Castle and Canal

  

Last week, Pete and I visited Konigstein, Germany and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Pete had a conference in Konigstein, which is a lovely wooded area with walking trails. I enjoyed walking up to Castle Konigstein, which dates back to 1200. It is considered to be “one of the largest castle ruins in Germany” (information at the castle), and I was pleasantly surprised by how much of it was still intact and open for exploration.

We took a train from Frankfurt to Amsterdam for my birthday weekend. We did a lot of walking, watching out for the numerous bicycles, scooters, and trams. I highly recommend the three museums we visited: Anne Frank, Van Gogh, and the Dutch Resistance. I learned a lot, and I can’t wait to share with my students during the upcoming school year.

Prinsengracht 263 where Otto Frank had his business. The Franks hid in the rooms in the back section of the building.

Westerkerk Church Tower: Anne Frank wrote about hearing the bells chime.

View from the Anne Frank Museum

Pete and I saw these cars all over the city. As Pete pointed out, they make Smart Cars look huge.

And we can return for tattoos.

More from the Camino

Here’s another installment of the Camino journey.

We saw a lot of storks along the Way but not too many babies.

Sometimes there would be crosses made out of twigs or fabric. Dad found a new use for duct tape.

It was handy having two guidebooks for reference. The headlights were for visibility while walking in the rain along a busy road. Fortunately, we were able to avoid the road for most of our trip.

Lunch break: Gabi amazed us with what she would pull out of her backpack. This time she had a cucumber.

Happy reunion: Kathleen had walked ahead for a few days, and we were delighted to find each other at the 99.5 km cafe. Part of the Camino’s charm is that you meet so many people along the Way, and you catch up with them when you aren’t expecting to.

Thank you camping store in Sarria for saving the day. Dad’s hiking shoes were not working out, and he was suffering from severe pain. Gabi’s backpack broke after repair attempts. Here they are outfitted with new gear and ready to hit the trail.

This one is for Grandma.

I got to hold the Camino puppy! Her name is Peregrino (pilgrim). Photo by Tom Rigsby

Ready to catch the train back to Madrid. Pete tried out having a goatee.

We are ok

Just a quick post that Pete and I are just fine after this morning’s earthquake. I am so sorry to hear of the deaths, injuries, and displacement of people in the towns northwest of Bologna.

164 miles/264 kilometers

Dad, Pete, and I walked every step from Astorga to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The pilgrimage to the cathedral in Santiago dates back 1,000 years, and people still begin from various points throughout Europe. Pilgrims carry a scallop shell on their backpacks as a symbol of St. James, who is enshrined in the cathedral. The grooves of the shell represent the various paths to reach the end point, and pilgrims could drink from their shells. Thank you, Kathy, for providing us with shells from your own collection in South Carolina.

Following the Way requires careful attention to signs, painted yellow arrows, and shells. Sometimes we walked along busy roads and had to cross them. Our entire journey followed very hilly terrain.

Part of the Camino experience is constantly putting on and taking off layers of clothing. We had a lot of rainy and cold days during the first week. We fought heat and intense sun during the second week. Thanks to all of my dad’s preparation, we had excellent gear. He even used cord to create belts for our ponchos when the wind was especially strong.

photo by Tom Rigsby

We stayed in communal facilities most nights. Not our favorite part of the trip, but this type of lodging is economical and allows for good conversations with other pilgrims.

Gabi and Kathleen started in Astorga with us. They are both from Germany, and we enjoyed their friendship throughout the trip.

This little cat walked with us and a couple from Spain. We were amazed by her stamina and sweet disposition. She jumped on Pete’s lap at one point and purred away. When we reached our stopping point for the day, the cat stayed, and she went to one of the homes where a lady scooped her up and cuddled her.

   

Pilgrims traditionally leave stones at the Cruce de Ferro. This place for reflection and prayer is for leaving behind burdens symbolized by the stones pilgrims carried. We left notes from friends.

We saw a lot of these structures, called horreos, which are built high off the ground to protect potatoes, corn, and chestnuts from rodents.

photo by Peter Adams

Photo by Tom Rigsby

In front of the Pilgrims’ office in Santiago de Compostela with fellow pilgrims from Sardinia. This is where we received our official certificate of completion (in Latin), the Compostela.

the cathedral (photo by Tom Rigsby)

This pilgrim rescued a puppy along the Way. He nurtured her back to health while walking. She rides in his leather hat and wears a wooden cross of St. James around her neck (photo by Tom Rigsby).

the swinging of the Botafumeiro during the Pilgrim’s Mass (photo by Tom Rigsby)

In full motion, the Botafumeiro nearly touches the ceiling. It swung right over our heads.

Together, we made it!

Buen camino!

Two Friends Explore Vienna

 

Meet Ellen. We met in Pittsburgh, and while our husbands attended a conference, we had a wonderful time catching up and exploring Vienna. Our first outing was to Naschmarkt, where you can smell and taste all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and pastries.

Next, we headed to the city center, where people gather around the Stephansdom Cathedral. The roof is incredibly steep and decorative. We appreciated just how steep from the top of the North Tower. Afterwards, we had an eerie tour of the catacombs. I didn’t photograph that part, but I learned that this cathedral has the intestines of the Habsburg family members, and there were chambers with stacked bones.

 

Ellen and I like diversity, so we spent the next day between the amusement park and the Opera House. The 1897 Ferris Wheel includes cars set up for elegant dinners, and we had a very clear day for views. At the Opera House, we learned that the seats are removed for an annual ball, and we were pleasantly surprised that our tour included the backstage area.

 

 

 

It was a lovely day at Schonbrunn  Palace and Gardens. This was the summer residence of the Habsburgs, and although quite elegant, we preferred the endless paths and greenery outside. The blurry photo is my attempt to show you the long-tufted fur on the squirrels’ ears. They are super fast creatures, and two of them were playing in one of the garden sculptures.

 

 

Back in the City Center, we strolled through the The Hofburg Palace area, which is another wonderland for architectural enthusiasts.

An intimidating entrance

Rathaus (City Hall) in the distance

On our last day of vacation together, Ellen and I ventured to the Central Cemetery, which is outside of Vienna but central because it is the area’s largest cemetery. I didn’t know such a large cemetery existed anywhere! We came to see the section for musicians including Beethoven and Schubert.

Steps of St. Borromeo in Central Cemetery

For my Italian friends, please note that I now own a scarf.

Vienna

Overlooking Vienna

Peter and I had a wonderful visit with our friends, Anne and Peter over the weekend. They drove from Bratislava, about an hour, and we enjoyed touring Naschmarkt (a large market with a variety of food stalls) and taking a drive to Vienna Woods. We met Anne and Peter in Pittsburgh, attended their wedding in Bratislava, and have had two visits in Europe together. We’re hoping for a third before we return to the States.

In Italy, my Spanish comes out. In Vienna, I catch myself speaking in Italian. We’ll see what happens in Spain on the Camino.

 

And the award goes to . . .

WordPress keeps track of my blog followers, and I wanted to give special honor to my mother-in-law, Diane Adams, for writing the most comments. Special mention goes to my friend, Andrea Christian-Michaels, who came in a close second. For those who comment via facebook, I appreciate your responses justs as much. All of you who have been following my adventures in Italy keep me socialized, and we all know how much I need to be around people. A big thank you to all and a group hug!

In Touch

I used to think that there is nothing else like a handwritten letter or card. I’ve mentioned before that my grandma writes to me weekly. I save all of the cards and letters I receive from friends and family. I always have, and every now and then, it is fun going through a box of them. Pete and I have a friend, Dan, who always sends postcards. He will even do so to let someone know his flight information. My love for personal notes began when my parents would send a napkin note in my school lunch, and they always have written special messages in my birthday cards. Now, with e-mail, we can archive special messages or just leave them in our inbox. When Pete and I were engaged and living across the country from each other, I printed out all of his e-mails, and I still have them in a folder. He also is a card writer. When we moved to Italy, my mom sent postcards that featured different scenes from my hometown. I like having the Erie Canal scene on our refrigerator. Pete’s parents send out a weekly letter via e-mail, and I always look forward to it. They keep us connected to family news. My dad and I e-mail throughout the week, and my mom uses e-mail to send a note about once a week. Pete and I keep in touch with friends through e-mail as well, but facebook is our main medium. I love that I am now in touch with people from so many different chapters in my life, and the ease of sharing photos is nice. This is the first year I’ve had a blog, and I am enjoying the comments from people I know and people new to me in the blogging community. This is also the first year I’ve embraced Skype. Through Skype, I have had work meetings related to my teaching job in Pittsburgh, and I can call family on their phones, not just through another computer. So now, I am plugged in extensively: cell phone, Skype, e-mail, facebook, and an old-fashioned mailbox. And, if you believe, I think we can just send each other a thinking of you in our hearts. I get those messages too, and I send a lot of them.

You just can’t compare these ways to reach each other. You could argue that sitting down and writing a letter by hand requires more focussed attention, and it is heartwarming to see a loved one’s handwriting, but I am just as appreciative of seeing an electronic message. I do hate the advertising component of facebook and having to dodge the sneaky traps of getting more and more information from us. But, I look at it this way: I have many choices for how I want to communicate. I send birthday cards and holiday notes through the post office. I can send a private message to someone, and I can be part of a community saying “Hi!” and “What’s new?” through facebook and blogging. And through Skype, I can have a conversation with video and sound.

There is a problem, however. The post office delivers once a day, Monday through Saturday. Skype, e-mail, blogs, and facebook are always on, unless I turn them off. I can easily get sucked in for hours until I tell myself to get off of the couch and take a walk, read a book, do some work, or go talk with someone face to face. What am I afraid of missing if I’m not plugged in? I’m still trying to figure that out.

primavera/spring

I love walking on spring days like this, when the air is cool enough for a sweater, and we have sunshine, blooms, and birdsong.

I’m learning to see how the light changes and accents lines.

I’m finding shadows.

And, I’m remembering to look up.

Kids are usually great observers. Using a camera is helping me to get back to taking it all in.

 

 

 

Chinese Slippers and the Camino

Look at what I found! They were in a shop window, and my memory went right back to the 1980s when I wore black cotton Chinese slippers. They never last long, but I thought they would be light enough to include in my Camino backpack for the evenings when I can’t stand having my trail boots on another second. They are also red velvet, which is a nice touch. Yes, this pilgrim has her priorities for walking the Camino with Pete and her Dad in May. We will be trekking from Astorga to Santiago in Spain. Truth be told, I also am taking far more practical items like a rain jacket and duck/duct tape (http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/duckvsduct.html). I’m also packing a camera and a tiny journal for reflection. My dad is a superb Camino researcher and gear collector for the three of us. He was inspired to experience the Camino by the film, The Way. Pete and I haven’t seen it yet, but we are enthusiastic to join him.  I need some help deciding what to leave at Cruz de Ferro, which is the site of an iron cross at the highest point of the trail (1,504 meters/4,934 feet above sea level). There is a pile of stones and other objects that pilgrims have left as a symbolic connection to the journey. What would you leave?