France. 29 May to 7 June 2016

So we are now in France for nearly a week..  We left Spangdahlem, Germany for a short 2.5 hour ride to Saint Quentin, France however it turned out to be a nearly 5 + hour trip as the Garmen was taking us north to Belgium so decided that was wrong so adjusted...and finally realized that Garmen was taking us the SHORTEST route.   Anyway we finally made it to Saint Quentin and checked into our hotel and went looking for supper.   Most stores are closed on Sunday's here in France and the restaurants do not open until later.   We found a little bar in the town center and it gave us a chance to walk around the old town square where the Basilica of Saint-Quentin was located.   In September 1914, the city was overrun by the German Army and during the fighting 80% of buildings including their Basillica was also damage.  We also found a bakery!!    It seems that every time we decide to stop in a town there is a another piece of history to see.  Did I also mention that it started raining when we left Spangdahlem and poured rain all the way to Le Havre, France?  We arrived in Le Havre on 30 May and got settled into our hotel as we're going to be there for 4 days.   We took the time to go to the Town Centre and check out the tourist office and have a late lunch.  The clouds and the rain stopped for a time so we had a nice walk around the area after lunch.  German forces had occupied Le Havre from the spring of 1940.   The Germans lined the area with bunkers and artillery batteries  in preparation for the invasion of the United Kingdom.  Le Harve suffered 132 bombings by the "Allies" during the war which resulted in 5,000 deaths and devastated the infrastructure of the city.                

We traveled along the local roads in Normandy to visit  Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches  All of these  were involved in D-Day.  Americans came ashore  at Utah and Omaha, British at Gold, Canadians at Juno and the British and French were at Sword.  We stopped at each beach and spent time reading the plaques and going to the museums that tell the stories of bravery, determination and tragedies of the D-Day landing  and the time leading up to World War II. (1933- 1945). Germany surrendered to Allies on 7 May 1945 and Japan surrendered to Allies on 2 Sept 1945 ending World War II.  Then the reconstruction began!  Imagine how they coordinated with all the countries during the War back then without the modern communication that we have in this day!   Also imagine all the people that were prisoners or towns people that had to put their lives back together.  REMEMBER that an estimated 60 MILLION people were killed in Europe during World War II ( 25% allied military, 13% axis military, 4% axis civilians and 58% civilians). What words do I use to tell about the sadness and despair of those who lost so many family members and friends both in Europe and the United States. ..except "let us remember and educate our children and their children etc. so this never can happen again".  I wonder and doubt if History is taught in the US and other countries to really tell of the bravery of men and women who fought and the human tragedy of these wars and the impact it should have so WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!    Several private homes in the villages had American Flags flying.  All the Beaches that were involved in D Day had memorials to all the countries that were involved in securing the Normandy Beaches on D Day 1944.

As we drove the country roads, we came around a corner and there was the Pegasus Bridge....the British taking of this bridge in the early hours of D-Day was a major triumph for the Allies.  The control gave the Allies the opportunity to disrupt the Germans ability to bring in re-enforcements to the Normandy beaches.  They had a nice little museum that we visited.   On another day as we ventured out , we once again came to Pegasus Bridge and it was not raining so we explored across the bridge.  While we were at Pegasus Bridge ..the bridge was opened for a Navy Ship that was taking part in the D-Day Celebration...how was that for timing!!

Along the beaches we could still see the caissons in the water that were the artificial harbor and docks put in place at Arromanches on Gold Beach to off load people, vehicles and supplies until the ports of Le Havre and Cherbourg were captured and restored.  We went to Pointe Du Hoc and walked the area above the 100 foot Cliffs where the US Army Rangers Assault Group captured Pointe Du Hoc after scaling the cliffs.  225+ Rangers landed on the beach  on the morning of 6 June 1944 and only 90 survived and held the area until they were releived by troops from Omaha Beach on 8 June 1944.  We saw hedge rows , placement where guns were hidden, concrete pylons that were floated over from England , German underground batteries all that represented the historical sites of the Atlantic Wall.  The Atlantic WALL was  an extensive system of coastal defense and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942-1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense against an anticipated Allied Invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe from Great Britain during World
War II.

As we travel all of these historical sites and monuments there is a sadness for all of the lives lost, suffering of the wounded, families that lost not only their loved ones but also years of their lives whether as prisoners or war camps  or that their freedom to live in their homes was changed by the forces that occupied their towns.  Also a feeling of joy and amazement that after 72 years, there are so many locals and people from all over the world that come to remember D-Day 1944 and show their respect.  AND as George said in one of his postings "nice to see our military will be on hand and participating in all the activities in the towns along the beaches and inland, they will be parachuting, marching, doing presentations, meeting and greeting visitors...they are playing a big part in the week leading up to June 6th.  We are so glad that we planned this trip and ended our continent adventure here, it is an amazing spectacle to witness.  We will be out every day to learn, to take pictures, to understand, and to admire the events of the Normandy landing and the days following June 6, 1944"
We have discussed between us if  " the younger generations will do the same" as the tourist from all over the world we see are mostly "our age" or in their 50"s.   When you think of the 60 MILLION who lost their lives for us...do they not deserve to have HISTORY remember them...ask yourself?

In the last few days, we were able to attend D-Day Celebrations at Sainte Marie Du Mont, Sainte Mere Eglis, Utah Beach, Ravensville, Picauville, Carentan and a few more, I am sure.  We listened to a concert by the Iowa State Marching Band and Southern Arizona Ladies Choir while we had some local food of Bratwurst and Frys and of course the guys had a beer! We attended a parade in Saint Mere Eglise with Iowa State Marching Band, Southern Arizona Ladies Choir, Military Vehicles, Veterans from D-Day.  We also went to Sainte Marie Du Mont to see the 82nd Airborne and French Paratroopers drop but due to weather the event was canceled but they had wonderful music from the 1940's !  We did attend the le Fiere Paratrooper jump with 500 men and 7 planes .  They had about 20 paratroopers drop from the planes  each time they passed over this little town. in one of  the field where during World War.  The German troops had flooded the fields during the war to slow down the attackers but also provided cover for the German troops defending the land.
Yesterday when we attended a  D-Day celebration , we had parked in a field and walked into the town.  We returned to our car after several hours and sat in the car and had a lunch before we left to go to see a German Battery we had yet to see.  When we drove to go out of the field, the gaurds told us that the road was closed until 4 PM and it was only after 1130 hmmm.   There were several other cars and motorcycles that also were trying to leave.  After other cars doing a lot of horn honking and many cars moving forward to the gate and talking to the guards...they decided that we could leave the parking area.  We were thankful that were only held up about an hour..it seemed there was not a plan for letting the cars leave before 4 PM when the celebration was over as it was a one lane  dirt road!!  We were beginning to think may soon have an altercation ...it was like a herd of cows all trying to get out of a one door pen at one time!!
We had a list of all we wanted to do while we were here in Normandy for D-Day 2016 ..and feel we completed that list plus more and being able to share this adventure with Pat ant George was the best of all.  We especially enjoyed seeing the American Soldiers here to participate in  the D-Day Celebration and spending time talking to them.  They were here from the USA and some were stationed here in Europe.

We have been staying here in a small town called  Soliers , France in a cottage for the past 4 days. It is outside of the city, Caen.  We took time  and walked around Caen Abbey and Castle.
Today we walked down to the grocery and to the pharmacy here in Soliers as we are having a "down day" getting rested and ready to leave for Calais, France tomorrow to turn in our "continent" car and take the ferry back to Dover, England on Wednesday where we will pick up another car for the last week in England before we leave for the east coast of the USA.  We have had the most difficult time finding restaurants since here in France...either the restaurants are not open when we are Hungary or they are closed for the day!  Not all the menus are in English too so when the wait staff does not speak English can present a problem...but we usually overcome.   SOOO , we have been eating a lot of bakery foods or foods from the stands set up at the celebrations for D-Day.

~To our fallen soldiers...you have done your duty.  To honor you is ours. ~

God Bless,
Tom and Maryann

Berlin, Germany to Spangdalem, Germany to Luxembourg 26-29 May 2016

 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

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.

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

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

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

24 April 2016. Tipperary, Ireland

IT IS A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY!!
This is a song that was written by Jack Judge who was a British music hall writer.  AND on our journey from Scotland to Tipperary we have made many new memories.   We stayed at a B&B near the port of Carynryan Scotland where we took the Stena Ferry to Belfast.  The B &B used to be a Vicar's house over 200 years ago.   We could see the church from the window in our room.  Once again the staff were so welcoming and the food in the Pub was perfect....especially the Carmel Banana Split was enough for 4 but Tom and I managed to eat it all.   The next morning we had our A wonderful breakfast...and a fun talk with the cook.   The B&B was secluded in the country...in fact on our way there we came upon a large tractor on the back road so had to back up a fair distance to let the tractor pass as ..."it was bigger than our car"!!
The next morning we arrived at the Stena Ferry and were one of the first cars to board.   The accomadations on the Ferry were great.   Had comfortable seating with a buffet with cakes, fruits, breads, coffe, teas and anything else you might want to drink.  Even though we had a large breakfast, we felt obliged to eat more!!  There was even a theater on board and WIFI with computers that we could use.   The trip took about 2.5 hours and then we were at the port just outside of Belfast.   We had made reservations just outside of Belfast and found that George had made another great choice in booking.    We settled in and then went to the Titantic Museum...did you know that the Titantic was build in Belfast?   Really enjoyed the self guided tour.  The next day we traveled to The Giant Causeway which is in Northern Island on the Atlantic Ocean.   What wonderful views.   We walked down the trail along the water and were amazed with the structure of the round and the vertical rocks that the ocean waves had formed over the years.   OF course we took the shuttle bus back up to the visitor center.  Then we drove thru some country roads to the "rope bridge".   Tom and I walked down the path and enjoyed the views but did not attempt the steps to the bridge.   Pat and George did take the walk and walked on the rope bridge that connected to an island that was used by the Salmon fisherman.    Maryann saw a lady struggling when coming up the steps so offered assistance and made sure she was OK...then  we offered to walk back to the visitors center with her. We then took a drive to Donegal though the country side.   Saw lots of sheep and some cows and amazing country side.   Once again we found ourselves on roads that were more like bicycle paths!!      The next day we headed to County Mayo.   On the way we stopped by the Marble Arch Caves.  Marble Arch Caves is one of the finest caves in Europe.   We were guided thru this fascinating natural underworld of rivers, waterfalls, winding passages and lofty chambers with beautiful cave formations.  At the end we climbed 175 steps to come out at the top and beautiful green forest.   We stopped at The Three Way Inn that was out in the country and had another great Irish lunch and best part was spending time talking with the owner.    Our encounters with the people we meet and have conversation with are some of the best times on this adventure.    Amazing the friendly people that we have had the pleasure to just chat with.  We then traveled to Ballina which is in County Mayo where we met Mary and Pete at their granddaughter's pub "Katie's Corner".   Mary and Pete are cousins of our friend Gerri Cass in Tucson.   What fun it was to spend time with them in this typical Irish Pub.   They were so welcoming and we had such a nice visit just getting to know them and of course ..the guys all had a "pint" of beer!!
We then headed to Dublin and found lodging in a little town on the way to Dublin.  The next day we arrived in Dublin and were driving around as wanted to go to the  Guinness Brewery but finally just left as the traffic was crazy.....so decided to drive down the coast to Dalkey.   Beautiful beach town but were unable to find a place to stay and once again the traffic was crazy with narrow streets....so we moved on and arrived in a town called Cashel  and found a lovely B&B on Main Street that overlooked The Rock Castle.   The B&B was called Baileys and the staff were again outstanding. The Rock Castle had been a High Cross and Romanesque Chapel in the 12th Century , Gothic Chathedray in the 13th Century and 15th Century Castle.    We walked around the town and up to the Rock of Cashel.   We decided to stay in Cashel for 2 nights.   Once again we had some Irish food in a local Pub.    Where do we find these neat pubs, you might ask....well we either ask the very friendly staff at the front desk or of the places we stay or we just stop on the street and ask someone....and so far they have Always been very pleased to eat in these places that the locals frequent!!
Our next stop was Tipperary.  We are staying at Ballykisteen B&B here.  We booked a week here.  We have been singing "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" a few times per day .   AND George and I were singing the part that we knew at the tourist information center this morning and one of the girls gave us a copy so would have the correct words!   We were singing "It is a long way to Tipperary , it is a long way to go"..(but could not remember the rest so ..Maryann added another line) "when you go from Sagninaw, Michigan"!!  Now we can learn the correct words.  Pat and Tom were not really excited about us practicing in the car when we are "on the road"!!
We are staying at a B&B that is also a golf club here in Tipperary Junction.   So are able to enjoy the pool etc.
We visited the a delightful Swiss Cottage that was built by Richard Butler, the 1st Earl of Glengall in the 1800"s for family  The Butler family lived in the Cahir Castle  just down the road but used the Cottage to entertain friends or as a country house for outings for the day.  Once again we were amazed at the country side and the small roads that we traveled.   Tom continues to be an amazing driver with George in charge of the Garmen and occasionally taking a different route using a map!!
Pat and I do give input but it seems that mostly our voices do not carry to the front of the car!! Hmmm.  We celebrated our one month traveling together and we are all still friends and seems that we are laughing more ...hmmm. Tom and I attended Mass at a beautiful Catholic Church near by.
Sunday we drove down to Blarney and walked up to the castle.  Pat and George walked up into the tower of the castle and George kissed the Blarney Stone. Tom and I had done several years ago when we traveled to Ireland with our girls.  Now Tom said George is definitely certified in talking Blarney!!
We also visited the Jameson Irish Whiskey Distillery in Middleton, Ireland.  Really a fun tour of Tom's favorite whiskey.
Tom and George were selected to participate in being an official whiskey taster at the end of the end of the tour and received the coveted  certificate for "achieving the envied status of official Jameson Irish Whiskey Taster!    We also stopped to taste some great gelato in Blarney and stopped by the woolen mill near Blarney before we headed back to our B&B.
On to Galway was our next day's outing and went to the Clifts of Moher and took a boat to get up close to the Clifts.  As ALWAYS, we had some fun discussing prices with a couple of Irish boat tour companies and  were able to get a nice discount on the tour.    It was a beautiful day on the Atlantic Ocean...were even able to be outside while on the water.   The sun seems to come out when we are doing activities ..  We then drove down the Wild Atlantic Way thru the small towns and even smaller roads...seems to be more cows than sheep in this area.  On the way we stopped in Ennis and walked around and found a nice older lady going home from the grocery and she recommended a local pub for dinner.   Once again the food was amazing.   WHO NEEDS TRIPADVISOR when you have such friendly local residents that can help us!!
Yesterday we drove the Wild Atlantic Road to Dingle.  On our way to Dingle we had to wait in "cow traffic".  We came around a curve on another "one track road"  and there was a dog herding about 30 or more cows down the road...what at scene!!  We did not mind waiting.  We followed slowly behind until the cows turned off to find that there were several cars waiting for the cows to go into their barns for milking.   This is another reason to travel the back roads.   We arrived in Dingle which is a quaint little fishing town in County Kerry  and the only town on the Dingle Peninsula.  It sits on the Atlantic Ocean Coast.The homes in the town are all colored bright colors and makes for a unique picture down by the waters.  We stopped by Harrington's to have late lunch and were not disappointed with the fresh fish and chowder.  AND once again able to spend time talking to the locals.  After a nice walk about, we drove to Kilarney trough the mountains and once again were in AWE of the scenery .   We walked around Kilarney and of course had ice cream /gelato before heading back to our Ballkisteen B&B where we have been staying.
Today was a day to spend here at Ballkisten and the town of Tipperary.  We went for a walk this morning but started to sleet so came home and spent time in the pool.
I will try to add some pictures to FACEBOOK again as tried to do a few days ago and they did not go.
Just wish could capture the colors and the scenery on film but cannot capture the beauty of the country side or the fun times we have just talking to the local folks.  Their friendliness is absolutely unbelievable ...whether on the road or in the hotels or in the pubs...always willing to talk and engage in conversation no matter what subject.   We are getting a lot of comments about "what is going on with your American politics".  Had an experience with ER medical care here in Ireland and was really was not a positive experience.
We have three more days here and then will leave for the port to take the Ferry to Wales and to spend a couple days in Bristol with friends before we leave to go to Dover to get the Ferry to Europe.  We take the Ferry on 5 May to Calais France to head to Germany and beyond.
Have taken time to talk to people on the streets as we walk about...lots of travelers from the United States seem to be on tours here in Ireland.  Everyone we meet whether on the streets, in stores or hotels continue to be so friendly and helpful with whatever we may need or with helping us find the best local eateries.
We are so blessed to have had such safe travels and to be able to travel with Pat and George. We know that St. Christopher and our guardian angels are with us everyday.
We are not always able to have WIFI or ability to FACETIME with our family but when we do it is so good to spend time with family via this IPAD.   Love the time spent with the grand girls on line.
We are keeping you all in our daily prayer and thank you for your prayers for our safe travel.  Please continue to keep Imogen in your prayers and all who have no one to pray for them.
Please check out Pat and George's Blog too at gpcannode.blogspot.com.  Pat and George's Backyard for more details on our travels together.
We are certainly aware that you are  praying for us in our daily travels..
Sending loves and hugs to each one of you.
God Bless,
Tom and Maryann

~~ "Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination"~~