Road Trip

It's not very often that I can drag the rancher to another continent.  But when it is a once in a lifetime chance for unusual opportunities, he can be coerced.  It was easy to convince him to go see the kids in North Holland for Christmas.  Built-in travel guides made it an easy choice.  And as I remind you how old we are and how much we enjoy cruises, he was a push over.

We spent the entire week of Christmas with the kids.  They recently returned from their own little holiday in Paris, and I am afraid we wore them out.  Lesley was excited to visit a place she had never been, and she had always dreamed of going there.  These kids collect experiences more than they collect things.  Pretty mature for their age.

The day after we arrived they were excited to take us to their local Saturday grocery and flower market.  Oh.  My.  The breads were unbelievable.  Croissants filled with anything you could want, and people probably stayed up all night making them.  It was lightly raining, so I don't have a lot of great pics.

So I will share our beverage selections, since we were inside where it was dry for a minute.  

It's going to get better...

Stick with me, I'm getting organized, and if you know I've been on a medical mission trip shortly after we returned from this trip, you know what's next.   I'm excited to tell you all about both things!

Road Trip

Departure From Travel Subject

Oh my!  It is apparent that the rancher and I are getting old.  We don't feel as old as we act sometimes, but we crack ourselves up at some of the things we do.

A)   I have been doing funny things in the middle of the night.  I truly think there is a lot on my mind, and the schedule of preparation to come and go as much as we have lately has me not knowing what day it is.  Last week, I woke him up and was rubbing his stomach in a circle over and over.  He said, "HEY, what are you DOING?"  I quickly woke completely up, knew there was no non-embarrassing way out of this situation, and I said -- "I was petting Clare."  Clare is our Australian Shepherd.  She sleeps in the garage, and rarely comes in the house.  It was dark, so I didn't see his *eyeroll*, but he didn't respond and rolled over.  The next day he thought it was hilarious, and I kinda did, too.

B)   We now make lunch our main meal of the day.  We are getting to the point that we can "take it or leave it" as far as dinner is concerned.  It would be one thing if we wanted to eat at 4:30 PM, but I can skip it entirely and be happy.  You cannot tell by looking at me.  I am far from swimsuit ready, but I'll put one on anyway.  If we had a Furr's Cafeteria in our town, we would probably try it.

C)   Neither one of us can hear.  We are guilty of saying yes, when we have no idea what was just asked.  Additionally, everything is said (between the two of us) no less than twice.  These are familiar phrases.  --  Huh? -- I know I told you that. -- You already told me this. -- When do we have to be there? -- Have you seen my _____?

D)   We trip over things.  Normal things, like the floor.  We run into things.  Things that have been in the same place for years, like walls and doorways.

E)   I cannot multi-task like I used to.  Heck, I am lucky if I can complete any one project I start.

F)   Here's another impressive one... When my car dips below 3/4 of a tank of gas, I am at the pumps filling it up.  Didn't they do things like that during the "Great Depression"?

G)   Oh, and my night talks are becoming more frequent.  A couple of nights ago, I completely carried on a one-sided conversation with my sister, who lives 8 hours away.  The weird thing about these episodes is that I am more than a little bit awake.  I knew I was doing it, and I knew it was part of a dream.

I am dreading the point when technology stops making sense.  So far, I can keep up and add minimally to my tech knowledge... But I know the day is coming when I just won't get it.  Even when you keep up, sometimes you leave your nest and electronics don't work as quickly, or they don't work at all.  Frustration is the part you have to bear.  The bugs can't win.  The servers that are down can't win.  The overloaded bandwidth problems cannot win.  I want to encourage you to not throw your hands up and let technology pass you by.  The errors and problems are not always your own.  "You is kind. You is smart. You is important."  -- The Help (2011).

There is a long story about a rash on my whole head and scalp.  I'll spare you the details, but I took some Benadryl for the itching, and I am typing this with one finger, and am getting drowsy -- I've got to wind it up.  The rancher tells me to not be on the internets after I have taken meds like that.

By the way, I'm on my way to Guam.  I've never been there.  Another mystery trip and I haven't even stopped talking about the last one yet.  ;)

Departure From Travel Subject

The Fam-i-Lee

They met us at the port.  We had been waiting for several months to see these two.  It was so exciting, and we couldn't wait to get started.  They took us straight to our hotel, we dropped off our bags, then headed on over to their pad.

They looked great, and we started talking immediately about our plans.  We were excited to have blue sky and sunshine, because those were two things we weren't expecting.  Of course, my travel plans always revolve around where we are going to eat next.  Their place is about a half-block away from this canal.  They are on the third level, that is considered the second floor in Europe, so they have great views of the city from their flat.

There was a prompt reenactment of how these two would act in the man cave at home.  Manners lacking, but they did make the effort to use coasters.  

As is always the case with our fam, the guys provide the drama.  Or lack thereof.

I can only attempt to describe this cup of hot chocolate prepared by the young Mrs.

It was the most delicious hot chocolate I have ever had.  Maybe it's because I didn't prepare it myself, you know how that is sometimes?  But I had been hunting a fabulous cup of hot chocolate since we hit Switzerland 10 days earlier, and I had completely struck out.  And here's the deal... possibly every human being in the world has heard of this except me, but she prepared the hot chocolate, then put a York Peppermint Pattie in the bottom of the cup, smashing, crushing and stirring it until it dissolved.  She didn't tell me that's what she did, so when I tasted it, I about fainted -- it was THAT good.  We promptly started talking about all the things we could do and wanted to do and what we could skip.  We weighed the options of what would be open and when since it was the week of Christmas.  Surprisingly, there were several restaurants and other things open on Christmas Day.  A bit disturbing, really.  The day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day.  It is treated as much of a holiday as Christmas is.  I only know that they celebrate Boxing Day in many parts of the world, and if you want to know what it is, you will have to Google it.  It was one of those things that I just thought, "meh -- doesn't matter.  What's open for lunch?"

So our tour guides led us out into the beautiful day to roam about the streets and get our bearings.  They live in Haarlem, which is about 10 or so miles from Amsterdam city limits.  Their community is considered small, but for a town of over 100,000 -- there were people everywhere.  You can't tell from this picture.  They were in the city square, and if you have ever been to this part of the world, city squares don't usually look this empty.  It's not like it was 10 degrees below zero.  It was 45-50 fahrenheit, and there was no wind.  The church in the background is almost always open.  It is known as De Nieuwe Kerk, "the new church."  Look at the natural wood on the ceiling.  The tower was built in 1613, and the church itself was replaced by a newer design completed in 1649.  

It was truly a huge structure with remarkable detail inside and out.

 

I had to go in for a close up of that organ.  Absolutely beautiful.

We considered going there for a Christmas Eve service, but after finding out

 it was all in Dutch, we opted out.  :(

These signs were a bit easier to read than our previous sign experiences in Germany and France.  Looks pretty easy to get around, doesn't it?  Well, it was.  English is very accepted in the Netherlands.  While most citizens speak Dutch or Flemish, if you indicate you speak English, they are happy to speak that with you.  Gant's graduate program is totally presented in English.  Good for him, not so good for the girl from Russia, the girl from Brazil, or the guy from France who speaks no English.  Well, maybe he does now, but since Gant can speak French, he has been able to help him somewhat.  If he is reading this, he is probably rolling his eyes.  I read minds.  "Mom, I am not fluent in French.  Stop it."  Whatev, Gant.

The Fam-i-Lee

Bon Voyage to the Voyage Part

The river cruise part of our trip was winding down.  We made some great acquaintances on the boat, and we will be keeping in touch with a couple of them for sure.  Another thing we do when we travel, and we think we are so funny; we make up names for people we see over and over, and we just use them between the two of us.  For instance, this guy was in charge of seeing to it that everyone that left the boat got back on.  He had a very official title, and he was the one that told us on the first couple of days to "not get lost."  We quickly convinced him that this wasn't our first rodeo and made a believer out of him when we told him of our self-developed excursions.

We called him Alec Baldwin.  I wish I really knew what his name was, because clearly he is wearing a name tag.  He doesn't look identical to Alec Baldwin, but he just resembled him to us.  I didn't take pictures of everyone who reminded us of someone, but we saw people resembling a local firefighter, an eye doctor, a couple who both had too much surgery done, 

and Bruce Willis.

These pictures were taken the last full day on the boat -- 

the day we saw the windmills up close and personal.  

Of course, we wanted to climb to the highest point they would let us.  

Authentic from top to bottom.

We thoroughly enjoyed checking out these windmills in their Dutch homeland.  They are so different from the windmills and turbines that we see everyday in our area.

Not sure why I only took a picture of the front 1/3 of the boat.  It would have been nice to show you the whole thing.  Who knows what I was thinking...

I was probably in a hurry to get to my next meal -- you know, the most important part of any cruise.  And don't be thinking that Mike was drinking water there on the left.  The orange swizzle stick should be a dead giveaway.  I drink the red for my health.  My friend, Dianne, has worked as a registered nurse for a cardiologist for 30 years.  She diagnosed me with cardiomyopathy about five years ago.  She diagnosed herself about the same time.  Not sure what brought that on, but we always use it for a good laugh whether we are near or far.  We crack ourselves up.  Seriously, I just have hereditary high blood pressure.  

The red is maintenance.  Doctor and nurse recommended.

Santa came by and said hello to two of our favorite friends on the boat.  Linda and Earnestine are friends who like to travel together, and we really enjoyed getting to know them.  They live in our part of the country, and it wouldn't surprise me if we see them again someday.  We had quite a bit in common.  Such fun!

Here's our shout out to the girls!  We hated to see this part of the trip come to an end, but we were excited to see the kids and still had the whole week of Christmas ahead of us!

Bon Voyage to the Voyage Part

The Millers

We visited Kinderdijk as we reached the Netherlands on the 8th day.  This community is a unique and historic World Heritage site.  We were given a presentation on the boat about the network of windmills and flood management systems.  It was fully explained how they operate, who operates them, why they are needed and how a method developed hundreds of years ago is still in place and works today.  They are used to pump water and remove it into reservoirs on two levels, where it is transported to sea.

 Gorgeous!

 

The families that operate these windmills are known as "millers."  Typically, they are passed down from generation to generation.  

If your family isn't in this business, you can't buy into it.

 This was a view I knew I would probably never see up close again.  So beautiful.

Although upkept and maintained, the date of 1738 is the actual date this 

windmill was built.  

I can't believe I was there.

 

Back on the boat, they also touched on all things Dutch.  There was a sampling of delicious Dutch cheeses, and we were exposed to the local jenever.  I should have known to avoid it when it was presented to us in a glass the size of my thumb.  There were instructions about how to drink it, and how you were to chase it with a local beer.  I took a sip -- again, I should have known better.  Yikes.  Not my thing.  I can accurately say that was the nastiest stuff I have ever tried.  Mike had gone back to the room for the camera, so when he returned, I had poured mine into his glass.  He drank the whole thing and had the same reaction.  

Even I know you should never turn your back on your glass.

The Millers

Why I Loved Germany

Everywhere we went in Germany was very different.  We had a stop in Koblenz and experienced a wonderful tour of the Marksburg Castle there.  It is one of the most beautifully and best preserved castles in the area, and at over 700 years old, it is hard to imagine life there back in that time.  It has retained most all of its original construction.  The terrain around it prevented it from ever being attacked during the countless wars raging around it.

Cologne might have been our favorite city in Germany of the port cities we visited.  Like I said before, we have to go back.  The other historic cities in that country have to be phenomenal.  This was the Kolner Dom, Germany's largest cathedral.

 Spectacular is about the best adjective I can use.  The detail was unbelievable.  There was some reason that it could not be cleaned.  I missed that explanation.  It was built in phases.  As money was available, they would add to it.  It was exquisite.

See how different it looked up a bit closer?  

My inside pictures were dark - no flash allowed.

The detail wasn't only on the outside of the building.  Everything from the floor to the ceilings inside were unbelievably beautiful.  I loved the mosaic floors.  Heck, I loved the cobblestone streets outside!

We opted out, but there was ice skating for the more adventurous.  Typically, I would have been all in for lots of reasons.  

A)  I can't ice skate at home.

B)  No one knew me, so humiliation would have been at a minimum.

But the reasons to NOT skate outweighed the reasons to do it.  What if I would have broken a limb?  We were only half way through our trip.  Maybe next time.

People-watching is always fun.  Yes, as I was finishing up my Christmas shopping, I would be sure and wear 8 inch heels.  And if that wasn't enough to get noticed, I would make sure my purple hair was in sharp contrast to my green coat and red purse.  I think the orange package was just a lucky coincidence.

Oh, Cologne, (Kohln), we loved you!

Why I Loved Germany

Almost Forgot I Was A Blogger

Everyone is busy.  So I will not tell you that I am busy.  My list is just longer than the hours in the day.  We have been home from this trip to see the kids and do the river boat cruise for almost two weeks.  You know what that means.  
It's about time to pack my bags again!  Not kidding.

I am really excited to be going on a medical mission trip with some doctors and nurses from Kansas City.  I have been on church mission trips before, but I have never had the opportunity to practice my medical skills on others.  Oh, yeah, I have been doctoring my family and animals for years, but this is the first time I will get to wear scrubs and do what someone tells me to do.  We will be gone a couple of weeks, and we are going to visit two different areas with need.  So I have been catching my laundry up, cramming about 8 weeks of office work into 2, and I am hoping for forgiveness for the things I am overlooking.  

Today, I thought I would just make a quick post about my obsession with signs.  I don't know why, but I love signs.  I photograph them when I can, and things that would make teenage boys snicker are no big deal in another country.

Can you imagine?  Maybe it's just because I have raised 2, I mean 3, boys.

I didn't say it was funny, I just meant, 15-20 years ago, 

that would have caused quite a ruckus in my family.

Maybe it's just me, but this looks a bit confusing.

 This one looks a bit easier.

Simple.  Street sign.  I probably can't pronounce it, but I understand it.

Okay.  Seriously.  Whaaaaa?

Here's my guess.  Gloves for gentlemen.  Serve yourself.

So why have a picture of a woman's hand with a lacy looking glove?

 

Just pretty, and painted on the side of a building.  France.  Alsacians (sp?) or Alsatians take great pride in their heritage.  

They want to be called Alsatian, even though that is an area of France.

Ever read your fortune on a tea bag tag?  Christmas morning, this was my message.  It was the coolest holiday spiced tea, with a distinct and different yoga pose on every box.  

We had to go and buy a few before we came home.

Shock of the year.  When you have a name that is not spelled in a typical way, like mine, it knocks you over when someone randomly spells your name correctly.  Happened to my daughter-in-love one morning at the coffee shop.  

We all just looked at each other and laughed.

Almost Forgot I Was A Blogger

Germany - One of My Favorites

Germany totally and completely intrigued me.  My history is a little rusty, so I want to study up a bit before I return, but I am going back.  We only saw cities on the northern edge of the country since we were on the river, but they were full of exciting things to see and discover.  After touring Mannheim and Heidelberg, we cruised a short distance during the daylight hours to see the scenery and hundreds of castles lining this area of the Rhine and Neckar Rivers.  These castles and most of the city of Heidelberg were spared from Allied bombing during World War II, and it is unclear why.  There was an agreement that no bombing would affect castles, cathedrals, or synagogues.  They were supposed to focus on military targets, roads and bridges.  It is surprising to me that during wartime, rules like these were observed.  Somewhat -- there were exceptions.

We were told that a beautiful day like this without fog and clouds is virtually unheard of in December.  It made the viewing of the castles fabulous, and we have dozens of pictures. 

Another thing we saw miles and miles of, were vineyards.  They were on the steepest of hills and mountains.  You can see them here.  Apparently, the soil is perfect, and the moisture falls just right.

About the time the sun fell, (4:30 PM, usually), we docked in Rudesheim.  A smaller village, still in Germany, and spent a lovely evening wandering the cozy streets, and eating the local fare at the food-heavy Christmas market there.  

Oh!  Some delicious snack that is like a blob of mashed potatoes and onions, then deep fried?  Not me.  I tried a bite.  Probably not too healthy.

Mushrooms, skillet fried.  

Mike said they were great.  Not my thing.

I'm not a very adventurous eater.

It was kind of like a big carnival of food.  Not sure where it came from.  Not sure what it is.  

I had a lot of questions.  

Not Mr. Iron Stomach.  He tried it all.  He is still alive to tell about it.

No kidding, he made a complete meal out of the local market.  Complete with dessert.  

And I have never met a crepe I didn't like.  I wasn't a complete Scrooge.

Nor have I met a warm drink that I didn't like.  Except coffee.

Cheers!

Germany - One of My Favorites