Sheets to the Wind

Hello,

On this lovely last day of February the clothes were hanging on the line picking up sun and breezes for a great fresh air smell when we slip our feet into bed. Something refreshing to look forward to! The ground was a bit wet under the clothes line, but I tried to step on grass and not soil as I went up and down the area. Because it is in deep shade under the trees and there had been a camper parked there the soil is exposed in some places. At least most of the water was gone and my shoes did not squish into the mud very much. The days of spring and summer are coming with the promise of more outdoor time which lifts my spirit.

Another joy is the pink Christmas cactus that is blooming once again. That is the third time this year. How this small plant puts forth so much effort in beauty is quite fine. I counted 13 open blooms with several more to come. Yesterday for the first time I saw that there are a limited number of very small buds on the white cactus. This is the second bloom session for it. I look forward to that beauty as well. I may have lost my 45 year old plant, but I am happy to welcome the smaller new ones into my space. Does that mean that we should welcome change in our lives? The cacti are in the bedroom so it is one of the first things that I see in the morning. What a great way to wake up. My idea of poor is to have no house plants or green growing things around me. That means I am rich beyond all wild dreams.

Paula

Still Traveling

Hello,

Upon landing in Chicago I wondered where our friendly volunteer, directing us to the easy way to go from one terminal to another, hangs out now. We had to collect our check-in bag. I had forgotten about this step. All bags and we had to go through security once more. We had to do the entire process of taking off shoes, etc. because again there was no indication on our tickets that we had the pre check option. Luckily our plane was not leaving any time soon so it was not a problem, but I was happy to be done with that.

As we were looking for the place we needed to go, I saw one of the people from our airline to ask. I also commented on the condition of my ticket so they printed me a new one which included the usual pre check ability. I should have asked for that sooner.

We were too early and could not learn our assigned gate number. When we did learn that number we moved into the area only to learn after a half hour wait that our gate had been changed. That happened once more before we finally got on a later plane.

In the meantime Leroy had texted our downstairs friends to let them know what was happening since they had agreed to pick us up. In Chicago I turned on my phone to find a message from them, wondering if we were still coming home at the same time. I straightened that out. At this time Leroy was getting texts from someone who talked about being stranded in an airport while on their way to Myanmar. Only after we got home did we learn that both Leroy and Robin had the wrong phone numbers for each other. They had not been communicating with each other, but some strangers who asked few questions.

Paula

On the Homeward Journey

Because the plane left Rome early in the morning, we got up at 4:30 am. The friendly worker at the hotel left the breakfast room open with some things that we could eat without cooking. It was nice to have a good start to the day. Fifteen minutes before the taxi was to come, he called to let us know that he was on the way. We gathered our things and met him downstairs. I was so relieved to get that call and to see a cab pull up to the curb. We sped through almost deserted dark streets toward this airport. It was early enough that the metro was not yet running. I am also glad that he knew where we were going. The driver did not speak much or little English, but I believe he understood a bit.

We have not had to go through much TSA inspection in recent years, but here we had to do a bit more as they did not have our history in hand. All went as planned so it was nice to get on the plane and leave on time so we could catch the plane in Frankfort headed to Chicago. As we were waiting in Frankfort a worker there asked Leroy, “Sir, how long have you been traveling with this woman?”

To which Leroy laughed and said, “A long time!”

She then wanted to know how long we have been together. She was impressed with the 46 years answer.

While we were on our trip, a person in each of the three couple celebrated a birthday. I thought it was rather nice that Leroy toured the Vatican on his birthday. I call that enough present for one day.

Paula

In The Vatican

Hello,

We spend a bit more than three hours in the Vatican being told many interesting facts many of which I have already forgotten. It would have helped if I had known more before I started so I could hang a memory on more than air. I do remember that Michelangelo had never painted before he did the Sistine chapel ceiling. That was so amazing to me that I do remember it. He was known for his sculptures. He was asked because of his fame and no one else wanted to do it. He mostly did his own thing even when his bosses did not like the result. He would have quit if he had had to do it their way.

When we were finished we could have gone back in for a longer look, but we were all ready to take a break.

At this point we realized that we had been inside when it had rained quite a lot. Also there were many people there even though it was a rainy day. Coming early was a blessing as was the rain for keeping the crowds away. Apparently the Vatican averages 35,000 visitors every single day. We could look at our leisure and admire without jostling for space. At first the tour seemed quite expensive, but in retrospect it was well worth the cost for this guide who spoke excellent English.

Later in the afternoon we toured a church that was within easy walking distance of our hotel. It was quite beautiful. I sometimes wonder about the cost of all this beauty and who really paid.

Paula

The Vatican

Hello,

Our last full day of being tourists before starting the trek home had an early morning tour of the Vatican. When we had been asked about 7:30 as a good time for this tour it all sounded fine from the comfort of home. However the day before this tour, a later time seemed like it would have been a good idea as we had to get up plenty early to eat breakfast, get ourselves organized, ride the Metro for about 30 minutes, walk another ten, and be in place at 7:15 when we did not know precisely where we were to be. There were instructions, but when none of us had been there it felt a bit more daunting.

We did have to do a bit of backtracking with our walk, but we got there in good time. It was raining lightly so again I was pleased to have our umbrellas and raincoats. After meeting with our guide, we got in line at the Vatican. As we were waiting, he did talk with us a bit about what to expect and some of the outside features of the structure. To our shock, a woman who was in front of us, fainted. Her daughter wanted someone to call an ambulance, but our guide stepped in, and called his assistant over. The assistant quickly returned with a person and a wheel chair. By this time the woman had come to. They helped her into the chair and took her to the Dr. Our guide than told us that the Vatican hospital was the best place for her to go as it was very close and well equipped.

After we got in the building, he had us wait while he went to check on the woman. He said that she was going to the hospital because of an irregular heartbeat. Her daughter would be joining us when she could.

Certainly I learned that there is health care in the Vatican. I will have forgotten many things, but not that. It really brought home the idea that the Vatican is its own country and quite self sufficient.

Paula

Churches and Walking

Hello,

We stopped at the Spanish Steps, but did not sit or rest on them as they were quite wet.

Farther on, a church beckoned so we went in. It was the last church that Michelangelo worked on. It was quite the architectural masterpiece by him. As with most of the churches we have been in on this trip it was quite spacious, but almost no seats. We people from the USA are so into the idea of sitting in a church that one almost wonders if anyone even came to services. There was even a small attached museum so we could learn more than ordinarily when in a church on our own.

For the rest of the trip home, the rest of the group took the Metro while Leroy and I walked past some small shops and more churches as well as cutting through a park.

We did stop at a small Asian market. I had been hoping to see some nuts in a grocery, but this was not a good source for that. I was missing my nut snacks. Leroy and I did stop to ask some young women for directions. Would you believe we found some excellent English speakers who were native of New York? That helped all of us to laugh. We had to ask directions once more, but got back in good time for a bit of rest before we headed out for our evening meal.

I missed the common meeting areas on the ship where our group could visit freely, but our rooms worked with chairs imported from the other rooms.

Paula

                                                                                                                                                                          I

The Forum and Palatino

Hello,

The Colosseum tickets were good for the Forum and Palatino with a time of 24 hours to use. But first we were pleased to see that we could have breakfast at the hotel. Even though this establishment was a small concern, they had a nice assortment of possibilities. We met the woman who took care of that, and I suspect, cleaned our rooms as well. I was pleased to get some of my protein in the meal. Because I am a not meat eater I had a bit of a hard time finding things that would fill that protein requirement. Even though the egg was not as cooked as I like I gratefully ate it along with some yogurt.

After breakfast we sent Leroy into the bowels of the metro to figure out just where to get the tickets. He came back with a report so we all headed on down as we could not find the place our hotel guy had told us we could get tickets. Even though I had been getting a bit concerned by the time Leroy came back, I should have know that he would have learned many details such as the direction to go once we had the tickets. Leroy likes to get it all in order so that there are no surprises.

I had not known much about the Forum and nothing about Palatino. I learned a lot, but I am hesitant to say that I will remember it. Certainly I can see the places in my mind. We were fortunate that the rain stopped during the times that we were outside. Or it was a manageable rain with raincoats and umbrellas. Our friendly hotel woman even gave the people who had not brought umbrellas, some that had been left at the establishment. What a kind heart!

We were all grateful for the gift of the metro right outside our door. It was so nice that we hardly even got wet at the entrance.

Paula

The Colosseum

Hello,

After we got settled in our rooms, we headed out walking and made it to the Colosseum. It was as grand as the pictures I had seen, just larger. How did people make such structures without the aid of our machines to move weighty parts or to visualize without a computer program? Heads/brains were quite the work places. Human labor seemed to be quite expendable in many top minds as there was a seemingly never ending supply of workers who were willing or forced to do almost anything to meet the demand.

I am still astonished to learn that this place seated more than 50,000, but could be emptied in fifteen minutes. It is also hard to study on the fact that much of the entertainment that was avidly watched, involved danger/death to fellow humans and animals. As a species we have a long history of disregard for anyone we categorize as “other”.

Perhaps we no longer put others in an arena to fight it out, but we think of many other possibilities of sabotaging our fellow travelers. I ask for forgiveness for us all.

I did enjoy the walk in Rome getting a view of the streets, parks, and compactness of the city. The lack of rain was also noted and much appreciated.

I did have a copy of the hotel name and address on my person because I was the only in the group without a smart phone. If I had been separated I was prepared to manage a bit on my own. As it was, I kept a good eye on the group and stuck like glue, not that it was hard as we were generally slow moving as a group.

Paula

Getting Into Rome

Hello,

Because I did not go to church today, I am having a hard time realizing it is Sunday. I have not been lying down today except to take a nap with Leroy this afternoon. My solid clues that I have a least a slight fever is that my joints ache, especially my hands plus the toilet seat is almost unbearably cold. Other than that I feel much, much better.

The last morning on the ship, our little group agreed on a time to meet to disembark (new word that is now in my vocabulary). The ship’s crew was quite organized so it was not difficult to find our larger bags that had been transported to the exit area the night before. Then we just settled in to wait for our shuttle driver to take us to our hotel. After about an hour of waiting and checking the name placards that drivers were holding, I commented, “Leroy and I do not have a good track record in this area. We have not been met two times in the past by people with our names.”

I did a tai chi routine to calm down and pass the time along. Finally one of our group went to check with a tour group leader about how to proceed. I am not sure how this tour women made the connection, but she found a drive who was in need of a group. All of us had seen him before, but since we did not have the name he held, we ignored him. He seemed to be looking for us as he was to take someone to our hotel, but with the wrong family name. We finally were on our way much later than anticipated. The drive was uneventful so that is good. We were pleased to see that the hotel was right down in the old city and just outside of a metro stop. What could be better?

Paula

The Flu

Hello,

We are home and have been for two weeks, but I continue to write as if we were still traveling. Leroy had the flu the first week and now I have it so I do not have much energy to write. When I can I will bring you up to date on our days in Rome.

Leroy did a lot of coughing, sneezing, and snuffing his nose. I have not done so much of that, but I have had a fever every day that is over 100 degrees F. When it gets up to 101, I start taking pills to bring it down. I also take some before bed so I can sleep.

Leroy has been stepping up to the plate getting meals, grocery shopping, cooking, washing dishes, laundry, and repairing the drip in the bathroom sink while I lounge on the futon. I am grateful for that futon as it allows me to stretch out in the living room. So far Leroy has not sighed much over lost reading time which he values beyond jewels.

We watched the movie, Hidden Figures, this afternoon. Amazingly enough, we both thought it was well worth viewing.

Paula

Florence

Hello,

Just so you know, I am home, but still writing about our trip because I want to enjoy it once more.

The next day we headed off to Florence on our own with a friendly couple whom we had known in seminary days and were now developing a deeper friendship. The largest downer was that it was raining. Fortunately the cruise company provided one large umbrella per room and I had brought two small ones so all four of us were covered. I remember rainy winter days in Slovakia. I was also prepared with tissue for either nose or bottom. Sometimes toilets either ran short or were not supplied with necessities.

Our first goal was to see Michelangelo’s David. It was indeed quite fine and better than the copies I had seen. How anyone gets such an outcome from chipping at stone is more than I can comprehend. There were quite a few other treasures to look at in this establishment.

After a bit we exited and stood a rainy line to see a Domo (church). One of our group was tired. He sat at any opportunity including a wet bench which he swiped at with his hand before he sat with a sigh. Personally I would have swiped more times before putting my hind side on those places. As it was he chose a spot ahead of us and as we forged ahead he moved on down the line, swiped and sat at will. No other soul considered this rain washed bench worthy of sitting on so he could select a spot with abandon.

Before we were to meet our guide back to the bus, it stopped raining and we were able to take in some more of the beauty of the city.

Paula

Pisa

Hello,

The next morning we headed out to view that famous leaning tower along with whatever else might be of interest in the area. Because Pisa is not a port city we had a beautiful bus ride through the countryside. I enjoy seeing grass and trees no matter where I am. I cannot remember if I have already mentioned the umbrella pines, so named because of their characteristic shape. Many of them looked quite tall and stately. They also provide some substance to the diet with their pine nuts which are used in cooking.

I can report that the tower is still leaning but has been reinforced, so hopefully it will not be in danger of falling in the near future. I particully enjoyed the beautiful Pisa Cathedral as well as the nearby Baptistery where our guide had been baptized. While there, a demonstration of the acoustics was accomplished by a person who created an echo effect. It was wonderful. Again our guide commented that Christmas Eve services with a cappella singing are uplifting and heartwarming.

On the ship, each evening there would be a talk about what to expect or experience in the next day’s itinerary. I found it informative. My ignorance is almost boundless so I was grateful to know something ahead of time.

Paula

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Hello,

My expectations for this stop were not high; perhaps that is why I was quite impressed. I did not know much of the history. Prince Albert the first contributed quite a bit to the world of science, especially in the area of the ocean. It was a beautiful sunny day for the included walking tour. The current prince went past us twice in his car escorted by motorcycles with sirens blasting. We also witnessed the changing of the guard which was accomplished with a bit of drums, marching, and ceremony.

We learned a bit about the robust economy and how life is for the original inhabitants. Generally it is populated by very wealthy outsiders. Princess Grace is much admired and revered here as she played a crucial role in settling a tax issue with France.

The many blooming flowers were an unexpected winter treat. The sea is a beautiful contrast to the rather steep shoreline.

Back on the ship we had a leisurely lunch before Leroy and I headed off to the spa to soak in the hot tub followed by time in the therapy pool. I could feel myself relax as I settled into the water pulsing around me in the therapy pool.

As we were leaving this spot we visited a little with a man who was the director of the fitness area. I commented on how loud the music was this morning in the fitness room. Another woman had complained to me about it. I did find a control so I could turn it off in the place I was doing yoga, but it was still blaring in the machine area. This man told me that I needed to learn to meditate with any type of environment by noticing noises and then they would fade into the recesses of my mind. I will have to work on that.

Paula

Almost Never Rains

Hello,

More than once our tour guides talked about the rain with the phrase, “It almost never rains here.”

I suspect the rain was a bit more welcome for them than it was for us. Certainly we gave our umbrellas a lot of use. I am grateful for the inventor of such a device which is portable and protective. All in all, the rain was only a drenching, puddle jumping deal two times. The rest of the rains were much more manageable. Often it was a light mist.

Our next day was spent in Saint-Tropez, France which is a rich person’s place to settle in on yacht or water front home. I was interested to see the nurseries or green houses that we passed. On the bus I could not inspect up close, but got an idea that many plants were used to dress up their homes. The countryside was green and fertile looking. Surely it rained more in this place even thought it was sunny and beautiful. There were vineyards from time to time.

To get into this port the ship could not come very close so we went to land on the tender which held about 50 people. Certainly a much more intimate view of the water than we could experience on the ship.

Many guides also told us how lucky we were to visit during the off season as tourist numbers are much smaller. Many of these places talked about a million visitors or even more per year. We did not have to stand in line or try to keep track of each other in a sea of people. Because it was the off season, venders of one treasure or another would try to tempt us to try their wares or sample their culinary delights. Leroy and I did not buy very much as we have too many things in our possession that we need to eliminate some day.

Paula

Ship Moving

Hello,

It was so great to share our evening meal together each night. We even commandeered our own table and a time to meet. Conversations were always lively and varied.

The ship started moving about the time we ate. I had not really noticed until I walked and then I was aware of the swaying under my feet. Later in the evening, maybe even the middle of the night it was much more noticeable. We had been warned that it might be a little rough because this particular spot often was and with the storm it could be more than usual. I got up in the night to go to the bathroom and had to grab the wall to steady myself. Leroy did not seem quite so aware of anything moving, but the others commented in the morning. One couple had not been in such a sea before while the other had been in worse. All was quiet by the time we got to Marseille, France.

I truly did not know much about this city, but I remembered learning a little when taking French. The bus ride into the city was through a sheet of rain. We walked a short distance, but soon went back to the bus to go back to the ship as it was all too wet to enjoy. In the afternoon the rain stopped, luring us back to the city. We caught a small tourist train up to a church. The guy had been ready to close, but there were so many of us that he did one more run. I especially liked the ride up to the church as it took us through many interesting curves and back steep streets. The view from the top was spectacular and the church was magnificent.

The local specialty is a soup called bouillabaisse. The tour guide recommended that we spend at least 25 Euros per bowl or it might not be fresh. Ironic that this soup used to be the meal of the poor, as it traditionally was composed of the fish that did not sell at the end of the day.

Paula

In Barcelona

Hello,

It was uplifting to meet the third couple in our group. They had chosen just to come to the ship and not spend the extra day in Barcelona. Leroy and these two guys graduated from seminary the same year. I am so happy that we could spend good times together when we had not been together often since that time.

We all took the cruise included tour of Barcelona, but at different times. There was not so much rain when we started out on the bus, but before we were done it was much more rain. With cool temperatures it was not so pleasant outside. We did tour a church. When we came out the heavens dumped on us. Luckily the company provided one large umbrella per cabin and we had brought two with us so we were covered with one to share. My shoes, along with others got soaked. I was happy to take them off.

In the afternoon we friends, as a group, went back to tour Casa Batllo which Gaudi had built. This time I wore my Keen sandals and it was much better. Now all I had to do was dry my feet when I returned. That Leroy was well prepared because he had waterproof hiking shoes.

The Casa Batllo had something new and wonderful at every turn. I just wonder how this man could think of all these things which were so outside of the normal type of structure and yet so functional.

Talk was profuse, sleep elusive, and laughter rampant.

Paula

Learning About Gaudi

Hello,
I am not much of an art/architect person so I did not know about Gaudi works in Barcelona. Our friends did know something. We did get a hop on/hop off tour which allowed us to move around to the most places. It was a good way to see the city, but the ear buds did not work consistently. The canned guide was not as good as he/she could have been. This day we visited a private chapel, La Sagrada Familia. Wow and wow. Later in the day we went to Güell Park which is an impressive park that he did. One of our group has some walking issues. Leroy and I are in fairly good shape and we found the walk from the bus drop off to the entrance to be a bit daunting with a lot of distance and quite steep inclines. When we came out it was a blessing to find a place to sit and eat before heading down the hill. Our friend tried to hire a taxi, but none would take us. Someone finally thought it was too close and they would not make enough money going that short distance.
The weather was cool. I had enough warm clothes with me, but some days misjudged what I would need. In the end we decided that too warm was better than too cold and we could put extras in the backpack when not needed. It also rained more than once. Luckily we had an umbrella to share with others as well as wearing our rain coats.
The three guys on this trip were in seminary at the same time. We did see them two years ago for the 45th alumni gathering, but have not spend much time with them in many years. It has been the greatest to do this together and get reacquainted. Visiting is not to be underrated.
Paula

Finding the Hotel

Hello,
The instructions said that it was just an eight minute walk from the bus stop to the hotel. We were equipped with several maps from the bus company as well as some street names and turns that Leroy had written down. He is not yet comfortable using his smart phone, especially in another country.
After asking someone who was standing near, we took off walking, pulling one suitcase, and carrying three other smaller bags. At the first corner that had more than two streets intersecting, we once again asked for directions. Leroy and I had disagreed about which street was indicated by which sign. He was right. When we got close we again had to ask as we did not see the discreet hotel sign.
Once inside we were just getting checked in when our friends appeared at our side. Joy filled my heart. We had sent them a text to let them know that we were on the bus, but had not heard back.
We were shown to our nice room where we unpacked a little and then headed out to do a little exploring and buy tickets for the hop on hop off bus for the next day.
I felt so secure with other people who knew a little about what would be interesting to see. I had been a little anxious about making all of our connections and I no longer had to think too much about that. A weight was lifted and relief settled in. The only other issue was getting on the ship. Our friends said that we would share a taxi. Sounds easy.
In the evening it was quite cool and I started to think about bringing too many clothes that were for a little warmer weather. Luckily I had brought two umbrellas as rain was threatening. Leroy and I both had our raincoats.
Our friends had found a nice restaurant that even had a great beet salad. I do have to search just a bit to find many vegetarian selections. At least salads are to be found frequently.
Paula