Casting Call...

So, Summer is nearly at an end and Ruthe's first competition season is fast approaching. She was nursing a sore ankle with ice and Ibuprofen for a few workouts when her coach finally came out to tell me she thought we ought to have it looked at because it was effecting her form on floor and vault. hmmmm...So, we went to the same orthopedic we went to when she broke her wrist, oh, and her other wrist. He was on vacation. (really? Why does he need a vacation?) So we had to see the ortho to the stars. I didn't know he was such a "big deal" at our first appointment where she got xrays and a cast to begin the healing process of a stress fracture. She picked her color, I paid the massive bill and we were on our way.

When we returned to gym, the coaches were just as surprised as I was to see her in a cast. She spent the next several weeks doing a whole lot of arm and abdominal conditioning while her team mates worked diligently on their routines. During this time I started to notice that she felt separated from her teammates who really are her best friends more than any of the kids she goes to school with. How could this not be the case when she spends so much time with them? It was hard not to feel the separation when she was off to the side doing sit-ups and pull ups. But, finally the time came when it was time to return to the doctor to get the cast taken off.

We sat in t he lobby anxiously anticipating our appointment. We sat and sat and sat...no, this is no Dr. Seuss bo ok. Finally I got up and the woman at reception informed me that he was running about an hour behind but that I was next. I watched 3 other people get called back by this man's nurse. Again, I got up. This time I was told that he had an "important client" come in without an appointment. WH AT!?! I was livid! When we finally got into the room, the nurse that took the cast off did not use the guard and burned Ruthie's leg with the blade. When the Doc came in, I let him give me his spiel about easing back into regular workouts and then I gave him mine about him, his office and his staff. And then I left. I won't be back.

Anyway, Ruthie eased back into her workouts and tumbling. You will have to stay tuned to see how competition season went!

le Tour de France

The City of Lights. We drove into Paris in the late afternoon. I was relieved to see our hotel was once again beautiful. We would be staying four nights. After quickly checking in, we reloaded into the bus for a farewell dinner followed by a city lights tour. This was great because it helped me get my bearings so I could navigate the city for the rest of our stay. We had originally opted out of this excursion to save a little green. Darn the dollar! But, we made such good friends with several of the people on the tour that we wanted to spend one last meal with them.

The highlight of the night was, of course, the Eiffel Tower. It was not only lit but we got there in time to see it's twinkling lights. We took our turns with all the other tourists snapping our once in a lifetime shot in front of the famous landmark. No time to sit and marvel, back on the bus to finish the tour, back to the hotel for some rest and then, back in the bus for the same tour in the morning light. This time, went into the tower and I must say, it was bit disturbing. We were rushed straight to the front of the line, ushered into the weird slanted elevator, taken to the top and deposited in the middle of a mass of tourists all competing for a space by the rail. I was content to stand as far away from the rail as possible but Adam coaxed me over for a picture which, to be honest, was not that great as it was a hazy shade of summer. I left Adam with some friends and ventured inside to the gift shops where I picked up an ornament for my tree and a purse for my little Taylor. After that, I was Ready for the bus. Along the way we fought off several street sellers with cheap statues of the tower and witnessed the pursuit of a pick pocket. Not a bad adventure for 10 o'clock in the AM!


In the afternoon, we headed for Versailles. What can I say? WOW! You step off the bus to a sight that even under construction is more than you can imagine. "Less is more?" I don't think so. Gold leafing everywhere and gardens. Holy cow! So, we get our headset and begin our audio tour which leaves me a little A.D.D. Still the beauty, the details and the art are not lost on me. I look over and Adam seems to be really enjoying his tour...who is this person who hates history and would rather tour the SEC football stadiums? My mind is wandering and I find myself coveting the molding in each room and mentally pricing it out for my living room...

We come across an amazing mural painted on a bedroom wall which probably belonged so someone important, I don't know, I wasn't paying attention. It is an exact replica of a much smaller painting in the Louvre, except, one of the women of the court is wearing a different color dress. The portrait is of the coronation of Napoleon in 1804 and the story is that he was really in love with her and not Josephine? I just can't believe it. huh. Of course, the most amazing part of the castle was the gardens. At this point in the trip we had seen many gardens but none came close to the gardens at Versailles. It is impossible to fully describe them and equally impossible to get a good picture of them. The one here is from a window in the castle. With the weather being so beautiful, and my love of reading, I feel I could have sat there in the garden a read everyday and never once felt that I needed TV, a car, or anything else. Leaving the castle, we stopped at McDonald's where Adam got to have a Royal with Cheese and if you have seen Pulp Fiction, you know why he thought that was so cool. Finally, ending our first full day in Paris, we headed for the Moulin Rouge Theatre. This picture is taken out front with our tour guide. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Adam and I were taken aback by the topless dancers...The show we saw was a series of novelty sketches interspersed between a weird story that involved some cheesy singing while topless. It was strange. There was one really cool act in between one of the segments where this man and woman used a jacket and did all kind of tricks passing it back and forth and it never came off...it was always on one or the other. Also uncomfortable was the fight between some of our fellow travelers because she felt he was looking a little too closely so he spent the remainder of the show looking down at his plate. Which is what Adam had been doing the whole time. Such a good boy! The rest of Paris can be blogged in pictures...I know I don't need to go back. The only other stand out was the Tour. Lance didn't win but that's ok. We wandered the city and headed over to the mall where the riders would be looping several times into the finish. We came up out the Subway, stood looking around and scored some awesome seats right there on the wall where we had basically front row seats for the finish of the race...Our European vacation comes to a close.





Adam with his Cheeseburger.










Napoleon's coronation...see, her dress is white in this one...









One of our fellow tourists who just happens to look exactly like my grandma!










Venus has some pretty nice abs! We also saw Mona and some other famous ladies.












Arc de Triomphe: big, beautiful...a tribute to French soldiers.












Luxembourg Palace: also amazing gardens...sensing a theme?








Oscar Wilde's grave at Pere Lachaise Cemetery. We also saw Jim Morrison's, Ablard and Heloise, Chopin's etc. The irony was that on Wilde's grave they ask that you not deface it and yet it is covered in lipstick kisses and someone has carved, "here lies the greatest man to ever live." Really? As we approached, a young man was sitting there bawling out loud. Really? huh.







Our view of the peloton...who needs tickets?












Napoleon's tomb...short man's complex?














Notre Dame Cathedral...Amazingly beautiful but I liked St. Paul's in London better...or, maybe I just liked London better.






.

Lucerne

Aside from London, Lucerne was my favorite stop on our trip. This city sits on a lake full of swans between mountains and is just…beautiful. Adam and I decided not to do any optional excursions. I did not want to ride in a car full of people hanging from a wire. Sorry. AND, on our anniversary trip, we wanted a little time to do our own thing. We spent the time wandering the city, taking self portraits in front of landmarks and doing some serious souvenir shopping…a Swiss knife for Flip (I know what you’re thinking) a Swiss watch for Rusty and a doll named Lucerne for Ellie. (Ruthie got jewelry from Paris) When we were done with our wandering, we got some ice cream, a loaf of bread for our feathered friends and rented a paddle boat.

We set off from the in the late afternoon…not wanting to get too far away, just far enough to have some quiet and space between us and the rest of the world. Out in the middle of the lake it seemed as though it was just us, the swans and the mountains. So, I got out the snack we had brought along for these beautiful, peaceful birds…and, they attacked! There must have been fifty of them. It was so much fun! They came right up to the side of the boat, following us everywhere, snatching from our hands and honking aggressively if they felt they were not getting their fair share. Adam and I laughed so hard and at one point almost tipped our boat. It really would have been a shame because we were a little far out and the water, COLD! When we ran out of bread and our time on the boat was at an end, we headed back to the pier, a line of swans trailing behind.

That evening, we went to a dinner show with the group. It was all going really very well until I got pulled up to the stage to yodel and participate in a beer chugging contest. Really? Now, you know I don't drink beer...I can't even stand the smell of the stuff! I had to pass on that part much to the disappointment of the crowd. I am quite the yodeler, however, if I do say so myself!

After dinner, I made Adam go back to the water with me to feed the swans again. This was probably MY favorite day of the trip. Not my favorite city but my favorite day…Just me and Adam…playing…all day. Next stop…

Other favorite pics from this stop:

Don't Blink...

Crossing the border from Holland into Germany, we stopped at the cutest little shop. There was the most amazing life size coo coo clock outside and we were lucky enough to be there when it was chiming. The owner gave us complimentary cherry wine (I passed) and a slice of black forest cake. This was the spot for coo coo clocks but I went for the hand carved crosses that were crafted by the owner of the shop. Even better, he signed it!

We had two stops in Germany. The first was Cologne. We had lunch here. The only high point was the completely ginormous church. It was an amazing sight and I would know how old it was but my laptop with all of my notes and journaling from the trip was stolen, thus the reason (one anyway) my blog is so behind. Anyway, this cathedral is ancient and filthy and completely awe inspiring. I put it up there with the pyramids. I mean, how did they build this thing?

After viewing the church, we wandered for a bit and then decided to grab some lunch. Adam and I found a sidewalk café and sat down to eat. I decided to use the restroom before getting back on the bus. Imagine my surprise when I looked up and saw a window in the stall that looked out onto the street. I decided to wait. One of our fellow tourists was not so lucky. He used a different restroom at a different café. The doors t the stalls were clear you triggered the lock…then it clouded over so that the other people in the unisex restroom could not see into the stall. Well, you know, things look different in Europe…even locks. And well, we have all seen two sided glass…so, it was an your easy mistake to think that although you could see out, others could not see in…you can use your imagination to finish that story…poor guy.

Moving on, we got back onto the bus and drove or a while. An amusing aside…at this point, I think it fair to say that pretty much everyone was exhausted by the fast pace of the tour. Every time we got onto the bus it was no more than 30 minutes before 90% of us were asleep…had mouths hanging wide. This time when we woke up it was to board a boat for a river cruise along the Rhine River. I just had to buy the book to help me identify all the castles we were seeing along the banks. Some had been turned into hotels, some were still homes (imagine, living in a castle and others had been abandoned. Probably the most interesting one was the one that had been built right in the middle of the river! Shaped like some weird oval dome, the current just rushing by it’s front door. Today it is used as a base for the river patrol.

Between the castles were vineyards growing up the steep hills of the river bank and occasionally we saw a man walking through the rows up and down the steep hills checking his crops. I couldn’t help but think, he must have huge calves! Aside from the scenery, the most enjoyable part of the cruise was just sitting on the top deck, in the sun, next to Adam, with the wind blowing at us and just having a couple of moments to together…So, Germany was kind of our "Don't blink or you'll miss it" part of the tour...a shame to be sure...we will have to go back someday with some expert tour guides...maybe someone who has lived there????

We got into Heidelberg in the late afternoon. I think we had dinner with the group. There might have been time to explore on our own but I’m pretty sure we just went upstairs and crashed. Next stop…

Amster-"damned."

Driving into Amsterdam, I was instantly amazed by two things: the flowers and the bikes! Wow! They were everywhere! Flowers located in every window and all along the road, filling every median and planter as if it had rained seeds and they took root in every available spot. Rows of bicycles also lined the street and there were ramps designed specifically for bicycle parking, each filled with thousands of bikes. Once I got past this amazing spectacle, I noticed the house boats.

When I say house boats, you really have to shut your eyes and imagine the glory of living on a boat. These are NOT simply boats the people are living on. These boats have been permanently docked; they have gardens growing on the decks, grills and porch furniture, window boxes and the occasional balcony has been added to the side to expand outdoor seating. Through the windows you can see hanging pots and all the evidence of a permanent home. It took quite a bit of imagination to picture our family of six living in such tight quarters. I did imagine that it would have been a very charming way to spend a summer in college.

After cruising the river and taking in the scenery, we were met by our local guide. Now, when I travel, I like to take in the history and the culture of wherever I am. I want to see and do it all. I must say that the city of Amsterdam lost a bit of its charm when we entered what is known worldwide as the “red light district.” If you’ve lived 18 or more years, you’ve heard of this place. I think all young people are intrigued by the idea of a city where women, well, let’s say “advertise” themselves in small windows that line the street. They are scantily clothed, sitting in a room the size of a closet. We saw women talking on their phone, filing their nails, ironing and others were being overtly seductive.

These “closet windows” are scattered throughout the district which runs maybe 8-10 blocks. Also lining the streets are strip clubs, coffee shops, and koffee shops. Now, you may be thinking I have some issues with spelling, which, I do. However, let me explain…A Koffee shop actually serves coffee and a coffee shop is where you go when you need a new stash of weed. (This, along with prostitution, is legal)

Now, you can imagine we Americans wandering the streets with our mouths agape as our guide goes on and on about the attitude of acceptance throughout the city. Marijuana is legal and tobacco is not? Yes. Well, as a criminology major, I don’t have a huge problem with this. If you are going to smoke something, weed is less harmful overall to your body and people who use drugs will use them whether they are legal or not…but, I think that discussion is best left for another time.

As we continue through the district, our guide continues to point out the novelty shops, ie, condom shops, bong shops, to name few. She keeps reiterating the attitude of acceptance. I keep listening wondering where is God in all of this? She goes on and on about the health insurance for the “ladies” in the windows, the mandatory health checks every six months, the free supply of condoms and the tax breaks they get on the rent for their little windows or any clothing etc. they may purchase for their “job.” At the end of the tour, she asks us if we have any questions. Of course I do! So, I ask, “has there ever been any movement to change the lifestyle of Amsterdam.” Her answer went a little like this, “as I said, there is an attitude of tolerance here and if you don’t like it, you just take your little Bible, and your little dresses and you move your family out into the country and churn your butter there.” Well, I guess the attitude of tolerance only extends to the immoral. All other lifestyles or opposing viewpoints should get out because they will not be ‘tolerated!”

Our time in Amsterdam drew to a close at a local restaurant where I sampled the hodge podge and everyone else played it safe. How weird, I am usually the unadventurous eater! After a walk back to the hotel, I spent my time in the hotel reading the books in the bedside table (it wasn’t the Bible) trying to learn some real history on the city and relate it to the things I had seen that day. Needless to say when I left Amsterdam, I didn’t look back…next stop…

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Other Favorite pics from Amsterdam:

Is this a car?

Would you sit on this porch?

Bicycles, bikes, and oh yea, bicycles.

Mind the Gap.

Just seven long months after our 10th anniversary, Adam and I finally boarded the plane for London. We would fill 10 days with as much of Europe as we possibly could. Our trip begins in London where we daringly opted to find our own way to our hotel rather than pay for the transfer with the tour company. So, even though the signs were in English, duh, we still seemed to be directionally challenged in the subway. But we did find our way onto the correct train and enjoyed the 30 minute ride...especially the little English accented voice that came on at every stop asking people to "mind the gap."

We got off the train about four blocks from our hotel and lugged our suitcases (well, we each had one and a backpack...after spending a month in Russia, this girl knows how to pack) a few more blocks to the hotel. We got checked in and immediately went down to the tour desk to sign up for our excursions and find out which show we could see that night. To our disappointment, they had no show tickets but the hotel concierge directed to a street vendor in Piccadilly Circus. Without further delay, we set out, found the bus station, got our tickets and a map and were on our own quest for discovery before lunch, London time.

I'm not sure what I expected when we came upon the Circus but a mad rush of cars and pedestrians was certainly not what I had in mind. When we got off the bus, I began my visual search for the street vendor that would satisfy my desire for tickets to a show in a London theater. When we found him, there were several locals milling about who actually knew what they were doing...so, I stood back and watched them for a moment, all the while listening to the options. Of course when he offered me seats to this and that, I couldn't decide and I didn't want to make a mistake...He was really pushing seats to Sister Act which I really had no desire to see. So, Adam and I finally decided to buy tickets to We Will Rock You, a musical comedy composed of all Queen music and partially directed by one of the former band members. Tickets in hand, we had time to explore and so we did.

We wandered about and ate dinner at a sidewalk cafe, got off the bus a little too late but still made it in time for the show, which, I absolutely LOVED!!!!! And, I think Adam would have loved it too had he been able to stay awake! But alas, jet lag had grabbed hold of him and would not let go. After the show, we were exhausted and ready for some much needed sleep. BUT, our bus somehow ended up on another road??? Or, maybe we read the route wrong but the long and short of it is we walked for about 2 hours before we were so exhausted and frustrated that we hailed a cab to return us to our hotel for what would now amount to about 4 hours of sleep before we had to be up for breakfast and our morning excursion...Day one...whew!

On Day two, we started with the city tour, which I love to do anytime I go somewhere new. It allows an overview of the place so you can really see where you want to spend more time and what you can skip. Our tour guide was awesome! She was very knowledgeable and spoke on all the history of a place before we got there. I noticed that as we walked past St. James Palace, although she mentioned Anne Boleyn, she didn't really go into the history which having just been in several books and movies is so fascinating...but apparently not so to the Brits. I enjoyed seeing the palace that I have seen in so many movies now. It seems they no longer have guards standing by as the war in the middle east has taken all of their reserves and they can no longer afford to have guards for such menial tasks. However, in the fall one of the queen's grand daughter's will come to London for University and she will stay at St. James thereby forcing the British guard to stand duty...to use her words, "what a waste."

After passing the palace, we walked down to Buckingham Palace and were placed, by our guide, in the perfect spot to watch the changing of the Guard and get a glimpse of the palace before walking along the Princess Diana Memorial walk toward Big Ben, the Parliament and West Minster Abby. These are three places that WHEN, not if, I go back to London, I will be making a B-line to. Because of time constraints and being part of a guided tour, these were all places we got to see from the outside and did not get to venture into. Also, the Tower, which used to be a prison and now holds the crown jewels is on the top of my list. Because we had to choose our excursions, we opted for the afternoon tour of Windsor Castle leaving these places for our next trip.

Before heading out to the castle, we stopped by St. Paul's Cathedral where Lady Di married the Prince. There is a big long bout of history surrounding this church and a church has been on this ground since 604AD. Most interesting, I think is that the saying, "robbing Peter to Pay Paul comes from the history of this cathedral. In the early 1600's the cathedral as it stood was almost completely destroyed by fire. In the following years, the British government confiscated tithes from the church across town, St. Peter's, to pay for a new St. Paul's...thus, robbing Peter to pay Paul...how very interesting, or not. I found the American Chapel, a small room at the back of the sanctuary that pays tribute to fallen American soldiers very moving and the whispering gallery fascinating. You can stand on one side of the massive dome, (which, BTW weighs more than 65,000 tons) whisper facing the wall and be heard clear across as if you were standing right next to the person you are talking to. I believe Adam found the poop on the statue of Queen Anne most interesting...aahh, as long as we are both having fun.

So now we are off to Windsor Castle. Along the way, we see, the highway...how glamorous but as we get closer, we enter the limits of the cutest little town , Windsor, I have ever seen! We get out of our bus and we walk about 1/2 a mile through shops and little homes to the tourist entrance of the castle. Before we go in, we are treated to views of Eaton, and the gardens which made me think first of Meagen, because she too loves trashy romance novels and what historical hero did not attend Eaton in his youth? And then I thought of my grandmother because she loves gardens. Walking through the castle was amazing. It was my first castle and so probably the most impressive as it is the largest inhabited castle in the world. Of course we were not permitted to see the wings that the royal family actually uses but to think that someone at some point in history actually built a home that large as a monument to themselves was awe inspiring.

My favorite part of the castle was not the the castle at all but St. George's Chapel. I mean the grandeur of the Castle was amazing and the history of it interesting but this small chapel located just a few feet from the castle is the queen's favorite place to attend church and to see it not be something grand like Westminster or St. Paul's was nice. It is the site of more than 16 royal weddings since 1863 and the final resting place of more than 32 royals including Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I with her husband George VI and their daughter, Margaret. It also believed to be the future resting place for Elizabeth II. Anyway, It just seemed so much more personal than anything else we toured and I guess that is why I found it the most interesting.

Moving On, We took an evening boat tour on the Thames. We passed under the London Bridge which, was NOT falling down because they finally figured out how to build a bridge there in the 1960's, passed by the traitor gates of the Tower and the Tower bridge, the London eye. We also got the waterside view of Big Ben and the Parliament...that's right kids. It was beautiful and wonderful and we were tired and ready for bed. But, we had to report for dinner, so we did and then we hit the pillows to rest up for the next day which would be filled with travel and new adventures!

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Other favorite Pics from London:

A classic must take tourist pic.












Everything is Europe is "Toilet." I prefer the term "restroom."









All that is left of Whitehall Palace, built during the reign of Henry VIII and destroyed by fire in 1619.








Posted in the gardens of St. Paul's Cathedral. I think is more about the poo on Anne's face. But still, I think it nice that they request rather than demand.







The tower bridge at twilight. No vampire's but still beautiful.









Adam outside the Tower.