

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By Veronica Shine

With a privileged location along the Mediterranean Sea, the third-largest city in Spain can boast itself as one charming place. Filled with designer shops, fabulous museums and a delicious cuisine it calls its own, Valencia, Spain is also a tale of two cities. This mixture creates just the right environment for a perfect break no matter the season.

Architect Santiago Calatrava's bridge - Assut d’Or

Compared by many as a smaller version of Barcelona, I included; I thought I would re-visit this Mediterranean city by the sea during the holiday season to compare the old and new.

It has been several years since my last visit, which at that time was filled with construction to create a newer Valencia. After all the America´s Cup and Grand Prix were coming to town.

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