January… time to plan travels (Part II)

Map courtesy of Worldmapper (Creative Commons Licence)

This is the continuation of my post of January 27th. All the comments from my blogging friends are very much appreciated. Comments feed my blog and give me more ideas for future posts. One of the comments, a question really, was from “loveable_homebody” who asked: “Why do you think you have always had wanderlust?” I thought about this for a while and believe it is a combination of several things. When I was a child staying at my grand-parents' house there were few toys so my grandpa would bring me a small suitcase full of postcards, old and new, from many regions of France, Europe and the world. I would spend hours looking at them and ask questions about all these far-away places and dream about them. Click on the following pictures to enlarge them.

Vintage Postcards – from top left : Chateau de Ramezay, Montreal, Canada – The Old Arsenal and the Arno River, Pisa, Italy – West Block House. Tartar Wall, Beijing, China – The New Medersa, Algiers, Algeria – Dal Lake, Kashmir, India – Driveway in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA

When I went to Turkey at 5 years of age I was allowed to roam free on the ship as my mother was mostly below deck - sea sick. I loved the freedom and independence. When I came back to our apartment in Paris I looked at all the postcards, my stamp collection, maps and dreamed again of many travels to come. I was bitten by the travel bug.

He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left. -Chinese proverb


Flight Toward the Sea, 1968, Painting by Giorgio de Chirico, Italian, 1888-1978

From childhood some persons know that they want to be a doctor, an actor or a football player – I always wanted to travel. Some people stay close to home – going to other places do not tempt them and they are content to stay at home. That is fine. We are all unique with different interests. Mine is to move and see new towns, new countries and have new experiences. I always come back with something I did not know before, with a new appreciation of our world and some images that will stay in my mind. For example, how could you explain what a cup of coffee tastes like if you never had one? Would you know what it tastes like by watching a National Geographic show on TV about a Kenya coffee plantation? Would you know what it tastes like by looking at the picture of a coffee bean? No – you would have to taste it yourself – try it black or with milk, with sugar or not, strong or weak, as is or as flavored coffee or even iced, then you would know.



Among other things, I wanted to see how it felt to ride a camel in Africa, go on a slow boat on the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, ride an elephant, visit Mykonos Island in Greece out of season, take part in the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial celebration in New Orleans and visit the French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. These I did. These experiences will reverberate throughout my life. It takes time and tenacity to travel frugally. It helps to have flexible travel plans and be open to various way of travel – and watch for sales.

from top left: Elephant riding in Chaing-Mai, Thailand - Slow boats on the Mekong River, Laos – Empty street in Mykonos Island in November , Greece – Street musicians in New Orleans, Louisiana – St Pierre panorama, St Pierre et Miquelon islands.

Since my parents were in France I would go and visit them, off season. One year I was invited to an event in Pisa, Italy. Instead of flying directly to Paris I found a flight, costing the same, on British Airways going from Atlanta to Paris but with a free stop in London. From London I booked a flight on a low cost airline, Ryan Air, to Pisa which at the time costs about 30 British Pounds one way. While in Pisa I stayed in a small hotel and took trains to visit Florence and Lucca in Tuscany, and then I flew back to London and thence to Paris. It cost a fraction of what I would have had to pay if I had planned an Atlanta Paris Pisa trip, but it took planning to coordinate it all. Do not disdain train travel. The rail system in Europe and many other countries is very efficient and inexpensive – it provides safe and economical ways to visit expensive cities. For example there is a quick train trip between Nice in France and Monte Carlo in Monaco – or a 1 hour 20 minutes train between Paris and Brussels, Belgium ($48) or a 2 hour 10 minutes train between Paris and London (with many special sales and passes.) There are even some fares which include a car rental for a couple of days at the destination city.

All my methods are hard to describe in a post like this – it would be too long and boring to read. I check many travel sites and budget airlines. I’ll fly to another country and from there get a local budget flight, or take a train or a bus. I also check to see if there are any “secret flights” available. Secret flights are unusual routes flown by international airlines. For example to travel from New York to Frankfurt, Germany, you could take a regular US airline or you could take Singapore Airlines stopping in Newark on their way to Frankfurt – this might be much less expensive. Going to Dubai I flew with a foreign airline going from Chicago to Australia, but stopping in Dubai. Then after a week in Dubai I took a round trip on a local airline to go back to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The trip was about half or less than I would have paid using conventional methods. I also used an airline “consolidator” who is a wholesaler to the public.

Photo of camel watching me taking its picture in Dubai (you can see my shadow.) Click to enlarge.

For all purchases, including food, medicine, gas and to pay my telephone and other bills I use a couple of credit cards which offer frequent flyer miles (on any airlines.) I pay the cards off each month but the miles accumulate quickly. We will redeem our frequent flyer miles for our next flight overseas, not use cash. For example in 2005 we had free flights (by redeeming our frequent flyer miles) to go to St Petersburg, Russia, and were allowed one stop. Since reading Out of Africa I wished to visit Karen Blixen’s (the author) home in Denmark so I wanted to stop in Copenhagen. There were no flights on that airline out of Copenhagen to St Petersburg. I searched and finally found a flight on Czech Airlines going to Prague and connecting with a flight to St Petersburg; Czech Airlines was a partner airline, so no added cost. Before going to Russia I had researched and found that renting an apartment would be much more advantageous than going to a hotel. We rented the apartment which was centrally located (costing about $50 a night) then took buses to get around. We looked so much like locals that Russians from out of town asked me directions for the bus to the Hermitage Museum – and I knew which one it was since we had already been there (I speak a little Russian – not much.)

Church of the Saviour of Spilled Blood, St Petersburg, Russia and Peterhof the Great Palace, The Blue Drawing Room

A point to make, when overseas, is to look like a local, not a tourist. I always buy something at a local grocery store to get their plastic bag and place my camera and maps in it. I carry a local newspaper; wear no blue jeans or tee-shirts with ads on them. I never have had a bad experience in all my years of traveling. I am always open to new trips. I subscribe to travel sites which send emails on travel deals – here are a few: SmarterTravel.com, http://www.travelzoo.com, http://www.farecompare.com/, http://www.hotwire.com/index.jsp, as well as various airlines. I also receive emails from cruise discounters such as http://www.vacationstogo.com/, and travel info and deals from http://www.budgettravel.com/?wpisrc=newsletter. When fares are high I use a travel consolidator like http://consolidatorwebfares.ezgds.com/. I also subscribe to motel and car rental emails advertising special offers. A couple of years ago my family wished to spend a week on a nice beach in Florida so we could all enjoy our first grand-child. Instead of lodging at a hotel or motel I used the Vacation Rental by Owners site http://www.vrbo.com/. We rented a beautiful condo, on the beach, and at an advantageous price.

Views from our condo in Indian Shores, Florida (near Tampa)

A voyage of discovery does not have to always be in another state or country. Now that I am retired I take great pleasure in discovering parks, historical sites or little towns close to my home. When we only had a couple weeks of vacation a year then we wanted to go as far away as we could, but when time is open, that is when we can discover the charms of our own area. If we place our town in a 100 mile circle on a map we’ll see that there are many places we do not know and maybe quite enchanting. And as Robert Louis Stevenson said “…For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move …”

Wormsloe Plantation State Park, Savannah, Georgia (photo courtesy Savannah Visitors Center)

To be an independent shoestring traveler takes time and work but the rewards are great. We meet more locals by staying in small hotels and eating in local-style restaurants. We rarely shop but we look – I usually buy postcards, they are inexpensive, unbreakable and take little space. Sometimes it is logistically more feasible to take part in a tour, but we can still manage to have some independent time. When we were in Tunis last November it was faster and easier to take the bus tour as we did not have much time there. But while the guide was escorting the tour to a carpet shop in the Medina Bazaar in Tunis I asked if I could leave for ½ hour. Then I went further into the bazaar by myself and explored before returning to the tour.

Carpet shop in Medina bazaar,Tunis, Tunisia.

Some important points I follow are to treat people and places with respect, be friendly and courteous. Special treatment should not be expected because one is American or European. I stay aware of the culture, environment and local customs of the country visited and try to be patient and flexible. I don’t get suspicious or scared and don’t let fears make the decisions for me. Everything has always been and will be fine.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
-J. R. R. Tolkien, English 1892-1973


Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, painting by David Caspar Friedrich, German 1774-1880

January… time to plan travels (Part I)

Every January a large scheduling sheet was passed to each of us in our department so we could place an X on the weeks we requested for our annual holidays. I worked in the corporation for almost 26 years so the habit to look in January for anticipated travels is still with me. When I started working there in 1982 it was hard to make traveling plans so long in advance. There was no Internet with quick information. I had to go to our library to do my research and much of the information was dated. Then I would write – slow mail since there was no email and long distance telephone was expensive – to the hotels or bed and breakfast to make reservations. I remember how I wrote to a bed and breakfast in Chester, England in the early 1980s with anticipation but three weeks later they replied that they were full for that date. I had to start my research all over again.

Vintage postcard of Chester circa 1906 (this was before I went there!)

I still like to make travel plans in January but also other months, long enough in advance of the trip to allow for full research and reading on the area, the history, the authors, et al. My love of travel started when I was 5 years old, after World War II, when my mother and I took a ship to Istanbul, Turkey to sell my grandmother’s house and bring her back with us to Paris (my father’s mother.)

Painting by Robert Otto Nowak, Austrian 1874-1945

It took more than 10 days for the ship to go from Marseille to Istanbul because it had to stop many times. My mother told me “look at those black things in the water” I saw them and asked “what are they?” my mother replied “they are unexploded naval mines so the ship has to move slowly” “why?” “Because the ship would blow up” (and some already had prior to us.) I did not fully understand the implication but since my mother was staying in the cabin being sick while the ship was moving I had a great time being free to run on the ship with other little children. I especially remember an English girl and an Italian boy and started talking to them somehow. I liked this trip so much I decided I would travel always and also learn English and Italian.

Painting by Maurice Prendergast, American 1895-1924

I have traveled to many countries and islands – some more than once like when going back to France, England and Italy and some just once. Here is the list in alphabetical order (I am not counting stops at airports like Jeddah, Saudi Arabia): Algeria (3 times or 3 X) Barbados, Belgium (many X) Canada (9 X) Denmark, Egypt (4 X) England (many X) Ethiopia (2 X) France (many X) Gabon, Germany (2 X) Greece (2X) Grenada, Iceland, Indonesia (including Bali), Italy (many X) Jamaica and

Japan, Laos, Luxembourg (2 X) Malaysia, Malta, Mexico (2 X) Monaco (4 X) Morocco, Netherlands (3 X) Netherland Antilles, Portugal, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Senegal, Singapore, Spain (2 X) Saint Pierre et Miquelon, Sweden, Switzerland (2 X), Thailand (2 X) Tunisia (4 X) Turkey (2 X) United Arab Emirates – Dubai and Sharjah, United States (46 states) Vatican City, Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan and Yugoslavia = 48 total and I hope to make it an even 50 this year. I also learned to speak English and Italian (with a spattering of Russian and Arabic.)

“I have not been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”
-Susan Sontag, American author 1933-2004

Traveling to all these cities, states, islands and countries has kept my mind open and alive. Learning the various customs, religions, history, visiting monuments, historical sites, museums, speaking to the local inhabitants and eating their food have challenged my perceptions and expended my experiences. When I was little and declared I would travel all over the world adults said that it was too expensive. They said growing up and realities would cure me of this dream. I kept the dream alive all these years and vagabonding is in my heart. I am still keeping dreaming and hoping - I think that each one of us is the master of our destiny and in control of our fate so why not keep on dreaming - and planning trips. I keep hoping that I can travel and be a vagabond as long as I am able.

Hope, painting by Edward Burne-Jones, English 1833-1898

"DREAMS"

Hold onto dreams
For if dreams die
Life is like a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
– Langston Hughes, American Poet, 1902-1967

We can always find a door that will open for us

Picture of a door I photographed in Florence, Italy (with my old film camera) click to enlarge

One of my blogging friends commented that I was not a “vagabond.” I guess since the term most commonly refers to a “vagrant” or “hobo.” In French, however “vagabond” or “vagabonde” in its feminine form has various meanings: 1) someone whose imagination travels and 2) who travels or wanders without set ideas and 3) who is eccentric and whose mind goes from subject to subject - an eclectic mind.

Here are some more pictures I took with my old film camera

from top left: Kamouraska, Quebec, Canada – tailor shop in Dubai, UAE – the tomb of author Karen Blixen (1885-1962) who wrote Out of Africa, Rungstedlund, Denmark – House of Renoir Cagnes-sur-Mer, France (click to enlarge)

Now that I am getting older and time is slipping away, travelling, far and near, is still a top priority. You never know when you won’t be able to take the next trip, or when life will stop. There is still a lot to learn. Travels will stay with you for a lifetime as a wealth of experiences but also as interior journeys expanding your knowledge and awareness. Traveling in your own country is fine but it is not like being in a foreign land – you feel vulnerable and it changes you in a way and humbles you. You can empathize with people from very different social, economic and cultural perspective. To read about traveling or watch travel shows is most entertaining but it's not at all as being over there. You cannot turn the page or turn off the television. First hand exposures increase our objectivity and explain differences. It challenges our perception and sharpens our understanding of other cultures. It makes us see things from a different angle than the accepted “home” angle and realize that “our way” is not always the only way or the best way. It destroys ethnocentricity. Travel intensifies living and gets around preconceived ideas about foreign places.

Wanderlust has been in my blood all my life but I do understand that travelling does not affect everyone like this. Some will say – how can you afford it? It is a matter of priorities. Some people at work would envy my travels but then they would tell me about their new boat or flat screen, high definition television they just bought. With that budget I could arrange a great trip in another country. We go on a budget, travel frugally and sometimes do not decide where to go until we see a great deal, and then decide to go there. Since this is getting long I will give examples of some of my trips, on a budget, in the second part of this post.



So, this January, as in many Januaries, I have already made plans to travel to another state and in another country during the months ahead. I will take photographs there and bring them back for future posts.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do... Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Fresh Figs – home grown

When we moved to our current house, years ago, a friend who lived close by had a large fig tree. He gave us a small cutting from his tree and we planted it near the house. It has grown quite well, without any kind of fertilizer or chemical spray. It has been giving us a large amount of figs.



Lately, at the end of June, we get a small crop of very large figs, as large as pears as you can see below – while the rest of the figs on the tree are tiny and green and ripen in mid August.




There are many varieties of figs – ours is called Brown Turkey. Down the road a neighbor has the dark red variety and another neighbor has the small, very sweet, variety called Celeste. Below is a vintage postcard showing a basket of fruit with the dark red figs. This could be the Poona variety or the Italian variety called Black Ischia.



The genus of the fig is Ficus (latin) with about 850 species that include not only figs but also woody trees, shrubs, vines, etc. It is believed to be indigenous to eastern Asia and is thousands of years old. Remnants of figs have been found in excavation of sites dating from 5,000 B.C. Figs come from the Ficus Maraceae species. Another specie is the Opuntia Ficus Indica which is a sort of cactus with a fruit called prickly pear, and yet another specie is Ficus Religiosa . This is an Indian tree (also called Bodhi Tree) of great size and longevity. It is considered sacred by Buddhists and planted close to many temples as it is the tree under which Gautama is said to have received the heavenly light and became Buddha.

Le Bouddha, painted by Odilon Redon, French, Symbolist, 1840-1916 (Musée d’Orsay, Paris)

Growing up in France I ate many figs in summer, fresh and sometimes with goat cheese.

Figs and Cheese, painted by Grace Mehan de Vito, American, contemporary

Since our fig tree produced so much fruit I started to make fig jams. I usually make jam with figs only but also some fig jams I add other fruits - those I prefer to mix are mangos, peaches, or cherimoyas. The cherimoya is a tropical fruit native to the Andean highland valleys of Ecuador and Peru – it is very sweet with a sherbet like texture and mixes well with figs.


Making fig jam is not difficult and it does not take too long. Last summer I took pictures while making the jam so I could show the process on my blog. I wanted to especially show it to one of my blogging friends, Paty from Florianopolis in Brazil. She has a fig tree in her yard but has not made jam from it. Her two blogs are very pretty and interesting – please visit them (one is in Portuguese but she has a translation button on the side) - they are entitled: I Love Florianopolis and Morada de Venus. Here is the process I go through to make the jam. First gather the figs from the tree. It is nice if you have access to a tall person because the tree is quite high – in this case my husband is the gatherer.

Click on any of the pictures to enlarge them

As you can see above my Brown Turkey figs are in the small yellow bowl and the figs in the basket are from the Celeste variety. This past September was the 4th time this year I made my jam. I supplemented my figs with the Celeste from Lake Laura Farm down the road (see my post on Lake Laura here.) I gather all the tools I’ll need. The jars, a long wooden spoon, a sharp knife, a package of pectin, a measuring cup, a small plate with a teaspoon, a block of paraffin, a ladle, a jar funnel, clean towel, a pair of tongs and assorted pots.

We do not spray the figs against insects as we do not get any – just the birds like to eat the ripe fruits. For one recipe of fig jam you need:

5 cups of fruit, cut in little pieces (about 3 or 4 pounds of fruit)
½ cup of fresh lemon juice
1 box of pectin
1 tsp of butter
7 cups of sugar

This will yield about 8 or 9 ½ pint jars (1/2 pint = 8 oz which is 2 cups.) I use paraffin to seal the jam as I do not have a canner. I use extreme caution to have everything super clean and wash my hands often. Place the jars in a large pan with water to cover them and warm the water until it boils. Keep it boiling for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down but keep the jars very warm.



Measure the sugar in a large bowl, so it will be ready when the time comes. I place a small piece of wax paper on the counter top to keep the counter clean. Break a large piece of paraffin and place it in a can and then in a small saucepan with some water in the bottom, about 2 inches high. Keep the saucepan warm enough to keep the paraffin liquid and make sure there is always water in the bottom of the pan. (Remember that paraffin is flammable so don’t overheat it or let the pan dry!)



Press the lemon to obtain ½ cup of juice.



Gently wash the figs and cut the stems and the bottom of the figs, then chop the fruit in little pieces. Do not peel them unless a spot is discolored and peel that spot only.



Place the cut up figs (or mixture of fig and other fruits) in a large and heavy pot. Add butter (to avoid too much foaming) the lemon juice and the powdered pectin.



Place heat under the pot and turn the fig mixture with a wooden spoon until the mixture is very hot.


Turn heat to high and keep stirring the fig mix until it reaches a full boil. When it has reached a full boil which cannot be stopped by stirring, add the sugar.



Keep stirring constantly until the mixture comes back to a rolling boil then stir for 1 minute while it boils (have a watch or clock ready so you can time this.) After a minute turn off the heat on the stove and move the pot away. Let the mixture cool for about 4 minutes and stir with spoon once in a while. Skim a little bit of the foam off the top of the mixture with a small spoon and place on a plate. Keep stirring the fig mixture off and on.



While the mixture is cooling off a bit remove jars from the hot water with tongs so as not to burn your fingers and place upside down on a clean towel on the kitchen counter. Return the pot to the stove or counter if you have the space. Take a jar close to the pot and place the jar funnel on it. With a ladle fill the jar to within 1/2 inch of the top and keep filling jars this way until you have used all the fig mixture.



Wipe any spilled jam off the outsides of jars. Seal by pouring the melted paraffin wax on the jam. Make wax layer about 1/8 inch thick and do not move jars until paraffin has hardened. Wax should be touching all edges of jar and be even. If there are air bubbles in wax - prick them with toothpick to make better seal. I usually let the jars sit about 1 or 2 hours until I see the thin white film of paraffin and then I pour another 1/8 inch on the jar again making sure that the edges are well covered and sealed. Then I leave the jars to cool off overnight before I place tops on them. If a jar was half filled I keep that one to eat right away.



Some say that sealing with paraffin is not recommended because the wax may separate from the side of the jars allowing air to touch the jam and mold is possible. I have been making jam this way for about 20 years and never had a problem or been sick from my jam. Should a little bit of mold come on the top of the jar after a while I just wipe it off as it is just on the surface and does not hurt the content. But you can always use a canner. We like to eat our homemade jam on toasts or English muffin for breakfast with a bowl of café au lait (for my husband) or black coffee made with expresso beans for me. Store jam in refrigerator after opening.



Remember to label the jam with the year and store away. Place pretty labels on them when giving them as gifts. I do not keep the jams more than 2 or 3 years – usually they are gone by that time or given away. If not, I toss them out and replace them with fresh ones. This year I made 4 or 5 batches of fig jam, some spiced apricot jam, blueberry jam, strawberry and rhubarb jam until I cannot place anymore jars in my cupboards. We love fruit either fresh or in homemade jams.



This is not complicated and it tastes very good. Enjoy.

Frutos

Pêssegos, peras, laranjas,
morangos, cerejas, figos,
maçãs, melão, melancia,
ó música de meus sentidos,
pura delícia da língua;
deixai-me agora falar
do fruto que me fascina,
pelo sabor, pela cor,
pelo aroma das sílabas:
tangerina, tangerina.
-Eugénio de Andrade, Portuguese 1923-2005

English translation:

Fruit

Peaches, pears, oranges,
strawberries, cherries, figs,
apples, melon, honey dew,
oh, music of my senses,
pure pleasure of the tongue;
let me speak now
of fruit that fascinate,
with the flavour, with the hues,
with the fragrance of their syllables:
oh tangerine, oh tangerine.
Eugénio de Andrade, Portuguese 1923-2005

Still Life with Figs, painting by Luis Melendez, Spanish 1715-1780

Snow…finally (a wee bit)

My cousin in France told me that it had snowed there last week. I could imagine Paris in the snow, as in the painting below –

Notre Dame de Paris in Snow, Simon Tavik, Czech -1877-1942

My childhood friend who now lives near Toledo, Spain, sent me a picture of her patio under the snow. Snow in Spain! What happened to sunny Spain?



Then last Thursday night, 7 January, our weatherman predicted snow that evening for the metro Atlanta area prompting schools to dismiss children early. Indeed we saw some snow coming down before going to bed. The next morning I had a euphoric moment – I might finally see some snow outdoors. As I was finding warm clothes, hat, scarf, gloves I could imagine tons of snow covering everything in the landscape as in the Russian painting below –

Painting by Vladimir Krylov, Russian, born in 1942

But then once outside I saw the snow was just a light blanket – my daughters’ old toy horse

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

and the wood pile were barely covered.



I decided to go down to our neighbor’s lake and take a few pictures.

Click to enlarge picture

Some wild ducks were trying to find a bit of grass to eat and a little puddle of water for a swim – not an easy task in the frozen lake.


I walked back to our yard. Everything was still. There was no noise, only the creak of my shoes on the frozen grass.



Close to noon I walked back outside toward the road. It was quite cold, about 24 degree F ( -4.5 C) - which is very cold for Georgia. No cars were driving by. I heard an engine though and saw a truck driving backward. It was backing down the road, with workers feverishly throwing gravel on sleek spots. The truck drove past me and kept backing up toward the creek.



I waved to them, but they never even looked up – the poor crew was throwing gravel as fast as they could. It reminded me of a poem I just read on the Internet:

There are no Snowplows in Atlanta

It was cold, it IS cold
Everything froze.
The engines on the trains froze.
The mail at the post-office froze right in the trucks
and melted illegibly.
The tunnel to France froze
and there are no snowplows in Atlanta. -by butterflyz r free

Since they were backing up towards the creek my husband and I decided to drive down there to take a look. We had not gone even a quarter of a mile when we saw an empty Cobb County Police car stopped with its blue light flashing. We stopped.



I walked pass the empty vehicle to see what was the matter. The Cobb County officer was coming back and told me not to go any further as it was not safe on the road with the icy spots. I said I would be careful and kept walking. In the ditch, ahead, was a police car with its driver waiting for the wrecker to dig him out. The ditch is quite deep there.

We heard the policeman had to stand 2 hours by his car waiting for the crew in a gravel truck to clear the icy spots on the road – there are no snowplows in Cobb County either. The police car in the ditch was from the city of Dunwoody, which is in DeKalb county, not Cobb. That’s curious…

Since we could not pass the wrecker to drive to the creek we turned around and went looking for lunch somewhere (the plumber had not shown up to fix our kitchen because of the snow.) We drove to “Louise” a small breakfast and lunch restaurant close to Kennesaw Battlefield Park.


We almost did not stop as there were no cars in the parking lot but it was open. We entered and saw no other patrons – none by the fire or the cash register or having lunch.



We sat and checked the menu on the wall.



My husband decided to have the chicken liver with creamed potatoes, broccoli casserole and corn bread. I chose the salmon patties with spinach casserole, lima beans, and corn bread. As you can see these luncheon plates cost $5.95 each (which is about 4 Euros, or 3 pounds 66.) It’s specializes in standard southern food.



As we finished our meal one more patron showed up – the mailman. I took a picture of a photograph hanging on the wall. It was of this restaurant in the 60's when it was called “The Old Confederate Trading Post” and on a snowy day. If you look on the left hand side of the photo, just inside the frame, you can see the reflection of the sitting mailman.



We then drove around the corner to Kennesaw National Battlefield Park. It was closed. Everything closes in Georgia when snow appears. It was still in the low 20's so I hurried to take a few shots to remember the park under the snow (even though some people up north would not call this “real” snow.)

(Don't forget to click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

Today the temperature is almost back to normal, it is 52 F (11 C) right now. The snow is about all gone.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

On a more serious side – please support the efforts of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for their work in Haiti. They have already treated more than a 1,500 people since Tuesday’s terrible earthquake. We need to help them provide more assistance to the survivors, many with serious injuries. Please click on the link here – and you can give with a credit card, even a very small amount.

Thoughts for 2010

Envol (Off - as in "taking off")

Our new year is starting not peacefully like an adagio serenade (slow and easy) but more like a march allegra (moderately fast.) Our kitchen floor is totally torn up because of a bad water leak and it will take a few days to repair it as we have to wait for the flooring to dry. Everything has been moved out of the area and we’ll have to move everything back, then we plan to paint the room. Instead of waiting another week to publish a post of one of my travels I thought I would write a few thoughts, or words to live by as we begin 2010. These may be simple truths but could help us to forge ahead in the upcoming year. So here are several, some I wrote in English, some in French each with a painting or postcard and my translations. (Click on any painting or postcard to enlarge.)

La demande croissante me tient en haleine. Vintage postcard

Life is not tied with a bow, but it is still a unique gift. (La vie n’est pas nouée avec un ruban, mais c’est un cadeau unique quand même.)

High Tea - Henriette Ronner-Knip, Dutch 1821-1909

No one is in charge of your happiness but you (Personne n’est responsable de votre bonheur, sauf vous.)

Le Plaisir - Eugene de Blaas, Italian 1843-1932

Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear bright colors or that crazy outfit. (Soyez excentrique maintenant. N’attendez pas la vieillesse pour porter des couleurs vives ou une tenue folle.)

St Moritz - George Barbier, French 1882-1932

Prend le temps d’être aimable, c’est le chemin du bonheur. (Take time to be kind. It is the way to happiness.)

Summer Evening on the South Beach of Skagen - Michael Ancher, Danish, 1849-1927

It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. (Il n’est jamais trop tard pour avoir une enfance heureuse. Mais c’est à vous d’en avoir une heurese la deuxième fois.)

Girl in a Moorish Courtyard - Edwin Lord Weeks, American, 1849-1903

You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. (Vous n’avez pas besoin de gagner chaque discussion. Acceptez de ne pas être d’accord.)

Unwelcome Confidences - Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, Netherlands, 1836-1912

Soyez éveillé et attentif. Rien n’est intéressant si vous ne vous intéressez pas. (Be aware and attentive. Nothing is interesting if you are not interested.)

An Attentive Moment - Edward John Cobbett, American 1815-1899

Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. (Ne comparez pas votre vie aux autres. Vous n’avez aucune idée du trajet de leur vie.)

Pearl of Searching - Nicholas Roerich, Russian 1874-1947

Our children get only one childhood. (Nos enfants n’ont qu’une enfance.)

Tuck’s vintage postcard of little girl sent to Miss Brimes of W Salem, Ill. by Mabel in June 1909

Yield. (Céder.)

Study of East African Leopards - Arthur Wardle, English 1864-1949

Prend le temps de rire, c’est la musique de l’âme. (Take time to laugh. It is the music of the soul.)

Bons Voisins (Good Neighbors)- B. Wimberley, Cajun Artist, Louisiana

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. (La vie est trop courte pour perdre du temps à haïr quelqu’un.)

Roses - Vintage Postcard

Time heals almost everything. Give time, time. (Le temps guérit presque tout. Donner du temps, au temps.)

At Evening time it shall be light - Walter Langley, English, 1852-1922

Prends le temps de penser, c’est la source du pouvoir. (Take time to think. It is the source of power.)

In Thought - Nicholas Roerich 1946, Russian 1874-1947

Friends are family we choose for ourselves. (Les amis sont la famille que nous choisissons pour nous-mêmes.)

Au Bistro - Jean Béraud, French 1849-1936

Remember to turn off the lights, turn off the faucet, reduce, reuse. We are the environment. We all must protect it to save it to save us. (N'oubliez pas d'éteindre les lumières, fermer le robinet, réduire, réutiliser. Nous sommes l'environnement. Nous devons tous le protéger pour le sauver pour nous sauver.)

Landscape with deer - Frederick Arthur Bridgeman,American, 1847-1928

Smile, breathe and go slowly. -Thich Nhat Hanh (Souriez, respirez et aller doucement.)

Front of card says "Peace be with You"
Vintage Postcard sent in 1911 to Miss Little of Russell, Ky. by Mary

Holiday Celebration at the Governor’s Mansion

We came back to Atlanta on Monday evening, 28 December, after having spent a fun week with our daughter and family in Columbus, Ohio. Sunday night, the night before we left Columbus, it snowed. Early on Monday before we drove to the airport, I just had time to take a couple of pictures.

This is the way the street looked upon our departure –

Click on picture to enlarge it

and the view from the aircraft.



When we landed in Atlanta, it was cool but quite sunny, just as when we left Atlanta a week earlier. I wished it had snowed especially when we visited the Georgia Governor’s Mansion the week before Christmas. The mansion was beautifully decorated for the season and the Holiday celebration. Because of the mild weather there were still some roses in the garden.



and a gorgeous tree still had his glorious fall colors.



We are a long way from Ohio and the snow. Actually it is 600 miles or 965 kilometers from Atlanta to Columbus, Ohio. So, let’s enter the Governor’s Mansion (I took so many pictures that I’ll have to place them in various collages. Please click on the pictures to see them up close,)



The home of Georgia governors was completed in 1968 on an eighteen acre estate in North West Atlanta, in the Buckhead area, one of Atlanta’s poshest neighborhoods. The 30 room Greek revival style home is furnished with a fine collection of antiques from the Federalist Period. The mansion is decorated during the Holidays and this year the theme was to depict the vibrant hues and spirit of the season.



Each room had a different theme with brightly decorated trees.



A candy room was guarded by toy soldiers.



The tables had been set with elegant china and crystal. We would have loved to sit and start sampling the savories which were going to be served.



Instead we observed the teddy bear family watching the electric train running at the base of the tree below.




Musical groups from across the state were performing for this festive occasion. The day we were there it was great to listen to holiday music from the Roswell High School Chamber Orchestra, the Voices of Vaughn and the White County Intermediate School.

Don't forget to click on the pictures to enlarge them

Then we all took a cookie break. The cookies had been home-baked by the tour hosts and were served with spiced cider. As soon as a cookie was picked a server would replace it.



As we were close to leaving this beautifully decorated mansion I took some final pictures. I especially liked a table arrangement in front of a tall antique mirror. I shot some close-up pictures of the gorgeous sterling silver candelabra and the ornate silver pitcher. If you look closely in the center of the pitcher you can see my reflection as I took the photo.



There were many Christmas trees in various rooms, each one decorated with sparkling ornaments. For most people Christmas has already passed, but not for all. As I mentioned in my last post, the Eastern Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar (which is 13 days after the Gregorian calendar used by most countries) will celebrate their Christmas next week, on 7 January (members in the USA, Armenia, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Republic of Georgia, of Macedonia, Moldova, etc.) Long after the stores have stopped their Christmas music and people are no longer sending Christmas cards, the Orthodox Christians are still waiting to celebrate Christmas (approximately 1,500,000 people in the US.) To them, including members of my father’s family, I wish a very merry Christmas and place the Christmas tree collage below:

Reluctantly we left the mansion and walked back to our car.

We left the holiday celebration at the Georgia Governor’s Mansion a couple weeks ago and now we are seeing the end of 2009 as well as the first decade of the 21st century. In just a few hours we shall celebrate the New Year. While I was in Columbus I found some vintage postcards with New Year greetings. So please accept the following cards as virtual cards to wish you a Prosperous 2010. I hope the coming year will include more happiness, good fortune, joy, and love than you can imagine.

The card below was sent in December 1909 by Lois Bailey to her cousin Miss Mildred Reibel of Columbus, Ohio. The card is 100 years old but the wishes have not changed.



These are my wishes for you -

"…le seul fait de rêver est déjà très important,
Je vous souhaite des rêves à n’en plus finir et l’envie furieuse
d’en réaliser quelques-uns,
Je vous souhaite d’aimer ce qu’il faut aimer
Et d’oublier ce qu’il faut oublier
Je vous souhaite des passions
Je vous souhaite des silences
Je vous souhaite des chants d'oiseaux au réveil
et des rires d'enfants
Je vous souhaite de résister à l'enlisement, à l'indifférence
Aux vertus négatives de notre époque.
Je vous souhaite surtout d'être vous.
L’aventure c’est le trésor
Que l’on découvre à chaque matin.”
-Jacques Brel, 1968 (Belgian singer, 1929-1978)

I shall try to translate it -

“…the mere fact of dreaming is already very important,
I wish you endless dreams and the fervent desire
to achieve some of them
I wish you to love what/who needs to be loved
and to forget what/who needs to be forgotten
I wish you passions
I wish you silences
I wish you bird songs upon awakening
and the laughter of children
I wish that you can resist quagmires, indifferences,
and the negative virtues of our time.
I especially wish for you to be yourself.
Adventure is the treasure
Which you discover in each morning."
-Jacques Brel, 1968 (Belgian singer, 1929-1978)

Christmas Cards

Since I was a wee girl I have been collecting postcards. It started with the collection of vintage postcards given to me by my grandfather. I have many vintage cards but also new postcards. I like to send postcards – and receive them of course. In this country people do not send as many postcards to their friends while on vacation as is done in Europe. But they do send many Christmas (post)cards.



In France not many Christmas cards are sent (at least when I lived there) because, unless one is a practicing Christian, Noel (Christmas) is considered more as a children’s holiday – for Santa, or as a family celebration. Close family members and close friends may exchange one or two gifts.



Most French people send Happy New Year cards during the whole month of January. New Year celebrations are also more popular than Christmas, at least in Paris. There are always elaborate parties with family, friends or at restaurants and clubs to celebrate New Year’s Eve, which is called “Le Réveillon” and also “La Saint Sylvestre." Champagne flows freely – oysters on the half shell and foie gras are consumed with pleasure. At midnight everyone kisses under the mistletoe. On New Year’s Day (Le Jour de l’An) family and friends get together for another big meal and exchange presents.



Armenian families, just like Russian and Greek families celebrate Christmas on January 7th, according to the Julian calendar followed by the Armenian/Russian/Greek and other Orthodox churches. The Julian calendar is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar adopted by most countries, the United States included.

Card From The Four Gospels, Armenian early 17th century

Nowadays, since we are retired and our family is not large, we do not receive many Christmas cards – maybe 8 or 10 at most. But this week I posted 50 cards in the mail. I sent some to old friends and some family – who rarely answer - but then again to perfect strangers. If you have read the short story by Truman Capote “A Christmas Memory” you will recall that his cousin and he would bake 30 fruitcakes. Who were these cakes for? Here, quoting from the story: “…the larger share is intended for persons we’ve met maybe once, perhaps not at all.” As you can see in the following paragraph, I, just like Truman Capote and his cousin, have found a way to send good cheer to persons I have not met.



I enjoy cards so much that I think other people must be pleased to receive them, too. Many people are lonely and fighting some depression at this time of year. Living in Georgia I am fortunate that the Ga. Department of Agriculture sends a free monthly news bulletin called the “Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin.”

In their first issued every December they list the names and addresses of “Special People.” These are people, especially the elderly and shut-ins, who often find themselves without loved one to share holidays. The Bulletin writes that although their circumstances may vary they would all like to receive cards from readers. Then they list about 200 names and addresses throughout Georgia. I pick about 35 names, usually from tiny towns and send them a pretty Christmas card with a hand-written greeting. I used to send more than 50 cards but with the increase in the price of stamps I have had to streamline. I have been sending cards like this for years – am not sure when I became aware of the Special People list, but maybe 15+ years ago. It is a ritual at Christmas time and I anxiously wait for the list.

Below are two of the cards I sent this year to family, friends and the Special People. I would like to send a card to each of you, but since I do not have your address, this will be a virtual Christmas card of good cheer.

A traditional Christmas card -


or a more modern style one -

Inside it says: "perfect love, perfect peace, perfect joy to you"

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is 120 years old this year. Last month when we were there around 8:00 pm at night the Eiffel Tower lit up and sparkled like a Christmas tree then there was a light show with vibrating colors surrounding it. This show is to celebrate the Tower’s birthday and is taking place from October until the end of December. It was a fascinating display that I wish you could all see so I found the link to it and if you click on the picture below you should see it. This is the first time I attach a video link so I hope it will work. Enjoy -

La Tour Eiffel fait la fête tous les soirs
Uploaded by mairiedeparis. - Up-to-the minute news videos.

So A Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends who come from many parts of the world – I hope I won’t make a mistake when I say some of your greetings:

Joyeux Noel (French)
Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand (Armenian)
Puthuvalsara Aashamsakal (Malayalam)
Buon Natale (Italian)
Fröhliche Weihnachten (German)
Feliz Navidad (Spanish)
God Jul (Norwegian)
Zalig Kerstfeest (Dutch)
Milad Majid (Arabic)
Glædelig Jul (Danish)
Nadolig Llawen (Welsh)
Srozhdestovm Kristovim (Russian)
Feliz Natal (Polish)
Bada Din Mubarak Ho (Hindi)
Vesele Vianoce (Slovak)
Selamat Hari Krismas (Malay)
Maligayang Pasko (Philippines)
Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! (Romanian)
Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun (Turkish)
Kellemes Karácsonyi ünnepeket és Boldog Új Évet! (Hungarian)
Hyvää Joulua or Hauskaa Joulua (Finnish)
Hristos se rodi (Serbian)
Geseende Kersfees (Afrikaan)

To those friends who do not celebrate Christmas, I wish you happy New Year festivities.