Transition from Europe to U.S.A.

Alanna, me, Chris and Rob

Ready to explore Ingelheim am Rhein

Notice the chalk on the gate? (20 + C + M + B + 24) This is a traditional inscription written in chalk above a doorway to offer a blessing on Epiphany, January 6. The 20 and 24 are for the year, 2024 and the letters C, M and B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi (wise men): Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They are also the first letters of the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat: "May Christ bless the house." The + signs represent the cross. We saw this chalked inscription throughout our European travels. And we have it above the door of our motor home.

After disembarking AmaSonata on Wednesday, October 9, we were transported by bus to the Munich airport where we would board a flight (1 1/2 hour late) to Frankfurt where we met up with Sheila's oldest child Chris, and their wife Alanna. We had a wonderful time visiting with Chris and Alanna and exploring a bit of their delightful, historic area of Ingelheim am Rhein. Chris and Alanna met us at the airport and guided us to the train that would take us all the way to Ingelheim. Chris was born in Germany where they lived until age 11 when their family moved to Cyprus. At 18 Chris came to California and lived with their Aunt Erin for 9 months before going back to Cyprus for a few months and then back to California where they lived until a year ago. Chris and Alanna planned and worked hard to make a permanent move to

Germany where they seem to have "landed" well. Alanna, who has never lived outside the U.S. has been diligently studying German and is currently teaching English as a Second Language to individual students. Chris begins a new job in November with a private university. They have a very nice one bedroom apartment in a very old house within the old city walls of Ingelheim. We were able to get a room with breakfast at a small winery directly across the street from them.

Chris and Alanna's street, early morning, Thursday, October 10.

I discovered the old city gates on my early morning walk.

This is the restaurant where we had dinner on Wednesday evening.

Another discovery on my morning walk.

And a pretty mosaic in the sidewalk.

The winery on the right is where our room was.

A historical sign on the wall of Chris and Alanna's house.

1608, the date the house was built.

One of many half timber houses in the neighborhood.

Following Alanna down the street on our walk to down town.

Notice the wagon in front of her?

The wagon held grape skins after being crushed for wine.

A path between walls.

Another old city gate.

The red lines delineate the old city wall.

The path along the Selz River, a tributary to the Rhein.

More of our path to downtown.

We stopped at the library first for Chris to print their ballot for the U.S. election.

The library of course had materials in German, but it was very nice and one feature was that in addition to a water filling station for refillable water bottles there were reusable cups for those, like us, who forgot to bring their water bottles. After using the cups we placed them into the dishwasher that was under the water filling station. I've never seen that in a public place before.

Rob found a friend on our way back to Chris and Alanna's after lunch and grocery shopping.

After a board game we headed out for another walk.

This wall was for a church.

The church behind the wall.

Another old city gate.

And another tower by the old wall on the right.

On the left are modern houses and on the hillside beyond town are the vineyards.

A daylight view of the first city gate I'd seen early in the morning.

Another path along old city wall that I found on a short walk on Friday morning.

This pillar is a memorial to the Jewish community that once lived here.

The memorial, just a short distance from Chris and Alanna's house, is on the site of a synagogue that was destroyed in the pogrom of November 10, 1938.

These plagues in the sidewalk named Jewish persons who once lived here, but were killed in 1938.

The sign over the place where we stayed.

Inside the gates of where we stayed.

Our room was up stairs to the left.

Chris schlepping all our luggage off the train at the Frankfurt airport.

I'm not sure how we would have navigated the crowded train without Chris!

Leaving Reyjavik, Iceland where we changed planes on our way back to the U.S.

Another view from the plane as we were leaving.

We were flying on IcelandAir so I enjoyed watching several documentaries about Iceland on the planes. Quite the different place as we could see landing and taking off. We were headed to Boston where son Scott and his wife Kristy met us at the airport to take us to their home in Harpswell, Maine where we were to spend a week before heading back to California. We arrived to their home late Friday night, October 11, but I was up early to walk on Saturday morning.

Saltwater Reach, Scott and Kristy's subdivision.

Their beautiful home, still under construction.

Saturday evening we were treated to dinner at a favorite restaurant, the Dolphin, about 10 minutes away from their house, but still in the small by population town of Harpswell, but large in land and especially coastline. It boasts the longest coastline of any town in Maine, and the most mooring balls!

Kristy, Scott, me, Rob and Kyle after dinner.

Our grandson Kyle and his wife Hale have temporarily moved in with Scott and Kristy so Kyle can help Scott work on the house construction, and then they will house sit this winter while Scott and Kristy sail to the Bahamas. Hale was in Turkey, her home country, for most the time we were in Maine.

Still by the Dolphin. Can you tell we are a bit cold?

But not too cold to stop for ice cream on the way home!

The dock at their subdivision, early Sunday morning.

And there is Soarin' Free on one of Harpswell's mooring balls.

Scott and Kristy chose the location to build their house because of its proximity to the water and their ability to have a mooring ball for their beautiful sail boat, which they plan to board around November 1 to head for the Bahamas.

We arrived in time for fall color!

Some red up close.

Some more fall foliage.

Currently living with Scott and Kristy is in the midst of a construction zone. While there has been much progress since when I was here a year ago in September, there is still much to do. We have got to watch and participate in ongoing projects.

Scott on a borrowed tractor digging a trench across the driveway.

The trench was built to bring electricity and water to the center of the circular drive.

Here they are lining up 12 strips of oak, milled on the property.

The strips will be glued and then flipped up together to form a hand rail for the spiral stairs.

We even got in the act!

Scott and Kyle working on the frame where the glued together

strips will be held in place until the glue sets.

Putting on the glue.

Now the future rail is being secured in the frame.

The glue has set and the ring has been sanded.

And now checking to see if it fits.

It does!

After checking for fit, the new railing needs to have some touch ups, some final sanding and then get installed. We look forward to seeing it on our next visit to Maine.