England Belgium Luxembourg-A Great Start!

England has long been one of my favorite countries. It's so distinctive with the double decker buses, the black taxis, red phone booths and infinite pubs. I love the fashion, the British accents and their distinguished manners, the food, the countryside, English gardens and the fact that there are so many really old buildings. I've never been a history buff but when I'm in England I can almost feel the history and I get lost in it. I don't know why it's different for me there than anywhere else in Europe but it is.

When I arrived in Bath a friend sent me a FB message saying he had a friend that lived there and introduced us via FB. Graham is the perfect English host. He loves his country and is very knowledgeable about most things historical and otherwise, around Bath and beyond. He was happy to show me around for a few days imparting his knowledge in an interesting, casual way, not like a boring, lecturing historian. He gave me a great list of must-do's and even joined me for some. The Roman Baths are fascinating. Nearly two thousand years old, I was walking around an incredible piece of history. Quite a contrast from the Thermae Baths which one can actually go in and have a nice rooftop view of the city at sunset. It was a little cold but the natural spring water was warm. On the other levels there were steam baths and a lazy-river pool. It was expensive but totally worth it. I also enjoyed a little mischievousness by teaching an older woman how to spray her friends with water using the noodles. Typical American--comes over and causes trouble. Ha!Ha! My work here was done.

The River Avon runs through the beautiful city with curved buildings built out of the golden Bath stone, cobblestone streets and too many tourists. As lovely as it was, I much prefer the quaint, medieval towns of Tetbury or Bradford-on-Avon with its sagging tea house that dates back to 1502, medieval bridges and quiet charm.

Upon hearing of my plan to cycle through parts of Europe, Graham became very excited and offered to donate a bicycle to the cause. So he got it ready and after a few days I was on my way with a bicycle, helmet, gloves, spare tube and lock. All that was needed now were a rack and panniers which I would buy on the continent as the exchange rate was much better. For the better part of three days in Brussels that's what I did. But first I went to Oxford and spent a day walking around and getting my tire fixed. A really lovely city, I now understand what all the hubbub is about. I could only dream of going to school in such a lovely place. Not to mention, the coolest pub in all of GB is tucked in a little alleyway in Oxford.

Having heard so many nice things about it I was super excited to go to Belgium. I took the Eurostar train to Brussels. It is an incredibly expensive way to travel and cheaper to leave from London than from Ashford which is much closer to the continent. Go figure. They also charged me £25 to take the bike AND took my knife at the boarder. Needless to say I was very upset about that and it put me in a bad mood for a couple days. It wasn't until I went to see the Grand Place at dusk with a group from the hostel that I had a change in attitude. Truly one of the more impressive things I've seen in Europe. The enormous white buildings with gold leaf reflecting the setting sun was quite spectacular. Then the lights turned on and it took on an entirely different beauty. I went back in the morning to take photos but it wasn't nearly as nice. I desperately need to buy a real camera so I can capture these moments. In fact I haven't been taking many photos at all. Sometimes it's difficult because the buildings are so big and close together that I can't get far enough away to get a good photo or more often than not there is fencing, scaffolding or cranes in the way. Plus it's rather a hassle to stop all the time on the bike and to be honest, there are just too many beautiful things. I can't take photos of them all.

Belgium quickly won my heart. The country is clean and beautiful with great food, beautiful fashion and the locals that I met were exceptional (except the owner of the first hostel I stayed at). And as great as the cities were, I enjoyed the journey through farms, fields, pastures and tiny villages even more. My favorite story is about my first day on the bike. A lovely 40 km ride (once I got to the trail head) through small Dutch-style villages with their manicured lawns, linear homes and simple steeples atop small churches. Quite the contrast from the organized chaos of French Brussels with its beautiful building facades designed with curves, countless architectural details and ornate wrought iron balconies. But the panniers were heavy, I was a little dehydrated, it was getting cold out and I'd put on about an extra 30km with all the getting lost so after seven hours of riding I was tired and stopped in the first restaurant I'd seen for a long time: The Boondocks -An American Bar and Steakhouse. I couldn't believe it! Just my luck! The irony! I actually rode past it, refusing to stop but quickly realized I was in the middle of the boondocks- not having seen a village for a while-and didn't know where the next one would be so I turned around and went inside. Turned out to be the best thing I could have done.

I ordered the fish and asked the waiter if there was a hostel or cheap accommodations nearby. He didn't think so but said he'd find out. About ten minutes later the restaurant owner came over and offered to let me stay at his home. Very cheap. Free, in fact! So after saying he cleared it with his wife and has two children, I accepted his kind offer and so glad I did.It was exactly the kind of experience I imagined having. And in this quaint village of beautiful Dutch-style homes, Jurgen pulls up in front of the only large, American-style house. The irony continues! After a shower I joined his lovely and hospitable wife on the patio for wine and conversation. When Jurgen came back from the restaurant he joined us then his best friend came over because he didn't believe that they suddenly had an American guest. Haha! Not too many visitors in the small town of Wichelen, let alone Americans. But it was a fun night and in the morning Isabelle made me a breakfast fit for a hungry cyclist! I was too hungry to feel bad about eating her out of house and home. Seriously though they were incredibly kind and generous people and I'm so happy I stopped in that American Steakhouse. I also had a similar experience in the tiny town of Knokke on my way south.

After two and a half days of flat riding along the river, and about three more to go, I got a little bored and decided to take the train to Luxembourg--another country I was very excited about. If you are into a raucous nightlife, high fashion and gastronomical delicacies it's not the place for you. However they do have a huge Saturday Market with antiques, produce and baked goods. Everything in Luxembourg City can be seen in two days and the 15km of underground tunnels historically created for military defense of the city give a fascinating glimpse into its history. Most of the country that I rode my bike through was pristine: beautiful, green rolling hills with occasional farms and pastures and tiny villages. A very underrated country indeed! I would have loved to stay longer and cycle further but I had to catch a train to Switzerland. My French friend I'd met in San Pedro d'Atacama, Chile was expecting me. And after Switzerland is Nice!!!

USA -UK

I've been so busy the last six weeks I sometimes wonder how it could be so when I was hardly even traveling! In early April I arrived in Florida alone. That means my luggage didn't make it. I was really upset about this as I'd had plans to spend several days in that very cool and funky Art Deco area of Miami called South Beach. It was my first time there and after four months in SA I felt like I was seeing the U.S. for the first time--and what a wild and crazy place it was! A city where anything goes and that freedom and eccentricity is flaunted everywhere: Obese people (or men) in skin-tight gold lame shorts and tank tops, or dining in only a bikini, earrings the size of dinner plates or two-inch long finger nails with rhinestones. I found the place to be loud and a bit in-your-face but there was an undeniable friendly charm about it at the same time. I loved it! But without my luggage I was limited in what I could do in my only outfit so on the third day, after spending several frustrating hours on hold with Avianca Airlines, I left the city with so much unseen, and hopped on a bus for Tampa to spend some quality time with my folks and get some things done--like my taxes, and laundry until my bag arrived.

Three weeks there flew by and I hardly went anywhere. I cherished my early morning walks with my father, greatly appreciated going to the gym with my sister and just visiting with my (step)mom. There were so many things I needed to do, coordinate and organize in my life, plus just hanging out with them that the time seemed short. I suppose there was also a turn of events that helped fill some of my time as well...

Scheduled on my second weekend in Florida was a college reunion of sorts--a circus reunion for those that had participated in the '80's was privately organized during alumni home show weekend. I took the bus up to Tallahassee and had a great weekend meeting new people and connecting with people that I had never really spent much time with before. One of these new people, Clay (not my son) and I hit it off well. So well that before the weekend was over, it was arranged that I would meet him in Nice, France in mid-June. Then a few days later, during one of several phone calls that week, he asked me on a date for the upcoming weekend. He drove two hours to pick me up for our first date (in Sarasota) which was three days long but entirely too short. I was treated like gold while having loads of fun. A tour of the Ringling house and circus museum was a nice touch in keeping with our circus-themed commonality. I've never met anyone I got along with so perfectly and with whom I have so much in common! So I invited him to join me in my cabin on the Queen Mary 2, due to depart in two weeks. I was ecstatic when he accepted! First, however, was a trip to the Pacific Northwest to see my son, dog and friends.

Flights to Seattle are much cheaper than flights to Portland even when you include the train fare to get to Portland so that's what I did. My son, Clayton, hitched up to meet me and it was a tearful reunion-well on my part anyhow. So happy to see him!! We spent three fun-filled days exploring the city before taking the train together to Portland where we enjoyed walking around the Saturday Market and getting Voodoo Donuts before going back to his apartment so I could see my awesome puppy that I miss so much! I thank my stars for all the good people in my life, I am truly fortunate! My girlfriend Heather picked up me and Bear as we were staying at her boyfriends place an hour away. It was a fun reunion and an evening filled with delicious food, wine, laughter and games. The next day I was reunited with my car and Heather and I spent a great day hiking waterfalls in The Gorge and meeting a mutual friend for dinner in the evening. In fact, the rest of the week went the same way...spectacular hikes in The Gorge with friends, meeting up with different friends in the evenings and lots and lots of laughter. Aside from special mention Robb-who was a most gracious host and Heather- who continues to be a great friend, I'd like to thank everyone that made an effort to see me in those five days: Clayton, Duane, Garth, Justin, Cassie, Gary and Brian. It was really great to see you!

Returning my dog and saying good bye to my son was as gut-wrenching as I thought it would be but what surprised me was how much harder it was to say good bye to my friends as well. Perhaps if I hadn't had so much fun... But it was wonderful to see how much their lives have evolved in the last five months and I'm very happy for them. So it was with mixed feelings that I went to the airport. Excited for New York where I would spend a day in Brooklyn with my awesome niece whom I seem to meet up with every few years in exotic places, and for the evening arrival of Clay. It was strange to me how much I missed him even though we'd had only one-albeit amazing-date. My last meal in the USA was a very romantic and delicious dinner at a small, authentic Italian restaurant not far from our Brooklyn hotel. The next day we boarded the QM2 for our second date--a seven-day transatlantic voyage.

The Queen Mary 2 is everything I expected it to be... a massive ship 1,132' long, exquisitely decorated in Art Deco style with white-gloved afternoon tea, an impressive library, planetarium, loads of activities, pleasant and professional staff, lovely shipmates and lots and lots of food. I think one of the most impressive things about it is, although there are over 2,000 people on board, you don't realize it. We were often alone in the elevators and in the stairs and corridors you may pass a couple people. The shows filled up but the only time I felt crowded was when I was in the queue for a tour of the galley. And that was quite impressive! The absence of uncontrollable children did not go unnoticed either. It was my first time on a ship and I loved it! Of course, being able to share it with Clay changed it from something that would have been an amazing experience to a magical one. And it started the moment we entered the room. (Actually it started in NY but...) I had been upgraded from an inside cabin to a window one and when we walked in there was a complimentary split of champagne on the coffee table and on the desk there were flowers, a bottle of Champagne and white chocolate truffles with a sweet note wishing me a Happy Mother's Day, "Love, Clay". Of course this was from Clay, not Clayton, because the only thing my son gave me was a private FB message, late in the afternoon, wishing me a happy Mother's Day. But I did appreciate the play on names. We watched the ship leave port with champagne in our hands and excitement all around us. The Statue of Liberty slowly got smaller as the waterway opened up before us. It was going to be a great week!! We explored the ship from top to bottom--all 13 decks. Clay also treated me to a spa package which gave us access for the week to a therapy pool, saunas and steam bath. We exercised in the gym, played shuffle board on the 12th deck, ping pong, numerous games of cribbage, drank wine, champagne and ate caviar. We dined and danced, watched theatrical performances, movies and listened to lecturers. We sat in a hot tub outside and on deck chairs watching the world go by and in those seven days of being nearly joined at the hip not one cross word was said, annoyed look given or feeling hurt. Not even when I kept waking up Clay at the ungodly hours of 7:00 or 8:00 every morning. And when he begged to be allowed to sleep until 9 I let him. Needless to say I was impressed when he jumped out of bed at 5:15 on the last day to watch the ship dock and the sun rise (in our bathrobes nonetheless!) We got along famously and in fact, were occasionally asked if we were on our honeymoon. And since the spa guy 'married' us (he gave me Clays last name when issuing the card) we would say yes. Hahaha! We both wished the journey was a few days longer and when our time drew to an end there were more than just a few tears shed. We docked in South Hampton and said goodbye in the train station as he had an afternoon flight back to The States and I was going on to Bath. At least we have Nice to look forward to...