European Food and Drink

        Traveling means encountering new things. Some food and drink can we found at home in special restaurants, but are common in other counties. Many foods are surprisingly good. You may wonder why you haven't had them before.

 The full English/Scot breakfast which is also available in Ireland has canned beans. I leave those behind, but I love black pudding and white pudding too. In Scotland, if lucky, they will serve haggis. Just don't think about where it comes from. You likely eat hotdogs at home without thinking.

    The dish above is a pork knuckle ordered in Munich Germany. It tastes great but is very hard to eat as you need to cut much of it off the bone. However, you will have the opportunity for schnitzel all over. It is just made of chicken or veal. 

    Pasta is wonderful in Italy. Just be sure of the sauce. I had Donkey meat Rago and would not have it again.

    I suppose you will need to eat snails in France. It is easier when labeled "escargot". I do not care one way or the other. Garlic coverers everything.

    Embrace the adventure and stay away from MacDonalds which is all over Europe.

    
 

Noisiest Animal In Africa

                Just one man's opinion, but the noisiest animal in Africa is the hippo. Sure when you are out in a tent at night in Zambia the thought of lions, cheetahs and wild dogs might keep you awake . On the other hand the grunt-howl-scream of a hippo in the distance makes it hard for me to sleep. They are surprisingly fast and can be very unpleasant. Here is a family grouping of them on an island in  the Choe River.
 

Rodin Museum, Paris

        Rodin's home and gardens have been turned into a wonderful museum. You may have seen some of his works in the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco or in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Those are not the only places, but if you wished to see most of this bronzes the museum in Paris is the place. We all know "The Thinker" or "The Kiss", but there are lot more.

          The house and gardens are a short walk from Napoleon's Tomb and other sites.

 

Marble Canyon, Alberta, Canada

Just north of Banff on the way to Jasper you will find Marble Canyon. A great hike.

 

The Harbor at Barcelona

Many cruise and merchant ships in port. 

This photo taken from the hilltop fort near the Olympic stadium.

 

Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco, California USA

            In Golden Gate Park in San Francisco your will find  a nature break in the urban area. The park has at least three special places for the plant lover. There is the Tulip Garden, The Botanical Garden, and the Conservatory of Flowers. As we live near "The City" we have frequented them over the years. We recommend them as part of a visit along with the nearby museums.

 

Computers and airlines

I don't guess that I am getting old. I am old.

At one time I could call the airline and make a reservation.

No more. You communicate with a computer. The computer doesn't know me well.

I keep track of passwords but they may or may not like them.

I change it and they don't like the change.

I just what to talk to a live person.

Today the wait time to do that is one hour and forty minutes.

This is a photo of Air France. Never had trouble with them. Just an airline photo.

 

Small village in Botswana

Part of your trip was to bring school supplies and books to them.

While the people speak their nature tongue, 

many speak English as much of the area was part of the Commonwealth.

 

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is an easy city to walk in the old area.

However, the number one thing one notices is the bikes everywhere.

They say that there are more bikes than people in the city.

Lots of places that cannot be reached by car give the bike a leg up.

The canals are pretty. The people are nice. The food is excellent.

 

After going down the Seine we traveled around Normandy

One of the ways to travel the D-Day beaches is by vintage army personnel carrier.

Kids loved it. I found it uncomfortable. The soldiers must have not been all that comfortable either.