From Hammersley with Sun

We are getting ready to go to Norway this week and it's going to be cold. Really, really cold. As in 5F kind of cold. I'm excited about it!! I've got a big puffy coat from when we went to Russia for NYE back in 2005, a new touke with ear flaps and new shearing lined boots. But as I get ready to pack tonight for the frigid weather I can't help but to think about the fun in the sun we had all summer.  And that makes me realize I never posted about our summer weekend at Hammersley Inlet (as well as many other places I'm behind on, natch!)

Doesn't that look just about perfect? It was! Our very nice friend Leslie invited us to use her family's summer house out by Shelton for the weekend. The drive was really pretty and once we crossed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and headed southwest of Bremerton it was un-chartered territory for us. Hammersely Inlet is just one of the many arms of water leading out to Puget Sound. They are very well known for the geoduck farms that sit just under the surface of the water. And of course the oysters and clams that come from this area are delicious. We also witnessed the biggest tide changes I have ever seen.

The weather was just hot enough to encourage swimming and eating outside. The first night after dinner we enjoyed the warm night sitting down by the water and watched shooting stars.

Waking the next morning in almost total silence and sunshine was amazing. There were only 6 other people in the area and those we only saw from a very far distance. Our only neighbors in fact seemed to be 2 otters or seals (how sad that we are such city folk we don't know the difference?) who kept an eye on us all weekend.

The few days away from noise, traffic, house chores, computers, etc was just what we needed. There wasn't a lot of planning before and the only sightseeing to do was paddling around the inlet. Nothing to do but soak up the rays and watch shellfish spit water to the sky like mini Bellagio Fountains.

So as I head off to pack silk long-johns, fur earmuffs and wool socks I'm remembering how it feels to wear flip flops while holding a cold beer lounging around the south sound. Thanks Leslie!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

more pics...

"...the significance of this name will never be erased from German history."

[I'm taking a turn posting this time. -Dayne]

"Dachau - the significance of this name will never be erased from German history. It stands for all concentration camps which the Nazis established in their territory." -- Eugen Kogon

Twenty-eight or so years ago I traveled to Germany with my family and visited the Dachau concentration camp. Even at the age of 13, it made a large impact on me. I can remember several years later writing about my visit for more than one writing assignment in high school (those writings seem to have not survived; too bad, I would like to re-read them).

My memory of the place was almost all black and white, no doubt due to faulty memories significantly influenced by WWII newsreels and movies. Still, it came as somewhat of a surprise when Wendy, Della, Greg and I arrive via train on a sunny September day to see the verdant green trees lining the camp; I was half-expecting nothing but shades of grey.

Actually, I was even surprised by the town. I knew intellectually that Dachau was located in a town of the same name, and that the townspeople have been highly criticized for their apparently-willful ignorance during the war, but I had no slightest recollection of seeing Dacha-the-town before, having edited that out in the post-production of my earlier memories. It turns out that Dacha is now a small, attractive and modern Bavarian city, but we had to wonder what it's like to live there. For better or worse, Dachau will never really be known for anything except the camp, and I have to believe that casts a pall over living there.

From the train station we took a short bus to the camp and memorial. It turns out that almost every aspect of the modern visitor experience is pretty new; with few exceptions, the plaques, visitor center, and museum displays mostly built in the past decade or so. Whatever remnants I had of the post-war additions were completely irrelevant, but I was glad to see that there continues to be funding for significant updates to the facilities.

One thing that hasn't changed at all is the grim greeting above the front gate through which so many passed on the final journey of their lives. Arbeit macht frei ("work liberates", or "work will make you free") -- the last cruel joke of Heinrich Himmler's "Final Solution".


Very few buildings at Dachau still stand. Only a few of the former barracks, including one where some of the most heinous human medical experiments were conducted, remain in the grid where thirty-four once stood. The crematorium -- surprisingly small for the volume of grim work that went on there -- has been kept intact, and the former administration building is now the on-site museum.



The barracks themselves, once the site of suffering and inhumanly cramped living conditions, are weirdly sterile and empty. The bunks are all recreations, which accounts for some of that; I think the other part is that the suffering of Dachau was deeply personal, even though carried out with Teutonic efficiency; without those that were affected, ultimately the buildings mostly revert to simple wood, iron and glass, devoid of human emotion.


We spent a fair amount of time in the museum, but in all honesty it's a bit overwhelming after a while. The history of the place is well-documented, and the modernity and thoroughness of the displays lend a somewhat clinical feel to the whole operation. On the other hand, the sculptures that have been commissioned for the memorial are much better ay conveying what actually happened in the minds of the inmates.




Would I recommend a visit to others in the area? Absolutely. However, we did overhear one family whose children (maybe about 10 and 11?) had no interest in seeing more after a while, because of the nightmares it was going to give them.

A good map of Dachau can be found at http://www.scrapbookpages.com/Dachauscrapbook/DachauCampMap.html and http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de/memorial/topography.html -- the official visitor site is at http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de/english.html

The full set of our pictures from our visit is here.

Living Like Locals

As New Years Eve 2010 approaches and we gear up for another annual trip with friends I think back to our 2009 adventure. Going where we were certainly welcomed but not allowed by our own country, Cuba seemed a tad scary, mysterious and difficult to get to.

We chose to stay with a local family in their casa particular. It’s a unique way to experience how many typical Cuban families live while at the same time helping them to earn an income.

In our week with our hosts they opened their home to us, told us stories, talked frankly of politics, introduced us to their family and friends and spoke of the future.  We invited them to partake in our nightly cocktail hour, sharing various treats we had brought from the states and gin martinis made with “real French vermouth” as they happily noted.

One day they held a big party for their family and friends and graciously invited us to join. They filled our paper plates with mounds of treats they had splurged on and prepared for the special occasion- roasted pork, tamales, cake, etc. We passed out the only thing we had a lot of: home baked Christmas cookies. The guests took it upon themselves to give us salsa lessons making it even more fun!

On New Years Eve we invited them to share in our champagne.  We noticed the empty bottles were saved as souvenirs. My own wonderful souvenir is the memory of that truly unique experience!

 This post has been entered into the Grandtourismo HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition

Houston- One Night Only

When you use miles to travel the airlines like to play little games with you like "let's see how far in the opposite direction we can make them go from their final destination". Our game started with us flying from Seattle to Houston to Amsterdam and finally to Munich for our recent trip to Germany.

Some might feel slighted or put out but not us. Not when Anvil, one of the country's best bars, is smack dab in Houston and without this layover we would most likely not be drinking there as we don't find ourselves in Texas very often (ie: never).

So we checked into the Alden Hotel which had a great big room, big bathroom and a cool view from our windows. The hotel looked quite hip and boutique-y but the service just didn't quite match up. All in all a good place but not a great place, although I don't know if there are that many options in Houston.

After a few drinks in the bar we headed out to dinner at Hugo's. Yum. A big boisterous place which is just plain fun to be in. Fantastic service, drinks & food! Highly recommend a meal here if you are in the area.

And the location couldn't have been better as it was just blocks from Anvil!

I loved Anvil. It's got everything I like in a bar. A great mix of people, fantastic bartenders who don't act like stuck up assholes, an amazing list of cocktails, a big long bar with lots of action on both sides and beautiful glassware.

We were lucky to be there when Mindy was shaking, full of sass and ready with a smile the girl knows how to make a drink! And it was just a perfect evening out with amazing libations. If you find yourself in Houston you should absolutely find yourself a bar stool at Anvil.

24 Hours Victoria

The Victoria Clipper has been offering great overnight packages to Victoria, BC. Round trip Clipper tickets and a nice hotel for $115 pp, I got an additional 10% off for "liking" them on Facebook making our weekend getaway under $200 total. Clipper tickets are usually $139pp roundtrip and the hotel rooms start at $120 so I thought this was a great deal and I had never been on the Clipper!

We got up early Saturday morning and boarded the Clipper I right before sunrise. It was super foggy as we pulled out into Puget Sound so the vessel was moving a bit slower and continuously blowing the fog horn. But once we got up into the islands it was bright and sunny, a beautiful fall day.

A bit of breakfast, some mimosas, a little light reading and 3 hours later we pulled into Victoria Harbor. As our hotel was literally across the street we walked to the Grand Pacific and were pleasantly surprised that our room was ready for us so early and that we had a bit of a view of the outer harbor.

Taking advantage of the weather we headed to Red Fish Blue Fish which had been highly recommended. This little seafood grill housed in an old rebuilt wharf container didn't disappoint! My fried halibut & chips were delicious and Dayne's Tuna Belly sandwich was so meaty and smoky. Little did we know that we were there on their 2nd to last day of the season and are now closed until Feb 1st. The place was packed with locals, tourists and seagulls the size of Mini Coopers. One dive bombed the table we were at and stole my coleslaw container!! Luckily my fish and chips were well guarded.

The rest of the afternoon was spent leisurely strolling around town and shopping. It's a very cute little town, smaller than I remembered and easy to walk around.

Delicious cocktails later that evening at Clive's. They have a unique program called the Dead Bartender's Society where they create a menu of drinks based on the mixology of someone late and great. Hugo Ensslin was in the spotlight last month. Shawn and his team are really passionate about their libations, I'd highly recommend this as a "must stop" for a drink.

On to Stage for a delicious dinner served up to us by our friend Stephen. Awesome charcuterie and seasonal delicacies. They've got this octopus that is poached and then fried with rice flour. I've never had anything like it! And the gnocchi was light as pillows, yummm. Visit with friend and amazing food = WIN! 

We started our next day with a swim at the indoor pool at our hotel. It's huge and housed in an atrium style room so it's bright and filled with light. This was also the last day that the pool/sauna/hot tub was to be open before they started a remodel project.

A long relaxed lunch at Bon Rogue and a bit more shopping and our little excursion was about over. We stopped at Pig BBQ to pick up pulled pork, fried chicken, beans, slaw and cornbread for dinner on the Clipper and then it was time to go. Our return voyage was on the Clipper IV which was much newer and nicer. Tables at all the window seats and video maps to follow along with the ride.

A really nice weekend getaway made even better by the gorgeous weather and awesome food and drinks, thanks Victoria!

Photos

Prost! Oktoberfest Day 1

Oktoberfest. I'll admit it, the word brings to mind the scenes in National Lampoon's European Vacation. I really didn't know what to expect and now that I've seen it/done it I know there is no way I can ever come close to really explaining it to you. I have a lot of friends who grew up in Germany and they tried to prepare me for it but in the end you have to go and experience it for yourself. And you should, it's possibly one of the most fun experiences we have ever had- and we've had a few!

Let's start at the beginning. Our rented house was in Kaufering, a small Bavarian town about 40 mins by train outside of Munich. We road in at 10:30am on a train packed full of locals from other outlying towns dressed in their lederhosen & dirndl, drinking bottled Radlers and Colabier (yep, half coke half beer- tastes strangely of cherry coke). You could tell everyone was having a great time and in a good mood- it was opening weekend of Oktoberfest, the 200th anniversary.

We started our day at the Riflemans & Costume Parade which is a 2 hour fashion show of the Bavarian people's dress, bands, weaponry and of course beer. It was really cool to see all the different regions represented, the decorated lederhosen & dirndl and the huge horses pulling carts loaded with beer barrels.

After a nice lunch we headed to the Theresienwiese on the bahn. A man asked me if it was my first time and when I said yes he replied "you'll never forget it". Amen. We exited off the train in a crush of people all heading up the escalators towards the light finding ourselves face to face with the huge fairgrounds and approximately 300-400k people. Holy hell!! I think we were all in shock for a minute. We walked around trying to take it all in but it was impossible and completely mind boggling.

We found our tent- we had reservations at the Haufbrauhaus Tent which is the largest tent at the festival holding over 9k people inside, upstairs and outside- and found the guy who's table we were buying seats at. There were 12 of us total and he led us inside and through the maze of people to our table. It was a MADHOUSE! And it was only 4pm. We were so happy to sit and just take it all in, an incredible site.

The tent was gigantic and beautiful. There was just a constant din of noise even when the band wasn't playing. But as soon as the music started all 6,000 people inside started to sing and bang steins and stand on their benches. Controlled mayhem as I've never encountered. I literally had bruises on both my hands from holding heavy steins all night.

Our table mates were all Americans, this wasn't their first time as it was ours and they were a blast to be with. The steins of beer kept coming and the band kept playing and all of a sudden we realized we had committed the biggest sin at Oktoberfest, we hadn't ordered or eaten our 1/2 chickens! Our lunch was long gone and as day turned to night there would be no opportunity to eat with every person now on their benches and tables. Duh! Rookie mistake.

The table of German's next to us were fun and friendly and the girls taught Dayne the words to the German song Ein Prosit and me the words and dance to Fliegerlied. Of course everyone knew the words to the American songs that were so popular- Hey Baby, Sweet Home Alabama, Bohemian Rhapsody, What A Feeling

We left to catch our 10:30 train and ended up sharing seats with a group of local kids who had also been there. Their way of staying awake on the train ride home after drinking all day? Snuff! They all had their own snuff tins and the girls were very proud that they had apricot flavored while the boys had menthol. Crazy.

Beautiful Marseille!

It's been a heck of a busy summer, which of course is my excuse for having not posted about our June trip to the south of France. That and an unfortunate situation in which our camera memory card went missing and a weeks worth of photos from Marseille & Provence were lost. Only a few random shots captured on our iPhones remain. And those that our friends nicely sent to us to help with our loss. Let me tell you, I don't wish that experience on my worst enemy. It was heartbreaking to say the least. But as Dayne said we are lucky to have our amazing memories and so with that, on this cold and rainy Seattle day, I am going to dive into a little recollection of the sunny weekend we spent in Marseille.

As mentioned it was tough to get here but once we did we were charmed. Our room at the Grand Tonic Hotel was perfect! A large, corner room looking right out onto the port was just what we had hoped for.

Setting off to wander the port, the evening was warm and sunny and it was time for a cocktail! We grabbed a table on the sidewalk at Om Cafe which had both gin fizzes and whiskey sours on their cocktail menu. This would not be our only time ordering refreshing and well made gin fizzes from Om.

Next up we spent a wonderful evening at the well known Restaurant Miramar feasting on the local specialty- Bouillabaisse. The huge bowls of seafood were presented to us first followed by the even larger bowls of broth which was incredibly rich and filling. We could barely make a dent in ours (after 1st courses of foie gras and a crab, mango and avocado millefeuille) but watched the rest of the diners sop up every last bit with toasts.

The following day was all about sightseeing! We strolled past the fish vendors, their catches set up on card tables. The local chefs and housewives inspected their goods- most still alive or so fresh they were stiff with rigor mortis. A public bus took us through the city and up to Notre Dame de la Garde. The cathedral sits on the highest point in Marseille offering amazing views in every direction of the city, the port and the beautiful blue sea. After lunch we stumbled upon a wedding and then went tasting pastis at Le Maison du Pastis. Finally just as the day was the hottest we set off on a 2 1/2 hour cruise of the Calanques. These incredible limestone cliffs cut deep back into the land creating little coves of clear blue water which visitors anchor their boats in. The calanques are jagged and steep and many people hike and rock climb them. It was really stunning and unlike anything I've seen before!

There was a big street festival going on that evening and we walked past the stages set up for music and dance on our way to Chez Entienne.  This small, family run grill has no menu and they don't speak English but they are quite well known for their cheese and anchovy pizza. We started with that and some pastis followed by a pavé of beouf for two which came perfectly cooked and accompanied with salad, roasted potatoes and penne in tomato sauce. Our dinner with a bottle of wine, espresso and shared creme caramel came to only 68€! Unfortunately they only take cash, which we were shy of, so a fellow patron explained to Dayne where the nearest "distributor" was. I finished the wine and espresso and hoped they wouldn't put me to work washing dishes :)

It was a perfect little weekend, although rough in the start and too short over all. I'd go back to Marseille in a minute!