Pics

View of Amsetrdam from Van Gogh museum; Liam playing music in the apartment; kids at Van Gogh (no pics inside so this is all we could get); Kids on street.



 

Women and children slaughtered in Baghdad

This is so sad.

A fiery explosion tore through a line of people
waiting to buy fuelSaturday and killed at least
38 people, mainly women and children,continuing
the wave of tit-for-tat sectarian killings that
have defied US efforts to stanch the bloodshed.
The horrific blast sent women engulfed in flames
screaming through the streets. Two preteen children
embraced each other as they burned to death,
witnesses said.

Demo in Amsterdam-

We attended the rally against the US and Israel's role in the Middle East in Amsterdam today. It was interesting talking with people and hearing their views on Bush. Being abroad this long, I have the privilege of witnessing the US as an outsider rather than one in the midst of all the insanity. It obviously gives me a broader perspective on how the US policy affects the world.


pics: Liam and Luna drew peace signs on their hands. lluna wrote "Bush" and a check mark next to it signifying that it is incorrect and a star next to the peace sign signifying that peace is correct. Last pic is the children petting a peace dog.

Chavez rocks!

This guy has courage.

Liam's Dream

Liam was telling me of his dream this morning at breakfast...

I had this friend that was a skeleton and we hopped on a boat and we wanted to sail. What else in my dream there was is there was this friendly bear that drove a pirate boat that was brown and there was another one who was a friendly polar bear. The polar bear was a passenger who sat by the driver. We sailed and told them where we wanted to go and we wanted to o to Africa. So they sailed us to Africa. They dropped us off and we hopped back on and went to Asia. Then we wanted to go to India. They sailed us there. Then they sailed us back to the country we were in which was Paris. We went back to Paris where they parked the boat. It was bedtime then.

The words of a world traveller...

Lost in Amsterdam!

Ah what a place. We spent the day wandering about the city really not knowing our way around in hopes of reaching the centrum and getting a better map than the Lonely Planet one. We did. We returned to the train station and I purchased a map and transit card. We found a Ben and Jerry’s and ate sorbet. This city is so charming with canals, boats, and old buildings. It doesn’t feel like a city at all. We met the woman next door on our way out and she was so nice gave us some advice on where to go. There is a farmer’s market tomorrow. Hooray.

We headed for the canal cycles. We rented a canal bike and pedaled along oneof the many canals. It was comical at first as Byron and I kept running into houseboats and turning ourselves around. At one point we were turning into another canal and a giant boat was coming straight at us. I panicked and the boat stopped for us. I apologized and felt like a dork. The people were very mellow and stopped their boat while we backed up. Luna and Liam got chances to pedal. It was fun. The dock was right at the AnneFrank house so we went in. That was very interesting and sad. We went into the rooms she and her family stayed in. Luna understood, Liam was bored. We watched videos of Auschwitz. Byron read the Diary of Anne Frank in Kolozsvar and was very interested in going.

The kids are dying to rent bikes. I am hesitant because this is a serious bike place. There are separate paths everywhere and if you walk on or across them it is like a street where one must look. Basically the bikes and pedestrians own the roads, not the cars. If you getin a biker’s way though they are mellow and ring their little bells. At the train station there is an actual parking garage for bikes with thousands of bikes! Really! I love it. Luna decided that it is better to bike than drive and she wants a bike instead of a car when shegrows up.

Earlier we had frites (fries) for a snack. People are very serious about their frites and sauces. Sate (satay-peanut sauce) is a popular topping. Last night at the train station we tried curry frites. The curry was sweet. The sate was also sweet. Quite an experience. Liam loved it. Byron and Luna grew weary of them fast. I loved them but felt guilty the whole time. I guess the 10 lbs I inadvertently lost this trip will return.

Tomorrow there is a demonstration against the role of the US and Israel in the Middle East. Of course, I will go.

Eurojournal-21 Sept 2006 (Dublin and Amsterdam!!!)

Today we explored Dublin for the day before our flight to Holland. We ate breakfast and visited Kilmainham Gaol which is a former prison for political prisoners. The prisoners from the Easter Rising in 1916 were executed there. It was fascinating to learn more about the history of Ireland. We walked back and ate lunch and caught a bus to the airport.

The check in and security at this airport was fabulous. The line was small and the carry on restrictions were more lax. Just because of London Byron and I felt the need to see if our bags fit in to the airline measuring box. There was a lot of room. I guess in London they made it smaller. We did keep our carry-ons to a minimum though. We made a friend in line. A 3 year old girl names Efa and a baby names Liam. Liam was pretty happy that there was a baby Liam with blue eyes too.

We arrived in Amsterdam with no problems. We flew to Eindhoven which is far south, bus to train and train to taxi. I was a little surprised at the Dutch spoken. I knew it was here but I was expecting more like Norway where there were bilingual signs and everyone spoke English. People speak English though. I got out my Europe phrasebook and did a crash course on basic Dutch. I met a really sweet woman on the train and talked with her a bit. She helped us find our stop. Our apartment is really sweet and in a great spot. The neighborhood seems quaint from what I can tell at night. The apt has a small garden in the back and it so big in comparison to our dorm rooms. Bikes are everywhere here. There are places along the canal with hundreds of bikes. I am looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow. It looks like no other we have traveled so far.




 

Pics-Peace wall in Belfast

 

Eurojournal-20 Sept 2006 (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

Today we went on a black Taxi tour of Belfast. We saw toured the Shankhill and Falls neighborhoods. Shankhill neighborhood is the highest concentrations of Protestants and Falls is catholic. 85% of schoolchildren in Northern Ireland are segregated according to religion. The schools are state schools which are predominantly Protestant. Some schools are mixed meaning that if one is Catholic, they do not have to partake in Protestant religious lessons. There is no separation of church and state here. If a person’s religion is something other than catholic or Protestant, people will ask if they are(let’s say they are Muslim) are Catholic Muslim or Protestant Muslim classified by what neighborhood they reside. Certain places are mixed like the city center and the neighborhood where we were staying. Others are not. The Protestant neighborhoods are clearly marked by waving the union jack flag (British) and one neighborhood had their curbs painted red white and blue. The Catholic areas are not so obvious. We drove on a main road separating the neighborhoods. All police stations are heavily walled. Neighborhoods are fenced.

We first visited Shankhill, the Protestant area. Shankhill means old church. Murals were everywhere in this neighborhood. People are very tight knit here and have been for generations. It was a normal green grassy neighborhood with townhouses. On the sides of the townhouse buildings were the murals. One honored the factions fighting for the Protestants. According to the guide they are illegal. Their guns are not obtained legally. One of them is called the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) another is the Ulster Voluntary Force (UVF). Two murals were memorials dedicated to specific men who died. One man was murdered by the UVF, demonstrating infighting within. The most disturbing mural was that of a person in a black ski mask with a gun pointed at us. No matter where we went the gun pointed at us. This mural lets people know that they are being watched.

We came upon the Peace wall. This was built by the British Government in the 1970’s as a result of heavy fighting. It was so bad that the British sent in “peacekeeping” forces to build these walls. Even now, at night the gates are closed. All over the walls are murals and peoples’ names form all over the world. People from Canada, Australia, Africa. Our guide gave us a marker and said while he cannot encourage vandalism, he has a marker if we would like to write something. We took it and looked at the wall in amazement. The small murals were historical accounts. The rest of the wall were names. Each of us added our name. Luna wrote a peace sign in hers. Quite powerful.

We proceeded to the Falls neighborhood, the largest of all Catholic neighborhoods. It was not as obvious. Behind the peace wall the Catholic houses lie very close. We saw a string of murals in the neighborhood. Just for clarity, not the same as the place wall or even near. The first mural was that of Kieran Nugent also known as the first blanketman. He began the protests as a political prisoner which lead to the hunger strikes later. I recommend watching the movie Some Mother’s Son with Helen Mirren to understand the hunger strikes. Next was about Palestine. Another was a tribute to Irish POWs, Frederick Douglass, and Bodenstown. The Bodenstown mural had a picture of the president of Sinn Fein who was killed by Protestants in the 1970’s. Another mural had Bobby Sands and two spaces were dedicated to George Bush. Bush is sucking the oil out of the Middle East. Ah, Byron and I took humor in that one. It stared a discussion on what the Irish think of him. Our guide was clear that no one really likes him and definitely no one supports the war regardless of Catholic or Protestant. He said that the Catholics do not support the troops or invasion whereas the Protestants do not support the invasion but will support the troops. The Catholics and Protestants also agree on English futbal (soccer).

We passed by the Europa hotel which is the most bombed building I Europe. I asked the guy if he had fear living here and he said it was like where we are in CA with earthquakes. We really don’t think about them. A little timeline or at least my understanding of it. This whole problem began in 1606 when the Protestants came to Ireland. Later the issue with Britain came adding to the problems. 1916 was The Easter uprising or Bloody Sunday. 1988 was the worst bombing. 1994 there was “peace.” With only a few bombings since then. I am hoping to do more work on this and write more. What was really interesting is I have always heard about the IRA as a terrorist group in the states. Yet I have never heard of the UVF or UFF. Both sides have their paramilitary forces yet the US considers only one on the list of terrorists. Perhaps the other groups are considered as well but not as famous in US media. I wonder why. Is it because the protestants groups are aligned with British forces?

Sooooo..after our tour we returned to the hostel to finish laundry and check out. We ate lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We arrived in Dublin and walked around the city foraging for food. We found the Dublin castle which was pretty neat. It’s a cute city and rather mellow. Though I was tired and cranky, everyone else was relaxed and polite.


First two murals are form the falls nieghborhood (Catholic) and last two are the Shankhill (Protestant)





 

Eurojournal-19 Sept 2006

We woke up after sleeping in a bit. Even Liam slept in past 8am. I felt a cold coming on so I welcomed the extra sleep. We got ready and ate the free breakfast prepared by the owner. This guy is so interesting. He is abrasive but lovable. Much like that character Belize. The kids make him laugh and smile. He cooks in the kitchen singing classical music. The breakfast was so sweet. Fresh, hot Irish oatmeal, cornmeal muffins, toast, jam and Irish breakfast tea. We filled up as it was a long day on the train today and lunch was questionable. I was hoping for a way to change the whole schedule and stay another day here. I grew very connected to this place. No luck and I could not get earlier train schedules. So off to Belfast we go.

We walked to the village and took in the beauty. Along the road we saw an old stone church, a colorful bar with about 10 multicolored chickens or roosters outside, Aran sweater shops, sheep, cottages and fences. We arrive din the village. I went into a sweater shop in hopes of a cotton sweater. I almost put my ethics aside and bought the wool sweaters but couldn’t. No luck. Oh well. Kids got their souvenirs. Liam has been collecting coins, Byron pens and Luna postcards. We grabbed veggie burgers and got on the boat to the mainland.

Boat to bus to train. We took a train all the way across Ireland to Dublin. We saw green rolling hills, sheep, forests, villages, cities and cows. We arrive din Dublin and had to take a tram to the other train station. That was fun to get a taste of Dublin. We took the train north to Belfast, Northern Ireland and arrived around 9pm. Wow, he we were in Belfast! I have always been interested in the history here between the Catholics and Protestants and Britain’s colonization of Northern Ireland.



 

More Inis Mor pics

Yep I clutched onto a stone and dangled my foot of the edge of this awesome cliff.



 

Inis Mor pics

 

Eurojournal-18 September 2006 (Inis Mor)

It is Monday and we are in Inis Mor. It is absolutely amazing here. We woke up in Galway, a town in Western Ireland to heavy rains and got soaked after walking 2 blocks. We took the bus to the harbor and then the ferry to the island. The ferry was fast and the waves were big, a reminder that we were in the Atlantic. We arrived to this quaint town. We asked where our hostel was and it was a mile or so away. Normally not a problem but in the rain with luggage, quite a chore for us. I was in the gift shop while Byron, Luna and Liam somehow decided we were taking a horse drawn cart. First Liam runs in and tells me enthusiastically, “Mom, we are taking a horse!” Then Luna, then Liam again. I go out and the horse and carriage are waiting for us. How could I say no? We climbed in with our luggage and went on a 3 hour tour…yes a 3 hour tour.

We hopped on and he took us to our hostel first. What a sweet place. Up the road from the village overlooking the ocean and rolling green hills with stone fences. The owner reminded me of the actor who played Belize in Angels in America. I enter the receptions and am greeted by a “Yes, Ms Arenas.” Wow, that obvious? I knew instantly I liked this place. We got our room and got back on the buggy for a trip around the island. We traveled up the street surrounded by stone fences (I love those!) and cottages. Reminded us of the village in Romania. Heavy rain came and we stopped for a bit until it slowed down. The man told us about the stone fences. They were once when families lived here to separate their property but since then people have emigrated and they are left behind. The primary economy is tourism and was once fishing. There is hardly ever snow anymore. He said it has changed because of global warming. When he was young there was more snow.

We arrived at Dun Aonghasa. He dropped us off and said he would wait for us. It usually takes and hour or two. What was this place? He mentioned the cliffs before so maybe it was a walk up to them. We stopped at the café and another really heavy downpour came just in time. The café was crowded. Someone offered to share their table with our clan. This man was 4th generation Inis Mor-ian. We had some wonderful fresh baked brown bread. I could taste a lot of corn meal. It was yummy. We had a bag of food for lunch and we ate. We even finished this vegan tart from London that we have been trucking around. One of the things that almost went in the trash at the airport! It was divine. The café itself was warm and welcoming.

The rain stopped and the sun came out. We headed up the hill. Everyone kept warning us about the children. Wow, what are we getting into here? We hiked up a rocky hill and reached one part of the monument. The views were breathtaking. In one direction we saw the green rolling hills and cottages and the other was the ocean with cliffs. This was the place I have always wanted to see. We went inside the monument and it was so windy. We could barely hold ourselves up. The children loved it. They could fly. We went to the edge carefully. Oh my gosh! Byron layed on his belly and looked down at the ocean over the cliff. Wow. I can’t even explain what it was like. It was almost the inverse of the fjord in Norway. In Norway we looked up at these magnificent vast cliffs. Here, we were looking down. If we stood up, got distracted and one blow of the wind, we go into the water, far far down. I was in awe of it all. Wow. I have never seen anything like this ever. After taking it all in we went up to the next part. Even better and even windier. So what was this place? Dun Aonghasa is a semicircular Celtic fort. It was built by ancient Celtic tribespeople around 2000 b.c.

We walked back and found the man with the horse and buggy. We got on and he took us along the coastal side of the island. We stopped where the seals make an appearance at low tide. Unfortunately the tide was high but will be low tonight or early tomorrow. The children are excited about the seals because of the movie Roan Inish. We returned to our hostel and walked a bit. Kids picked blackberries. I am here writing this and the children are outside playing cars. The views from our window are lovely. What a great place.

The children went to bed well. Byron bought the dinner at the hostel. I went in and checked on him. The dinner was prepared by the owner. It was in a small dining room with a fire going in the fireplace and classical music playing. Nice. I decided to order dinner as well as most of it was vegan. Byron was already eating with a woman from the bay Area originally but now living in the UK. Fun conversation. The dessert was amazing. A wine glass with a syrup and cooked pear. Yum!





 

Eurojournal - 17 Sept 2006 (Ireland)

Today we left for Ireland. The airport was a nightmare. Our carry ons were too big even though we have never had an issue with them. London is very strict now on what one can and cannot bring. One carryon the size of basically a laptop computer and that’s it. Ours was bigger. We tried to move things around but eventually I had to throw away my nice packof tomatoes and one of our sleeping bags. We could not check them in ieither beacsue the ticket counter had closed. At this point I was frustrated. I toss the sleeping bag and the worker tells me condescendingly “we are doing this for your protection, to stop terrorism, do you understand that?” I tell her yes and continue to repack my bag. She tells her coworker, “oh she doesn’t understand does she? She doesn’t get that we are doing this for her safety.” I tell myself to breathe and hope that everything fits in the measuring box so we can go. It does but boy did that woman strike a nerve. After that part of security we went through security #2. Byron and Liam had their bags searched. At this point our flight is scheduled to leave in 5 min. We arrived at the airport early too! Luna is standing there while Byron’s bag is being meticulously searched and wells up. She says she hates this and really does not want to be doing this anymore. I clarify and she said the airport is too stressful for her. Poor thing. It’s time now to run to our terminal. Byron and I said that if we missed it or if got any crazier we were going to just take the train to the village. The kids did a great job running all the way across the airport to our gate. We make it dripping in sweat. I don’t see a plane. We missed it. Part of me is relieved. Okay so we are going to the village. Might as well ask where my bags are. She tells me the flight is delayed and the plane is not here yet! So we sit, wait and take off an hour after our scheduled departure time.

The rest was smooth. We arrive din Ireland and found our shuttle easily. It was a nice ride to Galway. Our hostel was nice too. Mellow. We shared with 6 others. It was cheap and we weren’t going to be there long. Everyone was nice and went to bed early. Byron stayed up and watched a movie in the common room. Earlier we went to dinner at a pub and had sir fry veggies on noodles. That was so good.

I told Luna and Liam about Bella this morning before we left. They were making elaborate plans on who would walk here and take care of her in California. I just told them. I explained what James and thought happened. We think it was Parvo. They took it better than I thought. Liam asked some questions, cried a bit and said he felt better. Luna cried but not for long. She liked having a reason why it happened. She was so sad that we would not be able to bring the puppy home as a present for Andie. She got over it and went to play. Hmmm…I think she is holding back. I think that’s what the tearyness at the airport was. Later in Ireland on the shuttle she screamed at Byron with such anger. I asked Byron to be more patient with her.



 

London Pics

London Tower Bridge; Buckingham Palace changing of the guard; King's Cross station-yep there really is a platform 9 3/4 with a partial baggage cart in between; Abbey Road cafe-we did a get a pic of the kids crossing the crosswalk but it was sad.





 

Ireland!

We arrived in Western Ireland today. Absolutely amazing. Rolling green hills with stone fences, exactly as I imagined. Guiness everywhere and lots of happy people.

I will write more later. We were going ot go back to the village because of the puppies but decided to stick with the plans. I told the little ones about the puppy and their reaction was not as bad as I anticipated. We'll see.

I'm glad we are here. Ireland feels very grounding right now. Tomorrow we take ferry to the Aran Islands. Remember the movie The Secret of Roan Inish? That's the place.

Loss

The black puppy died today. We named her Bella-Kutcsa. Exactly one week ago almost to the hour, the brown one died. Luna named her Brounee. Brounee was sick and died very fast with James. Bella tried to revive her. After her death James watched Bella closely throughout the week. She even went on a nice hike with him and played a lot. She seemed to be coming into her own. He said today he woke up and she would not move from the spot where Brounee died. He held her (Bella) the whole time as her breath and then heart stopped.

I just told Luna and Liam about Brounee two nights ago. They took it hard, especially Luna. Liam cried a lot and then accepted the reality. He still misses her and says he is sad. Luna took it hard. She said she would not be able to handle it if the black dog died too and wanted reassurance that Daddy was taking good care of her. She worries. She likes control. She needs concrete answers. She hates that Brounee was so young when she died. I told Byron a few days before the kids. He took it well. We decided after Brounee died that we would go ahead and keep the black dog. So today the kids and I decided on an official name for the black dog, Bella-Kutcsa. Kutcsa which I am sure is misspelled is “puppy” in Hungarian. What is ironic is that I think we were walking around London deciding on the name at the same time she was dying. It looks like Bella needed to be with her sister. I am thankful these two beautiful spirits came into our lives and gave us such joy.

Below is what James wrote to me:

As she was dying I told her that we loved her and that her and her sister had been good dogs and that we had been on great adventures together to the Black Sea and the Fagaran Alps. I told her that if she stayed with us she would have more adventures in California with us with the kids and with Andie. I told her how much we loved her and how much she would be missed. I stroked her fur as her breathing got harder and I told her how much we wanted her to stay and live with us but that it was ok if she wanted to return to her sister. My bag with my bible was still sitting in the hallway from a week ago when I was with her sister. I don't know why but I read the 23rd Psalm which alot of people ask for when they are dying.

The Lord is my shepherd I
shall not want,
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside
still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me on paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death,
I fear no evil;
For you are with me;
Your rod and your
staff-
They comfort me.

The puppies are buried together. At their funeral I said they are together in death as they were in life. They are forever touching each other now. I said they were both great dogs and how much we would miss them and how much we wanted them to come home with us. And I said they were dogs of great adventures but that California was one adventure too far for them. For all we wanted to make a home for them in California, they would live and die in Transylvania their home.

Brounee the day before she died playing with a ball








Brounees grave with Bella

Bella and Brounee

Bella-Kutcsa July 2006-15 Sept 2006
Brounee July 2006-8 Sept 2006

Eurojournal-14 Sept 2006

London has grown on me today. I have always been vaguely fascinated by London because of the punk and alternative scene. But still arriving here after Norway made London seem so dismal and grungy. We rode the London Eye which was a giant ferris wheel 150 meters or so above London along the Thames River. The kids loved it. The made friends with another 4 year old with similar energy so it was a boisterous car. We then ate at a south Indian restaurant which was good. Wandered London and got to know the tube very well. James joked with me that other than NYC we have done the subway world tour. Maybe Subway ™ will sponsor us for Tokyo and Mexico City. We played at jubilee park, went to Dali Universe and rode double decker red busses. At the park we saw people posed as statues that would move occasionally. The children were fascinated.



 

Eurojournal-13 Sept 2006 (London!)

Today we are on the way to London. We have been up since 8 am traveling by bus and it is now almost 3pm. The bus ride was long but amazing. We traveled along the western side of Norway island hopping. On one part of the journey we boarded a ferry, bus and all for about an hour. That was beautiful sailing in the water passing more mountains. In the ferry was also a play area for the children. I am amazed at how child friendly this place is. I had read that Sweden was child friendly but I guess I never really understood that they really meant it. On all public transit there are entrances and exits for strollers. On the bus Liam spilled all of his crayons. I got anxious as I walked around the bus looking for crayon stragglers. A man picked some up and I apologized. He said, “It happens, no problem” calmly. Ahh.

I am hesitant to be going to London. We just had an awesome time relaxing and I am not quite ready for the big city again. I worry more about the kids and have to be more like a drill sergeant so they don’t get lost. Fortunately our hotel/hostel has gardens and is not in the middle of the city. The kids told me today that they liked traveling around like this. They weren’t excited about the long bus ride but they also liked the beauty of Norway. I think we can all agree that Norway is our favorite place so far. How lucky we are to be experiencing such beauty.

London is like the US. We arrived at a small airport and waited in line for an hour to get through security. I guess that is to be expected. We arrived later in a giant bus station, crowded and chaotic. But there was a Starbucks! I didn’t stop though. We managed to not get lost and got to our destination smoothly. We are staying at a B&B in North London. It has a kitchen and a nice yard for the kids. We went to the grocery store and after the shellshock of Norway prices, it seemed rather cheap here. We made a late dinner and plans for tomorrow.

It is an adjustment being where English is the primary language. I have become rather passive in my interactions with people. In Norway everyone was fluent in both English and Norsk but the signs were in Norsk. Here everything is in English. I still approached a worker at the train station as I do anywhere else. It was funny.







 

Eurojournal - 12 Sept 2006

We left for Bergen today. We took a cruise along the fjords. As if yesterday wasn’t amazing enough, this topped it all. For two hours we sailed through perfect water surrounded by huge rocky land masses. Looking off into the distance we saw glaciers larger than life. It was amazing. We then sailed right past these larger than life land masses with waterfalls. I have never seen such a place and felt so small in the midst of this giant beauty. I took many pictures and videos but they will never capture the breadth of it. We finished the ferry ride and took a bus to Voss.

We figured that was the end of such and adventure. The bus ride was also amazing. We passed more fjords, mountains and gorges. We drove up a very steep windy road up the mountain to look down and a huge drop. We saw more waterfalls. After the bus we took a train to Bergen. The views again… amazing. Wow. What an incredible place this is. This has to be the most beautiful place in the world. On the train was a play area for the children. We were in the family car without own little enclosed room with a lot of room. We walked over and there was a climbing area with a tube to crawl through and a pretend kitchen.

We arrived in Bergen, very quaint filled with cobblestone streets and pastel like buildings. The population is about 200,000 but it did not feel like it. We found our hostel on one of those cute streets. We took an old elevator to the floor and checked in. The floors were wooded and the rooms were very nice. We walked around Bergen and took a funicular to the top of one of the hills. The kids loved that.




 

Eurojournal - 11 Sept 2006

Today we enjoyed Flam. We walked around and got some groceries. This place is absolutely incredible. So peaceful and beautiful. We looked at the hiking map and decided to take an easy hike up the hill near the ecological farm. We really wanted to hike to the waterfall but the map listed it as level 3 meaning there was climbing and very thin paths. Kids probably could not handle that.

We walked up the hill and were amazed again at the beauty surrounding us. In on direction is the water with a giant boat and small village buildings. On the other are mountains, waterfalls and green valleys. At the top we ate a snack and all discussed how wonderful this place is. Byron decided he wanted to learn Norsk and move here. We walked back down and Byron decided that he at least wanted to walk near the waterfall. So we did. We found the trail. I figured we’d go as far as the little ones could handle and wait for Byron there.

We hiked and hiked up a very very steep hill with some bouldering but no actual rick climbing requiring gear. The whole time Liam was an optimist telling us to get going and how strong he was. The kids were totally excited at the progress we were making up this hill. As we got higher up we could see Flam far far below. The houses grew smaller. Wow, we are THIS far up? We heard the waterfall in the distance. Okay, let’s keep going. Kids are marching along full of energy. The whole time talking about how proud they are of themselves. I told them daddy will be so proud of him. We talked about how I started hiking with James. We got further and had a snack break. From there we could now see the waterfall! We will do it. All four of us were so energized. Here we go. Byron warned the kids that it might get harder but they could do it. It wasn’t much harder. A few palces where the kids needed help over some petrified wood. Walking and walking, climbing up the hill, I see Byron stop and his face lit up with a huge smile. I asked if we were there. We were. We made it to the top of the waterfall. He walked down the slippery rocks to touch the pool of water. I had him take one kid ata a time. Luna touched the freezing cold water and loved it. Liam was excited to go down and did but came right back up to me because it was too cold. We spent some time at the waterfall and then headed back down. The whole time all of us were in amazement that we did it. I loved seeing how proud the children were of themselves. They want to hike all the time and are totally jazzed on hiking. I think they are ready to go for a weekend backpacking. Luna can hold her own baggage. Liam will still need help carrying his but between James, Byron and I we can carry his stuff. I am thrilled that they want to go now. I’m sure James will be too.







 

Eurojournal - 10 Sept 2006

We are in Norway. We arrived in Oslo after a long but very mellow journey. We ate falafel for lunch. This was so funny. The man asked what we wanted on it and was pushing the sauce and all the condiments. We didn’t want one sauce because it looked like it had dairy. He said much like a Greek father, “You must try this one, Norwegians love hot sauce and it is very hot.” Well I thought, we’re from California and eat Thai, Vietnamese and Mexican, so give me a lot. It won’t be that hot. Byron and I ate our falafel with hot sauce, onions, corn, tomatoes and onions. The hot sauce wasn’t that hot. Until a few minutes later well after I took a big bite of it. It seeps in and gets stronger and stronger and does not go away. I’m tearing up and measuring how much drink I have left. I’m too weak for Norwegian hot sauce! It was good though. Prices are shockingly high but I was expecting that after reading about it. I think the VAT is high, like 45%. We walked around Oslo and watched a skateboarding show. That was fun. We met with this really nice woman who let us stay at her place. I previously corresponded with her on email. Her place was really nice and the kids were able to relax.

We woke up today to get the train to Flam. It is one of the most scenic train rides in the world. I told the kids this at the beginning of the trip and we were underground. “yeah right mom, how scenic.” We are about halfway through and it is stunning. It is like the road to Tahoe and the Transfagaras Road full of conifers, rocks, water and mountains.
Everyone here is no nice. The customer service has been incredible. Yesterday at the bus station I looked clueless sand the woman at the window saw me from afar and motioned for me to come to her. She asked if I needed help so I asked her some questions and she was super warm and helpful and even gave me change. Getting tickets for the train today was a pleasant experience too.

As the ride went on the views grew more stunning. On the top of the mountains were rocky landscapes with rivers, gorges and glaciers. Yep, we even saw snow. Our train stopped in Myrdal where we got off to wait for the train to Flam. We boarded an older train much like the skunk train and headed down the mountain. The views were even more breathtaking. Huge waterfalls, rocky passes, crystal blue waters. Wow! Definitely the world’s most scenic trainride. The children had a great time on the train. We met a couple from Minnesota. Liam told the man he looked like The Little Prince and Luna told the Woman she looked like Queen Elizabeth.

We arrived in Flam where we will stay for 2 nights. Coming down the mountain we could see the village. We found our hostel which is really a nice cabin with lots of beds, a cooktop and refrigerator. It is pretty cozy and the woman at the desk was incredibly nice. We walked around the area looking for a store but it was closed so we ate dinner at a restaurant- minestrone and fries. We played at the play area and I sat by the water and took in the beauty. The water on this entire journey is so clean that the reflections are like perfect mirrors. We could see the rock covered bottom of the water. W saw some critter swimming across. What was it? We looked and looked and it was an otter.

We went back to the cabin and got ready for bed. One wall has three bunk beds. Luna, of course had to have the very top bunk. Liam gets the bottom and I have the middle one. Byron gets his own corner with the other bunk beds. I am sitting here typing as the little ones sleep peacefully while Byron is out on his skateboard taking in the scenery. Tomorrow we will hike around.







 

Norway!

We arrived in Norway this morning after taking a bus to Hahn, Germany to fly to Oslo at 3am. Everything was smooth and the children were great. I am prety tired tonight to write details but will this week. We leave Oslo early tomorrow for Flam for 2 days where we will see some fjords. It is absolutely stunning here so far.

Luxembourg!

Luxembourg is absolutely gorgeous. One of the best ever. I really want to return here again and stay longer and explore the country. It feels like Germany but with French speakers along with German. The buildings and landscape are awesome. When we arrived last night we exited the train station to another busy city. Stressful energy. Oh no, I thought, a stressful city. We find the bus and get on. I asked the bus driver if he could tell us where our stop was. He says No and then smiles. Oh good, he’s nice. Thank goodness. We drive through the town which looks a lot like downtown San Francisco, turn the corner and head down a cobblestone hill. Wow! Our jaws dropped. Deep valleys with castle ruins, high bridges and lots of trees. We get to our stop and our hostel is down the hill in those trees and castle like buildings. All four of us fall in love while we walk down the hill. All four of use declare we will come back to visit this beautiful place.

Our hostel is very nice, better than most hotels, nothing like the ones I stayed at in the states. It was recently renovated so it is very modern. We eat, wander a round and go to bed excited to see this town.

Today we explored the area. We walked up the hill and the kids sketched a turret. Byron did a really nice job and got creative with his sketching adding the big red bridge and the stone train bridges. While they were sketching I sat back and enjoyed the land. We were on top overlooking the castle ruins, trees, river and churches. It is like a storybook. The weather was cool and sunny.

We walked further to downtown which was busier. I needed to find a bank to get some money exchanged for Norway. I went to 4 banks and no. One said I should have called 2 days ahead so they could get some Krone. All were very nice. The banks are different than at home. Much more formal and rarely an ATM. Big buildings with gates. We walk back to the hostel and see a castle. It was much like Sighisoara. We walk up and look around and go back.

Earlier Byron had found a ping pong table at the hostel and was playing with the kids. He wanted me to play. That was fun. As always I play ping pong like tennis and hit too hard. The kids were the ball collectors. Liam took that job very seriously and watched every moment ready to hop and run to get it. Reminded me of the ballboys at Wimbledon hunched over ready to go.

We foraged for dinner hoping to get rid of stuff out of our luggage. We did that. I sure hope we can find food in Norway because it’s dates, vegan pate and raisins now. I repacked the bags and redistributed some weight around. Liam’s bag was too heavy for him so I took some of his stuff. The luggage is so much work.

We leave tonight at 3am to catch a bus to Germany and fly to Oslo. I am looking forward to the scenery. While I spent the last week stressed and depressed, being here really changed things for me. I feel like I am really traveling now or at least traveling in Hansel and Gretel land. A new adventure everyday. And we are out of the big city for a while. Most of Norway will be the same with two days in a tiny town in nature. Very sweet.





 

Eurojournal- 7 Sept 2006

Au revoir Paris! We are on our way to Luxembourg on the TGV train. Byron and Luna are doing homework and Liam is looking at the scenery.

This week was pretty challenging as I was trying to adjust to missing James and preparing for our departure from Paris. I got pretty attached to Paris and did not like to idea of uprooting. It is fine for me or both James and I but a different situation altogether with the children. At the same time I remember how fortunate we are to have this opportunity to be on this journey. I just wish it were as a whole family with James. That said, after talking with the children (they miss James, puppies and village) we will most likely return a little early to the village in November instead of December after Barcelona.

We saw more sites in Paris. We went to the park at the Eiffel tower, Grevin wax museum, the Cite des Sciences, Salvador Dali museum, Claude Monet’s house in Giverny, Versailles, Quai Branly museum, Pere Lachaise cemetary and revisted the skatepark and vegan Chinese restaurant. The children loved the science center especially Liam. Giverny was really beautiful. Liam loves Claude Monet’s “magical bridge” and was thrilled to see it in person and walk on it. He even sketched it. The Dali museum was located in Montmartre which is a fabulous section of Paris. It is where both Sacre Coeur and Moulin Rouge is located. In Montmartre is La Place de Tertre which has artists everywhere sketching and painting on top of cobblestone surrounded by cafes and galleries. I loved it. This is my favorite part of Paris. We attempted to see various famous graves at Pere Lachaise. After getting lost we were ready to leave and decided to just see Jim Morrison’s grave. Byron had no idea who Jim Morrison was. So I explained and downloaded the movie by Spike Lee to watch one of these days. Musee de Quai Branly is a museum with art from Oceania, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

I took a few hours to myself yesterday to regroup after this week. I went to the store and bought some of the best vegan chocolate ever to mail to James. We had it when he was here. I went to a café at the Trocadero, near the Eiffel Tower, ate strawberry sorbet and read. It was nice. For once it was hot in Paris. Last night Byron went to the Louvre.

We spend two nights in Luxembourg and leave at 3am for a bus to the airport in a random part of Germany to Norway. This month will be quite an adventure travelling around. We will see 6-8 countries in 3 weeks. How exciting!












 

Pics

We went to the Salvador Dali gallery at Montemartre today and dropped bythe Moulin Rouge. The kangaroo is from the Cite des Sciences yesterday.