Pisa, Italy

Is there anyone on this planet who has not heard of the leaning tower of Pisa? Given the choice between spending our port day in Florence or taking a trip to see the famous bell tower, we chose the tower. After all, Florence will probably still be there years from now. Who knows if the tower will suddenly fall over?

The day was a bit overcast and gray but in a way that was good. The plaza where the cathedral and tower are located are done in a lot of white marble that has recently been cleaned and I can only imagine how blindingly bright it would have been if the sun were bouncing off of it.

Pisa’s tower was built to house the bells for the cathedral. The ground beneath the tower and surrounding buildings is made of mushy clay. The cathedral sags a bit but it is not as noticeable unless you sight down the wall and see the lines are not straight. The problem with the tower is that the base is so much smaller so that caused the tilt to worsen.

At one point it leaned about 13 feet but it was corrected a bit to about 10 feet. The leaning actually started before the tower was even finished. To compensate, the builders made a slight kink in the tower and if you look to one side of it, you can see a banana shape. People are allowed up in it for a fee as long as they don’t mind climbing all the steps.

The complex we were in had a cathedral, the bell tower, a baptistery, a hospital and a cemetery. As our guide put it, the area covered the hatch, match, patch and dispatch of life. The “hatch” was in the baptistery where in the early days of the church, baptism in the Catholic church was by immersion. The baptismal sat in the middle of a building with excellent acoustics. During a demonstration, a man hit several notes slowly and as they reverberated in the baptistery, the notes became a harmonious chord.

The “match” of life of course was in the weddings that took place in the cathedral. The cathedral was quite impressive inside. The pulpit was one of the most unusual pieces. It was designed by Giovanni Pisano in the early 14th century. Three women representing faith, hope and charity are the central support for the pulpit.

Continuing on, the “patch” is the hospital and the “dispatch” was the cemetery. Ah, once again we were stunned by the cleverness of a tour guide.

Crystal Cruise Line - The Crystal Symphony

A good part of the reason for this last trip/cruise was to try out a different cruise line than our usual choices. We elected to use Crystal Cruise Line this time and boarded the Crystal Symphony with enthusiasm for a new adventure. The Symphony is not a large ship by today’s cruise standards—just 50,000 tons and somewhere around a thousand passengers, but it is a little bit of heaven at sea.

The public areas are lovely and classy. The ship has recently been refurbished and one of the pools was done away with. In its place is a beautiful area of wicker sofas and chairs and tables conducive to light dining and/or visiting or relaxing near the Trident Grill which features all sorts of grilled sandwiches, pizza, and my favorite, sweet potato fries. At the other end is the Lido Buffet which is beautifully done with an easy to follow buffet line that is anything but boring.

There is a new large hot tub next to the only pool onboard and plenty of lounge chairs all covered with terrycloth and lots more wicker loungers with cushioned comfort. The pool is sufficient for the number of cruisers actually wanting to use it.

Other areas on the upper decks include a spa/salon, putting green, golf swing area, and a paddle tennis court. There is a complete promenade deck with four times around equaling a mile.

On the fifth and sixth decks, are the main dining areas including two specialty restaurants, one Italian and one Asian. There is also a Bistro which serves a late breakfast and a light lunch in addition to specialty coffees. A movie theater, a dance lounge, the main entertainment lounge, a well-stocked library, a computer lab, a large room with card tables for learning bridge and keyboards for learning to play piano, a boutique shopping area, and of course the reception area enhanced by the midship fountain which is quite elegant.

The staterooms are well-appointed. Lots of storage space. So much in fact, that I didn’t have enough to fill it all. The bathroom is done in granite and decorative tile and includes two glass-bowled sinks as well as a mini-bathtub. Note in the picture of the stateroom that the bags are already there as we arrive in our room just around 3 p.m. about an hour and a half after boarding the ship. I think that’s a record in our experience.

Food and service are exemplary no matter where you go on the ship. I have yet to see a short-tempered crew member or one without a smile beaming no matter what time of day. Several of the crew members are amazing at remembering names and/or the usual things you like—cream in your decaf, for instance.

On board activities are varied and cater to enrichment programs (including learning foreign languages—this trip is French) thus making it a very interesting mix of passengers as well. Bottom line is however, you get what you pay for and this cruise line is on the higher end of the scale for cost. I don’t know how many cruises we could afford to take if we used it exclusively but it sure is a nice way to reach some areas not covered by other lines and just give yourself a chance to be pampered.

Wordless Wednesday

Cinque Terre, Italy -- Porto Venere

Just to the south of Cinque Terre is Porto Venere. It is a large port town and resort area. On our last day exploring the region, we decided to purchase a ferry boat ticket that allowed us to board in Levanto and travel all the way down to Porto Venere with stops along the way in the five towns. It gave us a seaside view of the towns and only took about an hour and a half.

There are those who use the ferry which costs 25 Euros for the day as their means of transportation to the towns. I thought the train was a bit more practical and certainly less expensive. The ferry does not take you to Coniglia since it has no natural harbor and if the seas are a bit choppy, it will cancel stops in Manorola and Vernazza as well. You can see why if you look at the picture of riders “walking the plank” to get on and off. The gangway moves in and out and up and down with the ferry.

Along the way to Porto Venere, we passed a huge vein of what I believe is pink marble. This is near the area where much marble mining is done and in the Italian commentary that was given on the ferry, I heard a word that sounded like “mineral.” I could be wrong but blame my lack of knowledge of the Italian language beyond bon journo and grazie.

The boardwalk of Porto Venere was bustling and by the time we arrived, we were hungry. We picked one of the many sidewalk cafes and enjoyed a sandwich for lunch. Tomatoes were obviously in season and tasted sweet on a sandwich with cheese and lettuce.

After lunch, we roamed down the boardwalk to the church of San Pietra (Saint Peter) that overlooks the entrance to the harbor. It was built in the 13th century. From there we wandered along a few streets and back alley ways finding picturesque nooks and crannies.

We caught an afternoon ferry to Monterosso and explored that little town a bit more as well as enjoying a cappuccino before our return to Levanto by train. Another wonderful dinner at our favorite Levanto establishment, Le Palme, and a gelato to indulge in while watching the sunset concluded our last night in Levanto. Well, almost concluded it. The next day was a holiday (something like our 4th of July) and the night went on and on with waves of revelers marching down the street singing at the top of their voices. Morning came before we were ready to be up and about and on our way to Civitavechia to board our ship.

Sunday Worship Thought

Along the narrow path in one of the towns of Cinque Terre, we were able to see the base of a few homes built along the cliff’s edge. The solid rock cliff met with the base of the house and was secured with mortar. There was no digging into the earth. The base of the home sat on a rock-solid foundation.

Later in our trip, we visited Pisa and of course, the leaning bell tower. The foundations of the buildings here are somewhat precarious and the tower is not the only thing that leans. It is just much more dramatic because its base is not as large and therefore the weight is not distributed as evenly as other buildings. Sighting down the exterior wall of the cathedral there, you can see where a part of it also has sagged. The reason: a mushy clay base beneath it. Not necessarily a sandy foundation but one just as unstable.

Within a few days, we had two great examples of what it says in the Bible about a man who builds upon rock versus one who builds upon sand. The rock foundation stands through centuries. The other leans and threatens to collapse. While the less than solid based foundation may boost the tourist industry, it’s not a good philosophy for life.

Cinque Terre, Italy - Day Two

Our day two in Cinque Terre got off to a jumbled start. We took the local train to Monterosso the first town just south of Levanto. From there we had hoped to hike the path to Vernazza but upon arriving in Monterosso we found that the path between the two had been closed due to landslides some time back. “When will it be open,” Bob asked. The answer was “maybe tomorrow.” We discovered that “maybe tomorrow” had been the answer for a long time now.

We took a short stroll along the boardwalk while we waited for the next train. We looked at a map and debated the best direction to take for the path between Vernazza and Corniglia. It appeared that from Corniglia, which sits high on a cliff, to Vernazza might be more downhill so we ventured on to Corniglia to start our hike. Along the way, we met up with the Swiss couple from our Milan train ride. As he put it, “the trail has its ups and downs.” And then he smiled. I should have known. . .

It would not have mattered much whether we took the path from or to Vernazza. Each direction was equally challenging with narrow one-person pathways and steep climbs on uneven stone steps that were often worn smooth and looked slippery despite the dry weather. The estimated 1 ½ hour walk was a good two hours for us as I had to rest my knees and cool off on occasion. By the time we were done we were both spent and ready to settle down for a good rest.

We grabbed a couple of sandwiches from a local bakery and sat on the steps in front of a building and ate along with a crowd of others. It was enough to give us the strength to explore a bit of Vernazza before we decided to call it an afternoon. It looked much the same as the other towns with just a little different character. A few more cars on the outskirts indicated they were closer to a highway. So did the fact that there were tour groups from a Princess cruise ship wandering about.

The amazing thing about this area is the terraced farmland and vineyards. It is a wonder how anything got planted on the sides of the cliffs without it all washing away into the ocean. The buildings are literally built on and into the solid rock. One of the interpretive signs I saw stated that the area had been farmed terrace-style for over a thousand years.

The weather was perfect to this point and afforded us a spectacular sunset in the evening. My special couple (see previous post) sat on a park bench next to us and watched with us as the sun dipped below the mountainous horizon in the distance.

Knees screaming and legs complaining, we made our way back to the room and vowed no climbing for the next day.

Cinque Terre, Italy - Via dell'Amore

The path between Manarola and Riomaggiore is called the Via dell’Amore, the way or path of love. It is a short 20 minute easy walk between the two towns and is quite popular especially among those who want to ceremoniously “lock” their hearts together forever. Along the way wherever there is a chain fence, wire mesh holding back the stones from falling, or just a metal fence there are hundreds of locks hanging.

Some of the locks have names etched into them. Others just have a fancy design. Still others came from the local hardware store. The meaning is clear. Lock your love in place and throw the key away (or as was explained in the gift shop that sold them, each can take a key). Whatever symbolism you may want to attach to it is yours to interpret. The surprising thing we learned however is that it is a world wide practice among young people that is spreading.

The locked hearts idea apparently started in China and has spread to many other areas of the world. It became more popular in Italy when Federico Moccia wrote two novels that contained a romantic ritual involving the padlocks.

While it was all quite intriguing, I couldn’t help but smile at the one who left a combination lock. There’s a hidden meaning there, I’m sure.

The end of the Via dell’Amore for us was Riomaggiore. The southern most town of the five in the Cinque Terre. We spent some time wandering the streets and soaking up the atmosphere of old Italy. This is a town that could have inspired many an artist’s brush. Muted, weathered-colored walls broken by shuttered windows and old wooden doors at the top of narrow stone steps. Of course it was all softened by fresh laundry hung from windows and gently drying in a slight ocean breeze. Picture perfect.

That evening, perhaps because of our walk on the Via dell'Amore, I saw this wonderful couple out for an evening stroll and waiting for the sunset. It seemed a fitting end to a lovely day.

Ah, romance is ageless.

Wordless Wednesday

Cinque Terre, Italy - Day One

Cinque Terre is along the west coast of Italy just south of Genova and north of Pisa. T

he name Cinque Terre means five villages and the area includes the towns of Monterossa, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. These historic towns are nestled into the cliffs and seaside in dramatic fashion.

Our first day of exploration started in Corniglia, the middle town. We decided to start in the middle and perhaps avoid some of the weekend crowds that might start at one end or the other instead. Arriving by the local train (we purchased a two day pass for the paths and the train) we started out by following the hardy creatures that were sporting Nordic walking sticks and realized that they were headed for a huge set of steps to take them up to the town. We turned around to seek out a better approach that would leave our knees intact.

As we read the sign back at the station, it gave us the information we needed. To avoid the 365 steps (one for each day of the year), we could take the ecologically fueled park bus to the top for “free” if we had the park tickets. We did and in a few minutes when the bus arrived, we smiled all the way to the top and past the sign that welcomed the climbers with “Congratulations! You made it!”

Corniglia is the smallest of the towns and does not have a lot to see but is a delight to wander about. Weathered buildings are adorned with shuttered windows from which hangs the day’s wash. Flowers are everywhere—flower boxes, pots, cracks in the pavement. The town sits high on a cliff and overlooks the ocean.

From Coniglia, we set out south in the direction of Manarola along the park path that we had paid to travel. At the start of the path outside each town is a small booth where an attendant checks your tickets. There are other paths that are free but the park paths stayed along the coastline. We prided ourselves on having chosen well as it seemed that the path was mostly downhill in the direction we were headed. It was an interesting walk with some great views and lots of beautiful flowers.

Manarola was a bustling town by the time we arrived forty-five minutes later. We found a small pizzeria and ordered a pizza and water. The pizza was delicious topped with proscuitto, mozzarella and mushrooms. Cappuccinos followed. No one makes cappuccino like the Italians!

Hunger satisfied and refreshed by a little rest, we wandered about a bit and then found the path to Riomaggiore. This path is name Via Dell’Amore—but more about that later.

Ah Italia! - Ocean View

A delayed arrival in Milan due to a delay at JFK in New York started the Italian segment of our latest travel adventure. Thankfully a good tail wind helped make up a little time and no delays at immigration and customs (no custom forms!) got us out to our shuttle bus from Malpensa to Milan’s Central Station with plenty of time to catch the noon train to Lavanto, Italy near the Cinque Terre region along the coast.

We enjoyed sharing a first class compartment with a couple from Virginia and another from Switzerland. Three hours gave us plenty of time to share travel stories and plans, nap, and do some reading. We arrived right on time in Levanto and made our way to our hotel, the Hotel Garden, about a ten minute hike from the rail station trailing suitcases behind. Thank goodness for rollers.

The hotel is actually situated on the second (make that first in Italy) floor of an apartment building. The elevator is only for use by the residents of the apartment but when we rang to be let in, the fellow at the desk came down to help carry the suitcase upstairs for me. We were impressed with the cleanliness of the place but then as he lifted the sunshade that shielded our room from the afternoon rays, we discovered our ocean view left a bit to be desired (see the picture).

There was also a festival of sorts going on in the main piazza that was about 500 feet away from us and we enjoyed exploring the booths that were set up with various foods and crafts. But then about nine o’clock, a band set up almost under our balcony. We were so tired though we fell asleep despite the racket and slept pretty well through the partying that went on until the wee hours.

Things looked a bit better in the morning. We opened the door to the balcony and found that without anyone in the street below, we could hear the surf. And before the lady across the street got her first load of wash hung out, we could actually see ocean.

Ah, Italia!

Sunday Worship Thoughts - Weeds

These last couple of weeks, I have been trying to whip my yard into shape. Maybe a whip would be a good gardening tool? Our wonderful spring was also a great time for the weeds to get a good start. Tons of little seeds fell from some tree or bush and with all the sunshine and rain, they sprouted quickly before I was able to do a weed prevention application.

They pull out of the ground easily enough but when they sprout in between the ground cover and bushes, they are hard to see. I examine the area carefully to see if I've pulled them all but it never fails that a couple of them escape notice and then grow into mini-trees in the middle of an evergreen or azalea bush.

When we landscaped our yard about 9 years ago, I was ambitious and loving the fact that there would be lots of sunshiny areas to grow things. I didn't think ahead to getting older, slower, and less mobile not to mention life getting busier. Tired, hot, and weary, I looked at some areas of the yard and wondered if anyone would actually see the weeds if I just let them grow. It was tempting but I knew eventually, they would make themselves known, choking out the good things in the flowerbeds.

Okay, here is the spiritual application that came to mind: How careful are we to examine the areas of our life where weeds take root? Sure it is tedious to keep weeding but just as in my flowerbeds, if the weeding is not done, the good stuff gets choked out. And yes, most of the weeding (of both kinds) is done on my knees.

Backpacks - Not just for Backpackers

One of the handiest pieces of "luggage" to travel with is a small backpack. For years we saw lots of European travelers with them on their backs and just assumed they were "backpackers." Not so. True backpackers heft large backpacks that stretch from their heads to their knees and require a strong back to tote them all over the hiking trails and through the airports.

Our backpacks are more student-sized but they provide an easy access to those things we need to carry on board an airplane with us or just even to venture out on a day's touring. For example, on our plane trip, I put all of my meds in there (never be separated from your medications when you travel), sound-canceling headphones, my ebook, my small HP mini computer, camera, glasses/contact lenses, wallet, and 311 bag (the plastic bag of liquids and gels I want with me). There is also room on the outside in a little mesh pouch for a bottle of water--purchased of course after going through security. And the backpack is soft sided so it stows more easily than a carry-on suitcase.

When we are touring, it is a convenient carrier for an umbrella, a light jacket/sweater, camera, wallet, snacks, water, and a place to stash a few souvenirs instead of having to lug them in my hand. Just be aware to keep valuables down in the bottom of the main area and not in outside pouches where they can easily be lifted by a pickpocket. And trust me, they are quickly about their business before you ever notice them. I've seen some people wear their backpack in front of them in areas where there are more crowds.

All in all, backpacks aren't just for kids and backpackers. They are for the savy traveler as well and you can even get them in fancy leathers--although I would imagine those are heavier to carry. Happy trails!

Wordless Wednesday

Books For The Road - Life in Defiance, Mary DeMuth

Just recently, the third book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy, Life in Defiance, by Mary DeMuth arrived on my doorstep from Zondervan. Unfortunately it comes at a time when I have little extra reading time. I will have to shelve it for a few weeks but I did not want to pass up the opportunity to tell you that it is out. If you are like me and read the first two in the trilogy, Daisy Chain and A Slow Burn, you will want to finish off the story and discover the murderer.

Life in Defiance is written from the perspective of Ouisie Pepper, the pastor's wife in the story. She knows who killed little Daisy Chance. As the back cover reads, ". . .she refuses to tell. But as her children inch closer to uncovering the killer's identity, Ouisie has to make a decision. Will she protect her children by telling the truth? Or will the anger she fears silence them all?"

Knowing the depth Mary DeMuth goes to in order to tell a story, I imagine this one will not disappoint. Stay tuned for a review. As soon as I get it read, I'll post. Meanwhile, if you get to it first, drop me a comment and let me know how you enjoyed it. No spoilers PLEASE!

The Melody of Language

Last night we listened to a local missionary whose native language is Russian. He spoke passionately about his ministry and at times was a little difficult to follow when his enthusiasm rushed into his speech and made his words a bit kinetic. He reminded me a lot of my grandfather though.

Grandpa came from Bohemia back in the late 1890s. While he lived in this country for over 50 years, he never lost the cadence of his native language. I loved him for it. It was always a delight to hear how he phrased the English words and sentences and to listen to what I call the melody of his language.

My daughter-in-law whose native language is Japanese is very much the same. She has a delightful way of phrasing her English speech that often makes things sound much more poetic than we who have English as a native tongue. It too has a melody to it. Different than Grandpa's Bohemian and the Russian we heard last night.

Our speaker apologized in the middle of his talk for his "broken English."

"Not broken," I told him later. "You just speak English with a beautiful Russian melody."

Grandma Got Run Over. . .?

Yesterday I spent the second of two days in a row working in the yard, pulling weeds, trimming bushes, edging beds--you get the picture. Add to that picture a small front loader, a big bulldozer and a huge backhoe. No, not my tools, rather the tools of the construction company building the house next door.

Our side flower beds are rather close to the lot where the house is being built and the huge pile of dirt they were leveling and using to back fill was very close. I'm no fool. I didn't work on that area of the yard. Besides, the closer I got to the property line the more I kept hearing that Christmas favorite, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer." Only in my head it was coming up John Deere. I didn't want any new songs composed in memory of my potential demise.

Wordless Wednesday

Travel Planning?

Each week, I receive reports from Sitemeter for my blog and my website. It is exciting to see who in the world is visiting and what they are interested in. Lately there have been a lot of visitors interested in our trip to Australia. Next in line would be those who are obviously planning a cruise. I hope that the information I've provided will whet appetites for travel, give a few valuable tips, maybe introduce would-be travelers to places they hadn't thought to visit, and/or cause the dreaming to go on. Use the links in the sidebar to check out your favorite travel spots.

Half of the fun of travel is the dreaming and planning. Be sure as you plan though, you leave time to do the old cliche: Stop and smell the roses. . .or the lilies, or the lilacs, or whatever else is in bloom where you are traveling. I am still amazed at the honey smell of the blooms from a eucalyptus tree on Kangaroo Island.

Meanwhile, if you are finding anything valuable here at my blog, please let me know. It encourages me to continue to post and will help me to know what is important to my readers and what they enjoy reading. But if you prefer to just "lurk," gather information, and go on, that's okay too. Enjoy! And explore your world!!

Cruising 1860's Style

I love making new discoveries. Recently I discovered that Mark Twain had written several travel books. I downloaded two of them from the E-book store at Sony and started reading reading Innocents Abroad, a collection of stories he wrote and sent to a newspaper back home as he traveled to the Holy Land aboard a recommissioned ship named the Quaker City.

The Quaker City was a side-wheeler. My first thought was "this has got to be fiction." Who would take a side-wheeler transatlantic? But no, Twain really did make the trip aboard this ship as did a group of others who signed on for an adventure that was quite an ambitious travel plan. It was to leave from New York going transatlantic to the Azores (in 10 days) and then on to Gibraltor. From there they would explore the coasts of Spain and France with optional side trips to Paris and the Alps. The ship would continue on to Genoa again with side trips to points of interest in Italy. Continuing down the coast of Italy to Sicily and then on to Athens, the ship would eventually reach the Black Sea and then explore the countries of the Holy Land. On its return trip, the Quaker City was scheduled to make a stop in Bermuda. Quite an itinerary. I am looking forward to reading his impressions of it all.

Here's a little of his description of his stateroom which was shared with another passenger:

We selected a stateroom forward of the wheel, on the starboard side, 'below decks.' It had two berths in it, a dismal dead-light, a sink with a washbowl in it, and a long, sumptuously cushioned locker, which was to do service as a sofa--partly--and partly as a hiding place for our things. Notwithstanding all this furniture, there was still room to turn around in, but not to swing a cat in, at least with entire security to the cat. However, the room was large, for a ship's stateroom, and was in every way satisfactory.

Can you imagine what he would say about the staterooms of today's ships? Certainly there is a lot more room to "swing a cat in."

Wordless Wednesday

Seattle--Tugboat Races

When we were in college, it was always said that there were submarine races down on the Olentangy River at midnight. Of course that was always said by the guys to the girls. So when my son started talking about tugboat races in Seattle, I thought perhaps he was kidding. But no. Sure enough we got down to the waterfront and there were the tugs out along the shore steaming along in several scrimmages. And I might add that tugs are not the slow boats I imagined. They raced past at a good clip.

The Seattle Marina Festival had a great crowd and lots of entertainment. For a small donation, we were able to build small wooden sailboats with the grands and of course enjoy the best part, getting feet wet in the small fountain where the kids floated their boats.

Seattle gets a bad rap for weather but this past weekend could not have been any more perfect. Temps in the upper 60s, a cloudless sky, and a cool breeze. We even got some great glimpses of Mount Ranier, snowcapped and majestic in the distance.

The waterfront area is a joy to wander. Lots of shops and restaurants and those ever-necessary ice cream stops popular with our grandkids (and grandpa too).

The Scoop on Poop!

Years ago when we were walking with our son, Rob, along a trail in Australia, he stopped us and told us to look up. In the tree, just a few feet above our heads was a koala snoozing peacefully. Bob and I had walked right under it without seeing it and I wondered how Rob had thought to look up. I asked. He pointed. There just on the edge of the trail was a pile of droppings--poop by any other name. . .

We received our news magazine that comes with our subscription to zoo membership this week and there in big headlines was "The Scoop on Poop!" It's billed as a "one-of-a-kind exhibit." I'll bet it is. It supposedly takes a "tactful approach to the topic" using science as well as humor.

I couldn't help but imagine the faces of kids lighting up when they see the name of the exhibit. It's a traveling exhibit that will be at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo this summer. If you can't get to a zoo near you that has it, there is a book by the same name upon which the exhibit is based (authored by Dr. Wayne Lynch).

I, for one, can't wait to see it--especially with a grandchild.

Wordless Wednesday

Who is Karen Robbins?

I have a Google alert set up for Karen Robbins. It is after all, my name and if someone is writing about me, I'd like to know what they are saying--especially if it's something good. The responses I get to Google's searches are often quite interesting and certainly unnerving at times. Like the time I discovered a Karen Robbins was under investigation for abusing a student. But others who share the name are doctors, lawyers, athletes, and yesterday, I discovered an artist.

It was an interesting turn of events since I had just finished speaking at a Ladies Banquet on Saturday and used the illustration of a glassblower whose artistry created a beautiful design of color inside a dish by using pieces of broken glass in the hot molten glass they were working with. The idea was that God takes the broken pieces of our life and creates a work of joy within us if we choose by faith to follow Him.

Karen Robbins and her husband Dana have a studio in New Mexico and from the pictures on their website, their artwork appears every bit as beautiful as the glasswork I recalled in my illustration. She was also an art education major in college. It was fun to find we had that in common. If we ever make it out that direction in our travels, I'd love to stop in at their workshop.

Have you ever Googled your name? Did you find any surprises?