Guided – Eat and Drink Like A European

Rust Never Sleeps

August 15, 2015/in Eiffel Tower, Europe, Europe Tour, France, Grand Tour, Guided, Painting, Paris, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

The Eiffel Tower, that accidental icon of Paris, is under constant threat, and the armed soldiers walking around the base are doing nothing to stop it. Though their presence is accepted and appreciated by visitors and Parisians alike, the threat I’m talking about is perpetual and cannot be warded off by security measures.

The Eiffel Tower is constructed of puddle iron. Puddle iron’s natural enemy is rust. And, as Neil Young so poetically stated – Rust Never Sleeps. Gustave Eiffel, the tower’s eponymous builder, knew this to be the case, and pointed out back in 1900 that the real saviours of the tower would be the painters. “We will most likely never realize the full importance of painting the Tower, that it is the essential element in the conservation of metal works and the more meticulous the paint job, the longer the Tower shall endure.”

Safety standards sure have changed since 1932!

Since it’s initial construction, the Eiffel Tower has be re-painted 18 times – about once every 7 years. It has changed colour several times, passing from red-brown to yellow-ochre, then to chestnut brown and finally to the bronze of today, slightly shaded off towards the top to ensure that the colour is perceived to be the same all the way up as it stands against the Paris sky. Sixty tons of paint are necessary to cover the Tower’s surface, as well as 50 kilometers of security cords, 5 acres of protection netting, 1500 brushes, 5000 sanding disks, 1500 sets of work clothes…and more than a year for a team of 25 painters to paint the Tower from top to bottom.

Probably the most amazing thing about the preservation work on the Tower is that it is done in the same way today (last painting was 2009) as it was when it was first built. No sprayers are used – the entire structure is painted by hand! Today the painters hang from safety harnesses and work their way meticulously (as Eiffel demanded) over every square inch of the structure with their brushes. Notice in the black and white photos the lack of safety equipment in earlier days though.

So here’s to the painters – who ensure that this monument to human ingenuity and icon of Paris remains stable, safe, and open to the public!

Modern methods involve a lot more safety features, but the essential job of painting the structure by hand remains the same.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences. Our Grand Tour of Europe features 3 days in Paris, and of course a visit up the Eiffel Tower (without the lineups). Contact our chief tour director Craig Bresett for more information.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (getting ready to re-paint my porch railing) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

666 panes of glass, and the actual controversy of the Louvre Pyramid

July 14, 2015/in Art, Controversy, France, Grand Tour, Guided, I.M. Pei, Louvre, Louvre Pyramid, Paris, travel, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

Trop nombreux visiteurs, pas assez d’espace!

By the 1980’s it was apparent that the Louvre, the world’s most famous museum, had to make a change. The number of daily visitors completely overwhelmed the inadequate entrance area, but art fans kept coming in larger numbers. A decision was made to excavate the central courtyard and create an underground lobby to accommodate all the people. But what about the entrance? Famed architect I.M. Pei (who is still around and working today at age 98!) was commissioned to design a unique entrance to the old palace – a steel and glass pyramid. As part of the package, 7 pyramids were to be built, including an inverted one, but the big one in the centre of the courtyard would serve as the main entrance to the museum. Parisians, who have been known to throw a fit over anything that disrupts the undeniable architectural harmony of their city (for example, they wanted the Eiffel Tower torn down, but that’s another blog topic…) were generally not happy with the futuristic design. An editorial described French President François Mitterrand, who ultimately gave approval to the design, as having a “pharaoh” complex. I don’t think he intended to be buried under the pyramid though! Work proceeded regardless of the controversy, and in 1989 the new pyramid entrance and underground lobby of the Louvre was opened to the public, forever making the museum more accessible and open. I’ve talked to Parisians who still hate it, but most have come to accept it as a unique, if not necessarily beautiful, part of the urban landscape.

Pei’s idea for a steel and glass pyramid was meant to create as little obstruction to the view as possible, while allowing a large entrance area. Do you think he succeeded?

“Controversy” or just fiction?

French conspiracy theorist Dominique Stezepfandt’s book François Mitterrand, Grand Architecte de l’Univers propagated the idea that the pyramid was specifically built with 666 panes of glass and was “dedicated to a power described as the Beast in the Book of Revelation”. Simple counting reveals that there are 673 panes of glass in the pyramid – talk about not doing your research! So much for that goofy theory.

Dan Brown’s immensely popular novel The DaVinci Code asserts that the sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene lies under the inverted pyramid in the Louvre’s underground shopping mall. That, even the author will tell you, is of course just fiction. But it made for an interesting end to the book.

So what do you think of all the modern steel and glass at the Louvre? Let me know in the comments.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. Our Grand Tour of Europe spends three glorious days in Paris, with a special guided tour of the highlights of the enormous Louvre Museum.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (currently in a room with only 6 panes of glass) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

"You don't even have a tan"

January 19, 2013/in Belgium, Escorted, Europe, Europe Tour, European, France, Germany, Grand Tour, Guided, Italian, Italy, Rick Steves, Tour, tour guide, tourism, travel, Vacation/by Craig Bresett

Upon return from one of my trips to Europe in 2012, a neighbour asked me, “So what do you do when you’re over there? I mean, you don’t even have a tan.”

I actually did have some colour from hiking under the warm Italian sun in the Dolomites and along the Mediterranean coast. And I even went swimming and spent some time on the beach while visiting the Cinque Terre. But my goals in traveling to Europe are not related to acquiring a tan, and I had not put any conscious effort into deepening my pigmentation.

My neighbour has not been to Europe. She has been to Mexico. Multiple times. I believe to the same resort. And Hawaii. And she, of course, comes back with a deep tan, as well as a sense of satisfaction and a relaxed demeanor.

I think when I come back from a trip, I definitely share that sense of satisfaction in time well spent, but I think my demeanor is usually one of excited anticipation – of sharing stories and photos (and beer and chocolate for the lucky ones) with friends and colleagues, and of, well, planning my next trip!

So when she asked me the question about what I do when I’m in Europe, she got a long and enthusiastic answer from this admittedly jet-lagged Europhile. I talked about meeting new people, trying new Belgian brews, searching for a winery in the hills of Tuscany, walking lopsided out of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, cycling along canals past windmills, quiet moments of reflection in 800 year old cathedrals, being overwhelmed by the magnificent beauty of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, eating the freshest most flavourful pesto anyone has ever had anywhere at any time in a little restaurant in a little village on the west coast of Italy… and on and on and on.

Her response: “Wow, you must come back from vacation more worn out than when you left!”

True, my “vacations” are not really relaxing. And most of the time when I’m overseas, I’m actually working (to provide a stress-free vacation for the people who are traveling with me) not vacationing. But I’m not tired out when I come back. I’m energized and invigorated. And I can’t wait to go again.

Have it all on your next vacation – Europe’s got history, art, architecture, food and drink, great people, and even a few beaches where you can work on your tan if that’s what you like! This is Vernazza in the Cinque Terre region of Italy – part of the Grand Tour.

5 Traditional European Christmas Dishes You've Never Tried

December 25, 2012/in Belgium, Christmas, cougnou, cuisine, Czech, Dishes, Europe, Europe Tour, food, France, Guided, Italy, lutefisk, pandoro, Tour, tour guide, tourism, travel/by Craig Bresett

1. Vánoční Rybí Polévka (Czech Christmas Fish Soup) – Czech Republic
Harking back to a simpler time when meat was a luxury to most Europeans, the tradition of eating carp (a freshwater fish) for a treat at Christmas has remained strong in the Czech republic. None of the fish was wasted – most recipes for this soup call for the head and viscera to be boiled to make the stock. Even today the mayor of Prague doles out this soup to the needy on the Old Town Square on Christmas Eve.


First the stock is prepared for vánoční rybí polévka

2. Les Treize Desserts (The Thirteen Desserts) – France
Here’s one for the kids (and those of us adults with a sweet tooth). In the Provence region of France, Christmas Eve is epic meal time, or Le Gros Souper. The table is set with three candles (representing the trinity) and a large dinner of fish, vegetables, bread and cheese is shared. The thirteen desserts (representing the number of diners at the Last Supper) are then laid out to finish the feast. The desserts consist of various fresh and dried fruits, nuts, nougats, cakes, and sweet wine. After all that, everyone heads to the local church to try to stay awake through Midnight Mass!

Les Treize Desserts

3. Pandoro (The Golden Bread) – Italy
This Italian sweet bread, traditionally from Verona, is a favourite at Christmas. By its appearance you would think it is a cake, but it is in fact a leavened yeast bread, sweetened with sugar or honey, and dusted with icing sugar (some say to resemble the Dolomite peaks just north of Verona). Pandoro is typically served with a side of whipped cream, or even better, vanilla gelato, and a strong Italian espresso. Yum.

Pandoro gets its golden colour from the egg yolks used in the simple recipe

4. Lutefisk (Lye Fish) – Norway
It is hard for a non-Scandinavian to understand the appeal of this dish… however it remains very popular at Christmas throughout the Nordic countries, especially Norway. Dried cod is soaked in a solution of water and lye for a number of days, which changes the texture of the fish, making it more like a fish “jello” (jellyfish?). At this point, the fish is inedible because of the lye, so it has to be rinsed in clean water for several days to remove most of the lye. Then it is ready to be baked or parboiled, and served in all of its odoriferous, gelatinous glory.

Lutefisk: Just tell the kids it’s jello

5. Cougnou (Baby Jesus Bread) – Belgium
This sweetened yeast bread, dotted with coarse granules of sugar, is made in the shape of “the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Luke 2:12). A children’s favourite at Christmas, it is usually served with another Belgian specialty – real hot chocolate.


This looks so good, I’m going to try to make it myself.

Europe – home to so many different culinary traditions. Isn’t it time you made the trek? Join one of our specialized tours of Europe and enjoy regional cuisine at its finest. Go to OneLife Tours for details.

Sick of election campaigns?

November 7, 2012/in Bus, Election, Escorted, Europe, European, Guided, Rick Steves, Tour, Vacation/by Craig Bresett

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As frustrating and at times exacerbating as election campaigns can be, they are an intrinsic part of the freedom that is the core of our civilization. The right to take part in choosing your leader has not always been a right – through most of human history it was either non-existent or the “privilege” of certain powerful and wealthy classes of people. On any given election day, my thoughts have turn to the House of Terror in Budapest, Hungary – a country that spent much of the 20^th century without free elections.

Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, was once the proud co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until the “age of empires” came to an end at the conclusion of First World War. The new nation of Hungary emerged from the crumbling empire, but with many different groups vying for power, it lacked stability, and during the Second World War fell prey to the extreme nationalist ideology of the Arrow Cross Party. The Arrow Cross believed in the “purity of the Hungarian race” and other such early 20^thcentury eugenics nonsense, and mimicked the German Nazi party in their hatred and persecution of minorities, especially Jews. In the short time they ruled Hungary, they oversaw the attempted annihilation of the Jewish population, transporting hundreds of thousands of Jews to concentration camps, even as the war turned against them and defeat became inevitable.

Arrow Cross fascist propaganda

In October 1944, with the German troops on the run and the Arrow Cross thoroughly defeated, Hungary was liberated.

Liberated from one form of tyranny, replaced by another. The Soviet army now controlled Budapest, and in the dividing up of Europe that occurred after the final defeat of the Nazis, Hungary found itself on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain. Though an independent state in name, Hungary was essentially a satellite state of the USSR, and when stirrings of rebellion made their way back to Moscow in 1956, they sent in the tanks. There are actually a large number of Hungarian-Canadians in the Fraser Valley (where I live) who immigrated to Canada in 1956 after escaping from the increasing tyranny.

How does a hated, unelected government maintain power over the citizens? Indoctrination? Yes. But mostly terror. Soldiers patrol the streets. “Traitors” are publically executed. Neighbours just disappear. During both the fascist and communist regimes, there was a building on AndrássyStreet in Budapest that people talked about in hushed tones. It was the place where surveillance of citizens was carried out. It was the place where those who “disappeared” ended up. Some were eventually released, broken after days or weeks of torture. Some were never seen again.

The building is now a museum – The House of Terror.

The House of Terror

When you walk into the museum, you come face to face with a Soviet tank surrounded by an enormous wall filled with mugshots of some of the victims of tyranny. Their faces are a haunting reminder that these people are not just statistics – they were sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. And they had one thing in common – a desire for freedom.

A symbol and tool of repression

In 1989, the collective desire for freedom outweighed the will of the tyrants to control the people. With communism collapsing all over Eastern Europe, the people of Hungary demanded and got their first free parliamentary elections in May 1990. And that building on AndrássyStreet lost its aura of terror. But it didn’t lose its history, and so in 2002 it was opened to the public as the memorial and museum it is today.

Not just statistics

Interested in visiting the museum? OneLife Tours Best of the East includes a three day stop in Budapest with tours of the House of Terror and many other highlights of this beautiful city. Go to our website OneLifeTours.ca for more information.

A Ride Fit for an Empress

October 16, 2012/in Bus, Escorted, Europe, European, Guided, Rick Steves, Tour, Vacation/by Craig Bresett

Lake Bled (as seen from the castle terrace) – its natural beauty has drawn visitors for centuries

Slovenia is a tiny country, even by European standards. Driving from Austria to Italy? You might not even realize that you’ve passed through another country, if not for the huge cold war era border stations – now completely empty, with no stop required – a monument to another era. For much of the 20^th century, Slovenia was a province of Yugoslavia – a post WWII communist conglomeration held together more by their leader President Tito’s charisma than anything else. But Slovenia has been a sovereign nation since the Slovenes declared their independence in 1991. A brief conflict ensued, but Slovenia avoided the devastation that other parts of Yugoslavia suffered as it disintegrated.

Today’s Slovenia is a peaceful, friendly mix of baroque elegance and natural beauty. And nowhere is that natural beauty more stunning than on Lake Bled.

Nestled in the Julian Alps, the lake is like a scene from a fairy tale – a castle on a cliff overlooks the town, and a beautiful baroque chapel sits majestically on Slovenia’s only island. To get to the island, you can rent a row boat or take a ride on a pletna – a special keel-less wooden boat handcrafted by local artisans and operated by local families. The pletna captains have inherited the special rights to provide this service from the time of Maria Theresa – the Hapsburg Empress who ruled Slovenia as part of the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire. During harsh economic times, the Empress granted 20 Bled families the right to not pay taxes they could ill-afford, but instead to provide a service – transporting pilgrims across the lake to worship at the island church. Today, the descendants of those same families continue to fulfill their ancestors’ role, but sadly, they are no longer tax exempt!

A traditional pletna, awaiting it’s next group of pilgrims.

Robert Wilfan, expert plenta captain and friendly local guide.

A journey to the island and back takes about 90 – 120 minutes (depending on how much time you spend on the island). While you are on the island, you will be encouraged by your pletna captain to ring the “wishing bell” in the church. Robert Wilfan, one of the pletna captains and a great local guide, loves to share the legend of the bell with tourists. Many of the captains speak English quite well, and somehow can fit in some excellent history between deep breaths as they row and you relax! Make sure your camera has plenty of memory – photo opportunities abound.

Slovenia’s only island is small, but the church is grand!

You will get a great view of the Bled Grad (castle) that clings precariously to a lakeside cliff while you are out on the water. Don’t miss it – when you are back in the village head up the hill to the castle (a short uphill drive in a bus or car, or a steep walk!). Commanding views await you from the upper terrace, and a visit to the Guttenberg printing press and the monk’s wine cellar, both of which are attended by museum workers in costume and in character, are fabulous parts of the castle experience. The monk in particular has a great sense of humour, and a great passion for Slovenian wine – which is actually really good! I have tried several of the wines he has in his cellar, and I favour the “house” white that you can bottle yourself – with the monks help.

Wine is a spiritual experience for this Slovenian monk and his happy visitors!

Back in the village, pop into a local restaurant or patisserie overlooking the lake and enjoy a piece of Kremna rezina – a Bled original. In 1955, the pastry chef at the Park Hotel came up with a new recipe for cream cake – a mix of custard, whipped cream, and puff pastry. Since then, they have served over 10
million of these delicious pastries! You can go for the original at the Park Hotel, or get it at many other cafés and restaurants in town. Afterwards, if you’re up for it, take a walk around the lake on the flat, well-maintained path – and during the hour or two it will take you, contemplate this beautiful little corner of the earth!

Interested in visiting Slovenia? OneLife Tours Best of Eastern Europe will give you the full Lake Bled experience and more. Check out our tours at www.onelifetours.ca

Pletna Captain Robert Wilfan and OneLife Tour Director Craig Bresett outside of the Bled castle museum.

Wild Surprises on Conwy Mountain

October 6, 2012/in Bus, Escorted, Europe, European, Guided, Rick Steves, Tour, Vacation/by Craig Bresett

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North Wales is famous for its towering castles and rugged mountains. The walled town of Conwy, with its fine old shell of a castle is a perfect place to visit for both. Conwy is situated on the coast between the Irish Sea and Snowdonia National Park (http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/home). The big draw in the park is Wales’ highest peak, Snowdon, but a less touristy more serene hiking experience can be found just outside the walls of the town on Conwy Mountain, or Mynydd y Dref (“The Town’s Mountain” in Welsh).

On a recent trip to Conwy, I set out for what I expected to be a brisk pre-breakfast walk along some of the roads outside of town, but found myself at a trailhead and decided to take it. The first part of the “trail” actually went straight through a farmer’s field and past his house. The feeling that I was trespassing was dispelled when the farmer, who was also up early (aren’t they always?) greeted me with a warm “bore da –good moornin’” as I walked past the barn. Passing through a set of sheep-proof gates I meandered up the hill through the bell heather and rowan trees. It wasn’t long until I was at a peak of sorts – and to my great surprise found myself standing in the ruins of an iron-age fort, Castell Caer Seion. This fort had once ringed the peak and stood as a defensive position for the local Celtic tribe.

From the peak the town and its castle looked small, and to the east, if I had binoculars, Liverpool would have been visible. But the view over Conwy Bay and into the rest of Snowdonia was spectacular. As I wandered around amongst the stones, I came across another surprise – a herd of wild horses – actual wild horses! They seemed completely unperturbed by my presence – as long as I didn’t get too close. A little further down the trail (I took a different trail down) a flock of sheep blocked my path. They moved en masse as I got closer, but stood just a few feet off of the trail and stared me down as I walked past. I thanked the sheep for the wool they gave to make my newly purchased tweed jacket, and was on my way back to town.

There is something special about discovering a new place and having a new experience on your own – but at the same time I wanted to share it with others. At breakfast that morning I told my group members about my early morning adventure – “Why didn’t you wake us up?” was asked more than once. If I had known about the trails up the mountain, I would have! And in fact, the next group I take to Britain will definitely have the opportunity to get up early in Conwy and join me on the mountain. Go to www.OneLifeTours.ca to find out how you can be part of that group!

Conwy Castle looks pretty small from up here.

Many shades of green in Wales.

Scared sheep.

Brave sheep. “What are you lookin’ at?”

Wild Horses couldn’t keep me from returning to the town!