Where in the world are the Palmers?

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You all probably already knew this but I have come to realize that I am a procrastinator. My last entry was a looooong time ago and I ended by saying I would be getting back to everyone soon. I lied, but I am pretty sure you might forgive me for this delay😊

Debra and I have been up to quite a bit since last we chatted. She is still working, hard, trying to make sure that the Italian's get their F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter) delivery on time and on budget. The Eurozone economic situation has been conspiring to derail that effort but somehow the program remains viable even though the number of total jets has decreased (everywhere including the USA). So, that has kept her busy while I try to write a bit (I have an idea for a thriller set here in Torino that I continue to outline and create storyboards for, we'll see how it progresses) and perfect some recipes. Torino is still a great place to live however this experience has shown Debra and I one thing for certain. That is we are not really city dwellers at the core and apartment living is not for us. More on that later....

Since we talked last we have visited a few places you might find interesting and I will be sure to upload pictures for you with all the annotations necessary 😊 Let's see, since my last post I think I owe you all info on Budapest, Monaco, Nice, Venice, Brussels, Brugge, Cologne, and Berlin. That's a pretty long list and to so it all real justice this write up would have to be very long so I think the majority of the explanation may be included in the descriptions I write for the associated pictures.

Budapest great destination. Being out of the Eurozone we had our first run it with another currency, the Forint (Ft). That was really no big deal and in away it was kind of fun. With about 284 Ft to the Euro we easily started making transactions in 1000 Ft multiples. So we could pretend we were throwing down "mad bank" . The city was old and picturesque. The biggest highlights for us were the Synagogue and the Terror Museum. As you might expect this Hungarian city was right smack dab in the middle of iron curtain oppression for many folks, especially Jews but also Christians and those suspected of non-communist leanings. The Terror museum was a stark depiction of that oppression during Nazi occupation and the cold war era that followed. The Synagogue was a beautiful symbol or the Jewish resilience and perseverance in that face of that same oppression. It was awe inspiring and the tour was eye-opening regarding just how tough those times were and how tough the people are still.

Monaco & Nice came together over a long weekend we enjoyed with our oldest son, Jason and his fiance Alexandra (referred to as "the kids" from here on). On a suggestion from a great new Italian friend, Antonello, we opted to avoid the Autostrada and took the Tenda Pass instead. Great suggestion!! The Tenda Pass is a twisty, majestic, scenic path through the Maritime Alps. It was a mere 40 minutes longer than the boring interstate but infinitely more pleasurable. Monaco was a pass through (we did stop at a public beach to dunk out toes) that took longer than we anticipated because of all the traffic. I'm sure some of the roads and tunnels we were on are part of the grand prix circuit but the traffic we saw wasn't moving beyond a crawl. We passed beautiful hotels and luxury cars and fashion palaces galore. Well we can say we were there but that's about it.
Nice was nice 😊 and hot as blazes. The kids spent a lot of time at the beach while Debra and I spent time site seeing. We did have a couple of great meals in town as the pictures will show, I hope. All in all I would say that a weekend for Nice was about right. After that our kids departed for their trip to Barcelona and Paris. We would meet them again in Brussels a couple of weeks later for our August vacation.

Brussels in mid-August was hot and as far as we could tell only the movie theaters (and a scant few restaurants) were air conditioned. We flew in by EasyJet from Milano to Brussels the HQ for the Eurozone. Our apartment was in the Sablon district (famous for chocolates -sweeet!) just across the street from Notre Damn des Sablon on Rue Des Royal. The first thing you notice about the city is that two languages are supported and (by Law) must get equal billing. French and Flemish are everywhere. It's a bit confusing at first but like anything else you get used to it. The city is also hilly and so walking IS exercise, which is a good thing except when it's hot and it was hot😊 Museums, Parks, Grand Place, guild halls, Mannikin Pis, the Atomium, waffles, Trappist ales and beer in general. What's not to love! We met up with the kids again here (I got a head cold and was out of commission for a day but fought back - I'm still getting over it) and spent some great time together (as pics should show). Before they arrived Debra and I took a day excursion to Brugge. A wonderful, historic and picturesque city which lays claim to much not the least of which is lace. Canals, churches, towers, and lovely winding streets made for a great day out.

The kids headed back home after our stay and we headed to Berlin on the last leg of our August vacation. We went by train and stopped in Cologne (Klon - in German) on the way. We stayed in Cologne for about 4 hours. Just enough time to see the enormous and fantastic cathedral, eat lunch and take in the Wallraf museum (really wonderful gallery works from 1300-1750). The train to Berlin was over 4 hours but very pleasant. We caught a Taxi from the terminal to our apartment in Mitte district (the center city). We got in late, met the representative to pay the remaining fee and started to settle in only to realize that Debra left her fanny pack on the Taxi. After a few phone calls to police (we didn't remember the Taxi companies name so that sucked and the police were kind but...) we started to get ready to make calls to cancel all the credit cards that were lost. We figured it was a lost cause. Then after about 2 hours passed the door bell to the apartment rang. You guessed it, the Taxi driver was there with the apartment manager and he was holding the fanny pack with all its contents. I literally hugged the guy and thanked him in my best German and also gave him a nice reward. We were surprised but very thankful. This driver also wanted to make sure we knew that Berlin is an honest city and that message came across very clearly. A very nice beginning I would say.

The weather in Berlin was a lot more temperate even cool so we didn't miss not having the A/C. So much of this place was destroyed in WWII that there isn't much of a sense of antiquity but it is still very interesting and it has an open, welcoming feel about it. Transportation is great so getting around is a breeze. Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, Alexanderplatz, wonderful parks and, oh yeah Wienstephan is everywhere!!! What's not to love!

We have been back in Torino now for about a week. At the end of Sept we will be moving to our final destination on this journey in Italy. The F-35's will be assembled in a plant in a town called Cameri which is close to Milan. That is not commuting distance from Torino so it has always been the plan to move closer to the assembly plant. The time is approaching. We have been looking in the area and have found a villa north of Cameri on Lake Maggiore near a town called Lesa on the western shore. So for you guys who may still find time to visit in the almost 3 more years we will be here, this will be the place you will see. Enjoy the pictures. I hope to be more regular about updating this travel blog but based on extension of past trends it doesn't look too good 😊

Please enjoy the pictures and do stay in touch. Debra and I plan to be back in the USA in early December for the Christmas holiday and maybe we can hook up with some of you guys then. In the mean time - Bocca al Lupo mia amici

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Photos

Synagogue Interior
Non traditional with many elements of christian churches.

Synagogue Monument
To those Jews who perished in WWII and the post war purges in the cold war era

Hungarian Parliment
Majestic Structure

Shellfish Feast in Nice
At Boccacino's

Alex and Jason
They love seafood and each other :)

Ferrari inspired
Fiat 500 Abarth 695 (never heard of this before)

Flower Carpet
We lucked out its out only every two years

Oldest Guild Hall
Only one not destroyed by Louis 14th when he destroyed the Grand Place

Mannikin Pis
What's the big deal? It sure draws crowds