Wherever you go, that's where you are

It is a blessing to have a place on this earth where, as soon as you arrive, you know you are home. Oddly, that place for me is Denmark. 

I arrived here 36 years ago. (Is that even possible?) After living here at then for three years over five, I've continued to return  - usually every couple of years, the longest span being nearly a decade. 

I've never found the cure. This place reaches deep within. It is the light, the colors, the sense of design that repeats in the landscape, the homes, how a table is set. It is the food. It is a sensibility and priorities. The things that have dozens of words, where we have one and where we have numerous words and they have so few. 

This is the place where my mind is most still and most creative. My Danish is poor and I certainly don't look the part, but it is here where I am most at home in my own skin. 

Three wonderful days here with dear Elsebeth and Anders, their family who came to visit and an old friend also from that very first visit. I am now more ready to face the world. 

Tusind tak for det!

When in Paria

When Steve said we might have a special treat when in Paris, I wondered if we would be sneaking off to dinner atop the   Eiffel Tower at Le Jules Verne. Might the D'Orsay and lunch be a possibility?

Oh, but what about a destination more visited than either of these? A quick train ride and there was Mickey, Tinkerbell and all their pals at the castle ready to greet Evie, Clara, Jeremy, Pop-pop and Bubbie. Lots of lines and LOTS of fun. 

Everyone should try it at least once, so when in Paris.......

Hey, what's going on here!

For the entire trip, we've been looking forward to arriving in Paris by boat, and cruising by the Eiffel Tower. On the outskirts of Paris, we enjoy hot tubbing on deck on a chilly  summer day and make our way through the last lock. Suddenly there IT is! 

The Eiffel Tower will always make you smile. But, what's that next to it? The Statue of Liberty appears seemingly at the towers feet!

This statue stands a little over 37 feet high in the River Seine, on the Ile des Cygnes and was dedicated on November 15, 1889, just three years after Statue of Liberty was unveiled in New York Harbor. This one in France looks west towards her larger sister. 

"This one?"

Yes. There is also a much smaller replica in the Jardin du Luxemboug. And, yes, one more in Colmar in Alsace, where Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, its designer, was originally from. 

But for us, it was ALL about the statue here on the Seine, right by the Eiffel Tower. We know with certainty that from now on, when we bring people by "lady liberty" in New York harbor, we'll be telling them about this amazing journey. 

Inspiration

How many times are we inspired by what we see, but feel an inability to capture it? This was the Impressionists' goal...to capture that fleeting moment that all too quickly escapes. 

Auvers sur Oise is the small village where Van Gogh spent his last two months, living on less than 4 francs a day, in a minute room over a restaurant that is still open along the main street. Eighty oils from that period capture his everyday moments. His experience can easily be imagined when wandering the small farms or visiting the still used village church. 

A short distance away is Monet's Giverny. 

His lovely home and gardens have been kept intact. His studio, stacked with oils, both his and those he admires. The garden's riot of color begins behind the house and continues to the lush lilly pond with its Japanese Bridge. Yes, the reality is the painting is the reality. Immerse yourself and enjoy. 

Barge, bike, break - repeat

Finding a rhythm that suits a family age to two to - well a LOT older - could be a challenge. Some need to burn off steam, others need to mitigate a huge increase in caloric intake - read the chef is REALLY good and we lack discipline. 

Thank goodness for biking! Nearly everyday, all six of us don helmets and make our way to one of the locks, where there is generally less than three minutes to get bikes and riders loaded off of, or onto, the barge before it either drops or the gate opens. 

As you might imagine, Mr. Steve has carefully measured barge to lock "cycle time". And, yes there have been a few mistimed entries. (Steve has some theories on how to improve the process.) But, in the end, no worries. We can generally paddle faster then the barge can move. 

Besides, who really cares when the scenery is so lovely?

From the dark into the light

Boating is something generally associate with open skies and seas. Boating on barges brings to mind lazy canals and rivers making their way through bucolic agricultural regions. 

Locks act as "elevators". Gates open, boats enter, gates close and water levels shift 15 - 20 feet, plus minus. Gates reopen and your boat is "magically" positioned at the correct level for the next bit of navigation. 

But does this mean avoiding higher elevations? Are tunnels an option? For a boat, you ask? 

For a higher elevation, that's exactly the solution. Two canals in two days of 3 and 2 miles each. 

Having spent so much time on boats, I'd have to admit, it's pretty unnerving. Like locks, these tunnels are spec built to accommodate the industrial barges which are primarily moving goods. The net of which is that your barge has about 18 inches clearance on top and 6-10 inches on each side. Clearly not meant for the inexperienced. 

We make our way through to open skies and look back to the small crescent from which we emerged. We won't share the details of mistimed hot-tubbing and dangling cobwebs as we entered the tunnel. An experience several nightmares and therapy sessions are sure to erase. 

All in, an intriguing and memorable experience - just don't ask Steve or I to drive the boat!

Belgium - not to be overlooked

 It's not that chocolate, waffles, beer and mussels should be overlooked, but its unfortunate that these things are what most if us know of Belgium. 

Lovely cobblestoned Bruge's winding streets meander  along  the îriver  to the main square's medieval guild buildings, cafes and horse drawn carriages.  A UNESCO Heritage site that earns its honors both historically and culturally. 

Ghent is slightly smaller and equally captivating. A medieval capital is at the town's center. A University town, it supports even more tea shops, bakeries and cafes. 

Further along the River Shelde, we stop at an Eco-park with paddle boats for Evie and zip-lines for Clara. The evening is spent at Tiurnai. 

This gem of a town boasts Belgium's oldest belfry, first rung in 1217, and a UNESCO Heritage Sight. The five towers that make up Notre Dame can be seen from nearly every venue. 

As we get closer to the French border, towns speak Flemish, Dutch or French - often one, but not all. The food, however, an amazing blending of all three. 

Tomorrow - France!

And so it begins

Plain, train and automobile .....  Hey, and don't forget the barge!

On June 12 we flew to Paris. There's no time for croissant, as we seamlessly board the fast train to Brussels. The van meets us and in less than an hour, we are in Bruge. The barge is our home for the next 10-days with Jeremy, Erin. Clara and Evie. Ten days on the barge, then a few days in Paris with two little girls of nine and two , should prove to be quite an adventure.  

Rendezvous for a bike trip in Majorca, then a jog around Spain will complete this chapter. 

Check back. We'll keep you posted!

50 years - but whose counting?

MIT grads have much to look forward to. Some would say you know you've really arrived when you receive the MIT cardinal jacket. The class of 1963, of which Steve is one, did just that this past weekend. 

The celebration was a week long series of festivities. A special night at the Boston Pops, reception at the MIT presidents house, rowing on the Charles and joining the current graduating classes procession, who then gave the class of '63 a standing ovation. 

The Pi Lam fraternity spent an evening at the Kaufmans. You'd never guess most of them hadn't seen each other in 50 years. Frat brothers and wives talked and laughed like old friends. 

Finally, the dedication of one tech dinghy to the MIT sailing program. The Miss Clara, named for our oldest granddaughter, was officially launched on reunion weekend. Anyone think Steve is planting seeds? BTW - Clara just turned nine this week!