being at the matterhorn may be the highlight of the trip
while frustrqting upon arrival because of cloud cover; i had a great opportunity to simply lounge in the room; with a tv; with 5 channels in english
watched an elvis documentary; much was in german but the music and interviews with the king-of rock and roll-not karl hehl-were of course in his voice
disappointed that it didnt show jane harris roberterson at the concert at raleighs memorial auditorium
my room was 4219 - rooms numbered based upon the altitude in meters of the peaks there; mine hohberghorn
most interesting guy at next table; reminded me of john britt; grandfather of for,er neighbors anna britt and ,olly harty
retired industrialist from chicago; now living in spain; wrote a book some years back; must buy and read upon return
twin-albert einstein on the train
being at gornegrat was like being in the middme of a lemon meringue pie
gornegrqt being amongst the smallest peaks surrounded by 29 others including the largest of all; the matterhorn; 4286 meters
while clouds covered its peak until bedtime; a full moon ensured an indescribable view overnight
i got dressed and walked around the hotel at 2 in the morning; so quiet and peaceful and the majesty of the scenery
back to bed for another nap; up at 515 for sunrise; yet another greqt experience had to wait for the sun to begin to come up before hiking up to see; not a very wide trail; 18 inches in some places; one wrong step and dan would have to order a box for me
junell and elaine wouldnt let me go to the moulin rouge at 13 but they arent here
same reaction i would have had i am sure---too many feathers and beads
mona lisa has a new display case from previous visit--i still dont get it with mona--overrated
favorite painting was paolo caliari dit veronese-les noces des cans---the wedding at canna
second-l adoration; jusepe de ribera painted in 1650-first depiction of the nativity in daylight-made sense to me surely it took the sheperds a little while to get there
speaking of sheperds--saw a heard of sheep on mountain en route to matterhorn--looked for peter and heidi but didnt see them
most of saturday was at the louvre--covered a lot of space but not nearly the whole museum
also the orangerie musuem featuring monets waterlilies on 4 curved---room like an egg-walls-amawing and catherine mosemy would have loved
had enjoyed picnics for a number of meals
splurged---guacamole and tomatoes beautifully presented with crayfish--not from mr williams horsebranch---in a highball glass --now have great idea for using those danged out of date iced tea spoons---then lamb and potatoes augratin and a lucious chocolate thang
sunday---located hotel bonaparte which will be headquarters once everyone arrives--spitting distance from st suplice---there for sunday mass followed by organ concert and a trip up narrow; spiral staircase that made the steps in the lighthouse at smithy island seem like those in gone with the wind; got to sit on the organ bench; yes kodak moment preserved
up to the sacre cour
entry was a breathtaking moment the mosaic of Christ above the altar; arms outstreched with the mesmirizing blue background---wow
made me think of my favorite part of handels messiah---when the soprano sings---and suddenly there was with the angel; a multidude; of the heavely hosts; praising God; and saying--and then the gloriq begins---glory to god___much preferred over the hallelujah chorus
heard about another organ concert at notre dame at 430-line had at least 250 people in it::::you know i dont like lines;;;skipped it
did go to saint chapelle; incredible stained glass; much smaller than i imagined
wonderful antiques market near hotel sun and today so far i have bought zip
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
dustcloud behind providence
if anyone drives through afton and sees dust billowing behind the church towards the back of the cemetary it is mary louise limer turning in her grave
she taught us at the warren county mem library to respect books
i have ripped rick steves guide to europe to shreds why carry the whole book around
just tear out what u need and keep going::: after blogging; those pages go in the garbage
disposing of even 1 piece of paper out of the back pack is like cleaning out a box full from the attic
more on the matterhorn in next blog
arrived paris last night:::french keyboard is most challenging yet
one thing momma required was to take typing:::thought on train the other day how thankful i was for this::watching so;mle poor critter hunt and peck :she ,ade ,e take all 3 parts at wchs:::had to do last trimester self study with ,ary shields mary would die with this french keyboard:::but shes already dead;;;with this french keyboard i am hunting and pecking M is out of place:::,ost challenging
arles france beautiful roman arena there better than rome still in use missed bullfight by a day....ratz seats 20000 van gogh museum a waste mostly tributes from others to him
avignon
vatican actually moved here for a century or so
palace of the popes pretty iimpressive
palace square in middle w stqtue of an elephant got photo xw elephant
didnt know where to go so took train to macon
got off walked up 2 cars and got back on the train:::to dijon
nothing looked good in macon not even a long rider bar
dijon great town did city walking tour
didnt buy mustard
first joke macey taught us was
what do u give an elephant w diareahea
plenty of room
circus kirk came to warrenton wendy was too little to go
circus peeps bought hay from gan macey delivered to elephant tent
took sarah and me to elephant tent
very dark no lights
momma stepped in elephant poop
up to her ankles
sarah and are still laughing 30 years plus later
viv didnt laugh
elaine cole,an also taught us to respect books
a folded page was cardinal sin
elaine and junell blaylock brought me to europe twice in high school
both would be shocked i know to know that i am not keeping maps::::again:::gotta rid the pack of garbage
she taught us at the warren county mem library to respect books
i have ripped rick steves guide to europe to shreds why carry the whole book around
just tear out what u need and keep going::: after blogging; those pages go in the garbage
disposing of even 1 piece of paper out of the back pack is like cleaning out a box full from the attic
more on the matterhorn in next blog
arrived paris last night:::french keyboard is most challenging yet
one thing momma required was to take typing:::thought on train the other day how thankful i was for this::watching so;mle poor critter hunt and peck :she ,ade ,e take all 3 parts at wchs:::had to do last trimester self study with ,ary shields mary would die with this french keyboard:::but shes already dead;;;with this french keyboard i am hunting and pecking M is out of place:::,ost challenging
arles france beautiful roman arena there better than rome still in use missed bullfight by a day....ratz seats 20000 van gogh museum a waste mostly tributes from others to him
avignon
vatican actually moved here for a century or so
palace of the popes pretty iimpressive
palace square in middle w stqtue of an elephant got photo xw elephant
didnt know where to go so took train to macon
got off walked up 2 cars and got back on the train:::to dijon
nothing looked good in macon not even a long rider bar
dijon great town did city walking tour
didnt buy mustard
first joke macey taught us was
what do u give an elephant w diareahea
plenty of room
circus kirk came to warrenton wendy was too little to go
circus peeps bought hay from gan macey delivered to elephant tent
took sarah and me to elephant tent
very dark no lights
momma stepped in elephant poop
up to her ankles
sarah and are still laughing 30 years plus later
viv didnt laugh
elaine cole,an also taught us to respect books
a folded page was cardinal sin
elaine and junell blaylock brought me to europe twice in high school
both would be shocked i know to know that i am not keeping maps::::again:::gotta rid the pack of garbage
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
oh the weather outside is frightful...baby its cold outside
arrived in lucerne around noon monday...spent an hour or so with the train people-planners working on this week in switzerland...dwight pearce recommended i begin this adventure in lucerne...finally made it on day 31...beautiful, quaint city. probably wouldnt be friends with dwight had i not worked for macon and gladys..another reason to be thankful for leaving the grocery store...some folks will give you the shirt of their back...with dwight...the tie from around his neck...cant recall if i was still in high school or at pfeiffer, but at the landmark one night, i complimented him on his necktie...he gave it to me...i about wore it out and still have it...wonder how much i have paid to have it in storage for 2 years...
switzerland is expensive
i love snow...its magical...i am like a 3 year old...cant wait for it to fall...accumulate and get out in it...still...as a kid...there was so much to do...watch the weather to see if bob debarbeladen was going to let us know if warren academy would be closed...make sure that mimi steed knew it was going to snow...she always made popcorn balls whenit snowed...gotta be sure sheäs ready...ma had to make boiled custard...for the snowcream....but only after the first snow...cant eat the first snow...not sure why...but just cant...then...if ma got the custard made...had to wait all freakin day for it to cool so that we could have snowcream for supper...
snow here...3100 meters up...gornegrad...30 minutes up by train from zermatt. gorgeous. nothing here but the train station, hiking trails and a hotel with about 30 rooms. i have one of em...with view of the matterhorn...incredible...will be moreso when the clouds move away...hopefully...in the morning...estimate about 200-300 meters of matterhorn not visible...clouds have moved about all afternoon...incredible views from all sides of the top of this peak...when you hike about 300 meters from the hotel...you can actually here the waterfalls....way, way, away, can barely see that they are in fact waterfalls...from the melting glaciers
being up here reminds me somewhat of being on the chesapeake...the sky, snow and mountains change constantly
most expensive night thus far...but includes dinner and breakfast...hope its all u can eat...while the carpet is a lot like the oceana at atlantic beach...the view is beyond description...even with clouds...and not only do i have a television, 2 towels, 2 hand towels, did i mention the window with a view...but also a hair dryer...used it just cause i could
while i am not typically superstitious...save for not eating the first snow...there are a few i keep in mind...one is about weeping willow trees...have thought about this one a lot...there are more weeping willow trees i think than people in europe...they are everywhere...a very wise person told me years ago...you dont cut down a weeping willow tree...if you do, someone in your family will die...her momma did, death followed for a family member shortly thereafter. she said you dont f with them. someone gave me a weeping willow tree a few years ago...i gave it back.
lots of hikers up here...shared table with some who hiked from zermatt up...about 3 hours...i ALMOST did the appalachian trail instead of europe...but since i dont like bugs, snakes and sleeping on the ground...determined that was not for me
lots of rooftops made of stone...not slate...not sure what it is....varying sizes of shingles...took photo for friend and roofer bill hamlin
train came through st nicklaus today...must be where santa and mrs claus spend the summer...or leave with the reindeer become inflamed with gas
beautiful gardens seen from train today...lots of lettuces, squash, onions....
the best version of baby its cold outside has to be dolly parton and rod stewart
switzerland is expensive
i love snow...its magical...i am like a 3 year old...cant wait for it to fall...accumulate and get out in it...still...as a kid...there was so much to do...watch the weather to see if bob debarbeladen was going to let us know if warren academy would be closed...make sure that mimi steed knew it was going to snow...she always made popcorn balls whenit snowed...gotta be sure sheäs ready...ma had to make boiled custard...for the snowcream....but only after the first snow...cant eat the first snow...not sure why...but just cant...then...if ma got the custard made...had to wait all freakin day for it to cool so that we could have snowcream for supper...
snow here...3100 meters up...gornegrad...30 minutes up by train from zermatt. gorgeous. nothing here but the train station, hiking trails and a hotel with about 30 rooms. i have one of em...with view of the matterhorn...incredible...will be moreso when the clouds move away...hopefully...in the morning...estimate about 200-300 meters of matterhorn not visible...clouds have moved about all afternoon...incredible views from all sides of the top of this peak...when you hike about 300 meters from the hotel...you can actually here the waterfalls....way, way, away, can barely see that they are in fact waterfalls...from the melting glaciers
being up here reminds me somewhat of being on the chesapeake...the sky, snow and mountains change constantly
most expensive night thus far...but includes dinner and breakfast...hope its all u can eat...while the carpet is a lot like the oceana at atlantic beach...the view is beyond description...even with clouds...and not only do i have a television, 2 towels, 2 hand towels, did i mention the window with a view...but also a hair dryer...used it just cause i could
while i am not typically superstitious...save for not eating the first snow...there are a few i keep in mind...one is about weeping willow trees...have thought about this one a lot...there are more weeping willow trees i think than people in europe...they are everywhere...a very wise person told me years ago...you dont cut down a weeping willow tree...if you do, someone in your family will die...her momma did, death followed for a family member shortly thereafter. she said you dont f with them. someone gave me a weeping willow tree a few years ago...i gave it back.
lots of hikers up here...shared table with some who hiked from zermatt up...about 3 hours...i ALMOST did the appalachian trail instead of europe...but since i dont like bugs, snakes and sleeping on the ground...determined that was not for me
lots of rooftops made of stone...not slate...not sure what it is....varying sizes of shingles...took photo for friend and roofer bill hamlin
train came through st nicklaus today...must be where santa and mrs claus spend the summer...or leave with the reindeer become inflamed with gas
beautiful gardens seen from train today...lots of lettuces, squash, onions....
the best version of baby its cold outside has to be dolly parton and rod stewart
Saturday, August 21, 2010
the hills are alive...
salzburg has edged out florence...great city
arrived thurs afternoon by train from vienna...bus into town...straight to pension...frau christine said she didnt have a room for me...i had emailed...but had not heard back...she found room for one night...hall wc and shower...no big deal...34 euro. friday morning...went to local market...bought 5 euro bouquet of fresh flowers...christine booked me for last night and tonight...bigger room, own shower, shared wc...king sized bed...2 singles together...should have bought more flowers...maybe she would have bought be a box spring, 40 euro per night, includes good breakfast...2 blocks from everything...of course no a-c
en route to salzburg...train to melk from vienna...then danube river cruise to krem...absolutely breathtaking scenery...boat docked at small village...spitz...feel certain must be home to the ancestors of unc classmate chris spitzhoff
bfast at pension on friday am...then onto city tour-self guided as outlined by my bff, rick steves
motzart plaza, residenyplatz, designed by prince-archbishop wolf dietrich...incredible fountain...in sound of music...hereafter -som-...i have confidence in me song...residence there...large building where the nazi flag was unfurled in som...salzburg cathedral...mozart was organist here for 2 years...local market...st peters church...cemetery....inspiration for som cemetery scene.....past the festival hall where inside was filmed the scene, som, at the festival with uncle max...and edelweiss w-christopher plummer crying...most austrians dont know this song...was rogers and hammerstein tune
scorers...local watering hole, since 1903...now managed by michael...4th generation...assisted by family friend joseph...they recommended going to several restaurants...including alz saltzburg and beverly. michael serves terrific homemade apricot liq. awesome...new drinking buddy, 83 year old ludwig...laughed at me first visit because i had what i thought was an enameled colandar, bought from a flea market...rann may be back...turns out it is something to make cheese dumplings with...ludwigs wife was making them for lunch...didnt invite me home, but echoed michaels recommendation for the beverly
arrived thurs afternoon by train from vienna...bus into town...straight to pension...frau christine said she didnt have a room for me...i had emailed...but had not heard back...she found room for one night...hall wc and shower...no big deal...34 euro. friday morning...went to local market...bought 5 euro bouquet of fresh flowers...christine booked me for last night and tonight...bigger room, own shower, shared wc...king sized bed...2 singles together...should have bought more flowers...maybe she would have bought be a box spring, 40 euro per night, includes good breakfast...2 blocks from everything...of course no a-c
en route to salzburg...train to melk from vienna...then danube river cruise to krem...absolutely breathtaking scenery...boat docked at small village...spitz...feel certain must be home to the ancestors of unc classmate chris spitzhoff
bfast at pension on friday am...then onto city tour-self guided as outlined by my bff, rick steves
motzart plaza, residenyplatz, designed by prince-archbishop wolf dietrich...incredible fountain...in sound of music...hereafter -som-...i have confidence in me song...residence there...large building where the nazi flag was unfurled in som...salzburg cathedral...mozart was organist here for 2 years...local market...st peters church...cemetery....inspiration for som cemetery scene.....past the festival hall where inside was filmed the scene, som, at the festival with uncle max...and edelweiss w-christopher plummer crying...most austrians dont know this song...was rogers and hammerstein tune
scorers...local watering hole, since 1903...now managed by michael...4th generation...assisted by family friend joseph...they recommended going to several restaurants...including alz saltzburg and beverly. michael serves terrific homemade apricot liq. awesome...new drinking buddy, 83 year old ludwig...laughed at me first visit because i had what i thought was an enameled colandar, bought from a flea market...rann may be back...turns out it is something to make cheese dumplings with...ludwigs wife was making them for lunch...didnt invite me home, but echoed michaels recommendation for the beverly
beverly has become the hayes barton cafe for me of austria....have had 4 meals there...first and the most recent were cheese dumplings and a salad...manfried has owned the place for 19 years...down a side street...got to know it to find it...kitchen is tiny...i mean tiny..barely room for the 2 people who work in it to turn around...not sure how they do it...ive been to the door to compliment them twice. gabby is the waitress...my queen of austria....have also had there pork snitzel and the best brats and sauerkraut ever...dessert not bad either
dinner friday was at alz saltzburg...one of the best meals i have had and certainly the most expensive by far...had set 5 course meal beginning with gooseliver pate...awesome...the deer, served medium rare...did not live up to expectations...brother in law lee short must come over and instruct how to prepare properly...sat beside a great couple from tokyo...my japanese is non-existent...their english...sketchy...we had a great time...they had a great sense of humor, laughing at the restaurant, each other and me...akira hasegawa and wife...he is the senior director of asset management for the development center of walmart in japan...perhaps i should send him my resume...very nice...he kept checking his blackberry for emails from bentonville...i took it away from him...his bride thought it was hysterical...when he speaks of the waltons, he aint talking about mary ellen and corabeth.
huge fortress which has protected the city for over 1,000 years...in fact, never attacked...finally went up yesterday...hot as the devil on that hill...no breeze in fortress, stayed 10 minutes, and back down...did visit the church at the abbey from som.
som tour was great...kinda cheesy but great...3 people from michigan, 4 from greensboro and me...we knew all the songs and sang many...had to request edelweiss at the end...we had missed that one. visited...real von trapp family house, front and rear facades of house shot in the movie, the wedding church, many other sites too. family from greensboro...eric, wife...tammy i think, daughter and her best friend...girls will be sophomores at caldwell day in gboro. he is a consultant, travels back and forth to vienna constantly....81 grad of appalachian...favorite professor was my very dear friend harry davis...my family and warrenton folks may remember that we had harrys late wife ann on the prayer list off and on for years at providence. harry is father of carrington. i am going to have to reconnect eric and harry.
also stopped to ride a luge...mechanism pulled me up the mountain on a little seat...sliding up on a stainless still track...reminded me of the train up the side of the mountain at ghost town in the sky in maggie valley...straight up...then, off and into what is something like a log flume...and down you go...pretty cool...might make the christmas card
at wedding church...lady decorating altar with sunflowers...thought first of anne harris...i am very fortunate to have lots of friends as an adult who were parents of friends when i was a kid...including anne and jack...we had so much fun going to katherine´s renewal of wedding vows in january....wis they were here with me now
turns out lady was florist...who along with her husband...were decorating the church for a wedding the following day....it was spectacular....sunflowers and ivy everywhere...and huge trashcans overflowing with stems and debris and debris all over the altar...thought i was home with gladys and macon....when gladys hired me...almost 25 years ago...to work at the landmark...someone told me not to quit my job at byrds...checking groceries...that macon and gladys didnt stick with anything long....theyve stuck with me for 25 years...damn glad i gave up checking groceries. this is also the longest time since 1986 that i have gone without talking to them. floral couple looked beat...if we had had more time, i could have helped...perhaps earned some euros to spread along the way
glenda, pronounced...ga-linda, was tour guide on som tour...she also drives horses and buggies in town...she saw me today...told her paying customers that she was picking up her friend and i got to ride up front for a tour of the city...i bought her a pizza afterwards, so it worked out for both of us
must watch som upon return to raleigh
tour to hitlers eagles nest...very interesting...hitler didnt like going...had to ride elevator up....he was claustrophobic...and he didnt like heights...only visited 7 or so times...structure is pretty much just a restaurant now...but beautiful scenery all around. on this tour...college kid from ireland...here to work in irish pub for 2 months...couple from sarasota...dean and candy...super nice...and 2 couples from nashville tn...they did not know my unc bud jeff edwards or his peeps.
both husbands are retired methodist ministers...dean and sarah have a place a lake junaluska...said he had recently read that the western conference is having a special, called conference...i told him that i hoped it was to give more money to pfeiffer...we both doubt it....carolyn and her preacher husband whose name i cannot recall...also super nice...served 41 years in louisiana and alabama...both couples working for a tour company as guides...no pay...but expenses are paid....ed told me that 10 years ago, this company brought 10,000 people over to the passion play...this year...half that many
this morning, high mass at the cathedral...left early in order to make the festival...had to go...but thought i was going to be in the concert hall where the flight scene from som was shot...incorrect...concert still good, about 70 pieces...vienna philharmonic...no idea what they played...too tight to buy 4 euro program....not going to carry it around for 3 more weeks...so hey
after lunch...did the tour of the concert hall where flight scene shot...snuck photo on stage with the arcade behind...not enough time to sing all of edelweiss
had planned to go to switzerland today...but didnt want to ride a train today...so in the am...not sure yet where...but time to move
Friday, August 20, 2010
vienna
arrived vienna on tuesday afternoon, walked 10 min from train station to pension...had own toilet and shower...heaven...no ac...learning to live without it...not as hot here and no humidity to speak of
walked around some and had dinner at a place recommended, imagine, by rick steves...zu eberner erde und erster stock...thought maybe would be some of paul stocks peeps...and paul, passed near budapest on the train a golf course...horrible condition...literally in a field-slums...you will not want to bring alex macfayden and others here to play for your next guys golf week abroad...good dinner near museums
wednesday did the vienna city walk recommended by rick steves...scheduled for an hour...took over 6....great, relaxing...saw tons...opera....went on the stage...reminded me of time in dc with friend clem seifert from henderson...friend in dc, mickey, who books for kennedy center took us on stage...2 rednecks from henderson-warrenton on stage at national opera...pretty cool
had famous chocolate-apricot cake at cafe sacher...then onto the albertinaplaty art museum...monet...picasso...and 2 exhibitions of american artists...alex katz...seemed familiar...perhaps we have one at ncma?...and walton ford...loved both...cathedral...stephansplatz with multicolored, tiled rooftop...dorotheum auction house...no purchases made...holy trinity plague column-built by leopold 1 to thank God for saving city from plague
also st peters church...then, as in glory days of rome...seems a life time ago...back to room for nap...didnt actually go to sleep, but rested for an hour...then to tour the hofburg castle complex...enough china, crystal and silver to have one helluva christmas party...aint no party like a christmas party cause a christmas party dont stop...quote by chris smith, columbia sc...party man...also sis museum...recalling empress elisabeth, quite the eccentric old witch...and the imperial apartments
wonderful street-film festival infront of city hall...lots of different food stations from various countries...had a taco type salad from mexico with sangria...kept trying to figure out the beautiful lady at the table with me...twin of janet chesson of raleigh who is on the board at the museum of history with me...down to eyes and smile...her husband, hans, i think i heard her say, is not twin to janets wes
other twins spotted...beth elam from warrenton now of raleigh and lauren rutherford, former colleague at ncba
people here say the second world war...not world war two as we do
broke my international traveling rule...nothing american...ie starbucks or mcdonalds
had to have a sprite...just needed something fizzy...stephie harty u know what i am talking about...dove into mickey dees...best 1.79 euro spent...crushed ice...sprite from the fountain...can it get any better
i cannot be in chapel hill at the west end wine bar at 6 pm on saturday night...but if any of u can...please go to cheer on the chris hendricks band...my unc bud, michael sullivan is in the band and they are having their cd release party...for those of you who have received a cd compilation from me this summer...almost all have one of michael´s tunes on it...typically...a winters end...my favorite of sullivans...promises to be a great evening...sullivan thinks i should open a bed and breakfast...meet new people, interact with people, entertain, enjoy antiques...but after 4 weeks of worrying the snot out of the innkeepers with whom i have stayed, probably this is not for me
major street construction going on in prague...made me feel at home...on glenwood
saw a deer in a field while on the train yesterday...lucky for bambi i wasnt in one of the many deer stands i have seen...they seem awfully close together...about 50 yards---oops, i mean meters, apart
met guy waiting for train who had ipod stolen, was in a 6 person compartment...went to sleep listening to tunes...woke up, no ipod
bought myself some way cool silver turtle cufflinks...silver-turtles, combined in one...some of you know i collect turtles...turtles dont like the way things are going...stop...tuck in...wait for it to pass....of course if it is an 18-wheeler...not such a good thing
walked around some and had dinner at a place recommended, imagine, by rick steves...zu eberner erde und erster stock...thought maybe would be some of paul stocks peeps...and paul, passed near budapest on the train a golf course...horrible condition...literally in a field-slums...you will not want to bring alex macfayden and others here to play for your next guys golf week abroad...good dinner near museums
wednesday did the vienna city walk recommended by rick steves...scheduled for an hour...took over 6....great, relaxing...saw tons...opera....went on the stage...reminded me of time in dc with friend clem seifert from henderson...friend in dc, mickey, who books for kennedy center took us on stage...2 rednecks from henderson-warrenton on stage at national opera...pretty cool
had famous chocolate-apricot cake at cafe sacher...then onto the albertinaplaty art museum...monet...picasso...and 2 exhibitions of american artists...alex katz...seemed familiar...perhaps we have one at ncma?...and walton ford...loved both...cathedral...stephansplatz with multicolored, tiled rooftop...dorotheum auction house...no purchases made...holy trinity plague column-built by leopold 1 to thank God for saving city from plague
also st peters church...then, as in glory days of rome...seems a life time ago...back to room for nap...didnt actually go to sleep, but rested for an hour...then to tour the hofburg castle complex...enough china, crystal and silver to have one helluva christmas party...aint no party like a christmas party cause a christmas party dont stop...quote by chris smith, columbia sc...party man...also sis museum...recalling empress elisabeth, quite the eccentric old witch...and the imperial apartments
wonderful street-film festival infront of city hall...lots of different food stations from various countries...had a taco type salad from mexico with sangria...kept trying to figure out the beautiful lady at the table with me...twin of janet chesson of raleigh who is on the board at the museum of history with me...down to eyes and smile...her husband, hans, i think i heard her say, is not twin to janets wes
other twins spotted...beth elam from warrenton now of raleigh and lauren rutherford, former colleague at ncba
people here say the second world war...not world war two as we do
broke my international traveling rule...nothing american...ie starbucks or mcdonalds
had to have a sprite...just needed something fizzy...stephie harty u know what i am talking about...dove into mickey dees...best 1.79 euro spent...crushed ice...sprite from the fountain...can it get any better
i cannot be in chapel hill at the west end wine bar at 6 pm on saturday night...but if any of u can...please go to cheer on the chris hendricks band...my unc bud, michael sullivan is in the band and they are having their cd release party...for those of you who have received a cd compilation from me this summer...almost all have one of michael´s tunes on it...typically...a winters end...my favorite of sullivans...promises to be a great evening...sullivan thinks i should open a bed and breakfast...meet new people, interact with people, entertain, enjoy antiques...but after 4 weeks of worrying the snot out of the innkeepers with whom i have stayed, probably this is not for me
major street construction going on in prague...made me feel at home...on glenwood
saw a deer in a field while on the train yesterday...lucky for bambi i wasnt in one of the many deer stands i have seen...they seem awfully close together...about 50 yards---oops, i mean meters, apart
met guy waiting for train who had ipod stolen, was in a 6 person compartment...went to sleep listening to tunes...woke up, no ipod
bought myself some way cool silver turtle cufflinks...silver-turtles, combined in one...some of you know i collect turtles...turtles dont like the way things are going...stop...tuck in...wait for it to pass....of course if it is an 18-wheeler...not such a good thing
Thursday, August 19, 2010
austria-hungarian empire
its thursday afternoon, early evening. arrived budapest by train early am on tuesday. decided to see the city by boat from the danube rather than hoofing it across the cobblestones...bought ticket from 2 young people on the square in front of st marys church...sophie, 16, first job...very personable...offered to walk me to the boat...sold...think she was bored...nice young girl...hannah domenech...i do not want you selling tickets to strangers on any square in albemarle or anywhere else...very relaxing, 2 hour tour...around margaret island...saw parliament, the castle, fancy hotels, etc....most of the boat was filled with older, very beautiful women from japan...i think perhaps the emporer literally sent a boat load of geishas to budapest...very informative audio tour with history of buda and peche...much of-no-all of which i had forgotten from western civ...then onto vienna
will update more later...this cyber cafe closes at 7 pm...where am i, afton?
will update more later...this cyber cafe closes at 7 pm...where am i, afton?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
the humpty dance is yo chance to do da hump
day 26, hump day...cant believe the trip is over half done
26 days
13 countries
1 day with out shaving
0 cokes
0 haircuts
1 pack of cigarettes purchased
40+train rides
9 overnight trains
0 box springs on beds...could make a fortune with a ship load of those suckers
0 calls home...know if i make 1 call, will want to call everyone i know
1 hotel with wash cloths
1 box of stuff shipped home...another in the making
#? cheap beer consumed...less than zou would imagine...but whose counting
lots of nice people-new friends along the route
at least 6...close encounters with cyclists...have not been hit-run over yet
seems like 100...castles toured
2 bratwursts mealson the street...still best value meals and mightz tastz
26 days
13 countries
1 day with out shaving
0 cokes
0 haircuts
1 pack of cigarettes purchased
40+train rides
9 overnight trains
0 box springs on beds...could make a fortune with a ship load of those suckers
0 calls home...know if i make 1 call, will want to call everyone i know
1 hotel with wash cloths
1 box of stuff shipped home...another in the making
#? cheap beer consumed...less than zou would imagine...but whose counting
lots of nice people-new friends along the route
at least 6...close encounters with cyclists...have not been hit-run over yet
seems like 100...castles toured
2 bratwursts mealson the street...still best value meals and mightz tastz
Monday, August 16, 2010
salt mine, frog strangler, plums and cherries
last nights train from prague was about 30 minutes late...literally a train load of people were hanging out by the departure monitor waiting for the line to post...hadnt seen anything like that, trip to date. prague train station wins prize for the dirtiest yet.
waited with new friends from cinncinati...joe and tracey....they were on the same train...cars split during the night taking them to warsaw...my car and others to krakow. they are in poland for a about a week, joe on business...trying to get some fun in along the way...just emailed them my day here for their benefit...it really is great sharing and stealing ideas from fellow travelers along the way.
arrived about an hour later than scheduled in poland...krakow...about 745 am...locked george in locker number 122...hit the street...immediately approached by older gentleman...looked like a cross between my uncle raymond paynter and lysle misenheimer...76...driving cabs in this city for 50+ yrs...negotiated fare...sure i still got taken...to the wieliczka salt mine...thought i'd just left the salt mine...humor...great tour...2 hours...about 130 meters below surface...didnt buy any salt as i have rock, kosher, pickling, canning, iodized and non iodized in the pantry at home...plus it weighs a lot...KC dropped me at a traditional polish restaurant...yummy bread with 2 spreads...cottage cheese...more like cream cheese, onions, herbs...and lard...yes lard...with fried lard, apples, herbs and more onions...i thought you used lard for frying chitterlings...will have to add this to my cocktail party buffet next time
followed by beet soup with dumplings...unbelievably good...and then veal with mushrooms and more dumplings...mighty find lunch
castle was closed to tours...did see st marys church and wandered town...market...city center, etc...
huge storm...still going on...break 30 minutes ago...sought refuge in internet cafe...it is more than a frog strangler...more of a frawg strangler...ducked into first open doorway once the downpour was underway...a vodka bar...fate
hadnt had any vodka in 23 days...can still say that about coke...but not vodka...so many choices...like a 3 yr old in a candy store...sampled: lime, peach, honey and spice, plum, cranberry and more...opted for plum and cherries...meeerrrrcy..MERCY. mighty fine, mighty fine. sippin, not slammin shot. learned they also served salads...had a great salad...then, yes, another sippin shot as a digestive afterwards...man of habit, plum and cherries
tonight, overnight to budapest...late tomorrow heading to vienna...2 nights in a hotel...yes...time for laundry
waited with new friends from cinncinati...joe and tracey....they were on the same train...cars split during the night taking them to warsaw...my car and others to krakow. they are in poland for a about a week, joe on business...trying to get some fun in along the way...just emailed them my day here for their benefit...it really is great sharing and stealing ideas from fellow travelers along the way.
arrived about an hour later than scheduled in poland...krakow...about 745 am...locked george in locker number 122...hit the street...immediately approached by older gentleman...looked like a cross between my uncle raymond paynter and lysle misenheimer...76...driving cabs in this city for 50+ yrs...negotiated fare...sure i still got taken...to the wieliczka salt mine...thought i'd just left the salt mine...humor...great tour...2 hours...about 130 meters below surface...didnt buy any salt as i have rock, kosher, pickling, canning, iodized and non iodized in the pantry at home...plus it weighs a lot...KC dropped me at a traditional polish restaurant...yummy bread with 2 spreads...cottage cheese...more like cream cheese, onions, herbs...and lard...yes lard...with fried lard, apples, herbs and more onions...i thought you used lard for frying chitterlings...will have to add this to my cocktail party buffet next time
followed by beet soup with dumplings...unbelievably good...and then veal with mushrooms and more dumplings...mighty find lunch
castle was closed to tours...did see st marys church and wandered town...market...city center, etc...
huge storm...still going on...break 30 minutes ago...sought refuge in internet cafe...it is more than a frog strangler...more of a frawg strangler...ducked into first open doorway once the downpour was underway...a vodka bar...fate
hadnt had any vodka in 23 days...can still say that about coke...but not vodka...so many choices...like a 3 yr old in a candy store...sampled: lime, peach, honey and spice, plum, cranberry and more...opted for plum and cherries...meeerrrrcy..MERCY. mighty fine, mighty fine. sippin, not slammin shot. learned they also served salads...had a great salad...then, yes, another sippin shot as a digestive afterwards...man of habit, plum and cherries
tonight, overnight to budapest...late tomorrow heading to vienna...2 nights in a hotel...yes...time for laundry
Sunday, August 15, 2010
pooped in prague
yep, a bit pooped. needed a break from guided and self-guided tours...any kind of tour for that matter of museums, churches, squares, and castles...so, basically just wandered around prague...had a nice, relaxing time here.
arrived about noon yesterday...did some organizing, had to find a place to stay...the tyn hostel...about 20 bucks...5 to a room, only 3 there last night...nice dude from great britian, weird guy from italy who must've eaten reindeer, made noises all night
yesterday explored the town square and saw the astronomical clock strike 2 and do its magic...walked around jewish quarter and across the charles bridge...pedistrian bridge with vendors, artists and up to the castle...decided didnt want to tour it, so back again. stopped at a great little cafe, owned by husband/wife team, had some ginger tonic, basically ginger ale with some apple strudel. big market going on in the town square...whole hams cooking on spits...opted instead for a polish sausage...maybe a czech sausage...large cup of beer, about 2 bucks
back to hostel for nap...woke up about 10 pm...walked around the corner and had some great pasta with a glass of red czech wine...then back to hostel, stopped on a whim at the bar next door...based in new york and prague...bar and books. nice visit with indiana gal, traci brown, who works in HR for colgate/palmolive, actually their hill's/science diet division in prague. martin was the bartender...scratch that...mixologist...and a darned good one...i had a triple threat...first one in at least a month...lots of ice....the ice was awesome...he tried to take it from me when done...but cant let go of marinated ice
2nd drink was his specialty...cant recall what he called it, but it was rum, cointreau, orange and lime...shaken, up...not bad, but once was enough...then, he insisted...did he ever have to twist my arm...on making me an old fashioned.
he claimed to make the best...i told him that janet coleman holds that honor but to give it a try...janet, if you're reading this, he came in a close second...used 3 different kinds of bitters, including one with cinnamon...gotta find me some of that...orange peel and makers mark...lots of ice...stirred and stirred and stirred some more...then more makers...more stirring...mighty good. janet also adds cherries and club soda...muddling the fruit with a wooden spoon used exclusively for that purpose.
today...more exploration on foot, to the jewish cemetery, to the national history museum...took a picture of it, didnt go in...then to church around the corner...incredible organ music...but no choir...didnt understand a word...except when the guy in front of me turned around to offer the peace...got that...communion...priest dunked the host for us into the wine...which had been watered down considerably. perhaps better to attend services in another language...more time to reflect/worship on your own.
was going to rent a paddle boat, but decided to sit on the dock and drink a beer instead
more street food, including potatoes cooked with cabbage...horrific...wish i could have given it to the lady with the cat described below
tonight, overnight train to krakow poland...
lady in stockholm train station had a cat in a cage/carrier. poor cat...and you know i dont like cats...was crying its heart out...could hear it all over the station...i wanted to shoot its owner
penny loafers with new leather soles that have gotten wet should not be put in large ziploc bags...perfect place for mold to grow...scrubbed what i could off with train towel...then walked all of prague in same weejuns...mold gone
have i told you about the tobacco in copenhagen? twas in a flower bed...smelled it before i saw it...needed to be topped...brought back memories of working for big allen campbell in tobacco...dirtiest i have ever been...but real money in my pocket at 13
hope to add map detailing countries visited...will work on that at suggestion of heather anderson...thanks again to heather for convincing me to leave the navy blazer at home...everytime i see a poor soul wearing one i am thankful...have sent emails to macey and uncle welton urging them to leave theirs at home too...i may organize a blazer burning upon return to raleigh...
arrived about noon yesterday...did some organizing, had to find a place to stay...the tyn hostel...about 20 bucks...5 to a room, only 3 there last night...nice dude from great britian, weird guy from italy who must've eaten reindeer, made noises all night
yesterday explored the town square and saw the astronomical clock strike 2 and do its magic...walked around jewish quarter and across the charles bridge...pedistrian bridge with vendors, artists and up to the castle...decided didnt want to tour it, so back again. stopped at a great little cafe, owned by husband/wife team, had some ginger tonic, basically ginger ale with some apple strudel. big market going on in the town square...whole hams cooking on spits...opted instead for a polish sausage...maybe a czech sausage...large cup of beer, about 2 bucks
back to hostel for nap...woke up about 10 pm...walked around the corner and had some great pasta with a glass of red czech wine...then back to hostel, stopped on a whim at the bar next door...based in new york and prague...bar and books. nice visit with indiana gal, traci brown, who works in HR for colgate/palmolive, actually their hill's/science diet division in prague. martin was the bartender...scratch that...mixologist...and a darned good one...i had a triple threat...first one in at least a month...lots of ice....the ice was awesome...he tried to take it from me when done...but cant let go of marinated ice
2nd drink was his specialty...cant recall what he called it, but it was rum, cointreau, orange and lime...shaken, up...not bad, but once was enough...then, he insisted...did he ever have to twist my arm...on making me an old fashioned.
he claimed to make the best...i told him that janet coleman holds that honor but to give it a try...janet, if you're reading this, he came in a close second...used 3 different kinds of bitters, including one with cinnamon...gotta find me some of that...orange peel and makers mark...lots of ice...stirred and stirred and stirred some more...then more makers...more stirring...mighty good. janet also adds cherries and club soda...muddling the fruit with a wooden spoon used exclusively for that purpose.
today...more exploration on foot, to the jewish cemetery, to the national history museum...took a picture of it, didnt go in...then to church around the corner...incredible organ music...but no choir...didnt understand a word...except when the guy in front of me turned around to offer the peace...got that...communion...priest dunked the host for us into the wine...which had been watered down considerably. perhaps better to attend services in another language...more time to reflect/worship on your own.
was going to rent a paddle boat, but decided to sit on the dock and drink a beer instead
more street food, including potatoes cooked with cabbage...horrific...wish i could have given it to the lady with the cat described below
tonight, overnight train to krakow poland...
lady in stockholm train station had a cat in a cage/carrier. poor cat...and you know i dont like cats...was crying its heart out...could hear it all over the station...i wanted to shoot its owner
penny loafers with new leather soles that have gotten wet should not be put in large ziploc bags...perfect place for mold to grow...scrubbed what i could off with train towel...then walked all of prague in same weejuns...mold gone
have i told you about the tobacco in copenhagen? twas in a flower bed...smelled it before i saw it...needed to be topped...brought back memories of working for big allen campbell in tobacco...dirtiest i have ever been...but real money in my pocket at 13
hope to add map detailing countries visited...will work on that at suggestion of heather anderson...thanks again to heather for convincing me to leave the navy blazer at home...everytime i see a poor soul wearing one i am thankful...have sent emails to macey and uncle welton urging them to leave theirs at home too...i may organize a blazer burning upon return to raleigh...
Friday, August 13, 2010
ice ice baby
cool bar...all pun intended in oslo...made completely of ice save for the floor and ceiling...had to don a hooded, quilted parka...and lined boots...no place for rainbows...glass made of ice also...great for bourbon on the rocks...rather encased in a rock...frank ballard, karla hehl, lawrence boyd and karl hehl...think we can get ice out of mogotha bay and open one ourselves....
how did i end up in stockholm
planned to spend the day in malamo, sweden. train lady in berlin said to simply get off the train there en route to stockholm...learned on train that the train was to split in the middle of the night...my wagon headed to stockholm...almost switched but determined perhaps fate had me heading this way...glad i chose to come here
most beautiful day yet...breezy, sunny...everyone seems happy, girls in sundresses...makes one long for a friday afternoon at the carolina inn in chapel hill, bluegrass, barbeque and sundresses
toured the city, city hall, nobel museum, riddarholm church...where the monarchy is buried, the apartments in the royal palace, several churches and scores of shops...didnt buy anything...everything is way expensive
bfast...expresso and a slice of a lemon pie with the most beautiful meringue and almonds sliced thinner than ive ever had...delicious
lunch...may be best meal yet...salmon and potatoes with a rich dill sauce...the salmon was fabulous...simple...found it was only marinated in sugar and salt...served raw with dill garnish...unbelievably good.
onto prague...at least thats the plan....
most beautiful day yet...breezy, sunny...everyone seems happy, girls in sundresses...makes one long for a friday afternoon at the carolina inn in chapel hill, bluegrass, barbeque and sundresses
toured the city, city hall, nobel museum, riddarholm church...where the monarchy is buried, the apartments in the royal palace, several churches and scores of shops...didnt buy anything...everything is way expensive
bfast...expresso and a slice of a lemon pie with the most beautiful meringue and almonds sliced thinner than ive ever had...delicious
lunch...may be best meal yet...salmon and potatoes with a rich dill sauce...the salmon was fabulous...simple...found it was only marinated in sugar and salt...served raw with dill garnish...unbelievably good.
onto prague...at least thats the plan....
you know dasher and dancer and prancer and vixen...
....comet and cupid and donner and blitzen...but do you recall.....the most famous reindeer of all...do do do...rudolph the red nosed reindeer....this has a point...i promise...read on...
oslo was a beautiful city...visited teh viking ship museum...more remembrances from western civ...the polar exploring ship, FRAM-antarctica and the arctic...the akershus castle and fortress, the royal palace and nobel peace museum...big exhibit there on 2009 winner, obama. also took tram out to the vigeland sculpture park...very interesting...beautiful setting with intriguing sculptures...all nudes...some very compassionate...others borderline pornographic with all in between
saw both oats and alpalfa from train en route...dont know what reindeer eat but i ate reindeer for a late lunch-early dinner...scrumptious...medium rare over turnips, carrots, spinach, snow peas...not sure if oats and alphalfa grown for reindeer or not...also...if the reindeer have as much and as awful gas as the reindeer produced in me...its a wonder santa ever got the sleigh to afton without it crashing
oslo was a beautiful city...visited teh viking ship museum...more remembrances from western civ...the polar exploring ship, FRAM-antarctica and the arctic...the akershus castle and fortress, the royal palace and nobel peace museum...big exhibit there on 2009 winner, obama. also took tram out to the vigeland sculpture park...very interesting...beautiful setting with intriguing sculptures...all nudes...some very compassionate...others borderline pornographic with all in between
saw both oats and alpalfa from train en route...dont know what reindeer eat but i ate reindeer for a late lunch-early dinner...scrumptious...medium rare over turnips, carrots, spinach, snow peas...not sure if oats and alphalfa grown for reindeer or not...also...if the reindeer have as much and as awful gas as the reindeer produced in me...its a wonder santa ever got the sleigh to afton without it crashing
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
scandanavia blitz begins
copenhagen, home of hans christian anderson...expensive here...walked and walked today, save for a city tour by boat...uncovered, rained...but got to see a bunch and it wasn't crowded...some people were smart enough to stay in doors...the marble church...nothing special really...and the altar cloth was crooked...lula mae hall, who maintains same at providence umc would not have stood for that...the little mermaid is in shanghai, so didnt get to see her...kings gardens were magnificent, rosenborg castle and crown jewels also...castle not used by royals today...more access there with less security than any toured to date...also visited square of the royal residence, amalienborg palace....walked, walked....lots of antique shops today...bought zip
lunch was grand...an ear of roasted corn...that guy knew his business...lots of butter and salt...and when he handed it to me, also gave me a toothpick...in a plastic sleeve...awesome...gotta have one when you eat corn on the cob you know....chewed on the toothpick for about 2 hours...felt like eugene pickler...economics professor extraordinaire at pfeiffer. pickler was also a chicken farmer...used analagies from chicken farming for economics...since ma and gan had paynters egg farm...i could relate. wife janet ran the cultural program at pfeiffer. john branin worked in her office. i had 3 fish my freshman year...bought at walmart in albemarle...2 goldies, 22 cents each, and a beta...dwight was the greeter at walmart. beta ate one fish...john encouraged me to give gabrielle, the other 22 cent goldie, to mrs pickler for her tank in the ad building. rarely visited ole gabrielle. one day my senior year, i received, via campus mail, a card, obviously on nice stationary...twas from mrs pickler informing me of gabrielles demise...4 years for a 22 cent fish from walmart aint bad...and that a small, private ceremony...i think she said amazing grace was sung...was held in the ladies room in the basement of the administration building
forgot a couple twins...sunday morning...i left church about 30 minutes into it...jb martins twin...complete with yellow pants was coming in as i was going out...jb was almost always late for church...god rest his soul
grace miles, complete with cigarette holder, except this lady's was black, grace's was white...when i was a kid she would give me root beer lolly pops at bb&t...this was way back before the bank bought the warehouse, tore it down and added on...back when the loan officers were in cubes down the left side...she'd be on the telphone...rotary dial, 1970s green i think, smoking that cigarette...she was sexy...like joan collins on dynasty...and yes, i have told grace that though i didnt know it at 3, i thought she was sexy
and traudel williamson, mother of marget ballard...lady had on same outfit she did when we had brunch last month, white, from head to toe, 6 in heels...traudel and margets dad, joe, met in germany when he was in the service. he convinced her to come to the us...they married shortly thereafter and will celebrate 50 years of bliss next may...
afternoon snack at a deli...i am not starving afterall on this trip...husband wife team...she looked like carol channing...thought she would break out singing diamonds are a girls best friend at any moment...made me a scrumptious sandwich of salami, cheese, cucs, lettuce and tomatoes...toasted bread...i went across the street while she was making it to buy a beer, to wash it down with...she wrapped the bread in white paper...not waxed, just white paper, 2 paper towels, all together with a rubber band....service...floor was brick with sawdust...reminded me of the meat department in norlina at the red and white 37 years ago...raymond robertson ran the butcher shop...durwood johnson managed and i think aa wood was involved...but i may have that confused with the warrenton red and white...gan and i delivered eggs every thursday am...he'd pick me up at 530...i stood on the seat of the pick up beside him...stops i remember, in addition to the red and whites were alstons store on 1001, odell's grill, across from warren general hospital, the hospital, a&p
tonight's overnight train takes me to oslo...i will have to stay awake long enough to at least see the sea we cross by ferry
lunch was grand...an ear of roasted corn...that guy knew his business...lots of butter and salt...and when he handed it to me, also gave me a toothpick...in a plastic sleeve...awesome...gotta have one when you eat corn on the cob you know....chewed on the toothpick for about 2 hours...felt like eugene pickler...economics professor extraordinaire at pfeiffer. pickler was also a chicken farmer...used analagies from chicken farming for economics...since ma and gan had paynters egg farm...i could relate. wife janet ran the cultural program at pfeiffer. john branin worked in her office. i had 3 fish my freshman year...bought at walmart in albemarle...2 goldies, 22 cents each, and a beta...dwight was the greeter at walmart. beta ate one fish...john encouraged me to give gabrielle, the other 22 cent goldie, to mrs pickler for her tank in the ad building. rarely visited ole gabrielle. one day my senior year, i received, via campus mail, a card, obviously on nice stationary...twas from mrs pickler informing me of gabrielles demise...4 years for a 22 cent fish from walmart aint bad...and that a small, private ceremony...i think she said amazing grace was sung...was held in the ladies room in the basement of the administration building
forgot a couple twins...sunday morning...i left church about 30 minutes into it...jb martins twin...complete with yellow pants was coming in as i was going out...jb was almost always late for church...god rest his soul
grace miles, complete with cigarette holder, except this lady's was black, grace's was white...when i was a kid she would give me root beer lolly pops at bb&t...this was way back before the bank bought the warehouse, tore it down and added on...back when the loan officers were in cubes down the left side...she'd be on the telphone...rotary dial, 1970s green i think, smoking that cigarette...she was sexy...like joan collins on dynasty...and yes, i have told grace that though i didnt know it at 3, i thought she was sexy
and traudel williamson, mother of marget ballard...lady had on same outfit she did when we had brunch last month, white, from head to toe, 6 in heels...traudel and margets dad, joe, met in germany when he was in the service. he convinced her to come to the us...they married shortly thereafter and will celebrate 50 years of bliss next may...
afternoon snack at a deli...i am not starving afterall on this trip...husband wife team...she looked like carol channing...thought she would break out singing diamonds are a girls best friend at any moment...made me a scrumptious sandwich of salami, cheese, cucs, lettuce and tomatoes...toasted bread...i went across the street while she was making it to buy a beer, to wash it down with...she wrapped the bread in white paper...not waxed, just white paper, 2 paper towels, all together with a rubber band....service...floor was brick with sawdust...reminded me of the meat department in norlina at the red and white 37 years ago...raymond robertson ran the butcher shop...durwood johnson managed and i think aa wood was involved...but i may have that confused with the warrenton red and white...gan and i delivered eggs every thursday am...he'd pick me up at 530...i stood on the seat of the pick up beside him...stops i remember, in addition to the red and whites were alstons store on 1001, odell's grill, across from warren general hospital, the hospital, a&p
tonight's overnight train takes me to oslo...i will have to stay awake long enough to at least see the sea we cross by ferry
Berlin...no wall
arrived berlin monday am via overnight train from heidelberg. couchette...basically a seat that reclines 2 1-2 inches...michelle said sunday that she didnt know a man who couldnt sleep in a chair...true...me included...but mercy
invested a chunk of time with the bahn -train- people determining trains for this week to avoid couchettes and get beds
being monday, lots of museums closed...started berlin tour, walking, at the brandenberg gate, then a leisurely stroll down unter den linden, main street, if you will
2,711 gravestones in the memorial to murdered jews of europe...stirring memorial, invites quiet, reflection...reminded me in a sense of arlington...basically concrete, gray rectangles, 'graves'...same dimensions width x length, but different height depending on the lay of the land...some 2 ft, some 12 ft+...gray, simple, sturdy concrete...number there is simply how many fit the property...no representation by the 2,711
train stopped at potsdam plaza...bustling place pre ww2, basically a no-mans land after as on the border of east-west berling. now with the wall down, sony and others have corporate towers there
attop the brandenburg gate, chairot and horses statue taken by napoleon when he defeated the prussians in 1806, brought back after prussians defeated him 7 years later...how in the heck did they get that thing up and down...imagine the jubilation here in 1989 when the wall came down
portions of the wall remain...estimated 12 feet high only 4-6 inches thick...rebar enforced
as i type this country music playing...first ive heard...in music store next door...now in train station in copenhagen...reminds me a bit of ellis island...lots of brick, wood and steel beams...back to music...garth brooks, if tomorrow never comes...sung by someone else, i guess a dane
us embassy doesnt give tours, i asked
hitlers bunker is under a parking garage 200 meters from memorial to the jews
walked past french and russian embassies too
visied the catholic st hedwigs church, aka upside down teacup...got its name because frederick the great turned a teacup upside down to show the architect what he wanted
visited german history museum...primarily a chronology of german history from charlemagne to the present...if i had my notes from warren county high western civ with charlie holmes, i think i could have followed it
speaking of history, our museum, the nc museum of history, is preparing for the george washington exhibit, the only museum in the southeast to have it, beginning in september...make plans to go...and to do your christmas shopping in the shop...lynn and the ladies there wrap...awesome...and i have been in at least 2 dozen museum shops...havent seen one yet to top ours...truly....
berlin cathedral...visited both days attending 6 pm services both...great service, in at 6, out at 630...incredible organ pre and postludes...unbelievable...the organist on Tuesdazy had it 'gagged wide open' as katherine paige harris young would say...could feel my brain shaking inside my skull...expected the stained glass in the dome to shatter and come crashing down around us at any moment...back to the service...brief homily, prayer, Lord's prayer, hymn and out the door, give offering as you depart
spent an hour monday laying on the grass in front of the cathedral...street musicians...beautiful day...big fountain...just looking at the clouds...as howard lee stultz, music teacher in high school used to say when he wanted us to be still...just contemplating my navel
dinner was great...tiny place on the street, rigatoni with the coldest beer, polish, i have had, about 7 euro
Tuesday, took george to the station and put him in the locker for the day
long walk through the tiergarden, basically a huge park, toured musical instruments museum...trying to make up for the exhibit missed in florence...great audio guide, with options to hear selections being played on various instruments
wurlitzer theatre organ in the center...demonstration ongoing upon arrival...interesting to hear and listen to german being translated to mandarin for the chinese group there
visited the kennedy museum...good for a little does of us history...molly harty would love this one...jfk and jbk had a tremendous reception during their time in berlin by the people here
also had a photography exhibit there of obama's people...3-4 length shots of various folks in administration from valerie jarret to reggie love to hilary...actually very good
relaxing lunch, 3 courses, special, 10 euro...awesome tomato soup...followed by boiled beef with potatoes and carrots...truly mommas in the crock pot is better...then a berry ice cream...surprise of the day was the strawberry served with the ice cream...looked like a 'hot house' berry...but tasted fresh plucked from the strawberry patch...the first taste of spring...we used to go, ma, gan and i, to dickersons strawberry farm in vicksboro...just past shocco church and pick buckets and buckets and more buckets...i ate a bunch too. i also remember going with howell steed there once...cant remember if mimi went too or not.
checkpoint charlie museum...was just too much...too much info in a small space with hordes of people...no line to get in, but i think everybody who came since easter was still in that unairconditioned space...stayed 10 minutes and escaped. checkpoint is still there...also a large section of the wall near by
bought nelson demille's gate house to read on the train this week...on sale, less than 5 euro...paperback...but printed in the hardback format...not a 'slender' version
planned to tour riechstag at days end...but line literally had about 400 people in it...no way
then on overnight train to copehagen...train cars put aboard ferry overnight...as i did not completly grasp the german language, i understood it to be that we would get off the train, board ferry at some point during the night...2 am...i set my alarm for 145...woke up...train still rolling...thought id stay awake...next thing i knew, 315...thought i had missed the boat...literally
no conductor in sight...looked like we were either on board a ship or in a warehouse...turns out on ship...never saw the dang water
went to bathroom at 630...grabbed key to my cabin...only to learn that it was the key to the shower...had locked myself out. luckily conductor returned at 7 and let me in
nice german lady and son in next cabin...she spoke excellent english...gave her my 'true blue' by david baldacci...they were heading to sweden for 2 weeks, cabin in the woods...meeting husband there...son had appendix removed last week, so they took the train
thought i would miss ice, dont
do miss splenda...havent seen a packet anywhere
love expresso...drink with lots of sugar...need that damned splenda...no cream-milk...wonder if i will be able to drink coffee at home now without cream...
staley gentry is right...attitude is everything
twins spotted...kevin pack of raleigh on a bike...also on a bike...the late cassie jones of warrenton, including hat with feather, 2 separate sightings, different people, liz fentress of raleigh, leslie white of greenville, david windell, friend from grad school of raleigh, ransi somerante, also unc bud, of raleigh, dawn coleman of rabbit bottom and mark goldhaber of raleigh down to the position of glasses on his nose and the way he holds a cell phone
this morning while crossing a large body of water...by bridge...saw huge windmill farm in the water
frank ballard...im working on being more positive
best meals in berlin...dinner last night, lunch monday, bratwurst with mustard and ketchup, bought from same guy...i am a creature of habit...1.2 euro...awesome...guy actually had a grill strapped around his waist...dont want to do that
lesson from vivian...check pockets prior to doing laundry...missed one and spiral bound notebook didnt survive...was able to capture data on 2 pages of notes from francois for paris...others...disaster
lesson learned from macey...lifting toilet seat with foot...comes in great daddy on the train...not always a clean area
when you have an opportunity to wash your hands with hot water and soap, do it
photos taken, 899
the berlin train station is huge...2 grocery stores in it...passed a shoe store monday...little beach music action going on there...sugar pie, honey bunch, you know that i love you, can't help myself, i want you and nobody else...i was the only guy shaggin' on the concourse
invested a chunk of time with the bahn -train- people determining trains for this week to avoid couchettes and get beds
being monday, lots of museums closed...started berlin tour, walking, at the brandenberg gate, then a leisurely stroll down unter den linden, main street, if you will
2,711 gravestones in the memorial to murdered jews of europe...stirring memorial, invites quiet, reflection...reminded me in a sense of arlington...basically concrete, gray rectangles, 'graves'...same dimensions width x length, but different height depending on the lay of the land...some 2 ft, some 12 ft+...gray, simple, sturdy concrete...number there is simply how many fit the property...no representation by the 2,711
train stopped at potsdam plaza...bustling place pre ww2, basically a no-mans land after as on the border of east-west berling. now with the wall down, sony and others have corporate towers there
attop the brandenburg gate, chairot and horses statue taken by napoleon when he defeated the prussians in 1806, brought back after prussians defeated him 7 years later...how in the heck did they get that thing up and down...imagine the jubilation here in 1989 when the wall came down
portions of the wall remain...estimated 12 feet high only 4-6 inches thick...rebar enforced
as i type this country music playing...first ive heard...in music store next door...now in train station in copenhagen...reminds me a bit of ellis island...lots of brick, wood and steel beams...back to music...garth brooks, if tomorrow never comes...sung by someone else, i guess a dane
us embassy doesnt give tours, i asked
hitlers bunker is under a parking garage 200 meters from memorial to the jews
walked past french and russian embassies too
visied the catholic st hedwigs church, aka upside down teacup...got its name because frederick the great turned a teacup upside down to show the architect what he wanted
visited german history museum...primarily a chronology of german history from charlemagne to the present...if i had my notes from warren county high western civ with charlie holmes, i think i could have followed it
speaking of history, our museum, the nc museum of history, is preparing for the george washington exhibit, the only museum in the southeast to have it, beginning in september...make plans to go...and to do your christmas shopping in the shop...lynn and the ladies there wrap...awesome...and i have been in at least 2 dozen museum shops...havent seen one yet to top ours...truly....
berlin cathedral...visited both days attending 6 pm services both...great service, in at 6, out at 630...incredible organ pre and postludes...unbelievable...the organist on Tuesdazy had it 'gagged wide open' as katherine paige harris young would say...could feel my brain shaking inside my skull...expected the stained glass in the dome to shatter and come crashing down around us at any moment...back to the service...brief homily, prayer, Lord's prayer, hymn and out the door, give offering as you depart
spent an hour monday laying on the grass in front of the cathedral...street musicians...beautiful day...big fountain...just looking at the clouds...as howard lee stultz, music teacher in high school used to say when he wanted us to be still...just contemplating my navel
dinner was great...tiny place on the street, rigatoni with the coldest beer, polish, i have had, about 7 euro
Tuesday, took george to the station and put him in the locker for the day
long walk through the tiergarden, basically a huge park, toured musical instruments museum...trying to make up for the exhibit missed in florence...great audio guide, with options to hear selections being played on various instruments
wurlitzer theatre organ in the center...demonstration ongoing upon arrival...interesting to hear and listen to german being translated to mandarin for the chinese group there
visited the kennedy museum...good for a little does of us history...molly harty would love this one...jfk and jbk had a tremendous reception during their time in berlin by the people here
also had a photography exhibit there of obama's people...3-4 length shots of various folks in administration from valerie jarret to reggie love to hilary...actually very good
relaxing lunch, 3 courses, special, 10 euro...awesome tomato soup...followed by boiled beef with potatoes and carrots...truly mommas in the crock pot is better...then a berry ice cream...surprise of the day was the strawberry served with the ice cream...looked like a 'hot house' berry...but tasted fresh plucked from the strawberry patch...the first taste of spring...we used to go, ma, gan and i, to dickersons strawberry farm in vicksboro...just past shocco church and pick buckets and buckets and more buckets...i ate a bunch too. i also remember going with howell steed there once...cant remember if mimi went too or not.
checkpoint charlie museum...was just too much...too much info in a small space with hordes of people...no line to get in, but i think everybody who came since easter was still in that unairconditioned space...stayed 10 minutes and escaped. checkpoint is still there...also a large section of the wall near by
bought nelson demille's gate house to read on the train this week...on sale, less than 5 euro...paperback...but printed in the hardback format...not a 'slender' version
planned to tour riechstag at days end...but line literally had about 400 people in it...no way
then on overnight train to copehagen...train cars put aboard ferry overnight...as i did not completly grasp the german language, i understood it to be that we would get off the train, board ferry at some point during the night...2 am...i set my alarm for 145...woke up...train still rolling...thought id stay awake...next thing i knew, 315...thought i had missed the boat...literally
no conductor in sight...looked like we were either on board a ship or in a warehouse...turns out on ship...never saw the dang water
went to bathroom at 630...grabbed key to my cabin...only to learn that it was the key to the shower...had locked myself out. luckily conductor returned at 7 and let me in
nice german lady and son in next cabin...she spoke excellent english...gave her my 'true blue' by david baldacci...they were heading to sweden for 2 weeks, cabin in the woods...meeting husband there...son had appendix removed last week, so they took the train
thought i would miss ice, dont
do miss splenda...havent seen a packet anywhere
love expresso...drink with lots of sugar...need that damned splenda...no cream-milk...wonder if i will be able to drink coffee at home now without cream...
staley gentry is right...attitude is everything
twins spotted...kevin pack of raleigh on a bike...also on a bike...the late cassie jones of warrenton, including hat with feather, 2 separate sightings, different people, liz fentress of raleigh, leslie white of greenville, david windell, friend from grad school of raleigh, ransi somerante, also unc bud, of raleigh, dawn coleman of rabbit bottom and mark goldhaber of raleigh down to the position of glasses on his nose and the way he holds a cell phone
this morning while crossing a large body of water...by bridge...saw huge windmill farm in the water
frank ballard...im working on being more positive
best meals in berlin...dinner last night, lunch monday, bratwurst with mustard and ketchup, bought from same guy...i am a creature of habit...1.2 euro...awesome...guy actually had a grill strapped around his waist...dont want to do that
lesson from vivian...check pockets prior to doing laundry...missed one and spiral bound notebook didnt survive...was able to capture data on 2 pages of notes from francois for paris...others...disaster
lesson learned from macey...lifting toilet seat with foot...comes in great daddy on the train...not always a clean area
when you have an opportunity to wash your hands with hot water and soap, do it
photos taken, 899
the berlin train station is huge...2 grocery stores in it...passed a shoe store monday...little beach music action going on there...sugar pie, honey bunch, you know that i love you, can't help myself, i want you and nobody else...i was the only guy shaggin' on the concourse
Sunday, August 8, 2010
sunday drive
great sunday! spent the afternoon in heidelburg with tim, michelle (white) and alexa tielking. tim is active duty with the military here...just got here a week ago for 3 years. their stuff has not arrived...but they are hoping to get into their house at the end of the week. they were kind enought to meet me at the station...then onto mandy´s diner...in an old train car...burger joint...had a great burger and onion rings...almost did a coke...but opted instead for a lemon ade...had an awesome time catching up with them on where we all are...and others we know too.
alexa is a great 15 year old...she has the most positive attitude of any teenager i know who moved to a foreign country...she seems so excited about the opportunities the next few years are going to afford her...i bet she will have the german language conquered very quickly
after burgers, we drove to two villages outside of town where they looked at housing...cant recall names of villages..but went by their new home...dont know street, but it is house number 64.
michelle misses dukes mayonnaise...i will have to send them some along with lipton tea bags upon return to u.s.
alexa is a great 15 year old...she has the most positive attitude of any teenager i know who moved to a foreign country...she seems so excited about the opportunities the next few years are going to afford her...i bet she will have the german language conquered very quickly
after burgers, we drove to two villages outside of town where they looked at housing...cant recall names of villages..but went by their new home...dont know street, but it is house number 64.
michelle misses dukes mayonnaise...i will have to send them some along with lipton tea bags upon return to u.s.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
misc thoughts, etc...sunday, august 8
twin of gladys wemyss sat with me on the train yesterday...hair in bun, only thing missing was 6 ink pens in it.
twin of aunt edna in erik´s market yesterday
trust...everyone is so trusting here...room i stayed in at cinque terra...never had my name, information. in rotenburg...pension run by father son, erik and klaus...left george with klaus...hadnt seen the room, paid for the room, didnt pay till departure...40 euro...best sleeping bed thus far...down comforter...included great breakfast...yogurt was activia...no issues there so chose not to have it...they run a grocery store that reminds me of miles hardware...erick is about the height of w. a. they have everything...groceries, meats, liquor, trains, toy cars....back to trust...havent paid for this room either in baden baden, andrea said to pay at check out...no credit card given as security
have seen lots of small castles, towers on hills from train
also saw wind farm yesterday...had no idea the windmills are as large as they are
saw a field of what appeared to be beets...cant imagine that many beets...acres and acres of beets
wil and hamp short....lots of tree stands...but no photos...most of rough hewn wood
yesterday, started day with zip off pants and linen shirt...cool, so wore scarf...by 930, had gotten warm...what to do with scarf...so tied it around waist like roman soldier...later, pant legs zipped off...watch out armani, perhaps i will become a fashion designer
lunch yesterday was picnic from shop of klaus...salami and cheese...also bought a great piece of apple tart from the bakery next door...all total less than 7 euro
there must be community gardens here...i see lots of connected spaces, estimated 40 x 75 ft, beautifully tended...veggies and flowers...see these from the train...with little sheds-cabins...remind me somewhat of the potting sheds of margaret britt and anne harris
tilly hat repels rain...is not water proof...8 hours of rain proves this
wheat desperately needs harvesting...if wilton, lee and i each had a combine over here we could rack it up
golden rod beginning to bloom...i think sister wendy´s first job for gladys and macon was helping me get a truck load of golden rod for gladys to dry for flower arrangments
have decided to skip the rhine...and save berlin for later in the trip
passed tupperware factory yesterday...used to ride to raleigh with bonnie andrews for her tupperware meetings when i was a kid
twin of aunt edna in erik´s market yesterday
trust...everyone is so trusting here...room i stayed in at cinque terra...never had my name, information. in rotenburg...pension run by father son, erik and klaus...left george with klaus...hadnt seen the room, paid for the room, didnt pay till departure...40 euro...best sleeping bed thus far...down comforter...included great breakfast...yogurt was activia...no issues there so chose not to have it...they run a grocery store that reminds me of miles hardware...erick is about the height of w. a. they have everything...groceries, meats, liquor, trains, toy cars....back to trust...havent paid for this room either in baden baden, andrea said to pay at check out...no credit card given as security
have seen lots of small castles, towers on hills from train
also saw wind farm yesterday...had no idea the windmills are as large as they are
saw a field of what appeared to be beets...cant imagine that many beets...acres and acres of beets
wil and hamp short....lots of tree stands...but no photos...most of rough hewn wood
yesterday, started day with zip off pants and linen shirt...cool, so wore scarf...by 930, had gotten warm...what to do with scarf...so tied it around waist like roman soldier...later, pant legs zipped off...watch out armani, perhaps i will become a fashion designer
lunch yesterday was picnic from shop of klaus...salami and cheese...also bought a great piece of apple tart from the bakery next door...all total less than 7 euro
there must be community gardens here...i see lots of connected spaces, estimated 40 x 75 ft, beautifully tended...veggies and flowers...see these from the train...with little sheds-cabins...remind me somewhat of the potting sheds of margaret britt and anne harris
tilly hat repels rain...is not water proof...8 hours of rain proves this
wheat desperately needs harvesting...if wilton, lee and i each had a combine over here we could rack it up
golden rod beginning to bloom...i think sister wendy´s first job for gladys and macon was helping me get a truck load of golden rod for gladys to dry for flower arrangments
have decided to skip the rhine...and save berlin for later in the trip
passed tupperware factory yesterday...used to ride to raleigh with bonnie andrews for her tupperware meetings when i was a kid
hell...were you wondering about it from a couple blogs back?
on board train to rothenburg met newlyweds kara and ryan from nashville tn. they were married near traverse city michigan...land of lots of cherries...had climbed the sleeping bear sand dune...i had done that years ago
both going to grad school this fall, she for musicology, he for counseling
on honeymoon, had biked the romantic road and were en route to rome to meet both sets of parents who were each celebrating their second honeymoons...pretty cool
we exchanged lots of advice...me to them...rome and florence...sent them to see claudio at il profeta...they had been to rotenburg and told me about the nightwatchmans tour, where to eat and also about wurzburg.
arrived rotenburg at 1948...hoofed it into village, stopped to ask about a room at pension elke...told had one...dropped bag...room not seen, hoofed it to town square for night watchman tour. in medievil times, the nightwatchman went around lighting lamps and making sure doors were locked...not well thought of because of fear of darkness and the night...just slightly above executioner and gravediggers. this guy was great...has been doing it for 20 yeasrs...one hour walking tour as it got dark...probaly about 100 people in group...all ages...he kept everyones attention. city spared during ww2...first...day of bombing...was foggy...pilots couldnt see and much of the city was unharmed...plus, afterwards, general in charge...american...recalled a painting in his mothers living room from a visit she had made to rothenburg...that memory saved the city
had dinner in a bar called hell. here it is good to be told to go to hell.
skewer of filet, pork and veggies with an incredible sauce including capers. first red meat since leaving states.
yesterday morning got up early did walking tour of town, then retail therapy...great shopping...had to get out of there...after shipping a box to mary hehl for safekeeping...thanks mary...dont peek, there might be something in there for you
beautiful church there...lots of woodcarving...elizabeth in charge on sturday mornings...she recommended a cd of organ music...in box shipped home...and to go to firese for Christmas ornaments. this shop is run by an 83 year old lady, assisted by her granddaughter, they only hire family. she befriended rick steves on his first poor man trip to europe in 1973 and is recommended by him also...she said that she treated him like a mother when he had nothing....i noted that it had certainly come back to her...lots of photos of rick in the shop...she also noted that she has a disability...and that elizabeth bakes her cakes
felt in a way like interiors...jane and nancy always took care of everyone...didnt matter who you were what you were wearing...especially kids...lots of those kids i am sure wanted to go back to interiors to register for weddings...buy gifts when they could afford, etc...job at interiors was in ways best ever...jane and nancy taught me so much...how to be frugal...dont waste the ribbon rann...snap to it customer service...customer should never make it past the 3rd display before someone meets and greets them...a cup of coffee in a china cup...even chipped, makes the afternoon much better...dont judge a customer by his appearance...once sold 4 place settings of china and silver to a man who looked like he couldnt afford paper plates from the dollar store for his daughter...for years i remembered the patterns...it was a great lesson, but those names escape me now...getting old
boarded first of...heck, i cant remember, 4 or 5 trains to baden baden. stop in worzburg was for 50 minutes...grabbed a cab, went to the bridge, had a beer at alte mainmuhle as recommended by ryan and kara...cab back to station...4 minutes to spare. cab driver, nobert, rhymes with robert, spoke great english and pointed out the sites including the place where x rays were invented.
arrived baden baden about 6...spent a couple hours at the spa...skipped casino
once a year the town has a big festival in a beautiful park by the river...kind of like the nc symphony at meredith college... 80 plus piece orchestra...beautiful lighting in the trees...i walked around...thousands...thousands...thousands of people...then back towards the hotel for dinner at le bistro...lip smacking lamb chops with a great glass of wine...after dinner drink recommendation was plum water, aged 7 years. i think it was a bad bunch of junior johnsons moonshine.
both going to grad school this fall, she for musicology, he for counseling
on honeymoon, had biked the romantic road and were en route to rome to meet both sets of parents who were each celebrating their second honeymoons...pretty cool
we exchanged lots of advice...me to them...rome and florence...sent them to see claudio at il profeta...they had been to rotenburg and told me about the nightwatchmans tour, where to eat and also about wurzburg.
arrived rotenburg at 1948...hoofed it into village, stopped to ask about a room at pension elke...told had one...dropped bag...room not seen, hoofed it to town square for night watchman tour. in medievil times, the nightwatchman went around lighting lamps and making sure doors were locked...not well thought of because of fear of darkness and the night...just slightly above executioner and gravediggers. this guy was great...has been doing it for 20 yeasrs...one hour walking tour as it got dark...probaly about 100 people in group...all ages...he kept everyones attention. city spared during ww2...first...day of bombing...was foggy...pilots couldnt see and much of the city was unharmed...plus, afterwards, general in charge...american...recalled a painting in his mothers living room from a visit she had made to rothenburg...that memory saved the city
had dinner in a bar called hell. here it is good to be told to go to hell.
skewer of filet, pork and veggies with an incredible sauce including capers. first red meat since leaving states.
yesterday morning got up early did walking tour of town, then retail therapy...great shopping...had to get out of there...after shipping a box to mary hehl for safekeeping...thanks mary...dont peek, there might be something in there for you
beautiful church there...lots of woodcarving...elizabeth in charge on sturday mornings...she recommended a cd of organ music...in box shipped home...and to go to firese for Christmas ornaments. this shop is run by an 83 year old lady, assisted by her granddaughter, they only hire family. she befriended rick steves on his first poor man trip to europe in 1973 and is recommended by him also...she said that she treated him like a mother when he had nothing....i noted that it had certainly come back to her...lots of photos of rick in the shop...she also noted that she has a disability...and that elizabeth bakes her cakes
felt in a way like interiors...jane and nancy always took care of everyone...didnt matter who you were what you were wearing...especially kids...lots of those kids i am sure wanted to go back to interiors to register for weddings...buy gifts when they could afford, etc...job at interiors was in ways best ever...jane and nancy taught me so much...how to be frugal...dont waste the ribbon rann...snap to it customer service...customer should never make it past the 3rd display before someone meets and greets them...a cup of coffee in a china cup...even chipped, makes the afternoon much better...dont judge a customer by his appearance...once sold 4 place settings of china and silver to a man who looked like he couldnt afford paper plates from the dollar store for his daughter...for years i remembered the patterns...it was a great lesson, but those names escape me now...getting old
boarded first of...heck, i cant remember, 4 or 5 trains to baden baden. stop in worzburg was for 50 minutes...grabbed a cab, went to the bridge, had a beer at alte mainmuhle as recommended by ryan and kara...cab back to station...4 minutes to spare. cab driver, nobert, rhymes with robert, spoke great english and pointed out the sites including the place where x rays were invented.
arrived baden baden about 6...spent a couple hours at the spa...skipped casino
once a year the town has a big festival in a beautiful park by the river...kind of like the nc symphony at meredith college... 80 plus piece orchestra...beautiful lighting in the trees...i walked around...thousands...thousands...thousands of people...then back towards the hotel for dinner at le bistro...lip smacking lamb chops with a great glass of wine...after dinner drink recommendation was plum water, aged 7 years. i think it was a bad bunch of junior johnsons moonshine.
cut and paste which didnt make it
from florence and more...
medici chapels...burial site of medici family...one fo my favs in florence...most incredible frescos in its dome of depicting Christianity from creation to resurrection
duomo...city cathedral...3rd longest nave in christiandom...facade of red, green and white marble
church of santa croce...tombs here of michelangelo and galileo...i sat down to rest my weary hooves on the cool marble...looked down, realized resting on the tomb of a pinelli...perhaps an ancestor...daddy we should ask lucille morris if there are pinellis in the tree
ufizzi gallery...almost...no was...overwhelming...so much fine art...my fav...adoration of the maji by lippi...better than da vince.
ponte vechhio...famous shoppnig bridge...silver, gold, pearls too
church of santa maria novella...near train station...had been in so many churches by this time i really couldnt appreciate it
pitti palace, sumptuous home to medicis and hapsburgs...countless palatial rooms with lots of guilding and chandeliers. gardens as well which i didnt tour but ed did and was eat up with mosquitos
santo spirito church. my fav in florence 2 blocks from hostel...carved wooden crucifix attributed to michelangelo was on loan to another museum
sat pm, walked, wht a hike, up past the plaza of michelangelo to the san miniato church high on a hill above the city. well worth it, most incredible views of the city. st minias, martyred, died here, buried here. 530 mass was gregorian chants...very relaxing and soothing...left after the erman with new friends mike and lindsay from vancouver. service held in crypt behind-beneath the altar...acoustics were perfect. one of the monks started blowing his nose...repeatedly...think that was the hint for the preaching monk to cut it short.
walked with mike and lindsay down to the pontevecchio, he is in real estate...sounds like market there is better than in US. he is 50 and is at a similar place in life as i have been...so very nice...told me about the cinque terra, inspiring me to drop venice...at least for now...and go there...i must email them info i have on paris restaurants for their time there
rome
roma pass was well worth the 25 euro...gave access to all buses, metro and 2 free museum entrances plus discounts at many others. valdid for 3 days, perfect for my time there
visited colosseum late in the day...pefect, pass then good for the next day at forum and pallentine hill
colosseum, when opened, featured 100 days of celebrations, gladiators, etc...5,000 wild beasts were killed and lots of people too...must have been a lot cheaper than keeping cons on death row..but i digress. an imposing, impressife structure
forum and pallentine hill. most amazed at lack of security and assistance...seem to have the attidude that...remants have been here for thousands of years...so have at it. not like in florece at accademia and ufizzi. also amayed that so much was concentrated in such a small area...from teh temple of ceasar, his grave, the senate house, temple of saturn and more
used back door from rick steves guidebucook to enter victor emmanual monument saving me from climbing 242 steps...though truly at this point...242 would be nothing
usually travel with my clock out on the train...without the crackberry i have no concept of time...stopped wearing a watch last fall when the battery died...the clock is actually just a clock since the alarm doesnt work...you can bet i will return it to rei upon return to raleigh
hard to say what item (s) bes tin pack...water bottle is used most often...especially with all the clean water in italy bursting fourt from drinking fountains all over...the rei wool socks are great...hankies are mighty handy and ziploc bags, in qt, gal and super size have been essential for toiletries, wet soap, shoes etc...
hughie macdonald, brother of college friend trisha macdonald cox, loaned me the backpack, aka george. i havent seen another like it on the journey thus far. made by eagle creek, it is durable, has lots of compartments with great straps-support saving the back and actually wraps around the waist over the pants pockets givign additional protection from pick pockets.
medici chapels...burial site of medici family...one fo my favs in florence...most incredible frescos in its dome of depicting Christianity from creation to resurrection
duomo...city cathedral...3rd longest nave in christiandom...facade of red, green and white marble
church of santa croce...tombs here of michelangelo and galileo...i sat down to rest my weary hooves on the cool marble...looked down, realized resting on the tomb of a pinelli...perhaps an ancestor...daddy we should ask lucille morris if there are pinellis in the tree
ufizzi gallery...almost...no was...overwhelming...so much fine art...my fav...adoration of the maji by lippi...better than da vince.
ponte vechhio...famous shoppnig bridge...silver, gold, pearls too
church of santa maria novella...near train station...had been in so many churches by this time i really couldnt appreciate it
pitti palace, sumptuous home to medicis and hapsburgs...countless palatial rooms with lots of guilding and chandeliers. gardens as well which i didnt tour but ed did and was eat up with mosquitos
santo spirito church. my fav in florence 2 blocks from hostel...carved wooden crucifix attributed to michelangelo was on loan to another museum
sat pm, walked, wht a hike, up past the plaza of michelangelo to the san miniato church high on a hill above the city. well worth it, most incredible views of the city. st minias, martyred, died here, buried here. 530 mass was gregorian chants...very relaxing and soothing...left after the erman with new friends mike and lindsay from vancouver. service held in crypt behind-beneath the altar...acoustics were perfect. one of the monks started blowing his nose...repeatedly...think that was the hint for the preaching monk to cut it short.
walked with mike and lindsay down to the pontevecchio, he is in real estate...sounds like market there is better than in US. he is 50 and is at a similar place in life as i have been...so very nice...told me about the cinque terra, inspiring me to drop venice...at least for now...and go there...i must email them info i have on paris restaurants for their time there
rome
roma pass was well worth the 25 euro...gave access to all buses, metro and 2 free museum entrances plus discounts at many others. valdid for 3 days, perfect for my time there
visited colosseum late in the day...pefect, pass then good for the next day at forum and pallentine hill
colosseum, when opened, featured 100 days of celebrations, gladiators, etc...5,000 wild beasts were killed and lots of people too...must have been a lot cheaper than keeping cons on death row..but i digress. an imposing, impressife structure
forum and pallentine hill. most amazed at lack of security and assistance...seem to have the attidude that...remants have been here for thousands of years...so have at it. not like in florece at accademia and ufizzi. also amayed that so much was concentrated in such a small area...from teh temple of ceasar, his grave, the senate house, temple of saturn and more
used back door from rick steves guidebucook to enter victor emmanual monument saving me from climbing 242 steps...though truly at this point...242 would be nothing
usually travel with my clock out on the train...without the crackberry i have no concept of time...stopped wearing a watch last fall when the battery died...the clock is actually just a clock since the alarm doesnt work...you can bet i will return it to rei upon return to raleigh
hard to say what item (s) bes tin pack...water bottle is used most often...especially with all the clean water in italy bursting fourt from drinking fountains all over...the rei wool socks are great...hankies are mighty handy and ziploc bags, in qt, gal and super size have been essential for toiletries, wet soap, shoes etc...
hughie macdonald, brother of college friend trisha macdonald cox, loaned me the backpack, aka george. i havent seen another like it on the journey thus far. made by eagle creek, it is durable, has lots of compartments with great straps-support saving the back and actually wraps around the waist over the pants pockets givign additional protection from pick pockets.
friday, more rain, castles and hell
great breakfast with george eta and carlyn...was able to say goodbye to edwin and aileen...who were heading to amsterdam by car to review tapes form a car crash simulation the day before...they will test again next week...i of course wanted to see the demo...edwin gently told me heck no
2 busses to fussen an hour away to tour 2 of ludwigs castles...both interesting but neuschwanstein (N) is the most famous, at the end of germanys romantic road and was the inspiration for walts disney world castle
also it was on the cover of history book for us at warren academy..think it was 3rd grade, elaine colemans class...or 5th grade...mary catherine harriss class...does anyone remember
on the bus to fussen, met john viehe from cary and his sister martha from toledo. john´s father in law is ill, wife couldnt come and martha recently lost her husband, so they made the trek together. both super nice, he is retired army intelligence, now teaches at wake tech and campbell, state grade, wake forest exec mba...max crowe, ceo of woodlands bank was in his class
rained all day on castle tours with lots of walking in between
then 6 trains...therefore 5 changes...to rothenburg
2 busses to fussen an hour away to tour 2 of ludwigs castles...both interesting but neuschwanstein (N) is the most famous, at the end of germanys romantic road and was the inspiration for walts disney world castle
also it was on the cover of history book for us at warren academy..think it was 3rd grade, elaine colemans class...or 5th grade...mary catherine harriss class...does anyone remember
on the bus to fussen, met john viehe from cary and his sister martha from toledo. john´s father in law is ill, wife couldnt come and martha recently lost her husband, so they made the trek together. both super nice, he is retired army intelligence, now teaches at wake tech and campbell, state grade, wake forest exec mba...max crowe, ceo of woodlands bank was in his class
rained all day on castle tours with lots of walking in between
then 6 trains...therefore 5 changes...to rothenburg
oberammagau 2
glad i went to the theatre for a 30 minute overview...ended up beside new friend richard...from lakewood, co...then saw leslie on the street afterwards.
english overview done by the play´s artistic director...very beneficial
at breakfast...hello dolly...was the background music, recalled from 2nd grade musical...showboat...2nd grade boys did this song..thanks harriet banyet for teaching me that song and for following this blog.
sang part of barbara anne...take my hand...to baa-ba-ra at the landry...didnt earn me a discount on the last of my clean clothes. stopped for an expresso and meringue...about the size of both fists...mercy...tummy orgasms...and i didnt get the ice cream, only whipped cream...as recommended...thought that would be excessive
super nice folks there...needed a sugar dispenser for a Christmas gift...one of those magical ones that dispense a teaspoonful at the time...she sold me one from her stock
lunch, back with george the innkeeper was a consume with bits of pancake...no maple syrup...a wonderful white fish and apple cake...sat with ladies from singapore, grace, angie and madam cheng who suppossedly spoke no english...i think she understood everything
angie works in IT in geneva...saw play in june, wanted mom to see it...mom wore the most beautiful jade ring ive ever seen...yes the lady who spoke no english...she is 74 and angie wasnt sure if shed make it to 2020...so a plane ticket was dispatched to singapore along with one for sister grace to accompany momma...ring was a gift from an aunt or something for mommas wedding...wondered how much it would bring on road show
because angie brought momma and ´em, we wer overbooked for our table so edwin and aileen were exiled somewhere else
back to the theatre for the play...my seat was center..3 rows from front, 3 seats in...awesome seat...2 1-2 meters from orchestra pit...sat behind 2 nice ladies from florida who needed to loosen up a bit, down from madeline from charlotte...grew up in raleigh...on white oak...grandma lived on whitaker mill
seat between buds edwin and richard...not the one from colorado...dont think ive written about richard the dentist from summerville, ga. met richard and peggy day before at the town museum. summerville is down the road a piece from wendell and haitie jane rann...my namesake, near chattanooga tn. they couldnt believe that i knew where rocky face ga was...when we parted at the museum, i said, as my parents taught me, it was good to meet you. peggy said...honey (lots of emphasis on hun-ney), it was good to hear you. i knew we would be buds.
turns out richard isnt married to peggy as i assummed...but rather to teresa, who partners in his practice as a hygenist...they have 4 kids inlcuding virginia who was twith them and family friend peggy. richard and i became fast friends
back to lunch, thought i detected a nc accent at the next table...turned out scott and pam reed...he retired cfo from bb and t...who i had met years ago...from winston were there...they know amy woodard kemp and are ggreat friends with donna and carlos goodrich. donna was on board at ncba...great lady who i respect a lot...they now spend a lot of time doing mission work in russia and ukraine....he teaching business, she as a nurse and both while sharing their faith...great folks
the theatre has an open stage with a retractable roof...needed for todays rain...steady all day...wish it was on lee´s tobacco
debbie and steve simpson had warned me about temperature...they were cold in early july here...i discounted that advice but they were right...glad i brought parka and long pants...for evening, invested in a scarf, long johns--in august--and my second/spare pair of socks
play opens with the choir...all dressed in white robes to their feet, long sleeves...both men and women...perhaps for warmth...with heads covered...25 on each side. narrator in center...he looked like billy hall. initially lined up all across the stage
first scene...children running...through the streets...waving palm branches. then Jesus arrrives on a donkey...live...again with children waving palm branches.
i am a palm sunday guy, it has always been more special for me...guess it goes back to nell hicks and the kids at providence processing in waving those branches. i want/need to be in church on palm sunday. easter-not so much. rather be enjoying creation at the beach, mowing grass, or makign tomato aspic and chicken salad for 100 for a backyard easter egg hunt
the play is well done. by about 2000 of the 5000 villagers...musicians and vocalists must audition behind a curtain so they cannot be seen... ´cause everybody knows everybody and they are probably kin...just like in eastern nc
i dont know The Bible...i confess. the play gave me a different perspective in that i thought pontius pilate was the bad guy...and he was a bad guy...but i wasnt aware of the role of caiphas...gotta read up on that later
performed entirely in german, you follow along with a script..must listen for key words...watch...follow...jean williams white had given me guidance here...and she was on target...as always. jean and charlie attended in 2000
came to play after hearing about it from a seatmate on an airplane...prior to....had no awareness
the portrayal of Christ´s betrayal, prosecution, suffering, and crucifixion was moving, thought provoking and unsettling. the resurrection scene, was, for me, just ok...not sure how they could have done it differntly...difficult to put in words.
most powerful scene was his praying in gethsemene
evening cold...glad for long johns...edwin and aileen had feet and legs in trash bags as recommended by her brother the travel guy...they said they worked
as it became dark, difficult to read script, even with the penlight i brought along. deb howard, tell tb marlene so glad i bought that from her shop
play ended at 11 pm...5 1-2 hours of performance
during the dinner break i went back to visit with my friend johann and bought a holy family he carved. johann owns frany brothers shop, the brothers franz have all gone on to glory. he worked with the last brother for 13 years, ultimately buying the shop and preserving the brand. he has one son, not interested in carving...so he must find another johann. his son is in solar energy...appears to be big here...panels everywhere...see them on barns from the train and even saw a solar farm
retail therapy has begun, rann is here
english overview done by the play´s artistic director...very beneficial
at breakfast...hello dolly...was the background music, recalled from 2nd grade musical...showboat...2nd grade boys did this song..thanks harriet banyet for teaching me that song and for following this blog.
sang part of barbara anne...take my hand...to baa-ba-ra at the landry...didnt earn me a discount on the last of my clean clothes. stopped for an expresso and meringue...about the size of both fists...mercy...tummy orgasms...and i didnt get the ice cream, only whipped cream...as recommended...thought that would be excessive
super nice folks there...needed a sugar dispenser for a Christmas gift...one of those magical ones that dispense a teaspoonful at the time...she sold me one from her stock
lunch, back with george the innkeeper was a consume with bits of pancake...no maple syrup...a wonderful white fish and apple cake...sat with ladies from singapore, grace, angie and madam cheng who suppossedly spoke no english...i think she understood everything
angie works in IT in geneva...saw play in june, wanted mom to see it...mom wore the most beautiful jade ring ive ever seen...yes the lady who spoke no english...she is 74 and angie wasnt sure if shed make it to 2020...so a plane ticket was dispatched to singapore along with one for sister grace to accompany momma...ring was a gift from an aunt or something for mommas wedding...wondered how much it would bring on road show
because angie brought momma and ´em, we wer overbooked for our table so edwin and aileen were exiled somewhere else
back to the theatre for the play...my seat was center..3 rows from front, 3 seats in...awesome seat...2 1-2 meters from orchestra pit...sat behind 2 nice ladies from florida who needed to loosen up a bit, down from madeline from charlotte...grew up in raleigh...on white oak...grandma lived on whitaker mill
seat between buds edwin and richard...not the one from colorado...dont think ive written about richard the dentist from summerville, ga. met richard and peggy day before at the town museum. summerville is down the road a piece from wendell and haitie jane rann...my namesake, near chattanooga tn. they couldnt believe that i knew where rocky face ga was...when we parted at the museum, i said, as my parents taught me, it was good to meet you. peggy said...honey (lots of emphasis on hun-ney), it was good to hear you. i knew we would be buds.
turns out richard isnt married to peggy as i assummed...but rather to teresa, who partners in his practice as a hygenist...they have 4 kids inlcuding virginia who was twith them and family friend peggy. richard and i became fast friends
back to lunch, thought i detected a nc accent at the next table...turned out scott and pam reed...he retired cfo from bb and t...who i had met years ago...from winston were there...they know amy woodard kemp and are ggreat friends with donna and carlos goodrich. donna was on board at ncba...great lady who i respect a lot...they now spend a lot of time doing mission work in russia and ukraine....he teaching business, she as a nurse and both while sharing their faith...great folks
the theatre has an open stage with a retractable roof...needed for todays rain...steady all day...wish it was on lee´s tobacco
debbie and steve simpson had warned me about temperature...they were cold in early july here...i discounted that advice but they were right...glad i brought parka and long pants...for evening, invested in a scarf, long johns--in august--and my second/spare pair of socks
play opens with the choir...all dressed in white robes to their feet, long sleeves...both men and women...perhaps for warmth...with heads covered...25 on each side. narrator in center...he looked like billy hall. initially lined up all across the stage
first scene...children running...through the streets...waving palm branches. then Jesus arrrives on a donkey...live...again with children waving palm branches.
i am a palm sunday guy, it has always been more special for me...guess it goes back to nell hicks and the kids at providence processing in waving those branches. i want/need to be in church on palm sunday. easter-not so much. rather be enjoying creation at the beach, mowing grass, or makign tomato aspic and chicken salad for 100 for a backyard easter egg hunt
the play is well done. by about 2000 of the 5000 villagers...musicians and vocalists must audition behind a curtain so they cannot be seen... ´cause everybody knows everybody and they are probably kin...just like in eastern nc
i dont know The Bible...i confess. the play gave me a different perspective in that i thought pontius pilate was the bad guy...and he was a bad guy...but i wasnt aware of the role of caiphas...gotta read up on that later
performed entirely in german, you follow along with a script..must listen for key words...watch...follow...jean williams white had given me guidance here...and she was on target...as always. jean and charlie attended in 2000
came to play after hearing about it from a seatmate on an airplane...prior to....had no awareness
the portrayal of Christ´s betrayal, prosecution, suffering, and crucifixion was moving, thought provoking and unsettling. the resurrection scene, was, for me, just ok...not sure how they could have done it differntly...difficult to put in words.
most powerful scene was his praying in gethsemene
evening cold...glad for long johns...edwin and aileen had feet and legs in trash bags as recommended by her brother the travel guy...they said they worked
as it became dark, difficult to read script, even with the penlight i brought along. deb howard, tell tb marlene so glad i bought that from her shop
play ended at 11 pm...5 1-2 hours of performance
during the dinner break i went back to visit with my friend johann and bought a holy family he carved. johann owns frany brothers shop, the brothers franz have all gone on to glory. he worked with the last brother for 13 years, ultimately buying the shop and preserving the brand. he has one son, not interested in carving...so he must find another johann. his son is in solar energy...appears to be big here...panels everywhere...see them on barns from the train and even saw a solar farm
retail therapy has begun, rann is here
oberammergau
arrived on 8-5 at 9 in the morning from munich. george, 3rd generation innkeeper, hotel wormvirt, 76 years, founded by his grandfather, greeted me...i had breakfast. while in the dining room,k he came in and said you must be mister rann--learned later he thought rann was my last name---friends ed and donna broadwell had paved the way for me
unloaded everything except what i was wearing and took it to the laundry in a garbage bag provided by my new bud george. barbara...pronounced baa-ba-ra, spoke little englished but i understood that she would do my laundry and have it ready ba the end of the day...further...her man...works in the kitchen at my hotel.
waited forever for bus to go to neuseuschwanstein....when it finally arrived, learned i had missed that bus...but the driver and the lady in the front seat with her little boy convinced me to jump on this one and go instead to the linderhoff castle...another of king ludwig ii´s castles. hard to believe it was built beginning in 1869 after the war of northern agression.
lots of marble and guilding...spectacular gardens with views of alps. marie martin would love it....huge clay pots with purple flowers, cant think of name...but know they come from bulbts...viv...u need to plant some of these on the patio
hiked to grotto...manmade with lake...colored lights to look like a cavern...in genius for the time. reminded me in a way of luray caverns in virginia...we went there on a 7th grade field trip ...up and back in one day on the activity bus...how tommie peoples got all of us up there and back safely i will never know....long day
oh, btw, en route to monte carlo, no chance for photo, there was a train stop in arcola...will have to tell the capps and harrises.
when i traveled with thad and jan woodard, we would often spot ---twins---of people we knew. i saw the twin of rachel watkins, former colleague at ncba in florence, also there on a bridge, bob schurmand with the american bankers association. while at linderhoff, wemyss harris of arcola---wemyss is concerned that during this time of transition i will become depressed and start drinking heavily...dont worry wemyss...i am not depressed and since i have no income i cannot afford to drink heavily...also there friend from creek, kevin carlson...in oberammagau...marcella walsh mcinnis of high point and ruxton bobbit...big rux, of henderson. ruxton is husband to former employer nancy from my time at interiors
nice people all day...including couple from manchester england...and others...who said...you´re the guy who missed the bus
one couple had come from garmish where you can take the train to the highest point in germany...thougth about it...but was raining on friday, so scrapped that idea
had a great lunch...potato soup with marjarom...needed no seasoning...along with meatloaf...kinda like bologna..with a fried egg...very orange yolk...they must feed their hens carrots...potato salad...not like mommas...needed some celery seed
still havent had a coke..lunch offered pepsi here at the castle...taste born in the carolinas...opted for a beer instead.
dinner back at the wormvirt was assigned seats...i sat with a great couple from denmark...edwin and aileen. he has worked for the same company, designing frames for automobiles for over 30 years. very interesting. both just terrific. are all aileens wonderful...aileen bowden onyfrychuck, eileen macdonald, aileen marlin---who would have loved this experience in the village
edwin and aileen have a small place on the sea where they catch flounder...he shared pics with me...and freeze for the winter
church of st. paul-st. peter is across the street...all ornamentation in the church is wood carved by the village carvers...no marble...though some appears to be marble...attended night of the 5th a 30 minute music-light show in the sanctuary...pretty decent.
thursday...august 5
attended holy mass at 830 in english across the way...good organ music with-praise to the lord the almighty and amazing grace as the hymns.
priest, tim deter, from us but serving for 14 years in australia and in town for the play, led services. he reminded me of a cross between paul martin...sister sarah...please confirm correct last name...an episcopal priest from charlotte who was active in the youth when we were 20 plus years ago, david crabtree...deacon at Christ church raleigh and anchor, wral tv, and jack harris.
jack, aka walter, not because father tim was a tenor, walter is a baritone...but his voice had complete and total control of the sanctuary, just as walters does of wesley memorial umc.
sat behind leslie and richard danyl from lakewood, co...outside of denver
unloaded everything except what i was wearing and took it to the laundry in a garbage bag provided by my new bud george. barbara...pronounced baa-ba-ra, spoke little englished but i understood that she would do my laundry and have it ready ba the end of the day...further...her man...works in the kitchen at my hotel.
waited forever for bus to go to neuseuschwanstein....when it finally arrived, learned i had missed that bus...but the driver and the lady in the front seat with her little boy convinced me to jump on this one and go instead to the linderhoff castle...another of king ludwig ii´s castles. hard to believe it was built beginning in 1869 after the war of northern agression.
lots of marble and guilding...spectacular gardens with views of alps. marie martin would love it....huge clay pots with purple flowers, cant think of name...but know they come from bulbts...viv...u need to plant some of these on the patio
hiked to grotto...manmade with lake...colored lights to look like a cavern...in genius for the time. reminded me in a way of luray caverns in virginia...we went there on a 7th grade field trip ...up and back in one day on the activity bus...how tommie peoples got all of us up there and back safely i will never know....long day
oh, btw, en route to monte carlo, no chance for photo, there was a train stop in arcola...will have to tell the capps and harrises.
when i traveled with thad and jan woodard, we would often spot ---twins---of people we knew. i saw the twin of rachel watkins, former colleague at ncba in florence, also there on a bridge, bob schurmand with the american bankers association. while at linderhoff, wemyss harris of arcola---wemyss is concerned that during this time of transition i will become depressed and start drinking heavily...dont worry wemyss...i am not depressed and since i have no income i cannot afford to drink heavily...also there friend from creek, kevin carlson...in oberammagau...marcella walsh mcinnis of high point and ruxton bobbit...big rux, of henderson. ruxton is husband to former employer nancy from my time at interiors
nice people all day...including couple from manchester england...and others...who said...you´re the guy who missed the bus
one couple had come from garmish where you can take the train to the highest point in germany...thougth about it...but was raining on friday, so scrapped that idea
had a great lunch...potato soup with marjarom...needed no seasoning...along with meatloaf...kinda like bologna..with a fried egg...very orange yolk...they must feed their hens carrots...potato salad...not like mommas...needed some celery seed
still havent had a coke..lunch offered pepsi here at the castle...taste born in the carolinas...opted for a beer instead.
dinner back at the wormvirt was assigned seats...i sat with a great couple from denmark...edwin and aileen. he has worked for the same company, designing frames for automobiles for over 30 years. very interesting. both just terrific. are all aileens wonderful...aileen bowden onyfrychuck, eileen macdonald, aileen marlin---who would have loved this experience in the village
edwin and aileen have a small place on the sea where they catch flounder...he shared pics with me...and freeze for the winter
church of st. paul-st. peter is across the street...all ornamentation in the church is wood carved by the village carvers...no marble...though some appears to be marble...attended night of the 5th a 30 minute music-light show in the sanctuary...pretty decent.
thursday...august 5
attended holy mass at 830 in english across the way...good organ music with-praise to the lord the almighty and amazing grace as the hymns.
priest, tim deter, from us but serving for 14 years in australia and in town for the play, led services. he reminded me of a cross between paul martin...sister sarah...please confirm correct last name...an episcopal priest from charlotte who was active in the youth when we were 20 plus years ago, david crabtree...deacon at Christ church raleigh and anchor, wral tv, and jack harris.
jack, aka walter, not because father tim was a tenor, walter is a baritone...but his voice had complete and total control of the sanctuary, just as walters does of wesley memorial umc.
sat behind leslie and richard danyl from lakewood, co...outside of denver
the tent
after a long, hot shower-actually misleading as water was timed like a damn sink at mcdonalds-a shave and 2 tooth brushings...had been 36 hours since any of this had taken place...took the tram back into munich and explored the city on foot for an hour or so...enjoyed some brats and skraut in the street...lots of music...a wonderful string trio...a couple of different accordion players and a group of incrediblz talented musicians...a bass player, couple violinists, keyboardist and more...bought 2 cds, so finally, day 11, retail therapy.
back to the tent...7.50 euro for the night...basically a yoga mat on the wooden floor. 75 to 100 people in it. floor hollow...can hear everyone come in, go out...yada, yada. to my right...2 big...big girls from new zealand...later as it got cold, thought---briefly--about crawling between them....above, 2 girls from brazil...rode with them to the train station the next am...left an older guy...spoke yero english..snored like a freight train...slept through the night
no curfew at the tent but quiet hours start at 1 am. this didnt quite happen...but anyway
got up at 130 for more blankets...got 3...it was cold as shit...later learned 46 F. had 2 blankets beneath...slept in the silk sleep sack...3 on top, 1 as a pillow...today...5 days later...no bedbug bites evident...none the next am either.
my space was near the center beneath a mirrored ball...must have used this tent for a dance hall at some point. tried counting mirrored squares, rather than sheep or fat girls from new zealand to go to sleep, it worked.
also here met jenny and friends cindy and ??? from the south of france. jenny is in university at canterbury....she couldnt believe i was without blackberry or computer. she dropped the f-bomb a lot...we got along great
wish i had a tool she does...the thomas book current timetable for all trains in europe...gotta find one
i dont miss driving...nice to ride
i hate carrying a wallet..usually it is in the car and i only have my first citizens debit card in my pocket
the money belt is a pain, but , i feel necessarz for safty purposes. in it, call credit cards save 1, 2 blank checks, passport. franklin mills told me that wearing a money belt was like either wearing a girdle or a colostomy bag...girdle position works best for me. franklin and janet loaned me a book of translations...english to french, german or italian...has been most helpful
daddy...if zou are reading this...i think that if you had made me wear a 30 lb backpack at age 10 for a couple of weeks, you wouldnt have had to bug me about my posture.
back to the tent...7.50 euro for the night...basically a yoga mat on the wooden floor. 75 to 100 people in it. floor hollow...can hear everyone come in, go out...yada, yada. to my right...2 big...big girls from new zealand...later as it got cold, thought---briefly--about crawling between them....above, 2 girls from brazil...rode with them to the train station the next am...left an older guy...spoke yero english..snored like a freight train...slept through the night
no curfew at the tent but quiet hours start at 1 am. this didnt quite happen...but anyway
got up at 130 for more blankets...got 3...it was cold as shit...later learned 46 F. had 2 blankets beneath...slept in the silk sleep sack...3 on top, 1 as a pillow...today...5 days later...no bedbug bites evident...none the next am either.
my space was near the center beneath a mirrored ball...must have used this tent for a dance hall at some point. tried counting mirrored squares, rather than sheep or fat girls from new zealand to go to sleep, it worked.
also here met jenny and friends cindy and ??? from the south of france. jenny is in university at canterbury....she couldnt believe i was without blackberry or computer. she dropped the f-bomb a lot...we got along great
wish i had a tool she does...the thomas book current timetable for all trains in europe...gotta find one
i dont miss driving...nice to ride
i hate carrying a wallet..usually it is in the car and i only have my first citizens debit card in my pocket
the money belt is a pain, but , i feel necessarz for safty purposes. in it, call credit cards save 1, 2 blank checks, passport. franklin mills told me that wearing a money belt was like either wearing a girdle or a colostomy bag...girdle position works best for me. franklin and janet loaned me a book of translations...english to french, german or italian...has been most helpful
daddy...if zou are reading this...i think that if you had made me wear a 30 lb backpack at age 10 for a couple of weeks, you wouldnt have had to bug me about my posture.
potpurri
so far 558 photos...have been through, deleted some and have made notes in my journal so that i can recall what ive seen where
have itchz feet, trip 20% done, time is moving...want to see, experience, feel it all shopping...still no retail therapz...lots of tempations in florence, linen suits, shirts, great ties, silver...so far so good on that front...almost bought an incredible green tie...but other than a couple of funerals, have only worn a tie once since may 7...so it seems a total waste to buy a tie considering all in my closet collecting dust
ok. i dont understand the whole prayer candle thing. not sure if i told you or not..but after the big guy sent angelo to get me safely to ross and nonna, i determined to light candles in prayers of thanksgiving...rather than requests during my journey. some candles are votives...in red or clear plastic, an occasional one in glass, some in cheap tin foil...like muffin pans, others in tapers...some skinny like those country candles that people used to hang over a duck in their kitchen windows about 20 years ago, others more traditional but in different lengths, 10, 12, 14 inches. costs-offerings, vary as well...most often, 1 euro, sometimes though .40, .80, 1.50, and an astronomical 5 euro for a larger-3 in in glass jar type-at the cathedral in monte carlo. how to choose....spend more and get a better, faster response from God? i must admit that at a church with. 40 euro, i only had .30 in change and went ahead...but since more often than not i give a euro and often thats more than the suggested, hopefullz my tally will work out with the lords accountant.
on nuns. they were everywhere in rome...like ants. all siyes, ages and more variety in habits....cream, white, blue, navz, black, brown...headcoverings and necklaces varied as well. most, old and young alike, wear sensible, grandma style hosiery, so if they in fact have sexy feet, you damn sure cant tell. some wear nice watches...but appear to wear no makeup at all...surely the Lord would appreciate a little lancome...could that really hurt anything
on priests...saw a ton in rome the am i went for a run...virtually all overweight...do they do nothing but pray and eat
want to hear some great organ music during this trip
have itchz feet, trip 20% done, time is moving...want to see, experience, feel it all shopping...still no retail therapz...lots of tempations in florence, linen suits, shirts, great ties, silver...so far so good on that front...almost bought an incredible green tie...but other than a couple of funerals, have only worn a tie once since may 7...so it seems a total waste to buy a tie considering all in my closet collecting dust
ok. i dont understand the whole prayer candle thing. not sure if i told you or not..but after the big guy sent angelo to get me safely to ross and nonna, i determined to light candles in prayers of thanksgiving...rather than requests during my journey. some candles are votives...in red or clear plastic, an occasional one in glass, some in cheap tin foil...like muffin pans, others in tapers...some skinny like those country candles that people used to hang over a duck in their kitchen windows about 20 years ago, others more traditional but in different lengths, 10, 12, 14 inches. costs-offerings, vary as well...most often, 1 euro, sometimes though .40, .80, 1.50, and an astronomical 5 euro for a larger-3 in in glass jar type-at the cathedral in monte carlo. how to choose....spend more and get a better, faster response from God? i must admit that at a church with. 40 euro, i only had .30 in change and went ahead...but since more often than not i give a euro and often thats more than the suggested, hopefullz my tally will work out with the lords accountant.
on nuns. they were everywhere in rome...like ants. all siyes, ages and more variety in habits....cream, white, blue, navz, black, brown...headcoverings and necklaces varied as well. most, old and young alike, wear sensible, grandma style hosiery, so if they in fact have sexy feet, you damn sure cant tell. some wear nice watches...but appear to wear no makeup at all...surely the Lord would appreciate a little lancome...could that really hurt anything
on priests...saw a ton in rome the am i went for a run...virtually all overweight...do they do nothing but pray and eat
want to hear some great organ music during this trip
florence...
hopefully by the am i will be up to date... missed the us cemetery in florence...totally forgot about it
walked the entire city...very doable...30 min from train to hostel santa monica...with 6 dorm rooms with 22 beds each... wash own dishes in communal kitchen...macey paynter wouldnt have liked that.....who knows who ate off of it last...had a salad with proscutto, cheese and a bottle of wine, just over 8 euro...good deal
accamedia...glad i had an advance ticket and avoided the line...still crowded at 130...i mean 1330 pm...ed went at 9 and said it was virtuallz empty. michaelanglo is the star here..his unfinished prisoners-slaves unbelievable...as if thez were trzing to break free from the stone--chains´´they were in. it is hard to put david into wards. i had always thought of this work as just another naked guy...not so...very powerful...not just another statue with his junk on display. michaelangelos attention to detail...veins in hands and legs...cuticles of finernails, chips of toenails, musculature...is really beyond belief...and while david was 26, michaelangelo was in his 60s i think...he lived to be 89...and the piece of marble the statue was carved from had been rejected as imperfect or inadequate by 2 sculptors prior to m. its truly a shame that this work has been commercialized to a point of ridicule...ie aprons of the body...thats not what this statue is about.
museum of san marco..15th centurz monastary with walls decorated with fresco including the 43 sells...pretty impressive church of san lorenyo...facade is ugly as unfinished...pope leo x pulled the plug on the cash...michaelangleo had worked on it for 4 yrs
walked the entire city...very doable...30 min from train to hostel santa monica...with 6 dorm rooms with 22 beds each... wash own dishes in communal kitchen...macey paynter wouldnt have liked that.....who knows who ate off of it last...had a salad with proscutto, cheese and a bottle of wine, just over 8 euro...good deal
accamedia...glad i had an advance ticket and avoided the line...still crowded at 130...i mean 1330 pm...ed went at 9 and said it was virtuallz empty. michaelanglo is the star here..his unfinished prisoners-slaves unbelievable...as if thez were trzing to break free from the stone--chains´´they were in. it is hard to put david into wards. i had always thought of this work as just another naked guy...not so...very powerful...not just another statue with his junk on display. michaelangelos attention to detail...veins in hands and legs...cuticles of finernails, chips of toenails, musculature...is really beyond belief...and while david was 26, michaelangelo was in his 60s i think...he lived to be 89...and the piece of marble the statue was carved from had been rejected as imperfect or inadequate by 2 sculptors prior to m. its truly a shame that this work has been commercialized to a point of ridicule...ie aprons of the body...thats not what this statue is about.
museum of san marco..15th centurz monastary with walls decorated with fresco including the 43 sells...pretty impressive church of san lorenyo...facade is ugly as unfinished...pope leo x pulled the plug on the cash...michaelangleo had worked on it for 4 yrs
day 15 of 51
ok, so today is saturday, august 7, in the zear of our lord, 2010...daz 15 of 51
i cannot tell you how much it means to have friends following this blog and checking in either with emails, facebooks, or comments here...family...lifelong friends and new ones too
the past week has been very hectic...and i am of course behind...i know that i tend to ramble...anne harris told me in a facebook message a few minutes ago that shes enjoying mz rambles...well...more to come...i am about 20 pages in my journal behind in updating the blog...so here it goes...and what i dont finish in the am...may be several days because i am planning to take several overnight trains in a row...but that of course may change by morning.
also...while in oberammagau had difficulties with internet...had sent some posts to my email which i just uploaded...but a big chunk didnt make it...so that will come later as well.
1050 pm monday, 8-2
now on train 6 today heading to vernona, italy...hoping to get overnight to munich
lesson learned..when you know where you want to go...go ahead and make the danged plans
couldnt get anything into swityerland from montecarlo and and missed by just a few minutes train to nice which couldve connected
decided to go to milan...more trains there and truly thought the girl at the ticket counter was an idiot
determined on the way to milan to go to paris via overnight....waited in line 40 minutes...told had to get on train...to late to buy in teh station..where the hell am i...washington national airport
probably should have gone to paris from monte carlo
then realiyed overnight from verona to munich...too late to buy so jumped train at 1030 to verona...then hoped and prayed for spot on 1 am to munich
sat in compartment with 2 great milanese...not married...at least not to each other....and ok, not traveling togetzher either...we were just all in the same compartment
luigi...soccer league president, 12 squads, 12 yr olds...funny as shit...said i was fat...honest too i guess
marina...professor of biology at universitz.l..had done workshops at duke...she served as translator
great conversations
glad i brought a tide stick...quicklz removed ink stain from khaki shorts as i dont know when i will have another bidet-washing machien
didnt need my passport to enter or leave monoco...but did need it for the casino
8-4
the trip mondaz night was from hell...did make train to munich...got a lower berth with a mother and son heading back to amsterdam...they did not offer me any weed...hahahaha
no one came and checked tickets so effectivelz i guess i bummed the ride...though i do have of course the global eurail pass...a hobo if you will...glad i didnt have to jump the train
arrived no problems at 630 in munich...am...spent some time in internet cafe trying to catch up on blog...made some...not enough...headway
took subwaz to dracau...first o the nayi concentration camps on the site of a former munitions factory from wwi. when camp first started, locals glad for jobs, later, horrified taht their town would forever be linked to the terror which took place there.
it is designated todaz as teh dracau concentration camp and memorial site. when you enter the main gate, it appears as a fortress, heavy, menacing iron gates...once inside with a 180 degree veiw of most of the camp, firs thought was...how could all the torture, starvation, sickness and death have happened here? it looks like a park...you can almost imagine having a picnic...in some ways...was quiet...gorgeous trees..........but then...it sinks in...it did happen here...all due to he twisted, perverted demeaner of one sick jerk ...wanted to use another word...but my nephews and nieces are reading this...hitler and his s.s. ...and then you just want to vomit till there is nothing left but dry heaves.
dachau...pronounced duck-cau
at times the emotions were overwhelming...while i photographed some areas...i chose not to take shots of the dorms, locker rooms, crematoriums, gas chamber...ironically never used here...just didnt feel it appropriate
this was one site i was particularly glad i was alone on...something like this you dont need to be with others...or in a tour group...deal with the enormity of it alone
it is incomprehensible that hitler was allowed to take people...just because of who they were...not only jews, but priests, gays, gypsies, and POWs and submt them to medical experiments, starvation, slave labor, torture and ultimately execution
a friend recentlz told me of someone close to him who was subjected to medical experimentation bz the nazis in a concentration camp...she lived to be in her 80s...imagine living with those memories for so many years...how does one do it...forgetting...forgiveness...therapy
another recent story of a friend whose uncle was captured at normandy, spent the rest of the war in a camp...but made it out and lived a full life, never speaking of his experiences. remember, ross´s grandfather lived but 2 years after his experiences in a camp.
as they passed through the gates, prisoners were absolutely powerless to help themselves...stripped of property, rights, humility and became a number
with the camps, the nazis formed a reserve of labor...many needef for arms products. bmw also leased prisoners for airplain engine production...i wasnt clear if bmw used them as schindler did ...to try to save them...or rather as the japanese did our boys from bataan. side note...imagine that...when i toured walter reed hospital, the generators were made by mitsubishi which powered the hospital...i guess the army has either forgiven the company or forgotten.
while exiting the chapel, i tripped and fell in the gravel...no injuries...but as i was getting up, i thought, if, as a prisoner, i had fallen like this, accidently, perhaps while moving stones or some other chore, i likely would have been executed right there...shot dead as 4 o´clock, simply for falling
the grave of the unkown is quite beautiful...simple....with a wooden cross in a lush, green setting with moss growing from the arms of it...and a simple marble marker.
dachau left me emotionally and physically exhaused...took a gray line tour of the citz rather than hoofing it...hated to miss strolling around munichs central park nude but it was raining and no one was out...should have done it anyway...needed a shower
saw mainlz what i wanted to see form the coach
church of our lady with its twin domes
english garden
royal residence and garden
nymphenburg palace
and more
left george in a locker at the station and took day pack only to my home for the night, the tent.
i cannot tell you how much it means to have friends following this blog and checking in either with emails, facebooks, or comments here...family...lifelong friends and new ones too
the past week has been very hectic...and i am of course behind...i know that i tend to ramble...anne harris told me in a facebook message a few minutes ago that shes enjoying mz rambles...well...more to come...i am about 20 pages in my journal behind in updating the blog...so here it goes...and what i dont finish in the am...may be several days because i am planning to take several overnight trains in a row...but that of course may change by morning.
also...while in oberammagau had difficulties with internet...had sent some posts to my email which i just uploaded...but a big chunk didnt make it...so that will come later as well.
1050 pm monday, 8-2
now on train 6 today heading to vernona, italy...hoping to get overnight to munich
lesson learned..when you know where you want to go...go ahead and make the danged plans
couldnt get anything into swityerland from montecarlo and and missed by just a few minutes train to nice which couldve connected
decided to go to milan...more trains there and truly thought the girl at the ticket counter was an idiot
determined on the way to milan to go to paris via overnight....waited in line 40 minutes...told had to get on train...to late to buy in teh station..where the hell am i...washington national airport
probably should have gone to paris from monte carlo
then realiyed overnight from verona to munich...too late to buy so jumped train at 1030 to verona...then hoped and prayed for spot on 1 am to munich
sat in compartment with 2 great milanese...not married...at least not to each other....and ok, not traveling togetzher either...we were just all in the same compartment
luigi...soccer league president, 12 squads, 12 yr olds...funny as shit...said i was fat...honest too i guess
marina...professor of biology at universitz.l..had done workshops at duke...she served as translator
great conversations
glad i brought a tide stick...quicklz removed ink stain from khaki shorts as i dont know when i will have another bidet-washing machien
didnt need my passport to enter or leave monoco...but did need it for the casino
8-4
the trip mondaz night was from hell...did make train to munich...got a lower berth with a mother and son heading back to amsterdam...they did not offer me any weed...hahahaha
no one came and checked tickets so effectivelz i guess i bummed the ride...though i do have of course the global eurail pass...a hobo if you will...glad i didnt have to jump the train
arrived no problems at 630 in munich...am...spent some time in internet cafe trying to catch up on blog...made some...not enough...headway
took subwaz to dracau...first o the nayi concentration camps on the site of a former munitions factory from wwi. when camp first started, locals glad for jobs, later, horrified taht their town would forever be linked to the terror which took place there.
it is designated todaz as teh dracau concentration camp and memorial site. when you enter the main gate, it appears as a fortress, heavy, menacing iron gates...once inside with a 180 degree veiw of most of the camp, firs thought was...how could all the torture, starvation, sickness and death have happened here? it looks like a park...you can almost imagine having a picnic...in some ways...was quiet...gorgeous trees..........but then...it sinks in...it did happen here...all due to he twisted, perverted demeaner of one sick jerk ...wanted to use another word...but my nephews and nieces are reading this...hitler and his s.s. ...and then you just want to vomit till there is nothing left but dry heaves.
dachau...pronounced duck-cau
at times the emotions were overwhelming...while i photographed some areas...i chose not to take shots of the dorms, locker rooms, crematoriums, gas chamber...ironically never used here...just didnt feel it appropriate
this was one site i was particularly glad i was alone on...something like this you dont need to be with others...or in a tour group...deal with the enormity of it alone
it is incomprehensible that hitler was allowed to take people...just because of who they were...not only jews, but priests, gays, gypsies, and POWs and submt them to medical experiments, starvation, slave labor, torture and ultimately execution
a friend recentlz told me of someone close to him who was subjected to medical experimentation bz the nazis in a concentration camp...she lived to be in her 80s...imagine living with those memories for so many years...how does one do it...forgetting...forgiveness...therapy
another recent story of a friend whose uncle was captured at normandy, spent the rest of the war in a camp...but made it out and lived a full life, never speaking of his experiences. remember, ross´s grandfather lived but 2 years after his experiences in a camp.
as they passed through the gates, prisoners were absolutely powerless to help themselves...stripped of property, rights, humility and became a number
with the camps, the nazis formed a reserve of labor...many needef for arms products. bmw also leased prisoners for airplain engine production...i wasnt clear if bmw used them as schindler did ...to try to save them...or rather as the japanese did our boys from bataan. side note...imagine that...when i toured walter reed hospital, the generators were made by mitsubishi which powered the hospital...i guess the army has either forgiven the company or forgotten.
while exiting the chapel, i tripped and fell in the gravel...no injuries...but as i was getting up, i thought, if, as a prisoner, i had fallen like this, accidently, perhaps while moving stones or some other chore, i likely would have been executed right there...shot dead as 4 o´clock, simply for falling
the grave of the unkown is quite beautiful...simple....with a wooden cross in a lush, green setting with moss growing from the arms of it...and a simple marble marker.
dachau left me emotionally and physically exhaused...took a gray line tour of the citz rather than hoofing it...hated to miss strolling around munichs central park nude but it was raining and no one was out...should have done it anyway...needed a shower
saw mainlz what i wanted to see form the coach
church of our lady with its twin domes
english garden
royal residence and garden
nymphenburg palace
and more
left george in a locker at the station and took day pack only to my home for the night, the tent.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
shopping, candles, nuns and more
so far 558 photos...have been through, deleted some and have made notes in my journal so that i can recall what ive seen where
have itchz feet, trip 20% done, time is moving...want to see, experience, feel it all
shopping...still no retail therapz...lots of tempations in florence, linen suits, shirts, great ties, silver...so far so good on that front...almost bought an incredible green tie...but other than a couple of funerals, have only worn a tie once since may 7...so it seems a total waste to buy a tie considering all in my closet collecting dust
ok. i dont understand the whole prayer candle thing. not sure if i told you or not..but after the big guy sent angelo to get me safely to ross and nonna, i determined to light candles in prayers of thanksgiving...rather than requests during my journey. some candles are votives...in red or clear plastic, an occasional one in glass, some in cheap tin foil...like muffin pans, others in tapers...some skinny like those country candles that people used to hang over a duck in their kitchen windows about 20 years ago, others more traditional but in different lengths, 10, 12, 14 inches. costs-offerings, vary as well...most often, 1 euro, sometimes though .40, .80, 1.50, and an astronomical 5 euro for a larger-3 in in glass jar type-at the cathedral in monte carlo. how to choose....spend more and get a better, faster response from God? i must admit that at a church with. 40 euro, i only had .30 in change and went ahead...but since more often than not i give a euro and often thats more than the suggested, hopefullz my tally will work out with the lords accountant.
on nuns. they were everywhere in rome...like ants. all siyes, ages and more variety in habits....cream, white, blue, navz, black, brown...headcoverings and necklaces varied as well. most, old and young alike, wear sensible, grandma style hosiery
have itchz feet, trip 20% done, time is moving...want to see, experience, feel it all
shopping...still no retail therapz...lots of tempations in florence, linen suits, shirts, great ties, silver...so far so good on that front...almost bought an incredible green tie...but other than a couple of funerals, have only worn a tie once since may 7...so it seems a total waste to buy a tie considering all in my closet collecting dust
ok. i dont understand the whole prayer candle thing. not sure if i told you or not..but after the big guy sent angelo to get me safely to ross and nonna, i determined to light candles in prayers of thanksgiving...rather than requests during my journey. some candles are votives...in red or clear plastic, an occasional one in glass, some in cheap tin foil...like muffin pans, others in tapers...some skinny like those country candles that people used to hang over a duck in their kitchen windows about 20 years ago, others more traditional but in different lengths, 10, 12, 14 inches. costs-offerings, vary as well...most often, 1 euro, sometimes though .40, .80, 1.50, and an astronomical 5 euro for a larger-3 in in glass jar type-at the cathedral in monte carlo. how to choose....spend more and get a better, faster response from God? i must admit that at a church with. 40 euro, i only had .30 in change and went ahead...but since more often than not i give a euro and often thats more than the suggested, hopefullz my tally will work out with the lords accountant.
on nuns. they were everywhere in rome...like ants. all siyes, ages and more variety in habits....cream, white, blue, navz, black, brown...headcoverings and necklaces varied as well. most, old and young alike, wear sensible, grandma style hosiery
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
catch up...5...rome
the roma pass was well worth the 25 euro...gave usage of all public transporation...metro and buses, plus 2 museums...plus most other museums a 30% discount. student discount didnt seem to matter much in rome...did use it this week somewhere...saved a euro...that 2 bottles of water...at a grocery store. my unc student id is good till 2012...yes!!
visited colosseum late in the day perfect...entry pass then good for the next day at the forum and pallentine hill. the colossem, when opened had 100 days of events, celebrations, gladiators. 5000 wild beasts were killed and lots of people too. must have been a lot cheaper than keeping prisoners on death row...but i digress. an impossing, impressive structure.
forum and pallentine hill...shouldnt be done in flip flops. most amayed at lack of security and guidance...seem to have the attidude that the remnants have been there this long, have at it...not like in florence at the accademia and uffiy. also amayed that so much was concentrated in such a small area ...from the temple of julius ceasar to his grave to the senate house to the temple of saturn and more....recalled bits of western civ from charlie holmes class...thanks to rebecca marlin bolton for getting me his address so i can send a postcard
used rick steves guidebook...most handz...for back door entrance to victor emmanuel monument...saved climing 242 steps
boghese gallerz fills a former cardinals mansion...grand art collection...but tours are stricktly timed every 2 hours...so dont get there early...cant talk your way into this place
tzpicall travel with my clock out on the train...without it i have no idea of the time...stopped wearing a watch when the battery died in october...times are tight you know...saving money on not buying a new battery...and didnt bring blackberry...clock actually not an alarm since the dang thing wont alarms...it will go back to rei upon return to raleighwood.
hard to saz what item-items are best in pack...water bottle is used most often...especially with all the clean water bursting forth from public fountains in italy...the rei wool socks are great...hankies have been mighty handy....zip loc bags in qt, gal and super sized also essential...note...the zipper does wear out....ma used to keep bunches of merita bread bags in the pantry which she used over and over...perhaps i should have brought along a dozen of those
hughie macdonald, brother of great college and to this day friend, trisha cox macdonald, loaned me the backpack, aka now as george. ive not seen another like it thus far. made by eagle creek, it is durable, lots of compartments with great straps and support...distributing the weight more to the hips than the back..and the hip strap comes around, covering the front pockets so there is protection from theivery from the pick pockets as well. camera, left pocket, wallet, right pocket.
visited colosseum late in the day perfect...entry pass then good for the next day at the forum and pallentine hill. the colossem, when opened had 100 days of events, celebrations, gladiators. 5000 wild beasts were killed and lots of people too. must have been a lot cheaper than keeping prisoners on death row...but i digress. an impossing, impressive structure.
forum and pallentine hill...shouldnt be done in flip flops. most amayed at lack of security and guidance...seem to have the attidude that the remnants have been there this long, have at it...not like in florence at the accademia and uffiy. also amayed that so much was concentrated in such a small area ...from the temple of julius ceasar to his grave to the senate house to the temple of saturn and more....recalled bits of western civ from charlie holmes class...thanks to rebecca marlin bolton for getting me his address so i can send a postcard
used rick steves guidebook...most handz...for back door entrance to victor emmanuel monument...saved climing 242 steps
boghese gallerz fills a former cardinals mansion...grand art collection...but tours are stricktly timed every 2 hours...so dont get there early...cant talk your way into this place
tzpicall travel with my clock out on the train...without it i have no idea of the time...stopped wearing a watch when the battery died in october...times are tight you know...saving money on not buying a new battery...and didnt bring blackberry...clock actually not an alarm since the dang thing wont alarms...it will go back to rei upon return to raleighwood.
hard to saz what item-items are best in pack...water bottle is used most often...especially with all the clean water bursting forth from public fountains in italy...the rei wool socks are great...hankies have been mighty handy....zip loc bags in qt, gal and super sized also essential...note...the zipper does wear out....ma used to keep bunches of merita bread bags in the pantry which she used over and over...perhaps i should have brought along a dozen of those
hughie macdonald, brother of great college and to this day friend, trisha cox macdonald, loaned me the backpack, aka now as george. ive not seen another like it thus far. made by eagle creek, it is durable, lots of compartments with great straps and support...distributing the weight more to the hips than the back..and the hip strap comes around, covering the front pockets so there is protection from theivery from the pick pockets as well. camera, left pocket, wallet, right pocket.
catch-up-4 florence
hopefully by the am i will be up to date...
missed the us cemetery in florence...totally forgot about it
walked the entire city...very doable...30 min from train to hostel santa monica...with 6 dorm rooms with 22 beds each...
wash own dishes in communal kitchen...macey paynter wouldnt have liked that.....who knows who ate off of it last...had a salad with proscutto, cheese and a bottle of wine, just over 8 euro...good deal
accamedia...glad i had an advance ticket and avoided the line...still crowded at 130...i mean 1330 pm...ed went at 9 and said it was virtuallz empty.
michaelanglo is the star here..his unfinished prisoners-slaves unbelievable...as if thez were trzing to break free from the stone--chains´´they were in.
it is hard to put david into wards. i had always thought of this work as just another naked guy...not so...very powerful...not just another statue with his junk on display. michaelangelos attention to detail...veins in hands and legs...cuticles of finernails, chips of toenails, musculature...is really beyond belief...and while david was 26, michaelangelo was in his 60s i think...he lived to be 89...and the piece of marble the statue was carved from had been rejected as imperfect or inadequate by 2 sculptors prior to m. its truly a shame that this work has been commercialized to a point of ridicule...ie aprons of the body...thats not what this statue is about.
museum of san marco..15th centurz monastary with walls decorated with fresco including the 43 sells...pretty impressive
church of san lorenyo...facade is ugly as unfinished...pope leo x pulled the plug on the cash...michaelangleo had worked on it for 4 yrs
missed the us cemetery in florence...totally forgot about it
walked the entire city...very doable...30 min from train to hostel santa monica...with 6 dorm rooms with 22 beds each...
wash own dishes in communal kitchen...macey paynter wouldnt have liked that.....who knows who ate off of it last...had a salad with proscutto, cheese and a bottle of wine, just over 8 euro...good deal
accamedia...glad i had an advance ticket and avoided the line...still crowded at 130...i mean 1330 pm...ed went at 9 and said it was virtuallz empty.
michaelanglo is the star here..his unfinished prisoners-slaves unbelievable...as if thez were trzing to break free from the stone--chains´´they were in.
it is hard to put david into wards. i had always thought of this work as just another naked guy...not so...very powerful...not just another statue with his junk on display. michaelangelos attention to detail...veins in hands and legs...cuticles of finernails, chips of toenails, musculature...is really beyond belief...and while david was 26, michaelangelo was in his 60s i think...he lived to be 89...and the piece of marble the statue was carved from had been rejected as imperfect or inadequate by 2 sculptors prior to m. its truly a shame that this work has been commercialized to a point of ridicule...ie aprons of the body...thats not what this statue is about.
museum of san marco..15th centurz monastary with walls decorated with fresco including the 43 sells...pretty impressive
church of san lorenyo...facade is ugly as unfinished...pope leo x pulled the plug on the cash...michaelangleo had worked on it for 4 yrs
catching up...still...4 florence
hopefully by the am i will be up to date...
missed the us cemetery in florence...totally forgot about it
walked the entire city...very doable...30 min from train to hostel santa monica...with 6 dorm rooms with 22 beds each...
wash own dishes in communal kitchen...macey paynter wouldnt have liked that.....who knows who ate off of it last...had a salad with proscutto, cheese and a bottle of wine, just over 8 euro...good deal
accamedia...glad i had an advance ticket and avoided the line...still crowded at 130...i mean 1330 pm...ed went at 9 and said it was virtuallz empty.
michaelanglo is the star here..his unfinished prisoners-slaves unbelievable...as if thez were trzing to break free from the stone--chains´´they were in.
it is hard to put david into wards. i had always thought of this work as just another naked guy...not so...very powerful...not just another statue with his junk on display. michaelangelos attention to detail...veins in hands and legs...cuticles of finernails, chips of toenails, musculature...is really beyond belief...and while david was 26, michaelangelo was in his 60s i think...he lived to be 89...and the piece of marble the statue was carved from had been rejected as imperfect or inadequate by 2 sculptors prior to m. its truly a shame that this work has been commercialized to a point of ridicule...ie aprons of the body...thats not what this statue is about.
museum of san marco..15th centurz monastary with walls decorated with fresco including the 43 sells...pretty impressive
church of san lorenyo...facade is ugly as unfinished...pope leo x pulled the plug on the cash...michaelangleo had worked on it for 4 yrs
santa croce...m buried here, galileo also...didnt buy any leather at leather school.
i sat down, removed rainbos, to cool mz feet on the marble, looked down and realyed i was resting my worn hooves on the grave of a pinelli....could it be an ancestor...as ma was a pinnell
medici chapel...burial site of medici familz...one of mz favs in florence...most incredible frescos seen thus far..in its dome...traces christianitz from creation... to resurrection...colors are stunning
duomo...citys cathedral...3rd longest nave in christiandom...facade covered in red, green and white marble
bargello...sculpture museum...incredible
ufizzi gallery...almost...no was...overwheming...so much fine art...my favorite was lippi´s adoration of the magi...much more so than da vince's
pitti palace...sumptous home to the medici and hapsburs....countless plational rooms, didnt see gardens...ed did...but he got eat up with mosquitos
santo spirito church...mz vaorite one in florence...2 blocks from home sweet hostel...carved wooden crucifis attributed to michaelangelo was on loan...but bright, light interior...along with the branacci chapel
on sat afternoon, walked, what a hike, up past he plaza of michaelangelo to the san miniato church, high on a hill above the citz...st. minias...martyred, died here, is buried here. 530 mass was gregorian changs...very relaxing and soothing...left after the sermon..with new friends mike and lindsay from vancouver... one of the monks kept blowing his nose, i think in an effort to get the preaching monk to sit down and shut it...as it was in either italian or latin, i didnt understand 99.44 of it...like ivory soap
walked with mike and lindsay down to the ponte vecchio briege...he is in real estate and reports that things are much better in canada than in the us...his is 50 and is at a simlar place in life as i have been in...both so very nice...told me about the cinque terra, inspiring me to drop venice and go there...i have to email them the info i have on restaurants i nparis for their time there
Monday, August 2, 2010
monte carlo
decided yesterday am to go to monte carlo...beautiful city...reminding me of napels, florida, very chic and upscale
toured the grimaldi palce including the throne room where there is an incredible portrait of the grimaldis done in 1981 a year before the death of princess grace.
i was at mary lou thompsons with momma the day of the crash...i think viv was getting a perm...if i remember correctly, mary lou had general hospital on and charlie gaddy interrupted programming to announce the accident
cathedral was ok...did see graves of grace and rainer
beautiful gardens below cathedral...filled with flowers and scupture...my favorite was -invitation-
onto the casino in my black tee shirt...amost didnt make it in...but talked the cloak room ladz mercedes into letting me in...she kept george for me...she had at first said he was too big and heavz
slots didnt reward me with enought to purchase one of the yachts in the harbor
while in milan, met nice familz from chicago who want to move to raleigh in a few years...shields pittman if you are reading tis, i gave them your cell number.
toured the grimaldi palce including the throne room where there is an incredible portrait of the grimaldis done in 1981 a year before the death of princess grace.
i was at mary lou thompsons with momma the day of the crash...i think viv was getting a perm...if i remember correctly, mary lou had general hospital on and charlie gaddy interrupted programming to announce the accident
cathedral was ok...did see graves of grace and rainer
beautiful gardens below cathedral...filled with flowers and scupture...my favorite was -invitation-
onto the casino in my black tee shirt...amost didnt make it in...but talked the cloak room ladz mercedes into letting me in...she kept george for me...she had at first said he was too big and heavz
slots didnt reward me with enought to purchase one of the yachts in the harbor
while in milan, met nice familz from chicago who want to move to raleigh in a few years...shields pittman if you are reading tis, i gave them your cell number.
catching up 3-cinque terra
in vandozza, tv in room, only thing i could follow was star wars...in italian of course...momma or katy jones or both took sarah, brad and me to see that at the embassy theatre in henderson....daddy later took us out of school one afternoon to meet darth vader at jcpenny...neighbor-friend julian perry arranged for us to make it to the head of the line
last time i saw star wars was with kate and kirk hazen when they lived at mrs whitfords on brehon street...we were having dinner and they were babysitting wil and lindsay...and kirk plugged in star wars...between the 3 older kids there that night, we knew every scene and most every word...good times...hard to believe wil and lindsay are now grown and maried
train to vandozza took us through a long, long tunnel, the boom, a view of the sea...amazing but onlz for a brief moment, not nearly enough to satisy...kind of like a first kiss...but definitely enought o peak interest
glad i remembered to mail postcards with italian stamps from genoa
trying to make it to oberammagau before truly doing laundry...but believe me...it it time...a real washing maching, lots of tide and agitation cyycles
noticed that not as many people smoke in florence as in rome
florence was incredible...they do need to work on the dog shit problem...it is everywhere....must be related to my former neighbor in raleigh...hahaha
gelato is everywhere...have...in the main...resisted the tempations...had great peach yesterdaz but truthfully would prefer a freezer of lou ann elams froyen custard or wendy shorts chocolate
last time i saw star wars was with kate and kirk hazen when they lived at mrs whitfords on brehon street...we were having dinner and they were babysitting wil and lindsay...and kirk plugged in star wars...between the 3 older kids there that night, we knew every scene and most every word...good times...hard to believe wil and lindsay are now grown and maried
train to vandozza took us through a long, long tunnel, the boom, a view of the sea...amazing but onlz for a brief moment, not nearly enough to satisy...kind of like a first kiss...but definitely enought o peak interest
glad i remembered to mail postcards with italian stamps from genoa
trying to make it to oberammagau before truly doing laundry...but believe me...it it time...a real washing maching, lots of tide and agitation cyycles
noticed that not as many people smoke in florence as in rome
florence was incredible...they do need to work on the dog shit problem...it is everywhere....must be related to my former neighbor in raleigh...hahaha
gelato is everywhere...have...in the main...resisted the tempations...had great peach yesterdaz but truthfully would prefer a freezer of lou ann elams froyen custard or wendy shorts chocolate
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