Normandy, France

​Normandy 

   Our second day in France provided more opportunities for sightseeing. Debby had booked an excursion with a private guide to go to Normandy. We were excited to go see it once again. It’s one of those places that offers emotional highs when standing on the sandy beaches or walking among the pristine graveyard. This American cemetery with exquisite placing of white crosses, each in a straight line with the other nearby in any direction, is chilling. Each cross bears the name of a fallen hero. Standing in front of a white cross and reading the name of a fallen soldier from your own hometown is a humbling experience.

   We spent the day visiting the old church where some of our paratroopers got caught up on the church spires, hanging by their chutes and then being shot by German soldiers.  We visited Utah and Omaha beaches and remembered a time when this sand ran red with the blood of our fallen. 

   The graveyard memorial at the American cemetery is most inspiring. The 9,387 manicured graves are all marked with a beautiful white cross inscribed with the soldier’s name, rank, outfit, home state and date. The grounds are beautiful and well kept by the French. The people around Normandy are most grateful for the sacrifices made for them.

   We arrived at the cemetery late afternoon, just in time to witness the flag ceremony. It was a very moving experience and most awesome to realize this was done every day.  

   The monuments that were set up near the beaches of landing zones Still preserve the German bunkers and feels of bomb craters so no one will ever forget.

   Our guide was very knowledgeable of the events of World War II and recounted the events of the Allie’s storming German bunkers along the Normandy coast. We stood on the flat beaches and walked the high cliffs where the Nazi’s hammered our landing crafts with heavy artillery and rained down machine gun fire upon the Allies trying to scale the cliffs. This is a place that every Frenchman and American should see. 

   Our lunch stop in a small coastal Café had a nice selection of French cuisine, pasta and seafood.

   Our guide returned us to the train station so we could catch the last train back to Paris. I think we ate dinner and a small sidewalk café near our hotel. It, too, had excellent food.  We talked about today’s adventures and how touching it was to see where thousands of lives were given on behalf of freedom. I hope we never forget the cost of freedom and never take it for granted.

Mike 

Monet’s Garden, France

​Monet’s Garden.   

   Northwest of Paris about 50 miles, in the Normandy region, is the small village of Giverny, home to the famous painter, Claude Monet. 

   Ever since Debby and I first went to Europe, she has always wanted to visit Monets Garden. In the past, we usually found it difficult to take the time or make the connection. But this time, we hired a private tour guide which included private transportation for the six of us to visit Monet’s Garden.

   It was indeed a beautiful place! Even though this was the middle of October, there were still a lot of flowers blooming in the garden. We walked throughout the grounds looking at plants, flowers and  ponds dotted with Lilly Pads and snapping photos until we ran out of film.  It was not hard to see Monets inspiration for his paintings!

   His home was beautiful yet simple. We enjoyed the tour, especially his art room that contain many replicas of his paintings. The bedrooms, dining room, kitchen and other areas were from another era. The old house was covered in ivy and looked very cool!

   After spending a few minutes in the gift shop I headed noutside and down the street to find a coffee shop our tour guide had mentioned. French coffee is strong but mighty tasty!

   Afterwords, we loaded up and headed back to Paris. Ron and I might have taken a nap on the way back… Not saying for sure.  But we did remove our ear speakers that were attached to our tour guide’s mouth. 

Mike

The Eiffel Tower

​The Eiffel Tower.    

   Today I celebrate my 75th birthday. What better way than to spend it at the top of the Eiffel tower? Even with the Covid crisis we had to wait a couple of hours in line to climb aboard the elevators that would take us to the top.

   It was a good day. The weather was clear and the sun was shining. We kept our face masks on as we rubbed elbows with other tourists. It was a good day to snap photos of this huge city.  

   Steve and Rhonda headed for the Louvre this morning to see the coy smile on the Mona Lisa. They planned to climb the  Eiffel Tower later on in the day. Ron, Nancy, Debby and I took our time checking out the view. We managed to stick together long enough to snap a couple of group photos but otherwise we did our own thing. Most of the time, I think Nancy wished she was back on the ground is this tall tower made her nervous.

   After a couple of hours we took the elevator down to the ground and decided to find some lunch. Debby had wanted to go visit a certain shopping area so we stopped into a small sidewalk cafe on the way.   We rather enjoyed the sidewalk café’s because they were more lax with the rules. If you wanted to sit inside, we had to enter with a mask and also show your vaccination card before you could get a table.

   Not far away we found the street Debby was looking for. It was called Rue Cler, the most famous market street in Paris. This is where local Parisians go for daily shopping. The street was lined with all kinds of shops, cafes, flower shops, clothing stores, variety shops and vegetable stands to name a few. Debby decided to buy me a rolling suitcase.  I had wanted one because my backpack suitcase was a little heavy for my tired old bones. Besides, it came in handy as we shopped and bought things. At the end of the street we decided to sit and enjoy something to drink.  Debby and I had a coffee.  Nancy found a place making tart lemonade with lime. Ron searched for the elusive Dr Pepper. I actually think he found one, too!

   Soon Ron and I decided it was time to head back to our hotel for a nap and rest. We wandered around looking for a taxi and finally found a taxi stand. Deb and Nancy opted to try their hand at more shopping so they gave us the packages and headed out in other directions. 

   We usually preferred taxis over public transportation like trolleys and buses because we could be picked up and dropped off door to door. Old people like that. Besides, for the most part, the price is about the same when you consider splitting the taxi fare four ways. 

   Evening came, Steve and Rhonda were still out. Debby and Nancy were back. We had plans to do a River cruise after dark. We connected with Steve on the phone and arranged a meeting place.

   The boat ride on the Seine River was a lot of fun. The famous buildings, including Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower were lit up with a thousand lights. Many other buildings lining the river were also lit up and the reflection on the water was very pretty. All in all we had a great day!

Mike 

Paris, France

​Paris, France

   Leaving our hotel in Barcelona we checked out and walked our luggage to the nearby train station.  The 6 1/2 hour train ride across Spanish and French countryside, provided exquisite views of rolling hills, farms, vineyards and an occasional hilltop castle. 

   We were obliged to show our passports and vaccination records to French authorities aboard our train. After arriving in Paris we hailed a taxi and enjoy the long ride through the suburbs to our hotel.

   Our rooms were small with miniature balconies accessible only to pigeons and a few raindrops. Steve and Rhonda, the Pinkerton‘s daughter and her husband, had already arrived in Paris. We met up with them at the hotel and enjoyed seeing their excitement of being in Paris!

   We grabbed a cab and did a drive-by at the Eiffel tower for a quick photo app. We only wanted to take a quick look on our first day as we will spend more time on the tower in a couple of days. It was exciting because Steve and Rhonda had never been here before.

Mike

Barcelona, Spain

​Barcelona   —   October 10, 2021

   Today we caught a fast train and moved on to Barcelona. The last time I visited Barcelona was 1969 when my friend, Joe Price, and I did a road trip from our military post in Darmstadt, Germany before we both left for places beyond. Joe finished his military hitch and was being discharged; on his way home. I had one year  remaining; on my way to Vietnam.

   For our first day, we scheduled another free walking tour in old town. We have always enjoyed walking tours as it gives you a very good glimpse into 

 what the city used to look like. If the tour guide is knowledgeable there is much history to be learned. The walking tours are free of charge. If you think the guide was worth it, you can tip as much as you like. The tour guides we have had recently have been guiding for 15 to 30 years.

   It was interesting seeing the old buildings, some from the 12th century and hearing the stories of kings who were often ruthless and harsh to their subjects, with public killings for the bad guys, etc.  It was interesting seeing the old town with its high buildings and narrow streets. The streets in old town are too narrow for today’s vehicle.   That could be tough to fight a fire. 

   We ended at a former  

presidential  palace and a great overlook view to see the city. 

   A very unusual event happened on this tour. But it was perhaps the most pleasant memory. One of the Taurus looked exactly like my granddaughter, Alyssa. With my limited vision, detail features of the face are missing. From what I could see she could have a been a twin to Alyssa! I introduced myself and told her what I was thinking and she seemed pleased. 

We talked for a little bit and she told me I could take pictures if I wanted to. I did. I also showed her a photo of my granddaughter and she agreed that they looked a lot alike. She was from Belgium. I told her I visited Brussels back in 1969.

   From here we caught a cab and headed for our next tour. This was another walking tour but only inside of one of Barcelona‘s most incredible cathedrals, Sagrada Familiae. This Gothic style structure is a masterpiece of design and building. It is still being worked on today.  The corner stone was laid 135 years ago. More than five generations have passed and it will still take another 100 years or so to finish the project. It was created by the architect, Antoni Gaudí. 

   Inside the cathedral, the structure is incredible! Huge marble columns support the tall spires.   There is an enormous ceiling.  It’s height stretches upwards of 200 feet. Large stained glass windows line the east and west walls. The evening sunset was shining through the orange-cast windows and was reflected in the polished granite floor. It was gorgeous!  

   Following this tour we found ourselves thinking about food. Across the street were several fast food shops with familiar names, like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and I don’t know what all. Ron and I decided to have a traditional hamburger, fries and a Coke.  Five Guys Restaurant… It’s what’s for dinner!  Ron is not a very big fan of Coca Cola like he is Dr Pepper. The problem is most of Europe has no interest in Dr Pepper. Rarely did he find one in the store. The 7-Eleven stores in Europe often carry Dr Pepper, but very few other places. So he settles for Coke. 

   The next day we took a cab and visited one of Barcelona’s most unique city parks. The design structures of the park we’re also created by Antoni Gaudi. The hillside structures, staircased In marble and adorned in sculptures and water features made this appear to be drawn from a fantasy book.

   On the third level, a large gathering Place, about the size of a soccer field,  was lined with benches and seating areas to allow the visitor to look out over the city of Barcelona. This large soccer field, was supported on the second level by a myriad of large granite columns, around which were informational walls that helped the visitor learn about the area. It was an amazing setting!

   Ron, Nancy and I took a stroll along some of the walking paths and steep stairways, continuing an upward climb along this hillside. A beautiful home, belonging to the architect, adorned the hillside. We were not able to go inside but I suspect the surrounding views of the city were gorgeous.

   From here we grabbed a taxi and headed for the beach. But we thought it would be unfair if we went to Barcelona and did not take time to visit the Mediterranean.  

   Although the beach was not particularly crowded, there were a lot of people sunning themselves and relaxing on the sand. In light fashion, we relaxed on our beach towels with a cool drink and enjoyed the warm sunshine. There wasn’t much swimming going on. Most of us dipped our toes in the water and found a seashell or two. 

  Before leaving Barcelona for Paris, we took an evening stroll in the downtown area near our hotel and found a beautiful building that was also a creation of Antoni Gaudi. It was apparently well known because there were a lot of other people taking photos and selfies of this building. As I looked upon its features, I wondered how it would be to live in one of those apartments.

   Picking up our last minute souvenirs in a nearby shop, we headed back to the hotel to finish packing and take care of necessary paperwork.

   Tomorrow morning we will be up and heading for the train station on our way to Paris!

Mike Thomas 

Madrid, Spain

Madrid   —   October 8, 2021

   Leaving behind Lisbon, Portugal, we grabbed a cab and headed for the airport. After all the paperwork was complete we had our boarding passes and were soon in the air on an  Air France flight to Madrid.

   Fortunately, there were no glitches and we were soon in a taxi on our way to the Emperador Hotel.  The

Emperador is a beautiful building, ornately decorated with a feeling of luxury. Our room was comfortable and beautiful. I would like to say it was spacious but I cannot. However, it was adequate.

   For our first day in Madrid, we scheduled a walking tour through old town. We met our tour guide on this free walking tour in one of the town squares. He was a young man who can speak faster than a computer could print. He had a large folder filled with black and white and color, 8 x 10 photographs. He knew a large amount of history and made the tour interesting. He pointed out buildings that were centuries old businesses that were still doing the same business for hundreds of years. Many of those old buildings were the same hotel, bar, or restaurant all these years  and even still owned by the same family. Yes it was very interesting.

   Next we visited a local park in the central part of Madrid called Parque del Retiro . This park is Madrid’s Centeal Park and is very similar to New York City’s Central Park. The lake inside the park dates back to about the 15th century. It was made so the king and queen could watch staged battles between ships on the water as created by the people wanting to entertain their king. Today it’s used by the locals for canoeing, boating or feeding fish and ducks. 

 We found a stand selling gelato. It was very tasty!

   After dinner, our last evening, we discovered the top floor of our hotel  that contained a lounge, food and drinks and  a swimming pool, with awesome panoramic views of Madrid’s night lights.  Pretty cool!  The swimming pool looked inviting but because of the cool night air, we opted to stay dry instead. 

Mike 

   

   

The COVID Glitch

 The COVID Glitch   —   October 6, 2021                

   The health tracking nightmare, at times feels overwhelming. Health Ministers in  almost every country wants to know your life story and family history, probably under the guise of tracking your movements in and out of their country.  You know…the big brother thing.  They want to know every detail from our family secrets to our airplane seat numbers.  It’s hard on us!  We Codgers have a hard enough time trying to dial a phone number let alone fill out 7 pages of internet paperwork on a smartphone! So we needed help!  We planned to be at the airport early on the morning of our flight, to try and get some help!  we wanted to be at the Lisbon airport at least 3 hours ahead of our actual departure time to Madrid, Spain. We sat at a table in a large food service area with our sweet rolls and coffee, planning our Health Tracking paperwork for Spain. 

   The girls received a text or email explaining that we may have been exposed to COVID-19 during our recent stay in the UK, and to call a 1-866 number. It appeared to be a toll free number that originated in the United States. First of all, we did not visit the UK except to land at Heathrow, grab a chartered vehicle and driver, then go to catch our next flight to Lisbon, out of Gatwick Airport.   We had no contact with anyone except our driver. As we often receive spam calls and emails when traveling in foreign countries, London being mo exception, we thought nothing of it. We reasoned that we should not be getting COVID information texts from the US because we have bee in Iceland and Portugal the last 7 days. 

   Every place we go into to use the free Wi-Fi, we are forced to accept their cookies use policy or you can’t use the internet. We had gotten on the airport’s internet because we were trying to make contact with our driver. That was 4 days ago and we are not feeling any effects of COVID or anything. Then came another message bearing a London number and an internet link to click on. This also seemed to be suspect though I received no such email on my account. So the girls took off to find a health station in the Airport. 

   Approaching two handsome young police officers,  the girls asked for directions to the nearest health attendant. The officers asked why. Debby and Nancy explained our situation and the officers had us gather all our belongings and come with them. They took us to a secluded spot in the airport and called for an EMP type person. 

   From here things progressed along with uncertainty. We waited on the Health authorities. Two uniformed people soon showed up. The young woman EMT was loaded down with more than 60 pounds of gear, as was the young man with her. She was obviously in charge and began asking us for all the details. After much discussion, she decided it would be necessary to call her boss, the Minister of Health. 

   It soon became obvious that we would not be taking this flight to Madrid.  The officers remained with us during the whole time, except when it was shift change time. Minutes turned into hours and hours into several mort. 

   Eventually the very busy Minister of Health called in and began asking more questions. He commended us for our openness and honesty in coming to them instead of simply ignoring the emails. 

   It was still a while before we were cleared by the Lisbon Minister of Health that we could be on our way. By this time our flight had long taken off and we were stuck.   Because we did not tell the airlines that we would not make the flight (we were being detained by the health authorities), we were not allowed to reschedule another flight on our ticket. Instead, we would be required to purchase  4 more fares entirely!  

   To make this more challenging, there is no counter service in the Lisbon Airport. Every transaction must be online. So here are 4 old codgers with barely half a brain between two of us trying to figure everything out in Portuguese!   On top of it all, we are also trying to figure out how to claim our missing luggage!  Did it land in Madrid??  One of the officers assured us the luggage would have been removed from the plane when we failed to board. We just had to find where the airlines stashed it!

   I must give a lot of credit to the good character of the people of Lisbon. We were helped with the utmost kindness all the way through our ordeal. 

   After much waiting we soon had our luggage in hand and were on our way to get help with finding new tickets. A kind lady recalled a travel agent inside the airport and she was willing to help us acquire tickets and even process our health travel documents for Spain!  It took a while!  Debby stayed with her as we waited. 

   We barely made the last flight to Madrid. What a day!!!  Our appreciation to the two young police officers who showed us kindness and respect. Many thanks to the two EMTs who were very tenacious to push the Health Minister for our release and for walking with us throughout the entire process including help with retrieving our luggage and pointing us to someone to get our tickets. And thank you Lisbon for letting us visit your country. We will not be back.