Ahoy from our cruise

I typed the below post in Spain, but the signal wasn't strong enough to actually upload anything to the Internet. We are now in Lisbon, Portugal, in a Starbucks. The post I typed was still in my computer, so I'm adding this preface before the post from two days ago.
Phillip and I are in Getxo, Spain, using my phone as a hotspot. I see the power just oozing from my phone as I connected! So, pardon any spelling errors as I will type and post without reviewing. Last Saturday, the 21st, Phillip and I flew from Nuremberg to Dusseldorff, changed planes, and went on to London Heathrow.
A two-hour bus ride took us to Southampton, England. We spent the night in a lovely bed and breakfast run by two older British women. The weather when we landed in England, and up until yesterday (Thursday) evening, was what we thing of as typical English weather, drizzly and overcast to stormy.
We checked out of our B&B at 10:30 am Sunday, but weren't scheduled to check-in for our cruise until 12:30 pm. Since it was raining, we just had the taxi take us to the cruise terminal and were prepared to wait. The staff, however, just moved us on thru the process. We were on-board by 11 am! It was the easiest cruise boarding we've ever done.
Our ship, the Crown Princess, left Southampton on time and headed northeast toward Belgium. When the ship docked and we saw and heard the procedures for going into the port, we decided to stay on the boat. We were at a commercial port and could not just walk to town. We would have had to take a shuttle bus with 2000+ of our friends just to get out of the port area, then walk twenty minutes to a town. Or take one of their expensive (>$200 per person because of the distances) excursions. Since we'd just spent five weeks walking and riding buses, we stayeed on the ship.
Although it was fairly chilly aand raining, we decided the hot tub would be relaxing. The pool area closest to our room was totally devoid of people, so it was like having our own private area!
On Tuesday, we were scheduled to dock in Portland, England, but the weather had turned stormy. The captain said the waves were over 3 meters (about 10 feet), so for safety reasons, we would not dock there, but continue on. From late Monday until Wednesday evening, the ship was rockin' and rollin'. It wasn't the most boat movement we've experienced (getting too close to Hurricane Rick on a Pacific cruise still wins that prize), but it was second. Phillip and I did not get queasy or sick, but a noticeable number of passengers did stay in their rooms. We did have to occasionally hold onto the railing as we walked and the captain advised passengers to avoid the open decks. It was raining, so no one wanted to be there anyway.
Wednesday was a scheduled sea day, so plenty of activities to keep us busy, even if we did have to bounce off the walls to get there.
Thursday, September 26, the storms were gone and the sun came out in the afternoon. The ship docked in another commercial port, Le Verdon, France. Although we had to ride a shuttle from the port, it dropped us off in the middle of Soulac Village. Phillip and I walked along the main pedestrian-only street, about five blocks long, to the beach and strolled a bit along the beach.
I bought two bottles of French wine to drink on the ship. The ship allows each passenger to bring a bottle on board at each port stop. I'm sure it had a toursit area mark-up, but it was still much cheaper than wine on board the ship. I travel with a small corkscrew and the water glass is good enough for me.
The above text is what I planned to send from Spain, in the morning before we left the ship and walked around Getxo. As I mentioned, we are in Lisbon today. I haven't downloaded my Getxo pictures from my camera, so a brief description... It was not a commercial port (thank goodness!), so we got off the ship and walked about a km along the seawall (think Galveston, except prettier water), then a couple of km along the malecon (sidewalk next to the bay). We saw statues, parks,and a cable car bridge, then headed back to the ship along a different route. I bought a bottle of Spanish wine at a fruit store then another one at a wine distributor. The lady didn't speak English, but my Spanish, albeit Mexican Spanish, was sufficient. That bottle will probably be my best one.
Today, we will get two bottles of Portugese wine. We have one more port stop, in the Azores, on Tuesday before we head across the Atlantic Ocean. Six sea days in a row. I'm not sure that any of the wine will make it to Fort Lauderdale! On the land portion of this adventure, I extolled the excellence of Slovakian beer. Now I get to compare some French, Spanish, and Portugese wine.
I previewed this post and realized that none of the pictures uploaded! Sorry, but at least y'all will know that we are enjoying ourselves and headed toward the USA!

Munich, Nuremberg, and Casa de Becky

Today, Phillip and I are in Nuremberg, preparing to fly to England to board our cruise tomorrow. We've been in Munich, Lupburg, and Nuremberg in the past few days. Today is the first day of Oktoberfest in Munich and we are happy to be farther north in Germany to avoid the Oktoberfest cowds. We went last year so we have the "been there, done that" bragging rights and it's perfectly fine to miss it this year. Phillip and I did walk to the Oktoberfest grounds. The City of Munich puts signs on the sidewalk for people coming from the train station to Oktoberfest.

sidewalk signs leading partygoers to Oktoberfest

Beer trucks, many beer trucks, and other vendors were coming and going thru the main gate that we used last year.

This location will be crowded for the next three weeks

Phillip wanted a haircut, so we wandered around north of the train station and found a hair salon for him. She cut it a bit shorter than usual, he calls it his German haircut. And I noted that the shorter cut shows even more gray hair!

Phillip getting his German haircut

On Wednesday, we rode the regional train to Parsberg where Becky met us at the train station and took us to her house in Lupburg. Her husband, David, was able to come home for a bit to visit with us, but he is staying quite busy in his Army assignment.

David and Becky

Family time consumed Thursday: grocery shopping with Becky then Reese's tumbling, Ryan's football practice, and Reese's cheerleading at a football game. The best pictures are from Reese's cheerleding.

Reese on the right

The football game was flag football for kids her age, 7-9 years old. And yes, they did have a girl on one of the teams. The winning team, by the way!

The cheerleaders cheered for both teams

Reese, at 9, was one of the older cheerleaders, and of course, the best and cutest one on the squad.

Reese, 2nd from the left

After dinner, Becky took us to our favorite Parsberg location, the ice cram parlor. Although the weather is cold enough for jackets, the ice cream was still wonderful.

after ice cream

Yesterday (Friday), Becky and Reese (with a day off from school) brought us to Nuremberg. We found parking in the Old Town area and walked a bit.

in Nuremberg's Old Town area

Becky had arranged a tour for the four of us. We arrived early and waiting in a nearby plaza where we saw this statue, entitled "The Hare." It was odd, so I looked it up on my friend Google. One website said some people think it is the ugliest public art in Europe. It comes close in my book!

The Hare

Our tour was of the art tunnels under Old Town. Before the inevitable bombing started in Nuremberg during WWII, local leaders made an organized effort to save paintings, church statues, and irreplacable art works. They built ventiation systems and humidity controls into the tunnels and caves under the churches in the Old Town area.

original doors to art storage

ventilation/humidity control piping

The artwork was moved into these tunnels and preserved during the war. These were local people, not Nazi looters, so the items were returned to the churches and museums after the war. It did take several years for items that came from other countries and were stored here to be returned, but that was because the Soviets were in control in this countries, for example, Czeckoslovakia.

debris remnants from WWII

The locals who preserved this artwork were absolutely right to do so. Nuremberg was second only to Dresden in the amount of damage done by Allied bombing raids.
After the tour, Becky took us to our hotel, but we had a final bit of adventure enroute. Apparently yesterday was a global day of protest regarding climate change. In Nuremberg, that meant bicyclists blocking the traffic in front of the train station. Becky had the misfortune to be the second car at the light when the thousand or so bicycles came into the intersection. The car ahead of her somehow managed to get around, but four bicyclists then blocked Becky (and the hundreds of cars and buses behind her. We could only sit and wait for the police officer to come (twice) to make them move. It took us 20 minutes to go one km. But, once we made it past the train station, the road was totally clear!

bicyclists stopped in the street in front of Becky's car

Today, a 1:30 flight to Heathrow Airport, followed by a bus ride to Southampton. Tomorrow: cruise day!

Regular Romanian life: our best adventure

On Saturday, Phillip and I joined our friend Mihaela and her daughter, Karine, at a birthday party for her nephew, Stefi, in the Romanian countryside. The day was the best day of our trip! After Karine finished a media class in town, the four of us headed on the subway to Mihaela's car. Mihaela owns a Volkswagon Golf, a nice little car. When we stopped to pick up groceries to take to the party, the locks on the back doors decided to malfunction. Mihaela was embarrassed, but Phillip and I assured her that it was OK and part of our adventure. We've certainly had cars that act up - sometimes I couldn't open the back gate of our Mitsubishi SUV! Since the VW was a 4-door, the front seats didn't fold over, so Karine and I climbed thru to get to the back. We drove for about an hour to a village south of Bucharest, to Mihaela's family home where her mother, Vasilica, waited for us.

Vasilica, Pat and Mihaela (and Rex in the garden)

Vasilica doesn't speak a word of English, but she has a garden and she makes jam and wine. Phillip and I had to try her wine, which she brought out in a large plastic Coke bottle. To be hospitable, I tried it... and ended up drinking my glass and Phillip's glass (he's not a wine drinker). Whatever the process was before the wine ended up in the soda bottle, it was the right process as it was real wine, better than most I've bought in stores. I strolled thru Vasilica's garden and was so excited to see that she grows the same vegetables that I do! I walked past okra, tomatoes, lots of pepper varieties, beans (she grows pole beans, I grow bush beans), cabbage, parsley and more. My excitement was easily communicated to Vasilica. She told me the Romanian names (okra is "okra,") of the vegetables.

Vasilica's wine back at the hotel (I convinced
her I couldn't take a 2 liter bottle with me)

When it was time to leave for the birthday party, Mihaela said that her mother would stay home. We realized that her decision to stay home was made because of the broken doors, so Phillip climbed over the seat with Karine and me. Vasilica was just beaming when she saw him manuevering into the back so she could ride in the car. When we arrived at the party location, Mihaela's brother just about fell over laughing as we climbed out.

Phillip climbing out (Karine and I managed more easily)

Miheala's family was so hospitable and generous to us. Her brother, Vali, builds houses. Not as a contractor, he physically builds houses. Concrete block is the construction material of choice in the Romanian countryside. Vali built the house we visited, a house where he lives with his pregnant wife, also named Mihaela, and son Stefi, the birthday boy. Vali and his family live next to his wife's grandparents and the two Mihaela's showed me their vineyard and picked grapes.

grapes from the orchard 

Phillip and I have never eaten wine grapes right off the plant. Since the harvest will be soon, the grapes were fully ripe, sweet, and juicy. Both purple and white grapes, although my favorite were the purple grapes. After I ate a bunch and stood there looking at my sticky, stained fingers, Vali's wife took my arm and led me to the faucet on the other side of the house. No words needed, just smiles!

my grapes

Vali grilled out chicken and two kinds of sausages and his wife prepared a cabbage salad, all delicious and exactly like the family gatherings we have, just a different country! After dinner, time for birthday cake. Stefi turned 13, the same age as his cousin Karine who was 13 in August (although Karine is much taller than Stefi!)

Stefi cut and served his cake to the guests

Vali spoke a few, heavily accented words in English, but he and Phillip communucated well over beer. Phillip said the beer wasn't strong and Vali dropped ice cubes in it to cool it. I wasn't watching the time, but I know we left Bucharest shortly after 1 pm and it was dark when Mihaela drove us back to town.

Phillip, Vali, Mihaela, and our Mihaela

Museum time on Sunday. Mihaela and Karine had never visited the Ceausescu House in Bucharest. That's just like us, we haven't visited some of the museums in Fort Worth. The Ceausescu House is a museum and was on my list to see. Nicolae Ceausescu was the communist dictator who ruled Romania from 1965 to 1989. He had a ruthless secret police and tolerated no dissent. Just like today's North Korean leader, Ceausescu created a personality cult and placed his relatives, including his wife, into power positions. By the 1980s, the country experienced food shortages as Ceausescu began exporting agricultural products to fuel his lifestyle and bad development choices. Mihaela said she remembers as a child standing in food lines for bread with her mother. They lived in the country and had a vegetable garden and pigs and chickens, so they didn't go hungry, but in town, people did.

Ceausescu's wife was as bad or worse than he was. According to our guide at the museum, she was the one who ordered their house to be furnished so extravagantly.

example of some of the floor tile
(visitors wear shoe coverings on the tour)

From the outside, it just looks like a big stone house, but inside, where no one saw, it was outfitted with gold leaf all over, imported marble, and indoor gardens.

one of several really fancy bathrooms

The guide said she copied some of the decor of the Peles Castle in some of the rooms. The house also had an indoor swimming pool.

mosaic tiles formed scenes encircling the pool

In 1989, some protests happened in a town and Ceausescu ordered his secret police to fire on the protestors. The protests, however, spread to Bucharest and went nationwide. Shortly after his army joined the protestors, Ceausecu and his wife were arrested, convicted of mass murder and shot by a firing squad. I remember reading about that, as a current event, not as history!

Pat, Phillip, Karine, and Mihaela

After the museum, the four of us went to the mall. I had bought some leggings in Budapest to wear on the cruise, but I needed a shirt to wear with them. We also wanted to take Karine shopping (she just started 8th grade last week). The mall was just like ours, only more vibrant. It was 100% full of shops, some, like H&M, we have, others, just in Romania or Europe. Lots of shoppers on a Sunday afternoon, live music in the atrium area.

Romanian mall, just like USA mall

After Karine and I spent two hours shopping and Phillip and Mihaela spent two hours talking, we left the mall and walked to Mihaela's apartment. We stopped enroute and bought pastries at a bakery (Phillip and I love all the bakeries!). While Karine went to her room to do homework, we played with Mihaela's little dog (while her two cats ignored us), ate pastries, and talked with Mihaela. It was a wonderful evening, but we did leave before dark to get back to our hotel room to pack to travel to Munich. We invited Mihaela to visit us and she and Karine are going to try to make the trip in 2021.
This morning, we flew from Bucharest to Munich and checked into another hotel. This one, near the train station, is nice with a patio away from the street. So, we are back in Germany, or as I've been calling it, the land of bread. Sausage on bread rolls, bread dumplings, every meal with bread. Two nights here then back to see our neice, Becky, and her family before we begin our cruise back to the USA.

Dracula Castle and other Romanian locales

Phillip and I are in Bucharest, Romania. Since my previous post, we flew from Budapest, Hungary, to Bucharest, Romania; took a bus to Brasov (2-1/2 hours); spent two nights in Brasov; had a taxi ride to the train station; took a train to Bucharest; and rode the subway in Bucharest. Almost all of our transportation modes were used! Everything went well. The airport changed the gate for our flight after we got our boarding passes, but I always check the monitors while we wait, so even that was not an issue. 

a lucky day when our subway exit has an escalator up

In Brasov, we stayed at Drachenhaus Hotel, a different type of hotel than we had stayed in previously. Our rooom had a living room and bathroom downstairs and the bedroom upstairs. The stairs up to our room's floor would be challenging to people shorter than me as some of the steps, which you can see on the right side of the hotel picture below, were about 50% higher than what USA steps are allowed to be! I'm glad our packed suitcases are small and weighed less than 12 kg.

Drachenhaus, our room up the stairs on the right

Brasov was a lovely town with an expansive plaza a block from Drachenhaus. A fountain decorated the center of the plaza. Cafes with outside seating lined the plaza and the streets running north and east from the plaza. All cobblestone - roads, sidewalks, plaza. That's why we took a taxi to the train station yesterday. Pulling our suitcases over the cobblestones from the bus stop was extremely tiring for us and rough on the wheels. We've ruined one wheel already. It is, however, extremely beautiful (the cobblestone streets, not the broken wheel). 

Brasov, looking toward the square and surrounding Transylvania Moutains 

During our full day in Brasov, we took a tour of Bran Castle, Peles Castle, and  Rasnov Fortress. Bran Castle, our first stop, was the one with the Dracula connection. It is the only castle in Transylvania that matches the description of Dracula's castle that Bram Stoker wrote in his book. 

Bran Castle, aka "Dracula Castle"

Although Stoker made an effort to avoid basing Dracula on a real person, the character does derive from the stories of Vlad Tepes, ruler of Wallachia in the 1400s. Vlad never lived here, but some historical records indicate he may have been held here for two months when he was captured by the Hungarian king in 1462. 

multi-levels for defense 

This castle's real significance during the Middle Ages was as a customs house for trade in the region. In the 1900s, many of the small, old castles in Romania were falling into ruin. The town owned the castle, so they decided to give it to the new Romanian Queen, Maria. She loved it and in the 1920s, had it updated and remodeled as her royal residence. 

Queen Maria's bedroom in Bran Castle

When Queen Maria died, her daughter Ilena inherited the castle, but had to leave the country when the Soviets took over after WWII. After the Soviets left in 1989, the remaining royalty gave the castle back to the town to be a museum. There's one more Dracula connection, however. When the communists controlled Romania, they allowed "historical" movies to be made. One movie was a story of Dracula/Vlad and the costume used in that movie was in the castle, in a display case. 

Vlad Tepes costume from a 1950s communist-made movie

After Bran Castle, we toured Peles Castle, the only "newly built" castle I've seen. Maria's father-in-law, King Carlos had it built starting in 1873. It was built with electric lights, and elevator and modern conveniences of the year 1900. 

Peles Castle (although technically, it was a palace)

Like all castles, it has lovely landscaping

and these days, plenty of tourists

and fountains and statues.

From Peles Castle, we traveled to Rasnov Fortress. It dates to the 13th century and was a place of refuge for townspeople when outsiders, be they Ottomans, Mongols, Austrian imperial forces or whomever, attacked. It had two courtyards, the outer one for animals and the inner one for people.

Rasnov Fortress

Rasnov Fortress was attacked 50 times but only conquered once, in 1612, when the enemy troops found the fortress's water supply source. After that, the townspeople dug a 479 foot well thru the rock on the inside the fortress. 

Phillip and Pat at the top of Rasnov Fortress

Phillip and I ate well in Brasov. One of our favorite meals, at one of the cafes on the plaza, was of traditionally prepared Romanian cabbage rolls, served over polenta, with sour cream. And a beer! 

Sarmale (Romanian cabbage rolls)

Here in Bucharest, we met with our friend, Mihaela, yesterday when she got off work. We chatted and caught up so much that we forgot to take any pictures of her! We will spend tomorrow afternoon with her as she is taking us with her to a family gathering in the countryside. Today, since Mihaela was at work, Phillip and I walked around Bucharest, seeing some of the landmark sites, but not going into any museums or castles! 

The Romanian communist leader, Ceausescu, built what is today called the Palace of Paliament. It is the heaviest building in the world. Some sources say it is the largest government building (others say our Pentagon is bigger). Phillip and I did not even attempt to walk around it! 

Palace of Parliment

Strolling around after we left Parliament, we turned a corrner and came across the Broken Violin statue. I really liked this one. 

"Broken Violin"

Our last visit today was to the "Old City" area of Bucharest. Cobblestone streets and lots of cafes like Brasov. 

Phillip and I are excited about going into the countryside tomorrow and so happy to visit with Mihaela!

Thermal baths, House of Terror, and Elvis Presley Park

Phillip and I are still in Budapest, we leave for Romania tomorrow. It rained off and on yesterday and almost continuously today. Not heavy, but enough to need an umbrella. Two collapsible umbrellas are items I routinely pack for our travels. Yesterday morning (Sunday), we visited the House of Terror, dedicated to remembrances of the horror of the Nazi control, followed by the even more comprehensive terror of the Soviet control of Hungary from 1945 to 1989.

line for entrance, about 20 minute wait

The museum had been the actual headquarters of the secret police. Our tour took us to the basement where political prisoners were interrogated and beaten. The remainder of the three-story building had exhibits of life under the Soviet control.

Wall of victims, only location where pictures were allowed

It was a decent museum; however, the corridors were narrow and they allowed tour groups. The majority of the visitors, us included, had to work their way around groups of 15 or so people blocking the entire walkway. Our disdain for organized tours is increasing with each museum and castle visit. Our Third Reich Tour in Munich was open air and our guide made sure we were out of the way of regular folks on the streets. The Hospital in the Rock tour was only the facility's tour groups, not individuals.

Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest City Park 

After the House of Terror, we walked to City Park, about 2 km north. Heroes Square, a lake, a castle, and the Szecheny Baths are at this park. Vajdahunyad Castle isn't a real castle. It was built in 1918 for some national celebration and currently houses the Agricultural Museum. We walked around the park and the lake and found the thermal bath building that we planned to visit on Monday.

front of Szechenyi Thermal Baths (it's a large building
with three huge pools in the center courtyard)

Because of the rain, I scrapped my plan to go to Momento Park, an outdoor venue and the location where they dumped all the Soviet statues in 1989. I saw "Elvis Presley Park" on the map, but it wasn't mentioned in any tour information. I decided to visit it anyway. I understand why it's not on any tours, it's just a neighborhood park. Why is it called "Elvis Presley Park? " In 1957, Elvis sang "Peace in the Valley" on the Ed Sullivan Show and then solicited donations for victims of the 1956 (unsuccessful) Hungarian uprising against the Soviets. Millions were raised and the Hungarians were grateful and later named a park after Elvis.

The only thing, except two park benches, in the park

Because of the weather, we needed something to fill the late afternoon, so we went to the casino! When Phillip doubled his money, (10,000 Hft to 20,000 Hft, but that's $33 to $66), we left and went to dinner paid for with his winnings. Good dinner at a nearby small restaurant (Google didn't help with this one, we just walked until one looked good).

Phillip's chicken paprika with homemade noodles 

Pat's pork, seasoned with.... paprika! Really loved the cabbage salad

It was still not late, so after dinner we returned to the casino. When we left, I had turned my 10,000 into 15,000! On the slots, I was generally betting 50 Hft, and feeling like I was betting a lot, but it really was just 18 cents per push of the slot machine button.

Our second set of casino cards (already have set from Bratislava casino)

Today, the rain is more steady. We packed up our bathing suits at about 10 am and headed on the Metro to Szecheny Baths. The main door of the bathhouse is about 100 feet from the subway exit. We really shouldn't have worried about getting wet before the baths. We paid our fee for entry and lockers, followed the directions for the changing room and lockers and within 10 minutes were in the thermal baths. This bathhouse, one of about 9 in Budapest, has 15 indoor thermal pools and three outdoor thermal pools. It is the largest medicinal bath in Europe and is supplied by two thermal springs.

an indoor thermal pool

We didn't go into any of the cooler (less than 34 degrees C) thermal pools. The ones we went into were 34 and 36 degrees C (93 F - 97 F). We went into one inside bath then we went outside. When we first arrived and went outside the air temperature was 18 C (64 F) and it was raining cold rain pellets. It was so much fun to get into that 97 F pool!

First outdoor thermal pool we entered, 36 C

The water in the picture of the first thermal pool looks greenish, but that's the clouds/camera/lack of sun. It really was blue. And, the water contains therapeutic minerals. The third outdoor thermal pool (the 2nd had swimming lanes and serious swimmers) had jet features, so Phillip used them as therapy for his heel (it's been bothering him a bit). He said it worked to make it less painful.

third pool, with jets on the other side. Find Phillip?

And he's peeking thru the fence like the big kid he can be

Bathing suits: required, swim caps: not required now

Tomorrow morning, we fly to Bucharest then take some form of transportation north to Brasov. This is another that I could not pre-purchase because of website language issues. Hopefully, tomorrow evening we'll be in the Transylvania Mountain region of Romania!