Brooklyn, NY

Well, well. It’s been a long while. The last blog was from Kandersteg, Switzerland Oct 19th, 2019. A lot has happened since.

The obvious – A world changing pandemic that keeps us settled in Philadelphia, PA, USA. As I said in my last blog, the plan was to take an apartment in Philly near family and travel six months of the year. 

Well, covid put an abrupt stop to the travel part. Bob and I feel grateful for the timing to have settled near family in a sweet apartment in a tree filled neighborhood just before the pain-in-the-butt covid. 

At the start of the lockdown, I kept saying, I might as well be in Switzerland as I was Zooming with my grandkids less than a miles away. Nothing felt right. Soon, we settled into the life of covid, learned to have meals-on-the-Lawn and took lots of hikes in the Wisahicken woods. 

We got an unexpected added bonus when Sam and Sari moved to Philly shortly after we arrived, so both of Bob’s sons are near. And Jenny and family have visited from up-state New York, so family surrounds us.  It’s been amazing to hang out with family on the spur of a moment or for a planned visit or dinner. Bob and I feel lucky and blessed.

Having our own place allows for a slightly larger wardrobe and my own pots and pans. As it became clear that the pandemic was sticking around, I started acquiring a few house plants. Now I need a plant sitter in order to travel. 

Each morning I write, read, meditate, do some yoga, and then open my day up to whatever’s going to happen. That could be a text from Sari asking if we’re free for dinner, or a grandchild calling.

“Grandma Jane, Can I come over today?” 

That would be a hard, “YES.” 

At one of those dinners with Sam and Sari, Sari asked if we would be interested in housesitting for some friends in Brooklyn, NY with their dog Lucy for the month of March. (Jose Maria, I know you are jealous!)

Another hard yes, and here we are spending March in the DUMBO neighborhood. (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) It’s a trendy neighborhood filled with cafes, shops right on the East River. The views of Manhattan are spectacular. 

Accepting this housesit felt like a safe way to start traveling again, albeit just an hour and a half train ride away. And the best part is, we get to hang out with an amazing pup!

Every few days, we go on an adventure.

“Let’s ride the Staten Island Ferry and take a look at the Statue of Liberty.”

We hopped a ferry across the East River and then took the Staten Island Ferry for a mellow ride watching Manhattan disappear into the distance. I’ve always loved a ferry; the movement, the perspective from the water, the uniqueness of the ride.  My first ferry ride was visiting my dear friend Lynn in Seattle many years back. 

Wanting to call my mom, I thought what better place to chat than on a bench in Central Park. I caught the subway to Manhattan, and, presto, I’m roaming Central Park chatting with my mom, slightly distracted by the world class people watching. 

As we are living minutes from both the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, we’ve walked across them both a few times.

One day, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and headed to the 911 Memorial in lower Manhattan. The endless dropping fountain, surrounded by all the names of the deceased caused me to reflect on that horrendous day. I was teaching 6th grade at the time, and we had the difficult task of telling the students what had happened. 

That same day, we passed the Fearless Girl Statue, promoting female empowerment, which made me smile with pride, “You go Girl!” It reminded me of all the optimistic possibilities in the world.

A Bob inspired idea had us walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, continue through Manhattan to the Hudson River, and follow the river around to Battery Park, then we jumped a ferry to cross the East River back to Brooklyn. The weather cooperated with a high of 70 and we meandered, enjoying a soft breeze off the Hudson, observing the first signs of spring.  

When we stopped for lunch our bench faced a large plot of tulips about an inch high. I decided that they were going to be red when they bloom. We will leave before they bloom, so in my imagination, they are bright red. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art made the must-see list. We took the NYC Ferry from Dumbo to 90th Street. Again, the weather did us good. We walked up 85th street, crossing all the avenues, ending at 5th avenue next to Central Park in front of the enormous museum. 

Luckily, we had tickets, as the line to buy tickets wound along the side of the building for what seemed to be miles. Not really, but it was long. We headed to the 19th Century section and got our fill of Monet, Seurat, and Matisse just to name a few. It was a bit crowded. Next time, I’ll arrive early, hoping for fewer people. All and all, a great day and this ferry idea as a primary mode of transportation is easy to get used to. 

When I’m not being a tourist, I spend my days roaming thrift shops, finding cafes, and walking the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Manhattan, loving the beeps, the hustle of the streets, and the general energy of the city. The go-to walk on an average day is Brooklyn Bridge Park on the East River. Originally the land was an industrial area and now it’s a place to soak up nature and admire amazing views of Manhattan. Just one more reason Brooklyn rocks

It’s good to be house-sitting again, albeit an hour and half from home. 

Perhaps this is the beginning of a new chapter.

Until next time.

Kandersteg, Switzerland

We are housesitting in a 500 year-old farmhouse in the Swiss Alps for three months. To live in the middle of the Swiss Alps has been on Bob’s wishlist from the beginning of our travels, and now we are here, surrounded by snow-covered mountain peaks. You can see glaciers from our porch. I am overcome by awe as I look up.

The weather is good so we are hiking as much as we can. The three gondolas that whisk us high up the mountains are only open until Oct. 20th, so we’re taking advantage of them. I like hiking down better than up in these steep mountains.

During the first hike, I got winded just walking up the trails, which made me realize just how high we were. The altitude is a good ego check. We ate our picnic lunch overlooking the magnificent Swiss Alps. Seriously, the beauty takes your breath away.

The next gondola took us up another mountainside to Lake Oeschinen. As we walked to the lake, the scenery opened up to a pristine steel-blue lake surrounded by partly glacier-covered mountain peaks. I keep thinking I’m on a movie set.  

We wanted to hike the trails above the lake and that’s when the difficulty started. Again, the altitude. It was a steady climb with little relief. The challenge was certainly worth it, for the lake opened more, the mountain peaks seemed even grander and the workout was, well, honest. 

The first Saturday we were here, it was des Alpabzug. It’s the day the cows come down from the high alpine valleys. The cows are dressed up with flowers on their horns and huge clanging bells around their necks. The families proudly walk the cows through town on their way to their new lower pastures. Kandersteg is so small, in fact, that cows graze in the middle of town.

To our surprise, five cows were placed to graze just outside our chalet. And I mean just outside. I could easily touch them from the patio, however, I did not. A tiny thread-like electrified string keeps the 1300 pound cows from coming onto the patio. Sometimes the one I called Bessie, would look me in the eye then turn away, caring more about the sweet clover than me. The continual sound of cowbells reminded us of our new friends. The cows stayed for about two weeks. I guess all the clover was eaten and they were taken to another field. Hopefully, they will return. 

So, a bit of news. Our next big adventure after we leave Switzerland is Philadelphia. We have decided to set up a home base, renting an apartment in the Chestnut Hills area.  Now, before you ask, yes we are still going to travel. The difference will be that when we are in the states we’ll have a place to land and we’ll stay a bit longer. 

You may be asking yourself, why Philadelphia? It’s where four of our six grandkids live and it’s just a train ride away from Brooklyn and Albany where the rest of the family lives. It’s also an easy flight to Wisconsin to visit more family and friends. 

So, that’s the big news. We are in Kandersteg until Dec. 8th and then on to Philly to set up the apartment.

Scotland. Summer, 2019

Ah, Peebles, Scotland…  We are now in what we have come to call our summer home. We arrived June 11th and are here until Sept. 12th. We have five wonderful housesits. I thought I’d feel a bit unsettled with all the moves, but my love of Scotland has kept me balanced.

When we first arrived, the poppies, yes… I’m going to say it… The poppies were popping in Peebles. They grow wild along the pathways and in the groomed gardens. The paper-thin red petals wave in the soft wind. This fairy tale town offers many small surprises and I always look forward to discovering more.

As it’s our 4th year in Peebles, I’m likely to run into someone I know. One of the first mornings, camera in hand, I’m walking through the magical Eishels Woods and I hear voices and I think how delightful, a family enjoying a picnic in nature. To my surprise, it’s Hannah (our very first housesit host) and her boys sitting by a small campfire having lunch. They’d biked to the River Tweed for a bit of Sunday fun. Another simple surprise. We chatted for a bit and I was on my way. One day, I ran into Julie (another housesit) at the grocery, and Sharon, the taxi driver who has moved us to our housesits many times, often beeps as she drives by.

We had a week between housesits, so we went on a five-day tour to the Highlands of Scotland. It’s hands down one of the most beautiful areas we have visited. The mountains, the valleys, and lochs come together causing you to stop, breathe, and let it flow over you. The van drove through the countryside, my hands rested quietly in my lap as I took in the beauty.

The shades of green dominate, making me feel this odd combination of giddiness and calm. Yes, it rains some here, but it’s the “Scottish mist” that creates such shades of green beauty.

Our tour’s clan consisted of 14 people from all over the world: Aussies, Taiwanese, Americans, Chinese, and our leader, a Scot. As the five days passed, we learned a “wee bit” about each other’s story and shared a few laughs. 

We are now in Peebles enjoying the serene morning hikes with Misty, one of the pups we care for. My new friend Sharon (the taxi driver) invited me to her uncle’s farm. I saw new lambs, her daughter practice jumping her horse, new pups and many dogs and horses. I had flashbacks to my childhood with all the visits to the Kelley and Wilson farms in central Wisconsin. There’s nothing better than the sweet smell of a farm. I even got to have a “wee bit” of a walk around on Tonto the horse.

We have just over a month left in Peebles and plan to take total advantage of its magic.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Ah, Edinburgh. We only had two weeks, so lots of walking and exploring were in order. After a day of grocery shopping and settling in, Bob and I decided to hike the extinct volcano just minutes from our apartment.  

The original plan was to hike up the main peak, Arthur’s Seat, but there was a “challenge race” that day. The sign read, “How many times can you climb Arthur’s Seat in 24 hours?”

Ok, I can answer that question. “Once.”

Because we didn’t want to slow down the participants of the event, we hiked up a nearby peak instead. From the top, a birds-eye view of the city sprawled out in front of us.

Sunday I walked across town to a delightful farmer’s market and explored along the way. Four organic apples and a beet later, I was on my way home.

Life keeps offering up gifts. On Friday our new friend Christine (mother of our friend Joanna from Malaga) took us on a captivating tour of Edinburgh. We explored the nooks and crannies of Edinburgh that only a local would know.

One of our last stops was the Royal Bank of Scotland. Why stop at a bank? Well, the answer became clear when we walked in and looked up to see a blue domed ceiling with at least 100 gold-rimmed star-shaped skylights. The day was filled with many gems like this. It was a special day, one we will not forget.

We are now in Peebles, which we affectionately refer to as our summer home since this is our fourth year in a row housesitting here.

Mijas, Spain

Unlike our entrance into Paris (see Paris blog), arriving in Mijas had more grace. We took a direct flight from Paris to the Malaga airport and were met by a prearranged car to drive us the 30 minutes to Mijas. Seamless.

It’s felt easy every since. The mountains watch over us, the wine is cheap, and a small, yet well-stocked grocery store is minutes away!

Bob’s done it yet again. Our apartment is minutes from a trailhead leading into the Sierra de Mijas. The workout starts instantly out our apartment door, with a left turn to face many stairs leading us to the mountain.

As we walk along the trail, the sun catches the many specks of marble making me wonder if I’m walking on diamond chips. I pause more than usual. I’d like to say it’s to take in the view of the Mediterranean Sea in the distance, which is true, but also to sip water and take a breath as the trail is up, up and more up. With each hike, I got stronger. Mijas hiking has kept us in shape.

On our first hike, we were serenaded by The Blue Basement Big Band playing down in the main square. The acoustics of the mountain created the perfect amplifier. I found myself with an extra hop in my step for “Down by the Boardwalk” and a slower saunter for “Lover Man”. On the way back down the mountain, we decided to see if we could get to the city center in time for another set. We made it in time to enjoy our lunch and dance to the tunes, albeit in hiking boots.  

Things are more relaxed in Mijas. Bob joined a gym and normally he would be issued a  membership card. Here they simply turned over his receipt and drew lines on the back, dividing it into 6 sections. Each time he goes, someone initials the next section, noting his visit. We need to be careful not to toss that receipt. (Oh, I forgot, I learned not to toss receipts in Paris.)

Mijas is one of the “white villages” in Andalusia, hence all the buildings are painted white. One day I saw a painter working on a wall and chuckled to myself thinking about how little time he must spend thinking about paint color. There’s no choice.

Most of the white walls have potted plants affixed to them. Being the gardener that I am, my only thought besides how beautiful they are, was, “How do they keep all these pots watered?” I got my answer when I came upon a crew of people armed with wheelbarrows, buckets, and sticks with cans attached to the end. They haul the buckets of water in the wheelbarrows, scoop the can in the bucket, reach high and pour the water into the pot. I can’t imagine how often this crew will have to water when the summer temperatures rise. All for the beauty of Mijas Pueblo.

Since we are so close to Morocco, I decided to pop over and visit my friend Karla in Tangier for a few days. I took the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar. Karla greeted me at the ferry gate and even though we hadn’t talked in almost four years, we picked right back up with that kindred spirit friendship thing. I love ya, Karla. It was a delightful visit. Thanks.

We also catch up with Joanna and Jose Marie, friends we met in Malaga years back. We hiked for a couple of hours up past the cute little chapel on the mountain, had a typical Spanish lunch complete with grilled sardines and fried calamari, and topped off the day with a visit to a local ice cream shop. All in a day’s fun.

We leave Mijas Wednesday with sadness in our hearts. Our choice would be to stay a few more weeks, but we are out of Schengen visa time, so off to Scotland we go (which is also a very good thing). We have eleven days in Edinburgh and then the rest of the summer in our “summer home” of Peebles with our usual three housesits plus a new one. The summer is looking good!

Until Later,

Jane