Czech, Please!

We left Austria in tour buses and drove to Cesky Krumlov, in the Czech Republic.  The scenery was spectacular and once again, we enjoyed the history of an ancient village.

They are still quite economically depressed, and prices were the most affordable of any of our stops. I had two glasses of Jameson, a plate of cheeses and a bottle of water for $14. I’d be lucky just to get the Jameson for that price at home. 


And speaking of lucky... you can't get any better than sharing this wonderful adventure with a good friend. Lucky indeed!

The cobblestones and hillside town reminded me so much of Italy. I cannot begin to imagine the difficulty in constructing these villages centuries ago. 

We left Czechoslovakia and drove to Passau, Bavaria to meet our ship.  Just as you would expect in Germany, it is a completely different style of housing and buildings. So, three countries in one day!

More soon...

Durnstein... Along the Danube

From Vienna we cruised to Durnstein, Austria which is the starting point of the Wachau region. Glorious in scenery and history.

It was in the Kuenringer Castle, whose ruins still overlook Dürnstein, that the English King Richard Lionheart was held prisoner.

The area is surrounded with steep hills that are vineyards.  How they get the grapes picked is a mystery to me. It looks as though it could only be traversed by goats.

They are also famous for apricots—which become schnapps and liquor.  Almost every store offered a sample and by the time we reached the end of the street, we were warm and toasty.

I am always warm and rarely wear a coat, so I didn’t bring one. Big mistake as it was freezing in Vienna and I was miserable.  In Durnstein, I found a small shop where the owner made felted coats and other items. With considerable help from fellow passengers, the PERFECT coat for me was selected. It is a unique cut/pattern and will be a great souvenir from this darling town.

As much land as this quaint little town took up.... the population is only around 600 people.

From every angle Durnstein really captured my heart.

I've never seen so many beautiful doors in my life. Such detailed craftsmanship.

From the big cities to this rural countryside, the history left behind never ceases to amaze me.

So many quaint shops that just blend right into the landscape.

Saw this on the promenade in Durnstein. Hilarious... The sign directs you to the Kondeteri. Looks like some kind of sculpture we'd teach at a workshop for Art & Soul!

From Durnstein, we cruised to Melk, Austria.  Another charming medieval village…but it did not capture my heart as did Durnstein.

See you soon... on to Cesky Krumlov!

A European Excursion!

I am so excited and thrilled to have this fabulous opportunity to experience the most amazing vacation with a very good friend of mine. It starts in Budapest and cruises up the river to Nuremberg going thru 5 nations!! I'm going to take you with me...

We spent our first day in Budapest and learned that the medieval city is actually two cities.  Buda is on one side of the Danube and Pest (pronounced pescht) is on the other.  The ancient stone city walls have bullet holes from WWll and there also remains a Nazi lookout tower. But regardless of what we were looking at — from the Parliament Building to the local stone churches and monuments, the architecture was simply stunning.

Hungarians as not as fluent English as other European cities, and we found communication a bit of a challenge when we attempted to call for a taxi.  Missing our ship would not have been a good thing.

As much as I loved viewing the old buildings and architecture, the highlight of the day for me was spending time with an Eurasian sparrowhawk, Aniko. Looking forward to seeing more on this magnificent journey!

Lending a Helping Hand... Feeding Los Cabos Kids in Mexico

My friends, Gloria Christian and Dan Powell, graciously invited me to join them in Cabo San Lucas for a week. I had never been to Cabo, or to Mexico for that matter. All of my adventures for the past 11 years have only been related to A&S with side trips for family reunions.  This was a most thrilling opportunity; a vacation I could never have taken without them.  It was the first time I have ever been away without my computer attached to my arm. My phone didn’t work either. After the first few days of panic, I gave in and relaxed. Life actually could exist without my answering an email immediately!

While visiting, we heard of an organization called Feeding Los Cabos Kids. It struck a nerve and tugged at our heartstrings — so we immediately became involved. We drove a long way from the center of luxurious hotels filled with vacationing tourists, into the more desolate country side where communities were in desperate need of help. 

We arrived at a small one room church and worked with others to feed about 60 children one evening. I wish I could describe the innocent faces of the small children as they devoured the spaghetti that we had prepared. It was both a most humbling and gloriously enlightening experience all at once.

Several kitchens have been set up by Feeding Los Cabos Kids in the most needed communities, and are able to feed the children as much as 3 times a week. For some of them, that's their only meal of the day. The organization — started by a woman who came to Cabos and saw something beyond the luxurious hotels that drew her attention — not only brings food to these children, but love and ministry as well.

The whole experience touched my heart so much, it made me think... If only I were younger, or wealthier, or....??? I would absolutely be one of those people you see on the National Geographic Channels... working to help those less fortunate than ourselves. But for now, it's my hands to their mouths. And that's a start.

I will return to the Church one day to see those smiling cherubic faces again!