A New York State of Mind....

"New York, New York so nice they named it twice" as the saying goes.  New York will always be "home" - where I grew up, where I studied and where I worked until a mid-life decision to "shake things up a bit" with a move to Florida!

Our most recent visit to "the city" was just a few days before the 2014 Thanksgiving holiday.  We decided to stay in lower Manhattan in the financial district at the Hilton Millenium.  The hotel's location was perfect for what we wanted to do: visit the World Financial Center, the Freedom Tower, 9/11 Memorial, shop and visit the neighborhood we once called home (TriBeCa).

We arrived early evening to the hotel and hoped our room would have a nice view.  We opened the door and stopped dead in our tracks - the view was absolutely amazing! In full view: the new Freedom Tower.

A quick settling in, after more than just a few minutes of staring in awe at the view, we thought about food - what else?  We're in New York, c'mon!  We decided on a BBQ place called Blue Smoke and specifically their new location near the hotel.  Just a few blocks away, it would be great to get out and stretch our legs.  Oh-my-goodness it was bitter cold and windy!  Was it really that cold or were we just being "Floridians"?  It appeared that everyone scurrying along the streets felt the same - heads and necks covered in scarves and couples

huddled together as they made their way to wherever they were going.  The wind had such a bite to it - ouch!  We made it to the restaurant and snagged the last table by the window under the warm air vent...ahhhh.  Tonight it would be a nice glass of red wine for sure!  Menu has changed but the great flavor is still there and the mac'n'cheese is still the cheesiest!

Next day we headed up to 23rd St & 5th Avenue to check out EATALY....what is that?  Several years ago we saw Mario Batali on TV talking about this EATLY thought it was another of his restaurants, but in fact, it is a huge Italian food hall with fresh products (pasta, cheeses, breads, produce etc)

and ready made items plus several eateries within the food hall.  Amazing place to visit!

And if you still have any little bit of "child" left in you, right next door to EATALY is a fabulous LEGO store.  It was fun to walk around and admire all the assembled structures.  There are so many kits to choose from but the best smile came from watching the children all wide eyed and excited to be playing with the LEGOs.

We ended our NYC visit with a tour of the 9/11 Memorial.  It was a moving experience and should not be missed by anyone visiting the city.  I remembered to take a few photos but for the most part I just walked around and gazed upon

photographs, watched a few short videos, looked at some small salvaged personal items and stared at fired trucks destroyed at the scene.  ....silence....

I put together a few pictures in a short video just to give you a snapshot of our visit...maybe just enough to entice you to visit, too!  (Below the video are links to some of the places in this post.)

Fifi

Hotel:
Hilton Millenium Financial District
http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/new-york/millenium-hilton-NYCMLHH/index.html

BBQ Restaurant:
www.bluesmoke.com

LEGO:
stores.lego.com/en-us/stores/us/flatiron-district

Spain: REAL ESTATE GALORE!

Here's a topic I've not written about in a while: Real Estate in Europe!  Specifically, this time, about Spain along the south-eastern Mediterranean coast  in the area of Murcia. See map:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Spain/@40.463667,-3.74922,6z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0xc42e3783261bc8b:0xa6ec2c940768a3ec

This wealthy agricultural area boasts spectacular weather year round with mountains and the sea for natural beauty.  Location is ideal: 30 minutes to local SanJavier Airport (and soon new Corvera Airport), 60 minutes to Alicante, 2.5 hours to Valencia and 3 hours to Madrid - all by car.  There are American-styled shopping malls in the area, loads of both Spanish and International fare restaurants featuring fabulously prepared meals for a fraction of what you would expect.  The beaches are pristine and water sports from surfing, kite/wind surfing, fishing and boating are offered.  The mountains provide for scenic hikes or biking.  Golfers take notice there is no shortage of golf courses and resorts in the area http://www.golf525murcia.com/map-of-murcia-golf-courses .  There  are hotels in varying price ranges, but seldom, if ever, would break the budget.  Car rental is easy - they drive just like us on the "right" side of the road!  And best of all, the friendly Spaniards are almost all bi-lingual - they speak a fair amount of English.  And fear not, because Spain has many British citizens living there, it's easy to make friends!  Now that you can feel comfortable with the background of living in Spain, here is a link for a company that specializes in selling foreclosed properties in the area, and mostly in the Polaris World Golf Resorts.  The golf resort of Mar Menor has a luxury hotel for guests - and they have an inventory of condos and single family homes.  The annual community fees and real estate taxes are low: as in just a few hundred a year!!  Click on the link and start dreaming of living "La Vida"!   http://www.lavidaspain.com/  or http://www.chersun.com/

Travel: Iles de Lerins (Cannes, France)

Cannes, France...Images fill your mind of jet-setting Hollywood celebrities and recording artists taking up residence in ultra luxurious seafront hotels and private yachts bobbing in the sea.  Chic boutiques showcasing the latest fashion arrivals in fanciful windows displays to shoppers with sky-high credit limits.  And as late evening approaches, smartly dressed diners will enjoy aperitifs before 5 and 6 course meals.  Afterwards they'll by-pass the velvet ropes and  make their way to VIP clubs and party until the wee morning hours.
But a 15 minute ferry ride is a world away....

The Iles de Lerins is a collection of 4 islands; two are uninhabited the others, Ile Sainte-Marguerite and Ile Saint-Honorat are open to visitors.  On this particular day, we opted for the ferry ride to Ile Saint-Honorat where the Cistercian monks live, pray and make wine and honey.  Hmm...interesting.  There is a restaurant on the island, La Tonnelle, serving up delightfully fresh seafood among the items on the menu.  Situated right on the waterfront, every table has a view, but our table was the best!  We made reservations well in advance: if you don't you run the risk of not getting a table.  Considering how many come by the hourly ferry, best to have a reservation confirmed.  True it is; as we arrived the cue/line for dining was several groups deep.  We worried that our reservation would not hold: there were more people than tables!  As we approached the host, we could hear that no tables would be available unless a reservation was a no-show.  Whew...we were greeted by the host, confirmed our name and were quickly shown to a front line (beachside) table, under a rattan shade, with sand at our feet and the view was spectacular: looking back toward Cannes in the distance with bobbing boats between the blue Mediterranean Sea in front of us and the lush green of Ile Ste-Marguerite beyond.  The view was picture postcard.  With lunch we had one of the award winning bottles of wine produced by the monks...worthy of every accolade.

After a very generous lunch, we began the leisurely stroll around the island.  Not knowing what to expect, we thought it would just be a walk in a lovely treed park.  As we walked we'd stop admire the view and continue on until we came upon the church.  Under a canopy of bougainvillea we walked to the church and admired the serenity and peacefulness.  Once outside, we found a boutique selling some of the wines and honey made by the monks.  Further along we were at a rampart and we saw the ruins of a fortress.  Open to the public, we made our way over and explored the ruins, floor by floor by way of the curving stone staircase.  Atop, the views were spectacular.  The sea was crystal clear and one could almost imagine being on lookout duty.  The warm afternoon sun, the sparkling sea and the gentle breeze was a relaxing moment that should never end...but it did and we timed ourselves to be sure to depart the island before the last ferry back to the mainland.  We still had another half of the island to walk before we'd circle back to the ferry landing.

Once on board the ferry, we left behind serenity of Saint Honorat and headed towards the hectic pace of Cannes.  Fifteen minutes and worlds apart...

Fifi

Travel: Valencia, Spain

     I love Valencia!  That's it - to the point, short and sweet.  It is beautiful, in a "Paris-pretty-girly" sort of way.  Her buildings are elegantly decorative with scrolling pediments, filigree balconies and gracefully draped windows.  Of course a few buildings have surrendered to the carefree style of Gaudi or Calatrava, but what 'woman' hasn't given in to a few eccentricities in her time?  She is lovely to admire...
     But you cannot live on infatuation alone - one must eat in order to survive.  Seafood Paella was divine - in fact it was a lobster paella and it was so good we had it twice!  Now that we've eaten, time to stroll around.
     First, we check into our favorite hotel: Zenit Hotel Valencia.  It is located next to the North Rail Station, a two block walk to a fabulous pedestrian only area and maybe, maybe, 10 minutes to the central food market.  The subway station is across the street as is a bus stop.  Overall location is a "10".
   On this visit we were upgraded to a suite...OMG...it was unbelievable!  Top floor, with living room (and a TV) access to a terrace that was enormous.  Bedroom with double closets (and another TV), fabulous marble bath and access to that huge terrace.  It was a small fee to pay for the upgrade, but the upgrade was worth so much more...we even ordered Sunday breakfast room service; served on the terrace overlooking the city!  What a special treat it was...
     On this visit, we took a self guided tour of the bullring located next to the rail station.  Two weeks prior there had been a bull fight and the arena still had a residual scent.  While I would not attend a bull fight, this is part of a country's culture; it is up to Spain citizens to decide whether to continue the tradition or not.  That aside, the ring is quite large with plenty of seating in both sun and shade....I'm guessing seats in the shade cost a bit more!
     Having done the food market last year, we passed on it this visit...beside, it was Sunday and it was closed.  However, a former outdoor (covered) food market, in another part of town, has been converted to a unique concept: chic cafes and colorful flower shops.  The lower level had a few restaurants and shops, but the open area of the main level was unique.  The cafes were buzzing with families, friends and couples alike.  From there we strolled some more and came upon a lovely neighborhood shaded by lovely old trees and dotted with benches for those who would prefer to stop and watch the world go by.
     Following day we took another stroll, in a different direction and wandered through and old part of town, came upon one of the old Roman city portals, walked along a dry river-turned-green space, past a Catholic university, and then we suddenly realized we had no idea where we were!  We looked at one of those "you are here" maps and still had no clue - the North Rail Station wasn't even on the map!  How far did we walk?  Well, we just kept walking and decided we should ask someone.  We saw a police car ahead and walked towards them when we realized they had someone there and it wasn't looking too friendly...the person they had started calling out to us in Spanish to help him....the police weren't doing anything but talking to him because we could see the policemen from the hill we were walking down...we were NOT getting involved in that despite understanding what was being discussed between police and the man...we just kept walking, at a slightly quicker pace!  We did meet a man pushing a stroller and asked him where the North Rail Station was and he gave us a shocked look...it was a good 30 minute walk ahead of us.  Tired as we were, we just kept walking and walking and sure enough, within the 30 minutes were we back at the hotel.
     What a day...good thing we had that fabulous terrace with lounge chairs and a bottle of chilled white wine in our cooler bag!  Watching the sun settle down and the city lights come up would be a pretty sight from the terrace that evening.  And lucky for us, there would be no walking tomorrow, just a 3 hour drive to Murcia.  But right now, we were going to put our feet up and go over our visit of Valencia.  Why not do the same and check out the video!

Fifi

Travel: Perpignan, France

Perpignan, France was our first stop on the road trip to Murcia, Spain.  Had no idea what to expect and what a delightful surprise!  A little bit of old, a little bit of new, a lot of history! We booked our one night stay at the Best Western Windsor Hotel and it was a perfect location for exploring!  (http://www.hotel-windsor-perpignan.com/)

Perpignan is quick off the auto route and just about an hour's drive to the Spanish border.

Full of charm, not too many tourists, and easy to navigate, Perpignan is highly recommended!  (Tourism link: http://www.hotel-windsor-perpignan.com/)  Arriving midday, we were so happy our room was available; we dropped off our bags and off we went to investigate!  A short 2 block walk and we were in the old part of town - free of cars, lots of warm sunshine flooding the town square and gentle breezes along the shop lined streets.  Old towns are funny: their streets turn and curve and loop around leaving you wondering where you are in relation to your starting point - you are usually just around the bend!  The culture is definitely has a "Catalan" influence; it's everywhere: food, language, signs and little "Catalunya" stickers!

Enjoy the photos of our afternoon stroll through Perpignan....

Fifi

Where We Stayed: Road Trip from France to Spain

During our last road trip, we took the leisurely route and drove only four or five hours a day.
Our first stop was Perpignan, France.  I think it is the last largest city in France before arriving at the Spanish border along the Mediterranean coast.

We stayed at a Best Western "Windsor"; great value, fabulous location and we had a great room on the top floor with a small balcony that overlooked the city.
http://www.hotel-windsor-perpignan.com/

Next day's drive was to my favorite city of Valencia, Spain.  We were in Valencia last summer and stayed at the Zenit Hotel Valencia.  This trip, there was no question where to stay: back to the Zenit Hotel!  This visit we upgraded to a junior suite for our 2 night stay and it was fabulous beyond anything!  http://valencia.zenithoteles.com/

Final destination: Murcia, Spain!  Last day's drive we arrived to our hotel Hotel Principe Felipe
Pure luxury, relaxation and 5-star service in every department!
http://lamangaclub.com/accommodation/hotel-principe-felipe-5

I write reviews for all my hotels stays, sightseeing and dining on TripAdvisor under my blog name. 
To read my reviews, you can visit TripAdvisor.com and in the search field enter: VirtualGlobalLiving

Have fun!
"Fifi"

Where We Dined - Hamburg, Germany

During our two days in Hamburg, Germany we enjoyed quite a few good meals:

Cafe de Paris, very near the Rathaus:   http://www.cafeparis.net/en/home.html

Die Bank, near the Renaissance Hotel & shopping mall   http://www.diebank-brasserie.de/
(be sure to click on the "language" tab to get the English version)

Cox Restaurant, a pleasant walk from the Kempinski Atlantic Hotel  http://www.restaurant-cox.de/

Kempinski Atlantic Hotel lobby bar served up the best club sandwiches one evening after a long day of walking!  http://www.kempinski.com/en/hamburg/hotel-atlantic/welcome/

We stayed at the Kempinski Hotel during our stay.  The hotel is gorgeous, the staff attentive.  Great location near the train station including the metro.  Beautiful setting overlooking the lake and tree lined street - any easy walk into either the new or old town!

Travel: Hamburg, Germany

The cruise has come to end...
We disembarked the cruise ship at Hamburg, Germany.  Interestingly, we had discussed travelling to Hamburg during the winter while watching a travel channel show.  (The show featured a young woman who was barge captain and expressed how much she loved her city...)

Disembarkation morning is always busy and structured but somehow still feels chaotic.  We collected our bags and off we were to get a taxi to our hotel.  O-M-G the line for a taxi was worse than any amusement park ride in the middle of summer!!  However, Germany being Germany and efficient as it is, had just about every taxi in the city on call and it was the quickest cue/line we've ever been on.  Taxis were constantly arriving; so to the front of the cue/line we were and off we went for a mid-morning drive through the city.  First impression, lots of greenery, well cared for older buildings, plenty of modern ones too, and great roads.  We arrive within 20 minutes to our hotel: Atlantic Kempinski Hotel.  Lovely turn of the century hotel, period details, elegant lobby/lounge area and modern room decor.  Rooms were not ready for checkin at 9am, so we left our bags with reception and off we went to investigate Hamburg.

Lucky for us, it was Sunday.  The streets were calm and gave us a chance to admire the buildings, stroll and check out a few places where to dine.  The old and new seem to intertwine as we rambled street after street.  We found the town square and the magnificent Rathaus (city hall).  It was incredible and hope the photos can do it justice (but I doubt it!).  Afterwards, we were ready for lunch and, of all places that were suggested, it was Cafe de Paris!  A French bistro!  With no reservation we sheepishly asked if they could accommodate us considering the place was jam packed with locals.  Quick as can be, we were shown to our table (two were pushed together for the 4 of us).  The brunch menu was fabulous and we spared no time in ordering - with a bit of help from the bartender who was more than willing to help translate some of the menu items.  During the meal he, as well as our server, checked on us to be sure we were content with our order.  Afterwards, they suggested other places for us to check out in the city.  How nice was that?!

We walked the city that day and the following day; we covered lots of territory, enough to warrant a few "pit stops" each day for beer or wine and give our feet a rest.  Hope you do the same right now: put your feet up and check out the photos!

Fifi

Travel: Fredericia and Copenhagen, Denmark

And so the cruise continues!  We are almost at the end of the journey as we call upon our next ports of call.

The next two cruise stops were in Denmark.  Our cruise ship was the first to ever call upon Fredericia and the whole town was out to greet us!  It was the most amazing thing to witness - a whole town from infants in carriages to toddlers to teens to grandparents and all in between!  There were cannons being fired, school marching bands, folk dancers and local politicians among the community that came to welcome us.  And as luck would have it, we were the very first two cruise passengers to step off and meet the flash of photos!!

The people were so kind, so warm and friendly.  It was suggested that we walk the park/town ramparts and enjoy the walk ending at the sea.  We took their advice and found our way to a far corner of the town and began the walk...the park was so green and lush with trees and shrubs and multitude of duck families laid claim to the slow moving waterway.  The walk had us walking up and down hills, stopping every so often to read historical markings.  The end of the walk brought us down to the shore where we met a group of friends who were out for a morning walk and swim...they were the happiest, healthiest and prettiest 80-somethings we've ever met! After a short chat (we speak no Danish, and only one lady had a good a grasp of English), we were back on our walking route along the water.  No sooner had we picked up our pace, we slowed down to see what was going on behind a little brick building...It was a rowing club - and already two boats had been launched and a third was getting ready.  But this was no college rowing club - no it was a "golden" group of rowers.  In fact, this third boat was a group of ladies heading out for the mid-morning workout!  Impressed - to say the least!  As we arrived back into town, we wandered along the main streets of shops and stores admiring such beautiful flowers, fruits and vegetables along side clearance sales of shoes and summer wear.  We stepped into a bakery and, needless to say, I became dizzy with the scent of fresh breads and delicate sweet treats!  After 5 hours of walking, we went back to the ship for a quick lunch and put our feet up for rest!  The evening sendoff by the townspeople was just as amazing as the welcome.  Again the town was out, the cannons fired, the band marched and thousands of hands waved us goodbye.

Fredericia was followed by Copenhagen.  Hans Christian Andersen published the "Little Mermaid" in 1837 and a bronze statue of her is perched upon a rock on the waterfront and she is photographed by almost every tourist - and that's a lot of tourists!  From the ship we walked to Tivoli Gardens - part amusement, part entertainment park.  It is the second oldest amusement park in the world, opened in 1843.  It has some nostalgic features like the 1914 wooden roller coaster (one of the oldest still in operation) alongside a roller coaster that has loops and turns and dives and spins.  There are plenty of places to eat, and in the evening the park is magical - lights are strung from trees, framing buildings, illuminating garden paths while music plays in the background from any one of many stages and entertainment venues.  There is something for everyone.  We've had the pleasure to be there during the day to see how beautiful the grounds are and by evening to admire the spectacle of lights.  After leaving the park took a long, aimless walk that, somehow, magically brought us to an enormous pedestrian only area.  Throngs of people were out, enjoying the bright sunny day and the "sales" must have been good ones, judging by the number of shopping totes we saw along the way.  Eventually, we made our way back to the ship just as sunny skies decided it was time to water all of Copenhagen's gardens and lawns!  Where's that umbrella when you need it?!
(http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/top-30-attractions-0)

Enjoy the photos!  (Next week: Hamburg, Germany including where we ate!)
Fifi

Travel: Warnemunde & Rostock, Germany

Day 11 was one of the most unexpected pleasant surprises! (Day 10 we were at sea - calm and relaxing.)  On this port call, many passengers opted to take the cruisetour to Berlin.  (We had just been two weeks before, so "check, been there"!)  I had read some reviews of the port and many comments mentioned going to Rostock.  A 15 minute train ride and we were in beautiful Rostock.  We stepped off the tram at the large town square and headed for the open market of kiosks selling huge pretzels, sausages on buns, sample platters of sausages and it all smelled "oh-so-good".  Rostock has a long pedestrian street brimming with shops selling breads, or cakes, or (more) sausages, produce, groceries, department stores, electronic goods, shoes, eye-wear, souvenirs and more.  The street wasn't busy with tourists (most were in Berlin) but locals

with shopping carts trailing behind them was a common site.  There was an interesting item though:  a lady who converted a bicycle to a coffee "shop".  Great idea, right?
We walked all through the shops and decided to cross the park and head towards the waterfront.  Rostock waterfront was preparing for a fair and old sailing ship regatta taking place the next few days.  Tents were setting up and many old ships were docked along the seafront.  We walked and walked and walked...realizing we had to find our way back and have lunch.  We circled back through some of the residential streets and, like magic, we were at the town square once again!  Lunch was at the Rathaus - the mayor's building.  Instead of dining in the Rathaus' lower level we opted for a great outdoor lunch served with a refreshing cold beer.  A short walk to the tram and back to Warnemunde!

The train arrives to the Warnemunde, the last stop so no getting lost!  We decide it is early enough in the afternoon and the ship won't depart until late evening (the trip to Berlin is an all day affair).  As we leave the station, we see a few kiosks selling souvenirs and take a "nosy" look at them and continue with  our stroll.  There is a small bridge ahead and when we cross over, we are upon a most delightful seaside village!  There are lots of people strolling about, pushing carriages or lining up to buy freshly prepared fish from a restaurant boat (take out only!) from any one of the dozen or so of this eateries!  There is a lawn area separating the waterside from the shop side of the street...where relaxing holiday makers are sitting on benches under shady trees enjoying ice-cream cones, watching the world walk or sail by.  We had such smiles on our faces - as if we stumbled upon a secret - that Germans actually do relax and let time slip away while doing nothing at all!  At the end of this promenade was the beach - the wide beach stretched for miles and many were soaking up the late afternoon sun.  Dare I say, a few were even in the water! (Brrr - c'mon this is northern Germany, on the Baltic Sea!!)  Skirting back behind the beach was a quiet lane that curved its way to a charming town square and then onto an absolutely adorable street with tiny cottages (A-frame) most of which were available to rent for a week or month.  Mental note made:  we should come here in the height of summer heat and enjoy the uncrowded, relaxed seaside town!  Strolling even farther, we can upon the "downtown" section where groceries, pharmacy and banking could be found.  By this time, we have been walking all day (except for the lunch in Rostock) and needed a rest.  We found a fantastic spot: a quaint little hotel with a shady front porch serving wine (by the glass or bottle) while overlooking all the passersby as they crossed the bridge.  Perfect!  An ice cold bottle of water accompanied our wine...and we sipped for hours watching the life go by - in Italian it is called "la dolce far niente" which means the sweetness of doing nothing.  And so it was...

Now, enjoy the short video of the day....
Fifi

Travel: Cruise Stops - Riga (Latvia) and Klaipeda, Lithuania

Days 8 and 9 were stops in two unique ports:  Latvia and Lithuania.  When we first visited Tallinn, Estonia several years back, we were told that Riga, too, was well worth the visit and still "undiscovered" by mainstream tourists. Klaipeda, Lithuania was a city I knew nothing about and piqued my interest.

Riga, founded in 1201, has both an old town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and a new town.  Lucky for us, our ship was the only one to arrive that Sunday morning and we had the town to ourselves.  A short walk from the riverfront dock, the old town's spires beckoned.  Wow...it was charming, delightful, peaceful and we could not wait to explore the winding streets and shady lanes.  We wandered up and down the cobblestoned roads, peering into store windows with smiles upon our faces.  As we came upon the side of the beautiful church, there was a young girl (maybe 12 years old?) who was playing a zither and singing so sweetly we had to stop, listen and toss a few coins into the zither case.  It was heavenly!
We walked from old town to the new town which seem to sprawl into quite a large modern city - complete with a few Soviet-era buildings as a reminder of history.  There was a basketball "tournament" going on with several teams competing in the various half-courts - the many spectators found seats, or benches and many enjoyed a beer as the games played on!  A great lunch, with local wine, and the late afternoon sun reminded us, it was time to head back on board.

Klaipeda, Lithuania - the country's name evokes thoughts of the "Iron Curtain" and post-WW2 history classes.  Upon disembarking we were greeted by locals dressed in traditional clothing dancing to folkloric music - absolutely charming!  Afterwards, we walked along a lovely little waterway with fishing boats, a charming hotel and a cute "bridge".  The walk into town was short and found ourselves on the main avenue on the verge of a facelift.  Many of the buildings were freshly painted, unique boutiques with large picture windows showcased creative displays.  An intersecting  avenue was adorned with beautiful flowering pots hanging from street lamps leading one to the main town square where government buildings and the cultural center were located.  The town square was hosting a small market with home-made goods and foods where locals shopped and chatted among themselves.   A little further away, we found our way to another produce/flea market...by this time it was almost noon on a Monday and the few vendors were quietly standing alongside their fruits, veggies or clothing stalls.  While Klaipeda is the third largest city in Lithuania (the capital is Vilnius), it has somehow managed to retain a quaint unhurried way of life - except when 2000 cruise passengers amble their way into town!  Our walk back to the ship was detained for a few minutes...the "cute" bridge was open and was not scheduled to be closed for another 15 minutes.  Bemused passengers waited patiently, some in the shade, some sipping beers or surfing the net (free Wi-Fi).  At the scheduled moment, two men approached a section of bridge, inserted a huge iron "T" into a fitting and with sheer strength began walking in a circle and pushing the iron "T" thus bringing the bridge towards the closed position!  Definitely quaint and certainly unhurried.  I wonder if the next few years of cruise ships calling on Klaipeda will change her...I hope not.

Enjoy the double video!

Travel: Cruise Stop "Tallinn, Estonia"

Day 7 of our cruise was a visit to the fairy tale town of Tallinn, Estonia.  We were anticipating this stop since our last visit there was so delightful and the prices were so favorable for knit wear and meals.
Since that last visit, Estonia is on the Euro and doing exceptionally well - evidenced by the high end luxury cars on the road.  The country was smart to invite techies to establish their businesses there with a favorable tax program.  It appears that aside from the lucrative seaport that does not freeze in winter, the invitation for new companies to set up here has been well received.  It appears that many are doing very well.

The cruise port had several ships in - crowds would be descending upon this most magnificent little town.  We hurried off the ship as we were meeting friends there (they live stateside, but she is Estonian).  We took the short walk from the ship towards the old town's ramparts (no need for a shuttle bus).  Many of the other passengers had not disembarked yet and we had the town to ourselves for about an hour.  During that time we walked through the park and made our way to a rampart wall that overlooks the new town; we could see the cruise ships in the background.  Great time for photos...

Meandering our way through cobblestone streets, our Estonian friend gave us a little background on growing up in Estonia behind the "iron curtain".  Life seemed normal enough, just limited travel if any and not much prosperity.  She was only 10 and doesn't remember much; her parents however do.  Estonia has adapted very well and very quickly.  We stopped for coffee after walking several hours and then more walking in search of a place for lunch...too many choices!  It was another hot day - weather this hot was unusual for the area so there was no air conditioning - and dining outdoors, in the shade seemed the smartest choice.  We found a delightful place, settled down to scan the menu and could not choose among all the good selections!

After a good lunch, we had to wind our way through the crowds!  Seemed everyone was off the ships and enjoying the bright sunshine in Tallinn.  We found a quiet lane near one of the ramparts where ladies were selling hand knitted sweaters, scarves, gloves and long socks - OK, a bit unusual since it was 90+ degrees, but the quality and designs would be great to have on a cold winter day....if only the prices weren't so high!  Oh my goodness - how much the cost of hand made sweaters went up!  Sadly, I left empty-handed...  But I did take a few pictures of the day to share with you!
Fifi

Where We Stayed/Dined

We stayed at the Kempinski Atlantic Hotel in Hamburg (http://www.kempinski.com/en/hamburg/hotel-atlantic/overview/).  This grand hotel is step back in time for refined elegance and the modern rooms and suites boast elegant finishes.
Convenient to the main rail station, easy walk to both the old and new towns and the walking path along the river make this an excellent choice for a stay in Hamburg.

We ate at the following restaurants and enjoyed every one of them!

Cafe Paris  http://www.cafeparis.net/en/home.html
We had a delightful Sunday brunch - full of locals, friendly staff and really good food!
Very cool interior including the ceiling!

Die Bank  http://www.diebank-brasserie.de/ (the website has a link to translate into English)
A former bank turned brasserie - the simple menu means an excellent meal is coming your way!
The restaurant features photos and quips from famous bank robbers!

Cox Restaurant http://www.restaurant-cox.de/  (google will translate into English!)
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in this local restaurant not too far from the hotel.  The place was lively and the food delicious. The short walk back to the hotel was delightful.

Should you find your way to Hamburg, and want to do some shopping, there is a great mall, Hanse Viertel (http://www.hanseviertel.de/).  We discovered it as we were walking to lunch at Die Bank.

There is much more to see in Hamburg - it merits another visit!

Travel: Helsinki, Finland

The second stop of our cruise was Helsinki, Finland.  Eight years ago, we stopped there on an NCL cruise and loved it....there was something very cool about the place: young people with studs and/or blue hair side by side with very well dressed elderly couples waiting for the crossing signal - and there wasn't a car in sight!  Here you could be as freaky or un-freaky as you wanted, but everyone obeyed the rules - right down to the crossing signals! Love it!

This time around, we wanted to do something thoroughly different, away from the masses of the cruise ship tourists: a day trip to Helsinki's open air museum featuring cottages and buildings of the past 4 centuries!

We disembarked early from the ship and took the shuttle to the center of town.  From the shuttle bus drop-off, we walked across the street and boarded the local bus headed for Seurasaari Open Air Museum on the island of Seurasaari!  A scenic ride of about 20 minutes and we arrived to Seurasaari (last stop on the bus, so there is no getting lost).

A walk across the wooden bridge and we stepped back in time.  Cottages, storage sheds for tar-boats and cured meats, playhouses for children, summer cottages, multi-family dwellings and a lovely old chapel.  I took lots of pictures and but you can always click on the official link for more detailed information. (http://www.nba.fi/en/museums/seurasaari_openairmuseum)

We walked and toured through some of the buildings and later on had lunch at just off the museum "grounds" at Ravintola.  The server was delightful but spoke no English - brought us menus that had rough translations into English.  We ordered the "Fish and Ships" (Fish and Chips!)....We attempted order something else, and not being sure what we wanted, he brought out the young chef who could speak a bit of English.  Order sorted and we were delighted with our meal!  The place looked out of a storybook!

After a hearty lunch, we walked the second half of the museum before heading back to the center of town.  By this time, the museum/park was full of locals out with strollers and toddlers or older ladies arm-in-arm walking the grounds for an afternoon of summer air.  Soon, we were back in the center of town and on the shuttle bus to the ship....there was a glass of chilled white wine with our name on it waiting at the Crown Lounge! Grab your glass and check out my pictures!
Fifi

Travel: St. Petersburg, Russia

Our previous cruise visit included an overnight stay in St. Petersburg, Russia.  At that time, we visited the Hermitage Museum (http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/index.html), along with a fabulous visit to Catherine's Palace in Pushkin (http://eng.tzar.ru/).  Another tour had us visit the Church of the Spilled Blood, river cruise and a tour of Yusupov Palace (http://www.saint-petersburg.com/museums/yusupov-palace/) where Rasputin was poisoned, stabbed and refused to die!  Interesting visit then but there was still much to see.

And just like the previous visit, you could leave the ship if you were on a tour.  If you wanted to leave and tour on your own, you needed a visa that was issued by the Russian Embassy/Consulate prior to departure from the US.  We opted for the cruise tours: safe and easy.

This cruise stop was 3 days: Day 1 was another visit to the Hermitage, specifically to the "Gold Room".  This was a very early morning tour! (Yikes)  The exhibit features anything and everything in gold: crowns, jewelry, artifacts, works of art etc.  No photos allowed and there were more than several pair of eyes watching us at every turn and move.  (In fact, while waiting for the curator of the Gold Room to arrive, our guide told us to visit the collection in the adjoining room.  A group of us proceeded and when entering the room we were rushed upon by solidly built Russian women who forcefully and loudly called "NO!".  As we quickly exited the vast room, they slammed shut two humongous doors.  We winked and smirked to one another but from there on, we walked on eggshells!)  That was our morning tour and back to the ship for a very, very quick lunch.

Afternoon tour was the "Metro & Market Tour".  Metro?  Yes, the metro!  Their subways system, besides being the deepest (it crosses the river), is very clean and many of the stations are works of art.  One station was done in red mosaics.  Another had beautiful sconces, busts of historical figures, gleaming tile work and all under surveillance!  Yes, there was a woman watching CCTV!

After a few stops, we exited and walked along neighborhood streets to a local food market.  It wasn't overly stocked but the vendors were just as happy to see us enter.  We photographed, walked around and checked out the prices.  Seemed fairly priced....  Upon exiting, we encountered a group of young girls, giggling and chatting away with a boy (we could hear his voice) and they were video-chatting via FaceTime or Skype.  Young people are the same where ever you go!

That was Day 1...it was an early start for these night birds so Day 2 was going to be a bit more laid back.
An evening at the St. Petersburg Ballet for a performance of Swan Lake.  It was spectacular!  The Prima Ballerina was magnificent - you actually thought she was a swan her moves were so fluid and graceful.  No photos were permitted - and we dared not be rude and violate the rule!  We did get a  photo of the husband and wife dancers at the end of the performance under the strict guidance of their manager!  Fabulous!

Day 3 was leisurely....we opted for a river cruise.  The sun was shining and it seemed like a perfect day to enjoy the sights on the tour boat.  We passed former palaces of the Tzars and their relatives (they all had a palace), beautiful architecture, golden domes, the Fabrege Museum and countless Russians on their boats enjoying the day as well.  Just like anywhere else...family and friends out for the day on the boat.  After the boat ride, we boarded the bus for a "shopping" stop - this souvenir shop had the most Matryoshka nesting dolls I have ever seen - and in all sizes from tiny little ones to jumbo ones big enough to be a toddler!  It was a perfect way to end our visit to St. Petersburg...the ship was preparing for an early evening departure and again, a chilled white wine awaited us in the Crown Lounge atop the ship - panoramic windows perfect for a farewell toast!  (Enjoy the photo/video in two parts)
Fifi

Travel: Cruising

     I am just back from a 14 day cruise of the Baltic Sea.  Travelled with friends on this itinerary which began in Stockholm, Sweden.
     We sailed on Royal Caribbean's "Legend of the Seas" - a 2000+ passenger ship, which by today's standards is a mid-size ship!  The ship underwent a renovation recently and looks lovely!
     I'll be writing future posts on each of the itinerary stops with a short video of the pictures taken - it would be too long a post to cover it all!
     The ports we visited were:
Stockholm, Sweden (Overnight)
Helsinki, Finland
St. Petersburg, Russia (2 nites)
Tallinn, Estonia
Riga, Latvia
Klaipeda, Lithuania
A day at Sea
Warnemunde, Germany
Fredericia, Denmark (the first cruise ship to ever dock there!)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Day at Sea
Arrival and Disembarkation at Hamburg, Germany
    The cruise began as follows:
We arrived to Stockholm Airport and after collecting our luggage, we were greeted by Royal Caribbean's "greeters".  As more guests arrived we boarded the motorcoach for the comfortable ride to the cruise ship terminal....ahhh!

The check-in process was smooth: we tagged our large bags with our cabin number and surrendered them to cruise personnel (we kept our hand luggage with us).  We then checked in at a desk where we were given the key cards to our room which were also our ID cards to disembark & embark at each port and served as an "account card" for any onboard charges (tours, bars, shops, etc).  And then we boarded the ship - what a fabulous main lobby!  We quickly made our way to our room and our cabin steward introduced himself to us - we'd later come to find that he would magically/mysteriously slip into our room and tidy it up every morning and turned down the bed for us every evening...it was delightful!  The room was immaculate.

As we began unpacking our small hand luggage, our two suitcases arrived! With plenty of storage on board, we started unpacking so we could start investigating the ship....then the phone rang!  Our friends had arrived earlier and were eager to meet up...15 minutes later we were hugging and ready to start celebrating our vacations!  Up to the Crown Lounge at the top of the ship!  (This was to become our regular "hang out"!)  We relaxed over a bottle of wine and planned for an early dinner and good night's sleep aboard as we had a few hours the next day to walk through Stockholm...
     This post is a quick snapshot of the ship!

Fifi

Travel: Cruise Port of Stockholm, Sweden

Early rise, hearty breakfast and off the ship!  We were docked far from the city center/old town, so we hailed a taxi and we were on our way.  First stop was the Royal Palace.  We walk around the Palace, and then onto the cobblestoned streets of Gamla Stan (old town).  Gently curving lanes lead to open squares.
Historic buildings, quaint eateries, wide waterways, beautiful people everywhere!!  We aimlessly walked and strolled finally settling down for an outdoor lunch.  It was unusually hot and cold refreshments, under a shady tree with a slow hearty lunch was perfect - we people watched as we ate!
We were fortunate enough to catch the changing of the Palace guards - marching band and all!  It was a perfect day to start a perfect vacation!  Enjoy the photo video!
Fifi

Travel: Royal Caribbean Cruise - The Baltic Sea

The next time I post, it will be over two weeks later.  We are boarding a 14 day cruise to the Baltic Sea on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas.  The ship will depart from Stockholm (Sweden) then call on Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia), Riga (Latvia), Klaipeda (Lithuania), Tallinn (Estonia), Copenhagen and Fredercia (Denmark), Warnemunde (Germany) and finally disembarking in Hamburg (Germany).  We'll spend a couple of days in Hamburg at the end of the cruise visiting Germany's second largest city.

I look forward to reporting back with plenty of pictures & video!

Until then, be well!
Fifi

Day Trip: VENCE, FRANCE

Set in the hills behind Nice/Cagnes-sur-Mer is the lovely little town of Vence.  Over the past 8 years we have visited Vence, specifically for a restaurant Auberge Des Seigneurs (http://www.auberge-seigneurs.com/home.htm).  This family run "inn" also serves some of the most incredible meals - anytime we have guests they are always treated to memorable dining experience.  Today, however, we decided to have crepes, but more on that in a bit.
As I mentioned, we've been visiting Vence for over 8 years.  During most of those years, not much changed in this quiet village - until last year.  Roadwork was underway on the main road along the medieval walls; shop keepers were complaining it was hurting business....however, upon our last two recent visits, the once exceptionally narrow sidewalks were now wide and newly paved with stones.  Shops, that once complained were now busy with customers and clients. Many of the shops have underdone transformations to their storefronts: fresh paint, colorful awnings, cafe tables beckoning one to sit and watch the world go by.  Inside the old village walls there is a new vibrancy - long established restaurants display bright table settings, home decor shops artfully showcase the little touches that are so very "tres chic" and everywhere people are milling about the medieval lanes and alleys while others are laden with shopping bags of little treasures purchased.
Today we were among the "strollers" in town after having an absolutely superb lunch of crepes at Creperie L'Ecrin.  The owner was hands-on today - talk about a hard working man!  He was exceptionally pleasant and friendly and his love for work came through in his cooking.  When I asked if I could photograph the restaurant for the blog (and my review on Trip Advisor) he was very accommodating - he even turned on the lights to the lower dining room (used for evenings) and showed us around.  If anyone is ever in Vence, please remember to dine there: open for lunch and dinner. Creperie L'Ecrin 8 Av Marcellin Maurel, VENCE

Fifi

Where We Dined: VENCE, FRANCE

Here are a few of the places where we have enjoyed great meals in Vence:

1. Auberge des Seigneurs http://www.auberge-seigneurs.com/home.htm
The setting is an lovely old 'castle', family run restaurant and auberge.  Incredible chef, his wife the most delightful hostess.  We've been for lunches only but can say this: after a meal at Auberge des Seigneurs, we never want a full meal for dinner for two reasons: we are quite full and why bother topping a meal like that!

2. Creperie L'Ecrin  (sadly no website, but they are on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LecrinCreperie)
The place is adorable!  The crepes were superb and thoroughly enjoyed our meal.  Definitely going back again and again!

3.  Le Troquet (http://letroquetdevence.free.fr/)  We dined here a few years ago; our friends selected it.  We thought our friends suspected us of only selecting "good" restaurants so we asked them to find a restaurant, without our help, and be convinced that you could not get a bad meal!  Not only was it good, but the atmosphere and friendly service convinced our friends that a good meal could be found anywhere!

4.  La Victoire Restaurant (sadly no website, but listed on Trip Advisor)  We happened upon this very popular eatery one Sunday with another friend...we missed our timing and many restaurants were closing their (lunch) service...fortunately, La Victoire was still serving and we had an excellent steak meal - paired with a bottle of wine it was perfect!

Vence offers so many choices in dining, that one can hardly decide where or what to eat!

Where We Dined: ANTIBES

Cruise ships are starting to offer tours to Antibes; and just recently, Oceania began making stops in Antibes.

Old Antibes has a nicely sized "old" town behind rampart walls and enjoys the benefit of the having the largest marina in Europe: Port Vauban (http://www.portvauban.net/).  Right now it appears that any cruise ship calling to Antibes will be tendered in...a short walk along magnificent yachts and visitors are welcomed through one of the rampart portal gates to the Old Town.  Go left, go right, go straight ahead - each quaint lane is filled with interesting shops and many many bars, cafes, bistros and restaurants.  Antibes has delightful beaches, too!

Here is a sampling of where we've dined:
Old Town:
L'Elephant Bleu  (Asian - and it is really good)
Creperie du Port (my favorite!)
Le Vauban (the chef is amazing)
Le Rustic (excellent salads and selection of pizzas)
Le Jardin (ask to sit in the garden!)
La Voute  (very cool" - it is in the lower level!)
Le Veil Antibes (great bar for drinks, snack and people watching!)
Michelangelo (we did lunch, but dinner attracts the rich & famous)
...and more that I cannot remember!

"New" Town:
Le Coq licot (seafront near the rampart) (love it!)
Le Lisbonne (parallel street to Albert 1er, near Gendarmerie)
Sud Square ("new" town square; sit & enjoy the fountains)

The list goes on and on - so many more places, so little time!  There is no shortage of places to dine: light lunches, snacks, gelato, plenty of sweet shops and casual to elegant dining.  Menus in Antibes are so varied that there is never a shortage of options; whatever your mood, there's a menu for you!

Fifi

Where We Stayed/Dined: BARCELONA, SPAIN

Hotel:
Our last trip to Barcelona (Jun 2014) we stayed at the Eurostars Cristal Palace (http://www.eurostarscristalpalace.com/).  It was an exceptional value for quality (4 star), location (near Placa Catalunya at the top of Las Ramblas) and an easy walk to the city's old town and Gothic quarter.
The hotel is location just off the thoroughfare Passeig de Gracia, making it convenient for Hop-On/Off busses, metro and transit buses.

Restaurants:
7 Portes   http://www.7portes.com/angles/ (2 blks off Via Laietana on Passeig d'Isabel II)
Restaurante Salamanca  http://www.restaurantesalamanca.es/salamanca-main-menu-eng (Seafront in Barceloneta)
Grill Room  http://www.grupandilana.com/en  (off Las Ramblas, side street opposite Teatre Principal)

Entertainment:
Palau de la Musica Catalunya  (http://www.palaumusica.cat/en) A UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This performance center is still used today for performances.  On our last Barcelona visit, we attended a Flamenco Song & Dance show that was outstanding.  The interior of the building is gorgeous.  If you attend a performance, select seating anywhere in the center.  The sides do no have full view of the stage above the loge level.  By the way, performances are not expensive and a well worth an evening out...don't hesitate to dress up! (Casual wear is permitted, but the building is such a throwback to a by-gone era, that is hard not to get swept up in the elegance of it all!)
Palau Guell:  Near Las Ramblas and the Teatre Principal.  Well worth taking the full tour (audio headset) and admire the unique Gaudi design: both inside and outside.  After you've toured the "palace", head over to lunch at the Grill Room not too far away! (http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_directory/monuments/guell_palace)
Food Market:  Entertainment in a very different way!  Walk around the Boqueria Market, snack at one of the many counters, or pick up a fresh fruit container cut to enjoy as you stroll around!  All your senses will be tested to the max: the fruits, vegetables, ham, cheeses and bread play havoc with your sense of smell, the beautiful displays of produce will overwhelm of your sense of sight; your hands will be to touch, the sound of vendors hawking their goods will test your sense of hearing, and tempted to no doubt, will be your sense of taste; just surrender yourself and enjoy!  http://www.boqueria.info/index.php?lang=en

Barcelona Airport to City Center:
There are plenty of taxis and the fare is between 30-40Euros and is about a half hour drive.
There is an airport shuttle bus that departs/arrives to Placa Catalunya as well as train service from the airport to Placa Catalunya (http://www.webarcelona.net/transport/transport_eng.asp)

Recipe: 'Spaghetti with Scallop & Chorizo

Interesting what you can create when you've not planned a meal, haven't done a food shop for a few days and you're hungry.  Such was the case the other day; went through the cabinet and found a box of spaghetti.  Rummaged through the freeze looking for a surprise and found two: a small reserve of frozen scallops and a half bag of broccoli.  Searched the fridge and found a chorizo.  Hmm...scallops, chorizo, spaghetti and broccoli
And this is how it went together:

Cooked Chorizo

1 chorizo sliced and then quartered
1/2-3/4 lb of frozen scallops
1/2 lb spaghetti
Serves 2-4 (depending on portion sizes)
Broccoli or any veg you want

Defrosted Scallops

First rinse/defrost the scallops - don't let them sit in water.  Just keep running water over them & constantly drain
Now, set the water to boil for the pasta
Next cut the chorizo
Frying pan, medium heat cook the chorizo until beautifully browned
(Is the water boiling yet?  Add the spaghetti and cook as directed)
Remove the cooked chorizo, keep the flavorful oil!
Add the scallops to the frying pan with the chorizo oil and cook
Remove the scallops, keep the flavorful oil!

Add back just before pasta is done

Lower heat on the frying pan to the lowest setting while waiting for the pasta to cook.  Start cooking the broccoli.
When the pasta is just about done, turn up the heat on the frying pan to medium again
Add the chorizo and scallops back to the pan and move to the side so you can add the pasta
Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan
Drain & plate broccoli
Toss and turn the pasta in the frying pan, a few strands will get crispy while absorbing that fabulous color!

Plate the pasta first, then scoop the chorizo & scallops on top of each.

Serve the broccoli with a bit of olive oil and you've got a great meal!

Enjoy!

Fifi

Day Trip: Biot, France

Biot (pronounced: bee-OH) is a lovely, tiny hilltop (what else!) town famous for glassworks.  Glass blowing in fact; for glassware, plates, bowls, pitchers, lamps, vases etc...  The town has been around over 2500 years!  http://www.visit-biot.com/

Museum with collection of ceramic jars
dating back 800 years.

Our "day trip" to Biot was a spontaneous one, an "after lunch" car ride to be exact - we live only a few minutes away!  As I described, Biot is a hilltop village and the car ride up the winding streets is quite steep at certain points, but the vistas from there are amazing!  Parking the car takes some skill, because all the parking is on the road going back down via a back lane.  Undaunted, and our little car being just that, little, we found a spot at the very end of the car park!  Now the short walk up to town is always a very good stretch of the legs because the incline is very steep and you feel your lunch calories burning away.  (Many years ago, we could not find village parking and had to drive down to the parking area below the village; we climbed stair after stair, hill after hill and still more stairs - this in a pair of flip-flops and while toting two little ones along!)

The peaceful church of
St. Marie Madeleine

We visit Biot often not only because it is nearby, but because it is quaint and charming.  We always visit the church at the end of a pebble stone road and for the past few years has been undergoing restoration, section by section.  Our recent visit revealed a lovely church - beautiful, simple and filled with a calming peacefulness.
Read more: http://www.visit-biot.com/discover/historical-heritage/monuments-sites/church-sainte-marie-madeleine

We'd been walking a bit, stopping to browse in the shops, looking over menus for future lunches and admiring the glassworks that we worked up a thirst!  A refreshing glass of rose is always a welcome treat - any village, any town anywhere in France!      Fifi

Does that table have your name on it?

Video: Making Home-Made Pizza

Video: Nice

Video: Antibes Sunday Afternoon

Video: Barcelona

Video: Berlin

Berlin: Helpful Links

Here are some links to the places referenced in the Berlin blog:

Berlin Hilton: http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/berlin/hilton-berlin-BERHITW/index.html

Sanssouci Park: http://www.potsdam-tourism.com/detail/id/10215/theme/a-z.html

Museum Island (Pergamon): http://www.berlin.de/orte/sehenswuerdigkeiten/museumsinsel/index.en.php

Fassbender & rausch (chocolates!): https://www.fassbender-rausch.de/

KaDeWe (largest department store in Europe): http://www.kadewe.de/en/the_kadewe/

St. Nicholas Church: http://www.visitberlin.de/en/spot/nikolaikirche-stadtmuseum-berlin

Chicago Williams BBQ: http://chicagowilliamsbbq.de/galerie/

Berlin Parliament Building/Reichstag: http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits

CheckPoint Charlie Museum: http://www.mauermuseum.de/index.php/en/berlin-wall-exhibiton

Bridge of Spies: http://coldwarsites.net/country/germany/the-glienicke-bridge-or-bridge-of-spies-berlin

Fifi

Travel: BERLIN

Berlin - a city synonymous with World War II, the "wall" and center for the reunification of Germany.  And that was exactly what I saw in a day trip several years ago while on a cruise.  One day: one view of Berlin, one view of Germany.  Fast forward several years later and I have the opportunity to revisit Berlin - this time with a friends, over a long weekend and with a renewed interest in this capital city.  Having visited several other cities, towns and villages throughout Germany, this would be the city with the greatest intrigue: history and politics (old and new).  It did not disappoint - in fact, it left me wanting to learn more.  Berlin will be on the short list of places to return.
Arrived to Schonefeld Airport, the smaller of the two airports serving Berlin - this was the East German airport serving East Berlin.  A friendly taxi driver greeted us and off we went to the Hilton at the city center.

We started our first full day with a delightful walk past monuments, landmarks and churches.  We came upon St. Nicholas Church, destroyed in WW2, rebuilt by East Germany in the mid 1980s and the center of passionate Sunday sermons calling for a unified Germany...imagine standing room only to hear these "sermons".  Afterwards, a stroll to Museum Island and a visit to the Pergamon Museum to see the exquisite reconstruction of the Gates of Ishtar (about 575 BC by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II).  Spectacular.

A lunch, another walk listening to our friends explain as we went along. (One of our friends lived in West Berlin for many years before the wall came down.)  The time passed quickly not realizing we must have covered several miles!  Later than evening, dinner at Chicago Williams BBQ.  (You can assume correctly there is a huge American influence in Berlin!)  Next day was an even more exciting day:  a walk to Checkpoint Charlie (where East met West).  We went through the museum there - that was an education.  Every child should learn about the history of Berlin post WW2, including the building of the wall and it's eventual tear down.  The photographs, the accompanying stories and artifacts really brought a "face" to the history lessons we learned in school.

That evening, 4th of July, we are attending an open air concert.  The host of the show is half American, half Canadian and sings a lovely rendition of God Bless America - it brought tears to my eyes.  The show went on and it was fabulous - all female entertainers from opera to samba to contemporary pop.  The US Embassy was holding a huge party at park elsewhere in Berlin...by invitation only???

Following day a trip to Potsdam...a drive over the Glienicke Bridge aka "The Bridge of Spies" used by the Americans and Soviets during the Cold War for the exchange of spies.  The real destination of the day was the Sanssouci Palace, summer residence of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia.  The tour was amazing and the acres of landscaped gardens were fantastic.  Pictures cannot do it justice, but I tried (see video).

Our last day started very early; we had a scheduled tour of the Reichstag (Parliament Building).  The glass sphere over the chambers, with its inclined walkway provided a fabulous 360 degree view of Berlin.  Panoramic vistas of the city included large open green spaces, looking over rooftops to the winding river below, architectural marvels both old and new and building cranes everywhere - a testament to the ever changing face that is Berlin.

Enjoy the (long) video!
Fifi

Recipe: Broccoli Soup

This has got to be the easiest & fastest soup to make!  We'd just arrived home and needed to make a light meal...not much available but just enough to prepare this delicious soup!  The potato thickens the soup, the shallots add a subtleness and the blue cheese, well, that is the surprise "pop" of flavor!  Wow!

What I used for 2 servings:
1 bag of frozen broccoli florets (just about a pound)
3 shallots
1 medium potato (peeled, and cut into medium sized chunks)
Salt & Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Wedge of Blue Cheese (you can use Gorgonzola) (you can use crumbled blue or Gorgonzola cheese)


In a large pot, salt the water and bring to boil.
Cut the potato, dice the shallots
When the water is boiling, add potato chunks and continue to gently boil
Take out bag of frozen broccoli florets (or cut up fresh head of broccoli)
Add olive oil to a small frying pan, medium heat, add shallots
Cook shallots until tender - remove from heat, set aside
Add broccoli to boiling water (with the potatoes)
Boil for about 4 minutes - until potato & broccoli are just soft (not mushy)
Drain potato & broccoli BUT RESERVE SOME OF THE WATER
(it has lots of vitamins and we'll need some!)
In a blender, or in a bowl using an emulsifier, add the potatoes, broccoli and shallots
Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved water, salt & pepper to taste - puree it all together.
If too thick, add small amounts of water - be careful not to make it "runny"!
Return the puree soup to stove top and reheat (it should not need much time at all)
Serve into two bowls
Garnish with a thin wedge of blue cheese (or Gorgonzola); crumbled blue cheese works well, too
Enjoy!
Fifi

Potato & Shallots

Frozen Broccoli Florets

Garnish with blue cheese