Who would have ever thought that a disease that rocked our world in March would still be plaguing us in December?!?! Unfortunately it is – and has – for the last six months just as it did for March – June. But – never being ones to surrender, we continued on as best we could. Attempting to do as much outside as possible, wearing a face mask at all times inside when others were around, always maintaining the appropriate social distance and – one of the hardest parts – no hugs or shaking hands;-( BAH HUMBUG!!!

Resigning ourselves to the fact things were not changing as summer approached, and the Arizona heat was becoming unbearable, the original summer plans were put into play. The Lexus was loaded to capacity on May 20th as a VRBO townhouse on the Aspen Valley Golf Course in Flagstaff, AZ was calling. Upon arrival G wiped down every square inch with the Clorex wipes while E threw all bedding and towels in the washer and all dishes in the dishwasher. Upon feeling duly sanitized the views and serenity of our home for the next month began to sink in. There was a lovely deck with a giant size grill with the golf course just beyond some protecting pines that provided fantastic shade and a pond just off to the left. What more could we ask for?!?!

The activities really didn’t change much, just the venues were different. The agenda still included golf twice a week, a weekly drive and Zoom calls with friends. But, the first order of business was to commemorate Keith’s birthday by sending a balloon up to him from our back deck – –

Launching a Birthday balloon for Keith who would have been 45 this year.

A heron on the Flagstaff, Az welcoming committee and a resident on ‘our’ pond.

Our first day trip was to the Grand Canyon – our 17th National Park (1919).  One of the very few good things about COVID – NO crowds.  Even though it was the first week of June, at 7,000′ the temperature was beautiful for ‘strolling’ along the rim and we encountered VERY few other people.  One can see the full 18 miles from one rim to the other and the one mile to the floor.  Only a small portion of the 277 miles of length can be seen from any one spot.  The views are stunning!

The grandeur of the Grand Canyon. The parking lots were almost empty. Kinda nice!

The obligatory mask – as there were a few people out on this overlook point.

The next week a BIG circular drive around Lake Mary and Mormon Lake called.  And what would we stumble upon but the Rainbow Camp that Mom helped get off the ground.  AND – the big bell that belonged to my grandparents that was donated to the camp is still there right by the dining area where it belongs.

Grandma & Grandpa Stahl’s bell at the Rainbow camp south of Flagstaff.

Hiking also kept us sane and provided exercise.  A favorite was to Jenks Cabin on a 160 acre tract of land homesteaded in 1892.  The property includes two springs marked by Indian petroglyphs – and just beautiful scenery.

Our hike to Jenks Cabin…

…took us by several petroglyphs, this just one example.

Time seemed to pass all too quickly – as it always does.  As mid-June approached, it was time to repack the Lexus and head to Park City.  Driving through the greater Salt Lake valley, familiar sights came into view and it was like being home again – –  

Arriving in the Salt Lake City area in mid-June there was still a little snow on Mt. Timpanogos.

After sanitizing another VRBO condo – this one adjacent to Main Street in Park City, UT – we were off to check out the scene ‘downtown’.  There was a mandatory mask requirement – and it seemed to apply to all – – – 

Masks everywhere – a sign of the times.

The routine here was much the same.  Any activity that could be done outdoors kept us busy.  Golfing, hiking, walking, eating al fresco (on many a friends’ deck with plenty of ribs and bourbon slush or at a restaurant) and neighborhood concerts were all on the agenda.  A new Thai restaurant with great outdoor, well distanced seating quickly became our once a week go to.  As did our friend Sally’s remodel adventure. 

Lots of al fresco dining whether at our new favorite Thai restaurant…

…or celebrating Sally’s birthday in the midst of her remodeling. A picnic in her bedroom – so to speak.

A socially distanced live music event in our old Park Meadows neighborhood with friend and former next door neighbor Jane.

Again, golf was a mainstay and almost every Monday we played with Rheta and Tom on various courses around Salt Lake, Park City and Midway.  Early on there was even snow on the surrounding mountains and always plenty of wildlife!!

Wasatch Golf Course with Rheta and Tom.

Lots of wildlife sightings during rounds of golf. This red tail hawk was keeping its eyes on us.

This guy was more interested in the ground squirrels than us.

This sand hill crane family was making some spectacular noise in the middle of our back swings.

Many new hiking trails were discovered this year with several becoming new favorites.  Trails around all the old mines just above Old Town were quite interesting, informative and educational about the beginnings of Park City.  Jenni’s Trail to Loose Moose on the Park City Mountain was visited often which allowed very different sights as the leaves began to turn when autumn approached. But, perhaps our favorite of all was the discovery of the Wall Lake hike out in the Uintas.  This one was done every time someone new visited.  Both the Bolton’s and the Clarke’s were drug out to experience our new find – always with a stop at The Notch for lunch after.  Our first time out to this hike we spent quite a bit of time watching water drops on a forest fire just over the next ridge from the hike.  All in all – the hiking was fantastic!!

Hikes galore. This one headed up Daly Canyon to see some old mine sites.

On a hike in the Uintas we watched helicopters dropping water on a very stubborn forest fire.

Provo Falls in the background (site of drowning my drone a couple of years ago).

Wall Lake with Larry and Jane Bolton.

Then on to the trails in the Park City Ski Resort.

Another hike to Wall Lake with Rick and Suzy Clarke.

Beautiful fall colors on the ski area trail – AND a bit colder.

A summer in Park City would NOT be complete without the moose sightings – – 

This young moose was dining on the trees in the area where we rented our summer condo near the Racket Club.

Evidently this cow and calf were regular visitors to our friend’s back yard water feature.

They seemed very at home.

Unfortunately, all the ‘normal’ 4th of July activities were cancelled;-(  Instead of a parade, there was a street painting done and NO fireworks in Park City.  We had to drive to Midway to see those.

4th of July brought no Main Street Park City parade this year, but there was lots of street art.

Yeah Midway!

Oh Yes!  The BIG Magic Bus is being replaced by a Mini Magic.  The first step in that process was to acquire a new van from Mercedes.  Ordered in June – picked up in August.  A few day trips to try it out before it went to the ‘upfitter’ in October.  Discovered Cedar Breaks NM, which was beautiful.  Also put it thru its paces on the Bonneville Salt Flats!  What a fun day that was.  

We took delivery of our new Sprinter van knowing that we had a long wait until the upfitter could start the build out in October.

Time to see what this van was going to be like.

Then off to the Bonneville Salt flats.

No speed records were broken – but had a good lunch;-)

Again – all  good things must come to an end.  As the first snow flew, it was getting close to time to pack up again and head home.  But, the car would take a circuitous route via Ridgecrest, CA to see the Shoe crew;-)

A random September snowfall in Park City.

In the continuing quest to get the Shoe crew to National Parks and Monuments, we drug them out to the Pinnacles.  What is more fun than climbing on rocks????

Heather, Christian and granddaughters Kira, Olivia and Haley with us at Pinnacles National Monument…

…resulted in some goofy behavior.

It seems that dancing to videos has become the new at home PE class – – 

Also a little dancing.

Believe it or not, by mid-October that Lexus found its way back to Scottsdale, AZ.  This time we did NOT have to sanitize a thing – YEAH!!  And good thing, as there was little time until the schedule was full again with hiking, golf and a little MIM (although no volunteering yet).

Back home in Scottsdale we got back to our hiking.

Listening to singing cowboys.

Seeing a new exhibit at MIM.

As always, the animals are a plenty on the golf courses.  Although there are also resident owls in our community – – 

Love seeing these two.  What a hoot;-)!!!!

A HUGE squadron of javelina that greeted us on the 2nd tee at the Boulders Golf Club.

A rare bobcat sighting!

It was also great to see family again.  The middle of October, Mom Dorthy’s facility began allowing essential visitors inside if they obtained a negative COVID test.  So – after 7 months E could finally give Mom a hug!  And get her ready for Halloween – – 

Dorthy is all set for Halloween.

Niece Demi also arrived home from U of A, and got to put on that cap and gown she didn’t get to wear to the high school graduation that never occurred;-(  We played Pomp and Circumstance and she marched through the room just for us!

The extent of niece Demi’s graduation celebration.

News Flash!  Pictures of the beginning of Mini Magic’s ‘upfitting’.  How long will it be until she is done??  Can’t wait.

Whew!  A year to remember – AND forget.  We have managed to stay sane figuring out a way to enjoy life while being safe and distanced.  Our wish and hope for the new year is that you all stay well and healthy and have a fantastic 2021!

With much love – E & G looking forward to 2021

The new decade began with a great deal of joy and friendship, which provided lots of pleasurable memories;-)  Thank goodness we didn’t know what was in store for us!

Days and evenings were spent with lots of hikes, dinners, golf and concerts with friends – as well as many hours of volunteer work at MIM.

Between friends (the Miller’s) and us – we managed to coerce the Raney’s to visit for a few days and take in a Booker T concert at MIM, along with several evenings of dinners and an afternoon at MIM.  This was followed up with a Herb Albert concert with the Miller’s and many other concerts before the walls came tumbling down;-(

There was also a quick trip to Tubac (just south of Tucson) for a much anticipated golf outing with the Bolton’s.  Unfortunately, Tubac did not live up to the hype – so no pictures.

The Giss’s surprised us with the acquisition of a new coach, which needed a ‘shake down’ trip.   So, they spent a few days with us to show off the coach, visit MIM and have several dinners to regale each other with coach stories;-)  While in town, they contacted another retired Deloitte partner who had just recently relocated to the Scottsdale area (the Murray’s).  Turns out Don Murray has QUITE a car collection, which he moved into a warehouse building near the Deer Valley airport.  Of course we had to see this – and maybe even pretend to be a race driver of a magnificent Porsche?!?!?!

While enjoying the car collection of a former partner of ours at Deloitte…

…Elizabeth tried out the driver’s compartment.

Before the walls came crashing down, we also got to attend a couple of Haley’s volleyball tournaments in California.  In order to make the drives to and from interesting, stops were made along the way to see sights often heard of but never visited.  One such stop was the Annenberg Estate, which included a special exhibit on totem poles and masks by master carvers from Canada (the Hunt family) as well as interpretive totem poles by Herb Albert!  This special exhibit of Albert’s work came to our attention at a concert of his at MIM – and, well we just had to see it.  This stop was well worth it, and we will return for a tour of the inside of the home.

The Annenberg Estate in Rancho Mirage, CA.

Hosting an exhibit of art by renown Canadian First Nations artists – the Hunt’s.

Totem pole created by the Sr. Hunt and installed at the Estate in 1976.

Herb Alpert’s interpretive Totem.

Then – on to the main attraction.  After 10 years of every winter weekend spent at niece Deme’s games – it was Haley’s (No. 33) turn;-)

Granddaughter Haley’s first season playing volleyball.

Break time – Haley, Gramma and sisters Olivia and Kira.

The February birthdays also got to be celebrated before the brakes were put on gatherings.  First up sister Barb, then Demi (who got a new computer from Auntie & Unclie!!), and finally Mom Dorthy;-)  Happy celebrations all around.

Niece Demi’s 18th and Barb’s ???? birthday gathering.

Happy Birthday, Demi!

Happy 88th Dorthy.

There was golf before AND after the shut down.  Including a beautiful morning with the Clarke’s at Mountain Shadows – –

Even have Camelback Mountain in the background.

Thank goodness the greater Phoenix valley is home to 1/2 the major league teams for Spring training – so we got to see all but one of our games before sports went away;-(  This was opening night for the Dodger’s – and it was still cold!!!

GO DODGERS!!

St. Patrick’s Day was the beginning of the end.  Just a few more activities before we said good-bye to everything.  One of those included this little leprechaun – Mom.

Dapper Dorthy. Happy St. Pats.

The week before St.  Patrick’s Day, there were several Celtic/Irish concerts at MIM.  These are always lively and happy.  Would love to have them back now;-)

Irish dancers performing with Cherish the Ladies at MIM.

Since MIM is very much a part of our lives, it was only fitting that we orchestrate a visit with various of our Vi friends.  Again, quite grateful this took place before the museum was closed.

A Vi field trip to The Musical Instrument.

Since mid-March, the world has been quite different and very challenging.  Our saving grace was that golf courses were not closed, nor were hiking trails.  We continued to play golf two days a week and hike a day or two a week.  When the trails became too crowded, the neighborhood sidewalks became our outing.  There are many different streets and pathways around our home to walk our 4-5 miles a day!

Hiking the Granite Mountain trails of Scottsdale just as the wildflowers began to bloom.

The wildflowers were showing off.

Socially distanced, of course.

Visits to Mom took a new look – Mom inside and us outside with phones in hand.  At least we could see each other and enjoy our Starbucks together.

A visit with Elizabeth’s Mom, pandemic style.

Thank you Arizona for deeming golf an essential service!  It certainly was for us.  Don’t know what we would have done without this ‘break’ twice a week;-)

We frequented The Phoenician throughout this period.

A birdie celebration. Whoop whoop!

Even spent our anniversary on the course;-)

More socially distanced hiking.

This time with a large gila monster sighting.

The time finally came when there had to be something else to take our mind off quarantines, new cases and deaths.  It was decided that a weekly drive should provide a diversion for the better part of one day a week.  A friend suggested Arizona Highways as a source for out-of-the-way, interesting day long drives.  This made us sooo happy.  These trips were always quite interesting – sometimes fording creeks – and always including miles of dirt roads.  The good news is that social distancing was not a problem as rarely did we encounter others on these outings;-)  A lunch was packed and a good spot with a view was found for tailgating.

The first week the destination was the Agua Fria National Monument and Pueblo La Plata, an ancient pueblo from about 750 years ago.  The journey here took us through cow pastures!

Our goal was to take a drive once a week where we would not be likely to run into crowds.

We succeeded. We had the Aqua Fria National Monument to ourselves, other than the cows.

And lots of puebloan ruins

Tailgating became our norm.

The next week the destination was Mt. Ord – only about 12 miles of dirt road this week.  And, the views were fabulous!

That is our access road out in the distance.

Our views from our lunch spot at the top.

The next week the end of Cave Creek Road was calling.  And – we had company this week.  The Bolton’s joined us – traveling in their car and keeping distance during stops.  Today’s journey took us through creeks, around horses and into a cattle round-up;-)  How fun – –

Beautiful, cool area.

We encountered horses – –

Lots of horses!

“Real” Cowboys working the cattle.

A few that needed to be rounded up.

And another lunch spot in the middle of nowhere.

Next up – Crown King.  The trip there was much more interesting than the destination itself.  Tucked away was the original “Cordes Station”.  So much different than Cordes Junction today.  And then the little town of Cleator.  The pictures speak for themselves – –

Cordes Junction of yore.

And another beautiful view for our socially distanced lunch.

Next off to the Verde Valley and the Salt Mine Road.  After passing an old Salt Mine, the end of the road took us to ancient Pueblo dwellings (about 300-400 years old) and an excellent lunch spot.  The long way home – through Payson – was in order.  This would allow us to visit the Tonto Natural Bridge AND the DQ;-)

Great views of ancient Pueblo dwellings.  Nice condos – yes??

Another quiet lunch spot along a river.

Appropriate distancing;-)

A walk over the Tonto Natural Bridge.

The next week we were on our own again.  So – off to Prescott via Wickenburg and Yarnell Hill.  First stop was Iron Springs, where we spent lots of summers growing up, to take a walk down memory lane.  Humpty Dumpty has been a landmark on the road for over 70 years – he always let us know we were there!

E revisited an old childhopd pal, Humpty Dumpty.

Unfortunately, Gary celebrated his birthday during quarantine time.  We managed to find a pizza and take it to a nice park setting to enjoy the outdoors – without people;-(

Happy Birthday in Old Town Scottsdale.

Easter was also unusual.  No brunches or gatherings.  Since Mom was in lockdown, her facility had a drive-by celebration.  The residents’ families were very creative in their decorations and the residents, as well as staff, enjoyed the day.  They were also quite surprised that almost 100 cars showed up for the event!!  Happy Easter!

All decorated for the “drive by” Easter celebration at Dorthy’s.

Finally – there was a fly-over to thank all the first responders – –

A thank you flyover for the Phoenix/Scottsdale area first responders by the USAF.

Friends out to see the fly-over (it was HOT).

Thank goodness – through all the quarantining and social distancing, the animals continued to be about and the desert plants continued with their ‘life cycles’ providing beautiful sights on our walks and hikes.

Spotted this hawk on a hike.

The neighborhood owls. We believe this is the parent…

…and this the youngster.

Mother nature put on a show with springtime cactus flowers …

… and a beautiful sunset.

The past two and a half months have been difficult, but there has been much to keep us busy and beauty wherever we went.  Some friends have also been enjoyed and ‘visited’ on a much more frequent basis through FaceTime and Zoom.  There was also a lot of activity during the months prior to ‘covid’ where we enjoyed family and friends.  Bottom line – even though things have not been ‘normal’ – the first six months of this year have been pretty good.  ALL our family and friends are well and we have them in our lives;-)

Much Love to All – E & G – healthy and happy!!

Just a couple more ‘short’ trips to close out the year.  First up was friend Cyndi’s 70th birthday celebration in St. George.  She ordered up spectacular weather for all – so everyone was out to enjoy the scenery of the red cliff surroundings and a hike to the petroglyphs.  A BIG thank you to our hosts, Marge and John;-)

Our hike outside of Ivins, Utah. Thanks to Marge and John for leading the way.

Then it was time for the annual trek to Beaver Creek, CO for the World Cup Ski races where we cheer on Ted to the finish line.  13 years and counting – –

Ted’s loyal fans.

Ted Ligety – not overjoyed with his run;-(

But his parents, Cyndi and Bill, were having a great time with grandson Jax.

Finally – the holidays.  The first celebration was in Ridgecrest with Heather and family;-)

Granddaughters – Hailey, Kira and Olivia are ready for Santa.

We built a gingerbread village – –

– – Attended Haley’s volleyball practice – –

– – and took a day trip to Death Valley National Park!

Took the opportunity of a ‘down day’ and being just 60 miles from another NP to get the girls more park experiences.  How fun to experience the lowest point in the US and all the beauty of Death Valley (at this time of year!!).  Our hike to Darwin Falls was most interesting as we forded streams, climbed over rocks and under trees;-)

Yes, there really was a waterfall in Death Valley.

Interesting to see such ‘lush’ plant life in Death Valley!

The Stovepipe Wells sand dunes also provided a few laughs;-)  The cardboard sleds were NOT all that efficient;-(

Sliding down these sand dunes was challenging.

The dunes went on and on.

The wildlife here was not quite the same as seen in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone – but fun to see, just the same.

Two of many burrows in Death Valley that clearly thought they owned the road.

And then it was time to bid farewell to Death Valley NP and the Shoe Crew and for us to head back to Scottsdale for more Christmas celebrations.

Christmas morning was spent at Barb’s after a nice Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve at  our house.

Back in Scottsdale for a Christmas celebration with the Biaett clan.

A beautiful Christmas plant from the Clarke’s;-)

Of course, the last few months of the year saw many mornings on the golf course, many evenings spent at MIM concerts and many days volunteering at MIM!

One of many concert at the beautiful MIM theater.

A great morning for E with 5th graders.

E guiding the newest tour type – Dementia tours partnering with Banner Health;-)

And so, another year comes to a close.  How grateful we are to be able to do all the things we do, enjoy all the family and friends we have and live to see another day!

Here’s to you all – and hope your 2019 was as wonderful as ours;-)  Elizabeth & Gary

Wow!  What a fabulous summer – BUT, boy is it good to be home;-)

OH – wait!  A few more quick trips before the luggage can be put completely away.  Las Vegas was calling for a ‘one night stand’;-)  When the Eagles’ “Hotel California” tour schedule came out AND our favorite C&W artist, Vince Gill, was included –  it was a no brainer that we had to go.  Especially since one of the performances was a mere 5 hours away in Las Vegas!  So, the bags were packed once again and the car was loaded – and we were off for a real treat – –

G’s birthday present last April was tickets to see the Eagles in Las Vegas.

The Hotel California album played in its entirety, with full orchestra for the relevant pieces AND Vince Gill.

Every part of the concert was fantastic!  Especially the fact that they played for about 3 1/2 hours.  Worth every penny!

After arriving back home, there were about 5 days to repack, ‘Ship Sticks’ the golf clubs off to Oregon and catch a plane to Medford.  Here the first four days were spent on the Saltmarsh Ranch of friends Priscilla and Steve – enjoying the ranch and several plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Theater.  The plays included a wonderful, funny “Hairspray” and two new engaging plays with fabulous productions – “Cambodian Rock Band” and “Mother Road”.  Both well worth a viewing if anywhere in your neighborhood in the future (or at the OSF).

Our wonderful hosts, Priscilla and Steve Weaver, for a few days at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

A beautiful setting for the Saltmarsh Ranch.

The view from our guest quarters was colorful and relaxing.

Steve worked long and hard training the new addition to the household, Clara the Labrador retriever.

We lucked into a weekly gathering of musicians playing Celtic tunes in a local coffee shop.

A HUGE thank you to wonderful hosts for the best, quaint little room where one wakes up to piano concertos and a delicious breakfast of fresh farm egg omelets and biscuits;-)

But, as always, the next stop was calling.  So, off to Bandon Dunes and three days of golf on beautiful courses with good friends, Rebecca and Jim.  For the most part, the weather was even good to us.  A little cool and breezy – BUT no rain;-)  If only the golf Gods could do something about our golf;-(

How do Jim & Rebecca keep coming back for more of our atrocious golf?!?

Oceans views from the courses are endless.

The iconic Old Macdonald snag watches E as she successfully negotiates this nasty bunker.

A closer view of the Old Mac ’emblem’.

I wonder how many golf balls are hiding in this grass?

Then, just as our shadows faded away, it was time for Bandon to fade away also and for us to return home one more time.  Where, by the way,  more beautiful places can be found to play golf.  Even with lots of wildlife – –

The heron on the bridge has a gallery.

It is wonderful to have so many great friends to spend time with and enjoy adventures.  The best part is that even after several months or a year apart, we can sit down and carry on conversations as though no time had passed since the last ‘talk’.  And then, even after three or four full days of discussions – new topics keep coming up to share;-)

E & G – Full of Life – and a Happy One!

Finally back on solid ground in Amsterdam – and what a wonderful way to end this journey!  This is a beautiful city that was thoroughly enjoyed and begs us to return;-)

It doesn’t take long, here, to find your way around.  Even though our hotel was a bit north of “Old Town” in what appeared to be a new hip ‘fashion district’, the bus came to the corner to get us to the Central Station, where we could catch anything we wanted – bus, tram, train – to get us anywhere we wanted to go.  So, morning one – with 48 hour transportation pass in hand – we were off to the Museum Quarter.

Our hotel – located in Houthaven (Timber Port). Our view was of barges, tankers and dry-docks.

A beautiful, efficient Central Station.

A walk out the doors of Central Station and there is Amsterdam – just as pictured in one’s mind;-)  Canals everywhere – lined with boats of every nature (including LOTS of houseboats) and the banks lined with buildings from the 1600 and 1700’s leaning against one another for support.  Oh yes – AND BIKES!!!

Walking along the canals is a joy – as this IS Amsterdam.

The Museum Quarter is an exquisite area (literally – as their ‘Rodeo Drive’ is the northern boundary!).  An inviting park – Museumplein – is bordered by the Concert Gebouw at one end and the Rijksmuseum on the other end.  Between are the Van Gogh and Stedelijk Museums.  This park provides a very inviting open space to enjoy the buildings before one enters to enjoy the art;-)

The main concert hall.  Unfortunately nothing to attend during our two evenings;-(

One of the three ‘must see’ items was next up on the itinerary – the Van Gogh Museum.  This was our favorite and not to be missed.  Van Gogh’s nephew was instrumental in creating this museum, which tells the story of the artist’s life through the 200 paintings of his works which are featured.   It is so hard to believe Van Gogh created this body of work by the age of 37 (he killed himself at this age in 1890).  Included works are Sunflowers, The Bedroom, The Potato Eaters – and several butterfly pictures (which just happened to be E’s favs and had to ‘sneak’ the pics).

This morning Van Gogh was our host!

Some of Van Gogh’s butterflies. (This was in the Van Gogh Museum.)

This was Garden with Butterflies in the Rijks (where we could take pics).

Second of the ‘must see’ items is the Rijksmuseum, which was built to house the nation’s great art.  It owns several thousand paintings, including an incomparable collection of 17th century Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.  The museum building itself just went through a renovation to make the experience here even more enjoyable.

The Rijks Museum (with interesting installation outside??)

A nice little garden area (and respite) at the side of the Rijks.

Chess in the Rijks garden.

A bronze Dancing Shiva – considered one of the best in the world!

And – number three on the ‘must see’ list is the Anne Frank House.  Also a favorite of ours and not to be missed,  but an entirely different feel – almost haunting – than the prior museums.  Anne, her family and four others spent a little more than two years in a ‘Secret Annex’ in the upper floors of this building, which had been her father’s business.  While in hiding, the 13 year-old Anne kept a diary chronicling her extraordinary experience.  Her father, the only of her family to survive the concentration camps, returned many years later and was given the writings of Anne’s that had been ‘saved’ by one of the employees who helped hide the family for the two years.  The house as shown creates a feeling of the true bleakness that must have been felt during that time.  A very emotional experience – even now as writing this.

The door to the Anne Frank House. No photos permitted inside.

Moving to a little lighter experience – back out on the canals.  One can get a real feel for Amsterdam on a canal tour, much as it looked in the 1600’s when it was the world’s richest city.  It was an international sea-trading port and the cradle of capitalism.  Wealthy, democratic burghers built a city upon millions of pilings, creating a wonderland of canals lined with trees and townhouses topped with fancy gables.

More views along the canals – Montelbaanstoren (Tower).

Some of the old locks.

Lots of boats, used as houses, line the canals.

‘Drunken Buildings’ – due to settling these buildings lean every which way.

The narrowest building in Amsterdam!!

A few more quick sights in Amsterdam (including a walk through the Red Light District – but no pictures there), and – – – –

St Nicholas Church was beautiful.

Bikes and bikers every where we looked.

Just fun;-)

– – – – – – it was time to have one last drink and say good-bye to our traveling companions, Rheta and Tom – – –

Good-bye drinks with Rheta and Tom high atop the city.

– – – – – and have one last dinner out on ‘our’ pier – – –

– – – – – – and it was time for us to say good-bye to Amsterdam and the wonderful cruise we had through the Baltics.  Loved it all – –

Good-bye Amsterdam.  Loved you!!

So ended our three-week adventure.  Many wonderful sights, great moments with friends and the making of hundreds of memories;-)

E & G feeling VERY fortunate and VERY happy!!

What a difference a day makes. The next port was Oslo – which we LOVED!! One of Europe’s most amenable capitals, it holds two fabulous sights everyone must see. One an outdoor ‘museum’ of sculptures from the early 1900’s and the other a documentation of the Arctic and Antarctic explorations in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s.

Vigeland Park contains a lifetime of work by Norway’s greatest sculptor, Gustav Vigeland. During his youth, Vigeland frequented the studio of August Rodin and admired his naked, restless, intertwined statues. He advanced in his sculptures to capture sturdy humans with the universal themes of the cycle of life – birth, childhood, romance, struggle, child-rearing, growing old and death. In 1921 he made a deal with the city of Oslo – in return for a great studio and state support, he’d spend his creative life beautifying Oslo with this sculpture garden. From 1924 until his death in 1943 he worked on-site designing 192 bronze and granite statue groupings – 600 figures in all. Today this park is loved and respected by all. The park is open to all – free – and there are no police patrolling, no fences and no graffiti!! How amazing is all of that?!?! This is a wonderful sight and no one visiting Oslo should miss it.

A view of the entire park leading through the sculptures to the 50 foot tall monolith of 121 figures.

A 300 foot long bridge contains 58 bronze statues that are a general study of the human body – many dealing with relationships between people. One circular statue in particular is of a man and a woman going round and round. What else is new – right? Perhaps it signifies the eternal attraction, or the on and off again with man and woman?? Directly opposite another circle feels like a prison – man against the world attempting to break free – –

Then there is the wonderful symbol of the park – the Sinnataggen, the hot-headed little boy. It is said that Vigeland gave a boy chocolate and then took it away to get this reaction. Who wouldn’t react like this if chocolate was taken away????

A beautiful rose garden creates a break between sculpture groups.

The Fountain – Six giants hold a fountain, symbolically toiling with the burden of life, as water – the source of life – cascades steadily around them. Twenty tree-of-life groups surround the fountain showing the seasons of life – childhood, young love, adulthood and winter – with the monolith looming over.

Finally one reaches the centerpiece of the park. The monolith, teeming with life, includes 121 figures carved out of a single block of stone. Three stone carvers worked daily for 14 years, cutting Vigeland’s full-size plaster model into the final 50 foot tall piece. It is surrounded by 36 groups of granite statues – again from birth/youth to old age.

Enjoyed this Park immensely!

Stuck between to ‘beauties’ was the interesting Viking Ship Museum. Not often one gets to see two majestic oak Viking ships dating from the 9th and 10th centuries. The first was the Oseberg dating from 834 AD. Less substantial and more ornate in carving, this ship was most likely designed for sailing on calm inland waters during festivals as a royal pleasure craft. The second ship – the Gokstad – however, was a practical working boat capable of sailing the high seas. Dating from 950AD, it is likely explorers such as Eric the Red hopscotched from Norway to Iceland to Greenland to Newfoundland in such a vessel.

The ornate Oseberg

The practical, working ship – Gokstad.

The Fram Museum brought us forward in time to more modern day Vikings and was the second must see in Oslo. The Museum houses two ships – the Gjoa that was the first through the Northwest Passage (1903-1906) and the Fram that explored both the North Pole and later the South Pole.

The Gjoa.

Aboard the Fram.

Yes – an actual windmill on board to provide power.

Christmas Eve dinner aboard the Fram.

A model depicting the Fram breaking through the ice on its journey.

Interesting, but in a totally different way, was the Kon-Tiki Museum. Thor Heyerdahl and his crew used two different ‘boats’ to prove that such vehicles could have crossed the Pacific and the Atlantic to settle areas. He first created the Kon-Tiki in 1947 out of balsa wood, using only premodern tools and techniques, and set sail from Peru. They survived 101 days and 4,300 miles later arrived in Polynesia. He then took on the Atlantic in 1970 on a vessel made of reeds. This journey was 3.000 miles from Morocco to Barbados. As said – interesting and what movies are made of;-)

The Kon-Tiki

The Ra II (Ra I sank partway into its journey!)

Oslo was a winner!! Just a few more fun sights before returning to the ship.

A beautiful day for a beautiful city. Oslo was fabulous – just not enough time.

E & G enjoying every bit of our cruise;-)

Only two ports left and perhaps a bit of fatigue – but the best sight of Gothenburg was this great fortress on the way in!!

Please don’t fire up those cannons on the left;-)

After a walk up the Avenyn – billed as the loveliest (?) and busiest (definitely) street in Gothenburg – the Gotaplatsen (billed as the square which is the cultural hub of Gothenburg) was in front of us. This square is flanked by the Gothenburg’s Konstmuseum, the concert hall and the municipal theater. Perhaps too many OLD city centers had been on the agenda – but this was a snooze;-(.

So – we did what is always done when nothing else appeals – looked for a place to lunch. It was noticed that every restaurant and sidewalk cafe up the Avenyn had been filled with ‘sports fans’ with their jerseys on. Finding the Stage Door restaurant just off the Gotaplatsen – the same was true here. LOTS of sports fans. It was learned that this particular Saturday was the opening hockey game of the season. AND, the Gothenburg Indians (???) were playing their arch rivals from Stockholm. Imagine the ferver for hockey – as we WERE in Sweden!! And – the Indians so reminded E of Gramps’ favorite Cleveland Indians (although a different sport). Even as Americans, we joined right in the anticipation and celebration – –

Go Indians!!

There was ONE afternoon without an excursion, which gave time for a cooking class. It will come as no surprise to most that we opted for an Italian class cooking pasta. After three wonderful dishes, including the making of fresh pasta, we waddled out of the class;-). Just a note – we have these recipes and would love to prepare them for anyone interested!! (Side note – our instructing Chef worked for Julia Child for 16 years as her Executive Assistant.)

This sauce included mushrooms, cream and spicy sausage;-). (AND a little wine!)

Chef was supervising my fettuccine.

Another great couple of days. Only one day in port left.

A VERY full E & G;-)

It was a pretty grey day when the Oceania bus set out for the Schwerin Palace and our excursion of the day (most on the ship set out for a three hour bus/train trip to Berlin).

The Palace is situated on an island amid a charming landscape of lakes and parks just on the edge of town. This magnificent residence was built in the mid-19th century as a renovation and extension of the original palace structure which had existed for over 1000 years. Today this beautiful structure houses a museum as well as the state assembly for this state of Germany.

A beautiful sight to drive up to.

The Orangery with its colonnaded courtyard.

Please – come in!

In the cute little village of Schwerin.

It was a short – but beautiful – day for us.

E & G on to Gothenburg, Sweden

A very interesting stop.

One of the Baltic Sea’s seaports since the Middle Ages, Gdansk was originally fortified by the Teutonic Knights. Fast forward to the aftermath of WWI when it became the center of German shipbuilding following Hitler’s rise to power. In fact, the city’s residents were the first to witness the beginning of WWII as the Nazi’s invaded and occupied Gdansk on September 1, 1939 to protect their interests. Caught between the German and Russian powers, the “Long Street” and all its buildings were turned to rubble. While these buildings have all been meticulously reconstructed – the fact remains that all the buildings are new and most are only facades, looking a bit Disneylandish;-(

One enters the Old Town via the Green Gate, actually built as a residence for visiting kings and now houses Lech Walesa’s office.

Come on in.

The riverfront embankment of the Motlawa River that flows to the Baltic Sea.

Once inside the Green Gate, The Long Market opens up in front of you with the Main Town Hall tower beckoning. This is also the first glimpse of the reconstructed facades;-(. But look beyond those and one sees lots of shops and restaurants!

The centerpiece of the square just ahead is the statue of Neptune, God of the Sea. A fitting symbol for a city that dominates the maritime life of Poland.

Towering over Neptune is that imposing Town Hall Tower. Not only does it have that wonderful clock telling all when it is time to return to ones ship, it also has this fantastic sun dial – with the proper time!!

Stunning!

As one wanders the streets of Old Town, St. Mary’s appears. It is one of the largest brick churches in the world – built from 1343 to 1502 as a Catholic Church, became Lutheran and back to Catholic after WWII.

A beautiful High Altar with a ‘replaced’ stained-glass window from 1980.

While we went back out into the real world, the ‘important people’ of the day did not want to see mundane items like down drains. So – they were decorated to please – –

Name your animal – they were all up here;-)

Unfortunately, as we left Gdansk there was only time for a quick drive by Solidarity Square to see the memorial and gate in front of the shipyard that perhaps began the fall of communism.

And so ended our very quick visit to Gdansk —

Good night Gdansk.

Back at sea and more adventures.

E & G looking forward to another tomorrow;-)

Stockholm – What a fabulous day for an interesting and educational visit with fortuitous sightings;-)

Sweden’s capital is one-third water, one-third parks and one-third city spread across 14 islands with 57 bridges and very distinct neighborhoods. It is built on an archipelago of islands making the journey into the city quite beautiful – –

Some islands only the size of the house that sits on it!

In the 1500’s, Stockholm became a political center when Gustav Vasa established the monarchy. A century later, King Gustavus Adolphus made it an influential European capital. This “Lion of the North” prepared to establish his empire by creating a great navy to dominate the whole of the Baltic Sea. He ordered a great ship – The Vasa – to be built with two fearsome decks of cannons that included 72 guns! It also had 500 carved wooden statues – including a 10 foot lion on the magnificent prow – draping the ship painted in bright colors to symbolize the King’s power. Because the ship was built tall and narrow with lots of weight high on the ship – it only sailed a few 100 feet and then sank on its maiden voyage in 1628;-(. 333 years later it was found on the sea bottom, salvaged in 1961 and is in the process of being totally restored. This is one of the most fascinating exhibits to see – –

The actual salvaged Vasa (98% original) with a model in the foreground as it originally appeared.

The model with original detail and coloration.

Loved this Lion on the prow. Just beautifully carved.

The model with painted sculptures as they would have appeared.

The model of the stern of the Vasa.

The actual stern of the Vasa which will appear as above after all restoration is complete!

The crest and initials GARS (Gustavus Adolphus Regeant of Sweden) identify the ship as the Vasa.

A model depicting life on the ship.

This is one of the most fascinating exhibits. Not only is the entire ship enclosed in this building created to protect it, the various exhibits describing the salvage process, reconstruction, etc. are educational and intriguing. One could spend much more time here than we had.

In order to see any additional parts of Stockholm, we had to hightail it over to Gamla Stan – or Old Town. This area of the city is a charming maze of alleys and cobblestone streets, as well as one of those fabulous old squares. The Great Square of Stortorget is the hub of Gamla Stan dominated by the Old Stock Exchange, which now houses the Nobel Museum. It is also filled with many restaurants where one can people watch while enjoying Swedish meatballs – as we did;-)

Unfortunately, time passes much too quickly for us. Feeling that there just wasn’t time to do justice to the Nobel Museum, we headed to the bus pick-up. That’s when the fortuitous sighting occurred. There was a great deal of pomp and circumstance around the Royal Palace – the official residence of Sweden’s King and Queen. (The 18th century Italian Baroque edifice contains 608 rooms and took 60+ years to complete.). Turns out the King, Queen and Crown Princess were to be escorted in their carriages by the Royal Guard from the Royal Palace to the Parliament Building to open Parliament! How lucky were we?!?!?

The Crown Princess.

The Royal Palace.

The Parliament Building.

There was not enough time in Stockholm – which means another trip will have to be had. But, what time we had there was unbelievable;-)!!!

An awestruck E & G