European Adventure - Florence, Italy

Sunday, May 19th

Train (Frecciarossa high speed) to Florence was a short 2 blocks from our hotel. Wonderful ride and service and service. Getting on was the hard part, since they only decide which platform it's on 15 minutes before boarding. You have to muscle your suitcase down the narrow aisle and up into a storage bin, too (thank God for the father next to us who interrupted his family outing to help me hoist our suitcases up and down).    

Walk to Soggiorno Battistero (hotel right on Piazza di San Giovanni) from train station. Piazza contains amazing white marble cathedral and "baptistery" buildings. It is next to the Piazza del Duomo, the "center of Florence" and makes most attractions within walking distance.  Our hotel was undergoing construction so we had scaffolding to peer through - old school construction - very interesting - oh and noisy! 

Michelangelo's "David" Skip-the-Line Guided Tour  was much more than a single sculpture. Our guide, Brenda (American expat from Denver) gave us so much of the flavor of the Renaissance and and the sublime talents like Michelangelo who made it happen. Gazing at this flesh-and-blood person, frozen in marble, is amazing enough, but knowing who and how and why makes it an indelible memory.

 Joe

European Adventure - Rome, Italy - The Vatican

Saturday, May 18th

Vatican tour with certified guide Davide (Grayline Tours). This guy was a real Vatican scholar who combined Roman, art and religious knowledge with biting commentary on “losers” who were not part of his tour group. Not only did we go to the head of the line, we got the inside knowledge that only Davide could provide.  Sistine Chapel was amazing - no pix allowed .  The Pieta is beautiful  and very secure.  Just a delightful experience...Expanded our use of coffee, snack, markets and gelato shops.  Explored the neighborhood around the hotel (parks, piazzas, railroad station, etc.) 

The Vatican is very, very crowded. You must make advance arrangements and still - it is crowded. This is a major tourist attraction and everyone wants to visit - it is worth it - totally worth it!!

Joe

European Adventure - Rome, Italy

Friday, May 17th

The Serena Hotel was my first European Hotel and is a real Italian workingman's hotel with each room made up from closets, hallways, etc.  into small, awkward spaces just large enough for the beds, a dresser and bath.   Breakfast (included) was great (cold cuts are unexpected, but good) and the desk clerk was perfect! 

Hop-on Hop-off tour bus around Rome.  Went crazy taking pictures from top of the bus (crooked alleys were my favorite).  Great way to see all of the amazing sights in Rome without the crowds and threat of pick pockets.   Walked to Trevi Fountain and made wishes flipping coins over our shoulders.   Lunch at tiny Pizza cafe (cash only, had to spend Euros for the first time).  Dinner at small cafe in winding side street (ragu spaghetti was delicious).

Joe

European Adventure (cont)

Tuesday, May 14th -

Train to Portland Airport. Tri-Met MAX goes from our complex right to the airport.

                         Plane from Portland to Burbank (PDX to BUR). Flight was uneventful, though I got a                          bad sunburn in flight. 

                         Car to hotel in Burbank and dinner with family at Portos and our last sleep for awhile                           Courtyard Marriot - most expensive hotel on the entire trip??

Wednesday, May 15th -

Limousine to Los Angeles Airport (Pam's buddy).

                           Plane from Los Angeles to London Heathrow (LAX to LHR). Flight was 10.5 hours

and it was the next day when we go there (May 16th)                      

Thursday, May 16th -

Layover 5 hours in London Heathrow Airport

                           Plane from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino Airport

Shuttle to Serena Hotel.

Joe

The Excellent European Adventure

On top of our first year of official retirement (Gabi and Joe), and the relocation to Oregon-Gabi and Pam have been planning a celebration vacation to Italy and France. Both of them had been to Europe several times, but I had never been (and never expected to go). They started floating the idea last year, after the move, which I thought was plenty for the first year. They asked what countries I would most like to visit and what things I most wanted to see. The choices were limited, due to our newly fixed income, so a grand tour was not on the table. I thought Italy and, possibly France, would give us the most Europe for our 3-week time frame.

No more was said on the subject for a couple of months. Then I received a polished itinerary with dates, flights, cars, hotels, activities all booked and mostly prepaid. Travel is something you can put off, but the planning and booking is done immediately. That's the way Pam and Gabi do it, and the money saved is staggering. Everything on the itinerary happened as planned and I'm looking over thousands of pictures and can't believe we did all this in 3 weeks! You can take my word for it and bail out here or read on and relive it with me.  *

Joe

* Notes:  Prices and availability change constantly so we couldn't do exactly the same trip again.

                  Put on sunscreen each day. You may be inside planes & cars and still get burned.

                  Luggage  - suitcases for baggage checking (hotel stuff; lowest problem if lost)

                                     - duffel bags for carry-on overhead (must have rx, toiletries, chargers, etc.)

                                     - lightweight backpack day bag carry-on under front seat (snacks, books, etc.)

                  Eateries   - little coffee, pizza, and gelato shops are everywhere

                                        -  Eating out is a daily thing, not just for special occasions. 

                  Pictures    - I take pictures everywhere with my iPhone-mostly reminders

VISITORS FROM HOME - SO MUCH FUN!!!

This past week Pam's son Bryan, his wife Angela and their kids Jordy (13), Anna (4), Myles (2) and Jacob (1) came to visit and we really had a GREAT time entertaining them and showing them around Portland!!  She got them an extended stay hotel  so each day after a swim and dinner we got an opportunity to SLEEP, clean up and prepare for the next day!

Pam rode out on the train to meet them at the airport and to drop them back off on day 5 and it worked out perfectly.  The kids LOVED the train and of course Grammy Pammy and Mom had plenty of snacks to keep everyone fed and hydrated. 

We drove out to Multnomah Falls and stopped at the Vista View overlooking the Columbia on the way back.  The kids LOVED the drive spotting bridges, rivers, trains, trucks, building equipment, road work and the hour went by very quickly.

The next day we spent at the Portland Zoo and there were many favorites among the animals and although we brought lunch the elephant ear desert was a huge hit!!!  The elephants were taking a swim and being fed vegetable treats as a trainer told us about then.  The porcupines (yep the ones from UTube) were very alert as their trainer gave a talk and let us pass around a quill - it was much longer than we expected!  We also took a ride on the zoo train and Myles as the guest conductor shouted "All aboard" over the microphone.  He was beaming!!!

One day we visited the Westmoreland Nature Playground which was amazing.  There were no swings or jungle gyms but instead they used piles of rock with ropes and huge logs and sand and water - everything from nature for climbing and enjoying the outdoors.  It was a hot day and simply perfect.  Grammy had the best bubbles and soon all the kids in the park joined in the fun.  On the way home we stopped for lunch at the Beaverton Food Trucks where everyone could choose what they wanted to eat - sushi , tacos and nachos and pork bowls were the big winners!

Everyone had an amazing time - they are home now and we miss them already!!!  Let's plan the next visit very soon!!

Aunt Gabi

Tillamook Air Museum

We went to the Tualatin Wildlife Refuge on Monday, Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival on Wednesday and wound up the week at the Tillamook Air Museum on Thursday. This is how we break out of our winter lethargy. The freezing cold and dark, cloudy skies are broken up by sparkling sunny days and t-shirt temperatures so it's time to commune with our new state, Oregon. We've seen a lot of scenery, but now it's time to experience the people, places and things. Gabi has covered the refuge, tulips and, briefly, the air museum, so I will flesh out the latter because..... I'm retired and I want to.

 Tillamook Air Museum grew out of the Tillamook Naval Air Station which housed a fleet of blimps during World War II.  Two monstrous hangars were constructed (OUT OF WOOD) in 1943 and a fleet of 252 foot blimps (K-Class Airships) patrolled the Oregon-Washington coast for 3 days at a time, looking for enemy ships and submarines. The obstacles to cutting, transporting and milling of the mountains of trees needed for two 1,072' long by 296' wide by 192' high hangars were astonishing the threat of being invaded was very real until late in the war. As a side note, my parents lived in Honolulu and were expecting the city to be occupied after Pearl Harbor. Nobody knew we were going to win at first!

Anyhoo, we DID win the war, and some very considerate people saved the materials, documents, photos and movies of NAS Tillamook and set up a very impressive museum in 1992 in Hangar B. With planes, engines, vehicles, artillery and wonderful exhibits, visitors can see and feel what a dwindling number of veterans saw at the time.

Next month, we leave for Italy and France and we will be on the Normandy Beaches, in June, for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. This museum visit will be a fitting warm-up to celebrating what I think is the most important event of my lifetime. More in June...

Joe   

TILLAMOOK AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

I have to admit - Air and Space Museum?  but it was really interesting and of course we had a great time!  The museum is housed in a blimp hangar built in the 40s - during the war - and they have a great little film detailing the building and importance of this facility to the security of our country.  There are a number of planes, exhibits and memorabilia for you to self tour and an amazing and very friendly staff to assist!

The museum is in need of volunteers and financing and it seems a shame for  something that played such an important role to be wanting for much needed support.

Cost under $10.00 per person for seniors and/or military - totally worth it.

We drove out to Tillamook (about an hour) and then south for a couple of miles to the museum.  Afterward we took a drive out to the Tillamook Bay and stopped at a sea salt factory/store on the shore and bought some sea salt, salt water taffy and local honey.  It was rainy and cold but a very beautiful drive.  We ended up eating at the Tillamook Cheese Factory again because - well - the food is just great!

The rain followed us home - getting harder and harder until we weren't sure if it was hail or wind driven rain.  LOVELY DAY!

Gabi

TIPTOE THROUGH WOODBURN

We had the BEST day - driving down to Woodburn (about an hour) and visiting the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.  This is a working farm that holds an annual festival featuring tulips, tulips and more tulips!  There is also food, games and entertainment - even a guy carving shoes out of - yes, wood!

We had the best time and took a million pictures.  We will definitely go again next year and maybe stay for the tractor spark show - can you imagine?

It is important to go early as the little lane that leads to the farm backs up with traffic and can take an hour or more to navigate.  We choose a bright sunny morning and while there was plenty of left over mud - it was easy to avoid!

It is $5.00 per person for the day or $20 per carload but there are MANY opportunities to spend more!

Gabi

TUALATIN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Another sunny morning so off we drove (10 miles) to the Tualatin River National Refuge for a brisk and lovely walk.

The refuge is closed on Mondays but parking and restrooms (when!) are open and many people were out birding and walking - everyone friendly and happy to be outside!

The trail was excellent and weaves through orchards, meadows and along the Tualatin River and feeder creeks and ponds left over from the many rain storms.  You could ALWAYS hear geese honking and woodpeckers pecking and many other birds doing what they do - really delightful place for a walk.  We will go back when the Visitor Center is open to check it out!

Oh, and on the way back we stopped at Starbucks for Blueberry muffins and hot moca drinks to replace any lost calories from our morning exercise!

Gabi

  

SEASONS FROM THE BALCONY

We have been here almost a year and have experienced the seasons - finally - after growing up in California and Hawaii where the weather is always great but always pretty much the same!!!

We arrived in July with GREEN everywhere - trees and bushes loaded with lovely green leaves providing much needed shade for the heat of summer.

Fall started slowly with a hint of yellow here and there until finally the explosive reds and oranges turned to brown and littered the streets and sidewalks.  We have laws requiring folks to collect and dispose of their leaves for the safely and comfort of all!

Winter was slow to arrive but by the time it did - everything = trees, bushes, lawns, forests went into hibernation, appearing dead and lifeless and sometimes covered with ice or snow.

Now it is spring time and all those dead looking trees are covered with buds, blossoms or new bright tiny green leaves.  It is getting warmer but still raining quite a bit to provide exactly what is needed for the new growth everywhere.

It will soon be summer and so it goes......

Gabi

WELCOME HOME!?

Last week we took advantage of a clear and somewhat sunny morning to visit the Pittcock Mansion and it was dazzling.  The mansion was built by Henry and Georgiana Pittcock who helped transform Portland from a small 'stumptown' into a bustling modern city.  The Pittcocks traveled to Oregon via the Oregon Trail on wagon trains in the 1850s.  Henry built his fortune in the newspaper business and Georgina raised their family and funds for local charities.  Every know advance in home building and technology was incorporated in the lovely home and coach house built overlooking the Willamette River and the Portland skyline.  The vistas, grounds and buildings are gorgeous and self-tour includes a lot of interesting facts about the family and the history of Portland.  We really enjoyed our visit. 

Entry fee for seniors with AAA $9.00 per person and while you can take the train and then a bus - we drove keeping in mind they only have 60 parking spaces!

Gabi

HOYT ARBORETUM - NICE!

This morning we took the train to Washington Park - took the elevator up to ground level and walked 1/2 mile to the Hoyt Arboretum to take a hike!!!

The Arboretum is open every day of the year and delivers a different experience every time!  It was founded in 1928, includes 12 miles of hiking trails and houses 2,300 species of trees and shrubs from six continents.  It is really beautiful and from the overlook trail you can see Mt. St. Helens with Mt. Rainier just behind her.    Admission is free!

Our phones say we walked about 6500 steps and the signage is really great so you always know where you are and how far it is back to the train or the Zoo or other landmarks.  We will be coming back to the Arboretum frequently to check on the seasonal changes of the trees and shrubs and - to get some needed - lol - exercise!

Gabi

TIME TO GET BACK OUTSIDE!!!

Warm weather is here, spring is in the air and we have a lot to see and do.  Buckle up!!!

We jumped on the train and traveled downtown and walked a block over to the Willamette River that runs through Portland.  Today we walked south and explored the river front and its many shops, restaurants, inns and bridges (so many bridges) and parks.  It was the perfect day for a long walk - 70 degrees and sunny - quite nice from the winter weather that keep up inside for the last couple of months. 

We watched dragon boat races, saw a Rose Committee ceremony of some sort, and vendors making ribbon roses and drawings of the area to tempt the tourists.  We sat for hot drinks and cookies (of course) and people watched bikers and runners, old folks and lots of kids and just soaked up the sun.

Finally, we retraced our route back to Beaverton and had lunch at the Food Cartel food trucks next door to our 24 hour Gym.  Pam chose the best thing - a shredded bar-b-q pork bowl - to die for!!!

Great day - we spent $2.50 each for the train plus coffee and lunch so it was also very economical!

Gabi

SPRING 2019

Even though Winter is reluctant to make it’s final showing - just yet - SPRING IS DEFINITELY HERE and making progress. Temperatures are warmer - snow seems to be gone but icy mornings are still a thing. It has been raining - but for hours not days at a time. The trees are bursting with new lift and bulbs are pushing up and exploding with their gorgeous, fragrant blossoms. It just gets better every day!!!

Gabi

LORI'S VISIT - MARCH MADNESS

DAY FOUR - We drove out to Tillamook and then up the coast to Astoria and across the bridge to Washington.  We made numerous stops along the beautiful shoreline to take tons of pictures.  Cape Disappointment - never is- and we love that the beach is Waikiki Beach!!!  Lori fell in love with the little town of Chinook and all the cranberry bogs along the way.  We came back to Astoria for clam chowder at Mos and watched the tankers lining up in the deep channel of the Columbia.  Finally we made a stop at Camp 13 to check out the logging camp and BigFoot crap - LOL  Very long day - but so much fun!!

Gabi

LORI'S VISIT - MARCH MADNESS

DAY TWO - We drove out to Multnomah Falls for the breathtaking experience and a delicious breakfast!  The dining room is glass - even the ceiling so you can watch the falls as you eat - so beautiful - really no words!  On the way back we drove up to Vista House which is just a couple of miles up a winding trail/road but so worth it.  The view of the magnificent Columbia River is the best there is- period!  The guys at the desk inside were a kick - they know literally everything about anything that has and probably will ever happen at Crown Point but it's hard to get away if you are in a hurry to use the bathroom!  LOL

Gabi

LORI'S VISIT OR MARCH MADNESS

Our daughter Lori has been recovering from a horrible fall that has included many surgeries and a shut- down of her life, as she knew it, for the past two years!  Finally she was able to make the trip up to Oregon for a visit.  We spent 5 days hugging and laughing and eating and seeing some of the amazing sights in and around Beaverton, Oregon.

She wanted to see the Rose Garden more than anything and it supposedly opens April first - not a flower or a leaf except for the bulbs blooming out in the parking lot -so we will do that next visit!!

DAY ONE - We took the train to Washington Park and then the bus to the Rose Garden- nope - and then circled back down to the zoo to see the U Tube made famous porcupines, Nolina and Sharpie.  Sharpie was in his warm hut recovering from tooth surgery and Nolina was pacing back and forth waiting for her trainer to bring lunch!  So cute - they are taken for a walk around the zoo every morning to greet the other animals. Nice day!

Gabi

INDOOR WINTER TREKS - THE PORTLAND ART MUSEUM

So we bundled up, walked over to the train station and traveled downtown to the Library stop, walked two blocks and (after asking a nice couple for confirmation) arrived at the Portland Art Museum. 

The museum was founded in 1892 making it the oldest art museum on the West Coast and 7th oldest in the entire country.  The museum is housed in several buildings, signage is limited and some parts are closed on less busy days but we managed - due to a very friendly staff to get our bearings.  There are more than 42,000 works of art in house covering a wide range of genres.

We were told it takes 'all day' to visit the museum but we had a great time and saw a LOT in about 2-3 hours.  Admission is $20 or $17 for honored citizens-62 years +.  I was reminded we have moved north and it is winter when the first thing we did was check our coats (and hats and scarves and gloves)!

The French Impressionists were definitely our favorite, the modern art was interesting and after we had a break, sitting in the sunshine outside in the sculpture garden.

Take a quick tour of some of the highlights:

Gabi