Europe Summer Vacation July 2015

Summer VacationEurope

July 2015

Santorini Island in Greece is one of the most beautiful places in the world. If you’ve never been, here are a couple of photos of villages perched on

hilltops with spectacular views.

This is the view from the balcony of our hotel room.

Jim Each morning, we enjoyed breakfast as the sun came up looking at the new cruise ships that had arrived. The ship to the right is a “Windstar” vessel that we had cruised

to many wonderful locations on past trips.

Currency Crisis in Greece

We visited at the height of the currency crisis in Greece. Shops were doing brisk business, but would offer incredible discounts if you would pay in cash as everyone is limited to a maximum cash withdrawal of 60 euros per day.

Next, we travelled to Paris. Our first morning was Bastille Day, July 14th, a national holiday.

This poster was advertising the events planned for the day.

We literally walked out of our hotel room onto

the major streets, which had been shut to traffic, just as dozens of aircraft

began a low level fly-over right in the middle

of Paris.

This team of five aircraft turned on their colored smoke as they

flew over the Arch du Triomphe.

Jim Right in the middle of the festivities, a huge protest group surfaced unveiling their banners and flags.

Megaphones loudly announced their political views.

Given the recent terrorist events in Paris, it was not a surprise that a large force immediately surrounded the protestors, separating them from the crowds out to enjoy Bastille Day.

Gendarmerie is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "Gendarmes".

As more aircraft flew over (helicopters in the sky) the Gerendames completely encircle the large protest group as they were seated on the street.

Notice the number of Gendarmerie deployed to peacefully manage this protest. They systematically broke the crowd into smaller groups and escorted

them away, arresting all.

A French aerial refueling tanker with the fueling boom lowered into position.

At left, fighter jets approach the refueling boom to demonstrate how this amazing refueling process is done.

Notice the military parade below on the

Champs Elysees

JiA huge procession of military vehicles parade in formation watched by at least a million spectators.

After the parade, the vehicles are parked allowing the public to get an up-close look at the

equipment. Here a young French boy is fascinated by what he has never seen before.

The French population takes great pride in their Military.

Jim Dear friends, General Steve (Cinco) Ritchie and Mariana shared a terrific meal. They drove all around Europe also having a fabulous Summer vacation. Cinco is the last

Air Force Pilot Ace since the Korean War.

Bastille Day concluded at sundown, approximately

11:00 PM with a spectacular fireworks show at and on the Eiffle Tower.

We ate fantastic food throughout the entire trip. Here in Paris, we couldn’t

pass up a meal at a Moroccan restaurant.

Cinco and Mariana suggested another great

restaurant that essentially serves soufflés for every

course. DELICIOUS!

Trianon PalaceVersailles

From Paris we moved out to Versailles and stayed in the corporate hotel of Zodiac Aerospace. It is

located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles and is a Waldorf Astoria property.

Gordon Ramsay

Restaurant

In the hotel is one of Gordon Ramsay’s great restaurants. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity

to taste his exotic menu.

Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant at the Trianon Palace has earned the

Michelin 2-star rating

The grounds and gardens at the Palace of Versailles are spectacular and in full bloom during the

Summer months

There are many little hidden waterfalls and special areas with unique designs.

You might enjoy watching a terrific, recently released movie called “A Little Chaos” with Kate Winslet & Alan Rickman about the creation of one of these special garden

features in the era it was built.

Jim The Palace of Versailles is huge and the grounds cover an expansive area.

We went on a full day tour of the Beaches of the D-Day

invasion in Normandy, France

The armada of ships and planes was staggering in its scale & proportion.

It is hard to believe that the Allied Forces could organize and stage such an attack and fool the enemy as to where the

landing would actually be.

Over 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded or went missing during the Battle of Normandy. This figure includes over 209,000 Allied casualties, with nearly 37,000 dead amongst the

ground forces and a further 16,714 deaths amongst the Allied air forces.

Here is one of the beaches today. This is Juno Beach where the Canadians landed..

A Memorial at one of the D-Day beaches includes famous quotes. This one is by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

A German gun bunker in the fog that is typical weather at the

beaches along the French coast.

Cliffs our Army Rangers had to scale while under heavy gun fire from the extremely well entrenched

enemy

Famous Photo from VJ-DayAugust 14, 1945

The KissThe NurseTuesday, August 14, 1945, started off for Greta Zimmer in the same manner as did most weekdays during that year. Hurrying to get ready for work, she showered, dressed, and pinned her hair up tightly to keep her long locks from covering her ears and neck. Greta had worked as a dental assistant at the Manhattan office for several months. While Greta performed her dental assistant duties that Tuesday morning, many patients burst into the office short of breath and beaming. Excitedly, they informed the staff and patients that the war with Japan had ended.

The SailorOn the last day of his leave, Petty Officer First Class George Mendonsa paid no attention to the day’s newspaper headlines and worried little about his Japanese enemy. After almost two years in World War II’s Pacific theater, his mindset was that the war would unfold independent of his blessing or curse.

The KissWith the 44th Street sign and the Astor Hotel to her back, she looked up at the tall triangular building that divided one street into two. The lit message running around the Times Building read, “VJ, VJ, VJ, VJ . . .” Greta gazed at the moving type without blinking. A faint smile widened her lips and narrowed her eyes. She took in the moment fully and thought, The war is over. It’s really over. With a quickening pace that matched the surrounding scene’s rising pulse, the sailor who served his country aboard The Sullivans zeroed in on a woman whom he assumed to be a nurse. The liquor running through his veins transfixed his glassy stare. He focused on Greta, the “nurse.” She remained unaware of his advance. That served his purpose well. Though George halted his steps just before running into Greta, his upper torso’s momentum swept over her. The motion’s force bent Greta backward and to her right. As he overtook Greta’s slender frame, his right hand cupped her slim waist. He pulled her inward toward his lean and muscular body. Her initial attempt to physically separate her person from the intruder proved a futile exertion against the dark-uniformed man’s strong hold. With her right arm pinned between their two bodies, she instinctively brought her left arm and clenched fist upward in defense. As their lips locked, his left arm supported her neck. His left hand, turned backward and away from her face, offered the singular gesture of restraint, caution or doubt. The struck pose created an oddly appealing mixture of brutish force, caring embrace, and awkward hesitation. He didn’t let go. As he continued to lean forward, she lowered her right arm and gave over to her pursuer—but only for three or four seconds. He tried to hold her closer, wanting the moment to last longer. And longer still. But they parted, the space between them and the moment shared ever widening, releasing the heat born from their embrace into the New York summer afternoon.

That Famous black and white picture celebrating the Victory over Japan at the end of World War 2 was made into a huge bronze statue. It is normally displayed in San Diego, but the United States loaned this statue to France to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the War's end. We came across it at a D-Day Museum in Normandy.

JAs part of the Normandy Beaches Tour, we visited our US Cemetery

Here a Choir is singing respectful songs honoring the dead

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 and the first American cemetery on

European soil in World War II. The cemetery site, at the north end of its half mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing, in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial,

are inscribed 1,557 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

All religions are honored in appropriate ways.

We fly to Venice Italy and stay at the Londra Palace Hotel

Jim Lion statues in the entryway of the hotel

Our room is located on the corner of the hotel with the

only side facing window.

JDuring the day, this is the view from that window.

To our amazement, this window was perfectly situated to view a fireworks show at 11:30 PM.

We had no idea that while we were in Venice, a huge celebration would be taking place.

Redentore Fireworks Festival 2015

This festival has its origins in a religious vow, just like the Madonna della Salute: During the first plague in 1576, the Doge promised to build a church if the scourge that was destroying the

city could be beaten.

The fireworks are placed on rafts in the middle of the water and they light up the bay with a thousand colors. The Venetians wait for the

fireworks on hundreds of boats that are anchored in the middle of the bay and take food

and drink with them.

Our food indulgence continues in Venice on one of the canals near

the Rialto bridge. It was a hot, Summer day and a fabulous setting.

Our hotel is located just steps from the famous

St. Marks Square in Venice.

Coffee in St. Marks Square

Music fills the air

There have been times in recent years, when

rising waters flood St. Marks

Square

AMA Prima

JFrom Venice, we flew to Budapest, Hungary to board a river cruise ship, the Ama Prima

for the next 8 days.

Jim This is one of the newer ships in the AMA Waterways fleet with

great amenities

Main Dining Room

Chefs Table Restaurant

Jim Local entertainment, great staff and excellent cuisine were offered as we leisurely

cruised along the itinerary.

Ama Prima Destination Map & Itinerary along the Danube

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Michael and David

This Danube River cruise was organized by David Rubin, a friend from my Alma Mater, Tulane University. David and Michael joined

us for this portion of the trip.

Backroads Bike Trips Combine with AMA Waterways

AmaWaterways and Backroads Bring Active Adventure Tours to River Cruising

Berkeley, CA (March 31, 2015) AmaWaterways and Backroads today announced a strategic brand alliance bringing active adventure biking, walking and hiking journeys to the world's most renowned river cruise destinations. Rooted in the companies' shared philosophy of providing best-in-class service and authentic upscale travel experiences, the alliance will kick off with 20 Danube River sailings in 2015 and expand throughout Europe and Asia in 2016.

"Backroads is a leader and innovator in the active travel market, so they are a natural fit for us, as we are so focused on finding new, unique ways to enhance the luxury river cruise experience," said Kristin Karst, Executive Vice President and Co-Owner of AmaWaterways. "We are delighted to join forces with Backroads, enhancing the experience of our guests while attracting new categories of travelers to the rapidly expanding river cruise market."

Backroads Bike Tours Onboard

Budapest - Hungary

Budapest

Budapest

Bratislava - Slovakia

Vienna - Austria

Tom Cruise in Vienna

Our day in Vienna was disrupted by Tom Cruise being in town for the World Premiere of his

latest film.

Previously, Mission Impossible 5 had filmed several scenes in the Center of Vienna at this famous Opera House

Jim Here Tom is on top of the Opera House practicing for a scene where he will scale the building

Jim In the actual scene, he and a co-star are suspended from a rig that will allow him to

perform the required stunts

Jim Having filmed those scenes, Tom decided that he

wanted the “Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation” World Premiere to be at the

Opera House. It has been converted for this global

media event.

JThousands of fans showed up for the World Premiere

Jim He is such a powerful global Hollywood star that the city totally cooperated with shutting down a significant

portion of the central city for this event

Mozart & StraussConcertVienna

Jim We were able to attend a wonderful

evening concert listening to the genius that was

Mozart and Strauss.

We continue sailing along the Danube River to

smaller towns and villages

Durnstein - Austria

In Melk, Austria, we visit this Benedictine Abbey

Melk - Austria

This painting on the ceiling is an optical illusion. The ceiling is completely flat, but the

way it is painted, creates the illusion that it is a curved surface.

This was perhaps the most beautiful Church we had ever seen in all our travels.

The pipe organ has an amazing acoustic sound.

Simply overwhelming in its grandeur and spectacular beauty

The Library

JThree rivers merge in this quiet town on our Sunday stop-over

Passau

We joined Hubert and Christine Walter for a wonderful day touring Munich. Here we are at a

beautiful outdoor beer garden.

Munich Beer Garden

Munich River Surfing

An unexpected part of our tour included a stop at this famous location on a river in the middle of Munich where people come from

all around to try out their surfing skills. It was really incredible to watch them all having a

great time.

Dachau Concentration Camp

DachauJust outside Munich is the smaller town of Dachau is situated. This is where the first concentration camp was located.

Jim We had a four hour intensive and quite emotional tour of the facilities including this living

quarters with the well documented wooden sleeping arrangement.

DachauJim We also visited the Crematorium where so many bodies were burned to hide the activities

taking place in the camps.

Istanbul - Turkey

Jim We stayed at the Grand Hyatt after flying to Istanbul

Sailing the BosphorusOne way to beat the Summer

heat was to go back out on the water for a lovely cruise around

the Bosphorus

A trip to Istanbul would not be complete without a visit to the Grand Bazaar. This huge complex of shops occupies a large area.

The Grand Bazaar

Inside the Grand Bazaar

]Spices

Our final day included a Cooking Class in Istanbul.

We prepared five traditional dishes from scratch using those Turkish spices from the local bazaars and spice markets.

Picture from Cooking Class

Sally and I worked as a team to prepare all of

the dishes.

This is one of the eggplant dishes. We invite you visit us in California and taste some of our newest and

fun meals to cook.

Jim And did I mention the Master Chef had strict rules and kept order over his students. He

makes "Hells Kitchen" seem tame.