Tuesday, January 29, 2008

SOAP BOX

Today I have to climb up on my soap box and say a few words about a place that we all visit at one time or another...
The public restroom.
I know that it isn't our favorite spot to go to when out and about, but there are times when we all have to stop in for a visit.
Today I had to stop in for a moment. It happened to be a unisex restroom at the doctor's office.
When I softly knocked to see if it was occupied. The voice of a man answered that it was occupied. I patiently waited and soon the room was vacated. The man leaving even politely held the door for me as I thanked him.
When I approached the "throne", he had left the seat up and had not bothered to care that there was a "little leftover" waiting for the next person to either ignore or wipe up!!!
This URRKS me beyond belief !!!
Why do I want to touch the seat to put it down and wipe the porcelain??? Why would anyone for that matter??
This is a pet peeve at my home, when someone uses the facilities and sees that the lid is covering the "Throne" and then they use it and leave the lid up!
My toilet is fairly clean to the naked eye, BUT I just don't think that it is polite to leave the lid up.
I guess that the custom of lowering the seat and the lid at my home came about as children were brought into our family and for their safety the lid was positioned down.

As if there are that many male visitors to my Blog, both women and men, please be courteous and lower the lid !!!

Now I will climb down off the box.

Monday, January 14, 2008

AHHhhh... AND ON TO BELLA VENEZIA






I think that everyone should travel to Venice at least once in their lifetime. It is an adult Disneyland.

There is so much to see and take in that you must stop and breathe in the ambiance!

The colors of the buildings and the design of the architecture, the little bridges over the canals that are everywhere. Look down and you might catch a gondola quietly gliding by. The maze like walkways that seem to bring you to a dead end,but turn the corner and you keep on going.
These are what set Venice apart from any other place out there!

Venice is completely a pedestrian city, and if you want to get somewhere other than by foot there are the vaporetti, which are a ferry-like boats that deliver you to stops along the Grande Canal, other wise take a walk with me through the ancient walkways and try to get lost!

There is so much to see and explore. There is no way to get yourself lost as there are signs pointing to certain important landmarks. It is impossible to use a map and find yourself, so fold the map up and save it for reference when you have time to study it in your room. Once you've arrived at one of the landmarks, you are easily back on line.

When we arrive at our hotel we unload and out the door we go looking for that adventure!
I can't tell you how many hours and miles we have walked around bella Venezia.

We have found a wonderful place to stay about a 5 minute walk to the most wonderful landmark for Venice, The Piazza San Marco, or Saint Mark's Square, the gathering place of all tourists, and a must see.
We like to go there and watch the people and listen to the classical orchestra playing to entertain their customers of the ritzy restaurants,that spill their tables and chairs out into the square as if they owned the place. You are tempted to sit and order, but there is a heavy price that goes with the sitting and enjoying, so we opt to stand and pretend that we are being played for, a couple dancing the waltz in the piazza as if they were the only couple around, enjoy the music, we join them.

Burano is a sleepy little island found in the Venice Lagoon, one of our favorites. Famous for lace making for centuries.
Lemon yellow, red, grass green, tangerine, purple!! Not colors of Crayons, but colors of houses on this island.A bit bright but wonderful for Burano!~ Let's see, which color do I want my house to be?

Our little trip has taken us 26 days. We have enjoyed visiting new places and places we have returned to;to have yet another look. It feels like we are home at those places revisited.

We have thrown kisses to the moon to our grand son and grand daughter, to let them know that even though we are not there to give them a hug, we are there in spirit, always loving them.
And as I write these last few sentences to close this chapter of our 2007 Holiday, I find myself longing to pick up my passport and board an airplane to another distant destination.

I guess it's in my blood!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

PULA and ROVINJ, CROATIA



TO PULA AND BEYOND !

The all night bus trip to Pula was OK. Yes you read right! Overnight!
We boarded at 8:00 and it would have been just fine except for the passenger across the isle from us had a horrendous cough that erupted every few minutes. This guy was really sick, and we had sympathy for him, but, why on OUR bus? This is the time for AIRBORNE and I thought that I had one up on him except, the Airborne was down underneath in the hold, in my suitcase, not in my trusty backpack!
He coughed all night! All we could think of was a foreign illness we didn't have immunity to and it hitting one or both of us, and then it would be us hacking and coughing on the airplane back to the States!
Fortunately neither one of us came down with anything remotely resembling this monster,thank God!
We opted for the all night bus because we were strapped for time and the train system is lacking in Croatia to all the sites one might want to put on their itinerary.Thus, we hopped on the bus Gus and tried to sleep the night away.
We arrived in Pula , which is North along the coast, at about 7:30 am. I had read that there is a Colosseum in that city along with Roman ruins,so off we went to find it. It happened to be just a few blocks from the bus station so it was within an easy walk.
It is amazing that there are so many amphitheatres in this area,naturally because of the Roman domination. We have viewed four now in our travels. El Djem, Tunisia; Rome and Verona, Italy and Pula,Croatia.
After a few hours walk through the city, we embarked on a short bus ride to beautiful Rovinj, pronounced, Roveen.
Rovinj has a Venetian feel to it and it carries the same colors that the Venetians are so famous for painting their buildings. It is placed upon the Adriatic as to create the picture postcard you are dreaming of. At the top of the hill for everyone to view is a tall Venetian spire or bell tower which provides an astoundingly beautiful atmosphere. We felt like we were in Venice, sans the canals!
We did not have reservations, and in the tour book were well assured that there would be no
problem finding a place. We asked at the bus station and we had a place for $50.00 per night.
Along the wharf or harbour, there were tourist tour boats and trinket shops on boat where the tiny shelled necklaces tinkled as the water lapped on to the walk. I especially liked this sound even though the boats were tacky.I liked to see the innovative way the shop keepers had transferred the shop to boat.
On the other side of the town was a fruit and vegetable opened air market, alongside the water and also many tour inspired trinkets of shell and coral jewelry stands.

Sitting along the harbor we made many friends by chatting with them as we gazed out at the moored sailboats,and the village rising to the bell tower.
I had to pinch myself to see if this was real or I was dreaming!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Look who's standing up !

I heard her say,"I LOVE YOU ! "

The other night, my daughter and I were having a conversation on the phone with the kids gathered around her. She was holding T and E was right by her side. Sort of a conference call.
E told T " I love you." and immediately, in her baby gibberish I heard her say it back!!!
We were in the middle of talking to each other, so we might have even missed it except that she was right by the receiver. One can never get them to preform the task "once more", so we take it for what it is.
Nana and I met yesterday for coffee and to catch up and compare notes. She has also heard T say a few words including " I love you." We just have to have our ears tuned in to hear these precious moments.

Monday, January 07, 2008

All Of God's Glory !

I am a fan of sunsets.
Rainbows don't do it for me. Give me a beautiful sunset!
I have to say that tonight's sunset is the BEST one that I have seen ever!
It literally took my breath away!! I had to get to the highest view point to see it all.
I was out and about and happened to look to the west in the parking lot where I was at, to see a partial view of the sky in its splendor! The unfortunate thing is that I did not have my camera with me!!!
(Note to self: Take camera with you where ever you go!)

When loved ones have passed away I look to the sunset and cloud formations in the sky thinking of them and that they have orchestrated the beauty for me to remember them by. Tonight they painted the prettiest sunset imaginable!

Still ,when I arrived home the clouds were a dusky clay color in the early night sky, kind of like the clouds Maxfield Parrish would paint at dusk.

I'm thinking of you, Mom, Jeannie,Zelma and Nancy,Joann,and Pat!
Thanks for revealing God's Glory!

A Fairwell to Komiza

I am sitting in the small square at the speed Cafe with my cappuccino,along with the locals.
There is one other woman in the mix, the rest the local men planning out their day and catching up on yesterday's news. The music drifts into the square, the conversation is lively and little Da-vi'd is scrambling around with his backpack waiting to be escorted to school just up the cobblestone lane a few feet away from the town's center.
Tonko's brother has just passed by with a ball cap on his head.

We are facing an ancient building that has stood protection over this square hundreds of years. You can tell by its elaborate stone balcony,and the Madonna and Child carved and placed in a nitch overlooking this square. She has looked out over the harbor and provided comfort to those who pass by her on their way to work or to market.
The same people meet daily and gather to discuss the news of the day and what plans will be carried out. The clock in the tower strikes and chimes. Time to be on our way.
This is a place we will want to return to again someday.

We have moved to the waterfront by the bakery for yet another cappuccino. This place provides a view of the boats that are moored. Their gentile rocking gives a relaxed feel for the beginning of the day. The local men walk and inspect the waterfront with their arms wrapped behind their backs hands clasped together,surveying the land and sea. The moon still arise looking down and smiling upon us. We will return ... Someday....

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

"All Done"


Tegan and Ethan came over for a visit so their Mommy and Daddy could go out for dinner.
Tegan ate her dinner and when I asked if she was"all done," she replied,"all done".
I could not for the life of me get her to repeat it, but this wasn't the first time I have heard her say this! She will be 10 months on the 9th of this month.

A Beautiful Sunset for 2008 ! Happy New Year!