Where-in-the-world-next

Anticipation!

2009-06-21T16:53:00.002-04:00

It's red, firm and unblemished and almost ready to harvest! Yes, my first tomato of the season and the best one I've ever managed to grow. I only hope it tastes as good as it looks. Many, many thanks to Graham for being chief tomato waterer. I think he has earned the first bite!

Large tour group causes traffic jam on new overpass

2009-06-20T19:37:00.007-04:00

It was raining as I drove to the shopping mall today and it was also my first trip on the overpass on route 28. I was curious to see it as it just opened recently.

I wasn't expecting to get caught in a traffic jam caused by this group that were touring the new road.

It was quite a large group to be out sightseeing on a rainy Saturday morning. The tour guide must be quite good.

I had to wait through two traffic light cycles before I could continue on my way. Lucky for me, I always have my camera nearby.

Not the usual sights in Historic Leesburg

2009-06-01T21:06:00.006-04:00

On a beautiful sunny Saturday we strolled through Leesburg on a photo safari. We took lots of photos of historic houses, but we also encountered some not so expected sights as you can see from these photos.

Ok, this one isn't so unusual. What was unusual, for me, was how unblemished this rose was and how well the photo turned out.

Unusual houseguests

2009-05-20T16:48:00.003-04:00

Some unusual houseguests arrived last week and we have no idea how long they will be staying. A persistent pair of birds built a nest on our porch even though in the beginning I kept removing their nest-in-progress.

Eventually I gave up and let them build it and now their babies have hatched. They are brave birds to have their nest so visible in a 2-cat household, but somehow they seemed to know that Dexter and Delilah are not allowed out. Molly, the neighbor cat however, is not so restricted and has taken to camping out in the bushes nearby.

Mom and Dad bird also get stroppy when we go outside. If we are on the porch they fly away, but not too far and they squawk at us trying to make us go back inside.

Anybody have any ideas for names for these two new baby birds?

Beauty in my Backyard

2009-05-19T18:26:00.005-04:00

Bright sun, abundantly blooming flowers and a new camera - a wonderful combination! Here are some test shots of flowers in my garden with my new camera. Hope to have more to post soon. Just proves you don't have to wander across the globe to find treasures. Sometimes they are literally in your own backyard!

Wonderful Walk at Ida Lee Park

2009-05-10T15:58:00.008-04:00

After 11 straight days of rain, we were treated to a weekend of summer-hot temperatures and blue and sunny skies. We decided to make the most of this weather by going for a stroll around the perimeter of a nearby park, called Ida Lee.
Because of the rain, we were treated to lots of verdant views and the garden had lots of flowers in bloom.
We even sat on a bench in the garden and "crashed" a wedding that was happening next to the garden.

Except for a few damp patches (see Graham leaping one above), it was a wonderful walk with lots to look at from babbling brooks and butterflies to soccer games and the newly built swimming pool. And best of all , it was FREE!

A trip to Turkey without a passport

2009-04-30T19:47:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my friend Mehmet, we recently discovered a wonderful restaurant in Herndon (Virginia). TurCuisine is a little bit of Turkey in suburban Virginia. The menu is extensive and according to Mehmet, authentic. The prices were reasonable and everything we ordered was delectable.

The dish pictured above is a Turkish version of pizza spelled Pide (prounounced pee-dah). This vegetarian version is just one of many on the menu. The dough was excellent with just the right amount of chewyness and grease-free. The portions were large and we took home leftovers to be enjoyed later.

Anyone who likes or would like to try Turkish food would love it here. We went at lunchtime on a Saturday and it was uncrowded with a cafe feel with both indoor and outdoor seating. At night they have traditional Turkish entertainment such as belly dancers.

Check out their full menu on their website.

The two faces of Philly

2009-04-26T18:29:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday I took a daytrip with a friend to Philadelphia. We traveled by car to Washington DC's Union Station where we caught an Amtrak train to Philadelphia. The day was perfect weather-wise (perhaps a wee bit too hot) with a surprise heat wave. It was a tad cooler there than Washington however.

30th Street Station is west of the historic district it gives the city a split personality. As you can see from the photo above, parts of the city modern with soaring, glass and steel skyscrapers while others in the east are filled with redbrick colonial buildings, stone streets and many attractions designed to teach visitors about the town's historic residents from long ago.
It is a very walkable city, but in addition there are subways, trolleys, tour buses and horses with buggies to help deliver you to any part of town you wish to visit.
To see all the photos check out my photo album.

National Crime and Punishment Museum

2009-04-13T19:41:00.003-04:00

There is a new museum in Washington DC and it is fantastic. My only complaint is that is is NOT inexpensive. The National Crime and Punishment Museum opened in recent months and the crowds have not yet discovered it - at least not on the day we visited - which is a good thing from the visitor's point of view. There is lots to see and lots of hands-on activities such as safe-cracking, police line-ups, car chase simulators and more.

We had two young teens (boys) with us and we paid $5.00 for a "case book" in addition to the entry fee. This case book details a crime and directs you to find clues in each of the exhibit rooms as you travel throughout the museum. At least one clue was hard for us to find and helped to ensure we read lots of what was on display.

The museum is located on 7th street between E and F and not too far from the other expensive but good Spy Museum which on that same day had a queue running down the block. I've been there when it was crowded like that and it is no fun. If you can't access the hands-on stuff, or get close to things to read them, you are wasting your money.

Before 9/11 we used to take visitors to the FBI tour (which was free). This museum seems designed to replace and improve that experience and it does a good job, but at almost $18 a person it isn't for budget travelers - especially when we have dozens of free Smithsonian museums that won't kill your budget.

If you have a few extra dollars to spend and you've already seen the free museums, you won't be disappointed here.

Virginia has cherry blossoms too

2009-04-11T09:30:00.004-04:00

Every year thousands of visitors flock to Washington DC to see the famous Cherry Blossoms in bloom. We were in DC on Tuesday but it was a cold and windy day - too cold and windy to walk down to the end of town where the blossoms are located (around the tidal basin). I did take a snapshot from the top of the post office pavilion as you can see in the photo below, but days later in Virginia we had better weather and an up-close and personal view of equally spectacular blossoms practically in our own back yard.
Behind the Washington monument you can see water (the tidal basin) and the pink bits are the famous cherry blossoms.

How nice to see you!

2009-03-08T20:00:00.004-04:00

We took a long walk in Hillsboro Virginia today to make the most of our unexpectedly warm weather and our route took us along a long, dirt road with virtually no traffic. We encountered several interesting sights along the way including a old stone church built by freed slaves, an old red caboose parked in someone's yard, and the friendly goats you can see in this photo. There were several goats and some curly sheep in this field and every last one of them came running to to the fence to great us. They were so adorable.

A good day for a walk

2009-02-28T08:56:00.002-05:00

A wintery walk in Loudoun county. Just before this shot was taken, a squirrel darted into the hole near the top.

Mother Nature is confused!

2009-02-10T19:13:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday we had amazing weather here in northern Virginia. It was a balmy 67 degrees when we decided to go for a walk and explore a nearby neighborhood. As we strolled along coatless in the bright sun we happened upon a frozen lake. Ice is just not something you expect to see when the day is as warm and bright as Saturday was.

Our weather continues to imitate Spring, and it is supposed to continue at least until Friday. Then Old Man Winter comes back from his winter holiday.

An unexpected bonus to commuting

2009-02-02T18:13:00.002-05:00

This morning as I sat waiting for a long light to turn green on my way to work, I suddenly took note of my surroundings and the view outside my window. The dawn was just breaking giving the sky a deep, dusky blue hue against which a stark leafless tree was silhouetted. Lucky me, my camera was handy and I quickly snapped the moment just as the light turned green.

I'm ready for the big one please

2009-01-21T17:57:00.003-05:00

For the third time in as many weeks the weather predictors have told us to expect snow or a wintry mix. Everyone runs out and stocks up on milk, toilet paper and shovels and then nothing arrives. Monday we even had a visitor from Wales who enjoys shoveling snow and all we got was a dusting as you can see from this photo.

All it does is mess up traffic and make it more dangerous to drive to work in the dark on the icy roads. I am in the mood for a few feet of real, honest-to-goodness white stuff. The kind where work is canceled and you spend the day shoveling, playing board games, watching old movies and drinking hot chocolate. Sometimes you can even go sledding with the neighbors.

My husband drives a school bus and he informs me of the latest methods used by kids to induce the snow and cause a snow day. In my day we just wished and prayed. Today's kids go to bed with their pajamas on inside out and flush ice cubes down the toilet!

I think I need to go now and make some ice cubes.

Another Irish President

2009-01-15T12:46:00.003-05:00

In honor of my Irish roots and the inauguration on Tuesday here is a cute video about Barack Obama's Irishness. His Irish history is similar to mine in that some of my great grandparents also came from Ireland. The song is cute - hope you enjoy it.

It smells like Christmas in Leesburg

2008-12-24T10:45:00.005-05:00

It is Christmas Eve and the excitement of Christmas has arrived along with the wonderful smells of the delicious treats my husband is cooking this morning. He started with Devon Splits (rolls)

that will be for dinner tonight followed by a mince pie that looks good enough to be sold in a shop.

Yesterday I made a Slovenian nutbread called Potica that is a tradition in my family that will also be offered for dessert tonight.

Anyway, the baking is done and after a bit of cleaning up and some lunch we will be ready to start preparing for tonight's festivities.

A quaint and cozy corner of Germany

2008-12-18T17:54:00.002-05:00

I would venture to guess that not many American tourists have heard of Freudenburg.

Freudenburg is an adorable village with narrow streets and black and white half-timbered buildings. It isn't on the beaten path or on the list of most visited places so it is pleasantly uncrowded and not touristy. Just 15 minutes from Siegen (another nice town that most tourists have never heard of), it isn't difficult to find if you are driving. I visited both places recently and highly recommend a visit.

In summer, Freudenburg would be delightful to explore on foot, but winter had its own attractions. Because darkness fell early each day, and one day it snowed, my overall impression is of a chocolate-box village that twinkles and glows just like something you might see in a classic snow globe.

I stayed in the "Hotel zum Alten Flecken" and it was quaint, comfortable with beamed ceilings and yet full of modern conveniences such as excellently insulated windows and nice bathrooms. The only thing they could improve is to eliminate smoking in the restaurant. I wasn't home much in the evenings, but when I was there, the halls smelled of the cigarattes being smoked downstairs. They are aware of the problem because they often leave the front door open to help rid the hotel of this smoke. I think they could solve the problem easily, but becoming a non-smoking establishment.

Despite this, I enjoyed my stay immensely.

Sparkling Germany

2008-12-11T19:40:00.003-05:00

I just returned from a week exploring the Christmas Markets of Germany and I have to say I was very impressed and a little jealous that we don't have anything like this in America. The sights, smells and tastes of these markets are powerful and combine to transport one to a magic place. I have many stories and photos to share in upcoming blogs, but the photo above is one of my favorites because it reminds me so vividly of the sparkle of the markets and warm gold color represents the warm glow that the atmosphere creates despite the cold December temperatures.

The Mystery of Veterans' Park is solved

2008-11-18T19:13:00.004-05:00

(Winter blew in on the weekend and chased Fall out of town)

Where in the world is Veterans' park? We've been wondering where this elusive park is actually located and on Sunday we found it. We knew it was supposed to be adjacent to Balls Bluff Park, but we could never figure out where exactly. On Sunday, we turned left on the trail just outside the entrance to Balls Bluff park and the trail turned out to take us into Veterans' park.

There is no sign, but there are park property signs and the trail isn't on the Balls Bluff trail map.

The main trail through the park takes you through the woods and down to the Potomac river. When you reach the river (about a mile) you can see where there used to be a ferry at some point in the past. There is an island in the river at this point, so the distance between the shore where were were standing and the island is only about 75 yards.

We chose to make the route a circular. After admiring the river, turn around and go back a few feet on the trail until you see a green trail marker on your left. If you follow this green blazed trail you will end up a few miles later at the cemetery in Balls Bluff park. Exit the park and you will have completed the circle.

A message from Michele

2008-11-08T10:26:00.003-05:00

Back to Ottery St. Mary for an ancient custom

2008-11-06T18:40:00.002-05:00

A few days ago I blogged about a freak weather event in Ottery St Mary, Devon England. They had another event yesterday that wasn't so random. In fact it has happened there on November the 5th every year since approximately 1605!

Anyone can "play" but it involves running through the narrow lanes of the town, already crowded with onlookers, carrying a beer barrel that is lined with tar that has been set alight. The history is long and the rules extensive, right down to the source of the tar.

So far, I've only heard the stories from my husband and his family, some of whom live in Ottery, but one day I hope to be an onlooker. There is a good site however where you can see photos and read the rules and the history. It is called Ottery St Mary, Tar Barrels

Sometimes Home is really pretty

2008-11-01T11:21:00.002-04:00

I'm home today enjoying the wonderful colors of Autumn in Leesburg Virginia.

Today is not a good day to visit Ottery St. Mary

2008-10-30T17:55:00.005-04:00

We received a text message today from Graham's sister who lives in Ottery St Mary in the south of England telling us to check out the news coming out about Ottery. She is in London visiting her daughter, so she missed the event.

It didn't take us long to discover it was an amazing Freak Weather event. The town had torrential rain for 2 hours in the middle of the night accompanied by huge amounts of hail. The flood waters were 4 feet deep and the hail piled up to a foot deep. In fact, when you look at the photos, it looks like a foot of icy snow burying all the cars up to their fenders.

Two cars ended up in a stream, one wedged on top of the other which officials think might have made the flooding worse as they acted as a dam.

To read the official story, click here.

Also, check back on November 5th when I will blog about a special tradition from this town.

A crisp Autumn Day + Friendly Farms = Fantastic Fun

2008-10-19T19:00:00.006-04:00

My friend Vickie and I took a photo safari across Loudoun County, Virginia today. Our "big game" shots included 3-day old chicks, llamas, lazy dogs , goats, pigs and fell ponies. We also saw old log cabins, fresh fall flowers, pumpkins, dried flowers, and miles of gravel roads and colorful leaves.

At one farm we had tasty bratwurst sausages in a roll for our lunch and at another we attempted to PYO (pick your own) apples and roma tomatoes. The tomatoes were completely gone so we walked through the farm searching for apples. All the apple trees had piles of rotten, squashed apples that had fallen off the tree scattered underneath them, but none left on the trees themselves. It was disappointing, but not for long. The skies were bright blue and cloudless, birds were chirping and children laughing. The happiness was contagious.

So if you are in Virginia next October and the weather repeats itself, you will have a fantastic day out if you give the Loudoun Fall Farm Tour a try.