Mons, Belgium: 7 August 2016
Day 38


What a day!  Lorayne was supposed to read at church this morning, but Eileen's car was parked behind her's and she thought she couldn't get out.  She didn't know the keys were in the car.  What's a girl to do?  She started preparing our eggs Benedict breakfast.  Justin and I popped the cork on the bottle of Taittinger champagne we bought in Reims at Memorial Day.  Purchased for the sole purpose of celebrating our retirement, it was perfect to be able to celebrate with Lorayne.  Ken and Eileen joined us shortly for a long, liquid     brunch.  ( Funny how Lorayne and I have tended to do this over the years.)

We tried to pack and sort through our "stuff" during the afternoon.  (This task seemed especially difficult as we just needed to talk and then we needed to take a nap.)  We would be travelling by train from Mons to Kaiserslautern which meant we needed to consolidate and lessen the load.  Justin did a bit of grooming with Gemma before we headed back to Ken and Eileen's for a dinner of Chile Verde.  I need to get Ken's recipe!

Mons, Belgium: 6 August 2016
Day 37

Justin, Eileen and I had breakfast on the street in a little Parisienne cafe and then on to the D'Orsay.  Along the way, Eileen pointed out the most narrow house in Paris at 22 Rue Saint Severin.  It is home to a pizza shop now but you can easily see how, in days gone by, it was important to take advantage of all available space. 

 We then made a stop at Sainte-Chapelle.  Eileen saw that there were no lines so we headed there quickly...fabulous stained glass makes up almost all the walls in this church that was built in 1226 to 1270.  Initially designed to hold holy relics, the small building is actually two chapels on top of each other.  The spectacular stained glass survived the French Revolution surprisingly.  Eileen is used to being the leader when she goes to Paris with friends.  It was easy for me to take a back seat and follow along like a lemming just absorbing all the sights in the city.

Then on to the D'Orsay.  Again, we were surprised to see no lines.  Later we learned that tourism is down 70% in Paris now.  That meant fewer crowds as we roamed through the halls in the museum.  Justin is all about the Impressionists.  The collection in the Chicago Art institute is second only to the D'Orsay.  He was quite pleased to be able to jump in with both feet and soak up all the art.  And here we got to see Starry Starry Night up close and personally!  We were able to revisit favorites of Monet and Callibotte from earlier this summer as well as VanGough from Amsterdam.  Justin and I are both taken with Degas and we contemplated buying a print of "Dancers in Blue".  We have so much art work and not enough walls, but we don't have much that we have bought together.  We passed on the urge knowing that the purchase would remain in a tube in storage for the next several years.  We all could have spent more time so we will plan to return to the galleries at a later date. 

Buckwheat Crepes for lunch at another cafe.  Justin and Eileen had scallops with vegetables and a magnificent sauce.  My crepe had potatoes, cheese and bacon with slow-cooked onions.  We ended our respite with a Crepes Suzette and thoughts of childhood when Beverly made these at home.

Back in Mons, Lorayne was disappointed that she didn't get to see the AiChangs but Christina had called to chat so she was able to reconnect via telephone.  Another liquid evening for the five of us...

Paris, France: 5 August 2016
Day 36

Before school was out, we asked Lorayne if she wanted to go to Paris and Versailles with us and she said yes.  Knowing that she had just returned from the states, I wasn't surprised when she didn't really want to go.  Jet lag won this round.  Fortunately, Eileen was willing and eager to make the road trip.  Eileen came to pick us up at 9am.  We went first to Jurbise to see about our train tickets for Monday but we had no luck buying international tickets.  I need to try on line or to call them.  It was about a three hour drive to Versailles. 


Lorayne and Eileen knew from Facebook that the  AiChangs had been in Paris last week and initially they thought they were already gone.  After an exchange of emails and phone numbers, Brian and I were texting as we pulled into our parking space in Versailles.  There was a bit of confusion as they too were in Versailles.  Christina cleared it all up when she said "we are about four minutes from you."  Of all the gin joints in all the world ... How crazy was that that we were able to meet for lunch?  We could have planned for months and not done any better.  Brian and Christina treated Justin, Eileen and me to lunch at their hotel, the Grand Triton Waldorf Astoria located at the Queens Gate into the gardens at Versailles.  What good fortune to be able to meet and spend time together!  Kathlyn was there too; the crew was headed to pick up Alex from soccer camp right after lunch.  Brian told Justin that we really need to plan to get to Mumbai this winter but I doubt we will fit it in just yet. 

After lunch, at Versailles we went first to Marie Antoinette's hamlet and then, through the gardens to Versailles Palace.  The extensive gardens are grandiose and extensive!  I was a bit disappointed that the water fountains were not going.  And, by the way, the petite palace wasn't petite at all.

We got on the road to Paris, and when checking into our hotel we found that we didn't have reservations.  Yes, I had booked us at Hotel Des Carmes in Rouen not in Paris.  Fortunately, our quaint little hotel in the Latin Quarter had rooms available and the worst thing that happened was that I couldn't get a refund for the Rouen rooms.  Of all the reservations I've made lately for hotels, AirBnB, museums, theater, etc... If this is the only mistake I make, we are doing fine.

After receiving a recommendation from local German/ American expats we had dinner at La Porte Pot. Delicious duck! You really can expect nothing less in Paris, right?  On the way home we saw several hundred roller bladers.  With police escorts the skaters proceed through the 5th arrondissement every Friday evening. We were again simply at the right place at the right time.

Mons, Belgium: 4 August 2016
Day 35

Lorayne got home a bit after 11am after her flight being delayed in Chicago.  We were still asleep, but we got up and at it pretty quickly.  Lorayne's suitcases, mail and boxes she had mailed to herself from the states mixed with our laundry and unpacking the car means we had pretty much taken over the front part of the house.  Our time chatting and catching up was so enjoyable.  I had to fess up with Lorayne to tell her I had backed into a stone wall and scratched the bumper.  We put about 5,000 miles on the car in the past month.  We were so, so fortunate to be able to use her car.
 
We had dinner at Ken and Eileen's.  It was nice to eat home cooked food!  Georgia, Zeke and Gemma had a great time running and chasing each other in the backyard while we had steaks, baked potatoes and grilled asparagus.  After last night, it was a calm evening.  We headed home by nine; we'd done a good job of keeping Lorayne awake after her flight.

Mons, Belgium: 3 August 2016
Day 34

We started the day with breakfast in our hotel before we left Gemma in the car to go to The VanGough Museum.  We jumped back on the local tram and headed to the museum district.  Walking through the Rijks Museum we  listened to buskers performing the Summer portion of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.  We waited in line for an hour and a half even though we had tickets already but it was well worth it.  We started this portion of our trip with water lilies and we are ending with sunflowers.

We bought sushi obento on our way back to the car -- eager to get on the road we headed out of Amsterdam to travel back to Mons.  It was raining cats and dogs which slowered us down a bit but we pulled into Mons a bit after 8pm.  We called Ken and Eileen to bring Zeke home.  They arrived with wine in hand and it was a very late evening.  The last time we saw Ken and Eileen was Christmas two years ago and I hadn't really spent any time with them since I left Japan.  We did our best to make up for lost time.  Lorayne wasn't with us in person, but I can hear her repeating the Jimmy Buffet line about the best parties were at my house when I wasn't even there.

Amsterdam, Netherlands: 2 August 2016
Day 33

Started the day with breakfast in our hotel and then headed toward the city to see the sights.  After a false start and a quick trip back to get Justin's phone, we navigated the waters to secure a 48 hour pass that was good on trains, trams and city busses.  We then boarded a canal cruise on a small boat that could go into the smaller canals and out to the Amstel river.  Our boat was a sailing saloon vessel that was over a hundred years old.  This particular boat and over a hundred others like it, were sunk during the occupation and then refurbished after the liberation.  Now the boat has glossy wooden appointments, is electric powered and way too cool.  Captain Eddie led us and another couple around the town.  Gemma got to go too!  He pointed out lots of sights in the 17th century Canal Ring and we were not limited to the audio selection that was designed for a larger group.

After the cruise, we headed to the red-light district.  Just roaming around was a hoot.  One sign we saw was particularly memorable "Live Porn Show -- Hospital -- Bar". I don't even want to know.  We did stop into a coffee shop where Justin ordered euphoria without paranoia.  Saving the muffins for later, we started our progressive dinner.  Three separate stops: garlic-grilled shrimp for our first course, pad thai for the entrée and ice cream on the way home.

Amsterdam, Netherlands: 1 August 2016
Day 32

First stop today was Avebury to see stones.  This area, though not as well known, is much larger than Stonehenge.  The stones are not as intact since many were torn down (some by the church because it was an evil location and others by locals who used the materials to build homes).  We got there about 7:00am and other than the sheep, we were the only ones there.  We got to walk all around the stones and the entire area since it isn't blocked off at all.  Next on to Stonehenge.  We were fortunate in that we got there before many of the tour busses.  We didn't have enough time in the museum but how can you talk about time when you are around stones that have been in place for more than 4500 years?  We met a fun couple from Sonoma.  Like us, recently retired and like we want to do, they were on the road for nine months.  They too are traveling with a four-legged furry friend.

On the road to head to Calais for our ferry to Dunkirk.  We were scheduled for a 4pm departure but we were able to go at 2pm.  The three hour drive into Amsterdam went without a hitch.  We started the morning in England, took the ferry into France and then drove through Belgium to get into the Netherlands.  Four countries in one day!

Swindon, England:  31 July 2016
Day 31

We headed out of Cobweb Cottage by about 9am and headed toward Stratford-upon-Avon.  We didn't get very far because we got totally sidetracked in the precious town of Llangollen.  Along the River Dee, this is the cutest little resort town.  Lots of shops were opened on this Sunday and dogs were allowed almost everywhere.  We walked along the river and visited a few shops before we had a fabulous turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce sandwich.  Later, we hit the road for Stratford-upon-Avon where it was all about the bard.  Taking advantage of being Will's birthplace and being buried here too, the quite touristy town was the perfect backdrop for a boat ride along the Avon River and a leisurely stroll through a weekend market before we began the business of the day.  Shakespeare's will, usually in the National Archives, was on display this summer in celebration of the 400 year anniversary.  Our timing was perfect as the will is in Stratford-upon-Avon for four more days.  We were able to visit not only the family home where Shakespeare was born, and Halls's Croft, the house where his daughter was born and grew up but also Harvard House, the Elizabethan cottage owned by the benefactors that started Harvard University.  These are incredible, stately homes that offer insight into the times and the way of life for the very rich.   At the end of our tour in the gift shop, we were tempted by "Shakesbear" toys for little ones as well as "Shakesbeer" for those a bit older. 
Into Swindon for the evening -- a quick stop at our hotel as tomorrow will be all about stones!

Garden in the back of Shakespeare's Home

Corwen, Wales: 30 July 2016
Day 30

Our last full day in Wales.  We had an, ok, I'll own it, typically late start after reading Money magazines and lazing around.  We went to a local pub for lunch and to check email before we headed to the Glass Blobbery.  The craftsman was at work making faireys.  Several items might have been tempting but traveling with glass is not where I need to head right now.  On our drive back home we passed over a very old and very narrow stone bridge.  Sometimes when I see things like this (with no right-of-way sings or signals) or roads with no shoulders, I think of how this would be in the States.  I often just shake my head.  Back in Cobweb Cottage, we had a glass of wine in our garden after a nice long walk in the neighboring farms.  We will hit the road in the morning to head back to England and begin the next leg of the journey.

Corwen, Wales:29 July 2016
Day 29

I am getting spoiled by French-press coffee.  Helen, our host left home-made scones for us along with her own preserves and peanut butter.  The cottage is rather rustic (an old bunk house they converted into an AirBnB) and the grounds are extensive.  The garden looks rather unruly; she has at least squash, onions, cabbage, beans and raspberries.  Helen was gone long before we got up this morning to take extra fruits and vegetables to the local market.
We spent a lazy morning reading and lounging before we headed back to the sheepdog trials.  We sat with Nerys and Queen again.  Queen is a retired working sheep dog who has Parkinson's disease.  Nerys is very knowledgeable and helped to make sure we understood the proceedings.  The five top handlers are selected each day and those 15 compete again on Saturday to determine who goes to the International competition.  Realizing that the International event includes only England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, one must think in terms of the World competition to include a larger scope. 

We stayed after the competition to watch the tug-of-war and the sheep shearing contest.  Going on looks alone Justin and I chose our favorites going in.  Not knowing, I had one fav from each of the three categories of senior, open, and veteran.  My open and my veteran bit the dust early on, but my favorite in the senior category took the grand prize.  These guys can sheer a sheep in right about twenty seconds!  My goodness.  Justin asked me if I thought he had three heads when he first suggested we add this to our list for this summer.  I told him that yes, in fact, I had thought he was nuts.  As it turned out, this was very interesting and fun.  I am glad we went.  I was reminded of 4H, FFA and fat-stock shows and rodeos.  No jams, jellies or pies and not so much about the blue ribbon, but all about sheep, dogs, and the people who work them.