Teddy on a Mission

First Stop Before Next Mission Trip: Canada to get passport renewed

2010-05-26T19:31:00.010-04:00

Well, some blunders don't bear remembering, let along repeating. Like the way my un-mom sent off for her new Canadian passport in plenty of time before the mission trip - only to discover that she'd forgotten to fill in some key information. Oh yes, she included the photographs (had to be taken by a professional due to size specifications), and two references signed off that she was a sane person, etc. But the packet got bounced back to the States and then back up to Canada again; all the while without contact from a real live person. Finally, after many calls, it was discovered that Marijke got so excited about getting the aforementioned information together, that she forgot to fill in the form - especially her new address! So, at this point, in order to expedite the matter quickly, it was necessary for her to show up in PERSON - at an office in Canada. Hello air flight and visit with family. Totally unplanned but relished in spite of the added stress.

Good news was that the kind lady in the Kitchener, Ontario office was able to make it happen in one day - totally unheard of according to John and Cherri! They checked the internet and found out that I was in for a wait of at least a few days, maybe a week! All I can say is: Someone must have been praying, eh?!!

By the way, thanks for putting up with me for those lovely two nights, J&C! Just a warning, I'll be staying longer next time - with my un-dad, Ken. It was certainly not enough time to visit with Mom and Dad and naturally I missed seeing a few other relatives, too (like John, Jr., Christine and family, Magda, Nancy, Jordan, etc., etc.!! (Besides, I didn't get a good picture of SANDRA!)

Luv, Teddy

Home Sweet Home - and Merry Christmas, too!

2009-12-18T03:25:00.014-05:00

I'm sure I didn't get this much loving on the whole trip! There's nothing like the arms of a child to warm you, is there? And nothing quite like their imagination, either - Georgia's the one who put me next to Jesus in the nativity scene - "out of the mouths of babes", eh?

I guess I'll be seeing you the next time I go out of town - there's talk of Canada this summer - and a visit or two to Colorado is certain to happen as well! Yeh, Grands.

As I finish blogging this past summer's trip, it's already Christmas! Where has the time gone?

I love everything about Christmas, don't you? I'm dreaming of finding a telephoto lens under the tree (anyone got a used one) for my lovely big Canon camera - and a backpack to hold my 'equipment' in. But more than the presents, I love the cards, the kids and the carols. May it all point to the reason for the season - to worship the King of Kings! Every time I read the gospel accounts of the Story in the bible, I stand amazed that God would make Himself human for us - to live among us, to feel our joys & pains and to die for us!! It's BEARly believable but SO TRUE!

Notice this year's Baker Christmas card! We figure that if we get it delivered by the 4th of January, we'll be OK - 'cause then it'll be on time for the Tenth Day of Christmas!!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas, 2009 and a fabulously healthy 2010 filled with faith, family and friends - and the occasional trip, too!

Love, Teddy Ricardo

Fantastic Farewell Dinner in an Artist's Paradise

2009-12-12T18:31:00.012-05:00

Yes, Belgium was wonderful - as were Katy and Wilifried. Isn't it strange that they were the first people we met when we started our journey (in the airport, remember?) and the last people we saw before we left for home! They'll obviously be very special people in our book - for that reason but for other things as well (like their love of art and BEARS!)

Knowing that Wilifried's son and family are just up the road from us near Charlotte, NC means there could be a BIG chance that our paths cross again one day - and soon, we hope! It'd then be OUR turn to show them some beary good times. Hopefully we could half match their generosity and hospitable ways because it'd be impossible to show them as exciting cities or historic places as we saw with them! For instance: these pictures of this seemingly simple river scene (taken with Wilifried's camera because mine stopped working at the last hour). It's what we saw from our farewell dinner table at the Halifax Restaurant; no wonder Emile Claus and other artists enjoyed painting along the banks of this river. The lighting was phenomenal.

And now my posting is almost completely over until the next trip. As in all cases, though, it was fun to go away but it's fun to come home, too. You'll be able to tell by the pictures of the happy reunion with some of the babes (next blog).

With love, Teddy

P.S. I hope I don't have to carry around my big, beautiful Canon camera with me next time - that'd be kind of cumbersome (and scary, too). Mmmm - it does take good pictures, though. We'll keep you posted. (Ha Ha - get it? POSTED!)

Here's me with the old faithful Olympus, too - what a shame that it costs so much to get that little plastic piece repaired! However, when I think of how many pictures that've been taken over the past six years!! It's incredible that it lasted this long really and I feel very blessed.

Talk About Peace! Try Brugge From the Water...

2009-11-29T16:56:00.008-05:00

You kind of feel like royalty when you take a trip on the water around this fair town! Especially when people wave at you from the bridges you go under. Can you tell I fell in love with Brugge? I don't even really want to get on that plane tomorrow. But I have two new babies waiting for me to get to know so I guess I'll have to say "Au Revoir" and "Dag" and "See You Next Time, Europe"! It's been such a fabulous four months!! But wait - I've got pictures to come of one last supper with our friend before we hit the train back to our hotel in Brussels.

Love, Teddy (for Marijke and Ken and Saaby, too)

A Quiet Spot Away From the Crowds

2009-11-29T16:45:00.003-05:00

What a surprise to find this lovely community tucked into the middle of Brugge - home for retired nuns and widows. It was so peaceful after the hubbub of the city around it.

-T

P.S. The puppet in the picture is one Oma picked up for the grands -she'd been looking in every town in Europe and finally found a few! Now all she has to do is finish the puppet 'house' at home. Pictures will follow, I'm sure.

Did I Tell You About the Belgium Chocolate?

2009-11-29T16:38:00.004-05:00

It's one of the best tastes in the world and well worth going back to this sweet country for! - TR (I dream of having baths in warm Belgium chocolate!)

Finally - Brugge in the Sunshine!

2009-11-29T16:08:00.009-05:00

OK, I admit. I'm overdosing a bit now. Last stop and it's one of the best by far! How can I help but post way too many pics of Brugge, Belgium? It's so much nicer without the rain; I'm so glad we had the chance to come back... TR

Getting Ready to Say Goodbye to Saaby...

2009-11-29T15:46:00.007-05:00

One of the requirements to ship a car overseas is to have it extremely clean. No dirt or dust or junk in the car. So, first stop with K & M and W & K - the car wash, of course...

Then off to the actual port where Saaby sure did feel small compared to that big ship. At least he didn't have to travel with 8,000 new BMW's again, I don't think. That was kind of embarrassing. Maybe just a few sailboats this time?

See you soon, Faithful Vehicle - Teddy

Highlights of Brussels, the town

2009-11-12T23:00:00.009-05:00

It turned out to be such a good idea to stop in Brussels for our last couple of nights in Europe. Not only were we a short drive from the port to drop off the car but the airport was just a cab away on Sept. 1st! A big plus, too, was the fact that we would have enough time to spend another day with our new friends, Katy and Wilifried - in Brugge.

The only down side was that we should have probably allowed a couple of more days here - it is such a special town. Guess we just couldn't pull ourselves away from France any sooner. C'est la vie!

(That's french - Ted)

One last Sunday, one last Church!

2009-11-12T22:05:00.008-05:00

Belgium, here we come again!

We decided to spend a couple of nights in a hotel near the airport and fortunately it worked out that we had a Sunday to worship with fellow believers. Here are some pictures of St. Andrews Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) in Brussels and, more importantly, some of the nice folk we met there. After all, it's not the buildings but the people who make up God's Church Universal.

Saint Saens again - can you believe it?

2009-11-08T16:35:00.008-05:00

There weren't many places on our trip that we visited THREE times. But this quaint town was very much worth returning to one more time - especially to see if Ken could get a last minute, one last time hair cut! As you can probably guess, I didn't sit in the chair and watch; instead, I took the camera and had a thorough browse around! Guess I got kind of carried away, eh? But can you blame me - such a gorgeous day with such sweet sights around every corner?!!

Still having a blast, Teddy

Mont St. Michel - here we come!

2009-10-26T07:14:00.009-04:00

These few pictures don't give enough credit to the beauty of this monastery! Suffice it to say that this was a side trip that we're ALL so glad we took. Even from a distance this place takes one's breath away; it's so cool that there are no obstructions to block the view from miles away! We can only imagine how fabulous it must be on the inside! If we hadn't been on our way home, we might have considered spending the night here to get an inside look. But we did stay long enough to have supper before continuing our journey to the port in Belgium.

The reason we even went out of our way to see this place was because Ken's grandmother always had a picture of St. Michel on her dining room wall; he remembers thinking that he'd LOVE to see the real thing one day. As it turns out, we don't know if we actually found the right place because, though it sounds crazy, Ken actually discovered another Mont St. Michel - in England. These humans; always making things complicated.

Now I've got at least three reasons to visit England in the future! Stonehenge, Mont St. Michel (probably spelled differently) and the illusive crop circles! - Teddy

Car Repair Time

2009-10-26T07:11:00.004-04:00

Like I said, we were fortunate to find a garage that was able to help us get back on the road quickly. The added plus was that the place was filled with all kinds of American memorabilia. It became apparent that there must be some closet line dancers in this part of France!

Ferry Ride from Quiberon Anyone?

2009-10-26T06:51:00.006-04:00

Because we thought that we would be taking a ferry trip from this quaint seaside town of Quiberon, we thought we should investigate how long it would take to get there, etc. The town was well worth checking out - as was one of the neighboring beaches.

Unfortunately we had to miss this ferry trip because our car decided to break down! Fortunately, though there was a garage close by and the necessary car part arrived in time. It could have been a lot more stressful - after all, we had to get back to Belgium in time for the car's BIG ferry ride back to the United States.

Hey - did I hint that this wonderful European trip is almost finished? Not much more to blog now.

With mixed emotions, Teddy

P.S. NEXT time we're in this wonderful part of the world, we'll definitely try again to go for that ferry excursion to La Belle Isle. It sounded magnificent - even famous painters have gone there to capture the scenes and light.

Another Stone Henge in France

2009-10-26T05:46:00.006-04:00

Me again! Begging for another explanation. WHO put these rocks in place so many, many years ago? They might not be as big as the ones in England (which I have yet to see) but they're much bigger than kids (or bears) can lift, that's for sure! We found these boulders near our 'home' and immediately had questions - one of them being "Why"? Maybe they were placed so neatly by ancient relatives of the guys who are currently doing those crop circles I blogged about? Just for fun, naturally.

By the way, we didn't actually get to see the artist who left his easel in place, either. This world sure is a curious one sometimes - Teddy (for K&M, too)

Discoveries Along the Coast

2009-10-26T05:21:00.006-04:00

Weather this perfect begs for walks along a seashore. So, with Claudine as our guide again, the four of us admired the coastal homes and views, kids playing sand volleyball, a little cafe for a drink AND a mini-Stonehenge! (If a bunch of kids didn't do this for a fun school trip, then would someone please explain!?)

Exhilarating days like this make one say: "Oh it's good to be a bear in the air!" - TR

La Trinite sur Mer

2009-10-25T07:32:00.014-04:00

The town of La Trinite Sur Mer has so much to offer. No wonder it is almost always covered up with tourists. We stood amazed at the number of sailing masts standing tall in the harbor and at the pretty colors of the ships. We enjoyed it when the tide went out on the river - the boats sure looked funny parked on the mud. We watched kids coming in from their sailing lessons and felt the sea breezes every minute of every day. Talk about paradise.

Naturally some of the BEST days spent in this exquisite area were the ones we shared with our good friend, Claudine. She was such a terrific hostess and we all have such fond memories of our time together. (I think she likes me a lot!) Not only did she show us how to take care of their sweet old cottage but the meal we ate together in the garden was wonderful. Before she left to see their new granddaughter, she made sure we were well informed of all the touristy things that we would NOT want to miss and she took us on a pretty walk along the ocean, too (pics of that next).

We have such fond memories of our meal in that elegant restaurant, L'Arrosoir (next to the mayor's office where we got to plug in for the internet some days). And we sure talked a lot about Igor! We were all sorry that he had to miss out on our special times - but we know he was happy somewhere off the coast of Greece on his sailboat!

Maybe one day we'll join both of you there (your third home)!

One more picture before I leave you: some guy taking a picture of the back of our car! Apparently South Carolina license plates are pretty rare around these parts because (as I may have already told you) oftentimes we would be driving down the road and someone would have a camera out in the car behind us! I felt like such a celebrity - Teddy

One of our Very Favorite Homes to Stay In

2009-10-20T05:33:00.012-04:00

If another bear were to drive past this cute little cottage in Brittany, he might not take much of a second glance. From the road it is quite unassuming except for the fact that it is very rare to see a thatched roof around these parts of France.

But this bear got to stay here for a little more than a week (with his unparents naturally) and I'm here to tell you that there was so much more to this home once you got past the gates into the backyard and through the storybook doors.

There was Charm at every ancient wood beam and through every leaded window. It was almost as if Goldilocks would show up at anytime. She would have found this baby bear eating, sitting and sleeping away the days - unless he was out investigating the nearby towns and ocean scenes - of which you will see plenty in the next blogs!!

Night night, Bears everywhere.

Market Day in Belzat - and Church in Royat

2009-10-07T21:30:00.008-04:00

Saturdays in Europe aren't complete without a visit to the local market. And naturally that means an investigation of the town as well. This particular day was spent in Belzat, France near Clermont-Ferrand. Very pretty.

And Sundays are more complete if they're spent worshiping with fellow believers! Naturally it's helpful for us to find a service in English - like this one in Royat but we didn't expect to find people in the congregation who spoke 'Southern'!

Unfortunately, Marijke lost battery power on her camera at that hour; she would have loved to have gotten a picture of me with the Greer folk we met. They had just moved to France (with Michelin, of course) and seemed to be settling in nicely with the local church and community. I wonder how they translate 'y'all' into french?

Don't you just love it when God gives you surprises? - Teddy

Visiting Beautiful Sites is Funner with Friends

2009-10-05T07:57:00.011-04:00

With all that Christian had to do before leaving for his new management assignment in Romania, it was quite the sacrifice to spend a day site-seeing and hiking with us Baker's. Lac Chambon is situated atop a volcanic moutain with a great beach and pristine waters. Although it was a warm summer day, at this altitude of 1600 meters, the breezes and shade made for a perfect setting. A vacation favorite for many, this location has a variety of venues such as castles, climbing & hiking, kids' playgrounds, boating and fishing. All in all, the food, weather and company made for an absolutely perfect day. Thank you so much, Falconet's.

A couple of pictures deserve a little explanation, though. Like the self-cleaning porta-potty - an engineering marvel. And what look like strings or something are actually bungy-type cords for kids to play on. Then there were the following shots of a huge open-air sculpture project. With Marijke's love of stitching, we had to investigate this huge star made with 'yarn' and big 'bobbins' as in lacemaking. It nearly ended in a catastrophe when I got lost, though; thankfully some other tourists found me! I guess you could say I got kind of tangled up in the moment.

Here you see us walking back towards the restaurant where we had just eaten.
I LOVE happy endings! - Teddy.

Yeh - the Falconet's were in Town!

2009-10-01T07:38:00.006-04:00

Christian and Anne were such good friends when they lived next door to us in Greer many years ago. And they still are! All the Baker kids will notice by these pictures, that they haven't changed much, either. Well, the adults didn't! Michael and Delphine have grown up into such fine young people - and it was fun to hear Delphine's voice over Skype while we were there, too.

Yes, it was fun being with this great family again in their comfortable home. And, as always, we loved the view of the city of Clermont Ferrand a LOT. Ken and Christian like thinking about projects that could get done together - they were actually plotting one for the next visit, I think.

One thing's for sure, if the Falconet's didn't meet me before this trip, they won't easily forget me now - especially after we hiked around that mountain lake together and I nearly got lost again (see next blog)!

Love, Teddy

Between Towns and Cathedrals

2009-09-29T22:17:00.008-04:00

K, M and I always enjoy travelling in Europe. We like to spy on interesting cities along the way. One time we found this fruit just falling off the trees at a rest stop. Often we meet interesting people like Nigel and Audrey from England. Cathedrals like this one in Reims are worth more than just a passing glance, though.

It seems that there wasn't a castle or cathedral in all our travels that didn't have some sort of renovation being done to it. Makes for trickier pictures, that's for sure.

One thing's for sure, though, there was always a stitching project going on 'cause I can do that with my eyes on the road. (No, I don't drive at the same time.) These colors were being worked up into some Birthday Blocks which will be kept at Oma's house. That way she'll have a grandchild's initial and his or her birthdate right there to help her keep them all straight! Imagine! Six girls within 2-1/2 years. Five boys within 3-1/2!! Won't they have fun - and won't Oma and Pops get mixed up!!

'til next blog - Teddy Ricardo

Reminders of Home Again

2009-09-29T22:11:00.002-04:00

As a diversion, here's a picture of a kid we saw that could be Will younger or Red older. What does everyone think? You can't tell how rambunctious he was by this shot, though - that was where the true similarity lay.

Fleury - Sight of Another Sad War Memory

2009-09-26T16:05:00.001-04:00

Ken, Marijke and I didn't spend a long time here but were glad we did. Picnicing where houses and shops used to stand really makes one reflective!

Verdun - Historical Stop for Sure

2009-09-26T15:23:00.007-04:00

Remember Joan Baez' song: "Where Have all the Flowers Gone?"

This is a beautiful city but the reality of it all made it a difficult place to visit.

Florentine in Groningan?

2009-09-21T07:11:00.008-04:00

Yes, Marijke's dear cousin moved with her growing family to a town way 'up north' of Holland. Visiting was such a delight. Not only did we get to see how much more 'room to grow' there was for the babes and adults but we were treated to a great cycling trip around town as well as both lunch AND dinner. Thanks so much, Guys - we'll tell everyone to come see you, if you like! It's not THAT far, after all!

Annecato with her daddy, Thibaut.

The boys sharing the plane that Tante Magda sent with us.

Quirijn is a very patient 5 year old.

Happy Jippe just before getting stung by a dinner bee...

Can you find me in these two pictures? I like to do this 'Where's Waldo' thing, in case you hadn't noticed - Teddy.

P.S. It's already September and I AM back in the USofA! If it's OK with y'all, though, I'll keep on bloggin' 'til I'm through...

Eerde Again - This Time Our Friends Were Home!

2009-08-30T12:45:00.006-04:00

When Thomas came with us to Eerde (the place where Ken's father was in the war), our friends weren't at home. So Ken & Marijke decided to try again. Not only were Benny and Clasien there but they had us over for tea and delicious cake. Thomas would have liked to admire the garden with us and the owl that lives in the chicken coup.

In addition, we saw that a lot of progress had been made on the windmill since we were there a couple of months ago!

Just for fun, Benny got out the tandem bike so that we could try it out with him. It's not as easy as it looks!

I almost bit the dust that day! - TR

Cars, Buildings and Funny Things in Maastricht

2009-08-30T12:20:00.008-04:00

I love that Marijke takes pictures of cars for the grandboys. These two are VERY expensive, I'm told. What do I know anyway?

Every city has its own stamp of brick and mortar and Maastricht is no exception. The train station is quite a standout for sure, though.

A couple of shops were quite humorous to us visiting Americans.

And then there was the ice cream stop! I don't think I can get this ice cream flavor in the States, can I?! - Yum, Teddy

Other Ollie-Look-a-Likes

2009-08-30T12:17:00.001-04:00

What do you think of these funny pictures that we spotted in the market at Valkenswaard? I wish I'd known the Baker family dog, Ollie. He was a bit before my time, unfortunately but I would have loved him, I bet - Ted

A Combination Bell/Nature Museum

2009-08-30T10:40:00.006-04:00

I've known about this bell museum for quite some time. Marijke's mother visited it years ago and sent her a postcard that she's used as a bookmark all this time. So, when Tante Magda suggested we drive there one day, I was very excited.

TM got to try out handbells for the first time here - it's a rare thing in Holland to find a bell choir. There's one affiliated with the museum (3 octaves) and only one or two others in the whole country. One lit-up map shows where all the church or town steeple bells are located.

What we didn't expect is to find a nature museum at the same time! (And a delightful bar where we took two breaks - for coffee first and then lunch!) Thanks SO much, TM - I LOVED the gardens and playing the foot-bells, too after a little demonstration. - Teddy

Bus and Bike Trips to Eindhoven 'Two Last Times'

2009-08-30T00:51:00.015-04:00

Getting to Eindhoven for a couple last looks around and some shopping was fun - by bus one time. Ken was a little offended that some young people gave up their seat for him, though. (Note the fabric on this chair?)

Check out this construction site and the wrapped up escalators ready to be installed.

Marijke never lets a church go by without a photo - here's a protestant one ...

as well as a catholic one that really got hit in the war. What a renovation job this was!

We got to see some great architecture as well as the market, some American paraphanalia and a swell merry-go-round.

We really came to see the Phillips museum, though. This town is light-bulb crazy, as anyone can tell after just a quick look around.

My favorite method of transportation is still bicycle - especially with Tante Magda. You see so much more - like swimming dogs. It's really surprising how many open spaces there are between her house and the center of town! Love, Teddy

P.S. We rode back from Eindhoven via Waalre. One of Ken's favorite places.

And, of course, there is a quaint church in this town, too:

Dordrecht, Holland - What a Place!

2009-08-30T00:05:00.010-04:00

I couldn't believe it when they told me we'd be going on another ferry boat - with the bicycles no less. Sweet...

I didn't even get bear sick, either.

Marijke just loves it when there's lots of water scenes for her pictures. That's maybe one of the reasons she loved this place so much?

Here are a bunch of photos of just adorable buildings...

Can you tell how much we loved this place? It was hard to put the camera down - check out the crazy angles of some of these houses - looks dangerous to walk below, doesn't it!? (Better for lifting furniture in and out of the upstairs windows.)
We were treated to singers and artists and crowds in the town center...

Here's Pops on one of the bikes that we brought on the boat from R'dam - mostly we parked them and walked, though. Here's the parking place:

How about this, eh? One of the painters was named Baker! Don't you love how small this world is? - Teddy

Some Last Shots of Rotterdam - from the Water~

2009-08-30T00:00:00.002-04:00

I couldn't resist posting these shots which were taken from the ferry boat to Dordrecht, Holland. Yes, we loved Rotterdam - Teddy

The Fabulous Chinese Dinner - in Stutgart!

2009-08-18T02:18:00.005-04:00

What a great finale to an even greater weekend! Good food with good friends - and an enlightening tour of the town at sunset. This place has a lot to offer!! YUMMY.

Like I always say, though, "People are far more important than Places!" You can quote me on that - Teddy

Visiting a Memorial for Kings

2009-08-18T01:53:00.006-04:00

My beary fuzzy brain isn't good at remembering names of castles and mausoleums, etc. Good thing I can keep up with all the friends in my life, eh?

Let me just tell you that there's a spot above Stutgart from which one has the most beautiful views - of the city itself and the Mercedes complex and vineyards galore.

By the way, Marijke loves how well her 6-year-old digital camera can zoom in. She sure hopes it keeps on clicking until we get home, though. She blew up one battery charger and made the new replacement one smoke and smell by putting the batteries in upside down. Plus the battery cover doesn't close properly 'cause some little clasp broke. (I'd love to take a picture of it for you but can't - know why? - DUH!)

Anyway, David got to enjoy this day with us!! He's such a good sport, isn't he? Maybe it was the lure of dinner in town that really made up his mind for him? That'll do it for me almost every time! - Teddy

P.S. In this shot I think the guys were trying to locate the Chinese restaurant.

Fairy Tale Park next to Amazing Castle

2009-08-18T01:31:00.007-04:00

Don't you know Marijke and Ken were wishing their grandbabies could have been with us as we spent time with our dear friends in this real-live-castle setting! Even the train would have given them a thrill; it's like no other I've ever seen before. You straddle the seats.

Little Red Riding Hood (and the wolf) and Aladin were there as well as Rapunzel's tower and Snow White's magic mirror and Hansel and Gretel's witch.

I particularly liked the boat ride with these two loving sisters. They were very careful that I didn't get wet! Don't the men look rather over-sized, though?

We loved spending time with this great family but could understand that big brother had 'other stuff' to do on this castle day. Maybe next time, David?

Lovin' it - Teddy

This one's out of order: Pilgrims in Leiden?

2009-08-13T02:18:00.006-04:00

Yes, the Pilgrims of old left England because of religious persecution and settled for 11 or so years in Leiden, Holland before their memorable crossing to the New World. It was fun imagining them here eating, sleeping and worshipping.

We also met some new friends - from California and Holland. Life is fun - Teddy

Friends are Foremost in Stuttgart, too

2009-08-13T02:06:00.004-04:00

Though we love traveling around and seeing the sights at every turn of the road, the people we spend time with are always the favorite part of our memories. I didn't know these dear friends when they lived in Greenville, but Oma and Pops sure do remember Beate and Edwin. They found David, Jasmine and Madeline even more grown up than when they saw them 4 years ago, too.

We got to watch tennis, eat on the gorgeous patio and generally relax - between visits to castles and fairy tale parks...

Leiden - Say No More!

2009-08-11T02:02:00.005-04:00

Norma Taylor (see previous post) was sweet enough to have the three of us into her VERY old home in Leiden for a visit. We enjoyed seeing the original beams from the 1300's and the canal just outside her windows. Then she took us around town a bit. She left us at the Pilgrim's museum which was such a thrill - see next post - but not before showing us another church in which they worshipped before leaving Leiden for the new world all those many years ago!

Guess what! This is the town where Marijke's mother and her family lived just after the war - right on this very same canal (or street actually)! An extra thrill for Ken and her, of course. I was a little too worried about falling in! - Teddy

Church in Rotterdam

2009-08-11T01:46:00.008-04:00

I don't think I mentioned yet that Ken, Marijke and I attended church in Rotterdam - twice actually. It is called the Scots International Church and the services are in English. We loved that there are so many children and warm adults. After all, it's not the building but the people that make the church. (The photograph below shows the church before it was destroyed by a bomb during the war.)

We're already looking forward to worshipping here again - the next time we're in Holland, that is!

By the way, this next picture is of the pastor, Robert Calvert with Norma Taylor, one of many extremely hospitable parishioners. These two happen to be from Scotland! Good thing I can understand ANY accent now! Love, Teddy

lia sophia anyone?

2009-08-10T04:48:00.003-04:00

As many of you already know, Marijke enjoyed a fantastic year of selling lia sophia jewelry before leaving on this practice-retirement trip with hubby, Ken. She'd kind of like to continue with this little job when she returns the end of this month (YEH!) for several reasons.

A) She gets to look 'put-together' as she wears her hi-quality bling.

B) She gets to shower her friends and 'customers' with free jewels.

C) It provides a little income in order to buy things like skin care products.

Yes, Ken doesn't mind footing the bill for her necessities but he might object when she decides to buy replacement earrings for the ones she has lost. (I'm wearing the remaining earrings in this picture - too SAD)

Anyway, I'm putting out the word that YES, she is still in business - thanks to a few REALLY good friends that purchased jewelry last month - and YES, she's putting in a show this month - from Europe again. WHY?

A) Because she knows a lot of her friends and family will like to be the first with jewelry from the new catalog. You'll have to check it out online, of course, but it's REALLY easy to see the pieces... Either go to www.liasophia.com or try this link please:

http://www.liasophia.com/sites/corporate/page-catalog?CatID=41&TotalPages=69&PageNum=1

B) It helps her daughter, Erika reach her goals out there in Colorado and

C) Because the prices couldn't be better this month!!

It's: Buy 4 items and get the top two, most expensive things at half price!

ONE MORE THING! Being the beary nice bear that I am, I'm going to sweeten the pot for those who participates in this month's party (with an order of at least 4 pieces): I'll give that gal an extra $15.00 off retail!! How's that for honey from the hive?

Looking forward to getting some real live bear hugs when I get back home - and thanks ahead of time for your order (M's email address follows) - you won't be sorry!

marijkenliasophia@gmail.com

Love always, Teddy Ricardo

Forcheim - Another Delightful Spot

2009-08-08T16:35:00.005-04:00

The little place of Forcheim is quite close to Bamberg and has some interesting attractions. The little houses you see on the river here were used by the fishermen of old.

This was the other side of the river.

Besides some beautiful architecture again, we got to see an in-town stork! Sometimes I wish I had wings instead of fur! - Teddy

Did we Say: "Obertrubach"?

2009-08-08T16:09:00.007-04:00

Yes, there really is a town by this name - and there's an Untertrubach, too. Plus a Wolfberg nearby. Fantastic places to walk - all from our lovely B&B. Who knows? We might return here for longer next time - and import some grandkids for some fun memories together!

Oma always says how much sweeter it would be to hang out with some little ones now and then!

Maybe the kids could help me find more of these snails. I heard they're edible - for humans anyway! Maybe with a little honey on them? - Teddy

Shopping in Nuremburg

2009-08-08T14:39:00.005-04:00

Another sweet place to visit was Nuremburg. We enjoyed a meal here but also some shopping (when you wear the same clothes over and over again for several months, you can bearly stand yourself)! It started raining really hard at the end of this day but we made it back to the parking garage just in time. And fortunately the drive back to Obertrubach was not too long.

Grafenburg Without the Crowds

2009-08-08T14:37:00.004-04:00

Going into this village was an entirely different experience when all the costumed merry-makers were gone. It was a good place to get a meal (or two - one Greek and one Italian) and an even better place to take a walk around. The locals were so friendly and didn't mind trying to speak English for us Bear-Heads. -T

Bamberg - Well Worth Another Visit

2009-08-08T14:34:00.007-04:00

Most of the towns in Europe have a market day or two - thrilling!

We couldn't get enough of this sweet town - one of the oldest we've ever seen! The oldest shop in town is from the 1300's (see above) but you can tell that there's plenty of other ancient history here! This town was not bombed in the war and to that we can only say: Hallelujah! - T

Gossweinstein - complete with Cathedral, too

2009-08-08T14:32:00.005-04:00

We actually discovered this quaint town on the 38th anniversary of the day Ken & Marijke met! That called for a nice meal. I even had edible flowers on my plate - now that's fancy!

As I already said, the castle turned out to be intriguing enough to visit and sketch but you might have noticed the town church in the earlier pictures - what you might call an added attraction.- TR

Gossweinstein - Complete with Castle

2009-08-08T14:29:00.007-04:00

Ken (and Marijke) took me up the side of this huge hill so that he could sketch the castle below. It gave me weak knees. Going inside the same castle was not as scary and was worth seeing; you could of course see where the painter had been sitting over on the other side of the valley - complete with mountain cat!

This was the view we admired (and Ken later painted - the cat could have cared less!)

Grafenburg - Scene of a Medeival Carnival and Parade

2009-08-08T14:28:00.008-04:00

First you see the firemen keeping order and the participants gathering before the parade. Then you see the actual parade followed by some of the artisans showing their medeival wares.

This festival only happens once every five years, apparently. And we didn't even know it was coming! We're not always this lucky, that's for sure.

We WERE lucky not to be in the path of this nervous horse, though, I'd say.

'Til Later - Ted

'Frankonian Switzerland' was GREAT

2009-08-08T14:21:00.006-04:00

I don't remember if I mentioned how relaxing it was to spend two whole weeks in one place in Germany (together with my unparents, Ken and Marijke). The room was sweet, the breakfasts were wonderful, the people were friendly and the sight-seeing was spectacular. I could bearly stand it and words can't describe most of the surrounding areas so, let me just post a series of blogs of just pictures - in smaller format so you won't be overwhelmed. After that, I've got some fun things to share from Holland again. I DO get around, don't I? - Love, Teddy Ricardo

P.S. These are shots taken around our bed and breakfast in Obertrubach. We can't thank you enough, Ule for your patience with us - your English was getting really good by the time we left, I must say!

Number ELEVEN?

2009-08-05T02:46:00.003-04:00

Speaking of Thomas' brothers, here's a small picture of himself with three of them. Todd was missing when this shot was taken. BUT, he's the star of this blog entry 'cause he and Schelyn are going to have a BABY in January!

Won't these two little siblings be excited! Number 3 for them and number 11 for Oma and Pops. Oh my! I think I'll be going into hiding sometimes - Teddy.

Two Very Close Girl Cousins

2009-08-05T02:00:00.006-04:00

Nine days difference - WOW! You'll need each other, Girls to stand up to the other 8 cousins who're waiting to get their hands on you!

Oma, Pops and I can BEARly wait to get our hugs in as well - less than a month from now!!

All our love, Teddy

P.S. For anyone who'd like to know, Thomas now has 5 gorgeous neices ages 2, 2, 1, 0 and 0 and four nephews ages 5, 3, 3, 2 and 1 (for now!) How God has blessed this family, eh? If you click on the following picture, you'll be able to see his four wonderful brother-in-laws! All this wouldn't have been possible without their influences! Thanks for always being there, Bryan, Todd, Will and Reid!

P.P.S. Dot and Ray, the Baker kids' adopted grandparents could hardly contain themselves at this recent gathering in our absence! We sure did miss a PARTY, didn't we? - TR

Pictures of our newest Little Miss

2009-08-05T01:44:00.007-04:00

When you have a baby by C-section, some things go a lot smoother. In Nancy and Reid's case this time, the hospital had them scheduled for 8:00 in the morning (July 30th) but the beds were so full with other mothers that they were told to go home for a few hours. With the other two kids taken care of at the farm (thanks, Nana and Papa), the expectant parents went home to watch a movie and have a nap. THEN it was time to meet their new daughter (I think she arrived a little around 1:00?) Clementine Danielle, you are beautiful (and your daddy's kind of cute here, too).

Naturally Olice and Georgia were very excited to meet their sister, as well - thanks again, Nana and Papa - I know Nancy will be so greatful for your help as she recovers, too - that's one of the downsides of her delivery.

Oma wishes she could help out more, too. But she'll be making up for lost time soon. All our love and bear hugs - Teddy (for O&P, too)

She's Arrived!

2009-07-31T02:02:00.002-04:00

No pictures yet but I think it's safe to announce the name of our latest granddaughter. Sweet little Clementine Danielle has arrived safe and sound to Nancy and Reid; I'm sure her older brother and sister are going to love her. She's a little heavier and a little shorter than her next oldest cousin (remember June Evelien) so it will be fun to see them grow up. It would have to be so much fun to have a cousin only 9 days older (or younger) than oneself!

More later - Teddy (we're on the road today to see where the Pilgrims lived and worshipped before they headed for the New Land)

Serious 'Profession' Possibly?

2009-07-24T09:50:00.005-04:00

As I already warned my 'readers', I'm going to do some bragging here. There's nothing that does this bear-heart more good than to see someone using their gifts. In this case, Ken is showing that he REALLY enjoys wiggling the paint brushes around - he's been doing it in less than what he would normally think were 'ideal' conditions, too. No classical background music, for instance. Just his tools, a bottle of wine and the occasional cigar! Cool, eh?

What a sweet way to remember a fantastic holiday - Ken's trying to have one work done for each country we've stopped in. Above is Prague - like it? I keep telling him that he can sell these pieces - I'll sit by the road for him with a little sandwich-board sign saying: "Will Paint for Food!"

By the way, if any of the steeples, etc. look a little crooked, they're actually not. You can blame it on the photographer (I might have had a swig or two myself!) - TR

Forgot to Post Something: Art in a Castle!

2009-07-24T09:17:00.007-04:00

When K, M and I were passing through Clermont Ferrand, we stopped in at Chateaugay on the off-chance that we'd see our dear friends, Ann and Christian. They weren't home then (we'll get to see them in a couple of weeks) but we happened upon an art show in the castle which was a delightful surprise.

Next I'll post some of the latest pieces that Ken has been working on. His watercolor techniques are really getting good - maybe when we get back home he'll have to have his own showing! We might not find a castle quite THIS old, though (13th century, I think.)

To put things in the proper timeline for you, after this we stayed with Igor and Claudine and had coffee/drinks with the D'Herouville's! That seems like such a long time ago! But looking at the pictures brings the happy memories back immediately! - TR

P.S. A & C are between China and Romania so we feel fortunate to see them for a couple of days. Ken wants to help with a construction project - these two guys really work so well together! And the girls will laugh and remember square dancing lessons in Greenville! I hope they don't throw me in a bag somewhere and forget about me in all the excitement!

Haircut - on a Sunday, no less!

2009-07-24T09:03:00.005-04:00

Could you imagine getting a haircut, at home, on a Sunday morning - and still making it to church on time?

It sounds impossible, doesn't it! And at home we'd never try it but since we were going to an afternoon English-speaking service, we figured we had plenty of time.

As it turned out, with construction on the freeway and the center of town blocked off for a festival, it took us almost FOUR hours to get to the right side of Munich. Needless to say, we didn't get to see too much of the city. Next time for sure! At least we had a nice dinner before we left - and didn't mind getting to bed super late (we sleep in a lot over here!)

We're so glad we went; and it turns out that Steve Henderson, the pastor, knows a lot of people from Greenville, SC!!

He sends his regards to Bitsy Counts, for one!

Lovin' Life, Teddy

Words from a Three-Year Old

2009-07-24T03:43:00.002-04:00

A quote from one of K&M's kids:

"Jack Greer keeps asking where ya'll are. The answer 'Europe' is really not very satisfying for him. We talked a little today about your traveling companion, Teddy Ricardo, which he was fascinated by. He asked if Teddy could drive? Or talk? Or walk like Elloree Grace? I told him that he could write and that he was always carried around in Oma's bag."

That just about makes me want to jump into Oma's carry-on bag and book it to the airport! I'm sad to be missing so much on the home front! But the time is going by quickly now. Won't be long until the heat of summer subsides in Greenville.. - TR

Having to Beg, Borrow and Steal Pictures!

2009-07-22T13:50:00.002-04:00

Some shots of Danielle and Will with their new little darling, June Evelien. She was born yesterday, July 21st at 9:02 AM. She was 7 lbs. 4 oz. and 20 3/4 inches long. She has a head of dark hair (more than her 22 month brother, in fact) and doesn't seem to notice that her Oma and Pops haven't been to see her yet. We're sure you'll be well loved until we return to Greenville, little one. - Teddy et al

Danielle's Baby is HERE!

2009-07-21T14:25:00.003-04:00

No pics or other information but we're all excited, as you can imagine - TR

P.S. Everyone is well which is the main thing, isn't it!!

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

2009-07-21T04:28:00.004-04:00

To get to our bed & breakfast, of course!

This place we're staying at is so peaceful. Right in the heart of Frankonian Switzerland, as it's called, Ken & Marijke have settled in for a couple of sweet weeks. Being so relaxed has meant efforts have been directed to painting, writing and stitching in a big way.

Olice and his cousins will appreciate these chicken shots and might even be able to tell us if any of these birds are 'Rhode Island Reds'.

Across the street are a lot of goats as well (kids can buy food and feed it to them); and this neighbor calls his cat home like a dog. The grands would love this place. I'll post more pics of the view from the room as well as the surrounding towns, etc.

But first there'll be an important blog coming: Baby J Gibbs is scheduled to arrive in a few short hours!!

She's one of the main reasons we all wanted to stay put for so long - so that the Greenville crowd could get a hold of us easily. Can't wait to meet you, little girl! It's just a shame that it can't be in person yet...

Big Bear Hug, Teddy (with all possible love from Oma and Pops, too)

Day 5 - Vienna, Austria

2009-07-20T11:22:00.008-04:00

First stop in Vienna was a visit to this crazy part of town. I forget the artist who created such cool buildings but it was a place I could have stayed all day!! Someone please help the bear if you know who this guy was or is! I'm getting beary hair-brained.

Next on the tour was - what else - a castle! One of many in this town. Bit too many rooms for K&M to clean on their own, though - and they'd need a few good gardeners, too.

Front view

half of back

other half of back.

Obviously there were the usual exquisite buildings, doorways and statues (see below) but the fact that the Vienna Boys' Choir still practice behind this door gave me quite a thrill. The whole church is now covered up by 'rooms' that have been created over the years by new generations of the Royals.

The sculptor who created this work of art was amazing - all the weight rests on the horse's two back legs.

Let's face it, I've got to go back to Vienna! I don't even remember this queen's name - just the fact that she had 16 kids. That's one good way to get immortalized, I guess.
See you in a few - Teddy (I've got to go cut Marijke's hair!)

Day 4 - Bratislava Here We Come

2009-07-20T05:30:00.018-04:00

The castle was quite interesting and provided nice views, etc. - see the windmills in the distance?

As you can tell, Bratislava has a wealth of great architecture and interesting doorways & steeples, etc. I couldn't get enough shots before the bus came to get us!

Here's our guide for the town - she gave us English translations as often as she could! That made the town come even more alive. And she was sweet enough to take a picture of the group (though she cut off a few at each end, I think!)

Here's Napolean and here's one of the canon balls that he left in the town. He doesn't look like such a bad guy, does he!

Sometimes I've been accused of being a little bit like the Paparazzi - the name of this restaurant. Don't you love these statues? Someone has a great sense of humor in this town.

All this heat (34 degrees celcius) led to quite a downpour late in the day. K & M were glad to find shelter in a little cafe where they met a Czech girl just dying to practice her English! Bring your Teddy and come see us, Barbara.

Mozart lived in this town for a year and Franz Litz is remembered, too. (Did I hear correctly that he died here?)

This last photo sure did make us realize how far we were from home! As Rolf liked to sing, in his strong German accent: "it's a long way to Tipperary, it's a long way to go..." Love, TR

Day 3 - Castles in Three Towns!

2009-07-17T04:52:00.016-04:00

Just 'hanging out' for a moment along the path.

Can you see me in Marjke's bag?

Our first stop of the day was to the palace-castle in Lednice. Rolf, Christa, Ken, Marijke and I first took a beautiful walk to the 50 meter hight Minoret which afforded fantastic views. On our way there and back, we ran into Kirsten and Traude and a stork - and lots of different vegetation. There was just enough time before the bus left to check out the conservatory - it was HUGE and the columns were made to give the appearance of a tropical paradise. It worked!

Even without the walk and the 300 steps of the Minoret, there was SO much to see around the grounds of this magnificent place! It was hard to leave for our second stop - Mikulov:

Here are Christa and Rolf at a great heigth, not acting their ages again.
Next stop was Valtice, a sweet castle with actors doing their bit to set the mood for us tourists. You can tell Ken and Marijke wanted to be part of the act, though.

By the end of the day, our whole bus entourage pretty much decided that three castles in a day was a LOT to take in. Our poor feet - but, more importantly for me, I could bearly keep the pictures straight after downloading them. Like the one of me with this gigantic bell. Guess it doesn't really matter where it was, right? It's definitely a Beary good shot. Love, TR

Day 2 - Cave and town of Brno

2009-07-17T04:34:00.007-04:00

As I mentioned earlier, K,M and I got to go on a cable car with our group! We had to go way down in order to be close to the entrance of the cave. Only Marijke went inside, though; she was glad that Christa had lent her a coat and scarf - it was pretty cold down under the ground. Here are pictures, too, of some of our bus companions and our young non-English-speaking tour guide, too.

Next on the agenda was a vist to the town of Brno (don't ask how to pronounce it!) There was some awesome architecure to admire for sure.

Naturally I've included a photo of the train station as seen from the top of the church steeple - and Ken wanted me to take a shot of the in-town nuclear reactor, too. Comforting for the residents, eh? - Teddy
.

Town of Breclav Itself

2009-07-16T05:13:00.011-04:00

In strolling around the town during free time, it was plain to see why the price was so reasonable for the hotel. The shopping area certainly was dated and it was obvious that we were in a time warp of sorts. Check out the novel way of selling coffee in the streets.

As far as attractions, the town is home to an ancient jewish synagogue which is used for concerts and things. We never did find the cemetary, however.

There were a few other buildings to admire, as well as a super old truck, a couple of construction sites either in the process or at a standstill, and a curious piece of art.

The town's 'main attraction' is its castle which dates back to the 11th century. It was part of the Lichtenstein family's estate and was rebuilt several times after fires and other catastrophes threatened to destroy it. It obviously needs a lot more work (which seems to be underway) but it looks better at night than during the day. I hope I look that good when I get to be that age, though.

The castle had a wine cellar down below. That was worth investigating one night - with our new friends, despite the language restrictions.
(P.S. I didn't overdue it but I did have a hard time getting up the next day.)
Hiccup - Teddy

We had to move inside because of the mosquitos. In these pictures are Rolf, Christa, Traude, Ken & Marijke and Kirsten.

Hotel in town of Breclav

2009-07-16T05:00:00.004-04:00

Yes, the hotel where we stayed with our fellow bus travellers was quite a nice surprise. We got to stay here 5 nights, and had 5 dinners & breakfasts, too. It was so nice not to have to pack and repack each day, and it was even nicer to be able to throw open the windows and enjoy the natural air conditioning.

Ours was the second window from the left.

Here's the hotel as seen from across the river (where we liked to take evening walks); notice the fisherman? Next I'll show you some of the sites of the town, though it wasn't a New York City, that's for sure! - TR

Unexpected Bus Trip

2009-07-16T04:28:00.005-04:00

Just when I was beginning to think life was getting a little predictable, K&M booked tickets for a bus trip. They had gone back to Leipzig to stay in our friends' house for a while and decided it might be fun to relax by letting someone else do the driving for a few days. Never having been on a holiday like this (they're far too young, of course) and never having been to Austria (Vienna), it seemed like a great experiment. The trip was going to include places in the Czech and Slovakia Republics, too. Why not?

We were provided with a little snack bag for the first leg of the voyage (bus departed at 8:00 AM, I believe).

Here's the back entrance to the bus showing the bathroom on the right.

Here's me waiting my turn.

There were two bus drivers so that when one was behind the wheel, the other could fix coffee and serve it (opposite the aforementioned bathroom). There were even German 'hot dogs' on board which were heated and served at a rest stop halfway!

Turns out there were a LOT of pluses - including the magnificent price and the great hotel with breakfast and suppers - but it was also crazy at times. All tours were in German, of course, and we only had one fellow passenger who could speak English. Imagine trying to figure out where we were going each day and what time to be back to the bus, etc. We certainly were thankful for Rolf and his wife, Christa!
These two certainly didn't look or act their age at ALL, I might add. He's going to be 87 on Sept. 1st and she's all of 78 years old. Amazing examples for ol' K&M!

Oh, we did 'chat' with a couple of other folk by the end of the week (or should I say we did a lot of sign language?) but Traude invited us to her flat a few days after our return - for coffee and cake. It's always so nice to see where someone lives, isn't it?

We'd do a bus vacation again, I think - only we'd probably rather travel with more English-speaking humans and/or bears. - Teddy

Forgive me - One More Train Blog

2009-07-15T15:15:00.006-04:00

I forgot that I promised to post these pictures of a model village we saw in the train station at Leipzig, Germany. It was pretty impressive - right down to the fire truck trying to put out the house fire.

Then, on our walk, we saw another model railway scene - it was open air this time.

Guess since the five boys are oldest (from 5-1/2 to 2), they definitely appreciate these kinds of pictures more than the girls enjoy the dolly things, right (they're ages 2, 2, 1, 0 and 0!)

Wait for it - soon I'll get to announce the arrivals of Baby J and C - sure wish I could give them big BEAR hugs, though, before September - Love, Teddy (again).

Mostly for the Girls Now!

2009-07-15T15:01:00.007-04:00

Because she's almost got an equal number of grandsons and granddaughters, Oma Marijke doesn't just look for trains and boy stuff to post for me. There have been so many doll houses and girly things. These are just a few.

She's always looking at puppets, too 'cause she has a plan to make a puppet table when she gets back to South Carolina. Maybe I'll get to blog those pictures before year's end, who knows.

Cute kids are always worth a picture - as were these bathroom symbols. (She plans to use this in a future Christmas card, I think.)

Can you tell that we all miss you guys terribly? It's especially hard after we get to Skype with you like the other day. I still can't believe ALL of you were together including Dot and Ray. Can't wait to see the pictures on YOUR blogs - Love you lots, Teddy (and Ken and Marijke)