try2seeitall

I grew up in the suburbs, but my cousins grew up in (what was) a rural area not far from Manassas, Virginia. They owned property on Broad Run, which joins the more famous Bull Run to form the Occoquan river, a tributary of the Potomac. My Uncle Werner, though he was in the steel fabrication business, fancied himself a gentleman farmer. On their property, they kept a few cows and chickens, but what I remember most were the horses. Since my dad only had one sister, and his brother died while serving in the Navy during World War II, and my mother was an only child; we spent a lot of time with our only first cousins. Elise was the oldest. She and her father were also the most interested in horses. My dad must have had an interest in horses too. He would bring us to watch Elise compete in horse shows when she was young. Later when she got old enough she would go out with her father on fox hunts. On at least a couple of occasions, my dad brought me to see the two of them, with their fox hunting buddies, and a bunch of hounds, go off in pursuit of the crafty critters. We didn’t see any of the chase, but it was still a spectacle to see them all dressed up in their fancy gear heading out behind all those barking dogs. I don’t think we stuck around past that part of the event but it left an impression. 

I guess the point is, I was a bit interested. I liked visiting my cousins. My uncle and Elise seemed to enjoy getting us up in the saddle. I maintained that interest in horses, and when my children were young, I, with the support of my wife, exposed them to the noble animals. There is something about the relationship between man and horses that, in my opinion, can instill confidence and a love of nature in children. I never got to go to horse camp growing up. I’m not sure there was such a thing where I lived; but, my wife thought it would be a good idea to sign some of our grandchildren up at the local equestrian center at the Water’s Edge Country Club down the road.  She thought it would do them some good and they would have fun. I think they had more fun than they even imagined, judging by the question they asked at the end of the camp; “Can we do that again sometime, Nana?” They had a lot of activities besides just riding the horses and they made new friends.

I have seen horses said to have paint, and I have seen people do paintings of horses, but I have never seen a horse used as a canvas for paint. To view the public photos click here. To view the private photos (with a password) click here.

This trip to Paris was mainly to spend time with family. We accomplished that goal along with getting to eat at Agapé, a Michelin star restaurant. It was exquisite! The location was perfect for us because we were staying with family and the quaint little restaurant was just around the corner from their apartment. I made reservations a month in advance of the trip. We went with the Carte Blanche menu with wine pairings. Service was excellent and the restaurant owner was there to answer any questions. It was obvious that he had trained his staff well and they all did their best to make the meal truly special. Every course was beautiful to look at as well as delicious. Although we only ate there once, I was told that everyday the menu changes using the freshest ingredients available. The wines were from all over France and unique, as well as perfectly paired to complement the flavor of the food they accompanied. Possibly the thing I liked best was that we didn’t have to think about anything. We sat there as they presented us with the best they had to offer that day, while allowing us the perfect amount of time to savor the flavor of each dish. (Pictured above is a blue lobster dish that was probably my favorite offering of the evening.)

Maybe I have gone on a little too much about the food, because it is family first. We planned our trip because of the family events that were occurring. I like to be there to capture the moment and I use this platform to share photographs with people who couldn’t be there, but wished they could. I don’t have a Facebook account and this format allows me to post photos and allow access to those who would appreciate them most–family and invited guests. If you are one of those people, click here to see the photos of these special events and some everyday things too. Anyone can click here to see photos that don’t include the private stuff. 

n the previous post I mentioned that I went on a short trip to the north of Paris by myself (leaving my wife to help babysit the grandchildren in the city). The next day I took an impromptu trip to the Mustard Capital of the World, Dijon; this time with my wife.

Though it was a long journey, we made a day trip out of it. France has an amazing train system of very fast trains leaving from a number of stations in Paris. We got up early and took the subway to the Gare de Lyon train station, where we boarded a train that at times was traveling nearly 200 miles per hour to our destination. I bought the train tickets the day before at the Chantilly train station, because it was far less crowded than the stations in Paris, and I did not want to chance buying them the morning of the trip. That night, when I got back to Paris, I also booked through GetYourGuide (I had had success online with them before) a full-day private tour (with an English-speaking guide) of the world-famous Burgundy wine region; including Dijon and Beaune. We got confirmation from GYG that we were booked and that we would receive an email from our local guide. The tour was expensive, but it was the only thing available on short notice and I had experienced that outside of Paris (with my almost nonexistent French) getting to see and do what you want efficiently can be problematic. 

Unfortunately for us, that email never came. So, as we were approaching Dijon Station, I gave the local guide a call.  The person who answered the phone could not speak English and got someone else to try to help. He said they never got the booking (even though I had a confirmation number) and he was unable to help us. He hung up, and I was worried we would never get our money back. Though it took a little more time, I was able to speak on the phone to an agent at GYG and she explained that there was a glitch and she would check into it and get back to me. She quickly investigated and responded still before we arrived at the station. She apologized for the inconvenience, while assuring me that the money would be returned within five business days. (It took less.)

The weather was nice when we arrived in Dijon. The station was small, but just outside the exit there was a tourist information center. The young lady greeted us with a cheerful, bon jour, looking pleased to have someone to help. I asked in French if she spoke English. She responded with an even bigger smile in perfect American English that she would be happy to help us. She had worked for a few years as an au pair in northern Virginia near our previous home there. She gave us confidence that there was plenty to do in Dijon (where she was born and raised) within walking distance and circled a few of her favorite spots on the map. She asked us if we would like her to book a taxi for a late afternoon trip to one of the nearest wineries and she made all the arrangements. We had a good time walking around the historic town. We had the good fortune to walk into a church where a choir was practicing for an upcoming concert and they were truly outstanding, complemented by the acoustics of the building. We then went to The Palace of the Dukes and States of Burgundy, where they had a free art museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon). We stopped at a few shops including places to taste various types of mustard. Finally we made our way to the newly opened Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, where we had lunch before meeting our driver for the short trip to The Château de Marsannay. After our tour of the Château, our driver returned and brought us back to La Gastronomie to taste more mustards, wines, and other traditional foods of the region where we spent the rest of our time in Dijon before the short walk back to the station to catch our train returning to Paris.

Click here for photos from the day. Dijon really deserves more time than we had, but we came mostly to be with family. We had places to be and people to see. And if you are wondering, Yes I do like mustard–even more now that I have been to Dijon! Hopefully we will make it to Beaune and more of the Burgundy region in the future.

We came to France in early June this year because there were a number of family birthdays to celebrate and a special milestone day for one of my grandsons that my wife and I were looking forward to attending. On a day that looked like it might not bring fair weather, I decided to take a chance and traveled solo to the place pictured above.

Château de Chantilly is only a short train ride out of Paris. It was built by Prince Henri d’Orléans, the son of the last King of France, Louis-Philippe. It is one of the best Châteaus in all of France and because Henri had no heirs, he decided to gift it to the Institut de France in 1886. He gave it under the condition that his substantial collection of paintings and other collectables remain in the location that he had placed them in his lifetime. In addition to the Château there is an impressive stable complex where if you arrive at the right time you can watch an equestrian show that would please the Prince. It would probably have impressed me too, if I hadn’t arrived just as the show was ending. In that area they also have a Museum of the Horse that I was able to see. If you would like to see photos from the day click here. 

No longer living near an international airport and seeing how many regional carriers were canceling flights, I decided it would be wise to get to New York City a couple of days ahead of a departure flight back to France for a family visit. We had timeshare points that would expire and lucked into booking a nice place at the last minute in Midtown. We had stayed there once pre-Pandemic and knew it was a comfortable place with a good view from the rooftop. We made it there without any delays and just relaxed in the “Big Apple.” 

After checking in and avoiding the dreaded owner’s update, which always leads to a hard sell for more points, we headed to a wine and cheese party on the roof. There we met a couple (the gentleman was about my age, but looked younger and so did his wife) traveling up from Louisiana who were also trying to use their yearly allotment of points. The gentleman had a specific reason for going to New York. He was there to visit the final resting place of John James Audubon, the famous naturalist and painter of birds. As is typical, you meet friendly people with similar experiences with their timeshare purchases at these types of gatherings and we got to talking. I found out that he was a retired military guy who was mechanically inclined who was trained to work on aircraft. After retirement while visiting Oakley Plantation, near where he and his wife lived, and located on the property of Audubon State Historic Site; someone said he looked like Audubon. He said at the time he knew very little about the naturalist, but somehow it stuck with him and he wound up volunteering to play the part; dressing up in costume in the living history program offered on site. 

Audubon is one of my heroes, and coincidentally the next day while walking with my wife on a hot and sunny day after we had done enough window shopping; we thought we could get out of the heat by going into the New York Public Library. The Library had a sign posted for Treasures: The Polonsky Exhibition. It was free and one of the treasures in the exhibition is in the photograph above. There were lots of other treasures and if you would like, you can click here to see a few images that particularly appealed to me, as well as a few other photos from NYC.

Though I was born in Washington D.C., I have always lived in Virginia.  I like it! Virginia has a lot going for it and my wife and I will likely call the Commonwealth our home for the foreseeable future. As you may be able to tell from this website, I like a lot of places and try to find the good wherever I go, without ignoring the bad. I don’t like to dwell on the negative; consequently I tend to focus (especially my camera) on what makes me happy. In my last post (if you clicked on the link to the photos) you might have seen a couple of photos I took at Stone Mountain, which is just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. I have a son who lives near there and his girlfriend recommended we visit the state park. The place is a good one to take hikes, to get out in nature, or if you are inclined; to learn a little about the history of the south. I am going to go out on a limb here and state that Georgia, like Virginia, was (in the opinion of most reasonable people of today) on the wrong side of history. Maybe you know where I am going here–I don’t like the fact that the largest bas-relief sculpture in the world pays homage to three Confederate leaders. I wish the powers that be hadn’t decided to carve anything on the side of that impressive geologic feature. I am not saying it should be removed. I would leave it as testimony to the fact that we are not all on the same page. I feel the same way when I see people hoist huge Confederate battle flags on their property in the county I live in today. I wish they had more sense and furthermore could understand the hurt it causes. 

So, I take you now to the reason for the headline of today’s post. We were traveling a few weeks ago from our home to the wedding of a relative taking place near Richmond, Virginia. While driving I came upon a sign that let me know I was about to enter Appomattox County, which hosted a significant meeting in American history. It caused me to wonder as I read the bottom of the sign and that short phrase became the title of this post. I thought to myself, a marketing person must have tried to put the best spin they could on that historic event in order to have a good reason to visit Appomattox County. I guess it is better than, “Welcome to the middle of nowhere Virginia.” 

So I don’t hurt any feelings, Appomattox County is beautiful and rural today and it hasn’t changed demographically all that much since the 1860’s. Geographically, it is about in the middle of Virginia and today not many would go there if not for its place in history. Prior to driving that stretch of State Route 24, I had never been in Appomattox County, but because it is the place where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant (For an interesting review of the conversation leading up to the surrender click here.) and therefore on the radar of a curious fellow like me. I made a mental note that if the weather was good (and my wife was willing) on the return trip, we would spend a little time there to check it out and see if there is any evidence that our nation has truly reunited. 

The photo above shows the building that gives Appomattox Court House National Historical Park its name. It is not, however, the location of the historic meeting between Lee and Grant. That took place a short walk away in what is known as the McLean House, because it was owned in 1865 by Wilmer McLean. McLean’s story can be explored through the storytelling and research of Virginia Tech history professor Dr. James Robertson Jr. by clicking here.

I was able to have a long conversation with a fellow retired high school teacher who happened to be sitting on the porch of the restored mercantile building of the town of Appomattox Court House. He was a resident of the county and former volunteer tour guide for the park whose ancestors had lived in the county since before the Civil War. We discussed among other things, that I was going to poach the line from the county sign for  the title of this post and asked him for his thoughts. He was an independent thinker and I wish I had the time to walk around the park with him and take the free tour he offered me, but I knew my wife had already headed back to the car and would already be wondering what was taking me so long.

For more photos of the short visit to the National Historical Park, click here, It is worth the visit! I wish I had planned more time and could have visited more of the surrounding county. As to whether the sign is accurate I will let you be the judge.

I may be stretching the definition of the word “jaunt” a bit, because it wasn’t exactly a short trip in terms of miles traveled, but as is typical on most of the adventures I am involved with, there is a lot going on in a brief period. Trying to see it all is not easy. It is literally impossible to accomplish. That said, I am about the trying. While trying, I am about efficiency and curiosity. There is no expectation that I will achieve success. My wife says, I am never satisfied. I don’t think that is all bad, especially when it concerns curiosity. Learning new important things (important to me anyway, because I acknowledge my boat is floated a little differently) is a joy inducing experience for me.  I am also about family and friends. This jaunt set out to bring joy into the hearts of as many family and friends as possible (as well as a few strangers) while not breaking the bank. It all started with planning a fishing trip. That trip was canceled, due to the covid pandemic. It was rescheduled and became the impetus for this spring jaunt. 

More than ten years ago, while my oldest son was going through a challenging time, we headed to the Florida Keys in search of mammoth-sized tarpon. I actually caught one, fulfilling a childhood dream fueled by a 1960’s TV program called “The American Sportsman” hosted by Curt Gowdy. My son caught some notable fish but he didn’t catch the big one that we were targeting. We agreed then that we should try again someday. He planned the spring trip that was canceled in 2020 and re-planned the fishing part of the Key West leg this time. As you can see from the photo above, he was successful at hooking (and eventually landing and releasing) a big one. In addition, he planned some other things that are sure to be remembered by his three children, wife, mother and me. If you are an invited guest, you can click here to see some family photo highlights. You can click here to see other photos that do not require a login. 

We drove many miles and saw many friends along the way. Thanks to All!

It is hard to appreciate the statement, “It is tough to get old,” while you are young. 

Some of my fondest memories as a child were of the Christmas season. My mother and grandmother put a lot of love into making the season special. It was always in the same place. The food was always the same, but something the family always looked forward to every year. My mother’s mother (we called her Nanny) came from humble Polish Catholic roots, born in western Pennsylvania. Nanny’s mother (I only remember her vaguely) was either born in the U.S. or brought as an infant to Pittsburgh from Poland, where she was left to be raised by relatives. Her origin story was one that was not much talked about, but likely one that was sort of like Cinderella; only she did not get to marry her first prince. It was forbidden. He wound up marrying one of my great grandmother’s older step sisters, according to the story I was told. There are some interesting stories that deserve to be written down and preserved, but those will have to wait until I can investigate more. The point for now is that we all have a family history. Mine, I cherish, and I hope my children and grandchildren, as they age, will understand that sentiment and reminisce about and honor their family history. We have roots. 

Until this year, my wife and I stayed close to home, often playing host to the family Christmas gatherings. This year, as you can tell from the photo above (taken by Natalie, my niece on my wife’s side), isn’t all that Christmasy. It is a selfie of her with an island dog who befriended her while we were on Grand Turk island. Still, I chose the image to represent the event because it was the best photo (in my opinion) taken on the trip and it represents this new family experience. Natalie and her parents wanted to go someplace warm, where scuba diving was an option. My son Drew was also interested in the scuba diving option. My scuba diving days are regrettably over (though I dream differently), but at my suggestion, Rich and Jamie booked a place for all of us to celebrate together. Grand Turk is part of the island nation, Turks and Caicos, which are islands extending from the Bahamas almost to Haiti on the western half of the Island of Hispaniola. Grand Turk is very small (about 7 miles north to south and 1.5 miles east to west), but is still the capital of the island nation — a British Overseas Territory. It and the surrounding islands have a history of producing salt for export, but that is no longer profitable and the economy is based on tourism today; a tough way to go during a world-wide pandemic. Things are easing a bit, but for this trip there was a lot of paperwork to complete to be allowed to travel and of course a negative covid test.

My wife and I visited the Island of Providenciales first. It is the most often visited island in Turks and Caicos, and it has one of the best white sand beaches in the world, according to those in the know. After spending the fall in France, we were hoping to take advantage of the bright sun, soft sand, and clear water. So, we booked a couple of nights on Grace Bay Beach. We had to go through the international airport there because it can handle commercial jets and Grand Turk cannot. Provo, as the locals call it, is a place for people who like food. There are plenty of excellent but expensive restaurants. Almost all the food has to be imported, but despite that, we had some of the best tasting and eye pleasing food we have eaten anywhere. The weather and the wealthy tourists have brought many foreign trained chefs who want to live the island life. Pair that with friendly local talent and you have a recipe that leads to happy customers willing to pay the price.  

The trip from Provo to our next destination is a short trip to the east. The plane was so small I was asked to sit in the copilot’s seat. I squeezed my way up the center aisle and did my best to climb over the worn leather seat, working my creaking bones down into the small seat. I had never paid to do that before but I have to admit, it somehow made me smile. Compared to Providenciales, Grand Turk is small, but it has a deep water dock that can handle huge cruise ships.  While we were there, a different ship (sometimes two)  let passengers off to enjoy the beach next to the cruise ship dock or take various modes of transport to get away from the crowds or go scuba diving.   

Despite a few hiccups, the stay was relaxing and a great change of pace. It was an atypical Christmas, but even though it is hard to beat family traditions, having the chance to celebrate with family and share something different made this aging traveler a happy guy. Even though I am feeling my age in all kinds of ways — and I know now from personal experience, it is tough to get old for lots of reasons — having family close, no matter where you are, helps ease the mind and the body.

For some random pictures of our holiday, click here. Relatives and friends with a password can click here to see family photos.

Our last excursion of 2021 in France was to the picturesque Alsatian city of Strasbourg. It is sometimes called the Capital of Christmas because it is believed to be the first to host an annual Christmas Market. Although the weather was not ideal while we were there in late November, we had a good time, highlighted by an Advent Mass in the extraordinary Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg. It helped us get in the Christmas Spirit and though we soon had to leave France and the grandchildren to get back to the USA, we felt blessed to have had the opportunity to take this journey and see so many things we had never seen.  All in all, things went well. Though we didn’t have the perfect meal in France (maybe, I set the standard too high and didn’t plan well enough), we enjoyed ourselves. It was great to celebrate Thanksgiving with family with most of the trimmings that are customary. Next year maybe we can spend Christmas in Paris. This year we have different plans. As families grow and spread, it is hard to get the whole family together at the same time. You have to do what you can, and be thankful for what you get; most of all the family and friends you have, and the memories you make with them.

For some photos from our time in Strasbourg click here.

It started out as a gray day in Paris. In the morning my wife walked the two youngest grandchildren to school. Then after a short walk to the metro with limited luggage, we headed to one of the many train stations where you can hop on a fast train to other parts of Europe. Taking the recommendation of a former colleague of mine who was a French teacher for many years, my wife and I boarded a train headed to the city of Reims, in the world famous region of Champagne. In just 45 minutes we were at the train station of our destination and the sun was trying to break through the clouds. I had made reservations for an afternoon group tour (with an English speaking guide) of the area surrounding Reims. We were to meet outside the Tourist Information center in front of the train station. We were early, so we walked the short distance to the Hotel De l’Arcade and checked into our room.  The city is pretty flat, which makes it easy to walk. The hotel was situated within a 20 minute walk to everything I wanted to see, and it was very close to shopping and Notre Dame Cathedral of Reims, which were the two planned activities for my wife. 

After dropping off our bags, we walked back to the meeting point and met our guide and driver, Tom, who introduced us to a coworker, named Elise, who would be traveling with us. He then gave us a brief overview of the tour with a slightly British accent. We loaded into the comfortable van that we would travel in for the four and a half hour tour. Though I booked the tour through Get your Guide, the tour operator was actually A la Française. Tom (shown in the photo above taken as he was explaining the secondary fermentation process) was very knowledgeable about the geography and geology of the area, the history of the region, and the champagne making process. He was also good at making the people (in our case, three groups of two) who did not know each other before the trip, form a happy troop. 

There are many different tours one can do in Champagne, but this one fit our schedule and seemed like it would give us the most for our money. It was both educational and fun. We saw idyllic landscapes, briefly toured Epernay. tasted champagne from two different small producers and visited the abbey where the monk, Dom  Pérignon, is credited for having conceived the idea of the bubbly drink that became known throughout the world. The tour was even better than I expected it would be thanks to lots of little things like Tom’s explanation of how Reims is properly pronounced. He said, “Think how a Frenchman would say France, then drop the F.” I would never have guessed that by the way Reims is spelled. We purchased a bottle of champagne from each of the two “houses” we visited. I now have a better understanding of why champagne is so popular and appreciate the nuances of flavor more than before the tour.

We returned to the meeting point and were dropped off with plenty of time to say au revoir to our new friends; then walk back through the streets that were being prepared for Christmas, to the famous Cathedral, and then make our way back to the restaurant where we had a dinner reservation. What started as a gray day in Paris finished very nicely in Reims.

The next day started with a very good breakfast at the hotel. I had most of the rest of the day to wander Reims and take some more photographs. Reims is rich in culture and in old churches that really give a sense of the importance of Catholicism to the history of France. The Cathedral is quite impressive. No wonder it was the site chosen by more than any other, as the coronation location for the many Kings of France. After visiting Notre Dame, I think my wife appreciated a little time to herself to explore the shopping district. She doesn’t see the need to try to see it all and thankfully doesn’t feel the need to buy it all. Though, this time she did get herself a nice leather coat. Later in the afternoon, while attempting to visit the Basilica of St. Remi, I found myself (without planning to be there) at a truffle fair; where I learned a little more about the delicacy. I met a kind lady and her husband (who were both about my age) who had a booth at the fair. She spoke English well and we had a nice conversation about truffles and life. She gifted me a book (in French) as I was leaving about the unique, mutualistic, subterranean organisms that I used to talk about when teaching the unit on the Kingdom Fungi. For photos from our two days in Reims, click here.