Tag Archives: Travel

OUR CRUISE TO MEXICO – Part 3

24 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy

                                                     

The next day, our port of call was Cozumel.  We docked at a small island and caught a fast ferry boat to Playa del Carmen.  Very touristy town.

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Brian had pre-arranged a car/van for the six of us to take us to Tulum and the Mayan ruins there.  The car was arranged through Avis, so we thought we were safe.  However, when we tried to find the address where the Avis rental store was – it wasn’t there!  We even checked in with the police station, and they had no clue where it was!  Brian actually called Avis to find out what was going on.  Finally, after walking around the town for about an hour, he was able to find out they had built a lovely new showroom – on the outskirts of town!  Apparently the Avis company didn’t realize this – had no record of it, etc.  In any case, we climbed into two taxi’s, and were on our way.

While the rest of us freshened up, Brian got the car.  Turns out, they had given away the van he had reserved, and the only vehicle they had was a Jeep that only held five bodies, so Katie sprawled in the luggage area of the vehicle.  Not very comfortable.

And especially not comfortable when we were hurtling down the road at 60 mph and came to an unmarked HUGE speed bump!  She was literally bounced to the roof of the car, and banged her head, causing her to cry out!  After this happened the second time, she tearfully announced that Forrest was riding back there on the way back!!  There were three speed bumps on that road, and only the third one was marked!

We finally arrived at Tulum.  We had a light lunch, and Brian arranged with a local to be our guide through the ruins.  Before we headed off, we were treated to a show of pole dancers.  No, it’s not what you think – this was a group of four men, dressed in native costume, at the top of a tall pole, who allowed themselves to be dropped nearly to the bottom of the pole (and the ground!) and swung around.  Very festive, but certainly not something I would want to attempt.

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And then we began our tour of the ruins.  Fred and I have always enjoyed roaming around ruins – whether in New Mexico, Texas, Europe, or now Mexico.  Our girls enjoyed it, as well, so this would be a fun trip.We were quite interested in seeing the “village” and the building there.  We saw the temple and it’s outbuildings.

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One structure that interested us quite a bit was at the top of a hill.  Our guide, Ernie, said that it was an “early warning system” that the Mayan’s had built-in for hurricanes.  When a hurricane was coming, the wind would blow through that building – or the “hole” within it – and make a unique sound.  And it only sounded when a hurricane was approaching – no other storm would make that same sound.  Fred, being a meteorologist, was fascinated by this piece of information and the ingenuity of those ancient peoples.

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When we returned to Playa del Carmen, Brian dropped us off and he went to return the car.  We were concerned that he wouldn’t get back to the ferry in time to make the ship, but did – running at top speed!

More to come……….

 

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Our Trip to Italy-Part 3

21 Mar

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Bill

Marcia got her wonderful second floor apartment through an agent, and because it was the home of an elderly couple that ran a business, it came completely furnished.  The owners ran an interior design firm and have their showroom on the ground floor below and live in their own apartment next door.  Marcia’s apartment was rather formal, decorated with flocked wallpaper and Persian rugs that soften and helped warm the marble floors.  The original householder was a WWII POW for five years, and after the war, when vacationing, he collected many of the unique furnishings that filled the apartment.

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Our room was elegantly decorated with objects d’ art from many European countries and some from Egypt.  The bedrooms also beautifully decorated and the beds were soft, warm and comfortable.  One of the most interesting features of the house to DiVoran, was the kitchen with its dishwashing arrangements.  After washing and rinsing the dishes by hand, you would slot the dishes into racks in a cupboard directly over the sink and close the doors, leaving the dishes  to drain discreetly into the sink.

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This is where we met Erika, Marcia’s young Italian friend and Language teacher while she was in Italy.  Erik  was 27 years old, spoke excellent English, and had a delightful sense of humor.  She was the assistant to the president of a small firm that produced radio control systems.  She had been filling a big part of Marcia’s life and heart now that Marcia was away from home and family for such a long time.  She was intrigued with the fact that DiVoran kept a daily journal and wanted to know all about the nature and advantages of the process.

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The next day was Sunday and Marcia and Erika drove us to Padua for a guided tour of the city and its sights.  Padua is called the city of (1) the Saint with no name, (2) the park with no grass and (3) the coffee shop with no doors.

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The Shrine of St. Anthony in Padua was completed in 1301 AD to house and honor the relics of St. Anthony of Padua.   Born Fernando Martins de Bulhoes in 1195 Lisbon, St. Anthony is the saint depicted in many early paintings holding the Christ child.  My study of St. Anthony reveled no reference to the term “The St. with no name”, so it’s a mystery to me why he is called that.

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The “Prato della valle” is the largest square (piazza) in Italy, and is called “the park with no grass”. The Romans founded the city of Padua in the 4th century BC and created this square for military training and gatherings. Later, in the Middle Ages, the square became the courtyard of a church, then a big open-air theatre for dramas and games and even a large open-air market.

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The  “Caffé  Pedrocchi” is known as the “coffee shop with no doors” because of the ancient tradition of staying open all night.  Founded in the early 18th century, the ground floor was completed in 1831.  Then the gothic pastry shop called “Pedrocchino” was built in 1839. During the “Fourth Congress of Italian Scientists” in 1842, the rooms of the upper floor were added, and Vincenzo Gazzotto, painted the ceiling in the Renaissance Room.  The caffé has historical prominence because of its role in the 1848 riots against the Austrian Hapsburg monarchy, as well as for being an attraction for artists over the last century, from the French novelist Stendhal to Lord Byron, to the Italian writer Dario Fo.  The Caffé Pedrocchi has been continuously open for business 24/7since 1831.

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—–To Be Continued—-

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Our Trip to Italy Part 2

13 Mar

                                                                                                                                                                Bill Lites

 

After breakfast at the Flut Bar the next morning, we took the city tram to see Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco of the Last Supper at the Santa Maria delle Grazie.  They were still working on the five-year restoration of the painting, and were meticulously removing centuries of soot and grime.   DiVoran really enjoyed finding out how the fresco had originally been painted, and now seeing how the restoration process worked in detail.

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Then it was on to explore the many shops in the beautiful indoor Gallera Vittorio Emenuele Mall, and to have lunch at the American Bar Ristorante there.  This is where we first witnessed “The Italian Coffee Break.”  It seems that the Italian men would come into their favorite ristorante in twos and threes, dressed in their business suits, overcoats and fedoras, walk up to the espresso bar, and order their coffee.  It came in tiny cups, into which they would stir in sugar and then throw the entire cup down their throats in one gulp, pay and be gone before we knew what was happening.  We figured they were on their way home for their afternoon “sonnellino” (nap).

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Our Kodak moment for the day was one that DiVoran saw and wished we had a video camera to capture the entire scene.   It was of a young woman with her two small daughters in the Duomo.  DiVoran said all three wore wool coats like she had worn in the 40’s.  The beautiful mother helped the little girls select candles and light them.  The littlest one, who couldn’t have been more than three, started to sing “Happy Birthday” in Italian, but her mother gently hushed her.  All the while, the candle flames lit their small faces and made their large brown eyes glow with excitement and wonderment.

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We headed for Venice the next morning with a 3-hour train ride on one of Italy’s 1st class Europe Rail  high-speed trains through the country side from Milan.  Marcia picked us up at the train station in Venice and showed us some of the main attractions of Venice including the San Giovanni E San Padio, Santa Maria Glorosa Dei Frari and Scuala Di San Rocco churches.

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We had lunch at the Bora Bora Ristorante with Marsha, and two of her fellow Disney cast members.  After lunch we strolled along the Grand Canal to the famous Rialto Bridge, where we shopped the many shops located within the bridge.

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Continuing on with our mini-tour, next we visited the beautiful St. Mark’s Basilica, known for its unique Italian Gothic and Byzantine architecture.  This Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is the church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, and was completed in 1071 AD.  This famous structure is rumored to house the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist, which were stolen from their original resting place in Alexandria, Egypt by Venetian merchants, and brought to Venice in 828 AD.  The adventure is depicted in the 13th-century mosaic above the door farthest on the left of the front entrance of the Basilica.  What a magnificent experience that was, with the many and varied mosaic creations throughout the entire edifice.

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After leaving St. Mark’s we caught a water-bus for a quick tour of the Grand Canal, on the way back to the train station and Marcia’s car.  From there, it was a short 18,5 km drive to Marsha’s apartment, on the outskirts of Mogliano Veneto, met her landlords and to finish the day with a fabulous Italian dinner.  After that, we were ready for bed, and what a bed it was.  But, you will have to wait for Part 3 to find out what I mean, so don’t go too far away.

—–To Be Continued—–

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OUR CRUISE TO MEXICO – Part 1

10 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES 

Judy Wills

Judy

After our first cruise – to Alaska – we were ready to go again….anywhere!  One of our sons-in-law loves to travel, and is a great “planner” of trips, whether it be by van, or car, or ship.

For Spring Break in 2007, he planned a cruise to Mexico with his family, and invited us to accompany them.  We were delighted to accept.

We drove to Charleston, South Carolina (where we would pick up the ship) by way of St. Augustine, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia.  We had not been to St. Augustine in many years, and it was fun to see it again.  Brian called us while we were there, to say they had a flat tire, and wouldn’t be getting to Charleston until very late.

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We drove from St. Augustine to Savannah.  We had never been to Savannah, and were intrigued to see all the flowers (it was Springtime, so the azaleas were in full bloom), and the monuments to famous people, especially from that area.

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Our daughter and her family arrived very late at night (from Chicago, and with the flat tire en route), and we had adjoining rooms at the hotel.  We met up for breakfast, then headed out for a tour of Charleston – another first for us.  Fascinating city.  We took a tour over to Fort Sumter to see the remains of the fort.

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When it was time to board the ship, Brian dropped us all off at the dock and went to park the car, then joined us on board.

One of the first things we learned was that we were required to “hand sanitize” everywhere we went on board – especially into the eating areas.  They had supplied “balls” of sanitizer for our convenience – just place your hand under the ball, and out squirts just the right amount for your use.  Neat little thing.  We also had to sanitize as we left the ship in port, and before we could go back on board after being in port.

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Since there were just the six of us, another couple was assigned to our table.  It’s always fun for us to get acquainted with people from other areas, so we were pleased to meet Fred and Carol Ann.  At our first meal together, we “excused” ourselves to them, and asked God’s blessings on the food.  As we lifted our heads, we were pleased to see Fred and Carol Ann lifting their heads, as well.  They said it was “refreshing” to find others who exhibited their faith in public.  We knew we had met fellow believers and were overjoyed!

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We had a day at sea before we made landfall again.

 

To be continued……………

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Our Trip to Italy-Part 1

6 Mar

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill

 It was the Winter of 1999, and our friend Marsha was in the middle of an 18-month TDY assignment with Disney in Porte Marghera, Italy as part of the group supporting constructionof their second Disney cruise ship, the “Wonder.”  Marsha was a longtime writing friend of DiVoran’s who had worked for Disney on their first Disney cruise ship, the “Magic” and was very familiar with the surrounding Italian area.

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She asked DiVoran and I if we would like to come visit her, as she had plenty of room for the both of us, in the rented apartment she was living in at the time.  She also mentioned that she could take some time off, if we came, and escort us around central Italy to see some of the many interesting and historical sites that area of the country had to offer.  Since I had accrued enough Sky miles with Delta Air Lines to get free round-trip flights for both of us, we thought, “This could be an opportunity of a lifetime!”  It didn’t take much arm-twisting to get us to agree to go, and we started making reservations.  The next thing we knew, were on our way.2

 Our first stop was in Milan.  After a one-hour bus ride from the airport to the Metro station, we took a 30-minute underground train ride to the town center, where we had lunch at the Autogrill.  Once we found our small quaint Hotel Speronari, we had a nap and our first laugh of the trip.  DiVoran spotted the “In case of fire” instructions on the back of our hotel room door; it read “Remain in a quiet and calm mood, walk on your fours, and protect your nose and mouth with a damp handkerchief.” What a hoot!  But then, how silly that would sound if I tried to say that in Italian?  After a cup of tea, we were ready to venture out to see some of the sights of the city.

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Our hotel was just one block off the city square, which was surrounded with elegant shops, filled with beautiful jewelry, furs, and luxurious fabrics.  Every third woman was wearing some type of fur coat.  We had never seen so many fur coats in our lives.  The Duomo (cathedral) in Milan’s, city square was a must see, and we were properly impressed.  It is the third largest Duomo  in Europe and took 500 years to build.  It is beautifully decorated inside with 52 Sequoia columns, each 150 feet tall, and as many as 2000 carved statues gracing the outside.

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A Japanese couple, who had just been married, were in the process of having their pictures taken in the Piazza Duomo among all the pigeons and tourists.  What a sight that was.  After that, we got directions on how to get to the Castello Sforzesco, which was built in the 15th century and houses Michelangelo’s unfinished Rondanini Pieta.

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 Back in the city square, we strolled the streets looking at the many fresh fruit and vegetable stands.  Then we came across a candy store where their fruits looked so real we couldn’t believe it, and sure enough, they weren’t, they were Marzipan.  What a surprise!  Of course, DiVoran had to have some, and boy were they good.  They were so unusual that we brought some home and kept them in our freezer for years.

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    —–To be Continued—–

 

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OBERAMMERGAU – PART 2

2 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Judy

 

In addition to our wonderful experience at The Passion Play 1970 in Oberammergau, Germany, we had other times to visit that lovely town.  On some of our trips around Germany, we visited the town and introduced our daughters to it.

Someone told us about a Master Woodcarver in Oberammergau, and insisted that we visit his house/workshop.  Fred was chosen to attend a NATO school in Oberammergau.  So we hired a single friend to stay with the girls, and I went with Fred to the school.  Again, we stayed in a B&B, and I was able to explore the town while he was in classes at the school.

English: The welcome sign to NATO school in Ob...

English: The welcome sign to NATO school in Oberammergau, Germany. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I explored, I found the house of the Master Woodcarver.  His wife seemed pleased to have me invite myself to their house, and took me to his workshop, where he was working on one of his creations.  To say I was entralled would be an understatement, for sure.  He could carry on a complete conversation and continue to carve at the same time – without missing a beat!

They showed me samples of his work – different sizes and different themes.  They told me that the tourist shops in town had offered him exorbitant commissions, if he would just allow them to sell his craft/product in their stores.  He rejected them all.  The only time he allowed his product to be in their stores what when he was carving a very large (sometimes life-size) piece, and needed their large machine to work a particular piece.  Their bargaining chip was – “you can use our equipment, but we get to sell (blank) number of your works in the store.”

I was in love.  I purchased two pieces of his art,and have enjoyed them all these years since

Carving 1

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.  In later years, when my Mother came for a visit, we took her to Oberammergau, and to the carver’s house.  She purchased another one – a “happy” monk with a bier stein in his hand.  They told us that, the larger the size of the monk, the “happier” he appeared!  I was given that piece when she passed away

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We had dinner in the NATO Club several evenings while on that trip.  While looking around the shop within the Club, I found a wood carving of an eagle – one of my favorite creatures.  And guess who the artisan was!!  That’s right – my favorite Master Woodcarver!  It is now hanging on my wall!

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When my best friend came to visit from Panama City, Florida, we took her to Oberammergau, and – of course! – to the woodcarvers house.  The lady of the house told us that he had been commissioned to do two lfe-sized pieces for a Catholic Church in Panama City!  The next time I visited her, we went to that church to see the figurines.  They were magnificent!

So many items we were able to purchase while in Europe, to remind us of our times there, and the places we visited.  But these wood carvings are some of our most favorite pieces and memories.

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OUR FIRST CRUISE

11 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

 

                                                   

Have you ever been on a cruise?  It’s one of the delights of our life…..now.

I thought I would NEVER get Fred on a cruise.  You see, when his family was moving from California to Japan in the 1950’s, they traveled on a troop ship, and it took 21 days to get there, which included three long stops at islands along the way.  Not only was it a long trip, but Fred was unable to stay with his family – not enough room in the staterooms.  So he had to bunk with the sailors.  He slept on the top bunk of a three-tier set of bunks, with his face only inches away from the ceiling.  He also had to do some of the “chores” that the sailors had to do – polishing the brass, swabbing the decks, etc.  It was NOT a fun trip for him!

And so, whenever the subject of a cruise came up, he was almost violently opposed to the idea!  The rest of his siblings – and his parents – had been on many cruises and raved about how much fun they had.  Fred wouldn’t even consider it.

As his parents began to age, they decided to take two more major trips, and invited the children to join them.  The first was a trip to England/Scotland.  We jumped at the chance, since we had lived in Europe for six years, and hadn’t been back.  And England is one of our favorite places to visit.

The second trip was a cruise to Alaska.  As it turned out, it was a three-day cruise, with the remainder of the trip being by bendy-bus (articulated bus) and train.  With my womanly wiles, I cajoled him:  It’s only THREE DAYS CRUISING…..it will give you a “taste” of what cruising is like….. It’s only THREE DAYS CRUISING…..we’ve always wanted to go to Alaska, and this is a great chance to go with family……It’s only THREE DAYS CRUISING……it’s in the summer…. It’s only THREE DAYS CRUISING …..etc.

I was finally able to win him over with those reasonings, and we signed up.

We had a grand time.  Both of Fred’s sisters and their husbands were able to sail with us, as well as our oldest daughter and her husband – 10 of us all together.  The cruising was so much fun – for land-lubbers like us, it was a wonderful experience.  I wished we could have sailed more than just those three days.

But for just a “taste” of cruising – we both were sold.  We’ve been able to go on a cruise nearly every year since then.  And Fred is always asking…would you like to sail to Alaska again?  In a heartbeat!

 

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Our Trip Across America Part 4

31 Oct

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

We took I-49 North toward Shreveport to my dad’s family home site near the small town of Many, LA.  We had a wonderful visit there with several of my uncles and aunts, remembering the good times my sister and I had during the many summer visits there when we were young

there was always the “ole swimming hole” where we spent a lot of time swimming, fished and chasing the crayfish.  On the way out of town we stopped at the old country store where my cousins and I used to spend our nickels and dimes on candy and lots of firecrackers.  One of my uncles ran the store back then but, by this time, the old lever handle gas pumps were gone and the store was closed.

From there, we continued north to Shreveport, to visit another of my uncles and his wife.  He was a typewriter repair mechanic and had a wonderful shop full of all kinds of tools and equipment that he used in his typewriter repair business.  It smelled of cleaning fluid and printer’s ink.

This is when he related the “watermelon nest” story to us.  Seems as how he had this watermelon vine that had somehow attached itself to and grown up a tree in his backyard.  Now I had never heard of a watermelon plant growing up a tree but my uncle wasn’t a man to fib.  So, when a melon started growing high up in the tree, my uncle climbed up there and built a platform for the melon to rest on.

Well, would you believe it, when that melon matured to full size he climbed back up there, brought it down and he and his wife enjoyed it together.  I asked him if that was the same tree, I fell out of and broke my wrist when my family was visiting him on one of our summer trips to Louisiana, and he said it probably was.  My aunt had a fine dress shop out in the country away from everything. She often went on buying trips to the big cities, brought the latest styles in ladies dresses back to her shop, and sold most everything to the local ladies near and far.

To be continued……

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Our Trip Across America-Part 3

24 Oct

Last week Bill and his family were getting all packed up to begin their trip across America. This week they begin their journey. Bill’s wife, DiVoran will be sharing  memories of her first trip to  the South.-ONISHA

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Bill

We headed North on I-95 to Jacksonville and then I-10 West through Tallahassee, Pensacola, Mobile and Biloxi to New Orleans.  We didn’t stop there on this trip, but told our kids all about our visit there when they were just 3 years and 18 months old.  How we cruised Bourbon Street and how we enjoyed the party atmosphere during our quick stop there.

DiVoran

Bill and I remember different things, so he asked me to put some things I recall into his stories.  He’s speaking of my first trip down south.  Being from the Southwest, where we had mountains and deserts, it was like a wonderland, especially all the trees, rivers, and lakes.  I’d never seen Spanish moss or Pathos vines with leaves bigger than a man’s head covering the trunks of many of the big trees.

Of course, this was the mid 60’s, in the south, which was a time of race riots, sit-ins, and bathrooms and drinking fountains that said, “Whites Only.” Even though it didn’t affect me personally, it was a bit unsettling.

We had been living in LA at the time of the Watts riots, but I was unaware of the way the everyday African-American was treated in public and in the homes of their employers.

One other thing that was so different, I hardly knew what to think, was when we asked about going down to the French Quarter to hear some music that night.  Our hostess, in the very large house where we were staying, told us if we’d put our eighteen month old and three-year old to bed before we went she’d see that they were taken care of. Then she asked kindly if it would scare them if they woke up and saw a black face leaning over them to tend them.

Of course, that would be one of her maids, who had probably tended her children when they were small. “Oh, no, I’m sure not”, I said.  I believed then, and I know now, that our kids are “color blind.”   However, it didn’t come to a trial so all was well, and we absolutely loved the Dixieland band we were privileged to hear that night.

To be continued……..

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Speak Up Saturday-Paint Mine Park

20 Oct

Speak Up Saturday

Patricia Franklin

A few years back we took a ride to northeast Colorado near the small town of Calhan. Someone had told us that there was a beautiful area there called the “Paint Mines.” We were out in the middle of nowhere, when we saw a sign ahead that said “Paint Mine Park,” so we turned off and followed that road. We drove further out into the prairie land which was flat and barren. As we drove along, we saw indications of some ridges and gullies in the landscape.

Our road led to a parking lot, where we parked our car in an almost vacant lot, and started walking along the trail that was indicated there, although we saw nothing and did not know what we were looking for. As we got further along, we saw a couple of crater-like holes in the ground. When we looked into them, there were indications of beautiful rock/dirt formations in different colors. As the trail went on, we came to a curve, where the trail doubled back and went downhill from there, then snaked to the right and further downhill.

When we got to the bottom and looked ahead, we were flabbergasted to see we were in a rock canyon with beautiful spires and rock walls in breathtakingly  different formations and colors. As we walked into the area, we were soon surrounded by these amazingly beautiful formations in bright purples, pinks, mauve, yellows, and stark white. It was absolutely unbelievable to walk into this alien land in the middle of the Colorado prairie. To make it even more eerie and exciting, the area was deathly quiet and no one was around. We almost felt like we had walked into the past. We eventually did run into a few people during our walk. It was strange how you could be alone in the quiet one minute, round a corner and meet up with someone without hearing a sound or seeing anyone until they were right there with you. At other times, you could hear voices, and never find out where they came from.

These rock walls, tunnels and spires were cut in here thousands of years ago by Mother Nature, and the Native Americans used these natural clay deposits for painting and pottery. The trails go along for a few miles of different kinds of formations. They are amazingly alike and amazingly different from each other. At one point, there are rows of large towering ghost-like formations called “hoo doos.”

This is one of the best kept secrets in Colorado. We took pictures, but you will get a better view of the Paint Mines if you just want to Google “Paint Mines, Colorado.”

A NATIVE AMERICAN QUOTE:

“WE DID NOT INHERIT THIS LAND FROM OUR ANCESTORS, BUT BORROWED IT FROM OUR CHILDREN.”

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