Day 4 - April 2, 2025

 I am marking things off my bucket list that I didn’t know where on it! The world is an incredible and amazing place, and I wonder anew at how great and smart God is to think of all these things and places! Today we flew early from Honolulu to Hilo on Big Island (Hawai’i) and then drove through Hilo to look at Rainbow Falls. It was a beautiful waterfall, but no rainbow today - we actually started out the day with sunshine in a place that gets over 100 inches of rain in a year. Then we rode the bus to Volcanoes National Park, and I got more stamps for my Passport book (and Phil’s). The bucket list was actually seeing a volcano, and seeing one that is active. Kilauea has been active since 1983, so we saw lots of smoke and way off in the distance some fire. This was a huge area and we were able to look down in the crater. We saw steam vents over the land, and miles of volcanic rock fields where not much grows. We got glimpses of Mauna Loa, a huge volcano. The really incredible check off my bucket list was the black sand beach. Although not exactly sand, more like tiny pebbles, it was definitely black, but the most cool things was getting to climb around on the volcanic rock (mostly smooth with pits and holes) and take pictures of the surf crashing into the rocks and on the beach. I was in photography heaven. We were getting some drizzly rain by then, and overcast clouds so the pictures are a study in monochromatic greys and blacks. I know one of them will make it on my wall! I could have stayed there the rest of the day, but we still had 1.5 hrs to the motel. This was a really long day, and we didn’t get to the motel until after dark, so I’ll report more about it tomorrow when I can see.

Day 3 - April 1, 2025

 Even though being here in Hawaii is a dream come true, it’s the little things that are making this such a great trip. The great breakfast at this hotel. The chickens running around loose everywhere. The plants in the bathrooms. The people that say, “Aloha!” When you walk into their stores. The tour manager who is so patient with us old people who don’t always listen (wow, that sounds like I’m talking about my previous students!). Not getting run over when we cross the street. The reflections on the mirrored skyscrapers.  The shadows of the monkey pod and banyan trees on the green grass. The new types of food - Musubi - which is spam and rice wrapped up with seaweed. Spam is a big deal here - I think they said Hawaii buys the most Spam than any place in the world. Today we started off in a rain forest that had incredible views. Then we went to the palace of the Hawaiian kings, where I saw one of the queen’s dresses made of peacock feathers - how could we live without a dress like that! And then Claudia and I walked around the hotel and beach where there were gift shops and bought some gifts. So now we have to pack up and head to Big Island in the morning at 6:15 am. Good day.

Day 2 - Pearl Harbor

 I have to say a BIG thank you to Prince Waikiki Hotel for the Amazing Breakfast Buffet they served this morning, The best part was the labels they put on everything that said, “NO DAIRY.” (As well as other allergens.) So I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh fruit, bacon, tater tots and other normal things as well as the Prince Fried Rice and a Chicken Sausage and some kimchee. The coffee was good (server said it was a blend of Kona.) 

We boarded a bus to take a tour of Honolulu and then to Pearl Harbor. Our bus driver, Kimo, was amazing and very entertaining - I believe he could be a stand-up comedian. We got to drive by the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. At Pearl Harbor we looked at the memorial stones of killed and survivors, and a museum filled with things about the attack itself. I got Gary a brown t-shirt in the gift shop and the lady mentioned that the brown color came from Kona berries. I had told her I was going to bring my brother some real Kona coffee beans and she said you can get them at Walmart. When I acted skeptical, she said, Really! They keep it locked up because people steal it. I had to laugh. Phil would not drink it if I bought it at Walmart!! Ha Ha - I think I’ll wait until the coffee farm and see if I can get some there. I also found out today that I can’t get Hershey Kisses with macadamia nuts because they don’t make the anymore. Is that sad, or what? But the bus driver gave us some other kind of chocolate covered macadamias, and Claudia said they were good. I’m saving mine for tonight. After the gift shop, we got to ride a boat out to the Arizona Memorial, which is a cemetery although I never thought of it that way before. Very moving and solemn. Even children were quiet. 

So now we are back in the room taking a nap before our community dinner tonight,. It’s in the same restaurant as breakfast so I’m expecting great things. 

Aloha!

In the museum. Wan’t Uncle Leonard a gunner’s mate?

Yes! Great things for dinner. I had really tender grilled chicken and roasted veggies and some really strange ground-up mushroom stuff that I tasted. Tasted like mushrooms! But the wonderful part was dessert. A strawberry sorbet, I think. So fancy and really tasty!

Day 1 - Wakiki

 After a brutal day of traveling over 5000 miles by bus and air, we made it from LEX through DFW to Honolulu. Warm, lovely, 85 degree weather met us, and I saw many of the familiar flowers that were in my Florida yard. With such a big group (41) it took awhile to get all checked in and our room was not ready. So we tried three different places to try to find something to eat, and ended up at McDonalds. Where pigeons walk around on the floor AND ON THE TABLES!! Yuk. After nearly getting run over because I didn’t know how to read the traffic signals, we made it back to the motel. I came down later to meet with Julie the tour director, who was going to walk us over to Wakiki Beach. You can see Diamondhead Volcano from there, and it is all beautiful. A lot of kids surfing. But the beach is rocky and hard to walk on. Not as nice a Venice! I stuck around and found a food truck selling shave ice, so I got one of those and enjoyed getting all sticky. I sat in the warm sun and watched the water and the surfers, and stayed for the sunset. There was a low cloud, so it didn’t take, although it was still pretty. The view from the 8th floor of our motel is beautiful. Now if Claudia and I can get rid of our leg cramps we’ll be ready for a good night’s sleep.,

Day 14 - March 9, 2025

 A pretty fun last day in Greece. We started out eating our oranges at breakfast, and then headed for a last pocket book shop for Claudia. We could hear church bells all over town this morning and it was a beautiful Sunday. Packed up and checked out right at 11. Lee brought the car around and we were off. We didn’t plan on stopping anywhere special on our way back through Corinth to Athens, but when we stopped for gas we ate some oranges, and then when we got a little lost off the interstate we found a bakery. 

Athens itself, however, was a nightmare traffic-wise. Apparently there was a half-marathon going on, and the police had every road that we needed to turn on blocked. Tons of traffic. So we drove around and around until finally they unblocked the road. The Lord was with my son because he stayed calm under pressure. He only blew his horn once! Just like a native anybody. The motel was ready for us and this time we are in a suite with all our beds together. It’s really nice and this one has a shower door that covers the whole shower. Maybe tonight we won’t have a swimming pool in the bathroom floor! 

After disembarking, Lee returned the car and we started our final shopping trek. We ate at Hard Rock Cafe Athens, had a very nice waiter who was dual citizen of Greece and England, so he was easy to understand. Then on the way back we found gelato and I had three scoops of coconut! Yum!

View outside motel balcony this morning. You can see windmills on top of the mountain to the left, and the tiny lighthouse on the spit of land.

Day 13 - March 8, 2025

Frying up fresh loukoumades

Claudia hoofing it uphill. 

The birds next dessert. 

The orange stand in the orange groves. 

Pic above is the temple/hotel/dormitory of Asklepios   The big theatre. 

  At motel breakfast I ate some leftover fava bean spread on pita, some of my oatmeal I brought from home, and some of Lee’s honey he bought in tiny jars to try different kinds. Apparently, thyme honey is popular here and it is pretty good. Today was a car day, and we drove 20 some km to the archaeological site of Mycenae and the museum there This place was a walled city with temples and cemeteries. We saw three cool domed burial chambers that you could walk into and hear your footsteps echoing. 

 Flowers of all colors were blooming; lots of yellow, little purple ones, white ones and red that looked like poppies. This place was high up on a hill that made you feel like you were on top of the world. Lee said Claudia earned her Billy Goat Girl Scout Patch today! The olive trees were loaded, and even though Lee warned me, I picked one and bit into it. While not at all like what you buy in a jar, I could taste the peppery bite and it was very juicy. To get into the city there is a lion gate (you can see two lions on the triangle lintel on top of the open door, and that is the oldest one in Europe - 1250 BC! Still in pretty good shape. Almond trees were blooming too. Just down the hill from here was another tomb - Agamemnon’s, also called the treasury. 

From there we headed through the town of Mykonos looking for anyplace that looked good for lunch. A man was standing outside the Electra, and waved us in, so we went there! I think he and his wife owned it, and she was cooking. We were the only ones in the place, and her food was delicious.Greeks evidently like to give you things complementary, and she gave us Kataifi (said it was ok for me to have). That things was amazing. It’s a Greek spun pastry that tasted like Heaven.

We then drove about 25 miles to Epidavrus, seeing massive amounts of loaded orange trees, windmills, and cute little houses that looked like mailboxes on the way. While also getting lost, we found a small ruin of a theater. Someone there pointed us in the right direction to find the big theatre - the best preserved theatre in Greece that is actually still used, called the Theatre at Epidavrus, or the Theatre of Asklepios. Now that was seriously big and cool and we got to crawl all over it. Greta stood in the center of the stage and emoted Helena’s monologue about Demetrius, and Lee could hear her fair all the way to the top. When I tried to sing Amazing Grace, the docents said no singing allowed. Very strange. Lots of people at this site. We hung around for a long time after looking at all the other ruins there as well. We have certainly seen a lot of ruined stuff. Yes, Julie - it certainly was a fixer-upper!

We stopped by an orange stand on the way back, and bought a bag of around 36 oranges from a guy for 4 euros! So good and sweet. He talked up a storm to us in Greek! We talked back in English! The only words he knew were mandarin, Chicago, America, Putin and Trump. It was funny,

Back to the motel, and then Lee, G and I ventured out to see if the donut shop was open. It was! And they were frying loukoumades right there and we got a dozen fresh ones with walnuts and honey - so good! Then on the way back to pick up Claudia for supper, Lee heard music and found some high school kids singing in a mosque so we stopped for that. Some of the singers had just come in from Choate Prep School in Connecticut, and they did a marvelous job singing Acapella in that domed ceiling space. 

Picked up Claudia and went back to the same place we ate the first night here in Nafpoli - this time trying Calimari, stuffed cabbage, and more fava bean spread. 

Cat count so far - 250.

Day 12 - March 7, 2025

 Cat count - 236. They are everywhere! Also there are lots of orange and lemon trees lining the streets of this quaint little town of Nafpoli. G picked one in the front yard of the town library and said it was the best orange she ever ate. The pace is much slower here, and it is quieter. The motel is right on the sea and we can walk out onto our own balcony and feel the lovely breeze right in our faces. Today it got to nearly 70 degrees so we couldn’t have asked for a better weather forecast. I started out the day getting up too early because I forgot what time we were to meet for breakfast. So I went on down and drank coffee and finished crocheting Rachel’s scarf. I hope to mail it to her tomorrow from here. Then the crew came down for breakfast and we were off on a Rick Steves walking tour of the town. We peeked in several Greek Orthodox churches, saw 900 year old and 300 year old olive trees, heard Greek music on the streets and ate in cafes with tables on the street, covered in tents. A LOT of people smoke here, so that is a bit uncomfortable, but we just leave early or move. We saw another group of people protesting something in front of the government center. More. Shopping. Although I did some today too - it’s hard to resist a beautiful scarf. This afternoon we hopped in the car and Lee drove us to a fortress on a hill, and a beach, so we could put our hands in the Mediterranean Sea and watch the sunset. Google Maps lead us astray again, so we had a little adventure. Tonight we had more Greek food and this time some octopus - and it’s not bad. You think it’s Calimari, but not the same at all. 

Sunset on the Mediterranean. 

They love their cats here.

5.43 miles walked today.

Day 11 - March 6, 2025

View from the top of AcroCorinth (almost top) of the Gulf of Corinth.

Walking up the billy goat trail to AcroCorinth.

 I hope Lee had as good a time on his birthday today as I have had. We left Athens this morning bound for Corinth and Nafpoli, on the other side of Greece. Lee rented a car from a place not far from the hotel, and picked us up, heading West. It helped that Greeks drive on the correct side of the road and the cars are like ours, except for kilometers instead of miles. We got to Corinth in order to experience the place where St. Paul spent a lot of his time, and where so much ancient history happened before and after that. There is an agora like the one in Athens, and we spent time looking at the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, and many other buildings, (actually a lot of rocks) as well as the little museum and an Amphitheater. What another gorgeous day, and we peeled off layers today. After an hour or so there, we drove up the mountain to the AcroCorinth, the old fortress and church on top of the mountain. We ate at a Greek restaurant there, with pork souvlaki, dolmado, Greek lasagna, stuffed tomato and stuffed pepper, and of course, tzastiki. Then, as the walk up to the fortress from there was long and steep, Claudia decided to nap in the car. We made our way up, going slowly because the incline was awful, but also because the views were incredible. We couldn’t believe that there were no guardrails. Flowers were blooming all over and bees were busy. Another wonderful time, but man - we are going to be sore tomorrow. Lee decided after that to follow his nose for awhile and just get lost in Corinth. He managed to get lost at a gelato stand, and a couple of tourist shops, imagine that. Then he decided we needed to find the Corinth canal, which is the cut-through in Greece kind of like the Panama Canal in Panama. We finally found it, but I felt like I was in an episode of Itchy Boots - Lee said never trust Goggle Maps!  We found dirt roads, little farms, a shepherd watching his goats and lambs, and finally found the canal. Worth the trip! Then back in the car to Nafpoli, arriving at dark to the Agememnon Hotel which is right by the sea. We finished the day with a late dinner at To something, a little restaurant under a tent by the water. I asked the waiter if I could put a candle and light it in Lee’s dessert and he not only said yes, but he put one in it himself. He gave us complementary dolmado and one other dish, and we ordered chicken, fries, pork, an eggplant and beef dish, fava bean spread, pita bread, and three dip appetizer. Lee had a little chocolate Bundt cake and three dips of ice cream that he shared with Claudia and G. The server made sure we had two heaters at our table, and so we were toasty warm. There was only one other couple in there the whole time, so we got stellar service. I think (hope) we will go back before Sunday. After coming back to the motel, I attempted some Milky Way shots from the roof of the motel, with not much success - just too much light. But the shots of the old castle on the water might turn out good. All in all, a very good day.

The Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth.

Trees blooming everywhere. This may have been an almond or apricot.

Warmer here than in Venice, FL!

Day 10 - March 5, 2025

 Oh, the bliss of sleeping in this morning as Lee and G went to an architectural museum. I know I missed out, but it was lovely not to hurry. I got up after 10 and went out hunting duct tape and loukoumades, a dairy and egg-free Greek donut. Success! I bought 6 of them and they are wonderful. Little balls of fried dough drenched in honey. With the hotel’s cafe Americano, I was in bliss some more. Claudia and I got out after that (noon or so) and shopped more tourist shops until Lee and G met us there, and then they shopped some more (did I teach him how to do this?) We had lunch at the restaurant same as before. 

Then we spent the afternoon at the Agora, which is the ancient marketplace/government area in the middle of the city. From the ruins there you can look up and see the Acropolis. There is a Museum there as well. We had another beautiful day with an impossibly blue sky. I really enjoyed the agora because I could wander and take pictures and I found lots of flowers blooming. G’s cat count so far is 116. Lee said she was probably seeing the same 3 or 4 all the time and she said, no, she’d seen at least 8 at once! People are feeding them, petting them, and there are bowls of water set out all over the place. 

After the Agora, we wandered the streets a bit that were not touristy, and found quaint shops and bakeries, and lots of graffiti We found ourselves back at a different restaurant but apparently run by the same people as our favorite, and I had more Greek salad and Souvlaki. I believe I could eat this every day. 

Flowers blooming at the Agora

Agora ruins. In the 1930s there were residential houses built all over this area, and they were razed to start excavating these ruins,. Reminded me of TVA. You can see the Parthenon in the middle top of this picture on the Acropolis.

Day 9 - March 4, 2025

 Sooooo hard to get up this morning. I hit the snooze button twice. L & G headed down to breakfast without us and we joined them for our first Greek Motel Breakfast. Turkey, Ham, tomatoes, fruit, breads, Greek honey, and a fancy coffee machine. We took good care of the food and then headed out for the Acropolis museum. Lee figured we needed to spend time in it to see what the acropolis was all about. The neat thing was one of the top floors was laid out exactly like the Parthenon, and the pieces from it were put in place as they would have been back in the day. I was interested to find out that at one time, the friezes around the top were colored many different colors, and there was one display that showed how the colors came about from different minerals. I was happy to only get yelled at twice by a docent, once for taking a picture in a restricted area, and another for leaning on a side of the place where some things were displayed. I haven’t found the Greek people to be super friendly. I have found them to be super pushy about trying to sell you something - reminds me of Mexico. So the shopping experience isn’t one of my favorites. I truly enjoyed walking up to the top of the hill where the Parthenon lives. We took it slow, there were not many tourists at all, and I could take pictures to my heart’s content. The wind nearly blew me over a couple of times, but the sun and sky were Glorious! I walked around the whole time not believing I was actually there. Would my 6th grade social studies teacher be happy! We walked off the other side of the hill, onto Mars Hill, where Paul did some of his preaching while in Athens. It’s just a bald hill full of slick rocks, but it’s really cool to see the top of the Acropolis from there. Good views all around - you can see the Mediterranean from the Acropolis. A lot of cats here! G counted around 60.

After shopping until we dropped, we went to a different Greek restaurant tonight. I had drunken chicken, and Lee had mousaka. We all agreed last night was better - and cheaper! They served us an aperitif called Mastika, better than the Ouzo that Lee and I tried last night. The Ouzo tastes like licorice, and this Mastika tastes like pine trees.

Frying Pan and Brazier from around the 3rd or 4th century BC

Day 8 - March 3, 2025

 Today was a travel day, up early and out before 7 am to catch the train to Heathrow. I sure didn’t think it was such a long way to Athens from London - but the flight was over 3 ½ hours. By the time we got there, it was coming on dark. Lee got a taxi which was only a little more than paying four train tickets, and a lot easier. The taxis at the airport are all the same kind, yellow, and very clean. It is certainly more difficult to communicate here than in England, but the Greek accents are charming. We unloaded our stuff at the Hermes Hotel and then took off for a restaurant Lee knew about because we were starving. We had traditional Greek fare - Souvlaki with pita bread and Greek salad and it was all wonderful. Lee and I had the beef and lamb souvlaki (like hamburger on a stick) and the girls had chicken. They ordered a dish of tzatziki (cucumber in yogurt sauce, and they all helped me eat my salad - it was big! Food and lodging is much cheaper here than in London. After dinner we walked around in the dark to several little tourist sops that were still open, and we could see the acropolis all lit up on the hill above town. Good day. We survived a scare that Lee had lost his credit cards, but they were found and all is well.

The Acropolis

Beef and lamb souvlaki

Day 7 - March 2, 2025

 Sunday morning, and church here just like at home - but not. Lee took us to St. Paul’s Cathedral for a Sung Eucharist and I loved it. The boy’s choir and all the deacons and pastors processed in to the organ music that just echoed and echoed off the tall ceilings and walls of this beautiful church. We had a program! And the music was printed in it, so we could sing with the rest of the congregation. We lined up and had communion, repeated lots of responses, and sang one song that I knew - “Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise,” by Walter Chalmers Smith. It was neat to listen to the echoes of the voices of the pastors and the singers. There were a lot of people there, which gives me hope for the world! 

After meeting up with L, we did high tea today at the Swan Restaurant at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. They had a vegan option, so this was the first scone I got to have in England - it was worth the wait. we had three kinds of tea. Then we visited the Globe gift shop.

Next we Ubered back to the motel to drop off stuff and go do yet more shopping. G was in Heaven and made out like a bandit. Lee and I peeled off to go to an organ concert at Westminster Abbey. So many nice things are offered here for free, and lots of people take advantage of them. 

We met back up with the girls and had dinner at an Italian restaurant, and finished the day at a couple of tourist shops. 

Looking back at St. Paul’s Cathedral as we walked over the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames.

Day 6 - March 1, 2025

 Much better day today, although I feel like a Weeble that Wobbles but doesn’t fall down.  I basically just followed everyone around and sometimes sat in the Punch & Judy Pub for awhile waiting on people. Doing that I got to meet some English folks because table space was at a premium. I met a lady who walks dogs for a living and walks 14 miles a day. So that was lovely. L came over and went to Buckingham Palace with Claudia, and G, Lee and I went to the Natural History Museum to look at dinosaurs and cool rocks. Again, I had to sit for a lot of it and it was good that there were benches about. It was a great advantage to be old, because I got to skip lines and the security guys didn’t even look in my bag - said I was VIP! The only thing we wanted to do that we did not was tour Westminster Abbey - it was crazy how long the line was that I could not skip. Made me feel like UK was having a game and people were lined up for tickets. We ate at Mama Mash again - L & G really like those little English pies and mashed potatoes. British Comfort Food!

Maybe the best show we have seen was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The music was so “Irish” even though the musical is set in Cornwall England. The story is sweet and poignant, and combined with the music and fabulous talent, left me in tears. I think Lee said there were 13 actors and 30 instruments! 

Day 5 - February 28, 2025

 Today we met my English friend, R, at the Borough Market and hung out with her for a couple hours; had a coffee and browsed the stalls. It’s a very interesting place, with beautiful fruit, breads, meats, and cheeses for sale and booths for coffee, ethnic fast foods, flowers, and trinkets. R was happy to hear American voices (she grew up in Pineville).  

After that we headed to Siddcup where L goes to school. Met her and had a lovely focaccia bacon sandwich, and then she took us on a tour of her school. We saw a red fox on campus that didn’t act a bit afraid of us.  L said they were as common as raccoons at home, and people there couldn’t believe we had raccoons running around like that - they only see them in the zoo. We actually saw another fox in downtown London tonight on the way home from the show.

So, we rode the train back to London, found a crepe restaurant that G wanted, and after that headed to see Matilda, the Musical. L was at a different show, and came to the motel after for awhile. She took G home with her for an overnight 

The first picture below is a picture of the panorama of London you see from the top of the hill where the Royal Observatory is located in Greenwich. The second pic is Lee and I standing on either side of the Greenwich Mean Time line.

Day 4 - February 27, 2025

 Reeeaaalllly hard to get up this morning, and we still didn’t make it to our10:30 tour with a Beefeater at the Tower of London. But we were able to get into the next tour, and it was hilarious and very informative. He did get pretty graphic about executions.  The guy said to the Americans in the group, “This too could be your history if you had paid your taxes!” So funny. So we got to see this amazing place, a building from 1080 smack in the middle of modern London, where we could see the Shard and other skyscrapers, and next to the Thames River and the Tower Bridge which is the most beautiful one, in my opinion. It was a beautiful day and we got so many pictures. Nowadays the Tower is mainly a large collection of artifacts from London’s and England’s history. They keep the Crown Jewels there which was cool, but not as cool as the armor worn by Henry VIII and the other kings, a head bust of Queen Elizabeth I that shows she was actually pretty, and a really neat dragon made out of all kinds of armor and weapons and things over the ages. 

We did a lot of travel on the tube today. Good way to get around and magic the way you can just tap your phone on the stile and it lets you in. As a matter of fact, I have not spent ANY cash the whole time I have been here - London is truly a cashless society. I must be living in a science fiction novel. 

We ate fish and chips at Hobson’s and Lee had sticky toffee pudding which is a favorite here. Then we finished up the day watching the world’s longest running play, Agatha Christie’s, “The Mousetrap.” We couldn’t guess who done it!

Day 3 - February 26, 2025

It’s hard to pick my favorite picture of today! Since it was a rainy day, we decided to do the British Museum and the British Library before our show tonight. Lots of other people thought the museum was a good idea too, so we stood in line for a bit to go through security check. This museum is seriously cool. Free! Lots of mummies, Greek statutes, stuff that England stole from the Parthenon in Greece, and artifacts from Bible times in Mesopotamia, Ur, Ninevah, and Assyria. Since we’ve been studying Leviticus, that was also very cool.  We ate a little lunch there, and ended up spending 5 hours. Didn’t even see African or Asian exhibits. At the library, we got to see the Magna Carta! And some really old Bibles, letters from royalty like Henry VIII and Bloody Mary, and of course I found a book at the bookstore. We ate at Mother Mash, one of G’s favorites that has British comfort food. Then off to see Oliver! And. It. Was. Fabulous. The fellow playing Fagan put me in the mind of Tevyah on Fiddler on the Roof and he pulled off the part flawlessly.  So happy to have this chance to see these thins I’ve read and heard about all my life, but I am so tired!

This is a picture from the Ninevah collection at the British Museum. I especially thought of Phil and his man purse when I saw this eagle-headed fellow. And there were a lot more of them, so it must have been a thing. Maybe that’s why Jonah didn’t want to preach to them - he had a thing against man purses!!

Day 2 - February 25, 2025, London

Today is Claudia’s birthday, and we began it worn out from not sleeping much on the plane. Going through Heathrow Airport Customs was a breeze, and we only had to wait awhile for baggage claim. We got on the Underground and rode for an hour with many stops to get to our motel, which is FABULOUS. Claudia and I got an apartment with the cutest little kitchen, and Lee and G’s room opens into ours, so it’s like a big apartment. And we get to keep it all week! Since I neglected to get Greta’s coat out of the car at the airport, we went shopping for a coat first, and then to a bakery for Claudia’s birthday “cake,” an orange syrup cake and the gal at the Greek Bakery put a candle on it, but no fire. We still sang to her! Then we hit the grocery store to stock up on food we could eat for breakfast, and snacks, as our cute little kitchen has a nice-sized frig and microwave, and toaster! English muffins, crumpets, and dairy-free cream cheese here we come! Maybe I can find a dairy-free clotted cream later so I can taste that. We met L in the tube station at Charing Cross; the girls went to Harrod’s and Lee and I went to evensong service at Winchester Cathedral, so I got to see the evening sun on Big Ben, hear an angelic choir sing anthems during the service and a piece based on Numbers 6:245-26 by John Rutter. Thought I would melt in my chair. Loved this so much! We met the girls after at a pizza place outside of Harrod’s and I had a garlic bread (shared with L). Then Lee got Claudia a Uber back to the motel, and the rest of us went to a play called, “The Play that Goes Wrong.” I think we all laughed ourselves sick. Then back to the motel, and now our L is on her way back to her dorm. I officially love London.

Note: A cool thing we found out later (from L) was that at last night’s show we were sitting less than 20 feet away from the King and Queen! Ooooh la la!

Day 1 - London

February 24, 2025

After a long morning finalizing my packing, fixing a breakfast of Phil’s leftover red beans and rice and English muffins, and vacuuming the floors, Claudia arrived and we were off to Lee’s house. Under a beautiful blue sky, we made our way there and spent an hour waiting for Greta’s banana bread to get done baking and working on air tags and phones. Next stop, Cattleman’s restaurant close to the airport in Northern Kentucky. Gary dropped us off at the airport around 7 pm and it was a seamless trip into the airport, through TSA, and train ride to our gate. The airport was a ghost town at this time of night, which was very pleasant. We had a water break at a little bar near the gate, and then it was time to board. The plane for British Airways was roomy, but not roomy enough for a comfortable night’s rest. It’s just hard to sleep sitting up straight, no matter what kind of fancy pillow you have, and I am a bit too old to do much curling up on airplane seats. Lee and Greta moved to the back of the plane so they could stretch out and sleep, as the plane was not nearly full. Finally, daylight at around 3:30 am on my phone, and now it is Claudia’s birthday and we are into Day 2 of our trip. P.S. Lee ordered vegetarian meals for me, which were mostly ghastly. The dinner did have some pretty good rice I ate a little of and some snack things that looked safe, but oh, breakfast! Gag. 

Beginning a New Trip

 Lee has planned us another European trip, beginning soon.This will make three times I’ve been to Europe in the last year and a bit. I can’t believe that’s a sentence I would ever write. It’s amazing, and I am so blessed.

I find that planning for the trip is more fun than actually going on the trip!! Even as much as a month or two out, I find myself packing and re-packing to see just how lean and mean I can get my luggage. With this trip, and the airlines going smaller and smaller for carryons, it’s even  more of a challenge. But I am almost ready!! Now if I can get over this rotten nasty cold so they will let me on the plane.

Black-eyed pea Stew

 

From Ranch Gordo Black-Eyed Pea Stew

1 pound Rancho Gordo Black Eyed Peas, cleaned and rinsed ¼ pound (4 or 5 pieces) bacon, chopped into rough squares 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped 2 small to medium white onions, chopped 2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1 bay leaf Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup whole canned tomatoes with some juice, roughly chopped   If desired, soak the Black Eyed Peas for 2 hours, covered by about 2 inches of water. In a soup pot over medium heat, gently cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it’s just done, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon pieces and let them rest on a paper towel. In the remaining bacon fat, saute the celery, onion, carrot, and garlic over medium heat until soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When the vegetables are soft, add the Black Eyed Peas and their soaking water. Add enough water to cover the peas by about an inch. Stir, add the bay leaf, and then raise the heat to high; bring the contents to a rapid boil. Keep boiling, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt and adjust the water so that the peas are again covered by about an inch. Reduce to a gentle simmer until the peas are soft, about 35 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir and then gently heat through, about 15 minutes over medium heat. Add pepper to taste and the reserved bacon pieces. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 4 to 6

Apache Tears Afghan

Materials: Yarn – 16 sk, 4 ply yarn, 2 sks each of colour A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H Hook – Crochet hook size H-8 US size or size available that is needed to obtain gauge Measurements – About 50” x 72” Stitches used – chain stitch (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc)

Notes: Each row is worked from the right side, beginning at the right edge by leaving 5” or yarn at beginning of row; 6” of yarn when fastening off at the ends of row. These strands are for fringes. If making a child-sized afghan, do not use fringe. Every 4 rows, change colours. Work all sc in back loop of st in previous row, work all Tr in front loop of st 3 rows below, sk sc behind. Ch 254 (ch 203 for 40” width) with colour A. Directions: Rows 1-4: Sc across Rows 5: With colour B, *Tr in st 3 below, sc in next 6 sc, repeat from * across.

Row 6: Sc in 1st Tr, *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 7: Sc in 1st 2 sts *tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 8: Sc in 1st 3 sts *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 9: With colour C, sc in 1st 4 sts *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 10: Sc in 1st 5 sts *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 ts, repeat from * across. Row 11: Sc in 1st 6 sts *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across.

Row 12: Sc in 1st 7 sts. *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 13: With colour D, #Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Repeat rows 6-13 for pattern. With each new row, the tear is one st over from the previous row. Repeat colour sequence of A-H for a total of 5 times. Finishing: Know 2 adjusting strands on sides close to work. If preferred, make fringe to match on ends.

Larry McBrayer's Burgers

 Larry McBrayer‘s burgers

Prime ground burger meat from Publix. Kosher salt. And very thinly sliced onions. On the grill lay a patty of meat or a ball of meat. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with onions. Smash it down. Let it fry until almost brown on top. And then flip. This gives you a nice crusty burger.

September 27, 2021 - did this with Beyond Meat and it was also very very good! Used olive oil.

Sourdough Skillet Pizza

 Today I tried this: 

Oiled Mom's 10 inch cast iron skillet with 1 T or so of olive oil

Mixed

• 60 grams levain
• 120 g bread flour
• 120 g water
• a healthy squirt of honey
• 1 tsp salt

Poured it into the skillet and spread it out. Covered it for 3-4 hours or so. This made a thicker crust than I thought I might like, so next time try half the dough.

Spread tomato sauce over the top, sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder. Cover with onions, peppers, rotisserie chicken and homemade vegan cheese. Should have added olives and mushrooms but I forgot.

Oven 375 for 10 minutes, covering with foil during last 3 or 4 which was not enough. Did 5-10 more. Next time if the crust is the same thickness I'll go up to 400 degrees.

This was very good and not too hard to put together.

7-day Sweet Pickle Chips

 From Mother Earth News Oct/Nov 2020 - a Mennonite recipe - yield 12 pints

• 10 pounds cucumbers
• ¼ c kosher or pickling salt
• 3 T alum or 5 T loose black tea from 8 tea bags
• 4 qt. Apple cider vinegar
• 10 c sugar, divided, plus 1 c if needed
• ¼ c pickling spice

Day 1: In large bowl or clean cooler, soak cubes in ice water 30 min. Drain. Trim off ends, slice into ¾ inch chunks. Pack into a 5 gallon or larger jar with lid. Cover with boiling water. Cool, cover, and let sit overnight.

Day 2: There may be some fluffy white foam on top, it’s lactobacillus and it’s healthy. Drain, rinse, the jar and put cukes back in - don’t rinse the cukes. In a 5-qt non-reactive pot, bring salt and 4 qt water to boil. Pour brine over cukes. Cool, cover, and let sit overnight.

Day 3: Drain the cukes, don’t rinse them, but do rinse the jar, and pack cukes back into the jar. In pot, bring alum or tea bags and 4 qt water to boil. Pour boiling water over cukes, discard any excess. Cool, cover, let sit overnight.

Day 4: Drain the cukes and rinse the jar. In pot, bring apple cider vinegar and 5 cups sugar to boil, stir to dissolve sugar. Put Pickling spice into a cheesecloth bundle or a tea ball and add to jar to cukes. Pour vinegar mix over the cukes. Cool. cover and let sit for THREE days.

Day 7: Drain pickles, reserving 2 cups of syrup. Dispose of the pickling spices. Put pickles into a giant bowl and scatter 4 c sugar over them. Stir well and let sit for about an hour. Pack pickles tightly into warm jars. The sugar will have drawn liquid out of the pickles. Pour syrup over the pickles, dividing evenly. Heat one cup of reserved spiced vinegar and remaining cup of sugar in a non-reactive saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Fill the jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. If the jars require additional liquid, remove the air bubbles and repack the jar. If they’re well-packed and still short of liquid, make another batch of syrup by boiling the remaining cup of reserved vinegar with another cup of sugar. Remove air bubbles with a chopstick. Place lids and rings on and tighten. Process in boiling water bath 5 min. 

Let pickles cure for a week or so, turning the jars over for the first few days to disperse and dissolve any sugar on the bottoms of the jars. Chill well before enjoying. The pickles are shelf-stable for 1 year.

Hush Puppies

 From Linda Stephens, Harrogate, TN

• ½ c corn meal
• ½ c flour
• 1 diced onion
• ½ c buttermilk

Mix together. Rinse out cup that had buttermilk in it with ¼ c water. Add with 3 sprinkles garlic salt and 5 sprinkles onion salt. Let set 10 min and fry in deep pan in oil in round balls. Serves 6-8. 

Overnight Refrigerator Rolls

 from Grace Day, Harrogate, TN

• 2 pkgs yeast
• 2.5 c warm water
• ¾ c melted shortening
• ¾ c sugar
• 2 well-beaten eggs
• 8 to 8.5 c flour
• 2.5 tsp salt

Soften yeast in warm water. Add shortening, sugar, eggs, 4 c flour and salt. Stir and then beat until smooth about 2 in. Stir in remaining flour, use hands, working until air bubbles form. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator overnight or until needed. When ready to use, punch down dough and pinch of ⅓. Cover remaining dough and return to frig. Make into rolls. Allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Bake 400 degrees. ⅓ of dough makes 12 rolls.

These rolls were famous at First Baptist Church in Harrogate.

Stir Bread

 From Otella Pettigrew, Harrogate, TN

• 1 pkg yeast
• 2.5 c unsighted flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Mix all this together.

Heat together 1 c milk and 2 T Crisco.

Put milk mix with dry mix, add 1 egg, beat 300 strokes. Let rise. Stir down. Place in pan, bake 350 degrees for 20 min, then cover with foil and put foil under the pan and bake 20 more minutes.

Whole Wheat Bread

 From Grace Day, Harrogate, TN

Step 1:

Heat together until melted and cool to lukewarm ¾ c milk and 5 T margarine. Add this to ⅓ c molasses.

Step 2:

Dissolve 1.5 c real warm water with 2 pkgs yeast and ¼ c sugar. Add this to 1 well-beaten egg.

Step 3:

Measure out 3.5 c whole wheat flour plus ½ c wheat germ plus 1 T salt, 3.5 c white flour, and 3 T rye flour.

Combine ingredients in step 1 and 2. Add about 2 c of each flour and beat til smooth. Add enough of each remaining flours to make a soft dough. Knead 8-10 minutes. Let rise til double. Divide into 2 equal parts and let rest for 10 minutes. Then form into loaves and let rise until double. Bake 350 degrees about 30 min. Makes 2 loaves. 

Spoon Yeast Rolls

 From Betty Davis, Harrogate, TN

• 1 pkg yeast
• ½ c sugar
• ¾ c Crisco oil
• 2 c warm water
• 1 egg
• 4 c self-rising flour

Place yeast in warm water. Add other ingredients with beaten egg. Stir till well mixed. Place in air tight bowl and refrigerate. Can keep up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, drop by spoon full into well greased muffin tins. You can let them rise in warm place for an hour or put in oven immediately. Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Yields 2 dozen. Stir dough down each time you use from it. 

Angel Biscuits

 From Winnie Day, Harrogate, TN

• 1 pkg yeast
• 2 T warm water
• 5 c flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 2 T sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 c Crisco
• 2 c buttermilk
• Melted butter

Dissolve yeast into warm water. Sift dry ingredients, cut in shortening. Add buttermilk to mixture. Stir thoroughly till moistened. Turn out on floured board and knead one or two minutes. Cute with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Dip in butter. Fold as rolls. Place on untreated baking sheet. Bake 400 degrees for 12-15 min. Yields 2.5 dozen.

Zucchini Fritter

From Julie:

2 cups grated zucchini                              3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated onion                                 chopped parsley, I didn't use
2 eggs, beaten                                          Flour
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese             Oil

Combine ingredients, adding enough flour to hold shape when dropped by spoon into hot oil. 
Brown on both sides; drain on paper towels.  Serve immediately or reheat in oven.

Lentil Loaf

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 c dried green lentils, rinsed
• 3 T ground flax
• 2 T oil
• 1 c diced onion
• 1 c diced celery
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 c shredded carrot

• 10 oz baby Bella mushrooms minced (about 2 cups)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 1 c finely chopped toasted walnuts
• 1 c bread crumbs
• 1.5 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp pepper or to taste
• red chili flakes to taste

1. Cook lentils, drain, set aside.
2. Stir flax with ½ cup water and set 3 minutes
3. Saute onion, celery, garlic about 3 min. add carrot and mushrooms until soft about 5 min. stir in them and fennel and cook 5 more min.
4. Oven 350. Line loaf pan with parchment and set aside.
5. Once mushrooms are soft, add yeast, lentils, flax, walnuts, bread, salt, Pepper and chili flakes to skillet; stir well. taste for seasoning and add more if needed. mixture should stick together, but if not, put in food processor and pulse until thickened.
6. Put in loaf pan and press firmly down. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 min.
7. Let cool 10-20 min before slicing.

Tangy Green Bean Salad

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 2 T oil
• 2 T minced shallot
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp black pepper
• dash of cayenne

Serve this sauce over steamed green beans or salad greens or raw or roasted veggies. A GOOD vegan dressing.

Whisk together until creamy.

Bourbon BBQ Sauce

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 T oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• ⅓ c bourbon
• ¼ c ketchup
• ¼ c tomato paste
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1.5 T molassess
• 1.5 T dijon mustard
• 1 T Worcestershire
• 1 T liquid smoke
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Saute onion and garlic about 3 min. Add bourbon and let simmer 10 seconds, add ketchup, paste, soy, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire, smoke and vinegar. Reduce to heat to med low, cover and gently simmer 20 min. use blender to blend until it is a thick sauce. store up to 1 week.

Sourdough Oatmeal Muffins

 Combine and soak for one hour.

• 1 cup oats (I used rolled)
• 1 cup milk  (I used coconut)

Grease 12 muffin cups - oven 400, bake 20-25 minutes

Mix wet:

• ½ cup starter (levain)
• ⅓ cup oil
• 1 egg
• ½ cup raisins (I used craisins and nuts)

Mix dry:

• 1 cup flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup brown sugar

Add wet to dry. Mix oats in until just moistened. Bake. 

These were VERY good!

Sourdough Mexican Cornbread

 Grease 13 x 9 pan, oven 400 for 30-35 minutes

Mix dry ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tb sugar

Mix wet:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup starter, 1.5 cup milk
• ¼ cup oil

Stir into dry until just moistened.

Combine: 

• 1 cup creamed corn
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 can chilies - 4 oz
• 1 jar pimientos - 4 oz
• 1.5 cup cheese - 6 oz

Fold into other mixture and pour into pan. 

Sourdough Hush Puppies

 Combine:

• 1.5 cup cornmeal
• ½ tsp soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ cup dry milk

Stir in this mixture:

• 1 cup starter
• 1 egg, ½ c onion

Fry in hot fat.

Angel Sourdough Biscuits

•  1 tsp yeast
• 2 Tb warm water
• 1.25-1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼  cup shortening 
• 1 cup starter
• ¼ cup melted butter

Mix 1st eight ingredients  and roll out. Cut biscuits and dip in butter. Rise 1 hour. Bake 20-25 min at 400.

Makes 18-20

Herbemare Knock off Season Salt

 Blend:

1 cup sea salt

1 tsp each oregano, thyme, basil, dill, dried garlic, chives, sage, celery seed, marjoram

2 tsp onion powder

½ tsp ground rosemary

½ cup dried parsley

1-2 tsp dried ground kelp

¼ c nutritional yeast

Blender Custard Pie

 In blender, for 10 seconds; don’t over blend:

• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup Bisquick
• ½ stick butter
• ⅔ c sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Dash salt

Stir in 1 cup coconut after blending. Pour into greased 9 inch pie pan. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake 350 about 40 minutes. 

Salt Rising Bread

 In an old recipe book I had:

• The night before, in a quart jar, add:
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 med potatoes sliced thin
• 3 Tb white corn meal
• 3 Tb sugar
• Pinch of soda

cover jar and set in warm place all night. Next morning a foam should have risen on the liquid and an odor can be noticed. Pour into a large bowl. Scald one pint of sweet milk and allow it to cool to lukewarm. Add to the bowl with 3 Tb sugar and one pinch soda. Add enough flour to consistency of paste. This is the sponge. Let rise to double about an hour. Now add shortening about the size of an egg, sprinkle salt over this about one tsp, and add flour to knead. Pour out on table and knead as you would other light breads. Place in loaf pans (well-greased). Bake 375 for 15 minutes and then 350 for 45 to 50 minutes in all.

I don’t know about this. I might research other recipes before trying.