Travels with Debi: Transitions, planes and trains

If you have been following along on this journey, you have read that I am a nervous traveler- at least when I am alone.  When I am with someone, like my buddy the Mad-English teacher,  I am definitely in gawk mode.  I absorb my surroundings and I am pretty sure there are those who would like to tell me to quit gawking and keep up!   HAHA.  That is sort of my gig, being a fairly visual person and all.  I see photos and paintings and drawings all the time.  It makes me seem pretty distractible.

Hello Iceland

But this big trip was all by myself.  Even though I had the outer aura of calm (most of the time as you will find out later)  I was a wreck inside.  Which is why I wanted people with me until the VERY LAST MOMENT!!!  (apologies to Jonny and Anne-Sophie for the extra TLC I needed, lol)  The confidence I have gained is immeasurable, and I will have no problem going by myself again, but if nothing else--  I love having someone to talk to.  Shocking I know.

This is what I looked like at god knows what time of the day on the way from Iceland to Frankfurt- going on 20 hours of no sleep here.

But all the enforced quiet was not bad really. I do a lot of self reflection and thinking. It proved to me something I already knew, that I can indeed take care of myself.  That I do know what I am doing and that I don't have to have someone else to rely on.  I also have total knowledge that I do like having a companion while on my adventures, but it is good alone, though I have a lot of angst when something major like that is underway.  But fear just has to be conquered (compare this to clinging to trees in unusual places!) in order for life to be rich and fulfilling, and I am ALL about that.

I did this a lot- wine and reading my kindle.

 I really like being on airplanes, it is just something that I enjoy.  I actually giggle a little during liftoff, which I embrace with gusto. Anyone looking my way would think I was a little crazy and they could be right.  I was so so freaking fortunate to have booked Icelandair last winter, in a class called economy comfort.  Which basically was sitting in the first few rows of the economy class, but with no one sitting in the seat next to you.  Fabulous- I will pay a bit more to have more room to spread out.  (I like to have areas to lay all my stuff!)  So in March I got notice that they eliminated that option and- hang on to your cushy seats everyone- all four of my airplane rides were in freaking first class.  "Would you like some Prosecco?" she says when I sit down??  Why yes, yes I will take sparkling Italian wine when I was frazzled by my own mental activity to relax. And then choose wine to go with my meals.  And the superb espresso......  and the desserts.......  Oh hell yes.  It was a very good airline.  And real pillows and a blanket....  I am such a child.  HAHA  But it is the little things, you know?

So much food.  Did not finish the food, did finish the drinks!

I had one of these  (a glass of, not a bottle of) on the way there and one on the way back....  That chardonnay was super good!

So the train trips.  I did a lot of train travel in Europe- when we were in Switzerland we traveled up the mountain by train, while near Strasbourg to get to the city, and on the tube in England.  It is a pretty comfy way to go.  I think Wisconsin dropped the ball not building that passenger train system, but whatever.  Those were super modes of transport because of the people I was following around, whilst gawking.

A couple dirty window pictures of the train side of Paris.  I saw the Eiffel tower far in  the distance a while on the second leg of this trip, but no photos!

I had to get from Germany to London somehow, and while I could have done a plane again- somehow I ended up on the Eurostar.  There is a bit of a convoluted story to that; originally I was going to travel with Anne-Sophie to London because she had an event to attend.  But then she had to work and so I decided (with encouragement from others) to indeed go on the Eurostar train.  So the thing was, I agreed to this train when I had someone to hold my hand under the English channel.....   and it never occurred to me that I could change to a plane once I verbally committed to the train.

Really good espresso on the Eurostar- note the delicious chocolate they include- such class.  

If you want to put one of my biggest fears, claustrophobia, into one terrifying event- being under god knows how much water for heaven knows how long with no chance of living through a catastrophic event (yes I go there, don't judge me) that would be the Chunnel.  But since I was like about 2000 miles out of my comfort zone, I just said what the hell and went with it.  I mean how bad could it be?  And it turns out not bad at all.

Outstanding espresso on the Eurostar

So let's cut to Paris.  Of which I have virtually no photos of, btw, and I have to get there to visit it properly.  Ok, so while making plans for the Eurostar, there were no open seats on the one that goes through I think Brussels (I can't remember for sure), so HEY WHY NOT TRAVEL THROUGH PARIS????!!!  RIGHT???  This is what happens when you make those arrangement 3 days in advance.  It turns out that in Paris I had to change trains, which wouldn't be that big of a deal, but then I had to also change train STATIONS.  Well the Gare du Nord was only a few blocks from the Gare de L'est and after consultations with Jonny and, primarily, my wonderful friend Paula who coached me for a good solid 30 minutes via messenger the day before I left, I decided I didn't have to take Uber or taxi service.  6 min. walk!  Come on, I can do that.  She told me how it would look, what to look for and mostly that I had to stop and buy a croissant in Paris because they are better than they are anywhere in the world.  Well I am a believer and I did get that croissant and kind of am unclear where I actually ate it.  Must have been on the train.

This was Strasbourg I think - I learned really fast how to read these guys

Another life lesson I have learned for the second time whilst traveling overseas is to not f-ing overpack because you will regret it- greatly.  So I discovered I could have left about 1/3 of the clothes I had with me home- and that is just part of it.  And I will not forget it the next time.  And while I figured it out in Germany, it was reinforced in Paris.

The thing about train travel is that your big suitcase does not magically disappear, like on an airplane,  to reappear later - also by magic- at your destination (for the most part- we all know airport  and baggage horror stories), and you have to drag ALL of your bags (including your ridiculously heavy camera bag) through the stations.  And when you have to change said train in the middle of your journey, you have to drag them through the streets of Paris.  Oh boy.  So, rolling suitcase with my carry-on attached to the top, and my camera bag on my arm with my purse on my shoulder was quite interesting.  But I stopped every 500 feet or so to check my map, which thankfully had many recognizable places marked (think: McDonalds and Western Union).  I was at first seriously paralyzed when I got finally out of that station and saw signs for the Gare du Nord and then I had no idea where to go when I got out onto the street.  In retrospect, since the one way was sort of dead end there was only one correct way to go.  But my mind was frozen.  I had to find my way through part of Paris- holy crap ---why didn't I just fly?????  So. Paula in my mind, and the fact she researched the name of the main street- Magenta I think- and I had her directions about where to look and things to notice, I trudged off.  When I got to an angle in the road after a few blocks, and I had no idea where to go next as the signs disappeared, I piteously asked a stranger in the street, with my best French (of which I know close to nil)- Gare du Nord??  And there, with a point, I was kindly directed to see it at the end of the angled road. WHEW!!!  I imagined I had plenty of time, close to an hour.

My lunch on the train- I didn't eat the mystery meat, of course. Really- I had a little quinoa, a roll and dessert- and wine.  :D

Well except I was not expecting a seriously lengthy line in PASSPORT CONTROL.  Turns out London is a little edgy about terrorism, and so you have to go through some security to get there.  And the train station there in Paris seemed more than slightly understaffed.  FFS people, that was ridiculous.  So I drag all that crap up those stairs to be directed toward the end of line that was unseeable.  But first I had to stop and get a landing card- a card identifying where I was staying in England that I had to hand in.  And since I needed a pen and (as my sister Rose has mentioned) I will actually talk to anyone, I struck up a conversation with some fellow English speaking travelers and borrowed a pen.  And long story short, a very kind man let us in front of him instead of us having to go all the way to the end of the line.  It took FOREVER as it was. And I was panicked at the thought of missing this train.  Fortunately, I was waved through because I was smart enough to book first class tickets (I had to, I deserved it.  lol) and I managed to get on the train with some really really fast walk/run action.  I aboarded within 5/10 minutes of it leaving.  Of course it turned out that I went the wrong way on the outside of that train and got on 5 cars away from the one I needed to be on, but I had Anne's voice in my head telling me to just get on and figure it out from there.  (Believe it or not, this long incident has been shortened for your reading comfort)

So I went through that train- bam (bam means I hit my luggage into someone to some degree)...... sorry........bam- oh i'm so sorry........... bam sorry!! bam, oh excuse me, I am so sorry.... through Five. Freaking. Cars.  Sigh.  So I offloaded all that stuff on the luggage rack,, except for camera bag and purse and collapsed in my seat- a single, spacious window seat!  :D  A very calm, cool and kind older French lady across the aisle looked at me (who was not calm and or cool at all- definitely a stressful and HOT hour) and said- Travel is so stressful, no?  And she smiled and so did I because that was just what I needed to release my stress.  I am pretty sure I must have looked a bit frazzled. And then she told me I was bleeding and I had to laugh- I got a blood blister from my camera bag on my arm.  So I went to the SUPER NICE AND BIG!!! bathroom (as opposed to an airplane) and cleaned myself up and pulled myself together.  And I think I had a glass of wine with lunch so there was that.  Trains are nice.

This is where we began going down under, but I didn't really even realize that was what was happening at first. And you really never see the water at all ever.

Basically by the time I got to the English Channel, I couldn't have cared less what was going to happen to me.  To surrender like that is freeing. hehehe

I was amazed at the size of these crazy train stations- but I guess it all makes sense when you think about it.

Now this is a train station and some superb weather! London

 At the end of my London stay, I knew that I had an" easy trip on the tube to get to Heathrow". So I wasn't too worried about that and the guys said I would have lots of practice.  Frankly I thought that meant we were taking a little side trip to Heathrow.  Well I was wrong and was told that no- it is an hour to Heathrow, it was too far away.....  what fresh hell is this going to be??  So my sweet Pengie Jonny helped me get my stuff down to that subway- and I was well coached on where to stand so I could slip my bags into this particular corner and how to read the info inside the subway car and other useful things. And it was the end of rush hour, so there was going to be some crowds on the tube for a while.   I began my trip standing in the doorway, holding my bags close (overpacking sucks), then I was able a few stops later, squeeze myself closer to the corner I needed, then eventually stood right by that corner and after about 30 min. was able to sit down right by my stuff. Good times!  Actually it wasn't bad at all- when observed from post-trip.

In the lounge in Heathrow- coffee and biscuits!

So, there is a lady at Heathrow that holds a special place in my heart.  She was so kind and she directed me to expedited check in that apparently I was entitled to in Minneapolis too (ahem) and also directed me to the lounge where I could sit until boarding (ditto Minneapolis) and mentioned that I should watch my time and my gate because there are no announcements in the lounge.... thank you you sweet woman, Icelandair and yes, I will also thank karma.  So I found my way there, parked myself in a nice lounge chair and had again some outstanding espresso and had true quiet and relaxation for over an hour before finding my gate.  It was delightful.

This was so so good.

By the time I made it back to Minneapolis, I was one relaxed girl.  Airports- please.  This is a piece of cake. Iceland airport, pfft. Easy peasy  And terminal 2 at MSP is awesome because it is small and easy to deal with  and at that time, there was NO ONE else arriving from overseas, and when one has SAGA class on Icelandair, you get to get off the plane first and your luggage comes out first...  and so you can get to customs faster.... and call your amazing sister to come and get you quicker...

So so many people told me that I would be fine-you will have such a good time.  You are so brave- you will do great!  So many people told me to relax and enjoy, to ask people to help if I need it,  to trust myself in effect.  That is not easy for me, I have had people second guessing me and question my decisions.  Most of that happened many years ago, and finally I am following my instincts and make those voices go away.  We all have those ghosts from the past that make us doubt. Doubt our worthiness.  Doubt our value. Doubt our ability to do new things or really embrace the unknown and the joys in life. I will find things that might not be right for them, but certainly are for me. This is personally my ultimate of clinging to things in unusual places.  Clinging to my ability to do things in spite of being terrified at times and "just" anxious at others.  And ultimately finding my joy. 

Summer time, birthday month and travels with Debi

Hello strangers!

Lol, well I am the one who has been a stranger, so forgive me for that. 

 

Somewhere above Canada.... the stories begin.

So it is summer time and school is done (YES) and I have been traveling or preparing for travel or cleaning up/recovering from travel during the entire month of June.  And I have to say, that is just how life should be.  I got back to some blazing hot weather- hotter than we have been here for at least 6 years.  And while Friday was crazy hot for this area- 95- yikes- we will continue to have warm summer weather for the next 10 days, for the most part.  Tonight we have been blessed with little reprieve time - it is, thankfully, almost cold right at the moment.  I'll take it!  The weather in Germany and London was downright delightful.  The last day I was in London was pretty warm- but it cooled off in the evening.  No complaints there.  The only time I got rained on was when I was changing planes in Iceland, and I couldn't see the beautiful country from the air.... boo.  Oh well.

EMILY!!!!  Graduation girl

Nice blurry picture of me, Rose and Joanne- Emily's Grandma

She did it!

I left my home June 8 to go attend my niece's graduation---  Emily is graduated from High School!  WHAT??  Anyway - (there were 739 kids in her graduating class, more than our entire school)  (and they had the ceremony in the ice arena for the U of M hockey team.)  it was an interesting change from graduations I usually go to!  Then I helped out with the grad party a bit the next day and saw my brothers and my sister in law, and just generally had a nice afternoon.  

Lunch at the gardens!

I spent the next few days with my delightful seester Rose and fam, before flying out of the Minneapolis airport Tuesday.  We did some shopping and eating out and went to the Botanic Gardens and other amusements. 

Who can NOT LIKE origami horse sculptures???  

I flew on Icelandair, which I highly recommend.  It was a really pleasant experience and they gave me VERY good vegetarian food!  A+ for them!  We flew north and across Canada to Iceland, and I didn't sleep, as about 2 am midwest time we had to change planes.  So I didn't bother.  It was morning there, I think, and so it just seemed like a long day.  Since I didn't get on the plane until 7:30, it really was a long day.  It (as previously mentioned) was raining a bit in Iceland and there was a lot of cloud cover, so I didn't get to see much as we flew over Scotland and England.  I did see a bit, but it was disappointing not to be able to see Iceland- much.  Ah well.

Any airline that give me Prosecco when I walk on the plane is ok with me

Here is a bit of Iceland as we were coming in for a landing... 

I landed in Frankfurt and was picked up by my friend Anne-Sophie and her little boy, Johann.  Who I adore, lol.  He is such a joyful little boy.  It was a couple hour drive down to Hohberg where she lives in the south east part of Germany.  Her village has like 4 or 5 names, from what I understand it is an area that has several little villages near each other and so you can use multiple names.  

At the family home in Hohberg- Anne-Sophie's dad raised the American flag in their yard in honor of my visit!  To say I was flattered is an understatement.  How nice was that??

Johann and his Eis! (ice cream)

The back of the beautiful house that was my home for a week.

It is SO beautiful there, on the edge of the Black Forest.  There are vineyards and BIG hills/gentle mountains that are covered in forest.  And CRAZY narrow roads.  So narrow they can't pass each other side by side on some of the little lanes, you have to pull over and let others go through.  SO different of course than our roads with our behemoth cars and trucks.  There are not very  many cars that can be considered full size by our standards, so that was interesting to observe.  The Autobahn is a different story- normal sized, 3 lanes and yes they do cruise right along.  It is fast, but I didn't think it was crazy fast.  

The formal walkway to the house- so beautiful!

So, Germany was playing in the World Cup and we celebrated in a few ways!  Including wearing of oversized jerseys.  lol

I have so many things to talk about from this trip, so I am going to be going slow and covering things as I edit the pictures and think about things to say.  This was such a different trip from my tour to Italy.  Staying in private homes and not being on the go 16 or 17 hours a day was a pleasure.  

If I could have these pretzels and buns every day for breakfast for the rest of my life I would.
I cannot explain how good they are and how different from anything I have ever had in the US.
Ja, eine andere Brezel bitte!

Morning

I  had 2 very different vacations in one.  The first in Germany was in - as I have indicated- a village with a family in a spacious home.  It was very quiet and yet fun with a little kid with us and a lot of people in and out of the house.  We went and visited some places in Germany, and also France and Switzerland!  WHAT??  It still astounds me.  It was relaxing and enjoyable, and I found I could understand a reasonable amount of German.  I would be able to be pretty fluent in a short period of time if I was there for a few months!  It was pretty cool to be able to figure out a lot of things being said and posted and such.

One of my first stop in my tracks views....  a teaser

The other trip I had was in the literal center of London in a tiny basement flat, sleeping on an air mattress in a room that filled up all the space not taken up by a desk.  It was just as amazing in different ways.  I rarely stay in a city, and to be in such a small space was also not my norm.  But it was so much fun.  But that will be coming in later episodes of Travel with Debi!  

I would like to say confidently where we were, but I would be guessing!
eta- I looked on my  phone- Westminster, west end!

Alrightie, I have been working on this post for a while now.  Finding phone photos and shifting them to the computer (thank you air play) and sizing and captioning and writing takes a long time!  So I am going to leave you with this beginning and add more tomorrow.  

Thinking about all I did and the stories that come up is so fun- definitely revisiting some joyful times.

See you soon!  muah!

OH HEY!!!!  BIRTHDAY MONTH, BABY!!  

                                 🎂🎂🎂

The Best Possible Snow Day

Yesterday we had a snow day.  The weather people were messing with us for a week saying we would get x number of inches of snow- then they would decrease the number and then increase and winter storm watch and then warning and then advisory.....  sheeeeeesh.

I got up yesterday and was bitterly disappointed that a. there was barely a dusting of snow on the ground and b. that the phone hadn't rung at 5am announcing that there was no school.  I was secretly mad at the MA as he predicted  the night before there would be no storm to speak of because it didn't "feel right" out there.  I ordered him to bed as he laughed at me and made fun of me/pitied me.  Lol.  Such a smartie pants he is. Who died and made him weather man??  

Ah..... a cup of joy and delight perfect for a snow day

Anyway, I was kind of worried as there was virtually no snow.  So I was wasting my time, dragging my feet getting dressed until the last minute and literally the second I had begun to stand up to find my jeans and something presentable on top- my phone rang!  WHAT???

So yeah, there was a snow day with virtually no snow.  AND the storm stayed south of us.  BUT thanks to the weather people and almost every school in the northern half of Wisconsin, the threat was real enough for everyone to call school.

Don't you dare judge the administration for this!!!  First of all can you imagine how obnoxious it is to call an early day if the weather had disintegrated and we needed to get the kids home early?  AND in our particular case we have the largest area wise school district in the state- there are some kids who are on the bus for an hour or more and in the remotest places you can imagine.  So, lets not be hasty to call them out.

The thing is that we all needed this day. Staff, administration and students.  A break from all practices, meetings, classes, hallway incidences, sickness, traumas brought to school from home and on and on. WE NEEDED THIS!!!!!  For me (it's my blog and I'll whine if I want to) I have been pushing to get art work done for next week, trying to get grading done for progress reports, do scenery painting after school, etc. etc.  Lots of drama everywhere.  Lots of counseling of many of my favorite kids. (On the record- I have no favorites.  Off the record- some of them just need me, so of course I secretly love them the most ;) )  I come home, crash and burn, eat a little and then sleep like crap.  So this day was needed and wanted and it was loved and cherished and admired.

I cooked a little, read a lot, had a visitor (hi Jake!), drank copious amounts of coffee, chatted a bit on the phone, and I felt layer after layer of stress and anxiety (oh yes I have that in spades) peel off of me.  I slept really well last night.  whew.

So today it is windy and pretty and I don't foresee a whole lot of outside activity.  I have to do a little grading, some prep work for a meeting I have next week, and a touch of mending, but there are these books that need to be read and probably some photos that need to be edited from fun trips, and a camera that needs to be mastered....  

I will find my zen, my peace and my joy!

Winter Photo shoot

Last weekend I took a fun mini-vaca with a couple of my friends- the Mad-Science teacher and the Mad-English teacher- to (prepare yourselves, it will be a surprise, I am confident) the north- specifically we stayed in Bayfield (told ya) :P

Abandoned school 

Anyway, I needed to get my mojo back (winter depression?- idk)  and that has to include some photography and that is what I want to feature here!

Lake Superior and not a lot of snow, but lotta ice!

We did a LOT of fun things, some of it food related, most of it activity related.  We did a swing around the Hwy13/Hwy 2 loop of northern WI, including a couple waterfalls, an abandoned school house, replete with an equally abandoned piano (obsession admitted), an extremely cold beach, and awesome diner and 3 tired travelers.  And oh so many many photos- plus there was some dogsled races and a ferry ride with a hike on an island as well.  Add in an amazing apartmenty-sort of sleeping quarters, some Big Water coffee shopping and of course Coco's- and there is some amazing time away from home that was just what we all needed.

It was a perfect day for photography

I have been smitten by the idea of this abandoned school since I heard about it a few months ago.  It is in a state of disrepair and it will indeed decay completely if it is left as is.  There have been a lot of people in there tagging and such, which I suppose is what happens these days.

The piano is amazing- in an old abandoned sort of way.

Only ivory left to tickle

The audience was silent tonight

As is expected in Wisconsin in February, most of the water was frozen- including the waterfalls, but there was certainly enough beauty to record.

Walking on the creek to Twin Falls

Frozen Twin Falls by Port Wing, WI

Pancake ice in the little bit of open water at Amncion Falls.

Mother Nature was kind enough to gift me with this INCREDIBLE sunrise.....  I sure can get dressed in a hurry.  Lol.  Bayfield just never disappoints. Seriously, this is not color enhanced, just cropped.  It was astounding

This still amazes me

We had a cold and fun time both at the Apostle Island Dog Sled Races and also hiking around on a VERY cold Madeline Island.  Going on the ferry cutting through the ice is an experience unlike any other.

They LOVE to run....

and they smile all the way!

It was dreary that day but oh well.

I heart Madeline Island and Big Bay State Park

Found a little blue shelf ice by the Ferry Dock in LaPointe- but no where else

Looking towards Bayfield

Frozen (ice)  hills on Lake Superior- I was standing on the lake there, and I could only take about 2 shots before the cold wind forced my hands back in my gloves.

Will the next performer please take a seat....

If you think sled dogs don't get love- you are all sorts of wrong

I have so so many pictures to edit yet, but I am going to take my time.

It really was a  fantastic weekend for photos and catching up with good friends....  and finding so much joy in totally expected places.