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Canadian Maritime Provinces

8/9/2018

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Change of Plans: Heading Home

On Monday, August 6, we took the late afternoon MV Fundy Rose Ferry from Digby, Nova Scotia over to Saint John, New Brunswick. The cruise took about two and a half hours and was a smooth ride. We were able to have dinner on board, so when we checked into The Delta Brunswick for the night we did not have to go back out for food. We had a good night and were looking forward to an exciting day, seeing more of the Bay of Fundy.

Tuesday morning, before I had even started my breakfast in the dining room, while going for coffee, I passed out and fell, hitting my head. No one seemed to have seen it happen but they all heard the heavy thunk sound. I am told there were people there immediately to check on me, and Paul was trying to arouse me. He said it took about two minutes for me to come to. By then, the paramedics had been called and people were handing me my glasses and earrings, which had come off somehow in the fall. An ambulance with paramedics quickly arrived and they took me on a stretcher to the room next door to get an EKG reading and to consult. It was decided that I really should be seen at the hospital. So off we went, leaving everyone, and our breakfasts behind.

That was the end of our trip, as it turned out. By 1:00 that afternoon the group left for St. Andrews and we were left behind.

At the hospital emergency trauma center I was given a CAT scan, a chest X-ray, and blood work. Several doctors came by to see me, but they were all waiting for the cardiologist to show up. Eventually, Dr. Peter Fong came. We had a long discussion about my relevant health history and the options available for making a decision as to what to do next. We were already off the trip so it was a choice of staying there for more tests/observation or going home to see my own doctor(s). Together we concluded that I was OK to go home. There was no concussion or head bleeding from the fall.

In the mean time, we had been in contact with our guide, Anne, who provided us with all the contact information for Grand Circle Travel and the Travel Insurance company. Arrangements were made for us to stay at the hotel another night and they started working on booking our return flights. The insurance company faxed all the forms, which the doctor filled out before we left. It was almost 5:00 before we took a taxi back to the hotel and we ate dinner in the mall that was connected to our hotel.

It just gets better! Wednesday morning we checked out and headed for the airport about 11:00 in the taxi they had ordered for us. When we went to check in for the flight, the clerk could not find us on her computer. Then she noticed that we were actually booked to fly out of St. John’s, Newfoundland. But we were actually in Saint John, New Brunswick. This is a case where spelling matters. So, we called the GCT guy back, explaining the situation. He got back to us with two options. Fly today going to Toronto then Denver, then Portland, getting in about midnight OR, go back to the hotel and fly out tomorrow to Toronto then direct to Portland. Since we were already at the airport, we chose the first option. Flights were booked and we got on the flight to Toronto. Now, there had been thunder storms going through Toronto the day before and again this day and our flight was 40 minutes late getting into Toronto. We had ordered a wheelchair for me so I wouldn’t have to walk the long distances, and we were met and escorted to where people flying into the US directly get to go through Immigration and Customs. That went smoothly because we have Global Entry passes.

By this time, Paul had noticed that the flight to Denver was so delayed that we would probably miss the connecting flight to Portland. Hmmm. Since we were flying business class we headed for the Air Canada lounge where a nice lady gave me a phone number to call to see if we could get onto the Portland direct flight which was itself delayed by weather. I did, and that lady was able to get us on it. We went to the concierge to get the boarding passes printed and this gal asked if we had been told that we were “stand by.” Nope, we hadn’t. We were to come back in about a half hour to see if we had seats. This was time to grab a bite to eat and check back in. We actually had been given the business class seats.  Yippee! But, the boarding gate was quite a distance and it would be boarding shortly. Again, the concierge knocked herself out, got the wheelchair driver for me and we headed out. Along the way I was passed off to a cart driver who whizzed right along. We actually made it to the gate with about ten minutes to spare. Paul asked about the luggage, since we had checked it through Denver to Portland. They had already rerouted it-they said. Amazing.

But wait, there is more. As the plane was almost loaded and we were sitting in our seats, it started to rain. Now this wasn’t a little drizzle, it was a downpour. Then came a thunder clap, actually there were a number of them, and they kept getting closer. This stopped all boarding because the gangway people had to go inside. Eventually the storm blew over, the sun came out, and they finished loading the plane. We pulled away from the gate at 6:47 Eastern Daylight Time. This was about a half hour later than the already delayed time.

We arrived home safely but our bags are coming via Denver and should arrive on Thursday evening.

I was able to get appointments with my primary care doctor and my cardiologist, so I will be well taken care of.

Hopefully we will be heading out on another trip someplace, and continue to share our experiences.

Thanks for reading and sending your comments.
Grace and Paul
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Canadian Maritime Provinces

8/9/2018

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Halifax, Nova Scotia to Saint John, New Brunswick: Acadians and the Bay of Fundy

Monday, August 6, we departed the Atlantica Hotel, Halifax, Nova Scotia at 8:30, heading for Saint John, New Brunswick.

Our first stop was at the Grand-Pré National Historical Site, which is an interpretive center and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It features the Acadian people who settled in the Minas Basin shore, which is a tidal marshland called Acadie. The Acadians were French Catholics from the western part of central France. They first came to this new land in the early 1630s. They lived there peacefully until 1755 and the beginning of the Seven Years War between the French and the British. The Acadians would not pledge allegiance to either side so the British attacked them and then deported the survivors. They were sent to the British Colonies from Massachusetts south to Georgia. Some were sent to England and some even back to France. Eventually a number ended up in Louisiana and today are known a Cajuns. The movie we watched at the center helped us understand the significance of this huge deportation. Afterward we had time to walk around the grounds and visit a small memorial church with a beautiful stained glass window. Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, (1847) represents the deportation and the resiliency of the Acadian people.

After a short stop in Wolfville for lunch, and a quick look at a muddy area which fills when the tide is in on the Bay of Fundy, we continued on. We made a short stop at the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station. This is at a dam where water coming into this arm of the Bay of Fundy, is trapped and held in, then let out, depending on the water level. Letting the water in and out through a turbine that drives a generator, all driven by the fluctuating tide, produces some electricity. We learned a lot about why using this tidal action is difficult. The first generators used were torn apart because of the strength of the tides. Since this is the only place in the world where the tides fluctuate 70 feet every 12 hours and 25 minutes, there isn’t a call for companies to make the kind of turbines and generators needed. So few are made and they are expensive. It was interesting, and we also watched some chick ospreys on a pole right outside the building.

We arrived in Digby on the north coast of Nova Scotia in time to board the bus onto the ferry MV Fundy Rose at 5:30 for the two and a half hour crossing over to Saint John, New Brunswick. We were able to get dinner aboard while watching for whales. Didn’t see any. On arrival at The Delta Brunswick hotel we checked in and had a good night sleep.

The next morning we were to depart for Saint Andrews after a walking tour of the area in Saint John.

More about that in the next post.
Grace and Paul
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Olive Oil Production

5/19/2016

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What Makes Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

May 9 we left for the Chianti countryside, driving through the gorgeous vineyards and hills of Tuscany. Our first stop was to the Pruneti family owned olive oil mill. This was the state of the art mill with machines that accomplished all the steps in the process of producing extra virgin olive oil. Since mid October through December is the time when this is done, we could only hear about it through a lecture by an enthusiastic guide.

In order to have truly extra virgin olive oil the olives have to be pressed, by mechanical means (not chemical) and below 27 degrees Celsius. They first press the green olives, then the purple/brown, and last the black olives.

This is an organic company so they follow all the regulations needed. Each of the six machines did something special to the olives such as:
1. Takes off the leaves, stems and anything else that came in with the olives.
2. Washes the olives in cold water.
3. Cuts up the olives, stone/pit included. The pit is important for the taste. This machine mixes that into a paste.
4. This machine is a five stage mixer that slowly turns the paste until it becomes shiny, indicating the oil is coming out
5. The paste is then pumped into the last chamber where it is spun fast to extract the oil. 20% of the oil is extracted to this point.
6. The final state is to filter the oil to be sure all the particles of the stones, etc. are removed. All those byproducts are used for biofuel or burned in the winter.

Needless to say, the really good extra virgin olive oil is not cheap. There should be no sediments in the bottle and the acidity should be less than 0.02%. The olive oil is bottled with nitrogen in the dark bottles to keep out oxygen and help preserve it. The rule of thumb is that it should be used up before the next year's harvest.

After the explanation of all the process and machines, we were taken upstairs to some tasting. A question was asked about "Light" olive oil. Since all oil is 100% oil, the word light just refers to its taste and has nothing to do with calories, etc.

When tasting olive oil there are three things to try to sense.
1. Is there a grassy green taste?
2. Is there a spicy taste which would be the antioxidants?
3. Is there bitterness in the back of your throat?

This mill sells their oil at their location and also at some specialty shops in the US. Some of our group bought bottles and cans to take home. This was a very informative stop.

The next stop for the day was to visit Christina at her 400 year old farm house for a cooking lesson. Those who wanted had a chance to participate in making the dishes we would have for lunch. The end result was delicious.

This was another event filled day.
Grace and Paul
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Family olive mill produces extra virgin olive oil from their own trees.
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Stations all set for tasting
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Tasting four kinds or oil.
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Special label for the Bike Races.
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Cans are as good as glass bottles.
Machine 1
Machine 2
Machine 3
Machine 4
Machine 5
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Carrara Marble Quaries

5/19/2016

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Where do they get all that marble?

May 6, Carrara Marble Quarry north of Lucca

Did you ever wonder where they got all those huge pieces of marble used to carve statues, like the David in Florence? Well, we found out first hand.

May 6 was a lovely day and we left at 9:00 to drive north along the coast to the town of Carrara. We transferred into two 4-wheel drive Land Rovers for the trip up into the mountains to see the marble quarry in action. Heiki was our guide, and as she drove the first vehicle, we could listen to her narration through sets of headphones. The mountains hold a series of working quarries so we were on the same roads as the large trucks that moved the stones down the mountain. At the first stop we could look over a pit and see the diamond studded chains being set, preparing to cut the huge blocks of marble.

From there we drove further up the mountain along narrow steep winding roads, making room for oncoming trucks when necessary. From that vantage point there was a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea. Next we drove back down to a road that broke off and went through a very long tunnel. This was where the trains used to run. Those trains took the marble down the mountain. From inside the tunnel we could see several underground quarries, which have been around for quite a long time. There will not be any more underground quarries started because they are expensive and do not produce better marble.

Some of these quarries were started in these Apuan Alps by the Romans. There have been at least 650 sites opened though the years. Each quarry is privately owned, and the work is very hazardous. The marble ranges from white to a blue-grey and is very high quality. It was from these quarries that the marble for the famous David statue in Florence was harvested.

Once back down the hill, we made a stop where we could look at two of the bridges used in the area. They were quite stunning with their arch support design. Back into the city of Carrara, we took a short walk to a local restaurant for lunch before heading back to Lucca.

In the evening some chose to go back into Lucca to have an "Aparativo." This means you buy a drink and it comes with some food; enough for us to call it dinner. From there we walked the short distance to the old church where we attended an evening concert. This particular night there was a soprano, a tenor, and a pianist. They performed a number of Puccini arias. It was nice to participate in a local cultural event. Such concerts go on there every evening.

That concluded a very interesting day.
Next we left for Florence and the Chianti region.
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Paul in front of the "David" in Florence
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The two vehicles that took us into the quarry.
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The large equipment is dwarfed by the size of the mountain and blocks of marble.
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Sharing the road with the large trucks
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Parma to Lucca

5/11/2016

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Interesting Transfer Day

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Walkway out to the "Stables" section, the oldest part of La Principessa Hotel
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Lounge and bar area of La Principessa Hotel
May 4 was another nice day as we left Parma and headed directly west to Lucca. This takes us through the Lunigiana Valley and the Apennines Mountains which are very scenic with some old towns on the hills. Our first stop is in the charming medieval town of Pontremoli where a local guide walked us through the narrow streets. There were several squares in this hill town and we were fortunate that is was market day, adding some interest to the visit.

Before leaving the area we made a stop to visit Gratziella at her home bakery where she specializes in making the local bread called Testaroli. This is made from just flour and water: no eggs. She gets up very early in the morning to make these flat rounds of bread to sell to the locals and local restaurants. She has sixteen iron skillets where she has a system that allows her to make from 300 - 400 a day. She uses about 200 lbs of flour a day, with about 10 oz. in each piece.

We were served three kinds of Testaroli for lunch. One kind had pesto sauce on it, another had Parmesan cheese, and another tomato sauce. We ate out on the back patio and Gratziella was kind to sit and answer questions and show us where she stored the flour she uses. For desert she served us a very good cake called chumbeloni.

After lunch we headed further west to Lucca, arriving at the Hotel Villa La Principessa, an old palace. We had plenty of time to get settled in to our very large room, and explore the grounds before meeting at 6:30 for the "Welcome" drinks and food. The pool was large, but unfortunately it was being refinished, so there was no water in it. This is when we met the two new couples joining our group for the "Main Tour." We met outside the oldest part of the palace, on the patio next to what were the stables. The whole place was furnished with period pieces and made us feel like we were living in the distant past.

Tomorrow we venture into Lucca for the day. We look forward to this, as we only had a brief few hours there in 2001.

The adventure continues,
Grace and Paul
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Pontremoli street
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Market in square at Pontremoli
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Gratziella making Testaroli
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La Principessa Hotel outside Lucca
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Main Living Room at La Principessa Hotel
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Po River Adventure

5/11/2016

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Parma, Italy

May 3 was very different from the rainy day before when we took the walking tour of Parma. The weather was sunny and warm for our excursion to the Po River area, and to visit the home area of Giuseppe Verdi. We picked up Stephano, our local guide, who drove around with us. He told us about Verdi's life, where he was born, and where he came back to live for the majority of his life. Verdi came back to the area and purchased lots of property. We drove by several of these places, including his home where he lived for at least 50 years. It had beautiful flowers in the front. There was also a mill which was in very bad shape.

There was a small river/creek beside the road, which was the bounty between the Province of Parma and the next Provence. That was the boundary between where they could make Parmesan cheese and a cheese they had to call something else.

The Po River is the biggest in Italy, and the 4th largest in Europe. It is 450 miles long and goes all the way from the western border with France to the east where it flows into the Adriatic Sea near Ravena, south of Venice. It is responsible for the vast wide plain that makes this area so rich for agriculture. It cannot be used for large boat navigation because it is not very deep, and the sediments shift around. Sometimes it floods and in 2000 there were over 40,000 people who had to leave their homes. They have a major problem with an Asian Catfish which has taken over the waters. This fish is very ugly and can grow to be 9 feet long.

This area is famous for raising pigs and cows. We stopped for a walk to see the black pigs that are unique specialty. One of the byproducts of these animals is Bio Gas from all the methane. We visited a very old Salumificio where they produce the traditional Culatello Parma ham. This very old castle has a Michelin star restaurant, but more important, it has a cellar where they age the Culatello ham. This is made from the best part of the rump of the pigs. It is smaller than a regular ham and put into a pig's bladder before being wrapped in a string bag and hung to cure. There were special pieces for the king of Monico and for Prince Charles. Each ham weighs about 4 kg, and costs about 400 Euros.

Next we boarded Stephano's pontoon boat for a leisure ride up the Po River to an island where we had a special picnic lunch, provided by the restaurant. It consisted of Parma ham, sausage, bread, lettuce and a desert pudding. It was delicious. Somehow a conversation started between Paul and the gal serving us, only to find out she was from Romania and spoke Russia. They carried on quite a conversation. We walked over to a fishermen's shack where there were a number of guys just hanging around. One of them makes fish traps from fine twine, and he showed us several models and explained how they work. This is just a hobby for him, but he was very proud of his producers.

After the leisure drift/ride back down the river to the landing site we boarded the bus for the ride back to Parma. What fortune to have this be a beautiful day.

For the evening, although dinner was on our own, Ben never disappoints, and he had a suggestion for a good place close to the hotel. Not only was it close, but the food was good and we were able to get individual checks. The only bad thing was that we couldn't get in until 8:00. So goes evening life in Italy. During dinner a very noisy thunderstorm passed by, but was finished by the time we were done and ready to walk back to the hotel.

Back in the room we had to get everything ready to depart Parma for Lucca in the morning.

That's it for now,
​Grace and Paul
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Giuseppe Verdi's home
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Asian Catfish have taken over the Po River.
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Black pigs are a specialty in the area
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Zibello, where Culatello Parma ham is made and cured
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Po River
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Culatello Parma ham hanging to cure
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Hand made fish traps
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The Making of Parmesan Cheese

5/2/2016

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Bologna to Parma, Italy

May 1, Bologna to Parma
The morning started with an early departure from our small unique Porta San Mamolo Hotel for the bus ride to Parma. Along the way we made several stops for what OAT called "Learning and Discovery," The first stop was near Castelfranco Emilia, in an agricultural area to visit a small producer of Parmigiano cheese. This is the only area where true Parmesan cheese is made, using cows fed designated grasses and other specific agricultural products.

We met Giuseppe and his wife, Luisa, who work as a team during the whole process. We arrived just as the fresh milk had been off loaded from a small transport tank, into two deep conical vessels used for the first step in making the cheese. The milk was churned and heated to about 31 degrees centigrade. Throughout the process, Giuseppe explained, through our guide, exactly what was happening and what he was looking for in the process. At one point early in the process, Luisa added enzymes which had been saved from the batch the day before. This started the process of coagulation.

As the curds began to form, Giuseppe and Luisa stirred the vats with huge wire frame whisks to keep everything in suspension for a while and break up any large pieces. Eventually the milk separated and the heavy parts fell to the bottom and the top became clear. At this point, Luisa took off the enzymes that would be needed for the next day's batch. When all of the curds had settled and formed into a mass, Giuseppe and Luisa used large wooden paddles to ease the mass up to the top where they surrounded it with a large piece of cheese cloth. They suspended the mass to begin draining it.

Eventually, each large bundle of the now fresh cheese was put into a round mold to further shape and drain it. The insides of the molds contained embossed wording and the date. That information was permanently pressed into the outside of each round. The rounds weighed about 80 lbs. each. They are left in the white molds for 24 hours, then changed to a stainless steel molds for 48 hours, for further draining. After that, the rounds are moved onto racks and submerged in a brine for three weeks. This helps seal the outside of the rounds.

Once out of the brine, the rounds are moved to a storage room where they will be kept for two years before officials come to test them for quality. One testing method is tapping them with a small hammer. If the sound is uniform all the way around, it means there are no imperfections. During this time, the outside of the round continues to darken in color. After four years it is ready to be sold as aged Parmesan. When looking at pieces of cheese in the market, look for several things. One would be the official yellow and orange seal that indicates it is certified as authentic from this area. Another is to look for the small white dots, which is not mold, but an indication that the enzymes have crystallized, which is a good thing. That was new information for me.

After learning and watching all these steps, we were given a chance to sample the cheese. Some pieces had honey, or jam on them. Then there was the Ricotta cheese, which is a byproduct of this process. It is very light and was served with some fruit on top. The rest of the leftover milk - the whey - is fed to pigs in the area.

This whole process was labor intensive, and had to be done every day. After all, cows do not take a break. Giuseppe and Luisa occasionally take a day off, but they have others who can take over when they are gone. Giuseppe teaches students at the Agricultural High School and the students learn the whole process from raising the crops to making the cheese.

From now on, I'll certainly have a new appreciation for the "Real" Parmesan cheese.

Our second stop was to visit a family that makes "Traditional Balsamic Vinegar," and I'll explain that in my next post.

All for now,
Grace and Paul

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Giuseppe is very proud of his product.
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Where Parmesan cheese is made
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Transport tank
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Giuseppe and Luisa explain process through guide
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This will be one round of cheese.
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One day in these molds sets shape and imprints information
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This is the brine bath where they will spend three weeks.
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Age for four years before ready to eat.
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Red/orange seal indicates authenticity
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Samples of Parmesan cheese and Ricotta with fruit.
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Bologna, Italy

5/2/2016

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Exploring the city

April 28-29, Bologna, Italy

April 28th, our second day on our own, we explored Bologna by walking around a different area of the city center. Our guide, Benjamin, suggested that we might be interested in making use of a construction elevator being used in renovations of the San Petronio Church. The ride up at least ten stories in the rickety elevator cost 3 Euros, and we had to sign a release form before going up. After walking the last two flights of stairs, we entered a platform from which we could see out over the city of red roofs and tiles. It was a great view that included the hills north of the city.

We also found the market streets where merchants sold fruit, vegetables, meats and fish. It was clear that many locals shop of a daily basis for their groceries. Occasionally we found some produce that we could not identify -- something we don't have at home.

By evening the final four of our group arrived. We met for our welcome briefing and time to get to know one another, as well a get information regarding our whole pre-trip that goes from Bologna to Lucca.

The morning of the 29th we were met by a local guide for a half day walking tour of the city center. There is a lot to learn about this city, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. The town of Bologna was established in 1116. It is the home to one of the oldest universities in the world, established in 1088 and today hosts about 80,000 students. We visited one building now used as a library, but which housed the historic anatomy lecture room where they did cadaver dissections for study.

This is a city of many towers, including two famous leaning towers. The tallest, which is 318 ft. high, is the tallest leaning tower in Italy. They lean because the ground under them is giving away. Towers were built for a number of reasons; one was for safety in times of wars and conflicts, then there was vertical storage for possessions and supplies, and of course, there was prestige. Bologna was reputed to have the largest tower in the city.

Bologna is also famous for its many porticoes which cover the sidewalks. These are convenient to keep pedestrians away from the elements, but that wasn't necessarily why they originated. In order to increase the amount of living space on the second stories and above, builders started to build out further over the sidewalks, Eventually, these sections had to be supported by posts, and in that way, became porticoes. Many are very elaborately designed and decorated with arches.

Food is going to be an important theme on this trip, and today we had our first experience learning about the local pasta. Bologna citizens make their pastas with just eggs and flour; no water. We visited a shop where we went upstairs to have a lesson on how they make their famous tortellini, which is usually stuffed with pork. They were very emphatic that there is no spaghetti in Bologna, (it comes from southern Italy) and that a Bolognaise sauce should never be served with spaghetti.

After the lesson in pasta making, we stopped by a local shop where one could buy all kinds of meats and cheeses, and also get all kinds of food to eat for lunch. Most of us did not explore the place well enough first. We chose the first thing that looked good - salads. There were all kinds of other options such as sandwiches and hot dishes. It all looked delicious.

During the afternoon, which was scheduled as time at leisure, we chose to follow Benjamin. He took us back by the two leaning towers and on to the Jewish historic section of the city before heading back to the large famous Plaza Maggiore. From there we were free to do as we wished, but, since we had already been walking for almost seven hours, it was time to head back to the hotel. Resting for a while felt good before meeting in the evening for our "Welcome Dinner" at a nice restaurant just a short way down the street.

That is it for now,
Grace and Paul
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Slavonice, Czech Republic

11/9/2015

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Travelogue Show at Camera Club

Tuesday night Paul and I will present the video I produced about our short stay in the Renaissance town of Slavonice, in the Czech Republic. The town dates back to the 13th century and has changed very little. We visited that town on our Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tour called "Jewels of Bohemia" to Eastern Europe in May, 2015. There were so many interesting places it was hard to choose which part to share in the short presentation.

We stayed in the small Dum U Ruze hotel, just large enough for our group of fifteen. A tour of the wine cellar before dinner gave us a glimpse of the double deck cave system carved out under the whole town. Before dinner the hotel owner shared some of his champagne and during dinner we were entertained by an accordionist playing traditional Moravian music.

During the full day in the area, we noted the unique exteriors of the buildings carved into designs using an etching technique called sgraffito.

The day also involved visiting sites in the area, including a ceramics workshop, the ruins of the Landstejn Fortress from the 13th century, a WWII bunker system and a short section of the "iron curtain.

Throughout the area we had been driving through beautiful yellow fields of rapeseed plants. We made an unexpected stop to inspect the plants and enjoys a close photo opportunity.

The day ended with a home hosted visit and dinner with a local family. The grandmother and granddaughter were busy making potato dumplings for our meal.

This was a very interesting town and a fascinating visit.

From Slavonice we continued on, eventually finishing this tour in Budapest, Hungary. After a three day layover we joined the Grand Circle river cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Bucharest and ended with a post-trip to Istanbul.

That is a little glimpse of one fascinating town in the Czech Republic.

All for now,
Grace
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    Author

    Grace and Paul Pitzer are retired school teachers who love to travel and share their stories and photos with others.
    Grace: gcpitzer@comcast.net
    Paul:
    pcpitzer@comcast.net
    Other Blogs:
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    Chronicles Grace's journey through breast cancer
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Created: Oct. 24, 2015
Updated January 19, 2023
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About

Grace and Paul Pitzer
We hope you will keep checking back regularly  to see what is new. I'm always out and about with some camera and love to stretch my skills and add to my volume of work. 
Motto: "Pack light and take lots of pictures."

Paul: pcpitzer@comcast.net
Grace: gcpitzer@comcast.net
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