Road Trip, Part Two

Our ride to the Alsace allowed us the time to talk about our experiences in Brussels. Our overwhelming thought was, “What a dour bunch of people!” We are very accustom to entering shops or restaurants in France and Spain and Italy, greeting everyone in the building.  In Brussels, we did that and we were received with glum silence, perhaps because we were speaking French and they were more Flemish, or perhaps, they just don’t really care.  Meagan had told us that there is a concerted effort on the part of the Flemish to regain their majority and language in Belgium. Brussels, as a HQ for the EU, will always be a bilingual capital, but the rest of the country seems to want to be Flemish. We were told that the schools in the north of Belgium no longer teach French.  Seems a shame but there you have it.

Our route took us past lots of World War I monuments, battlefields, and fortifications, which I found fascinating. There was a lot of wide open spaces filled with farms and animals, all of which looked immaculate. The closer we came to Strasbourg, the worst the weather became and soon we were smack in the middle of a downpour which lasted for almost forty minutes. It was so heavy that there were times when the windshield wipers could not keep up with the rain and passing trucks, became quite the adventure. After breaking free of the squall, we were very close to our hotel and things began to look very familiar. Half timbered houses, stamp sized villages, tall spires from churches perched high on the top of the hills that lead up to the Vosges Mountains, reassured us that we had made the right decision to spend the night in Alsace.

Our hotel was in a very small village with one of everything, pharmacy, news store, bakery, butcher shop and small grocery store. The hotel served as a the cafe for the village and was a lovely place build in the style of the Alsace with lots of wood, balconies flowing with flowers, and half timbered to fit with the surrounding homes. After a warm greeting at reception, we were giving our key to the room with a voucher for two glasses of Cremant, the local sparkling wine similar to Champagne. Our room was comfortable, if rather small, but for one night it was perfect, made even more enjoyable went we saw the bottle of Cremant accompanied by a hand written note from the manger. We had intended to take a nice walk before dinner but the rain had caught up with us again and we opted to sit in the bar and drink our glasses of Cremant.

Dinner was fabulous, the food, the service, the table settings, everything was just the way it should be and made us feel like perhaps you can go home again. There is a local Alsace wine called Edelzwicker which we had not had for a very long time and is usually serve in ceramic jugs of various sizes and sure enough they had it available and certainly affordable. Cindy had some of the best seared duck liver she ever had and the portion was enormous, followed by a lovely creative salad. I had a pumpkin soup, which was served in a heated bowl and served from a silver soup tureen, which was left on the table for seconds, followed by seared duck breast with roasted root vegetable. We shared a dessert of Black Forest Cake, which Cindy declared spectacular. The cherries were dark, tart and juicy, which was a great foil to all of the bittersweet chocolate shaving that topped and surrounded the cream and cake. Quetsch eau de vie is a local specialty that is served ice cold after a rich meal. It is made from a fruit like a purple plum and is crystal clear and Cindy loved it, as I did my Armagnac and with smile on our faces, we waltzed up to our room.

The next morning was very cold, wet and windy, which limited us to a much shorter walk than we had hoped for but had the advantage of getting us on the road to Italy that much sooner. We entered Switzerland, which of course is not part of the EU, after a fifteen minute ride and got in line for an immigration/customs check, which is when we remembered that we had packed our passports in the luggage in the back of the car. Cindy displayed an amazing agility as she twisted and turned to get to my suitcase and passport.  After all of that work, we were simply waved through and entered the river city of Basel. Once out of the city Switzerland looks just like all the travel posters, chalets, neat farms, tall mountains capped in white and I swear I could smell chocolate. We stopped for gas so that I had plenty to get though tunnels and passes, and we had a chance to use our German as we inquired how to pay and where were the toilets. It seems that now in order to use a toilet at a gas station, you must insert a euro, take a receipt and use the facility. The receipt allows you to get a euro discount on something from the shop, all very time consuming and rather silly. I doubt that they get a ‘bad element’ on autoroutes, but perhaps it provides more employment since there were at least two people at each station helping folks understand the process.

In all of our planning for this trip, the words January, Switzerland, snow never appeared in the same sentence and therefore we were really surprised when we hit tons of snow at the higher elevations. Traffic was down to one lane, following two snow plows up the hill toward the Gotthard Tunnel, a ten and a half mile respite from blowing snow and slippery roads. I had hoped that at the end of the tunnel it would be sunny and clear but that was not to be. While the snow was not as heavy, it was still coming down and the road was slippery, but we were now heading downhill and with every five miles, the conditions got better and better until we were finally out of all the weather and we could see a bit of sunshine and we knew we were closing in on Italy.

Sure enough, Italy greeted us with brilliant sunshine and we were soon ensconced in our corner suite at the Metropole Suisse, right on the edge of Lake Como. The views were jaw dropping and we had a 180 degree view of the lake, hills and homes and city that make the Como area so famous and decided that the trip was well worth the hassle. 

Europe Road Trip, Part One

On Saturday, January 20, 2018, Cindy Emmans <ccemmans@yahoo.com> wrote:

We thought it would be a swell idea to take a little road trip in Europe on our way to our annual visit to Nice to avoid winter.  I’m not exactly sure what I was thinking, if I was thinking at all, but it appears that it is very difficult to avoid winter in Europe in January.

After a nasty flight on United, we landed in a dark and wet Paris. Two 747 flights from different parts of China landed before us so the lines to clear immigration were immensely long and slow, but we really didn’t have a schedule and it was great just to be out of the plane. We found our way to our rental car company, completed the paperwork, and by 8 am we on our way to Lille.  It was a dark and stormy morning, filled with truck traffic and speeding commuters, not ideal conditions for a road trip.  Despite the fact that we declined GPS, it seemed to be working quite well and we named our new best friend Collette as she guided us in perfect French to Lille. After a small unguided tour of Lille - Collette did let us down at the last minute - we finally found our way to the parking garage closest to our hotel. Our room was not ready since it was only a bit after 10 am, so we deposited our luggage and set out to explore.

Lille is a compact and elegant city, which on the tenth of January was still all decorated for Christmas, complete with a snow machine that was blowing snow in the central square. Yes, it was cold enough to make snow. We wandered in and out of shops and arcades to seek warmth and shelter from the intermittent rain/snow squalls until we finally ran out of steam and stopped for a coffee. Our spirits revived, we set out for more explorations, mostly looking for places to eat dinner that night.  By 1 pm our room was ready and we unpacked, cleaned up and set out to find lunch. It was raining rather hard so we scuttled to the closest cafe for our first French lunch of the trip. 

Northern France bears little resemblance to the south of France, especially when it comes to food. The north is cold, wet and dark for five months of the year and their food tends to be rather heavy and cheese- and meat-based.  At the restaurant owner’s insistence, I tried the specialty of Lille, which turned out to be a variant of Welsh Rarebit.  I was presented with a shallow bowl of what looked like melted Velveeta. Beneath this pool of yellow goo there was a piece of white bread spread with mustard and covered with a thin piece of ham. Honestly, it was the worst meal I’ve had anywhere in a long time but all the more horrible that I was wasting a meal in France. Further investigation of menus in Lille demonstrated that this was not a one-off experience; they all had variants of the same dish as their specialties. Armed with this information, we gravitated to bistros that had more typical dishes for the rest of France and we dined well for the two nights we were there, ending at a spectacular fish restaurant that presented stunning oysters, fresh fillets of fish, and crisp white wine. Always nice to leave a city feeling good about the cuisine. We would certainly go back to Lille, but not in January!

Cindy programmed Collette for our daughter-in-law Meagan’s address in Brussels and we were off and running at the crack of noon.  Visiting Meagan was the real reason we decided to make this road trip, as opposed to simply flying in and out of Nice. The ride was quite nice with very little traffic for the two hour journey and Collette guided us perfectly to Meagan’s front door where she was waiting patiently for us. After parking the car in her garage, we settled in while she returned to work at the embassy. Her apartment is lovely and so centrally located that she can walk to everything and has no need of a car, ideal in a big city.  We planned the visit to coincide with a three-day weekend, giving us time to be with Meagan and share her city.

We had a grand three days with Meagan. One day we did the hop on/off bus and visited all the sights, followed by mussels in Brussels at one of the most famous restaurants, Chez Leon. Brussels has a well-deserved reputation for fine dining and it did not let us down. One night we ate at a little bistro in the Sablon, an area filled with bars, cafes and bistros. I had rabbit stewed in fine Belgian beer and it was crazy good. Another evening we went to an authentic Spanish tapas bar - it was Sunday so not much else open - but this was really special and we loved every little dish we tried, not to mention the Spanish wines.

One day we went shopping at the markets so that I could get the ingredients to make a cassoulet, one of Meagan’s favorite meals.  I had a great time cooking since Colin had outfitted the kitchen well on his last visit and I had all the tools I needed. The cassoulet turned out rather well and I made sure I made enough so that Meagan would be able to eat the rest after we departed. On the last day of our visit it rained cats and dogs the entire day, so I prepared omelettes for lunch and then since Meagan was leaving for the states on Friday, I did what I could to clean out her refrigerator. Dinner that night was therefore rather eclectic: a carrot and celery salad with an orange curry dressing, a green bean salad with peanuts and a sesame oil dressing, followed by two kinds of sausage - one garlic pork, the other veal - both grilled and served with egg noodles, chopped tomato and fresh parsley. It was lots of fun to just stay in all day and talk and cook and drink wine.

Meagan was off to work early the next morning and we managed to get on the road by eleven, heading to the Alsace for a refresher course in yet another cuisine that we came to love during a dozen years living in Germany. The Alsace was our go-to area for weekends and we were looking forward to our brief return.  More later,  Cindy and Wm

Off to Florida

December 3, 2017

We are off to Florida for all the right reasons. This is just a quickie update for all of you who have been inquiring about Megan’s progress. She is well, strong and getting stronger each day.  She is even planning on going back to work, albeit from home and in short bursts, so that means she is mentally moving on.

We are also moving on, onto a cruise ship, the Seabourn Odyssey.  Starting on Tuesday, we’ll be cruising the “Islands in the Stream” for eleven days of dancing, dining and drinking Champagne. I’ll turn seventy-two somewhere between Guadeloupe and Cuba and I plan to do it in style!

Best wishes, Cindy and Wm

Back in West, By God ,Virgina

November 14, 2017

After twenty-four hundred miles, twenty-five days, three extra pounds for each of us, and a few days of not so wonderful driving, we have returned to Charles Town.  We are so happy to be home but even happier that we were able to be with Megan for her treatments. Cindy did most of the heavy lifting while we were there.  After three days of my wearing surgical gloves to sanitize the bathroom, my hands broke out and the nurse said I was allergic to the non-latex gloves. Cindy then had to do all the glove-related cleaning, convinced that I had somehow managed to will my outbreaks.  (From CCE - I mean, really, can you believe this?  Allergic to non-latex gloves?  Gotta admire his cleverness.  HA.)

I did take responsibility for shopping and cooking and I’m proud to say that Megan might be the only cancer patient at Moffitt to have gained a few pounds while going through all the treatments. There were nights when she just had to force herself to eat, but eat she did. They wanted her to have lots of rest, exercise, and protein and she willed herself to do it all and the results have been spectacular.

It was hard to leave her but we know she is in excellent hands with her family. Our first day on the road didn’t start until noon so we only drove about four hours, but it was a very interesting drive. We went northeast and through some very interesting “old Florida” towns.  We were amazed at one point when the area we were passing seemed to look more like the wealthy horse country of Northern Virginia.  Large parcels of land with lots of horses and what looked like actual hills in Florida. Snug up to these estates were tracts of trailer parks and acres of manufactured houses. Lots of contrast to be sure. 

We stopped in Brunswick, Georgia for the night and there was a really wonderful restaurant in our hotel, which made us doubly happy since it was raining. I had the best piece of fish on the whole trip. The next day we decided to be tourists for an hour and drove over to St. Simons Island, which is well known in the area and a bastion of enclaved wealth and gated communities. There are large marinas right on the Atlantic Inland Waterway and they were filled with really, really large vessels. We drove around a while but didn’t see anything since all the cool stuff is behind gates and on private roads, so we headed north.

Interstate 95 continues to be a road that I detest, but we had very little choice.  It is only two lanes through Georgia and South Carolina and the traffic was horrible. We thought that the trip would get easier once we were off 95, but approaching Charlotte it became a parking lot. Our trusty but ancient GPS found a way around a horrible accident and we only lost about an hour before getting to our hotel. The last day of travel was a breeze for which we were deeply grateful. 

Megan continues to get stronger by the day and is so very happy to be in her own home. It is cold here, but I actually turned on the fireplace and it is warm and comfortable in the living room. Cindy has a concert this weekend and is up to her neck with practice and rehearsals. I’m happy as a clam getting everything ‘winterized’ and doing mundane chores, shopping and cooking. All is well.   Best to all, Cindy and Wm

Ode to Joy, Part Two

Dearest Friends,

You by now know that we are in a state of bliss.  Megan has received a clean bill of health and was discharged this afternoon, one week earlier than anyone ever expected.  She is in good health, good spirits and ever so positive, which is what got her through all of this.  We thank all of you for your prayers, positive energy, thoughtful cards and mindfulness. It has been a roller coaster six months and now we all look to the future with great hope and appreciation for all that we have as family and extended family.

Megan and David get to go home tomorrow and she will be in the bosom of her sisters and their families. We begin our journey home tomorrow with far more energy and joy than the trip down last month.

Cindy and I shall be eternally grateful to all of you!  With love, Cindy and Wm

Ode to Joy

Dearest Friends,

There are times when even I am at a loss for words!  I’ll invoke the talents of Herr Beethoven to assist me.  Please turn your volume UP!!  Please click here.

With much love, Cindy and Wm

Urban Wildlife

In an effort to stay to a schedule, which includes some exercise, we have been getting up earlier than normal to go to Megan’s apartment to clean and organize, and from there we go on our walk/run.  Cindy normally stays within the gates of the apartment complex until the sheets that she washed can be put in the dryer and then we go back later to fold and tidy again. My walks have taken me to some marvelous little pockets of unspoiled scrub, ponds, and rivers. Not too far away is a large park, Lettuce Lake Wildlife Park, that is hard up against the Hillsbrough River which meanders for about fifty miles before dumping its water into Tampa Bay. We had a picnic there last week with all the Florida kids, and it was a marvelous time, but we only saw a snake and someone saw a gator. On my walks thus far I’ve seen a family of ducks - mom and dad had red on their beaks and the ten little ones were all dull brown and mottled for protection. There was another fowl family, wild turkeys this time, mom and dad and eight young ones, wandering around the grounds of the regional office of Verizon. There are two donkeys and one bull and three cows in a field near the fire station and there are birds everywhere. We’ve seen three types of cranes, one large white stork, at least 3 kinds of herons, a pileated woodpecker or two, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, many ducks and swans, a flock of 5 parrots, and tons of songbirds who must winter over here in Tampa.

The absolute best viewing of wildlife however has been only a few feet away from the entrance to Megan’s apartment complex. We came across what we think is a Gulf Coast Box Turtle who was preparing a nest to deposit her eggs. She had come from a pond that is about two hundred yards from where she was digging (we figured out later). We assume that she has been doing this for decades since they can live to be a hundred, and we think it used to be a direct shot from the pond to the high ground that she chose for her nest. In the intervening years housing has been built that blocks her direct path so she decided to take the sidewalk and drop the eggs. We watched her for about an hour while she dug a nest. She would dig a little with her left hind leg using her webbing as a shovel, and then swing her butt over and use her right hind leg and dig a little more. After about eight of these sessions she would urine in the hole to make it easier to dig. When she had a nest about four inches deep, she began to deposit her eggs, a total of 22. If you have any interest you can click on this link to see my video.  When she was done, she buried the eggs, cleaned the area and then took off down the road and back to the pond as we followed to make sure she didn’t get hit by a car. It was spellbinding for us. We check every day to make sure no one has tampered with our nest!

Best wishes,  Cindy and Wm