Millers' Time

Tuesday, June 12, 2018: Port of Call – Corfu, Greece

There was a time change of an hour ahead for Corfu. I had not changed my phone assuming it would do it automatically when I got a signal. So I thought I had woken around 8:00. After getting ready for the day I wanted to get some breakfast before the excursion and went into the hallway. Lito, my room steward, was there and I asked him the time, well it was 9:35, not 8:35. I didn’t have much time to eat before leaving on the excursion.

I went up to the cafeteria and there literally wasn’t any place to sit. So, I got a cup of coffee and a small chocolate croissant and ate it walking around. Then I headed to the Stardust theater where the excursions meet up before leaving the ship.

There were 8 of our group going on this excursion which was to the Achilleion Palace Museum and a tour of Old Town Corfu

First, however, there was a stop at a kumquat place. The way the guide said it, I thought it was going to be fresh kumquats. Nope, it was liquor and candy. I tried a couple of the nougats, which I love, and a kumquat liquor. It seemed pretty strong but I didn’t figure I would ever drink it so I just got two kinds of nougat.

Next stop was the palace. It was up some very winding and narrow roads. The bus was taking up the whole road and at one point a car was coming down and had to back up quite a ways until it could pull over and let the bus pass.

The palace was built by the Empress Elizabeth in the late 1800s because she loved Corfu and wanted to escape her mother-in-law. It sits on top of a hill overlooking the water and has some beautiful grounds and views. The palace itself was just okay. There was a beautiful painting on the ceiling of the foyer and the stairs also had some interesting painting.

Achillieon Palace Foyer CeilingView from the palace gardens

It was another very hot day and was supposed to get up to 89 degrees. After the tour we loaded back onto the bus for some blessed cool air and headed back down the hill. The bus parked and we were led off to the Old Town part of the tour which was short, then we had about 30 minutes to do our own thing.

Old Town Corfu

PK, Don, Frankie and I sat at a little cafe and had a beer. I was starving by this point but we didn’t have time to eat so I figured a beer would help fill me up. Then it was back to the bus and to the ship. We all agreed that we would have rather just wandered around the town and done our own thing rather than the tour.

We had received some freebies for booking the trip through Frankie and we all chose the beverage package but I was the only one who chose the upgraded dinner package. Some of the others had said they wanted to try a restaurant or two and I went to make reservations. Well, I should have done it the first day as I couldn’t get any for Thursday or Friday. I did manage to get one at the French restaurant for Wednesday, but then realized our excursion included a Greek celebration and dinner. I had to cancel it. I doubt I will be able to use any of the 3 upgrades. Live and learn.

It was ‘elegant’ night so we all dressed up some, Frankie won the prize for looking the best in his suit and tie, we met for dinner in Versailles. We ordered a couple bottles of sparkling wine to start. With 11 people at a table in a noisy dining room it is difficult to talk to anyone besides those right next to you.

I had the paté and a smoked salmon tartare, then the swordfish salad. The swordfish was a bit fishy tasting but covered with the arugula and dressing it kind of disguised the fishyness.

Once again, Don, Frankie and I headed to the show. It was put on by the ship’s show staff and was a 70s themed extravaganza called, Bands on the Run. The singers and dancers were pretty good and we enjoyed it and sang along in parts.

Then it was back to Gatsby’s, which is right next to the theater. We got seats at the bar again but the place filled up quickly. We didn’t indulge as much as the night before but did sit there for a hour or more.

It is always fun to watch good bartenders work. It was Rachel and John again, and, yes, I remembered his full name. They were slinging the drinks left and right, plus they provide drinks for the French restaurant next to it, but the two of them work well together.

The piano man came back and played the same tunes as the night before. It seems there is music in all the bars and they play loud! We decided they could tone it down some so you could talk without yelling.

Then it was off to bed again. It was after midnight when I went to sleep. I woke up about 6:00 then dozed until 7:00. Next port of call is Santorini in the afternoon.

Monday, June 11, 2018: Port of Call – Kotor, Montenegro

Monday was kind of a lost day for me since I was so tired. I had breakfast in the Versailles Dining Room by myself. The menu is your basic breakfast menu of cereal, fruits, eggs, waffles, etc. There are a few special items like eggs Benedict, smoked salmon on bagel and biscuits and gravy. I had a melon platter and the smoked salmon on bagel after several cups of coffee.

I wandered around the ship for a while exploring. The buffet cafeteria was just crazy with people, the pool and lounge chairs were filling up fast, and the bars were already busy.

I ended up back in my room and ordered an iron and board. The hotel in Venice did not have an iron in the room or even one to borrow, which I found extremely strange. My clothes, for the most part, had been rolled or folded for almost two weeks so really needed some iron attention.

I turned on my Bluetooth speaker and listened to my book while I ironed everything in my closet. I had been wearing jean capris for the most part since they didn’t wrinkle and a few shirts that didn’t look too bad.

The ship anchored at around 1:30 and the excursions started boarding around 2:00. I figured the restaurants would be pretty empty so decided to go have lunch. It turns out that lunch options are pretty limited.

Kotor, Montenegro

Versailles had been open on departing day but wasn’t open any other time for lunch. The cafeteria is a constant battle of hundreds of people. The Topsiders Bar and Grill by the pool is basically hot dogs and hamburgers, so the only place to actually sit and be served was O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill. It too was busy but I sat at the bar for a while as people started leaving the boat and then went and got a table.

I had a salad and fish and chips. The fish was okay but their tartar sauce left a lot to be desired.

By this time it was around 3:00 so I headed back to my room for a nap. I slept for a little while then something woke me up. I went back to sleep, however, and didn’t wake until around 6:00. There wasn’t really time to go into town so I just stayed on the ship.

I walked around the ship to places I hadn’t been yet, tried to get change for my Euros and was told they only change US dollars. What?! We are in Europe. I ended up at Gatsby’s bar.

The first day I had met some people from Detroit and ran into them again at O’Sheehan’s. We talked about how the bartenders didn’t seem all that friendly. They told me about one named Rachel who was really good. Well, she was at Gatsby’s and she was friendly and fun to watch. Gatsby’s is a martini bar so there was a lot of shaking going on.

I texted Frankie at around 7:00 to see if they were back and where they were going for dinner. They had just sat down in Versailles with Celia and Barb. Celia had gotten a table and had been joined by everyone.

After dinner, Don, Frankie and I headed to the show. It was an Italian singer who did some show tunes, opera, a Queen song, and a few others. It was enjoyable. We then went to Gatsby’s and were served again by Rachel. Her partner in crime was John and he told us his full name was Johnathan Benedict Patrick Eric Michelangelo and didn’t figure we would remember it. Frankie and I repeated it several times and got it down.

There was a piano and the piano man started playing a lot of Billy Joel and Elton John. He was pretty good and had people singing along during some songs.

We ended up leaving around midnight and went to bed. We had an excursion in the morning and needed to meet up at 10:15.

Sunday, June 10, 2018: Woke up and got most things packed, then went out for breakfast. We had to be out of the rooms by 10:30 and ship boarding started at noon.

I have one large bag, a carryon and my backpack. Luckily, the porter carried the big one down for me so I didn’t have to make two trips. Frankie, Don and Barb had taken most of their luggage to the People Mover that runs to the cruise departure area. Don and Barb came back leaving Frankie with the bags.

I had not seen the People Mover but it was in the same area where the vaporettos leave from. I got there ahead of the rest of the group and there was a tram sitting there, so I bought a ticket. Don had said it was 1,50 euros and after a couple of tries on the machine I found a ticket for 1,50. The rest of the group showed up and I assured them it was the right place, even though I thought it was strange that Frankie would have gone on with all the luggage as he was no where to be seen.

A tram arrived and I got on along with another couple. I started wondering if it was the correct one as the station stops did not show the marina. The other couple asked the conductor and he said it was not the People Mover, so we got off and then I saw the sign across the road. I felt bad that everyone had followed my lead and bought a ticket for the wrong thing.

As I walked into the area, there was Frankie surrounded by luggage. Mike and Linda were also there and they asked me if I wanted to go ahead with them to the ship. So, off we went. It only took about a minute to get there and then we walked a couple blocks to the embarkation building.

Things went very quickly and I was soon onboard. I got a drink and sat in the cafeteria area to cool off. There hadn’t been many people around when I first got there but it was filling up fast. People were loading up their plates with all kinds of food but I wasn’t hungry and didn’t want anything hot and heavy anyway.

I got a text from Frankie saying they were going to the Versailles restaurant so I joined them. Frankie and I got a crab salad, which was made kind of like your typical tuna salad, as an appetizer, then I got an omelet. It wasn’t a huge amount of food and hit the spot.

After that, I went to see if my room was ready and Don and Frankie are just a couple doors down. They had received a bottle of champagne so invited me to join them to drink it. We sat and chatted and drank the wine. Then I went back to my room as my luggage had arrived. I got things put away and oriented myself to the room.

I was meeting Don and Frankie for dinner around 7:00 back at Versailles. Celia and Barb joined me and we had a nice dinner. I got the prime rib which came with a potato and some really bad corn on the cob.

The rest of them were going to go to the show but by the time I got back to my room I was done. I met my steward, Lito, and he got me some ice for my big water mug. The first time I had ice water in my mug since D.C. I had mostly been drinking warm water out of bottles as ice isn’t too easily found in Europe.

I also had a notice that the tour I had signed up for was cancelled because not enough people signed up. It was to have gone to a Montenegrin village and having lunch then a tour of Kotor so I was a bit disappointed.

I ended up waking up at 2:30 and couldn’t get back to sleep. I tossed and turned and listened to my book until sometime after 6:00 when I did doze off but woke up with a start from a dream in which I walked into a house and someone was standing there and it scared me. I literally had a racing heart and felt like I had screamed out loud, but I don’t think I did.

I finally got up around 7:30 feeling pretty dragged out and glad the tour was cancelled after all. Not sure what I will do except try to take a nap. The ship doesn’t arrive until 2:00pm and then leaves at 8:00 pm. So, I will probably wait until the first rush of people leaving and then just walk around Kotor for a bit.

Pictures to come later as they are on my phone and I can’t get them to connect yet.

Sunday, June 10, 2018: I have learned that Saturday’s in any town is not the day to go sightseeing. Locals all come into the city as well as the tourists. I was on my own for the day as it was going to be very hot and I wanted to be able to do my own thing.

I had woken late and had a leisurely breakfast before getting ready to leave. I wanted to take the vaporetto (water bus) through the canals as my legs were a bit tired and I figured it would be a cooler way to see things.

I got an all day ticket and after waiting for a while, got onto a boat. It was packed but I was at front of line after missing the first one that came through so found a seat by a window. There are multiple stops all along the canal but I just sat and looked at the buildings and people.

River trafficCrowded vaporetto

I did get off at the Rialto bridge since I had not seen it yet. It was full of people with cameras and others looking up at it with their cameras. I joined the latter group and then walked around. Being by the Rialto it was very busy with lots of tourist stores and restaurants. I quickly tired of that and hopped back on a boat. This time I was standing and felt like a sardine in a can. When I finally got back to my original stop I got off.

Rialto Bridge – It used to be the only one across the Grand CanalCool thing

I wandered around trying to find a place to have a little lunch. It was so hot that I didn’t want anything heavy like pasta, just a salad. I finally stopped at one with an outside area under umbrellas. I wasn’t too sure about it at first and almost left. The menu was pretty heavy but I finally found a couple of salads. It was all in Italian and I couldn’t decipher it, so just told the waiter I wanted a salad. He asked if I wanted the artichoke one so I said yes.

It was very nice, lightly dressed, with a few shrimp and shaved raw artichokes. It was very satisfying. It was joined by a glass of prosecco.

Artichoke saladFreshening up at the water faucet – notice the graffiti. It is everywhere and it doesn’t look like they attempt to remove it

There are water faucets around Venice that run water all day. I had seen people fill their water bottles at them but while eating lunch on this hot day, I also saw people wet their hands and rinse their arms, legs, and heads.

At one point, I could hear a group of men cheering and yelling around the corner. Pretty soon a group of around 10 came into view. All but one were wearing blue button up shirts. The outlier was in some sort of pink, furry outfit with a ball and chain on his ankle and a sign on the back of his ‘hat.’ I assumed it was a bachelor party of some sort, but they seemed to be having a good time and the waiters and other guest at the restaurant were all laughing.

The groom

I went back to the hotel and read through all of the cruise documents and did some other reading. I finally cooled off. It had been in the mid 80s but felt much warmer due to the humidity.

Random picture of a building

Ann and PK arrived back looking hot and sweaty too. They had been shopping all day, so they showed me their purchases, some Murano glass items and clothes. Ann had bought a pair of sandals the day before and they were already broken. The store was closed when they went by so she needed to go back. They wouldn’t refund but she got another pair.

Frankie had made reservations for the whole group, now numbering 11, for dinner at a restaurant on Giudecca, an island across from Venice. We made our way back to the vaporetto and boarded a boat. There were lots of cruise ships in port along with a couple of large private yachts.

View from the restaurant

There was also a cruise ship called The World. I thought it was one of the kind that you purchased an apartment and cruised the world. I just looked it up and it is the world’s largest residential cruise ship, so that was kind of cool to see.

We arrived at our stop and Don, Frankie, Celia, and Barb were sitting at the bar waiting for us. They had not gone back to the hotel after their day of travels.

The restaurant, Ai Cacciatore, was down the way a bit and we were seated on the sidewalk next to the water. When large boats went by and made wakes it washed up over our feet. Rather refreshing and since I was in flip flops, I didn’t care.

The view was great and we had a beautiful sunset so there was a lot of picture taking going on. I was able to use some of the things I learned in my iPhone photography class in Mexico.

Venice SunsetDon and Frankie

We had a good time and good food. The five of us on one end shared a couple of appetizers, a zucchini stuffed with amberjack and a burrata (a type of mozzarella but unlike any you would find in the states) with a tomato sauce on top of a sauce of some sort. The cheese was very soft, rich and good.

Basilica San Marco across the wayZucchini appetizer on purple potato puree

I ordered a pork shank with grilled vegetables and polenta. It was huge but I shared it out around the table. It was very well done and everyone loved it. The polenta was not that great and I love polenta.

Pork shank

We then shared a tiramisu and a affogato parfait that had amaretto and who knows what, but it was good!

We returned to the hotel and I went straight to bed as it was around midnight. We board ship on Sunday and cruise away. Not sure about wifi on the ship so not sure when next post might be.

Saturday, June 9, 2018: Late morning the six of us who were already in Venice left the hotel to go exploring. There was a church that was recommended by Rick Steves that Kristy wanted to see. There were a couple of maps involved and gps consulted but we were not successful in finding it. Luckily, it had stopped raining by this time which was a good thing since I forgot to get an umbrella at the hotel.

Don and Frankie had to head back to the hotel so they could meet Celia and Barb, who were arriving. The rest of us then took off to find Piazza San Marco. The ‘streets’ in Venice are narrow and have a lot of twists and turns. There are delivery men with large carts that are hauling wine, water, and many other things needed by the shops and restaurants by pushing or pulling them along. Obviously, they are all in very good shape.

Gps can be hit or miss but mine finally started keeping up with us as we walked so we finally made it to the piazza. It was large and full of people, pigeons, and cameras. There were two young children feeding the pigeons and were covered and surrounded by the poopy things and screaming the whole time.

Poopy Pigeons and Screaming girls

Basilica San MarcoMarble columns of many colorsPiazza San Marco

The front of the basilica was amazing with many different things going on. The columns of many colors of marble caught my eye. There was so much to take in that I know I missed a lot.

I think my favorite thing in the piazza was the clock tower. It had a face with the hours in Roman numerals and the astrological signs, the Earth and moon, and above it the hours clicked by in 5 minute increments.

San Marco Clock Tower Face

San Marco Clock tower

The grand canal runs along one edge of the piazza and was like Interstate 5 at rush hour in Seattle. Ok, maybe not that bad but there were a lot of boats.

Grand Canal

Grand Canal

We made our way back to the hotel and put our feet up for a bit then decided it was time for lunch. Ann, PK (Patrice) and I went down the street a little ways and stopped at Osteria au Cravate. It seems most of the restaurants have fixed price menus. There was a fish based one and a meat based one. I ordered the spaghetti with cuttlefish ink and the sea bream. The pasta was very good. The sea bream a little fishy and had some bones.

Cuttlefish Spaghetti

Don, Frankie, Rob and Kristy showed up and sat at the next table. They had been sitting with Celia and Barb as we were leaving the hotel so I had texted them to let them know where we were. Celia and Barb had headed to their room for a nap after their long trip from Palm Springs.

Ann, PK, and I headed back to the hotel then as it was around 3:30 and took naps of our own. I am not usually able to take naps, but we had shared a couple bottles of wine, so that along with jet lag had us all sleepy. I woke after about 45 minutes but fell back asleep again.

I was awakened by a text from Frankie telling me that Don, Celia, Barb and him were going to dinner at a place nearby to arrive around 7:00, since Celia and Barb were hungry. I wasn’t hungry yet and needed to take a shower so decided not to go. Ann and PK were going with them, also.

I took a quick shower and was catching up on social media when I received another text saying they didn’t go to the original restaurant. Frankie said he thought I would like the one they were at. By that time I was ready to go and met them there.

Osteria da Baba was not too far from the hotel and Frankie had seen it earlier in the day and thought it looked interesting. It was a very small, local place. Barb has had two knee replacements so stairs and walking are still a challenge, which is why they decided not to go to original. Lucky for us!

They had already ordered and were doing a version of the fish menu, with exceptions for Don and Ann as they aren’t quite as adventurous of eaters. Since I had come late, I did my own thing.

The waiter brought over a chalkboard with the 4 dinner options, again fixed price. Being the adventurous eater that I am, I ordered the one with tripe. I didn’t really know what the other things were but figured I wanted something different. It started with a thick round pasta (bucatini) with sausage and peas, then two spicy meatballs (said with fake Italian accent), then a dish that took some interpretation.

It looked like mushrooms but was beef lung and polenta. It tasted like a cross between liver and gizzards and was actually quite good. I was sitting next to Frankie and he was game to try each dish. I think the chef and waiters were watching me to see my reaction since I am sure most Americans don’t try things like that.

The final dish was Trippa alla Parmigiana. It also was very good, creamy and very cheesy but I think I liked the lung better. Celia also tried a taste of that as she likes tripe. Overall, it was a very nice meal and amusing company.

Osteria da BabaFrankie, Celia, and BarbBucatini with Sausage and PeasPolpetti alla Puttanesca Our waiter who spoke a little EnglishPolenta with lungsTrippa alla Parmigiana The Menu

We got back to the hotel around 10:30 and Ann, PK, and I chatted for a while then I went to bed. They stayed up later talking, and it after 11:30 when I went to sleep. I woke up around 1:30, then again at 6:00. Didn’t think I would get back to sleep but I did and slept like the dead until 8:30.

Today I am adventuring out by myself, so we will see what kind of trouble I can get in.

Friday, June 8, 2018: It has been a looong day and night. After doing laundry and late check out from hotel, I went to a restaurant for a snack and then to the airport.

I was about 4 hours early for my flight and when I went to check my bag they asked if I wanted to be on an earlier flight. I said, sure, if it all worked out. After lots of looking and trying to get the supervisor to assist (she was too busy with two other employees and I was the only customer) they finally said it wouldn’t work out. I think it had to do with my connection to Venice from Munich which didn’t really make sense because I would be there in plenty of time.

I went to the Lufthansa lounge and the earlier flight was just boarding so I after that, I was all alone. There were sandwiches, soup, snacks, and other things but I didn’t eat much. My flight boarded at about 10:00 PM and took off pretty much on time.

The flight was pretty uneventful, although there was turbulence here and there all the way. Most of the people went to sleep after a couple of hours, but I was not able to. I think I dozed off for a short time at one point.

I arrived in Munich and went to the lounge again and washed my face and combed my hair. I got some water and sat for a bit feeling strangely out of place and time. I didn’t eat anything because they had fed us a little breakfast on the plane and my stomach was feeling a bit off.

My flight to Venice was late by about half an hour. I was to meet up with another couple, Rob and Kristy (who were part of the group going on the cruise) at the airport to take a water taxi to the hotel. Their flight was also late. Then we had to wait for another 6 people to show up before heading to the boat. There were moving sidewalks all the way to the boats but the guy they gave the voucher to was too busy kissing his girlfriend to actually walk so it took us a lot longer than it should.

The boat was a low profile wooden boat and the driver obviously had been doing it for a long time. He maneuvered it around the narrow canals and pulled up to the docking areas easily and didn’t even put out fenders!

Don and Frankie met us at the dock and helped with the luggage. The hotel was over a couple bridges and around the corner from the dock. There was a long flight of stairs up to the rooms, but luckily, Frankie carried my large suitcase or I would have had to make two trips. By this time, I was a sweaty, tired, cranky mess. By this time it was about 7:30 in the evening and I had been awake for about 30 hours.

Ann and Patrice had arrived with Don and Frankie and they had all taken naps before our arrival so were ready to go out to dinner. All I wanted to do was take a refreshing shower and lie down so I didn’t go with them.

We are staying at the Palazzo Odoni which is a XV century building with a warren of rooms. Ann, Patrice, and I are in one suite. My room is through theirs with my own bathroom and shower, which is nice. The room is very nice and fairly large for Europe. It doesn’t have much of a view, but it does have two large windows.

Room without a View

I took my shower, had two glasses of prosecco, put on my headphones, turned on my book and lay down. I dozed off fairly quickly but then woke after about half an hour. I continued listening to my book and heard Ann and Patrice come in around 10:00, then fell back to sleep.

I woke at 2:00 AM and the room was stifling. There is air conditioning but it doesn’t work when a window is open. The suite has a key card that must be fitted in a slot inside the door or the lights won’t work. I figured either they had opened a window or removed the key when going to sleep, so I opened my windows

I woke up again around 5:00 and could hear the rain pouring down outside. Then I heard lightening and saw thunder. This continued for several hours. I did not go back to sleep but listened to my book for a while then got on the internet. I was listening for Ann and Patrice to make some movement so I could go out and have coffee.

I had realized that there were no lights working in the suite but the plug ins did, so I figured the key was out. The bathroom was very dark so I had to use the flashlight on my phone to see to brush my teeth, etc.

I opened my door around 7:30 and Patrice was standing outside their bathroom and said the power was out. So, the key was in but there was a problem.

The hotel has breakfast and coffee from 7:45 to 10:00. I went out around 7:40 and the tables were all set up with service but no coffee was out. Rob was sitting there talking with some of the other guests. When 7:45 rolled around everyone headed into the breakfast area. The host came in and started making cappuccinos and latte macchiatos while everyone got their croissants, meats and cheeses, and fruit. My kind of breakfast.

Don, Frankie, Rob and Kristy in breakfast room

The hotel has umbrellas for our use so I imagine we will do some exploring today. Hopefully, the rain will stop and the sun won’t come out since that would really make it humid as it is supposed to get into the upper 70s today.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018: Christine left shortly after awakening for her drive back to Philadelphia. I was a little slower moving. But then I usually am.

I headed out shortly after 10:30 to drive to Mount Vernon, about 30 miles away. I had expected to pay tolls driving around the area this week but so far, Google maps did not take me on any toll roads. Not sure if it is just where I was going or whether it was purposely avoiding them. Anyway, traffic wasn’t too bad.

There did seem to be an issue with the cruise control. I had used it a couple other times but it would seem to stop working. I realized on this drive that it must have some ‘smart’ car function to keep a distance between cars. Before discovering this, I kept increasing it until it got to 70 mph, but I was going under 60. That is when I realized what was going on. That function could be good or bad in my opinion.

As I pulled up to the estate, there were at least a dozen large tour buses along the side of the road and the parking lots were very full. I found a spot and walked back to the main entrance, paid my fee, and went into the orientation area. There was a 20 minute or so film starting with a quick guide to the grounds, then a historical film about GW.

After it was over, I headed toward the home and outbuildings around it. I had a ticket to tour the home but it wasn’t for a couple of hours so I wandered around the surrounding area.

George Washington’s home, Mount VernonThis building has the greenhouse on this side and the back side had slave quarters and a room where a fire was kept going to heat the greenhouse. A slave had to sleep in there to keep the fire stoked all night during the cold months.Part of the beautiful gardens. There was what appeared to be a grapefruit tree at one point that had a few fruit on it and I thought it was funny no one picked them. Then I noticed they had written on them in black marker, Property of General Washington. I also saw limes on another tree.Slave quartersI liked the spinning house because of my interest in fabrics and other handwork.

The line for touring the house was extremely long and by this time it was 89 degrees and getting humid. I was getting hungry and figured it would end up taking me at least 1 1/2 hours to stand in line then do the tour. Plus, it would be rush hour by that time. So, maybe next time.

I did go through the museum. It was interesting because the focus was more on the enslaved people that worked closely with the family, like the valet, cook, and some of the personal maids, etc.

GW had changing views on slavery during his lifetime and freed the slaves he owned in his will but only after Martha died. He owned just over a third of the slaves on the estate. The rest belonged to Martha from her first husband’s estate. Upon her death they reverted to her first husband’s family.

After leaving, I headed to a restaurant I had seen when looking for a place for Sunday night, Copperwood Tavern. It was just around the corner from Uncle Julio’s where we ate then. On the way to Mount Vernon I was not taken on any toll roads. On the way back, I ended up on two. Not sure how that happened or if the tolls only go away from DC. Weird.

It was late for lunch so the restaurant was not very busy. I ordered something I have not had in years – fried green tomatoes. They were excellent. Very crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I also got some oysters. They were good but not any better than our west coast oysters. They also gave me a basket of popcorn when I was seated that was dusted with a BBQ rub! It was good!

Fried Green TomatoesRappahannock Oysters

I returned to the hotel and relaxed in my room for a few hours, then went downstairs for a drink. I also got a grilled cheese and tomato soup dinner. It was actually very good. The Bistro at the hotel is not really a full service restaurant but they have what I assume are pre-made meals that are heated, toasted, and garnished right there. I have had avocado toast, a breakfast sandwich and the yogurt and granola options but this was the first ‘dinner’ I had.

I checked with the front desk and was able to get a late check out for Wednesday. They have a guest laundry with a washer and dryer and I wanted to be able to do laundry before heading to Europe. I have soap for sink laundry but I had a lightweight hoodie and shirt that got food on them and, of course, a weeks worth of underwear.

I had hoped to be able to arrange dinner with Bill but that didn’t work for him. He suggested lunch, but I would have had to check out early and drive back into DC or figure out a train and parking. And since my flight isn’t until 10:30, I would have to find something to do. Now, I can check out at 4:00, get dinner, then return the car and go to the airport. I am flying Lufthansa and they have a lounge at Dulles, so I can wait in a little bit of comfort for my flight. Guess I will have to return and see him and Helen again and do some more tourist things.

So, my next post probably won’t be until sometime on Friday as I don’t get into Venice until around 4:00 pm their time on Thursday.

Monday, June 4, 2018: Today was an early start (for me anyway) as we were going into DC for a Capitol tour. Christine had arranged one with her representative from Philadelphia, Dwight Evan, at 11:00. We were planning on taking the Metro so we didn’t have to drive and find parking.

The nearest Metro was about 8 miles away and we weren’t sure if there would be parking so we were using Lyft again. It showed it would be a 15 minute ride but when we got into the car, the driver’s Waze app said 30 minutes and about twice as many miles.

Christine pulled up Google maps and we followed those directions. The Waze directions didn’t seem to even end up at the Metro station. First weird Lyft experience of the day.

We got into DC fine and were a little early so we walked past the Library of Congress, saw the Supreme Court, and the outside of the Capitol Building. We then went to the Longworth Building to meet the congressman’s representative for the tour.

Jefferson Library of CongressSupreme CourtUnited States Capitol

The woman, and neither one of us can remember her name, was a summer intern and it was her first tour. She did a great job and we wouldn’t have known it was her first if she hadn’t told us.

She took us in a tunnel that goes between the office building and the Capitol. There were tons of people on either professional tours or with staffers. Up the stairs and into what was supposed to be the crypt for George and Martha Washington. I guess the family and the congress fought over where GW should be buried and the family won. So the crypt now contains statues from each of the original colonies plus Lincoln. Each state got to submit 2 statues of someone meaningful to their state and they are displayed in various places around the Capitol.

We also saw the original senate room that became the space for the Supreme Court, and then the Old Senate Chamber, then the Rotunda. The Rotunda was probably the highlight of the tour for me. There was a mural painted in the dome with lots of historical significance. It was dizzying to look up and try to make out the various people and scenes.

The Rotunda

There were large paintings around the walls depicting the revolution and early exploration. A frieze is painted all around tracing American History. It was all very impressive.

Then we went to the statuary hall and I found the Washington statue which was of Walt Whitman in frontier garb. This hall was the former Hall of the House of Representatives and the way it was built made it easy to hear someone whisper on the other side of the room. We tried it but were unable to hear the guide as there were some people standing right next to us talking and it was overall very noisy in the room. She was kind of disappointed it didn’t work.

Old Supreme Court Old Senate Chamber then Supreme Court until move across the street

After a few more places she took us to the the House gallery. She only had two passes so didn’t go with us. We had already been thru two X-ray checkpoints but had to leave our phones and/or cameras since no photos are allowed. The house was not in session but this was still the case.

Then it was lots of lines and waiting. We then came to another check point and they physically went through our purses while we went through another machine. I had a pair of flip flops in my purse and my car key. They made me turn them in at a counter before we could go into the gallery. Flip flops, really? The sign where we turned in our phones said nothing of keys or shoes.

After all that, we basically squeezed into the gallery, sat for 2 minutes and left. Not worth the trouble in my opinion.

We had wanted to see the National Museum of African American History and Culture but when we went online in the morning to get a free ticket they were already gone. But there was a possibility of showing up at 1:00 and getting a ticket. It was now about 11:35 and the museum was quite a hike away so we once again got a Lyft. We arrived and saw a huge line and thought we would never get a ticket. However, they were still handing them out. So, we stood in line again for 10 minutes or so before they started letting people in.

We went all the way to the top and went through the Culture exhibit. It was pretty fascinating with displays of dress, food, entertainment, film, and many other things. Then we went underground to the History exhibit.

It was extremely crowded and the first part was hard to even see the exhibits. It opened up a bit after a while and we were able to see more. All I can say is that is was very quiet in the areas around the bringing of people to the Americas and slavery exhibits. All we could think of was what it must be like for all the African Americans going through it with us. I would highly recommend going but try to get tickets for a specific time before 1:00 as I doubt it would be so crowded.

It was after 3:00 by this time and we were both getting hungry so we called another Lyft and were heading to a Mediterranean restaurant by Jose Andres called, Zaytinya. When booking a ride on Lyft, you can either put in an address or, like Google maps, type in the name of the place. Christine did that and we were going along chatting with the driver when he pulled up in front of a place that was not Zaytinya. Turns out the address he got from his Lyft app was not the same as was shown when she booked it. He was nice enough to take us there anyway.

Zaytinya has a mezzo menu inspired by Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines. We ordered 6 items and they brought a couple of baskets of hot pita-like bread. They had shoulders of lamb roasting on a spit right by our table so I wanted something from the meat section, but other than that we got all vegetarian. We got baba ghannouge, crispy brussels afelia, mushroom saganaki, dolmades, spanakopita, and pan-roasted sweetbreads.

Bill and I had just been talking about sweetbreads on Saturday and I had only had them once in NYC at a Greek restaurant and loved them. They just aren’t available very often in the U.S. These were done very well as was everything else.

Sweetbreads

The saganaki and spanakopita were probably my faves of all the rest but they were all really, really good.

We were not too far from a Metro station so left to walk there and there was a Capitols Hockey rally going on just down the street from the restaurant. Lots and lots of red Caps gear all around.

We waited until we got to the station to get a Lyft and were sitting in a round-a-bout drop off area when it said the car was there. Well, there were no cars there and so Christine called the driver. He was at the “Kiss and Ride” area, which I had never heard of before. It was downstairs again by the bus area we had mistakenly gone to earlier. It was rush hour, of course, and he took the freeways back to the hotel whereas we had gone back roads on the way there.

We got back to our room and relaxed for several hours before going downstairs for some wine. The hotel has a food and cocktail area. The first couple of nights when I got back to the hotel there was nothing going on in that area. Last night there were a lot of people either eating dinner or having cocktails. We sat there for an hour or so then went upstairs to watch the hockey game.

It was a long day and my feet and calves were killing me by that time. It doesn’t seem to matter what shoes I wear, I always have issues.

Christine heads back to Philadelphia on Tuesday and I am going to head to George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Oh, the weather was pretty good on Monday. A bit cloudy in morning but cleared up in afternoon and but not really hot or humid. Tuesday is supposed to be sunny and in the 70’s so I think I am lucking out that it isn’t too extreme, except for the rain on Sunday.

Sunday, June 3, 2018: Christine texted me and woke me up at 8:30. I am still getting used to the time change, I guess. She was heading out to meet me at the hotel in a while and wanted to make sure which hotel so she didn’t make my same mistake. I got my coffee and some fruit and yogurt and waited for her to arrive.

We had decided to go into Old Alexandria. It is about 40 miles from the hotel. Christine drove thru the traffic and pouring down rain. It was an awful drive and took at least an hour. We parked in a garage and went out into the rain. Luckily, her mother had two umbrellas and sent one for me.

We walked about a block and a free trolley pulled up next to us so we hopped on and drove the length of King Street. It is where most of the shops, restaurants, and other things are located in Old Town.

In the distance we could see the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Christine is a big GW fan so we decided to get off the trolley and go there. After climbing a bazillion steps up to it we were just in time to go to the bathroom and get in on a tour.

George Washington Masonic Memorial – you can see how wet it was on the sidewalk. There were rivers running down it.

George wearing his Masonic apronGW laying the cornerstone of the United States CapitolThe view from the top but it was raining so hard that part of the observation deck was flooded and they had us leave our umbrellas at the door, so I took a picture of the monitor, lol.

We learned more about Freemasons than George, but it was interesting and we were taken all the way to the top.

We hopped back on the trolley and went back down King St looking for someplace to eat. The Mediterranean restaurant that looked good was winding down their Sunday brunch so we didn’t want to pay $21 for old, cold eggs and left.

We checked out a couple other places and ended up in Murphy’s Irish Bar. After a artichoke and spinach dip and a Rueben (me) and vegetarian burger (Christine), we went on down the street.

Murhpy’s Irish Bar – I didn’t notice until we were done, but they had $1 champagnes for Sunday Brunch. It was after 3:00 but we still saw people drinking it.

The rain had slowed down to what we would call showers in the Great Pacific Northwest so it wasn’t too bad. We went into a couple of shops then to the Stabler-Leadbetter Apothecary Museum. Having spent so many years working in pharmacy, it was interesting to see. I guess the family owned it from the late 1700’s until around 1933 when they just left. And I mean they left everything. There were still old herbs in the ‘compounding’ room drawers, books, a pill roller, and all kinds of interesting things.

Ye Old Apothecary Shoppe

We were right back at the parking garage so we hopped in the car and headed back to the hotel. The rain and traffic didn’t seem as bad.

We sat around for a couple of hours watching Property Brothers, which I had never seen before, then decided to head out for drinks, food, and the Cavalier/Golden State Game. We went to Uncle Julio’s Mexican from Scratch. We sat at the bar and had a good bartender. He fixed us a couple of margaritas and we ordered carnitas tacos (me) and grilled vegetable fajitas (Christine.) They were both very good. The Cavaliers, however, were not. Luckily, we were taking Lyft back and forth so didn’t have to worry about drinking and driving or navigating the unfamiliar terrain.

The bar at Uncle Julio’s

We got back to the hotel and finished watching the Golden State Warriors stomp all over the Cavaliers, then went to bed.

It was a good day even with getting our tired feet soaked.

Sunday, June 2, 2018: The day was cloudy and muggy but it was The Wedding Day so I am sure it was bright for the happy couple.

After figuring out what was wrong with my blog posts, I took off and went to the Dulles Expo Center for a Quilters Unlimited Quilt Show. I have only been to a couple of quilt shows but this one was much bigger than any I had seen before.

There are quilts hung for show by quilt guilds and then the ones that are, I think, going to be judged. The first ones I saw were the quilt guild ones and I wasn’t that impressed. They were okay, but I thought there would be a lot better ones.

There are also lots of vendors selling fabric and everything else you can think of that can be used for sewing or have anything to do with sewing. I didn’t buy a thing! I wandered up and down the aisles then came to the display quilts. There were some really amazing ones. The quilting on most really made the design stand out. However, there were two quilt ‘paintings’ that were pretty remarkable.

From what I understand, the fabric is painted then stitched with colored thread for texture and color. I won’t bore you with more quilts, though.

I went back to hotel and started getting ready for the wedding. I don’t wear dresses very often but had bought a couple for the cruise and wedding. I was worried about being all sweaty and melting so wore a sleeveless one with a lightweight cardigan over it.

The wedding started at 5:00 so I took off a little before 4:00. The venue was a bank barn in the country. The plan was to be married outside then have the reception inside. Inside being relative, as the barns have gaps between the boards that allowed air for the animals.

Google maps was not a friend again. I ended up on a dirt, winding road but thought it must be correct because Patti had told me the farm was down a horrible road. I finally turned around and was at a stop sign with another car across from me. I waved her on as I was still trying to decide what to do and she pulled up next to me and asked if I was lost. Hell, yeah.

I told her I was trying to find Winding Creek Farm in Lovettesville and she had never heard of it. She told me I was in another area (I don’t remember which one.) I had been worried because I had not seen any signs for Lovettsville. I had just looked up the address again so told her it was on Milltown Road. That she recognized and told me to go back out and turn right. Well, Google kicked back in and took me to the right place this time.

Of course, it had started raining while I was driving but was in the low to mid 70’s so wasn’t too bad. I got parked and Christine was waiting for me with an umbrella. It was a very pretty setting with lots of green grass and trees. Because of the rain, everything had been moved inside.

The wedding barn

Bill, Patti, and Christine had been told to be there at 3:30 – 4:00 for family photos but I guess that didn’t happen until after the wedding. Then Christine was taken downstairs so she could be walked in with her dad, which was news to her. Seemed like a little miscommunication around some of the details.

There were more photographers than I have ever seen at a wedding and one of them moved a light right in front of us. So the lights interfered with the pictures a bit and I was afraid I would trip over it, it was that close. Then there was one behind the bridesmaids shining into our eyes and cameras. I had been given instructions by my mom to take lots of photos so I tried. Gave me something to bitch about, anyway, lol.

The bride and groom made for a very handsome couple. The minister gave a pretty good talk about love and what makes a good marriage. And then they were wed.

There were cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres downstairs while, I am sure, more pictures were taken. Bill, Patti, Christine and I gathered around a table and talked. Then back upstairs for toasts, dinner, etc.

It was a nice meal and the 3 men and 1 woman, who were friends of Michael, seated with Bill and I were amusing. I left before the cake cutting as it was on a table right behind us and I figured we would have to move anyway. Plus, it was still semi light out and the roads were narrow and winding and I didn’t want a repeat of the night before getting back to the hotel.

It was a very nice wedding and I am glad I was able to rep the family by attending. Christine is coming to stay with me for the next two days and we are going to do some sight seeing. It is supposed to rain all day today so I am not sure what we will do but something to stay out of rain. I have let her make the plans (yes, I am not always a control freak) so I am not sure what is on the agenda for today. Except, she wants to watch the Cavaliers play tonight at a bar.

And so it goes…