Shop On

I know this will sound disrespectful and flippant, but really it isn't meant to be so. Touring shoe stores through Europe is way more fun than touring war memorials. Unexpectedly, we have visited many of the memorial and grave sites from WWI and WWII. I was deeply moved by the memorial at Vimy Ridge, the monument must be one of the most beautiful of the modern age. And kudos to the sculpture marking the Canadian site near Passiondale. Both are brilliant.

But as I have travelled and learned more about WWl and WWll and walked the poignant steps of our soldiers, I have become acutely aware of how historically recent these wars are. I feel a harbinger from the future... are we due for another one?

 

That's why touring shoe stores is such an attractive alternative. Styles change, who cares. Shoes are thrown away before they are old, who cares. Sometimes shoes are expensive, but, hey, they are not nearly as expensive as war.

 

 

 

 

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Lost in France

GPS is a marvel of technology. I know how fantastic this little device is because today ours stopped working... in the middle of God knows where.

"Enough of Lonely Planet," declared Roger with a flourish of his hand. "No, we are not going Arras." (Lonely Planet lists numerous hotels, restaurants in Arras.) He looks at the map and points to the small village of Bethune. "We are heading here." Okay, dear.

Hours later, we arrive in Bethune. We have gone up hills, made impossible corners, and changed highways to get here. Navigating this small town turns out to be a nightmare. A hotel? What's that? And then, the unthinkable happens. Our GPS goes blank....huh? Where are we? It's rush hour and there are no hotels or parking spots anywhere and we are on our own!

We travel up, down and all around the area and then... In the middle of friggin' nowhere, a Best Western appears. An expensive Best Western appears. Two rooms left... in the middle of nowhere!!! Damn the expense, we take a room. Now, pour the wine, dear.

 

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Karynn and Roger Dine

At this moment, hunting and snaring dinner would be easier than trying to choose a restaurant. The stress is becoming a source of marital discord... the right food, at the right location, and the right price.

Dinner in Amsterdam was easy. A table with a view was all that was required. People walking, biking or passing canal boats proved entertaining for hours! And, the price was reasonable. Prague was wonderful. We found some fabulous little restaurants that were fun, romantic and really well priced. Germany was a surprise... easy to order, good choices, good value.

But now, there is France. It is so complicated and expensive... and my expectations are so much higher. Rogers's are not. So, I drag him around one town after another. "I'll be happy with a hot dog," he wails. The French towns (from Strasbourg to Reims) have a lot of pizzas, pastas, and kebabs .... meals that are more reasonably priced. We have had them all. But finally, we had one of our best meals ... in the car, in the middle of a field of grapes being picked for champagne... stinky cheese, good bread, great sausage and a fine wine. What more could either of us want?

 

 

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A Day at the Bath

If you go to Baden Baden, you HAVE to go the baths - why else visit the place? Except to gamble at the famous casino, shop and promenade the ALichtentaler Allee.

After a day spent lounging the Baden Baden baths, Roger and I were totally blissed out. Of course, the day we visited the baths was the day of NO bathing suits and mixed sexes. I had pause to consider that at my grand age, was my body really something I want to share? But then Rogers's logic of "are you ever going to see them again?" won out. As well, I recalled the Morning Star's golf pro's famous words to me, "Get over yourself."

This was definitely a European spa experience. No fawning over the guests. Just get on with it and don't bother the staff. I thought the spa would be full of older folk, easing their aches and pains. But no, this was the no clothes spa and, damn it, the young women were gorgeous and preening. This town is full of people sixty and up but all the young ones were at the spa so I just had to pretend I was 35 again, always an interesting exercise. But it was so relaxing... no wet bathing suit to deal with. Two massages, four different steam rooms and about six mineral pools of different temperatures of water were ours to revel in under the roman domes... Four hours of bliss and then we were wrapped up like swaddling babies to lie in a special room for thirty minutes while our minds emptied out.

I think we are ready for naked aquafit at the Ravensong pool in Qualicum Beach. There would be no need to buy bathing suits, easy drying off and after the first five minutes no one would even notice each other's bodies.

Let's put Qualicum on the tourist map with aquafit au naturel!

 

 

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Fiata miata

It's the Indie 500, Roger style. We've been gearing down around river corners, revving up as we speed through hillsides of vineyards in our 2 cylinder, tiny Fiat ('fix it again tony'....no more). My goodness, it is just too much like Europe! I think I am on a movie set. All you bicyclists out there ... Head to the Mosel Valley. It is filled with bikers on their own path along the road. Interestingly, it reminds me of Qualicum Beach, BC... They are of a certain vintage. It must be September and the kids are back in school. And none of them wear helmets or wear North American bike gear... dress jackets, blouses, jeans, dress shoes are often de rigeur.

As we cruised into Beilstein, Roger turned to me and laughed, "I can take Jim* in this baby anytime."

*a note of homage to our friend and sometimes traveling companion, Jim Macdonald.

 

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Lost in a fog

Rick Steve's, you know, the PBS travel guru, is our new best friend. He has guided us successfully to Tier, Germany. Certainly I had never heard of the oldest town in Germany. He led us through the sunny warm streets of Amsterdam, Prague, Maastricht and now to Trier. And, we have learned amazing historical facts about all these places. He has told us what to see, where to sleep and where to eat. My God, sometimes I've asked Roger if Rick says its time to breath, sit down or visit the loo!

Today, we have a problem. A fog has settled over the valley. We can't even see the church steeple from our room. We were to start exploring the Mosel Valley, a windy drive filled with spectacular mountain top castles. Sadly, Rick has no words of guidance. We are on our own. There is only one thing do... Drink champagne with our breakfast and then rush over to the largest cathedral outside of Rome, drop to our knees and pray for clear skies .

 

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Seeing both sides now

 

Sittin' in the airport, watch dawn rise. Good bye Prague. It was fun getting to know you. Yesterday was interesting. We walked through cathedrals, castles and dungeons. We went up the funicular to see the Prague Effiel Tower (I thought it was a communist left over structure but no... It built two years after the original Effiel Tower in 1891!) But the big surprise was a music concert and fair we stumbled upon. Families, young adults all wondering around drinking huge beers, carrying emply wine glasses ready for instant fill up, pushing baby buggies, laughing and talking and listening to a variety of musicians. The food carts were amazing. Large potato pancakes, sausages to die for, pickled sweet papers, spicy horse radish. None of this was roped off in a beer garden, no checking IDs, no one behaving badly. Very civilized.

But the real lesson, for me, was the sculpture commemorating the fall of communism. A man, through a series of sculptures, loses parts of himself until he disappears... The result of the dehumanization of the totalitarian state. Being a student in the sixties, being on the edge of hippiness, flirting with new philosophies, it was de rigeur to embrace Russia and blame the USA for everything. I found my self looking backwards and remembering my father who had escaped the Bolsheviks just shaking his head and saying I would grow up. I have seen both sides now.

 

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