We arrived in Poznan, Poland on 22 May. We decided to take a detour on our way to Berlin and thought this little town of Poznan would be a good place to spend the day and night. We found Poznan on the Map and thought would be a good stopping place so checked it out. We found a nice little boutique hotel that had rooms for a night at the last minute. Poznan was once the capital of Poland and is still the capital of the Wielkopolska region. Badly damaged in World war 11 the city has been beautifully restored. The Basilica of Satints Peter and Paul is Poland's oldest Chathedray. The architecture and design is so colorful and festive to walk around. We found the Croissant Museum was in this town in one of the oldest buildings. The building had the original interior it had 500 years ago. It also had a clock that on the hour , two fighting goats would appear on the hour. We went to the Live Show at the Poznan Museum and were volunteered to talk part in the fun performance. Pat and I were given aprons and bakers hats in Pink to put on for our part in kneading the dough. We looked like Lucy and Ethel!!! George was also selected to take part in making their chrossiants. Tom took the pictures. We were given one of the St. Martin's Crosissants to taste! What a fun time we had and were so glad that we decided to take a side trip to Poznan! We also had a lovely day of sun and blue sky so decided to sit in the square to people watch and have dinner. There was a young boy about 7 playing an accordion and going around to the eating establishments playing for money but he was being asked to leave by the wait staff. It was sad to see one so young begging for money. The next morning we had a nice breakfast at the hotel before we left for Berlin.
Arrived in Berlin from Poland and needed to do some wash. We checked into our hotel in East Berlin and then went to the neighborhood Waschsalon. Of course we had to have some nourishment while we waited so went next door to the bakery and sat outside. Fun doing people watching. Took us awhile to figure out how to get the washers and dryers to work!! There were some young girls in the Washsalon that gave us instruction. Once again, everyone is always so happy to help us. I guess we always look like we need assistance!!! Later we walked form our hotel to a local restaurant. What a lovely evening to sit outside. Of course George and Tom had their usual "different beer in each place we stopped". The appetizer was "sausage wrapped with rabbit meat". Pat and Maryann were glad to pass and give theirs to George and Tom! Tom will try any type of food, he even had pigeon on this trip. George did have the 'sausage wrapped with rabbit meat" too! We had a nice walk back to the hotel thru the local streets. There is so much graffiti all over...does not seem to be an attempt to clean up the graffiti...even in the tourist districts. In Berlin we went to the Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial to murdered Jews of Europe, Check Point Charlie and saw parts of the original Berlin Wall. Architecture of the buildings are amazing. Toured the Berlin Dom the biggest church in Berlin. It was just such an amazing church. It also had a Tomb below it where kings , clergy and family members were entombed in various styles of stone caskets. We walked from East Berlin to West Berlin. There is construction of new buildings or remodeling of old buildings happening in both East and West Berlin. It seemed on every street there were major building projects happening. We stopped for lunch at a street cafe down by the canal where we had Bratwrust and Curreywrust with Pommesfrits (french fries). There is just so much graffiti all over West Berlin too. The graffiti is not only on the walls but on the roofs of some very tall buildings. It was a rainy day in Berlin so we also took the Tram that stopped right outside our hotel for a couple of our adventures.
We left Berlin, and just drove about an hour or so away to Weimar, Germany . This is where a National Assembly was convened and a new constitution for the German Reich was written and adopted on 11 August 1919. We stayed in a hotel just out side the city that had beautiful grounds. It had been built 300 years ago but had several renovations. We ate in the dining area that was part of the original hotel. The area we had dinner in used to be part of the vegetable cellar.
George had traced his Mom and Dad's ancestors back to two towns in Germany, Langenselbold and Huttengasse. We traveled to the small town of Langenselbold where we actually met a Mohn family there and George connected with them just like they were long lost family (which they may have been.) They told us there were still several Mohn families living In the area. The Cannode side came from a village 5 km away call Huttengasse. Isn't it odd that back in the 1600/1700s that these two families lived about 3 miles from each other in Germany and in the 1930s they would be united in marriage in Ohio? This trip has been amazing for all of us....Pat ancestral home in England, Maryann's ancestral hometown in Solvakia, and George's family in Langenselbold in Germany.
We then headed to Spangdalem, Germany again to spend a few days. Drove though the Grape Fields near the town of Wittlich where we used to go to the wine and pig festivals. During our time in Bitburg, we drove to the town where Pat and George used to live when we met them at Bitburg 30 years ago. We also took a trip to Irrel where we lived for several months before we moved to the base at Bitburg. We then stopped in Trier where the Roman Porta Nigra gate is on the square. It is the largest Roman City gate north of the Alps and is a World Heritage site. We stayed at the base and since we had a TLF with a washer and dryer, once again caught up on our laundry!
We spent Saturday afternoon at the American Cemetery in Luxembourg at the Memorial Day Ceremony. What a tribute to our fallen heroes. 5076 American Soldiers lie here at Luxembourg along with Gerneral George S. Patten and a memorial for 371 that are missing in action. We also went to the German Cemetery that is just a couple miles down the road. The German Cemetery is called "Sandweller German War Cemetery. It contains the graves of 10,913 German servicemen from the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944. The bodies were moved here from 150 different cemeteries throughout Luxembourg. They had mostly lain in mass graves for which only incomplete records were available. The German war Graves Commission were able to identify 4,014 of the 4,829 that were in the communal graves. Felt so privileged to be able to attend this day of ceremony. WE MUST NEVER EVER FORGET all those who gave their lives and their families for the United States of America!
"Greater Love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his country!"~~
We are off to France....
Sending loves and hugs. Keeping all in our prayers
God Bless,
Tom and Maryann
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Krackow Poland..catching up on my blog. 20-21 May 2016
Krackow, Poland. We walked to the Town Square that had had walls around the city. Another beautiful city with so many stories to tell. We saw people praying at a statue of the Black Madonna just off the town square.
We also had rain.... We stayed in an apartment at the Florian Rooms Apartments Building just outside the city square. We had to have three codes to get into our room... Pat and George stayed in the apartment across the hall. It was a spacious two room apartment with a nice living and dining space. But did not have heat....and it was cool and rainy so they gave us a heater and had the heat turned back on!! We visited the Jewish Cemetery in Kraków. The Russian Army and The Red Army destroyed most of this city and the grave stones were in piles in some areas so they made walls around the cemetery out of the pieces of grave stones. The only color in this cemetery is the green grass and occasionally a flower someone has left on a grave. When friends or family visit, they leave stones or glass.This simple act of putting small stones on tombstones when visiting has come to be a great sign of respect of their deceased loved ones. It has come to signify that the grave has recently been visited and that the deceased have not been forgotten. To make this simple ritual even more meaningful, some bring a pebble or stone from their own garden to place on the tombstone, or select a brightly colored stone to place at the grave. Placing a stone on the grave of a loved one is a tradition that may be personalized to create meaning and bring comfort. We also visited Shindler's Factory on this rainy day in Karkow. When we came out of the Factory, we decided to take an electric golf cart with plastic on the sides back to the city as it was raining and we had walked across the bridge and thru the factory. We had not ridden in an electric golf cart so decided we should experience especially since it was raining and the golf cart had plastic sides! We went to the beautiful town Centre and Market Place for shopping and checking out the history of the walls. We had a nice dinner in a restaurant in the Centre. Of course George and Tom had their beer with dinner. They are trying to taste all the different beers in the different countries and doing a great job of getting that done!
The next day we only traveled a couple hours from Krackow to Skidzin.
We arrived in Skidzin just outside of Oswiecim, Poland where we stayed for a night. We had lunch in the little village of Psyczyna while waiting for our room to be ready. Have seen many fruit and vegetable stands on our travels. All the little stands we see are packed full of what looks like really fresh foods. The B&B we stayed in at Skidzin, just outside of Oswiecim was beautiful with the large area of grass, flowers and "country feel". The place we stayed was like an old country home with beautiful stained glass and hard wood floors. We found out from the owner that the property and the one house next to our B&B had been used to assist families who had family members who were prisoners at Auschwitz Concentration Camp just down the road. Had a traditional Polish Meal at the bar just around the corner that was also owned by the same B&B. Had a lovely breakfast in a little glassed in patio area and felt like we were outside. We also visited Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Oswiecim. The words over the entrance "Work will keep you free." However the prisoners referred to it as "Gate of Death" as 1,100,000 Jews were sent to the camp, nearly 150,000 Poles, some 23,00 Roma from several European countries, over 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war and over ten thousands prisoners from other countries were sent to Auschwitz. The majority of them perished there. Walking around the grounds was very sobering and sad...to actually walk the paths, thru the dormitories and see where the hangings, fire squads shot groups of prisoners, torture and in humane treatment and where their bodies were burned was carried out by other human beings day in and day out. I wonder how could a human inflict these horrendous tortures on their fellow man. The medical experiments on certain prisoners to include children, newborn infants, males and females. I sat and wondered how would it be if could not have the freedom to express your opinion because you never could be certain if a friend, family member or even in the confessional someone was listening and reporting ...so they could stay alive. Seeing the roses that are taken and put in different areas of the prison after all these years brought tears to my eyes. Is this what we are seeing with ISIS attacks more often now? We need to pray for our country. The past couple days we had blue skies and sunshine.
We left Krackow and went to Warsaw, Poland. We parked our car at the hotel and took public transportation around this city. We stayed in a Micro Hotel in Warsaw...energy efficient and just enough space for a ergonomic chair, closet and bed and bathroom. But it was comfortable!! We walked the paths that was around the Jewish Ghetto as walked around all the memorials to honor the Jewish people who were placed in what was called the "Jewish Ghetto". We walked this path of suffering where 300,000 Jewish people were driven in 1942-43 from Warsaw Ghetto to the gas chambers of the Nazi Extermination Camps. It is so difficult to think how cruel one human and be to another. Amazing architecture....from ultra modern to historical. The town square was beautiful with all types of colorful buildings and interesting people.
Przemyslaw Kapitula is a Polish Virtuoso organist that was giving a concert in the church of St. Anne in Warsaw . Had never seen or heard a Baroque Organ played so we attended the concert. Had always wondered how they sounded as have seen many in the churches. Amazing! There was also a demonstration against Poland breeding horses and sending them to the Orient to be used in restaurants and for food. The demonstration was peaceful but continued for several hours. We were awed by all the colors of the buildings in the square. We went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and saw the changing of the guard and also there was a memorial cross and plaques where Pope John the 2nd talked to the people of Warsaw. Interesting seeing several older adults standing and selling flowers or some type of fruits on the town Centre. Also saw mimes,children playing instruments and others doing tricks with balls etc. for gratuities. Also saw hundreds of "love locks" on the railings in Warsaw and different places in that area. This is a tradition of sweethearts when they lock these locks to a bridge, fence or gate to symbolize their love. The key is thrown away to symbolize that their love is unbreakable love.
We continue to have such great days and experiences together. When we look back at this trip, of course we will remember all that we have experienced but most of all will be so thankful in remembering all the moments of each day that we four have spent together just being "US" and having such fun in appreciating that we are blessed to have each other in our lives and have spent these days together.
"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent , in the ideas of living." ~ Martin Buber
We keep you all in our daily thoughts and prayers.
We also had rain.... We stayed in an apartment at the Florian Rooms Apartments Building just outside the city square. We had to have three codes to get into our room... Pat and George stayed in the apartment across the hall. It was a spacious two room apartment with a nice living and dining space. But did not have heat....and it was cool and rainy so they gave us a heater and had the heat turned back on!! We visited the Jewish Cemetery in Kraków. The Russian Army and The Red Army destroyed most of this city and the grave stones were in piles in some areas so they made walls around the cemetery out of the pieces of grave stones. The only color in this cemetery is the green grass and occasionally a flower someone has left on a grave. When friends or family visit, they leave stones or glass.This simple act of putting small stones on tombstones when visiting has come to be a great sign of respect of their deceased loved ones. It has come to signify that the grave has recently been visited and that the deceased have not been forgotten. To make this simple ritual even more meaningful, some bring a pebble or stone from their own garden to place on the tombstone, or select a brightly colored stone to place at the grave. Placing a stone on the grave of a loved one is a tradition that may be personalized to create meaning and bring comfort. We also visited Shindler's Factory on this rainy day in Karkow. When we came out of the Factory, we decided to take an electric golf cart with plastic on the sides back to the city as it was raining and we had walked across the bridge and thru the factory. We had not ridden in an electric golf cart so decided we should experience especially since it was raining and the golf cart had plastic sides! We went to the beautiful town Centre and Market Place for shopping and checking out the history of the walls. We had a nice dinner in a restaurant in the Centre. Of course George and Tom had their beer with dinner. They are trying to taste all the different beers in the different countries and doing a great job of getting that done!
The next day we only traveled a couple hours from Krackow to Skidzin.
We arrived in Skidzin just outside of Oswiecim, Poland where we stayed for a night. We had lunch in the little village of Psyczyna while waiting for our room to be ready. Have seen many fruit and vegetable stands on our travels. All the little stands we see are packed full of what looks like really fresh foods. The B&B we stayed in at Skidzin, just outside of Oswiecim was beautiful with the large area of grass, flowers and "country feel". The place we stayed was like an old country home with beautiful stained glass and hard wood floors. We found out from the owner that the property and the one house next to our B&B had been used to assist families who had family members who were prisoners at Auschwitz Concentration Camp just down the road. Had a traditional Polish Meal at the bar just around the corner that was also owned by the same B&B. Had a lovely breakfast in a little glassed in patio area and felt like we were outside. We also visited Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Oswiecim. The words over the entrance "Work will keep you free." However the prisoners referred to it as "Gate of Death" as 1,100,000 Jews were sent to the camp, nearly 150,000 Poles, some 23,00 Roma from several European countries, over 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war and over ten thousands prisoners from other countries were sent to Auschwitz. The majority of them perished there. Walking around the grounds was very sobering and sad...to actually walk the paths, thru the dormitories and see where the hangings, fire squads shot groups of prisoners, torture and in humane treatment and where their bodies were burned was carried out by other human beings day in and day out. I wonder how could a human inflict these horrendous tortures on their fellow man. The medical experiments on certain prisoners to include children, newborn infants, males and females. I sat and wondered how would it be if could not have the freedom to express your opinion because you never could be certain if a friend, family member or even in the confessional someone was listening and reporting ...so they could stay alive. Seeing the roses that are taken and put in different areas of the prison after all these years brought tears to my eyes. Is this what we are seeing with ISIS attacks more often now? We need to pray for our country. The past couple days we had blue skies and sunshine.
We left Krackow and went to Warsaw, Poland. We parked our car at the hotel and took public transportation around this city. We stayed in a Micro Hotel in Warsaw...energy efficient and just enough space for a ergonomic chair, closet and bed and bathroom. But it was comfortable!! We walked the paths that was around the Jewish Ghetto as walked around all the memorials to honor the Jewish people who were placed in what was called the "Jewish Ghetto". We walked this path of suffering where 300,000 Jewish people were driven in 1942-43 from Warsaw Ghetto to the gas chambers of the Nazi Extermination Camps. It is so difficult to think how cruel one human and be to another. Amazing architecture....from ultra modern to historical. The town square was beautiful with all types of colorful buildings and interesting people.
Przemyslaw Kapitula is a Polish Virtuoso organist that was giving a concert in the church of St. Anne in Warsaw . Had never seen or heard a Baroque Organ played so we attended the concert. Had always wondered how they sounded as have seen many in the churches. Amazing! There was also a demonstration against Poland breeding horses and sending them to the Orient to be used in restaurants and for food. The demonstration was peaceful but continued for several hours. We were awed by all the colors of the buildings in the square. We went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and saw the changing of the guard and also there was a memorial cross and plaques where Pope John the 2nd talked to the people of Warsaw. Interesting seeing several older adults standing and selling flowers or some type of fruits on the town Centre. Also saw mimes,children playing instruments and others doing tricks with balls etc. for gratuities. Also saw hundreds of "love locks" on the railings in Warsaw and different places in that area. This is a tradition of sweethearts when they lock these locks to a bridge, fence or gate to symbolize their love. The key is thrown away to symbolize that their love is unbreakable love.
We continue to have such great days and experiences together. When we look back at this trip, of course we will remember all that we have experienced but most of all will be so thankful in remembering all the moments of each day that we four have spent together just being "US" and having such fun in appreciating that we are blessed to have each other in our lives and have spent these days together.
"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent , in the ideas of living." ~ Martin Buber
We keep you all in our daily thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
28 May 2016 Catching up on my blog...Budapest to Valkey Folkmar to Kosic Slovakia.
Good Morning,
I think it is time for me to catch up on my blogs...I have been putting pictures on my Facebook but have neglected my blog!! Since my last blog, have visited Budapest, Hungary. We spent the first day walking around and happened upon the Parliament Library, 1956 Uprising when the Communist killed 2500-3000 civilians and over 13,000 wounded that started with a student demonstration that attracted thousands and then the crowd was fired on by tanks and soldiers on top of buildings that caused a river of blood thru the streets in the square where the Parliament building were. We took a private tour of the of the memorial of the 1956 memorial. While in Budapest, we became very familiar with taking the Metro, Tram and City Bus. We did have a few days that were rainy but we still managed to see what we wanted. While in the subways, we saw lots of people who apparently we're living in the Budapest. We saw the Chain Bridge, Liberty Bridge, Fisherman's Bastion that was built in 19th century to serve as a lookout tower. Matthias Catholic Church built in 1015. Another city with beautiful architecture. They also have a Statue of Liberty that is Black and Gold that sits atop one of the higher hills. We enjoyed the street musicians playing the violin and accordion as we walked around the town centers. Buda was the city on the West Bank of the Danube and Pest was on the East Bank of the Danube. They unified the two cities in 1873 and named it Budapest. We were going to take a trip down the Danube but it was a rainy/cold day so we decided to take the tram home!! Budapest is cited to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
We decided to take a day to go to Velkey Folkmar, Slovakia as this is the town where my Mom's Dad was born and where he lived before he came to America. It is a windy road up the mountain from Kosice, Slovakia. Once we arrived , we went to the only grocery store there and asked about the names that my Mom had written down of her Dad's parents. The women in the store did not speak English but there was a man in the store and he said to come with him and he took us to the city manager. The city manager was in his car going somewhere but he got out of his car and took us to his office. He only spoke a little English but he called his son and he was translating. After some time, he said he would go and pick up the translator. While we waited he had his secretary come and give us refreshments. He returned with his son and we spent about an hour or so with them. They could not find my great grandparents names but he gave us a contact in another city that may have records. He also gave us a beautiful book that he had written about life in Velkey Folkmar. Of course it is in Slovakian but has lots of pictures. My Mom and Sister had visited with my Zeda back in the 70"s to Valkey Folkmar. The manager told us that American's rarely come to their town. We would have stayed there overnight but there was not a hotel. We left them with heartfelt thanks and gave them our addresses to come visit with us if they ever want to come to the states. What amazing people to just stop their day and help us!
As we traveled to the country side of Poland, we found Kosice where we spent the night in a different sort of hotel that had a solarium like atmosphere on the first floor and the hotel rooms on the second floor. We found St. Elizabeth's Church just around the corner from our hotel. It is the largest Cathedral in Slovakia. Kosice is the 2nd largest city in Eastern Slovakia. We walked around the square and once again found great food in a local restaurant and amazing buildings. As we traveled to Kosic, we saw these birds sitting on very large nests on a couple of telephone poles. Not really sure the type of bird. It seems that Cannoli Oil is a crop that is also grown in Poland. As you can see by our smiles....we are still having fun moments and lots of laughter!!
On the road again out of Kosice, Poland....so many castles in the countryside. They liven up their landscaping with the purple and blue guard rails. Traveled through lots of small villages and we came thru this town that had all these older homes made of wood and wood carvings. We had rain and then saw snow on the mountains. In just such a short drive, we are seeing amazing scenery...and again, pictures cannot show the beauty that we are seeing.
We have almost daily planning sessions to see what we have seen and where we want to go next which makes it such a fun trip for all of us.
Please go to George and Pat's blog or my Facebook to see pictures. I will research putting pictures on my blog for next years adventures.
~" A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."~
We send our love and our prayers to each of you in our daily prayer.
I am trying to catch up on my posts......some of you may have seen this travel news with pictures on my Facebook!
Hugs,
Tom and Maryann
I think it is time for me to catch up on my blogs...I have been putting pictures on my Facebook but have neglected my blog!! Since my last blog, have visited Budapest, Hungary. We spent the first day walking around and happened upon the Parliament Library, 1956 Uprising when the Communist killed 2500-3000 civilians and over 13,000 wounded that started with a student demonstration that attracted thousands and then the crowd was fired on by tanks and soldiers on top of buildings that caused a river of blood thru the streets in the square where the Parliament building were. We took a private tour of the of the memorial of the 1956 memorial. While in Budapest, we became very familiar with taking the Metro, Tram and City Bus. We did have a few days that were rainy but we still managed to see what we wanted. While in the subways, we saw lots of people who apparently we're living in the Budapest. We saw the Chain Bridge, Liberty Bridge, Fisherman's Bastion that was built in 19th century to serve as a lookout tower. Matthias Catholic Church built in 1015. Another city with beautiful architecture. They also have a Statue of Liberty that is Black and Gold that sits atop one of the higher hills. We enjoyed the street musicians playing the violin and accordion as we walked around the town centers. Buda was the city on the West Bank of the Danube and Pest was on the East Bank of the Danube. They unified the two cities in 1873 and named it Budapest. We were going to take a trip down the Danube but it was a rainy/cold day so we decided to take the tram home!! Budapest is cited to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
We decided to take a day to go to Velkey Folkmar, Slovakia as this is the town where my Mom's Dad was born and where he lived before he came to America. It is a windy road up the mountain from Kosice, Slovakia. Once we arrived , we went to the only grocery store there and asked about the names that my Mom had written down of her Dad's parents. The women in the store did not speak English but there was a man in the store and he said to come with him and he took us to the city manager. The city manager was in his car going somewhere but he got out of his car and took us to his office. He only spoke a little English but he called his son and he was translating. After some time, he said he would go and pick up the translator. While we waited he had his secretary come and give us refreshments. He returned with his son and we spent about an hour or so with them. They could not find my great grandparents names but he gave us a contact in another city that may have records. He also gave us a beautiful book that he had written about life in Velkey Folkmar. Of course it is in Slovakian but has lots of pictures. My Mom and Sister had visited with my Zeda back in the 70"s to Valkey Folkmar. The manager told us that American's rarely come to their town. We would have stayed there overnight but there was not a hotel. We left them with heartfelt thanks and gave them our addresses to come visit with us if they ever want to come to the states. What amazing people to just stop their day and help us!
As we traveled to the country side of Poland, we found Kosice where we spent the night in a different sort of hotel that had a solarium like atmosphere on the first floor and the hotel rooms on the second floor. We found St. Elizabeth's Church just around the corner from our hotel. It is the largest Cathedral in Slovakia. Kosice is the 2nd largest city in Eastern Slovakia. We walked around the square and once again found great food in a local restaurant and amazing buildings. As we traveled to Kosic, we saw these birds sitting on very large nests on a couple of telephone poles. Not really sure the type of bird. It seems that Cannoli Oil is a crop that is also grown in Poland. As you can see by our smiles....we are still having fun moments and lots of laughter!!
On the road again out of Kosice, Poland....so many castles in the countryside. They liven up their landscaping with the purple and blue guard rails. Traveled through lots of small villages and we came thru this town that had all these older homes made of wood and wood carvings. We had rain and then saw snow on the mountains. In just such a short drive, we are seeing amazing scenery...and again, pictures cannot show the beauty that we are seeing.
We have almost daily planning sessions to see what we have seen and where we want to go next which makes it such a fun trip for all of us.
Please go to George and Pat's blog or my Facebook to see pictures. I will research putting pictures on my blog for next years adventures.
~" A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."~
We send our love and our prayers to each of you in our daily prayer.
I am trying to catch up on my posts......some of you may have seen this travel news with pictures on my Facebook!
Hugs,
Tom and Maryann
Friday, May 13, 2016
Tihany , Hungary. 12 May 2016
Hello, Today was a day of on and off rain and downpours on our way here to Tihany , Hungary. It is a little village about 60 miles from Budapest, Hungary. We were on our way to Budapest via the Autobahn but since it was raining and it was to be raining in Budapest for a couple of days, we decided to venture onto the country roads . We had met "someone" in England, I think and he had recommended that we come to this area so we did. We will stay here for a couple of days before we head to Budapest.
We had spent 2 nights in Prague, Czech Republic. We stayed just outside the city and took the tram into the city. We decided to do a "hop-on-hop-off" bus tour. Even though we did just that, we did a lot of walking. We walked about Prague Castle area that is to be the largest castle in the Czech Replubic and is still used for government business and meetings. We then took a river cruise on the Vltava River and went under the famous Charles Bridge that was built in 1357. Stopped at a street vendor outside the Prague Castle and had a lite lunch. The view of Prague from the Castle area is beautiful. Amazing how big the city is. We also were able to watch the changing of the guard for the castle and apparently the Soviet Prime Minister was visiting and we saw his motorcade and then he exited his car and walked and shook hands with some people standing near by on the way into the castle. We took the tram back to our hotel. We had taken the wrong tram into the city...went the wrong way but had plenty of time so saw some other parts of the city...but were sure to take the correct tram back to our hotel!! The hotel was actually part of the sports stadium walls, so can now say "we spent two nights in a stadium"!!! Apparently you could book a room that had a window that looked out onto the field. The staff at the hotel were once again more than happy to assist us with our questions. As we left Prague, we decided to stop in Brno, Czech, Republic. We walked around and saw a beautiful church.....each city has so many old beautiful churches. We also will see crosses with Jesus Christ crucified either near a town entrance or exit or just out in the country on a routine day trip. We were told that 60% of people in the Czech Republic are Atheist but there are always several churches in each town and city , plus these crosses on the roadside.
We also had a nice lunch on the plaza as was a beautiful sunny day. We next ventured to the Brno Undreground. This is a medieval and mysterious underground. Within it's walls is a Kostnice which houses the second largest ossuary in Europe built in the 17th Centrury .It consists of three burial chambers which contain the remains of over 50,000 people who died during the Thirty Year War, the Swedish Siege of Brno as well as cholera and plague epidemics. There are walls built of bones and skulls in an art-like way. The skulls were placed in this art like gallery as all the city graves were full and there was no places to bury them .
We went into the tunnels and it was very sobering and sad.
We decided to head for Budapest on the 11 May and decided we would find a small village to spend the night vs. city. We ended up going over the Solvakia Mountain Range and found a nice bed and breakfast at the bottom of the mountain in Seneca. The owner was very helpful and we had a nice dinner in the local Solvakian restaurant just around the corner. It was nice to have a nice walk to the restaurant...passing by some nice homes that had vegetable gardens, grape vines and fruit trees. One of the homes had a really detailed irrigation system.
We will be here in this small village of Tihany on Lake Balaton another day before we head for Budapest and whatever adventures we find around the next curve!
We are still having great days and laughing a lot....sometimes not sure why! Tom and George are taking turns driving now too.
13 May 2016..add on. After yesterday's rain and clouds , we woke up this morning to a bright blue sky and sunshine. We decided to go to a little town about an hour from here that is known for it's spas called Heviz. On the way we drove around Lake Balaton. We had a nice walk around Heviz and found some nice little shops and they also had a local craft fair. Maryann was talking to a shop owner and he told her that the weather was to change from sunny to pouring down rain at 2 PM. Just as we were finishing our gelato , we noted a very black cloud and rain drops...it was 20 minutes to 2! We headed to the car just in time and arrived back in Tihany in time to go up to the Church that was built on an old volcano at the top of the hill and had amazing views of Lake Balaton. We had left the rain behind in Heviz and drove back into the beautiful blue sky and sunshine!!
Yesterday we celebrated Emme and Eiza's 3rd birthdays. We were able to FACETIME with Emme and sing happy birthday to our happy girl who was at the zoo with her Mom who took the day off to spend the special day with Emme. We also gave Eiza hugs in our hearts.
We continue to keep you all in our daily prayers.
~ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR PRESENT SITUATION IS NOT YOUR FINAL DESTINATION, THE BEST IS YET TO COME~ unknown author
Our Love and Hugs,
God Bless
Tom and Maryann
We had spent 2 nights in Prague, Czech Republic. We stayed just outside the city and took the tram into the city. We decided to do a "hop-on-hop-off" bus tour. Even though we did just that, we did a lot of walking. We walked about Prague Castle area that is to be the largest castle in the Czech Replubic and is still used for government business and meetings. We then took a river cruise on the Vltava River and went under the famous Charles Bridge that was built in 1357. Stopped at a street vendor outside the Prague Castle and had a lite lunch. The view of Prague from the Castle area is beautiful. Amazing how big the city is. We also were able to watch the changing of the guard for the castle and apparently the Soviet Prime Minister was visiting and we saw his motorcade and then he exited his car and walked and shook hands with some people standing near by on the way into the castle. We took the tram back to our hotel. We had taken the wrong tram into the city...went the wrong way but had plenty of time so saw some other parts of the city...but were sure to take the correct tram back to our hotel!! The hotel was actually part of the sports stadium walls, so can now say "we spent two nights in a stadium"!!! Apparently you could book a room that had a window that looked out onto the field. The staff at the hotel were once again more than happy to assist us with our questions. As we left Prague, we decided to stop in Brno, Czech, Republic. We walked around and saw a beautiful church.....each city has so many old beautiful churches. We also will see crosses with Jesus Christ crucified either near a town entrance or exit or just out in the country on a routine day trip. We were told that 60% of people in the Czech Republic are Atheist but there are always several churches in each town and city , plus these crosses on the roadside.
We also had a nice lunch on the plaza as was a beautiful sunny day. We next ventured to the Brno Undreground. This is a medieval and mysterious underground. Within it's walls is a Kostnice which houses the second largest ossuary in Europe built in the 17th Centrury .It consists of three burial chambers which contain the remains of over 50,000 people who died during the Thirty Year War, the Swedish Siege of Brno as well as cholera and plague epidemics. There are walls built of bones and skulls in an art-like way. The skulls were placed in this art like gallery as all the city graves were full and there was no places to bury them .
We went into the tunnels and it was very sobering and sad.
We decided to head for Budapest on the 11 May and decided we would find a small village to spend the night vs. city. We ended up going over the Solvakia Mountain Range and found a nice bed and breakfast at the bottom of the mountain in Seneca. The owner was very helpful and we had a nice dinner in the local Solvakian restaurant just around the corner. It was nice to have a nice walk to the restaurant...passing by some nice homes that had vegetable gardens, grape vines and fruit trees. One of the homes had a really detailed irrigation system.
We will be here in this small village of Tihany on Lake Balaton another day before we head for Budapest and whatever adventures we find around the next curve!
We are still having great days and laughing a lot....sometimes not sure why! Tom and George are taking turns driving now too.
13 May 2016..add on. After yesterday's rain and clouds , we woke up this morning to a bright blue sky and sunshine. We decided to go to a little town about an hour from here that is known for it's spas called Heviz. On the way we drove around Lake Balaton. We had a nice walk around Heviz and found some nice little shops and they also had a local craft fair. Maryann was talking to a shop owner and he told her that the weather was to change from sunny to pouring down rain at 2 PM. Just as we were finishing our gelato , we noted a very black cloud and rain drops...it was 20 minutes to 2! We headed to the car just in time and arrived back in Tihany in time to go up to the Church that was built on an old volcano at the top of the hill and had amazing views of Lake Balaton. We had left the rain behind in Heviz and drove back into the beautiful blue sky and sunshine!!
Yesterday we celebrated Emme and Eiza's 3rd birthdays. We were able to FACETIME with Emme and sing happy birthday to our happy girl who was at the zoo with her Mom who took the day off to spend the special day with Emme. We also gave Eiza hugs in our hearts.
We continue to keep you all in our daily prayers.
~ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR PRESENT SITUATION IS NOT YOUR FINAL DESTINATION, THE BEST IS YET TO COME~ unknown author
Our Love and Hugs,
God Bless
Tom and Maryann
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Ramstein Germany 8 May 2016
Good Morning,
We spent a couple of days in Bristol, England with Louise and Alaistair. We stayed just around the corner from where Louise lives in their friends "flat". Louise and Alaistair fixed a nice dinner and breakfast for us. The streets where they live are very narrow and have cars parked on both sides of the street so driving down between the cars was very interesting. When we arrived, it was raining but Alaistair had requested that we bring the sun and so we did! The next couple days we had sun!!
We all went to the Tyntesfield Castle in Bristol and spent the day walking around the beautiful flower gardens. The castle is a spectacular Victorian Gothi Revival house built on an extravagant estate with many gardens and a wonderful view. We had a nice lunch in a building that used to be the barn so ate in an area that used to be a "pig pen". Alaistair gave us a guided walking tour of downtown Bristol. Tom was able to have a ride in Alaistair's 1930 Austin. Alaistair's dad had purchased the car new in 1930! Tom had been waiting to get a ride for a few years ever since Alaistair had told him about the car!! We left Bristol on the 3 May and drove to Dover, England to spend the night before we were to take the ferry to Europe. We had lunch on the pier overlooking the English Channel and with the Cliffs of Dover just behind us. The next morning we turned in our rental car and made our way to the Ferry. We had downsized our luggage and left some with Louise in Bristol as we were going to pick up another car in Calais, France. It took us 1.5 hours on the P&O Ferry to get to Calais, France. We picked up our rental car and were off to Spangdalem Air Force Base. The weather was sunny and warm and the country side was small rolling hills and green with many fields of Yellow Flowers (canola fields). We arrived in Spangdalem about 5 hours later and checked into billeting and then had a nice dinner in a restaurant in Gondorf. We used to take the girls there when we were stationed in Bitburg for picnics as they had a nice animal park. The next day we walked around Birburg and had a nice lunch. We also drove around Bitburg Air Force base where we used to live and talked about our memories!! We remembered the time we spent in Bitburg with Peggy and Larry in the area 5 years ago. The years do go buy quickly.
Today we are in Ramstein Air Force Base. We arrive yesterday and met with John, Penny and Alysia who are living here now. We have known Penny since 1980 when stationed with her parents in Cheyenne, Wyoming. John had proposed to Penny in our backyard in Hawaii! They will soon be married 30 years! It was so nice to spend the day with all of them and catch up on the past years! We had lunch at a castle on top of the mountain in Landsthul with a great view.
We are staying at TLF on base here in Ramstein Air Force Base.
Tomorrow we will head to Prague...we think. We are discussing our route this afternoon.
~"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring"~ Anonymous ~
We send our love and our thoughts to you and are keeping all in prayer.
Please keep us in your prayer for safe travels.
God Bless,
Tom and Maryann
We spent a couple of days in Bristol, England with Louise and Alaistair. We stayed just around the corner from where Louise lives in their friends "flat". Louise and Alaistair fixed a nice dinner and breakfast for us. The streets where they live are very narrow and have cars parked on both sides of the street so driving down between the cars was very interesting. When we arrived, it was raining but Alaistair had requested that we bring the sun and so we did! The next couple days we had sun!!
We all went to the Tyntesfield Castle in Bristol and spent the day walking around the beautiful flower gardens. The castle is a spectacular Victorian Gothi Revival house built on an extravagant estate with many gardens and a wonderful view. We had a nice lunch in a building that used to be the barn so ate in an area that used to be a "pig pen". Alaistair gave us a guided walking tour of downtown Bristol. Tom was able to have a ride in Alaistair's 1930 Austin. Alaistair's dad had purchased the car new in 1930! Tom had been waiting to get a ride for a few years ever since Alaistair had told him about the car!! We left Bristol on the 3 May and drove to Dover, England to spend the night before we were to take the ferry to Europe. We had lunch on the pier overlooking the English Channel and with the Cliffs of Dover just behind us. The next morning we turned in our rental car and made our way to the Ferry. We had downsized our luggage and left some with Louise in Bristol as we were going to pick up another car in Calais, France. It took us 1.5 hours on the P&O Ferry to get to Calais, France. We picked up our rental car and were off to Spangdalem Air Force Base. The weather was sunny and warm and the country side was small rolling hills and green with many fields of Yellow Flowers (canola fields). We arrived in Spangdalem about 5 hours later and checked into billeting and then had a nice dinner in a restaurant in Gondorf. We used to take the girls there when we were stationed in Bitburg for picnics as they had a nice animal park. The next day we walked around Birburg and had a nice lunch. We also drove around Bitburg Air Force base where we used to live and talked about our memories!! We remembered the time we spent in Bitburg with Peggy and Larry in the area 5 years ago. The years do go buy quickly.
Today we are in Ramstein Air Force Base. We arrive yesterday and met with John, Penny and Alysia who are living here now. We have known Penny since 1980 when stationed with her parents in Cheyenne, Wyoming. John had proposed to Penny in our backyard in Hawaii! They will soon be married 30 years! It was so nice to spend the day with all of them and catch up on the past years! We had lunch at a castle on top of the mountain in Landsthul with a great view.
We are staying at TLF on base here in Ramstein Air Force Base.
Tomorrow we will head to Prague...we think. We are discussing our route this afternoon.
~"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring"~ Anonymous ~
We send our love and our thoughts to you and are keeping all in prayer.
Please keep us in your prayer for safe travels.
God Bless,
Tom and Maryann
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