Every Saturday morning Otavalo awakens from its week long slumber to launch a giant market bazaar selling crafts of all descriptions along with animals, meat, vegetables, fruit, grains and hardware. A similar market has been conducted for a remarkable four thousand years providing a central meeting point for Indian villages from miles around. A cacophony of sounds from the noises of frenzied trading to the various calls of chickens, sheep, pigs and cattle greet the early arrivals when most of the local trading is done (the animal market winding up before the majority of tourist buses arrive in the mid-morning). The women and men have long animated conversations catching up on village news and goings-on before the onslaught of travellers.
Nearby villages use age-old techniques to produce superb high quality tapestries, tablecloths, hammocks, shawls and textiles along with musical instruments (including the haunting and ever-present Andean flutes), jewellery, carvings, leatherware, pottery and paintings. The various colours glisten in the equatorial sunshine, the brightly coloured textiles almost blinding in the mid-morning sunshine.
The Otavaleños men look distinctive in their dark ponchos with their pigtail dangling from below their felt hat. The women are striking with their intricately embroidered light-colored blouses, long dark skirts and shawls, unusual folded headwear and numerous gold and beaded bracelets and necklaces. 
The centre of action is Plaza de los Panchos which becomes a maze of pathways between the rows of tapestries and clothing. While it is crowded, the stall holders let you wander in peace appreciating the detailed craftwork and general market activity. While hard-bargaining is expected for the crafts (but not the food), it is conducted in a friendly, relaxed manner and there is little hard-selling.
Otavalo makes a wonderful morning journey from Quito where even the most resilient of non-shoppers are likely to end up with a backpack full of Ecuadorian crafts and clothes from this most spectacular artisan market with a carnival feel.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
The Frenzy of Otavalo Markets (Ecuador)
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Medieval Pilgrimmage (Rocamadour, France)
Over the centuries, pilgrims crawled up the 216 stairs on their knees to view and pray for a buried saint and a remarkable statue in this cliff-bound travel wonder. Today, bus-loads of “camera pilgrims” crowd the small hamlet of Rocamadour, shop enthusiastically at the throng of market stalls and take a private lift to even avoid expending energy walking. 
From the nearby vantage points, Rocamadour is an awe-inspiring sight, perched precariously on a 150-metre cliff face of grey rock over four distinct levels. On the highest level called L’Hospitalet lies a château which offer a vista over the muddled complex of old houses, church spires, chapels, towers and staircases all threaded together via a single lane ancient street which curls through the levels of the township in a series of switchbacks. The middle layers contain a network of seven religious buildings including the Shrine of Notre Dame.
Avoid the peak hours favoured by bus tour groups and this tiny village (population is only 600) develops a pious charm. Occasional devout pilgrims (wearing knee-pads) still crawl the Giant Escalier praying at the Stations of the Cross before reaching the chapel complex. Walking slowly up the narrow main artery of Rocamadour to savour the effort and feelings of centuries past, I can start to picture the pilgrimage some 800 years ago. In those times people had probably walked many hundreds of miles just to get to Rocamadour. 
The centre of attention is the venerable Black Virgin statue and its claimed miraculous powers including curing King Henry III of England in the mid-1200s. Also significant is the tomb of the Christian hermit Saint Amadour (where the township obtained its name) and some notable frescoes.
Rocamadour is a worthwhile diversion if travelling through central France. Enjoy the locally produced Rocamadour cheese and soak an evening away in this medieval travel wonder.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Photo of the Week: Half-Timbered Beauty (Schiltach, Germany)
Seemingly lost in medieval times, the central Black Forest town of Schiltach is a jewel of half-timbered houses. The triangular market square has the most impressive samples, some dating back to the early 1600s.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Largest Church in the World?
Where is the biggest church in the world?
St. Peters in the Vatican seems a likely guess. Maybe somewhere else in Italy? Milan? Venice? Spain and Portugal have some huge cathedrals. Maybe Canterbury, seat of the head of the Church of England. There are some big churches in Mexico and South America with their strong Catholic populations. The cathedrals in New York and Washington DC are gigantic too.
The remarkable thing is that with all these thoughts we aren't even on the correct continent. The largest church in the world is the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (Notre Dame de la Paix) in Yamoussoukro in the troubled and impoverished west African country of Ivory Coast (or Cote D'Ivoire). 
The brainchild of an enthusiastic (or is that, eccentric?) Ivory Coast president (now passed away), Yamoussoukro Basilica was constructed in the late 1980s consuming up to 25 percent of the nation's annual budget for several years. Modelled on St. Peter’s with its huge courtyard and opened by the Pope in 1990 after much debate, this incredible complex can be seen for miles around. Yamoussoukro was only a small village (population under 200) before the president of the time decreed his town of birth as the new capital. The surrounding grand multi-lane boulevards is reminiscent of Paris but almost completely without traffic or activity. The capital has since returned to the largest city of Abidjan.
The dome on the basilica is massive (larger than St. Peters) but the most striking is the mass of stained glass. One noteworthy image shows Jesus Christ with the president and the chief architect.
About the only other building of any scale is the old Presidential Palace. Today it is the burial site for the former president. It isn't open to the public but visitors can walk around the perimeter of the palace to see the human guards along with a number of crocodiles. These get fed every afternoon in quite a flamboyant show. It was reassuring that they were well fed as the fencing appeared to be little more than a few random strands of wire, unlikely to restrain any crocodile with hunger pangs.
Attending a church service in the basilica is an uplifting experience. Primarily in French, though also in some of the local tribal dialects, the service I attended went for over two hours. The attendance wasn’t huge but the lack of numbers was made up by the superb evangelical singing and the fantastic colour in the outfits of the African women, which went a long way to complementing the dazzling stained glass lit in the intense morning sunshine.
Photo credit: Stained glass
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Discover the Most Beautiful Villages in France: Part 3
Escaping the rush of Paris and the insane summers of the French beaches, rural France is best experienced in its small villages that sprinkle the country. The best are associated under the banner of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. Part One explored villages in the south and Alps regions of France while Part Two explored the French villages of Normandy and the Dordogne. A further four villages scattered across France completes this tour of an often ignored aspect of French travel.
St-Cirq Lapopie
Perched majestically above the the Lot River, St-Cirq Lapopie seems lost in time. Small half-timbered and stone houses guarded by town gates front onto narrow alleys named for their crafts practised centuries ago. Today the small village with a population of less than 100 is popular with artists offering pottery, paintings, metalwork and wooden carvings.
Noyers-sur-Serein
In the heart of the world famous wine district of Burgundy, Noyers has a surprisingly untouristy and quiet feel to it. While angled historic half-timbered houses litter the small town, the highlight is the peaceful verdant stroll along the gentle bend of the Surein River and 700 year old village walls.
Gordes
Like a terraced Asian farm, the houses of the Provence village of Gordes sits upon a hill in layers, crested by a grey-stone chateau and imposing monastery. Some escape from the rampant summer visitors packed into the narrow lanes to visit the nearby Village des Bories, where around 20 ancient pyramid-shaped stone huts exist in an area continuously inhabited since the Bronze Age.
Collonges-la-Rouge
With a tiny population, the aptly named central French village exists entirely of houses, rounded towers, churches, castles and town walls constructed from blood red sandstone. Near the pilgrimage town of Rocamadour and contrasted with the verdant green shrubbery, the streets of the village can be explored in a handful of minutes but warrant the extra time to soak in the history of a small town overflowing with historic and listed buildings.
While France is the most visited country on Earth, too many people fail to escape Paris for part of their break missing the walking delights, rich history and gastronomic pleasures of some of the most beautiful villages of France. Make sure your vacation in France includes at least one small village and vive la difference.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Discover the Most Beautiful Villages in France: Part 2
France is sprinkled with beguiling villages, many frozen in time that encapsulate much of what people love about this European cultural giant. Associated under the banner of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, these villages share the historic, gastronomic and enchanting nature of rural France. Part One explored villages in the south and Alps regions of France while today we explore Normandy and the Dordogne.
Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei
It is difficult to imagine anything more relaxing than sitting by the peaceful Sarthe River near a rustic old stone bridge chewing on a pate-laden crusty baguette and sipping a refreshing glass of red. This quiet Norman village of ivy-covered stone houses and narrow lanes has developed a pilgrimage following the creation of a church-side miracle spring associated with the cure of eye diseases.
Le Bec-Hellouin
In rural Normandy, sits the photogenic half-timbered houses of the village of Le Bec Hellouin. Painted in vibrant colours surrounded by verdant green footpaths and parks and bedecked with blooming flower boxes, the village charm is complemented by the wondrous ceramics of the 1000 year old abbey and its resident monks.
Beynac-et-Cazenac
Overlooked by its imposing castle standngn guard over the Dordogne River in central France, the cobbled laneways of the tiny village of Beynac (around 500 people) is one of several Perigord villages that sit at the gateway to the extraordinary caves (including the world famous Lascaux) with their 20,000 year old Paleolithic paintings. Their rich gastronomic culture is highlighted with the squawking geese and ducks or the stalls that sell and sample the fine patés of the region. Hiking (randonnées) is popular on well-marked paths that link the villages and take in the famous limestone caves.
Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère
Guarded by a remarkable three castles, the picturesque Perigord village is near the historic caves and rock shelters of La Roque St Christophe occupied by Paleolithic or Stone Age people around 55,000 years ago. While there is a rudimentary understanding of life back then, much still remains unexplained. It is a remarkable feeling to stroll along the rock ledges trying to imagine people huddled over fires eking out their lives so long ago.
Join us for a final roundup of most beautiful villages in France.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Discover the Most Beautiful Villages in France
With its excellence in selling itself, the French encourage visitors to enjoy some of France's most elegant and photogenic villages. Highlighting villages with populations of less than 2000 people that boast at least two historic monuments or sites and striking architecture, unique culture or natural beauty, an initial book published in the early 1980s led to an association of around 150 villages that proudly call themselves The Most Beautiful Villages in France. Sprinkled throughout the country and highlighted by the above logo, here are ten personal favourites from those that I have visited over the years in this most enchanting of European countries.
Yvoire
Bordering the sparkling beauty of Lac Léman (as the French call Lake Geneva), this medieval fishing village with its stone houses and wooden balconies glisten in geranium and wisteria blooms in summer. Whether wandering its narrow streets spotting signs of its ancient castle its 700 years of history, paddling the shores in a tiny canoe or enjoying the colour of the Garden of Five Senses, Yvoire is a wonderful diversion heading towards Switzerland.
Roussillon
Experiencing Rousillon has two contrasting feels - the narrow paths, archways and roughened walls of the historic village (over 1000 years old) and the other-worldly trail through the golden yellows, burnt oranges and flame reds of the largest ochre deposits in Europe. The area is sprinkled with painters and their easels enjoying the rich colours and strange shapes of the historically-valued clay fields or the towering bell tower and expressive town squares.
Villefranche-de-Conflent
Surrounded by its World Heritage-listed defensive walls and shaped like a boomerang, the tiny town offers its best panorama from Fort Liberia. Boasting delicate formations in its neighbouring limestone cave, the town is the launching pad for the superb Pyreneean rail journey on the Little Yellow Train.
More of France's most beautiful villages can be found here.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Bountiful Bled (Slovenia)
Chomping into the local delicacy of an impossibly rich vanilla and cream pastry (called kremna rezina) and a steaming black coffee on a vivid sun-drenched morning, it is difficult to imagine a more sublime place to be than at a café at medieval Bled Castle. Perched precipitously on a bare rock face, this ancient but uninteresting castle overlooks the glittering turquoise glacial Lake Bled with its fairy-tale island church, and glorious snow-capped alpine vista.
This touristy village in the very north of Slovenia, a pocket-sized country wedged between Austria, Croatia and Italy swells with neighbouring European travellers. Officially over 1000 years old (having celebrated its millennium in 2004), Bled like all of Slovenia has a vibrancy and energy in its youthful population and in the progress this tiny nation has made in the last decade. 
Most popular is a visit to Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption. Walk past the hotels in Bled lining the lake to catch a squat gondola-like craft called a pletna, propelled by a local poleman. As you stride up the 99 steps from the dock, spare a thought for grooms who are expected to carry their wife up to the church to show they are fit for marriage. Enchantingly, the wife is meant to remain silent for the journey.
The church bell almost constantly chimes from its tower, echoing across the lake. Local legend dictates that those who ring the bell will have their wishes come true. Clearly many superstitious folks visit Bled!!
Rowing on Lake Bled continues to be popular, with international regattas regularly conducted on the marked rowing course.
Around Bled are lush fields, growing feed for the harsh winter months. Note the unique fence-like structures used as hayracks to dry the grasses for storage.
An excellent half-day hike from Bled is through Vintgar Gorge where a boardwalk hugs the rock wall, weaving back and forth across the raging river and tumbling water below. The gorge finishes a kilometre and a half down the boardwalk with the impressive Šum Waterfall which holds the delightfully alliterative name of Slap Šum in Slovene.
Picturesque Bled is a real treasure, a true travel wonder. Take your time, stroll around the lake, rest and relax in the local cafés and soak up the easy going attitude of this lakeside mecca.
Other Slovenia Posts
Underground Fantasy (Skocjan Caves)
Caverns, Crooks and Castles (Predjama)
The Secret Hospital (Cerkno)
Monday, August 3, 2009
Photo of the Week - Tuscan Beauty (Pitigliano, Italy)
The southern Tuscan town of Pitigliano (about 100 kilometres south of Chianti) perches splendidly on a volcanic plateau, its ancient honey-coloured houses, city gates, aqueduct, churches and fortress built right to the edge of the rocky ridge. Etruscan tombs over 1500 years old dot the hill-face. With some of the more timeless Tuscany hotels, it is a wonderful small town that warrants exploring for a day with typical narrow alleys of houses that date back centuries and tiny hidden wine and food bars serving local wines such as the refreshing and light white, Poggia Al Tufo. In a surprise, along with a cathedral and a number of churches, there is also a Jewish history with a synagogue, kosher butchering area and bread oven which date back centuries.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
The Andean Sistine Chapel (Andahuaylillas, Peru)
To establish European thinking and religious beliefs with the indigenous Indian population three hundred years ago, the Spanish built a modest mud-brick and wooden church on the site of an old Incan temple in a small village about forty kilometres south of Cusco. Arriving late in the afternoon in dull light, the church certainly didn’t inspire any wonder, and I wished I’d stayed on the bus to Cusco. However the temptation was too great with descriptions likening this colonial church to the Sistine Chapel.
To open the doors is to unveil a dazzling array of wall paintings and frescoes contrasted by a richly glowing gilded altarpiece carved from wood. The artwork, rich in red and gold paint, tell powerful religious stories. One graphic painting highlights the punishments for going to hell and the rewards for getting to heaven. The ceiling is decorated in floral patterns and glitters with gold leaf. 
Near the entrance is a baptismal prayer written in five languages including three local Indian languages revealing the Spaniards attempts to convert the population to Catholicism.
While lofty monikers like “the Sistine Chapel of the Americas” are a gross exaggeration, the modest travel wonder of Andahuaylillas is on the road between Lake Titicaca and Cusco and worth a brief stop.
Other Peru Posts
Pathways to the Gods (Nazca Lines)
Raiders of the Lost Tombs (Chauchilla Tombs)
Exploring the Incan Wonderland (Machu Picchu)
Trekking to the Lost City (Inca Trail)
Potatoes with your Guinea Pig, Sir?
Flight of the Condor (Colca Canyon)
Living in Reeds (Lake Titicaca)
Top Ten Travel Wonders of South America
Photo Credit: Fresco image kindly supplied by Ken at randomtruth
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Photo of the Week - Fall in Vermont (Newfane, USA)
While out of season, I recently tripped across this photo from around ten years ago of the small town of Newfane in southern Vermont at the peak of the kaleidoscopic fall colours. The contrast of the white-washed county court house and church with the rich red, bronze and golden leaves makes for a visual feast. More photos from a trip through New England show Vermont in fall.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
All the World’s a Stage (Stratford-Upon-Avon, England)
If John and Mary Shakespeare had not borne a son, William, who proved to be the world’s finest English language writer and playwright of all time, then it is doubtful whether the travel wonder of Stratford would have progressed beyond a pleasant English market town. Rather, people gather in their hordes to make a literary pilgrimage to Stratford-upon-Avon and “The Bard”. Stratford has captured and preserved aspects of the city centre around the early 1600s, especially anything remotely related to the writer and his family. 
Doing a circular walk around town (the information centre has suggested walking tours marked on street maps), you can pass most of the major aspects of Shakespeare in time order starting at his half-timbered birthplace, containing an excellent museum detailing the shreds of understanding of Shakespeare’s life. Past Nash’s House, where the writer’s granddaughter lived, the grammar school (where Shakespeare likely schooled, though no-one seems to know for sure), another Shakespeare’s house and you’ll find the stately Hall’s Croft. 
This elegant medieval mansion was the home of Shakespeare’s eldest daughter and her doctor husband. It hosts a creaky period feel with an intriguing display on the medicines of the time and a strong encouragement to stay healthy in those times.
Notably, High Street briefly escapes the Shakespeare-mania and is lined with well-preserved Elizabethan half-timbered houses from Shakespeare’s time with their low ceiling beams. Except for the cars, a bit of imagination could take you back to those times with the hubbub of people wandering to and from market for their daily needs. 
Walking towards the Avon River, the Holy Trinity Church is the last resting place of William Shakespeare. Lit by fine stained glass windows and laying next to his wife in this stately honeycomb-coloured church, Shakespeare’s simple grave is marked by a curse in verse and a fear of being dug up:
Good Frend For Iesus Sake Forbeare,
To Digg The Dvst Encloased Heare.
Bleste Be Ye Man Yt Spares Thes Stones,
And Cvrst Be He Yt Moves My Bones.
Along the same river are the main theatres including the Royal Shakespeare and the Swan, the latter being modelled on Shakespeare’s original Globe Theatre. Different plays were on different nights when I was there and are well worth experiencing to complete the Shakespeare experience (though tickets were difficult to get). In sunny weather, punting along the Avon is a popular pastime and shows the town at its best.
A kilometer west of the town along a marked footpath is the steeply-roofed thatched farmhouse of Anne Hathaway (top photo). With a resplendent flower garden, trimmed hedges and superb wood-carved four-poster bed, this is the most photogenic of the Shakespeare houses.
Stratford-upon-Avon has strained every thread of detail about William Shakespeare’s poorly documented life, preserving the half-timbered houses of the time. If The Bard isn’t your thing, there are any number other English town that have richer histories, better sights and are less crowded. But if your school studies sparked even an interest in our most famous playwright, then Stratford is for you and a chance to reacquaint yourself with a play that you studied some years ago. And while you are there, head another ten kilometres north and visit the travel wonder of Warwick with its immense castle and impressive church.
Other British and Irish Posts
Soaking Up Culture (Bath)
The Illuminated Manuscript (Dublin, Ireland)
A Bit of British (Gibraltar)
Jacob's Ladder (Cheddar)
Half-Timbered Houses (Lavenham)
