San Diego to Phoenix to Pittsburgh - Tuesday, 1 December 2015

What a trip home. Too late last night when we got home.

No problems getting to the airport with our Super Shuttle. It's a very efficient way to travel in large cities when you are fairly close to the airport. Made it through security with a bit of a hassle. This was the first time that we weren't TSA pre-approved so I went through the pat down and hand check. Definitely inconvenienced, but I'll take safety.

Flight from SAN to PHX on early and allowed us to get a decent lunch before heading to our Gate B27. Did some reading, charged the iPad, and passed the 2 hours til our flight. We at least have had priority boarding so got to our seats. All was well and good until some very curious noises and a mechanic boarding the plane. 

Captain - We have a leak in the hydraulic system. Looks like it's going to be about an hour to fix it.

10 minutes later
Captain - Looks like it's going to be more like 3 hours. If you wish to deplane, take all your belongings with you.

We deplane and look for a spot to perch for 3 hours. The bars sounded like a good idea, but we didn't want to stray too far. 

5 minutes after we sit down:
PA Announcer -  We have secured another plane and it will be departing from GateA27.

We hustle to A27 and just as we get there:
Pa Announcer - We apologize, but the Pittsburgh plane will now be leaving from Gate B28
 
So back we hike and eventually board the plane. 2 hours delayed . 

Home - 1:15 am.

And that should do it for our 2015 travels. Not sure what is next on the itinerary so stay tuned!

San Diego - Monday, 30 November 2015

We were up early today since we wanted to make the most of our sightseeing day in San Diego. A few years ago we had a very bad historic trolley tour of Savannah, GA. When I wrote the company, they sent us 2 VIP passes that were good in a number of cities. One of those cities was San Diego and so we decided to take advantage of the San Diego Hop On, Hop Off Trolley tour. The first tour left the Old Town area at 9:00 and we were there in plenty of time to get aboard.

These tours really show you different neighborhoods so that you can get a feel for what a city is like. It is not in depth, but a good overview. We started in Old Town and traveled past the harbor and seaport. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Star of India  - oldest iron hulled merchant ship

Then over to Coronado to get a view of the famed Del Coronado Hotel.

 We got off at the next stop  - The San Diego Zoo. Wow! We love zoos and this one was just unbelievable. Had forgotten my FitZip, but I'm sure we walked 10 miles up and down to see most of the animals. They were all up close and personal. But we only got butt shots of the pandas.

We spent nearly 5 hours there and really didn't have much time to explore the rest of Balboa Park with museums, galleries, and the conservancy. Another visit, another time.

Back on the trolley to Old Town. Explored one of the cemeteries and some of the shops before having dinner at Casa Guadalajara. Sue and Ron said that it was their favorite. They were spot on. Great margarita and a Burrito Carne Asada. 

Just as we were finishing the restaurant lost power and we were all in the dark. Thank goodness mobile phones have flashlights. We managed to pay our bill and then headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready for our return trip home.

San Diego - Sunday - 29 November 2015

Another beautiful day in San Diego. In spite of the late night last night and the overindulgence in wine for one of us, it was a fairly early morning. We heard from Sue and Ron and met them with Erick and Colleen at the pool for a drive to the beach. Had a wonderful breakfast at The Fig Tree Eatery- an omelet with avocado - so California.

After breakfast we headed back to the Pacific Beach condo that Sue and Ron had rented for the week. Decided to walk off the bit of breakfast with a stroll along the beach. It really was so beautiful. I can

see how everyone is in love with San Diego. Lots of surfers out and a view of Crystal Pier.




In a real time shift, it was so strange to find NFL on at 10:00 in the morning. The Steelers were playing at 1 PST so it was off to find a Steeler Bar. We found a good one where the Black and Gold was everywhere. Bub's was rocking with "Here We Go Steelers" and jerseys galore. Unfortunately, all the atmosphere didn't make the loss to Seattle any easier to digest. Beer helped, tho.

On our  walk back to the condo we met Sue's brother and sister-in-law and and they joined us when we met Colleen and Eric for a bite to eat and a huge margarita. We decided it was best to Über it back to the hotel.

It was a fun day and so good to spend it with friends.
 

San Diego - Saturday, 28 November 2015

Woke up this morning around 4 o'clock with the realization that we are not on East Coast Time and so tried to go back to sleep for a bit.

Had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel restaurant and then we decided to go out for a walk. It was a gorgeous day with bright sunshine - a beautiful day for a wedding. There wasn't much of interest around the hotel so after about a 3 mile walk we headed back and enjoyed the beauty of the pool This was the same pool in which Johnny Weismuller.
We met Ron and Eric there and had a nice chat before they headed out to get gussied up for the wedding

Back to the room to get dressed and before the 3:30 wedding. 

In a nice surprise, Chris asked that Sue also walk her "down the aisle." What a great moment for the family. Jason was overwhelmed at the sight of his bride. There is so much love between these two. 

After the wedding there were yummy appetizers and drinks on the patio with a time for some pictures before we headed in for a scrumptious dinner and some dancing. It was such a fun day and wonderful celebration of this special couple. Oh, BTW, everything was in black and gold, a great tribute!

 Earle certainly enjoyed himself and the wine. It was a good thing we were staying only a flight of stairs above the reception!

And we are off again! Pittsburgh to San Diego Friday, 27 November 2015

After a wonderful Thanksgiving spent at home with our daughter, we are off to San Diego for the wedding of Christine Hochmuth, daughter of very special friends, Ron and Sue. Earle got all the turkey cut off the bone, leftovers were either frozen or given to Amy for her fridge. She will have some great stir fry meals this week.

Off to PIT for our flight to CLT. We listened to the media reports about long security lines and the need to get to the airport 2 hours ahead of time. We found only 1 person in queue to check in luggage and no one in front of us at TSA pre-approved line. Flight was on time and arrival in Charlotte. A very different situation at that airport. It was packed. Grabbed a bite to eat and then to the Admiral's Club to avoid the hub-bub of the waiting areas.

 

Flight to SAN left on time and we only encountered a brief spell of turbulence. Talk about bare bones airlines. American takes the cake. We only got a cup of a beverage for the duration of the 5 hour flight. Not a pretzel, not an entire can of soda or juice. And to add to the pleasure of the flight, we got to smell McDonald's, pizza, and sushi from those around us who were enjoying food. Also, no inflight entertainment. Flying is just not fun anymore, at least domestically.

Got to SAN on time, waited an eternity (40 minutes) for the flight's luggage to appear on the carousel. Super Shuttle got us to the hotel in about 15 minutes and we checked in to the Lafayette Hotel and Swim Club. The hotel is historic and the room is very large and very convenient since the wedding is right here.

A beer and and some snacks followed by bed, looking forward to tomorrow!

 

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München to Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to Mars - 1 October

Rabbit, rabbit!

Today was one of those few times when we didn't have to be at the airport at the crack od dawn. So disappointed to see that the Pirates had lost the game 11-1 and also the hopes of the division title. Now we just have to stay ahead of those pesky Cubbies.

We opted to take a taxi to the airport rather than dealing with the public bus and the luggage. What a busy place. We thought we were early, but it took nearly an hour to check baggage, clear passport control, and then security. Why is it that I always get the passport examiner who has the proverbial pole up a rear orifice? He looked at every single page twice.

Did have time for a muffin and coffee before departure. Maureen, Tom, and Peggie were also to be on the same flight, but we didn't see them anywhere near the gate. Boarding took much longer than expected due to heightened security requirements today. They were pulling 1 out of 10 from line and questioning them. We escaped that.

Although we were booked on US Airways, the plane was part of the American fleet. Pleasntly surprised that the legroom was really comfortable. There were USB connectors, but they didn't charge the iPad. Glad i had bought my Mophie.

Service was excellent. They served a hot meal with a couple of glasses of wine. The attendants came around a numbr of times with water. A couple of hours after lunch, they brought some ice cream and then an hour later, pretzels and more water. Finally, about an hour before landing a black bean empanada and a piece of chocolate spomge cake. The empanada was pretty terrible, but other than that the food options were decent.

It's about a 9 hour flight over the ocean so a good time to catch up on the blogging. Really had no time in München to do so. Also watched Far from the Madding Crowd and Wolf Hall, 1&2.

Actually got to Philly about an hour early. The pilot said there were good tail winds instead of the usual head winds. Then we had a 5 hour layover. Well, make that 5 1/2 hour due to the delay because the crew didn't show up on time. How do you not go to your job on time?

Choppy flight to Pittsburgh, but short. Got off the plane and the Steelers were up 20-7 over the Ratbirds. By the time we got to Mars, it was in overtime. Then the loss. Good that I wasn't home or the Dammit Doll would have been flying around the room.

Off to bed with memories of a wonderful time in Deutschland.

 

München- Wednesday, 30 September

It was an early morning again today since we needed to be the Karlstadt deprtment store by 8:00 to get our tour to Lindefor, Oberammergau, and Neuschwanstein. Checked the scores to find out that the Pirates were rained out. They will be playing a day night doubleheader today. We may actually get to listen tonight

Had a bit breakfast at the train station - finally had ein Berliner!

We were able to get a good seat on the upper deck, so much a better view than what we had on the Teutonia coach. Sophie was our guide and we were glad that she spoke perfect English.

The day was beautiful in München when we left, but got foggier as the drive ensued. Our first stop was Lindefor Palace. This was one of Ludwig II's castles. We have all heard about Mad King Ludwig, but to hear the real story was enlightening. On the way our coach broke down, but after about 20 minutes, Ernest, the driver mamaged to get it working again.

Lindefor is really hidden in the woods in the Bavarian Alps. When we arrived it was about a 15 minute walk to the palace and miraculously the fog lifted. The palace is so full of gold in the Rococo style. We were not allowed photos which was too bad.

 

Some of the gardens built in homage to Louis IX and the palace of Versailles. There was even a hall of mirrors on a smaller scale.

 

 

After our tour we were off to Oberammergau, the home of the world reknowned Passion Play, performed every 10 years. The village is also known for its flowers and painted walls. We had been there in 2002 and little hs change. We walked around a bit and bought a Christmas tree to add to our collection.

 

Then it was about a half hour drive to Hohenschwangau. Our tour was scheduled for 3:35 so we grabbed a bite to eat - Earle a vegetarian lasagna and I a bowl of onion soup and a pretzel. Unfortunately the soup was just lukewarm. We checked the lines out at the bus stop and decided to take our place there. The bus to the castle of Neuschwanstein saved a bit of time than from hikiing the mile and a half up. We still had about a 15 minute walk from the upper stop. The clouds at the base of the hill dissappated and we were treated to beautiful views of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.

 

We weren't allowed pictures again and the tour was a combination of escort and audio. We were pushed around a bit by some very rude people on the tour. Neuschwanstein was never completed as Ludwig had planned. It was based on the model of a medieval fortress. We picked up the headsets and then clibed 4 flights of a circular staircase up one of the towers. The interior was dark, and full of wood carving. Murals depicted mythological scenes as well as scenes from Richard Wagner's operas. The swan motiff was everywhere.

 

 

And so I crossed off yet another on the bucket list. We walked down the entire way and were provided vistas that will be etched in our minds.

 

It was about a 2 hour drive back to the city center. We had intended to go to the Ratskellar for dinner, but since we got back later than expected and were totally wiped out from the 8 miles hiking, we opted for the hotel for dinner.

Printed out boarding passes and turned on without sound the Pirates game. Sat next to a nice guy from Elkhart, Indiana, who was an avid Cardinals fan. We had some great dinner conversation while following the game. Cervelli's grand slam was awesome on the way to the Pirates victory.

Also good to be messaging Amy. Will be glad to talk to her live and hear what's been happening in her life for the last 2 weeks.

Up to the room to finish packing. Home tomorrow!!

 

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München- Tuesday, 29 September

We decided to not set an alarm this morning. It felt great to sleep in til 8:00. It was not so grat to learn how the Pirates lost the first game of the series to St. Louis. You can't leave 16 men on base and expect to win. Got to win the next two or it's over as far as the division goes.

We headed into the center city to do a trial run of the time it would take to get to the point of our tour departure for Wednesday. Grabbeded a quick pastry at the train station and then took off for Marienplatz. This was our 3rd time in the city and although there was a lot of scaffolding and new construction, there is a timelessness about the city with the anchoring Rathaus.

Our goal for the day was to tour the Residenz, the palace of the electorate Mxmillian Joseph. We had been to Nyphenberg Palace and Dachau, the other two "must sees" in München. But never had been to the Residenz. We had no idea that it would take over 5 hours to do so. With over 120 rooms, the scale was so impressive.

Virtually in ruins after the bombing in WW II, the palace has been reconstructed and cotinues to undergo restoration. As a museum now, it has been divided into 2 partsU- the museum and the treasury. We got an audio guide and started on the way through the maze of rooms.

The first was the grotto. In order to reconstruct this room, citizens of Germany gathered shells for the walls.

 

Took many pictures of the rooms, but will include just a few until i get them all labled.

 

 

A bit of a silver collection.pp

.The chapel

Another private chapel. The recontruction of this palace has been magnificent.

When you know all your ancestors, you can dedicate a room to the family tree and over 100 portraits.

 

 

We had our audio guides reprogrammed for the Treasury, the home of the crown jewels and other exquisite items.

 

 

When you are a king or queen, you can travel with this kind of toiletry kit

It was nearly 5:00 when we left and so we walked quickly back to Marienplatz to catch the glockenspiel at the Rathaus. No matter how many times you hear the chimes and watch the joust, it is really a priceless experience and does not grow old or stale.

 

We had intended to have a bit of lunc somewhere, but decided that seeing was more important than eating. It was a bit cooler tongight so got a place at the Hofbau bier garten somewhat protected from the breeze.

Earle had. Pork shin and I the roasted half chicken, with our zwei Maß.

 

 

Shopped around for a few souvenirs and headed back to the hotel. I finished up the Teutonia blog and decided to call it a night since we had an early morning.

 

 

 

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