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Elegant Ewe Travel

We specialize in fiber-themed trips and adventures. Visit our website at www.elegantewetravel.com.

20/05/2024

Saturday, May 18, 2024 - Our last day of touring in Iceland! We started the day with a visit to the Hraunfossar waterfall with its countless springs that emerge from under a lava field, and the Barnafoss Waterfall, just upstream. Our next visit was the Deildartunguhver hot spring, which has been utilized for district heating since 1925. And then the main event of the day - learning to spin at Ullarselid in Hvanneyri, part of the Agriculture College. While some of the attendants had prior experience, most did not, but everyone left with a sample of their work, truly artistic! The teachers were wonderful, and very patient! Those that did not attend walked along a local crater and visited the Settlement Center. After a lovely day, we headed back to Reykjavík, where some shopped, visited the National Museum and Fly Over Iceland. We have all enjoyed our visit to Iceland, made new friends, and learned lots - and look forward to coming back.

20/05/2024

Barnafoss (or the children’s) Waterfall

20/05/2024

Hraunfossar Waterfall

18/05/2024

Friday, May 17, 2024 - Today was a full day of driving, but what beautiful sites along the way! We traveled from Blonduós in the north to Husafell in the south, after a full exploration of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The islands of Breiðafjorður were beautiful and numerous. We stopped in Stykkishólmur to explore the lovely harbor, see the colorful houses and…shop. At the base of Kirkjufell we had lunch in the charming town of Grundarfjordur. At Djúpalónssandur we enjoyed the pebble beach and saw the lifting stones. In Arnarstapi we walked the cliff edges and saw the blow holes. We finally arrived in Húsafell for our group dinner and overnight stay at the Húsafell Hotel, and what a beautiful setting!

16/05/2024

Thursday, March 16, 2024 - Some of us today took an early morning bike ride (5 AM!) to Lake Myvatn where we explored the lake shore and bird life. Our goal today was to get to the lovely town of Blonduós. Our first stop was one of our favorite waterfalls, Goddafoss, waterfall of the gods. Then on to Akureyri, capital of the north, for a couple of hours of exploring. Our final drive was to Blonduós to visit one of our favorite stops, the lovely Textile Museum, where we had a few demos and talk from Elín, who we have not seen for 6 years! Tonight we stayed at the Blonduós Hotel, but Marci and Amy had a pleasant surprise to find that one of our favorite dinning spots from 6 years ago was next door, and was now a guest house with cooking lessons- we had a lovely tour - thoughts for next time!

15/05/2024

Wednesday , May 15, 2024 - The weather today was exceptional! Our time was spent exploring around the Myvatn area. Our first stop took us on a hike around Skútustaðagígar. Then we explored the unique lava formations at Dimmuborgir. The day would not be complete without a wonderful lunch at Vogafoss, all sourced from local produce. The fumaroles and mud pots at Námafjall were amazing! We finished off the day with a bath at Jarðbodin, the hot springs in Myvatn. Lovely!

14/05/2024

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - Today certainly involved a lot of driving, but the weather was great, we made a lot of stops and saw a lot of sites! We began our journey in Hofn, drove through the east fjords and Highlands with a stop at Dettifoss, the largest waterfall in all of Europe, and ended in Mývatn, where we will be spending the next two nights at the Hotel Láxa. The constant change of landscape was amazing. Marci and Amy were also thrilled to run into Borga, their tour guide from 6 years ago!

13/05/2024

Monday, May 13, 2024 - Another busy day in Iceland, filled with waterfalls, hikes and glaciers. We left the quiet town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur (the town of 3 ks or Klauster), and continued north east on the ring road with several view stops along the way. At Skaftafell one group hiked up to the Svartifoss waterfall while another group hiked over for a closer view of the Skaftafellsjokull glacier. Our next stop was Fjallsárlón where we had lunch and saw the glacier lake. This is the calving tongue of Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Europe, sweeping down from Oræfajokull, Iceland’s largest active volcano. At Jokulsárlón we took an amphibian boat ride for a closer viewing of the glacier ice from Breiðamerkurjokull, followed up by a walk along the Diamond Beach. We saw amazing sites and learned a lot today, about the formation of volcanoes and glaciers, the difference between outlet glaciers and terminal moraines, and how to do Icelandic swirlies, all great fun!

12/05/2024

Sunday, May 12, 2024 - Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers everywhere! Today on our Iceland journey we explored the world of volcanoes, waterfalls and black sand beaches, with a little Icelandic horse riding thrown in. Our first stop was at the Seljalandsfoss waterfall where we were thoroughly drenched! But standing behind the waterfall was well worth the soaking. Then on to the Skálakot horse farm where we learned about the unique features of the Icelandic horse and took a ride to yet another waterfall, some riding for the first time! Then on to the Skógafoss waterfall with a hike to the top to explore the trail and additional waterfalls. After a quick lunch we drove out to Dyrhólaey Island for a great viewing of the Reynisdranger sea stacks ( thought to be petrified trolls). Then to the Reynisfjara beach, one of the most famous beaches in Iceland, not only for its beautiful black sand beach, but for sneaker, aka killer waves. A lovely stop in Vik for snacks and a little shopping ended the day before our drive through the old lava fields and our group dinner at the lovely Magma Hotel in Kirkjubøuræjarklaustur.

11/05/2024

Saturday, May 11, 2024 - our first full day in Iceland, and what great fun we had! We started out with a tour of the Reykjavik harbor. Our next journey included stops along the Golden Circle, including Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and the Gullfoss Waterfall, all beautiful areas. But our last event of the day turned out to be a highlight, a visit to Hespa for a talk and demo on natural dying by Gúðrun Bjarnadóttir, a great lecture and lots of fiber shopping fun!

11/05/2024

Friday, May 10, 2024 - We are on the road again! This time our adventure takes us to the magical, mysterious land of trolls and sagas that is Iceland. After most folks arrived mid-morning, we headed to downtown Reykjavik for a fabulous food tour with Ben which included sampling Atlantic Char, plokkfiskur, fermented shark, the Icelandic hotdog, local Viking beer and rye ice cream, all fabulous… well, maybe except for the fermented shark. Folks had the rest of the afternoon to explore Reykjavik including a walk along the waterfront, trip to the top of Hallgrímskirkja and the Handknitting of Iceland Knit Shop.

11/04/2024

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - Today we had a little free time in the morning to see some last minute sites and shop before leaving Cusco for Lima. Marci headed back to Qorikancha and Santo Domingo for a last look around and … a climb up the bell tower! And what beautiful views of the city! Then one last walk through San Blas to the Precolumbian Museum. The museum, located in what was originally an Inca courthouse, is part of the Larco Museum that we visited in Lima. Its more than 450 artifacts included pre-Columbian works in shell, gold and silver as well as wood carvings, lovely to see. We then had a last tour through Cusco on our way to the airport. Once we arrived in Lima, we headed over to Huaca Pucllana for a lovely farewell dinner. And a beautiful night it was as we dinned outside with a beautiful view of the Great Pyramid - a nice farewell to Peru!

10/04/2024

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - Sadly, our last day and night in the lovely city of Cusco, ancient capital of the Inca Empire. Today our focus was on - the history of the Incas! We started the day with a tour of Qorikancha and Santo Domingo. The Qorikancha contained the old temples of the Inca Empire including the Temple of the Sun. It was were the Inca Emperor resided during his reign as well as the High Priest and Leaders of the military. The Church and Convent of Santo Domingo were built on and around the sacred site after the invasion of the Spanish so little remains. From there we toured La Catedral, containing many art works of the Cusco School. The cathedral, started in 1560 but not finished for 100 years, was built over the palace of the eighth Inca, and that is why it has sustained minimal damage during earthquake activity. The afternoon was on our own, and some of us spent that time exploring a wonderful bohemian section of town known as San Blas. What fun! Great little side streets and a square with lots to see. Some of us then went to the Machu Picchu Museum, and how wonderful it was to see the old photos of the explorer Hiram Bingham and some of the objects from the site. Another great day!

09/04/2024

Cultural Night of live Andean music and dance.

09/04/2024

Live Andean music and dancing at the Cultural Night in Cusco

09/04/2024

Monday April 8, 2024 - Today we spent exploring the town of Cusco, the Capital of the Inca Empire. Our first visit was to Sacsayhuaman, a citadel on the northern part of town, built in the 15th century under Sapa Inca Pachacuti. It served as the most important military base of the Inca Empire and was also a temple where rites and sacred ceremonies were performed to the Sun God, Inti. We saw the great plaza and its massive terrace walls, with the typical precision stonework of the Incas. Our next stop was the Qenco Inca Cave. Of special interest was the sacraficial cave with its two enormous slabs used for the sacrifices. Then to Puca Pukara, another Inca military site with large walls and terraces that was important to the defense of Cusco. We stopped at Millmas to see the different types of Alpaca as well as Vicuña. We had a talk, a fashion show, and then of course had plenty of time for shopping! And then to a silver smith for a talk on silver making with demos and - more shopping! We then returned to our hotel, the lovely Costa del Sol, a former 17th century mansion and home of Marquis de Picoga, located just around the corner from the Plaza del Armas. Folks then had the afternoon off to explore the town and - shop! Some of us at the end of the day attended a Cultural Night with live Andean music and dancing - what a fun way to end the day!

08/04/2024

Sunday, April 7, 2024 - The big day that some of the travelers were waiting for - the hike up Huayna Picchu! And what a great day for it! We began with a tour back through parts of the citadel that we had missed yesterday including the Temple of the Sun, the Royal Tomb and Intihuatana. And of course along the way we had spectacular views of Huayna Picchu, our final destination. The hike was amazing, we were breathless, sweaty, dirty (Marci found a rock in her hair) and at times a bit nervous, but Percy our guide was great, reassuring us and pointing out the great sites along the way - truly a hike we will always remember! After a light lunch and an exploration of town, we boarded the Vistadome to head back to Ollantaytambo - and what a great train ride - dancing and a fashion show as well as great views! We were met by our guide in Ollantaytambo for our long ride back to Cusco where we spent the first of three nights at the Costa Del Sol in downtown Cusco, what a beautiful hotel!

08/04/2024

Bus ride from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu

08/04/2024

Fashion show on the Vistadome

08/04/2024

A little dancing on the Vistadome from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo

07/04/2024

Riding the Vistadome to Aguas Calientes

07/04/2024

Window view

07/04/2024

All we can say is … Wow! This morning we left the Ollantaytambo Station on the Peru Rail Vistadome for a beautiful ride through the Andes along the Urubamba River for our final destination - the mystical Machu Picchu! The train ride was amazing, running along the edge of the rain forest, with Inca ruins and terraces visible along the way. After arriving at the station in Aguas Calientes we boarded the bus for our winding drive to the entrance. Our guided tour was great, the weather wonderful, and the views amazing. After our busy day hiking we enjoyed a lovely lunch at Inkaterra Pueblo in Aguas Calientes and then an early night at the El Mapi Hotel, getting rested up for our big hike tomorrow, Huyana Picchu!

06/04/2024

Friday, April 5, 2024 - what a great day in Peru! While a few folks were really feeling the altitude in the morning, folks were feeling better and able to hike a bit in the afternoon. Our first visit was with Nilda Alvarez at the Traditional Textile Center in Chinchero where we learned about … the traditional methods of knitting, weaving, and dying with natural materials, particularly those found in the Andes, and we were even allowed in the ‘back room’ to see the vats of dyes! Oh, and the many things for sale, fun was had by all! Oh, time to board the train for Machu Picchu…more later!
After our wonderful textile experience, we stopped at the Chinchero Museum and explored some of the walls and terraces made by the Incas. Then we went to the Living Museum of Yucay, where we saw demonstrations in traditional Andean crafts including jewelry making and ….more textiles! In Ollantaytambo we had a lovely lunch at Suno Restaurant. And then we ended the day at the Arceological Park of Ollantaytambo where we hiked to the Temple of the Sun - beautiful!

05/04/2024

Feeding the camelids

05/04/2024

Thursday, April 4, 2024 - Another wonderful day in Peru! Today we left Lima for the capital of the Incas - Cusco. At close to 12,000 feet, the sights are truly ‘breathtaking’! So today was our ‘low-activity’ day in order to adjust to the altitude. Our first stop was the Museo Sulca Textiles. Here fabrics and pieces are recreated using the techniques from ancient Peru - from the different Pre-Colombian era (Wari and Tiahuanaco Cultures), the Incas, and Viceregal as well as contemporary cultures. And the pieces were amazing - and for sale! Various weaving techniques were being demonstrated and we were able to feed the various Camelids at the feeding station. From there we stoped at a local restaurant for a wonderful meal - what better way to prevent altitude issues, shopping and eating! And then we spent time in the afternoon with Totemiq for a ‘Ceramic Experience’. We had two separate workshops - In the first, we finished a bull of Pucara, a traditional Cusco figure, with traditional colors found in nature. In the second, we used a gold foil technique that was beautiful. These workshops are being given in an effort to promote Cusco traditions. And then we drove through the beautiful snow-covered Andes Mountains to the town of La Casona de Yucay located near Urubamba - lovely!

04/04/2024

Swimming with the sea lions off the Palomino Islands, Peru.

04/04/2024

Too late for second thoughts! Paragliding, Lima, Peru

04/04/2024

Wednesday, April 3, 2023 - Well, today was the day for folks to have an opportunity to maybe try some new activities that they had not done before, particularly - swimming with sea lions and paragliding over Lima and the Pacific Ocean! And what a great day for it, warm and clear! We started the morning with a lovely drive north along the coast to La Punta - and what an area of contrasts! La Punta is part of Calleo, a ‘constitutional province’, where seaside slums are located within just a few blocks of the elegant La Punta. From the Calleo Yacht club, we took a lovely boat ride among the San Lorenzo and Palomino Islands, viewing birds as the Inca Tern, Pelican, Black Oystercatcher, Peruvian B***y, Penguins and the rarer Humboldt pelican, and …Turkey Vultures. But the highlight of the trip was swimming with the sea lions, who were extremely affectionate - Marci found her foot in the mouth of one who wanted to play! From there we traveled back south along the coast for a drop off in San Miguel, for a few brave folks who decided they wanted to see the city from a ‘bird’s eye view’ by paragliding - and the view was just spectacular! To see the city of 11 million people against the backdrop of the Andes from high in the sky is truly impressive! And then back to our hotel for an early dinner and rest up before the next leg of the journey - Cusco, the capital of the Incas!

03/04/2024

Tuesday, April 2 - Our first day in Lima, and what a full, fun day we had! After breakfast at our hotel, the lovely Aloft Miraflores, some of us went out for an early morning walk along the Miraflores coast with a stop at the Larcomar mall and a visit with the wild cats at Kennedy Park. We then met up with our wonderful guide Ruth and driver Jose for a tour of this amazing city of 11 million people! We learned so much! After a bit of a warm up at Love Park, we headed to the ocean side restaurant Cala for a cool down - and a lesson in how to make Pisco Sours and Causa - followed by a wonderful lunch overlooking the ocean. Lima has a pretty hip food scene with its own local dishes such as Ceviche (both Classico and Mixto), Lomo Saltado, and Cuy (roasted or fried, but don’t ask) as well as the refreshing Pisco Sours and Chilcano. We next traveled to the historic area of Lima with visits to the San Francisco Basilica and Convent with a wander through the catacombs (sorry, no photos), the Lima Cathedral, and Casa Aliaga (home to the Aliaga family for 17 generations). Our final destination of the day was the Larco Museum - featuring the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru with its own tapestry room, sacrificial room, and famous archeological erotica - with over 45,000 pieces, there was just no way to see it all! Then a late arrival back to our hotel (with the traffic, after 8PM) to rest up and get ready for tomorrow’s adventures - swimming with the sea lions and…Paragliding!

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