macloo

I just started my fourth week of studyng Spanish in the city of Guanajuato. I love it here! It is not as touristy as I had feared, and it’s a fun place to explore on foot.

The tip I have is about buying silver, especially jewelry. There are several great shops in the area called Valenciana, where there is a big, beautiful church (you must see the inside to believe it). Two shops are on the same side of the main street as the church. The other two are on the opposite side of the street. You can easily get to Valenciana by city bus (4 pesos) or taxi (30 pesos). For the bus, go to the corner opposite La Alhondiga and ask for the bus to Valenciana.

Many of the shops in the center of Guanajuato have the same tourist junk and the designs are not very interesting. So go up the mountain to Valenciana—you will enjoy it.

The city of Rousse is northeast of Sofia, the capital. Rousse sits on the Danube River and has been an important port for centuries. The countryside and villages we drove through were really, really beautiful. Unspoiled by industry for the most part, and also unspolied by chain stores and highway overpasses and other obnoxious features of urbanization. The rock churches were simply amazing (elaborately painted sanctuaries inside caves, high up in the cliffs). And the FOOD! Such wonderful food—salads, breads, succulent grilled meats, marvelous cheeses and yogurt. The Rousse wines were delicious too.

Just visited this new museum a couple of weeks ago for the first time. It was sooo wonderful! An absolutely fantastic example of what a museum should be. I started on the top floor (take the elevator up) and walked down. The area called “The Universe” impressed me most of all. The displays of pottery and clothing, etc., cannot be described adequately. Fantastic sounds and sights.

Mostly I was able to walk around the city center for a couple of hours, during the day and then at night. I didn’t have time to visit the museums, but there were several that I wish I could have gone to. I was surprised to see several Roman ruins!

They have the excellent Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which is well worth a visit. I lived in New York for 11 years, so I am no stranger to great art museums. This was very enjoyable. I enjoyed the Indian Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, which are not something you can see just anywhere.

I also went to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, which is much smaller, but a very pleasant space. It has a wonderful restaurant inside.

... DO NOT miss this! Even if you have only an hour or two. The Eqyptian stuff is truly wonderful (maybe not quite as good as the British Museum)—and the paintings! Oh!

You may be disappointed by the crowding around the Mona Lisa, and if you’re short on time, maybe you’d enjoy yourself more if you just skipped that part.

I’m throwing in the French name, since this fantastic castle on a cliff is in France. It has a pretty cool Web site too, in English, French, and Italian. The castle is VERY medieval. The town of Avignon is really, really nice too.

... which is quite near the National Zoo, one of the best zoos in the world. People think D.C. is crime-ridden and dangerous. That’s not true. Like most big American cities, it has some areas of terrible, inexcusable poverty. In and around those areas, crime is high. But you’re not very likely to get mugged when you’re visiting the monuments in broad daylight. And this city has some of the absolutely best food in the whole world!

I arrived about one week before the Olympics started. It was as if the city - this gorgeous city on the most beautiful harbor - was holding its collective breath. And then, on the morning after the brilliant Opening Ceremony, it was the happiest, most electric place in the whole world!

I’m in the middle of putting a travelogue online. I was in Sarawak for 10 days and in Sabah for 12 days. This trip was one of the most memorable things I have ever done. It’s not an easy trip (at least, not if you go into the jungle, and I did), but it’s fascinating and marvelous.