It’s been a scorcher of a day, especially as we were often walking in the hot sun here in Ghent, about an hour away from Brussels. No wind to speak of! We happened to visit during the ten-day Ghent Festivities, when the city center transformed into one giant festival. There was music in 18 different… Read More A day in Ghent
For about four hours today, I did not know where I was or how to get back to my hotel. You’re not supposed to get lost if you’re on a tour, right? Well, I decided to explore Brussels on my own, away from my tour group. Four hours later, 9.1 miles and 20,687 steps later,… Read More Getting lost … what’s new?
As we entered the driveway to the Bastogne War Museum, everyone on our bus was wowed by the sight of the giant statue, the famous V-J Day photo of a sailor kissing a nurse at the end of World War II which was taken by Life magazine photographer, Alfred Eisenstaedt on Aug. 14, 1945. “The iconic shot of… Read More Bastogne and Bocq
In Luxembourg City there is a definite contrast between the historic and the ultra-modern. Our hotel, the Novotel, is located in the super-modern section where there is a lot of new construction. After being in the Netherlands and not being able to read the signs I am feeling a lot more comfortable here in Luxembourg… Read More Luxembourg City and Trier
My lack of sleep caught up with me as I nearly missed a 7:30 am deadline to have our luggage set out in preparation for leaving Amsterdam. It was a good thing I had packed my suitcase the night before because when I opened my eyes and looked at my phone, it said 7:28 am!… Read More Maastricht
Because our tour director wanted us to see part of the Aalsmeer flower auction which started at 3:00 am, we had to leave our Amsterdam hotel at 7:15 am, arriving about 8:00. The Royal FloraHolland is the largest international trading platform for plants and flowers—we entered only one of eight massive warehouses. The total area… Read More Aalsmeer and Delft
When I was in Amsterdam last April (only three months ago!) I had no idea that I would be back so soon! You see, I had signed up for a tour of Marian shrines in France, Spain and Portugal, but due to insufficient registration, the tour got cancelled. So, I had to find another tour… Read More I ❤️ Amsterdam!
Even though I set my alarm for 3:45 am, when I woke up and looked at my phone, it said 3:22 am. Yikes! Who needs sleep anyway? I had requested a 4:30 am taxi to the airport, and this time I didn’t forget anything important, like my phone or credit cards which I did when… Read More Back to Amsterdam
Our last night in Prague was spent together at a farewell dinner. The room was noisy with excited conversation and laughter, happiness in meeting new friends and a shared travel experience with long-time friends. Christel Yount made presentations and expressed appreciation to all the soloists, conductors and accompanists. She was also the mastermind of a… Read More Farewell to Prague
One thing I will remember about this Prague trip will certainly be the music making by the Hawaii Masterworks Chorus in beautiful churches with acoustically ambient spaces. Last night’s concert was such a highlight for performers and audience alike. So many people came out smiling and thanking us as they left the church. There is… Read More Music and motorcycles