Rhine River Cruise - Day 2

A major part of the Netherlands is below sea level. The Dutch are famously proud of the land they have reclaimed from the sea by building dikes and pumping the water away from the enclosed land. The first pumps were the windmills.

On Day 2 we visited a World Heritage site called Kinderdyk where a total of 19 windmills built in the 18th century were employed to reclaim a major amount of land. We were able to inspect the inner workings of one such, and Jan took a photo of me outside next to the mechanism used to redirect the wings as the direction of the wind changed.

The rest of the day was spent onboard the Viking Sun, heading up the Rhine toward Cologne. The experience could not have been nicer -- sitting in the lounge watching through big picture windows as the scenery unfolded before us. In the afternoon, a Gouda cheese-tasting and a Captain's toast moved us toward a delicious dinner.

Today, Day 3, we will arrive in Cologne and tour the old city and the vast Cologne Cathedral. Then, we move on to the next adventure. More to come...

Rhine River Cruise - Day 1

This is a terrific experience.

We arrived in Amsterdam after a trip to Atlanta to pick up the trans-Atlantic flight to Amsterdam. A four-hour delay caused us to arrive late, and our plans to check out museums there fell through.

After arriving at the Viking Sun, our cruise ship, we unpacked and walked from the dock to the central rail terminal in the heart of downtown Amsterdam. We walked up one of the main streets for a ways, but our impression of the city was damaged by the fact they are facing a sanitation workers' strike, so trash was every where. The photo is of Jan in front of the train station.

The first evening on the ship included a great dinner following the obligatory safety lectures. We met some great folks from Australia, Maine, Michigan and, of course, Minnesota. The Minnesotan is a cardiologist working at the Mayo Clinic.

Today, Monday, we head for an World Heritage Site featuring Dutch windmills. More later...

Diocese of Newark Convention - 2010

By my count, this is the 41st Annual Convention of the Diocese of Newark I've attended.

As might be expected, a lot has changed. The first ones I attended were held in May, on one day, in the cathedral. May is a nice time in Newark. But now the conventions are held in January, which is not a nice time in Newark, where this one -- the first in a long time -- is being held. The opening worship will be held in the cathedral and the outdoor procession is going to be cold.

Back in 1969, technology consisted of a microphone on a long cord carried down the aisle to pick up the words of convention debates. In 2010, there will be 7 video presentations along with about a dozen PowerPoints illustrating various convention reports. Wireless mikes dot the convention floor to pick up convention debates. Two large rear-projection screens flank the dais.

For the last ten years, I've been a part of making these technological advances work. I am glad to see how far we've come.

Minnesota State Fair - de gustibus non disputandum

There is no argument about tastes when it comes to the Minnesota State Fair -- you will find just about every expression of tastes known in every corner of the world.

Jan and I attended the Minnesota State Fair on September 4 and 5, 2009 and decided to try some favorite Fair foods and some new ones. Pictured above you will find us munching on deep fried pickle slices, one of the new tastes. We also enjoyed battered cheese curds (both white and yellow Cheddar), hot dogs on a stick (Pronto Pups with flour batter, beef and wild rice corn dogs with corn flour batter), gelato, apples and honey taffy. The foregoing are on-the-go foods; in addition we enjoyed hamburgers and chicken wraps with fries and chips at dinner with my sister, Barbara and her husband, Jim, and on Saturday, bratwurst and kraut.

We passed over a whole lexicon of other available tastes, from hot dish on a stick to deep-fried candy bars, from elk burgers to spaghetti to meat balls on a stick, from Spam curds to deep-fried banana splits. There is no way to sample all of these delights in just two days.

Beyond the fun we had with the culinary excursions, we visited almost every corner of the fairgrounds under beautiful blue skies with moderate temperatures. The highlight of Friday evening was the grandstand show featuring the taping of this week's edition of "The Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor and ensemble. The show was great (including an audience sing-along during intermission) and ended with always-appreciated fireworks display.

On Sunday, September 6 we will begin the trek back to New Jersey, celebrating Labor Day on the road. And who knows what new tastes await on the journey back?

Vacation 2009 - Part II

After two uneventful travel days from New Jersey to Minnesota, we headed north to our place on Hammal Lake in Aitkin County. With us were my brother, Leonard, and his wife, Jolene, and my daughter, Alissa, and her husband, Allen Streitz. (Pictured above on my brother's pontoon boat is Leonard, Jan, and Allen in the back seat) We spent 2 1/2 days fishing, feasting and just relaxing.

Fishing from a pontoon boat is luxurious. It is stable, so one can stand, walk around, or sit without any threat of it tipping. One can bring extra gear, tackle and clothing without feeling crowded. The general modus operendi was to troll -- moving slowly by motor around the lake with fishing lines attached to lures and trailing behind. As a fish takes the lure, one reels it in, shows it off, removes it from the lure and returns it to the lake. This "catch and release" method maximizes the fun and minimizes the work.

Jan and I had great success. We caught and released at least 30 fish each during the 2 1/2 day period. Most were pickerel, but I caught one bass and Jan caught one perch. My biggest thrill was hooking a small pickerel and discovering, as I reeled it in, that a much larger pickerel had grabbed it. Just as I was to lift both into the boat, the smaller one shed the hook and dropped back into the lake, still firmly in the jaws of the larger one.

That part of the vacation is complete. Tomorrow -- the Minnesota State Fair!

End of a great vacation

The past two days have been spent in Yellowstone National Park. It is even more beautiful than I remember. We managed to pack the two days with a whirlwind of sights, sounds and, yes, smells.

Wednesday was largely devoted to the geysers and other volcanic-action sites -- Old Faithful, of course, but also hot springs, bubbling mud pots and vents emitting the rotten-egg smell that is a hallmark of the park. We stayed at the Canyon Lodge and joined an evening presentation in the outdoor amphitheater by a National Park ranger.

Thursday was devoted to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the amazing waterfalls, the northern Tower Fall and several trails up and down the falls areas, giving us better views of the falls action. The evening was spent on a three-hour Yellowstone bus tour watching and finding some of the wildlife that inhabit the park.

Friday is home travel. (This is the first time I am able to add to the blog. I did have Internet connection in the park using my Verizon MiFi. The speed was slow, so I devoted the time to business matters.)

After some time to organize the photos, I'll publish a link to a gallery of the trip. Stay tuned!

Some things never change

In a way, the vacation Jan and I are taking is a drive back in time. My family made several trips West, both through the Black Hills of South Dakota and to Yellowstone Park.

One of the enduring icons of South Dakota is Wall Drug, an ever-growing complex just off the highway, which has been there forever. Here are two pictures, almost 60 years apart. Wall Drug and its buffalo remain the same. In the black and white photo is my Dad holding my sister Barbara, my brother Leonard and me.

Tomorrow, Yellowstone Park!