Five-year old Karin clung to her mother. For warmth and for security. They had slept in their clothes every night and kept a bag packed. They’d already made this run to the bomb shelter 20-30 other times when the sirens went off starting in 1944, and knew they had ten minutes from the time of the siren to get to the shelter. But tonight was different. There would be no returning to their apartment. The bombings in Nuremberg started on January 2, 1945, and lasted for three days. During Continue Reading
What’s a vacation?
“You’re always on vacation,” my friend chided me when I told her I wasn’t available for a zoom meeting. I chuckled. “Well, let’s back up for a minute,” I responded. “I said I’d be out of town. And really, what exactly is a vacation? Does it count if you’re shlepping your own groceries because you plan to do you own cooking? How about if there is no housekeeping service other than your own? And what about swatting flies as I heave my trash bag into the dumpster. Does that really make a Continue Reading
Traveling during the holidays
Happy New Year! How has your holiday season been? Filled with family celebrations, gifts galore, wrapping paper strewn here and there? Too much food, too many calories and too many leftovers? But that isn't everyone's holiday. It certainly isn't mine, nor my friend, Kathy's. So what did we do instead? Travel. And travel we did, creating memories that will last longer than whatever the Amazon truck might deliver. Switzerland, two weeks, criss-crossing the country by train. Wow. Every Continue Reading
Norway – as authentic as it gets
I must have missed the fine print on the travel web site. “You will be offered fish, three meals a day, for twelve consecutive days. But don’t worry, the scenery will be worth it.” You know what? They were right, on both. Kathy and I have just returned from a twelve-day trip, aboard the MS Richard With, that sails the coast of Norway. This Coastal Express Cruise (https://www.hurtigruten.com/en-us/voyages/coastal-express-roundtrip) is part ferry, part cargo ship, part no-frills cruise, Continue Reading