River Cruising Water Cooler

[Roz]

beau - male

belle - female

[CPT Trips]

For those who appreciate art . . . And particularly Giverny.

Heres a website that allowed me to travel virtually during COVID times. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/washington-dc-history-amp-culture-8043634040
To the best of my knowledge their programs ARE available for those across the sea from the USA. 

Washington D.C. History and Culture (a non profit) is offering a number of free, on-line programs that fellow river cruisers may find interesting. You will need to scroll through to find all the upcoming programs. I won’t pretend to have a clue what all y’all might find interesting. 

[Coral]

3 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

For those who appreciate art . . . And particularly Giverny.

Heres a website that allowed me to travel virtually during COVID times. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/washington-dc-history-amp-culture-8043634040
To the best of my knowledge their programs ARE available for those across the sea from the USA. 

Washington D.C. History and Culture (a non profit) is offering a number of free, on-line programs that fellow river cruisers may find interesting. You will need to scroll through to find all the upcoming programs. I won’t pretend to have a clue what all y’all might find interesting. 

Great site! Thanks. I will explore this weekend!

[notamermaid]

Interesting stuff in the link. Thanks. A film about John Adams with Laura Linney playing his wife is bound to be good. If I cannot access the features offered, I may try and get that film/series some other way.

 

I am binge watching the British archeology series "Time Team" on youtube. Just finished the episode about the boat in Utrecht. Fascinating nerdy stuff, lots of people trying to figure out what this line in the field means and that piece of pottery over there ...

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

@notamermaid I know that the live programs from that site are easily accessible in Hamburg so I assume they are accessible throughout Germany. Also, some of the programs are recorded and available through their YouTube channel.

[Canal archive]

Oh at leat one of the ‘Time Team’ lot is very involved with Crofton steam engine on the K & A canal. As far as I have seen they are absolute archialogical nerds.

Edited May 28, 2022 by Canal archive

[notamermaid]

19 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

absolute archialogical nerds

Oh yes!

 

Perfect for me, I look into every hole the builders, etc. dig near where I live. I love finding out what is in the ground. I know they will not find a king under a car park, but it is fascinating to see the old sewage systems, etc.

 

Talking of which: One of "my must have a look at" places next time I am in London is the "Cathedral" at Abbey Mills. Functional and beautiful (IMO anyway).

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Oh yes!

 

Perfect for me, I look into every hole the builders, etc. dig near where I live. I love finding out what is in the ground. I know they will not find a king under a car park, but it is fascinating to see the old sewage systems, etc.

 

Talking of which: One of "my must have a look at" places next time I am in London is the "Cathedral" at Abbey Mills. Functional and beautiful (IMO anyway).

 

notamermaid

 

If you ever get to Liverpool, make time to see the Williamson Tunnels:

https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/williamson-tunnels-0012517

[notamermaid]

14 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

If you ever get to Liverpool, make time to see the Williamson Tunnels:

https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/williamson-tunnels-0012517

Ah, yes, saw a video about that some time ago. Thank you for the link. It may encourage others to explore the city beyond The Beatles. Of course, for me it the line would be: Liverpool - city of The Beatles, proud maritime history, fantastic modern redevelopments and a great art scene, with wonderful shopping and sightseeing - and all I want to see is an obscure massive crazy underground building in the backyard of a slightly unusual man's house.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Then don’t start on the London Underground!

Im more involved with the Georgians than the Victorians but our archive still has loads of hidden goodies and ohhh it’s so easy to get side tracked.

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

Then don’t start on the London Underground!

Im more involved with the Georgians than the Victorians but our archive still has loads of hidden goodies and ohhh it’s so easy to get side tracked.

You will probably love this new book, which is coming out on 14 July in Britain (but only on Dec. 6 in the US):

Bryant & May’s Peculiar London

This will be the 21st book in a series of murder mysteries [that I can highly recommend] whose plots feature the history of London and lots of local architectural and archeological details – but it is, as Monty Python used to say, 'something completely different'... and will offer hours/day/weeks of vicariously visiting interesting sights and pubs in London:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60490200-bryant-may-s-peculiar-london

https://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/2022/05/09/the-never-ending-story/

[Canal archive]

Jazz thanks for that, will check it out looks good, from one very proud born & bred Londoner, not quite within the sounds of Bow Bells but with the wind in the right direction within the sound of the Lions roaring in London Zoo.

[notamermaid]

Quite an eventful days it has been in the world beyond my German realm. Her majesty - what an achievement! - being cheered on this fabulous island in the North Sea (and elsewhere). There is a little haven of Britishness in the Westerwald hills where, according to a local source of mine, there was celebration today. Fish and chips, music, cake. If only I had known before I could have arranged a day trip to there...

 

It has for obvious reasons been even a bit more quite around my neck of the woods with info on D-Day. But overall it seems to have been a bit quiet about this decisive date in history this year.

 

We have Whitsuntide with two church holidays which means Sunday and Monday, so today shops have been closed, too. Tomorrow, Tuesday, it is Whit Tuesday but life almost runs as normal as on other weekdays around here.

 

Will need to pick up the story of my trip to Idstein again. Sorry about the delay.

 

Hope you all have had a good day (so far), be it celebratory or plain normal with work.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[jpalbny]

Just back from a week in Northern Italy - 3 nights in Milan, 3 in Como. Lots of fun and good food in the city, and some amazing landscapes to be seen around Como. It was already crowded so I cannot imagine what it will look like in peak season. It was hard to find a place to eat lunch in the lakeside villages, and the fast ferry from Bellagio to Como sold out so we were stuck on the slow boat. Still, glad that we had a chance to be there.

 

Chris got to meet up with a classmate from Grade School who moved to Milan after 8th Grade. She and her husband took us around Milan last Sunday and then had us over for dinner on Tuesday before we left for Como on Wednesday. That was a special treat.

We got home last night so we just missed the lifting of the pre-flight COVID testing requirement, which starts today. Oh well. At least we were negative. Back to work tomorrow!

[Coral]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Just back from a week in Northern Italy - 3 nights in Milan, 3 in Como. Lots of fun and good food in the city, and some amazing landscapes to be seen around Como. It was already crowded so I cannot imagine what it will look like in peak season. It was hard to find a place to eat lunch in the lakeside villages, and the fast ferry from Bellagio to Como sold out so we were stuck on the slow boat. Still, glad that we had a chance to be there.

 

Chris got to meet up with a classmate from Grade School who moved to Milan after 8th Grade. She and her husband took us around Milan last Sunday and then had us over for dinner on Tuesday before we left for Como on Wednesday. That was a special treat.

This sounds amazing. One day I will get to that area! Glad you had a wonderful time!

[notamermaid]

Day trip to Idstein part 3

(continued from post #1685)

 

From the castle garden we approached the magnificent building over an old bridge crossing the modern road. It is the Renaissance Palace, now used as the Gymnasium, which is the German name for a secondary school with high school (age 10 to 19). I had a nice old school but imagine coming out of this building

and seeing that:

I would have loved that!

 

The red stone is painted by the way and underneath is - red sandstone:

 

Talking of stones. The cobblestones have a distinct reddish undertone to them which gives it a bit more warmth than the grey ones that dominate more along the Middle Rhine valley:

 

Oh, and here are the instructions for @jpalbny for climbing the tower : get the key at the tourist information centre, mind the uneven terrain (you are responsible for your own safety), do not disturb the birds, and off, i.e. up, you go.

 

From the height of the sign the view was already pleasantly sweeping over the town, it must be really nice from up on the tower. Standing close to the entrance door:

The big building is a large institute/university connected with pharmaceuticals, for example dispensing chemists and similar fields.

 

After passing several more shops I still had no fridge magnet, but we got an ice-cream that we enjoyed eating in the palace park with lake:

 

End of March it was still a bit barren, but I am sure it is now really lovely to spend an hour in the grounds.

 

The problem at Idstein for tourists is that quite a few shops are closed during lunch hours, so it is best to be there in the morning or later in the afternoon. This restaurant may be closed at lunch but I like the opening hours in the evening: from 1700 hours "bis keiner mehr da ist" - till everyone has left :

 

So we wandered along more streets with half-timbered houses, equipped with explanatory booklet (there is real art and meaning to the structures) and map, looking for a particular building that had caught my eye on paper. And there at that house I would be greeted by a particularly pleasant feline.

 

To be continued...

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by notamermaid

[Host Jazzbeau]

@notamermaid I'm sorry that yesterday's anniversary brought you sadness.  Meanwhile, at dinner tonight [Maine lobster and asparagus over farfalle with cream sauce - delicious!] I noticed this sculpture on the wall of the restaurant – and of course thought of you!

 

 

[Canal archive]

Love the beautiful mermaid, I’ve tried copying Arria the 32 ft mermaid statue near Cumbernauld Scotland and failed.

Is it Asparagus season? Goody goody!

 

 

[notamermaid]

11 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 Meanwhile, at dinner tonight [Maine lobster and asparagus over farfalle with cream sauce - delicious!] I noticed this sculpture on the wall of the restaurant – and of course thought of you!

That is sweet. Thank you for putting a big smile on my face this morning.

 

Was that green asparagus? Cannot imagine white working in that meal. Asparagus season ends on Johanni in Germany, that is 24 June, the feast day of Saint John the Baptist.

 

Must conclude the trip report of my day in Idstein...

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

41 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Here it is, and a new German word to learn: Abladetiefenberechnung. Hah, only joking. The page exists in English and it explains the calculation of the draught loaded: https://www.viadonau.org/en/economy/services-transport-planning/calculation-of-the-draught-loaded

 

Reading and learning that should last an evening or two sherries.

 

Pfelling gauge is stable at 246cm.

 

notamermaid

 

So as not to derail the thread where this was originally posted, I shall respond here.

Another word that can’t be played in Scrabble.

 

[GTarrant]

1 hour ago, CPT Trips said:

So as not to derail the thread where this was originally posted, I shall respond here.

Another word that can’t be played in Scrabble.

 

When I was in Germany last week I was in a bookstore and saw a version of Scabble and wondered "7 tiles must be incredibly limiting in German!!!"

[CPT Trips]

5 minutes ago, GTarrant said:

When I was in Germany last week I was in a bookstore and saw a version of Scabble and wondered "7 tiles must be incredibly limiting in German!!!"

Maybe that’s why there are so many compound words. You play “fuss,” then I play “boden.” 🙄🤔🤷🏻‍♂️

[notamermaid]

That's right, you all have a good laugh at my expense. I have to deal with these words on a daily basis!

 

I just say one thing to you: Übergrößengeschäft. Try typing this on your English keyboards.

 

notamermaid

 

[gnome12]

5 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

 

I just say one thing to you: Übergrößengeschäft. Try typing this on your English keyboards.

I can do it fairly easily on my iPhone. 
Übergrößengeschäft

with the iPhone keyboard you hold down the letter and get a choice of all the accented versions of that letter. And the ß is found on the s key. Doing it on my desktop, however, is a real chore. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by gnome12

[Fouremco]

39 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

I can do it fairly easily on my iPhone. 
Übergrößengeschäft

with the iPhone keyboard you hold down the letter and get a choice of all the accented versions of that letter. And the ß is found on the s key. Doing it on my desktop, however, is a real chore. 

Übergrößengeschäft you say? I think all Apple keyboards have this functionality, including my iPads and the MacBook Pro I'm writing on right now.  😇

Edited July 15, 2022 by Fouremco