ON THE GO 1993 thru 2002
January 1993 We flew to Naples
and closed on the condo at Naples Bath & Tennis on January 8,
1993. We stayed until the end of the month.
Arizona 1993
In early 1993 we attended an Executive Committee at the Regency in
Scottsdale. Drove up to Tucson to spend a day with Don's favorite boss Jim
Bruce and his wife Beedee. In February we attended David and Shelley's
wedding at the Blacksmith Tavern in Glastonbury, CT n February 1993
See
pictures
We had then planned to attend an actuarial
meeting in Banff and go on to Whistler/Blackcomb for skiing...but Don had a
double by pass at Dartmouth/Hitchcock Hospital instead. His first
warning attack of angina occurred skiing at Sugarbush with the Josephs,
Kemlers, Greenmans, and Mary's buddy Sue "Flash" Gordon.
Vermont to Florida
1993
On April 4,1993, we drove south 1845 miles to our condo in Naples. We
stopped in Clifton, VA to visit Don's cousin Doris Bell, Richmond, Savannah
and Amelia Island. In the Clearwater area we visited Dave and
Fran Wakely and cousin Art and Irene Burton. We left Florida on
May 10, 1993, stopping at St. Simon's Island, visited the Biltmore Estate in
Ashville, NC, Blue Ridge Parkway, the Sisley Exhibit in Baltimore, Garden
Tour in Newcastle, stayed at Dupont Hotel, visited Brandywine, Longwood
Gardens, and Winterthur. Managed to log in 2085 miles on the return
trip.
Quebec City and Nova
Scotia 1993 In June 1993 we attended an actuarial meeting in
Quebec City at the Frontenac and then retraced our honeymoon with a trip
around the Gaspe Peninsula followed by a few days on Prince Edward Island
and Nova Scotia (Halifax and Peggy's
Cove) and the Blue Nose Ferry from Yarmouth to Bar Harbor, where we slept in
the former viewing room of a funeral home that is now a motel. From there we
visited John, Connie, and Evelyn Towne in Waterville and Karla in Harrison,
Maine.
Stan Joseph is
60 in 1993 On
September 12,1993 we drove to Mt Kisco, New York to help Stan
Joseph celebrate his birthday. He attributed his long life to his
"genes". Later in September we visited Don's buddy Curt Rosser, and
wife Bobbie in Orleans, MA on Cape Cod. Curt is so happy in retirement
(10 years ago at age 55) with his painting and Bobbie is very involved with
the theater.
Ron and Marian
Champion from Melbourne in 1993
On October 5, 1993
Ron and Marion Champion surprised us with a visit to Hubbardton,
Vermont.
Ron is President of the Institute of Actuaries in Australia and
President of an insurance company in Melbourne that funds teachers
retirement plans. Ron and Marion are on a trip around the world (A Safari in
Africa, London, Wales, Italy, NYCity, VT, Chicago, and Hawaii). Ron
and Marion subsequently entertained us with a tennis "barbie"
(barbeque) party with two other actuaries and their wives on Ron and
Marian's backyard clay tennis court when we were in Australia in March of
1994.
New Mexico and
Colorado in October 1993 Mary
flew from Burlington Vermont to Albuquerque New Mexico on October 7, 1993 to
tour with the Old Broads. Here she is with
Brita Tate, Ilse Krisst, Pat Barry, and Cesily Singer. Another
with
Rema Krisst. Mary bought a
turtle sculpture in Santa Fe. Don met her at the Newark airport a
week later on October 14, 1993.
London and Germany
1993 In November 1993 we attended an actuarial meeting in
London, England so spent some time in Europe. In London we renewed our
friendship with
Pablo Noriega and his wife Amy from Mexico, flanked in this picture by
Walt Rugland and Mary Sondergeld. We then flew to Berlin and also
visited Potsdam. Drove to Unterhaun and Oberhaun in Hesse to visit the
Sondergeld relatives and flew home from Frankfurt.
A nice ten days.
Mexico1994
In January 1994 we took a five day cruise to the Yucatan Peninsula from
Tampa and visited
"Chicken
Pizza!".
Australia and New
Zealand 1994 In late February 1994 thru early April we spent three
weeks in
Australia followed by three weeks in New Zealand. We were about a
week in Port Douglas spending time on the Great Barrier Reef and on a nature
safari. We then had a wonderful week with Don's
cousin Neville Sondergeld and his wife Joy in Toowoomba west of Brisbane.
Queensland pics. Then
beautiful Sydney where we
did the lunch boat cruise of Sydney Harbor with a US actuary, Steve and his
wife Janice Niehaus. We drove from Sidney to Canberra and then through
the
Snowy
mountains to Melbourne where we visited Ron and Marian Champion.
We visited three state capitals: Brisbane in Queensland, Sydney in New South
Wales, and Melbourne in Victoria.
We then flew to
Auckland, New Zealand.
Map We thoroughly enjoyed one week on
North Island in New Zealand and two weeks touring South Island. On
North Island we toured Auckland, saw a Maori show in Rotorua and loved
"windy" Wellington. Then two weeks on
South Island
where we visited Christ Church, rode in a helicopter that landed on a
glacier on Mount Cook, took a super jet boat ride in Queensland (where we
also saw bungee jumping), took boat trips on both Milford Sound and Doubtful
Sound, and saw an Albatross colony outside Dunedin. We then flew from
Christ Church to
Auckland and then
back home. We liked everything about New Zealand. If you
walk around Auckland with a question on your face, a Kiwi will come up and
say "Can I help you, Mate?" One of the few places in the world where
we are not "Ugly Americans".
Don and Mary in Kuranda
Neville and Joy Sondergeld in Toowoomba
California in
May 1994 We flew from Florida
to California to visit David and his family for the last ten days of May.
We did the usual tourist stuff: Fisherman's Wharf, Point Lobos at Carmel,
Monterey, Muir Woods, Napa Valley, and watching David parasail.
Don's Broken
Ankle in June 1994 Don was
playing tennis with RJ Contant, Steve Earl, and Tom Spangenberg. on the day
after Mary's 60th birthday. In attempting to drive RJ's second serve
thru RJ's navel, Don's left foot did not move and the torque snapped
the small bone in Don's leg requiring an operation to insert a plate and
eight screws. Don was back on the court in a month with his bionic ankle.
Neville and Joy
Sondergeld arrived from Australia 1994
Don met his cousin Neville at the Albany airport on July 24, 1994.
They spent a week with us sightseeing Vermont (Middlebury, Queeche, and
Trapp Family Lodge near Mt Mansfield in Stowe, Vermont )and two days in
Boston, where we went to a Red Sox game. They then flew from Albany to
New Orleans for three days, four to five days in Salt Lake City, four to
five days to see Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon before flying home from LAX.
Australian
Invasion pictures.
Germans:
Herlinde, Hermann, & Alexander Eimer-Sondergeld
1994
On August 5, 1994 we met their plane at JFK and arrived back in Vermont
late. We did some sightseeing in Vermont. On August 9, 1994
Don drove his "German cousins" over the scenic Kancamagus Highway to
Conway, New Hampshire where we camped. The next day we did the Cog
Railway up Mount Washington, with dinner, at the lodge in Pinkham Notch, and
camed at Covered Bridge. The next day we camped neat Freeport, Maine
and visited Pemaquid Point and Boothbay Harbor, with dinner at the Cannery
in Yarmouth. The next day we did the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine
and visited Karen and family in Beverly, MA. Don got a ride with Karen
to Vermont and the Germans stayed in Beverly for a few days: took the
train to Boston, and also visited Rockport and Gloucester. They then drove
to Vermont where they did more sightseeing until August 25, 1994 when we
drove them to NYC. Stayed at the Sheraton. The next day we took
a sightseeing bus, followed by a trip to the top of the World Trade
Center. That night we saw Carousel. The next day we went on
a boat trip around Manhattan and visited museums .before flying back to
Germany at 6:05 pm on August 27, 1994. A lot of sightseeing in three
weeks. See
German Invasion 1994.
Colorado, Utah, and
California 1995 In March 1995 we skied one week with Steve and
Sandy Earl at Steamboat Springs. Loved skiing with: The Over the Hill
Gang. We were even invited to their banquet. Tom and Barb Aicher,
from Rutland were also at Steamboat that week. We then flew to Salt Lake
City for one week at The Peruvian Lodge at Alta skiing with Walt and Millie
Rugland. Had drinks with a retired actuary, George Swick and his wife Lois
at their home at Alta. As Don had an actuarial committee meeting on
elections in San Francisco, Mary flew to Vermont and Don flew to SF, where
he spent a week, sightseeing SF and also skied one day at Squaw Valley and
one day at Alpine Meadows before Don flew back to Burlington, Vermont.
Don and Mary in Alta, Utah
Actuarial
Meeting at the Waldorf Hotel in NYC late May 1995
Spent three days there and saw many old friends: Liz and Jim Reisktyl, Yuan
and Mary Chang, Curtis Huntington, Bob and Diane Berin, Dave and Faye
Holland. We saw Showboat. One night we had dinner at the Algonquin
Hotel and went to the top of the Marriott Marquis with Dave and Fran Wakely.
We also went to our favorite gay Piano Bar: "Don't Tell Mamas". The
last night Dave and Fran Wakely plus Steve and Sandy Earl had a great dinner
at Rene' Pujols. After dinner the Wakelys went to Showboat and the
rest of us saw Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard. After spending the
night with Steve and Sandy Earl we drove to CT where we had lunch with David
and Lois McDonald and David beat Don 6-1 on Dave's tennis court. We
spent the night with Eric and Cindy Sondergeld before returning to Vermont,
thru North Adams (where we drove to the summit of Mt Greylock) and
Williamstown (where we visited the lovely Clark Museum)..
Washington and
Vancouver 1995 In June 1995 we flew to Seattle and then
drove the Olympic Peninsula. (Quinnault Lodge, Hurricane Ridge, Port
Townsend, and Bloedel Preserve on Bainbridge Island). We booked a
super whale watching trip with lunch at Friday Harbor in the San Juan
Islands. We then took a train to Vancouver and did the usual garden tours in
Vancouver.
Deer on Olympic Peninsula
Orcas
Florida 1995 In November 1995 we met the Whitneys in Orlando
(Magic Kingdom, Watermania, EPCOT, and Sea World), also visited Busch
Gardens in Tampa, and then spent some time in Naples with a boat trip to
Keywaydin Island. They helped Don celebrate his 65th birthday at HBs on The
Gulf.
Stan and Harriet Joseph in Naples
Costa Rica 1996
In January 1996 Mary went with the Old Broads of West Hartford, CT to Costa
Rico for a week. Loved it.
Sun Valley 1996
In March 1996 skied Sun Valley with Stan and Harriet Joseph. We stayed
in a tiny condo at Warm springs. Here are
some pictures
of Stan and Harriet's family and friends. We even met John & Jenny
Whitney on the slopes.
Bahamas April 1996
We flew to the Great Abaco island in the Bahamas and stayed with
Mary's brother John and wife Connie Towne
on their large power boat. Here are seven pictures:
One
Two Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Karla's Bridal
Shower at the Earl's on May 18, 1996
A nice
Bridal Shower at 35 The Fairway in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.
Megan Donahue
Bridal Shower on June 1, 1996
A nice Shower at the Davison's in West Hartford, CT. Here are two
pictures:
One
Two
ALASKA 1996
In June and July 1996 we spent three weeks in Alaska with Jack and Bev Grald
and Stan and Harriet Joseph. A super trip. We flew to Anchorage and
stayed at the Copper Whale Inn. We flew to to Brooks Lodge on the Katmai
Penninsula to see the bears catching salmon.
We flew back to
Anchorage and then flew to Fairbanks, where we stayed at the Cloudberry
Lookout B & B, a massive lovely log building. We took a riverboat trip in
Fairbanks on the Cheena River. We had breakfast with our Innkeepers, Shawn
and Susie. Next, we took a 120 mile train ride to Denali, where we
stayed at the North Face Lodge, 90 miles from the train station. We
took short hikes to see wildlife, but only got occasional views of Mt Denali
(Mt McKinley). We returned to Anchorage (240 mile train ride) and
again stayed at the Copper Whale Inn.
Next was a super drive
around the Kenai Peninsula. (First we dropped Stan & Harriet at the
airport, as they had done the second half of our trip first, and flew home).
We drove along the beautiful "Turnagain Arm" south to Homer.
We stopped for lunch at Cooper Landing at the Kenai Princess Hotel, with
it's terrific view, high on a bluff above the Kenai River. We stayed
in Homer at Bob & Gayle Ammeron's lovely Halcyon Heights B & B (240
miles from Anchorage). We had dinner at Land's End on the "Spit" of land
that sticks out into the Bay. Inhabitants of the many tents pitched
there, are called "Spit Rats". The next day we took a 4.5 hour boat
trip around Gull Island and saw many types of birds, including puffins.
That evening we took the "Danny J" for a one hour boat trip to Halibut Cove
on an island for dinner. The next day we drove north and had lunch
again at the Kenai Princess followed by a terrific 3 hour rafting trip
steered by Meryl Streep (Actually, "Leah" from Texas & Oklahoma). We then
drove to Seward and stayed at Stoney Creek B & B. The following day we
boarded the Kenai Fjords Boat at 0930 and returned at 1830. Saw
glaciers, a humpback whale, eagles, steller sea lions, mountain goats, black
oyster catchers, puffins, etc. Our next day was a drive to Anchorage,
stopping at 3900 foot high Mt Alyeska, a ski area with a 2100 foot vertical.
At 6:30 pm we flew 1.5 hours to Juneau.
Watched the Wimbledon
final: Richard Kracjek beat Malvi Washington in straight sets. At
11:30 am we took a 20 minute flight to Gustavus where we boarded a small
boat and took a 2.5 hour tour, seeing sea otters, a humpback whale, and
eagles. We were then bused to Glacier Bay Lodge. The next day we
boarded the Spirit of Adventure at 0700, returning at 1615. A great
trip where we saw: 3 glaciers (none calving), a black bear, some brown
bears, sea otters, steller sea lions, eagles, horned and tufted puffins,
black winged kittywakes, raufus hummingbirds, etc. etc. The next day
we went with Bev & Jack Grald sea kayaking, with our instructor Michelle of
Spirit Walker Expeditions. Our sea kayaks had pedals to turn a rudder.
At 5 pm we flew to Juneau and stayed at the Westmark Juneau.
The following day we
toured Juneau: too touristy with lots of huge tour boats. The next day
we took a bus to see the 80 foot high Mendenhall Glacier. Small as
compared with the 100 feet high glaciers at Glacier Bay and the 200 feet
high glaciers in Seward (the height is measured at the foot of the glacier).
At 3 pm we flew to Seattle and had a great dinner at Etta's in the Pike
Street Market. The next morning we flew to Chicago, where David,
Shelley, Owen, and Kyle arrived and we all flew to Burlington. The
next day Jenny Breckenridge and David Mendenhall were married at the church
in Sudbury, VT with the reception in a tent on the lawn west of the church.
Anchorage &
Brooks Lodge
Fairbanks & Denali Kenai
Peninsula
Glacier Bay &
Juneau
Jenny's Wedding: July 1996 On July 13, 1996 Jenny
Breckenridge and David Mendenhall were married at the church in Sudbury,
Vermont. The reception was held in a tent on the west side. Here we
see the
mother and father dancing.
Karla's Wedding: July 1996 A week later, on July 20,
1996, Karla and David Principe were married by Molly Lowden at the Lilac Inn
in Brandon, Vermont.
Many pictures.
Allison's Wedding: September 1996
Attended the wedding of Allison Towne and
Chris Di Matteo in Maine. Here is Don and Mary with Mary's wicked
stepmother: Evelyn Towne:
Thanksgiving
1996 Don attended his first
National bridge tournament just for a few days in San Francisco.
Visited Don's fraternity brother and college bridge buddy Larry Allen and
wife Caroline. The Whitneys were also in San Francisco so Karen and
David and their families were also invited to have Thanksgiving dinner at
Anne and Wells Whitney's home in Sonoma Valley.
Germany Austria Italy
in 1997 In February and March 1997 we visited Germany, Austria,
and Italy. We flew to Frankfurt, visited the Roessels (Jane Sondergeld
Roessel from Australia), the Ronnaus in Marburg, the Sondergelds in
Unterhaun and Oberhaun, and the Sondergelds in Munich. We met Steve and
Sandy Earl there. Peter Sondergeld went with us for a skiing week that
started in Garmisch, Germany and Innsbruck, Austria and ended in Cortina,
Italy. When we were in Garmisch we went to dinner and a yodeling show in
Partenkirchen, where Don astonished everyone by volunteering to play a huge
"alpenhorn". We had a very expensive (and not good) dinner with the
Earls at Harry's Bar in Venice
before they flew home. We then toured the lovely, but small, Peggy
Guggenheim Museum in Venice and the nearby glass blowing island. We
then toured Florence, San Gimignano, Pisa, Portofino, San Remo, Monte
Carlo, Aosta, Lake Como and Verese. Returned from Milano.
Sophie Sondergeld and Heinrich Schott in
Oberhaun Germany
Peter Sondergeld in Italian Alps
Here is a Slide
Show of the pictures.
Houseboat Trip
on Lake Champlain August 1997
On August 7, 1997 we had a pre 40th wedding anniversary party by renting a
houseboat at Plunder Bay on Lake Champlain. There were 17 of us
wearing T shirts that said Happy 40th August 3, 1997 with two smiling faces.
The 17 sleeping at Beebe are Don and Mary, five children, four spouses, and
six grandchildren (Zach, Erin, and Alexei had not been born yet).
Wyoming and Idaho
1997 In the summer of 1997 we flew to Salt Lake City and visited
Jackson Hole, Wyoming and went rafting on the Snake River. We then
stayed at the beautiful Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, and
toured Yellowstone for a few days. We then went to Sun Valley for Richard
Joseph's wedding to Maggie at Trail Creek.
We also took a glider ride over Mt Baldy.
Don and Mary Rafting on the Snake
Mary in Yellowstone
Gordon River
early 1998 The Breckenridges
and Morans visited us in Naples, Florida. We took a boat trip on the
Gordon River to Keywadin Island.
Skiing and bridge
March 1998 In March 1998 we skied in Sun Valley with Stan and
Harriet Joseph and then stayed at Chinquapin in Tahoe City with David and
family and skied Tahoe (North Star, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, and
Heavenly Valley).. We then went to a bridge tournament for two days in
Reno and with Mary's help and
two ladies from Prince George, British Columbia, Don became a Life
Master in bridge.
Anna Hetrick is
100 March 1998 On Friday March
27, 1998 Don and Mary flew from Burlington, Vermont to Cleveland, Ohio,
rented a car and returned the following Thursday. We stayed with brother
Ralph and June in Sandusky, Ohio. On Saturday March 28, 1998 went to
Aunt Anna Kinsel Hetrick's 100th birthday celebration. There were 90
attendees including all living nephews (except Bob Kinsel) and nieces. The
Mayor of Port Clinton declared this day Anna Hetrick Day and gave her a
plaque. Anna also received letters from President Bill Clinton and the
Governor of Ohio. Anna's 100th
Anna and Otto
Don and Mary also
visited Kelly's Island to see the lot Ralph is planning to build on.
We also visited Anna in Port Clinton and Uncle Lester Sondergeld in Genoa,
Ohio. Also visited Uncle Otto Kinsel in Bellevue, Ohio. He
cooked lunch for us. Then Mary won two games, and Otto won one game of
pinochle. We visited with George and Pete Andrews in Oberlin, Ohio and
drove them to the Cleveland airport. Their plane to San Francisco was
at the gate next to ours. We flew to Ft Myers, Florida.
Turkey & Greece
Spring 1998 Mary went to Turkey and the Greek Isles with the
Old Broads...loved Turkey.
Scandanavia, Russia,
Rome June 1998
The name Scandinavia comes from the Skandage
body of water that lies sandwiched
between Norway, Sweden, and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark.
We went to Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
Finland and Russia (St Petersburg and Moscow). We also had a stopover for a
day and a half in Rome. Our tour guide, Frits, was absolutely terrific.
Denmark June 1998
We spent three nights at the Scandic Hotel in Copenhagen, which is on the
large island of Zealand (or Seeland). Toured the beautiful city, which
included a canal trip, changing of the guard at Amelienburg Palace, and
viewing the Little Mermaid. We learned all Danish Kings are called either
Christian or Edward. We took a day trip to Elsinore and visited Kronborg
(Hamlet's) Castle, drove by Fredensborg (Peace) Castle and visited
Fredriksborg Castle.. We left Copenhagen driving west and went over
the second longest bridge in the world and stopped in Odense and visited the
home of Hans Christian Anderson. We then drove to the Jutland Penninsula and
spent the night in Randers at the Hotel Randers. Our next stop was in Ribald
which had lovely old houses with thatched roofs. Saw many windmills
that produce 60% of Denmark's power. We then took a three hour ferry
from Fredrikshavn across the Baltic Sea to Gothenburg Sweden and took a five
hour bus trip to Oslo Norway. Here is a
SLIDE SHOW OF DENMARK
Norway June 1998 We stayed at the Royal
Christiana Hotel in Oslo. We visited Frogner Sculpture Park and viewed
the bronze and granite sculptures that represented mankind from fetus to
death. Very moving. The park covers 80 acres and features
212 bronze and granite sculptures created by
Gustav
Vigeland who personally sculpted
every figure out of clay and individual craftsmen were contracted to
fabricate the pieces into what they are today. Then did a city tour
and visited the National Gallery and saw "The Scream" by Edward Munch.
Visited two museums on the Bygdoy Peninsula: Thor Hyererdahl's
Kon-Tiki Museum (boats made of papyrus and balsa wood) and the Viking Ship
Museum (three ships from the 9th century dug out of blue clay in the Oslo
Fjord). We then left Oslo and drove to Gol where we had lunch and then
crossed the Hardangar Fjord on a ferry and then drove up 13 hairpin turns to
Hotel Stahlheim. The next day we took a boat ride on the Sognefjord,
Norway's largest fjord. Terrific views. We drove through the Vang Lake
district and then stayed at the hotel at the Beito Ski Area. Don loved the
paintings in the hotel by local artist Grete Marit Mork. See
See page 20-21 of
http://ferieinorge.dk/downloadsektion/kunstguiden_2007.pdf The
next morning Mary swam 38 laps in the Olympic sized pool. We then
drove to Lillehammer, site of the 1994 Winter Olympics. There we watched ski
jumpers land on green plastic. Our tour bus then crossed into Sweden.
Did not have a passport check. Here is a
SLIDE SHOW OF NORWAY.
Sweden June 1998 We arrived in Mora on
Saturday June 20 at 6 pm. We stayed at Hotel Mora beside a lake. As this is
the eve of the summer solstice, we saw a May Pole, two carnivals, many
antique American cars, and cars and boats decorated with birch leaves.
Much partying and there was a line to get into the disco at our hotel. We
departed Mora in the morning. First stop was in Nusnas, where the Dala
Horses are made, and then on to Upsala and visited the University and the
Lutheran Cathedral. Arrived in Stockholm and stayed in the Scandic Park
Hotel. The next day we took a City tour. We visited the hall where the
Nobel Prizes are awarded. We took a ferry to the Tivoli and visited
the Vasa Museum, which houses the huge Vasa warship that sunk in 1628 due to
insufficient ballast. The next morning we took a boat trip through
some canals, as Stockholm is on 14 islands. In the afternoon we went through
the National Gallery. We then boarded a ship to Helsinki Finland at 5
pm. Had a sumbuffet with free beer and wine. Played four rubbers
of bridge with the Schlenders, won by the girls. We then went to the
discotheque and danced until 11 pm. The boat trip was smooth over the
Baltic Sea. The harbor in Helsinki is beautiful. We had
breakfast and debarked about 9 am. Here is a
SLIDE SHOW OF SWEDEN.
Finland June 1998 We boarded a Finnish bus
in Helsinki at 9 am for a City Tour of Helsinki. We enjoyed the visit
to a stunning modern Lutheran Church inside a rock with a young woman
playing Chopin on a Steinway piano. We moved our clocks ahead one hour. We
then drove to the Russian Border and spent an hour in two lines, one to show
our passports and one to show our Visas. Then on to St. Petersburg.
Here is a
SLIDE SHOW OF FINLAND.
Russia July 1998 We noted the unpainted houses in
need of repair, poorly dressed people, and many pot holes in the road to St.
Petersburg. We drove through towns with huge apartment buildings, built in
the 1980's, that appeared to be falling apart. We also saw a number of
Jaguars and Mercedes, likely owned by the Mafia. We moved our clocks ahead
another hour (so we are 8 hours ahead of Vermont). St. Petersburg is
beautiful with its canals, boulevards, and classical buildings that are
elegant from afar. Up close they are in great need to be repaired.
We stayed in a huge hotel. Had dinner in the hotel at 9:30 pm.
The next morning we visited The Hermitage, one of the
world's greatest museums. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermitage_Museum The Hermitage
is a palace built by Peter The Great in the 18th century. After lunch
we took a City Tour, the highlight of which was St. Isaac's Cathedral that
is now a museum so the upkeep can be paid by admission fees. Before dinner
we visited the Palace of Tzar Nicholas to watch a terrific Russian song and
dance group. We had a late dinner at our hotel.
The next morning we visited Peterhof whose palace and
gardens were laid out by Peter The Great. It is referred to as
Russia's Versailles. We had lunch of mystery meat at a hotel and then
went to the Peter and Paul Fortress. The Fortress was also built by
Peter The Great. In the middle of the fortress stands the impressive Peter
and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of all the Russian Emperors and
Empresses from Peter the Great to Alexander III. A tomb is being prepared
for Tzar Nicholas II and his family whose bones were recently
confirmed by DNA testing. After more mystery meat for dinner, we
went to the Alexandrisky Theater to see the Russian Ballet perform
"Giselle". Lovely! The next morning we walked to the War
Memorial and then visited the five star Hotel Europa. We saw a
Communist Party Rally before boarding our train to Moscow MOCKVA).
The train left St Petersburg at 5 pm and arrived in
Moscow at 9:30 pm. We passed through many small villages that appeared to
have no cars, with people living off the land. We were whisked to the Cosmos
Hotel and had "shutkaker" meat balls for dinner. In bed at 12:30 am.
Moscow The next morning we visited Red Square: Saint Basil's Cathedral
and Lenin's Tomb. Don in Moscow
We then visited the Tretyakov Gallery, the National Gallery of Russia.
The next morning we returned to Red Square and walked around. Bought a
Moscow Bear for Aleksey. After a quick supper we went to the one ring
Moscow Circus. It was splendid...espectially the tumblers and
acrobats. That evening, at our guide Fritz's suggestion, we went to the bar
in our hotel and watched the "dollar girls" pick up johns. In bed by
midnight. The next morning we had a "subway tour" of the Metro and saw
historic mosaics, stained glass windows, frescos, and statues. We then
took an 80 minute bus ride to the airport, arriving 4 hours in advance of
our flight to Milan and then to Rome (which departed 45 minutes late).
We arrived in Rome at 11:45 pm (1:45 am in Moscow).
Here is a
SLIDE SHOW OF RUSSIA.
Italy July 1998 We arrived at the Sheraton
in Rome rather late. The next morning we took a taxi to the Vatican
and got in a line to visit the Sistene Chapel. Michelangelo's ceiling is
stunning and timeless. We then went to St Peter's Square and saw the Pope
from afar giving a sermon. After lunch we visited St Peter's Basilica which
stands on the site where Peter - the apostle who is considered the first
pope - was crucified and buried. St. Peter's tomb is under the main altar
and many other popes are buried in the basilica as well. Originally founded
by Constantine in 324, St. Peter's Basilica was rebuilt in the 16th century
by Renaissance masters including Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini. A
highlight was viewing Michelangelo's Pieta. After seeing the changing
of the Swiss Guards at the Vatican we took a bus to the Collosseum
originally the Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptical structure in the centre
of the city. It was the largest ever built in the Roman Empire.
It is considered one of the greatest works of
Roman architecture
and
Roman engineering. We
flew from Rome to Newark to Burlington. After various delays, arrived
in Hubbardton at 1:15 am on July 3.
Here is a SLIDE SHOW OF ROME ITALY.
California & Tahoe
February 1999 We were with David and Shelley in San
Francisco and skied at Lake Tahoe (Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley, and
charming Homewood).
Meribel France March 1999 We
spent one week skiing in Meribel, and two weeks touring in Provence.
The Eterlou Hotel in Meribel was right near the lift. We had dinner most
nights with new friends from Quebec: Denis and Helene Cote.
March 4,
1999 Flew from Burlington to
Newark. After a 4 hour wait, left at 1730 arriving Paris 0630. Left
Paris 1100 and arrived Lyon at 1230. a long day! March 5, 1999
Rented a Renault at 1430 and drove 100 miles to Meribel and checked into
Eterlou Hotel at 1700 hours. March 6, 1999 Met Deni & Elane
Cote from the Mount Orford, QE area at breakfast. Don rented parabolic
skis and had a great day of skiing. Mary bought an alarm clock and
took a swim in the Olympic pool (48 laps - 2/3 of a mile). March 7, 1999
Rented skis for Mary. Skied down to Courcheval and had lunch. Had
dinner with Deni & Elane. March 8, 1999 We skied down to
Altiport and had lunch there. Mary went back for a swim in the
afternoon and Don skied. March 9, 1999 Mary took the day
off and went swimming. Don skied at Val Thorens. Had dinner with
Elane & Deni. March 10, 1999 Don & Mary skied to Saint Martin
and had lunch there. Mary went swimming in the afternoon and Don continued
to ski. we had dinner with Deni & Elane. March 11, 1999
Had breakfast with Elane & Deni. Don and Mary had lunch at the Altiport
area. Again Mary swam in the afternoon while Don skied. Had
cocktails at the piano bar and also dinner with Deni & Elane. March 12, 1999
don skied with Deni and his hockey coach friend. Dwe met Mary and
Elane for lunch on the deck of our hotel. We then left Meribel after a
terrific week of sking "The Three Valleys". We spent the night at Chateau de
la Commanderie 5miles south of Grenoble, about 80 miles from Meribel. Here is a
SLIDE SHOW OF MERIBEL.
Provence, France
March 1999 Provence was fantastic: We toured with Steve and Sandy
Earl one week meeting them at Chateau des Alpilles in St Remy. We then saw
the Roman Amphitheater in Arles, Le Baux, lunch at Oustau Le Maumaniere,
Palace of Popes in Avignon (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_des_Papes ), Chateau
Neuf-di-Pape, Orange, Pont du Garde, stayed at Les Marronniers in La
Brugiere run by two terrific gay men
(
http://www.lesmarronniers.biz/en/house.html ), Uzes, Nimes,
Gordes, Roussillon, Aix, Grimaldi Chateau, Mougins, Cannes, and the last
night with the Earls at Chateau de Vergiers outside Marseille. The
Earls then flew home from Marseille.
We continued touring
for another week in Provence: La Bastide de Moustiers in Moustiers was
terrific, the Grand Canyon of Verdun, perfume factory in Grasse, Le Moulin
in Mougins, Pourriers, Vauvenargues, Lourmarin, L' Isles la Sorgue, Fontanne
de Vancluse, back to Roussillon and David's Restaurant, Glanum's Roman
Ruins, Van Gogh asylum in St Remy. We flew home from
Marseille.Our album lists: Chateau La Commanderie in Grenoble,
Valence, Abenas, Gorges de L Ardeche, Chateau des Alpilles in St Remy, Roman
Amphitheater in Arles, Le Baux, Lunch at Oustau Le Baumaniere, Castle at
Tarascon, Palace of Popes in Avignon, Chateau Neuf-du-Pape, Orange, Pont du
Garde, Les Marronniers in La Brugiere, Uzes, Nimes and Musee Carre, Dinner
with Two Monsieurs, Uzes, Cavaillon, Gordes, Roussillon, Chateau La Pauline
in Aix, Cezanne Museum, Cezanne Studio, Antibes and Picasso Museum in
Grimaldi Chateau, Le Manoir de L' Etang in Mougins, Cannes, La Gruppi for
lunch in St Maxime(across from Sat Tropez), Chateau de Vergiers in St
Martin,Marseille airport, La Bastide de Moustiers in Moustiers, Grand Canyon
of Verdun, Perfume factory in Grasse, Le Moulin de Mougins in Mougins,
Pourriers, Vauvenargues, Lourmarin, Borges, beautiful Buoux, Hotellierie du
Prieure in Bonnieux, L' Isles la Sorgue, Fontanne de Vancluse, red ochre
cliffs and David's restaurant in Roussillon, Glanum Roman Ruins and Van Gogh
asylum in St Remy, Vieux Port and lunch in Marseille, Chateau Auberge
Borrelly in Calas, returning from Marseille."
Here is a picture of us in Aix:
Here is a
SLIDE SHOW OF PROVENCE.
Mary in the Alps
Mary the Gourmand
Africa 1999
June 1999 we booked a two week Safari to Kenya and Tanzania. We flew into
and out of Nairobi, Kenya staying at the Safari Park Hotel. We
generally stayed two nights at one hotel and did safaris and travel to the
next location. The first stop was a night at "The Ark" where we could view
animals from our room. We stopped at the equator and watched water
swirling clockwise and counter clockwise only 50 feet from the equator,
where there was no swirl. William Holden's Mt Kenya Safari Club was
terrific where we took nature walks with two armed guards to protect us from
animals.
We flew from Nanyuki
air strip to Massai Mara, staying at a tented Mara Intrepids Club. The
accommodations were great and this was the only unrestricted area, as
our driver could drive anywhere. We visited a Massai village, where the
houses are made from dung, children were fly infested, and for protection,
their cattle are driven each night into the center of the area surrounded by
their huts and a stick fence. So the entire area was paved in cow
plops. Flew to Nairobi for lunch at the Norfolk Hotel. We then drove
towards Kilimanjaro and stayed at the Amboseli Serena Lodge. Then to
Tanzania into the Great Rift Valley and stayed at Lake Manyara Serena Hotel.
Next stop was the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge and a drive into the
Ngorongoro Crater. We then journeyed to Serengeti thru the Olduvai
Gorge, and stayed at the Serengeti Serena Lodge. We then flew home
from Nairobi. We took a lot of pictures. The film and developing
cost us about $400. Now we don't use film with the advent of the
digital camera.
African Dancers
Don and Mary at a Watering Hole
Bavarian
Invasion 1999 On August 2,
1999 we met Peter, Gregor, and Lucas Sondergeld from Munich and Gregor's
friend Mike Wallner at the Newark airport. Drove into NYC and
went up into
the World Trade Cener to view the city before crashing at a Days Inn on 8th.
The next day we did the Guggenheim, Times Square, a three hour boat tour
around Manhattan, and drinks at the revolving cocktail lounge at the top of
the Marriott Marquis.
The next day we drove to Old Saybrook, Connecticut
for a swim in the Atlantic at Megan and Bruce Roarick's. Here are Megan and
Bruce and family.
We arrived in Hubbardton, Vermont at 11 pm.
The next few days we relaxed at camp but
managed to climb Eagle Rock. We then climbed Camel's Hump. Mike
got separated from us, took a wrong turn, and went down a trail on the west
side of the mountain. David Sondergeld had his cell phone and went down the
west side to find Mike. We went down the east side to our car, and
called Mary who told us David had found Mike and where to meet them.
Otherwise a nice day. Then more days at camp, with Gregor becoming a
"turtle". The Germans visited Ft Ticonderoga one day and met as at the Dog
Team Tavern north of Middlebury for dinner.
On August 11, 1999 we
rented a houseboat on Lake Champlain at Plunder Bay. there were 14 of
us: Don & Mary, four Germans, four Sondergelds from CA, Karen and her
three children. Mike made as a "Schweinfest" for dinner: pork loin,
red cabbage, and dumplings. The next few days included Pico's Alpine
Slide, a Concert On The Green in Castleton, horseback riding at Pond Hill
Ranch, an over night visit to Montreal, and unsuccessful water skiing at
Lake George where only Gregor got above the surface for a short distance.
Gregor turned 15 on August 17, 1999 and celebrated it with a "thanksgiving"
dinner with turkey, etc.
The next day Don took
the Germans camping. We drove over the Kancamagus Highway in New
Hampshire where Lucas slipped and slightly sprained his wrist at Rocky
Gorge. We camped in North Conway, New Hampshire along the Saco River.
We then drove thru Crawford Notch to the Bretton Woods Mt Washington Hotel
and to Pinkham Notch for dinner at the Appalachian Club. We then
shopped and had lunch in Freeport, Maine and took a 2.25 hour Harbor
Tour of Boothbay Harbor on a 65 foot sailboat. Put our tents up in the
dark at a campground 4 miles from Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The next day
we had breakfast in Damriscotta, stopped in Camden, then visited Perry's
Nuthouse, and camped at Somes Sound View Campground on Bar Harbor, Maine.
Drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain and then did the Loop Road visiting
Thunder Hole and the Germans swam at Sand Beach.
The next day we drove
to Karen's in Sudbury, MA. We stopped in Freeport, ME to purchase
shoes for Lucas, and the Germans took a brief swim at Old Orchard Beach.
Next, Don dropped them at one end of the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, ME
and picked them up a mile later at the other end.. Mary had arrived at
Karen's yesterday so Don, Mary, Karen and the three grandchildren and the
Germans visited Boston, MA the next day: a Duck Tour, Boylston Street for
lunch, Quincy Market, top of John Hancock building, and riding on the T.
The next day was "beach day" at Gloucester, MA. Drove to Vermont the
next day to relax. for two days. Lucas has become a good sailor.
On Friday August 27,1999 Mike Wallner became a turtle and was awarded his
turtle pin. We then drove to Newark, NJ airport so the Germans could
fly home after a 25 day visit.
Here are some pics of
the Bavarian
Invasion.
New York
August 1999 On August 27, 1999 Don and Mary stayed at a Best
Western on 48th between 8th and Broadway after driving to Newark yesterday.
As Karen and family are at the Marriott Marquis the seven of us went to
"Tickets" and bought tickets to see Cathy Rigby as Peter in "Peter Pan"
followed by cocktails at the top of the Marriott. The next day Don and
Mary drove home to Vermont, stopping in Saratoga Springs to see the Travers.
California
October 1999 On October 10,
1999 we flew to San Francisco for ten days. We stayed two nights at
the Marriott at the Society of Actuaries annual meeting and its 50th
anniversary. Attended a black tie dinner where Tony Bennett sang and a
Harbor Boat tour. Met David and Fran Wakely and son Steve (also an
actuary) at the actuarial reception. We also had dinner with Larry
Allen (whose wife Caroline died of cancer last year), Don's fraternity
brother and college bridge partner. Then a week with David and Shelley
visiting Monterey, Carmel, Point Lobos, a trip to Angel Island, and watching
David parasail.
Skiing 2000
In February and March 2000, we had a week of skiing at Mt Tremblant north of
Montreal, and then skied one week with David and Karen and their families at
Lake Tahoe, followed by ten days of super skiing at Sun Valley, staying with
Stan and Harriet Joseph.
North Carolina
March 2000 Erin Salvia
Principe was born on March 8, 2000. We flew to Durham to see her on
March 23. Mary stayed 10 days before fling to Florida. Don left
three days earlier so he could play bridge in Ft Lauderdale.
Lester
Sondergeld April 2000 Don's
Uncle Lester was born on July 19, 1904 and died on April 13, 2000, three
months shy of his 96th birthday. Don flew from Florida to the funeral
and got to see brother Ralph, cousin Nita Chambers and husband Joe, cousin
Blanche Batesole and family plus some of his mothers family: Uncle Otto
Kinsel and cousin Bob Hetrick and wife Janet. Also visited George and
Pete (Marlene) Andrews briefly in Oberlin before returning to Florida from
Cleveland..
Equador and Peru
May 2000 We had one week in Equador in the Amazon Rain Forest and
visited the Achuar Indians discovered only 30 years ago. The following
eight days in the Galapagos Islands were truly outstanding (perhaps the most
interesting place we ever visited). We next spent one week in
Peru, also wonderful: visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu (The lost City of The
Incas) .
Here are some terrific pictures of
Equador and the Amazon and
Galapagos Islands and its
uniqueness and Peru and
beautiful Cusco and Machu Picchu.. We forgot to take our driver's
licenses so ended up taking a $260 cab ride from Miami airport back to
Naples, Florida. Here is Don near the South Gate of Machu Picchu:
Don was 70 in November 2000 We
had a birthday celebration at the Naples Bath and Tennis Club (NBTC)
attended by 45 people: brother Ralph, our children and grandchildren (except
Ryan, Sara, and Caitlin) plus the Josephs, Friedlanders, Ed Rhode, and other
friends from NBTC.
See 70th
Celebration
California & Tahoe
February 2001 We visited David, Shelley, Owen, and Kyle in SF and
skied at Lake Tahoe (Homewood, Alpine Meadows, and Squaw Valley).
France, Spain, &
Portugal March 8 thru 28, 2001
SEE A SLIDE SHOW
A great three
weeks: Two days in Geneva, four days skiing in Val d Isere, five days in
Paris, four days in Basque Country in Northern Spain (beautiful Hondarribia
and the Guggenheim in Bilbao:
T
he Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is
a
museum
of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American
architect
Frank Gehry,
and located in
Bilbao,
Basque Country,
Spain.
The museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by former
King
Juan Carlos I
of Spain. Built alongside the
Nervion River,
which runs through the city of Bilbao to the
Cantabrian Sea,
it is one of several museums belonging to the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
and features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by
Spanish and international artists. It is one of the
largest
museums in Spain.One of the
most admired works of
contemporary architecture,
the building has been hailed as a "signal moment in the
architectural culture", because it represents "one of those
rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public
were all completely united about something."
The museum was the building most frequently named as one of
the most important works completed since 1980 in the 2010
World Architecture Survey
among architecture experts.
Don's
Sweet Tooth
Hondarribia Dining
Hondarribia
View
Guggenheim
Guernica Pictur
Then five terrific sunny days in the
beautiful Algarve of Southern Portugal A super trip! We loved the Algarve and
dined at
Vila Joya
http://www.vilajoya.com/eng/index.php in
Albufeira and spent two nites at Dolly Schlingensiepen's Casa Tres Palmeiras
in Portimao.
http://casatrespalmeiras.com/gallery Dolly, her villa, and the beach below were terrific.
Mary and Dolly
Beach below Dolly's
Sailing in Portugal
Land's End in Portugal
Delaware May 2001 In late May
we drove to Wilmington, DE and stayed at the beautiful Hotel Du Pont and
attended the formal wedding of John Contant and Betsy Ruttenberg. Also
visited Longwood Gardens,
Shipley's Rockwood Estate, Nemours, and
Hagley Museum.
Anna Hetrick: June
2001 On June 25 we drove to
Niagara Falls, had lunch in Niagara On The Lake, and slept on the Canadian
side. The next day we drove to Oberlin, Ohio and ha d
lunch with George and "Pete" Andrews. We arrived in Sandusky at 4 pm on June
26 to help celebrate Ralph's 68th birthday. We took a ferry to Kelly's
Island, had dinner at the Island House, and spent the night at Ralph and
June's house on the island. June returned to Sandusky the next morning
to work, but we spent another night on Kelly's with Ralph. Took the
ferry back the next day to visit Dulcy Stark in Fremont and were
saddened to see her husband Richard dying of cancer. We then returned to
Kelly's Island for the night. The next day we took the ferry to
Marblehead and drove to Belleview and Don's Uncle Otto Kinsel and his son
Bruce. Stopped at Aunt Anna Kinsel Hetrick's grave and noted the
tombstone needs to be fixed. She was born on March 27, 1898 and died
earlier this month on June 9, 2001. Her date of death is listed as 1 9 _
_ , as she assumed she would die before 2000 when the stone was purchased.
Also visited with her son Bob and Janet Hetrick before returning to Kelly's.
The next day we took the ferry to Marblehead and visited with June
Sondergeld before she went to work. Aunt Anna was 103 years old.
Canada June 2001
On June 30, we took the 2:30 pm ferry from Sandusky, Ohio to Pelee Island,
Ontario to the Canadian mainland, arriving at 6:30 pm. We spent the night in
London, Ontario. Saw the Tall Ships in Kingston the next day which was
Canada Day (July 1).We had lunch in Gananoque followed by an hour boat trip
thru the 1000 Islands. Crossed into New York at Ogdensburg, had dinner in
Keene Valley, drove thru Lake Placid, and arrived at Beebe Pond at 10
pm.
Toronto & Vermont
July 2001 In July 2001 Don flew to Toronto for 12 days to play in
a National Bridge Tournament. Did not do as well as he had hoped, but
still picked up over 30 points.Vermont In mid August our entire family
was at our lake in Vermont: David, Amy, and Karla for over a week, Karen for
five days, and Eric for three days.
New York City August
2001 In late August we attended the wedding of John Earl and Julie
Katz at The Russian Tea Room in NY City and saw Kiss Me Kate.
North Carolina & New
York City December 2001 In flying to Vermont from Florida,...via
NC, we visited Karla, David, Zach, and Erin Principe in Durham, NC.
In mid December we joined Woody and Marjorie Friedlander in NY City at the
Broadway Inn and saw four shows, including The Producers, which was
excellent.
Tahoe, Sun Valley,
Arizona, & New Mexico February 2002 In late February and early
March 2002 we skied with Karen and David and their families in Tahoe,
staying at the Chinquapin Resort just north of Tahoe City. David and
family stopped there on their way back from the Olympics in Salt Lake City.
We then flew to Sun Valley, and stayed with Stan and Harriet Joseph...Don
skiing his favorite mountain. Don had a Bridge Tournament the first
week of April in Ft Lauderdale. So, Mary went with Brita Tate to Arizona and
New Mexico, visiting the Grand Canyon, Georgia O Keefe's
Ghost Ranch, Mary Sarty in Santa Fe, etc.
San Francisco and
Oregon May 2002 In late May, we flew to SF and spent four
days with David, Shelley, Owen, and Kyle. We then drove up the
California Coast to Mendocino where our rental car developed an ignition
problem. It could not have occurred at a more beautiful spot.
The movie Murder She Wrote was filmed in Mendocino (Cabot's
Cove, Maine). Our next night on the beautiful northern coast of
California was in Trinidad. We then drove to
Grant's Pass in Oregon and took
a jet boat trip thru Hellgate on the Rogue River. Next we went to the
outstandingly beautiful Crater Lake. Then back to the Oregon Coast and
Reedsport. The next day was especially nice: Dune Buggy ride in
Florence, Sea Lion Caves, and the Heceta Head Lighthouse. We stayed in
Lincoln City and then drove to
Mount Hood and Timberline Lodge. Three climbers were killed two
days before we arrived...but we had no climbing plans. We then drove
along the Columbia River Gorge to Portland, and flew to Burlington Vermont
the next day. A nice two weeks.
Don and Mary at
Crater Lake
Don and Mary in a Dune Buggy
August 2002
wedding anniversary Our children surprised us with a 45th wedding
anniversary party at the Clubhouse at the golf course in Middlebury,
Vermont. Dinner and dancing was included.
45th Wedding
Anniversary Picture
New York City December 2002 In December
2002 we went to NYC with Woody and Margery Friedlander for five days
of theater.