Self and sister-in-law Winnie

We enjoyed a breakfast and cuppa coffee with David and Karen before heading out for other destinations. I did take a few minutes to set up David's new wifi router and then Linda and I said our goodbyes. The last two days with David and Karen were wonderful. They live in an area of East Boothbay surrounded with beautiful scenery, friends, entertainment and activities. It was a couple of wonderful days -- but it was time to move on.  We took a leisurely drive to Brunswick and back to my niece's "neck of the woods". Her mother, Winnie, lives next store and it was our turn to take Winnie to lunch. After showing us around,

Winnie chose a wonderful restaurant on Orr's Island, about 20 minutes from her home. The island is a tiny fishing village with a population of about 1000 people. The restaurant itself is a beautiful building on a little peninsula at the end of a narrow two-lane road that runs through "town". The food was wonderful. Maine, of course, is a seafood state and fishing supports much of the local and state economy.

Deb

Later in the afternoon, we rejoined my niece, Deb, for dinner and conversation in her delightful "Maine cottage". Deb showed us her wood-shop and vegetable gardens. She's an accomplished horticulturist, wood worker, makes stain glass art-pieces, kayaks around Maine's water-ways and -- oh yes -- is a programmer fir the financial end of the computer industry.

After dinner, we all took a ride to Freeport Maine, the home of the L.L. Bean flagship store.. The store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. L.L. Bean was founded in 1912 and now specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, shooting -- all manner of products for the home and outdoorsman. Just wandering the store gives you a sense that they sell everything!! I half expected to see L.L. Bean automobiles!!

Tomorrow will be an interesting day. We've decided to get to Rutland Vermont via "back roads" and stay off highways and freeways as much as possible. It's about a 225 mile drive, so we plan a slow leisurely transit to Rutland that may take two days. We're going to Vermont for a couple of reasons, but primarily to attend Stellafane, the oldest get-together of telescope makers in the country. Stellafane was founded by Russell W. Porter in the 1920's. Porter, among other things, was the architect of the 100" and 200" telescopes on Mt. Wilson and Mt. Palomar respectively. He's considered the "father of amateur telescope making" (a lot more to follow as we visit the site called Breezy Hill in Springfield Vermont).

After waking at 8 a.m. or so, we set out for my niece Deb's house in Brunswick Maine.  After a brief visit with my sister-in-law (ex actually), Deb took Linda and I to the harbor where she launched her Starcraft boat, a 15-foot run-about. We cruised along the waterway for about 30 minutes before we arrived a cute little lobster-shack on the river. I drove the boat "on the way" and Linda drove "on the way back". It was Linda's first time as "captain"! We enjoyed a delightful lunch and talk for about an hour before heading back. We promised to return tomorrow for some more talk and continue getting to know each other after a 20 year hiatus.

David and Karen's "backyard"!

After arriving back at David and Karen's, we than had an opportunity to go boating again! David has a beautiful 25-foot "Lyman". It sports a beautiful teak deck, mahogany wood work and HUGE Chrysler marine engine. The Lyman boat-works date back to the late 19th Century and started boat-building on the Cleveland waterfront. They're quite "collectable"!!

Karen, Linda and David

We made our way to one of the local "watering holes" for some drinks and talk about the old days of "Jewish America" we had all experienced with our parents and grand-parents. It was an enjoyable get-together of good friends. The discussion centered around the "foods" we enjoyed a kids!

The evening was capped off perfectly with a Maine lobster dinner made by the chef himself -- David!! (did I mention he is a really great cook??). What a fabulous end to a perfect day of boating and friendship.  So, more is to follow, so stay tuned!!

Ciao for now.....

Linda, self, David and Karen at Fair

August 12, 2012. After the festivities in town last night, we arose late -- 10 a.m. or so. The weather was thick fog and the temperatures cool. After the heat and humidity of Washington D.C., New York and Boston, the cooler weather feels good. It's a lot easier to sleep!! We spent the morning with David and Karen, enjoying coffee and talking about the evening before. The bagels, lox and cream cheese capped off a perfect morning.

Early in the afternoon, we all decided to go to the Topsham Fair. Topsham is about 20 miles away. It's a small town of about 12,000 people with a long and interesting history dating back to the 17th Century. The Fair itself was small but interesting -- a blacksmith was working in a shed, explaining his work and making, at the time, what appeared to be small nails or hooks. We watched for a few minutes and moved on. As is the case with most fairs, there were animals on display, crafts of all descriptions and foods. We stayed for about an hour enjoying the people and entertainment.

Topsham Faire Antique Tractor Display

 In the evening we all went to a favorite Chinese restaurant nearby. The food was excellent, but talk and company were even better! After returning to David and Karen's house at around 9 p.m., David and I sat in the "kitchen" talking until we called an evening at about 11 o:clock. I've put "kitchen" in quote because of its uniqueness. The kitchen was, it turns out, the original log cabin when David and his wife bought the property 30 years ago. The construction is rugged logs, beams and wood-planks of natural wood. Since then, the house has evolved into David and Karen's "castle" --  a truly beautiful and impressive home on one of the many inlets of Maine's waterways called the Damariscotta River. The Damariscotta is a 19-mile tidal river in Lincoln County that empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

Saturday -- August 11 -- We made our way to the South Station in Boston for a train to Portland Maine. About 45 minutes before the train left, we discovered we needed to be at the NORTH Station!! Of course, no one told us that when we bought the ticket in the South Station a couple of days ago. But, the ticket say it -- so we had no excuses. We found a cab and made the train just in time. We had the luxury of a first-class seat this time. It's about a 2 1/2 hour trip from Boston to Portland Maine. The countryside is beautiful and, as we got closer to Maine, more and more bodies of water became evident.

Dave and Karen Blumin

 

 

Once in Portland, our next task was to find a way to the airport to pick up a car. The conductor on the Amtrak train gave us "free full fares" on the Portland bus system. We boarded the bus, and after a winding ride through the city, arrived at the airport and got our car.  Once we were ready to go, I plugged in our GPS, set the direction for Boothbay Harbour and set-out for a 1 1/2 hour drive to our friends who live there.

Dave and Karen have a magnificent home on one of the many water inlets in Maine. We settled in for a wonderful afternoon of talking and "noshing" -- and getting to know the area a bit. Later that evening, we went into town for an evening of "jazz/rock" and drinks at one of the local "joints". Boothbay Harbor is a small town, very beautiful, and everyone seems to know just about everyone!! It was a great evening. We got back to the house at around 12:30 a.m., talked a bit more and hit the sack. Needless to say, we were ready for some "sack time".

Harvard School of
Arts and Sciences

Linda and I did follow through on our trip to Harvard Square. We went onto the Harvard campus and enjoyed a nice tour and discussion of the history of the University and surrounding area by a student tour-guide. We also enjoyed a great lunch at "Grendel's Den". I had gone there in the 80's and it was still delightful. Harvard Square has changed quite a bit since my last visit -- except for the character and charm of the neighborhood. College towns are always enjoyable.

During our brief stay on the Harvard Square, we did find "Dewey, Cheetam and Howe". If you don't know who these "people" are, a search of the Internet will fill you in on their significance.

OK, so here's a quiz.  It's Friday, what happens on Friday??  Are you thinking about it??  Well, you're right -- new movies come out!!  We made the 2 p.m. showing of Bourne Legacy. Wow, what a great movie. Don't let yourself miss it.. We loved it.

We then worked our way back the Back Bay and the Copley Square area for a walk-about and dinner at Legal Seafood. The fish was "OK", but for some reason some chef thought it'd be better with batter and then deep fried. "Sorry Charlie" -- it was mediocre at best. Oh well. the expectation is always better than the reality -- right??

By the time we finished dinner, the weather had turned to thunder showers and heavy rain. We walked through the underground tunnels to the train station and expected to wait out the rain before walking back to the Inn. OK, and this is weird -- "some one" had left an umbrella on the bench along side of us. We asked all of those around us if the umbrella belonged to them. The answers were all "no". So, we grabbed the umbrella and made the 5 block walk to our lodgings without getting too wet.

So again this even, we're in early. Tomorrow we have a 10:30 a.m. train for Portland Maine. We'll be visiting  family and friends while there.

More to come..

In front of State House, Boston

Today we walked the ENTIRE length of the Freedom Trail. It may only be 2.5 miles, but it feels like quite a bit longer.  We started out walking tour at 10 a.m. and finished a 5:15 p.m. We walked from the "Common" to Bunker Hill - on the other side of town.We picked up the trail in Boston Common -- the beginning of the trail. We bought a descriptive map of the trail and were able to get a considerable amount of information on each of the 15 major attractions along the way.

The first stop is the Sate House, The State House was built in 1798 and displays a roof that is made with copper (applied by Paul Revere) and now has a 23-karat gold overlay.  We progressed along the route and found the site of the first public school built in 1635. This is an "old city" and one can spot sites, buildings and statuary attesting to its history. Along the route, Linda and I discovered the offices of the Jewish Advocate, a weekly newspaper in publication for over 100 years covering Jewish news from home and around the world. We had a unique opportunity to tour their editorial offices and enjoy a few minutes with one of their writer/editors.

We stopped at the Quincy Market for lunch but didn't find anything to our liking so we were off again. Just as we were entering the north-side of the "trail", the Italian section, we saw a delightful water fountain and took a couple of minutes to take off our shoes and cool ourselves in the  refreshing water.

USS Constitution

Close to the end of the trail, we entered the Charlestown Navy Shipyard, the home of the USS Constitution.   The shipyard has been operating for 174 years, building, repairing and refitting ships for the U.S. Navy. The Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the world, originally commissioned in 1797. During the war of 1812, the Constitution defeated four British frigates -- canon balls were "bouncing" off her sides she earned the name "Old Ironsides". After we viewed a 10 minute film about the shipyard, we boarded the Constitution and toured three of her decks.

Our last stop was "Breeds Hill" (also known as Bunker Hill). We rested there for awhile then walked back across the river to the "orange line" of the "T". We had walked enough for the day, and decided to take the Metro back to the Inn. It has been a long and enjoyable day, and we're both ready to take the rest of the evening in our lodgings -- watch the Olympics on TV and get ready for our adventure tomorrow. We intend visiting Cambridge, see Harvard University and hunt down "Dewey Cheatem and Howe"! You know who they are, don't you????

Faneuil Hall

We had an 8:30 a.m. train from Penn Station in New York to the Amtrak Back Bay train station in Boston. The trip was about 3 hours and went smoothly. All of the trains we been on, so far, have had wifi internet connection. It's made the transit from one city the other very easy and time passes quickly.

Once we departed from the train station, we easily found our lodgings. It's about a 10 minute walk and turns out to be an excellent "hostel". Once we were settled, we decided to go back to the train station and take the "T" (the Boston metro system to the Haymarket area -- also the home of Faneuil Hall. The original hall was built in 1740 and has existed there, in one form or another, ever since. Surrounding Faneuil Hall is the Quincy Market, a long narrow building chucked full of food vendors of every description. We had a great lunch there, and especially enjoyed the "clam chowda"!! One neat and interesting attraction was a group of "break dancers" outside the hall. We enjoyed the show.


After about an hour of exploring, we walked into the downtown area and found the "South Meeting Hall" in Washington Street. South hall is the site of 1773 mass protest meetings that led to the Boston Tea Party, Old South Meeting House has served as a gathering place for discussion and celebration and a haven for free speech. It's a beautiful building right in the middle of downtown and is beautifully preserved.We continued exploring the downtown. Of course, you would expect lots of shopping and eateries. But some of the streets were completely shut off for pedestrians. Table and chairs were in place and numerous food carts were on the street serving coffee, ice cream and other treats for the warm summer day. We had a delightful opportunity to sit along the promenade and enjoy the people and activity.

South Hall

We asked around a bit, and after looking at a map of the city, we found the beginning of the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a walking tour in downtown Boston . It begins with the establishment of Boston in 1630. The story of Boston is told while experiencing architecture spanning more than 3 centuries. The story begins with the Puritan settlement, continues through the American Revolution and the growth of commercial Boston, to present day. We'll walk the entire Freedom Trail tomorrow.  It's a 2.5 mile path in and out of the city marked with a "red line" or "red brick" in the sidewalk, so one cannot get lost.

Columbia University

Today we had planned to go "uptown" and visit the Columbia Campus. Linda had been there in the 60's, so it was a trip into the "old times". Things had changed for her and it was barely recognizable -- but she did see one or two landmarks from the "good old days". We wandered the campus for about an hour and then headed downtown -- on foot!! Columbia is at 116th Street on the west side. I hadn't been in that part of the city before, so it was fun to see something new. It's a beautiful area -- lots of nice buildings and shopping. But, of course, not as crowded as Times Square or the rest of downtown.

At one point, we hopped a subway train and took it down into Times Square again. We wanted to try a piece of the "famous" Lindy's cheesecake. We found our way there and enjoyed the air conditioning of the dining room. The cheesecake was served -- and it was "ok". Nothing special, we thought, but then again -- what do we know from good cheesecake or GREAT cheesecake!! It was fun anyway.

We found the "wax museum" with a really good figure-likeness of Morgan Freeman in the front of the museum. I took a photo with him. You must admit, the figure looks just like the real guy -- doesn't he??

Self and Morgan Freeman

After all the walking we had done the last two days, we decided to hunt down a movie  both of us could see for the first time. We went to an AMC theater on 42nd Street and saw "Step Up Revolution"!! Here again, don't waste your time or money on this film. The dancing was good, the story was lame.

We walked down 6th Avenue toward the Inn and stopped in at the Empire State Building. We thought we'd visit the "observatory". There was a 2 1/2 hour wait in line, so we decided to blow off that until we return later in the month.

Tomorrow we have an 8:20 a.m. train for Boston, so we'll be up early and out of here by 6:30. The plan is take a bus or cab to Penn Station so we can find our track and settle in until departure time.

Time for some well deserved rest!!

Ciao.....

Canal Street

Today has been quite a day. We covered a lot of territory on foot, so we're a bit tired -- but not worse for the wear. We started out at around 10 a.m. deciding to keep to our schedule. We walked a few blocks to the downtown "6" train and took it to Canal Street. Canal Street is a shoppers paradise, especially if one is interested in "bargaining". I bought a "T" shirt, for example, that started out at $20. I offered $5!! The vendor and I haggled for a few minutes before we agreed on a $7 price! Not bad for either of us. The vendors abound -- hundreds of them up and down the street, selling everything from "Rolex" watches to 25-cent key-chains. We walked the entire length of the street on both sides, enjoying the people and activity. At one point we found a neat little bagel shop and stopped for an "everything bagel". There is nothing like a New York bagel!

We then headed into Little Italy and Chinatown. Restaurants and shops everywhere. People everywhere! It was a delightful late morning and early afternoon, the weather was perfect -- not too hot, and we walked slowly taking in all the activity. We happened onto the "Tenement Museum" and looked around for awhile. It is easy to imagine our great-grand-parents living there. If you've seen the movie "Hester Street", you imagine the neighborhoods and what it was like.

Our exploration of the area took us to Houston Street. Our first stop was "Schimmels Knish Bakery". We ordered a "kasha knish", and with plenty of mustard. We thoroughly enjoyed our snack. It was great. Thanks to our buddy Howard, we found the place -- otherwise it would have been missed. Still on Houston, and just down the street a block or two, is Katz's Deli. Katz's is a landmark (founded in 1888) and crazy with activity. We found our way into the restaurant and "took a number"!! Once we were able to figure out how to get our food ordered, we were seated, given a huge plate of pickles to "nosh" on and were served. Well, it was $37 later that we left the restaurant, full with good food and happy as larks!! We both agreed it doesn't get better than this...

Washington Square

We crossed town again, going West toward the Hudson River, and wandered into Greenwich Village. Our first destination was New York University and then onto Washington Square. It was a warm day and the fountain at the "square" was refreshing. Along the benches many people were sitting and enjoying the sun, a trio of musicians were playing music. The predominant instrument -- a trumpet -- lent itself to the enjoyable character of the afternoon. Linda and I waded in the fountain enjoying the coolness of the water. A breeze would sometimes spray us with the water -- a great way to cool off in a fairly hot day in the City.

About an hour later or so, and we off again -- this time to find Greenwich Street. It was on Greenwich Street that my father-in-law had his business in the 1950's and 60's. I remember the address and found that, now, the building had been replaced with upscale apartments. It was an interesting lesson in what I call the "gentrification" of a neighborhood.

NYC High Line

Our last point of interest was the "high line" which starts on 12th Street  (by the Hudson River) and runs up into the 30's. The High Line is an old elevated train track that, at one time, worked as a freight line.  Once in disuse, the line had been threatened with demolition until the 1990's when a couple of local's lobbied for, and succeeded, in saving it as a green belt along the otherwise industrial and residential city. We walked the entire length of the new park, enjoyed the views of the Hudson River and had a nice cup of coffee at one of the few vendors along the way.

We left the High Line at 30th Ave. and started walking across town to our lodgings on 3rd Street. It's a long walk, and about 3 blocks into it, we hopped a bus and sat in the cool air conditioning the rest of the way. After a break and wonderful dinner at a local Thai restaurant, we decided to call it day.

So, tomorrow it'll be "uptown". We'll visit Columbia University  (Linda used to work there) and wander down through the 80's (the museums) and into Central Park. So, and I know I say this every time I end an entry --  stay tuned.

More later.....

Self, Ilene, Linda and Jerry

One of our first challenges this morning was find a laundromat. Now, remembering this is New York, we were certain it would be an easy task. And, easy it was. A fully featured laundromat is just around the corner -- WITH a wash and fold service. So, for $7 "bucks", we having our clothes done. No hassle..

We met my friends Ilene and Jerry at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Inn. Portia and I originally met Ilene at a Shabbat dinner in NYC in early 1996. Ilene then introduced to her "boyfriend"  Jerry to us and we've been friends ever since. I knew they'd be early or on time. After-all, they were both born and raised in Manhattan. New Yorkers are always on-time!  Sure enough, we found them at 10:25 and spent the next few minutes saying hello. The last time I saw them was in 2009, it was a nice reunion. We decided to have brunch in the restaurant right next to the Inn. The food was "ok", but the company was terrific! We enjoyed getting to know each other again. Linda fit right in and she and Ilene talked non-stop with each-other during a most enjoyable meal. We said our good byes around noon and agreed to get together on 8/23 when we return to NYC for the last week of our stay in the East. Something to look forward to.


Linda and I decided to walk up-town and see  Grand Central Terminal.  On the way there, and just outside the station, Lexington Avenue was shut down for a "steet fair". Ten full blocks, from 45th to 55th avenue's were closed for the festivities. We walked every inch of it -- while enjoying some of the foods (I do realize I talk about "food" alot. But, hey, we do a lot-a walking!!).

After we walked the full length of the street-fair, we proceed over to Grand Central. It is a majestic building to be sure. Construction started in 1930 and the building was dedicated in 1931. Not only is Grand Central a beautiful, it is very VERY large.

Our original plan for the day was to go downtown to Canal Street, Little Italy, Chinatown as well as visit the famous "Katz's Deli" on Houston Street..  We also intended getting a "knish" at Schimmel's  (thanks Howard).  The hour was late,  so we decided to see those sights tomorrow. We did have the rest of the evening at our disposal  so we went to the theater -- movie that is!! And saw a film titled Soldier of Fortune with Christian Slater. Don't waste your $$ if you want to see a film.

So, as always -- stay tuned and check back often. More to follow......

Well, it's 12:18 a.m. and we just got back to our lodgings.. It was a long and eventful day.  But one of the best we've had so far during our trip to the East Coast. Our plan was to visit Coney Island and Brighton Beach Avenue in Brooklyn. We found, as luck would have it, that we only needed to walk 3 or 4 blocks to catch the "D" train to Coney Island. No train changes were needed. So, we were off at about 9:30 or so. Of course, we had to find a Starbuck's for our obligatory morning coffee.

Brighton Beach Ave.

Once we boarded the train, it was an easy ride to Coney Island. I recalled, from my stay in New York during  the 60's, that Brighton Beach Avenue was an easy walk from the Coney Island train station. We started walking along the boardwalk, and just to be sure we asked a couple of people if we were right about our assumptions. Again, we were lucky. We met Ellie!! She's a 76 year old New Yorker, who was born and raised in Brooklyn. She not only told us where Brighton was, she walked with us along the way. It also turns out that she attended Lincoln High School at the same time my wife was there and new some of the same people. How ironic is that??!!

Brighton Beach Avenue is about 8 blocks long, filled with shops and restaurants from one end to the other. We enjoyed a potato knish, a bit of fruit from one of the many fruit stands along the way and met some interesting and delightful Brooklyn characters. By that time, it was around 2 p.m. One thing was on our minds -- and that was LUNCH at Nathan's Famous. Nathan's Famous is a "hot dog stand" founded by a Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker, in 1916. It's been a Brooklyn landmark for the last 95 years, and last year alone sold over 425 million hot dogs (that million with an "M"!!).

The Wonder Wheel
Ferris Wheel

I pride myself in being a "non meat" eater, but ask many of my friends who'll tell you that -- every now and then -- I indulge myself. I enjoyed 2 hot dogs with onions and yellow mustard as well as an ear of yellow corn-on-the-cob. Linda enjoyed the yellow corn and cheese fries. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable culinary experience. One highlight was a chance meeting with "Anthony". He knew of our Palm Desert home, having served in the Marines in Twenty-nine Palms for 18 months during the 90's. He's spent his entire life, except for the military, in Brooklyn -- in the same apartment he inherited from his parents and told us he'd be there "forever". We had a great time talking about the New York and Brooklyn of today and how things have changed.

After taking some pictures at the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone, we decided it was time to head back into the city. By now it was around 4:30. We had tickets to Brooklyn Comedy Club show at 9 p.m. and decided to get cleaned up and leave a bit early for the show. We took the bus across town and transferred up to 53rd Street -- and, of course, had a snack before we settled in for the show at the theater. We sat in the front row and enjoyed the comedy and banter of 5 comedians. We also had a delightful time talking to our neighbors at the table before show show -- one couple from Maryland and the other from Kansas.

Linda and I left the show at around 10:30 and decided to walk from 53rd Street to 34th Street in the warm summer evening. As we went through Times Square we were delighted with the throngs of people and activity along the way. New York is truly a city that "never sleeps"!!

So, as the day comes to a close, it's time for some sleep. We've got another full day planned for tomorrow, so as always --  readers and friends -- stay tuned!!

One final note -- today, August 4th, is my son's birthday. Happy Birthday Ken.

Ciao for now.....

ARRL HQ

It was another late morning for us -- about 8:30 a.m. before we left the Inn. Our plan today was to rent a car and head into Connecticut for a visit to the American Radio Relay League's headquarters. We also thought it would be nice to get outof town and see some of the beautiful and plush views the countryside. We made it to Alamo about 8:45 and were set up with a Ford Fusion. We left the garage around 9 a.m. and, with the aide of our trusty GPS, made our way out of Manhattan. Let me say this: There is a LOT of traffic in New York City. It took us a long, LONG, L-O-N-G  time to get off the island. With the confusion of the one-way streets and construction detours, it took us nearly an hour to go the few miles to get to, and over, the Triboro Bridge and on our way.

Once we got rolling, things went fine and we made it to Newington Connecticut just in time for a 1 o:clock tour. We met our tour guide, Rudy, and took a nice leisurely look at the radio league's facilities. Visiting the original building was a treat, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I was most interested in seeing the "Diamond Terrace" in front of the entrance. The Diamond Terrace is a patio made of  "memorial bricks" with various inscriptions. I had one placed in Portia's honor in 2006. We thanked our guide and said so-long to the nice people at the ARRL and set out for the drive back to the City.. It was a great visit.

Linda drove back into New York.We got back about 6 p.m. and made our way over to the local Loew's Theater to see the new Total Recall film. Since it started at 7, and we had about an hour to kill, we took advantage of one of the many pizza joints along 2nd Avenue near 33rd Street. Needless to say, the pizza was exceptional -- if you haven't had a chance to stop into one of the these little places in NYC, I highly recommend it to you. You won't be disappointed!!

Tomorrow we're planning to take the subway to Coney Island and take in Nathan's Famous (hot dogs), see the Cyclone and take a ride on the Wonder Wheel.  We'll also visit Brighton Blvd and the famous Coney Island boardwalk.

Stay tuned for a full report in tomorrow's blog entry.

Ciao for now...

Our Train from Washington DC
to New York City

Up early, we set our clocks and had "Snoozster" call my phone. We wanted to be sure we made the 9:20 Amtrak to New York City. It's about a 20 minute walk from our lodgings to Union Station, so we set out about 07:45. Once I converted the "confirmation printout" into actual tickets for the trip, we made our way downstairs for breakfast. Just as a note, the bottom level of Union Station is a large and extensive "food court".  Many of the court restaurants are quite nice, and good food abounds!!

Real Time Train Location

We located our track and boarded the train at 09:00 and found a couple of comfortable seats. I must say, even though I'm always bragging about the train system in Europe, I am impressed with the trains up the Northeast Corridor. Our seats were comfortable, the food car was open for coffee and pastries and -- yes -- we have free "wifi" right at our seat! Really neat. One nice feature of the wireless connection is a "real time" map of our progress up north into New York City. At this writing, 11:30 a.m. we have just departed the Philidelphia train station. Train we're about another hour or so to the Big Apple.

We arrived in New York City at 12:50 p.m. Penn Station is large, very large!! We wondered around a bit, and found the ticket counter for Amtrak. We  bought our tickets for Boston on August 8th. Luck would have it that a Wells Fargo ATM was nearby, so I was able to get a few $$$ for the day. We walked a considerable distance to the 7th Ave and 33nd Street exist of the station. After checking the map, we found our lodgings -- the Budget Inn of New York City -- was a short  (point) .9 miles away, so we setoff by foot to find the hotel.

Linda and "Enrico"

It turns out that our hotel is an absolutely delightful inn which opened just a month or so ago. The rooms are very small, but newly refurbished. Each has its own air conditioning -- something worthwhile in NYC during August. Wireless internet is available throughout the entire inn and in each room, so Linda and I are able to log into the internet (we both brought our netbooks). I noticed that the young man behind the desk was singing as he was checking us in -- AND, that his name was Caruso. I asked if his first name was "Enrico" and he replied -- "well no, but that's what they call me!". It was a delightful exchange and we felt we had made a new friend during our first few minutes in the City. I've been calling him Enrico ever since...

Now THIS is pizza!!
NYC style...

We happened onto a Metro subway station and decided to pay a visit to Times Square. It didn't take long before we were one of "thousands" of New Yorkers and tourists wandering the few blocks that make up one of the busiest areas in any part of the world. It was crowded. One could feel the energy all around us. We got some tickets for a Comedy Central show on Saturday night and then decided to head back to the Inn.

We walked over to the 45th and Madison and had a cool beer at the Roosevelt Hotel -- a favorite hangout during the many trips I made to New York when employed with Alps Electric in Silicon Valley.  I even ran into one of the "door men" that I became friendly with in the 90's. Hard to believe he still works at the hotel. But, it's his career and he's busy making a living in the city and raising a family in Long Island.

So, tomorrow is another day. We'll be in a car instead of walking.That'll be a nice change. I can tell I need to  workout on the treadmill at the gym before starting one of these adventures!! My feet and legs are urging me to "stop" -- well, too bad, it just ain't gonna happen!

More to follow.....

In front of the
Holocaust Museum

We started the day at 8:30 after a much needed rest. We were able to find a 24-hour Safeway supermarket and went shopping for lunches and some fruit. It was just 3 blocks away from the INN and very convenient. Instead of walking to the National Mall, we chose to use the Washington D.C. Metro subway system. Every city should have this kind of transportation system available to its residents. We were able to get to the Smithsonian Metro Station without any hassel and made our way to the U.S. Holocaust Museum. I remember going to the Holocaust Museum when it originally opened in 1993 It's hard to believe that it is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Time does fly. It turns out that the museum will launch a  four-city tour to educate people nationwide about their work and its continuing relevance of the Holocaust. The tour will be in Los Angeles on November 18, 2012 at the Skirball Cultural Center, so mark your calendars.

Needless to say the visit to the Holocaust Museum was a sobering but enlightening experience. One looks at that time in 20th Century History with wonder and awe. How did a small group of fanatics, the Nazi's,  turn so many countries into murdering nations? It defies belief. Obviously, the evidence is so overwhelming, it is also a wonder that anyone could deny that the Holocaust happened. The collection covers 3 floors of the enormous building. As we worked ourselves from floor to floor, we found there is still so much to learn about what happened. I'm glad to say there were quite a few visitors there and lots of young people.

If you recall from yesterday's entry, we had made arrangements with Congresswoman Bono-Mack's office for a tour of the U.S. Capital. We had a 2 p.m. appointment, so at 1 p.m. we left the Holocaust Museum and made our way to the Cannon House Office Building. We decided to walk, so we made our way the 2 miles along Independence Avenue to the Capital. As luck would have it, as we passed the National Air and Space Museum (the rear of the building), their observatory was open and volunteers were giving visitors views of the Sun. We spent a few minutes with them, looking at the Sun and talking about the telescopes they had at their disposal. Inside the dome is a 15" telescope on loan from the Harvard Obervatory. Very impressive.

Center of Washington D.C.

We set out again for the congressional offices and found Bono-Mack's office right on time. We met our tour guide, John Klarin. We also had the pleasure of meeting Joel Thayer, a Staff Assistant to Ms. Bono-Mack. I must say, we were treated just great. The staff was warm and welcoming and we enjoyed a few minutes in the office talking about their jobs and what they did during the summer. Unfortunately, Ms. Bono-Mack was on the floor of the House and unavailable to say hello.

John took us through a variety of tunnels from the office building to the capital building itself. It was interesting to hear many of the stories John had to tell us. We had a chance to visit the original U.S. Supreme Court rooms, the early House and Senate chambers and everything in between. One interesting stop and location of the actual "center" of the U.S. Capital. Here one can stand on a spot which marks the beginning of the four main quadrants of the city. 

John Klarin, self, Linda and Joel Theyer
Congresswoman Bono-Mack's  Office

After a 15 minute film in the Visitor Center's Theater, we had an opportunity to go into the Gallery of the House of Representatives. There were only about a dozen members in attendance. The discussion was about "taxes" -- as seems to be the usual case. At one point John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives, spoke on the subject for about 5 minutes. His comments were what one would expect. Nothing new, but vastly interesting. It was great to see our "government in action" -- or would that be "inaction"?? (of course I'm kidding).  We spent around 2 1/2 hours with John. The tour of the Capital was fascinating and we were both glad we took the time to keep our appointment with these fine young people.

I must say that everyone, everywhere in the Capital, was friendly and helpful. We joked with  the Capital Police, had a fine time with the interns and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I heartily recommend that, if you have an opportunity to visit Washington D.C., to take the time to call your Representative and make arrangements for a tour. If you're interested in a Pentagon or White House tour, contact them 6 months in advance. Those reservations are hard to get.

Tomorrow we'll be leaving Washington for New York City by train. So, "stay tuned". As always -- more to follow.....

Dennis touching a "moon rock" at the NASM

Today was our first full day in Washington D.C. We headed out about 8 a.m. and found a "Dunkin' Donuts" for coffee and a bit of breakfast.Their coffee is really good -- although Linda opted for a Mocha Latte at Starbucks. We walked over to the National Mall and got their around 9:15 or or. The museums don't open until 10 a.m., but the Smithsonian "Castle" opens at 8:30, so we found our way there for some information, a bit of rest and a look see at some of their exhibits.

At around 9:50, we made our way to the National Air and Space Museum. we spent about 4 hours looking at the exhibits on both floors. The museum has changed a bit since my last visit in the 90's, but it is still the place to go! The aircraft is first class and the exhibits and descriptions impart a wealth of information about aviation. As one enters the museum, the "Milestones of Flight" exhibits are overhead. One thing missing, so I thought, was the Wright Flyer - the first controlled flight of an aircraft. It turns out the Wright Brothers have their own exhibit now, so it was still there -- just not in the expected place.

At noon, Linda and I went into the Einstein Planetarium for a presentation called Journey to the Stars. It was nicely done with great photos and discussions about origins of galaxies, stars and planets. The planetarium has a beautiful Zeiss projector recessed into the floor and out of the sight of the audience. Yet, the presentation was outstanding. We finished out stay at the Air and Space Museum with a quick look around the rest of the exhibits. One needs to realize that it takes "days" to do a proper job looking into all the exhibits at NASM. We were there for 4 hours, so much was left unseen!! A good reason for another visit at another time.

New Car "showroom" -- 1951 Buick

We took a long walk along the National Mall toward the American History Museum and got there around 2:30 or so. It had been a number of years since my last visit, so I was expecting to see much of what I experienced in the 90's. But, museums change and exhibits change too. We were looking forward to seeing the "automat", for example, but found that it had been 8 years since it was removed!! Time does seem to fly. Many of the exhibits have been changed from actual artifacts to photographic displays and discussions. I was rather disappointed in the move away from using actual artifacts as exhibits. There were some, and those were still of excellent quality and content.

I was disappointed to find that the "ham radio station" was no longer a the museum. The "working post office" was gone, the 1890's "soda fountain" was gone too. The general look and feel of the museum was cold and uninviting. I'm hoping that, in the future, exhibits will improve and change for the better.

Marie Mitchell's Telescope

By now it was getting rather late. We decided to hold off the Holocaust Museum until tomorrow. We've also contacted our Congressional Representative and was invited to stop by for a VIP tour of the capital building. We have a 2 p.m. appointment with them for tomorrow -- more walking!!!!

On the way back to the Inn, we decided to take a look at Union Station. It's about a 15 minute walk from our lodgings. We enjoyed the activity and ambiance.  About an hour later, after a nice scoop of Hagen Daas ice cream, and we made our way back to the Inn for a well deserved rest.

So, as always dear reader -- stay tuned, more to follow....

Linda and I got to the Palm Springs Airport around 6 a.m. (our good buddy Jim gave us a ride) and boarded an American Airlines flight at 7. After departing, we flew into Dallas and then on to Reagan National. It was an easy ride. Unlike my usual pattern, I actually slept for a little while, so the flight went quickly.

Once in Washington D.C. we made our way to the Metro and took the subway to the Gallery Place (Chinatown) Metro station. A short 3 block walk and we were at the Capital View Inn on I and 3rd St. We're also a short walk to the National Mall and the museums we want to see.

Around 7 p.m. we went into Chinatown and had dinner at a local joint. The food was just "ok", but edible!! We agreed not to go back there again!! Oh well, one must strike out sometimes.

Tomorrow we'll be heading over to the National Air and Space Museum and American History. If we have time, we'll also go over to the Holocaust Museum. We've made arrangements with our U.S. Representative -- Mary Bono Mack -- for a Capital and Pentagon tour on Wednesday. That should prove interesting. Unfortunately, we won't be able to get a White House tour as we didn't give them enough notice. They tell me one needs 3 or 4 months for those tours.

P.S. Don't tell Ms. Mack I'm not gonna vote for her!!!

More to follow..

The day after tomorrow, on July 30, Linda and I will set out for a month on the East Coast. We'll be going into Washington D.C. for a couple of days to see a variety of the Smithsonian museum's and other sites. We've arranged for a congressional tour of the capital building and Supreme Court. 

From Washington we'll go by train to New York City for a 5 day stay. Linda will visit her cousins who are in the 90's. New York lends itself to a wide variety of activities -- Broadway plays, Canal Street, the Lower Eastside, Ellis Island -- you name it, New York City has it. During our stay we'll visit Newington CT. and the American Radio Relay League's Headquarters for a nice visit.

On August 8th, we go to Grand Central and transit by train to Boston. Ah, the Freedom Trail and Fenway Park call us for a couple of days. Boston is a great town, lots of sights, activities and GOOD FOOD!! A few days later we're on our way to Portland Maine for a visit to our good buddy Dave Blumin and his wife in Boothbay Harbor. My niece Deb and sister-in-law Winnie live in Brunswick Maine, so we'll check out those guys during our time in Maine.

Another highlight of our trip will be a stay in Springfield Vermont, the site of Stellafane. Stellafane  is sponsored by the Springfield Telescope Makers founded in 1923 by Russell W. Porter. Among his other credits, Porter was the designer of the 100" and 200" telescopes located on Mt. Wilson and Palomar Mountain. Springfield is considered by many as the "birthplace of amateur telescope making".

We'll be returning on August 30, but in the meantime -- keep an eye here. I'll be posting photos and comments about this adventure during our trip.

August 10, 2011 -- Palm Desert, California. Wow, after 2 days of travel we returned to Palm Desert at around noon on the 9th. We boarded the Alitalia flight at 9:30 a.m. for the first leg of our return on the 8th. As soon as the plane was boarded by all passengers, there was a medical emergency and a doctor was called on-board. The bottom line is that, instead of leaving at 10 a.m. we sat in the plane for 2 hours and finally left at noon. The result of that delay was a missed flight for the second leg of our journey and were forced to stay overnight at Ohare Airport in Chicago. So, making the best of the situation, we chose a hotel across the street from the airport, had a nice dinner and got some sleep.

The rest of our journey went flawlessly, and we arrived at the Palm Springs airport at 12:10 on August 9th. The temperature was 109-degrees F, but it was good to be home after such a long and exciting trip. So, of course, jet-lag is part of the reality of these kinds of trips, so here it is 1:50 a.m. on the 11th. I'm wide awake and ready to get busy. The rest of the "world" is asleep!!

Looking back on our travels for the last month, I think about the many places we've been -- but more importantly, the many people we met. Our stay with Francesco, and his wife Laura, in Tuscany was a highlight. Their hospitality was a wonderful gesture of friendship. Our visit with Carlo in Caserta was just as wonderful, and I'll always remember the lunch his mom made for us. On every day, and every where throughout the trip, we had serendipitous meetings with people from all over. Young people traveling throughout Europe and people of all ages on holiday from every part of the world. We met people from Canada, the U.S., Singapore, Slovakia, Russia, the U.K., the Philippines, Austria, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, China, Iran and Afghanistan. One highlight was meeting Dr. Sajo, a Justice of the European Court of Human Rights

Our favorite city was Florence Italy. The music, culture, food, activity and people there were beyond description. In every corner of the 3 countries we visited -- Italy, Austria and Germany -- we found friendly, engaged and happy people going about their routines of working and living their lives. We had the occasional "language barrier", but in every instance, we were able to make ourselves understood in one way or the other. We did find that Italy is going through it's own "financial crises", but for some reason, the people were engaged in the "moment". I think their "social safety net" helps them cope with these realities. In some way, the Italians seem assured knowing that they live in a society that invests in the "individual" through such programs as universal health-care.

So in closing, I can recommend travel to everyone who can find the time to do so. The benefits of going to different places in the world and meeting the people there are incalculable. As the old TV commercial used to say: "Try It You'll Like It"!!

How true.

Bocca della Verita

August 7, 2011 -- Rome Italy. It's hard to believe that our trip is coming to an end. We'll be catching an Alitalia flight at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. This has been quite the experience, and we've enjoyed every minute of it.

We did have a plan for today and set off around 10 a.m. to get a couple of things done. After an initial check-in at one of the local Internet Points, we found that it isn't possible to check-in on-line for our flight. I can only think it's because of the emmigration requirements. So, we'll get to the airport a bit earlier than planned to take care of checking in and getting to the gate on time..

One of the tourist attractions we wanted to see is the "Bocca della Verita", in English it's translated as "Mouth of Truth". It was made famous in a movie scene with Gregory Peck and Audry Hepburn in the film Roman Holiday. It is the image of a man's face and has been on the wall in the pontifco at the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin since the 17th Century. It is most "famous" for its role as a "lie detector". Tell a lie, and it is purported to "bite off your hand"! So, I was sure to tell the truth when it was my turn. Neither Linda nor I lost any fingers.

After we left the church, we noticed we were'nt very far away from the Jewish section of Rome, so we decided on a "kosher lunch". We found a cute restaurant called the Bocconcino Kosher and enjoyed some Falafal, beer and salad. While there, we had an "fun" exchange with a family from New Jersey. One last chore we accomplished was finding the train that'll take us to the airport. The Italian system is pretty efficient, with trains leaving at :22 and :52 minutes past each hour.

We finished up the evening with a nice "Japanese" dinner!! OK, so we haven't enjoyed the Italian food here that much, but it really doesn't seem to suit our taste. Go figure.

Ciao for now, ciao from, and "to", Italy.

Carlo IZ8GNR at his radio.

August 6, 2011 -- Rome Italy -- Today, was our day to head out to my "ham radio" friend Carlo Capola. Carlo lives near a city in southen Italy named Caserta -- not far from Napoli. Yesterday we had bought reservations on a "fast train" to Caserta and the trip was supposed to take 1 hour 15 minutes. Yet, the Italian train system has its own way of doing things and we stopped in the middle of no-where for 40 minutes. No explanation was given and we arrived late. Carlo was patient enough to wait for us, he found he is short order (I must look like to American tourist, because he picked me out immediately) and we got into his car bound for his home.

Lunch is Served!!

Carlo lives in a farm-house in the Alvignano area of southern Italy -- about 30 minutes by car away from the train station and Caserta. Linda and I met his mom and dad and we were told we were invited for lunch. Meanwhile, Carlo took me to his radio shack for a look at his ham radio equipment. He has a really nice setup, and we discussed  the kind of activities he enjoys the most -- which is "chasing distant stations" on the radio.

It wasn't long before lunch was served and we joined his parents at the table in their home. Now, we were told we were "special" guests, so a multi-course meal was prepared! It consisted of "anti-pasti", followed by a main course of spaghetti, then salad and then ice cream! I gotta tell you, I don't have much of an apetite for large quanities of food, so by the end of the meal -- Linda and I were contentedly "stuffed". What a wonderful meal made by an Italian woman in the southern Italian countryside.

We returned to the train station at 3:30 for a 4:00 p.m. train and got back into Rome, also a bit late, a 5:25!! I have been having a battle with my "sinuses" for the past day, so  I made a stop by the "Farmacia" to get some anti-histamine. In Italy -- Europe I think -- the pharmacists are trained to prescribe some medicines, so I was lucky finding a young woman who seemed to know what I need. NOW, I just need the courage to take the stuff!!

News at 11..