Diving Grand Cayman - The Glo Light

One night Bob took our grandson on a Glo Light dive. This is a special dive that's on a shallow dive spot where ultra violet lights are shone down from the boat and everything takes on a different color. Most of the pictures didn't come out because the Go Pro wouldn't pick up the light right or else Bob needed to have a different lens but there were two that came out nicely.

Spotted eel in the Glo Light.

The boys said the anemones lit up nicely.

And then there were more from the natural sunlight the next day. Are you tired of dive pictures yet? I hoe not.

Lobster. . .dinner?

These little shrimp are hard to spot but so pretty.

Spotted eel in the sunlight.

One of several turtles.

Through Bob's Lens - Diving Grand Cayman

We were diving in Grand Cayman with our grandson the past ten days. Bob has a new lens and new approach for using the GoPro underwater. It's been a little trial and error with the new fish-eye lens and setting the camera up to take multiple shots but as you'll see, some of the pictures came out quite good.

His third year and over 30 dives.

Camera stand off.

Corals

Trunk fish

Lion fish.

Flamingo tongues - inside out snails.

So pretty when the sun shines through to 40 feet.

Wordless Wednesday

A Wild Animal Is A Wild Animal

A few months after returning from our safari outing while on our world cruise, I was a little unnerved by the report of a woman who died after being mauled by a lion in an African park. She was in a car. We were in an open sided land rover. The difference was the type of park and that we had guides and we followed the rules they set.

There have been other encounters with wildlife on our travels. In Australia, we fed kangaroos and emus. While they seem safe and are very used to people, they still are wild animals and can be unpredictable. There are safety guidelines probably the most important being if the animal wants to move away, let it. And it goes without saying that any animal that feels cornered will defend itself. Kangaroos have powerful legs that can do a lot of damage.

While I've never been in the water with a manatee, we have been on the water in a kayak and had some close encounters. We had one youngster that pushed our kayak a bit like we were a water toy. We suspect that some kayakers, against Florida wild life regulations are encouraging the encounters by giving them fresh water from bottles. There are manatee encounters through some tour operators in Florida. If you opt for that, be sure to pick a reputable one.

Probably one of the most exciting encounters we had was diving with dolphins. Two trained dolphins followed our boat out to water about 40 feet deep and, after a little training for us, performed several behaviors with us including a kiss on the cheek. The amazing thing was one moment the dolphin had its nose against my hand demonstrating its strength by propelling me in a circle and the next it was gently brushing against my cheek.

But each encounter held a risk. A wild animal is a wild animal and unless you follow the directions of reputable people who have worked with the animals, you leave yourself open to a very bad situation. Enjoy the encounters but do your research, find a good tour operator and then follow their direction. The results will be well worth it.

Duck!!

On occasion, we have stayed at the Hampton Inn in Homestead, Florida. The last few visits have found us watching a small group of ducks wander about the outdoor premises looking for handouts and generally going about as though they own the place. Perhaps they will become as famous as the ducks at the Peabody Ducks.

In Memphis back in the 1930s, the general manager of the Peabody Hotel and a friend returned from a hunting trip to Arkansas and thought, after some Jack Daniels was involved, that it would be fun to put their live decoys in the Peabody's lobby fountain. Back then, it was common and not illegal to use live ducks as decoys.

Three small English call ducks were the first to swim the fountain but were soon replaced by mallards. By 1940, a bellman and former circus animal trainer offered to deliver the ducks each day to the fountain. Edward Pembroke taught them the now famous Peabody Duck March. He trained and took care of the ducks for 50 years until his retirement in 1991.

Of course the original ducks are gone but the new crew still marches at 11 AM and 5 PM daily.

One of the fun facts at the Peabody site is:

Duck is not served anywhere at The Peabody, and has not been seen on the hotel's menus since its 1981 reopening, quite possibly making Chez Philippe the only French restaurant in the world that does not serve duck.

Fattening Foods From Around The World

In light of the US government clamping down on the use of trans fats all together and the fact that I've been trying to diet, Smarter Travel's article on fattening foods around the world caught my eye. A couple of times on our world cruise the chefs served churros which, after having them in Barcelona, Spain, were a great disappointment. In Spain, the deep fried treat coated in sugar and cinnamon is served fresh and with the richest hot chocolate ever put in a cup. You dip the churros in it and drink any chocolate that's left. I need to move on. I'm drooling. In the cash box of calories though--cha ching!

While crepes in France are often served with a variety of other ingredients the most popular for us chocolate lovers is the Nutella crepe. Chocolate being made from hazelnuts may sound healthy but just two tablespoons has 200 calories and then there's the crepe, a sweet thin pancake rolled with the Nutella filling and sprinkled with powdered sugar. They aren't small and they are oh, so good!

While the pizzas in Italy look nothing like the ones at home in the US, the calzones are a different story. The first time we had a pizza in Rome I was surprised to find that it was cracker thin (not fun for a carb lover) and with just a few vegetables with only the slightest hint of any sauce. If there was cheese, it was lightly sprinkled and hard to find. We never had a calzone in Italy but I read that they contain as much dough as in a full pizza and of course are filled with all sorts of tomatoes, cheese, etc. that make it a meal and a half. The calzone originated in the Campania region of Italy and our travels have not touched that area. We'll have to fix that.

The last one in the Smarter Travel list of foods surprised me. Ramen from Japan. I didn't think there was much in Japanese food stuffs that was really fattening. We've been to the Cup Noodle museum in Yokohama but I didn't pay attention to any calorie counts. Apparently the ramen the article talks about is a traditional Japanese dish of soup with noodles and topped with meats, eggs and vegetables. The problem comes in that the soup base is often made of beef, lard, and oil. Kudos to my daughter-in-law though. I've never seen her cook with that.

The one thing that wasn't mentioned is the thing we love to get when visiting other countries. French fries! They are cooked in that really bad stuff that makes them really crispy and really good. Ah, well. Guess I save my calories for the next trip.

Can Travel Make You A Better Person?

Travel does expand your horizons, to use a cliched phrase, but can it make you a better person? I ran across a headline from Smarter Travel that said "10 Trips That Will Make You A Better Person." I couldn't resist. I thought they would all be volunteer-type trips where you volunteer your services and get to see that part of a country as well. We've take several of those including a trip to Paris to work on renovating an old movie theater into a church.

All of the trips mentioned were not just volunteer labor although helping Haiti or an orphanage in Viet Nam would be very self-rewarding as well as providing some relief to those organization and would certainly be worthwhile no matter what your motivation. We certainly enjoyed our recent venture of planting trees in a New Zealand preserve for penguins.

There were also trips that were taken to improve mind, body and/or spirit. A hiking and wellness trip in Peru or a spiritual growth trip for women in Israel.

The one that caught my eye though was the tour to Whitmuir Farms in Scotland which shows you everything from farming techniques to cooking secrets to get the most out of your produce. Apparently Lily the sheepdog leads you along the trails that go through the 300 year old farm and you can meet the sheep and pigs and have a meal at the restaurant. There is supposed to be a Food School but I wasn't able to locate information on the Farms' website. Ah, well, it's hard to teach an old cook new tricks anyway.

Wordless Wednesday

Books For The Road - Burial Rites

Always looking for a book set in a distant land that we've either visited or are planning to visit, I ran across Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. It takes place in Iceland, a destination we would love to revisit. But this story takes place in the early 1800s. The novel is based on a true story of a recorded murder in 1829 and the young woman who was accused of it. Here's the blurb from Amazon:

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.

Riveting and rich with lyricism, BURIAL RITES evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question: How can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

The story is one that builds on your interest and, along with the other characters in the story, you want the story to reveal itself to see if she really did it. A good look at early life in Iceland, I truly wondered how any of those early people survived. Great read to take along on the road.

Can You Turn Coach Into First Class?

A coach seat for a flight that is three hours or less is not a terribly bad ordeal but flying economy for those long endurance treks can make for a great deal of discomfort. There are all sorts of gadgets and contraptions though that have been designed and marketed to try to make those flights bearable. At least that is what they would have you believe.

We've all seen the popular neck pillows. Some are full of micro beads and others are inflatable but all feel like an extra thick turtle neck sweater made to keep your head from flopping. I haven't found one that's comfortable yet but Bob seems to do well with them. But wait, there's lots more!

There are also several forms of the butt cushion. Inflatable or with memory foam this cushion is said to relieve the stress from your tailbone. They range in price from $30-70.

Then there are the "first class footrests". These are collapsible or inflatable and raise your feet to a more comfortable level. (You mean that's not what my backpack's for?)

And there's more! How about an air purifier to wear around your neck that keeps dangerous viruses, bacteria and dust out of your personal breathing space. Or a personal fan so you can shut off the plane's personal air vent and circulate the air around you.

The one thing I did find that seems to have possibilities was a package of instant washcloths. They look like Alka Seltzer tablets that, when immersed in water, puff up to a full sized washcloth that's disposable. Now all you have to do is be able to get an attendant to bring you water at no charge.

The last item I found though would take some very strong personalities to wear who never worry about appearances or frightening little children. It's called the Ostrich Pillow. There are several versions but the one most likely to create nightmares for your fellow passengers is the one that completely covers your head. Yup. Definitely not on my Christmas list.

[If you really must, you can find these items at Magellan's or Banana Studio.]

Flashback Friday - Ice Fishing with Dad

[This is a post from June of last year but with it being Father's Day on Sunday, I thought it appropriate for a look back today.]

With a grandfather and father who were avid outdoors men, fishing and hunting whenever they could, and a mother who learned to fish in self-defense (besides, at that point she was smitten with the guy), is there any reason to doubt that I would love to fish? I grew up with a fishing pole in my hand. My fondest memory of fishing with my dad though was the time he took me--just me, the daughter, not the son, out on the ice of Lake Erie to go ice fishing.

Our winter weekends were spent at Put In Bay, OH, and once the ice was thick enough, a village of ice shanties would appear on the ice covered water. People actually had old cars usually with doors removed for a quick exit that they would use to drive onto the ice, plant their shanty, and return to fish in it until the ice began to melt as weather warmed.

When my dad invited me along, I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. A whole day on the ice with my father fishing! We took the old car out onto the ice and parked it a safe distance from the shanty. Grabbing our gear, we stepped carefully to the door and stowed what we needed inside and out. Dad had brought a few pieces of wood and a couple of large chunks of coal to stoke the fire he started in the little tiny potbellied stove inside the shanty.

The ice shanty was about the size of a playhouse for kids. It was framed in wood that was covered in treated heavy duty canvas and had runners on the bottom. You couldn't stand up in it. The stove sat in the middle of the floor at the back wall, a hole in the floor on either side of it and a bench opposite each hole to sit on as you fished. Heavy white twine was anchored to the beam above each hole and  looped with a rubber band that allowed you to see the matchstick tied at eye level bobble up and down when a fish bit on the hook.

Live minnows were the bait of choice. I was careful to hold on tightly as I baited my hook since I knew Dad would get frustrated if I let too many get out of my hands instead of on the hooks. We dropped our lines in the water shortly after our arrival and just about the time that the little stove began to pleasantly warm the shanty. Eventually we sat in shirt sleeves in the pleasant little shanty.

We caught a lot of fish that day and tossed them into the burlap bags that hung from hooks in each corner opposite us. When we ran out of bait, Dad showed me how to pop the eye of a fish out and use it for bait. This girl was no prima donna. Whatever it took to fish, I was ready for it.

At noon, Dad pulled out a small iron skillet from the sack beneath his bench and reached in a little cooler for some kielbasa. We ate warm sausage sandwiches, munched on chips and apples and held each other's meal when a fish needed to be pulled in.

All too soon the day ended and we headed home. I think he was proud of me that day. He always grinned when he was proud and that day his grin wide, he said to Mom, "She's a real fisherman." I could not have received a greater compliment.

108 Days/22 Countries vs. 24 Hours/19 Countries

From mid-January to the beginning of May we cruised to twenty-two countries. It was a total of 108 days and we completely circled the globe. Recently I found an article at Huffington Post that told of three men from Norway who set a new Guinness record traveling to 19 countries in 24 hours. While that's quite an achievement, it's not hard to rack up a number of countries when you travel through Europe since there are so many together and some are not very large. 

They traveled mostly by rental car and used two air flights to get from Greece through 18 other countries ending in Lichtenstein. I didn't see whether their flights were commercial or private since that could have made a big difference in their travel time. 

While it was probably a fun thing to challenge themselves with and accomplish, I'd rather do my traveling at a more leisurely pace. Even our world cruise seemed too fast at times when there was only one day in an interesting port and too many things left unexplored.

We've racked up a lot of been-theres in the years we've traveled but it's never been for bragging rights. That said though, I also ran across a site called, The Travelers Century Club. It's a club for those who have traveled to 100 or more countries or territories. I'm not sure exactly how they count some of them since there are islands that seem to be counted as a territory but yet belong to a larger country. If I count all the islands in the Caribbean separately (British Virgins and U.S. Virgins) we would certainly go well past a hundred but otherwise I'd say more honestly it's probably ninety-three.

More importantly, we have had a unique opportunity to explore this great earth and hopefully will continue to do so for many years to come. Travel is about adventure and exploration not speed-dialing and fast-food mentality. 

Wordless Wednesday

In My Backyard - Pond Life

Sometimes you don't have to travel far to find fun and entertainment. Our backyard pond has provided a lot as it has come awake this spring and now into summer. We relocated a turtle to our pond that our grandkids and their mother had rescued and taken care of until it got too big for its tank. We lost track of it as the lilies grew. Once in a while we would see its head between the leaves but then we figured it was either hiding from us or had taken off for the small lake across the creek from us.

We were out walking one night and got about a quarter mile down the road in our development and Bob spotted a turtle in the middle of the road truckin' along. He picked him up and scolded him for being out where he could get run over. The turtle, before pulling into its shell looked the same size and coloring as Snappy but there was not way we thought he could be that far from home.

Back home we put him on a rock next to the pond and he finally slipped into the water after much thought and a lot of looking around. We figured all was well and maybe Snappy would have a friend but then when we looked out our window we saw the turtle making a beeline across the lawn toward the creek. I didn't know turtles could move so fast.

Now we wonder if that was actually Snappy and he'd decided to relocate. Okay, as long as he stays out of the street.

Meanwhile, Bob looked out the window the other day and found a tiny turtle sunny himself on one of the rocks! Snappy hasn't been around long enough for it to be any of his progeny. It's a mystery. We haven't seen any evidence of a turtle nest but the little guy seems too small to have come from anywhere else. Bob is just happy that the pond is worthy to be considered home.

So now we have lots of frogs. We've counted at least a dozen small ones, several large tadpoles with legs and we can hear a big bullfrog but haven't seen him yet. And I was happy to see a pink lily bloom. I was worried they hadn't survived the long winter.

All that is left now is to restock with some gold comets. With any luck, the blue heron won't stop in for lunch for a while.

State Fairs - They're Not Just For The Midwesterners

The end of July marks the beginning of State Fair season for most of us in the Midwest. Our Ohio State Fair is July 29-August 9 this year. The Midwest is known for its agriculture. As you drive through Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, etc., you find acres of corn, beans and many other crops as well as dairy farms or farms raising other livestock.

What I did not realize was there were some state fairs in areas of the country I would never have expected. Alaska, for one. August 27- September 7 are the dates for the state fair that is held in Palmer which is a little northeast of Anchorage. There have been some record breaking sized vegetables grown and displayed there.

Kentucky has always been known for their horse farms but they also have a state fair in Louisville that features the usual livestock and produce as well as concerts and the other usual fair activities. Their dates are August 20-30 this year. And yes, there's a world class horse show too.

What bigger? Go to Texas where everything is bigger including the giant cowboy mascot which is 55 feet tall. It's also the longest running from September 25 - October 18. Almost a whole month! The fair grounds are located in the Dallas area.

And who would guess that Arizona would have a state fair? When I think of Arizona, I think of desert more than farm land but their fair in Phoenix is October 16 - November 8. They have actually been having a fair since before Arizona was a state!

I'm thinking a themed road trip: State Fairs.

Flashback Friday - Cappuccino in Venice

[From a 2004 post]

This past summer, we traveled through Europe with Bob’s brother, Dick, and his wife, Polly. Venice was a unique adventure. We arrived amidst gray skies and drizzle. The buildings around St. Mark’s Square looked dirty and dingy. I wondered how anyone could claim this as a beautiful spot. After our dinner, however, the sun broke through the clouds and illuminated the façade of St. Mark’s Basilica bringing the building to life with shimmering golden mosaics.

In the square were outdoor cafes where some musicians were beginning to perform. We were attracted to a café with a stringed ensemble and made ourselves comfortable at a table. When the waiter came three of us ordered cappuccino (Dick was off to look for gelato). We didn’t pay attention to the menu. We only wanted cappuccino as our dessert. Oh what a dessert! The cappuccinos were excellent but the bill was outstanding. When converted to dollars, it was $15 per cup of that delicious brew. By not looking at the menu, we had missed the mention of a cover charge if your order did not meet a minimum.

Ah, Italy, so crazy, so frantic, so romantic, so expensive! Everyone said it was a once in a lifetime experience. That’s for sure. We’ll never order $15 coffees again.

Vintage Hotels in Cleveland, Ohio

The Alcazar Hotel in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, plays a small part in the upcoming novel, Ruby. It was built in 1923 and is now on the record of historic buildings. Prominent guests of the grand Alcazar include Bob Hope, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Mary Martin, Jack Benny and Johnny Weissmuller. In 1963, it became part retirement home and part hotel. The most recent owners are doing a renovation that will make the old hotel into apartments for students of the nearby Case Western Reserve University.

There were several other vintage hotels in Cleveland including two of my favorites, the Renaissance Hotel (Marriott) on Public Square and the Hyatt Regency at the Arcade. The Renaissance has always been an impressive building inside and out and if you've ever seen the movie, The Christmas Story, it became part of the backdrop for the downtown movie scenes with the Christmas Parade. It was originally called Hotel Cleveland and was built in 1918, before the iconic Terminal Tower.

The Cleveland Arcade at East 4th Street between Euclid and Superior was built in 1890 and was America's first indoor shopping mall. It is an amazing structure that was in danger of being lost to deterioration over the years. A huge renovation project by Related Midwest and Hyatt Development Corporation was completed in 2001 with the upper three floors of the atrium and the towers being occupied by the hotel. The lower levels are filled with boutique shops and restaurants and is worth at least a walk through if not a few moments to shop or relax with a cup of coffee.



There are lots of jewels in Cleveland as well as many other cities in the US. I hope people will see the value in saving these wonderful historical places. Too many times we take the easy way out and just knock it all down and opt for something new and not necessarily as charming.

Wordless Wednesday

Vintage Travel

While researching for my novel, Ruby, I needed to see if it was feasible for her to take a trip to California in the early 1940s. I found a great story about a troupe of female entertainers who were traveling by train across country and with a little help, the cost was in a range that I thought I could work into the story. Unfortunately, I closed the URL without saving it and when I went back to find it again, I couldn't. But today I thought I'd look at some of the other ways people traveled and vacationed in the 1940s.

During the war, travel by car would have been difficult since gasoline and rubber were rationed. If you were lucky enough to have a working car, you saved it for important errands or trips. Turnpikes and freeways were being developed, mostly in the East, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the largest, opened in 1940.

Trains were the mode of travel most popular around this time and many were very fancy but a lot were used during the war for troop transport. Still, those a bit fancier as time went on contained sleeper cars, dining cars, and lounge cars made by the Pullman Company. Also in the 1940s, steam locomotives were being replaced by diesel.


What about air travel, you ask? Well, United has been around since the 1920s and in the 40s, it was advertising its routes across the country and even to Hawaii. As one of their ads says, "They used to be days away. Now United's famed DC-6 Mainliner 300s will take you to most of this country's vacation spots, including Hawaii, in a few delightful hours." When was the last time you called a plane flight "delightful"? And, the ad goes on, children age 2-12 fly for half fare! Ah, the good ole days.

Books For The Road - Armand Gamache Series

There was a lot of time to do reading on our recent world cruise and I took full advantage of it. I was introduced to a new author I hadn't read before, Louise Penny and her Armand Gamache series thanks to another voracious reader who we had dinner with most nights.

I started reading with Still Life and didn't quit until The Long Way Home, the tenth in the series. Number eleven releases in August of this year. I would recommend reading them in order but be aware that once you get started, there's likely no going back. Why? The characters. Penny has developed characters to truly care about and what a mix they are! The ever-steady Gamache and his wife who quietly gives him strength, his detective partner Jean-Guy, and of course the wonderful people of Three Pines, the town that anchors the stories.

The location around which the stories evolve includes not only the fictional Three Pines but Montreal and Quebec City. That adds some French language to the mix and since I took German in high school, I was a bit at a loss for some of the expressions. One became clear halfway through when one of the characters mentioned stepping in it. Some of the English phrases/words were clear and while Penny doesn't use them abundantly, they are well placed for effect.

The plots are good, the locations well defined, and the characters guaranteed to stick with you. These are great reads. I look forward to The Nature of the Beast.