Sustainable Curitiba

I came to Curitiba because of its former Mayor and State Governor, an architect named Jaime Lerner. I heard him speak on three different occasions in Vancouver and Toronto, and was impressed with his ideas and accomplishments. For the past 4 decades, he has been trying to make Curitiba a model of sustainability. Unfortunately, he was out of town when we arrived, but I could feel his presence as we toured around the city.

On arrival we were pleased to find HSBC advertising all over the airport. This meant we could avoid ATM fees! In keeping with the city’s spirit of sustainability, we took a bus from the airport into town. On the way we read the literature provided by the airport's tourist information centre. We were happy to see there was a hop-on hop-off bus. However, this one was operated by the local public transit operator, not a private company.

To the casual observer, Curitiba looks like another large South American city, with a skyline of large mediocre apartment blocks, and a broad mix of buildings along its downtown streets. But when you look closely, you start to see some differences. This is the self-proclaimed 'environmental capital of Brazil' and the greenest city in South America in terms of park space per resident.

The 25 stops along the two hour hop-on, hop-off tour offered further evidence this was not a typical Brazilian city. They included:

·A 24 hour street, initiated by city planners, to increase around the clock activity and safety in the downtown;

·Theatro Paiol, a powder depot recycled into an arena theatre;

·a combined bus, train and city market development, considered a landmark in transportation terminals in the country, when it opened 35 years ago;

·a memorial for Polish immigration,

·the Museu Oscar Niemeyer, the largest and most modern in Brazil;

·a tribute to German immigrants,

·the ‘free university of the environment’ that promotes public education on the environment, inaugurated with Jacques Cousteau;

·an old glue factory that was converted into a creativity centre;

·a glass and steel Opera Centre in a former quarry, where the trees surrounding the building are the 'walls' of the auditorium;

·a park which serves as a tribute to the natives who first inhabited the area,

·a Ukrainian memorial, in tribute to the many immigrants from the Ukraine,

·a gateway to the Italian neighbourhood.

I was particularly interested in seeing the city's relatively inexpensive rapid transit system that uses buses rather than trains or trams. They run primarily on dedicated lanes. A key feature is the raised tubular glass platforms that are the fare paid zone. They allow easy access onto the buses. Hydraulic platforms are available for those in wheelchairs. Lerner claims it works since it wasn’t designed by experts. It seemed like such a good idea, I was curious to know if other cities have copied it.

Curitiba is the opposite of Brasilia. In addition to its focus on transit, it is a city designed for walking, with many wide, decorated sidewalks, and a portion of the downtown restricted to pedestrians. It was the first pedestrian only street in Brazil, created in 72 hours over a long weekend in 1973.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see some of the other initiatives I had heard about from Lerner. These included a garbage pick up program in which residents of low income neighbourhoods were paid to collect their own garbage...with bus tickets! To make the program more interesting and effective, the bus tickets were also lottery tickets, with draws each week. In another project, park light fixtures were made from recycled glass...by local children

We did see the current recycling program operating around town. There are 5 containers instead of the typical three. One is for organic waste, and one is for ‘stico’ which I am hoping means chewing gum, since I hate seeing it on sidewalks around a city.

One of our best stops was the Oscar Niemeyer Museum. It’s the building with the large eye out front. There we saw some very unusual pieces and a display on Niemeyer’s work. There was also a filmed interview with him, explaining the rationale behind his different projects, (and he has done a lot of them in South America). While he didn’t convince Sally that there shouldn’t be trees in Brasilia’s major civic plaza, I was impressed with his approach. However, while I like many of his buildings, I too do not like his major urban design projects like the civic square in Brasilia.

While I would have like to have stayed on for another day or two to see a bit more of the city, Sally was eager to get to the Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires. So, on Friday morning, I stopped off in the Canadian Travel Agency in Curitiba, where I purchased two tickets for Saturday’s flight to the falls. Although HSBC has a big presence in Curitiba, their credit card did not work for on-line bookings with the airlines. But when we got to the airport, we found a special airport lounge for HSBC premier members. Go figure.

Although Brasilia and Curitiba had not been typical tourist destinations, we were glad we had visited them. We had again seen different sides of life in Brazil, but now we were off to do some real site seeing. It’s a shame we couldn’t take Brasilia’s and Curitiba’s perfect sunny weather with us.

Brasilia: the country's bold capital

I first learned about Brasilia in 1965 when I started my studies in architecture. But I hadn't really planned on coming here until I started to exchange emails with my friend Jonathan Rubenstein, who spent quite a bit of time here putting together a mining project.

Brasilia is the modern capital city of Brazil. It was essentially carved out of the jungle over a four year period, and officially inaugurated in 1960. The driving force behind it was Juscelino Kubitschek, who was elected president of Brazil in 1956 on the promise that he would build the capital before the end of his term. It was originally planned for 500,000 people. Today it has a population of over 4 million and is still growing. It was master planned by Oscar Niemeyer, a student of Le Corbusier and Lucio Costa. Did I mention it was a master planned community?

While in many respects it was a difficult place to be a tourist, it was fascinating to see. It is a vivid case study on how planning has changed in 50 years.

We nearly didn't come. When we tried to book a hotel, only two had space, and we didn’t want to stay at a Brazilian Comfort Inn. When we tried to book flights, the airlines wouldn’t accept our international credit cards. So we did something we have never done before. We went to the airport with no reservations and no tickets. When the taxi driver asked which terminal, we had no idea. As it turned out, we were lucky. TAM, the Brazilian airline in Terminal 1, (or was it 2?) had a flight in an hour. We bought a ticket, checked in, and it was all too good to be true. And it was. The flight was delayed two hours! But we eventually got there, although I missed seeing the city, whose site plan is based on the shape of a bird or plane, from the air in daylight.

As it turned out the hotel was just fine. We had a great room, free internet, in a good location, if you consider ‘the hotel zone’ a good location! That’s right. In the plan prepared by Niemeyer and Costa, all the hotels are located together in hotel zones, with little else around them; no small shops to buy snacks and water; no apartments; few restaurants; just lots of hotels, and a large nearby shopping centre.

In fact, the entire city is planned that way. Elsewhere are the government precincts; the embassy precincts; the 4 storey residential precincts; the 6 storey residential precincts; the high rise residential precincts; the sports and leisure precincts; and so on, all separated by very wide arterial roads.

The concept for the neighbourhoods is similar to that of Chandigarh, designed by Le Corbusier. Each has its own neighbourhood retail. However, what the planners didn’t understand is that in Brazil, retailers want to be near other similar retailers. As a result, the residents still have to leave their neighbourhood by car to buy most things.

The character of the place is best exemplified by the street addresses. Most people live in ‘superquadras’ such as SQS 105, Bloco A-501, 70344 Brasilia, which means superquadra south no 105, building A, apartment 501 postcode 70344. The three digit superquadra number gives the location; the first digit represents the position east or west of the main axis; (with odd numbers to the west, evens to the east), increasing the further away form the centre you get. The last two digits represent the distance north or south of the other axis. A similar logic applies to the main roads. Once you get the hang of it, it’s actually very functional, and makes it easy to find a location, as long as you can figure out the road system.

Each sector is separated by wide arterial roads, with grade separated intersections, and lots of cloverleaves. To illustrate the situation, on our first evening we wanted to go to a restaurant we could see from our hotel. However, we had to take a taxi since it was across a major boulevard street, with no traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. The road system was so contorted the taxi cost 30 percent more coming than going!

We should have taken some organized tours, but since there were few if any other tourists, we would have been on our own in a little van. We considered renting a car, but Sally was concerned we would always be lost. I told her we can’t get lost if we don’t know where we are going, but she wasn’t convinced. So we decided to tour by public bus routes suggested by our guide book. At first, we had little success. However, everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. At one point, a fellow passenger who couldn't speak English handed me his cell phone. It turned out he had dialed a friend who could speak English, to give us directions!

We toured most of Niemeyer’s major buildings which really are quite extraordinary. We also walked by the 17 identical government office buildings. At one point, we couldn’t get from the congress to the street above, so we did what other people did, and used the steps that had been carved into the side of the grass slope.

We were both disturbed by some of the major civic spaces that were completely devoid of trees and street furniture of any kind. Many of the buildings were much too sculptural to be functional, which reminded us of a famous Canadian architect.

We took the bus over a new bridge that was voted the best bridge in the world in 2003. En route we met a young lady who told us it wasn’t often she met foreigners on a bus in Brasilia.

The second evening, we took the advice of Jon’s friends Carlos and Tina, who live in Brasilia, and went to Zuu, a fusion restaurant owned by his friend. It offered a mix of Brazilian and Japanese influences and was very good; one of the best meals of the trip.

On the third evening we went for dinner with Carlos and Tina to a wine shop that served meals in the evening. A very interesting concept. I was a bit disappointed that after a very good Brazilian champagne, the sommelier proposed an Australian white and Spanish red. In fact, there are some very good Brazilian wines. But we had a very good evening together, and enjoyed experiencing their very sophisticated approach to life in Brazil. However, when they come to Canada, we’re serving BC wines.

After three days, it was time to again move on. We decided our next stop would be Curitiba, another city I wanted to see for planning reasons. Unfortunately, the director of planning who I had met in Vancouver had not responded to my email, and I hadn’t bothered to contact the former Mayor who inspired me to come. But at noon we boarded another TAM flight and were on our way. This time we had a ticket and a reservation before getting to the airport.

Brasilia, like the art gallery in Balbao, was intended to put the country on the world map. It cost a lot of money, and put many governments in debt. But the consensus is that it is now a great success in terms of having opened up a major part of the country. I would just like to see some changes to make it a bit friendlier to pedestrians. But Carlos mentioned that certain things can’t be changed in order to keep the UNESCO designation intact. Hopefully one day, the UN will allow some small shops in the hotel zones.

Picturesque Parati

It was the description in our guidebook that first caught my attention.

‘UNESCO considers Parati to represent one of the world's most important examples of Portuguese colonial architecture….The town centre was one of Brazil's first planned urban projects, and its narrow cobbled streets, out of bounds to motorized transport, are bordered by houses built around courtyards…’

When we arrived by bus from Rio, it was not at all what we expected. Instead of ornate stone buildings, we found simple, predominantly single story white stucco buildings. However, windows and doorways were painted in different colours, creating a rainbow effect along the street. It reminded me of Obidus in Portugal, which we once visited on Larry Beasley’s recommendation. There, all the buildings were painted white, with yellow and blue trim. However, this place had another interesting feature.

I was surprised to find the very bumpy stone streets quite wet in places, which seemed odd since it hadn't been raining. As we walked down towards the waterfront, we realized what was happening. The streets were being flooded by the ocean. I didn't learn until much later, this was not an accident. It was by design. At high tides, and especially at full moon, water would enter the town and flood the streets, washing away excrement from donkeys and goodness knows what else. A local artist told us that at certain times the water could be so high, he would be stranded if he didn’t leave in time, and have to arrange for a donkey and cart to transport him away from his studio.

Over the years, many of the buildings have been converted to pousadas, art galleries, restaurants, and shops. Much of the town is now geared to tourists, and has become a venue for conferences. While we were there, we met some physicists who had been attending a week long session on quantum physics. I know that my good friend John Swift would have liked it, since he got so much enjoyment from the film ‘What the Bleep do we Know?’ that we saw together one evening in Vancouver.

Since we arrived without accommodation we immediately went to the nearby tourist information centre. We were told the town was essentially booked up for the weekend, but after our expressions of regret, were found accommodation at the Hotel Coxixo, one of the larger hotels in the historic centre. As it turned out, the town was by no means booked up, but would be the next weekend, since the annual cachaca festival was taking place. (Cachaca is to Brazil what Tequila is to Mexico. Except this is made from sugar cane like rum, but without the pleasant taste of rum! Shops around town offered hundreds of different varieties.)

The hotel was very charming, but unusual in that everywhere there were photos and memorabilia of some actress. It was like a shrine to her and there was even a small theatre on the property. It turned out the hotel was owned by Maria Della Costa, once one of Brazil’s most famous actresses. On the hotel literature, she proclaims 'Te espero com cainho'. 'I wait for you tenderly'.

Compared to Sao Paulo and Rio, Parati seemed almost surreal. It was so very comfortable walking around and felt like the safest place on earth. There was only one small piece of graffiti, which I offered to paint over myself if someone would give me the paint. I didn’t have to. It was gone the next day!

In addition to just wandering around, we went on two outings. The first was a schooner trip to some nearby islands in the bay that included an opportunity to go snorkeling. After being at the Great Barrier Reef, this was a bit disappointing, but still enjoyable. While we were the only English speaking people on our boat, we managed to make a few friends. By the time we got back, the weather was starting to change, but the views back to the town were impressive.

We also took a jeep expedition to the National Park of Serra da Bocaina with its preserved rain forest and waterfalls. We visited two typical cachaca distilleries which seemed extremely primative, and sought out the gold trail. In the jeep, we sat beside an English couple who had been traveling the world for about the same length of time as us. We discovered many similar experiences, even though we had taken very different itineraries.

Each evening, we had good meals, including a bouillabaisse ordered a day in advance at a small French restaurant run by a chef from Marseille. Other restaurants were often selected based on the quality of the music.

We enjoyed listening to non English speaking singers doing songs in English. While some were quite good, no one compared with the girl from Albania, who had us convinced she was from an English speaking country until she started to get tired.

One evening we went to the theatre. While I was concerned whether we would understand the dialogue, I need not have been. The Grupo Contadores de Estorias performed with puppets, and without dialogue. And without strings. ‘Direct manipulation’ is the trademark of the company. Their production included seven ‘adult oriented’ scenes including an old man playing fiddle, an elderly couple flirting, and something called ‘erotic awakening and rebirth’. Fortunately, I slept through much of it.

At breakfast each day, we chatted with two Americans who were in Parati scripting a film with an older Brazilian man. When we told them we were from Vancouver, they wanted to know if we knew Bing Thom. It’s a small world. We didn't want to ask what their film was about, but if a film about Maria Della Costa appears at a theatre near you in a year or two, that's probably it.

On our last morning we told them we were off to Brasilia. “Oh no”, they said. “You should have gone to Brasilia before Parati”. We had an idea what they meant, but were going to find out for ourselves.

Rio and The Girl from Ipanema

Rio de Janeiro is an hour from Sao Paulo by plane, or 6 hours by bus. As a result of the recent air crash in Sao Paulo, we were told it might be faster and safer to take the bus. When we arrived at the station, we discovered a number of companies all wanting our business. In South America, there are often three classes of buses. We traveled by ‘executive coach’ which was very much like being at the front of an airplane, except for the absence of caring flight attendants and the drink trolley. But it was a very easy and enjoyable trip up the Costa Verde.

On Eliane's advice, we booked into a hotel on Ipanema beach. Fortunately, I met a brave young man wearing a kippa and tzizis in the Sao Paulo bus station who lived in nearby Copacabana. He wanted to serve as our guide once we arrived in Rio, directing us onto another bus through a dirty and scarred favela to the subway, from where we took another bus to Ipanema. When we arrived, I noticed row upon row of bars. But they were not the ones in which you drink. These were designed to keep intruders out. It was disconcerting and sad. That evening, I looked for the girl from Ipanema, but never found her.

The next morning we set off for Copacabana Beach, described by our guidebook as the most famous beach on the planet. We didn't know whether it would be beach weather or not, but it was 25 degrees at 10 in the morning. It was very beautiful, but not as ‘glamorous’ as we expected. While most of the buildings are quite ordinary by our standards, the landmark Copacabana Palace did stand out. We now realize that few cities can match Vancouver's waterfront developments.

After looking around the area, which once back from the beach feels like New York in terms of building density, we went downtown by Metro. Like Sao Paulo, the subway is very clean and feels very safe. At street level, we discovered a varied mix of modern skyscrapers, decaying older buildings, and much in between. Unfortunately, like Sao Paulo, much of it is covered in graffiti.

On the advice of our guidebook, we took a tram up to Santa Teresa, a hilly suburb with leafy, cobbled streets. We didn’t expect too much for 30 cents, but it turned out to be an exciting 25 minute roller coaster ride on an antique tram up to the top. The views along the way were quite spectacular, and although there were many interesting neighbourhoods where we should have got off, we decided to keep going, so we would have time to take a ferry over to Ilha de Paqueta, a car free zone popular with locals.

Unfortunately, we just missed the ferry, and rather than wait an hour, boarded one for Niteroi, across the bay, where we could see Neimeyer's famous Museu de Arte Contemporanea. Unfortunately, it was closed since a new show was being installed, but we did see the outside, which many think is much better than most of the work inside.

That evening, we walked to a nearby restaurant where during dinner we were entertained by three athletic black gymnasts who performed a variety of cartwheels in the street, accompanied by some drumming. After collecting from the patrons, they were off. I think we were all quite generous, in case we met them again walking back to our hotels!

We spent time each day on the beach, by the hotel. Fortunately, we met up with 6 delightful friends traveling together from Pennsylvania, some of whom were originally from Brazil. Together we exchanged travel experiences, tried to negotiate the purchase of prawns, (challenging even if you speak Portuguese), and bought some small paintings.

We decided to stay on another day, but the Ipanema Plaza was fully booked. So we checked into the Sheraton Rio in nearby Leblon, which is unique in that it is a resort right on the beach. (It was also unique in that a large hillside flavela looked directly into our 17th floor windows!)

We had a very decadent time, being served Brazilian barbq by one of the pools, and just lying around. It’s an odd thing, but even after 7 months of travel, I feel guilty just lying on a beach reading! I feel I should be ‘doing something’.

We took the hotel shuttle back to Copacabana that evening, and after a few caipirinha limas, wandered through the market. We came across a very colourful and exuberant painting by a charming young man that seemed to epitomize the spirit of the city. So I bought it, not knowing how I would get it home, but hoping to one day see it framed in our front hall. Back at the hotel, we discovered we had missed the Mexican night.

After 4 days in Rio, it was again time to move on. We didn’t really know where to go. But I had read in our guide book about Parati, a small UNESCO protected 17th century colonial town that had remained fundamentally unaltered since the 18th century. Although it meant a four hour bus ride each way, backtracking towards Sao Paulo, we decided to go.

As for the girl from Ipanema, I never saw her, but she has stayed in my mind. Now she can stay in yours…

Tall and tanned and young and lovely
the girl from Ipanema goes walking
and when she passes
each man she passes
goes Aaah!

When she moves it's like a samba
that swings so cool and sways so gently
that when she passes
each man she passes
goes Aaah!

Oh - but he watches so sadly
How - can he tell her he loves her
He - would just give his heart gladly
But each day when she walks to the sea
She looks straight ahead not at he

Tall and tanned and young and lovely
the girl from Ipanema goes walking
and when she passes
he smiles
but she doesn't see
no she doesn't see
she just doesn't see...

Sao Paulo, Brazil

If I had taken the time to look at a map more carefully, we would not have made Sao Paulo our first stop in South America. It lies between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires-two cities we want to visit. But as events unfolded, it was the perfect place to start.

By the time we checked in at the airport, Sally's cold was so bad she was questioning whether we should fly. She was so sick she even refused champagne in the lounge. (That should give her friends Evelyn and Teresa some indication of how bad she was!) But we had our boarding cards, our hotel in Sao Paulo was booked, and she just didn't want to turn back. So with a generous supply of nasal spray from the airport clinic, we set off.

We really didn't know what to expect in Sao Paulo, except for one thing. Five years ago in Vancouver, I met an engineer/builder from Sao Paulo who was considering relocating to our city. Although he and his family enjoyed a good and successful life in Sao Paulo, they were concerned with the increasing level of crime and the state of the government in Brazil. I showed him around and introduced him to a few people. They came to dinner, and we had such a delightful evening, we agreed to keep in touch. And we have, sending each other holiday greetings over the intervening years.

Consequently, when we arrived, we had a friend to help orient us to the city, and more importantly, arrange for Sally to see a doctor! Over the next few days, Andre and his family took us around, entertained us, and gave us an insight into what life is like for a middle class family in this very large and oftentimes dangerous city.

Sao Paulo’s population is between 12and 16 million depending on where you draw its boundaries. It is the largest in South America and the fifth largest in the world. It began in the 16th C but few old buildings or neighbourhoods remain. While Sally waited for her medication to kick in, I set off for a walk along Paulista Avenue, a grand commercial street where Andre had advised us to stay, and the central historic area.

Sao Paulo is a city of contrasts. In addition to some grand old buildings, and landmark designs by Oscar Niemeyer, one of Brazil’s favourite architects, there are a variety of buildings, including modern office towers, and rather ordinary apartment blocks. While there was a lot of ‘good graffiti’ (as my daughter Claire would say), I was horrified to see that not only were the ‘artists’ marking up street level walls and surfaces, but they were tagging upper floors as well. I saw 15 story apartment blocks with graffiti up to the 10th floor balconies! No wonder Andre was thinking about leaving.

But there are some impressive squares and public art. The streets are alive with people. There are shoe shine stands, street performers, fortune tellers, street vendors, and religious leaders with microphones.

You can buy all sorts of food, and enough sunglasses to equip the entire city population. There are also plenty of police around, although many of the police look far more dangerous than the potential criminals.

Over the next few days, while constantly vigilant about pickpockets and potential muggers, I traveled around by foot and the very clean and efficient metro. I was advised to avoid buses, and I did. When we wanted to go out for a Brazilian barbq dinner, the restaurant sent a van to pick us up at the hotel. Although many parts of the city were overrun by crime and poverty, in many, many others, life seemed as normal as in Vancouver. We went into a large bookstore recommended by Andre, and could have been in the Robson Street Chapters. Except for one thing. This one had an even larger English language travel book selection!

In the hope that I might better understand the country, Andre gave me a copy of an April 2007 Economist Special Report on Brazil. It was both critical and optimistic. In 2003, Goldman Sachs picked Brazil, along with Russia, India and China as one of the four countries that would share dominance of the world economy by 2050. However, ‘Brazil is the country of the future and always will be' goes a popular joke. According to the article, it is an economic powerhouse, but can’t afford to feed and educate its children, and corruption is at the core of the problem.

Brazil returned to democracy in 1988 after 20 years of military rule. Although it suffered very high levels of inflation, in the last couple of years the rate has dropped to about 3%. In fact the Real, the local currency has gained considerably against the US dollar in recent years, and is relatively strong. A cup of coffee at the bookstore café cost the same as at Starbucks. A taxi from the airport was around $45. (By the way, the airport that experienced the recent crash was a smaller domestic airport, not the main international airport. As usual, this wasn’t clarified by any of the news accounts we read.) Furthermore, almost all the taxis, and 80% of the new cars run on biofuel-alcohol made from sugarcane-which costs about half the price of regular gasoline.

Andre and his family showed us a great time. We saw many beautiful neighbourhoods, and parks. But in the distance were the favelas or slums, climbing up the hillsides and looking deceptively like quaint Italian hillside towns. Most of the dwellings were built by squatters, initially with cardboard boxes and plastic sheeting. Over time, corrugated metal sheeting and bricks were added. The neighbourhoods are controlled by drug lords. However, according to the Economist, governments are attempting to improve the lives of these residents and some progress is being made in closing the gap between the rich and poor. But there is a long way to go.

We avoided that side of life. Instead we had a wonderful Friday night dinner at Andre and Eliane’s home in a very nice part of the city. The next day we spent an afternoon at a nearby seaside resort, in an apartment owned by Eliane's parents. Unfortunately, the weather changed and it was quite cool and starting to rain. But the building staff still set up chairs and an umbrella for us on the beach.

As we drove around nearby Santos, we saw condominiums with a very unfortunate problem. They weren’t leaking; they were leaning! Literally dozens of buildings have started to settle unevenly.

On Sunday afternoon, we were given a tour of their club. To get in, we were not only signed in, we had to show proper identification and have our photos taken. Once inside, we understood why. The Hebraic Club is like an entire village, covering twenty acres. It has 5 swimming pools, various gymnasiums, tennis courts, a concert hall, library, synagogue, and a variety of cafes and restaurants spread out amongst the tropical grounds.

We had lunch at Tanabe, the Japanese restaurant, and remarked on the absurdity of having an excellent Japanese meal in a Jewish club in South America.

After four very interesting days, it was time to move on. We were advised to go to Rio by bus, rather than take a chance on the local airport. It’s not that it’s unsafe, we were told. You just never know if the flights will take off! Thanks to Andre, Eliane, Gabriel and Ariel, we got a very good impression of the city. But while we would love to have them in Vancouver, there’s no chance that we’ll be moving to Sao Paulo.

Amazing Amsterdam

Schiphol airport was a very pleasant change from the airport in St. Petersburg. Everyone spoke English. We easily found an internet cafe (since we had forgotten where we were sleeping), and a shuttle to the hotel.

We came to Amsterdam since it was the transfer point for our flight to South America. We stayed a little longer than planned in order to meet up with Chuck Brook and Margot Paris who were traveling around Europe with their kids. Lucky kids!

Unfortunately, since KLM didn't fly on the 3rd of August, we missed the city's notorious Gay Pride parade. I had hoped to see its outrageous 'floats' which are just that-floats on the canals. But I did manage to catch an open air concert on Sunday afternoon, and the sight of tens of thousands of stylish men sporting shaved heads or very short hair prompted me to do the same the next day. At 'Scissors' I found just the man for the cut!

Unfortunately Sally brought a cold with her from Russia. Over the next few days it got progressively worse, and this sadly curtailed many of our activities. But we managed to do a bit.

This was my third trip to Amsterdam. I first came in 1969 with my Manchester flat mate Eli Harari. My main hangouts were the antique market and Paradiso, a converted church where people smoked marijuana and listened to music. We toured around Holland in a tiny NSU Prince 30. By the end of our trip, we had to economize. I vividly remember Eli going up to a hot dog vendor to inquire what it would cost to buy just the bun. He reasoned that after adding the sauces and pickles, it didn't taste that much different without the meat. Shortly thereafter, Eli left for Graduate School at Princeton, and later formed a start-up company making and selling flash storage. Today, SanDisk is the premier company in its field. Whenever we are together, I like to remind him and his friends that now he can afford both the hot dog and the bun!

Sally and I were here in 1976, but we had both forgotten what an amazing city it is. This time we stayed at the Jolly Hotel Carlton in a very central location, next to the floating flower market. To re-orient ourselves, we purchased two day passes on the hop-on-hop-off canal boats. We managed to figure out where all the stops were just as the tickets expired.

One of the Netherlands’s admirable features is its history of social tolerance. This is what attracted the 17th century Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition. Today, there are very liberal attitudes towards homosexuality, prostitution and soft drugs. The latter are sold in 'coffee shops' spread throughout the city. According to the guidebooks, they are not openly advertised. You must ask for a menu. Like Vancouver, most marijuana is locally grown and can be considerably stronger than what we smoked 40 years ago.

While the drugs may not be freely on display, the prostitutes are. In the Red Light District, just steps from where the Brook family was staying, you could look into the windows of buildings marked by red light bulbs to see what was for sale. I could swear that some of the ladies were the same ones I saw in the windows in 1969. But as the official Visitors Guide says ‘If you visit one of the women, we would like to remind you, they are not always women.’

While we couldn't help notice the coffee shops, prostitutes, and preponderance of sex shops, the city's real attractions were the centuries old buildings lining the canals, the houseboats, the absence of cars, and the proliferation of bicycles. Everybody rides bicycles; young and old; in jeans and suits; with and without parcels. Surprisingly, few people wear helmets, and this prompted me to wonder whether we need to reconsider our helmet law since I am convinced it deters many people from riding a bike in Vancouver. Admittedly, Amsterdamers are not racing along on 15 gear mountain bikes with dropped handlebars. They ride sensible 1 or 3 gear upright bikes around the city in specially marked lanes with priority over pedestrians and cars. If you don't ride a bike, you walk or take a modern bus or tram. I was pleased to see a Ballard fuel cell bus around town. I also noticed a few very small electric cars and tuk-tuks. They will soon be more common in Canada. Mark my words!

Amsterdam is also distinctive for its many museums. We tried to visit the Anne Frank House but there was a couple of hours wait. Sally did get to see the Van Gogh Museum, and I visited the extensive Jewish Historical Museum, ARCAM, the Architectural Centre, and other galleries around town. I also managed to have my photo taken in one of Rembrandt’s works (which is about to be dismantled). But we have been to a lot of museums over the past few months, and most of the time I was happy to walk around and admire the impressive and coordinated streetscapesFor a change, we decided to leave Amsterdam for a day trip to the coast, Haarlem and Leiden. The latter is a historic university town, with interesting walks mapped around the city centre. Haarlem is quite different than its namesake in New York. It is a very charming 13^th century town, and much of it could be seen during a 50 minute boat cruise. I regretted that we didn't have time to take in a presentation on wind power inside the only remaining windmill in town. Holland is now generating a significant amount of energy from wind. We too should be doing more in this regard.

On our last night we did meet up with the Brooks as planned. It had been more than 7 months since we had seen anyone from Vancouver, and we tried our best not to bore them with all our tales. Of course they too have been just as busy traveling and doing interesting things. Harry had just returned from a trip to Nepal, and Zoë was very much into dance. We decided not to talk too much about Vancouver development issues since there will be plenty of time for that in the coming months.

After last minute photos in front of a graffiti covered wall, we said our goodbyes and returned to our hotel to prepare for an early morning flight to South America.. We had had a good few days in Holland. The food was excellent; everyone spoke English, it was easy to get around, and the buildings and canals were amazing. We expect it to be quite different in Sao Paulo, our next destination.

Spectacular Saint Petersburg

In many respects, I think St. Petersburg is the most spectacular city we have visited on this trip. It was not the most enjoyable. There were many others where we had a much better time.
But the sheer opulence of the churches, palaces, and galleries, combined with the overall layout of the city with its canals, river, and decorative buildings, was very impressive. You have to see the Church of the Spilt Blood. The interior contains 7,000 sq.m. of magnificent mosaics, and yet for years it was used to store potatoes and other goods.

We spent four nights: three on the ship, and one at the Hotel Saint Petersburg, a large Soviet-era property overlooking the river. Our room was noteworthy for its fire safety equipment. In addition to sprinklers and smoke alarms, we found a fire emergency kit with gas masks and other equipment. It was a bit unnerving.

St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Czar Peter the Great on what was essentially marshland. Peter had spent time in Amsterdam learning how to sail and build boats, and the plan incorporated a similar system of canals. He was also inspired by Paris, and hoped his city would one day compare favourably. It does.

On our first day, following a brief drive around the city, we were given a guided tour of the Hermitage. Although I had seen an exhibition of some of the works in Toronto, and the movie that is essentially a continuous tour of the gallery, I wasn’t prepared for its scale and opulence. There are over 3 million works, and it has been calculated that to see everything properly, you would need 12 years.

In the afternoon, we went to Peterhof, one of the summer palaces outside of the city. It is known for its very spectacular gardens and fountains that amazingly operate without any pumps. (I thought this would be a good idea for UniverCity, until I learned that it requires a system of reservoirs and locks to create the required pressure. We would have to take down all the buildings to have enough room.) We arrived by tour bus; but when you go, take the sputnik era looking hovercraft from the city centre.

The next day we visited Catherine's Palace in the nearby town of Pushkin. Parts of it are more spectacular and opulent than Versailles, and all the more remarkable since they had to be completely rebuilt following World War Two. The Amber Room is just that; a room 'wallpapered' with small pieces of amber. It’s fabulous.

We also spent an hour at a museum that housed, amongst other things, Peter's personal collection of curiosities. From all accounts, he was a truly remarkable man with very interesting hobbies. He liked to practice dentistry and some of the diseased teeth he extracted are on display. He was also interested in medicine and enjoyed attending autopsies. He was fascinated by birth defects, and collected specimens in jars. The display included row upon row of deformed Siamese twins.

Our evenings were most varied. The first night, we left the ship at 12:30 am on a tour bus to watch the drawbridges being raised about town. This has become a tourist attraction, not unlike driving around Vancouver looking at Christmas lights. Although instead of hot chocolate, we were served vodka and pretzels. The next evening, we took the only English language river cruise along the river, and up some of the canals. (SP is not yet really geared up for tourists, especially English speaking.)

Another evening was spent at the ballet, since I was feeling somewhat guilty about missing the Bolshoi in Moscow. While I am not a great fan of ballet, I wasn't as bored as the orchestra’s trumpet player who, with only a few notes to play, spent most of the evening talking to the other musicians around him.

That night, we returned to the ship by subway. SP has a very impressive system. While the stations aren't as attractive as those in Moscow, they are much deeper, generally 65 to 70 m below ground. (In a few instances, they are100 m down. That’s equivalent to a 35 storey apartment building.) It takes so long to get up and down that I managed to write a large portion of my next Vancouver Sun story on my Palm Pilot while riding the escalators.

There is also an extensive tram system. We were advised to avoid it, but did try it once. We got very lost, and traveling in the cars made us feel like we were back in the Soviet era. They could not have been more basic with dull, worn seats, and an equally dull and worn ticket seller. Every once in a while, the lady conductor stopped the train, and got off with a beaten up metal rod to switch the tracks.

At the same time, around the city, new apartment developments are being constructed that could be in any major North American city. There are also new shopping malls that could be on the outskirts of Toronto, with many of the same shops and no shortage of things to buy. In terms of cost, SP is now the 12^th most expensive city in the world.

After four days we were both ready to leave. SP is one of the great cities of the world, but it was challenging to be a tourist. Few people speak English, and many Russians seemed cold and difficult, especially when compared to most of the people we have met on this trip. Just buying a subway ticket could be an unpleasant experience! Attendants certainly didn’t go out of their way to make us feel welcome. I read in a guide book that Russians tend not to smile since they regard people who smile a lot as idiots. Maybe that was our problem!

While we were ready to leave, we have already decided that we would like to come back in about 10 years. By this time, even more buildings will have been restored, and the tourist infrastructure will likely be vastly improved. But I recommend that you not wait that long.

Now as for the cruise, Sally and I are split on whether to recommend it or not. While it was not as enjoyable as other cruises taken on the Black Sea and Caribbean, there were many interesting and unexpected sites along the way. However, Sally had a serious problem with the food. Russian food makes Hungarian food seem light and healthy! She’s not sure our arteries will ever recover. We were both disappointed with the general lack of organization and amenities on the ship.

We've been told that Viking Cruises offers a similar itinerary with both Russian and International menus. That might be worth considering. There may also be better Russian ships than the Ivan Bunin. We just didn’t do the research nor have the flexibility on dates to consider other possibilities.

But notwithstanding the disappointments, this has been a very good two weeks, and I will never forget coasting along the river, past magnificent onion domed churches and abandoned old industrial plants, with a good supply of vodka and herring. Nor will I ever forget the rows of jars containing Peter’s collection of Siamese twin fetuses!

Cruisin’ Part Two: Goritsky, Kizhi and Mandrogi

Three more days, and three more stops. We pulled into Goritsky on Saturday morning. As soon as we got off the ship we were in the middle of a market selling furs, linen shirts and skirts, and the ubiquitous painted wooden dolls that you always see at garage sales. I regretted that it is not politically correct for Sally to wear furs since some of the ‘knitted’ mink jackets and shawls were absolutely beautiful. One of our fellow travelers noted that at Jackson Hole, the same jacket would sell for ten times the price at the Goritsky market.

We set off by bus for Kirillov, one of the oldest and most famous monasteries in Russia, with ‘one of the most exquisite icon collections in the world’. But this time Sally and I were determined to look around the monastery at our own pace and then try to see some of the actual town before returning to the ship. After visiting almost a dozen churches and monasteries, each with wonderful icons and wall paintings, we were frescoed out. We would both much rather look at the indigenous buildings, and hang around the shops. And so we did.

Goritsky has a long way to go before it gets a UNESCO designation. But it was a very authentic place and probably quite typical of a remote Russian town. We hung around the market, and Sally tried to find an internet café. Unfortunately, no one spoke any English, but her search was not entirely without success. She did find a café. It just didn’t have any internet!

We returned to the ship just after noon. At four I had another Russian language class, but passed on Dr. Vern Swanson’s class on the Art of the Soviet Union. The sun was finally shining, and it was time to sit out on the deck. For some reason, dinner was served at 6 pm, a ridiculously early hour. The Greeks and I tried to change it, but without success. One of them pointed out that normally they finish lunch about five! We all protested by showing up half an hour late!

We spent the evening waiting to go through the six locks that would take us down towards the Gulf of Finland. It was a long and slow process, but I managed to stay awake long enough to get through two of them. Amazingly, it never really got completely dark. At 5 the next morning I awoke to bright sunshine to see us traveling through the last lock.

Since we were not arriving at our next destination until 4, we spent the day lounging around the sundeck, attending a Russian class, and watching the third segment of the History Channel documentary on the Czars.

At 4 we arrived at Kizhi, a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site on a small island in the middle of a lake, and immediately set off for a walking tour. The island contained a variety of wooden structures, some which had been built there, and some which had been transported and reassembled. The highlight was an 18^th century church, with 22 onion shaped domes, that had been built on the island without any metal nails or other metal ties. Only wooden dowels had been used. The domes were clad in aspen shingles which had turned silver and glistened in the afternoon. The main structure was constructed with pine logs almost 300 years old.

While most of the other buildings had been renovated over the years, they still had their original timbers. I was particularly impressed by a wooden windmill that had been constructed on a pivoting base so that it could be turned to capture the available wind. (I’ll be interested to see if this is common in Holland, our next stop after St. Petersburg.) Kizhi turned out to be a very good stop. The sun was shining; the island was full of wildflowers and looked very beautiful. Before returning to the ship, I stopped off at a small art gallery and purchased a watercolour of the onion domed church. It was one of the most remarkable structures I had ever seen, and wanted a souvenir of it. Soon, it will hang on a wall in our house on another small island.

This morning, we arrived at Mandrogi. It can best be described as a historic building theme park. It was developed by a Russian entrepreneur with a wacky design sense and too much money. There is a rumour that Putin has built a place here. Somehow, I doubt it since he can live anywhere he wants in Russia. He wouldn’t live in a theme park.

But I know that he has been here since there is a photo of him at the Vodka Museum, where I managed to spend an hour trying out some of the 2720 different vodkas on display. Once again, Sally didn’t join me.

The last three days have gone by very quickly. Tonight we got dressed for the Captain's Dinner. Tomorrow we arrive in St. Petersburg and are both very much looking forward to it. Like the Mexican Riviera trip, this one has improved as time went by. We have adjusted to a much slower pace of life and have generally enjoyed being taken care of by others. However, we are also looking forward to doing our own thing, and not always being part of a larger group. All being well, this should happen in St. Petersburg.

Cruisin’ Down the River: Uglich and Yaroslavl

We took our very first cruise in 1993. I remember it well. We decided to break with the tradition of Hawaii winter holidays and do something different. We ended up on the ‘Mexican Riviera’ with my dad and the girls.

I hated the first few days. I was embarrassed to be part of an organized group and I didn’t like the regimen of fixed seating dinners and tours. I disliked the steel band that constantly played by the pool, and being harassed by waiters always trying to sell some unusual cocktails. But by the third day I was beginning to like the steel drum music, and looking out for the waiters. By the seventh day, I was sorry to leave the ship, and vowed to do more cruises. We have done quite a few, although not as many as Warren Gill. But then, no one has been on as many cruises as Warren.

This cruise started off pretty much like the Mexican cruise. I was not happy. While the exterior of the ship was in excellent condition, and the cabin was quite large with a big opening window, there was an awful smell in our room. No one could do anything about it until I made an appointment with the Cruise Director and invited her to visit us. She brought along a translator, but there was no need for words. She only had to open the door to know something was terribly wrong. Fortunately she somehow got the problem fixed.

A big part of any cruise experience is the meals. Our meals lack the presentation that we are used to from other ships. But despite their descriptions and appearance, most have been surprisingly tasty. Except for the breakfasts. They generally consist of large platters of cold salami, cheese and what looks like uncooked bacon. Hot items include such things as fried cabbage patties which one Dutch guest described as looking like they had been already eaten! Fortunately, there is some fresh fruit and porridge; but granola seems to be out of the question.

We are scheduled to make five stops. The first was Uglich, one of Russia’s most ancient towns. We were greeted by a couple of locals playing the saxophone and accordion. Judging by their singing, Sally believed they had consumed a lot of vodka. But they were trying very hard to entertain us, and earn a few rubles.

I was fascinated by the town. I didn’t know what to expect, but didn’t expect what I found. There was a broad mix of architectural styles with a combination of wood and stucco buildings sited along very wide streets. The old churches were topped with multiple onion shaped domes. We visited the 16^th century Church of the Transfiguration and Dmitry’s Blood Church, named after the son of Ivan the Terrible who was murdered in the town. At the City Art Gallery and one of the churches, we were treated to more music; this time by respectable young choral singers who were very good, and didn’t forgot to mention that their CD’s were available for 30 euros or $43.

After a few hours it was time to return to the ship. But before doing so, I picked up some more herring and vodka. Fortunately, shopping was a bit easier since I had started to learn the alphabet in my first Russian class earlier that day, as well as how to count to ten. However, I still had trouble sorting out my kopeks and rubles since there are 100 kopeks in a ruble, and a ruble is only 4 cents! A cheap bottle of vodka costs about 135 rubles. A spicy pepper vodka, similar to the one served by the Lubells one New Year’s Eve, cost me 350 rubles. (That’s the one that knocked us all out by 11:15)

The next day we were signed up for the vodka and bliny tasting. But first, we were off for a tour of Yaroslavl, a larger city of about 600,000. We never got to see the more modern areas. Instead we focused on the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stopping off at the 16^th century Monastery of the Transfiguration, and the Church of Elijah the Prophet. There we enjoyed yet another choral concert in yet another chapel covered in hundreds of gilded frescoes. Then we were taken to a park area where every year the age of the city is planted in flowers. This year it is 997, so a major celebration is planned for 2010.

We returned to the ship for lunch, followed by another Russian class, and screening of a 4 part History Channel documentary about the Czars. If you ever get a chance to see it, you should. The Czars and their families lived incredible lives. It’s no wonder most came to such untimely endings.At 4 o’clock, we decided to pass on the Russian Folk Song Lesson but at 5 we joined about 50 others in the Tchaikovsky dining room where the vodka and bliny tasting took place. It was very well done. Well, I thought it was well done since Sally doesn’t drink vodka! (She did once in 1965 and hasn’t quite recovered.) Dinner that evening was a salad followed by a choice of a Russian meat or was it a chicken dish? Or perhaps that was the night we were offered cabbage cooked in milk and stuffed peppers. Surprisingly, lunches are a bigger meal than dinners, with a salad, soup, main course and dessert. While many menu items taste better than they look, we would not recommend a Russian cruise for the cuisine. Or the music. As soon as Demitri gets on his electric keyboard to play Midnight in Moscow, Sally is out of there.

On the first few evenings, there was not a lot to do. There were a couple of music bars but even we felt too young to have to listen to the musical selections. Thank goodness we didn’t bring Claire along. She would have jumped overboard rather than have to listen to Demitri’s music. And it’s not just his music. In the rooms there is a piped music system, and we have to listen to some very strange selections. At 7 this morning they were playing Herman’s Hermits and Paul Anka! Where do they find this stuff?

However, notwithstanding the smells in the room, the look of the food, and the music selections, when we pull into one of the many locks along the rivers, or sail past old villages with charming wooden houses and magnificent onion domed churches, I can’t help but think what a great experience this is. It was exciting last fall to look at a map of Russia, and contemplate a cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg. It is even more exciting to do it. There are constant surprises: the gigantic abandoned industrial operations; the lumber yards with piles of small diameter logs; the quaint old villages, and the remnants of the Communist Era. We have passed under some amazing bridges and seen some impressive scenery. I am now starting to enjoy many aspects of the cruise, and am looking forward to three more stops before we reach St. Petersburg. After all, I still have a lot of vodka and herring to get through.

Midnight in Moscow

Despite its prominence in world affairs throughout our lives, we have never had a burning desire to see Moscow. We came out of a curiosity to see what it was like, especially since the fall of Communism, and because it was the starting point for a river cruise to St. Petersburg.

We spent three days here, sleeping on the cruise ship, traveling around with guided tours and on our own. We found a very cosmopolitan city, with new residential developments beside grand pre-twentieth century buildings; monumental Stalinesque structures; tired communist-era apartment blocks; and large, institutional buildings that could have been designed by Khrushchev. We were told that many of the new apartments are not lived in; they have been purchased purely for speculation, . Today’s average price is around $400 a sq.ft. However, the best new buildings are selling for as much as $3,000 a sq.ft. We were also told that based on a Forbes survey, Moscow is now the most expensive city in the world.

Without a doubt, the highlight of our stay was seeing Red Square and its surrounding buildings on our first night. The GUM department store is decorated in incandescent bulbs like the LegislatureBuilding in Victoria. The nearby Cathedral seems surreal with its vividly coloured onion shaped domes. Other buildings are dramatically illuminated, while the heavy granite slabs of Lenin’s Tomb reflect the outline of the department store across the square. The overall effect is quite spectacular.

At midnight, we left Red Square and took the subway back to the ship. Unlike any other place we have been, many of the passengers were openly drinking vodka and beer in the subway cars. Walking back to the ship, we felt relatively safe since it wasn’t completely dark, despite the hour. But here sure were a lot of empty bottles lying around.

The next day, our first site tour was the Kremlin. Boris, our guide was well educated, traveled and experienced, with a good sense of humour. I asked him about life today compared to the past. Although claiming to have never been a Communist, he thought the results of Perestroika were best described by the story about the Russian dog that is asked by his Finnish friend what life is like with his new owners. “Well” he says, “during Communism, my leash was about two metres long, and my dish of food was about two metres away. Now, my leash is still about two metres, but my food is four metres away. However, I can bark as much as I want! No one pays attention, but I’m allowed to bark.”

Originally a fortress, the Kremlin is a large complex with cathedrals, palaces and government buildings in a mishmash of forms and styles. It clearly illustrates the common belief that the difference between Moscow and St. Petersburg is that the former was built and then planned, while the latter was planned and then built. Boris pointed out Putin’s corner office, but he wasn’t there. Interestingly, when he drives along Moscow streets in his cavalcade, all the other traffic is stopped. He doesn’t have to suffer the incredible congestion that we experienced.

For our second evening, we had a choice of seeing the Bolshoi Ballet dance the Nutcracker, or a production by a Russian folk theatre. We chose the latter since we have seen the Nutcracker performed one too many times. We were not disappointed. It was a very professional production, on a par with the caliber of shows one might see at Vegas. Speaking of Vegas, we were told there are now more casinos and slot machines in Moscow than in Vegas. This is a city of gamblers and boozers.

Our city tour the next day was marred by rain and incredible traffic congestion. I was interested to learn that many of the older apartment buildings throughout the city have been sold off to residents who are renovating the inside and outside of their suites. Like Albania, there are no overall guidelines and regulations, and you see many different types of windows and balcony enclosures in the same building

We were taken around the Nivodevichi Convent that had originally been built as a fortress, and subsequently used as a place where men could exile their wives, since divorce was not allowed. We went into one area with some incredible gilded framed frescoes and artwork. We were also taken to the campus of Moscow State University, which like SFU is located at the top of a nearby ‘mountain’. Normally, there is a grand view overlooking the city. Unfortunately, the rain and fog prevented us from enjoying the sight; however, I was intrigued by the main building, a large monumental Stalinesque tower block, which is very different from anything at SFU, or any other North American university for that matter.

That afternoon, after buying some red socks in Red Square (it was cold!) Sally and I decided to take a tour of Moscow’s subway stations. I had been told that stations along the Circle Line are the most magnificent in the world. After seeing some wonderful artwork, sculptures, stained glass and vaulted ceilings, we have no doubt this is true. The mosaic work is what one might see in a great cathedral or art museum. Furthermore, it has been well preserved with no graffiti and little damage. However, there is a lot of dirt and peeling paint in the stations, and the train cars are quite filthy.

That evening, we returned to the ship after stocking up on vodka, Russian wine and champagne, caviar, herring and smoked salmon for the voyage. As for the food on the ship, like the crew and staff, it’s Russian! This is not going to be the sort of cruise we have experienced in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. But amongst the 300 passengers, there is a great variety of people. They include groups from Japan, Turkey, Holland, Denmark, and the Salt Lake City Art Museum. There are also about twenty five other ‘individual travelers’, including a few Brits and some delightful people from Greece. We are the only Canadians. Our dinner table companions are very interesting. Paula is a retired medical lawyer and former member of the Finnish parliament, who is now Deputy Mayor of Helsinki. Her husband is a journalist who writes on national and international matters for a Helsinki daily.

Over the next six days, we will be traveling 1800 km along three rivers and three lakes. We will be stopping at Uglich, a 10^th century town with a famous 16^th century church; Yaroslavl, a city founded in the 11^th century with many more churches; Goritsky, home to a very old and famous monastery; Kizhi, with a collection of 17^th century wooden structures; and Mandrogi, which is described as a recreational stop. There will be opportunities to take Russian classes and learn about the country’s history. On board is a small swimming pool, but no golf facilities, no internet, and few of the other amenities and services one finds on larger cruise ships. But we are hoping for a more relaxing pace and some interesting sights. We will arrive in St. Petersburg next Tuesday and will stay there until Saturday, when we have a flight booked to Amsterdam. We will not be trying to take any more trains for a while!