Tavira, Vila Real Santo Antonio, Castelo Marim and Cacela Velha Oct 29

In the morning Ana and Paulo worked on the website and made sure everything was working as it should. After that we headed off to the old centre of Tavira. There are supposed to be 37 churches here but we didn't look for them all. I love to saunter through old towns like this and see the heart of the community and get a feel for it.
We crossed the river Gilao that runs through the town to go to the town square. The tide was out and the river which goes to the Atlantic was very low. The town is full of beautiful tile walls and very old buildings. The iron work on balconies is intricate and there are blooming bushes and trees all around. We investigated the Castelo which is now the walls of the old castle surrounding a beautiful garden.
The town square is full of beautiful sculptures and statues. Many of the walls are covered in the blue and white tiles so familiar in Portugal. While we walked back to the car we watched the river bed looking for crabs scuttling in the mud and fish the size of sardines in small schools swimming in the pools. Many of the walls have raised decorations which I tried to capture.
We visited a beautiful Church in Tavira. Igreja da Misericordia has a museum attached to it as well. The interior is all blue and white tile. The altar is very ornate with gold leaf and the organ is magnificent. Part of the museum dealt with the soldiers from the village who were conscripted by Napoleon. No one ever remembers the losing side; they only remember the winner and the losing commander.

 

Next we drove to the Spanish border and to the river Guadiana and visited Vila Real de Santo Antonio. We stayed on the Portuguese side of the river but walked along the river bank. The first thing you notice is the decorative cobblestones. They have pictures of lobster, fish and anchors in different colour stones. The older buildings including the old customs house are covered in wonderful decorative tiles and pictures made up of tiles. The harbour is full of sailboats, moored along the banks. As we walked up the street we found that the art was a mixture of old statues dedicated to heroes of the past and some very strange statues that were modern.  There are orange trees everywhere in Portugal and a few lemon and lime trees as well. We wander up and down the pedestrian streets taking in all the sites. One building that is now a public washroom used to be a public bath so the sign still reads the same. They have tried to beautify the city and in spite of the graffiti it is very nice - even the garbage cans are pretty. We passed some domed buildings that might be part of the moorish influence.
Next we were off to Castelo Marim. From the highway you can see the walls of the two fortresses that guarded the area hundreds of years ago. They are now ruins but still very interesting. We climbed up to the entrance to the Castelo and even outside the gates the view is beautiful. We went inside for free because it was late and it was closing soon. There are reenactments carried out here during the year. We climbed the walls to see out over towards Spain. We could see the town we had visited earlier. It was a spectacular view.
On the way home the sun was in Paulo's eyes so of course we had to detour to watch the sun go down. We visited the little town of Cacela Velha which is right on the ocean but is protected by islands and a spit of land that form a long narrow lagoon. We could see the tide rushing out as we watched the sun go down.

Over the last few days we have seen several black cats. Since the weather has called for rain and we haven't had any I think the black cats are a good sign not a bad one.

Oct. 28th Basel and Arriving in Portugal

I woke up early and finished packing for the plane trip to Portugal. This meant that everything had to fit in my suitcase. I kept my large purse and a few things out but I made sure there was room to pack everything in when I got to the airport. Easyjet says one item only, so no purse. Well I have the little one that slides under my sweater and doesn't show. It has my passport, credit card holder and boarding pass. On the plane my iPad will fit into the purple sweater inside pocket so I will have that as well.
I left Sabrina's key in her mailbox and left it on a Canadian key chain. I walked to the bus for the last time and headed off to the train station. I took the train to Zurich, bought a banana and a croissant to eat on the train and off I went to Basel. Once in Basel I knew I had several hours before I had to go to the airport. I hopped on a tram and headed downtown hoping to find the pedestrian streets. A few blocks later I exited the tram when I saw some carnival rides. Right across the road was the beginning of the old town and the pedestrian streets. I love the winding streets in these areas and the very old architecture. The decoration on the building is lovely and the building could not be duplicated today. I spent some time window shopping and finding all the interesting spots including a park with lots of mechanical machines like large toys in a reflecting pool. There was a gorgeous church a few blocks away. I took pictures of the outside but there was a young lady giving a concert on the inside so no pictures. I started to follow the signs for the hauptbahnhof but after a few blocks I gave up and hopped on another trolley. Of course it was going the wrong way. I rested on the trolley for several stops and finally decided to get off and go back. It turned out I was only 3 stops from the central station if I had gone the other way to start with. I took the airport bus and arrived at the airport about 2 hours before the flight. I didn't realize how small the airport was. Security was a breeze compared to Toronto, Amsterdam or most other airports. I stopped at this point and packed my purse and things into my suitcase or my pockets. The flight was uneventful. When I arrived in Faro, Ana and Paulo were waiting for me. I passed through a gate that said customs but didn't see anyone and walked out to join them. We drove to Tavira and nice warm soup was waiting for us. Relaxed for the evening and we will start our adventures tomorrow.

Winterthur and Liechtenstein October 27

I headed out nice and early so I could explore a bit of Winterthur and then off to Liechtenstein. I had only seen Winterthur either in the dark or on the train which isn't very much. I took a picture of Sabrina's building - very new and one of the older style one beside her. I caught the bus at the round about and headed to the station. The buses and trains in Europe usually have a TV screen at the front that shows the next three or four stations. It is great because if you don't hear or understand the announcement you can read it on the screen. Less chance of getting lost, though I can "take the scenic route" (get lost) anywhere.

I found the pedestrian streets and all the bicycles. It was very early so not much was open. I headed back to the station and found people dressed like bananas handing out Bananas....... Maybe they were supposed to be Minions handing out bananas. Something to eat on the way to Zurich. The white lines on the street are used by blind or partially sighted people to find their way around the stations and bus stops. There is always a patch of white lines where the doors open. Also they lead from the bus into the station. I took a picture of the inside of a truck because the cards were arriving already shrink wrapped onto the card stand. I had never seen that before.

Off on a train to Sargens and then a bus to Liechtenstein. On the train I met a woman who had recently visited Canada and she pointed things out to me. I took some pictures of the lakes and the beginning of the mountains through the train windows. Not the best but the only option I had. When I arrived in Sargens the lady made sure I was heading in the right direction for my bus. I thanked her and I was off on another adventure. I got on the bus and asked if the driver could let me know when I was in Liechtenstein. As we crossed a bridge a few miles later she showed me the flags in the middle marking the border. About a mile further I asked if I could get off the bus and take the next one as I saw this beautiful castle on the hill. Of course I could so here I was in Balser not Vaduz taking pictures. I couldn't see a way up to the castle but it was still beautiful. On to Vaduz.

Next bus came and I was off to Vaduz. The closer we got the more the horizon was dominated by mountain ridges. Probably not the highest mountains but very dramatic. I got off in Vaduz and visited the church near the bus stop. It was very pretty and I took pictures inside and out including a gargoyle head. From the church you could follow the pedestrian way and it was dominated by many forms of art - metal sculpture, colourful heads, bronze works, granite etc. as you walked along, every time you looked up you saw the Schloss were the Prince lives. I found the Post Office and their postcards of Liechtenstein were reasonable so I bought some and sent them to the people I had stayed with. The stamps were beautiful. I wish I could have sent one to everyone I knew. I wander up the street, checked out the Postal Museum and the tourist shops. I stopped and had a bite to eat and decided I had to walk up to the Schloss or I would always regret it. What a climb. The lady in the tourist office said 20 - 25 minutes. It took me 50 going up and 25 coming down. Part of the way down was cobblestone and didn't have a handrail so I had to be extra careful. The views going up were spectacular. A camera can not properly capture them. There were benches along the way and a railing once you were on the actual Schloss trail. I stopped at the lookout point and took more pictures, some looking down. The tree with the red berries I took pictures of is a holly tree. I was a bit disappointed at the top as the trail stopped at the back of the Schloss and I was hoping the grounds around it were open. I took some pictures and headed back down. I caught the bus back to Sargens and after a train delay I made my way back to Zurich and Winterthur.
Sabrina had made a wonderful chicken dinner and after dinner I started packing as I leave for Portugal tomorrow.
More later - thanks for reading.

October 26th Zurich

In Zurich early this morning. I wanted to explore the old city, go down to the waterfront area, go up the Uetliberg and explore the part of the old city on the opposite side of the river.

Started off at the Hauptbahnhof and saw the Blue Angel hanging from the ceiling. Filled my water bottle from the boy with the alligator and off I went. The broad yellow lines are pedestrian crossings and give you the right of way if there is no light. I love the little covered balconies that hang over the road. Every one is individually designed so I took lots of pictures. There were also paintings right on the walls plus statues and fountains. i found some beautiful old churches. No pictures allowed inside. I walked down to the waterfront and found people feeding the swans and ducks. I caught a tram that I thought was heading north but it went to the side so I hopped off just past the opera. I went into the grocery store and bought lunch. A sandwich and a banana. I walked back to the Opera house. There is a big plaza there with lots of chairs. They chain two chairs together so people won't steal them. I was watching the fountain and eating. It was a warm day and the sun was shining. Could I ask for anything more?
After lunch I took a tram back up to the station to go up the Uetliberg. It is a high hill outside of Zurich - not a mountain. It helps if you get on the right train. I didn't. So I had to come back and start over. Luckily it was only a twenty minute ride for each trip - the wrong one and the right one. After you get off the train you are only about half way up. Now you start climbing. That is what it felt like as the road was on a steep incline. I made it and after taking some pictures I decided I had better climb the tower or I would regret it. There are 9 flights of 17 steps each and 3 straight landing platforms. It is 180 metres high. Tough climb but I made it. Another adventure and victory chalked up!
I returned to the city and explored the opposite side of the old city. There is another old church filled with Marc Chagall stained glass windows - no pictures allowed. I went outside and discovered that the banners hanging from the light standards were copies of the stained glass windows inside. So I took pictures of them. I wandered through the narrow curved streets window shopping and taking pictures of every unique thing I saw. I ended up near the station on a bridge with the beginning of a love lock collection.
I headed back to Sabrina's house and made dinner of Spaghetti Bolonaise for us. More adventures tomorrow as I go to Liechtenstein.

October 25th

Egni, Nissimor and I left Einshlingen around 6:00 a.m. by taxi for the hauptbahnhof of Bielefeld to catch a train to Zurich. At first I was wondering why I had chosen to leave so early but later I was glad. We had coffee and a bite to eat in the station and caught our train. I fell asleep and woke up with a jerk and asked the man beside me "Are we ther yet?" Of course the answer was not for several more hours. I got to see the cathedral in Koln or Cologne in English. It is just outside the train station so I saw it as we entered and when we left. A couple of hours later Egni told me that the announcement in German said we were an hour late and we had to switch trains in Freiburg not Basel. What would I have done if I was travelling alone? They give two sentences in English and 25 sentences in German.
Nissimor missed her rehearsal for the concert tonight by her choir. Egni let her husband know that the train was running late.
When I arrived in Switzerland I found the prices were quite high compared to Germany or Canada. A cup of tea or coffee can be 4 Swiss francs or Euros  which is about $6.00 Canadian and double what it was in Germany. A locker was 6 Swiss francs or about $9.00. I dragged my suitcase around and explored the area around the station. Straight out the main doors is the new city but there is a lovely stream with spots for people to sit and enjoy the waterfowl only a block away. To the left across the bridge over the river is the old town. I love the amazing buildings and the decorations that have lasted four hundred years or more. The crosswalks here are marked with yellow lines. If there is no light the cars have to stop if you step off the curb. Watch out for trams as they have the right of way it seems and stop for no one. In Canada if the light turns yellow and then red the cars will wait for you to clear the street. Not here, if the light changes get off the street because the cars barrel into the intersection the moment it changes.
I found a water fountain of a boy holding an alligator and filled my water bottle. I bought a bun and cheese at one of the shops for lunch. I fought with a ticket machine to get a train ticket. I bought a Switzerland t-shirt and a Zurich card for the next day.
I headed for Winterthur, arrived, found Starbucks, bought a tea, figured out the iPad charging stations and read while I waited for Sabrina.
Sabrina arrived, a little late but I was reading so I didn't care. We took a taxi home; had a bite to eat; figured out what I was doing the next day and made up the couch as a bed and hit the sheets to get some rest. More tomorrow.

Oct 23 & 24th in Bielefeld

I slept in until 9:00. I woke to a European breakfast of juice, coffee, a variety of buns and bread with cheese, meat or jam to put on them.  After breakfast we made our plans for the day. I signed cards in the morning. I love looking at the variety of cards that people bring. Many of these aren't available in Canada. Everyone here loves our nature views and complains about not finding them in Europe. They love the cards of trees in autumn. LadyP says all she gets are Mounties and Squirrels and she would like some view cards please.
After a hot spaghetti lunch with chocolate pudding for dessert Leonie, Desmonia, Killiwips and I went to downtown Bielefeld for a shopping expedition. A large factory in Bielefeld is the Dr. Oetker plant. I buy Dr. Oetker food in Canada. Downtown we found the pedestrian streets. I love Europe because of the pedestrian streets. No traffic lights you can wander across the road. It's great. I had a chocolate and vanilla softserve ice cream. Best buy so far. It was huge and inexpensive. I only bought a small. We did a lot of window shopping and the others bought some postcards. I have too many as you get a pile free when you come and I will buy some from the postcard people who come to the event and give us a discount.
Back to Einshlingen for more signing, a glass of wine and supper. Pixelpups is a teenage boy who comes with his mom and gets bored so he plays the piano for hours. It is very relaxing to sit and talk and stamp some postcards with piano music in the background.

Oct 24th

More of the same during the day. I took a walk through the park area here for a break. Sometimes the house is full of laughter and sometimes the noise level gets high.
In the afternoon there is a lottery which is really just a present exchange. I got a lovely gift bag of stickers and tape and stamps and Stroopwaffels, so I know it came from Leonie. She will take it and a bag of extra things to the Netherlands for me so I keep the packing light on the way to Portugal.

In the evening I packed as I am up early to catch the train to Switzerland. We all sat around and read off weird Canadian place names off the internet. Everyone here loves Crispy Crunch chocolate bars. I may have to send some for Christmas. Everyone said goodbye tonight. Lots of hugs and of course everyone wants me to come back next year. I don't think so. We will see.

Bielefeld

Oct. 22nd

We started out by car after breakfast. Nicole left her husband and two sons at home, but we will drop Larissa her daughter off at her aunt Martine's house for the weekend. This is school break week so there is no school today and tomorrow. Martine's house is in Neustadt about 2/3 of the way to Bielefeld. She doesn't speak English but was very welcoming to me and fed us a hot meal of noodles and meatballs with peppers in a red sauce with chocolate pudding for dessert. We said good by and we were off again.

I don't think I have been hugged as much as I was when we arrived in Bielefeld. Everyone remembered me and was happy to see me again. I found my room, I am sharing with MissMaple and Roos. It's on the first floor so no stairs to climb this year. I found Egni and Nissimor. We are travelling to Switzerland together. I am sitting with the same group from last year. They are always finding something to laugh about. I keep telling them they are having too much fun. Off to bed around 10:00 but I sat up reading for awhile. It is very relaxing here. I stamped about 500 cards tonight. My stamp has a Canadian flag and my name - LyndaC.

October 20 Bremerhaven to Hamburg

I spent a quiet morning packing, and left Bremerhaven by train for Hamburg this afternoon. I am getting good at figuring out the trains and their schedules. I arrived in Hamburg around 5:00 o'clock and got directions to Nichole's house. I got a little excited and almost got off the bus early but I made it to her house on time for supper. Not a very exciting day but that is what travelling can be like.

October 21st.

The next morning I began the day with laundry. Nicole took me to the local laundromat and I got everything washed and dried. Then I went downtown to explore Hamberg. I took the subway to the harbour. I had purchased an all day ticket so I rode the ferry around the harbour. It was included in my ticket. Since all the tours were in German I wasn't missing anything taking public transit. The harbour has container ships and container loading areas, lots of tour boats, small pleasure craft, tugboats and barges. They are all crossing back and forth but seem to keep out of each other's way. The Queen Mary 2 was supposed to come into port but I didn't see her. There are also a number of sailing ships tied up at different docks. I checked out a number of stores and wandered from one end to the other taking in all the sights. It was a cloudy day but no rain. Once in awhile the sun would peep out for a few minutes.

I went on to the central station or haufbanhof. I needed to change some money and to do a little shopping. I bought a hot pretzel and ate it as I walked. I went over and down a few blocks and then followed the signs to go back. On the way I found a shop that sold soccer shirts that said Hamburg. This goes with my new Viking t-shirt from Norway. I am also trying to buy small presents from each city so I have a few things to take home.

I found the pedestrian streets around the Haubanhof and had a delightful time window shopping. I stopped for a rest in a book store and signed on to the Internet and checked the mail. I found the bank the money exchange and decided to head back to Nicole's. Lasagna for supper was delicious. I got all my cards ready for Bielefeld and headed for bed. We are off to Bielefeld in the morning..

Day Two in Bremerhaven

The restaurant last night was over by the commercial area of the port. I wish I had taken some pictures but the battery in my camera died. It was decorated like an old sea shanty, it even had a naked mermaid. It also had an aquarium right beside us. There were two clown fish and two "Dory" from Finding Nemo and several other varieties of tropical fish.We had Bouliabaise and a Bremerhaven Fischteller or variety of fish. It was very good and I ate almost all of it.

This morning after breakfast we went down to the port to see a cruise ship that is being outfitted in Bremerhaven. Angela Merkel is holding a conference later and 800 will have dinner on the ship tonight. After the ship Brigitte dropped me off down near the pedestrian streets and I walked along taking pictures. I wanted to go into the old church but it wasn't open.

I went to the Marine museum and looked at everything from a boat that was dug out of the harbour to whaling equipment to new sailboats and arctic explorations. There was a skeleton of a whale hanging from the ceiling. There was a huge artificial pond in the basement and I got to steer a cruise ship around from one end to the other and turn it around and go back. It wasn't my fault the other boat and I banged into each other.

I'm off to Hamburg again tomorrow. I want to explore the port there the next day. Bye for now.

Hamburg and Bremerhaven

October 17th
Woke up early this morning and read until I heard the family wake. I had a beautiful hot shower before breakfast. Breakfast was buns and pastries with a selection of meat, cheese, jam and a special concoction of susauge, and mayo and a crisp vegetable. I tried it as I have tried everything people have fed me but it wasn't my favorite. It was a bit too sour. If there are spelling mistakes it is because I am using a European Keyboard and the letters are in different places.

The Postcard meeting started at 11:30 and we met at Central Station. Once everyone was there we left to walk around downtown and look at postcards. I bought a few but not many as I don't send foreign postcards from home very often. We walked and walked and went to many stores. I took pictures of the harbour. We finally stopped to eat and write postcards. I ate a very delicious potato soup with sausage. Around 4:45 Nicole and Larissa and I left to get me on the train for Bremerhaven. It was a quiet trip but it looks like the same festival was on in Bremen as last year. I could see the lights and the ferris wheel. Brigitte met me at the train. She has a broken foot. But she is feeling better than she was last week. She made a beautiful dinner of bacon, peaches, beans and potatoes. We sat up and watched tv about Cuba.

Oct 18th
This morning Brigitte and I sat and had coffee and breakfast and talked about Bielefeld last year and what we are doing this year. This afternoon I went down to the harbour for a few hours and watched the ships going in and out of the inner harbour through a lock. I walked along the sea front and went to a shopping mall under the conference center. I enjoyed myself but it was getting cold and foggy so I took the bus back to Brigitte's house. Tonight we are going out to a fish restaurant. I'm off to write some postcards.

My cold is getting better.

Arriving in Hamburg

I left Norway this morning. It was a long walk up that steep hill but a beautiful day once the fog lifted. Cathrine came with me Jevnaker to say good bye and make sure I got the right bus.

The plane was on time but I tried to go the wrong way. Luckily Passport Control are nice people and sent me back the right way. I had a window seat but we were above the clouds so not much to see. We landed in Hamburg and it was raining.

The S-Bahn said "All trains go to Central Station" which is where I was to meet Nicole, that was before the accident on the tracks. We all had to get out and transfer to another line and another train. The first was so full I couldn't get on. Well I could have but when I bent down to get my bag two men jumped on and took my place. It took awhile but Nicole and I found each other and went home to her house to have soup. It was excellent soup - chicken with peppers carrots and chick peas.

While waiting for her husband to come home I played Rummikub with Nicole and her daughter Larissa. Larissa won twice. When Nicole's husband came home she and I went to Miniature Wunderland. It is set up with hundreds of train tracks in 3 or 4 rooms and a working airport where planes take off and land. Parts of it were set up for Halloween and when you pushed buttons different sections had action. The midway rides ran, the fire engines went to a fire, cranes lifted loads etc. it was a lot of fun.

I'm getting ready for bed now so I will write to you from Bremerhaven tomorrow night.

Lazy day in Norway.

Today we decided to rest and relax. I read a book. We took a walk through the village. We wrote some postcards. We traded a few cards. I got packed as I have to leave around 7:30 tomorrow morning. The day started out foggy, it looked like it would clear then it started to roll in again. By 5:00 we couldn't see past the tree on Cathrine's lawn. We decided the trolls were out and about so it was a good thing we had taken our walk earlier.
Cathrine and I had sandwiches for lunch and she cooked up chicken, rice, a stir fry of veggies and a delicious chicken gravy for dinner. After dinner I realized I had packed the liquids and forgot to pack other stuff so I had to do it all again. Off to Hamburg tomorrow. I posted lots of pictures on Facebook.

Oslo

I forgot to say yesterday that Norway is beautiful. There are birch trees and evergreens everywhere and calm beautiful lakes with ducks and wild swans in them. Cathrine lives on the edge of a forest and on the other side are farms.
Early this morning we left to go to Oslo. It is a two hour trip. Two buses. But very comfortable like an excursion coach. We walked through the bus terminal and headed toward the harbour.
We walked up the Oslo Opera house. Yes I said up. You walk up different levels until you are on the roof. All the pieces of the roof slant at different angles so it is not too steep. I took pictures on the roof and we asked someone to take our picture.

We went to the museum of architecture. It was a strange museum because they were also looking at architecture in Comic Strips. It was like the architect was drawing the strips. There was also a short movie showing the history of Norwegian Architecture.

Next we walked towards the city hall and past the fort that guarded the harbour many years ago. The museum devoted to the Nobel peace prize was on the corner so we went in that one too. All the different peace prize winners were shown in a room where you walked along and if you waved your hand in front of the picture, it lit up and gave you details. There were seperate rooms devoted to special people like the Dalia Lama and Malala.

From there it is only a couple of blocks to the Royal Palace and the palace parks which are open to the public. We walked through them and found a little park with two dragons guarding a statue of a children's author. Luckily we found a restaurant nearby as it was getting late. I had a Norwegian sandwich of shrimp and crawfish at a restaurant whose name translates to "the happy pig". Cathrine had a Caesar salad with added chicken and bacon.

After lunch we went to the National Gallery and saw among other paintings Edvard Munsch, "Scream". It reminds me of a Halloween Mask.

Cathrine had a book crossing meeting in the mall beside the bus terminal. I said hello and then I sat and read a book. We got home around 8:00 o'clock. So it is off to bed very soon.

Arriving in Europe

Greg and Crystal (my son and daughter-in-law) drove me to the airport on Monday. Lots of traffic backups and a few accidents but we left in lots of time so we were fine.
They switched airplanes on me again and I was going to end up in a middle seat in the middle edition on the plane. I told one of the attendants and he found me an aisle seat. Thank you.
Supper on the aircraft was good - Beef, rice, onions and gravy. Breakfast was a disappointment. I think the whole thing was frozen and defrosted overnight. The blueberry muffin was still half frozen and wet from defrosting. Oh well the service was good.
When I landed in Amsterdam the strangest thing happened. We had to go through security to get out. So two of us were not allowed to bring water that we purchased while in a secure area through security. Passport control was a bit of a joke. I don't even think he made eye contact with me.
The gate for the plane to Norway was at the other end of the terminal. I bought a croissant and a tea for breakfast.
Smaller plane to Oslo. Not a bad ride I slept most of the way. Cathrine met me in Jevnacker and we walked to the local glass making plant. This area is kind of like an artisan's village. There is a bakery, a porcelain works, a honey hut, several factory outlets for the porcelain and glass, an art gallery and a factory that makes hand blown glass objects. The men in the factory work as a team on different projects. One team was making glass decorations that were shaped a bit like Christmas trees but we're also reminiscent of some type of light fixture. As each member of the team finished blowing and shaping them the finisher would break off the bottom using a special machine and then polish the bottom so it was smooth.
The second team was making wine glasses. Two or three were allowed to make the bowl of the glass and blow it to size then shape it and pull out the stem. Then another man added a blob to the bottom and a third turned this into the foot. The last man cut off the top and ground the edge. I think the foot turner had the hardest job , because if the foot wasn't level and even then the wine glass would slant over when used.
We took another bus to Cathrine's house. She lives down a steep hill in a building that looks like a big house but is several apartments. She fed me a wonderful supper of beef patties served in delicious gravy, with potatoes and peas.

After I post this I will be heading for bed. Off to Oslo tomorrow.

2015 A new Adventure

I know I haven't blogged for a year but here I go again. I'm off on a new adventure.


Today I leave for the adventure of 2015. I am going to Europe and again it may be my last trip across the pond. I am scheduled to visit Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Portugal, Netherlands and England. I have booked all the trains and planes. I have friends from last year that I am staying with, and my luggage is packed.

Greg, Crystal and the family are driving me to the airport. I have managed to get a cold but I have cough medicine and cold pills so hopefully that won't bother me too much.


I have difficulty putting pictures on the blog so you will have to check my Facebook page for the pictures.


My first stop is Norway where I will be met by Cathrine, also known as Norway_girl. We plan to go to a glass works tomorrow.