Alaska Adventure – Juneau

Alaska Adventure – Juneau

Prior to arriving in Juneau, our ship went up the Endicott Arm towards the Dawes Glacier.  Endicott Arm is a 30-mile fjord that snakes through the Tracy Arm-Fords Wilderness Area. At the head is the majestic Dawes Glacier.  

Motoring along towards the Dawes Glacier

Taking out ship up the fjord was not easy – although the depth along the valley walls is quite steep and thus very deep.  

It was hoped that as we got closer to the Dawes Glacier we would be able to see it – but weather conditions did not work in our favor – while we got about a mile away from the face of the glacier, it was completely hidden behind the low hanging clouds!  

There were various drifting blocks of ice along the way but nothing so big to be a concern.  So, the Captain turned the ship around and headed towards Juneau

Juneau with the mountains as a backdrop.

Juneau is the capital city of the state of Alaska.  Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle.  The Greater Juneau Borough municipality is larger by area than both Rhode Island and Delaware.  Downtown Juneau is nestled at the base of Mount Juneau and across the channel from Douglas Island. As of the 2020 census, the City had a population of 32,255, making it the third-most populous city in Alaska after Anchorage and Fairbanks.  Juneau experiences a daily influx of roughly 6,000 people from visiting cruise ships between the months of May and September.

 
The city is named after a gold prospector from Quebec, Joe Juneau, though the place was once called Rockwelland then Harrisburg (after Juneau’s co-prospector, Richard Harris). Juneau is unique among the 49 U.S. capitals on mainland North America in that there are no roads connecting the city to the rest of the state or North America.

The absence of a road network is due to the extremely rugged terrain surrounding the city. This in turn makes Juneau a de facto island city in terms of transportation, since all goods coming in and out must go by plane or boat, in spite of the city’s location on the Alaskan mainland. Downtown Juneau sits at sea level, with tides averaging 16 feet (5 m), below steep mountains about 3,500 to 4,000 feet (1,100 to 1,200m) high. Atop these mountains is the Juneau Icefield, a large ice mass from which about 30 glaciers flow; two of these, the Mendenhall Glacier and the Lemon Creek Glacier, are visible from the local road system. The Mendenhall glacier has been gradually retreating; its front face is declining in width and height.

We had not signed on for any excursions for our port of call in Juneau – which was very disappointing as we didn’t get to the Mendenhall Glacier (so NO proof there any glaciers in Alaska as far as I’m concerned). Once we escaped the ship, we walked around the city a bit and window shopped.  There are clearly several interesting spots along the way.  Red Dog Saloon has been provided food, drink and entertainment since Juneau’s mining era and continues today serving the hungry locals and tourists. 

 Further along the road we found Tracy’s King Crab Shack serving king crab legs by the ton!  They serve four different kinds of crab – Red, King, Snow and Dungeness along with battered shrimp and a variety of sides.  

We ventured in and I order the ‘small’ order of Red King Crab while Janeen ordered the Crab Bisque.  

We looked at the possibility of taking the Mount Roberts Tram to the top of the mountain but the line seemed to be at least an hour long so we did a pass. 

 Clearly there is a lot to do in Juneau but our visit was a bit disappointing as the two major highlights – Mendenhall Glacier and the Tram up the mountain would have been enjoyable – so another visit to this place needs to be on the agenda.

Alaska Adventure – Ketchikan

If you have taken an ocean cruise, on a larger ship, you may have seen the on-board art seller Park West Gallery.  This art seller is on many cruise lines and we ran across them when we were on our first ocean cruise in 2019.  At that time, we purchased several pieces and over the last couple of years bought a couple more.  As a result of those purchases, Park West Gallery offered us a “free” Alaska Cruise on Princess.  We have booked an Alaska cruise several times and had to cancel for one reason or another.  So, when they offered up the trip we said yes.  On our prior bookings we had included the land portion but for this it was only the sea part of the Itinerary that was offered.   We figured “why not” and thus we found ourselves heading to Seattle for departure on Discovery Princess this past week.

Let me state at the outset, we are NOT big fans of large ships.  Our trip through the Panama Canal was on the smallest ship in the Princess Fleet with maybe 800 passengers.  This ship, the Discovery Princess, is one of the newest in the fleet and carries over 4,000 passengers.  Needless to say, we don’t really care for all of the things that they offer – unlimited eating opportunities, casino, various craft activities, pools and lots and lots of drinking so there won’t be much about the actual Cruise – but there will be some discussion of the several excursions we have taken that got us off the ship.

Ketchikan, Alaska, is truly the beginning of the last frontier. Set at the southernmost entrance to Alaska’s famed Inside Passage—a network of waterways that snake through some of the most beautiful wilderness in the world—Ketchikan is best known for three things: feisty salmon, idyllic scenery, and an incredibly rich Alaska Native culture.  

Ketchikan – not a very big place

Due to our thriving, century-old commercial fishery, Ketchikan is known as “The Salmon Capital of the World” and they are proud of their fishing culture and passionate about providing opportunities for visitors to catch and/or otherwise enjoy the best seafood on the planet.

The year-round population of the City is maybe 10,000 with another large number seasonal workers coming in to support the tourist trade – from about April to the beginning of October.  As we walked around the town, which didn’t take very long as there isn’t much to see, there were various shops selling all the traditional souvenirs and jewelry.  When I asked several people if they were local, the consistent answer was “no, I just come for the season”.  Several people said they follow the cruise ships – winter in the Caribbean and summer in Alaska.  Most, if not all, of the shops close up (including boarding up windows) at the end of the season 

Our first excursion, after docking in Ketchikan, was on a small boat ride where we were guaranteed eagle sightings, eagles’ nests and views of the Totem Bight State Park along with some other interesting views from the water.  Once off the ship we boarded bus for the 20-minute trip to the boat we had an interesting narrative about Ketchikan and the history of the place.  Our bus driver was actually a resident and certainly provided some interesting commentary about the City.

On board, we were offered a beverage (coffee, hot chocolate, water) and the use of binoculars and the trip began!  Our Capitan, a 5th generation local, guided us out and pointed out various points of interest including 

Of course we had to do the traditional Life Safer Picture

We had the option of sitting in the heated main cabin or enjoy the open-air observation deck – we chose the open-air deck!  It wasn’t very long before an eagle was sighted – seems with the white neck, they look a lot like a golf ball sitting in a tree – at least from a distance.  

As we got closer to them, they become recognizable for sure.  While I had hoped to see them diving for fish in the water, they were usually stationary and only twisted their neck as we motored along.  

There was one that took flight and I was able to grab a quick shot.

The entire area is part of the Tongass National Forest which covers a good portion of this part of Alaska.  Along the way, we were able to see the totem poles and clan house of Totem Bight State Park from the water. 

 Additional views from the water of colorful cabins and unique homes round out this breathtaking seascape houses were quite interesting – remember, all of this area is an island and thus most transport is via boat or float plane.  

Along the way, we were offered sampler plates with salmon spread, crackers, bull kelp pickles, artisan chocolate and assorted beverages which were enjoyable for sure.   Unfortunately, we didn’t see any moon jellyfish, whales, deer or other animals as we motored along.  We did see some seals but that was about all for marine life.  However, even though we didn’t see much wildlife, the time on the adventure was well spent and enjoyable.  

The seals took to the water as we venture close to their resting place.

The narrative provided was informative and included some historical points of reference including the history of The Guard Island Lighthouse – a 100-year-old beacon to safeguard the ocean going sailors.

All-in-all it was a nice trip and one we enjoyed very much. If you find yourself looking for something to do in Ketchikan I would suggest you check them out. https://lighthouseexcursion.com

Because there is such an influx of out of town help, they have a shortage of housing. One of the solutions was the use of a retired ferry – docked by where we joined our tour boat trip.

Once off the boat, we got on the bus and back towards the Ship or to walk around the town of Ketchikan.  As we had several hours, we wandered around looking at the various shops and up to the river that runs through – where the salmon run.  

While we did see salmon in the river it was not as great as it might have been a couple of weeks ago when the river was teaming with salmon on their way up.

Heading back to the ship, we noticed these lovely mosaic banners hanging from posts.

Back on the ship we relaxed and got ready for our next adventure.

Mainz – Wiesbaden and the Reason we visit.

For several years, our oldest son, Jason, had been applying for a work position in Germany.  As you may know he accepted one and moved the family to Wiesbaden -Mainz about 14 months ago.  While we have visited a couple of times previously, here we are again enjoying their hospitality and getting to visit with our two grand girls. 

 This visit was particularly enjoyable as we got to attend the oldest Banshee’s 8th birthday party.

This year’s party was at a place called Clip ‘n Climb an indoor climbing arena for ages 4 and over.  Banshee #1 invited 5 or 6 of her school mates to the party – several who had previously been to this place and were well versed in how things worked.  Banshee #2, being just 4, found things to do but didn’t scale the heights as her sister did.

Cake, pizza, a chocolate #8 and slushies were enjoyed by all for a fun afternoon birthday.

Everyone had a great time and lots of cake and pizza

The next day, we piled into two cars and headed out to Hof Schauferts.  This is an organic farm with a brewery and restaurant.  Our visit was timed for lunch, which was quite enjoyable sitting outside with a lively breeze blowing.  Visits to the pigs and pony were fun as well as a quick walk around the place.  We didn’t find the brewery but we all sampled beer for lunch.

One day, Terri (daughter-in-law), Janeen and I went for lunch along the river.  Mainz is right at the confluence of the Main and Rhine Rivers – and clearly a spot where the river has been vital to the development of the community.  We had actually been to Mainz before on a River Cruise but it has been several years ago since that trip.  After lunch, I decided to walk home and found this memorial to the almost 500-year-old tradition of rafting on the river.  Rafting along the river was not easy taking a lot of stamina and self-confidence.  

The last raft trip took place in 1964 but it is clear that rafters have left their mark along the shore over the centuries.

Our visit was only 10 days or so but it is always wonderful to see our grand kids in their space and see how they have grown since we last saw them.  

We are now back in Virginia so no blogs for a while – Alaska in August is coming!

Cultural Resources of Mainz

While our grandchildren are in school, we continue to explore some of the cultural resources of the city.  Today we are going to the Landes Museum – also called the Mainz State Museum.  It is a museum of cultural history and is located right in the center of Mainz.   The baroque building was originally a horse stable and later became a modern glass and steel structure with an inner courtyard designed for presentations or relaxation. Not only is it home to one of the most important collections on cultural history in the state of Rhineland‑Palatinate, it also opens up for a range of cultural events.

The extensive collection on the history of art and culture extending from the beginnings of culture to modern art. The collection clearly reflects the varied aspects of cultural and social history over the millennia in a unique way.

Mainz was founded by the Romans in the 1st century BCE as a military fortress on the northernmost frontier of the empire and provincial capital of Germania Superior. It became an important city in the 8th century CE as part of the Holy Roman Empire and was the site of the Electorate of Mainz and seat of the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz, the Primate of Germany.

This early history is represented in the Museum by a series of eight full-figure sandstone reliefs representing the seven electors and the Roman-German king.  These were originally on the external building of the Kaufhaus am Brand, which was completed in 1317 in the center of Mainz. 

Once again, we had a museum almost to ourselves – yes at the beginning there was a school group but they left soon after our arrival.  

Two pairs of figures (love couples) from the house Korbgasse 8 in Mainz, around 1320/1340 Yellow sandstone with traces of old version According to the sources, these “love couples” were located in 1905 on the facade or courtyard side of a Mainz patrician house in Korbgasse No. 8. Originally, they probably served as jewelry for window sills. 

The collections showcase: Prehistory, Roman times, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque period, graphics from the 16th to the 20th century, Dutch painting, 18th-century porcelain, 19th-century painting, Judaica, city history, Art Nouveau glass and modern art. 

There are numerous temporary exhibitions on art, culture and history, including contemporary history, that complement the extensive collection.

We wandered through the Museum discovering new areas as we went along.  As we are not German speaking tourists, we had to use our cellphone for translations of the descriptions around the artwork.

Bernhard Kraus Offenbach 1867-1935 Mainz fountain of youth, before 1918 glass mosaic, partly painted, lead glazing The motif of the fountain of youth fits perfectly into the time of Art Nouveau with its longings for the origins and the designs of social utopias. 

Time to say goodbye. The memorial head wants to go home. Once this bronze stood on an altar in honor of a deceased king in the Kingdom of Benin in today’s Nigeria. The memorial head is one of the estimated over 4,000 brass and ivory works that British colonial troops robbed during the conquest of the Royal Palace in February 1897. Via Lagos, Berlin and Stuttgart, the bronze came to Mainz in the collection of Johannes Gutenberg University in 1971. Since 2020, the memorial head has been waiting to return to Nigeria. Time to say goodbye! 

Once we had explored most of the museum, we stopped into the Café for a quick lunch and of course the gift shop for appropriate souvenirs of our visit.  Once we were back at the Lee’s home, we relaxed and started preparations for the Clip&Climb birthday festivities on Saturday celebrating first grandgirl’s eighth.
 

A Very Im-Press-ive Museum – Gutenberg Museum

We all take for granted the printed word – books, magazines, newspapers and all those other printed things.  However, the ability to create multiple copies of a book was extremely difficult and time consuming.  

Say you had a copy of a Bible, in the mid 1400’s, and you wanted to make a copy for a friend.  Not any easy task.  First you had to find a source for the paper (usually vellum as paper as we know it wasn’t around yet), ink and binding materials and then you had to get started on the copy.  


A wax tablet made of wood and covered with a layer of wax. Using the stylus you could etch into the wax a message, drawing or something you want to remember. When you needed to ‘erase’ what you had, you used the other end to smooth off thee wax. An early a reusable and portable writing surface.

Once you found all the materials now you need to find a scribe.  A scribe had to be familiar with the writing and how to use writing when making a copy of something. The scribe had to make sure that all the lines were straight and the letters were the same size in each book that they copied. It typically took a scribe as much as fifteen months to copy a Bible.

So, along came a guy named Johannes Gutenberg.  Born in Mainz Germany at the turn of the century, as in 1400, he developed a technique of moveable type that resulted in the creation of the printing press as we know it today.  While he wasn’t actually the first to develop the technique, he was the first to make it a reasonable process.  The Chinese had developed printing but their process involved carving all the letters out of wood or clay and with the vast number of characters required made the ‘alphabet’ several thousand pieces!  Gutenberg only had 26 characters to deal with so, a much easier process.

Lots of different characters required for the Chinese printing process.

Gutenburg was a German craftsman and inventor and originated a method of printing from with movable type. One of the important things he invented was thought to have included the development of a metal alloythat could melt readily and cool quickly to form durable reusable type.  He also created an oil-based ink that could be made sufficiently thick to adhere well to the metal type and transfer well to vellum or paper, and he created a new press.  

Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material.  It took over 6,000 of these to make the Gutenberg Bible.

He likely adapted his first press from those used in producing wine, oil, or paper, thus the ability to apply firm and even pressure to printing surfaces. None of these features existed in the European technique up to that time.  Gutenberg’s printing press was considered a history-changing invention, making books widely accessible and ushering in an “information revolution.”

One of the printings that he is most famous for is the Gutenberg Bible.  The printing of this book contains 1,286 pages – with 300 pieces of unique types used in the printing and each page containing approximately 2,500 individual pieces of type.  It is estimated to have taken three to five years to complete the entire print run of 180 Bibles and each book weighs an average of 14 pounds!

Insofar as we were in Mainz, it seemed like the thing to do would be to visit the Gutenberg Museum.  The Gutenberg Museum is one of the oldest museums of printing in the world and was created in 1900 – almost 500 years after he created the printing process.  

The goal of the museum was to exhibit the writing and printing of as many different cultures as possible.  Clearly, they have been successful with this as there are lots of interesting exhibits to see and discover along with a number of printing presses including one that is thought to be a recreation of the original press he used in the 1400’s. 

There were a number of printing presses on display – some in operation, others just for show. A demonstration of the original printing press was done periodically during the day.

There are no know actual paintings of Gutenberg – this one depicts him as a magician.

So, if you haven’t figured it out we are now in Germany. Specially we are staying with our son and his family in Mainz – Wiesbaden. This is our final port of call on our current adventure and we will be here for a week or so. However, our adventure has included learning about Gutenberg’s life, the printing process and visiting this very enjoyable Museum.  If you are in Mainz, I would urge you to stop in.  If you have, please make a comment and share your experience too.

A Seaside Town – Deauville

Our final adventure in France was to the seaside town of Deauville.  This community holds an international film festival each year, has a very large race course, a harbor that will hold yachts of the rich and famous and  a Grand Casino.  It is regarded as the ‘queen of the Norman beaches’ and thus one of the most prestigious seaside resorts in all of France.  It is also the location of Villa Strassburger.

However, before visiting the Villa, we had to have lunch and went to Le Réfrectorie. 

 Located in the museum, Les Franciscaines, this was a relaxed place surrounded by books where you are encouraged to enjoy the food, read a good book and have conversations.  

From there we went to Villa Strassburger for our tour.

This Villa was built in 1907 by Baron Henri de Rothschild, close to the major race course of the city and elevated so he could watch the races from his porch.  It was sold to an American billionaire Ralph Beaver Strassburger, who was living in Deauville at the time. He was an expat from the US  who attended the US Naval Academy ,serving in the US Navy twice – once upon graduation and again during WWI, and spent his honeymoon in Normandy. The villa stayed in the family until 1980 when it was donated to the City by the family.

The house has a strong Norman character as reflected by the development of the vast grassy park planted with fruit and decorative trees.  The ground floor of the building uses brick and stone laid out in a checkerboard pattern and a half-timbered floor above.  There are a number of turrets, bow windows and roof decorations with ceramic finials reinforcing the picturesque character of the place.

Our guide met us at the entrance to the drive and walked us up to the front of the building providing commentary about the building and its location in the City. The entrance, facing west, opens onto a central hall that gives access to the smoking room, living room and dining room to the north, the children’s dining room, a single bedroom and grand staircase to the upper floors.

This staircase leads to the private apartments on the second floor. 


A rare thing, the villa has preserved its period furniture, its decoration, its knick-knacks throughout the house.

Janeen found a nice place to sit for a moment.

There are numerous paintings of horses and caricatures which testify to the equestrian parties of the time.  

All-in-all a quite interesting home – not as grand as you might expect but still worthy of a visit.

The Marie – City Hall of the town.

After the tour, Ryan drove us to a tea house for afternoon sweets, then we walked to the boardwalk along the beaches looking east to England.  

After enjoying the sun and breezes for a while, we walked to our waterside seafood restaurant.

After our visit we returned to Livarot for a relaxing time together.  

For my readers, I would love a comment if you have been to any of the places we have mentioned – particularly those off the beaten path.

4th of July Celebration at Château de Vendeuvre

It’s the fourth of July and what better way to celebrate then a visit to an Historical Monument.  OK, it might be in Normandy region of France, but still it’s historic.  This morning we ventured out to The Château de Vendeuvre located near Lisieux about 45 minutes away from our Gîte.

Classified as an Historic Monument, both for its exterior and interior, Vendeuvre is an sample of what a Norman country house should be. Built between 1750 and 1752 it is a great example of a country house of the eighteenth century. 

Classified as an Historic Monument, both for its exterior and interior, Vendeuvre is an sample of what a Norman country house should be. Built between 1750 and 1752 it is a great example of a country house of the eighteenth century. 

Over 200,000 shells were used to create the The Shell Grotto.

Our plan for the day was to arrive late morning at the Château and have a picnic lunch on the grounds prior to exploring the gardens and interior of the building.

A delicious lunch prior to walking around the Chateau

The original owner, Alexandre Le Forestier, coming from a Cotentin family that claimed descent from the Counts of Flanders, wanted a modern summer retreat built in the style of the day. The old manor-house was demolished and a new house built partially into the hillside slope (allowing the kitchen to be below grade at the front).  The family didn’t emigrate during the Revolution, as many did, and thus the chateau was saved from destruction, preserving the original décor and most of the furnishings

The château is famous for its eighteenth-century interiors. The Architect paid particular attention to the highly sophisticated interior circulation and decoration. The facade is deliberately not ostentatious, as, according to architect, ‘it is absolutely vital to avoid useless ornamentation and excessive facades that detract from the quality of what is inside’. 

The château was damaged during the Second World War, and the present Count of Vendeuvre, a direct descendant of Alexander of Vendeuvre, set about the complete internal and exterior renovation of the château.  Following the completion of the interior renovation, the park’s restoration followed using the original 1813 plans as a basis for the garden’s classic French style. In 1983 the Orangery was restored to its former state, having also been badly damaged as a result of action during the war.

The Orangery is now home to the ticket office and to a collection of miniature house furnishings; models, maquettes, mini-masterpieces, ivories, silverware all minuscule in size.  This collection of small-scale objects includes over 800 pieces of furniture and other objects.  

In 1983 the grounds and first floor of the château were opened to the public – with the family continuing in residence living on the upper floors (which they still do).

After touring the gardens, we headed into the basement area for a look at the kitchen and a quite interesting collection of pet beds.  Why anyone would have a unique collection of pet-carriers, baskets and kennels is beyond me but they do. 

 Small dogs and cats were the object of much care and attention, as testified by the refinement and variety of sumptuous places in which they lived, slept and travelled. Some were even provided with bedding matched to the full-sized furniture of the room in which they were placed, others were miniature versions of the furniture, but gilded.

The kitchen area is filled with copper and tin vessels of all shapes and sizes, with old earthenware and containers giving the impression that this beautifully arranged kitchen could still be used. Under the stone vaulted ceiling, in the huge fireplace, stands a mechanical rotisserie, still in working order. In a corner of the fireplace there is an oven, which was used for broiling and pot-roasting. In the other corner of the fireplace, lumps of wood were permanently smoldering.

These were transported, using large pans, to the oven opposite, or to one of the five smaller fireplaces situated in the wall opposite, where slow-cooked dishes, such as soups and sauces were prepared. Set into the wall of another corner is a smaller oven once used for pastry-baking. All the wood ash would have been collected and sifted for use in the household laundry.  The kitchen was in use as recently as the early 20th century.

Entrance Hall with stairs to the upper level.

After touring the basement, we went to the front entrance and entered the main floor of the château.  The floor plan is twice as wide as it is deep, with a series of rooms around a central hall supported by columns. The layout of the rooms and the rounding of all the corners, help to spread the natural light throughout each room. 

On the first floor, there is a remarkable set of furniture all period pieces from the 18th century.  Yes, these ARE the real size.

It was a very pleasant visit and an interesting spot to see all the miniatures, pet beds and the historical Château.

A lovely day to spend at Château de Vendeuvre.

A Zoological Adventure

Today’s adventure would be taking us to a zoo.  Now, having grown up in San Diego I know world class zoos – we have visited both the San Diego Zoo and its offshoot the Wild Animal Park many times (including going to the Zoo on our Honeymoon all those years ago).   However, we were unprepared for how nice a zoo could be and only about 30 miles away from our Gīte.

Le Cerza (Center for Zoological Study and Reproduction Augeron), also called Cerza Zoological Park or Lisieux Zoological Park is in the Calvados Region of Normandy.  The Park was created in May 1986 by two brothers, Thierry and Patrick Jardin. Today, the park is managed by Thierry Jardin, while brother Patrick Jardin takes care of another zoo, Parc des felins near Val-de-Reuil.  It seems these brothers are committed to helping rare and endangered plants and animals.

Le Cerza seems to be a magical place as they have been successful in reproducing some very endangered animals.  The San Diego Wild Animal Park tried for years to successfully bred White Rhinoceros and this park has a herd of 16 white rhinos just wandering around!  

Births have include three lions, two red pandas and a white rhino thus enabling Cerza to fulfill its role of safeguarding and reproducing species. In 2018, the park created an enclosure for two polar bears one of the largest enclosures in Europe.  In 2019, the park was able to expand by 20 acres with the establishment of a second African plain accessible via the Safari Train.

Just in case you don’t know these folks – Ryan, Janeen, David and Chris.

Open from February to November, the park extends over 200 acres and presents more than 1,500 wild animals of 120 different species reflecting 5 continents.  It has two walking circuits, the red route (which we walked) and the yellow route, as well as a Safari Train and a 3D cinema. The Cerza aims to preserve wildlife and presents visitors with animals that are often threatened with extinction.

We arrived late morning just in time to visit the giraffe feeding station.  This was backed with kids so we just watched and tried to listen to the narrative being given.  

After visiting with the giraffes, we took the red trail where we were able to see and visit a number of animals where the enclosures are almost non-existent really just low fencing with a moot or two and some electrical wire barricades to keep the animals in but generally very open and accessible.  

After our walk, we stopped for lunch and then headed to the safari tram.   I should point out that there are accommodations on the property – from tent camping to a full hotel and the restaurant provides meals for all to all dinners. 

 From the restaurant, we boarded the Safari Train –

the train wanders through a number of areas where you can get up close and personal with the animals as you go through their enclosures – no fencing what so ever.  Along the way we saw a group of American bison with some reindeer.  

Past the enclosure with lions, another with tigers and even one with bears, O’my!   The train includes a travel through the African plain where we saw zebras, antelopes called Mrs. Grey’s waterbuck, blue wildebeests and ostriches.  

As we passed around the rhino area there were more ostriches (including a nest of eggs), scimitar-horned oryx and giraffes.  

We were all very impressed with the place and it will be a spot we return from time to time when visiting in the region.  

After completing our adventure, we headed back to the Gīte for dinner and the reveal of what would happen the next day.

Bike – Rail Ride and Automates

During our visit to the area, Ryan had planned adventures for each day which he ‘revealed’ at dinner for the following day.  On Sunday, we were heading out to a bike-rail adventure.  It seems in a number of locations where train rails have been abandoned, these bike-rail cars have been established allowing adventurers to pedal along the track.  This trip was a 13 km round trip on the railway bridges between Pont-Erambourg and Berjou.  Fortunately, the pedaling part was being done by Ryan and Chris so all we had to do is relax and enjoy the adventure.

When we arrived, for our late morning adventure, we found several old postal rail cars sitting on the tracks.  These train cars have been transformed into mini-museums with artifacts and descriptions about the rail service of the area.  It was enjoyable to walk through and see the various displays.


There were 6 or 7 bike-rail cars being cued up for our adventure.  Once everyone was gathered together, we were shown how to put the car on the round table to turn it around for the return trip.  We took the first car and loaded up our Picque Nique (picnic) lunch Chris had arranged and headed out.  Ryan and Chris had done a similar bike-rail adventure a few weeks ago so understood the process.  Fortunately, the track was relatively level so there wasn’t a lot of hills to climb and Janeen and I got to just enjoy the ride.  There were a couple roads we crossed but no clanging bells or arms came down to block the cars on the road so we had to stop and let them pass before proceeding.
  

We got to the end of the road where a fence closed off a long tunnel over the track.  We got out, and turned our car around which wasn’t that difficult.  

Of course, one ‘crew’ that arrived after we did, got their car off the tracks so others had to help out to get it all straightened out.  After some car shifting, we headed out and looked for a spot to have our lunch.  We went by a couple of benches but left them for the group of 8 or so behind us who needed a large space.  We ended up stopping along the track and having a lovely lunch before heading back to the ‘station’.


After the bike-rail trip, and a coffee and crépe, we got into the car and headed to our next spot – Musée des Automates in the town of Falaise.  For those of you who have been in Paris over Christmas, besides all the Christmas Markets, the major department stores do really elaborate window decorations.  

Many of these use animatronics (automate) figures in their displays.  These have been happening for over 100 years and this is the museum those displays come to retire.  

The museum tracks the history of ‘automates’ many made by Roullet & Decamps which was a French toy manufacturing company operating in the 19th and 20th centuries that specialized in production of automates.  Started in 1866 it created a number of automation items with each successive achievement growing in complexity and originality. 

In the beginning of the 20th century, R & D made the first large automate for shop-window dressing. These large animated showcases, designed by the company, were demonstrated in the best department stores in Paris and London. Automatic scenes for showcases were the direct descendants of mechanical automates and an important part of the decoration of Paris and other cities for several decades.


The firm ceased operations in 1995 but the collections of their dolls was felt to be a National Treasure and two museums were created to hold and display them, one museum in Falaise and the other in Souillac.  We were visiting the museum in Falaise where a number of small and large scale displays were on view.  Much of what we saw had been used in department store windows or in smaller displays.  Virtually all of the displays are in operation being controlled automatically by a computerized system designed to protect the mechanisms from excessive wear.  Most of the displays were accompanied with posters explaining how they were used.

After exploring the museum and learning about the history we walked around the town of Falaise , the original strong hold of William the Conqueror, ultimately stopping for dinner at a lovely Bistro named for William before returning home.  For day two of our visit, it was wonderful and filled with new and very different things to do. 
 

Livarot-Pays-d’Auge – A visit with family

On Friday, June 30th, we made our way to the train station for our trip to the Normandy Region and a visit with our son Ryan and son-in-law Chris to stay in the Gîte on their property.  The train ride was an adventure all by itself – first the train we were booked on was cancelled, then the second train we were on was overbooked.  Furthermore, along the way there was a track problem and the train had to pause for about 30 minutes!  Good thing we could communicate via text without any issues to keep everyone up to date on our arrival.

About 5 years ago, our son Ryan and his husband Chris decided to go to France for graduate school.  Ryan worked on an International Business MBA while Chris worked on a Masters in Hospitality.  Their programs lasted a couple of years and had them living first in Paris, and Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence and finally in Lyon.  During this time, needless to say, they were able to visit much of France and experience hospitality via Airbnb, Vacation Rental by Owner and staying with friends.  When they returned to the US, they had a short stint (about 6 months) of actively operating a Bed & Breakfast in Morro Bay (CA).  So, it wasn’t a big surprise they decided to purchase a property and create a B&B in France.

Working with Ryan’s former advisor for his Masters Program, who has subsequently has become their business partner, they settled on a property in the village of Livarot.  

This is the front of the building with two storefronts (different color fronts).

Livarot-Pays-d’Auge is a village of about 6,000 residents and has a major cheese producer plus a large apple cider processing plant.  The cheese producer, E. Graindorge Cheese Dairy has been making cheese in the village since 1910 with ownership being passed down from father to son. 

The company specializes in the production of the four Norman Protected Designations of Origin or PDO cheeses, Livarot,

The four cheeses they make

Pont-l’Eveque, Camembert de Normandie, Neufchatel.  The other major producer is taking apples and making them into cider, both with and without distillation.  

However, neither of these companies are why they choose this village – it was the property and general location in the Normandy Region of France that was the determination.  The property, on one side, faces the main street, while on the other, it is along a small stream called Le Douet Fleury.  On the property, there is an historic wash house, one of but a few remaining in the region.  So, once they had the property, the river became the name of their overall property – Le Douet Fleury.

The property, consisting of several buildings along Rue Marcel Gambier, the main street of the village. 

 The oldest part of the building dates from 1680, while newer portions date from 1810 and 1910.  On the street side of the building, there are two spaces that have been used as storefronts previously and there is an existing Gîte (cottage or small apartment) on the property which has been a rental for some years and a lot of other space which reallyhaven’t been used beyond storage.  

Chris, Janeen, Ryan and David relaxing in the Gīte.

The ultimate goal is to have a 4 suite Bed & Breakfast, 2 Gîtes, and 2 retail spaces.  However, it will take some time to get all of this organized.  Until all the modifications are completed, the existing Gîte is operating and producing some income and where we were booked for our week stay. You could also stay there, by going to www.ledouetfleury.fr!

Once they collected us at the train station, we got back to the Gîte and settled in.  

The following day was a ‘Brocante’ or flea market in the village.  

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as cooperative as it could have been with rain falling periodically through the day.  There were treasures for sure, but nothing that followed us home.

While all of this was going on, Janeen was having a Mani-Pedi done and relaxing at the local spa.  Once we were all together we wandered back to the apartment and planned for our next adventure – a visit to Vélorail-Gare de Pont Erambourg and the Musee des Automates the following day.