Summer Travels: Washington, DC

Our Girl Scout troop of five Cadettes, one leader, and one co-leader (that's me) are hitting the road  in my old Mazda MPV van this morning for a trip to our nation's capital. Two days are slated for traveling and four days for visiting. On the itinerary:

• Smithsonian Natural History Museum
• White House Tour
• National Gallery of Art
• Old Town Alexandria
• Arlington National Cemetery (some of the girls are participating in the wreath laying ceremony)
• U.S. Capitol Tour
• National Archives Tour
• Crime Museum
• The Washington Mall and its memorials
• Mt. Vernon

It's going to be fantastic! The only time I've ever been to Washington, DC was on the fifth grade trip many years ago. So I'm really looking forward to it.

And let's not forget the 11+-hour car trip with five young teen girls. Can you say awesome? Wonder how many stops we'll make. . . .

I'll post about our adventures as soon as I can! And I'll also be posting about my family's trip to Miami and Key West in mid-May. Look for both of those soon!

Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts -- Online

Photo credit

I'm always on the lookout for wonderful online resources that enrich our lives, particularly in the artistic or historic sense. I found two marvelous resources to share with you.

I have a fascination with illuminated manuscripts. On my first visit to London, I was crushed to find out that the Lindisfarne Gospels, a must-see on my trip, was off display at the British Library. A polite sign invited me to return in the fall, when it would be back on display. I wasn't going to be in London in the fall! Aaarrrgh!

So on my second trip to London four years later, a visit less than 24 hours in duration, I hightailed it for the library to feast my eyes. I admit I gazed (probably longer than necessary) upon the revered pages, marveling at the detail, the care, and the beauty of this amazing work.

Here is some information from the British Library website about this manuscript:

The Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the most magnificent manuscripts of the early Middle Ages, was written and decorated at the end of the 7th century by the monk Eadfrith, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne in 698 and died in 721. Its original leather binding, long since lost, was made by Ethelwald, who succeeded Eadfrith as bishop, and was decorated with jewels and precious metals later in the 8th century by Billfrith the Anchorite. The Latin text of the Gospels is translated word by word in an Old English gloss, the earliest surviving example of the Gospel text in any form of the English language, it was added between the lines in the mid 10th century by Aldred, Provost of Chester-le-Street. Today the manuscript is once again bound in silver and jewels, in covers made in 1852 at the expense of Edward Maltby, Bishop of Durham. The design is based on motifs drawn from the decoration of the manuscript itself.

On the off-chance you are not planning to be in London any time soon, you, too, can feast your eyes on this gorgeous work of art (and history and art history) by visiting the British Library's website and its amazing "Turn the Pages" online gallery. This gallery utilizes Adobe Shockwave, so you'll need to download that free application beforehand. But it is SO worth it. "Turn the Pages" features a Magnify function for an up-close look at the details. Another fabulous element is the Audio option, which offers interesting information on the manuscript. Or you can click the Text option to read the same information. Not every page of the manuscript is part of the "Turn the Pages" gallery, but the cross-carpet and opening pages of each gospel are on view.

However, if you don't have Shockwave, you can also view the pages here. For a quick view of the art pages only (no text), Wikimedia Commons offers these nine images.

For more information on the Lindisfarne Gospels, visit the British Library website and run a search for "Lindisfarne Gospels" to hit the motherlode. Here is a quick link to a bit of background. Also, Wikipedia offers an informative entry.

And, in case you ARE planning a visit to London this summer, don't look for the Gospels at the British Library; they'll be at Palace Green Library in Durham, to be displayed alongside the St. Cuthbert Gospel. So plan a jaunt to Durham. I've been there, and it is worth the trip. The cathedral alone (the final resting place of the Venerable Bede) is worth the trip.

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Photo credit

I was beyond excited to learn that Trinity College Library Dublin now has the Book of Kells available for viewing online. While all pages are uploaded, there are no scholarly comments as of yet. Here's an excerpt from the library's website on the Book of Kells exhibition:

The Book of Kells (Trinity College Dublin MS 58) is celebrated for its lavish decoration. The manuscript contains the four Gospels in Latin based on a Vulgate text, written on vellum (prepared calfskin), in a bold and expert version of the script known as "insular majuscule". 

The place of origin of the Book of Kells is generally attributed to the scriptorium of the monastery founded around 561 by St Colum Cille on Iona, an island off the west coast of Scotland. In 806, following a Viking raid on the island which left 68 of the community dead, the Columban monks took refuge in a new monastery at Kells, County Meath. It must have been close to the year 800 that the Book of Kells was written, although there is no way of knowing if the book was produced wholly at Iona or at Kells, or partially at each location. 

It has been on display in the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin from the mid 19th century, and attracts over 500,000 visitors a year. Since 1953 it has been bound in four volumes. Two volumes are on public view, one opened to display a major decorated page, and one to show two pages of script. The volumes are changed at regular intervals.

For some quick views of pages from the Book of Kells, check out this Wikimedia Commons page of images. And for a thorough (and excessively glowing, IMHO) exposition, read this article from Wikipedia.

Since I have no firm plans to visit Dublin, the online exhibit of the Book of Kells is really a blessing. It's not quite the same as viewing the real thing in person, but it's the next best thing. I look forward to the addition of scholarly explanations added to the website!

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Online resources for museum pieces are invaluable for history study and art study. Not only do they give us access to items thousands of miles away, they also give us means to compare similar objects. For example, a worthwhile project for older students would be to compare the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells. How are they similar? How do they differ? Why were they created? Do their disparate ages have something to do with any differences? Do their respective histories have any bearing on their condition today? These are just a few areas of inquiry that pop to my mind (before I've had my coffee).

Of course, seeing these priceless artifacts in person is the peak experience. I imagine the hands that have touches the pages, now protected under glass and low lighting. Hands that worked quietly and surely, hands that smoothed pages before a sacred service, hands that seized roughly in a desperate effort to flee from raiders, hands that worked to restore the ravages of age. . . . 

Perhaps an online study will whet your family's appetite to plan a trip!

Packing Up

So here it is. The last few days of our summer sojourn in Maine.

As always, it's been lovely. We've done some fun things, visited with dear friends, had fun in the boat, ate some lobsters, relaxed, and read a lot.

It's hard to say goodbye to our life here.

But, as this leaf attests, time marches on.

And so must we.

Weekly Happenings: First Week in Maine!

We've been at the cabin for one week, and I'm feeling weird. I haven't yet completely relaxed. I'm also having trouble staying connected to the online world. I have to go to the library to use my laptop as there's no internet at the cabin. I can read some emails, get Facebook and Twitter, and access the web on my smartphone, but that really only works for basic communication. I know it's better than nothing, but when one is used to a certain level of interaction. . . . Well, it takes some getting used to.

On the other hand, I'm also feeling good. (Himself always points out that "well" is the word I should use, but to me that sounds more like the opposite of "ill." So I use "good.") I'm back at the helm of our boat. Tiny Girl has had a big time kneeboarding and wakeboarding. (Miss Priss demurrs.) Both girls and our neighbors have had a blast tubing. We've eaten lobster and seen lots of friends.

Here are a few photos of some adventures, in no particular order:

Georgette's first trip on the boat. 

Waiting for AAA at Gettysburg National Military Park. The van overheated and needed a new battery. We only visited three stops on the audio auto tour.

Jasper likes to swim in the lake to cool off. So far, Georgette is not tempted. 

A quick break at a rest stop to stretch our legs.

A homemade lobster roll, chips, and coleslaw (also homemade by me).

We're reading a lot. I'm still at work on Elizabeth and Mary; the girls are re-reading the Sisters Grimm series. I also read Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly, whose A Northern Light I really enjoyed. Her latest is interesting, but I didn't like it nearly as well as her first. I found the circumstances and characters so dark as to be dispiriting. And I don't mind dark. But the teenage characters, rich Brooklynites all, are irritatingly noir. I know there are better literary and philosophical terms for it, but such terms escape my feeble brain at the present time. Dissolute comes to mind. So does libertine. You get the idea.

I suppose as a homeschooling parent I should be feverishly planning our next year, but I'm not. I'm taking a break. And I'm not ashamed to proclaim it!

Happy summer!

Traveling? Don't Go It Alone: Online Maps and Apps Get You On Your Way

We are car travelers. Himself drives, and I navigate. Most of our trips are under eight hours, but every year we drive to and from Maine, a three-day journey. In the past, I've always visited our local AAA office and had them create a TripTik for our route and also gathered Tour Books for each state we traverse. (You have to be a AAA member, which we've been for years. I can't recommend membership highly enough.)


Enter the internet.


Two years ago, I took advantage of AAA's online TripTik creator and made my own. Using click-and-drag, I could personalize our route, just in case we wanted to go a different way than the default route. This sounds easier than it is. Sometimes the click-and-drag assumed a certain route, and I'd have to really zoom in and fiddle around with the settings. According to the AAA employee I spoke with recently, they have the same problems in the office! Once I got the route just the way I wanted it, I printed out the TripTik, three-hole punched the pages, and secured them in a notebook. Voila!


This year I tried something different and used MapQuest's Directions to plan our route. By entering in various destinations, I was able to personalize our route. I was also able to print out maps to my preference, zooming in when I needed more detail and zooming out when something more general would do. I found MapQuest's click-and-drag function easier to use than AAA TripTik's.


Hard copies are great, but in this era of smartphones, apps are also a way to go.

AAA offers free apps for both Android and iPhone. I was able to download the TripTik app without giving my AAA number or any other information, so perhaps you can, too, if you are not a AAA member. This came in quite handy for locating gas stations and hotels.

I also used my Google Maps for my Android. My phone came with this app, but you can also download it. This was great. When we hit a spot of creeping traffic, we were able to find an alternate route around the problem.

Hungry? The TripAdvisor app has a Near Me Now feature. We've used this lots of times with great success. These free apps are available in many platforms.

And don't miss this one: the free USA Rest Stop Locator app. There are several of these types of apps from which to choose. Just run a simple Google search to find the one you like best.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you have a car charger for your phone. These apps eat up batteries!

With these tools at your fingertips, car travel is both easier to plan beforehand and manage while you're on the road. What could be better?

Happy traveling!

(Aside: I have no idea why some of the text has a different background color. In editing mode, it looks exactly the same as the other text, and nothing is different. )

On Our Way!

After our whirlwind June, which wrapped up last night at the swim team banquet (and I use that term in the loosest way possible), we are about to hit the highway for Maine. Himself has been busy packing the van; I had another doctor's appointment this morning, some papers to be notarized and sent overnight, and a trip to the barn to say good-bye to Max. Why slow down just because we're leaving for a few weeks?

Tiny Girl is not well. Of course. She has a sore throat and a bit of a fever. She's asleep on the couch as I type. My M.D. (mama diagnosis) says that she is simply exhausted from the fever pitch of June. One can only go so fast for so long.

Gotta run! I have high hopes of blogging whilst on the road (we'll see!). But it may have to wait til we get settled in up north.

See you soon!

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: Chocolate and Books

By the time I reached the Copthorne Hotel in Newcastle on Sunday night, it was after 11, and I'd been awake for 36 hours. I'd enjoyed my time in Amsterdam and was still a bit keyed up, due to excitement and lots of coffee. So I didn't fall asleep til after midnight.

And then I slept hard.

I didn't wake up until 2:15 Monday afternoon. (When Himself heard this, he replied in disgust, "What a waste of a day!" I had to remind him of my 36-hour "day" that had immediately preceded my Sleeping Beauty snooze.) After a quick shower, I grabbed a map of Newcastle and hit the streets. My hotel was along the Quayside of the River Tyne, so I had to walk uphill to reach the city center. It was a gasping walk.

The first place I stopped was St. Nicholas Cathedral. I love old cathedrals: the stained glass, the memorials, the old burial spots, the carvings, the dust motes, the smell... everything. I picked up some materials on display; it looked like St. Nicholas is a lively parish, which I was glad to see. I especially enjoyed Christopher Dalliston's (the Dean) message for Lent in the Cathedral Notes; I've linked to it here so you can read it, too. Look here for some more photos of the cathedral.

I also snapped a few photos of the Castle Keep and Black Gate, the two remaining buildings of the "new" castle. The keep was built between 1172 and 1177 by Henry II, and the gate was built between 1247 and 1250 by Henry III. "New" is a relative term.

The Black Gate

This monument to Queen Victoria sits outside St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Queen Victoria, looking dour.

I stopped in Blakes for a coffee and bakewell tart. The server asked me where I was from. When I told her, she excitedly said, "Oh, I love it there! It's one of my favorite places!" Turns out she's visited more states than I have. She's hoping to attend school in Toronto and travel in North America some more. I gave her my email address when I left, in case she'd like some advice planning her trip(s).

After that, I popped into Ma Provence for a croissant to take away. Later, I drooled over the chocolate offerings at Hotel Chocolat, a must-stop-shop if you're ever in Newcastle. I bought some, too! Let me recommend the dark chocolate-dipped ginger strips.

Another must-see: Grainger Market. I visited the market on my first trip to Newcastle four years ago, and I made tracks for there this trip, too. Here are some marvelous photos of the market, which opened in 1835. It's a marvelous place to browse. At one stall, I bought lots of candy to take home for the girls. At a book stall, I perused old books and wished I had enough suitcase space to take some home. I smiled at a butcher as I passed by his stall, and he winked back. There was a lot more to see, but I also wanted to stop by Waterstones bookstore, so off I went.

My favorite thing to do in Waterstones is visit the children's section. Why? Because they offer titles and authors we don't see in America. Deciding to cram my suitcase after all, I bought several books for the girls. The clerk who rang up my purchases, a young girl with maroon hair and completely tattooed arms, held up a Michael Morpurgo book. "Oh, I have this one, and I'm afraid to read it!"

"Afraid?" said I. "Why?"

"I know it will be sad, and I don't know if I can take it!"

We both laughed. "Oops," I said, "I'm buying it for my daughters, and one in particular is tenderhearted. Maybe I'll read it through first."

She thought this was a good idea. As I left, she called out, "I hope your daughter loves the book!"

I looked at my watch. Time to head back to the hotel to meet Tanya and her colleague, Allan. We were going out for Indian food. (It was wonderful, and if I could recall the name of the restaurant, I'd tell you. But I can't.)

A little adventure began. I headed in a direction and ended up in an area I'd never seen before. But I felt okay: I was headed downhill, so I must be going in the right general direction. Then I caught sight of the Millennium Bridge in the distance. It's along the Quayside. I made my way toward that bridge. Following signs to the Quayside, I got back to the hotel with a few minutes to spare.

By 11 p.m., I was back in bed. It had been a packed eight-hour and forty-five minute-day!

The Anne Frank House: "I Don't Want to Have Lived in Vain"

I walked briskly up Prinsengracht, away from Westerkerk and toward Huidenstraat, a woman on a mission. And what better mission: the chocolate boutique, Pompadour. So I barely noticed the three young men coming toward me on bicycles until they swung to a stop by my side.

"Anne Frank?" asked one, in heavily-accented English.

Pleased to look like someone in the know, I pointed back behind me. "Straight down this road and on the right. You'll see it." My ticket entrance was timed for two hours later that day, and I'd already scoped out the place.

He smiled and nodded his thanks, and off they zipped.

The Anne Frank House (or Anne Frankhuis) is a top attraction in Amsterdam, as you might imagine. Tanya, my friend with whom I'd be meeting up in Newcastle the next evening, had tried to visit on two other layovers, but the entrance lines had been too long. For this layover, she'd bought her ticket online, as I had, before leaving home. Neither one of us was going to miss it this time.

  

When I arrived at my appointed time, there was no line, and the museum was blissfully uncrowded. I was further pleased to find it well conceived and organized. I moved through the downstairs exhibits at my leisure. I then made my way up the narrow and steep stairs to the secret rooms where eight people had hidden themselves away.

I was surprised to find that crowds of people quickly caught up with me. They hovered over certain displays and moved on, flowing around me, missing many of each room's highlights. I had the distinct impression that many visitors were there to run their eyes over the rooms and check the "done that" box on their bucket lists. Thanks to my pre-trip research, I knew what things I wanted to see particularly, like the penciled height measurements of Anne and her sister, Margot, on one of the walls. So many visitors rushed past without even noticing. What an irony, I thought. How many others rushed past without noticing in 1940s Amsterdam?

While the children's height measurements (I measure my own children's heights on a door jamb in our cabin) and the photos and magazine pictures left hanging where Anne herself tacked them all squeezed my heart, I was prepared for those. It was the unexpected that made me catch my breath:

• Photos of Jewish families lined up in the street for removal, the same street I'd just walked down
• Anne's actual diary and her notebooks, which she began carefully editing with an eye to publication after the war ended; her handwriting; that these had been kept safe by friends and given to Otto Frank, Anne's father, when he made his way back to Amsterdam after the war
• The three-minute interview with Otto Frank, Anne's father, the only immediate family member to survive; made in 1969; he was surprised at many elements in Anne's diary; she did not give voice to many of her thoughts; he concluded by saying that no parent ever knows his child completely.
• Photos of the ones in hiding and the people who helped them; real people

I stood before the photos, the journal pages, the video screen as a crush of people pushed past me. I couldn't absorb as much as I would have liked. And my window of time was closing; I had a train to catch back to the airport. I felt vaguely let down.

I learned later that Tanya's experience had been much the same as mine. She'd been irritated by the hordes thickly surrounding displays, pushing through, carrying her along with them. She'd not been able to engage fully with what she was seeing.

Thankfully, there's much more to it. The Anne Frank House website is marvelous. Through it, I can revisit the house any time I like. I can take the time to process everything I saw in person; I can see it again online and more as well. This museum's materials and offerings need to settle into one's full self: mind, heart, and spirit. And that takes time. The website gives me an avenue to further explore, and I cannot recommend it highly enough to you.

Go. Read. Look. Study. Think.

Each day, the website posts a quote from Anne's writings. Today's is this:

“Even though I'm only fourteen, I know what I want, I know who's right and who's wrong, I have my own opinions, ideas and principles.”  -- March 17, 1944

And she did.

A Day in Amsterdam

Almost the moment I stepped off the plane in my hometown, I fell ill. Okay, more like a couple of days, but still. And I've been ill for most of this week, so my writing about my trip abroad was delayed. However, I'm much better now and back at the computer desk!

One of the pluses to my recent trip to the UK was an eight-hour layover in Amsterdam, where I'd never before visited. After doing some online research about Schiphol airport and train transport to and fro Amsterdam's Centraal train station, I decided I'd have about four or five hours to visit the city. Who knew when (if?) I'd be back? Quelling any fears of missing my connection to Newcastle-upon-Tyne (a nausea-inducing thought), I made plans for a quick trip.

Herengracht canal. Can you see all the bikes parked on the bridge?

First I highlighted my top priorities: the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frankhuis. After studying a map, I saw it would be impossible to do both. I opted for the Anne Frankhuis. To free up more time, I bought my ticket online before I left home.

Anne Frankhuis

Amsterdam is rightly famous for pancakes, so I planned to visit the Original Pancake Bakery. Fortunately it's located on Prinsengracht, just a few minutes' walk from the Anne Frank House. I also wanted to stop in Pompadour, a famous chocolatier, and just wander around a bit.

I also padded my timetable for a few malfunctions:

If you exit the restrooms at Schiphol and see a small machine off on its own that looks seductively like an ATM, do not fall for it! If you do, your card will get stuck on the slot, you will have to seek out several different types of assistance, your already-tight timetable will get tighter, and you'll feel like you're going to vomit. If you are "very lucky," the only facilities management people who have the authority to save your card will be on duty. They will be friendly and smile indulgently at your self-deprecating comments. They will ask to see your passport before handing over your ATM card and saving your life. They will then point you around the corner to the REAL cash machines.

Don't ask me how I know this to be true.

Getting into the city was fairly easy. I eschewed the self-service ticket machines and bought my ticket (round-trip for that day) from a human being so I could make sure I went to the right platform. Amsterdam's Centraal station is well situated, but it's not at the heart of the city. You have to walk a few blocks for that. A good map is a necessity; the city layout can be confusing and trusting your sense of direction is a big mistake. You don't want to wander into the Red Light District. (No, this did not happen to me. If it had, I'd confess.)

Along the Prinsengracht. I loved the houseboats here.

The Original Pancake Bakery is fabulous! I chose the apple and bacon pancake and a latte. The pancake was platter-sized, thin, and crispy around its edges. Fresh apple rings and three slices of bacon were cooked into it. There were three syrup offerings: two bottled (one regular and the other caramel) and a third in a crock with one of those honey-dipper thingies. That was my favorite.

Pompadour is teeny-tiny. I squeezed in with four other people to ogle the chocolates and pastries in the two display cases. (There's also a miniscule eating area with a few tables -- all occupied when I was there.) I asked about a few chocolates and chose these: one dark chocolate-covered caramel, two cocoa-coated truffles, and two "lemon," which I discovered to my delight were slices of dried, sugared lemon covered in dark chocolate. I know -- it sounds strange, but it's my new favorite.

My visit to the Anne Frankhuis deserves its own post. Check back soon.

Getting Ready to Head Home

I'm all checked in for my flights and all packed up to head home. I'm bringing the girls candy (their favorite) and books (their second favorite).

Tanya and I have had a wonderful time. I'm keeping a travel notebook so I can share the particulars with you when I get back home. I also have travel tips I plan to share on Rick Steves's graffiti wall, since some I found out the hard way! But blessings abound, and there were no true travel catastrophes. Yay!

The flight from Newcastle to Amsterdam is short; but the flight from Amsterdam to my home city is really long, much longer than the flight over. I hate that, but what can you do? The airlines decide their routes.

I'm off now for a much-needed cuppa. More later!

Hello from England!

I'm on the hotel computer and only have four minutes left, so this will be short!

Amsterdam was wonderful. I have photos to post later. I managed to visit the Anne Frank house, eat a delicious pancake (apple and bacon), pop into Pompadour, a chocolate boutique, and walk around some. To my relief, everyone I met spoke excellent English. This is helpful since I don't speak Dutch.

Now I'm in Newcastle. I arrived last night about 11 PM, after being awake for 36 hours. I slept 14 hours last night! I've done a bit of shopping (more chocolate, this time at Hotel Chocolat, and books at Waterstone's). I also popped into Boots for a razor, which I forgot. It was either that or go home hairy. I also visited the Grainger market, which I find fascinating. I especially love the butchers; all that meat just lying out in the open. (Most Americans would hyperventilate. Where are the neat packages sealed and protected from germs??) And then I walked along the quay back to the hotel. My room overlooks the river Tyne; it's a lovely view.

I'm excited to be here. I was tempted to break into a happy dance of joy along the quay, but I restrained myself. One doesn't break into happy dances of joy at my age. (Confession: sometimes I do, but only when I'm with other people. Otherwise I'd be taken for a complete lunatic, wouldn't I?)

I love the bridges that span the Tyne here in Newcastle. The Millenium Bridge is the loveliest, with its changing colored lights.

Tomorrow Tanya and I take the train to Edinburgh. Excitement!

More later from the UK...

Leavin' on a Jet Plane!

What a week! Miss Priss began crunch for her drama troupe's upcoming production of Wonderland!; I've been hard at work on an article I'm writing for a magazine (more on this later); we've spent time at the barn with Max; Himself was out of town; lessons limped along; and I was getting ready for a trip out of the country!

Tonight, I fly out to the UK with an eight-hour layover in Amsterdam. I'll meet up with my friend, Tanya, in Newcastle (as in upon Tyne) Monday evening. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Tanya and I will visit Edinburgh. It's supposed to rain, of course.

I've already bought a ticket (don't you LOVE the internet?!) to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. This way, I can skip the typically hour-long wait entrance line. According to the directions, I'm to go to the side door to the left of the main entrance and ring the bell. It seems a tad smoke-and-mirrors, but at least there's no secret knock. I'm hoping I'll have time for a canal tour, as well, or at least some of their famous pancakes. I'd also hoped to visit the Van Gogh museum, but I don't think my window is wide enough for that. I've heard it's wonderful, but I chose Anne Frank as my first priority. I can see (and have seen) Van Gogh paintings elsewhere; but the Anne Frank House is only in Amsterdam.

My fabulous and wonderful mother is coming to stay with the family while I'm gone. She'll keep things running smoothly. Dad will join her here later, and it'll be a party then. The girls are excited; my folks are excited; Himself is excited not to be the only one in charge of everything; and I'm excited. So it's a win-win situation all around!

It's past noon, and I've yet to pack. I should get on that, huh? I'm going to try to write a post or two to publish while I'm gone. See? You're always on my mind.

A Tea Drinker's Take on Coffee

As you know, I am an avowed tea drinker. Coffee is just not my thing. Plus I have something personal against paying lunch prices for a fancy cup of joe. Although I did develop a penchant for McDonald's' mocha frappes last summer....

On our recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, Himself (who drinks even less coffee than I -- exactly none) and I spent a few days in Kona, land of the quintessential coffee. One morning, we stopped in for a free tour at Greenwell Farms, a coffee farm in existence since 1850 and still owned by the Greenwell family. The tour was extremely informative and interesting. Since the tours are informal, there were only five people in our group, so we could ask all the questions we wanted. (I have some photos of coffee trees more than 100 years old and still producing, but I'm still on the library computers and can't upload the photos.)

Of course, there were samples galore at the end of the tour. Greenwell does not offer sugar or milk with their samples, as they want the coffee's individual flavor to take center stage. Himself and I both sampled several varieties, and I fell in love with the chocolate macadamia nut (decaf for me, please). I bought a bag to bring home, and I drink it black, thanks very much. Me, who has always added sugar and milk! Alas, Himself is not a convert; he thought a few were pretty good, but that's all.

Then again, I'm no convert either. I'll always be a tea drinker. But it's nice to branch out once in a while, isn't it?