August 27 If you said ‘London,’ then you are in for the party of the century. That is, if Queen Elizabeth II lives that long. Because at midnight on that date, Elizabeth will surpass Queen Victoria as the longest-serving monarch in British history. I suppose there will be some party.
England Remembers those lost in the Great War with Poppies Around Tower of London
August 27 A brilliant installation containing 888,246 ceramic poppies surrounds the Tower of London through November 11, 1914 which is the 96th anniversary of the end of the ‘Great War,’ also the ‘War to End All Wars.’ Artist Paul Cummins did the work in remembrance of those soldiers listed officially as dead from the United […]
Social Media the New Salem Witch Trials
August 23 I think it is beyond time for someone to come up with a way that businesses can fight back and even recoup financial damages (and they would be huge when you consider the multiplier effect) caused by those who post idiotic and false statements on social media whether it be #trip #advisor, #yelp, […]
How Do You End the Trip of a Lifetime in Germany?
August 23 Dolores Petit always wanted to visit her ancestral country of Germany but her husband would not allow it. A member of the French Resistance as a young teen, he harbored hard feelings against not just some Germans but the entire country. When they traveled, they went to see his relatives in France. So, […]
A 1,000 year-old baptismal font in the ancestral church
August 21 There are baptismal fonts and then there is the font in the little church at Kirchtimke, near Steinfeld, Niedersachsen, Germany. While the church is older than most in America, having been built in 1739, the font is truly spectacular. It is Romanesque and dates back at least 1,000 years. That means it was […]
Heartfelt Thank You For Care Package 67 Years Later
August 21 Dolores Petit is on the Trip of a Lifetime back to her roots in northern Germany. On the second day of her visit with relatives in the hamlet of Steinfeld, she suddenly came face to face with a woman whom she has never met. However, she gave that woman something so special, so […]
Lifelong dream comes true with trip to ancestral country of Germany
August 16 This morning a long-awaited journey finally started for Dolores (Braun) Petit, who has deep roots in Germany but who never had the chance to come due to hard feelings resulting from World War II. Her husband was a fighter in the French Resistance as a young teenager and his father was kept in […]
Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg Getting Dangerously Close to Becoming A Victim of its Own Success
August 14 A visit yesterday to Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg turned out to be a learning experience, and not a positive one. After purchasing tickets in June and reserving an entry time of between 1030 and 1130, I brought my excited guests to the front door and dropped them off, leaving them to get started […]