tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24999863066081148452024-03-20T13:10:19.393+01:00Roaming Thru EuropeThe blog for American babyboomers (and women) planning self-drive tours in Europe. Visit my Facebook page: Roaming Thru Europe. Follow me on Twitter@roaming-thru-europe. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-87313070671390375832013-10-04T21:20:00.001+02:002013-10-04T21:20:29.807+02:00Tulle - not just ballet costume netting - a old town in France<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">When you are driving through the south central region of
France be sure to visit the old town of Tulle. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">How old is Tulle? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well
Tulle was settled by the Gauls, then the Romans established a temple there,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and in the seventh century a monastery was built
which was destroyed by the Vikings in 846…so you figure it out!!!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Yes, Tulle <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is the
home of the starchy, sometimes scratchy, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>net-like fabric that ballet costumes are made
of. And, it is also the world accordion capital. (Did you know a single
accordion has between 3500 and 6800 parts and takes more than 200 hours to
make.. and can cost up to €9000, about $11,700?) Usine Maugein - the last of
the traditional accordion makers still produces instruments in Tulle.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">But more importantly, Tulle is the scene of a really nice
4-day street music festival (Nuits de Nacre - September) and it is a GREAT
place to just get off the beaten path… and roam around a bit. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Take a look at this video… Great isn’t it? Want more
information?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contact me. Let me help you
plan the ‘roaming’ tour of your dreams.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-89186947658212886972013-10-03T01:51:00.000+02:002013-10-03T01:51:00.879+02:00It is almost truffle season in France!!! <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just the other day, I was talking to someone about truffles.
I was telling them that years ago, I read (probably in one of Peter Mayle’s wonderful
books) that truffles used to be hunted using a pig. Apparently pigs have a keen
sense of smell and can track down a truffle a mile away. (Well, perhaps not <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a mile… but quite a distance!!) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pig,
with its innate truffle-sniffing sense, can find a truffle and root it out with
its snout - even when the truffle is hidden almost underground!! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However pigs also love to eat truffles. So, since there was
always a dispute with the pig over ownership rights (i.e. 300 lb. truffle-finders
are always keepers!!), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they are no
longer used in truffle-hunting. Instead, they have been replaced with ‘truffle-sniffing
dogs’!! (Per Wiki: need to be trained, but easier to control!) As I recounted this
tale to my friend, we laughed and mused about how much fun it would be to go on
a truffle hunt. (From my mouth to the truffle-god’s ear.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr35s9aEGnO1DoIeLoSicS6DYhrl6DePl9BZgny4RIQwSSpXXRa5LhpPhxLJr-2kAq0OFT2Y2bsHNHHnCpgb_H79ryL-JHgROq5f6vXvoRjo0718H7IPWoCoJLl7Xjtkh0IrqsLwNF2-Xa/s1600/4318722055_6da01c6c56_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr35s9aEGnO1DoIeLoSicS6DYhrl6DePl9BZgny4RIQwSSpXXRa5LhpPhxLJr-2kAq0OFT2Y2bsHNHHnCpgb_H79ryL-JHgROq5f6vXvoRjo0718H7IPWoCoJLl7Xjtkh0IrqsLwNF2-Xa/s320/4318722055_6da01c6c56_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To see more of these photos and to read the story, check out David Lebovitz's story about his hunt with the pig, on his blog: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/02/truffle-hunting-in-france/#comments">http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/02/truffle-hunting-in-france/#comments</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lo and behold, guess what appeared in my email box today? An
invitation from </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Johann & Lisa
Pepin (who have a truffle plantation in the Provence) inviting me (and you - my
dear readers) to visit them. They will tell us<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">how truffles are cultivated and truffle dogs are
trained, and we can go on a hunt for France's elusive "black gold" with
professional hunters who know all the tricks of the trade.<o:p></o:p> The
hunters will even regale us with stories of truffle hunting successes and
sabotage, and we will learn to tell the difference between the different types
of truffles (French versus Chinese). <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWDmUntR4ImJZsnbPlXCUY27c1pu0Tsd43F67v5lbYniHGonN-NaiD7mJIY41ICM-rt6lgWX5JAhvK45BfjODkeF5UFKPBkEGM5pvTK2yeNDfEq7tSunJqMeIJ11X4r-pwAet3Fv6m3qE/s1600/266_400_csupload_60090919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWDmUntR4ImJZsnbPlXCUY27c1pu0Tsd43F67v5lbYniHGonN-NaiD7mJIY41ICM-rt6lgWX5JAhvK45BfjODkeF5UFKPBkEGM5pvTK2yeNDfEq7tSunJqMeIJ11X4r-pwAet3Fv6m3qE/s320/266_400_csupload_60090919.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Interested? Contact me and I will help you plan a wonderful
self-drive trip through the Provence which, of course, can include the truffle
hunt. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Truffle season: summer - May to September; winter - November to March) <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or join me and a few other baby-boomer couples (no more than
6 couples) in the Provence during Christmas week (Dec 21 to 26)… as we share
accommodations (6 private rooms, each with bath) in a fully- furnished, luxury
villa.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or join me from 27 December
to 04 January for a week with ‘just us girls’... at the same luxury villa. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(For both trips: a rental car will be available for each couple
or every two women. )<o:p></o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-52970491757172928332013-09-29T19:22:00.000+02:002013-09-29T19:22:52.803+02:00Christmas in the Provence<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Provence is wonderful any time of year… especially in the
winter when only the locals are there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Join
us during Christmas week or New Years while we share accommodations in a luxury
villa in the Provence. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first week - December 21 to 27 - is reserved for baby-boomer
couples, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second week<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Dec
28 to January 03 - is exclusively for women who are travelling alone or with a
friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Share a 9 bedroom/ 9 bath luxury villa (one rental car
available for every 2 people)!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q8F4T3CTI6WX7xZAWVAev9qXZ_wBLyuSnZVBNzXfPGPGLCYfnArfa24p_G-HL5EgZvDQZRNipcy3jnDJqolw1SGXNKdK2dAYhOP1-IvsQCINvKqIpl135o-89Lvvo8je94taPG03D0QR/s1600/The+Villa+in+the+Provence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q8F4T3CTI6WX7xZAWVAev9qXZ_wBLyuSnZVBNzXfPGPGLCYfnArfa24p_G-HL5EgZvDQZRNipcy3jnDJqolw1SGXNKdK2dAYhOP1-IvsQCINvKqIpl135o-89Lvvo8je94taPG03D0QR/s320/The+Villa+in+the+Provence.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-82397723267210578632013-09-29T18:54:00.001+02:002013-09-29T18:54:23.812+02:00Dining out in France
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Planning a trip to France? Why not get off the beaten path..
fly into Frankfurt, rent a car drive down Germany’s wine road, take the little
road for Landau into Strasbourg and then head down to Dijon. A few miles
outside of Dijon will put you right on the Route des Grand Cru.. and you can
visit these restaurants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-36940812795588580692013-09-29T18:16:00.002+02:002013-09-29T18:20:10.789+02:00Oktoberfest.... not only in Munich<br />
Today in the New York Times, there was an article about more and more German
women wearing the traditional outfit: the dirndl dress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This outfit is typically worn – by Bavarian women
- on festive occasions, like the Oktoberfest.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/world/europe/dirndl-dress-of-past-makes-a-comeback-in-bavaria.html?pagewanted=all<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But as I mentioned in a previous blog post, Oktoberfests are now being held throughout
the country. Yes, folks… in the past, Oktoberfest was traditionally a festival
held only in Munich and which featured the beer from the 17 most famous
breweries in Munich.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
But now cities and towns - located throughout Germany – are offering Oktoberfests…
and the women are wearing the traditional Bavarian outfit – the dirndl!! So no
matter where you are in Germany… be sure to check out the local Oktoberfest if
they have one.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
And during the remainder of the year.. if you should happen to see a sign
for a BierBörse, be sure to check that out also. (Translation: Bierbörse is a ‘beer
exchange’). Apparently there are 16 of them held throughout the year,
throughout Germany. These Bierbörsen offer beer from a wide variety of
micro-breweries.<br />
<br />
http://www.bierboerse.com/<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-59868130344792453172013-09-18T01:23:00.007+02:002013-09-18T01:25:34.453+02:00Cattle drives In Germany<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">You’ve
seen it on television, exclaimed ‘oh how quaint’, but never really thought much
about it. However, it really is quite an event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The herders bring the cattle down from their Alpine pastures to the
valley, where the various herds are separated and then lead them in a grand
procession through the town. The townspeople - dressed in traditional garb -
adorn the head of the lead cow from each herd with ornamental head-dress and
huge clanking bells. After the procession, the fun begins!! Another fest…. local
food, oompha music and beer!! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">A friend once told me that he, his wife and two
other couples had rented a small holiday house in one of these mountain pasture
areas. One day, as they were leaving their house to go hiking, they were unable
to get onto the main road because it was blocked by the Viehschied herds.
Apparently, in modern times, realizing that the cattle lose a lot of weight
during the long walk to town, the herders now load the cows onto trucks and
drive them down to the valley, where they are unloaded and readied for their
triumphant welcome home!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">While waiting to be loaded onto a truck, one
of the cows took a misstep and tumbled off the road, down the side of the hill.
The herders were having a devil of a time trying to get the cow back on her
feet and up the hill. As a result, the herders enlisted the help of my friend
and his male friends!! They, of course - being city men one and all - had no
experience with cow-hauling!! But – men being men – after an hour or so, they
devised some sort of rigging which was attached to one of the cars and were
able to tow the cow back-up to the road. (Ok, ok… truth be told… for the first
30 minutes or so, they employed the time-honored pull-push approach. That is, 2
men pull the cow with a rope while the 3 men push from behind!! When that
failed to do the trick, they devised the rigging /towing by car method.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are in Bavaria … this is a great place
to soak up some local culture, take nature walks, alpine treks (more than 300
kms of hiking trails), and do a bit of climbing while enjoying panoramic mountain
views (more than 400 peaks)!! All of the trails are clearly marked and maps are
readily available. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-78522629662023956822013-09-18T01:23:00.000+02:002013-09-18T01:23:09.533+02:00Oktoberfest begins in September!!!<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Oktoberfest
is the world famous, annual 16-day beer drinking festival in Munich. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it is arguably the most famous and
largest (6.5million+) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>festival in the
world, there are several ‘petty little details’ that most foreign visitors are
quite unaware of. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Petty
little detail #1: Oktoberfest begins in mid-September and ends the first Sunday
in October.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Started in 1810, Oktoberfest is a big
fair. It has rides and activities and beer, beer and more beer (on avg. 7
million liters served). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beer is
served at tables in beer tents (17 large tents - featuring beer from the top breweries
in Munich and 20 small tents - featuring other non-beer specialties).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Petty
little detail # 2: The beer tents are ONLY accessible by reserved ticket</span></i><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">. Tickets to the
most important tents are sold to large corporations, banks, consulting and law
firms, … (you know the ‘A-list’ of German notables, celebrities, business executives
and their associates)… early in the year. At about the same time, savvy Germans
buy up all of the available individual tickets in every tent. In order to
accommodate the hordes of visitors, the tickets each have an entrance time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Petty
little detail #3: The tents officially open at noon, but you must be in line
about 2 hours ahead of your scheduled entrance time.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> Who on earth drinks
beer at lunch time??? And, who would want to stand online for 2 hours in order
to do so??? However, in order to accommodate families and older people who are
attending the fair, only ‘quiet’ music is played in the tents until 6pm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Petty
little detail # 4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beer is more expensive
and stronger than the normal German beer AND there are always lots of drunken
young guys hanging around. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Nonetheless, Oktoberfest is fun!! If you are
not ‘set-on’ getting into the tents, Munich is definitely the place to be. It
is truly a ‘must do’ happening (been there, done that!!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">However, if you just want to sample some good
German beer, visit the smaller Oktoberfests which are now being held throughout
Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They usually have only one tent,
are accessible without a ticket and serve a wide variety of beers from
microbreweries located throughout the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Oh, by the way, if you haven’t booked a
hotel room in Munich far in advance of Oktoberfest, you can forget it. There is
nothing available within 100kms and certainly not at a reasonable rate!! BUT, in
other places, all over Germany, there are plenty of nice accommodations available
– at good prices - in small-family owned hotels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-28217464220247264562013-09-18T01:20:00.000+02:002013-09-18T01:20:31.146+02:00Germany: Wine Festivals..now is the time
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you
are visiting any of the wine regions in Germany during the month of September, be
sure to visit a wine festival or two, or even three. These ‘fests’ generally feature
the top wines or sekts (sparkling wines) from the region. On two consecutive weekends,
30 to 40 local vinters set-up small stands in their towns, villages and even
smaller cities so that visitors can sample their wine. Wine aficionados (read:
real drinkers) bring their own glasses – tied by the stem to a leather thong
which is worn around the neck. (My question: Are they just well-prepared [‘have
glass will drink’] OR do they just want to avoid paying the 5€ pfand [return glass
deposit]???)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Wine fests are not only a fun way to sample the
various wines of the region, but also to see how ‘the other half lives’ (that
is, people our age - middle-age, baby-boomers, mature adults). Trust me, they
live pretty well. In Germany, people our age have full social calendars and
wine fests are just one of a wide variety of autumn activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to get to know the locals, this
is a great place to strike up a conversation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">As you drive through the wine areas, you
will see numerous stands and even restaurants offering ‘Neuer Wein’ (new wine -
Federweisser). This wine - which is made from ‘must’ (freshly fermented pressed
grape juice) - is yellowish in color and is quite tasty, especially when served
with Zweibelkuchen (onion cake). However, I must offer a few words of caution:
1. Keep the bottles upright because the screw caps never fit securely and the
wine (which attracts zillion of tiny flies) leaks out. 2. Never drink more than
1 bottle per night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Germans say,
new wine will ‘clean your clock’ (laxative-wise)!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-10495216684929683432013-09-08T04:05:00.002+02:002013-09-08T21:38:38.998+02:00The insanity of war: Oradour-sur-Glane (France)… a must see for humane beings <span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is seldom that we – who were born and raised in America and
have no connection to the military – see the aftermath of the atrocities of
war. Yes, many of us have viewed the remnants of the World Trade Center in the
months that followed 9/11. But future generations, and those of us who have
been unable to visit New York City so far, will only see the memorial as it
rises.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even those of us who have traveled to Europe, often see only
the sanitized version of ‘things’, long after they happened, long after the tears
have dried and those who fell have perhaps been forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday, the New York Times reported that the Presidents
of Germany and France commemorated the worst atrocity committed by the Germans –
on the French people – in World War II. On June 10, 1944, Nazi panzer troops
entered the tiny village of Oradour-sur-Glane, rounded-up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and massacred 642 of it’s villagers…. men,
women, children… anyone who happened to be in the village that day. Only a
dozen or so – only those who were not in town that day – survived.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For those of us humane beings - who need to be reminded of
the horrors of war – thankfully that little village has been preserved… exactly
as it was on the day of the atrocity.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/77/65/c4/7765c4d947d19b82c2b15f938f305a94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/77/65/c4/7765c4d947d19b82c2b15f938f305a94.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Visiting the village is an eerie experience. You park on one
side of the road, then cross it and enter the reception center through an
underground passageway which cannot be seen from the road or from the village itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you emerge from underground, you enter the
village… walking up a bit of an incline… as any visitor would have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you enter the village, you walk past the remnants of the
burned-out shells of houses and shops. Many of the shop signs are still clearly
visible. There are tables and a couple of chairs in the café. You can see a
sewing machine in the tailor’s shop. There are cars parked in the streets. But
everything is a hollow shell … burned out and now rusted. The trolley tracks are
still there with blades of grass growing in between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is all so quiet, so still. Even though other
tourists are walking nearby, everyone - even teenagers - speaks in hushed,
reverent tones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a period of time, as you walk along the streets peering
here and peeking there, you become somewhat inured to the scene. ‘Oh just an
old abandoned village’, you think to yourself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then you walk down a small incline,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>towards the end of the village,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the church. It is a simple stone edifice,
not unlike other fieldstone churches in other small French villages. As you
enter the church, you notice that it is empty: no pews, no religious artifacts,
no remnants of the parishioners. There is nothing inside except - an alter with
three sacristy windows directly behind. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But in this emptiness… in this sunlit space… it all becomes
clear. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the place where 247 women
and 205 children were massacred…. herded into the church, locked inside. Then
the church was set ablaze and anyone machine-gunned down - if they tried to
escape. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One woman survived. She
succeeded in climbing out of a sacristy window. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But why, why did this happen… you may well ask? What could
possibly be the reason for such slaughter…. such brutality, such inhumanity. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The official answer: German retribution on the French partisans
because they had kidnapped a Waffen-SS command officer. The unofficial truth: The
partisans of the village of Oradour-sur-Vayres had kidnapped the officer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The order from the German high command had
been to arrest 30 villagers from that village and hold them until the
SS-officer was released unharmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
instead, an overzealous, young German officer decided to ‘send a message’ to
the partisans of Oradour-sur-Vayres. He ordered his troops to lay waste to the partisans’
village: exterminate all of the villagers and set fire to the village. But on
that fateful morning, in his quest for revenge, in his haste, he entered the wrong village: Oradour
-sur-Glane NOT Oradour-sur-Vayres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One cannot say enough about the absolute insanity and the inhumanity
of war.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photos of the village appear on my Pinterest Board. I visted the village in 2010.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/roamingeurope/france-oradour-sur-glane-limosin-region/">http://pinterest.com/roamingeurope/france-oradour-sur-glane-limosin-region/</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/77/65/c4/7765c4d947d19b82c2b15f938f305a94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
</span><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-82549860869988723032013-09-05T18:17:00.000+02:002013-09-05T18:27:11.541+02:00Roaming thru Europe, off the beaten path… by car. <span style="font-family: Calibri;">On your next vacation trip to Europe, why not get off the beaten path?
Rent a car and explore!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you need help in planning your adventure, let me
know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having lived in Europe for more
than 22 years, I know a lot about Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and the
BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg). I can give you advice on which
routes to take, towns and villages to visit, nice places to stay, great places
to eat, interesting things to see, as well as fun and cultural things to do. I
can provide first-hand information on just about anything an American
baby-boomer or woman traveler would want or need to know. (I am one, you know!!)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I travel by car, I do so slowly. I take my time. I stop
here. I explore there. If I see something - even a sign - that looks a bit
interesting… I go there. I read the guide books. I stop at the tourist offices.
But, most times, I just wander… I just roam… here and there. As a result, I have
seen many ‘off the beaten path’ places that most Americans (and sometimes Europeans!!)
have never seen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Ok, ok… truth be told…
sometimes I had not really planned to see some of those places [read: lost, ever
so lost]. But none-the-less, I have been there!!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting off the beaten path is easy these days. All you need
is a GPS-system in your car, a mobile and a WiFi-equipped tablet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years ago, without these devices, it was a
bit more problematic. However, I quickly learned that back-country roads
generally lead to post roads (postal service) and those roads lead to the national
highway system. So all’s good, as they say!! Soft adventure, slow travel - at its best!!!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But now back to the point of this blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are planning a self-drive European vacation and have some
questions or need some information… send me an email (Vicki@roaming-thru-europe.com).
If it is something which I can answer off the top of my head (and it, usually,
is) … I won’t charge you. But if I have to do some research, we can agree on a
small nominal fee. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sound fair???<o:p></o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-38119077594945566642013-09-02T21:00:00.003+02:002013-09-02T21:14:55.127+02:00Ghent: a chocolate lover's paradise... Belgian Chocolate, that is!!<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>My family just returned from vacationing in New Hampshire. They
brought home a small box of chocolates… which started me thinking…. well, actually,
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>started my mouth watering… and my mind
wandering ….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Several years ago, I was on a business trip to Belgium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My meeting was in Ghent which is about a 6
hour drive from my home in Germany. (Ghent: You know the place where they
signed ‘that’ famous treaty. Ok, ok, so you don’t remember… neither did I. I
had to look it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like you, dear
reader, I remembered the name of the treaty [from 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade World
History!!!] but had ‘no clue’ what it was for, or about, and certainly not when
the darn thing was signed!! Turns out, it was to end the War of 1812!!) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Memory (i.e. historical and cultural references) firmly intact,
I got into my car and drove to my meeting. Afterwards, that night, I prowled
the streets of Ghent for a bit before turning in. Typical European town, I surmised:
old town, narrow cobble-stoned streets, old houses, big church, nice bridge, torture
museum, etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(As I was later to discover,
that was quite an understatement. Ghent is far from a typical town … but more
on that in my next post.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
The next day, I got up and started to wander the streets…
visiting the church, walking around the market place, walking across the bridge.
As I entered a back street, I was LITERALLY confronted with store after store -
with windows filled with chocolates: hand-made Pralines and every other chocolate
delight!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
For those of you.. like me… who know the name ‘Praline’ but
could not recognize one if our lives depended on it: a Praline is simply a piece
of covered chocolate with a filling inside. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We (meaning us in the USA) call them ‘chocolates’.
You remember... the kind that people used to give your mother as a gift. (The chocolates
you had to take a bite out of, or poke a hole in, to find the filling you liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless, of course, it was a Whitman’s Sampler
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- which had a ‘map’ in the top of the
box!!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
The back street was filled with confectioners … not big,
fancy, high-priced gourmet stores… just small shops run by ordinary people
selling their own hand-produced chocolates (i.e. Belgian people making and selling
chocolates in Belgium, hence the name ‘Belgian Chocolate’!! Who knew???)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
The people in the stores were so friendly, ’Here try this,
try a bit of that’… as they explained the various fillings and ingredients
hidden deep within the rich chocolate coatings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried one, then - I tried another… I tried
them all. But having NYC shopper genes in my genome, I moved on. I needed to
continue my search…. perhaps I would find a better one, a better buy… a better
something or other. I knew not what. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Finally, I had to stop. I could sample no more!! So,
instead, I bought. I bought a lot… and then I bought some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I excused my apparent gluttony by explaining,
to the salesperson, that I planned to give most of my purchases to my family in
the States. In reply, she suggested that I buy more and ship them as gifts, instead
of taking them back on the plane with me. My wary, NYC shopper genes kicked
into action. ‘She just wants me to spend more money’, I thought. ‘No, no’, I responded,
‘Everything will fit perfectly well in my suitcase’. Then – explaining <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that I actually lived in Germany and was
planning to visit the States in 3 weeks or so – I inquired if the chocolates
would still be fresh. ‘Of course’, she replied. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then in very perfect English, she said ‘but
you really ought to ship them’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, I
was to discover the emphasis was on OUGHT!! (Europeans have a way of using the polite
word ’ought’ to indicate a ‘must do’.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
I left the store, my arms laden with my purchases; and, then
loaded them into the front seat of my car. As I made my way home…, during the 6
hours… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sampled, I nibbled, I snacked,
and then I gobbled a little from this bag, a little from that box: secure in
the knowledge that I had purchased more than enough. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
By the time I got home, I had eaten a bit (ok, ok... to be
truthful… apparently quite more than ‘a bit’) of the chocolates. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the weeks leading up to my trip to the States,
I ate most of the rest. But, I did manage to save one nicely-wrapped box for
the folks back home. (In truth… if the wrapping had not been so nicely done and
- IF - I could have replicated the wrapping… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have ‘sampled’ from box, as well.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
I guess the saleswoman was right: I really ‘ought’ to have
shipped my Belgian Chocolates home!!<o:p></o:p></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.viewamerica.net/fotobel/bel02_pralines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.viewamerica.net/fotobel/bel02_pralines.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-69286983748583278492013-09-02T16:04:00.001+02:002013-09-02T21:27:23.396+02:00Wine, wine.. everywhere in Germany and France!! <span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am in the States at the moment, trying to get my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Roaming Thru Europe</i> travel program off
the ground. The program is designed for baby-boomers<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(couples, mainly) and women (of all ages) who
wish to make a self-drive vacation in Europe. Stay tuned for more details…</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">t any rate, since I was working so hard, I decided to go to
the liquor store and buy a bottle of wine to ease the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy, was I shocked!! The prices of wine are
so-o-o high here: $16.99 for a fairly decent bottle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, now dear wine-drinking friends who are planning to
travel to Germany and France: I have some very, very, important <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>information <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for you. When you want to buy a bottle of
wine, head to a supermarket, not to a wine shop. The prices are downright
cheap!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get a good bottle of
wine <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– from anywhere in the world – for
under 6€. (I only go to a wine shop to purchase wine when I need a gift. Their
free wrapping service makes any bottle look much more expensive than it is!) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In German supermarkets, you will find aisles and aisles of
wines from all over the world – including Germany. In French supermarkets, you
will find aisles and aisles of French wine and a half aisle of wine from
somewhere else!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not a wine
connoisseur (merely an imbiber), but I like Pinotage from the Western Cape of
South Africa (red wine), and I love Prosecco (sparking white wine) from Italy!!
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cgge.aag.org/GlobalEconomy1e/CaseStudy2_Chile%20Wine_Sep10/paste_image15.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://cgge.aag.org/GlobalEconomy1e/CaseStudy2_Chile%20Wine_Sep10/paste_image15.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the summer, there is nothing better than a glass of
chilled Prosecco served with chilled gummy bears!! Try it!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-4895886040624058742013-07-01T21:26:00.000+02:002013-07-01T21:26:12.968+02:00Germany: street names - Grosse Bleiche (bleaching lawn) <span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">I just finished
reading a blog post by ‘The guy’ at <a href="http://www.flightsandfrustration.com/">www.flightsandfrustration.com</a>. He wrote a
nice review of a quaint 1920s hotel in Hamburg. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the post, the hotel is located on
a street called ‘<span style="color: black;">Grosse Bleichen’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">That started
me thinking… As I roam through Europe, especially Germany, I often wonder how
the streets got their names. It is quite obvious many of the streets are named
for German industrialists (Bosch, Siemens, Daimler) while others are named for
famous people (Schweitzer, Goethe, Gutenberg). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Other
names are clearly meant to provide travelers with directional information. Apparently
any street which is named for a town or city leads directly to that place. For
instance, the ’Mainzer Landstrasse’ leads from the countryside into the city of
Mainz (‘land’ means countryside). Similarly, ‘Hauptstrasse’ means main street,
‘Bahnhofstrasse’ means trainstation street, and so it goes. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">However,
there is also a classification of street names which are even more descriptive;
and, I find, quite intriguing. ‘Grosse Bleichen’ is one of those names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the ‘oldest’ part of almost any old town
or city in Germany, you will find a group of streets which bear some form of
the word ‘bleiche’. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">In Mainz,
for instance, there is an entire old district named the <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Bleichenviertel. The streets in this quarter are named: </span><i>Große
Bleiche</i>, <i>Mittlere Bleiche</i> und <i>Hintere Bleiche (that is: the big
bleiche, the middle bleiche, and behind the bleiche).</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The word ‘bleiche‘
means ‘bleach’. In Mainz from the Middle Ages to the 17<sup>th</sup> century, the
Bleichenverteil – a relatively flat area which was located near two streams of
water - was the area where the women of the town and the laundresses from the
military hospital took their newly washed, wet laundry and laid it on the lawns
(meadows) to dry ... and to be bleached by the sun!! As a result that area was
called the ‘bleaching lawns’.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">While I do
not remember such descriptive street names in the upstate New York area where I
grew up in the USA, I do however remember the names of the towns which were
indicative of the trades of the people who lived there: ‘Gloversville’ (the people
made gloves), ‘Tannersville’ (the people tanned the leather to make the gloves
and other leather products), Mechanicsville (these were the master craftsmen:
millers, carpenters, butchers who worked in what was called the Mechanical Arts
in the early 1890s).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I also
remember that the names came from not just one, but from many sources. The
Dutch (Spuyten Duyvil, Stuyvesant, Kinderhook, Amsterdam, Bleecker), the
British (York, Albany, Charlestown, Jamestown) and of course, because the Dutch
and the English were not the original settlers of the area, many of the
villages, towns as well as the streams, lakes and rivers bear names bestowed
upon them by the Native Americans tribes who lived there: Wappinger, Tuckahoe,
Ticonderoga, Taghkanic, Susquehanna, Saratoga, Saranac, Sagaponack, Nyack,
Niagara, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copake,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cossayuna,
</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coxsackie_(town),_New_York" title="Coxsackie (town), New York"><span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Coxsackie
</span></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canandaigua_(city),_New_York" title="Canandaigua (city), New York"><span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Canandaigua</span></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, etc. And, for
some odd reason, even to this day if you visit towns in the Hudson valley south
of Albany, you will find lots of families with Dutch family names. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While I think it is really nice to understand the
derivation of German words, it makes quite proud to think about how multi-cultural
my homeland is… and has been since ‘the beginning’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br /></div>
</div>
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-46923744405465489062013-06-28T20:16:00.000+02:002013-06-28T20:17:04.788+02:00Travelling alone on a day river cruise<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The passenger line to the Danube River cruise boat appeared rather
quickly, so I hustled to get near the front so that I could get ‘my’ seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I generally travel alone, I have
specific places on various types of transport where I like to sit. On a plane -
it is in a window seat just behind ´the wing’. But I must admit with the new jumbo
planes, sitting upstairs is quite nice and a bit more intimate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now back to the boat. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have ever taken one of these cruises you will
remember that most people want to sit on the upper deck as close to the front (bow)
as possible. Of course, since much of the bow is not accessible to the public,
you – and everyone else - often end up sitting mid-section with a totally unobstructed
view of the boat’s radar system or you might have a cornucopia of shots of the back of other tourists heads !! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK59QIVmqJ03anSCWLL_xPSM5DnK7dIpRsGYn0myp9ZfvdZam1ZYo5wvETxPz_85Q3JEyjKFgL5KDfi99BBSNRwlmZJzgUmA9uxPJAgxitSMQStrxlb1fB7a6bnj1xxluLhNkT5NwUu3ku/s1600/DSCN1048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK59QIVmqJ03anSCWLL_xPSM5DnK7dIpRsGYn0myp9ZfvdZam1ZYo5wvETxPz_85Q3JEyjKFgL5KDfi99BBSNRwlmZJzgUmA9uxPJAgxitSMQStrxlb1fB7a6bnj1xxluLhNkT5NwUu3ku/s320/DSCN1048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I, however prefer to sit in the back of the
boat. I select a chair which is closest to the stern (the back) … which of
course is facing backwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since no
one else wants to sit there, I generally have the entire stern area to myself… as
if I own it… waiters come and ask me - and only me - if I would like something
to eat or drink. I can take interesting unobstructed photos of things as we pass by. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since I
can look both forward as well as backward, I can anticipate things which might look
‘photo-worthy’ and take a photo as we draw closer.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SVzXEK9jW7xg9szEISlmQM3ppulEYDjzw9ngab0A89v_BDadDSxeMylfMysxaWYi4M-TlsJfbMOS4jO3muI8aD87yG8y9cqGNrhOpYX6eQ8sUzo40Nssv4ja-yEjVNL2MteKSRdTpLwb/s1600/DSCN1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SVzXEK9jW7xg9szEISlmQM3ppulEYDjzw9ngab0A89v_BDadDSxeMylfMysxaWYi4M-TlsJfbMOS4jO3muI8aD87yG8y9cqGNrhOpYX6eQ8sUzo40Nssv4ja-yEjVNL2MteKSRdTpLwb/s320/DSCN1049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, of course, that privacy also comes at a price. You
become an object of curiosity. What is she looking at? What is she taking
photos of? Why is she sitting alone in the back? Why is she receiving so much
attention from the cruise staff? And being the object of curiosity, people –
especially other people who are travelling alone (or people who want to be seen
as if they are travelling alone) approach you. Regardless of sexual
orientation, I have found that the back of the boat is the place to meet people… or
get ‘picked up’. So if you are travelling alone and want someone (gay, straight, married, single ), to talk with,
have a drink or dinner with even just to smoke a cigerette with (you name it!!) ... head to the back of the boat, whip out your
camera and just wait! <o:p></o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-82572084802276519142013-06-23T22:17:00.000+02:002013-06-23T22:17:04.964+02:00Oskar 'the Kellner' (waiter - in English)<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is a typical June day here in Germany (Kallmünz to be exact!!). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been raining on and off throughout the
day, but now – in the early evening – the sun is shining. I leave my pension,
walk across the small, one lane bridge to one of the only two restaurants in the village.
It appears to be occupied by locals, no tourists, or other visitors. It is
small with perhaps 5 tables inside and an equal number on the terrace (which overlooks
the small river - which is just a bit bigger than a burbling brook). The terrace
tables are almost full… with couples and small families. I take a table and soon
the waiter comes to take my drink order. As he brings my wine, my mobile phone
starts to ring. I answer it. It is a colleague whom I met with earlier in the day.
I know that the conversation will be long-winded so I interrupt to give the kellner
(waiter) my order. The conversation goes on and on – interminably. I say very
little. I just listen. My responses are mono-syllabic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am thoroughly embarrassed, chagrinned that I
am talking on my mobile in a restaurant. I sense, perhaps it is only my imagination,
that the other patrons are totally annoyed. (I, myself, have been known to rant about
such behavior when other people do it!!) The food arrives so I politely end the
conversation and hang up. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCe1Q_CG-g_R756hDYHek3CpIglj7MZzXxJRBJBRyAqSxqp-sQJo536WHF7636YtzH5WHlRfJEdruB3FZRp7WbsSTQXjqJzwSvBsL7CphRntLToA5tT-yHAwnly0rDNZpR9imAgDtJnz2x/s1600/DSCN1058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCe1Q_CG-g_R756hDYHek3CpIglj7MZzXxJRBJBRyAqSxqp-sQJo536WHF7636YtzH5WHlRfJEdruB3FZRp7WbsSTQXjqJzwSvBsL7CphRntLToA5tT-yHAwnly0rDNZpR9imAgDtJnz2x/s320/DSCN1058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
the restaurant ...the terrace is the pink area under the flag</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After dinner, I order a second glass of wine and ask for my
bill. The kellner brings it. He stands – quietly - at the side of the table holding in his hand his traditional dark brown, slightly bulging, leather kellner’s purse.
It looks surprisingly similar to my wallet. I pay the bill, he gives me change,
places the money in his purse and leaves. I place my wallet on the table
directly under my Blackberry which is also in a dark case. I continue to sit
for a while enjoying my glass of wine and my view of the river. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Soon a small tow-headed, blonde boy – perhaps 5 years of age –
approaches my table. He stands directly behind the chair which is directly
across from me. He looks at me and smiles a bit, but does not say a word. I smile
back and try to engage him in ‘rudimentary’ conversation. (Rudimentary, because
I have not a clue what one says to a 5 year old … in either German or English!!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He moves from behind the chair to the side of
the table and reaches for my Blackberry. I say, “No, no honey, you cannot have
that, it is mine.” He looks at me quizzically… (or is it an expression of
annoyance[??]), … still not saying a word. In my mind, I am convinced he has overheard his parents
discussing the rude American who was talking on the phone. I am sure of it!! I
am sure someone has said my mobile (as well as all others in restaurants!!) should be confiscated! Our little tug of war
over that thing in the black case continues for a minutte or two - wordlessly on his part, a bit vociferously
on mine. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally a blonde woman approaches. She bends down and speaks
to the boy. Then she turns to me, apologizes and explains that Oskar likes to pretend
he is a kellner (waiter). I smile, had I known that I would have given him a tip as payment for his attentiveness AND cute smile!!´</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkHHVbxCDrAj0GggKFkoN2lXU4ftHsqQ_R_IsRbc2dqUdAxdxps9zHcxd8Pwouxx4FFeew3SR6F9ajWHEB_7S40lxUexdSjkovMsQ_gfTxTa_DwltLlp2CkaBwvR70THYJeeE4pM3LMU1/s1600/DSCN1081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkHHVbxCDrAj0GggKFkoN2lXU4ftHsqQ_R_IsRbc2dqUdAxdxps9zHcxd8Pwouxx4FFeew3SR6F9ajWHEB_7S40lxUexdSjkovMsQ_gfTxTa_DwltLlp2CkaBwvR70THYJeeE4pM3LMU1/s320/DSCN1081.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
The other restaurant in Kallmünz<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-38971275162063702992013-06-23T21:03:00.001+02:002013-06-23T21:26:50.288+02:00Passau <span style="font-family: Calibri;">I drove my car from Regensburg to Passau, where I boarded
the river cruise. The drive to Passau was enlightening. As I drove along, I could
see that the cars and their occupants were different than what I had seen in Germany.
The cars were, in most cases, old and beat-up and the people did not look German.
Since the road to Passau will also take you to the Czech border, I guessed they
were Czechs. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I usually do not have problems or feel the least bit insecure during my travels... BUT I did find it a bit disconcerting
to see two groups of young men drinking beer in the rest stop at 10.30 in the morning.
Since it was a parking place, not a restaurant, I cut my stay short and got
back on the rod within minutes. I am sure that the guys were harmless and would not have bothered
me... just vacationers having a bit of fun.... but why take the chance especially when alcohol is involved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Passau – a university town - is perched on a hill.
Everywhere, there are steps leading upward. I tried to resist them and remain
on level ground, but the sites at river level were somewhat limited. So I
climbed the stairs… and I am so glad that I did.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdLL_tSVRhSC6RxkSaq0NKw0uCjbBon-4AcYCFYiYPfugI_JjNBaKBrWj1ZgQTmZddphjHeAMvV6lFfS6x2C6I1M14Rna6NwSrRqxIWDmAUyvU_zGdM8xZTzNCAznfo_SJPK64pml9YSb/s1600/DSCN1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdLL_tSVRhSC6RxkSaq0NKw0uCjbBon-4AcYCFYiYPfugI_JjNBaKBrWj1ZgQTmZddphjHeAMvV6lFfS6x2C6I1M14Rna6NwSrRqxIWDmAUyvU_zGdM8xZTzNCAznfo_SJPK64pml9YSb/s320/DSCN1037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wandered for a couple of hours first around the town
square, then in the numerous alleys and small streets. When I tired, I stopped
for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. The architecture was well worth the
climb… beautiful buildings, wonderful wooden doors….</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-65738281254370138762013-06-23T20:03:00.000+02:002013-06-23T21:27:19.911+02:00Kallmünz: almost in Munich, not quite in Regensburg <span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Well, it started out as a trip to Munich to attend a trade
fair… the week before. But Munich is devilishly expensive and incredibly
overcrowded during trade fair weeks, so I decide to stay in Regensburg (about
an hour<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or so away). But of course, when
I check out the places to stay in Regensburg, they do not seem too inviting….
probably just my imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, with a
bit more internet searching, I find what looks like a charming pension located about
25 kms north of Regensburg in Kallmünz. I assume Kallmünz is a town. I arrive quite
late, it has been raining and the drive from the autobahn to Kallmünz is
foggy. The roads are hilly, windy, twisty… thank goodness for my navi-system. I
never would have found this place without it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally I see the sign, turn left and drive
over the bridge as instructed… and as the voice on my navi says - "You have
arrived”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really??? Where? I see two
cars parked on one side of this tiny narrow street and a small nondescript, totally dark
building on the other. So I drive on… well not really drive, more like roll on.
The street is narrow and only goes for another block. The entire town… oops, I should
say ‘village’… seems to be no more than 4 interconnecting, windy streets - in
total. Finally after making 3 complete circles around the enclave, I stop the car
get out and walk around. My navi was right I “have arrived”. I park the car and
approach the darkened house. I ring the bell, lights come on and a woman answers the door and thus begins my Kallmünz adventure. Well, to
be honest, it actually started the next day when the sun comes up and I can
see all that this adorable little village has to offer.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> My pension in Kallmünz ... notice sign leaning on the building ( at the back of the trailer)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_hp0OKoxKMNWDxXD3CN84o458iAe9_WFSND4rNJZCswW0qD0H7-dki_ojXJkjyEbHYetxMzxS4-4ztlM30v4Yc1BADx09bqy2dHmpwDOCnS3QnShMNu5aDyTVZlM2jXI0h-bO2Kk92pl/s1600/DSCN1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_hp0OKoxKMNWDxXD3CN84o458iAe9_WFSND4rNJZCswW0qD0H7-dki_ojXJkjyEbHYetxMzxS4-4ztlM30v4Yc1BADx09bqy2dHmpwDOCnS3QnShMNu5aDyTVZlM2jXI0h-bO2Kk92pl/s320/DSCN1067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The view directly across the street from my pension.... actually I think I was standing in the same spot when I took this and the previous photo.</span><br />
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Another view of Kallmünz </div>
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For more photos of Kallmünz , please be sure to check out Pinterest... Roaming-thru-Europe.</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>According to Wiki, the municipality of Kallmünz has more than
2000 residents and stretches over 169 klms (or 169 people per sq mile). What Wiki
does not mention is that there are a zillion more trees and rocks than people. The
landscape is absolutely beautiful. But drive out of the very small village and
that is all you will see … there seems to not be a soul around. But that is deceiving.
There are bicyclists, hikers and even small camping grounds … hidden
in the hills. And the next village over (about a ten minute drive) even has a
small general store, a Greek restaurant AND a beer garden. Everyone seems to ‘have
just enough English’ to ask a few questions in order to make you feel at home...
but not enough to be intrusive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p>
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-42725307057307349822013-06-23T16:22:00.001+02:002013-06-23T21:27:19.908+02:00The beautiful blue Danube
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I took a river cruise on the river which Johann Strauss made
so famous… the beautiful Danube (or Donau as it is called in Europe). The river
is everything I expected it to be romantic, quiet, meandering from town to town
and a deep, deep, midnight blue in color. (I suspect the reflection of the
trees and rocks trees which lined its banks had something to do with its color.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-29681170611985568072013-06-17T19:13:00.000+02:002013-06-17T19:13:12.583+02:00Experiences of a woman travelling alone... by car in Europe
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well today is the first day of the rest of my life…. as the
saying goes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today, I officially set forth on my quest to get sponsorship
for this blog and for my efforts to launch a travel service which is dedicated
to serving the needs of baby boomer travelers to Europe... especially women who
want to travel alone, in pairs or without a male escort. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As my readers know… I love to travel alone in Europe … in my car. I am
careful about where I go and what I do … but essentially it is safe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, I have not had any bad experiences yet!!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ok, ok… several years ago, while I was driving my hot little
Alfa convertible (cabriolet) near Chablis* in France, I was followed by a
car load of guys… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that was a
different time, a different ‘me’ and a different car… not my staid, Peugeot
fortress… AND that was well before navigation systems, mobile phones and wifi
were EVERYWHERE!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*Believe it or not
Chablis is not just a wine... but a real town!!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With a GPS-equipped car as well as Wifi - equipped IPAD or
smart phone and utilizing Hotspots in restaurants (like McDonalds) and small
hotels with Wifi in the rooms… we can go wherever we chose without fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, 4 or 5 years ago, there was my Christmas Eve incident
at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
new car I ordered had not arrived, so the Peugeot dealer lent me a car. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I immediately drove to Paris for the Christmas
holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a trip... early Christmas
Eve driving down a street and having the Eiffel Tower suddenly peering down at
me over some neighborhood buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Early Christmas morning driving – like a crazy person – around and
around the Arc de Triomphe… merely because I could!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There wasn’t a single bit of traffic, nary a
car on the street, not a car on the Champs-Elysee or even on the boulevard which encircles
the Arc… I was TOTALLY alone and having the ball of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But there WAS the small incident the night before at the
Cathedral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had driven to the midnight
mass, parked my car.. and was ABSOLUTELY<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>sure it would not be difficult to retrace my steps to get back to my
hotel which was one street over from the Champs Elysee (trust me… the hotel was
not as grand as it sounds!). At any rate, somehow I got turned around and then
a ‘bit’ lost. The loaner car did not have a navigation system.. so I drove and
drove (not to worry, the car doors were locked, the heating system worked, I had
food, drink and my tunes…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so all was
good!!!) So after leaving the mass at 1.00 am, I ended up driving around Paris
for a couple of hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally I saw a
police station and stopped to ask for directions back to Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The policewoman – said in the typical haughty
French way - ‘You are in Paris!!’ And then she told me to just get back into
my car and drive straight ahead!! I did as she instructed, but after a half hour or
so, it occurred to me to just stop the first taxi cab that I saw and ask him to
lead me back to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did just
that and the driver was somewhat amused at my plight… but he led me all the way
back to my hotel… without charging me!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I arried at 3am!! </span>The next day I did the Arc de Triomphe and
then drove to Picardy… if you ever want the ultimate experience in an upscale beach
location.. check out this place. Wonderful in winter, must be absolutely fantastic in summer!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-72856676339665501132013-06-02T19:57:00.000+02:002013-06-02T19:58:42.634+02:00Straußwirtschaft, kleinigkeiten… a couple of German words you absolutely must know!!<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In Germany, there is a well-kept secret known – probably –
only to the locals in the region. June is the month that not only escorts in
the wine festival season and is dedicated to sampling the fares of the vintners
along the Rhine and Mosel rivers and on the wine road in Germany. </span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Wine
festivals</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">: Once a year, each wine producing town or village has a
weekend-long wine festival at which the local producers present/sell their wines.
For the villagers and townspeople, it is a time to meet friends and neighbors, and
for others it is time to partake of the local wine. The wine is sold by the
glass which allows visitors to identify the wine(s) which specifically meets
their taste. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Real wine ‘aficiandos’
(read: drinkers!!)<b><span style="color: black; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">bring
their<b> </b>own wine glass attached to a leather strap worn around the
neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have glass, will travel….and drink!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These ‘wine glass necklaces’ are also
particularly handy when you are strolling from vineyard-to-vineyard and want to
take a glass or bottle of wine with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Local vineyards: </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In June, you can also visit a </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Straußwirtschaft or two.<b> </b>Each year for a 6 week period of time - the local<b> </b>authorities allow the<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">vintners to open their premises to the public and not only sell their wine but also set up a few tables in their courtyards and offer a little something to eat (a ‘kleinigkeiten’- simple, regional cold dishes or finger food).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The newly-installed tables are always full. In wine country, it is a favorite past time to walk or drive to your favorite vintner’s for a glass of wine and a bite to eat. Of course, after eating, if you have brought your car, you can always load the trunk of your car with a case or two or your favorite wine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Once while visiting a vintner, I admired the sketch of a
rather elderly woman wearing a bonnet which adorned the logo on his wine
bottle. The vintner explained to me that the drawing was of his mother. (
looking at the image and the bonnet, I thought I had misunderstood him and it was
his grand or great-grand mother!!) As the conversation continued, a little old
lady (sans bonnet, but looking as old as the hills) toddled out of the house. The
vintner called her over in order to introduce us. As she got closer I could see
that the portrait was a true likeness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-63519328761407452742013-06-02T18:32:00.001+02:002013-06-02T18:32:53.879+02:00The next 20 years...<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m an American baby boomer… been there, done that...
accomplished most of the big things in life ... some successfully, others not
so successfully. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">N</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ow, I want the next 20 years to be filled with the little
things in life…, the touch of his hand upon mine, a whiff of his cologne, the
twinkle in his eyes when he sees me.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to stand in front of him…lean back and feel that
special little niche in the well of his shoulder where I just fit, where I
belong…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">20 years from now, I want to be able to look back at our history…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-85803838836234622012013-05-19T17:41:00.001+02:002013-05-19T17:41:12.146+02:00Ever thought about driving thru Europe?
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever thought about driving through Europe… not in a
group… just you and your significant other or friend? It has struck me that I might
not be the only one who loves to travel, roaming, wandering and exploring 'off the
beaten' path. Soft adventure… nothing too strenuous.. no jumping off cliffs or
paragliding. Just doing what you want to do, when you want to do it… seeing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what you want to see,... when you want to see it.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If this idea intrigues you, contact me… I have some ideas on
how it can be done!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-88445008947283075202013-05-13T16:47:00.003+02:002013-06-23T16:04:20.203+02:00Closter Eberbach, Wiesbaden<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I visited Cloister Eberbach today. It is a beautiful former
cloister, well-maintained and in a deeply wooded area. Founded in 1136, the monastery - deconsecrated in 1802 - is where the renowed film 'In the Name of the Rose' was filmed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are in the Wiesbaden / Rheinegau region during the
summer months, be sure to check out the Rheingau Music Festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The festival holds classical, jazz and
contemporary music concerts in a number of beautiful settings – cloisters,
castles, palaces, villas, etc. Many of these concerts are sponsored by major banks
and corporations, as a result individual tickets are sometimes scarce. So, if
you plan to be in Germany, check their website and purchase your tickets early.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been to several of their concerts at Cloister
Eberbach – both classical and jazz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
possible, try to attend a concert in the afternoon – especially when the sun is
shining. Bird (swallows and stone martins) live in the transept. When the
sopranos sing during a classical concert, the birds sing along and around <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in
the transept. Jazz does not seem to affect them!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They also have a great restaurant and wine celler.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0kPvpPIeLZfMk_GRHt9vVEX_Yv_9BYuyibzXBZ3D7kFahRFnUuLQTs8aNAk8Z6XZcaeo_IdJqTXQeuiCJUUbU0NM0i3OeKbcjlon08JEj-ktmvpV4WkJ0XO-YgAKUxhRn-GTjMePPY7C/s1600/cloister+eberbach+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0kPvpPIeLZfMk_GRHt9vVEX_Yv_9BYuyibzXBZ3D7kFahRFnUuLQTs8aNAk8Z6XZcaeo_IdJqTXQeuiCJUUbU0NM0i3OeKbcjlon08JEj-ktmvpV4WkJ0XO-YgAKUxhRn-GTjMePPY7C/s320/cloister+eberbach+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-18101951929435852522013-05-13T10:16:00.001+02:002013-05-13T10:16:31.585+02:00Wiesbaden Bibrich Park - feral parakeets<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bibrich is also known for its feral parakeets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you read it right.. feral
parakeets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are green in color –
like a normal parakeet - but about the size of a small parrot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are strong, graceful and beautiful to
behold. They fly in what appears to be a single flock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But the other birds which live in the park and people who
live around the park and have fruit trees, absolutely, hate them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The parakeets are bigger than most other
birds and quite aggressive. As a result, they eat all of the food that the
smaller birds would normally eat. Moreover, there are a number of cherry trees
in the neighborhood. In cherry season, the parakeets sit in the trees and eat
all of the cherries. A flock can clean a tree, seemingly, within minutes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is bad enough, but the real problem is
that they destroy the trees while they are eating. Instead of simply eating the
fruit, one will <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>grab the branch with its
claw, and then eat the fruit <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from the
branch. When it is done, it throws the branch down to the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is quite comical to watch (if you are not
a home owner!!) … a little like eating a corn dog on a stick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499986306608114845.post-78288015571514732332013-05-13T10:13:00.002+02:002013-05-13T10:13:38.199+02:00Wiesbaden - lots of people in Germany ride horses<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Many people in Germany have horses and ride. Equestrian events
are quite popular all over Germany. May and June are prime months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most important event takes place
in Wiesbaden next week. The tents are all set up… they were there, I was there,
but the show was not there… sorry no photos. Just a photo of the castle from the front...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p> </span><br />
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<o:p> </o:p>But, as I drove along a back road outside of Wiesbaden, I did
come upon the staging / warm up <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>area for
another local<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>equestrian event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly enough I never did find the site of the
actual event.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTbDszACCjIQtThoE_17z2LEG7ZYhO5gFc1qvF6VE6oLQVzinPlXczhR6Iuoo4toWZLamHsDB87JqRmwkpxFsksgcrE2Vx_IrArv88Lp_onLhKBIMG62zpG2C02eiDBrxfHVpzBAgkpOz/s1600/Wiesbaden+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTbDszACCjIQtThoE_17z2LEG7ZYhO5gFc1qvF6VE6oLQVzinPlXczhR6Iuoo4toWZLamHsDB87JqRmwkpxFsksgcrE2Vx_IrArv88Lp_onLhKBIMG62zpG2C02eiDBrxfHVpzBAgkpOz/s320/Wiesbaden+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825899127831566766noreply@blogger.com0