Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

16 October 2010

They say all good things come to an end, so our week in Puerto Vallarta was over. After breakfast, cleaning, and final packing, we called for our “inspection” of the room. With that taken care of, we headed to the lobby to check out. They had warned us it would be very crowded, but it wasn’t. We stored our luggage and headed out one more time, to the north toward the marina. It was too early and almost nothing was open and the sun was already hot. That led us to the Starbucks so we could check email and do a couple of other computer things in air conditioned space.

One last public transit bus ride took us back to Los Tules and the shopping center across the street. For lunch we went to Las Gorditas, making our last meal in PV the same place as our first one. Again, they were very good.

From the hotel, one more taxi ride to the airport got us on our way home. We had plenty of time, and picked up some snacks for the plane since there were no upgrades available

The flight to LA was smooth and uneventful. Since there is construction in the International Terminal at LAX, we had to take a bus from the plane to the terminal, a minor hassle. We had a long enough layover that there was no problem, and going through customs was the usual breeze.

The flight from LAX to PDX was also smooth and uneventful, as flights should be. It was raining lightly in LA when we left, and clear in Portland when we got here. After retrieving our luggage and a taxi ride home, another adventure was completed.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

15 October 2010

There was really nothing on the schedule for today, so it was once again a lazy morning. We headed for the pools. We’ve never spent so much time in swimming pools in a week before. It was relaxing and a little exercise.

After our last lunch in our room, we headed out for one more ride on the public transit to down town. Our goal was art galleries, with the possibility of adding to our Nativity collection. Stopping in a few stores, we did see some that were interesting, and not outrageously expensive. After wandering some more, even in the Mercado, where they all looked like they came from the same place, though hand painted, we stopped at Peyote People, a store that specializes in native art from indigenous peoples of Mexico.

We had shopped there when we were here on a cruise a few years ago, and had bought a couple of Huichol (we-chol) pieces. The proprietor even puts together Nativities from their work. This time, we bought a piece from the Tarahumara and from ______. They make good additions to our collection.

Since it was too early for dinner after our successful shopping, we wandered back to the Malecon, and stopped at Starbucks (in contrast to the native art). The restaurant we planned to go to didn’t open until 6. So about 6 we wandered up the hill to Arrayan, a relatively new restaurant with an open courtyard on the first floor. Once again, the food was excellent, and not touristy.

As we headed back to the main street to catch the bus, we noticed it was almost sunset. So we once again headed for the Malecon for one last PV sunset. It was a good one. Then we caught the bus out to our hotel. We arrived there in time for one more dip in the pool before packing for the trip home.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

14 October 2010

Today we were scheduled for a half-day city and jungle tour. Since our reservation had come from a time share presentation bonus, and not regular booking, the details were not clear. With the help of the concierge, we tracked down the right group, and joined a small tour, led by a man who had not taken us when he first saw our ticket. The evils of irregular scheduling!

This tour only had six people including us. We think there maybe were to be some more, but they didn’t show up for the bus.

The tour headed down town for a quick tour along the Malecon. At one point, a group of native dancers were doing a dance, which is swinging from a tall pole by their ankles, as another person plays a flute. They do this several times a day. I guess you have to see it, since it’s hard to describe.

From there we walked through the square to the cathedral, Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. After a several block walk, we came to a jewelry store, which is the sort of requisite stop for these things. They specialize in Mexican fire opals. Nice, but . . .

When it was time to continue the tour, we were sent to join another tour group, from another company, because our bus was having mechanical problems. At least that was the story. It may have just been more economical for them. With that group we headed south out of town for the jungle part of the tour, and a visit to a tequila factory. We drove several miles through the southern part of PV, past El Arcos and dozens of hotels. The highway turns from the coast and heads into the mountains, for the jungle part of the tour with no specific mention from the guide. But it was obviously that sort of vegetation.

Our next stop was the tequila factory, Las Juntas y Los Veranos in Cabo Correntes ,where we got a full explanatory tour of the process, and some serious tequila tasking. Of course, there was the opportunity to buy some. We bought a bottle of Dona Chanita Licor de Café, with a hint of chocolate.

Lunch was served at the restaurant at the factory, with a number of very good choices. We opted for the shrimps, prepared five different ways, all delicious. But no tequila with lunch.

On the way back into town, we stopped briefly at Chico’s, a restaurant on a river, where divers dive from the rocks into the rushing cataracts. The one we saw, did it blindfolded.

From there it was back into town. We were dropped off across the street from Los Tules. The bus continued to take the rest of the people back to their hotels. When we got off the bus, and it had pulled away, we realized we didn’t have the bottle of tequila we had bought. Fortunately, the concierge at Los Tules was able to contact the tour group, and they brought it back to us. As Dick had discussed with the concierge, miracles do happen.

That tour lasted considerably longer than we expected, so back at Los Tules, it was a quiet, relaxing evening.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

13 October 2010

This was an early morning, as we needed to be at the other side of the Marina to catch our tour to San Sebastian. This is a small sleepy village of about 600 inhabitants in the Sierra Madre mountains. We once again relied on the public bus line to get us there. Our only problem was we walked on the other side of the street from the Vallarta Adventures office, walked past it and had to find our way back. But we had plenty of time.

Our tour guide, Gustavo, regaled us with stories and good information for the entire 1½ hour trip up into the mountains. We passed from the coast, up through jungle, to a mixed pine forest at the top, nearly 6,000 feet in elevation.

At its height, San Sebastian had as many as 30,000 inhabitants working the silver and gold mines. As often happened, those played out and the town nearly disappeared. It has now actually started to grow again, but hopefully not too much or too fast.

Our fist stop was at an hacienda which is well preserved, and now is a small, three room hotel. The furnishings and décor are very interesting. Into town, the next stop was Café de Altura, a family coffee plantation, owned and operated by the Alvarado family for several generations, some of whom we met. Our tour of the plantation gave us a good introduction to the coffee growing and roasting process. This is truly mountain and shade grown organic coffee—always has been and always will be. We bought some coffee from the patriarch of the family.

We then walked further into the town to Comedor La Lupita, a family run restaurant. There was another tour group there, too, which filled the restaurant between us. In fact, we had to sit at a side table because there was not enough room at the main table for our group.

The meal was several courses of “home made” delicious food, starting with a quesadilla. We were then served rice and refried beans. The beans were not like any we had had before, and were very good, probably at least in part because they were made with lard, and not canola. A beef jerky taco and chicken mole, both of which were excellent, completed the meal.

During our meal, the family children came home from school, a good sign of its authenticity. During our lunch, we also were treated to a fairly strong thunderstorm. The rain continued as we left to tour the rest of the town

The next stop on the tour was the town square, with its shops around the edge, and the requisite band stand. We visited the old one cell jail behind the town hall. One of the oldest buildings on the square is now a hotel.

A short block away is the village church, San Sebastian, built in the 18^th century. We had a few minutes after that to continue to wander the town. Karen found a silversmith, and bought a pendant cross. Dick looked for some other art, but couldn’t find anything open with the right kind of art. (We’re still trying to augment the nativity set collection.)

The trip back to PV was uneventful down out of the mountains. We found a coffee shop at the marina, The Coffee Cup, and had a drink and checked email on Karen’s iPod. The public bus ride back to Los Tules completed a very good day.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

12 October 2010

Another lazy morning in PV! Sleep a bit late, a leisurely breakfast, reading overlooking the ocean, and a dip or two in the pool. Then a quiet lunch, another dip, and then got ready for the day’s adventure: The Rhythms of the Night.

We once again rode the city bus, this time out to the Marina. We had been told the boat left at 6:30, so we left in plenty of time to be there before six. It didn’t take long on the bus, even though we overshot the marina and had to walk back several blocks. And then found the tour didn’t actually leave till 7:00. But that’s better than being late or rushing too much.

The trip started with the boat ride south of town to Las Caletas, the former estate of John Huston, which still has no electric power lines to it. They do have electricity for their show, either from generators or batteries. All the other light is from torches and candles. The boat ride over included appetizers and an open bar, although the margaritas were fairly weak.

The show is a music and dance presentation based loosely on Aztec motifs. Lots of drums and lots of torches. It was a very interesting show.

After the show they served dinner, a buffet that included many choices: salads, vegetables, pastas, potatoes, and at least three types of meet, plus a dessert table. It was all quite good. This is an all-inclusive event, so there was also an open bar, or rather open bar service. That meant Dick could finish the meal with a good shot of tequila.

After a smooth boat ride back to the marina, we took a taxi back to Los Tules, shared with several others, as it was late enough that the busses were no longer running.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

11 October 2010

It was a lazy morning, as vacations should be. We took a walk to explore a bit more of the beach next to the resort, and took a morning swim after a breakfast of coffee and Mexican pastries. (You have to understand that “swim” is sort of a generic term for us.)

We then went local by taking the city bus to the old town area. That was an interesting experience, but well worth it and much cheaper fare than a taxi. By the time we got to Centro, it was getting pretty hot. So we walked on the shady side of the street when possible. We walked along the Malecon most of the way through the old city. Of course, there is much new here as well on this main drag, mostly catering to tourists and cruise ship passengers. But a block or two off is still very old Mexico looking.

We stopped at the Starbucks for an ice tea and free WiFi. Then headed back north past the cathedral toward our lunch/dinner destination. Unfortunately when we found it, they are only open for dinner. Maybe we’ll go back later in the week. So we went to Pipi’s, a Mexican restaurant with lots of recommendations. The fajitas were great, and the margaritas huge. It was a two-meal day.

After eating, we headed south again, across the river as far as Daiquiri Dick’s, where we had eaten when we were here on a cruise a few years ago. Did not eat this time, and then headed up along the river through the market area. Heading back toward Centro, we walked trough the Mercado and bought a set of margarita glasses. Our last stop was back a Starbucks for another ice tea, and a couple of PV mugs. We walked back along the Malecon, and then caught a bus back to Los Tules. Once again, we were the only gringos on the bus.

We took another pool dip, this time in a different pool at the resort. Dick again tried the surf briefly. From the pool we watched the sunset, until Dick ran back to the room to get a camera. We documented another beautiful sunset, as a relaxing finish to a good day.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

10 October 2010

This morning was our “free” breakfast and “tour.” We met the taxi across the street from Los Tules for the ride to the other place. We did get breakfast, which was quite good. However the tour and sales pitch took more time than we had planned (of course), and, in fact, we had to say “no” to four different people to get our promised premiums: a couple of local tours, and a bottle of tequila. And we came out with lots of practice at saying “no” to all the other salesmen we are meeting.

The rest of the day was very relaxing. We stayed at our resort except for another foray to go shopping at the same store as yesterday. It is sort of like an overgrown Fred Meyer one-stop shopping center, with groceries, clothing, household, appliances, and just about everything else you might need. (By the way, we did see a sign for the PV Costco in the airport, but will probably not get out there.)

Since our room is very close to one of the eight pools here, we did try it out. Dick even went to the beach, where the water was almost as warm as the pool, but with a much less smooth surface, of course. And since it’s on a bay, not much surf. The pools are a bit warmer and safer feeling.

An added bonus in the evening was a couple of brief sets of fireworks. We don’t know who set them off, or why, but we enjoyed them.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

9 October 2010

Today we got up very early to head to the airport for an early morning flight to LA, and then on to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The flight from Portland to LA left about 6:30 AM, so we were out at the airport, by taxi, about 5:00. The good news is our Alaska Mileage MVP status got us a first-class upgrade for the first segment to LA. Unfortunately, the flight from LA to Puerto Vallarta was oversold, so no upgrades were available.

On the way from LA to PV (as they call it) we flew down the west coast, much of it in sight of the coastline. There was more farmland visible in Mexico than expected. But then I knew much produce sold in the States comes from Mexico. We landed in PV on time (or maybe a little early), and had no trouble going through immigration and customs. Another visa stamp in the passports.

Our plan had been to walk out of the airport, go across the street, and get a cab to the resort, Los Tules. However, we were told someone from Los Tules was there, and would get us a cab to the resort. It turns out it was a time-share deal we had been warned to avoid, but by then it was too late. They did pay for the cab to Los Tules, after we agreed to a “free” breakfast and other goodies for sitting through a “brief” presentation about another resort. At least they did pay for our taxi rides.

After we settled in to our room for the week at Los Tules, we walked across the highway to a shopping center for dinner in a recommended small place, and some groceries. The place made gorditas, small split tortillas filled with all sorts of things. They were very good. And grocery shopping was a bit of an adventure: everything was in Spanish and Pesos. But we did OK.

Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada

We spent a week in Canada, with our "home base" a condo at Fairmont Hot Springs, BC.

We left on Saturday, 18 September, driving as far as Sandpoint, ID. It was a fairly straight shot, up the Gorge, over to Spokane, and up Highway 2 to Sandpoint. That's a fairly long drive, but OK. Sunday morning we went to church at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Karen had visited the preschool there.

Since the weather was not great, we headed out on our way up to Fairmont. We had planned to stop for lunch on the way, probably in Cranbrook, BC. However on the way up, we were stopped by a very serious accident, and sat on the highway for about 3 1/2 hours. When we got past the accident site, the back-up going south was about 3 miles long. I'm sure our side was, too. That made us late enough that we didn't think about stopping for lunch on the way, and arrived at Fairmont Hot Springs after 5 PM.

We checked in and found our condo, in the newest building, overlooking the golf course with the Columbia River running by the fairways, and with a view of the nearby ridge of the Rocky Mountains. It was a very nice home for the week.

We went into the "town" of Fairmont Hot Springs for dinner and groceries, and then enjoyed the rest of a quiet evening in our home for the week.

When we checked the weather forecasts, it seemed Wednesday would be the best day to go up to Banff National Park. So Monday and Tuesday we stayed fairly close. We went north to Invermeere, found a bank with a useable ATM, wandered the streets, and had a coffee. When we were finishing our coffee, Karen noticed a very large rainbow against the hills, very low down. We went out, and found a spot we could drive to where we could see the whole thing. It was the largest (widest) rainbow I had ever seen, with bright colors. It was even a double for a while. The rain never reached us, the the rainbow was incredibly beautiful.

Tuesday was another lazy day of exploring the area. We walked to the village, and saw some deer on the way. They didn't run, being rather used to humans. That evening we went to the hot springs for which the town is named. This is a swimming pool style hot spring, but felt very good. It was very hot at the inlet, and cooler by the edges away from the center.

Wednesday was the day that looked best for going up to Banff. It was quite cloudy when we left and drove through Kootenay National Park. On the way through the park, we stopped at Kootenay Crossing (on the Kootenay River), Vermillion Crossing (over the Vermillion River, aptly named), Numa Falls (also on the Vermillion River), and Marble Canyon (an incredible very narrow and very deep chasm with a creek running through it, falling from a fairly flat valley at its head).

We crossed the Continental Divide at Vermillion Pass into Banff National Park. The clouds were beginning to break up as we drove Highway 1 to the town of Banff. By the time we got there, it was mostly clear and sunny, and the mountains were gorgeous. After wandering the main street, buying mugs at Starbucks and chocolates at Rodgers, we headed northwest toward Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.

Since there was construction on Highway 1, we took the scenic route, Alt 1. This goes by the base of Castle Mountain and along the Bow River, with great views. When we reached Lake Louise, we found it hard to find a parking place. All of Calgary must have thought this was the last good weather of fall, and showed up, along with many Japanese tourists. The lake is as beautiful as ever, even with less than ideal lighting, since we were already at mid afternoon.

The drive up to Moraine Lake, one of our favorite places in the world, was far from traffic free. We were able to find a parking place in the lot. Our first photo op was at the head of the lake, with the Valley of the Ten Peaks rising behind the lake. We then climbed the "moraine" for more great views. Since we had last been there 39 years ago, they have build a regular trail to the top of the rock pile for great views of the lake and the valley. Some people were till simply climbing the boulders to get to the top. Many minutes were spent up there enjoying the view, even if the light was not perfect that late in the day.

On the way back "home", we stopped again at Lake Louise for dinner, splurging a bit and eating in the Chateau Lake Louise (the less expensive bar, not the Dining Room). What a beautiful scene to have from you dining table!

The drive home retraced our path through Kootenay, with mountain tops now showing in the setting sun. We stopped at Radium Hot Springs for a nice soak. The pool there is smaller than Fairmont, and at the base of a cliff, so it seems a bit more natural.

Thursday, we stayed closer to home. Having heard about a "natural" hot spring in a nearby Provincial park, we headed south past Canal Flats to a gravel/dirt road leading into the mountains to Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park. 17 1/2 Km up this road is Lussier Hot Springs at the edge of the Lussier River. On the way we saw a mother black bear and her two cubs cross the road in front of us. Most of the way the road is a normal unpaved mountain road. However, the last three Km to the springs are narrower and on the side of a very steep mountainside, down a long way to the river below. Fortunately, it was not as bad as the government warnings made it seem, and we met no log or mining trucks.

From the parking on the road, there is a trail to the springs at the river's edge. They bubble out of the base of the cliff next to the river, where three rock pools have been formed. They get progressively cooler toward the river, and many people go from the pools for a dip in the river. We resisted that temptation, although Dick did get into the cool pool next to the river. When we arrived there were three ladies there who were about to leave. After we had been in the pool for a bit, people began arriving, and it actually got a bit crowded. Natural hot springs are in many ways much nicer than the big swimming pool style.

From there we drove to Canal Flats to the source of the Columbia River. It is a series of springs above Columbia Lake, which flow a few hundred yards to form the lake. Apparently, their source is underground seepage from the Kootenay River on the other side of a ridge and a little higher. It's amazing to think those small, bubbling pools eventually become the mighty river that flows into the Pacific Ocean at Astoria. The stream really begins to flow on the other end of Columbia Lake, where it is a small river meandering through the Columbia Valley.

Friday was also a day staying close. We drove back toward Columbia Lake to the Hoodoos, a fascinating series of sand formations along the cliff. They are in a nature preserve, and the trail signs are less than perfect, so we turned the wrong way first and only saw some very small examples. When we retraced our route and got on the right trail, it led to some amazing views and formations. These will certainly change and be different if we go back to them in the future as water and wind erosion must reform them regularly.

Saturday was predicted to be another good day in Banff, so we headed out fairly early to get to Moraine Lake with the light right. Arriving about 10 AM, the light was about perfect on the mountains, however the lake was not as bright blue as before because the sunlight was not on the lake yet. We once again climbed the rockslide for the best views of the lake and the mountains. There we talked with a professional photographer from Calgary, who gave us some good tips. It was hard to pull ourselves away, but we did want to get to Lake Louise in good light as well.

Driving down the road from the lake, cars were parked along the side of the road for about a mile, making it hard at times to pass, especially with service trucks coming up. It made us very glad we had come early! When we got to Lake Louise, the parking lots were not all full yet. We walked to the lake and spent more time simply enjoying the view (and taking more pictures!). Lunch was in the village of Lake Louise, not nearly as crowded as the lake area.

From there we returned to Highway 1, heading west over the pass into Yoho National Park. We had had the goal of Takakkaw Falls, and our conversation with the photographer at Moraine Lake added Emerald Lake to the itinerary. Our last trip to Takakkaw Falls 39 years before had been over a gravel road. It's now paved, and more people have found it. And it's still as beautiful as ever, falling about 1200 feet down the cliff. The trail takes you to its base with great views.

By the time we got to Emerald Lake, it was a little late for the best color light on the lake. But it was still beautiful. I'm not sure why we hadn't stopped there on other trips through here. We walked part of the way around, and once again had a hard time leaving such beauty.

Continuing west on the Trans Canada Highway, we drove to Golden, BC where we found a nice restaurant for dinner. Then it was south along the Columbia River (only visible some times) on the west side of the main Rocky Mountain ridge, back to Radium Hot Springs, completing a wonderful loop. The drive from there back to our condo at Fairmont had become familiar by then.

Sunday was an even longer day's drive than our trip up from Portland to Sandpoint. We drove all the way across BC to near Abbotsford, and then crossed into Washington on our way to Bellingham. On Monday, we visited with Tom & Cheryl Wolbrecht in Bellingham, before driving to Tacoma to stay the night with Tim & Venessa and family. Visiting was great.

Tuesday morning we celebrated Lillian's 4th birthday a week early, by taking her family out to breakfast at Hob Nob. Then we took her shopping for an outfit at Gymboree. It was also her first day of PreSchool, so we stayed with Logan as Venessa was helping in the classroom. Logan joined us in meeting Matt and Jen for lunch. After school we had a coffee date with Venessa and the kids before we headed home.

7 June 2010

Because we wanted to have plenty of time to drive to Frankfurt to the airport, our day started early. The hotel had set out breakfast for us, as we were leaving before the normal breakfast time.

The drive to Frankfurt was OK without too many traffic delays or problems. The GPS even got us to the rental car return without a hitch.

Then the fun started. We were unable to do a normal check-in at the machines, because Lufthansa couldn't find the reservation. It even took the agent much time and effort to find it. The problem was we had booked an Air Canada flight on Expedia, but the flight was actually a code share on a Lufthansa plane. The Expedia booking number did not work nor did using a passport for ID. When the agent found Dick's ticket, he had been put on stand-by as the flight was over booked. But she was able to check his bag through to Portland, even without a boarding pass for the second leg. Karen's came through with the seat assignment and all the way to Portland, though that took some effort. And Dick's bag was overweight, so she combined the two bags for weight. She was very helpful and spent a lot of time with us.

At the gate we were able to replace Dick's boarding pass with the correct seat assignment, and on to Portland. A major hurdle down!

The flight was blessedly uneventful. As is normal for international flights, there were two meals, complimentary wine, and lots of water offered. We watched the movie Invictus, about Nelson Mandela. There was a bit of stuff about Africa, especially South Africa because of the World Cup, in the magazine. (Karen watched a couple other movies, too.)

When we landed in Vancouver, we needed to go through Canadian immigration and customs, recheck our bags, and go through US immigration and customs. The baggage carousel jammed, and it took a very long time (45 minutes) to get both our bags. Then we had to find our way to the ticket counter area to come back in and re-check the bags and go through security. By that time we had less than a half-hour before our flight to Portland left, and a long way to the gate. When we got to the gate, they had not even started loading, since it's a small plane. But it was a bit hectic!

The flight to Portland was smooth and uneventful, like a flight should be. From the airport, we took a taxi home, and thus ended our latest great adventure.

6 June 2010

Our last day in Germany was a quiet one. Again, it was warm and sunny, as the time in Bielefeld has been. It began with Gottesdienst at the Johanneskirche in Bielefeld where Dick Gehrke is Cantor. Once again, we could understand little of the German, but the service was familiar and we could sing along on the hymns. Dick turned pages for Dick for the Prelude and Postlude.

After the service we joined the coffee hour and stayed for an interesting concert of brass and harp at the church.

The afternoon was spent at Dick and Sabine’s for lunch and conversation. Lunch was simple and delicious. We had white asparagus (called Spargel, a German spring delicacy), French fries, scrambled eggs, and a dessert of fresh strawberries and quark, a delicious thick cream. It was a good relaxing time with friends. But, alas, it had to come to an end so we could go back to the hotel to pack for the trip home.

We ventured out one more time to find an open restaurant for dinner, and did find one in the neighboring town of Steinhagen. It was a Greek restaurant in a German beer garden. Both the food and beer were very good. The meal began and ended with a complimentary glass of ouzo, a delicious anise flavored Greek liqueur.

Back at the hotel, it was time to finish packing our bags to be ready to drive to Frankfurt early in the morning.

5 June 2010

We stayed in Bielefeld today, exploring the city where Dick and Sabine live. We first drove through the area of Bethel, a very large complex or “city within a city” that serves disabled people. It is a huge complex, essentially a city of its own within Bielefeld. It was founded about 150 years ago by a Lutheran pastor, and is the largest such facility for handicapped persons in Germany.

Our first stop was Sparrenburg, the castle on the hill overlooking the city. There are two castle/fortification structures on the hill. One is now being excavated, and the other newer one has a tower and other buildings.

We wandered the grounds, noting the views of the city as well as the ruins of early fortifications. Dick and Dick climbed the tower for a good view of Bielefeld and the surrounding countryside. Returning to the ground and rejoining Karen and Sabine, we decided to take the “Dungeon Tour.” This was a very interesting tour into the underground parts of the castle. Much of the defense of the castle depended on this area. There were many passages and rooms. One room had a large stone oven in which bread was baked. Another room was noted as a possible prison room, but other than that the term "dungeon" is a bit misleading. We learned much about Medieval castles from this tour.

The Bielefel zoo provided our venue for lunch of Bratwurst and Currywurst. We headed into the center of town from there. The streets and pedestrian areas were crowded. The weather was nice, it is a holiday weekend, and there was a parade through the market area.

We saw Die Evangeliceshe Altstädter Nicolaikirche, the Lutheran church in the city center. We continued wandering the old city, noting the Rathaus and the Dom. The current rathaus is near the old one and other medieval buildings. The Dom had a wedding going on, so we were unable to do our usual church inspection.

Our final stop in town was the church where Dick plays, so he could do a little practicing for tomorrow. Dick was recruited to be a page-turner. At the end of the practice session, I played the Bach Fantasia in D on yet another organ.

We then returned to the Gehrke household and walked to a neighborhood beer garden restaurant for dinner. It is owned by two Turkish brothers, and features pizza and gyros. We all had pizza (and beer of course). Both were very good. Shortly after dinner, we returned to the hotel.

4 June 2010

Small(er) towns northwestern Germany was the focus of today’s outing. After breakfast at the hotel with the two other guests, we went into Bielefeld to Dick and Sabine’s. Sabine had to work, so Dick served as our tour guide around the area.

Our first stop was in Westerkappeln, where Dick had been the organist at der ev. Kirchengemeinde after moving to Germany. On the way we passed Werther, the home of the famous candies.

The church building at Westerkappeln dates back to the 12^th century when the tower was built. The rest of the church building is newer, from the very early 16^th century. The organ is much newer than that, but it was still great to play in a small village church that is that old. Actually, we were very fortunate to get in to the church. The custodian was in the church office and was gracious enough to let us in. Dick’s having been organist there must have helped. After our visit to the church, we found where Dick and Sabine had lived in Westerkappeln, on castle grounds. It really looked lovely.

Our next stop was Osnabrück, another pretty well preserved medieval city. It was here that the Peace of Westphalia was signed in the Rathaus. We visited St Marien am Markt, the Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirchengemeinde. It is a 14^th century church that started as Roman Catholic, and became Lutheran with the Reformation. The history of the church goes back more than 1000 years. It is interesting that many city churches did not change their name of St Mary’s (Marienkirke) after the Reformation.

Next, we visited the Dom, St Peter’s Cathedral. This church was built in the 13^th century in a gothic style with some Romanesque elements.

After a nice lunch in the square, we visited the last main church in Osmbrück, St John’s (Johanniskirche). This is another 13^th century gothic church. Most of these churches have beautiful alter pieces, often from the 13^th century. The organs in them are all much newer with beautiful casework.

Continuing our journey, we decided to go the Münster, the other city in which the Peace of Westphalia was signed, ending the 30 Years’ War. Once again the Rathaus was the site of this event. Münster is the largest city on today’s list. We visited two main churches, Lambertikirche and the Dom.

St Lambert’s Church is unusual for its lattice style spire. It is 325 feet tall and was added in the 19^th century. The Dom is a 13^th century building with two towers, two transepts, and two chancels. There is the usual medieval statuary and decoration. After looking at this church, we walked through the main market square.

The drive back to Bielefeld was quicker than the trip out, since we took the autobahn back. It was late by now and we were hungry, so we ate a fashionable late dinner at a local restaurant, a little after 10 PM.

3 June 2010

It was another long drive day, but with a break in the middle. We left Berlin and headed for Bielefeld. We found most people were surprised that was where we were going – it is not a usual foreign tourist destination.

On our way we stopped in Magdeburg to look around and have lunch. Dwayne Brandt had told us about it, as he had studied there for a year in the eighties when it was East Germany. It is now a mostly modern town, with a few remnants of the old city, including the Rathaus and Dom. The market square in front of the Rathaus was filled with tents being set up for a fair of some sort.

On Dwayne’s advice, we found the ratskeller for lunch. It truly is the keller (basement) of the rathaus (city hall). It was an interesting room and, of course, good food.

We then drove to the other side of the city center to the Dom. As is our luck, most of the front was covered in scaffolding. They are doing major renovation (this was East Germany) and archeological diggings inside. It is a typical gothic cathedral building, built in the 15^th century, on top of the original building, dating from the 11^th century. That’s what they were looking at in the archeological digs inside the building. Of course there are two organs, one in the gallery and one in the transept. The gallery organ is quite new.

From Magdeburg we drove to Bielefeld for a four-night stay. Actually our hotel is out in the country in Steinhagen, an outlying area of Bielefeld. It is in the Teutoburg Forest, a large forest area of northwest Germany.

Dick Gehrke met us at the hotel, let us in, and we found our room. They had given him the key the day before since they would be gone when we arrived. There was no one here, as it was a local holiday, Corpus Christi. We’ve never come to a hotel with no one there before. We then followed Dick to his house for a fun and relaxing evening of dinner and reminiscing.

2 June 2010

Today we continued our exploration of Berlin. Our first stop was the Reichstag, the seat of the German government. We had looked around the area yesterday, but today we went inside. Of course, one has to stand in line and go through security. But earlier in the day, or late evening have shorter lines.

It is an interesting building, with the lower floors a reconstruction after the war, and the top floor and dome, new additions. And the dome is very interesting. It is glass, with a spiral ramp to the top. Since it came with a free audio guide, we knew what we were seeing, or in some cases supposed to be seeing, since the low clouds and fog were a bit thick.

From the Reichstag we walked to the Brandenburg Gate, as we had yesterday. This time we actually noticed the US Embassy right next to the gate. It's a fairly austere looking building, with much built-in fortification. We did not go in.

We retraced our tour of Unter den Linden, stopping to do a bit of shopping. Lunch was at an Italian restaurant, where we had pizza. Berlin is a cosmopolitan city.

We next made a stop at Fassbender & Rausch again, for a chocolate snack. The second floor restaurant features many chocolate drinks and desserts. We also bought some chocolate to take home.

Then we headed to Checkpoint Charlie, the famous US border crossing between East & West Berlin. They have reconstructed the guardhouse, and put up an historic memorial wall. There are also actors playing US and Soviet soldiers for picture-taking purposes. Here there are also a few remnants of the Wall, but not in their original place. Only the paving stone line marking the wall in the pavement. This, too, was an interesting reminder of history in Berlin.

Back at the hotel was a brief rest time before heading out to dinner. We repeated a restaurant, returning to Dicke Wirte. We then caught the bus to the Philharmonie for a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic led by Herbert Blomstedt (whom I remember in San Francisco). They played the Beethoven Triple Concerto and Bruckner's 6th Symphony. Our tour of European concert halls may be over, now. The bus back to the hotel was crammed full of concert goers.

1 June 2010

We explored Berlin today. After breakfast at the hotel, and confirming a couple of directions from the hotel clerks, we headed out for the day.

From near our hotel two bus lines go through the main parts of Berlin. We took one in and the other back out. After driving through Tiergarten and past the Grosser-sturm (covered in scaffolding and plastic), our first stop was at the Reichestag. This is the impressive building that is the home of the German Parliament. Like many of the major buildings here, it was rebuilt after the war, and is now topped by an interesting glass dome.

One of the most important historical sites in Berlin was our next stop, a couple of blocks' walk from the Reichestag: the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). On the way we saw memorial plaques for some of the victims of the wall who tied to escape to West Berlin. The gate is an impressive site, complete with the chariot and horses on top. It is now a pedestrian zone and is at the west end of Unter den Linden, a very busy shopping street. It is the center of the eastern part of the city. We walked the entire length of the street with the Linden trees and stopped in a little café for lunch.

There was supposed to be an organ recital at one of the churches in town, but we couldn't find the church, even after asking for help. We did, however, find other churches and interesting buildings. One round church was St Hedwig's, a rather austere building, rebuilt by the Soviets to appease the people of East Berlin. A block away was a brick gothic church building, that is now a museum. We then walked to the French Dom and the German Dom, two identical (from the outside) church buildings, with the Berlin Symphony Concert Hall between them.

Around the corner is Europe's largest chocolate store, Fassbender & Rausch. More chocolate in one place than I could imagine, and we only bought a few broken pieces. We then walked back to Unter den Linden and caught the bus to the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral). Built as the Catholic cathedral, it is now a Protestant/Lutheran church. It is truly an impressive building, even including statues of Luther and other reformers. There is a large organ, and stairs to the base of the dome. Dick climbed while Karen rested in a pew. The views from the top (at the base of the dome) were wonderful, even on a cloudy, drizzly day.

We understood that the #200 bus would loop back and head back to our hotel area. But it kept going further to the east. Eventually, we figured it out, got off, and caught the next one going the other way. This bus goes past the Philharmonie, where we made a stop to buy tickets to tomorrow night's Berlin Philharmonic concert. We then continued our bus ride back to our hotel.

On the advice of the hotel clerk, we found a good Italian restaurant a couple of blocks from the hotel. Another good meal in Berlin. After dinner we walked back to the bus stop, and took a night ride through central Berlin for a different view of the city. It was interesting to see it at night.

31 May 2010

Today we drove, and drove, and . . . Vienna to Berlin is a good long haul. We left Vienna a little earlier than planned, and decided to take the most direct route back through Austria and up to Berlin. The alternative was a possible route through the Czech Republic, that would have taken even longer. So we headed toward Linz, Austria, and then north into Germany.

The countryside in both Austria and Germany was very pretty, and reminded us of Oregon with the rolling hills and farm land, broken by forests of fir and other trees. It also rained much of the way, just like western Oregon.

We arrived in Berlin about 6:30 (18:30) and found our hotel without much trouble. Parking was another issue. So we double parked in front of the hotel to unload and then parked the car in a public garage for the next couple of days. We will use public transportation.

For dinner we walked to a local institution: Dicke Wirtin. It's been here for a long time and has been a gathering place for students during the past forty years.

Tomorrow we're off to explore Berlin with some guidance from the clerk at our hotel.

30 May 2010

We were not rushed this morning as the first item on our agenda was Mass at St Augustin at 11. This was another good suggestion from Lynne, as they were doing the Mozart Missa solemnis in C as the liturgy for the service. The word is that the music acoustics are better there than at St Stephen’s. The choir and orchestra do a large scale Mass every Sunday, and today it was for the Feast of the Holy Trinity. So the church was standing room only.

There was more music, including the Post-Communion hymn, Nun danket alle Gott, which we were able to sing along with easily auf Deutsch. It was a beautiful and worshipful beginning to the day.

When the Mass was over about 12:30, it was raining and we were feeling a bit short of time. We had planned to take the train over to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, to add another country to our list. But with the time and weather against us, we decided to stay in Vienna. We had lunch at Café Restaurant Palmenhaus in the former conservatory of the Hofburg Palace overlooking the Burggarten. It was a very nice setting inside during the rain.

After lunch the rain had stopped and we took the tram on the Ring Tour around the old city. We got off at the Rathaus and Parlament stops. We completed the tour at the Staatsoper, where we had started. From there we wandered up Kantner Strasse through the main shopping area. It is a great people watching area. Our goal at the end of the walk was St Peters, which had been suggested by a gentleman from Melbourne, Australia we met at Mass in the morning. There has been a church at this site since about 400 AD. The present building is from the 17^th century. While there we saw an announcement for a free organ recital in the evening.

From there we went to Reinthaler’s Beisl for dinner. It is a delightful old café. After a little more walking around, we came back to Café Hawelka for our after dinner coffee. This is one of the great old coffee houses in Vienna, recommended by Rick Steves and Lynne Heller, and is next door to Reinthaler’s Beisl.

We then returned to St Peters for the free organ recital including music by de Grigny, Bach, and Händel. I couldn’t find any information about the organ, but it sounded and looked like a late 18^th or early 19^th century instrument. It was a wonderful way to end a relaxing day in Vienna.

29 May 2010

Our European morning routine continued with a truly Continental Breakfast at the hotel. We were not rushed as we were not on a schedule. So after breakfast we took the tram to near the city center for our own walking tour of the city.

Our self-guided city tour began near the Staatsoper. We scouted out coffee houses and restaurants along the way. The Hapsburg Palaces are a large complex that we only saw from one side. That included St Augustin church, where we plan to attend Mass tomorrow morning.

We then headed into the city center to Stephansplatz, and spent some time in and around St Stephen’s Cathedral. Using our Rick Steves book, we took a self-guided tour of the cathedral. The center was blocked, but we could see most of the things noted. Then I climbed the south tower, some 400+ steps to an observation level about 60% of the way to the top. As usual, the views from the tower were wonderful. That afforded me a new perspective on the city, and good views of the tile roof, including its Hapsburg coat of arms.

A highly recommended coffee house, Café Bränerhof, was a good spot for lunch: a cheese plate, rolls, coffee (of course), and pastry. Boy, do they know how to make apple strudel!

We planned to next take the tram around the “ring,” but had trouble making sense of the maps. So we decided instead to go out to Stammersdorf on the outskirts of Vienna across the Danube, another non-tourist spot recommended by Lynne. There are many areas of heuriger around Vienna, but this one is not well known by tourists. It was a long tram ride to the end of the line, and then a several blocks walk to the recommended heuriger, a wine tavern. We only had a glass of wine, plus a bottle to take home. A neat experience we only knew about because of a “local” connection.

On the way back into the city center we combined the tram with a commuter train and the U-bahn. We then walked to dinner at Gösser Bierklinik, a restaurant named for the town where the beer is made. Again with Lynne’s recommendation, we tried some new (to us) uniquely Viennese dishes: Blunzengrösti mit Sauerkraut, (blood sausage with potatoes, sauerkraut and fresh horseradish) and Kalbsbeuschi mit Knoedel (Veal lung, made like gulasch, with a dumpling). Sounds strange, but they were very good. And at least we tried some truly local food.

On the way to the trains, we finished the meal on the street with a lemon gelato. As usual, we found a city with much more to offer than time allows.

28 May 2010

We had to leave Ulm without a chance for Dick to climb the tower of the Ulm Cathedral. So I missed the world’s tallest cathedral tower.

From Ulm we drove east to Austria, passing by Munich. Crossing into Austria, we stopped at a rest area soon after the border to buy the windshield sticker license needed to drive there. The rest of the drive to Vienna, past Linz, was quick and uneventful.

We arrived in Vienna mid-afternoon and found our way to the hotel in the 10^th District. Vienna seemed much larger than I expected; it took a long time to get trough the city to our hotel. It’s on Rennwig Strasse across the street from Lynne Heller’s apartment (who gave us many good suggestions and is in the US right now).

After a little rest and a change of clothes, we headed downtown on the tram to pick up our tickets to the Vienna Philharmonic for a concert tonight. That left us time to find a restaurant for dinner near the Musikverein, and a bit of wandering in the city. The Staatsoper was as far into the city center as we had time for then. We returned for the concert, hearing another wonderful orchestra in a magnificent hall. Valvery Gergiev led the orchestra in a new piece by Dutilleux, the Elgar Violin Concerto, and Prokofiev's 5th Symphony. I feel very fortunate to have been able to hear the concerts we have heard here in Europe.

After the concert we wandered slowly into the city center to St Stephen’s Cathedral. When we arrived at the church a group was doing some readings (in German) and music for voice, guitar, and a few other instruments. At midnight there was a concert of organ and Gregorian Chant. These were part of Lange Nacht der Kirchen, with events going on in many of the Vienna churches. They used a new organ near the chancel, and seven men sang the chants.. Some of the music was familiar, and it was very good. The church was crowded, and there was a continuous laser light show running.

We left a few minutes before it was over to be sure to catch the night bus back to our hotel. It made for a late night (or early morning!) but was well worth the experience.

27 May 2010

The group tour is over, and we are now on our own. We rode with the group to the Frankfurt airport to pick up our rental car.

We left the airport and Frankfurt and headed to Underaichen, Leinfelden, and Musberg. This is a group of villages south of Stuttgart where some of Karen’s ancestors on the Bissinger side of the family came from. The family has been traced back to 1500’s. There were few a signs of family names, a business and a couple of graves in a church yard from the 19^th and 20^th centuries. It was interesting to see the area where they had come from. We visited a Lutheran Church in Musberg that was built in 1682. Since several generations of Karen’s ancestors were married in Musberg, it might well have been in this church. We also had lunch at Schwabengarten, a beer garden that has been in Leinfelden since the mid 1800's.

The next stop was Ulm, where we stayed over night. Dick had hoped to get to the city in time to climb the tallest cathedral tower in Europe, but we were a bit too late. And even with directions and a GPS, we had trouble finding the hotel. We walked in the city center and found an interesting mix of Gothic and medieval buildings (the cathedral and houses) and modern stores and shopping areas, all together. As we walked around the old city section before dinner, it rained. While we ate dinner in an Italian restaurant, the sun came out. So Dick went back to the Dom Square to take pictures of the cathedral in the sun.

Tomorrow it’s on to Vienna.

26 May 2010

This was our last full day on the tour, and for most the last full day in Europe. Before we got on the road to Rothenburg, we made an unscheduled stop at another of Ludwig’s castles, Linderhof. This is the castle he actually lived in most, and it has beautiful grounds. We didn’t take a tour, but enjoyed the grounds briefly.

Our destination for the day was Rothenburg, what Rick Steves calls “Europe’s cutest medieval city.” It is a beautiful, delightful city, which we had visited two years ago. But well worth another visit.

Karen took to short city tour, and Dick took the longer one. The highlights of the tours were the wall (which Dick’s group walked part of) and St Jacob’s Church, a fine gothic cathedral. The highlight of the church (besides the beautiful new organ) is the wood altar carved by Tilman Riemenschneider. It is an incredible masterpiece of wood carving. The left panel depicts Palm Sunday, the center The Last Supper, and the right Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is fascinatingly clever that Judas can be removed from the Last Supper picture, more clearly revealing St John, asleep.

We had pouring rain during part of the tour. By the time the tour ended, the sun was out and shining beautifully. So at the end of the tour, Dick and a few others of our group, climbed to the top of the Rathaus tower for wonderful views of the city and countryside. We were the last people the man at the bottom let go up before closing. It is well worth the trip up about 275 steps to the top.

After our final dinner as a group at the hotel, we saw the Town Hall clock strike ten, and then joined a small group for a late night drink at Hell. (It’s the name of the tavern and means “bright” in German.) We finally settled in to our room, probably the best we had on the tour, on the top floor of a [modified] medieval house. It was fun looking out over the tiled roof tops of the town.

25 May 2010

It was a leisurely morning for us in Oberau. Most of the group left early to visit Mad King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein Castle. Since we had been there less than two years ago, we decided to stay at the hotel and take a taxi in to Oberammergau at nine.

The town was fairly quiet when we arrived, before the massive crowd there for the Passion Play. We were particularly interested in the many wood carvers in town. After visiting several, we decided on a Nativity in a modern style apparently unique to the Oberammergau carvers. It turns out we actually bought it from the carver and he “signed” it for us.

After lunch at an Italian restaurant on the edge of town (that served German food), we attended a performance of the once-every-ten-years Passion Play. It is truly amazing what the town of a few thousand people do. It has a cast of thousands, a very good orchestra and chorus, and hundreds of people doing “back stage” work. Since it’s all in German, it’s a good thing we know the story so we could follow it. They do provide an English text. It is not a strict word for word Biblical account, but certainly tells the true message clearly. It was something we’re glad we had the opportunity to experience.

There is a supper break of about two and a half hours. We went back to the same restaurant for dinner. Since the whole production lasts about five hours, it was a bit late returning to our hotel in Oberau.

24 Nay 2010

Today was a travel day, from Salzburg to the Oberammergau area by way of Munich.

Otto took us on back roads through the edge of the Bavarian Alps part of the way from Salzburg. The mountains were beautiful, as was the countryside with its farms and villages. Even the weather cooperated with blue skies and bright sunshine. It was a wonderful drive, even after we joined the autobahn to Munich.

Munich is an interesting city, having been rebuilt after the war mostly in the old style. The bus cannot go into the center of the city, so we parked on the edge of the old city and walked in to Marienplatz, at the two Town Halls. Interestingly, the old Town Hall looks more modern than the New Town Hall. The new one in many ways looks more like a gothic church at first glance. Without the religious symbols, it clearly is a secular building. Its main feature overlooking the platz is the glockenspiel, We arrive a few minutes before its noon show of bells and mechanical dancing figures, which lasts about seven minutes. It was interesting to see (and hear), especially since we had missed it when we were here two years ago.

For lunch, we skipped the Hofbrauhaus, since we had eaten there before, and headed around the square toward the Frauenkirhe, and ate at NurnbergerBratwurst Glockl am Dom . The food was wonderful, plenteous and very Bavarian. We sat outside in view of the cathedral.

After lunch we had a walking tour of the city led by another very good local guide. Starting in the Marienplatz, then to the Frauenkirche, and on through the neighborhood to the English Garden a little north of the city center. There we found people surfing in a canal where the water fall creates a continuous wave. In a very orderly fashion, surfers jumped on their boards (short ones) and surfed the river. Many had longer rides than we’ve seen at the beach!

We returned to the Marienplatz to meet the group and head back to the bus. From Munich we drove south toward the mountains and Oberammergau. On the way we stopped at the Wieskirch, an example of rococo stile art and architecture. It was a local holiday and a Mass (in English) was going on. It is an interesting pilgrimage church. In the morning there had been pilgrimages from four nearby villages with the residents in local dress. After their mass they were celibrating by eating and enjoying music from a band. From there we drove to Kloster Ettal, a Benedictine monastery, with a chapel nearly as ornate as the Wieskirche.

Our drive ended in Oberau, where our hotel is for the next two nights. We have a beautiful alps view from our room, howeer we have to look over the neighboring Shell station. Tomorrow we will see the Oberammergau Passion Play.

23 May 2010

This morning we bid farewell to Prague and headed toward Salzburg. The drive through the Czech countryside was lovely, through rolling farmland and forests. After a couple of hours we crossed the border into Austria. Since the EU, there is no stopping at borders or visa stamps in your passport.

Our lunch stop was in Austria at a new rest stop named Landzeit. It reminded us of the Marche we had seen in Toronto and Frankfurt. Lots of choices of food and very good.

We arrived in Salzburg a little ahead of schedule, so we couldn’t check into the hotel. Therefore, we got back on the bus and headed to the old city center. We were scheduled for a walking tour of Salzburg, which was a good introduction to the city.

Our tour began at the Mozarteum and continued into Mirabellgarten. There are always flowers in bloom here. It is a very nice place in the middle of the city. (It is also the site of scenes from The Sound of Music.) We continued and crossed the Salzach River. On the way were grand views of the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Dom. The skyline is filled with towers and spires of many churches.

We walked down Getreidegasse, with its many shops, each with a unique wrought iron sign. These signs are from the time of the medieval guilds. This street been a Salzburg staple for shopping since before the time of Mozart. On the street is the house in which Mozart was born. Here he composed some of his earliest works as a child. We toured the house. It gave a good idea of life then.

The next stop on the tour was the Residenz Platz with its fountain. It has been a center of Salzburg activity since Roman times, and includes a residence of the Archbishop. Then we were on to the Cathedral, or Dom. Officially it’s the Cathedral of St Rupert and St Virgil. This has been the site for a church or cathedral for many centuries beginning in 774. The present Baroque cathedral was built in 1628. It contains a large central dome over the crossing, which is beautifully painted. The dome was reconstructed after WWII. The transept contains domes, also. There are five organs, four at the crossing and one in the gallery. Our guide told us they used all five this morning for Pentecost. Too bad we were traveling on a bus!

After the formal tour ended here, we considered taking the funicular up to the Hohensalzburg, but did not have enough time. So we walked a bit more around the old section, taking a somewhat circuitous route back to the bus. We stopped at two more churches, St Peter and the Franciscan. Our tour was complete with a crossing of the Salzach River and a few more blocks to the bus.

Dinner was schnitzel at the hotel. It was quite good. Tomorrow it’s on to Munich and Oberammergau.

22 Day 2010

Adolf, our bus driver, had to take today off, so we had a different bus and driver for our tour into Prague. But he took a busman's holiday and joined us for our tour.

We started at the Prague Castle, a large complex on the hill above the city. It includes the cathedral of Prague, St Vitis, and the palace. We were met at the gate by sentries standing in little boxes. When our guide obtained our tickets, we stood in a very long line to tour the cathedral. She said she had never seen so long a line. Just our luck to be there at the beginning of a three-day weekend for Pentecost Monday. But that gave her time to give us good information while standing in line.

St Vitis is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. It was built in sections, which is clear on the outside from the color of the stones. There are many large stained glass windows, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. Many side chapels line the side aisles. The main organ is only a façade, and a small 6-stop organ plays for services. (We didn't hear the organ.)

We then continued our tour of Prague Castle, moving on to residence and office parts of the buildings. An interesting (for a history buff) room is where the "defenestration of Prague" occurred. Apparently this happened three times in history, not only just before WWI. Elsewhere in the building, it was a fairly "normal" medieval castle: large, ornate, and overwhelming.

From the Prague Castle we descended a large series of stairs toward the Vlatava River, and the Charles Bridge, crossing into the Old Town area. The bridge is about 800 years old and is lined with statuary. It is a pedestrian bridge with some merchants and stalls, and was quite crowded today, especially with reconstruction going on.

The center of the city in the Old area is a wonderful Medieval city. Prague survived WWII without bombings. In the last 20 years, there has been much done to upgrade and refurbish the buildings. It is a charming city.

In the city, we walked the streets, saw many old buildings and squares, and fought the crowds. Particularly interesting, was the Astronomical Clock. It is a clock tower about four stories high that has a clock that "performs" on the hour. Mechanical characters parade by, or are animated. Very interesting. There are also several more large churches. Many of the narrow streets are now lined with shops. (Maybe they have been for centuries.)

A group of us had dinner at a small cafe with very good food and Czech beer. We then did some shopping where we found a Czech nativity to add to our collection. After a brief stop in one of the large city squares (where I tried a unique Czech pastry from a street vendor), we headed back to the bus for the ride back to the hotel.

Since we had our main meal in the afternoon, we drank dinner at a bierstube near the hotel with a group of our traveling companions.

Tomorrow, it's off to Salzburg.

21 May 2010

Today’s morning drive was relatively short from Leipzig to Dresden. We spent most of the day there, touring and with free time.

As usual, we met local guides who gave us an excellent introduction to their city. Dresden has miraculously recovered from the fire bombing that virtually destroyed the city at the end of WWII. Much work still continues. Many of the rebuilt buildings use stones from the bombed buildings to be rebuilt, supplementing those with new stone of the same type. During the Soviet years, churches were not allowed to be rebuilt, and almost all construction was in modern (for the 50’s & 60’s) style. The last twenty years have seen the most dramatic reconstruction.

Our tour started at the Jewish synagogue, a modern building with walls that are not straight. From there we walked to what will be the modern art museum when it opens later this year. Next to that is the art school of Dresden. Both of these buildings are reconstructions of bombed out buildings.

A prime example of the reconstruction with old materials is the Frauenkirche, which was rebuilt to match the original as much as possible. The old and new stones are mixed; the old well blackened with age, and the new very light. The new will match the old in about ten years or so. This is St Mary’s, or The Church of Our Lady, which was a large Roman Catholic church before the Reformation, but then became the main Protestant/Lutheran church in the city. The interior is clearly late Baroque, or maybe even rococo. It is a beautiful church.

On our way through the city, we visited both old style and modern buildings. At one point we passed a mosaic mural of the ruling family of Saxony, made with 24,000 Meissen ceramic tiles. It is about 300 meters long. Rather impressive! This brought us to the Hof-Kirche, the Roman Catholic cathedral, built by the ruling family next to their palace. Both are impressive buildings. The cathedral has a Silbermann organ from the 18^th century, which survived the fire bombing because it was removed from the church and stored in a safe place.

The final stop on the walking tour was the Zwinger, the palace complex for the ruling family for more than 800 years. It is now a series of museums. We ate lunch at an outdoor café here. We then had about two hours for free time before we got back on the bus.

We returned to some of the walking tour sites, and went to a shopping mall. We found a store that specialized in Christmas items and bought a new Nativity (laser cut wood with a tea light) and some tree light ornaments. The next stop was the Meissen porcelain outlet store. We had walked by the main store, but didn’t even go in after seeing the prices in the window displays. At the outlet, we did buy one small piece off the seconds table.

We left Dresden and drove to Prague. When we crossed the border into the Czech Republic (which we didn’t even notice on the highway!) we added another country to our list. We are on the outskirts of Prague in a very large hotel. Tomorrow we will explore Praha (Prague).

20 May 2010

This was an incredible day! Both church history and music history brought to life.

We first traveled to Wittenberg, Martin and Katie Luther’s home for 36 years. We started at the Castle Church, which was originally part Elector Frederick’s new university. The rest of the university is no longer around, but the church stands tall in the town.

Our Wittenberg guide was excellent, a young (compared to us, at least) woman whose English was immaculate, her knowledge and understanding complete, and her sense of humor keen. We first had a thorough introduction to the Castle Church, ending at the door on which Luther nailed his 95 Theses. OK, not the actual doors; they burned in a fire in the 19^th century and have been replace with metal doors engraved with the Theses.

Continuing the tour, we walked through much of the old city, including the central square and rathaus. Luther preferred to preach at St Mary’s church which we visited near the center of the city. In fact, our guide told us he didn’t preach at the Castle Church, only St Mary’s.

After lunch at Brauhaus Wittenberg. (their dark beer was very good, as was the soup and salad) we met the group at Lutherhalle, Martin and Katie’s home in Wittenberg. It now houses the world’s largest Luther collection. Another very interesting and informative stop. Even Dwayne Brandt, our resident Luther expert, said he learned something new. The “Table Talks” table is original and well worn.

We then drove back to Leipzig for the rest of the day. We stopped downtown for a walking tour of the old city, this time with more Bach sites than Luther sites. Our first stop was the ThomasKirke where Johann Sebastian Bach was the Cantor for the last 27 years of his life. Luther had preached there in 1539. But Bach was the main attraction here. And I was thrilled.

I had received permission from the Cantor to play the “Bach organ” at St Thomas. After a little difficulty connecting with the person who was to give me access to the organ, Karen and I climbed the stairs to the side gallery where a new organ was installed in 2000. This is the “Bach organ,” designed as a close copy of the organ of Bach’s time. (The other organ in the church is a late 19^th century Romantic style organ.) I set the music on the rack, pulled the stops for a full plenum registration, and played the Fantasie in D, BWV570. The organ filled the church with a wonderful sound.

We then continued our tour of the church and the town. We visited the central square, St Nicholas Church (Bach’s other church), the old Rathaus, and some of the old merchant’s houses, now serving as shopping and business centers. The tour ended at Auerbach’s Keller, a favorite hang-out of Goethe, where we had dinner.

Our dinner was a bit rushed and before the rest of the group, so Karen and I could get to the Gewandhaus for an all-Bach orchestral program by the Gewanthausorchester led by Ricardo Chailly. They played the Sinfonia to Cantata 174, three keyboard concertos, and the Third Orchestral Suite. It was a wonderful musical ending to a music day.

Our final adventure of the day was finding the right trolley to return to the hotel. We made it OK.

19 May 2010

This morning we traveled to Buchenwald to tour the concentration camp there. Appropriately, it was a miserable, rainy day. This was a men’s work camp, not a death camp. Yet about 56,000 people died here. It was once again a reminder of the tragedy that can be perpetrated by humans.

Our next stop was Eisleben, the birth and death city of Marin Luther. He was born in a house in which his parents rented space. He was named Martin because he was baptized on St Martin’s day at the church of Sts Peter & Paul, at the age of one day. Sixty-three years later, he returned to arbitrate a business disagreement. He was ill at the time, and died while there on this mission. He lay in state at St Andrew’s church on the market square, where there is, of course, a memorial statue of him.

After our Eisleben walking tour, we drove to Leipzig where we will stay for the next two nights.

18 May 2010

This morning we were off to Eisenach, both a Luther and Bach city. On the way into town, we stopped at the Wartburg Castle, perched on top of a hill just out of town. Here it was that Luther hid for ten months as “Junker Jörg” after the Diet of Worms.

It is an interesting medieval castle, with all the sorts of rooms one would expect. The castle was begun in the 8^th Century, and is fairly typical of medieval castles. It has also seen many additions and revisions over the years, something else common with such buildings. And the remaining Luther connection is mainly one fairly small room. It was here that he translated the New Testament into German. (Truth in history: there is no ink spot on the wall from his throwing an inkwell at the Devil.) It was very good to see and experience this important piece of Luther/Reformation history.

We then drove into the town of Eisenach for lunch and a walking tour. The tour started in front of the house in which Johann Sebastian Bach was born. There is, of course, a large statue of him in the park near the house. We saw the house where Bach lived as a young boy.

We then walked through town to the house where Martin Luther boarded as a student. At the town square is the church in which Bach was baptized.

Erfurt was our destination for the night. After dinner at the hotel we embarked on self-guided walking tour of the town. This is where Luther attended university, studying to become a lawyer. The Augustinian monastery where Luther became a monk was our final destination before returning the to hotel.

17 May 2010

It was a very early morning for us. We needed to be at the Frankfurt airport by 7AM to meet the rest of our group flying in from Portland. However, they were delayed in Chicago (big surprise, there!) and were therefore two hours late. Seven of us were there waiting, as was Otto, our driver. If that’s our worst hitch, we’ll be fine.

From Frankfurt we drove to Rüdesheim, a town on the Rhine River. There we boarded a tour boat for a cruse down the river to St Goarhausen. This section of the Rhine is lined with villages, castles, and vineyards. Most of the castles date from the Middle Ages and were built to tax the river traffic and offer “protection.” Apparently, it was a lucrative business. The vineyards are spectacular because of their setting on the very steep hillsides along the river. This makes for some creative farming methods, including remote control tractors to go through the rows of grapes down and up the steep hillsides. Just south of St Goar is the Loreley Rock, an outcropping about 130 meters high where the legend of the Loreley seducing sailors with their beautiful singing to their deaths on the rocks in the river, took place. We did not hear them singing.

The bus met us at St Goarhausen and brought us back to Rüdesheim, our home for the night.

There were a couple of hours of free time before dinner, so we wandered the town. It is a fairly typical medieval town, either preserved or rebuilt. Its main industry appears to be tourism, with many shops, restaurants, and hotels. After a tour of mostly window-shopping, we stopped to have a caffé. Then it was back to the hotel and a delicious braised pork dinner. We also introduced ourselves to the group and did some procedural things. The tour is off to a good start.

16 May 2010

This was our first full day in Europe. And it was a lovely day in Frankfurt. By the time we walked to the Dom for church, the clouds were breaking up and the sun was shining. The walk to church along the Main River was punctuated by the sound of many church bells ringing. It was a wonderful sonic sensation to go along with the visuals of the river, city, and several church steeples standing in the skyline.

When we reached Römerberg, Frankfurt's central square, we saw St Paul's Lutheran Church on the platz where we could hear the service in progress--the congregation singing a hymn. After looking around the mostly deserted square a bit, we made our way to St Bartholomew's Cathedral (The Kaiser Dom) for church. The air continued to be punctuated by the pealing of church bells!

We had read that the 10 o'clock service was in English. Alas, it was in German. Even so, I was able to recognize and follow the Epistle Lesson from Revelation, a familiar passage. And we could sing most of the hymns and liturgy from the missal. But didn't get anything from the sermon. The organist played Bach for the Voluntary, and a lively more contemporary piece for the Postlude. The church was rebuilt after the War, but still retains some interesting older altar pieces and the Sleeping Mary Chapel.

After church, we looked around the platz some more, and had lunch and an outdoor food stand. We, of course, had frankfurters—the authentic thing. It came with a kaiser roll and potato salad. A good lunch, especially accompanied by Apfelwein.

From there, we continued our walking tour of Frankfurt, passing several churches along with all the businesses. We stopped at Paulskirke, a former Lutheran church. It was the meeting place for the original unification of German as a state in the 19th century. It was mostly destroyed in WWII and rebuilt. It is now a meeting place rather than a church. From there we went to the Zeil shopping street/district, with many fancy stores. We continued along Fressgass with many eating places for all the office workers. Pretty quiet on a Sunday afternoon!

At the end of Fressgass, we saw the Alte Oper, actually the new opera house/concert hall rebuilt in the old style after the War. The next stop on our walking tour was the Goetehaus. Here, too, we only saw the outside. Then it was back to the hotel for a little rest.

On the way to dinner, we returned to the Dom in hopes of photographing some of the ancient artwork and alter pieces. We were not able to take to time to do that in the morning after the service, because there was another service starting soon. When we reached the Dom, the was a service going on. So I didn't get the pictures of the inside I had hoped, only a couple in the morning.

We then headed across the river and up Sweitzer Strasse for dinner at Adolf Wagner. The pork schnitzel and potatoes were very good. As was the apple strudel we finished with. A good finish to good day.

15 May 2010

First day in Europe! The flight from Vancouver to Frankfurt was smooth and uneventful--just like we like plane rides to be. Landed in Frankfurt with overcast skies. (Looked a lot like home.) Found our hotel (the Paris Hotel), settled in and rested, then explored a bit. Saw a series of scull races on the Main River. (This is Frankfurt am Main.) Had dinner at a nearby Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen noodle dishes. Very good! And no [other] tourists. Hope it continues to clear up and we avoid rain.

14 May 2010

Here we sit in the Vancouver, BC airport. It's still a couple hours till our Frankfurt flight leaves. Nice leisurely layover, good lunch, fairly quiet in the airport. Then a long flight to Germany. See you in Europe. :)

13 May 2010

Everything is packed (except what we need in the morning). Our ride to the airport is arranged. The house is essentially ready for us to leave it for three weeks. So in the morning, we are off to our next adventure, three weeks in Europe. Stay tuned.

Europe 2010--preparations

One week from today we will fly to Frankfurt to begin a three-week trip to Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. The first 10 days will be with a tour from Concordia Portland to Oberammergau (Passion Play) and Luther & Bach sites, plus Salzburg and Prague. After the tour, we will stay for another 11 days and visit more of Austria and Germany, including Vienna, Berlin, and Bielefeld.