BOOK 3. 1987 - CENTRAL ENGLAND
1987 - CENTRAL ENGLAND
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1987 - CENTRAL ENGLAND
1987 - CENTRAL ENGLAND
SALISBURY
Inside the Salisbury Cathedral, a guide told us some interesting facts about the 700-year-old cathedral. The 404 ft. spire was added later. The 6,500 tons of stones were too heavy for the 4 ft. deep foundation, and it sank 4 inches. So now the spire is 29 inches off center. Standing under the spire and looking straight up, we could see how it was slightly off. It is the highest spire in England.
STONEHENGE
The outer ring of vertical stones weighs 25 to 30 tons and is connected with horizontal stones called lintels. They were built 3,500–5,000 years ago, and no one knows who built them or why. They were brought from quarries 20 to 180 miles away. How were they transported? It took over 1,000 years to build this formation of stones. They are perfectly aligned so that on the summer solstice and the winter solstice, the sun’s rays shine perfectly into the center of the stone circles.
PEONY COTTAGE
Driving down little, narrow roads under a canopy of trees, we went through the village of Affpuddle and found this very picturesque Peony B&B. It was covered with ivy.We unloaded the car, and Al realized his camera was missing. The last place he remembered was hanging it on a hook in the men’s room at Stonehenge. The nice lady made a few phone calls, and yes, they had the camera. Someone had turned it in! We reclaimed it the next day. That evening, we drove a few miles to the home of T. E. Lawrence, then on through Tolpuddle and Puddletown for a glimpse of Thomas Hardy’s home. It’s fun to recite those towns when people ask where we stayed. We learned that the cottage was part of the Lawrence estate, and the village of Affpuddle was 1,000 years old.
WALES
After missing our road a few times in the roundabouts, we made our way to Mumbles on a one-lane road with turnouts and blackberry hedges. We stopped to pick berries, of course. We had an afternoon “cream tea.” That’s a pot of tea, 2 scones, jam, and clotted cream. Whipping cream is 48% fat, clotted cream 64%, and butter 82%.
We found driving in Wales very stressful. Roads are marked once as you approach an intersection, and you have only seconds to memorize the strange spelling (lots of zywcyw). Then try to decide at the turn or roundabout. Driving became very hazardous, with stone walls lining the narrow road (no shoulders at all).
Waterloo Bridge in Betws-y-Coed
As we drove across Waterloo Bridge in Betws-y-Coed, another car came through the intersection and hit us broadside. That ended in a crash and a spray of broken glass.
A man came to help us, and the police came. They assured us that we had the right of way. They directed us to drive to a nearby police station to wait. Al said he was all right, but after looking at the smashed car, it was obvious he had taken some of the impact. We called the rental car agency to report the accident, and they said they would bring us another car on the same day. At the police station, they fixed tea for us and took care of all the paperwork.
We found a place to stay, almost next to the police station. Our luggage was unloaded for us. Now Al’s ribs were really hurting, and Mr. Harrison took us to his own doctor. Diagnosis: his ribs were bruised, possibly cracked. He prescribed pain pills.
We had all evening to wait for a car to be delivered. Mr. Harrison and others couldn’t do enough for us, they brought us tea, gave us postcards, and a calendar. The new rental car arrived at 10:30, a brand new Ford Escort.
After a restless night, a big breakfast, and warm goodbyes from the Harrisons, we started down the road. We drove very cautiously across Waterloo Bridge. Al was a little jumpy and nervous. Rainy, foggy weather all day. It hurt Al to move, and when he sneezed, it was very painful. But he managed to drive us to the Free Methodist church in Preston on Sunday morning. The pastor had been told to look for us and had us stand to be identified. We were invited to the home of the Suttons for dinner. And it was a full English meal, complete with Yorkshire pudding.
TANDEM BIKE FACTORY
We had a Jack Taylor tandem bike, and when we would take it to tandem bike rallies, it always attracted a lot of attention. It was handcrafted by 3 brothers in England. So we thought it would be interesting to try to find this Jack Taylor factory. It was in the town of Stockton-on-Tees. We found the address, a rather nondescript brick building, knocked on the door, and Jack Taylor himself welcomed us in. He seemed very pleased to see us, and he walked us around the rather small shop/factory.
His brother Norman was working on building a frame, and his brother Ken (left) was building a wheel. Jack does the painting and final touch-up. Their work is very meticulous, and they have never found anyone to work with them up to their standards. They were all in their 60s.
We were sorry we didn’t have a picture of our tandem with us, but we did have the model number. Jack opened the big handwritten ledger and found the date it was built and the color it was painted! He proceeded to fill a small bottle with that color and gave it to us “in case we ever needed it for touch-up.”
Then Jack put the kettle on for tea, got out a big, round loaf of wholemeal bread, and cut some thick slices. Put a fork in a slice and hold it up to a wall heater until it is toasted. Repeat with 2 more slices. Spread with margarine and marmalade. Hot tea with honey - All very delicious. Jack told us that Prince Charles had been there to visit a few months ago, in fact, I was sitting on the same chair he had sat on! We signed the guest book and found several pages back where Prince Charles had signed. Big letters diagonal across a whole page!
1989 - AUTUMN IN THE ALPS
Al’s brother, Jesse and his wife Linda wanted to go with us to see some of
our favorite sights in Switzerland and Austria. Happy to do it!
We were introducing Al’s brother and wife, Jesse and Linda, to beautiful Switzerland. We validated our train passes and went as far as Brunnen on Lake Lucerne. There was a small cable car, but no attendant. This was not only unexpected, but frightening.
We just had a phone and directions: “Press the green button” to signal the man at the top. He said “okay” for four people, so we all crowded into this little car and closed the door. Jesse was definitely scared, and Al started singing, “If we never meet this side of heaven again…” and up we went. This was the first experience for all four of us in going up in a cable car like this, and we had no attendant to allay our anxieties.
It turned out to be a great ride! Brown Swiss cattle were grazing on a very steep hillside with breathtaking views of the lake and town. We hiked around the area and then took a scary ride back down. Jesse was so glad he did it! We had lots of laughs.
We took a beautiful boat ride on the lake to Luzerne, and then we went to Mt. Pilates, a popular observatory. To get there, we took a long ride in a small cable car, then we transferred to a larger cable car for the final steep ascent to Mt. Pilates. It was scary as we approached a vertical cliff; we went up and over it to gasp at the deep valley on the other side. A perfect blue-sky day and all that mountain scenery.
The departure train from Mt. Pilates, with a grade of about 48%, had one of the steepest descent angles in the world. The seats were positioned so that you felt more normal, and you didn’t feel as if you were falling off your chairs.
We then took another train to Wilderswil in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and found a nice place to stay. We then took other trains to local areas and walked 7 miles that day. Al was very tired and feeling a little dizzy, with a cold sweat, and started throwing up. He was very sick all night, too dizzy to walk to the bathroom, and had to crawl.
For the next leg of the trip, we took the mountain train from the valley up and up with incredible scenery. The mountains were looming above with picturesque villages and chalets below. Kleine Scheidegg was the main station where we changed to a smaller train for the ascent through the mountains through a 7-mile tunnel right through the heart of the Eiger and Monch. The funnel ended at Jungfraujoch which stands at 11,333 feet, the highest train station in Europe.
It is a world of snow and ice, and an incredible engineering feat accomplished 100 years ago. The big attraction up here is the Ice Palace (not pictured) with full size cars, tables, chairs - all carved out of solid ice. The walkway is also solid ice so hang on to the hand rails.
Jesse and Linda enjoyed riding the trains, and after the first day traveling with us, they overcame their fear, caught the spirit of adventure, and went to Bern to explore it all by themselves. We stayed in the local area and hiked seven miles. It was a cold and rainy day, and we weren’t dressed properly. Toward the end of the day, Al was very tired and feeling dizzy, had a cold sweat, and started throwing up. He was very sick all night, too dizzy to walk to the bathroom, and had to crawl.
I was very worried about him since he was unable to keep anything down, even water. I talked to the landlady who called a doctor. On that Sunday afternoon, a doctor came to our room. He checked Al and said it was a viral infection (enteritis), gave him a shot and medicines, and advised drinking ice-cold Coke and orange juice. The next day, we took a taxi to his office for a checkup. He said Al should stay in bed all day and could travel the next day if he were careful.
LOCARNO
In a couple of days, we ventured to travel again. A train took us to Locarno, a southern city with palm trees and a pretty lake. But here we got “lost in Locarno.” Our reserved place was closed, and we found another place nearby. We left to find a place to eat and didn’t take the address with us (mistake!).
Then a humorous fiasco at a pizza place. We were in the Italian part of Switzerland now and the waiter spoke only Italian. We ordered two pizzas to share, but the waiter thought we wanted four and came back to the table and said they had no more pizzas. That was strange, but with much pointing we chose lasagna and chicken. Then we got the impression we were still getting pizza. Finally the girl at the next table interceded and interpreted for us and we finally got the pizzas we wanted.
This was the first of a series of misadventures related to directions and getting to where we wanted to go. Our passes were good on city buses so we found a bus stop and tried to figure out the schedule. We hadn’t brought a map with us so we weren’t sure where our hotel was. We knew we could walk to it but Al was feeling weak. He remembered the church and square near our hotel - St. Antonio. I remembered the name of our hotel, 5 Vie or Cinque Vie. They were both on the route map. No problem. We jumped on bus #21, smug in our cleverness and saving that long walk. Soon the driver announced St. Antonio and we got off. Nothing looked familiar and we had no idea where we were or the street our hotel was on. Jess and I remembered walking on via Cappochini and passing Hotel Palmeria. So we started asking people. Everyone we asked replied in a torrent of Italian. Finally a lady - walking in the opposite direction - helped us. She turned around and had us follow her for several blocks. Then Jesse and I recognized where we were. Profuse thanks! We were soon safely in our rooms. What an adventure. Lesson learned - never leave your room without having a city map and the name and address of your hotel!
Pedal boat
A nice, sunny day and we rented a pedal boat on the lake. Jess and I pedaled and we all laughed and enjoyed the new experience. Suddenly Linda spotted a red Swiss pass floating in the water. It was Jesse’s. With a quick turn-around, Jesse fished it out of the water. That was our exciting adventure of the day! (The picture is of other people).
SONOGNA
In preparing for this trip, I had discovered this remote little village way up a valley. We had thought, while planning this at home, of renting bikes, taking them up by bus, and coasting down! What a disaster that would have been, we realized as the big bus snaked its way up the narrow mountain road with steep drop-offs, some places too narrow for two vehicles. But what scenery! Little stone houses with stone roofs and window boxes with bright red geraniums. Everything in this quaint village was made of stone, even the narrow cobblestone paths, steps, houses, and church.
We bought ice cream, yogurt, and a round, flat loaf of bread baked in a stone oven. Our train pass ended, and we continued by rental car into Germany.
Zermatt
Matterhorn in full sun - best view we’ve ever had of it. We ate our dinner in a cozy restaurant with a blazing fire in the fireplace. The heat felt good ! It was cold in Zermatt.
We took the funicular up to Sunnegga. There was a small lake perfectly reflecting the Matterhorn. (We’re in the picture.)
Zmutt
We had a nice hike up to Zmutt, a cluster of old blackened chalets. One of them served lemonade.
A little dog, Mopsy, trotted beside us all the way. We kept following the yellow wanderweg signs up and up until Zermatt was far, far below us.
Appenzell
We stayed in the Gemsle hotel half way between Appenzell and Wasserauen. A train ran back and forth every 30” - only about 10 miles between the two. From our rooms we could see and hear the little red train. We took the train to Wasserauen and there a cable car took us up to Ebenalp and a land of snow. We walked on snowy paths marveling at the view - we could see for miles. We watched parachutes drift down from the mountain to the valley far below.
All was perfectly reflected in the lake. We hiked back down the steep path, through sun and shade to the valley floor again.
We explored Appenzell, a unique little town with narrow streets and interesting shops. We found several hiking trails that started near our hotel and followed one past cows, sheep and goats, through manure and mud and pastures. We then found a bench by a stream to eat our lunch, then took the train to St. Gallen. It was last day of our train pass, then picked up our rental car, a bright red Ford Escort. Al drove with Jesse navigating, heading for Germany.
OBERAMMERGAU
We stayed in the Rose Pension where we had stayed before. The owner, his father and son had all been in the Passion play and have new roles for the Passion Play coming up next year.
LINDERHOF CASTLE
We took pretty pictures of the front façade, reflection pool, and statuary. The fountains were turned on briefly, maybe just for us? We would like to think so!
The inside was very ornate, with lots of gold, carvings, and paintings. You’ve got to see it!
LOFER
We stopped at the information place, and they found two rooms for us and confirmed them. She gave us a map and directions. We drove up the mountain road, found #19, and knocked on the door.
They didn’t speak English but told us they had no “zimmers.” They called their neighbor, who had two rooms just right for the four of us. We went back down the mountain road and found a restaurant, which turned into a delightful experience. “Herman the German” went from table to table, very entertaining.
He sang to one family, “My Fräulein.” He told us about the major earthquake in California, 250 killed, and part of the Bay Bridge collapsed. We wondered about our friends who live in that area.
OBERNDORF
Oberndorf is where Silent Night was written. There is a beautiful little chapel on the site. The original chapel is no longer there, but small markers in the ground indicate the area where it was located.
SALZBURG
We took the “Sound of Music” tour and saw the lake villa where some of the movie was shot.
They used one villa for front shots, another for scenes on the lakeside, and the inside scenes were shot in Hollywood. We were sorry to learn that.
We saw the statue of Mozart and his birthplace, the Residenzplatz, and the many fountains and archways leading from one Platz to the next. We had to step up to the Horse Fountain and flick the water as Maria did in the movie.
We quietly entered St. Martin’s Cathedral and heard heavenly music; a choir and orchestra were rehearsing. “The Sounds of Salzburg.” Driving on to Zell am Ziller, we were looking for a place to stay. There were no “Zimmer frei” signs in the village, so we started up the mountain road. Six switchbacks above the village, we found an old chalet with a “Zimmer frei” sign.
We were soon checked into two rooms with a great view! Looking down from our balcony, the village looked like a toy set.
At night, the view was of the lighted village in the dark valley.
We awoke to the sound of cowbells! A whole herd of cows was marching on the road right below our balcony and down the switchbacks. The sun was just hitting the tops of the mountains and quickly spreading to the valley below until the little toy village was all sunny too. “Schöneblick” means beautiful view.
This was one of the most picturesque places we have ever stayed. We stayed there again several years later. We had a leisurely, most enjoyable drive back through Switzerland. Yellow roads on the map took us through very rural areas.
We ate lunch in a spot with trees in fall colors, green pastures, blue skies, and mountains, plus the sound of cowbells coming from three pastures. That was a peaceful way to end our trip.
1990 - SOUTH AFRICA - NEW CHALLENGES
Teaching, Adventures, Challenges
1990 - SOUTH AFRICA - NEW CHALLENGES
Teaching, Adventures, Challenges
How do I condense this chapter of our lives?
It was probably the most significant, challenging, rewarding, and testing two months of our lives, March and April 1990. We were preparing to move to Greenville, IL, with our home in Vestal, NY listed for sale. At the same time, we had been invited to the Evangelical Seminary in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to teach a four-week module on “Stress Points in Life.”
With our house in perfect order and our bags packed, we set off on another adventure. We had been to South Africa several times before, so friends there were eager for our return. But back home, family and friends were concerned for our safety. There was growing unrest in South Africa, with tribal fighting among Black communities, much of it centered in the Pietermaritzburg area.
AMSTERDAM & CORRIE TEN BOOM
On our travels to South Africa, we usually went through Amsterdam. We found that with a little planning, we could have a short layover, long enough for some sightseeing and a short night in a hotel. KLM flights allow no stopovers unless you pay extra; you must continue your travel on the next available flight. So we arrived in Amsterdam on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m., and the next available flight was Monday at 10:30 p.m. Thirty-six hours free!
On this trip, we were able to visit the Corrie ten Boom home. From Schiphol Airport, we went by train to Amsterdam Central Station, then on to Haarlem. It was just a short walk down Barteljorisstraat, and there on the corner was the ten Boom watch shop. What a fascinating shop, with ornate clocks, grandfather clocks, unusual clocks, and of course watches.
This was the home of Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie. They lived here with their father. All three of them were expert watchmakers, and their shop had high-quality watches and clocks. They lived above the watch shop in small rooms connected by a spiral staircase. Three aunts also lived with them.
When the Germans occupied the Netherlands during WWII, they arrested Jews and sent them off to prison camps. Corrie and her family were devout Christians and felt it was their duty to rescue Jews. So they became part of the underground network and created a hiding place in Corrie’s bedroom to shelter Jews during raids. The book The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom tells the whole story.
At the back of the store was the workshop where Corrie and Betsie worked on watches. Beyond that, a stairway of just five steps led to the dining room, where their father sat with the big Bible and where they ate all their meals. A charming lady gave us a one-hour tour of the upstairs. We climbed the narrow, winding stairs to the tiny rooms on different levels. The living room was a little bigger; it was where they gathered for evening singing. In the living room were family pictures and other memorabilia.
We saw the very small rooms where the aunts had stayed, just barely room for a bed. It was amazing how so many people lived in that crowded house, especially when they took in Jewish people and hid them.
Then we went up the narrow, winding stairs to the top floor and Corrie’s room. There was her narrow bed, with a quilt neatly covering it. This is where she was sick in bed with the flu when the Nazis came storming up the stairs. And there was the sliding cupboard door, the entrance to the hiding place. An opening had been cut in the wall so we could look at it. It seemed quite small to hide six people.
Back down to the dining room again, our guide pointed out the triangular glass Alpina sign that stood in the window as a signal. When it was up, it was safe to come in. When it was down, it meant danger. Just off the dining room was the door to the side alley. This is where messengers would park their bikes and bring forged ration cards to the ten Booms for distribution. The ten Booms helped many Jews to safety, but eventually they were betrayed. The Nazis arrested everyone in the house (except the six in the hiding place) and sent them to prison camps.
The father died just ten days later. Betsie and Corrie were taken by crowded trains to the dreaded Ravensbrück prison camp. Betsie died there, and miraculously, Corrie was released after being imprisoned for ten months. She made her way back to Haarlem and the watch shop.
The war was almost over, and the Netherlands had been liberated. She felt a sense of forgiveness for those who had mistreated her and her family. Later, she went to Munich to speak at a meeting and tell her story.
Afterward, a man came up to her, and she recognized him as one of the prison guards. He thanked her for her story and reached out to shake her hand. At first, she couldn’t forgive this man, and she kept her hand by her side. She finally did take his hand, and a great feeling of peace came over her. For several years, Corrie traveled all over the world with her message of forgiveness. We took the train back to Amsterdam and a tram to our hotel. We took a shower and went to bed. Slept soundly for four hours, feeling refreshed. Back to the airport for our midnight flight.
JOHANNESBURG
Our good friends Trygvar and Anne Brauteseth met us, and soon we were in their comfortable home. A good night’s sleep renewed us, and we were ready for the day.
We needed to rent a car for six weeks. One missionary family needed to sell a car, and another had to buy one. We stepped in the middle and made it beneficial for both parties. (More on the car later!)
KRUGER PARK
We made room in our schedule to spend a few days in Kruger Park, one of our most favorite places. It is a huge game park, the size of Massachusetts, and fenced for the protection of the animals. Throughout the park, there are rest camps with overnight lodging in rondavels (thatched-roof cabins), dining facilities, and shops (souvenirs). The big gates of the rest camps are closed at 6 pm to keep the animals out and open at 6 am. We had reservations for 4 nights and had great expectations!
We entered the main gate with our video camera ready and also our Minolta with a 75–300 lens and lots of film. First sighting: wart hogs, not very exciting. They are strange-looking animals; some say they are made out of leftover parts of other animals. Then a kudu! With those magnificent spiral horns. We drove slowly with a 25 kph speed limit. We soon saw impala, zebra, tiny steenbok, and waterbuck. He is easily identified by a big white circle on his rump. We kept driving, as we still had some time before 6 pm. We saw 4 elephants! Into-the-sun shots, so we turned around to try again. Now they were crossing the road, a better picture (but many more to come).
We settled into our rondavel, which was small and cozy: a bed, toilet, and shower, stove, and fridge. There are hundreds of rondavels like this in the various rest camps. We had made reservations weeks in advance. We walked to the big lodge and dining room. For about 10 USD, we had the set menu: salad bar with fresh fruit, vegetable soup, fish salad (we skipped this), venison meat pie over rice with vegetables and sweet potatoes, chocolate mousse, and coffee. Lots of ice water!
We were up early and out the gate at 6:15. We drove slowly following the map of the park and saw various animals, including a new one, the tsessebe. A tall giraffe and a pair of zebras followed. Then we saw 8 male lions just lying on the grass and walking around. It was the wrong time of day for hunting. We enjoyed lunch at an outdoor table. Birds were hopping around looking for scraps.
We spent every one of our days cruising slowly, stopping for pictures, and always looking for the rare cheetah. We saw an enormous bull elephant walking down the road away from us. Its biggest tusks were the largest we had ever seen. We drove around a cautious car, and the driver warned us, “Watch out - he’s the boss.” We trailed him as he walked parallel to us. It was the most exciting event of the day! The rest of the day was eventful but not exciting. We saw zebras close up and a jackal, impala, a herd of giraffes, vervets, and wildebeest.
At dinner, we talked with an Afrikaans couple, discussing the political situation. They would like to tell the world they are trying to correct the situation, but with all this fighting, it nullifies the message. They lamented all the fighting and riots around Pietermaritzburg, right where we were going!
Out the gate the next morning at 6:15, a hyena trotted toward us, and then a troop of baboons was playing by the roadside. I took many pictures of mothers and babies; they were so cute. It took us 3 hours to get to Tshokwane for morning tea, scones, and 2 milk tarts.
Then we saw another huge elephant walking right toward us! Al kept backing up while I was shooting video. You don’t realize how big and tall elephants are until you see them towering over a car, this one was at least 12 feet tall.
It rained all afternoon, and we saw a huge herd of elephants; they just poured out of the bush. Then, a short distance away, another family of elephants crossed the road, followed by an enormous bull. They were probably all heading for a water hole.
The next morning, we found huge spiderwebs spread and stretched over the bushes. They weren’t there the night before.
We saw two impala fighting with locked horns.
CAR TROUBLES BEGIN
It was time to leave Kruger Park, and as we went out the Malelane gate, the attendant noticed that our right front tire was nearly flat. Al jacked the car up and then couldn’t get the wheel off. The gate attendant pried it off with a pickaxe. Africans learn to improvise. Al put on the spare tire and fastened it securely.
On the drive to our friend’s, we saw a woman walking along the road with a watermelon on her head and a smartly dressed woman wearing a nice dress and heels carrying purchases on her head. Then the radiator water was boiling. We found out the water was just low, and the thermostat switch was not working. This was just the beginning of our car troubles.
DOG STORIES
We stayed a couple of times with Leif and Katie Brauteseth and their adorable 2 1/2 year old Bjorn. They had St. Bernard puppies, and we took pictures of Bjorn playing with them. I was kneeling on the grass, helping Bjorn blow bubbles, when their St. Bernard dog came up behind me, lifted his leg, and peed all over my back. Al was doing video and just missed it! It would have been a winner in “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”
We first met Colin and Valerie Cotton at the Marriage Encounter 4 years ago and have now become good friends. A visit with them included sitting on their patio surrounded by beautiful flowers, an expansive green lawn, and enjoying a genuine cream tea, homemade biscuits, butter, and strawberry jam, topped with a generous dollop of clotted cream, and of course, a pot of tea. They treated us like royalty and told us how much the Marriage Encounter experience had meant to them.
Their Staffordshire dog, Amy, had just had 10 puppies, and she was very protective and nervous. She was kept in a closed room with her precious puppies (they raise puppies to sell).
The next morning, there was an incident in the yard as Amy was let out for a few minutes. She attacked the lovable cat, Socks, and would have killed her if Colin hadn’t pulled the dog off.
Later, we all went out shopping, and as we returned, we all walked into the house together, and there was Amy in the passageway (she had just been out to the yard). We all spoke quietly, but suddenly she attacked Al, snarling, jaws wide open, and clamped on his upper thigh. It took both Colin and his son to get Amy off Al and into her room. A very frightening incident.
Amazing, but Al wasn’t hurt, his pants weren’t even torn. It could have been a lot worse. The dog is mean and dangerous and shouldn’t be around people. But of course, we were strangers (Staffordshire terriers are very popular in South Africa as guard dogs.)
CAR TROUBLES AGAIN
The car was making ominous noises, coming from the front of the car. Al checked the RIGHT front wheel (the one with a flat) and confirmed that all the lug nuts were tight. He didn’t think to check the left wheel.
We visited friends who lived about a mile from the highway on a very rough, rutted road. After a lovely visit and delicious breakfast, we drove on the rutted road to the highway. There was lots of morning traffic, cars, and pedestrians. Then the noise in the car got worse, then much worse, something was really wrong!
Al tried to steer the car off the road to the shoulder, and suddenly there was a clattering sound, the wheel came off, and the car skidded to a stop on its hub. I said, “What happened?” And Al replied, “I think a wheel just came off the car!” After he said that, we watched the wheel rolling merrily into the field. Al’s brain was already thinking, “If I can retrieve the wheel, I can put it back on the car by using one lug bolt from each of the other three wheels.”
Al retrieved the wheel and found 3 of the lug bolts. One of the many pedestrians walking by picked up the 4th bolt and gave it to him. Al soon had the wheel back on the car. We were shaken, and we said, “Let’s pray.” We thanked the Lord for protection. It could have been much worse! I couldn’t believe that we actually drove away!
GOLDEN GATE PARK
We had the car totally checked out by a mechanic, and now, 3 days later, we were driving to the beautiful Golden Gate National Park. It is so named because of the golden sandstone cliffs, and when the sun shines on them, they are really golden.
We decided to go for a hike on a trail behind the lodge. There was no indication of the level of difficulty, so it was easy at first as we hiked under the looming cliffs. Then we came to a long, long wooden ladder attached to the steep rock face. It looked a bit formidable, but up we went, slowly, carefully; there must have been 100 steps. Then, at the top, there was a very steep and treacherous trail. (What were we thinking? Too late to turn back now.) We went into a cave and found a spot to eat a little lunch (rusk and juice). Rumbling thunder and dark clouds as we picked our way down more short ladders, across rickety footbridges, over rocks, through tall grass, and finally safely at the bottom.
Back to our room to unwind and have something hot to drink. (Our dual-voltage hot pot went with us everywhere.) The rains came with lots of thunder. We rested and slept in the comfort and safety of our nice room.
The next day, we were on the road again, and the car was making bad noises again! Jacked the car up, right wheel loose, probably the CV joint. We were told it would be safe to drive, but to go slowly.
PIETERMARITZBERG - TEACHING
Our car made it safely to Pietermaritzburg (and we had it repaired). We were met by Phil and Carmena Capp, and they helped us get settled in our flat in the library building. It was fully furnished and very convenient, with a kitchen, small lounge, bath, and bedroom. Directly behind our flat, a new highway was under construction, and beyond that, the train tracks. Lots of noise! We slept with earplugs. An IBM electric typewriter was put in our flat for our use. Greatly appreciated!
We prepared our own meals, and that meant grocery shopping. We soon got used to using South African rands and the very reasonable prices. Long-life milk was treated at very high temperatures to kill all bacteria and did not need refrigeration until opened.
We loved the fresh juices, guava, and mango. And the bread was baked fresh every day right in the grocery store. We would buy a fresh loaf, still slightly warm, and learn how to put it through the slicing machine. Small meat pies from a “takeaway shop” were delicious!
And we learned to make Bobotie, a delicious meat dish composed of ground beef, onion, dried fruit, nuts, curry, and chutney (and a few other ingredients). Another very popular dish was a milk tart. We would call it a custard pie.
Our class on stress management had 12 students, an interesting mix.
They were mostly Black, with only one woman, a pastor’s wife. We had a textbook, but we put together a curriculum of “Stress Points in Life” from baby years, toddlers, school age, adolescence, dating, marriage, stress of children, finances, illness and accident, wayward children, elderly parents, role reversal, death of family members, and retirement.
We shared personal experiences in all these areas, and there were interesting class discussions. The emphasis was on how we handled the stress and how pastors should be alert to hurting members. The South African marking system was explained to us, and it took some getting used to. 75–100 A, 69–74 B, 60–68 C, 50–59 D, 49 and below E – fail
We brought 20 books with us to use in the class. We asked the students to choose 3 to borrow and write a book report. The books were very appreciated, especially: Love Must Be Tough, Depression, Making Stress Work, Healing for Damaged Emotions, Win Over Worry, and Running on Empty. We also showed several of Dobson’s videos, which were very helpful. At the end of the class, we gave all the books and videos to the library.
The students were given daily assignments and book reports or papers to turn in. They all had stress in their lives, having grown up under the apartheid rule. So they could relate to the stress points covered in class and appreciated the personal sharing. One of them said, “You are the only teachers we’ve ever had who shared their own personal lives.”
One day, we were discussing marriage, and the subject of the bride price came up. Young Luzuko (planning to be a pastor) asked how a young pastor with a salary of R800/month could possibly pay R4,000 bride price plus several thousand for the wedding. Elathea (pastor’s wife) said her father hadn’t required a bride price for any of his daughters. Interesting discussion!
One student admitted on his homework paper to having no goals and suffering burnout. He told us he was in tears reading Dr. Dobson’s book, Healing for Damaged Emotions. We also had to deal with a situation when two almost identical papers were turned in. They were from good friends, and both denied any wrongdoing.
The class we taught was in the morning, so we had free time in the afternoon. We enjoyed exploring the area around PMB and learned which places were safe to visit. There was so much violence and killing and house burnings in the Black township of Edendale, about 5 miles from PMB. The main road out to Edendale went right past the seminary, and every morning the taxis (long minivans) poured past by the hundreds, crammed full of Africans coming in to work for the day. (We didn’t go near Edendale.)
We also liked to walk around in Pietermaritzburg, a beautiful Victorian city with fountains and pedestrian malls. But we had to be very careful as there had been incidents of mugging on the streets. I didn’t carry my purse at all. One afternoon, we went to the movie Cry Freedom. Very well done and quite moving. Until recently, it was banned in South Africa. It was very sympathetic to the plight of the blacks and exposed police brutality.
VALLEY OF A THOUSAND HILLS
This was out in Zululand, but not in any danger. We stopped at a Zulu curio shop—the same place where a topless Zulu girl had helped Al pick out a T-shirt on a previous trip. Then we sat on the veranda, ordered a cream tea, and reveled in the breathtaking view. A jacaranda tree with its lavender blooms provided shade. We looked down into a deep valley, and then across at row after row of hills disappearing into a distant blue haze.
LION PARK
After seeing lions in the wild at Kruger Park, this was pretty tame. There was a special double-gated enclosure for the lions. Six or eight of them were lying in the sun. Ho hum. However, in the curio shop, the lady had two tiny lion cubs she was caring for. I got to hold one!
After hiking to a waterfall, we sat at an outdoor table at “Cannibal Charlies” and had tasty missionary burgers! The cover picture on the menu was of a big pot with flames under it and surrounded by dancing natives!
FAIRVIEW CHURCH
We took some things to the pastor’s wife, and she served traditional tea to us. First, a girl brought a basin of water, soap, and a towel so we could wash our hands. Then hot tea with bananas and cold sweet potatoes.
She told of the violence in the area, a Free Methodist tribal chief’s son was murdered and buried there at Fairview. She is a teacher and was teaching at an elementary school right there at Fairview. But this year, she was transferred to a different school. She has to walk two miles to get a taxi to take her to a bus stop. It takes two hours, and the pay is several months overdue.
Before we left, I asked to use the “loo,” and she was a little embarrassed to take me to the outdoor toilet.
First, she checked inside for snakes, at times, they have seen the deadly mamba snakes hiding in there. I took the board off the hole, and a swarm of flies and bees poured out. We had to wait a while for that to clear - it was quite an experience!
GREEN PASTURES
A Christian resort home right on the Indian Ocean. We walked the beautiful sandy beach, picked up shells, and waded in the warm surf. Our room and 3 meals for the 2 of us for just $32/day! The only fly in the ointment was their dog, who had a cancerous tumor hanging out of his body and smelled awful.
The owner was oblivious to the revolting sight and smell. The dog was allowed to roam around and even plunk himself near the table while we were eating. Finally, one of our group members very tactfully talked to the owner, and the situation did improve.
BANANA EXPRESS
We boarded an old steam train for a 2 1/2-hour trip along the coast and then inland. It was rightly called the Banana Express because it went through banana and sugar cane fields. We took lots of videos of the whistle, the black smoke, and the train itself. A delightful experience!
BULWER CHILDREN’S HOME
Our most unforgettable day trip was a drive of about 75 miles up into the Drakensberg Mountains, almost to Lesotho. As Mrs. Alm visited poor families, giving them fresh milk and fruit, she found children who were brain-damaged or disabled, just living on little cots in the corner of the hut, wasting away. So she gathered these children and started a rehabilitation program. In a small ramshackle building with three small rooms, she and her helpers care for the children, feeding them, working with them physically, and stimulating their minds. The physical and laundry needs are great, and all the water is carried in on the head of a faithful Black woman, trip after trip. The motley assortment of clothes is washed by hand and hung on fences to dry.
The children sang for us, and a tiny 6-year-old sang the solos with such a sweet voice. When she came to them three years ago, she was unable to talk. Some of the children were unable to walk, some were quite retarded, but they were all receiving loving care! During the Bible story, a little boy left his seat, walked to a table, carefully tore a page out of an old phone book, and quietly walked out to the loo. God bless Mrs. Alm!
FINAL WEEK
During our final week of teaching at the seminary, the students turned in their papers on stress in their own lives. One of the papers was really powerful, about the stress of living under apartheid. He was involved in a funeral march where the police opened fire. He talked to us about his experiences in Zimbabwe, how he was injured in the war, and still had a lot of bitterness and pent-up feelings. “Healing of Damaged Emotions” really hit him squarely. Others told of the stress of living in unsafe areas.
We asked Elathea (the only woman in our class) to come to our flat, and we gave her a suitcase full of my clothes. She was thrilled! (I knew I could go home and easily buy more.) It really made her day, and mine! The next day, we saw her wearing the green skirt and matching top; she was so happy!
One last chapel and that wonderful Zulu singing. A farewell tea for us and little gifts. They want us to come back!
CAR STOLEN
Up early on departure day. Al took 2 suitcases out to the car, and the car was gone! Stolen during the night! We called the police, described the car, and they said it had been found just a few blocks away. The car had been vandalized, the battery taken, the radio and tape deck ripped out, and the ignition wires pulled out and dangling. Thankfully, nothing of real value was in the car. A mechanic came, jump-started the car, and drove it to his shop. Had it all repaired and drivable the next day. Peggy Hill in J’burg (still the owner of the car) had felt very uneasy about the car and had called her husband in Greenville, IL, expressing concern. Word was passed in Greenville, and people prayed for the car situation, not knowing it had been stolen and already recovered! So we were able to carry on with our plans and drive to Johannesburg. We turned it over to the new owner and said, “Good luck!”
MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
Back to beautiful CYARA for another Marriage Encounter, a small group, but it was still “God’s Weekend,” and we saw His touch on all the lives. One couple had almost separated, but this weekend was a healing and renewal. Colin and Valerie came for a second time. Colin said they were going to change priorities and spend more time with family. His son asked him three times in one week to go bowling, but he was too busy. So his son took his girlfriend instead. They were in an accident, and the girl was killed. Colin felt such a load of guilt, and this weekend was a time he was able to really talk about it and get comfort and healing. Leif and Katie Brauteseth were there. Leif, a psychiatrist, said, “Marriage Encounter is the most effective and cheapest form of psychotherapy.” Guess we had never thought of it that way before! We just know—it works!
VICTORIA FALLS
We treated ourselves to a 3-day trip to Victoria Falls after finding such a good deal. $375 each, and that included round-trip airfare, two nights in the Rainbow Hotel, all meals, all transfers, and five mini tours. We remembered last time we went to the Falls when Al was too sick to really enjoy it.
Our hotel room had a balcony overlooking landscaped grounds with monkeys scampering in the trees, and we could hear the roar of the falls. We went on an afternoon walk through the rainforest opposite the thundering falls; the spray was heavy, and we got very wet! Our umbrella was very inadequate. A spectacular rainbow arched over the falls. We walked to several lookout points, to the statue of Livingstone, and down many steps to a lower view, and took lots of pictures.
We were waylaid by boys selling beautiful malachite necklaces and bracelets. Bought one of each for $10 total. We walked 45 minutes across the Rainbow Bridge to Zambia and followed the “Knife Edge” stone and dirt path down to a new view of the falls. Again, we got drenched! Good thing it was a warm day.
One evening, we went to a tribal dance program on the grounds of the elegant Victoria Falls Hotel. A small band played while dancers dressed in the most grotesque costumes performed. We felt uncomfortable with the music and dancing and left early. We visited the place where women were crocheting tablecloths, bedspreads, lace tops, etc. Several had babies on their backs or toddlers nearby. We had planned to buy a tablecloth, had the measurements of our table, and a tape measure. We were offered dozens! “Lady, come see mine, I give you a good price!” We finally found one just the right size and price, US$30. Took a picture of the lady holding it, she wanted us to send her a copy of the picture. Got her address.
The Sundowner Zambezi River Cruise was a nice ending to the day. A peaceful cruise as we sipped our cold lemonade and watched the sun set.
The next day, we had an exciting flight over the falls, two sweeps over the falls for right-hand views and two for those in the left side windows. Flew right through the spray once. Then we flew upriver, very low, tree-top height! Saw hippos, giraffes, and elephants.
An old Boeing 707 took us back to J’burg by way of Bulawayo. At the Brauteseths, there was a message from our realtor. We quickly called her and learned there was an offer on our house! A few communications back and forth, and we had a firm deal. What wonderful timing!
Final packing, got everything in with a little room to spare. Then goodbye hugs, and off to the airport. Spent our last rands at the airport for a magazine, 2 pencils, and some candy, actually 6 cents short, but the clerk took some coins from a jar to make it up! The flight to Nairobi was full, with many Muslims making a pilgrimage to Mecca, they got off in Nairobi for their connecting flight.
We took sleeping pills that a Dr. friend had given us and slept 6 1/2 hours on the flight to Amsterdam. Best sleep we’ve ever had on a plane. Refreshed and ready for the day. Took the train to Center City, a beautiful day to just walk around and enjoy the city. Sat in Dam Square eating flaky rolls, cheese, and chocolate while listening to an elaborate carousel. Walked along the canals and watched the boats, a very romantic, relaxing morning.
Flying across the Atlantic, I asked Al to think of a moment when we felt the closest, sure I would surprise him with my choice. But we both chose “watching the monkeys from our balcony in Victoria Falls.”
1991 - ALASKA
We decided to drive to Alaska, even though we had a new car, and friends warned us. “The roads are so bad; you’ll just ruin that new car. You’ll have to take extra tires with you.” None of that proved true. We had traded in our unreliable Aerostar for a Dodge, and in our thousands of miles of driving, we saw only one vehicle broken down and out of commission, a Ford Aerostar.
As we drove through Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies, we couldn’t resist taking pictures of the spectacular scenery.
At the top of a pass, we stopped for lunch and found a rocky perch with a view down into the deep valley. We saw a mountain goat far below, and we were all set with our 80–300 lens to get a picture. But suddenly we saw another mountain goat tripping up the rocky path toward us! Her little kid trotted behind her. They went right past us; we could have reached out and touched them. Too close for a picture!
FERRY RIDE
We drove to Prince Rupert, put our car on the Alaska State Ferry, and settled in for the 24-hour cruise through the Inside Passage. We found reclining chairs in the lounge and just relaxed, watching the beautiful scenery glide by.
JUNEAU
We drove our car into town, found our B&B, and spent 2 delightful days exploring Juneau, the state capital. They had had 17 straight days of rain until we arrived with sunshine! The main attraction here is the Mendenhall Glacier, an easy drive from Juneau. Actually, you can't drive very far from Juneau, just a few miles up and down the coast. The only way “in or out” is by boat or plane.
SKAGWAY
We continued on the ferry through the Lynn Canal to Skagway. This is where the Klondike gold miners landed by boat and then traveled on foot another 600 miles to reach the gold strike area. Skagway is just a few blocks long and all in Gold Rush 1890s style. We stayed in a former brothel in “Birdie's” room!
We did the steam train ride over the pass; the gold miners struggled to climb. “The Trail of ’98”, many died on this trail. From Skagway, we drove inland and connected with the Alaska Highway. It is paved all the way to Fairbanks. Some of the secondary roads are gravel, but they are well-maintained. Actually, Al learned to drive on country gravel roads and rather enjoyed the challenge!
VALDEZ
It is famous for its annual snowfall of 50 ft. and for the oil spill that contaminated the harbor. The harbor is very pretty now, with hundreds of small boats and mountains all around.
HOLGATE GLACIER
We had an all-day boat ride through the Kenai Fjords. We cruised next to rocky islands with birds in their rookery, seals, and sea lions barking and cavorting on the rocks. Holgate Glacier was a magnificent sight, glittering ice and blue sky! We cruised close and got to see a couple of large chunks of ice fall and splash. This was one of our most memorable days.
DENALI (Mt. McKinley)
We spent 12 hours riding in an old school bus on the narrow roads all the way to Wonder Lake. Not a glimpse of the mountain. We tried the next day, same weather. The bus driver said they see Denali about 1 day in 4. We saw a few wild animals, but all far away. It was a disappointment.
CHICKEN
Our drive through the barren wilderness took us to the remote “village” of Chicken. Three ramshackle buildings, a saloon, a café, and a souvenir shop.
We stayed in this rustic cabin and found footsteps!
We stayed overnight with our college friend, Phyllis Matheny. At breakfast, there was a beautiful fur-clad doll on the table. We didn’t realize it at first, and then we said, “Oh no, it can’t be ‘The Lady’!” But it was! A White Elephant gift that had been exchanged at several Christmas parties in New York with Marriage Encounter friends had made its way all the way to Alaska. We later learned that our friend Bonnie in Cortland, NY, had been able to contact a mutual friend to get Phyllis’s address.
On the long drive home, we put our heads together and wrote this poem. With apologies to Robert Service and “The Cremation of Sam McGee.”
There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By friends who seek revenge
The Arctic Trail by Priority Mail
Helped them reach their crafty end.
Now the Moores they come from the southern sun
Where corn and soybeans grow
They left their home in the south to roam
As far north as they could go.
On a cold August day they were mushing their way
Over the Alaskan Trail
On they sped with thoughts in their head
Of receiving hometown mail.
They arrived at their friends - it was nearly the end
Of a long and busy day.
They told of their news, they shared of the views
They had seen along the way.
“Do we have any letters?” “Oh, yes you have letters,
And I’ll get them before it’s too late.”
As they innocently read, not a word more was said
Of a package still lying in wait.
They slept through the night and in morning’s bright light
They came to the kitchen to eat.
Now “The Lady” was there, with flowers in her hair
And a suitcase of clothes at her feet.
“The Lady” ‘twas her with a new gown of fur
And a hat on her wobbly head.
With gum it was stuck with hopes that with luck
It would hold ‘til the Moores had been fed.
She stood on the table, as straight as she was able
With her beautiful new disguise
Friend Phyllis stood by, a gleam in her eye
Just waiting to see the surprise.
Naive to the core, the innocent Moores
Had no idea of their fate.
And they never took note of the lass with her coat
‘Tho she stood so close to their plates.
Now Phyllis gave clues to direct their views
For they were looking all about…
“I’ve picked you some flowers, forget-me-not flowers”
Said she as she pointed them out.
They finally both looked, very carefully looked
At the flowers that were tucked in her fur.
And then they both gasped, as they tumbled at last
“Oh no! It couldn’t be her!”
From thousands of miles and hundreds of smiles
They knew they’d been had - that’s for sure.
Their M.E. friends had gone to great ends
To make sure the legend endures.
The Northern Lights have seen strange sights
But the strangest they ever did see
Was the amazing sight in the Northern Lights
The reincarnation of the Lady of M.E!
A sequel to the story …
At Christmas that year, we contacted Dave and Bonnie’s son, who lived in their town, Cortland, NY. He agreed to help continue The Lady tradition. We sent The Lady to him, wrapped in Christmas paper. He was able to smuggle the package under Dave and Bonnie’s tree without their knowing. At the family Christmas, all the gifts had been opened, but one, and it was unmarked. So Bonnie opened it, and I think we heard shrieks and laughs all the way back to Greenville!
1992 – Europe – Kamps & Smiths
Bob and Dottie Smith, Gene and Miriam Kamp came to our house several times to plot and plan this trip. We pored over maps on the dining room table and gathered information for a 3-week trip in Europe. These are some highlights.
RHINE RIVER CRUISE
We stayed in the picturesque village of St. Goarshausen and from there enjoyed a cruise on the Rhine River to Rudesheim. We visited the great cathedral in Cologne - Bob climbed to the very top! We got lost trying to get out of the city, but finally found our way into the former East Germany to the village of Eisenach. We drove partway and then hiked up to the Wartburg Castle. This is where Martin Luther translated some of the New Testament. Driving back into West Germany, we saw an abandoned guardhouse, now vandalized.
ROMANTIC ROAD
We drove through the picturesque villages of Feuchtwagen and Dinkelsbuhl to the most famous city of Rothenburg. A classic walled city, and we stayed in a pension with window boxes overflowing with red geraniums. We enjoyed walking on the wall almost all the way around the city.
AUSTRIA
Our drive through a corner of Austria took us over a pass with patches of snow, and then we heard cow bells. There in the deep valley below us were hundreds of cows, all with bells gently clinking - a symphony of music! We called it “The Valley of the Cow Bells.” And then we drove past a classic Austrian church with a mountain backdrop. One of our favorite pictures.
We spent several days in Interlaken in the heart of the Swiss Alps. We enjoyed a delightful evening at a Swiss Folklore program. Polka music, yodeling, flag swinging, cow bells, alphorn, dancing, and audience participation. Bob Smith surprised everyone when he was able to blow the Alphorn.
BLATTEN
We separated one day from our friends and found our way to a remote village after taking the train to Goppenstein and then a short bus ride to Blatten. A crowd of people was there, some in their native dress, for a Sunday outdoor barbecue. The ladies were dressed in long dresses with white lacy aprons and embroidered tops. We joined the natives and had bratwurst, bread, and raclette. We watched them melt big rounds of cheese and then scrape it off. That is raclette - served with a small, boiled potato and pickles. There was a little church, old chalets, a rushing mountain stream, mountains, local people, and a band! We couldn’t ask for more.
ZERMATT
We could see the Matterhorn from our room! We took an exciting cable car ride to Schwarzee, and the Monte Rosa, Klein Matterhorn, and Breithorn were all perfectly clear - white mountains against a blue sky. We hiked up the trail - the Matterhorn kept us guessing - once we saw the top, most of the time just the bottom half. We could hear sheep, and our hike took us close to them. Miriam loved the tiny flowers and picked a little bouquet for our table centerpiece. We all agreed we had had our best view of the Matterhorn in the morning. Zermatt is a great place to visit the shops, buy souvenirs, and always keep looking up to see the Matterhorn, which towers over the village.
CAUX
We tried to get the maximum out of our train pass, so on the last day we went up the mountains above Lausanne to Caux. It was a fantastic view looking down on Lake Leman. There we all splurged and got the complete meal, finishing with apple strudel and warm vanilla sauce. The manager played the alphorn for us.
PARIS
We took the TGV express train from Lausanne to Paris. 4 hours! It was hard to manage all our luggage through the crowds of people. We managed to get to the Metro station, buy our tickets, and get on the train. All packed in tight, and then Bob saw a man’s hand on Dottie’s belt pack - a pickpocket! Bob grabbed his hand and said, “Don’t do that!” and stared at him until he got off. We finally got to our hotel, and after a brief break to freshen up, we were off to see Paris! With the crowds and hustle and noise of the city, we almost wished we were back in Caux! We gave our friends a quick tour of the city - went to Notre Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe, walked down the Champs Élysées, and strolled through Luxembourg Gardens.
Then we left the Kamps and Smiths to explore the city on their own while we spent three days driving through Normandy.
NORMANDY
When we were in Paris for that one-week special years ago, we took a one-day guided tour to Normandy. We stopped in the village of Roen with a cathedral so old that the stones had turned black. The inside was dark and damp. The towering arched naves with stained glass windows were most impressive. Our time here was very limited, but our guide told us this was where Joan of Arc was martyred. “The monument to her is just down this street in the town square, but the bus leaves in 10 minutes.” We ran as fast as we could, got to the square, and very quickly took a picture of who knows what. Later, we learned we had taken the picture with the monument behind us.
We went on to Normandy, driving through quaint, picturesque villages. I wanted to say, “Stop the bus so I can take a picture!” We visited the American Military Cemetery with 9300 graves. It was an emotional time for one of our tour members as he had been among the first to land here on D-Day. We had only minutes in the Invasion Museum. We vowed to come back on our own someday ——————
Now, years later, after traveling with friends in central Europe, we decided to leave them in Paris and go by ourselves to see more of Normandy. Al and I made our way to the car rental and soon left Paris behind, heading for Normandy. We chose the back country roads through picturesque villages with stone buildings and walls. We stopped at a roadside “frites” for lunch. We ordered hot dogs. She took a long, crusty roll and impaled it on a hot iron, which heated it nicely. Put catsup or mustard in the hole and then a long hot dog. Delicious.
We drove to the Normandy area to see the historic WW II sites. In Arromanches, we walked along the waterfront - the invasion site. We spent an hour in the Invasion Museum. So good not to be prodded by a tour leader. So many interesting things there.
We saw the American cemetery again with the rows and rows of white crosses.
Driving on, we came to Pointe de Hoc and saw the craters from shells, the concrete bunkers, the rolls of barbed wire, and the cliff the Army Rangers scaled on rope ladders. It really brought it all to life for us.
St. Mere Eglise
We stopped en route to visit a very old, very famous cathedral in Rouen. It is so ancient that the stones have turned black. This is the church where a paratrooper landed on the roof, his chute caught on a spire. Villagers rescued him, and they still have a parachute and a figure of a man hanging from the roof.
Looking for a “chambers” we saw a charming stone cottage with red flowers in front. A lady came out in the rain, shook Al’s hand, and welcomed us warmly. Yes, she had a chamber and showed us a room with a skylight window and a view of Mont St. Michele. Too good to be true, as that was our destination for the next day. With binoculars, we could see MONT ST. MICHELE - all lighted!
To visit this beautiful place, we parked our car in a parking lot lower than the causeway, and we were assured it would be perfectly safe.
Mont St. Michele
It was built over a period of 1300 years. They kept adding more buildings, one on top of another, cathedrals, palatial rooms, chapels, and an abbey at the very top. It is home to 44 monks and nuns. We wound our way through narrow streets and up many steep steps. Every level was beautiful and fascinating. Openings here and there led to lookout places or gardens.
We joined an “English” tour as it was the only way to gain entrance to the Abbey itself. A young girl did an admirable job as she guided 200-300 people from one room to the next, giving a little lecture in each. We finally reached the Abbey after 350 steps.
Then, to go back down through the mob of people, we inched our way down the circular stairs and through the crush of people in the narrow streets. Wall to wall people, we could hardly move, almost gridlock. Advice, never go there on a Sunday!
I found this beautiful, free picture that shows the complexity and beauty of the building.
Driving back toward Paris, we could see the spires of the Chartres Cathedral for miles (see photo next page). So, we had to stop. We walked all around the cathedral, taking pictures from all angles. Inside were spectacular stained-glass windows, and organ music filled the cathedral.
We returned to busy, noisy Paris. We found our friends had negotiated Paris just fine and got to see all the famous places. We returned home via Chicago. At the baggage carousel, a cute little beagle came sniffing around, looking for drugs, and stopped at my backpack, indicating a problem.
The agent asked if I had any fruit in the bag - no, but I had eaten an apple that had been in there. That satisfied the agent and gave us a good laugh to finish our trip!
Plans are underway to create a replica of Pont de Hoc on the Mississippi River limestone bluffs in Grafton, MO. The 100 ft. cliffs closely resemble those in Normandy. There will be 5 bronze Ranger statues anchored to the rock face. The dedication of this memorial is expected to be in June 2026.
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