tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29545512799345200812024-03-13T15:30:56.622-04:00Traveling SamLarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-14787208084293139972023-05-14T11:58:00.060-04:002023-05-14T19:54:54.276-04:00Let's Do It Again - Basel Switzerland - The Second Time Around<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCseB6JtAkVDhCnLU_eP2fuM85ghIVL0OG-fncyIqTUtVNecPO4niYQVuwo8DfUUrc-C6zPXMKt_hjynv7fkIy4Cu462z2JcNZqtf84w43p8nZufN02ky0B9vy6VW43JnfIsizrMpKiV2EyD_lkV9Vn19peFW_WMJcjJxHwhKblyeZkEmUG8fiTOe/s3024/The%20Basel%20Grossmunster%20on%20the%20Rhine%20River%20.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1732" data-original-width="3024" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCseB6JtAkVDhCnLU_eP2fuM85ghIVL0OG-fncyIqTUtVNecPO4niYQVuwo8DfUUrc-C6zPXMKt_hjynv7fkIy4Cu462z2JcNZqtf84w43p8nZufN02ky0B9vy6VW43JnfIsizrMpKiV2EyD_lkV9Vn19peFW_WMJcjJxHwhKblyeZkEmUG8fiTOe/w400-h229/The%20Basel%20Grossmunster%20on%20the%20Rhine%20River%20.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basel on the Rhine River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>When I first started traveling years ago I never wanted to really visit a city or location more than once. I told friends and other travelers that there were so many places I wanted to see I did not have time to return to someplace I had already seen once. Of course that was pure travel naivety on my part. Then after a few years I fell in love with some locations and truly wanted to see them again. But there are locations that I really had no big desire to return to a second time. Basel was one of these places. I love Switzerland. It is my favorite country I have visited. And Basel was my least favorite city I had visited there. I've been to to Switzerland four times times now. I have been to Zurich on three of those visits. And I would return to Zurich again any time. Each trip to Zurich has a required a visit to the mountain over looking the city for a cliff side glass glass of wine or cocktail at the Auto Klum on top of Uetilberg. .<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kxfy_091AG9IkNj6_SJtJnhIDNkyFAUDHBN-TfZeimmbZKAhguOLUE2pwUdgLR3fYbZPqsx8lBc2T087NU2DE084cJlkIOoKyc0jeeSbkdc5WqbKYEU-eeJg4SNMSR7K222dHcPCqR3INKXcJGvvl35kq0dOihG9bvADMNqMMxrzHHKBiQ6-CvqV/s4032/IMG_4561.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kxfy_091AG9IkNj6_SJtJnhIDNkyFAUDHBN-TfZeimmbZKAhguOLUE2pwUdgLR3fYbZPqsx8lBc2T087NU2DE084cJlkIOoKyc0jeeSbkdc5WqbKYEU-eeJg4SNMSR7K222dHcPCqR3INKXcJGvvl35kq0dOihG9bvADMNqMMxrzHHKBiQ6-CvqV/w300-h400/IMG_4561.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa032HzQt45JXOWXOyoZOV7ZCZTwQhvZronl7HixsymQvmZ5NTLyXPsSmDiQLExevRym6NHiLNCxlOPznlXPj0ACPJ7_41yJwzMGfyOXKRG5PCKCx8SgYCgPt0dVGwbYxNMqoNLyFRI0Zm6hTMMFFzcKu1NiwMcapsyFmEvoVGWg3YHFiBxjxrCML/s3088/IMG_4565.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa032HzQt45JXOWXOyoZOV7ZCZTwQhvZronl7HixsymQvmZ5NTLyXPsSmDiQLExevRym6NHiLNCxlOPznlXPj0ACPJ7_41yJwzMGfyOXKRG5PCKCx8SgYCgPt0dVGwbYxNMqoNLyFRI0Zm6hTMMFFzcKu1NiwMcapsyFmEvoVGWg3YHFiBxjxrCML/w300-h400/IMG_4565.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aperol Spritz at Uto Klum 2023<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>If I return to Zurich again I would go to Uetilberg and visit the Uto Klum again with no question. But Basel was another story. I first went there in 2003. It was a lifetime ago now. My life has changed so much since those days. And there was nothing of interest that was calling me back to Basel. Mark and I went to Zurich in April 2023. This was our third visit to Switzerland and our second to Zurich. We had eight days to spend in Zurich and a five day Swiss Travel Pass for day trips. Mark had suggested Basel as a place he was interested in seeing. He liked the idea that it was on the German and French border and wanted to go there. I told him I had been to Basel and was not really impressed. It was probably my least favorite location I had visited in Switzerland. There was nothing awful about it. I just did not find it as interesting as many other cities I had seen in Switzerland. But it was not a long train ride to get there. And we did have five travel days to explore so we ended up in Basel on one of those days. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I visit a city or a town for the first time I am always busy snapping photos, checking out restaurants, visiting churches and museums, the typical tourist stuff. But I don't always notice the small unique things around me. I am two busy trying to take in the over all experience of the location. When I do return a second time it's usually a different experience. My photos end up being detailed small objects. The massive churches I have already seen and photographed. The river banks are already in my collection of photos. So I find myself focusing on the small details that I never notice on an initial visit. But I ust was not sure about Basel. I did not think I would much more of interest on my second visit than I had on my first. </div><div><br />I still took photos of the churches on this second visit of course. When I was in Basel in 2003 the Grossmunster was covered with scaffolding, as many churches are when I travel. My photo was disappointing of course from all of the construction.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdAGVf34bufDoYsfiySUUyTN38faI-7RgeLw3-NPcrzLXGC2Uh2DSZ4wkYAlN6Yld5Gm4MfHnNHCOCqjPjW-Gritzk8XU9tUq6JXqMnaihRwwUz4rw5zffQoVH94oGRFVjoAgavf9m00qJjGG50zVNMhmug7t8LReRZ1YcwjDE4C-zJA0gbO9kU5F/s7056/Munster%20in%20Basel%20-%202003a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7056" data-original-width="4789" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdAGVf34bufDoYsfiySUUyTN38faI-7RgeLw3-NPcrzLXGC2Uh2DSZ4wkYAlN6Yld5Gm4MfHnNHCOCqjPjW-Gritzk8XU9tUq6JXqMnaihRwwUz4rw5zffQoVH94oGRFVjoAgavf9m00qJjGG50zVNMhmug7t8LReRZ1YcwjDE4C-zJA0gbO9kU5F/w271-h400/Munster%20in%20Basel%20-%202003a.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basel Grossmunster - 2003</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> However when I returned in April 2023, twenty years later I was able to get a photo free of scaffoling.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDYCwMPaLSumJJ25qUn80J4UC9Q19EtoH1MSt5fUjrEhQ5vRXVSYakFNm8e2_xKcb6FM2QpsuPeKvzbWgZ_cM6Dl1xsBawZZIRfjUiLGjnNA9poeJFCEi8AxucdFcQ0l4dZlXFF7c9dPkpyzmqcSVi1VN835IXn7HhBzN-CiyMEGU_v64qPP74_2t/s3024/River%20Boat%20and%20Grossmunster%20-%20Rhine%20Switzerland.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2774" data-original-width="3024" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDYCwMPaLSumJJ25qUn80J4UC9Q19EtoH1MSt5fUjrEhQ5vRXVSYakFNm8e2_xKcb6FM2QpsuPeKvzbWgZ_cM6Dl1xsBawZZIRfjUiLGjnNA9poeJFCEi8AxucdFcQ0l4dZlXFF7c9dPkpyzmqcSVi1VN835IXn7HhBzN-CiyMEGU_v64qPP74_2t/w400-h367/River%20Boat%20and%20Grossmunster%20-%20Rhine%20Switzerland.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basel Grossmunster on the Rhine River 2023 sans scaffolding</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>But I did find another church this time covered in scaffolding to include on my annual church renovation travel photos. I just expect this when I travel.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQ2bIS5oUR65qD0jSLchrb4Obse35Vo_PjZdz8aB_tGaWDB-LuEnTN-87f61HR-ezm3owSja5FY4C5DHYVnDDSIf3JbeNbxQXHyAS6IhFgykRoXQFHWwnXzjIQro0sqB5WQNBPk5j-HpUr4A9aqBV8BeDmDT3ACn8fPAdVE24anVDEwGVr6bRCSL0/s4032/Continuing%20our%20annual%20cathedral%20under%20scaffolding%20European%20Tour%20again%20this%20year%20%20-%20Elisabethenkirche%20church%20in%20Basel.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQ2bIS5oUR65qD0jSLchrb4Obse35Vo_PjZdz8aB_tGaWDB-LuEnTN-87f61HR-ezm3owSja5FY4C5DHYVnDDSIf3JbeNbxQXHyAS6IhFgykRoXQFHWwnXzjIQro0sqB5WQNBPk5j-HpUr4A9aqBV8BeDmDT3ACn8fPAdVE24anVDEwGVr6bRCSL0/w300-h400/Continuing%20our%20annual%20cathedral%20under%20scaffolding%20European%20Tour%20again%20this%20year%20%20-%20Elisabethenkirche%20church%20in%20Basel.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabethenkirche - Basel under scaffolding 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As I walked through Basel on this visit I had a very different experience than I did in 2003. I noticed many small details that I simply passed by on my initial visit. These are not big things or necessarily important things. But they are things I found interesting making Basel a much more fun experience this time.<br /><br />I noticed people sitting along the banks of the Rhine River. I don't know that I would have paid any attention to them on my initial visit. I was too busy looking for the "big picture" experience of Basel. But they had the right idea. Perhaps it was their second visit also.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLW2BwhyK45mEtS1rxg60wDaqHDaoFJlYFOmN00WjTU1nGnpjB2CHgd_ejktQd5dyCDoyAiDX49Ob6TfKV4t_cyfNT6PCw9GgqboHkhY2FaTxaaotTeWS_FEWwzWJq99xFx4P_bNRb9V-EvCWnd5BgBRq0KSkWH4iRiIerktDoKtEIV4I6xEVhuyw/s4032/Older%20couple%20relaxing%20next%20to%20the%20Rhine%20-%20Basel.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLW2BwhyK45mEtS1rxg60wDaqHDaoFJlYFOmN00WjTU1nGnpjB2CHgd_ejktQd5dyCDoyAiDX49Ob6TfKV4t_cyfNT6PCw9GgqboHkhY2FaTxaaotTeWS_FEWwzWJq99xFx4P_bNRb9V-EvCWnd5BgBRq0KSkWH4iRiIerktDoKtEIV4I6xEVhuyw/w300-h400/Older%20couple%20relaxing%20next%20to%20the%20Rhine%20-%20Basel.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>I walked across this bridge several times in 2003. I even had a photo taken of me on the bridge. But I did not notice a lot of details. On this visit I saw more than a bridge. I noticed a lady on the sidewalk asking for coins bringing the human element into focus of Basel. </div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SGXlK8fcEjtBbok_DaNRTMptzMYKi-9B-lEGYVchaM7aArJxvPmcVA4MZv-bOFEu5VRTL1qLoUG2d4BD6O3H4MYHbQwNFq0JEXnwrx58DAxqa2v6pVfdIBZ2eX2GMpbVFDEYJHBKPeW3rqP0b0y6BFlOQOXi6tQZ9VHDOTUn-ubnOdDHHvyLxVIZ/s4896/Lady%20asking%20for%20money%20and%20flags%20on%20the%20bridge.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4896" data-original-width="3672" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SGXlK8fcEjtBbok_DaNRTMptzMYKi-9B-lEGYVchaM7aArJxvPmcVA4MZv-bOFEu5VRTL1qLoUG2d4BD6O3H4MYHbQwNFq0JEXnwrx58DAxqa2v6pVfdIBZ2eX2GMpbVFDEYJHBKPeW3rqP0b0y6BFlOQOXi6tQZ9VHDOTUn-ubnOdDHHvyLxVIZ/w300-h400/Lady%20asking%20for%20money%20and%20flags%20on%20the%20bridge.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady asking for coins on the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />This one makes me laugh. I saw a head of a king on the side of a building sticking his tongue out at people was they walk by. It's a small detail but it made me laugh.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkzOgUPlD5KTYr6wezq-WCIUvL9aIvo-qgX_eWNYJQ_MfvE_QUbzCvpxr7pbjp3bstXNJnz9J6k8sdtxXQiC_2iOTaJOvDZzHaPtpPqOQgwCL7i0dnJIAGcNAgDrefuk4pIY0zUlW7YljFyPtKh-UAnV0mKj9iYdPgPXG5xLZHECNVFM3Hovszrbs/s4896/L%C3%A4llek%C3%B6nig%20-%20Basel,%20Switzerland%20-%20King%20sticking%20out%20tongue%201914.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4896" data-original-width="3672" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkzOgUPlD5KTYr6wezq-WCIUvL9aIvo-qgX_eWNYJQ_MfvE_QUbzCvpxr7pbjp3bstXNJnz9J6k8sdtxXQiC_2iOTaJOvDZzHaPtpPqOQgwCL7i0dnJIAGcNAgDrefuk4pIY0zUlW7YljFyPtKh-UAnV0mKj9iYdPgPXG5xLZHECNVFM3Hovszrbs/w300-h400/L%C3%A4llek%C3%B6nig%20-%20Basel,%20Switzerland%20-%20King%20sticking%20out%20tongue%201914.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Lällekönig - King sticking out tongue - 1914</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I have also been learning a lot of German from my time in Basel. While labeling and editing my photos of small details I have seen many words that I did not know. Lälle könig interprets as Little King in my Google search. I also learned that it is a well known symbolic figure in Basel and has probably existed since the 17th century. The house where he is hanging today was built in 1914. </div><div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvsuZwWuNlw7bU507CUj8prEO0De-g3k4XTXoN8o30NyHfLz3aCUYrhMn-m12iO1WOeR7_hLH_acB2RzEeM4Rj8MJDRKS9R8O8zpy1xxyoDm8UtTRiMov1W3H0kciV91QWJolx24D1gxb3m_EmW044gBIM5A4JyhYadVGryBcdpDmlallEodET17h/s3636/St.%20George%20Slays%20the%20Dragon%20-%20Basel%20Switzerland.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3267" data-original-width="3636" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvsuZwWuNlw7bU507CUj8prEO0De-g3k4XTXoN8o30NyHfLz3aCUYrhMn-m12iO1WOeR7_hLH_acB2RzEeM4Rj8MJDRKS9R8O8zpy1xxyoDm8UtTRiMov1W3H0kciV91QWJolx24D1gxb3m_EmW044gBIM5A4JyhYadVGryBcdpDmlallEodET17h/w400-h359/St.%20George%20Slays%20the%20Dragon%20-%20Basel%20Switzerland.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div>I saw this sculpture of St. George Slaying the Dragon over a fountain. Labeling the photo I realized I had never read the story about St. George and the Dragon. I had seen images before and even a know album cut called The George and Dragon from an old Herman's Hermits album (now that is telling my age!) So I took some time when I got home and researched the legend of St. George. Thanks Basel for that interesting lesson. </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5F6SC1vn11vvkKRNDTXAbZnhRbwIjcd3ufhrtk_CX9p2MwvVKANrREZD_k4pFHjD_Xj8CHI6lurwkLEcj2PLb3Q6xb1VGPvbo2vVo91aOatxp97-_voqmqZLSK3GrQAi-yxbsDmQNqAYaVfECB6X4sddWTptLY_K5Gbb-VTE_gatsvTb4vH-lMyn/s2600/Papa%20Joes%20restaurant%20and%20Bar%20-%20interesting%20artword%20on%20top.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1905" data-original-width="2600" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5F6SC1vn11vvkKRNDTXAbZnhRbwIjcd3ufhrtk_CX9p2MwvVKANrREZD_k4pFHjD_Xj8CHI6lurwkLEcj2PLb3Q6xb1VGPvbo2vVo91aOatxp97-_voqmqZLSK3GrQAi-yxbsDmQNqAYaVfECB6X4sddWTptLY_K5Gbb-VTE_gatsvTb4vH-lMyn/w400-h293/Papa%20Joes%20restaurant%20and%20Bar%20-%20interesting%20artword%20on%20top.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>We walked past a restaurant called Papa Joe's. It's a rather odd restaurant in Basel. It's menu consists of American and Mexican food choices and I read that it's difficult to get a reservation here. However what caught my attention was this unusual mural over the restaurant. There is an angel on the left of the mural. And then three naked ladies or perhaps angels flying toward what looks like a naked Jesus with a cape. I am not sure exactly what anything represents here. But I was fascinated by the image and had to get a photo of it. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF_KM-FX5et64BrJTBZi2EAFfwAq31n_uS8-yxmkzn8nXtTJdMVdpvVkL4Ha2kkXKcBJQoLVmjh0vdjPaxR-3PPCUQULsl8yAu4v342gwgxPq1RMsYR0Nh8Cr7Z7UVJ0meZYhVk_5w0iJqlmf_SLoKcFz0eEU2mHQWaINlrUwhXx7_eM0cTbEyc9j/s3773/A%20sculpture%20of%20Amazon%20leading%20a%20horse%20by%20Carl%20Nathan%20Burckhardt,%20at%20the%20middle%20bridge,%20Basel,%20Switzerland%201.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3773" data-original-width="3115" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF_KM-FX5et64BrJTBZi2EAFfwAq31n_uS8-yxmkzn8nXtTJdMVdpvVkL4Ha2kkXKcBJQoLVmjh0vdjPaxR-3PPCUQULsl8yAu4v342gwgxPq1RMsYR0Nh8Cr7Z7UVJ0meZYhVk_5w0iJqlmf_SLoKcFz0eEU2mHQWaINlrUwhXx7_eM0cTbEyc9j/w330-h400/A%20sculpture%20of%20Amazon%20leading%20a%20horse%20by%20Carl%20Nathan%20Burckhardt,%20at%20the%20middle%20bridge,%20Basel,%20Switzerland%201.JPG" width="330" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazon leading a horse</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Here is another sculpture that caught my attention. This is titled Amazon Leading A Horse. It was created by Carl Burckhardt. I found out it was his last work before his death in 1923 and it was donated to the city in 1926. It is one <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">of his best known works and it is </span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"> on the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittlere_Br%C3%BCcke" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #3366cc; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Mittlere Brücke">Mittlere Brücke</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">. It is also his last work. The casting was done after his death. I am sure I will return to this statue again and do more research. I know it is an interpretation of an ancient statue. The girl is looking across the river in this location. And I am sure it has some historical significance for it's placing.</span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjtQgjA27elI_5gSciMN3aRiQoU8pFxngg_6irFgYBFHkbWWfpvniIw-TpYkEzSJ-Gs7JMe7lxUbGYmt0RMp63rGabMPi5mDsMxkkODwZ8zI-uj6hAx4khIj7LlolGBAdrmlSkNGIHsbBYEsf34ZmNuvBy4ljX_0OgJxpdsxdwJV7jguDm7KhN3Tr/s4896/Braunen%20Mutz%20with%20bear%20logos.%20%20Translation%20-%20Brown%20Hat.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4896" data-original-width="3672" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjtQgjA27elI_5gSciMN3aRiQoU8pFxngg_6irFgYBFHkbWWfpvniIw-TpYkEzSJ-Gs7JMe7lxUbGYmt0RMp63rGabMPi5mDsMxkkODwZ8zI-uj6hAx4khIj7LlolGBAdrmlSkNGIHsbBYEsf34ZmNuvBy4ljX_0OgJxpdsxdwJV7jguDm7KhN3Tr/w300-h400/Braunen%20Mutz%20with%20bear%20logos.%20%20Translation%20-%20Brown%20Hat.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">I saw this bar and restaurant called the </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Braunen Mutz (The Brown Hat). It has bear images on it's wall and a metal bear symbol hanging over its door. I know bears are important images in Switzerland so this caught my attention. But I was surprised when I translated the name to find it call The Brown Hat. But all of this continued to make this visit Basel fun for me.</span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzyR81F7dF7B7_CfgdK-1GW1lllqaHKrFHXLNVER-k8murDdubKGMjux9khCTOyJRlM5QDzdpq4la6D7Xu_qtiZRdYy9xzhlr7uk9uwRG-ogSAGXo9M6Wfzjf6GVxk5sBaWFZ7VUlLfK7BWlDDPT6G9URnEKtj2ROsiBmNeTqD9C-fip86ihlzeSi/s2691/Les%20bourgeois%20de%20Calais%20(The%20Burghers%20of%20Calais)%20by%20Rodin,%201884%20-%201886%20~%20Kunstmuseum%20Basel,%20Switzerland%201.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2691" data-original-width="2328" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzyR81F7dF7B7_CfgdK-1GW1lllqaHKrFHXLNVER-k8murDdubKGMjux9khCTOyJRlM5QDzdpq4la6D7Xu_qtiZRdYy9xzhlr7uk9uwRG-ogSAGXo9M6Wfzjf6GVxk5sBaWFZ7VUlLfK7BWlDDPT6G9URnEKtj2ROsiBmNeTqD9C-fip86ihlzeSi/w346-h400/Les%20bourgeois%20de%20Calais%20(The%20Burghers%20of%20Calais)%20by%20Rodin,%201884%20-%201886%20~%20Kunstmuseum%20Basel,%20Switzerland%201.JPG" width="346" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;">This is probably my biggest surprise of my visit. There is a Rodan sculpture in Basel that I just happened to walk past after leaving the train station into the city. Les bourgeois de Calais (The Burghers of Calais) by Rodin, 1884 - 1886 ~ outside Kunstmuseum in Basel. I am a huge fan of Rodan's works so I was thrilled to have seen this. However when I walked past it I did not realize it was a Rodan or that it had any importance. I only knew that I really it and was fascinated by it. Not until later in my research did I realize who created it. </span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #202122;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqWNA2cOd_PILgUmE9RB8xNaIrTwl4lW9RKlsFbpciuJwZlWSvpnD5TZmoWl6ndT4SOns4JxAaTJu8tzbKZWFtcIYiFhD2K0kLd-DTWVUnNW1qk-pgihiXUGrjSqwCszKcrXVvdACJvMm9TkPMJa6dFZmW1Yqv7RZu-QeDOYDr7Ku95QTQ8EGO05B/s4032/Les%20bourgeois%20de%20Calais%20(The%20Burghers%20of%20Calais)%20by%20Rodin,%201884%20-%201886%20~%20Kunstmuseum%20Basel,%20Switzerland%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqWNA2cOd_PILgUmE9RB8xNaIrTwl4lW9RKlsFbpciuJwZlWSvpnD5TZmoWl6ndT4SOns4JxAaTJu8tzbKZWFtcIYiFhD2K0kLd-DTWVUnNW1qk-pgihiXUGrjSqwCszKcrXVvdACJvMm9TkPMJa6dFZmW1Yqv7RZu-QeDOYDr7Ku95QTQ8EGO05B/w300-h400/Les%20bourgeois%20de%20Calais%20(The%20Burghers%20of%20Calais)%20by%20Rodin,%201884%20-%201886%20~%20Kunstmuseum%20Basel,%20Switzerland%202.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div>As we were leaving Basel I told Mark that I found the city much more fascinating on this visit and that I was glad I had returned. He told me he was surprised as he was not very impressed with Basel at all, much like me on my first visit. He may have to return again and see if he finds it more interesting the second time around. I'll take the train to Geneva that day. Although I had a wonderful experience revisitng Basel, it once again was still my least favorite city I have visited in Switzerland. But it was certainly worth a second chance. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>From bronze statues of Poseidon ...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AXr4JXTpVW71s91H9PmIStxULikDp8MdERYtYCoyQnBBmYa8RBfpvwf2ze4Hu-EUBCjzsT8NlscczeeKxZ9Z342qO6b8RXZlUG36N-GbpS8D6KLRLSJw5SgWed6C_jqlmGnBcLbi_vnQLmyzx_M06XXaiIeSWxWrqRzPj4k-t0gRczF-ALu0Qi_N/s2988/Bronze%20statue%20of%20Poseidon%20in%20Basel.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2690" data-original-width="2988" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AXr4JXTpVW71s91H9PmIStxULikDp8MdERYtYCoyQnBBmYa8RBfpvwf2ze4Hu-EUBCjzsT8NlscczeeKxZ9Z342qO6b8RXZlUG36N-GbpS8D6KLRLSJw5SgWed6C_jqlmGnBcLbi_vnQLmyzx_M06XXaiIeSWxWrqRzPj4k-t0gRczF-ALu0Qi_N/w400-h360/Bronze%20statue%20of%20Poseidon%20in%20Basel.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>To dragons hovering over bridges...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVHsJbl3RB0SswuzMvmM86gDma2-erF0KhEZnWN6YA7mbzajYBjSuBHDHo44KPM4Ob5IfUKyprGvNZnXZYRR4NjrhpRF22oWfCJ1SsSZmvm3F_B3UrdRI1HmmF9HQ7Xj8VigNTzIwGgRr-VOSbFJLY8581QYcj9Lbs0biYIv_fXQZ9YOxoaAo00J3/s4032/Basilisk%20designed%20by%20Ferdinand%20Schl%C3%B6th%20(1818%E2%80%931891)%20Dragon%20head%20sculpture%20-%20Basel%20%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVHsJbl3RB0SswuzMvmM86gDma2-erF0KhEZnWN6YA7mbzajYBjSuBHDHo44KPM4Ob5IfUKyprGvNZnXZYRR4NjrhpRF22oWfCJ1SsSZmvm3F_B3UrdRI1HmmF9HQ7Xj8VigNTzIwGgRr-VOSbFJLY8581QYcj9Lbs0biYIv_fXQZ9YOxoaAo00J3/s320/Basilisk%20designed%20by%20Ferdinand%20Schl%C3%B6th%20(1818%E2%80%931891)%20Dragon%20head%20sculpture%20-%20Basel%20%202.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>To me taking selfies with strange murals ...<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmwpYOjlJdAaxuLZWtRiYqR34QZHedURnvjroDkwq7zbo-a6Odzk9bKHnYm1tAJIXe6w3XiAQX4x56WjA-Nt4-pEjIygPBpbGgyL7J8RfAwKMnF9TcZ1anxNwlAGDW6ThJ_J58PcsrmGrWz-ImKdI58Ntg_yrYEelRhN4oZu97PubEtr7eNpjEbKl/s3088/365%20Year%2014%20Photo%20253%20(4896)%20-%20Larry%20meets%20his%20ancester%20in%20Basel%20Germany.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmwpYOjlJdAaxuLZWtRiYqR34QZHedURnvjroDkwq7zbo-a6Odzk9bKHnYm1tAJIXe6w3XiAQX4x56WjA-Nt4-pEjIygPBpbGgyL7J8RfAwKMnF9TcZ1anxNwlAGDW6ThJ_J58PcsrmGrWz-ImKdI58Ntg_yrYEelRhN4oZu97PubEtr7eNpjEbKl/s320/365%20Year%2014%20Photo%20253%20(4896)%20-%20Larry%20meets%20his%20ancester%20in%20Basel%20Germany.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>I thoroughly enjoyed my second visit to Basel. I was a member of Virtual Tourist, a travel web site that no longer exits, when I first visited Basel in 2003. I wrote on that site that Basel had the opportunity to become a travel destination in the future. The possibility was there for the future if the city had the resources to work on it. Twenty years later in 2023 I still say that Basel has the potential but still needs some attention to detail. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I am glad I returned. I am glad I got to notice the small and unusual details that I missed on my first visit. So I life a glass to Basel and a cheer because I enjoyed it much more the second time around.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwN41QH4VDufvITEUW4L46JJrS6LUojnDXn3p1YNA3h42aIKzpVA3soatgTbW7guC24wWLWKnu0NiOqFgs1zj0Xx3Y7sW-n955xbY-krhc2TiBiUY0G8BgmI_n9jaEZR3VNOhSbpzmZ9NXBuGUhBQnXvM0FsgZoExPQIVwvwJ_cw00semhv7c9i3u4/s4032/Cheers%20to%20Basel%20.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwN41QH4VDufvITEUW4L46JJrS6LUojnDXn3p1YNA3h42aIKzpVA3soatgTbW7guC24wWLWKnu0NiOqFgs1zj0Xx3Y7sW-n955xbY-krhc2TiBiUY0G8BgmI_n9jaEZR3VNOhSbpzmZ9NXBuGUhBQnXvM0FsgZoExPQIVwvwJ_cw00semhv7c9i3u4/w300-h400/Cheers%20to%20Basel%20.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers! To Basel. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-59369030712345663642023-05-03T11:51:00.051-04:002023-05-04T10:18:40.938-04:00Fulfilling Dreams - Swiss Travel Fantasies <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDD4MKuYSMyVZc1XQO6EHAplBngSs2oGWYyahYaUxbiwebQuetgzhalbkd1NOEyC7nlysPJaTf978aPAoRnIWmWMOe9LeNJgnJ0kELME-Y3D5i2PIDIzbav509uZpLe6VJTNvNeEzs-2vDw9m5TXaaGHX-A7Y0Nz-YkKlmmTKe6gA_eeQtCcLVqoc/s1440/Eiger%20fantasy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDD4MKuYSMyVZc1XQO6EHAplBngSs2oGWYyahYaUxbiwebQuetgzhalbkd1NOEyC7nlysPJaTf978aPAoRnIWmWMOe9LeNJgnJ0kELME-Y3D5i2PIDIzbav509uZpLe6VJTNvNeEzs-2vDw9m5TXaaGHX-A7Y0Nz-YkKlmmTKe6gA_eeQtCcLVqoc/w300-h400/Eiger%20fantasy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the cliff walk - Top of Europe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><br /><br />Diane Arbus said the word fantasies means " to indulge in reverie. to create or develop imaginative and often fantastic views or ideas. Doing things I'd fantasized about in my sheltered childhood" I was raised in a very sheltered childhood. I escaped through movies to worlds I thought I would never see and imagined adventures I would never be able to do. I have been very fortunate in my adult life to live out many of those childhood fantasies. Counting my blessings I often think of my family. I often wonder what dreams and fantasies my parents and grandmother had. I think about what they wanted to see and do but but were never able to fulfill those dreams. My mother never traveled abroad. She was a child of the depression and a young adult of the World War II years. Travel was just not an option for her. My father was raised in the country. He had a seventh grade education. I doubt he ever thought about Europe or world travel growing up. But he did get to travel to Europe. But it was no fantasy. He was drafted during World War II and almost died from war wounds in Italy near Rome. My grandmother was born poor and struggled most of her life. She married a young soldier she met during the World War I years. They met when he was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland near her home town. They married and they moved back to his home in Indiana. To my grandmother that was a huge move. She gave birth to her first child in Indiana. The child was still born and she went into a great depression and just wanted to return to her home in Maryland. So they returned to Maryland and that was the extent of her travel for her entire life. <br /><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaXIfOB7EtwW2uqybkL2iLo-EnYVoQ8qV6oowA5yo2W6YPSaQMiYXNyeHZwAOyEvzKrcE1_CtrkdvqH0af_lGFKZEno8w81Srfmk1tedD0EfSrlQ8TgUeZSV223q2bniDtJX24vdebCTO7QcfqcaDCU8pYiJlk3YcpS_U9VBPeCdzWgYvo3jmSA36/s5100/All%20time%20favorite%20photo%20-%20Mom%20Mom%20-%20Shelley%20-%20Dad%20-%20Ocean%20City.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4731" data-original-width="5100" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaXIfOB7EtwW2uqybkL2iLo-EnYVoQ8qV6oowA5yo2W6YPSaQMiYXNyeHZwAOyEvzKrcE1_CtrkdvqH0af_lGFKZEno8w81Srfmk1tedD0EfSrlQ8TgUeZSV223q2bniDtJX24vdebCTO7QcfqcaDCU8pYiJlk3YcpS_U9VBPeCdzWgYvo3jmSA36/w400-h371/All%20time%20favorite%20photo%20-%20Mom%20Mom%20-%20Shelley%20-%20Dad%20-%20Ocean%20City.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandmother at Ocean City,Maryland<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I love this photo. This was my grandmother in her late sixties. She lived just a two hour drive from the Atlantic Ocean yet had never been to see it. I remember this day how she stared out at the ocean for the longest time fascinated with the waves and the sand. She is sitting here with my sister Shelley and my father. She was his mother in law and he treated her with love and respect. They are in Ocean City, Maryland. To this day Ocean City is still a favorite destination for my sister. <br /><br /><br /><br />One of my mothers fantasies was to visit New York City. She wanted to see a taping of The Tonight Show and maybe even a Broadway play. She never got to New York. The thought of taking a car or train to New York was just beyond her comprehension. We did have vacations growing up. We visited Ocean City. We took mountain trips to Skyline Drive and The Blue Ridge Parkway. My father loved his boat and we spent many vacations on his boat up and down the Chesapeake Bay. <br /><br />I was never satisfied with any of that. I had big fantasies and places I wanted to see. I watched the world through the imagination of the James Bond movies. I wanted to see Switzerland where James Bond skied down the Schilthorn from Blofeld's sanctuary Piz Gloria on top of the mountain. I wanted to see Thailand where James Bond dueled with Scarmanga. And I wanted to see the Eiger in Switzerland, the mountain Clint Eastwood climbed the mountain in The Eiger Sanction. These were big fantasies. I was never satisfied with the safety of staying home. I wanted to get out and see the world. And I have been blessed as an adult to do this. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfIOMPqb40knkBRr0PTe11QHYI_NUGe3BmtMZUqpHCRARZ4N4CB9eMSTXPuA4wQOPn1j748-56S1WVmGnBrLIe19sBoQgwmp0lUyBW17itrrMlagVY2Zwt7kwl_SxcTXCvf4Nym23q8SVDSWR5qkhVGLQNkRI3i1FoMEe8J4WjUs2r9se6FigicUa/s5326/Larry%20at%20Piz%20Gloria%20a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3682" data-original-width="5326" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfIOMPqb40knkBRr0PTe11QHYI_NUGe3BmtMZUqpHCRARZ4N4CB9eMSTXPuA4wQOPn1j748-56S1WVmGnBrLIe19sBoQgwmp0lUyBW17itrrMlagVY2Zwt7kwl_SxcTXCvf4Nym23q8SVDSWR5qkhVGLQNkRI3i1FoMEe8J4WjUs2r9se6FigicUa/w400-h277/Larry%20at%20Piz%20Gloria%20a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry at Piz Gloria on top the Schilthorn<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">Twenty years ago I did get to visit Switzerland. It was a huge fantasty come true. I got to take the cable car 10,000 feet into the Alps and visit the top of Schilthorn where Piz Glora, Blofeld's home was located. The building is actually a rotating restaurant where I had lunch and a James Bond martini shaken not stirred. <br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFwyVTkTZn2WOv5CxeYs8qD2Cp4vrjU1KrU7OsdgMjqJxEI08w2uIIbCDHIyoi__62dajpeaWS2EqXqRCoiNfcQudVmjcRMefbho_8p7aiS3XvuIUTYExPsN1nCxMdkzaOApUomtDefRcoJ2IdM9mqrdxqNTPO_RyaPlgdDWC1izeHeCceEuy-J05/s6969/Larry%20at%20Piz%20Gloria%20-%20James%20bond%20site%20in%20Switzerland.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4724" data-original-width="6969" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFwyVTkTZn2WOv5CxeYs8qD2Cp4vrjU1KrU7OsdgMjqJxEI08w2uIIbCDHIyoi__62dajpeaWS2EqXqRCoiNfcQudVmjcRMefbho_8p7aiS3XvuIUTYExPsN1nCxMdkzaOApUomtDefRcoJ2IdM9mqrdxqNTPO_RyaPlgdDWC1izeHeCceEuy-J05/w400-h271/Larry%20at%20Piz%20Gloria%20-%20James%20bond%20site%20in%20Switzerland.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Piz Gloria on top of the Schilthorn</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>In 2014 I had the opportunity to visit another fantasy location. Jams Bond Island in Thailand. This was the home to Bond villain Scaramanga. I was very excited about this vacation. However I slipped on a wet curb in Chiang Mai, Thailand and broke my ankle. I did not realize it was broken. We had three more days left of our vacation and I thought it was just a sprain. We flew from Chiant Mai to Phuket. And from there we took a boat out to James Bond Island. So I waded in from the boat to the shores of the island limping a little and hobbling a lot. I was the old man holding up the rest of the tourists on this excursion. But I was determined. <br /><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9GCyQiwo4dXH9-Io2YA0jd2CczJitV5Y8AHfO2aDDsyi-7JyPHoL0io7YV3YFy3qyAOQ0X6990ptTl6coAdclFi4l2NFnDOtJd5KpsZKQMf6I1kcFtCrTWcvUVxtPHjoBdRb3kbAMUIdjG5KJsfy-5a_IKsjXJcU3YL7xZwIBlWejY13GPl9pggP/s4896/13946501089_443e9d355f_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9GCyQiwo4dXH9-Io2YA0jd2CczJitV5Y8AHfO2aDDsyi-7JyPHoL0io7YV3YFy3qyAOQ0X6990ptTl6coAdclFi4l2NFnDOtJd5KpsZKQMf6I1kcFtCrTWcvUVxtPHjoBdRb3kbAMUIdjG5KJsfy-5a_IKsjXJcU3YL7xZwIBlWejY13GPl9pggP/w400-h300/13946501089_443e9d355f_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay - Thailand</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I think that if my parents and grandmother were still alive they would be shocked at the places I have visited. I know my husband Mark's parents would get upset with us traveling a lot. His father told us we were tempting fate. You can only fly so many times before something happens. And I am sure my parents would have had similar fears. My mother never flew an air plane. My father drove to New York City with a tractor and trailer for his job and said he would never drive in that city again. And to my knowledge that was his only time to ever see New York. But one of my biggest fantasies was yet to come.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mark and I returned to Switzerland for our third visit, my fourth, in April 2023. We had a wonderful vacation, one of my favorite adventures of many we have shared. And finally the Eiger mountain awaited me. The mountain that Clint Eastwood challenged in The Eiger Sanction. Another movie fantasy for me. </div><div><br /></div><div>We traveled by train from Zurich to Grindelwald. The Swiss trains are wonderful to use. They are extremely punctual. They are comfortable even in second class. And they allow you to see almost any location you want to see in Switzerland. The town of Grindelwald was beautiful.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0honfhDnOZSNJ-lrgQInmFz_c6ZqvJJ9-BI4VlCsa2hxzCUf-0AEN7YsQ5oTB8lt9WPxLS7vw1ytg5K46MOdwvFTgDxOxFgW3TMy_lxRoqCMG0poNKw3cUgQD2mb9HgEp4uyEFbggPVaxpR__jzXuH8ljXhazr5FZdrDBajTwbWw6lnqwPnCLqEai/s4032/IMG_4351.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0honfhDnOZSNJ-lrgQInmFz_c6ZqvJJ9-BI4VlCsa2hxzCUf-0AEN7YsQ5oTB8lt9WPxLS7vw1ytg5K46MOdwvFTgDxOxFgW3TMy_lxRoqCMG0poNKw3cUgQD2mb9HgEp4uyEFbggPVaxpR__jzXuH8ljXhazr5FZdrDBajTwbWw6lnqwPnCLqEai/w400-h300/IMG_4351.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grindelwald Switzerland</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU5RE6PuTvVQmBAt-KoN9pgfICqRh3KW7cCki3Qm5pwlDCEFzs28eYgY3SEP06bEbwDQhNeGWhZvEaj7s4ei_31CjaiZZPa0csoBn49YdbYE9iF5eZ6CWVdxBrx7ZFzIn-KIY83SoOy3p7oillWK4UGVsvJy0JEO98vKvjyZiewNJVPy2XbdSXvHL/s4032/IMG_4342.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU5RE6PuTvVQmBAt-KoN9pgfICqRh3KW7cCki3Qm5pwlDCEFzs28eYgY3SEP06bEbwDQhNeGWhZvEaj7s4ei_31CjaiZZPa0csoBn49YdbYE9iF5eZ6CWVdxBrx7ZFzIn-KIY83SoOy3p7oillWK4UGVsvJy0JEO98vKvjyZiewNJVPy2XbdSXvHL/w300-h400/IMG_4342.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We took a twenty five minute cable car ride up to First Mountain which faces the Eiger.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIUEuo9vjen2iX5WF34HpUksSp833YgZ2YPLAU2PNCYO-PSp4XlRICRhLJG2ztCuMg4xtLhpFq8NXezwe1ekrAC09Tm8OXOXm6LZwEcE5_U06AdOaRMHkB3EAges82lMv6bKdo0zMaSxq0KT4gth5Mui9L4flDzSqRrE5JN4qq30rGvGMT_bW5j5G/s4032/IMG_4369.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIUEuo9vjen2iX5WF34HpUksSp833YgZ2YPLAU2PNCYO-PSp4XlRICRhLJG2ztCuMg4xtLhpFq8NXezwe1ekrAC09Tm8OXOXm6LZwEcE5_U06AdOaRMHkB3EAges82lMv6bKdo0zMaSxq0KT4gth5Mui9L4flDzSqRrE5JN4qq30rGvGMT_bW5j5G/w300-h400/IMG_4369.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>And then we did the cliff walk. A metal bridge attached to the side of the mountain 6,500 feet in elevation. This is not my photo. It's from a web site about the cliff walk. But it shows the walk better than my photos.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOXq9QzHxtA9NoROcGMI0Uv918gpwATlX631kkSESQJ-0vqDheBP5_mvCxxjrNwrQMyAvh5MUxnOtnf4bu2ETGRQkoqMA__p8I3mUZxdszhT5G1VuliLQNJxe7Lpjmu6qkZMQUfq_YU3oILVKI3TAso-jICjYkRD84dn8hP7oTEirfGqnV49tudK5/s728/csm_Frirst_Cliff-Walk_Sommer_58a3c51dde.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="728" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOXq9QzHxtA9NoROcGMI0Uv918gpwATlX631kkSESQJ-0vqDheBP5_mvCxxjrNwrQMyAvh5MUxnOtnf4bu2ETGRQkoqMA__p8I3mUZxdszhT5G1VuliLQNJxe7Lpjmu6qkZMQUfq_YU3oILVKI3TAso-jICjYkRD84dn8hP7oTEirfGqnV49tudK5/w400-h266/csm_Frirst_Cliff-Walk_Sommer_58a3c51dde.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>This was a thrill. Unlike Clink Eastwood (who did his own stunts) in The Eiger Sanction were were not hanging on the side of the Eiger. But we were facing it and looking directly at it. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajZJMej7GtOLOIuz9xXptc_4T7j0B0ANdO2_hR4mTT8rmQ_yD7pOMvYeQGIGNtpSJhRvEy5zRXbcI9xFUdqb-2EVGdFe8k3KDlYmO75kTWXZCpVL1SKJprnHNn0B4xSdxvrKVq32w2T6T8_nwQ_CreA1y6InBfpIENEJKAcpe_-xnHVQDIZMQ8ORT/s3088/IMG_4484.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajZJMej7GtOLOIuz9xXptc_4T7j0B0ANdO2_hR4mTT8rmQ_yD7pOMvYeQGIGNtpSJhRvEy5zRXbcI9xFUdqb-2EVGdFe8k3KDlYmO75kTWXZCpVL1SKJprnHNn0B4xSdxvrKVq32w2T6T8_nwQ_CreA1y6InBfpIENEJKAcpe_-xnHVQDIZMQ8ORT/w300-h400/IMG_4484.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fulfilling Fantasies </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8hF4k5xYptcgxAaSADKEVDaCSQFhaIhhEN7rL3XSGpxlI_20Al4UboF15l1JsXQEius12I4lgwa2kWsRKhvxV7aJiu5-1pPp5qkPFQp0tzSE91Pc1kj1Bif-yS9JCkCiau4OZE-j-kgbzgtREvfgEGMMqqZKWzim0D_jvIVhlM-_0gp_4PfKxvNa/s4032/IMG_4499.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8hF4k5xYptcgxAaSADKEVDaCSQFhaIhhEN7rL3XSGpxlI_20Al4UboF15l1JsXQEius12I4lgwa2kWsRKhvxV7aJiu5-1pPp5qkPFQp0tzSE91Pc1kj1Bif-yS9JCkCiau4OZE-j-kgbzgtREvfgEGMMqqZKWzim0D_jvIVhlM-_0gp_4PfKxvNa/w400-h300/IMG_4499.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>And how did we end out visit?<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzmQ5lHLSMt-yZ5pqN9MTg3NDOTIhuOH9QUp_xhsTG5EDutuNsOsj0oUsWeYAnbRCAyTFgjWF0PV4Cb7qg1ZtgrcXoymMjAy9r2ow591V0x05z_EINbh1SewezBRfIz0hVNsOWCt-oKUpAMG43FYCY30s6Xmf0INyMDfGmIGTCf35MnmZ07TVL6Xc/s3088/IMG_4441.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzmQ5lHLSMt-yZ5pqN9MTg3NDOTIhuOH9QUp_xhsTG5EDutuNsOsj0oUsWeYAnbRCAyTFgjWF0PV4Cb7qg1ZtgrcXoymMjAy9r2ow591V0x05z_EINbh1SewezBRfIz0hVNsOWCt-oKUpAMG43FYCY30s6Xmf0INyMDfGmIGTCf35MnmZ07TVL6Xc/w300-h400/IMG_4441.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>With a well sanctioned Eiger glass of wine. I count my blessings. I am very fortunate. At age seventy still living out my fantasies. I think my parents and my grandmother would be shocked but yet thrilled if they were here. When I travel I often thing how much I would love to share the experiences with them. And I often wish I could tell them all about it when I return home. Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0Eiger, 3818 Grindelwald, Switzerland46.577620499999988 8.005392618.267386663821142 -27.1508574 74.887854336178833 43.1616426tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-81581476320579828352022-11-05T14:36:00.222-04:002022-11-06T13:07:28.663-05:00There Are Many Paths to Follow - Enjoy the Journey<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3kbSXXg9H93pfrIBoLjxeNn7QYieP_DUgjWZnGLLIA2fbihRp9xZsTvivqkxZaIg10OsAqjytFEwA9NfOt72Xg77M2VoKEoma972lEX_nqVJE5IW81c1Fo1vrbMmgIs7ONASDnQp_7wPHvo7OvZOBcBWQ796wa2Chu6fsPuLx0lSb-AEUA4W_CF2/s1280/Alley%20in%20Helsingor%20-%20one%20of%20my%20most%20popular%20photos%20in%20Flick.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3kbSXXg9H93pfrIBoLjxeNn7QYieP_DUgjWZnGLLIA2fbihRp9xZsTvivqkxZaIg10OsAqjytFEwA9NfOt72Xg77M2VoKEoma972lEX_nqVJE5IW81c1Fo1vrbMmgIs7ONASDnQp_7wPHvo7OvZOBcBWQ796wa2Chu6fsPuLx0lSb-AEUA4W_CF2/w300-h400/Alley%20in%20Helsingor%20-%20one%20of%20my%20most%20popular%20photos%20in%20Flick.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helsingor, Denmark 2005<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A path. It can be a beginning. It can be an ending. It can be a road. An alley. It could be a winding river. A bridge perhaps. Even an abandoned rail road track. There are many ways to define a path. And there are many ways to look at them. I took this photo above in Denmark, in the city of Helsingor. I did not know then that it would inspire me to look for other paths to photograph. It was just an interesting side street that I walked past. I had recently joined the photo web site Flickr when I took this photo. I was posting all of my travel photos there for my own enjoyment and for a back up storage. I never really thought much about the fact that many people might see my photos on Flickr. I posted this photo and labeled it Small Alley in Helsingor. And suddenly I started to get comments on the photo. I was invited to add it to a group in Flickr just called Paths. In a short time the photo had 351 views. I was amazed. People even sent me messages about the photo. And this started my interest in looking for paths to photograph. The photo itself became a path. It lead me to photograph many other streets and alleys. And even now 17 years later I am still fascinated with taking photos of paths.<p></p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyV5PyghOC7IShLCUaKPL47arBGWFlMmGa1wAlktvN0C5A-9t9TwOB-TN7_XB6BLw5YR3QN3KoTJDHkIr9ubB4c_yJlXVAVDUTVKTCrBh_I6Bq75q-BFnGKQh0FE2PYEEstRKnDW6zWbXcR0GGtxryWOaHUpyRWutyUharmwW3NZis54ctqPhhly5/s4896/At%20the%20end%20of%20the%20dirt%20road%20we%20found%20a%20little%20beach%20-%20Pa'ia%20-%20Maui%20-%20Ho'okipa%20Beach.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4896" data-original-width="3672" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyV5PyghOC7IShLCUaKPL47arBGWFlMmGa1wAlktvN0C5A-9t9TwOB-TN7_XB6BLw5YR3QN3KoTJDHkIr9ubB4c_yJlXVAVDUTVKTCrBh_I6Bq75q-BFnGKQh0FE2PYEEstRKnDW6zWbXcR0GGtxryWOaHUpyRWutyUharmwW3NZis54ctqPhhly5/w300-h400/At%20the%20end%20of%20the%20dirt%20road%20we%20found%20a%20little%20beach%20-%20Pa'ia%20-%20Maui%20-%20Ho'okipa%20Beach.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Pa'ia - Maui - Ho'okipa Beach. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This path was at the end of a dirt road in Hawaii on the island of Mau'i. The dirt road itself was a path that led me to this beautiful path. At the end of the dirt road we found a secluded little beach. There are many quiet and inspiring locations like this in the tourist heavy islands of Hawaii. We looks for these when visit there. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRsxWivQEvtYFQ1Z3OE5cjLzSndXHeTJvBMjzosrv223yOJx_IS41YrV12fnPL3-iVT87boVx1OOZ5Xo46r5EN5AF-LXa0Fi7PNDOreWcf55kLUWS_pYslt4W2tpXvokhyHrhneMTPwcFmImQwWhncjOCvFnaw3sOzkDJb1PtZJgc5cYbcRJoBMxc/s3864/Littleton%20New%20Hampshire%20-%20Pollyanna%20crosswalk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="2786" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRsxWivQEvtYFQ1Z3OE5cjLzSndXHeTJvBMjzosrv223yOJx_IS41YrV12fnPL3-iVT87boVx1OOZ5Xo46r5EN5AF-LXa0Fi7PNDOreWcf55kLUWS_pYslt4W2tpXvokhyHrhneMTPwcFmImQwWhncjOCvFnaw3sOzkDJb1PtZJgc5cYbcRJoBMxc/w289-h400/Littleton%20New%20Hampshire%20-%20Pollyanna%20crosswalk.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Some paths can tell you a story. This interesting little crosswalk in Littleton, New Hampshire has a history and a story. The Disney movie Pollyanna was based on the novel Pollyanna which was written in this little town. The novel was a little darker than the Disney movie. It ends with the little girl Pollyanna getting hit by a car. This sign in the crosswalk has Pollyanna pictured waving and tells you to stop on the corner, Look, then wave and cross the street. Each time I see my photo here the path leds me to memories of the seeing the movie as a child, and also now it leads to memories of an excellent brewery named Schilling Brewery at the end of this street. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRV0BF0jH9xQs_Qtt5mnIO8ZXnOwnZg_KaYvBWRglvgLxxQiJ1NezxwJ6ji4oML3HvA7IpXzOFerj2jg-Eb12SpKndHUHxU3a8KpzE-GITFWwyNF7qnzuh5akIZiRE5_FEEQxJxBi9A9SzZTwf058EXVAbN11-P2B2azf2CyR-RBHCGbBLpVVZf93/s640/Sacre%20Couer%20Montmarte.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRV0BF0jH9xQs_Qtt5mnIO8ZXnOwnZg_KaYvBWRglvgLxxQiJ1NezxwJ6ji4oML3HvA7IpXzOFerj2jg-Eb12SpKndHUHxU3a8KpzE-GITFWwyNF7qnzuh5akIZiRE5_FEEQxJxBi9A9SzZTwf058EXVAbN11-P2B2azf2CyR-RBHCGbBLpVVZf93/w400-h300/Sacre%20Couer%20Montmarte.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Some small paths are in big cities and lead you to beautiful churches. This small side street in Montmartre in Paris led me to the beautiful Sacre Couer. The photograph though focuses on the path with the huge over powering cathedral waiting to be discovered later in the background. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1kpSNNVYhgM-PXq66ZBT26ph5gvnYsfVUdZHjQsA-_YBjCd8G5WTvYyaM1W0Kb-O3HwhLh6GjjaDJpb5TraHCoLsE4y_ltJkdx8aDtxd3-JBzBp2aHb8YQePi0UoTz5Ms8tvYKZty8JAAMwAcAMT8pkFh3WCzTgE-C5uAB0xdp_JZPbm_t1g26Ne/s2560/Tintern%20Abbey%202011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1kpSNNVYhgM-PXq66ZBT26ph5gvnYsfVUdZHjQsA-_YBjCd8G5WTvYyaM1W0Kb-O3HwhLh6GjjaDJpb5TraHCoLsE4y_ltJkdx8aDtxd3-JBzBp2aHb8YQePi0UoTz5Ms8tvYKZty8JAAMwAcAMT8pkFh3WCzTgE-C5uAB0xdp_JZPbm_t1g26Ne/w400-h300/Tintern%20Abbey%202011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>It took a long journey for me to find this path. It started in a junior high school English class where I was taught Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey and ended here in Wales at the actual Abbey over fifty years later. That small sidewalk is the culmination of a life long journey the see this historic Abbey. Looking at that path in the photo I am immediately transported back to my English class and learning to appreciate Wordsworth and then finally walking this path to the Abbey many years later.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfmQMXC5ORfky1gLG2-MrTuZw1vHwiF1i6hHS597u4IwlflIuO77UXbuZKA5DklsrctQzlhikY3qkzFOMtwCcvHK7YLek6R3KqF3S2Qwa25lIL_6pWmpy8VIGE4HsuUZsBysRW7h4vJIOR5j4lB2dSkij8RGpePftqfdG0uI9DzM2s-YaEVg39uRv/s4896/Poelua%20Bay%20-%20Maui.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4896" data-original-width="3672" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfmQMXC5ORfky1gLG2-MrTuZw1vHwiF1i6hHS597u4IwlflIuO77UXbuZKA5DklsrctQzlhikY3qkzFOMtwCcvHK7YLek6R3KqF3S2Qwa25lIL_6pWmpy8VIGE4HsuUZsBysRW7h4vJIOR5j4lB2dSkij8RGpePftqfdG0uI9DzM2s-YaEVg39uRv/w300-h400/Poelua%20Bay%20-%20Maui.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Many paths are simple. Just a narrow dirt path and a small stone wall. Yet they are magical in their own way. This path led to an isolated beach in Maui. No crowds. No tourists. Just a quiet beautiful cove. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiseMEcCcdYnbfFg8ACTQRDm_ZBfCKrChdqo8QYXQVrhuXzrdb1lRahRwcBuG6qrXWFDNUtsBzHnW2Otiko-MbI5EcqP9MPasMK3qMQnXfM40Aug_hm9WjnCEZCadjmXYvlFuvEGsH91cPZvflZ_4E_sD3FE_VG2IzneDIYVQ9rhQmxY4Uvh2BIsv/s4608/Sidewalk%20cafe's%20in%20Trastevere.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiseMEcCcdYnbfFg8ACTQRDm_ZBfCKrChdqo8QYXQVrhuXzrdb1lRahRwcBuG6qrXWFDNUtsBzHnW2Otiko-MbI5EcqP9MPasMK3qMQnXfM40Aug_hm9WjnCEZCadjmXYvlFuvEGsH91cPZvflZ_4E_sD3FE_VG2IzneDIYVQ9rhQmxY4Uvh2BIsv/w400-h300/Sidewalk%20cafe's%20in%20Trastevere.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sidewalk cafe's in Trastevere - Rome 2016</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>I belong to several groups in Flickr that are just for paths or trails. Several require no people in the photo. They want just a path to tell the story. But for me sometimes people are as much a part of the story as the path itself. I can look at a photo of the Colosseum and immediate know it's Rome. And I have a lot of photos of the Colosseum. But to really feel or experience Rome all I need is a simple photo of a path with people dining in a narrow street. This immediately transports me to Rome. I don't need the crowds at the Spanish Steps or the throngs of tourists throwing coins in a fountain to transport me. I need a simple path. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zg46Rwxprrexc9TJPpt0Vq8-jvX3Tm5NLPlPP8emtP9e7MqOamOX1gEOwFf8vgh6X4BakthbO2-KfUbFLc7Bc_8SlyFthH44OQfOpKLob7HYEObYkHUJSzjZaGTDvb5wEdTiHhRVGOOiBA63edTYPLJCjvQ43Xt613H30S8vkTl3yEv82xOybqWE/s3648/Glencree%20Peace%20Center%20County%20Wicklow%20Ireland.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zg46Rwxprrexc9TJPpt0Vq8-jvX3Tm5NLPlPP8emtP9e7MqOamOX1gEOwFf8vgh6X4BakthbO2-KfUbFLc7Bc_8SlyFthH44OQfOpKLob7HYEObYkHUJSzjZaGTDvb5wEdTiHhRVGOOiBA63edTYPLJCjvQ43Xt613H30S8vkTl3yEv82xOybqWE/w400-h300/Glencree%20Peace%20Center%20County%20Wicklow%20Ireland.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">County Wicklow - Ireland</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Another path. Another country. County Wicklow in Ireland. Not a fancy or elaborate photo. But the path transports me once more. This one brings back childhood memories going with my grandmother to see the Walt Disney film Darby O'Gill and the Little People. It's a great memory because my grandmother did not go the movies ever. But for some reason she and I ended up at our little small town theater watching Darby O'Gill. And there are parts of that movie that are terrifying for a young child. But my grandmother was with me and it became a favorite memory. Not of fear from from the scary scenes, but a memory of being with her doing something special for me. That's the journey I take when I see this photo of the path in Wicklow. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAkE8u_Ynnceom-B_9n4-HG1PDXb7f0eZFsgltN6JPz_N2rAzBk27dkrDkc37GeFQP2o7FevMsQUWDnOzTiDKeX7z8KfYjHZbBm9xLKLMCY3KOyrzoSB-4PCBvzoXurF1poEGsID6Im9eHVeOPqVtTTMF1xQ1Ky784X-lY4mptxqJ_5FpvkYZfLfI/s555/Road%20to%20Chateau%20Aigle%20-%20Switzerland%202003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="555" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAkE8u_Ynnceom-B_9n4-HG1PDXb7f0eZFsgltN6JPz_N2rAzBk27dkrDkc37GeFQP2o7FevMsQUWDnOzTiDKeX7z8KfYjHZbBm9xLKLMCY3KOyrzoSB-4PCBvzoXurF1poEGsID6Im9eHVeOPqVtTTMF1xQ1Ky784X-lY4mptxqJ_5FpvkYZfLfI/w400-h260/Road%20to%20Chateau%20Aigle%20-%20Switzerland%202003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to Chateau Aigle - Switzerland 2003</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I have a several photos I took of Chateau Aigle in Switzerland. It is one of my favorite locations I have visited. The Chateau is surrounded by a beautiful vineyard. I walked from the village of Aigle to the Chateau. I sat inside the Chateau and had a glass of wine made from the vineyards surrounding the Chateau. Just me, by myself. A wonderful quiet moment. But then I look at this photo of this small road that led me to the Chateau and that memory completes the experience for me. </p><p>A path can be part of a beautiful bright blue day.<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIOcAXL9MhK-e956F_iNFZMruBGtrb9pysXoy0nn6Q1LCaV6qEvrSOsVQJPwkE-oEX0Oy7oDzIapLpy8lWrvWtdxXj8P30pXmDHZvumdrdU68N8rX8hSQ-Z-UCibMccmHnKyg-z_VpAo8fBBRJF-t1r9rDb5A2dYUSgEV7M1kzKLylb-9isTE6bWg/s4032/51992580563_00d5314565_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIOcAXL9MhK-e956F_iNFZMruBGtrb9pysXoy0nn6Q1LCaV6qEvrSOsVQJPwkE-oEX0Oy7oDzIapLpy8lWrvWtdxXj8P30pXmDHZvumdrdU68N8rX8hSQ-Z-UCibMccmHnKyg-z_VpAo8fBBRJF-t1r9rDb5A2dYUSgEV7M1kzKLylb-9isTE6bWg/w300-h400/51992580563_00d5314565_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>A path can take you to a quiet reflective moment on the water front.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfGL5KOLXpdoKEmPXivTlSEYBv7HQ2BS160O74ciJ38CMziFsh6EB8jHbula4z6QeUtzNGIP6jzKaq5taKNltO6HpcUa0dxQ4I1n05YWRm8V1x7DtjLkZXTOthWp6p3xTc6pPGe-Jt1IVO-c_wlANksrqxsRRyEJDw_41IgD9-vJIgkBQ-OYP6lvM/s4608/Pier%20on%20the%20Patapasco%20with%20the%20Hanover%20Street%20Bridge%20in%20the%20background%20-%20Baltimore.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfGL5KOLXpdoKEmPXivTlSEYBv7HQ2BS160O74ciJ38CMziFsh6EB8jHbula4z6QeUtzNGIP6jzKaq5taKNltO6HpcUa0dxQ4I1n05YWRm8V1x7DtjLkZXTOthWp6p3xTc6pPGe-Jt1IVO-c_wlANksrqxsRRyEJDw_41IgD9-vJIgkBQ-OYP6lvM/w400-h300/Pier%20on%20the%20Patapasco%20with%20the%20Hanover%20Street%20Bridge%20in%20the%20background%20-%20Baltimore.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pier on the Patapasco with the Hanover Street Bridge in the background - Baltimore</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>A path can take you out of a bustling tourist filled city center to a quiet hillside view.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazfAQe0f2UgxuuHwhYTewp7bHE94phJIOBrL87chE_fI3FkrJkgb6kNxOBHy-uej9cJ4CouTmbfCwlagqj5JXwIUckAupjMkjpss5wQ79vDDo2XEJ8H5Rof2og2fRlmqtPuOHbT5wPDUca3F1DHMAlCmtYM86jl0rXKy6ecU1r_YtnxBK3J4XuZZT/s4608/Mark%20climbing%20the%20step%20to%20Janiculum%20Hill%20%20-%20Rome%202018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazfAQe0f2UgxuuHwhYTewp7bHE94phJIOBrL87chE_fI3FkrJkgb6kNxOBHy-uej9cJ4CouTmbfCwlagqj5JXwIUckAupjMkjpss5wQ79vDDo2XEJ8H5Rof2og2fRlmqtPuOHbT5wPDUca3F1DHMAlCmtYM86jl0rXKy6ecU1r_YtnxBK3J4XuZZT/w400-h300/Mark%20climbing%20the%20step%20to%20Janiculum%20Hill%20%20-%20Rome%202018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark climbing the steps<br /> to Janiculum Hill - Rome 2018 </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And a path can lead you home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42qkmcLNcXWYtyhSrP535pmhsCPj4dPlrU0ORlbGk7N-PqGoL2W5zpdv0B7oWdXMXysFijDl7sXgylgh8ynCi1X17yDUzKm0GiEj3nraFhU5VII0wVbvjiMGukzvZoDXzVyk9Mc2HHgMJaGQVfaJ3gTkRDcKAqy1kIr3lx28_HOGLpFmCI4Thz6I4/s4032/51815361120_4a06eb42ef_o%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42qkmcLNcXWYtyhSrP535pmhsCPj4dPlrU0ORlbGk7N-PqGoL2W5zpdv0B7oWdXMXysFijDl7sXgylgh8ynCi1X17yDUzKm0GiEj3nraFhU5VII0wVbvjiMGukzvZoDXzVyk9Mc2HHgMJaGQVfaJ3gTkRDcKAqy1kIr3lx28_HOGLpFmCI4Thz6I4/w400-h300/51815361120_4a06eb42ef_o%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I have not traveled since Covid happened. I have missed flying. I have missed seeing new and exciting places. But most of all I have missed the paths that take me away. Things are opening up now. People are traveling once more. And we have some travel plans for the very near future. Enjoy your journeys. But most of all take time to reflect on the paths that take you there. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-30477433470867185722022-01-01T14:04:00.255-05:002022-01-16T14:39:27.834-05:00The 2021 Variant - The Year We All Said Would Be Better<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaDZ33kKxqYh4nsPxVjWth0x5FF7FlWxzqkWJm9OnEUDBdCYATAgaflnI3jU0kvFc9MCqGLuELruv77Xel-5-VveYejAMB442LOL9c1M4ah5BJu8xehRgr8r4qIamnGOTguD1UjFPc9vmeSs6QQ4PEc6uwtIOvDZQr2r-02BPPeVbfRvoXDfmOyhVB=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaDZ33kKxqYh4nsPxVjWth0x5FF7FlWxzqkWJm9OnEUDBdCYATAgaflnI3jU0kvFc9MCqGLuELruv77Xel-5-VveYejAMB442LOL9c1M4ah5BJu8xehRgr8r4qIamnGOTguD1UjFPc9vmeSs6QQ4PEc6uwtIOvDZQr2r-02BPPeVbfRvoXDfmOyhVB=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /> I reread my 2020 year end blog before starting to write my new one for 2021. I ended last year in isolation, staying at home, and being anxious about Covid. The vaccines were not quite available yet. It was scary to even think about going out any place. I started the new year with hopes of getting a vaccine and getting my life back to normal. I soon realized I had no idea what normal was any more. We were not getting a new year. It was going to be 2020 the 21 variant. <div><br /></div><div>I grew a Covid beard in 2020 and had planned to clean it up in the new year. But we never really got that new year and the beard remains. I have kept it trimmed and not long. But this is still a first for me and I have grown to appreciate it. I have a feeling it will still be here at the end of 2022 also. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYrQP4edgKnerrewGYNEsjir3tWKyFkov-_y0K6xzi916-XrruiGt1HIdbtfxaW8kDZcen9pgxmnk6YWfgpGAVtNtH9PTXeqjuRdXT3BgNWYTFZPbgN2GludjCYCINAokYBRouOQ3OU0PiXdZp6kfZu-aiKBQMq6OveMtjrcvupqlBgIsyjq381hGF=s3088" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYrQP4edgKnerrewGYNEsjir3tWKyFkov-_y0K6xzi916-XrruiGt1HIdbtfxaW8kDZcen9pgxmnk6YWfgpGAVtNtH9PTXeqjuRdXT3BgNWYTFZPbgN2GludjCYCINAokYBRouOQ3OU0PiXdZp6kfZu-aiKBQMq6OveMtjrcvupqlBgIsyjq381hGF=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2019 <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj14AkcabskGS_kFd1Lu5oOaJ6Bd9KhuX4XlPnGRxhZ2fpOkc0omc2GyF531uzjT3SAtPSSgytQ6TbhQi70r5UF8D1FP37JWsVti3soxDUixtfwxUt2zblFYyUpz8OAO78QWKzkoP6dbR6RAmbBh1NHcH2MizHF8rZqYejGJpXGDUd3TDXRRSCKupnh=s3088" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj14AkcabskGS_kFd1Lu5oOaJ6Bd9KhuX4XlPnGRxhZ2fpOkc0omc2GyF531uzjT3SAtPSSgytQ6TbhQi70r5UF8D1FP37JWsVti3soxDUixtfwxUt2zblFYyUpz8OAO78QWKzkoP6dbR6RAmbBh1NHcH2MizHF8rZqYejGJpXGDUd3TDXRRSCKupnh=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2020<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9H2hiY4yus8tZvwk_lCC1c4t0mtKaw0QFMeIHW3RgBir7IJ6VMjpmxMr71gvRoBjCnPczcqo4XMty6asY6RpHXxxX95wmx-lyV2S6ii89djELNMGr1WIhF377BNV8649MQuFvqGzqgRjtypzenSwtiHgq8jTrD1hWtwWR7RiGowCVNLOEVlOfk8l5=s3088" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9H2hiY4yus8tZvwk_lCC1c4t0mtKaw0QFMeIHW3RgBir7IJ6VMjpmxMr71gvRoBjCnPczcqo4XMty6asY6RpHXxxX95wmx-lyV2S6ii89djELNMGr1WIhF377BNV8649MQuFvqGzqgRjtypzenSwtiHgq8jTrD1hWtwWR7RiGowCVNLOEVlOfk8l5=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2021<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p></p><p>I spent most of January and February still in lock down but not just because of Covid. Our dog Tallulah had been hit by a car in December 2020. She had surgery on December 23, 2020 and the emergency vet tried to save her front leg. We brought her home on Christmas Eve 2020. She was under complete sedation and was not supposed to move at all. We found out eight weeks later that the surgery was not successful and she would need her front leg amputated. So I remained at home with her for her recovery from the amputation which was just as well as I had not received a my Covid shot yet and should not have been out anyway.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA2ryOYQbT68gJPkMN8oB4455RBjMlesiqBKA0i_4C7tRYKgIP5uS6R76DLpe_3aQeF9IQHGF_MCFJB1dKlXOYNP6Z9HdAGS0q1ljKJ0cpG5h8mXL5AGyJh9bSmkaH1leEWABMh-ccua_BByfKGsy8lKWY-CQOPRBU8tJWcifcujgZbvCO1pKES8xi=s3088" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA2ryOYQbT68gJPkMN8oB4455RBjMlesiqBKA0i_4C7tRYKgIP5uS6R76DLpe_3aQeF9IQHGF_MCFJB1dKlXOYNP6Z9HdAGS0q1ljKJ0cpG5h8mXL5AGyJh9bSmkaH1leEWABMh-ccua_BByfKGsy8lKWY-CQOPRBU8tJWcifcujgZbvCO1pKES8xi=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Tallulah in recovery<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My daughters and Mark were all concerned that I should get my Covid Vax as soon as I was eligible. My age group was opened in March for the shot. Katie drove me down to the Raven's Football stadium where the state of Maryland was doing mass vaccinations. <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR40QjhBNLL6r78ltwNKuFWBMm58C0Yvg_TBzMmM3-CzvropBMcqJ7GN567sD7O-FE6orFlFsmZAUNzczaQImg73KOx87PDWkF06BFQw1zVGmHWvmhVJ9NFKZsp00akhQmrGHvfSc3L4Vr2Bo_AngCcEzfItZsa2aIR4zsTB2St6nkKBsB_YGdAS3I=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR40QjhBNLL6r78ltwNKuFWBMm58C0Yvg_TBzMmM3-CzvropBMcqJ7GN567sD7O-FE6orFlFsmZAUNzczaQImg73KOx87PDWkF06BFQw1zVGmHWvmhVJ9NFKZsp00akhQmrGHvfSc3L4Vr2Bo_AngCcEzfItZsa2aIR4zsTB2St6nkKBsB_YGdAS3I=w300-h400" title="Johnny Unitas Memorial masked up for Mass vaccination site" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnny Unitas Memorial masked up at Mass Vaccination site.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I was glad to get the vaccination hoping it would allow me to get back to some sort of normalcy. But as I mentioned above I was soon to find out I still had no idea what normal really was any more. Three days after getting the vaccine I woke up to find that I had no sense of taste of smell. I knew what that meant! I had Covid. I went to the nearest test location at my local CVS Pharmacy to do a drive through test. One day later I had my response. I tested positive for Covid. This was certainly not part of my plane. I was still home with a recuperating dog and now I was concerned about getting ill from Covid. I was very fortunate. My case was very mild, thanks to the vaccine I had taken right before being diagnosed. I had no other symptoms other than no taste or smell. No fever. No weakness. And within the week my taste and smell has returned. But we still had to stay quarantined for a full ten days. I spoke with my personal physician by way of a Zoom meeting. He said I could assume I caught it while in line for the shot at the mass distribution site and that in his opinion my vaccination worked because I had such a light case.</p><p>April the fourth was a big day for me this year. I felt some sense of things returning to some kind of normal. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj57ff1lqJyiVnsbbVyN_o7OSAfCWDSUwoTs3JxWb1uDG4UdQ2rpJCdaU5O_H8X0CdoMKVWPlYV4WlxRS088d6sX6RSa3bpQIJW0Ud-5-65DSZm0WajkTLqmSb6nn7THGYH5dnOGsYK99WRNSy1hJpQ_iAE_jmlh4-sApTPdhvRobecUH9mAETsWMWo=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj57ff1lqJyiVnsbbVyN_o7OSAfCWDSUwoTs3JxWb1uDG4UdQ2rpJCdaU5O_H8X0CdoMKVWPlYV4WlxRS088d6sX6RSa3bpQIJW0Ud-5-65DSZm0WajkTLqmSb6nn7THGYH5dnOGsYK99WRNSy1hJpQ_iAE_jmlh4-sApTPdhvRobecUH9mAETsWMWo=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>I was a fully vaccinated Covid surviving member of society and I returned to favorite bar, Racers, and had my first beer back inside the bar. </p><p>Now for the next big step. Mark was finally qualified to be vaccinated. So now we were wondering if we would be to do some traveling. Nothing big, nothing out of the country. We had really wanted to go to Hawaii again but that was just not possible. So instead I found a wonderful beach rental on the Outer Banks. Tallulah was doing well with only three legs but we could not see ourselves leaving her at a kennel just yet. Luckily the house I found to rent had handicap access ramps. It was perfect. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGSWmMtrXuhM0vwF_QLweUGZ8PRUVF9ZIn78nD32csPSXqxq196sbLEdbFtDo3-B7bMxwjXdA6D-0IiMUvQ-6xXStdS-upIfPNvI30yy5W7wXGn1Hpr2RwjV-KejeC-qoe06bMbHEROVzxhsfky0xQP1SkH8GMCfAVuAfxH0DrSfAavLKyxhxCzOuX=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGSWmMtrXuhM0vwF_QLweUGZ8PRUVF9ZIn78nD32csPSXqxq196sbLEdbFtDo3-B7bMxwjXdA6D-0IiMUvQ-6xXStdS-upIfPNvI30yy5W7wXGn1Hpr2RwjV-KejeC-qoe06bMbHEROVzxhsfky0xQP1SkH8GMCfAVuAfxH0DrSfAavLKyxhxCzOuX=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br />Tallulah loved the beach house and spent a lot of time on the deck watching the neighbors. This had to be one of our best vacations in a long time. We were still somewhat isolated but it could not have been more relaxing. </p><p>We were able to do some more local traveling in September over the Labor Day weekend. Oh how we wanted it to be Hawaii again but that still just was not happening for us. Plane travel was still sketchy. People were fighting on planes over mask mandates. Flight schedules were not dependable. And honestly Hawaii was not being too open to tourists returning yet anyway and who can blame them. And due to the unvaccinated Covid just kept growing. After some initial Google searches we were able to find a log cabin to rent in New Hampshire in the same area we vacationed in 2020. So the 2021 varient year of 2020 continued for us. </p><p>We enjoyed New England as much this year as we did in 2020. And the blending of the years continued. Writing now it's difficult to remember did that happen in 2020 or was it 2021. It's almost liked we have blotted out 2020 and just jumped from 2019 right into 2021. It's still difficult even going through photos to tell the story of this year to differentiate what happened and when. And to make it even more bizarre I am currently researching plans for a return this spring to New England. <br /><br />We found out that Tallulah does travel well. She managed the both trips in the car with no real issues. She was more relaxed than at home. At home she is on constant guard duty guarding our house and yard growling and barking at everything and anything that moves. But on the vacations she seemed to be on vacation also. She ignored most of the dogs at the rest stops. She did not bark at any of the neighboring vacationers at either location. She pretty much became a some what normal dog. And then we returned home and she went back to her self appointed guard dog duties. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMK7gIM2j5WA3riM5ZsrgRAhf-7xCYJmCneiY2YqqAoVBeEPq1Za2_JTunmwjjFNzPXR9w0HPn9atQH5bVCVRRi0D1phYw9KQ9yIdWPlxNqnpCVaakaW8Tfd9ZZt6xsXZAFyhxAhc1wUcGXYb41nr0GcHDPn4MFSZAEazOW1kZAgdhVP9mH0vpwqf2=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMK7gIM2j5WA3riM5ZsrgRAhf-7xCYJmCneiY2YqqAoVBeEPq1Za2_JTunmwjjFNzPXR9w0HPn9atQH5bVCVRRi0D1phYw9KQ9yIdWPlxNqnpCVaakaW8Tfd9ZZt6xsXZAFyhxAhc1wUcGXYb41nr0GcHDPn4MFSZAEazOW1kZAgdhVP9mH0vpwqf2=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tallulah on vacation from guard dog duty<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlabN6QG-YP-rAvgMypLJ4sQwZoEuK8A3MPlnjFLJUkxvVP4eMUsyyxko-ZzFAoiar7u2_kXTcwmE8UyUkPjB8mLDcntYR0nRNPBvySuJVAhLNz_FIHN_0fZ8W4y8jCi7if0Kt9bfAWLr0uMTnBCwn7pcDVbw1vjrGWLDKLs3sRB5hAs4EdkUrJ0e1=s4508" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3318" data-original-width="4508" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlabN6QG-YP-rAvgMypLJ4sQwZoEuK8A3MPlnjFLJUkxvVP4eMUsyyxko-ZzFAoiar7u2_kXTcwmE8UyUkPjB8mLDcntYR0nRNPBvySuJVAhLNz_FIHN_0fZ8W4y8jCi7if0Kt9bfAWLr0uMTnBCwn7pcDVbw1vjrGWLDKLs3sRB5hAs4EdkUrJ0e1=w400-h294" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our isolated cabin in Eidelweiss Village New Hampshire</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Our cabin was isolated and on a dirt road. We were surround by beautiful lakes, trails, mountains and wild turkeys! The only time Tallulah got really animated was when a large group of wild turkeys decided to visit out yard. She also got a little agitated one evening and the next morning I saw a paw print that might have been from a small bear in our back yard. But other than the wild life there was nothing there bother us and we had one of our most relaxed vacations in years. We hiked. We photographed lakes. We saw lighthouses and cliff climbers. We drove to Maine and my daughter from Massachusetts drove up to see us for a day also. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbcDr9Hexg7pCC7OQ-vHN4KBxFQGtV_9bHFFujlkZ7ONdUgcNm13Y9Gxd6IhD-L1W5gBqOha8Ph64bVpQ6IyAuTSIt0kyTv5OtLwqCdPs9DYsVyZopZ97UkeGdaRLjhvaHq5EpSBhmdad5nK7-FTg4qm7aYZ_PJpygE2s97ZS5eUfc9hK1wGKZitkK=s4896" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbcDr9Hexg7pCC7OQ-vHN4KBxFQGtV_9bHFFujlkZ7ONdUgcNm13Y9Gxd6IhD-L1W5gBqOha8Ph64bVpQ6IyAuTSIt0kyTv5OtLwqCdPs9DYsVyZopZ97UkeGdaRLjhvaHq5EpSBhmdad5nK7-FTg4qm7aYZ_PJpygE2s97ZS5eUfc9hK1wGKZitkK=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portland Maine Lighthouse</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHEJTe2Y5u0_oJoDUo2dStD6-I48gJpOKyDTm1NNIyLOO9ock5EHCNGjIRegVq55RBkzS83xbK2qohcVPFTB7UgGOKzQEKq0VlI-VRN8PRc9v3qNRX_YEbV_QqpOG1V03I7jq9ib4zjzIFh8smK_SsQ0RNA8WN4pt24ECYNQoTxVOwSWJLKJIslmVV=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHEJTe2Y5u0_oJoDUo2dStD6-I48gJpOKyDTm1NNIyLOO9ock5EHCNGjIRegVq55RBkzS83xbK2qohcVPFTB7UgGOKzQEKq0VlI-VRN8PRc9v3qNRX_YEbV_QqpOG1V03I7jq9ib4zjzIFh8smK_SsQ0RNA8WN4pt24ECYNQoTxVOwSWJLKJIslmVV=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliff climbers at Cathedral Ledge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p>The year progressed to a slow end by December. I saw some friends get sick. I saw some friends die. I got angry at Covid. I got angry at the unvaxxed who continue to make this pandemic a political argument while I tried to avoid political arguments. And I spent a lot of time at my local bar. Day drinking at Racers was my one refuge. With Covid and the restrictions, depleted staff, and the general malaise of the year they survived. Many places closed permanently. Some closed temporarily. But my favorite bar survived. Monday mornings this was where you would find me. It was never crowded. There was no real concern of getting infected from people who were not there. It was just me and my bartenders this year. Roxy, Mariam, Bernard, John, Eric, and Brooks kept me entertained and hopefully I didn't bore them too much with my old man stories. And I thank the manager Emily for her kindness to an old man with free tickets to a local beer event this year and many free samples of the newest beers on draft. And Monday regulars Lou, Chris, Roger all properly vaxxed. All feeling safe. And all glad for the escape. They all helped me keep my sanity this year. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzFxfEGAjuhg2VCLbSAbBk5gH1xY2qZbFokKZErZrKkpC6EuAe7Z7TH4ptoZc_nontpwlL0Pree-tYhh5IvW6SDAcvY0qBPF33cK44t0Xi-0802se_JnkhGcrnBlmUddZTQUW8cM2r-ZaLjgxJ5NZOg77-pWP4DJCwHuQN2SvGNo2TXOlZ9U_UVzmr=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzFxfEGAjuhg2VCLbSAbBk5gH1xY2qZbFokKZErZrKkpC6EuAe7Z7TH4ptoZc_nontpwlL0Pree-tYhh5IvW6SDAcvY0qBPF33cK44t0Xi-0802se_JnkhGcrnBlmUddZTQUW8cM2r-ZaLjgxJ5NZOg77-pWP4DJCwHuQN2SvGNo2TXOlZ9U_UVzmr=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful beers in a black and white world - Racers - The 2021 Varient</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /> </div>Ending this year I am glad t to have had my family together all at the same time over the Christmas holidays this. I am grateful for the vaccinations and the boosters being available. I am thankful they are all vaccinated and have received their boosters. I am thankful to have survived a very minor Covid infection. I am thankful for a year with strong leadership from our President and no longer going to bed angry or fearful each night from the actions of his predecessor. And I am looking forward to a new year. Will it be 2020 variant 22 this year? Will we all adjust to the new normal? It's difficult to say. I do know I will miss those good friends and family who did not survive this year. I dread hitting the big 70 this year but grateful to have been able to make it this far. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>And Tallulah is looking forward to another vacation from her guard duties and returning to her mountain retreat.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOfymC6OrJShHNuSSurl9azI7bDGatRP71QMQT3qGDm83n9ZdmDUT7_uknBYJkZjrpyqplbbDVSl2n67pT7jcQ-wvA-ez_sKcmmZ6vfSUM0Ta9pOFl8-IFasP0v4gl9-fVyyhjMGXFMRa86P9Wnjc8W_lbNdfg3u_o2TNzB5JB9mXa9ljcGMktm0XJ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOfymC6OrJShHNuSSurl9azI7bDGatRP71QMQT3qGDm83n9ZdmDUT7_uknBYJkZjrpyqplbbDVSl2n67pT7jcQ-wvA-ez_sKcmmZ6vfSUM0Ta9pOFl8-IFasP0v4gl9-fVyyhjMGXFMRa86P9Wnjc8W_lbNdfg3u_o2TNzB5JB9mXa9ljcGMktm0XJ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p></div><br /></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-86722618650940406182021-11-15T07:54:00.026-05:002021-11-15T08:59:29.109-05:00Mornin Girl - Tallulah's first year with us<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgxf94Io-OGfb6XZqPXgy0s2umFlZrk6Z5-LhLHdU7eZDTY3BNE96UIgEN8Bc7IWokPNmd5M5kIVkcBM3nIlpDg8sRcbVxu3Bct0HgnzPJc1Yz8tyu17aa7HJ8FpGf16kahNjgkedZ3g/s2048/Tallulah+aka+Pantera+looking+terrified+before+we+rescued+her.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgxf94Io-OGfb6XZqPXgy0s2umFlZrk6Z5-LhLHdU7eZDTY3BNE96UIgEN8Bc7IWokPNmd5M5kIVkcBM3nIlpDg8sRcbVxu3Bct0HgnzPJc1Yz8tyu17aa7HJ8FpGf16kahNjgkedZ3g/w305-h407/Tallulah+aka+Pantera+looking+terrified+before+we+rescued+her.JPG" width="305" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The dog in the photo above is terrified. I know this dogs expression and body language now. She has anxiety. And she has no idea what happened to her family. Her name was Pantera, Spanish for panther. She was abandoned at a kill shelter in San Antonio, Texas. Our fourteen year black lab had just passed on. We were doing a rescue dog search one week later. Our house was empty without a dog. We looked at several dogs online. We put in several requests for adoptions. And this was the first one that answered us. </p><p>It's been a long year. We renamed her Tallulah. She moved into our home with much anxiety and energy. Two weeks after bringing her home last November she darted out of our side door and was hit by a car in front of our home. After two surgeries, having a leg amputated, and many many dollars she returned home to us and recuperated for the next eight weeks. She was sedated and sleeping on our couch most of that time. So we did not really get to know her true personality even after sharing our home with her for ten weeks. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQh84H18Lc-zTPgykZdy3RuKHCxeQQQtyYIbQTrBx-E4XoSyeWmYcTKQ5kRcPo-vbkfQK_4uOqHJvOBr3_V7Ao1hucBLTNfFDC_CTn-S6bcVPyUe8k5iwsV8yfeKOcpI7GAWuzzHkm-t4/s2048/IMG_0564.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQh84H18Lc-zTPgykZdy3RuKHCxeQQQtyYIbQTrBx-E4XoSyeWmYcTKQ5kRcPo-vbkfQK_4uOqHJvOBr3_V7Ao1hucBLTNfFDC_CTn-S6bcVPyUe8k5iwsV8yfeKOcpI7GAWuzzHkm-t4/s320/IMG_0564.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgWLgVFXO4iuFfVtwqAktWF4Tc_4Uxhrm5F-giL-WuMvepk_l3AKxqF0lhl-xpVaXwF_8c3hHMFIAew9aGLBcfqFbwWis9rxlpUq1sjJA94wi_kxFbe_8cRRlFOdKA5jdZZW3aSteocY/s2048/IMG_0562.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgWLgVFXO4iuFfVtwqAktWF4Tc_4Uxhrm5F-giL-WuMvepk_l3AKxqF0lhl-xpVaXwF_8c3hHMFIAew9aGLBcfqFbwWis9rxlpUq1sjJA94wi_kxFbe_8cRRlFOdKA5jdZZW3aSteocY/s320/IMG_0562.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>The two photos above are from her return home after the first emergency pet er visit. There is still a lot of fear in eyes. She is in a strange house, in pain, and no idea what is going on. But she did recover and won over our hearts completely. We would not trade her for anything..</p><p>My blogs are usually travel blogs. And although we were still under the influence of Covid-19 for another year this year we did take two vacations. And Tallulah learned to travel with us. At home Tallulah proved to be a watch dog. The minute she goes outside the door she goes on duty, barking, growling and all the neighbors and anyone within eye sight to stay out of her yard and away from her house. She can not relax when out in the yard. He ears are up at attention. Her tail is up in the air and not wagging. And she is watching everything around her. If you knock on our door or come into our house she is in defense mode until you win her over. So travelling with her was a major concern for us. We had no idea how she would react to a different house and setting. We were concerned how she would behave in a new neighborhood. Here she is at home. She is not relaxed outside. She is one guard duty. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMcHKJrbXilL8HYO0vEyCBHTTk6tNSd8slptFubrpeWrPSz4tk53G4YhuM4BWZf_uQzDY1HTG_M2up0SrigD2HWwa1P4yTw3-0zJPGR7JhuhBtURunXJTqilyjhu6AxBt9MXTwzL9XTc/s2048/Tallulah+guarding+her+property+-+October+2021.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMcHKJrbXilL8HYO0vEyCBHTTk6tNSd8slptFubrpeWrPSz4tk53G4YhuM4BWZf_uQzDY1HTG_M2up0SrigD2HWwa1P4yTw3-0zJPGR7JhuhBtURunXJTqilyjhu6AxBt9MXTwzL9XTc/s320/Tallulah+guarding+her+property+-+October+2021.JPG" width="240" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgwSgHfcw6zUMc7fghD2dqIfRyAf82z3NWkCpLh4nrdC-1wzqyUx2v02hG_C6A7x2TAgUb3NLqUyVBLxbYvjpuG43KFsgZk-hv2SsbU4JWEDiOGCxNeKLI9wEmoOvGQQ-4BbRVdrFT64/s2048/Tallu%253Bah+guarding+the+house+from+the+neighbors.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgwSgHfcw6zUMc7fghD2dqIfRyAf82z3NWkCpLh4nrdC-1wzqyUx2v02hG_C6A7x2TAgUb3NLqUyVBLxbYvjpuG43KFsgZk-hv2SsbU4JWEDiOGCxNeKLI9wEmoOvGQQ-4BbRVdrFT64/s320/Tallu%253Bah+guarding+the+house+from+the+neighbors.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p>We rented a beach house this past summer on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It is one of our favorite vacation destinations. Our previous dog, Delilah, loved the beach and going to beach house each year. But how would the guard dog Tallulah react was our question. We rented a house with handicap ramps so she would not have any issues climbing the tall steps on Outer Banks homes with only three legs. She was well behaved in the car on the drive down the North Carolina. When we arrived we had problems getting her to walk up the handicap ramps. And once inside the house she took some time to sniff around the property and then she completely relaxed. She was not on guard duty. She was not snarling out of the windows at the neighbors. She just completely relaxed. She wa not working. She was on vacation.</p><p>Tallulah relaxing on the porch of the beach house watching the lake across the street .</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a93SiiVIBegFnJaRQDn3e8C7qmTYcKoNAbR_Mj6UqY8DPyWBp8cmbU5IWaxvNL1BUdh_zcNi6KvYLIhkKRhWM9ZXkAnIvI_-zppWbRQRyTv11QG7PeHTPHxh_6IgNH7g-yXPLlJIy4A/s2048/Tallulah+loved+the+time+at+the+beach+house+-+Hatteras+May+2021.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a93SiiVIBegFnJaRQDn3e8C7qmTYcKoNAbR_Mj6UqY8DPyWBp8cmbU5IWaxvNL1BUdh_zcNi6KvYLIhkKRhWM9ZXkAnIvI_-zppWbRQRyTv11QG7PeHTPHxh_6IgNH7g-yXPLlJIy4A/s320/Tallulah+loved+the+time+at+the+beach+house+-+Hatteras+May+2021.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTpZhnPNRWJwaokrYCRUCYAg4TrhwGLbNnyc-cSDSLSNgAlQ9W_oQG0W6L0xivcV9_TSaHqQJOLYLMbTlCgw2aXEOUwOanxv3-rpFUevZjLwVIC7jcUnGQdEr_PKUCthujcA5Z6YU_FY/s2048/Tallulah+enjoying+the+deck+at+the+beach+house+-+Hatteras+May+2021.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTpZhnPNRWJwaokrYCRUCYAg4TrhwGLbNnyc-cSDSLSNgAlQ9W_oQG0W6L0xivcV9_TSaHqQJOLYLMbTlCgw2aXEOUwOanxv3-rpFUevZjLwVIC7jcUnGQdEr_PKUCthujcA5Z6YU_FY/w240-h320/Tallulah+enjoying+the+deck+at+the+beach+house+-+Hatteras+May+2021.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>We were amazed with her behavior while on vacation in May. In September we took a second holiday and drove to New Hampshire, another favorite vacation spot. We rented a cabin in the woods. It was very secluded and comfortable. We relaxed in the wooded development and so did Tallulah once more. She loved the cabin. She loved walking down the dirt roads and sniffing all the natural scents around her. The only time she was agitated or excited was one afternoon when a group of wild turkeys walked across our yard. She was very curious and wanted to know what those big birds were doing in the yard. But for the most part she took a vacation from her guard duties and had a wonderful relaxed vacation. </p><p>Here she is below completely relaxed on the couch in the cabin</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6l8gXOzIi7nrozIAankJuyT7OqDI1BRfviQoNbG1Gu11xqSWjbZdAKWZ5f70r7zXtU6ZOr1I7TERax9CdAIqBWjdrxttYhlcysqtK4hyphenhyphenzy9vMoBm53V2e7wmV_9Q2vdQULLYE-heBMDM/s2048/Tallulah+at+the+cabin+-+Eidelweiss+Villiage+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6l8gXOzIi7nrozIAankJuyT7OqDI1BRfviQoNbG1Gu11xqSWjbZdAKWZ5f70r7zXtU6ZOr1I7TERax9CdAIqBWjdrxttYhlcysqtK4hyphenhyphenzy9vMoBm53V2e7wmV_9Q2vdQULLYE-heBMDM/s320/Tallulah+at+the+cabin+-+Eidelweiss+Villiage+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Although she looks like a black lab she is in reality a Patterdale Terrier/Black Lab mix. Her attitude is pure terrier so we basically have a fifty pound terrier to control and handle, But she is all heart and we love her so much. She has spent the past year stealing our hearts and making her home with us.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELwFgn5Lfdq8M-MvI_poyLe6LyesKI5iphY-5GcSxVlwlMjse2b0BM7l3ciaO1ec17SH3PFfa2_d4pMJfIjPNL1bmCZvZfWNvnELkeT0pE5xT4NljWTUlxkDBSLuuunTzo4vko61f4H8/s2048/Tallulah+chilling+on+the+couch+-+September+2021+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELwFgn5Lfdq8M-MvI_poyLe6LyesKI5iphY-5GcSxVlwlMjse2b0BM7l3ciaO1ec17SH3PFfa2_d4pMJfIjPNL1bmCZvZfWNvnELkeT0pE5xT4NljWTUlxkDBSLuuunTzo4vko61f4H8/s320/Tallulah+chilling+on+the+couch+-+September+2021+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I<div>I call her my Mornin' Girl and sing to her the old song from the 70's Mornin' Girl each morning. And then our new day begins.<br /><p>As we start a new year with her our only wish is to have many more trips around the sun with her. We had Delilah for twelve years and she died at age fourteen. May we have just as many or more with Tallulah. We live in any area named Carney. We call her Tallulah Countess of Carney. And she truly is the Countess.</p><p>Beware Bond. The Patterdale is on guard duty.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwR0QmOOYv7IuatQxAE9GZPELyJfhaV5vyzkkcZfBpRdoM1lz9lmQLFuX_DlomDJiRNUaCgwDY6iZ9Hevkt9YDVfwMcqECL4YoWjmnDiwDMxZojKcJ7W6vOHosTq1oTlZTqiXWE-4cO8/s844/Dale%252C+Patterdale.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="825" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwR0QmOOYv7IuatQxAE9GZPELyJfhaV5vyzkkcZfBpRdoM1lz9lmQLFuX_DlomDJiRNUaCgwDY6iZ9Hevkt9YDVfwMcqECL4YoWjmnDiwDMxZojKcJ7W6vOHosTq1oTlZTqiXWE-4cO8/s320/Dale%252C+Patterdale.JPG" width="313" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-82142268786748696662021-04-29T20:48:00.146-04:002021-04-29T23:14:55.368-04:00Paris - Being A Novice Traveler in 2000<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwxYfumt6OLkxiboK3pnBBcouVif2GOfjTFgMiNPJzUZCxo2Znmnh7egel_WTho2Gfx8BkvSfWzRmFtmXv54BxA4J0SOyJwE4IHIhIoHOelYYbuGrAVFtDzfJ9QHkTzuoXzBy6UHBVx4/s2527/8713091602_abfbe2da8c_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="2527" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwxYfumt6OLkxiboK3pnBBcouVif2GOfjTFgMiNPJzUZCxo2Znmnh7egel_WTho2Gfx8BkvSfWzRmFtmXv54BxA4J0SOyJwE4IHIhIoHOelYYbuGrAVFtDzfJ9QHkTzuoXzBy6UHBVx4/w400-h197/8713091602_abfbe2da8c_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> People who know me from Facebook or other online sites just assume I have always been a traveler. I have posted hundreds of travel photos. I talk about travel a lot. If you look up my hobbies it will say photography and travel. But to many friends surprise I never traveled abroad until the year 2000 when I was 48 years old. I grew up with fantasies of travel. It was always something I wanted to do but it was always of my reach. I traveled through the movies. At the age of ten I saw my first James Bond, Dr No movie and was amazed at all of the exotic locations that were thousands of miles from my small town in Maryland. <p></p><p>Yes, that's me in the photo above standing spell bound at my first look at the Eiffel Tower in 2000. I was so enthralled I was not even aware my photo was being taken. I had to keep reminding myself I was really in Paris. I was really in France. It did not seem possible. If anyone had asked me where would you like to travel I would have said Paris. It was always a dream destination. We were offered French or Spanish in high school. There was no choice for me. It had to be French. If a movie was about France I wanted to see it. If you asked me what was my favorite childhood movie starring Judy Garland was my answer would have been Gay Purr-ee. Never would I have said The Wizard of Oz. It was set in Kansas not Paris. And the Wizard of Oz co starred Ray Bolger not Robert Goulet as in Gay Purr-ee. But that's another story. <br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7vEFOhOmGqKf02L6ANw_XUaviFojijN1hStVCa9DYT3XYI2j_6HukxRBm5c-QUZ9zkCdxqSrEdDFycMlZEKs_GDTOGPTZgjhyo9UIlS4qohDjRk87kxkqfy_U-WoISbcEyHLg0ssB8s/s300/p3610_v_v8_aa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7vEFOhOmGqKf02L6ANw_XUaviFojijN1hStVCa9DYT3XYI2j_6HukxRBm5c-QUZ9zkCdxqSrEdDFycMlZEKs_GDTOGPTZgjhyo9UIlS4qohDjRk87kxkqfy_U-WoISbcEyHLg0ssB8s/s0/p3610_v_v8_aa.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WVtzgLPUMpE5pPM6NB1UfkUHS1hOugoOIQb_GGTVgbBZIyopdzpf70erGhO6j13hyJOQP4AXNrNDaol1IDpIFiTfGd45zf71dr65I0KlUybHUXYqjFtWPVyvtJFYS6RLF8NRMGeTJQY/s2048/My+first+trip+to+Paris+at+the+Hotel+Modern+-+and+it+ws+anything+but+modern+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="2048" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WVtzgLPUMpE5pPM6NB1UfkUHS1hOugoOIQb_GGTVgbBZIyopdzpf70erGhO6j13hyJOQP4AXNrNDaol1IDpIFiTfGd45zf71dr65I0KlUybHUXYqjFtWPVyvtJFYS6RLF8NRMGeTJQY/w400-h261/My+first+trip+to+Paris+at+the+Hotel+Modern+-+and+it+ws+anything+but+modern+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQK3lBrHpk-NMUDHWPpIRYWvLHdHsWZui-ZOhKIHCP5Hs_NTm8wvEPmx_-s4qO_x1_5TmePs5nx41aFyT1W-1P1Q_oHhhd5oZhCTKATzTbS6u9FsCPBigX5BT8p16D_HuZ1VEvPKztn-s/s2048/My+first+view+of+Paris+from+my+window+at+the+Hotel+Modern+-+France+2000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQK3lBrHpk-NMUDHWPpIRYWvLHdHsWZui-ZOhKIHCP5Hs_NTm8wvEPmx_-s4qO_x1_5TmePs5nx41aFyT1W-1P1Q_oHhhd5oZhCTKATzTbS6u9FsCPBigX5BT8p16D_HuZ1VEvPKztn-s/w400-h267/My+first+view+of+Paris+from+my+window+at+the+Hotel+Modern+-+France+2000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span>The sign said Modern Hotel. But novice traveler here had no idea what the two stars meant. I thought it was just a decoration on the sign. Nope. It was a two star rated hotel on a kind of run down street. This my was my view from the hotel window. There was no Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe any where in site. But there was a rather ratty looking bed in a dismal room that I planned to be in as little as possible so it did not really matter. And yes if you look closely I was wearing some really ugly glasses in 2000. <span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUWESEXCJwHB0lnoSNzZfywWGQg2kWloP5w_8IpCe2gy5_Q4sRBl3FzMq7XqJuC4nbTSNBdLvK-qP6LwLjCP4pVitlWCdJ3N_ZnFE3ZX94tnIne7_HPUDwMPW8tFkGcfzXqeofJMPFU4/s2048/Day+3-+Relaxing+in+Paris+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1423" data-original-width="2048" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUWESEXCJwHB0lnoSNzZfywWGQg2kWloP5w_8IpCe2gy5_Q4sRBl3FzMq7XqJuC4nbTSNBdLvK-qP6LwLjCP4pVitlWCdJ3N_ZnFE3ZX94tnIne7_HPUDwMPW8tFkGcfzXqeofJMPFU4/w400-h278/Day+3-+Relaxing+in+Paris+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_Qh2G4mujboS3UFjbJU-GWmwYRhDXm_QAVwKnoO6GSzsq13YgogcegLiTJBQFKSsjR8TwgggXwv4xCkdBUBDYjB9Bnowyl9ldqS4S435FSOeULsKVYcSlewsiwucQCM9mmFWfdB5W8Q/s2048/Day+3+-+Paris.++Ugly+glasses+and+an+ugly+hotel.++But+great+memories.++France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="2048" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_Qh2G4mujboS3UFjbJU-GWmwYRhDXm_QAVwKnoO6GSzsq13YgogcegLiTJBQFKSsjR8TwgggXwv4xCkdBUBDYjB9Bnowyl9ldqS4S435FSOeULsKVYcSlewsiwucQCM9mmFWfdB5W8Q/w400-h271/Day+3+-+Paris.++Ugly+glasses+and+an+ugly+hotel.++But+great+memories.++France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div>I did not have a cell at this time. I did not have a digital camera. No computer. I had no way to make contact other than a phone in case of an emergency. And this was not a bad thing. My photos were awful. I really had a lot to learn about travel photography. My photos were developed when I got home and were also digitized on a disc for me. But the photo quality was terrible on the digital disc. But looking back at the photos now the memories are very vivid and that's what it's all about really. Traveling. Making memories. Writing a travel diary. <div><br /></div><div>I got to see a lot. I was a true tourist. <br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><div>I saw the Statue of Liberty in Paris.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFxofNvCX8iyQUhH5_V9P1-EGmew3xCuUuwWCENoYTiV7Ihyphenhyphen8xzyS9wTqmT2yI37I2ON13hmlOirh5RyP3bz-BROylvyrk0aHXCa7_Le0tXSM-8RnggltDeruxsQ9kf5vgXCkM62Dol4/s2048/Paris+2000+-+Statue+of+Liberty+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1370" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFxofNvCX8iyQUhH5_V9P1-EGmew3xCuUuwWCENoYTiV7Ihyphenhyphen8xzyS9wTqmT2yI37I2ON13hmlOirh5RyP3bz-BROylvyrk0aHXCa7_Le0tXSM-8RnggltDeruxsQ9kf5vgXCkM62Dol4/w268-h400/Paris+2000+-+Statue+of+Liberty+%25282%2529.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The Sacre Couer<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTM6OB1PZUs6iiDBDHku0dWPKoj5YmcSJ8aBPHcq8kmcFmM53INZsiiX-q8t1xT15jNuMjWclyUQv2cK3mbFetq-1yLK41d1ojXJ7FjUAVp4AODYOO48wahahsQ37vNsC41l0apTA3XVI/s2048/Paris+Day+2+-+Le+Sacre+Couer+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTM6OB1PZUs6iiDBDHku0dWPKoj5YmcSJ8aBPHcq8kmcFmM53INZsiiX-q8t1xT15jNuMjWclyUQv2cK3mbFetq-1yLK41d1ojXJ7FjUAVp4AODYOO48wahahsQ37vNsC41l0apTA3XVI/w400-h266/Paris+Day+2+-+Le+Sacre+Couer+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>And the Venus de Milo of course. I felt just like Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face.</div><br /><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBVj8TONi1ka73nTRsFPQATa59nZBSU4RALn1KvLH_DB4oqYtLs8hffwxOAa2myBGZ0Od1Utg_RDvtX63wYcbUd-Kpbb87A0vIe24btNQg9CBh69o4qe4Q0cefjPX4SmycHnTvPDvSco/s2048/Paris+day+1+-+The+Venus+di+Milo+at+the+Louvre+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1399" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBVj8TONi1ka73nTRsFPQATa59nZBSU4RALn1KvLH_DB4oqYtLs8hffwxOAa2myBGZ0Od1Utg_RDvtX63wYcbUd-Kpbb87A0vIe24btNQg9CBh69o4qe4Q0cefjPX4SmycHnTvPDvSco/w273-h400/Paris+day+1+-+The+Venus+di+Milo+at+the+Louvre+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Arc de Triomphe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgissLFdlQoUpWOcYLKSVIPWOrCx6uygdEsIRx0BP6znmJjKEP5_zH7lgyFO5oT9Qxh39y4JFnnVmzTnUQHrFs_nAlCzyxuUeLXpjqcGN0IEwokmBO7F-AlYyzAD4_18w4JX4S5YTXi5SU/s2048/Day+4+-+Arc+de+Triumphe+-+Paris+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="2048" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgissLFdlQoUpWOcYLKSVIPWOrCx6uygdEsIRx0BP6znmJjKEP5_zH7lgyFO5oT9Qxh39y4JFnnVmzTnUQHrFs_nAlCzyxuUeLXpjqcGN0IEwokmBO7F-AlYyzAD4_18w4JX4S5YTXi5SU/w400-h270/Day+4+-+Arc+de+Triumphe+-+Paris+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>If you could pose by it I have a photo of it. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXBpqSCJ953B3C_UWIW-am6h4vR4-JuPYwjUaPNLuT-SHafUhSjWuQehEB_jCET4gokAuWpkPeY0qxkIihUqf_24NfP1nZ_AW6qA26431BPAu3G7mTybOIEz35JeKUcvGJtDaATykOrw/s2048/Larry+at+the+Charlamagne+Memorial+near+Notre+Dame+-+Paris+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1433" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXBpqSCJ953B3C_UWIW-am6h4vR4-JuPYwjUaPNLuT-SHafUhSjWuQehEB_jCET4gokAuWpkPeY0qxkIihUqf_24NfP1nZ_AW6qA26431BPAu3G7mTybOIEz35JeKUcvGJtDaATykOrw/w280-h400/Larry+at+the+Charlamagne+Memorial+near+Notre+Dame+-+Paris+-+France+2000+%25282%2529.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZm9dWO89sSoD38x1gPBy-4D1EwAbQz3ody3FTH-A-aXcdkV38wsoN_q7J6yk6aVNOszC6rGwR25f6GMwTeDh2UG77cTuANHBYgDNz3Oyc3zrVVR_SO_g-6PVb_wJ2D8SQFkGN9VxzYY/s2048/Larry+in+Montmarte+-+Paris+-+France+2000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1373" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZm9dWO89sSoD38x1gPBy-4D1EwAbQz3ody3FTH-A-aXcdkV38wsoN_q7J6yk6aVNOszC6rGwR25f6GMwTeDh2UG77cTuANHBYgDNz3Oyc3zrVVR_SO_g-6PVb_wJ2D8SQFkGN9VxzYY/w400-h268/Larry+in+Montmarte+-+Paris+-+France+2000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojVAkkPclIEalV3lgBuLbp3BzH2_DUiBehLuUqclK1slG6KVjFH8jGDLnvKFrhiOWRrUy-iuIFtI8l96Wgk_hDe3S9p3h0U-TYOKKArDqLCuIWKIfQKvyk5XDoLchY8nGD1ci-x1wnMI/s2048/Larry+at+Notre+Dame+-+Paris+-+France+2000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="2048" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojVAkkPclIEalV3lgBuLbp3BzH2_DUiBehLuUqclK1slG6KVjFH8jGDLnvKFrhiOWRrUy-iuIFtI8l96Wgk_hDe3S9p3h0U-TYOKKArDqLCuIWKIfQKvyk5XDoLchY8nGD1ci-x1wnMI/w400-h284/Larry+at+Notre+Dame+-+Paris+-+France+2000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I learned to take better photos. In 2002 I joined the Virtual Tourist online group. I learned to write travel advice there. And I learned a lot about taking travel photos from the many great photographer there. But there is something special about being a first time novice traveler. I learned a lot from that experience also. </div><div><br /></div><div>I guess you noticed there are no photos of my ex included here. And that is by choice. As Bogart said in Casablance "We'll always have Paris." but in this blog in my best Bogart voice it should be "I'll always have Paris."</div><div><br /></div><div>I never got to Jim Morrison's grave on this visit. That had to wait for my next visit this time with my husband Mark. And I can say this time, he and I will always have Paris. </div></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-64682489582494597022021-01-21T01:58:00.004-05:002021-01-21T03:23:01.073-05:00Odd Travel Moments - A Young Girl With A Bird On Her Boob In Lisbon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTw-XC8HMey7OGyz2h7CecZyYOEsoY06uFHm9h5WtJctGP1-h29AYfYjLX9bx1HVyXXgHd30F5KwhlXNYDCxBmVYEOuv35GUFXk4938KcGpG3qgpLfAFd9gpUvTq2hf-HZ3WYwphjtSwg/s1600/Girl+with+bird+on+blouse+-+Lisbon+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTw-XC8HMey7OGyz2h7CecZyYOEsoY06uFHm9h5WtJctGP1-h29AYfYjLX9bx1HVyXXgHd30F5KwhlXNYDCxBmVYEOuv35GUFXk4938KcGpG3qgpLfAFd9gpUvTq2hf-HZ3WYwphjtSwg/w220-h400/Girl+with+bird+on+blouse+-+Lisbon+%25282%2529.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: medium;">This photo was taken in 2015 and for some reason I am just now writing about it all these years later . And I don't know how I missed posting this. Mark and I were with our friend Gillian on holiday in Lisbon. Our last day there we were having lunch in an outdoor restaurant and noticed this girl with a bird hanging on her shoulder. At first we thought it was a dead bird which we found a bit odd. But then it moved. She was wearing a live bird on her blouse. It was just sitting there and not bothering to fly away. I love odd travel moments like this. <br /> <br /> Mark and I have known our friend Gillian for almost 14 years now. We are more family than we are just friends. Gillian visits us often. And we travel together frequently. She makes frequent guest appearances in blogs because when we are all together trouble usually ensues. I am not sure why. Perhaps it's because we tend to drink a bit when we are all together. Gillian will deny this of course. But trust me. It's a fact. From time to time she and I remember this girl. We always say she is part of a novel that should be written. Or we say that one of us really needs to write a blog about it. But it has not happened until tonight. Gillian, her time in the spot light has arrived. I hope I do her proud.</span><span face=""Proxima Nova", "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #212124;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);"> </span></span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Times are tough. To complain about it makes you look juvenile. Everyone, world wide, knows times are bad. There is nothing you can say about it that everyone doesn't already realize for themselves. We are sharing this pandemic world wide. When 400,000 people have died in your country it seems selfish and callous to say how much you miss travel. Or it seems insensitive to say I wish I could go out to my pub. And then it really seems childish to complain that you have nothing to write about in your travel blog. There are far more serious things to be concerned about. I talked to two good friends today and both told me they have tested positive for COVID. That's very serious. I prayed for them both tonight. I can't sleep. Stress has robbed me of sleep for weeks now. So while I sit here fighting insomnia the unfinished blog about the girl with bird on her boob came to mind this evening.</span><br /><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Mark and I love Lisbon. It was never a place on our bucket list to visit. But once we arrived there it captured our imagination. We have now been to Portugal twice and would love to again. We have some travel friends who live in Lisbon that we enjoy visiting. <br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkrFtWGXhA2B46MaDP5Ze75kU3BYTTD6N39P5NCXOEfyOkdpjBv_z8ONIsJG-0Adpr4MQBn1Z4N6DmHo1MWFrp-bO7IDIpEW88ZBNgkLlU6SgslgaVTh1zHcASOMQoHgFoSCr3zfEfjA/s2048/22539510488_475c104166_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkrFtWGXhA2B46MaDP5Ze75kU3BYTTD6N39P5NCXOEfyOkdpjBv_z8ONIsJG-0Adpr4MQBn1Z4N6DmHo1MWFrp-bO7IDIpEW88ZBNgkLlU6SgslgaVTh1zHcASOMQoHgFoSCr3zfEfjA/w400-h300/22539510488_475c104166_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gillian, Mark and I with our friends Miguel and Gloria from Lisbon.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">And the wines in Portugal are some of the best in the world. The food is very good also, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmi8NucNSIHycxnwK_9XZUFa9MbuGpy1XvqzJmhHovPtRdaWz58lb3b8n93MrarDiVbfCJuEM1eoWievowQvuIAJuowf8x9scy0PFcNi1jpZ-vsFyORsQtsCMslZxLB7s2_oYggzLGqbw/s2048/3595575418_56190aeb64_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmi8NucNSIHycxnwK_9XZUFa9MbuGpy1XvqzJmhHovPtRdaWz58lb3b8n93MrarDiVbfCJuEM1eoWievowQvuIAJuowf8x9scy0PFcNi1jpZ-vsFyORsQtsCMslZxLB7s2_oYggzLGqbw/s320/3595575418_56190aeb64_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> And then there is the mesmerizing Fado music that we learned to love. Having some wine and listening to Fado music is one of our favorite experiences when we visit Portugal.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvNwX3ZNmUgCDe2mjKtZIHe0NrX9f9IjKOUjoOJw_ejvXmJ9HS5YafIo-EXPRvaSu5w_sTEx9yLKfssEyKg4qmuHv-E-19D8b1hrpcFmzcXjy5ITBIdlZ_NMUIhgixA0cNflxu4KgTbI/s2048/22495329369_4d3b4a5204_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvNwX3ZNmUgCDe2mjKtZIHe0NrX9f9IjKOUjoOJw_ejvXmJ9HS5YafIo-EXPRvaSu5w_sTEx9yLKfssEyKg4qmuHv-E-19D8b1hrpcFmzcXjy5ITBIdlZ_NMUIhgixA0cNflxu4KgTbI/w400-h300/22495329369_4d3b4a5204_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back alley out door Fado music bar in Lisbon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb1v5n-xBXOkiNQpmP_lYu8UpTZkBkb4sn1-pYhO6FDrmItUiuBeJCdJEZ6ewGeyYoZ19Rplb4oEozO5LJ9JFOuZP5ru58zzeLwvYQclYBoACntXbs_lQeta-Yc2MtK0GRnvtR2LOcBQ/s2048/22264788144_d7ecba1afd_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb1v5n-xBXOkiNQpmP_lYu8UpTZkBkb4sn1-pYhO6FDrmItUiuBeJCdJEZ6ewGeyYoZ19Rplb4oEozO5LJ9JFOuZP5ru58zzeLwvYQclYBoACntXbs_lQeta-Yc2MtK0GRnvtR2LOcBQ/w400-h300/22264788144_d7ecba1afd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young girl singing the melancholy Fado music</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: start;">And yet the girl with the bird on her boob seems to be my one haunting memory. When I think of my time in Lisbon I almost always go back to that last day and seeing her. It was odd. This was to be our last day in Lisbon. We were to leave for the airport in the morning to bid goodbye to Gillian and start our flight home. But we wanted a good meal and a few laughs on our last day. We really wanted something that we would be able to remember and talk about for years to come. And there she was. Leaning against a wall behind our table. An attractive young girl with a bird sitting on her breast. It caught my attention and then Gillian saw it also. We tapped Mark and motioned for him to turn around and look behind himself and then he too saw what we saw. There was no point trying to explain it to him. It was easier just to tell him to look. So we all looked.<br /><br /> Our first thought was why does this girl have a dead bird attached to her blouse. So we started making up reasons why the bird was attached to her. None of them made any sense at all but it didn't matter. We were just confused. And then the birds head moved. It was alive! Then we wondered why and how she had attached it to her blouse. Was she cruel and stapled it to her shirt? No, the birds foot moved and it repositioned itself a little. It was just sitting there hanging on to her blouse. And it never left her or flew away. Finally she pet its head, took it off of her blouse and put it in a small box. Then she went inside the restaurant and to our surprise was working there as a waitress and was going on her shift. She handed the box to a waiter who was going off shift and he kept it for her. It almost felt like Woody Allen should be narrating this in one of movies set in Europe. I could almost hear his voice introducing the girl as the main character in his movie and her love interest who shared the bird with her. And then suddenly everything changed. Again Gillian and I noticed something else odd and we were transported from the world of Woody Allen characters to a John Waters movie. Just across the street from where we were sitting we saw a man, a true John Waters character. He was standing by a wall relieving himself right in eyesite of our table. Well if it was a Woody Allen character we would say relieving. But this had turned into a John Waters movie so this man was pissing against the wall. Directly in front of us. Did I take a photo? Of course I did.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw34b2b8Ylk42jd5PKGaGzbkEbxVvqGsaIf80JoIGYLlofovfqp1L1Nj9R28PwA3Z8dUtrUxQHZ8l1kNOk5-mzxJUYzdTG-PmO9pf7UZsAuftM7S0I-chSbYhV2-a9BOQndUQqVMydI8/s2048/22935261770_5907066f49_o+%25283%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1845" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw34b2b8Ylk42jd5PKGaGzbkEbxVvqGsaIf80JoIGYLlofovfqp1L1Nj9R28PwA3Z8dUtrUxQHZ8l1kNOk5-mzxJUYzdTG-PmO9pf7UZsAuftM7S0I-chSbYhV2-a9BOQndUQqVMydI8/w400-h360/22935261770_5907066f49_o+%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I knew I would be telling this story one day. And I knew I needed an ending. And this man provided the ending for me. So now in January 2021 when I am stuck home quarantining from the pandemic and fighting with stress and insomnia I finally am writing this blog from the summer of 2015. You never know how a story will end. I assumed the girl with the bird would be the entire story. And then man started urinating. So there's the end of the story.<br /><br />When this mess we are in is over we will travel again. And we will see more strange things happening around us. And yes, I will document them with photos and tell you all about them in due time.</span></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0Lisbon, Portugal38.7222524 -9.139336610.412018563821157 -44.2955866 67.03248623617884 26.0169134tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-43832059083270471602020-12-31T23:06:00.004-05:002021-01-01T15:15:17.500-05:002020 - The Year We All Stayed Home<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9OwIth_Su4E6feoTV3rtIuMva6t5x75J4um3buyd2LB3T0zYHjYqQdmSROaqKaSHV3-IvDNGRbbzPZNuszxa1v07ltY2Wdi3ofBm3mfMDFZaU6_OBZs6iWEBNMlrgjtNKYSbE1oH8Ow/s879/What+a+long+strange+trip+it%2527s+been+-+Meredith+NH+-+Mark+and+Larry+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="638" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9OwIth_Su4E6feoTV3rtIuMva6t5x75J4um3buyd2LB3T0zYHjYqQdmSROaqKaSHV3-IvDNGRbbzPZNuszxa1v07ltY2Wdi3ofBm3mfMDFZaU6_OBZs6iWEBNMlrgjtNKYSbE1oH8Ow/w290-h400/What+a+long+strange+trip+it%2527s+been+-+Meredith+NH+-+Mark+and+Larry+%25281%2529.JPG" width="290" /></a></div><br /> I usually write a year end blog on New Years Day. I have been thinking about what I wanted to say about 2020. I went back and reread my year end blogs from 2019, 2018, and 2017. I noticed that each of those years I started out by saying this has not been one of my best years. And I ended each blog saying I was sure the new year would be better. This year I just don't know what to say. So I think this photo taken in Meredith, New Hampshire is the best way to start. What a long strange trip it's been. <p></p><p>Last years blog said we were already planning travel for February 2020. Well that didn't happen. Mark did buy his new car in February.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVtuLxt_UgUOoFvNP42SavqzJf8ksVliP7YEP1uKagyaJnqj3ZR9E4gEw4AREmYZ8bkOfPJ7VdK9xuF7tvZndbYCJeNohzhfmvyuWGFOZuIGAP3B-ZJ9GQ1onGeCxQe87c86xfHeJMkY/s2048/Mark+buys+a+new+car+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVtuLxt_UgUOoFvNP42SavqzJf8ksVliP7YEP1uKagyaJnqj3ZR9E4gEw4AREmYZ8bkOfPJ7VdK9xuF7tvZndbYCJeNohzhfmvyuWGFOZuIGAP3B-ZJ9GQ1onGeCxQe87c86xfHeJMkY/w300-h400/Mark+buys+a+new+car+1.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p> And we did take a road trip to Odessa, Delaware where we went to a restaurant for the last time without a mask. Also with the new car we went to Woodland Beach, Delaware. That's a place I had not been since I was five years old when my family rented a boat and went crabbing in the Delaware Bay. The high lights of Woodland Beach were my photos of a lone house on the beach...</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwzxw-l5E4xYTiiHqimJ3afI4_n-EIO26vgWXvcaHPmRrPtezGB4JPUwEKnGFCyp4qvNrmrWiYGVWCAWyXAR9WpwJAROhDXFrwxdhTRHgcrOm_hfTcSipe4D4gt6hMZAKIgCWRMwGUvs/s2048/House+on+Delaware+Bay+-+Woodland+Beach+Delaware.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1516" data-original-width="2048" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwzxw-l5E4xYTiiHqimJ3afI4_n-EIO26vgWXvcaHPmRrPtezGB4JPUwEKnGFCyp4qvNrmrWiYGVWCAWyXAR9WpwJAROhDXFrwxdhTRHgcrOm_hfTcSipe4D4gt6hMZAKIgCWRMwGUvs/w400-h296/House+on+Delaware+Bay+-+Woodland+Beach+Delaware.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>..and a nuclear reactor on the New Jersey shore across the Delaware Bay. When I edited my photo of the reactor to a black and white image there was a spooky blue haze all around it like radiation coming out of it. Oh 2020 this was just my first surprise of the year.<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqAKb0Sqcr6eUeQpKccSFCa5tECj_AmSUq8hecelyfVXU6smtWnu7RUKVKh3k4FJCY-H-hI5TQQpIRKo0xT0Qb9a9_U948Btf2M9880wmKlYLYYfLVht0fFLhyDX5e8Qft1e5yoflFF4/s2048/FSCN5033.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqAKb0Sqcr6eUeQpKccSFCa5tECj_AmSUq8hecelyfVXU6smtWnu7RUKVKh3k4FJCY-H-hI5TQQpIRKo0xT0Qb9a9_U948Btf2M9880wmKlYLYYfLVht0fFLhyDX5e8Qft1e5yoflFF4/s320/FSCN5033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>We started hoarding toilet paper, stocking up a two week supply of emergency groceries and hunting for masks to wear next. While doing this we got the word from my daughter Danielle that she had been hired for a job in Boston, She had been unemployed for most of 2019. She and her wife ended up selling their house in Atlanta, packing up a rental van and moving to Boston right at the heart of the original quarantine. List this under things to stress out Dad. Just as Danielle was preparing to move my other daughter Katie was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. She was hospitalized and of course we were not allowed to visit. Another item to add to the list of things to stress out Dad. We did go the hospital parking lot and wave to Katie's window. You can see Katie in the window above. I will not be embarrassed to say I cried on the way home. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8vqeMu9Ky95xU26IUG_ZH6UDW31UD9xGFtAjWftdp4m-cAWLI2GoiBSh8buzyqX9Syg52cyTOpvYVD-aOWpAzriihIq7bGKZH3WsvI_DORZXGyIW8uFIIFTN7XM5cc8mQf6hqDdoNdY/s2048/Visiting+Katie+in+the+hospital+-+Quarantine+Lie+2020.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8vqeMu9Ky95xU26IUG_ZH6UDW31UD9xGFtAjWftdp4m-cAWLI2GoiBSh8buzyqX9Syg52cyTOpvYVD-aOWpAzriihIq7bGKZH3WsvI_DORZXGyIW8uFIIFTN7XM5cc8mQf6hqDdoNdY/w300-h400/Visiting+Katie+in+the+hospital+-+Quarantine+Lie+2020.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So what is next to add to the list of things to stress out Dad. After leaving the hospital Katie was told due to Covid and budgetary issues she was being let go from her job. Perfect timing. Just what a person with a major medical diagnosis needs. No health insurance. Lots of prayers were said. That's one thing 2020 has done. It has increased my prayer life triple fold. And within a couple of weeks Katie was offered a temporary job in New Hampshire! The company provided her with a beautiful log cabin on isolated dirt road with a view of Mt Washington in her back yard. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUiKYVVbqCLHbAtZu6RZbNWJZBMKX1pXqOYsRLsGheEjakJl1ScB7eJ8C7Mum8_1W0SftS9IqQVYFAjaJroTt0H1FmyqTZUQUXkCH0fr7eOrZ3K-fGIJbVcxo2xQjOhaEijjmDDs7kWs/s2048/The+log+cabin+where+Katie+will+be+living+-+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUiKYVVbqCLHbAtZu6RZbNWJZBMKX1pXqOYsRLsGheEjakJl1ScB7eJ8C7Mum8_1W0SftS9IqQVYFAjaJroTt0H1FmyqTZUQUXkCH0fr7eOrZ3K-fGIJbVcxo2xQjOhaEijjmDDs7kWs/w400-h300/The+log+cabin+where+Katie+will+be+living+-+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8n5X3UxSdazjpsGuGI5elxd9B2X4PNrQ6NTHmiwD_hV1hxzB_I_CEkjkvVzljarHhsCBJuihLc0BxLV-BsLeiJeLeP_TZ76GbuK013e1OustfZB7XwxVf-XZDt1j7rVS0IuOnYDyDUU/s2048/Sunset+over+Mount+Washington+North+Carolina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8n5X3UxSdazjpsGuGI5elxd9B2X4PNrQ6NTHmiwD_hV1hxzB_I_CEkjkvVzljarHhsCBJuihLc0BxLV-BsLeiJeLeP_TZ76GbuK013e1OustfZB7XwxVf-XZDt1j7rVS0IuOnYDyDUU/w400-h300/Sunset+over+Mount+Washington+North+Carolina.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I was a bit concerned when she accepted the job. The idea of her just being diagnosed with Crohn's disease and moving to an isolated cabin on a dirt road in New Hampshire was definitely another item on the things to stress out Dad list. She had to drive up for an initial interview and introduction to the new company. I did not want her to drive from Baltimore to Lancaster, New Hampshire by herself so I drove up with her. We were booked into a resort that had been closed for twelve weeks. We were one of a handful of guests there for opening weekend. Other than one or two other people were were the only guests in a 180 room resort. I will say in the midst of a world wide pandemic with quarantining all around this was a wonderful escape for three days. <br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTpPMTTYh6koH7Gee-gHzovWb1WtyFIoU1Xeb46NAIefCxpvB7ixXMExctsMDzS1_p7tE-g4Zut4o4ccsvMw-GtS2R_ByhrYXXDEGf0q1i0jTl7xfQfztn4s542JryF-JMDz1b1aXH_E/s2048/Mountain+View+Grand+Resort+and+Spa+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="2048" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTpPMTTYh6koH7Gee-gHzovWb1WtyFIoU1Xeb46NAIefCxpvB7ixXMExctsMDzS1_p7tE-g4Zut4o4ccsvMw-GtS2R_ByhrYXXDEGf0q1i0jTl7xfQfztn4s542JryF-JMDz1b1aXH_E/w400-h291/Mountain+View+Grand+Resort+and+Spa+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to be trendy and follow the big fashion statement of 2020, a Covid beard. I had never grown a beard before and I have to admit I liked having one. I still have it to start out the new year 2021. Add this to the list of things to stress out your husband.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrqwmxx5U-A4R8UQJx32fHzt1kwIMaLeTSrSg5-rhDMEzs4Sw8rn-np8-jhkxmHuJ81CiXkV1lyWenGZ2DBRafD2tXFL7hmnIlroxpAplrtuS9xBbPj7HrKUMJCHOhp9i7ZiFXcaohGg/s2048/IMG_8805.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrqwmxx5U-A4R8UQJx32fHzt1kwIMaLeTSrSg5-rhDMEzs4Sw8rn-np8-jhkxmHuJ81CiXkV1lyWenGZ2DBRafD2tXFL7hmnIlroxpAplrtuS9xBbPj7HrKUMJCHOhp9i7ZiFXcaohGg/s320/IMG_8805.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div>We were able to visit Katie in New Hampshire later this summer and also spend a day in Boston with Danielle and Andrea. It was a bit tricky going to Boston. Massachusetts had a ban on visitors from Maryland due to Covid that came with a healthy fine if you tried to spend the night there. We did drive to Danielle's house and drove with her to see some of the sites in Boston but that was the best we could do under the circumstances. </div><div><br /></div><div>2020 continued to haunt us the rest of the year. Everyone has been affected by 2020 no matter who they are. It was no respecter of persons. I had friends who died. Friends who were very sick. And our beloved dog Delilah died this year. She was fourteen years old and had health issues. We did get to take her to New Hampshire before she died and she loved the cabin and the huge fields around it. She died November 8, 2020. We had a vet come to the house and we said our goodbyes on the back deck of our house. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTScRZsw7B_yGzoyBwE24p9YZp_igo-IRequnOAqsaCZwLuLbvce2d-U84iiG4eapq2_TSidw0Sdg237VYRtyygfwphf3gTeQby_QH9arRPTFM6qVwxEXm1z68A8EmlQifChamd4R7aDo/s2048/Delilah%2527s+last+days+-+we+miss+you+girl.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTScRZsw7B_yGzoyBwE24p9YZp_igo-IRequnOAqsaCZwLuLbvce2d-U84iiG4eapq2_TSidw0Sdg237VYRtyygfwphf3gTeQby_QH9arRPTFM6qVwxEXm1z68A8EmlQifChamd4R7aDo/w300-h400/Delilah%2527s+last+days+-+we+miss+you+girl.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>We were lost without her and knew we wanted another dog to fill the void as soon as possible. We found Tallulah just a few weeks later from a rescue site. We drove to central Pennsylvania to pick her and bring her home. <br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDaw6ffzlLGTlOqV_hTbR2fw4dcVOpaddMlClFxJRvDTaU3MYZoW2ciG9ypajF5DJCH0_H00bIaI83aWQM9X98FP68tvzRLYhl28C8z0U7HU9fblCBqnPjp_-5l41BHubQrhmvGk4mJE/s2048/Tallulah+givng+me+the+side+eye.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDaw6ffzlLGTlOqV_hTbR2fw4dcVOpaddMlClFxJRvDTaU3MYZoW2ciG9ypajF5DJCH0_H00bIaI83aWQM9X98FP68tvzRLYhl28C8z0U7HU9fblCBqnPjp_-5l41BHubQrhmvGk4mJE/s320/Tallulah+givng+me+the+side+eye.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div>But 2020 was not finished with our home yet. Two days before Christmas Tallulah darted out of our house and was hit by a car. We thought she was gone for good. Once again many prayers were said and out faith was tested but she survived. She had a dislodged shoulder and a multi fractured leg below the shoulder. There was concern this 18 month old pup would have to have her leg amputated. But as of New Years Day she is recuperating at home and her leg has been saved. We will have eight weeks of recovery and hopefully the leg will heal properly.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvv1fxSeyRC8AbeTlZ9Ee7tWyPvd_TJ6LpKcYH-LrzWaBrZr5x1Isef0bWb67QeJ2MryRB6to5_IWGf53f6A46E-rppou6kV8CLOxCC7FmYqQub5BYBSjHyRnp2pBaZV_9cOHoV4LXqw/s2048/365+Year+11+Photo+354+-+Larry+with+We+Can+Do+It+sign+in+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvv1fxSeyRC8AbeTlZ9Ee7tWyPvd_TJ6LpKcYH-LrzWaBrZr5x1Isef0bWb67QeJ2MryRB6to5_IWGf53f6A46E-rppou6kV8CLOxCC7FmYqQub5BYBSjHyRnp2pBaZV_9cOHoV4LXqw/s320/365+Year+11+Photo+354+-+Larry+with+We+Can+Do+It+sign+in+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br />As I said in the beginning "What A Long Strange Trip It's Been". 2020 is a year no one living now will ever forget. This truly has been one of the worst years of our lives. But my girls both have jobs. They both had adventures moving to New England during the pandemic. Mark's mother had Covid while in assisted living and recovered but sadly is fading from Alzheimer's every single day. Our dog survived. We have toilet paper. And as a family we all have each other. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeygbThQTDkUi0jmCPlu7U0qVvMThWGCuyPq1JalnOfhl3IrmkS6KJU5y68eCMMHbaig1lHTjByKmAgjOuJc9_IveGykCeT-rEOmAD_jV3X9ZXNAlczkeWDtZyV8wUifM-enrrKnPddEE/s1316/Larry+having+a+Pollyanna+moment+in+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeygbThQTDkUi0jmCPlu7U0qVvMThWGCuyPq1JalnOfhl3IrmkS6KJU5y68eCMMHbaig1lHTjByKmAgjOuJc9_IveGykCeT-rEOmAD_jV3X9ZXNAlczkeWDtZyV8wUifM-enrrKnPddEE/w195-h400/Larry+having+a+Pollyanna+moment+in+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="195" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>What is my final image of 2020? This about sums it up. A dirty mask left on a table in Littleton, New Hampshire. I'll this year here at the table. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg308k2Ypb39HTtz3necDVpEvb_4WhW2T-6jU8NDxKeMLEJ7Zp38rwGDPC_MwoRHQ1OVs1c5GJlru8qutdN8Xs_w719X26OtC1X-X-F6jYn8cBVMFt5DhLdAR07juOoXfJG4o1_-3J-3v0/s2048/Someone+left+their+mask+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg308k2Ypb39HTtz3necDVpEvb_4WhW2T-6jU8NDxKeMLEJ7Zp38rwGDPC_MwoRHQ1OVs1c5GJlru8qutdN8Xs_w719X26OtC1X-X-F6jYn8cBVMFt5DhLdAR07juOoXfJG4o1_-3J-3v0/w400-h300/Someone+left+their+mask+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-63729050412244993062020-09-04T14:42:00.052-04:002020-09-04T17:15:16.602-04:00Pollyanna Days in New Hampshire - Visiting Littleton and Meredith <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKgxdETve2ysPVEqAyhSmaqjkzxEtpFxUW8oLTGJBbHrJeq1aepPOej5l02z_HctEg7Vt2KqZts2qHwbIOek1yErXMwqk0y57pTX_bzLe2PwfUzHIr5AUNfu6p6QP9DPNqeArRUNMqO4/s2048/Pollyanna+memorial+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire+2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKgxdETve2ysPVEqAyhSmaqjkzxEtpFxUW8oLTGJBbHrJeq1aepPOej5l02z_HctEg7Vt2KqZts2qHwbIOek1yErXMwqk0y57pTX_bzLe2PwfUzHIr5AUNfu6p6QP9DPNqeArRUNMqO4/w400-h300/Pollyanna+memorial+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>I saw the movie Pollyanna starring Haley Mills at the movies in 1960. I was eight years old. I loved the movie and was so sad at the ending. SPOILER ALERT - The cheerful Pollyanna falls from a tree and can not walk at the end of the movie. Haley Mills starred as Pollyanna and won a special childrens Oscar for the movie. Pollyanna was always the optimist. Pollyanna had been taught by her father how to play the "glad game", in which the goal is to find something to be glad about whether it's a disappointing Christmas gift or a life long illness.</p><p>If any year needed a Pollyanna attitude it's been 2020. And little did I know at the beginning of this year that I would end up in Littleton, New Hampshire the home of the author of Pollyanna. Mark and I had big travel plans for 2020. We were planning a trip to Sweden in the spring to visit Mark's cousin. And hopefully a trip to New Castle, England for a meeting with our Virtual Tourist friends. And maybe even a fall trip back to our beloved Hawaii. Instead we were hit with Covid and quarantines. And then my daughter lost her job due to Covid budget contraints. And a few weeks she was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. So Pollyanna, where is the glad game in all of those? There was not a lot to be happy about presently. </p><p>Then the good news amidst the quarantine blues started to appear. My younger daughter who had also been unemployed for almost a year received a job offer in Boston. So she and her wife put their home on the market. Packed up their belongings, three dogs and three cats, and moved from Atlanta to Boston in the heart of the quarantine. About a month later my older daughter was offered a temporary job in New Hampshire. The company set her up in a fully furnished log cabin isolated on a dirt road in the northern New Hampshire town of Lancaster. The thought of her moving there for six month with the recent Crohns disease diagnosis certainly was not the part of any glad game for me. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhMJlI-XHSvnXVf9j-Oq2x8MOYeOdMHVrQxmznqRxHpjd5ynkuxXxhjcu5M-HQLEwESAd3GmbLuF9koRLVKkaznUIjvvpPydbmw9E11r6wrJhuVycxxpoItdx4kPZRyIqdKW-7IusQkE/s2048/Katie%2527s+cabin+in+New+Hampshire+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="2048" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhMJlI-XHSvnXVf9j-Oq2x8MOYeOdMHVrQxmznqRxHpjd5ynkuxXxhjcu5M-HQLEwESAd3GmbLuF9koRLVKkaznUIjvvpPydbmw9E11r6wrJhuVycxxpoItdx4kPZRyIqdKW-7IusQkE/w400-h293/Katie%2527s+cabin+in+New+Hampshire+%25282%2529.jpg" title="Katie's cabin" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I traveled to New Hampshire with Katie the last part of June for her job interview. I had only been to New Hampshire one time previously and that was almost ten years ago. Little did I know that this year I would end up in New Hampshire three times including the job interview trip. I also had no idea that Mark and I both would fall in love with New Hampshire. </p><p>We loved the cabin. It was large and accommodating. The views from the side porch were breath taking. We got watch the early morning sun rise over Mount Washington. And then in the evening we got to see the beautiful sunsets as well. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYao0H7d7CsoyHM4rqseqNOlyur09Q1e19CGH0hEwp3RxYjXio4ngpv3h9kh8AjwwyX4fzt5b8SSvNeJ0eR50K7yOYxVtKgLvo-XKkJKEqEvxWEg1fOVscJTKWIy8-YuTIvcF64iIHddw/s2048/First+sunset+at+the+cabin.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1441" data-original-width="2048" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYao0H7d7CsoyHM4rqseqNOlyur09Q1e19CGH0hEwp3RxYjXio4ngpv3h9kh8AjwwyX4fzt5b8SSvNeJ0eR50K7yOYxVtKgLvo-XKkJKEqEvxWEg1fOVscJTKWIy8-YuTIvcF64iIHddw/w400-h281/First+sunset+at+the+cabin.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>We got to visit two beautiful little towns on this trip. Littleton and Meredith, New Hampshire. Littleton calls itself "The Glad Town" because of it connection to the author of Pollyanna. And it truly is a glad town. There is a memorial to the character Pollyanna in front of the library. The crosswalks all have Pollyanna emblems painted on them. They instruct you to stop, look, and wave. . And the minute you step off the curb all the traffic stops for you and you really do feel like smiling and waving.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PwKoTGJHXzU4FNrv4uZeRNWRcVas6Hd0wJFYWeG10mkO2K3IXMLP6LqlFoJ2ZYYRJ1AWXDXesV2wjPAb4PLcofK2FfwnG0eGvE1OsHnEXGCUcuRteEQBd4xqL4-CkypsF6eg7ZysALA/s2048/Stop+Look+Wave+and+cross+the+street+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1477" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PwKoTGJHXzU4FNrv4uZeRNWRcVas6Hd0wJFYWeG10mkO2K3IXMLP6LqlFoJ2ZYYRJ1AWXDXesV2wjPAb4PLcofK2FfwnG0eGvE1OsHnEXGCUcuRteEQBd4xqL4-CkypsF6eg7ZysALA/w288-h400/Stop+Look+Wave+and+cross+the+street+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="288" /></a></div><br /><p>We took turns posing with the Pollyanna statue. It was a vacation after all and we were tourists kind of, although Katie is now a resident.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYi5v8iFm1NcpMKJQuV8scyeupODa3m46a5YIG_9Lu1jhuO5ZSmUHIisg1TTRoWoFO_ckLRFnM_LMhALiRpdWcQ8IN17NAobqZf_gFZB0nVlx-wHvCEWxNDILsLUg1sObraTvz2IROBU/s2048/Katie+with+Pollyanna+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1841" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYi5v8iFm1NcpMKJQuV8scyeupODa3m46a5YIG_9Lu1jhuO5ZSmUHIisg1TTRoWoFO_ckLRFnM_LMhALiRpdWcQ8IN17NAobqZf_gFZB0nVlx-wHvCEWxNDILsLUg1sObraTvz2IROBU/w400-h360/Katie+with+Pollyanna+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw-hPmPBnTZExSbTPmjK4Awn9qNhlu6cnnndAVycy971qBUGJZh1rULhtDQhvB2nDYrxf_vzhDcwTSMAjXMyXIP9L5OJPHp51QXByxlf1PYRPBQ31TyqANnST4qUaBoQimZEj3cxFFzw/s1316/Larry+with+Pollyanna+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1316" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw-hPmPBnTZExSbTPmjK4Awn9qNhlu6cnnndAVycy971qBUGJZh1rULhtDQhvB2nDYrxf_vzhDcwTSMAjXMyXIP9L5OJPHp51QXByxlf1PYRPBQ31TyqANnST4qUaBoQimZEj3cxFFzw/w400-h195/Larry+with+Pollyanna+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I was in such a Glad Game mood I even posed with the umbrella's at the Pollyanna Gateway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjg7m49gu4JNAj9LebGl0IaV_ew7Jl7eJ0LeyQA1zTnD4OcLmRm_zpcHM4xZyfszK3-QAfUi-BPlt_xIdaPpG7z2VPz7DayzJOPrccZAvd04DYxipSVXuc_OTR5S5rNULJAY70iDYE5GI/w195-h400/Larry+having+a+Pollyanna+moment+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire+2.JPG" width="195" /></div><br /><p>I visited Littleton on all three of my trips to New Hampshire this summer. Why three times to the same little town? Well other than it being the "glad city" it also has a brewery that I really liked a lot. Perhaps one of my favorites I have ever visited. It's the Shilling Brewery. It's located in an old mill sitting on a hill over the Connecticut River. Now here is a glad game face with one of their excellent beers.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRRuHmvgizXW7yA1GtVSjbTgFuhmcRp_mJ8a_nxP92UO03SjYpwYTi5csKKkmxSpJTvW1zlXeRahnhN5-Xic_WfSRLbORvABf6SQ3bP9wYuBiZwvyuEqhrCyB5Yl7rR8geSkenSEjv6w/s2048/365+Year+11+Photo+358+-+Larry+at+Schilling+Brewery+-+My+favorite+brewery+in+NH+-+Littleton+NH.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRRuHmvgizXW7yA1GtVSjbTgFuhmcRp_mJ8a_nxP92UO03SjYpwYTi5csKKkmxSpJTvW1zlXeRahnhN5-Xic_WfSRLbORvABf6SQ3bP9wYuBiZwvyuEqhrCyB5Yl7rR8geSkenSEjv6w/w300-h400/365+Year+11+Photo+358+-+Larry+at+Schilling+Brewery+-+My+favorite+brewery+in+NH+-+Littleton+NH.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5JFxpvkIZ7Dktl8O8UTEosCbCIDjYUSIn5wcKjkqddCymZZ2W2KpZgB8XIkMii2WOkWRg-MzgnJ6eJ3sggaKtUdZzIK76iWotH1GmecFDL_TtjX005fiVSC-5so_qfCxqZTaTDHRQ_Y/s320/Larry+enjoying+a+beer+at+Schilling+Brewery+in+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>They also had excellent wood fired pizza and one of the best pretzels anywhere.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zFFvtCvJDGdhJh-nf8bW8pIGlb4-3WtR9oYrkzH5rps6dVq98cw5K9U0Ny1Wfk_F2nhke_GvFYV9dE0nwl8S5A7J6nbiEmU2nxtwoUfm6mWwfUJ2CcgMPgd46bwAz296AFaBV2qW9Ic/s2048/Pretzel+or+bread.++Delicious+at+Schilling+Brewery+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zFFvtCvJDGdhJh-nf8bW8pIGlb4-3WtR9oYrkzH5rps6dVq98cw5K9U0Ny1Wfk_F2nhke_GvFYV9dE0nwl8S5A7J6nbiEmU2nxtwoUfm6mWwfUJ2CcgMPgd46bwAz296AFaBV2qW9Ic/w300-h400/Pretzel+or+bread.++Delicious+at+Schilling+Brewery+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir42jihWwMTAqyd1uCNHtv_PQxHvBeBA984ExeHK1LVoMF9oaiuZpZSqYiVvkj2DOH0hDIr2LzSqTrgLWeDXotPnsbI_QTSXlEZjjn9aQbTSLi_SD4fsbwkXEEXbwtEigDJxI-_mMlI24/s2048/Wood+fired+pizza+at+Schilling+Brewery+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir42jihWwMTAqyd1uCNHtv_PQxHvBeBA984ExeHK1LVoMF9oaiuZpZSqYiVvkj2DOH0hDIr2LzSqTrgLWeDXotPnsbI_QTSXlEZjjn9aQbTSLi_SD4fsbwkXEEXbwtEigDJxI-_mMlI24/w300-h400/Wood+fired+pizza+at+Schilling+Brewery+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>And there was plenty of out door seating for a safe and social distancing experience.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11ePJ0xooAdPc7aq8gwpIKQsF4qPRo5iu8yE-a-hoSNdGdJyvczDMOFKEzEgqnVUH9q6ONreiKlhvdOJErWJocMZqq4jAvfZEtiBxKGGA-c9KRESmGzFi9YeR73COmYDAW2Fuc66AkU4/s480/Schilling+Brewery+Littleton+New+Jersey+3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="480" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11ePJ0xooAdPc7aq8gwpIKQsF4qPRo5iu8yE-a-hoSNdGdJyvczDMOFKEzEgqnVUH9q6ONreiKlhvdOJErWJocMZqq4jAvfZEtiBxKGGA-c9KRESmGzFi9YeR73COmYDAW2Fuc66AkU4/w400-h194/Schilling+Brewery+Littleton+New+Jersey+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Littleton is large by northern New Hampshire standards but in reality it is only a town of 5,920 people. So it's truly a small town. But there is a lot to see and do there on a visit.</p><p>You can take a leisurely stroll along the Connecticut River.<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaAioCBx89LOlOXbBhhRV-qLjmI08hMlZCmQah32SMw5iH4GUY0pqRr0OSCqLy5wa-EzdzhpHI6b08SrAniYxr54tj5Gy6EVNRmW71afr1asZpHizFoABvMCtP80RHdDI5FEtaWVkWbU/s2048/From+the+covered+bridge+over+Connecticut+River+in+Littleton+New+Hampshire+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1492" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaAioCBx89LOlOXbBhhRV-qLjmI08hMlZCmQah32SMw5iH4GUY0pqRr0OSCqLy5wa-EzdzhpHI6b08SrAniYxr54tj5Gy6EVNRmW71afr1asZpHizFoABvMCtP80RHdDI5FEtaWVkWbU/w291-h400/From+the+covered+bridge+over+Connecticut+River+in+Littleton+New+Hampshire+1.JPG" width="291" /></a></div><br /><p>Take photos of the beautiful covered bridge.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVaFWVJiscazwwKq9tDpBHGqY75Qv4U7ifNbPF71eX3fym_CXucdu0XbY4jW4HtFaj1cSDnCkKfuG7v2kK26UJ3M4XvbDRpsiMy8wCsEXiSiPOUUVPGyhd-OPLhWUIXd0O-cwd7v8j6M/s2048/Covered+bridge+over+Connecticut+River+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire+10.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVaFWVJiscazwwKq9tDpBHGqY75Qv4U7ifNbPF71eX3fym_CXucdu0XbY4jW4HtFaj1cSDnCkKfuG7v2kK26UJ3M4XvbDRpsiMy8wCsEXiSiPOUUVPGyhd-OPLhWUIXd0O-cwd7v8j6M/w400-h300/Covered+bridge+over+Connecticut+River+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire+10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzm7fIRbueeaJoYV5nM850HgaOAnTWGItiwfkBLVko6Ii72_1PKazjz3nlnQiTc26Chga4vBncURn5FVyJn_b8snVOHvkLAedPaeBgFwQxlT-fN9X3RlfSAdYldIWyOOskihuTtE-JXg/s2048/Covered+bridge+over+Connecticut+River+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire+7.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzm7fIRbueeaJoYV5nM850HgaOAnTWGItiwfkBLVko6Ii72_1PKazjz3nlnQiTc26Chga4vBncURn5FVyJn_b8snVOHvkLAedPaeBgFwQxlT-fN9X3RlfSAdYldIWyOOskihuTtE-JXg/w400-h300/Covered+bridge+over+Connecticut+River+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire+7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>You can visit the Guiness Book of World Records longest candy counter at Chutters General Store.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXCjPsbrLozfamOx33yG_5tlkqao_lGUqGnARkPQiVN_MM6HHWG013k8mibbsxBKznyhT8tRELwhrM5AdznQqNHDFRzsGwrNNlgHQ5UzMHcrQ8JRh-j8feuXq1V9WzNdVKTgKSFyCzVI/s2048/Guiness+Book+of+Records+-+longest+candy+counter+-+Chutters+General+Store+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXCjPsbrLozfamOx33yG_5tlkqao_lGUqGnARkPQiVN_MM6HHWG013k8mibbsxBKznyhT8tRELwhrM5AdznQqNHDFRzsGwrNNlgHQ5UzMHcrQ8JRh-j8feuXq1V9WzNdVKTgKSFyCzVI/w400-h300/Guiness+Book+of+Records+-+longest+candy+counter+-+Chutters+General+Store+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Try some Poutine made from french fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. It tastes a lot better than it sounds.<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5r3kitdFiQnmd4Dd045AuaEOGgGYKpI7QdriE8NRMWa3BZ9z8Nk3hWxZmnuopt_owAbeMPuE1uP3McF04g02tQkbNKafb6gBwu0A1OIwbYzFomXZ5u1M6nqHIpXDkAnq8EkltpeX4KLk/s2048/Vulgar+Display+of+Poutine+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5r3kitdFiQnmd4Dd045AuaEOGgGYKpI7QdriE8NRMWa3BZ9z8Nk3hWxZmnuopt_owAbeMPuE1uP3McF04g02tQkbNKafb6gBwu0A1OIwbYzFomXZ5u1M6nqHIpXDkAnq8EkltpeX4KLk/w400-h300/Vulgar+Display+of+Poutine+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Or you can just be a nasty tourist and leave your Covid mask on a table for someone else to clean up for you. <br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51i042nYl6uqthqrObiCQ_wBv5V35qVtbJijnnx5Bq4q4TnQiGUBXsTUKy6v0dUO8hogdQfbKMOanWv2c9HMYpnQfyaDeTTj94vN60BR2lvVTFJgIMGWJ9phwJP6BiyQh-BUa6vMDJPc/s2048/Someone+left+their+mask+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51i042nYl6uqthqrObiCQ_wBv5V35qVtbJijnnx5Bq4q4TnQiGUBXsTUKy6v0dUO8hogdQfbKMOanWv2c9HMYpnQfyaDeTTj94vN60BR2lvVTFJgIMGWJ9phwJP6BiyQh-BUa6vMDJPc/w400-h300/Someone+left+their+mask+-+Littleton+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>If I returned to New Hampshire again any time soon I would go back to Littleton. I enjoyed it that much.</p><p><br /></p><p>I want to mention another small town in New Hampshire here also. Meredith, New Hampshire. It's about 45 miles south of Littleton. <br /><br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG61mw08q3DeywA25Rh8wVg-j8vMf52wNjPzOnq8ie9epmVkb34-UnrNJWUDnhr7epXhabtEJfqZfyvaJoB8f55mPeLOKDveywi4pHJgvFDhPcXalo2iKKZaOco4r6zid0aVVetzOr8YA/s618/data%253DjaTR86ghtFDwnFJ4Az6Iqw4LLqDehj5bNoNm9ectGlwGx3nCgmUqFcvRRqxROdNmM7bXuv35t5d08Xnf_-2pyJ8ikhtu6r3dNWX_ELVDnbRvf3mhMHl35DNEcr6E7hSvVpWgDnDyKnf9KSc0H_HUjHuerog7yALgKxCPs-yeiV_ZQT1VBx88oGteChMK%252C8i5pNTRI7m_zIoffNvR6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="618" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG61mw08q3DeywA25Rh8wVg-j8vMf52wNjPzOnq8ie9epmVkb34-UnrNJWUDnhr7epXhabtEJfqZfyvaJoB8f55mPeLOKDveywi4pHJgvFDhPcXalo2iKKZaOco4r6zid0aVVetzOr8YA/w400-h129/data%253DjaTR86ghtFDwnFJ4Az6Iqw4LLqDehj5bNoNm9ectGlwGx3nCgmUqFcvRRqxROdNmM7bXuv35t5d08Xnf_-2pyJ8ikhtu6r3dNWX_ELVDnbRvf3mhMHl35DNEcr6E7hSvVpWgDnDyKnf9KSc0H_HUjHuerog7yALgKxCPs-yeiV_ZQT1VBx88oGteChMK%252C8i5pNTRI7m_zIoffNvR6.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Meredith is a small resort town. It's a little larger than Littleton with a population of 6,241. It is located in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire on Lake Winnipesaukee. I mention it along with Littleton because it is the home to another fictional hero of mine. The author of the Archie comic books lived in Meredith, New Hampshire. And there is a statue to commemorate Archie in the town square. We saw this online and I said I have to go see this. I loved the Archie comics as a preteen. The statue of Archie sets on bench staring across the street to the work shop where he was created.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTRkIuVuZ0rxST7Dtb3W6ZXWK7WJR3OQm5b26FnBAmZ8E3HgWBg_cSUn9CODkWfnlDgPtgWP4jzsaFcidhRdW7AFfPDDV3xU6PsqgPgdNPoH26IMsTX45-kNXZKbq5om-ZXcaNEmB5Mw/s2048/Archie+Memorial+-+Meredith+NH.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="2048" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTRkIuVuZ0rxST7Dtb3W6ZXWK7WJR3OQm5b26FnBAmZ8E3HgWBg_cSUn9CODkWfnlDgPtgWP4jzsaFcidhRdW7AFfPDDV3xU6PsqgPgdNPoH26IMsTX45-kNXZKbq5om-ZXcaNEmB5Mw/w400-h234/Archie+Memorial+-+Meredith+NH.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2m4g338lqgDoHenvymO4N8d5c5NsMtV8PywvRHTM-jdM3tSweaygO0G3247j81PS0HjhuVmuhbXHU2WaqMKpIHIMh6KIcgf_yUSZT_poYnkB9_xETLWd91i2iGTilEVb4gzbQHvtYCw/s2048/Archie+Memorial+-+Meredith+NH+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2m4g338lqgDoHenvymO4N8d5c5NsMtV8PywvRHTM-jdM3tSweaygO0G3247j81PS0HjhuVmuhbXHU2WaqMKpIHIMh6KIcgf_yUSZT_poYnkB9_xETLWd91i2iGTilEVb4gzbQHvtYCw/w400-h300/Archie+Memorial+-+Meredith+NH+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rnJOwurJOl_Es-Xy5uJjXiLoZVN74u01NLXG_K8NNkd86nLkYU0C17Iq97rKpB_CGrmaJA2cPRv3fYMhd2IMRnB-PTcOKh3fAOhmIZL60DI-6FmsgJ7hhr6-DeXqbV9F9k4KbVjJGhA/s2048/Archie+Memorial+-+Meredith+NH+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1563" data-original-width="2048" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rnJOwurJOl_Es-Xy5uJjXiLoZVN74u01NLXG_K8NNkd86nLkYU0C17Iq97rKpB_CGrmaJA2cPRv3fYMhd2IMRnB-PTcOKh3fAOhmIZL60DI-6FmsgJ7hhr6-DeXqbV9F9k4KbVjJGhA/w400-h305/Archie+Memorial+-+Meredith+NH+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The lake area is beautiful. There are several bars, restaurants and hotels in Meredith. We were there on a warm sunny day and the lake front was crowded. For social distancing precautions we did not visit any of the bars or restaurants while there. But I would like to return and check some out after we are over this Covid mess. <div><br /></div><div>There are some fun sculptures along the water front also.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKAFsMvkYlpWN_QIUIntVrIV2xLyZpHdOh_3q6-A0_igEbIRBHLBh04uXjKIrQTCKM8iFxtz06quDUvVOguMJBd8QHTQqJGNK7Q14sPxm04uuLB2aCfZn-pAiiE3N_SE7hpc6I6J16wQ/s879/What+a+long+strange+trip+it%2527s+been+-+Meredith+NH+-+Mark+and+Larry.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="638" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKAFsMvkYlpWN_QIUIntVrIV2xLyZpHdOh_3q6-A0_igEbIRBHLBh04uXjKIrQTCKM8iFxtz06quDUvVOguMJBd8QHTQqJGNK7Q14sPxm04uuLB2aCfZn-pAiiE3N_SE7hpc6I6J16wQ/w290-h400/What+a+long+strange+trip+it%2527s+been+-+Meredith+NH+-+Mark+and+Larry.JPG" width="290" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGVwfKbK3wyB2dZX2RpbjaKiLWPpoQG-5Q-VC9uA52Vul04xK374qMsA3dIbpkqdytDPmgMSCPDwzaVAHgFjFKe1vORZvhgSQq-xCJV0aN0v3ZYZnQgljZrpOkWRqpJZBq3dQZeSozi8/s2048/Dog+sculpture+-+Meredith+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGVwfKbK3wyB2dZX2RpbjaKiLWPpoQG-5Q-VC9uA52Vul04xK374qMsA3dIbpkqdytDPmgMSCPDwzaVAHgFjFKe1vORZvhgSQq-xCJV0aN0v3ZYZnQgljZrpOkWRqpJZBq3dQZeSozi8/w400-h300/Dog+sculpture+-+Meredith+New+Hampshire.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd271MvTf2QrzqFLKEkyUIQNRgvL36NwE_ehLjBYmfNIEjMONix2ZJxoJXZkDDr8oUwMnL059Vfg8d_LEZBPSMsbwGCALKIP2F3z3V8T6GhfdTDiAjsC68GBh7Fb2Whv370hjF0TJJ1ws/s1316/Larry+with+Archie+-+Meredith+NH.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd271MvTf2QrzqFLKEkyUIQNRgvL36NwE_ehLjBYmfNIEjMONix2ZJxoJXZkDDr8oUwMnL059Vfg8d_LEZBPSMsbwGCALKIP2F3z3V8T6GhfdTDiAjsC68GBh7Fb2Whv370hjF0TJJ1ws/w195-h400/Larry+with+Archie+-+Meredith+NH.JPG" width="195" /></a></div><br /><div>I will be writing more about our time in New Hampshire. I never thought of it as a vacation destination. But Covid and Pollyanna's Glad Game changed my opinion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here I am back at home. Writing my blog and wearing my Pollyanna Glad Game tee shirt for inspiration. Take that Covid. <br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0qraM7-BvzWE-EDQEMEkEdJKwBSVCoB3uqCma80lkX6oE5Rln1h2P9SQOZ3vr5zJFfsmKOB7yDp-iZSSSmt16aY6bedAw1YEGetxV9suAnYcqsQr8VJq01nl1nDKK_C9mzGrRIzTdfs/s2048/50304940328_1a107ef504_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0qraM7-BvzWE-EDQEMEkEdJKwBSVCoB3uqCma80lkX6oE5Rln1h2P9SQOZ3vr5zJFfsmKOB7yDp-iZSSSmt16aY6bedAw1YEGetxV9suAnYcqsQr8VJq01nl1nDKK_C9mzGrRIzTdfs/s320/50304940328_1a107ef504_o.jpg" /></a></div><br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com073 Province Rd, Barrington, NH 03825, USA43.1991357 -70.991527929.030336599819492 -88.5696529 57.367934800180507 -53.413402899999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-56929582135233052712020-06-25T20:35:00.001-04:002021-01-12T22:00:52.623-05:00All Alone - Visiting A Resort During A Pandemic<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgR9FoDVouwObPh22mr2WB9djDQX_H4GC9oVh-eWTUWeKgagUuB_SmzVp6XWf8ulCdFEW-3cbZhYHPferU-PhdzhXgHaFQLeFYuIT9eGtR2EdGkzEkPUnNoGdVPF2UjKHzktXB4HvLrw/s4558/Montain++View+Grand+Resort+and+Spa+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire+-+June+2020.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3390" data-original-width="4558" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgR9FoDVouwObPh22mr2WB9djDQX_H4GC9oVh-eWTUWeKgagUuB_SmzVp6XWf8ulCdFEW-3cbZhYHPferU-PhdzhXgHaFQLeFYuIT9eGtR2EdGkzEkPUnNoGdVPF2UjKHzktXB4HvLrw/w400-h297/Montain++View+Grand+Resort+and+Spa+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire+-+June+2020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't normally visit large expensive resorts. An all inclusive resort in the Caribbean would be my worst nightmare vacation. Recently I did visit a very beautiful resort and spa in New Hampshire. And it was not a nightmare. Of course there was no one else there but me. So that made it easier for me to enjoy. My daughter had a job interview in Lancaster, New Hampshire the first weekend in June this year. Of course this was in the midst of quarantines and lock downs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resort had been closed for eleven weeks. They reopened on Friday June 5, 2020. We arrived on Sunday June 7. It was interesting to see a big resort like this with no one else there. I did see three or four people in passing. But for the most part the halls were empty. The ballrooms were vacant. The bars were closed. And there we three very friendly staff members that I interacted with during my stay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The hotel was massive. It has 150 rooms. The have a full menu of services available for the guests. I was at the hotel for two full days while my daughter was interviewing for the job. She took the car each day into the tiny town of Lancaster, New Hampshire and I stayed behind at the hotel. I had planned to bring my lap tap with me. I was going to relax at the hotel and work on editing my travel photos. I figued a glass of wine from the bar or on the patio with my lap top in front of me would be perfect. When we arrived I realized I had left my lap top packed up in its travel case back at home. And then I found out the bar would not be open and there was no alcohol being served on the patio or any where else in the hotel. New Hampshire only had restaurants and bars opened if they had outside seating. So I had lunch on the patio deck each day but no wine or beer to relax me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKn_yn3M2XKLKp7YtdRAZLo1Aq-xVkhhZrbQlqMaINPfqR1-nJcH1SvWhRNuR1E5BW41QKrd2UzExVYnrEzXZ0CJx_KFXnamW38GPHPgGjtbByzjpEwjvC90PMEqsJgHyCc9u1qHmgEQ0/s4032/Lunch+View+first+day+at+hotel+.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKn_yn3M2XKLKp7YtdRAZLo1Aq-xVkhhZrbQlqMaINPfqR1-nJcH1SvWhRNuR1E5BW41QKrd2UzExVYnrEzXZ0CJx_KFXnamW38GPHPgGjtbByzjpEwjvC90PMEqsJgHyCc9u1qHmgEQ0/s320/Lunch+View+first+day+at+hotel+.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That is my lunch view. Some water, a menu and a table with beautiful mountains in the background. It was a bit odd. I was the only person at the hotel other than one or two other guests. I asked the lady at the desk about lunch. She told me I would need to make a reservation each day for lunch. I looked at her with a grin and kind of looked over my shoulder to make sure there was no one else in line for reservations. So I asked to make a reservation. She asked me what time. It was 11:45 am. I looked at my watch and asked "Is 12:00 alright." And I am not exaggerating here. She pulled her little electronic tablet out of the drawer and checked the calendar. She keyed me in for 12:00. She then told me to come down to the lobby a few minutes before 12:00 and some one would come to seat me in the porch dining area. By this time it was already 11:50 so I just walked over and sat on one of the large couches in the lobby and waited to be called for seating.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fe_y7RHRYTKErI56XtlFfa5r7hiyjX86mJYbuuNZJhdvK4CTlSST7KZLoMVphiB_7fnidsVSBk1PRG7UDOHTbeg5S-lDtg9HXm341hXEgR73pD4qy3YFVVie66e6eBf54NvPn578w0g/s3088/Wearing+my+mask+in+the+hotel+lobby+waiting+to+be+called+for+lunch.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fe_y7RHRYTKErI56XtlFfa5r7hiyjX86mJYbuuNZJhdvK4CTlSST7KZLoMVphiB_7fnidsVSBk1PRG7UDOHTbeg5S-lDtg9HXm341hXEgR73pD4qy3YFVVie66e6eBf54NvPn578w0g/s320/Wearing+my+mask+in+the+hotel+lobby+waiting+to+be+called+for+lunch.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>So there I sat with my mask, which was required in any public area of the hotel, waiting for someone to call me for lunch. And magically at precisely 12:00 a lady appeared from the porch area and called my name. I was the only person in the lobby. But I guess she wanted to make sure I was indeed the person waiting for lunch. I turned my head around and she asked me, "Are you Larry?" I assured her I was Larry and we walked out to the porch together. I looked around. There were several tables on the terrace all empty. She asked if I had a preference. I said no so she looked at all of the tables and pointed to one and asked if that was alright. She then looked around They were not using individual menus and I had to use my cell phone and focus on the link provided at the table to see the menu. She brought me a bottle of water and left me to read the menu on my phone. I did understand that the kitchen was not fully stocked yet and the menu was not full of choices. They had sandwiches for the most part and a pizza. I opted for the cheeseburger platter and had an enjoyable lunch. I took photos of my food and chatted on Facebook while I was eating. There wasn't much else to do. <div><br /></div><div>After lunch I needed to find something to do to entertain myself. The hotel normally has a full selection of services for the guests. They have a spa in the tower room which looked beautiful in the photos. They also have an in ground pool and a huge golf course. The spa and the pool were both victims of the COVID-19 closing and were not open for guests. There was a large golf course which surrounded the hotel. It was open I was told. But I am not a golfer so I did not really care one way or the other about the golf course I did look at it though and the grounds were beautiful</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZJ9y3EY0jAJXhJaK5KitqIZXDE0TDhXJOQL4OoqjwYl3KQJ5bSZziAh0C7bcuJG_w1mkidrMILh0QtQ8gc7lzfOIIA2Xlk4Jt1ZjZdu3ySg_bn24jUk-jOWrsO5TI029_a8nOBkptWM/s4032/Looking+across+the+empty+golf+course+towards+the+mountains+-+June+2020.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZJ9y3EY0jAJXhJaK5KitqIZXDE0TDhXJOQL4OoqjwYl3KQJ5bSZziAh0C7bcuJG_w1mkidrMILh0QtQ8gc7lzfOIIA2Xlk4Jt1ZjZdu3ySg_bn24jUk-jOWrsO5TI029_a8nOBkptWM/s320/Looking+across+the+empty+golf+course+towards+the+mountains+-+June+2020.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But like everything else at the hotel, there was no one there to play golf. So I could not even go outside and watch a brisk game of golf being played. They did have two services available for guests. And they were not exactly what I was expecting. There is a large llama farm attached to the hotel where you can visit the llamas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38JzMKSR-uyT-iz0zskQ9F2A6qiGKjJkce0_hVTrbkhWWlgc_kGOg_WviHbjX6tlKdTSwHRyBDj9yJ-xuV0SY3vEqw24ZfHc0iy5KUu-WwEv1_U9Ih3e2B7BgtkvIZyf-pXnS4NXIs1o/s4032/Llama+grazing+in+the+first+at+hotel+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38JzMKSR-uyT-iz0zskQ9F2A6qiGKjJkce0_hVTrbkhWWlgc_kGOg_WviHbjX6tlKdTSwHRyBDj9yJ-xuV0SY3vEqw24ZfHc0iy5KUu-WwEv1_U9Ih3e2B7BgtkvIZyf-pXnS4NXIs1o/s320/Llama+grazing+in+the+first+at+hotel+1.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were quite a few llamas to go look at. I had seen llamas in the wild when I was hiking in Peru once. But I had not been to an actual llama farm. So I took a walk to the back part of the property to go visit the llamas. They mostly ignored me. I did whistle and got the attention of the one pictured above. He looked at me. I snapped the photo. And that was the end of our interaction. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctjwWwsyaTm2Mimr-oIkggr94o4JfYl6sW7UnnwMNNj7r8YBjymuqkPMfbfMV9MqaKfT6Wp1LfIgQhO82Su6Shr-hXh8iQIR0-xTlBNGZZhdmfLagguXN-sFR76rKsKOlzXANb5VV5fg/s3088/365+Year+11+Photo+304+-+Larry+saying+goodbye+to+the+llamas.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctjwWwsyaTm2Mimr-oIkggr94o4JfYl6sW7UnnwMNNj7r8YBjymuqkPMfbfMV9MqaKfT6Wp1LfIgQhO82Su6Shr-hXh8iQIR0-xTlBNGZZhdmfLagguXN-sFR76rKsKOlzXANb5VV5fg/s320/365+Year+11+Photo+304+-+Larry+saying+goodbye+to+the+llamas.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I tried to get a selfie with llama looking over my shoulder but he chose to ignore me and went back to grazing. I think he was as bored as I was at this point. The hotel did have one other service available at this time. COVID-19 was not interfering with everything. Every morning between 9:45 and 11:00 am the hotel offered axe throwing. Yes, you read that correct. There was no pool open, no spa to use, and no bar for a drink. But you could go throw axes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3U7uA0CUeQsDbzaM7c6RwfAETnANAhJwHeOcpGucecSnqhgJ-sECPKq-HlBXzb4zCVjmVXD-POe4SlCKiGnrBIurzs_YW5romjxV8p2ShAm3xY8GHCB1lulwk-9uXx1Z44Qzu_hI5gOY/s2971/Activities+at+the+hotel+-+Axe+throwing.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2026" data-original-width="2971" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3U7uA0CUeQsDbzaM7c6RwfAETnANAhJwHeOcpGucecSnqhgJ-sECPKq-HlBXzb4zCVjmVXD-POe4SlCKiGnrBIurzs_YW5romjxV8p2ShAm3xY8GHCB1lulwk-9uXx1Z44Qzu_hI5gOY/s320/Activities+at+the+hotel+-+Axe+throwing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took a photo of the TV screen where it explained about the axe throwing This was advertised as Adult Axe Throwing. I was glad to hear this. I certainly would not want to see child or family axe.throwing. I was a bit confused by the image on the TV screen though. It appears the two ladies are getting ready to battle with axes much to the amusement of the man standing behind them. My only thought was if there were people here I could go watch this and maybe start looking for Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote in the episode The Missing Axe. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit_G1B3ac9zbX03kBu669vQi3c5VqJUAmSK9qnDn3kvJS-51U3CQmDg9-d4czEvhlEfNQxhNQLBf02ZNpylEXXUAyFhZLeE0_BOeEPm6M1v0subfuhvGX5mNVf0qLE4SWSH8t5J5FALU/s4032/The+Mountains+Call+And+I+Must+Go+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit_G1B3ac9zbX03kBu669vQi3c5VqJUAmSK9qnDn3kvJS-51U3CQmDg9-d4czEvhlEfNQxhNQLBf02ZNpylEXXUAyFhZLeE0_BOeEPm6M1v0subfuhvGX5mNVf0qLE4SWSH8t5J5FALU/s320/The+Mountains+Call+And+I+Must+Go+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did do some hiking on the back roads while I was here. The scenery was beautiful. My only concern was all of the signs warning me to wear repellent and to be sure to check for ticks after hiking. I had not prepared for this and doubted they had tick repellent at the hotel. So I mainly walked down old roads and took photos. I did not really adventure out into the wooded areas. There were also warning signs about moose and I had no idea how to deal with a wild moose. The only moose I was ever familiar with was Bullwinkle J. Moose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp_2Y0ISwmRg395VYazC6FhadXpsgD61g9JE_Z6oWoXakDQedfCWMtHJnX1-OgVCEFXLFsVOIxsfy4oe2Jya4MEUPxGAAWh62iXO0xdij7g1luudQpjcjtVOvx78ZCfTCtU8wFZS3C34/s389/Bullwinkle2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp_2Y0ISwmRg395VYazC6FhadXpsgD61g9JE_Z6oWoXakDQedfCWMtHJnX1-OgVCEFXLFsVOIxsfy4oe2Jya4MEUPxGAAWh62iXO0xdij7g1luudQpjcjtVOvx78ZCfTCtU8wFZS3C34/s320/Bullwinkle2.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was fun though. I've never had a huge resort all to myself before. The room was beautiful. I really had nothing to complain about with the hotel or the staff. They could not have been nicer. And they seemed really happy to be back at work and having a guest again, even if it was only me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYhf0xvuWe5iJPmZmvxfKlN3qze5FlhZZS3wAbaBA57pS9jqRqkTi8KbnE_-CZvNs0MMC3Qs_o53-NWbX_IvExtloEbouPVwqRMfqYZoCR-Or_jfsJLzatzZfjlF_HCEDbkWq7P3d4Sg/s4032/Our+room+-+Mountain+View+Grand+Resort+and+Spa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYhf0xvuWe5iJPmZmvxfKlN3qze5FlhZZS3wAbaBA57pS9jqRqkTi8KbnE_-CZvNs0MMC3Qs_o53-NWbX_IvExtloEbouPVwqRMfqYZoCR-Or_jfsJLzatzZfjlF_HCEDbkWq7P3d4Sg/s320/Our+room+-+Mountain+View+Grand+Resort+and+Spa.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I will admit thought that the empty hallways did get a little creepy in such a big hotel. At times I did think of Jack Nicholson in the movie The Shining. If I had seen two little creepy twin girls in the hallway I would have run as fast as I could out of there. Of course a lone old man in an empty hallway wearing a mask is kind of creepy in itself.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtyg9k_C8eu6zhNTFXQUQBzDhQ0WBgXDM0oBfa2dLwBr-ljZVQJK5RL2GPhFPxxnznvybwdqUa1F8l_uExB_Kyi-CCpPJ9QrzO361Yt0OrMoD53kvSzklh_gSvWgqbHuihVkrHedxbEo/s3088/Larry+with+very+long+hotel+hallway+behind+hime+-+June+2020.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtyg9k_C8eu6zhNTFXQUQBzDhQ0WBgXDM0oBfa2dLwBr-ljZVQJK5RL2GPhFPxxnznvybwdqUa1F8l_uExB_Kyi-CCpPJ9QrzO361Yt0OrMoD53kvSzklh_gSvWgqbHuihVkrHedxbEo/s320/Larry+with+very+long+hotel+hallway+behind+hime+-+June+2020.JPG" /></a></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-88016834053467054802020-06-13T11:28:00.003-04:002021-01-12T22:07:43.488-05:00The Mountains Are Calling - Travel in 2020<br /><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v69zEGw7YDL-IZ3e2LcGDuh8fmyIhu4M0lXLj75tyo60t38_7qf4eS1VPdX2PS-kV_LH-gOtLAWfcnRuejIimUBRsak2uqD7IjVEBky6cxDKeraowvEl_fjWC56DxqJsBgtH1ovY0Uk/s3088/365+Year+11+Photo+298+-+Larry+-+The+Mountains+Are+Calling+And+I+Must+Go+to+New+Hampsire.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Mountains Are Calling and I Must Gp" border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v69zEGw7YDL-IZ3e2LcGDuh8fmyIhu4M0lXLj75tyo60t38_7qf4eS1VPdX2PS-kV_LH-gOtLAWfcnRuejIimUBRsak2uqD7IjVEBky6cxDKeraowvEl_fjWC56DxqJsBgtH1ovY0Uk/w240-h320/365+Year+11+Photo+298+-+Larry+-+The+Mountains+Are+Calling+And+I+Must+Go+to+New+Hampsire.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did not think I would be traveling this year. We have been under quarantine for three months. We had cancelled a planned trip to Sweden for June. We had grown content staying at home. No complaints. We had our masks for when we ventured out locally. All was good even in trying times like these. Then fate stepped in. My younger daughter had gone through a period of unemployment. She lived in Atlanta and had been offered a job in Boston. So she ended up moving in April from Atlanta to Boston and was driving all that distance in the midst of the the quarantine My older daughter ended up in the hospital in May for a week. And when she returned home to recuperate she was informed her company was going through a COVID caused reduction in force and she no longer had a job. So I had a lot more on my mind than just a pandemic and no masks could cover my anxiety. I was escaping a lot of this by looking at my photos and at Facebook pages related to Switzerland. Switzerland is one of my favorite travel destinations. The mountains calm me and bring me peace. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first week in June my oldest daughter Katie received an offer for a contracting job in New Hampshire. She had only been unemployed for two weeks so this was a God send. The company interviewed her over the internet. They liked her and thought she would be a good match for their company but they wanted to meet her in person first. This was completely understandable. So she planned her drive from Baltimore to Lancaster, New Hampshire. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgFpyhQJ_F7OMORV2V5ASFiGE10ZEBheLxTbPMjCyCPaTmVtINJwD3ap8tXh4aAXHuQVJSFl68EMJ0tbbaYnk03Vo5BOg9RE_tXB5nNIhvv8vG3MotNUHCylCB_2wYZRcO1cSoD7NZnA/s264/lancaster_nh.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgFpyhQJ_F7OMORV2V5ASFiGE10ZEBheLxTbPMjCyCPaTmVtINJwD3ap8tXh4aAXHuQVJSFl68EMJ0tbbaYnk03Vo5BOg9RE_tXB5nNIhvv8vG3MotNUHCylCB_2wYZRcO1cSoD7NZnA/" /></a></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Lancaster was not only in New Hampshire. But it was high north New Hampshire. This would mean at least an eight or nine hour drive from Baltimore. Not wanting to see her drive all that distance alone I offered to go with her. She happily agreed this would be best. So it wasn't Switzerland, but the mountains were calling and I must go. During our quarantine Katie sent me a few surprise gifts from Amazon to lift my spirits. The cup in the photo at the beginning of this blog was one of those gifts. The cup was imprinted with the words The Mountains Are Calling and I Must Go. So it does seem like fate was playing a game with us all and all things were working for the best.</p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Travel during a pandemic is different. I expected it to be different. I wasn't packing passports, power adapters, or language guides. I was packing masks, rubber gloves and hand sanitizer. Food was also an issue. It was a double problem. Katie was on a restricted diet from her hospital stay. And there was no place open for food other than fast food drive throughs and order in advance carry out. Luckily we were able to stop in Boston to visit my younger daughter Danielle and she prepared lunch for us. She was trying to prepare something for us that would be ready when we arrived so we could eat, visit and then hit the road again. But this was not easy. We had a major hiccup on the road. We were dependent on a maps app that streamed from the phone into the car through blu ray. We stopped at a rest stop where we gloved and masked up for a break. When we restarted the car the phone app for the map started an automatic update and we had no map for a few miles. When we finally had map service again we had missed a major exit making us arrive in Boston two hours later than planned. We had to text Danielle updates on our location so she could make sure not to cook too early or too late. It all worked out. We arrived two hours late and stayed longer than we had planned but it was all good. We would just arrive a little later in New Hampshire. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also luckily had Mark at home giving us guidance. Mark is a map guru. I hate maps. Mark loves maps and studies them. When he and I travel he will have the trip all worked out in his head from the maps he studies at home. He then hands me the atlas, points me to the page, and asks me to watch for exits. I then get confused, read the map wrong, and end up having no idea where we are located. Mark was texting us helpful directions while we had the phone app updating. He mentioned to watch for the Tappan Zee Bridge near Tarrytown, New York several times. Once again I am useless with directions and maps and now apparently useless looking for bridges also. I never saw the Tappan Zee bridge. <br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQ-uoJT1lV-cn_uK50VR2oQYai5lgeiMIet1g-Qo_WgpjaXUVnylxs4RwlotsdZUeD51uJKsZfM4D3wmo2iFGo7wvyFqNpa3W7FztvOCYno7f3Mqs8yJj8wltivmJpA7XZdjDjw2HSRk/s4032/Crossing+the+Governor+Mario+M.+Cuomo+Bridge+Tarrtown+New+York+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQ-uoJT1lV-cn_uK50VR2oQYai5lgeiMIet1g-Qo_WgpjaXUVnylxs4RwlotsdZUeD51uJKsZfM4D3wmo2iFGo7wvyFqNpa3W7FztvOCYno7f3Mqs8yJj8wltivmJpA7XZdjDjw2HSRk/w300-h400/Crossing+the+Governor+Mario+M.+Cuomo+Bridge+Tarrtown+New+York+1.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A while later Mark calls me on the phone and asks if we ever crossed the bridge. I said no. I never saw the bridge. But we were now past Tarrytown, New York and back on our way. He said then you had to have crossed the Tappan Zee River. I said no. There was no sign for the Tappan Zee River or Bridge. But we did cross a beautiful bridge about twenty minutes ago. It was the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. It appears that Cuomo is the name for the Tappan Zee Bridge. Yes once again the map guru was right and I was not. Even when we aren't traveling together we still get into arguments over maps it seems. <br /><br />Driving through New York State we saw signs of locations that immediately hit me with nostalgic memories. We passed New Rochelle which immediately reminded me of the home of Rob and Laura Petry on the old Dick Van Dyke Show. Then we passed Brewester, New York which gave me my best memory. I said to Katie we should stop in Brewester to dine at Lou Marie's French Restaurant. Katie glanced over at me kind of puzzled wondering where that came from. I told her he was Ann Marie's father. She was still a bit confused. Then I explained it was That Girl which she knows is one of my favorites.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAauItHfk10g931g5-zn-SSodBnpOp1MQqxDMHZQbO3K4Yktzvu0jxTn43AcOgylvHGP7fsiKWNZ5leoSZvbVQjDCBq9RWwLeVF9PGoVmvGdw5Dqe_3iaiooAx8nf7SZxyr2FA2ZCG4w/s4032/IMG_5002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAauItHfk10g931g5-zn-SSodBnpOp1MQqxDMHZQbO3K4Yktzvu0jxTn43AcOgylvHGP7fsiKWNZ5leoSZvbVQjDCBq9RWwLeVF9PGoVmvGdw5Dqe_3iaiooAx8nf7SZxyr2FA2ZCG4w/s320/IMG_5002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was on to Massachusettes to see Danielle and Andrea. We had not been to see them in Atlanta for at least a year so we were excited to see them now in Boston and to have a quick visit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After spending an extra hour with Danielle we finally left to continue on to Lancaster, New Hampshire. We had originally planned to arrive around eight o"clock but by now we were three hours behind schedule. We arrived at the Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa at eleven o'clock that evening. It was very dark on the back roads in New Hampshire with no kind of street lights. Katie mentioned she was glad I was with her on these dark roads. It would not have been fun navigating them alone. We finally found the hotel on a very deserted dark road. The hotel was immense. It is a 300 room resort. The hotel had been closed for eleven weeks due to COVID quarantine rules in New Hampshire. The had just reopened two days before our arrival. There were only two or three other cars in the parking lot when we arrived. We found they belonged to the staff and that we were the two of very few guests actually at the hotel. We had to wear our masks in the hotel lobby while checking in. The lady at the front desk said she thought we might have cancelled due to our late arrival. But she was very pleasant and told us she was glad to be back at work again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbSawXCm5inUKVpPTWxx3GJA9j0r9MyLG10ggXbGceDx11nfaDEe8ZPIt4KN0wGkS5OwZTQ3LKeN1M-_BPDSvvtID7zraU47uMeoWMhX_zQOGPzvZETeB0Ve2gblmvmxX_JOFasWxuso/s4558/Montain++View+Grand+Resort+and+Spa+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire+-+June+2020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3390" data-original-width="4558" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbSawXCm5inUKVpPTWxx3GJA9j0r9MyLG10ggXbGceDx11nfaDEe8ZPIt4KN0wGkS5OwZTQ3LKeN1M-_BPDSvvtID7zraU47uMeoWMhX_zQOGPzvZETeB0Ve2gblmvmxX_JOFasWxuso/w400-h297/Montain++View+Grand+Resort+and+Spa+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire+-+June+2020.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div>While in New Hampshire I spent my time walking and hiking the small roads and trails near the hotel while Katie was interviewing for the job opportunity. I saw signs warning of moose crossing. Although it would have been exciting I did not see any moose. I did see some deer along the road. And some wild turkeys on the farm at the hotel. We were told to watch for moose on the roads at night. It was difficult to see them in the dark. The same for deer. And to our surprise we were told to watch for wild turkeys also. We were told hitting a turkey could total you car as well as a moose or deer. Who knew?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our return trip home was not very different from our drive up. We missed one of our exits on the interstate and decided to back track to find the exit rather than continue to drive out of our way. Food was still an issue for us. With Katie's restricted diet and a lack of open restaurants we had to resort to fast food drive throughs again. We drove back through Vermont and stopped at a small gas station with a small store attached. The area reminded us very much of some old country stores we had seen in the southern part of the US. We noted the only difference was the accent. We were tired. It had been a whirlwind road trip. Leaving Baltimore early on Sunday and back home late Tuesday night. But it was a nice break from being house bound in quarantine. As always the mountains spoke spoke to me. I was refreshed but tired. And Katie returned home with a new job which is the best part. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It wasn't Switzerland but the mountains were beautiful. They called me and I answered. Even if only for a day.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGoAyhLF5OAqGnp3tzkRpxezvVpnkjw_E6rbKe2ovrBgjafHqkdCwIRaCc2Ec5KLGZ0TLiGEgjdXmhQ3JRTT59CHkGpgWFau8JBa90gDzELEELaHsCj7gu1vhHLAP7cRxoz9jsyvZB5A/s4608/Beautiful+View+of+White+Mountains+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire++1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGoAyhLF5OAqGnp3tzkRpxezvVpnkjw_E6rbKe2ovrBgjafHqkdCwIRaCc2Ec5KLGZ0TLiGEgjdXmhQ3JRTT59CHkGpgWFau8JBa90gDzELEELaHsCj7gu1vhHLAP7cRxoz9jsyvZB5A/w300-h400/Beautiful+View+of+White+Mountains+-+Whitefield+New+Hampshire++1.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-49632903563240109852020-04-09T16:23:00.000-04:002020-04-09T16:23:11.787-04:00Elvis, Memphis, and the Queens of Comedy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just a quick reference to this blog for when I read it later. I am on my second week being house bound trying to avoid the corona virus. Many people have posted online about all of the projects they have completed around their home. They have posted all of the wonderful meals they have cooked. Some talk about time bonding with family. Me? I have been sitting in my family room daily with the TV playing in the back ground. I have not bothered to change out of my sweat suits. My dog is gaining weight from sharing all of my snacks I have been eating while watching the TV. And I am finding that I am not really hating it. It's becoming my new norm. I have travel plans that we cancelled which is minor in the grand scheme of things. I collect coffee mugs when I travel. So to entertain myself I have been having my morning coffee in a different cup each day, and have posted a imaginary travel moment with the cup on Facebook each day. This morning I used my Memphis Music Hall of Fame coffee cup and traveled to Memphis. This immediately sparked some memories, both good and bad, from my visit to Memphis. My movie on TV is a little boring this afternoon so I decided to write a blog about my memories of the visit to Memphis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjalapCWK8FyaNpGBzhTdD06DplruCrkSfhNB0pu1hvBBHah6iVRkAZv96LvVst4ofK_igkE-20nnUMNh7mp96y9DaR9vrTyinAPyqrSiACdFJnetTpZ6wlX0tRdHjex_yiZr5kfPElbo/s1600/92755409_10158551693337868_5228457873482186752_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjalapCWK8FyaNpGBzhTdD06DplruCrkSfhNB0pu1hvBBHah6iVRkAZv96LvVst4ofK_igkE-20nnUMNh7mp96y9DaR9vrTyinAPyqrSiACdFJnetTpZ6wlX0tRdHjex_yiZr5kfPElbo/s400/92755409_10158551693337868_5228457873482186752_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry with quarantined beard and Memphis coffee mug</td></tr>
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We traveled to Memphis in April of 2018. This was part of our Music Legends car trip with our friend Gillian from England. We drove from our home in Baltimore south through the Smokey Mountains and had many fun music related experiences. To me personally Memphis was the least exciting part of our trip. To be fair to Memphis though we had spent three days previously in Nashville. Nashville is a city that is alive all day. The streets are busy. The honky tonks have life music playing non stop. And the streets stay full of tourists. We were expecting a similar experience in Memphis. But we arrived to find empty streets and empty honky tonks. Beale Street, which is Memphis's main entertainment street could not compare to Broadway in Nashville. In Memphis defence we did not get to spend any evenings in Memphis as our hotel was about fifty miles south in Tunica, Mississippi. But our days in Memphis found Beale Street to be almost vacant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_svl6m-nOfhanZ1pf26KqAel4hRps9rFihq8w3TTn0Mwu_jUy0gkDVOeOSdohtf3VDQgNdP_Sq5CLyBSIo5WdWCDMZkMb7bPrnoiIUor5h7_bjh-yAXcd1Syb8loL1-A77EPcr4ETEMw/s1600/30798825448_2b271fc018_o+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="1600" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_svl6m-nOfhanZ1pf26KqAel4hRps9rFihq8w3TTn0Mwu_jUy0gkDVOeOSdohtf3VDQgNdP_Sq5CLyBSIo5WdWCDMZkMb7bPrnoiIUor5h7_bjh-yAXcd1Syb8loL1-A77EPcr4ETEMw/s400/30798825448_2b271fc018_o+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An empty Beale Street in Memphis</td></tr>
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Away from Beale Street there was still much to see and do. We spent some time along the water front. We visited the Bass Pro Shop Pyramid. That does not sound exciting but it was quite fascinating and well worth visiting. It sits on the bank of the Mississippi River. It is huge. At one time it was a basketball arena. And it is very impressive. It contains a hotel, a tropical forest with live alligators, and a beautiful bar at it peak with a deck over looking the river.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICM3Uz2sUFcuIVZY1DIleKi1Ujnjj0yBDlOTsUnTU1l-TnS7VXPTI9QGmKdYVq8T65v85-1NEpv1NN8uBqrSxEv0rdqyCZDyYUsxEybKYAkrlhH1DVtRwsZLmvdicTSE77K5cwuzd6sQ/s1600/29780862517_e80e4185f2_o+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1175" data-original-width="1600" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICM3Uz2sUFcuIVZY1DIleKi1Ujnjj0yBDlOTsUnTU1l-TnS7VXPTI9QGmKdYVq8T65v85-1NEpv1NN8uBqrSxEv0rdqyCZDyYUsxEybKYAkrlhH1DVtRwsZLmvdicTSE77K5cwuzd6sQ/s400/29780862517_e80e4185f2_o+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We spent quite a bit of time exploring the pyramid. Much of this was spent enjoying the bar and some cool drinks of course. We had to take the worlds tallest free standing elevator to reach the bar. So that gave us one fun fact to add to our list of accomplishments.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4qcuI_eGaw-aSRcAglcXly_d62p_qe2d4mAGFaYOppDbRj3wj4TV5iO52z5M0fb8e4l8NbZfXIKsvVUJ774dVqgePjYEewdoA-myd2YgBYvpMAL-O9JV2hJNXRWxPZDgZx2szdv8EHM/s1600/43808684705_e08054d8b4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1159" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4qcuI_eGaw-aSRcAglcXly_d62p_qe2d4mAGFaYOppDbRj3wj4TV5iO52z5M0fb8e4l8NbZfXIKsvVUJ774dVqgePjYEewdoA-myd2YgBYvpMAL-O9JV2hJNXRWxPZDgZx2szdv8EHM/s400/43808684705_e08054d8b4_o.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's tallest free standing elevator<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnv2QxN9SgqhO9n5Bh-ePA0n3ScPbhHKVqi8cjaH468GWUslQ3o2zyGiRl6Zus0XcrgCFaZkksm5eUE44TUlh2HSzNFgHxzXuKIjjPB8p7W8aPUtnG-ViUtN-hEFJytfasXGmLEUIW-M/s1600/41849453884_741404b3e6_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnv2QxN9SgqhO9n5Bh-ePA0n3ScPbhHKVqi8cjaH468GWUslQ3o2zyGiRl6Zus0XcrgCFaZkksm5eUE44TUlh2HSzNFgHxzXuKIjjPB8p7W8aPUtnG-ViUtN-hEFJytfasXGmLEUIW-M/s400/41849453884_741404b3e6_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark and Gillian surrounded by an aquarium at the bar</td></tr>
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The bar is located at the top of the elevator. It has an over sized aquarium filling the area behind the bar. It was a beautiful place for a drink.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCjrk2QivWYoMPWPsYKGlcD3mrnW59w7-iIVzT9VxmhqgeKxIU9x4hZ6lt5kXkmQEe4hURLlVMcbzSRLOMc8lb5wXBK7gO-6RaXDiLAzBUhB8f6Mdl9QHwDDAWbjiaPOXYt0FzZlHyfY/s1600/42568806421_f4aecf97e2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCjrk2QivWYoMPWPsYKGlcD3mrnW59w7-iIVzT9VxmhqgeKxIU9x4hZ6lt5kXkmQEe4hURLlVMcbzSRLOMc8lb5wXBK7gO-6RaXDiLAzBUhB8f6Mdl9QHwDDAWbjiaPOXYt0FzZlHyfY/s400/42568806421_f4aecf97e2_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark, Gillian and I on the deck of the Pro Bass Shop Pyramid</td></tr>
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Of course if you are in Memphis one of the must see attractions is Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. I am a huge fan of Elvis. I believe Gillian also likes Elvis. But Mark on the other hand really has not opinion one way or the other on Elvis. So Graceland was kind of a non event for him. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCQMFRm2mHufG_wfvMu0kqxx27yqjk0p2DcjJmEu4YKgELdQ-nEcSyaPf7MBaosrJ8oANV1o2RhzpEPB5zb1RZ1NxntYJPGwxs_i67FnvTvj3x3tcKSqZoWrhTXCVfs-lY0lvIRbDLQA/s1600/42289229022_e243e3eac5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCQMFRm2mHufG_wfvMu0kqxx27yqjk0p2DcjJmEu4YKgELdQ-nEcSyaPf7MBaosrJ8oANV1o2RhzpEPB5zb1RZ1NxntYJPGwxs_i67FnvTvj3x3tcKSqZoWrhTXCVfs-lY0lvIRbDLQA/s400/42289229022_e243e3eac5_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two very excited Elvis fans on the bus to Graceland....and Mark</td></tr>
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In the end Mark did enjoy the tour. But just not on the level that I enjoyed it. The house was a big tacky, dated and bizarre. But if you love the legend of Elvis you expect and appreciate this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil4ydGNOqSVeoRPSVsDD_tA78rZAJVYdIbJGk2RWvQb_AWlRs7oOn_gEisr3ThKCvNVt61Uc1VuO0imY6S4vlX8284klKi39WE5JlPDNfeImVcDxXFffO79_yrQjTow96cQpMPkNKdXQ/s1600/Graceland+-+Memphis+2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil4ydGNOqSVeoRPSVsDD_tA78rZAJVYdIbJGk2RWvQb_AWlRs7oOn_gEisr3ThKCvNVt61Uc1VuO0imY6S4vlX8284klKi39WE5JlPDNfeImVcDxXFffO79_yrQjTow96cQpMPkNKdXQ/s320/Graceland+-+Memphis+2018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graceland<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDl7P0DYP-BZSKO7kCNBSWaVzCWWpUWQ9To3F6KkwVl84jLv-W5YYnGUDXEhvh7p6QaJI0ViLK9EF0JBOlbtYxyxjwVyApqXClKRdDRXfABD4yvo_MDjN2Iw3x382HGU3SCqxGe_k8fo/s1600/Elvis%2527+Peacock+living+room+-+Memphis+-+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDl7P0DYP-BZSKO7kCNBSWaVzCWWpUWQ9To3F6KkwVl84jLv-W5YYnGUDXEhvh7p6QaJI0ViLK9EF0JBOlbtYxyxjwVyApqXClKRdDRXfABD4yvo_MDjN2Iw3x382HGU3SCqxGe_k8fo/s320/Elvis%2527+Peacock+living+room+-+Memphis+-+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis Living Room<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gXyXBJRSOMeSng0EIURb7sn2aLc_vCdljwAfvR_kPYQQ5e0RQvQFVD05b_pnfNk_dseUFsPcEaJbh80iJxBywbkQm5FamiM22qYGkD7MyaAhECgEoffSOvSUWM4d4iyqigXg7_670e8/s1600/The+TV+Room+at+Graceland+-+Memphis+-+April+2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gXyXBJRSOMeSng0EIURb7sn2aLc_vCdljwAfvR_kPYQQ5e0RQvQFVD05b_pnfNk_dseUFsPcEaJbh80iJxBywbkQm5FamiM22qYGkD7MyaAhECgEoffSOvSUWM4d4iyqigXg7_670e8/s320/The+TV+Room+at+Graceland+-+Memphis+-+April+2018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TV Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNXTq_vNqTByaG7UY8nlSrekL-KvoZhZruOBEn8SsosNRwD78cR7Z7Ey8AZmacJSwNuQHp4GBYgpKeR-7bHaSGv-somkRUz9WtOGftvlHR6MUtRspjOM2cP_UOr1prMSlixPb7il6PTc/s1600/The+famous+Jungle+Room+in+Graceland+-+April+2018+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNXTq_vNqTByaG7UY8nlSrekL-KvoZhZruOBEn8SsosNRwD78cR7Z7Ey8AZmacJSwNuQHp4GBYgpKeR-7bHaSGv-somkRUz9WtOGftvlHR6MUtRspjOM2cP_UOr1prMSlixPb7il6PTc/s320/The+famous+Jungle+Room+in+Graceland+-+April+2018+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Famous Jungle Room </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQUcoA-9zohk7Zcpnk_z9phoNDmU8cAT6mvJsxMxNkMVUc01lLKdE9lZnHO_yYH_7KxxH7A7fvTWiF8NHNK8Cu9P8YseopKHzzN1FfsvGYQIuJ7zsrAnOoQsnWs9aOUDDKcdIUWHumgI/s1600/Elvis%2527s+grave+-+Graceland+-+Memphis+April+2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQUcoA-9zohk7Zcpnk_z9phoNDmU8cAT6mvJsxMxNkMVUc01lLKdE9lZnHO_yYH_7KxxH7A7fvTWiF8NHNK8Cu9P8YseopKHzzN1FfsvGYQIuJ7zsrAnOoQsnWs9aOUDDKcdIUWHumgI/s320/Elvis%2527s+grave+-+Graceland+-+Memphis+April+2018.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis's Grave</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSLejZPEKfbxTNJbvbJiSQVOvdBr2NZgA4KIaTMuVImfvEGHostI-8WA3PyehCQgV-cbKlp3P1tc-dk_tf95rp69DdtGgGNrHVwUceO8Pxw5lWQHi0BhMLiedL_HOXkUF9McrqVHTnJE/s1600/Elvis+Memorial+at+Graceland+-+Memphis+-+April+2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1197" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSLejZPEKfbxTNJbvbJiSQVOvdBr2NZgA4KIaTMuVImfvEGHostI-8WA3PyehCQgV-cbKlp3P1tc-dk_tf95rp69DdtGgGNrHVwUceO8Pxw5lWQHi0BhMLiedL_HOXkUF9McrqVHTnJE/s320/Elvis+Memorial+at+Graceland+-+Memphis+-+April+2018.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial to Elvis at Graceland</td></tr>
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Of course knowing me I had to take at least one funny selfie in Graceland. I found the perfect location going down the mirrored stair case into the Jungle Room.<br />
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<br /><br /><br />All in all the three of us did have fun touring Graceland. <br />
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<br /><br /><br />On a more somber note there are other historical sites to visit in Memphis that are not laughs and fun. We visited the Dr. Martin Luther Kind Jr Memorial at the Lorraine Hotel. This was not a place for fun selfies or laughs. It is just one of those places you feel you must visit. It was very moving and heartbreaking to see the location of the murder of Dr. King. I am a child of the 60's and have emotional memories that will never leave me from the day of his murder. Seeing the location and the memorial brought all of those back to mind. It's a place to think. A place to show respect. And a space to feel no shame in shedding a tear.<br />
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You can actually walk through the hotel where he stayed. However the museum was closed the day we were there and I was actually kind of glad about that. I can not imagine the emotion of walking through that room. I don't think I could have walked into the room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adele Givens , Laura Hayes, Mo'Nique and Sommore - The Queens of Comedy</td></tr>
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One of the biggest highlights for Mark and I in Memphis was the chance to see the theater where the video The Queens of Comedy was filmed. For the uninitiated The Queens of Comedy is a wild irreverent hysterical comedy concert filmed in Memphis. The comedians on the show were Laura Hayes, Adele Givens, Sommore, and our fellow Baltimore favorite Mo'Nique. Mark and I own the DVD of the concert. We have watched it many many times and each time are in tears with laughter. Gillian had not really heard of The Queens of Comedy so we had to teach her all about it. When the ladies arrive in Memphis they drive across the Mississippi River on the Hernando de Soto Bridge aka The Big M. As the cross the bridge in their car the raise their hand and shout MemPHIS with the accent on the PHIS. So when we crossed the bridge Mark and I both yelled MemPHIS. This was not the only time we yelled MemPhis while in the city. We yelled at at any given opportunity in the city. Even from the top of the Pro Bass Shop pyramid. Just ask Gillian<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You must yell MemPHIS when crossing this bridge if you visit, just for Mark and I</td></tr>
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We talked with a lady at the Memphis visitors center. We mentioned our love of The Queens of Comedy and she laughed. She asked us "Do you guys really remember that show? That was a long time ago." And then Mark quoted some jokes to her and she cracked up. She said to us you guys are real fans and then shared a joke she remember from the show also. Poor Gillian was lost to all of this but she is used to that. We lose her at least once on every trip and have to explain to her our enthusiasm. <br />
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Finally we found the theater where they filmed the show. The Orpheum Theater in Memphis. And once more we yelled out loud MemPHIS.<br /><br />
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<br />Mo'Nique we did you proud in Memphis. We shared your jokes. We yelled MemPHIS. We educated Gillian about your show. You are our home town Baltimore Academy Award Winning Actress. We are you fans.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mo'Nique</td></tr>
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<br /><br />If you travel to Memphis and you see the Orpheum give a big MemPHIS shout for Mark and I and our girl Mo'Nique. And if you come to visit us at our house we will play the DVD for you.<br />
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One last fun note about Memphis. If you visit the Hard Rock Cafe you can see Shakira's bra. If you are a fan it's worth the journey.<br /><br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-11296106241802743602020-03-26T20:33:00.004-04:002021-01-02T23:52:24.757-05:00Corona Virus, Pandemics and Remembering My Grandmother<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward and Bertha Roth's wedding photo 1918</td></tr>
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I have been reading about the Corona Virus for over two months now. From the first outbreak in China up until counting the daily death toll here at home there has been little of anything else to think about. It is on the TV news non stop. And Facebook is no escape from it either. There is the doom and gloom daily updates and the humorous daily memes to capture our attention online. We are not supposed to gather in large groups right now. Weddings are being cancelled and conducted with no guests. There are questions about how to hold memorial services for our deceased when we are not supposed to gather in groups of more than ten. Our schools are closed. Many are without jobs. We will never forget these days. Much like watching the daily body counts from the Viet Nam war on TV we now are counting bodies by country and ranking which ones have the most deaths. It's truly frightening and exhausting.<br />
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I was joking with some friends on Facebook today and we were comparing our efforts scrubbing our floors and house holds today. As I scrubbed my own kitchen and dining area today with Pine Sol I took a deep breath and smelled the fresh scent of the Pine Sol. I was immediately back in my Grandmothers tiny three room apartment. She scrubbed and cleaned her apartment on a daily basis. The minute I would walk into her home I was surrounded with the scent of Pine Sol. I could not help but feel her presence with me today while I cleaned.<br />
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As I reminisced about her today it dawned on me that she was alive for the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic to which out current situation is so often compared. And yet I never remember her ever talking about surviving a pandemic. Her name was Bertha Wilson but was known as Bertie to most of her friends. She was born in 1897. I stopped to think about what she might have been doing in 1918. She was not bombarded with non stop daily updates about the pandemic. Radio's were not common in most homes until the late 1920's. There was no TV with twenty four news and daily Presidential updates. There was no internet to surround her with doom and gloom. So I have to wonder if she even realized there was a terrible flu spreading across the world.<br />
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I did some quick research on the Spanish Flu today. It started spreading across the globe in 1918. One article stated that many believed the virus came to the United States through the military. In 1918 my grandmother met and married her husband Edward Roth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward Roth 1916</td></tr>
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The second waveof the Spanish flu arrived in the United State late summer 1918. It is believed it was carried by the returning dough boys from World War I. My grandfather was one of those dough boys returning home and was stationed at the newly opened Aberdeen Proving Ground. The virus spread from Boston and to New York and Philadelphia before spreading west to St. Louis and San Francisco.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dough Boys Returning Home - My grandfather Edward Roth upper left</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward Roth 1918</td></tr>
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Here in Maryland the first notice of the flu came in late September 1918 in a handful of soldiers at Camp Meade. Each soldier was quarantined. But visitors and other solders were allowed to come and go at will. Then within a few days there were almost 2,000 cases reported at the camp. In Baltimore theaters and railway and street car operators were asked to keep their spaces well ventilated. They were asked to post signs suggesting travelers sneeze and cough into kerchiefs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandmother Bertha Wilson and her mother Katherine Wilson</td></tr>
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I do know my grandmother had a very active and busy year in 1918 during the epidemic. She met and married my grandfather. They moved from Maryland to Indiana, his home, after they were married that year. While in Indiana my grandmother had one child who was still born. She was very depressed and missed her home and family very much. So they moved back to Maryland in early 1919 while the flu was still active in the country. But she survived. I never knew my grandfather. He died when my mother was still a teenager during the Great Depression. My grandmother lived until 1976. She raised four children during the Depression. She survived the death of her husband. Every year she would watch our local 4th of July parade. When the military from Aberdeen Proving Ground would march past she would put her hand over her heart and say there go my boys. And she would always have a tear. Sad but sweet memories for her I am sure. <br />
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My grandmother often spoke of World War II. She would mention the black out drills, the rationing and the the Great Depression. She loved telling stories. But she never once mentioned the great pandemic of the Spanish Flu. She survived all of this. And we too will survive this pandemic. And maybe like her I will never mention it again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandmother Bertha Wilson with me 1953</td></tr>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-75317089289770891502020-03-21T20:51:00.000-04:002020-03-22T20:48:13.848-04:00Plagues, Epidemics and Memorials - History Repeating Itself<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pestsäule - Plague Column - Vienna Austria</td></tr>
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Travel is my passion, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and taking photos of my travels is my favorite
hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when faced with social
distancing and the threat of quarantine due to the COVID-19 virus, I find going
through my travel photos and thinking of the beautiful places I have visited
brings some sort of calmness to the madness all around me right now. With all of the attention focused on Corona Virus today, I
found myself being led to photos I have taken of Plague Memorials in Central Europe. </div>
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Santa Maria della Salute, Venice Italy</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Maria della Salute on the Grand Canal in Venice</td></tr>
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In the summer of 1630 and up until 1631 a wave of the plague assaulted Venice killing nearly a third of its population. As an offering for the city's deliverance from the plague the city vowed to build a church dedicated to Our Lady of Health, Santa Maria della Salute. The city decided not to dedicate the church just to the plague or a patron saint. They decided to dedicate it to the Virgin Mary who they believed was the protector of their Republic. I visited Venice in the spring of 2002. When I arrived in Piazza San Marco and walked to the water front of the Grand Canal this beautiful basilica dominated the horizon. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Images of Santa Maria Della Salute</td></tr>
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Church of All Saints - Sedlac, Czech Republic</h2>
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Two years after my visit to Venice, I traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic in 2004. I returned again in 2015. Both times I visited the Kostnice located in the village of Sedlac. The Kostnice is an Ossuary or Bone Church. It is named the Church of All Saints. In all of my travels this is truly one of the most fascinating places I have seen. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cemetery and Church of All Saints - Sedlac, Czech Republic</td></tr>
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In the thirteenth century the Abbott of the Monastery in Sedlac was sent to the Holy Land in Jerusalem. He returned with a mound of dirt believed to have come from Golgotha. He spread the dirt over the Abbey cemetery. Because of this dirt this became a very important burial location. During the fourteenth century the cemetery was filled with bodies from the Black Plague. A new chapel was built in the fifteen hundreds. Many graves were exhumed for the new chapel and the bones were stored in the basement of the new church. In 1870 the history of these bodies from the Black Plague takes on a macabre and fascinating turn. Frantisek Rint was a local woodcarver. He was employed to organize the old bones that had been laying the basement for all of these years. The bones were used to decorate the church. Chandeliers, a chalice and altars were all transformed into bones. Rint even signed his work by writing his name on the wall with bones. </div>
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The plague Column of the Virgin Mary Immaculate in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic</h2>
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Just a short walk from Sedlac is the village of Kutna Hora. Located here is a Plague Column. I have seen several of these through out Europe. This one was built as a reminder of the death from the plague of the early 1700's. There is a statue of Mary on top of the column as on many Plague columns. Many of these columns were built to honor Mary in hopes for protection from other plagues. </div>
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Trinity Monument - Prague, Czech Republic</h2>
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The Trinity Monument is another Plague Column in the Czech Republic. This one is located in Prague's Lesser Town Square. At one time there was a pillory and gallows here. So this square is historically associated with death. But now there is a monument here that memorialized the end of a disease that plagued the city of Prague. After the outbreak of the early 1700's was finally under control, the city erected this Plague Column.<br />
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Pestsäule - Plague Column - Vienna Austria</h2>
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The Trinity Column in Vienna is located on Graben, one of the main streets in the inner city. It is one of the better know Plague Columns in Europe. It was built after the great epidemic of 1679 and is one of the cities great pieces of art often compared to the work of Bernini in Rome. While I was in Vienna I was not worried about the plague. My luggage was lost and never arrived. So I was concerned with buying underwear in a city where I did not speak the language. I took photos of the monument without really knowing what it represented until I returned home and was doing research on my photos. At the time of the plague the Habsburg emperor Leopold I fled the city but vowed to erect a mercy column if the epidemic would end. <br />
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.These churches and monuments were erected to memorialize the loss from the great plagues that challenged the western world in their time. They were also created to ask forgiveness for the sins they felt lead to these plagues and in hopes to protect their people from future epidemics. After the horrors of 9/11 we have build great monuments and displayed pieces of the World Trade Center in our major cities across the country. We have one here in Baltimore. In New York we have build a towering sky scraper complex to replace and memorialize the original World Trade Center. I am wondering tonight what will happen at the end of the current world wide pandemic. Will we be inspired to create art and memorial fountains to remember it? Will we learn from our greed and hoarding that is harming us now? Will our current leaders promise to build memorials to our sacrificies. Or will they build great monuments to themselves to brag about their self imagined great accomplishments in fighting this enemy? We will survive. We will recover. But will we learn from our mistakes?<br /></div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-38531157526537878612020-02-13T13:37:00.000-05:002020-02-13T13:37:48.149-05:00Movies, Mom and Me. Entertainment in the early '60s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have not written a blog for a while. I enjoy writing my blogs. I mostly write about travel. And my second favorite topic is my family. Today I read on Facebook that it is Kim Novak's birthday. February 13. 1933. And this little piece of nostalgia inspired me to sit down and do some blogging. I grew up loving movies. My mother loved movies. I know my fascination with them stems from her influence. My father would watch a John Wayne movie or a World War II movie, but he did not like anything "dirty". My mother was quite a conservative lady also. But she did like the early 1960's bedroom farce movies. She and her sister, my Aunt Louise, did not go to the movies often. But if a Doris Day movie came to the local theater they would go see them. Of course in those old movies Doris was usually the worlds oldest living virgin being seduced by Rock Hudson and or James Garner, Cary Grant or even Rod Taylor at times. These movies were naughty enough to make my Mom and my Aunt giggle, but never "dirty" enough to offend them. <br />
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Growing up I listened to everything my mother said. If she was on the phone I would be someplace nearby to listen to her conversation. I learned a lot from eavesdropping on my mother. She would have been shocked at the thing I learned that she thought were just between her and her friends on the phone. It was the early 1960's. I was eight, nine, ten years old. I also listened to every conversation she and my aunt had at the house. They never knew how much I listened to them. And they did love to talk. They would come home from the movies and talk about Doris Day or Kim Novak. They were always shocked at the things "those writers" got away with in the movies. If there was a paperback novel from the movie they had seen Mom would buy it. She would pass it on to my Aunt and tell her the novel was a little spicier. My Mom had a copy of Boy's Night Out and that is cover I have posted at the top of this blog. <br /><br />After listening to them talk about the movie I then would always want to go see it also. I went to the Saturday matinee every weekend growing up. It cost a quarter for the admission. I would always ask to go see the movie on Saturday that they had just seen on Friday night. My aunt would always scold my mother and say you shouldn't let that boy go see those movies. They are too adult for his young mind. My mother always laughed and told her I would not understand the adult humor but I loved the music and the colors. I have no idea what that meant. She admitted she was shocked when I came out to her many years later. But that loved the music and colors remark tells me different. She had a baby's diary she wrote notes in when I was growing up. One phrase I still chuckle at is "Larry is very musical and loves to dance." Mom understood me coming out much more than she would admit! But she was partially correct about the movies though. You can see from the cover of the novel above it was very colorful. And to this day when I see Boys Night Out my first thought is the red rose on the back of Kim Novak's black dress. And then gifts the men were bringing to Kim, the yellow wrapping paper on Tony Radall's champagne bottle and the red roses Howard Duff had in his hands. And yes even the theme song is still a favorite of mine Patti Page singing Boys Night Out. "What the boys are out after, the girls are after too!" Oh those racy lyrics! <br />
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But these movies all touched something in this little gay boys sensibilities even at those young ages. I have a lot of gay men friends on Facebook who are movie lovers also. And we all know, love and talk about these same movies. To this day I still watch these movies. I have them all on DVD. All of the Doris Day movies, Kim in Boys Night Out, even Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three.<br />
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One, Two, Three. Now that one really intrigued me as a kid. My Mom and my aunt came home from watching One, Two, Three and were still in hysterics over the scene with balloons. One of the men in the movie dressed in drag to lure German spies and had a red balloon and a blue balloon in the top of the his dress. One of the spies has a line where is upset because "one is red and one is blue" I thought that was the funniest line ever. <br />
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Once again I was allowed to go see it at the Saturday matinee. This time Mom was correct though. The humor went way over my head. But I still liked it. And there was the colorful balloons and the great music. I still carry an appreciation for classical music writer Aram Khachaturian and his bouncy dramatic Saber Dance to this day. And when I hear it I immediately think of the blonde actress in the tight dress dancing on the table top while the music plays. Not surprisingly I have both Saber Dance and also Patti Page's Boys Night Theme still in my personal collection of music. And if you ever drive in my car for any distance there is a good chance they might turn up in my music rotation.<br />
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So thank you Kim Novak. Happy 87th birthday. I am glad you are still with us. My Mom and my Aunt have long passed on. But your birthday today brought them back to me for a few minutes. And not surprisingly Boy's Night Out is on the play list on Turner Classic Movies today. I won't even have to dig out my DVD today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's very musical and loves to dance</td></tr>
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<br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-10512198952456530502020-01-01T21:59:00.000-05:002020-01-02T01:40:48.208-05:002019 - The good , the bad, and the ugly. Travel, breweries, and family issues<br />
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Each year on New Years Day I take time to reflect on the past year. Some years are wonderful. Some are uneventful. And some I am just glad to see be over. 2019 was one of those years. There were good moments. And then there were some bad ones. Nothing unusual about that. But the bad ones seemed to be overwhelming this year.<br />
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Mark changed jobs twice this year. The bank where he was employed was sold and he had to find a new job. This was a bad situation that worked for the best. He found a new job well before the bank finally closed so he was never really unemployed. He phoned me from work one morning and said to me I start the new job in two weeks. So lets plan a last minute trip before I start the new job. I am never one to turn down a chance to travel. Out of nowhere we decided to go to Milan.<br />
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I love Milan. I had been to Milan once before in 2002. But many people are unimpressed with Milan. On my first trip even the woman at the ticket counter in the airport asked me "Why Milan?" So I was bit concerned Mark might be unimpressed also. But I had nothing to worry about. Mark loved Milan as much or even more than I do. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark chilling at a ristorante in the Galleria in Milan</td></tr>
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We also had the chance to take a train to Bergamo while in Milan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Bergamo</td></tr>
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Also on this trip I had the chance to return to my beloved Switzerland. And any year I can visit Switzerland is a good year. While in Milan we took a side trip to Lugano. It was definitely Switzerland but it also had a very Italian feel to it. It's right on the border of Switzerland and Italy. There is just something about Switzerland that captures my spirit even if they are speaking Italian.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Lugano Switzerland<br />
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Mark started his new job after we returned and it worked well for him. But then out of nowhere he received another job offer. The job had a good increase in salary and also was a much better commute for him. So after just a few months he bid farewell to the new job and started his adventure to a job in our neighboring county. And he really likes the job and everyone who is working there. Even though I have said this was not a great year for us, work wise it's been a great year for Mark.<br />
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Because Mark was in a new job we were not able to travel this summer. But don't feel bad for us. We spent every weekend this summer visiting local breweries in the Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia area. It was great fun. We were entertained every weekend. And we got to try both very good and some mediocre beers. But even mediocre beer isn't all bad. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RAR Brewery - Cambridge Maryland</td></tr>
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The year was going well. Mark was enjoying his second new job of the year. My daughter Katie was hired for a new position with a large increase in salary. And then the ball dropped. My daughter Danielle was made redundant at her job. She was completely unprepared. She was given a small severance package. And she remained unemployed the rest of the year. Then to add fuel to fire her wife was let go from her job also at the end of year. We are all hoping after the holidays are over they will be be able to find new jobs the first of 2020,<br />
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In November we were able to travel once more. Our friend Gillian from Manchester, England joined us for a week in Hawaii. It was Mark and my fourth trip to Hawaii. And once more we were overwhelmed. <br />
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December found us with two more problems. My daughter had to have cervical surgery. She had to have a disc replaced in her neck. Then her boyfriend had emergency surgery two weeks before Christmas. To top all of this, Danielle and her wife were unable to join us for Christmas due to their job situation. We had a very uneventful Christmas missing Danielle and Andrea. We spent the morning on our Iphones with face time opening presents together.<br />
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We lost some dear friends this year. A beloved extended family member passed away on Christmas Day. We lost family members in Mark's family. And we lost a beloved little dog named Kobi who has been a part of our family for fifteen years. We have continued to watch Mark's Mom slowly fade away to the monster of Alzheimers. But we still have so much to grateful for. And we have a lot to look forward to in 2020. We are already planning some travel for February. I am assured Danielle will find new employment. I have a 50th high school reunion in mid 2020. 2020 you are the beginning of a new decade. We are counting on you to start of this decade better than the last one ended.<br />
<br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-27211628746258342652019-12-01T19:38:00.001-05:002019-12-01T21:58:23.385-05:00Hauʻoli Lā Hānau - Mai Tai's, Alex O'Loughlin and Another Birthday in Hawaii<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIiFsAJrDZxw_jKTCs0EB0eXBV0yIgz9QoALyN3FFUalGjnIBaSHbGxyNkprcHHlW-KhxBI8URrOIUL9l9ELccIUr3USKmz-oI2cUMdcB3HJs62NomCob-cHSwQ83tieH7gudf-x_7z4/s1600/IMG_1734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIiFsAJrDZxw_jKTCs0EB0eXBV0yIgz9QoALyN3FFUalGjnIBaSHbGxyNkprcHHlW-KhxBI8URrOIUL9l9ELccIUr3USKmz-oI2cUMdcB3HJs62NomCob-cHSwQ83tieH7gudf-x_7z4/s400/IMG_1734.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday morning on our rooms 9th floor deck at Aston Waikiki Sunset Motel </td></tr>
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My husband Mark does not really care about birthdays. He does not particularly like celebrating his own birthday. It's just another day to him. But that is not me. I love birthdays. When the first day of November roles around I get very excited. That's because I don't only celebrate the day I was born. I celebrate the entire month. I usually jokingly label my photo's The Never Ending Birthday Celebration every year. Mark humors me and always goes along with my celebration month. He even goes out his way to make it special because he knows how much it means to me. Two years ago when I turned 65 he took me to Hawaii so I could climb Diamond Head on the my birthday. Hawaii has almost become our second home. We have traveled there four times in the past six yeas. It was such a thrill to stand on top of Diamond Head and take my photo on my 65th birthday. Now thanks to Mark, two years later I found myself back in Waikiki for another birthday. <br />
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We woke up early and the weather did not look good. Each morning when I woke up on this trip I looked out of the huge window and in our room to check the weather. And most mornings there was beautiful sunshine. On my birthday I woke up and looked outside to see a very dismal cloud cover.<br />
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Oh well. I was not going to let it ruin my birthday. We had already had seven perfect days in the Never Ending Birthday celebration. So I was not going to get upset over a cloudy possibly rainy day. We were not planning on climbing Diamond Head this year anyway. But within the hour the sun started to appear and burn away all of the clouds.<br />
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So I showered and got dressed in my Hawaiian shirt and prepared for the days adventures.<br />
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My shirt almost matches that beautiful blue sky.<br />
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The first order of the day was a huge birthday breakfast. We love the breakfasts in Hawaii. I am not usually a breakfast person. But when I get out on the islands I love their huge breakfasts. We usually eat at one of two places near our hotel, either Cheeseburger in Paradise or LuLu's. Both serve huge delicious breakfasts. But I wanted something different on my birthday. So I told Mark and our friend Gillian, who was with us on this trip, I wanted to walk down Kalakaua Avenue to the Maui Brewing Company for breakfast. It was a good walk from our hotel to the brewery but I had seen photos of their breakfast and new it would be worth the journey.<br />
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And I was correct. This was the best breakfast I had eaten on the entire trip. I had Banana Brûlée pancakes with macadamia nuts. The banana's had a crunchy sugar coating. The macadamia nuts were sweet and delicious. And the maple syrup was infused with an IPA beer from the brewery. The IPA was not to strong to take away from the syrups sweetness, it just addressed it perfectly. This was a great start to my birthday.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><br /></span></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now that's a happy breakfast face.</td></tr>
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We had turned in our rental the car the previous day so we could not drive any place outside of Waikiki. So my plans for my birthday were nothing like the previous year when we climbed Diamond Head. I had a few things in my head I wanted to do though. The big breakfast at Maui Brewing was the first thing and I was able to check it off as accomplished. My next goal was a birthday Mai Tai at the Hula Grill at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort. In my opinion they make the best Mai Tai's in Waikiki. Later that evening I wanted to go to Arancino di Mare for an Italian meal. It's Hawaii, why not Italian? And finally I wanted to end the day at late night happy hour at Cheeseburger in Paradise. So nothing extravagant was planned. It was our last day in Waikiki. We were flying home the next day. So this plan was perfect in my opinion.<br />
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We left the brewery and walked towards Honolulu but we never actually got outside of Waikiki. We, or rather I had a major distraction. We did take some time for goofy photos. That should be of no surprise to anyone. I saw a tattoo parlor and thought it might have been fun to get a tattoo for my birthday while in Hawaii, but I really had not budgeted for that. So instead I just too silly photos outside of the parlor. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><br /></span></span>
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I saw a tall condominium where I told Gillian that Mark and I could by our dream home. Gillian basically said dream on and let me know when you hit the lottery. I'll move with you.<br />
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I still think one of the corner units by the upper pool would be an excellent investment. Maybe I can convince Mark this by my next birthday?<br />
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I then saw an interesting statue. It was not a memorial or religious symbol so I did not feel wrong for taking a funny photo with it.<br />
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We then saw a pretty park and decided to cross the street and look at the flowers and trees in the park. As we entered the park we saw some white trailers in a circle. On closer look we realized they were dressing rooms and crew trailers for the TV show Magnum P.I. There were also signs directing you the from the trailers to the filming area for the show. We decided to follow the signs and maybe get a chance to see them filming a scene from the show. But here is the story. Every time Mark and I have gone to Hawaii I have always joked about running into Alex O'Loughlin who plays McGarrett on Hawaii Five 0 I am a huge fan of the show and have watched every episode since it started telecasting ten years ago. And Alex is a real fantasy for me. But each year we have not run into him or any of the crew filming his show. I like Magnum P.I. But it's not Hawaii Five 0. So seeing the trailers and maybe the cast would be fun but not the major thrill of Hawaii Five 0 or Alex.<br />
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We followed the signs to the Outrigger Reef Hotel. This hotel has another one of our favorite bars with one of the best beach views in Waikiki. When we got to the hotel lobby it appeared the film crew was leaving. Then we saw two aids walking with Chi McBride from Hawaii Five 0!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chi McBride from Hawaii Five 0</td></tr>
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I just stopped in my tracks and stared. So they were filming Hawaii Five 0 even though I only saw production trilers for Magnum P.I. My first thought was it's my birthday and I am going to see Alex O'Loughlin. But we never saw him. Apparently Chi was the last actor to leave the set that afternoon. So we continued on to the Reef Bar at the hotel. We did ask the bartender about the filming and he said it was not unusual to see it going on if you worked in Waikiki daily. Gillian told the bartender that I needed a drink. She said it's his birthday and I had just missed seeing Alex. The bartender laughed and asked me if it really was my birthday and I said yes. He mixed a mai tai and passed it across the bar to me. He said, "Here you go. Happy birthday! Compliments of the house!" <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilling my brow with a mai tai</td></tr>
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I jokingly told him I needed to chill. Being this close to Alex had me over heated. He laughed. Before leaving we decided to toast Hawaii Five 0 with a a Kona Big Wave. Kona is one of the beers that has product placement on the show regularly. The bartender then asked if we wanted one more. He said to stick around. Alex might be returning. We laughed and thanked him but we needed to move on. Their mai tai was good at the Reef Bar but it could not compare to my favorite at the other Outrigger Hotel's Hula Bar farther down the street. And having one there was my original plan for the day.<br />
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We thanked the bartender, tipped him well for his kindness and left the hotel. As we walked through the lobby we saw several big cars pull up in front on the driveway and we saw a lot of people getting out of them and heading into the hotel. It was the production crew returning! I was a bit preoccupied and looking all around when Gillian and Mark started yelling at me to turn around. They kept saying turn around, look behind you. And I turned and there was Alex, McGarrett in the flesh. He just walked past me. Wow...this was a birthday present. <br />
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He was surrounded with production crew and they were trying to get him out to the filming location on the beach. He did wave and acknowledge some of the fans in the lobby. Mark and Gillian are both saying to me "Where's your phone! Get a photo!" Well I was just too excited. I did get my phone out and was trying to open the camera but I was all thumbs and he was gone before I could get a photo. But I didn't care. After six years and four visits I finally got to see a filming of the show. And it was on my birthday. <br />
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We left the hotel and headed back to Kalakaua Avenue. We did some window shopping at the high end stores that line the avenue. Then we eventually ended up at the Outrigger Hotel where the Hula Bar is located. You can try mai tai's all day, up and down Kalakaua Ave and you will not find one better than the one they make at the Hula Bar in my opinion. And after four visits in the six years I will admit I have tried them all. It was getting late in the afternoon. By the time we reached the Hula Bar we were getting hungry and also needed something cool due to the heat of the afternoon. I remembered how Gillian had mentioned my birthday earlier I was given a free mai tai. So I decided to try it one more time. I mentioned my birthday to the bartender and voila! There was a complimentary mai tai sitting in from of me. And it had a smiling face on the glass as if to say Hauʻoli Lā Hānau Larry! (Happy Birthday Larry).<br />
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I did need some lunch. I'd had two mai tai's and a beer on an empty stomach so far today. So I ordered shrimp taco's at the bar. They were an excellent fusion of Hawaiian and Mexican food. <br />
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And then I ordered one more mai tai because they are so good here.<br />
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So this had been a three umbrella day... so far. <br />
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After lunch we returned to our hotel. We all needed to rest for a while. We had done a lot of walking and I had done a bit of drinking. <br />
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After napping and showering Mark and I were ready to head out for my birthday dinner. We picked an Italian restaurant near our hotel. It something different from our standard Hawaiian vacation meals. We have several inexpensive Hawaiian shirts we have bought as souvenirs over the years. But on our last day we always save our dress Hawaiian shirts to wear. So we dressed up and headed out with Gillian to Arancino di Mare for an Italian dinner. <br />
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It was the perfect ending to a very special birthday. But it still wasn't quite over. We decided to stop in to Cheeseburger In Paradise for their late night happy hour. It was near our hotel and had become our night cap stop on several nights. We had gotten to know the two evening bartenders, Andrew and Jacob very well. When we walked in Jacob laughed and told Mark and I that we had gone more Hawaiian than him. They are required to wear Hawaiian shirts and accessories while they are working. He said "Look at you two. The shirts, the kukui nut leis, and Larry you even have on the Makau fish hook necklace. I feel like I dressed down tonight." I used my birthday excuse once more to see what would happen. I told him we dressed up for my birthday dinner. He laughed. Then I told him I had been drinking free mai tai's all day. He said " but I bet you haven't had a birthday shot yet have you? " Gillian and Mark both laughed and told him that I had already had enough free drinks for one day. And then he asked me again if I wanted a birthday shot. And of course I said "Hell yes!" Jacob then made me a shot he called Hawaiian Gummy Bears and toasted my birthday.<br />
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We ended up all smiles by the end of the night at Cheeseburger in Paradise.<br />
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And still the night was not over.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob the bartender</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew the bartender</td></tr>
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We had learned from the bartender Andrew on a previous night that he was from Perry Hall, Maryland. Perry Hall is only about ten minutes from where Mark and I live. It was another one of those small world stories. After I finished my shot that Jacob had made for me, Andrew pointed to another man at the end of the bar. He was a local regular at the bar. Andrew told us that he was from Edgewood, Maryland and I should go say hello to him. So still in the happy birthday spirit I walked down to the end of the bar and said rather loudly "Hey Edgewood. How are you doing?" The guy looked at me like I was crazy and asked how in the hell did I know Edgewood, Md. I told her I had worked there for quite a few years at the US Army base. He laughed and bought me one last drink. And then we took a photo together. But you know what they say on the internet. Photo or it didn't happen.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making friends with Marylanders in Hawaii.</td></tr>
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Finally back in our hotel room. From the cloud cover in the morning, to the sunshine in the afternoon, to the darkness of night. </div>
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Hauʻoli Lā Hānau Larry. Happy birthday Larry. If you have to get old, this is the way to do it. </div>
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The birthday is over. One last shaka "hangin loose" salute before the lights go out. And yes the lights did go out. We had a sign on our door telling us the hotel was to lose power at 11:30 pm until approx 4 am. for emergency maintenance. And they left us a little survival kit.</div>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-62584572945565601482019-09-30T00:26:00.001-04:002019-10-01T01:29:59.949-04:00O Solo A Roma - Day 8 - The Last Day Arrivederci Roma<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzD0DuTYudjDaetHHoB9w18mUsKpuFd7Kpk5bZRh9fspDms7XIh2YmNHSdvF_MFfdSu-Uxo9DPcJgGxYN8tCNfg3SmdWpyGC15d1K6gkYtHkPlJEam-Ajf-E-LBmqZ_5r8ftOoR5HErLs/s1600/365+Year+7+Photo+261+-+Color+is+fading+on+a+last+day+in+Rome+-+Larry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzD0DuTYudjDaetHHoB9w18mUsKpuFd7Kpk5bZRh9fspDms7XIh2YmNHSdvF_MFfdSu-Uxo9DPcJgGxYN8tCNfg3SmdWpyGC15d1K6gkYtHkPlJEam-Ajf-E-LBmqZ_5r8ftOoR5HErLs/s400/365+Year+7+Photo+261+-+Color+is+fading+on+a+last+day+in+Rome+-+Larry.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colors of Rome are starting to fade behind me.<br />
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The vacation in Rome alone had been a wonderful experience. Although I missed Mark's company and regretted him not being there I will always be grateful he insisted I go. The lost maps, the evasive piazza's, the con artist, and my friend Aldo who owned the restaurant are all apart of the experience that was slowly fading into the past on my last day in Rome. But I still had big plans for the last day. I saved The Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum for my last day. And it was the perfect way to finish the adventure.<br />
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From my research and also from friends who have visited Rome, I was told it would be difficult to get tickets to see The Sistine Chapel. I was told there were long lines and crowds. I was advised to book in advance before arriving in Rome. So I booked a tour through Viator for a tour of the Vatican Museum. And I was dreading it. I hate guided tours where you are lead around like a large group of lemmings behind a disinterested guide rattling on and on about every little nook and cranny sharing the most boring minute details. I would much rather just tour the museum on my own and read the signs and descriptions on the items that catch my interest. My tour that I booked in advance promised me I could "skip the lines" and avoid the crowds. Of course those tours are their own little mini crowds so I really don't know what you are skipping. I paid $35 over the internet for my reservations. I was booked for late afternoon. My last day in Rome was going to be spent with the thing I dislike most about traveling. Group tours.<br />
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I go up that morning and decided to walk down to the Vatican Museum entrance to see where I was supposed to meet my guide later that day. I didn't want to arrive and go to the wrong place and miss my tour. The web page where I booked the tour warned if you are late you will be left behind. It was only a couple of blocks from hotel so it would not take me long. When I arrived there was no line at the entrance. The ticket office was open. There were people there buying tickets and going directly inside the museum. The entrance price was $17. Guess what? I decided to not worry about the losing the $35 reservation fee I had paid in advance. I just walked up to the ticketing area, not having to "skip any lines", bought my ticket, and was on my way to a morning tour of the museum and then my chance to see the Sistine Chapel. It was somewhat crowded inside and there were many tour groups who chose to skip the nonexistent lines. I passed by most of them as their guides droned on and on and then some self important person would take time to ask asinine questions. Oh I was glad I was not with them.<br />
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Everything inside the museum was beautiful. Even the stair case was a work of art.<br />
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And by the stair case for those of us who were not in a group following a droning guide to warn us, there was a sign letting us know not to fall on the stairs. How convenient.<br />
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Guided tours</div>
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I passed the slow moving guided tours and continued my journey. The walls, the ceilings, every part of the museum was beautiful and a piece of art in itself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPDnXwf-1cuPDGfiCSGMgITq0yor3cE-e0YwIUX8zJBPRrXQK9uC-3iV5mE4wP5SjdquWzUMFczlbyj7tXqygBDQUNsw73Vzqp57f3gIhLq9mINsRrx6BaY-6D6_7zyugVg2WklL-hbA/s1600/Frescos+at+the+Vatican+Museum+-+Rome+-+July+2016+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPDnXwf-1cuPDGfiCSGMgITq0yor3cE-e0YwIUX8zJBPRrXQK9uC-3iV5mE4wP5SjdquWzUMFczlbyj7tXqygBDQUNsw73Vzqp57f3gIhLq9mINsRrx6BaY-6D6_7zyugVg2WklL-hbA/s400/Frescos+at+the+Vatican+Museum+-+Rome+-+July+2016+a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And then finally I arrived. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. I had been wanting to see this ever since taking an 8th grade art class trip to see Charlton Heston paint the ceiling in the movie The Agony and The Ecstasy. I even wrote an entire blog about the experience of seeing the ceiling three years ago right after I got home. <br />
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Mark, who I wished was there, had told me he was not overwhelmed with the Sistine Chapel when he saw it was a teenager after his high school graduation. He warned me that it was just a crowded box shaped room with Michelangelo's God touching Man way up over head. As I entered the crowded box shaped chapel I was wondering what my experience would be. It was crowded. People were pushing to get inside. And I was only allowed a short time to take in the experience as the guards tried to keep the crowd moving.<br />
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And there it was. I was directly under it in the middle of the chapel and it was breath taking. All I wanted was one quick photograph, without flash of course. There were signs saying no photographs. But people all around me were sneaking out their cell phones and small camera's to get a quick photo. And I was not leaving without taking one also. I cautiously took my camera out of the camera bag. I lifted the camera just over my head for the photo and someone taps me on my shoulder. It was a security guard and he said no photos. I looked around and many others taking photos were being ignored. So I waited and when he turned his back I took the photo. And of course he caught me. He tapped me again and said firmly. Put the camera away...NOW.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7TgBU0inQbsHh-a-bXyt1XKf-SMJutgF_YfgozCSGDdG0DOxykdW7d5nFUurxyN63EuGQOWyq5clCNVHFR32diwaKnwy9nTdcLX7C9xqZIKB3V7nS-yYaXLqi4wGEkZXZfaYf_ot1KY/s1600/Michelangelo%2527s+Creation+of+Adam+-+Sistine+Chapel+-+Rome+-+July+2016+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7TgBU0inQbsHh-a-bXyt1XKf-SMJutgF_YfgozCSGDdG0DOxykdW7d5nFUurxyN63EuGQOWyq5clCNVHFR32diwaKnwy9nTdcLX7C9xqZIKB3V7nS-yYaXLqi4wGEkZXZfaYf_ot1KY/s400/Michelangelo%2527s+Creation+of+Adam+-+Sistine+Chapel+-+Rome+-+July+2016+a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My prized photo that almost got me into trouble.</td></tr>
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Just behind me was Michelangelo's final judgement and I really wanted a photo of that also. I snapped it quickly and then saw the guard looking at me from across the room. I showed him from a distance I was putting my camera away and then quickly made my exit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_WGNpbn95uAdqGok2lA4E1C4OK2vXLjEZLVzFz7xVx44wXkiRKfZxqn-vJP50NwDNc9Osh6z435iT3jTLCvIap4G8HwfKhicQN4ciCx-CQNMKyyMMH2FeGM33CAqKv6HH9cbe-fijQ0/s1600/Michelangelo%2527s+The+Final+Judgement+-+Sistine+Chapel+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_WGNpbn95uAdqGok2lA4E1C4OK2vXLjEZLVzFz7xVx44wXkiRKfZxqn-vJP50NwDNc9Osh6z435iT3jTLCvIap4G8HwfKhicQN4ciCx-CQNMKyyMMH2FeGM33CAqKv6HH9cbe-fijQ0/s400/Michelangelo%2527s+The+Final+Judgement+-+Sistine+Chapel+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelangelo's Final Judgement</td></tr>
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I don't know what I would have done if I had gotten into serious trouble with the guard. How would I explain long distance to Mark that I had been thrown out of the Vatican Museum because I didn't take my guided tour and I needed extra cash for a fine. Luckily that did not happen.<br />
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Leaving the museum the view of St. Peter's was beautiful and much different from observing it from front in St. Peter's Square.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT1FVu5osxIWSG-u_hKX728_2K0jWxNVHqIZ5QXPJIH98tELazfpvfziRu9305BSK1H5rAGCkqVR3afrfC8PCq2QZmPY6XEtNHnxPQDFIO26SHnSJrZru2cyLh9fjUhNJmto7bij8ypc/s1600/The+Dome+of+St.+Peters+Basilica+-+Rome+-+July+2017+1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT1FVu5osxIWSG-u_hKX728_2K0jWxNVHqIZ5QXPJIH98tELazfpvfziRu9305BSK1H5rAGCkqVR3afrfC8PCq2QZmPY6XEtNHnxPQDFIO26SHnSJrZru2cyLh9fjUhNJmto7bij8ypc/s400/The+Dome+of+St.+Peters+Basilica+-+Rome+-+July+2017+1a.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I left The Vatican and the crowds and the guards behind and had to chuckle to myself because I do tend to get into trouble when I am alone. It was extremely hot on this day and I need to take a break and cool down. There was a really nice little cafe just across the street from the museum entrance. I stopped in for something to cool to drink and then noticed they had watermelon on the menu. What a perfect way to relax and cool off and also take a silly selfie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLImNNArkBO4yxuk3L2d8kUe3Roa-rcMK1Rd2ydONQwiP236i0x_vnn-MVr4_fnh3Nm6_juXeOe1RUFoBQAKf6yRpdnqixVMGAI6MjS4te8p1Y_m-hpBcwTzzp-0ZvEGt6ZhlUu-h-EJU/s1600/365+Year+7+Photo+264+Taking+a+watermelon+break+after+visiting+the+Vatican+Museum+-+Rome.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLImNNArkBO4yxuk3L2d8kUe3Roa-rcMK1Rd2ydONQwiP236i0x_vnn-MVr4_fnh3Nm6_juXeOe1RUFoBQAKf6yRpdnqixVMGAI6MjS4te8p1Y_m-hpBcwTzzp-0ZvEGt6ZhlUu-h-EJU/s400/365+Year+7+Photo+264+Taking+a+watermelon+break+after+visiting+the+Vatican+Museum+-+Rome.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So there I am with a quartered slice of watermelon, a mirror behind me, and my cell phone. I probably should have used that cell phone in the Sistine Chapel. I probably would not have been noticed at all.<br />
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I went back to my hotel to shower and get a change of clothes as it had been very hot and I was a bit sweaty. I put away my little white hat I had bought to wear in Rome and broke out my Baltimore Oriole's baseball cap. I was slowly preparing to return home. I went to lunch in the neighborhood and to my surprise I found a craft beer. I had not seen any craft beers the entire time I had been in Rome. So I was excited to get something other than a Peroni.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYVJ6aV-vjeUtseJX9fwh64hUuTRQYeopXegetF-kqLnFj5n-7F9lo0wXGceN7VBBll3YOP21AQ-Ek9bITD2FWrohpwoPExMKfIdZLOkoIxVn_NWPr-mjOpW1TAq5Icp7wppQjb3NU58/s1600/IMG_9232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYVJ6aV-vjeUtseJX9fwh64hUuTRQYeopXegetF-kqLnFj5n-7F9lo0wXGceN7VBBll3YOP21AQ-Ek9bITD2FWrohpwoPExMKfIdZLOkoIxVn_NWPr-mjOpW1TAq5Icp7wppQjb3NU58/s400/IMG_9232.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My last lunch in Rome was a bit melancholy. I still had a dinner coming up later in the evening but something about lunch set me back a little. I started thinking about how much Mark and I had looked forward to this trip. And I felt awful that his father was ill and also that Mark had to stay home. I looked over at the empty chair sitting in front of me and took a photo. This was Mark's chair. And I ordered him a glass of wine and sent him a silent toast and a thanks.<br />
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And then suddenly this typical tourist couple walked past me. I am sure they were part of one of the "skip the line" tour from the Sistine Chapel. And I just got the sillies. I had to giggle. So much for sentiment. Here is what I saw as they passed by me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUulH5idPX8Zu_qE_P6aQfeW3lVtBLHJB7agaXGh2koY3J6QoUuyU7NnnwGZV9seZdT9r4vvs4C-42Tt6AhVS4_fN860nvr9OIj3xzn3yT6cOTpv9FYT2KY46IycsQ8j5Pr1FoiNrkOM/s1600/Jack+please+don%2527t+lose+her+-+Rome+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUulH5idPX8Zu_qE_P6aQfeW3lVtBLHJB7agaXGh2koY3J6QoUuyU7NnnwGZV9seZdT9r4vvs4C-42Tt6AhVS4_fN860nvr9OIj3xzn3yT6cOTpv9FYT2KY46IycsQ8j5Pr1FoiNrkOM/s400/Jack+please+don%2527t+lose+her+-+Rome+.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I sure hope Jack didn't lose her.<br />
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I went out that evening for my last meal in Rome. I stayed in the neighborhood. I found a delightful little pizzeria named La Tavernella.<br />
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One more glass of wine...</div>
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One more plate of pasta...</div>
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...And one more Italian waiter.</div>
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And the vacation was over. Arrivederici Roma!</div>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-13605632493570491452019-09-28T22:37:00.002-04:002019-09-29T10:24:54.141-04:00O Solo Roma Day 7 Bernini, Centaurs, and Tired Feet<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyaLD-0cLRIvMJdpJ0SZjpQZQ20z7Mroba2uhZb23RTaUlKhBvELVKQyNhfCT403sF7pB1B7kjYay65fN6Mm99W8mmZkELnFANGatD3GHmVyiibPZW-lIoO_G_ZbPYraUsOEXrayWFcg/s1600/365+Year+7+Photo+255+Larry+with+Constantines+foot+-+Rome.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyaLD-0cLRIvMJdpJ0SZjpQZQ20z7Mroba2uhZb23RTaUlKhBvELVKQyNhfCT403sF7pB1B7kjYay65fN6Mm99W8mmZkELnFANGatD3GHmVyiibPZW-lIoO_G_ZbPYraUsOEXrayWFcg/s400/365+Year+7+Photo+255+Larry+with+Constantines+foot+-+Rome.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A busy day for sore feet</td></tr>
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I planned day seven to be an easy but exhausting day. I knew I would be walking a lot the entire day. But I would not be frustrated with maps or hidden piazza's. I was returning to some familiar places I had already visited and wanted more time to explore them closer. I was off to the notorious Piazza Navona which had hidden from me taking me two days to locate the at the beginning of my time in Rome. This would be my last chance to return to the piazza and take some photos I had missed on my previous visit. I had gone through my photos from my earlier visit and was dissatisfied with some of them. I had some other angles and close ups I wanted to try on the fountains in the square. I was still on a Bernini overload and just wanted more. Also after my first visit I had read a lot more on Google and in my guide book about the church Sant'Agnese in Agone and wanted to go back to try and understand more of what I had seen on the first visit.<br />
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<h2>
Fontana dei Quattro</h2>
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I felt like my original photos of the Bernini's fountain did not do it justice. I wanted to get some photos that were close up and wanted to examine the figures more in detail. Getting close to the fountain I could feel the movement Bernini created in this work. And once more I was transported. I was glad to be alone this day as I knew my slow examination and time I spent here would have driven someone else crazy. I just felt compelled to study this more and feel the experience.<br />
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I also wanted a good close up of Fontana del Moro from the piazza with the Basilica behind it. There was on photo in my guide book of the fountains with the church in the back drop that I wanted to recreate and I was able to do that. <br />
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<h2>
Basilica of Saint Agnes in Agon</h2>
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On my previous days visit to Saint Agnes in Agone I was hesitant to take photos because there were signs posted about not using cameras. So I tried to take a few quickly with my phone. When I returned this time I noticed almost everyone was taking photos and no one was asking them to stop so I also took quite a few photos with my camera and was much happier than I was with those from the previous day. The church is truly amazing inside.<br />
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The masterpiece inside of the Basilica is the sculpture Saint Agnes in Agone<br />
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I was fascinated with this work and was very glad I had the chance to go back and take some photos of it. I was fascinated with the story of Saint Agnes. Saint Agnes was a twelve or thirteen year old early Christian martyr whose beauty was her undoing. According to the legend she had many suitors of high Roman rank. She refused their attention by her resolute devotion to religious purity. In revenge her name was submitted to the Roman government as a follower of Christianity. Her body was dragged through the streets to a brothel naked where she was to be raped. The legend goes on to say her hair grew to cover her nakedness and all of the young men who tried to rape her were turned blind. The son of the one of the men e who condemned her was struck dead by was revived by her prayers. She was tried and condemned to be burned at the stake. However the flames parted away from her and the wood would not burn. So the officer in charge drew his sword and beheaded her. The more I learn about the saints the more fascinated I become with their stories and the more the sculptures and paintings of them intrigue me. <br />
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On my previous days visit I was in a bit of a hurry as I had other plans for the day and more things I wanted to see. So I missed seeing the Shrine of Saint Agnes. To my shock and surprise there in the shrine is what is said to be her skull. I completely missed all of this on that first visit. Seeing it brought a realness to the legend for me.<br />
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I left Piazza Navona for the last time of this trip and walked down the side street towards Piazza della Rotunda and The Pantheon. I was getting good at navigating these side streets....I thought.<br />
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Searching for Piazza della Minerva.</h2>
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After my time in Piazza Navona I wanted to go find Piazza della Minerva. There was an unusual Bernini work I wanted to see in that square in front of Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. . From my guide book and also the hotel's tourist map I knew it was located directly behind The Pantheon. And I knew how to find The Pantheon so I did not think I would have any problem finding Piazza della Minerva. Wrong! For some I was unable to find the side street to take me to Piazza della Minerva. I knew I was right there according to the map, but I just could not get my sense of direction correct and find the piazza.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbY00XNZXbV3kqA7kOeObK4kYzfxRiT5m4V4ohRBFZs9-mw75ILxpB6fWxGrGGgumznQ4r-Umk8klv1GTeGAy2XXX6pD84_idaupAz-WucJrhGxJnBkX0O2t1M842bJPXQMbnF9lRyP0/s1600/data%253DZxVGtY1Ie3GlYfXcg8lV7TzhuWbLj3IB94kJhAo6mV9wsL6v8m-QrqQjrBxqdoLWYBvFgM6a6yARQQOwdYOC7o1DhvT4l5m7KuV8o_YBKytCPNDtQxkTUR834uyCS_qrT8DD_dcryLPC6TVlrOzRMEDvMzeJ0xtkl99kNDaAQNfhNMHl9GoLYSbDfNOXJSZrgq0mvrT6fg86FbT1D+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="334" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbY00XNZXbV3kqA7kOeObK4kYzfxRiT5m4V4ohRBFZs9-mw75ILxpB6fWxGrGGgumznQ4r-Umk8klv1GTeGAy2XXX6pD84_idaupAz-WucJrhGxJnBkX0O2t1M842bJPXQMbnF9lRyP0/s400/data%253DZxVGtY1Ie3GlYfXcg8lV7TzhuWbLj3IB94kJhAo6mV9wsL6v8m-QrqQjrBxqdoLWYBvFgM6a6yARQQOwdYOC7o1DhvT4l5m7KuV8o_YBKytCPNDtQxkTUR834uyCS_qrT8DD_dcryLPC6TVlrOzRMEDvMzeJ0xtkl99kNDaAQNfhNMHl9GoLYSbDfNOXJSZrgq0mvrT6fg86FbT1D+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In my frustration I decided to take a break. And where better than to take a break than in Piazza Della Rotunda in front of The Pantheon.</div>
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I took a break for lunch in the Piazza in front of the Pantheon. It was hot and I was thirsty. So the break did me well before I went back to search for another lost piazza. </div>
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Some water...</div>
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Add some pizza and a beer...</div>
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And a good view...</div>
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Now I was ready once more to search for Piazza della Minerva. </div>
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I did find it. And I don't know how I missed it. It was exactly where the map and the guide book said it would be. Directly behind The Pantheon. I guess I was too distracted by odd things like Pope lollipop stores<br />
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<h2>
Piazza della Minerva</h2>
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You can easily see the round roof on top of The Pantheon in the back ground from Piazza della Minerva, I don't know how I missed finding the square. But then remember it took me two days to find Piazza Navona so it's not surprising.<br />
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This short column is the main reason I wanted to find Piazza Navona. It's not tall. It's not screaming for your attention. At first appearance from a distance it's very unassuming. But it is another great work by Bernini. The Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva and the Piazza were all but deserted. However the Basilica Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is one of the more fascinating churches I have toured. Starting with the Bernini Elephant column in the front and then all of the Bernini art work inside made it a treasure trove for me. There was also a Michelangelo work inside the church. I was surprised that there was not a crowd visiting this church<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. It's not really mentioned in many guide books. When you mention visiting Rome no one usually asks if you visited Piazza della Minerva. Yet in my opinion there should be as many tourist here as there are at the Spanish Steps or the Trevi Fountain. </span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">In front of the church is one of the most curious and unusual monuments in Rome. It is an elephant statue designed by Bernini. </span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -24px;"><span style="text-indent: -24px;"> </span></span>The elephant is the supporting base for an Egyptian obelisk. It is the shortest of eleven obelisks found in Rome. The inscription that was chosen by the Pope Alexander VII who commissioned the elephant sculpture is said to represent that "...a strong mind is needed to support a solid knowledge." Bernini's inspiration for the elephant comes from an unusual 15th century novel by Francesco Colonna. In the novel the main character meets an elephant made of stone carrying an obelisk<span style="text-indent: -24px;"><span style="text-indent: -24px;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -24px;">As I have mentioned in my other blogs about Bernini in Rome, to me once again, I can see movement in the statue. It's not just an elephant standing with it's trunk in air like so many drawings and other statues.. This elephant's head is turned to look directly at you and his trunk is swinging to his side. </span><br />
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When I returned home within the week I read an article where the elephant sculpture had been damaged by a tourist. Part of the tusk had been damaged. The article said it could be repaired but that Romans were quite upset by the damage. I was very angry also. When I returned to Rome two years later the tusk had been repaired. But I was still angered at the ignorance of people. </div>
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Basilica Santa Maria Sopra Minerva</h2>
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The church was very beautiful inside and was way beyond my expectations. </div>
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The Bernini designed Cardinal Domenico Pimentel tomb in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva</div>
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The Bernini detail is evident in this tomb.</div>
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Bernini's Funeral Monument of Giovanni Vigevan</div>
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Bernini's funeral monument for Cardinal Gregoro Naro<br />
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There is also a Michelangelo sculpture inside the chapel. Michelangelo's statue of The Risen Christ stands in the church. The statue was originally nude created in a heroic ancient Greek style. It holds the cross, the sponge and the reed of passion. At a later time a bronze disc halo, modesty cloth and a sandal on the right foot were added. It is believed the sandal was added to protect the foot from being worn away by the touching and kissing of the faithful. Later the sandal and halo were removed. But the modesty cloth has remained in place.<br />
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There are so many items to be viewed in this church that I had a difficult time keeping track of what I was seeing. I found trying to make notes later was a difficult job. There are many chapels all filled with art and sculptures. It was truly overwhelming, in a good way at times, trying to take it all in.</div>
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Relic - Funeral Monument of Giovanni Vigevano. There are many relics in Rome and scattered all over the world. But each time I see one I have to stop and realize this skull, or this piece of bone, was a living person at one time. I always find it a bit horrific that the bones were ripped and torn and dispersed around the world. But there is also a semblance of sanctity about their display and remembrance.<br />
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I could have stood for hours studying the chapel of the Memorial of Cardinal Bonelli. There were many sculptures in the memorial chapel. Some by Bernini and some by other artists. It would have been possible to write an entire blog just on the art inside this memorial.<br />
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I had other art works I wanted to find on this day. I only had one day left in Rome after this and it was on my schedule to see The Sistine Chapel. So I had to reluctantly leave the Basilica Santa Maria della Minerva to allow myself time to visit the Campidoglio Museum. So much art and so little time.</div>
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Leaving the church I walked over to a taxi driver who was parked near the church and asked if he could take me to the Capitoline Museums. After all the searching I had done for Piazza della Minerva I did not want to waste any more time getting lost. But he laughed and explained the museums were just around the corner from me. I laughed to myself. I knew that must be very near for him to turn down a fare. But I also knew my sense of direction and wondered if I would walk around in circles looking for but yet missing it. Luckily he was correct and it was just around the corner less then a five minute walk. <br />
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Campidoglio Museum</h2>
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The Campidoglio Museum is the oldest museum in the world. It is the first place where art was opened for public enjoyment. And it was the highlight of an already remarkable day. I spent well over three hours exploring the musuems and all of the beautiful artwork inside them. Even then I had to force myself to leave knowing there was so much more I wanted to see.</div>
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The museum contained a magical world of centaurs, and giants, huge equestrian statues, God and Goddesses and yes even some more of Bernini's magic. I used my guide book to make a list of the works I did not want to miss. I made a list and when I got to the museum I mapped out their locations. Of course on my way to find them I found many other amazing surprises also.</div>
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Young Centaur, by Aristeas and Papias<br />
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Bernini's Medusa - you could almost see the snakes move. </div>
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Another Centaur. I was beginning to feel like I was walking through a Ray Harryhausen movie on a Saturday afternoon matinee at the movies.</div>
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Equestrian statue of emperor Marco Aurelio</div>
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One of my favorites. The Reclining marble statue of the river god Marforio</div>
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This sculpture of the lion attacking a horse was so realistic I almost wanted to turn my head from it. </div>
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Probably the most moving thing I saw in the museum is the beautiful but sad sculpture of The Dying Gaul or Dying Galatian. The figure represents a Celtic warrior. He lies on his fallen shield with his sword, belt, and curved trumpet lie beside him. </div>
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Boy with Thorn, also called Fedele (Fedelino) or Spinario, This is <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">one of the very few Roman bronzes that was never lost to sight. It was quite amazing to see.</span><br />
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Much like the museum itself I have too many photos to include in one blog. So I will have to force myself to move on much like I had to do that day in the museum. I think it's fitting to end with copy of Romulus and Remus from the museum.</div>
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The End of My Day</h2>
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After a long day of walking and exploring art I did not want to spend any more time searching for some place to eat dinner. So I returned to my friend Aldo's Taverna Varonne. It is the only place I returned to twice to eat. And for good reason. Aldo had been such a gracious host the previous night I only felt it polite to return his kindness and dine there again.</div>
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And just in case you are wondering, yes he did insist I have grappa again on this evening. And once again he did not add it to my check. Grazie Aldo!</div>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-48033003200964513462019-09-25T22:50:00.000-04:002019-09-26T00:42:35.725-04:00O Solo Roma Day 6 - Hunt for The Ecstasy of St. Theresa<div>
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It was day six in Rome. I had read my guide book the previous evening and found something that fascinated me. So my big plan for the day was to find Santa Maria della Vittoria and see Bernini’s sculpture Ecstasy of St. Teresa. If you have been following my blogs on my trip to Rome you have probably found humor in all of my problems with the maps I had been using. I finally gave up on the ones I had been using and decided to grab one of the tourist maps in my hotels lobby. I needed to find Largo Santa Susanna where Santa Maria della Vittoria was located. The hotels tourist map had the church marked clearly so it should be easy to find.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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When I arrived to Largo Santa Susanna the first thing I noticed was a very large fountain and sculpture. It had not been mentioned in my guide book so it was a pleasant surprise to see it. From the signs I could read I found this was Domenico Fontana’s “Fountain of Moses” on Via Orlando just across the street from the church I was wanting to visit. The Fountain of Moses was built in 1587-1588 by Domenico Fontana and it has quite an interesting history and mythology surrounding it. <br />
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Fountain of Moses </td></tr>
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The central figure of Moses lends its name to the monumental fountain. The imposing statue was created by Prospero Antichi (also known as Prospero Bresciano). According to local lore the sculptor tried to measure up to Michelangelo, who created a statue of Moses in the nearby San Pietro in Vincoli church. But the sculptor made the mistake of not creating a model and he carved the statue out of a block of marble that was lying on the ground instead of standing upright. As a result its proportions where not correct. When the statue was revealed to the public it was ridiculed and Prospero Antichi is said to have committed suicide out of sorrow.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridiculed sculpture of Moses</td></tr>
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Although the story is probably exaggerated it is however certain that the statue was ridiculed; the locals even called it 'Il Mosè ridicolo' - the ridiculous Moses. But historians now know that Antichi did not create the statue on his own, most of the work was likely done by Leonardo Sormani, who also finished the statue. But I hate to dispute a good story. So I am sticking with the mockery and suicide story. The statue is a bit overwhelming and domineering of the intersection. And Moses does look threatening. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Maria della Vittoria</td></tr>
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I then walked across the street to see Santa Maria della Vittoria and the Bernini masterpiece The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. The church is not over ornate on the outside. I could have walked right past it with little interest never knowing the master piece that was located inside if I had not read about it in the guide book. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ecstasy of St. Teresa.</td></tr>
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The sculpture amazed me. I was honestly left motionless staring at it for the longest time. Bernini's works are all amazing. And as I mentioned in some of my early blogs I was on a mission to take in as much Bernini as possible on this vacation. But I was not prepared for the effect this masterpiece had on me. Like all Bernini's work there is great fluid and motion to the sculpture. His works are never static. They flow and move. The statues in this piece depict a moment described by Saint Teresa of Avila in her autobiography, where she had the vivid vision of a seraph piercing her heart with a golden shaft, causing her both immense joy and pain. The flowing robes and contorted posture leave classical restraint and repose behind to depict a more passionate, almost voluptuous trance. You can see and almost feel her ecstasy looking at the sculpture. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #252525; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span>
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I had a terrible time taking good photos of the sculpture. It was placed over head with bright lights surrounding it. Most of my photos turned out blurry and a bit out of focus. I had to work some major photoshopping to make a few them worthy of the exhibit. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
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Another beautiful sculpture in the church was Our Lady of Mount Carmel Giving the Scapular to St. Simon. Although it pales in comparison to the Bernini it still is quite interesting to see. Not being Roman Catholic I had to do some research about the meaning of this sculpture and also to find out what a scapular is Pious tradition maintains that both the rosary and the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel were given by the Virgin Mary to saints Dominic and Simon. This particular statue represents the ones given to St. Simon. I was excited to text home to Mark later in the day to let him know all of the Roman Catholic history I was learning on this day.<br />
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I left Santa Maria della Vittoria and walked to Piazza della Repubblica. I was on my way to Santa Maria Maggiore. I stopped in a small cafe in the piazza to take a break and have something cool to drink as the day was very warm. It was a very beautiful location to take a break. There were fountains, churches and to my surprise all of the chairs at the café had Budweiser written on the back.<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
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Really Rome? Really? Budweiser chairs? How disappointing. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry being judgmental over Budweiser chairs</td></tr>
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In the piazza is a very unusual fountain that I found very interesting. There is a bit of eroticism to the fountain .In the center is a group of sculptures called the group of the Glauco, sculpted by Rutelli in 1912, depicting the fisherman Glauco fighting a fish, symbolizing the dominion of mankind over natural forces. A tall central spray is shot upward from this sculpture. But the real highlight of this fountain are the four Naiads (nymphs) evenly spaced at the edge of the fountain, each with a jet of water spraying from the center toward them. <br />
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The four figures of the Naiad's were to represent the four water nymphs. The Naiad of the the Oceans, the Naiad of the Rivers, the Naiad of the Lakes, and the Naiad of the Underground Waters, each with an allergorical animal that represented their environment. But nobody imaged quite what the artist had conceived and the population was shocked when the statues were finally unveiled in 1901: four completely naked young female figures whose bodies, soaked by water that gushed from a large nozzle at the back, glittered in the sun in a very erotic manner. It is said the young men in turn of the century Rome like the statues a lot. I did also. But conservative factions of the city rose up and battled to have removed in the name of morality and decency. It didn't work. The statues still remain thank goodness.<br />
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Although the fountain was not mentioned in my guide, and criticized and almost censored at the turn of century, it was what a delightful to find while resting before heading to my the next church of my day.<br />
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I followed the convenient map my hotel provided to find my way from Piazza della Repubblica to Santa Maria della Maggiore. There were several small side streets I had to follow and I could only have found it with my map.</div>
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When I arrived to the church there was a lot of security. There is security all over Rome particularly at the famous tourist sites, but this more security than I had seen anywhere other than the Vatican.<br />
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I had to walk through a scanner and run my bags through a security scanner also. I placed my map on the belt with my bags but when I retrieved my bags I did not pick up my map. I went inside to view the church and sat down on a pew for moment to look at my map to find my way back. That’s when I realized I had lost the map in security. I was not sure what to do. I knew I would have a very difficult time finding my way back without the map. But I also knew the very serious security guards would be in no mood to hear my story about the lost map. So I went to a gift shop in the church and they did have maps for sale and I bought one. It was not expensive. When I opened it up back in the street outside of the church it was a full map of Rome and not just a convenient map of the tourist locations. It was difficult to read and follow the map and I was a little aggravated with myself for losing the smaller easier map. I walked across the street from the church and found another souvenir stand. They did have small tourist friendly maps for sale here. So I ended up losing my free map and then buying two other maps. The map was really excellent and I used it for the rest of my time in Rome. At the time of my visit I did not realize the church had been the target of a possible terrorist attack in Dec. 2015. That explained the tight security outside of the church. So for all practical reasons I can say my losing my map was due to an act of terrorism.</div>
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When I returned home the map was an excellent aid in helping me identify my photos and to map out in writing my daily journeys. I kept the map and used it again when Mark and I returned to Rome together two years later. Guess what? We lost it our second day there! </div>
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This column stands in the Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore in front of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.<br />
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Atop it is a statue of the Virgin Mary by G. Berthelot. <br />
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This church had many unusual things about that caught my attention and amused me both inside and outside of the church.</div>
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There were several stern and serious looking sculptures on the outside wall of the church. I tried to find some information on them but did not come up with anything interesting.</div>
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Inside the church is the Crypt of the Nativity. It is one of the more unusual things that I saw in the churches in Rome. There is a very large statue of Pope Pius in front of a golden statue of the infant Jesus that looks very unusual. When I sent a photo home to Mark later that evening he said it looked like disco Jesus. But my research told me later it had a greater significance than I had realized.<br />
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The statue of St. Pius praying to the small statue of the Christ child in front of him.<br />
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And here what I found to be a very unusual Christ child sculpture</div>
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Although Mark and I made a bit of irreverent joke about this particular statue to our embarrassment it has a very important significance. Under the high altar of the basilica is the Crypt of the Nativity or Bethlehem Crypt, with a crystal reliquary designed by Giuseppe Valadier said to contain wood from the Holy Crib of the nativity of the infant Jesus. <br />
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The church was very beautiful inside and I took many photos.</div>
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Leaving the church and headed back towards my hotel I was very glad to have bought a new map. There were many side streets, intersections, and small paths to follow getting back. I would have been completely lost with a map. </div>
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I started out the day by being silly and taking a selfie in the hallway mirror near the elevator.<br />
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When I finished my walking tour for the day I took a taxi once again from Piazza Vittorio to Piazza del Popolo. It had been a long day walking in the heat of summer in Rome. <br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->When I arrived back in Piazza del Popolo I
started the walk back to my hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
took a photo of two men sitting on a wall near Piazza della Liberta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have taken similar photos in other
cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to be a theme I enjoy. For some reason seeing the two men sitting on the wall made me realize how grateful I was to Mark for this trip to Rome and how much he should have been on this vacation also. It's one of my favorite photos from the trip. It's not a church or cathedral. It just captured a moment and an emotion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1</span></span><o:p></o:p>. I had a late lunch at a small place with a beautiful wall of wine near my hotel. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUvIhWvu3jt_eh38TXc2wUcGXNCvNPoj66OSKN2n8BDIzBjHs0yF5iTLVsJgBYYae4EWV-f_2OgwiBmRgf_1yyXmX_Eq1JiCRQEy89IDpTaLwZHC058QGb6JgTPRDn0YTL3h6I2Yc-WA/s1600/Wine+on+the+wall+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUvIhWvu3jt_eh38TXc2wUcGXNCvNPoj66OSKN2n8BDIzBjHs0yF5iTLVsJgBYYae4EWV-f_2OgwiBmRgf_1yyXmX_Eq1JiCRQEy89IDpTaLwZHC058QGb6JgTPRDn0YTL3h6I2Yc-WA/s320/Wine+on+the+wall+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I went to the hotel to rest a little, take a shower and recoup before
going out for dinner. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I walked down towards the Vatican and saw an
interesting little pizzeria. There was
outside seating and some steps leading downstairs to the actual restaurant
which was in the basement of the building.
The owner of the place was named Aldo and he was very friendly. I ordered a <o:p></o:p></div>
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Peroni and it came in a very large
mug and with a plate of bread sticks. The pizza was very good.<br />
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I ordered a second Peroni and decided that
would be enough as it was late and dark and I was walking alone. I talked with Aldo, the owner a little
more. We talked about Rome and where I
was from. He asked me if I wanted a
grappa before leaving. I love grappa but I said no thank
you. I think I have already had enough
for tonight. He said but you must have a
grappa and laughed. I asked him what
kind of grappa. Was it the kind that
burned all the way down? He laughed and
said No I have good grappa. So I took
his advice and had the grappa.<br />
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It was
delicious and had no burn at all. I said
to him that it was very good and it did not burn. He said I told you it was good grappa and
then filled my glass again. Oh boy! I would have to be very careful walking
back.<br />
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Aldo's was a wonderful find for me. The evening could not have been better. Great food, free grappa and a wonderful host.<br />
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On my way back to the room it was still early. I knew I would be awake for a while so I stopped at the little grocery store by my hotel and bought some snacks and a bottle of Poretti. Then it was time to relax, check out my guide for tomorrows adventures, and text Mark to tell him all about my day.</div>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-27169605311161032422019-09-15T23:52:00.000-04:002019-09-17T00:26:06.039-04:00Touring Mid Atlantic Breweries - Summer 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer glasses from 15 Breweries I visited summer 2019</td></tr>
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Mark and I are travelers. Anyone who knows us has been told at least one travel story from our many adventures. When we bump into friends at the end of summer one of the first questions we are asked is "Where did you go this summer?" Our answer this year is a bit different. We did not really go away any place this summer. Instead we spent the summer taking road trips each weekend. We sat down either on Friday night or Saturday morning and googled" local breweries". Then we made a decision and hit the road in search of that brewery. Our road trips took us through four states and fifteen breweries. I am going to list all of the breweries we visited this summer and give them my own personal rating on a level from one to five. I fully support the small local brewery industry. And I did not have any real bad experiences at any of the breweries I visited. But I did have some I enjoyed more than others. But there are none I would I really not recommend visiting. Even my lowest rated are so far above the big mass produced beers nationwide that there is really no comparison in my opinion. My rating are based on the beer of course. I also factored in my thoughts on the tap room itself. Was there food or a food truck. Did the servers add to my experience. I included the appearance of the tap room. And even factored in the design of the beer glasses I purchased.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dogfish Head Beer Glass - Off centered beers for off centered people.</td></tr>
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The first brewery I visited this summer was Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware. My daughter Katie was on a quick vacation before starting a new job. She had no plans to go away for a vacation. She asked me if I would like to do a day trip with her. I suggested visiting Dogfish Head Brewery. We would be able to take a tour of the brewery and then also also have time to go to the beach in Rehoboth, Delaware for the afternoon. We had a wonderful experience at Dogfish Head. This was the largest brewery I visited this summer. It is not your typical small local brewery. It's almost too large to fairly compare it to the smaller breweries. We had a great time touring the brewery.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie and I touring Dogfish Head Brewery<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dogfish Head is a very large major brewery<br />
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Dogfish head is a very large and successful brewery. And they make some of my favorite beers. They have a very good food menu which not all local breweries have. Katie and I had a good lunch and a we each had a flight of four beer samples in the tap room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flight of beer from Dogfish Head Taproom/</td></tr>
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My favorite in my flight was their new beer for the season SuperEIGHT fruited sour gose. Their beer glass is a local classic. I bought my first souvenir glass of the summer in their gift shop.Also in Dogfish Heads favor is the fact that I won a raffle the week before our visit at my local pub. Dogfish Head was visiting for a tap take over night and I won a portable phonograph player with a Dogfish Head design. <br />
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My rating for Dogfish Head Brewery - 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 5/5 Pints.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diamondback Brewing Greenfest Beer Glass<br />
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My next brewery of the summer came on Fathers Day weekend in June. My daughter Katie took Mark and I out for lunch on Father's Day. After lunch I suggested going to a local brewery. We had such a good time at Dogfish Head so I started reading a lot about local breweries. Just off the top of my head at lunch I suggested that we might want to go visit Diamondback Brewery in Baltimore after lunch and sample their beers. So off we were to our next brewery. We had no plan at this time to spend the rest of the summer visiting breweries. But we enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to locate and visit more.<br />
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I had two beers at Diamondback Brewery. I had their Ostend Sudays Blonde Ale and their Green Machine IPA. I rated both very high on my Untapped phone app. We had already eaten lunch so we did not sample any food at the brewery. They do have a limited supply of pizza and snacks at Diamondback. And they were all out of food when we arrived late on Sunday afternoon. I did really like their colorful Greenfest beer they served their Green Machine IPA in. I purchased one for my now budding beer glass collection. The brewery and tap room are small but very welcoming. There was a large outside patio with lots of seating. The servers were very friendly and inviting.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie, Mark and I at Diamondback Brewery</td></tr>
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My rating for Diamondback Brewery is 🍺🍺🍺🍺 4/5 pints.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Union Craft Brewing Beer Glass - Divine </td></tr>
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We continued our summer brewery tour on June 22. But we didn't have to drive very far. We went to Union Craft Brewing on 41st Street in Baltimore. I was familiar with Union Craft Brewing because I frequently drink their Union Duck Pin IPA. The brewery uses icons of Baltimore for inspiration in the beer names. I had a Divine IPA. It was labeled as perversely hoppy and free spirited on their menu and that description was correct. They also had a unique and fun glass to serve the beer. I bought one for a souvenir.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QY8GOop86hnhQALldcxLfk3VIFE5gHX9zZrS-F5FSYh6Qcz6QaXXfmiBl_TjBorErCWoITgUQQ2-_fYWqzkLotJZPh9bzL0CRhAxjTDDO4O0eCjtRbyxsYLBMzp2B7UcZmCHrTaEfIc/s1600/Ginger+sour+beer+with+a+habanero+shot+at+Union+Craft+Brewing+-+crazy+good.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QY8GOop86hnhQALldcxLfk3VIFE5gHX9zZrS-F5FSYh6Qcz6QaXXfmiBl_TjBorErCWoITgUQQ2-_fYWqzkLotJZPh9bzL0CRhAxjTDDO4O0eCjtRbyxsYLBMzp2B7UcZmCHrTaEfIc/s400/Ginger+sour+beer+with+a+habanero+shot+at+Union+Craft+Brewing+-+crazy+good.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I also had their Rough Drafts Ginger Sour Ale served with a habanero pepper sauce shot. The combination sounded scary but fascinating. As I was first sipping the beer a lady from behind the counter asked me what I thought of it. I said I was surprised at how much I liked it. She smiled real big and said thank you. I created that beer. <br />
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They have a kitchen that serves really good pizzas and sandwiches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBHv1mqWB3LazqM_1aBntV1hgidlnS3yIvD9_rkPUg1sXXbGs74z-cWWa_4e9pblp4AZvamfe5__uw-sZJgcJe5CXF-UVCvO27keF6_LjGXIRrp20oPZNv6Hio6sCoJrG5Zadn6dVxxc/s1600/Delicious+pizza+with+a+Divine+beer+at+Union+Craft+Brewing+-+June+2019+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBHv1mqWB3LazqM_1aBntV1hgidlnS3yIvD9_rkPUg1sXXbGs74z-cWWa_4e9pblp4AZvamfe5__uw-sZJgcJe5CXF-UVCvO27keF6_LjGXIRrp20oPZNv6Hio6sCoJrG5Zadn6dVxxc/s400/Delicious+pizza+with+a+Divine+beer+at+Union+Craft+Brewing+-+June+2019+1.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The tap room is very large and there is a huge patio outside for summer drinking hours. This is a local brewery I plan to visit again.<br />
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The staff was very friendly and made us feel like regulars even if it was our first visit. I guess you can see I will be rating this one very high.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZmH27xCEbQ9yOuqtGaj4PfsMvzYsQ5buHGW898Q98E2yLbZqrIuL7ZKF9ygLR-JS_a-UegEshysDpgAZQK1-PDJx2tH6aJSQ7i6r4t9vcy6dIvYE-sPhR25aFT_pis9AC4sBZE_Y4Gk/s1600/365+Year+10+Photo+313+-+Larry+with+a+Divine+beer+at+Union+Craft+Brewing+Tap+Room+June+2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZmH27xCEbQ9yOuqtGaj4PfsMvzYsQ5buHGW898Q98E2yLbZqrIuL7ZKF9ygLR-JS_a-UegEshysDpgAZQK1-PDJx2tH6aJSQ7i6r4t9vcy6dIvYE-sPhR25aFT_pis9AC4sBZE_Y4Gk/s400/365+Year+10+Photo+313+-+Larry+with+a+Divine+beer+at+Union+Craft+Brewing+Tap+Room+June+2019.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry with a Divine IPA at Union Craft Brewing<br />
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My rating for Union Craft Brewing is 🍺🍺🍺🍺.75 4.75/5 pints.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhod1XNEjgUzDzLm1kCqNE_4z_M3LjgTzklP9NBOO3MiPNJkbPoqRypnW4udHY1tz3v81tRKGu4_IcrWKJ3vuQRYWPWM_aGo7gfABnJmsZ8lhW4oM9zExXGfaO5vz2Q43dimVKPXj8TPD4/s1600/Waverly+Brewing+Company%252C+Baltimore%252C+Maryland+-+Summer+2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhod1XNEjgUzDzLm1kCqNE_4z_M3LjgTzklP9NBOO3MiPNJkbPoqRypnW4udHY1tz3v81tRKGu4_IcrWKJ3vuQRYWPWM_aGo7gfABnJmsZ8lhW4oM9zExXGfaO5vz2Q43dimVKPXj8TPD4/s400/Waverly+Brewing+Company%252C+Baltimore%252C+Maryland+-+Summer+2019.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waverly Brewing Beer Glass</td></tr>
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We started out the first weekend in July with a trip to Waverly Brewing. Once again this is Baltimore brewery. We had visited the brewery previously for a birthday party for one of Mark's cousins two years ago. It's a small brewery in an old warehouse area on the banks of the Jones Falls River. The building sits just beneath a bridge on the Jones Fall's Expressway. The inside is interesting. Part of the drinking area almost looks like the set for a TV sitcom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEP4Rwujs7AOnleOUlcJBWiGHRrGRrkGwGY8hyphenhyphenEyFj4eqSaNoa-v3j_td3Ge4EsWNmD1HXgLnayxigecoTTk6nborrps3KL2iLeZvuFZBrMlLpxSzl6fvGyjTkW75KQljti3KhQK0HVs/s1600/Interesting+man+at+Waverly+Brewery+in+Baltimore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1266" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEP4Rwujs7AOnleOUlcJBWiGHRrGRrkGwGY8hyphenhyphenEyFj4eqSaNoa-v3j_td3Ge4EsWNmD1HXgLnayxigecoTTk6nborrps3KL2iLeZvuFZBrMlLpxSzl6fvGyjTkW75KQljti3KhQK0HVs/s400/Interesting+man+at+Waverly+Brewery+in+Baltimore.JPG" width="316" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYPFQpbF0nOBZb7J8I1k-0uVxfi6yy3qMoYiAkUe9QKm5G7UagUag9AoeMOARJKJo2NnVFrsRd1uGxlTFRClnhJquPiaEcV9T8vE2X0uF2bqfZJT0FFguGffvZFBWk0ENXryOVxFzmjY/s1600/Waverly+Brewery+in+Baltimore+-+reminds+me+of+a+TV+sitcom+set+inside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYPFQpbF0nOBZb7J8I1k-0uVxfi6yy3qMoYiAkUe9QKm5G7UagUag9AoeMOARJKJo2NnVFrsRd1uGxlTFRClnhJquPiaEcV9T8vE2X0uF2bqfZJT0FFguGffvZFBWk0ENXryOVxFzmjY/s400/Waverly+Brewery+in+Baltimore+-+reminds+me+of+a+TV+sitcom+set+inside.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I had a Mango'at fruited sour beer at Waverly Brewing. It was a good choice. I rated it a four on my Untapped phone beer app. The atmosphere was fun. From the sitcom set seating area to finding minature babies all on the bar we had a good time. There had been a baby shower the previous day and they left tiny plastic babies behind after their clean up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1txkPGoHgqCDszHhTuuSpM5r_WLhDR1apY8FzYWES0jEIy05yWYlq1mHCmwDgbMl748FMxFTwpw8lGA3VhGGfU3P5qcWwMPwWR_C8Y7sYsuhDHuzOQShnSFHKf0qNR_aO1bh7NuY2xc/s1600/Wavely+Brewery+-+There%2527s+a+baby+sitting+on+my+beer+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1txkPGoHgqCDszHhTuuSpM5r_WLhDR1apY8FzYWES0jEIy05yWYlq1mHCmwDgbMl748FMxFTwpw8lGA3VhGGfU3P5qcWwMPwWR_C8Y7sYsuhDHuzOQShnSFHKf0qNR_aO1bh7NuY2xc/s400/Wavely+Brewery+-+There%2527s+a+baby+sitting+on+my+beer+%25282%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a baby on my beer glass!<br />
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There is no kitchen at Waverly Brewery. But they do have a rotation of food trucks on the weekend. We did not eat here as we had lunch plans later in the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXWxLwt0uXpPGnh8H5HvoCGIViZFPx96ksNDkBe5db3oJLnr9j-GK1P8xsXwpPQta450CbFqRRHaWeiEiG6_Hdz2li5jsFXgwySGrkB_LLvgEKllqhvc148eLkqxm5fiESFPFUYmCliQ/s1600/365+Year+10+Photo+331+-+Larry+at+Waverly+Brewery+in+Baltimore+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXWxLwt0uXpPGnh8H5HvoCGIViZFPx96ksNDkBe5db3oJLnr9j-GK1P8xsXwpPQta450CbFqRRHaWeiEiG6_Hdz2li5jsFXgwySGrkB_LLvgEKllqhvc148eLkqxm5fiESFPFUYmCliQ/s400/365+Year+10+Photo+331+-+Larry+at+Waverly+Brewery+in+Baltimore+1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry with a Mango'at Sour at Waverly Brewing</td></tr>
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I liked the souvenir beer glass. It was colorful and not just with a black or white logo. The beer was good. And the tiny babie's made me laugh. Parking can be a problem if they are busy. All in all a fun afternoon.<br />
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My rating for Waverly Brewing - 🍺🍺🍺🍺 4/5 pints<br />
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The second weekend in July we were off to the country where we found two breweries in the hills of northern Harford County, Maryland.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegmwjx97ErKjm-I016y4hFN7HBUSCcYVHrkPE9ZYQMAFRVXFLNm1eQ1jkVF8fwJWOc_gt0DuojvETWtJgwPs0EURK2HrCbjxp_a9-QP9ZQbVbC4h55WUDWtnk01bBZ4BMCwl0pSc0U_s/s1600/Slate+Farm+Brewery+-+Street%252C+Maryland+-+Summer+2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1192" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegmwjx97ErKjm-I016y4hFN7HBUSCcYVHrkPE9ZYQMAFRVXFLNm1eQ1jkVF8fwJWOc_gt0DuojvETWtJgwPs0EURK2HrCbjxp_a9-QP9ZQbVbC4h55WUDWtnk01bBZ4BMCwl0pSc0U_s/s400/Slate+Farm+Brewery+-+Street%252C+Maryland+-+Summer+2019.JPG" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slate Farm Brewing Beer Glass</td></tr>
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We took about a forty five minute drive from our house in Baltimore County to the Street, Maryland in Harford County to find Slate Farm Brewing. This is a new brewery that just opened this past year. I was unsure what to expect. I knew it was on a farm. I knew it was in the country. And I knew they had live entertainment. We found the brewery to be very nice. Wide open windows overlooking the farm. A large outside patio area. And the beer was excellent. It was way above our expectation. All of ingredients in the beer were grown fresh on the farm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbF2_nLeGs3oMKYO52Xxe8uen6h4QW1KmNlF2KCoIrnZxVzyS_ymTH0UCRNp6zSwY2kixSF8xHeI_XG5CAKtr_4y5GlY6A2mb5eGqWrpHFDeW6x8m03ThPEfkTCUJx5N-eJ3U12GUPr8/s1600/Slate+Farm+Brewery+patio+-+Whiteford+Maryland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbF2_nLeGs3oMKYO52Xxe8uen6h4QW1KmNlF2KCoIrnZxVzyS_ymTH0UCRNp6zSwY2kixSF8xHeI_XG5CAKtr_4y5GlY6A2mb5eGqWrpHFDeW6x8m03ThPEfkTCUJx5N-eJ3U12GUPr8/s400/Slate+Farm+Brewery+patio+-+Whiteford+Maryland.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patio and recreation area on the farm</td></tr>
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The live entertainment was a very big surprise. It was a blue grass band from North Carolina. The group was very eclectic. It was three men and two women. One of the women was dressed in middle eastern clothing, the others were dressed in typical blue grass band type clothing. She was playing the bass fiddle. The groups harmony was spot on. We requested one particular song and they took time to find the music on line to play it for us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4imoNScWsf_PhXHtsuMIXvLrcgkJa9H9RNiqBZaDB-uq9A09THo2rFUPTTlakmJle28g81K4jAGV_ndGjxbN5XkhyYudf7m5OY1y0-5JD_4Owixk73fTPHXYWMhxMTqJBBwLIAib8dy8/s1600/Blue+Grass+Band+from+North+Carolina+playing+at+Slate+Farm+Brewery+in+Whiteford+Maryland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4imoNScWsf_PhXHtsuMIXvLrcgkJa9H9RNiqBZaDB-uq9A09THo2rFUPTTlakmJle28g81K4jAGV_ndGjxbN5XkhyYudf7m5OY1y0-5JD_4Owixk73fTPHXYWMhxMTqJBBwLIAib8dy8/s400/Blue+Grass+Band+from+North+Carolina+playing+at+Slate+Farm+Brewery+in+Whiteford+Maryland.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The beer was excellent. The freshness of the ingredients had to have added to the flavor. I had a Quarry IPA and afterwards a Strawberry Blonde Ale. There was just something special about meeting the brewers, seeing the ingredients being grown out on the farm, and tasting the freshness in the glass.<br />
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They also had a very good permanent food truck attached to the brewery. Mark had tacos and I had an excellent bacon cheeseburger. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCUvC1WJ0q4pw03d6up5yxwDHvJ07NqysRCN-JpyL8CAezdBjYXKorIg_O0o1zGKpgD-GcfFAjfAftlLLD62ANRupqil0Hxdc5fOfwMIetk0nZlNmn122msX6xXkrESXmEFG47E2ODUE/s1600/Slate+Farm+Brewery+farm+grown+hops+and+strawberries+in+this+beer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCUvC1WJ0q4pw03d6up5yxwDHvJ07NqysRCN-JpyL8CAezdBjYXKorIg_O0o1zGKpgD-GcfFAjfAftlLLD62ANRupqil0Hxdc5fOfwMIetk0nZlNmn122msX6xXkrESXmEFG47E2ODUE/s400/Slate+Farm+Brewery+farm+grown+hops+and+strawberries+in+this+beer.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry blonde ale with farm grown hops and strawberries</td></tr>
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Great experience. Excellent beer. Beautiful farm location. Fun entertainment. Good food. This was a perfect afternoon. We will be returning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiiWY1eC95_RFEk45n1HRze3BBKANIN3UmnSRmZRaXh6mYpfbXGXfZ0VIwZ-mn2zPX5x2TlVqcnexUqpwC7v-XAm1Wo6JkHgGI1EVRT1IbbPGNCuhPf01rrfMyjv1xrdusLwd_GXBYsc/s1600/365+Year+10+Photo+335+-+Larry+at+Slate+Farm+Brewery+in+Whiteford+Maryland+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiiWY1eC95_RFEk45n1HRze3BBKANIN3UmnSRmZRaXh6mYpfbXGXfZ0VIwZ-mn2zPX5x2TlVqcnexUqpwC7v-XAm1Wo6JkHgGI1EVRT1IbbPGNCuhPf01rrfMyjv1xrdusLwd_GXBYsc/s400/365+Year+10+Photo+335+-+Larry+at+Slate+Farm+Brewery+in+Whiteford+Maryland+%25282%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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My rating for Slate Farm Brewing is 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 5/5 pints. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspqym2IaGNxawdpyXnUmdPJ5Z3KQmS-V04qvTMmDwfD8vb2lL-J40EM2a2mH5NnglzviLY2h1F963gCSiHYRMopM9pqmjKoGaBNDWFAE2U35RpSKuw16E85Vjax3s4EpfZ_jJQxy0P2U/s1600/Falling+Branch+Brewery+-+Street%252C+Maryland+-+Summer+2019+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspqym2IaGNxawdpyXnUmdPJ5Z3KQmS-V04qvTMmDwfD8vb2lL-J40EM2a2mH5NnglzviLY2h1F963gCSiHYRMopM9pqmjKoGaBNDWFAE2U35RpSKuw16E85Vjax3s4EpfZ_jJQxy0P2U/s400/Falling+Branch+Brewery+-+Street%252C+Maryland+-+Summer+2019+1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falling Branch Brewery Beer Glass</td></tr>
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Just around the corner in the same area of Harford County we found Falling Branch Brewery. Unfortunately for this brewery it followed an excellent experience at Slate Farm Brewing. It would be all but impossible to top or even equal that experience. Falling Branch is also on a local farm. It's a bit larger than the farm at Slate Farm Brewing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoP_iD1FeT3rdtlEJs_NeTyzC5kgssYGVBAw51N5vHfSntRAus4cctN94bmk1Wybr5aRYUmEKVUrQ9zCB5ryF4h22rP0522hkeg_zPsZiTk425jZnFo8iSR6k7a9Ck685CgZkLsKGyZQ/s1600/Barn+and+tap+room+at+Falling+Branch+Brewery+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoP_iD1FeT3rdtlEJs_NeTyzC5kgssYGVBAw51N5vHfSntRAus4cctN94bmk1Wybr5aRYUmEKVUrQ9zCB5ryF4h22rP0522hkeg_zPsZiTk425jZnFo8iSR6k7a9Ck685CgZkLsKGyZQ/s400/Barn+and+tap+room+at+Falling+Branch+Brewery+.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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There is no kitchen or permanent food truck at Falling Branch Brewery. They do have a rotating schedule of food trucks. The band that was playing outside was very loud and made it difficult to hear inside the barn where we were seating. Had we not visited Slate Farm Brewing first we might have enjoyed the experience here much more. I have to rate this brewery lower just due to the comparison of the two. But as I said in my introduction to this blog I support all small independent brewers. And compared to the watered down tasteless beer you get from the big mass produced national breweries this brewery was far better than any of those. I had one IPA because I had already had two beers previously. The beer was good but not memorable. The beer glass souvenir was not memorable. Their name was not even on the glass.<br />
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My rating for Falling Branch Brewery is 🍺🍺 2/5 pints<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-LjLtbr5y5zkr61V1q6mi8YT03FcOsHfALg1QvYoLAW6Ox_XRfwQoCRWTKeycJmVieHN5wVkDKY9E9zk5GM3HnJFYwVNOQ-wf7RiLOAo6egd83v7y2qzSvuhaf2Q3jeZ3SSTObVHrwU/s1600/Victory+Brewing+Comapany+-+Kennett+Square%252C+Pennsylvania+-+Summer+2019+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-LjLtbr5y5zkr61V1q6mi8YT03FcOsHfALg1QvYoLAW6Ox_XRfwQoCRWTKeycJmVieHN5wVkDKY9E9zk5GM3HnJFYwVNOQ-wf7RiLOAo6egd83v7y2qzSvuhaf2Q3jeZ3SSTObVHrwU/s400/Victory+Brewing+Comapany+-+Kennett+Square%252C+Pennsylvania+-+Summer+2019+.JPG" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victory Brewing Beer Glass</td></tr>
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The first weekend in August we drove north into Pennsylvania to Kennett Square to go to Victory Brewing. I have been a fan of Victory Brewing for several years. Their Summer Love beer is one of my favorite summer beers. So I was looking forward to going to their tap room near Philadelphia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4EwU2cRZ2gvWNDhG51vtPqOL8eUuB0z55Pv4hqmsWTQe1_PqwxSsB1Jwvt6iAq1uW54WSkjJXvK2rJV9wGbFq6Mhe1XGlkJRHezN6dmuAKEy15F1nFjS43ZkVfJR9GCrzIdrXw71aKk/s1600/Victory+Brewing+in+Kennett+Square+Pa+-+August+2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4EwU2cRZ2gvWNDhG51vtPqOL8eUuB0z55Pv4hqmsWTQe1_PqwxSsB1Jwvt6iAq1uW54WSkjJXvK2rJV9wGbFq6Mhe1XGlkJRHezN6dmuAKEy15F1nFjS43ZkVfJR9GCrzIdrXw71aKk/s400/Victory+Brewing+in+Kennett+Square+Pa+-+August+2019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Victory Brewing is located in a large industrial building in a shopping area in Kennett Square. The space is large. There is a parking lot so parking is no issue. They have a full menu which a lot of smaller breweries do not have. And they have a huge selection of beer on tap.<br />
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As I mentioned above I an a fan of their Summer Love seasonal beer so I did not try it on our visit. I wanted to try something I had not tasted before. So I chose a pilsner and also a strawberry cream ale. It would be interesting to see how their strawberry infused cream ale compared to the one I had the previous weekend at Slate Farm Brewery.<br />
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The beers were very good. I have to tip the smaller Slate Farm Brewery's strawberry cream ale as the better due to the freshness of its ingredients. But this one was still very good and light. I always love a good pilsner and this one was very good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmNHNRn8T1VTWitq1Gukio0GY_oEfl1HXhh1IT3fe4-I1m5wojS5zXfTbQMVWe62PG7m2jhKpx492Yv8VdwBDDAI0_qF-WeVUCqDBdhi8xFlnCzlxp37b7KKsZP84TpySZR919v_2rH0/s1600/Strawberry+cream+ale+-+Victory+Brewing+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmNHNRn8T1VTWitq1Gukio0GY_oEfl1HXhh1IT3fe4-I1m5wojS5zXfTbQMVWe62PG7m2jhKpx492Yv8VdwBDDAI0_qF-WeVUCqDBdhi8xFlnCzlxp37b7KKsZP84TpySZR919v_2rH0/s400/Strawberry+cream+ale+-+Victory+Brewing+.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victory Strawberry Cream Ale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2v2T3B9pZ83uofRn3ZBKeDPuJHlnxqVfzYHk0PQWEOdzVGCt6cpcRmDGhs5e9QDbtuuCXzcPK2y5wSKfGYHzv8SWVW8s9o2kQ1ljNocjBC32inNfgqVbj294bRZJvoPjeeRz9SzY12VI/s1600/Victory+Brewing+Summer+Love+Pilsner+-+August+2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2v2T3B9pZ83uofRn3ZBKeDPuJHlnxqVfzYHk0PQWEOdzVGCt6cpcRmDGhs5e9QDbtuuCXzcPK2y5wSKfGYHzv8SWVW8s9o2kQ1ljNocjBC32inNfgqVbj294bRZJvoPjeeRz9SzY12VI/s400/Victory+Brewing+Summer+Love+Pilsner+-+August+2019.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victory's Pislner</td></tr>
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I had no complaints on the beer. So on to the food. They do have a full menu and full kitchen. The place is more restaurant than just a tap room. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkCHW5IHqgvaeSl3t2XxlbpKIIZyV7cnDgrTefsZK76Y5hDaZB03M0CZFTAMpNjF6AUbXl_3f3D_NHuRj-xHcxi7BNGC1i_673ly0vZ3Y9JxHvre53wcuP04bl_kgZa8WUZ-FeRn7YEQ/s1600/Burger+at+Victory+Brewing+-+Kennett+Square+Pennsylvania.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkCHW5IHqgvaeSl3t2XxlbpKIIZyV7cnDgrTefsZK76Y5hDaZB03M0CZFTAMpNjF6AUbXl_3f3D_NHuRj-xHcxi7BNGC1i_673ly0vZ3Y9JxHvre53wcuP04bl_kgZa8WUZ-FeRn7YEQ/s400/Burger+at+Victory+Brewing+-+Kennett+Square+Pennsylvania.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burger and fried at Victory Brewing</td></tr>
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The bacon cheeseburger was made to perfection. And the french fries were fresh cut potatoes not a frozen restaurant variety from a plastic bag. The servers were very friendly and glad to talk beer with us which always is nice in a brewery. This does not always happen but should.<br />
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It was a great day. We enjoyed the ride in the country to get there. We spent some time shopping in Kennett Square and also in West Chester, Pennsylvania. And we completely appreciated the experience at the tap room. We liked it so much that we returned two weeks later. We went to tour Long Wood Gardens in Kennett Square and stopped back at the brewery for another good meal and beer that day. They also get points for a colorful souvenir beer glass.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEKx8hMDj-ulHQYnmwyFU7hARsrQs8IdZ4f-lc88dYTCFQMVlTtaKBS57wJDYMhWwGzPkz5fzjMcdV3h4Lj3_pdvujjHW5UAW4eCMhs-IPr1JfaNH8OwRFDFkkF3FCpyq3Txz9rgN-0Y/s1600/365+Year+10+Photo+340+-+Larry+at+Victory+Brewing+-+Kennett+Square+Pennsylvania.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEKx8hMDj-ulHQYnmwyFU7hARsrQs8IdZ4f-lc88dYTCFQMVlTtaKBS57wJDYMhWwGzPkz5fzjMcdV3h4Lj3_pdvujjHW5UAW4eCMhs-IPr1JfaNH8OwRFDFkkF3FCpyq3Txz9rgN-0Y/s400/365+Year+10+Photo+340+-+Larry+at+Victory+Brewing+-+Kennett+Square+Pennsylvania.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A smiling face means a good rating for this tap room</td></tr>
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My rating for Victory Brewing Tap Room is 🍺 🍺🍺🍺 4/5 pints<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUsddLcqRhc2yylkvKDAfjdfsW4iFCHDq9tBmWgFZnA1nKZ_JkAv9KgGIF87UgsJSAzTpDLJKLJUzMCt8gMqmBm2K5aJWVR7geV_IRMidnIMpR3FbKuC8lYUJS2KMEgkfprp6aDn09d4/s1600/Lancaster+Brewing+Company+-+Lancaster%252C+Pennsylvania+-+Summer+2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1177" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUsddLcqRhc2yylkvKDAfjdfsW4iFCHDq9tBmWgFZnA1nKZ_JkAv9KgGIF87UgsJSAzTpDLJKLJUzMCt8gMqmBm2K5aJWVR7geV_IRMidnIMpR3FbKuC8lYUJS2KMEgkfprp6aDn09d4/s400/Lancaster+Brewing+Company+-+Lancaster%252C+Pennsylvania+-+Summer+2019.JPG" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lancaster Brewing Beer Glass</td></tr>
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Two weeks later we once again ventured up into Pennsylvania to go to Lancaster Brewing Company. I had family that lived in the Lancaster area so it was like old home week driving back up into the Amish Country of Pennsylvania. I had several aunts and uncle who lived in the Lancaster area while I was growing up. <br />
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Lancaster Brewing Company is on a side street in down town Lancaster. And it was very busy the day we visited. The seating area is on a level above and around the actual brewing floor so you get the feel of being in the brewery when you are there. They have a full menu and kitchen which made us happy. After our drive we were hungry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzSUIJ37BLl5_YFDszc5PnjIN_OfdKrKC_FLwTqZtG5VDiqio0YC7K_4wUguAD8BkzzHx3P9jssxgWLda8rNF-l1jxBw90YYhz4A8ognTMhV7x8a-n4jif6CRohb-vHLAz_mMpEQeo4A/s1600/Lancaster+Brewing+Company+-+Lancaster+Pennsylvania+-+August+2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzSUIJ37BLl5_YFDszc5PnjIN_OfdKrKC_FLwTqZtG5VDiqio0YC7K_4wUguAD8BkzzHx3P9jssxgWLda8rNF-l1jxBw90YYhz4A8ognTMhV7x8a-n4jif6CRohb-vHLAz_mMpEQeo4A/s400/Lancaster+Brewing+Company+-+Lancaster+Pennsylvania+-+August+2019.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We sat here with full view of the brewery</td></tr>
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For my first beer I order a a Hefeweizen. Mark always laughs at my Hefeweizen's. He calls them the Lemon Pledge beers because of their citrus aroma. But I really like a good Hefeweizen. And the one at Lancaster Brewing was excellent. It had the required banana/clove after taste and was very light. Perfect.<br />
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I ordered their crispy chicken sandwich for my lunch. It was a perfect compliment to the Hefeweizen.<br />
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Fried chicken, cheeses, pickles, and mayo served with chip. I am always won over by a good crispy chicken sandwich.<br />
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After eating we decided to order a flight of beers to share. They had a large selection of beers to try and we were so happy with our first choices we wanted more. Also we were glad to see they serve a full six glass flight where most breweries only serve you a flight of four.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PQ5yasgg4RPrpVVy0viQFNMrtONrwDRAsruyvDpZ2MxrSayzPPsUAj7Vv7crvCk2EqTEDdyLv-A_vqNP5lfEr8JdTwnkFYR6uqRqfiyMg9Uh5rh61iSmljX5zN49S9CBSKNC8KH5Alw/s1600/A+flight+for+two+-+Lancaster+brewing+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PQ5yasgg4RPrpVVy0viQFNMrtONrwDRAsruyvDpZ2MxrSayzPPsUAj7Vv7crvCk2EqTEDdyLv-A_vqNP5lfEr8JdTwnkFYR6uqRqfiyMg9Uh5rh61iSmljX5zN49S9CBSKNC8KH5Alw/s400/A+flight+for+two+-+Lancaster+brewing+.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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On our flight we had a Milk Stout, Strawberry Wheat Ale, Double chocolate milk stout. I did not get the list of the other three written down. But we enjoyed each one and did not find an unpleasant one in the entire flight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost finished</td></tr>
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Our server could not have been nicer. He was very busy still took time to explain each of the beers to us. The food was good. I liked the souvenir beer glass I purchased. This was really a very nice experience. We would gladly return here again.<br />
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My rating for Lancaster Brewing Company is a 🍺🍺🍺🍺 4/5 pints</div>
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We had a busy weekend. We went to Lancaster Brewing in Pennsylvania on Saturday and then we headed south into Virginia on Sunday. We took a drive down to Leesburg, Virginia in search of our next brewery. I had never been to Leesburg before so it was fun driving some place new to discover beer.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Walnut Brewery in Leesburg, Virginia</td></tr>
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We had a busy weekend. We went to Lancaster Brewing in Pennsylvania on Saturday and then we headed south into Virginia on Sunday. We took a drive down to Leesburg, Virginia in search of our next brewery. I had never been to Leesburg before so it was fun driving some place new to discover beer. We went to the Black Walnut Brewery. There are several breweries in the Leesburg area. We saw several in our Google search before leaving that morning but for some reason Black Walnut Brewery caught our attention the quickest so we decided that would be the one. And it was a good choice. It's a relatively new brewery in Leesburg. The owner was in the taproom talking with us and was very friendly. He was surprised we had driven all the way from Baltimore to visit his brewery. They have an outside area this has a roof over it if you would to sit outside. But it was early in the afternoon and it was not opened yet when we arrived. The tap room is small but it did not have a crowded feel to it. Most of the people there were locals that day. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The small tap room had a very modern feel to it</td></tr>
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They do have a small kitchen and small menu. But it was not disappointing. The food was very good as were the beers. I ordered pork sliders which came in a very good barbecue sauce. And they paired very well with my Peach Ale. The ale was not sweet at all. It had a nice hop taste to it with just a slight peach after taste. Not at all what I expected but just how the owner described it to me.</div>
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We also ordered a flight. Our first beers were very good so we wanted to sample a few more.</div>
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I'm smiling so that must mean a good rating.</div>
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I give Black Walnut Brewing Company a 🍺🍺🍺🍺 4/5 pints.</div>
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We took a long time walking through Leesburg taking photos and doing some window shopping before departing back to Maryland. However on our way back we had one more brewery to check out. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgHIJ8gL_jUuWbbFabPTnMuCws-v23_G1DQsO4T6x5x8IT9IpsA4kjqEiFujsqSYr05XzEn9WxQhvLCdpynLnG9hPGE6ryQvhPLJylNmNtSALazVfUjTs_FsQkB-O54IjctpiDepXvhc/s1600/Smoketown+Brewing+Station+-+Brunswick%252C+Maryland+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgHIJ8gL_jUuWbbFabPTnMuCws-v23_G1DQsO4T6x5x8IT9IpsA4kjqEiFujsqSYr05XzEn9WxQhvLCdpynLnG9hPGE6ryQvhPLJylNmNtSALazVfUjTs_FsQkB-O54IjctpiDepXvhc/s400/Smoketown+Brewing+Station+-+Brunswick%252C+Maryland+.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Smoketown Brewing Station</div>
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We stopped at Smoketown Brewing Station in Brunswick, Maryland on our way home. Brunswick is located on the Potomac River and the tap room was in one of the more interesting buildings we had seen all summer. This brewery was in an old fire station. </div>
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We'd had a long day. It was a long drive to Leesburg. Then we did a lot of walking around in the heat. So when we got to Brunswick we were a little tired and it was going to take a lot to please us. And sadly Smoketown Brewing just did not want to go out of it's way to make us happy. The setting on the Potomac River was pretty. The idea of a tap room in an old fire station was interesting. And the beer was not bad. Yet it was lacking something. There was no table service which was fine but there was no indication or sign saying this to us. Finally a lady cleaning tables told us that we needed to step in the next room and place our order. Mark was still a bit hungry so he ordered some chicken fingers to snack on. And we ordered our beers. I ordered a black IPA named Smokestack. It goes with the fire station theme. Also we were in Patsy Cline country and they had a canned beer named Patsy. </div>
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It was a fun name and an ok beer. The Smokestack black IPA was interesting also. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black IPA</td></tr>
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Neither were outstanding but still good beers. Then the problems started. We waited for a long time for Marks food and were ready to just ask for our bill and forget the food. We thought they had forgotten it anyway. Then the server suddenly found the food and brought it to our table explaining to us it was burnt and she hoped we didn't mind. Well we did mind.</div>
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So we said goodbye to the interesting themed brewery with the somewhat interesting named beers.</div>
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This is me with a forced smile.</div>
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My rating for Smokestack Brewery is a 🍺🍺 2/5 pints. Had the food not been burnt I would have given it a 3 for creativity and an interesting beer glass.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pig Iron Brewing Company - Marietta, Pennsylvania</td></tr>
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The third weekend in August found us journeying back north to Pennsylvania once more. We seemed to have good luck with breweries in Pennsylvania so we decided to check out one more. We drove to Marietta, Pennsylvania which is a beautiful little town on a hill just above the Susquehanna River. </div>
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This is a rural area. Lancaster to the east is the largest city in the area. So it was nice to see someone starting a brewery in such a small town area. We did not expect anything fancy. We thought it would just be a nice little unassuming brewery. And it was all of these things but something more also. It was warm and welcoming. We were obviously not local people yet we were treated inside like regulars. We immediately felt at home. </div>
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I loved the looks of everything inside. Our bartender could not have been nicer. It was all a little rough but fun. The bartender asked where were from and we said Baltimore. She said that's a long way to come for a beer but I'm glad your here. Some other folks at the bar asked us what brought us up there and we explained we had been hunting down breweries each weekend during the summer. They all were interested in this and asked us where we had been the previous weekend. Then they wanted to know where we were going next weekend. We felt like Travel Channel celebrities. </div>
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Now to the important things. Beer. I ordered a Pig Iron IPA. Looking back at my Untapped phone app I see that I rated this IPA 5 stars. And thinking back I was correct. It was probably the best IPA I had all summer long. After the IPA we ordered a flight as had become our pattern.</div>
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Our flight contained a Pig Iron Amber which was an American Amber Red Ale and I rated it 4.75 stars. A Pig Iron Vienna Lager which I gave a rating of 4. A Pig Iron Citra IPA which I gave 4.75 stars and finally a Cucumber IPA with a 5 star rating from me. Mark and I disagreed a bit on the Cucumber IPA which was not a favorite for him but that was alright because I was glad to finish it.</div>
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We also ordered food. The have a kitchen here and a full menu. Surprising because it's not a big brewery. But the folks here just don't seem to realize this. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and some mac and cheese. As you can see from this photo this was no small plate quickie sandwich. This was a full meal.</div>
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We really thought his little place was a great find. Mark never smiles in his photos but trust me he was happy here.</div>
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We are planning to return here and maybe take my daughter Katie with us later in the fall. This place bears repeating. </div>
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They have ample parking. There is outside seating behind the building. If I have one tiny complaint, after all no place is perfect, its the beer glass. They only had beer mugs to sell. And I really wanted a glass for my collection. But I bought the mug any way. And it's unique. Just like the tap room. So I'm not complaining.</div>
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My rating for Pig Iron Brewing Company is a big🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 5/5 pints. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olde Mother Brewing - Frederick, Maryland<br />
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The last weekend in August we headed to Frederick, Maryland to visit Olde Mother Brewing. I did not find this one on Google. Instead I saw it's logo on a sticker on a telephone pole in Parkville, Md. I liked the logo. It made me laugh. I thought that brewery is calling me. </div>
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Located in downtown Frederick, Maryland Old Mother Brewing is an interesting brewery in an old store front. They take their beer serious but they have a great sense of humor at Olde Mother's. From the small beer glass in the flight that says listen to your mother, to all of the photos of their logo in the tap room I found it a fun place to visit. There is no food menu at the brewery but I did not mind as I had such a good time here.</div>
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We each ordered a flight of beer as we could not agree on which ones we wanted to try.</div>
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My flight contained four beers. White Satin was one of the best witbier's I had tried all summer. I rated it five stars on my Untapped app. Next I had a Sips of Summer: Peaches and Cream Wheat beer. Once again I really liked this one and rated it 4.75 stars. My third choice was Queen of Swords which was a pale ale. This one I rated 4.5 stars. And finally a Nitro Cho Cho which was a silky chocolate milk stout. I gave it four stars. Mark was not as impressed with the beers as I was although he did say he had no complaints and liked the brewery a lot.</div>
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Their selection was smaller than some of the other breweries we visited but for me they were still top quality. </div>
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And I enjoyed the humor in their art work and logo which was on display all over the brewery.</div>
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The beer was very good. The atmosphere was fun. The servers were friendly and knowledgeable. And I bought a beer glass with the logo that originally attracted me to the place. So all was good.</div>
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My rating for Olde Mother Brewing Company is a solid 🍺🍺🍺🍺. 4/5 pints. With a food menu this would have easily been rated at a 4.50 or maybe a full 5 pints.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockwell Brewing - Frederick, Maryland<br />
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We left Olde Mother's Brewing and drove a little farther down the street to find Rockwell Brewing. It's located in a strip mall shopping area. The name Rockwell Brewery seemed to be a little stuffy to me. Not exactly fun or exciting sounding. However I was fooled by the name, as this was a fun brewery. The do not have a kitchen, but there is a restaurant owned by Michael Voltaggio, of Top Chef fame, located right in front of the brewery. The brewery has the restaurant menus available for you and the restaurant will deliver your food directly to you. And although owned by a Top Chef star the food is very affordable and of course very good. So this was a good first impression for us.</div>
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I ordered a flight. The beers all had fun names. I had a Cyborg Bette which was a New England IPA. I liked it very much. It had nice hop taste but not overwhelming as some IPA's can be. It was a solid 4 star rating on my Untapped app. Next I had a Rapture Blonde Ale. The name was inspired by the record by Blondie. The beer was once again a solid 4 star rating for me. Then I had an Atomic Blue Wheat Beer which was once again named after a Blondie record. And once again a solid 4 star beer. My fourth beer in the flight was called My Little Way. It was a sour. I like sour beers or gose beers. And this one was very good with a big 4.75 stars from me. My food arrived as I was finishing my flight so I ordered a fourth flight sized sample named Capital Offense. It was an American Pale Ale and it paired well with my pulled pork sandwich.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One extra glass with my flight.</td></tr>
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This was also a fun brewery. From the Blondie inspired beer names...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKHhf2pBvtLSJnJYoXl8tFj7lC8Kw5Z_6akoS9-wLDx6xJ_4NEq9C-QYjVENl_TGNl36_KYsxcka4-_RzWgQciAOpAwA4NvPqJ4IAI7HSkJaNT8oQCQr7Qt-DxvF78aLirXDDtEnd0lo/s1600/Rapture+and+Atomic+Blue+at+Rockwell+Brewery+in+Frederick%252C+Md.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKHhf2pBvtLSJnJYoXl8tFj7lC8Kw5Z_6akoS9-wLDx6xJ_4NEq9C-QYjVENl_TGNl36_KYsxcka4-_RzWgQciAOpAwA4NvPqJ4IAI7HSkJaNT8oQCQr7Qt-DxvF78aLirXDDtEnd0lo/s400/Rapture+and+Atomic+Blue+at+Rockwell+Brewery+in+Frederick%252C+Md.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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...to this friend I met on my way to the men's room...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhwASmBZ0vdp3M5w8GEF2GpWN8VYc0AtvQ3fu3h5ZPxk7ugiyor2pU4LQemi-S5T8pCgsg_CUujQIlF-Mxut9vzu0_Da_dbKAEenwOfRfJCYO-xNnwVDGLwvCZt5wSnPeg2Z4ogYoXCI/s1600/She+waits+%2521++Rockwell+Brewery+in+Frederick+Md.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1168" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhwASmBZ0vdp3M5w8GEF2GpWN8VYc0AtvQ3fu3h5ZPxk7ugiyor2pU4LQemi-S5T8pCgsg_CUujQIlF-Mxut9vzu0_Da_dbKAEenwOfRfJCYO-xNnwVDGLwvCZt5wSnPeg2Z4ogYoXCI/s400/She+waits+%2521++Rockwell+Brewery+in+Frederick+Md.JPG" width="291" /></a></div>
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...I have to rate this brewery high. The beer was all excellent. The atmosphere was fun. The nearby restaurant delivery was a big plus. And this all helps me to over look the somewhat simplicity of the beer glass design I bought. </div>
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My rating for Rockwell Brewery is a big 🍺🍺🍺🍺.5 4.5 pints. And yes this is a tap room I could easily return to visit.</div>
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We extended our summer beer journey one weekend past Labor Day. We spent Labor Day on Maryland's eastern shore with friends in Rock Hall, Maryland. We did not visit any breweries. So we decided to do one last brewery search the following weekend to finish off the summer.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Independent Brewing Company - Bel Air, Maryland</td></tr>
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We stayed somewhat local for this weekend driving only about fifteen miles from our home to Bel Air, Maryland where we visited two breweries. These two are very well know locally but we have never visited them previously. We started out with Independent Brewing Company. Their name is somewhat generic but their tap room is anything but generic. It was a fun tap room! We are dog lovers and this brewery is pet friendly which made us very happy. There were dogs every where. </div>
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There was even a man with his pet bird.</div>
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The place was decorated with bicycles which also gave it a fun feeling.</div>
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And they had a sense of humor with their merchandising.</div>
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I really liked this brewery. They have a rotation of food trucks for food which we did not sample. They also have a nice outside patio area both in front and in the rear of the building. And they have a large parking area. I only had one beer here. We had a lot to do on this weekend so we were kind of rushed. But the beer was very good. The beer was Off Your Gourd, pumpkin Imperial Red Ale. It's now pumpkin spice season here and all of the pumpkin beers are appearing. I have a love hate relationship with pumpkin beers. To me they are either very good or just plain nasty. I don't find any middle ground with them. And fortunately I will say this one was excellent. My only problem was that I was so busy watching the dog and taking photos of them that I forgot to take a photo of my beer. </div>
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So what's my rating? This one was difficult to rate. I would like to return and try more beer and perhaps the food truck also. I did not get a real good sampling to make an opinion. I liked their glass and their other swag they had available though. I am sure on a return visit I would rate this one very high. It was a fun tap room.</div>
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My rating for Independent Brewing Company is 4 pints 🍺🍺🍺🍺 I started to go 3.75 just because I did not have a big sample. But I know I would like it much more than that. So for ow I will leave it at 4 pints.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alecraft Brewing - Bel Air, Maryland</td></tr>
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This leads me to our final brewery in our summer brewery tour. And I wish I could write great things about this brewery. But I just can't. The beer was excellent. Their web page looks like it can be a fun tap room to visit. The outside patio also looked lively. It appears they have bands that perform here and also trivia night. The web page was fun. </div>
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We pulled up to the brewery and we both thought the outside of the building looked like a former funeral parlor. I am not sure about this but I have a feeling it just might have been. We went inside and the air conditioning was very cool giving us that funeral parlor feeling also. There were people at the bar and a few couples at the tables. But you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was talking in whispers. There was no interaction between people at the bar. We were almost afraid to talk above a whisper ourselves for fear of disturbing the strange vibe. </div>
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Now on to the important matter. The beer. We ordered a flight.</div>
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My flight included Treated Streetts Salted Carmel Porter which Mark seemed to like the best of the ones we tried. I liked it also but not my favorite of the four. Our second one was a Horchata Cream Ale. This was my favorite. Mark only had a couple of sips and moved on. Next we had Shoestring which was a German Klosch. It was also quite good. And our last one was White Rock which was a Witbier. Mark left this one to me as he does not like the Wirbiers and I had not problem finishing it. All of beers were quite good. I had no complaints about them at all. </div>
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They have been recognized as one of Marylands best. And they beers were that good in my opinion.</div>
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But it was a bit empty on this afternoon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfXs0oNiynw0BJk1GCbb5EsPGGpNLs10AS0owACZ83bfrgmbR0S7ZQxIW7OKOZP9PdWFAF1u2RIXnj5Zl7UbRZZlttxsVjFQFkS-Tn3aWXLNEdJTc7JvDabuNt2ADSAK_7wp_nZuc1iQ/s1600/IMG_0363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfXs0oNiynw0BJk1GCbb5EsPGGpNLs10AS0owACZ83bfrgmbR0S7ZQxIW7OKOZP9PdWFAF1u2RIXnj5Zl7UbRZZlttxsVjFQFkS-Tn3aWXLNEdJTc7JvDabuNt2ADSAK_7wp_nZuc1iQ/s320/IMG_0363.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And so very quiet. We should have stayed longer with the dogs and the man with the bird at Independent Brewing Company I guess.</div>
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So how do I rate this? For their beer I have no question but to rate them high. But for atmosphere on the day we visited I don't have much to be enthusiastic about.</div>
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My rating for Aleworks Brewery in Bel Air, Md is 3.5 🍺🍺🍺.5 pints . With some qualifications or explanation that the beers were excellent.</div>
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This was our summer. Four states. Fifteen breweries. Many beers. Lots of food. Some fun times and some nap times. Will there be a fall brewery tour? Time will tell.</div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-13345554620029821472019-09-06T22:45:00.000-04:002019-09-08T09:10:54.662-04:00O Solo Roma - Day Five - Piazza Navona and Trastevere (finally)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza Cavour</td></tr>
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I never did find Piazza Navona and the Bernini fountain the previous day. So I started out again today to try to find it one more time. Although it did not help me the previous day I once again studied my guide map before leaving the hotel. I realized there was a more direct and closer path to follow than my one of the previous day. So I left my hotel on Via del Gracchi and walked to Via Cicerone. This lead me directly to Piazza Cavour. I had missed this Piazza on my previous days of walking somehow. It was located right next to Castel Sant’Angelo so I do not know how I missed it. It’s a beautiful Piazza with a large bronze monument to Camillo Benso di Cavour. </div>
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I saw a beautiful view of the River Tiber and the beautiful Pont Sant Angelo. There is so much to just walking through Rome with or without a destination in mind.</div>
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And then finally I found Piazza Navona. The streets I used on this day were a little more direct and made it a easier to find. When I finally arrived I realized that I had just missed it the previous day. I had to have walked right past the side street that led to the Piazza. The streets I used on this day were a little more direct and made it a easier to find and I realized it was a lot closer to my hotel than I had thought.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neptune's Fountain </td></tr>
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I entered the Piazza from the north end. Here I saw the first of three fountains in the square. And much like my previous days experience at the Spanish Steps, the first fountain was closed for cleaning. I saw an empty fountain with worker cleaning the sides of the fountain. This is The Fountain of Neptune. It was created in 1574 by Giacomo della Porta. The statue of Neptune in the middle is the work of Antonio Della Bitta and was added much later in 1878.<br />
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The fountain on the south side of the Piazza is <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">the
Fontana del Moro or Fountain of the Moors. The basin and four Tritons were sculpted by Giacomo della Porta
(1575). But right there in the middle is a Bernini. I had been waiting for four days to see a Bernini. Berini's statue of a Moor wrestling with a dolphin was added in 1673. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxxvVFpE107eRQCbWb9p8-1pyhIGV2F8JQ4bOUch-OKQbDLSn4GpLBRBBHgu6OftCY5D5zkcEW3riQmJI6avMcbRBqd-pr0Bsmzrw8hzD2NZqJNJcXqqE5dz9viWKeaNY6rlKgf6DxTs/s1600/Fontana+del+Moro+-+Piazza+Navona+-+Rome+-+July+2016+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxxvVFpE107eRQCbWb9p8-1pyhIGV2F8JQ4bOUch-OKQbDLSn4GpLBRBBHgu6OftCY5D5zkcEW3riQmJI6avMcbRBqd-pr0Bsmzrw8hzD2NZqJNJcXqqE5dz9viWKeaNY6rlKgf6DxTs/s400/Fontana+del+Moro+-+Piazza+Navona+-+Rome+-+July+2016+a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFuyBlUy2tPJGBaSjXHapfIwGAk9HqvLmmFtEU_nZw0ieFLwAOJfSR4Zlwxah51peKdkErFz88xzXT3tw9yh8Nn2bpesr-3q43CI3iKuf7zYks8Sk2PeN3hzB58B5Ss57Rmu9Jvhh1_c/s1600/Bernini%2527s+Neptune+in+Fountain+of+Nepturne+-+Rome+-+July+2016+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFuyBlUy2tPJGBaSjXHapfIwGAk9HqvLmmFtEU_nZw0ieFLwAOJfSR4Zlwxah51peKdkErFz88xzXT3tw9yh8Nn2bpesr-3q43CI3iKuf7zYks8Sk2PeN3hzB58B5Ss57Rmu9Jvhh1_c/s400/Bernini%2527s+Neptune+in+Fountain+of+Nepturne+-+Rome+-+July+2016+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBst8eEVEyrWL7rAC94mfAwNKb33ingka-PG9dW3IbpagHwYfjdgXqauxWp9un41GESQ0zEtcdBlBKTBMTT_kKKXMzWROEo9-RQqr6JGwFq_LylejNNRMp_MAr1sqUnEZIfhAuYXvqDc/s1600/Bernini%2527s+Neptune+-+Piazza+Novana+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBst8eEVEyrWL7rAC94mfAwNKb33ingka-PG9dW3IbpagHwYfjdgXqauxWp9un41GESQ0zEtcdBlBKTBMTT_kKKXMzWROEo9-RQqr6JGwFq_LylejNNRMp_MAr1sqUnEZIfhAuYXvqDc/s400/Bernini%2527s+Neptune+-+Piazza+Novana+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bernini's Moor - Fontana del Moro<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAH1yAMiKnFUe18CERYi2TVpeYeettMEiIbBXLAddQlPwREtqqDgCxPVHX0mQiBRNA9ZszBrVeoy1812g9hvb-ep_JOQfVPkjicm8TMthe5GfjXFQ2Rkb2SXMViSRHd6nFjodVb8PXcI/s1600/Triton+-+Fontana+del+Moro+-+Piazza+Navona+-+Rome+-+July+2016+c1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAH1yAMiKnFUe18CERYi2TVpeYeettMEiIbBXLAddQlPwREtqqDgCxPVHX0mQiBRNA9ZszBrVeoy1812g9hvb-ep_JOQfVPkjicm8TMthe5GfjXFQ2Rkb2SXMViSRHd6nFjodVb8PXcI/s400/Triton+-+Fontana+del+Moro+-+Piazza+Navona+-+Rome+-+July+2016+c1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"> Giacomo della Porta's Triton's</span></td></tr>
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The main attraction of Piazza Navona is the central and largest fountain, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers). This is one of the Bernini masterpieces that I was looking forward to seeing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrOYw0RxErmkT68X2DioHPyz-Yq62weHqh4bhtf5XDBRB7qr3ZZmPrY2iUxciVtyNLsewE11A2Wvy_fHPYrTCaABq9k6M__C96ZSarswLB6as6Pm1lwNh00WSuy8raHpn5jdHOmSNYiY/s1600/Fontana+dei+Quattro+Fiumi+-+Fountain+of+the+Four+Rivers+-+Piazza+Novana+18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrOYw0RxErmkT68X2DioHPyz-Yq62weHqh4bhtf5XDBRB7qr3ZZmPrY2iUxciVtyNLsewE11A2Wvy_fHPYrTCaABq9k6M__C96ZSarswLB6as6Pm1lwNh00WSuy8raHpn5jdHOmSNYiY/s400/Fontana+dei+Quattro+Fiumi+-+Fountain+of+the+Four+Rivers+-+Piazza+Novana+18.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers)</span></td></tr>
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The fountain features four figures, each representing a river from a different continent - the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Rio de la Plata. The statues are at the base of a rock supporting an obelisk, originally located at the Circus of Maxentius, near the Appian Way.</div>
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The fountain was amazing. To me Bernini is all about the details. The facial expressions, the positions of the bodies, and the draping of the clothing all grab you attention. Bernini's works all show motion. They are never static. And for me I could see the movement in my minds eye. I just stood there for the longest time trying to take it all in. This was one benefit of being alone on this trip. I was able to take the time I needed to experience the moment without a thought of holding anyone else up from something they might want to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECQoAxOoHvq8aB1Xp0EYByyIZp03qrIaC0aQzGZziZDJw_s-EUoI6o4zqRwBNahd_NVvTMiuatiNnQATeHkKNOs71JfIUXADVysikY8_CV8mPU-QgycO37takfbegY44T8onBV06oA3E/s1600/Sant%2527Agnese+in+Agone+-+Piazza+Novana+-+Rome+c1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECQoAxOoHvq8aB1Xp0EYByyIZp03qrIaC0aQzGZziZDJw_s-EUoI6o4zqRwBNahd_NVvTMiuatiNnQATeHkKNOs71JfIUXADVysikY8_CV8mPU-QgycO37takfbegY44T8onBV06oA3E/s320/Sant%2527Agnese+in+Agone+-+Piazza+Novana+-+Rome+c1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sant'Agnese in Agone is the church in the center of the piazza. Interesting enough is the fact that the church was designed by one of Bernini's main rivals Borromini making both masters remain in competition throughout history for dominance in this square. <br />
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It was time for a break. After a morning of beautiful squares and monuments I took some time to rest from the heat of the day. I stopped at a little cafe in Piazza Novano that faced the fountains. It was time for a bottle of water and a cool glass of white wine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG53z8g_dlaKBzQ13RGC2wHod1EzSDbIoiB98jNtlSoeRnoMTV-ht7fyA7qbQE4qJk2CP-HqHFHFeQ0iBVDOveklRGdydOje1Aq0-jlJLdtO1Qnx2MgSOrwSHe4dl4Aw6UCyiVVX8jNmw/s1600/Taking+a+break++in+Piazza+Novana+-+Rome+-+July+2016+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG53z8g_dlaKBzQ13RGC2wHod1EzSDbIoiB98jNtlSoeRnoMTV-ht7fyA7qbQE4qJk2CP-HqHFHFeQ0iBVDOveklRGdydOje1Aq0-jlJLdtO1Qnx2MgSOrwSHe4dl4Aw6UCyiVVX8jNmw/s320/Taking+a+break++in+Piazza+Novana+-+Rome+-+July+2016+7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span> I left Piazza Novana but stopped in a little restaurant on one of the small side streets just off the square. I had a wonderful lunch there with another glass of wine of course. I asked the waiter about directions to The Pantheon. He said it was very near and not difficult to find. Well I never did find it the previous day so I was not sure if I trusted his answer or not.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I followed a sign for the Pantheon that had an
arrow pointing down a small street. With
a couple of turns I luckily found myself in Piazza Sant’Eustacia. It was just behind the next Piazza which was
Piazza Rotunda where The Pantheon is located. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pantheon<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYzCqqmaA3c7ibh8_0YcJaqMvfZ0FSI75tFNyRS0wIDtVla7pE937CV4WOQZFzY82SReOVd5jyQGL9u_zmyX-Qq-dNC3Wc8le86c4rEiw2m6L_ZagNOr2QQswt479QULTWFwhIRjFQSw/s1600/Walking+inside+the+Pantheon+-+Rome+-+July+2016+1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYzCqqmaA3c7ibh8_0YcJaqMvfZ0FSI75tFNyRS0wIDtVla7pE937CV4WOQZFzY82SReOVd5jyQGL9u_zmyX-Qq-dNC3Wc8le86c4rEiw2m6L_ZagNOr2QQswt479QULTWFwhIRjFQSw/s320/Walking+inside+the+Pantheon+-+Rome+-+July+2016+1a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Pantheon was amazing inside and out. I returned two days later for more photos. I'll be posting more about it on my day seven blog.</div>
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So where next? This was turning into a long day of walking.</div>
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What is this behind me? Did I finally find my way to Trastevere?</div>
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Small streets.<br />
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Interesting street cafes.<br />
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Invisible men?<br />
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Yes. It must be Trastevere. Mark will be so happy when I get back tonight and tell him I finally got to see Trastevere.<br />
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Mark had gone to Italy when he was eighteen after high school graduation. His older sister went with him She died very young right after Mark and I met so I never got to meet her. They both fell in love with the Trastevere area when they were in Rome. So it was very emotional and important to him for me to see it. It was sad because he was not here with me the day I saw Trastevere so I took lots of pictures to text him when I got back to the room later in the evening.<br />
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My walk back to the hotel from Trastevere was very interesting. The scenery along the river was beautiful. I saw people sitting by the water front.<br />
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There was a tourist boat in the river.<br />
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And many bridges and churches which is what you would expect to see in Rome.<br />
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Later in the evening I had dinner in a really nice little restaurant near my hotel. And for the first time I did not have pasta or pizza for dinner. I had one the best veal dishes I have ever tasted.<br />
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Well I found Piazza Cavona. I saw some Bernini. I visited The Pantheon. And I reached Trastevere and thought of Mark's memories of his visit with his sister. Each day of this holiday seemed to get better. I could not wait to see what tomorrow had in store for me.<br />
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So did I take any photos with my selfie stick on this day? Of course I did!<br />
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-7860914095651685572019-09-04T18:41:00.000-04:002019-09-04T21:07:09.736-04:00O Solo A Roma - Day Four - Misplacing the Elusive Piazza Novana<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica Di Sant Andrea Della Valle </td></tr>
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I've mentioned before I am not a great person with maps. They can mislead me very easily. I much prefer to just follow along behind someone while they use the map to navigate. Then I can find some humor when the map misleads and frustrates them instead of me. All I needed was a simple tourist map with the tourist destinations singled out and enlarged so they are easy to locate. Or I could have asked the attendant at the hotel for some guidance each morning. But instead I had a very complex street map with lots of small print and tiny streets. And each day I was determined to use this map all on my own and conquer my problems with maps. And each day I struggled. </div>
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Searching for Bernini was my big plan for visiting Rome. So far I had spent three days and not found any works of Bernini. My plan for day four was to locate Piazza Novana and see the famous Bernini Fountain in the square and then cut over to see the Pantheon which would be very close. With the help of my guide the night before I studied the map. I saw that I could walk from my hotel to Castel Sant'Angelo. I knew this neighborhood so this should not be a problem. From there I planned to cross the bridge behind the castle and walk over to Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. It appeared this would take me directly past Piazza Novana. But I was wrong! I saw some interesting churches and a few statues. </div>
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I saw a memorial to Marco Minghetti.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBJDN_lVxFKzeiv4Bw0AePKPYGg-RQBAyqNI38DHMBdsCbN3e3oErLbrQkFoaYR3hjRGIKjNAqz0ohh3jpLsTgotm3w76DZVJ1GDRScdhqQdjC1Hx8JnT9d2wV_LS1sf-eozX6N5o_a4/s1600/Marco+Minghetti+Memorial+-+Corso+Vittorio+Emanuele+II+-+Rome+-+July+2016+b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBJDN_lVxFKzeiv4Bw0AePKPYGg-RQBAyqNI38DHMBdsCbN3e3oErLbrQkFoaYR3hjRGIKjNAqz0ohh3jpLsTgotm3w76DZVJ1GDRScdhqQdjC1Hx8JnT9d2wV_LS1sf-eozX6N5o_a4/s400/Marco+Minghetti+Memorial+-+Corso+Vittorio+Emanuele+II+-+Rome+-+July+2016+b.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marco Minghetti Memorial</td></tr>
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I had no idea who Marco Minghetti was but the monument was interesting. It would give me some research to one once I got home from the holiday.</div>
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I saw a man who looked tired and had taken off his shoe to rest his foot. I was going to ask if he also was trying to find Piazza Novana but then decided against it. Why let someone else know I could not follow my map.<br />
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I continued to walk down Corso Vittorio Emanuele II I and saw Basilica Sant'Andrea della Valle. It was not on any tourist maps. It was not in my guide book. It had no art by Bernini. But it was beautiful inside and had some art work that made me question what I was seeing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Basilica Di Sant Andrea Della Valle </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87sQUGKcduesSaQvgBBh7E17USlYVWtqLGf1-7y8pWPHURTNl3NI54FAuYmUGqOsk5BdGwoFX0tc3kjLAdiDZhtvTlkW6hOTrXBNZzV9bSMgwh-uPuFmGk0_MYkm7w8ojxZjlGgjKXiM/s1600/Inside+the+beautiful+Sant%2527Andrea+della+Valle+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87sQUGKcduesSaQvgBBh7E17USlYVWtqLGf1-7y8pWPHURTNl3NI54FAuYmUGqOsk5BdGwoFX0tc3kjLAdiDZhtvTlkW6hOTrXBNZzV9bSMgwh-uPuFmGk0_MYkm7w8ojxZjlGgjKXiM/s400/Inside+the+beautiful+Sant%2527Andrea+della+Valle+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Child of Prague inside Basilica Di Sant Andrea Della Valle</td></tr>
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Just to prove to anyone reading this. I am not Catholic. I have learned a lot about the Catholic church from Mark who is Catholic. But I was alone. He was not here to keep me from making uneducated guesses about things I was seeing. I saw an amazing painting. At first I thought is was the crucifixion was of Christ which amazed me because it was so unusual. It depicted a very large man instead of the Christ we usually see. It made me think a lot and question myself about the images we see of Christ and what he must have really looked like. I was amazed by this depiction. Later that evening when I returned to my hotel I researched to see who the artist was on this amazing portrait only to find out that it was not Jesus but St. Andrew. I still felt I had received an important spiritual message anyway and still felt my mental image of Christ left a lot to question. And then I realized this was the Basilica Di Sant Andrea Della Valle so of course the portrait was of St. Andrew. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Depiction of Saint Andrew inside the Basilica</td></tr>
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</span><!--[endif]-->I stopped for some lunch and did some people
watching. I saw an older man
wearing dress clothes and some expensive leather shoes with no sox having an intimate lunch with an attractive
young girl. There is a story to be
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After lunch I kept walking thinking Piazza Novana had to be just down the next block. But I never found it and ended up back at Vittorio Emanuele II Monument where I had already been the previous day. </div>
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I had planned on seeing the Colosseum on the next day. But as long as I was already at the Vittorio Emanuele Monument there was no reason not to walk behind it and explore the Colosseum now instead of waiting for another day. Besides I would have to search for Piazza Novana tomorrow instead of seeing the Colosseum. </div>
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I have seen hundreds of photos of the Colosseum but no photo does it justice. Nothing prepares you for it's majesty. </div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->I had walked a lot. I never did find Piazza Novana. So by the time I got back to my room I was very
tired. I stopped at the grocery store
near my hotel and bought myself a couple bottles of water, a Coca Cola and a
large bottle of Peroni. Luckily I had
left a bottle opener in my travel bag from my last trip. So I popped the top of the Peroni and broke out the guide book trying to figure out just how I has missed the elusive Piazza Novana. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I decided to walk down to St. Peter's Square for some night photos of the Cathedral. My hotel was very near The Vatican. I asked the hotel clerk for a suggestion of a good restaurant near the church. The hotel desk clerk recommended Ristorante Almafi which was just down the street for dinner. It was a perfect choice. <br />
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I had a delicious bottle of Vermentino which is one of my favorite wines. The brushcetta was probably the freshest I have ever eaten. And I my daily dose of pasta for dinner.<br />
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When I finally returned to my hotel for the evening I was very tired. It had been an eventful day. And I had no regrets. It was still a perfectly fascinating day, just not the day I had anticipated. I took some time to text with Mark before sleeping to tell him about my day. He laughed at my problems with the map and said he was sure he would have found Piazza Novana. And then came the question. Did you get to Trastevere today? No. Once again I did not go there. But I promised I would try tomorrow. </div>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-61383366170571869172019-09-02T20:27:00.002-04:002019-09-02T22:29:13.544-04:00O Solo Roma - Day 3 - Oddities and Favorite Tourist Sites <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4Us98bVXivtih_3_lBAEk5xSt5MWiz5gSV2_TRfLaFqDvQ656u1L_nZyR5nk2j7YoXaKYk45tjZcJ6FRPWkkjrcp693k3k6YKJOm49nj-IhJ_ybvqYo1JRj2LeSzsFMbt5vFPC228oA/s1600/Oops+-+The+Spanish+Steps+are+closed+for+renovation+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4Us98bVXivtih_3_lBAEk5xSt5MWiz5gSV2_TRfLaFqDvQ656u1L_nZyR5nk2j7YoXaKYk45tjZcJ6FRPWkkjrcp693k3k6YKJOm49nj-IhJ_ybvqYo1JRj2LeSzsFMbt5vFPC228oA/s400/Oops+-+The+Spanish+Steps+are+closed+for+renovation+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Day three was an interesting day.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It was the first day I actually ventured away from the immediate area where I was staying.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">My main goal for the day was to see The Spanish Steps, Throw a coin the Trevi Fountain and buy a Hard Rock Café Tee shirt.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I more or less achieved all of these goals. Returning to my room the previous evening I spent some time with my guide book plotting out the locations I wanted to see my third day. I rarely use maps when I travel. I am not good with maps and hate to struggle with deciphering them. I usually let who ever I am traveling with deal with maps and I just follow them hoping they have figured out where we are going. I can use maps. I am not helpless. I just don't enjoy the process and try to avoid the task. But traveling alone I had no choice. It was either work with the maps or just walk around and get lost, which is not always the worst thing to happen. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEgr8ArcuNocXXdeX_awUZL-iOBX9J-ALOU25y0IwyfdO9NoTSi-a3rsgOYBRt9Djx-EWjlsTeb_9Ix2ppFsO2HmZ-WL8SIZp0aTtZI4yVmYYdwHKeDSvdR0PtMP7gsseEw4F3HaPGhA/s1600/Starting+point+day+3.+Statue+in+Piazza+del+Popolo+-+July+2016+-+Rome+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEgr8ArcuNocXXdeX_awUZL-iOBX9J-ALOU25y0IwyfdO9NoTSi-a3rsgOYBRt9Djx-EWjlsTeb_9Ix2ppFsO2HmZ-WL8SIZp0aTtZI4yVmYYdwHKeDSvdR0PtMP7gsseEw4F3HaPGhA/s400/Starting+point+day+3.+Statue+in+Piazza+del+Popolo+-+July+2016+-+Rome+%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza del Popolo<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsPyiRYAic1gfJqGB5umiI2pBSaxBiYxZpQWy1bg0TZSLBvVMG89-irr0xcypz7IuDk0xDh0qlWYqETOhsByCYAyFEX_8QtjDaW0ko17rL6GNU_F0gZpNPetwv0LSgzD0b9r4Nht1Eg0/s1600/Santa+Maria+del+Popolo+Church+at+Piazza+Popolo+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="1600" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsPyiRYAic1gfJqGB5umiI2pBSaxBiYxZpQWy1bg0TZSLBvVMG89-irr0xcypz7IuDk0xDh0qlWYqETOhsByCYAyFEX_8QtjDaW0ko17rL6GNU_F0gZpNPetwv0LSgzD0b9r4Nht1Eg0/s400/Santa+Maria+del+Popolo+Church+at+Piazza+Popolo+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Maria del Popolo<br />
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<span style="text-indent: -24px;">I started out from what was to become my central point in Rome Piazza del Popolo. I took a photo of Santa Maria del Popolo Church which is used for the opening scene in Rome in the movie Angels and Demons. The church was beautiful inside. But because it was Sunday and I walked into the church during mass I was unable to take any photos. I had planned to return because there was an angle by Bernini that I wanted to see but for one reason or another I never had to the chance to venture back inside. And it was a big mistake on my part as I was in Piazza del Popolo almost every day of my vacation and exploring the works of Bernini was one of my big goals of the holiday. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Odd shoes in a store window</td></tr>
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<span style="text-indent: -24px;">I walked down </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -24px;">Via del Babuino towards the Spanish steps. This is a major shopping street for tourists. Before finind the steps I saw two things that I found interesting and a bit odd in my opinion. I saw some very unusual shoes in one of the store windows. Then just past the store with the shoes I saw a second thing I found odd. It was a clothing store named Roy Rogers. When I think of Roy Rogers that last thing I think of is fashion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">To me Roy Rogers is a famous American movie star who made western movies and TV shows when I was a child. And then years later he opened up a roast beef sandwich chain. I never connected the name with a clothing store. Funny though, as I was writing this blog I tried to research the store brand to find some information about it and I found the store I had seen is now closed permanently. I guess this store rode off into the sunset along with the old cowboy hero. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">I ventured </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -24px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -24px;">on to find the Spanish Steps. I have recently learned that Rome has passed laws to prevent people from sitting on the steps. They have had issues with too many tourists and are trying to protect the steps. But for years tourists have looked forward to seeing the steps and taking photos sitting on them. So my first goal of the day was to locate the steps and ask a friendly stranger to take my photo. But to my surprise the steps were closed! </span><span style="background: white; color: #1d2129; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span> The square was still full of people but all they got see was a set of empty white steps. No beautiful flowers. No tourists sitting on the steps. But the crowd was still large and many were sitting around Fontana della Barcaccia at the bottom of the steps. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcOWSm4kgYjfzOe7rrIzT7hqB6AySGeYVEFMY55dY2uxapCB06LdOmZnf-9BpgkslwIISLcDmFuS-6nKaM97vHtXKgod3KPBvpXHTbqqcJSKk-632BxY3BJBmE31-E34QGXK1OLf_QZM/s1600/Fontana+della+Barcaccia+-+Spanish+Steps+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcOWSm4kgYjfzOe7rrIzT7hqB6AySGeYVEFMY55dY2uxapCB06LdOmZnf-9BpgkslwIISLcDmFuS-6nKaM97vHtXKgod3KPBvpXHTbqqcJSKk-632BxY3BJBmE31-E34QGXK1OLf_QZM/s320/Fontana+della+Barcaccia+-+Spanish+Steps+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I then continued to walk down Via del
Babuino. I cut across Via Barberini down
to Via Del Corso. From there I
approached Piazza Trevi. I could hear
the crowds before I walked around the corner to find the Trevi Fountain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJST1SIlc95lR2Q6zCF6Fl8tyosrqoSce8-VgshRROBxSKRVo-9aZkylYe1I7nj1l2P10DL9SAmX3wWwunvvO9WxXy9Qh3ePrk20P2RiVyGnLbU-PTlyj-1Y5IHK9LwwHi-XUHXgAYxx4/s1600/People+on+Via+Lavatore+walking+to+the+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJST1SIlc95lR2Q6zCF6Fl8tyosrqoSce8-VgshRROBxSKRVo-9aZkylYe1I7nj1l2P10DL9SAmX3wWwunvvO9WxXy9Qh3ePrk20P2RiVyGnLbU-PTlyj-1Y5IHK9LwwHi-XUHXgAYxx4/s400/People+on+Via+Lavatore+walking+to+the+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking towards Trevi Fountain</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghthmoNX6AbMM2nKTKED59oNdk9aIH6TSCFXi8h8QLs_cGLNrKfBZb_RQkYksn3E6cUiILviz-7kHNZr236IjZ-MCV6mqVAan2RmMHi-igp5GHgFCu02AlPnF395CKIASMexuciQ2HbxA/s1600/Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghthmoNX6AbMM2nKTKED59oNdk9aIH6TSCFXi8h8QLs_cGLNrKfBZb_RQkYksn3E6cUiILviz-7kHNZr236IjZ-MCV6mqVAan2RmMHi-igp5GHgFCu02AlPnF395CKIASMexuciQ2HbxA/s320/Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The crowds were insane. It was all but impossible to get close enough to the fountain to try to throw in a coin and take a photo. Being alone I had no one to take a photo and it was too crowded to take out my selfie stick without decapitating someone. So I decided to just step back and watch the crowds and take some photos from a distance.<span style="background: white; color: #1d2129; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJNLSlLsLfwoTkTqEdLP1P1xpOVBxyuOhFhfVW2aaPgeAtmUgaFDULUw3cun-Tr38mEkm-XjPqlkSeBF3lEW7omWPHXKj8Geby4U6gr8_qbQh1sBoQpuOYb9pQY902D6VbSDwAal9xrM/s1600/Crowd+at+The+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJNLSlLsLfwoTkTqEdLP1P1xpOVBxyuOhFhfVW2aaPgeAtmUgaFDULUw3cun-Tr38mEkm-XjPqlkSeBF3lEW7omWPHXKj8Geby4U6gr8_qbQh1sBoQpuOYb9pQY902D6VbSDwAal9xrM/s320/Crowd+at+The+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nrvSkXGHtXlHSZEQCrM18q1XvMdmTA4_gMlEP-DW219E3l3_cqrVfQ-Cz_pWbYkdzYX121pWgJUwOFELWCEEtIPnZhgW-IOt8w3xF6Vta_yaCK5Bs0JmvtFj8FScLRBVSeexzqaOhTs/s1600/The+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nrvSkXGHtXlHSZEQCrM18q1XvMdmTA4_gMlEP-DW219E3l3_cqrVfQ-Cz_pWbYkdzYX121pWgJUwOFELWCEEtIPnZhgW-IOt8w3xF6Vta_yaCK5Bs0JmvtFj8FScLRBVSeexzqaOhTs/s320/The+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxe1KGpJ2Qgvu8AwY8X368Xm1eGLCSZ7aCuA4qqcu0QCQ40hyphenhyphenSyosPMlsrJ6hHWxPWSxiobQpwuggWMkYfJnWIRUWG6SJ1vAPV8P8kSBeK1a0-HwuoxjLU5ZRfaUbeIwD6sTjZXJKqdc/s1600/Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%252812%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxe1KGpJ2Qgvu8AwY8X368Xm1eGLCSZ7aCuA4qqcu0QCQ40hyphenhyphenSyosPMlsrJ6hHWxPWSxiobQpwuggWMkYfJnWIRUWG6SJ1vAPV8P8kSBeK1a0-HwuoxjLU5ZRfaUbeIwD6sTjZXJKqdc/s320/Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%252812%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I walked across the Piazza to the church Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a Trevi. There was a large group of people setting on the steps. I joined them. From there I was able to get a few selfie stick photos of myself with the fountain in the background. Fortunately no one was decapitated.<span style="background: white; color: #1d2129; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-UsLMuwzXJ317sSoYAyyPNnOEdw5irK14PaVfUraKbcAvIm7i3YFfWT-huG0uLnt31VTKoJ9tFgKm-TVvoXSJQHnoeQytovqjZMNyo-MMh5UQRKbmbqABiyAoPLVf67ngkGEkTwFnro/s1600/Larry+at+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-UsLMuwzXJ317sSoYAyyPNnOEdw5irK14PaVfUraKbcAvIm7i3YFfWT-huG0uLnt31VTKoJ9tFgKm-TVvoXSJQHnoeQytovqjZMNyo-MMh5UQRKbmbqABiyAoPLVf67ngkGEkTwFnro/s320/Larry+at+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -24px;">I did finally find a friendly stranger to take my photo at the Trevi fountain also.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bLHO30MGyRW7t5XB7DTkMN_V09GeuBV_55pDS2717gyplJx36rIeoq5Dm3KlVx7bFJKpZHhsl_YK2SdcxYTw3mjbv88ZS1BAn4uBjNK_3FRQ7QWTk37QMRwNa6IYHepoGBjZgv6f6kU/s1600/365+Year+7+Photo+235+Selfie+Stick+Photo+-+Larry+-+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bLHO30MGyRW7t5XB7DTkMN_V09GeuBV_55pDS2717gyplJx36rIeoq5Dm3KlVx7bFJKpZHhsl_YK2SdcxYTw3mjbv88ZS1BAn4uBjNK_3FRQ7QWTk37QMRwNa6IYHepoGBjZgv6f6kU/s320/365+Year+7+Photo+235+Selfie+Stick+Photo+-+Larry+-+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -24px;">One oddity at the Trevi Fountain. I caught a man making a funny face at his wife who was trying to take his photo. I could not resist taking one of him also.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nPLMcIQHT96k_d59E-TOFXtQ6tRO0Zk1tT7WFXLY5EgwD17RdxSLZGAbTTipf0e_hl2tVam6xd80lV2-jdDgHv2ovRyVCdwCtoOuOUGs3lw9QJFz00UNIPz_u4sHEq4oMNiRwIoPkVI/s1600/Man+making+a+funny+face+for+a+photo+at+the+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nPLMcIQHT96k_d59E-TOFXtQ6tRO0Zk1tT7WFXLY5EgwD17RdxSLZGAbTTipf0e_hl2tVam6xd80lV2-jdDgHv2ovRyVCdwCtoOuOUGs3lw9QJFz00UNIPz_u4sHEq4oMNiRwIoPkVI/s320/Man+making+a+funny+face+for+a+photo+at+the+Trevi+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> I left Piazza Trevi and walked up Via Lavatorie to Via del Traforo. From there I walked up too Via del Tritone so I could walk to Piazza Barberini where I wanted to see a fountain by Bernini. I read about the fountain in my guide book the previous evening. This would be my first major Bernini sculpture to see.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeHU5rQ6PoHMD9YOOkBvKUk_0daqlhm5Vz-7Ia_0jiavIZjVrru4ki5ISbbt5WrAIIkNJDclU_6XIHyxwZGk6p7-tSaxzih8yhCo5t12NF_noLnfzwk4AQPKx7WzNAO-Yg8ZLr3MEiYQ/s1600/Fontana+del+Tritone+-+Rome+-+Piazza+Barberini+-+July+2016+%25284%2529a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeHU5rQ6PoHMD9YOOkBvKUk_0daqlhm5Vz-7Ia_0jiavIZjVrru4ki5ISbbt5WrAIIkNJDclU_6XIHyxwZGk6p7-tSaxzih8yhCo5t12NF_noLnfzwk4AQPKx7WzNAO-Yg8ZLr3MEiYQ/s320/Fontana+del+Tritone+-+Rome+-+Piazza+Barberini+-+July+2016+%25284%2529a.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I really liked this fountain a lot. It was a Bernini design which was important to me. And there were no crowds. It was no where near the size of the Trevi fountain. But it was very near so I did not understand why no one was visiting the fountain. <br />
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There was no one near to take my photo so I had to use the selfie stick. <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kt3JQBooZ-NGen5G3HsYn1O9x3QRS518Jw1IQ475FckgH7xqGhv71BdGl2YnTDqPbG3FEffathnzVairZLzGpRFoltJiJwGwxG6G9CH53jbkFce4x8uxKnV0Qf-inofuhgPYq_Giwss/s1600/365+Year+7+Photo+234+Larry+at+the+Tritone+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1230" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kt3JQBooZ-NGen5G3HsYn1O9x3QRS518Jw1IQ475FckgH7xqGhv71BdGl2YnTDqPbG3FEffathnzVairZLzGpRFoltJiJwGwxG6G9CH53jbkFce4x8uxKnV0Qf-inofuhgPYq_Giwss/s400/365+Year+7+Photo+234+Larry+at+the+Tritone+Fountain+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%25283%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Leaving the Tritone Fountain I headed towards the Hard Rock Cafe. Before arriving at the cafe though I did see another oddity. I saw a very interesting lady on the side walk smoking a cigar. I don't see a lot of ladies smoking cigars so I had to get a photo.</div>
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I know it's touristy but when I travel I really enjoy visiting Hard Rock Cafe's. I have a huge colletction of Hard Rock Cafe tee shirts. The HRC in Rome is a smaller café than some others I have visited. But I did have a beer at the bar before purchasing my tee shirt. I had a Peroni Nastro Azzurro. It was a good choice and the first beer I had in Rome. It's difficult to pass up all of the good Italian wines for a beer. </div>
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And I got to hear James Brown singing "I Feel Good" while at the cafe. And after the heat of the day I did feel good after having that cold beer. This left me time for one more selfie stick photo. I was really enjoying the selfie on this trip.</div>
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Food? I had a lot of good food opportunities on my third day. It's Rome of course. And my food adventures were excellent. <br />
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I had a delicious Pasta Bolognese at Piazza Mignanelli for lunch. And it's not a meal without a glass of wine when in Rome. I also really like the pasta plate a lot and would have loved to have found some to buy for home.<br />
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Later in the day I had dinner at Restaurante Rosati I beautiful restaurant with side walk dining in Piazza del Popolo. I read on the menu that the restaurant originally opened in 1922 which is the year my father was born. I know he was in Rome in World War II and I know he had no time for restaurants. But it was a nice feeling to make the connection to him while dining here.<br />
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I had Penne Arrabbiata, white wine and a glass of limoncello after my dinner. Once again the pasta bowl was beautiful.<br />
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I then walked back down Via Cola di Rienzo to return to my hotel. I stopped by Portofina Café for a huge gelato dessert. It was called a Volcano. There was liquid nitrogen in the bottom of the glass making it smoke like a Volcano. It was a fun dessert and the perfect ending to my day.</div>
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There were several more odd things I noticed during my day. When you are traveling alone there is a lot of time to notice things you might overlook if you are with someone else. You might be busy talking. Or making plans. Or looking at each others photos while eating. But being alone it's easier to pick up on things that might go unnoticed. Some of these were just odd. One was kind of funny. And one was down right creepy.<br />
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One thing I saw would not go unnoticed alone or with someone else. Although it was a very nice restaurant the toilet at Restaurante Rosati was a bit disturbing. There was no toilet seat!<br />
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Also while having my dinner I noticed a young couple at the table next to me. The young girl was very attentive to the young man which was fine. But then for no reason I understood she took off her shoe and pushed her foot up underneath of his. And that is how they finished their meal. Maybe he liked it. Maybe not. But had I been with Mark I might have missed this.<br />
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At the end of my evening while having my gelato I noticed a man dressed in clown make up holding balloons in his hand. He was greeting children who entered the restaurant and also talking to their parents. And he was staring at me! And I was alone! I could just imagine the headlines the next day...lonely tourist murdered by crazed clown with creepy smile on Via Cola di Rienzo in Rome.<br />
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When I was back in my hotel as I relaxed I texted Mark on my laptop. We laughed about the weird clown. I sent him a copy of the photo. We also had a laugh about the girl with her foot underneath her boyfriend while having dinner. And then just like the two previous nights Mark asked me if I had gone to Trastevere. And once more I had not gotten there yet. </div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2954551279934520081.post-11910971530166118882019-08-29T17:22:00.001-04:002019-08-29T23:06:30.332-04:00O Solo A Roma - Alone in Rome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just my cap on the bed. Alone at Hotel Relais dei Papi in Rome</td></tr>
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I don't mind traveling alone. I've done it on many occasions. Mark and I had planned a trip to Rome. We were very excited about it. We have talked about it for years. I had never been to Rome. Mark had been in Rome when he was eighteen and traveled there with his sister when he graduated from high school. We really wanted to go together so he could show me all of the places he visited with his sister. His sister died very young in her forties. So there was a lot of nostalgia for him going back to Rome. Mark is Italian and he speaks Italian fluently. So I was also looking forward to watching him talk to the waiters and bartenders in Italian. We really had planned a very special and romantic vacation to Rome. But things don't always go as planned. Mark's parents were both elderly and having major health issues. Just a couple of weeks before our planned trip his father took very ill with pneumonia and was hospitalized. With only one child still living his parents needed him home so there is no way we could do the holiday together. Do to some complications with our travel insurance we were unable to cancel without losing a lot the money we had paid in advance. So we decided I would go alone to Rome and not lose the entire investment in the trip. I hated going without him and although not thrilled with losing the money on his part of the trip he was very supportive of me going. That brings me to this holiday in Rome I called The O Solo A Roma Trip.<br />
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Rome had never been on one of my must see lists. I had not really thought much about Rome at all. I had lots of thoughts about Rome but they did not include visiting it. I had read many times online and in guide books that Rome is well know for petty theft and pick pockets. I had one friend who was in Rome for an extended period tell me how her husband was pick pocketed within an hour after arriving in Rome. She told me if you've never been pick pocketed then you've never been to Rome. I had also read it's always very crowded with tourists. There are lines for everything. So Rome was always on the back burner for me, someplace I would see someday but not today.<br />
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I was very conscious of being alone. With my history of bizarre accidents when I travel I was somewhat concerned what might happen to me if I had any problems and no one there with me. Suppose I tripped and injured myself, which I have done in the past. Suppose I do get pick pocketed and lose my credit cards? I would be alone with no one else near with money. So I was extremely cautious when I first arrived. Then I took a walk my first afternoon in Rome. Just a few blocks from my hotel I found Piazza del Popolo.<br />
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And with that Rome had captured me. I forgot all about my concerns and doubts. Rome was beckoning me. And then there was this restaurant in the Piazza and they had this excellent wine and pizza.<br />
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I returned to my room happy and full. I was ready to conquer Rome. And then I realized I had lost my credit card. My first day. The art, the piazza, the pizza, the wine. It all distracted me. I let down my guard. It all worked out though. It was my error not Romes. I immediately called my credit card company and notified them and then went on to my back up credit card the rest of the trip.<br />
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My second day in Rome I walked to St. Peters Square. It was only a few blocks from my hotel which was convenient for me. I was expecting massive crowds. I went early and it was not crowded at all. I had plenty of time and space for photos and selfies. You never quite get over that first glimpse of St. Peters Basilica.<br />
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Every where I looked there were sculptures. There were nuns. There were Swiss guards in colorful uniforms. It truly was awe inspiring. <br />
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Leaving St. Peter's Square it was time for some lunch. I found a small restaurant just across the river from Vatican City called Mela Stregata, Mela stranslates to apple and the pizzeria was decorated with a Disney Snow White Theme dealing with the evil queen and the apple. Not what I was expecting in Rome near the Vatican but interesting to say the least. <span style="color: #0d1138; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
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So here I sat surrounded by Snow White's woods<span style="color: #0d1138; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span>
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Drinking wine and eating lasagna.<span style="color: #0d1138; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span>
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The lasagna was very good. So I guess Snow White must have a little Italian in her ancestry. Leaving the restaurant I had a car stop next to curb and the driver called out to me. He asked for help locating something on his map. I had just been approached by my first scam artist in Rome. He offered me a leather coat from his store in Paris if I would be kind enough to help him locate a near by location on his map. Luckily for me this was the only scam artist I would see in Rome. <br />
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Castel Sant'Angelo was also nearby so this was my next stop. The views from the top of the castle were amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquOMQjAYgW9WDHt_W0U9RkCDJFER4MwGiR4zLfffwVD0ZHBqQPyDglDq4Q6wyZ_NZOvpfwDfHNVi9GnPzfaiuMwsIWGdoOC9P-YXN5tdZwavxKjXDL3ALyEnzje7N4HtjSvv4m_I1OEc/s1600/Castel+Sant%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquOMQjAYgW9WDHt_W0U9RkCDJFER4MwGiR4zLfffwVD0ZHBqQPyDglDq4Q6wyZ_NZOvpfwDfHNVi9GnPzfaiuMwsIWGdoOC9P-YXN5tdZwavxKjXDL3ALyEnzje7N4HtjSvv4m_I1OEc/s400/Castel+Sant%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Castel Sant'Angelo</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZlh0JLdEMIGpmJFFhN-7wc_lv9sC0JbNlsfq-W9wb-XoXqlocJitEfgwhsN4YXaRcijeGPQFl80fge5whAULasY0GhRcnZ5kae0q2ZfO3fyMNil5WrXqWIQN8-o71Ifbd9O4x2GwF5k/s1600/Flemish+sculptor+Pieter+Van+Verschaffelt%2527s+bronze+angel+on+top+of+Castel+Sant%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016++%25283%2529a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZlh0JLdEMIGpmJFFhN-7wc_lv9sC0JbNlsfq-W9wb-XoXqlocJitEfgwhsN4YXaRcijeGPQFl80fge5whAULasY0GhRcnZ5kae0q2ZfO3fyMNil5WrXqWIQN8-o71Ifbd9O4x2GwF5k/s400/Flemish+sculptor+Pieter+Van+Verschaffelt%2527s+bronze+angel+on+top+of+Castel+Sant%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016++%25283%2529a.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Flemish sculptor Pieter Van Verschaffelt's bronze angel on top of Castel Sant'Angelo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK45567rLvusJvYQ4JLtd3yly2MszuDRlA3R0sbQaGeXOKJUxHysDTnuoSLVGYBarzn04nKSB06xVwW1KpmLZoBXUgwyxgR0nuVR6Qvyvcd_Wwb-8Y0D0qcvoGrLoZzahJJbnNs5yHMBY/s1600/Looking+at+St.+Peter%2527s+Basilica+from+Castel+Sant%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK45567rLvusJvYQ4JLtd3yly2MszuDRlA3R0sbQaGeXOKJUxHysDTnuoSLVGYBarzn04nKSB06xVwW1KpmLZoBXUgwyxgR0nuVR6Qvyvcd_Wwb-8Y0D0qcvoGrLoZzahJJbnNs5yHMBY/s400/Looking+at+St.+Peter%2527s+Basilica+from+Castel+Sant%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">View of the River Tiber from Castel Sant'Angelo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLISV0BPJ1b9k16jIi4HF4MIBYuxJn2Ypq8w9vcyjYwCNRYUUCZHipfBfXUg6Jo-d4Gyu-GU51cWbNolyxAUxjmK6VTLJPUXHW1UTmaxg8OJv3ZJ5qiwEs0PUFdi8jGz1iYzmPGTAujrg/s1600/Viewing+Vittoriano+from+the+top+of+Castel+Saint%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLISV0BPJ1b9k16jIi4HF4MIBYuxJn2Ypq8w9vcyjYwCNRYUUCZHipfBfXUg6Jo-d4Gyu-GU51cWbNolyxAUxjmK6VTLJPUXHW1UTmaxg8OJv3ZJ5qiwEs0PUFdi8jGz1iYzmPGTAujrg/s400/Viewing+Vittoriano+from+the+top+of+Castel+Saint%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Viewing Vittoriano from the top of Castel Saint'Angelo<br />
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There was a small cafe inside the Castel Sant'Angelo. And yes they did have wine. <span style="color: #0d1138; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span>
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I did see some unusual things my second day in Rome. Nothing too shocking but still interesting.<br />
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I saw a bear begging for money.<span style="color: #0d1138; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span>
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I saw a man napping with a rubber duck on his stomach<span style="color: #0d1138; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span>
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Because I was alone I made sure to take my selfie stick with me to make sure I could get photos of myself during the day I had a great deal of fun with it. I know they drive people crazy when you are in crowded tourist areas trying to use a selfie stick. But I am a tourist. And i was alone. So I ignored everyone who was offended. My first tries with the selfie stick came out a little awkward. Yes I know you are not supposed to see the stick in the photo. But I was just getting the hang of using it. I got better as the week progressed.<span style="color: #0d1138; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubMDqgMt0PHT9dZban4hUz-IA4sqj2ter02okIZrJ59S7npJYE499GYoNZQmVyZAaisY6dpHR45nnsXsnJ5F5MZrYl9QC-l7BJVF9cmtt99kr95oh3-Ru0vsFubQQEVlbDjGVCj8d6kQ/s1600/Larry%2527s+selfie+stick+photo+under+Archangel+Castel+Sant%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1238" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubMDqgMt0PHT9dZban4hUz-IA4sqj2ter02okIZrJ59S7npJYE499GYoNZQmVyZAaisY6dpHR45nnsXsnJ5F5MZrYl9QC-l7BJVF9cmtt99kr95oh3-Ru0vsFubQQEVlbDjGVCj8d6kQ/s400/Larry%2527s+selfie+stick+photo+under+Archangel+Castel+Sant%2527Angelo+-+Rome+-+July+2016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqUs6Zod_H8_tI5uL7BLLEEGGwx1FjTG9X_U1p_w-p1ISapzJMpE8oSqWZF3RoO6jSFpaDm4HMtKik4xkrBOL96OeZjupOM1UYM9iyKgxSPMR-d1e2iWvOUjS1auTRyYRzQNZJXG25G4/s1600/Larry%2527selfie+stick+photo+taken+on+Pont+Vittorio+Emanuelle+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqUs6Zod_H8_tI5uL7BLLEEGGwx1FjTG9X_U1p_w-p1ISapzJMpE8oSqWZF3RoO6jSFpaDm4HMtKik4xkrBOL96OeZjupOM1UYM9iyKgxSPMR-d1e2iWvOUjS1auTRyYRzQNZJXG25G4/s400/Larry%2527selfie+stick+photo+taken+on+Pont+Vittorio+Emanuelle+-+Rome+-+July+2016+%25283%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was still a little jet lagged from the time change so I had an early dinner before returning to my room for an early sleep. I had supper at Pizzeria San Marco. This was located very near my hotel. I had a delicious pasta with cheese and bacon and some wine of course. For dessert I had an excellent panacota with another shot of grappa. A pattern is forming here. Good food, good wine, and a shot of grappa to end my day.<span style="color: #0d1138; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
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I ended my day back in my room. I took so time to text with Mark and tell him all about my day and what I had seen. He had lots of questions and was very excited for all I had seen. He did ask me did you go to Trastevere. I had not. He insisted that I make sure to go there. We had this same conversation every evening when we chatted. After talking to Mark I reviewed my thoughts on the day and I was glad to find that I had not lost any credit cards. I had avoided getting ripped off by the con artist with the leather coats. And then I looked at my camera bag and there was no selfie stick attached. I had lost it. My first full day in Rome and my selfie stick was gone. <br />
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07055867307882747015noreply@blogger.com0