June 8-June 9
York, England
Long trip, no sleep, very tired!! Got snatches of country-side during nap from Manchester on train to York. Saw green fields divided by stone walls!
In York – old walled city. Everything in dark brick. Ghost walk, pub lunch, Coach House dinner (mushy vegetables).
In Airden House, fourth floor garret. Up very steep, narrow stairs. Guest car broken into last night. Wall walk and certificate. Afternoon walk with archeologists. Roman ruins and 14th and 15th century buildings!
Lake District
Bowness on Windemere 6/10
Took train back to Manchester Piccadilly and then up to Windemere – Taxi to Bowness on Windemere – Lake called Windemere Water. Nice hotel – met group & did some compass drill.
Coniston 6/11-6/12
Ready for hike? Rain in a.m. Ten on trip 2 WA, 4 CA, 2 Japan and us. Great dinner last night. Didno’t choose black pudding for breakfast!
Good hike, not too hard. Went thru forested area – dank, misty dark-really dark. In meadows saw sheep: “sheep in the meadow, cows in the corn.” They were where we were – in our path. They moved away. Lots of juvenile sheep. Took only hike to Hawkshead and van to Coniston 1/2 pint at pub. Dinner at Black Bull Hotel.
Breakfast and up to copper mines. Good hike – few buildings nestled in valley. Went up right side, crossed over, came down on steep road; killed my knees!
Boat ride on Coniston Water in Victorian, coal drive, steamboat. Dinner at Black Bull again.
To Boot in Eskdale 6/13
Rain to start out in!
Hiked over moor to Seathwaite for lunch @ 1:30. Loads of sheep and stone fences. At Hard Knott Pass remains of Roman fort.
Staying at the Woolpack Inn.
Walked to Boot by ourselves and saw 16th century corn mill.
Meals have been extremely large and generous at each restaurant. Had a great dessert at the Woolpack Inn – Toffee Bananoffee!
Eskdale 6/14
Today took tiny train to Ravenglass – 15″ track.
Saw Muncaster Castle- owl exhibit. Saw Isle of Man in Irish Sea. Tea & scones w/cream – very good – very rich – very bad!! in Boot.
Woolpack Inn to Burnthwaite Farm 6/15
Ben called at 9 to wish Charlie a Happy Father’s Day. Great to talk to him.
Long walk up over fell to Wastwater Lake – Lunch @inn. Less than 1 mile up valley to Burnthwaite Farm. During walk went 2 x into bog – over boot tops. Got…bogged down! Very annoying Hard to come down to valley floor. Knees are sore!! Charlie went up on route for tomorrow – very steep. I’m sad – is it home sickness = because of Ben’s call? Farm is large – many rooms.
Burnthwaite Farm to Seathwaite and Keswick 6/16
Walked back to Inn. Visited tiny church on the way. Smallest church next to deepest lake and tallest peak. Section of cemetery reserved for climbers who died while climbing. Long walk up steep grade and down to Seathwaite. Thwaite is Norse for clearing in forest.
Back to Bowness after launch trip to Keswick. Biggest town yes. Bought fleece jackets & ordered a slate house plate “Sunny Beck Cottage” for front of house. Tomorrow catch train to Conwy Wales.
CONWY, WALES 6/17
Said goodbye to new friends and caught trains to Conwy. B & B closed until 4. Had lunch in greasy fish & chips place and went back to LLandadno Junction on bus. He (driver) stopped at a stop, hopped out and we had to wait for next driver. In laundromat in Llandudno Junction. Will catch bus back to Conwy. Conwy is inside walls of castle built by Edward I. Went thru the visitor centre and castle. Best preserved I’ve ever seen! Built in 1290 or so. Went up high in towers.
Conwy 6/18
Went to Caernarvon Castle in Caernarvon. Good deail too – not as good as Conwy castle – long bus ride – rain- missed bus back because we didn’t check the bus at the end of “A” line before “B” line started. Our bus hid behind a big double-decker.
Missed chance to go to Wool Mill! In Conwy saw Plas Mawr – a mansion Robert Wynn rebuilt between 1576 and 1585. It is the best pereserved Elizabethan town house in Britain. Floors uneven – 2 rooms for food preparation – one had stuffed deer, rabbits and birds hanging by feet as they would have been 400 years ago. Her bedroom had four-poster bed with carbed roof to it and draperies. Walls were hung with draperies on tenterhooks from mid-height down. In dining happl upper class ate the “upper-crust” of the bread (top half). Had tower room with windows all around it.
Goretex might be leaking! Bought new Goretex in Conwy. Took ferry across to Ireland.
DUBLIN 6/19
Big city, busy, people racing aroungd. Grafton Street (shopping street). Saw G.P.O. where there was a fight (uprising in 1916?) Need to see Book of Kells when we go back.
Got back too late in day on 6/28 to see anything. Had excellent dinner in Chinese restaurant.
IRELAND 6/20
Trip to Ennis
Long trip to Ennis. Almost didn’t make it. Train to Limmerick, bus to Shannon Airport, taxis to Ennis. Old town with a lot of new construction. Big cathedral and old church in ruins.
Killarney 6/21
Taxi to Shannon Airport to meet with group. Different leader than expected. Toured around Killarney – decided not to buy sweater – rather have painting of Irland for souvenir! Tomorrow we start walking!
Left from Muckross House 6/22
Intermittent showers. 10 miles up and down. Beautiful rocky, green, hillsides.
Saw sheep, but not like England. Sue had a very heavy pack and new shoes – someone carried her pack and Charlie stayed back with her because she was so much slower than everyone else. Had lamb for dinner. Nice group, congenial people. Leader is very Irish and speaks Gaelic all the time – name is Da-Hee (phoneticly). Ended @ Lord Brandon’s cottage.
Glencar House 6/23
Still in Glencar Hotel – really old 1700;s Driven to starting place near Kerry Way sign in Bridia Valley.
supposed to be 6 or 7 miles – more like 10. Lunch at top then route finding over boggy area. Followed Julia and was chatting and came down to flats off trail. Three went back up to look for us but saw us so came down too. Pat went thru boggy area and the land he was on swayed as he walked across it! Country is wild and beautiful. Not much sun, but not much rain either. People in group get along well. Ages from 34-60? Some non-professional musicians and story teller. At end of hike went to Climbers Inn pub.
Glencar to Waterville 6/24
Off to next stop- walked from Glencar – cloudy but no rain forecast until noon. Nice walk to Windy Gap, beautiful scene down valley.
Walked into Glenbeigh where John (bus driver) picked us up and took us to Waterville. Group split between 2 B & Bs. After good dinner at restaurant, John picked us up and we went to Bridge Pub. Tuesday was “Irish nite” so sang songs and danced sets. Had young girls do Irish Jig and other dances. Lots of kids in pubs! Wednesday was not a school day – but kids were in pub until 10 or 10:30(school was over for the summer). Danced a “set” dance “Shoe the Donkey” with John – Fun! Charlie and I danced a few times too. Very crowded, very smoky!
Skellig Islands 6/25
Can’t go to Skellig Islands – too stormy. Will go to Skellig Visitor Center and then? Went to Cahersiveen for lunch and shop. Nothing!
On way back to Waterville stopped at Craft Center and bought Aran sweaters for David and Trish, earrings for Mom and Sharon and pictures for house! At Skellig Center got scarf for Courtney and T-shirt for me. Last night put (Skarriff)again for local color. Great view – on cliffside.
Ben’s birthday 6/26
Will call him this afternoon. Off to Sneem this a.m. for last 2 nights of trip. Walked down to beach and up again to near pub from previous night and on to Cahar Daniel for put. Had chips and beer. Couldn’t get in touch with Ben – tried 2 x then phone taken away.
B & B to Cahar Daniel 6/27On walk had a stand off with cows. Saw some tiny horses and did battle with a bull. He was near Staigue Fort and was trying to get back into his pasture! Long walk – about 13 miles. Weather was great – no rain, some sun and clouds. All in all a great trip – some days better than others. Trip up Bridia Valley to top and down to Climbers Pub and last trip from farm to Cahar Daniel were best days!
To Dublin 6/28
Raced to Shannon Airport but go there after 3 3/4 hours on road. Hope Kathryn was able to catch plane. Don went home too. Julia was going to England, Pat was going to travel some in Ireland, Karen and George were staying in Glencar for trip up some peak, Sue and Mars were off to Lake District trip. We went to Dublin on train with Daithi (Da Hee). Said goodbye on train. Had dinner in Chinese restaurant – very, very good!! Went back to room and read and watched a couple onf minutes of TV. Called Courtney at 8 in evening was 3 pm there – no one home. Called Ben before we left for ferry @ 5 a.m. He had had dinner with Peggy and Michael in Bethesda, Md.
ON OUR OWN
Ferry to Holyhead 6/29
Train to Chester. Lovely city. Old walled city – Roman city of DEWA on De River. On central street very old houses – stores on street level & “row” on second floor – balconies that all connected in a row. Some were from 16th century. Some Roman ruins & archealogy exhibit. Guided tour with older man who became more interesting as he realized we really were interested in the history of Chester. Any town with “chester” in its name was a Roman garrison.
To Moreton on Marsh 6/30
Travel was very difficult – 4 trains. From Chester to Crewe – Crewe to Birmingham – Birmingham to Worcester – Worcester to Moreton on Marsh. Didn’t have time in Chester to activate the Britrail Pass – Fellow in Crewe said he couldn’t – did it finally in Birmingham. Chatted with a law student on train. Charlie was so anxious the whole day. Wasn’t comfortable that we could reach Moreton at all by train. The Cottage is really old – 1624. Ha a stone-mullioned window that may have come from an older house from the 11th century. The Cottage may be the oldest house in town. I believe it! Smells of DOG!!!
Moreton in Marsh and Bourton on the Water 7/1
At breakfast Charlie got a surprise birthday cake request and paid for by Herb. He had called 10 days ago to have the cake for Charlie. He called while we were out today and will call again at 7. We took the bus to Stow on the Wold and spent about and hour and a half there. It’s a great little town.
We caught a bus from there to Bourton on the Water. That town is very lovely with a stream running in the middle of the town.
We walked from there to Upper and Lower Slaughter and then back to Bourton on the Water. In both World Wars not one boy was killed from the Slaughters! Got some great sheep pictures again! Tomorrow it’s off to Warwick Castle, Oxford and Stratford Upon Avon.
Moreton in Marsh 7/2
Very busy – @ 6:30 a.m. caught train to Oxford. Walled city – colleges all faced inward- visitors no allowed in. Perhaps wrong time of year to visit. Climbed tower- got pictures from above. Disappointed!
On to Stratford Upon Avon @ 10 a.m. Hopped on & off a tour bus. Went to home of Shakespeare’s daughter and son-in-law Dr. John Hall (Hall’s Croft). Very old, half-timbered house, old furniture. Had lunch there in tea room.
Saw Harvard House & church interior where W.S & his family are supposedly buried. The head stones are imbedded into the floor of the church. Left about 2:30 and trained to Warwick to see castle. Best castle ever! Owned now by Toussaud Way. There were scenes of Duke of Warwick “The King Maker” of the War of the Roses, in wax (making armaments etc. very well done. Also scenes from Victorian period with wax figures. Busy day.
Train to Bath 7/3
Took Guide Friday Tour around city & then to Brock House. Went up street to do laundry.
Chas went round to pick up tickets for trip to Stonehenge and Avebury for tomorrow. We went to see the Roman Baths before dinner.
Had dinner at Sally Lunn Restaurant in “oldest building” in Bath – pre 1680.
Walked around city a bit. Called David before dinner. He will be going to Belize on 7/6. Hope the volcano on Montserrat won’t affect him. Weather is grey and rainy. Don’t believe we’ve had a sunny day yet!
Bath 7/4
Lovely place – we’re in Brock House on Brock St. between The Circus & Royal Crescent. Posh area!
Charlie walked canal before breakfast. I’ll go to the Costume Museum and to #1 Royal Crescent – a Georgian furnished house. Didn’t get to #1 – took 1 1/2 hrs in the Costume Museum. After that roamed around Bath with Charlie. Then caught the bus that took us to Avebury and Stonehenge. Avebury was nice – lots of stone but village in enter. Lots of stones were used to build houses in the village.
Stonehenge was a disappointment at first. It covers a very small area and there is a road the runs beside it. People can walk around it but not in it or through it. It looks different from what we’ve seen in movies etc. I took loads of pictures, but doubt that they will do it justice.
When we got back we ate at “The Wife of Bath” restaurant – one of Chaucer’s stories. At 8 we went of a “Bizarre Bath” walk with a comedian. Very good – Charlie really enjoyed it. Baskins & Robbins afterwards. Lots of people in streets at 10:30. Young people.
Bath 7/5
Checked out Ben’s web page before we took train to Bradford on Avon. Saw old Saxon church from about the 8th century.
After we started on the tow path to Bath, we saw the old Tithe Barn from the 14th century.
Walked along tow path to Cloverton and then hiked up to American Museum. Had a quilt show and some American Revolution skits and reenactments. Had cramps so took bus down to Bath. No boat ride.
Fowey 7/6
Took forever by train – had a 45 minute wait due to track maintenance. Fowey is lovely. The B&B overlooks the little town across the river. We had a Chinese dinner – so/so, and ordered an address plaque with a cat on it.
Third day of cramping. Tried to get Sharon’s # to call for her birthday – Mom wasn’t at home. Took small launch up river on 50 minute tripe – passed by “Ferryside” cottage lived in by Daphne Du Maurier’s son. Her father had bought it when she was a child. On trip went as far as Golant. Passed by isolated house that can only be reached by boat. It is a recording studio and recording artists use it all the time!
Fowey 7/7
Went out to St. Catherine’s Point after breakfast. Saw Ready Money beach & old castle remains built during Henry VIII’s time.
After lunch Charlie went on hike to Polkerris. I went on boat ride to Polperro and bought a print of Fowey. The trip was 1 hr. each way & 1 hour in Polperro. The S.W. Coast Path was clearly visible and could see people hiking on it.
Penzance 7/8
Easy trip to Penzance. A little bit disappointing. It is a seaside town but not sweet or quaint. It’s just a town that’s at the seaside. We went to Mount St. Michael which is on a 3/4 time island. Only 8 hours a day is the tide low enough for a walking causeway to be exposed. We walked across, explored the place where Cornish legend has it the Jack killed the giant. Saw the castle where the St. Aubyn family has lived for over 300 years. We had to take the boat back as the tide had started to come in. After dinner took a walk to Newlyn – a shipping community.
Penzance 7/9
We’ll ship our boots home today and then go to St. Ives -How many were going to St. Ives? St. Ives is touristy but has great beaches. Lots of little winding streets- art galleries.
Spoke with bus driver – she suggested we go to Mousehole (Mauzelle) instead of Land’s End. Mouseholehad many B & Bs and was up the road fromus past Newlyn. The tide was out and the boats were high & dry. Winding streets – alleyways -small shops. Bought 2 pictures and mailed them home.
Went to Newlyn on way back to Penzance to see Pilchard Museum. The fish is larger than a sardine and is 5- 10 years old. The owner of the last pilchard factory in the UK (salted and shipped to Italy Spain and France) owned the museum and gave us a personal tour.
London 7/10
Took all day to go to London. Had locked brakes on different train cars. Got to London about 80 minumtes late – about 5:00 by time we go to Vicarage Hotel. Samall room (6). Will move to another room (5) tomorrow. Took underground (Yellow Center Line) to Tower Hill and walked to Tower Bridge.
Walked on south side of river (Thames) to London Bridge and re-crossed river. Back on train to Westminster and saw Abbey (outside). Big Ben (outside) and part of Parliament (outside).
Took tube back to Kensington High Street and had dinner at Pizza Hut! It’s more like a restaurant here. They seat you and take your order and bring it to the table. It was really crowded and busy.
London 7/11
Went on two guided walks today. One was around Soho and the other around th 4 Inns of Court. I was surprised and disappointed that so much of London is New. What wasn’t replaced over the years in the natural course of things, was bombed out in WWII.
After the first walk, we went back to a cyber cafe we had seen and accessed Ben’s web page. He and Trish were on day 11 and were headed for Mation VA. Will have to see if we can find out where they’re staying and try to call them. Tonight we’ll go on a evening rour of Old Knightsbridge Village. We’ll see old lanes and have dinner in a pub. we did – and it was a good tour with Nick who is a part-time actor.
London 7/12
Need to do laundry again – 1x in Conwy, 1X in Chester, 1x in Bath and again in London. Am sick of these clothes!!! Never mind. Did laundry – We went to meet Mollie at Westminster train stop- went into Westminster Abbey. It is outstanding. Just saw the general area – didn’t pay to see where the Royalty was buried. Henry VI, Eliz !. At 11:00 Charlie went out on his own and I went on Westminster tour. Walked around area of @.A. and Westminster Place which is House of Parliament.
Saw 2 Horse Guards near Downing Street. Couldn’t go into Downing Street- gate was closed.
Met CW at War Room from WWII (bunker). Ran to get train back to Kensington High Street to meet David (guide for “Old Kensington” walk. 1/2 block off Kensington High Street it is quiet. Saw bride, little lanes, Winston Churchill’s last residence, Baden-Powell’s house, etc. After went to Kensington Palace on tour (last one of day). Feet hurt – blisters. Ben had called.
Chunnel to Paris (fast train)
Took Metro to Hotel Sofitel Forum Rive Gauche. Checked in – room clean – have own bathroom, TV, even phone, but it is like 70’s modern. Weird! Registered for Jewish Gen and went to eat inside hotel – had soup, salad, and coke. Went for walk and came back for “Welcome to Seminar” speeches all in French but one. Didn’t stay for the 2 lectures in French about Jews in France. Went to closest of at least 50 eating places and had coke and glace (ice cream, ices) Was 75ff about $15.
Paris 7/14
Seminar in a.m. and walking the streets of Paris in afternoon. Paris is a dirty city. There is a smell of urine all over. The public bathroom was filthy. But the Metro is quick, quiet, and very efficient. It runs on rubber tires – not metal. We had lunch in the hotel and dinner at an Italian restaurant (Brasserie), very good. I met some interesting people at the lectures and got all the travel arrangement from Gary Mokotoff. It’s great to be able to meet peoples whose names I’ve seen 2 two years on Jewish Gen.
Paris 7/15
Sessions all day. Had dinner in Italian restaurant. Not as good as yesterday.
Paris 7/16
Had session in a.m. with Yale Reisner. We’ll see him in Poland. Took of at noon to the Medem Yiddish Library to look at Yiskor book for Kolomyya. Was in Yiddish – copied some pages and then walked to the old Jewish area of Paris.
Looked around at some stores. Building had signs (plaques) on walls re the heroes and murders during WWII.
Session tonight on East European Archival Research and Sources for JewishGen in Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine.
Paris 7/17
Last day of conference. Had one session then took boat trip down the Seine for the Eiffel Tower. Had an ice cream from a special maker and then went to the Museum of the Jewish Deportation. We had eaten lunch in the old Jewish quarter at Goldenberg’s Restaurant. Had flanken. After, just walked around Paris and back to hotel for talk by Sash Beider on movement of Jews into Poland. Then Sallyann Sachs talked about the future of Jewish Genealogy and where we came from where we’re going. Didn’t atten the closing but changed for the banquet. Nice dinner – 10 to a table. Felt a cold coming on.
To Poland 7/18
Took bus to terminal – wrong one. Had to catch shuttle to correct place. Plane late. On the Poland. Warsaw is not very pretty. Grim industrial, gery….people selling junk in the park. Homeless around too. Went to archives – there is nothing in the Warsaw National nor the Nation Archives in Krakow, nor Tarnow, nor Rzeszow for Radomysl Wielki and Jodlowa, for birth, death and marriage. Hotel is okay – food for dinner was good. Some of the group went to Synagogue tonight. I’m sorry we didn’t too.
Warsaw 7/19
Tried to take care of train tickets to Krakow – main office was closed (Saturday) so went to Forum Hotel to Mazurka kiosk. They said don’t worry. In afternoon we went of a tour of the old city of Warsaw. Went to see Palace of kings of Poland and saw old city and from but, saw monuments re Warsaw Ghetto.
Warsaw 7/20
Went to see Warsaw Ghetto monuments – Mila 18, Umschatzplatz, Monument to the Heroes of the Ghetto.
At 10 we went to the Jewish Historical Institute where we met Yale Reisneer. He talked about the Archive. Charlie found a Peller in a book about survivors of Auschwitz. Hania Peller’s card #1779 was born in Jodlowa and in 1945 was in Wrezeszow. Could it be Rzeszow? Got some Bisgaier too – different spelling – one from Radomysl. Missed the trip to Treblinka. The afternoon we went back to Jewish Warsaw to the cemetery. Saw mass grave from ghetto burial. Some old -some new burials – large, overgrown, untended. Went back to Old City – raining – taxi back to hotel.
To Cracow 7/21
Took train – first class compartment. Sat with family of four going to Tatra Mts. for holiday. Cracow is nicer than Warsaw. Went to Kazimierz – old Jewish Quarter. Saw Old Cemetery where burials stopped in 1800.
Bought some books and T-shirts at Jordan’s bookstore. We’ll go back to Kazimierz Wednesday a.m. We went on to the old city plaza, Rynek Gloway. Went through Cloth Hall in center of plaza. It’s the old market and had stalls up and down both sides of the buiding. Made reservations for tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau for tomorrow.
Cracow 7/22
Charlie went out first thing this a.m. I had breakfast @ 8 and read for awhile on the bank of the Vistula River – very high and fast.
At 9:20 the tour came and we headed out to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
We got to Auschwitz about 10:50 and at 11 saw a Soviet film taken when they captured Auschwitz. The voice-over was in English and it was the usual awful pictures of emaciated living and dead. We then had a guide who in a monotone took us through part of Auschwitz which is set up to be a museum. There are photo exhibits and German documents and loads of artifacts that were left when the prisoners were murdered. There was a display in a case that held 2 tons of women’s hair. It was all the same color because the gas removed the pigment from the hair. The Soviets found seven tons of hair in bags ready to be shipped to Germany to be made into cloth (for interfacing). The cases for displaying the hair was one whole length of a room for 36-48 feet long. There was another room with cases on both sides of the room, the same length filled with shoes. The guide said that the best of the shoes and clothing was sent immediately to Germany and the rest was left (shoes) for later distribution. There were wooded shoes from Holland amongst the others – There was a pair of high-heeled shoes in navy, red, and white.
Each room, each case, each fact and photo beats you down until you’re exhausted and feel heavy and sick – but I was okay until I finally came to the room that held bowls and dishes that the prisoners had packed to take with them to the “resettlement”. One small case had a few small kitchen items including a potato grater – that made me lose it! So mundane an object in such an horrific place.
We went on the Birkenau – it is a much larger area that Auschwitz. It’s about 400 acres. Those who were not gassed immediately upon arriver were kept in barracks until there was “room” for them in the gas chambers. Birkenau was also called Auschwitz II.
Went to Kasimierz for dinner at the Ariel Restaurant. It is in the old Jewish area. The food was “Jewish” and there was entertainment at 8. A group from Kiev sang Russian, Polish, Ukrainian and Jewish songs. It was strange that after all the Jews were gone, people from Germany (15 of them) plus Poles and who know who else were there in that restaurant to enjoy “authentic” Jewish food and atmosphere. Tomorrow I hope we’ll get a tour around Kazimierz. (Toured Schindler are instead).
To Warsaw 7/23
Toured Schindler area and Amon Goeth’s concentration camp Plaszow.
Before our train ride we walked to the Wawl Castle across the Vistula. River was down from height before. The castle mound was much larger than I thought and was crowded with Poles.
We left there to get something to eat and passed a place, a wagon where they were selling chess sets. Bought one for Ben. Had lunch in old square and caught train to Warsaw. Interesting trip with an English speaking Pole. In talking about speaking other oanguages, he casually mentioned that there had been 3,000,000 Jews who spoke Hebrew and “after the war there were about 3,000-5,000 Jews and not all spoke Hebrew”. He spoke very casually! Had dinner with group at kosher restaurant. Good feelings about the group.
To Paris 7/24
Before we left we walked over to see the only fragment of the Ghetto Wall that is still standing. It’s in a courtyard between 2 buildings. It was part of the southern section of ghetto that was only used until 1941.
In Paris mailed stuff home from Charles de Gaulle and caught Roissy Bus to Place de La Opera. It (opera house) was huge, beautiful, but need a cleaning. Took train to Ecole Militaire and walked to Rue de Champs du Mars. Nice hotel, tiny room, double bed – lousy night sleep – but we’re 1/2 block from a wonderful street – Rue Cler…no cars, one store after another selling food stuff. It’s like a little village.
Walked around. Had dinner in a small restaurant a few blocks away (The Varangue.
It had 24 seats – we were the first people in @ 7 pm. It was written up in Rick Steve’s book. We went there earlier and the owners were eating dinner and told us to come back later.
After that we went to Tour Eiffel and took elevator up to 2nd level. By that time it had started to get too dark for photos. We’ll see. It was quite a wait but well worth it. A fun evening.
Had a French breakfast in the basement of the hotel. It’s fixed up nicely, 35 ff for juice, coffee, piece of baguette and a croissant – not worth it. Went to travel agent to arrange flight to Copenhagen. Train is 14 hours! We’ll stay an extra day in Paris. May go home from Denmark. Had lunch across the street at Brasserie. Had disagreement. We went to Arch de Triomphe and separated. I went down the Champs Elysees until the Place De La Concorde – went in to the Jardin De Tuileries to go to the Louvre – forget it. It was 3 p.m. or so and the line was too long so I went across the Seine to the Musee D’Orsay and spent a couple of hours there. Up on 5th floor had Impressionists – saw Whistler’s Mother and other really well-known works. Back to hotel at 5:30.
Paris 7/26
Went to Louvre today from 9-12. Followed Rick Steve’s suggestion and went quickly to see the Mona Lisa before it became too crowded. It is in a special three-dimenstional case to protect it. Saw some of Michelangelo’s statues, Winged Victory, Venus de Mile and a grand gallery filled with large, wonderful paintings, Greek staues, Pompeiian pieces of wall, Egyptian statues. Only saw the Denon wing of the museum.
After, Charlie took me through some passage-ways that he had found that were lined with shops. Went to Jardins du Tocadero and saw the “other” side of the Tour Eiffel. Also saw the sewers of Paris video and tour.
To Denmark 7/27
Flew to Copenhagen. Checked out train schedule and booked reserve sleeper to Amsterdam – long wait for turn at station. Went to Tivoli Garden – very nice – walked all around – oldest amusement park in Europe. Had dinner there – Italian restaurant. After walked down Stroget – cobble walking street lined with stores. It rained off and on. Copenhagen is okay.
At first I was depressed to see our hotel building. It is only on the 2nd and 3rd floors of building. Some graffiti on front of building.
Copenhagen 7/28
Nice breakfast in hotel. Went for a walk from 9 until 10:30. Went on a tour of the old city with an ex-pat American. Saw Hans C Anderson’s first residence in Copenhagen. Christian IV (king) was a great builder, warrior and lover – had 24 children. After tour went on canal boat trip – saw Little Mermaid in harbor, spires of city – church and stock market. Dinner at Det Lille Apotek.
Copenhagen 7/29
Took train to Helsignor which takes a connection from Shakespeare and Hamlet and Elsinor. It probably has no connection at all, but is a town close across the water from Sweden. People come over from Sweden to buy beer and take it home. Toured castle and went on by train to Hillerod. Walked thru town and took a boat around a small lake. Didn’t go thru castle. Train back to Copenhagen and went to dinner at Joanna. Ate on street (not sidewalk) with one-way traffic right behind Charlie.
Copenhagen 7/30
Checked out of hotel, but left luggage there. Went to Danish Resistance Museum. Went to the Little Mermaid and the Kastellet (as we went to the station checked out a quilting store and had a Chinese dinner overlooking the Stroget). We took the night train to Amsterdam We had to cross the Baltic by ferry. I was nervous about staying in the lowest part of the ship inside the train – sort of doubly trapped – so I went up on the deck and stayed there during the crossing (in the rain). We passed 2 ships going in the other direction.
Haarlem 7/31
After arriving in Amsterdam caught a train to Haarlem. Walked. House narrow – had to go up to attic where there are three rooms and 1 toilet room. Had lunch on top of the department store and dinner at the Pancake place. After dinner walked around Haarlem. Old town, narrow, winding streets. Saw cute red-light house and beautiful steeples. Lots of old alms houses. Before dinner we slept due to lousy sleep on train. Couldn’t see any alms house courtyards (hofje). They close their big doors (gates) at 5:00. Saw one quilt store – will try to go back tomorrow.
Haarlem 8/1
Took train to Amsterdam. Saw the Annex – Anne Frank’s hideout! Bought slides. Walked around a bit and bought wooden shoes, etc. Went to Sex Museum. Lots of “French Postcards” even from 1890s. Kama Sutra stuff and gag stuff too!
Came back to have lunch at department store again. Less crowded at 1:00! Continued over “monument” walk from yesterday. Saw one of the almshouse courtyards. Very beautiful! Went back to the quilt store and bought several fat quarters. Had dinner at a vegetarian restaurant. Good! Sixty day vacation is ending the way it began – it’s raining!
Haarlem to U.S. 8/2
Caught bus to airport – had breakfast at airport. Got here 3 hours before take off. Wait & wait. Bought cheese knife for Tricia and wooden tulips for me.
