So, 2009 & 2010 came and went without a single entry in my blog...I suppose I will mostly claim that Facebook satisfied my need for providing an update place on my activities. Of course all the activities have to fit the Facebook template (status/picture/link) but hey, who really pays attention past the first sentence anyway. And now here we are, in 2011!
2010 was a pretty good year, all things considered. Given the crappy economic conditions I am just happy that I made it all the way through with the same job, home and (almost all the way) car (the unfortunate demise of my car in December led to a new car hunt before Christmas, probably everybody's least favorite shopping task). More importantly, however, I'm still healthy and blessed with an abundance of friends & activities.
I had some fun travel in 2010, and some not-so-fun. I spent a week in Seville (Spain) for a conference & sight-seeing; had a great trip to New York City with the Gunn HS choir (and some extra time with my local friends), a trip to St. Louis for my little sister's 50th birthday, a weekend in Washington DC visiting friends (and the 'Rally to Restore Sanity'), a couple trips to Boston and a few to San Diego. Enough for elite status at United, anyway.
2009 was a long time ago, now what did I do then...Well, there was that trip to Prague & Vienna with the Gunn choir, places I probably would never have gone otherwise, and glad that I did. Another trip to NYC, oh yeah - a week in Barcelona (Christmas & my birthday, also New Years' Eve). And Mom's big 80th birthday bash in November, back in Delphos - first time in a while that the whole family was together (even if only for a day or so).
I guess I'm hoping to update this blog a little more often, and hoping that this fills the gap since the last post, even if only a little. Here's hoping that 2011 is a great year!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I dreamed about my father last night
I don't do it often. He's been dead for 17 years now, and I don't think about him a lot. But this dream was vivid...he and I were talking, and even though I don't recall the subject I know there was tension between us; unspoken (as always, and probably on my part). But more to the point, I discovered a huge stack of journals he'd kept, with colossal detail on his feelings about and reactions to the people around him from day to day. The journals showed an inner awareness that I never saw from the outside; and it wasn't really a good feeling -- as though he'd been hiding this side of himself from me (from all of his family). The journals were really more like the sort of thing I might have written (hey, it *was* MY dream).
It left me disturbed, and not a little because I realized that he's still with me. I've been away from home for over 30 years, he's been dead for almost 20, and I'm not done with him yet. Will I ever be, and what would that be like? Am I fooling myself when I think I might be? Am I still a little boy when I think of him that way? I've thought for a long time that I didn't need his approval any more. Do I, though?
It left me disturbed, and not a little because I realized that he's still with me. I've been away from home for over 30 years, he's been dead for almost 20, and I'm not done with him yet. Will I ever be, and what would that be like? Am I fooling myself when I think I might be? Am I still a little boy when I think of him that way? I've thought for a long time that I didn't need his approval any more. Do I, though?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Another boring post from another trans-continental flight
11:04 AM, January 15, 2009
I lucked out twice in a row, scoring an Economy Plus seat (5 extra inches, woo-hoo!) with nobody sitting next to me on the trip out Monday and the trip back today. It makes flying about twice as good (or half as bad, I suppose). Thinking back I'm a little surprised to realize that I haven't flown since last August, which was also to Dulles Airport. In fact, last year I only flew 15K miles, which is not even enough to qualify for premier frequent flyer status -- the first year in, oh, the past five or so at least. I can't say I miss traveling so much, and I don't know that it will stay that way, but you never know with this sort of thing.
Choosing to read Mary Roach's book 'Stiff' on this flight may have been bad timing...even though I took my normal Bonine medication before takeoff, her vivid descriptions of dissection, vivisection and decomposition were starting to make me queasy so I had to set it aside. It's a great read, though, and I heartily recommend it -- along with "Bonk", her study of the science of sex research. But I don't think I'll pick it up again until this flight ends...
I'm on my way back home from Manassas, Virginia, about 30 minutes outside Washington DC. I've been there since Monday (it's Thursday) visiting with Lockheed Martin employees who used to be part of my company, on a project which I'm still involved in. I think it was a good visit, and it reminds me of some of the reasons I prefer the smaller company environment (that is, NOT Lockheed Martin!). Nothing major, of course, but in Santa Clara I never get lost inside a building trying to get from the lobby to a conference room!
I had considered sticking around the DC area until next week, to catch the inauguration, but that would be more hassle than it's worth unless I already had a ticket. As it is, wanting to be one of the estimated 2 million people in town when it's so cold (and Palo Alto is so warm, 78 degrees yesterday!) seems rather silly. So home I go.
I have been watching the second season of 'The Tudors', the Showtime series about Henry VIII and his wives. We are currently growing tired of wife #2, Ann Boleyn, who has lamentably only provided a female child so far. She's still smokin' hot (Natalie Dormer) but King Henry has gotten bored with her. I hope my battery lasts till the end of this episode; Ann just gave Henry his approval to sleep with one of her ladies in waiting (one less pretty than Ann, and one she can control). Could be fun to watch, but I'm always self-conscious about what's on my laptop screen when I'm flying. Much as I love the boobies I don't know if the people in the row behind me might approve.
Oh, snap! Queen Ann just got totally schooled by Mary, Henry's daughter by his first wife Katherine. Still, I know it won't turn out well for Mary, but I also know it's going to turn out even worse for Ann. But that is certain to be several episodes ahead, if not next season.
Last month I turned 50. Five decades, two score and ten, a half century. Got my AARP card in the mail (how the hell did the American Association of Retired Persons find me ?!?) So far I certainly don't feel very different; in fact, I don't really feel very different from when I was thirty...although some things are harder to see, and the guy in the mirror is looking older and older (maybe a blessing that the vision is going too?). But turning fifty gave me the opportunity to give myself a rare present -- a wonderful dinner party with my family (in part at least) and as many of my good friends as I could fit into a ballroom. In a way this was the wedding reception I would have had, if I'd ever married. It was an expensive party, and took a little time & effort to plan, but it turned out almost exactly as I had hoped. I sorely missed the friends and family who couldn't be there, and there were a few who I thought long and hard about inviting but didn't...properly so, I think. Even so I had about eighty five people for the whole evening, and another eight or ten who came by during the first hour and a half (never underestimate the drawing power of free liquor!). Even I was a little shocked to see how many people I could draw out on a cold December night, and most so nicely dressed to boot (photos of the evening here).
It was a wonderful night, and I'm very glad that I have it to remember.
Oh hey, King Henry is now sleeping with Madge, the queen's lady in waiting - with the queen's approval! No boobies on the screen, though. Rats. And here's Ann parading around with her big pregnant belly holding baby #2...oops, miscarriage. Guess that's the end of Henry & Madge. Boy, Ann's dad is a real prick. Whored his daughter to the king for influence and then accuses her of killing her own baby. And look who the King has just met, a lovely common lady named Bess. Hello, next mistress! Or wife number three? And more importantly, hello boobies! Then again, as the Pope (Peter O'Toole, gumming the scenery) so astutely observes, however, sometimes celibacy is an immense relief.
It's 12:15 now...a little over three hours left in the flight. I still have plenty of battery left, thanks to the spare that I got last week. We're someplace over the vast American west (Montana? Dakotas?) and it's all white below. When I left Dulles, it was about twenty degrees outside and it looks like most of the country (excluding the southwest) is in a similar condition. Even though I appreciate the beauty of a snow-covered landscape, I prefer to do so at a distance these days. Thirty thousand feet away seems just about right.
Home now! It's 4:30, I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head and catch up on some newspapers. It's still 70 degrees outside and the sun is about an hour from setting. Perfect for a stroll down to Caffe del Doge, an espresso or macchiato, and to relax. Bye!
I lucked out twice in a row, scoring an Economy Plus seat (5 extra inches, woo-hoo!) with nobody sitting next to me on the trip out Monday and the trip back today. It makes flying about twice as good (or half as bad, I suppose). Thinking back I'm a little surprised to realize that I haven't flown since last August, which was also to Dulles Airport. In fact, last year I only flew 15K miles, which is not even enough to qualify for premier frequent flyer status -- the first year in, oh, the past five or so at least. I can't say I miss traveling so much, and I don't know that it will stay that way, but you never know with this sort of thing.
Choosing to read Mary Roach's book 'Stiff' on this flight may have been bad timing...even though I took my normal Bonine medication before takeoff, her vivid descriptions of dissection, vivisection and decomposition were starting to make me queasy so I had to set it aside. It's a great read, though, and I heartily recommend it -- along with "Bonk", her study of the science of sex research. But I don't think I'll pick it up again until this flight ends...
I'm on my way back home from Manassas, Virginia, about 30 minutes outside Washington DC. I've been there since Monday (it's Thursday) visiting with Lockheed Martin employees who used to be part of my company, on a project which I'm still involved in. I think it was a good visit, and it reminds me of some of the reasons I prefer the smaller company environment (that is, NOT Lockheed Martin!). Nothing major, of course, but in Santa Clara I never get lost inside a building trying to get from the lobby to a conference room!
I had considered sticking around the DC area until next week, to catch the inauguration, but that would be more hassle than it's worth unless I already had a ticket. As it is, wanting to be one of the estimated 2 million people in town when it's so cold (and Palo Alto is so warm, 78 degrees yesterday!) seems rather silly. So home I go.
I have been watching the second season of 'The Tudors', the Showtime series about Henry VIII and his wives. We are currently growing tired of wife #2, Ann Boleyn, who has lamentably only provided a female child so far. She's still smokin' hot (Natalie Dormer) but King Henry has gotten bored with her. I hope my battery lasts till the end of this episode; Ann just gave Henry his approval to sleep with one of her ladies in waiting (one less pretty than Ann, and one she can control). Could be fun to watch, but I'm always self-conscious about what's on my laptop screen when I'm flying. Much as I love the boobies I don't know if the people in the row behind me might approve.
Oh, snap! Queen Ann just got totally schooled by Mary, Henry's daughter by his first wife Katherine. Still, I know it won't turn out well for Mary, but I also know it's going to turn out even worse for Ann. But that is certain to be several episodes ahead, if not next season.
Last month I turned 50. Five decades, two score and ten, a half century. Got my AARP card in the mail (how the hell did the American Association of Retired Persons find me ?!?) So far I certainly don't feel very different; in fact, I don't really feel very different from when I was thirty...although some things are harder to see, and the guy in the mirror is looking older and older (maybe a blessing that the vision is going too?). But turning fifty gave me the opportunity to give myself a rare present -- a wonderful dinner party with my family (in part at least) and as many of my good friends as I could fit into a ballroom. In a way this was the wedding reception I would have had, if I'd ever married. It was an expensive party, and took a little time & effort to plan, but it turned out almost exactly as I had hoped. I sorely missed the friends and family who couldn't be there, and there were a few who I thought long and hard about inviting but didn't...properly so, I think. Even so I had about eighty five people for the whole evening, and another eight or ten who came by during the first hour and a half (never underestimate the drawing power of free liquor!). Even I was a little shocked to see how many people I could draw out on a cold December night, and most so nicely dressed to boot (photos of the evening here).
It was a wonderful night, and I'm very glad that I have it to remember.
Oh hey, King Henry is now sleeping with Madge, the queen's lady in waiting - with the queen's approval! No boobies on the screen, though. Rats. And here's Ann parading around with her big pregnant belly holding baby #2...oops, miscarriage. Guess that's the end of Henry & Madge. Boy, Ann's dad is a real prick. Whored his daughter to the king for influence and then accuses her of killing her own baby. And look who the King has just met, a lovely common lady named Bess. Hello, next mistress! Or wife number three? And more importantly, hello boobies! Then again, as the Pope (Peter O'Toole, gumming the scenery) so astutely observes, however, sometimes celibacy is an immense relief.
It's 12:15 now...a little over three hours left in the flight. I still have plenty of battery left, thanks to the spare that I got last week. We're someplace over the vast American west (Montana? Dakotas?) and it's all white below. When I left Dulles, it was about twenty degrees outside and it looks like most of the country (excluding the southwest) is in a similar condition. Even though I appreciate the beauty of a snow-covered landscape, I prefer to do so at a distance these days. Thirty thousand feet away seems just about right.
Home now! It's 4:30, I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head and catch up on some newspapers. It's still 70 degrees outside and the sun is about an hour from setting. Perfect for a stroll down to Caffe del Doge, an espresso or macchiato, and to relax. Bye!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
The Book of Liz -- Vangie's play (Renegade Theatre Experiment)
My friend Vangie is smart, creative and talented. She's a founding member of a theater company (Renegade Theatre Experiment) in San Jose, and is appearing in "The Book of Liz", a very funny play written by David & Amy Sedaris. Her opening night performance was a tour de force; here she is (still in stage makeup) accepting accolades & bouquets from her adoring fans:
We were lucky that on the opening week of her play, Pat was in town to pack up & move the contents of his (and Dawn's) apartment, and was able to attend along with me, Sarah & Joe:
fun!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Gratitude
I am grateful to be alive. I am grateful for every day I spend swimming through this beautiful atmosphere, a shell-thin layer of breathable gas wrapped around our fragile little planet. I am grateful for the feeling I get when I come out of a tunnel on my motorcycle and the temperature drops ten degrees, like plunging into a cool pool of water. I am grateful for my health and my friends, my family and my career; all of which I take much too much for granted. I am grateful for love and for beauty, and for the ability to recognize them both.
I don't know who I am grateful to for these things, but gratitude is what I feel.
One day they will be gone but I will have had them and the memory will be almost as good; someday the memory, too, will be gone; but then so will I. In the meantime I will try harder to remember this feeling.
I don't know who I am grateful to for these things, but gratitude is what I feel.
One day they will be gone but I will have had them and the memory will be almost as good; someday the memory, too, will be gone; but then so will I. In the meantime I will try harder to remember this feeling.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
It's official, my car is totalled
My insurance company (AAA) is cutting me a check for blue book value on my car; they pressed the auto body shop to find used parts for repair but they couldn't bring the price down below total value even with that. Here's a closer look at the worst damage:
Neither AAA nor the Palo Alto police are interested in finding out anything about the white van with blacked-out windows that did this, at least not without a license plate. Can't really say I blame them too much. At least this is a non-fault payment, so my insurance rates won't go up (but I still lost $500 to the deductible, oh well).
For the past three years I've been meaning to get this bullet damage fixed:
...but now, of course, the wisdom of procrastination is made clear. And, given that the last time my car was shot before this was about twenty years ago, it looks like I have a good seventeen years before I get shot again. I'll be ready this time!
Neither AAA nor the Palo Alto police are interested in finding out anything about the white van with blacked-out windows that did this, at least not without a license plate. Can't really say I blame them too much. At least this is a non-fault payment, so my insurance rates won't go up (but I still lost $500 to the deductible, oh well).For the past three years I've been meaning to get this bullet damage fixed:
...but now, of course, the wisdom of procrastination is made clear. And, given that the last time my car was shot before this was about twenty years ago, it looks like I have a good seventeen years before I get shot again. I'll be ready this time!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Don't park your car on Palo Alto Avenue
Sometime between 8AM and 10AM this morning this happened to my car:
Of course, the good news is that nobody was hurt, but this is never a fun thing to have happen. I'm guessing even money on totaling it out...blue book is around $10K, so I think they'll fix it. I guess I'm okay with that as long as it is fixed properly.
There were a couple of guys out front of my building when it happened, but all they could say was that it was an old beater white van (maybe a Ford); nobody got a plate number. And, without that, the police aren't even interested in showing up. Same with the insurance company.
Hey, at least I'll get the bullet in the door fixed now...
Of course, the good news is that nobody was hurt, but this is never a fun thing to have happen. I'm guessing even money on totaling it out...blue book is around $10K, so I think they'll fix it. I guess I'm okay with that as long as it is fixed properly.
There were a couple of guys out front of my building when it happened, but all they could say was that it was an old beater white van (maybe a Ford); nobody got a plate number. And, without that, the police aren't even interested in showing up. Same with the insurance company.
Hey, at least I'll get the bullet in the door fixed now...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Christmas potluck at Hawthorne Gardens
We had a potluck dinner for the holidays at Hawthorne Gardens, and all courses were (of course) excellent. Here we are enjoying stuffed pork loin at Sarah & Joe's, and wishing everybody a merry Christmas:
A few of the lovely ladies of Hawthorne Gardens who provided for the meal (I know some guys provided too but I like this picture)...
Did somebody mention that our apartments tend to be on the small side?
Julian with his prematurely wise expression on display (it helps that I've just wiped the drool off his chin):
Merry Christmas everybody!
A few of the lovely ladies of Hawthorne Gardens who provided for the meal (I know some guys provided too but I like this picture)...
Did somebody mention that our apartments tend to be on the small side?
Julian with his prematurely wise expression on display (it helps that I've just wiped the drool off his chin):
Merry Christmas everybody!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Sunday in Stuttgart
Below is our hotel in Stuttgart - this is where we spent our last two nights. It's much bigger than our other hotels, and uniformly themed throughout with automotive and racing art (Stuttgart is the German Detroit). As you can see, the weather for our last two days was terrific --
Sunday was the Stuttgart Volksfest parade, which organized in the park before marching. Here are the Chico Bavarians milling about in preparation for the parade:
I didn't actually blow on the trumpet below...I don't think Bill would have appreciated that (he was in the bathroom & I was holding his horn, so to speak)...
Bob getting psyched for his last parade, and (he thought) his last performance of the trip.
Here are the Chico Bavarian Band marching down the street in Stuttgart, in a parade that was not quite as big a deal as the Munich parade but still pretty impressive...
...if, that is, you consider pigs to be impressive. I do, so I'm fine with it.
The march concluded at the Hofbrau tent (I think...there were so many tents and so many beers). It's another lofty and spacious affair, not quite as big as the Munich 'Spaten' tent but still big. In a surprise move, the Chico Bavarian Band were invited to play on the main stage in the tent & kicked ass! The crowd were one their feet for the band from San Francisco -
Including some of the crowd who came from San Francisco with the band...
We had reservations in two separate tents in Stuttgart; the Hofbrau tent for the performance, and the Göckelsmaier tent for dinner & beer (already arranged before we came to Germany). Jim and I snuck a couple more liters before going over to the Göckelsmaier tent; it wouldn't do to show up too sober... 
Here I am with Bob & Steve in the Göckelsmaier tent, after we all demolished our 1/2-chickens & another liter or two of brau...
The Stuttgart parade & festival were a blast, and (as near as I could tell) just about everybody had a good time. The non-drinkers (yes, there were a few) just watched the rest of us in amusement, and some degree of tolerance. I certainly slept well Sunday night!
Sunday was the Stuttgart Volksfest parade, which organized in the park before marching. Here are the Chico Bavarians milling about in preparation for the parade:
I didn't actually blow on the trumpet below...I don't think Bill would have appreciated that (he was in the bathroom & I was holding his horn, so to speak)...
Bob getting psyched for his last parade, and (he thought) his last performance of the trip.
Here are the Chico Bavarian Band marching down the street in Stuttgart, in a parade that was not quite as big a deal as the Munich parade but still pretty impressive...
...if, that is, you consider pigs to be impressive. I do, so I'm fine with it.
The march concluded at the Hofbrau tent (I think...there were so many tents and so many beers). It's another lofty and spacious affair, not quite as big as the Munich 'Spaten' tent but still big. In a surprise move, the Chico Bavarian Band were invited to play on the main stage in the tent & kicked ass! The crowd were one their feet for the band from San Francisco -
Including some of the crowd who came from San Francisco with the band...
We had reservations in two separate tents in Stuttgart; the Hofbrau tent for the performance, and the Göckelsmaier tent for dinner & beer (already arranged before we came to Germany). Jim and I snuck a couple more liters before going over to the Göckelsmaier tent; it wouldn't do to show up too sober... 
Here I am with Bob & Steve in the Göckelsmaier tent, after we all demolished our 1/2-chickens & another liter or two of brau...
The Stuttgart parade & festival were a blast, and (as near as I could tell) just about everybody had a good time. The non-drinkers (yes, there were a few) just watched the rest of us in amusement, and some degree of tolerance. I certainly slept well Sunday night!Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday in Konstanz
Today we're going to visit the Oktoberfest celebration in Konstanz, and then head for Stuttgart. First thing in the morning we visited with Alex, the owner & chef of the hotel's restaurant. Here's Don, Alex, Jack & me:
Steve had been visiting friends to the north of Germany for the past few days, and returned late Thursday night. He was pretty busy and had some catching up to do on his sleep:
This is the Oktoberfest tent in Konstanz, when we arrived (before the festival began).
Here's a picture of Jan with Bob & Steve:
These are our tour guides for the trip, provided by our travel company (Kingsway), Ondrej and Jen. They have been very professional, friendly & patient, and it's been great traveling with them...
Konstanz is literally on the border with Switzerland...so much so that the border passes behind the Konstanz Oktoberfest tent. In this picture, Bob is in Germany, Steve is in Switzerland, and Erica can't make up her mind...
The Chico Bavarians played for about two hours at the fest. Here they are on stage...
Jack playing trumpet...
The cute little girl on the right in the picture below was dancing by herself but almost got trampled; Brandee rescued her and kept her safe from harm:
Here are The Internationals, a sub-set of the Chico Bavarian Band: Jan, Bob, Portor, and Steve.
Here's Carol & myself standing on the border, trying to choose between Germany & Switzerland. Actually Carol is trying to choose and I'm trying to take a picture...
The lakeside view of the Konstanz Oktoberfest tent:
After the performance was done in Konstanz (about 6PM) we piled back onto the bus and headed for Stuttgart, where we arrived about 9PM and checked into our hotel. The band marches in an Oktoberfest parade in Stuttgart tomorrow (Sunday), and on Monday we head back. My final post will probably arrive about the same time that I do...
Steve had been visiting friends to the north of Germany for the past few days, and returned late Thursday night. He was pretty busy and had some catching up to do on his sleep:
This is the Oktoberfest tent in Konstanz, when we arrived (before the festival began).
Here's a picture of Jan with Bob & Steve:
These are our tour guides for the trip, provided by our travel company (Kingsway), Ondrej and Jen. They have been very professional, friendly & patient, and it's been great traveling with them...
Konstanz is literally on the border with Switzerland...so much so that the border passes behind the Konstanz Oktoberfest tent. In this picture, Bob is in Germany, Steve is in Switzerland, and Erica can't make up her mind...
The Chico Bavarians played for about two hours at the fest. Here they are on stage...
Jack playing trumpet...
The cute little girl on the right in the picture below was dancing by herself but almost got trampled; Brandee rescued her and kept her safe from harm:
Here are The Internationals, a sub-set of the Chico Bavarian Band: Jan, Bob, Portor, and Steve.
Here's Carol & myself standing on the border, trying to choose between Germany & Switzerland. Actually Carol is trying to choose and I'm trying to take a picture...
The lakeside view of the Konstanz Oktoberfest tent:
After the performance was done in Konstanz (about 6PM) we piled back onto the bus and headed for Stuttgart, where we arrived about 9PM and checked into our hotel. The band marches in an Oktoberfest parade in Stuttgart tomorrow (Sunday), and on Monday we head back. My final post will probably arrive about the same time that I do...
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday in Konstanz
Friday was our first full day in Konstanz, a beautiful little city at the edge of the Bodensee, a large lake on the border with Switzerland. It's almost as far south in Germany as you can go, although most of our stops on this trip have been pretty far south.
The weather is still on the gray side, although there's no rain to speak of. Anyway, here's our hotel in Konstanz. Check out the bear on the right -
The younger travelers are pretty much all worn out now...using the bus trips as a chance to catch up on sleep. Given that school is in session, most of them have brought homework to do while traveling and also are doing some writing about our trip. I'm not saying that's what keeps them awake, but it might be one of the things...
So, we started a sight-seeing tour of Konstanz in the morning and one of the sights is this fountain in the main thoroughfare. It has several emperors & kings carved on its sides, and some whimsy on the base...
Here's the whimsy...
Here's a picture of Bob standing in that street
Konstanz completely escaped aerial bombardment during WWII, so most of its old structures are intact. Our tour guide said that this was because the city kept its lights on during the blackout, and was thus mistaken for its neighboring Swiss city and avoided. It means that buildings like this city hall are still intact. Here's the view from inside the courtyard,
and here's the view from the street. The painting on the face of the building is extremely elaborate and depicts key points in the town's history. By the way, from what I've been told by my family this is the general region where my mom's ancestors came from, and this is an important trading town -- it's likely some of my ancestors were at least visitors here at one time.
After lunch we traveled to the 'island' of Mainau, a garden destination with lots of plants. Well, I guess it's better than that lame description but I'm not much of a garden afficionado...one of the nicer attractions was a butterfly habitat, with thousands of exotic butterflies in a hothouse enclosure:
There are so many they land on people...
This moth is about a foot in diameter, and very pretty...
Then it's back on the bus to the hotel. Here's the kids having fun in the back; this is what I saw almost every time I turned around --
At the hotel we managed to sneak into the restaurant ahead of a large party of local diners, but because it was a very small restaurant and a very large group we had a bit of a wait for our meals (which were delicious). Here's Jan, me, Jim, Tessa, Kristey, Carol, Don and Bob. Bob is getting tired...
and below is Carol & Don's son Jack, who helped out when the crowd got heavy by busing tables while Jim & Kristey's son Adam helped wash up in the kitchen. The chef/owner, Alex, was appreciative of the help. In fact, one of our party (Mike) spent the bulk of the evening waiting tables in exchange for beer (and also for the experience -- who else could say that they waited tables in a German restaurant during Oktoberfest for the fun of it?).
Tomorrow is supposed to be clear & warm, we'll see.
Later
The weather is still on the gray side, although there's no rain to speak of. Anyway, here's our hotel in Konstanz. Check out the bear on the right -
The younger travelers are pretty much all worn out now...using the bus trips as a chance to catch up on sleep. Given that school is in session, most of them have brought homework to do while traveling and also are doing some writing about our trip. I'm not saying that's what keeps them awake, but it might be one of the things...
So, we started a sight-seeing tour of Konstanz in the morning and one of the sights is this fountain in the main thoroughfare. It has several emperors & kings carved on its sides, and some whimsy on the base...
Here's the whimsy...
Here's a picture of Bob standing in that street
Konstanz completely escaped aerial bombardment during WWII, so most of its old structures are intact. Our tour guide said that this was because the city kept its lights on during the blackout, and was thus mistaken for its neighboring Swiss city and avoided. It means that buildings like this city hall are still intact. Here's the view from inside the courtyard,
and here's the view from the street. The painting on the face of the building is extremely elaborate and depicts key points in the town's history. By the way, from what I've been told by my family this is the general region where my mom's ancestors came from, and this is an important trading town -- it's likely some of my ancestors were at least visitors here at one time.
After lunch we traveled to the 'island' of Mainau, a garden destination with lots of plants. Well, I guess it's better than that lame description but I'm not much of a garden afficionado...one of the nicer attractions was a butterfly habitat, with thousands of exotic butterflies in a hothouse enclosure:
There are so many they land on people...
This moth is about a foot in diameter, and very pretty...
Then it's back on the bus to the hotel. Here's the kids having fun in the back; this is what I saw almost every time I turned around --
At the hotel we managed to sneak into the restaurant ahead of a large party of local diners, but because it was a very small restaurant and a very large group we had a bit of a wait for our meals (which were delicious). Here's Jan, me, Jim, Tessa, Kristey, Carol, Don and Bob. Bob is getting tired...
and below is Carol & Don's son Jack, who helped out when the crowd got heavy by busing tables while Jim & Kristey's son Adam helped wash up in the kitchen. The chef/owner, Alex, was appreciative of the help. In fact, one of our party (Mike) spent the bulk of the evening waiting tables in exchange for beer (and also for the experience -- who else could say that they waited tables in a German restaurant during Oktoberfest for the fun of it?).
Tomorrow is supposed to be clear & warm, we'll see.Later
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday in Austria (September 27th)
Thursday we traveled from Salzburg to Konstanz, Germany via Innsbruck. It was a pretty long day on the bus; several hours with stops here and there. I'm sitting not quite in the back, which is where most of the kids on the trip are sitting (okay, Don in the white shirt there isn't a kid but he's closer to being one than to the age of some of our senior members, who are over seventy). Most of the time we all get along fine but the kids can act up a little bit. Erica likes to kick my seat, and Brandee likes to listen to her iPod so loud that everybody else can hear it (I worry for her hearing).
We stopped in Innsbruck for a midday lunch and sight-seeing; the weather had improved (mostly cloudy with some scattered blue skies) and in the high 40's, maybe low 50's.
Innsbruck is very high in the Alps, about 1500 feet, surrounded by much higher peaks (the winter Olympics were held here twice, in 1964 and 1976). We spent a few hours in the city center. Here's an elaborate building, the first you see as you enter the old town from the municipal parking lot:
This is the view of the major shopping street downtown:
And its corresponding street to the right:
Innsbruck seemed to have more genuine tourist shops (i.e. schlock) than Salzburg, which had very fine clothing & accessory stores. Still, there were some upscale places. In particular, the Swarovski Crystal company, which has a factory in Austria, has a very large store here. Some of the crystal items are very pretty but it's hard to be excited enough to stay in a store like that for too long (at least for me). But speaking of excessive displays of consumption, Innsbruck is home to the 'goldenes dachl' (golden roof) seen below. The emperor Maximilian apparently enjoyed sitting under this roof and throwing scraps to the entertainers below around 1500 or so. It's still there, hard to believe but true:
There was a nice lingerie store on the avenue, as Adam found out (notice the handcuff on the mannequin's wrist; a very nice touch) -
After shopping we had lunch at (it had to happen eventually) McDonalds. The kids (Bob & Jan's as well as Jim & Kristey's; that is, Erica, Tessa, & Adam) wanted some good ol'-fashioned American comfort food. And yes, Quentin Tarantino is correct, the quarter pounder with cheese is the 'Royale'. I stuck with the classic Big Mac myself, which tasted just like (here it comes) a Big Mac. meh. I tried to get a beer with the Big Mac but they don't do that in Austria (only in Germany). sigh.
After lunch we trooped back to the bus; the weather was clearing up, and I got a few nice pictures of the mountains around Innsbruck and from the bus as we traveled. This was a long trip, about 5 hours, with a stop along the way at Rosenberger (a mega rest-stop).
Erica wasn't thrilled to be crowned Queen of Rosenberger.
Brandee wasn't thrilled either but did a better job of pretending.
As we left Innsbruck our tour guides Ondra and Jen put 'The Sound of Music' on the bus's DVD player. I don't think I had watched the whole thing through since 1965, honestly, and it was pretty fascinating to be driving through the Alps as we watched the movie. Naturally, since I tear up at any movie scene with kids in it, I was pretty much sniffling for a couple of hours ... getting old sucks sometimes!
We got in to Singen, near Konstanz, around 8PM; early enough for a few drinks in the bar before staggering off to bed. Once again I had to troubleshoot the wifi before I could use it (in Salzburg it was reception issues; in Singen it's DNS server problems). Isn't this stuff supposed to be easy?
Anyway, tomorrow is sight-seeing in Konstanz, followed by a weekend of an Oktoberfest there and a parade in Stuttgart on Sunday. Coming down to the home stretch!
Later -
We stopped in Innsbruck for a midday lunch and sight-seeing; the weather had improved (mostly cloudy with some scattered blue skies) and in the high 40's, maybe low 50's.Innsbruck is very high in the Alps, about 1500 feet, surrounded by much higher peaks (the winter Olympics were held here twice, in 1964 and 1976). We spent a few hours in the city center. Here's an elaborate building, the first you see as you enter the old town from the municipal parking lot:
This is the view of the major shopping street downtown:
And its corresponding street to the right:
Innsbruck seemed to have more genuine tourist shops (i.e. schlock) than Salzburg, which had very fine clothing & accessory stores. Still, there were some upscale places. In particular, the Swarovski Crystal company, which has a factory in Austria, has a very large store here. Some of the crystal items are very pretty but it's hard to be excited enough to stay in a store like that for too long (at least for me). But speaking of excessive displays of consumption, Innsbruck is home to the 'goldenes dachl' (golden roof) seen below. The emperor Maximilian apparently enjoyed sitting under this roof and throwing scraps to the entertainers below around 1500 or so. It's still there, hard to believe but true:
There was a nice lingerie store on the avenue, as Adam found out (notice the handcuff on the mannequin's wrist; a very nice touch) -
After shopping we had lunch at (it had to happen eventually) McDonalds. The kids (Bob & Jan's as well as Jim & Kristey's; that is, Erica, Tessa, & Adam) wanted some good ol'-fashioned American comfort food. And yes, Quentin Tarantino is correct, the quarter pounder with cheese is the 'Royale'. I stuck with the classic Big Mac myself, which tasted just like (here it comes) a Big Mac. meh. I tried to get a beer with the Big Mac but they don't do that in Austria (only in Germany). sigh.After lunch we trooped back to the bus; the weather was clearing up, and I got a few nice pictures of the mountains around Innsbruck and from the bus as we traveled. This was a long trip, about 5 hours, with a stop along the way at Rosenberger (a mega rest-stop).
Erica wasn't thrilled to be crowned Queen of Rosenberger.
Brandee wasn't thrilled either but did a better job of pretending.
As we left Innsbruck our tour guides Ondra and Jen put 'The Sound of Music' on the bus's DVD player. I don't think I had watched the whole thing through since 1965, honestly, and it was pretty fascinating to be driving through the Alps as we watched the movie. Naturally, since I tear up at any movie scene with kids in it, I was pretty much sniffling for a couple of hours ... getting old sucks sometimes!We got in to Singen, near Konstanz, around 8PM; early enough for a few drinks in the bar before staggering off to bed. Once again I had to troubleshoot the wifi before I could use it (in Salzburg it was reception issues; in Singen it's DNS server problems). Isn't this stuff supposed to be easy?
Anyway, tomorrow is sight-seeing in Konstanz, followed by a weekend of an Oktoberfest there and a parade in Stuttgart on Sunday. Coming down to the home stretch!
Later -
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