Happy Halloween

Ben, Amelia, and Brian all had fun dressing up for Halloween. Brian was a lion and although it was pretty warm he kept the costume on. (He does resemble and Ewok doesn't he?) And doesn't the hat look like Mom's fur hat from the 70s?

Amelia dressed up as Tiger Lily, the Native American princess from Peter Pan. Most people thought she was Pocohantas which she didn't like too much, but eventually she got used to it.

Happy Halloween

Since Ben is in to NASCAR this year he chose a Jeff Gordon costume. One house didn't want to give him a treat because he didn't like Jeff Gordon. Ben didn't care but the guy felt bad and called him back.

Fun on the Fundy Coast w/ Fonses

Sunday, August 24

Left Annapolis Sunday morning with an uneventful trip to River Edge for lunch. Fairly long ride to Boston. Spent the evening with Lisa and Mark and new baby Erin (9 mos. already). They live in a nice Victorian home in Stoneham soon to be relocated to Littleton, MA.

Monday, August 25

Onto Freeport, Me and the mandatory stop at LL Bean for 3 floors of shopping and looking. Freeport is LL Bean. They have outlets all over town. Also made a stop in Yarmouth, ME for a quilt shop. Only one found on the whole trip. Continued onto Canada the rest of the day. Very pretty from Bangor to St. Stephen. Stopped at visitors center in St. Stephen and the lady there was very helpful. Loads of info and maps. Nice ride to Back Bay. Stopped for groceries in St. Stephen for our supper at the cottage.

Tuesday, August 26

Off to St. Andrew's Kingsbrae Garden in the morning. ( Had bangers and eggs for breakfast). The gardens were delightful as the season is in full bloom. Cool wet weather accounts for the lasting flowers. Saw a "Wallenie Pine" Australian ancient, only one in North America. Afternoon was spent shopping. Found a pair of Crocs in just the color I wanted. Paid an arm and a leg, but they are nice and comfortable. Signed up for a whale watching tour at 5:30pm. The boat was very wide and stable so sightseeing proved worthwhile. Saw porpoises and finback whales. One blew very near us. We could hear the breathing before we saw the back.

Wednesday, August 27

Off to St. John and did a volksmarch there. Great way to see the town. Dad had a large

Vermont

Route 17 seems to be our nemisis! Last year our goal was Route 17 and beyond-too ambitous. We didn't make it because of weather and slope. This year the same but we have met the Rubicon albiet through a circuitous route-down the Mad River Glen fern slopes and then via van from the south-at least for Dad.

This year saw us all (maybe not Ted?) in better shape and training as needed given the initial ascent up Mt. Abraham on Thursday from Lincoln Gap of around 2200 feet. Not a ferocious climb but one that requires mental stead and strong calves. The much lightened packs made it all much easier as we have learned to pack less food, clothing, hammoks, the entire cloth bound works of Lord Tennyson, etc... The peak of Mt. Abraham offers one of the top panoramic views of New England, and a fatal landing strip, but unfortunately we were fogged in at the top and missed the view. After the ascent the trail meandered along the ridge until we made it to Glen Ellen shelter which is actually off the trail around 3/10ths of a mile down a treacherous wet rocky path that requires a ladder at points. The shelter was primitive but sturdy and allowed us each our own bunk with Gandolf (our shelter mate) the non-eater and marathon bat like sleeper-they sleep 20 hours a day, he seemingly 15-suffered the night of snooring from the entire Fons clan. The morning saw Gandolf off early, whom we soon overtook at Mad River Glen, and us in good spirits as we set off for a light day of marching of around 6 miles. Fate dealt us a lucky(?) hand however as we decided to descend the mountain not on the trail but STRAIGHT down the ski slope to avoid the rocky and wet trail. I say lucky because as reached the road the heavens let loose a torrent of biblical magnitude that ended our hope of reaching our next shelter.

The entire trip only yielded 12.1 miles on our quest to finish the Long Trail but once again yielded much family bonding and bowl movements only found at certain altitudes of the Green Mountains.

Home

I don't want to sound Europhilic here but as I arrived in Chicago two things happened that reminded me of the home of the brave. I got to Chicago at around 6:30 PM on Thursday and my train for Milwaukee at Union Station left at 8:25, easily enough time a traveler would assume. Quickly I moved through customs and got my bag immediately and walked to the L by 7:15 PM. 55 minutes later I was at the Jackson street stop which is around 6 blocks to Union Station. I missed the train. Luckily I have good friends in Chicago that put me up because this, alas, was the last Amtrak train to Milwaukee. Questions Why exactly is there not a train from O'Hare to Milwaukee? Why does it take 55 minutes to get from O'Hare to downtown maybe 2 miles away? Why is there not an L stop at the central TRAIN station in downtown Chicago. The anawers are obvious in the questions, no integrated train system-destroyed by the auto/petrolio/rubber/road building complexxx. Enough said!

The second incident was classic US big city. As I was waiting for my friend Ed to pick me up at Union Station the direction scammers (usually black dudes who give tourists directions for a fee and figure the worth of the take at an opportune time) eyed me up as a target. There happened to be cops around but as they left they regrouped and made the rounds checking whether or not to make a grab for my bags. Not once in the 5 weeks of my trip did I feel unsafe once in Europe and I walked with the same outfit and load in many different locals, urban and rural/rich and poor, alike. The alienation in this place is at the surface. Too bad I work with it everyday.

A subjective ranking of Euro Tour 2006.

Most suprising on time Metro performance: Athens
Most stunning view: Delfi
Most supermodels per square block: Riga
Best bike infrastructure: Copenhagen
Most pregnant supermodels on bikes: Copenhagen
Best nation wide train system: Germany
Most confusing train schedules: Germany
Least talkative people: Estonians
Most talkative people: US History Majors
Best meal: Johanneses trout on a grill
Most overwhelming moment: the Hermitage
Sillyist moment: Belly laughing with Jeff, Theis, Dirk and Cuba Libre's in Saaremaa at the gun turret at 3 AM. Of course realed in by the war department.
Best peleton: Andernach to Niederbachem
Best danceing: Danish funk band with the Germans and the Danish supermodels
Best match/party: Germany v. Argentina in Bonn with Jouly, Sylivia and such...


Great trip.

Delfi

Awoke to very unfamiliar sounds this morning. Our hotel in Delfi overlooks one of the most spectacular valleys I have ever witnessed, the only parallel in my experience would be the high Sierra above the tree line. Not something we expected traveling only around an hour and a half out of Athens. Back to the melody, encantations, morning prayers, chior practice? As I struggled towards conciousness this morning I heard a signing style from an elderly man (?) resonating out into the valley. At first I thought is was a recording but as I listened closer it seemed to either be coming from the house up the hill from our place or the Greek Orthodox church at the top of the knoll. I presume it was Greek and in the style of the Muslim call to prayer but more melodic and it went on for at least an hour. The sound reminded me how history's imprint can not easily be erased given the Islam's retreat from the region at least 400 years ago (I am really not sure of the autonomy of the Greek Orthodox church under the Ottomans). At any rate a pleasant sound and not one easily erased from the memory tapes.

As I mentioned the setting of Delfi is undescribeable. Not only the valley itself but also the view of the Mediterranean to the west and the penninsula that once housed Sparta. Now the entire valley floor is carpeted with olive orchards which have an off green color that although the mono-culture is quite stiking.

The primary reason we came up to this region was to visit Tele and his family in their home in Levadia. The feasting of the region is renowned and along with Tele's dad's home cured olives we never have eaten so well the entire time in Greece. Tele and family are heading to Hios, Julia's childhood island home, so we had to clear out Saturday so we decided to take a bus up the way 40 kilometers or so and vist Delfi.

Again, ancient Greek history and mythology are not my strong suit but Delfi is one of the most important sites of classical Greece and the greater Mediterranean. Like the Acroplis the Greek government runs the site and a ticket system that allows you to visit the site numerous times for one price. The sites are also very non-commercial with no gift shops within a stones throw. The highlight of the site for me was the theatre which overlooks the valley with a view comparable to the Grand Canyon or Half Dome at Yosemite. I also was taken by the stadium at the base of the grand cliffs that top the site. To think of the crowds and competition at this presence made me want to know more and more about the region and events of the time. Paul actually has a digital video camera along and I think the clips from this chapter will be worth the view. I will try to create a link some how.

Two things I forgot to mention on the Delfi/Levadeia leg (I am writing this from Köln, Germany, Monday afternoon after a very shaky landing on Germanwings airline) 1). I had my first experience with what the Greeks call an Ottoman toilet. It's a whole, no seat, no railings, aim required. 2). At the Delfi museum there is the most haunting bust, I think the rest-the body was lost-I have ever seen. The artist and subject are debated but they claimed it might be this Titus cat who gave autonomy to the Greeks in Roman times. I will look for a picture and post it. A must see in person. Realistic, a cross in his left eye, pronounced Roman nose, erily human.

Today back to Athens and tommorow I am off to Cologne for a couple of days and then to Copenhagen for one day and then...sadly to the homestead in Milwaukee.

Ciao!

Greece

Arrived in Athens at 10:30 Sunday morning on July 9th and it was raining. I guess this is about as rare as Jerry Taft (local Milwaukee, fat, TV news reader) winning the New York marathon. The rain subsided in an hour and within three we were eating lunch at the base of the Acropolis and Agora sipping Greek wine and eating olives in the blistering 85 degree dry heat (we were warned by many of the unbearable heat of Athens in July-it has been the opposite-dry and breazy and cool at night).

Monday morning we decided on the major site of Athens, the Acropolis, Agora, etc... This "park" is at the center of the city overlooking the modern, but low rise-I think it is an earthquake issue-capital. A nice part of the park is that you pay the princely fee of €12 (around $14) for five tickets which allows the vistor repeat visits to the different museums and site but only once for the top of the mount which houses the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Nike. My public school prose cannot do justice to this monument to Western idolatry and experiment in male self rule but it certainly is impressive. The size-you can tell I took in the subtleties-of the shrines/Stoa themselves is awesome with a level detail in the sculptureure and friezes that I did not expect.

On the way up to the Acroplis from the southeast there are two theatres that were most impressive The Theater of Dionysos and The Odeum. Quite a site and given that up to 15,000 watched the early plays of western dramedy and satire added some gravitas.

Our tour of the Acropolis was interupted by a day by a jaunt to one of the closer islands, Aegina. Aegina was once a rival to Athens as a city state but now serves as a tourist destination for Athenians on the weekend. We ate cheap fresh fish, worshipped Rah and generally soaked in a very tranquil vacation village. It was nice to get out of the city for a day given the horrible time we have been having in Athens with its unbearable heat, high prices and smog (none of this is true, it has been just the opposite).

On Wednesday we headed back to the Agora which is part of the Acropolis park. The Agora, we thought, was just the public market place of classical Greece but we found out that this part of the site is actualy much more. As you enter there is an entirely renovated (most of the money came from JD Rockafeller and lots of Greek-Americans) stoa that houses a musem and an exhibit explaining the the rennovations of the 1930's. The site actually was occupied by housine for a few hundred years and all of the houses had to be bought out and destroyed. By the way when the new Metro was built for the Olympics around 7 years ago thousands of artifacts were found as they discovered that old wells became depositories of broken vases, pitchers, plates, etc... Needless to say this slowed the schedule down a mite. Anyhoo, The Agora was also the center of early democratic rule. The meeting places, speech'ifying and all that took place here. In other words Plato, Aristotle and other cats of this grandee style hung out here. As part of the rennovation the landscape was totally redone in what was researched as the shrubbery of the time. The time-lapse fotos of these changes were quite compelling. You should come here some day!

Last night Tele, Julia (friends of Paul from Georgia Tech-that I actually had stay in Milwaukee one night aroung 8 years ago-I told hime not to make idle invites) and their two daughters took us out to dinner at a fabulous Greek restaraunt in a park in the city. Needless to say another Bachanalian orgy!

Today off to Delphi to stay the night at Tele and Julia's.

Opa!

Bonn/Niederbachem

A little revisionism here given I have not had access to a computer in about a week. But quite a week it has been. Last Saturday I once again used Johannes bike and rode to Bonn to check out some museums and later to meet Johannes, Julia, Mary and Paul downtown for Shnitzel and ice cream (gelato). I ended up at the Kunst Und Asstellungshallee Der Bundersrepublik Duetschland. It's a museum that hosts traveling exhibits both contemporary and ancient. By the way it is very close to the parliament building under the old West Germany and the Post Tower which houses the offices of the German postal system. At the museum I saw four exhibits, some crappy modern white light extravaganza with noise and blood, large canvases with junk, the permanent exhibit of 20th century modern German artisits (which was great) and an amazing exhibit of Xi'an-Imperial Power in the Afterlife. Which is an exhibit of the Chinese terra cotta soldiers and the tomb that was recently excavated in cooperation with the German government. Again, this display was humbling. The tomb itself was around 2 square miles and included not just the terra cotta army but a boat load (I think that is the technical term?) of other booty honoring the after life of one of the uniters of the Chinese Emporer. I have seen the National Geographic specials and such but seeing the soldiers, the officers, the horses, replica carriages, paintings, etc... was surreal. The people working on the site have also reconstructed the paint schemes that were originally used and as you enter the exhibit two replicas, fully painted great the visitor. Quite impressive!

After the high culture of contemporary Germany and ancient China, the low culture of the uni-culture was indulged. In other words, we had a few beers, went swimming near the trailer park on the Rhine-this time entering the strong current and floating nearly a mile down stream, and watching the loser game-LG as we named it-between Germany (3rd place) and Portugal (4th place) of WC fusbol.

Sunday morning, off to Greece at 5AM. Another teary goodbye in Niederbachem as Johannes and Julia were incredible hosts who we have now vacationed with 4 or 5 times over the last 10 years. Maybe a bike trip in France next year with the family?

Andernach

The last 3 days have been dedicated to a severe exercise regime given the bachanalian depths of my diet the last few weeks. Johannes and I actually road 80 kilometers yesterday in a trip from his home in Niederbachem to Andernach. There is a very well maintained trail the entire way with lots of cafes and small towns along the way to keep one well fed and distracted from the pain in one's legs. The highlight however is the Rhine itself as it surges through the Sievengebirge mountain range creating dramatic landscapes dotted with castles and massive cathedrals at every turn.

Along the way there also is a scene of 20th century importance at the former bridge, and now museum at Remagen. In March of 1945 US troops took this bridge on their way to Berlin. Knowing the Soviets were on a tear from the East the Allies needed to quickly cross the Rhine (not an easy task as I have learned having dipped into the torrent 10 times in the last week-and I didn't have to traverse the deluge with tanks!) and advance to the last bastion of NAZI power. Remagen was the only place left to cross given the Germans had destroyed the other bridges as the Allies entered Germany. Hitler was outraged at this strategic loss and executed 4 local commanders who were in control of Remagen.

Andernach is also an interesting place. It's an old medieval city with new housing and a shopping/tourist center incorporated into the city gate and center. Quite a dramtic view as you descend the trail from the North.

Today more biking and museums in Bonn.

Tonight the loser game. I guess we will have to watch given we are in Germany.

Nooooooo!

Needless to say there is no joy in Mudville. I really was surprised by the outcome given how shabbily the Italians were playing but in sudden death.... There is no talk of fußball in these parts now, can you say vive la France?

The last couple of days I have biking the Rhine. Niederbachem is about 16 kilometers from Bonn along the river. Nice and flat riding with lots of walkers, bikers, cafes, views of vineyards, Drachenfels ruins, Petersberg castle, flat barges, tourist tour boats and parks. The biking culture is serious here. Not to the Copenhagen level but substantial to be sure. There are bike paths and lanes everywhere and the biker is treated equally on the road. I actually crossed the Rhine on a highway (Autobahn) that had a dedicated lane.

Today we are headed to Cologne for site seeing and putsing around.

50 States Complete

Completion of 50 State Program

I have completed the 50 State Program at the YRE at Great Falls, MT on June 21. Mom and I along with walking friends Roberta and Gene Ganske formerly of Arnold, MD and now retired to Northfield, MN completed the trip on a driving tour from St. Paul, Mn through North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. Mom has completed walks
in 47 states and will complete the 50 next year with a trip to Washington
and Oregon and one nearer to home for Connecticutt. The Fons' started
volkssporting in Annapolis in 1989. The Great Falls walk was my 783rd
walk and Mom's 464th.

The Ganskes started volkssporting in Germany during a tour of duty there in
1976. Both the Fons' and Ganskes combine quilting and walking on their
trips. Quilt shoppers have no 50 state program but the ladies have visited
quilt shops in equivalent numbers should one be initiated.

Beautiful scenery was enjoyed on the seemingly endless straight state roads
of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota and the hillier roads of
Minnesota. Interesting stops were made at the National Parks and Monuments
along the way including Theodore Roosevelt Park, the Enchanted Highway,
Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore and Devils Tower in Wyoming.

Our stay included the Boot Hill Cemetary outside Billings, MT and a nice
walk up the butte overlooking the Yellowstone River Valley. Really enjoyed
the animals along the way, lots of antelope, mule and whitetail deer,
pheasants and a few bison. Even a family of magnificent Sandhill Cranes
along the road in Montana. The walk up the trail to Black Otter Trail Park
in Billings included the rising sun shining through the ears of a young
jackrabbit just a few feet away.

We concluded the trip with a walk in Buffalo, Wyoming and a friendly local
event in Flandrau State Park, New Ulm, MN. Where but in volkssporting could
you enjoy such a week?

Dad

Goooooallllllllll

Today is the big day, if they don't make the finals, here in Niederbachem! We will be watching the game via internet, Johannes and Julia don't have a TV, projected onto the side of their shed. Leland, their second oldest, is skeptical but the planners have assured us that the system has been tested and will be as clear as a brand new plasma screen.
For the last few days we have been hanging out here with the family playing games, swimming in the Rhine, which has some of the stongest current I have ever seen in fresh water, replacing windows, eating, eating, napping and just generally chilling. By the way we saw a hummigbird the size of a small peanut yesterday.

Prediction: Germany 2, Italy 1.

Alemania

Flew into Berlin on Wednesday night and gave a call to Paul's brother-in-law's sister Anette. Amazingly she says "oh you are at the airport, cool, we will pick you up in 15 minutes." Ten minutes later and she and her husband, Sebastian, are driving me out to an Italian restaraunt for dinner! The hospitality continues. I truly wasn't even planning on staying with them but they insisted so I stayed two nights.

As you can probably imagine Berlin, and Germany in general, is in a tizzy over the World Cup, my favorite moments so far were France v. Korea and England blowing their lead to Sweden (we watched this game in Tallinn with a mixed Swedish-English crowd). Coming into Cologne today (Germany plays Argentina in an elimination quarter final) the place was quasi-frenzied, and it is only 12:30 PM. Given this, it is a pretty interesting time to be here, oddly enough I was in Japan for the last WC (some anti-soccer toilet humor here-WC is a universal name for the john here).

Back to Berlin yesterday...I decided to vist Phillipp the used toy monger in former East Berlin. I was not disappointed. Onkel Philipps SpielzeugWerkstatt is a VERY unique place. He got the space cheap after the wall fell and has been expanding ever since. It has a really wacky-some very odd black dolls amongst other oddities-East German toy museum next to 3 rooms packed with kids toys and books, new and used. The place is a real curiosity and people drop in all the time. I spent most of the day just hanging out there and then Philipp loaned me his bike and I went biking throughout Eastern Berlin. Because of the WC the entire avenue where the Brandenberg gate is closed off with kiosks, large screen TV's for viewing the games, stages for live music, etc... So I was lucky having a bike going from the B-Gate to the monument to the Red Army and their historic defeat of German Fascism-up there with the other moment that moved me emotionally, the Hermitage-to the Siegessäule, the Bundestag, and a hell of a lot more! Quite a day. Great food, sunny and warm, saw some great Brazilian and Argentinian music on the street and on stage and had one of the best sandwiches-serrano ham and cheese on a ciabatta-from a small spanish cafe, that I have ever had.

The next part of the trip is visiting with Paul's sister and her family near Cologne. I was going to take the hitchhicking website route but the shinny 200 MPH ICE train caught my eye and I couldn't resist. Arrived here in mid-day to the impressive Cologne Cathedral and lots of obnoxious WC fans. Go Argentina, veneceremos!

Monday in Riga

Wow! Quite a long weekend in Saaremaa, Estonia for probably the biggest holiday for the Baltic states. The midsummer holiday or Janipaeva which is a celebration of the solstice from their pagan past. Bonfires, jumping over bonfires, symbols of fertility, drinking vodka and beer and shashliki-grilled meat are the fare throughout the region on the longest day of the year and its eve. This time, I celebrated the holiday in Latvia in 2000, we were lucky enough to be invited to stay at a country home on Saaremaa (see map-the large island off the western coast of Estonia) which interestingly was an important strategic point during WWII and now a vacation spot for Finns, Swedes and Estonians and a bird sanctuary. The place we stayed at, owned by a pair of German Lutheran ministers-Anna and Mattias, who have a wonderful bass toned (his laugh was hilarious) child, Karl Otto, was an old farm house which had a bunker in the back yard which saw lots of action as the Russians re-took the island in 1944. The stories abound about the Russians and Germans given the occupation after the war. Wherever we went there were artifacts of the war including artillery casings, old helmets, spent bullet casings, etc...

Since my last post from St. Petersburg we have traveled a lot and met some incredible, talented and generous people. I can't describe them all here but for posterities sake I would just like to mention Kairi, Dirk and their son Samuel; who picked us up in Tallinn after our long and hot bus ride from St. Petersburg. Who also let us stay at their place in Tallinn, showed us the town every night we were there, engaged us with wonderful conversation of political economy, German driving techniques, film-Dirk is a film maker (insert link for his new movie here), comedic timing, football!-and I ain't talking Green Bay here, the conquest of the Americas, Estonian conversational technique-they are known for their long silent "conversations," US political economy and the meaning of stupor and torpor and lots more. As well as being great hosts they drove us all the way to Saaremaa, made arrangements for our buses and ferries and were so welcoming when they left it felt like I had known them for years. I really am re-learning and re-appreciating that there are some truly humanistic people out there and the cynicism that pervades lots of the conversation of some of my circle needs some checking at times. If Dirk and Kairi read this I just want to say again how much we appreciated all you did for us, it was a remarkable weekend.

Another special word also needs to go out to Anna and Mattias, the German "Preacher Man" that let us stay at their home, showed us the beach, took us to the Latvian naval parade, took us to the Janepaeva celebration at the village museum, engaged us in high level discussions of the history and culture of Saaremaa, Estonia, the wartime experience of the island, German football, the Lutheran church, drying fish, Karl Otto's leadership abilities and a whole lot more. Again, this family never thought twice, except maybe when they heard our very loud snoring, about opening up their home to us and made us feel so welcome we stayed an extra day on the island.

Theis (sounds like Tice) and Jenni, Germans also, went out of their way to welcome us to Northern Europe and help us out as they hung out with us and drove Jeff and I from here to there on the island and then as we left the island drove us, via ferry, to Ventspils, Latvia, then to the coast to see Theis's new small farm house on the coast and then into Riga at about 10 last night. This ride saved us an awful lot of time and comfort given his luxurious Mercedes wagon as opposed to the bus that we may have had to have taken. The ride gave us a chance to see some of the small towns of the Latvian countryside, a concentration camp site, a German Baron's manor and almost run over Bambi. We also were able to learn a bunch about the WHO and their projects in Eastern Europe given that Jenni works for the UN's health organization in Copenhagen. Theis is also a really interesting guy, practicing law in Latvia but serving other parts of the Baltic states and Belorus. He also has an interesting family history having one great uncle fighting on the Soviet side and another fighting on the German side during the war. He also makes a mean Cuba libre.

Phillip, Mattias' cousin, the used East German Toy Monger, boat owner and "swinger"-he really liked this massive swing that they had at the village museum where we celebrated the holiday on the second, was also a treat to hang out with. He and I were the swimmers in the group making the trek to the Baltic sea a couple times a day even though the temperature hovered in the June chilliness of Lake Michigan. I think I will be visiting him in Berlin later in the trip.

The Estonians were also very welcoming to us in the island. I remeber Christi-she is studting Estonian attitudes towards the Soviets- and Ohmert (spelling?) her husband/boyfriend who shocked me by telling me the Miami Heat won the finals and also was about to put pillows over our heads because of our loud snoring. Can't remeber the other Estonians names but they were VERY tall.

Most of the time at the country house we were barbecueing, going to the beach, sitting around the massive bonfire and kibbitzing, but on the last day we went to an event at the local village museum that featured a choir, a number of traditional houses, this massive swing I mentioned before and a competition we dubbed "the feats of strength." Given this is a pagan festival and all the fertility rituals are front and center thus lifting heavy objects, presumably a women (in a sack?), throwing an object through one's legs (in this case an old suitcase), and showing one's manliness are central to this competition. By the way we were asked to compete (pictures forthcoming). The only "problem" with the feats of strength being held at the late hour of around ten-it's very bright out by the way-is that the average Estonian male has a mortality rate 10 years younger than the women and you guessed why, vodka and cigarettes! So the feat of strength #2, lifting the heavy sack (over 100 lbs!) off of the large rock then running with said heavy sack around the nearest tree and then returning at high speed at a slight decline while hammered on Saaremaa's finest grain alchol seemed like at least part of the reason for the high male mortality rates as Jenni, the official from the WHO, quipped. One of the participants had been in Iraq for two years by the way.

Kidding aside it was an interesting event and we stayed for hours.

Tommorow I leave Riga for Berlin and a town near Cologne to meet Mary and Paul at Johannes and Julia's house (Paul's brother-in-law and sister). I am writing this post on the sixth floor of a 19th century building owned at least partly by the Stochholm School of Economics for which Jeff works. They have a number of apartments that they house visiting scholars in. It's quite POSH and has the added benefit of having some sort of music school on the second floor or so and while I have been posting the most wonderful Jazz band has been playing, classical yesterday! It also is the block on which Isaiah Berlin lived as a child. Quite a city. I am off to the old city and the art museum.

Father's Day

We are following Chris' European travel trip--sounds like a great trip. Here are some pictures from the Farmer's Market from last week and one from Father's Day. The front yard is looking nice on a beautifully sunny Sunday.

Europe 2006

On Thursday I got to Copenhagen after a very long flight with a group of yapping American teenagers sitting next to me carousing the entire 8 hour flight. Arriving mid-day in the city, I immediately hopped a train and within ten minutes I was in the bustling city center. A beautiful warm day, the city was crowded with lots of very tall people walking on pedestrian walkways packed with thousands. The roads were filled with bike riders (by the way most people in Copenhagen don't lock their bikes!). I walked the city for hours, sat in to watch the soccer match between England and Trinidad and Tabago whilst two German guys and I annoyed the English revilers because we were siding with the Caribbean under dogs (or was it an anti-Brit impulse?). After the game we danced the night away to a very good Danish funk band who played mostly American covers.

I had to get up early Friday morning for the flight to St Petersburg. Made my flight on time and met Jeff and Natasha at the SP airport in the early afternoon. On the plane I sat next to a Persian guy who worked for the Swedish government in Russia advising them on business/University cooperation within a market economy. He was an interesting guy who's family left Iran in 1974 and moved to Upsula, Sweden where he said most people use bikes most of the time. I can just imagine how the Russian academics are reacting to the Persian consultant from Sweden who is telling them how they have been doing everything wrong fo the last 100 years.

We have a charming hotel right in the center of SP on Nvesky Prospect around a 15 minute walk from the Neva river and the Hermitage among many other incredible sights. Quite a walking town, particularly at this time of year, the White Nights-no real darkness-a twilight period for around 3 hours from midnight till three. It takes some getting used to but so far what we have done is sleep for a few hours, go out and repeat.

The first day we walked the main drag, packed with mostly Russians, and looked at some of the incredible churches, 19th century Czarist government buildings and got a feel for the city. The next day we went to the Hermitage. Now I have been to lots of art museums but this experience was unlike anything I was prepared for. At first we were a little underwhelmed, not by the content of the paintings and sculpture but of the conditions of the first few rooms-people being allowed to use flashes on their cameras, masking tape on the windows, lots of sun making its way into the rooms and drafts actually coming in from outside creating conditions that can only be described as dismal for the Monets, Manets, Van Goghs, Rembrandts, Pissaros and numerous other master works that adorn the first rooms as you enter the second floor of the Western European exhibits. As we moved on though the conditions improved and each room unfolded not only examples of the finest in European and Asian art but matched with rooms based on the Vatican, ornate with paintings, vaults and arches, ballrooms the size of a football field filled with massive gold leaf chandeliers and sculpture, case after case of jewelry, vases, statuets and ceramics; libraries, waiting rooms, military honor halls, etc, etc, etc......

I cannot in any way describe the combination of architectural grandeur and depth of collection of this place. I was not prepared for its intensity. I was truly humbled and cursed that we had only allocated 3 1/2 hours for the privilege. Taken overall the experience was undescribely emotional, the highlight for me however, if I had to pick one, were the Flemish and Dutch masters rooms.

The two or three rooms had tens of miniatures which I learned were highly coveted at the time as well as paintings the size of a large Tokyo billboard and everything in between. Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Jacob and many others that I have never heard of represented with still life's, portraits, family portraits, city and natural landscapes that were presented in a way that gave you some insight, just by the representation and selection, the evolution and schools of the region. I have never seen a special exhibit of this quality let alone a standing collection. For this selection of the museum alone the trip would have been worth it.

Jeff and I separated during our visit and I must say that I am glad because it really was an intensely personal experience that both of us seemed to experience during the day.

Looking at St Petersburg one can only ask the question, where did all of this wealth come from and of course we go back to the great political economist Woody Allen in his treatise on the 19th century Russia, Love and Death, when he gazed into the camera and repeated "wheat, wheat, a tremendous amount of wheat." And who actually created all of this grain? One of the world's most beaten and exploited creatures, the Russian serf!

Some of the highlights of this amazing city.

tomorrow we leave for Tallin, Estonia and then on to the largest island in the Baltic, the name which escapes me-more on this later. Today we spent wandering the Peter and Paul fortress and a Mosque that had some of the most beautiful mosaics(?) I have ever seen. They actually welcomed us in and showed us around, quite an experience. I must say I don't think I have ever been in a Mosque before.

We walked the entire way from the city center to the fortress and mosaque but on the way back took the metro. A metro is a metro but I have now seen the mother of all escalator! It felt like it was powered by a steam engine and must have been an 1/8th mile long burrowing down into the depths of the swamp that was St Petersburg and now is one of the most unique places I have ever had the pleasure.

On to Talin!

Monday, 19 June, 2006
At a internet cafe on Nvesky Prospect

Most amazing church I have ever seen. It was built at the spot of the assassination of the Czar in the late 1800's.

Europe 2006

I am going to use this site for a journal of my trip if there are no objections. Right now I am sitting in Terminal 5 at O'Hare waiting to board SAS to Copenhagen. On the way down from Milwaukee I sat next to a student of mine who is a world traveler already at the age of 17. A great kid, who was one of the few students who got an A in my class this year, Noah Winkler, who's mom cooks dinners at their house for the gourmet inclined and who's dad is an attorney who is politically active in the city. He was on his way to play some golf for a few days at a country club his uncle belongs to in a northern suburb of Chicago.

As I was going through customs the HOMELAND SECURITY agent made me take off my plastic shoes, I mentioned they were plastic and she said if you say anything else I will call for a secondary search! She was a little crabby. On the other end of the scan an agent asked me "sir, are you a rock star," I said, "no, I am a school teacher," he retorted, "actually school teachers are the real rock stars, good for you." People around chuckled and said yes we agree and thanked me for doing what I do. We hear lots and lots about the overpaid, lazy, union protected teacher in Milwaukee. It was a nice antidote on the last day of school.

I'm off to Copenhagen!

Later,

CF
Chicago, IL
8:37 PM

The Long Trail Now

Thirty years later

Sometime in the 70's on the Long Trail

Memorial Day Canoeing on the St Croix River

We were in Siren WI after canoeing for two days and what do we see? The largest Black bear I have ever seen barreling across the road at full speed with two young scholars chasing the beast. The bear then ran into the park across the street and then back across the road almost getting hit by a car. Truly a major event for all involved causing stranger and comrade alike to commiserate for hours about the bizzare scene we had just experienced.

Memorial Day Weekend

Two pictures from the weekend. The first is from a BBQ at the neighbor's house and the second one is at home in the kitchen. You can see that Jen getting far along now--she is about to start her sixth month. I hope everybody had a nice holiday weekend--looking forward to seeing pictures from everybody's weekend.

Mother's Day

Some pictures of Jennifer looking more and more pregnant. The first one is from her first (almost) Mother's Day.

Bay Bridge Walk

Looks like the Fonses and Farrell kids had a beautiful day walking across the Bay Bridge. The walk was on Sunday, May 7.

Fishing in Shawno, WI

Small Northern up Nort!

Field Trip

Amelia had a field trip on the Pirate Ship in Annapolis. We even saw the sailboats that are in the Volvo Race around the World. Amelia had a great time on the pirate ship, she even got some treasures.

Barnacle Brian

Brian was along for the ride, ARRRRR!

Ben's playing lacrosse

Ben is playing lacrosse at Broadneck Park each Saturday. He really enjoys learning all the lacrosse skills.

Oh no, man down.....

The Fonses Saved Passover

This is Jen counting the apples we used to make Haroset at the temple seder. We offered to make this traditional seder food, but nobody else volunteered--so we had to make it for 140! We were up until 11:00 on Thursday night peeling and mixing. It was fun and we got good reviews.

Happy Easter!

Can you read Brian's shirt - Chick Magnet! Happy Easter

Mi Casa

Here's a picture of the new paint on the house.

CF

Jennifer's Moving In Day

Jennifer and Ted returned from Annapolis on late April 2. We hadn't heard from the movers at all in the past week and had a vague voicemail when we got back from getting coffee early on the 3rd. Before we finished eating breakfast the doorbell rang and there were the movers with a huge moving van out in front of the house! It was a surprise, but they were professional and fast and they were gone before noon. Here are some before and after pictures. Now we just have to start organizing it all in the house.

Fons Family April 2006

Here they are all dressed up and ready to party.

From left to right, back row.
Alex, Andrew, DiscotheQue, Jim T., Steve, Ted, Chris

Front row, left to right
Nancy, Brian,
Amelia, Renee, Timmy, Dad, Mom

The Fons Kids at Warwick Long Beach

On Saturday morning we were looking at old Fons pictures and Mom found this one from 1973 of the Fons kids at a familiar Bermuda beach.

Pre-Reception Fons-Hechtman Meet & Greet

Friday night we had a gathering of the clans. The Fonses and the Hechtmans and the Trochanowskis got together to meet and get to know each other before the big reception on Saturday night. Ted and Jennifer's wedding jar/burial urn was honored. Dad would say a 'good time was had by all' Jen's mom enjoyed holding Brian Farrell.

Amelia

The wedding party and meet the family begin today. Here's a shot of Amelia at Ben's soccer practice at Cape St. Claire Elementary.

Laughs from the House of Harley

SO YOU'VE
KNOCKED OVER
A ROW OF A
MOTORCYCLE GANG'S
MOTORCYCLES.