John and I always get excited when friends and or family get the travel bug. Our nephew Adam and his wife Jennifer just returned from Greece. They said they loved it and the pictures below clearly reflect happy travelers.
Since John and I are leaving for Greece, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia this Saturday, we thought it a perfect time to share some of their pictures as a preview to our travels. As always, we will post photos as time and internet service allows.
J&J
Athens – Adam and Jenn at the Pnyx ParkAthens – The ParthenonAthens – The six sisters of the Acropolis.Delphi – One of the many cats of GreeceDelphi – The temple of ApolloDelphi – Top view of the Temple of Apollo.Mykonos – View from the portMykonos-WindmillsMykonos – View of Kalo Livadi Beach from our hotel roomSantorini – Perissa Black sand beachSantorini – Red BeachSantorini – Two lovebirds!View of the island from Oia.Santorini, View of the island from the southers point
As Fall approaches and the days slowly grow shorter, it is a good time to pause and reflect on the incredible changes that have occurred since “retirement” became our new norm.
What an incredible year of change and adaptation. Travel and a focused contact with family and friends have dominated our thinking and activities.
To be sure, retirement requires adjustments. Being away from our primary residence for extended periods of time means going electronic for all/most financial obligations. That can be daunting. Every company/obligation has a slightly different process. Some are straight forward and efficient, others can be clunky and absurdly complicated.
By contrast, the best part of retirement is freedom to plan and do what ever you want, when you want. So far the biggest challenge is our “dance card” often gets full.
That said, this summer was a big success. The long road trips out and back were a lot of fun. It is also the more expensive way to explore and travel. Fuel, food and hotels add up quickly. We will continue to explore more of the country but from a regional perspective.
All that said, here are some of our favorite pictures from our most recent visit to Wisconsin a few weeks ago. We hope you have enjoyed being with us if only through our posts. Warmest wishes to all, J&J
Pewaukee
Pewaukee, Wisconsin. Big lake, small town, good shopping and restaurants nearby.Pewaukee Lake, beautiful sand beach right in town.Hi from guess who!
Green Bay
Lambeau Field, Home of the Green Bay Packers.Catholic Church with massive towers in downtown Green Bay.Green Bay with Lake Michigan beyond, from the downtown waterfront.
Madison
The State capital of Wisconsin.
Interior of The Old Fashioned. We were there for a great breakfast while lobbyist were chatting up politicians a few tables away.Lake Mendota, a few blocks from Downtown and the capital.
Door County
Water ski anyone?Bucolic lane.Sign post in the harbor.Classic Great Lakes lighthouse.
Labor Day
Sunrise from Pike Lake
The family portrait.Some of summer’s guests.Bye ‘Happy Place’, see you soon!
Good morning to all from a sunny San Francisco. The August fog has subsided and warm sunny days have returned.
A few days ago we went to see the Edvard Munch exhibit at the expanded San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It was a relatively small exhibit but it included a collection of work that is rarely seen outside of Oslo, Norway.
To be sure, the collection is unique. Edvard Munch lived from December 12, 1863 to January 23, 1944. He was Norwegian, the son of a doctor and brother to four siblings. His mother died young. Her death had a profound impact on the entire Munch family.
In time, Munch suffered from several mental issues including schizophrenia, depression, alcoholism and other afflictions. At the same time life was difficult for the extended Munch family.
We would describe this collection as intriguing, troubling and insightful. We added a small sampling of other exhibits from the Fisher collection just for fun.
Note: None of the four versions of his most famous paintings, The Scream (1893) were on display.
Self Portrait with Brushes, 1904Munch reflecting on life as a young man.Munch often used red skies in paintings with sad themes.The only ‘Starry Night’ in the exhibit (he painted several).The Dance of Life is one of the uplifting works on display, 1899/1900.
Selected images from the Fisher Collection we liked.
Image inserted into photo of landscape. Inventive!Delightfully inventive. A pool of water with two circular currents slowly bring floating bowls to gentle impact making a wonderful chiming sound.Ceramic child encircled by hundreds of plastic black poodles. We are not sure of the meaning but it is visually pleasing.Nope, it is not an upside down photo. The drum is mounted on the ceiling and the drum plays itself. It is part of a gallery with instruments playing independently. Intriguing and creepy.Mister R from the 7th floor terrace overlooking the old Pacific Bell Tower and the the new 1000+ foot Salesforce Tower.
We were lucky enough to catch the Degas show at the Legion of Honor fine arts museum in Lincoln Park as the show closed shortly after we got home to San Francisco.
It was a relatively small show but filled with exceptional pieces from around the world. We appreciate the museum allows photography (without flash) for most images. Here are some of our favorites.
In the late 19th century, propriety required a hat be worn outside the home. Paris was the fashion capital of the world and the industry employed thousands of women from about 1870 to the end of World War 1. By the end of the 19th century an additional 1 million women entered the workplace.
Poster art became popular. More of our favorites.
In the last three decades of his life, Degas painted 27 paintings of millinery and milliners.
This is just a quick note to let you all know we are having some technical difficulties with our primary computer. Our computer is at the shop for some service work. It will take a few days to sort out the problem and get the issues resolved.
There will not be any posts until the problems are resolved. We are still available via email, Skype, FaceTime and text using other devices.
All is well with us. We have settled into our usual routines back in San Francisco. It seems we gained a few pounds back East so we are focused on diet and exercise until we shed the unwelcomed carry ons we brought home with us.
In the meantime, we send big hugs and best wishes to all.
Greetings to all! We are currently in Laramie, Wyoming on our way today to Salt Lake City.
Yesterday was a tedious and long day of travel, leaving Kearney, Nebraska at sun rise. By mid morning we encountered a huge thunderstorm accompanied by some strong winds as we approached Wyoming.
Approaching the storm!
Plus, we encountered dozens of miles of road construction. For countless miles we traveled with westbound freeway completely demolished. We drove on one lane going west while one lane traveled east. Countless semi trucks crowding the already narrow lanes.
We finally arrived in Cheyenne, Wyoming’s capital. Oh my! It is surrounded by massive industrial factories of all sorts. The capital city itself, dreary and worn down by countless brutal winters. The only picture of the capital is shielded by landscaping because the entire structure has been gutted for reconstruction.
Wyoming’s capital dome.Wyoming’s Old Governor’s Mansion.
We eagerly made our way to Laramie, Wyoming. It is 7171 feet above sea level with the appearance of the high desert. It has a charming Old West style downtown.
The University is the highlight of the city boasting a new stadium, new auditorium and a little gem of an art museum that is housed in what looks like a small space ship. Who knew?!
Finally a little time to catch up on more discoveries while on the road. Yesterday, in Kearney, NE we stumbled upon an old Post Office building that has been transformed into an art museum.
This small venue houses a surprisingly good mix of art. Traditional, contemporary, photography and a small sculpture garden. Best news, it is free! If you are in the area, it is well worth a look. Better yet, plan your visit around the Sandhill crane’s annual migration in March and April when 80 percent of the worlds Sandhill cranes stop here during their migration.
Here are some of our favorite images from their collection.
A contemporary piece made from folded felt on end.This colorful piece is made from razors, lighters, pens, and brushes.
There was an impressive collection of photos from National Geographic. We liked these.
Mr. De Mille, we are ready for our close up!I an here from my Delta Dental appointment.I’d like a manicure please.We loved this vintage black and white photo.
And of course two stunning original oil paintings by local artists!
This is the beginning of day three on our return to San Francisco. Our apologies for the lack of posts. After the scenic country roads of Wisconsin, our route takes us along I-80. A hectic route with thousands of trucks of all shapes and sizes. Unbelievable “over sized” trucks with massive cargo loads. Large numbers of under skilled drivers have made for tense driving. While the freeway conditions are generally good, two lanes in each direction seems sorely inadequate for the traffic load.
It is just 6 AM local time and pitch black outside. The long days of summer seem to have disappeared overnight. Hopefully this will self correct as we travel into Mountain Time today.
In the mean time, here is a quick update on sites along the way. We started in Hartford, WI with our first stop for breakfast in the state capital of Madison. A charming town that we will explore more next time we are at the lake house.
Wisconsin’s massive capital building.Downtown view of Madison and lake.
Our next stop was Dubuque, the oldest city in Iowa, founded by French miners in 1788.
Mississippi River where Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois meet.Blocks of old brick warehouses are now part of the business district.Impressive old City Hall
After a night in Des Moines, Iowa, Omaha Nebraska was our next stop. Omaha is no longer the home of massive stockyards. Today the downtown area is revitalized by its old warehouse district and proximity to the Missouri River. It is now filled with trendy restaurants, shopping and loft apartment/housing.
Omaha skylineOne of many warehouse district buildings now retail and housingShopping directory!?
Lincoln is the state capital and home to the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. In close proximity to University’s stadium is the cities old warehouse district. Now an active center for shopping, dining and new housing. We had a really good Indian lunch at a place called The Oven.
Nebraska State Capital
More from Kearney, Nebraska and Laramie, Wyoming soon.
Another discovery! We stumbled on a delightful museum dedicated to custom, luxury Kissel automobiles built in Hartford, Wisconsin from 1906 until the depression in 1931. 35,000 cars were produced, only 150 are known to survive today. Many of those are on display.
There are other notable automobiles from the region including Nash, Hudson, as well as rare displays of Pontiacs, Studebakers, Chevrolets, Fords, and others.
There is also a huge model train display just off the lobby. Arguably the largest we have ever seen.
It was a big surprise to view the 250 ton steam locomotive #1003 built in 1913. Add a racing car exhibit and loads of period memorabilia and you have a grand venue to explore.
Bonus: It is only 3 miles from our Lake House.
Several Kissel vehicles of all types and restoration.A nice collection. Some have exterior “Suicide seats”! Another one caters to golfers with built in golf club features.A rare 1906 Cadillac.A nice selection of Nash cars. Did you know? All front seats reclined fully for “camping”.Truly an impressive selection of vintage vehicles.A local racing corner hosts the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame.
Here are a few of our other favorites.
1966 Cadillac Sedan de Ville Limousine.1961 Metropolitan
And just for giggles…
Peripheral products.Compare this to today’s RVs!A 1 horsepower go cart. Weee!!
Our family encouraged us to check out Door County during the summer season. For those of you not familiar with Wisconsin, Door County is a narrow peninsula north of Milwaukee about 150 miles. It juts into Lake Michigan.
It is a bucolic region of agriculture, lush woods, vast orchards, charming little towns, beaches, marinas and vistas of Lake Michigan. It was the perfect place to relax, explore the rural surroundings, shop for crafts and related goodies.
The summer weather was a bit cooler in the mornings, slowly rising to balmy afternoons and an occasional thunderstorm at night.
It is well worth the drive if you are in the area. Here are some of our favorite images.
J&J
Pelicans jockey for position in the late afternoon near Sturgeon Bay.Downtown Sturgeon Bay with shops, eateries, and businesses catering to locals and travelers alike.
After coffee in Carlsville, we traveled north to Egg Harbor. The public art in most hamlets and villages caught our attention.
Coffee, a meal, shopping for goodies, art or fashion. There is something for everyone.An overlook at the charming village of Egg Harbor.One of several pieces of public art in the small park above the marina.This piece is loaded with images that challenge the imagination.
The western coast of the peninsula is peppered with little hamlets and towns, each with its own character and natural beauty. Travel slowly for even more discoveries.
The hillside town of Ephraim.An afternoon outing.
Clever and beautiful gardens are everywhere.
At the northern point of the peninsula, one can catch the car/passenger ferry to Washington Island. Note: the island is small and the car and passenger tariffs seemed unnecessarily expensive. We opted to continue our journey southbound on the east side of the peninsula where we discovered quiet local beaches and views.
The ferry to Washington Island runs frequently at the Northport Pier.
We stumbled upon the town of Sister Bay, famous for the goats munching grass on the Swedish Restaurant made famous by Al Johnson.
An inviting path to the beach.Photographer extraordinaire!
