A day in the life…or how it is in the "City of Fallen Women"

From our rooftop patio, under a red umbrella, taking in the warm breeze and gazing at the fantastic 17^th century San Francisco church’s dome and steeple, we can reflect on living in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) for a while.  This is a lovely place with which it is easy to fall in love after, say 24 hours.

It is called the City of Fallen Women because of the hazardous cobblestone streets, very narrow stone sidewalks and numerous holes in both which are never marked by orange cones or come with any warning.  Thus, many women you see have casts, braces, canes, etc.  You really have to watch your step.

To find negative things like that to say is kind of difficult.   SMA has been designated a World Heritage Cite by UNESCO and is quaint and photogenic.  It is often called “The Magical City” and it is.  The natives are very proud that Conde Nast voted it the best place in the world to visit last year, and this year several publications named it the best place to visit in Mexico. 

Magic, who can explain it?  Being here you feel happy.  Life is beautiful.  The pace is slow, the weather is fantastic, there are many cultural events to take part in, people are friendly (expats in particular) and the Mexicans are so very sweet and polite.  Even the beggar in front of our door, Rudolfo, wishes us a good day when we disturb him to go out or come in.  Of course having a beggar at your door takes some getting used to, but it’s all in the life here.  Live and let live.

Right next door to us is a green grocer with wonderful produce; very fresh and tasty.  We have to soak all fruits and vegetables in microdyne before cutting or eating them, but that is no big deal.  Next to the green grocer are the coffin makers—old men tapping away daily—who also sell handmade beeswax candles for about 50 US cents, which they carefully wrap in newspaper and scotch tape closed, stopping their work to do so.

Next to them is a small grocery store which has just about everything we might need:  dry goods, dairy, deli meats and cheeses, and household necessities:  It’s like having a huge pantry downstairs.  Prices there are pretty inexpensive—what we might pay $100 US for comes to, maybe, $40 US here.  And they take credit cards.

Next is a “carnitas” shop:  A tiny hole in the wall where a man roasts a small pig daily and sells the meat.  It is delicious!  After that a few "tiendas" selling watches, used TVs and other electronics, kids school supplies and another green grocer.  And last but not least, a great butcher shop. Around the corner is a small liquor store where, Mario, the owner always greets you with a big, warm smile and lots of advice about wine, tequila, etc.

Throughout SMA there are shops filled with colorful artisan crafts and clothes, objects made of tin, brass or silver, hand made jewelry, masks, antiques, etc.  Each one seems to beckon you to come in.  In addition there are many, many tiny restaurants and some huge ones, bakeries, candy stores, ice cream shops—all wafting out the most wonderful aromas. Life doesn’t get much more convenient in terms of food, drink and window-shopping (or wandering in to look at the variety of goods sold).

For entertainment, we check the daily listings in the local paper, Atencion, which has a pull-out section in English and Spanish listing the day’s offerings.  Normally you can choose from 15 or so activities:  from lectures, films, art gallery exhibits, museums, tours, language classes, music, dance presentations, spa offerings, exercise or yoga classes and on and on.  Also featured are restaurants, homes for sale, which are fun to look at, and volunteer opportunities.  What a cornucopia of stuff to choose from.  We sometimes exhaust ourselves doing too much.

Today we had a fun breakfast Christmas celebration with Larry’s language class.  The teacher had the students write notes about one another and it created a good feeling to hear each student read the nice things his fellow students (and teachers) said about him or her.  Better than exchanging gifts!

The other evening we strolled through the streets with a  “posada”:  A flat bed truck with children portraying Mary, Joseph and an angel in a palm strewn setting.  Behind the truck strolled musicians playing the same song over and over and over with small children behind them singing the song over and over and over.  Then came the group of adults completing the procession.  

From some rooftops people threw bags of candy.  The posada represents Mary and Joseph looking for an inn (posada).  It finally comes to a stop at one of the churches in town, which is prepared to serve hot chocolate and have huge piñatas for the kids to burst.

During the day a couple days ago, there was a procession of heavily feathered, Aztec-dressed Indians dancing rhythmically to the beat of several drums.  Brightly dressed and masked people followed, each with a long robe and a big tall hat.  Who knows what they were to represent, but it was colorful and interesting.

Music is almost always in the air, from mariachis to what they call "estudiantinas" or tunas—bands consisting of mostly stringed instruments  (not as blaring as the mariachis) who play and sing wonderful Mexican folk music. Last night we stumbled across our favorite group, Tuna Real, serenading a bridal party.  We have not seen them as much this year as last, but when we do, we always enjoy them.

We attended a lecture about Mexican music where the teacher went through each decade since the 40’s enumerating the changes in musical styles.  The traditional has now been replaced for the young by US music since it is so ubiquitous.  Kind of sad.

Another lecture we found interesting was about migrating monarch butterflies which winter in a small town close to SMA, some of them coming all the way from Canada, and all of them female.  We learned that the males die immediately after mating with the female who soon lays 200-400 eggs and then takes off. 

This afternoon we plan to see a movie in the “Pocket Theater” which serves a drink (alcoholic or non) and a small bag of popcorn with each ticket.  Tonight we will go to the local performing arts theater and listen to a Cuban quartet.

A stroll through the Jardin, or central plaza, is always a treat morning, noon or night to see families enjoying themselves:  kids often chasing pigeons, parents often buying plastic toys for toddlers to pull around, young people smooching, and old people (like us) resting.  Sometimes there is dancing in the gazebo in the center of the park.  Always there is someone or some groups playing music of some kind.  It is a great place to relax and people watch. This time of the year, there is a beautiful "nacimiento" or manger scene with live sheep and goats.

As the bells chime now, it reminds us of the primary sound in SMA.  Bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells.  (E.A. Poe must have been here.)  With over 36 Catholic churches and a few monasteries, someone, somewhere is very often calling people to prayer or chiming the time of day.  Religion is very important here and people are very respectful of the church.

We went to the central market the other day and found a huge, flower filled altar-like tribute to the two most recent popes.  As people walked by, even tiny children, they would stop, bow their heads and make the sign of the cross.

Well, you may be able to get a feel for SMA.  It is surely worth a visit and we would love to show it to you.  Our friend, Susie Morgan, has been here since the beginning of December and has said, “You know, coming here I felt like I was coming home.”  It is that kind of a place!

"Fleece" Navidad to all of our friends & family.  

Mexico City Weekend

Lost in an Oz of Penises

At the end of November, we returned to Mexico City for a fun-filled and busy weekend in the Mexican capital.  Getting there involves a four hour bus ride, but fortunately bus travel in Mexico can be very comfortable in a first class bus, with reclining seats and a video to while away the time.

During our last visit, we found a hotel, El Ejecutivo, that was comfortable, affordable and just a five minute walk from our friend Carole's apartment--a recommendation for those thinking of visiting the DF.

Carole had wanted us to come early enough on Friday, to be able to visit the Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum.  She had visited it earlier,  and intrigued by an exhibit, "Infinite Obsession", featuring a Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, she wanted to make sure we saw it.  We are so glad we were able to do so.

Kusama was born in Japan in 1929 but by the mid-sixties was finding the Japanese art world and culture restrictive and anti-feminist, so she moved to the United States where she felt the climate and art world were more open and welcoming. (One of our favorite quotes from the author is "discovering polka dots was so freein

Carole & Sue

Much of Kusama's art is focused on the naked human body, and she uses the penis in a lot of her works.  It sounds strange and is hard to describe, but in person it can be amusing, thought provoking, and certainly makes you smile.

We were intrigued by a number of installations in the exhibit, especially one in which she used mirrors and strings of small, spherical lights to create a sense of the infinite. The lights cycle through a range of colors that changes the effect and affect on the viewer. Like we said, hard to describe, but very interesting to experience.  If you have the opportunity to see Kusama's art, don't pass it up.

Saturday was devoted to the New York Metropolitan Opera's "Opera in Cinema" presentation; Carol and we are big fans of the "Live in HD" broadcasts. When we are in Denver, we try not to miss one.  There are several venues across Mexico City offering the operas, but Carol prefers the Auditoria Nacional, a huge venue that can seat more than 10,000 spectators. One of the best reasons to see the opera at the Auditoria Nacional is that each performance is preceded by a lecture by Sergio Vela;  we have attended two of his lectures and Carol and Fernando (a friend of hers who writes reviews for Auditoria National) do not miss them.  Erudite and knowledgeable about opera and music in general, his lectures add a whole new dimension to the performance.  Fortunately, his Spanish is so clear that, even for us, the lectures are worthwhile.

For this performance of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", the auditorium was about 1/3 filled.  We all enjoyed the performance--comfortable seats, giant screen with easy to read subtitles, and great sound. Intermissions are punctuated with interviews with the principal singers or a look backstage, adding to the overall impact of the performance.

These broadcasts really make opera accessible and affordable, and the Met is of course one of the world's great opera companies.

Our Sunday was completely different but equally diverting.  Carol and Fernando are aficionados of the Corrida, or Bullfight; they attend almost all of them offered in the Plaza de Mexico, the world's largest bullfight ring, and invited us to accompany them.

We know little of the sport and ritual and would not probably attend on our own, but going with Carol and Fernando makes it a real cultural and educational outing. Bullfighting is, of course, a controversial activity and many are adamantly opposed to the sport. But it is also a sport, rich in cultural history; and watching the matadors or toreros risk their lives in a one-on-one match with a 500 pound bull is intriguing and often thrilling spectacle.

On this Sunday afternoon, we watched the inaugural appearance of a 20-year old Mexican man whose father and grandfather before him had been matadors--he was awarded an ear for his skill, bravery and ability to control the bull, a nice and hopefully propitious start to a long career.

The other matadors were a Spaniard and a Mexican, both veterans. The Spaniard was awarded two ears--at the insistence of the crowd--after his third bout--his first two bulls having proved to be not very good fighters. We enjoyed our afternoon at the bullring; and were among very few gringos in attendance.

Sue, Carole & Fernando

We are so very thankful that our trips to Mexico have enabled us to meet and get to know our now good friend, Carole Reedy.  Mart & Bob, who have known Carole for more than 40 years introduced us last year, but we feel like we have been friends forever.

She is a wonderful host and tour guide.  She loves Mexico and especially Mexico City--so much so that she became a Mexican citizen last year.  She is always up for a visit from friends and even friends of friends. Her birthday and our 44th wedding anniversary coincided with our visit this time; it was a great way to celebrate and reconnect.  Thanks Carole!!!!!

After our wonderful afternoon at the Corrida, we finished up our day at a new restaurant on Reforma, El Diez.  una parilla argentina, or Argentine Grill, we feasted on an incredibly delicious arrachera (marinated flank steak), french fries or papas fritas, and a great, but inexpensive bottle of Malbec. Highly recommended for meat lovers. A perfect ending to a perfect day and weekend.

Return to San Miguel de Allende

Dia de Muertos

 We are back in San Miguel de Allende and are planning to stay for the next several months.  The transition, except for a snafu with our checked bags that was rectified after three days, has been pretty seamless and trouble free.

Day of Dead display 

We arrived on Saturday, November 1 (Dia de Muertos.)  Seeing all of the adults dressed up like skeletons going to a masked ball and the children in their "Halloween" costumes was fun, but it seemed to lack of the spontaneity and levity we remember from last year. Others have commented on the same to us.  We are fearful it is being taken over by the ex-pats and other foreigners.

Our Apartment

View from our Terrace

 Before leaving San Miguel last year, we searched for a place for our stay this year, and we feel fortunate that we found a great one-bedroom apartment right in the heart of town.  Our rent covers all utilities, cable and Internet, and weekly cleaning so we feel it is a good bargain at $742/month. There is a small grocery store, two green grocers, a butcher, and a liquor store within half a block of us.

Small but very comfortable, the apartment includes a living/dining room, kitchen on the first floor and the bedroom and terrace on the second floor. Though  small, we do have room for visitors and there is an open invitation.  Winter nights can be chilly, but most days are bright & sunny with incredibly crystalline blue skis.

Larry at the Biblioteca

There is much to see and do in town, and in the two weeks we have been here, we feel like we have done and seen a lot, although many might think it is a rather leisurely existence.  Larry has signed up for a Spanish language conversation class for an hour each day; Sue is studying on her own for now but is keeping her options open.

Monday nights we are attending a Spanish language lecture series offered by a local language teacher, Javier.  He is very knowledgeable about Mexican history, culture and current events, and he speaks so very clearly and precisely that we both are enjoying this learning opportunity.

We have signed up to tutor some teenagers in English three days a week, at the Biblioteca Publica (a library founded by the expat community some sixty years ago and dedicated to serving the entire San Miguel community.) Our first class will be later this week--wish us luck!

Gil Gutierrez & Friends

 There are so many restaurants that we almost certainly will never be able to sample all of them.  We have returned to some we remembered fondly from last year, like Hecho en Mexico and our favorite Pizzeria.

Last Friday, at the invitation of our friends, John & Martha Birney, we dined at Mi Casa--a restaurant located in the Instituto de Allende and featuring the music of guitarist Gil Gutierrez.  He was joined by some Cuban musicians, and it was a truly memorable and delightful evening. We hope to return regularly.

Organic Market

Other activities have included visiting the Saturday Organic Market and participating in the Audubon Society of Mexico's monthly bird walks.  The latter was great fun.  It was a beautiful Sunday morning and the walk took us along the banks of the river Loja.

Bird Walk

Along the River, Loja

Our expert guides are armed with binoculars and "scopes" that make seeing the birds a lot easier--we spotted a number of exotic species, at least for us, including Vermillion Flycatchers, Phoebes, Keskakees, Cara-Caras,  several variety of egrets as well as mourning doves, warblers, kingfishers, jays, and ravens.

We joined the Society and look forward to their monthly "walks." It was especially nice to have an opportunity to see the countryside outside of town.

Weekend at the Jardin

San Miguel, in addition to a lot of US and Canadian expats, attracts a lot of Mexican tourists from Mexico City and other larger nearby cities like Queretaro, Guanajuato, and Leon.

On weekends, the Jardin, or main plaza, is filled with people--milling around, looking at the Parroquia and other local sites, eating at one of the many restaurants on or near the square, and buying souvenirs and other gimgaws.

Music is a big part of the experience, and at any one time, there might be two or three competing Mariachi bands or singing groups playing or performing.

One thing that we have enjoyed this time is the friendliness of the expat community.  The local Mexicans are almost uniformly polite and helpful, but without a thorough mastery of the language or some other intro to the community, it is hard to integrate--but perhaps with time.

Barbara on her Terrace

The expat community, on the other hand, seems to be very friendly and welcoming.  Already we have met and socialized with a number of individuals and couples.

Attending a play or concert or dining at a local eatery is not unusual to get involved in an extended conversation with the strangers seated next to you.  It is always great fun to exchange stories about how and why you have come to San Miguel.

The Language School, El Liceo, has been another great outlet and a way to meet others.  Last Saturday evening, we were invited to the home of one of Larry's classmates, Barbara and her husband, Dave.

Last year, while on a vacation to Mexico, they visited San Miguel and within three days bought a beautiful home just outside "El Centro" or downtown, and decided to settle there permanently.   They returned home to Seattle,  sold their condo, retired from their jobs, and now are making a new life for themselves here in this lovely Mexican city. It's an easy life with great weather, an interesting culture, and a cost of living probably half of what one experiences in the USA.

Short visit to the East Coast

Charlie chooses his Halloween pumpkin

We left Denver on October 18 and headed for the East Coast.  As we have noted many times, it is hard to leave Bryn, Grant and Charlie.  We had a wonderful farewell dinner with them the night before we left.  It will be three months before we are back in Denver, and we know that Charlie will have grown and changed--but he doesn't seem to forget us, fortunately.

Our primary motivation for going East was to share a week at the Southern Outer Banks, more specifically Emerald Isle, NC, with some longtime friends.  We like going to the NC beaches in the Fall--for us it is the best time to visit.  The weather is almost invariably mild, the water remains warm, and the beaches are much less hectic and crowded. At Emerald Isle, we have found a lovely rental house, Breezy Cottage, that seems to suit us well.

Breezy Cottage

The gang, in part

It is big (six bedrooms) but not gigantic.  It is perfect for eight to ten people to gather, but also provides a variety of spaces for quiet reading or napping.

Breezy has two decks, a screened in porch, a large dining area and a comfortable living room as well.  It also has a great kitchen where three or four people seem to be able to work without getting in each other's way. It is so perfect, a number of us have committed to returning for another visit next October.

Bob & Mike

This year we were joined by Mart and Bob Larson, Mike and Marcia Mayo, and Blythe Tennent.  We have known Mart & Bob for more than thirty years; our children were in pre-school together.  Mike was Larry's college roommate; he met Marcia in their sophomore year, and all of us worked at the UNC-Chapel Hill Undergraduate Library together (where Larry and Sue met 45 years ago).

Blythe worked with Larry at East Carolina University and she and Sue were walking buddies. So we hoped we would all be compatible. Fortunately, the chemistry seemed to work incredibly well for the entire group. Missing was our friend Nan; house renovations gone amuck kept her from joining us.

Sue & Marcia

One of the delights was taking turns preparing the evening meals; it would not be exaggerating to say that a number of gourmet meals resulted, and certainly no one lost weight during the week. The wine flowed generously, a number of the evenings saw some pretty competitive dominoes games; Bob dominated the pool games among the boys, and all of us enjoyed long walks along the seashore.

Sun & water

When the tide is out, the beach is wide and flat making for easy walking.  Only Sue was brave enough to swim-the water was remarkably warm and the waves were quite gentle.  But sitting on the beach, with your face to the sun was an activity we all could enjoy.

Sunrise on Emerald Isle

Shells on the beach

Time seems to flow a little bit differently at the seashore.

At first, the days are languid, and you tell yourself that you  have all the time in the world to enjoy each sunrise and sunset and all of the bright and sunny days in between--but then all of a sudden it is Saturday, and you are beginning to pack up and getting ready for the Sunday morning exit.

It was a truly idyllic interlude that seemed all too short--but knowing we will be back next year made the leaving not too sad.

NB:  Mike is an author whose writings can be found on Amazon under Michael Mayo.  His novel, Jimmy the Stick is "a novel of suspense" set in the late 20's and early 30's.  It is a marvelous read and we highly recommend it and not just because we love Mike !

Maury starting his tour 

Leaving the beach, we drove to Louisburg, NC for a very short visit with some other friends from our ECU days--Dru and Maury York. They have moved to this little town and bought and remodeled a small, but delightful house in the old part of town.

Part of Maury's job with Louisburg College is to work with the community to enhance tourism and welcome visitors.  On the day of our visit, we were treated to Maury's inaugural Louisburg Tour--it was lots of fun learning about the town's very interesting history and architecture. Dru is an architectural expert and we enjoyed Maury deferring to her at times to describe what we were seeing as we studied some of the buildings on the tour.  Our time with them both was delightful.

After an overnight stay with Mike and Marcia in their new house in Chapel Hill, we flew to Atlanta for a short visit with Larry's Mom and extended family.  All seem well and it is always fun to see the grand nieces and nephew, catch up with everyone's lives and enjoy the beautiful GA countryside. Larry's Mom is 86; lives on her own and thankfully seems very healthy.  Her life is full with church, volunteer work and family.

We flew out of the Atlanta airport to Mexico City on Halloween day.  Our flight was uneventful until we arrived in Mexico City, and discovered our two checked bags didn't come with us.  The airline and its employees (Air Tran/Southwest) were very helpful.  The bags finally made it to us in San Miguel four days later. (In every life a little rain must fall.) We are now comfortably settled in San Miguel and are creating memories each day.  Come visit and you can show up in our next blog !

We'll be back next year, ready for the next Bocce Ball tournament.

Denver Ups and, unfortunately, Downs

Father/Daughter twins

It seems that most of our posts are unremittingly optimistic and upbeat, but we have truly loved most places we have visited over these past two years and have usually enjoyed the places we have stayed, but our last sojourn in Denver was something of an exception.

Father/Son Twins

Visiting with Bryn, Grant and Charlie is always a delight. And Denver is definitely one of the places we like best, and it will be our base of operations henceforth, but a series of unfortunate events made our recent stay less than enjoyable.

Before leaving for Europe last spring, we made arrangements through AirBnB to rent a place in our favorite Denver locale, Brooks Towers--but very soon after we arrived in Europe we received notice that our host canceled our reservation, so we had to scramble to find another.

First Class Apartment--you can tell

We finally succeeded in securing a one-bedroom apartment, just off Colfax Avenue and not far from the State Capitol building.  Who was to know that it was also Denver's skid row?  Winos, drug addicts and all manor of street people wandered by and loitered on the steps during all hours of the day and night.

The apartment, itself, was less than desirable as well: a dark, semi-basement with gray walls and beige, dirty looking shag carpeting throughout. We quickly dubbed it our "Motel Six" apartment, and that was an insult to Motel Six.

To make matters worse, Sue got sick with an incredibly tenacious infection that eventually affected her kidneys and required three rounds of different antibiotics to cure. It kept her pretty much house bound for more than month. It was a most unpleasant interlude.

Cheeseman Park

On a more positive note, the apartment was just two blocks from Cheeseman Park, a great green urban oasis that provided a nice respite from our bleak abode.  Larry tried to walk there every day when possible--and with Denver's nice weather, it was usually beautiful.

Erin at the Botanic Garden 

Late in August, Erin returned from Pakistan (thank goodness!!!) and paid us a visit.  She arrived pretty tired, but managed to rest and recuperate during a two week visit.  This was definitely the bright spot in an otherwise downer sojourn (except, of course, for the upper of her sister and family--immediate and extended). Erin has now returned to DC and started her new State department assignment as a liaison to the Organization of American States.

Bryn and Sue with Chihuly glass behind

We managed to visit the Denver Botanic Garden several times; they are hosting an incredible Chihuly Glass exhibit that is bringing thousands of people to the garden. The glass displays and sculptures really glisten and resonate in the bright Colorado sun.

A Chihuly glass schulpture with wow factor in the
Japanese part of the Botanic Garden

On the train at the zoo

For Sue's Birthday (October 2), Bryn and Charlie joined us for a trip to the Denver Zoo; Charlie is now of an age where he is really into the animals--we spent perhaps fifteen minutes gazing at a hippopotamus, long after the adults had grown tired and were urging him to move on to the elephants or rhinos.  Of course, they too received a long study once we arrived at their enclosures. He really liked the Zoo train--especially riding with his Oma, while Mom and Opa rode in front of them.

Our favorite guy !!

But now the time has come for us to leave Denver for our next adventure.  We are returning to San Miguel de Allende--we enjoyed this magical Mexican town so much last winter that we felt that we wanted to visit it again, this time for a longer stay, November to April. Some of our friends have already told us that they will join us for part of the stay and there is an open invitation to all of our readers...we promise you an interesting and fun filled visit.

We will of course miss Charlie and his mom and dad a lot while we are away, but he has promised us he will talk with us on Skype whenever we call.  We surely hope so! We'll probably come back in January for a short visit to help celebrate his 3rd birthday, so maybe he won't forget us.

In the pumpkin patch

Traveling with Old & Dear Friends

Just one of the beautiful gardens in Stanley Park

We had not visited Vancouver before, so we couldn't pass up the chance to see the city and spend some time with great friends in the bargain.

Like Portland, Vancouver is a beautiful city and it has wonderful parks and miles of harbor side walking and biking trails.

Sue & John

We were particularly enchanted by Stanley Park, with its wonderful and varied perennial and rose gardens and an impressive number and variety of trees, but the entire city is a sparkling gem.

Vancouver is another foodie city.  One night we dined in a revolving restaurant atop a 50 story building, with our view of the city constantly changing. Our AirBnB landlady, Andrea, put us onto a great eating experiences.  She recommended we try Campagnolo, which was just a mile from our apartment and five minutes from the train station, so we made reservations for lunch on the day of our departure.

We were a party of seven and they served us family style with a Chef's taster menu.  We were served with three courses--appetizers/salads, pizza, and desserts.  Each course had three or four different dishes, all were wonderful.  We ordered some Tuscan wine to go with the food, and the bill was about $35/person with tip.  Lots of fun and really tasty--we would highly recommend Campagnolo.

Cabins with Elk

In Vancouver, we were joined by John Cunningham, Lois and Martin Simpson, and Benigno and Lauriece Aguirre--friends from our graduate school days in New Orleans. We've known each other nearly 45 years--incredible as that seems.

The Gang getting ready for the Lake Maligne cruise

Thanks in large part to John's organizing skills and perseverance, we have managed to stay in touch with one another over the years, and recently we have been trying to get together on a regular basis for reunions and travel experiences.

This year we all agreed to meet in Vancouver and then ride the Canadian Pacific's train through the Rockies to Jasper National Park. It proved to be a great and unique experience.

The 18-hour, overnight train journey was surprisingly comfortable, even in a regular coach seat--most of us managed to dose off for some time during the night.  And share snacks during the day.

The construction of the line is a marvel of 19th and early 20th century engineering and ingenuity and the scenery is unparalleled. If you book through one of the Tour Canada companies, you can pay two or three thousand a person for this trip--I think we paid less than $150 for our train ticket. Seems like the scenery is the same, though, no matter what you pay.

Martin, John, Lauriece, Lois and Sue

We disembarked in Jasper, Alberta, Canada--a little mountain town of just 5,000 inhabitants that swells to a population of some 25,000 during the short summer tourist season.  Lodging for our stay was at the Pine Cabins, a cluster of log cabins just outside of town along the banks of the Athabasca River.

Most morning and evenings, we were visited by a small herd of elk--they are great fun for the tourists but make maintaining a garden and shrub plantings a real problem.

Spirit Island, a painter's paradise

There is a lot to see and do in and around Jasper, but most of it involves driving, which we did in a GMC Yukon, a huge, behemoth of a vehicle that easily held all seven of us as well as our luggage and paraphernalia.

Driving was surprisingly easy, what with power steering, the onboard GPS, and the ever present six backseat drivers and navigators. Not complaining; sometimes you needed everyone of them to see where you were suppose to turn.

Lois and Martin and the $1 million ice bus

All of us enjoyed our visit to Maligne Lake which is very close to Jasper.  On a chilly and rainy day, we booked a lake cruise that took us to Spirt Island, a small "islet" that you don't actually walk on, but you can get off the boat and take a short hike to a viewing/photography spot.  It is said to be one of the most photographed scenes in Canada. It was both beautiful and haunting.

One of the most interesting day trips involved a 200 mile roundtrip to the Columbia Icefield, where we rode a $1million ice bus that took us out onto the Athabasca glacier.

On the Ice Bus

Since its discovery in the 19th century, the glacier has retreated several miles and many scientists believe that it will disappear by the end of this century.

It certainly brings home the concept of global warming. During the 20 minutes you are on the glacier, you are free to walk around and explore.

Some of our fellow tourists, hiked pretty far onto the ice, but the story the bus driver told of the recent discovery of the body of a cross country skier that had been encased in the ice for twenty years was enough to make most of us want to stay close to the ice bus.

On the glacier

On another day we visited Lake Louise--truly an extraordinarily beautiful location.  Even though it was the middle of August, all of us were glad to have our fleeces and jackets, and the pause for coffee and hot chocolate in the majestic Lake Louise Lodge was an unexpected bonus.

A gondola ride up Whistlers Mountain (so called for the high pitched whistle made by the marmosets who live on mountain) was the highlight of another day. The gondola took us up above the tree line, but only Lois had the stamina to hike up the rest of the way to the top, while the rest of us visited the gift shop and coffee bar.

Lake Louise

Of course, the nicest part of the trip was just being with old and dear friends--gossiping and catching up, making and eating homemade meals, teasing, playing dominoes or reading by the fire for an evening, laughing and grouching.  It was a delight, and we are looking forward to our next reunion.  We all had a truly wonderful time and Sue has dubbed it "National Lampoon's Elders in the Rockies." We should be famous!

We left our mark near the cabins