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  • Lansers on the Loose ...

Western European Adventures

And so it begins ... 45 days of new horizons to fill our hearts and souls! We are going to try to highlight our joys and delights and probably even our snags and snaffues ... right here on this little blog! Read more
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    August 20, 2018
    Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...
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    Western European Adventures!

    August 20, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    We took the Red Arrow to Calgary and spent the night in Calgary! Just sipping coffee in bed and getting more familiar with this travel app before WestJet whisks us away from here to Halifax ... AND THEN ... across the pond to our first stop in the adventure!!

    Glasgow, Scotland!!!

    We had the 'Plus' seating fron Calgary to Halifax .... so comfortable!! Thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken Pad Thai ... and complimentary red wine ... and .... had scads of leg room!

    Got squeeezed into a regular seat for the second leg of our flight from Halifax to Glasgow! Caught a few winks and arrived at 8:00am! john is already excited about the Scotch ... but ... it's far too early for that! I'll share more of our first day here later!!

    Sending love from Sctoland ... k&j    Read more

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    Hello Glasgow!!

    August 21, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We've got a little AirBnB reserved for 5 days! We found our place! It's a long hike up a narrow circular staircase ...
    but the room is lovely. We walked over to a local eatery for breakfast. I had the chili corn fritters with pomegranite and pumpkin seeds and poached eggs. John opted for the Harissa ... black pudding ... avocado and poached egg. He rounded out the fare with a "white coffee" ... which looks like a cappucino ... but comes with a block of fudge on the side!

    And so ... the joys of our travels continued after I dragged John off the bed ... and we figured out the confusing local train system and arrived in Glasglow Central Station! John figured there were about 19 platforms! So we wandered around and found a nice place to have a glass of beer and wine. They had over 300 different beers ... and ... you ordered by downloading the APP, place your order with your table number and it would be delivered! As you can see ... ours was a nice table outdoors ... #111. We weren't adventurous enough to download the app ... we just did it the old fashioned way! ;-)

    And then ... we ventured back to the south of Glasgow where our AirBnB is located and sampled some more of the local fare. I had the the Beef Stroganoff ... it was lovely!! John ordered the "Haggiss, Neeps and Tatties" ... which he deemed to be delicious. I got brave enough to taste the haggis ... and it was good ... but I'd never ordrer it! I did, however, order two different desserts (to "take away") because we were too dang full to eat anything more. BUT ... we had to have a taste of the "Banoffee Pie" (which John says should be illegal!). It was, in fact, so scrumptious that we almost had nothing left to take away!! The Lemon Meringue would have seemed all the better were it not for the Banoffee ... which is banana and toffee (I'm guessing MacIntosh toffee -all sticky and gooey!)! John is still talking about it being the pie of the Gods.

    We've carried our stuffed bodies home now ...ready for some shut eye! Tommorrow is a new day filled with who knows what kinds of delights! We are so enjoying their "wee" accents ... :-)    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...

    And ... Scotland Does Not Disappoint!

    August 22, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    After a rough night trying to sleep ... we enjoyed another fabulous day in Glasgow! We chatted over another exceptional meal about our Grins, Gasps, Gripes and Gratitudes. Here are the highlights from our discussion!

    GRINS: eating fresh battered fish with vinegar and salt out of the take-away container while waiting for the bus! We never would have ordered the vinegar ... but for the clerk at the street side fish and chip place determined we should definitely take it! And she was SO right!

    GASPS: During our tour a The Clydeside Distillery ... John gasped at me - several times ... for actually TRYING a very WEE sip of all three types of scotch during our taste testing ... the Lowlands, the Highlands and the Islay (really peety)! Gah ... it was just horrible! Almost had to plug my nose ..but ... you know what they say: "When in Rome ..."

    And ... I gasped in total shock to hear that my Scotch loving hubby had to come to Scotland in order to learn that although he's been drinking Scotch 'neat' all these years ... THAT is NOT the optimal way to maximize the taste! Apprently, you need to add a few drops of water and then let it rest for 20 minutes!!! John was so incredibly tickled that it made such a difference in the taste!

    GRIPES: gosh ... we could not think of any gripes! Oh ... except for when John's wallet dropped out of his pocket. But, in all honesty, we can't even gripe about that because I saw it fall ... so ... we didn't lose it!!

    GRATITUDES: it rained during the night ... but we had 90% chance of rain this morning and never got a drop. The sun even shone on us!! And the people are simply fabulous ... and ... the food has been fabulour too thus far!!!
    And we really enjoyed our time on Buchanan street (it's like 8th Avenue mall in Calgary ... but twice as wide!) with shops and bars and restaurants and the buskers playing bagpipes and/or singing beautifully! I added a wee little video of one of them here!

    And ... the Hop On Hop Off Bus is always such a great way to get a sense of the city! We learened on the bus that in Scotland, they have a third legal verdict . You can be found guilty ... not guilty .. or not proven. Which, means that we know you are guilty but they just can't prove it ... hence the old adage " getting off Scot Free"

    Oh ... and we also learned the root of the terms ..." make a concession for ..." ! Apparently, students and anyone over 60 qualify for "concession" here in Scotland. Which means ... they give you a discount on your fees for events. I'm including it as a gratitude that we got the discount ... but ... it could also be a wee gripe that we are gaining in years enough to qualify. It's just too bad they don't offer the same concession at the pubs for us grey haired souls!

    Okay ... enough for now! Talk to you all again tomorrow!    Read more

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    Meanderings & Our Glasgow Pub Crawl

    August 23, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Grins, Gasps, Gripes and Gratitudes of our very full and fun day in Glasgow!!

    We started out with some fresh bread (hot out of the oven baked by our AirBnB host Kenny!) ... it was soooo good. And then ... the day just got better!

    GRINS: The guy at the Glasgow Central Train Station started us off with a lbelly laugh today! The terminal is enormous and we needed to exit through the right doors. So we asked him:  "How do we get down to the level under the bridge?"  "Well" ... he says without missing a beat "you hava to shovel." Never even cracked a smile until we started laughing. He was brilliant!!! And, his sense of humor is not at all rare! The Scots are hilarious ... in the driest ways possible! 😀

    We headed out to the Transportation Museum and spent some time learning more about sea life aboard the GlenLee ... A famous Tall Ship from the past! it was frightening to consider that people had to climb up over 100 feet in the air to adjust the sails!!!! I will post a video if I can figure out how!

    PUBCRAWL ... was a definite GRIN + a GRATITUDE!

    We decided we couldn't leave Scotland without enjoying our own ...self-contrived ... Pub Crawl! It was such a great time!! One thing we learned quickly is that you place your order at the bar ... then find a seat ... and bring it back to your table with you! We started at 'The Piper Bar'... where we sampled the Stornoway Stack! Such authentic Scottish fare!! I even liked it!! And ... John did justice to his Scotch (Bowmore) with a dropper of water at the table! He probably never let it rest long enough though! Just sayin' ... he seemed a bit impatient to me!

    Next on our stop was 'The Toll Booth' . Please meet our new friend ... Samuel McCaffrey. See picture below!! He'd already tipped a few back ... well ... maybe a few too many. He expressed that he had trouble understanding our accents 😉. But ... we learned his wife passed from cancer... and he's a musician ... and he could name more Canadian singers than we could! And ... he could name at least 7 left handed guitar players too!! We wanted to buy him a beer but the bartender had already cut him off. It was lovely to chat with him though. Everyone has a story. Hopefully we redeemed Canadians because an American acquaintance of his told him that he hated Canadians. I guess our rivalry is alive and well and now known to the Scots. 😉

    Bar 91 ... more upscale and trendy ... we had the "mezze" ... hummous, falafel, roasted peppers, mixed olives and pitta bread. But ... POP QUIZ ... can you guess what is in the bottle in the pic below?? We had to figure it out ... ! They were on all the tables ... just like salt and pepper!

    And thank goodness for the lovely lady drinking tea who saw we were trying to get the servers attention and sent him back our way. It was so loud in there that he couldn't even hear us calling to him. We chatted later and he said as the night goes on the Scots get louder ... the music gets louder ... then the Scots have to get louder ... and he speculated that before we know it we'd have a couple of new best friends sitting at our table!! Little did we know how accurate his premonition was going to be!!

    In fact ... our experience of the Scots has been so stellar!! The people at the table next to us at Bar 91 looked like they had some kind of sangria... but no ... upon inquiry we discovered it was gin. The gentleman even offered for me to taste it!! Gotta love that kind of hospitality! 😁 And ... just out of interest ... John counted that out of 41 patrons ... only 2 were on their phone. In the Toll Booth ... no one was using their phone!

    We also found ourselves at 'Denholms' ... and ... met some extraordingary folks! Had some really genuine conversation with Chris, Helen (his second mom) and his real mom and enjoyed some incredibly impressive karaoke. Can they ever sing!!! We had such fun with these delightful souls that we stayed until way past our bed time. I took some video ... but it doesn't do it justice really!

    GASP: Its such a small world. We couldn't sit together on the HopOn Hop Off due to the rain. John squeezed in beside a lady ... and he could tell when she said the seat was wet that she was not Scottish. Turns out she was from Medicine Hat! 

    And another gasp what when we discovered we were sitting on the wrong train after our Pub Crawl! Were it not for a very kind gentleman at the end of the evening ... alerting us to the fact that we were on the right platform, but the wrong train ....well ... who knows how long it would have taken us to get home! There is always always always a snaffu!

    GRIPES: Only the lack of sleep!! Still have our days and nights confused. Didn't ... couldn't ... fall alseep last night before 3:00am here!! Gah. Not good. And I'm still up now ... at 11:37pm ... hoping though that once I close my eyes that the sleep will come!

    GRATITUDES: Oh my ...so many! I even found a lucky penny to tuck into my shoe earlier today at the train station. Oh ...and it rained all morning ... but the sun shone for us while we enjoyed the exhibits ... and ... the pub crawl (we were on foot!). And ... check out the sign that I saw in the bathroom of the last pub! I am so grateful for the humanity so generously expressed within it!! Oh gosh ... and more of their wonderful humor can be found in the other wall posting!

    And so ... it was such a great day! Hopin for a good sleep! We are off to Edinburgh tomorrow for the Fringe Festival!! Talk to you later ..... xo    Read more

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    Escapades in Edinburgh

    August 24, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    FUN FACTS: 

    During the "Fringe Festival" the population of Edinburgh increases from 500,000 people to one million!! 

    We learned that another old adage originated in Edinburgh. Being "ear marked" came from the barbaric torture of nailing shady characters ears to the post. You'd have to RIP your own ear in order to escape ... leaving you "earmarked" so people could visibly tell you were a scoundrel. 

    The architectural beauty of the "Old Town" and the "Royal Mile" is beyond spectacular in the most medieval and magical manner. It really brings you back in time. Not as far back as ... Game of Thrones ... but ... the cobblestones and rain showers and chilly wind are enchantingly mixed with the sunshine and smiles on the faces of the bartenders and passersby.

    And ... Rose Street is a pedestrian road littered generously with pubs and shops and people consuming liberally ... both imbibing and spending! ☺

    Oh ... and we've learned that the Scots have their very own rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow. In fact, the common saying in Glasgow is that "The only good thing coming out of Edinburgh is the train to Glasgow." 😁

    GRINS: We had an early morning start ... after our FIRST good night's sleep! And we discovered a Tim Hortons enroute yo the Queen Street Train Station! The sun was beaming on us through the train windows as we took the 52 minute commute this morning while sipping our Timmy's. And the countryside is stunning in its rich green offerings! And John finally got to enjoy a bowl of "Cullin Skink"( smoked haddock& potato chowder) ...which he rated a full 9.5 out of 10. I tried the fries ... only a 7. I was hoping for fresh cut fries! They weren't bad but they weren't home made. I'll stay on the hunt ... maybe better chance in London!

    GASPS: Arghhh! Everytime we passed by another train I nearly jumped out of my skin. Every. Single.Time. They are so close ... its ridiculous! 😲😟😬

    GRIPES: not really a gripe ... but ... I had to try the cheese, onion and carrot sandwich. I'd seen them often ... thought they must be as Scottish as their "toasties" (which are like grilled cheese sandwiches... all melty and gooey inside) . Sadly, I have not tried a toastie yet but it's on my list!! I did not, however, care much for the cheese, onion and carrot. A bit too rich and the onion was awfully strong!! It rated a 4 out of 10 for our Canadian palates! 

    GRATITUDES: So many. We were able to find the specially recommended hot pie and roll with butter ... with the pie put into the roll. This delicacy is not at all common but was highly recommended by our friends Chris and Helen from the pub last night. They even wrote it down so we could give the order to the staff at Gregg's Bakery. While the sausage roll is their best seller, John gives the hot pie in the roll a solid 9 out of 10. 👍

    And ... we couldn't have been more grateful than to have enjoyed a live theatre performance called " A Work in Progress." It was so darn good that I had tears because I was laughing so hard. John agreed... he thought it was "hilarious"!! We give it 11 out of 10!

    And then there were the "Bangers and Mash and Gravy" at a cozy little pattisserie on the Royal Mile . Neither of us have ever before had such a smoothly whipped potato ... rating it a firm 8 for taste and 9 for texture! Delicious ... and ... it was even more enjoyable sitting outdoors with a violinist evoking incredible emotions with her exquisite craftsmanship!! There we were ... just trying to enjoy our bangers ...and ... we were both tearing up!! Yep. Both weeping tenderly into our mash. And ... I should have included this in our GASP section ... but ... I had no idea that you could play "Don't worry , Be Happy!" on the violin! Wow ... so appreciative of that calibre of talent! We even bought a CD from her. I took some video. Not sure if it will do it justice because I had to crop it so I could post it here. I really hope you can get the 'feel' of it too! 💛

    All in all ... it was a fabulous day! We got home early ... hoping to get a second good night's sleep before we head off for the Lochness and Inverness and I think the Highlands tomorrow! So .. we're sipping a glass of wine ... John is checking options for travel and sleep whenwe leave London. And ... I'm happily journalling our days delights here ... and grateful I can share them with with you.

    We hope you are all doing well ... and ... send lots of love! k&j    Read more

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    The Highlands of Scotland

    August 25, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    FUN FACTS:

    What we know to be "infinity scarves" are called "snoods" here Scotland! I had to buy one when I misplaced my favorite scarf somewhere! 

    Sheep are everywhere in the Highlands ... dyed different colors to identify ownership in shared co-op for grazing.

    They highlands were heavily populated prior to all the battles. Very little Gaelic is spoken anymore ... especially in the Lowlands. They have both languages on the road signs where it is still spoken. And so ... Glaschu is the Gaelic for Glasgow.

    The Carrick Golf Course ... sees many pro tournaments played there ... but otherwise its members only with a 72 year wait list. No transfers. The only way to get a membership is if someone leaves or dies. 😟

    The folk lore of Scotland is so very enchanting!! The Scots are known to be very superstitious. For example, Glen Coe ... is the glen of the weeping stone (thought to be the tears of MacDonald Clan!) and is used in the opening shoot of the Outlander series. This part of the Highlands proudly boasts the three sisters peaks of Faith, Hope and Charity. Interesting, the town is called Glencoe ... small 'c' but the glen is big 'c'.

    Apparently you don't want to claim your Clan Campbell heritage if you are on Clan Macdonald land! There are public places where it is written that Campbells are not welcome!

    The size of the church tells you the size of the towns in the Highlands! Small town = small church. However ... the latest research states that those living in Great Britain are 70% non religious. 

    And there are numerous swing bridges ... to accommodate the water traffic at the expense of the road traffic! A risk you take when travelling by car. It could cost you 5 to 35 minutes delay if the bridge swings before you! 

    The Highland Games were being played in one of the little towns "Drum" something. We learned that one of the strictest rules is that you MUST be wearing a kilt in order to participate!

    There is also 96 mile walk along the base of the highlands ...... called the "West Hoghlands Way". It starts in Milngavie... passes through Loch Lomond and goes on to Fort William. We could see people with back packs making their way! Who knew the Scots have their own Camino trail? 😊

    GAHS: Emmm ... (oh my ...I'm starting to write with a Scottish drawl!) ........ it occurred to me while we were on this trip that Scotland is where our Scotch Pines come from! Duh. Gah. I know. It seems obvious now ... but I never connected the dots. I mean ... I have never thought about a tree's origin before. I still have no clue where Blue Spruce originated?? Anyone? And, apparently ... the Scots Pine (as they call it here) it is one of the hardiest trees ... grows almost anywhere and bears the most exceptional woods.

    GRINS: At Urquhart Castle ... the time frame was incredibly tight and we had to meet to embark for the Loch Ness cruise. With 47 people on the bus ... the likelihood of people being late is as high as the hills! And so ... our driver mentioned... dare I say 25 times that we needed to be on the dock by 2:25pm ... lest we 'miss the boat'.... literally! And ... I laughed out loud when John wondered if he should be the timekeeper!!! Ha ha ha!! Not. One. Chance. 🙄

    GASPS: Passing other big tour buses on mountain passes and lakeside roads! There were a few times we met and we had to back up and stop to allow them to pass. The rest of the time our lady driver drove at the speed of Nascar... despite the curves and lack of shoulders! 

    Oh ... and I gasped persistently when rounding corners and coming unexpectedly upon bicyclers on these narrow roads!! I found myself thinking that they were clearly putting their lives at risk to share this tiny road with motorists. I had no idea how psychic my intuitions were! 😔

    GRATITUDES:
    Oh my ... the weather for today's excursion could not have been better ... a "bonnie, bonnie" day ... it was warm, clear, sunny and wind free!

    We thoroughly enjoyed the Loch Ness Cruise ... along the 23 miles long and 3 miles wideexpanse of this infamous lake. It's do deep that you could submerge the Eiffel Tower in it. The water looks black. They say it is essentially it's own glen with sunlight penetrating only the first 120 feet. With peet on the bottom. 

    And although there have been about 1000 sightings ... we did not see the monster (affectionately named "Nessie") in the loch. BTW: "Inver" means the mouth of .... so, Inverness is at the mouth of Loch Ness. Loch= lake.

    Ben Nevis is the highest peak in Great Britain. At 4406 feet high ... there are only 60 days per year in Scotland where the summit can only be seen.. We got lucky enough to see it!!!  We also learned that Bananas are discouraged to be taken by hikers or climbers because the peels are not biodegradable... and ... in this climate they just get really slippery and make footing precarious. Who knew that a healthy snack could be dangerous on a mountainside! 

    Got to taste another Scottish specialty today ... Scotch Broth. A hearty soup filled with chunks of carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, maybe some peas and lots of pearl barley. Very satisfying.

    John got to enjoy free Scotch Whiskey samples at lunch.

    And ... I'd be remiss not to mention how grateful I was for the timely bathroom stops on our 12 hour travel day! I was also grateful for my wee little credit card sized charger so I could keep my phone alive for the duration!

    GRIPES: Once again ... more of a gratitude than a gripe ... but we did not make it all the way to Inverness so, we did not get a chance to see Jamie and Claire. There was a fatality on the road ... and there is only one road in and out. They expected the road to be closed for 8 hours ... so ... we turned back and retraced our steps to get back to Glasgow. The fatality involved a motorbike and a bus like the one we were on. Our driver said that on beautiful days, they can count on seeing the motorbikes out in record numbers. My premonition was realized. Although I am sorry we didn't get to see all the places on our tour, I am so darn grateful that we remained safe and sound on these narrow roads.

    And ... we got to do a good deed! On our way back we passed another crash. A father and son who were in that accident needed a lift because there is only one taxi in the nearby town and it was out transporting the other accident victims home. We are so happy we had three extra seats so we could give them two!!!

    And I am graeful we arrived safe and sound on our last day here in Scotland! All in all ... we've enjoyed such a great taste of Scotland! Tomorrow we head off to Ireland. Talk to you soon ... k & j    Read more

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    Farewell Scotland and Hello Ireland

    August 26, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Okay ... so ... it was our last half day in Glasgow and it was the first time it was dark, dreary and wet from the rain. On the way to the airport, our cabby stated this was typical of the weather all winter in Glasgow. An so, we were reminded just how grateful we were to have enjoyed all the sights and events with such fine weather over our time here. We dont think we would have been so eager to participate in the outdoor activities if the weather had been dark, cold and dreary.

    GRINS: We started the day off with a lovely breakfast at our very favorite restaurant in Scotland! Moyra Janes! LOVED it there so much that we went back 3 or 4 times over our 5 days there! john ordered his favorite Eggs Benny Royale ... smoked salmon on a croissant with poached to perfection eggs and hollandaise sauce!

    We arrived early to the airport and were alerted, at the last minute, that our flight was delayed by an hour. So .. what's a traveler to do in such circumstances? Order a drink and some "Topped skinny fries." They come with cheese, maple-cured bacon, sour cream or British beef chili and sourcream. Well ... you can't fool me! How could any or all of those be "skinny"? 🤔 There were tasty but the menu indicated that they were 1300 calories per order! We finally departed about 5:00pm instead of 3:25pm ... but ... we weren't comlaining ... yet!

    GAHS: We arrived into Dublin ... and you know how taxi cabs are lined up waiiting for people at the airport. Well ... not so in Ireland. We were in a line lup that rivaled some of the rides at Disneyland! No word of a lie! When we finally got into the taxi, our driver laughed when we gave him our address.

    "No way ... can't get you there. Not today! Not a hope in hell." 

    GASP: He called out to one of the airport security guys. They both shook their heads in agreement. "We'll get you as close as we can ... but ... you are probably going to have to walk for a ways." Huh??

    GROANS: It turns out that the Pope was in town and had just given mass in the park nearby our AirBnB. And, therefore all the streets were blocked off in a gigantic radius ... enought to accomodate the 200,000 people trying to get out. They were expecting 500,000. The cabby talked about the poor turnout! Less than half of what they thought would arriveactually showed up. he had some thoughts about it.

    Despite the poor turnout 😉 ... the roads were indeeed all blocked off within a 20 to 30 minute walk of our AirBnB! The cabby tried his very best to get us as close as possible ... but ... we got dropped off in the middle of who knows where and we had to hike in!!!

    GRIPES: It sounds hilarious in retrospect ... but ... it cost us $60CAD to not get taken where we wanted to go!!!

    GRATITUDES: We dropped our bags into our room and then, of course, went for refreshments! Unfortunately, the only thing appealing to me on the menu was the soup! And, it did NOT disappoint! John ordered the lamb kidneys with mushrooms ... AND ... had his very first official GUINNESS! He is a happy boy!

    And ... we are glad to be here ... but .. one more gripe. We are back in our room and the music from the pub next door is so loud that we can hear it clearly enough to sing along. Hopefully this will be funny in retrospect too! BUT, was tempted to audio record it so you could hear just how loud it really is!!! The walls must be paper thin!

    Tomorrow we are hoping to get on the Hop On Hop Off bus (just outside our door - stop 28) to acquaint ourselves with the community! I look forward to reconnecting with you again after our first day here! Here's hopiing we enjoy the luck of the Irish from now on ...    Read more

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    Dublin Delights ... Pun Intended

    August 27, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Well ... I guess our first week of travel caught up with us! We had trouble getting up and at it this morning ... we were still in bed at 9:00am!! And guess what?? Not a peep outside either! No traffic sounds, no pub music ... no sign of life in Dublin at that ghastly early morning hour!  And so ... at the risk of sounding ungrateful, I must start out this journalling with a gripe! 

    GRIPES: So... when we arrived at our flat ...we got the keys to our castle! And ... it takes three of them to get to our room. And although they look good ... they don't work well! We have to fiddle and tinker and pray ... like we are Irish Catholics ... that we will quickly defeat the lock. And so ... I'm griping. The locks are such formidable foes! We forgot something in the room and decided to go without it rather than turn back and risk the frustration of the key turning! 🙄

    And somehow, although my cardinal rule when seeking out accommodation was having a private bathroom ... we ended up with a shared loo in this Airbnb!! And ... it's two very narrow flights up the creaky crooked hairpin curved staircase!😫 And of course ... at 2:45am .... someone had to pee! It must have been the Guinness ... because it wasn't me!! So, John was going to make the dark trek up those twelve steps alone. I didn't have to go then but figured I better go for a proactive piddle rather than rouse us both again an hour later! And ... just so you know ... we can hear the toilet flushing in our room! 

    Okay ... and just one more wee little groan before I move on ... okay? I love all the nice espressos ... but I sure do miss my cream!! They use only milk. And ... I need a whole cow to it creamy enough. And so ... I'd rather go without. Hence my sad dilemma. 

    GASPS: Check out the pic of our electric system! And our low ceiling over head lighting is rather romantic! 😁

    GRATITUDES: Sausage rolls and quiche Lorraine for breakfast at The Natural Bakery, and, oh my ... the camera simply cannot capture the majesty of the flowers spilling down in opulent abundance and cascading in sheer generosity of the faces of the pubs!! John said it was absolutely "floretic'. I think he coined a new term here ... but its apt ... because I'm speechless in trying to describe the magic of their display! 
    🌼🌹🥀🌾🌻🌺⚘

    I'm also grateful that my anxious mind can relax because we got so many loose ends taken care of today! We found a 'print center' that could print out train tickets...we located the pick up for our tour to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. And we figured out a way to take a train out to the fishing village in Howth without having to take a tour bus!! Woohoo! Oh ... and did I mention how lovely the weather is!?! We were sitting short sleeved on the patio at 5:00pm. Not a rain cloud in sight! 

    GRINS: Lunch at 'The Temple Bar" ...which boasts Ireland's largest sandwich collection...92 in all!! We had a #28 and a #29!  Oh ... I would be remiss not to mention that I have been reluctant to let John take pictures with my phone because he will drain my battery taking pics of bridges and statues and things that don't mean much to me. 

    So .. a new competition was accepted!! John was armed with the tablet and I with my phone. And ... we are going to let you all vote and decide who captured the BEST picture of Ireland !! I have posted a few from each of us!

    GAHS: I wish I was a beer drinker ...because ... the wine is 50% more expensive than the beer. it turns out that I'm an expensive date! And the bus driver on the Hop On Hop Off Bus was a real card! Everytime new passengers boarded, he introduced himself with a different name. He also quoted Oscar Wilde: "The ladies are to be loved not understood". So now John claims he no longer has to understand me ... just love me. Sheesh ... 41 years of training .....right down the tubes because Oscar Wilde and the bus driver (whoever he really is!) said so!! 

    And so, later ... when we were at the Bad Ass Bar and John goes to the "toilet". He sees a sign that says " Men to the left ... women are always right!" So ... maybe there is hope that all is not lost! 😉

    FUN FACTS: Dublin looks like an old industrial town ... a sign said: "Don't wish for it, work for it." sounds more like a Protestant work ethic than a Catholic rule of thumb ... but ... it seems like hard work is part and parcel of living in the UK over the years! Most interestingly, the restaurants and pubs list allergens by number on the menu! So, for instance, shellfish is 1, nuts are 2, gluten is 3 etc. And then beside every menu item, you get all the numbers to be concerned with. So smart!!

    Gosh ... I could go on forever! So many delight in Dublin ... but enough for now ... there is no noise next door so we are going to sleep early!
    Warmest smiles to all ... k&j    Read more

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    The Goodness of Guinness

    August 28, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    GRATITUDES: We started the day a little later than usual ... but feeling more rested ... with one small Irish breakfast (aka " a fry"). This includes bacon (more like ham), sausage, flat mushroom, fried egg, homemade baked beans(to die for!) and a toasted sourdough served with tea or coffee! We added a waffle with maple syrup and mixed fruit ... and .. it comes with fresh cream. I guess they only use their fresh cream for whipping ... not for coffee! Dang it! Other than the lack of cream for my coffee, the meals here in the UK have put our American food service industry to shame. John always wants to lick the plate!! 😛 Oh ... and I found a display of the allergens they list on the menu that I was talking about yesterday! They assign each of them numbers. So cool.

    As a social worker, I can't even express how it warmed my heart to see, instead of paid advertising on the sides of the city buses ... a message fostering the embrace of diversity and promoting inclusivity! Wow! A whole city loudly proclaiming notions of social justice!!

    We thoroughly enjoyed a 7 floor tour of the St James Gate Brewery & Guiness Storehouse. It's the most popular tourist attraction in Dublin ... boasting1.8 million visitors in 2017. At its peak ... the brew house employed 8000 people ... these days only 800! It's currently the 4th pr 5th largest Guiness brewery in the world. Nigeria has the largest! 

    Apparently Arthur Guiness signed a 9000 year lease for the premises in 1759! We also learned that Guiness contains twice the hops of other ales ... and ... it is the addition of nitrogen that give it the thick creamy head! (30 million gas bubbles in every pint).
    I enjoyed my first pint of Guiness. John helped me with it, but it was very good! And ... in Irish when you raise your glass you say "Slotcha" which means cheers ... and an invocation of health and well-being! I don't know if I spelled that right ... but that it what it sounded like!

    Oh ... and I had my first 'toastie' at the Storehouse made with Guiness mustard mayonnaise. John tried the Hot Roast Beef sandwich with Guiness carmelized onions and horseradish mayonnaise. So dang delicious ... gobbled it up enthusiastically while swaying and tapping toes to the music played by a live Irish band ... ! I think we have some video!😍

    GRINS: The DoDublin Hop On Hop Off bus is great fun. We were stopped at a light and the driver launched a sing-along! I posted a wee video to capture the feel of it!! 🤗

    FUN FACTS: The police are called the Garda ... not the police. "Dockers" ... are known to be really tough men who used to work on the docks! And there are Subway sandwich stores everywhere here ... but ... not a McDonald's in sight. You'd think with the name McDonald there would be some roots here in Ireland. So interesting to see some franchise stores but not others!

    Oh my ... there are so, so many buses: tour buses, sightseeing buses, air coaches, city buses. Buses, buses, buses!! 

    The tram is called the "Luas" ... which means 'speed'! We took a trip on it today to get oriented because we have to take it to get across the city by 6:30am for our early morning tour to Galway! 

    We learned that the harp is oldest Irish musical instrument. And the Samuel Beckett Bridge is shaped just like a harp ... going over the river Liffey (the "An Life' in Irish). The Guiness Company was not granted permission to use the harp for their logo ... so not to be dissuaded... they just tipped it sideways and used it anyway!! 🙃

    GROANS: We were hoping to take a tour of the jail but they were booked up. I guess it wasn't meant to be!  So ... what's a traveler supposed to do when there are no more sights to see? Go to the pub for oysters and Guiness! 😉

    GAHS: I just realized that we haven't shared much of the architectural sights around Dublin like the cathedral here. There are many old stone churches (kils) and buildings here to enjoy.

    And so ... we shall say good night for now. We are calling it a night so we can get to sleep soon and be early birds tomorrow for our tour! I'm hoping we can sit at the front of the bus ... 🤞🤞🤞

    As John and the Irish would say : "Top of the evening" ... and/or "Top of the morning!" ... depending where you are when you read this! 🧡    Read more

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    The Cliffs of Moher and Galway

    August 29, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    GRATITUDES: I must start this by letting you know how grateful I was to see sunshine ... and... to get the very front seat of the coach for our 13 hour travels to the West coast and along the Wild Atlantic Way today!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗

    GASPS OF GORGEOUS GIFTS FOR OUR SENSES: Our first stop was the Cliffs of Moher! These incredible scapes of land are 8 kms long ... 712 feet high at the peak and guess what!?! You dont just LOOK at them from afar with your camera lens! No... you get to experience them fully while you WALK along them ... peering over the sharp ledges while you listen to the waves crashing onto the shores below!

    GAHS: I do not have words. No words can aptly describe our felt sense of this adventure! Spectacular is not effusive enough to describe the splendor of these sights!! And ... the sunshine gifted us with its rare presence in these Irish lands ... which only served to enhance the sublime sweetness of this enchanting spectacle!! 

    The walking would certainly not be for those who are afraid of heights!! And, we are speculating that if we had such incredible tourist attractions in our parts,in Canada, they would surely have erected safety fences and compromised the untampered beauty for human safety ... but no ... not so here. It is entirely natural ... its breathtakingly beautiful! And ... at the same time treacherous ... because you could easily lose your footing on the rain soaked dirt pathways or slip on the wet green grass ... and end up unexpectedly cliff diving! We were so glad we ventured beyond what we could see from the paved areas because the view got even better the higher we went..

    GROANS: Okay ... we can only post 10 photos in total ... and... we have hundreds of them to choose from! We have 2 videos to share so John will pick 4 and I will pick 4 because we still have our photo competition going ... so please be sure to say which picture you most prefer of the ones we posted! I'm betting you'll pick mine!! 😉

    GRINS TO MAKE YOUR HEART SMILE: And then we continued down the Wild Atlantic Way towards The Burren. The Burren is 350 square miles of such unique landscape. Apparently, Neil Armstrong was quoted as saying the Burren was the closest composition to the terraine on the moon. It's hard and haunting in its barrenness.

    And enroute down this narrow winding oceanside lane, there are oodles of quaint little villages like Inagh (which is the tiniest village in Ireland) filled with picturesque and pristine little cottages that reminded me of Thomas Kinkade paintings! Lisdoonvarna is a wee little village that boasts an annual matchmaking festival that is highly regarded and very famous in these parts! Stone walls are abundant over the countryside! They have no mortar between the rocks. They are built to allow the wind to blow through them so the don't topple over in the harsh territorial gales.

    Bogs are quite plentiful! And, apparently there is no oxygen beneath the bog. As such, it mummifies pr petrifies whatever sinks is into it.

    There were signs over the River Shannon using pictures to ensure folks knew that no horses or carriages were permitted on the motorway! We also passed a fancy undulating golf course ... costs 300 Euros per round. Apparently the Irish Open is played here! 

    We inched our way towards Galway which was the biggest port for importing red and white wines! We learned that it has been inhabited since 4 BC ... and ... that Christopher Colombus was in Galway in 1492. It is known to be Ireland's cultural corner ... its a very vibrant center.

    Although we have enjoyed succulent meals ... the best meal we have had so far was in Galway at The Quays Kichen! We didn't even think we were very hungry ... but knew we best eat before our long journey back to Dublin. Because it's a seaside port ... John had the mussels and the chowder. I ordered the grilled cod which came with spicy stir-fried veggies and basmati rice. Again... no words. We both concluded it was the very best fish either of us have had in our lifetimes. No exaggeration!!

    FUN FACTS: Dublin has population of over one million! Galway is 77,000 in the city itself but has many rural townships which bring it upwards of 300,000 in total.

    We learned that Ireland imposed a window tax many years back ... so ... windows were bricked over to save money! They are still windowless in many of the buildings! But then ... people "couldn't see the light of day"! Hence the origin of that old adage!

    A not so fun fact is that the Great Potato Famine of Ireland started in1845 and went for 5 consecutive years. Much starvation and poverty inspired mass emigration from these areas of Ireland.

    Oh ...I stand corrected!! ... I saw McDonalds in the countryside as well as a Burger King in Dublin today! 

    Irish Language Lessons; 

    Yesterday I mentioned that 'cheers' are shared by saying slotcha . However ... it is Sloncha ... not ... Slotcha. And ... it is imperative to look into people's eyes when you say it!

    Other Irish sayings:
    Me carra = my friend;
    Cupon tay = Cup of tea; 
    Ta may gummah = I am good!
    Colleen = girl
    done on doris= close the door
    Nee lisicom = I don't know

    Gosh ... I could say so much more but... enough for now! This was a day that is wonder-fully etched into our hearts. We are filled with deepest gratitude for the chance to enjoy it today!! I must now attempt the cruelling task of selecting pick my 4 pictures for your consideration. Please dont forget to vote ... for me! 😉    Read more

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    A little more gratitude

    August 29, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    And so ... I'm playing with an option on this blog called "an aside". I'm not sure if it will do what I am hoping, because I don't want to add an extra day ... just an aside to this day. There have been so many other moments to be grateful for! For Example ... upon arriving home from our travels today, I took a pic from the billboard of the pub next door advertising their very loud music that keeps us awake aat night. And ...YAHOO ... it's Wednesday today!!

    I also forgot to mention that we were having a soup and and an appy (or two!) at the pub on the other side next to our accommodations when the bartender informed us that our AirBnB owner had been by and bought us another round. He indicated he would hold it for us until we were ready by saying: "We've got one on the tap for ya."

    We continue to be appreciative of the great location of our accommodations! And ... the fact that 10 days into our travels, my hubby took it upon himself to do our laundry. He doesn't do it at home ... but .... he did it here!! I am mucho grateful for clean dry garments as we enjoy our last day here in Ireland tomorrow and prepare for our time in England!

    Okay ... looks like I can put a few more pics from our travels today!    Read more

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    Happy in Howth

    August 30, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We awoke this morning for our last day in Ireland and my heart felt a wee bit heavy.  I realized that I have become captivated with the loveliness of the landscapes and the authenticity of the people. 

    GAHS: We've only had a taste of what these lush lands have to offer ... and for me ... I just didn't get a big enough bite of it! I could surely have stayed longer to sample more of her offerings ... but then again ... we never had any days when it was wet and dark and dreary.  Perhaps I would be less enamoured with it all if the weather had been less beautiful!

    GRINS:  I am delighted to report that I won the photo competition yesterday! Picture #2 claimed the most votes ... followed by #4. And ... I took both of them! Photos #7, #6 and #1 also placed! Thanks for your votes ... not that I'm competitive! 😁

    GROANS: We hustled to the train station after taking the LUAS tram as far as we could go ... before making our connection with the DART (the train) north to Howth today.  We had another lovely Irish breakfast with both an americano AND a cappuccino ... because they were so good! I expected I could relieve my bladder before boarding ... BUT ... there were NO toilets in Tara train station!  Oh Ireland ... how can you build a train station with no loos? I don't understand. 🤨

    GRATITUDES: Despite the full bladder we arrived in Howth in time for lunch!! Howth is a fishing harbour village. And the life style looks so different from that on the prairies. The day's catch determines the menu to some degree! And so .. we sampled some fresh fruits of the Atlantic at Crabby Joe's. When John asked if they were fresh ... we were told were "they were still breathing 5 minutes ago"!  😄

    I had the fish and chips and John ordered oysters and crab cakes!!  No fish smell ...and ... no fish taste! Just delicious!!! We took a stroll around the harbor before we embarked on a 6 km hike around the cliffs of Howth!  The rugged beauty was nothing short of stunning in its display.  Every step we took was another invation to capture the exceptional essence of the experience with our cameras! Once again ... we have far too many pictures than we have space to display them.

    John stated it was the most beautiful walk/hike he had ever been on!  At one point I even got a bit dizzy!  I looked down to admire the landscape on the the cliff and realized how close we were to the edge! I guess it was a bit much for my anxious mind!

    And once again, the weather was unseasonably warm, bright and sunny.  We met some lovely locals along the way ... who chatted it up with us as if we were kin! In fact, an older fellow passed us enthusiastically encouraging us to keep climbing because it was a fabulous hike! We later met him nearer the top of the trail ... he was already coming back. And, we've learned the Irish hold nothing back. And so he cheekily says " Is this as f#*king far as you've got?" And then winked at me and added "It's nice that you took the elderly for a walk". It was so unexpected that we burst out laughing! 😁

    Honestly ... I am lost for words. Ireland is a diamond in the rough ... brightening my spirit as it casts light into all the corners of my heart.

    And so ... what's a weary hiker to do at the end of the trail?  Recharge with some refreshments ... an olive tray ... some bread ... and ... a Grilled Whole John Dory!  Yes ... somehow this fish is related to the infamous Dory on Finding Nemo! And yep ... we got the whole darn delicious dory!! 😲

    GRIPES: We were sitting ever so comfortably outside in the sun until John got splatted by an overhead bird! Although they say its lucky ... we opted to move under the awning after that! And ... my hubby will be doing laundry again tonight! 😉

    GRINS: Oh ... we also realized that we hadn't yet had an Irish coffee! So, we stopped at the pub on the way home ... and ... much to the expressed chagrin of the bartender ... we got one 'to go'. It actually wasn't too bad. 😋

    All in all, our last day here gifted us with a fabulous finish to an extraordinary introduction to Ireland! I know we only scraped the surface ... but ... we adored all the minutes of it!! 💚💚💚    Read more

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    On the Fly Again ...

    August 31, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    It is with heavy hearts that we slurped our last cappuccino in Dublin this morning before we left for the airport ... at our favorite little breakfast spot ... right under our room!

    GRATITUDES: It's a great little cafe called PSTwenty6! We were a bit rushed for time so the chef offered to make us some take-away breakfast sandwiches!! And then ... believe it or not ... they told us that they weren't going to charge us for them! They also offered to give us a 'pour over' to take in our to-go cup.

    GAHS: I had no idea what he was talking about ... and when I found out ... I wish I had known about it sooner!! A `pour over ' is when they top off your cappucino with filtered drip coffeel I could have and would have done that countless times ... if I knew such a thing existed!! Anyway ... you just can't get better service than that! The Irish are amazing in their hospitality and humanity! 😀

    MORE GRATITUDES: And so, instead of taking a taxi again, we took the 747 Air Coach back to the airport and saved ourselves $25 Euros ... which is close to $40 CAD! And once we arrrived here in England, it was going to cost $130 - $150 euros to take a taxi from Gatwick to our accommodations!! So, we courageously opted to utilize a variety of public transit instead! So, we were armed with our directions and hoping like crazy that we could find our way to our new home in London ... without too much confusion, duress or agony! And ... guess what! It was relatively painless! We took the train to London Victoria station ... then hopped on the tube ... a quick transfer to another tube ... and a bit of a walk from there to our little house! Once again ... we remain deeply grateful for the help of kind but complete strangers!!!! We would have gotten very lost without their willingness to help a tourist!

    We are staying in Soho ... so our quaint new little home is in the beating heart of London. We are staying in the "smallest house in central London" that used to be a stable for working horses over 200 years ago. We are sleeping in the loft! yes ... we have to climb up the ladder ... and over the sitting room ... which is up the semi-spiral staircase from the kitchen and bathroom areas! I may be graoning about this later ... but for now ... it all seems so very cute! And for sure ... this renovated stable is fabulous when it comes to the old adage about "location, location, location" being of prime importance. We are close to the theatre district and have all kinds of restaurants and inviting nightlife right here ... all around us. We can walk to Buckingham Palace and many other of the sights to see here in London. We may even see some 'ladies of the night' in these parts ... but for us on this day of travel ... we grabbed a bite to eat at KILN (an Asian inspired eatery right beside our place!) and then ... wandered down the street to stock up on groceries! Yes!! Location, location, location!! Makes all the difference in the world for the quality of your trip if you are not driving!

    GRINS: Doesn't sound terribly exciting ... but John was in his glory at the Whole Foods store just up the street from us! There were quail eggs, fresh bread, baklava ... and ... it had a deli with an abundance of meats and unfamiliar cheeses and olives and wines and all kinds of goodness to pop into the basket!!! It just feels so good to us to get stocked up for breakfasts ... so that we can cook a bit now that we will have a kitchen. And ... it is lovely to simply relax and sip on a lovely Chilean(sp?) Merlot while we regroup after our commute today!!

    GRIPES: No gripes to report for today at all!! Amazing to be able to say that on a day of travel!!

    Tomorrow will be our first full chance to get acquainted with London. And ... we are eager for the fun to begin!! Someone said London is like New York ... and ... we LOVE New York!! So ... good night from us ... and ... good morning to all of you back at home!!

    Warmest smiles from our hearts to yours ... k&j    Read more

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    London's First Act was a Show Stopper

    September 1, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We had the best sleep in that little loft bed ... and awoke with plans to prepare a nice breakfast in our  new abode with our grocery purchases from last night!  And, may I say, the gooseberry jam was a delicious addition to our toast and eggs and fruit!  It was suggested that walking is the ideal way to see London ... but we wanted to orient ourselves to the city with the Hop On Hop Off Bus !  And ... now we understand why they recommend walking! At one point there were about 5 buses and a girl on a bicycle and a taxi all gridlocked in traffic near Buckingham Palace!!  GAH!  We must have spent 20 minutes at that intersection! 

    I didn't know it but Trafalgar Square is right in the middle of London. And, it can fit 80, 000 people! It's only a three minute walk from our place.  The sun was shining brightly today ... it was almost too warm at times ... but I am not complaining.  I am expressing my GRATITUDE for the extraordinary weather!  It's supposed to be warm and dry all week.  I hope that it will be, because it would not be nearly as enjoyable with umbrellas!

    GROAN: We couldn't see Big Ben because it's being refurbished. Its leaning slightly and they anticipate it will fall over in 800 years if the tilt is not corrected!  So all you can see is the clock face at the moment.  They seem to be working on many of the older buildings ... they seem to keep them in very good repair!

    MORE GRATITUDES: We took a cruise on the River Thames ... floated under London Bridge and then on down to the Tower of London.  For me, it was extra lovely to spend some time on the water ... away from the overstimulation of all the busyness and people and commotion!  We also enjoyed the panoramic views of the city from the London Eye! It's a magnificent ferris wheel that takes 30 minutes to make a full circle! Gives you stunning 360 degree views of the city!

    Stopped in for a few appys and a cool drink at The Admirality Ale & Pie and ordered the Hamshire Black Pudding Croquettes; Frontier beer battered haddock goujons; Steak and London Pride pie (with carmelized shallots, button mushrooms & thyme); and curried spiced sausage roll! So good! Once again, the food services is second to none here in the UK.

    We were meandering back to Soho ... and ... found ourselves wandering through China town. Lots of people out and about ... street musicians entertaining the passersby with their exceptional talent! We strolled past an all you can eat Chinese buffet ... for $10.95. It looked so good and smelled so good that we got the urge to fill our bellies ... again ... before we went on to the Picadilly Theatre to see "Strictly Ballroom; The Musical." When we got to the theatre we were delighted to learn that if you bought two large glasses of wine you could get the rest of the bottle for $3.00. And ... they would give you a number and place it on the ledge for you to refill your glasses during the intermission! So ... THAT is what we did!! 🥂

    GRINS:  And lots of them. It was sheer delight ... such talent and scripting  and acting and humor and dancing and singing!  We even got showered with confetti at the end of it!  John said it was the best theatre show he has ever seen!  We have tickets to see "Wicked" on Monday ...so we'll see how it holds up to that competition!  

    GRIPES:  Aside from the fact that I have picked up a head cold  ... it was truly a very enjoyable day in London!  Five Star kind of day!!  Talk to you tomorrow! k&j    Read more

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    A Walk-About London ...

    September 2, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After a horrible night's sleep due to congestion, headache and scratchy throat ... we were greeted with another day of bright blue skies and warm ... dare I say hot ... sunshine here. 

    GRINS & GRATITUDES: We opted to walk over to Buckingham Palace ... and on our way over we noticed a counselling service being offered out of a small mobile trailer. It was called "Caravan Drop -In." It had such a welcoming energy about it.

    It may sound strange, but in all honesty, neither one of us had any real desire to pay a fortune to see the changing of the guards. As luck would have it though, we bumped into a couple of nice guards in their finest red regalia and those big tall puffy black hats ...I'm not sure what their official name is! Anyway, they were not at all stuffy and proper ... and ... they were kind enough to pose for a picture! 

    We then wandered the streets to get our bearings for where "Wicked" will be playing tomorrow. It's sad because we have seen so many homeless people on our travels around London. And a couple of them had made the steps of the theatre their temporary home. After that, we sauntered fairly aimlessly ... until we found ourselves at Bag O'Nails. I really wish I'd been hungry enough for the All day Sunday Roast ... but I opted for one of their other classic pub favorites... the lasagna!!! Yes. I never expected to find pasta at the pub ... but there it was!! And ... it had a pureed texture to it. Great taste but it seemed odd for lasagna to feel like whipped mashed potatoes in your mouth! John enjoyed the fish and chips ... rated it 9.5/10!

    GROANS: On the map it looked like we could walk to Harrods ... just to experience the posh, pomp and circumstance of the West End of London. It turned into 16,888 steps or a 12.26km walk. I had on the wrong shoes for a trek of that magnitude... but ... John' eyes were the size of dinner plates as he noticed all the high end vehicles ... McLaren, Rolls Royce, Porsche, Austin Martin ... all the super cars. John said some of them would be worth upwards of $250,000!!! 😯 GAH: It's hard to fathom that most of them are driven by older men ... but ... many of them seemed to be accessorized with younger women. 😉

    GRATITUDES: We stopped at the 'chemist' (aka pharmacy) to get some bandaids for our wounded feet ... and ... continud our walking home. It was then that we stumbled upon Caffé Concerto ... and went in for afternoon tea!! And so ... we sipped our tea with fancy chandeliers over head and lively jazz music tickling our eardrums. We thoroughly enjoyed this old English custom ... but we had enough to feed two more people!

    GRATITUDES: On the bottom tier there were sandwiches with the crusts cut off in four varieties: cucumber and cream cheese ... smoked salmon with cream cheese ( John's favorite) ...egg salad... and ham and pickle with a dijon mustard ( my favorite!).
    The second layer offered us four hot scones with whipped butter and teensy tiny little pots of strawberry conserve! And the top layer was generously filled with SIX decadent desserts! Wow!! I am not sure where we expected to put it all ... but ... we gave it our best shot!!!

    Okay ... we are calling it a night early this evening! Hoping to get a better sleep ... fingers crossed!    Read more

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    Wicked and Wonderful Wanderings ...

    September 3, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    GRATITUDES: After almost 12 hours of sleep ... I was feeling a bit more rested.. we lazed in our loft bed while we added 2 nights in Utecht and 5 days in Paris to our itinerary.  We are hoping we will be as pleased with our accommodations in these places ( as well as Amsterdam) as we have been here in London. 😊

    We opted to get an "Oyster Card"  for our explorations today! This is like a prepaid card and gives us some freedom to come and go on the tubes without having to buy individual tickets! Oh my ... so far we've done well at mastering the tubes!

    Our first stop, at the great suggestion of our good neighbor Doug, was Greenwich.  I had failed to put it together that THIS Greenwich is the standard by which global times are oriented! It's fascinating to be at the center of time ... so to speak!!  It's a quaint little village filled with history and the The University of Greenwich is now where the Old Royal Navy College used to be.  The stone buildings are so mammoth and grand that they inherently command your respect! 

    And, after a nice little lunch at the Tipsy Moth (table 107 outside) we wandered this beautiful little haven on foot.  Only 8881 steps today (6.42kms)!

    GASPS ... of the best kind: We experienced something very unexpected and extra special! There was an opera music exam happening in the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul.  No pictures were allowed ...and ... we were summoned to be absolutely silent. 

    GAHS: We slipped into the pews ... and of course ... my hubby pulls out his video camera!! When I shook my head in utter dismay ... he emphatically whispered his defense in my ear!  "I am not taking pictures  ...  avideo is not a picture!!"  He only captured a second or two of video ... before one of the staff started in our direction. 

    GREAT BIG GRINS: Fortunately, we didn't get expelled for bad behavior!! Instead we were blessed with chills and goose bumps galore!!  After she was complete, we spoke with the student  who performed.  It was her final moment before her degree!! And a stellar ending to her time in school! I expect it is also the beginning of her success as a singer!  She was exceptional! 🤩

    We also got to see vestibule of The Painted Hall!  They were doing some work and much of it was hidden behind layers of scaffolding.

    GRINS: And we enjoyed a stroll through Greenwich Market and stopped in a quaint little lane for a cappuccino and a carrot cake! And then ... I mosied into a little shop and found two blouses to try on.  The lady pointed me towards the fitting room.  I opened the door ... and it was the toilet.  The other door was a closet.  It took me a moment to realize that the fitting room was the space between the two doors.  You just had to pull a curtain.  Too funny! 

    GRATITUDES: But ... better yet ... I bought both tops!  And then came across some fabulous neck pieces that are so artistic!  I  took a video to remind me of how to play with them.  Hopefully it will load so you can see how fabulous they are!!

    After that we got back on the tube ... headed home to give me a little rest and fashioned a little charcuterie board (actually it was a plate) before heading back on the tube to the theatre!!

    GROANS: I wasn't going to mention it, but we had splurged on our tickets for "Wicked" and ended up seated beside a very uppity couple from Washington DC. They seemed determined to impress us with their social status. I wish you could hear the American drawl drawl they spoke with.  We learned they had just come from Ireland too ... but found it..."well ... rather disappointing." Apparently it was just a "tourist trap".  And ... he shuddered to think that people actually drank the entire pint of Guiness that was part of the tour at the Stonehouse.  At this point ... I couldn't stop myself from asking ... with no apology for the bit of an edge in my voice: "What DID you like about Ireland?" I think he liked the history he learned at the jail. His wife ... was as quiet and timid as a mouse. I hope they find some joy in the rest of their travels!!

    Aside from the energy of our seat mates ... "Wicked" was ... dare I say ... wickedly wonderful and marvelously magical!  It brought me tears ... with that beautiful reminder ..  that I am better because I met you! 

    Sending love ... 💚💚💚    Read more

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    Our Last Full Day in London

    September 4, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We awoke to our last full day in London with no firm plans.  We had some ideas in our pocket ... but ... decided to let our hearts lead the way.

    GRATITUDES: We headed towards Westminster Abbey on foot and opted to enjoy a cappuccino and a nice bowl of soup at the crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Field's church. There are tombstones all around you in the floor ... and ...the walls and ceilings display the most amazing brickwork!  We thoroughly enjoyed it and would never have found this remarkable spot without the super suggestion of our great neighbor.  Thank you again Doug!

    GASPS of AWE: We continued down to the Abbey ... and were struck by the monumental majesty of this structure.  The antiquity and reverance displayed within it can simply not be rivaled. It actually sparked some deep conversation between us about what we would like to be remembered for ... if ... we were ever to be talked about through audio headphones in numerous different languages.  🤔

    GRATITUDES: And, with another note of appreciation to Doug, we meandered our way back to Sherlocke Holmes for a "Cumberland Scotch Egg"; some "Sticky Pickle Sausage Rolls"; "Devilled Whitebait" ... and ...a "Dirty Burger." I know ... we ordered a lot... but ... we were running out of moments to taste the local English fare!

    GRINS: Interestingly, John ordered a Sherlock Stout and it is served room temperature! He really, really liked it.  And he really, really liked the Devilled Whitebait.  He thought they were breaded sardines.. but ... the server said not.  I did not dare to try them.

    Okay ... a small GROAN or maybe it's actually a GRATITUDE: it occurred to us as we were in Sherlocke Holmes ... reflecting on our time here in England that we have not had any of those 'Jack the Ripper' foggy nights under the street lamp moments that I have seen on postcards and always associated with London.  It could be ... that it hasn't rained  or maybe it's just that we haven't been out much past 10:00pm!!  😉

    Anyway ... London has been so lovely.  There are still so many things left to do and see ... but ... we are so very grateful we've become acquainted with her flavor and essence! 💚

    And, we are up at it early tomorrow! Our train leaves for Amsterdam at 8:30am.  We're excited for the next leg of this fascinating journey! 

    Thanks for joining us here ... 🧡🧡    Read more

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    Amsterdam - A Very Wet Welcome Indeed!

    September 5, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    It was a bit bittersweet to take our last climb up the 8 feet to our loft bed in London.  I wont miss the tricky and tenuous descent in the middle of the night to tinkle ... but ... it was so nice and cozy up there.  I was hoping our bed in Amsterdam would be as comfortable!

    GRATITUDES: John has been reading blogs about travel (while I was under the weather and tucking in early!) and one tip he picked up was not to use the barcode check-in device at the train station, but rather to go to the desk to check and ensure your seats are facing forward!

    We did so ... and ...discovered our seats were not!! THAT could have been a bit challenging for my motion sickness ... so ... the kind Eurostar staff reassigned our seats ... AND... gave us a table!!!  Turned out there was no one seated across from us so we had lots of space and room to breathe!!! 👌👌👌

    Let me begin by saying how much we enjoyed train travel! We were so impressed with Eurostar!  No wasting 4 hours in airports prior to departure and claiming bags after arrival! We only needed to arrive 30 minutes before departure.  It was sleek, smooth, swift, spotless and silent ... except when we were underground!

    GASPS: According to the stats, 334.7km an hour is it's fastest.  We were travelling @300km/hr for most of our trip! AND apparently their are 50.45 kms of train travel through each tunnel between the UK and the mainland ... and ...each tunnel is 75 meters below sea level!! It was such a stress free mode of travel.

    GAHS:  Well ... given we have escaped rain for our first three destinations (Scotland, Ireland and England) ... it should not have come as any surprise that we might get wet in Holland.  And ... we sure did!  Thunderstorms were booming and the water was falling in cascades when we arrived.

    We left Centraal Station on foot ... GPS in hand ... searching for our little abode amongst the umbrella laden lanes. And ... before too long we found it!  It was nestled almost invisibly between the "Seed Shop" and the Italian restaurant. And ... those seeds are not for gardening! 😏

    After taking the highest climb up the narrowest bank of stairs yet ... we got settled into our humble space ... and ... hastily unpacked our yet unused rain jackets!

    GRATITUDES: At the recommendation of the lady at the wine store ... we enjoyed a very nice Dutch inspired lunch of croquettes and spicy beef stew on baguettes at a place called "Blom"!  It was delicious ... 👌

    With full tummies we donned our rainwear and wandered a bit to acquaint ourselves a little more with our surroundings! I think I've already gone a bit 'nose-blind' to the 'pot'- pourri (if you get my drift). So so many skunks around here!! 😉

    GRINS: And, we barely logged any steps before we had to take off our jackets.  The thunderclouds cleared and we enjoyed the walk ... sans rain.

    GASPS OF ENTHUSIASM:   Guess what?  They have baked potato bars that you choose your toppings just like you would at a Subway.  We didnt have one ... yet ... but it's on my ' to experience' list. 

    A little further along the way ... we spotted a little table for two by a canal and stopped for a drink. A glass of wine was $3.50!!  The best price I've seen anywhere... and ... it tasted lovely! 😍

    Anyway ... wondered about trying to follow Google maps to restaurant we picked out and somehow ended up in the red light district in the midst of what appeared to be a movie shoot!! And... if you've ever seen those three windows with the ladies of the night selling their wares ... well ... we walked right past them!! Perhaps when we have more time we'll head back to take it all in ... but for that moment ... there was no time for window shopping!! 😀

    Oh my ... no shortage of unexpected moments to treasure! But ... now ... we are safely back in our room and looking forward to unwrapping more gifts from Amsterdam tomorrow! 🧡    Read more

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    Another Day of Dutch Delights!

    September 6, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We started our day back at Blom because we noticed yesterday that they served dutch pancakes! And then before I knew it, there I was, tearing up at the table to the sound the server voice at breakfast! She had a deep, husky voice with a cadence and intonation that reminded me of John's mom. It has been almost two years since we've heard Oma's voice.  I was moved with remembrance from memories tenderly tucked into my heart. 💙

    Breakfast was delicious ... and ... uniquely Dutch. While John had a bacon and apple dutch pancake ... I had a ham and cheese omelette. Mine came with 3 slices of soft bread (not toasted) with a wee little smear of butter that Oma would have scoffed at.  It also came with salad.  yep. Salad with breakfast! One of the joys of travelling for me is to experience all the different customs and tradition and rituals!

    And, it's interesting to note the difference in vehicle traffic here in Amsterdam. Far fewer buses and cars and many more cyclists on pedal bikes!

    John's Uncle Dick and his wife Wil picked us up and drove us back to their home for coffee. Enroute we passed some gorgeous scenery. We drove by the house John's Oma was born in ... and ... stopped by to see his son, Paul! Two of our daughters spent time with Paul when they were in Holland years ago. Paul asked us to send his best greetings to you Sherisse and Britt! He now has three children ... 6, 4 and 6 weeks! 😊

    Dick and Wil also took us to a Museum that explained the building of the polders ... which is where the water has been pumped off the land into the canals so it can be drained into the sea! It was fascinating to learn how the windmills were used to accomplish this until they became too inefficient given the demands of 3600 polders!! And hence ... the museum highlighted the transition to steam pumps instead! I'm not sure I understand the mechanics of it all ... but ... I was intrigued by the ingenuity behind the conceptualization of the feat!! Absolutely fascinating to see how people are living beneath the water line here in the Netherlands!

    We thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and the reconnection with family! And ... because of their kindness, we saw so much of the area outside of the city! They live right beside Schiphol Airport! We got some video of a plane taking off right beside the house. Surprisingly, you can't even hear the planes indoors!

    We look forward to seeing them again on Sunday when they take us to meet with some more Aunts and Uncles. For now, we are tucked on our room ... with some take away from down the street. Feeling content and very happy with our day! It's going to be challenging to narrow down which pictures to post for you ...💕    Read more

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    Tourist-ing is Tire-ing, but Terrific!

    September 7, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    GRATITUDES: We started our day at Pancakes and Waffles ... this is a little 4 table and 2 counter cafe with the kitchen area exposed to the patrons.  Big kegs of Nutella decorate the space. Rap music was amusing the cook as he aptly prepared our breakfast and displayed his expertise by tossing our pancake almost as high as the ceiling! 😲

    Then ... off to the Hop On Hop Off bus! We took the entire tour to get a sense of our surroundings then transferred to the boat cruise  It was so tranquil on the water! We were grateful for clear skies as we cruised along the canals!!  We learned that Amsterdam has a world wide reputation for tolerance of diversity. The locals are very hospitable to tourists. We also learned that there are veryfew houses over 4 stories... they all need to be built on piles driven into the sand beneath the layer peat under the polders. 

    Our first stop was Gassan Diamonds. Diamond cutting became an important industry in Amsterdam after the immigration of many Jewish people seeking exile ... around 1945.  We were able to get some lessons on choosing diamonds and got introduced to their own world wide patented diamond cut.  It has 121 facets rather than the usual 57 of a typically brilliant cut stone. Their logo promoting their unique cut is: "Glassan 121*; more than brilliant."

    John really enjoyed the tour and all he learned about the 4Cs of diamond quality ... cut, clarity, color and carat. It was a great reminder for me of my studies years and years and years ago when I got my Graduate Jeweller Designation in Nanaimo BC!

    GAHS: We also visited the flea market ...which started in the 19th century and continues to run daily. They were selling everything from fanny packs to t-shirts to hemp lollipops.

    GRATITUDES: We stopped for a light lunch at a funky little place called "Lunch Cafe Waterloo." John wanted to sit outside ... I preferred inside because it was windy ... and so ... we got lucky to sit right by the open window sill! We ordered the Dutch frikadel along with frietjes and a nice soup. Trip Advisor gave it 4.5 stars. We would agree!  Oh ... and I have noticed a custom in Amsterdam is to provide all the cutlery and serviettes tucked into paper envelopes.  We haven't seen this before in our travels!  It's seems so sensible!

    GASPS: Heineken is Dutch beer!! We always thought it was German! There are 2500 house boasts in Amsterdam ... all fitted with gas and water and sewage and electricity. They became popular after a housing shortage after WWII.  No more permits will be allowed.  Mooring charges are in effect and residents are not allowed to leave their moorings.There are 250 bridges in Amsterdam  ... and ... some of them open! One of them was lifted today during our canal cruise to allow boat traffic through! We learned there are 40 parks in Amsterdam.  Apparently, there are 200 plus 'coffee shops'... but they told us they don't sell much coffee! 🤔

    GASPS OF GRATITUDE:  We had been told that the Van Gogh Museum was sold out for today ... but one of the Hop-On Hop-Off staff said some spaces sometimes open up about 4:00pm.  So ... we thought we'd try our luck and show up there at 4:00pm.  And ... they were just closing down the ticket sale booth .... BUT ... we got IN!!! 😁

    It was definitely worth the effort to see it.  One could feel the sense of angst and darkness in so much of his work.  We learned so much about his life and were invited to a deeper appreciation of his passion for peasant workers ... and ... that he didnt care what color things really were!  It was so interesting .... ! 👌

    But ... in all honesty ... by 6:30pm we were pooped out!  So we decided to call it a day ... no more museums or tours.  Just eating a loaded baked potato ... and then ... back to our room, post our blog and head off to sleep. 😴

    GASPS: But ... on our way home a young man came running past us ... at warp speed ... with a bag in his hand! And then... low and behold ... another young man fled past us in hot pursuit! As it was becoming clear the first was a thief and the second was the robbed ... a policeman on a bicycle came speeding along as well! It was a real live 'chase' just like in the movies!! We have no idea if he got away or not ... but ... it certainly raised our blood pressure! And ... it was a great reminder to be especially careful with our things in these parts.

    Okay.... nighty night from us! We have more touristing to do tomorrow so we need our rest! Good afternoon to all of you! 😊    Read more

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    Cruising the Canals ...

    September 8, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We slept in and had a fairly leisurely start to the day.... except:

    GAHS: We had been told that Anne Frank was sold out until September 22nd ... but we learned that they hold back 20% of the tickets to sell on each day. So, we started our day waiting in the online queue ... hoping to get two of the last of tickets for today! We started with 110 people before us, then 80 then 59 ... the excitement was mounting! We were both staring at the screen! Our hearts thumped when it showed 45 ... and I got so hot ... I had to take my sweater off! The .... we were 33! John got his credit card out ... just to expedite the process ... in case we got really lucky! Then we were 18 ...and almost there!! And ... finally ... only 1 ahead of us!! 🤗🤗

    I was thrilled when the ticket page opened ... but ...my delight was short-lived! All the tickets for today were already gone. We might try again for tomorrow morning. But ... if it doesn't work out ... well ... I trust it wasnt meant to be! 

    We learned that "ij" is theDutch word for water and there is a lookout point called -This is Holland - where you can see Amterdam by 360 degrees from the rotating restaurant... OR ... by the "sensational swing" that sweeps out over the edge of the top of the building. I tried to catch a picture of it .. but ... the photo didn't quite do it justice!! And no ... I'm not going on it!! BTW ... there 60 types of fish under the ij. Many delicious edible ones too!

    GRATITUDES: We also stopped by to see what the call the " Gay Monument". It is a monument dedicated to show solidarity with the marginalized and oppressed. I was impressed that the city has created a formal honoring of the challenges faced by those who dwell in the minority. There was also a kiosk nearby called the Pink Point: Gay and Lesbian Information. Wikipedia answered some of my questions about the monument. It stated:

    "The Homomonument is a memorial in the centre of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. It commemorates all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality. Opened on September 5, 1987, it takes the form of three large pink triangles made of granite, set into the ground so as to form a larger triangle, on the bank of the Keizersgracht canal, near the historic Westerkerk church. The Homomonument was designed to "inspire and support lesbians and gays in their struggle against denial, oppression and discrimination." It was the first monument in the world to commemorate gays and lesbians who were killed by the Nazis."

    Interesting to note that the Netherlands took such a lead role in the fight for social justice. "Later, similar monuments were realised in a number of cities all around the world. During the Netherlands’ annual Remembrance Day ceremony on May 4, wreaths are laid on the monument to commemorate LGBT victims of persecution. On May 5, Liberation Day, the monument becomes the site of a street party."

    GASPS: Oh my ... and nearby the monuments was one of the several public urinals for men. No door ... but ample privacy. John noticed several of them around the city ... but .. we took a picture of the one near the monument.

    GRINS: We enjoyed a wonderful stroll through the local Saturday Market! It went on for blocks and blocks! John got to have his long awaited Paling (smoked eel) along with a warm stroopwaffle. I found another nice light packable blouse! 

    GASPS: And then... at one of the fresh fish stalls, we saw a man cleaning and filleting herring. John enjoys them pickled ... but there was a woman eating one of them. I know that people eat raw fish in sushi ... but she just raised it above her head ... and then ... dropped it towards her mouth (like a worm to a baby bird) and bit right into it. John said he would have tried it were it not for my agast!

    And then ... after all that walking ... we were thirsty. And the one of us who hadn't been snacking was hungry.

    GRINS: So ... we found a canal side table at Café 't Smalle .... right on the water. If you tipped your chair you'd be wet!! We ordered meatballs and a cheese and tomato toastie to share... and met our new friends Katie and Peter ... from California now Denver. We so enjoyed chatting with them!! We shared phone numbers so we could reconnect later in the day ... and perhaps ... share a tour of the red light district together! 

    GAHS: When a boat docked in front of us ... we had to open a walking space so they could alight themselves! And, they were done eating before us (because we were busy chatting with our new friends!). And so we were disrupted again so they could get back on their boat. John offered a hand to several and also helped to manage the rope. Upon completion, one of the gentlemen said ... " you are the nicest people on the planet" Ha ha.

    Crossing the street remains a bit hair-raising. You are not only watching for cars, trains, trams but also bicycles coming in all different directions. There are parking stations for bicycles everywhere! We learned that 60,000 bikes are stolen every year!! This is highest form of petty crime in the city.

    We did, in fact, take a wander through the red light district after supper. We didn't stay long but certainly got a sense of it! We also learned that there are 900 prostitutes ... 290 windows ... and the average time of service is 10 minutes. And, most surprisingly, the most requested type of service is not sexual. It was our first time being out past dark so we took a couple of pics over the bridges! All in all, it was a great day in Amsterdam.    Read more

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    Our Last Day in Amsterdam!

    September 9, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today was the very first time we've had 0 percent chance of rain here in Amsterdam. And so ... we bravely went forth without our rainwear ... and ... guess what? Yep. A sprinkle of rain found its way to us early in the day ... but afterwards ... it was nothing but warm and sunny and bright!

    GROANS: We tried to get one of the last 20 percent of tickets that went on sale today for Anne Frank but, sadly, we were not successful. So, we opted to go to the Rijksmuseum before we met with family!!

    GASPS OF AWE: It was really worth seeing! We preferred the works we saw here as opposed to Van Gogh. Maybe its just that I don't have a good enough eye, but there was a child-like quality to Van Gogh's work that is not as appealing to me as the work of Rembrandt. I guess ... each to their own ... but now I know my personal preference! John felt the same. Oh, and as we were leaving the museum, we heard a fabulous group of buskers playing some unique instruments! One of the staff said they'd been playing there everyday for the last four years! I got the sense that we enjoyed their music more than he did! 🤔

    GRATITUDES: We were worried about having enough time at the museum because our Hop On Hop Off tickets expired at 11:30am. But ... they very kindly extended our tickets to accommodate our needs! Wow. We never expected concessions like this ... even though we are seniors! 😉

    GASPS: We were shocked by the lack of traffic this morning ... both foot and vehicular. It was dead quiet. We are not sure if it was because it was early in the morning or because it was Sunday ... but we had not yet ever seen the city so quiet!! And, we couldn't help but notice the tilting and leaning forward of one of the buildings! Many of them are tipping sideways, but there are some that are falling forwards a bit! GAH!

    GRATITUDES: After our time at the museum, we got to have the #1 rated fries in Amsterdam! You can choose as many sauces as you'd like! They were fresh cut this morning and they tasted like it!! Scumptiousness wrapped in a blue paper cone!! We thoroughly enjoyed them as we waited for our ride out to see more family in Vinkeveen! 

    MORE GRATITUDES: And, it was such a delightful day meeting with John's mom's side of the family! Great conversation filled with oodles of laughter and lots of warm reminiscences! We got some beautiful photos of the canals in behind their homes! And ... had fun getting everyone into one family photo on the sofa! BTW ... the family sends their warmest regards to our daughters and their families!! 💌

    We had a nice roasted 'kip' dinner (chicken) with Dick and Wil (who kindly drove us to Vinkeveen) on the way home and now we are back in our room waiting for space in the washing machine! We need to get packed up and ready to leave for Utrecht tomorrow morning. I have to say that I won't miss this room ... but ... the location was phenomenal!!

    In the final analysis ... we have made the most of our time here (sans Anne Frank) ... and ... I have a fond appreciation for the beauty of the canals and the dutch pancakes and the croquettes ... oh and I forgot to tell you ... they have cream for their coffee! And good strong coffee at that! ☕

    It's hard to fathom that we are half way through our journey at this point! We have seen four different countries and hope to see three more before we get home! We're packing lots of memories into our hearts with each and every destination❣

    Sending love and hugs from our full hearts to yours ...k&j    Read more

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    On the Rails Again ...

    September 10, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    GROANS: The laundry wasn't free before we went to sleep last night so John got up in the middle of the night ... climbed another flight of stairs ...and put out load in then. It's an all in one machine ... it both washes and dries! I went to get it at 7:30am and it was still damp!! 😬 And so ... I started the dryer again!

    GAHS: We had contacted our host twice over the past two days to see if we could have a later checkout (it was 10:00am) but had not received a response. So ... we panicked a bit ... hoping that we could get things dry and packed in short order ... and ... decided to get coffee and breakfast at 8:30am ... and check again on the laundry after that. Seemed like a great plan!

    GRATITUDES: We headed off to a little spot we discovered yesterday that offered an American Breakfast for $4.95. They had humungous coffee cups and with 4 creamers ... it was just perfect! So ... we decided to go back again this morning. John had another apple pancake ... and well ... make no mind of the pile of creamers by my plate. I traded John my speculaas (they always give you a cookie with your coffee in Holland!) for his four creamers. I mean ... it's a BIG coffee! I think I made a great trade! 😁

    GRINS: Since we couldn't check in until 3pm in Utrecht and it is only 30 minutes away ... so ... we envisioned ourselves woefully sitting with our backpacks for 4 hours at the train station. BUT ... while we were at breakfast ... our host responded that we could check out whenever we wanted!! JACKPOT!

    GIFTS: So ... we got an extra half a day that we didn't anticipate to wander and wonder and while away the hours with new freedoms! And .... it is sunny and bright! 🎁🎁🎁

    We spoke before about how many of the buildings have tipped forward ... but they are also built to lean a bit ... because you can't barely get your bags up the staircases ... never mind your couch or your washer and dryer! And so ... they have hooks and/or pulleys on the front of the buildings to hoist the furnishings up and the little lean makes it so that the furniture doesn't hit the building on its way up!

    GAFFAHS: Along our travels, we noticed a sign indicating NO bicycles ... and yet ... the lane was littered with them. See what I mean about Amsterdam being laid back. 

    GROANS: We were intrigued to see them doing construction without safety precautions! They had multi-levels of scaffolding and no one was harnessed in ... and they were lifting all kind of things up the front of the building ... not using the hook or pulley!

    We enjoyed the leisure of the morning ... John even enjoyed a nutella waffle with whipped cream!! And then, we went back to check on the laundry about 11:30am ... feeling guity that we had left it so long ... AND ... it wasn't DONE!! So ...we went for a sandwich. Certain it would be dry and ready afterwards so we could get to the train station by 1:00pm for our train!

    GRIPES: NO! It was still not done. And ... the thing is ... with these machines, you can't just unlock the door! I'm panicking a bit now. Our laundry has been in the machine now for 12 hours ... and ... we aren't sure how to get it out! And we have a train to catch. So ... my hubby resorts to Google!! Thank goodness they saved the day and we got our clothes out ... eventually!! He was my hero in that moment for sure!!

    And so ... we headed off to Utrecht by train. Somehow we ended up in first class ... but had second class tickets. Guess what? We stayed there ... for the whole 30 minuted ride. We would have moved if they had asked us ... but ... not until!
    And then ... after a one kilometer hike to our accomodation ... that felt like 14 kilometers ... we got checked in and went for a refreshment! We ended up at the corner pub ... and had such a great visit with the proprietor and his one lone customer! They were so kind to us ... they didn't even charge us for our beer and wine! Wow!! Where does THAT happen?? Utrecht. Yep. Utrecht. They also pointed us in the right direction so we could get some groceries. We already loved it here!

    We thought we'd head out for a small bowl of soup ... so we took Trip Advisor's suggestion for SLA. Turned out to be a mostly vegetarian health food restaurant ... yes ... it was very green. They smuggly smiled when John asked if they served croquettes. Anyway ... he ordered the gazpacho and enjoyed the ginger lemon tea ....with a slice of raw ginger and slice of lemon in it! He's not ever eaten in a health food restaurant before!

    GAHS: Oh my ...and on the way there ... we had our life in our hands trying to navigate the streets with all the bicycle traffic!! We were chuckling about what to call an onslought of bikes . .. is it a gaggle ... a pod ... a swarm ... a heard ... or ... as my husband determined: "a pedal-flock". Yep. Those pedal-flocks are silent and treacherous ... they come at you from all directions and you can't hear them coming!!!!

    One of the things about travelling for weeks in a row like we are doing is that we have so many sights to see and our days are chalk full of 'doings'! We are looking forward to a little more opportunity for simply 'being' in Utrecht before we hit the rails again with lots of things we'd like to see and do in Paris!

    And so for now ... as long as we can avoid the "pedal-flocks" ... we are going to take it really easy for the next couple of days. A little bit more R & R is top of our list. So ... good night for now ... talk to you tomorrow!    Read more

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    1This is the main road ... for cars and bicycles ... and the pedestrian path is off to the left!The fabulous tapas menu!52

    We don't yet want to leave you Utrecht!

    September 11, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    GAHS: We were so tired last night that we were nicely tucked on bed by 8pm. And ... John was still sleeping at 8:00am this morning. Who knows how long he would have snoozed had I not accidentally woke him while trying to make a coffee on a completely unfamiliar Nespresso machine!! I'd been up for an hour ... and was trying to be both quiet and patient ... but ... a girl can only go so long without her morning coffee.☕

    GRATITUDES: And ... after a couple of tries ... I figured out how to use the coffee machine!! And, we had bought cream at market so I was all set! We are really enjoying our accommodations here in Utrecht! They even have a Miele washer and dryer ... and an induction stove top and a combo microwave/oven for our use! But sadly ... there is no toaster. Perhaps it's because here in Holland they serve soft bread with food rather than toasted bread?? Or maybe if you want crispier bread you can eat rusk?? I'm not atall sure ... but we were sure happy to have a coffee in our pjs and be able to cook a nice breakfast in our room! 🍳

    GIFTS: Oh ... I forgot to mention ... when we were at the market buying our breakfast supplies ... we got a bottle of Pinot Grigio for $3.59!! And it was good!! I'm encouraged that wine might be more affordable from now on in our trip! 🥂

    And so ... as we were thinking about how we wanted to spend this day ... we chatted about the possibility of renting bikes. It sounded really good in theory ... relaxed and happily pedaling through Utrecht while taking in all of the sights. But .... as you noticed in the video from yesterday ... you really need your wits about you to pedal the paths here!!

    GROANS: And my anxious mind filled the potential for challenges: staying upright ... getting lost ... keeping my eyes on the roads and the scenery (not likely!) .... crossing the streets carefully ... not causing an accident ... the sore buttocks ... not falling off ... not taking out a pedestrian ... being on the wrong path ... holding up other bicycle traffic because I'm too slow ... keeping up with my hubby ... argh!! The more I considered the realities ... the less appealing it sounded. 🙄 And so ... we opted to descend the ladders at the canals and see more of Utrecht on foot! 👣

    GAHS: We also decided to book a train from Paris to Barcelona! And then we headed off to find some lunch. We traipsed around where we are staying ... and although there were many, many restaurants in the neighborhood ... not ONE of them was open! Sheesh! Finally we saw a Subway Sandwich shop and I had my first sub abroad! It was good!

    Just across the street, however, was an open square with a number of restaurants. John had a snack plate of a Dutch delights ... but it might be his least favorite food choice in our travels yet. 😕 So ... he set it aside and ordered some croquettes ... knowing it might be his last chance to have them ... and much to his pleasure ... they were one of the best he has had yet!! 😋 But ...we had no IDEA what was about to happen!!

    We headed home to do some more planning for the days ahead ... booking tours and flights and rooms ... and after we were done, we headed back out to our neighborhood to see what might be open for supper! And ... we hit the JACKPOT of JACKPOTS! We found our way to " 'tZusje" ... which is a most remarkable little tapas restaurant on the Oudegraght canal! They preferred we eat indoors for fear of rain ... but John really pressed to stay outdoors. Monique, our server, was most lovely ... and ... allowed us to have our wish. And, it was perfect ... because ... as another one of the server's so wisely noted; "if you sit inside, you don't even know which country you are in!" So true! So we sat alongside the canal and enjoyed the very best tapas we have ever tasted!!!

    And so ......... the verdict is in ... and it is unanimous!! Utrecht has provided us with our very best taste experience in our travels thus far! The tastes and the falavors and the experience was so magnificent!! Honestly ... probably going to be one of our favorite memories of this trip!

    And ... we capped it off with four desserts in honor of our grand daughters 10th birthday!!

    Honestly ... we are not ready to leave Utrecht quite yet! There are still many stones left unturned for us in this lovely place!! We have been well blessed with our time here!

    And, tomorrow ... we are off to Paris! We'll talk to you then ... :-)    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...
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    "Bonjour" Paris!

    September 12, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    GRATEFUL: We began our day in the quiet, peaceful stillness of Utrecht.  Because we were travelling by train ... we had extra time to enjoy the morning before we had to get into travel mode.  We have loved the simplicity of train travel as opposed to flying.  In fact ... we opted to book a train  from Paris to Barcelona because ... although it was much cheaper to fly ... it would be so much more stressful to do so!   And so ... we pay a little more in cash and save a whole lot more in stress ... and surprisingly ... if you do the math ... it doesn't actually cost much more in time!

    GRATITUDES: And so ... we boarded our intercity train in Utrecht ... bound for Rotterdam... where we would transfer to the International Rail of Thalys to continue our journey to Paris. 
    We noticed some etching on the windows of our train car ... which suggested we were in a SILENT car!!  I had no idea there even was such a thing ... but ... my introverted self was tickled to the core with glee!!  And ... it really was silent!!! 😍

    GAHS: We chose to arrive a bit early to the station ... to allow time for checking the direction of our seats and passport checks ... only to learn that none of it was necessary! Apparently no customs check are needed between travel from Amsterdam to Paris!  And so .... we were left to cross our fingers that we were facing forward for our almost 3 hour trip!! 🤞🤞🤞

    We had some time to spare so we were looking for a nice place to have a  little lunch and a drink ... but ... could not see anything! 😕 

    GIFTS: I needed to find the WC,  so I found my way there.  AND... low and behold,  adjacent to the washrooms was an "International Lounge" ... with tables and wifi and lunch menus too!!!  I doubled back and rounded up the hubby and we enjoyed a lovely lunch while we waited for our train. John had one more fill of krokets before we left Holland. 😊

    It was all so seamless. A lovely local directed us to a signpost which tells you where to queue for the car you are in seated in ... which really helps so that you are not running at the last minute (with your backpacks and front packs!) ... trying to find your car on the train. Some of them are very LONG!

    GRINS:  And so ... we found our seats and sat back and relaxed ... because we were ... indeed ... facing forward!  For us, train travel is such a stress-free way to move from one destination another!! 

    GAFFAHS: We had a nice taxi ride to our hotel and checked in to our 3rd floor room.  It was hilarious, though, because with our backpacks only one of us could fit in the elevator!  Serious. Dead serious. Everything is compact.  So ... John took the stairs.  I was chuckling all the way up! Yeah ... so it's going to feel like Amsterdam all over again ... with a whole schwack of stairs to climb to get your room! I'll have to count them. 😆

    GAHS: And so ... we left the cloud and rain behind and Paris greeted us with sun and 28 °C! We wondered out to acquaint ourselves... stopped to have a charcuterie board and a burger (which cost us $45 Euros!) and then ... took a minute to check out the metro! This city is huge ...and ... they don't speak English like in Amsterdam! If we can figure out how to connect from the metro to the Hop On Hop Off Bus ...  we will have it made! 

    GRATITUDES: We end this day wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of Paris ... with sweet expectations of what tomorrow might bring. However ... the weather network says 80% chance of rain. ☔

    "Bonne nuit" to one and all ... k&j 💛    Read more

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