Maybe Someday…

Last year, my daughter and I took a day trip down to Rhode Island to visit a garden I’d seen on a YouTube channel. Sakonnet Garden is located in a bucolic town called Little Compton. We had an amazing time exploring this magical place. You can see that trip here in pictorial post I had made. No jibber jabber, just photos. We had planned on checking out the little coffee shops and antique stores we had seen on the way to the garden, but soon found out that everything rolls up in this town at 4:00pm!

We resolved to return and have an overnight girls’ trip to insure that we would be able to see more of what Little Compton has to offer. We also wanted to see the rhododendrons in bloom so this time we went earlier in the season. We secured a hotel (more on that later) and set out to tear up Little Compton!

First things first, we wanted to have breakfast at the Groundswell Bakery. This is a compound of cute shops all owned by the same entity. Truth is, this is actually in Tiverton Rhode Island, not Little Compton. I did not realize this the first time out.

This Parisian-inspired café is located in a historic nineteenth century building.

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We took our cappuccinos and provisions out to the sunny porch.

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Then, happily fortified, we ventured across the street to Groundswell Garden + Home.

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We moved on to the Garden section of the compound, just across a side street.

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After our time at Groundswell we headed over to the hotel. When I say THE hotel, I mean it’s the only hotel in Little compton. The Stone Forge Inn is a beauty and perfectly located with a view of Round Pond and a short distance to Tappens Beach.

Our room was not quite ready, so the host recommended we head to the aforementioned beach which is about a mile away and only accessible by foot. We’re young and healthy! Let’s go.

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This was a simply gorgeous walk. The weather on this visit could not have been more perfect.

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We lounged and skipped a few rocks before it was time to head back and check in.

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Our room was gargantuan! Seriously, nearly as big as my house.

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After a bit of freshening up we took the jaunt over the Sakonnet Garden. I do highly recommend a visit here if you’re ever in the area. Though it’s small, you’ll be immersed in a maze of pathways leading to artistically themed garden rooms.

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As I mentioned before, we were here specifically for the Rhododendrons. We timed it pretty well, but we were just on the cusp of blooms. some had gone past, but there was definitely a show to be seen.

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We finished up our tour, said goodbye to the resident mini-horse and set about finding some ice cream.

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There is no ice cream in Little Compton. Back to Tiverton, right across from our breakfast spot is Gray’s Ice Cream.

We had decided earlier in the day that we’d have our dinner at the hotel, seeing that there were no restaurants close by. However, the day was still young and the weather was sublime so we weren’t ready to head back. Meghan found a potential spot to have a drink and chill for a bit in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

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Once you walk through there is a patio and an expansive lawn right on the water. Meghan went and got us drinks while I pounced on two adirondacks. It was right here where we stayed for hours enjoying the view alongside some excellent live music and good conversation. Turns out that this spot was the last place that Jimmy Buffet performed before he passed in September of 2023.

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Well, we eventually did leave, reluctantly. We had spied a sign for a Tavern at the hotel that also boasted some snacks. The lovely hotel manager had to leave her post at the desk to scoot down to the bar to play bartender.

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While she served us we asked her about the function space and I mentioned that they must be really busy with weddings at a place as beautiful as this. Surprisingly, she said no. That’s when we got the full tea on why Little Compton is devoid of restaurants, bars and really anything other than homes, a few farm stands and a small lunch counter. This was not always the case. The current town board of selectmen doesn’t want any tourists. They used to have weddings at the Inn but the town took away their parking permits. There was also some live music at the local vineyard, but that was a big nope, so the parking permit was yanked there too. This “little” town wants to maintain its namesake, for better or worse. On to dinner!

We decided on the charcuterie board seeing we just had a huge ice cream not that much earlier. Oh my goodness gracious, it was HILARIOUSLY large! Seriously, if I were hosting a party for a dozen people I would put this amount of cheese out and still have leftovers.

We ate as much as we could and still had to leave $25 worth of parmesan on the board.

The next morning we rose and shone and had a lovely croissant and coffee in the breakfast room before heading out for a brisk walk on one of the recommended trails in the area.

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The boardwalk led us out o an expansive field. It was bursting with songs of the creatures and critters in the marsh….and Meghan sneezing.

On the way back to the hotel we saw this green house and screeched in to check it out. They had tons of unique house plants and gorgeous displays not for sale.

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We checked out of the idyllic Stone Forge Inn and stared our return journey. Meghan had done a little research and found a place we could stop by on the way back home, Blithwold Manor.

We took a quick walk through the home, but the gardens were the draw here. What was going to be a quick visit turned into an extensive walk through thirty three acres of remarkable seaside gardens.

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The most impressive part of the property were the humongous old growth trees.

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Hunger began to set in so we tore ourselves away from he gardens. We found A charming spot by the water to enjoy lunch before the final jaunt home. I have no recollection of the name of the place.

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We had plans to hit a plant sale in Meghan’s neighborhood, but it got so out of hand, the cops had to shut it down. Shut it down! We gardeners are hard core.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed the gardens, the ocean views, and lounging over tasty bites, it was the time away with my daughter that was the real gift. When your grown kid wants to spend a weekend with you, you drop everything and go. Until next the next adventure!

We have much left to see and do in Sarasota on our last day, so let’s get right to it. We started with breakfast at at place called Station 400. It’s located in a restored 1852 railroad depot which was was built in Kentland, Indiana. The old depot was painstakingly pieced apart and reassembled in Sarasota.

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The food was as delightful as the atmosphere. We actually visited again the next morning before we headed to the airport.

You may remember that The Ringling Brothers Circus is a foundational part of the City of Sarasota. Today we will be visiting the The Ringling Museum which includes the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, Ca’ d’Zan, and Historic Asolo Theater, along with waterfront gardens. We wouldn’t get even one quarter the way through this sixty six acre compound.

The Circus Museum is jam packed with posters, costumes, art and implements of carnival life.

I have a fond memory of attending the Ringling Brother Barnum and Bailey Circus as a child. This was waaaay back in the olden days when they still had lion tamers and trained poodles and such.

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The preeminent Tiger-Tamer extraordinaire at the time was Gunther Gebel Williams. He literally ran away and joined the circus in post WWII Germany and would eventually be lured over to the states by the Ringling Brothers Circus. I don’t recall thinking he was a stone cold fox when I was eight, but…

Also housed in the Circus Museum is an an exact 3/4-inch-to-the-foot scale replica of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as it might have looked from 1919 – 1938.

This miniature recreation of circus life was created by a man named Howard Tibbal. He was fascinated by the mechanics of how they’d travel to a new town each day and set up a virtual city. For over 50 years Tibbals worked with excruciating effort to recreate this tableau from old photographs and circus posters.

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I just took a few snaps of the Big Top section of the circus, but this whole display was 3,800 square feet, three times the size of my home. I could totally live here!

There was a small exhibit of sketches and paintings of various circus acts and members.

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Below is a watercolor self-portrait of Sarah Biffin who was not a part of the Ringling family. She was born without arms or legs, yet she taught herself to draw, paint, make dresses and sew using her mouth and shoulders. At 13 years old she traveled with a circus led by showman Emmanuel Dukes. Biffin performed across England, where she would demonstrate her painting skills. The Dukes family marketed her as the “limbless wonder”.

You can also get a gander at the Wisconsin, a rail car built in 1896 by the Pullman Car Company. John Ringling conducted the business of the circus aboard the the train in addition to vacations to Utah and Yellowstone National Park, as well as Sarasota when they bought their property here in 1911. In 2003 it was given to The Ringling Museum by the N.C. Transportation Museum, where it underwent significant restoration to uncover the original paint, gold plating, and beautiful stained glass windows.

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Jeff needed to shuffle off to return some gear were borrowed for our gig over the weekend. I decided to hang back and check out the Ringling’s home located here on the museum grounds, the Cà d’Zan. One might think you hit your head and woke up in Venice Italy.

This Mediterranean revival home was built in the mid-1920s as the winter retreat for John and Mable Ringling. The name Cà d’Zan means “House of John” in the Venetian language.

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Jeff finished his business and headed back to the museum. We hadn’t yet even seen the Museum of Art which is a colossal 150,000 square feet. I planned on visiting to see the both the exhibits and the building itself which looked stunning in the brochure, but time was getting on. We really wanted to get back to St. Armand Circle, which we had breezed by on day two. Plus, it was nearly lunchtime and you don’t want to be cranky whilst viewing priceless works of art. No worries, the art museum is free on Mondays, so we can definitely hit it again when we return to Sarasota. Hint, hint.

We arrived at Armand Circle and took a couple loops around enjoying the people watching and window shopping.

We landed at Crab and Fin for our late lunch/dinner. I had had this place on my list, but it was also highly recommended by locals.

We got a prime outdoor table in the cool afternoon shade. We were strongly encouraged by the bartender to get the tuna appetizer. We’re easily influenced so we acquiesced. This was the best tuna we have ever enjoyed, by a mile! The fish simply melted in your mouth. So fresh and delicious!

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For our last night in Sarasota, we would head downtown to the Westin Hotel for a drink on the roof top and a view of the sunset.

We decided to wander downtown for a cappuccino and dessert before calling it a night. We met a chatty young lady who worked at this Kitchen Bar the previous night so we popped in and grabbed a seat at the bar.

We shared this delightfully rich cake. Just what was needed.

We would be flying out in the morning after a nice breakfast. I won’t go into the flight delay, then cancellation and the overnight in a sticky hotel in Charlotte North Carolina. We got home, that’s the important thing.

This little getaway was partly a respite from the cold and partly fact finding mission. Is Florida life something that could be a part of our semi-retirement plan? Are we the snow bird type? Are we beach people? The answer is yes, especially if we go ahead and invest in some beach chairs.

Until next time, Sarasota.

We awoke to another gorgeous sunny day. We wandered back downtown for breakfast at a French Café.

When we plopped down at this Brasserie, I promptly ordered a cappuccino, but the machine was BROKEN! I know…devastating. I regrouped and ordered a regular coffee. It was the worst thing that happened to me all day.

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Today we will be visiting the World Famous Siesta Key Beach, after a brief delay on the North Bridge.

We made it to the World famous Siesta Key Beach! I had been watching the “beach cam” live footage while shivering in my living room for weeks before this trip and now we are actually here!

Now, this boast of #1 beach seems to be in dispute. Some lists have it ranked #2 for 2023/2024 after Ka’anapali Beach in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Until I have visited both, I cannot chime in.

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The first thing you’ll observe about Siesta Key is that the beach is expansive. Huge you might say. You’ll need to grab a snack at the concession stand to eat on your journey to the shoreline. We visited on a cooler day so the sand was not hot at all. I later learned that even on scorching days the sand stays cool. It’s 99% quartz so it’s reflective qualities make it comfortable underfoot. 

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We lounged on the beach for good amount of time considering that we didn’t bring chairs, or towels or sunscreen or an umbrella or food or enough water. We’re not good at being beach people. Not to worry, it was getting on time to head out for lunch anyway.

We were so busy hanging out and visiting friends for the first couple days that we didn’t really eat to the degree to which I’m accustomed. On this afternoon I wanted sit down and have a proper seafood feast. We landed over at Siesta Ket Oyster Bar. I requested a table out front where we could people watch, enjoy the sunshine, and hear some live music.

We ordered a couple of beverages and let our waiter know that we were in it for the long haul. He was super cool about letting us relax and enjoy our drinks and the vibe for awhile before ordering food.

When I popped inside to visit the powder room, I was met with an onslaught of one dollar bills. For some time SKOB customers have been writing messages on the cash and stapling it to the walls and ceiling. Every few years, staff members remove the bills, and the owners pick a charity where they will donate the money. In the past, the donations have gone to victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and Hurricane Ian in Florida. The latest round went to Hawaii for Maui fire relief.

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I set about ordering our feast. It was just what I’ve been craving; fresh and beautiful seafood!!!

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We had been seated at a table for four. I was just leaning over to Jeff to say that he reach out to our friends Dave and Mary to see if they want to join us. They moved down here a couple of years ago…you know the drill. We had talked about getting together with them at some point during the day. Guess who walked right up to our table?

We had the most relaxing afternoon eating, drinking and chatting with our friends, but it was getting on time to head back to our AirBnB take a disco nap. We had yet more shows to attend!

In a nearly unbelievable coincidence, we had two friends who were both on tour, playing in two separate bands at a venue in Sarasota on this very night! Inconceivable!

The Shows were at a brewery now called “Cock & Bull”. It was Big Top Brewing when we were there and then changed the name two weeks later. Way to make this blogger feel insane trying to find the place for reference.

First up was Bad Marriage. We’ve known the lead singer Jon for many years through social media, but it took a concert 1200 miles away to finally get to see his band. They were fantastic. My favorite of the night was “Bad Blood”.

I made my way through the crowd to capture a bit of the performance.

Next up was Enuff Z’nuff

Enuff Z’nuff is a Glam/Pop/Rock band. They had some radio hits in the late 80s, the biggest being “Fly High Michelle”. They were flipping amazing with tight vocal harmonies and an incredible over all sound. They threw in a couple covers, starting right off with the Beatles “Magical Mystery tour”. Killer!

We met the lead guitarist, Tory not too long ago. Jeff had been Facebook friends with him for quite a bit. He and his girl stopped into one of our gigs last year. It just happened to be one of the weirdest most awkward gigs we’ve ever played. Not THE weirdest, mind you. When we get together I’ll tell you about it. Anyway he’s a great guy and a monster talent.

Here’s a bit of the action:

We had a blast today experiencing the serene beaches, the delectable seafood, and some serious rock in Sarasota. We still have one last full day to explore this fair city.

This mini-getaway was a milestone for us. It was the first time we’d be in Florida and NOT go to Walt Disney World. We had another agenda for this trip. Over the years there has been a growing list of our musician friends who have flown the coop and landed down on the West Coast of the Sunshine State. Though I absolutely love the glories of New England’s crisp autumn season and warm spring days, the bone-chillingly frigid period between New Year’s Day and Easter can go take a hike. We decided to head down to Sarasota to both thaw out and visit our friends. We were also on a fact finding mission to see if this may be a place for us to eventually “snow bird” when Mr. Jones retires from the day job. Music is a huge part of this area, so of course we’d be checking out plenty of that…and playing a bit ourselves.

Our journey was thankfully uneventful. I looked at a ton of hotels but decided to go with an AirBnB this time. This location was just perfect for our plans and had great reviews. We were not disappointed.

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We were righteously hungry by this time. I had already had a spot picked out in the downtown area.

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It was time to head over to see the first of our ex-pat musician friends play in their new natural habitat.

We had such a great time watching our buddy holding court over the crowd. He loves his new home in Sarasota. We will be polling our friends about how much they like it here and if they have any regrets. So far: 1-0 loving it.

Next we headed back downtown, not far from where we had lunch. to a bar called Cask and Ale. Our friends Ryan and Lynn were playing with their band Dirty Bird.

This place was just as packed as our first destination, plus there was no real stage so the crowd and the band were co-mingling. We didn’t get any selfies (they really are our friends, honest!) but Lynn is the one crushing Stevie Wonder and Ryan is holding that funky rhythm on the geee-tar.

We got to chat with Lynn and Ryan for a bit between sets. They haven’t been living down here too long, but they’ve already planted roots. The “Absolutely loving it!” score counter: 2-0.

Friends, that was a loooong day. We crashed hard but we were up and at ’em early the next morning. We wanted to check out some sights before going north to see some more music. First we had to get a good breakfast. I saw this place on a list of must-do’s. The locals were waiting in line to eat inside because it was a blustery sixty five degrees out. We got seated outside on the patio right away.

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Fully fueled, we drove over to St. Armands Key.

I quickly learned while preparing for this trip that Sarasota and the Ringling Circus are tightly bound together. John and Mable Ringling purchased a home and 20 acres of land on Sarasota Bay in the early 1920s and it became the winter home for the Circus. There are museums, theatres and art schools adorned with the Ringling name all about the city. We will be visiting some of these later in the trip. Back to to St. Armands Key.

St. Armands has a large round-a-bout with a small park in the center known as St. Armands Circle. This area is chock full stores and restaurants and branches off into different directions with more shops on the outside of the circle.

To give you a better understanding of the area, I hopped on to my helicopter to get this aerial photo.

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We planned on checking out the shops and such, but we were lured further out of the circle over to Lido Beach.

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I planned to visit Lido Beach at some point, but I didn’t have an idea of how close it is to Armand Circle. The white sands and clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico were intoxicating. We enjoyed a long stroll along the beach and took it all in.

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Next we hopped into the rental car and drove north east to Ellenton to see yet another set of friends. Liz and John would be playing at Woody’s River Roo. That sounds fun, right?

Woody’s boasts that it has true “Old Florida” charm. I can vouch for that. The place was spralling with tons of outdoor seating under Tiki umbrellas overlooking Manatee River.

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These guys were playing under the main tiki hut on a roomy stage. We had such a great time listening to our friends and chatting up the locals.

John and Liz moved down here a few years ago. John was someone we’d known for quite a while. When we met Liz, I thought she was so cool. Maybe we could could even be besties! Then she told us they were moving to Florida. Coincidence? Maybe… maybe not.

We needed to get back to our digs to rest up because we would be playing a real live show ourselves tonight! Our buddy Stephen, who also moved down here five years ago (you’re seeing a pattern now, right?) invited us to join him at one of his gigs on Siesta Key. This was such a cool spot!

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This was a pretty large place with porches and a cozy bar out front. The music is tucked into this grotto-like space with just a dozen or so tables. So delightful!

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It was a gas just to get to play in Florida, let alone with such a talented friend. Plus, making an appearance to cheer us on were John, Liz and also Ryan who was playing next door!

Plus we got to hang with our non-musician friend Jen who…you guessed it… moved down here a couple years ago. I foolishly never got a selfie with her. She’s gorgeous and tall and I adore her.

Well, I’ve lost count of the number of friends who love living in Sarasota. Let’s go to percentages. So far, it’s 100%. Maybe they all are trying to avoid an awkward relationship with me? Probably not. It’s pretty amazing here.

Next up: We’ll be going back to explore Siesta Key beach and eat all the seafood.

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This morning we would arrive and dock at our final port, Amsterdam. Those who have meticulously followed this blog for the past ten years may recall that my very first post chronicled my experience roaming about the streets of this delightful city. I chose this itinerary specifically because of this. What an ideal way to conclude our “Disney Adventure” ™ !

Every evening we would receive an information sheet under the door with the next day’s various itineraries and other essential information. I know, it’s a little late in the trip to tell about this now. Oops!

Here you can see how jam packed your day could be if you chose to do so. You can also see how many snacks were at one’s disposal around the clock.

To start the day we queued up for a guided canal tour. Technically, we were up and out at the crack of dawn, but the sunrise at this time of year isn’t until after 8:00 am.

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It was such a beautiful, calm morning. We drifted past the house boats and iconic brick homes of Amsterdam. I learned that the multi-storied apartments are built with a forward lean, in order to use a pully to hoist up furniture. Now you know too.

After the canal cruise we could choose to visit one of three different museums: Van Gogh, Rembrandt or Rijksmuseum. We chose the Van Gogh. We walked through the Rijksmuseum’s bicycle tunnel which opened up onto a large plaza, the Museumplein.

Once in the museum, we separated into groups for a guided tour through the exhibits.

Psych! It’s a replica that’s meant to be touched by visitors. Please don’t go man handling works of art without permission.

The museum was great, though the language barrier between ourselves our guide was a bit high. Her english was certainly a lot better than my Dutch.

Post museum we wandered back out to the plaza for a cappuccino at the very first stand I stopped at on our first trip.

You may think you know what’s happening in the picture below, but there’s more to this story…

This poor girl got herself a yummy, sweet waffle, and then was besieged by wasps attacking the sugary treat. She had to surrender the pastry to the hostile insects. Then these pigeons swept in and took the whole thing! Nature at work.

After the museum, we were shuttled back to the boat to regroup for the afternoon excursions. We could either visit a charming fishing village or travel to the countryside to see the iconic wind mills and taste cheese. Although these two offerings sounded lovely (I do enjoy a piquant Gouda), we agreed that we would rather go rogue. We wanted to just walk around and seek out the some of places we enjoyed on our first trip together.

We headed into the Old Town of Amsterdam. The weather this evening was absolute perfection.

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We had one specific goal and that was to find the delightful, cozy bar in which we lingered almost every evening of our last visit. I had the address but feared it may not have survived after all these years.

Guys, this is the most charming bar on the planet, in my humble opinion.

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It was such a gift to be back here after all these years. We were both feeling so grateful to be able to revisit and reflect on these fond memories. We enjoyed our beverages and reluctantly moved on.

We walked a whole heck of a lot. Really. We were now ready for another stop. We found an outdoor café riiiight on the canal.

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I snapped a million photos of the architecture. Here’s five of them.

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And we’re walking, we’re walking…

A bust of Eduard Douwes Dekker, pen name Multatuli, who is considered one of the Netherlands’ greatest authors.

We put in a record number of steps today. We were quite ready to enjoy our last evening meal on the ship. It was spectacular as per usual.

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We would be up and out early the next morning for our journey back home. They had a very swift system to get you the heck off of their boat. Coffee, pastry…buh bye.

In the past ten years, Mr. Jones and I have had more amazing adventures than we deserve. I’m so grateful for every one. That business trip to Amsterdam on which I tagged along was an experience that I could never, ever duplicate. It came after a very long time of thinking…”Maybe Someday”. This voyage, however, was one for the books, or the blog as it were. Thank you for following along. I hope you enjoyed the journey.

This day in Cologne Germany started pretty rainy and gloomy. We were grouped up and sent off with a local guide for a walking tour, beginning at the site of the historic Fischmarkt Köln. Here we were greeted by these candy colored buildings.

This city was full of contrasts. The grandeur of the church of St. Martin looming over the nursery colors of the Market buildings was a striking.

The design of the church you see was largely conceived of during the 12th-century, but was reconstructed following heavy bomb damage during World War II. Unlike most of the little towns and villages we have visited previously which had escaped a majority of damage, Cologne was devastated during this conflict. We’ll look more at this later.

We proceeded to the Alter Markt, or the Old Market in the heart of the Old Town.

This area is home to the Christmas Market during winter but is perhaps best known for the Carnival which begins at 11:11am on the 11th day of the 11th month. This is when Cologne goes completely bonkers and hoards of Jecken, or madmen, storm the town hall.

From what I’ve read it’s an opportunity to go nuts, drink beer and thumb their noses at authority. Our guide brought us around to a few of the statues in the Market. Further cementing how serious the Colognians take Karnival, there’s a monument in honor of Willi Ostermann, the author of the official song of the festival “Heimwih noh Kölle” (Home-sick for Cologne).

The people of Cologne seem to love to push back against the upper crust. When we were gathered outside of the Cologne Town hall (the Kölner Rathaus) we were instructed to keep our eye on the “Platzjabbeck”, the wooden face sculpture on the facade. This guy opens its mouth and sticks out its tongue when the tower clock strikes the hour. Funny, yes, but it’s got nothing on one of the other sculptures which also dons the building.

The Tower of the Town Hall includes 133 statues of people related to the history of Cologne. The medieval building, almost destroyed in the Second World War, was finally reconstructed in 1975 followed by the completion of the replicated statues in the late 1980s.

Amazingly, this reconstruction included this obscene carving hidden beneath the statue of Archbishop Konrad von Hochstadenthe. Be prepared to clutch your pearls.

Apparently Archbishop Konrad was very unpopular among the good people of Cologne due to the tax he implemented on hops, indirectly taxing beer. According to my research, such mocking statues were tolerated by the local authorities under the condition that they were not clearly visible. They were placed high up on buildings, in dark corners, or underneath bigger statues like with our self-fellating friend above.

While most of the city of Cologne was destroyed by bombing during World War II, ironically, beneath it still lives the remnants of the first century Roman city that preceded it. Over the centuries buildings and roads were just constructed right over the ancient foundations. Even as recently as the 1960s there was little regard for the historical significance of these structures. Beneath the Cologne Cathedral is a functional parking garage that was just wedged in around these ancient Roman ruins.

The Romano-Germanic Museum (which was sadly closed while we were visiting) was established in 1974 on the former site of an ancient Roman Villa. They are now responsible for excavating and preserving these treasures.

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During the construction of that 1960s underground parking garage that we talked about earlier, a portion of a Roman road was discovered by chance. The garage entrance seemed more important at the time so the road was moved five meters to the south. The stones were numbered so they could be assembled correctly, but they were made with chalk so the rain just washed the markings away. As a result, the workers just placed the stones any old way. Romans were considered experts in road building so I’m going to assume that this isn’t what they intended.

The Cologne Cathedral is the center piece of this city on the Rhine. You may recall that when we visited Strasbourg, that cathedral just bowled me over. I had never before seen a man made creation so enormous and so grand. This church is actually a dozen meters taller and certainly every bit as stunning as Strasbourg. It only suffered for being the second one we viewed.

The cornerstone of this Gothic cathedral was laid on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in 1248 and finally completed in 1880. That’s almost as long as it took to finish the Big Dig. Sorry international readers, that’s some local humor.

Cologne was pummelled during the Second World War and ninety five percent of the city was completely destroyed. Despite fifteen aerial bombings, the cathedral survived intact but badly damaged. Its stained glass windows and artistic treasures had thankfully been moved to a safe place prior to the bombing raids.

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I have to be honest with you, friends. I really didn’t appreciate Cologne as much as I should have while we were there. Other than the Cathedral, the city didn’t seem terribly different from other modern centers. The rainy weather didn’t allow us to explore very much and the Roman-German museum (a significant attraction for this city) was closed for renovations at the time. It wasn’t until I was back home researching for this installment that I got a real understanding of this city.

I was completely sobered when I found this footage of a tank battle which took place at the foot of the Cologne Cathedral. This place, right where we stood, was the scene of absolute devastation beyond comprehension. In just 87 years this mighty city has been rebuilt and stands tall and proud.

Please take a moment to watch this astonishing video capturing the Battle of Cologne.

We found a nicely covered patio right outside of the cathedral for a cappuccino and respite from the drizzle. We had a bit of time to pass before our guided pub crawl.

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Cologne Germany is known for its beer called Kölsch. To be considered such, it must be made within 50 kilometers of the city of Cologne. Kölsch is warm fermented with top-fermenting yeast, then conditioned at cold temperatures like a lager, so I’m told.

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Kölsch is traditionally served in a tall cylindrical glass called a “stange,” or pole. As the story goes, these ales are served in small glasses because they lose their flavor as they sit. Instead of waiting for the drinker to order a refill, the servers or Köbes will just bring you another beer and make a tick on the coaster under the Stange. When the patron is finished, they place the coaster on top of the empty Stange and pay for the number of beers marked on the coaster.

We crawled, as it were, over to the next brewery above call Früh. I hopped over to their website and found this description that gave me a chuckle.

“The Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh KG has been around for over 100 years. Since then, it has been standing for Cologne hospitality opposite Cologne Cathedral, for over 100 years of Cologne’s history and more than 100 years of family tradition – and above all, for more than 100 years of delicious Kölsch beer.“

Quiz: How long have they been brewing Kölsch? Correct!

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I had enjoyed so many fantastic Non-alcoholic beers on this trip so far. However, here in Cologne they didn’t seem to have any, or at least not where we went. They instead gave me a drink that’s designated for toddlers.

We made our way back where we began, to the Fischmarkt at the river, and meandered back to the boat for lunch.

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While lunch was served everyday on the ship, up until today we chose to stay out and about and enjoy the town/city we were visiting. I’m not sure if this was the kind of family style feast served each day, but oh my!

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After lunch we retired to our room for a rest. Before that, I grabbed myself a cappuccino from this marvelous machine in the lounge. It makes about a zillion different variations of coffee drinks and I had about as many. Being on an “all you care to imbibe” wine cruise as a newly minted non-drinker had the potential to be a challenge. This coffee was a real treat.

By this time the clouds had cleared away. We began our longest leg of the cruise up to the Netherlands. I enjoyed these bucolic views from our balcony while I sipped on my cappuccino.

Time passed…

It was time for our penultimate dinner. On this night I somehow remembered to photograph nearly every course. I can’t stress enough how delectable everything was.

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We will be up and at ’em early tomorrow to be reunited with our favorite city, Amsterdam. This will be the grand finale of a grand adventure!

For our second day in Germany we will be exploring Rüdesheim am Rhein. This small town is located on the right bank of the Rhine River in Germany’s Rheingau wine region. Our ship was docked within steps of our destination so no coach rides were necessary. We crossed the street and ducked down a narrow street called Drosselgasse.

The winsome charm of this town became immediately apparent. The narrow, cobblestoned lane of shops, wine taverns, biergartens, and restaurants are housed in half-timbered medieval buildings.

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At the top of the agenda was a visit to Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet Museum. Cabinets? Yeah, I was confused too.

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The museum’s namesake, Siegfried Wendel was the curator of an astounding array of self- playing musical contraptions. Most were in poor condition, or even destined for the scrap heap before they were rescued and repaired. Some of the complex music boxes are so tiny that they can fit in the palm of your hand. Others are so huge that they fill up most of a room.

The only way to visit is by guided tour. Our adorable guide provided history and facts about all these machines with robust enthusiasm.

The first contraption we experienced was the enormous 1909 Hupfeld Violina Phonoliszt. It’s as big as a Buick and was absolutely astounding to witness.

Here’s a video:

If you’re wondering where the singing is coming from, it’s not a tiny man stuffed in the box. That was our Disney tour guide Danny. He just happens to also be an opera singer. What an over-achiever.

This Gebruder Bruder organ was much more colorful and played calliope music. Most of the mechanics are hidden inside.

“Heidi” played a record on this gramophone for us. It was Que Sera Sera from Doris Day. Brought me right back to the days of singing in nursing homes. The diamond needle on the arm has to be changed each time it’s played or it will destroy the record.

This Weber Maesto Orchestrion played a flurry of piano, violin, flute, clarinet, trumpet and saxophone along with xylophone, drums and cymbol crashes. You can see much more of the mechanics in this one.

Video:

I mentioned before that this museum is housed the medieval Brömserhof building. Two of the rooms’ vaulted ceilings are covered in gorgeous paintings preserved from the mid-1500s.

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I think my favorite piece would have to have been this whimsical little singing bird box. “Heidi” came around and played it for each of us . You can also hear her adorable german accent in this next video:

I found this Youtube video showing how the mechanism creates this birdsong.

After the museum, we were released on our own recognizance. We wandered a bit taking in all the gorgeous atmosphere. The planters were just lovely. It was surprising how lush everything remained so late in the season.

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We were given another “Freebee” to enjoy today. A coupon for a Rüdesheim Coffee. This a local specialty made with whipped cream and brandy. It can be found in any almost café here, but this particular spot is the most popular.

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The recipe involves a flambé of brandy, some coffee, and a generous amount of whipped cream with shaved chocolate. I wasn’t drinking alcohol, but we thought maybe it would pretty much be burned off. When we asked the straight faced waiter, he responded with a flat out “No.”

I ordered a cappuccino, and gave my brandy laced coffee to Jeff, but not before swiping the whipped cream and chocolate off the top.

They make a big show of the presentation. Here’s one from the interweb:

When we first set out on this morning is was extremely foggy, but the sky cleared just in time for our next adventure: taking a ride on the  Seilbahn Rüdesheim  Gondolas. The tiny cable cars carry you up over the vineyards and affords the most spectacular view back down to the town and the Rhine River beyond it.

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Rheingau is known as Germany’s premier wine-producing region and most famous for its rieslings. I’m sure the vineyards are just gorgeous anytime of year, but the glowing yellow of the just-turning fall leaves were absolutely stunning against blue skies.

Below is a video from the gondola:

Once you’re at the top, you’ll be greeted by the Niederwalddenkmal. This 125-foot-tall 19th century monument was completed in 1883 to commemorate the unification of Germany into a single nation.

When we took our gondola ride back down to town, we were quite ready for lunch. On the way we passed the world’s cutest mail box.

While we were bopping around trying to find just the right spot to dine we bumped into a fellow adventurer, Lynn. We had met her and her son Seth earlier on the trip. She was flying solo for lunch so we invited her to join us.

We found a lovely place on a sunny veranda, settled in and started chatting. Most of the folks on this trip were older couples, so Lynn and her twenty-something son kind of stood out. She shared that their family had suffered a great loss. Her son Caleb, Seth’s brother, passed away at aged 23 after a long illness in 2014. Her husband, who was not on the trip, was now also struggling with a serious illness. Because of these challenges they have made it a priority to make time to have adventures together. What makes Lynn even more remarkable is what she is doing right now for other families. While Caleb was battling his illness he decided to start a foundation. We’ve all heard of “Make a Wish” that serves to create a bit of magic for a terminally ill patient, but this would be different. Caleb wanted to give the caregivers, the family, a chance to get away and feel normal, away from the doctors, hospitals and stress just for a week. A Week Away was born. Caleb’s work is still being carried out by this remarkable woman and her team of volunteers. Please do click the link for more about Lynn and this foundation.

Oh, and lunch was amazing too! Jeff got a dainty charcuterie board, while I had a huge hunk of the most scrumptious crispy pork belly and potato dumplings. Not very lady like.

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Next on the docket was a wine tasting at the Weingut Adolf Störzel winery. We were shuttled down in to the cellar for a loooong lesson on ice wine.

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The host talked for so long that they had to hand off the last tasting as we headed out the door. It was a bit boring, but I’m not the best audience seeing that I didn’t imbibe.

Wine tasting aside, the excursions have gotten even more interesting and beautiful as the week progressed. This day in Rudesheim might have been my favorite of the trip, but don’t hold me to that.

Today we will be “all aboard” earlier that usual. Up to this point we had been docked during the day and moving up the Rhine overnights. Makes sense, but Jeff had mentioned that he pictured sitting on the deck watching the countryside go by when he was looked forward to this trip. Well, today was the day! We all gathered on the sundeck for a guided tour of the Medieval Castles of the Rhine Gorge.

There are over forty castles along the Rhine gorge. Most are now museums, restaurants or hotels. The tour was hosted by our cruise director Crystal. She narrated all the castle facts over the loud speaker in real time. I was surprised they didn’t just play a recording. That’s a whole lot of talking.

The castle tour was marvelous and the views just sublime.

Sigh… today was just fantastic. We’ll have one more stop in Germany before reaching our final destination, Amsterdam.

This morning we arrived in Germany. We docked in Ludwighafen and took a half hour coach ride to the Historic city of Heidelberg. Once we were off the Autobahn, the bus climbed up and up a windy forested road. We parked after doing a forty point turn on a precarious mountainside road, and still had a bit of jaunt up a steep incline before we reached our first destination.

Heidelberg is home to oldest University in Germany Established in 1386. This gorgeous manor which is perched on the Königstuhl hillside overlooking the city is a Frat House. Yup.

The main event for today was visiting Heidelberg Castle. As I’ve been learning about most places in Europe, it has a loooong history. It’s funny how being from such a young country informs your view of what is considered “old”. To me, the Hanover Mall is old. This castle has been around since the 1225.

We were separated into groups of about ten and were each assigned to a period dressed guide who would lead us through the history of the castle. We each had listening devices so it felt as if this thirteenth century Dame was whispering sweet castle information right in my ear.

We started walking the grounds surrounding the outer fortifications. The castle itself has been conquered, destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout the centuries. However, Lightning seems to have been its harshest enemy. The upper castle itself was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1537 and rebuilt. Then, in 1764, the castle was once again hit by a terrible storm. As the story (which the lady purred into my ear) goes, a lightning strike ignited the entire cache of gunpowder and munitions that was used to defend the castle and the town of Heidelberg. This blew the front of the tower clear off. It still sits abandoned today.

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Our guide remarked that we didn’t look particularly infirm and perhaps we could take a longer stroll for better views of the Neckar Valley.

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We journeyed back towards the castle and entered through the gate tower.

Over the Gate Tower there are two Medieval knights that were created in 1535. Between them are two Palatine Lions which once held a now missing coat of arms.

Once inside Heidelberg palace you can see the knitting together of different architectural eras through the centuries. Almost every prince-elector added a structure of a different style to the Castle.

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Like with the ornately carved facade of the Strasbourg Cathedral, the statues here represent the History of Heidelberg.

The top position on the facade is occupied by the “fathers” of the city including Charlemagne and Otto von Wittelsbach. In the second row, select representatives of the first family members to live along the Rhine like the founder of Heidelberg University. Emperors and kings descendant from the House of Wittelsbach are depicted in the third row.

On the castle’s terrace one can see a supposed “footprint” which has a bit of a saucy fable attached to it. Supposedly, a lady-in-waiting was entertaining a knight in a third floor castle bedroom. Upon the discovery of the couple in flagranti, the knight is said to have leaped from the window in desperation. The iron shoe of his armor left a deep impression in the sandstone. One legend says that if your foot fits in the footprint, then you will one day return to Heidelberg. Another says that any man whose foot fits in this hole is a fantastic lover. You can choose your preferred lore.

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If you survive your own leap to the terrace you will enjoy the most spectacular view over the city below. I captured a quick video whilst the church bells were ringing:

Before we departed the castle, we descended to the cellar in order to feast our eyes upon the world’s largest wine barrel, “The Heidelberg Tun”. This vat was built in 1751 to store the wine which growers of the region paid as taxes to the ruler. It’s capable of holding 219,000 liters of wine. I say “capable” because just ten years after the barrel was built, it began to decay and spring leaks. It hasn’t contained wine in it since.

It was time to make our way down to the old Village. We had the choice to either ride the Funicular or trek down the 315 stairs. We had previously experienced one of these elevator/escalator contraptions when we visited Quebec a few years ago. I found it a bit unnerving. To the stairs!

It was at this time that the clouds parted and the blues skies finally shone!!!

We gathered here at the Kornmarkt. This would be the spot where all the “Adventurers” would meet at the end of the day.

Our guide cemented this location in our minds by telling us about the Corn Kid. I had missed this internet sensation previously. If you did as well, please click the link so your life will be complete.

Once you pass through the Kornmarkt it opens up to a larger Marketplace called Rathausplatz where you’ll find the Town Hall for which it’s named, as well as the 15th century Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) whose bells we heard ringing out on the hillside earlier. Did you listen? You can go back if you didn’t. I’ll wait.

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Before we explored too much more we decided to plop down at one of the many outdoor cafés for some refreshment. Every place we stopped on this trip had a vast amount of non-alcoholic beers on the menu. Low and no-alcohol drinks are standard fare in Europe.

Now that we were rested and watered we went about exploring the Old Town of Heidelberg.

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The Altstadt (Old Town) is combination of old and new buildings. Most have a restaurant, a café or a shop on the ground floor and either a hotel or apartments above. Narrow streets branch off Hauptstraße, the main road where most of the shopping is centered.

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We ducked down one of the narrow streets to the Neckar River where you’ll find the uninspiredly named “Old Bridge”. It’s also a misnomer because it is the ninth bridge erected in the same spot. The first eight bridges were made of wood and were consecutively destroyed by various fire, floods, and storms over the centuries. 

At the bridge you’re greeted by a Bronze Monkey.

This piece seems a bit out of place compared to all the other renaissance statuary, but the bridge has featured a monkey at this spot as far back as the 15th century. This current statue has only been around since 1979. It’s meant remind those who crossed it from either side to look over their shoulders at where they’ve come from.

On the plaque below is a poem written about the monkey by the Baroque writer Martin Zeiler in 1632.

The head is hollow so visitors are encouraged take selfies while using it as a mask.

Now that we are standing across the Neckar River we can get a full view of the Castle.

This medieval bridge Gate survived all the floods and fires. In one tower there are quarters for the guards, the other has a jail to detain “suspicious persons”.

It was getting on time to procure some lunch. We found the perfect spot down a little alleyway. This was an adorable cafe at the Hotel Hackteufel.

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We got a beer and a pretzel which came with a pile of radishes and some yummy cream cheese called Obazda. The main dish was a pork schnitzel with most scrumptious potato salad. Jeff proclaimed it was the best bite of the trip.

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We spent a couple more hours wandering around and taking it all in before stopping for a sweet at a lovely shop, La Macaronnerie Heidelberg.

We headed back to our floating hotel and surely had a loooong nap. Tonight we were scheduled to have a special dinner in the captain’s dining room. This is something every guest has the opportunity to do, you just need to sign up ahead of time.

The food in the main dining room had been so brilliant we could not imagine how it could be even better. Well…. it wasn’t. I won’t go on and on about it, but it was just perplexing. Not only did the food suffer in comparison to the main dining room, but dishes were obviously plated hours before we even arrived. The desserts were already lined up on a table as we walked through. Then when our first course arrived it was kind of shocking.

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The rest of the courses were just humdrum. I guess it just made us appreciate the finesse of the chefs that have been delighting us each evening.

On bus on the way to Heidelberg, our guide shared (implanted in our brains) a song by Peggy March. You may remember her big hit “I Will Follow Him…”. Well, she had another ditty called “Memories of Heidelberg”. You can guess what it’s about. It’s all in German except the titular line but it’s enough to get entrenched in your brain forever. Listen if you dare!

We’ll be visiting another charming hamlet in Germany in the next installment.

Until then…

🎶 ♫ ♪ ..Memories of Heidelberg are memories of you…🎶 ♫♪