Welcome to England, Mom!

I felt a bit like a kid again as I awaited Mom's arrival at Heathrow. Watching all of the family reunions as the visitors stepped out of the baggage hall actually had me a bit emotional for my own mini family reunion! No need to point out that I may be a bit hormonal these days.

To break up the travel time I took her to Windsor Castle on the way home. Here she is with one of the guards! Thursday we woke up and headed for Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. It is located about 45 minutes from here, just outside of Oxford. This palace is built on royal ground and was given to the first Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, for his victory at the battle of Blenheim. This place is spectacular and the current Duke and Duchess of Marlborough still live in it! As I mentioned, Winston Churchill was born and raised here and there is an exhibit featuring his life and work, as well as an exhibit upstairs that walks you through the history of the palace and all of its occupants over the generations. Well worth the visit!

Friday I wanted to show her Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. I have already written about it so I won't repeat but we had a nice day, although I did have a few battles with my GPS system along the way! After two days of traipsing through grand houses with extensive grounds, Mom opted for a day of rest and relaxation today, Saturday. While she did that, Mike and I piled our bikes in the car and headed for Chiseldon to ride our bikes to Marlborough along the old railway trail - no cars!! It was fabulous. We had lunch in town before pedaling back to find that Mom did not exactly rest all day. All of my ironing was done when I returned!

Tomorrow we have reservations at a very popular Spanish Tapas restaurant called Los Gatos. Once a month on Sunday they serve traditional Spanish Paella for brunch so it should be a treat. Monday will be an early morning as we head to Heathrow to catch our flight to Dublin! I am really looking forward to 5 days of Irish travels. Stay tuned...

Gotta Love Summer Festivals...

While plotting out our weekend road trip to South East England I found that Hever Castle, one of the castles on our way, was having Summer Festival Theatre productions on the castle grounds. I couldn't resist the idea of an open-air venue, pre-event picnic by the lake or in the gardens and a very funny play. For all of you Chicagoans, it reminded me a bit of Ravinia but on a smaller scale.

Mike and I actually ate at the local pub, The Plough Inn, because they were having a beer festival and BBQ in their garden which just looked like a neighborhood get together. We couldn't resist! Afterward, we went to the castle grounds, took a walk by the lake and had dessert in the rose garden before the play started. It was a farce called Caught in the Net and it was really funny. Getting back to our hotel in the dark was almost as funny. Thank goodness for 'sat nav's' when you are in the middle of nowhere, in the pitch dark, on roads only wide enough for one car and covered with low hanging trees! With our headlights on high beam, it really looked like some kind of magic forest as we drove through. We definitely would never have ventured down these obscure little roads without that trusty navigation system.

We stayed at a new Marriott in Lingfield that adjoined a horse racing course. It just so happened that a race was scheduled for that night. We missed it because we were at the castle but did see the horses warming up and all of the pre-race festivities before leaving. I was amazed to see that the women all wore fancy dresses to the horse races. That seemed odd given that you can go to any of the west end shows in London and never see anyone dressed like that. It was quite a social occasion!

The Marriott also had a golf course so Mike woke up early and played for the first time since we have been in England. Meanwhile, I proceeded to sleep for 11 hours - what a bum! We did eventually get out of there by 11am and drove to Brighton to check out the activity on the seashore.

Brighton was hopping because the schools just let out for their summer recess. It reminded us a bit of Southern California because there is a pier with an arcade and rides, as well as a boardwalk for cyclists, walkers, etc. We had our bikes with us so we rode along the coast to the pier and then on to 'The Lanes" which are a maze of tiny little pedestrian alleys with shops and restaurants. From there we walked by the Royal Palace before heading out of town to work our way back home by way of Arundel Castle.

Arundel Castle was a pleasant surprise. It is exactly what you would expect a castle to look like and it is still in use by the family! This castle has been occupied by a long line of Howard's who served as the Duke of Norfolk. We climbed the turret's, toured the house and walked through the gardens. Because this castle is occupied, there were sections of the house and grounds roped off to the public and, of course, Mike was constantly trying to sneak around and see what he was missing! I must admit, he does tend to want to go where he can't. Who does this remind you of? He is missing his partner in crime, Dean!

On our way home we stumbled across an amazing English Pub called The Red House. It really was in the middle of the countryside and was incredibly nice for a pub. The Sunday meal in a pub is typically roast and is served as long as it lasts. We haven't had a chance to have our Sunday roast yet so we thoroughly enjoyed it today. Quiz time! Do you know what squeaks and bubbles are? Hint: They are served with the Sunday dinner. Anyone? Well, we now know that squeaks and bubbles are potatoes and cabbage! Yum. I also discovered that I love Yorkshire Pudding!

All in all, a successful weekend. We have now covered a little more of our UK map. We have our work cut out for us to see it all before the end of October but we will keep at it if we must!

Another Day Trip to London

The opportunity came up to catch a ride to London on the Intel Swindon Social Club coach Saturday so we paid the nominal fee and hopped on - such a deal!

Rick and Amy prompted us with their generous gift of tickets to All My Sons in London as a thank you gift for the Colorado River trip. Alas, the best-laid plans often have bumps in the road but it all worked out in the end. The website that the tickets were purchased from turned out to be a scam. Fortunately, Rick was able to get his credit card refunded and we were able to pick up what appeared to be the last two tickets at the theater on Saturday morning. This is a fabulous show and we would recommend it to anyone. It takes you in from beginning to end and makes a strong statement.

The rest of the day we basically wandered from shop to shop along Regent Street and the surrounding area. I was on a mission to find just the right top to try out a new look, without breaking the bank in case it didn't fly. Mission accomplished. Stay tuned on how that works out! After the show, we hopped the tube for a visit to Harrod's. We spent some time in the food court but it was absolutely overwhelming so we opted for a nearby restaurant before heading back to the bus.

To back peddle a bit, we had a fabulous time visiting the home Karen and Andy on Friday night. Karen works at Intel and has been incredible about giving us information on the area and including me in things. Jim Sandrolini was in town from the states and joined us for dinner at their home. It was a really nice night! They have a side business, or hobby, of purchasing homes in the Cotswold's and then renovating them for resale. Their last project, a stone farmhouse I believe, is just about finished and then they were to start on the house that we visited. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about their plans for it. The property in the country is fabulous!

I also learned the proper way to prepare and serve English tea. Here it is:

• Boil the water
• Pour through the tea into the china teapot to steep
• Put cream into the cup before pouring in the tea

This morning I was excited to sleep in. A bike ride to Marlborough is on the docket but right now it is raining. The bike ride will have to wait until later in the day. Until then, I am off to book travel plans for our Scotland trip in a few weeks.

Cheers!

Celebrating 28 Years in Prague!

We arrived in Prague on Friday afternoon to find our hotel, Grand Hotel Praha, ideally situated on the Old Town Square and our room overlooking the renowned Astronomical Clock. Good luck reading the time on this one! It measures time in just about any way you can imagine including how it relates to the signs of the zodiac and the sun, moon, and stars. As we looked out of our window, we witnessed the hourly display of the animated figures on the clock when it chimes the hour, followed by a live trumpet greeting from the clock tower lookout.

Anxious to explore and get our bearings, we set out to wander the cobblestone streets leading out in every direction from the square. Right off the bat, we stumbled upon the fruit market and promptly bought a container of berries and kiwi to snack on while we looked in all of the stalls. Continuing on from here, we browsed the shops lining the streets and found that the Czech Republic is known for the glass, BLUE Praha in particular; garnets, which are mined in the area; and the wooden marionettes. We considered the marionettes as a gift but decided that they actually looked kind of scary!

Eventually, we found ourselves in front of the National Museum and rested in the shade of the statue of St. Wenceslas before heading toward the Municipal House which is really beautiful and serves as one of the main concert venues in Prague. In front was a charming cafe and we couldn't resist grabbing a table and raising a glass to celebrate - what a beautiful evening! Pinch me, everywhere I look from here are ornate buildings and cobbled streets. Right next to the cafe is the famous Powder Tower, which once served as the west entrance to the medieval Old Town. We finished our first night in Prague with dinner and a jazz concert in our hotel dining room overlooking the square followed by a walk across the famous Charles Bridge. A walk over the bridge at night is a must in Prague because the Castle on the hill and all of the statues and famous buildings are illuminated and reflected in the river below. It is truly spectacular!

Saturday we were ready to get serious about our sightseeing and tied on our running shoes to make sure our feet would hold up all day! For starters, we climbed to the top of the clock tower for a lookout over Old Town. Then, with map in hand, we set out across the bridge again in search of the famous Prague Castle. You can certainly see it as you approach but getting up there is a trek. Along the way, we walked by the Church of St. Nicholas which is incredibly imposing as you head into the Mala Strana area of Prague. I won't go into the details of our Castle tour but suffice it to say that we stayed for over 3 hours exploring St. Vitus's Cathedral, the Palace and the rest of the Castle grounds before succumbing to the heat and heading back for a mid-afternoon siesta to freshen up. We had tickets for Swan Lake that evening.

By the way, I have to mention that the World Cup consolation match and the final between Spain and the Netherlands were displayed on a huge screen in Old Town Square. On the way home from the ballet we joined the throngs of people watching as Germany took 3rd. Sunday was just crazy - that might have been the one drawback to our hotel location given that the celebrating went on well into the night!

Sunday we decided to tackle the Jewish Quarter, Josefov. We bought a ticket that got us into several of the synagogues remaining in the area as well as the Old Jewish Cemetery and Ceremonial Hall. The oppressive history hangs heavy here even though these buildings are among the few that remain after the demolition of the slums at the end of the 19th century. They survived the Nazi occupation because Hitler wanted to use them to start a museum to what he believed would be an extinct race - appalling. Equally moving is the Old Jewish Cemetery which has over 10,000 graves and the tombstones are literally resting against each other. The Pinkas Synagogue now serves as a memorial to over 77,000 Jews from Bohemia and Moravia that died in the gas chambers. How can humanity allow these atrocities? May we be vigilant and protect human rights during our journey on this earth.

On a lighter note, we had a fabulous lunch at a restaurant between Josefov and Old Town called Nosstross. We finished the day with another long afternoon nap to escape the worst of the heat wave before having dinner at a good, but extremely over-priced, restaurant called Kampa Island. It was located along the river under the Charles Bridge so the views were pretty spectacular. When we returned to the square, the World Cup finals were in full swing and it was fun to watch the crowds of people cheering for their favorite team.

Monday we decided it was time to see what lies beyond Prague so we booked a day trip to Kutna Hora. This town became famous for its silver mines and was the second most important city in the area once upon a time. The cathedral here is beautiful and was home to a Jesuit college. The cathedral took 13 years to build so the architect created one statue during each year of the construction period to adorn the bridge leading to the town. It is similar in style to the Charles Bridge in Prague. We toured the museum to learn about the town and the mint that produced silver coins here. We also visited the Ossuary, or Bone Church. This was crazy! The entire church is adorned with human bones - worth a look if you are in the area. We only had about 15 minutes in here so I am not fresh on the details. That is the trouble with organized tours. We had to abide by their schedule. All in all, it was a bit rushed but worth doing (especially since the bus was air conditioned).

Monday evening we walked to the botanic gardens leading to Petrin Tower and took the funicular up the hillside. We had enough Czech crowns left for one trip up the tower for pictures so I was elected! It was a beautiful view of Prague and the Vltava River at dusk. We had hoped to eat a light supper at the hillside cafe up here and continue exploring the Strahov area and surrounding palaces afterwards but they did not take credit cards and we were out of local money. So we left one area undiscovered, giving us an excuse to go back some day!

Tuesday was mainly about packing up and heading out. The hotel air conditioning gave out for that last night so it was sticky! It was a welcome relief to arrive back in England to cooler temperatures. No rest for the weary, Mike had to head to Madrid and Frankfurt for business this morning. I took him to the airport and explored Hampton Court Palace before returning to Swindon to catch up on life!

Brussels in 2 Hours

After sleeping in, packing up and traveling by train from Antwerp to Brussels, I was left with only 2 hours to explore before heading to the airport. I stashed my suitcase in a locker at the train station and headed out to explore.

My wanderings were limited to the Lower Town, home to the Grand Place dating from the 17th century. The Hotel de Ville, which serves as the town hall, dominates the southwest side of the square. This market area, built primarily during the first half of the 15th century, was largely destroyed and since rebuilt by the trade guilds. The streets leading from this area house all kinds of shopping and, of course, I purchased homemade Belgium chocolate. At some point, I found myself in a maze of very narrow lanes lined with small restaurants all serving shellfish and bouillabaisse, clearly a specialty of the area. I was also able to make it over to Cathedrale Sts-Michel et Gudule, the national church of Belgium. Another example of Gothic architecture that took 300 years to build.

Time to head to the airport. I'm sorry that I missed the Palais Royal and Royal Park. Maybe next time!

A Day in Bruges

While Mike headed into Antwerp for a day of meetings, I pushed on for a day in Bruges. I can see why this is hailed as a 'must-see' city when visiting Belgium. It is absolutely charming and the medieval buildings are well preserved. At one time most buildings in Bruges were made of wood like these but, after a devastating fire, all are now required to be made of brick or stone.

With no particular agenda, I grabbed a map from the train station and started walking. Here again, was another city of charming canals and bridges paved with cobblestone streets. Horse-drawn carriages were trotting the streets giving tourists their money's worth and small tour boats continually cruised the canals providing a narrative along the way. At one point I passed an old woman in a doorway making the lace that Bruges is so famous for.

I stopped to walk through an old monastery that is now mainly inhabited by single women and then grabbed breakfast in an outdoor cafe while I got my bearings. From there I wandered along a charming street lined with shops that sold the trademark lace, tapestries, Belgium chocolates, and beer. Not yet ready to start shopping, I opted for a 7 euro boat tour. It was a quick way to see the different areas of the city that I should inspect further but Amsterdam canal cruises definitely have this one beat. We were packed in tight and I felt a bit like I was on a ride at DisneyLand - It's a Small World comes to mind.

After the boat ride, I was ready to beat the pavement and headed into the center of town to The Markt. It is a wide-open cobblestone area lined with eateries and medieval gabled houses. There is a fountain in the middle and today it was lined with people eating ice cream or Belgium waffles while soaking up the sun that was trying to come out. Every few minutes a horse-drawn carriage rode through the middle adding to the charm. Picture, picture, picture...

I walked past all of the 'must-see' architecture including The Church of Our Lady containing a Madonna and Child sculpture by Michelangelo, one of the few pieces by Michelangelo outside of Italy. I also particularly enjoyed stopping to take in the wall of Belgium Beer on display in one of the courtyards near the town center. Each kind of beer was displayed in a stone wall with a bit about its style and history. Another highlight was my afternoon snack - a Belgium waffle topped with bananas and dark, melted Belgium chocolate!!

After indulging I was ready to shop a bit. I picked up a couple of gifts and a new purse that hopefully will be lighter weight for our future travels. It is amazing how time flies when you are poking around by yourself. At 5:30 my feet were screaming for me to get on the train and head back to Antwerp for some rest so I called it a day. Tomorrow...Brussels. Stay tuned!

I AMSTERDAM

When I told my daughter that I was heading to Amsterdam she seemed dubious. She made sure to tell me to watch out for the coffee shops and stay clear of the brownies. No problem!

We arrived in the evening to find that our hotel, right off of Dam Square by the Palace, had 'water problems' and our room was uninhabitable. The outlook for obtaining a room in the same vicinity was not good and we were initially dismayed to be shuttled to a hotel that seemed to be quite a ways from the center of town. But, as luck would have it, this hotel was a 5-star property in a nice, quite neighborhood not far from the Museum District - much more my speed than the Red Light District, that's for sure!

Upon the recommendation of Mark and Stella, we set off in the morning for the Rijksmuseum. Along the way we stopped at an outdoor cafe for breakfast. Mike ordered a Belgium waffle that looked amazing but he finished in about two swallows. To his credit, he made it through to lunch without any hunger pangs at all.

The museum had great representation of the 17th century masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age. We saw works by Rembrandt, most noteably Night Watch, as well as other masters including van Ruyesdael, Hals, Vermeer and Steen. Right now they have an exhibit featuring Miro, who traveled to the Netherlands and based his 'Dutch Interiors' on the postcards he took home of paintings by Sorgh and Jan Steen. It was interesting to see the original dutch paintings, that were the inspiration, displayed alongside the surrealistic work of Miro.

If you go to the Rijksmuseum, don't miss the dollhouse display. One of them is a 17th century home built entirely to scale, down to every last furnishing in the house. It is displayed in an inlaid cabinet. The cost is said to have been equivalent to that of a home along the canal during that time period - crazy!

After wrapping up the Rijksmuseum, we headed down the Museumplein to The VanGogh Museum. Van Gogh is one of my personal favorites and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many of his famous paintings in one place. I especially love the way he experimented with brush strokes to created different effects that are unique to his work.

After hours in the museums, it was time for a walk in the park so we headed towards Vondelpark. The plan was to rent bicycles and join the throngs of cyclists spinning around the city on old-fashioned, rusted out bicycles. As we roamed the park in search of bikes, it started to rain so we never did get that bike ride in. This could have been a blessing in disguise given that the bikers seemed to have their own 'road code' and definitely dominated the cars trying to navigate this city!

On our way to dinner we took the obligatory walk through the Red Light District. Any time of day or night this place is packed with people and, honestly, I just don't get it - enough said. Dinner was at a charming french restaurant specializing in seafood. It was off the beaten path and that suits me better.

Sunday we started the day with another outdoor breakfast by a canal near the Rembrandt House. The Rembrandt House was really interesting. This upscale home was extremely expensive and Rembrandt eventually lost it when he could no longer pay the debt on it. Here again, we found the sleeping situation odd. The beds were actually in giant cabinets called box beds that were extremely short. Apparently they slept sitting up for fear that if they were to lie flat they might die from too much blood rushing to their head! I also did not realize that Rembrandt was well known for his intricate copper etching prints.

Our next stop was a canal cruise. This turned out to be a great way to see the city and spare our feet. I can tell you that my this flip flops where not meant to walk all over cobblestone sidewalks for days on end! to wrap up the day we took a stroll through the flower market and ate dinner at an Argentinian Steakhouse.

My overall impression of Amsterdam is mixed. While the cobblestone streeets, canals and bridges lacing the city are picturesque, I would recommend avoiding the main streets of the town center, as they seemed to be dirty and louder as the night wore on. This could be due to visitors celebrating Holland's success in the World Cup - go Orange! The people seemed to be very friendly and laid back. Even those not frequenting the notorious coffee shops! All in all, a good experience. On to Belgium...