Moving Over To Wandering Artist: Blog Makeover

All future posts will be published on Wandering Artist!

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I took over Travel Tracks in December of 2011 and began sharing my excursions as a touring musician with you. We went to Spain and the Czech Republic together!

I began to realize the topics I want to share with you aren’t fitting under the title, Travel Tracks.

I am an artist. I see the world through different eyes and process the sounds I hear in a different way.

I’m creating my own blog, here on Wanderlust and Lipstick, from scratch!

Please, hop into the passenger seat for roads less traveled. Follow my journey as a touring musician and film-loving photographer across Europe and North America.

All future posts will be published on Wandering Artist!

Cheers,

Rachel Staggs

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By the time we made it to Sedlec Ossuary, I had seen two ghosts. I’d become quite familiar with the centuries of spirits that reside in the Czech Republic. The artful installation of over 40,000 skeletons inside this Roman Catholic chapel in the suburbs of Kutna Hora could be quite spooky, but I found it beautiful.

It was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, but inside the chapel it was so cold I could see my breath. I stayed in there as long as I could take it.  At least an hour. My toes finally started to go numb.

This chandelier contains every bone in the human body.

Luckily we had a day off in Prague at the end of our tour and were able to keep the rental car an extra day. We tried to visit before the tour started but weren’t able to. I would never miss a chance to see this chapel. It really is unbelievable. The story goes that in 1278 the abbot of the monastery in Sedlec was sent to Isreal and when he returned, he brought back bits of earth he removed from Golgotha and sprinkled them over the cemetery. Word spread and it soon became a popular burial site in Europe.

Coat of arms

Around 1400 a chapel was built and the lower level was used to house the mass graves that were disturbed during the construction process. In 1870 a woodcarver was hired to get the bones in order and this was his answer.

The village of Kutna Hora was really cute, but it was tiny. A few trinket shops and not much to eat for a limited diet. We brought snacks for the road trip, which lasts about an hour and a half each way.

What do you think? Do you find this work awe-inspiring like I do, or does it make you uneasy?

Related links: Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic – A Visual Diary In Southern Bohemia

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Isla Mujeres was never really on my radar until I met the former innkeeper of Casa El Pio while visiting a mutual friend in Portland, Maine. Her sister and brother-in-law had fallen in love with the island years prior, purchased a dilapidated building, and gutted it for renovation. What they did was create a boutique hotel that could reside just about anywhere.

A lovely view of the Caribbean Sea from the doorway of our room.

Collection of shells outside our room.

It’s conveniently located just off the town square and within walking distance to the island’s best beaches, shopping, and a plethora of restaurants. Staying here puts you just steps away from all of the action, but keeps you isolated enough to enjoy peaceful slumber.

The furniture was made by a local artisan and our room was the perfect escape from the blazing midday sun. We spent many afternoons in this sitting area after a siesta, planning our evenings.

Casa El Pio offers four beautifully designed rooms, each with a sitting area. Since we were staying for six nights, we really settled in. There was plenty of closet space (including hangers) for me to unpack and store my belongings. I set up a tiny pair of speakers (that I purchased during my last trip to Mexico in 1997) on my nightstand so we could plug in our phones and listen to music. When we opened the small fridge in our room (which came in very handy, especially for storing my daily dose of octopus ceviche) we discovered two beers and two tiny bottles of tequila, both complementary.

In the small courtyard area of the hotel there is a soaking pool and an endless supply of filtered water for guests to use as needed. It had been a while since I’d been in a country where I couldn’t even brush my teeth with the water. Having been ill once after a visit to Russia, I used the filtered water religiously at Casa El Pio and didn’t get sick. Plus, the risk of dehydration is so high, it’s a thoughtful move to offer filtered water to guests 24/7.

The sunset reflected in our window.

The rooms also come with a safe to lock your valuables in, as well as a beach bag containing beach towels, which we found very useful. With two fans and an air conditioning unit, we were always able to cool off if we got overheated while exploring the island. On several evenings we would sit just outside our door, where there were two chairs and a table, to enjoy a glass of wine, the amazing breeze, and stunning sunset. I just adore this place and feel like it was the perfect fit for us.

Blissed-out at Playa Norte on the island of Isla Mujeres.

Related links: Isla Mujeres: How To Avoid Heat Exhaustion In Mexico

Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico: Bohemian Gourmet Bed & Breakfast In The Middle Of An Island

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