Savor the moment

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White Cliffs of Dover
When I first read Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” as a teenager many (many) moons ago, it transported me to a starry night with the sea shimmering in the reflected light of a generous moon above. The white cliffs of Dover rising from the depths of the sea guarding the land for a thousand years, were described thusly: “ the cliffs of England stand,/Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.”
My vision became reality a few days ago when I was lucky enough to walk the long trail along the celebrated cliff tops of Dover pursued by a vigorous, but refreshing breeze nuzzling my whole being. The trail flanked by verdant meadows and accented with colorful wild flowers made an otherwise long trek ‘a walk to remember.’ Soaking in the stunning views across the English coastline from where the French coast (just 20 miles across) is visible on a clear day is an indescribable experience. My heart skipped a beat as I spotted the 300 feet high chalky precipices rising above the waters like a formidable white wall. My feet came to an abrupt halt and I felt rooted to the ground as I stopped and stared at the natural wonder that materialized before me.
As I walked towards the edge feeling the full impact of the breathtaking views, the dizzying height made good sense prevail and I stopped at a safe distance to drink in the spectacular sight. I lay on the grass, closed my eyes and let my mind wander. The whispers I heard in my head stayed with me as I walked back from the breathtaking sight:
Oh ye sentinel of the sea/ standing stoically since time immemorial,/what secrets have you nursed?/What mysteries have you solved?/what battles have you witnessed?/how many lives have been wasted in wars?/How much blood has been spilled in drawn-out conflicts?/how many tears have been shed by mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers?/how many ships adrift in the vast sea did you welcome back to shore?/Oh the tales with which you could regale humanity/if only you could utter them!

Dancing the Viennese Waltz all the way!
I have never had a lesson in the Viennese waltz, but as I travelled through Vienna, it surely felt as if my head and feet were accidentally emulating the rigor of the dance. While Salzburg reawakened the music lover in me, Vienna only strengthened the bond I felt with all forms of music and art. Touring the majestic Vienna Opera House with its opulent arches, grand auditorium, beautifully painted frescos and sculptures that adorn it, I was left yearning for the highs a performer must feel when he or she performs within its hallowed halls for a spellbound audience. As in a Viennese waltz, we were compelled to switch our gaze to the other side of history when we entered the Schönbrunn palace grounds. A visit to the imperial palace, summer residence of the Halsburg rulers, with its exquisite paintings. ceremonial rooms, and gold-inlay work, revealing the 17thmu century Baroque art and architecture preserved in all its glory, was a sight to behold. The grandeur of the palace also extends to its magnificent gardens with beautifully landscaped flowerbeds, fountains and hedges accented by marble sculptures drawn from Greek mythology. I can only imagine the immense pleasure felt by Empress Maria Theresa when she looked upon this enviable sight atop the Gloriette constructed on a hilltop at the far end of the gardens. Another sweeping turn and change of steps took us to the grand Belvedere palace of the late 17th cent that houses an illustrious art collection by renowned Austrian artists. A further turn of the feet and head took us to the imposing gothic St. Stephan’s cathedral with its colored tiled roof that stands testament to important moments in Austrian history.
As our days in this historic city drew to a close, we could think of no better way to end our short sojourn in Vienna than by attending a much-awaited classical concert. Being regaled by artists playing a veritable array of the most popular compositions by Bach, Vivialdi, Mozart and other well-known musicians was a fitting end to our visit.
Now, as my dancing feet comes to a reluctant stop and the Viennese landscape becomes a distant memory, these lines from a poem by Masiela Lusha closes the curtain on a memorable experience:
Vienna’s yellow palace rests above a cloud/Of chilled Hungarian lights/But the gardens are still red and violet/And the three rocks still carry my wishes/From spring tides before…..This Vienna! My love letter/ To her time will ride the/Syllables of drawn memories/to fields and museums,/Cathedrals and music and smiles,/Swans dressed as Ballerina

Welkominn- an Austrian welcome

The Hills are alive….
I wonder if Oscar Hammerstein II envisioned the lasting impact his words would have on future generations as he penned the lyrics to SOM. As I stepped off the plane and into the city surrounded by an idyllic panoramic view, I realized how aptly Hammerstein II had captured the sights and sounds of Salzburg in the lines from the movie. This vibrant Austrian city of Mozart located at the foot of the alps bordering Germany is a perfect location for music lovers. A grand way of immersing oneself in the music and culture of the land is by attending a concert at the spectacular Marble hall in the historical Mirabell Palace.
While the sound of music that echoes over the hills and dales of Salzburg, it is also a city steeped in history and baroque architecture: Imposing fortresses, grand palaces, exquisite gardens, ornate cathedrals, distinguished spires and domes, bustling town squares and enchanting fountains lure travelers from all over to bask in this unique experience. Landscapes that unfurl into the distance, Salzach river that gushes along the length of the city, verdant hills that beckon, charming townships that transports one to a life long-forgotten are what infuses this city with a magical touch.
As I say goodbye to this fairy tale, the Sound of Music Soudtrack rings in my ears:
My day in the hills has come to an end
I know
The stars have come out
To tell me it’s time to go.
But deep in their dark green shadows
Are voices that urge me to stay,
So I pause, I wait, and I listen
For one more sound
For one more lovely thing
That the hills might say.

A land of breathtaking contrasts

Icelandic food scene
No travel is complete without a peek at its gastronomic delights. Sampling the local food can give one an unique insight into a country’s culture, traditions and even history. Iceland 🇮🇸 is all about fresh Fish…. While
Lamb and beef are also popular, the long history of fishing and dependent on sea for nourishment, seafood figures prominently in their cuisine. Lucky for me, fish is my game, for sure! The typical fish dishes come as creamy potato and haddock fish stew( Plokkfiskur) with dark rye bread, baked Artic Char, fish soup, and my favorite fish’n’ chips. I was pleasantly surprised by fish’n’ chips which I thought was the domain of UK, but I must say the dish I had in a restaurant in Kopavagour can
give the UK toppers a run for their money.The fresh, flaky and well seasoned fish was a treat for my palette. Another offering that took me by surprise was the varied vegan and vegetarian selections both at restaurants and grocery stores. The increase in tourism in recent years has not gone unnoticed and Iceland caters to every palate.
Be brave, be experimental
Urge your senses to experience tastes
Unique as they may be, feel the soul of the
land
Train your palate to savor the moment
You’ll be the better for it!!
Now on to the next adventure…

A bumpy start

Velkomin to the Land of Fire and Ice-The first leg
After what seemed like the longest and anxiety-ridden two weeks ( explained in the previous post), we finally landed in Reykjavik, Iceland. As I peeked out the window of our aircraft, I felt as if I were gliding in slow motion towards the ground as our plane descended on the runway in the early hours of the morning. Yes! We made it-I sighed in relief!
Iceland is a nature lover’s paradise. The name often conjures up images of dark, bleak winters with ground swelling up in mounds of snow and ice; however, during summer the country puts on its most exuberant and fanciful show. It is truly a land of stunning contrasts. As we explore this magical scene, I am reminded of Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice:”
“Some say the world will end in fire/Some say in Ice/From what I have tasted of despite/I hold with those who favor fire/But if it had to perish twice/I think I know enough of hate/To say that for destruction ice/Is also great/ And would suffice.”
While Frost perhaps wanted to equate fire and ice to desire and hate as causes of destruction, today as I watch the sweeping landscapes of Iceland, I think they can both exist in harmony and teach us a thing or two about our own existence.

While Iceland abounds in glaciers, icebergs,snow capped mountains, that are still visible in the summer months, it equally prides itself in showcasing its craters, Geysirs, hot springs, lava fields, fumaroles and volcanoes. Another stunning sight to behold are the numerous cascading waterfalls( formed mostly from melting glaciers)that capture the imagination. Waterfalls of different heights and widths dot the landscape and each one holds its own spectacular display. The spectacle of the falls roaring, cascading, dancing, and gushing over large rocks below and getting tamed as it flows downstream and then again roaring and sweeping in rapids as it tumbles over other tall rocks and stones in its path is mesmerizing.
Summer is a also a call to puffins to lay their eggs on the volcanic shores of Iceland and hatch their young. One can observe huge colonies of Puffins on a boat tour to their nesting sites. Though quite tiny, their black and white penguin-like suits, red beaks, the vigorous flapping of their wings as they swoop down in the waters to catch fish to feed their young or hover in a frenzied state over other gulls to protect their babies are a sight to behold. Lakes are also the playground of geese, ducks, tern and other sea birds that flutter and spread their wings enjoying the full glory of a long-awaited summer.
The green meadows with grazing sheep, cattle and horses are a refreshing addition to the summer’s bounty in Iceland. Wild flowers are in full bloom although purple colored lupines seem to monopolize the region’s open fields and sidewalks. The pageantry of the summer is enhanced by the continuous visibility of the sun for 24 hours during these months. Iceland’s rugged and romantic summer landscape has been captured by Jonas Hallgrimson ( one of the country’s well-known poets):
“The sun’s imperial pageant in the west/purples the Eyjafjalla Glacier,standing/huge in the west beneath its icy crest…..”
“Dandelions, a dazzling mass!/Dimpled berries in the meadow!/Ditches deep in cotton grass!/…In your midst I ache to pass/all my years of sun and shadow!”
To enliven the words on this page, here are a few snapshots of the stunning summer sights.

Let’s start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with ABC
When you blog you being with your first word….😀
Speaking of starting at the beginning, before I revel in the travel experiences that we have embarked on, I think I should give you a glimpse of the trials and tribulations we( my husband and I) went through before we started on the first leg of this long journey.
Our long awaited plans spanning a few months of nomadic travel in Europe after retirement were close to materializing as we booked our flights and started chalking out our itineraries. Since we had planned to either sell our home or rent it out before we left, the task of sorting, packing, and storing our belongings had to be prioritized. While the process of packing had begun a few months ahead with each of us boxing things we might not need in the near future, our expectation was that we would be ready and done well before the deadline. Boy, were we wrong!!! We left the major packing for the last couple of weeks and the whole process turned into a mini nightmare. My hubby,insisting on packing things logically, had to take his time to sort out things, box them meticulously in certain order and then move them to storage. As we know, ‘ time and tide waits for no man, ‘ so we found ourselves racing against time as our flight day approached at a galloping speed(at one point I even considered canceling the first leg of our journey to gain some time to complete the task at hand). The volunteer who accepted donations at the Good will facility soon started to recognize me since I was at their doorstep at least 3 times a week donating stuff in large bags. Although we had help moving some heavy items to storage, the amount of boxes that needed to be stored became overwhelming; however, after days of sweat/ anxiety/ rising blood pressure, we managed to fill our storage unit and close its doors for the last tine before heading out. Our initial plans were to drive up to Dallas from McAllen a couple of days ahead to spend some time with our daughter and drop off our dog in her care before catching our flight, but the Herculean task we undertook did not allow us to leave as planned. We could ultimately leave only on the previous day and make the long drive to Dallas which meant we had just a short time to be with our daughter. The only silver lining in this whole process was that we did make our flight to Reykjavik, albeit with an aching back( esp. the hubby) and exhausted from the mad rush leading up to this day. Thus our journey had begun….. do I dare say “
All’s well that ends well”? Remains to be seen….