Our tour started along Printers Alley. At the beginning of the 20th century, Printers Alley was home to a thriving publishing industry. The area was home to two large newspapers, ten print shops, and thirteen publishers. During Prohibition print shops ran a collection of bars that became the citys secret bar scene. We then moved to the part of Printers Alley District known in the late nineteenth Read on...
Today the gang is heading out to Napa Valley. We had an early breakfast at 7:00 am at the Blue Mermaid restaurant. After my delish French toast, the group headed of the nearby Avis to pick up the car to travel to Napa Valley. Andrea our driver, did not want to take the rental car up and down the scary hilly roads to our appointment and I do not blame her. I would never want to drive in San Franc Read on...
On the 5thday of our trip, Dennis took us to Bremerhaven. Our first stop was the Emigration and Immigration Museum. It turns out Bremerhaven is where many Europeans emigrated out of Europe and many arrived in the US via Ellis Island. There are records there from the 1600s through the late 1900s. When we bought our tickets, you were assigned a person to follow. My person was a lady named Margret an Read on...
I feel a bit annoyed with myself that I havent kept these up, and that my posts have been rarer and rarer as our trip here has gone on. Part of this was COVID, as sh*t, what do you talk about when youre locked in the house (we dont talk about COVID no no). The other part of this is that generally when I have been inspired to write has been pointing out the little humourous differences in life betw Read on...
I decided since I was already in the western hemisphere to go ahead and again visit my friend who was traveling central America. He didnt need to try too hard to convince me, especially when my Jetblue flight was canceled. I initially planned to fly to Jetblue to Liberia, Costa Rica, but while my sister and I were hiking with friends, she received a message from Jetblue. I had given them her numbe Read on...
Today we have hired a car and are driving round the island. I have checked out the itinerary of the many island circle tours on offer and plotted a similar route. Our route is 105 miles, but as I will be navigating (without the benefit of wifi), the actual distance could be anything really. We collect the car at 8 am and set off for our first destination- Halona Blowhole. The car was cheaper than Read on...
Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. ...the Garden of Gethsemane, a word signifying The garden, still a quiet and secluded spot, is surrounded by a wall and forms an irregular square, with a diameter of 70 paces. It belongs to the Franciscans. The earliest account of the place dates from the 4th cent.; and in this case tradition tallies with the Bible narrative. ... The garden co Read on...
Just the other day, someone asked about my best sandwich ever. I have given it some thought, and here are my answers. I had to categorize my answers, as the sandwich spectrum is just too broad. Best Banh Mi Without a doubt, it was in Hanoi, about a block from my Old Town hotel. I have been there on two different trips, and the taste and quality are outstanding. Cars drive by, run in and pick up a Read on...
We had the most beautiful walk today, following more passes and valleys than spectacular ridges. We started from the hotel and walked gradually uphill through the valley, then angled more steeply up to a pass. We crossed to the next valley by way of a pond called Blea Tarn(there are several by this name). To someone from Alberta, this tarn (small mountain lake) unremarkable, but it seemed to be a Read on...
The cruise is to celebrate Mark and my 70th birthdays. We were born in the same hospital in Oakland 14 days apart. We choose this cruise because it started the day before Marks bday out of Fort Lauderdale. Brad, Christie , Laura and Christopher joined us on the cruise. Our ship is the Equinox, we have cruised on it before. We like Celebrity Cruise line because their food is so good. The employees Read on...