thoughts, tales and travels
Had a wonderful getaway with family to celebrate my 75th birthday. The weather was cloudy and chilly, but nobody was complaining. Everyone was coming from worse weather at home. We had everything we needed at the Bahia resort on Mission Bay, including a restaurant with firepit tables. Bill’s grandson Charlie...
After our morning tour of Bruges, we traveled to the city of Ypres, now known as the “City of Peace.” We learned about the Belgian battles of WWI, then known as The Great War, in the interactive Flanders Field Museum. to learn about the Great War (WWI). The museum had...
This morning’s city walk was delightful – Bruges did not seem very crowded for a medieval European city. The rain stayed away; the city tour guide was amusing. From the 13th to the 15th centuries, Bruges was the most important trading center of northern Europe, based largely on its thriving...
We arrived safely in Brussels—no flight incidents. We were exhausted of course. After the drive to Bruges we checked in to the elegant hotel Cassleberg and slept all afternoon. Our hotel was elegant, comfortable, and conveniently located near Burg Square and Markt Square. We attended our welcome drink and briefing...
I’ve been working on my notes and photos from our fall trip, a dream cruise from Antwerp, Belgium, to Basil, Switzerland, with extra time in Bruges, Belgium at the beginning and Luzerne, Switzerland at the end. I’ll be posting these over the next week or so. September 23: Here we...
As much as I like beer and chocolate, I like history even more. In Bruges, I hope to visit St. John’s the oldest existing hospital (12th century) in Europe. The whole medieval city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beer from their biggest brewery is piped underground to...
My plan to listen to Sibelius on the long flight from Seattle to Amsterdam was foiled because the plane did not have free WIFI, so I couldn’t use my wireless earphones. I could plug into the plane’s entertainment offerings, so I listened to sleep and classical mixes and Billie Eilish....
The Portland Airport experience this morning was about as calm, uncrowded, and smooth as I’ve ever seen. The new version of the Portland Airport carpet just isn’t quite the same, though. I was a fan of the turquoise. I even have a pair of Portland Airport carpet patterned socks, but...
Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Portland, Oregon. Today I packed forty-three pounds of clothes and etceteras (one pound under the limit) for a trip I didn’t plan for. I am a somewhat reluctant traveler. We signed up for this trip to the Nordic countries because a gap in our summer schedule...
Last year was truly memorable, like being reborn. It was our first year of living fully engaged with the world after the isolation and frustration of the pandemic. A new year free of the fear that I had Parkinson’s Disease, a fear that was finally banished after consultations with specialists...
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