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A Weekend Getaway in Lancaster, PA

Amish carriages parked in the early morning in Ronks, PA

One of the good things about being in the U.S. now are the many opportunities for wonderful weekend getaways. And though my 11-year old is extremely well traveled internationally, she has far less experience in our home country. It is important to me that she has the opportunity to see sights around the U.S. that also introduce her to the variety of cultures, history, people and places that our nation offers.

For the Veteran’s Day weekend, I decided C and I would visit Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I have vague memories of visiting the area when I was a child, perhaps 8 or 9 years old, with a friend and her mom, also a single mother. But other than having spent a day there, I had no other recollections. With good weather and a fair amount of trees still in their autumnal leaf glory, Lancaster seemed a great place to get away from our every day.

A delicious assortment of macarons at Bistro Barberet

Our first stop in Lancaster was the Bistro Barberet, an authentic French restaurant and bakery owned and operated by an award winning French chef located in the historic downtown area. C loves French pastries and desserts and insisted she needed some bona fide macarons a.s.a.p. She left with the macarons, which must have passed muster as she ate every one of them (I got none).

Next we headed to the Lancaster Central Market. Founded in 1730 as part of the town’s original design, the market is the longest continuously operating public market in the country. It’s 60-some vendors offer a little bit of the old – from fresh local produce, homemade canned and dried goods, and family-owned meat, seafood, and poultry options – to the new, including Puerto Rican, Thai, and West African foods. Once inside, C immediately made a beeline for the West African stall as she identified the flags of Guinea and Liberia on the stall at once. Though we had not really immersed ourselves into the local food scene in Conakry, the flag was a pleasant reminder of both our personal journey and the international connections around us. C really loved the market. She tried the local favorites like soft pretzels and whoopie pies, and declared the market a wonder that she wished were closer to us.

Hankering for something a bit more substantial for lunch, we headed up the street to Brooklyn Pizza Gril & Pasta. It was a little chilly and overcast with a slight drizzle outside, but the wafting smell of fresh baked pizza, the heat from the ovens, and the cheery welcome from the staff was very welcoming. There are only a few tables and we perched on bar stools at the small table in the window as we chowed down on delicious hot and greasy New York style pizza as upbeat salsa tunes encircled us. Fantastic!

That afternoon we had bookings for the Amish House & Farm tour. For some reason, I thought the tour meeting spot would be just nearby, and when I learned I had a 25-minute drive we made a hasty retreat over. I was a little surprised to find an 1805 farmhouse in a Target-anchored shopping center, but we ended up having a wonderful tour. We started with a 90-minute bus tour through the surrounding countryside accompanied by commentary from the guide on the history and culture of the Amish. We made three stops at Amish businesses along the way. At the first we never even got inside the store as the small petting zoo with adorable goats, the soft pretzel stand, and the large bin of free pumpkins kept C and I plenty busy during the 15-minute break. The second stop was a small single-family run housefront store with handmade goods, many made by the family’s children. At the third, we spent nearly the entire time in the barn as C and several other children from the tour oohed, aahed, and cooed over a little of adorable havapoo puppies for sale. Back at the farmhouse, we had the opportunity for a further 30 minute tour of a mostly typical Amish home. Though I think the puppies were C’s favorite (ok, maybe mine too), the tour was very educational for us both.

Our “room” at the Red Caboose Motel at Paradise Station in Ronks, PA

We were to also have a self-guided tour of the adjacent farm, but with the recent time with daylight savings, the farm was far too dark to check out when we finished the house tour. We drove on to our hotel–the delightful Red Caboose Motel in Ronks, PA, where we would spend the next two nights in a renovated train caboose. We loved our room at once – it was cleverly converted and very cosy. C had her choice of 4 bunk beds but chose instead to squeeze in with me in the double; though she often asserts her independence, I think she might have been intimidated by her first stay in what essentially looked like a train yard. Dinner (and the following morning’s breakfast) was hearty portions of Americana in the Casey Jones’ restaurant where patrons sit in two train dining cars.

It is perhaps impossible to capture the pure joy of experiencing this view first hand – the crunch of frost covered grass beneath one’s feet, the evaporating chill still tingling the nose, and the calls of the boys to their horses in the fields

When we woke up the next morning there was frost and a fine mist hovering over the ground. Though chilly and in the upper 30s (Fahrenheit), the sun and sky were bright and clear. Before breakfast, I grabbed my good camera and did a perambulation around the property. The view across the fields was absolutely stunning. I do love our neighborhood in northern Virginia, but though the residential streets are tree-lined and there are plenty of parks, it cannot compare to the beauty of open land. I do not think I am designed for country living, but I sure do enjoy taking time to drink it in.

Wheatland on a lovely autumn day

It was a very good tour. C, who has often seemed bored by house tours, was well-engaged by the former 5th grade art teacher turned tour guide. We were also a small group of six; in addition to C and I there were two 20-something male history buffs and, as luck would have it, a just retired Foreign Service couple. What are the odds? There were a few things that struck me as rather extraordinary about the tour: 1. the 20 minute introductory film makes no bones about the controversy surrounding the man and 2. that so much of the furniture and decor were not only original to the house and family but that we were free to move around (though not touch) the rooms. In nearly every home of a person of such historic value, the rooms are cordoned off in some way, with either carpet runners you must stay on or by stanchions or plastic barriers that allow guests only too close.

We crisscrossed the county again, grabbed lunch at a small mom & pop taqueria, and then headed to the Strasburg railroad where we would board a luxury lounge car for a leisurely 45-minute out-and-back ride on the country’s oldest continuously operating steam train. C’s pre-teen tendencies were beginning to show as she grumpily dropped into her velvet armchair; though the fun of an historic train ride did not perk her up, an cold tea and an M&M brownie did the trick and soon enough she conceded it was sort of interesting. I enjoyed the ride, though would have liked it more had it been a wee bit longer. It felt that as soon as we got going it was time to turn back and then it was over.

After breakfast, C and I headed to Wheatland, the preserved home of the 15th President of the U.S. James Buchanan. Buchanan, thus far the only bachelor president and the only one from Pennsylvania (though some are now divided on that President Joseph Biden was born and lived the first decade of his life in the state before his family relocated to Delaware), was a controversial figure who, though an accomplished statesman, is probably most remembered (when he is remembered) for presiding over the succession of the southern states and the start of the Civil War, which began just six weeks after he left office.

After the train ride, we drove along the back country roads visiting a few of Lancaster’s covered bridges. I had not realized at first that there would be so many such bridges as they are often more associated with New England, but there are at least 20 of them in the county. We passed by four of them, but it was the Kurtz Mill Bridge, dating from 1876, that provided the best opportunity to really see a covered bridge due to its location in the county’s central park.

C leaps at the Kurtz Mill Covered Bridge

On Sunday morning, I took one last stroll around the Red Caboose Motel grounds, listening for the clip-clopping of the Amish carriages on their way to a friend’s or neighbor’s home. C and I then packed up and made one final stop in Lancaster, so I could take a photo of the Lancaster County Prison, which the mid-18th century town leaders decided should be built like an English castle. Just another unique feature of Lancaster, I suppose.

I was reluctant to depart and head home; it was a great weekend away.

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part Seven: More Alsace & the Finale

The seventh and final installment of our summer 2023 European adventures.

From the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle I drove to the little village of Riquewihr, which dates from the medieval period and is considered among the most beautiful villages of France.

The little town square in Riquewihr, with several Alsatian half-timbered houses dating from the middle ages and in the background, down a little street, one can make out the green vineyards rising beyond

The village is quite small, with a population around 1,000, though there were at least a few hundred other tourists milling about its car-free cobblestoned center. We come to see the beautiful Alsatian homes from the 15th to 18th centuries and the 13th century defensive gate. Having been spared terrible damage from the second World War, the village is a well-preserved representation of its medieval self.

The perfect combination of delicious Alsatian baked goods in a traditional Alsatian-decorated store

It was 3 PM by the time I arrived and I was hoping for a nice restaurant meal with alfresco seating. Unfortunately, the village’s small size dictated its restaurant limitations; though there were still a good handful or so, many were closed for the period between lunch and dinner. The few open appeared to have much the same menus of heavy pork or duck sausages, veal head or kidney, Alsatian tarte flambees, and sauerkraut. Yet there were also shops of baked goods, preserves, sweets, and beer. Riquewihr items must be in demand as I saw them sold prominently in other locations around Alsace. The best of course, in my humble opinion, were the big German pretzels, with their brown, crispy, salty-crust and the light and soft insides. And as it started to rain again, I had the perfect meal of a delicious soft pretzel for 1 euro and a Diet Coke, standing under the eaves of a medieval house. My previously empty stomach and my traveler’s heart were deeply satisfied.

The rain let up again, enough for me to wander a bit more to see the 13th century Dolder tower, but the clouds opened up once again and soon enough the tourists, including myself, were huddling in the small passageway under the Tower or pressed back against the houses to get coverage from the narrow eaves. I made my way down the street, running from eave protected location to another, until I made it to the gelato shop. I had my dessert under the tarps of a small market and then ran for my car.

Storks are historically a symbol of Alsace as they represent fertility, good luck, good harvest, and wealth – these are just a few of the stork-related items in Colmar

I drove the 30 minutes to Colmar, my next stop, where I would be staying the next two nights. I had a little trouble navigating to my central hotel given the many streets under some construction. Then parking too was problematic. There was only a small public parking lot on the one way street in front of the hotel that was full upon my arrival. I drove around the block (which was much trickier than it sounds) to try again. And again. The third time was not the charm. The hotel then arranged for me to park at a small garage nearby – maneuvering the car into that narrow single garage required a lot of focus on my part! I finished off my day with the best caprese salad I have every tasted in a small Italian restaurant.

I spent the whole of the following day touring the streets of Colmar on foot. I started just outside my lovely historic hotel in a house dating from 1565 directly on one of the canals of Colmar’s Little Venice. I made a booking for a canal tour for the early afternoon, then set off to explore.

Love locks along one of Colmar’s canals

I was in my element. One thing that I really love to do is to take a long wander through an attractive city, even better if its culture and history are strongly on display. Colmar had this in spades. Around every corner, indeed after every few steps in the old city center there was yet another delightful sight from flowers beds along the canal, the steeple of a lovely old church, an ornately painted house façade, a stork decoration. I just kept walking. After lunch I enjoyed the 30-minute canal boat tour, and then went right back to pounding the streets on my own two feet. I spent an hour in the Bartholdi Museum, dedicated to the life and works of August Bartholdi, the creator of the Statue of Liberty, located in his childhood home.

I really do not know quite how it happened, but when I think back now it seems incredible that I only spent one full day in Colmar. Like Strasbourg, I packed so much into that single day.

The town square of Eguisheim – look closely and see the stork nests and storks atop several buildings

On the Thursday I departed Colmar and drove to another of the small beautiful medieval villages of Alsatian fame, Eguisheim. The area around the village is one of the oldest settlement areas in Alsace and the origins of the village date from the year 1257. It is a wonderful example of a typical medieval village of tight concentric circles around a square complete with a fountain, church, and enough space for a market.

When planning my trip, I had not done as much research as I might normally do. After all, my solo trip in Alsace was at the end of a pretty elaborate multi-week journey. I knew Eguisheim was a must see and I diligently added it to my itinerary, but it was rather like “set it and forget it” until I found myself parking outside the outer rim of the original village. I walked into one section of the outermost circle, and while it had a lovely old fountain and a few pretty buildings, it was not blowing me away. The sky was again overcast and I felt a bit tired. I looked up though and saw a large nest atop a nearby house and then to my astonished eyes, a stork stood up in it, then spread its wings, and flew.

I turned down a very narrow street, about the width of a car (though I certainly would not want to drive it). There was a funny little store dedicated entirely to mushrooms – edible goods and mushroom-inspired art and knick-knacks. The local government had cleverly set up little historic markers throughout the village for tourists to learn a little here and there about unique architectural or cultural quirks one might find. That circle opened up to a main street and I followed it to the village’s center square and here it really did blow me away. I spent about an hour exploring and then I had to bid farewell and drive on to Nancy, two hours away.

An insect hotel in the Parc de la Pépinière

I arrived in Nancy, France just in time to enjoy a lovely alfresco lunch near the main square. Once again the stormy clouds had dispersed and the sky was blazing an almost unreal blue. After lunch I strolled around the 18th century Place Stanislas, conceived and inaugurated by Stanislaw Leszczynski, the last Duke of Lorraine, in 1755. The square is considered the most beautiful in France and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for Nancy. It is bordered by elaborate gates and fountains and a triumphal arch, its golden buildings excellent examples of 18th century urban architecture. I thought I could sit there all day and just drink it in. But frankly, after all the go-go-go of the previous days and weeks, a full and content belly, and the strong sun, I just wanted to take a nap.

Unfortunately, when I woke up it was late afternoon and the grey clouds had rolled back in. I did take a walk again to the square and then to a nearby church and finally a supermarket to grab some food to eat in the hotel room. In every long trip there should be a day or two of lazing about, and I had not had that at all — so I made the time to just relax. I was also missing my kiddo.

I had to leave on Friday afternoon to make the 2 1/2 hour drive back to the Euro Space Center for the end of camp presentation, so I did not have much time. I needed to get myself into high gear and do another quick a la Amazing Race tour. As it was lightly raining again, I decided to jump on the little tourist train, which in 45 minutes would take me on a guided tour to all the main sights. That tour then told me exactly where I would want to go back on an additional speed walk tour – to see the Port de la Citadelle and the Port de la Craffe, restored gates of the 14th century defensive wall, into the Basilica of Saint Epvre of Nancy, along the Place de la Carriere (part of the UNESCO designation for Nancy), and then through the Parc de la Pepiniere, where among the trees and flowers is a statue by Rodin.

I loved this tomb carving in the Basilica of Saint Epvre, like the Thinker in death (he is still thinking!)

Nancy, too, was worth more time than I could give it, but I am glad I was able to see it in both sunshine and rain.

I drove the two and a half hours to the Euro Space Center through some rather heavy rains to arrive just in time to see the student end-of-camp rocket launch and the presentation of certificates. Last year the launch of the student-made rockets had been cancelled due to a heat wave and very dry conditions; this year they launched in a fine misty rain. All the kids reported having had a great time (though they all disliked the food). We all got the kids packed up, let them say their goodbyes, and hustled them off to the cars as we had a four-hour drive back to the Amsterdam airport. C once again rode with her cousins, so I had a bit more solo time on the road, which was just fine. Little did I know that I would get my second speeding ticket of all time on the highway outside of Rotterdam – I received my ticket, for driving 5 miles over the speed limit, when I returned home.

We had one more day in the Netherlands before returning to the States. Though it was once again overcast, we headed to the village of Zaanse Schans, just 10 miles north of Amsterdam. When I had started planning this part of our trip, I had hoped we could take a bicycle tour to the village as I had done when I visited in the late 1990s, because it was a place where we could see three quintessential symbols of the country: windmills, a cheese factory, and a wooden shoe factory. Unfortunately, the bicycle tours had a minimum age of 12, so C and her cousin AH were too young. But we worked out an easy enough way on the trains, which honestly allowed us to sightsee on our own timetable.

Windmills in Zaanse Schans

The sightseeing started off with us (and the hundreds of other tourists there) huddled under our umbrellas, but once again the gods of weather cleared the skies. Honestly, we had the most wonderful weather for the entirety of the three and a half weeks. Even when it rained, it always cleared up, in every location, for at least a few hours of glorious sunshine.

Thus, we spent several hours in Zaanse Schans, strolling past the windmills, learning about the process to make Edam and Gouda cheeses (and enjoying some samples), checking out the history and methods to make wooden shoes, touring inside one of the windmills, and enjoying hot chocolate and a delicious lunch. It was the perfect last day.

What an amazing trip! In the end, C visited a total of six countries, and I visited seven. We were able to meet up with our favorite travel buddies, CZ and Little CZ, and spend time with my sister and her family. We traveled by plane, train, bus, funicular, skylift, canal boat, cruise ship, subway, car, and on foot. C spent another week at the Euro Space Camp, this time with her cousins and where she made new friends – one of them is from, can you believe it?, Luxembourg!

It took a lot of work to plan and execute this trip – so many details and logistics! I loved it of course. I truly believe that planning a trip can be almost as fun as taking it, but I think the next trip will involve fewer moving parts! Maybe.

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part Six: Strasbourg on My Own

The six installment of our summer 2023 European adventures.

The stunning beauty of Strasbourg, including the beautiful Alsatian buildings

After I made sure that my daughter C was settled into her dormitory at the Euro Space Center summer camp in Libin, Belgium, I set off on my solo journey; I had a four hour drive ahead of me.

I drove west from Libin back to through Luxembourg once again, my third time that day, skirting the capital and heading south. Then I drove into Germany, my second time that day, though further south than Trier. With little to mark European borders these days, it was the switch from a speed limit marking on my GPS to none, signaling I had arrived on the speed limitless autobahn. Then past passing north of Saarbrucken I turned south and crossed into France. I had no plans for the rest of the day other than arriving at my hotel; only I wanted to do it before dark. But it was northern Europe in midsummer and the sun would set close to 9:30 PM, so I had time.

Alsatian buildings are often adorned like this one in the Strasbourg city center

I love the late nights of summer. I have spent a lot of time in countries and locations within 15 degrees of the equator – Hawaii, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Malawi, Guinea – where the length of the day remains fairly constant throughout the year. Behind the wheel I drank in the soft golden glow of the sinking sun of early evening on the green fields and large barrel rolls of hay set at intervals alongside the highway. And then on the rooftops of small villages as I approached my destination on smaller roads.

My destination: Strasbourg, the capital of the historical and cultural Alsatian region of France. I have long wanted to visit Alsace; I am a big fan of history and the political battles over Alsace figure prominently in European history. The back and forth between France and Germany has created a unique blend of the two countries’ influences.

I arrived just in time to check in to my hotel and to watch the tendrils of sunlight disappear over the cathedral. And then the rains started.

I waited patiently for the crowds to disperse to get this evocative shot of the Strasbourg Cathedral

On Monday morning, I woke early to grab food and get a head start on my sightseeing but found that it was pouring rain. We had had good weather for just about every day of our trip thus far so it was bound to happen, but I was disappointed nonetheless. Slowly eating breakfast with an eye on the weather paid off as the rain slowed enough to allow for a walk. I grabbed my umbrella and walked the 15 minutes to the city center. Even under grey skies, the old town is stunningly beautiful. The largely late-Middle Ages built, half-timbered homes with their steeply pitched roofs and dormer windows, decorative and decorated facades, and creative old-fashioned business signs standing alongside canals or huddled together tightly on cobblestone streets were delightful. I tried to make the most of walking along the streets, but there were a lot of tourists and it was not easy to manage crowded, narrow medieval streets with umbrellas. And honestly, the architecture begs one to look up, which even the light rain made difficult.

I joined the long line to enter the imposing Strasbourg Cathedral, a masterpiece of gothic art that is also a centerpiece of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Construction began on the cathedral in 1015 and was completed in 1439. From 1647 to 1847, the cathedral held the title of the tallest building in the world. I have been to many of the world’s tallest buildings, but the Strasbourg Cathedral is still one of the most architecturally ingenious in its gothic beauty (and it remains the sixth-tallest church in the world and the tallest surviving structure built entirely during the Middle Ages).

The money shot – good luck coins tossed on the cap of one of the Cathedral statues as I descended

Once inside the church I realized the dim lighting, the more so for the grey skies, and the crowds of people driven to seek sightseeing out of the rain, was not something I wanted to deal with right then. Instead I wandered the quieter streets in the historic area for some time and then sought out a small Italian place where I nursed a delicious bowl of steaming pasta and a cup of tea for a little while. Then with it still drizzling, I headed back to my hotel room to sit by my balcony with a good book.

I, and every other tourist in Strasbourg, could not believe our good luck when that afternoon all of the rain clouds dispersed to be replaced by stunningly azure skies. Not wanting to miss any more time exploring the city, I set off, returning first to the cathedral. This time I opted to head for the side door where I could pay a small entrance fee to climb the 332 steps of a narrow, winding staircase to the viewing platform 216 feet above. The staircases (one for up, one for down) are on the exterior walls of the cathedral with lots of windows given the climber regular views, higher and higher, above the square, until the breathtaking panoramic view across the city at the top. The trip is not for the faint-hearted, especially those with a fear of heights, given the regular reminders of just how far up one is from the ground. I had to make way for one of those individuals, a pale and distressed young woman, clearly desiring to return to ground level as soon as possible, who was descending the up staircase.

Afterwards, I headed to the Petite-France, one of the most picturesque parts of the already picturesque Grande Ile of Strasbourg. Petite-France, once the home of the city’s tanners, millers, and fishermen, where channels and canals, fronted by some of the best of the city’s medieval Alsatian homes, are crossed by charming little bridges. I did not visit any museums; I just walked. By now it was 7 PM, so most places were closed, but with the long day, the early evening sun basked the city in a bright golden glow. I walked through the town sights for as long as I could with good sunlight.

Part of the astronomical clock, showing the day of the week

The following day, Tuesday, the morning was again overcast with light rain. I headed out early to the Cathedral once more. At the 8:30 AM opening there was no line and I was one of the first people inside. I took 30 minutes to peacefully explore, making sure to visit the extraordinary mid-19th century astronomical clock that tells the time, solar time, and date and features stationary and moving figures. Then it was time to leave. I made it back to the hotel to pack up though my departure was delayed due to a sudden strong downpour. Things were again looking poor on the weather front, but after 30 minutes, the skies cleared and I headed on to my next destination.

I had just an hour’s drive to the Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg, a medieval castle built on a strategic rocky promontory 2500 feet above the plains. The nearly 1,000-year-old castle is reportedly one of France’s finest examples of a mountain fortress and also one of Alsace’s most visited sites. Unfortunately for me, despite the dodgy weather report, no one seemed put off visiting. Near the top of the mountain, traffic slowed to a crawl as the cars ahead waited for a parking spot. I sat in my car, inching forward each minute, for at least an hour (!) before finally scoring a coveted spot, still a good 10-minute walk downhill from the castle. Inside the line for tickets was also long and it took at least half an hour for me to get mine. Then, just as I entered the castle, it began to rain.

A view of the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle and the Alsatian plain

The first part of the visit involves some courtyards and drafty, covered areas open partially to the elements. For the first time during my trip, I felt chilled. It had always been a possibility in northern Europe, even in summer, to be cold. Years ago, when I first traveled to Amsterdam in a late 1990s July, I arrived with just shorts and T-shirts and was forced to buy some pants and a sweatshirt that I ended up wearing for three straight days to be warm. I had packed a pair of sweatpants, a sweater, a rain jacket, and a fleece to prepare for the possibility of cooler weather, especially in Norway, but had unfortunately left all these accoutrements in my car. I ducked into a covered corner for a good 20 minutes to wait out the worst of the rain.

Luckily, after running across an open and wet corridor, the next part of the castle was largely indoors. And by the time the tour spilled out into the open again the rain slowed and then stopped and the sun came out again. It was there to light my way down the mountain and on to the next destination.

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part Five: Luxembourg Plus

The fifth installment of our summer 2023 European adventures.

C lounging in the courtyard of the Saint-Jean-du-Grund Church across from the promontory rock of the Ville Haute

Early on a Friday morning, my daughter C and I left our Amsterdam hotel and my sister, brother-in-law, and their two kids left theirs, and we headed to the airport to pick up our respective rental cars. It was time to depart for Luxembourg.

Last year, while C did space stuff at the Euro Space Camp in Belgium, I went off on my own adventures in Luxembourg and Belgium. My geography-obsessed kid was not too pleased I had popped over to another country without her. Before this trip, C, at age 11, had visited 29 countries and distinct territories. She wanted to visit more and and she told me she would very much like to visit Luxembourg. I had had such a wonderful time in the country the year before I decided to make it happen, and my sister and her family were happy to join in.

The back entrance of the Grand Ducal Palace

We had a four hour and a half hour drive from Schiphol Airport to Luxembourg city. After taking nearly all other forms of transport (train, taxi, ship, and bus), I was glad to get behind the wheel. I opted for the slightly longer drive through Luxembourg from the north rather than skirting the border, continuing through Belgium, and entering Luxembourg through the west. As we would be sightseeing only in the capital, I wanted C to have the opportunity to see a bit more of the country as we drove through.

Both our families arrived in the city at the same time and checked into their respective hotels, just five minutes walk from one another. We all grabbed some light snacks and then headed across La Passarelle, the famous 19th-century bridge/viaduct that connects the Ville Haute, the historic city center or Upper Town, with the central railway station, spanning the Petrusse valley. I was giddy with excitement to show my family the beautiful old town I had fallen in love with the year before. I pointed out the lovely hotel where I had stayed at, the entrance to the elevator parking garage (though it was blocked off – we could not have experienced that unique parking situation this year!), the pedestrian street I had inadvertently driven down thanks to Google maps, skirted the Grand Ducal Palace, and so on until we arrived at the meeting place for our 4 PM tour of the palace on Guillaume II Square.

Delicious goodies at the Chocolate House Nathalie Bonn

Last year I had not anticipated the popularity of Grand Ducal Palace tours. The palace is only open to the public for six weeks each summer when the Grand Duke is away (it is not an official residence but instead where the Grand Duke conducts royal business). Still, I had mistakenly thought I could just roll into town and get a tour for the next day or day after. Well, I was able to get a tour, but in German as the English and French tours were sold out. This year I was determined not to make the same mistake, and I checked the tourist office’s website regularly waiting for the day tours would go on sale and weeks ahead of our arrival grabbed an English tour for all six of us. I am not sure the kids were all that enthused with the tour, but I know first hand it is so much more interesting when one understands the language. And as luck would have it, we were treated to a visit to a wing with guest accommodation that had been closed off to visitors the year before. These are sumptuously decorated multi-room suites for official dignitaries visiting the Grand Duchy. While my travel companions may have been just merely interested, I was over the moon.

C enjoys a playground in the courtyard of the 16th century monastery now housing the Theatre des Capucins

Afterwards I showed everyone the famous Chocolate House located just across the pedestrian street from the palace’s back entrance. Entranced by the goodies on display, we all decided we needed to have a little something. Then we strolled around the old town; it really is a beautiful place where the city has so wonderfully combined the hundreds of years old buildings with the modern. We dined that evening alfresco in the Place d’Armes, a beautiful central square dating from 1671, while listening to a small orchestra play in the raised and covered stage at the square’s center, in the shadow of the elegant neo-baroque city administrative building. The weather was warm, the sky blue, and the late setting summer sun perfect for our evening.

The following morning I picked up my fellow travelers at their lodging–C had opted to spend the night with her cousins, an on-holiday sleepover–and we headed to the Ville Haute again. I had scored timed entrance tickets for the self-guided Bock Casemates tour. This was another lesson from my mistakes of my Summer 2022 visit when the Bock Casemates were closed for renovation and the Petrusse Casemates were sold out for not only my visit but for the next three weeks.

I think everyone enjoyed the Bock Casemates more than the palace. Not that the palace tour is uninteresting, it isn’t, but given its a royal residence, the tours are tightly controlled: no photographs and everyone must stay in a group visiting only certain rooms. On the other hand, the casemates are an extraordinary network of underground tunnels where we could wander at will. Sure they have history, first built in 1644 and then expanded under various European regimes into one of the continent’s greatest military defense systems, but for today’s visitors it is the 10 miles of tunnels with rooms, staircases, deep wells, and galleries with cannons and stunning views over the lower city that make it not only fascinating but fun, especially for pre-teens. We easily spent at least 90 minutes in the casemates.

Views from and in the Bock Casemates

We spent the rest of the day touring the city. We had a lunch of food from the Monoprix supermarket in the Place Guillaume II, next to a small children’s play area. Then we visited the Notre Dame church in the high town, climbed down the stairs from the Pont Adolphe to walk through the Petrusse Valley park until we found a yet another playground on the banks of the Alzette River. The kids played there for at least an hour, including my nephew joining in on a soccer game with some local boys. It was difficult to tear them away! We walked through the lower town by the river, visiting the the Saint-Jean-du-Grund Church and then returned to our respective hotels via the pathways beneath the Bock casemates, again up the steep steps to the Ville Haute, through the old town, and across La Passerelle bridge. We most certainly got our steps in that day!

The amazing Porta Nigra under stunning azure skies

The following day, Sunday, we were to drive the kids to the Euro Space Center in southern Belgium for their five day space camp. Initially, I had proposed we spend the day in southern Belgium at a castle town near the French border. As the days approached, however, I felt less and less keen on the idea. It was a small town indeed and I was not sure the kids would take to yet another castle and wondered if we would find a good lunch spot that would satisfy us all. I recalled as C and I had drove toward Luxembourg City from the north I had seen a road sign heading to the west, to Trier, and I realized the German town

Inside the Porta Nigra, 2000 years of history

In 1998, I traveled from Frankfurt, Germany to Luxembourg City along the Moselle River with my aunt and uncle over a long weekend. Our focus was on the small, picturesque German towns, castles, and wineries along the river. It was our limited time in Luxembourg–focused more on a nice meal, a place to lay our heads, and my aunt replacing her Villeroy & Boch pottery–that led me to return in 2022 to finally see the old town. When I saw that road sign to Trier, I recalled that my aunt, uncle, and I had also stopped there during that late 90s road trip. Yet, all I could remember from our Trier stopover was seeing the exterior of the Porta Nigra, stopping for a bathroom break at McDonald’s, and a traditional organ grinder with a monkey. That seemed woefully thin for a visit to German’s oldest town.

Everyone agreed that Trier sounded far more interesting than another castle town.

Trier is an old, old city; founded by the Celts in the 4th century B.C. and then conquered by the Romans in the 1st century B.C., the Romans made the city one of its four capitals during the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D. The city is full of sites and architectural styles through the ages from Roman to Medieval gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Industrial and modern. It is also the birthplace of Karl Marx. There are nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Trier located within just a few square miles. Trier packs quite a historical punch. And we were determined to see as much of it as we could in the little time we had.

We started with the most famous of Trier’s sites, the Porta Nigra, the 1st century A.D. Roman city gate. I know I saw it back in 1998, but we did not enter. This time we did. And it was extraordinary.

The impressive central Haupmarkt square

Then we needed to pick up the pace! We headed off toward the medieval Haupmarkt square, where I immediately had a flashback to 1998. I am really quite sure that then the tall white building with its steep black roof and orange portico arches used to be the McDonald’s where my aunt used the restroom and my uncle and I lay in wait behind the doors to surprise my aunt. The photo above does not give justice to the splendor of this square. But no time to linger!

Our special travel friend, Radio Duck, in front of Belgium’s Euro Space Center

We headed to see the Cathedral of Saint Peter; commissioned by Emperor Constantine, it is the oldest church in Germany. Then we were off to the Kaiserthermen, the ruins of a Roman bath complex. I thought at first that this would not be a place that would be of much interest to C and her cousins, until we found the subterranean corridors used to heat the water in the baths above (the Romans did not finish construction of the baths). Then the kids were off for an underground game that seemed to be a mix of tag, hide-in-go-seek, and Marco Polo. Unfortunately, our time was short, so we rounded them up and then sped walked back to the city center via the gardens of the Electoral Palace, reportedly one of the finest Rococo-style palaces in the world.

It was really fun doing this Amazing Race-style of speed sightseeing with my family. We finished our break-neck paced tour of Trier with a wonderful traditional German lunch of bratwurst, schnitzel, fries, pretzels, and apple strudel. Then, sadly, we had to leave. There is so much to see in Trier and I know I would have liked more time – two or three days more – but we made a valiant effort in our four and a half hours.

C joined her aunt, uncle, and cousins in their car as we drove back across Luxembourg and to the Euro Space Center where we dropped off all three kids for camp. Then my sister and brother-in-law departed for a romantic getaway sans the kids and I turned my rental car southwest for my own solo journey.

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part Four: Amsterdam

The Netherlands is known for so many things: tulips, wooden shoes, windmills, dikes, canals, cannabis, the Red Light District, and bicycles.

The fourth installment of our summer 2023 European adventures.

On a Tuesday morning, C and I and I headed to St. Pancras station to board the Eurostar train to Amsterdam. I had long wanted to travel through the Chunnel and here we were doing it. I must say it was rather anticlimactic. The train went into a tunnel. At first I thought it a normal tunnel, but then it seemed to go on for awhile. And then we came out after some time and the conductor announced we had arrived in France! I must have been so engrossed in reading and talking with C that I had not realized the tunnel lasted half an hour. No matter, I suppose, we still took a train under the English Channel and the whole journey to Amsterdam passed by quickly and in comfort.

We were met at the train station by my sister CH1, my brother-in-law CH2, my niece NH and nephew AH. They helped us to drag our belongings to our hotel. As I had booked C’s and my trip first and given that family-sized rooms are less common in Europe than America, we were not at the same hotel, but within a quick 10 minutes walk from one another. Luckily, my sister and family had arrived a few days before, so, like us, were mostly over their jet lag.

One of the unique sculptures in the grounds of the Moco Museum – displaying how people these days have basically planted their faces into their cell phones

After getting checked-in at our hotel, we all walked to De Carrousel Pannenkoeken for lunch. The restaurant is located by a park in an old-fashioned carousel house complete with a small merry-go-round at its center. It serves Dutch pancakes, poffertjes, and Belgian waffles all day long. My sister had a list of foods she planned to try on the trip and poffertjes were at the top. My sister did not end up caring for them much, but I found them delicious.

Strolling in the museum area, we stopped for 20 minutes or so at the Moco Museum, which features modern and surrealist art, to check out the interesting sculptures in its forecourt. Our next stop was the Van Gogh Museum. My first and only other visit to Amsterdam was in the summer of 1999, when I visited on a trip from Japan, where I was teaching English. The Van Gogh Museum stood out as a highlight of that trip and I put it at the top of the list of sights to see this go round. I have only photos of paintings, which can be seen a million times over online or on postcards or other decorative items, and a photo of the three kids sitting together in a corner of a viewing area – bored of waiting for the adults to finish viewing the art, they had figured out how to jerry-rig their audio guides to search the Internet for YouTube videos. Though we spent two hours at the museum and clearly the adults could have stayed longer, the kids were ready to go. Good thing I had booked our tickets two hours before closing.

The National Maritime Museum housed in the Arsenal, a former storehouse of the Dutch navy dating from 1656, and a replica of the Dutch East India Company’s ship the Amsterdam

My sister said she loved the grocery stores, so I suggested we get our dinner at one and sit in the park, like I used to do when I was a backpacker with far less disposable income. Then the plan was a stroll to the historic area before heading back to our respective hotels. Unfortunately, that historic area included the Red Light District. For some bizarre reason, I thought it would be okay to walk through with the kids, and in my defense, we were not the only people strolling with their children, but I had not remembered what the area was really like. Though the sun had not yet set, it was late in the day, and the crowds were changing. A block or two was all we managed and the kids were scandalized. Not my finest travel moment.

On our second day, we had tickets for City Sightseeing’s Hop On Hop Off Bus. I have taken this company’s buses in numerous cities and have found them generally a good deal and a great way for first timers to travel or those with a short time to get around to a city’s main sights. We rode a few stops and disembarked at the Amsterdam harbor front. We walked past the historic Arsenal building, now the National Maritime Museum, to the NEMO Science Museum.

One of the extraordinary exhibits at the NEMO Science Museum

Here was my thinking: Pop up to the roof of the NEMO, which is free and gives a spectacular view over the harbor, then maybe a bit of time in the museum. Here is what really happened: We went into the museum and the kids were blown away and ran off in all different directions, thus we spent HOURS there and it was very difficult to round up our minor travel companions.

After the museum, we headed back to the Hop On Hop Off bus stop. And we waited. And waited. And waited. And even once on, the bus stopped at a diamond center that offered a free tour; it seemed an odd item to include on such a trip and it seemed to take forever to get in and turn around in the parking lot. Additionally, the kids were not interested in listening to the on-bus commentary at all. I seemed to have engineered another vacation faux-pas.

After a late lunch at the Hard Rock Café (so that C and I could continue our tradition), we all meandered our way back to the train station area where we boarded the Lovers Canal Cruise, included in our City Sightseeing ticket. The boat could seat maybe 50 people and it was jam packed. We could not get any window seats nor sit together. The kids reluctantly sat next to a random couple and gave me the world wary glances of pre-teens and teenagers forced to take part in something they deemed beneath them. And they refused to wear the headphones for the commentary again. I thought the tour was just okay, but that I had missed the mark again.

After the canal cruise followed my sister’s suggestion and crossed town by subway to visit the Upside Down Museum. My sister is a photographer and is always on the lookout for places that provide evocative, curious, or fun inspiration. The Upside Down museum, chock full of interactive displays that created optical illusions or amusing sets, provided just that. I had hoped that we would focus more on sights that are quintessential Amsterdam or Dutch, but we had failed to get tickets to the Anne Frank House and the kids were chomping at the bit for something super fun. Thus, off we went. And we did have a lot of fun.

Fun at the Upside Down Museum

The next morning, our last full one in Amsterdam before our next phase, we headed to Muiden, a small town just 10 miles from Central Station. Originally, we had planned to rent bicycles and ride the 45 minutes there, but we were not entirely sure the kids would manage the distance well, especially with at least a third of the distance on roads. None of our kids have a lot of bicycle experience, especially on roads or in crowds and my daughter, having lived most of her life in places where she could not safely ride, had the least amount. Thus, instead we planned on public transport, walking first to Central Station, taking a train to Weesp station, and then a bus to Muiden town.

I wish our trip had been as smooth as that sounded. We had no issue getting to Amsterdam Central, nor issue getting the train to Weesp. It was from Weesp to Muiden that proved more challenging. As it turns out the bus would not come for at least 45 minutes. It was difficult to see the hundreds of bicycles right there at the station bike parking, that, had we had one, would take us just 15 minutes to ride to Muiden town. Or knowing the bus is just a 10 minute ride, once it arrived, of course. I popped into my Uber app and tried to order a car for six people, but though a driver initially accepted, our ride was cancelled about five minutes later. I booked another Uber and it showed he was on his way – arriving in about 20 minutes, most certainly from Amsterdam. Once the Uber driver arrived he refused to take all six of us, so my brother-in-law and niece volunteered to take the bus, now arriving in just ten minutes.

Our destination was Muiderslot or Muider Castle, which my sister had taken to calling Murder Castle (I have no doubt some murders occurred there). For some reason, I had not really thought of the Netherlands as a country of castles, but here was Muiderslot, one of the country’s most preserved medieval fortress residences, dating from 1280. Because it is one of the Netherlands most well-known castles and is in such good shape, it is often used in period dramas. Perhaps due to its popularity and proximity to Amsterdam, the castle is well set up for visitors with two routes to follow accompanied by an audio guide. I really enjoyed the tour and the kids also appeared entertained for nearly as much time as the adults. We were also once again blessed with gorgeous weather!

Views of the the Muider Castle and garden at Muiden

After our visit, we contemplated lunch in the little town but the options were limited and even more so were the kids’ agreeability. Considering also that the bus only returned to the train station once an hour, we checked our watches and decided to make a run through the town to try and catch the next one. We made it just in time!

Back in Amsterdam, we grabbed some food and then took the free ferry from Amsterdam Central across the River Ij. Once again, my sister had a brilliant idea of taking in the This is Holland activity. Similar to the Soarin’ ride at Disney, This is Holland takes visitors on a seated hang-gliding-like experience while viewing an IMAX movie of sites. This is Holland would take us over famous locations in the Netherlands.

Afterwards, C and I wanted to go up the next door A’DAM Lookout and ride the Over the Edge swing at it’s top. My sister and family were more keen to visit one of the nearby historic churches, so we parted ways.

C and I soar over Amsterdam in the Over the Edge swing

Having been on the world’s longest tunnel slide, it only made sense that C and I would try out Europe’s highest swing. I had only learned about it two days before, but figured if given the chance we should ride it. I thought it might be hard to convince C, but she agreed right away, and even when we stood there in line at the top of the A’DAM Lookout, she was nonplussed. I was a little nervous, but after not taking the zipline in Olden, Norway, I thought I needed to give it a go. The Over the Edge sits on one side of the rooftop, and it rocks people back and forth over the edge of the building, 100 meters in the air for one minute. I would not have minded had it been, oh, 15 seconds shorter, but it was exhilarating, and I am so glad that C and I did it together.

It was a great way to wrap up our stay in Amsterdam. The following day, we would head out on the next part of our adventure.

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part Three: Jolly Ole London

The third installment of our summer 2023 European adventures.

After disembarking in Southampton again at the end of the cruise, we walked to the train station and caught the very crowded train to London. It turned out that weekend the weather forecast not only was expected to be lovely, but it also coincided with the Wimbledon tennis match. We all managed to get seats though none of us were sitting together, but it was better than the standing-room-only passengers who boarded after us had to take.

A view of the iconic Tower Bridge from the Tower of London on another gorgeous weather day

Once at London’s Waterloo Station again, we took a taxi to our hotel in the St. Giles neighborhood, close to Tottenham Court Road and the British Museum. We had only two hours to check in, store our bags with left luggage, and grab a light lunch before heading off on foot for Somerset House, where we would meet the first of our arranged activities for London – a Peppa Pig-themed bus tour.

Delicious treats on our Peppa Pig bus tour

OK, sure our kiddos, C at 11.5 years and Little CZ at 9, are a bit over the projected age group for the British animated series about a young animated piglet and her family, but we all found Peppa charming when it was one of our kids’ favorite tv shows and are still quite fond of it. Briget’s Bakery has specially decked out double decker buses, “the only two Peppa Pig themed buses in the world!” and combines them with a tasty English tea experience as one takes a one hour spin past some of London’s most famous sites like the Tower, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Big Ben.

Unfortunately, we had at last encountered a stereotypical overcast and rainy London day; the first really wet day of our trip. Though we had booked the best viewing spots on the bus, the two upper deck front tables with straightforward views out large windows, the condensation made it hard to see much. Still, the delicious sweet and savory treats somewhat made up for it. But it was not quite the introduction to London we had hoped for the kids.

C after the show

That evening we made our way to the Apollo Theater in Soho to catch the West End production of the musical Wicked! I had seen it in 2006 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while on a vacation to run a half marathon, and absolutely loved it. I very much wanted C to see it and West End productions are rather less expensive than Broadway. The show was spectacular! Both kids really loved it.

On our second day, Saturday, we headed over to the Tower of London. Like many people, I have long had a fascination with English history and particularly the times and lives of Henry VIII and am pretty sure I was introduced before I was 11 years old through Public Broadcasting Service’s period documentaries. Tudor history has not played as prominent a role in my daughter’s education or experience overseas, but I still thought she might enjoy a trip to one of the city’s most famous landmarks.

A poppy among the wildflowers in the Tower’s moat

We assembled, alongside a good crowd of maybe 60 people, in once-moat-now-wildflower-garden along the right-hand side of the gate to the Tower where we would meet the Yeoman who would serve as our tour guide. TC was already showing their discontent with the day’s activity, complaining of having to visit an old building and doing so in a group tour. Oh, lordy… But once our Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater, a not-so-tall man with a booming voice, a Marines-like presence, and a magnificent beard began to regal us with an introduction to the Tower and those who hold the prestigious title of Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, the kids gathered round and took notice, though it did not last long. It was not very easy to keep up with the Yeoman as he walked briskly from site to site when you were also in competition for a good spot near him with some 60 other people. Sometimes we were successful, other times not. And the further away we were, the easier it was for at least C to lose interest. The Yeoman’s storytelling was great and I would highly recommend it, but it was difficult to hear at times, despite the impressive projection of the Yeoman’s voice, in a crowd and with the wind kicking up. I recalled a Yeoman’s Tower tour from when I visited in 2006 that included some parts of the courtyard and inside the palace that we did not visit this time.

Our afternoon plan was to visit the British Museum and due to expected crowds we had reserved our entrance time in advance. Yet on arrival there was apparently no checking of tickets, no turning folks without them away. The British Museum is reportedly the United Kingdom’s most visited attraction with some 6.5 million visitors a year. It felt like every last one of them was jostling his and her way through the museum’s rooms that day.

The British Museum’s façade and two of my favorite artefacts on display

We came in the back entrance and then tried to visit Room 24, where we would see one of the two resident Easter Island Moai. While we did make it in and through, it might be best described as “muscled our way.” The Great Court too was thronging with people, but most in our party were thrilled to see the very well stocked museum shop. I wanted to see the collection though and to have C see it as well. CZ, who always manages to find clever activities for the kids, had got her hands on a scavenger hunt. But though the kids started out strong in the Mesoamerica section, they quickly tired of dodging others to see into displays. We thought the Egyptian section would be fantastic. It was but unfortunately so did everyone else. CZ and the kids could not stand it and CZ said she would take the kids back to the hotel. I tried to stick it out, but made it less than half an hour more. I love museums, but I also enjoy space and quiet for contemplation, and I was not finding it shuffling through rooms with thousands of fellow patrons.

C and the Knight Bus

On Sunday, our third day, we were up on the early side for our next planned adventure: the Warner Brothers Studio Tour on the making of Harry Potter. After several days in London, we were quite used to taking the Tube, so we made our way from Tottenham Road to Euston station, then caught the train to Watford Junction, and finally boarded the shuttle bus to the studios. Our tickets were for 9 AM, just as the Studios opened, and we were some of the first people inside.

CZ and I absolutely love the Harry Potter books and movies and have tried to instill some of the magic in our kids. I have been reading the books to C slowly over the years (we have made it through Book 5) and then watching the movies. The tour was fantastic! We walked through sets like the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, and the Forbidden Forest; we searched for hidden objects in sets, and answered trivia questions. In the Backlot Cafe, we enjoyed some Butterbeer drink and ice cream. We spent nearly five hours there, including lunch, and could have stayed longer had the kids not rushed us along.

On our last day in London, CZ and I had not really hit upon a plan. We had ideas: CZ was keen on the Churchill War Rooms; I floated the idea of the Kew Gardens. We decided on Hampton Court, but for some reason we did not buy our tickets in advance and in the summer of predicted floods of tourists in Europe, this was a mistake. No tickets were available. We then considered Westminster Abbey – no tickets available for that day. The Horrible Histories Thames Boat tour was also sold our. Tower Bridge tour? No dice. I was glad we had purchased our Harry Potter tour tickets way back in the Spring as I checked, our of curiosity sake, I saw it was sold out for the next two months.

London’s Little Venice

We decided on riverboat tour from Little Venice to Camden Market along the Regent’s Canal. The morning started with a lovely breakfast at a canal side café, then we boarded our long, narrow canal boat for our tour. The original 1906 boat slipped quietly down the slender waterway passing through Regent’s Park (once part of King Henry VIII’s private hunting forest) and the stately Victorian residences, including that of the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, past the London Zoo (the world’s oldest scientific zoo), a floating Chinese restaurant, privately moored houseboats, and then arriving at the colorful and lively Camden Town.

A side street in very funky Camden Town

There we first watched a boat travel through the Camden lock and then had lunch, with each of us choosing something different from the plethora of small food shacks. We ate at a large, shared picnic table enclosed in a big plexiglass bubble. After lunch, we strolled and window shopped through the area, full of trendy-punk (if that is a thing) stores with vibrant, decorative facades. It was fun to walk around, people watch, and pop into some shops.

Then we headed again for the Tube and rode to the end of the line at Stratford. There one can find the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, site of the 2012 Olympics, and in it the ArcerolMittal Orbit, the United Kingdom’s largest piece of public art. It stands 376 feet tall, 71 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty upon her pedestal. At the top one has magnificent views of the surrounding area, including the West Ham United Stadium, and all the way to central London.

But also at the top was the real reason we were visiting – The Slide. At 584 feet long, it is the world’s longest tunnel slide, and it takes its riders down twists and turns and corkscrews and drops down its length in less than 45 seconds. What was especially nice is that there were only a few people in front of us in the practically non-existent line. After days of crowds around London, this was unexpected and refreshing.

The ArcerolMittal Orbit – from atop (left), afar (center), and below (right)

C volunteered me as the first slider, so I donned the protective head and arm gear and lay down on the provided mat and then with a sign from the attendant away I went. Oh, it was exhilarating! I scream-laughed the whole way down. It went all too fast. And then I got to wait at the bottom for the rest to reach the slide’s end.

We returned to the top for the view and then meandered our way back to the Tube and Tottenham Court road and our hotel. Dinner was in the hotel pub where we talked and laughed and reviewed the best parts of our two weeks together. Then it was time to bid CZ and Little CZ goodnight as we would part the next morning as C and I head off on the next part of our adventure.

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part Two: Cruising the Norwegian Fjords

View from Mt. Hoven in Loen, Norway

The second installment of our summer 2023 European adventures.

In Southampton, we boarded our Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the Anthem of the Seas. Though my friend CZ and her son had been on several cruises, this would be the first for C and I. Before I had thought a cruise would not suit me, us. I often travel to places a bit more off the beaten path, where cruises generally do not visit. And cruises have specific departure dates that have not matched my time off. But for a few years, CZ and I had talked about a European cruise with the kids and at last with a summer surprisingly free from work constraints, we booked one together.

C tries her hands (and feet) at some rock wall climbing

We snagged one of the earliest boarding times so we could have as much time to explore the ship on the first day, even before the departure time of 5 PM. Before we set sail we had had lunch, got ourselves situated into our cabins, toured the main sections of the ship, and did a few activities. Little CZ, C, and I scored a free 10 minute introductory indoor skydiving session at iFLY, and Little CZ and C tried the rocking climbing wall on deck. When we turned in that evening at a decent hour, we were confident we were off to a great start and maybe had even beat the jet lag already.

That is until the next morning, when I woke up around 8:30 AM. I could hardly believe I had slept so long. I had expected to wake in the early morning hours, maybe 6 AM at the latest. The bigger surprise though was that neither my watch nor phone clock had reset and in the dead of night had moved into continental Europe time and it was actually 9:30 AM. And we had enrolled in a sushi making class at 10 AM… I jumped up and knocked on the connecting door. CZ, groggily responded, clearly wishing me to just go away. “CZ! The clocks changed! We have our sushi making class in 25 minutes!” I think the response might have been, “Oh, sh!t!” and then “ok, we will get up!” We all got dressed as quick as we could and made our way down to the Japanese restaurant for our lesson, turning up right on time, but looking a bit worse for wear. CZ wanted coffee; I wanted a Diet Coke. All of us wanted to be doing something other than making seafood based food first thing in the morning. I was also feeling a wee bit seasick, I guess, so that was not helping. We made it through our sushi class, though saw that several other people showed up really late, thinking they were early; the time change had messed with more than just us.

We made the most of our day at sea despite our less than stellar start. The kids hit the kids club and CZ and I joined an Escape Room challenge (our team getting one of the most successful scores ever, or so our challenge leaders said). CZ caught some guitar; I read a book. The kids went to the arcade. It was a pretty good day overall.

View of Bergen from Mt. Floyen, with the funicular making its trip up in the foreground

The following morning we arrived, in absolutely amazing weather, to Bergen. Persons on the cruise just the month before had experienced cold rain and even a bit of snow, and here we had temperatures in the 80s under blazing blue skies. We had tickets for the Floibanen Funicular and opted to walk the 20 minutes from the cruise ship terminal rather than deal with a bus. The funicular, which has been running since 1918, takes about 5 minutes to scale the hillside and deposit tourists and locals alike 1000 feet above the city. At the top are restaurants and playgrounds and hiking trails. We didn’t have much of a plan other than the funicular, given that Bergen is Norway’s second largest city (i.e. would have shops) and is known for its UNESCO World Heritage listed Hanseatic commercial buildings lining its old port.

From left to right: Whale sausage for sale, Rosenkrantz Tower, Hanseatic merchant buildings in historic Bryggen, and C standing with a troll statue at the top of Mt. Floyen

Atop Mt. Floyen, we followed a person dressed in a troll costume to a clearing where we watched the first part of a kids program. It seemed weirdly mesmerizing, even to C, especially when another person also showed up in a goat costume and the troll and goat talked and sang in high-pitched voices, mostly in Norwegian. The kids played on a really nice wooden playground complete with balance beams, ziplines, and what was likely a crooked four story troll house. We made our way back down the hill, again by funicular, and lunched in the city center. We strolled along the main thoroughfare in the Bryggen historic harbor district. Here, C and I opted to visit the medieval Rosenkrantz Tower (I have long loved the Tom Stoppard classic Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and historic places) while CZ and Little CZ hit the fish market (C and I do not eat fish and C has long had the amazing ability to will herself to vomit when confronted with too many dead fish, like in a market, which I discovered when we lived in China). Then we made our way back through town to the ship to head off to the next port.

The sun setting from the ship’s side

CZ and I watched atop the ship for quite some time as we sailed out of the fjords surrounding Bergen. The water was like pliable glass that we silently sliced through. Seagulls kept pace alongside, dipping and floating in our windy wake. I was not sure I had been anywhere quite like this and counted my lucky stars to have visited and in such glorious weather.

On our third morning, we woke early to the still, turquoise waters of a bay enclosed by emerald green hills and the small hamlet of Olden, where the ship had docked around 5 AM. We had breakfast by the window staring out into the picture postcard scene. There was a forecast of rain, but not until about 2 in the afternoon, when we would already be on board for our 3 PM departure.

We had tickets for the Loen Skylift, a mountain cable car that whisks visitors up a thousand meters to Mt. Hoven, located just six kilometers from Olden. We boarded the free shuttle bus after breakfast and took the 10-minute bus ride to the lower station. Despite the very good weather and two cruise ships in port, there was almost no wait. At the top, the view of snow covered peaks dramatically rising steep above glacier-carved waterways was awe inspiring.

The Loen Skylift

We walked around a little at the top as we waited for our lunch reservation in the restaurant, most probably on some list for dining establishments with the most dramatic views. Unfortunately, my daughter started to feel not quite well; she fell asleep at the lunch table and complained of a headache. We had had plans to take the thrilling zipline (twice across a crevasse 1000 meters above the valley!) but C told me she did not want to do it anymore and just wanted to return to the ship. Truth be told, I was a tad bit scared at the possibility of that zipline; I thought I might be able to do one, but two? C not feeling well took the decision out of my hands. However, before we went down, I wanted to do a little bit of a walk. C and Little CZ did not and so CZ and I strolled on our own for about 20 minutes while the kiddos waited in the small visitor center. Then C and I returned to Olden and the ship on our own. I felt a little relieved, but also disappointed and wistful I had not done the zipline. Everyone made it back on board before the skies opened up and at last the threatened rain fell.

The even smaller village of Geiranger (with a year round population hovering around 250 people) was our next stop. It is located at the terminus end of the UNESCO-World Heritage protected Geirangerfjord, one of two Norwegian fjords afforded the UNESCO badge for their “exceptional natural beauty.”

The Seven Sisters waterfall as our cruise ship slips through Geirangerfjord

For our first time during the trip, the weather was less than ideal. Clouds hung low, dusting and obscuring the tops of the fjord walls and there was a misting rain. We walked up the road from the dock, winding through the village, until we joined the wooden stepped boardwalk known as the “waterfall walk” that led to the Norwegian Fjord Center.

At the Fjord Center, CZ told the young woman manning ticket desk that we wanted a family ticket. The woman looked at her and said “A family ticket is two parents and two children.” I look at her and point at CZ and then myself and say “Right, two parents,” and then at wave my finger over C and Little CZ “and two children.” The young woman skips a beat, a pause that seems to linger longer than the actual second or two, and then she rings us up for a family ticket. I had never expected to be challenged on family dynamics in Scandinavia. That episode was one of the funniest of the whole trip.

Bridal Veil falls, dwarfing the RIB below and the house on the cliffs to the left of the falls

The Fjord Center was fantastic – a wall sized interactive UNESCO World Heritage Site map, full sized replica of old fjord homes and a boat that even rocks as you board, and lots of information on the geology and history of fjords.

We returned to the dock to meet our RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) for a thrilling one-hour tour through the fjord. Our guide alternated between full throttle so that we bumped over the water and stops for photos and history. Most interesting were the families in old, much poorer, Norway, who were willing to build a home half way up a cliffside to eke out a living. And that many of those homes remain in the families’ possession after centuries – imagine spending your vacation in a home you have to get to by boat and then an hour hike up a very steep incline?

Following our RIB tour we were back on the ship just in time for departure. As we left with much daylight left, CZ and I opted to sit and watch our exit through the fjord while the kids went to the kids’ club. We were certainly not alone on deck to witness this spectacular journey, nearly every available spot along both sides of the ship was full. Amazingly, when we reached the Seven Sisters waterfall the captain made an announcement that he would be turning the ship in a full 360 to allow for everyone on the ship to see the falls. Considering the fjord at that location is probably 500 meters wide at that point and the Anthem of the Seas is 350 meters long, this is quite the feat, and it was executed with inspiring smoothness for the passengers.

Our fourth and final stop in Norway was Haugesund. There we had booked a boat and Viking experience tour. We boarded a tourist boat from the waterway in the center of town to take us the 10 kilometers downstream to the medieval village of Avaldsnes. King Harald Fairhair made the village his royal seat in the year 870 and from here launched his campaigns and diplomacy and eventually united the then-Norway. It was a fitting place to learn about the Vikings.

Haugesund

We landed on the island of Bukkoy, where there is a reconstructed Viking farm. It was really cool and they had some fantastic persons working there who were knowledgeable and excellent at staying in character. We only had only a little over an hour to look around at the traditional homes (long house, a boat house, and smaller buildings) and gardens, try on chain mail and a Viking helmet, and try to play with some typical toys for Viking tots.

Once back in the Haugesund city center, we strolled for a bit, including a visit to statue of Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Mortensen, as the city claims to be the home of Marilyn’s father. Then it was back to the ship.

That evening on the ship we caught the West End production of We Will Rock You. Having just taking C to see the musical Aladdin on Broadway, I was pretty excited to have her see another stage production. And though she was not sure she knew the songs of Queen that are used throughout the show, it turned out she knew most of them.

We had one final day at sea as we sailed back to England. We were lucky to get a spot on the North Star, a viewing capsule that rises 300 feet into the air and swings maybe 75 degrees to each side to give a tremendous view of the ship. It is currently in the Guinness Book of World Records for “highest viewing deck on a cruise ship.” Our initial booking on the first day at sea had been cancelled due to strong winds, so we were glad to find another spot on the last day. Additionally, we played a group puzzle game (our team of three – as C sat it out not feeling well – did not fair so well) and finally enjoyed a dunk in the jacuzzi.

View of the North Star as it rises above the deck (left) and a view of the ship while underway in the North Sea (right)

Then the next morning it was all over. Norway was breathtaking and a cruise through its fjords a magnificent method to see the country and experience cruising; C’s and my first cruise exceeded all our expectations. Now though, it was time for the next phase of our journey.

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The Amazing Summer 2023 European Vacay, Part One: Preparation and Arrival in the UK

The parliament buildings in typical London cloudy weather on our first morning

The last eight months since curtailing from Guinea have been a mix of wrestling with disappointment at what led to our departure and adjusting to being back in the U.S. and relief. One big plus with returning to the U.S. for work though was being able to plan and take a long summer vacation. Had I stayed in Guinea, I expect that between the summer transfer season turnover and continuing staffing gaps, I would have had difficulty taking much time, if any, off.

Yet back in the U.S., in an office flush with staff and work/life balance, the request was approved quickly and very early. A week after starting my new job in January, my boss had signed off on my 3.5 weeks of leave in July. Frankly, I was a little stunned but extremely pleased. Time off overseas has often required a great deal of coordination between myself, my colleagues, and bosses. Here it was just a matter of asking and then receiving. I could then begin planning for all the moving parts of this incredible trip that would include a planes, trains, automobiles, and a cruise, coordination with my friend CZ and my sister and brother-in-law CH1 and CH2, summer camp, some solo time, and six countries.

Although I have been in the U.S. several significant chunks of time for language and/or functional training (July 2011-July 2012; July 2014-January 2015; April 2017-August 2017; August 2021-June 2022), the only vacationing has been during home leave, which must be taken in the U.S. The leave policy during training is strict and does not allow for time off except in very few circumstances (maybe your own wedding, and even that is not guaranteed). During summers we have either been arriving for training or departing for Post, or I was at Post and time off tended to be maximum two weeks to accommodate the travel and transfer schedules of colleagues. This summer has been the first summer where I have been based in the U.S. since 2008!

I was determined to make the most of it.

The weather turned uncharacteristically stunning for our trip on the London Eye

We flew out the early evening of July 5. In preparation, I had worked to get my daughter C and I to bed early on the two evenings before. This involves some melatonin and another light sleeping draught. My rather dramatic pre-teen proclaimed loudly to anyone who would listen that I had drugged her. We may have been in bed before the fireworks started on July 4th, but we were plenty tired to sleep on our red-eye flight and adjusted to European time a sight easier.

We landed at 6 AM and after collecting our bags and going through immigration we caught a Bolt (like an Uber) from Heathrow to CZ and her son Little CZ’s hotel on the Albert Embankment. Initially, the plan had been to stay a night in London and then make our way down to the cruise ship port the following morning, but the logistics and cost of booking a car transport or the possibility of a train strike on the day of made me wary and it just felt better to go down to Southampton the day before. My friend and her son had arrived a few days before us and were settled into a nice room with a late checkout, so we would meet them, have a bit of a stroll around, and then catch a southbound train.

We had advance booked a flexi-fast pass ticket for the London Eye that allowed us to not only skip the line but ride the wheel whenever we wanted on a given day. It was much pricier, but gave us a lot of flexibility. One thing that was paramount on our trip was advance bookings, as we had heard that tourist numbers in Europe would be very high and we wanted to be sure to get into the venues and see the attractions on our must-see lists. The few times we failed to do this during the trip resulted in us missing out.

We walked along the embankment, alongside the National COVID Memorial Wall, a stark reminder of the pandemic that we were only starting to put in the rearview mirror. In the space of our stroll’s beginning and our arrival at the London Eye, the grey clouds had scattered and the sun had come out in force, and C and Little CZ had been reacquainted as if little time had passed since they had last seen one another a little more than a year before. We enjoyed our turn on the wheel, at least CZ and I did; the kids may have been rather blasé about it, though happy enough with some food truck eats and time on the playground by the Eye.

Some of Southampton’s Titanic Memorials – the Memorial to the Titanic Musicians (left), the Titanic Crew Memorial (center), and the Titanic Engineers Memorial (right)

We took the long way back to the hotel crossing over Westminster Bridge then passing Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Parliament buildings, to cross back over Lambeth Bridge. We took a little rest in the hotel room and then, in one of the roomy black traditional-looking cabs, arrived at London Waterloo station to catch our just over an hour train to Southampton.

We arrived just before 5 PM and then walked the short distance to the Novotel, where we would stay the night. With a cruise ship in port, we had not had a lot of lodging options and had worried a little about the lack of air conditioning, common enough in England, at the hotel, but it was cool enough and we were all jet lagged, so after some dinner we all turned in early.

I woke up around 3:30 in the morning. I was wide awake and hungry.

There are times when I quite enjoy a little jet lag. Not when I have to be awake for a meeting or get through a full day of work, no, but when I am in a place where it is nice to see the sunrise or there may be something to do in the middle of the night (from trying on feather boas in a 24/7 Walmart or visiting the top of the Burj Khalifa at 5 AM), it can be rather fun. But lying awake in the dark while the other three people in the room sleep? Not all that jolly. As soon as breakfast started at 6 AM, I was there, reading my book. I was not sure how long the rest of my party would sleep, but CZ had mentioned waking around 9 AM so we could visit a local museum that opened at 10. I did not want to sit around that long.

The imposing Medieval Bargate (left) and the ruins of Holyrood Church from its courtyard

Southampton is perhaps most famous as the departure point for the RMS Titanic. I knew there was the museum, but wondered if there were any where else in town that commemorated the historic tragedy? I checked my phone and saw there was a memorial to the ship’s musicians just 15 minutes from the hotel and another memorial to the Titanic’s engineers just a minute from there across the street. I looked at my watch, I had more than two hours to go for a stroll…

It was a beautiful Friday morning before the businesses and shops opened and it felt like I had the city almost to myself. After finding the musician and engineers memorials, I realized it was not even 7 AM and the map showed there were several more heritage and historic landmarks not far away. Off I went! The 12th century Norman Bargate, smack dab in the shopping street, was used to collect local taxes from those entering or leaving the town. Further down the street stood the atmospheric ruins of the Holyrood church, which was built in 1320 and then destroyed in the Blitz in 1940. In the base of the clock tower stands a stone ornamental fountain, with a small relief of the Titanic at its top, dedicated to the ship’s crew, most of whom came from Southampton. I also passed the God’s House Tower, a 13th century gatehouse, a medieval merchant’s home, and parts of the town’s original walls. It was such a joy to walk for so long in the quiet morning seeing the sights, but I ran out of time and had to head back.

Back at the hotel the rest of the party was roused and had breakfast and we headed to the see the Titanic exhibition at the SeaCity Museum. It was a really spectacular! There was information and photos (those that had them done) of the crew living in Southampton, mementos from the ship, recreations of the ship’s interior, and audio of survivors’ stories and transcripts from the Senate hearings on the disaster.

A real 2nd class breakfast menu (passengers often mailed their menus to loved ones) and part of the carved grand staircase from the Olympic, nearly identical to that on its sister ship the Titanic

Unfortunately, we had only an hour at the museum as we needed to get back to the hotel to check out and then head to the City Cruise Ship Terminal to begin the next phase of our vacation.

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New York City Visit on a Long Weekend

View from the 80th floor of the Empire State Building

I have long wanted to go to New York.

Well, what I mean is I have long wanted to spend more than a day in the Big Apple. Throughout my life, I have visited the city three times, but each time for only a day. In high school, probably my junior year, our class took a trip from the Northern Virginia area to New York City. We left around 6:30 AM and returned at 10:30 PM. I do not remember much from the trip — we went to Wall Street to see the New York Stock Exchange, we visited the FAO Schwartz toy store (the movie Big had come out the year before), and we sat on the floor of the Trump Tower lobby and were scolded by guards. In college, I went home one Thanksgiving with my roommate to Connecticut, and the Friday after the holiday we took the train into the city. We visited the Macy’s flagship store and goofed around at the Museum of Modern Art. Later, when I started working in Washington, DC, after graduate school, I took the train up for the day to visit that former roommate who was spending the summer in the city. I visited the Tenement Museum and we walked around Central Park.

In addition to wanting to spend enough time in New York City to require a hotel stay, I wanted to bring C to see it too. Initially, I had hoped our 2021 Home Leave would include as much as a week in the city, but with COVID-19 still going strong, it was not feasible. NYC restrictions on the unvaccinated (which included kids like C) kept it off our list and as French training grew in intensity in the Spring of 2022, I did not feel I could getaway for a whole weekend.

I knew as soon as we were back in the Washington, DC area that we were going to take a trip to New York for Memorial Day weekend. After reviewing all the planes, trains, and automobile options, I decided the easiest and most economical would be to take one of the bus companies that ply the DC to NYC route.

We had a view of the Empire State Building from our hotel room!

Early on the Saturday, we took the Vamoose bus from Rosslyn, Virginia to New York City. It was a good, comfortable trip. C said she was excited to see the view from the bus on the way; she was not quite blown away by the Jersey Turnpike as she had hoped, but once we began to approach the city and the Lincoln Tunnel, she perked up.

We excitedly disembarked from the bus at Penn Station; only a ten minute walk from our hotel. Unfortunately, within five minutes of our arrival, at the first corner, while waiting for the crosswalk, we witnessed one man assaulting another man. We heard yelling, then a bottle breaking, and a man ran to the street, blood running down his face, before he turned and ran down 7th Avenue. It was pretty shocking, though being New York, there were crowds of people standing around with little to no reaction. But I turned to C to find tears in her eyes and she told me, “Mom, I want to go home.”

Oh man, that was hard. For all the places we have been, all the unfamiliar, exciting, unpredictable, and even dicey situations we have been in, sometimes one does not expect it at “home.” C has had limited experience in the U.S. and most of it has been on vacation. Not that I want her to experience the negative! It is only that she has not been exposed to it so much until recently. I hugged her and asked if maybe we could just get to the hotel and see how we felt from there. She agreed.

We walked the seven and a half blocks to our hotel. It was too early to check in, so we stored our bags, and I took C to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch to cheer her up. We have been into eating at Hard Rocks over the past year – in DC, Lisbon, Grand Cayman, and now New York. C and I enjoyed our favorites and then we were ready for the next part of our New York adventure.

We headed over to the New Amsterdam Theater on West 42nd Street, stopping at the Hard Rock Cafe gift shop (C loves her Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts) and MINISO (C also loves her Japanese cute stuff). C and I were catching the matinee of Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway!

I had originally planned for us to see Chicago as it is one of C’s favorite movies and she knows all the songs. But I had heard the current New York production, though the longest running Broadway show, has little in the way of set and costume glamour. C and I also really know Aladdin and it seemed a natural second choice. I knew it would really have the Broadway pizzazz. And boy did it deliver! Disney changed up some of the storyline for the stage and added in a few extra songs and the singing, set, and costumes were fantastic. C and I both loved it!

After the show and a quick meal and rest at the hotel, we headed to Nintendo New York at Rockefeller Plaza. C had long wanted to visit this iconic store, the only one outside of Japan. She loves Nintendo and Pokémon and the Nintendo New York store has a Pokémon section with plush characters not available anywhere else for retail in the U.S. The place was packed, with a roped line for the cashier register as if we were at an amusement park. C had been saving up her allowance for just such an occasion and she did not leave that store empty handed.

On Sunday morning, our second day, we headed to Madame Tussauds. This stop had not been on my original agenda, but the location is just a few doors down from the New Amsterdam Theater, and C had asked me what it was. After I explained it was a famous wax museum with wax replicas of celebrities with some 20 locations around the world, she begged me to go. With all my travels, I had never actually been to a Madame Tussauds, and though London is supposed to have the largest, the New York location is probably considered the best, so it seemed a fitting place for us to both visit for the first time. I imagine the place can get pretty packed, but we arrived very soon after opening and the crowds were not bad. I am not sure I could go out of my way to visit another Madame Tussauds, but C and I had a fun time.

C and I then walked the 17 blocks from Madame Tussauds to Central Park. We grabbed some lunch and then walked an additional 18 blocks through the park to the American Museum of Natural History. Another of C’s favorite movies is Night at the Museum. We have been to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC multiple times, but we had long planned to visit the one in New York, featured in the original Night at the Museum movie. C and I were a little disappointed to learn that we could not find the Theodore Roosevelt statue at the museum (there is still a seated one though we could not locate it; the famous one in front of the museum was removed in January 2022 as it was culturally insensitive); we would also find no Sacagawea, no Genghis Khan, no small display of American cowboys or Romans or Pompeii. But we did find the Moai head from Easter Island, the capuchin monkey, the blue whale, and Rexy. And so many other amazing displays. We spent over three hours at the museum and just scratched the surface of all it had to offer.

The Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda at the American Museum of Natural History

Having already more than met our step count for the day, C and I braved the New York subway to return to 42nd Street. With the ability to pay for up to four riders with a single credit card direct at the turnstile (no need to buy physical tickets!) we managed quite nicely.

I have to admit that even with all my travel all over the world, I was a bit nervous to ride the New York City subway! That assault we witnessed upon arrival had also rattled me. Come on, I told myself, you have been on plenty of public transportation options in countries all over and in plenty I did not speak the language. Just to make sure I understood the ease of paying for the subway, I approached a guard at the museum to ask him. “Yeah, sure, you can totally ride the subway!” he said jovially. “Yep, just scan your card twice at the turnstile and make sure you wait until it turns green.” But then his voice dropped an octave and turned serious, “But be careful. Have your daughter go through first. Stay close to one another. Do not let anyone else get close too close to you. Keep a tight grip on all your belongings,” he added with an air of danger. And then he smiled, “You will be fine! Have a great night.” I was not sure how to feel. I felt both buoyed and wary. We only had to go three stops! I pumped myself up. And we did it.

Before heading back to the hotel we stopped at one more New York megastore (It’s Sugar – another of C’s favorites) for C to indulge in some more retail therapy.

On our final morning in New York, we headed over to the Empire State Building for a visit to the exhibits on the first floor and then views on the 80th, 86th, and 102nd floors. We truly lucked out with our timing. Only the day before, I purchased our tickets for the first available visit at 9 AM. We arrived maybe ten minutes early, but we were let in anyway. There was no line and we whizzed past all the stanchions setup for when there are crowds.

C gets “carried away” at the Empire State Building

The exhibits on the history and national and international cultural phenomenon of the building are amazing. So many movies, television shows, and advertisements have featured the world-famous iconic building. I could have taken C to Top of the Rock or the One World Observatory, but I had to go with the Empire State. Though it has not been the tallest building since 1970 (it is still the 54th tallest), it is by far the most famous building in the world.

I think C really enjoyed the exhibition and the views from the enclosed 80th floor, but once we went out on the 86th floor outdoor viewing platform, she was less enthused with the height. She does not remember that I took her to the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building) when she was just 14 months old. She does not remember so well staying at the Intercontinental Hotel Nanjing in a room on the 77th floor of the Zifeng Tower (the 25th tallest building in the world), or staying in a hotel room on the 66th floor of the Jin Mao Tower (the 37th tallest building in the world) while visiting the top of the Shanghai Tower (the second tallest building in the world). Heck, we have lived on the 19th floor (in Shanghai) and the 23rd floor (in Guinea), and again on the 19th floor (Virginia). I have been taking C to tall buildings all her life.

We not only had little in the way of crowds, but we also had gorgeous weather, at least for the views from inside. Outside on the 86th floor platform, it was very windy. I did not want to rush, but I will admit that my legs too feel a bit wobbly when I look out from a high height. We walked the whole way around, took some photos, and then I gave in to C’s entreaties to get inside to safety! I got a good ole preteen death laser stare when I said we had one more elevator to board to the 102nd floor. I expect C was afraid that I was next going to make her hang on the side of the building. Luckily, the top observation floor is all enclosed, though its floor to ceiling windows can still give one the willies when standing too close to them. C perked up again though with the views of all of Manhattan and beyond. It was truly spectacular.

It was time then to pack up and take the bus back to Virginia. We packed a lot into our little weekend though the Big Apple has far too much to see in such a short time. Despite the rough start, C declared it fantastic, giving the Aladdin show and New York City shopping two thumbs up for her favorite things about the trip. I think I will be able to convince her to go back.

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Spring Break on Grand Cayman: Part Two

Memorial plaque and viewpoint at the site of the famous 1794 Wreck of the Ten Sails

On our fourth day in Grand Cayman, we opted to make a trip to the capital of this island nation, Georgetown. Again, we caught the first hotel shuttle of the day to make the 15-minute drive. We stopped first at the cruise ship terminal to drop off an older couple who were trying to catch their cruise after missing its initial departure in Florida. We could easily have walked from there to the museum, our first stop, but the driver insisted on taking us all the way.

As cities of the world go, Georgetown is not particularly large, but its population of 35,000 makes it the largest capital of the United Kingdom’s 14 British Overseas Territories. I love that the town was initially called Hogsties, named for all the pigs kept in the vicinity! The bay is still called Hog Sty Bay.

We stopped first at the Cayman Islands National Museum. Though quite small, it is chock full of information and uses some really nice multi-media presentations. The museum is housed in the oldest public building in the Caymans, dating from the 1830s.

After visiting the museum, we took a stroll around the town. A few cruise ships were in port and the main streets fronting the harbor were busy with cruise ship passengers clogging the souvenir shops. A few blocks back and it was just a quiet Wednesday afternoon in a small island capital. We passed the House of Parliament, the library, the 1919 Peace Memorial and the Clock Tower constructed in 1937 in memory of King George V, and Heroes Square. It was not a long walk, but it was enough to drum up an appetite for our lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, which surprisingly was not too busy. After lunch, we called the hotel shuttle for pick-up and spent the rest of the day lazing around the hotel.

On Thursday, I rented a car. I just did not want to keep relying on the hotel shuttle that only operated from 10 AM to 5 PM on the hour or the island bus. or the pricey taxis. We needed some wheels! Unfortunately, we did have to get another taxi to the airport to pick up the rental, but we would drop at the airport when we departed. I had opted for the smallest, most economical car but was pretty excited when we upgraded to a mini jeep! The perfect car to tool around the island.

The Cayman Islands National Museum, the sign welcoming tourists at the port, and a fun sculpture at Heroes Square

We first drove over to the far east end of the island to visit the Cayman Parrot Sanctuary. It is an approximately 45-minute drive, but more like an hour or hour and 15 minutes when you are completely unfamiliar with the roads and tend to go around one too many times at the traffic circles. (not saying that was me, just saying that *could* happen to some people). Frankly, the driving was fine with a few little wrinkles. For example, on the one road that resembled a highway, the East-West Arterial Road, the posted speed limit was 40. Given that we were in a British territory and driving on the left, I assumed the posted speed limit was in kilometers. Certainly, the speedometer in the car used kilometers. But 40 kilometers an hour is just 25 miles an hour and seemed extremely slow for a two-lane each way highway. This was really puzzling me until I saw that there were a few places near the posted speed limits where there were those digital “Your Speed” signs and it was reading in miles per hour!

The Cayman Parrot is the only native parrot to the Cayman Islands and their national bird. C had got it in her head recently that she wanted a parrot and was thrilled to learn she could visit with the birds during our Grand Cayman vacation. The Cayman Parrot Sanctuary has much more than parrots. We were able to go into an enclosure and feed some parrots, parakeets, and cockatiels; then to another enclosure to pet some sweet little guinea pigs, held a small snake, and pet the resident agouti.

The beautiful historic house at Pedro St. James

After the parrot center, we drove back towards town stopping briefly at the site overlooking the reef where ten British sailing ships wrecked centuries before. It’s the most famous wreck of the Caymans and Queen Elizabeth II dedicated a memorial to remembrance in 1994 when she visited.

When then traveled on to the historic site of Pedro St. James. On arrival we were informed that there was a large cruise ship group arriving in about 20 minutes so we would have to wait for them to view the 4-D introductory presentation. C and I cruised the grounds a little before returning to join the group for the presentation. Afterward, knowing that the group would be tramping through the home together, we had lunch at the on-site cafe. We had also opted for the self-tour of the house as the guided tour was about 90 minutes long! The house is interesting, and I would have loved to have heard more on the architecture and history, but it is not a big home, and I did not think C would hold out that long (or I for that matter).

After lunch we then had the “castle” all to ourselves. Though it was not large by today’s standards, it would have dwarfed nearly all other buildings on the island. If I remember correctly, the first floor was the food storage and preparation areas while the second and third floors were the living spaces. The most extraordinary part of the home was the wide wrap-around verandas which created additional living space with an additional room in each corner and light-filled, ventilated walkways between that could be used for extra seating or office space or whatever. The house is the oldest surviving stone structure in the Caymans and is known as the birthplace of Cayman democracy as it was here at the “castle” where in 1831 a decision was made to form the territory’s first parliament and in 1835 an envoy from the Governor of Jamaica read the proclamation ending slavery in the British Empire. It was well worth a visit.

A fiery sunrise

On Friday, our sixth day, the weather had turned. It was still very warm of course, but it had grown cloudy and windy. I was glad we had joined the Stingray City tour early in the week as the wind made the sea a bit choppier. I woke up early to catch the sunrise and walked out to the hotel’s little beach. It did not look promising with all the clouds, but just when it looked like there would be no sunrise at all, a ball of red light began to glow at the base of the clouds. With the cloud cover, the light did not have much room to grow, but though small, it was dramatic.

It was Good Friday, which turns out to be quite a big holiday in the Caymans. I had not realized the strength of the Christian belief such that places that are open nearly all year round are closed only on Christmas Day and Good Friday. While looking around for someplace that would be open, one site noted that they had live music six days a week and would do so seven if Cayman law were amended to allow it! Normally, I am quite thorough in my research of vacation destinations, but I did not anticipate this. I found that a lot of entertainment and restaurant venues would be closed on Good Friday, limiting our options. But in the end, we just wanted to hang out and I wanted to drive.

We first made our way back to Hell as C wanted to check out the gift shop. Imagine our disappointment that though the sign for Hell indicated it was open daily, it was in fact closed on Good Friday. (There is a lot to unpack there, but I will leave that to the reader to do so). From there we headed to the Dolphin Center, just across from the Cayman Turtle Center. Though we did not intend to book any dolphin experience, a fellow tourist had mentioned there was an observation area that we could enter for free. We spent about an hour watching the dolphins as they swam and jumped either on their own or in their interactions with the paying guests.

For lunch, we stopped at a delicious Mexican place in town that was luckily open on the holiday. Then we drove the hour or so to Starfish Point at the tip of the landmass on the right side of North Sound. I had hoped the drive would reveal beautiful ocean or other views but frankly, it was a bit on the boring side. Initially, we passed through the same towns we had the day before and it was largely shopping centers and residential homes. There seemed little in the way of beaches on the less populated, eastern part of the island. As we cut up Frank Sound Road, the only road the cuts north/south in the east, the few houses quickly gave way to dry scrubland. Even along the northern road to Rum and Starfish points I found few spots worthy of a stop.

Once we arrived in the vicinity of Starfish Point, we saw where a good chunk of the local population was spending their Good Friday. I had never thought of Easter as a party kind of holiday, much less Good Friday. But it seems in the Caymans that it very much can be. Camping over the Easter weekend is a Cayman tradition and the popular beaches, like Starfish Point, are covered over with pop-up tents with friends and families eating and drinking, cooking and talking, and swimming. We made our way over to Starfish Point, hoping we might see some starfish in the shallow waters, but there were far too many people and boats (including a BBQ boat selling food to those not cooking themselves). No one stopped us from wading in the water, but no one interacted with us either. C and I were the odds one out. We were not local, we did not know people, it was not our holiday. We got ice cream at the very busy Kaibo restaurant nearby before we headed back.

Flora at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park

On Saturday, our last full day on Grand Cayman, we headed back over to the East End to visit the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. We arrived soon after the opening – I wanted us to be there before the free Easter festivities for local kids commenced. After days of clouds, the morning was hot and humid. In many areas of the park, one could walk beneath a canopy of plants but between individual gardens the path lay directly in the sun. There were a few other visitors but we had little interaction and it was almost like having the park to ourselves. Visiting the park was also a chance to see the endangered blue iguanas, only found on the island of Grand Cayman. We were able to see some roaming around the park but also in the conservation center on the property.

That evening we had one final activity – a tour that would include a visit to Bioluminescent Bay. I had read that it was not advised to swim in the bay given the type of algae involved can be harmful to humans and humans can be harmful back. But we were still up to seeing the phenomenon. Our boat left the dock about an hour before sunset so that we could watch the sun sink as we motored from the inlet near Governor’s Creek across the North Sound, returning again to Starfish Point. The Easter revelers were in rare form with music from the campers on shore and that from several party boats competing. C and I stayed on the boat chatting with some other tourists (who as incredible luck would have it live only a few blocks from us in Virginia!) while most of our boat’s occupants jumped into the shallow waters. It did not take long for many of them to rush back onto the boat for some treatment for jellyfish stings! I am not sure what our tour guides were using as luckily C and I had no need, but there were at least eight on our boat that needed treatment.

Sunset from the jellyfish bar

Ironically, our next stop was the Jellyfish Bar – where our tour guides tried to lure us off the boat into the one-foot-deep waters to learn about jellies and hold them. After a good third of our boat had just experienced some stings, it was a little bit of a hard sell, but the guides explained this interesting fact: jellies cannot sting the palm of the hand or the sole of our foot. The guide scooped up a jellyfish and deposited it into the palm of our hands. Both C and I even gave it a try and lo and behold it was true. Though afterwards it is key to use the sand to “wash” our hands to remove any of the minuscule barbs the jellyfish may have left behind to ensure we do not transfer them to other parts of our body where it will in fact hurt.

After our educational jellyfish stop, the sun had set and night had fully come, we motored into Bioluminescent Bay for those who would participate. From the boat, C and I could see some of the glow, but it was not nearly as impressive as we thought it might be. Maybe it would have been better in the water, but I was happy to just stay on the boat to see the sunset, enjoy the oohs and aahs from our fellow travelers, and the cooler air as we headed back in at the end of the trip. It was a great way to end the trip.

All in all, it was a good vacation for C and me; we had just the right amount of activity, including a once-in-a-lifetime stingray experience, and lazing about. I was so proud of C for getting out of her comfort zone — kissing a stingray, holding a snake, holding a jellyfish, riding a scooter, and her willingness to snorkel her second and third times ever after a not great first experience several years before. After the challenging previous months, we needed some wins and we found them in Grand Cayman.