Hello, My Faithful Readers

March 24, 2016

23 Months Served/3 Months Remaining

See a collection of photographs below -  throughout my time here in Georgia!

Before I begin the adventures of my life happenings here in Eastern Europe; I wanted to share with you information about a GREAT competition entitled: WriteOn!

WriteOn is an international creative writing competition for high school kids, university students and English speaking professionals in over 15 different Peace Corps countries. It's a fun contest that gives kids a chance to use their creative brains to write stories in English.

In addition to the competition, WriteOn develops and distributes lesson plans focused on writing and creative thought. Our goal is to develop Georgian students' creativity, improve their English abilities and encourage more creative and critical thinking based lessons in Georgian schools.

In Georgia, we invite the national winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) to a creative writing workshop where they get to meet their peers from all over the country, learn about ways to improve and explore their creative skills and even meet a Georgian author.

By donating to this grant, you help us fund this great opportunity for Georgian students and you also contribute to a worldwide need for more creative minds!

Georgia | Write On! Conference of Champions and Regional Workshops, 2016

				Georgia | Write On! Conference of Champions and Regiona... The International Write On! Competition engages students, teachers, and professionals from around Georgia and the world in one of Peace Corps most successful inte...
				View on donate.peacecorps.gov	Preview by Yahoo

My “Official COS – Close of Service” date is June 30, 2016. So, at this point in time I have entered the “last 100 days” phase of my service. The Peace Corps provides what they call a COS Conference. It was held at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Tbilisi and it was a wonderful couple of days (3-night).  Provided was lots and lots of food, comfortable beds and wonderful linens and pillows; a pool and fitness center and of course real bathrooms. Showers, showers, showers….we got rid of the “sticks” in our hair (HA). I stayed in Tbilisi an extra night to meet a friend for dinner and it was all wonderful.  

There was a funny moment during dinner one evening. I pushed my chair back from the table to go back to the buffet table and the 2-back legs of my chair buckled underneath the chair. I fell back (felt like slow motion) onto the carpet. Lucky I didn’t get hurt; however, after I figured out what had just happened I could not stop laughing and could not get off the floor. Of course the hotel management and Peace Corps staff ran over to see if I was ok (and I was). Not long after my tumble, someone else had a chair break in the dining room. I have written about the condition of the furniture in other blogs. Most tables are not steady or strong and chairs usually sink in the middle (from use). Georgians don’t seem to replace furniture; it just continues to get used until it just disintegrates.

Coming back to site was difficult. As much as we all enjoy going into civilization for a couple of days; going back to cold mash potatoes mashed in water and beans as well as no showers and chamber pots for toilets – well, needless to say I for one need to get numb again. I yearn for the coming time where all the earmarks of civilization will be part of my daily life. I also cannot wait not to have to adhere to all the rules we are subject to also.

The Conference provided all the information we will need to close our service and leave Georgia; however, even though the end is near – we were informed that it is still “not too late” to screw it up (if you know what I mean). The Security Office advised us that during these last 3-months people get lazy and lots of unfortunate stuff happens…so, even though we are almost at the finish line we still need to be vigilant living and working here in Georgia.

Lots of time was also spent on “what comes next as we approach the cliff.” That is, as difficult as life has been we have been in a “bubble” so to speak with the Peace Corps and the US Government having our back. Once we leave service it becomes a whole new ball game. Most of the conversation was focused to the 20-somethings that will leave Peace Corps and go and find jobs. We had a panel of folks from the CDC; USAID, the US Embassy and State Department as well as a representative from a NGO here in Tbilisi. It was enjoyable. All members of the panel were former Peace Corps Volunteers so they could share not only their time in service; but, also what it felt like to transition back into the real world.

The icing on the cake for me was to spend the last night of the conference at the recently re-opened Opera House in Tbilisi.  The building is indeed beautiful. The program was “Swan Lake.” The costumes, music and dancing was tremendous and it was a very inexpensive undertaking. The Opera House was completely sold out and for the most part everyone was quiet to watch and hear the performance. I hope to attend many events in this building.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_National_Opera_Theater

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day

We had a couple of holidays in March. The first was on March 3^rd. It is Mother’s Day here in Georgia and March 8^th which is International Women’s Day here in Georgia. I’ve listed the links in case you want to learn more. One of the GREAT aspects about these holidays was the fact that the School were closed along with everything else in Georgia….It was a nice treat.

Also in March we had a practice evacuation. This usually happens in October; however, we had so many changes within the ranks of the Peace Corps Staff this had to be postponed until March. Each section of the country has a different gathering spot in the event of a political or natural disaster that would make it necessary to leave the country (evacuate). My location is to go to Telavi which is north of where I live. It is such an ordeal to get to Telavi; so I decided to go the day before and spend the nite with another Peace Corps Volunteer. I am so glad that I did.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telavi

The friend I stayed with and I had a nice lunch and then walked around Telavi for a number of hours. I got to see a lot of the city and then we ended up at a bar for a beer. It was a great time to catch up and talk and also to meet other folks who live in Telavi. In the event of an actual evacuation of course we would need our “go bag” – so during the meeting we spoke of what we needed to do and where to gather in the city. The hotel is the focal point so we all now know what to do. Hopefully, especially since I have so little time left, I won’t have to do what we prepared for.

Peace Corps Established on March 1^st, 1961. The below link will give you more information…..55 Year Anniversary!

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/this-day-in-politics-march-1-219857

Another interesting adventure I had during March was to go to the US Embassy. (link below if you want to check it out).

It took me four hours to get to the embassy even though it is in Tbilisi. What an ordeal. It normally takes me two hours from my home in Sagarejo; however the embassy to so far out of the city it took me another two hours (by marsh and bus) to get there. I stood in line outside waiting for the doors to open for my 2pm appointment.  Literally I spent a full 30minutes going through security and finally into the room that I needed to do business in. The doors were so heavy that I could barely open it by myself. One of the security people came to help me.

When you are called to the teller window the clerk (behind reinforced glass) speaks via an intercom. In addition to myself everyone else in the room can hear our conversation. I was not happy about that. I don’t want to go into my business; but, needless to say it could have all been avoided if the forms that I needed notarized had listed clearer information. Oh, well. That is the way it goes.

https://www.google.ge/?

gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=aNnmVuDNGYGL6ASN2qnICw#q=us+embassy+in+georgia

Macaroni is what Georgian’s call Pasta. I tried to buy a colander; but nobody could understand what I was talking out. I’ve seen, in my host family, that macaroni is cooked in a frying pan. They use very little water to cook the macaroni; so, I imagine that is why they have no need for a colander. However, the stores do sell them; but, the sales women didn’t know what they were used for.

I have been in many lessons with students, in just about all the grades. And I have noticed that when a student does not understand a word or phrase they don’t say anything. Students just hear the word as a word; but, it has no meaning for them. When I ask; for example: “paperbacks” – what does it mean? The children have no response. I keep instilling in them that asking questions will help them prepare for life. It will also give them a richer educational experience. We had a great conversation about “paperbacks” vs “hardbacks” and what the differences were. I realize that it does take some time to get people to ask questions. I know for myself that sometimes I am afraid to ask for fear of looking stupid; but, I keep trying to show students the benefits.

I finish my tutoring sessions in the Georgian language this month and I received my final language score – which was “Novice High.” I missed the mark by one grade as it would have been great to finish “Intermediate Low” which is one grade above where I ended up. Oh well; I tried my best. I do plan to continue studying the language here in Georgia; but, I will do it in a more relaxed atmosphere. For example; there are many language conversation groups that gather weekly so I plan to connect. I do feel that I understand way more than I can speak; and, seriously, I can get around – so I am not worried. Many, many folks in Tbilisi speak English so that helps also.

I noticed something about the Georgian lettering system that maybe I should have recognized earlier…that is, unlike English where words can be written in script (where the letters connect to one another). The Georgian letters are printed individually and they do not connect with one another. It has taken me all this time to realize that….I just found it interesting.

It has been so cold here….we had snow and ice. The heat is still on and will be until April 1^st; at that time, the heat goes off. Last year I remember being colder in April and May than I was most of the winter and I believe it is because there is no heat. The cold comes right through the walls as there is no insulation. The weather is just bone chilling cold. In addition, we get so much rain during April and May.

I will leave you on an “up” note; and that is…..drum roll please. Sagarejo now has a new restaurant and they sell Schwarma….(my life’s blood). I cannot begin to tell you what a difference this has made in my life. A couple of times a week I can get “real food” and it makes me feel so good.  I am always amazed at how good I feel when I am well fed. The problem being that I don’t think the restaurant will last very long. The prices are high (my opinion) for my village. The Schwarma cost 6GEL; and that is high. Some families can feed the entire family for that amount; so for one sandwich to cost that – well, I don’t think (long term) many people will be able to sustain that. Of course, I will use it for as long as it lasts. I only have 3-months left so many I can wait it out….we shall see. It does make such a difference in my thinking that I know I can get food once in a while that I look forward to……yippee!!!!!

This weekend is Easter Weekend (in the United States). The Georgian Easter does not happen until the end of April/beginning of May – so I don’t have any time off. However, during the Georgian Easter we have almost an entire week off. Of course, I will fill you in on Easter happenings during the next blog.

I will sign off for now and so appreciate your spending your time with me on the “”Magical Mystery Tour” – sometimes I think of my service this way. The final 100 days will bring lots of choices and decisions and I will share with you as I move forward. I really love living outside of the United States; but this is not a surprise to you. One of my life dreams was to be an ex-pat; and the Peace Corps helped me make the transition into my next step. I will talk more about this in the remaining blogs; but, I am not returning to the United States in July (when my service concludes). I plan to stay here in Georgia for a little while (not sure what that correlates to in real time).

I am excited about all this as I really don’t know, seriously, what my choices will be. Only that, no matter what – it will be FUN!

Best, Catherine Lawrence, G14

Peace Corps Volunteer/Georgia – March 24, 2016

The contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.

Neighborhood in Tbilisi where a friend lives - March 2016

 Me in the English Room as it is being constructed - August 2014

 IDP Camp in Koda, Georgia

 Me in "the Hat - May, 2014

One of my favorite pictures, 1st graders and me - September 2015

 Ice Water coming out of the faucet..no need for refrigeration

 Chicken looking in my window...:-)

 Snow in Sagarejo, beauty on my mountain!

Me, snow and "the hat"  - a self portrait (selfie)

Blog, February 25, 2016

Hello, My Faithful Readers

22 Months Served/4 Months to Go!

Photographs are posted at the bottom of the blog......The Envoy Hostel is usually where I stay while in Tbilisi (if not with friends at their flats). A slice of life here. 

I am now back, full time, to life here in Georgia. My travels are behind me and I have been concentrating on living out the final months of my Peace Corps Service. Life here (in so many ways) is very hard.

One aspect that has been consistent throughout is the how my back has hurt throughout my service. The reason for this is that I am constantly stooped over. There are many reasons for this; one being that there is not much shelf or closet space to store things on; so, most items need to be placed on the floor. Another reason is always being bent over watching where I walk so that I don’t trip or fall and one more; that is, there are very few comfortable places to sit. Most of the furniture is exhausted from use. The furniture/bedding has varying levels of sinkage which does not lend support.  I imagine another reason is the walk up and down my mountain. Especially when I am going up; I feel bent over making my way up. I sometimes feel like a skier as I try to fold in on myself to make my body less of a drag. Maybe, I don’t know…all I know if that I mostly feel bent over living here in Georgia.

One of the comforts I miss tremendously is something comfortable to sit on. My bones hurt at times and I know I have spoken of this before; but, I’ve sat on rocks more comfortable than some of the furniture.  I often wonder if it is the cold here in Georgia that makes my bones hurt. Often, it is the kind of cold that just gets into the bones. Or, and here is an idea…it’s a result of age. Heavens, could it be J! My mind thinks it is 20-something (ok, maybe 30-something); but my body is push 70 (which is approaching). These last 22 months have felt like years and years..I often think Peace Corps could be the antidote for stopping time (or at least it feels that way).  Deep thoughts (HA)! – Being in service has certainly made me (or has given me the time) to reflect on so many things that would have just gone over my head in my old life.

I only have (1) annual leave day left. We are given (24) days for each year of service here in-country; so a total of (48) annual leave days. Since we need to count weekends as annual leave time when we leave the country; I won’t be traveling outside of Georgia while still in-service. I need to use this (1) day before March 30^th; as we must take all annual leave 3-months before we leave service. So, what am I to do. I really don’t have any burning desire to travel within Georgia; well, maybe out to the coast on the Black Sea; but, I don’t know if I want to travel that far. I still have time to figure something out.

We had a snow storm back at the end of January. Here in Georgia, at least here in Sagarejo, snow removal is not something that is done. They rely to the sun (when it comes out) to do the job. As a result, melted snow turns into ice which just adds to the challenge of getting around. The area in front of the school is one large sheet of ice. The kids just love it as they glide into school; but, it is a nightmare for me. I walk at such a slow pace; fearful all the time of slipping. It does not seem to bother anyone else; or they are just used to it. The locals tell me that unlike America where we must clear the sidewalks; here in Georgia they have no such rule. They don’t worry if someone falls on their property as no legal action can be taken if that happens. And, the locals tell me they like it this way. Safety is not priority.

About 400 schools were closed during January due to heavy snow and also because there were some deaths from the “swine flu.” Washing hands here, at least in Sagarejo, is something that most times does not happen as very often we do not have water. If we do have water, it is not hot. I use my tea kettle to boil water so that I can wash my face and hands. But, I can only do this once a day and not when I am in school.  I use wet-wipes and hand gel but these items sure don’t replace good old fashion soap and water.

I remembered an interesting fact when I was traveling in Switzerland. On the tour bus in Switzerland, all the cities require that passengers wear seatbelts on the bus. If the bus is boarded by police checking to see seat belt status; the passenger would be responsible for the fine (If they would not be wearing the seat belt). The bus company is not responsible.  This announcement is made when the bus begins in journey and needless to say, we all buckled up!

Ok, back to Georgia. One of the methods that is/was used to combat the spread of Swine Flu is that the Director of the School requires that the windows be open. I was so upset about this. The school just does not have enough heat; and in addition since Georgians don’t close doors we all wear layers of clothing and/or our winter coats, hats, boots and gloves during class time. So, when the Director also wanted to window open – well I drew the line. In the rooms I was teaching in I closed the window. I would really wish they would concentrate on getting the water/hot water flowing (along with supplying soap) and tissues to cough into or blow nose – but, those items are just not a priority.

When it is really cold the classes are cut short. They go from 45 minutes to 35 minutes for each class. In this way school gets out a little earlier than usual. Also, at times during the winter the classes have a start time later than 9:00am. Because we don’t have daylight savings time; it is usually still dark (or just getting light) at 8:00am. So, starting classes at 9:30am or even 10:00am allows students/teachers to travel to school in the day light. It is all very confusing to me as most times no one tells me that the times are changing. I end up going to the school at the normal time and then standing outside in the cold waiting for the school to open.

One of my big issues here is when I have to do things that don’t make any sense. Maybe it is just because I am coming to the end of my service here in Georgia that I am just getting a little tired of the nonsense. For example; If children don’t show up for classes for any number of reasons (cold, snow, religious holiday) and the ministry has not officially closed the schools; well, the teachers must show up or they won’t be paid. So, we end up sitting around all day as because there are no students so there is no one to teach. In addition, when this happens the teachers ring the bell for the start and end of classes even though there are no classes being taught. This just does not make sense.

Another confusion is (and this seems like it is across the board) is that children don’t go to bed at a decent hour. I am told, and I witness this here in my house, that sometimes children are up until 12:00am on a school night. As a result, many times during the day the children are laying their heads down and trying to sleep. When I wake them up they are not happy with me. Sometimes after eating, around 4pm or so, Georgian’s lay down and take a nap. I would imagine this allows them to stay up late. This cycle just continues and continues…..no one seems to think these practices are unusual (and especially since they are done on a regular basis).

My skin feels like sand paper and I think the reasons are multiple. For example, showering happens for me on a weekly basis and the remainder of the time I have multiple layers of clothing on to combat the cold. Routinely I have long underwear on underneath my clothing. I mostly sleep in my regular clothes because it is just too cold to wear Pj’s to bed. I wear a hoodie and scarf to bed, and sometimes gloves; however, with all this clothing and my sleeping bag and blanket I do sleep very warm; it is just getting out of bed that is a problem.

So often living here in the village many things just feel like a “big effort.”  Sometimes even when I get to Tbilisi to take a shower; and that is weekly or beyond, I often have this debate about if I really want to take a shower. It is a lot of work and that is because I don’t do it very often; however, when I get to stand under the wonderful, streaming hot water – it is truly fabulous. It is just getting myself under the water that is the issue (at times). The water situation here in Sagarejo has been an on again/off again thing. When we do have water it is so cold; I often think that ice is coming out of the faucet. I know some folks that don’t brush their teeth as the water is so cold; and then, they end up at the dentist. The normal, daily things that I used to take for granted now often become a long conversation as to whether I want to do it or not. It just all feels like work.

Recently I was in Tbilisi and spent some time doing one of my favorite things; that is, going on and off buses and marsh’s to just see where they are going. I like to get lost and then found; and I’ve discovered that more often than not I actually know where I am. I don’t get lost as often any more. Even sitting on transportation is an effort. There are so many people on the vehicles that no matter where you sit someone is pushing or bumping into you. The bus stops are designated stops; however, the marsh will stop anywhere someone flags it down. So, very often we are stopping numerous times on the same block.

The drivers accelerate so fast only to stop short when someone flags them down. So, it is a back and forth thing (a body in motion) when the driver stops quickly. I don’t eat before I use transportation as I know I would feel sick to my stomach with so much motion in the vehicle. Each passenger either pays with a metro card or cash; so the driver is usually making change as people get off the marsh. I don’t know when to pay. Some folks say you pay when you get on and others say you pay when you get off….I still have no idea. I think one time I actually forgot to pay…..sorry, Georgia.

My school has submitted an application to request another Peace Corps Volunteer for July 2016 (after I leave service). As a result, a meeting was conducted with the PC program manager, my School Director, my counter-part teachers to discuss the possibility of having a new volunteer. It was an almost two hour meeting. So many questions; like, what would be the goal of having another volunteer; how would a new volunteer integrate into the community. The list goes on. I hope that they do get another volunteer; as I feel it would be beneficial for the school and the community. One of the downsides to this is that the teachers submitted the application late. I sometimes feel like a nag as often Georgian’s don’t really take kindly to deadlines. The school was lucky to get an interview as usually late applications are just set aside.

So, my final entry to this blog is about my day recently that I went to the US Embassy. I had to have a couple of forms notarized; so, away I went to the Embassy. This journey was not easy. It took me 2-hours to get myself to Tbilisi and then another hour of travel (once I get the marsh) to get to the Tbilisi Mall. At that time I need to get a taxi as I don’t know the bus/marsh route to get to the embassy (need to figure that out). Getting the taxi was more trouble than I thought; as the drivers didn’t know where the Embassy way. This surprised me as the US Embassy looks like a city unto itself. It is on one of the main roads; so another period was spent trying to find the Embassy. Total, of 4+ hours in-transit.

One thing I want my family and friends to know about Georgia is…..that nothing is easy in this country.

Once at the embassy, I had

 to stand in line-outside to wait for 2pm (as that is when they open the doors for appointments). Going through Security was another adventure. Finally, I get to where I need to have the forms notarized. I felt like I was back in the United States. I stood at a window with the assistant on the other side of a window that I don’t think a cannon would have put a dent in.

Conversation was through an intercom; so, everyone in the room heard not only my responses but also the questions of the assistant. I was not happy about this as some of the information was private. The topping of the cake was that after all this I was told that maybe I didn’t need to do what I was told that I needed to do (whew…that is a mouthful). However, since I made the effort I insisted we take care of the business that I was there for so that at a later date someone could not say I needed to do it…and then, back I go to begin the process all over again.

I keep saying finally, but finally – my business was complete and now to find my way back. I had to walk many blocks (and not safely as there were no sidewalks so I was walking very close to traffic to finally find a crosswalk) – The crosswalk is an endangered entity in Georgia….even so, I still pray and swivel my head around constantly so see if a car or whatever may be heading my way. Got on a bus that I thought would take me to where I was going to go; but, had to get off and get on another marsh and then onto the metro and finally, the marsh to get back to my home. Just writing about this makes me exhausted…..but finally, I was home. Another four hours and then I went and bought a beer and cookies….and slept.

I could never say that life here is boring; and yes, that is important to me. In my old life I could predict what would happen (mostly) every day/sometimes every hour and here in Georgia – that is not the case. It does get tiring at times as I need to be on guard or alert all the time while traveling. Really, sometimes I wish I had an extra set of eyes (HA)……

So ends 22 months of service. Thank you for spending your time, my Faithful Readers, to ride along with me.

All the best, Catherine Lawrence, G14

Peace Corps Volunteer/Georgia – 2/25/16

The contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.

 Me at the Envoy Hostel Front Desk (Happy Times!)

 Roof top deck at the Envoy Hostel in Tbilisi (old town)

 My favorite bed at the Envoy...bottom bunk

 Me w/Sara and Karen Thanksgiving (Gori)2015! Happy Times

Squat Toilet in Sagarejo School #2

January 24^th, 2016

Hello, My Faithful Readers

21 Months Served/5 Months to go

I have placed some photographs at the bottom of the blog!

So, you may be wondering why the numbers don’t add up to the 27 months that I am committed to as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  My official COS (Close of Service) date is July 15^th; however, we can apply for early release (sounds like prison).  J 

In any event, I requested that my COS date be June 30^th, 2016 so that means I have 5 more months of service. I don’t know if I will get the date I asked for, hope I do; but, I will know officially in March when we have the COS conference. At the conference all will be revealed.

Before I begin with Part 2 of my travels in Western Europe; I wanted to share some events happening here in Georgia.

http://www.xe.com/currency/gel-georgian-lari

The last time I looked the currency was 2.50 Lari for 1 US Dollar. My US purchasing power here in Georgia is very high; but, I don’t think it is good for the Georgia people and economy.

January 14^th is “Old New Year” – so, of course, January 13^th is “Old New Years Eve.”  It is the Orthodox New Year and the folks here (at least in Sagarejo) take this very serious. Fireworks and gun fire can be heard at midnight  (and beyond) and on January 14^th family and friends gather with a feast of food to celebrate the New Year. Of course, wine is in abundance. It just does not seem that the holidays will ever be over J https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_New_Year

January 19^th is yet another holiday but of the religious kind. It is Epiphany. The link below will provide more information; and the good news is that everything is closed (including the schools). Even though school officially started on January 15^th; because of the holiday nothing really starts until January 20^th. http://agenda.ge/news/28246/eng

And yet another tradition that I had no knowledge of and that is something called “The First Footer.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-foot.

This tradition is very much alive here in Georgia; as well as other places around the world and yet it is all new to me.

"First footing" (or the "first foot" in the house after midnight) is still common across Scotland. To ensure good luck for the house the first foot should be a dark male, and he should bring with him symbolic pieces of coal, shortbread, salt, black bun and a wee dram of whisky.

Ok, so now I begin with Part 2 of my trip on the Rhine River:

When I last left you I was boarding the river boat, AMACERTO, in Basel, Switzerland. I was upgraded from the dungeon (what I call the lower level) to a stateroom on the top level. It was a wonderful surprise. (pictures below blog). No matter where you are on the ship; it is all wonderful. The lower level does not have a balcony; but, the rooms are basically the same. I would have been very happy in the dungeon (smiles) but the upgrade was a real treat.

There are 12 locks on the Rhine River and the link below will give you a Utube video of another cruise line that went through one of the locks. If nothing else; I would go on river cruises just to witness the engineering of going through a lock. One morning I woke to the sound of what I thought was someone singing. I was going to call to the reception desk and ask that whoever was singing to please stop and then I realized we were going through a lock. The sound that I heard was that of the equipment that was being used to get it through the locks. It was really funny at the time; and I can say, if someone was singing they were pretty bad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-7aUiGOu1M   

I really did not know much about the Rhine River before the cruise; and probably even at this point after the cruise I don’t know that much more; but, the cruise felt like a history lesson. During our time on the ship the Cruise Manager gave a couple of mini-lectures on the areas we were traveling through. The Rhine River was also such a part of WW2. Again, it was a learning experience for me. Details will be given as I move us through the cities we visited during the cruise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine

The first evening on the ship the Captain invited me and others to have dinner with him. The dinner guests (all 12 of us) were the single travelers on the ship. There were name tags indicating where we would sit and I was seated next to the Captain. What a character he was. Easy to talk to and shared pictures of his wife, children and grandchildren with me and the group. He works 4-weeks and then has 2-weeks off. The meal, I think 5-courses (maybe more) went on forever; but it was a nice way to start the cruise.

One of the great things about a river cruise, or any cruise for that matter, is that once you unpack you are done. No more placing luggage outside the room or worrying if something was left in the hotel as you were leaving. Another reason is the food. As you know, my Faithful Readers, food here in Georgia is not really in abundance and what food there is available is not really to my liking; so having the food on the ship is one of the magnificent benefits. I think we had (6 or7) food events during the day. In addition to the traditional breakfast, lunch, dinner; there was also early lunch and afternoon tea and late night fare. I felt like a baby that was eating every (2) hours. I loved every minute.  Of course, since my body is just not used to eating so much and such good food; so, I was not feeling so great at times; but that didn’t stop me. I felt like a bear trying to garnish calories to store in preparation for winter (and that winter translates into going back to Georgia) - J.

The cruise includes all the excursions; however, in order to order transportation and such we are asking to let them know what events we want to participate in. Although we didn’t go into the Black Forrest we did get to see it in the distance (Southerwestern Germany). Black Forrest cake originated from this region. Wood carving, including cuckoo clocks date back to 1740; however, the idea of a cuckoo clock did not originate in the Black Forrest. It is said that the name was the result of the forrest being so dense that no light, or very little light, was available in the Forrest…thereby making the area “black.”

The choices for excursions were Breisach, Germany; Freiburg, Germany or Riquewihr, France.  I chose France. At this point on the Rhine River  - Germany is on one side and France is on the other. Many of the houses in Riquewihr date back to the 16^th & 17^th Centuries. It was lovely to walk around; however, so much is dedicated to shopping. The main village street was all shops. The area has largely remained unchanged and escaped damage during WW2.  As a result, it does have a unique feel and charm from a period back in time.

Coming back to the ship from France to Germany we did see the French police checking cars wanting to come into France (over the bridge) – as France was still under siege as a result of the recent terror attacks. As we were in France going back to Germany we didn’t have to deal with it; but, it was a reality check of what was happening in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riquewihr

Some interesting facts about Christmas: In Germany, Heiligabend or Christmas Eve is said to be a magical time when the pure of heart can hear animals talking. The earliest known Christmas decorations were apples. It is said that during the twelve days of Christmas spirits, good and evil, were active. These spirits evolved into Santa’s elves. Ah, more useless information you cannot use is the fact that after the Swiss are done with their military service they get to keep their rifle and that women can finally vote in Switzerland in 1978. Basel is a city of drugs; that is, pharmaceutical companies in abundance and you can get a beer at any hospital in Germany (beer is very important).

As we started the cruise from Basel, the coastline of the Rhine River was devoid of anything but vegetation. I was surprised, the Cruise Manager said as we move up the river towards Amsterdam we will see more construction on the Rhine. 

The next day we had options of Kehl, Germany; Alsace, France or Strasbourg, France. So, if I was going to go I would have gone to Strasbourg; however, since I was not feeling so good I just camped out on the ship and reveled in the luxury that surrounded me. Some interesting things; however, about Strasbourg:

The city’s main sight is the Cathedral of Notre Dame with its famous astronomical clock. The city center is classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO and its medieval cityscapes includes the black and white timber-framed building.  The Christmas market is BIG - called Christkindelmarik, previously called “Saint Nicholas Market”. I heard from the folks who went on the tour that it was really cold and windy and that the clock was up so high it was really hard to make any sense of what it was doing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg

Back on the ship; we were treated (in the evening) to some traditional French music by a group called “Armand & Sabrina”. Sabrina was the singer and Armand playing the accordion in the wonderful tradition of the French Cabaret. A wine growers dinner was featured and then off to the luxury of my stateroom.

Something to think about: Author, Khaled Hosseini

“Love will free you or squeeze you into something smaller than yourself”

New Year’s Eve on the River is really something special. However, the day was spent touring Mannheim, Germany; Speyer, Germany and Heidelberg. Heidelberg has the oldest University in Germany; founded in 1386. It overlooks the Neckar River and of there is the Heidelberg Castle. The Heidelberg Kiss is a candy consisting of chocolate praline nougat and thin wafers covered with chocolate. Back in the day men and women were not encouraged to meet; however, this chocolate kiss given to women who caught the attention of a young man was chaste but delicious. It is all very romantic.

Shopping once again is so prominent throughout touring and Heidelberg is no exception. It has one of the longest shopping streets in all of Germany. The street named Hauptstrasse is over 1km from one end to the other. Even if you don’t want to shop; cafes are abundant and it is in the heart of the city.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg

New Year’s Eve is party time. The ship is decorated and a DJ comes aboard to dance the night away. A feast of all kinds of food; seafood, oriental, French and German is made available. On the top deck of the ship we wait for the fireworks. They start about 30 before midnight and go on way after 12:30am. I get dizzy turning around in order to see the 360 view of fireworks. We did have some kids shooting fireworks at the ship; but, the Captain took care and made the kids stop. Last year when I was on the Danube we had the same kind of fireworks display; so I guess this is a European thing. The States we watch the fireworks head on; only in front of us; but, here in Europe the fireworks surround you.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remagen

This bridge, Remagen Bridge (also known as Ludendorff) shortened the Second World War. It has been said that the bridge was worth its weight in gold. The bridge is no longer; however, there is a memorial to honor how the bridge was instrumental to US Allied Forces.

During Operation Lumberjack, on 7 March 1945, troops of the U.S. Army's 

Ludendorff Bridge during the closing weeks of World War II and were very surprised to see that the railroad bridge was still standing. It was the last of 22 road and railroad bridges over the Rhine still standing after German defenders failed to demolish it. U.S. forces were able to capture the bridge. The unexpected availability of the first major crossing of the Rhine, Germany's last major natural barrier and line of defense, caused Allied high commander Dwight Eisenhower to alter his plans to end the war and possibly shortened the war in Europe.

New Year’s Day morning was spent in the town of Rudensheim.

It is a very small town and has a history that dates back to the Romans. It is home to the “Reisling” wines. We went to the town from the ship in a train like motor vehicle; kind of what Disney uses to move people from the parking lots to the park entrance. First order of business was to visit the Siegfried’s Music Cabinet Museum. I have listed the url below to learn more; but such a charming and I am sure expensive collection of mechanical music.

http://www.travelsignposts.com/Germany/sightseeing/siegfrieds-mechanical-music

From the museum we went on a wine tasting tour in a cave like dwelling. Now, I am not a fan of wine and honestly I liked the German pretzels better (they were used to clear the pallet in-between the 3 different kinds of wine). I did find out;

However, that my favorite wines (red and sweet) is more difficult to make because the grapes need to stay on the vines longer than the white wines….one bottle of red sweet wine was 150 Euro….well, that was not going to happen.

Another trade mark of Rudesheim is the “Rudesheimer Coffee”. I didn’t get to experience this in the town as I did go to the museum; and disappointed about that. Asbach brandy is a specialty of Rudensheim and a key ingredient of the coffee. It is made as so – a sip of this brandy is poured into a special mug and set on fire. Then doused with coffee and topped by whipped cream and chocolate flakes.

We did have a version of the coffee on the ship; but it was not like what my ship mates experienced in the town…..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCdesheim_am_Rhein

The afternoon was spent on the ship making our way through the Rhine River Gorge. This area is known for its castles. It is said that no other river in the world has a greater concentration of castles or castle ruins than the Rhine. While cruising we also passed the famous Lorelei Rock which has a lot of folklore and myth attached to it (link below to know more). The gorge was added to the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in 2002.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine_Gorge

The valley became a core region of the Holy Roman Empire and during the Thirty Year was (1618-1648) many of the castles were left in ruins. In the 19^th century the valley became part of Prussia and its landscapes became the hallmark image of Germany. It is truly breathtaking to see the architecture and especially since we are floating on a river boat and only have to divert our eyes upward to see history pass by.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorelei

We continue onto Cologne that is Germany’s fourth largest city. The Romans settled here in 50BC because of its natural harbor. The city has a vibrant arts scene and the city’s economy is primarily based on insurance and media industries. The Cologne’s cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site was built to house the reputed relics of the three kings (Magi) and was the tallest building in Europe until the Eiffel tower in Paris was constructed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne

The city’s most famous product is of course “Eau de Cologne” (water of cologne) better known by its brand name “4711.” The fragrance is very popular; however, I’ve never heard of it. The name came about from the house number that was given to the factor producing it during the French occupation of the Rhineland in the early 19^th century.

We are heading towards Amsterdam and spend many hours cruising the Dutch Waterways towards Amsterdam. I sit in the lounge in the front of the ship just watching the shoreline. I am in love with this kind of travel. I am always up early and usually the first in line for breakfast; so, usually I have the restaurant and the lounge all to myself (at least for a little while). I love the solitude and the peace of seeing the river traffic going down the river as we sailing in the opposite direction.

We dock in Amsterdam very near the train station; and Dear Reader – I could write an entire blog just on Amsterdam. I also liked this city very much; although, it is not a city for pedestrians. There are so many bicycles; and the people riding them are called “Psyco-paths on Cyclo-paths”. We are warned to stay out of the paths that the bicycles ride on (and I absolutely take heed of that warning). It is said, that there are 800,000 bikes in the Amsterdam. The bicycles have the right of way! L

There are very few single family homes in the city. Most of the houses are broken into apartments. Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands but not its capital.

However, it is the commercial capital and one of the top financial centers in Europe. The canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Hermitage, Anne Frank House and of course, the red light district are some of the main attractions. In addition, there are many cannabis coffee shops that draw almost 4million international visitors annually. It does feel like a city of “tourists.”  The historic 17^th century canals, located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010.

We did have a canal cruise. At times I felt like I was in Venice; but, my mind kept going back to how this city was during the occupation. Windmills are almost a thing of the past. There used to be 10,000 and now there are barely 1,000 left and most badly in need of repair. They are a protected class. While cruising the canal we noticed large steel beams protruding from the very top of the house. This steel beam is used to hoist furniture into the house through the windows; as the stairs inside the houses are so narrow they cannot get anything up into the upper floors. It is also noticed that the windows get smaller and smaller the higher you go into the building.

We also had a bus tour of the city and when we stopped for the shopping portion; well I went out on my own. I just love walking in cities and getting lost and then getting myself found. There were so many people with suitcase dragging behind them. I followed a group of young people who I thought would be heading to the train station; however, they got on a tram and I was left to figure out how to get myself un-lost. Amsterdam does have a metro; however, there was just no time to figure that out. I did take the train to the airport to catch my flight home; as that cost 5Euro; whereas, a taxi to the airport would have cost 60Euro.

A side note about my train trip to the airport. I had to stand as it was so crowded and I met a nice young fella who just happened to be a drag queen (so he said). His nails and ruby red polish gave it away. He was on tour in Europe and in the spring he would be touring in the USA. I wish I would have written down his name or gotten his cards; it was a great train ride.

Once the cruise was finished I had a full day in Amsterdam by myself before my trip home. The weather was not that great; but, it was not pouring rain so that was a good thing. I met up with a fellow PCV who was vacationing in Amsterdam and the restaurant that was on the 1^st floor of his apartment building was kind enough to store my luggage so that I can walk around free of luggage.

My first order of business was the “Red Light District.” I had to see this for myself. I still have mixed feelings about what I saw. These women; and some looked like young girls, seemed OK with standing in the window with very little clothing on. The window is floor to ceiling with a red curtain that would cover the window if the cord was pulled. The window spaces have a couch either to the left of the window or behind them; or, there is a staircase (in some windows)  (off to the side. Of course, there is a red light on the outside of the building. The women flirt with people and motion them to come in. I was in the area around lunch time which meant that not many windows were open. I needed to come at night; but, since I was by myself I didn’t want to do that. The women looked healthy and seemed like they were having fun (maybe, I don’t know). The people walking by and looking were laughing; as was I. In some capacity it almost felt “zoo” like; but, then we put other products in windows…but these are human beings. Maybe the idea of bringing this oldest profession “out of the closet” is just so foreign to me. It was an experience.

http://www.amsterdam.info/red-light-district/

Another fact about Amsterdam is that on Monday you can get married for free; however the price goes up as the week moves on. No one wants to get married on Saturday because you have to pay overtime – as you must have a civil service (in addition to the religious service). Most people get married in the middle of the week.

In June and July it is light until 11pm in Amsterdam (nice!). In July and August there are no problems with insects because of the temperature which is in the low 70’sF.

I walked around and once again kept thinking about what it must have been like during the occupation. I wanted to go to the Anne Frank house. That was a priority for me. It was very special being in the area surrounding the building that hid the family for many years. I waited in line a long time, 90 minutes (or thereabout). It was cold and misty; but, I had no choice. This was absolutely something I had to do.

It appeared that they built the museum around the house as everything was original as it had been during the occupation. It was difficult to maneuver the steps going up through the floors. The steps were very narrow and your foot had to be placed sideways. It was very steep and my legs were feeling the pull. The rooms were all empty (as requested by Anne’s fathers when the museum was being organized). However, there were pictures on the walls showing what the rooms looked like during the occupation. It was very quiet moving through the space. People spoke but almost like they were in church. I tried to get my mind to think of how it could have been living under these conditions; but, I could not come close. In my life, this experience was one of the great moments.

http://www.annefrank.org/

I spent many hours touring the museum. It was something I will not forget. I bought the book for me and to also pass along to my granddaughter when I get back to the States.

I could write

more and will add to my travels as I blog during the next couple of months; but, I think for now I should close. It was a wonderful, relaxing adventure and I now feel a special connection to the Rhine River. I would love to sail all the great rivers of the world

Thank you for sharing this with me.

Best, Catherine Lawrence, G14

Peace Corps Volunteer/Georgia – 1/24/16

The contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.