Personal Story No. 3 - My First Family Vacation

For years I used to complain to my dad that he had taken the boys on vacation and I had never had one, ever.  As I got older I may have reduced the amount of times I hinted at my impoverished childhood lacking a vacation but one day to my incredible surprise Dad said he would take me on a one day vacation.  Really?  What would this entail?

I had already graduated from university and we were living in Calgary at the time when Dad decided that we should go on a vacation.  At the last minute my middle brother was invited along on the road trip.  We drove south, we just kept on going and as I was completely illiterate on possible destinations I paid no attention to where we were going.  At some point we must have turned westward because suddenly we were in hilly, tree lined areas.  We began to notice signs that read “Texas gate ahead” but we never saw any gates so wondered out loud how old the signs were.  Once we came upon a sign that said “Pekisko” which was supposed to be a village.  There were exactly three buildings there, a church, a house and what was once a post office.  It was a genuine ghost town.

Eventually we came to “Cartwright’s Ranch” which turned out to be of some historical interest as it used to be owned by the Prince of Wales (a.k.a. Edward VIII) back around 1920.  We ended up eating our lunch there on a stone picnic table that was nestled under a huge tree.  We didn’t know if we were trespassing or not but there was not a soul around so we enjoyed ourselves.  Once lunch was eaten we headed back to Calgary by way of back country roads (I think my dad was lost).

Today I know this area like the back of my hand as we were in the Nanton, Okotoks, Turner Valley area but back then it was just “country”.  Little did I know that my “vacation” would turn into a “vocation” in only a couple of years.

Back Home in Canada

As my readers know, I very much enjoy travelling to different countries and experiencing what foreign parts have to offer but for the first time in my travels I felt extraordinarily anxious to return to Canada.  I had some very enjoyable experiences in both Poland and Denmark, enjoying the countries and also having a wonderful time with my family and friends.  However the whole time I was in Europe I had a very unsettled feeling which was caused by the almost ceaseless news reports of what they call “the migration crisis” in Europe.

It didn’t matter what channel I was on, Danish, British, Swedish or German, the news was constantly focused on the hundreds of thousands of refugees flooding into Europe, the pictures were graphic.  They are coming from every direction, from Africa, the Middle East as well as places like Bosnia, Serbia and other eastern European countries.  There were “mini documentaries” on the paths of migration that the people were taking and on their reactions when they were stopped at borders.  The refugees were confused, outraged, angry, upset and desperate. 

Only part of the other side of the story was told, how the countries are ill prepared to take in the overwhelming numbers of refugees, legitimate or not.  Almost nothing was said of the wars raging in the countries they are fleeing from.  But there were some bits about the “people smugglers” and how many bodies were found along the roads to freedom.

The situation is critical and I do not pretend for a moment to think that I have any answers at all.  All I did know was that I had a sense that things were only going to get worse and that it was a good idea to be home where I understood the situation better.

Really?  I came home to a country half way through the politicking of a federal election and it is a little like déjà vu from the last time I returned from Denmark.  Our prime minister is still throwing out a lot of half-truths (to be polite) and the media doesn’t seem to know if they are on board or not.  Which way does the wind blow today?

Ah, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

Round and about Denmark

My time here in Denmark has been a whirlwind of family exchange (I am the package) but at the same time the family is taking me on site tours along the way!

Denmark hasn't had a great summer in the way of weather, the family tells me, but you sure cannot tell from the lushness of lawns, the green trees, rolling hills and blooming roses and other flowers in their gardens!  Denmark simply is a beautiful country.  There isn't the same hustle and bustle or building going on in Denmark that I saw in Poland and certainly not the "newness".  In fact in some ways it appears Denmark is starting to look a little worn and not enough care taken of its buildings (the roads are still great).  I see contrasts with Poland but also similarity in the love of bright colour on houses (mustard yellow and a kind of orange).

I have visited the small harbour town of Nibe which in the distant past some of my family came from.  I've visited other coastal towns and some harbours look bustling and busy while others appeared very qu iet.  Summer holidays are over from mid-August with children back in school and adults back at work so the sailing ships and yachts were docked.  Harbour restaurants are empty so we certainly had the pick of tables where I confess, I made a pig of myself eating wonderful fresh fish sandwiches and delicacies.  There's nothing like a good, fresh fish!

I've seen a fantastic Marineland called Oceania in north Jutland and I have visited the town of Blokhus to see the H.C. Andersen Sand Sculptures which were simply amazing!  Here in Aarhus where I am currently visiting family I have already seen a Viking museum (small) and then "old Aarhus" which is similar to the Heritage Park we have in Calgary.  It's many, many buildings reconstucted from different centuries in Denmark- from the 1600's to 1974.  Remarkable.  Many times I had a sense of deja vu to centuries back, a feeling both delightful and a little eery.  We had our lunch there, made from authentic recipes from the late19th century, and the flavours were simply wonderful.

You could say that  I am enjoying myself.

Summing up "Lesser Poland"

The title implies that I can sum up southern Poland in a short blog and a 10 day visit which is absurd.  However I can give you some highlights of what I have seen and been impressed by.

The scenery is very lovely, with many areas of old woodlands, green rolling hills, small plots of farmland seeded to various crops which one assumes is by rotation, and mountain  areas in the distance.  The roads are most often new and without a single pothole even attempting to form.  The towns and cities are full of new and modern buildings while there are plenty of magnificent, old churches in excellent condition.  The people are remarkably friendly although few speak English except for the younger generation but even so many in the service industry within the shopping malls do not speak English.  I also notice that there are very few overweight people and I have not seen one person you would call "obese" despite a lot of fast food chains like MacDonalds and KFC around.

I managed several tours like Auschwitz, the Salt Mines, Paradise Caves and  several churches as well as markets and malls.  Shopping is very reasonable, while the food and accommodations are very reasonably priced, even cheap. 

There is a lot more to see not only in this part of Poland but the other districts as well so I would not say Farewell to Poland but only au revoir!

Weather Report

In a word- hot.

I reflect on Mark Twain's little story about the weather but as it is part of the modern human intercourse to not only talk about the weather  but to constantly complain about it I shall continue my monologue.  Yesterday I innocently followed my friend  out the door on a market expedition little knowing that the thermostat was shooting up to 40 degrees centigrade. I do not recall ever being in such strong heat before, not even when  I was in Cuba  or Ecuador.  It is not particularly humid, this heat, until after the rain but you are not guarantee a cooling rain every day.

My friend says this is an unusually hot summer and lucky for me both the car and the apartment is air conditioned or I would be in deep trouble.  The band of heat is across this latitude of Europe but does not extend up into Denmark which is experiencing a cool summer.  My hope is that the contrast in the weather won't cause me to end up with a cold!

But hey, who needs to worry when one is not only on vacation but RETIRED.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

It is difficult to approach this experience because you cannot really use the term "I enjoyed it" and yet I found it an extremely interesting tour. The guide spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the camp.

I would say that if you are unfamiliar with all aspects of the Holocaust then this could be a very traumatic experience and as it was I told myself when I went to bed "don't think about any of it" which I managed to do so I slept well.

Nevertheless the tour was a profound experience.  My purpose at this writing is not to describe what I saw but rather what I felt.  Every time we entered an area I thought about what the prisoners were experiencing and while I stood there dripping sweat until I thought I was going to melt into the ground I kept reminding myself "this is nothing compared to what these people went through, you can go through 2 hours of this".  It is hard to ever again feel self pity when you realize that some of the people actually survived the horror and lived for years after wards and one can only wonder that they remained to live sane, useful and maybe even happy lives.

I cannot and never will understand how such depravity as existed under the Nazi regime is possible.  I don't know how much fear-mongering was needed to make the people complicit in these crimes, even by just ignoring them.  But in the words of Santayana "if we do not learn and remember out mistakes from history, we are destined to repeat them". (paraphrase)

Never again.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Yesterday we went to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum but since I am writing on the fly I will leave that experience for tomorrow.

Today we went to the salt mines and let me just say that it was more than just salt from the mines since salt was dripping from my brow.  Another day of 35C temperatures!  They "warned" us that it would be between 14 to 16C in the mines and we whispered "please God".

Let me say that the experience in these mines is remarkable.  Aside from the mind blowing experience of the British Museum this has been the most impressive museum I have ever seen.  The various chambers are virtually works of art,carved out of the salt, they are amazing and well worth the trip down under. One of the things that I have been noticing more and more on trip here in Poland is how artistic and creative the Polish people are as well as attention to details.  I have always been led to believe that the Danes make the most impressive workmanship in the whole world but I very much think the Poles have them beat!  The carvings in this salt mine are proof of that!

One of the things that I am struggling with is the difference of Polish to other languages that I know and I really believe I am missing out on a lot by not being able to read Polish.  I had thought I would bone up on Polish history so I read James Mitchener's "Poland" last winter and while he had done some meticulous research it only scratches the surface of this amazing and complex country.

I want to recommend to my readers - if  you get  a chance to come to this country, you should definitely do it!

Day 3 in Poland

So here I  a m in a very hot, sunny Poland cooling off in our beautiful hotel (which I would rate as 5 Star) after a very full day of shopping in the open market in Nowy Targ (New Market).  We had done a pretty thorough job of it in Zankopane ye sterday (a full 8 hours)  so I am pretty sure I have a good  understanding of how to say thank you in Polish ( jenquia).

I was surprised that there were so many trees in Poland; for some reason I thought because the country was so old that all the forests would have been chopped down.  When I arrived in Poland I landed at Krakow airport and the terrain around it was gentle, rolling hills.  The following day when we drove to Zankopane it became more mountainous although not as majestic as the Rockies.  The town of Zankopane is for tourists, much like Banff insofar as it caters to tourists but they have a huge open market with excellent paved roads that are made for pedestrians only. 

I enjoyed the native cheese specialty made of lamb  & goat milk, served hot.  Later I tasted their Whiskey flavoured ice cream which I can recommend highly.  Prices of everything is very reasonable and food is especially cheap but very good.  I have been enjoying traditional Polish meals and am pleasantly surprised at how much I am enjoying the flavours.  Portions are very large so one must be cautious not to order too many side dishes unless you are prepared to not fit into your new clothes!

Tomorrow we travel to Auschwitz and I expect it will be a very powerful experience.

More then! Meanwhile, I think I need a siesta!

Hello Vacation

I'm now writing on the fly, sitting here not so patiently waiting for my brother to pick me up to take me to the airport. 

Yes, the long awaited trip to Poland begins today with a direct flight to Frankfurt and then on to Krakow where my good friend will meet me.  I have been busy all this week talking with both her and my relatives in Denmark and I practically have the month of August laid out hour by hour!  Oh to be so popular.

I spent a wonderful evening with my nephew and mother, chatting over a good meal, excellent wine from my trip to Blind Bay and later we watched the fireworks explode in town.  My nephew is off on his own year adventure in another 10 days so it was lovely to spend my last night at home with him.

Now for the anxiety.  Have you every checked your passport over and over again to ensure that it won't expire while you are travelling?  Have you checked, double checked and triple checked your ticket to ensure you know what airplane you are flying on?  I'm sure you have.  But have you dreamed over and over again scenarios where you can't get on the plane, where relatives are waiting for you "on the other side" but you can't even hear them much less reach them?  Even when I am not planning a trip I have these sorts of nightmares and I wonder why that is because I have actually never had an episode of not getting to the plane on time or not having my passport with me!

Let's not even think about all the duties that I leave behind.  Let's not worry that Mom or John won't read the long list of directions.  Let's not worry about the will.  Let's not worry. Period.

Let's just think about the great month that lies ahead.  I will blog as time permits about my adventures in Poland, Denmark and where the paths lead me.

Anticipating Some Kind of Wonderful

Is there anything better than planning a wonderful vacation?  As much as one may enjoy the home life it is always nice to have a special getaway time whether it is for a weekend or an extended period of time.

First there is the method of planning where to go after which you look at all the things that are possible in that place.  Then of course you get down to the ordering of tickets, hotels and so forth.  Then the waiting begins.  Slowly the waiting turns to anticipation and pretty soon the day arrives, butterflies in the stomach as you make the trek to the airport, wait, wait and more waiting for the plane, the boarding and whip, you are off into the deep blue sky.  For a few hours you can relax with your book but then the dread of luggage, customs and perhaps switching of planes hangs over one’s head.  For some people these little glitches of anxiety along the path of vacation may not exist but I come from a long line of worriers.  Until I am lying on the beach, or unpacking in my hotel room, I worry.  Sometimes I even have nightmares about being stuck in an airport because I don’t have my passport.  In fact, I have had a recurring dream for years that I am stuck and trying to talk my way out of consequences.   I hate just thinking about it!

But from a distance of three weeks before takeoff all I am really thinking about is how great it will be to see new things, experience new things and greet old friends and family.  Details are complete, a few things to purchase but nothing major and I can breathe.  I can relax.  I can anticipate.

And that is some kind of wonderful.

Further Adventures in Hawaii

Observations about Americans - they don't like to walk.  Their concept of "far" is walking more than 3 blocks.  They love to eat.  A :lunch" portion is the size of Manhattan.  I would hate to see what the regular size portion is like.  And they wonder why they have an obesity problem in the United States?  They don't have a problem with shysters.  Every corner on the Waikiki strip has tour hucksters who try to con you into something that "isn't a time share" (but it is).  

Americans are very friendly towards their "guests" or tourists as we Canadians call ourselves.  They are much better at being servers than Canadians.  Whether they are a cashier, waitress, concierge, if they are in the service industry they are remarkably friendly and helpful.  In Canada those who expedite or serve us are reluctant, arrogant and basically have the attitude that they are as good as the customer.  Yes, they are, but at the moment when I am the customer and you are the service person, you ought to give me good service, with a smile.  I don't want to see a sour face or reluctance.  Americans are good at covering up that side.  Kudos to them.

And I must apologies, I thought Americans didn't read because there are no bookstores in the malls.  But today we finally found one!  Persistence.  6 cities and we finally found one.

Back to Normal

My grandfather had a saying “ud er godt men hjem er bedst” (out is good but home is best) and as much as I enjoy travelling I enjoy winding down after the trip before I go back to normal.

       What is normal?  I’ve been working on finding more meaning in the day to day living which I hope has been apparent in my blogs.  I find myself dreading the return to work, to the humdrum and then I give myself a little shake in order to find the ordinary interesting.  It’s the case of trying to find a surprise in daily living, in observing the people around you and enjoying the quiet moments in those observations.  In the grocery store this morning I noticed three guys chatting it up in the store and then heading off in separate vehicles and I wondered if they were going to The Game or if they were going their own way after meeting up by accident.  While filling up with gas I chatted it up with the owner as he explained the huge jump in gas prices on Thursday afternoon.  It’s nice to know that he was looking out for his customers in holding the price down an extra day (even though I had a shock, I left last Saturday when the price was $1.13 and filled up today at $1.21, good grief).

       Taking my walk after lunch I enjoyed the changing colour of the trees and avoided thoughts of the coming winter and then suddenly I heard the stamp of hooves.  I began whistling to warn away the deer which worked as I saw it run just south of me.  Back in the yard I picked up a bunch of fallen branches from the mighty windstorm early this week and first thought about Little House on the Prairie and then about global warming.  We are living in an ever changing world and the wonder is that we don’t wonder enough about it!

       Life is good, even when ordinary.

Green Spaces

I am amazed at all the green in mid-September.  By now the prairies are that famous dull yellow brown colour while here there are still daylilies in first bloom.  The weather has been a sultry 28 to 30 and even at Niagara Falls yesterday the thermometer hit 34 in the shade.  The trees don't yet even have a hint of fading to yellow, orange or red.  Yet there is a stillness about the countryside. No children are frolicking on lawns or in the fields, they are all in school.  Instead the seniors are out in droves, they are headed to the casino.

                This has been my first (and I'm certain my last) experience of a casino.  I am dazed by the vastness, by the lights and the noise of machines whirring.  People sit in front of the lights and as I look at the pictures I wonder "can anyone be this serious about this childish looking stuff?"  But they are, they really are.  I sit down because Jeanette makes me.  She says "try this one."  It's I Love Lucy.  I have no idea what I am doing, just press the button.  Now what?  Press it again. But what am I doing? Isn't there some sort of challenge, something to make this complex?  No, just press the button.  I win $3 and cash out. 

                However, after that I put $10 in another machine.  I lose it all. We go for a scenic walk and take pictures of the Falls.  Still, we have 2 1/2 hours to kill.  We go back to the casino. I lose, I win, I lose.  I think about Barbara Stanwyck in "The Lady Gambles" and I am not so quietly freaking out.  Jeanette thinks I am hilarious, I think I am a fool.  Worse, could I become an addict in the hopes of recovering the lousy $30?  Then I say, well, I only lost $27 because I still have the $3 from the first win.  $27 doesn't sound as horrifying as $30.  Oh the logic of it all.  I can see how addiction starts.

                No more casinos for me!

Ontario Vacation

2012 Ontario Vacation

I'm reconnecting with my childhood memories and my childlike mind as we drive around Southern Ontario.  As I note the stone farmhouses and the dying cornfields I think about my family's Sunday drives where my sister and brother and I would sing out "hup hester,hup hester i lange lasser" (translated, ponies, ponies, in long streams - kinda loses something in the translation, I know).  We were crazy about horses and longed to ride on one.  My father was good at explaining the reasons why we couldn't have things and while you nodded your head in agreement acknowledging the good sense of it all inside you'd be saying "but I still want it".  Many years later my brother John told us the story of his horse.

                His horse?

                Often John would go with Dad to work on Saturdays to keep him company and at this time Dad was running his own canning company in Toronto.  It was a long drive from Burlington and often there would be traffic jams, even on a Saturday.  John was maybe 7 or 8 at the time when this particular story happened.  John has questioned him once again about why we couldn't have a horse and I guess Dad must have seen how serious and longing he looked.  So he began this father talk differently.

                "Well, Ole, I did buy a horse for you." and he paused as John looked up at him expectantly "but these days there aren't very many horses around" another pause as they moved forward a bit in the traffic "see that horse just there" and he pointed down to a traffic cop on a horse "well, I had to lend the horse to the police because there just wasn't enough to go around". John looked at the horse and felt very impressed that his horse was being ridden by a policeman.

                When John told the story we laughed, it was just like Dad to tell a story like that - and it was just like us to totally believe him.  I look out the window and point to the horses "hup hester"

Jetting to Romanceville

I’m up, packed and ready to take the long trek to the airport and then whoosh, landing in Kitchener, Ontario for a week of fun and games with my sister!  For the first time in my life I packed at the last minute but definitely not lighter than at any other time in my travelling career.

       I am not sure what compels a woman to pack her life in her suitcase but I have yet to meet the woman who doesn’t overpack.  In our hearts we know we are going to be wearing our favorite jeans and rattiest t-shirt (well perhaps a nicer t-shirt) and it’s almost certain we will not don a dress or the high heels that are squeezed into the corners of the luggage.  But we do it anyway.  I think perhaps we expect our little adventure to turn into a romantic comedy, you know, like Meg Ryan in “French Kiss”.  Oh yeah, to be swept into vineyards with a romantic care-for-nobody like Kevin Klein  . . . ok, ok, I am stretching it a little.  How about that gorgeous hunk of yore, William Smith?  Ah huh.

       The exciting thing about a vacation, however, is what YOU make of it.  In the end, I am never disappointed because I have a great sense of humour and can make a story out of anything.  Or so I fondly remind myself.  And so I pack the jewelry, the evening bag, the heels and the glitz because somewhere out there, there is a story that’s going to be told, if not lived.

       Harlequin Romance, here I come!

Sabbatical

I had a true vacation while I was visiting my friend in Blind Bay, B.C.; no television, no internet, no distractions other than the ones we made for ourselves.  The weather was not as nice as former visit but we made the most of it, snatching quiet time on the deck in between the showers that visited upon us.  Rose and I nestled down in our lawn chairs with our books, tucked a blanket around our legs and just read and read and read.  Perhaps sipped once or twice on our glass of wine, sighed as we looked out at the gorgeous view of Blind Bay and then went back to our book.

      The garden centres were as lovely as ever, the big deal this year in petunias is the black one with the yellow or pink stripe.  And this year I brought home a gorgeous rose bush for my mother which we have decided will go into a big pot rather than the ground.  The challenge will be to see if we can winter it any better than we can the miniature tea roses (not at all successful there).  It’s a case of try, try, try again.  As I wandered in and out amongst the plants I thought that it was impossible to have angry or bitter feelings while you were there.  I’m thinking it would be a wonderful place to work if you wanted tranquility.  After all, how many people go into a garden centre feeling nasty or mean and would perhaps abuse as an employee there?  I would be shocked to think anyone would.

      On our last day we visited our favorite wineries and again; how can you be miserable after a sip or two of wine?  My friend told me that in Ontario the wineries charge for every taste of wine which greatly surprised us as that doesn’t seem to be a good way to make sales.  Only one of the wineries she visited there deducted the cost of the tasting from any purchase made; at least that is a good sales pitch.  All I can say is that all 4 wineries that we visit enjoy our full patronage as we never leave empty handed!

      Reflecting back on my visit I feel the same sense as past years that I have really given myself a chance to wind down and simply enjoy the senses.  I feasted my eyes, ears, nose, mouth and sense of touch in the beautiful views, the gardens, the flowers, fruits and wines of British Columbia.  Everyone should have that girlfriend time when you simply appreciate the good things of life with good friends who can laugh with you, not at you.  I am blessed.

Sleepless Nights

One of the hard things about travelling is the sleepless nights before the trip and often during the trip.  Usually I can fall asleep almost before my head hits the pillow but as the time approaches to leave I find myself getting anxious about what I may forget (like my passport), whether there will be an accident on Deerfoot as we head to the airport, currently, will there be more wildcat strikes to delay us or ground us.  And on top of that, where do I park my car, what cab company do I use, will the flight be cancelled while I am enroute.  I have a headache already, thinking about what may go wrong.

        That’s the trouble with having “long sight,” we anticipate more than what could ever possibly go wrong unless your name is Martin Short in “Pure Luck” mode.  The good part about it is being able to fantasize about what could be great in one’s life.  I can envision winning the 6/49 lottery one of these days and all the good things that would transpire with that happening.

        The curious thing about Facebook or the Google blogger is that whenever I write about certain things the advertising on my Facebook changes.  I expect to see “lottery” stuff now that I am launching this blog.  If I write about NYC I suddenly have a lot of New York stuff on the advertising page.  If it’s about diet . . . you get the drift.  Apparently these systems have a mechanism to catch phrases that will linkup to advertising.  Imagine what else these things link up to. Big Brother is watching.  It is kind of a creepy, I have to admit.  Whenever I write about political items I expect to have someone come knocking at my door, or worse, not knock and just barge in, rough me up and send me to jail without due process.  Fortunately so far I haven’t said anything too wild to bring them calling but you just never know.  As I say, creepy.

        I didn’t get much sleep last night so if this is a little disconnected there is a valid reason for it; and no, I am not paranoid.  Weird stuff does happen but somehow the Universe seems to have protected me from the worst of it.

I'm Leaving . . . on a Jet Plane (I Hope)

I’m scheduled to head off to NYC mid-week and while I haul out my suitcase(s) I worry about whether I will leave on time, that my luggage will arrive with me and after that all I need worry about is whether I will be able to get everything in my suitcase that I buy and will it get back with me.  My one solution that is within my control is to put all my best buys in my hand luggage and pray for the rest.

       Yes, I am going back to the Big Apple and am really excited to spend an extra day there simply site seeing with my friend.  There is so much to see so we have decided that for our first venture we will do the hop-on hop-off bus tour and we will take a trek down Museum Mile.  I don’t think we will have a chance to see much more than that and we want to leave space for impulse touring.  I’ve noticed if you plan too much in advance you only get frustrated, what was it Michael J. Fox said in The American President, his plans are “soft”.  That’s us, our plans are elastic.  Our one big commitment is going to Broadway to see “Wicked” which I am sure will be a thrill of a lifetime for me.

       When I was a teenager I dreamed about going to NYC to live, as did most young girls then and now.  To finally be going back to NYC makes me feel very sophisticated.  I honestly think that everyone should experience NYC at least once.  I still cannot get over how clean it was, how friendly the people were and how fabulous everything looked.  It had style.  It had action.  It had EVERYTHING.

       Everything but a Danish bakery.

My mother the Storyteller

Mom called me from Ontario yesterday to ensure that her house was still standing.  What was I going to do if it wasn’t?  Did she think I would tell her the truth if it had flown to Saskatchewan?  Fortunately all is intact and she can cheerful enjoy her travel time. 

            My mother has never been much of a traveller, even when she was a child she preferred to stay home with her parents.  The only place she felt somewhat comfortable was with her Moster (aunt) Olivia.  My mother often told stories of the “lyst hus” (summer cottage) that her aunt and uncle had at Bangsbostrand.  Here in North America the closest resemblance would be a gazebo though in reality my aunt’s was more of a shack at the back of the yard.  Here her aunt would sit in the summer time and sew or knit then later she would bring out the coffee or tea on a tray with the famous Danish pastry or cookies for afternoon tea.  Listening to my mother tell the story made me think of fairy land just like her stories about her own back yard made me think of the Garden of Eden.  The way she told the story about how she would pluck a fresh pear or apple from the tree, take a bite and have the juices run down her arm would be so visual I almost had to wipe my own arm off!

            My father was counted the master conversationalist in our family, he made the most mundane things funny and interesting but my mother could hold us enthral when she would slowly tell us, in minute detail, her dreams.  She was terrific at describing every detail so that I would be convinced I had had the same dream.  I remember one dream in particular was so macabre they ought to make a movie about it.  She dreamed that she was in a terrifying house with evil spirits in every corner.   Then suddenly she came in to a room where there was a pile of grey wool.  Ever so slow the wool started to move, then it began a slow and evil kind of dance, then it was bouncing and jiving around until it formed the shape of a man, then it became two, and then three men.  But all of them were grinning and leering like lunatics and still tied together by the wool. 

            “And then what happened?”  I asked

            “I woke up.”

            And that was the scariest part of the story because now I was left to imagine the worst!

On the Fly

This is being written rapidly at the airport because we have a limit of 45 minutes free wifi. But so much better than Calgary, Dallas or Miami who wanted to charge an arm and a leg. Come on, don't we pay enough without having to pay for communication?

Loved our trip and I hope we are bringing this 26 degree weather home with us.

We enjoyed coffee and croissants at Union Square this morning after paying our Macy's account - which was pleasantly low (helps when you pay as you go - why do they even give us credit, so called?) and felt proud that we had not overspent! What good shoppers we are. Barbara is a professional, looking for the best prices and best quality. It is easy and fun to shop with her. We will have to do it again.

Next trip? Could it be Poland? Kula Lampur? Paris? Hmmmmmmm Let me think for 6 months until I accumulate more vacation time! I will find a plan, I am sure. I do love to travel. Especially when the places speak English. International Language of Shoppers. :)