America could learn from other countries, but not Japan

     The photo I took above is not just a plate of Olives, it is a way  of life. The photo also does not show two glasses of wine. These are tapas and it was around two pm in Barcelona.

     Let me explain. The Japanese almost delight in falling asleep over lunch or dozing during a concert, For them it is a symbol of how hard they work and how little sleep they get being productive. Those of us in the US are not quite that bad, but I realized that at work I rarely have taken my breaks and now that I am employed by someone else they MAKE me take a whole half hour lunch break. They make be clock out. I wondered why I hated that time clock.

      Tapas is an afternoon stop to recharge. It is similar to English Tea. Both are very civilized. They have us halt in the heat of the day. For most people there is not talk of work like our business lunches in the US. It is talk of family and hobbies or maybe a little gossip. 

     When tea or tapas are over, it is back to work. Hopefully refreshed, but at very least rested.

     Why do we work? I work to make my life and the lives of loved one better. I do not think that it should seem like a race to retirement or death. I should not only make money, I should find enjoyment in being productive. Tea and tapas help people enjoy their lives and work a little better.

     We could learn a good deal from those who do these important acts in the afternoon.

Under the Eiffel Tower

From below the Eiffel Tower looking cross the Seine. The tower tourism is organized so that, while busy and  crowded, the place is not packed.  In the morning hours your should buy your tickets on line (abut 6 to 8 weeks in advance) some are sold at the gate. In the afternoon the tickets are first come first served. This picture shows people beginning to gather for the elevator. 

Photographic proof

This is photographic proof that my grandson gets more excited flying in a helicopter over Victoria Falls in Zambia than he does riding in First Class on a train to Brussels. (The wine is mine.)

Amsterdam

Amsterdam: bridges and buildings and progressive people.

Fun with cannons ... Edinburgh Castle

Lake Como, Italy

Hazard a guess why some people think Lake Como is the prettiest place in the world?

What to bring home from Europe

This photo is from the bazaar just off Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Only a couple of months ago there was a act of terrorism in the street outside. This market is like Disneyland for the hungry. Beautiful food and well displayed. But, you cannot take most of it back to the US. They are farm products and you cannot bring them into the country (you could bring olive oil if you could get the bottle home without breaking it.) So, what do you bring? Everyone wants a souvenir. 

     I bring home the free printed coasters served at bars. I also buy one thing that reminds me of the country that is actually made there. From Barcelona I brought a water glass costing about 2 euros.

        My wife had learned that Europe has stricter laws about what can be in makeup so she goes into drugstores - plain, old-fashioned drugstores - and stocks up on makeup. It is not every expensive and she likes it better. 

     I do know a woman who bought at dining table and eight chairs and had them shipped back to California from Florence Italy. I do not think she is wrong in doing so, but if it doesn't fit in my carry-on, it doesn't make the trip home.

The best way to see the Eiffel Tower is NOT to go up it.

     The view from the Eiffel Tower is well worth getting the tickets early over the internet and waiting in line for security. The city of Paris lays out before you like a Google Earth view of one of the prettiest cities in the world. Paris is Paris. But, on the Eiffel Tower all you will see in steel and bolts and people. You cannot see all of the tower from the tower.

Beehive Hut, Dingle, Ireland

Lots of history in Ireland. The Vikings and all came and went along with the Romans and the French. Each left their mark. The biggest mark is left by the weather - it is green... except this year there has been very little rain all over Europe.

Park Guell - Barcelona, Spain

     Looking for the Hobbit ... Park Guell is a wonderful visit. You will see some amazing work by one of the world's great designer/builders. What makes this so unique is that it was not designed in the 1950's by Disney. It was designed and built at the turn of the century (1900). The imagination and artistry is wonderful. Remember the name "Antoni Gaudi".  (Get your tickets to the park on line and in advance.)

Nightfall on the Chobe

     Standing on the banks of the Chobe Delta, we are in Botswana, but the sun is going down over Namibia. This is where several countries come together sharing this river which nourishes the land. At night, from here, we could hear the cries (?) of Hippos. 

On a game drive in Botswana

     Everyone is on the look out for the Big Five - the big, scary and sometimes hard to find animals of Africa. This is a little guy. It is an impala and you will see them all around. Not scary and not hard to find, it is a beautiful, quick and bright animal of the savanna in Botswana and other African countries.

Driving in Europe

<- Me, feeding a parking meter in Liechtenstein.

Besides Liechtenstein, I have driven European roads in Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Scotland, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain.  

Most places, even those driving on the left, make it easy for the American driver with good signage and reminders of what to do. 

The highest rental costs seem to be in The Republic of Ireland with lowest rates in Spain. Most all countries have motorways which makes things simple. But, you will find yourself on narrow country roads were the fun surprises are.

Before leaving the U.S., get an International Driving Permit (AAA does them with photos and translations for about $40.) Also check if your credit cards insure you or if your auto insurance does. I never pay for additional insurance due to using my credit card.

We meet again

Three years ago we took the Seine Princess from Paris to Honfleur. It was a five day trip, although you can drive it on land in a couple of hours. Last week we were walking along the Seine near the Eiffel Tower and there was our old friend. Looking ship-shape and ready for another trip down the Seine, she was full of memories. Good to see her.

Hiring a Car and Driver

     This is  photo of us in Paris about two weeks ago. We hired a driver with an old Citron to drive us around for a morning. We had some jet lag and it was too warm to sit in the top of a Hop On Hop Off Bus (plus I have trouble climbing the stairs). We made a list of what we wanted to see. To save on a taxi, I had the driver drop us at our afternoon destination of the Louvre. Later in the week, I asked a cab driver to include a stop at Montmartre  on the way across town. Cost was hardly anything.

     We rented a car and driver in Brussels and it was super. I got to see the city. Plus, he was our personal guide at the stops. We did the same thing on Gibraltar. You cannot drive the rock by yourself and I was not going to climb it, so we hired a driver for half a day to tour the whole colony! 

     It sometimes seems like a good deal of money, but it saves nerves and lets you see the things you really want to see. In the end, it is not much more than driving around yourself and not knowing what you saw.

Edinburgh Castle -detail

     Edinburgh Castle is huge. It is unfriendly like all good castles should be. A currently working castle it is strongly military. In order to make peace with it, I chose to reduce it to details. I will be passing these along in the days ahead. I found this area a tad whimsical. Not sure why they went to all that work, but it breaks up the solid block buildings. I appreciate whoever did this.

Scottish Parliament Building

     This is an interesting building which is both a place to meet and a symbol of independence. Located right across from The Palace of Holyrood House (the Queen's Edinburgh abode) it stands as a concrete and steel (with plenty of oak) statement of a new order. The photo here is of the chamber where the parliament meets. Could it look any different from Westminster? Don't think so. It is filled with modern symbols of Scotland.   Free to get in, but security is high.

Even great leaders end up with the poor and powerless.

The chapel of the Invalides was built at the end of the 17th century by Jules-Hardouin Mansart and contains Napoleon's tomb. In 1840, during the 'Return of the Ashes', a law passed on 10th June ordered the construction of the Emperor's tomb below the dome of the Invalides. Ashes to ashes - but nice tomb, though. 

Loch Ness Monster

     You can see by the date that it was only two weeks ago, when we were on a research vessel on Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, that Marietta McLellan took this amazing picture of the monster. She can spot these amazing things easily.  Is the monster real? Maybe. So are two boat wakes crossing each other.

Panda

     This is one of the pandas in the Edinburgh Zoo. We spent a day looking at all of the animals - and they at us - and I felt a special kinship to this panda. It did not take a boatload of psychoanalyzing for me to get in tune with this.  When I was a child, kids just did not have a great many toys. Nothing electronic at that. All of the toys I had fit in a box that was pulled out in the morning or pushed into the closet at evening. I would guess that it was the size of a large laundry basket. I had two stuffed toys, one was a brown bear and the other a panda. I kept the panda for good and loved the brown bear into tatters. There was something about the panda that seemed like he should get special treatment. Meeting this guy in the Edinburgh Zoo made all those feelings come back over a span of 70 years.

Postcards back home

A postbox at the Firth of Forth 

Edinburgh Scotland