The Rock of Cashel and the Empire State Building

There are certain places that are so unique or charming that we remember them vividly. We recall when we first went there and what we did. The head line is about the Rock of Cashel in Ireland and the Empire state Building. I remember the day that I first saw and experienced them. The Grand Canyon is another such place as is the view from the top of the gondola in La Villa, Italy (the South Tyrolean Alps).

Yet, other places surprised me for different reasons. Like the Buena Vista Hotel on Lake Como. Not that special except when you meet the owners and they cook breakfast for you. There is Marble Canyon just off the Icefields Parkway in Alberta Canada. Never heard of it and would not have gone if it hadn't been suggested by someone. I really like the village of Crail just outside Saint Andrews Scotland. I never would have had haddock scrambled eggs if there were vacancies in St. Andrews that night.

I suppose one can plan for these wonderful moments, but I find them to be surprises.

When is a trail not a trail?

AIr France Terminal at CDG, Paris.

Pretty, comfortable, excellent food, Burberry, Gucci, and every other expensive shop and not very crowded. People complain about CDG, but we have flown Air France twice and had great experiences. Maybe other carriers are different. I do not want to find out.

Airport Security

Our last international flight was only to Canada, our neighbor to the north. We first flew out of Oakland International to Seattle. Because I wear a leg brace and always declare it, I am pulled from the line and patted down. Sometimes they do a swab to check for explosives. It does not bother me, but it sometimes holds up the line a bit. So, in Oakland, I decided to take off the brace before getting to the TSA checkpoint and place the brace in the gray bin. I figured that I would then put the brace on in the restroom after security.

I did take the brace off, and walked through the scanner without a beep. Then, I was pulled from the line and patted down. The TSA agent started with my left leg (the leg that usually has the brace). He looked up at me as if to say, "OK where did you put it?". My guess is that I have a record that appears somewhere declaring that I have a leg brace and I really haven't had to confess it and hold out the letter from my doctor.

Either that or I just happened to get a guy who wanted to pat me down and had a leg fetish.

A Walk through Kensington Gardens, London UK

Along with Hyde Park next door and Kensington Gardens, London's heart is a large open space with places to walk, play or picnic. At one time these were hunting grounds for a monarch or two, but today they belong to the people. The largest urban park is actually in Portland, Oregon, but London is blest by these plots that allow them a break from the pinched spaces of this wonderful city. We followed the pathway dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales, In the bottom picture you can spot a heron in the reeds.

Mid-America or Mid-Ireland?

For those of you that know the White Castle Hamburger Chain, this is not one of them, It is the White Castle in the middle of Ireland. Marietta McLellan (in photo) models a shirt the same color as the door.

Saint Peter's at dusk: 2012 trip

Tips on International flights and flights in Europe

There are many opinions about which airline is better and what to do to make flying more enjoyable. This brings me to wish to give my 2 cents, 2 pence or a Euro's worth of opinion. I like Virgin Atlantic and Air France the best of the carriers we have used to or from Europe. I have not tried Swiss Air which I also hear is excellent. The worst experiences have been on Air Italia with Aer Lingus being a close second.

My judgments are based on three factors: 1) The airlines' desire to give good service, 2) consideration for the customer and 3) communication. The food on most airlines is fine with me. None of the planes have enough legroom. I prefer flying in an Airbus, but most of the planes are the same in general. All I ask is that the airline realize that I want to be somewhat rested when I get to my destination and help me stem jet lag. I want them to honor my seat assignment because I work hard to get the one I want. Finally, while I feel like I am a cow in a cattle car, try to make it a little more bearable for 12 hours.

I have to do my share. I do not hog the armrest or keep getting up from my place near the window and I come prepared.

Neosporin in my nostrils keeps them moist and I believe helps me avoid a cold. A book keeps me interested in something other than how many miles are left to go. I wear clothes that give. I wiggle my toes and wag my feet to ward off blood clots. I wear a jacket that can serve as a throw or a pillow. I do not need either from the airline that way. By bringing an empty water bottle and filling it AFTER security at the airport you can stay hydrated. If you have trouble sleeping try Benadryl, Xanax or Antivert. Virgin Atlantic passes out eyeshades and earplugs, but on other planes bring your own.

I promise not to talk loudly or to wake others up unless it is an emergency.

Short flights within Europe are --well-- short. They will be on smaller planes. Bring gum to chew as it is straight up and then down  with hardly any level flight time. Wear comfortable shoes as there are rarely ramps and usually steps and a long walk to the terminal.

August 2013

Calgary Stampede Grounds

 



Exploration is self-discovery

My favorite bookstore in Portland Oregon, "Annie Bloom’s Books" is located in the quaint Multnomah Village area of the city. I find surprises there.

I was walking the dog and stopped in to Annie Bloom’s. (Dogs are allowed there as long as they stay away from the resident cat.) I needed a book to read on a flight to Europe.

In the past I purchased anthologies of short stories. I can pick them up or put them down without losing much continuity.

The collections for this year were not out yet so I looked for another read. My prize was on the sale table. The name is "Why Not Catch-21?" by Gary Dexter. It is a collection of essays on the titles of popular English language books.

There is enough good stuff here for a dozen columns, but of most interest was the chapter on the book "Swiss Family Robinson."

I remember reading "Swiss Family Robinson" as a youngster, but had not noticed one important fact that Dexter points out. The family in the book is not named. The title is about a family lost on a deserted island.

The condition of being lost has been given the name of "robinson" because of "Robinson Crusoe" created by Daniel Defoe. Both Defoe and Johann Wyss, who wrote "Swiss Family", were pastors writing novels about finding meaning in our isolation.

They are morality plays where "robinson" goes from being a noun to a verb meaning "a time of self realization."

There are hundreds of robinson stories in various languages.

This makes the plot of many books more meaningful. For instance, I immediately realized that "Lord of the Flies" could have been "School Boys Robinson" instead. Secondly, as we were about to wing toward an adventure, our story could be "Middle-Class Couple Robinson." We would lose our known context to explore ourselves in another environment.

Europe is not deserted, but for us it calls for some creative adaptation. It means adjusting to different world views, cultures and even languages.

This blog is about the "Wilsons" we get to know.

Thanks to Mr. Dexter for the basic theme, and, thanks to Annie Bloom’s Books. Stay tuned.

Toilet Paper

While I have seen COSTCO in England, I believe it was wholesale only. But, none-the-less, most homes in Europe do not have room for the quantities that you must purchase at COSTCO. Like the vast amounts of toilet paper in one package. Bathrooms (or actually toilets as they are called) are not nearly as big or have as much storage as those in the USA.

However, the quality of European toilet paper seems superior to ours in the USA. I had heard stories that in the past that travelers needed to carry their own as well as a wash cloth. I don't use wash cloths much and never have had the need to provide my own toilet paper. The paper that has been provided is strong and effective. The stuff we usually get is soft and too delicate.

There are markets on almost every block because people buy small quantities and buy fresh vegetables daily. The market is not large, but usually well stocked.

The most familiar grocery stores that I have been in while in Europe were in Italy and Austria. They are still small by our standards. The supermarkets are about twice the size of a US 7-11.

I find visiting the places where locals go to shop is as interesting as hitting all of the museums..

Expectations are not always fulfilled

 

This is a photo (from Google) of what I expected to see in Switzerland as we drove from Austria  down to Lake Como in Italy.

 

This is more of what we saw. This is another photo copied from Google and is actually a little better than our reality. We drove through glorious canyons with steep sides but all we could see was dark sky and very, very hard rain. On the autobahn, on each side, we could see waterfalls. We did stop at a small town and got a little local character, but in general we saw windshield wipers for about eight hours straight. We will have to go back to see what it was we saw.

Ireland trip hints

 

As we have said before, the very best places to visit may not be the ones featured in the guidebooks. These are often the smaller places that do not advertise or pay for references. These are often not very busy because of this. If you take off the motorway in Ireland between the Rock of Cashel and Cork you will find many delightful places to stop.

Apenrose Dairy, Portland, OR

The diary has a variety of activities on the land which was formerly for grazing cows. While still a working dairy, the milk is trucked in. There are softball/baseball fields, a track for racing go-carts, a bicycle racing oval, a theater, and a ghost town. There are events for major holidays and most everything is free. Here are some December photos of the ghost town frontages. Fun for the whole family.