(Almost) Wordless Wednesday :: The View from the Other Side

Say Cheeeez! Taking group pictures at the Joslin Reunion on November 23, .. in Springfield, Missouri: Missy, Sue, George, Babs, Tim, Jim, and Linda.

How Big?

This photo give a perspective on just how big Teakettle Rock is compared to a man and his dog. Actually Lee and Tuffee.

Nature Preserve at Huntington Beach State Park

I have had pink eye for days and days now, which means I can't wear my contacts. Because I can't wear my contacts, I can't play pickleball. Because I can't play pickleball, I have stayed home and tried to do some photo editing/organizing. Which is how I came across this little gem that I forgot to share with you before.



Huntington Beach, not only has the beach and the campground, it also has this wonderful little nature preserve complete with boardwalk.



I can't believe that I missed this when sharing our Myrtle Beach fun before!



It was really beautiful. We didn't see a whole lot of animals but the other nature was worth the walk there.



Living the life in earth's splendor!

The Flying Tigers and The Tampa Rays

In our attempt to find interesting things to do while staying in one location for a year, we have been visiting the stadium where the Detroit Tigers do their spring training. During the summer, the farm league named The Flying Tigers plays here. The prices can't be beat for a game and food combo. One night a week they offer tickets for $1.00 and you can buy hot dogs, peanuts, and a drink for $1 each. Another night they do a ticket and all you can eat food combo price. Both nights make for a cheap date night and we get to mingle with the locals. Well, the somewhat locals since Lakeland is not exactly local to Wauchula. We've had a lot of fun listening in on the conversations of those who obviously are devoted fans to the team, and their ease in sharing the rest of their lives too. Since we have not lived in "only one place" for some time now, it is a fascinating thing to us to remember how the rest of our society lives!



We were also lucky enough to see a Tampa Rays game thanks to Nick and Tonyia. We were spoiled at this game, getting to sit in the section down near the field, with tons of great food and drinks. We owe them something special after this nice treat!



Living the life in HOT FL!

Kazimierz, the Jewish Ghetto of Krakow

Poland I would say is the cradle of the Holocaust. There is no other country in Europe that lost so many Jews and suffered the most than Poland. The country was torn apart during the Second World War and they were not only under the Nazi jurisdiction, but the Slovaks and the Soviet Union as well.


The Nazis have concentration camps all throughout Europe, from Norway down to Italy. Italy (Mussolini) and Spain (Franco) were allies of Germany and have cooperated well with Hitler. These concentration camps range from being labor camps to transit camps, prison camps, collection points, sometimes ghettos and lastly, extermination camps. The Nazi design was to have Poland pigeonholed for the build and execution of extermination camps. You can just imagine the atmosphere in the country during that time—the thick aroma of death was everywhere. People feared for their lives as well as for their loved ones. I’ll expound more about this in my Auschwitz entry soon.


When the Nazis invaded Krakow, they quickly moved all the Polish Jews to Kazimierz, a neighborhood just outside Stare Miasto. Below you will see fotos of present-day Kazimierz.

Although Kazimierz might have changed through the years, I can personally feel the ‘ghetto’ ambiance here. That stale lingering accent on the air, it’s not sickening—in fact it is surprisingly charming and friendly. Kazimierz has its own magnetism, decrepit yet full of character and charisma, kind of a bit hard to explain you know. I’ve been to the Jewish ghetto in Prague, Josefov and that place doesn’t really remind me of a ghetto, whilst compared to Kazimierz—Kazimierz come across more authentic, like life just picked up after the war. Maybe I am dismembering the details too much. You’ll have to see it for yourself and feel the place.



Left foto is Jozefa street in Kazimierz and on the right is a corner cafe terrace along Estery street right across the Nowy square.





Those plaques up on the wall I find quite charming. On the right foto, at first I thought it was just the usual graffiti art that proliferates in every ghetto, and then I saw Maxwell House (terrible coffee).





This is Nowy square. On top is an antique market and below are produce from the local market in the square and the trader's hall, once a slaughterhouse, now renovated, those windows are food stalls and pretty much a local favorite.





Kazimierz - more snug scenes of the neighborhood here.





More of the Jewish quarter here, you can see Hebrew written on doors and walls, and a close up foto of the infamous Star of David.





The Kupa Synagogue circa 17th century, the venue of the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow and foto on the right, Yidishland exhibition in Kazimierz.





Left foto on the corner of Bartosza leading to Szeroka square which is on the right foto where all the lively and colorful cafe terraces convene.





Moi in Szeroka square having espresso coffee and Zubrowka vodka shot and of course my view to the square and the cafe terraces. It was a beautiful day.





Left foto shows a map of the Jewish Heritage Route; middle foto is a white grand piano on Wolnica square, these grand piano sculptures are scattered all over Krakow; on the right is the biggest Catholic Church in the Jewish ghetto, Bozego Ciala.





Here are Jewish trading stores preserved as they were 65-85 years ago.



More fotos here: Kazimierz, Krakow, Poland


Kazimierz is also the location of the infamous ‘Schindlers List’ (1993) movie. I didn’t get to see the factory because it was located in a different area and I was too lazy to walk over there, instead I parked myself on a café terrace in Szeroka square and enjoyed the beautiful sun, an espresso and 2 vodka shots of Zubrowka. Now that is life. I will try Belvedere and Chopin next time. Interestingly, while reading about vodka, I’ve come across a list of best rated vodkas in the world and I was surprised to find 2 Dutch brands among the Eastern European brands and 1 Swedish on the top 10 list!—Ketel One Vodka and Vox Vodka. I didn’t know the Dutch are into vodka?! Hmm, I better go to the alcohol store and check them out =0

Roman Polanski as well once lived here as a child during the Nazi occupation. I’ve watched his ‘The Pianist’ film (2002) set in Warsaw—ah, another lovely place to visit soon. That film is just outstanding, rightful for the award.

Winter on the Temperance and Cascade Rivers

Taken yesterday on my "weekend drive" throughout Cook County.

Sunset at Big Lagoon

By the time I returned to the campground Sunday evening, a chill had set in and the wind had picked up. It was downright cold compared to early afternoon. But it was a nearly cloudless sky and there was already an orange hue enveloping the night. You didn't think I'd let it pass without taking a few pictures, did you?

Across the water, signs of “civilization” abound. In fact, condominiums, houses, and businesses are on three sides of the state park, but somehow it stills seems isolated and distant.

Clouds dancing above the observation tower.

Yes, I know, it is similar to the one above, but zoomed in and from a different angle. I like how the colors reflect off the railing and the water. The color changes in the sky during sunset never ceases to amaze me.

Typically Dutch 010: Beschuit met Muisjes

The other week we received a surprise visitor at work, a female colleague who recently gave birth and her 10-week old son.

The ‘Beschuit met Muisjes’ given to me. She gave birth to a son, so it’s white and blue muisjes. When it’s a girl, its white and pink muisjes.

In the Netherlands when there is a birth of a baby, it is customary for the new parents to treat visitors, friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues with ‘beschuit met muisjes’. It is basically a thick flaky biscuit spread with butter and the muisjes on top. Muisjes are sugar-coated cumin (anise) candies. The butter holds the muisjes together so that is an important ingredient =)

Kids here eat the muisjes as a spread on the bread as well, with the butter of course, for breakfast and lunch.

Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York

While in Corning, we stopped at the Corning Museum of Glass.

We were not there for very long, but what we did see was great. We loved this:

What We've Been Up To

With hundreds of weekly activities available here at The Villages, the hardest part of being here is picking and choosing just what to do each week. Last year while visiting, Donna introduced me to Bunco. We have continued playing that together this year. We have played at Mulberry, Seabreeze and Bacall and Donna has played at Churchill.



We are tackling line dancing, which comes very easily to Donna due to her professional dance background. Even though I am limping along compared to her, I am really loving it. Donna snapped this picture the other morning as we were heading out. We started at 8 am that morning and danced until almost 11 am.



I have finally moved from the bench to the court with pickleball and my muscles are feeling the effects of that. It is so dreadful hot and the level of play is so much higher here, so between the two-it is exhausting to play each day. It is great fun though and I hope that it will improve my game quite a bit. I can see a huge difference in Nathan's game and his weight already so hoping the same happens with me.



We have enjoyed playing Mexican Train several times, which allows us some "down time" from time to time and is a nice filler in between other activities. And all of that is just the daytime fun. At night it is more Bunco, Pickleball and of course-going out to eat. I am sharing two more of Donna's pictures from some of our eating out trips together.







We are really loving our time here so much! It was a good decision to spend the summer here!