CHRISTMAS ALONG THE RHINE

January 2, 2014

 

 

Happy New Year dear ones. I wish you a heart and soul-fulfilling 2014!! Michael and I ushered in the New Year with pizza and a great movie...of course, I can't remember what it was, though!!  :) But I DO remember our riverboat trip along the mighty Rhine River. Rising in Switzerland, it flows along the border of France, through the historic heart of Germany and into Holland where it empties into the North Sea. We sailed through it all  on a small riverboat with about 80 other travelers.

 

To my dismay, there was no snow! The little villages and cities in these countries are sooo storybook with snow, but it was most enjoyable even without the white blanket!

We started out in Amsterdam, Holland, city of canals and connecting bridges that crisscross the city, bicycles , and very beautiful, distinctive, gabled architecture. Two words come to mind when I think of Amsterdam...canals and sex. There are many, many sex shops, sex museums and of course, the infamous Red Light District.  (There are also many well known art museums and the Anne Frank House to visit...we had done those on previous trips.)

 

 

Our ship was docked until very late. When we woke up, we were  in the Dutch countryside of  historic Kinderdijk, famous for its mid-18th century collection of 19 windmills...a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Interesting to actually go inside a working windmill and see how the family who lives in it manages...many levels and roomier than you'd think!

The Diker...note his traditional wooden shoes. He really does wear them!

Again, we sailed through the night and woke up in Cologne, Germany. Boasting the largest Gothic Cathedral in northern Europe...it's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Construction on this cathedral started in 1248 and was completed in 1880... amazing! 

 

 

 Cologne is famous, too, for its Brauhaus tradition...cafes where the house brew (always a variety of the well-loved KOLSCH beer) is served. Even Michael and I enjoyed the cafes...and we're not beer drinkers!! 

One of the things we most enjoyed throughout this entire trip were the Christmas Markets or Christkindlmarket in each town and every country we visited. Here, you find local handicrafts and local food and drink. Our favorites were the potato pancakes, pork/beef foot long hot dogs, roasted chestnuts  and of course, the hot mulled wine. Cologne,   was no exception, but their markets were unbearably crowded!! Perhaps it was because we were there on the weekend.

 

 

We spent a good part of the next day sailing to Rudesheim, Germany,  on the beautiful Rhine, enjoying the sights along the way...

and a fun late afternoon, walking the cobblestone streets to Rudesheim's market and a  local restaurant for dinner. It was a rowdy evening...

 

Next stop...Heidelberg, Germany. We visited the majestic ruins of Heidelberg Castle. Built during the early 13th century, it was the setting for the opera, THE STUDENT PRINCE. A beautiful place... and the views from it were spectacular!



 

 

France...Strasbourg, specifically, was our next port of call. A large, multicultural city, we enjoyed walking and observing...and eating at the Christmas market!!

Strasbourg Cathedral and its amazing clock!

Note the street lights are chandeliers!!

Ultra-modern European Parliament building

Beautiful Renaissance housing along one of the many canals.

Place de la Republic...MOTHER STRASBOURG, mourning her losses

Whew! That's enough for this posting...lots to digest and lots of photos to see! I'll finish my trip report when we'll head to Germany's Black Forest, Colmar (the home of the sculptor of our Statue of Liberty,) and finally, Lucerne, Switzerland.

 

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a fun-filled yet relaxing weekend. I hope to see you for the rest...

 

Hugs and love,

abbyj



 

 





ARTFUL READING CLUB

December 27, 2013

THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton

 

 

 

I'm sad to realize that this is my last "official" entry in Darcy's Art and Sole: Artful Reader's Club. It's been a year of reading, reviewing and producing  art pieces inspired by the books I've read. I, for one, plan to continue my monthly book review and inspired art whether or not Darcy continues to challenge us on her blog. I hope you'll continue to join me on my blog.

This month's book was a biggie, but worth the time. THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton started with a letter...one that had been lost for a very long time... received by Edie Burchill's mother, Meredith. This is the catalyst for a mystery that pulls Edie to Milderhurst Castle outside of London, in Kent. Her mother spent the summer at Milderhurst as an evacuee from the air raids in London during WWII, but is now reluctant to talk about the time. In this engrossing read full of family secrets and betrayal...equal parts mystery and historical fiction...the novel swings back and forth in time as a young woman living in the early 1990's, Edie Burchill, researches her mother's past experience and her stay at the Castle, a property literally mired in secrets.

The castle is still inhabited by the sisters Blythe...now very elderly ladies...twins Percy and Saffy and their younger sister, Juniper, who has never recovered from being abandoned by her fiancée during the war. The contemporary and historical narratives combine to aid Edie in unraveling the mysteries surrounding her mother's past and that of the eccentric sisters. But of course, there are many twists and turns before we learn the bitter truth.

Milderhurst Castle dominates this tale with its imposing architecture...it's a living, breathing creature filled with the echoes and voices of previous inhabitants from those distant hours...and it inevitably weaves a spell over those who enter its doors (literally and figuratively!) The characters are very well developed and engaging, plus we have all the usual Gothic elements of mystery, gloom and menace. For me, THE DISTANT HOURS was a perfect book...perhaps it will be for you, too.

 

Have a Happy New Year...wishing you the best of everything in 2014!

 

Until soon,

Hugs,

abbyj







HAPPY HOLIDAYS

December 23, 2013

 

 

 

Wishing you all a magical holiday season filled with joy and love that continues throughout the year! I'm grateful for each and every one of you...who you are and who you are to me!

 

 

Holiday Hugs and Always Love,

abbyj

THANKSGIVING in NYC

December 6,2013

Hardly representative of all the marvelous food we had with our Brooklyn cousins, here's Patrick carving the turkey: 2 turkeys, many, many trimmings and a wide variety of desserts, not to mention all the mouth watering hors d'oeuvres to feed 28 souls... all eating and giving thanks...it was a PARTY!! This seems to have set the tone for our eating habits throughout our stay in New York City...we lived and ate LARGE!!

We drove a good part of our trip in the pouring rain...over the bridge and into the city.



The view from our room (on the 42nd floor) in mid-town didn't provide us with much of a view... but we didn't spend much time in the room.

Although it was windy and raining when we arrived, we were prepared for it and we went out and walked anyway! (The rest of our visit brought beautiful, sunny days!)

We passed by a GODIVA Chocolate shoppe where a very happy young man was whipping up some of their delicious confection...

   

Saw the beautiful Chrysler building in all its Art Deco glory, a NYC icon from the late 1920's... and the beautiful, and  equally iconic French Building from the same era...

Of course, we had many opportunities to take the Subway...hands down, the easiest and fastest way to beat the traffic and get where you're going in a timely manner...a good chance to people-watch and sometimes to catch some good entertainment!

The people who combine their sounds of drumming, strumming and singing with the screeching of trains are called buskers and they have one of the toughest gigs in show business...trying to get some attention and hopefully some tips from more than 5 million daily commuters who are famous for their "get-out-of-my-face attitudes!!

We braved the Macy's Annual (since 1924) Thanksgiving Day Parade in 30 degree (F) weather and got some great viewing in. Here's a poster I made for the last guest in the parade...Santa! This year's theme was BELIEVE!

Rockefeller Center had a few ice skaters,

while  all the shoppes in the area were spectacular...FIFTH AVENUE with Saks Fifth Avenue showing its best, most creative Christmas as they flashed the story of the Yeti (Abominable Snowman) on the side of the building and in their animated windows...

 

Look at this window display in the LEGO store on the walkway leading into Rockefeller Center...

 Of  course, Atlas continued to stand bravely by, overlooking the area!

 

There were gorgeous holiday displays in stores,  windows, buildings and along the streets wherever we walked ...like these!

 

The alive excitement of mid-town...

 

Actually this last photo of the bird man I took at Washington Square Park down near New York University (NYU!)

We grabbed the opportunity to see a Broadway  show ...NEWSIES. It's a musical about the Newsboys strike of 1899  in New York City...a youth-led campaign to force change in the way Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst's newspapers compensated their child labor force. It was an evening filled with marvelous singing and incredible dancing!!

Our mood changed with a somber visit to the 9/11 MEMORIAL. It was beautiful and very touching. We joined a large crowd of viewers late in the afternoon, but ended up seeing the memorial in the dark ...very dramatic and effective. The construction of the site continues to develop and grow.

Finally, the reason for our trip...our Michelle  performed at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall with her choir in a concert of Handel's MESSIAH! Her Canadian choir, Tempus Choral Society, was invited to perform, joining a few American choirs...a total of about 400 voices. The sound fed our hearts and souls...a combination of pride and a real appreciation for the artistry of Handel!!

 

 I hope you've enjoyed this rather lengthy jog through our few days in New York City. It was a time that appealed to all our senses...and our hearts.  We were grateful for the chance to spend such a special time together; filled with pride for our daughter; our stomachs were filled with tooo much good food and we were infused with the warmth, love and spirit of the season. Wishing you that same love, warmth and love for the season...for always.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!

 

Big Holiday Hugs,

Abby