Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust

Bernkastel, on the Moselle, had the most classic (and lovely) Market.

Every trip to Paris needs to include checking out the major landmarks.

The department stores in Paris go all out with Christmas decorations.

Throughout Paris, there are simple, elegant decorations-no tacky blowup Santas.

rue Cler is a classic Parisian market street.

We went to a view lounge across the street from our hotel. We had a great view of the Eiffel tower, but the window reflections made for less than stellar photos.

Rheims is a lovely town with a venerable cathedral and a wide range of stained glass windows.

The US Military Cemetery in Luxembourg was our last stop before embarking. It was a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made during WW II.

Welcome aboard Kir Royales helped put us in the holiday mood.

Throughout the cruise, we had some lovely views of villages, including castles and churches.

Trier Germany was our first Christmas market. It had a wide range of vendors and the first Kathe Wolfharht market we would browse.

Bernkastel was a favorite stop. Being at a Christmas market in the evening was so charming. One of the many unique things about Bernkastel was their white wine gluhwein which we tried and enjoyed.

We especially enjoyed this vendor in Bernkastel. He was actually making on site the things he was selling.

The lighting and decorations in Bernkastel were very simple and elegant.

Our ship, Viking Alsvin, looked especially welcoming at night.

We arrived in Cochem on the Moselle early in the morning. The market was not yet open, but we enjoyed walking through this scenic town.

We saw several bakeries throughout our cruise that had unique and very tasty looking baked goods for the Christmas season.

We arrived at the Koblenz market just as it was opening so there weren’t crowds but many booths were not yet open.

Some charming booths at the Koblenz market.

Chagall windows in the Cathedral in Mainz.

Speyer was another German town we visited along the Rhine

The towns had unique scenes throughout their markets. This statue is in Speyer.

Schoolchildren in Speyer were excited to visit the Christmas Market.

Another lovely castle along the Rhine

Strasbourg had scenic canals in the Petit France area.

Shops in Strasbourg were lavishly, but tastefully, decorated for Christmas

Strasbourg had several squares with very festive decorations

Strasbourg Cathedral was the largest we saw on the cruise

A beautiful sunset view from the ship

In Basel, we saw our first snow. It is a charming city with a lively Christmas market. We were spoiled by a delicious cheese fondue and Swiss chocolate lunch.

In spite of the pouring rain we were happy to be at Zurich’s Christmas market

Zurich had the largest Kathe Wolfharht store where we went a bit overboard

So many ornaments we NEEDED!!

Zurich’s magnificent central tree was the most lavish tree we saw

Almost every building in Zürich is tastefully decorated for Christmas.

View of Dubrovnik, Croatia from Mt Srd

Oceania Cruise itinerary map

We definitely enjoyed our trip

Nautica was a first class ship. The staff were excellent, the interiors were attractively decorated and the food was outstanding (although not as good as on our previous Oceania cruise).

Our flight arrived early in the morning so Oceania surprised us with a panoramic tour of Rome.

Vatican City was a highlight.

Amalfi and Positano definitely lived up to our expectations. Tendering to/from the ship plus the ferry between the towns enhanced the day.

There were lemons everywhere in Amalfi and Positano.

We were sad to leave Amalfi at the end of the day.

Mount Etna’s twin plumes definitely caught our attention on our day in Sicily.

Taormina had great browsing and lovely architecture.

The coast of Sicily had many beautiful views.

Our stop at Murgo Winery included tastes of four wines, a charcuterie plate and a staff member who could hold 23 wine glasses in one hand.

Welcome to Dubrovnik—our ship is docked behind us.

Our guide took us up Mt Srd for this excellent view of Old Town.

Our guide, John, was excellent. He was quite knowledgeable and his English was just about perfect. The vehicle was fun—an open vintage Ford.

Old Town Dubrovnik had a fascinating history including significant bombing during the Serbian War in the 90’s. Thankfully most of the structures and the polished limestone survived.

At the southern end of Old Town is a small harbor behind the original walls of the fort.

Classic tacky tourist made us laugh.

Zadar’s Old Town was immaculately maintained, including the polished limestone.

Our guide Sime and his Tuk-Tuk.

Zadar had a lovely seashore lined with parks.

The beautiful shore of Zadar has many scenic harbors.

Original gate for Zadar.

Welcome to Venice!

A surprise highlight of Venice was being able to view the city from the top of the campanile.

Looking over the entrance to the Grand Canal.

No visit to Venice is complete without a photo of gondolas under the Bridge of Sighs.

On our departure from Venice Lauren got this iconic photo looking toward San Marco’s Square.

Olympia was the site of the first Olympics in 766 BC.

Olympia included training and competition facilities.

Greek flags were proudly displayed .

Classic Santorini shot with bright blue roofs and very white buildings spilling down the coast towards the Aegean.

Nautica from our vantage point listening to jazz.

Santorini from the gondola taking us back to Nautica.

We saw many striking sunsets throughout the cruise.

Our second hotel in Lisbon was covered in gorgeous green tiles.

One of the views in Lisbon that is reminiscent of San Francisco.

The Time Out Market was a very high class food court. Some of Lisbon’s most highly regarded chefs have “stalls”.

Both old and new buildings have the colorful tiles that are so characteristic of Lisbon.

Avenida Liberdade is a lovely tree shaded street.

The park at the top of Avenida Liberdade has a great view of the city and the river.

The Hotel Britannia staff recommended Sacramento restaurant and we had a delicious dinner.

The sidewalks in Lisbon were hand laid black and white stones that were charming to look at but extremely uncomfortable to walk on.

Pena Palace in Sintra was a very colorful royal residence.

Pena was fanciful but it was located for security with its panoramic views.

On the way back from Sintra we stopped in the beachside resort town of Cascais.

Evora was charming and historic.

Our kitchen classroom was in a lovely garden full of citrus trees.

Monsarraz was a hilltop town near the Spanish border. It even had a bullring.

Monsarraz was lovely and we had it to ourselves.

The cork industry is fascinating. Every nine years the cork can be removed for processing. It is used for flooring and is made into products like shoes, trivets, jewelry, luggage, and belts.

Monaco had a gorgeous setting and we were able to dock instead of tender. Our ship is on the right sharing the harbor with several amazing mega yachts.

The cruise included a good variety of ports. Starting in Barcelona and having a day in Tuscany sealed the deal on selecting it.

View from our hotel balcony—it was a pedestrian-only street in the middle of Barcelona.

Traditional tiled stairs in our hotel on Portal de l’Angel.

Beautiful ceramic work.

Barcelona’s Cathedral

One of the oldest restaurants in Barcelona—apparently a favorite of Picasso.

La Rambla had great wavy sidewalks.

Apartment building designed by Antonio Gaudi.

We thoroughly enjoyed Sangria in Barcelona.

Manhole covers are unique in every city.

Our waitress/tableside chef at dinner in the Gothic Quarter.

Elaborate public water fountain.

We enjoyed gelato almost every day!

Visiting Sagrada Familia was a highlight of the trip.

The stained glass was amazing!

This is the altar.

It was sunny when we visited and the light from the stained glass windows was absolutely gorgeous

The main hub of Riviera was beautiful. The glass looked like Lalique.

Our cabin was on Deck 9, Concierge Level.

We thoroughly enjoyed our private veranda.

Our cabin was very spacious, located in the center of the ship (smoother than either end), had a lovely veranda and an amazing bathroom. It even had a bathtub that came with Himalayan sea salts!

The pool deck was a very popular gathering space- even for non-swimmers.

Dinner at Jacques on our first night. All the recipes are from Jacques Pepin.

The food was delicious!!

Majorca was a beautiful resort town.

Another HopOn HopOff trip gave us a great introduction to this lovely island.

The main street in Palma was lined with gorgeous pink hydrangas.

Aix en Provence was lovely but just about everything was closed because we were there on Sunday.

Aix en Provence was really lovely.

Thankfully the patisserie was open so were able to enjoy eclairs.

So many architectural details!

Our next port was Monaco/Monte Carlo with its incredible yacht harbor.

Monaco’s Palace overlooks the city.

World Famous Monte Carlo casino.

All of Monaco was getting ready for the Grand Prix so viewing stands and safety fences were going up everywhere.

We docked next to this mega yacht, Royal Romance. It was 150 feet long and had a crew of 48. It is owned by a very wealthy Russian oligarch.

Monaco at night from the Riviera’s top deck.

Gorgeous view of the snow-covered Alps from Antibes Harbor with its mega-yachts.

We took the train from Antibes to Nice. It was a quick trip.

Train station at Nice.

Lots of palm trees in Nice

The beach at Nice with its characteristic umbrellas.

Antibes was the only port where we were tendered to and from the ship.

These strawberries from Corsica were the most delicious I’ve ever tasted!

Leaving Corsica on our way to Tuscany.

After leaving Livorno we were in classic Tuscan countryside with rolling green hills and vineyards.

Our first stop in Tuscany was the ancient walled city of Monterrigioni.

The Siena duomo (cathedral) was our first stop. Giovanni dropped us off here and picked us up at the Piazza del Campo.

Walking down the streets of Siena heading for the Campo.

Animal-centric symbols of the Siena contrada (neighborhoods).

The shops had elegant interior styling.

Sienna’s Piazza del Campo

The Palio horserace where Siena’s contrada compete is held in the Campo.

Gelato in Siena

Giovanni was stereotypically Italian—he talked with his hands even while driving.

The medieval towers of San Gimignano can be seen for many miles.

Welcome to San Gimignano!

The countryside views were unrivaled.

Our splurge purchases were colorful Furla bags from a charming salesman in San Gimignano.

Although the Tuscan towns were rather busy quiet side streets could still be found.

Colorful pottery shop in San Gimignano.

The Tuscan hills were picture perfect.

Absolutely amazing!

The drive from ABQ to Santa Fe gave us a hint of what lay ahead—striking landscape and fresh air a glorious shade of blue.

The Folk Art Museum was a highlight.

Incredible needlework samplers at the Folk Art Museum.

The quaking Aspens were lovely—they really made the characteristic sound when there was any type of breeze.

At Aspen View on the road to Santa Fe ski basin.

On Saturday morning five of us left Sant Fe at 4:00am but still missed liftoff at the Balloon Fiesta. The freeway was as close as we got.

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with our Wellesley classmates. Anne and her husband were very gracious hosts.

Georgia O’Keefe Museum

Jumping spouting elephant in the gorgeous sculpture garden we came across in Santa Fe.

Adorable bear cub sculpture

Chimayo

Old Town Albuquerque

My second attempt to see liftoff at the Balloon Fiesta was successful and well worth the early rise that day,

Checked off my bucket list

Our vacation started with a ride from Orlando Airport on Mickey’s bus.

So many parades!

Lion King in the round—all that great music and the spectacle with so much to watch and enjoy.

Lots of magic photos where we didn’t know what the final photo would show.

Olivia was able to get photos with most of the major characters.

Touring Animal Kingdom was a highlight.

Flying elephants in Fantasyland.

Waiting in line for Pirates of the Caribbean

Fireworks over Epcot were excellent.

It’s a Small World has been significantly upgraded over the years—lots of great animatronics and lighting.

Emily and Olivia enjoying the teacups,

The Dingle coast was gorgeous and we were blessed with perfect weather.

When our overnight flight arrived over Ireland it was clear why it is known as the Emerald Isle.

Waterloo House was in a very convenient location in Georgian Dublin. It had traditional décor and our room had a view of the neighborhood. The breakfast was quite decadent and it was served in a lovely conservatory.

We loved the colorful doors of Georgian Dublin. Virtually every color in the rainbow was on someone’s door.

Shearson’s pub was just a block from Waterloo House. We liked it so much we went there for dinner two nights-beef filet and lamb shank were delicious. They also had live music that added to the atmosphere.

Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland. It is the home of the amazing Book of Kells illuminated manuscript. It was to be a highlight of our visit to Dublin but when we arrived they were in the midst of their first blackout in 16 years with no ETA of the electricity. We waited awhile and then decided we needed to move on.

This was as close as we got to the Book of Kells.

Downtown Dublin had several charming blocks of local retail.

Dublin’s streetlights were among the prettiest I’ve seen. We got a great view of the shamrock festooned fixtures from our double decker tour bus.

We thoroughly enjoyed our hop-on hop-off bus. It was a beautiful day to tour this charming city.

Howth is a seaside town that was on the public transit train line. It was chilly and drizzly but we walked around, went to a small farmers’ market and enjoyed some homemade ice cream.

The Samuel Beckett bridge was designed by Santiago Calatrava and is reminiscent of an Irish harp.

Irish notables on display at Trinity College.

Itinerary of Driftwoods tour we took. We started in Dublin and then headed west towards Galway. We saw beautiful scenery

Killary Sheep Farm was in a very dramatic location and we enjoyed watching the sheepdogs do their magic.

It was amazing to see the dogs herd the sheep.

We enjoyed our first Guinness at our lunch with the tour group on day one.

Kylemore Abbey was lovely—no interior visits are permitted but it is a storybook castle from the outside.

Our first night on the tour was spent at the Abbeyglen Castle hotel where they flew an American flag to welcome us.

Here are the 16 of us from the tour. We enjoyed each others’ company and were all punctual and congenial.

Galway was very festively decorated.

This was one of Galway’s most scenic pubs.

This was a charming tea shop in Galway.

This Galway shop was where the claddagh rings were first designed and produced.

The sewer covers in Galway had unique Celtic designs.

I can’t remember the name of this ancient castle but it was in a very evocative setting.

On the drive to the Cliffs of Moher we came across these cows who looked like they were posing for the camera.

The Cliffs of Moher are quite spectacular—even on a windy, rainy day.

We went to a demonstration at Dingle Glass. The glass blowing and sculpting were fascinating to watch.

Lots of colorful shops and pubs throughout Ireland.

One evening in Dingle we enjoyed an Irish folk music concert in one of the local music shops.

The drive along Dingle Peninsula was reminiscent of Highway 1 on the California coast.

We ate delicious cheese throughout our visit to Ireland.

We could have spent a few more day enjoying Dingle—beautiful scenery, quality restaurants, delicious homemade ice cream, and lots of fun shops to browse.

We enjoyed a horse-drawn jaunty ride through Killarney National Park which ended at stately Muckross House.

We came across this car which was inadvertently put in drive instead of reverse. Thankfully the occupants weren’t injured.

Kenmare is another colorful happy town in County Kerry.

Seals pointing the way to Garnish Island.

Garnish Island in Bantry Bay was originally a private estate but it was bequeathed to the Irish government in 1939. It has been maintained as a public garden since then..

Delicious Irish Coffee at this pub started by onne of the first South Pole explorers.

Built in 1710, Bantry House has been a private home and served as a hospital during the Irish Civil War in 1922 and a barracks duriing World War II. It has been open to visitors since 1946.

Bantry House was a classic country house—comfortable and not too fussy..

For donations from visitors to Blarney Castle.

In spite of its tacky reputation Blarney is a beautiful site with lavish gardens and historic architecture.

Blarney House was originally built for the mayor of Cork in 1704. The current house was built in 1846 and is now the home of Baron Sir John Colthurst.

The Rock of Cashel was started in 1100 and is on a hill by itself overlooking the surrounding countryside. Because of its prominent location it can be seen for miles. It was the traditional seat of the King for the region. It includes a roofless cathedral and towers for security.

A great end to our trip—under the rainbow!

Our first morning in Bruges

View from our hotel when we arrived.

The tour boats in Bruges were a little too crowded and low in the water to entice us.

Delicious Belgian beer

We started our day early so the day tripping crowds had not yet arrived.  A couple of hours later these tables were full.

Bruges' town center

Many fine chocolate shops in Bruges

Our hotel had a lovely breakfast room with a fire to keep us warm.

The Adornes Hotel manager, Rik, could not have been more helpful.  He gave excellent dinner recommendations and was extremely hospitable.

A fun Starbucks poster in Antwerp advertising a creep-looking Halloween drink.

The view of Amsterdam from our cabin's balcony.  It was a 3 minute walk from the train to the ship.  Since we had both been to Amsterdam before we didn't do any sightseeing before the ship departed a couple of hours after we arrived from Belgium.

The Cathedral in Cologne is massive and on a high spot in the city.

Gerard Richter's modern stained glass window in Cologne's cathedral.

We enjoyed the local Kolsch beer at Brewpub in Cologne

The rain didn't stop us from hiking up to Marksburg Castle.

Looking south from Marksburg Castle.

Looking north over the Rhine from Marksburg Castle.

It was getting dark when we arrived in Rudesheim but we hurried and made it to Kathe Wolfahrt and a couple of other shops before they closed.

Strasbourg was the most scenic city we visited--full of charm.

A popular Strasbourg alley with lots of bars and cafes.

Our local guide in the Black Forest was delightful!

Unfortunately there was very heavy rain on our one day in the Black Forest.  Thankfully our local guide was very entertaining and helped us enjoy the trip.

We had a great group of regular dining partners from Michigan and northern England.

This lily of the valley egg at the Faberge Museum in St Petersburg was my favorite. The three photo frames fold into the egg. 

Map of Viking Ocean's Viking Homelands Cruise in June 2016

We started in the lovely city of Bergen, Norway

Aalborg, Denmark was smallish town with a good range of architectural details like these gilded lions.

The fountain in the middle of Rostock was fascinating--all ages having fun together in the water.

Trotzenberger Brewery tour in Rostock

The view of Talinn from our stateroom's balcony.

Talinn's square is lined with shops and restaurants.

I loved all the unique architectural details in St Petersburg

The oldest surviving synagogue in St Petersburg

St Petersburg is laced by canals which all have artistic metal railings.

There are still many remnants of Lenin around St Petersburg.

St Petersburg subway token

Amazing mosaic murals inside the St Petersburg subway

We went into the subway station that is one of the deepest in the world.  There were several escalators to get to the train platform.

This grumpy looking checkpoint officer was watching everyone very closely.

There are McDonalds everywhere!

The Faberge Museum looked like a jewel box.

One of Faberge's most complex eggs.

Faberge made many other gorgeous pieces in addition to the famous eggs.

A lavish candy store in St Petersburg

We asked our guide to show us a bit of the daily life of a Russian so she took us to the food court at the mall.

Catherine's Summer Palace

Just a little place in the country.....

The Heritage was VERY crowded so we were thankful that our guide, Veronika, had pre-opening reservations.

Solid lapis lazuli table was a masterpiece.

The corridors in the Hermitage were completely decorated.  No expense was spared in the Imperial family's winter palace.

Beautiful hardwood floor patterns throughout the Hermitage.

The Hermitage was the Winter Palace so the architecture is quite lavish--lots of gilding and marble.

The Throne Room in the Hermitage

Peterhof royal residence

Peterhof Palace--one of Peter the Great's homes.  It's fountains are like Versailles'.

Unfortunately it was overcast when we got to the Church of the Spilled Blood so the vibrant turret colors don't show up very well.

We were welcomed with a farmers' market when we arrived in Helsinki.

We walked into Helsinki from the ship and enjoyed the greenery.

Marimekko 's first store was in Helsinki.

There are hundreds of small islands in the bay heading for Stockholm.

My favorite architectural detail was on a bank in Stockholm.

Stockholm's major department store had a large atrium

Beautiful public gardens in Stockholm.

The blue trams in Stockholm were charming.

Bright blue gates mark one of the entrances to Skansen Park.

A very solemn guard by the Swedish capital.

Many of the shop signs in Gamla Stan were handmade works of art.

Gamla Stan is the birthplace of Stockholm and it has retained its charm.

Manhole covers in Bergen Norway, Rostock Germany, St Petersburg Russia and Stockholm Sweden.

From our stateroom we could see the Skansen amusement park

A beautiful Stockholm sunset on our last evening.

Giraffes visited our Eastern Serengeti camp each morning.

Amsterdam was lovely day and night.  We stayed in a BnB on one of the major canals.

Lorraine ate some fried baby herring--I had a hard time even looking at them.

Red light windows can be seen among charming buildings all over Amsterdam. 

We started and ended our Tanzania adventure at the Mount Meru Game Lodge where they have very nice accomodations and rehabilitating animals.

Jane gave us a warm welcome to Mount Meru.

We arrived at Mount Meru at night.  The lobby was welcoming and had unique accessories made by local artists.

Our cabin at Mount Meru.  We had the right side which was a very nice room with full bathroom--our last time with flush toilets before we started our safari.

At Arusha's local airport waiting for our flight to the Serengeti.

Our tents were extremely nice

Our tents were quite comfortable with plenty of space and tempurpedic mattresses. A special treat was the hot water bottle placed in our beds every night. 

We started our days with coffee overlooking the wide open spaces with an occasional giraffe walking by. 

Each of our campsites had Masai guards to protect the camp from animals and to protect visitors from going too far from the camp.

Before every meal we washed our hands with the assistance of one of the staff.

We enjoyed the local beer throughout our trip.

A highlight of our trip was a visit to a Masi village where we met very friendly mothers and their children.  They lived in a very basic environment but the little kids knew how to swipe an iPhone with their finger to look at the next photo.

We saw some beautiful sunsets.  Unfortunately we were there for the full moon so we didn't see star-filled skies at night.

Lorraine’s very generous husband, Dave, gave us a balloon ride over the Serengeti. We left our camp in the dark for the drive. Each basket held over 20 people in 10 sections each for two people. We got in while the baskets were on their sides so it was awkward but once we took off and righted itself it was an incredible experience.

Hippos gathering in a Serengeti pond (taken from the balloon)

We saw only one cheetah, but she put on a great show.

The cheetah rolled on her back just like a domestic cat.

I was very happy to be far away from this alligator.

These were our only leopards and they were quite far away and high in a tree.

Lovely acacia trees were in abundance.

Adorable baby hippo staying very close to Mom

Looking down into Ngongorno crater-the area of Tanzania with the most animals per square mile.

Groups of four (plus a guide) were in each Land Cruiser so we could move around easily to take photos of the various animals.  Drivers would communicate via radio so when one group found an interesting animal the word would go out and Land Cruisers would rush to get there.

I was very pleased to get this shot of the lions with entwined tails.

We saw several very cute babies.

/very laid back lioness enjoying the shade.

Fun mural on the drive back to Arusha

Last butt not least...

We had an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower from our apartment and took MANY photos of it.

Unfortunately there was no place to prop the camera so we took photos of each other on the balcony.

We took Eiffel Tower photos from our balcony at all hours of the day and night.

The apartment was nothing fancy but it was comfortable and in a great location with its Eiffel Tower view.

The view of rue Malar from our balcony

Our apartment was on rue Malar just a block from rue St Dominique over which the Eiffel Tower reigns.

We loved this boulangerie on rue St Dominique--fresh from the oven croissants in a lovely setting with decorative porcelain tiles.

We indulged

We ate lunch atop Printemps with the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

Canopy of flowers at Printemps

Diana and I had a great visit—catching up on life since she left Stanford.

From this upper level it is clear to see that the Musee d'Orsay used to be a train station.

One of my favorite paintings the d’Orsay

Monet at the Jeu de Paume

The Paris at Night tour was a highlight.

Hotel de Ville

Beauborg/Pompidou Modern Art

It seemed like there were lovely patisseries or boulangeries on every street corner.  This one is in the Marais.

Our boat ride on the Seine gave us great views and we enjoyed the sunny day.

Since we were so close to rue Cler one morning we went for coffee.  It was too early for most shops but we did visit a lovely cheese shop and bought a selection which we enjoyed every afternoon before dinner.

rue Cler cheese shop had a wide selection

Gorgeous fruit display on rue Cler

We had a lovely and tasty lunch (Croque Monsieur) and a very decadent dessert at Angelina.

Someone had to test all those macaron flavors......

The Louvre glass pyramid in front of the original building which had been a palace.

We had a magical evening at a concert of Vivaldi's Four Seasons performed in the stained glass masterpiece of Sainte Chapelle.

An evening stroll on ile de la Cite by Notre Dame.

Art Nouveau decor and delicious food (including chestnut soup) at Bouillion Racine in the 6th arrondissement

You get an Eiffel Tower and you get an Eiffel Tower and you get an Eiffel Tower…

Shibaozhai Temple along the Yangtze.  It was built in 1819 and special precautions were taken to preserve it when the Three Gorges Dam was constructed.

Our tour included Beijing, Xian, a cruise on the Yangtze River and a stop in Wuhan before finishing the tour in Shanghai.

We were in Beijing for National Day-the annual celebration of their founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.

We saw soldiers throughout our trip.  They were always at full attention.

The Great Wall went on and on and on.  Impossible to imagine that it was built by hand without any modern construction equipment.

I've never seen such long escalators, especially outdoors without any protection from the weather.  They were completely packed with visitors going to the top of the Three Gorges Dam.

China's PeeWee Herman advertising an orange drink.

The Shanghai Museum had beautiful porcelain and a great gift shop.

The traditional Chinese Yuyuan Garden was first established over 400 years ago.  It is a lush retreat from the crazy busyness of Shanghai

There was a modern shopping area along the side of the Yuyuan Gardens.  Traditional architecture was used to remind visitors of the history of the area.

One of the first buildings at Yuyuan

I love this view which includes architecture which is several hundred years old with a glimpse of the modern Chinese flag.

Our trip to China was marvelous!  Its rich history, kind and welcoming people, and excitement about the future combined to make a memorable adventure.

Our hotel in Shanghai was just a block from the Bund where historic buildings overlook the future across the river.

This photo was taken from the Bund looking back at our hotel with the flower on top.

The most amazing and colorful skyline I have ever seen!

We had lots of fun traveling together!

Sunset on the Charles Bridge in Prague

Sidewalk patterns changed throughout the city.

A royal chandelier at St Nikolas in Prague where we heard a local small orchestra perform Brandenburg Concertos.

On our first morning at Lake Como we awoke to this view of Paradise.

Hotel Familia in the 6th arrondissement was very comfortable and convenient.

Gracie's first day at home--she could fit in my hand

She was a regal cat who was always ready for a photo

Gracie had such beautiful blue eyes

I was always surprised when Gracie would hold a pose so I could snap a photo

Gracie followed the sun around the house

A watercolor of Gracie and me painted by Susan Faye, an artist I came across on Etsy.

I still miss my sweet Gracie

The day after Gracie died I went to the SF SPCA and adopted two sisters I named Daisy and Coco.  After 20 years with Gracie I couldn't imagine life without feline companionship.

Daisy started exploring her new home right away

Coco needed a little more time

One of my favorite photos of them--they can be so sweet to one another (or not)

There's nothing like a good stretch

One of the rare photos where they almost look like twins

Coco is quite the climber

We are waiting for our treats

My Welcome Home girls--they hear the garage door open and run to the front door to greet me.

Coco and Daisy in Paris--painted by Carol Gillott, an American painter now living in Paris

Daisy instinctively knows how to strike a pose

Coco in one of her favorite spots--the living room mantle

Queen Daisy surveying her kingdom

Coco loves looking at the pretty ornaments.  Thankfully she doesn't try to swat them down.

Daisy enjoyed the Christmas ambiance under the tree.

Snuggling sisters

Kissing sisters

Trying to be invisible at the vet’s office.

Lunch in Putney with Alexis

On the Liberty Clipper tall ship in Boston Harbor-July 2014

Waiting for the chauffeur

Mom's birthday in 2014 with everyone except Alexis and Emily

Megan, Emily and Olivia heading to Meghan and Braxton's wedding.

Meg and Braxton's wedding celebration at Gibbett Hill

Olivia on Woodneck Beach

Olivia LOVES her new cousin, Grayson

Gigi and two of her Gems (grandchildren)

Christmas 2019

Paul and Carrie's wedding near Portland with Leo, Bill, Donnie, Mare and me

Judy, Julian, Mark and Rob--friends from the very early days at Stanford

Celebrating Mare's 60th birthday tea party

Meg in Annie at the Golden Gate Theater

Page, Alice, Joann, me and Sue enjoying dinner. Photo by Karla.

Christmas Season 2015

Our 45th Reunion was a great chance for Jill. Karen, Anne and me to get together for the first time in much too long.

For Sale--it needed LOTS of work, but was in an up and coming location and had a large side yard where a garage could be built after we took care of the biggest problems inside the house.

Original surveyor's map from 1907.

When we bought the house we had a large yard which eventually became the site of our prized garage.

A few years ago I bought this beautiful cherry dining room furniture.

Lunch before seeing Meghan in Annie at the Golden Gate Theater.

2013 iving room

The chair in front of the mantle was my first upholstery job.

I'm very happy with the deep teal.  The city prints and the crazy quilt all look great.

I like the colorful living room--the deep teal and red don't overwhelm at all because of all the white and the windows.  I'm still loving my Sputnik ceiling fixture.

Sanding the living room and entry floors was my biggest DIY project.  I rented a very heavy sander from Home Depot and took a few days off work to get it done.  I then put three coats of stained polyurethane to protect my work.  It still looks good 15 years later.

The bathroom walls are almost covered with photos.

The guest room now has a deeper shade of yellow and a gorgeous solid hardwood floor.

My blue and white porcellain collection has expanded and the Liberty of London photo is a perfect fit in the guest room.

The guest room is such a huge improvement over the porch whose walls flapped in a breeze.  The floor is gorgeous and the room is a welcoming sanctuary.

It feels like a treehouse when I'm sitting in the window seat.

I used some of my inheritance from Mom to get the fireplace she always said I needed and she was right!

I also used some of the inheritance for a new bathroom vanity with marble.

Birthday card with background of the different sidewalk patterns in Prague.

Birthday card for Mom

Mom 2014

Meghan and Braxton's engagement card

Tim 2015

Sue 2015

Lauren 2016

The academic quad after a spring rain.

Nikki Baker, Ann Smith, Jayne Crosby, Karen Maguire, Liz Barbieri at Wood Neck Beach

2012—35th reunion