Messina

Our last port on the first half of our cruise was Messina, a city on the island of Sicily. Just two miles across the straight of Messina is the toe of the boot of Italy. There has evidently been ongoing discussion of the possibility of building a massive bridge across the straight, but that seems unlikely for now.
Rather than wander around Messina, we chose to take a guided tour to Mount Etna, the well-known volcano about an hour and three-quarters south of Messina. Having written its name into crossword puzzles so many times over the years, we thought we ought to see the real thing. Along the way, we got a feel for this eastern part of Sicily as a resort community and were treated to views of lots of lemon groves, fig trees, vineyards, and other farming.
The volcano is over 11,000 feet high and is snow-capped. In the winter, there are two ski runs somewhere on the mountain. Lots of farming and residential property lies all around its perimeter up to maybe 4000 feet. We drove to over 6000 feet, where the scenery is more like a moonscape. There are supposed to be over 250 vents and craters all over the mountain. Its peak crater is more than 20 miles across, though we were nowhere near that. The volcano is called an intermittent volcano, because it periodically erupts, usually in relatively mild ways, though it does have its moments, usually accompanied by earthquakes. When it does erupt, people just seem to cope and rebuild, if necessary. We have seen other volcanoes before in Iceland and Hawaii, and the lava fields are very similar. Nevertheless, it will be fun to remember that we visited this very famous one.
We were at sea again by about 2PM, and we enjoyed the day playing bingo, where Kathie came within one call of winning over $1,048 before someone beat her to it. We read books in the sun on our cabin veranda, got dressed for dinner, had drinks in one of the bars, even danced a little, and gambled in the casino for awhile. The final dinner of this first ten-day cruise, as is the tradition of HAL, involved much silliness by the chefs, wait staff, wine stewards, and other attendants. They had all of us wearing chefs hats, and for three of the five courses, they paraded in with the servings while dancing and singing. Desert was the classic Baked Alaska dish. Lots of fun!

At Sea Again

We spent a relaxing day at sea yesterday, including a long morning in nice sunshine alongside the pool on the stern Lido deck. We didn’t participate in, but had fun listening to, a trivia game that involved naming old TV shows based on hearing their theme songs. There are all kinds of fun activities onboard everyday, including games like this one, bingo, a nice library/reading room, two swimming pools and hot tubs, music, several bars, a culinary arts program, and more.

A few random subjects to share… When we were in Turkey and then again in Athens, the Ms Prinsendam was docked alongside us. She is the smallest of Holland America Line’s (HAL) ships and is the one we sailed on when we did the cruise of the Baltic in September 2007. Ms Eurodam is HAL’s largest ship at the moment. Ms Nieuw Amsterdam is being built and will, I believe, be a bit bigger yet. Anyway, it was fun to see two ships for which we have considerable affection tied up side-by-side, one quite large and the other now seeming to be much smaller than we remembered.

I’ve enjoyed watching the gulls when we enter and leave each port. Particularly when we begin to move away from the dock and the tugs and pilot boats are assisting and our thrusters and propellers are beginning to do their jobs, the gulls become very excited and gather and dart all about to look, I suppose, for food in the agitated water. Though they may not be the most attractive birds, they are amazing flyers, swooping and gliding and changing direction with great skill. I keep thinking of the old Jonathan Livingston Seagull book.

It may be true that HAL attracts and maybe caters somewhat to an older clientele than do some of the other lines. However, we have met lots of couples, our age and younger, with whom we have struck up very nice relationships, at least for the duration of the cruise. At the same time, we have seen a few older folks, some decidedly overweight, who have really struggled with the tours or with other arrangements. This really makes me stop and think about my own condition and taking steps now to insure that we can continue to enjoy these kinds of experiences.

We have one more port of call in Messina, then an overnight voyage back to Civitavecchia. That will put us halfway through our trip. We are definitely not ready to go home yet. Lots of folks will disembark at Civitavecchia, and some new folks will join us. We feel fortunate that the Australian couple, Margaret and Murray, will continue to share our dining table for the remaining part of the voyage. We really like them and may well stay in touch in the future. We will be sorry to say goodbye to Chris and Sandy from Spokane (same age as our Will and Sandy). They have been lots of fun too. Our table is usually one of the last to leave the dining area each night, simply because we are having so much fun and are engaged in such interesting conversations.

Athens

The port city of Piraeus is contiguous with the city of Athens. Our tour took us through Piraeus and past many of the venues that were constructed for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Kathie and I were both struck with how dingy and dirty the cities felt to us. Cars were covered with film and dirt (we were told it was not settling ash from the volcano in Iceland), there was quite a bit of litter everywhere, and again the graffiti appeared. Maybe what we saw was a sad statement about the condition of Greece’s economy. Others of our traveling companions commented about it too and told us that they had always seen Athens as such a beautiful city on their prior visits. In fact, it is a beautiful city if you don’t have to look too close. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour, but we felt disappointed about some of the look and feel. Maybe they just need a good rain.

Our first stop was at the stadium built for the first modern Olympic Games. The ancient Olympics, about which we learned much several ports ago at Olympia, had been stopped around 390 AD. The resumption of the games in 1896 led to the creation of this very large stone stadium, where Olympic flags and symbols are constantly displayed. Prior to the opening of every modern set of games, the Olympic flame begins its journey in Olympia at the ruins of the ancient games and then travels to this stadium before continuing on its way to the city currently hosting the games.

We had already seen the Acropolis and the Parthenon above us while at the stadium and from several spots along our drive through the city. This is in itself a breathtaking scene. I had not imagined the Acropolis being surrounded by Athens, but the high, granite, relatively flat-topped mountain that is the Acropolis sits exactly there. Below it and in other protected areas nearby are other ruins, including a Temple of Zeus, the Arch of Hedron and an agora and a nearby, nearly-intact temple. (I hope I have these details right. Sometimes the information flies by faster than one can absorb it all. I’ll have to do some reading when I get home.)

The hike up to the top of the Acropolis involves lots of steps but is not too difficult. There were hundreds and hundreds of others there too—I cannot imagine how crowded it must be in the summer. Some were from cruise ships (both our ship and the Ms Prinsendam were in port), but there were many, many groups of school children there as well, and they tended to be less quiet than the rest of us.

There is an ancient open-air arena and stage area part way up, and it is still used for performances. At the top of the Acropolis are four buildings, one being essentially a grand entrance to the area, two others being smaller temples, and the fourth being the Parthenon. The architecture is incredible, of course. There are some replica statues and friezes in place along with some authentic ones. Quite a bit of restoration or corrections of prior restoration attempts continues over the years. Frankly, I hope they do not “over-restore” it, since some of the charm is in seeing it as it is. The history of the site is very complex, with many having occupied it at different times and for different reasons. One conquering group (sorry, can’t remember which right now—perhaps the Byzantines) had the gall to store munitions there. A subsequent explosion was a main reason for the collapse of much of the Parthenon. Most of us have seen photographs of the Parthenon in our school days and studies of history. To see it in person is truly an honor.

We walked down from the site into an old town area, which was much cleaner and better kept than the other areas of Athens we saw earlier. Interesting little shops were all around and catered to tourists, of course. We had an excellent Greek meal there (mousaka, spanikopita, a cheese pie, salad, and beef with a Greek version of risotto).

Next we spent an hour in the Greek Archaeological Museum before returning to our ship. It was filled with fascinating collections of statues, jewelry, vases, friezes, and other artifacts of Greek, Roman, Mycenaean, and other cultures.

Kuşadasi

Kuşadasi (Koo-SHAH-dah-suh) was our port in Turkey. Now a resort community and tourism city, it was originally settled by both Turks and Greeks. Several ancient communities were founded in the region, including Miletus, Didyma, and Priene. Another regional attraction is the supposed House of Mary, where the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her last years.

The site of most interest to us, and the one we spent the morning touring was Ephesus. Now several miles inland, the site was once on the Aegean Sea, but over the ages, rivers silted it in and covered the ruins of the original city. These ruins have since been discovered and excavated and are amazing in their complexity and detail. The looting that detracts from other sites, like Olympia, did not occur to the same extent in Ephesus. In fact, much of the site is still buried, and while touring, one can’t help but wonder what other marvelous structures might lie still beneath the earth in areas adjacent to those uncovered. I would say that these ruins rivaled or surpassed many of those we saw in Rome a few years ago.

Among other things, Ephesus was a center for the fledgling Christian movement. You no doubt know of the Book of Ephesians in the Bible, which is the letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus. However, most of the ruins date back over 3,000 years and, therefore, reflect attention to the Greek gods and goddesses and the influence of the Roman empire. Cleopatra visited Marc Anthony in Ephesus. We saw well-preserved temples with some statues still in place, an ancient public toilet and signs of sophisticated sewer and other plumbing, a large arena and stage, a very impressive library, and even a brothel. Agora or market structures were nearby.

Adjacent to the area was a large array of terrace houses, which were probably Roman. These are being carefully excavated and preserved. A large number of residences, maybe 10 or 15 in number, are co-located and share walls, walkways, and other structures, such as roofs. Most of the individual residences have open courtyards with pools at the fronts and then rooms that surround these courtyards. Many frescos, mosaics, and marble-lined walls can be seen and are in good condition still. The entire ancient Ephesus site was truly amazing to see.

When we returned to Kuşadasi, we were given free time in the shopping area of the city, including a presentation on Turkish carpets and their creation. We saw an amazing collection, and I could not resist purchasing a small one, which I intend to display/hang at home, rather than use as a floor piece. We had been alerted to the fact that Turkish businessmen expect that bargaining will be a part of the process of buying. So, I worked at that, though I don’t know that I’m the best bargainer in the world. I did get the price down by over 40% from where we started at the shop’s proposed price, and visiting with others onboard our ship in the evening, I learned that others had managed to achieve reductions of from about 30% to 40%, so I think I did OK. In the end, you just have to be satisfied with the result, and I am. The carpet is about 2x3 feet in green and other silks and features a tree of life theme.

Santorini

Santorini is an island in the Cyclades Islands that form a group southeast of the main portion of Greece. The island was once part of a large volcano that suffered a massive eruption in 1628, blew apart, and left a caldera, the largest part of which is Santorini. Naturally, the entire area consists of volcanic rock and pumice and is beautiful in its many different-colored layers. The villages of Santorini cling to the rim of this caldera and sit high above the sea, so that one has to travel either by a cable car or donkey (really!) to reach them. Actually, we were picked up at another area where tour buses can gather, but we did find our way back to the ship at the end of the day via the cable car. This was one of the ports where we had to use tenders (small boats) to move between our ship and the shore. The buildings are mostly white, although there is lots of the Greek blue color mixed in. They are stacked one atop another and so are sometimes described as the sugar cube villages.

After our tour bus reached the top of the caldera, we drove to the highest point on the island to Mount Profitis Ilias. Along the way, our guide described some of the local crops, including pistachios and grapes. Grape vines are quite different here. They are trained close to the ground and wrapped into circles. The grapes are trained to grow in the interior of the vine circles so that they are protected from winds, including the blowing pumice, and also so that they can benefit from natural humidity, because the islands receive infrequent rains. There were beautiful red poppies growing everywhere too. The views from the top of the mountain were quite dramatic, and we could see out to sea a very long way as well as seeing virtually all of the island, including its agricultural areas on the eastern side. Looking down at our big ship sitting in the middle of the caldera was very picturesque. Unfortunately, we caught Santorini on one of its cloudy, hazy days, and without the sun, I think the natural beauty of the area was somewhat diminished. Sunsets are supposed to be quite dramatic here, but we had no chance to see one.

Next we were driven to the northernmost village of Oia (prounounced “eeya”) and were given about two hours of free time to wander through shops, see other vistas, see panoramas of the “sugar cubes”, and enjoy cafes if we wished. We chose to spend most of our time in a secluded café with a great view of the sea to the north. There we had two excellent snacks and some Greek beers and coffee. One snack was large black olives, stuffed with cream cheese, then dipped in a beer batter and deep fried. There were served with fresh lettuce and had an olive oil balsamic glaze drizzled over them. Yum! Second, we had a tart, made from corn meal, and filled with eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, an unsalted white Greek cheese, feta cheese, and oregano. This was baked and looked something like a quiche when served to us. Yum again! I chose to polish this off with the Greek coffee and an excellent piece of baklava. We purchased a largish bag of pistachios on our way back to the ship.

We returned to the ship later via the cable car. Santorini has been described by many to us as one of the most beautiful of all places to visit. We very much enjoyed it but imagine that it would be most beautiful on a bright sunny day, with blue skies, the blue sea, and the “sugar cubes” all blending together. I found it geologically, geographically, architecturally, and culturally very fascinating, nevertheless.

Later in the evening, the Indonesian crew performed for us. They had put together a complete show with funny bits, native dances, songs, and a humorous “1000 hands dance.” This is our fourth cruise, and these Indonesian and Pilipino crew members are always so friendly, helpful, and accommodating.

Katakolon

Katakolon is primarily a cruise terminal, rather than a working port, that serves tourism and vacationers in this Peloponnese region of Greece. We enjoyed watching the approach to the dock and the village as we finished our lunch. By the way, everything you may have heard about cruises and food is probably true. We have been offered an incredible variety of very well prepared dishes. Dinners are especially interesting, with four courses and about eight entrée choices each evening. Very good wines are available too.

Of course, the main attraction for us this day was the tour at Olympia. We traveled from Katakolon about 45 minutes by bus to the archaeological site of the original Olympics. Along the way, our guide gave us an interesting, condensed version of the Greek gods and mythology. This was important because so much of the Olympic site consists of religious features. The area had once been buried under sediment from floods and was rediscovered and then excavated in the 1800s. Unfortunately, a vast number of statues and other artifacts were carried away, but what remains is incredible. The site is large, covering what I would imagine being a couple hundred acres and is strewn with large pieces of the many structures that once stood there. These include temples to Hera and Zeus, a wrestling arena, a gymnasium, a building in which officials and athletes dedicated themselves, and a large open-air stadium that could seat about 40,000 spectators (males only!). Games took place every four years from around 1000 BC to the year 393. They were resumed as the modern Olympics in 1896. The torch that is carried to open the games every four years always originates near the Temple of Hera on these grounds. Our guide told us lots of interesting stories about the games and the archaeological work that has been done at the site.

Before returning to the ship, we were treated to refreshments and entertainment at a nearby hotel. Refreshments included local wine, ouzo (yum), olives, cheeses, sausages, breads, and fresh vegetables. The young entertainers performed traditional Greek dances to live music and engaged some members of the audience in a closing dance like those I’m sure you have seen in movies.

We are nearing Santorini as I write this. More tomorrow.

P.S. I’m not posting pictures yet due to the required upload times and the cost of Internet minutes onboard ship. When we are home, we can bore you with pictures if you like.

Dubrovnik

If there is such a thing as a classic Mediterranean look for villages around this sea, Dubrovnik would have to be a good example. From the ship, especially as we approached yesterday, the red tile roofs, stucco structures, palm trees, and rugged mountain backdrops were enchanting. The ride on our tour bus to the old town area of Dubrovnik added to these impressions—the city is very, very clean, free of litter, and well cared for. The graffiti we saw on so many public and private buildings all over Rome and in other areas of Italy was disappointing, but here in Dubrovnik there was none of that. The city and regions nearby are a popular tourist destination, and there are several very large hotels and beach areas. Weather is moderate all year and quite warm in the summer. When we were reminded that the Serbs had shelled this city in 1992, it was rather shocking. Some evidence of the damage still exists. These attacks occurred when the former Yugoslavia began to separate into the several independent countries that now make up the region and war broke out between individual states and ethnic groups.

An amazing wall, part of which follows the sea, surrounds the old town part of Dubrovnik. Portions of the wall date back to the 12^th century. One can walk the circumference of the city along the top of this wall. We did not have the time to do this, but that would be a good plan for another trip. All the streets and many of the buildings and the wall were made of hard regional limestone. The streets were polished smooth from centuries of foot traffic. We toured an old government building, a Dominican Monastery and its museum, saw art influenced by the Renaissance, and had some free time to wander through the quaint, narrow side streets and shops.

Next, we were driven to a smaller community south of Dubrovnik and had a chance to stroll through pretty residential neighborhoods and along the sea. After that, we were taken up into the mountains to visit a farm. Farms are family operations, with related couples, their parents, and children living together in buildings that combine homes and working areas. They gave us a brief tour of some of the work areas and showed us how olives are pressed to make oil. Some of the Croatian olive oils evidently rival or surpass the best of those from Italy and Greece. We were treated to a taste of their homemade brandy and dried figs, then a meal of locally inspired sausage, potato salad and lettuce plus apple strudel. Meanwhile, two of the men played accordion and guitar for us, sang, and invited all of us to sing along. It was delightful.

Back on ship, we rested a bit and then considered attending the evening show, which featured a hammer dulcimer virtuoso. Frankly, this didn’t appeal to me, but Kathie reminded me that these shows are often/usually terrific and much more fun than one might assume. She was right. The musician was a Chinese gentleman who had been taught the instrument by his father beginning at age six. His technique, the variety of music (jazz, Chinese, classical, folk, show tunes), and the quality of the instrument kept everyone fascinated. He more than deserved the standing ovation he received. Betsy, you can tell Henry that he closed with “The William Tell Overture.”

Our dinner companions (we have an assigned table with two other couples) are becoming good friends. We are telling more and more stories and are laughing almost constantly. Kathie and I are thinking of challenging them to join us in a karaoke contest. Maybe we can all do “Stop in the Name of Love” complete with hand motions and a little choreography! I know—you are wondering where Bill is and what we’ve done with him. In fact, we continue to meet fun and interesting couples at all of the meals and events.

We lost an hour of time as we moved into a different time zone overnight. The ship will dock in Katakolon, Greece in about three hours, and we will be touring the site of the original Olympics. Right now, we are heading southeast along the western Greek coast. Still lots of sunshine and temperatures in the high sixties!

At Sea Continued

Yesterday was spent at sea, as you know. We met several interesting Canadian couples at breakfast. Walked the Promenade Deck (3 laps is a mile) for awhile and watched as we passed through the Straights of Messina. We had an excellent view of Mt. Etna on Sicily, which we will visit in a few days when we loop back.

A pilot had boarded the ship to guide us through the straights. Watching the pilot leave our ship after we passed through the straights was fascinating. The pilot’s small speedboat (maybe a 20’ vessel) came alongside our ship as we moved along at probably 15 knots. It nudged its bow against the side of Ms Eurodam near a Jacob’s ladder (a rope ladder), and the pilot climbed down and stepped onto his moving pilot’s boat, which then moved away. He didn’t even wear a life jacket! I would think this dangerous enough to warrant that, but … Most of the daytime hours were spent heading in an easterly direction along the “bottom” of the boot of Italy. We turned north toward Croatia sometime around 9PM, I’m told.

We noticed that a couple had signed up on a games sheet looking for others who play Hand and Foot. So, we gave them a call and played a couple games in the afternoon. They play almost the same rules as us, but there were just enough differences that we had to adjust our play a bit. The women beat the men both games. I think a rematch will be in order.

Prior to dinner, we attended the show in the theater, where the captain of the ship began by introducing the principal crew members and then offered a toast. Next, the young men and women singers and dancers who make up the show crew put on a terrific Broadway-type show. This was our first dress-up dinner, so we were all in coats and ties and evening dresses. Lobster tails and crab legs were served for dinner!

We awoke this morning to watch the ship dock at Dubrovnik and are preparing to head out for our first shore excursion. Watching the process of docking is fascinating for me. How these big ships maneuver so easily is amazing. The sun is shining and the city looks very Mediterranean, with nearly all tile roofs and light-colored stucco siding. We’ll tell you about our excursion tomorrow.

At Sea

We were in port at Civitavecchia until 6PM yesterday. Slept late and then had a nice breakfast. Spent time in the Crow’s Nest most of the remainder of the morning reading our books and enjoying the leisure. The Crow's Nest is just below the ship’s bridge and offers a wonderful 180º panoramic view with comfortable lounge seating all around. Also located there is an Internet café, an array of games, including a daily trivia quiz and Sudoku challenge, magazines, daily news briefs, and a lending library. We continue to meet interesting people from all over the U.S. and elsewhere. The weather is warm, sunny and very comfortable.

At 5:15PM we attended the mandatory lifeboat drill and then moved to the aft pool area, outdoors in a warm sun, to hear music, drink margaritas and watch the process of departure, including harbor pilots, tug boats, the casting off of lines and so forth. After leaving the port, we turned south to travel along the western coast of Italy through the night. We are making about 20 knots. This big ship is very smooth—one hardly feels the sea. She is 936 feet long (more than three football fields for those who think in those terms) and 106 feet abeam. This makes her quite a bit bigger than Titanic was but not as big as some other modern cruise ships.

At last we are on our way. Last evening the cruise director told us that just over 1800 passengers are aboard. That is about 300 below capacity. We think the cruise was originally sold out, so these 300 may represent the “casualties” of the Icelandic volcano and its ash clouds.

The food, as has been our experience on prior cruises, is outstanding, and the service is top notch. After dinner last evening, we attended our first stage show, with funny skits and a very talented group of singers and dancers who will entertain us regularly. The theater is in the lower bow of the ship and has a balcony and large stage. It is fancier and larger than the old Englert Theater in Iowa City, for those familiar with that space. After the show, the casino was open, so we spent just a few minutes there before turning in for the night.

This morning, we passed by the Stromboli volcano, which you may want to check out on Google. I had just finished preparing for the day and went to our veranda to see the volcano jutting up out of the sea on our port side. (I’m into nautical jargon now.) I keep wondering if it was the motivation for the evil character in Pinocchio. The volcano appears to form an island far out from the Italian coast, which I cannot see at the moment. A small village seems to cling to one of its lower slopes. Some people will live anywhere! We are approaching the Straights of Messina between the toe of the boot of Italy and the island of Sicily. We spend today at sea, passing around Italy and heading north to Croatia, where we will be docked at the city of Dubrovnik when we arise tomorrow morning.

Off To A Sm-ashing Start

You may be wondering how the volcanic eruption in Iceland has affected our planned trip to the Mediterranean. The bottom line is that we are onboard the ship but are still waiting to leave port.

We drove, as planned, to see Betsy and her family on Friday. We enjoyed playing with Henry and Clara and visiting with everyone through Saturday morning. News reports were making me quite nervous, since the ash clouds seemed to be drifting further south and had resulted in some airport closings in northern Italy. Rome was still open, however. Also, Holland America sent an email that morning to announce their plans to move departure back an additional five hours to provide more options for those trying to reach the cruise on time.

We decided to head for the airport a little early in case there was anything that needed to be done there. However, my worrying was for naught, as our Alitalia flight to Rome departed almost on schedule and got us to Rome on Sunday morning as planned. The captain did announce that we would not fly the usual route, instead flying further south, below the Azores, to avoid the ash. In Rome, we checked into our hotel, proceeded to get ourselves time adjusted, and found a very nice restaurant nearby that served excellent Italian pizza.

Monday morning (yesterday), we put our bags out for the transfer to the ship. A bus full of fellow cruise passengers gathered in the lobby with us. Then we learned that the cruise departure time was being further delayed and that one port of call (Corfu—planned first stop in Greece) would be eliminated. We were driven to the port of Civitavecchia and were allowed to board the ship at the original planned time but the ship has stayed in port overnight and will be departing tonight (Tuesday) at 6PM, a bit more than 24 hours beyond schedule. Of course, this is to allow more passengers time to get here if at all possible.

We enjoyed our first dinner on board last evening and met the two other couples who will be seated with us during the cruise. They were delightful. One couple is from Australia and had little trouble getting here. The other couple is from Spokane and had quite an adventure getting here. They were scheduled to fly to Rome on Thursday via London. Their plans included a few days of sight-seeing in Rome prior to the cruise. However, they were on one of the last jets allowed to land in London and then spent the next several sleepless days on a bus to the English coast, a ferry across the channel, and then trains to Paris, Geneva, Zurich and finally, Milan. A commuter flight from Milan to Rome got them here in time to board the ship yesterday, quite sleep deprived but happy to be here.

This morning I’m enjoying sitting on our cabin room veranda, looking out at the Mediterranean, watching ships go by and construction crews working on improvements to the port. We could walk into the city of Civitavecchia, but we’ve been told there isn’t much to see. We watched a very funny movie (Old Dogs) yesterday in the onboard movie theater, and I expect we will find lots more to do today. We enjoy reading and visiting and napping too, and the activity level will pick up as 6PM approaches and departure finally occurs. There will be music and drinks and laughter up on the Lido deck at that time. Life is good. More later.

Bolide

Now there's a word you don't hear every day. Bolide!

Kathie and I were watching a movie last evening, when just after 10:00PM I glanced out our front window and saw an amazing streak of fire passing across the sky from west to east. I have since seen the phrase "ball of fire" used, and that would be an accurate description of the leading edge of the phenomenon, but there was a distinct trailing streak to it as well. The leading edge was very much yellow and orange in color. It appeared to be at about the same altitude as the airplanes we often see departing from the Eastern Iowa Airport. Indeed, my first thought was that it was an airplane in trouble, but then I realized that it was moving too fast. I jumped up and ran to the window in time to see it continue off much further to the east before it eventually just disappeared. We heard no sonic booms or other noises, and yes, Kathie saw it too, so I wasn't hallucinating.

I began looking on the Internet for reports of sitings and discovered the word bolide being used to describe some past sitings. The dictionary on my computer describes a bolide as "a large meteor that explodes in the atmosphere." This fits with what we saw. By about 10:30PM, I did begin to find some online reports of sitings elsewhere.

This morning, I used Google to look for other reports of similar sitings, and it turns out that there were numerous reports all across the upper midwest (Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and the Dakotas). One especially good collection of reports, videos, and comments can be found at this location. Included there is a video captured by a camera near Madison, WI and another by a camera in Elma, IA. The one from Elma, IA is most like what we saw. A meteor shower referred to as the Gamma Virginis shower may be the explanation for these sitings. You can read more about that here. The picture posted there is quite similar to what we saw.

Anyway, Kathie and I feel privileged to have witnessed this event. It was truly one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.

Eleanor Monday

Monday was Eleanor Day. Her Pop brought her out to spend the day with us. In the evening, he and Carrie joined us for some grilled fish, baked potatoes, and Waldorf salad.

I pulled a "Tom Sawyer" on Eleanor and had her help me pick up locust pods from the lawn. She was full of energy for hours outdoors. Nap time, later in the day, seemed to agree with her as a result.

Her great grandmother read some Shel Silverstein to her.

The "Dad Tree"

Back in 2001, when I lost my dad, friends gave Kathie and me a Burr Oak (the official state tree of Iowa, by the way). We planted it in our front yard, where it is now thriving. A few days ago, the daffodils that we planted around it blossomed. I'm not big on religion (actually, I'm not even little on religion), but I appreciate that I have these beautiful, growing things that invite me to pause and think fondly about my dad and my mom.

Birthday and Sandbox

We spent this past weekend in Minneapolis celebrating Will's birthday. On Saturday evening, we enjoyed a very nice dinner at the Guthrie Theater and then saw their production of Macbeth. There may have been chocolate cake from the 50's Grille at one point during the weekend too. Sarah and Josh were our babysitters on Saturday. So, on Sunday morning, to thank them and to further celebrate Will's birthday, we enjoyed breakfast at The Original Pancake House.

Of course, we needed some Anders time and were not disappointed in that department. He showed us one of his bikes, including how he can ride it down the back driveway and into the fence! Hitting the fence was all part of the plan, because he turned right around and demonstrated the technique again.

Contrary to these pictures, we did see lots of smiles during the weekend. He was too busy loading up on his Dad's waffles to provide a smile in this picture, however.

Will had asked us to drive there in our pickup so that we could help him build a sandbox for Anders. Naturally, I'd jump at any chance to build something. We built a basic box first, although Will had worked out affixing some slanted pieces to the bottom so that the top of the box would be level. Then, we covered the bottom with a piece of outdoor carpet so that rain (or Anders use of a garden hose when making moats, rivers, ponds, and lakes in the sand) wouldn't flush all the sand out under the sides and ends.

After we flipped it over, Will proclaimed things satisfactory.

Then we transferred the sand to the box. This we had purchased at a nearby landscaping outlet the evening before.

When Anders awoke from his afternoon nap, there was a big surprise waiting for him. The pieces laying across the end are parts for a top, which Will is going to complete later (or maybe he already has).

Anders tested it all out and also proclaimed things to his liking. He has had prior sandbox experience at preschool and so is very discriminating.

Actually, I think Will maybe wanted this for himself as much as for Anders. I suspect he has good memories from his own childhood sandboxes. Also, it gave him a chance to show Anders how those old toys of his can be even more fun when in a sandbox.

I liked watching "my boys" playing together!