Oconaluftee River

On our way into Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Newfound Gap Road we came through Cherokee NC, at which time we passed right by the Oconaluftee Visitor Center; this was actually where we saw our very first elk (a small part of the Cataloochee Valley herd has split off and now lives in the area). However, it wasn’t until we had completed our loop of the east half of the National Park that we stopped in with several goals in mind.

First, we wanted to have lunch; we had worked up an appetite hiking up to Mingo Falls in Cherokee. We navigated through the traffic jam that had formed around the elk already out in the field, and luckily found a spot in the overflowing parking lot. Having grabbed a picnic blanket we headed to the grassy area just next to the Visitor Center with our sandwiches, only to find that our arrival was just in time for live music! The timing couldn’t have been better; on the porch there were half a dozen musicians playing traditional Appalachian music as part of the Back Porch Old-Time Music Jam series.

Our next item of business after lunch was for the boys to show their completed Junior Ranger activity books to a Park Ranger and receive their Junior Ranger badge and certificate. We had picked the booklets up on the way in at the Clingmans Dome Visitor Center, and the boys had diligently completed each task, picked up litter on their hikes, and engaged with Park Service volunteers in Cataloochee Valley. Once again I am impressed by how involved the boys got into the activities, the material covering a wide range of topics but very well thought out, age-appropriate and suitable to each portion of our visit. Here I would like to note that there was a cost of $2.50 for each Junior Ranger booklet, but as entry to the Park is free, we felt this was a reasonable fee.

The Visitor Center has the usual exhibits, facilities and knowledgeable employees, as well as maps and informational brochures concerning to all sorts of topics related to the Park, its history and its inhabitants. The Visitor Center also has the distinction of being a “green” building; constructed and donated by the Great Smoky Mountains Association, the state-of-the-art facility features energy efficient design and eco-friendly materials.  We stamped our Park Passports, chose a couple of souvenirs from the gift shop, and then headed out to the Mountain Farm Museum.

Most of the farm buildings in the Mountain Farm Museum date back to around 1900, and were moved from their original locations to create the open-air museum. Originally located throughout the area that is now the Park, visitors can explore the structures at their leisure. The Museum includes a log farmhouse, barn, apple house, springhouse, and a working blacksmith shop. Make sure to check out the Davis house, as it was built out of chestnut wood before the chestnut blight eliminated the American Chestnut from our forests in the 1940s.

We continued on along the Oconaluftee River Trail, a 1.5 mile hike that connects the Visitor Center to the boundary of the Park with the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Not only is the trail one of only two in the Park to allow dogs and bicycles, but it is also the Cherokee Oconaluftee River TRACK Trail, with the trailhead on the Cherokee end. On our hike we examined interpretive panels about Cherokee folklore (it was fascinating to see the information translated into Cherokee Syllabary!), passed under the terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway (the 469-mile drive that connects GSMNP with Shenandoah NP in Virginia) and stopped at the entrance to the Park to snap a picture at the welcome sign.

At the southern end of the trail we picked up the Animal Athletes TRACK Trail brochure, and on the hike back various Cherokee legends came to life as we listened to stories of how animals helped create the world and why certain animals look the way they do. As we were doing the pictured exercises to be as strong and fast as the animals in these legends, we kept an eye out for animals that call the area around the river home – and we weren’t disappointed. Not even two dozen feet from the trail an elk was resting in the shade, waiting for dusk to arrive so that it can go feed in the meadow. Groundhogs were running to and fro around their burrows, wild turkeys were foraging along the treeline, and at the confluence of the Oconaluftee with Raven Fork we watched a woman catch and release a beautiful rainbow trout.

Can you spot the elk in the upper right photo? (Groundhog center top, turkeys lower right)

Once we were back within sight of the Mountain Farm Museum we cut over to the river where we spent the next hour relaxing as the sun slowly sank in the sky. Although we had one day left to explore the Smokies, this would be our last day in the Park. It was only fitting that we would get caught in an elk-viewing traffic jam on our way out…

The next Back Porch Old-Time Music Jams at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center are on November 19^th and December 17^th. The December date is also “Holiday Homecoming,” with demonstrations of old time crafts such as quilting, weaving, basket & doll making, apple cider pressing and apple butter churning. The event is free and runs from 10am to 3pm; for more information visit the Great Smoky Mountains Association website.

Crossing under the terminus to the Blue Ridge Parkway

Zilaiskalns - the blue mountain

Imants nevaid miris, / Viņš tikai apburts kluss - / 

No darbošanās rimis, / Zem Zilā kalna dus!

On the road from Valmiera to the Dikļi Manor is Zilaiskalns, the “blue mountain.” 126 meters in elevation (as compared to Latvia’s highest point Gaiziņkalns at 312 meters), Zilaiskalns is hardly a mountain. However it rises steeply out of the rather flat countryside surrounding it, and so it has accumulated a history as well as the prestige of legend.

It is said that once there was a sacred grove on Zilaiskalns where people would gather from miles around to celebrate Midsummer’s Eve. Known as a place of divination and ritual, it is thought by some that the name is connected not so much with the color ‘blue’ (zils) but with the verb zīlēt, which means’ to divine’ or ‘to tell a fortune’. According to legend, many seers and soothsayers lived around Zilaiskalns. In modern times Marta Rācene lived in the area, known as Zilākalna Marta and famous for her herbal remedies and supposed healing abilities. Others insist that Zilaiskalns is named for the blue fog that often encircles the peak; we may never know the true roots.

Possibly the most famous lore surrounding Zilaiskalns is that it is the burial place of legendary lībietis Imants, who supposedly killed bishop Berthold of Hanover in the 1198 battle of the Livonian Crusade near Rīga. However there are multiple other legends that revolve around Zilaiskalns, such as it being the location of Beverīna, the ancient Livonian stronghold we know from Tālavas taurētājs.

Centuries later during the Great Northern War (1700-1721) when King Charles XII of Sweden and his troops stopped by Burtnieku Lake, it was from Zilaiskalns that they fended off Russian attacks. The soldiers felled the sacred grove and burned it, destroying most of the old trees that once grew at the top of the hill, including the old sacrificial oak with its hollow trunk that according to legend was filled with offerings and coins. A large stone can still be found at the summit, labeled Upurakmens (sacrificial stone).

The tower at the top of the hill supposedly offers a view of the Augstroze hills, with a visible range of over 30 miles on a clear day. Built in 1985, the reinforced concrete tower was used primarily as a fire lookout tower for many years. The tower is not open to the public though, and the supposed views are not visible from the ground except maybe in the winter, once the trees have lost their leaves.

The 300 acre Zilaiskalns Nature Reserve was founded in 2004 to preserve the portions of boreal forest. Part of a drumlin (a narrow ridge formed from glacial movement), the sandy ground is covered with pine forests at the base and oak/linden forests at higher elevations. Rare and endangered species of lichens and mosses such as club moss can be found within the preserve, and the area is rich with animal and insect life. The road from the parking lot leads directly to the tower, but numerous trails wind through the woods around the base. I would suggest wandering slightly from the main road if you have the time, if only to have your fill of the wild blueberries that swathe the forest floor.

Un Saules meitas nācīs / Un miglu projām trauks; / 

Un gaismas laika balsis / Imantu ārā sauks! 

(Andrejs Pumpurs, Imanta)

Rocamadour

The day before we were scheduled to fly out of Clermont-Ferrand we headed two hours southwest to meet up with the Tour de France. Since waiting for the cyclists and watching the race would only require a few hours, we decided to incorporate a trip to Rocamadour in our itinerary. The village has attracted visitors because of the unique setting in a gorge of a tributary of the Dordogne river, but also is well known for its historical monuments and sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.



Rocamadour and the Dordogne river

The view of the village is most spectacular, and so we stopped in L’Hospitalet to eat lunch while enjoying the panorama of Rocamadour and the valley below. The restaurant had prime real estate with a direct view of the cliffside village, and as we ate on the terrace I could photograph away at will while enjoying in comfort the company and food. We could pick out some of the more famous buildings, for example the church of Notre Dame containing a wooden Black Madonna reputed to have been carved by Saint Amadour, the founder of the ancient sanctuary. The terrace next to the church (Plateau of St Michel) was intended as a place for the pilgrims to gather as that is where a fragment of a broken sword is stuck in the wall. Legend has it the piece is from the sword of Durendal, once wielded by the legend Roland during the reign of Charlemagne. Not visible to us of course was the subterranean church of St. Amadour which contains relics of the saint. Most obvious is a château on the very crest of the cliff, built in the Middle Ages and intended as a defense of the sanctuaries.

Our lunch table with Rocamador in the background

L’Hospitalet  has several viewing areas with parking nearby to provide ample opportunity for viewing Rocamadour from different angles and vantage points. We dallied there too long and became pressed for time, so instead of descending into the valley we turned around and headed back to the highway where I hoped to find a good viewing spot to watch the Tour de France go by. We were glad to arrive in Cressensac when we did as otherwise we would have missed the sponsor trucks (which along with the crowd and atmosphere were half the fun!), but we did regret not seeing Rocamadour up close when we had the chance. Friends who have visited said the sights were worth the climb (stairs connect the château all the way to the valley below), and maybe someday we’ll have the opportunity to explore the buildings built into the 400 foot-tall cliffs. However our visit to the area served a reminder that you can’t always do everything!

It was a long day of driving, with 2.5 hours to reach Rocamadour, 30 minutes to find an intersection with the Tour de France, and then 2 hours return trip to Clermont-Ferrand. As we believed this to be our final day in France we thought it well worth the trip, but I would encourage visitors to make this into a weekend trip, exploring the region further and staying at one of the many gîtes in the area. By the time we arrived back in Clermont the adrenaline from the Tour de France atmosphere had all but dissipated, but the excitement at having witnessed something so essentially French lingered. Weeks later we watched Bradley Wiggins win the gold in the 2012 London Olympic Men’s Individual Time Trial cycling event, and were instantly transported back to that country road. Hundreds of people lining the roads, waiting patiently to witness that sudden whiz of cyclists, bicycles and support vehicles, en route to Tour de France glory. Then in a flash it’s over, and the quiet country road is still once again.

Stage 18, in Cressensac: the stage winner Mark Cavendish is visible in the white team Sky jersey

Dijon

Our destination was the Benelux countries, but a convenient halfway point was Dijon. A city I would never have thought of visiting had it not been on our route, it turned out to be destination-worthy. Roberts and I agreed that we could spend a weekend in the capital of Burgundy, with its museums, architecture and dining options.



My favorite place in Dijon - a little cafe just off the the Place de la Libération

However, we didn’t have a weekend, as I had planned the stop to be a rest from the drive north instead of a tourist destination. When I discovered the Michelin guide to the Burgundy/Jura areas had awarded it three stars my mind was quickly changed, and I started looking into which sights to see the morning after our arrival. The historic centre seemed to be a good choice as there were supposedly quite a few old stone mansions and half-timbered houses on the pedestrian-only streets. We headed towards town on rue de la Liberté and our first impression that was only reinforced throughout the morning, was that Dijon was a city under construction! Hoping to modernize the city, boost tourism, decrease traffic and increase efficiency, the city is installing a tram system, and it seemed that all the major boulevards were torn up. Luckily this didn’t extend to Place de la Libération and the old city. The magnificent square proved to be our first taste of a beautiful town center, with the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy on the north side and streets radiating out like spokes from the semi-circular plaza that dates to the 17^th century.

Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy visible behind the plaza with its waterworks

To the northwest is the charming Place François-Rude with an old half-timbered house looking over a statue and fountain (the Bareuzai) that seemed to be our prelude to the Mannekin Pis we would eventually see in Brussels as the grape-stomping wine grower is wearing only verdigris… The streets that morning were filled with vendors, we purchased the obligatory mustard as well as a little bouquet of muguets to celebrate the coming of spring and for the enjoyment of their pleasant aroma in the car.

To the east of the Palace is Place du Théâtre and a little farther the 1529 St-Michel church. A Gothic interior contrasts with the Renaissance façade, and I was impressed by the detailed stonework above the three doorways.

To the north of the Palace are dozens of little streets with centuries-old homes that I could have explored for many hours, but we circled to the Église Notre-Dame, a 13^th century construction that still has its original façade (although it is currently being restored in portions) and the Jacquemart clock brought from Courtrai by Philip the Bold in 1382 after his victory over the Flemish. On one of the buttresses there is a statue of an owl, and legend has it that the bird will grant the wishes of visitors who stroke it with their left hand. Just next to the church is the Hôtel de Vogüé which dates back to the early 17^th century with a gorgeous tiled roof.

Finally, to the south is the Palais de Justice, formerly the Burgundy Parliament. We took a different route back to the hotel in order to pass by Cathédrale St-Bénigne and St-Philibert, two more beautiful churches.

A lovely stone house behind Notre Dame

When I was later reading more about Dijon I discovered that the Order of the Golden Fleece was based in the chapel of the ducal palace in Dijon. In 1404 Philip the Bold had created the Order of the Golden Tree. Philip the Good was married to Isabella of Portugal in Bruges in 1429, and for the first time wore the insignia of the Golden Fleece: a chain with a sheepskin hanging from it. He created the order to strengthen ties of Burgundy to the Church as well as to strengthen the duchy’s position. The Order still carries great prestige and implies a commitment to a disciplined life, and the official insignia must be returned by the heirs upon a knight’s death (so it can not be inherited). Did you know Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, was inducted into the order in 2011?

Half-timbered houses

Another little tidbit, about the Jacquemart clock I mentioned; the name describes the figure of the man who strikes the bell of the clock with a hammer. The people of Dijon decided in 1610 that he must be lonely and added the woman, and in 1714 a son was born. Jacquelinet’s hammer strikes the little bell for the half-hours. And of course they need a daughter also, so in 1881 Jacquelinette was added; she strikes the quarter-hours.



This one is for you, mom!

We really enjoyed our time in Dijon, and possibly might return for another look at this city rich with history and lore. However this particular Saturday it was off to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg…