Tag: Travel

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The Inaugural Cruise of the Celebrity Ascent

We were fortunate to get to sail on Celebrity Ascent on her Inaugural cruise from Fort Lauderdale in November, 2023. What an awesome ship!! This was the first time we have been on one of their Edge Class ships. Everyone whom we have booked on an Edge class ship told us how wonderful it was, and we can now confirm all of the positive reviews.

Boarding was the best we have ever experienced. A quick picture, scan the QR code, walk onto the ship. As fast and easy as our boarding was, I think it would go very smoothly on a regular voyage. Our cabin cards were waiting for us in a little package outside of our cabin. Very easy boarding! Getting off was just as easy. We carried our bags, so it was just a facial scan at customs, and we were done.

This is a 3,260 guest, double occupancy ship. There are lots and lots of very nice public spaces. The infinite balcony in our stateroom is awesome. More about that later. There are 8 speciality restaurants – Le Voyage Steakhouse, La Grand Bistro which serves French cuisine, Le Petite Chef which has the 3D table animation art form to add to your experience, Raw on 5, a seafood restaurant, The Magic Carpet for nibbles and drinks and dinner in the evenings, The Rooftop Garden Grill, and the Eden Restaurant which is an open kitchen restaurant. There are 4 main dining rooms, all serving the same menu for each meal. The ship also has several other complimentary dining – The  Eden Cafe which offers morning beverages and bites, the Spa Cafe and Juice Bar for healthy cuisine, the Oceanview Cafe which offers made to order breakfast and lunch with an international menu for dinner, Mast Grill for burgers on the top deck with an amazing view. The Retreat (an exclusive area) has 2 restaurants. Ascent has 9 bars, some on the top decks with gorgeous ocean views – a Martini Bar on Deck 3 and the bar on the Magic Carpet.

The Magic Carpet is a great place to sit and gaze at the ocean with a drink. It is a cantilevered, floating platform, surrounded by glass or open areas (except obviously against the ship). It juts out over the ship. It stops at 3 different levels during the day. It stops on the deck in front of the cabanas and becomes a pool deck extension, and it stops at one of the ships main dining rooms to serve as alfresco dining. In the evenings it stops on deck 16 to offer “Dinner on the Edge” dining.

Our cabin was very nice. We entered with bathroom to the right – good size room with a decent shower. Backed up to the bathroom is a large closet with shelves and hanging up space. Then a 3 person couch with desk and shelves across from this. Refrigerator with water on the top. Some shelving and a safe. Then the king size bed with small built in tables on either side with usb ports and drawers.

Our stateroom, as do most of the veranda staterooms, had an infinite balcony. We were interested to see what this was. It was pretty impressive – with the push of a button, the top of the window slides down until you have an area very much like a normal balcony on a ship. But, it is protected so no wind, it’s shady, and you have opened your room up to the outside! It gives more space in the cabin and is useful even when the water isn’t conducive to sitting on the balcony. 

The balcony area can be closed off with panels that can be opened or closed at the touch of a button. A plus on this ship, as far as I am concerned, slightly in front of the window is a black out curtain that rolls up into the ceiling and lowers to the floor, with a switch.

We stopped by our muster station and got that done in about 5 minutes. Our first lunch was at the  Oceanview Cafe, the buffet. There are about 10 huge stations there not counting the dessert and bread stations. Anything you could want almost, even grilled steaks, Mexican station, etc. It was a huge spread!!

We started  our exploration on deck 16 and worked our way down. (Deck 17 is for The Retreat guests.) Deck 16 has part of the jogging track and a hot tub. Deck 15 is the “Resort Deck”. It has the rest of the jogging track, the Rooftop Garden Grill, the Rooftop Garden area, the Sunset Bar, and the Fitness Center. The Fitness Center had lots of equipment.  We stopped at the Sunset Bar, what a fabulous area – several levels, mostly outside areas with a few covered areas, lots of little nooks for privacy or joining a few other couples. Part of it is a Rooftop Garden with lots of greenery. There are several float pools that are cantilevered over the ocean.There are some really neat pluses on this ship – infinity hot tubs look out on the ocean, most with glass panels, there are lifts to get handicapped people into the pools, lots of green spaces with chairs to have some quiet time, lots of lounge chairs under a cover, etc.  

Deck 14 has the Mast Grill, ll Secondo Bacio (a coffee bar and fresh squeezed juices), the Oceanview Cafe (the awesome buffet), the Spa, the Solarium which is an adult only pool and lounge area, SEA Thermal Suite, Spa Cafe and Juice Bar, and where the Magic Carpet was at the time. There is also the Main pool with a terraced deck. It has a huge silver octopus on one end of the deck, very nice.

Decks 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 were all cabins. Deck 6 was mostly cabins but also the Eden Restaurant which is multilevel. Deck 5 is the Theater (multilevel), The Club (a hub of activities and social interaction, morning, noon, and night), the Steakhouse, The Club, Shops, more of the Eden Restaurant, The Eden Bar, Raw on 5 Restaurant and the Grand Plaza which is multilevel.

Deck 4 had more of the Grand Plaza (this is really a nice space, multilevel and great places to sit), the rest of the Theater and the Eden Restaurant, Le Grand Bistro Restaurant, Cypress Restaurant and the Cosmopolitan Restaurant, where we ate our dinners. The Casino is also on this deck.  Deck 3 had some staterooms, the rest of the Theater and the Grand Plaza, the Martini Bar, Tuscan Restaurant, Normandie Restaurant and Camp at Sea for the kids. Deck 2 was where the Magic Carpet goes for passengers getting to the tender boats and the medical facility.

There are no water slides, etc. for the kids. There is a Camp at Sea group for 13-17 year olds, one for 10-12, one for 6-9 and 3-5 if they are potty trained. The programs look like most cruise ship programs but they do use Stem Programs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The are also autism friendly. They base their programs on the interest of the children participating on the cruise, so it changes a little with each cruise.

The shows in the Theater were done twice a night – 7:30 and 9:30. The first night, the show was “Bridges”. The daily happenings paper said it was “a celebration of human connection set against the backdrop of some of the world’s most iconic bridges from London to Venice, New York, San Francisco and Sydney, featuring a scenic bridge as the centerpiece that transports the audience to breathtaking locations.” It was a well done musical.

The second night was “Awakening” which is “a captivating, sensory experience taking you on an eye opening journey through a showcase of surreal dreams, awakening your sensed to explore a world where anything is possible”. Not something we enjoyed but lots of people really liked it. I think our biggest issue was with how dangerously loud the sound was. I measured over 117db at one point. They have another show – Residency which is a Las Vegas style music show. We didn’t get to see that one.

We didn’t use the Casino but it was large. It is non-smoking which I thought was unusual but great. They have over 200 slot machines and 150 game tables.

I was amazed at the choices at the Oceanview Cafe. Breakfast was everything you could think of plus stations for cook to order food. They even had my favorite – sausage gravy and biscuits and grits. One lunch buffet had one station (out of the 10 or so) with only seafood – lobster, shrimp (boiled, fried, grilled, etc.), crab legs and more!! It was awesome!! We ate suppers in one of the main dining room, the Cosmopolitan. The food and choices were great! Each main dining room has the same menu.

Everyone was friendly, nice and very service oriented. We couldn’t have had better service in the restaurants, bars, shops, or anywhere. It was an awesome, great experience!!

Celebrity has a party on board called “Shine the Night”. You were to wear a metallic outfit if you had one for a party on the Resort Deck. Lots of music and some surprise music performances. It was fun!  There were also several places that had music and  dance floor. There was a piano bar, game show of trivia, lots bar tastings, lots of music options, art shows, shop options, spa options, pickleball, dance, yoga and other fitness option classes, live music, wine and liquor tastings, dance parties, comedy shows, All the activities you find on most cruise ships with their own spin. 

The ship was very pretty. The colors were subdued with tan, white and black with red and blue accents. No in your face purple, orange, etc. Very subdued and nice. They were just starting to decorate for Christmas too, which I loved. The “elves” came during the night and did gorgeous greenery with white lights and red decorations on railings, beautiful trees, etc. It was starting to look a lot like Christmas!

This ship has brothers as co-captains. One of the things the ship did for us was to take us out in the life boats and go around the ship for pictures, I’m sure they don’t usually do that, but they did for us. It was wonderful! The life boats have individual seats for passengers, which was nice. One of the captains was piloting one of the life boats, He was driving around in figure 8’s, racing the other boat, and just generally having a good time, as did all of the passengers.

We really enjoyed the trip and seeing the ship. We will be going on more Celebrity cruises, especially the Edge Class.

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Passau, Germany – December 13th & 14th, 2022

Passau is known as “the city of the three rivers” and founded more than 2,000 years ago, Passau is one of the oldest cities in Bavaria. 

We had about a 10 minute bus ride to the downtown area from our docking area. Our tour this morning was a walking tour which was fine but there was a pretty steep hill in town and we went up and down it twice.  We first walked to a church  where we had a talk about making gingerbread, tasted the 3 kinds of gingerbread and watched how to make an evergreen wreath with candles. It was cold outside but it was slightly warmer in the church. 

In Germany, the head “master” gingerbread person used to be able to do it with a 4 year level but now it was that plus 4 more years of training, plus 3 years apprenticeship plus another 4 months to learn about opening a business, etc. Until then, you can’t open your own business for gingerbread in Germany. You have to pass several different tests and if you can’t pass them in 3 tries, you can never open your own business unless you partner with a master who had passed it all.

They used to always be partnered with a candlemaker because they used the same wooden molds. Today, they don’t do that because the gingerbread isn’t made in the same molds. He told us there are three kinds of gingerbread, First kind they sweetened with honey, second with molasses, and now they sweeten with sugar and lots of spices. Each has its points and is softer depending on the sweeter – honey, molasses, or sugar. We got to sample each kind.

Being right on three river, there are occasional floods. There is a building near the river that they mark where the floods come up to and the years they had the floods. The last flood they had was in 2013 and it was their deepest – 10.04 feet! That flooded the bottom floor of any building near the rivers.

Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Passau has the largest Catholic church organ in the world and the largest organ in Europe. It has 17,974 pipes and 233 registers. It is beautiful to listen to. The last time we were in Passau, they had a concert there every afternoon at 4 PM. We were really looking forward to hearing it again. Unfortunately, the city is having problems finding people who know how to play this beautiful organ and they have discontinued the daily concerts. They only have 7 people who know how to play it. We did get to hear a lady practicing several pieces as we were in the cathedral. The city is offering scholarships, etc. trying to entice more people to learn how to play that organ.

Their Christmas Market was at the top of the hill so we only had to walk down one more time to get to the bus. When we got back to the ship, they were gave us a warm wine punch which was very good.

The next day it was back to the real world! Bags put by 5 AM and our bus to the airport left the ship at 7 AM. They did have the dining room open very early for breakfast so at least we started with a good meal.

The flight home would have challenged a saint but that is for another time. Suffice it to say, we will have second thoughts about airline trips in winter.

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Vienna, Austria – December 10th, 2022

Up for a great breakfast. We ate most of our breakfasts in the main dining room. They have a buffet breakfast that you can go to or an area with sweet rolls, croissants, etc. but we liked to sit, pick from the menu and have it brought to us.

The tour this morning was again, a tour of the city and Christmas Markets. Most of the tours we had time during the tour to visit the Markets for plenty long enough. Some of the markets were close enough to the ship, we could go there again if we wanted. 

Vienna is a beautiful city with lots of elegant buildings and streets. We drove along the Ringstasse (the Ring Road), a road that was laid out during the 19th century along the old city walls. Lots of elegant public buildings, grand residences and imposing palaces. We did some walking around the Schonbrunn Palace which the best claim to fame in my opinion was it was one of the places where the Lipizzaner stallions live. It was also home to many centuries of Habsburg or Hapsburg family. They were an imperial family who were one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century.

We stopped at St Stephen’s Cathedral which is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the  Archbishop of Vienna.The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen’s Cathedral has had many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-colored tile roof, become one of the city’s most recognizable symbols.

There was to be a protest in the city in the afternoon – protesting any and all things according to our guide. It started out being a protest for the COVID restrictions but has morphed into protesting everything in general and nothing in particular since there are no more COVID restrictions. The city closes part of the palace and the ring road for the protest. Our guide didn’t think much of the protest because they couldn’t even be specific and were protesting higher taxes and food prices, which nothing could be done about.

We went to the Christkindlmarkt at and around St. Charles Church and to the Magic Christmas Market. They had their market laid out in with four branches. They had the most unique, beautiful, handmade ornaments I had seen. We spent a fair amount of money there! They also had some really good Gluhwein.

We also walked to the Pasqualati House where Beethoven lived in Vienna and on several occasions between 1804 and 1815. The composer worked here on his opera “Fidelio” and on piano pieces such as the well-known “Fur Elise”.

Interestingly, The lights on all the streets with the Christmas Markets are all different – some like huge chandeliers, some just strung across in layers, some all over the buildings, etc. The reason for this is that the merchants on the streets decide what they want to put up and pay for. Makes for lots of variety.

In the afternoon, we did a “Behind the Scenes at the Lipizzaner Stallions” tour at the Stallburg Imperial Stables at the Hofburg Palace. That was pretty awesome! We had a guide for the ten of us who took the tour. She told us lots about the stallions, how they are trained and the history of them. The facility was built in 1729 by the Emperor and is one of the oldest of its kind in the world. It is built as part of the Schonbrunn Palace and the horses have very palatial facilities. We got to see the outdoor courtyard, the tack room, the stables, the performance arena and the outdoor training facility. Most of what we got to see was behind locked doors or gates where the general public wasn’t allowed. It was very cool seeing the stallions in their stable. We were just outside their individual stalls where you saw their names, what they ate for each meal and got to have a personal experience with them just on the other side of slats of wood.

We got to see several of the horses in outside stables. The horses are not totally white until they are about 7 years old. They have brown or gray in addition to the white. That is one of the things they look for when the pick horses to train. They also look at temperament, if they think they will train, their personality, etc. Lots of horses don’t make the cut and when they don’t, they sell them off, usually. They stay in Vienna 6 months of the year and have a summer vacation for 2 months and also get to go to the summer farm so they can get outside. It takes about 7 years to train a horse to make a show horses. Each horse does one of the tricks, not all of them. There is a school for the trainers too – one groomsman and one rider/trainer/horse.

Only 6 horses originally started the entire line of the horses so the first name of each horse is the lineage, the second name is the mother’s name. There are 70 horses at various stages of trainings, etc. The horses start doing shows about 8 years old and perform until they are about 25. Then they are retired and live the life of leisure until they die.

Then we went to the Gerstner K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäcker Coffee shop where Mike and I each had a huge piece of apple strudel with clotted cream. You could have one of those, a cheese strudel or any of about 15 awesome cakes and coffee. One of the great things about this place, beside the awesome food, everyone enjoyed their job!! They were all friendly, engaging and just really seemed to enjoy what they did.

The coffee shop was about a 2 minute walk to the Vienna State Opera. Gustav Mahler was, at one time, the director of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna state orchestra. During his time there, he decided to change the rules. He wanted people to pay attention to what they were watching and the people were using it as time to socialize – see and be seen – talking during concerts, leaving the lights on, etc. He said people needed to pay attention so no lights during performances, no talking and no eating and drinking. The people didn’t like that because they were used to using it as time to socialize so they said if they couldn’t socialize, they weren’t going to go and they stopped. Mahler knew he had to do something so he instituted the intermission, which was OK with the people. Today there are usually 3 intermissions with any thing going on in the Opera House.


There is a different opera, play, etc. every day at the Opera House. They were doing Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” the day we were there which would have been great to see but unfortunately, we didn’t have time. You could stand for the performance for about 15 Euros. If you wanted to sit in the best place, it was 301 Euros.

Then back to the ship for a relaxing supper and evening. Course, we did make time for a couple of scotches before turning in for the night.

Krems, Austria
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US Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas!! It is my favorite holiday! Not just the religious aspect, I love the decorations, family time, food, and fellowship of this time of the year.

Today, most Americans blend religious and secular customs with their own family traditions, often incorporating food, decorations and rituals from places they or their ancestors once called home. Roast turkey and ham are popular for Christmas dinner throughout the country, but depending on the region, so are tamales, roast goose with red cabbage, crawfish jambalaya, roast pork or “seven fishes” seafood salad.

Using mistletoe inside began because of the healing properties of the herb. Since it blossoms even in the coldest winter, the Celtic Druids began to look at it as a symbol of vivacity. The association between mistletoe and fertility/vitality strengthened through the Middle Ages and became part of Christmas. Kissing under the mistletoe began in England where men could sneak a kiss from any woman standing under the mistletoe. Any refusal was considered bad luck

The nativity scene of Jesus’ birth was begun by St. Francis of Assisi who created an original living nativity around 1223 in a cave in Grecio, Italy. He created it to help his followers better understand the birth of Jesus. At the time, plays were a common way for the church to help people learn scriptures. The nativity scene typically has at least Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Shepherds, sheep, angels, donkey, ox, and the Magi (Three Wisemen) and their camels

Advent is a religious event that has been celebrated since the 4th century. It is a four-week period that starts on the Sunday closest to the November 30 feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle to prepare for Christmas. It is a celebration of the coming of Christ.

Advent is 4 weeks and represented in the church with a wreath made of a circle of evergreen branches to symbolize eternal life. There are 4 candles in a circle on the wreath. Each week a new candle is lit. The candles all represents something different. The first candle is The Candle of Hope representing God’s people shining in a dark place and the hope we have in Jesus. The second candle is the Candle of Peace, representing the old testament prophets and the peace we find in Jesus. Third is the Candle of Love, representing John the Baptist and the love we have for Christ. the last candle is the Candle of Joy, representing Mary, the mother of Jesus and the joy we find in Jesus. In the center if the circle is the Christ Candle, lit on Christmas Day. It represents the birth of Christ and reminds us Jesus is the light of the world and if we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness, but have the true light of life.

The Advent calendar was possibly created in the 19th century by a housewife who was tired of being asked when Christmas would come. The 24 openings have a picture or small gift for each day beginning December 1. Some towns have entire buildings and celebrations around opening of each window.

Yule logs are a tradition that is said to predate Christianity. As part of the winter solstice celebrations, Gaels and Celts burned logs decorated with holly, ivy and pinecones to cleanse themselves of the past year and welcome the new one. Europe had much ado about the Yule log for many years with different ways of ensuring the burning of the log for the 12 Days of Christmas. Today the yule log is usually a log shaped dessert, very tasty.

The tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus is a tradition which dates back to ancient Norse mythology. Odin, the Norse god, had an eight legged horse named Sleipnir. Kids would leave treats for Sleipnir hoping to get treats in return. This tradition became popular in the US during the Great Depression when parents tried to impress upon kids the importance of being grateful for anything they were lucky enough to receive for Christmas.

Evergreen fir trees are universal winter decorations. They were used as a reminder that spring would come again; the Romans placed them around temples to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture. In the 16th century, German Christians brought the trees inside their homes as a symbol of everlasting life.

Germany started the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Decorations for these trees were made by hand. Trees were decorated with berries, popcorn and nuts to feed the birds and the custom continued with indoor trees.

Martin Luther is said to be the first person to put lights on a Christmas tree. Legend has it that he was walking through a forest one night and was moved by the beautiful stars shining through the trees. When he got went home, he recreated what he saw for his family by putting a tree in their living room and placing lighted candles on its branches.

The first president to set up a Christmas tree in the White House was Franklin Pierce, and the first president to establish the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn was Calvin Coolidge.

Christmas Caroling was begun in Europe thousands of years ago before the establishment of Christmas when it was a celebration of the Winter Solstice. The word carol means dance or song of praise and joy. Christmas carols were possible first written in Latin in the 4th and 5th centuries.

Carol singing has come and gone but was revived to include singing at home, church and on the street as well as in plays since the 1800s The first printed publication of Christmas music helped widen interest in carols. It was published in 1833 and included “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen “, “The First Noel”, “I Saw Three Ships”, and “Hark! The Herald Angles Sing”. Almost all Christmas carols have some part of the Christmas theme, whether the birth of Jesus or the celebrations of the season (snow, sleigh rides, etc.).

Each carol has an interesting history. “Silent Night” was thought to have been written n Christmas Eve for the midnight mass in Orberndorf, Austria in 1818. Two priests adapted a poem and introduced it at their service despite their church organ being broken.

“Joy to the World” contains Christian imagery/. Its lyrics originate in the Old Testament in a 1719 translation of the Psalms of David, melody crafted in the 19th century.

The first version of”O Tannenbaum”, “O Christmas Tree”, originated in Germany, maybe as early as the 16th century. This carol pays homage to a universal symbol of Christmas, an evergreen tree.

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” was written by Haven Gillespie in 1934 just after he learned his brother had died. On the subway ride home, remembering his childhood with his brother and his mother’s warning that Santa was watching, he composed the song and had a composer wrote the music.

“Deck the Halls” dates back to the 16th century Wales where its melody and many of the lyrics were from a New Year Eve song. Undergoing several changes such as “fill the meadcup, drain the barrel” to “don we now our gay apparel”, the current version became popular in 1887.

“Jingle Bells” was originally written in the 1850s in Savannah, Georgia. Called “The One Horse Open Sleigh” was a celebration of Thanksgiving. The song was renamed in 1857 and is as we know it today. The song made history in 1965 when it became the first song broadcast in space. The crew of Gemini 6, following reports of seeing Santa Claus, did an improvised version using bells and a harmonica they had snuck on board.

Christmas Pickle – If there’s a pickle among your snowman, angel and reindeer ornaments, you’re likely taking part in the American tradition of hiding the green ornament on the tree, so that the first child to find it gets an extra gift, or has good luck for the following year. The practice’s origins are a bit murky (or should that be briny?), but, it’s likely it grew from a Woolworths marketing gimmick from the late 1800s, when the retailer received imported German ornaments shaped like a pickle and needed a sales pitch.

Candy Canes – Candy canes can be devoured as a treat or hung on the tree as decoration. They date back to 1670 in Cologne, Germany. The most popular account is that a choirmaster wished to quiet the children in his church, Cologne Cathedral, during their yearly Living Creche tradition each Christmas Eve. He reportedly commissioned a local candy maker to create what he referred to as sweet sticks for the children. He specified that they should have a crook at the top of each stick, to remind the children of the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus. He also specified that he should use the color white to teach the children about Christianity and remind them of Jesus’ sinless life. This trend caught on quickly and spread throughout Europe where other congregations began to hand out the candy canes during nativity plays.

The red and white peppermint sticks arrived in the US in 1847, when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster, Ohio placed them on a tree. By the 1950s, an automated candy cane making machine was invented. Candy canes are the number 1 selling non chocolate candy during December.

We have so many great Christmas traditions! Many families develop their own traditions to become part of the family story. It’s a great way to connect our family together and to the world. Wouldn’t it be fun to try a different tradition from somewhere in the world and see if that fits your celebration? It’s an easy internet search.

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Lucky Places

Looking for a little luck this year? While you could wish on a star or hunt for a four-leaf clover, there are certain locations around the world that are famous for bringing people good fortune in love, work, family, finances and more. Some even bring better health.

Close to home is Friendship Oak in Long Beach, MS. On the front lawn of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Park campus stands a sprawling oak tree more than 500 years old and nearly six stories tall. It is said that those who enter its shade together will remain friends for the rest of their lives.

At Jade Cove in Big Sur, CA you might find a jade stone. People typically find the dark green jades here. In many cultures around the world, jade is thought to bring good luck.

Hoover Dam, on the Nevada side, there are two 30 foot tall bronze statues known as the Winged Figures of the Republic. Touching the feet is said to bring you good luck.

Abraham Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield, Illinois has a large bronze bust of Lincoln in front of the memorial. Millions of people have rubbed the nose of the statue for good luck.


The two best known locations around the world are the Trevi Fountain in Rome and the Blarney Stone in Blarney, Ireland.

The Trevi Fountain dates back to the 1700s but the tradition of throwing coins into it became even more popular in the 1950s thanks to the American film “Three Coins in the Fountain”. Visitors fling a coin with their right hand backward over their left shoulder into the fountain. Some say tossing one coin over your back into the fountain assures you will return to Rome. Two coins brings love and three means you’ll get married. Over $1 million in coins is collected every year and donated to a local charity.

If you kiss the Blarney Stone in the Blarney Castle built over 600 years ago, you will have the gift of “blarney” or the gift of eloquence and good fortune in matters of persuasion. By the way, the only way kiss it is to climb to the top of the battlements, lean over backward holding on to a metal bar, scoot yourself over to the edge and kiss the stone.

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, is a 6th century place of worship turned into a museum. It is considered one of the world’s great monuments and it is also a major tourist attraction. The Weeping Column or the Column of St. Gregory is said to “weep” with healing holy water. Visitors can put their thumb into a hole in the side of the column and if it comes out damp, legend says their Illness will be cured. Another legend says that when you put your thumb in the hole and rotate your hand, you will be granted a wish.

Il Porcellino is a bronze boar statue in Florence, Italy, sculpted in 1634, which draws hundreds of visitors a day hoping for good luck. Visitors rub the boar’s snout while dropping a coin in his mouth. If the coin slides back out and falls through the grating beneath the statue, that guarantees good luck and that you will return to Italy one day.


Madron Well in Cornwall, England is purported to have healing waters. Traditionally, visitors would take pieces of rag or ribbon, known as clouties, that were torn from a part of the body where they had an injury or illness. They would tie the clouties in a nearby tree, and as the piece disintegrated, their affliction would also disappear. Today, the tree is still filled with colorful pieces of cloth for blessings and luck.

The Wishing Trees (Banyan trees), Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, Hong Kong are famous for their wish granting abilities. Write your wish on a piece of paper, tie it to a mandarin orange and toss it as high as possible into the tree branches. If the orange gets caught n the branches, the wish will come true.

Nuremberg, Germany has a 14th century fountain, Schoner Brunnen, with tiers of stone religious figures. This is surrounded by a protective railing with two rings embedded in the grate. People believe if you turn the rings, it will bring good fortune to you.


The last one I am going to tell you about is the Laughing Buddha in the Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou, China. There are many replicas of this statue. He is said to the the origin of the tradition of rubbing the Buddha’s belly for good luck.

I don’t know about you, but everything I can do, silly or not, to have good luck or better health, I’m in.

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Palate and Honanki Heritage Sites

 Red Rock Canyon. The park is only hiking so we drove to where we could see the red rocks forming mountains from the car. We were looking for something else to do and I stumbled upon the Palate Heritage Site and it’s sister site, Honanki Heritage Site.

Palate Heritage Site

Palate Heritage Site is located in the heart of Red Rock Country, just a few miles from the town of Sedona. The site is a well-preserved cliff dwelling that was once home to the Sinagua people, who lived in the area from about 500 AD to 1425 AD. The Sinagua were skilled farmers and traders, and they built their homes in the cliffs to protect themselves from the harsh desert climate and potential invaders.

The Palate site features several rooms and structures that were built into the cliff face, including living quarters, storage rooms, and a communal plaza. The buildings are made of local sandstone and are remarkably well-preserved, with some of the original plaster still visible on the walls.

One of the most striking features of Palate is the rock art that adorns many of the walls. The Sinagua used a variety of pigments to create intricate designs and symbols, many of which have been interpreted as representing astronomical events or religious beliefs. The rock art at Palate is considered some of the best-preserved in the region and offers a unique window into the culture and beliefs of the ancient Pueblo people.

Honanki Heritage Site

Honanki Heritage Site is another impressive cliff dwelling located just a few miles from Palate. Like Palate, Honanki was once home to the Sinagua people and features a series of structures built into the cliff face. However, Honanki is much larger than Palate and features more complex architecture and a wider variety of rock art.

The Honanki site is thought to have been occupied from about 1100 AD to 1300 AD and is believed to have been a center of trade and religious activity. The site features several rooms and structures that are thought to have been used for ceremonial purposes, as well as living quarters and storage rooms.

One of the most impressive features of Honanki is the rock art, which covers many of the walls and ceilings of the buildings. The rock art at Honanki is particularly diverse, featuring a wide range of designs and symbols that are thought to represent everything from astronomical events to religious beliefs to daily life. Some of the most famous rock art at Honanki depicts a figure known as the “Sinagua Shaman,” who is thought to have played an important role in the religious beliefs of the ancient Pueblo people.

Exploring the Heritage Sites

Both Palate and Honanki are open to the public and offer visitors a chance to explore the rich history of the ancient Pueblo people. Guided tours are available at both sites and offer a wealth of information about the architecture, rock art, and daily life of the Sinagua people.

Visiting Palate and Honanki is a great way to connect with the past and gain a deeper understanding of the people who once called this area home. The sites are a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of the ancient Pueblo people and offer a glimpse into a culture that has long since passed into history.

These sites are currently managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Reservations are required for the Palatki Site. We didn’t get to go see either site. They close at 3:00 which was about 15 minutes after we would have gotten to the Honanki Site. We were almost to it and the road (which hadn’t been great the whole time – dirt and gravel and potholes) took a downward slope with large rocks, not gravel and we didn’t want to take the car down it. So, we just looked at them from a distance. They were beautiful! We were disappointed not to see them up close but seeing them, even from a distance, are pretty awesome!

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National Museum of Nuclear Science and History

Then off to Albuquerque. This was one of our family stops but we made good use of our time there. We visited the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. It is a great museum with lots of history and information about people from the atomic age, nuclear medicine, the history leading up to the creation and use of the atomic bomb in WWII. They have bomb casing of the Fat Man and Little Boy bombs, airplanes used, information about the Cold War, nuclear waste transportation and all things nuclear. It was very well done and had lots of great information.

There is a Critical Assembly room which is an exhibit based on the laboratory environment for the assembly of the atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project. A room exploring the Cold War and the political conflict existing after WWII along with lots of military weapons. Exhibits about sources of radiation that are around, there uranium comes from and how it affects us and the process of changing uranium into a usable form for nuclear power or weapons and how to dispose or recycle it.

There are displays of the Manhattan Project and the people involved, especially at Los Alamos and the journey that led them to the first explosion in 1945. The devastation at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the after effects are covered. There are even displays about the history of nuclear medicine and how it contributed to the advancement of medical technology as well as green energy options. There are classrooms where children were learning science and a lab where you could play and learn the concepts of physics.

Painted Desert and Petrified Forest
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The Hotel del Coronado

The Hotel del Coronado or The Del or Hotel Del is a historic beachfront hotel in the city of Coronado just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. It is one of the few surviving examples of a wooden Victorian beach resort. It is the second largest wooden structure in the US and is a California Historic Landmark as well as a National Historic Landmark. We have  been to this hotel. It is worth a visit even if you don’t stay there.

In 1885 it was dreamed of and 4,000 acres were purchased. The 399 room hotel opened for business in February, 1888 as the single largest resort in the world. The original grounds had many amenities, including an Olympic-sized salt water pool, tennis courts, and a yacht club with architecture resembling the hotel’s grand tower. A Japanese tea garden, an ostrich farm, billiards, bowling alleys, hunting expeditions, and deep sea fishing were some of the many features offered to its guests. Today there are 679 guest rooms as well as 78 ocean-view cottages and villas, a wellness spa, beauty salon, fitness center, multiple pools, shops, beautiful grounds and lots of recreational activities and water sports such as deep sea fishing available.

This hotel has always been popular with almost all the US presidents as well as many celebrities staying there. Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Mae West, Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, Kevin Costner, Jimmy Steward, Whoopi Goldberg, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt and Oprah Winfrey are among the stars who have stayed at the hotel.

The hotel has been featured in at least 12 films including “Some Like It Hot” with Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, in “Wicked, Wicked”. “The Stunt Man” with Peter O’Toole, “My Blue Heaven” with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis, and “The Neuron Suite”

Frank Baum did much of his writing of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” while staying here. Other authors have used the setting in their works. Some of the storylines of “Baywatch” season 4 evolve in and around the hotel. And there is even a US Postage Stamp honoring director Billy Wilder with images of Marilyn Monroe and the hotel from “Some Like It Hot”. The Hotel Del is famous for having the worlds’s first outdoor electrically lit Christmas tree in 1904.

There are reportedly several ghosts in residence at the hotel. Kate Morgan was staying there in 1892.  She told the staff she was waiting for her brother. She was found dead on the steps leading to the beach three days later. She had shot herself. There is also the ghost of an actress who drowned in 1904.

To get to the hotel, you can drive across the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, which is a dramatic two-mile long bridge with a 90-degree turn at its midpoint. Another option is to take the ferry which departs from the foot of Broadway in San Diego.

This is as eclectic as you can get, and is a highlight of any visit to San Diego. (A great town in its own right.)

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SC Walking Trails

How about a nice walk outside? South Carolina has many walking trails from easy to difficult. Some have waterfalls, some are on the beach, in the mountains, level ground, hilly, just about anything you want!

There are lots of river walks all over the state. River Park in Rock Hill is 3.5 miles of walking trails mostly along the Catawba River. Landsford Canal State Park in Chester County is also along the Catawba River. The Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park is 2.5 miles and part of the Palmetto Trail. While you are there, visit the West Columbia Riverwalk which is 8 miles of pavement and boardwalk along the Congaree River. The Waterfront Park in Beaufort or the Conway Riverwalk are both close enough to shops to walk for a bite to eat after your walk.

I could walk all day on the beach but if you want a little variety on your beach walk, try the state parks at Huntington Beach, Edisto, Hunting Island or Myrtle Beach. We also have beautiful marsh walks at Shem Creek Park in Mt Pleasant or Murrells Inlet.

The Palmetto Trail is a system of hiking and biking trails being developed in SC. The trails run beside lakes, in mountains, through forests, large and small towns and swamps. Begun in 1994, it will be 500 continuous miles from Walhalla in the Blue Ridge Mountains to Awendaw on the Intercoastal Waterway when finished. It is currently 350 miles with 26 passages raging from 1.3 to 47 miles. Parts are rated easy, moderate, or strenuous. It is one of 16 cross-state trails in the United States. We even have a trail head in Santee, behind the Town Hall Complex. This portion is 13.2 miles and goes through agricultural land, offering a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. The Southern part of the trailhead is at the Eutawville Community Center near Hwy 45 and 6. Each section is called a passage and include the Swamp Fox Passage, Santee, Fort Jackson, Lake Moultrie, Lake Marion and Capital City Passages. 

So, put on your walking or running shoes and explore our state!

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Ye Old Fighting Cocks a British Pub

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in the historic city of Saint Albans claims to be Britain’s oldest pub. During the COVID 19 pandemic this pub has become a Community Supply Point, providing groceries and offering free delivery to the elderly. They even deliver Sunday Roast dinners to residents. The pub manager said he looked to the past for inspiration of handling things with the current issues. The summer of 1348, which was centuries after the pub served it’s first beer, the Black Death appeared on the southern shores of England.

This pestilence returned repeatedly. There were at least three waves of the Black Death falling upon England over the century following 1350. One of the many repercussions was especially pertinent to establishments like Ye Olde Fighting Cocks: the rise of pub culture in England.

When the plague arrived in 1348, drinking beer was already a fundamental component of Englishness. Drinking was even enshrined into the Magna Carta of 1215, which “called for uniform measures of ale.”

Drinking pre-Black Death, though, was comparably amateurish. Society revolved around popular celebrations known as ‘ales’: bride-ales, church-ales, – gatherings where plenty of alcohol was drunk. Anyone could brew up a batch of ale in their home, and standards and strengths varied wildly. Home brewed ale was advertised with an ale stake, which consisted of a pole covered with some kind of foliage above the door.

The Plague caused a critical labor shortage; about 50 percent of the population died during this time. This proved to be a good thing for the peasantry of England. They could command higher wages for work and achieve a higher standard of living. As a result, the alehouses were replaced by more commercialized, permanent establishments set up by the best brewers and offering better food

In spirit, though, the pub was there. More ale was drunk, and beer (with hops) was introduced from the Low Countries. Brewing became more commercialized, with taverns and alehouses being gathering places for drinking and playing games and the English pub was born.

Over time these became “public houses”, regulated by authorities. In place of the simple ale stake, Richard II made it mandatory to erect a sign. Gradually, commercial brewers started to build bigger houses that became busy meeting places, hence the term ‘public house’. If you look at pubs today, you can see the community aspect that is the legacy of the alehouse, the architecture and sense of national heritage of the inn, and the tavern tradition of spending the evening with your peers.

For Brits, a pub has always been more than just a place that sells beer. It goes beyond heritage, it goes right into the core of their society. The pub itself defines England, remaining a focal point for their social lives even among nondrinkers. They have become community gathering places and involved in many aspects of community support.

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