Life is a Ride…In Sheffield

Following my equestrian trail-riding week in Germany, I flew from Frankfurt to the North of England to see John Simm in Hamlet, meet up with friends, and do some sight-seeing in and around Sheffield. This is pretty much the same thing I said when questioned by the UK Border officer upon my arrival at Manchester Airport.

“Where are you staying while in the UK?”, he asked. “In Sheffield”, I reply.

“Do you have friends or family there?”

“Yes, friends.”

“And what will you be doing in Sheffield?” he further probes. “Going to the theatre and doing some sight-seeing” I say, beginning to wonder how much longer this will go on.

Then he asks, “Oh, what are you seeing at the Theatre?”

“John Simm in Hamlet”, I reply confidently, remembering that I was back in a place where people would know exactly who I was talking about.

“John Simm?”, he says, “I like him”.

And I was waved on through into the UK! Yippee!

But before I could leave Manchester Airport, I needed to pick up my next Ride for the week, a silver NEW manual drive Astra SRi with 7K miles. I forgot to take a picture of it, probably subconsciously not wanting to jinx myself into wrecking it since this was my first time driving in England! Instead, I found this lovely promo shot of an Astra SRi:

Astra SRi

After 5 minutes sitting in the right-hand side driver’s seat at the Hertz car park, wondering why I ever thought driving in the UK was a great idea and trying to quell my panic, I finally started the car, played with the left-hand manual shift and pulled out of the parking space. So far, so good. I inched my way down the car park ramps and ultimately exited (stay to the left!) into the 6:00 pm rush hour mayhem of Manchester traffic. Let the fun begin!

With iPhone GPS at the ready and gingerly avoiding side-swiping parked cars or bicyclists with my unfamiliar 2 foot of car extended on my left, I skirted around Manchester Central and headed (in a more or less “general” direction) on the M60 and M67 until I reached the A57. The A57 which I later find out is also called “Snake Pass“. HAHA I am SOOO glad I didn’t know this beforehand! Snake pass is fairly narrow and winding in parts and I was still concentrating like hell on driving, but as dusk was falling I managed to glimpse some of the surrounding views of the beautiful Peak District. Here’s a pic I found:

Throughout this blog, click on the photos for a bigger image

Snake Pass in the Peak District

It was dark when I got to Sheffield and I needed to reach (in a more or less “general” direction) the Travelodge Sheffield Central, which is accessed via the Park Square Ring Road. Well, it took me 3-4 attempts of selecting the wrong exit each time, spinning off onto a new tangent road and working my way back to the Ring Road to try again. Fortunately I never found myself endlessly stuck in the roundabout like Chevy Chase in this classic London scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation:

 

Whew! I’d actually made it to my Hotel with me and my Ass-tra in one piece! I got settled in, devoured a meal and a pint of beer at the hotel Bar Cafe and reflected back on my day’s travel from Molsberg, Germany to Sheffield, UK. I slept like a log that night!

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Next morning the agenda was laundry. I pondered if I was ready to get back in the car so soon after the night before and weighed the need to drive around Sheffield vs. having fresh clothes for the rest of the week. I already had the laundry shop mapped out, and so how hard could it be to go a couple miles through Sheffield?  I mean, I had 30 years experience driving in the greater Los Angeles area…so what if it’s all backwards now, I could manage?!?

Well, a few wrong turns, U-turns and dead-ends later, I find myself…totally by sheer luck, conveniently parked at a side street located just behind Churchills Dry Cleaning & Laundry Service. I couldn’t have found a better place to leave the car for a few hours while I had my laundry cleaned, plus do my first bit of sight-seeing in Sheffield Central. The rest of the pics in this blog are from my camera.

Barker's Pool, Sheffield

Heart of the City, Sheffield

The Peace Gardens and Sheffield Town Hall

The Wheel of Sheffield

Sheffield Winter Garden

Inside Sheffield Winter Garden

View between Hotel Novotel Sheffield Centre and Sheffield Piccolino near The Winter Garden

Steel balls with flowing water public art in Sheffield

The 'Cheese Grater' car park

"Barking up the right tree" by Johnny White at Millennium Galleries

The Town Trust Bells at Millennium Galleries

"Blue Bird' - Stairwell in Graves Art Gallery and Sheffield Central Library

While wandering I enjoyed my first meat and potato pie since my 2007 Manchester trip. Ahhhh!! So Fantastic! Here’s a picture perfect example of a meat and potato pie. Gosh, I’m craving one again seeing the pic!

Few hours later, the laundry is done, sight-seeing is over and it’s time to meet up with friends for a highly anticipated evening of Hamlet with John Simm at the Crucible Theatre!

The Crucible Theatre at Tudor Square, Sheffield

See more Sheffield, UK 2010 photos

Chris, Lisa & Mitch, and I head over early to stake out a table at the Old Monk Pub in Tudor Square, which is home to the largest concentration of theatre venues in the UK outside London. There might’ve been a photo of us in front of the Old Monk Pub, if it weren’t for Mitch discovering a better photo opportunity using the adjacent Crucible Corner restaurant in order to include John Simm in the background (having a quiet dinner before his performance).

(click on photo for bigger view)

Crucible Corner Restaurant with John Simm at Tudor Square, Sheffield

And so…back at The Old Monk…

The Old Monk Pub at Tudor Square, Sheffield

…we were soon joined by Sue, Yvonne, Linz, Cath, Charles…

Pre Hamlet meet-up at The Old Monk, Sheffield

…and Bex.

Pre Hamlet meet-up at The Old Monk, Sheffield

Tracey, who I last met in 2007 in London, was also driving up to join us for Hamlet, but sadly didn’t make it because her car broke down in route.

John Simm gave a stunning performance as Hamlet and I was immediately looking forward to returning the very next evening to witness the extra exhilaration of Opening Press Night! I am still so very thrilled for every opportunity to see John live on stage and feel quite spoiled to have seen his last three plays. Afterwards at the stage door, John was fabulously generous and down to earth as always. I feel blessed being able to meet such a fine talent and really appreciate the personal care and attention he gives towards fans.

But not only that, the man takes a Seriously-Damn-Fine-Smiley photo!

Shelley & Chris with John Simm after Hamlet (Crucible Theatre - 21 Sep 2010)

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The next day, Lisa & Mitch and I take a half-day trip by bus (I wasn’t ready to include passengers in my England driving adventures) to the nearby village of Eyam. Also known as the “Plague Village”, Eyam chose to isolate itself when the plague was discovered there in August 1665, rather than let the infection spread.

We took a walking self-guided tour of the town:

The illustrated map of the Derbyshire village of Eyam

The main street of Eyam maintains the original row of cottages that still serve as modern day residences today. Each cottage has a sign in the front for visitors to learn more about the historical victims:

Sign for the Plague Cottages - The third victim of the Plague Peter Halksworth died here.

Gardens of Eyam Village

Hall Hill Troughs - est. 1558. They supplied regular domestic water for nearly 350 years

Eyam Hall - 17th C. Family Manor House & Historic Walled Garden

Eyam Church Cemetery

Eyam Church Cemetery

Tomb of Catherine Mompesson, who died of the plague 25 Aug 1666

Celtic Cross - 8th Century A.D., Eyam

See more The Plague Village – Eyam, UK 2010 photos

After the tour, we stopped for lunch at The Miners Arms 17 C. Inn & Restaurant, plus B&B, where they have a list of all 27 Past Innkeepers dating back to 1630. Whoa!

Here’s a nifty little video by Peakdistrictonline that highlights perfectly what you can expect to see if you visit Eyam.

The history of Eyam is a very intriguing, thought-provoking study of human behavior and sacrifice, science and biology, population statistics, immunity and genealogy. I highly recommend a visit there!

Mitch, Lisa and I catch the bus back to Sheffield and get ready for Hamlet’s Opening Press Night!

Crucible Theatre at Tudor Square, Sheffield

This time Chris, Yvonne, Lisa and I were joined by Tracy (not the same Tracey whose car had broken down the night before) for the Premiere evening. There we saw a number of John’s peers, friends and family also in attendance, including Sir Ian McKellen, Frances Barber, Adrian Bower, Joe Duttine, Jason Merrels, Adam James, Siobhan Redmond, and John’s wife, actress Kate Magowan.

We were treated to an even more highly charged performance than the previous night by John Simm and Company. And on that note, Congratulations and Good luck to the entire Hamlet Sheffield Theatres Production on being nominated “Best Regional Production” in the 2011 What’s On Stage Awards!

Voting is still open until the end of January, ~please~ vote NOW for Hamlet as Best Regional Production.

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After staying three nights at the Travelodge Sheffield Central at the low budget rate of £19.00 a night and although I had no complaints at that price, I was beyond ready to splurge on something a little more swanky. Some place where the bar soap couldn’t be mistaken for a small wrapped mint.

I threw my luggage into my trusty Astra ride and drove a couple miles south to the Copthorne Hotel next to Sheffield United Football Club‘s stadium:

Copthorne Hotel next to Sheffield United Football Club’s stadium

But before checking into my new posh digs, I took a walk to the nearby shops on The Moor and stopped at the Sainsbury’s Superstore to pick up my other “Must-Have-When-in-the-North-of-England” food, my all-time favorite cheese…Lancashire Cheese.

At the registers, the checkout lady picked up on my American accent and asked about my visit and what I had done so far in Sheffield. When I told her about seeing John Simm in Hamlet, she surprised me (but then, why?) by saying she’d been to see Hamlet, too. Wow, how cool! I could see I still wasn’t entirely used to being in a place where people knew exactly who I was talking about, let alone equally contributing to the moment!

I walked out of Sainsbury’s feeling curiously uplifted…and into…an unanticipated downpour of rain.

The Moor Sheffield

Now, I DO love the rain. But with no coat, hat, or umbrella I quickly turned into a drowned rat carrying orange grocery bags as I walked back to the Copthorne. I tried to look like I purposely intended to be dripping wet as I checked-in at the trendy Reception desk.

Once in my room, I reveled in beautiful blacks, creams and dark wood accommodations, with executive closets, accent lighting, luxury bathroom with heated mirror, club chair, desk, a small fridge and a recessed wall-mounted flat screen TV. There could be no better way to spend my last 3 nights in Sheffield!

That night I ate Lancashire cheese on buttered Jacob’s Cream Crackers and perused tourist pamphlets for ideas on what to sight-see over the next couple days.

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Since one of my primary reasons for hiring a car in England was to drive through the countryside, I decided to go for a nice easy drive south to the Masson Mills Working Textile Museum in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. Masson Mills, built in 1783 as the showpiece mills of Sir Richard Arkwright, is magnificently situated on the banks of the River Derwent.

Masson Mills – Working Textile Museum

Besides being a Working Textile Museum, Masson Mills is also a Shopping Village with four floors of shopping and a cafe, too. I took a self-guided tour inside the Museum which included the following caution:

Masson Mills Working Textile Museum contains working machinery and it is recommended that you do not remain in the areas where machines are working for longer than 15 minutes in total. The Textile Museum Staff have earplugs which are available for your use.

Here’s a video comprised of 3 short clips I took to illustrate the museum and what it sounds like:

And now for some quiet pics!

Doubling Machine

Warping Mill - Circa 1890, made by W. Whiteley & Sons of Lockwood, Huddersfield.

Lancashire and Yorkshire looms, weaving traditional cloth.

Weaving Shed

Masson Mills - Working Textile Museum

Masson Mills - Working Textile Museum

Masson Mills - Working Textile Museum

Masson Mills - Working Textile Museum

A short distance south of Masson Mills lies Arkwright’s Cromford Mill – the world’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mills. The complex was saved from dereliction in the 1970′s and is currently undergoing painstaking restoration.

I stopped in to have a look around and visit the exhibition and gift shop, but I was much more delighted by the sights as I strolled along the Cromford Canal:

Cromford Wharf

(Remember – click on photos for bigger view!)

Quack Security Patrol - Cromford Canal Walk

Cromford Canal Walk

Cromford Canal Walk

Cromford Canal Walk

Cromford Canal Walk

See more Masson Mills & Cromford Mills, Wharf & Canal, UK photos

I didn’t have enough time to complete the 3.5 mile Cromford Canal Walk, but I hope to someday!

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For my last full day in the UK, I decided on another short easy drive south to Hardwick Hall in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Hardwick Hall is one of Britain’s greatest Elizabethan houses and was built in the 1590′s by Bess of Hardwick, England’s second richest woman. Unchanged since, Hardwick Hall is “More Glass than Wall” and now home to a collection of rich tapestries and amazing plaster work, surrounded by 300 acres of grounds.

The New Hall of Hardwick Hall - "More Glass than Wall"

It was Elizabethan Weekend at Hardwick hall and at the entrance visitors were treated to some musicians:

Click link to Facebook video: Video: Elizabethan Performers at Hardwick Hall [HQ]

Introductory talk by 'Bess of Hardwick' as she welcomes visitors to her home.

View from Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall Garden

Hardwick Hall Back Garden

The Dining Room - Piano made by Broadwood dated 1812

The Cut Velvet Bedroom - The bed was made in 1740's and brought to Hardwick hall in 1800s by the Duke of Devonshire.

Carpet under restoration

The Old Hall of Hardwick Hall - Birthplace of Bess of Hardwick

Exterior Remains of Old Hardwick Hall

Looking out from inside the Old Hall

Plaster Overmantel in the Old Hall

Pastry Room bread ovens for baking

View of New Hardwick Hall from Old Hardwick Hall

See more Hardwick Hall, Chesterfield, UK 2010 photos

I have to say that of all my sight-seeing so far this past week, my favorite has to be Hardwick Hall, and specifically, exploring the exterior shell of Old Hardwick Hall.

On the way back to Sheffield, I stopped for a couple hours in Chesterfield Town Centre in order to see for myself its famous “Crooked Spire” of St Mary and All Saints Church. The 228 foot Spire stands on the skyline like a question mark: how did it happen?

The "Crooked Spire" of Chesterfield Parish Church

While in Chesterfield, I look for what would be my last meal before leaving the next morning back to Manchester Airport. Which authentic British favorite food could I have possibly missed so far while in the UK?

Right! Fish and Chips!

I found a Market Place chippy and over a massive piece of fish, I reflected back on my memorable week of meeting old and new friends, Shakespearean Theatre with the extraordinary John Simm and sight-seeing through Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Looking back at the Derwent Valley link with its map of all the attractions I hadn’t seen yet can only mean one thing, that I’ll just have to come back!

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Next morning I’m on the road by 6 am to Manchester. It’s Sunday and the A57 aka “Snake Pass” is very quiet. I have a serene, relaxing drive all the way to the Hertz car park at Manchester Airport.

It’s still early when I proudly return the Astra to the Hertz-guy, who quickly burst my bubble during his walk-around damage inspection of my Trusty Ride, by pointing out that there’s a nick in the sidewall of one of the tires.

“Seriously?” I think, trying not to bust out laughing while imagining myself saying, “Mr. Hertz-guy, I think we should concern ourselves more with the fact that there’s not a crack in the wheel itself, or bloodstains on the left side of the car…or a dented rear bumper either, since I never got out of the habit of looking over the wrong shoulder every time I reversed the car this past week.”

Better yet, I guess the moment as I was handing over the Astra keys to Mr. Hertz-guy, I should’ve told him I saw John Simm in Hamlet?

Life is a Ride…In Germany

I was invited to a family BBQ in Germany. I live in Southern California. Not a problem!

My friend, the talented musician, film composer and singer Andreas “Zippy” Betten, invited me to Sunday BBQ  just as I was about to fly to Frankfurt for a 4-day progressive horseback trail ride through the beautiful Westerwald region of Germany.

I arrived at Frankfurt airport Sunday morning, quickly passed through customs, only to wait longer for my luggage, and then bought a ticket for a high-speed ICE train.  OK, I knew I was already certifiably BONKERS over transportation via the Tube, which is my MOST favorite thing when in London. So, it’s really no surprise that I quickly became enamored with the ICE as well!

I’d have another opportunity to indulge in my new ICE craze later on, but right now, I was more focused on meeting Andreas and his family!

I first came to know Andreas from the varied assortment of projects that he is attached to. My original favorite is his joint success with Olaf Wollschläger as music duo Vorsprung durch Technik.

Yello fans may be familiar with this RARE remix by Vorsprung durch Technik that you can listen to right now:

Vicious Games 12″ Mix (Hardfloor Vs. Yello) by Vorsprung Durch Technik

or if you’re a fan of BBC’s Doctor Who, check out my YouTube video with my favorite Vorsprung durch Technik song, “Blink”:  Blink – Doctor Who vs Vorsprung durch Technik.

Andreas Betten plays it all and a few of my other favorite and notable projects of his include:

• Guitar, trumpet, keyboards with the Alternative/Rock/Gothic/80′s sound of They Fade in Silence and their decades awaited epic CD release, Apologies…Are Hard to Find.
• Guitar, singer with Poppiloten, music for children with debut CD, Eigener Verein featuring “Angst ” and “Immer, Immer, Immer”, both of which reached  No. 1 on the Lilipuz charts.
• And most recently, Rings of Fire, another successful pairing of electronic and vocals talent with Andreas Krüger (aka Der Dritte Raum).

I get to Düsselfdorf area right on time and after a warm welcome from Andreas and family, some chit chat and a visit to a nearby ranch for a little horsey warm-up ride in the countryside, we’re ready for ein Bier and a BBQ!

Which brings me now to my first unforgettable picture moment since arriving in Germany. Andreas had mentioned he might use a hair-dryer to get the coals ready, but I didn’t think he was serious! Well here’s the evidence!

[note:  throughout this blog click on pics for larger version]

Musician Andreas Betten composing the perfect hot medley of coals with a hair-dryer

What’s this!? Is this how they grill in Germany? I’ve never seen that back home in California! I did a little research and found this link, The Best Way to Start BBQ Coals! Hmmpf, looks like I must’ve fallen off the BBQ Bandwagon!

The BBQ, meal and evening was absolutely wonderful. I am entirely humbled again by the fabulous warmth and generosity of my German friends. I am reminded of last year when I met Silke and her family in Berlin (see Berlin Blog) and now again with meeting Andreas and his beautiful family…I must say that German people are an absolute treasure, and pleasure to be acquainted with.

The next day, Andreas took me into Köln (Cologne) for lunch and a few hours of sightseeing.  Here is the infamous Früh where locals say every visitor to the city must eat at least one meal here to get a flavor of Cologne:

Lunch and Kölsch (beer) at Früh

Next we walked along the Rhine River.  This is the most heavily used railway bridge in Germany, connecting the stations Köln Hauptbahnhof and Köln Messe/Deutz with each other:

Hohenzollernbrücke (Hohenzollern bridge) over the Rhein River

Pegel Köln water gauge stands in the old town of Köln (Cologne) and measures the water level on the Rhein River:

Pegel Köln water gauge

Great St. Martin Church:

Great St. Martin Church along the Rhein Riverwalk

The Kölner Philharmonie where one is not permitted to walk across the open red-bricked plaza during a concert because it echoes down to the performance below:

Kölner Philharmonie with Kölner Dom behind

Living Statues.  These silver people stay perfectly still until you tip them and then they’ll move!

(click pic for larger view!)

Living Statue People in Köln - This couple were phenomenal!!

Cologne Cathedral is a World Heritage Site and one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany. As Cologne‘s most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an “exceptional work of human creative genius”, it is visited by 20 thousand people every day.

Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral)

Inside Cologne Cathedral

Inside Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) - The nave looking East

This “swallows’ nest” organ was built into the gallery in 1998, to celebrate the cathedral’s 700 years. It was constructed at the east end of the nave on the north wall, which is considered an excellent location for organs in Gothic cathedrals.The nave organ has Great, Swell, Back Positive, and Pedal divisions, 3,963 pipes and 53 stops.

Inside Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) - Nave organ.

The most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the Shrine of the Three Kings, a large gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13th century, and the largest reliquary in the Western world. It is traditionally believed to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men, whose bones and 2,000-year-old clothes were discovered at the opening of the shrine in 1864.

The Shrine of the Three Kings (Kölner Dom)

See more pics in my Köln (Cologne) photo album.

Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to lovely Andreas who suggested I take a slower regional train in order to enjoy scenic views of the Rhine and Lahn rivers on the way to my next destination, Limburg an der Lahn.

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Limburg is one of a handful of towns where almost every medieval building has survived intact. The entire central area between the cathedral and the 600 year old Lahn bridge stands under historic preservation. Visible for miles around, Limburg Dom (Limburg Cathedral) is a masterpiece of late-Romanesque architecture with a distinctive facade of red and white that dominates the old quarter.

Limburg Dom (Limburg Cathedral) overlooking the River Lahn

I had a day and a half to sight-see Limburg and couldn’t wait to wander around this Disney-like town with it’s narrow streets and half-timbered houses.

The Altstadt (Old Town) is full of narrow streets with timber-frame houses, dating mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries

Next day around noon (jet-lag still lurking!!) I had my first meal of the day at an ice cream specialty cafe. A Cappuccino and a Crepe with warm apfelmus (applesauce).

For the next 5 hours I walked all over Limburgh and took tons of pics! Pics of half-timbered buildings and related detail like doors, streets and cobblestones. Here’s just a few favs:

Did I mention the Altstadt (Old Town) has narrow streets?

Did I mention Limburg is Disney-like?

Eventually, my lower back complaining and appetite competing for attention, I found a Bitburger place for a large beer and warm baguette mit Peperoni und Käse. OMG! It was huge, hot, gooey, cheesy and perfect with the beer. I devoured both! Had a baileys coffee after. Ahhh-h-h, Vacations are great!

Next day I came across this fountain memorial. In the 14th century Friedrich von Hattstein was appointed governor of the city and was feared for his strength because he could lift a wine barrel and drink from it.

Hattstein Memorial water fountain for former robber baron Friedrich von Hattstein.

While the most touristy part of Limburg has cute specialty shops, just a few streets away there is a modern shopping strip near the Rathaus (Town Hall) with major outlets (H&M) etc.

Limburg is celebrating 1100 years (910-2010)!

Can you believe (pic above) that Limburg is celebrating 1100 Years in 2010?

Pusteblume (Dandelion) Fountain and St. Anna-Kirche (church)

While I paused for a break and enjoyed the Dandelion fountain pictured above, I spied this little charmer down at my feet… (don’t forget to click the pic for a bigger bug view! )

A Forest Shield Bug of the Pentatomidae family. Common in central Europe and British Isles

No visit to Limburg is complete without a stop at the Cathedral also known as Georgsdom or Limburger Dom after its dedication to Saint George. I realized almost too late that I hadn’t worked my way up to the Dom yet, but just as I did these amazing, lovely bells began ringing.  I took a three minute vid to capture the sound as I walked up to it…the bells rang on for about 10 minutes!!

Limburger Dom (Limburg Cathedral), one of the most complete creations of Late Romanesque architecture

Another must-see in Limburg is to walk along the riverside of the Lahn for views of  natural art exhibitions, swans, longboat canoers and paddle wheels:

The River Lahn and Old Lahn Bridge

Along the Lahn Riverwalk there was an Art Exhibition that used the natural elements to blend in the displays.

Kunst am Fluss - Kunst im Fluss (Art on the River - Art in the river)

Plus other river related sights:

Lahn Riverwalk

Longboat canoers:

Lahn Riverwalk

Oh look another ICE Train reference below! Stay tuned for my big ICE Train finale!

Lahn Valley Bridge on the A3, behind is the ICE bridge and in foreground is a campground

Color Mill Wheel

Farbmühle

And on the last morning after sight-seeing all of Limburg and the river Lahn, here’s a lovely blue-sky view from my hotel room.

Limburger Dom (Limburg Cathedral) - Saint George's

See more pics in my Limburg an der Lahn photo album.

Woo-Hoo!! Next up is my much anticipated Germany Equestrian Adventure! The last time I took an equestrian vacation was in 2000 at the Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan, Ireland. Yes, I’d say I was long overdue!!

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Unlike my trip in Ireland where we stayed at the centre the entire week and rode our horses into the surrounding estate grounds for daily cross-country jumping and gallops, this Germany trip was a 4 day, Progressive Drei-Täler-Trail (3-Valley-Ride).  I had selected this trip from HiddenTrails.com, a great internet provider of premier equestrian vacations world-wide, plus more!

Our fearless trail guide for the 3 Valley Ride was Jens Hammer who arrived in Limburg to collect me and another rider (Sara from New Zealand) to take us to the home ranch at Hofgut Molsberg for an overnight stay.

Street View of Hofgut Molsberg

Hofgut Molsberg is a fabulous facility with simple, clean, warm accommodations and shower, a banquet hall, private home, large stable and extensive pastures.

Entrance to Hofgut Molsberg - Wanderreiten (Trail-Riding) im Westerwald und Taunus

My equestrian partner “Amel” is out there in that pasture!

The Pastures at Hofgut Molsberg

oh, a little filly!  Check her out in action! Filly Fun Video

Family Life at Hofgut Molsberg

3 Valley Ride: Day 1 – Three other german riders arrived in the morning (Michelle, Rica, and Björn) and after fetching our horses from the field, grooming, tacking, plus a short lesson on how to properly roll up oilskin duster/raincoats to tie down behind our saddles, we set off for a 4-6 hour ride into the Westerwald region.

We were scheduled to stop every 90 minutes for a break and be met by Klaus who not only had our luggage with him in his van but had also stocked some refreshments for us.

Within the first 90 minutes into the ride Sara’s horse had gone lame.  We were delayed as Jens made arrangements to have another horse swapped in. When we set off again we were very behind schedule and in order to reach our first overnight stop before dark, we rode straight on with no more breaks. Along the way we were overtaken by a heavy rain and stopped long enough to unroll and put on the oilskin rain dusters to keep ourselves and our saddles dry. When the rain stopped we made up some time with breath-taking gallops through glistening rain soaked green meadows!  That first day we were also treated to the sights of a herd of deer running across the hill before us and also a large European brown hare that gave us a wide berth.

At 7 pm we had reached the Bruchhäuser Mühle…

Dinnertime - End of Day 1

…where we enjoyed a fabulous Inn-style dinner together and comfortable rooms to recover overnight.  I was expecting to be sore from riding but found that although my muscles were not really aching, my poor seat bones were quite tender! Even sitting down on a soft bed was to be done with caution!  I decided a couple Motrin tablets would help take the edge off.  I tried not to think about having to sit in that hard saddle for another 4-6 hour ride the next day.

Start of Day 2 - Bruchhäuser Mühle

3 Valley Ride: Day 2 – The next morning arrived quickly.  After breakfast together we set off and began a steep climb up through wooded terrain to skirt along near the top of the ridge with a dizzying slope down our right side.  Seeing the steep slope from our narrow trail, we couldn’t help but recall that famous scene from “The Man from Snowy River” known simply as, ”The Descent” (watch first 40 secs):

Oddly, no one opted to take the “The Snowy River” shortcut so we took the long way down into the next valley. And a good thing too, since that meant we could delight in this picturesque view of Obernhof:

Obernhof - In the distance is Cloister of Anstein

We ended up going right down through Obernhof using that center road pictured above. Then spent a good portion of the day going in and out, back and forth and within a river creek that substituted as our trail. The creek was shallow enough and Jens kept us out of the deep parts but it also had a VERY rocky bottom. Getting into the river meant facing the horse straight down the muddy bank and letting them slide their way down and in. Getting out meant just hang on as they clamber out!

At one point a 10 cm branch was blocking our path about chest-high on the horses.  Most obstructions we would squeeze under, over or around as needed but this time Jens took a few minutes to saw through it with his utility knife.

This day was full of “Situations” (a fast-becoming familiar phrase of Jens’) and I had a full appreciation of how very fit and safe his horses were. They knew their job and were pros!

We stopped for a hearty lunch at Mittelmühle.  Later that afternoon I remember thinking perhaps I shouldn’t have ate so much… as we were galloping hell-bent-for-leather during our fastest gallop yet! Yee-Haw!

Even with our fast gallops it was dusk when we reached the very tiny village of Bärbach. Tiny Bärbach consists of 5 homes and 16 residents. I am soon thrilled to know that we will stay here for two nights!  My internet connection on my iPhone was random at best, suddenly I felt like I was truly on a remote vacation from my normal daily life. Our wonderful host, Christoph (not sure I have his name spelled right) fixed delicious home-made dinners and desserts for us.

Fabulous host in Bärbach - Christoph

My favorite that Christoph made was the Frankfurter specialty, Grüne Soße. I found the perfect description of this delicious, locally found dish here –>  Frankfurt on Foot City Guide: Frankfurt Grüne Sosse or Green Sauce and a nice photo that portrays this dish perfectly:

Grüne Soße (Green Sauce) - © Klaus-Uwe Gerhardt pixelio.de

3 Valley Ride: Day 3 – We took a break from the previous two days’ riding schedule.  After a leisurely start we ride a short 90 minutes to have lunch at the foot of Burg Hohlenfels. We stopped for some pictures along the way:

Wanderreiten in Deutschland ist prima!

Burg Hohlenfels (Castle) in the distance

While the horses took an extended break:

Day 3 - Lunch Break

I enjoyed another German specialty:

Spiegeleier mit rohen Schinken = YUMMY!

After a long lunch we headed back to Bärbach, stopping along the way at Schauferts Brewery for a couple Biers!  I can see one of our horses in the background is wishing he could join us!!

Courtyard at Schauferts Brewery

I had ein helles Bier und ein dunkles Bier:

Schauferts- Hell und Schauferts-Dunkel

Yep, Vacations are Grand!

3 Valley Ride: Day 4 – For our last day we were back on schedule with another 4-6 hour ride ahead of us because this time we needed to go all the way back to our origination point of Molsberg. We took as much of a direct route as possible in order to cover about 30 km or 18 miles before dark.

In the morning we rode through lovely Balduinstein

Balduinstein on der Lahn river

and stopped for a break

Day 4 - Morning Break in Balduinstein

By Day 4 me and my seat bones were finally in the groove and it was a great final ride!  After our break in Balduinstein there was a steep hill range we had to cross. Jens said we needed to do this starting at a trot (to make it easier for the horses than walking up), then switch to a gallop…while on a narrow path no wider than a picnic table. And we had to do this singularly without stopping on the way up. Jens said just give (loosen) completely with the reins, hang on to our horse’s mane midway up and rise out of the saddle off their backs. Similar to how we got out of the river each time on Day 2, but this was a longer steep uphill stretch, with serpentine-switchback turns through bushes and trees, and all to be done at speed.

My horse Amel was a beauty! All the horses did great, although puffing, as we took a quick break at the top.  A great excuse to check out the view of nearby Schloss (Castle) Schaumburg!

Schloß Schaumburg (Castle) in the distance

Towards the end of the day as we were almost back at Molsberg, we had a couple of special fast gallops; one was a race up a grassy meadow, and the other a final mad dash in the woods with hooves clattering loudly and flinging bits of hard mud everywhere!!! WOW what a great time that was! I think I need to continue to see the rest of the world via horseback!

See more pics in my Drei-Täler-Trail (3-Valley-Ride) photo album.

Jens Hammer - Fantastic horse trail guide! (http://www.derwanderreiter.de)

The next day we said our goodbyes as Jens dropped Sara and I off at the Limburg Süd station to catch our flights out of Frankfurt.

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As my Germany trip was coming to an end and while waiting for my ICE train, I had time to indulge in watching other ICE trains in action. Standing at the station when these trains blow through at speed will provide enough of a thrill to give you goosebumps and make your hairs stand on end!

Limburg Süd station is the only railway station in Germany at which exclusively high-speed rail ICE trains stop.

The Limburg Süd station has four tracks in total. Two tracks are equipped with a platform while the other two allow through trains to pass the station unobstructed at speeds of up to 300 km/h. That’s 186 MPH!!!

Here’s three excellent vids to demonstrate for you now… the one …the only… ICE Train!

First listen to the cool sound (at about 10 sec) of one departing, no wait, that would be…ACCELERATING from Limburg Süd. I think it’s trying to lift off!  Select to watch in HD!

 

Here’s one passing through Limburg Süd station at speed!

 

And because I don’t want you to leave until you get a truer sense of the sheer RUSH one feels as these trains fly by at 300 km/186 mph, here’s an excellent vid with just a single word of German commentary…“Scheiße!!” (Shit!!).

What would YOU say if you were the one taking this video??

Yow-Zah! That train sounds more like a Jet, eh??

For a different perspective, I filmed this from inside the ICE Train… which were also my last views of Germany before flying off to England.

Thanks for being my passenger as I discover that “Life is a Ride”.

Myrtle Beach Adventures

I went to Myrtle Beach this summer for a small family reunion that included my Dad, his sister and some of her family.

In order to maximize our time together, we rented a 5-bedroom ocean-front condo for the week.  That alone would’ve sufficed to make my trip complete!  ;-)

South Wind On the Ocean Condominiums- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

But even better was the weather forecast for the week.  Those who know me…know that I *LOVE* thunderstorms so even though this is a beach vacation, I didn’t mind at all that rain and T-storms had been forecasted.  I say, “Bring IT” !!

Lightening Strike - Myrtle Beach, SC

(By the way, click on any image through-out this blog to see a larger image)

But we still had plenty of sunshine and hot days.  Here’s the view from our 14th floor balcony.

View of North Myrtle Beach, SC

View south - Myrtle Beach, SC

We had some activities lined up for the week but right away I found myself with some spare hours so I checked out Broadway at the Beach, the largest festival entertainment complex in South Carolina.  It has shops, dining, entertainment and really cool ways to play!!

Here’s some pics from Broadway at The Beach:

Ruh-oh, I see a little girl enchanted by Gene …

KISS Coffeehouse - Broadway at the Beach

Duck Family - Broadway at the Beach

Awww…this little cutie is precious!  (Don’t forget you can click the pic to Super-size!)

Duckling - Broadway at the Beach

So, check THIS out a Rope course and Zip-Line!!  I didn’t try this myself but I was happy to take some pics of the next guy who did!

Wonderworks Zip Line & Ropes Course - Broadway at the Beach

Wonderworks Zip Line & Ropes Course - Broadway at the Beach

Wonderworks Zip Line & Ropes Course - Broadway at the Beach

The next day, some of us decided to join my dad, who likes casino gambling, for a 5-hour cruise aboard the Big “M” Casino.

Big "M" Gambling Casino Cruise - Little River, SC

The ship has to go 3 miles out into International waters before casino gambling is permitted.  So, I took the opportunity to get some scenic shots:

South Carolina State Flag on the bow - Big "M" Gambling Casino Cruise - Little River, SC

Big "M" Gambling Casino Cruise - Little River, SC

Wave Runners - Little River Inlet, SC

Myrtle Beach also has a lot of Live Theatre Variety Shows and one evening we went to the Alabama Theatre to see ONE The Show.  A fabulous fun, family variety show!

The next day I was very excited because I had booked a Sandy Island Nature Preserve kayak tour with Black River Outdoors.  Although I wondered how anyone could pass up such an experience, it seemed the rest of the family was more interested in either Golfing (Myrtle Beach is HUGE!!! for the Golfers!!), soaking up the sun down on the beach, or watching Wimbledon on TV.  So I headed off early in the morning and drove south to Murrels Inlet.

The tour group is welcomed by our guides Paul and Julie and after we head out on the gorgeous glass-surface of Waccamaw River…

Waccamaw River & Sandy Island kayak tour

And incredible views of the riverbank lined with trees and hanging spanish moss.

Hanging Spanish Moss - Waccamaw River & Sandy Island kayak tour

More kayak perspective views…

Waccamaw River & Sandy Island kayak tour

Waccamaw River & Sandy Island kayak tour

I have only been kayaking once before (in the ocean off Monterey, California) and that experience put me up close to Sea Otters and Sea Lions.  This time was equally rewarding for spotting the local wildlife.  We gave a wide berth past an Osprey nest way up high and then thrilled at the sight and sounds when the parent brought breakfast to its chicks!!

We also spotted Fiddler crabs, and a Swallow-tailed Kite!

Paul, our guide kept pointing out an alligator or two, to us, that were always a fair distance away… so I can’t say that I actually saw one.  :-(

But Paul came through in another BIG way later near the end of our tour.  But before that, and after paddling for a couple hours, we stopped on a small river bank beach for a stretch and some lunch.

Lunch Break - Sandy Island kayak tour

So Lunch break is over and we head back to finish our tour.  Suddenly, Paul sees a black snake swimming in the river.  He paddles after it, and just about midway across the river, he calls out that he has the snake and if anyone in the group would like to see it,  then we need to paddle over quickly to him since he is now unable to paddle back whilst he has snake in hand!!  ;-)

So a few of us quickly put our kayaks into warp speed to catch up to Paul. We all admire the Eastern Indigo Snake which is classified as federally threatened and is protected.  Although historically the Eastern Indigo inhabited South Carolina down thru southern Georgia, Florida, into south Alabama and southwest Mississippi. Today it is known only to naturally occur in southern Georgia and Florida.  You can imagine that Paul’s verified and recorded sighting of this endangered snake in South Carolina is really fantastic!!  I am thrilled to have been there!!

Here’s some photos with the wonderfully docile, nonpoisonous black beauty:

Eastern Indigo Snake - Black River Outdoors Kayak Tour w/guides Paul & Julie

Eastern Indigo Snake - Black River Outdoors Kayak Tour w/guide Paul

Wow!  So Far Myrtle Beach has been a great vacation!

Back at the condo, At night we would sit on the balcony and talk while listening to the waves and watching people on the beach with their flashlights. It was the week approaching the 4th of July and there were often little fireworks displays.  But what was most memorable was when we were treated to a wonderful performance from a flame juggler,  Here’s a pic followed by a video that I took:

"Rings of Fire" Flame Juggler Performer - Myrtle Beach, SC

Click to Play video

On one of our last days my Dad and I visited nearby Brookgreen Gardens.  Brookgreen Gardens is a non-profit garden museum, that preserves the native flora and fauna and display objects of art within a natural setting. It is also a National Historic Landmark with the most significant collection of figurative sculpture in an outdoor setting by American artists in the world and has the only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on the coast of the Carolinas.

Here’s a sundial.  Do you know what time it is in this picture?

"Time and The Fates of Man" - Brookgreen Gardens

It’s just past 11 am!

(11:10 AM) "Time and The Fates of Man" - Brookgreen Gardens

There were many beautiful sculptures of all sizes:

Brookgreen Gardens - Sculpture Garden

Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, SC

Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, SC

Brookgreen Gardens, Murrels Inlet, SC

And of course this IS a Garden after all, so…

250 year old old Live Oak Allee - Brookgreen Gardens

Time for a butterfly! (Click on pic to see detail)

Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, SC

Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, SC

Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, SC

Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, SC

Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, SC

Cardinal - Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen Gardens also has Trekker Excursions!  ”Travel back in time in a custom all-terrain vehicle and discover tthe history of former rice plantations found in the Preserve.”

Lowcountry Trekker Excursion - Brookgreen Gardens

Avenue of Historic Live Oaks - Lowcountry Trekker Excusion, Brookgreen Gardens

Panoramic view of the Wacamaw River - Lowcountry Trekker Excusion, Brookgreen Gardens

Historic Rice Mill Chimney - Lowcountry Trekker Excusion, Brookgreen Gardens

Plantation Cemetery - Lowcountry Trekker Excusion, Brookgreen Gardens

After the Trekker excursion, there was just one more thing to check out, the Brookgreen Gardens ZOO!!  Again, for those that know me, I *LOVE* animals!  Here’s just a few:

Cattle Egret - The Lowcountry Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens

Black-crowned Night Heron; The Lowcountry Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens

Otter - The Lowcountry Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens

North American Alligator - The Lowcountry Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens

I recommend clicking this next pic for bigger view!

Red Fox - The Lowcountry Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens

Hawk - The Lowcountry Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens

And I think this photo of the American Bald Eagle, our national bird and emblem of the United States, is a great way to end this blog!

Bald Eagle - The Lowcountry Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens

I had a wonderful time during our family reunion in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, although I never did get used to being called Ma’am so often!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mammoth Mountain Ski Trip – Dec 2009

The first time I ever saw snow was when my Dad took me on a group bus trip to Mammoth Mountain to go skiing.  This was early 1980′s and I was 15.  We took some lessons and ever since then I’ve been hooked!  Here’s some old pics from that weekend.  (Note:  Throughout this blog you can click on each image for a larger version)

First ski trip with Dad circa 1980

Main Lodge at Mammoth circa 1980

Since then I’ve been back to Mammoth Mountain a number of times, plus Lake Tahoe, June Mountain and a wonderful trip to Copper Mountain in Colorado.  I even skied Rossendale in England in the Rossendale Valley just north of Manchester!

SKI ROSSENDALE! - Rawtenstall, UK 2001

In recent years though I’ve only managed to ski locally one or two days a season at Mountain High here in Los Angeles county which is only an hour and a half drive and perfect for a quick day trip.

Mountain High - Wrightwood, CA 2004

This year however, I decided to go back to my “ski roots” and booked a trip to Mammoth over Christmas week.  The last time I had been to Mammoth was 10 years ago.

My 80-yr old Dad joined me for this trip and it seemed like old times all over again, him and I, except that he wasn’t planning on doing any skiing.  Although he runs regularly and completes half marathons, he has an upcoming trip to attend the Australian Open and did not want to chance an injury beforehand.

So, we pack up the rental SUV and it’s a Road TRiiiiPPP!!

We head straight north through the Owens Valley for 4.5 hours and stop in Bishop for lunch

Raymond's Deli - Bishop, CA

And just in case you only wanted to use the facilities at Raymond’s…take heed…

Raymond's Deli toilet door - outside

Raymond's Deli toilet door - inside

Then it’s back on the road and …

US Highway 395 - Bishop, CA

Another 45 minutes later we arrive in Mammoth Lakes!

It snowed our first night and next day so Dad and I checked into the condo…

Crestview Condo

Crestview Condo

Dad

View from Condo

…went into town to stock up on groceries *cough!alcohol!* for the week…

Shopping center - Old Mammoth Road, Mammoth Lakes

…plus check out the nearest ski lodge facilities

Cloverleaf run - Canyon Lodge Base

Canyon Lodge reader board and chairlift conditions

We also spent some time checking out Mammoth Lakes’ newest outdoor mall “The Village”

Steps to The Village at Mammoth Lakes

Dad enjoying Fire-pit at The Village in Mammoth Lakes

Christmas Tree at The Village in Mammoth Lakes

No fake snow-flocking needed for this tree! ^^^^^

After the little storm passed the next three days were gorgeous blue skies and I skied my ever-lovin’ snow-bunny tail off!!  From the top of the mountain to the base and from one side to the other!

Top Of The Sierra - 11,053 ft

Top Of The Sierra and Upper Roadrunner run

View from Upper Roadrunner run beyond the ski area boundary

View from Upper Roadrunner run

Lower Roadrunner run

Lower Roadrunner run

Quicksilver run

Back For More run

Haven't The Foggiest run

And while shushing my way down the mountain I took time out for some other observations…

Santa, his Elf and the Woolly Mammoth

Can you spot Santa, his Elf and the Woolly Mammoth?

Snow tracks...

Catch a Tan ~ 40 degrees warm!

They're fillin' up!

View from Cloverleaf run of Canyon Lodge

And this pic below might take on a whole new meaning to chairlift operations after the new horror movie “Frozen” comes out in theaters!

Canyon Express Chair 16

In Theaters Feb 2010 – Frozen: A typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare for three ski/snowboarders when they get stranded on the chairlift before their last run.

Okay!  Well now’s not a good time to mention how very frequent the chairlifts DO stop and leave you hanging in mid-air!!

These next two pics show the same run from different vantage points.  Look for the RED “X” in each to see where I was standing for the alternate pic!

View down from Solitude run

Looking up Solitude run

My favorite Après-ski activity is the jacuzzi and boy did I need it every day!!  My leg muscles were like jelly and also tender from the pressure points of the ski boots.  The condo complex had not one, but two! incredibly HOT jacuzzis!  They were both outdoors and afforded some fantastic views of snow and pine trees.

View from Jacuzzi #1

View from Jacuzzi #2

Did I mention they were hot?  Can you imagine having to sit out of the Jacuzzi for a spell in upper 30 degree temps in order to cool off?!? After those jacuzzis it was more than my legs that were jelly…I was a complete noodle!

My second favorite Après-ski activity is drinking!!  I mean those wonderful warming drinks like Jägermeister shots, Irish Coffee with whipped cream or hot Apple Cider with cloves, cinnamon and spiked with rum!!  Ahh, what’s the next level after ‘noodle’?  Utter Bliss!

Well Christmas is over and so is the Mammoth trip.  My dad and I pack up the SUV with more groceries than what we brought and head back down into the Owens Valley and home.   There is a fantastic Scenic Vista point just outside of Mammoth that is amazing.  Here’s some pics…

"Owens Valley – Extending from Bishop south for 100 miles. The valley was inhabited by indians for many years. Joseph Walker in 1833 was the first white man to discover the valley. In 1845 John O. Fremont named the valley, a river and a lake, after Richard Owens an army captain in his expedition to this area."

Owens Valley - East

Owens Valley - South

Owens Valley - West

And in closing, here’s my attempt at splicing all three pics together into a panorama… click on the image for larger version!

Panoramic view of Owens Valley

Happy New Year 2010 everyone! ;-D

One Week in Berlin – 2009

 

Following my one week in London, I spent a week in Berlin!  To go, or not to go, to Berlin, was a last minute decision that I finally made about a week before leaving for London.  In fact, I was still booking tours for Berlin one evening from my London Hotel!

I wonder now how I ever, for one moment, debated not going at all!  Especially with compelling reasons like these:

1. I had the vacation time already set
2. I have vowed to visit other International places besides the UK (tho’ I love UK so! )
3. I’ve been learning the German language for about 5 months now
4. I have friends in Germany to meet
5. My favorite Swiss Music Duo, Yello, would be launching their first album in six years and their first concert in nearly 30!
6. My best friend Jonathan bought one ticket to the concert and sold it to me!!

This was my first trip to Berlin, and Germany, so my goal was to see an overview of attractions and hope later to revisit my favorite parts in more detail. Yello’s World Premiere Virtual Concert wasn’t until later in the week, so until then I had plenty of time for a number of tours.

Here’s one of my first impressions of Berlin when I went for a walk the first Sunday afternoon near my hotel.

 

Park - Möllendorffstraße

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I took the bulk of my pics during two boat tours of Berlin’s Bridges and Waterways.  Here’s a sampling:

(Note: Throughout this blog, click on pictures for larger view)

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Berlin Boat Tour

Deutscher Bundestag

German Chancellery, Berlin

Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Haus

Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Haus

Bridge connecting Paul Löbe Haus & Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Haus

Berlin Boat Tour

Bodemuseum

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I also took a “Hop On-Hop Off” Bus tour to do some wandering on my own as well:

 

Berlin Wall remains

Berliner Dom

Danziger/Hagenauer Straße, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin

 

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On Wednesday, I ventured out of Berlin and saw some countryside during the 2 hour bus trip to and from beautiful Dresden.

 

Between Berlin and Dresden

Dresden on the River Elbe

Theaterplatz facing The Catholic Church of the Royal Court of Saxony, Dresden

Semperoper, Dresden

Zwinger Palace, Dresden

Detail - Zwinger Palace, Dresden

Between Dresden and Berlin

 

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When I returned from Dresden it was a perfect opportunity to capture some night shots along Berlin’s Tauentzienstraße, which included the mega-store equivalent of London’s Harrods, KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens).

 

'Berlin' in the middle of the Tauentzienstraße

KaDeWe Store, Berlin

KaDeWe Main Entrance, Berlin

 

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Besides boat and bus tours…I also booked a fantastic, well-presented 4 hour walking tour.  The tour guide really brought to life Berlin’s history for me.

 

German Historical Museum, Berlin

 

Lustgarten, Berlin

Mother with her Dead Son - The Neue Wache (The New Guard House), Berlin

Memorial for the book burnings of 1933, Bebelplatz, Berlin

Quadriga, Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate)

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin

Französischer Dom (French Cathedral), Berlin

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By this time I was suffering from sight-seeing overload and beyond ready to meet up with Yello fans and get excited about the Yello Virtual Concert that night!

 

Touch Yello World Premiere Virtual Concert, Kino International Berlin

Touch Yello World Premiere Virtual Concert, Kino International Berlin

Yello is a Swiss electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank.  Fans of Yello have been fairly resigned to never expect to see a live performance.  But, what a great idea to present a Virtual Concert!!  Yello’s new songs, plus some of their classics, featured in a 50 minute film with awesome graphics set to a concert theatre backdrop!

The evening began with Boris taking a seat in the theatre with the audience while Dieter did introductions and presentations.  We were then treated to live music performances by each of two artists, Heidi Happy and Till Brönner, who are featured on the new Touch Yello album.

Then, it was roll on the Virtual Yello Concert!!! AND…which ended with a ten-minute long standing ovation as Dieter and Boris both took to the stage for final thanks and acknowledgments …SERIOUSLY, I have never seen anything like it!!

For more about just how special the night was for everyone involved, here’s a great written recap of the night or watch the equally great video recap below…

Look for me in the background (@ 6:27) talking to my new Yello fan-friends, Jens and Michael!

But that’s not all!  Everyone at the concert was invited to an after-party and it was incredibly cool to see Dieter and Boris hanging out as well with their families!  Fans could continue to approach them for autographs, pics and general chit-chat.  I met up with Boris a second time and quickly snagged Michael off the dance floor to take a pic for me!

Shelley, Boris Blank - Touch Yello Premiere After Party, Kino International Berlin

Boris is all kinds of awesome! 

And many thanks again to Michael for the pic!  Speaking of…here’s an example of just how happy us Yello fans were that night!

 

Shelley, Michael, Jens - Touch Yello Premiere After Party, Kino International Berlin

 

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Wow, the main event has passed and the next couple days were a bit more relaxed pace for me.  I took a short bus tour one afternoon to Potsdam and toured Sanssouci Palace.

 

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

Gardens of Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

Stairs to Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

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My final evening in Berlin and as with my last night in London, it was certainly not the least of times to meet NEW friends!  I met Silke (who’s been suffering through my attempts at learning German ) along with her husband and son for a wonderful dinner and plenty of drink!  I was introduced to the Brazilian cocktail, caipirinha, that may well replace my Mojito’s at my next summer party! 

Shelley, Silke - La Mulata Cuban restaurant, Berlin

 

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Sunday morning 8 am.

I’m stood waiting with luggage at the bus stop for Tegel airport and my flight home.  I look up…and see… the Fernsehturm Berlin (Television Tower).

 

Fernsehturm Berlin (Television Tower)

This tower is not a new sight for me.  It has been visible throughout my week in Berlin since day one and quickly became a “Where’s Waldo” in many of my pics.

The tower is a symbol of Berlin and I find it unquestionably perfect that this would inevitably become the very last picture that I took of Berlin.  The final picture to not only wrap up my memories of my week there, but also my wonderful 2-week vacation that started in London.

See more Pics from Berlin, Germany

(See “One Week in London” Blog)

 

 

One Week in London – 2009

It’s two years since my last trip to London and this time my agenda was to primarily just hang out and meet up with old and new friends. I had timed this trip to coincide with friend Chris (who lives an hour or so away from me in southern California and) who would also be in London for part of her trip in the UK.

Fortunately, just four days after booking my flight I suddenly had a new purpose for my trip…the announcement that my favorite actor John Simm would be on stage in a new play in the West End! That’s great! I was so very fortunate to see him two years before in Elling and after his beautiful performance I vowed never to miss any opportunity to see him on stage…and the next time would also be more than once!

But first, no trip to London is complete without meeting up with Denzylle who I’ve known for about ten years now. On Monday, Denzylle and I had the opportunity to join Chris and her friend Tony for their day planned full of splendid activities, which included:

The Darkest Victorian London Walking Tour and a visit to

The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

Spiral stairwell entrance-Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

Operating Theatre

Scale in the Herb Garret

After a short pub crawl we end up at the The Anchor

Denzylle, Chris, Shelley, Tony at The Anchor Pub

By then it was about time for the four of us to see John Simm in “Speaking in Tongues” at the Duke of York’s Theatre.

John Simm in ‘Speaking in Tongues’ at The Duke of York’s Theatre

I really enjoyed this play during its preview run. The split screen scenes with the synchronized scripts are incredibly interwoven and the timing is unbelievable work. John’s 2nd role is my fav of his two. Story is mainly on relationships, communication and trust, with great suspense scenes, a missing woman and some funny lines to ease things a bit here and there.

After the performance we met John at the stage door exit for a group pic!

Shelley, John Simm, Chris at the Duke of York’s Theatre

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One of my passions is that I am a lifelong horse-lover and learned to ride as an adult. In addition to my day job, I spent 10 years of concentrated schooling at a few equestrian centers on hunters-jumpers, attended a handful of clinics given by professionals and inevitably, in order to offset my lesson and clinic expenses, worked part-time for a number of years at my last trainer’s barn. Unfortunately even supplementing my riding lessons wasn’t enough…it’s all very expensive and I had to give up riding for about the last 10 years now.

BUT there’s nothing like a vacation to pull out all the stops and do the things we love to do the most! So, I arranged for a 1-hour private guided hack/lesson at Wimbledon Village Stables. And that’s when I also experienced my first London Tube “Service has been Suspended” announcement while I was at the station ready to leave!!! Arrghhh! Service suspended at Putney Bridge?! Take a bus from there? LOL well by the time I tried to make other arrangements on the fly, I simply took the Tube as far as I could… and it seemed service was resumed because I made it all the way to Wimbledon and had a great ride out in the parklands.

Wimbledon Village Stables

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On previous trips I stayed in hotels in central London, but this time I tried the Docklands area and not only added the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) to my repertoire of London transport options, but also added new areas of sight-seeing which included the following:

Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park

Greenwich Royal Park Rose Garden

Greenwich Park Groundskeeper

The National Maritime Museum & Royal Observatory

National Maritime Museum

Royal Observatory Greenwich

Prime Meridian Of The World – between East & West Hemispheres

Prime Meridian Of The World – Standing in both East & West Hemispheres!

Canary Wharf

1 Canada Square – Canary Wharf

1 Canada Square – Canary Wharf

West India Docks, near Canary Wharf

Museum of London Docklands

Museum of London Docklands, West India Docks

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But hang on!! What’s with all the sight-seeing? I thought I was supposed to be meeting up with Old and New friends!!! I was thrilled to be able to join up again with Chris and Tony to meet briefly with writer, producer and director, Sacha Bennett for a quick coffee. Due to work commitment last Oct 2008, I had missed attending the London premiere of Sacha’s first feature film,  Tu£sday. Now, having seen both gorgeous films (also his award-winning short “Devilwood“), I cannot wait for more of his work! Sacha has a number of potential projects lined up…so hopefully the wait won’t be a long one!

 

Sacha Bennett, Shelley – The Breakfast Club, London

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Later in the week I also met up again with Denzylle for the popular early evening Jack the Ripper Walking Tour!

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Friday I travelled to Houghton Regis to meet up with friend, David. The last time we met was all of 10 minutes at Piccadilly Circus! I blame the London Tube strike back then for my being late!

Well this time we certainly made a day of it! A Thousand Heartfelt Thanks to David’s lovely wife Kerrie for a perfect start in the morning by letting me ride her beautiful horse, Gemma, for a quick hack in the arena and then out in the surrounding lands.

A morning hack on Gemma (Wildmoor Gemini) – Thanks Kerrie!

Kerrie then let me borrow [or is that good riddance? ] her husband for the rest of the day. David and I took a drive over to Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk for a brewery tour at the Greene King Visitor Centre.

On the way I noticed a bizarre traffic speed control device…which entails installing a physical barrier steadfastly in the one direction lane of traffic, thereby forcing cars to slow down or ultimately stop in order to move out into the opposite lane of oncoming traffic in order to get around the barrier. The hell?!?

“Give Way To Oncoming Vehicles” – Thanks, since there’s a sign on a pole blocking my lane!!

Anyway, I digress!! Back to the Brewery Tour!! Here’s a great pic of David (aka R.S. )

David – Greene King Brewery, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Greene King Brewery tour – Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Greene King Brewery tour – Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Greene King Brewery tour – Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Beer Tasting Room, Greene King Brewery tour – Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

David, Shelley – Greene King Brewery

See more Brewery Pics in this album on Facebook

After the tour and beer tasting we were in need of a walk around town…

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

…before getting in the car to head to our final destination, Harlow, Essex and…

THE DOGS at Harlow Stadium!!!

Harlow Stadium – Greyhound Racing

I love going to the racetrack to bet on the ponies but I had never been to a greyhound track!! I was really looking forward to this experience and indeed it was!

Harlow Greyhound Racetrack

My fav bet in horse racing is an “Exacta Box” so I went with the same type of bet, “Reverse Forecast” for the dogs. I only need to pick the two dogs that I think will come in first and second or vice versa. This is actually 2 bets in one so my £1 wager cost £2 per race…steep I know! lol So, I was thrilled when one of my bets paid off!! I can’t remember how much I won exactly…about £15, I think? David won on one of his bets as well.

And They’re OFF! Harlow Greyhound Racetrack

It’s still hard to pick winners even with only 6 dogs in every race. Horse racing has at least 2 times the number, you’d think dogs would be easier to get lucky!

Thanks again to David and Kerrie for such a fantastic day! David, I think next time it’s the Cheese Rolling event for us, then?

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Saturday, and while it may be my last full day in London, it’s certainly not the least of times, to finally meet NEW friends, plus one more chance after to see John Simm on stage!

Roy, Shelley – The Salisbury, London

Tracy, Shelley – The Salisbury, London

Cath, Yvonne, Shelley – Duke of York’s, London

I also met new friend Leigh Ann but our pic together (also with Tracy plus another)…while absolutely hysterical…is still under review by the zany police!! LOL

See more Pics from my One Week in London in this photo album on Facebook

It’s hard to leave after such a wonderful week meeting wonderful friends, traveling the Tube, Bus, DLR, National Rail, seeing London again and the beautiful surrounding areas of England. But the only thing that saw me through my sadness in leaving was that my vacation holiday was only half over! Hey! Now that’s not too shabby! Early the next morning I was on my way to Heathrow Airport and Berlin, Germany!!

(See “One Week in Berlin” Blog)

Meeting Lisa and Chance: Lake Cabin Adventures in Branson, MO – (Part II)

[See also "Branson Tales" Blog by PK TECH GURL]

Whenever I travel I look for opportunities to meet online friends and this time was no exception! When I knew I was going to be in Branson, MO for my Dad’s 80^th Birthday, I also hoped that I’d have a chance to meet online friend Lisa (PK TECH GURL) for the first time!  Lisa lives in the neighboring state of Kansas from Missouri.  She is a fellow fan of actor John Simm (circa Doctor Who) and who, fortunately for me, was willing to meet me as well!

Lisa had the great idea that she and her 5 year old son Chance, would travel to Branson, MO in the beautiful Ozarks region for their vacation and we would have a couple days to hang out before I flew back home.  A friend of Lisa’s recommended we check out getting a lakeside cabin where we could take her son fishing! Well, I’m totally game for that! Nice one!

So we meet at the Blue Haven Resort on Lake Taneycomo in Branson, MO and it was perfectly quaint! But the first thing I was anticipating to see was Lisa’s car with personalized plates that say “Led Zep”.  Well darn it, she drove a rental car down!!!  Hhmmpff 

OK fine, we’ll start with a pic of the cabin then! Here we go!

And this is how far we were from the Lake and boat dock.

The first afternoon we went to the pool that still had a fully functional old-fashioned slide!  Helloo!?! You don’t see one of those “liabilities begging for a lawsuit” anymore! (sorry no pic…the lawyers confiscated it )

Later back at the cabin, we were struggling with the cooling features (or lack thereof) of both the A/C and the Fridge.  How hard could that be?  Well here’s a Pop Quiz–

A/C POLL: Which # setting is “Colder”…No. 1 or No. 6?

Fridge POLL: If the dial is already set to the “Colder” setting but the ice cubes are turning to water, do you simply turn the dial 360 degrees, arriving back where you started at the “Colder” setting… Yes or No?

Lisa got the A/C going and I got the Fridge going… Yay, Girl POWER!!

Mornings on the lake were absolutely gorgeous!!  Here’s a few favs

On our first morning we rent a motor boat and go “fishing”.  This is in quotes because we had no pretensions of actually catching any fish between us on this lovely trout-stocked cold water lake.

Lisa’s son was all set with a nifty “SpongeBob SquarePants” fishing pole, plus we had another “adult” pole that Lisa brought.

The day started out gloriously hot and sunny,  sunscreen, shades and hats required (for our unbeknownst “~3 hour tour~”  )

Some pics of Lake Taneycomo

But later after trolling on the lake awhile, clouds start building and light rain began to fall…

but we were not concerned…yet.

Well then it quickly turned into buckets of rain 

and we high-tailed our way back to the Blue Haven Resort.  But before we got there, the thunder and lightening increased to the point where Lisa suggested we take refuge at a covered dock along the way.

It wasn’t long before we were joined by another rain-soaked couple docking for some shelter from the T-Storm. Of course I’d picked the worst place to dock the boat…right under the dock’s roof run-off, which sent double the amount of rain water into the open boat.  About an hour later and after bailing out the boat twice…

Post-bailing!  Note bailing tools – blue bucket and there’s also a red Spider Man box for the tight spots

…finally we made a break for it back to the Blue Haven Resort, dried off and went into downtown historic Branson for dinner!

In addition to our little T-Storm boat adventure we spent the two days relaxing, talking and little bit of shopping in town.

Oh, and of course how about the wildlife sightings!!

Ducks

Geese

Mink
(sighted in the evenings only – sorry no pic)

Great Blue Herons

Turtle (and another Great Blue Heron)

After a last morning visit to shop in historic downtown Branson, I said goodbye to my new wonderful personal friends, Lisa and Chance!

Ha-Ha!  But wait!  When Lisa got back home to Kansas she sent me a pic of her car’s license plate!!  Lisa, how many folks in Kansas know what a TARDIS is? 

And in closing, I would like to finish with this beautiful scene captured while fishing on Lake Taneycomo of my beautiful dear friends on a most MEMORABLE day I won’t soon forget!

P.S. Lisa, I’m terribly sorry I …um, steered us into that dock! DOH!!  Let me make it up to you, perhaps another fishing trip someday?

Dad’s 80th Birthday Bash Weekend! Branson, MO – (Part I)

My Dad turned 80 this year!!

My dad totally rocks! A career civil engineer and currently still only semi-retired. Also, my dad had a Real Estate Brokers License and in his 50’s attended and graduated from Law School. At about that same time he also began running marathons. He has finished the L.A. Marathon a number of times and also ran in Pittsburgh, London and a few other places I can’t think of right now! These days he still runs half marathons. I truly hope to aspire to be like my dad and continue to actively pursue new challenges regardless of age! ;-D

My parents divorced before I was 5 and while I’ve always been close to my dad growing up I was never in touch with his side of the family until these past few years. I still have one half-brother I’ve never met. So, it was absolutely fantastic to have my Dad’s older sister, her son and his wife plus my half-sister and her son all meet in Branson, MO to celebrate Dad’s 80^th Birthday. We traveled from Missouri, Pennsylvania, Nevada and California!

After a slight delay when my dad missed his connecting flight at DFW airport, we eventually all arrived in time for dinner together!

L to R – me, my cousin Bob, his wife Diane, Dad, Aunt Jane, half-sister Kim and her son Grant.

Next day, more family arrived (Dad’s niece Marna and her daughter Jody). I was 2 years old when Marna last saw me, whoa!

L to R – Dad, Diane and her husband Bob, Marna and her daughter Jody, Aunt Jane, half-sister Kim and my half-nephew Grant.

Over the next few days we all did what one mainly does in Branson and that is to go see some shows!

The Pierce Arrow Show

Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Show

We also went to the Worlds Largest Titanic Museum Attraction

And even took a scenic train ride on the Branson Railway down into Arkansas

Besides “The Strip” in Branson there is a lovely new shopping and hotel convention center at the edge of Lake Taneycomo called Branson Landing.

Here’s some pics of Branson Landing

And of course at the Landing I had to visit the Branson Ridge Winery for a tasting.

They’ve only been open three weeks!! Don’t they look happy!

On Saturday our last show was also a lunch cruise on the Showboat Branson Belle on Table Rock Lake

L to R – Bob’s wife Diane, half-nephew Grant, aunt Jane, cousin Bob, Dad, me, half-sister Kim

Here’s some pics at the Port of the Showboat Branson Belle

Did I mention my dad has a sense of humor? This is a fake duck with its head already poised like this, really!

And in closing, here’s two last pics from the Lunch Cruise

On Sunday we all said goodbye and vowed to maintain a new annual family reunion. Looks like I may continue to meet more of my dad’s (my) family!

Next year we’ll possibly meet in Myrtle Beach, SC! Stay tuned!

Who goes to Pittsburgh? And is 42 too old to learn your family history for the first time?

Why go to Pittsburgh? Although I’d never been there before it sure didn’t seem like a destination of choice for March. And can a city have a more un-enticing name?

Well, it’s where my dad is from. My dad grew up near Pittsburgh, PA but left for California during his twenties. He’s now semi-retired and moved to Las Vegas. My half sister Kim, lives with her son Grant in Kansas City, MO. I’ve only seen them a few times. My dad wanted us all to meet up in Pittsburgh so that we could get reacquainted with his sister (my Aunt Jane) and my cousin Bob. I had heard of them over the years but had never connected with them. I learn later that I was about seven when I last saw them. Kim also had not been in touch with them.

Arrival
I arrive in the evening. Right off the plane and straight to dinner to meet up with everyone at a local restaurant, Wow, I’ve not been with so many of my blood relatives…EVER!! This hits me a few more times over the weekend…here I am with my true family ties and yet, other than my dad…I barely know them!

Day 1
Aunt Jane, Dad, Kim, Grant and I drive around visiting all the homes that my dad and his sister lived in growing up. I begin to feel like a Real Estate agent happily jumping out of the car to snap pics of about half a dozen homes in the neighborhoods that spanned their childhood.

Aunt Jane and my dad in front of the house where my dad was born in 1929

We also visit the cemetery where my ancestors are buried! Wow! Later, when I read my family history that Aunt Jane wrote, I learned that my Great-Great-Grandfather Andrew “H”, was born in 1850 in Rathfryland, County Down, Northern Ireland and arrived in the United States in 1872. Sheesh, here I am in my forties and just now learning my family history on my dad’s side for the first time. I’ll put this in more perspective by adding that both my mom and her sister were adopted, so on my mom’s side I have no family history. This is why it is so exciting for me to learn family history on my dad’s side.

My Great-Great Grandparents who emigrated from Northern Ireland in 1872

My Great Grandfather

My Grandparents

During the tour of Dad and Aunt Jane’s childhood homes we see the billiard parlour where Dad worked during his late teens (he still shoots a killer game of pool which I unwittingly discovered a few years ago after suggesting we spend an afternoon together at a local pool hall in Santa Clarita).

Jester's Billiard Parlor - Charleroi, PA

This dog was in the backyard of one of the childhood homes we visited. Just a random pic of an awesome looking dog:

That night Kim and I went through loads of Aunt Jane’s old family pics. This is a digital shot of a print of my Grandmother Margaret:

My Grandma

Day 2
Next day Dad, Kim, Grant and I head to downtown Pittsburgh for some sightseeing with me in the front passenger seat partly navigating but mostly madly snapping pics through the front windshield of the car.

Liberty Tunnel, Downtown Pittsburgh

West End Bridge, Downtown Pittsburgh

We went to the Carnegie Science Center to see Bodies: The Exhibition. I’d seen the exhibit once in Las Vegas but this was the first time for Dad, Kim and Grant. Absolutely enthralling, don’t miss it when it comes to your area.

Leaving the exhibit…Joy of Joys!!! It’s lightly snowing!!! Yipeee!! Next stop the Duquesne Incline. My Dad had never been on this growing up so it’s a first for all of us.

The Duquesne Incline

We get to the top and I freeze my hand trying to manage snapping pics from the observation deck. Actually I was well prepared for the weather with tall boots, long wool coat, gloves and scarves. Me, the native Californian was the warmest of us all!

View of Downtown Pittsburgh and Fort Pitt Bridge from the observation deck of The Duquesne Incline

Here’s a vid going back down the Incline. Boring really, except for the little girl next to me providing riveting in-depth commentary. Be sure to hold out for her shocking reveal when the uphill car passes us. Classic kid stuff.

Later, everyone meets for dinner at cousin Bob’s (and his wife Diane) home. They have an absolutely beautiful house with a finished basement and wine closet, plus a fantastic upper deck overlooking their wooded area out back, with…wait for it….TURKEYS!! Apparently turkeys will fly to get up to the bird feeders atop tall poles (accessorized with raccoon guards). I was too late to see turkeys on the feeder but we spot a few later on the ground amongst the trees and even saw about 4 deer walking through the area (twice!) sigh…

Here’s a vid of the turkeys:

After dinner we set the camera up for a group photo:

(L-R) me, Dad, Aunt Jane, Bob, Diane, Grant, Kim

Day 3
It’s Easter Sunday!! We’ve booked an Easter Dinner Cruise for us four (Dad, Kim, Grant and I). Entertainment was provided by The Bobby Short Trio. I took a vid of one of their songs but the buffet tables were in front which didn’t really appeal to me during playback. So just a pic:

The Bobby Short Trio

I just love cruises, especially to take pics of downtown areas. You get the perfect foreground of water with the buildings completely spread out before you. Chicago and London are other great cities to view from the water.

Downtown Pittsburgh

Smithfield Street Bridge, Downtown Pittsburgh

It’s about this time that I realize that Pittsburgh is a fantastic destination, despite the name! How awesome is this view!

Point State Park and Downtown Pittsburgh

After the dinner cruise, my dad wants to visit where he went to college some fifty odd years ago. So the four of us invade the University of Pittsburgh campus and specifically, The Cathedral of Learning. The Cathedral of Learning, a historic landmark, is the second-tallest education building in the world, 42 stories and 535 feet tall. Likewise, it is not an easy building to get in one frame without standing in the street. Here, I finally get lucky with a corner shot:

The Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh

We go inside to the “Commons Room”. It’s as quiet as a library…shsshh:

Commons Room - Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh

Dad heads straight for the far corner where he says that he and his buddies used to hang out back in the day, and who…were not as quiet back then!

Grant and his Grandpa in the Commons Room, The Cathedral of Learning

While in the University gift shop we learn that there are eight classrooms open to the public on the 3rd floor that have been converted into “Nationality Rooms“.

Nationality Rooms, University of Pittsburgh

We head up there and I was delighted at such an unexpected treasure trove of sights. You can take a virtual tour of ALL the Nationality Rooms online. Here’s just a few examples.

The Austrian Room - Nationality Rooms, University of Pittsburgh

The Japanese Room - Nationality Rooms, University of Pittsburgh

The African Heritage Room - Nationality Rooms, University of Pittsburgh

And that’s my trip! Dad, Kim, Grant and I headed to the airport 6 am the next morning for Dad’s flight which was first out, Kim’s was next and I flew out mid afternoon. That meant I got to spend most the day at the airport. Two meals, plus extensive window shopping and non-eventful flight later and I was quite knackered by the time I got back home. But what a fabulous time I had!