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Two Jims' European Adventure
  • Jim Fotter
Nis – Tem 2022

Two Jims' European Adventure

We're off to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Amsterdam, Paris, and Ireland as a retirement celebration trip. Okumaya devam et
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  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure
    1

    Cinque Fotografie-Napoli Day 1

    9 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We said good-bye to Sorrento this morning. Our accommodations there were really first-rate. I don't recall feeling so pampered in a lodging in quite some time. Initially our plan was to take a commuter ferry back to Napoli later in the afternoon and sample wines in Sorrento, but our innkeeper suggested that we instead consider hiring a car and going wine tasting near Mt. Vesuvius.

    We chose the latter, and it was a really wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Our driver, Fabio, picked us up in a Mercedes van, and he told us about the adjacent towns, including, Castellammare di Stabia, the one he grew up in. He shared with us that he was engaged to be married next year, and that his fiancé was in a post-doctoral program in Napoli. He shared that it is Italian custom to move to the town where the wife is so the would be relocating to Napoli when he married.

    On the way to the winery, we passed the entry to Pompeii and we arrived at Cantina Del Vesuvio, a winery run by the Russo family since 1930.
    The grounds were quite beautiful, and overlooked the Bay of Naples.

    We were escorted by our tour guide who was quite lively and funny. Her speaking cadence did remind me a bit of Gilda Radner's SNL character Roseann Roseannadanna. We learned that the vineyards required no irrigation due to the porous nature of the lava field that maintained the perfect humidity for the grapes.

    In our tour group, we chatted with a retired couple from Michigan who were touring Italy. They were from the Detroit area and had been postal workers. They talked about their previous visit to Portland and how much they liked it there.

    After the tour we enjoyed wine pairings with a nice meal of breads, meat, cheeses and spaghetti. The red wine reminded us a lot of Washington's Red Mountain area wines as they were rich and complex. We concluded our visit and reconnected to Fabio who took us to the neighborhood where we are staying.

    Since we arrived before our host had finished work, we drank cappuccinos and watched the neighborhood people greet each other and interact with hugs and kisses. I think that of the things that I like best about our travels is just watching the people, particularly the interactions with the children.

    Finally, we arrived at Francesco's home, a beautiful remodeled apartment that is well appointed and comfortable. "Ance" was quite welcoming and he oriented us to the space and he made several restaurant recommendations.

    After a long nap, we ventured out for a city walk and to sample Napoli's culinary contribution to the world: pizza. Napoli is known for thin-crusted pizza swimming in red sauce and olive oil and topped with less cheese than we're used to in the U.S. An online acquaintance suggested that we also try the fried macaroni appetizer. Picture macaroni and cheese with peas and meat rolled into a breaded deep-fried ball. I liked them, but Jim C wasn't a fan. It tasted a bit like a country fare offering.

    We laughed at the notion of trying an exotic beer to accompany our pizza. Among the offerings was Nastro Azzurro, better known to us as PBR. We both chose a Dutch beer, and we enjoyed our pizzas.

    I should report that we've had several people tell us to be on high alert about pickpockets and other targeting of tourists. While we're striving to approach our travels in the city with eyes wide open, we both enjoyed the gritty medieval feel of the streets and alleys that are peppered with cathedrals and monuments every few blocks. Like Catania, the drivers, cyclists and scooters race through the narrow streets, but we found it to be part of the charm of the city.

    We're calling it a night, and we're looking forward to telling you about Pompeii and the Herculaneum tomorrow. Ciao!    Okumaya devam et

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  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Cinque Fotografie-Napoli Day 2

    10 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    When I was in 6th grade, social studies coveted world geography. I was lucky that my teacher, Michael Norman, created an interesting way for us to learn world geography. Rather than being tethered to a textbook or an occasional movie, he gave us each a paperback copy of "Europe on $5 A Day". As we moved to each country, we were given a budget and we would select attractions to visit after reading about them in the guidebook. Our task was to then journal about our imagined experience. One of the experiences that I selected was to visit the ancient city of Pompeii. Fifty-two years later that imagined dream came true today.

    We started our tour by catching an express train to Pompeii from Naples. It was fortuitous that we found this route ten minutes before the train departed. We had a bit of spare time once we arrived to grab a cappuccino and croissant before meeting our guide Giulia. Thanks to the generosity of my former colleagues who chipped in for something to enjoy on our trip, we opted for a private tour to Pompeii and Herculaneum. We are very glad to have made that decision.

    Giulia was engaging and knowledgeable as an archeologist. She gave us so much more background about the people of Pompeii including their culture and the evolving influences of the Greeks and the Romans who made Pompeii a colony of the Roman empire.

    We learned that the citizens of Pompeii had no idea thar Mt. Vesuvius was a volcano, and they made no connection to a significant earthquake 12 years earlier.

    It was inspiring to learn about the archeologists' efforts to discover and excavate the ruins. Similar to our experience in Sicily we were moved by the vibrant frescoes and mosaics. The preservation process of the cadavers was fascinating to learn about that captured the last moments of life after the eruption.

    During the times of Pompeii, we learned that women were not allowed to vote, yet they were allowed to create organizing campaigns for preferred candidates. It was fun to learn that women found ways to wield power and to build campaign efforts.

    After a lunch break, we traveled with our guide to Herculaneum, another city that was buried by the volcanic eruption. One of the most striking differences at this site was that the burial of this site preserved organic materials: wood, boats, and remnants of food. It was remarkable to walk around these ruins and note that the perimeter of this site is surrounded by the current city and that ruins left to be discovered lie under the city.

    After we said good-bye to Giulia, we returned by train to Napoli and walked to our bed & breakfast. We wrapped the night by sharing a cup of tea and dialogue with our host Francesco. We practiced Italian and he practiced his English. An interesting language bridge is that he knows Spanish better than English, and I was able to bridge the gap in our understanding with Spanish.

    We decided to stay in for the night as we were both tired after walking about eight miles today.
    Buona Notte!    Okumaya devam et

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  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Cinque Fotografie-Napoli Day 3

    11 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    It was a beautiful day in Napoli today. We can feel a sense of emerging summer in the air after weeks of feeling like the wet Portland Spring weather was stalking us.

    We decided to build some museum time in today to enhance our Pompeii/Herculaneum visit yesterday.

    At the recommendation of our host, we first arrived early at the Museo Capella SanSevero which is a famed chapel museum known for many sculptures and paintings with a centerpiece of a detailed sculpture portraying a shrouded Christ (Cristo Velato) after the crucifixion. The elaborate detail of this work was really moving and beyond the shrouded Chrisr figure, the attention to detail like the crown of thorns and pliers for removing the spikes had a devastating impact while witnessing this piece.
    The Chapel further contains works of late Baroque art by some of the leading Italian artists of the 18th century. I wish I could have taken a photo, but they weren't allowed. You can find the images online.

    What felt like a bit of a non-sequitur,in an adjoining room, two human skeletons were on display with detailed evidence of anatomical parts, most notably the circulatory system.

    It was long thought that these displays were the first efforts at platination, much like the traveling exhibits that show up in museums around the world. More recent analysis of the arteries and veins the "blood vessels" indicate they are constructed of beeswax, wire and silk.

    After our visit to the Chapel Museum, we took a cappuccino break and walked to the Museo Archaelogico a Napoli. This museum has many interesting finds from both Pompeii and Herculaneum. Of particular note was a exhibit referred to as the Gabinetto Secreto (Secret Cabinet) where erotic Roman Art from the 1st century A.D. were found in Pompeii and Herculaneum. It is thought that the phallus was considered to be a symbol of abundance and protection.

    In one great hall, there is a Meridian Line with all of the zodiac signs represented. The interesting arrangement is that a small pinhole in the ceiling allows light to hit every day at noon and the sunbeam corresponds with the time of year. It is really a quite brilliant sundial.

    There were many other artifacts, paintings, sculptures and mosaics throughout the museum. We had been encouraged by yesterday's guide to view the Egyptian exhibit. It was fascinating to observe artifacts that were hundred of years older than those excavated from Pompeii as well as mummified bodies that were remarkably preserved.

    After the museum visit, we grabbed pizza for lunch in a lively neighborhood filled with area markets and other vendors. We then headed back to our B&B to relax before our next neighborhood adventure: haircuts.

    I had made online appointments at a local barbershop where our host goes. When we walked in to the shop at the appointed time, we were greeted with amused looks by several young barbers dressed in black, many with full-sleeve body art. My first thought was, this is going to be a mistake, but I was pleasantly mistaken. We were given great care, offered espressos and we both worked diligently to meet our requests for beard trims and haircuts.

    The young man who appeared to be the owner spoke English pretty well, and he became a bit like the orchestra director with all the comments of the experience. One of the men who worked on my hair, showed me his tattoo and told me it was his lifelong dream to go to NYC and Las Vegas. I told him that mine was to go to Pompeii, and that I hoped that his dream would come true soon.

    Several people waited on us and I kept thinking of the scene in the Emerald City when "Dorothy and Company" were getting groomed to meet the Wizard.

    After our haircuts, we walked over to an area gay bar for a drink. I noticed that the bartender was speaking English to a couple who arrived a bit after we did. I asked them where they were from and learned that they were John and Robert from San Diego. John had previously been a middle school teacher and NJEA member in New Jersey and Robert earned an ESL Masters degree at Gonzaga University. We really enjoyed the conversation and we learned that they will be in Tuscany as well. We've decided to stay in touch.

    We wrapped the night with one last meal of Napoli's famous pizza. It didn't disappoint, and we are grateful for another eventful day

    When we first planned our stay, we viewed Napoli as a necessary evil to visit Pompeii. Despite its bad press from some friends and acquaintances, we have found our experience here to be deeply endearing. Although I know considerably less Italian than Spanish, I have learned that taking the time to learn simple phrases like Good morning/afternoon/evening, Thank you, Please, very good, How are you?,good-bye, perfect, and pleasure to meet you carry the day. Grazie, Napoli! Buona Notte.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Cinque Fotografie- Tuscany Day 1

    12 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    After a relaxing morning with breakfast on our host's patio and a lovely conversation with Ruth, who was visiting from Germany, we made our way to Napoli's Central train station.

    We marked the first month of our time on the road, and I'm noticing the benefit of all the walking that we're doing. I calculated that we've walked about 143 miles since we began our trip, and I'm excited about building endurance while enjoying the sights.

    This was our second time on a fast train in Europe. This time we rode on FrecciaRossa operated by Tren Italia. I really do love the experience. The seats are comfortable,
    and the ride is smooth. We had a brief stop in Rome, and then we continued on our way to Firenze (Florence).

    We arrived in time in Florence and we walked to the nearby Hertz station to pick up our rental car. The driving experience in Florence was considerably less chaotic than Napoli or Catania. Most of the time, drivers appear to follow rules about right of way and they seem to adhere to speed limits. I will not miss the kamikaze cyclists in this driving adventure.

    The trip to our agritururismo, IL Segreto de San Piefratretta was an easy 45-minute drive through the Tuscan hillside. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by Diego and Pedro who own the agritururismo. The grounds and rooms are really spectacular with olive and fig trees peppered around the vineyard.. We are excited to visit the nearby town of San Gimignano whose towers hover on a hill off to in the distance.

    Once we settled in, we lounged by the pool and I chatted with a couple from England who are on holiday.

    We enjoyed a wonderful dinner on the patio and watched the sunset and accompanying silhouette of San Gimignano. Dinner was delicious: Jim had a cous cous cake and I had pork tenderloin with an apple topping. The Cab Franc blend of wine was spectacular. And we finished the meal with a chocolate souffle and cappuccinos.

    We are very grateful to be able to spend the next ten nights here. It's a really great homebase for our time in Tuscany.

    Ciao!    Okumaya devam et

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  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 2

    13 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    After an amazing breakfast, we took a two-hour drive to the town of Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis. The drive was so beautiful as we traversed rolling hills of green- olive trees and vineyards with mountains serving as a backdrop.

    I've had many reflections on taking this trip as a former Catholic who traveled among others who were clearly making a pilgrimage to this beautiful hilltop town and Basilica.

    Ever since I was a kid, I loved the story of St Francis. I knew that he held reverence for all living things and held respect for diversity. He abandoned a wealthy life and chose poverty and service. In doing so he defied his father and chose his own path at a young age.

    Today I also learned about Claire who followed Francis and chose a life of poverty and service as well. They both created a movement with a significant following.

    I was today years old when I learned that St. Francis was never ordained, yet the Franciscan movement was endorsed by the Pope at the time.

    I was really moved when we sat in the lower Basilica and witnessing St. Francis's tomb about above the altar. As we walked around the altar, we witnessed the burial sites of his four closest friends as well as a woman who wanted to visit Francis on his deathbed. Initially, she wasn't allowed, but Francis invited her as one of his last acts, and her remains also rest nearby. The thought of being with those you love when your life ends is beautiful and comforting. In all of his suffering in his short life of 44 years, Francis was rich in his love for all beings and the return of the love by his friends and followers.

    I have always loved singing the Prayer of St. Francis. I had no idea that he didn't write this prayer and it was instead penned anonymously seven hundred years later (1912) by a French clerical magazine. Regardless. I have always loved the thought of that it was more important to "seek to understand than to be understood...",an important element of any healthy relationship in work and in personal matters. Stephen Covey lifted it as one of his "Seven Habits..."

    I learned that St. Francis did write his own gratitude prayer "Canticle of the Sun". In the prayer, Francis gives broad thanks for all creation. When he was nearing the end of his life he amended the prayer to include and celebrate "Sister Death" and his belief in the afterlife. http://www2.webster.edu/~barrettb/canticle.htm#…!

    We returned late afternoon and reflected on the day as we relaxed by the pool and later took an evening walk in the tranquility hilltop village of San Gimignano under the watchful eye of "sister moon".

    I finish the day grateful for friends and family and the motivation to find new ways to be of service to others when we return home.

    Buona Notte. 🌙 🌚 🌔 🌕 🌖 🌛 🌙 💗    Okumaya devam et

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  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 3

    14 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    It felt like summer today in the heart of Tuscany. We decided that it was a great day for a hike, and we opted to take the longer route from our accommodations to San Gimignano, the town that overlooks the valley from the distance.

    It took us about ninety-minutes to navigate the hilly five kilometer hike. The valleys below were filled with vineyards and olive trees. We enjoyed most of the walk except for the latter part where cars raced by on a road with little room for pedestrians to navigate.

    We arrived at the walled city and rewarded ourselves with gelato first (life is short-eat dessert first) and then pasta for lunch on the piazza. We enjoyed panoramic views from a balcony point (Rocco) navigated by narrow steep stairs.

    We took the short route home which took us about 45 minutes through area agritururismos. It was a really challenging, but fun hike. I'm grateful that I was able to navigate the walk; it probably has helped that we've been averaging over five miles a day walking. I'm really happy about the progress.

    We returned to our accommodations and did our weekly call to Genevieve and Olive to talk about our adventures with her storybook hero 'Pete the Cat". We ahowed Olive a Zoom screen of the Olive trees and she replied, "Look, those are Me trees."

    After our call, we lounged by the pool.

    We had a lovely dinner and we were joined by a sweet couple from Germany. It was fun comparing our relative experiences in our countries, and we decided to watch the finals in Eurovision together. It was fun to chat with friends back home contemporaneously. Congratulations, Ukraine! It was another stellar day. 🇺🇦 💖    Okumaya devam et

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    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 4

    15 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Today we were joined by Jim C's sisters,Sharon and Nancy, who traveled from Oregon, Wisconsin and Portland, Maine (we have Portland and Oregon well covered on this trip).

    Although they had a few travel delays arriving from Boston, they made it to Firenze safe and sound and we headed back to our accommodations in San Gimignano.

    We enjoyed drinks and sunbathing by the pool and resting up before a wonderful dinner on the terrace.

    I have always marveled at how close Jim and his siblings are. It's fun to watch their rhythm together, and it's a treat to experience the treasure of Tuscany with them.

    As I reflect on our reunion today, I offer this thought of gratitude:

    Sharon and Nancy have always treated me like I was another brother. From the day that I first met them, I have deeply appreciated that they respect and honor our relationship as important. I love them very much for that experience, and I've also always experienced it with their parents and their children as well. There are too many of our GLBT friends who don't get that experience, and I know that we are very lucky.

    We are looking forward to our new adventures this week. L'amore per la famiglia è magico.
    Buona Notte 🌟
    Note: Thanks to Nancy C for the first four pics.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 5

    16 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    The day started early as we got up to watch the lunar eclipse around 5 a.m. It was fascinating to watch the emerging eclipse from lounge chairs by the pool as the area birds sang their songs. Although the moon slipped behind the hilly horizon, we did enjoy witnessing this experience, and we were grateful for clear skies.

    After returning to bed for a few more hours, we got up and enjoyed an ample breakfast. We then made our way to Siena, a town situated about 40 minutes south of San Gimignano.

    Siena was one of the most important thriving cities in Medieval Europe and it had a firece rivalry with Firenze (Florence). As we first arrived in the city we headed over to IL Campo (field), the connecting plaza for Siena's 17 neighborhoods. One of the traditions that occurs in this plaza is a 90-second horse race competition that draws about 60,000 spectators twice each summer. While, the plaza is quite large, the thought of that many people evoked my first of two "Oh Hell, No" exclamations about this locale. The second "Oh Hell, No moment was the opportunity to climb 400 stairs up the 300 ft Torre del Mangia, the second tallest tower in Italy adjacent to the town hall "Palazzo Pubblico". The Palazzo is guarded by she-wolves, a creature I previously only associated with Romulus and Remus folklore. Apparently, Siena adapted a Texas style "Don't Mess With Siena" brand evidenced several times throughout the city.

    Jim C and his sister Sharon opted to brave the claustrophobic climb up the tower of terror later that afternoon while Nancy and I toured the nearby phobic-free botanical gardens.

    We enjoyed wandering through the neighborhoods with the various mascots symbolized by statues and plaques at intersections. The mascots ranged from fairly benign symbols of forests and caterpillars to panthers and dragons.dragon's.

    Early in the afternoon, we visited the Duomo. It was an unusually adorned cathedral with striped pillars. I dubbed it "Our Lady of the Zebra". I found the stripes a bit incongruous with the other artwork and statues. The frescoes abs stained glass windows were stunning. I enjoyed seeing a sculpture of St. Peter that was created by a 25-year old Michelangelo.

    Within the Duomo, we visited the Piccolomolini Library which honors one of their famed family Mendes members who eventually became Pope Pius II. The room was decorated with many scenes of his life and lower panels displayed massive illustrated chant hymnal.

    After the Duomo tour we had lunch of pasta and pizza. I sampled the tagliatele with black truffles. I know that truffles are considered a rare delicacy, but I savored the fresh pasta more than the truffles which were a bit bland and resembled thin wood chips.

    We headed to our separate tower and garden adventures, and we celebrated our rendezvous with an obligatory gelato break.

    We decided that six hours of touring Siena was sufficient, and chauffeur Jim C got us back to our Agritururismo in time for naps and pool time.

    We had another wonderful dinner on the patio, and we called it a night after celebrating great wine, great food and family time. Ciao!    Okumaya devam et

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    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 6

    18 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Today Jim C, his sisters, and I spent time in San Gimignano, the 13th century walled town that watches over us. This beautiful town is dubbed "San Gimignano delle belle torri " (of the beautiful towers) with good reason. The towers are among the most striking feature of the town, and it enhances the frozen in time Medieval feel of the city.

    In our previous visits this week, we has mostly sampled the food, wine and gelato. Today we thought that we would get a sense of the many shops as well as the art and history of the city.

    After admiring the architecture of the city we took time for a light lunch and watched the influx of tourists arriving by tour bus. After lunch, Nancy and Sharon decided to check out the various boutiques, and Jim C and I purchased tickets for the art museum and Duomo. Included in the purchase price was access to the tallest tower in the town, Torro Rossa.

    We learned that at San Gimignano boasted seventy-two towers at its peak. Our assumption was this to serve as watchtowers to guard the city. Instead the tower building was initiated by two rival families in competition with each other, and the practice was adopted by other wealthy patriarchs determined to model the ageless demonstration of male prowess in the "whose is biggest" game.

    The times of the Great Plague witnessed a deterioration of the number of towers and the numbers have dwindled to sixteen today.

    When we entered the art museum, we saw the entry to the Torro Rossa, and I entertained the notion of going to the tower. At first the steps were stone, but eventually there was a metal stairway that you could see down below between the steps, and that ended my delusion of continuing up the tower. Jim C and I came up with a Plan B: we would tour the art exhibits together, and then we would go our separate ways with Jim C going up the tower and I would visit the Duomo otherwise known as Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunto.

    There were many beautiful pieces in the art museum. Most depicted Biblical events and a number were painted on wood. One of the pieces of the Virgin Mary reminded us of many of the portrayals of children who look like old men. I labeled this work as Jesus and Benjamin Button.

    I thought that I might grow weary of visiting yet another church, but I do find them peaceful and beautiful. Today was no exception, and I learned about St. Fina, the child saint and local pride and joy of the community. St Fina's remains are buried in one of the side altars, and I read a pamphlet of her story. When she was ten , St. Fina experienced an illness that rendered her legs useless (polio?) at the age of ten and she was confined to a wooden pallet for the remaining five years of her brief life. St. Fina is credited with many healing of visitors and for the demonstration of grace despite her severe impairment. The legend is the a special violet grew on her pallet and also appeared throughout the towers of the city.

    The duomo has many brilliant frescoes depicting the passion of Christ and scenes from the Old Testament.

    When, I rejoined Jim and his sisters, Jim recounted his trip up Torro Rossa where the last part of the journey to the overlook was a metal ladder. I attribute my avoidance of this experience as Divine Intervention, and I'm happy to give credit to St. Fina for missing yet another "Oh Hell, No" experiences.

    We concluded our time in San Gimignano with some incredible gelato, and then we headed back to our agritururismo. Once again, we enjoyed pool and nap time, and yet again another fine dinner on the terrace. I'm grateful for another beautiful day in San Gimignano. It's definitely a jewel in the many treasures of Tuscany. Buona Notte!    Okumaya devam et

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    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 7

    19 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    We enjoyed a cooking class led by, Andrea, one of the staff at IL Segreto de Pietrafetta. He was a wonderful encouraging teacher who attributed much of his culinary skills to his mother.

    Like many during Covid times, I took up baking bread and learning to make pasta. It was fun to expand on skills today, and to create a meal with family.

    Sharon and I collaborated as Team 1958 and Jim and Nancy (Team JC/NC) worked together on their preparations.

    We learned to make focaccia, tagliatelle, and cantucci which is similar to biscotti.

    Our two teams made different variations on the theme. Team 1958 created a stuffed tomato, sun-dried tomato and basil focaccia, while Team JC/NC made a potato/rosemary focaccia.

    We learned to create pasta dough which required rolling it out and stretching it much like the creation of pizza dough. Cutting the pasta into tagliatelle noodles was a fascinating cutting process. The final result was a really wonderful cacio e pepe (parmesan and pepper) creation. Sharon is not a fan of cheese and she learned to make a butter/sage variation.

    We made two flavors of cantucci: chocolate/vanilla/hazelnut and rose/vanilla/pistachio. We learned that it is a tradition dating back hundreds of years to serve cantucci with Vin Santo, a strong amber colored wine used for dipping. Here's a link to the history: https://www.theflorentine.net/2015/09/10/cantuc….

    We enjoyed our collaborative meal creation served with an ample supply of white wine that was available throughout the meal preparation process.

    After a restful afternoon, we ventured about 40 minutes away to the hilltop village of Volterra known for its walled Medieval structure and is beautiful alabaster sculptures. We enjoyed tree valley views below and walking through the village which had similar features to Sam Gimignano. Although, our destination restaurant was closed, we found a great outdoor restaurant before making the trip back home. Kudos to Jim C for his adept navigation skills across the narrow winding switchbacks to and from Volterra.

    We ended the evening with an aperitif of a limoncello style variation made with mandarin oranges that we had found last week in Sorrento. It was fun to recount the day, another wonderful series of adventures with family and lasting memories.

    Before we retired for the evening we met Brian & Kathy, a couple from Spain who were celebrating a Covid-delayed honeymoon. Kathy is originally from Vermont and Brian is from Cork. They gave us wonderful tips for our upcoming travels to Ireland and we enjoyed reminiscing about our favorite places in Vermont. Signing off for now. Buona Notte!    Okumaya devam et

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    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 8

    19 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    One of the goals of our family time together was to take a trip to the coast and to enjoy some time at the beach. As the emerging summer is becoming more evident with consistent sunny days and warmer temperatures hitting the lower 80's° F, we thought today would be perfect.

    At the advice of our hosts,we traveled to Polpulonia in search of a public beach. On the way, we retraced the hilly winding roads through Volterra and continued to the coast.

    During our time in Tuscany, we have admired vast fields of red poppies that contrast valleys and hills boasting varieties of shades of green. As we were approaching the coast, we noticed a particularly abundant and vibrant splash of red created by a poppy field, and we pulled over to take some photos.

    We reached Polpulonia in search of a public beach and the opportunity to rent some lounge chairs and umbrellas. We were delighted to find Bagno Baratti and a row of lounging chairs on the beach.

    I learned after the fact, that Polpulonia was an ancient Etruscan port city (Fufluna) named after the god of wine and intoxication. I've been an unknowingly devoted follower of his in ample wine offerings this week.

    This area was also an important port and was known for its mining and trade of iron which remains evident in the black, red and silver shining beach sand. We didn't explore the adjacent Etrascan Necropolis; we instead opted for sunbathing and wading in the horseshoe shaped Gulf of Baratti nestled between the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas.

    The water temperature was cool, but bearable, and it was a nice contrast to the balmy air temperature. We loved the clear water and calm sea. We noticed some small fish that seemed consistently interested in stalking Jim C. We enjoyed a nice lunch on the beach which was surprisingly good for beach shack food.

    While people watching from the shore, I couldn't help but notice a young man playing on the beach with his young son Nico. When his son wanted his father's attention, he called out "Papi" and the interaction made me long for grandfather time and to reflect on days at the beach with Genevieve and Keegan when they were young.

    I also watched a carefree older woman swimming on the beach in striking white pigtails, and I kept thinking of her resembling Pippi Longstocking who had matured gracefully.

    When I watched Sharon, Nancy and Jim in the water I could envision their younger selves enjoying a beach day as well as my time at the beach in Connecticut and Rhode Island. A little too much sun exposure today reminded me of sunburns and Noxema applications to sooth the ache in my youth.

    On the way home, we stopped for our obligatory gelato break after Nancy and Sharon received Covid tests in preparation for their return to the U.S. (all good). We had another wonderful leisurely dinner on the terrace, and called it a night.

    Buonanotte, amici e famiglia! 💞    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 9

    20 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    We made our way to Firenze today with the primary goal to explore the historical district and to see Michelangelo's David.

    One of our first challenges in getting to the historical center of Florence was figuring out how to navigate entering the restricted zones where automobiles without a pass are subject to steep fines. Thanks to an internet search, we learned that private parking garages can alert the city for the purpose of a temporary waiver. We managed to find a parking garage that was located fairly close to the Duomo de Firenze.

    Given that we had nearly two hours before our tour of La Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, we decided to wander around the historical district. We first reached the massive Duomo. This cathedral's construction began in 1296 and was consecrated in about 140 years later upon its completion. While we didn't purchase tickets to enter the Duomo, we were impressed with the detailed exterior.

    While Jim C and I were wandering through the streets to inquire about ticket logistics, Nancy happened upon a street artist who was dressed like an ancient pope and frozen in time until she activated his animation with a donation. It was fun, and a tad bit creepy ("Stranger Danger") to see the photos of her interaction with him.

    We arrived at noon for our scheduled guided tour of the Academy Gallery that houses Michelangelo's David. Our guide, Safe, shared that he was of Tunisian and Italian heritage and he observed that most of the interesting sites of Firenze were found outdoors. He playfully remarked that, in contrast, the interior buildings would only be limited to portrayals of Mary and Jesus.

    On the tour, we learned from Safe that Michelangelo's masterpieces would discover what figures emerged from blocks of marble. Further, Michelangelo was torn between artistic commissions of two popes and their respective families. One of the unfinished pieces is a self-image of sorts portraying Michelango as a stressed slave depicting his conflicting challenges: so much art to create, so little time.

    We enjoyed the other sculptures in the Academy as well as many paintings from Renaissance artists. One exhibit also demonstrated many period musical instruments. I was impressed to see a Stradivarius violin as well as several ancient instruments. Nancy observed that she wandered if the instruments were sad being relegated to display cases rather than a more fulfilling demonstration of musicians playing them.

    After a light lunch, we walked over to the Pitti Palace and the adjacent Boboli Gardens. We opted to remain outdoors rather than touring the interior structures as we recognized that we were experiencing a bit of museum fatigue. While some might view that as a missed opportunity, we enjoyed the opportunity to be outside and admire the architecture and grounds.

    In the late afternoon, we made it back to our car, and we enjoyed an alternate route back to our Agritururismo. The tree-lined streets and views of the city from the hills overlooking the city were spectacular.

    We managed to arrive in time for drinks and pool time before a wonderful farewell dinner with Nancy and Sharon. We really enjoyed sharing the Tuscany leg of our journey with them.

    It's time for bed as we need to get them to the airport early tomorrow morning. Ciao!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Cinque Fotografie-Tuscany Day 10

    21 Mayıs 2022, İtalya ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today was our last full day in San Gimignano. The day started early as we said good-bye to Sharon and Nancy, and Jim C took them to the Florence Airport to catch their flight home.

    I enjoyed some time by on the patio while waiting for Jim to return and sneak in a quick nap.

    A local online acquaintance recommended that we visit L'Abbazia di San Galgano, about an hour to the south of us. The Abbey was built between 1218 and 1288. It was the first Gothic church built in Tuscany. The Cisterian monks built this here because it had many resources in the area: rivers, woods, plains and marshlands. Like much of the area, the Plague hit the area very hard, and attacks on the monastery subsequently caused the monks to move farther south to Siena. In the late 1700's lighting hit the bell tower, and the roof collapsed leaving the walls that remain today.

    When I reflect on the numerous churches and cathedrals that we have visited in the last five weeks, many adorned with gold, marble and paintings from the Masters, this place reminds me about the beauty of simplicity and resilience. It's a good reminder about the grace of aging as well. If you look deep enough you see the beauty of the character that remains through difficult challenges. It's a good lesson.

    As we walked around the grounds we noticed a photographer taking photos of a young couple preparing to get married later that day. It was a touching image of contrast getting to witness preparations for a new beginning in an ancient site that remained resilient through centuries of troubled times. Another sign of resilience was the ever present Tuscan red poppies growing in unlikely places among the ruins.

    After our visit, we had a light lunch at a nearby agritururismo, and we headed back to our place in San Gimignano. On the way, we passed bales of hay on rolling hills that reminded us of Pennsylvania except there were towers in the background.

    We arrived back in time for relaxation time by the pool, a Zoom call home to Genevieve and Olive, and a rest before dinner.

    We had another wonderful meal on the terrace, and we enjoyed a local bottle of Chianti.

    It has been a really great stay in Tuscany, and we're excited for our next adventure to Basel,Switzerland tomorrow. Buonanotte!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure
    1

    Fünf Fotos-Basel Day 1

    22 Mayıs 2022, İsviçre ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    After one last filling breakfast at IL Segreto de Pietrafetta, we offered a grateful farewell to the staff who really made us feel at home the last ten nights.

    Today was mostly a travel day as we needed to get from Firenze to Basel, Switzerland.

    Our first leg of the journey was in returning our rental car with the added twist of navigating several street closures in Florence due to some kind of race event.

    I think that Jim C was very happy to relinquish the car as he was tasked with being the chauffeur extraordinaire. We walked a few blocks to the station and found our first leg of the travel: a two-hour fast train from Firenze to Milano. We rode coach for this leg of the journey to conserve some Euros. It was a bit crowded, but the trip was smooth and on time. We noticed that most of this segment was through rural northern Italy. It was pleasant, and less dramatic than the Tuscan hills. We arrived in Milano with about a 50-minute layover.

    I was really looking forward to this next leg of the trip as the path from Milan to Zurich goes through the Italian Alps and navigates around many beautiful lakes. We had a slight upgrade on this part, and I thought we might have a little more space.

    I was dead wrong about that.

    We ended up in a set of two pairs if seats facing each other- Jim and I at the window and two younger women whose expressions and body language for the next three hours exuded their displeasure that we were their "neighbors" The woman next to Jim removed a few layers of clothing and juggled some massive shopping bags. My "neighbor" turned her back to me, and the only words she uttered was to ask me to shift so the she had better access to the phone charging outlet. Meanwhile, Jim's new found friend decided to sit sideways in her chair with the delusion that somehow she would contain herself to her seat. I know that I'm giving this way too much energy. We were just taken aback by the experience.

    The mountains and lakes really were quite beautiful, and we passed over a bridge with many flags that we surmised was the border crossing.

    At one point, an automatic recording flashed on the screen saying that there was a problem with the train and that all passengers would have to disembark. In the midst of the announcement, the screens went dark and there was no further explanation.

    About thirty minutes later, we heard announcements in several different languages, and we figured out that there would be a few stops to let other trains pass. When I heard the announcement in different languages, all I could think of was the scene in "Young Frankenstein" where the conductor and passengers repeated the same scene in different languages while Dr. "Frahnkensteen" is traveling to Transylvania.

    We arrived about twenty minutes late to Zurich, but we still managed to make our last train to Basel with about ten minutes to spare. This last part of the journey went smoothly, and we appreciated having a row to ourselves. Our train arrived just before 8 p.m. Jim C figured out the light rail train that we needed just outside the train station. It arrived shortly after we reached the stop, and Jim C figured out the nearest stop. As we were looking on our navigation app to find our hotel, Jim looked up and pointed to our hotel about 50 yards from the metro stop.

    We checked in to our hotel room and decided to take a walk and find a restaurant. There is an Italian restaurant at the foot of our boutique hotel, but we both agreed that a break from Italian cuisine was a good idea.

    We enjoyed a walk over a bridge crossing the Rhine River knowing that we will become much more acquainted with the river later in the week.

    Our first impression of Basel is that it is clean and relatively peaceful for a city of 570,000 people. We enjoyed the sedate walk back to our hotel after dinner, and we look forward to exploring the city over the next few days.

    Gute Nacht, süße Träume!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Basel Day 2

    23 Mayıs 2022, İsviçre ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    "Today is Monday. If you don't know that the whole system might fall apart. " This was a leading quote on a wall art installation by a 32 year-old Swiss artist named Yoan Mudry that we noticed on our walk back to the hotel this evening. http://yoanmudry.com/) For the last quarter-century Kunsthalle has been commissioning art installations. Mudry's work was clever and provocative. A number of pieces caused a few laugh out loud moments for us while others were a bit more sobering.

    I am finding the combination of retirement and vacation as causing the abstraction of what Monday meant to me for decades of school and work. I do hope that my lack of orientation will not disrupt the system. 😆 On second thought, perhaps we would all be better off with a disruption.

    We launched the day after a light breakfast at the hotel with a river walk along the Rhine. Jim C proposed that we do it earlier in the day as the air was quite muggy, and hadn't yet begun to heat up. Initially, we thought we would walk up the river a bit and then cross the bridge to Altstadt GrossBasel (Old Town).

    We decided instead to stroll to a outcropping on the river where the borders of Switzerland,Germany,and France meet known as the Dreiländereck. On the way, we passed several moored river cruise ships including one from the company that will be hosting our Rhine cruise on Wednesday. It was pretty fun to see the boat up close and to dream about our upcoming adventure.

    When we arrived at the Dreiländereck, it was pretty fun getting email assurance alerts from my phone service noting my presence in new countries and my continued coverage. While we enjoyed the novelty of standing in the three countries, I want to share an observation from my friend Adin after seeing our FB selfie:

    "During my Berlin student days on a summer break, I visited a park where the boundaries of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany intersected.

    I recall watching the birds flit from one “nation” to another. That's when I learned the lesson that the powerful fabricate national borders. Schengen's gone a long way towards making them much, much less relevant."

    Thank you, Adin. It's a good reminder that there are too many artificial constructs that polarize us.

    I want to share a few impressions of Basel that we absolutely love.

    First, when we arrived at the hotel last night, we were handed a Basel card that gives us free access on all public transportation. The reduction of car traffic and a well-networked transit system has a clear impact on the carbon footprint as well as just making the city quieter. It was a Monday, and the whole day was tranquil.

    Second, we see many examples where something old isn't an abandoned eyesore, but a repurposing of something beautiful. Metal containers became raised bed planters planted with wildflowers along the riverwalk. Another example that we discovered on the way to the Dreiländereck was a temporary use area of all kinds of salvaged structures ranging from old ships to freight containers. While the area is only open on the weekend, it was a marvelous collection of restaurants, lounges and dance venues. There were many creative venues, and I'm sorry that we'll miss seeing them in action.

    Third, the city is immaculate. One can sense collective pride and welcoming to locals and visitors alike.

    On our return trip we noticed incoming thunderheads and lightning from afar. Rather than retracing our steps, we took the metro back and we stopped at a local bookstore. It was a good thing because the skies let loose with torrents of rain and dramatic bolts of lightning. While many were not prepared for the downpour, I noticed the general amusement of the people who embraced the rain with shrieks of laughter and resignation as they sought shelter. We waited for the rains to subside, grabbed some lunch and shopped for a few shirts before heading back to the hotel. As we were walking back, we noticed a small ferry boat latched to an overhead cable to help navigate a river crossing amidst the swift current.

    After a long nap, we headed out to a tiny gay bar and watched the people riding their bikes and walking. We couldn't help notice the number of adults riding bikes with cello cases strapped to their backs as they rode up hill as well as many children with stringed instrument cases who were accompanied by their parents as they walked together to their destinations.

    We grabbed a burger and fries at a local restaurant and on the way home after dinner we found the art installation previously mentioned.

    Happy Monday! (I'm just doing my part to preserve the system for one more week.) 🤣    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Basel Day 3

    24 Mayıs 2022, İsviçre ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We enjoyed a laid-back day today. Jim C headed to the laundromat so that our clothes would be ready for our river cruise launch tomorrow. When he returned back to the hotel, he remarked, "It turns out that the first stop was a dry cleaners so I went to France to do the laundry instead. " 🇫🇷 It is a bit surreal to cross the border without it being a convoluted checkpoint.

    Yesterday I remarked about us receiving a complimentary Basel Card that gives us free access on all public transportation. An additional perk of the card is discounts to a number of area attractions. We opted to take a trip to the Zoologischer Garten Basel (Basel Zoo) and when we arrived we learned that our admission price had a 50% discount with the card.

    It was almost as fun to watch the families and school children at the zoo as the animal exhibits. It felt a bit unusual to be at the zoo without Olive as we frequently take her there. Overall, the zoo made for a nice stroll. One of the exhibits had nutria, a rodent that resembles a beaver. When I looked at the geographical map showing the distribution of this species in South America- they forgot Oregon. I knew that nutria are an invasive species in Western Oregon as they were released in the wild decades ago.

    After the zoo, we went to the Markthalle, an open food market and seating area with an extensive cuisine representation. Jim opted for Pad Thai, and I had a Vietnamese noodle dish. I think we were both feeling a bit homesick for take-out back home.

    As we were leaving, I noticed the proximity of booths representing countries typically in conflict, and it served as yet another reminder about building bridges across cultural and political divides.

    Given our ample lunch, we opted to skip dinner and instead have a beer and people watch near a traffic circle. In contrast to traffic circles in Italy where it's a "me-first" mentality without attention to any other rules, Basel seems like a choreographed cooperation dance. It was fun to watch bikes, scooters, cars, busses and pedestrians looking out for each other. In particular any pedestrian approaching a crosswalk is given right-of-way without exception.

    I'm getting ready to call it a night with a cool breeze beckoning me to sleep.

    Gute Nacht, Freunde und Familie.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Basel Day 4

    25 Mayıs 2022, İsviçre ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    "He was as fresh as is the month of May."
    Geoffrey Chaucer

    We woke up to the news of the Texas school shooting. As a former teacher, a father, and a grandfather, I have no words other than a feeling of deep despair and anger. I was haunted by that notion as I watched every parent on the streets of Basel today. As we made our way over to Basel's Altstadt GrossBasel (Old Town) we paused to watch elementary aged students play a game of Kubb, a game that is a hybrid of bowling and horseshoes. I loved watching the collective joy of the students engaged in this competition, and I couldn't help but think of students deprived of that joy and future promise. I hope that we figure out a better solution soon. Kids deserve to get to be kids.

    We took the time to tour the Basler Munster, a historical and strking sandstone cathedral that was once Catholic and ultimately became a Reformed Protestant Church. The church was originally built in the early 11th century and it was destroyed in an earthquake about three hundred years later. There were several modifications of architecture and style over the centuries.

    It was fascinating to tour the crypt and see the remains of the original cathedral with an integrated multimedia production that outlined the timeline of events in the church and society at the time.

    Among the famous people buried in the cathedral was Queen Anne of Habsburg and her son Charles; Erasmus, a Catholic priest whose writings has great influence on the Reformation movement; and Jacob Bernoulli, a mathematician known for his contributions to calculus.

    In the 1500's many of the paintings and statues of the original church were destroyed in rebellions against what was viewed by Reformists as idol worship. In the 1850's New stained-glass windows were installed. They were quite beautiful, particularly in the light of this sunny day.

    I've been meaning to share about one of the prominent icons that we have seen all over the city. At first I thought they were dragons, but we learned that they were instead the baselisk, In medieval animal books, basilisks are often depicted as hybrid creatures with the torso of and head of a rooster, and the abdomen of snake. A basilisk's gaze petrifies or kills. Its breath is deadly poisonous. The legend in Basel was that a jet black rooster laid an egg the size of the rooster and the townspeople must destroy it to save themselves from the hatching of the baselisk. The basilisk has remained an important symbol of Basel over the last five hundred years, and is now depicted carrying the town shield and coat of arms. Harry Potter fans might also recognize the reference to basilisks.

    After this visit, we took the light rail to see if we could locate where our river cruise ship was moored. We found it, and we learned that we would be able to board early although our cabin wasn't due to be ready for hours. We returned back to our hotel to retrieve our backpacks, and we made our way back to our boat.

    For the remainder of May (thus, my chosen Chaucer quote), we will be aboard Riviera Cruise Lines' MS Geoffrey Chaucer as we make our way up the Rhine from Basel to Köln, Germany. This boat is beautiful and new; it was commissioned in 2020 and Covid limited its use over the last two years.

    For the first several hours, we were the only passengers on the boat, and our room was readied for us early. The staff have all been very lovely and welcoming.

    We settled into our cabin, Room 222, with visions of the old TV show in our heads. We had a nice nap in our cabin and we then relaxed in the lounge and on the deck. We learned that there will be about 94 passengers on the ship, At first glance at our fellow passengers, it appears that we are on the younger side of the spectrum. Most of the passengers appear to be from the UK. I imagine that we'll have plenty of opportunities to meet them over the next week.

    We enjoyed a great dinner, and then we attended an obligatory safety briefing and an overview of our itinerary tomorrow. We feel very fortunate to have this experience. 💞    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Rhine Cruise Day 1

    26 Mayıs 2022, Fransa ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Although we're on the boat we have remained docked as planned for the first day. We slept well, and we were up early to have breakfast and get ready for our departure by coast.

    We began the day with about an hour drive to Lucerne, Switzerland. We learned from our guide that today is Ascension Day, a clerical holiday in Switzerland that celebrates the Christian event of the ascension of Christ forty days after the resurrection. Most businesses are closed on this day, and we learned that truckers are not allowed to operate unless they are transporting food.

    Lucerne is a preserved Medieval city in central Switzerland with beautiful Lake Lucerne at its center with a backdrop of the Swiss Alps.

    When we left the coach we walked across a beautiful wooden covered pedestrian bridge, Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge) that crosses the Reuss River. The bridge was first built in the 14th century and it contains many paintings from the 17th century. We learned that a large section of the bridge was destroyed by fire as well as many of the original paintings. The Kapellbrücke is the oldest coveted bridge in Europe.

    We enjoyed walking the streets of the Altstadt (Old Town) and the river serves as a dividing point between old and new. We also enjoyed the rather quiet streets due to the holiday.

    When we returned to the coach, we headed for Wilderswil, a town near Interlachen, a beautiful town surrounded by glacier fed turquoise lakes. At Wilderswil, we made our way to a historic cog railway that took us on a 45-minute steep path to the Schynige Platte, a small mountain ridge and a viewpoint in the Bernese Highlands. The views of the glacier-covered Alps from this 7,000 ft. viewpoint was magnificent. We were blessed by a beautiful sunny day with mostly unobstructed views of the moutains.

    I have to admit that my view of the fields surrounded by the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains took me back to my six-year old self viewing the opening scene of Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music. It was magical, and I remember wanting very much to be in that field when I was little.

    We noticed off to the background a few musicians playing the alphorn, the twelve-foot horns made famous by the Ricola commercial. We decided to wander further up the slope to view the different vegetation. I kept my eyes focused for edelweiss, but I learned that it's too early in the season from one of the passengers who is traveling from the UK.

    At the appointed time, we made for our descent down the mountain to our waiting coach for the two and a half hour return trip to Basel. The sights were indeed beautiful. It's not every day that you get to see rolling hills with a castle scattered here and there. At the risk of sounding ungrateful, it was a bit too long a day on the coach. It's reinforced for me that I generally would prefer to be traveling at our own pace instead of with ninety-five of our "closest friends".

    That brings me to our efforts to try and find connection on the cruise. It appears that nearly all, if not all, of the passengers are from the UK. They look like us, they're the same age range as us, but it appears that we're the only couple from the States as well as the only gay couple. It's interesting feeling more like outliers in this experience than in other countries that we have visited to date where the language, culture and skin tone of the people is markedly different than ours.

     We've been trying to find ways to strike up conversations, and most of that has been a bit of a miss so far except for Daniel, one of the bartenders who is from Romania. Daniel has grown weary of the hospitality industry, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19. He is studying to be a truck driver because he likes to drive and he sees it as an opportunity for me freedom in his life. I don't think he's much younger than me. I'm optimistic that we'll have more opportunities to meet other folks and have deeper conversations as the week progresses. The few folks we have spoken with to date have had some connections to Portland through family and friends. Multnomah Falls is a universal hit. 😊

    We did have another great dinner, and at this writing, I'm staring out at the floor to ceiling glass doors of the French Balcony with the man I love at my side. At some point this evening, we should launch north on the beautiful Rhine. I'm ready. Guten Nacht!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Rhine Cruise Day 2

    27 Mayıs 2022, Fransa ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    "Life is a journey, not a destination"
    Ralph Waldo Emerson

    When we went to bed for the evening last night, we left the ship cabin drapes drawn as we assumed that the cruise would launch sometime during the night. We looked forward to watching the changing landscape, and the arrival to our next destination.

    Instead, I woke up about 5:30 a.m. gazing at to the same industrial setting where we had been docked since Wednesday. About 30 minutes later, I watched as another cruise line river boat docked next to us, effectively boxing us in against the shore. Jim C woke up around this time, and I informed him that we remained at the site of our original mooring. As we speculating what was going on, the other boat traversed to the middle of the river, and our boat left the dock.

    We decided to move to the upper deck to watch the sunrise and our ship's first movement on the river. We were the only ones on deck besides crew members, and we watched as the captain made a 180° turn in the middle of the river.

    Shortly after we saw that we were slowly approaching the first of a series of several locks during the day as we moved north on the river. It turns out that Basel's elevation above sea level is 261 meters ( 856 ft) and Köln is a mere 37 meters (121 ft.) Thus, the series of locks are necessary to help ships navigate the dramatic change in elevation.

    Jim and I enjoyed the private show of navigating the first lock. It was interesting to watch the ship's radar pivot nearly flat to the surface of the ship. The captain's bridge also lowered to accommodate passing under the lock door.

    This was the first time that I witnessed a massive vertical door at the front of the lock compared to swinging doors. When we descended to the requisite elevation and the door rose and allowed the ship to pass under, we didn't think about the dripping water coming down from the bottom of the door onto the deck and subsequently us. We have now officially been baptized by the Rhine.

    After a great breakfast and a passage through a second lock, we learned about the day's excursion to the Black Forest and the German lake town of Titisee. As we discussed plans for the day, Jim C decided that skipping three hours of coach time and choosing instead to remain on the boat to read and relax was the perfect option. I opted to take the excursion that was scheduled to begin about 45 minutes after we reached our 1 p.m. scheduled mooring location at Breisach.

    Before the excursion we met some very sweet women from the UK. We shared details of our Europe trip and exchanged grandchildren stories. It was nice to make a connection.

    I hopped on our coach, and I enjoyed having less people and more space. Our guide was a Bucks County, Pennsylvania native, and he was quite informative about the villages and towns that we passed through on the way to Titisee.

    Among the things that I learned:

    Germans are not fond of green asparagus preferring instead to cover the plants blocking the production of chlorophyll resulting in a less bitter white asparagus.

    Rows of corn growing in the fields were for the production of animal feed and ethanol.

    Germany subsidizes solar energy, reducing the cost of panels by 90%

    This region is the warmest part of Germany, and excellent for growing grapes and wine production.

    The Black Forest is named because of the dense nature of the forest comprised of deciciduous and evergreen trees. The trees include maples, ash beech, and silver pine. Non-native Douglas Fir trees, prolific in Oregon, are planted to replace harvested trees as they grow faster.

    For a few centuries, avaikable single women in the Black Forest region wear a Bollenhut, straw hats adorned with red pom poms at festivals as part of traditional clothing. Married women wear black hats.

    ~~~
    Our coach had a few segments on the Autobahn, the famed stretches of highway where no speed limit is enforced, except for busses and trucks. We watched as several cars whizzed by us as we traveled at about 70 mph.

    As we navigated the hilly villages, we saw operating farmhouses and inns that had been in operation for over five hundred years. We noticed several hanggliders preparing for a large competition this weekend.

    Our guide pointed out two huge ski jumps, and the opening "agony of defeat" line from Wide World of Sports and my entrenched inner voice uttering "Oh Hell No!" sprung into action.

    We finally reached the town of Titisee, famed for its lake, cuckoo clocks and Black Forest Gateau. I have to admit that I enjoyed the trip to Titisee much more that the actual experience in town. If Leavenworth, WA and Joseoh, OR has a love child, it would be Titisee. While the surroundings were beautiful, the existence of souvenir shops pedaling cuckoo clocks, Black Forest Ham, cheese and the like diminished the experience.

    I did go to a local Kaffee house and tried the Black Forest cake and a latte. It was really quite good. I asked if I could get a box to go so I could bring back a slice to Jim. Although I was given an affirmative response, I instead received a slice in a pastry bag that I placed in my day pack, much to the horror and audible gasp of the proprietor. I was worried for a moment that I m might have ruined Black Forest/U.S. Relations, but I think we're good.

    I made my way back to the coach for the journey back to the two-hour journey to the boat. On the way back, we passed through Freiburg, a hub city in the Black Forest. It's known for its wine and university. We learned that Germany provides tuition-free higher education for all Germans as well as all residents of the European Union who can speak German at a collegiate level.

    I also learned that Germany accidentally bombed Freiburg during WWII and didn't acknowledge it unto the 80's. While much of the city was also destroyed by the RAF, it was rebuilt to mirror its pre-war appearance.

    When I returned to the ship, I joined Jim for a Captain's reception, and then we had an intimate reserved dinner in the ship's Bistro. The service and food were excellent.

    It's time for bed. Tomorrow, we will wake up in France. Guten Nacht!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Rhine Cruise Day 3

    28 Mayıs 2022, Almanya ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We both had a bit of a restless night after passing through several locks during the night. Generally, the passage is rather smooth, but there were a few abrupt bumps and some bright lights that woke us up intermittently. We think we passed through about three locks during the night before our arrival this morning in Strasbourg, France.

    A coach and tour guide had been arranged for passengers to get into the city, but we opted instead to tour Strasbourg at our own pace. We benefitted from a presentation the night before to learn of the main attractions to the city, and we opted to find our own transportation. After a failed attempt to secure a taxi, we managed to get an Uber into the heart of the city.

    Strasbourg sits about two miles to the west of the Rhine. The city was originally a Celtic village, and was under the Roman Empire for a period of time. In a grossly abbreviated summary, Strasbourg was back and forth under German and French rule over the centuries.

    The city holds international recognition as the host of the European Parliament for over the last forty years. The main section of the city is circled by the Ill River, which divides and surrounds the Grand Île (Big Island) on which the old town and most of the city’s famous buildings are located.

    It was a beautiful, crisp sunny morning as we made our way to the Strasbourg Cathedrale de Notre Dame. It's considered to be a very fine representation of Gothic Architecture and for several centuries it was the tallest structure in Europe. The cathedral is quite majestic and unusual as it has only one steeple. The red sandstone really causes it to stand out, and the c stained glass work is amazing.

    We were fascinated by the Astronomical Clock at the cathedral which resulted from the combined efforts of artists, mathematicians and technicians. Swiss clockmakers, sculptors, painters and automaton designers. The animation of the clock is quite amazing and includes daily feasts of Saints, phases of the moon, position of planets and animations of the apostles. Here's one of many links you can find of the 1842 clock in action: https://youtu.be/hSv8dZF-vo8

    When we left the cathedral, we headed over to Place (plaza) Guttenberg Place that honors the inventor of the printing press. On the monument were several engraved murals. One in particular highlighted various famous authors.

    In this statue.,Gutenberg is depicted holding a page of the Scriptures on which one can read the line "and there was light" in French.

    As we left the plaza, we headed over to La Petite France, the historic center of Strasbourg. We loved the canals, bridges and cobblestone streets with canals and locks dividing up this area. The homes and businesses were well kept and beautiful.

    After our visit, we hopped on an Uber to return to our boat, and we were both happy that we had decided to visit Strasbourg without the inherent constraints of a tour.

    We rested the remainder of the afternoon, and we passed through the last lock of our journey. It was quite large snd impressive. A bit later we arrived in Speyer, Germany where we are moored for the night.

    After dinner, we enjoyed the performance of a violinist from Ukraine. We learned that she is returning to Ukraine to reunite with her husband after fleeing the country. She ended her performance with a rendition of Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?". That was one of my father's favorite songs, and it was an emotional moment thinking about how much he would have loved it, and she modeled hope and resilience of the Ukranian people. We wish her a safe journey home and peace to all Ukrainians.

    It was a lovely day. Best to you all, friends and family.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Rhine Cruise Day 4

    29 Mayıs 2022, Almanya ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    We had a restful night moored about a mile from Speyer's old town. Although a group tour was arranged, we decided to repeat our independent journey into town based on the presentation we had heard about the highlights of Speyer. Admittedly, while we had heard of Speyer previously, we knew very little about the town.

    When we left the boat, it was a bit chilly and was threatening to rain. The first thing we noticed on the way to town was a series of children's paintings on a wall outside a restaurant. It captured for me the innocence of children, and my thoughts returned to those who were murdered earlier in this week as well as those who witnessed it. May we have the resolve to do better for them.

    We loved the forested walk to the center of the city. The green space was lush and it it was a quiet morning. It really felt like we had the city to ourselves.

    I took the time to go into the Domkirche St. Maria und St. Stephan (Speyer Cathedral) about 45 minutes before church services while Jim C explored the adjacent courtyard. There were only a handful of people in the cathedral, and I appreciated the stillness.

    In contrast to many of the Italian Cathedrals, this one is beautiful in its stark simplicity. The stained glass windows are shades of grey Purportedly, construction began in 1024 A.D. In reviewing the history there were several reconstructions after fires, reconstructions and battles. The different architectural approaches are quite evident when viewing the exterior of the church. While the crypt was closed, there were several inscriptions on the floor near the altar memorializing a number of emperors, expresses and bishoos who were laid to rest.

    As we left the church grounds, we walked toward the St. George Fountain in the center of the old town. As we used a tool to translate the various inscriptions surrounding the image of St. George, it became more clear that this fountain was created as part of 1930's Nazi propaganda in honor of fallen soldiers in WWI. Upon further research, I learned that subsequently the Speyer Town Council added a plaque noting that this captured the sentiment of the time, a seemingly week rationalization for the portrayal. I don't think it's unlike too many politicians today wanting to gloss over our own country's history of white supremacy.

    Shortly before we reached the old town gate (Altpoertel) a cacophony of bells sounded which seemed intent on waking the entire city. They continued for about fifteen minutes.

    The Altpoertel is the medieval west city gate of Speyer. and is one of the original 68 towers in the old walls and gates. It was originally
    constructed in the 13th century with several reconstructions over the centuries. It was almost destroyed by French troops who relented when monks pleaded to spare the tower for fear that it would fall and destroy the monastery. It survived; the rest of Speyer and the cathedral were destroyed. It stands today as one of the largest city gates in Germany.

    As we left the Altpoertel, we devoted most of our time in Speyer to visit the ShUM Speyer, a museum dedicated to the Jewish heritage in Speyer dating back over 1000 years ago.

    In 1084, a Bishop took in Jewish refugees from Mainz. Jewish and Christian communities coexisted in peace for over four hundred years. The persecutions around the Black Death ended that time of peace. Subsequent attempts to reestablish the Jewish community were disrupted frequently in the 1500's. The destruction of Speyer in 1689 also witnessed the destruction of the synagogue.

    We toured the remaining structure of the synagogue and adjacent women's school. Women were allowed to listen to what was happening in the synagogue through acoustic slits in the wall.

    We toured the Mikvah ("kiving water"), the ritual bath used for cleansing. It was remarkably intact and it still collects rainwater as it did when constructed.

    We toured the museum on the grounds of the old Jewish Cemetery that no longer exists. The medieval buildings on Kleine Pfaffengasse (Old Jewish Lane) were destroyed by the great fire in 1689.

    After the Jewish community in Speyer was destroyed, the cemetery headstones were used as building materials. The markers of those who had passed now became part of walls, bridges and private homes.

    Today abut 50 of the headstones have resurfaced, and they richly describe in Hebrew the lives of those who passed.

    The desecration of the headstones bothered me deeply. I imagined the markers of beloved family members and friends disappearing with the recollection of their existence.

    I was very moved by the museum and grounds. In a world that seems so fractured today, I'm reminded that most of the divisions are contrived narratives designed to ignore our commonalities and to instead make us fear and, at our worst, hate each other. It was a good reminder that we can do better despite different cultures and belief systems.

    As we walked back to the boat in time for our next stop, we saw a family walking together. One of the children called out "Opa" to her apparent grandfather. It was a reminder how much we treasure the opportunity as grandfathers and to witness Olive's love for her Opa. There is nothing better.

    As our boat departed we enjoyed a delightful lunch chat with a couple in their 80's. We talked about world travel, politics and history.

    We pulled into Rudesheim this evening, and after dinner, we took a stroll into the city for a preview. We really enjoyed a walk along the river to the city center, and we stopped for a drink. A former high school classmate recommended that I try Rudesheimer Kaffe which reminds me a bit of an Irish coffee except the coffee is spiked with a local cognac instead. I can attest that tree caffeine is more effective than the sedating effects of the alcohol as I wrap this post at 2:30 a.m. We look forward to our return to town tomorrow morning.

    Guten Nacht!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos- Rhine Cruise Day 6

    30 Mayıs 2022, Almanya ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Happy Memorial Day, and I'm holding gratitude to all those in service who gave their lives for our country, our democracy, and our freedoms. May we all honor their sacrifice and strive to embrace "... and justice for all."

    It's a little disorienting being abroad for Memorial Day and the attendant traditions. We typically gather friends and family for a BBQ, and I carry my mother's tradition of baking a strawberry-rhubarb pie to welcome the informal start of summer.

    We did decide to go into the town of Koblenz for dinner. I had a steak and Jim had a pasta dish. We did go to High Noon, a western-style bar decorated with U.S. licence plates, to have a beer and play darts. We guessed that we hadn't played in a few decades. Jim C went 2 for 3 in the win column. So we did manage to salvage a bit of American culture for the holiday.

    We began the day in Rudesheim by going to Siegfried's Mechanisches Musikkabinett, a museum housing a massive collection of musical contraptions ranging from music boxes to gramophones to automated mechanical machines playing multiple instruments. The town of Rudesheim offered Siegfried the medieval Brömserhof buikding to house his collection. The building was an additional treasure housing this marvelous collection.

    After the tour, we stopped for locally made and decadent crepes and "kaffe" before returning to the boat.

    Our destination today was to the town of Koblenz, and this was a trip that was definitely more about the journey than the destination. We journeyed through the Rhine River gorge that highlighted many castles in various conditions as well as towers and beautiful riverside villages. This is also the area boasting sine of the best vineyards in Germany known for their Riesling and other fine white wines

    Our cruise director Jane provided narratives about the castles as we watched from the chilly and windy deck. Most of the stories seemed to revolve around key themes- well, at least the tongue-in-cheek ones that I internalized:

    1. Karma is a bitch.
    2. Love interests can cause more trouble than their worth.
    3. The French destroy everything.

    One of the highlighted aspects of the gorge was a rocky cliff known as Lorelei (Loreley) a siren-like character who when betrayed by her lover lures sailors to their deaths. In 1824, a German poet, Heinrich Heine, composed a poem to honor the story of Lorelei.

    I don't know what it may signify
    That I am so sad;
    There's a tale from ancient times
    That I can't get out of my mind.

    The air is cool and the twilight is falling
    and the Rhine is flowing quietly by;
    the top of the mountain is glittering
    in the evening sun.

    The loveliest maiden is sitting
    Up there, wondrous to tell.
    Her golden jewelry sparkles
    as she combs her golden hair

    She combs it with a golden comb
    and sings a song as she does,
    A song with a peculiar,
    powerful melody.

    It seizes upon the boatman in his small boat
    With unrestrained woe;
    He does not look below to the rocky shoals,
    He only looks up at the heights.

    If I'm not mistaken, the waters
    Finally swallowed up fisher and boat;
    And with her singing
    The Lorelei did this.

    In further researching the author, I learned that during the Nazi regime and World War II, Heine became discredited as author of the lyrics because he was born a Jew, in an effort to dismiss and hide Jewish contribution to German art.

    It was good to know that his recognition was restored.

    We arrived in the town of Koblenz, a city found on the banks of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, later in the afternoon. We moored on the banks of Altstadt on the Moselle River. Before dinner, we strolled along the two rivers and noted the aerial tram to a fortress on top of a hill and a massive monument dedicated to the unification of Germany.

    Just before dinner, we noticed an unusual sculpture centered in a fountain. The artist created a tower representing the 2000 year-old history of Koblenz from the Roman Empire to present day. I was intrigued by the artist's view of history as reported on the placard: "History for him is not a progressive 'improving' development, but is always a new beginning that eminates from a demolished past on which it is based, but it is essentially something different."

    I wonder what our history tower would look like. I think it would be interesting to invite artists to create a similar concept in the U.S.

    We enjoyed our night in town, and we look forward to our final leg of the cruise to Köln tomorrow. Guten Nacht!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Rhine Cruise Day 7

    31 Mayıs 2022, Almanya ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This morning the M.S. Henry Chaucer left Koblenz around 7 a.m. enroute to our final mooring spot of Köln (Cologne) Germany.

    As we were making it up the river, our guide let us know that we would be passing a key WWII site soon, the remnants of the Ludendordf Bridge, a key strategic crossing in Remagen that was a critical pivot point to end the war in Europe.

    As American forces were planning to make a Rhine River crossing they were surprised to discover that the Germans had failed to destroy the Ludendorff Bridge. Fortuitously for Allied forces, this allowed the U.S. Army to get across the Rhine and to build adjacent pontoon bridges for strategic crossing. Germany made several attrmpts to destroy the bridge, and nearby civilians were killed by bombing campaigns. Hitler also ordered the execution of German officers for the failed demolition attempts.

    On March 17th, the bridge ultimately collapsed, killing some American troops who fell into the frigid Rhine or were trapped under heavy bridge sections. A day after Memorial Day, we were reminded of their sacrifice and the likelihood that other lives were spared by reduced weeks of battle.

    Here is some news footage from this event:
    https://youtu.be/qNShQQiq0co

    In 1965, Remagen Mayor Hans P. Kürten wanted to commensurate the spot where the bridge once stood. Fifteen years later, his dream was realized and the Peace Bridge Memorial was created. The lives of Americans and Germans lost in the battle are memorialized.

    It was moving to pass by the memorial and to see the U.S. flag flying above.

    "Every day let us work for peace with our mind and heart.
    Each person should begin with himself."
    H.P. Kürten

    We arrived in Köln around noon, noting the dominant structure of the Köln Cathedral in the cityscaoe. We decided to take a trip into the city to get clothes laundered, to find our upcoming lodging, and to familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood where we'll be.

    When we departed from the coach that took us to town, we noticed a striking statue with a nun, but also with a star of David and a sculpted pile of shoes. When I saw the Star of David and the shoes, my mind immediately returned to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. I will never forget the image of piles of shoes of those murdered. I knew that I needed to learn more about the statue and the significance of the nun.

    We learned that the Statue portrays Edith Stein (Sister Teresia Benedicta a Cruce) a member of the Discalced (shoeless) Carmelite nun. She was raised in Jewish faith, became agnostic in her teen years, and she earned her Doctorate and became a teacher. She was forced to leave teaching because she couldn't earn an Aryan Certificate. She then became a nun and she was part of the effort to try to stop Nazi persecution of Jews until she was among those rounded up and murdered at Auschwitz.
    She is now one of the patron saints of Germany.

    This experience highlights the opportunity that I hope to continue to embrace in my lifetime: to explore the world with curiosity and to be a lifelong learner. I have been very fortunate to have had so many similar opportunities in my time in Europe to date.

    After leaving the Statue of St Teresia, we looked for the address of our next accommodations. We are excited about the neighborhood. It reminds us of the tree-lined neighborhoods in Barcelona.

    We stopped for a beer at a nearby café and then dropped by the laundromat. Although we were only there briefly to drop off laundry, I noticed the comfortable sitting area, several books available and Beethoven's 5th Symphony playing softly in the background.

    We decided to figure out the metro system, abs we took a route to the Cathedral. We do plan a visit back so I will comment more about it in a later post, but it's absolutely magnificent. It was an added bonus that organ music resonated throughout our visit.

     I think it could be possible to get a bit weary of European cathedrals, but that's not been the case. It is interesting that the cathedrals seem to draw more attention to tourists than church attendees. Regardless, they are beautiful works of art.

    As we left the grounds of the cathedral, we noticed a perfume store selling Cologne's trademark perfume mentioned by our cruise director: The Original Eau de Cologne 4711 created in 1708 is named after its location at Glockengasse No. 4711. I took a whiff, snd I would describe it as a formulation of citrus and floral scents. I've never heard of it, and I have no idea how widely known it is in America. The Brits on board certainly knew the reference.

    We returned to our boat for a last night cocktail and spectacular several course dinner. Jim C had an eggplant dish, and I had the Beef Wellington. Dessert was Baked Alaska which was served in a procession with sparklers.

    It's been a fine cruise, and we're excited about our next adventure. Guten Nacht!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos-Köln Day 1

    1 Haziran 2022, Almanya ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    After a farewell breakfast we disembarked from the M.S. Geoffrey Chaucer. We really loved cruising on the Rhine and we saw many wonderful sights. It was nice being taken care of by the staff, and we appreciated the flexibility to do what we wanted on the excursions.

    This cruise reinforced for us what we've previously thought. When it comes to travel, we're generally not fond of being part of the herd. The cruise served as a nice transition point, but we have generally preferred our own scheduling and independence.

    We headed into Cologne by metro, and we decided to store our backpacks and go back to the Köln Cathedral. The Cathedral really does reach high into the sky. In the 1880's it was the tallest building in the world.

    One of the sections that closed before we could enter last evening purportedly holds the relics (remains) of the Three Kings (Wise Men). Admittedly, I'm a bit of a skeptic about such things; however, the artwork and the triple gold sarcophagus were beautiful.

    We did find some of the interplay of sculptures and other artforms to be a bit bizarre. Some appeared a bit whimsical and out of place given the somber setting. For example, there was a figure that we assumed to be a Bishop kicking back in apparent leisure underneath a painting of the crucifixion.

    In one of the side areas we saw panels describing the German churches actively contributing to antisemitism in their words and art. Despite that revelation, those images have not been removed and are seen as part of history. We were reminded of parallel debate of whether the Confederate flag or statues portraying Confederate officers should exist. And the argument here also seems about eliminating heritage without due regard to ceasing to elevate oppressors or images that have perpetuated destructive narratives. When I was talking with Jim C about it he observed "It's not acceptable to hold up as a legacy those who were on the wrong side of moral judgment. In history, we will not forget Robert E. Lee. He should not be celebrated."

    We learned that disturbing antisemitic woodwork carvings still remain in the choir benches in the Cathedral. Here's a further reference:
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judensau_at_the…

    We left the church and took a stroll into the Heurmarkt (Haymarket) for a bite to eat. It was fun to watch a newly married bride and groom having their wedding reception at a nearby outdoor restaurant.

    After lunch, we made our way to the penthouse flat where we are staying. The place has spectacular views, and we learned that the flat owner also owns German restaurants a few miles away.

    We both took a long nap, and then we decided to go out for dinner. We were both feeling a little homesick for food back home so we chose an Indian Restaurant. That choice might seem odd, but it reminded us of going to an Indian restaurant that we frequently visit in Portland.

    We ended the night with a trip to one of the gay neighborhoods in Cologne to go for a drink. We haven't been in this kind of space since our time in Madrid, and it was nice to be able to go out and relax without feeling an obligation to self-censor.

    It's been another good day, and we look forward to exploring Köln over the next few days
    Guten Nacht!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Jim FotterGezginTwo Jims' European Adventure

    Fünf Fotos- Köln Day 2

    2 Haziran 2022, Almanya ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    After a great night's sleep, we walked to Rico, an outdoor café in the neighborhood for breakfast. It was fun to watch the city coming to life, although this neighborhood is pretty sedate overall.

    We decided to check out Köln's Botanical Gardens as the day was sunny and cool. The grounds were really beautiful, and we enjoyed seeing the different plants, those familiar and unfamiliar.

    Since the launch of our trip, we have sent photos and videos back to our granddaughter, Olive, of one of her favorite storybook characters, Pete the Cat. Jim C found the book at the local library about a year or so ago. In the first book that we read to her, Pete is wearing his brand new white shoes and through a series of mishaps, he stains them as he steps in the different obstacles (🫐, 🍓, mud and water). Regardless, Pete remains undaunted and sings a ditty that embraces his altered footwear. The story ends with a great moral: "No matter what you step in, just keep walking and singing your song."

    We created a bit of an amused stir of those observing us place Pete strategically on a statue in the garden. It was fun to attempt to explain what we were doing to a German audience.

    I have a purpose to my lengthy birdwalk (catwalk?): Olive is 3 years old today. It is bittersweet being thousand of miles away, but we have been making weekly Zoom calls to stay connected in addition to our "Pete" texts. We love watching Olive grow. We cherish the opportunity to be Opa & Papi. Olive has lived most of her young life amidst the pandemic, and yet she is one of the most joyous souls. And as we celebrate Olive, we also celebrate our bonus grandson James who Olive adores.

    So today, rather than just getting lost in our latest attraction, we took time to celebrate our family and the life waiting back home for us in Portland.

    Our life is muy Rica es the café reminded us today. Guten Tag!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
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