Switzerland & Paris

Switzerland & Paris

June/July 2000

 Tues., June 27:

          Hazy, humid as we drive to JFK.  Marjorie takes 1^st  first Hedgehog shot with very pleasant British Airways ticket agent.  (toy Hedgehog is a “friend” of M’s coworker Liz at WMHT, enjoys having his picture taken as he travels around the world.  We think WMHT should do a “Travels with Hedgehog” documentary.  He’s a good travel companion: flexible, no complaints, fits inside a purse.)  McDonald’s lunch in the airport.  Some Swiss francs at airport exchange, tho we’ve learned to use credit card or ATM to get better rates ($1= 1.65 Swiss F, 6.85 French F).  Interior of the plane is very warm; they announce cooling not working properly but hope to be better when we got going (which it is).  A remote on the seat handle for a video screen on the seat back, allowing lots of viewing choices. [We’re still pretty new to transatlantic flights, doesn’t take much to excite us.]  Have to delay takeoff to not reach London too early; noise abatement rules prohibit landings before 6am.  Good service & food: dinner, breakfast, extra drinks.

Wed., June 28:

          Sunrise over Ireland.  Into London Heathrow a little ahead of schedule at 6:15am.  Somewhat torturous shuttle bus & hike from one terminal to another.  Another breakfast, then on time into Geneva at 10:20.  Partly sunny, low 60s.  Short train to Gare Cornavin (main station in center of Geneva).  Across the street to Hotel les Arcades, our room overlooking the Gare.  Marjorie curls up on the bed right away for a quick nap.  Some rain while resting, then OK most of the day until light rain as we walk back to hotel later.  I get our 1^st-class Europasses validated (for use any 5 days in 2 months; we got these via the WMHT Auction), success w/ Credit Suisse ATM.

Newport

Newport

May 2013

Tuesday, May 21:

           After good experiences last year w/ LivingSocial on-line vouchers for B&B inns in the Catskills & New Hampshire, another getaway to Newport seemed a good way to celebrate the end of the semester. A nice AM, unexpectedly warm & sunny, 7:30am start. Along the Mass Pike, then south to a friendly sign: “Welcome to Rhode Island: The Ocean State.” Across one bridge, then another w/ pretty fog bank underneath, to Newport at 11. Confusing maze of streets, one wrong-way turn, then successfully to the Inn on Bellevue. Our digs aren’t ready, so coffee & shared croissant at a friendly café before heading off to see some sights. Along pretty streets, colorful houses, flower boxes, flowering trees, fragrances of magnolia & wisteria.

Montreal . . . and More Canadian Jaunts

Montreal Weekend

September 2010

          About a year ago I spotted an item about a Chinese lantern festival in the Botanical Garden of Montreal.   We hadn’t been to Montreal in 30-some years (I've included here some previous photos, including "Man and His World" left from Expo 67). 

 











          Thought this trip would be fun to do with friends Steve & Jill, who’ve made several trips to the city.  Steve & I were unable to coordinate class schedules, so put it aside for another time.  But this year’s festival begins the weekend of Rosh Hashanah: no classes on Friday, so we could have a long weekend.  I didn’t plan to write up such a short trip, but things began to seem journal-worthy (and I did bring my voice recorder), so here we go.

Lisbon

LISBON

May 2005

 

          Our trip to Lisbon used a variety of planning sources.  Basic hotel/air arrangements thru go-today.com, a reprise of London.  The old standby Frommer’s book for basic tourist stuff.  We added info from friends who’d made recent trips to Lisbon; met an old Portuguese market owner in Providence while visiting friends; and I read Journey to Portugal by Portuguese Nobel-winner José Saramago.  So, following the style of Saramago, “the travelers” feel ready to experience Portugal.  But first a few other matters.  Marjorie spends several days beforehand with grandson William in Queens while Matt & Anthea have busy schedules.  She comes back with strep throat, but our “Dr. Dan” fixes her up quickly.  Then a filling repair the day before we leave  ̶  we’ll owe the dentist a Lisbon thank-you.  And M’s ready to test drive her new Mother’s Day digital camera, following tutorials from Matt & friend Alice.  [I’m still relying on my SLR for slides, haven’t overcome my reluctance to go digital.]

Wed., May 18:

          Down to Queens in the AM, a stroll with Matt & William to neighborhood deli Andrew & Frank’s for lunch stuff.  Matt can’t drive us to the airport  ̶  he promised some of his 4^th & 5^th grade students he’d come to their school performance; but he arranges a nearby car service to JFK.  Thru self-check-in we’re able to get better seats.  A mob next to us of Iberia passengers waiting for their crew, stuck in traffic on the way to the airport!  We don’t get bumped to business class for our British Airways flight (like an earlier trip), but we’re treated well: a little packet w/ socks, toothbrush, mask for sleeping; free wine with dinner; and pretty good food (!).  Flight departs on time at 6:30pm.

Virginia, DC, & Other Southeast

 Virginia

April 2003

Friday, 4/11:

          It’s been a long winter: over 100” of snow (3^rd highest ever), a big ice storm followed by snow just in the past week.  We’re ready for some spring warmth and flowers.  Our friend Kay joins us for a follow-up to our European trip last summer.  After her arrival from Wisconsin, we head to “The Trial at Gilligan’s Island,” a fundraising spoof for Literacy Volunteers.  Kay chats up local celebrity Alan Chartok (TV commentator/public radio guru/SUNY professor).

Saturday, 4/12:

          Still in a tizzy over son Matt and Anthea’s very recent engagement, we head off at 6am, before the crack of dawn.  Marjorie from the back seat: “Wake me when it’s warm.”  Both M & K seem to have no trouble napping in the car.  Rainy until NJ, where forsythia are our first flowers.  Some trouble finding a breakfast spot  ̶  we thought NJ had diners everywhere  ̶  but finally a nice place in a service area on the Turnpike.  Along the way we spot buses labeled “Greater Love Cruiser”  ̶  turns out to be for a church.  More green and flowers as we go thru the “Delmarva” peninsula: Delaware (where we begin to get sun and blue sky), Maryland, into Virginia.  We make good time, tho Kay seems to complain whenever we have a stoplight. 

Burgundy & Provence

Burgundy and Provence

June 2009

 

Our Viking River Cruises trip on the Rhine 6 years ago was wonderful, very relaxing and only something of an exaggeration to describe it as gourmet dining interrupted by sightseeing.  Saw a similar cruise in Burgundy/Provence (“Portraits of Southern France”); knowing Marjorie had a yen to travel to Provence . . . well, not a hard decision.  Arranged it well in advance, to get some discounts and in anticipation of being joined by several family and friends.  But all abandoned us (you know who you are!) w/ lame excuses about weddings and family reunions. Guess we’ll have to get along just the two of us.  We get into the mood by reading Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence, loaned by daughter-in-law Anthea; a very enjoyable read and intro to Provençal ambiance. My next book, historical novel The Dream of Scipio, is also coincidentally set in 3 historical periods around Avignon: fall of the Romans, the Avignon papacy and Black Death, and the period leading up to WWII; we encounter all 3 periods during the tour.  We also have the usual Frommer’s travel info and some detailed booklets from VRC.  There’ve been reports all month about swine flu becoming a possible worldwide pandemic (it was so labeled a week after we returned, the 1^st in 40 years); a reminder of bird flu concerns before our trip to Istanbul.  We’ll follow proper hygiene principles.  Another coincidence: Russ’ brother Doug & sister-in-law Ann will also be traveling in France at the same time, but no crossed paths.

Santa Fe & Colorado

Santa Fe & Colorado

August 2012

          We're headed to Santa Fe for something of a reunion w/ Wisconsin friends: Diane & Jerry, who retired to Santa Fe about 10 years ago, and Kay, who has retired but stayed in Madison (been to Santa Fe a number of times, both together and Marjorie alone; see the "Santa Fe" post in this blog). The impetus now is Jerry’s 75^th birthday celebration, and we’ve added a side trip up to southern Colorado.  Able to use United credit-card miles to score free flights.  And our recently added “Explorer” card gives some useful perks (as seen now on frequent TV ads): a free checked bag apiece, priority boarding, 2 passes per year for United Lounge.  Of course, leaving now means many tomatoes and beans may ripen while we’re gone; neighbors are green-lighted to harvest, back-door neighbor Baracat seems especially excited.  One annoyance: my camera stops working the day before we leave! Marjorie kindly agrees to share hers.  

Thursday, 8/16:

          An early thunderstorm (a foreshadowing?), but it lets up by the time we head to the airport.  Into McDonald’s for coffee, young man behind the counter greets me: “Hi, Prof. Ward.”  Another UAlbany success story.  Clear & sunny by takeoff a little after 7am.  Halfway out:  “This is your captain speaking.”  Uh-oh, that can’t be good.  T-storms around Chicago have us on hold and initially headed toward Minnesota to circle back.  But not enough fuel for that, so we divert to Grand Rapids MI to refuel.  They kindly allow 2 passengers headed here anyway to get off, then on our way pretty efficiently.  Speaking of kindly, Marjorie moved her seat to allow a young couple to sit together; and my grandpa reflexes kick in: I offer half my peanut-butter sandwich to a little girl, she declines because it isn’t white bread, tho she is willing to share my chocolate-peanut-butter granola bar.  Low clouds among Chicago skyscrapers as we come into O’Hare about 2½ hours late.  Waiting for our connecting flight, thankfully similarly delayed, we meet a couple who just drove from Grand Rapids for this flight.  About 1½ hours late into Albuquerque Internat’l Sunport (ABQ).  As we taxi in Kay calls  ̶  she’s just arrived and we’ll meet at baggage claim, so things have worked out quite well.  We pick up our Hertz black Nissan Versa, comfy tho not much get-up-and-go.