Hey all,
If you're reading this, I'm still not set up completely in Lima, Peru. Jonathon and I are off on a week long road trip from Lima, down to the Nazca Lines, to Pampas Galeras (a national preserve where we can see wild vicuna), to Colca Canyon (home of the condors), to Lake Titicaca, and finally to Arequipa's UNESCO Santa Catalina Monastery.
I'm sure it will be a really fascinating experience, and I can't wait to share it all with you next Friday.
Until then, I'm recycling another older blog that got a lot of great response. And just as a heads up, my usual FREE READ should be up and ready on schedule. YAY!!!!
Until then, please enjoy this blast from the past!!! A look at traveling that holds true here in South America just as it did in Europe.
*~*~*~*~*~*
~~~Meine Mama hat immer gesagt, das Leben ist wie eine Schachtel Pralinen, man weiß nie, was man kriegt~~~
Hey all,
The above quote is in German, and for those of you who don't speak the language, don't go translate it quite yet. See if you can figure it out by the clues in this blog. *smile*
Hey all,
The above quote is in German, and for those of you who don't speak the language, don't go translate it quite yet. See if you can figure it out by the clues in this blog. *smile*
As
you all know, we moved from Zurich, Switzerland to Dusseldorf,
Germany. We rented a car for less than it cost to fly--even with the
one way fee--because Jonathon had gotten to know the manager there at
Europcar in Zurich, and he was able to make us a really great deal. I'd
much rather drive than fly--you see so much more of the country AND you
don't have to deal with all the mess at the airports and customs.
Plus,
there is that all important aspect that you can find all kinds of
amazing things on your way. We call them distractions...things you see
along the way that you 1) stop and explore immediately or 2) add to your
already expansive Bucket List, to do later. Depends on your time and
inclination.
On
the way to Dusseldorf, we ran across this amazing church in the town of
Limburg, Germany. It sits above the town like a king on a throne and
is the quintessential German-looking church. Called the Cathedral of
Saint George, it's distinctive yellow and brown gingerbread architecture
can be seen for miles. Absolutely gorgeous. We couldn't stop, so it's
added to our list to visit when our daughter comes for a visit. She
loves churches, too.
Finding
something like this is like getting a box of chocolates for Christmas.
You open it up and you see all the yummy goodies inside, but you don't
know what each one will taste like until you give it a try.
And that, my friends, in a nutshell, is what traveling is all about.
We
never know what we're getting into. It's exciting and scary and
irritating, all at once. For me, who loves to know her plans months in
advance (except for writing where I NEVER know what I'm going to write
until I dream it) this is quite a stretch. I've learned not to expect
much, so I'm usually happy with what we get. Especially in a hotel
room.
Will
we have a big enough bed? (in China a double bed was considered HUGE)
Will we have a view or the city or a parking lot? (or the building next
door--lovely *sigh*) Will there be enough room to move around or will
the room be the size of a closet? (only Paris was small and it was still
big enough to maneuver--carefully) Will we (please God, let it be
so...) have a refrigerator and an ironing board?
Simple things, yet important to daily living.
Then
there is getting around in the city. Will the public transportation
systems be easy to navigate? Will we be close by the city center or out
in the boonies? Near the circus tent or on the other side of town?
Will we have a grocery store nearby or will I be hoofing it or taking a
tram? Will Google map work properly or is it blocked? (Here in Germany
I can only use it for part of the public system--VERY irritating!!!)
Think
of it this way. You've moved your family to a new city. That means
you have to start from scratch, setting up your household. You have to
find schools, the best shops, how to get to work and where all the
activities are. Now multiply that times forty-three (the number of
cities this show has been in since it's inception) and you'll have an
idea of the challenge we go through each time we move.
Don't
get me wrong. The benefits are OUTSTANDING. Where else can you travel
on someone else's dime, see landmarks and famous sites all over the
world and have a chance to do all those things on your bucket list?
And
you never know exactly what the next day may have in store for you. A
scary thought for me at first, but now...now it's just a way of life.
Who knew running away to join the circus would be so much fun?
Be back next Friday with more fun!
PS...Have you figured out the quote? *VBG*
PS...Have you figured out the quote? *VBG*
2 comments:
~~~Meine Mama hat immer gesagt, das Leben ist wie eine Schachtel Pralinen, man weiß nie, was man kriegt~~~
Good old Forest Gump.
*smile* One of my personal faves!
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