Author: 510donna

A view of Bern, Switzerland taken from the park next to the cathedral. We had a surprisingly lovely day! That really is the color of the river! Fed by glaciers in the Swiss alps, it is pure, clean and cold!

We arrived in Bern on August 30th. Two days from our planned arrival in St. Rémy. Germany had been just lovely, but we were eager to get to France and not expecting much from the capital of Switzerland. We rented an Airbnb in Münsingen, about 20 minutes by train from the center of Bern. It was a delightful respite, charmingly decorated, with a terrific kitchen and chickens in the back yard! Anneliese is a retired primary teacher, so she and Donna bonded over their love of children – AND their enjoyment of retirement!

Situated on a bend in the Aare River (good crossword answer!), Bern was established in 1191 by Berchtold V, Duke of Zahringen. Although there are several theories about the name of the city, an archeological find in the 1980’s, with Gaulish inscriptions, suggests that the city’s name derives from Celtic times, when it was perhaps named ‘Berna’, meaning ‘cleft’. Wherever the name came from, the city has chosen to adopt a stylised black bear as its symbol and this has appeared on its coat of arms for roughly eight centuries.

After its founding in 1191, Bern became a Free Imperial City within less than three decades, with more than 500 inhabitants. The city soon elected its own mayor and was an important part of the Holy Roman Empire, and by 1300, Berne boasted a population exceeding 3,000 people. In the next couple of centuries, Bern expanded by overthrowing the canton of Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1535. At that point, Bern was the largest and most powerful city-state north of the Alps. Farming and agriculture were the mainstay of the residents. A tannery was established and soon, leather goods were being exported.

Bern’s population continued to grow from 12,000 in 1803 to 140,00 currently. The service sector is presently the largest source of employment in the Canton of Berne. Tourism is a significant driver of the economy in the Bernese Oberland. Tech, agriculture and wine growing are also strong components of the Bern economy. Bern also provides the location for the Swiss and European headquarters of big international groups such as The Swatch Group, eBay and Swisscom. 

Since we only had one day in Bern, we decided to take a guided walking tour led by a delightful young woman with a strong entrepreneurial streak! Eva Marie owns Airbnb rentals herself in Costa Rica and Switzerland. Born and raised near Bern, she is a former executive in the hotel industry and has a deep knowledge of the history of Bern. Her hospitality background informs her perspective as a guide to tourists.

Along with Irina, another guest, and LuLu, our tour began at the Hauptbahnhof, the main train station. Sam was captivated by the glass canopy, called the Baldachin, on the main square in front of the station. We could imagine its utility  on rainy or snowy days. It was graceful addition to the old town and did not seem out of place at all.

Bern is famous for its fountains. There are over 100 wellsprings in this little city. Apart from being works of art and social commentary, the fountains had a practical role. Located in the middle of the street, as in many Swiss cities, the fountains were a public source of water and at the heart of urban life until as recently as 80 years ago. Fed by natural springs, the fountains are cleaned regularly to remove any unwanted substances. The fountains below are the work of 16th century Fribourg artist Hans Gieng, who created most of the oldest fountains in the city with various motifs.

There are several theories regarding the meaning of the Kindlifresser (Child eater) fountain.  One theory is that the statue is the likeness of Krampus, the beast-like creature from Alpine folklore thought to punish children who misbehaved during the Christmas season. Another theory posits that it is just a carnival character intended to frighten disobedient children. It scared us! The Samson fountain shows him defeating the lion. The Zahringer fountain depicts a bear in full armor, with another bear cub at his feet. The bear represents the bear that, according to legend, Berchtold shot on the Aare peninsula as he was searching for a site to build a city. The armored bear carries a shield and a banner, both emblazoned with the Zähringen lion.

We passed Einstein’s home, an apartment in the third floor of Kramgasse 49, in the heart of the Old Town.   He and his wife, Mileva, moved into the apartment while he worked at the federal patent office. This period included 1905 – Einstein’s annus mirabilis (extraordinary year) – which was his most creative period of scientific discovery. And as Eva Marie noted, it is now becoming clear that Mileva,  perhaps having paid better attention in grade school arithmetic, made some significant contributions to her husband’s groundbreaking theory. Gotta give the lady some credit! We wonder if the New York Times has published an obituary on the former Ms. Einstein.

  The Bern Münster Cathedral of St. Vincent is the most impressive late-Gothic building in the city and the largest and most important late medieval church in Switzerland. The tower is over 300 feet high. Construction started in 1421, but the tower was not completed until 1893. Eva told us that there is almost ALWAYS scaffolding somewhere on the church. The only time she recalls it not being there was during the 800th anniversary of the city’s founding in 1991. An outstanding feature of the cathedral is the main portal, where you can admire the depiction of the Last judgment – the only image that was spared the iconoclasm of the Reformation. The figures on the left are on their way to Heaven and the ones on the right are condemned to Hell. 

2 & 3. Another requisite photo! The 179 foot tower has served many purposes over the years, but the astronomical clock was added in the 15th century. It was built by Kaspar Brunner, a man who was NOT a Swiss clockmaker, but an engineer, gunsmith, locksmith and blacksmith.  He never built another clock after this one! 4. 5. A view through the casino towards the river.

So, a wee bit weary from our walking, we headed to a restaurant serving the renowned cheese fondue of Switzerland. Eva and Irina joined us and we had a lovely lunch.

We spent another hour or so wandering around this gorgeous little city (on a time-consuming, fruitless search for a source of Euros on Sunday in Switzerland!). Then we headed back to our Airbnb and to pack up for tomorrow! It will take us 6 or 7 hours to get to St. Rémy de Provence and we can’t wait!

We send our love to you all,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

August 31, 2019

We finally arrived in Munich, where Donna was born, and had the most AWFUL and most WONDERFUL time! The Airbnb that we took (after being cancelled by another one) was just THE WORST! Inaccurate description, old polyester (!) sheets with holes in them, not very clean. THE PITS! So we left after one night and know that we will never see that $$$ again! But we found a very clean, very quiet, very nicely appointed (cotton sheets) hotel downtown by the train station and were WAY happier.

While we were in Gothenburg, picking up our car, we met another couple picking up their car, Klaus & Petra Schweinberg, from Munich.  Petra invited us to call when we were in Munich, so we did. Wednesday afternoon they picked us up (in their new Volvo) and took us out to Nymphenburg Castle for a tour. They invited LuLu and took her while Sam and I toured the Castle. Schloß Nymphenberg was built as a summer residence to honor the birth of the long-awaited heir to the throne, Max Emanuel, who was born in 1662. After the addition of the wings, annexes were constructed as residences for court officials and the royal household. It has been remodeled, expanded, redecorated and adorned with some of the most fabulous art of the period. There is not really one empty wall or ceiling! Oy! So much gilt! Sunglasses, to combat the glare would not be out of line!

When we came out of the palace, their  daughter’s boyfriend, Stuart,  joined us for coffee and cake on the grounds. He is an American working over here as a film maker for Bavarian Broadcasting. He’s from Austin and AMAZINGLY he knows who Benjamin is! He met Ben briefly at South by Southwest a few years ago and listens to his podcasts!  Imagine, if you can, the shock after telling him that our son was a filmmaker also, but now does podcasts as well, and he said “Is your son Ben Harrison?” Donna about fell over! Theirs was a random meeting and didn’t last long and Ben doesn’t remember him, but Jimminy! What a coincidence! He is a delightful young man!

After our brief tour of the castle, and coffee and cake in the garden café, Klaus & Petra suggested that we visit a German biergarten. This was AMAZING! And something that Donna had never done in over 8 years of living in Germany! Klaus & Petra’s daughter Julia, a lovely and self-possessed young woman, joined us there. 

So, just imagine a huge outdoor area filled with hundreds of picnic tables and probably 800+ folks! There is a cabinet FILLED with glass beer steins of different sizes and you pick a stein and get in line to get it filled with the beer of your choice. There are wine and non-alcoholic beverages also – thank goodness! And there is FOOD! Spit roasted chicken, fish on a skewer, spare ribs, potatoes, pretzels, salads. We had a drink and shared a HUGE pretzel with obatzda a Bavarian cheese dip – very tasty! Then we got a couple of chickens and a schweinhaxe (pork shank) with the MOST delicious crispy skin – and some salad and potatoes of course. It was Sehr Gemülicheit for sure! So much fun! Petra speaks about the same level of English as Donna’s German, so they end up speaking a mixture of German and English together! Klaus is a banker who works in Switzerland a couple of days a week, so his English is quite good. And Julia, their daughter also speaks excellent English. She is an editor at Bavarian Broadcasting which is how she met Stuart. In an interaction between Julia and Stuart, we learned that she backs up her competence in the editing room with backbone. We just feel so fortunate to have met Klaus & Petra. The biergarten was an experience that we probably would not have had without them! They are a delightful and interesting couple and we hope to see them again. And, of course, the have great taste in automobile makers!

1. The stein trolley coming by! 2. Donna and Stuart. 3. Julia, Petra & Klaus. 4. Sam & LuLu get in on the action, barely. So Much Fun!

The following day we decided to take the Hop on – Hop Off tour of the city. And LuLu was allowed to come with us! What must be said at the outset here is that if you do not hop off the bus, your pictures will be TERRIBLE! And that what happened to us. We did hop off at Marien Platz, the site of the Rathaus, which is amazing! The square itself is full of tourist attractions – souvenir shops, ice cream stands, pretzel sellers etc. But the main attraction is this eye-popping, jaw-dropping building!

The Neues Rathaus was built from 1867 to 1908 out of a need for more civic offices. Its elaborate neo-Gothic façade rises over a grand arcade at street level.There are statues galore on the upper storeys – paupers, gargoyles and dragons hustle for attention with kings, dukes, and princes.  Turrets line the gables and a grand clock tower, adorned with a world famous glockenspiel, soars above it all. The glockenspiel chimes every day at 11am and 12pm (and at 5pm from March to October).  The Carillon re-enacts scenes from Munich’s history as more than 40 bells chime away. There are two levels to it – the top one shows the 1568 wedding of Duke Wilhelm V and Renata von Lorraine. It features a French jouster fighting a Bavarian one. On the bottom level the “Schäfflertanz” is played out, that’s a jig traditionally performed by Munich’s red-coated coopers (barrel makers). The tower is nearly 280 feet tall with a small statue of the symbol of Munich on top – the Münchner Kindl – a small child dressed in a monk’s robe.

The bus tour itself was just lovely and hit all the high spots in Munich. But, as you might have surmised by now, we are a little weary of sightseeing and eager get to St. Rémy and settle down for a bit. We have one more stop before we get there – Bern, Switzerland. So that will be our next very small adventure!

Sending our love to you all,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

August 30, 2019

A note to readers of this blog: Somehow your esteemed bloggers mistakenly stated that they visited Heidelberg on the way from Hamburg to Wiesbaden. It would not be impossible to do, but it would definitely be an unlikely itinerary! The following is what we REALLY did!

Heading to Munich, on nearly the last leg of our journey to St-Rémy-de-Provence, we decided to take the indirect route and stop off at Heidelberg, and then Hanweiler, near Stuttgart, where Donna lived for nearly three years with Michael Kirsch, her first husband. 

We spent merely a couple of relaxing hours in Heidelberg, wandering the Alt Stadt and strolling along the river in the glorious sunshine. Heidelberg was its usual charming and picturesque self. A renowned university town, situated on the Neckar River, modern Heidelberg can trace its beginnings to the fifth century. However, the first reference to Heidelberg can be found in a document dated to 1196. This is considered to be the town’s founding date. The university, founded in 1386, it is one of Europe’s oldest institutions. In fact, Heidelberg is the oldest university town in modern Germany. 

The original castle structure was built in the early 1200’s and expanded several times. Since then it has suffered two devastating lightning strikes, fires and a gunpowder explosion! The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps.

The Hanweiler stop was kind of a bust except for the auld lang syne aspect. The little house where Donna lived was shuttered up tight, so we could only view it from outside. And the Traube restaurant was closed! So we gave LuLu a little walkabout and were delighted in how little the village  has changed. 

Happily, Hanweiler remains a very small rural village. The major agricultural product is grapes. Every November there is a NeuWeine Fest. The wine makers open their cellars and pour their latest vintage. The traditional food served with new wine is zwiebel kuchen – a kind of onion pizza.

When we moved into our little house it was brand new. We did not understand that one had to supply ones own kitchen cabinets! Behind our house across the street was Traube Hanweiler, the gasthaus. It was an unassuming village gasthaus where you could get a schnitzel or a bratwurst. In the years since she lived there, it has become major culinary destination in Baden-Wurttemburg under different ownership. It is now twice as big as it was when we lived there. They added a entire new wing on the right with a huge dining room on the ground floor and several hotel rooms above. 

At the cemetery, Donna found the grave of Frau Haisch, an important person in Donna’s life. While there she met a woman whose mother was Frau Haisch’s best friend. They had a little moment.

We are now on our way to Munich, Donna’s birthplace. We have plans to visit with Petra & Klaus whom we met in Gothenburg when they were picking up their new Volvo XC60. The visit to Munich deserves its own post!

Love to you all,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

August 28, 2019

We arrived in Wiesbaden in the evening. And after getting lost for a bit trying to find parking, we managed to straggle into our Airbnb. Our apartment was located in Kaiser Friedrich-Therm, an apartment building with a beautiful, traditional German bad on the ground level. The building itself was constructed in the early 1900’s in a classical Wilhelminian style. Our apartment was quite traditional in style, yet conveniently modern.

As early as 2,000 years ago the Romans discovered Wiesbaden’s special attraction when they found thermal springs. They felt the effects of the waters to be miraculous for themselves and their horses and set up the first bath houses.  The site where the springs were found became the Roman fort “Aquae Mattiacorum.” After the Roman defeat by the Teutons in 407 CE, the “Wisibada” of the Germanic tribes became popular as a trading post along the Rhine. 

It began to develop as a resort town in the early nineteenth century, and the European aristocracy came in droves, fueling a building boom. Its magnificent buildings have been preserved for the most part and reflect its glamorous past.  Wiesbaden emerged from two world wars amazingly unscathed and was made the capital of the German state of Hesse in 1946.

When Donna lived in Wiesbaden in the late 60’s her family resided for a year in Hotel Rose, presently the State Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Hesse.  It was a beautiful old pile that had been converted from a hotel to a residential hotel with suites and apartments leased to permanent guests. Her family lived on the top floor in a small apartment with one bedroom and a nook for two twin beds. There was a small kitchen, a dining area and a living room. The basement had a traditional German hot spring bad (spa), with massage and esthetic services and an indoor tennis court. This was Donna’s introduction to Europe and it made an impression! It felt romantic and glamorous and foreign and she fell in love with the entire continent! So, it was a total stroke of luck to find the apartment in Kaiser Friedrich-Therm, which resonated strongly with her memories of Hotel Rose. Kaiser Friedrich Therm is located in the center of the Alt Stadt, which is now a pedestrian zone. This made for such a quiet respite!   . In the foyer of the Kaiser Friedrich Therm spa are original ceramic fountains from 1903, previously dispensing the healing hot (sulphurous) water to those seeking the cure. And a glorious stained glass window was in the stairwell of the apartment building.

We spent our first day wandering around looking for various landmarks from Donna’s memories. Although Hotel Rose is now an office building, it remains such a beautiful example of  the architecture of times past with window boxes full of geraniums in every color. We wandered past the Kurhaus, formerly a spa and now an event venue. We strolled past the MarktKirche to the Rathaus (town hall) and made dinner reservations at the Ratskeller – the typical German restaurant in the basement of the rathaus, found in most German towns of any size. We found the famous “largest cuckoo clock in the world,” erected in 1946, by German souvenir salesman Emil Kronberger. The clock strikes every half hour between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. The shop is full of every German souvenir you can imagine – beer steins, cuckoo clocks, nutcrackers, Hummel figurines, Christmas ornaments, you name it!

The following day, we decided to take the Neroberg Bahn to the top of Neroberg, the tallest point in the city at over 800 feet.  This old style water powered funicular railway is a unique way to make the 1450 foot trip to the top of Neroberg. Built in 1888, this train is powered by a water-based system. The weight of the water pulls the top train down to the bottom where the water is discharged into a reservoir and pumped back up to the top for the next descent. The descent of the top train pulls the bottom train to the top. And on and on and on it goes! This is a popular leisure destination for Wiesbadeners with a nature trail for hiking, a public swimming pool and a small cafe open in the summer. There are some amazing panoramic views of Wiesbaden and surrounding towns. A gorgeous Russian Orthodox church is a few minutes walk away. We met a delightful German couple on the train going up the hill. He is 96 and she is 91! They were out for their Sunday treat and  joined us for coffee and cake. We had a lovely chat which made a delightful day even better!

Our last evening in Wiesbaden, we decided to take advantage of the spa in our building. Built in the early 1900’s in a classical style,  the baths are on the foundation of Roman era hot mineral springs. The spa, operated by the city,  contains a warm tub- 102˚F, a cool tub – 65˚F, several saunas and steam rooms, masseurs, a variety of esthetic and cosmetic treatments, a quiet room and various other treatments and facilities. (Textile free, ergo photography forbidden.) We both took the warm bath and the cold bath prior to our massages. Donna got a facial also. We could get used to this! 

Tomorrow we head to Munich, with a short stop in Hanweiler where Donna lived and, most importantly, where she learned to bake stollen! 

Grüße an alle,

Donna, Sam & LuLu

We arrived in Germany on August 21st. Our Airbnb was outside the center of town but very convenient to the U-Bahn (metro). We were delighted to find sun and warm weather!

The next morning, we headed into town on the metro.  Donna was eager to have ein bratwurst mit frites after many years. Another “madeleine moment” for her! And if you know Sam’s predilection for any type of sausage, you can imagine that he was only too happy to join her! Two happy campers!

Sam’s grandmother, Ida Elisabeth Lange Harrison, came from Hamburg. And although we couldn’t come up with any relatives to connect with, we wanted to experience this glorious city. One of the first things we noticed was the abundance of some pretty spectacular modern architecture.

Our Hamburg Walkabout started at the Hauptbahnhof – the main train station. One side is Neo-Renaissance and the other side is modernistic, glass and cast-iron. Both sides are ogle-worthy!

After a stroll past the Rat Haus (City Hall–they call ’em as they see ’em), we headed to the Apple Store – yes, really! Donna’s iPhone seems to be dying and, happily, Apple was on our way to two sights we had on our agenda: The Binnenalster, an artificial lake in Hamburg’s Inner City and Jungfernstieg, a busy shopping street that was previously well known as the place to take your unmarried daughter for a stroll in search of a prospective groom. Remember, these were the days before Tinder! Jungfernsteig is now an absolutely lovely promenade lined with designer shops!

After making an appointment for the next day at Apple, we continued on to the St. Nikolai Memorial. This poignant site is the tall spire remaining of St. Nikolai Church – in 1874 this was the tallest structure in the world at 484 feet. After Operation Gomorrah, a bombing raid by the Allies in 1943, much of central Hamburg was in ruins. Remarkably, the spire of this church remained standing. The base of St Katherine’s tower is the only remaining part of the original church, built in the 13th Century. After the war, the decision was made to create a museum and memorial in the spire. A glass elevator takes you up to a viewing platform at 249 feet where you can overlook the entire city and see photographs of the destruction from the war. It was a very moving experience.

The next day, on our way back to to Apple for a new battery for Donna’s phone, we strolled past the Rat Haus again, only to discover a concert going on! Performed by the Hamburg Police Band, it was just ton of fun! The conductor was the star performer really. She appeared to be enjoying herself tremendously! And she created such a feeling of almost giddy joy! She grinned and bounced and gestured and her musicians were right with her! The keyboardist shimmied his shoulders, the brass section sashayed, the percussionists shook, rattled and rolled! And the audience smiled and swayed and clapped! Here we were, in Hamburg, Germany, on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon bopping along to a band concert by an amazing group of musicians with a conductor who emanated her joy in bringing us this music! It was truly a moment to savor!

The Rathaus itself, is an architectural Must-See! Built between 1886 & 1897 it is a Neo-Renaissance palace with more rooms than Buckingham Palace! The exterior is adorned with sculpture, paintings and Hamburg’s coat of arms.

After the visit to Apple for a new battery (which did not solve the problem), we scheduled a boat trip in the harbor. Unfortunately, although we requested the tickets using English, the ticket seller neglected to mention that the tour was only in German. After only a few minutes, it was clear that we would only be able to enjoy the visuals, because we didn’t understand a word of the German. The good news is that the guide, apparently was not that engaging or funny, because he only got one laugh in the entire 90 minute tour! One woman slept during most of it! We were able to enjoy the cruise through the canals and the harbor, seeing the sights from a different perspective.

Tomorrow we head to Wiesbaden, Donna’s former home. Fingers crossed that it is still recognizable!

We are missing you all!

Love,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

August 23, 2019

We arrived in Copenhagen on Monday, August 19th. The weather was overcast and cool and within a few minutes there was a massive downpour! We managed to get out for dinner in between showers and got settled in to our hotel room about half a block from a canal filled with boats.

Originally a Viking fishing village established in the 10th Century CE, Copenhagen is now the capital and most populous city. As well as being a tourist mecca, Copenhagen is the cultural, governmental and economic center of Denmark and one of the major financial centers of Northern Europe. It is situated on the east coast of the island of Zealand and is crisscrossed by canals, bridges and small islets, all of which makes for a beautifully scenic locale. 

Bicycling is the most common form of transportation in this flat city. The city government has created bike paths on every street and massive herds of bicyclists take advantage of them. Many thoroughfares have an intermediate, separately-paved way between the pedestrian sidewalk and the street. We saw UPS delivery bicycles, baby carriage bicycles and Uber Eats bikes! One walking guide we read suggested that unless one was a very skilled bicyclist, it would definitely be better to walk around the city rather than ride. Danish bikers know where they’re going and move pretty swiftly. No time for an out-of-towner to stop and check the map, no less look or take a photo! So, since we would only have one day here, we opted for another self-guided walking tour.

A walking tour of the high points in Copenhagen began with the Torvehallerne. Formerly Grønttorvet,  a farmers market, put out of business by the emergence of supermarkets, Torvehallerne is a combination farmers market & foodie hot spot. Over 60 stalls sell prepared food, meats, produce, chocolate, exotic spices, coffee, fresh fish and flowers. We got one of the best shrimp sandwiches that we had on the entire Scandinavian leg at Torvehallerne. 

Next, the Round Tower. This amazing tower was constructed in 1642. It has an observatory telescope at the top, reached by way of a long, spiral ramp. In 1716 Tsar Peter the Great of Russia was very interested in visiting the Observatory.  However, it would not have been the done thing for a Tsar to walk all the way to the top of the Tower, of course, so he rode up on horseback, followed by his wife Katherina in a horse-drawn carriage.

Our next stop is Germany! Donna is looking forward to being in a country where she can mostly understand what is being said and express herself as well! 

Our love to all of you,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

August 21, 2019

Norway was a lovely road trip in the new car! We traveled across the country side from Oslo to Røldal Friday, August 9th. Located in the RøldalValley at the foot of Lake Røldasvatnet. The rain had let up by the time we got there, but the mountains surrounding this little jewel of a valley were gushing with waterfalls. There is magnificent hiking in these hills, but rain and Donna’s gimpy knee prevented us from taking advantage of the hikes. In winter this is a ski area with both downhill and telemark skiing available.

The next day we took the scenic route to Odda, on the southeast end of the Sorfjorden. We had been told that many towns on fjords are quite industrial, taking advantage of hydropower. But Odda was beautifully scenic. We did see an industrial area at the edge of town, but it was otherwise pretty pristine.

After lunch in Odda (more fish soup!) and a bit of a walkabout, we headed towards Bergen. Failing to find an Airbnb in Bergen proper, we spent one night on Stord Island near Leirvik, south of Bergen, and overlooking the harbor of Hardanger fjord. The name “Stord” appeared on the map near the northeast end of and island. As we drove off the ferry, it dawned on us that what we thought was the name of a town, was the name of the island. The island’s name floats around the image of the island. But the island was beautiful and it was a short drive from the south end to a ferry at the north.

The following day we drove up to Bergen. (By “up” we mean northward. ) Although it feels like a small town, Bergen is the second largest city in Norway. It is considered the gateway to many fjords and lies at the at the base of seven mountains. Founded more than 900 years ago, Bergen has roots to the Viking age and beyond. As one of the main offices of the Hanseatic League, Bergen was for several hundred years  (1100’s to 1400’s) the center of prosperous trade between Norway and the rest of Europe. The Hanseatic Wharf, which survived a devastating fire in 1702, is the most obvious remnant from this time, and is home to many of the city’s restaurants, pubs, craft shops and historical museums. The Hanseatic league was a federation of north German towns  formed in the 12th century CE to facilitate trade and protect mutual interests. At one point this powerful group controlled the majority of trade in the Baltic region.

Still no Airbnb in Bergen proper! But we were lucky to get a room at Fjordslottet (Fjord Castle) in the town of Fotlandsvåg on the Osterfjorden. This hotel, about 30 minutes out of Bergen, is situated in the home of a prosperous merchant, built in 1850. The public areas are gracious with vintage furnishings and decor. Our room was small but clean, quiet and very comfortable. Our view of the river was a serene delight! LuLu was very much welcomed and enjoyed a few frolics on the lawn next to the hotel. Breakfast and dinner were included and were delicious! We were all happy!

At this point we had 2 weeks to get to St. Rémy de Provence and the beginning of our five month rental. So we were moving quickly. The weather was quite rainy, overcast and cool, so there were no strong burning desires to stop and smell the roses! We stopped one night at Geilo, a ski and hiking resort between Bergen and Karlstad for two nights and on to Jönköping. Lots of small lakes and craggy granite terrain had us thinking of the high Sierra, but it was only 2600 feet above sea level.

In Karlstad, Sweden, we had the time to do a little wandering. What a delightful little city with an abundance of floral displays. Every street, park, bridge and plaza was awash with flowers! After a long, dark, cold Swedish winter, they appreciate the light and warmth and make the most of it!

We spent one night in a lovely little cottage on a working organic farm outside Jönköpin. We loved the contrast between the vintage and the modern!

Next stop, Copenhagen! We are still very much enjoying Scandinavia, but each day we travel south increases our excitement about getting to France!

We send our love to all of you!

Sam, Donna & LuLu

August 20, 2019

The weather has changed! The torrid heat we experienced in Italy has let up here in Scandinavia and we are having a fair amount of rain. It is NOT unwelcome! We don our macs and wellies and keep moving!

Our first stop in Norway is Oslo. Originally founded in 1049 by King Harald Hårdrad (Harald the Hard Ruler). It was considered a major seat of defense for Norway until bubonic plague wiped out half the population of Norway in the mid 14th century. Following that devastation, Norway united with Denmark from 1397 to 1624 and while Copenhagen handled the politics and defense of the country, Oslo slipped into obscurity. In 1624, the city burned to the ground and was rebuilt as Kristiana by King Christian. In 1814, Sweden unified the two countries, although not willingly on Norway’s part. This lasted until 1905 when Norway broke away and became a separate kingdom with Oslo as its capitol.

Today, Oslo is a vibrant, modern city with some fabulous architecture, an efficient public transportation system and a restaurant scene that is bringing a fresh approach to Norwegian ingredients and culinary traditions. It is home to the Nobel Peace Center and many outstanding museums.

We stayed in an Airbnb in the hills above the center of Oslo. Walking from our apartment to the bus stop we felt we could have been in the Berkeley hills! The geography and architecture felt so familiar! Plus, all the plug-in hybrids and electric cars!

Our first day in Oslo was a rainy one. Walking to the main station, we were DRENCHED! We got a map and a bit of tourist information, had a cup of coffee and started our touristing! First stop, Frogner Park, the site of a sculpture garden by Gustav Vigeland. This sculpture park has more than 200 sculptures by Vigeland (1869–1943) in bronze, granite and cast iron, including The Angry Boy (Sinnataggen in Norwegian), The Monolith (Monolitten). It was stunning to us to see the raw emotion Vigeland was able to evoke in granite and bronze. Look closely and you can see that many a visitor has stroked the boy to allay his fury. On the monolith it is stunning to see so many naked bodies but not a shred of anything salacious!

The next day was cool and intermittently rainy – but not the downpour of the day before. So we decided to take the ferry to Bygdoy, a peninsula about 20 minutes across the Oslofjord. This is the home of the Kon-Tiki museum, the Fram Museum and the Viking Ship Museum. We had gotten a late start, so we missed the Viking ship exhibition, sadly.

The Fram was the first ship specially built in Norway for polar research. She was used on three important expeditions: with Fridtjof Nansen on a drift over the Arctic Ocean 1893-96, with Otto Sverdrup to the arctic archipelago west of Greenland – now the Nunavut region of Canada – 1898-1902, and with Roald Amundsen to Antarctica for his South Pole expedition 1910-12.  And an amazing ship she is! Built to be able to withstand the crushing pressures of the pack ice in the Arctic Ocean for several years, she is huge and sturdy. We went aboard to observe the crew quarters, the galley, the engine room and a workshop with tools for carpentry as well as a sewing machine for the repair of sails and crew clothing.

Next, the Kon-Tiki museum. The Kon-Tiki expedition was a 1947 journey across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian led by Norwegian explorer and writer, Thor Heyerdahl. Heyerdahl believed that South American people could have settled in Polynesia in Pre-Columbian times. Using only the materials and technology available at that time, he and a crew of five built and provisioned the raft and proceeded to sail from Peru to the Tuamotus atoll in the southern Pacific.

After a week or so of searching for shrimp sandwiches, the cold rainy weather brought on a search for fish soup. Happily, after a chilly afternoon on the deck of the ferry, we managed to find a waterfront restaurant (Lofoten Fiskerestaurant) that served an amazing example of this Scandinavian speciality! The fish broth was mildly flavored with basil, turning it a lovely shade of green. Shrimp, ling and salmon filled the bowl. It was pure heaven for Donna while Sam ordered a lobster gratinéed with butter. Two happy campers! Right, only two. Norway has rules that interfere with LuLu’s liberty to go where she wants.

The rest of the Norway post will come soon. We were enchanted by the countryside – the fjords, the waterfalls and the mountains – and look forward to sharing it with you.

Love to all of you,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

August 11, 2019

Here’s the reason we went to Gothenburg! Our new Volvo XC40 T5 Glacier Metallic White with amber leather seats and charcoal interior. We love it! (Donna wanted to spank it on the fanny as soon as it came out the door! Sam was driving.)

So… after we left Lucca, we headed to St-Rémy-de-Provence, where we have rented a small apartment from September 1st to February 1st. Delphine, our delightful landlady has agreed to store a bag of winter gear for us so that we don’t have to haul it around for the last month of touring before we settle down to our sojourn in St. Rémy.

We hadn’t met Delphine before. We had spoken on the phone and exchanged emails, so we were delighted to discover that she is just as kind and sweet in person as she is on the phone! She and her husband have 2 children – ages 6 and 2. They live on a fairly large piece of property about 2 km outside of St. Rémy proper. Her parents live in a small house on the property and her husband runs a plumbing business out of a large shop across from the main house. And we are so excited about getting to know all of them better! Delphine is a dog groomer and LuLu is looking forward to getting a trim as soon as we get there!

Briefly, except for meeting Delphine, the next few days of our trip went about as wrong as could be! Without going into detail…

• Our Airbnb reservation in St Rémy was apparently confirmed incorrectly and we got a call about 2 hours out of town saying we had no place to stay!

• The morning of our flight from Paris to Gothenburg, we overslept.

• Arriving in Stockholm before connecting to Gothenburg, we left a bag in the overhead bin.

• After landing in Gothenburg we discovered that one of our checked bags was still in Paris!

• Oooops! Left the jewelry and credit cards in the safe in Paris!

Happily, all these problems were solved! It cost some money and some time, but everyone that we dealt with was exceptionally kind and sincerely making an effort on our behalf.

The Volvo Overseas Delivery Program is dandy! We were given one night’s lodging at the Clarion Post Hotel, a 3-course dinner in the hotel restaurant, breakfast the next morning and lunch at the Volvo factory when picking up the car. All this and a tutoring session to boot! That said, it will take us a long time to figure out all the bells and whistles on this car! After driving the Prius for 15 years, this is a bit like switching from a horse drawn buggy to a Model T! There is a lot to learn!

One of the nicest things that happened on car pick up morning was that Michaela, at the Clarion desk, arranged for a room to be available to us at 9:00AM, so that while we went out to the factory to pick up the car, LuLu could stay there. It was that kind of thoughtful touch that endeared us to the Clarion desk staff. They went out of their way at every turn to be helpful.

One little side note here: Scandinavia in general has NO laundromats! We’ve been staying in Airbnb’s with washers, so no problem. But in a hotel, you can either use the hotel laundry -$10 for a pair of pajamas and extra for ironing – or wash by hand. The Clarion sends their clients’ laundry out, but they were having difficulty with that service and didn’t recommend it. The suitcase that was stuck in Paris arrived full of dirty laundry that we planned to do in Gothenburg, but we couldn’t even find a wash-and-fold business. One of the desk clerks at the Clarion persuaded their sheets & towels laundry person to do a load of laundry for us! See what I mean about thoughtful touches?

One lovely benefit of staying in Gothenburg waiting for luggage and the contents of the safe was that we got to settle down for a few days! LuLu was fine on her own in the hotel room, so we parked the car in the parking lot and walked all over the city. We went to the Gothenburg Museum of Art where among the collections are masterpieces by Carl Larsson, Bruno Liljefors, Edvard Munch, Anders Zorn, Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet, Picasso Chagall and others. 

We spent another afternoon at the Röhsska Museum of Design and Craft. The Röhsska Museum specializes in Swedish design and craft since 1916. It covers historic and contemporary design and craft including industrial design, fashion and special collections such as bookbinding, posters, folk textiles and Japanese woodcut.

You can see the wide range of art and design on display at this museum! NB The pole dancer rotates slowly. In the background, under the red dress on the back wall is a ping pong table–open to the public! Nice.

The intellectual and aesthetic launch of Sam’s architecture was his reading of Notes on the Synthesis of Form, by Chris Alexander, sometime, perhaps, in 1972. This came to mind as the exhibit–BOOM!– has many kettles and vessels on display. He couldn’t help but look at all of them.

Next stop – Oslo, Norway! Looking forward to more fabulous shrimp sandwiches!

We send our love to all of you!

Sam, Donna & LuLu

August 8, 2019

Again, seeking to avoid crowds, we decided to head to Lucca instead of Florence. To be honest, we knew we would not get the art available in Florence, but our eyeballs were actually nearly burned out after the Vatican! And it was still SO HOT! And we were just a little tired of being tourists! So we were looking forward to a slower pace with charm.

Our Airbnb reservation was in a town called Aquilea, about 20 minutes northwest of Lucca. Up a narrow, curvy road we discovered a tiny village and our flat was in the centro – right behind the bar and the tiny grocery run by the family who own our flat. Checking in was a neighborhood endeavor! The Airbnb host, the signora who owns the property (with a can of lubricating spray), her daughter, the father of the Airbnb host – everyone trooped in to make sure we understood everything and to confer about repairing the window, which wouldn’t close. Needless to say, Donna’s Italian was not up to hardware and window repair discussions! But all was solved in a few minutes and the signora suggested that we dine upstairs in the bar. She warned us that it would be a simple meal because they were hosting a card championship that night, starting at 9:00 PM. So at 7:00, we went upstairs and had home grown melon, some of the best prosciutto ever, wine (Donna) from a local vineyard and some wonderful bread from a local baker. A perfect meal on another toasty hot day in Italy!

The following day, the heat broke a bit with some rain – light at first, and later a torrent. We toodled down the hill to Lucca. A Renaissance walled city, Lucca is perfect to explore on foot, especially since most streets do not allow cars! Lucca was one of the most famous producers of silk of the Western world from the end of 12th century. Its relative wealth allowed the city to exercise political power and remain an independent city state for over 700 years. Lucca’s monumental mura (wall) was built around the old city in the 16th and 17th centuries and remains in almost perfect condition. Over 4 kilometers around, the top of the wall is now a tree-lined footpath with joggers, bicyclists, picnickers and the sacrosanct passegiata- evening stroll.  Although both days we were there, there were few people out due to the rain. 

After a wonderful lunch at Il Mecente, we found a lovely and relaxed ambiance in Lucca. We wandered from piazza to piazza, ogling churches and towers and lovely narrow pedestrian streets. It was charming and not too taxing. A perfect day and just what we needed!

Our second day in Lucca we had scheduled a class on pasta making. Piero and Antoinetta own a small piece of property that they inherited from her father. Piero is a cowboy aficionado and a horseman. Although he has never been to the United States, he has enough cowboy regalia and memorabilia in his home to start a small museum. Hats, saddles, chaps, lariats, movie posters, pictures, pictures and more pictures. He is effusively outgoing and loves to talk! But because he speaks very little English, we communicated through a translation device with audio in- and out-put. Very helpful!

Antoinetta, his loving and patient wife, taught the pasta class, with the help of Natalia, a translator. Antoinetta is also very friendly, outgoing and generous. She had everything set up for us on a huge table at the back of the living room. The flour was organic and the eggs were from her own hens. She talked us through combining the ingredients, kneading the pasta dough and rolling, rolling, rolling until the dough was so thin you could see your hand through it. (It took a LOT of rolling!) We cut it into squares (maccaroni) and moved into the kitchen to prepare the sauce and the bruschetta. Donna got to chop the herbs for the tomato sauce (San Marzano tomatoes from Antoinetta’s garden!). Sam worked on the two different bruschetta – one with tomatoes, garlic and basil and one with anchovies, garlic and parsley.

Also at the class were two lovely women from England and a Polish family with 5 of the best behaved children we’ve seen in a long time. Lots of love in that family! It was a collegial and friendly group and we so enjoyed ourselves!

Our last day in Tuscany, we decided to head into Florence. But we had both seen a couple of items in Lucca that we wanted to purchase before we left Italy. Unhappily, because it was a Monday, the stores do not open until afternoon. So, we skipped Florence and became consumers! Later we sat and enjoyed an aperitivo and then went back to our new favorite restaurant in Lucca – Il Mecente. Here they only have a fish menu on the day that they have fresh fish. They are the only restauranteurs in Lucca who do not serve frozen fish! They also have a mushroom forager and on some days there is a mushroom menu! We had the most fabulous mushroom salad ever!

Our next stop is St. Rémy de Provence! Our lovely landlady, Delphine, has agreed to store the bag of winter clothes we have been hauling around, so we will go there for one night. Then we head to Paris and our flight to Gothenburg (Göteburg) to pick up the new car! Such excitement!

We send our love to all of you!

Sam, Donna & LuLu

July 29, 2019