Reflections

At 1:00 pm on November 22, 1963, I was downstairs in the staff room for our school newspaper and yearbook working on one of the sections of the yearbook that we would publish that year.  It was fourth period and lunch was being served in the cafeteria.  As was the usual case, we had a small television in the staff room which we always turned to a new soap opera, Days of Our Lives, to see what was happening with Bill, Missy, and the Horton family.  However, on this particular day, our program was interrupted with the news that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas.  Shortly, as we stayed glued to the TV, we found out that he had died.

There are incidences in our lives that will remain indelible, and we can relive every detail over and over.  November 22, 1963, was one of those times.  So was September 11, 2001.

I've just finished seeing the movie and reading The Help.  Aibileen, one of the characters in this book, wrote down her prayers rather than saying them.  She found this a comfort, and as the story progresses, she writes down things that happened in her life in Mississippi in the 60s.  When I was a teenager, I kept a diary, but I have gotten away from writing down my thoughts since I've been an adult.  Writing this blog has become my outlet for expressing myself.  And, today, like Aibileen, I feel that I need to write about 9/11.

I was sitting at my desk in our home office about 7:45 am CDT that particular morning with Good Morning America broadcasting on the TV.  Becoming engrossed as I seem to do when I'm on the computer, I had completely blocked out the white noise that it was blaring.  A little before 8:00, the phone rang, and it was my daughter.  "Mom" she said, "A plane has hit the World Trade Center in New York".  I grabbed the remote, spun my chair around, and turned up the volume.  We talked for a few minutes, and I heard Diane Sawyer say something to the effect that it seemed to be a small engine aircraft that had hit the building. 

I immediately called one of my best friends who makes two or three trips to New York every year to tell her.  We both love New York City, and I knew she'd want to know. While we were on the phone, the second aircraft hit the second tower.  Then, I called Charlie, my husband, to let him know what was going on.  He was at his doctor's office getting the results of his physical the previous week.  Another one of the things that is etched in my brain is that this was the day we found out Charlie is diabetic.  He was unaware of anything going on at the time, and told his doctor what had happened.

I called our office to tell the staff to turn on the TV there and keep a watch on what was going on.  I quickly took a shower and turned the TV on in our bedroom so I could hear what was going on.  I saw the live broadcast from Florida as President Bush was informed on the situation, and I don't think I'll ever forget the stunned look on his face.  Then, the Pentagon was hit.  Then, the plane was downed in Pennsylvania.  Was it never going to end?  Were we at war, and just didn't know it? 

As I was driving to the office listening to NPR, I heard the announcement that all planes were being downed at the nearest airport.  Our office at the time was located in a landing pattern for the airport in Nashville.  By the time I got there, planes were already lining up in the flight pattern to come in.  About thirty minutes after I got to the office, I walked outside, and as far as I could see, planes were coming overhead about every 30-45 seconds to land.  Then, it was deathly quiet.

I saw the towers as they fell that day on TV.  I can't imagine what it was like to be in New York during this time.

My brother was supposed to be in New York City on business on 9/11.  He would have been in the Marriott World Trade Center that got hit when the towers fell had his travel plans not been changed.  My cousin, her daughter and son-in-law, and her nephew all live in the Washington D.C./Virginia area.  Her daughter usually had appointments at the Pentagon on Tuesday, but had a change in plans and didn't go that day.  Charlie's doctor's son-in-law was heading to the World Trade Center for an appointment just as the first plane hit. Fortunately, he never made it there.

All day that day, I was on an open chat room with other travel agencies across the U.S.  One of my friends who owns a travel agency just outside New York City had two brothers and a cousin who were all firefighters that they could not find.  Finally, almost thirty-six hours after the towers fell, they were able to connect and none were hurt. 

We are in the business of selling fun, but on this day and for weeks and months to follow, the travel business suffered.  Our first priority was helping those who needed it to get back home safely.  All I knew to do at that time was send out an e-blast with every airline, hotel chain, rental car company, cruise line, and tour operator's toll-free phone numbers.  We offered to assist anyone who needed it and told our subscribers to  forward this information on to those who did.  I wasn't looking for business; we wanted to help and this was the only way we knew that we could.

We had been booked to speak at a conference two weeks after 9/11.  I had to completely ditch the presentation we were going to make and write a new one addressing change in our industry since that tragic day.  While we were getting dressed the morning of our presentation, we had CNN on in our room.  There was a crawl on the screen that made more sense to me than anything I had heard or read during all of this - Al-Queda is to Islam what the KKK is to Christianity.  WOW!  Just like that, my eyes were opened to the fact that a small extremist faction of the Islamic religion who believes in the same God that I do, had caused this mayhem.  I could identify.  Yes, I'm a Christian.  No, I'm not a radical who uses my Christianity to promote extremist beliefs like the KKK in the name of Christianity.  Yet, the fears that all Muslims were Al-Queda were out there. 

The travel business has changed radically since 9/11.  Security has heightened at airports.  Security to board and disembark cruise ships is now as tight as it is at airports.  Security to enter Titans stadium to just watch a football game has been heightened.  Even five years after 9/11, when we took my then five-year-old granddaughter to DisneyWorld, security had been put into place, and my purse was checked before we could enter the park.

We live in a different world now.  My grandchildren will never know the innocence we knew as children.  Security will always be a part of their lives.  So, as I write and reflect on that fateful day, I feel a cleansing of sorts.  Sometimes, it's just good to reflect on things that have impacted our lives.

Travel Speak

We've all used text speak (txt spk) in messages that we've tweeted or in emails we've sent. It's an abbreviated way of talking in 140 characters or less.  In the travel industry, we've used codes and "travel speak" for years.  What we consider commonplace in our day-to-day operations, our clients look at us confused and dazed when we use some of our terms.  So, let me give you some of our basics.

The airline reservation systems computer language was orginally written in 6-bit ALC (airline code).  As travel agents, we had to know long and complicated entries to even access availability.  One of the limitations of 6-bit code was there were only 64 character that could be used.  Because of this, three letter city codes were given to airports around the world.  Some of these were easy to remember - FLL for Fort Lauderdale, MIA for Miami, SFO for San Francisco, SEA for Seattle.  But, what about BNA, MSY, TYS, LGA, JFK, DCA, ORD, MDW, CDG, LHR, or FCO???  These are the city codes for Nashville, New Orleans, Knoxville, New York La Guardia, New York Kennedy, Washington Reagan, Chicago O'Hare, Chicago Midway, Paris Charles de Gaulle, London Heathrow, Rome.  We had to go to airline reservation schools for a week at a time, and learn these city codes as well as a myriad of other codes in order to make or access reservations.

Now, anyone can book an airline or hotel room on-line by point and click.  However, before you jump into this, there are some travel speak terms you need to know. 

Air Travel
Non-stop Flights - Just as this implies, you get on a plane in one city and without stopping anywhere, you get off at your destination.

Direct Flights - These originate in your home city, land at some point without your getting off the plane, deplane some passengers, pick up additional ones, and eventually get you to your destination.  Think train travel only less time in getting where you want to go.  You stay on your originating plane and don't get off until you reach where you are going.

Connecting Flights - You are planning a trip from Nashville to Los Angeles.  You originate in your home city, for instance BNA (Nashville), get off the plane in LAS (Las Vegas), go to a different gate and board another plane for LAX (Los Angeles).

Hotels Rooms
Single/Double/Triple/Quad - This denotes the occupancy of the room - 1 person, 2 people, 3 people or 4 people in the same room.  Some hotels charge one rate regardless the number of people you have in the room.  A room that would sell for $210 per night would equate to single occupancy ($210 per person per night), double occupancy ($105 per person per night), triple occupancy ($70 per person per night), and quad occupancy ($42 per person per night).  Cruise lines also use the same formula for single and double occupancy cabins.  On cruises you pay not by the night, but for the duration of the cruise.

Twin Rooms - These are rooms that have two twin beds in them and can only accommodate two people.  It's unusual to find these in the U.S.  They are more common in Europe and other parts of the world.

Double/Double Rooms - These rooms have two double or queen-size beds in them.  They can accommodate up to four people.

Cruises
Bow or Forward - This is the "pointy end" of the ship.  As "forward" implies, it is the front of the ship.

Stern or Aft - Obviously if "forward" is the front of the ship, then "aft" or the stern must mean the back of the ship.

Port and Starboard - These terms denote which side of the ship you are on if you are facing forward.  Easy way to remember - port and left have four letters in them.  If the port side is the left side of the ship, then the starboard side is the right side.

Boat/Ship - Another easy way to distinguish the difference - there are lifeboats on ships.  There are no lifeships on boats.  So if your vessel has lifeboats, she is a ship.  And, a word of caution, don't talk with a crew member on a ship and refer to the vessel as a boat. 

There are hundreds of other terms that we use daily in the travel industry.  So, before you jump off the deep end and try to be your own travel agent, consult one of us who can understand "travel speak".  Just remember - without a travel agent, you're on your own.

 

It's the Big One, Elizabeth!!!

Remember Sanford & Son and Redd Foxx holding his heart and talking to his deceased wife anytime something happened.  Well, today is one of those days.  My hubby, best friend, business partner, fixer of anything, and love of my life turns 70 today!!!  Seventy!!!  WOW!!!  When I was a little girl, seventy was old - really, really old.  Today seventy is the new fifty. So, today's blog is a letter to my hunny.
Dearest Charlie - Who knew on July 4, 1981, when we promised to love and honor (remember, I had the obey part taken out of our vows) each other in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as we both shall live, that we'd both make it to two milestones this year - our 30th anniversary and your 70th birthday.  We've done a lot over these years.  Lots of laughter, lots of tears, lots of accomplishments, lots of disappointment.  But, overall, it's been an incredible ride.

     We've survived job losses, the lose of both of your parents and my mom, owning a business (or rather, it owning us) where we not only live together but work together every day, combining a blended family, taking our little company from one that had not made a profit to one that sustains us quite well today.  I've watched you give away two of your daughters at their weddings, hold grandchildren when they are just a few hours or minutes old, help my dad whenever he needs you, continue to work even when we are on vacation because there are just some things you need to do, fix a computer at our office - over the phone - while we are in Europe - by just having the phone held down to the computer so you could hear what it was doing, and be ordained as a deacon at our church.  WOW!!  And, that's just the beginning.

     When you gave up your career as a chemical engineer to come into my little company and become my business partner, I know you gave up a part of you life that was so important to you.  Yet, you realized the strengths you could bring to the company would make it grow and prosper.  Because of your dedication to the company, it has allowed us to travel all over the world with our best friends.  Will we ever forget that train fiasco in Italy with the Bohans and Tidwells??  Or the trip to Germany and Switzerland where we almost got stuck in snow in the Alps?  What about the Greek Isles, or the British Isles, or the Mediterranean numerous times, or Scandinavia and Russia?  The I, Snorkel Bob incident is indelibly etched in my brain when we were on Maui, as are the many man-on-the-street interviews between you and Jim.  Our trips to DisneyWorld with the grandchildren have all been so much fun, but so different with each of them.  Just watching you and Truman on the little scooter you needed at the time because of your leg injury was great.  Seeing the wonder in Ian's eyes the first time he saw Buzz Lightyear and realizing that he really did believe he was "real" was so exciting.

     Because we didn't meet until we were both adults, there was so much I didn't know about you.  What fun I had meeting your friends and seeing where you went to elementary school and high school, and where you lived in Greenville, SC, when we went to your 50th high school reunion.Yep, it's been a great ride.  It's so wonderful to celebrate this special day with you and to know that we have many more of these to come. 

     Thank you.  Thank you for sharing this life with me.  Thank you for your dedication to our company and to the travel industry.  Thank you for helping me through the worst year of my life when I lost Mom. Although you and I never had children together, our furbabies have been so important to both of us.  Thank you for loving and caring for Samantha, Gretchen, Abby, Liesel and Zoe.  Thank you for being by my side whenever I've needed you.  Thank you for loving me every day regardless of what's going on in our lives.  And, thank you for becoming the man that God wants you to be.  You make me proud to be your wife.      Yep, it's been quite a ride.  Now let's get back on that rollercoaster and see what the next decade holds for you.  Happy 70th Birthday!!! I love you more every day.

Miz Boo

Multi-Generational Cruising with an Aspergian Kiddo

I’ll never forget the day my daughter, Angela, called me in tears because my grandson’s teachers thought he was autistic. Truman was three at the time, and it was devastating. Angela and Jim T – my son-in-law – immediately took him to his pediatrician who sent them to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. The psychologist who tested him didn’t see signs of autism, but did note “OCD” (obsessive compulsive disorder) tendencies. Truman was also given an IQ test and tested at 126…at three years old! There was no doubt that Truman was a smart kiddo.


However, Angela and Jim T noticed some other issues. Truman had never slept all night – ever. He would get focused on something, and regardless of what they wanted him to do, they could not get deter his focus. He was reading at age four. Genius? Maybe.

The time came for Tru to start kindergarten. Angela and Jim T were so anxious because they didn’t know how Truman would react in the classroom. He was beginning to show some ADD (attention deficit disorder) tendencies along with his other quirks. He was not making close friends like his butterfly sister, Maeve, who walked into a room and knew everyone instantly. However, Truman excelled in reading and math, yet his fine-motor skills were lacking and his handwriting was not up to par. He could spell, but writing so his teacher could read his ideas was a challenge.

Finally this spring, during Truman’s second grade year, Vanderbilt asked to do a genetic test on the entire family to determine is Truman had Asperger’s Syndrome. As it turned out, he is definitely an Aspergian, but there is no genetic link to either Angela or Jim T, and Maeve tested just fine. At last, a diagnosis.

Asperger’s is on the autism spectrum, but is at the extremely high-functioning end.

We’ve all done so much reading about this disorder in the past months, and found out that Bill Gates, Albert Einstein and Mozart were Aspergians. At the end of second grade, Truman was reading and comprehending on an eighth grade level. He excels in math and science and loves the chess club at his school. His handwriting is still lacking, but his theory is “Well, I can read it.” It doesn’t matter if anyone else can, including his teacher.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Because we just took Angela, Jim T, Maeve and Truman on an NCL cruise. This was the first cruise the grandchildren had ever taken. We knew Maeve would have a wonderful time and would meet and make new friends immediately. However, our concern was for Tru. Would he adapt to ship life? Would he want to participate in the kid’s program? We quickly found out that freestyle cruising is the best way to cruise with a kiddo who is Aspergian.

Jim T’s mom was with us, so the kids had all of their grandparents onboard. We had lunch the first day in Cagney’s, and just watching Truman order a steak for his first meal onboard was wonderful. He kept asking over and over “Is this FREE???” We explained that he could eat at Raffles, the Blue Lagoon, Windows, The Garden Room and numerous places on the ship at no charge. The Blue Lagoon became his restaurant of choice because they served chicken strips and French fries, his all-time favorite.

By the end of the first day, Truman had visited places on the ship that none of us knew existed. He knew immediately that the elevators forward of the ship had red carpet, those in the middle had blue carpet, and those aft had green carpet – details that none of us had noticed. He told his mom after the first day “In his cruise ship elevator riding experience that you can only push all of the elevator buttons at once if ALL of the passengers are ok with it, and he had not found that particular passenger group yet.” As Charlie – my husband – was getting off the elevator on Day 2, Truman pushed past him and was announcing “Come on, I’ll show you.” and was immediately followed by a posse of his new friends. Where he was going and what he was showing them has yet to be determined.

Freestyle cruising allowed the freedom that Truman needed in a controlled environment. He begged to go to the Kid’s Club every afternoon. Tru would miss dinner with us and eat after he had his Kid’s Club fix. This was a perfect scenario for an Aspergian. On the last day of the cruise, we were treated to a private bridge tour. Of course, Mr. Technical Truman was in heaven. All of the computer screens and the joystick that, according to him, was used to “drive the ship” were fascinating to him because they reminded him of his video games.

Cruising is such an incredible way for multi-generations to enjoy the vacation of their lives.  What's stopping you from taking a family cruise?

On the Bridge with the Captain

30 July 2011

Our last day of our cruise.  Maeve and Truman have had the time of their lives.  Maeve cries when she has to leave her friends and be in at 11:00 pm!!!  She was so unhappy about leaving her friends at home when we got to New Orleans; now she's unhappy about leaving her new friends she's made on the ship.

The kids slept in today and had a late breakfast.  Then it was off to a VIP bridge tour with the Captain and Staff Captain of the ship, the Norwegian Spirit.  As we expected, Truman was in awe of everything.  He got to sit in the Captain's chair and loved the fact that the ship is guided by a very small joystick like he uses with his Wii or Nintendo.


This afternoon is for relaxing by the pool, packing and basically getting ready to return to reality.  This has been a wonderful experience for all of us.  We have had some of the best service on any ship we've ever sailed.  This crew is fabulous and so attentive to our every need.  The kids have both learned about their independence on a ship and how they can do things on their own with new friends.  Truman begs to go to the Kids Club at night.  Maeve is now out with her friends shooting a video of the ship.  We'll put this up on our website when we return and can edit it. 

Multi-generational cruising is the way to go for families.  The kids could have dinner on their own and we could enjoy a wonderful dinner together in the quiet of one of the many restaurants aboard the ship.  It's back to reality tomorrow and to work on Monday.  Thank you, NCL, for helping us make such wonderful memories.

Cozumel - Where it's HOT, HOT, HOT!!

29 July 11


Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

I’ve used the term “hotter than a Mexican summer”, and boy, did today live up to that. It was 95 out and humidity so high that I couldn’t tell you what it was. We were dripping!!!

We rented a couple of jeeps this morning and made a round of the entire island of Cozumel. First stop was San Gervasio, the Mayan ruins on the island. When Charlie and I came here years ago, these ruins were practically nothing. Today, archeologists have unearthed more of the ruins and it is quite something to see. Maeve, our amateur archeologist, was amazed by all of them.

We drove to the east end of the island and stopped at a little beach where the waves and water were beautiful. Maeve got to hold an iguana, her dream!!! Jim T sat on a Brahma bull. Of course, he would do that!!! The Texan in him showed up in full force.

We drove on to Chankanab, the state park, where we came in the 80s and paid $5 admission for an entire cab full of people. The Mexican government wised up and today, admission is $21 per person!!! We passed on Chankanab, and instead, went to San Francisco beach and Carlos & Charlie’s where the beer is cold and the beach is free!!! Great fun for all of us and a wonderful way to cool off in the aqua-blue waters of the Caribbean.

Did a little shopping and found Truman an onyx chess set and Maeve a Mayan mask made out of onyx, marcasite, and abalone shell. What a wonderful way to spend the day in our last port of call. Tomorrow is another day at sea, then back to reality.

I "Belize" We're in Belize

28 July 11


Belize City, Belize

Do you "Belize" in magic???  Stop it's the "Belize"!!!   That's just a couple of the phrases we came up with today while we were in Belize.
Woke up to overcast skies after hearing storms during the night. Unlike yesterday in Roatan, we were bombarded by people trying to sell us anything from bracelets and necklaces to trying to sell us tours.

However, we found a private taxi with a van for 7 people to take us to the Belize Zoo where the animals are in their natural habitat. Maeve was in heaven when the first thing she did was hold a boa constrictor. We saw all of the birds and animals indigenous to Belize from warthogs to toucans and parrots. There were alligators as well as crocodiles.

The trip to the zoo was about an hour to get there and an hour to get back. By then, the heat was on us again, and with two kids wanting lunch, we headed back to the ship. Now it’s naptime and relaxing the afternoon away for all of us.

More tomorrow from Cozumel.

Priceless!!! Roatan, Honduras

27 July 2011


Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

Today was an incredibly beautiful day. It was hot, but not as humid as yesterday in Costa Maya. We learned some things today.

1. Roatan is an island in the Bay Islands chain off the coast of Honduras.

2. The people are friendly and love Americans.

3. This is a great place to see jungles and for adventure tours.

We hired a 7-passenger van today with a private guide for all of us for the entire day. Cost was $140 for all of us!!! What a deal! We piled into the van and took off with Trent as our driver and Allen as our guide. Trent is a huge country music fan and was so excited to know that we were from Nashville.

We had two things on our “wish list” to do today – go to a beautiful beach so the kids could snorkel and take Maeve zip-lining. Wishes granted.

We went up to the North shore of Roatan where the beaches reminded us of Playa del Carmen in the 80s. There are some beautiful condos there and the air lift into Roatan is getting better by the month. Prices are also really good. Maeve instantly was in the water with her snorkel and told us about all the fish she had seen, including the sturgeon.

Then, we went to the best zipline on the island. Maeve and Angela, my daughter, were the only two who ziplined, but it was priceless to see them fly 200 feet above the jungle. They were back and forth at 13 stops for 45 minutes. Great day. Great activities.

This island is so friendly and the people so warm and genuine. We didn’t feel pressured by anyone to buy anything. We felt safe. This was our sleeper on this cruise. Going to an unknown place and finding it to be such a delightful place is wonderful.

Oh, and if you want Trent and Allen as your driver and guide, we have their email addresses and can arrange a private tour for you. More tomorrow from Belize.

Costa Maya, Majuhual, Mexico - July 26

26 July 11


Costa Maya, Majahual, Mexico

Another beautiful day in Paradise. Costa Maya is a little port that was specifically built for cruise ships. There are little shops – some great jewelry stores, some with cheesy souvenirs. There is a pool in the center of the plaza that the cruise passengers can enjoy, and believe me, with the heat and humidity, a dip in a fresh water pool is very inviting.

Maeve swam with the dolphins for an hour and was enamored with them from the start. Charlie, Nell and I took a five minute taxi ride over to Majuhual, a little town on a beautiful beach. Prices on silver and turquoise are much better there than in Costa Maya. This is a quiet little place and is a great beach area to take a family.

When we returned to the ship, Maeve met a couple of girls her age from Texas. Of course, her Daddy is from Texas, so she had something in common with them. When she hadn’t returned to the cabin by 7:00 pm, I went looking for her. She was in the video room with the girls and they were having such a good time that she stayed with them for the evening. I think she has made some new long-distance friends that she will stay in touch with so that when they visit in Texas again, she can see them.

Charlie, Angela and Jim T went to an Indian dinner tonight night in a small dining room in Shogun. After 20 courses – and yes, that is correct two-zero – they all rolled out of the restaurant. Nell and I were escorted to dinner in Windows by the most adorable little man, Truman. He was a perfect gentleman, and held out his arms for both of us to take us into the dining room. He was perfect throughout dinner and couldn’t wait to go to the Kids Club afterward to play with his new friends.

The kids have adapted to ship life very quickly and all of us are relaxing and having a wonderful time.

More tomorrow from Roatan, Honduras

Cruising with the Grands

Charlie and I have been on more cruises then we can count. We are fortunate that the business we are in allows us the opportunity to experience many cultures and countries. It has been years since we’ve been to the Western Caribbean, but this week we are experiencing cruising from an entirely different perspective. We have grandchildren with us who have never been on a cruise.


My daughter, son-in-law, his mother, and two of our grandchildren are on the Norwegian Spirit which sailed yesterday from New Orleans. Let me regress for a moment and tell you about taking children into the French Quarter and especially down Bourbon Street at night. Truman, our eight-year-old grandson, was intrigued by catching as many Mardi Gras beads as he could that were being thrown down to us from balconies above the shops and restaurants. Our ten-year-old granddaughter was interested in buying a Mardi Gras mask and going into one of the gaudiest costume jewelry shops I’ve ever seen. Of course, she had to get a snake ring filled with rhinestones that will only fit her first finger. But Nana and Grammy had a great time shopping with her.

We boarded the Norwegian Spirit yesterday (July 24) at midday. We had lunch in Cagney’s, a wonderful steakhouse on the ship. Teaching the grandchildren how to order from the big adult menu in a fancy restaurant and learning how to make a “b” with their left hand and a “d” with their right one to indicate which side holds their bread plate and which side their drink is on was quite interesting. Now, Mr. Literal Truman makes certain that everyone knows which bread plate is theirs.

Both of the children easily adapted to ship life. By late afternoon, they had made new friends and explored the ship on their own. Last night my daughter commented to Truman that he was acting so responsibly. His retort was “The cruise is making me do that.” Why hadn’t we thought of this earlier and taken him on a dozen cruises already!!!

Maeve instantly met a girl her age at the pool and at dinner let us know her friend’s name and that she was from Oklahoma. She is having a ball being able to get out on her own and meeting new friends.

Truman has found places on the ship that none of us have found as yet. This morning as Charlie was getting off the elevator on our floor Truman came barreling in announcing “Come on! I’ll show you!” as he was followed by a posse of his new best friends. Where he was going and what he was going to show them is yet to be known.

The seas are calm and beautiful. The sun is hot, hot, hot. Sea days are the best!! After a massage and facial, I feel like a new woman. More tomorrow from Costa Maya, Mexico.

Budapest - The Jewel of the Danube

April 19, 2011 - This morning we arrived in Budapest.  This is a city that is actually on both sides of the Danube River.  One part of the city is called Buda, which is on the hills of the Danube and where the castle is located, and the other part of the city is on the opposite side of the river and is called Pest (that's pronounced Pescht). 

I can truly say that I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful city.  There just aren't enough adjectives to describe it:  glamorous, dramatic, enchanting, magical.  Budapest has been called the "Paris of the East", and it's difficult to say which is more breathtaking - looking across the Danube towards the flat Pest from the heights of Buda, or from the direction of the hills and towers of Buda from Pest. 

Of course, Hungary is known for it's production of paprika.  Here's some facts about Hungarian paprika, which is very different from the paprika we use at home.

•Paprika powder is produced by grinding the dried deep red paprika pods of the pepper plant (Capsicum annum L. is the botanical name)


•Although paprika is the symbol of Hungary's cuisine the plant was brought to the country by the Turks only in the 16-17th centuries.

•Its pungency ranges from sweet to mildly hot and very hot, depending of the type of pepper the powder was produced. The color of the spices varies from mild to bright red, and there are papika powder types with brownish colour too.

•Note: Not the brightest red paprika is the hottest!  The orange coloured one will make you really cry.

•The hotness is caused by capsaicin, a chemical that is extracted from paprika plants to use in pharmaceutical production due to its painkilling effect

•The fresh red pepper is rich in vitamin C 

•Would you believe that even pálinka (brandy) is made from paprika?

So, the next time you sprinkle paprika on your deviled eggs or potato salad, or use it as a spice in chicken paprakasch, think of Budapest and the beauty of this wonderful Eastern European city.

Sacher Torte, Apfelstrudel, Lippizaner Stallions, and Composers

April 18, 2011- Vienna is a city is so steeped in history that the entire city could be a museum.  Very little of Vienna was bombed during World War II, but those buildings that were bombed were torn down and replaced with newer buildings that just seem out of place.  Our guide explained that after the war, there was no money to spend repairing them to their original design.  So newer, less expensive buildings were built in their place.

This is the city of music.  Even if the Danube isn't quite as blue here as Johannes Strauss' waltz would have us to believe, music is in the air in this city, and concerts are held almost nightly.  Vienna was once home to Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, and there are monuments and statues of each of them.

We visited St. Stephen's Cathedral (and yes, there is one in Linz and Passau, as well).  It is so beautiful to see the palmbuschen in vases around the cathedral commemorating Palm Sunday and Easter Week.  All of the crufixes are covered in purple, but will be uncovered on Easter Sunday and draped in white.

Vienna is also the home of the Lippizaner Stallions and their stables are in the heart of Vienna near the Stephensplatz (St. Stephen's plaza). 

But, Vienna is especially known for their Viennese pastries, especially the sacher torte.  We had to make a stop at Demel, the bakery for the imperials, the oldest and most famous bakery in the city of Vienna.

Keepers of the original Sacher torte recipe, Demel was the official bakery for the Emperor and has existed since 1786. It's a must see, the interior of the store has maintained its imperial style and is full of goodies such as strudels, tortes, chocolates and more. We had heard of their superb hot chocolate made with real chocolate and slowly heated milk! It was topped with whipped cream, and I mean real whipped cream, not the stuff we think of in the U.S.  In fact, Charlie ordered a double espresso with cream, and instead of a pitcher of cream, he was served a healthy serving of this delicacy.

Demel is worth visiting just to look at its artistic cakes, confectioneries and chocolates, which are now all prepared for Easter. 

What an incredible day we had just roaming the streets in beautiful 68 degree, sunshiny weather!!!

Up Your Nose with an Onion-Dome

Vinny Barbarino (John Travolta's character on Welcome Back, Kotter) had nothing on the Austrians and their smack in the face they gave the Ottomans when they tried to seize Vienna.  The Battle of Vienna marked the end of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe, virtually keeping Europe from becoming an Islamic state.

Dotting the landscape throughout the Wachau Valley and all through Austria, we have seen onion-domed churches everywhere.  Fashioned after mosques, these domes are topped with either a cross, denoting a Catholic church, or a rooster, representing a Protestant church.  This was the Austrians way of saying, "In your face."

Several culinary legends are related to the Battle of Vienna.  One legend is that the croissant was invented in Vienna, either in 1683 or during the earlier siege in 1529, to celebrate the defeat of the Ottoman attack of the city, with the shape referring to the crescents on the Ottoman flags.  Just one more "In your face" action by the people of Austria. 

So, to paraphrase Vinny Barbarino, Up Your Nose with an Onion-Dome

Palm Sunday in Melk, Austria

April 17, 2011 - Our day started very early with a tour to the Benedictine Abbey and Stiftsmuseum.  As soon as we completed our tour of this Baroque abbey that was built in 1089, we went outside on the terrace that connects the museum to the cathedral.  Immediately the bells started ringing calling the parishioners to mass.  When we went inside the cathedral, I expected to see it overflowing with worshippers, but sadly there were only eight people in this massive structure.

We saw the Abbey Library, which is housed in twelve rooms and has over 100,000 volumes, many of which were copied by hand by the monks who lived there hundreds of years ago.

As we were walking back to our ship, down a very steep hill, more of the parishioners were walking up the hill carrying very interesting bouquets.  Our curiosity got the best of us, and we stopped one of them and asked about what these were.

Around Easter time in Austria, Catholics celebrate Palm Sunday (when Jesus came to Jerusalem) by making a “Palmbuschen”.  Because there are no palm trees in Austria, the Palmbuschen is made from a wooden pole, which can be up to 8 feet tall, and to which people attach twigs from pussywillows (before it flowers), and evergreen trees like yew, juniper and boxwood. The Palmbuschen is then decorated with pretzels, apples and coloured ribbons.  We even saw children carrying them decorated with colored Easter eggs.

After the Palmbuschen has been completed, people take it to a church so that it is blessed. They then take them around the fields, which are thought to bring good luck for harvests. People display their Palmbuschen in front of their houses or next to where they keep their crucifix in the house, which is meant to protect family against thunderstorms or disease. If a thunderstorm happens, they break a piece from the palmbuschen and burn it for protection.

We left Melk around 11:00 am and cruised the Wachau Valley all afternoon. The landscape here is vineyards and apricot orchards as well as forests. Many castles dot the coastline along the river, the most famous being the Schonbuhel. This is a fairly new castle and was built in 1820. It was like seeing Cinderella's castle at DisneyWorld, except this one was real.


Our ship arrived in Vienna late afternoon, and tomorrow we tour this beautiful Austrian capital.

Passau & Linz, Germany

April 16, 2011 - Our ship arrived Passau early this morning.  Passau is a border city and is the last city on the Danube before crossing into Austria.  Last night I had to watch "The Sound of Music" all the way through to get the feel and excitement of Austria (Charlie's note - four times).

We did a walking tour of Passau this morning through the cobblestone streets.  Our guide took us through alleyways and along some of the back streets.  We saw the Dom of St. Stephen, a beautiful Catholic church with the largest cathedral pipe organ in the world with over 17,000 pipes and 231 registers.  We saw a monastery across the Inn River with 321 steps leading up to this Baroque pilgrimage church.  The old city of Passau was destroyed by fires in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Today, Passau is a modern town and a historical city all rolled into one.

Passau is a city on three rivers - The Danube, the Inn and the Ilz - very much like Pittsburgh without the crying towels.  The Inn River is more brownish, the Ilz River is green from the minerals scraped by glaciers and the snow melt from the Alps, and the Danube is supposed to be blue, but is actually olive drab. 

We sailed mid-morning from this beautiful city to Linz in Austria.  Linz is the home of the Linzer Torte, one of Charlie's all-time favorite desserts.  Both Mozart and Beethoven composed symphonies while staying in this city.  Both of these composers were known to have had a sweet tooth, and perhaps it was the delicious linzer torte than gave them their inspiration.

Regensburg to Passau

April 15, 2011 - This has been a different river cruise because one of the locks that we needed to go through from Nuremberg to Regensburg was closed until yesterday.  So, this meant that we would go to Regensburg as our third stop instead of our second.  Regensburg was absolutely delightful.  Unlike Nuremberg which had over 90% of the city bombed during World War II, Regensburg had less than 7% bombed.  So, instead of newer buildings, the old Roman Empire remains of the wall around the city still remain.  Over 1300 of the buildings are considered of "historic interest", and for this reason, the entire Old City has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Charlie remembered that there had been a Messerschmitz factory right outside of Regensburg, and it had been bombed and decimated during the war. 

Until 1992, with the opening of the Main-Donau Canal, Regensburg was the end of the route for commerical ships on the Danube. 

This is another city to walk.  We saw the house the Napoleon occupied when he visited Regensburg as well as the Dom St. Peter, a Catholic cathedral that took 600 years to complete. 

As we were sailing from Regensburg, we saw a replica of the Parthenon high on a crest above the Danube.  Our guide explained that Ludwig I had commissioned this (Valhalla) and it was to be a Hall of Fame for the German Nation.

One thing that Regensburg is known for is the Wurstkuchl, which claimes to be the world's oldest "fried sausage kitchen".  At the end of our tour, there was sausage, sauerkraut and beer to sample.  We then, ended our day in Regensburg back on the ship with a beer tasting - four different types of Bavarian beer for four different breweries.

What a lovely way to end a day in Bavaria!!

Nuremberg - The Heart of Bavaria

April 14, 2011 - Our ship overnighted in Passau last night.  Early this morning, we took a motorcoach on a three hour trip to Nuremberg.  We went to the Dokumentation headquarters today where Hitler held his Nazi rallys and where he gave numerous speeches.  This is also the site of the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi war criminals.  There is just something eerie about this place.

This beautiful Bavarian town was bombed in World War II and over 90% of the town was destroyed.  But, the people of Nuremberg rebuilt it and today it is a shining star in Bavaria. 

We saw the home of Albrecht Durer, the Renaissance artist who painted "The Praying Hands".  Nuremberg was the center of medieval culture and was the heart of Renaissance art north of the Alps.  After a German lunch of sauerbraten and dumplings with apfel streudel for dessert, we wandered around the square and among the many outdoor stands of the Easter Market.  This is also the site of the world's largest Christmas market each year. 

One of the specialties of Nuremberg is their beer and their gingerbread.  Think I'll pass on trying the two of these together. 

Today was clear and sunny and in the high 50s.  Tomorrow we dock in Regensberg.  Our ship is slowly sailing up the Danube River right now, and when we opened the sliding glass door of our stateroom, the sound of the river gently lapping against the side of the ship is making both of us sleepy.  Good night, all!  More tomorrow from Regensberg.

Prague to Passau

April 13, 2011 - Left Prague at noon today for a 3.5 hour motorcoach trip to Passau.  We were scheduled to go to Nuremberg, but one of the locks we needed to go through is closed for repairs and won't open until tomorrow.  So, Plan B is now in effect. 

We had an uneventful trip through the mountains except for one little thing.  We ran into snow, and I don't mean a little snow, I mean a 3" snow going up a mountain on a two-lane road in a big ole motorcoach.  But, we made it just fine.

We are on the Avalon Tapestry, and this ship is wonderful - 160 passengers, a crew that is incredible, and a captain that kept us in stitches during his talk at our welcome reception.

Dinner tonight was like dinner on cruise ships 20 years ago - all elegance, six courses, wait staff all over us, incredible wine (included in the cruise fare), beautiful table settings.  Absolutely wonderful!!!

Tomorrow morning, we are off to Nuremberg and will cruise back to Passau in the afternoon.

 One thing I forgot to mention about Prague and the Czech Republic. Garnets are native to the area, and my hubby gave me the most beautiful garnet pendant in celebration of our 30th anniversary (which is actually July 4)!!! I think he may be a keeper.

Things We Never Expected to See in Prague

April 12, 2011 - You know, we live in Music City U.S.A.  It's not unusual to see Faith Hill and Tim McGraw or Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban in a restaurant or grocery store just like the rest of us.  So, why is it that when we are in Europe we are always surprised by some of the things we see.  Yesterday was one of those days.  We saw:

• the Presidential Guard Band parade through the Castle grounds completely catching our guide off-guard.
• a couple of groups of Czech students in concert in Old Town Square.
• a Futbol rally parade through Old Town complete with police escorts.
• the number of Museums all over the city
• The Mucha Museum of Art
• The Czech Glass Museum
• The Czech Toy Museum
• The Czech Music Museum
• The National Gallery that houses paintings by Durer, Rembrandt, Rubens and Goya
• The Jewish Museum, comprised of the Old Synagogue, the New Synagogue and the Jewish Cemetery
• The Wax Museum
• The Chocolate Museum (my friend, Linda, would love this place)
• The Torture Museum
• The Sex Machine Museum

Yep, you read that right, the Sex Machine Museum!!!  Although there was that slight moment when we both thought "Why not?", our conscience spoke to both of us and we passed on this one. 

You just never know what you'll come upon in a new city half-way around the world.

What I Learned about Prague

April 11, 2011
We will be cruising on Avalon Waterways Avalon Tapestry on Wednesday.  However, Avalon has housed us at the Hilton in Prague for three nights prior to our cruise.  The hotel is 1.1 miles from the Old Town Square, the heart of the city of Prague.  We went on a city sightseeing tour this morning and also got to the Prague Castle.  Here's some things we learned about Prague today:

• Breakfast at our hotel is 660 Koruna or $44 per person.  Thank goodness this is included in the price of our cruise.
• Prague is a very old city and dates from the 5th century. 
• The Czech Republic was a Slavic country. 
• Prague is made up of four towns - the castle district, the Lesser Quarter, the Old Town and the New Town (which was planned in the 14th century, so it's not really as new as it sounds). 
• Wenceslas III (of Good King Wenceslas fame) was not a king; he was a prince, and has a square named after him.
• St. Vitus has a cathedral named for him at the Prague Castle, but no one was dancing
• Prague is a city of liars - they have a faux Eiffel Tower and seven hills like Rome, which no one has ever confirmed.
• Prague is the home of Budweiser beer

• There is a cake called trdelnik that is a type of dough wrapped around a spindel and cooked on a spit over an open fire.  It's then rolled in a sugar and spice mixture, and almost tastes like a sour dough sweet bread.
• Prague has a population of 1.2 million, 75% of which are Catholic, but only 15% of those are practicing Catholics.
• There are two Jewish synagogues in Prague, and during the Holocaust, the Jews were buried sometimes 12 deep in the Jewish cemetery which dates back to the 15th century.
• Paris Street cuts through the Jewish area and now has lavish turn-of-the century buildings which replaced the small houses of the old Jewish ghetto.
• If you are playing Scrabble in Prague and have a lot of vowels, you can't win!!!

The Part I Hate about Traveling

April 9, 2011 - Our day started out easy enough.  The limo picked us up for the airport early.  Great start!!!  Got to the airport in Nashville 2 hours and 15 minutes before our scheduled departure.  Although we spent 450,000 frequent flier miles to fly busines class, we knew this was going to be worth it. 
Spent some time in the Delta Club Room and relaxed before we boarded our flight to Atlanta.  Scheduled departure was at 12:00 pm.  We were off the gate at 12:03 pm.  Great start!!
We were scheduled to arrive in Atlanta 58 minutes later with a 54 minute connection to the international terminal.  But, alas, fate was not on our side and we sat on the runway in Nashville for 50 minutes awaiting air traffic control to clear arrivals into Atlanta.  With that delay, we just knew we weren't going to make the second leg of our flight to JFK and then to Prague. However, our pilot put the pedal to the metal and got us there in 38 minutes. Got into the terminal in Atlanta and had 20 minutes to make our flight. 
Running through airports when I was young wasn't fun, and now it definitely isn't.  But, 10 minutes later and having to go from the A concourse to the E concourse, we made it.  But did our luggage???
Made it to JFK and made the connection to Prague with no problems.  The flight was uneventful, but thank goodness for seats that recline 45%.  We both got a "little" sleep.  Not much, but a little and arrived in Prague at 10:00 am on Sunday morning. 
When we finally cleared immigration and made our way to baggage claim, we held our breath.  Did our luggage make it??? 
It did!!!!!  Yeaaaaaaa!!!  Our vacation could now officially begin.  More tomorrow on Prague.

Outta Here!: Redbuds, Dogwoods and Blackberries

Outta Here!: Redbuds, Dogwoods and Blackberries: "I'm from the South. I was born and raised in Nashville, TN, the buckle on the Bible belt. I like my tea sweet, banana pudd..."

Redbuds, Dogwoods and Blackberries

I'm from the South.  I was born and raised in Nashville, TN, the buckle on the Bible belt.   I like my tea sweet, banana pudding with a huge meringue topping, meat and threes and cornbread dripping with butter or covered in gravy.

In Middle Tennessee, we have four distinct seasons.  We have snow in the winter.  Hot, hot, hot summers and colorful falls.  But our most beautiful season is when everything blooms in the spring.  And, when I say everything, I mean everything.  The first sign of spring is when the buttercups and tulips peak through the soil.   Warm, sunny days and lots of rain in the spring bring out the blossoms on the Bradford Pear trees - beautiful but stinky. 

But, alas, our warm weather will give way to a number of cold spells and short-lived winters, of sort, that will last two or three days.

We had rain yesterday and a cold front pushed through last night.  Our days of needing air-conditioning quickly turned to needing the heat this morning.  And, as we drove to church today, I saw the redbud trees in full bloom - our first mini-winter, Redbud Winter, has officially arrived in Middle Tennessee. 

Before the first of May, we will experience two more winters, one which will concur when the dogwood trees bloom near Easter and the third, Blackberry Winter, when the blackberry bushes bloom around the first of May.

It's good to live in the South with our redbud, dogwood and blackberry winters, slower way of talking and gentile way of life.  I wouldn't trade my upbringing here for anything.  And, I definitely wouldn't trade our Springtime to live anywhere else.