#21 Two Weeks, 2 Backpacks - Northern Europe

We decided to see Europe like the college kids do--by purchasing a Eurail pass and backpacking it. We cheated with one small suitcase between us in addition to the 2 backpacks. We traveled by train (cog, high speed, and funicular), boat (canal and ferry), cable car, lift, bus, taxi, and of course, walking. Our agenda read Amsterdam, Munich, Lucerne, St. Moritz, Zermatt and Paris.

The food everywhere was absolutely delicious, and we made lots of stops in pastry shops, such as this Bavarian bakery in Munich.

We enjoyed window shopping, and managed to buy a few things for our family. The rule was it had to be light in weight and rather flat. After all, we were going to have to carry it everywhere we went. We actually left behind a pair of Don's not-so-gently-worn pants in order to make room.

We were most thankful for our eyes to see God's wonderful handiwork. We hiked to this point overlooking Lake Lucerne.

We found, as we had been told we would, that English was widely spoken but, of course, there was an abundance of strange-sounding names. Almost everywhere we went, people were kind and helpful. In Amsterdam, 2 different men ran at least a block to catch up with us in order to clarify their directions.

At every turn was an adventure, and feeling sure we'd never do this again, we embraced as many as we could. In Zermatt, we walked not a half mile from our hotel and this wonderful scene was tucked in between the hotels that lined the river. 

We had many moving experiences where we felt in touch with the history of the people. This is a cemetery in Zermatt, where the founders of the city, mostly mountain-climbing guides, are laid to rest.

We felt sure that our cousins who put us on the ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland were thinking, "We'll never see those people again!" But we quickly learned that if we were on the right platform at the right time, we would be on the right train. Some trains required reservations and the internet was most helpful with train schedules.



The very first day in Amsterdam our feet hurt! The sign in the window read "Chinese Foot Massage" which sounded really inviting. We drew lots of curious looks from passersby, which made us a good ad for their services. 



#20 Clipping Along in Munich, Germany

BEFORE (taken in Wales)

We were strolling the streets of Munich when we happened upon the Kubi Coiffeur. We had been away from home 3 weeks, and Don really needed a haircut. Though Rubye's hair was short, we had never had haircuts in the same salon, so she went along.
We were each directed to our side of the shop (according to gender) where Adam worked on Rubye while Assad took good care of Don. Assad's razor made us both a bit nervous but he was very good with it. Don needed another trim in 2 weeks, but Rubye's lasted for 8!

DURING

AFTER

#19 Cruising Down the Canal - Amsterdam

 We walked for hours seeing the city but could cover relatively few square blocks. The best way to see more was to take a ride on a canal boat. We managed to score an outside seat which meant lots of sunshine, plus we couldn't hear the guide over the loudspeaker. If we're honest, there are times when we just want to take in the beautiful view.






We were smitten with the boathouses along the canal and wondered what it would be like to live in one. Flowers are abundant in Amsterdam and this is true on the boathouses. A few even had "patios" with lots of plants, chairs and a view of us as we rode by.

We boarded a boat across from Central Station, which took us on the Singel Canal, the innermost  canal of Amsterdam's circle of canals. This is one of 1500 bridges in the city.





  
Most of the buildings in Amsterdam were built in the 17th and 18th century. This house with red shutters was one of my favorites.

In a busy, densely populated city like Amsterdam, many ride bicycles. We observed everyone skillfully moving with vehicular--ladies in skirts, young people and the older generation. Many residents of Amsterdam own 2 or 3 bicycles, including a weekday bicycle and a Sunday one. The owners park them around the city to serve their particular purpose.

We were surprised, though pleasantly, to see modern buildings such as this one. People of legend who have held back the North Sea for centuries are surely adaptable and inventive.

#18 Visit to World Heritage Sites - Wales, Montana, Wyoming

 Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, North Wales
Date of Inscription: 2009

Thomas Telford and William Jessop's awe-inspring aqueduct won our accolades as well. It is one of the most beautiful things we beheld, and we recognize that it is an engineering and architectural wonder.   Don, Jen (pictured left with Rubye), and Rubye enjoyed a leisurely walk across the 1000 feet long aqueduct which takes the Llangollen Canal over the beautiful River Dee Valley. As we walked we met several narrowboats carrying sightseeing passengers.
 On the left was a continuous line of trees and when we came to a break in them, we decided to peer around at the view. We were met with this breathtaking scene as we looked back at the aqueduct over which we had just walked.

 The aqueduct is 125 feet high and consists of an iron water-carrying trough on stone piers. There are 19 arches, each with a 45 ft. span and piers 116 ft. high. The mortar was made of oxen blood, lime and water.
And for the non-Welsh speaker, Pontcysyllte is pronounced 'pont-ker-suth-tee'--you may need to practice the famous Welsh "ll" sound! Our cousin, Jenny has mastered it very well.

 Glacier National Park, Montana

Date of Inscription: 1995

The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the name of the union of the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and Glacier National Park in Montana. Their union is a World Heritage site. We visited Glacier NP on which we have previously reported in Post #7.

The very small island in the St. Mary Lake is Wild Goose Island. According to folklore, a handsome warrior and a lovely maiden swam to the island, one from each side, and there they fell in love and planned to marry. Their families would not hear of it, so the Great Spirit transformed them into wild geese, which mate for life, so that they might fly away together and live happily ever after. While our story isn't quite as dramatic, it is a blessing to have been married almost 50 years.

Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming (and a bit of Montana and Idaho)
Date of Inscription: 1978

This fabulous "painting" was done by none other than the Creator Himself. This is typical of the bubbling pools or hot springs. We were told that we would feel as though we were in a volcano and we did.

 We are pictured here waiting (along with hundreds of others) for Old Faithful geyser to erupt. We were not disappointed.

 Harlech Castle, North Wales
Date of Inscription: 1986

Harlech Castle is a World Heritage site, reflecting its importance and remarkable state of preservation. It was built in the latter part of the 13th century by King Edward I. It is high and far removed but at one time the Irish sea lapped its base.







 The castle is open to visitors, but we were viewing it from below. Its imposing presence over Gwynned was impressive.

#17 The Lucky Catch Lobster Boat - Portland, ME

 It was a beautiful day, warm on shore but a bit breezy on the waters of Casco Bay. Lobster and crab balloons soared high above the harbor. That was a nice surprise as we came back into Old Port.

We had previously visited the Portland Head Light from shore, but it was fun to see it from the boat. It became very special to us and we thought of it as "our lighthouse."

 Rubye didn't want to miss the opportunity to "work" the traps. One essential step was filling the bags with exactly 6 herring. They weren't alive so they posed no threat except from their smell.

The lobster runners were paid $4 or $5 by the restaurants for each lobster. Everything else went back into the water. Don took a turn throwing back the undesirables, mostly crabs.

 The Lucky Catch is an appropriate name for the boat. We worked only 8 traps but harvested enough for everyone. Don chose two nice ones for dinner.

 At the Portland Lobster Company Don walked in and placed the two lobsters upon the counter. The hostess bagged and tagged them for the cooks and we enjoyed the fruit of our labors.

Thank you, wonderful crew of the Lucky Catch. It was a great afternoon.

#16 Welsh Sheepdog Exhibition - Pembrokeshire



After the show we were invited to walk the property to see the beautiful coastline.



We were enjoying a car trip through Wales, courtesy of our cousins, when we happened upon a sheepdog exhibition. Sheepdog trials are very popular and winning the top ribbons is coveted. This particular farm raised and trained sheepdogs and held exhibitions for the public. It goes without saying that these very beautiful and smart animals delighted the crowd--old and young alike. They worked the sheep but also goats and geese, showing off their playful personalities.

Working the sheep




The arena

 

Silly Geese




The fields from which the dogs brought the sheep

 

This beautiful Welsh sheepdog reminded me of my childhood family dog, Teddy Boy. He would "work the chickens" by catching, and holding without harm,  the one my mother singled out to cook for Sunday lunch.

#15 Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

The Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial covers 30.5 acres. The use of the land was granted in perpetuity by the University of Cambridge. The American Battle Monuments Commission is the guardian. We want to express our gratitude to both organizations for their generosity of spirit and thoughtful planning.

The headstones were laid out in such a way that from every angle perfect symmetry was maintained. This was a very moving experience for us. I shed a few tears remembering my 2 brothers and an uncle who served in WWII. All three came home. A lone older gentleman walked the grounds; a family gathered by a Star of David and carried out the Jewish tradition of leaving a few pebbles on top of the marker. This signifies that someone has honored the deceased person’s memory with a visit to the grave. A nice example of this is shown at the end of the movie Schindler’s List.

This is a cross for an unknown soldier and is one of 24 such markers. We observed workers hand-trimming around each marker, thereby insuring that the quietness and serenity were not disturbed.

5,127 names are recorded on the Tablets of the Missing. Two names of note were A. Glenn Miller and Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.

The bronze inscription over the doorway to the Chapel reads: INTO THY HANDS O LORD.  The chapel interior is decorated with beautiful murals, stunning relief maps of operations, and an altar displaying two American flags. The words "proud and grateful" express the American people's sentiments.

The mall with reflecting pool is breathtaking. Beautiful hymns rang out over the grounds, adding much to the solemnity. It's as if someone thought of everything appropriate.

#14 Imperial War Museum Duxford

                                                 Blackbird

The video is of a Spitfire taking off--notice with not much runway required.

Concorde

We walked through the cabin and "found our seats." The last flight was in 2003; it was discontinued mainly for economic reasons. Alas, our flight over took the usual 8 hours.



It is easy to see why Sally B is a favorite. It is the only airworthy B-17 in the UK. Based at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, it is usually on static display. We were fortunate that the pilots were flying that day in preparation for an October air show.
Sally B enjoyed her first TV role in 1981 as B-17 'Ginger Rogers' in London Weekend Television’s 'We’ll Meet Again'. In 1989 she starred with four other B-17s in the film 'Memphis Belle' and is the plane shown coming home from the final mission.

#13 The Beth Chatto Gardens - Village of Elmstead Market

I carry my purse everywhere--just like the queen.

The Beth Chatto Gardens began in 1960 when the site was an overgrown wasteland between two farms. Faced with all kinds of difficult conditions Beth and the late Andrew Chatto set out to find homes for many of the plants they wished to grow. With dry and damp soil in both sun and shade, they were able put into practice the underlying principles of what is now referred to as "Ecological gardening". (from the website).

 These are just two simple jars; but, left in their natural state and surroundings, they become works of art.

I especially enjoyed the orange, yellow and rust-colored flowers, and I often wears these colors.

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The overcast sky made the greens appear dark and lush.

Don found a bench from which to enjoy the view. We found ourselves walking more than sitting, however.