It's Festival Time on Ikaria

It's spring, and that means it's getting warmer in the Greek Islands, and it also means that it's festival time on many of them.  But, there's one island that boasts more elderly people than most places on Earth.  Many of the residents there have spent their lives living and working elsewhere and then returned when they retired.  I once was told that if you are older than 103, you can no longer receive a loan at the bank.  Imagine that.  Bill Weir did and he spent some time over there wondering what it was about this tiny island that makes people forget how old they really are and live to ages that most of us only imagine.  They still have all the things that we picture on a Greek island, like pretty white villages, and ruins, and lots of tourists spend time there.  There's just something a little different about Ikaria.

You can charter a yacht to sail around the islands or just around Ikaria for a day.  You can get to the island by smaller plane or the ferry.  It's not like getting to Pitcairn Island.  This place is reachable and beautiful.  It's relaxed, which is one of the reasons I believe these people live so long.  I liked the idea of renting a boat for the day and getting some great views of the coast of Ikaria.  It's got great rocky shores and tons of beautiful beaches.  It also has all of those little cove towns that spread up the cliffs and hills making bright white landscapes that you only seem to see around the Mediterranean Sea.  It's a great way to take in the view.

You will find beautiful resort hotels in nearly every town and village on Ikaria.  There's nothing quite like sitting by a pool with an amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea from the top of a rocky cliff.  It's a great way to get away and forget that at home you're still wearing winter boots.  The one thing that you always get in the Greek Islands is the atmosphere, and it's alive and well on Ikaria.  You will feel a little bit like you stepped back in time and are part of the jet set that made the Mediterranean one of the must see places of the world.

Speaking of stepping back in time, we all know that one of the reasons that people come to Greece is to see ruins.  You will not be disappointed on Ikaria.  They have several sites including the Castle of Koskina, Drakano Fortress, the Temple of Artemis, and the Roman Baths at Therma.  There are a lot of sites to go and visit, and some of them are still in pretty good shape.  If you own a camera though, this is for you.

Then there are the beaches.  We all know how interested I am in these places, but Ikaria has a lot of them for those of you who are into the beach.  There is one that I like, however, and that is Seychelles Beach.  This rocky beach not only has a view, but it also has a lot of rocky areas to explore and a cave.  In the area of this beach there are also tunnels along the roads where you drive.  It's a very rocky, scenic area, and the beach just gives you a place to stop and enjoy the scenery.

So, why did I make this an Adventure for Anyone?  Well, for one thing, it has festivals this time of year.  Panagiria are the celebrations of the Feast Days.  In May there are four of them;  Agias Irinis, Agios Isidoros, St. Constantine & Helen, and Agiwn Pantwn.  Sometimes they also have Agiou Pnevmatos in May, but it also comes sometimes in June.  Check the information on the web to see which villages have celebrations for which feast day, but you have to go to one of these festivals.  They are amazing.  We've all heard tales about how Greek folks party, and that's somewhat true.  They love to get together with family and friends and cook, eat, visit, laugh, dance, and yes drink.  If you do go to one of the Panagiria, you will be expected to join in.  I promise it will be fun though.  You'll find yourself celebrating well into the night and sometimes to dawn, and it will be something that you will remember forever.  That's why you should come to Ikaria.  To meet the locals and see the wonderful lifestyle that they have.  Some of these people live off the land at their houses and rarely even use money.  It's a world that has nearly ceased to exist on our globe.

While on the island you will also want to visit Therma, which does not host any of the May Panagiria, but they do have hot springs, and we all know how much I love those.  These have been visited since the times of the Gods when the ruins were not yet ruins, and Odysseus was sailing the seas, and they are still a delight.  The spas at Therma are some of the most popular spots for tourists on the island.  If you have some aches and pains, this is the spot for you.

You will see things on Ikaria that you don't see on most Greek Islands.  You will meet people that have lived longer than you ever imagined and you will see them in fairly large numbers.  You will find a good number of people that speak English running around too, because some of the elderly here used to live and work in America.  They only retired back to Ikaria.  With it's unusual rock houses that date back to before Christ was born, Ikaria is an amazing place with amazing people.  It's beautiful and wild and scenic and fun.  It's one of those places that just keep you coming back.  Ask it's amazing elderly population that returned here after lifetimes lived elsewhere.  Take some time to relax, and make your way to Ikaria, an amazing little Greek Island.
Enjoy!

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https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone

I've Given Up On Spring, So Let's Go Somewhere That They Just Don't Care...Cleveland!

It's baseball season, well almost, and that means that it's time for all this snow to go away.  I still have a glacier in my yard and it snowed the other day.  So, while it's been nice talking about all the wonderful ways that we can go far far away and be warm, it's time to talk about someplace near and dear to my heart.  That place is Cleveland, Ohio, home of the Indians amongst others.

Cleveland is one of the truly unsung amazing places in this country.  I've been going there since I was a little kid, and I've always loved it there.  The legend is true that at one time the river caught on fire, but since then, they've been really good about pollution.  When I was a kid, the smog was pretty bad there, and now the skies are clear, even though there are clouds a lot of the time.  There are so many things that I could talk about when it comes to Cleveland that I could sincerely write the longest blog entry ever written about this city.  But I won't.  Cleveland has great architecture, amazing museums, great botanical gardens, fabulous neighborhoods with amazing food, some of the most notable sports teams in the country and the world.  It's all right here in Cleveland, baby!

We love the Indians, Cavaliers, and Browns (both old and new).  This town loves their teams, so don't wear anything offensive while visiting.  Not that anyone will care.  They all know their teams are the greatest, and consider all the other fans uninformed.  I just think it's rude in a great town like Cleveland to wear garb that supports other teams.  But, there are many things that the city is known for, and believe it or not, one of those things is the airport.  That's right, Cleveland has the most interesting airport I've ever been to in the Cleveland Hopkins Airport.  This place has a branch of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a hall of art museum exhibits in addition to great shopping and food.  That place even has an English Pub with bangers and mash on the menu.  It's a great place to get stuck on a layover, and for any of you that have flown much, you know how important a good layover is.

I mentioned the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, because it is one of the most famous spots in all of Cleveland.  There's always something going on there whether it be great exhibits or great events.  If you like rock music, you cannot miss this.  If you like museums, you should also check out the Great Lakes Science Center, all of the art museums, the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and so many other great tourist stops.  If you like, you can visit some of them on the trolley tour.

Nearby is one of my all time favorite locations.  Cedar Point is the amusement park that I visited throughout most of my life.  From the time I was a kid, I couldn't wait to go there, and I still love it.  All we wanted to do as kids was go to the world's best roller coaster park and scare the crap out of ourselves.  As an adult, I discovered that Cedar Point is indeed ranked the world's best roller coaster park, proving that my judgment isn't all bad.  But, whether you like the coasters, the beach, other rides, mini golf or great IMAX movies, it's a great place to spend some time, and it sits right on the beach along Lake Erie.

But, let's get down to it.  I don't write about a town just because I like it.  There are some one of a kind things to do in Cleveland.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of them, but there are many more.  Surfing is something that folks in Cleveland love to do.  You can go to the beach and watch or try it for yourself.  It's not quite spring yet?  That's okay, these guys go surfing most of the winter as well.  This is the one place in the world that surfing isn't really seasonal.  It's a crazy concept, but the locals have a whole lot of fun surfing in the dead of winter.

Cleveland is a great place to strap on the old feed bag too.  Just ask Anthony Bourdain.  There are several neighborhoods in Cleveland that are noted for their specific food genres.  The West Side Market is the zenith of the idea of being a foodie in Cleveland.  It's one of the oldest and largest city markets in the country, and you can find just about anything there.  You should really make it a stop while in town.  But that's not the only shopping that you should do.  Cleveland is known for it's books.  That's right, these guys read, collect, buy and sell books by the tons.  Loganberry Books is in the oldest part of town and has thousands of books to pick through, and if you want to combine a love of food with a love a books, visit Zubal Books in the old Twinkie factory.  It's one of the largest new and used booksellers in the world, and the fact that the place used to produce Twinkies is pretty cool.

For all of it's amazing qualities from the fireworks factory to the best Polish food I ever ate, Cleveland has some great stuff, but one of the things that you really need to do is see some sights that you can't see anywhere else.  Stop in at the Horseshoe Casino and the Cleveland visitors center and discover a piece of history that most of us can identify with.  The Horseshoe Casino used to be Higbee's Department Store, and we all know what that means.  That's right, the movie A Christmas Story was largely filmed right here in Cleveland.  The downtown area was the backdrop for the movie and the sections where Ralphie was desperately trying to tell Santa that he wanted a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas.

But that's not all.  The actual house where Ralphie and his family lived in the movie has become a museum, and for anyone who loves that ridiculous old movie as much as me and my family, this is a must see stop on a trip to Cleveland.  While at the house museum, you can get information on other sites in town that relate to the movie like the chinese restaurant and the location of the fire truck that was called to the school.  Across the street from the house is a gift shop where you can buy all kinds of crazy things that will always remind you of the movie, including a number of items based on the electric sex leg lamp.

There's always a Christmas Tree in the living room here, and there's always a leg lamp shining in the window.  It's really something special for all of us who have spent our Christmas Eve's watching the movie with our families.  It's a one of a kind special place and it's in one of my favorite cities in the world.

So, maybe spring really isn't ever going to come, but if you go to Cleveland you won't care.  It's still snowy there, but the surf's up.  It's always Christmas over on Cleveland Street.  Maybe the idea of going someplace warm is the general conventional idea for getting away from a lingering winter.  Sometimes I just think that flying in the face of it may be the best way to fight it at this point.  So, come to Cleveland.  Lay in wait for the roller coasters, do some surfing and spend some time remembering one of the funniest Christmas movies of all time.

Enjoy!

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Still Cold, So Grenada

We're enjoying our spring at 39 degrees and rain in New England, so I thought I would talk about someplace a lot warmer, and at this point in time, a lot prettier.  I love a good sunset, and despite my angst about beaches as a vacation location, sunsets over the ocean are beautiful.  One of those pretty sunset spots lies just north of Venezuela in the Caribbean...Grenada.  Grenada sports six smaller islands, some of them technically uninhabited, but most of the fun is to be had on the island of Grenada itself.  I'll just get the easy ones out of the way.  They have amazing beaches, great snorkeling and diving, resorts, great food, a petting zoo, sailing vessels for rent or tour, shopping, hiking, biking, and those gorgeous sunsets.  But, there are some really cool things about Grenada that you don't always hear about.

Let's start with a little history.  Grenada was "discovered" by Columbus and originally was called Concepcion.  Over the years the island was fought over by the French and British and was called not only Concepcion, but also Grenade, before it finally landed as Grenada.  In the 1970's the country became independent, and a few years later communists from Cuba tried to take it over.  After several countries helped them battle this problem, they went to a parliamentary government with the Queen as head of state.  Today, it is a tourist haven and a tax haven for people from all over the world.  There are forts that are hundreds of years old, with cannon still pointing out to sea.  There are spices grown all over the island which it has become famous for, especially the nutmeg.  The waters are clear, the skies are big, the people are friendly, and the views are amazing.  The weather is nice, especially if you avoid the hurricane season from June through November.  There's really no downside here.

St. George's is the capital of this island nation, and it's epicenter for activity.  This is where you will catch most of the tours and find most of the resorts.  This is where your cruise will stop if you come out this way.  You can even come here with Disney.  It's a regular stop for a lot of ships.  Now, as you know, I normally pick a place because it has something unique.  Well, Grenada does.  It has a couple of things.

It has some great outdoors.  There are several waterfalls in Grenada, such as Concord Falls and the Seven Sisters, and some of them are not long hikes.  Some of them are not far from the roads you take through the parks where they live.  Grenada also has hot springs because they also have a volcano.  Mount St. Catherine is over 4500 feet high and not dead.  It's not active right now, which makes for great hiking and the hot springs are great for a soak.  One way to access all this stuff and more is to take a Jeep tour, which come in both half and full day tours and take you to some amazing places with great vistas and good activities.

Jeep tours will take you through rainforest areas and along coastal areas as well.  It's like a best of both worlds.  Some tours stop way out in the middle of the rainforest area for lunch at Morne Fendue Plantation House.  This is an old colonial style plantation house turned restaurant.  It provides atmosphere as well as good food.  Also on these tours, you can book an inner tubing trip down the river or a biking trip through the rainforest and along the coast.  there are several choices and it's a lot of fun.

One of the really fun things to do is go on a sunset cruise with Savvy Sailing.  They take you out on the ocean for some dinner and a fabulous sunset view.  It's a definite Adventure for Anyone, and if you have a someone special with you, that's perfect.  These schooners are one of the most affordable ways to spend a little time out on the water.  You can take longer tours than three hours, but it will get pricey.

Here it is, the reason that Grenada is an Adventure for Anyone.  No, that's not an actual Beetle.  What that is, is a sculpture in the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park.  It's the only one of it's kind and it's amazing.  This place was created to combat damaged reefs after Hurricanes Ivan and Emily came blasting through the area a few years back.

This park is a growing project with new sculptures being added all the time.  What they do is create reef area for the sea life, and they make a great tourist attraction.  It's about 14 feet deep where you find these statues, so you can dive or snorkel down to see them.  It's a very creative way to enhance the wildlife in the area.  Some places are using wrecked ships, but in Grenada, it's become an art project.  The best part is that if you don't dive or swim, you can come out in a glass bottom kayak and just take a look.  The good folks over at S & S Kayaking will help you do just that.

So, if you want to have some fun, get some sun, and see something really amazing, check out Grenada.  The spice islands have some really great things to see and do.  They also have a sense of responsibility for the nature around them and a genuinely creative way to help the sea life survive.  It does the body good to see artists from all over taking part in such an amazing conservation project.  The fish like it too. So, join in the fun and come and see the world's prettiest underwater conservation project.

Enjoy!

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It's Still Cold Here, so Hot Springs!

It's still cold here.  It's supposed to be spring tomorrow, and that's not happening.  Hate that groundhog.  So, in the interest of still getting out, and the need to stay warm, we're looking in on the Pyrenees Mountains in the Catalan Region of Spain, Andorra, and France.  Specifically, we're looking in on France.  The Pyrenees Mountains are some of the most beautiful in the world.  Matisse is only one of the artists that was fascinated with the area.  Now the area is mostly steeped in tourism, and that covers everything from hiking and biking to skiing.  The Catalan Region is famous for it's ski resorts, and they will not disappoint.  There are tons of resorts in the three countries that are open well into the spring.  The elevation in the area makes them late season hot spots, even though the area is in the south of France.

The mountains will keep any artist or photographer busy.  The resorts are great with all kinds of activities and great food.  There are also little towns dotting the landscape, and they all have ancient history for the history buff in your family.  The Romans were there.  Their architecture is all over the place from buildings to water retention systems, to tunnels, to churches.  If you love history, you will love this area.

The village of Dorres sits in one of the many rural areas of the Catalan Park and Pyrenees Mountains.  The village sits on a plateau hundreds of meters above sea level.  It's a great little village with a couple of hotels and bed and breakfasts, and some restaurants.  The Catalan language is spoken here, so if you thought that little bit of French you picked up might help you...don't count on it.  They do speak some French in this area, but overwhelmingly, they speak Catalan.  I remember my first encounter with Spain.  I thought that by picking up some Spanish I would be all right.  Wrong.  There are several languages spoken in Spain.  There are also several spoken in France, especially in the southern regions.  Andorra almost exclusively speaks Catalan.  So, go prepared travelers.  You need to be able to communicate, if you intend to go out to the small rural villages and soak up the culture.  The Catalan region has it's own language, it's own food, it's own traditions, and they are wildly independent of whichever country they actually belong to.  It's like taking a trip to Brighton Beach in New York City.

Getting to towns in this area is a little tricky.  Hence, the Yellow Train.  This train was designed to give travelers a great view whilst getting them to their destination in the area.  Dorres and some other villages are really off the beaten path, and you will have to catch a cab to those towns, but the train really helps.  It's a difficult drive unless you are familiar with the area, and the train and taxi is a great combination to get you where you need to go.

But, why would you want to visit this land of rebels and separatists?  You can see great Roman churches and other architecture all over Europe.  What's the big deal about Dorres, France?  I do like to get out of the rat race.  I do like to find those out of the way places and check them out.  You know how I am.  Off the beaten path, baby.  But seriously, with all the hiking and the skiing and the climbing and the biking; why would I consider this an Adventure for Anyone?

It's the baths.  Bains de Dorres France is the top of the list when it comes to hot springs, or in Europe, baths.  The baths in Dorres are some of the most visited in the world.  They are carved out of the granite that the area is also famous for, and were reportedly carved by Romans.  In early times there were quarries and stone carvers all over the area.  Today, there are museums.  The baths are famous for righting a number of problems like arthritis and other joint and muscle pains.  People have been taking the sulfur baths since at least the Roman times and many thousands of people have claimed that they have been cured by the waters there.  For me, it's just another way to fight the cold.  Even if you like to ski, snow shoe, glacier walk or whatever; you can thoroughly enjoy the baths to warm up after. 

So, call up Air France and get a flight to Nice or somewhere close by.  Make your way to Bourg Madame or some other town on the railroad map.  Catch the Yellow Train and head into the wilds of the Pyrenees.  Enjoy the skiing.  Enjoy the view.  After you've seen all the other views, go to Bains de Dorres and soak in the baths, surrounded by snow, 4800 feet up in the air on the side of a mountain, gazing at the amazing view of the Pyrenees.  It doesn't get much more magnificent than that.

Enjoy!

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http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred
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Poor Niagra...That's What Eleanor Roosevelt Said About These Falls

Anyone who has ever met me, hung out with me, been to my house, read my writings, or had any other contact with me, knows that I love waterfalls.  And the fact that I love waterfalls means that I also know a little bit about waterfalls.  I'm what's referred to as a waterfall hunter, and most of the vacations that I have ever taken are because of waterfalls.  But, what does that mean?  That means that while most of us have heard of and seen some gorgeous pictures and footage about certain waterfalls around the globe, you might be surprised to know that you're probably missing it.  Most people know that Yosemite Park has some great waterfalls.  Yellowstone has some goodies too.  Iceland is called the land of waterfalls with Gullfoss and Dettifoss leading the way with the tourists.  Most folks have heard of the tallest waterfall in the world--Angel Falls.  Victoria Falls in Africa is widely known.  Niagra Falls is probably the best known waterfall in the world.  But, which falls is actually visited most?  Welcome to Iguazu Falls.

Iguazu Falls is one of the most unique waterfalls in the world.  It sits on the borders of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay in South America.  There are 275 individual waterfalls flowing into a cataract gorge that in places is roughly 270 feet high.  The gorge full of waterfalls spans roughly 3 km with an overall flow rate of 1000 cubic meters per second.  It's all pretty impressive.  Okay, so you want to see this, but how?

This is not a day trip from anywhere in any of the countries.  Argentina and Brazil share the National Park that encompasses the falls and there is a hotel on each side.  The Tropical das Cataratas Hotel sits on the Brazilian Side and has a view of the falls, although it's not as convenient as the hotel people say.  On the Argentinian side there is a Sheraton.  On the Argentinian side is Iguazu City and the airport.  Fly in folks.  It's around 1000 miles from either Sao Paulo or Buenos Aries.  It's not a small undertaking.  However, it is one of the most popular destinations outside of the beaches in all of South America.

Why is this waterfall so popular?  Well, it's like Niagra.  There are several ways that you can get up close and personal with this falls.  There are walkways at both the top and bottom.  There are trails all around it.  You can flight see over it.  You can take a boat up the gorge into it.  It's warm enough to enjoy, with lots of people wearing their swimsuits around in the warm times.  There are thousands of different angles to view, appreciate and photograph these amazing falls.  Just make sure that whatever camera you bring is good with water.

Most of the activities and most of the best access to the falls is on the Argentinian side.  But, if you decide to stay on the Brazilian side because you like the quiet and the closeness, that's okay too.  You can cross over pretty easy in a place where multiple countries are sharing a national park.  When you cross the border at the falls, the officials pretty much presume that you're doing it to see more of the falls and go shopping at more gift shops.  They really don't mind.  The Argentinian side sports most boats, a train, a rainforest walk, extensive trails, and the walk to Devil's Throat.  One of the things that make this waterfall so popular is the access.  Devil's Throat, also known as Gargantua del Diablo, is the top of the gorge where the falls begin.  The walkway crosses the river right at the top of the falls.  It's a long bridge out to the middle of the river and the viewing platform hangs right over the beginning of the amazing waterfalls.  It's a thrill just to go out there and take a look, so don't miss it.

There are also walkways down in the gorge that are accessible by taking a boat across the river.  There is also a boat trip up into the gorge.  They won't promise to reach the end of the gorge, but they do pretty good at getting you up close and personal with the bottom of the head of the incredible falls.  Once again, this is one of those places where you will want to bring a cover for your camera and should probably have a camera that's good with water.  You can easily ruin a camera trying to take a picture of these falls.  There are a ton of ways to view the falls, for all kinds of people.  Some are work.  Some are fun and easy.  Take your choice of methods.  That's why this is an Adventure for Anyone.

But, the falls is not the only activity in the park.  As I mentioned, there is a train that runs from the Argentinian entrance up to the walkway to Devil's Throat.  It also stops along the way and that's where you can take the rainforest walk.  This is a great place to get in touch with nature.  You will not only see the flora and fauna that the South American Rainforests are famous for, but you will see wildlife.  They have gorgeous parrots and toucans; monkeys and other amazing animals that you don't see every day at home.  It's a lovely walk and a great place to get some shade and dry off after a wild day full of falling water.  The train is an open compartment vessel too, so that you can have a great experience communing with nature.

I can say that you should not plan this as a day trip or as an entire vacation.  It's one of those things that you should set aside two maybe three days to do.  You will have a great experience, and you'll have fun in the town with the locals.  It is out of the way, which I like.  You will want to fly in from one of the major cities in one of the three countries, because you don't want to ride 1000 miles on a bus and you certainly don't want to try and find it in a rental car.  There are domestic airlines that do this trip all the time in all three countries.  It's the best way to go.

My husband says that it's silly to go out to see waterfalls.  He thinks that they're all alike, but millions of tourists would say different and so would I.  Mother Nature is the one who made these amazing wonders of the world, and I'm always in awe of the waterfalls I see.  The size, the power, the beauty, and the danger are an amazing combination that make these sights fascinating.  There are not that many waterfalls that demand our respect and shouldn't be missed.  Iguazu heads that list.  It's one of those places that if you don't see it, you've missed out on one of the most amazing experiences that you ever would have had.  I know, you have a family, a job, a mortgage and whatever.  We should all be adults and be responsible.  Just think about this though; if you never do anything crazy like going 1000 from the major cities of three South American countries to look at a waterfall, then what's the point?  Life is for adventure and that's why I write Adventures for Anyone.  So, throw caution to the wind and go for it.  You only live once.

Enjoy!


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