9-11 MEMORIAL

RINGFINNAN

On a gorgeous sunny day while in Ireland we decided to hike into town after our visit to a historic site. The smooth path was well kept and generally down hill into a small fishing village. We found the designated pub for lunch. I noted that cod cakes were on the dinner menu, but it was lunch time.

I said to the waiter, “I grew up on cod cakes and it’s been years since I’ve enjoyed one. If it’s possible to have them at noon that would be my first choice, if not I’ll have your fish and fries.”

I was delighted when he served me the cod cakes. How nice was that!

As we loaded the van after lunch our guide told us, “I was talking to another guide during lunch and she told me about a place called Ringfinnan. I’ve never been there but I think we can find it if you want to have a go at it.”

We all agreed, “Let’s go.”

It seems that an Irish nurse was about to retire after working for years in a New York City hospital emergency room. She was working on 9/11 and knew many police and firemen. She did retire and returned to Ireland to assume some property there which her recently deceased father had left her.

The modest home sat on a small amount of acreage on a hillside overlooking a valley below. The wrought iron gate to the property was wide open. We were in for a treat. To the side of the home, at her own expense, this nurse had planted a tree for every fireman and policeman killed on 9/11. Each tree was marked with a name and his precinct or ladder number. The trees were thriving and were of several varieties. We strolled quietly among the trees that one day will be a lovely memorial park.

AIRPORT ENVCOUNTER

    A  HUGE  EMBARRASSMENT

            On my first trip to Europe years ago, long before I was smart enough to travel light, I did a fair amount of shopping. The night before we were coming home I’d carefully repacked putting all my breakables into my carry-on duffel bag along with all my dirty laundry.

            At that time I did not know leaded glass showed up as a blob in the scanner. We were leaving through London’s Heathrow Airport . Since I’d checked my major bag, I expected no problem getting through the scanner.

            HOWEVER. A very sweet middle aged man asked if the duffel was mine. When I confirmed it was he asked permission to check its contents. Without thinking I said, “Sure.” Like there could be any other response but an affirmative one.

            As he unzipped the bag I was horrified to  remember the bag’s contents.

As he pulled out one piece of clothing after another I sheepishly told him, “I’m so sorry. All my dirty laundry is in there. I’m so sorry.”

            This was in the days before gloves when I probably would have picked stuff up by the corner with two fingers and made a face each time. He was most pleasant—and professional—saying it was no problem.

            When he found the crystal bowls I’d bought for my sister he remarked, “Ah, here it is.” Then he explained to me how the lead shows as a blob, and there is no way to know what it is. Not that I looked like a bomber, but they needed to be careful.

            I’ve never forgotten that embarrassing experience, but it has not stopped me from buying something if I want it. Now if I’m stopped I just ask what they’re looking for and if I knowingly have such items I’ll give directions as to where in the carry-on it is located and what it is. This speeds things along and I’m shortly on my way.

ANIMAL TALK

A DELIGHTFUL SERENADE

Biking through  France's Bordeaux countryside was my third European bike trip.The trip started with three days biking on   narrow paved roads through a huge  pine forest.  We were frequently serenaded by frogs croaking in the drainage ditches along the side of the road. Cuckoos perched high up in the tree tops joined the serenade on many occasions. Otherwise there was little to disturb our quiet and solitude of those peaceful days.

            Sand often covered part of the road and bike paths. If one wandered off the pavement the sand bogged you down. A small mesquite-like low shrub grew along the edge of some of the paths and their nasty little thorns were the cause of most of our flat tires. At times the shadows of the sun filtering through the trees made it hard to see any dips or bumps ahead.

            It was nice to have sunshine and not rain. This part of the trip was mostly over flat terrain. But after three days it was good to add a bit of variety and challenge to the landscape. However, the frog and cuckoo serenades were a delight and are a fond memory.

ONE FAMOUS HOTDOG

A Good Dog as Well

         Many cities claim to have the hotdog. I love hotdogs and have indulged in a few in various places but never have stood in a long line to get one ----until Reykjavik, Iceland. Several of us had read in tour books about the lamb based pylsa. Billed one of the world’s great hotdogs, the book said it cost about three dollars. As far as directions it only stated the stand was on the waterfront and one could find it easily by the queue outside.

       After a day of touring and sightseeing we asked our guide-driver about the city's famous hot dog. He took us to the waterfront to the well known hot dog stand of Baejarin Beztu. The family business has operated from a small stand in the same location since 1935. There is no seating inside as the stand is no more than a kiosk. The service was quick and efficient. We sat at a picnic table as we all indulged. It was good dog! Every time we were on the waterfront we noted the queue at the stand.

The site of the Reagan-Gorbachev Reykjavik summit in 1986 is on a lot by itself near the highway where security could be easily achieved. The white building was built by the French consulate who occupied it for two years. The French sold it to the British who never occupied it because supposedly the building is haunted. Now the city owns the building and uses it for receptions.

ANNIE MOORE

               A FAMOUS STATUE

After visiting the 1868 St. Coleman’s cathedral In Cobh, (pronounced Cove), Ireland we headed to the city’s famous waterfront. The church tower is the backdrop for the Victorian waterfront with its rows of steeply terraced homes. We had a great view of the village and waterfront from this vantage point.

Cobh, located in Cork County on Great Island, one of three islands in Cork Harbor that are linked by causeways, has one of the world’s largest natural harbors. In 1838 the SS Sirius left the harbor and became the first steam ship to cross the Atlantic. She did it in eighteen and a half days.

At the old railroad station at the harbor’s edge we stopped by the bronze stature of Annie Moore--the first immigrant to disembark at Ellis Island. The fare to America was ten pounds gold. Annie was not quite 15 years old when in December 1891 she stood in line with her two younger brothers waiting to board the SS Nevada.

The wind blew her red hair and tears blurred her vision as she thought about leaving her Irish homeland. But she was also excited about seeing her parents who had gone to America two years earlier with her older brother.

Annie and her brothers were in steerage class for 12 days. They lived in a large room with many other people on the crowded ship. The Statue of Liberty was welcome site on January 1, 1892. The crowd cheered and as they approached Ellis Island everyone was happy the voyage was over.

Annie was the first off the ship and was surprised when an official handed her a $10 gold piece. He explained to the puzzled girl that Ellis Island was new, and the $10 was a gift to the first person to enter the United States through Ellis Island. It was  Annie‘s 15th birthday!

The story was that after a few years she left New York and died in her 30s somewhere in the south.

However, several days later while walking in Dublin we struck up a conversation with a fellow who told us that newspapers had recently been full of the story that the woman who died was another Annie Moore and that the first immigrant never left New York and presumably lived a normal life span.

A replica of the statue of Annie and her brothers also stands on Ellis Island.

THE U S PALACE

IOLANI PALACE

This is one exception to my posting of US sites. I have always loved the Iolani which was just about to undergo restoration when we moved back to the mainland. I was delighted to see the wonderful results a few years later on a stopover visit enroute to Midway.

One might think that Iolani Palace is located in some exotic location, but being  the only palace in the United Stated, it sits in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. It was the official residence of King Kalakaua from 1882 until his death in 1891. Kalakaua played an active role in the construction of the palace making sure innovations of the time like toilets, sinks, running water, electric lights and telephones were installed. His sister, Queen Liliuokalani lived in the palace until the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. The coronation of the king and his consort, Queen Kapiolani took place in 1883.

The present structure stands close to the old palace which termites destroyed. King Kalakaua took up residence as soon as the palace, which cost $360,000 to build, was completed. The basement housed kitchens, storerooms, and household staff offices. The main floor was used for formal functions, while the second floor was devoted to family living quarters. The large attic merely provided air space to keep the floors below cool.

A wide curved staircase, carved of Hawaiian woods, dominates the wide hall that runs the length of the palace. Portraits of Hawaiian royalty line the walls above niches displaying valuable vases and statuary.

Crimson and gold dominate the Throne Room, the scene of royal audiences, balls and receptions. Small receptions and informal audiences took place across the hall in the Blue Room. The huge painting of a French King  was presented to King Kamehameha III in 1848. Beautiful carved sliding doors separate the Blue Room from the State Dining Room. The massive sideboards in this room were specially made in Boston, Massachusetts. The King and Queen suites are on opposite sides of the hall.

From 1893 to 1968 the palace served as the capitol of the Republic, the Territory and finally of the state. During that time the Throne Room was used by the House of Representatives and the State Dining Room was the Senate Chamber. In 1969 when the new capitol was completed the palace was vacated so restoration could begin.

When you visit, be sure to take a guided tour to learn many more details of America’s only Royal Palace.

In Hawaii don’t expect to hear north, south east and west when given directions. Instead you’ll hear makai (toward the water), Waikiki, Ewa and mauka (toward mountains)

June 11 is Kamehameha Day and since it is also my birthday I always celebrated with a festive parade!

HISTORIC RESTAURANT

        AN OLDIE

In Passau, Austria our city guide told us, “The restaurant across the street from your hotel was established by monks in 1358, and has been in continuous operation in the same location ever since.”

How about that for longevity!

We were told that the rule in Passau was that a glass of wine cannot cost more than twelve times the cost of a breakfast roll. The wine was a white one and was called Stift. It came from Krems.

            Of course over the years the price of the breakfast roll has increased and the serving size of the wine has decreased. Never the less, several of us had to have lunch in that restaurant. We paid dearly for a very mediocre lunch and the ambiance, but the wine was wonderful. In fact we continued to buy Stift wine all across Austria.

            Sometimes there are just things one must do when traveling to new and different places and having lunch in a 600 + year old restaurant fell into that category.

           

A FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE

A BEAUTIFUL BRIDGE

The Old Bridge at Mostar, Bosnia was conceived during the Ottoman Empire in 1566. The graceful 65-foot long, stone, arched bridge spanning the Neretva River replaced a narrow wooden foot bridge. The original stone bridge survived until the war of 1991 when it was totally destroyed. A temporary wooden bridge spanned the river from 1993 to 2004. The present bridge, an exact replica of the original, used stone from the same quarry,

Our guide said, “It is estimated that the original stone bridge would have cost 50,000 Euro to build, the replacement bridge cost 50 million Euro in 2004. The stone  is spongy and if it gets too wet it crumbles, but it can be molded when damp. The stone that fell into the river was not reusable as it had been too wet for too long. It took five years of preparation to replace the bridge but only a year to actually build it.”

 Croats live on the west side of the bridge and Muslims on the east side. The city is internationally known for its Old Town Bridge that now is a symbol of reconciliation, cooperation, and coexistence of diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic communities. There are many mixed marriages, and during the war many children had to choose between Mom or Dad.

Our guide explained, “The semi-circular Tara building on the west side of the bridge was used to store ammo and gun powder during Ottoman rule. Now it houses the divers’ co-op. The Helebija on the east bank once held dungeons on the bottom and guards on the top.

“Divers used to dive off the bridge for cigarettes. Then they dove for money. They would work in pairs, one poised to dive while the other clapped his hands to gather a crowd and collect donations. The diver would not dive until enough money had been collected.”

 Today diving is done during competitions in July, otherwise diving from the bridge is forbidden. The waters 65 feet below flow swiftly making   diving  dangerous. Today a kayak floats  under the bridge and an ambulance is on the shore to cope with mishaps and emergencies during the competition.

The bridge, now a UNESCO site is picturesque with an interesting history.

SOME UNUSUAL SIGHTINGS

UNIQUE TO NEWFOUNDLAND

Along the Viking trail it is very rural. The earth is shallow and so telephone cribs are built to hold the poles upright. After being dug into the ground as much as possible a wooden cage, approximately 40-inch square, is built around the pole. Then moderate size rocks are piled into the 24-30-inch high crib. It seems to be a perfect solution to the problem.

           

All along the road we saw large piles of stacked cut wood. It is illegal to cut down trees. But every spring the whole community gathers and drags all the fallen trees and dead wood out of the forest. A dead tree still standing can not be cut, it must fall down. When all the wood is hauled out to the clearings along the road, it is cut into what looked like about 12-inch long logs and stacked. Sometimes the logs are piled teepee- style to dry. The woodpiles are for anyone who needs it. It is a community project and is used by the entire community. Keep in mind that most of the villages are small, often with a population of only a couple hundred people. No one would cheat and try to stockpile the wood. It is there for anyone who needs it. In such rural areas one must depend on friends and neighbors.

            Another odd thing we noticed was patches that looked like a garden. We learned that they were indeed just that and are  called roadside gardens. A long time ago it was discovered that for some reason deeper soil gathered in certain areas along the road. Again communities plant these patches, which vary in size, with root crops of  potatoes, carrots, turnips, and onions. The growing season is very short, so seedlings are planted, not seeds. These plots date back to the 1800s! People take what they need when they need it. There is a real sense of community in this area.

A FEMALE HERO

                      ONE PLUCKY DAME           

One day biking in Denmark we detoured to the estate of one of the many  resistance workers of World War II. Even though Denmark was a neutral country, during WW II 100,000 Germans occupied the country. This lady happened to be English and she helped many  downed Allied flyers. Eventually the Germans caught her and sent her off to a concentration camp, but because she was English, the Germans were reluctant to execute her.

            During her incarceration she was instructed to write a letter requesting amnesty. She refused. But the Germans were insistent and weren’t about to give up. She eventually wrote the letter, but in defiance of the Germans she wrote her letter on toilet paper!  Unfortunately she died in camp a few months before the war ended, but apparently not from mistreatment. Her elderly daughter wanted nothing to do with the estate, so it is managed by a foundation.

            During WW II, 6000 Danes were sent to concentration camps, most of them resistance fighters, not Jews. Unfortunately 600 died in the camps.

            The story of the Danish resistance is a remarkable one and I’ll have other stories to relate at another time.

KOALAS

 A Furry Cutie

        One afternoon on my first trip down under we rode out of town to visit koalas in a zoo. A local guide told us, “Koalas are  a marsupial. They have very sharp claws so we wean them from their mother onto a stuffed koala. They can cuddle with the toy, and in captivity we can handle them without too many nasty scratches.

         “Koala is an aboriginal word meaning does not drink. Koalas derive all of their fluid from an exclusive diet of eucalyptus leaves. They are very susceptible to human illness. Virtually all of the koalas on Phillip Island are infected with clymadia and are dying out. They are on a preserve there and when they are all gone, healthy koalas will be reintroduced to the island.”

         Koalas are nocturnal and can travel as far as five miles in search for food. They are a small animal, not much bigger than a good size teddy bear.
        New South Wales and Queensland climates are warm so the koalas are grey with white on the inner ears and chest. Victoria is cooler so the animals are larger with a darker fur, more of a charcoal grey.

        At birth a koala is a furless newborn that looks like a pink jellybean. This tiny animal claws and climbs its way up mama’s stomach to crawl into her pouch where it spends six months. When it emerges the baby clings to mama’s back until it reaches full maturity. Koalas seldom have more than one baby and if they do only one survives as the pouch is only big enough to accommodate one baby. The normal life span is 16-18 years.

        It was awesome to hold a small koala as it clung to its toy.

        In Tasmania we saw koalas in the wild. One actually climbed down from a tree and tried to climb up a gal’s pant leg. We figured the little guy thought her white sneakers were rocks and her pants were the same color as the bark of a tree. The guide rescued the koala but not before he left a couple of puncture holes in her pants.

LOWITZ, POLAND

 POLISH  COUNTRYSIDE

            It is always nice to get out of the city and ride through the countryside. When in Poland we stopped at the Bernardine Monastery where the nuns had prepared and served us lunch.

            The nuns basically run a soup kitchen serving lunch to several poor people every day. They were expecting us and I must say it was one of the most memorial meals I’ve ever had. The vegetable soup was delicious and the bread was hot out of the oven. It was not elegant dining but it was a delightful time. The nuns were friendly and gracious and it was a pleasure to add to their coffers. When we left, the nuns standing on the front stoop, serenaded us with their lovely voices.

            When we arrived at the Lowicz Castle ruins musicians and dancers were waiting for us. Dressed in native costume they performed songs and dances specially for us. This was a real native performance, not some commercial affair.

Lowicz is a small native Polish village. The spokesman for the group explained, “I bought these ruins a few years ago and built this building on the grounds. My wife and I live here. Eventually, I want to restore part of the castle.”

            They were most gracious people and invited us into their home. I don’t know much about the history of the castle but it looked like he had an ambitious restoration project before him.

            Inside the home the man’s wife and a girl maybe 11 or 12 years old were doing some paper cutting. We all stood gaping in amazement at the intricate designs they were creating with sheep-shearing shears! The designs were beautiful and the shears were so big. I couldn’t imagine the patience it would take to accomplish such a fine art.

            We asked if the designs were for sale and were stunned when they said they ranged from 6-10 zoltys which translated into $2-3. We learned that this craft is unique to only this part of the country. I treasure my paper cutting and have it hanging in my living room.

As we were leaving, the fellow climbed a small hill to give us a cannon salute from his real live cannon. What a nice tribute!