Not meant to be souvenirs

Photo has nothing to do with text. I just like it.

            We are not big shoppers on our trips. We do not come for objects to remember places by. It just sometimes happens. I put the paper coasters from drinks in my pocket and have a large number of them. They cost nothing and were just a part of a meal. In France each of our Airbnbs were furnished with everything but pepper. We have two small containers of it in the cupboard here at home. I have two boxes of OTC medicines I got in Slovakia but I cannot read the writing and I am not sure what they are for. We did buy a pretty wineglass in Murano but it is hardly used. As I walk around our house looking for things we brought back from overseas it appears that has been brought back is mostly great memories.

 

Ireland road sign

On a cliff near Dingle they express that they want you back.

Lying-man island in the rear.

 

Every village is a new adventure

We often rent a car and do a road trip.

No need to do it along the Danube.

This is the tower of a small church near the river.

The blue church (St. Elizabeth) of Bratislava, Slovakia

 

You should have gone to Benny's

So, you come home from a trip of a lifetime. You are sharing

some of your adventures in Spain. You visited four cities in a month on your trip. 

Someone who spent a day in each city says:

"But, did you eat at Benny's in the Plaza"

like you wasted your time because you missed "the best

salad I have ever had."

Murder is a crime in Spain as it is in the U.S. Don't do it.

Some more things to bring along that may help

Over Greenland which is white - Iceland is usually closer to green.

        There are a few more items to pack in my opinion: small Swiss Army knife: mine have always been the smallest that a finger nail file, a knife and scissors (wife carries a nail clipper). Just remember that the knife stays in you checked luggage. It carry it on it will disappear. (I am on my third.)  Plus I take a small roll of duct tape. It fixes everything from a ripped  suitcase to a loose hem. Next are three things for the plane: gum (take off and landing), ginger candy (if you get the least bit airsick (On Alaska they serve ginger ale.) and a small package of Wet Ones (Walgreens sell small packs) you use them to clean your set, tray and seatbelt because the plane service rarely clean them. The load above is smaller than a large candy bar - which are free to take if you choose,

 

Getting ready

Air France Terminal at CDG Airport, Paris

         Before you go let us look at what you need to pack: 1. copies of your passport which you keep nowhere near your passport; 2) copies of your itinerary (which I email to myself to access it from any phone): 3) hard copies of plane and lodging information; 4) list of medications <take 1 week more than you need>; 5) Emergency phone numbers <I make sure they are in my phone, bur phones get lost; 6) phone number on the back of your credit card so you can call if it is lost; 7) trip issuance copies; 8) phone number for airline emergency: 9) ______ anything else you cannot do without <I take ginger candy and nasal spray and aspirin in my pocket>. 10) I always buy a New Yorker Magazine to read if I get bored.

 

Buy a beer, stay for the waitresses and their entertainment. How many glasses at once?

Trite: Beer and Pretzels In Hofbraeuhaus, Munich 

 

The OHSU Gondola

On the top of a major hill there stands Oregon Health And Science University.

It is in Portland, Oregon.

There are actually a number of hospitals under the same umbrella.

When the top of the hill became too crowded they opened the waterfront.

To link the top with the river, they build this tram system.

I was hospitalized up atop.

My wife had brain surgery on the lower building.

As always, this is a teaching hospital and they learned a lot from us.

 

The late night concerts around Europe

A concert at the old church on the plaza, Old Town Prague.

        We often have looked for concerts in the places we have been staying. There was a great group of fiddlers and horn player in the church up the hill from the sea wall in Dingle Ireland. There was a remarkable violist at the castle in Prague. I will always remember the  symphony with ballet in Vienna. The organ concert in Saint Martins in London shows off amazing skill. There are monks chanting everywhere in France and Italy. The flamenco with strings in Madrid brings life to an old building. Those are just a few. At check-in it is worth asking. 

A thought from a sign in Portland

I have been lucky enough to see (and touch in those days) the Liberty Bell. I have stood in Independence Hall and Old North Church. I climbed stairs inside the Statue of Liberty and looked at Plymouth Rock. Walked the garden at Mount Vernon and visited Lincoln’s home in Springfield. I have stood in the dim of the memorial, reciting the Gettysburg Address for my young children.

These things have changed me. But of greater importance to my education were visits to the slave quarters at Mount Vernon. There is Ford’s Theater where Lincoln was shot for believing in equality. I have seen the steps that the young black children walked to integrate Montgomery’s schools. I have stood in the pulpit of Martin Luther King at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church from which he saw Rosa Parks who had seated herself in the “wrong” seat on a bus. I have dug gold in the same places that the Chinese dug to make their master’s rich. There are the Japanese concentration camps in the desert. I have been to Watts.

Tomorrow is Independence Day. We beat the British, we are still to address ourselves.

 

The Straits of Gibratar

Looks like ten years ago we were standing on our balcony at the Rock Hotel and looking across the strait at Morocco. This is where Europe and Africa meet.

 

Saint Stephan's Church, Verona Italy - A surprise

View of the Church and monastery. 

Hidden back courtyard to the church.

        Where you stay is often more important than everything else on your trip. We have fond memories of  BNB's and small hotels where we met charming people. This photo is of St, Stephan's Church as seen from across Ponte Pietra (bridge). The monastery had been sold to a young couple to make into a BNB. The owner was a delight. Indeed, it is an old building, but it has a modern vibe. They are very helpful and we enjoyed knowing them. You don't get this in a hotel.

Lake Como Italy -- Bellagio

One of my favorite photos.

Those are not all louds at 2 o'clock.

At 9 o'clock those are houses hanging on.

 

Lazy Day on Lake Garda Italy

I had a camera load of photos from all around five countries

in Europe. It had been a great road trip.

A stop on Lake Garda was needed, especially for the driver.

No mountain or valley here. No famous building.

Just a swan.

 

The Tower of London

        This is  the White Tower which is part of the Tower of London complex. Rather that going on the London Eye, we suggest going to the Tower, seeing the jewels, listening to the Beefeaters, learning some history and walking the rampart with views of the Tower Bridge and river.

        This is at least a half-day adventure. Well worth it. Some hints: go at opening in the morning. It is cooler then. But, go all the way back and see the Crown Jewels without a crowd. Now work forward. Hear the speaker in the chapel telling of history. See where Mary met her maker and have lunch in the cafe. 

Gracie's Cousin

        Gracie is a 3 year old giraffe. This week she walked away from the ranch where she lived in Texas. The owner put up $5,000 for her safe return. She weighs 1,200 pounds and stands 10 feet tall. Not easy to hide. She was not hiding, just away from home.

         When I was in the savanna in Southern Africa, I saw large groups of giraffes.  This one, in the photo, saw me. As this guy was in a reserve he was accustomed to Americans in Range Rovers taking his picture. In groups called "Towers" these tall animals. are in herds, and as safe as Gracie. 

 

Looking at the Neighbors From The Rock of Cashel Ireland

        The Rock of Cashel is a major landmark and visitor stop for people driving through Central Ireland. It is a chapel, a cathedral, an abbey, vicars' house and a Tower House. You will pay for a guide in the cathedral but the rest is walking around. Of note: the auto park is at the base of the hill and it is somewhat of a hike.  Rather than give you  photo I have taken of the ruins, I thought I give you an idea of what you can see from the top of the rock. Indeed there is another church in ruins, but look at the green and the lush fields.

Scotland Surprize

Cafe on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh

I had ordered fish'n chips and was waiting for my order.

I did not realize I looked so American.

A young man in a wheelchair started a political dialogue.

He knew more about us than I did.

This is not uncommon in Europe.

 

Simple Pleasure

In a small town in Austria there exists a small walkway to the river.

I am sure there are other such walkways in other towns and other countries.

The special feeling, however, is that the traveler has discovered it

for the first time

 

In Prague: Macarons

When we took our granddaughter to Paris, she fell in love with macarons. The French style are different from those in the US.

In other trips to Paris we were tempted to bring some home to her.

They  likely would not make it.

So, we took this photo of a shop in Prague

It would have to do as a reminder our our trip together.

Better than bringing home snails.

 

A common problem with rental cars

This is a Mercedes B Class on Lake Como early in the dew of the morning..

I like to drive and go seeking surprises. This means renting a  car.

I have driven in 14 different countries three of which drive on the left. My wife, and navigator, takes credit for us being alive.

        We use Auto Europe to rent our cars. Auto Europe is a consolidator which means you may get a car from any manufacturer. The list of various vehicles I have driven is long. However, Auto Europe has always found a fairly new car which fits our needs that we have outlined as to where we want to go. This is to say, you would not likely want a Cadillac Coverable to drive the beach dunes. You need a Land Rover.

        The biggest hint I can give you is, besides the language difference, have the rental agent tell you what the switches mean. They always give the traffic laws of their country, but how do you turn on the windshield wipers? In the Alps I had to have some not-so-hell's angels help me open the gas filter.

            Also a car may be just different. The Mercedes above was a diesel and I understand that, but to conserve fuel the engine goes off when stopped. This should be explained to the driver before he is in stop-and-go in Innsbruck Austria. Don't tell me to read the manual. 

 

Thanks to the pilot

 I have a nephew who is a Captain with United Airlines.

We are all pretty proud of him.

I was particularly proud when we flew our last flight to New York JFK.

I looked down and wondered where the heck was the airport?

You must have more skill than I to find it.

(They did find it.)

 

Giverny, France

 

I was taking with someone who had just come back from France. He

had taken a long-boat down the Seine and we were comparing notes.

When we had both gotten to Giverny we were impressed with Monet's

garden as we had seen so many paintings and prints that Monet had done of it.

This photo is a detail - not of the footbridge - but just one patch of garden.

As mentioned

I mentioned a while back that when we were in Venice

it was high tide. This picture shows St. Mark's Square

and those "tables" are actually the risers people need

to walk on when the tide is in.

 

Experience is the best teacher

      

 We once tried to plan a trip by just listening to others. Others have different values.

Shopping airlines will surprise you in the difference in fare. We did not buy travel insurance for a trip depending on the insurance provided by our credit card and it took months and a call to the state Insurance Commissioner to settle. Without an itinerary you can miss things, but on the other hand you can find surprises. Your card may not include medical expense or evacuation. Plan ahead: you will need to get an all Paris Card, tickets to Park Guell and the Alhambra etc. As for not telling your credit card provider I got a phone call from a lady in Georgia while I was in Gibraltar. I told them I would be in Spain. Forgot that Gibraltar is not Spain. Call your cell-phone carrier and see if your SIM card works or if you need  another. It also helps if they tell you when to change cards. The ATM at the airport is always a better rate, plus you will need local cash for some services. Don't over pack, I did this just once. We have had to ask a neighbor to go in and find our passport and mail it to us so we could come home.  Do not buy traveler's checks. Hardly anyone accepts them. Remember an extra chip for your camera as you can fill on quickly. Yes, your phone is pretty good but Photoshop is tough. Something will go  wrong ...unplanned. It is part of the adventure.

 

The travel planning process

        So you heard from a friend or Rick Steves or by way of an ad that X is the place you will want to experience. (You don't go to just to see it,) 

1. Buy a copy of Lonely Planet - or another guide  - and read up on your                         destination. If you have access to National Geographic they help too.  

2. Check with airlines to see if they go there and how much.

3. Reserve Air when you set the date.

4. You need to look into Travel Insurance. (your credit card may include it but it         may not include medical expense or evacuation).

5. Set up an itinerary. You may want to visit something that requires a reservation.

6. How do you get to the airport? Reserve it.

7. Call your credit card and tell them where and when you are going. 

8. Call your cell-phone carrier and see if your SIM card works or if you need                  another. 

9. Do not buy traveler's checks. Either get to an ATM at the airport or just use                 your credit card. (At ATM you need a debit card.)

10. Make a packing list. Meds, copy of Passport, special clothing, etc.

11. Pack a week before. Take out unneeded things. Do it again.

 12.Give a copy of itinerary and a key to someone responsible at home. 

13. Make a list of things to do or not do when you are gone. Keep it.

14. Unless you are going to the middle of the jungles there are stores that sell                 dental floss. Unpack again.

15. Remember an extra chip for your camera ... and your camera.

 16. Sharpen your sense of humor.

                                               ...next post is about why...

 

SO... what do you bring home? What size are you?

This photo of a bookseller's window gives you an idea of the political awareness of people overseas. A book seems heavy to carry so I did not buy one. In fact, I bring home very little other than photos and memories. Two lighter exceptions for me were a shirt from Granada Spain and a shirt from Munich Germany. You see, I pack light and I ran out of clean clothes. Yes, we have used laundries in Ireland (Dingle), Verona, and Prague, but we have someone else do the work as we spent too much money to waste it on domestics. Yet, I was close to leaving and stopped to buy a cheap shirt (and in Munich a sweater as it was turning cold). And because I do not waste time, I believed the tags that said "Large". These folks must be smaller than I am. A little tight. But, now that I have lost weight right on.

 

Central Europe: Best places (in my opinion)

OK I haven't been to all the cities in Central Europe. I hear that Krakow is wonderful, but we missed it.) I would just like to recommend three. Prague is a city of old and new. It has much to communicate regarding the effects of World War II and Nazi occupation. I find it charming. The second on my list is Vienna where music meets a clean city. You must go to a concert there. The Third is Budapest. The photo above (not very good I know) is of the Chain Bridge. High on a hill Buda is great to see and look out from.  Great food. 
 

Soweto South Africa

        Soweto South Africa is a large urban township just outside of Johannesburg. It is concerned the center of the anti-apartheid activity.  It now is an important visit. Not only are some parts the poorest of the poorest it is also the home to the Mandalas, In addition it is where you will find the Pieterson Memorial a museum you will never forget. We also had lunch in a cafe near the Tutu home. Soweto is where black Africans took a stand against Apartheid.

 

The Livingstone Resort, Zambia

You go to Africa to get near the animals.

This guy can to our room to see if we had candy.

When we had none, he left for another balcony.

 

A four country European road trip in twelve days (only swung by Germany)

        We started in Rome and went to Florence and Venice for a ten day get acquainted tour. We then took the train to Verona (a little bit of Rome). After two days there we started our road trip. Our first stop was Bolzano to have lunch and visit the famous Iceman. Then it was east for four days in the Dolomites. (Amazing, I could have stayed.) Then, it was north to Innsbruck Austria. (Austria is wonderful.) from east to west with a brief swing into Germany (we spent five days later on in Bavaria.)

            All across Austria to Feldkirch, Austria. (Lovely center city -  great dinner.) Then across to Liechtenstein. (Got lost. Who would know there are two cities in Liechtenstein?) When it was south through Switzerland in the rain. We have been told the mountains are pretty but the fog did not let us see them.) We stayed at Lake Como and explored. Then off on the Autobahn to Lake Garda and Sirmione  (not to be missed). Then Verona over night and a flight to Paris. This may seem like a tough trip but these countries are smaller and we actually took our time and stopped often . Not everyone has that long ... we are retired.

Vineyards in Spain and Vineyards in Napa County

Traveling along in Southern Spain you might

forget for a moment you were not home in

in the coastal area of California.

To be reminded, read the road signs.

 

Fascism in Germany and Present Day ........

Dachau, Germany: The crematorium  

One of the watchtowers with foundations of barracks.

One of the Gas Chambers

        History can repeat itself. It spread from Germany to Italy to Spain and can be seen in South Africa. Fascism can exist where one group of people think they are better than another. They use democracy to forge a new order. But, it is not him or even them that do it. It is the people allowing it to happen. Let us not be those people.

 

 

Monet's House in Giverny

        Many of us have seen photos of Monet's Garden and pond. There are many prints of his work. The biggest display is in the Musee de l'Orangeie  in Paris with his huge work of his waterlilies which can surround you. (Worth of visit.) It is in the Tuileries Garden very central to the city.

     The photo above is closer look at Monet's home in Giverny. It is not that far from Paris by car and a stop on the tourist boat ride down the Seine.

This a a window through which he could look at his garden while painting.
 

A close in Edinburgh

Where the people lived years ago.

 

Saint Martin In The Fields

In Trafalgar Square across from the National Gallery in London

stands a church where we worshipped more than once.

It is known worldwide for its music program.

Part of worship is hearing the gifted organist fill the pipes and sanctuary with sound. No one moves during the postlude.

We got there early when this photo was taken

so we could prepare.

 

  

     Let's look at why you travel and what you hope to receive from your visits. If you just want a interesting place to go, I suggest your local library. A fun place? There is always Disneyland. But, if your reasons are like mine, you want to experience a different culture and the persons that people it, you will go expecting to be changed. I am a different person after a long road trip through the Alps. I have a different understanding of the world after a sustained visit to countries in southern Africa.

    More specifically I have seen the shoes of Jews murdered on the bank of the Danube in Budapest. I have seen the hundreds of nooses in the memorial in South Africa. I walked the cemetery at the holocaust museum in Prague.  I have met a young man in Scotland that taught me about American politics. I sat chatting with a woman in Bavaria who at 101 was learning about what the Nazis were really like. I was gifted with understanding the potato famine in Ireland.

    I took a long stroll with Peter, a young man in Botswana, who wanted to learn about the United States. I drove through the back roads of Spain without much knowledge of Spanish. Well, my wife and I did it together and we learned a great deal about one another along the way. We went to be changed not to change the world.

Madrid City Hall: a sign in English: Refugees Welcome.

Not far from the hotel where we were staying in Madrid is a large municipal building. Hanging from the front is a sign which you would not likely see near our home in California. They welcome refugees. 

 

Amsterdam by small boat

        There are many cities that are dependent on water for transportation. Most of them have canals which change with the tides. Venice actually floods with some high tides. We were in St. Mark's Square and had to walk on the moveable platforms in order to get into the cathedral. 

        Bruges is one, but Paris also has some canals. The most famous is likely Amsterdam. You can see the city by bicycle or by large tour boat, but the best way is to hire a small boat as you can go where larger boats cannot go. We took one with two other couples and really enjoyed it. However, I was not sure about the couple in the stern that smoked weed all the way. By the way, Cape Coral, Florida is the city with most canals - over 400 miles of them.

 

Saint Peter's, The Vatican

Saint Peter's is a huge church which is not in Rome. When in Rome you cannot visit the Sistine Chapel because it is not there. 

The Vatican is its own nation-state which happens to be surrounded by Rome.

It is true that a visitor may have trouble figuring out the boundaries.

You can count this as another country you have visited. 

 

Saint Giles, Edinburgh Scotland

Saint Giles is a major landmark on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

It is symbolically about half way between the castle (military might).

and Holyrood (The Royal residence).

It is the home church of Presbyterianism and The Rev. John Knox.

We have been there twice. Worship is a tad dry. 

 

The Helpful Hints of Mike

   

 When you are in Florence do NOT go to restaurants and cafes that advertise in English. Look for the places where Italians eat. You are in Europe for a reason. Learn at least three words in the local language "Yes", Thank you", "Please". Our experience is that almost everywhere people speak English or know someone who does. Try their language and you will find the English speakers. It took me several days to say "thank you" in Czechoslovak. Stop when entering at the airport and buy a fast pass for places of interest. When you go immediately to the front of the line you will thank me. If going to Africa or Costa Rica bring at least one hundred dollars in one dollar bills. They welcome American money. We like Bed and Breakfast inns over huge American style hotels. You go to Scotland to meet a Scot or two. Plan ahead and still be flexible. More to come.

 

Street Market Food: Prague

    There is a street market across from the Municipal Building in Prague. It was only a block or so from our hotel and at the beginning of the Old City walls. They sold flowers, fruit, and leather goods. Of course they also sold food and beer. It was Prague after all. I saw this young woman with a sandwich consisting of sausage, kraut, and cheese. It look too good to pass up. And while I have a strong desire never to post pictures of food, this was not food. It was an adventure. This photo is of it as it had been placed on a picnic table. I had to work fast because it did not last long. Prague is wonderful and this has to be included in the trip.

 

Long Lost Relatives

        This is the loch at Fort Augustus Scotland. It is the last control on the Caledonian Canal before it meets Loch Ness. We have been there more than once as it is worth revisiting. Our first road trip brought us to the town and, as most always, we headed for the Visitor's Center to get a suggestion for a place to stay.

            The person at the center looked at our name on the registration and seemed to go sky high. She said, "You must go to the Caledonian Hotel up the hill. It  is owned by the McLellans."  Actually, both the owners and I spell our names MacLellan, but in America the "a" gets lost.

           Chris MacLellan owns the hotel and it is fairly large and well kept. The family took us under their wing and got out all of their genealogy and we had a lesson on our heritage.  We were treated like visiting cousins and we are.

            If you are ever in central Scotland stay the night at the Caledonian and tell them I recommended them.

 

The Statue of David by M... Donatello

There are a variety of statues of David in Italy.

There is one in Rome and two in Florence (not counting the copies).

This is my favorite. About six feet tall by Donatello.

David the young boy with Goliath.