It's off to Europe we go
Here we are ready to begin the next 6 week journey!
On an Amtrak connector bus in Colfax.
Sunday morning, September 8, we began an auto, bus, train, auto, plane traverse to Birmingham, England where we would spend two nights with grandson Lukas before heading to Larnca, Cyprus. Youngest daughter Ruth and her fiancé Jody had volunteered to take us to the San Francisco airport, but a few days ahead of our scheduled departure they both tested positive for COVID. We had not seen them since early in August, and we certainly didn't want to expose ourselves to COVID on our way to the airport, so we had to come up with a plan B. A next door neighbor to our Colfax area home graciously took us by car to the Amtrak station in Colfax where we would catch an Amtrak Connector Bus which would take us to the Capitol Corridor Train in Sacramento We disembarked the train in Richmond where grandson Jacob picked us up, and after sharing lunch together he took us on to the airport in San Francisco where we could take a Swiss Air jet to Europe with a short layover in Zurich before arriving on Monday evening in Birmingham, England to be welcomed by grandson Lukas. All our connections worked well and we arrived ready to sleep through our first night of jet lag! We stayed with Lukas in Pershore for two nights before catching an Easy Jet plane to Larnaka, Cyprus.
Carquinez Bridge as seen from the train.
The train after we disembarked in Richmond.
Jacob at the wheel on the Bay Bridge.
San Francisco as seen from the bridge with the fog rolling through the gate.
Airport art.
This mural of Redwood trees caught my attention as I walked around the airport.
Name and description of the mural.
I do enjoy airport art!
The Swiss Air Plane that would take us across the Atlantic.
Arriving in Birmingham.
Lukas and I begin an early hike in the Malvern Hills.
Beautiful and green!
Not far into the walk we encountered this magnificent tree.
Me and Lukas with the tree behind us.
Looking from one Beacon to the hill we would climb to see another Beacon.
The Worcestershire Beacon.
What's on top of that beacon.
The blue dot shows where we were.
Looking out to more hills beyond the Beacon - we didn't go out there.
Looking the other way.
We walked around this hill on our way back down.
A church steeple in the West Midlands region below us.
Me and Lukas with the Beacon Hill behind us that we had climbed.
One of the beautiful views below us.
Zoomed in a bit.
Lukas, on the edge of the world?
Pretty pink and yellow blooms with the view behind.
A view up the trail.
Mountain Ash.
But I at first thought these red berries were on a Pyracanthas bush.
A close up of the Mountain Ash.
A restored old rock wall near the bottom of our trail.
Arrows, etc. on a bench marking the way.
Lukas is in England working as a landscaper and attending Pershore College where he is studying Plant and Soil Science. After our hike we went back to where Lukas has been living for the summer and where we were graciously welcomed by Wendy, his landlord to spend our two nights in England and collected Rob to head out for a tour of Pershore College, lunch with Paul and Chris, and a tour of the Worcester Cathedral.
Lukas standing in front of Pershore College.
Lukas pointing to the room in the residence building where he will move to later this month to begin his second year of university studies. Naturally this campus was full of gardens! It is safe to say that plants and gardens are Lukas' passion!
After the tour of the school we went to lunch at the home of Paul and Chris in Worcester. As Lukas said, Paul is responsible for Lukas, who grew up in Germany and Cyprus, now being a resident of England. As a youth in Cyprus Lukas was always interested in plants. His family met Paul, a landscaper in England, and his wife Chris when they came to Cyprus to visit the House of Prayer that Jörn, Lukas' father, had helped establish. About 6 years ago Lukas went to England to apprentice with Paul and later to enroll in a landscaping training program at Pershore College. Lukas has progressed to the university course in plant and soil science and is now working on his own creating landscapes.
Following our scrumptious lunch prepared by Chris, Paul took us into town where Chris, Lukas, Rob and I toured Worcester Cathedral - a very impressive edifice constructed between 1084 and 1504.
Worcester Cathedral - on a rainy afternoon.
A chapel behind the choir area.
We weren't able to go into the main sanctuary because of an awards ceremony being conducted there, but there was still plenty to see!
Looking up to the ceiling.
Some of the many spectacular windows.
One of the more ornate sculptures depicting those buried in the crypt beneath.
All of those buried here were depicted as sleeping on their backs.
Except Charlotte Elizabeth!
The crypt below here was the oldest part of the building.
The River Severn in front of the Cathedral.
The three of us on a different river in Pershore after the sun came out.
On our way to the airport on Wednesday morning, September 11.
The house we stayed in was behind us on a street similar to this one.
Our flight to Larnaka, Cyprus was uneventful and we even landed early, but we had a very long wait in the Passport check line - longest we've ever had - over an hour. When we finally arrived at baggage claim our two checked bags were sitting very lonely next to the baggage return belt. We collected them and finally were able to meet daughter Sheila and granddaughters Katie and Elisabeth who were waiting outside. We would greet granddaughter Helen later after she returned from volleyball practice. Son-in-law Jörn is currently in England so we won't see him until he returns later this month.
The hour long Passport queue!
Katie, Elisabeth and Sheila waiting to greet us.
Surprisingly Rob and I experienced little effect from jet lag while we were in England. We slept well both nights and I only felt sleepy while riding in the car. England is 8 hours ahead of California time, but Cyprus is 10 hours ahead. I don't know if it was the additional 2 hours, a relatively inactive travel day on Wednesday, dozing during our 4 1/2 hour flight, the heat and humidity of Cyprus, or a combination of all of the above, but I had a very difficult time on Thursday, our first day with Sheila and family. I slept fairly OK, and did manage to get up early to walk with Sheila and her friend Sue, but the rest of the day I struggled to keep my eyes open and to tolerate the heat and humidity. I managed not to take a real nap during the day which was punctuated by a walk to the grocery store with Katie, board games with the girls, some errands with Sheila and a board game in the evening with friends Sue and Richard. I was happy to retire to our air conditioned bedroom and to get a good night's sleep. I got up early again on Friday, September 13, to go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea with Sheila and two of her friends. After breakfast at the house Katie, Rob and I walked down to the sea front and back through city streets before Sheila and the girls left for various activities. In the afternoon Sheila was meeting a friend at a cafe in the mall and Helen was going with her to take a bicycle tire for repair. Rob and I went along because of the promise of air conditioning. I'm not at all fond of shopping malls, but it was nice to walk around in the air conditioning and I did manage to purchase a few things: an iced tea, a clip to keep my hair off my neck, some ice cream and a swim cap.
Saturday Rob, Sheila, Katie and I went to Kastella Beach to join others from the church for swimming and snorkeling over a reef and a shared breakfast. Following that Sheila and I headed to the Marina to meet Richard on his sail boat, Liza, for a sail in Larnaka Bay. Since I had nothing to do but sit on the boat I kept dozing off in jet lag. The sea was lovely, and the breeze over the water was certainly more comfortable than the heat and humidity on land, but I am surprised by how much trouble I am having adjusting to the time difference. Saturday evening we were invited to go with Sheila to play a board game with friends but I decided that I would do better going to bed while I was feeling sleepy. I slept very well Saturday night and hoped that today I would be over the jet lag, but Katie had to nudge me during worship at Trinity Evangelical Church. Sitting during the day is definitely my biggest challenge.
Looking out across the mostly dry Salt Lake.
Early Thursday, September 12, on walk with Sue and Sheila.
Zoomed in to see the Mosque.
Sheila volunteers with All4Aid, formerly Oasis, an organization that helps with the many refugees who arrive in Cyprus primarily from Africa and the Middle East. Sheila's focus is on mothers and young children. Thursday afternoon we went to the All4Aid office to pick up some baby clothes and deliver to a six month old baby nearby.
In the entrance space at All4Aid.
Mission, Values, and Vision of All4Aid.
Sheila regularly swims in the early morning with friends at MacKenzie Beach as much as six days a week in the summer. I did have to set an alarm to be up before 5:30, but I managed another early morning rising under jet lag on Friday!
There were a number of folks swimming and walking in the water!
There would be many more by the time we left!
Swimming Hole #11
11:30 AM, Friday, September 13.
Jet Lag?
Lunch is the hot meal of the day, and Jörn is the primary cook in the family, but since he is away in England the girls are taking turns. Katie was chief cook on Thursday and Saturday, Elisabeth, a vegetarian, prepared tasty beans for herself and her vegetarian grandmother.
I definitely enjoyed viewing the grass, fish, and other creatures in the reef, but sometimes swimming over the grass creeped me out a bit!
Sheila and me on the back of Liza.
I think I look a bit jet lagged!
Larnaka Beach as viewed from the boat.
After our sailing adventure Sheila and I went to the nearby Anglican Church for a service saying goodbye to the vicar couple there and to celebrate new lay worship leaders. This is not the church the family goes to, but Sheila knows some involved and I remembered meeting Ann, one of the vicars, two years ago. Sitting I needed to work at staying awake!
What on earth are they collecting mascara brushes for!?!
For a wildlife sanctuary in Scotland!
They are used to clean some of the animals, like hedgehogs.
Helen playing the piano at Trinity Church on Sunday morning.
Rob with Connie, one of three family cats.
Rob reading.
Katie reading.
Elsie relaxing in Roseville.
Comments
Post a Comment