Back Home

Posted on 07/01/2018 by Andrew Reynolds

And we’re back.

The last two weeks we’ve been cruising European rivers from Budapest to Amsterdam.  We’ve been through Hungary, Austria, Germany, The Netherlands and a bit of Slovakia.  We were sailing on the Skadi, one of the Viking River Cruises’ long ships (they are long – 442 feet).  Our cruise started on the Danube, then to the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal which took us to the Main River and onto the Rhine.

Along the way we stopped in Vienna, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Cologne, Amsterdam and many more.  We also had tours of Salzburg and Munich which we took bus rides to from our ports.  In most ports we had a guided tour of the city, castle, monastery, old building, or other interesting things. 

We took tons of pictures, made notes, collected maps and books along with a few things from the gift shops.

And today we’re exhausted.  We kept very busy with tours and yesterday was a very long flight day as we flew from Amsterdam to Frankfurt to San Francisco.  Jet lag is starting to kick in as I’ve fallen asleep twice while trying to write this post.

This morning was very busy as Heather discovered our washing machine was leaking – a lot – and we had to take all the laundry to the local Laundromat to get 16 days of dirty clothes washed.  Then there was a little grocery shopping and picking up kitties from the Kitty Hotel (seriously, we board our cats at a place called, The Kitty Hotel).  The kitties are currently a bit upset about being left for 16 days and are taking every chance to let us know it.

I’ll be writing more about the trip in the coming weeks and will share more pictures as I catchup on sleep.  Before I go crash somewhere I’d like to share a couple of interesting ‘facts’ our waiter explained to us:

  1. You don’t get fat on a cruise – the tables expand while you eat, which explains why your chair gets stuck between the table and the wall while trying to leave the table after a meal.
  2. Food has no calories on the ship, however the calories will chase after you when you leave the ship.
  3. If you’re an American, they don’t put the tea bags in your pot of hot water.  You have to do that yourself.  However, if your British, the waiters will put the tea bag in for you.

Next week I’ll share more about our trip and more interesting things I learned.

Now, since the chefs and waiters didn’t come home with us, I am off to make our Sunday pizza.

Till next week,

Andrew

Posted in Travel | Tagged , , , | 39 Comments

Friday Wisdom – Camping Advice

Posted on 06/29/2018 by Andrew Reynolds

Camping advice: When selecting a campsite, a tuba left on your picnic table ensures the site on either side will remain empty.

More wisdom next week,

Andrew

Posted in wisdom | Tagged , | 28 Comments

Wednesday – What Are They Doing

Posted on 06/27/2018 by Andrew Reynolds

We’re almost there.  For those who don’t know what we’re up to here are the final clues:

Where we went today.

Random view from our “hotel.”

Yesterday’s ground transportation to town.

That’s it from here.

If you need me – I’ll be back soon,

Andrew

Posted in Travel | Tagged , | 18 Comments

Sunshine Blogger

Posted on 06/24/2018 by Andrew Reynolds

Dor over at Virginia Views nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger award.  Which is a bit odd as the few people who know me on a day-to-day basis wouldn’t call me “Mr. Sunshine.”  I’m more likely to be called Eeyore.  In any case, thanks Dor for the nod.  Here’s her post about it: you-are-my-sunshine

As I mentioned last week, I don’t often participate in blogging awards as my writing schedule is generally full, but Dor is one of those special blogging buddies and I have to at least answer her questions:

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?  Do you wish you were the other and why?

Introvert, which is why I hide behind my blog.  I can be extroverted when needed, but it’s a huge energy cost and I tend to avoid it.  I kind of like who I am and don’t wish to change, much.

Are you an animal lover?  What pets do you have and love?

For those who haven’t read my blog – I am a crazy cat person with four kitty cats that I love and build furniture for.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

My 6th grade teacher.  He let me cheat a spelling so I wouldn’t be held back a grade.  Sorry, can’t spell his name – it started with either a C or a K …

Have you ever had a bad habit you  broke?  What was it and how did you change it?

Eating candy constantly.  How I broke it?  Shear stubbornness.

What is your favorite place to relax?  Explain where it is and why it helps.

The couch in the living room because the cats are often there and often Heather is there too.

What is your favorite movie of all time?

The Muppet Movie.  I went to see it in the theater 23 times.  Seriously, 23, then I bought a VCR and a copy of the movie – wore it out.  Currently I am on my third DVD copy of the movie.  Yes, I can quote it by heart and even sing a few of the songs.

Do you love to travel or do you hate it?  Why?

I love to be in new and interesting places, but hate to travel there.  Airline travel is stressful and my cats refuse to travel with me.

Are you an organized or a disorganized person?

Yes, I am.

Are you always late, early, or right on time?  Are there any advantages of disadvantages to your timing?

I am always right on time.  To make sure I am on time, I arrive early and hide in the bushes until it’s right on time.  The major advantage is that I’ve never been ambushed.

Do you create lots of blog posts in advance of publishing or do you do one at a time?

I almost never schedule posts, except for this week when all my posts are scheduled due to a vacation.  My habit is to write, edit and then post almost right away.

What inspires you to create a blog post?

Almost anything, a cat, a flower, something in the workshop.  I have a very short attention span and a willingness to write about it.

Thanks for the questions,

Andrew

Posted in General | 19 Comments